WHO: Winthrop Abbott and Mitzi Abbott. WHAT: Secrets come to light. WHEN: April 13 evening. WHERE: Winthrop's house. WARNINGS: None.
Mitzi probably should’ve been furious with her uncle — father? — for keeping his relationship with her mother a secret, but she was… barely anything. Perhaps it was the calm before the storm. That, or she’d suddenly lost the ability to feel emotions at all. Merlin knew that it would happen sooner or later.
Still, when she got through Winthrop’s wards her pounding on his door might’ve seemed a little aggressive. “Uncle Winthrop! Let me in! Right now! Before I…” She stopped, looking around. “Before I put this stupid decorative rock through your window,” she finished, stooping down to pick up aforementioned rock.
Winthrop took his sweet time answering the door — he opted to not have a house-elf with him, and preferred the quietness over everything else.
"I'm coming, I'm coming," he replied, his voice a little hoarser than he would have liked. That damned cat had really cut into his neck and it was still paining.
He eventually opened the door and let his darling niece through the doorway. "What's all the hurry? I told you to always use the loo before you go anywhere, Mitzi," he remarked, shaking his head. "But go on. I've got biscuits for you in the kitchen!"
“Stop acting like my dad!” Okay, there was the emotion. Mitzi stepped in, drawing herself up to her full height. It wasn’t intimidating in the least. She forced herself to ignore the invitation of biscuits and scowled at Winthrop.
“When were you going to tell me?”
"Tell you what?" Winthrop inquired, a puzzled expression present. He happily hummed as he trotted towards the kitchen, happy to get a biscuit for himself. They smelled delicious and if his niece didn't want one, then so be it!
They did smell delicious, but Mitzi would not be swayed. “Oh, I don’t know. That you’re my father.”
"I'm your —"
Winthrop couldn't finish this sentence, but his humming did stop at once and he looked at Mitzi. He blinked a few times, and opened his mouth, as though he was going to low-key scream, but instead shrugged. "I never knew it for a fact."
“But you knew it could be a possibility?” Mitzi shook her head, covering her mouth with a hand, a telltale sign she was trying to keep herself composed.
“I don’t mind that you’re my father. What I do mind is that you allowed me to love Aloysius like he was. You know how much my distaste for him has grown.” She sighed, then stalked past Winthrop to grab a biscuit from the kitchen. She shoved it into her mouth, chewing aggressively and looking quite cross.
Winthrop took a few steps towards her, and hesitantly reached for her shoulder. "How did you find out?" he prodded gently.
Mitzi looked at his hand on her shoulder and decided it could stay there. “My mother’s diary. The one you gave me. You mean to say you really didn’t read it?”
"No, of course not. That was hers and was meant to be passed on to you." Winthrop frowned, shaking his head and took his hand away from her. He adjusted his specs with one hand and huffed loudly. "Your mother never told me the details of your conception, Mitzi. She'd been with your — she'd been with Aloysius publicly, so it was assumed that you were his."
Mitzi worked her jaw, trying to process everything. It took her a moment, but she finally spoke. “I suppose I can’t be angry with you, then.” She hated this, being so unsure of her feelings. It made her stomach clench and she wanted no part of this emotional nonsense.
“My dad — Aloysius can’t know. I know he’s not really my dad and he’s dreadfully annoying, but I… don’t want to hurt him if I can help it.” She turned away, embarrassed by her show of compassion for the man who raised her.
Winthrop nodded in response, happy to offer that little gift to his darling nie — daughter. He examined her face for a moment and briefly chuckled to himself. She'd always reminded him a great deal of her mother, but in that particular moment, even more so. He raised one hand to touch her cheek gently, and finally let it dangle back to her side. "He won't know," he finally agreed, looking away from her.
Surprising herself, Mitzi stepped forward to embrace Winthrop, pressing her face to his chest. He had always accepted every part of her, even the twisted, macabre parts that even some of their fellow Death Eaters would balk at. He really had been her true father.
She stepped back after a moment, swallowing hard. “I guess now I know why I’m not like him or Hannah.”
He was cautious in that embrace, despite having engaged in hugs with Mitzi a million times in the past. But this was their first true father-daughter one, and he needed to take it all in. Winthrop placed a gentle kiss on the top of her forehead, his arms wrapping around her. "You have always been so uniquely you, Mitzi. Don't compare yourself to people. They don't matter. Only you matter."
A genuine smile crossed Mitzi’s face. “You always know just what to say… dad.”