Safe With Me ~ Fred Weasley

Christmas

I woke up in my dark room with the shades completely pulled. My eyes felt swollen from the silent tears I had let out once I finally crawled into bed last night. Father thankfully hadn't spoken once the entire car ride home.

I felt so empty, like I did every time this happened. But this time was the worst. Tommy and I used to wait until our father fell asleep on the nights we would get hit before crawling into each other's rooms silently. When I was much smaller, I would let him hold me in my bed until I fell asleep, but I never knew what to do for him. He always tried to act like it didn't bother him, but the nights that I did hear some cries slip through the walls, I would always rush in and sit next to him on the floor, holding his hand until we both fell asleep.

Now it was just me. And it was fine. Because if Tommy had been there last night, it would have been him. Or both of us. And there was no reason for that. Tommy's safe. Wherever he is, no one can hurt him.

I grabbed the small package I had wrapped the day I got off the train with the tag on top reading Dad and pulled my door open just wide enough for me to slip through. I didn't want to sleep in too late and have him yell at me for being lazy, especially on the holiday, but I didn't want to be up before him either. I stopped at the top of the stairs, hearing the sizzling from bacon and movement from the kitchen before I started down the steps.

"Happy Christmas." I said softly, taking a seat at the table facing him.

"Happy Christmas, Cassidy." He replied.

That was that. Neither of us spoke again until breakfast was ready and he walked over to the table, taking his seat across from me and dishing out some food onto his plate.

"Thank you for breakfast." I spooned out some eggs for myself, ignoring the bacon which he probably didn't know that I hated.

"That's all your eating?" He raised his eyebrows at me and I grabbed a few slices of meat so I wouldn't have to tell him I didn't want any.

Once we had finished our meal, I got up and gathered our plates, taking them to the sink and rinsing them off. I came back to grab for the warm food to begin putting it away when he held a small package out to me.

"Here's your present. I'll put the food away." He stood up, bringing the pans with him as I sat back at the table. I pulled the string from the small box easily and tore a corner off the paper, revealing a small gray box which held a thin silver necklace with a cross on the end.

"Thank you, dad. It's beautiful." I set the box on the table in front of me, giving him a smile when he looked over.

"You're all I have now, Cassidy. Your mom and your brother? They ruined everything for themselves. But we won't go with them. They made their choices, and God will see that they get their punishments." I bit my lip to stifle the gasp. I knew exactly what he meant by this cross. That him and I were the only safe ones, the only two from our family who God would accept into Heaven, while Tommy and my mom would spend the rest of their eternity in Hell. It's what he always said anytime either of them were brought up anymore.

I fell silent, not having a single answer for him anymore.

"You need help putting it on?" He started over to me and I felt my blood turn to ice in my veins.

"No, I've got it..." I started, plucking the chain from the box and forcing my fingers to unlatch the end.

Don't touch me, please don't touch me, please.

He came around the table and took the necklace from my fingers, pulling it up around my neck and clasping it shut. The cross fell right below my collarbones and I looked down at it, feeling the cold metal on my skin.