Purity of the Turf (You Let Her Go)
"What's wrong?"
"I—nothing. I'm fine. Everything's fine."
"You had that look again."
"Look? Again? I didn't have a look. I was concentrating on something."
"Abraxas, I have known you since we were infants crawling through the grass on your father's estate. I know all your looks, and you weren't just thinking."
"Nothing's wrong."
"You'd feel better if you would just talk about it."
"Right. Like that time you made me take the fall for Bones' accident."
"That was different. We were being stupid children."
"I didn't feel any better after expressing my anger to you. I recall we got into a duel that ended with both of us going to St. Mungo’s."
"So you don't want to talk about it."
"Talk about what?"
"What the problem is!"
"There isn't any problem. Will you put it to rest?"
"I'm here for you, Abraxas. I'm your best friend."
"..."
"How's work?"
"I don't want to talk about it."
"About work?"
"No. Work is fine. My boss isn't that hard to please and persuade. I think I am up for yet another promotion, though I wonder if there are any more steps on this business ladder."
–You don’t sound that enthusiastic about it.â€
–I am ecstatic, and Father is quite pleased.â€
–So something else is on your mind.â€
"..."
"Well?"
"You won't like it."
"All you have to do is talk. Don't worry about whether I will like it or not."
"I don't want another duel."
"I promise I won't get mad. I promise to not raise my wand against you."
"Oh? Just your wand?"
"Or my fists. I'll make the Unbreakable Vow if it will get you to talk."
"You can be so dramatic."
"Hey, I am just trying to figure out why you look troubled."
"Fine. But you won't like it."
"Okay, I won't like it."
–You’ll hate it.â€
–You’re stalling.â€
"It's--it's--it's a girl."
"Oh. Is it Black? I have seen her eye on you a couple times—"
"No! It's someone else. You don't know her."
"Is she a witch?"
"Always the first question. Couldn't you ever ask if she were pretty or smart?"
"I will take that as a 'no.' You're right. I don't like it."
"She is a witch."
"Defending her now? What did her family do?"
"Can we stop talking about her background? It doesn't matter."
"Doesn't matter? Are you joking? Please tell me you are just joking."
–…â€
–Abraxas? Don’t make me—â€
"I'm joking."
"Good! Now, is she related to anyone I know?"
"No."
"Oh."
"She's...a half-blood."
"That's not too terrible, I suppose. Imagine if she were a Mudblood."
"..."
"What's wrong, Abraxas?"
"Oh, just trying to imagine, I guess..."
"You going to court her?"
"Well, I already did."
"WHAT? And you didn't tell me? Why didn't you tell me?"
"I don't know. I forgot to."
"You forgot to? Abraxas, what's going on?"
"..."
"Don't tell me. She is a Mudblood."
"..."
"Abraxas! Why? What is the matter with you? Did she hoodwink you?"
"No! She didn't hoodwink me! I—I—liked her."
"You liked her? Please tell me that this is a dream."
"I don't see what the problem is. She's a witch, same as my mother. She's smart, pretty, vivacious, good-natured..."
–’Nothing is a surer sign of weak magic than a weakness for non-magical company.’â€
–Don’t quote that brute. He didn’t know what he was talking about. And I told you: she’s a witch.â€
"She was born of Muggle filth! How could she ever be as great as us?"
"Don't you dare say that. She's worth ten times any pureblood."
"If she's so special, why aren't you with her right now?"
"I—I think you should leave."
"Didn't you say that you did court her? What happened? Did you finally come to your senses and let the filth go?"
"I think you should leave."
"No? Is that a no? You didn't let her go?"
"Now. You should leave right now."
"I can't leave now, when I am finally getting to the source of the problem. Is this why you've been so distant lately? Because of some ignorant little Mudblood?"
"You wouldn't understand."
"That's right! I can't even begin to understand why you would set your sights on some Muggle trash, unless...unless somehow you were gaining something? Secrets? Money?"
"Stop calling her trash! And no, I wasn't thinking about money. Life isn't always about money."
"Oh, it isn't? Perhaps I should ask your father to join the conversation."
"Don't you dare!"
"What? Scared that he will find out about this broad of yours? I suspect he won't be thrilled with your escapades."
"I can sense a duel coming on."
"A duel? Don't tempt me. I promised I wouldn't. I don't break promises, even to traitors like you."
"..."
"Is she worth it, Abraxas? Is she worth sacrificing what your family stands for?"
–What my family stands for?â€
–Don’t act incredulous. You know what I mean. Is she worth it?â€
"I don't know."
