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Post by Zachary Scotts on Nov 16, 2009 19:24:07 GMT -5
Leaving Suzie the next morning was one of the hardest things he had ever done. The most difficult thing he'd ever done, of course, was to leave her back in California, with no intentions of ever seeing her again. This time, at least he knew he'd be seeing her again. Tonight, they were going to run away, and leave this town in the dust. Maybe it was wrong, maybe it was irresponsible, maybe it was crazy. But Zach didn't care. Through some miracle, he had got Suzie back, and he was not going to let her go this time.
He kissed her goodbye and promised to see her at 7:00 that night, with everything they'd need to start their new life on the run.
Then, reluctantly, he went back to the Scotts family estate to find a way to gather his things and say goodbye without letting anyone know exactly what he was doing.
The house seemed eerily quiet as he stepped inside. It gave him pause for a moment, and he stood in the foyer for a moment. Maybe he could just slip up to his room and gather his things without having to speak to Thatcher, or Tanya, or anyone else in the family. But the silence.... it gave him chills. Had something happened?
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Post by Guinevere Scotts on Nov 17, 2009 0:26:07 GMT -5
(Because I dont think anyone told the kids)
It was Gwen that he ran into first. With everything that had happened recently, especially in the wake of Tanya's death, no one had bothered to tell her that Uncle Zachary was even back in town.
When she heard the door open, she came into the foyer, wondering who it was when the rest of the family was already home... sure, each in their separate rooms, but home nonetheless.
"Uncle Zach?" She asked, hesitating. She'd been a bit younger when he left, and she had grown quite a lot in that time. "You heard?" Surely that was why he was here.
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Post by Zachary Scotts on Nov 17, 2009 16:47:27 GMT -5
Zachary turned took look at his niece, taking in the sight of her. Of course she had grown into a great beauty; that did not surprise him. What did strike him, however, was the fact that she really was almost a complete stranger to him. He’d been gone most of her life, and he knew nothing about the person she was now. When he fled with Suzie, he’d never get the chance to know her.
“Gwen, I…” he started to say, intending to ask her not to tell anyone he was there, but her words stopped him. “Heard what?”
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Post by Guinevere Scotts on Nov 17, 2009 20:07:33 GMT -5
Gwen frowned. He hadn't heard of Tanya's death then... he was clearly here for another reason, but what? He didn't come back for no reason.
"Aunt Tanya...." she trailed off. She was still on edge from the attack and seeing Justin, and her father was angry with her.
"You should see my dad. He's in his study." She ran a hand through her hair. He didn't look any different than she remembered, just... not as tall, perhaps, since she was now taller. "Hey... it's good to see you."
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Post by Zachary Scotts on Nov 18, 2009 0:43:12 GMT -5
Zachary sighed inwardly. The last thing he really wanted to do was see Thatcher. It would inevitably involve a lot of questions that Zach didn't want to answer, and end in another argument. But what about Tanya?
"It's good to see you, too, Guinevere," he said somewhat stiffly. He realized that he didn't even know if she prefered to be called Gwen or Guinevere, or if he was on close enough terms with her now to call her anything except her full name. "You've grown into quite a lovely young lady."
He glanced in the direction of Thatcher's study, then back at her with a wry smile. "I'm not sure I want to go in there," he confessed. "What's this about Tanya?"
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Post by Guinevere Scotts on Nov 18, 2009 2:07:08 GMT -5
"Thank you," Gwen said, finding the compliment just a little odd, considering everything that was going on.
When he turned back to her, she saw something perhaps sympathetic in his eyes, something she was sure he didn't mean to have there on purpose, and she almost blurt out everything.
But instead of telling him what was going on, or that Tanya was dead, or there had been an attack, her shoulders fell just slightly and she tilted her head. "When you leave again... would you take me with you?"
Because Uncle Zach traveled everywhere, and surely he wasn't done yet. Maybe he could save her from everything.
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Post by Zachary Scotts on Nov 18, 2009 21:27:11 GMT -5
Zachary's eyes widened and he stared at her for a moment. How did she know he was leaving? She didn't know about Suzie, did she? But then he relaxed, realizing that she only knew he was leaving again because he always left. That was the legacy he had in this family--he was the one who couldn't stick around. He always left.
