The Truth

[Blake Zepline]

"Lily, it's about Josh," Blake said as soon as they made it to the Lakefront. "I'm not sure if it's true, but I... I think he's a Death Eater." It wasn't exactly how Blake wanted to tell Lily, as it did seem like an insane accusation, but he figured that her slip was enough to say that she knew something he didn't.

 

[Lily Drage]

Lily stopped in her tracks. She had not been expecting that out of Blake, but was sort of happy that it came out like that. She had been wondering how she was going to tell him for a month or so now and here he was thinking the same thing. "Um, I have been trying to figure out how to tell you this since Christmas. One day when I went back into the apartment for some soda and he walked out from the bathroom with no shirt on and, well, I kinda saw the Dark Mark on his inner arm. I did a little research with Estrella, and well, we found a story that he was busted out from prison in a big massacre a few years ago. He is still wanted by the Ministry from what I could tell."

She looked at Blake, placing her hand on his cheek. "I am so sorry to have you find this out like this. I don't know if it is 100% true. I have been battling for weeks now to figure out just how to tell you what I found out."

 

[Blake Zepline]

As Blake's mind processed what Lily was telling him, he felt a part of himself crumple. He'd prepared himself to accept that Josh was connected to the Death Eaters, but from what he'd gathered of his father led him to hope that perhaps this was something that had existed in his past, a long time ago. The secrecy of his whereabouts, and the way he blended in with muggles extremely well for a wizard of pureblood all seemed to point to this. Yet clearly, it was not a part of his past at all.
Blake was speechless, confused, hurt, and angry, with a number of other emotions coursing through him. And a particular one he wanted to deny most of all. I don't love him... I'm just concerned, Blake repeated, trying to reassure himself. How could Josh have kept this from him? He had ignorantly been willing to accept that Josh might simply be hiding this because he was ashamed, and never contemplated that there could be another reason why he had been left in the dark. He doesn't trust me.

Lily's hand felt like ice on his burning cheek. When tears threatened to boil over, Blake quickly turned away from her. He didn't want her to see him cry, it was stupid. To think that he mattered that much to Josh that he would have shared this with him, and to have allowed himself to believe that there was at least one living person he could trust as a parent.
"Thanks Lily," Blake said in a rush. "I'm sorry, but I should go-" His voice broke, betraying him, and it was not long before he felt cold tears stream down his face.

 

[Lily Drage]

Lily could see that this was hard for Blake to take. He had been so betrayed by his mother, and now his true father, that it was understandable that he would shut down. As his eyes started to sparkle with the tears of betrayal he turned from her and quickly tried to excuse himself. Standing there, she watched as he tried to escape before his emotions got the better of him.

"No. You are not going to go through this alone," she said as she quickly closed the distance between them and wrapped her arms around him from behind. "I didn't want to believe it myself, and I have been trying to figure out how to tell you for so long." She pressed her right cheek against his shoulder blade, not quite tall enough to reach the top of his shoulder. "Is it possible that he never said anything about this to you because he was trying to protect you from his choice?" She wished he would turn around, or react in any way other than trying to run away from her. She added in a whisper, "Blake. Talk to me. Please."

 

[Blake Zepline]

As Lily's arms closed around him, his body tensed instinctively. But as she spoke, her words began to work like magic, soothing and comforting him little by little. He did not want to be alone, and especially not now. Only, he was confused and feeling different emotions all at once, and therefore he could not suppress the anger he felt at the suggestion of Josh trying to protect him.
"Protection?" he repeated a little too forcefully. "What is it with that? My mother took me away for my own protection! I've had enough of people trying to decide what they think is best... I hate it!"

 

[Lily Drage]

"I know. Adults think they are protecting us but they have no idea that we can do a better job of it than they can." Lily spoke softly, hoping to help Blake continue to calm down. "You are on your own now. Are you going to his house again for summer? You might be able to confront him about this whole thing."

 

[Blake Zepline]

Blake felt guilty for having spoken so harshly, even if it was not toward Lily at all. When he finally found control of his anger, he turned back to face Lily. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to blow off at you..." he said in a small voice. "And I don't really have any other choice about where to go for summer.
"You are right. I should confront him then."

 

[Lily Drage]

Lily looked at Blake with concerned eyes. She knew that he had to work things out on his own with Josh, and having to spend the whole summer with him, alone, would hopefully help that to happen. "Maybe you can come meet up with me over the summer. Estrella invited me to her Grandfather's castle. He might let you come there or maybe I will be able to come visit with you or a bit." She did not really think things through too well when she said she would go to Norway for the summer.

 

[Blake Zepline]

"I guess it would help if it were just Josh and I when I confront him. I would hate it if you got involved." Blake wanted to spend summer with Lily, but she'd already been invited elsewhere by a friend. He did not want her to change her plans just for him, it would selfish. "No no, don't worry about me. I'll be fine. I don't think I should come to Estrella's grandfather's place, and you shouldn't leave her. You're her guest."