✧DATE NIGHT PT.1✧

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Aria managed to heal quite nicely, unfortunately, the trip to Platform 9 3/4 was all she was allowed to do. Granted Rabastan had to work, thank the gods, but Sirius was free. And Aria knew a part of him wanted to see Reg off too, even if they hadn't spoken in some time.

"You could owl him you know, he wouldn't mind at all." She spoke, waving once more as she hoped Wyatt could still see her. "Nah, bloke needs to focus on himself. How're you feeling?"

"Much better, though when that damn potion is up my skin feels like it's crawl with some sort of fire ants. Honestly, it was awful."
"Of course your reaction is to commission safety materials, thank merlin I won't have to wear those in potion's class," Aria smirked, while it hadn't been her first option to tell Sirius about her plans in designing protective potion wear, he managed to smuggle it out of her.

"You still talking to Orion?"
"Hmm, Dad came over, you know they aren't all that hateful to one another. Neither was Michael."
"Give me two minutes with either of them, I can set any records straight...Shall we get going home love? You're looking a bit pale." She nodded, knowing full well that she was going to need another few drops in her system and probably another bath to combatten the overall feeling on her body.

"When'd the healers say this would let up?"
"Two days, thankfully...I'm not suppose to itch them and it's driving me up the bloody walls." Sirius smirked, but then eyed his father from around the corner. Orion had simply struck conversation with one of his friends, one of which was in Reg's year but the name escaped him.

"Loverboy out of town?" He questioned, and Aria sighed. "I'm not seeing him anymore. We're through." The harsh words had struck a cord, making him frown further.

"I thought all Hufflepuff we're friendly and—"
"And what? Doesn't mean they get the free pass to break my heart and leave me to wait for him to decide when we could get back together or not?" Aria bit her tongue, especially when the little devil on her shoulder starting yelling at her.

"You're doing it to Rabastan!!" Which should could only conjure up the message that he cheated on her the entire summer and then some. At least Randal hadn't made her question herself as much as Rabastan had.

"And the other one?" It was a shame that Aria couldn't tell the difference between him asking about Aidan or Rabastan, and so she pouted. "Proctor or Lestrange?"
"Lestrange...Or either works."

"I had dinner with the Lestrange's before my potion release, met the lot of them. Course my drunken self decided to be difficult and throw out reasons as to why I'm not good to be married off to their son."
"They're still after that? They haven't given up?" Aria perked her lip while letting her head shake side to side.

"No, they're a persistent bunch. I've been invited to have tea at least three times in the past week, granted I'm not in the mood to host or go anywhere really."
"Not even out on the town with your brother?" He asked, and she smiled lightly as she wouldn't mind that distraction.

She could use an easy-going family member at the moment, however what turned from a lunch date with her brother instantly turned into a gathering with everyone. All including the Potter's, Pettigrew, and Lupin.

Making Aria suddenly uneasy.

How could they still trust me?

Rabastan saw their invitation on my fridge, I'm so bloody dumb!

Her thoughts have been loud ever since she'd been on medication, course it was all logical what her brain was saying. And the fidgeting on Remus' end confused her greatly, thinking that he was scared of her only made the conversation worsen.

Luckily Remus had excused himself from the table to use the loo while both James and Lily went up to get the ordered drinks from the counter. Leaving Sirius and Aria with Peter, who was rightly still looking at the mirror minutes after placing his order.

"Is Remus alright?" She questioned and Sirius nodded, biting his lip for a moment and shrugging. "Full moon's in a few days, those tonic's you've been sending really helps. Just makes him a little antsy." It wasn't meant to, but that's what the trial and error of her work came from.

Whomever was brewing her potion was skilled in skin irritation and looked down to the wire of what had been splashed onto her skin. Had she been at her best she would've done the damn work herself, but having been worn down was ultimately not the best.

"Are you sure? He's hardly spoken a word to me." Aria offered back, which earned Peter's gaze up to them both.
"Maybe he still fancies you Ari." Had she been sipping on tea it surely would've been spat out, her eyes darted off towards her brother in questioning which made Padfoot sigh.