"Ah, I see that look again. What happened?"
"I really wish you would leave."
"Something happened."
"..."
"Shall I guess then? She pregnant? No? Did you have a fight? Did she leave?"
"Stop it."
"She left, then. She actually left."
"I said stop it."
"I presume she saw the error of her ways. She knew she wasn't good enough for you."
"Shut up."
"I should think you would be happy. At least now you won't be disowned...perhaps."
"Shut up!"
"What's the problem?"
"What's the problem? What's the problem? She left! She left me, okay! She left me for that dumb Muggle boy on the corner street! She—she—"
"And you let her go."
"I—what?"
"You let her go."
"No! She left!"
"And you let her!"
"What are you saying? I should have tried harder to keep her?"
"No. Don't make me laugh. I'm saying you let her go. You knew it was the right thing to do."
"How is it that you twist everything I say or do? That first, I was courting her for gain, and now, I allowed her to leave because I knew she wasn't any good for my precious family tree."
"Are you saying you still want her?"
"You need to leave."
"Abraxas! How could you be so blind? Can't you see? She played you! She wormed her way into your affection somehow, and then she left you for her own kind."
"That’s—that's not true. She's a witch! She's not a Muggle!"
"She belongs with them if she is going to choose him over you."
"No, she doesn't. She belongs with me!"
"That Mudblood? Why?"
"Stop saying that word."
"What? What word?"
"I'm not going to fall for that. I am not going to say it."
"You can say Muggle just fine."
"That's different."
"Sure. Because we don't associate with them."
"You disgust me."
"I think you're mad at yourself and that girl, not me."
"What? That's preposterous."
"Really? You said she belonged to you. And now she left you for a rotten Muggle. You're mad about something."
"I just—I thought—she said she loved me."
"It can be hard to lose a follower."
"You really don't understand."
"Oh? I sometimes miss that one nerdy kid at Hogwarts who followed me around, doing whatever I asked of him."
"She wasn't my slave."
"A friend, then, though the thought makes me gag?"
"You don't seem to have listened to what I have been saying. I loved her! She was the other half of my soul. I would have done anything for her!"
"You were her slave?"
"I'm done talking to you."
"I was joking, Abraxas."
"It didn't sound like it."
"She must be one powerful little Mudblood to have hoodwinked you this bad."
"The one inconsistency in all this blood purity. First, they're just like Muggles. Then, they have somehow stolen magic. And then, they are manipulative beings with more power than a pureblood."
"I'd say you're the one who doesn't understand."
"What? What don't I understand?"
"That cruel vixen left you for a Muggle! She played your heart and then crushed it. And then, she chooses filth over purity."
"She's not like that."
"You need to wake up and smell the roses. You're better off without her."
"It's hard to believe that."
"Look, I'm your friend. And I am telling you that this is a far better outcome for you and her. You say you love her? Just think what would have happened if she had stayed."
"..."
"Well?"
"I guess—I guess you're right. They would have hunted her."
–And you knew that. That’s why you let her go.â€
–…â€
–Abraxas, you let her go.â€
–I—I can’t—â€
–You let her go. Say it Abraxas. You’ll feel better.â€
–…â€
–…â€
–I… I let her go.â€
–Are you sure? That was rather weak.â€
–I let her go.â€
–I still don’t believe you.â€
–I LET HER GO! I let her go! Do you believe me now? I let her go… I—I let her …â€
–It’s okay, Abraxas. It’s over. You let her go. That past can be erased. Nobody needs to know about your moment of weakness.â€
–You won’t tell my father?â€
–I promise. I’ll make the Unbreakable Vow.â€
–You can be so dramatic.â€
–I thought that’s why we are friends.â€
–You’re okay? You’re okay with…this.â€
–You let her go. The important thing is that you got it out of your system. Now you can focus on what matters.â€
–Okay.â€
–Hey, cheer up. There are other finer ladies. I told you that Black had her eye on you.â€
–Okay.â€
–Good. I’ll see you later?â€
–Sure.â€
–Good bye.â€
–…â€
–Abraxas?â€
–Good bye…â€
The Purity of the Turf by Nagini Riddle
Story Notes:
I must, one day, somehow owl my wonderful beta, Vicki/Oregonian, a beautiful plant (she likes to garden...).
Chapter Notes: "Nothing is a surer sign of weak magic than a weakness for non-magical company," is a quote from Brutus Malfoy, one of Abraxas' ancestors.
Chapter Endnotes: Your thoughts are much appreciated. :)