Unusual Beginnings

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UNUSUAL BEGINNINGS 07- WHAT THE CHILDREN LEARNED

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"If a child lives with criticism, he learns to condemn.
If a Child lives with hostility, she learns to fight.
If a child lives with ridicule, he learns to be shy.
If a child lives with shame, she learns to feel guilty.
If a child lives with tolerance, he learns to be patient.
If a child lives with encouragement, she learns confidence.
If a child lives with praise, he learns to appreciate.
If a child lives with fairness, she learns justice.

If a child lives with security, he learns to have faith.
If a child lives with approval, she learns to like herself.
If a child lives with acceptance and friendship, he learns to find love in the world."

~N/A: Poem "How a Child Learns" Author Unknown

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July 22 1988 (Friday Noon)

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Ranco was dressing up to go to work back again but Riley had been bugging him since he came back. Ranco, as with his brother, worked for the Britain's Code of Wizarding Secrecy, and like the usual, unsuspecting Muggles leaned on to Platform 9 and ¾ and was pulled into the Wizarding world. The wards that kept all Muggles away from the platforms had been malfunctioning lately so Ranco and Lucius were called to check on it.

Riley wanted his father to stay since Ranco usually worked half days on Fridays and Ranco had already promised to take him to Diagon Alley. Of course, Riley was upset by this sudden change of plans. His father was walking around in circles around the room and had already stepped on him as he copied his every step. But the boy was persistent on getting his way and continued to badger his already stressed father.

"Father?&rdqo; asked Riley. "I thought we were to go to Diagon Alley today? You promised! You know I want to see the brooms. They're coming in today."

"That's it? You want me to forget something that I absolutely need to do for something as stupid as looking at brooms."

"I would like to spend some time with you also."

"You know my time is precious, son."

Riley smiled at him, still trying to be affectionate. "Then, can't you spare some with your only son?"

Ranco glared at him as he walked out of the room. "I do not like how you are speaking to me Riley."

"You didn't answer my question, father," Riley continued to ask jokingly as he followed his father about the house. But Ranco wasn't quite amused.

"Do not talk as if I didn't ask you to apologize," ordered Ranco as he pointed his finger right at his son's face. "Do not dare to disrespect me."

"What should I apologize for?" asked the puzzled boy. "I didn't mean to disrespect you, father, but you promised to go out with me today. You promised me first."

"Stop your insolence this instant!" His father's sudden outburst made Riley take a step back, both scared and confused.

"Insolence?"

"Yes, stupid boy! Insolence. Apologize now!"

"Fine! I apologize. Sorry." But his words sounded as if he was forced to say it and not that he meant it. This made Ranco raise his fist.

"You will be boy!" shouted Ranco as he reached for the Poena charm from under his shirt.

The sight of the charm scared Riley that, in a split second, he curled himself into a tight ball and covered his eyes with his hands. His weaved fingers created little crevices that allowed him to see his father's reactions. He wanted to say sorry just so his father wouldn't hurt him but he didn't want to lie to himself either. As he tried to come to a decision, his father had grabbed his shirt from the front and practically lifted the boy off the floor.

"Why do you expect me to say sorry about something I don't even know I did?!?"

But Ranco didn't seem to care about his son's excuse since he struck him hard on both the boy's cheeks.

"You do not disrespect your father like that, young one!"

Riley tried to find the courage to fight back. He wanted to raise his own little fists and swing a punch but he resisted. He was nothing compared to his father's size. Instead, he decided to use his wit.

"Well, I can't seem to find my father anywhere these days."

Ranco let go of the boy, practically dropping him on the floor, and held the talisman inside his closed fist.

"Don't make me hurt you more boy!"

Riley felt the twinge searing from his head as if he was just hid by a sledgehammer, making him collapse to the ground, grabbing the nape of his neck as he rocked his body to try and ease the pain. He closed his eyes and wished that he was somewhere else or at least someone else. He wished he was not a Malfoy, not the son of an influential Death Eater. He even wished he was a Muggle and oblivious about magic. At least he wouldn't have to suffer from the talisman that his father was using at him. But he can't be a Muggle. He was a pureblood. Not a single drop of his blood belonged to the non-magical kind. At least he knew one thing that was inevitable for both kinds: Death. Right then and there, he wished for his heart to stop beating. Rather, his heart was pumping hard against his ribcage.

