Memento Mori ✨ H.Potter

Four: Mayhem

Mrs Weasley was quite the woman Ingress came to learn. After pulling each of her family members into a crushing hug and going on about what could have happened, she turned to Potter and Granger giving them hugs as well. Finally, her eyes danced across Ingress' broad-chested, chin high appearance. The Lestrange teen had yet to go a moment of ill posture and allow himself to look as vulnerable as he had in front of the trio again, not that any of the three teens had enough gull to confront him about it. 

"Oh, Arthur, who's this?" The woman's eyes were a shade of warm oranges, yellows and pinks. 

"Ingress Lestrange, he was with the Malfoys but got separated. I'll send an owl to Lucius now... Ron, Harry and Hermoine looked after him while they hid," Arthur spoke as he rummaged around to find parchment. 

"Oh dear," Mrs Weasley put a hand over her mouth, "I hope they're not too worried. I can't imagine what it would be like to lose a child under your care."

While the sliver flecks carried over her bright brown eyes, there were faint hues of maroon giving away her stress on the matter. To Ingress' surprise, she put a warm hand on his shoulder and offered the kindest smile he had seen.

"We'll get you sorted dear, you must be so worried," The woman's eyes melted into maroon and pink colours, a colour that Ingress had only seen women have when they were fretting over their children. 

"Thank you," Ingress tried not to cut her off, "Your concern is truly appreciated but I'd really best be getting back to the Manor as soon as possible. I'd hate for Lucius to think I ran off on purpose just to cause trouble." 

"Why are you staying with the Malfoys? I've never seen you at school," Ron suddenly but in. 

"Well," Ingress tried to not turn up his nose at the insensitive question, "As mentioned my parents aren't in my life and my caregiver gave me to the Malfoys to look after until shes finished in Britain." 

"I suppose all you-" One of the older boys was cut off by their older sibling elbowing them. 

"How proper," Ingress huffed, "This is why Mr Crouch thought I had something to do with the Mark. All because I'm the son of Death Eaters I must go down the same path."

While trying to show how he truly felt, Ingress was playing up his act a fair bit but it was worth it was the Weasley twin that tried to insult him shut right up.

"So, you're saying you don't believe in their prejudice ways?" One of the older boys asked this one is Bill if Ingress could recall correctly. 

"I... I'm not in a position to explain that right now," Ingress sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose with a scowl he couldn't force himself to hide. 

"Enough with this talk," Mrs Weasley cut in, "Ingress is our guest and is by no means responsible for last night. He's likely just as shaken as all of you!"

"Now, we'll have breakfast in peace and if I hear another word out of any of you about Ingress you'll be on gnome duty!" The words of the woman scared her family and their guests into sitting at the wooden breakfast table. 

Ingress was impressed that so many people could functionally live in one house like this. It gave off a vibe Ingress was largely unfamiliar with but only assume it was 'homey' and what people associated with a loved living environment. As Mrs Weasley piled his plate triple what he would have liked, he also took note that the food was some of the best he'd ever tasted even coming from a wealthy lifestyle for the most of his life. The bacon was perhaps the best he'd ever tasted. As Arthur read out an article from the Daily Prophet, it came to his attention that the witch writer Rita Skeeter was insinuating things that were untrue and he and the other Ministry worker in the house, Percy, needed to go to the offices and sort things out. With brief regards to Ingress and a hug with Mrs Weasley, the two were gone and the remaining people were still scoffing breakfast long after Ingress had choked back his fill. Potter was the only one with an appetite as tiny as his, though for likely vastly different reasons as it just seemed the boy was poorly looked after by his guardians.