“What the hell do you think you’re doing? Put him down! Marcheti – Dyllan’s gone rogue! She’s in the dungeons with Omara. I think she’s trying to-“
“Imperio.”
“Cutler, what was that about Jack and Omara? You know how much I hate being bothered while I work… Jack. What are you doing?”
“Consider this my resignation with the Death Eaters. Bombarda."- - -
The American countryside really was beautiful.
Jack didn’t want to admit it, but the Arkansas countryside really was fresh and full of life, just like Melanie had said. Who would have thought? She had only decided on Arkansas because she had one contact left in America that wasn’t family, and Melanie Norbrook was practically family, if she was being honest. The squib woman (it had been a happy accident that Chip had found a squib to assist him) had handled Chip’s affairs before he disappeared, and it was natural she handed them once he disappeared. Even if he wasn’t actually dead, he was as good as dead to the legal system, and Melanie had strict orders to carry out his will. Melanie had practically retired off of what Chip had given her for her loyal services, leaving her a nice deposit for her bank account and one of his vacation homes in his will. Melanie had relocated to Fayetteville, Arkansas.
Melanie had liked Jack when they had met. Jack hadn’t wanted her uncle’s money. She had asked that money be set aside in case any of Chip’s other family came out of the woodwork (she had been prophetic with that), she had given funding to the Department for Control and Regulation of Magical Creatures, and had tried to spread the wealth as much as she could between those she thought needed it. Melanie had managed to persuade Jack to at least pay off a bill or two with the money, invest a little into the maintenance of Weasley’s, but Jack had been firmly set against profiting at all from her uncle’s disappearance.
The one thing she had done for herself was to give Melanie some money to remain as a business contact. Melanie had assured Jack that she didn’t need money to stay on as counsel, especially considering the money Chip had left her, but Jack had promised her that there would almost certainly be a time when Jack would ask much of the woman, and there would be almost too much asked of her – the money would supplement what Melanie’s shaken loyalty. The woman had agreed and they had not spoken – until now.
Jack would not have chosen Fayetteville, but Melanie had assured her that it would be a good place, a safe one, and that she would remain close to Nemo and Merlot. Jack had done her research, and unfortunately, it was perfect. She had found a nice little [url= http://img2-1.timeinc.net/toh/i/g/10/houses/01-best-places-2010/arkansas-10.jpg]house[/url] on the outskirts of town, situated right between the suburbs and the country. It was five minutes walking distance from a middle school for Merlot, and only ten minutes to the city. Melanie lived right in the neighborhood, so there would always be someone to check on the family. Jack hated it, because it was so damn perfect. There was no excuse not to go through with it.
Jack had put down the down payment for the home, using the money Melanie had saved from Chip’s accounts, and had paid off some of it, before putting it in Nemo’s name. The house was almost his, but there was still enough to be paid to require him to get a job, which was to keep him busy and to give him something to work for. She had lined up a few interviews for him two weeks from today, in various locations. Some were muggle jobs such as bartending, security, and minor management, but she had also looked into psychic positions and minor magical law enforcement – something that would keep him interested but wouldn’t overwhelm him either.
No, when it came down to it, Jack had her ducks lined up in a row. Nearly everything was set. Nemo had fallen asleep looking out the window, his eyes haunted and hollow. Sleep had only come when she had persuaded him to take a drink of wine to steady his nerves, instead giving him flavored Sleeping Potion. His slumber was punctuated with facial twitches and the tensing of limbs, but he otherwise looked to be in relative peace. Merlot, his daughter, was asleep on the bench underneath the window. And Jack was across from Nemo, feeling for the first time like a stranger in his life. She did not understand. She had saved him. Why did she feel as though he was still lost.
She knew the answer of course. He wasn’t coming back to her.
Merlot suddenly stirred in her sleep and her eyes slid open. Jack offered her a smile, but the twelve year old merely rubbed sleep from her eyes and murmured, “What time is it?”
Jack glanced down at her watch. “Four thirty. AM, of course.”