The adrenaline rush made Riley bring up the courage to jump his father. He knocked his father right into the wall, rendering him unconscious and pulled the talisman right off his father's neck before he ran out of the room. Once outside the room, he threw the talisman to the floor and stepped on it. A screeching sound came from Riley's throat and reverberated through the halls of the mansion, preventing anybody from hearing the talisman crack.

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Draco walked into his cousin room, expecting Riley to be awake being it was the middle of the afternoon. Draco was bored at home because his father had already left for work that was why he decided to go come over. Much to his surprise, Riley was sleeping. Draco walked toward his cousin's bed to find Riley sallow and sleeping. He knew that his uncle Ranco used the talisman on Riley again but the reason why was beyond him. He was about to get out of the room and head back to his house when he heard a sound from behind him.

"Hi, Draco," said Ranco as he started to get up from his chair. Draco was very much startled by his uncle's greeting that he held his chest, feeling his heart pound into his ribcage.

"Uncle Ranco," he muttered as he hyperventilated. "I didn't see you there. You gave me a quite fright. I thought you left with father."

"What do you want from Riley, Draco?"

"I was just bored and I wanted someone to play with, Uncle. The girls weren't home so..." He stopped mid-sentence as he looked down on the floor, worried about his cousin. "Is he alright, Uncle? What happened?"

"He's fine. He just disobeyed me today."

"Oh," said Draco, understanding what his Uncle Ranco meant that instant. Disobey equals punishment of their father's choice, all depending on the degree of error. Those were the rules of the Death Eaters, or at least their fathers. Draco knew it well, but he knew Riley kept a deaf ear to these matters, even if he knew that the consequences could lead to someone being at Death's door. And by the look of Riley's condition, Death had already entered the door.

"Well, you can stay here and wait until he wakes up," said Ranco as he started to leave the room. The second Ranco was out the door, Riley spoke.

"Draco."

"Aye!" exclaimed Draco as he jumped away. He plopped down the bed and lightly punched his cousin on the arm. "Are you both trying to give me a heart attack? Sheesh. You know how I hate it when people sneak up like that."

"Sorry."

"I really thought he'd kill you, cousin."

Riley gave a smirk but Draco was not sure about what it meant.

"Why didn't he?" cried Riley. "He bloody well should have. He should've ended all my sufferings."

Draco didn't know what to say. 'Riley, wanting to die?' he asked himself. 'Not Riley. He can't die. He's not only my cousin. He's my best friend apart from the girls. What are the three of us to do without him.'

"Then how about me? I wouldn't have a cousin to talk to anymore. And the girls would miss you terribly."

"Then, you and the two of them would probably wish you were in the grave beside me then. The way they treat us like this, I am surprised no one has decided to jump off a window... Maybe Raine did have the right mind doing what she did."

Draco heard about Raine's temper tantrum a few days ago. He never really understood why Raine tried to jump off her window. He always thought that Raine was bratty and was being over-dramatic like she always does. He then realized that she just wanted a way out of their wretched abused lives. Just like how Riley was feeling at that very moment, Draco himself wanted a way out also.

Ever since he could remember, his father had a heavy hand. Every little mistake he made, from not picking up a piece of paper on his floor to answering back, Draco had to pay an ultimate price. Lucius and the other fathers deal with their own children the same way as the other. They either get a beating, a scolding, have their ears boxed to the point that they turn beat red, or deal with the pain from their talismans. He and the others never had any bruises or scars to prove anything happened since their fathers healed them right after infliction. Nevertheless, they all forgot to heal one thing: emotional scars. A voice inside his head was telling him that their fathers meant well and that it was their right as fathers to discipline them. But having these mixed emotion bothered Draco so he tried to change the subject.

"So, what did you do this time?" he asked concernedly. Riley just sighed before kicking the sheets away from his feet.

"I took the talisman from him and tried to break it by stepping on it."

Draco's expressions were far from indescribable. His face contorted into an odd combination of fear, disbelief and disgust.

