✧AGE IS JUST A NUMBER✧

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As the semester began again, Otto recommended Aria for a very important opportunity that would give her extra hours in terms of internship as well as counts as credits. Something she needed desperately since the fall semester was non-existent, and sweet goddess was she excited.

First she found herself at Durmstrang institution, she and Zane worked together in teaching a lesson—And continued to do so at the Beauxbatons Academy of Magic.

And how utterly satisfying was it for Aria to meet Claudette Denault in a more proper setting, but it did make her stomach flip at the idea of her seeing him in such an intimate position.

Was she still partly upset that her and Rabastan ended as they did? Of course she was, even close to the two-year mark it still hurt. As did the break up with Aidan, and while she does have feelings for Randall, it wasn't as deeply rooted. Not yet.

Randall was very honest that he's never had a girlfriend or a a first kiss, and ultimately that meant that he never shagged before. So it was a beautiful night in Norway that they found themselves in an embrace, she no longer felt the need to wait until marriage—It wasn't a silly concept, no she wished very much that she never had sex.

But there was no taking it back now, and the amount of love one could feel was a beautiful bliss that she accepted it.

And she also accepted the fact that Rabastan is a dumbarse, right beside his betrothed Claudette. Merlin how many times did she have to help the gal with the simplest instructions.

It made her rather angry with the school system allowing her to get through to the seventh year without knowing the basics—Clearly, her parent's position was enough to let her get by without a decent score in potions class.

Even thinking about her prissy voice trying to flirt with Zane caused a migraine to blossom, on the Hogwarts express was she both excited and nervous.

She hadn't told anyone that she was going to be teaching for the week, and of course Slughorn saw it as the perfect opportunity to take a break.

Zane was off on the way home, while she was looking forward to seeing Randall again. He was going to stay in Hogsmead for the entirety week, knowing that while Aria was excited—She was highly cautious in returning to the place that caused her so much pain.

McGonagal welcomed her in with open arms and showed her the professor quarters as well as given her the work that Slughorn wanted after her planned lesson at the end of the week.

She wasn't feeling breakfast that morning, it was the perfect excuse that she was traveling so much that her body wasn't used to any timezone. Allowing her to not have to attend breakfast in the dinning hall, which would've been odd—Eating in front of the student body.

Hell is was going to be odd anyhow! What the bloody fuck was she thinking? Victor and Monty would've loved to go in her place, but it was much too late as the 7th year double potions had started to trickle in this chilly Monday morning.

Aria was simply writing something on the board, and once all the Mauraders had come in—Early, which shocked her twice. She had come straight over and leaned over the counter.

"I don't get a hello?" She teased, and the smile erupted on all their faces as Sirius tackled her with a hug. "Ari! Merlin what are you doing here?!" He cheered, and all she could do was shrug.

"Teaching, and it's Ms.Crawford for the next week to you, Mr.Black." The Gryffindors had all laughed, though it was soon interrupted by Clemintine who tackled her friend to the side.

"You absolute bitch, you said you'd owl often! And what the bloody hell is in your nose." Her hand had gone to her nose and instantly she felt the nose ring, caused her to wink.

"When in Rome? I dunno, I was a lil drunk that—" Goddess she drunk. "—Anyway, McGonagal said I could have friends in my room. If you aren't busy maybe you all could come after dinner?" Her question rang in applause, but of course the rest of the class was starting to come in and so she hurried back to the door and managed just when the clock struck eight-fifteen.

"Alright Good morning everyone, now I'm sure you've all heard that professor Slughorn has decided to take a vacation smack in the middle of the second semester—Yes that's all well and nice, but pretty unfair given that you have NEWTS coming up very soon. So take it as a blessing or a curse that you get a break from him, now then are we missing anyone?" She took a headcount and looked down at the paper.

"I'm almost disappointed that more people didn't keep up with potions...Pitty. Right then—" The classroom door had opened and she couldn't help but laugh at the fact that Rabastan and his cronies decided to use their Slytherin privilege with Slughorn, and Aria shot a small glance towards Sirius before Rabastan spoke up.

