The Buddy System. *Complete*

Good Ole Dad

Draco dashed forward and kissed the top of my head. "You got this," he whispered before he turned and headed over to the couch and sitting down.

I followed the lady up a flight of stairs and down the corridor to a door with my father's name on it. She knocked and opened the door. "Amos, you have a visitor."

"Aw is it Arthur again? Or Edwina?"

The lady stood back and shoved me forward through the door closing it behind her. My father was shocked to see me, to say the least.

He dropped his book on the floor. Then stood up out of his chair and over to his bed. "Better sit down I'd say." He gestured to the now vacant seat and I sat down.

He seemed to have aged years in the few months I hadn't seen him. His face had sunken in on himself and his skin was a sickly grey shade.

He wore a pair of dress trousers and a waiscoat and shirt. With tartan slippers. Everything was ragged looking and worn.

His hair was even longer now, hanging down past his shoulders, greasy and clinging to his face.

Even his glasses looked dirty.

All in all he looked like a man who had been drinking himself stupid and not taking proper care of himself.

It made me feel guilty.

"So what brings you here?" He asked, eyeing me skeptically.

"I...I..." I felt like my throat was closing up. I coughed. "I came to see how you are. We haven't spoken since the summer." I began to fidget, something I always did when I was nervous.

"Well as you can see I am fine. I suppose you spoke to Andromeda?" He looked me up and down again.

"Yes sir I did."

"So you know that she is responsible for putting me in this hell hole." He snapped. "I was fine on my own and -"

"Fine? You were fine? Dad you were drinking yourself into a early grave. You were anything but fine."

He jumped up and pointed a finger at me. "Why do you think that is? Hm? What have I got left in the world? Cedric is gone. Your mother is gone. Who did I have left?"

"You had me!" I screamed. "You had me. I lost my brother and my mother. You were all I had left. I needed you. I needed my father. And you weren't there. you ignored me. Then when you did take notice it was to squeal at me and tell me I was worthless."

"I didn-"

"Oh yes you bloody did. But you were drunk so you probably don't remember. Like the time you told me that you never wanted a daughter. Or when you said I was a bane in your existance. Or my personal favourite - when you said the wrong sibling died and it would have been better if it was me killed because I had no future."

He looked shocked as he moved backwards and flopped back down on the bed. "Raelyn...I..."

"I tried to look after you, after the war. Do you even remember me coming home? Did you even wonder where I was?"

"I am not stupid. I knew the war was on. I knew you were at school."

"I was in St. Mungo's for a week dad."

"You were not! I would know!" He cleared his throat and patted the duvet.

"I bloody was. I was on the receiving end of a curse. When I was heading back into the Great Hall, to help the healers tend to the wounded when we were attacked. This was after Riddle was killed. Someone shot a spell at me, it missed me for the most part but got me in my hip and stomach."

"You...what....how did I not know this?"

"They contacted you. St. Mungo's, the school. They all contacted you as they didn't know if I would survive. But they healed me up and I was allowed home. And when I got here? You were passed out drunk and the letter were on the coffee table. Unopened."

"But you are fine so no harm done." He sniffed.

"No harm done? I could have died. Not that you give a damn. I was never good enough for you. Never. You wanted another Cedric and you got me. What a disappointment. But you couldn't get rid of me. So you had to put up with me. You never showed me any love. Never!"

"Now just a second." He stood up again and he marched towards me. "You are making it sound like I ignored you and you were neglected."

"No I wasn't."

"I bloody know you weren't." He said standing back triumphantly.

"Because my mother was always there for me. When you forgot my birthday - she made me a cake and bought me presents. When you ignored me - she took me out for dinner or shopping. When you wouldn't let me take music lessons - she taught me to sing. When you put me down - she boosted my confidence. She was always there. My parent. Both my mother and my father. And then there was Cedric who always made me feel special and made me feel like I was a vital member of the family."

My father looked out of the window as if to avoid the conversation.

I was fed up already after being here for about 10 minutes. I stood up. "Well I just wanted to make sure you were alive." I headed to the door.

But he was across the room and standing in front of the door before I could reach the handle. "No. You cannot leave yet. We need to talk. So sit down!" He pointed over to the chair. I sighed and squeezed my eyes shut but I did as he asked.

He moved and sat on the bed again.

"You are right. I never wanted a daughter. I never knew how to deal with a girl. Cedric was a difficult enough baby but he was our first and it was all new to your mum and me. Then you came and I dreaded having to do it all over again. But you were a much easier baby. I just didn't know what to do with you. Your mum dressed you in pink dresses with bows in your hair and made you look like a doll and I was terrified of breaking you."

I just stared at him.

"Then when you were older...it...just...became hard to connect with you. Cedric was into sports and defence spells and you were into painting and reading. We have nothing in common and I didn't know how to communicate."

"I loved Quidditch dad. Ireland were the best team. I begged you to let me come with you to the World Cup but you said it was a boys weekend."

"I'm sorry ok? I can't take back what a shitty father I've been. I did my bloody best."

I didn't even have a response for that. He thought he had tried with me. He was delusional.

"I shouldn't have told you that you should have died in Cedric's place. That's unfair."

"Yes it was." I scolded.

"But that was the drink talking."

"And do you not think then that maybe the drinking was bad for you?"

"Alcohol was my support system." He snapped.

"Only because you wouldn't let anyone in." I snapped back. "We tried. We all tried but you tossed us aside."

"Becaue he is gone. Cedric is gone. My first born. My only son. He was stolen from me."

"He was my brother as well but you don't see me drinking myself to death." I glared at him.