"Are you mad?!?" he exclaimed as he shot up from his cousin's bed. "You are crazy for even thinking of it, let alone doing it!!!"

"You're just scared to do things like these."

"I am not scared," defended Draco. "It's just... suicide! That's like jumping off a chair when your a noose is tight around your neck... or like letting go of a rope that prevented a guillotine from chopping off your head... and maybe like lighting up a match on a wick of a cannon..."

"I got the idea," muttered Riley after he covered Draco's mouth. "But at least I know that just one crack of the talisman, I could be dead."

"Oh, you just found out now!" he shouted at his cousin's ear. "How many times did we have to deal with those talismans? You should by now the effects of it. The fathers even lectured us time and time again about it. What are you, deaf?"

"Deaf, not. Stubborn, yeah. And I thought they just were just joking."

"You know," Draco said so surely. "Death Eaters never lie."

"They lied about having chocolate chip cookies being served at the last Death Eater meeting."

Draco just rolled his eyes and scoffed. He walked towards the chair the Ranco previously sat on, took a seat and shook his head.

"I am trying to be serious here, Riley, and here you are joking around."

"I am just trying to put humor into our lives, Draco."

"You drive me insane sometimes you know."

"I know. That's why I do it more often. It's better than sulking and doing nothing." Riley suddenly fell into deep thoughts but reemerged with a quite contrary argument. "Those stupid talismans help our fathers control us, Draco. We're scared of what they do to us because of it. We follow them and do what they want us to do because we fear them and not because we love them. And that's wrong. We're supposed to love them and follow them because we want to make them happy, not because we want to make them happy enough that they won't use the talismans on us."

"Riley..."

"Listen. Those talismans are the only thing that our fathers can use on us. Soon, the two of us are going to be big enough to handle their blows. But they will still have the talismans. The girls can't protect themselves from their fathers. They are frailer than us. They got it twice worse than we do since they have to still deal with beatings and their talismans. That's why we have to make our fathers stop using those talismans. One of these days they are going to hurt us enough that it'll kill us. And I don't want that to happen. We can't wait until it's too late."

Draco nodded his head. He knew he couldn't win this argument even if he tried. What his cousin said was true. Everything in their lives was controlled; from the way they think to they present themselves to others. Everything had to be done by the book. Otherwise, they were going to have to deal with the consequences of punishment.

"I still can't believe they have talismans like that," garbled Draco. "They made it to punish us with. We're just kids. We're bound to be imperfect."

"Well, they surely love us, Draco," answered Riley sarcastically. "That's why. They love us to death that they bring us straight into it."

"Is that why you want to stop living? Just to put an end to it all."

"You got that right."

After a few moments of awkward silence, Draco turned around and saw his uncle Ranco appearing at the bedroom door with a crooked face and narrowed eyes.

"I see you're awake, son," he said irately to Riley.

Draco stood up from the chair, ready to head towards the door.

"I'll leave Uncle," he said. "I could if you want me to."

"Stay here," said Ranco coldly. "I want you to hear this."

"Yes, sir," answered Draco. He sat back down, his eyes fixed on his Uncle as he waited for him to either scream or hit Riley.

"That was a stupid thing to do, Riley," said Ranco as he got closer to his son. "Trying to destroy the talisman like that."

"Really?" answered Riley crossly. "I didn't notice."

"Enough of your disrespect. You learn to watch what you say, boy!"

"Maybe I'll wash my mouth with soap then."

By then, Draco winced silently, ready to close his eyes out of fear. Luckily, his uncle tried to remain cool.

"You have been hanging around Raine again haven't you?" asked Ranco. "Her feeble effort to annoy us fathers with her superlative and uncontrollable tongue is completely annoying."

Draco tried to hold in a laugh but his attempt to stay quiet just made him snort loudly. Ranco glanced at him as if ready to pounce that Draco hurriedly straightened up out of pure fear.

"Yeah, father," answered Riley. "I've been hanging around Raine. Am I not allowed to see her now?" His remark made Ranco narrow his eyes more than it was before.

"Why do you say this nonsense, Riley?" he asked. "And why did you suddenly have an urge to not only take the charm away from me but also try to break it?"

