Post by Edward Shaw G7 on Dec 20, 2009 19:21:38 GMT
The last thing Edward Shaw expected to wake up to that morning was the sounds of an owl flittering about the dorm room. How it had managed to get into the Gryffindor dormitory was impossible to know, but what Edward did know was that as soon as he stirred the owl flew to perch on the bed stand next to him. He immediately recognized the familiar markings on the owl. It was his father’s bird. Edward snatched the letter from its leg and waved it off. It snipped at him, but he was quicker not letting it get a chunk out of his hand like it had done last time. Hooting in annoyance at him Edward merely growled at it. Big yellow eyes stared back at him before it lifted off the bed stand and took off out of the dormitory. “Stupid bird,” he growled as he finally looked down at the parchment in his hands. His name was scrawled across the front of it in a messy print. Must have been his father’s.
Not wanting to admit it his hands shook. He didn’t want to open the letter. There was nothing that he could be writing to him about that would be good news. His father hated him, hated him almost as much as Edward hated him. There was nothing good between the two of them and Edward had let them know that with his packed belongings and his words the last time they’d taken him to the train. The memory pulled at his eyes, taking him back.
Edward closed the lid on his trunk. Every last bit of his stuff was stuffed into the trunk. Too bad he wasn’t able to use magic yet. He wanted nothing more than to take the bits of furniture he had in his room, but without a spell to make everything smaller there was no way it was going to fit into his trunk. He wasn’t coming home after this year. This was the last time he’d set foot in his own home. It wasn’t really a home…it was hard to consider the bane of your existence a home. It was just a house. There wasn’t anything or anyone in it that mattered to Edward. He hated it all. All he wanted was for them to leave him alone. Leaving was the only way that was going to happen. He was tired of the abuse, of the hatred. He was a black mark on their name and he was going to make sure he ruined their reputation as Mudblood haters. If Edward had his way he’d marry a Muggle or a Muggle-born. It didn’t really matter to him what the blood was, but the news getting back to his parents would be amusing to him. He sat on his trunk looking around the room. There was hardly anything left…just the things he could replace and yet those things were the things he made sure would stay there forever…a constant reminder to his parents that he was a Gryffindor and not a Slytherin. The great lion banner roared out at him as if it could hear his thoughts and he smiled. That would be his parting gift.
In a matter of minutes they’d be on their way to King’s Cross Station and he would have to endure the short trip with them. He was sure they didn’t care to escort him, but his sister was also going, as was his brother and that was all that mattered. The two Slytherin children were all that matter to them and he was just an excess….an extra mouth to feed. Not for long. He stood, dragging his trunk across the floor watching with a grim satisfaction as the trunks metal corners dug into the floor, scratching it with deep marks that were going to be a nuisance to fix. Bring it on! he thought to himself as he grinned wide. This was the end of having to deal with his parents. He wasn’t going to ever have to see them again after this day. He’d never talk to them…he’d never have to even hear their name spoken again. If he was really lucky he wouldn’t even have to live in the same country as them. Whatever kept distance between them was all that mattered to Edward.
Stepping out the door Edward found himself face to face with his brother…the one person in his family that wasn’t so bad. There was an unspoken understanding between the two brothers. Maybe it was because they were so close together in age…or maybe it was something else. Christopher nodded at Edward…he knew what Edward was doing and yet he seemed okay with it. He may have been a Slytherin, but he was still Christopher…still his brother. Edward returned the nod and Christopher grinned at the scratches in the floor that his younger brother was making across the floor.
“Mum’s going to be angrier than a banshee when she sees those marks.”
“I hope they never come out.”
“I’ll see what I can do to make sure they don’t.”
Silence fell between them as they stared at each other. They really were true family in all sense of the word. Christopher had been the only one that had stuck up for Edward through the years and he was the one person Edward didn’t want to say goodbye to. Christopher had made a suggestion about getting a place together, but Edward knew that couldn’t happen. His parents would find him too easily and that was something Edward didn’t want. He didn’t want any reason to come back…he didn’t want blackmailed…nothing like that. He would stay in contact with Christopher, but he would never live with him. Even though Christopher was returning for his last year at Hogwarts and they would still have the whole year there was just something final about packing your belongings and standing in the hallway you’ve shared for sixteen years. This was goodbye in a sense. Christopher was in Slytherin and Edward…he wasn’t. They were sworn enemies. Lions and snakes just couldn’t be friends. It was the way of life. Christopher knew that as well, but that didn’t stop him from grabbing one end of the trunk and helping his little brother down the stairs. They could have used magic, after all Christopher was seventeen, but there was something comforting about two brothers trying to maneuver a heavy trunk down four flights of stairs. It was very Muggle-like, but maybe that’s where the comfort lay. Two brothers struggling down every step, voices raised in chatter and friendship. In all their years together there never seemed to be a greater purpose to their life than there was in that moment. Moving together, laughing together, and yet knowing that this could very well be the last time they truly spoke. They never passed each other in the halls; never spoke to each other while at school…it looked wrong, even if they were brothers.