Merlot blinked a few times, staring blankly across the compartment, looking at neither adult. Jack briefly wondered what world she was letting this young girl be forced into, and wondered whether she should rethink the whole plan. Thoughts in vain. Thoughts because silence was too oppressive. Finally, Mell spoke.
“It’s Christmas.”
She was right. Jack had nearly forgotten the holiday in all of the struggle. After she had rescued Nemo, she had not had much time. She had returned home to quickly pack her friend’s things and inform Merlot about what would be happening. Melanie was preparing for their arrival – Jack had prepared her the moment the Dark Mark had been burned onto her skin – so all she had to do was pack up the family, and get them to America. She hadn’t rested since, every complication sending her into a flurry. They were on a train because apparating had taken too much out of Nemo. They were in a private compartment because he was having panic attacks. No, Jack had been much too distracted to realize it was Christmas.
“Merry Christmas, Mell.”
Mell frowned, slowly sitting up. She gazed across the compartment, once again refusing to look at Jack. Jack didn’t blame her. She really didn’t want to face herself either. “What are you going to do about my dad?” It took Jack a moment to realize Mell was addressing her – the girl still had not looked at her.
Jack had already tried. Mell knew. Nemo had been screaming when they brought him into the compartment, begging for the voices to leave him, for the demons to release him. Jack had panicked. She had erased the memories of d’Eath Manor, but it had not been enough; everything triggered the memories, but where there used to be memory, there had only been a void accompanied with all the pain and emotion from his time there. He had nearly passed out, so overwhelming was his own panic, so Jack had given him a sedative.
His hollow stare had been somehow worse than his panic. Jack had plenty of experience with Nemo’s hypomania to be more comfortable with his screams and thrashing than to be comfortable with silence. Silence was terrifying when it came from Nemo. He always had something to say, and had always been so full of life. But as his hollow eyes drifted over the landscape, Jack’s heart broke. She had wanted Nemo back, not a shell of him. The sleeping potion had been more for her own sake than anything.
And in the silence of the two sleeping Omaras, Jack had faced the only solution left.
She looked at Mell, and finally the girl’s eyes met hers. Jack would be giving Mell her father, handing him over to her. Months Jack had taken care of Nemo. Months of irresponsible trips to bars, months of visits to St Mungo’s. Months of booze, and drugs, and lies, and happy moments, and scary movies, and random fits of wrestling. Months of decorating a home together, of arguing about stupid stuff like who’s turn it was to go pick up take out. Months of banging on doors and begging, months of ‘please don’t kill yourself tonight.’ Months of ‘let me look in your eyes.’ Months of ‘what are you hiding in there?’ Months of ‘good night McDonald. Good night Poe.’ And then Mell came, and Jack gave Nemo away.
Jack sighed. “I’m going to take away his pain.”
- - -
Jack walked into Nemo’s new home, hand gripping Nemo’s hand tightly. Mell walked in front of them, holding her things tightly. Melanie led the way, talking brightly and pointing out the various attributes of the property. Mell regarded her uncertainly, but Melanie’s foul mouth was beginning to win her over it seemed. Melanie was definitely a strange pill to swallow – fifty, blonde, perky, high pitched voice, professional attire, and all the grace and manners of a sailor – but people tended to trust her instinctively.
Jack held Nemo’s trunk in one hand, but as soon as they came inside, she set it aside, and bid Mell to do the same. She banished the trunks to the rooms of their owners. “Shall we continue on with the tour?” Melanie asked brightly. Jack nodded and Melanie turned around, almost immediately stumbling on the rug. “Oh, cocks!” Mell couldn’t keep the giggle in. Jack smiled a little and squeezed Nemo’s hand. He stared forward, no more life in him than a ghost.
The tour ended around the time that dinner should be served. Jack tried to convince Nemo to join them downstairs, but he insisted he did not need food, that all he wanted was sleep. Jack sighed, and told him to wait for her. She took the other girls in the kitchen and began assisting in making a simple dinner of Macaroni and Cheese. As Mell stirred the pasta, Jack pulled Melanie aside to explain what would be happening. Melanie looked displeased but it accepted it.
