Rise of the Death Eaters [3]

Chapter 60: Old Money Fancies

*Not me humming the "time to do some sketchy shit" theme while writing the internal collapse of the Fountaine family. You know, the usual melodramatics*

This was the summer of knocks at my door. For whenever I received such an announcement, I knew something new—whether good or bad—was here.

The first knock I received happened three days after my arrival home for the summer. Prior to that knock, I was left with food at my desk by the house elves, and books to occupy my time. I rarely touched the food and kept to my counterfeit cigarettes I had lingering around in overturned books and tucked in the ridges of the head board of my bed instead.

If anyone smelled the smoke, no one came up to inquire.

And so when that first knock arrived, I welcomed it with nervous apprehension for I knew it was the summons from my father. As well as information as to what was happening in the Fountaine residents.

Three days of dreading such a meeting made the reality very anticlimactic. Other than the usual gaslighting from parental figures about my feelings on what I thought of death eaters: their philosophy was destroying our family name. In the end, the conversation was very simple as it was very one-sided.

I was not to talk to anyone about my father's affiliation with the death eaters. Obviously.

I was to do what was asked of me and show loyalty to my family at all times. Whatever that means...

I was to maintain my house arrest and see it as a form of safety during this dangerous times. As if the danger wasn't caused by my father's actions. 

Lastly, I was not allowed to say, write or correspond any news about the contents of this summer to anyone. As if my letter writing skills was top mark already.

If any of these rules were to be forfeit, I was to be taken out of school permanently, begin homeschooling under my parent's roof, and lose all privileges of freedom I have until now thought to be common place.

I listened to what my summer was to entail with the underlining message sinking into my gut. I was simply an ornament for the Fountaine Family to show off to reduce the gossip surrounding our family's recent inquiry made by the British Ministry.

The second knock happened three weeks into my stay at my father's London residence. And it happened very late at night when I was already wearing my sleep mask, trying to fall asleep.

"Theo?" I whispered, seeing him through the crack in my door. It was nearly 1 am and yet my brother was dressed in a black wizarding cloak. "What's going on?" I asked, opening the door wider for him to enter. He came in quickly, his movement quiet like a cat's and direct in their action. The door was shut before he answered my question.

"I'm leaving at any minute. Father has me going away for a bit and I don't know when I'll be back."

"Theo, you're not one of them now are you?" I questioned as the thought naturally sprung to mind. The room was dark but I could still see his eyes well enough and how they did not spark up in humor at my interjection.

"I am not marked. Not yet. But they might force me to—"

"Theo you mustn't!" I begged, grabbing his arm automatically. "Whatever our father has over you to even think to do this you must find another way. Run-away now if you have to. But don't sign yourself up to those killers!"

"I won't kill anybody," Theo bartered back. "None of us want to. Not Damion or Ed-"

"They're death eaters?"

My brother's nod was slow and agonizing as to what lay ahead of me.

"How? How has this happened and so fast?" I demanded, letting go of my brother's arm. "How can you three have lost your senses? Our family has never been so power hungry before. Why now?"