"He's over it. He told me himself." It was clear by Peter's expression that he was not at all over it, and so Aria sat back in an even worse agony.

How long had Remus felt that way? Why had he never said anything?

Did she fancy him back?

Course at one point she did, it was hard not to accept his boyish and gentle charm. Better yet he had been there at a time when no one else was, when she could've died and the most out of Lestrange she would've gotten was a laugh that she'd died.

"Bloody hell—Why didn't you tell me?!" She hissed, her eyes darting to look off to where he'd been heading.
"What? Oh, cause Moony never had the gall to ask. Besides I'm his best mate, not going to rat him out. That's Wormtail's job, and it's a proven job. Nice going, idiot." Aria nicked her brother in the side for talking to Peter like that, lads would never understand that it was unacceptable behavior to continuously call others names.

Peter gave her another smile, but before long—The issued tea she ordered had come from Remus' hand, which she gave her thanks and a sweet smile. "Of course, sure you feel as worse as I do." She didn't want to compare her injury with his illness, and so she shook her head quickly.

"I'll see if I can get my hands on another sample, the last one worked better, didn't it? From July?" Remus didn't want to critic her work, however it was clear from the start that she only ever did want to help people, and thus...He dwelled on all the facts.

When Aria had left the group, she felt both elated and confused. It was clear that Remus was shying away to romantic feelings because of his illness. The regret of not coming clean in knowing his monthly problems damned her to feel guilty and sulk the rest of the time before Aidan came, and the lad was curious as to where his mortal had gone.

"He's not here?" Aria shook her head, and while she didn't want to admit it to him—She was rightly sad. The news about Remus, Wyatt officially being going for the semester...All of it was piling up that she didn't feel as cheery as she had before.

"And the boy?"
"Check the date Aidan, he's off at school." He 'ahhed' into his medical bag before taking out the dropper and a dozen other things, usually she'd watch and ask a few questions here and there. But today she felt the pang in her chest, something was clearly wrong.

"Are you alright?" It took a moment for the question to compute in her head, and with when it did she tilted her head off towards Aidan—As if he wasn't going her another dose to control the burns on her arms.

As if she wasn't still on medical leave.

"You said we're friends...Did you really mean that or am—"
"I'd like to think we could be friends Aidan, but have we really been that friendly?" He shook his head, he'd been in Britain for so long that he'd hardly seen Aria if it wasn't at a potion event. And not that her attention was on him either, the entire crowd wanted a word with her.

"I'm thinking of moving back to America." That caught her attention, quickly too.
"I had a feeling you wouldn't like Britain..."
"I'll take that as an 'I told you so', and you did. But I'm still holding out on what I said about it here."
"What? That it's toxic? Because I'm starting to see it more and more. They were trying to get the lad who blew up the cauldron expelled and all the above." The silence drew them for a moment and Aria sighed.

"We wouldn't have worked Aidan."
"I like to think we could've, if you lived in Salem—If you didn't bother with Hogwarts? We could've worked."
"Dad wanted me to go to Hogwarts!"
"And look how that turned out Aria, you broke all the things you said you were never going to do. You dated Lestrange, you found your birth parents, hell you dated Scamander for how long? You're a good person Aria, but you're making all the wrong choices and it hurts, it fucking hurts to see it."
"Sorry my pain isn't fucking enjoyable anymore, if I recall you broke up with me first, Aidan—You wanted to test the waters with what's her face and shocker. The same thing happened to you than what it did to me, if we would've just listened to each other then—" Aria had gotten up in the middle of her speech to level with him.

Yet this time he hadn't held back, he silenced her with a kiss. And it would've worked had he not said the things before.
"Are you mental?!" She screamed, the hurt plastered over her face as she swiped her book and wand off the table and began to make her way to the staircase. "Aria, wait! I didn't meant to—"

"Clearly you did. And clearly we failed in a relationship and failed at friends, face it Aidan—I'm cursed. With men, with luck, with my health. Honestly, I hope you find what you're looking for in America." She spat before hurrying up the rest of the steps and locking herself upstairs.

Was it wrong that she ordered take-out? No.
Was it wrong that she invited her brother over to eat said Chinese food? No.
She needed the pick me up and Sirius needed the break, nor could he ever say no to his little sister.

