✧BACK TO THE COURT ROOMS✧

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***

Aria had woken up in a panic and a pool of sweat, it's been like this for the past week and a half and she hadn't a clue what to do.

It was always the same outcome, something endangering her friends—that sense of fear and dread. And when Rabastan or any of his mates had come into the dream, that fear spike up worse. Especially when she caught sight of the tattoo on their wrists.

She didn't want to admit it, and tried her best to but the Dark Lord and his mission on the back burner. But it was coming closer and with her pureblood and association with Rabastan and the Blacks, she would be sought out.

If Rabastan hadn't tried to already.

These dreams made her feel absolutely dumb, that she loved Rabastan even knowing that this was going to be the outcome in the future.

She felt dumb in thinking there was a future with Rabastan, and dumb for giving up on Aidan for those months.

With these dreams she hardly gotten any decent sleep, but a good cup of coffee allowed her to pretend she was alright and managed the recommended about of sleep.

Instead she managed well with her NEWT studies and the academy assignments.

But it was the parcel from McGonagall, stating in the kindest way that she demanded Aria to come back before she sends a parcel to her parents.

So Aria had gone back to Hogwarts, but didn't participate in any of the classes, didn't do the homework or even looked at the book. She felt sick in being back at the castle, even if it was where her brothers and friends were.

Where Wyatt was.

But he hadn't any blame in her not wanting to be there anymore, yet Aria couldn't help but feel that bad luck was starting to follow her everywhere she went.

And that was about to be proven.

Aria still had the excuse of going to the Academy during the times she had classes and regular days she slept there, those were known by her professors back at Hogwarts.

And after theories and properties of a cauldron, Aria had changed into her pajamas and passed out with her book out on her couch.

Part of her hoped that her bed was the issue of her nightmares, and when she started to dream of America and Aidan—A breathless sigh released from her lips.

A perfect dream of Aidan and her enjoying Hawaii graced her—Until the firm hands were much too greedy and firm.

Her hands instantly popped open and her hands instantly went off to try and kick the bastard who's hands managed down her pants. They seemed to be startled that she was actually awake, and so she took the element of surprise to throw a book at one of them—Her chaser strength proving correctly as it nicked one of the wizard's head and caused him to fall.

"You're going to regret that bitch." Another pair of arms grabbed onto her, and sweet Merlin she wished then and there that she took those kickboxing classes that Michael offered.

But she tried to recall anything from the movies she's seen, and her screams fueled her kicking and screaming. Though it tempered and angered them further.

"Did you find it yet?!" One of them said, and the bloke yelled a solid negative. So the arms that held her from behind stopped the taunting as Damocles and Liam had come into her view.

"What the bloody hell do you bimbos want?!"
"Your journal darling."
"And you couldn't just ask for notes like a normal fucking fellow?"
"Not that journal darling, the one that Mr.Hanson keeps boasting about—The one that is going to cure wolfsbane." Aria rolled her eyes.

"I took the other offer dumbarse."
"Still, you can't help yourself when it comes to work can you. Where's the journal?" Aria remained silent, or had until a wand was pushed up against her neck.

"Going to kill me for a cure, sounds a bit—"
"Where is it?!" Aria remained silent, she rather die with the cure than have him get ahold of her work.

Hours of blind trials and endless study nights when she had free time.

"Fuck you!" She spat, making sure to spit directly in his face. And while she thought it was the perfect comeback for his dickish personality, but what she failed to understand was how dirty these lads were.

And that action just excited her further.

"Liam will find it darling, suppose that leaves you with me..." He slimly cooed towards her, grabbing a fistful of her hair and pushing her down to the couch beneath their standing position.

But that didn't stop her movement, her flinging limbs as they hadn't taken her wand away. It was under the couch, if she could just—

"Stay still for me love, you might actually enjoy it."
"You're all going to burn in hell!" She screamed, but then another thought popped into her head—If she couldn't use magic, then perhaps she could tune into the muggle roots.

Scrambling to reach forward towards the coffee table did she managed to secure it into her grasp, and turning onto her back while being pinned on the couch allowed her the perfect opportunity to tase Damocles right into the side—Leaving him a convulsing mess as she threw him off her body.

Her breath was erratic and her pajamas ripped entirely.

I need to get out of here!

However she grabbed her wand and took one look into her now destroyed bedroom as she unlocked the distant tase. Which met the click jumped with a lot of wires, and a sick part of her rejoiced as her withered in the same pain as his friend.

Grabbing her robe, and the very book that they were looking for had she ran out her dorm room and instantly off towards Monty's room.

