✧FAITHFUL DAY AT THE BEACH✧

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It had been close to one in the morning when Radolphous returned home, and of course his son was sporting bloody knuckles and nursing a steady glass of fire whiskey.

"Father, is Aria—"
"Where's Avery?"
"I sent him home, I can't look at him right now...Is she—"
"She'll be alright, the healer couldn't do anything because she's going to the healers already on Monday I believe. She can't take anything to heal or for the pain."
"What?! There must be something she can take?" Rabastan sat in silence as his father explained all he could without breaking the confidentiality he had with Aria.

Instead, Rabastan pondered if he should respect her wishes or hurry his arse back to the house and nurse her back to health. Unfortunately his father caught wind of his thoughts and forbid him to go, a rather pressing reveal that Aria truly did not want him there.

In other more horrific news, he received word from a very unsuspecting person. Wyatt.

Apparently Aria had written to the lad that she had an amazing time with himself, where they went to the opera and spent more time together. Rekindling, that's how Wyatt phrased it.

Why couldn't he have done that?
Instead he went ahead and boasted and sneered at having won her back, and how prematurely was that?

Granted McNair had come back from the Crawford residence with solum expression, and it certainly looks that well from where the three Slytherin males stood.

They were in a bind, telling Regulus would certainly end up in Orion's ear. Telling Wyatt would end up in Alfred's ear, and involving the Crawfords was much too forward.

No. There was nothing they could do, nor should do.

Aria had explained what happened to Otto in a letter, course it ended with an early trip to her appointment. One of which he came with her, both he and his wife Rose.

Although Otto was present in Germany, he was not however, not present for the evaluation. Instead Aria had to face that alone, but after talking to her new healers, she felt relieved to be in much better hands.

Course the first instance is the questioning about her neck, obviously saying she got attached by Death Eaters was an option but she kept it as almost being mugged. The confidentiality was met and they proceeded to find alternatives that wouldn't delay anything they sought out to do, instead Aria was ordered for a salt bath, all before being placed completely bare on the table while the healers performed spells on her.

It was a rather intense task as she couldn't move nor use the loo, they made it fairly easy to fall asleep to given the music and other available options. But the time that she was finished she felt much better, well-rested and hopeful.

Especially when they came back with good news to deliver, they too were hopeful. And in the medical world that was a good start as any, unfortunately she was met with other complications.

"What do you mean Rabastan Lestrange is my first emergency contact?" She said taking hold of the folder.
"That iz what we has on record, would you like to change it?" She instantly changed it a list of four: Eli Crawford, Orion Black, Alfred Black, and Radolphous Lestrange.

She couldn't trust Rabastan at the current moment but she did his father...It was certainly a strange world all things considering.

Rabastan had waited an accounted forty-eight hours after the supposed trip to Germany, though his father wouldn't budge on why Aria had to go to another country...He decided to ask the source, however in arriving at her home with a basket of goodies and a potted plant he realized that this was one of his worst nightmares.

Most, if not the entirety of the living room...Was empty. He knew the day was coming, but he also needed a reason to believe that Aria would give him the address to her home.

If not then perhaps he could sneak in a word to Wyatt and claim he wanted to send a few gifts while he's 'out of the country.' But that would be going through her placed boundaries.

And even before they slept together that night, Aria made certain that it was just a casual hook up. He so stupidly turned into a teenage gal thinking it meant more than it did, how did it end up this way?

With all that said and done, he placed the gifts right to where the coffee table would've been. Eyeing the recliner that he almost died on the other night and caught his breath when he stood in the very hallway that ruined the three-day relationship he managed to scavenge.

"Fuck..." He hissed out, there was no part of him that could fathom Aria being angry with him. And here he was, standing in her empty manor waiting for to come home when in reality, she probably wasn't even living here anymore.

He turned off towards the kitchen, realizing that there was still the majority of her things on the counter—And that's when it hit him, during one of the meals he shared with her, she asked him to go to the beach.

Rabastan Lestrange needed to make it apparent that he was not up to breaking promises and so he ventured off the mentioned beach. Course it wasn't at all that crowded, nor was it that hard to find her when she was the one sitting on a towel with a stick in hand. Throwing it ever so often so that Loki could enjoy the freedom of the outdoors.

The damn thing looked monstrous as he galloped back and forth, though in looking out the view in front of him, he realized why she wanted to come here.

It was gorgeous.

Yet if he knew Aria any bit, he'd know that she was freezing her beautiful arse right off.