"Sorry Professor, took a small detour—" 

"I don't like tardiness Lestrange, please take a seat."

Rabastan was a deer caught in headlights, he hardly had any preparation in seeing Aria in Hogwarts ever again. Especially not after she swore at the headmaster, but here she was—In beautiful teaching robes, her silver hair in gorgeous waves and her simply sitting on the front desk itching to get started.

"Alright, where was it that you lot left off?" She questioned, her eyes looking down at the paper before flickering up to see a few hands.

Mostly Gryffindor she counted, even Clem had her head down. After calling Lily, most of the class groaned and it caused Aria to put her hand on her hips.

"I know about the homework assignment and exam that he wants to give you tomorrow—Unfortunately I can't find it so it seems you might be off the hook." Aria had summoned Lily's homework assignment and simply scanned through it, but in seeing an account four people have it out. She sighed.

"How many of you didn't do the homework?" The majority of the class hadn't, and she shook her head. "I certainly don't blame you, this topic is the hardest of the semester...Yes Black?"

"Is that a hint that it's on the NEWTS or—"

"You do realize they change the questions every year?... Right?" The second wave of groans she heard almost instantly caused her to massage her temple.

Instead she waved her wand to the board with the list of questions that were asked in the homework assignment. "I guess we'll do it together then, I'm sure most of you have either taken dreamless sleep or a wound-cleaning potions before, currently they aren't that expensive but in the near future when the ministry finally figures out what's actually in the potion itself—Is it illegal? Is it going existent? Yes it is." So perhaps those in front of her didn't appreciate the politics of the potion world, but she caught the interest in some people's eyes.

While Rabastan couldn't take his eyes off—Any part of her.

He was in a daze, and her voice was just as sweet. She lectured the entire class on the homework as well as the exam that they were meant to take, and she simply said that she had no issues talking to Slughorn how unnecessarily difficult he had made the questions out to be.

"You think we can put some into her tea to—" Rabastan turned strictly around and was about to tell Amelia and Isabella to watch it. But Aria beat him to it.

"Ms.Harper? Did you want to share that with the class?" Aria said, her head deadpan to the gal in question. And goddess was Harper not prepared to feel that stare down, she had honestly thought she was being quiet and clever.

But Aria had the hearing of a cat, literally.

"Pack your things, you can spend the rest of class with Professor McGonagal."
"What?!"
"I am not dealing with you petty nonsense, so unless you'd like an escort I suggest you get going." Harper had made it a whole scene as the class awaited for her to leave before Aria returned to the lecture as though nothing happened.

When the class was finished however, Aria made quick work trying to read through a folder of what Slughorn had given her to do in the other days she was substituting for. It was hard to judge what class she had next, but she made quick work in getting situated.

"Aria?" Rabastan said, standing a decent foot or so away from the desk. And she looked up for a moment and smiled.

"Rabastan?" She teased, and he shared the same smile—Knowing it was safe to come closer.

"No owl in warning?"
"What's the fun in that?"
 "Alright, well you caught me by surprise, think I almost had a heart attack. And that thing in your nose?"
"Uh, when in Rome? Or actually it was France." He froze, it was clear that he hadn't gotten any letters in return from her the first month and so he stopped writing. But damns did she simply just travel the entire year?

"I did get your letters though, I was only home a short time for Christmas break. Then classes and all that—Taught at a few wizarding schools around the world. I was going to come here regardless."
"But subbing the whole week?"
"That was Slughorn asking me to take over, convention off somewhere. I didn't really ask." She said with a shrug.

"It's really good to see you Ari." His honesty was shining tenfold and while she wanted to be honest, she couldn't let him hold onto hope.

"And it's really good to see you too Rabastan, it almost feels like it did. Like you're visiting me while I'm grading papers." Was it odd to see her out of her Ravenclaw robes and in something more professional? Yes, it was throwing Rabastan off and caused him to be reminded that she wasn't a student.

She was his professor for the week.

