Semper - Fred Weasley

Chapter XVI

„Penny, you came.“, My father took a step closer and Fred pushed me behind him, while his other hand slowly reached for his wand.

Matthew stopped and raised his hands soothingly.

„Who is that?“, he asked, pointing at Fred.

„I’m her boyfriend.“, Fred answered for me and the two stared at each other.

„Boyfriend? Aren’t you too young to have a boyfriend?“, my father spoke directly to me but without breaking the eye contact with Fred. I rolled my eyes at his behavior.

I stepped out from behind Fred.

„I’m 16, you should know that. And it’s none of your business, you’ve lost that privilege the day you decided to leave me.“ I looked into his eyes while I spoke calmly.

It was quiet for a few moments, only the creatures and animals could be heard.

„Penny, I did this for us, for you, to protect you.“, his voice sounded desperate, the man in front of me was the opposite of what I had always imagined my father to be. In my mind, my father was a brave man who died looking for his wife. And not a coward who ran into the arms of the Dark Lord.

„That’s what they all would say! Can’t you think of anything better?“, my anger at the person who was standing in front of me, grew bigger and bigger.

„Shit.“, he cursed and pulled at his hair.

„Okay, let’s start all over again. I’m sorry.“, his eyes and voice softened, he looked almost pleadingly, pitiful. A man you wouldn’t think was a death eater, one of the darkest and cruelest wizards existing.

„What exactly are you sorry for? That you left me as a baby, although I had already lost my mother? Or that you suddenly appear and want to be my father?“, my fingernails pressed into my palms and I felt them left small moon-shaped prints. Fred took my hand and gently stroked my palms.

„Give me a chance to explain it, please.“

I took a deep breath.
„Spill!“

He looked relieved.
„After Sirius came into our house that night and told me what had happened,  my whole world collapsed. I didn’t want to believe that your mother and the Potter's were supposed to be dead. Betrayed by our best friend. I wanted to go straight to the Potter's house, but Sirius stopped me. And my first priority now was you, I had to keep you safe. But I couldn’t stand it, I couldn’t just go on living without your mother. So I decided to leave. I knew Dumbledore would take care of Harry so I asked him to take care of you too.

"Harry and you, you were safe at the Dursley’s.

„So I left. I knew the Dark Lord vanished the night his curse fired back from Harry, but I knew there were still loyal followers and I went to find them and get revenge. And I found them. And I started the worst mistake of my life by joining them. I don’t know what I was hoping for, I had no plan, suddenly I was right in the middle of it. And now there was no going back, if I didn’t want to be killed, I had to pretend to be on their side.

„Only a few believed in the return of their leader and remained faithful. The Lestrange’s and Bartemius Crouch Jr., and they were imprisoned in Azkaban for torturing the Longbottom’s. Most of the other’s declared to have acted under the Imperius Curse. Nobody knew about me, so I avoided a trial.“

„But you could have come back!“, I huffed, I didn’t get it.

„I’ve watched you all these years, believe me, I would never have let anything happen to you. But I was a coward.”