The World and Her Stars: One Shots

Letters Home

(Post-war; the Leos we love write a letter home, like they always do on Sunday nights)

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NARRATOR POV

"I cannot write that." Leo Malfoy narrowed his eyes at the ghost of his uncle. 

"What? Can you not spell it? Here, it's F-O-R. Space. F-U-" Leo Riley spelled out letter by letter. 

"I know how to spell it, I just don't think my mum and dad would be too fond of me cursing in my letters home." Leo Malfoy explained. 

Leo Riley shrugged and bobbed his head side to side. 

"Okay, yeah, I see where you're coming from now." he agreed finally, "What about for Merlin's sake?" 

Leo Malfoy nodded, liking the sound of that better than the alternative. He re-dipped his quill in ink and started to write again. 

"Tell her that there are plenty of gifts you can get a ghost for Christmas, and to just think outside of the box a bit." Leo Riley instructed, "I may be a ghost but I do still enjoy the finer things in life." 

"Wouldn't it be in death?" Leo Malfoy asked. 

Leo Riley smirked and nodded, "Smart one, you are." 

Leo Malfoy gave him a smirk that looked identical to his fathers, before finishing up the letter and sealing it shut. 

"Uncle Leo...can I ask you something?" the boy asked, looking over at the floating ghost. 

"About?" 

"My parents." 

"Oh hell..." Leo Riley sighed, "Lay it on me, kid." 

"What are the marks on their arms?" he asked with a bit of concern mixed in with curiosity, "I asked but my mum and dad told me it was nothing to worry about but...in my History of Magic book, it saw the same symbol and it said something bad..." 

Leo Riley could tell this question had probably been weighing on him the moment he saw the photo of the Dark Mark in his textbook. Suddenly, he switched from the fun uncle, to the responsible uncle, and he took that very seriously. 

"When your mummy and daddy turned sixteen...their fathers, men you will never...ever meet, thank Merlin...made them get those marks on their arms." Leo tried to explain as best as he could. 

"But why?" 

Leo Riley contemplated just how he could word this. 

"Your parents were born into a whole mess of bad people. Bad people that would let them make decisions for their own. Scary people. Their fathers worked for...for Tom Riddle. You know who that is?" 

Little Leo nodded, his full attention being given to his uncle in that moment. 

"People that followed...Tom...were called Death eaters. They had marks on their arms, they turned into black puffs of smoke somehow, and they wore these gaudy masks..." Leo cringed. 

"My parents were death eaters?" Little Leo asked, sounding a bit shocked. 

"Not by choice." Leo Riley replied immediately, "Those bad people made your mother and father take those marks, they didn't want to." 

Little Leo sat there quietly for a moment, chewing on his lip as he processed all of the information.

"Has someone said something to you about it? Because, if they have, let me know. Fred and I have been working on some great tricks lately--" Leo Riley chimed in again.

"No, no." Leo Malfoy shook his head, "I was just worried about it, is all." 

"Why are you worried about it?" 

"Because I don't want people to find out and think that my parents are bad people..." Leo Malfoy sighed, looking at his hands, "They aren't anything like those bad people in my history book." 

Leo Riley have little Leo a sad smile, kneeling down to get into his eyesight. 

"You're parents are some of the bravest people I know." Leo Riley stated, "Those bad people, the ones that took the marks with a smile on their face, those people were the biggest cowards to exist. Your parents were nothing like them. Not at all." 

"But what if my friends find out and think they're...mean or something?" Little Leo questioned. 

"Then you remind them that only the good guys get chocolate frog cards made after them." Leo Riley smiled as Leo Malfoy's lips curled up at the thought. 

"Yeah, I guess you're right." Leo Malfoy relaxed a bit. 

"Don't worry about a thing, mini Malfoy. Anyone talks shite, and I'll make your mother and father's chocolate frog cards come out of their nose." 

Leo Malfoy laughed softly, and Leo Riley felt like a proud uncle lifting his spirits. 

"Can I ask you another question?" Leo Malfoy asked. 

"You are a curious one tonight, aren't you?" 

"Are you and Fred...boyfriends?" 

Leo Riley chuckled and smirked. 

"Well I am your cool gay uncle so...yes. Yes we are."