"I could certainly do that, Slytherin's playing Ravenclaw this weekend. Are you staying for that?"
"I might have to now, how have the birds been doing?" He took the moment to tell her the stats and for once it felt like they were normal.

But they were anything but normal.

"What class do you have now?"
"I actually have off, I only took two electives this year."
"Ah, smart. But I believe I have a class within the next block, and I haven't prepared for it."
"Not prepared? Merlin, you're an entirely different person."
"Oi! This isn't my syllabus, and I wanted to make the 7th and 5th years a study guide for the final exams." He chuckled, her kindness still speaking volumes, even when she wasn't attending Hogwarts.

"I could help with Reg's class, helped him on some homework recently." Was he fishing for brownie points? He surely was.

"Perhaps you should be doing your own potion homework instead of helping others."
"Seems hypocritical of you to say that hun." She snorted, but rose from the seat behind the desk and started wiping the board.

"Where else did you end up traveling too, I think Reg said something you wouldn't be home—After a potion explosion at the Academy."
"Keeping tabs on me?"
"Always. But I didn't hear about Rome."
"I went everywhere I could, and I've adopted a lil pup." Rabastan to keep his excitement down, he's always wanted a dog.

So Aria looked down to the floor behind the desk and pulled up her rather large purse and showed him a picture.

The picture showed the small screen of her laying on the floor leaning to kiss the pup and him going to slobber her in kisses.

"Oh now that's a cute bugger, what's his name?"
"Loki, he's a little trickster."
"Ah, a fellow man in green." She smiled politely, especially when she caught one of the many pictures of her and Randall.

"How have you been otherwise?... Not being in Hogwarts anymore and all?"
"Great, yeah—I almost feel sympathy for you lot having to be here another few months."
"Almost feel sympathy?"
"You could always take the NEWTS now Lestrange."
"I'll take the almost sympathy." A light bit of laughter graced the empty room, but there was still the fraction of Rabastan not knowing that she was dating.

Sure he was being kind and all, but it felt wrong.

"Unfortuntaly I think I have to kick you out of the classroom Rabastan, I haven't earned my teaching license entirely for creative brewing."
"Giving me the boot already?... Or is it Proctor that's having you make me leave." She rolled her eyes.

"Yeah no, we aren't together anymore."
"I haven't met the bastard, but something tells me what you told me that night is just part of it."

"You're right, it was. But it isn't Proctor, I'm seeing someone else, Rabastan." She said, rather lightly in terms of not wanting him to be angry in any form.

"Really? Who's the lucky bloke?"

"Randall." She could see that he was battling out what he wanted to say, his jaw already betrayed him as it clicked. And of course it didn't pass her cat ears.

"Randall, if I remember correctly you told me not to worry about him."
"But you and I aren't dating anymore, and if we were I probably wouldn't be able to teach here for the week...Besides, it was bound to happen after four months of traveling."
"You don't love him." Goddess did she hate how he could read her so easily, especially when her feelings were right there on her sleeve.

"Not yet, but for once I'm not thinking about the future when I'm with him. But this is inappropriate for a student to be telling a teacher that I don't love my boyfriend. Don't you think?"
"Not when I'm older than you, or correct."
"Age doesn't matter." "Quick response, sounds like you were worried about it for a bit." Rolling her eyes did she start to collect the needed pieces of parchment.

"Sounds like you're a bit defensive about that age business..."
"Now you just sound like my dad, curious Lestrange haven't you gone out to the Eve's Garden this summer...? Try me Rabastan, I've gotten a lot more snarky on my travels." His body almost recoiled on sight of hearing her say the name of a wizard's whore house.

And it was clear where she got that from, as he had only gone once this past summer—And before the party he saw her at.

"Snarky doesn't cover it."
"So I've been told, but I thought it better before you kept talking to me thinking...That there might be a chance."
"Unfortunately for us both I'm thick-headed, so I'll always believe there's a chance Aria. Because somewhere in that heart of yours, you still love me. And I'm holding onto that for as long as I can." Her face was stoic, but Rabastan could see the pain in her eyes as they started to water.

