✧NOW I CAN TRULY SAY...CONGRATULATIONS✧

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Aria hadn't a clue when she fell asleep or what time it was, but judging by Omen's position of sitting and waiting—Even kneeing her paws into the comforter she realized that she should probably get going.

It'd be a miracle to arrive at Hogwarts by dinnertime, but like most of her plans, they were futile. Attempting to freshen up just caused her to frown further, but alas she managed to get herself collected.

For what felt like the hundredth time was she just planning on going to the nearest coffee shop and pay to use their floo system as to not wake up anyone in the house—However when she took the last step did she see that everyone was sitting at the dining room.

The solum faces could only conclude what she thought prior, there was no need to disown her if she was never claimed. A small burning sense claimed in her nose and the tears prickled in her eyes, her plan was underway but she couldn't feel any more strength.

She felt beyond exhausted, but she detested on how the bed felt upstairs. What she needed was Hogwarts, what she needed was her classroom and a self-made cup of coco.

"Aria..." Of course Michael had to be the one to notice her first, but she took a cautious step back as he advanced. "T-thank you for the invitation...I need to be going." She hurried out, her eyes dancing between a few of the faces before she ducked out to the front door.

There were rushed footsteps behind her, and although the door had been open enough—Eli had closed it on her. "We need to talk...As a family."
"I was under the impression you all did that...You promised I could go."
"That I bring you, the last thing I want is for you to end up in the hospital because of a portkey illness." She looked between him and the room that felt so daunting that even Omen didn't want to go in either.

"After we talk, I want you to eat and rest before we head to the MACUSA." There wasn't anyone in the house that she trusted more than Eli, and he was definitely tapping into that to instigate what he mentioned prior. A family meeting.

Had Michael known the reasoning behind it all he would've broken up with Erika. Her family was heavily toxic, and not only were they suspicious that she was even with child—She had spread lies through her own family and thus...The town.

The one safe haven that Aria had, had been tainted because of him...because he was blinded by love. He saw it clearly when Erika had completely forgotten about Aria, how she made time for everyone in the family except for his little sister.

And he wasn't the only one who felt like he failed, the whole table displayed their emotions and what they heard. So when Aria returned to the room and was lead to the head of the table to sit down, Eli and Michael set her up with a full cup of tea while everyone else already had their share of coffee and biscuits.

Although she looked calm, the internal battle insight was losing all sense and patience.

"A-aria we didn't know that—" She looked directly to Simone, her eyes turning a shaded grey that informed them of the issue that sparked the entirety of yesterday.

But everything that happened was said out loud and otherwise.

"I won't sit here and be lied to again, you all know exactly what happened so please spare the part where you want to protect my feelings as that's obviously worked so well in the past." She wasn't talking to Simone directly, she was just speaking out loud to the collection of them.

Michael wanted nothing more than to comfort Aria, but even in seeing his hand creep forward she stomped his attempt outright. Which caused him to curl his fist.

"Aria I'm sorry. S-she was so scared of her family finding out that—"
"But in reality it was her family not wanting someone disgusting like myself? Yeah, I've gotten that far on my own thank you...What I don't think you understand is that I wanted to be there for you. And to hear without a warning that you've gotten married and your expecting a child it's—" Chrissy had been the one to speak up next, hoping her voice would clear Aria's anger.

But Eli was always held in the higher regard in Aria's mind.

"It was wrong sweetheart, and the treatment of their family was what disgusting."
"That's why I'm nulling the marriage." Aria turned to Michael, but he looked far in tune with his decision.

"Mike—"
"No. Ma doesn't think she's pregnant and she's disrespected you and our family. I should've seen that from the beginning." From there they shared what they heard, and though Aria flinched at hearing the comments...By the end of it, she was numbed to it.

Everything from dirty English witch, to unloved bastard child, was she standing behind. Nor was it just the old generation as Newt shared what he witnessed.

The amount of digging that they managed was all for not as Michael had already partitioned for an annulment, and since it was within a month and with proper caused it would be granted.

And he wasn't regretful at all, the only thing he felt guilty of was what he strung his family and Aria through.

Chrissy warned everyone the effects that yesterday could've caused, that Aria's safety network betrayed her and it was half the reason why she looked to everything with hesitation.

