Status: Active

Pure

Declarations

"Vere hafe you been?" came Father's instant query when I entered the tent. He was in the kitchen with everyone else, having brunch. I smiled, shrugging delicately.

"Walking around," I replied vaguely, taking a seat at the table. Nina, I noticed, was watching me with a small smirk on her face and I grinned back at her, knowing that she'd question me the second she got me alone. I helped myself to some sauerkraut and pork chops.

"Find anyzing interesting?" Elfriede asked, though she didn't seem interested in hearing my answer for she continued: "It's horrible zat zey are letting halv bloods and mudbloods attend."

"I agree," Sven said firmly, nodding. "Zis should be vor pure-bloods only not vor filth." I bit the inside of my cheek, hard, to keep from saying anything. I realized that Kristof had set his silverware down abruptly, his eyes dark.

"Vell, I do not," he said coldly and suddenly the room went silent. Sven, Father, and Augustus were staring at their brother in shock, but his face did not waver. My eyes darted around the table, watching their faces as the tension built until it was a palpable thing.

Benjamin and Theodor held their heads high, defiant and loyal, while the adults, except for Alheid, looked at their plates, deeply ashamed, who was watching the scene with an unfathomable expression on her face. The children were bewildered, the situation beyond their comprehension. I do not know what possessed me, but I spoke up.

"Nor I," I declared, looking directly at Kristof. He gave me a smile and a nod, which I returned.

"Saden, hush your mouth," Father barked, not taking his eyes off of his brother. Mother looked around nervously; I knew how much she hated confrontations.

"So you hafe become a blood-traitor, hafe you?" Augustus asked softly, his voice much more alarming than if he had shouted. Kristof raised his chin, but didn't answer. "Vell, vat a-"

"Augustus," Elfriede snapped, looking around pointedly at the youngest at the table.

Alheid softly suggested, "Children, why don't you go upstairs for a spell?" Ingrid, Fritz, Niklas, and Matthias rose and trudged up the stairs, but Benjamin, Theodor, Nina and I remained. Theodor shook his head, glaring at his uncles.

"I am staying," he retorted, crossing his arms across his chest.

"That was not a suggestion. Go now," she said curtly.

"I am of age, Mother. I revuse," he replied, his voice hard. Alheid pursed her lips, but said nothing more. The adults soon realized the only under age one who had stayed was me, and Father pointed a finger at me. Gritting my teeth together, I pushed back my chair as loud as I could, stomping every single step of the way to show what I thought of being sent upstairs like a little child. As soon as I reached the second floor, I heard Ramya utter a silencing charm.

"Verdammt," I swore, going into the room I shared with Ingrid and Nina. Ingrid was sitting on a bed, her eyes wide and frightened as she watched me.

"Vere is Nina?" she asked, and I sighed, running my hands threw my hair.

"Downstairs," I grumbled frustratedly and I heard her whimper, making me instantly regret my harsh answer.

"Vat iz going on?" she whispered, her voice trembling. My heart swelled and I sat on the bed next to her, wrapping my arm around her shoulder. She tucked her head into my chest and I gently stroked her hair.

"A disussion, liebling, that iz all," I soothed, feeling sorry for her. Ingrid was such a gentle spirit; I had come to know this about her in little less than a day because she'd clung to Nina like a shadow in the forest this morning, and when Benjamin had spoke of the Dark Arts taught at Durmstrang yesterday, Nina had sharply told him to stop because Ingrid had started to cry.

"Do you promise?" she asked, looking up at me with tears clinging to her long, dark lashes. I summoned a smile and nodded. She settled back against me, comforted.

After a few more minutes, I gently suggested, "Why don't we get some sleep? I'm sure Nina will come wake us when they are done." She nodded, and got into the bed, curling up instantly. I sighed softly and went to the bed I had claimed earlier, quickly crawling under the blankets. The lack of sleep from the night before quickly caught up with me and I fell asleep.

__

"Girls, the Quidditch World Cup is about to start!"

I sat straight up in bed, my hair wild and fussed about my face. Alheid stood in the doorway, a smile glittering across her face. Ingrid yawned, stretching her arms high above her head.

"Vere iz Nina?" she asked, and Nina appeared behind Alheid, smiling as well. Ingrid threw off the blankets and ran to her. Nina smiled tenderly at her little sister and wrapped her in her arms, kissing the top of her head before leading her away. I smiled softly at the bond between them, shaking my head. Alheid sat at the edge of the bed, watching me carefully.

"So, you don't believe in the pure-blood supremacy either, do ye?" she said quietly, her normally care-free expression gone replaced with a solemn thoughtfulness.

"No, I don't," I replied, feeling my stomach lurch at the thought of the scene earlier. I looked at her, tilting my head. "I'm surprised they didn't disown him and your family on the spot."

A wry smirk curled her mouth and she sighed, looking away. "If they weren't convinced he wouldn't openly announce that in public, we would be," she said with a small scoff. "As long as the von Deitrich name is free from shame, they're fine, which is why, I'm assuming, you've been able to get away with it."

My lips twisted into a scowl as the wisdom of her words sunk in. It wasn't because they honored my personal beliefs, or even believed it deep down: it was merely a seam in the fabric that I'd never been able to voice my opinion, so they'd never had to punish me for believing what I did. I swallowed hard, feeling my eyes burn. I hung my head as my cheeks became slick with tears, embarrassed, but I felt her arms close around me and I threw myself into them, beginning to sob.

"Sshhh, love, sshhh," she crooned, rubbing my back softly. Distantly I recognized the fact that my own mother had never held me like this, but an aunt I barely knew was doing for me what I had always wished for whenever I had been upset. She also shared my same ideals and didn't think herself superior because of her blood-line. I straightened up and she gently wiped away my tears.

Giving her a watery smile, I croaked, "Iv zey dizown me, vill you take me in?"

Alheid laughed softly, smiling before saying, "I don't think they ever will, Saden. They love you very much. Too much to part with you."

"Efen iv I told zee vorld I loved muggle-borns?" I asked half heartedly, knowing the real answer, and she then pulled me back in her arms, hugging me tightly.

"If anything should ever happen, you can come to me, no matter what," she vowed, and I nodded against her shoulder, feeling my throat grow tight with tears once more. She gently pushed me back and held me at arms length, exclaiming, "Well, we'd better be going! The World Cup is about to start! You wouldn't miss this for the world!"

I laughed shakily, nodding, before exhaling deeply and standing up. I made my way to the bathroom to look in the mirror, knowing my face would be red and eyes puffy. To my surprise, it wasn't nearly as bad as I thought it would be; just a little red tint and my eye makeup was faded. I quickly summoned my bag and reaaplied it, feeling better.
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Poor Saden. That must be such a hard thing to deal with. :/
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