Never Let Go by majestic_ginny
Chapter Notes:
I updated early!
Traces of toxic substance present.
Identity: Croton Tiglium.
Nature: Oil from Croton Seeds
Teddy’s mouth fell open as he stared at the paper in shock.
–Croton oil…†he heard Harry whisper. That explains everything.
Teddy nodded, his throat dry. Croton oil was the perfect poison in this situation, one that would be impossibly hard to detect. Lucy could not have known that she was consuming it. The fatal period, too, could be several days. The symptoms matched closely with those of pregnancy: Nausea, severe vomiting, itchy skin... as well as bloody stool and urine.
There was another thing about Croton oil, though, something that scared Teddy.
For Croton oil was a known abortifacient.
He looked at Harry, opening his mouth to speak, but he closed it again. –Harry...†he managed to whisper, his voice hoarse. He cleared his throat. –Do you know what this means?â€
Harry looked up, his eyes tired. –Someone knew.â€
Teddy looked around, taking in the appearance of the family. The older women were huddled together around Grandma Molly, looking apprehensive. George, Ron, Hermione and Harry were standing in corner; Harry spoke in an undertone, saying something that made the others' eyes go wide. He noted that none of the younger children were there - he presumed they were at the Burrow; and besides, they didn't need to know the story. The only Weasley children present were Molly, Victoire and James. Victoire was hugging herself, looking at Teddy in confusion, whereas James was… Teddy was taken aback when he'd first seen him: he was pale, much paler than before, and dark circles lined his eyes as though he hadn't slept the entire night. His eyes were bloodshot and puffy, and his thin lips were chapped. Hs hair was tousled up, sticking up at odd angles, looking even more unruly than his father's.
Teddy couldn’t imagine what he was going through. Losing his girlfriend, and then the child he hadn’t known nothing about… He wondered what he’d have done if it was Victoire instead of --
No, he thought, disrupting his train of thoughts and clenching his eyes shut. He shook his head. He wouldn’t think about that. Victoire was perfectly safe. Opening his eyes, he looked at her. Their eyes met, and he saw Victoire give him a small, encouraging smile. He nodded.
Harry cleared his throat. All the eyes in the room snapped towards him. –You must be wondering why I called you here.†his voice echoed through the room, and, if possible, the tension in the air became thicker.
Silence.
–Ha-have you found anything?†Percy finally croaked, looking at Harry, voicing the question everyone was afraid to ask. Beside him, Charlie, who had come from Romania after hearing of the incident, gave his brother a squeeze on the shoulder as Bill exchanged worried looks with Fleur and his father.
Harry nodded, pulling out the parchment from his robes. He looked around the room uncertainly. His eyes softened, taking in all terrified faces as they stared at him. Looking rather guilty, he spoke, –I know this is hard on all of us, but you all have a right to know.†His eyes lingered for a fraction of a second longer on James, who gave a small nod, as if encouraging Harry to continue. He took a deep breath. –Lucy was poisoned.â€
Victoire gasped, and so did a few others. Molly’s eyes widened as she held on to her mother for support.
–Poisoned…†George trailed off, looking from Harry to Teddy, gauging their reactions. –You can’t be serious.†Teddy looked at him. George looked horrified, in stark contrast with his usual airy self. –How?â€
Teddy closed his eyes. This was it. Harry was about to drop the bomb.
Harry swallowed a lump in his throat before continuing. –She was given an abortifacient --â€
Percy’s head snapped towards Harry. –Abortifacient?†he demanded incredulously, his eyes became like stone. –Why would she be given that?â€
Harry looked pained. –She... she was pregnant,†he said weakly, pursing his lips.
The silence that followed was deafening.
One second passed.
Then two.
Then three.