This allowed him to form a plan.

Aria, on the other hand, didn't bother moving even when she told herself no later than two. And here she was, quarter to four. It was safe to say her fingers were numb, and the only time she truly took them away from underneath her coat is to humor Loki. The mutt and the rest of her pets were making this much easier to get through, but one thing was for certain.

Aria had an apology to make.

She tried to wrack up the courage and head to the Lestrange manor, but the idea of still needing to head to Germany was daunting. She didn't need another argument before it.

"I'm sorry I'm late, love...I was just getting a bit of supplies." A voice called out, and a small smile caught on her face. Why couldn't she get that sort of man?
Would it been have better if she was reduced to a muggle?

"Love?" The voice called again and it certainly caused her to allow the lingering tear to finally drop. No, hearing voices was not a side effect to— "Aria." She jolted to the side in seeing Rabastan beside her, how the hell had he found her?!

"'What?'" She mouthed, holding onto her wrapped neck in an attempt to soothe her vocal cords but it failed. Instead Rabastan kneed down beside her and wrapped her in an already warm blanket to secure it around her, all before settling himself to sit—Going so far as to pour the tea.

"I didn't know if you still wanted me to join you..." He dwelled, even if it was sort of a lie. But he caught the quick nod as she looked up to him, already appeared to have cried a short while since her arrival. He handed her off the steaming mug of tea before looking back out to the ocean.

Merlin, it was a view.

"Father had a few short words to say to us...Wouldn't let me come visit any early, though come to find out you weren't in the country even." Shaking her head he realized how much it was killing her to speak her mind, Aria Crawford was many things, but mute was not one of them.

"How long have you been out here?"
"Two." She said, holding up two thin fingers masked with gloves as she looked to him again. The offered smile already inflicted enough pain in his soul for a lifetime.

"I'm sorry." They said at the same time, and Rabastan's eyes popped open wide. He recalled what Aria had said once, that he had to stop starting out their conversations for apologizing for the last. It wasn't a good look for him, not when he was hurting her without being in a relationship.

But hearing her apologies caused his heart to ache. "What on gods green earth are you apologizing for, Aria, Kitten...I'm sorry for telling Avery, he's—I don't know what came over him. I swear I hadn't thought he'd pull anything like that, even McNair threw in a punch when he was feeling better." The frantic shake of her head caused him to wrap his arm around her.

"No violence..." She croaked and he sighed. Course the honesty of beating the lad up wouldn't be the right action to make it better, he should've realized.

"Why are you sorry? I haven't done much of anything except—" She dug into her coat to retrieve the letter she drafted this morning, and while Rabastan wasn't sure as to why she hadn't sent it. He popped open the seal and carefully read through the letter, it had been double-sided and small handwriting, but it was beautiful never the less.

And Aria shivered at the idea of him getting to the ending.

No matter how much she wanted him, and no matter how much she tried to stay away—It seemed one was stronger than the other. And so she leaned onto his shoulder and closed her eyes, they burned underneath her lids.

But the kiss to her temple signified that he had indeed finished it, his arm never left her, and that allowed her to smile—Just for a moment.

She admitted more than she ever had in written words than spoken outloud, there was no doubt in her heart that she was in love with him. That she blamed the world and it's shortcomings for what happened, but right now...Furthering a relationship more than what they are would be dangerous.

The threat of the Dark Lord coming after her was still in the back of her mind, but she merely hinted at that.

Mainly she focused on the outburst from the other night, that she was dead set in the middle and didn't want to chose.

"Did you really mean it...The ending?" She does.
"Well I surely can't picture marrying anyone else, it's just if we survive the—"
"We will."
"You can't be sure of that, we fight so often."
"But there's love in that fighting, you want me to be a better person. Merlin sake you wanted that since fifth year Ari, who else is going to whip me into shape?"
"...Really... missed out on your second Betrothed. Huh?" It was a slight jab, sure. But her smirk told him that she was teasing and sure enough, she was pulled further into his hold.

Though Loki had been highly jealous in not getting the attention of Aria or Rabastan and thus decided that he could wiggle his way inside, though his larger built almost had either topple to the side had Aria not expected it.

"I wouldn't want anyone else carrying my chil—Hey!" She'd pinched him to save herself from a rant that would've surely caused a sore thought.

"Don't finish that sentence, or speak about children." She whispered out, finding the perfect octave for her voice not to strangle her.