"Because I want to and I can."

Ranco started to take a stride across the room, his hands forming fists. He looked like he was about to exhaust steam out of his ears.

"Now tell me, Riley," said Ranco, not breaking his step. "Tell me what you think! Better yet, just tell me what you have to say! Out loud. Say it!"

"I want you and our Uncles to stop hurting us. Ask them to get rid of the talismans because we are all sick of it."

Ranco just smiled. Draco thought that he was about to agree but...

"Not possible," answered Ranco

"We hate you!!!" yelled Draco as he shot up his seat. "You're wicked!"

It was quite out of Draco's character to have sudden outbursts that even Riley popped open his mouth and turned red in surprise. Ranco on the other hand was not impressed. He grabbed the back of Draco's collar and let him suspend in midair.

"Boy, be happy your not my own!" yelled Ranco.

"Why should I be? Like any good that I am my father's son," muttered Draco.

Ranco dropped the Draco's collar, almost making the boy's knees to buckle before he touched his Dark Mark.

"Lucius, you need to talk to your son."

Draco knew right then and there that his father was going to give him a whipping. He ran beside Riley, quivering in fear. Seconds seemed like eternity when Lucius finally apparated into the room. Draco watched his father's cold grey eyes scan the room for his whereabouts. He knew that the fuse of his father's temper was just lit so he continued to hide behind Riley.

"Draco," shouted Lucius. "Get up from behind your cousin."

"Hi father," Draco said, smiling innocently. "I thought you were still..."

"Don't you 'Hi, father' me, Draco," interrupted Lucius before turning Ranco. "What did he do this time? Disobeyed you?"

Ranco glared Riley, an eyebrow raised, before turning to Draco.

"He talked behind your back. 'I hate you' he said to me. I said he should be happy he wasn't mine. And do you know what he said?" yelled Ranco.

"No!" shouted Draco. "I didn't..."

"Be quiet boy!" Lucius was already pointing a finger at Draco while the other hand was inches away from the charm.

"He said that it didn't do any good that you are his father," continued Ranco.

"You liar!" spat Draco, looking at his father nervously, "He... he... You're a filthy liar!!!"

Lucius grabbed Draco by the ear, making the boy wince and shed a tear.

"Shut up boy!"

"Leave him alone, Uncle Lucius!" Riley shouted Riley as he pulled Draco away from Lucius. "This is not right. You shouldn't be hurting us like this."

"Riley!" shouted Ranco. "Don't you ever speak to your uncle like that!"

But Riley was far from done.

"I'll speak to him whatever way I want to!"

"Get that boy of yours to shut up!" Draco heard Lucius whisper to Ranco's ear. "You're losing authority over him by second. Now, get him to obey you."

Ranco looked down at the talisman on his neck and said, "No more talking from you, Riley!"

"I will talk when I chose to!" screamed the boy back.

"Shut up!" Ranco grabbed the talisman which in turn made Riley kneel down on the foot of the bed.

"I am sorry father!" cried the boy. "Please! I'll do anything. Just stop!"

"Learn your lesson, Riley," ordered Ranco but he hasn't loosened his grip on the talisman.

"You learn your place, boys," instructed Lucius. "You better learn your place." A minute passed before Ranco finally let go of the talisman and they both headed for the door but Lucius turned back. "You and I will have a talk once we get home, Draco. You're lucky we have more important Death Eater matters to deal with right now right now" Lucius stared at Draco for a few minutes before he finally left.

Draco watched his father's shadow disappear while, in his head, thoughts swarmed and argued with each other. His subconscious seemed as if it had suddenly gained a voice and spoke to him saying that maybe their fathers weren't really the problem. It was them they, the children, that were the reason why the fathers hurt them.

Riley tapped Draco to get his attention then folded his arms.

"Those charms have got to go and you are going to help me."

Draco had noticed that Riley had turned white again. He didn't say anything about the change of color nor about what he thought of only a few moments ago and the voice he heard took over his own.

"No," he said in a droned voice. "You heard what my father said. 'We got to learn our place.' We're the ones at fault. We shouldn't have answered back. And you shouldn't have fought taken the talisman from your father."

