Birds of a Feather

Chapter 10: That Stupid Fucking Dog

Trigger warning: mentions of child @buse, sexual @buse/molest@tion, attempted su1c1de, along with other triggering topics. If any of these have the potential to trigger you, I would advise to skip this chapter (or potentially pick a different story to read)

          I was going to do this, I thought as I walked into the auror office. I was being escorted to an auror who supposedly specializes in this. What this was, exactly, they hadn't told me. Daphne stuck to my side, giving me a worried look every once in a while. I wanted to tell her to fuck off, but I couldn't under the auror besides us's watchful eye. I stayed silent as he escorted us to another office, further down a third hallway and off to the side. He instructed us to knock on the door when we were ready and then disappeared without a trace.

          I took a breath to steel myself and looked around. I could to this. I had to do this. There was no other option. And, when there's no other option, you just have to push through the first. I could do this, I decided. I was going to do this, whether I wanted to or not. I'd done plenty of things I didn't want to before. I was doing this. I knocked on the door with a newfound confidence, until Blaise's voice echoed in my head "be small". I could do that. I could be small. How do you think I got the protection of such powerful, yet often mediocre, men? I could play the victim. "Come in," someone called from inside the office. Daphne and I entered and sat across from a man at a desk. He was turned away from us at the time, but I thought his voice sounded oddly familiar. 

          I gasped audibly when he turned around, because sitting right in front of me was a weathered Neville Longbottom. He had a scar across his temple that I swear wasn't there before, but other than that, he was Neville. He was obviously Neville. I couldn't do this. How was I supposed to sit here and tell my sob story to a man I'd made a life out of belittling. I gave Daphne a terrified look and she looked back at me, confused as to my sudden fear. Daphne was always turning a blind eye to everything we'd done wrong, so of course she would have no clue why I was upset. Longbottom, however, obviously knew I was going to be here, as he didn't seem at all surprised or phased. He just smiled weakly and said, "Hello, Parkinson."

          I nodded meekly, but said nothing. I had somehow lost my voice in the minute between him sitting in front of us and him speaking.

          Daphne, sensing my displeasure, spoke for me. "Is there any chance we could speak to someone else about this?"

          "Not for something of this matter, no. Unfortunately, this is my area of expertise and there are no other employees actively suited for you to speak with this about," he spoke to Daphne, but he looked at me at the end. 

          I could tell that he was waiting for me to say something, but there was a lump caught in my throat. After far too long silence, I managed to say something. Unfortunately, all I could think to say was "How are you working here if you haven't finished school?"

          This made him smile slightly, and he answered, "With the amount of aurors lost in the war, they haven't been able to be too particular about their employees. The same with minor healers. They began to train people who were available to do specific jobs and eventually started moving us around to areas we were naturally good or better at, and that's how I ended up here." He smiled at me, again, although it was that polite smile you give family members you don't like but have to be nice to for your parents' sake. He then said, "Now, I know the nature of what you want to tell me, and so you can take all the time in the world. You can also ask for whatever you need at any point. You are not being imprisoned in any way and you are welcome to leave at any point. You do not have to answer any questions and you are allowed to omit any facts that you want to, however, it is recommended that you are as honest as comfortable with me so that I can fully understand and be prepared to make charges and arrests accordingly." I wanted to tell him that I wasn't comfortable telling him fucking anything, but I just sat there, dumbly. And that was when he offered me tea, which was the weirdest fucking thing, but I agreed just because I wanted to prolong talking as much as people.