But how to answer her? Obviously, he couldn't take her with him, for so many reasons. He was running away with Suzie this time; it was different from all the other times. Having a third party, his niece, tagging along, would interfere with the life he was trying to build with Suzie. And of course, if he fled town with Gwen in tow. Thatcher would hunt them down relentlessly.
"Gwen... I..." He sighed. "You don't want to live like I do. Traveling all the time, always a stranger, never a place to call home. It's no kind of life for a young woman."
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Post by Guinevere Scotts on Nov 19, 2009 15:14:39 GMT -5
Gwen sighed. She didn't honestly think that Zachary would take her with him, but it was worth asking, wasn't it?
"I don't know. Living life like a gypsy would have to be better than living it as a prisoner." She shrugged. "But whatever," she said. "Dad will want to talk to you," she said nodding towards the door that he was poised in front of. She was backing away slowly. "It hasn't been a very good day here. But I'm glad you're here."
She nodded and turned to leave, letting Zachary face Thatcher and the news on his own.
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Post by Zachary Scotts on Nov 19, 2009 23:21:45 GMT -5
He hesitated another minute, looking at her sympathetically as she walked away. "I'm sorry," he said to her. He could understand feeling trapped in this family. It was why he'd left almost as soon as he'd graduated. And it was why he left over and over again throughout the years since then. It had to be worse for her, being a girl. If she wasn't tough like Tanya, the expectations of being a Scotts would eventually drag her down.
She disappeared up the steps, and Zach reluctantly turned back to the door of Thatcher's study. He took a deep breath, then turned the handle, thinking he knew what to expect.
He was wrong.
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Post by Thatcher Scotts on Nov 20, 2009 13:41:04 GMT -5
Thatcher was alone in his study. He'd already delivered the news to his family... the children were all gone, presumably with Alicia, if they needed any comfort from their mother, or maybe he thinking wishfully. They were probably each in their own rooms.
He wished his sister hadn't gone to Hogsmeade. What if Justin had been with her? He knew his son would never tell him, but he wondered how close he might have been to losing his eldest as well as his sister. And the Burke's... Jadon had been there, hadn't he? It was too dangerous, now that he looked back, and he wished Tanya had stayed here. Or that he'd been there to protect his baby sister. How had he failed her?
When the door opened, he turned to look at the intruder with a neutral look on his face, his thoughts all hidden below the surface. He felt unusually helpless, and he didn't know what to do in that moment.
"Zachary," he murmured, forgetting that he'd even been missing.
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Post by Zachary Scotts on Nov 20, 2009 23:50:29 GMT -5
Like most younger brothers, Zachary was quite of the opinion that his older brother could do anything, and that there was nothing that he couldn't handle. As much as he resented Thatcher, that resentment masked a deep admiration for the man. He had long since realized that he could never be Thatcher and had given up trying to measure up.
So it greatly disturbed Zachary to see that look on Thatcher's face. And it wasn't even his expression... rather, it was the lack of it. He'd expected to be yelled at the instant he arrived. Instead, Thatcher seemed... frozen. Any anger or bitterness he might have felt toward his brother faded instantly, replaced by an almost paralyzing fear.
He sank into the chair in front of the desk. "Thatcher, I.... Gwen said.... What's wrong? What's happened?"
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Post by Thatcher Scotts on Nov 22, 2009 1:27:58 GMT -5
"What did Gwen say?"
Zachary then asked about Tanya, and Thatcher relaxed; Gwen had not delivered the news. As apathetic as she had been over the death of her aunt, he was glad that she hadn't been the one to tell Zachary.
"There was an attack today," he said slowly, gauging his brother's reaction to see how much he had heard or not. It appeared he had heard nothing. "Zach, Tanya's gone. She was killed. Murdered." He opened his mouth to say more, but stopped, clenching his jaw.
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Post by Zachary Scotts on Nov 22, 2009 1:59:42 GMT -5
Zachary felt like he was being smothered. He simply stared at his older brother, unable to speak or breathe.
