THE FAMILY


1) Were you raised by both of your parents? If yes, who were you closest to and why? How did you interact with each? If no, who raised you and how has this affected who you are today?

You're nosy, aren't you? But since you insist on knowing and you've dosed me with Veritaserum, illegally, I'll tell you. Merlin, no, the very idea is laughable. I wasn't. Shall I start with my father, since I hate him marginally less? You know, Father is a very strange word to use in my situation, because he's certainly not my father in any way but blood. I hate him- no, that's not quite true. I despise what he's done, what he hasn't done that he should have...Jack was never around. The rare times we ever had contact, he was either yelling at me or beating me to a pulp, usually both. And I know it's complete pathetic but I wish that I had been the kind of son he'd preferred, so he might be proud of me on occasion? You know, it'd be nice to feel like I wasn't worthless once in a while? But yeah. Getting off track...how has this affected me? Well I certainly don't trust, every time someone draws too close I assume they're going to hit me, I have issues with mentions of family...

And now onto my mother. It would make more sense to hate Jack more than I hate Evie- but at least Jack was constant. I could expect nothing but contempt from him...but from Evie...it seemed to swing from almost affectionate to complete disregard of my existence. And I hate her because she was tender and caring and the perfect Healer, but couldn't even spare a drop of love for her own damned flesh and blood. What a hypocrite.

2) What do your parents do for a living? Do they expect you to follow the same path? Is this what you want to do? What would you rather do? Do they support your choices?

Jack was a Marine. Do you even know what that is? He was in the Navy. That's right, Jack Dawson's a Muggle. Bet you didn't see that one coming, ay? And his only goal for me in life is for me to become a Marine- but I couldn't ever. I'm just not into that kind of thing.

And Evie, well she's a Healer. I don't really care what she does. I don't know much more about it, because it hurts too much to consider her occupation in conjuction with her complete and utter failing as a mother.

And I think it would be a frigid day in Hell if either of them ever supported my choices. If they ever took the time to listen to what my choices actually are. Can't wait until I move out.

3) Parental support and approval is an important key to self-esteem, or lack thereof. How much support and approval do you receive? It is of a good nature (ie - supporting you to make the right choices even if it's not popular) or of a dodgy nature (ie - encouraging you to do what must be done to keep yourself on top)? How has this affected you?

I thought we'd already established I got no support whatsoever from my bastards of parents? Do you get some kind of sadistic pleasure in making me repeat myself? Is that it? Because you're sick, okay? I'll repeat it once more for the record: THEY DO NOT SUPPORT ME. Firstly because they do not care, secondly because they're unworthy of the label parents, and thirdly because the only choice I could ever make that they would support would be to throw myself off an extremely high cliff. Perhaps the precipice of Mt. Everest might do it.

It's always nice to get these things off your chest.

4) No matter how wonderful ones parents are, teenagers and parents fight. Even adult children fight with their folks. What sort of things do you and your parents fight about all the time? Do you fight often, or rarely?

Hmmm, you could say we fight rarely. Only because we're rarely in each others' presence. But if we only consider the time spent together, then I suppose it would be fair to say that we fight all the time. The Dawson Seniors have this amazing capability to find fault in everything about me and spend hours quarreling over it, or alternatively attempting to murder me if they're in a good mood.

I think that answers the question pretty well.

5) Grandparents can often be an important factor in a life. Are your grandparents still alive? How much of an influence do they exert on your life? On your parents' life?

Well, I'm not entirely sure, not having met any of them. Maybe my mother's parents are still alive. Clever, they were. They tried to stop Evie from marrying Jack- turned out they were right all along.

6) How many siblings do you have? Older? Younger? How do you get along with each? Is there any significant rivalry with any of them? Do your parents favor (or appear to favor) one over the other? How do the dynamics of your siblings affect you?

I have two brothers. We're triplets. I'm the youngest, so I suppose that makes me the most unwanted. You know the deal. It's like: we don't want a baby. But we'll deal with one son if we have to. Twins, you say? Well damn that. But I guess we can deal with it...Triplets? Bugger off! Ever heard the saying two's company, three's a crowd? But in a strange sort of way, I'm the one they favour, mostly because I never caused much trouble and they could easily leave me alone.

First off there's Leo. Leonardo Dawson, to be exact. You know, I've always idolized him, even when we were little and he used to always shift the blame to me and get me beaten up. I used to want to be him. He's a charmer, and that's not what I'm ever going to be. I used to follow him around all the time, but this past year I've decided I've had enough with being his shadow. I want to be myself, but it's difficult when he's so much better than me at so many things. I hate him, but at the same time I don't think I could love anyone else more.

And Ben's my other brother- I suppose I get along with him better, now. He knows what it's like to be the tagalong, the one that fades into oblivion. That said, we're intense rivals for grades. This year is my year. There is no way he's going to beat me in anything.