Her fists were pounding on the door as she finally realized the damage that was inflicted during that encouter, her wrists already in a slight bruise.

The roots of her hair still spiking—sending her right back to the Fountain of Angel's when her previous mistress did the same in punishment.

The slap that she hadn't remembered in the faintest now stung as her tears slid down the small scrapes she received.

It hadn't taken long for Monty to open the door, and he was bewildered at the sight of Aria at this time of night. He would've assumed she'd be asleep, however in taking her appearance he ushered her in.

Felix looking up from his own desk before standing at attention to see their friend crying and all banged up.

"Ari what—" 

"They attacked me." She cried, her body finally breaking down as she in the arms of Monty. Which caused Felix to jump up and call. Mr. Hanson as he was her known advisor.

Otto had been enraged, he and a few other professor had come into the girl's room to see the wizard's still in the same place she had tased them—And the room being a disheveled mess was one of the many reasons why the Auror's were called.

Michael hadn't wasted any time putting the setting on the tazer to be placed on the highest. Not that he assumed she was going to need it, but Aria was thankful she hadn't denied it back then.

It could've saved her life.

Monty had remained by her side in her dorm, but noticed that her clothes were tearing and offered for her to change. But she didn't want to move, not one muscle.

Or not until Otto had made his way to talk to her, right alongside an Auror.

"Aria...This fellow wants to ask you some questions, alright?" And the bloke did ask his questions, and while they started with the assumption that Aria wanted them in her room—She made it a point that they always harassed her in class, discriminated her for being a witch and made constant comments that she was sleeping with her professors.

She made it a point to confirm that they weren't there just for the journal, but to rape her.

"Ms.Crawford, are you sure that their intention was—"
"Was the hand down my pants not enough of a confirmation of that?! What's your name?!" Otto had been as enraged as her, and calmed her down enough to have her move from the academy altogether, though she couldn't take anything.

Monty had grabbed her usual night bag from her room and grimaced at the damage, it had been one of the many study spots for him and the rest of their group.

And it was ruined because a greedy classmate wanted the cure without putting in the work for it.

There was no part of Aria that wanted to remain in the academy for another moment, so she pushed the idea to go to her parent's house.

"I'm afraid that'll have to wait until tomorrow darling, how about you stay with me and Rose?" "No...My real father, I found him just after Christmas. He'll let me stay the night." Otto knew that she needed safety and security, and so they traveled to Grimmauld Palace close to midnight.

But that hadn't been a bother for Orion and Alfred, the two were enjoying the time that Walburga was out of the country—And it made it perfect for Aria to come back to.

Kreacher came rushing into the room, failing to refill their firewhiskey and alerting them that Aria was here.

And that was already a red flag as Orion hurried to the foyer with Alfred.

"Aria, don't you have—" Orion started, until his eyes caught sight of her shaking and battered face. He rushed over and pulled her into the protective hug she was searching for, shushing her tears as he attempted to soothe her.

The two Black wizard's had listened intently to what Mr.Hanson explained what happened—In the words of Aria.

"I want the names of those two wizards, and you best believe that I plan on taking action against the academy as well. She's underage and a witch!" 

"Believe me Mr.Black, I am just—If not more disappointed as you. They were looking for her journal, and it isn't a myth that Aria's classmates are jealous of the treatment she receives...Though they don't know that she takes every opportunity for creative freedom." Alfred blinked off at the fellow in his brother's house.

"I'm sorry, and you are?"
"Otto Hanson, Aria's Advisor." The witch sniffled from her father's home, her tears still flowing down, but she managed to smile.

"Much more than just an Advisor, Opa." Otto smiled, a small blush finding it's way on his cheeks. The elder wizard was soon escorted further into the manor, and Kreacher quickly brewed a calming tea for his troubled young mistress.

And while her father and uncle tried to persuade her to go to bed, she wanted to hear what next course of action was.

It settled her mind that they were arrested and would be prosecuted, what didn't sit well with her was her dad would be owled tomorrow.

"You have to tell him Aria, that isn't an option. You are still considered a minor, you'll need a guardian's presence when it gets taken to court." She nodded, but she decided it was time to head to bed.

Her wounds had been wrapped by the on-campus healer while she was still in Monty's room, but she felt safe. Utterly safe as she redressed in new clothes and cuddled until her covers, though she kept the lights on.

Which confused Alfred immensely as he peeked in.

"Ari?" She peeked her head up and she sighed. "I've been having trouble sleeping..."

"That's not good darling, what's keeping you up?" Her hands unsteadly up and down her arms, still feeling their hands feel around her body.

