Faultlines

Aftermath

Aftermath

.

Margaret Maria Stark was nervous. Nervous and really, really excited. She had spent the last two days trying to convince her Mum that Uncle Tony would be really happy to see them all. She had agreed, partially. Teddy was at Hogwarts now and Mum had agreed that yes, Emmy would be allowed to come along. But the little ones had to go to Devon. And now eight year old Emmy (almost nine, please) was sitting in a limousine with tinted glass. On a military airstrip in southern Germany. Sadly she hadn't actually gotten to see anything of Germany yet. They had flown into a private airstrip, via private plane and gotten into a private limousine. Everything was very private, indeed. Emmy knew her parents were always worried about safety, but this was the first time she had ever felt... different.

She knew Mum didn't want to worry her and was probably just as happy to have Uncle Tony back, as Emmy herself. But she started to regret that she had insisted on coming along. Mum didn't even look like herself. She wore black muggle-clothing, black sunglasses and a very strict ponytail. Not even her face really looked like Mum. She seemed... much colder. More like Dad looked, when he got really angry.

Emmy might already be a big girl, but... she carefully grabbed her Mum's hand and put her head on Mum's arm.

"Are you alright, love?"

"Mh."

"Don't worry too much. Tonight we will all be home again. And your Dad said Uncle Tony was okay."

Reassuring words, but Emmy could practically feel the worry radiating off her mother.

Mum had tried not to let the kids know too much, but... well, they were all at least a little bit sneaky. And Uncle George kept them well supplied. They had heard Mum talking to Aunt Luna the day before. About how they were worried about Uncle Tony. One sentence in particular was burned into Emmy's mind: "You and I both know he is not just going to be okay. We have seen it. We have felt it. We know."

That sentence by her Mum had told Emmy so much more about her family than she really wanted to know right now.

"You think he will be happy to see me?", Emmy asked, feeling self conscious about her being here. What if Uncle Tony just wanted peace and quiet and not his niece babbling away at him. She talked too much. She knew that. Or at least people kept telling her.

"I think he will be really happy. I just didn't want to take everyone, because I want you all to be safe."

"Is it dangerous here?", Emmy looked at her mother in shock. She knew this couldn't be true. Mum would never endanger her.

"Oh no, but you know how we don't want the press to take pictures of you guys. Which is why you are going to stay in the car."

"I know.", Emmy rolled her eyes and tried to look relaxed, but the atmosphere was still worrying.

It took ten more minutes before Emmy finally saw the big, clunky military plane land and make its way over the airstrip towards them. American soldiers were standing there, waiting to greet their most important weapon's contractor. A medical team stood by. Suddenly Emmy was scared again. Did Uncle Tony need help? Was he hurt? She knew he'd been treated in a hospital, when they had found him.

There was a bustle of commotion outside. People were straightening up. Emmy let go of her mother inching closer to the window. There was a plane coming in. Dad and Uncle Tony.

When the plane finally came to a halt on the airfield, Emmy earned a last, warning glance from her mother, before she was left behind the darkly tinted glass by herself. Immediately Emmy took her Mum's now vacant seat and peered through the window. Dad was the first to exit the plane. Muggle clothes on, a duffel bag in hand and severely tanned and disheveled, Emmy didn't even recognize him as her father at first. He jogged down the gangway and hugged Mum with so much enthusiasm, that he actually lifted her off her feet. Even from a distance, Emmy could hear her mother laugh in surprise and happiness. It didn't matter what they were wearing, Emmy realized, some things about her parents would never change.