Dear James

Professor James Cade

'Daddy Cade' | Father of 9 | Always | DADA 5-7
 
Messages
3,412
OOC First Name
Dan
Blood Status
Half Blood
Relationship Status
Married
Sexual Orientation
Bisexual (Geo)
Wand
Knotted 11 1/2 Inch Sturdy Elm Wand with Essence of Belladonna Core
Age
12/2027
James stared at the sealed envelope that sat on the table in front of him. He easily recognised the handwriting as that of his brother Ezra which was strange. After some exchanges the previous year Ezra had made it clear he wouldn't be writing to him now that he had graduated Durmsrang and was a 'proper' adult. Yet here he was staring at a letter from his brother that had been delivered with the morning mail. James couldn't help but wonder what news from home would warrant a backtrack on his brother's no-contact policy. after finishing his breakfast, James pushed his bowl to one side and opened the letter. Nothing could have prepared him for what was inside.
Letter said:
James,

This shouldn't be coming from me but mom is in a weird place and isn't really up to doing it. There was an incident, I'll be honest I don't know all the details but the thing you need to know is...dad died. He was traveling with his team and I think he got into a fight with some locals, it got out of hand and someone took things too far. I know things were strained with you and him lately so I'm not sure how you will take this but I know he and Jess were still close, she will take this news the hardest. I know I haven't been the best brother to either of you but I hope you will look after her. We both know Jess comes across a certain way but she is more delicate than she lets on. Look after her okay and look after yourself. I'll send word about the funeral when I know more.

I'm sorry.
Ezra.

James resisted the temptation to screw up the letter and instead placed it back on the table. His dad was dead, how was he supposed to process that. James had barely spoken to the man since his parents split up but all the same, it was his dad. Everything had been going so well for James recently it was almost as if he deserved something to blindside him. Ezra was a jerk but he was right about one thing. Jess would be the one to take it hard and to make things worse he had to be the one to break the news. Even after everything their father had done Jess still idolised the man, partly due to her being shielded from the details of his transgressions. The news could destroy her.
 
It wasn't often that Jess found her brother sitting alone in the Great hall and took the rare opportunity to go over and sit with him. Jess snuck up behind him and threw her arms around his neck and rested her chin on his shoulder. "Whatcha got there? Oooh that's Ezra's handwriting," She beamed happily snatching the letter from her brother's grip and sliding into the seat next to him. James seemed frozen which was strange for her brother as he was always so full of life. Jess happily read the words of her eldest brothers letter but as she made her way through the scribble her face began to fall, her lip began to quiver and her life began to crumble around her. "Is this a prank?" Jess asked her brother struggling to keep her emotions in check as she reread the words. She knew Ezra was cruel and while she didn't want to think her brother would be capable of writing such a letter in jest it was the only scenario that wouldn't break her. "James! Tell me this is some kind of sick joke!" Jess screamed jumping to her feet.
 
James considered himself to be pretty cold when it came to his emotions and rarely showed them. There were, of course, some exceptions, most notably anything to do with Maddie and of course his sister Jess. He didn't want to think about how Jess would react to reading the letter but as soon as he felt her arms around his neck his stomach hit the floor. James didn't struggle as Jess snatched the letter from his hands and he waited for the impact of words to hit her. He knew his sister well so he wasn't surprised when her initial reaction was denial and he wanted nothing more in that moment than to tell her Ezra was being Ezra and playing a sick joke on his siblings, but he knew it wasn't the case. The tone of the letter was clear, Ezra was telling the truth. Their father was dead.

When Jess got to her feet and began to yell James quietly stood and pulled his sister into his arms. He knew there was nothing he could say in that moment to soften the blow and he knew that her pleading for it all to be a joke didn't need a response. She was just trying to get her head around the heartbreaking news.
 
Jess wanted James to say something, anything to assure her that their father was okay. When he didn't say a word and instead just hugged her, all hope the letter wasn't true melted away. Jess didn't know what else to do so she buried her face in James's chest and let the tears flow. Her sobs were loud and no doubt a lot of eyes were on her but she didn't care. Her father was dead, nothing mattered anymore. "James I can't be here," She whispered. Jess just wanted to hide and cry for the rest of her life. Nothing would ever feel right again.
 

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