Gryffindor

Date/Timing: 17 June 2007
Setting: park; Berlin, Germany
.
Dee floats the blanket to the park grass, lends Hermann his arm to ease himself down.
Hermann flops onto his stomach, rests his head on his folded arms.
„You're sure you want to leave your jumper on?“ Dee lies on his back beside him.
„I'm naked enough, especially with this lovely breeze.“
On cue, it ruffles his hair and dances through his feathers, requiring all of his concentration to control hopeful, happy twitches.
Hermann sighs.
„I sometimes wish we could trade places for a day, just so I'd know what it feels like.“
„You don't want to know, Dee.“ Hermann closes his eyes. „It's basically Hell. There're aches and pains and your balance is always off. You're itchy and it's hard to breathe. Wind is a fucking torture, because you want it so /badly but you're not allowed to really /touch it. Your clothes never fit right and you worry about it every. bloody. second.“
The wind shimmers leaves and, at a distance, children laugh.
„There are so many days you just want it all to /stop.“
„But you keep going.“
Hermann grunts.
More breeze, more laughter.
„Manny?“
„Hmm?“
„If you want, now that you're of age, you could come live with Leo and I. Matthias is leaving, so we have an open room.“
„I don't—and won't—have an income.“
„I'm very good at budgeting. Also, Sabine's always giving me food.“
Hermann snorts.
„What do you think?“
„I've considered moving out, but ... I want to stay with Bastien until I graduate.“
„That's probably the best for him, if you can stand living there another year.“
Hermann hums. „I'm afraid of what Father will do to him if he's the only one in the house.“ Takes a deep breath. „I always thought it was me he hated most, but I'm no longer sure. The contempt he has for Bastien ... he's /cruel to him.“
Dee exhales shakily. „It's because he rebels more like Karla than us: we dissemble, they confront.“ Sighs. „Except he's not waiting until he escapes to start confronting.“
„Like a true Gryffindor.“
„Like a Gryffindor,“ chuckles Dee. „It's too bad Father won't let him go yet.“
„You've asked.“
„In a roundabout way.“ Sighs. „I need to find a more compelling reason than 'it'll get him out of your hair'.“
Hermann snorts. „The way Father acts, you'd think that would be enough.“
„Maybe I'll have a secure enough position by next summer to please him.“
Hermann cocks his head, considers. 
„What's going on in there?“
„You're thinking of proposing to Sabine, officially.“
„I am.“
„What's changed?“
„Father's attitude isn't softening, but our feelings are the same and we're not getting any younger. I'm starting to receive offers from practices—outside the city, some of them—and you're nearly ready to leave home, too.“ Shrugs. „There's no longer any real value in waiting.“
„There's only Bastien's welfare.“
„I'll find a way to take him with me if I move. I'll challenge Father for custody if I have to.“
„You'll lose.“
„Maybe not. Father may be ready to hand him over by then, too.“
Hermann scoffs.
„It's a long shot, I know, but sometimes long shots pay off.“
Hermann sorta-shrugs.
Children's shrieks Doppler past.
„Dee, I want to tell him the truth about why Father treats him as he does.“
„Manny ...,“ sighs Dee, „we agreed to let him think he's absolutely normal, that it—“
„We agreed before Father's attitude became clear. That attitude /keeps him from being anything resembling 'normal'.“ Steels himself. „He should know why he's being punished.“
Dee shifts. „I understand why you feel that way, but I think it will make matters worse. He'll only fight back harder if he knows the reason for his treatment.“
„He's too much of a Gryffindor to let the injustice of it stand.“
„Right on the nose.“
„So we leave him ignorant.“
„We leave him better protected.“
„From himself more so than from Father.“
„Exactly.“
Category:Ficlet
Category:Berlin (setting)
Category:Hermann
Category:Hermann's POV
Category:Hermann has wings
Category:Hermann (ficlet)
Category:Dietrich
Category:Dietrich (ficlet)
Category:Bastien (mention)
Category:Sabine (mention)
Category:Lars (mention)
Category:Harry Potter (reference)
Category:Ficlets with images
2007 06 17
Category:Celestial Mechanics