"Men are idiots." She slurred, her wand extended to the ceiling in waving around one of the many things she's kept from Proctor. Her head caught in her brother's lap as he flipped through the channels trying to find something to watch.

"We are. But pretty witches make us act like that." She rolled her eyes, which translated for the bracelet to do the same. It fell back into her lap and she began fiddling with the small sun charm.

"I had hope for Proctor to come around..." Sirius mumbled, taking a swing of his drink before taking a better look at the thing his sister was playing with. Causing him to sigh further. "Better than Lestrange."
"You're not wrong."
"Yeah it pissed Minnie off too when I'm right." He said with a risen brow, earning himself the third shove of the night.

"We should do this more often." He beckoned and thus earned him a risen brow.
"What? Be lazy?"
"There's called a day off, and between my livelihood in the Order and your livelihood being a world-renowned savior...I'd like to catch you on an off day too once in a while." Her body rang with a chuckle and she nodded.

"Maybe I can fit you in my schedule, once I'm cleared I need to get back into the wolfsbane project."
"Moony knows—My bad, Remus know you're still going at it?"
"Course, I wish he asked sooner for the other batch. It's supposed to be taken daily up to a week before the full moon, I don't know if it'll still work the same." She mumbled, but Sirius had no problem in making out what she said. Makes sense though, he'd always had an ear out for Aria...It's been ingrained in his head since her birth it'd seem.

"And Lestrange?"
"What about him?"
"I think you enjoy me running 'round the bush for an answer Aria, what have you and him been up to?"
"Oh, uh...Other than the few spats in needing a lawyer, think the only things we've done is having dinner here or going to the zoo. That was pretty hilarious." Sirius frowned, it wasn't what he wanted to hear of course, that there was normalcy between the two.

"Or him spending my entire tuition on bloody dresses to meet him mum and dad...That I didn't approve of."
"Sounds like you're making it a grand challenge for him then."
"Yeah, but I still had hope for Randy to—Randel to come back." Aria's words filtered back into her head from earlier that day, in being 'cursed' felt so cynically correct that she didn't want her brother to worry.

Course that was unnatural considering he returned every other day to check on her, though part of her wondered if it was Sirius' doing or the Order.

And right now the last thing she wanted was to be scouted out again when she told both the Auror and Dumbledore polity, to fuck off.

With being cleared and generally being healed up, Aria prided herself in going back to work. Even if it felt like intern hours, here and there for the given days.

Better yet, she made the habit of leaving a note on her living room table or by the front door in case someone comes when she's not around. Though she was just hiding away upstairs, wanting to be left undisturbed.

Did her thoughts manifest Randal's untimely owl? It surely did. And did it align with Aidan's almost perfectly? It surely bloody did.

Instead Aria focused on a much more prominent part of her life, besides potions—Aria had decided she was indeed going to buy the house.

After discussing it with Alfred and Orion, it was the best decision for both her and the growing lifestyle that she was going to have. Not to mention that having a private house meant more options for protective charms and things of that nature.

However the house in itself was in a disarray, it needed more than love to get it to a living condition. So hopefully with as much time as she was putting in it, she'd get it ready by the time Wyatt comes home for the holidays and she'd be able to host her family—Or vise versa.

Having boxes litter the downstairs area of her manner was almost unsettling, especially when she heard a man's grunt at the bottom and thus...She hurried down the steps to see Rabastan, having almost dropped a potted flower in his hands after colliding with the boxes in front of the fireplace.

"Oh merlin, I was just going to move those!" She shouted as she continued down, spinning wand for them to slide against the floor to the furthest wall. "Well I probably shouldn't have done that either...Long time no see." She greeted with a slight smile, though realistically she had been a thousand miles since six this morning.

"Long time no—Aria I haven't seen you in almost three weeks, and I'm not counting the pathetic owls giving me the excuse you're working. What in the hell is going on?"

"I'm...I thought I told you I found a manor? I'm moving." Understanding washed right over him and he sighed, placing the beautiful potted plant onto the damned coffee table that he swore always held the sign of 'I'm out, leave a message,' on it.

