Freaks: Year Two

Let It Out

"Are you sure this is a good idea?"

"It is the best idea, trust me," Christopher answered Jasper. "Mrs. and Mr. Jenkins are at work around this time. If we floo there now, they won't know a thing."

"Why are we leaving?" Edgar asked, quietly.

"Because the Jenkins have a big property and that way you'll be able to be alone with no one to bother or hear you," Jasper told him but he realised Edgar still had an injured leg on the mend. Even with the leg all healed up, could he travel and floo? Jasper thought that even if he could, it would not be the safe and smart thing to do.

But Christopher had quickly realised the problem as well.

"The leg is all healed, he'll be fine."

Jasper still didn't like the idea. "What if the harsh travel just injures him more? It was only just healed..."

"Then we give him more potion."

Edgar looked nervous.

"Why can't you trust me, Odair?" Christopher asked. "I know you were all pis–mad about the house being destroyed, but I fixed that! And you know why I did it now. Come on, we have to do this for Eddie for things to get better for him and everyone else in your family."

Jasper sighed. "Okay," he started and he turned towards his little brother. "We will go through the Floo Network together. If your leg hurts we will give you more magic potion and I promise you will be all better and you can have some...alone time with your magic and...say anything that has been bothering you...alright? Is that okay?" Jasper felt like it was a lot for a seven year old to comprehend. Even he was having a hard time comprehending it.

Edgar looked over to Christopher before approaching Jasper and rising on his tippy toes (Jasper still had to bend down) so he could whisper in his ear, "I am scared."

"I know," Jasper whispered back. "It is very scary when you don't have control of something you should, but if you do what Christopher said it should get better."

"What if he's wrong?"

"Then I...all of us, will figure something out, we aren't ones to just give up," Jasper told him in a reassuring tone. "I promise things will be okay."

"I don't wanna be scary."

"You aren't scary."

"He said my magic is scary and different, that means I am scary and different," Edgar said. He had known it all along, but to have it confirmed...it made him feel worse. What if letting it out didn't fix it? What if it made it worse?

"You aren't scary or different Ed," Jasper told him. "Magic gets out of control and because of...where we live it got worse for you, but that doesn't mean you're scary, I promise. You just need a little bit of help and it will all be okay."

"But you were never scary," Edgar said, quietly.

"Everyone processes things differently Edgar, there is no shame in it. Maybe it didn't happen because I didn't know what was going on, I will never know, but you need to know that your magic is nothing to be ashamed of and we are going to do everything to help you get back in control of it."

Edgar slowly nodded but he couldn't shake off all the feelings he had, all the emotions, all the danger he felt, all the destruction, all the pain...

It was all in there, just waiting to come out.

Edgar hoped that it wasn't too late like the older boy had said.

"See, your books are as good as new," Alabaster said once he saw Harry exiting the Hufflepuff common room after using his wand to clean off the ink from his book and bag. He had been right, it was quite simple; all it took was a cleaning spell and everything was all well and good.