The Years of Riddle

Chapter Fifty-Four | Ottery St. Catchpole, August 3rd 1995

Chapter Fifty-Four

Ottery St. Catchpole, August 3rd 1995

         It was a quiet night in the Lacroix home. Orson had just finished up his last year at Hogwarts, and was currently arguing with his mother over his half planned backpacking trip around Europe.

"Ma, I have it all planned –" he heard Orson plead.

"Planned! You just told me you didn't even know where you would spend the first night, or how you will eat!" Inesa cried back. "Not to mention we could have You Know Who on our hands again! No, Orson, just no!"

Upstairs, Ivy was blasting Muggle music – he believed a Bowie something perhaps – being a classic sixteen year old. He heard Magnus shout that he was trying to read, probably the only fourteen year old whom was doing his summer work before the last week before classes.

As for Silas, he was attempting to organize Harry Potter's pick-up from his Muggle relatives. If it were to go smoothly, he would have to monitor everyone he enlisted, and plan it down to the perfect moment. He wrote Mad Eye an encrypted letter, with instructions for the pick up.

He looked up at the sound of his office door opening, Estelle stepping in. "Are you busy?"

"For you? Never." He stood up and hugged her, being watchful of her four-month pregnant stomach. "How's Merlin, the baby?"

"He's good, stressed out. Baby is good too, healer says he's progressing well."

"It's a boy?" Silas found himself choking up. When Estelle had married Merlin Periculum, he hadn't expected to become a grandfather so quickly. Estelle was quick to remind him that they had been married a year in June, and that Inesa had gotten pregnant in their first year of marriage too. She knew all the angles, which is what made her one of the best curse breakers in her field. Silas was pleased to become a grandfather, and to hear it was a boy – of course a girl would have been equally joyous, but a boy. "A boy."

"Yes, a boy." Estelle laughed, tears in her eyes. "Can you believe I'll have a little boy in five months?"

"Honestly, no." sitting back in his chair, Silas let out a deep sigh. "I don't feel old enough to be a grandfather."

"You're not old," hushed Estelle, sitting in one of the armchairs by his desk. She was only twenty-three; the same age Silas had been when she was born. Merlin was a few years older, which Silas was grateful for; he had been mature, and everyone had children at that age then. He was only happy that his first grandchild wasn't born out of a panic of war.

"We want to name him William," she interrupted his wandering thoughts, "And have Bill as the godfather."

"Oh honey, I'm sure he's over the moon."

"He is, I'm so pleased he agreed." She smiled slyly. "And of course I'm happy that he has much reason to stay in England."

"Ah, Fleur Delacour." Silas nodded knowingly. "Molly's in a state."

"I don't see why, she's quite lovely." Huffed Estelle. "Fleur is very smart, we work closely at the bank, and I was the one who introduced them. Don't tell Molly," she added quickly, "She'll have my head."

"Molly will come round."

"I hope so." Estelle fell quiet, worry settling over her features. Her brow creased and her mouth twisted, and Silas recognized that look; she was trying not to cry.

"Is something bothering you Essie?" he leaned forward, taking her hand.

"I..." she sighed heavily, resting her other hand on her stomach. "I'm worried that my son will grow up in a world of fear, like I did." A tear slipped down her cheek, and Silas moved to wrap her in his arms.

"Oh Essie." He whispered into her hair.

"And, and Dumbledore has approached Merlin about joining the order and I just can't Papa –" she was sobbing now, shoulders shaking. "I can't be like Mama, waiting up for my husband all night, and I don't want Will to be like me, unable to sleep because I'm scared my Papa will die while I sleep and, and I just –" the words wouldn't form any longer, and Estelle let him simply hold her close, stroking her hair, soothing her.

When she had caught her breath again, Silas pulled back a bit. "What has Merlin said about joining?"

"He doesn't want to, but he feels this – this obligation," Estelle hiccupped and smiled wearily. "He's like you, Papa. Always just wants to do what's best."

"Hm, right." He thought back to when Dumbledore had approached him, and sighed. "You know, you were just a few months old when I agreed to join the Order."

"I know, Papa."

"And when Lily Potter got pregnant with her son, James asked me whether he should stay – and I said it was up to him, that he had a child now, and he could take that however he wished. He could fight, or drop out. It was his decision."

"James Potter died, though." Said Estelle quietly.

"Yes, he did. I did not." Silas squeezed her hand. "It's a gamble, a game of life – and I could have easily died, but I wanted to keep you as safe as possible. I didn't trust anyone else to fix the world for me."

"Are you saying Merlin should join?"

"It's ultimately his choice, and of course your opinion matters, too. However..." Silas thought of Harry Potter, currently in the home of Muggle's, expelled from Hogwarts. "If I had control of this situation, I would ask Merlin not to join. I would go on my knees and beg if I had to."

Estelle let out a breath of relief. "He'll listen to you," she said finally. "I don't want to raise my son without a father."

"If you weren't having a son, wouldn't you be joining?" asked Silas.

"Of course I would." She said reasonably. "But having a baby...well, for one I can't exactly fight – and I don't want to anymore. Merlin doesn't want to fight, but...well, I'll go home, we'll talk it over." She stood, a determined look on her face. "If he decides to fight, I'll support him. Mostly, anyways."

"Essie?"

"Yeah Pa?" Estelle looked at him with Tom Riddle's eyes.

Silas marvelled in the sight of his daughter. "Your son may be born during war, but he will know so much joy."

Estelle teared up, and she hugged him one more time. "I love you, Papa."

"I love you too." Silas held onto his daughter tight, and hoped that his son in law decided not to fight. If only he could go back in time and tell James Potter the same thing.

A/N: Silas is going to be a grandfather!!!

Question: do you think Estelle's husband, Merlin, will join the order?

Rose