Who: Albus and Kendra Dumbledore What: Fathers should be neither seen nor heard. That is the only proper basis for family life. Where: Bungalow 13 When: Monday Status/Rating: Incomplete/Not too high?
It would have been pleasant if he could only be excited, if he could only be happy that it was his mother-- that of the things he ached for in this world, he had his mother and his sister back. Back, but not quite his, to look after and take care of. It was, however, still his responsibility to do as much as he could. The task at hand, however, was ruining his mother's life. Or rather, illuminating the ruins of their lives. Though it was among the last things he wanted to do, his wants had very rarely counted for much in the grand scheme of what was necessary. Ariana was here. Here and... broken. Doubly, perhaps, after what she'd done to their mother.
Not that she'd meant to, of course, but it didn't change what had happened, or what Ariana had to live with. His mother couldn't remain ignorant of what had happened to Ariana, not if the remnants of Ariana's sanity were to be preserved.
But he was happy. Some small, quiet, part of him that was absolutely childlike in the singularity of the sensation. It didn't matter to him that she might not believe him at first. She would. And magic or no magic, this time, he wasn't going to let something awful happen to her. Pushing his guilt to the fringes of his mind for as long as he was able, he submerged himself in something the way his chest felt full instead of hollow and still heavy.
It wouldn't last; he knew that. In his solitary moments, he could condense his emotional terrain down to a single note. Interaction, however, would force him into nuance and pluralism. And the moment he saw her, he knew it would break what was left of his heart. Nonetheless, it had to be done. Even as he knocked on the front door of the small cottage, he could feel guilt and apprehension creeping into his thoughts, posing scenarios and possibilities whose potential couldn't be denied. The near overwhelm of such emotional simultaneity feel placidly veiled behind the careful calm of his neutral expression.