Grandma Molly was the first to break the silence. –Harry dear,†she said, gaping at him with wide eyes. –Are you… are you sure about this?â€
"Yes, Molly," Harry promised her. "It's true, we -"
Percy laughed nervously, cutting across Harry. "Harry, that's just… it's just not possible," he insisted, looking at Teddy and Harry desperately, as if pleading them to deny it. "Lucy wouldn't… she'd never -"
"Uncle Percy," Victoire cut in, looking at him hesitantly. "It's true, she was pregnant."
Everyone looked at Victoire as if she'd gone mad.
"Victoire, how -"
"No, Daddy," she interrupted Bill before he finished, shaking her head. "She really was, she told me."
"But that's crazy!" Percy exploded, putting his hands up in exasperation. Teddy looked at Harry nervously. Things weren't going well at all. "She didn't even have a goddamn boyfriend! I checked! I even asked her, she said she didn't. Then how in Merlin's name could she be pregnant?"
A nervous silence followed his proclamation. Percy exhaled deeply, running a hand through his auburn hair.
Teddy nudged Harry. "What do we do now?" he mouthed.
Harry's brow was drawn into a frown, his eyes focused on the floor. Teddy could almost hear the cogs turning in Harry's brain. Then slowly, he looked up, focusing his eyes on James.
James stared back at him. A silent conversation took place between father and son.
Teddy snuck a glance at Victoire. She had noticed the exchange, it seemed, for she was looking back at him with wide eyes. She shook her head slightly, her eyes pleading.
Teddy pursed his lips and nodded. It had to happen.
James cleared his throat. "Uncle Percy, Lucy did -"
"Shut up, James, you don't know anything."
"But Uncle Percy, I -"
"But she didn't have a boyfriend, James!" Percy snapped at him, his arms folded across his chest.
"Of course she did! I know -"
"How would you know?"
–Because I was her boyfriend!â€
For the third time that day, the room went deadly quiet.
Teddy closed his eyes, waiting for the explosion.
–What. Did. You. Say?†Percy hissed. His eyes blazed in fury as he slowly took a step towards James.
Sensing the impending danger, Harry slowly edged towards James, shielding him from Percy. Teddy looked on hesitantly as Percy strode across the room, a murderous look on his face.
–She was my girlfriend, Uncle Percy,†James replied, his voice firm. Unflinching, he looked into Percy’s eyes. –And the child was mine.â€
–You --â€
–Percy,†Harry warned, his hand reaching inside his coat for his wand. Teddy edged forward, his own hand circling around the thin piece of wood in his pocket; Percy was mad and Teddy knew he might just do something he’d regret.
Without thinking, Percy shoved Harry roughly aside and grabbed James by the collar.
–What the hell did you say?†he growled, his nose inches from James.
–Percy, put him down!†Grandma Molly hollered, her eyes wide as she took the scene in. Looking at her older sons, she screamed, –Bill, Charlie do something!â€
–I loved her,†James said, his hands grabbing Percy’s. –Let me go!â€
–You’re her damned cousin!†Percy screamed into his face, ignoring Bill and Charlie as they tried to get him off James. –You’re supposed to protect her from crazy boys, not bloody get her into bed with you! I’m gonna kill you for this!â€
–Percy, stop it!†Harry shouted, pointing his wand at Percy. –I mean it.â€
–You can’t attack me, I’m the Minister,†Percy spat.
–You’re threatening him,†Teddy said, backing Harry up. –Let go of James.â€
–Why should I? He--â€
–He's my son, Perce, and there is no need to be a git about this,†Ginny said, standing up, her eyes hardening. –This is exactly why he didn’t tell you.â€
Percy let go of James suddenly, rounding on Ginny, his eyes wide. –You knew about this?†he asked accusingly.
–No we didn’t,†Harry replied, lowering his wand. Teddy followed suit. –We found out after she died.â€
A look of realization dawned on Percy’s face -- and for some reason Teddy didn’t like it one bit.
For the second time, Percy rounded on James, pure fury etched on his face.
Oh, shit, Teddy thought as his hand instinctively flew to his wand. He didn’t like it at all.