"Good day Lestrange." She said, her voice starting out as a croak as she managed to say his last name with a bit of sadness laced in with her anger.

He hadn't a chance to respond as she left all her belongings and found herself off and away in Slughorn's office.

Rabastan had remained, only for a moment as he cursed himself for being blunt. Sure he could endure it, it was expected behavior from his bird to just say what was on her mind. But not the other way around, he felt foolish—Downright love crazy, and of course he scared her away.

She looked happy, healthy. Pursuing her career, and it was selfish of him to place himself where he wasn't needed. So he took a piece of parchment from his satchel and scribbled a quick apology before placing it underneath the photo of Loki.

As he knew full well she would see it.

Aria had listened to him scribble something on the paper, she had herself pressed against it with her eyes closed hoping that he would simply just go away.

As happy as she was in returning to Hogwarts to see her brothers and her friends, a part of her knew that Rabastan would be kind—That her heart wouldn't be strong enough to resist.

So she put her faith into her limbs and would risk being rude to not allow him the benefit of coming any closer than he has.

Did it hurt? Like a knife to the chest.

She hadn't spoken to him much since the summer, and it was only a small parcel here or there. Mainly more effort on his part than her's, but then again...He wasn't working in the labs on trying to find a cure.

Nor was he taking summer classes.

Unfortunately Aria had to leave the team, they were much too male dominated and for whatever reason they were so full of themselves that they tried to have her clean up their messes. And Otto agreed, so perhaps this summer's team will be better than the last.

After this she was going straight to the labs after recording her research on the growing decline of student's abilities in potions. A personal project as she wanted to prove that the school's textbooks need a desperate upgrade.

With Rabastan finally out of the room, Aria fell into an easy sync of planning for the rest of the day. Tonight she would be able to get more of a handle on the week. And if not she could just do her planned lesson to give her an extra day.

While on the other side of the spectrum, Rabastan was just making his way to Charms when he caught Regulus leaving the class.

He smirked as it was clear that the fifth years hadn't gotten the memo that Ms.Crawford was their professor for the week. So he nudged the younger Black in the side.

"Doubt the sub is going to give you that exam mate, buck up."
"Hopefully, heard it's some old wanker." Rabastan had to stop himself, of course Reg didn't know it was Aria just yet, so he shrugged his shoulder.

"Not at all, wasn't mad that we didn't complete the homework assignment. Best get going, didn't like me and my mates being tardy." He watched as the young Black dragged his feet to the dungeons, perhaps this professor he could ask his potion related questions. He didn't want to bother his sister with it, nor could he deny that Rabastan was getting rather decent at it—Again, with Aria's doing.

Regulus hadn't looked up from his stroll into the classroom and Aria smiled to herself, so she took a spar piece of parchment. Folding it into her signature bird and enchanting it to flutter off to Reg's seat, to say he was surprised was an understatement. Especially when he didn't bother opening her note, he just rushed over to the front of the room—Though he realized last minute that hugging her might be inappropriate.

"I don't get a hug?"
"Er—Am I allowed to hug my professor?" She shrugged it off and brought him into a tight embrace, mindful of the fact that she gave a few hugs out in her previous class.

"'Bas is such a git, he couldn't tell me you were here?"
"I'm sure he's smirking up a storm somewhere in the castle, could I see your homework?... I don't want to seem to unprepared with what you lot are supposed to be learning. You have OWLS coming up." The lad groaned but continued off with doing as she asked, he truly didn't have any expectations to how Aria was going to lecture the class.

But she exceeded their expectations, she made it interesting and involved everyone in the class for the discussion.

The energy she brought to the potion's lab brought students to enjoy her lectures, or that was the consensus she heard. He own advisor was going to be taking this information to aid her into getting her full teaching license.

With her first day of classes over with, she was rather relieved in getting a moment to herself—Though it was short lived as McGonagall had come to check on her, as well as claimed that Ms.Harper can be assigned textbook work off in the library.

It was one of the many things she was worried about, and up until dinner did she manage to finish the better part of the lectures for the week.

