family keeps you warm

They'd woken up in the middle of the night, from a nightmare. They frowned, trying to think-- no, they were ten-and-three-quarters, it would be baby-ish to go to their parents. If Atha or Mils was there, they wouldn't feel so young, going to them. Atha would make them laugh until they woke up Mils in their shared room, and if Mils was there, they'd go over to  her bed, and make Mils tell her some history until she fell asleep. But they weren't there, and--


A hissed curseword caught their attention. On silent feet, Carina padded down to the living room, to find their father at the door, with a suitcase packed.


"Dad?" Their voice was high, scared. "I don't understand."


Their father swung to face them, open face looking tired. "I'm leaving, Carin."


"I'm Carina right now. Why are you going?" They knew Mum and Dad had been stressed earlier, but they didn't think that Dad would leave. Not like this, not in the middle of the night.


"Well--" he blinked, set down his bag. "Do you remember when I told you how your mother and I-- no, there's been an incident at Hogwarts."


They felt a heavy weight drop into their stomach. "Again? Are they okay? Atha and Mils, are they safe?" They remembered hearing the last one-- or was that the one before it? "Why are they there? Why did you still let them go?"


"Your siblings chose to go." Dad knelt, taking their face between his hands. "They wanted to, remember? Their father--" 


"He's in the Ministry," they responded. "So you think they'll be safe, but they should keep their heads down." That had been what Dad had said. Mum's statement had involved more swearwords, and a different talk to each twin. "They're good, because their father hates people like you. And Mum."


"Mostly, yes. But so your siblings are trapped in the school, and the Ministry's done a thing where every magical person born to non-Magical parents-- we have to register again."


"Are you doing that?" They frowned. Dad hadn't done it the last time, they remember. He and Grandmother and Grandfather had been somewhere else.


Something changed in his face. "I'm doing that," he said gently. "So, Carina-- you've got to take my place, all right? You'll tell your mother that I'm being safe. And you'll tell your grandma that she's not to use me for potioning practice later."


They sniffled, trying not to cry. They were ten and three-quarters, they weren't a baby. 


"Hey. Hey." His fingers brushed at their eyes. "There's no reason to cry. I'll be perfectly safe. And when all this blows over, I'll come back to you."


"Will I see you until then?" They wanted him near, around, now. 


"No, you won't." His voice sounded sad. "And you won't see your grandparents."


"Where are you going?" He had to tell them, surely.


"I promise," he said. "I love you very, very much." He kissed their forehead, picked up his bags, and walked out the door.