“Mell,” Jack said. Mell turned and set down the stirring spoon, approaching. Jack stared at her for a second and then slowly pulled her into a hug. “I’m going to go. I don’t think I’ll be seeing you. But, please… if you ever need anything, please write me.”
“Oh… O-okay.”
Jack released Mell, and smiled. “Don’t forget to feed Weasel. He and Nemo get into fights and Nemo refuses to feed him.” Mell nodded.
Jack clasped hands with Melanie and then slowly took to the stairs, her heart pounding. Nemo’s door was open a crack and she pushed through. There he was, sitting on the edge of the bed, head in his hands. Jack watched him for a moment, heart tearing. She wanted to remember Nemo always as the happy companion, as the brought joy and freedom into her life of worry and destruction. But worry and destruction had infected him. She had let him become broken.
She sat next to him, and for a long time, neither of them spoke. She listened to his breaths, in and out, and they sounded like the only heaven she had ever known. How many nights had she pressed her ear to his door, desperate to hear the noises of breathing. How many times had she stood over his bloodied or convulsing body, just begging for his breaths. The sound of Nemo’s breathing would surely always be the most glorious noise this world had ever given her.
“Poe,” Jack said. He didn’t stir. He didn’t look at her. Not even a tremor. Jack’s eyes brushed over his face, and she swallowed. “Nemo.”
He breathed out. “There’s nothing to bring me happiness anymore, Jack.”
It was selfish to be hurt by that, Jack reminded herself.
He shook his head. “They broke me. I’ll never be free from what’s happened, from what won’t stop happening in my skull. I don’t think I can come back from this one. Everything comes back to it. That house, where I almost died so many times. My job, which was why they dragged me out. The Source, where premonitions of my own pain tortured me. All those pubs, where I said more that I needed to. And you, Jack-“ The breathed in together, perfectly in unison, shakey breaths and all. “I don’t think I’m coming back from this one.”
Jack shook her head. “You are. I’m going to get rid of all the reminders.” She pulled her wand out and lifted it to his temple. His eyes lifted to look at the thin piece of wood. She spoke, voice shaking and lips fumbling over each other. “You never left America. You just stayed, and Mell found you here, and you moved into a house, and you befriended your neighbor Melanie, and you became a working man and a doting father. You never left America. You never worked the Ministry. You never-“ A small sob broke out and she sucked it back in, Nemo’s droopy eyes looking at her lips and her hands and her temples and her hair, but he could not seem to look at her either. “You never met me. You never moved in, you never told me about your childhood, you never got kidnapped. You lived a happy life with your nice house, your easy job, your nosy neighbor, and your loving daughter.”
There was a long pause. This was absolutely the hardest thing Jack had ever had to do. Never before had she made a choice that would be so permanent. Nemo knew this would destroy her, he had to know. She had only ever wanted someone to stick around, and they had both thought it would be him. He would be the one to break the pattern and stay. But all the good intentions in the world did not stop reality from shattering them. She was going to break. But Nemo was too broken to stop that.
“Thank you,” he whispered. Jack reached out and took his hand and she squeezed it. It was faint, but he managed to squeeze it back. Finally, he lifted his head, and they stared right at each other. Jack’s hand shook, but the tip of her wand remained placed gently against his temple, ready. Another sob rose through her body, squeezing her diaphragm, rattling her ribs, clenching her heart, shaking her lips. She swallowed it down the best she could as a tear rolled down her face. “I love you, Nemo.”
He reached up and cupped her head, a thumb running across the scars on her skull. She loved him, more than she had ever let herself love anyone. But this was not a Nemo capable of returning anything. He had nothing to give. He looked long and hard at her before he spoke.
“I know.”
Jack closed her eyes, squeezed his hand, readjusted the grip on her wand. Listened to heaven breathe in, wait for him to breathe out.
Obliviate. 
by 