Having spent most of the last 12 years or so traveling the world and spending time with the lower elements of society, Zachary really was quite clueless regarding the current political climate. Of course, he'd heard rumblings about purebloods and mudbloods, and might have even heard the name Lord Voldemort once or twice in passing, but none of it had ever really registered with him. He really was quite unaware that there was a war brewing, or that his family was smack in the middle of it.
So to hear that there had been an "attack" and that his sister had been killed was something Zachary simply couldn't comprehend. No matter how angry he had been with his sister, the idea that she was gone forever... murdered... was just too much for him.
"Why... what.... how?" he stammered. "I don't... why would anyone want to kill Tanya?"
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Post by Thatcher Scotts on Nov 22, 2009 2:13:20 GMT -5
Thatcher let out a slow breath. He wanted to ask the same questions, but he knew the answers, and he... he just didn't know how to reconcile them. His baby sister was just gone, and he'd failed her. When he looked at Zachary, he knew he was failing him as well.
"I don't think she was targeted specifically. She was just in the wrong place at the wrong time. And I wasn't there."
There- he'd said it. He'd admitted his failure, and leaned back in his chair. "You weren't there. You were lucky."
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Post by Zachary Scotts on Nov 22, 2009 2:21:43 GMT -5
Zachary didn't understand at all. Wrong place at the wrong time? Thatcher wasn't there? Was he supposed to be there? What the hell was going on?
His hands were shaking and he sorely wished he had a drink. He settled for gripping the arms of the chair tightly. "Where was she?" he asked. "I don't understand... what the hell happened?"
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Post by Thatcher Scotts on Nov 22, 2009 2:28:29 GMT -5
"Hogsmead."
He said nothing else. The rest of it was too complicated, and he was still trying to protect Zachary to some extent. "There was an attack on Hogsmead. It was a scheduled trip for the children at Hogwarts, and..." he shook his head, knowing he could never tell Zach why Tanya had died. "I don't know. Tanya may have been there to make sure that none of the kids were..."
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Post by Zachary Scotts on Nov 22, 2009 2:38:52 GMT -5
"Who would attack a bunch of school children?" Zachary asked, rather naively. For a man who had indulged in apathy for much of his life, it was something of a shock to him that someone would do something so monstrous as to attack children. And somehow, his sister had got caught up in it. Now she was dead...
He couldn't take it anymore and got up from his seat, walking over to where Thatcher kept the decanter of brandy. He took out a glass and poured himself a drink, his hands still shaking.
"She's a healer... she must have been there to help the injured," he reasoned. "I just don't understand... who would do this?"
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Post by Thatcher Scotts on Nov 22, 2009 2:48:10 GMT -5
"Where have you been, Zachary?"
The question wasn't even meant to ask where he'd been the entire day, just as far as the world and the state of things went. Even in his travels, he must have heard...
"Death Eaters. A dark lord... there's a war coming and even you can't remain neutral." He took another breath and stopped. This was the speech he'd given Justin, and the one he wanted to have with his other children. But now was not the time to have it with Zachary.
"Yes... she must have been there to help the injured. That makes sense."
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Post by Zachary Scotts on Nov 22, 2009 16:36:20 GMT -5
"A war?"
It was just like Zachary, in his selfishness, to ignore that which did not affect him. If he'd heard rumblings of war, they went right over his head without catching his ear. Wars didn't involve the rich and disaffected. They were for armies and soldiers, right? They didn't involve the killing of women and children.
"I guess I haven't really been keeping up with current events," he replied, now feeling somewhat ashamed that he had not. Apparently, things were escalating, and his sister was dead. Meanwhile, here he was, selfishly planning to run away again.
"The other children... are they safe? Were they in Hogsmeade?"
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Post by Thatcher Scotts on Nov 25, 2009 16:46:43 GMT -5
Thatcher gave him a look when he seemed clueless about the war brewing. How had he heard nothing about this? They were killing people every day, attacks were being planned left and right. His family was in the very middle of it, and Zach knew nothing of it. It sort of angered Thatcher, but he chose to blow it off.
"Alicia and I had planned a dinner this weekend, so we called all of the children home. Justin was there... but he's fine. They're all fine." He chose to be as open ended and vague about it as possible. "And you're safe. You weren't there? I was... well, I was worried."
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