𝐄𝐕𝐄𝐍 𝐈𝐅 𝐇𝐄 𝐖𝐀𝐍𝐓𝐄𝐃 to, Barty couldn't stop the tears falling from his eyes like rain falling down on a cold, and unforgiving day. What hurt him the most was the golden ring mocking him. He loved this woman, she loved him back just as equally, if not more. Then why was the world so cruel?
(Barty knew a thing or two about pain now, it grabbed you, twisted you, hurt you until you don't even know who you are anymore. His mother had died and he himself had to kill his father, though he enjoyed it, at least he told himself that he did, the truth was : Barty was a monster and monsters don't deserve to love, or to live. But here he was, he fell in love, he had a son, but Cassandra was dying. The woman who was once so mad, she was amazed by the fact that houses had floors and that Draco had eyes even when he was so tiny. That was the woman he fell in love with, and now, she was dying.)
"Dad?" His red eyes tore themselves away from Cassandra's hands and landed on their son, Robert, who had a tiny teddy bear in his hands. Cassandra had given him the teddy mere days before she just fell down and never woke up. That was two years ago and even though Robert was ten now, he didn't leave his precious teddy anywhere. (At least, some hope that his mother would wake up and engulf him in a hug. Some hope. Scattered by the wind like ashes on the sea. Hope was always a funny word.)
"Yes Rob?" Barty asked, trying to mask the sadness in his voice from his son. Robert however heard it and he looked at his father and Barty could almost see the questions brewing in his mind at the moment : why aren't you strong? Why are you crying? Why is mum dying?
"What house was mum in?" Rob asked, sitting down next to his father and looked at his mother. (Slytherin, he had concluded. She had to be Slytherin. His cousin was, his father was, his uncle and aunt were. It would only make sense for his mother to be in Slytherin.)
"She never went to Hogwarts." Barty whispered. Before he met Cassandra, he was a fool, kissing the Dark Lord's pale, dry feet and doing his bidding like his entire life depended on it. But then again, maybe it did. "She was very sick."
(Barty himself was a very sick person but he clung unto the remains of his soul and body because he couldn't leave Robert all alone. His mother was dying and it wouldn't be fair on him to drop down dead as well. Barty remembered that his mother was just as sickly as he was. She had bone cancer, and very limited time to live. She however shattered these expectations and lived until Barty was nearly sent to Azkaban, where she switched places with her son because she loved him that much.)
"But if she did go," Robert didn't understand the amount of pain he was in for by having a sickly mother and a sickly father, he was only ten and he deserved better than having a deranged woman as his mother and a Death Eater as a father. "Would she be in Slytherin?"
Barty chuckled a bit. "No," He shook his head. Slytherin would look good on Cassandra but then again, she was too kind to be a Slytherin. "Hufflepuff."
They sat in silence for a while, only the beeping of the machine keeping Cassandra alive could be heard and Barty wondered what emotions would go through his body if it flatlined right now. Would he stare at it in horror? Would he scream for his wife? Would he throw himself at her? Not knowing was like playing a game of chess, one wrong move and you're dead. Not knowing killed him.
"Dad?" Robert asked again, though Barty could hear sadness in his voice and his heart squeezed horribly, leaving a dull aching behind.
"Yes Rob?" He looked at Robert, who stared at his mother and Barty then knew the question he was going to ask : is mum going to die? Barty was afraid he didn't have the answer to that question.
(He knew somewhere, somehow, Cassandra could hear them talking. He hoped one day she would spring awake, stretch and ask : how long have I been asleep? And when Barty would tell her : two years my love, she would gasp and shake her head saying, blimey! Why didn't you wake me? Now I've missed making breakfast! Barty sometimes dreamt of days like this, and sometimes, he would dream about when they had Rob. For a split second, Cassandra's eyes were clear and she looked like any sane woman out there. Barty liked seeing her like that, that's why he pressed on having another child. But little Annie had fragile lungs, just like Barty's and she only lived to see her first birthday. This sent Cassandra back into closing herself off and Barty only had himself to blame.)
"Is mum going to die?" Rob asked, wiping away the tears that fell from his eyes and Barty engulfed him in a hug, kissing his forehead.
Barty wasn't fooling himself. Cassandra was going to die, and there was nothing to do about it. No amount of spells, potions or remedies could bring her back to life. Barty had already made peace with this fact, he just hoped his son will make peace with it soon. Again, hope is such a funny word. This where hope got them.
"No Robbie," He said, though he knew himself he wanted to say yes. "Your mother is the strongest person I know."
"I thought Gryffindors were strong." Rob said in a small voice and Barty swallowed hard, feeling his chest close up.
"Sometimes Rob, loyalty is the strongest thing in the entire world. Sometimes, Hufflepuffs are far stronger than Gryffindors." Barty told his son, who only nodded and watched as his mother continued sleeping. Barty took one huge gulp from his inhaler before he sighed. This was the end for him and his wife and his son, his son was going to be alone.
