Who: Grady, npcs!Ryan and Katie When: Sun. 15 Febr [8:30pm] Where: Hufflepuff Dorms, Hogwarts What: the first two-way conversation they've had in months Rating: G
It had to be just his imagination that Ryan had hugged him tighter than normal when he returned to the castle that night. The conversations with Pepper and Marlene had him off on what was really going on. There wouldn't be anything wrong with his nephew if the boy were left with his aunt for the duration of the war. Bells were tough, and Ryan seemed to be getting better at expressing himself each day. At least, Grady hoped he was. He had not been the most observant uncle when it came to Allen's children.
After thanking Manny for watching the kids and giving him the few things he had picked up for the boy while he was out, Grady swooped up a sleepy Katie in his arms and led Ryan from the library down to the Hufflepuff dorms. Having his former tutoring student at the castle proved to be a big help. Ryan and Katie seemed to remember Manny from the few times Carlotta had allowed Grady to bring them to the sessions, and Manny's quiet but playful manner kept the cousins entertained while Grady left the grounds for a few hours. It wasn't as if he could risk side-alonging his kids every time he wanted to check on Frannie, Murphy, and Aedan, or that one time he attempted to track down Sinead after he heard she had been freed. The two worked out a system early on - for every hour Grady was gone, he would come back with a treat for Manny or his family, or he would spend an hour helping the lad continue with his studies.
That would all have to change once he figured out the next step for his family.
"Did you have a good time with Manny?" he asked Ryan once they were inside the commonroom. The blonde-haired boy nodded in agreement, running ahead to use the loo while Grady began to put Katie to bed. It may have taken some time but he was finally beginning to learn what each reaction meant. A headtilt to the right meant he was curious, he would fold an arm over his stomach when he was hungry, and if he was upset his brow would furrow just like Allen's. He knew that expression very well. Smiles were still small and elusive, but at least Ryan was talking - to other people anyway. A quick 'no' here, a muttered 'thank you' there, but he still had yet to say a single thing to his uncle. Grady could only guess that Ryan somehow blamed him for their family's deaths. He couldn't say the boy was wrong.
Once Katie was settled in her crib, which he had transfigured from one of the chairs, Grady set to tucking Ryan in. First came prayers, then a kiss on the forehead (as his Mam always did), but instead of the usual 'goodnight', Grady lingered a moment, sitting on the edge of the bed. "What would you say t' moving back in with Aunt Frannie, yea?" A light sparked behind Ryan's eyes and he sat up straighter against the pillows. Grady took this as a good sign and grinned. "I'll have t' talk it over with her o' course, an' Uncle Aedan," Katie's uncle, to be technical, but he was still family all the same. "We'll take Strider with us an' you all can stay together an' watch out for Katie and Connor. Won' tha' be fun?" Now he had lost him. The spark had disappeared from Ryan, who now stared up at his uncle with concern. "It'll be alrigh'," Grady tried to reassure him, reaching out a hand to pat the boy's leg. "You'll have Frannie an' Aedan to watch you, an' you can go out an' play with other kids once the snow is gone..." It sounded like a brilliant plan to him, but Ryan merely took his time pondering the idea before giving a small nod in compliance.
He sighed. "'M doin' my best here, boyo. I jus' want you and Katie to be safe." Another nod. The conversation was not promoting the sort of interest he had hoped. Putting his hand on Ryan's head, he ruffled the boy's hair a moment before giving him another kiss. "Don' think about it tonight. If you go right t' sleep we'll visit Hagrid after breakfast." He pulled back the blankets and let Ryan sink down onto the mattress before covering him back up. "G'night, mate." He didn't make it three steps before a tiny voice reached him
"Don' go."
Grady spun around to look back at Ryan; his little blue eyes were brimming with tears. "If you go they'll come back." It took a moment for him to realise just who 'they' were that would come back. No one had yet been able to get the information of what happened during the slaughter out of Ryan, but tonight was not the time to try.
Without hesitating, Grady moved back to the bed and sat against the headboard, stretching his legs out on the mattress as Ryan hugged his torso. "Don' worry, boyo," he said, wrapping an arm around his nephew. "'M not going anywhere." He had to keep his family together, but he knew he had to do it while fighting to defend their lives.
Perhaps Pepper and Marlene had been right after all.