"Nightmares, with Lestrange and my brothers."
"You always had a vivid imagination." She shook her head, hugging her pillow tighter in just thinking about the mark.

"Not lately, lately they've turned into reality."
"Funny, your mother would claim the same—She had a dream when Sirius was born, saying that their next born would be a supportive of the Dark Lord." She wished she hadn't heard that.

That her mother specifically had her in the full course of being a followed of the Dark Lord.

"Supportive?... I suppose I'm the farthest from it actually."
"Why do you think I've never married? What life would that have been for my wife? My children, I've had to watch what your mother put you and your brother's through and I couldn't do a bloody thing." It was the protective nature of her uncle that had her heart swoon, but it was exactly what she needed.

That extra layer of protection.

However what she doesn't know, is that Otto and Orion had drafted a parcel that would be arriving in America in the given hours—All explaining what's happened.

*

Eli Crawford had never packed his pack quicker in life, he hardly got a word in to his wife on why he needed to go to Britain. And he spoke too soon as Michael didn't bloody care that his missed work, he wrote a quick parcel to his employer and packed his own bag before heading to the nearest portkey distributor.

Neither father or son had spoken a word, more did they have any patient to the Ministry official awaiting to check them in.

The two were familiar with the ministry, what they weren't familiar with was Grimmauld Place. While Eli felt the sequenced hate that Aria had gone to her biological families' manor, Michael was the one to state that she wouldn't have anywhere else to go.

It wasn't about Orion being her father, it was getting out of the Academy—And either knew that Aria wouldn't dare to go to the hospital.

After a rather stressful debacle over where 13 Grimmauld Place was, on a street that skipped over the one number they needed.

Until they watched in awe the building offering to show itself in being needed, and the second the confirmed number before taking the steps two at a time.

Michael's fist rose and knocked forcefully to the door, anxious as he knew Ari was in the house.

However when the door opened and either wizard walked in, only to see that they were greeted by an elf.

A British Elf at that.

"Good Master tell Kreacher that Wizard will come, Mr.Crawford?"
"Yes, where is Mr.Black?" If on cue, Orion had come into the foyer and eyed Eli and the other fellow in his home.

While Alfie trailed behind.

"Oh for Merlin sakes Orion this is not the time to be judging! Mr.Crawford, I wish there was another way in contacting you quicker. But it was all abrupt and—"
"Where's Aria?" Michael issued, earning him the attention of the Black wizards.

"My apologies son, and you are?"
"This is my eldest, Michael...Aria is—"
"Still asleep, we had to slip a potion into her tea," Alfred explained, and without any proper gateway to it, Michael found himself walking upstairs while Eli turned back to Orion.

"I never thought I'd see myself finding a conversation with you Mr.Black, but when Aria told me that it had been a mess of thinking she was a squib well..."
"A regret I will have on my soul for the rest of my life, Mr.Crawford, but thank you—For giving her the life I couldn't." The wizards were far from friends, and they most likely were never going to be.

But they were here for a common purpose, and with the added call of Mr.Hanson, the story had been repeated. The only addition that Alffie and Orion were given was the Academy's apology.

"Bloody great, let me go and wake Ari up for an apology. I want those men hung up in Azkaban. She's underage!" Alfred yelled with his fist slamming to the table before his finger pointed off to Otto.

Who smirked in retaliation.

"That's not far fetch, Aria is underage. And multiple students and professors have come forward to act as witnesses to the harassment." Otto confirmed, he had collected a list of statements to already build a case.

"Do you still have contact to your lawyer Mr.Crawford, it's—"
"Nonsense, a family friend is a lawyer. He'll handle it from here." Alfred turned to Orion and shook his head.

"You cannot involve Lestrange, he'll ask too many questions Orion. Ari wants to stay hidden. The last thing she'd need is another person's involvement and her birth name in the papers." Eli rose a brow, did Aria not share her cheating ex to her father?

Interesting.

"I'll owl him, he's familiar with Ari...Who's this Auror's name at the bottom of this?"
"Arse of an Auror, I'll be speaking to his supervisor over the list of questions he asked Aria, awful...The ministry is falling apart I tell you. I should pack up and move to these states at this rate." He said passing an extra parchment to Eli and he began scribbling the situation and what action they wanted to take.

However the adults had silenced when they heard the footsteps coming from upstairs, and it wasn't a shock to see Aria with a bun at the top of her head—still in her nightwear and a blanket over her shoulders.

"Bubs I'm fine."
"Gods Ari what did I say about using that word?"
"That it's fine to use." Otto had caught Eli sigh in relief, that Aria still managed to joke. But in seeing her dad she almost broke.