–You killed her didn’t you.â€
His voice was nothing more than a whisper, but it rang around the whole room like a clap of thunder.
James looked like he’d been slapped on the face. –What?†he said incredulously. –Do you -- what -- are you insane?â€
–Percy,†Ginny said in a deadly tone, her eyes narrowed dangerously. –Are you accusing my son --?â€
–You knew she was pregnant, didn’t you?†Percy continued, ignoring Ginny as he edged forward. –You didn’t want the child and so you killed her.â€
–I didn’t know she was pregnant!†James yelled furiously. He took a step back, noticing the gleam in Percy’s eyes. –Merlin be damned, Uncle Percy, you--â€
Instantly, Percy had his wand pointed at James’s throat. A few sparks flew out of the end and brushed over James’s skin. He hissed in pain.
Harry didn’t even bother with the fact that he was attacking the minister. In a flash, he had his own wand at Percy’s throat.
–Wand down, Percy,†he snarled, his emerald eyes flashing dangerously. –That’s my son.â€
–He is the reason --â€
–You don’t have any proof, though,†Bill cut across him. –And it’s not likely that it was James, anyway.â€
Percy glared at James.
–I loved her, Uncle Percy,†James said coldly, massaging his throat, his eyes hardening. –She was the best thing that happened to me. How the hell could you think that I would kill her? And my child?â€
Percy lowered his wand, his eyes not leaving James. –Why did you hide it from us, then?â€
James scoffed, shaking his head. –After what you did just now, I don’t think anyone would disagree with me that it wasn’t the best idea to tell you.â€
–I agree,†Molly piped up, looking up at her father in annoyance. –You would have flown off the handle.â€
–Lucy said they were going to tell you when they graduated,†Victoire said.
Percy lowered his gaze, unable to look at James any longer. He shuffled over to the sofa and collapsed, his head in his head. Teddy felt sorry as he saw the broken man before him. –Lucy was pregnant…†Percy whispered. –My little daughter… and someone wanted her child dead.†He took a deep, shuddering breath.
Molly walked over to her father and wrapped her arms around him. –Dad…â€
Percy didn’t say anything. He looked up, his lips pursed.
Bill laid a hand on his shoulder, his scarred face reflecting his pain.
Percy looked at James, his eyes slightly red. After a pause, in which both men stared into each other’s eyes defiantly, Percy said, –I’m sorry for what I did. But that doesn’t mean I’m not mad at you.â€
For the first time, James’ face broke into a somber smile. –I know.â€
Teddy looked over at Victoire. Her eyes found his, and she gave a weak smile. Teddy walked over to her and sat down.
–That didn’t go so well, did it?†he whispered.
–That’s an understatement,†she replied, leaning her head against his shoulder. –I knew it would happen. I told her to tell him earlier. At least Uncle Percy wouldn’t think that James tried to kill her.â€
Without saying anything, Teddy rested his cheek on her hair, breathing in the scent that was so Victoire. He wrapped an arm around her protectively, enveloping her in his embrace, trying to ignore the looks Bill was giving him.
His eyes found Harry, Ginny and James huddled together, Ginny’s arms wrapped around Harry and her son tightly. He had always loved them as a family. To him Ginny and Harry were a perfect couple; as he grew up he’d seen them together, having small squabbles but in the end their bond strengthened over time. Looking down at Victoire, he could strangely imagine himself in the same way, spending his life with her as they bickered and laughed. He smiled at the thought. Soon, when all this was over, he would ask Victoire to marry him.
Harry noticed him looking, and Teddy dropped his gaze, flushing. Breaking away from his family, Harry walked over to him and Victoire, a smile tugging on his lips.
–What’s the next plan?†he asked.
Teddy disentangled himself from Victoire, a heavy feeling settling in the pit of his stomach. –Term starts in a week,†he said. –I’m going to Hogwarts.â€
Chapter Endnotes:
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