Born A Weapon

a wolf in sheep's skin (part 1)

(tw: mentions of child abuse, manipulation, depersonalization, mentions of child neglect)

There aren't really a lot of triggering things in this chapter, but prepare for the next chapter it's over 4000 words long 🫡

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18/07/1997

I had said it.

Now it was time to prove that I had truly meant every word.

The day after Father had returned home, I had gone to his office and declared that I would officially stand by his side in the war. I told him that I was no longer going to support the other side and that my loyalty belonged to him from now on. The words had barely left my mouth before they triggered an immediate response, one I had never expected. Even so, I knew that my decision would set countless changes into motion, altering the course of my life in ways I could not yet fully understand.

The moment I spoke those words, there was no going back.

Whatever uncertainty had lingered inside me, whatever possibility there had been of returning to the other side, disappeared the instant Father accepted my declaration. I had made my choice. Whether it proved to be the right one or the worst mistake of my life, it no longer mattered. The bridge behind me had already burned.

The first thing that happened was something I never could have anticipated.

Father hugged me.

If anyone had told me even a month ago that those words would one day be true, I would have laughed in disbelief. Affection was not something Father gave freely. Approval, perhaps. Recognition, on rare occasions. But comfort? Never. It wasn't the kind of man he was.

He rose slowly from the chair behind his desk and crossed the room without a word. When he reached me, he wrapped his arms around me in a stiff, awkward embrace that felt almost unnatural, as though he wasn't entirely sure how to do it. Yet despite its awkwardness, it was real.

For a brief moment, I found myself sinking into him like a small child who had stumbled and instinctively reached for someone to catch them. I hadn't realised how desperately I had wanted something as simple as a father's embrace until I was standing in it. It lasted only a few seconds before he stepped away again, but those few seconds stayed with me far longer than I wanted to admit.

It wasn't just a hug.

It was acceptance.

For the first time in years, I felt as though Father wasn't merely looking at me as just another child or another pawn to move across the board. He was looking at me as someone who had finally chosen him. Whether that feeling was genuine or simply wishful thinking, I couldn't tell, but in that moment, it didn't matter.

when i was a baby mother and father rarely looked at me except for the rare few times they took me to meetings and to banquets just to get a few oohs and AWS. showing me off for their own gain. i didn't remember this of course and i am sort of g;ad i dont but narcissa had told me how they treated me back then

That evening, another change followed.

A meeting was held over dinner with all of the highest-ranking Death Eaters. The gathering wasn't simply another discussion of the war. It had been arranged because of me.

As everyone settled into their seats, Father announced that I had officially declared my loyalty and that I would gradually begin stepping into my role as his heir.

The room fell silent for a heartbeat.

Then came the applause.

Cheers echoed through the dining room as glasses were raised in celebration. Congratulatory voices filled the air, one after another, until they blurred together into a single overwhelming wave of approval.