"You sound just like them," mumbled Riley as if he just popped a vomit-flavored Every Flavor Bean in his mouth. "Only a minute ago you agreed with me. Now, you're back on their side."

"Your father was right! He had the right to hurt you. It was a punishment for your behavior."

"You know what?" answered Riley. "You're such a weakling. One second you want our fathers to stop using the charms and just because you saw them use it, you're agreeing with them. You can never stand up for yourself."

"I have nothing to say."

"Weakling!"

"Take it back, Riley." He then pushed his cousin lightly.

"You're only gutsy about taking me on because I am your age. I'd like to see you use your courage against our fathers."

Draco was left speechless. He didn't know why he said what he said but those words were certainly not his. He didn't know how long he was in deep thoughts but it was long enough that he hadn't notice Riley walk out the door. He ran for the door and saw Riley at the end of the hall. Out of curiosity, he followed Riley out into the halls that lead to the main staircase. As they walked down the stairs, Draco looked out the windows and sighed as he heard a thunderclap not far away. Rain poured slowly as they reached the main floor of the house.

Before Draco realized it, Riley had already led him by the door that led to the garden. As they reached the veranda, he stopped while Riley continued to walk out straight into the now pouring rain. Draco went back inside to grab an umbrella from a coat hanger at the end of the hall before following his cousin. About a hundred yards away was Riley, already sitting on the grass and leaning on a yew tree. When Draco reached the foot of the tree, all he could do was to raise an eyebrow in bewilderment.

"Don't you just love the rain?" asked Riley as he looked up at the cloudy sky. "It is your friend and it is your enemy. It quenches out thirst and waters the plants that we eat. And yet it is the same water that drowns us."

"I think you're still delirious, Riley," said Draco as he pulled Riley up by his arms. "Let's get you inside, get you dry and maybe a little of my mom's chicken soup will do you good."

Riley pulled his arms away from Draco's grasp. "Nothing will do me good anymore." And he suddenly changed the subject. "Did you know that this tree is a yew tree?"

"Uh, no."

Riley just scoffed. "The yew tree is also called the 'Tree of Death.' Did you know people from centuries ago was killed right on this very spot, right where the roots are?"

"Riley..."

"Those people were killed by a Muggle, you know. A girl was a pureblooded witch. Her stepfather was a Muggle and didn't know about the girl's mom was a half-blood until after the girl was and he killed the girl and her mom the second the mom told the dad about it. I'm beginning to wonder whether I am less than a pureblood."

"You're crazy!" was all that Draco could say. "You're a pureblood, just like me, you know that."

"Maybe father is just like the father in the story. My father wants to kill me. So maybe I am not pureblood."

"Where did you hear this nonsense?"

"The conclusion, I thought of. The tree story I heard from Raine."

Draco burst out laughing that he almost let go of his umbrella.

"Your conclusion is stupid. And you actually listened to Raine's stories?"

"Yeah. The story is true though. The father was a great-great-something of ours. Raine read it in a book about how all purebloods were connected to each other."

"Yeah sure."

A lightning flash lit the sky for a split second and this made Draco want to head indoors as fast as he could. He pulled Riley up as if to dislocate the other boy's arm

"Let's go in, Riley! I don't want to get caught being out here."

"Then leave me here."

"No! I don't want to see your father punishing you because of this. We're going inside!"

Riley stood up and, with full force, pushed Draco to the ground, grabbed the other boy's umbrella and let the wind blow it away, leaving Draco unsheltered from the rain and muddy from the rain-soaked grass and dirt.

"Fine!" screamed Draco before turning away. "I hope your father punishes you well for this!!!"

Draco walked right to the door, but stopped, realizing that would be leaving mud all over the floor if he were to step inside. The sound of lightning not to far from where he was standing made him jump up. He wondered if Riley had also gotten scared of the thunder and decided to head back into the house. He shivered from the cool breeze that just hit him as he turned towards the direction of the tree. It was already hard to see through the pouring rain but when he squinted, his vision became clear enough to see the tree through mist of rain, smoke and something flickering yellow-orange from behind it all. The second he saw Riley's feet from behind the burning tree, he ran into the house, not caring about ruining the marble floors, and screamed for his parents.