The nightmare
“And you really thought that dropping a bucket full of paint over him would make him stop being mean with the other children?” She looked at him pointily.
After his mother had received a call from the principal office and picked him up, she brought him to their “Reason room” to have a discussion. They called their dining room that because each time one of them needed to be brought back to reason, they would sit down and talk there. The last time they had one of their “discussions” it was because his dad ate all the Christmas chocolates.
“James you can’t do this sort of things, especially at school.”
“I know mother.” He looked down, knowing that his mother was right, but still not regretting what he did.
“Why do I feel like detention at school and at home won’t make you stop, and you will probably do this again?” she sighed.
James looked up at her and smiled, giving her one of those smiles, that he knew, immediately melted her heart.
She got up and came closer to the chair he was sitting on. “James, I know that you feel like you must protect people and go against the bad guys, but the world doesn’t always work like that.” She grabbed his hand. “Sometimes the best thing we can do is stand back.”
“But mother, I can’t just let them think they can say and do whatever they want. They bring people down, make them feel horrible. I just won’t mamma.”
“James, dear. I am not telling you to do anything.” Gently, she grabbed his chin and moved his face, so he was again looking at her in the eyes. “All I am saying is that people can learn their place in many other ways that won’t put you in trouble. We just have to be creative and plan our pranks better.” She winked at him.
“So…if there was a next time…you are saying… I can still prank Snivellous but not in front of the others, like that?”
“Oh, I am not saying that. What type of mother I would be.” She winked again, and then again and again. “Oh, my I must have something in my eye.” They both laughed and hugged each other.
“I love you mama.”
As she was about to answer her son, the door flew open, and his dad walked in. Fleamont had the brightest smile of them all, he had the type of energy that made you feel happy and protected by just being around him. However, in that moment, something wasn’t right. He didn’t had his usual smile, instead he had a worried expression on his face.
“Euphemia.” He said reaching his wife and son.
They shared a look that James didn’t understood, it was almost as if they were sharing a conversation with only their eyes.
“No.” she took a step back as her eyes started to fill with tears. “You said that we were save. You said that everything was resolved.”
“I thought so, dear I…” he took a step forward and held his wife in his arms. “I am so sorry.”
And that was when his father, Fleamont Potter, the happiest and funniest man alive, started to cry. That was a sight he never thought he would ever see.
“I can’t do it. Please, don’t make me do it.”
“I don’t want to, dear, but we have no other choice.”
“Mamma, Pappa. What is wrong?” Little James of only 11 years old asked starting to panic.
“We don’t have much time.” His father pulled back and crouched down, so he was at his son sight level. “Mamma and pappa have to go visit some business partners. Meanwhile you will be with your uncle and aunt.” He kissed his forehead. “Everything will be alright son.”
James had always believed every word his father told him, but at that moment he knew he was lying. Still James did as he was told. He did his bags and prepared himself to go to his uncle’s house.
What followed felt like a blur. Like he was having a nightmare and he would wake and go to his parent’s room to hug them as the three of them fell asleep.
He did hug them, but the nightmare didn’t came to an end yet. James waited many years to the nightmare to end so he could go to his parent’s bed to sleep in their warmth, but it never did.