However what was the strangest of any of it, was that Aria was sitting up beside professor McGonagall for dinner in the grand hall. It made sense as she was no longer a student.

Rabastan had to admit that she fit up there with ease, either conversing with her former head of house or otherwise. But he took note that she avoided Dumbledore's gaze, he couldn't believe that she was asked to be apart of the Order.

But the other part of him realized that if she was recruited properly and accepted, he and his fellow servants to the Dark Lord would be in trouble.

Perhaps it was better to keep quiet in it all together.

He didn't want her in the spotlight anymore, it was— "Stare any longer, Professor Crawford might get the wrong idea mate." Avery teased, and Rabastan groaned as it was the second time in the past twenty minutes where he was lost in thought.

"Wish she could stay the rest of the year, don't think I've learned as much from Slughorn."

"Not the only one mate, loves potions more than herself it seems." He dwelled and Regulus shot his head towards Rabastan in disgust.

"Oi, if she leaves early because you keep gawking at her I'm going to be bloody pissed." Regulus said, and McNair was quick to follow up with a "Same."

Which caused him to glare back to his mate and focus more on eating his dinner than his infatuation off a ways away. "Better get used to it, she said she might be procting the OWLS and NEWTS."

"Great, like I wasn't stressed as is? Now I have to worry about Ari looking over my shoulder internally screaming at me that I've done something wrong?" Regulus rolled his eyes and smirked.

"Honestly mate, I think she's doing that constantly while teaching...Or perhaps that's my class at the least." The young Black heir said with a shrug. But it was Avery who took it a step further.

"I think she enjoyed disciplining you 'Bas, 'I don't like tardiness,' this is going to be a damned week." And Goddess Avery wasn't wrong, the week had flown by so bloody fast that most if not all the students were rather upset that Ari wouldn't be staying much longer.

He's heard from the grapevine that she invited her Gryffindor friends to her room, and while he wanted to suggest that she was Sirius—Regulus debunked it instantly.

Even if the two Black brothers were estranged since Christmas.

"Ari brought her puppy, he's rather adorable—Maybe if you ace her quiz then she'll bring him to your class too." And it was then that Rabastan had been set on a mission, to study as much as he could in hopes of gaining her attention.

But in the end, the quiz was hardly worth the trouble, and Aria brought out Loki to run around the labs. The little wolf had already been introduced to the Gryffindors, but he was as curious as his mother and thus, scampered around the room while Aria was simply done with her lectures and started passing out a study guide she prepared for the potion's NEWTS exam.

For either the written and practical. Both the 7th and 5th years were beyond thankful, and that's all Aria wanted for them to be a little less stressed in regards to what will be a very stressful week.

She was a natural with students, and Rabastan would be lying if he didn't claim the few minutes before class and lingered after just in the off chance he gained the courage to speak to her.

Though she offered a smile but nothing more, she didn't openly talk to him or seek him out. And while he tried to categorize it as not deserving it, hadn't the summer proved otherwise? Her final day at Hogwarts as a student spoke between the lines?

Had their talk at his manor not mattered?

He felt confused and damned that he hadn't noticed all the commotion that was happening around him as he fastened his gloves and strapped the final bit of his boots.

He threw in words of encouragement to his team, course Slughorn had granted him as team captain, and his two co-captains finished off the reminders of practice between they took to the sky.

The cheers below were rather loud for a Slytherin and Ravenclaw game, but he took it as Aria yelling the loudest. So he might as well give her a good game to watch.

The whistle sounded off and close to instantly the Ravenclaw chasers had secured the quaffel and on their way to the snake's keep—Rabastan had made quick work to try in interfere but fell short as the bird made a rather forceful throw straight into the middle ring as they faked the first motion.

Confusing the Keeper.

"Well, would you look at that. I've still got it." Aria knew that Lestrange was somewhere off behind her, but the recognition of her laughter is what really drew him in.

"The bloody fuck...You're allowed to play?" 

"I was practically begged by Flitwick, better get a move on Lestrange. Already behind." She said letting out a wink before zipping past their flutterings of greens.