Every day he tried.

"And what are you going to be doing with this manor? Isn't it already paid for?"
"Yes, but I paid my father and Uncle Affie back, I plan on renting it out to some students...There's a rumor that a few witches are applying to Darthmont so I thought it'd be nice for them like it was for me." She said, all with a smile on her father. However the mere mention of that case made Rabastan's veins bubbles.

"Certainly kept yourself busy since the last we spoke in person..."
"You know I don't really mean to come off as rude in letters, right?"
"No. I was simply hoping for much more lively—" 

"Rabastan, I am not writing you smut." He couldn't help himself but laugh, and the burn in his chest started to dissipate slowly.

Aria's presence always had that effect on him.

"Are you up to anything today then?" Aria perked her lips before hurrying off towards the fridge and sighed. "I'm waiting for a package that I need to sign."
"What sort of package?"
"I might've boughten a record player for the new manor—Oi! I've never had a new one before. And you're the one who's always told me to live a little."
"I did, I'm just generally surprised you actually listened to me for once." Her shoulders soon deflated, but the impromptu mention of coffee had distracted the two, or better yet it distracted Rabastan from what other horrors he's managed in the last few weeks without Aria.

Wether it be Death Eater, issues involving her stalker or Harper and her damnable family.

"When do you suppose it'll be here? I didn't expect you to be home and well...I'd love to take you out to lunch. Or dinner?" It was obvious that the Slytherin was hungry, he only talked about food ever so often and here he was.

Suggesting both a date—But now come to think of it, perhaps it was just the pureblood go-to for a date.

"How about I make us lunch here and you can take me out for dinner tonight?" She questioned, and Rabastan had already prepared a pout to persuade her, but it instantly reverted to a smile once her words caught up with him.

"Though you'll have to bare with the mess..."
"I've seen your classroom in a few horrid states, Aria, this is nothing." She rolled her eyes and returned back to the kitchen, which this time he followed her inside. The safe-haven considering the state of her living room.

"And this new manor? Will I get to see it?" Aria perked her lips and shrugged.
"I dunno, that'll be fun to see how long it takes for you to find my address, won't it?" His pout had indeed worked wonders, physical contact for one as she pinched his cheeks.

"When are you moving then?"
"I want the house ready before Wyatt comes for holiday, I think you'll enjoy the house too." Rabastan narrowed his brows for a moment, leaning against the counter as he watched her make the start of whatever sort of chicken concoction she had planned.

Then he realized she was making his favorite, and goddess his mouth began to water.

"What about the house makes you think I'll like it? This manor has it's charm."
"Besides the fact that whoever owned the house was actually a madman who designed it himself. I got Quidditch goals for Wyatt, don't tell him yet thought, it's apart of his Christmas present." That certainly caught Rabastan's attention, the gal in front of him surely offered out spoils left and right.

"And?"
"It has a pool."
"I think you piqued my interest that I should get that address sooner rather than later, just to test the goals and defenses—Of course." Aria rolled her eyes but turned to him for a moment.

"I meant you'd like the game room and bar, but that too. Patience Lestrange, it was in rough shape." Rabastan shook his head, he wasn't surprised that Aria felt the need to buy an entire manor then work on it from scratch.

The witch was always on a project one time or another.

"Could I ask for a favor?" She questioned, having tapped the wooden spoon at the side of the skillet before turning to him. "And what might that be?"

"I was wondering if you could come to the beach with me, the weather's getting colder and I hadn't gone all summer," Aria said with a small pout, and Rabastan chuckled light before nodding.

"Course, perhaps we could even call it a date." He watched in pure amusement as her eyes flickered away for a moment or two.
"A-and what would that mean...For us?" She begged the question and Rabastan sighed.

"Love, I know you don't want to get married. And frankly, if my parents find out about frequent dates then they'll get suspicion. Nor do I want your father coming to plan a murder." Had it been a light bulb of an idea in her head?

Possibly, but lucky for them both, the doorbell had rung and that instantly caused Aria to jump.