Reaching the bottom…the silence had fallen between them once again…for their parents benefit mostly. Their parents didn’t like them getting along. They chastised Christopher for it. They didn’t think it was right that he encouraged Edward. 'It made their lives more difficult' they would say. Edward always wanted to know why, but he would never ask them. It was one of those things that he really didn’t want to know the answer for, even if he was curious as to why. They set the trunk down next to the rest at the door. The trip would be quick. It always was. Edward met Christopher’s blue eyes and they nodded at each other once again. It was their way of goodbye.
No words were spoken between any of the family until they stood on the Platform of 9 ¾ and other families were hugging and waving goodbye. His parents hugged Christopher and Desirey, never turning their eyes on Edward. They would not say goodbye and Edward had half turned to leave before he found the anger rising up in him. He was still their son! “No…” he said softly in a void of hatred as he turned back to them. “I am still your son. I am STILL your SON! You can pretend all you want that I don’t exist that you never gave birth to me, but I am your flesh and blood. I AM a Shaw! I bear the family name and I bear the family crest. Disinherit me…hate me…pretend I don’t [expletive] exist, but I do. No matter what you do you won’t be able to take away the fact that I physically exist right here and right now. Everyone will know my name…like the great Potter. They’ll look at me and know that Muggles and Muggle-borns are safe from people like you. That’s my promise to you.”
Edward had never thought of what he wanted to do when he got older, but after his fifth year, when he was forced to choose…he knew the path that was right for him. He was going to become an Auror, the best bloody Auror on the face of the planet and he had just let his parents know it. They would forever fear his name…or so he hoped. Grabbing his pack he took off for the train not even bothering to look back at their faces. He had finally stood up to his parents and he wasn’t afraid of anything anymore. There was nothing they could do to him. He was going to become an Auror and the first person he was going after was his parents. Their house held more secrets than even they were willing to admit. The Ministry would look into them and they would be condemned. It was as simple as that.
A smile pulled at the corners of his lips as the memory slowly faded. His hands still clung to the letter. He had to open it, but he didn’t want to. He didn’t trust himself to open it. There was too much that could be written on the pages. It wasn’t a short letter. The parchment was rolled and it was a large piece with several other pages behind it. His father had written far more to him than he had ever done before. Most of the letters consisted of a few small words and exclamations. This was new and he hated to admit it, but it frightened Edward. What had happened that his father felt it sufficient to write him such a long letter…or was this in regards to the train incident? Whatever it was…Edward didn’t want to read it. He moved slowly from his bed. Not really wanting to wake any of his roommates that had stayed over Winter Break. Treading lightly down the steps his eyes fell on the common room and the fire that blazed. Looking down at the letter he started for the fireplace. He was going to burn it to ashes. It wasn’t until he moved past a chair that he jumped, startled by the figure that was sitting in the chair. He hadn’t seen them earlier…he must have been too focused on the fireplace, but now he saw them clearly, his hands clutching the letter tight, knuckles turning white. “I didn’t realise you were sitting there.”
Not wanting to admit it his hands shook. He didn’t want to open the letter. There was nothing that he could be writing to him about that would be good news. His father hated him, hated him almost as much as Edward hated him. There was nothing good between the two of them and Edward had let them know that with his packed belongings and his words the last time they’d taken him to the train. The memory pulled at his eyes, taking him back.
Edward closed the lid on his trunk. Every last bit of his stuff was stuffed into the trunk. Too bad he wasn’t able to use magic yet. He wanted nothing more than to take the bits of furniture he had in his room, but without a spell to make everything smaller there was no way it was going to fit into his trunk. He wasn’t coming home after this year. This was the last time he’d set foot in his own home. It wasn’t really a home…it was hard to consider the bane of your existence a home. It was just a house. There wasn’t anything or anyone in it that mattered to Edward. He hated it all. All he wanted was for them to leave him alone. Leaving was the only way that was going to happen. He was tired of the abuse, of the hatred. He was a black mark on their name and he was going to make sure he ruined their reputation as Mudblood haters. If Edward had his way he’d marry a Muggle or a Muggle-born. It didn’t really matter to him what the blood was, but the news getting back to his parents would be amusing to him. He sat on his trunk looking around the room. There was hardly anything left…just the things he could replace and yet those things were the things he made sure would stay there forever…a constant reminder to his parents that he was a Gryffindor and not a Slytherin. The great lion banner roared out at him as if it could hear his thoughts and he smiled. That would be his parting gift.
In a matter of minutes they’d be on their way to King’s Cross Station and he would have to endure the short trip with them. He was sure they didn’t care to escort him, but his sister was also going, as was his brother and that was all that mattered. The two Slytherin children were all that matter to them and he was just an excess….an extra mouth to feed. Not for long. He stood, dragging his trunk across the floor watching with a grim satisfaction as the trunks metal corners dug into the floor, scratching it with deep marks that were going to be a nuisance to fix. Bring it on! he thought to himself as he grinned wide. This was the end of having to deal with his parents. He wasn’t going to ever have to see them again after this day. He’d never talk to them…he’d never have to even hear their name spoken again. If he was really lucky he wouldn’t even have to live in the same country as them. Whatever kept distance between them was all that mattered to Edward.
