I have to stop this now before it goes any further. “Mother, Father…” He placed his goblet on the table and stood to face his parents as he began to speak. “I…I can’t do this.” Robert knew he had to choose his words very carefully. He no longer held the foolish hope that either of his parents would understand, but if he handled this properly, he might leave this house merely disowned. If not…he couldn’t help but think about it. He could beat me; torture me, or worse, he could find Lissy or Dean. Robert suddenly felt his blood go cold. No. He does not know we are married, and he certainly does not know about Dean. I can never let my father near them. There must be a way out of this. He drew in a breath, “I cannot do as the Dark Lord requests. I cannot accept the Mark.”
Silence. It lasted only a few seconds, but to Robert, it felt like an eternity. Neither of his parents appeared able to speak, although their feelings were clear. He looked at his mother and mentally traced the lines of her face. There he saw surprise, confusion, and traces of anger; however, what he found in her eyes gave him hope. Is that concern? Worry? Maybe she does care about more than Lord Voldemort’s wishes. Robert held her gaze for a moment and almost let himself be fooled by the illusion of tenderness, but it was not to last. Any warmth the younger man felt was quickly extinguished by the icy glare coming from his father.
“You cannot?” The shout echoed throughout the vast house. “This is not a choice! An invitation to join the Dark Lord is an honor. A privilege!” Edward was practically shaking with anger. “You dare stand here and refuse?” He reached for his wand, but before the older man could cast a spell, a gentle hand touched his arm. Robert watched in awe as his mother stepped forward to take control of the situation.
“Edward, darling,” she cooed softly in her husband’s ear. “Please, calm down, shouting isn’t good for you. She looked at him with loving concern. “Can we give the boy a chance to explain?” Edward did not reply but returned his wife’s warm look. Katherine Leicester was quite experienced at controlling her husband’s temper. She took his wand hand in her own and gently rubbed his back as she led him to the nearest sofa. As she settled herself next to him, careful to keep control of his hand, Katherine gave her son an appraising look. “Now, son, I understand if you are anxious, but as I said before, you must trust the Dark Lord’s judgment. You must think about this. I am sure that if we talk about this, we can make the right decision.”
Robert recognized his mother’s tone immediately; she had played this part many times over. Every time “her boys” fought, Mother would step in with soft words and pointed discussion, making sure that everyone came to an amicable compromise. I’m sorry, Mother, not this time. This was his wife, his child they were talking about, never mind the fact that Robert did not agree with the Dark Lord’s beliefs. He would never do anything to bring harm to his family. “Yes, Mother you’re right. This does require a great deal of thought, and I have thought about it. I will not join the Dark Lord.”
Edward began to rise but was held in place once again as his wife gently squeezed his hand and whispered softly, “May I?” Edward paused for a moment, and then nodded. Katherine looked from her husband to her son giving each a small smile. “Now, son, I’m sure there we can make an arrangement to your liking. Your father has promised you to the Dark Lord, and he is quite anxious to count you among his followers. Perhaps all you need is some incentive?”
Incentive? What is she going on about now? Robert’s confusion was mirrored in his father’s expression. “What do you mean, Mother?”
“Your father is highly favored by the Dark Lord, and I’m sure he would be granted a small request in return for your loyalty. A pet perhaps?” Katherine ignored the suspicious looks she received from the two men. “This Muggle of yours, to be specific. I’m quite certain the Dark Lord would allow you a toy.”
“A PET?!”
“THE MUGGLE!”
“Lissy is not a toy!”
“My son will never touch such filth again!”
The uproar was deafening; it was obvious that Katherine had lost any control she once held over the two men. They now stood mere inches from each other, still shouting although neither was completely intelligible. Katherine knew there was nothing she could do to stop the duel of words. She simply waited for it to end itself, and soon both men faded into silence.
“Father,” Robert began as calmly as he could, after a few seconds of tangibly uneasy peace. “I will marry whomever I please, and I will not join the Dark Lord.”
It was a simple statement, but it was enough to push Edward over the edge again. With a wave of his hand, Edward threw Robert backwards, making him land on his back across the room, his wand flying out of his pocket. The elder man smiled with satisfaction as he strode over to his son and drew his own wand. “Crucio!”
Pain. Robert could not think of anything else; every nerve in his body was on fire. Then suddenly, it was over. Wandless magic, Unforgivable Curses? Why am I surprised? The young man had forgotten how powerful his father was. His eyes gradually began to refocus, and Robert saw his father towering over his prone body.
Edward reached down and grabbed the younger man by the throat, slamming him into the wall behind him. He held the still-shaken man there, his wand pointed his son’s chest. “I will only say this once more,” he began in a cold, emotionless voice. “You will not bring shame on this family. You will forget this Muggle.” His grip tightened on each statement. “You will take the Dark Mark tomorrow. You are a Leicester, and you will do as you are told.” Edward released his son and tossed him to the floor. “Or, you will suffer the Dark Lord’s displeasure.” Edward took one more glance at his son and turned to his wife gently taking her arm, “Come Katherine, dinner is waiting.” As he left the room, he paused, “Tomorrow evening, seven o’clock. You will be here.”
All Robert could do was stare at his parents’ backs as they walked from the room. His mother had said nothing after the last outburst. Her only reaction was to shake her head sadly, as she followed her husband, disappointment etched across her face. Why am I surprised? he thought again. I knew what my father was capable of. I knew they could never accept the choices I’ve made. He repeated these realizations as he retrieved his wand and left the room. Robert glanced briefly around the hall, and caught sight of the large clock out of the corner of his eye. The meeting. Bloody hell, I’m going to be late. No one noticed as he left the mansion, not even the house-elf. She must realize I’m no longer part of this family already, he mused. He left the grounds quickly, pausing only for a moment before his Disapparated. “Expecto Patronum,” he said softly and watched a silvery blur shoot into the night.