"You're a lovely mother though, but I guess for now I'll shut my mouth." It earned him a hum, and it was his turn to throw the stick off to the right for Loki to fetch.

"I can't tempt you with a fresh cup at tea at my house, could I? I promise nobody is home. Mother's at a friend's house and father's...Entertaining elsewhere." It was an offer she couldn't refuse and so she eyed him carefully.

"Nobody's home?"
"Nope, not a single soul. And Loki could enjoy what's left of my mother's garden." She was sold, not because she was done with the ocean. But because she needed to get into a warmer setting, and his manor was certainly that.

A quick whistle outwards had caused the mutt to hurry on over with the stick in mouth.

There was no separating the two from one another, and thus the toy had followed them to the Lestrange Manor. Where Rabastan's promise of an open field managed in the setting of a gazebo.

With tea and snacks to humor her, she rather enjoyed just sitting in silence or hearing him speak. Though on occasion she'd catch his lingering eyes and of course that brought Aria to feel a slight blush her cheek and ultimately hide the rest of her neck.

"It's not as bad as you think...Really, it's healing."
"But it shouldn't take this long."
"Since you've known me I haven't been able to take many tonics, do you remember that? I sprained my wrist diving for you?" It felt like a lifetime ago from when she did that.

"Back then I was the Ravenclaw Brat though."
"I still don't know why you did it...Years later and I'm left wondering." Aria shrugged her shoulders and sipped her warm tea.

"Maybe it's better to leave that in the past."
"My birthday is coming soon, that'd make for a good gift."
"Your birthday is in March, Rabastan, and no...I'm not giving you words for your birthday. Oh please cheer up, if anything it wasn't that special." He scoffed.

"Downplay it, you thought I was fi—"
"A git? Yes I did, you were a downright bloody git. Made a turnaround, though I can't say the same for Avery..."
"I don't know why he's like that, I don't understand it. One moment he's rooting for us and the next he's...Well, he's shoving you into walls." Aria remained quiet for a moment, letting her thoughts get the better of her before a sigh escaped her.

"I think it has to do with Harper more than we realize, right? She's been the brat of the last few years at Hogwarts...I'm not saying I don't have some of the qualities, and I can be a right fowl bitch once in a while. But Harper is...she's always been like that, I think it's because Ravenclaw never had a pureblood in our ranks and she thought because of her wealth and title, that it was a crowning."
"If I recall, you ended up being the Ravenclaw Princess..." She rolled her eyes, but in the end Rabastan nodded in agreement.

Though he didn't forget about how downright demanding Harper's family was in him accepting the request of marriage. Though now his father wouldn't bat a single eye, rather than before where he debated it.

"You have Black blood in you though, surely that'll set her straight if you ever come out to the public."
"What's the point? I already have three last names to tie myself too. Rosewell, Crawford, and now Black? That's a hard signature to master."

"Soon it'll be Lestrange, then there'll be nothing to worry about in technicalities." He said, his grin wide as could be causing her to laugh. Pain developed in her throat, but it was worth it.

"What makes you think I'm taking your last name? Last time I checked, you didn't get my potion degree." Never in his wildest dreams did he think he'd have to argue with Aria in taking his name, merlin he's only made half the battle.

"...I think I'll have to come out into the public as Aurora anyhow...Sooner or later I mean."
"Not anytime soon love, and you were right in your letter. If you think it'll keep you out of the Dark Lord's attention then it'll be worth it." Aria had very little hope in that with everything going on, but she sighed again.

"When's McNair's party again?"
"In a few days—You don't need to come Ari, don't force yourself."
"But I promised you, and I can wear a charm. I just can't drink or anything."
"We'll leave early." She rolled her eyes, but in the end Rabastan had escorted her home with Loki more than ready to hurry up into the bedroom.

"Do you have plans for Christmas?"
"I don't know yet I'm afraid, Wyatt might be coming with me to America... There are a few conventions I have to get to as well—The holidays always seem crazy."
"I wouldn't mind getting to spend New Years' with you, love. Course, that's if I can stay on your good side until then." She rolled her eyes, but contemplated if it was any and all worth going to McNair's party with the way she was feeling...

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Date Posted: 01-09-2021

Time: 10:17

Words: 2933

💙I have some good news to share, two in fact💙
I made the dean's list the Fall semester at my University! So I thought the best way to celebrate was to post the first chapter of Immer Ende!
🤗Expect to see it in the next ten minutes or so🤗