"Dad I—" He rose up to his feet and rushed to her side. "It's alright bubbles, we're going to get that lousy son's a bitches back...Do you need anything? Mike brought—"
"I'm okay daddy, I promise...I used Bub's taser." Eli laughed, one filled with tears and perhaps a sob.

"Suppose the Auror office will want this?" Michael said, holding up the said taser in a bag. And while Orion eyed the whole transaction in confusion, Aria shared that her brother is an Auror in the states.

"It's what I used to stop them, I didn't have my wand so—"
"You acted Ari, but in terms of the ministry and their lack of knowledge of what this is. It sends a jolt of electricity to where you point the tips to, either from close contact or this entire thing can jump forward a few feet." Mike explained, but Orion was not convinced.

So Aria reached into the back and pressed the button.

The three wizards not familiar with the weapon jumped and she shrugged. "It was enough to paralyze them I guess." Otto chuckled and nodded.

With all the commotion and such, Orion had opened his home—Since it was an emergency all things considering—To the Crawfords.

While the lawyer had been invited over to the house, the mere presence of either Mr.Black was daunting and made him work harder.

While Aria had told her dad and brother that blood did matter a lot more over here than they first thought, this entire deliberation to settle the trial was first of the many hoops they needed to jump.

Especially since Aria's citizenship was being questioned.

"Couldn't at least drop her off with the proper documentation at the Orphanage, did it take off too much of your time?"
"Giving her up was the hardest bloody thing I've had to do! I put my faith and trust into the wrong people to handle her departure when I should've done it myself!" The two fathers would get into an argument every damn time Aria's citizenship or guardianship was questioned or they needed to make a decision.

While Eli had listened to Orion, because he knew how this Ministry worked. But Eil had his daughter more in mind than Orion.

"Could you both knock it off! You're both grown men! This isn't about your mistakes or your gains! This is about the witch caught in another issue that the ministry needs to involve themselves in." Orion scoffed at Otto's attempt at being a mediator for the two.

It usually rotated between Otto and Alfred.

"They involve themselves when it's Darethemont, but not when Aria's classmate decides to steal her face? I want that brought up while we're there too." Aria stilled, having not told her dad about it at all, and she calming sipped her tea.

"Aria...?" Eli said licking his lips, looking at her expectingly to explain it. But she pushed the exceeded time. "What is Orion talking about?"
"Harper used polyjuice potions to steal my face, and she took pictures..." She bit her lip, not daring to look at any of the wizard's in the room.

But even the lawyer looked downright shocked, feeling ill at even thinking about how that will turn.

"ARIA O'HERA CRAWFORD I TOLD YOU TO OWL IF THERE WAS A PROBLEM, WHEN DID THIS HAPPEN?!" Eli rarely lost his temper, but she flinched at every word.

"Because the ministry didn't bloody care! They didn't care because Harper's father has money and she's a pureblood, which you still haven't understood what that means!" Orion chuckled.

"My light, I could snap my finger and they won't matter—"
"That's not what I want either, it would've just caused a lot more problems than it's worth. And you know how Dumbledore is." Eli had let go of the breath and finally managed to calm down, he realized Aria was right.

It was a Hogwarts issue, and Dumbledore would not put a student through much of anything if it meant protecting his image.

Alfred did find the protective nature of Michael adorable, similar to what Sirius and Regulus would act. Especially when Rabastan was around.

It had been a slight break in the meeting and Orion was heading upstairs to draft a few parcels to a family friend, and Alfred found this a good time to talk to Eli and Michael while Aria took a nap upstairs.

He informed them both about the types of pictures that Harper had taken—Involving Lestrange, and while Orion didn't know about Rabastan, Alfred had a feeling that her family in America did.

And the fact that her Uncle knew something her 'father' didn't, caught Eli's attention quickly.

"Aria didn't tell Orion, it was Sirius who shared. He was always protective of her, I'm glad they never lost that..." Their conversation ended high when Eli was shown a picture of Aria and a boy.

"Is that Sirius?"
"No. That's Lestrange." Eli saw red, it was ever a wonder Aria came home with a smile on her face when returning from Britain.

Each day she was met with things from her previous life, and never more in that moment did Eli regret listening to the Salem staff in pushing her to go to Hogwarts.

He regretted it immensely and by the look of pure murder on Michael's face, it was clear Rabastan was going to be in for a reckoning.

"Are you saying you know the address?" Michael says with a dark smirk, and Eli holds up his hand. "The last thing we need is for you to get arrested here Michael, and Aria said she handled it." Alfred didn't hear that she had it handled, but there was nothing more he could do...

Except write to Sirius and Regulus.