"Shite...Anything magical in the living room that could be seen?" She bustled, having a quick scan over the likes of the room and Rabastan shook his head.
"Not that I can see." It had been her own mistake asking the pureblood, but soon enough she opened up the door and signed for the present.

A gift from herself if anything.

Rabastan eyed the two muggles as they manually brought in the beauty, he could see why Aria had been so damn excited. It looked well crafted, and that was saying something considering it wasn't from the wizarding world.

What he didn't like, however, was the muggles eyeing up his Ravenclaw. But he remained calm and collected, coming from the kitchen soon after and laid a kiss to her cheek and mumbling something in her ear.

It hadn't been dirty, no, it was simply a warning—And it hurried the process. Leaving either of them to sigh in relief. "Nasty no good bloody—"
"I can name a few wizards that were much creepier Raba." He couldn't deny that, his work dealt with the much sketchier side of things and thus...He let it go, earning him a kiss and a question as to what he wanted to drink.

And course he wanted a beer, for one reason or another, Aria always had the best beers in her stocked fridge. Little did he know that they were muggle too.

Lunch was hardly anything to talk about, as they had much to catch up on. So while Aria cleaned up the kitchen and prepared a small snack to enjoy outside, Rabastan was reading over a speech she'd prepared for the weekend to come. However in the midst of said speech had been a parcel, one addressed from Sirius.

His eyes flickered off towards Aria, but the gal had been so transfixed on the sound of her new record player—Breaking it in with a few songs from her sanctuary as she worked around the better part of the downstairs.

"Is it that bad?" Aria dwelled and he instantly shook his head, he hardly gotten to read the letter itself that he caught her attention and rolled his eyes.
"Are you asking or telling?" He shot back and she too rolled her eyes before hurrying upstairs for a moment.

______

Ari,

Honestly love, what you said the other night about Scamander doesn't sound like a Hufflepuff at all. I mean, leaving you the night after he said he wouldn't? That's not stable and that's not right Ari, you can laugh and joke all you want. But a man who's not ready to commit is no good for you. At least he left with the good advice in saying pick someone who has an eye out for you.

You'll make the right choice for you, I know you will.

And no, we're not cursed. Even though it might feel like it in this moment, you're doing what you were meant to Aria. Healing people, screw Randal and don't you dare let him back in.

You're too forgiving for your own good, both him and Proctor. Merlin if I was there when he pulled that?

Take care sissy, and hey—We still on for Quidditch? Prongs wants to test out those hoops you were bragging about the other day.

Your brother,

-Sirius B.

______

To say Rabastan was livid was an understatement, nowhere had she mentioned in the last three hours about what Proctor had done. But it certainly had something to do with him leaving his internship, however when the witch had come down to join him back in the kitchen with Loki in her arms and the better part of her shoulder...His anger disappeared.

"I believe I still have an unused dress from when you had me turn into a model...If it's that fancy for tonight."
"An unused dress? I suppose it has to be now, dinner and the opera?" Aria placed Loki onto the ground, the tired mutt had taken the liberty of moving into Wyatt's room with him now at Hogwarts.

"Is that the normal order? Or is it opera then dinner?"
"I can promise you, nothing is worse than an Opera on an empty stomach." She snorted, but she could see the damning part of trying to enjoy the entertainment only for a stomach to growl out in hunger.

"I hope you aren't putting off your work to hang out with me Raba." She chidded, but oh if she only knew how much he's wanted to see her in the past few weeks. His free time was usually spent in the company of his mates or picking up extra cases.

"Not at all, though I do have a trial in the afternoon tomorrow."
"And you're prepared? Notes and all?"
"Of course, I'm a Slytherin love. It's in my nature to scope out everything about my opponents and whom I'm defending." It was clear she was interested, but the last thing Rabastan wanted to talk about was work with Aria.

Especially when she should be resting that pretty old head of her.

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Date Posted: 12-20-2020

Time: 8:53

Words: 4475

Part two is coming just shortly after this one!
I'm sorry for not updating yesterday, I lost a lot of progress on Immer Waise and Immer Ende (My computer decided to yeet everything into oblivion) Thankfully I save things to google drive, so it's not that much I have to rewrite.

Hope everyone is doing alright and staying safe:)