The Squib and the Werewolf (book 2)

83. My Boy

"I want to see my mother!" Announced Jamie angrily.
Remus hadn't left his sisters bedside in days, but once she had regained consciousness, he felt it was safe to return home to his family.
The moment he did, Jamie began insisting that he had to go and see Raya.
"I've already told you that she is in no fit state to see visitors" said Remus.
"You've seen here" replied Jamie.
"She's my sister. I've seen her in bad situations before. But even I was troubled by her appearance when I first saw her. Which is why I don't think it would be a good idea for you to visit her, in her current state" informed Remus.

"I'm not some little kid that you need to protect from seeing something scary. I'm 16 years old. I'll be an adult next year, which means I can make my own decisions. And I want to see my mum" insisted Jamie.
After believing that he was an orphan, and surviving Hogwarts under the Carrows, Jamie had become a much darker and stronger person, because he'd had to be.
"I honestly don't think it would be good for you to see her. I think you should wait a few weeks, until she is better" admitted Remus.
"I thought she was dead. And now I know that she's not, I have to see her. I can't wait another few weeks. I need to see her today, and you are going to take me to her" announced Jamie.

"With that attitude, you aren't going anywhere" Remus said sternly.
"You can't tell me what to do! You're not my dad" reminded Jamie.
"No. I am not. But I have always acted in your best interests, and done everything I can to protect you, just as your father would've done" mumbled Remus.
"I don't need protecting from my own mother".

"So, you really think that you are prepared to see a woman who is a shell of your mother. The person in that hospital bed is not the strong, indestructible mother that you are used to. She looks more like a skeleton than her real self. She is all skin and bones, and there isn't an inch of hair on her entire body. Raya has been experimented on and tortured, and her body reflects that. So, are you really ready to see that?" Questioned Remus.
"I will do anything to see my mother again" answered Jamie.
"Fine. I will take you this afternoon then, once Raya has had time to rest after spending all morning talking to me" replied Remus.
"Thank you".

****

Remus kept his promise and took Jamie to the hospital. But he didn't go into the ward with him, as he thought that Raya and Jamie would prefer to have their reunion in private.
"Mum" whispered Jamie, as he approached Raya's bed.
Although her appearance shocked him, he tried not to show it on his face.
"I know, I'm not much to look at. But it really is me" informed Raya awkwardly.
"Can I hug you?" Asked Jamie.
"Only if you want to. I wouldn't be surprised if you were too repulsed to even touch me-".
Jamie cut Raya off by throwing his arms around her and holding her tight.

"I thought you were dead" sobbed Jamie, letting his bravado drop.
"I know. And I can't imagine what pain my absense has caused you, these past few months" replied Raya.
"I tried to be brave, like you have always taught me to be. And in front of other people I am, but when I'm by myself, I am not brave at all" admitted Jamie.
"It's O.K to not be brave all the time. You are allowed to let your emotions out and not always put on a brave face... But I'm back now, so you don't have to pretend to be brave anymore".

"Mum, what really happened to you?" Asked Jamie, as he released Raya.
"Didn't Remus tell you?" Frowned Raya.
"No. He didn't want me and Sophia to know the truth" revealed Jamie.
"I understand why he kept it from Sophia, but you are old enough to know the truth. And since Remus knows how much I hate lies and secrets, I'm disappointed that he didn't tell you... After the wedding, I was kidnapped, and tortured for information on Harry. I refused to speak, so You-Know-Who handed me over to a death eater who was doing experiments on Squibs. He wanted to try and give them magic, by running the blood of magical people through their veins. I ended up as one of his test subjects for many months, but the Order found out about the laboratory and rescued me".

"I can't believe you've been alive and suffering all this time, while we've just been going about our daily lives" said Jamie.
"It's not your fault, you weren't to know. The fake Prophet article was written to stop people from looking for me. And it worked. But I'm back now. All that is in the past. And I'm so proud of you for looking after Sophia in my absence" praised Raya.
"After the wedding, I did everything you said, to try and keep her safe. I found the Portkey and ran into the Muggle town to hide. Me and Sophia stayed there until the Portkey took us home. I then barricaded us in the basement at the Manor, just in case someone broke into the house. We spent hours in there until Remus arrived and I decided it was safe to come out. I didn't let my guard down when I first saw him though. I asked him loads of questions, to make sure that it was really him" informed Jamie.

"That was very clever of you. I am so proud of how you reacted. I would expect nothing less from my own son. I have trained you well" smiled Raya.
"You trained me to be a fighter, and I have been fighting these last few months against the Carrows. Me, Ginny, Luna and Neville started Dumbledore's Army back up. I know you don't like the name, but Harry chose it, and we weren't about to change it. We've been posting pro Harry Potter posters around Hogwarts, we've freed people in detentions who are chained up in the dungeons, and we've been rebelling against the Carrows every chance we get" announced Jamie.
"That sounds dangerous" replied Raya.

"Don't worry, the Carrows won't actually kill us, because we have magical blood inside us, from powerful families. They'll torture us a bit if we're mouthy, but they won't kill us. I'm lucky that I don't have a Muggle parent, because the real half-bloods are the ones who suffer the most. You may have been a Squib, but everyone knows how badass you were. So, I was never mocked for being related to you" revealed Jamie.
"I am glad I could be of use, even though I wasn't there" replied Raya.
"Even though you weren't around, you were always with me, inside... Besides, what does it matter how much we get hurt, when we are doing the right thing? Someone has to stand up to the Carrows, and that someone is us" admitted Jamie.

"Hogwarts doesn't sound like a very good place anymore" commented Raya.
"It's not. But those of us in the DA are doing everything we can to keep peoples hopes alive. Although, things will be harder when we go back after Christmas, because the death eaters kidnapped Luna when we were on our way back to King's Cross on the train. Probably because her dad was the only publisher still writing things in support of Harry. So, we will be missing one of our leaders. But as long as we don't lose Neville, all will be well, because he took Harry's place and became the main leader of the DA" informed Jamie.

"I am glad that you have been standing up for what's right. But I'm sorry to tell you that there is no way you can return to Hogwarts in the new year. You-Know-Who will learn that I have escaped very soon, and he will want me recaptured. All he would have to do would be to take you from Hogwarts, and he knows I would hand myself in to save you. Which I would. So, our whole family is going to have to go into hiding. Even if there wasn't a price on our heads, I still wouldn't let you go back to a school run by death eaters, because that would be reckless of me. Since it is my job to keep you safe... You did your best for the DA, but you're in the real world now, and it's time you joined the proper fight with the rest of us. The Order needs good people like you, to help keep places like this open behind the Ministry's back. We all need to work together to keep things running" announced Raya.

"I am more than happy to do whatever it takes to undermine the Ministry. Being in the DA was just practice for joining the Order" admitted Jamie.
"I used to be so dead set against you joining the Order. But things are different now, for we are in a dangerous new world. And I know you will fight against our oppressors, at my side, whether I want you to or not" replied Raya.
"You raised a fighter, mum. And there is nothing you can do about that now"
"Yes, I'm starting to realise that. You really are my son".