Stepping out the door Edward found himself face to face with his brother…the one person in his family that wasn’t so bad. There was an unspoken understanding between the two brothers. Maybe it was because they were so close together in age…or maybe it was something else. Christopher nodded at Edward…he knew what Edward was doing and yet he seemed okay with it. He may have been a Slytherin, but he was still Christopher…still his brother. Edward returned the nod and Christopher grinned at the scratches in the floor that his younger brother was making across the floor.
“Mum’s going to be angrier than a banshee when she sees those marks.”
“I hope they never come out.”
“I’ll see what I can do to make sure they don’t.”
Silence fell between them as they stared at each other. They really were true family in all sense of the word. Christopher had been the only one that had stuck up for Edward through the years and he was the one person Edward didn’t want to say goodbye to. Christopher had made a suggestion about getting a place together, but Edward knew that couldn’t happen. His parents would find him too easily and that was something Edward didn’t want. He didn’t want any reason to come back…he didn’t want blackmailed…nothing like that. He would stay in contact with Christopher, but he would never live with him. Even though Christopher was returning for his last year at Hogwarts and they would still have the whole year there was just something final about packing your belongings and standing in the hallway you’ve shared for sixteen years. This was goodbye in a sense. Christopher was in Slytherin and Edward…he wasn’t. They were sworn enemies. Lions and snakes just couldn’t be friends. It was the way of life. Christopher knew that as well, but that didn’t stop him from grabbing one end of the trunk and helping his little brother down the stairs. They could have used magic, after all Christopher was seventeen, but there was something comforting about two brothers trying to maneuver a heavy trunk down four flights of stairs. It was very Muggle-like, but maybe that’s where the comfort lay. Two brothers struggling down every step, voices raised in chatter and friendship. In all their years together there never seemed to be a greater purpose to their life than there was in that moment. Moving together, laughing together, and yet knowing that this could very well be the last time they truly spoke. They never passed each other in the halls; never spoke to each other while at school…it looked wrong, even if they were brothers.
Reaching the bottom…the silence had fallen between them once again…for their parents benefit mostly. Their parents didn’t like them getting along. They chastised Christopher for it. They didn’t think it was right that he encouraged Edward. 'It made their lives more difficult' they would say. Edward always wanted to know why, but he would never ask them. It was one of those things that he really didn’t want to know the answer for, even if he was curious as to why. They set the trunk down next to the rest at the door. The trip would be quick. It always was. Edward met Christopher’s blue eyes and they nodded at each other once again. It was their way of goodbye.
No words were spoken between any of the family until they stood on the Platform of 9 ¾ and other families were hugging and waving goodbye. His parents hugged Christopher and Desirey, never turning their eyes on Edward. They would not say goodbye and Edward had half turned to leave before he found the anger rising up in him. He was still their son! “No…” he said softly in a void of hatred as he turned back to them. “I am still your son. I am STILL your SON! You can pretend all you want that I don’t exist that you never gave birth to me, but I am your flesh and blood. I AM a Shaw! I bear the family name and I bear the family crest. Disinherit me…hate me…pretend I don’t [expletive] exist, but I do. No matter what you do you won’t be able to take away the fact that I physically exist right here and right now. Everyone will know my name…like the great Potter. They’ll look at me and know that Muggles and Muggle-borns are safe from people like you. That’s my promise to you.”
Edward had never thought of what he wanted to do when he got older, but after his fifth year, when he was forced to choose…he knew the path that was right for him. He was going to become an Auror, the best bloody Auror on the face of the planet and he had just let his parents know it. They would forever fear his name…or so he hoped. Grabbing his pack he took off for the train not even bothering to look back at their faces. He had finally stood up to his parents and he wasn’t afraid of anything anymore. There was nothing they could do to him. He was going to become an Auror and the first person he was going after was his parents. Their house held more secrets than even they were willing to admit. The Ministry would look into them and they would be condemned. It was as simple as that.
A smile pulled at the corners of his lips as the memory slowly faded. His hands still clung to the letter. He had to open it, but he didn’t want to. He didn’t trust himself to open it. There was too much that could be written on the pages. It wasn’t a short letter. The parchment was rolled and it was a large piece with several other pages behind it. His father had written far more to him than he had ever done before. Most of the letters consisted of a few small words and exclamations. This was new and he hated to admit it, but it frightened Edward. What had happened that his father felt it sufficient to write him such a long letter…or was this in regards to the train incident? Whatever it was…Edward didn’t want to read it. He moved slowly from his bed. Not really wanting to wake any of his roommates that had stayed over Winter Break. Treading lightly down the steps his eyes fell on the common room and the fire that blazed. Looking down at the letter he started for the fireplace. He was going to burn it to ashes. It wasn’t until he moved past a chair that he jumped, startled by the figure that was sitting in the chair. He hadn’t seen them earlier…he must have been too focused on the fireplace, but now he saw them clearly, his hands clutching the letter tight, knuckles turning white. “I didn’t realise you were sitting there.”