*

Rabastan held in his hands his diploma, much like Aria had just this time a year ago. Even now he couldn't understand how she did it, and from Regulus' say so—She was on a team for a potion, though he hadn't a clue if it was indeed for Wolfsbane or Dragon Pox. Either very difficult and high in demand, though Rabastan just hoped that she was doing alright, since her teaching at Hogwarts—He remembered her much more than he was prepared to.

His mum had been the one to pick him up from the platform, as we as Regulus. The bloke didn't seem to mind all that much as he took to his usual room and came out within the hour to snack on whatever his mum had ordered for lunch.

"Do you think your bird will be joining the July party this year Rabastan? I do want to meet her." It was a shared choke on either their bite or sip, and that is when Rabastan turned to Regulus.

"Uh...I'm not sure, she's working on a potion's team. Though I'm sure she'll tell me before."
"Oh? Are you not talking to her anymore?" Regulus rose a brow to the lad across the ways and held a small smile.

"No, not as much. We've both been busy as of late." He mumbled out the excuse but Regulus shook his head.
"She actually filled in for the week in place of Slughorn—I think the whole collective student body came to the agreement that she taught more in a single week than I have in all the years."

"It seems you two have her in high regards..." Mrs.Lestrange sang with a knowing smirk, but Regulus shrugged his shoulders and continued to eat.

"Of course, she's my friend."
"Just a friend Regulus?" The thought of anything else made him gag in the inside as he quickly nodded.
"She was my potions tutor since first year, I've never fancied her." Rabastan knew it to be true, on either side of the friendship. As Aria described it as having a little brother, though now he wished for nothing more than to have her sitting at the table with them.

To hear her speak about potions and all the sorts. He would listen to anything she had to say, and he smiled at the thought of how her lectures ultimately saved him and his potion's NEWTS.

It was strange, the closer to his ceremony date, the more he was thinking of Aria. The more his heart tugged at the idea that he was wronging her even when he hadn't committed to it, but realistically he was already signed in blood ages ago.

There was no turning back, and after the first expedition of the mark being on his arm...He ventured to Aria's manor, it was far too early in the morning for her to still be awake or get up for the day, and thus he found himself walking lightly up the steps and venture to find her.

It hadn't been that hard, especially when Omen was awaiting in the center of the hallway. As if she knew he was going to arrive, or heard him hesitate and floo in through the fireplace.

The feline lead the wizard through to Aria's bedroom, turning up to scratch at the wood before he peeked it open. He hadn't even thought about the idea of Aria having Scamander over, but was thankful that he hadn't walked in on them.

Moving with a purpose now he dropped down to her bedside and engulfed her hand into his, soothing out all the work she's probably done since the last time he saw her at the platform.

"I'm sorry love...I'm sorry." A small moan escaped her, and a her hand squeezed into his as her eyes started to blink open a small bit.

"Raba?" In that moment he realized what he'd done, he wasn't in his right mind to come to her house so close to morning to seek her comfort. Not when they weren't together.

But he found it worth as he bowed his head further.

Aria started to rise from her position underneath the covers and she moved aside and pulled him in. "Shoes off." She mumbled, yet it helped to know what she was trying to do.

And goddess he hadn't expected this type of comfort.

He joined her underneath the covers and did as she asked, yet managed to shed off his cloak and jacket before laying fully down in her warthm.

Even the swarming of her perfume caused him to sigh in relief, and better yet, she cuddled beside his arm. Humming in conclusion before she tapped his arm.

"You need to leave before Wyatt's up." He nodded, bending down to kiss her temple as he pulled the blanket further up her shoulder.

"Thank you."

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Date Posted: 09-18-2020

Time: 8:22

Words: 5271

Sorry, I meant to post yesterday but it escaped me. Also, what do we think of Randal? 

Randal or Proctor?

Or Rabastan all the way? (This has to be my vote😂😂)

I mean come on, she didn't even hesitate to give him comfort after he was initiated 🥺

Alright, I'll try to post an extra chapter Sunday or Monday depending on if I finish homework, Covid is really messing up the system. I think I have more work now than before!