News hit the Daily Prophet rather abruptly, and there wasn't anything more juicy than a failed success story. Or that's what Aria took it as when she caught a peek of it that the lawyer managed to snag.

They couldn't use her name, and the school was keeping her protected. But how quick would it be to find her? Her entire school knows and it was only a matter of time.

Sirius however was not expecting a letter from his uncle, however in reading it he didn't waste another moment before storming over towards the snakes and handing his brother the parcel.

Regulus was suspicious of course but scanned through it before gawking at his brother. "What?!" Sirius nodded, while Rabastan took the conversation as a little unorthodox.

"Something wrong Reg?" He dwelled, as it was clear that was indeed something wrong. But Regulus hadn't the mind to retell, not that he would want to.

Not to Lestrange at least.

"Nothing to concern yourself over Lestrange, it's a Black family matter." Sirius issued before grabbing onto his brother's shoulder, McNair caught the Black family crest on the wax seal envelope and confirmed that there was an issue.

"You think it's their uncle?" The bloke whispered as the two darted out of the grand hall.

The three Slytherin's felt awful, Alfred Black was one of the kinder ones—A Ravenclaw even.

"What in the hell happened?! Is this why she hasn't been back to school in—"
"I don't know Reg, but they're all at the manor. They've gotten lawyers and—Merlin Aria." Sirius let out a stressful breath, his hands shaking at the fact that his little sister could've been raped.

Raped and there wasn't anything he could've done to help her, she didn't feel safe in this school or that one.

What was he meant to do?!

"Why don't we owl Alffie back and see if we can do anything for her yeah? She's got her dad and Michael at the manor, maybe we can send Omen? Sure she could use some of her company." The two set to work on owling their father and Uncle, but also sending a parcel to Aria.

Knowing full well that if they offered to go home then it wouldn't pass with well with her, she'd want them to stay at school.

However in the passing few days, Alfred agreed that Aria could find comfort in her companion and made his way to the school after owling her head of house—Flitwick who he was quiet familiar with.

He simply said he was a family friend and was here to collect Aria's cat, which sounded strange but when it dealt with Aria Crawford there was certainly stranger.

Especially when he ran into his nephew in the hallway. Surrounding by Lestrange and his band of equally damned dumbarses.

"Well I don't think I've seen you lot since you were this tall. NEWTS treating you alright?" He teased, and it earned him the collective groan.

"As good as it can be sir, rather pointless." Regulus had to bite his life in that regard, Alffie wasn't the traditional pureblood—He valued education and could be found reading.

It wasn't a shocker that Aria was related to the man standing before them, but he was the only one to know that and Omen was hiding in the duffle bag.

"Yes Avery, I suppose you won't need to know about magic in the magical word. Perhaps you should try and get through the NEWTS now, sure you're prepared for the real world." Alfred shot back, and Avery hadn't dared retaliated.

But Rabastan felt the familiarity in the words.

"Sounds like what a certain bird in our year would say, huh?" McNair questioned, nudging 'Bas with his elbow. And a brow rose up on Mr.Black's face.

"Huh, I'll be. One of you found a bird then? Best be careful, smarter than your average snake."

"Yeah, outsmarted this one quick enough," Avery said nudging Rabastan just the same as McNair had, but the solemn expression that remained on Rabastan's face hadn't passed.

Confusing Alfred even further, but then he recalled what Aria said. That he begged for the chance to apologize and then some.

"Taken down by a bird Lestrange? Best not let your father hear about that one now aye?... Reg, would you walk with me?" Bidding the elder Slytherin was the easiest part, what wasn't was the fact that Reg had questions.

And some couldn't be answered as of yet.

"They're running it on the daily prophet tomorrow." He said calmly, which caused Regulus to scoff. "They can't do that, she's underage!"

"They cannot run her name, but the story they could. And she's already mentioned that the majority of the school knows of her attendance at Darethmont." The young Black heir's shoulders hung low as he continued to listen to some other facts about the trial.

It would be on Friday, so while he was stuck in Charms class—Aria was at the ministry fighting for her basic bloody rights again.

This was soon explained to Sirius who only grew more agitated as the days went on. Course the paper spun it in a different way, courtesy of Dalcmous' father and payment towards the paper. There was no mention of a rape attempted, simply an attempted robbery from one student to another.

But for Rabastan and his mates, the sudden public conversations between Sirius and Regulus were starting to make sense.

But he was left unable to help...Once again Rabastan failed to do anything to help her in a time of need.

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Date Posted: 08-31-2020

Time:1:16

Words: 4873

Sorry about that! I posted the wrong chapter! 😬😬