◣ 𝗦𝗢𝗙𝗧 𝗦𝗣𝗢𝗧 ◥

𝗕𝗔𝗖𝗞 𝗧𝗢 𝗡𝗢𝗥𝗠𝗔𝗟

BACK TO NORMAL
"𝗂 𝗐𝖺𝗇𝗍 𝗈𝗎𝗋 𝖿𝗂𝗀𝗁𝗍𝗌 𝗍𝗈 𝖾𝗇𝖽, 𝖫𝖾𝗑."

—"COME IN," ALEXANDRIA HEARD HER FATHER SAY WHEN SHE KNOCKED ON THE DOOR OF HIS OFFICE. She sighed and opened the door, walking inside and sitting down on the chair he motioned for her to sit on. "You called me?"

Tom nodded. "I figured we should talk about every problem we have with each other. I want our fights to end, Lex."

Alexandria's lips parted in shock.

Tom raised an eyebrow at her silence. "Lex?"

"Sorry," she shook her head, snapping out of it. "Just a bit shocked. That's all."

He nodded, leaning back on his own chair, hands crossed, and his legs on top of each other. "Go ahead."

"..I'm just.. supposed to say a problem about you?"

"Yes."

"Okay," Alexandria nodded, frowning in thought. "You can't understand feelings."

"I've never felt them," Tom rubbed his face anxiously. "You drive me mad with your disrespect."

"I'm sorry, I'll try being more respectful," sighed Alexandria, feeling guilty. "You never have time for me."

"I'll try making more time for you," he said. "You forget everything I've done for you."

"There's more to that, isn't there?" asked his daughter knowingly.

Tom sighed. "Am I a bad father?"

She blinked a couple of times, suddenly shocked again. "Of course not," she answered truthfully with a frown. "I couldn't have asked for a better father."

"Do my lack of feelings.. hurt you?"

She hesitated, but nodded, not wanting to lie anymore. "Sometimes."

Tom leaned forward, looking serious as he stared at his daughter. "You used to be so careless and perfect. What happened?"

Her face turned from sad to rage, but the hurt on his face quickly got her to understand.

Tom thought that it was his fault Alexandria was hurt and heartbroken.

She wasn't necessarily.. heartbroken.. (she liked to believe that nothing could break her heart) but the things she was dealing with— no normal 16 year olds should've been dealing with that.

She was just a kid. A mere child.

And to Tom, she would always stay that way.

"I'm sorry.." Alexandria looked down, shaking her head. "I'm so sorry."

"You've done nothing wrong—"

"I've disappointed you several times. And for that I'm really sorry."

"Lex—" he stood up, walking over to the corner of the room "—you've always made me proud. You've never disappointed me."

She gave him a look. "We both know that's not true."

Tom ignored that, pouring himself a drink. "Is there anything else you want to tell me?"

His daughter watched as he sat back down on his chair and took a sip from the glass of alcohol in his hands. "No—" she cringed immediately at her lie and fixed it, "Yes. I've almost died twice in the missions you've sent me. Draco— Malfoy saved my life both times."

Tom's hand tightened around the glass. "I suppose I ought to thank the boy somehow," he mumbled after a few minutes of tense silence, but his eyes never left his daughter. "Why didn't you tell me this before?"

"You'd overreact."

"No, I wouldn't—" he stopped when she raised an eyebrow. "Fine, of course I would. I'd lose my mind if I lost you. What happened those two times, anyway?"

And so Alexandria told him everything.

From how Draco had pushed her out of the way from a killing curse on their first mission to how he had taken care of her when she hit her head badly on their last mission.

And Tom, being the protective father he was, listened with his undivided attention.

And maybe— hopefully— their bond would be back to normal soon.