Poison Ivy | T. Riddle ✔

[49] A Second Chance

Upon Belvina's insistence, Demelza and Nathan had gone to the Burkes on their departure from King's Cross, in order to spend the day over there and stayed till dinner time. After what happened at King's Cross, Demelza had been worried for Perce and had even warned her mother that she feared that he was suffering from his former seizures once again. 

But Perce had assured them all that he was completely fine and there was absolutely nothing to worry about. He acted quite normal afterwards as he didn't want anyone to get worried on his account. Only Nathan was aware of the actual cause of his strange behavior at the station earlier.

Perseus had taken him aside and warned him that he had no doubt sensed Riddle's presence at the station and he was a hundred percent sure that it hadn't been an accident. He feared that Tom was purposefully spying on the Whitburgs and that meant that both Demi and Eridanus could be in danger.

While Eridanus had now gone to Hogwarts and was safe as long he remained in the school's premises under protection of Albus Dumbledore, Perseus had an instinctual sense that warned him that Demi and Nathan could be under threat from Tom Riddle. He knew Nathan was a skilled Auror and could look after himself very well, but Demelza was probably the most at risk.

Therefore, he had requested Nathan to take extreme care of his cousin and never once to let her out of his sight. Perseus knew very well that his instincts had never been wrong, hence he wanted to do all he could to make sure that they were safe from Riddle.

Night had fallen when they returned to Hogsmeade at last. Nathan found Demelza in their room, staring out the window silently. After they had parted from Danny, she had been extremely silent; probably missing her son because she had never sent him away for such a long time all on his own.

He understood her condition and also knew that it would take some time for her to adjust with it. But he was confident that she would overcome her feelings just like she had always done so in the past.

"Demelza," he gently called out to her and she turned to face him, wiping a few tears that had trickled down her cheek. "Is everything alright?" he asked, concern quite evident in his tone.

"Of course," she replied immediately, putting a small smile on her face, "I'm fine. I... I just..." She paused for a while then admitted truthfully, "I miss Danny."

He pulled her close in a comforting hug, wrapping his arms around her, "I know. It'll take some time but you'll get through it. Besides, Hogwarts isn't so far away from here. You can always write letters to him and he'll still be coming here for Christmas and Summer Breaks. And do you know, they have weekends from third year onwards when students are allowed to visit Hogsmeade. Trust me, you'll be seeing Danny much more than other mothers get to see their kids."

She gratefully accepted the embrace, burying herself in his comfortable warmth, "it still seems like such a long time, Nathan."

"Don't worry, time flies and you'll be surprised how soon Christmas would come and Danny will be here again."

"Well, I guess you're right. But time flies only if we keep ourselves occupied enough not to notice it. When Danny was around I had so much to do. I used to look after him, teach him, care for him... My life revolved around him. And now that he's not here with us, I feel like there's nothing left for me to keep myself busy with anymore."

His face broke into a smile as he jokingly remarked, "you still have this whole house to run, Demi. And you could start taking care of me for a change."

She looked up at him, her soft brown eyes filling with both sadness and guilt at the same time. Nathan had always done such a lot for both of them. He had been a sincere friend, a firm support and a very faithful partner. Yet she feared that she had always taken him for granted and had kept thinking only about her son and herself, overlooking his needs and rights entirely.