another love; harry potter

thirty-eight

\ wherein they take a risk /

"HEY," I SAID, GENTLY rapping on the half-opened door upstairs. "dad, you in here?"

"Yeah- yeah, I'm in here," he responded. I pushed open the door to see my dad sitting on the floor of his old bedroom, staring at the walls. 

"You okay?"

"No. Stupid Fudge, and the ministry, and your thing-"

"Hey, it's okay," I said, sitting down beside him. "The chances of me losing me memory are-"

"Too high. Way too high."

"But I'm not risking letting them send you to Azkaban," I said firmly. "Besides, if I lose my memory...it's okay."

"How is it okay?!" he exclaimed, meeting my gaze. 

"Because the year I've had so far here has been amazing, and I couldn't ask for anything better. And, I won't have every detail about my future memorized, so it'll be like I'm learning about this all for the first time. Besides," I shrugged. "We could have a do-over."

"You always know how to look at the glass half full, Pheeb," sighed Sirius, shaking his head. 

"Dad, please. Let me do this for you. You'd do the same for me." he hesitated. 

"Pheobe, I'm so sorry," he said, meeting my gaze. "I was a shit dad. I always wanted to be nothing like my own dad, but hell, I wasn't around these last couple years."

"Yeah," I nodded, "and I was really pissed at you for the last few months-"

"And you had every right to be."

"But now...it's not your fault. You're just...more of an uncle- type guy than a dad," I shrugged. "Kinda figured I was a mistake or something along those lines." 

"No, Pheobe, don't ever think that of yourself," he said firmly, his hand fiddling with the charm of a dove on his neck. "You're right, I'm not a good dad at all. If you really want..." he sighed, looking away, before saying, "Molly's been asking if she could adopt you, if I wasn't up for...quite frankly, I think she and Arthur would make brilliant parents, Pheobe." he sighed, "and don't think it's because I don't love you. I think your life would be a shit load better if they were your parents."

"Pheobe Weasley," I smiled faintly. "I like that."

"Yeah?" said my dad, and it wasn't like he was disappointed that he was passing me on to someone else, it was more hopeful. "We could have a second chance together, too. I'd be your cool uncle."

"You'd be my second dad," I said firmly. "And hey...you're only, what, thirty? Forty? If you fell in love with another woman and adopted a kid or something, this would prepare you for that." I paused, before adding, "also, were you ever going to tell me my mum was your best mate's sister? That's low, dad, going for the little sister." I mockingly shook my head as he laughed and stood up. 

"You really want to obliviate yourself for me?"

"Oh, it's not want, I'm doing it whether you like it or not."