With her created safe space being tampered, she told everyone to try and persuade Aria to stay another night or two just so she could feel relief that this was still considered her home.

No matter what the Bayes had said.

The entire ordeal was a mess, but it was nice that Randal had owled that afternoon and told her that he and his parents were returning home Friday night.

And she was entirely welcomed at the Scamander home if she ever needed to stay somewhere and wasn't able to return to America. She assumed that Newt had talked to Eli, but now her idol turned into another adult figure to be able to help her if she ever needed it while in Britain.

With having missed a few classes she needed to catch up on an assignment and decided to get it done before she fell too far behind to continue tutoring the given lot of people.

Twenty minutes, that was all she had before Michael came over with a fresh kettle. And even when she had a blanket and all, he still shot a spell towards the fire before settling up her counted fourth cup of tea for the day.

"I think I have more tea than blood in me Mike." She teased, but her tone was still so soft that he sighed further. "Aria I am so sorry—"
"You don't have to apology it's not your fault."
"But it is, I brought them into the family, there were a few times I noticed unfairness but I thought it was because you weren't here enough for them to remember you. But what Mr.Scamander told dad of what Erika's mother spoke of you without knowing it was you? And then what dad heard in the vents?"

"What do you think Hogwarts has been like Mike? Its why I don't tell people where I come from, I'm scared to tell anyone the truth and I know she was going to be family everyone told her but it—I knew it was going to happen, I just didn't think I would be ranked as evil."
"You are nowhere close to being evil bubbles." She closed her eyes and smiled, leaning into his shoulder as it was the calm after the storm.

Or so she thought.

Not long after Michael claimed to get more cookies, Aria was left alone in the den—And the violate slamming of the front door alerted her to an unwelcome presence...She didn't know who was coming, nor was she prepared to get a jinx thrown at her.

In the previous years at Hogwarts, there have been a multiple set of Defense Against the Dark Arts professors, but the one thing in common that they all shared was that if it comes to defending oneself—Then it isn't against the law, and thus she blocked the next line of spells her way as her free handheld the likeness of her cheek.

"ERIKA! WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING?!" Michael yelled, summoning her wand away from her, but of course it was too late. The method that Chrissy had planned for and ensuring that Aria knew that this was a safe space had been put to the test yet again, especially when she had hit her head on the table and caused a rather nasty gash beside her temple to appear.

"That Orphan is creating lies! My family did nothing wrong!"

"You don't get to speak to my sister that way, multiple people have told me how your family treated her, and for what?! I've already gone to the sanctuary, it's being nulled as we speak!"

"And our baby?! Did you think about our child in any part of what you did?!" The screaming continued, but luckily the commotion drew attention to the main living space and thus Aria was pulled up into Eli's embrace, a soft cloth was pressed to stop the bleeding while Chrissy and Ben prepared the potions to administer.

The only issue was seeing the redness in her eyes, Erika may be daft but she did know her way around a wand.

Unfortunately since it was done with unlawful magic, it was going to take some time to heal. And thus Aria returned to the scene to see that Erika's parents have come to try and rectify the situation.

Omen had come at the mercy of all the commotion and Aria held the small vial in hand, she spotted it in the midst of all the infirmary supplies and she smirked at the idea.

Whispering it into her cat's ear did the feline understand less than half of the plan, but all Omen really needed to know was her part.
The rest was up to her mum.

"All this can be forgotten and resolved, I'm sure Michael and Erika can come together for the sake of the baby." Mrs.Bayes exclaimed, but Eli had it up to hear with the family.

Expecting welcomed arms after what happened throughout the week.

"Resolved? After what was displayed my son has even more of a right to have it annulled, and if Aria so chooses she could—And she should press charges."
"Charges?! Under what grounds?!" Erika had been so distress she hadn't felt the swipe of Omen's class at her ankle. And it wasn't that difficult to get the said blood into the vial and swirl it around.

"That bursting into the roof I live under and assault me? To attack an underage witch? To use an unlawful spell? I suppose I could go on with a record of Discrimination and Defamation. Pick and chose." Perhaps it was the first time that they heard Aria speak, or since she entered the room and went to go stand beside Eli and the rest, but in seeing her either Bayes woman acted as though she smelled awful.

And surely she did, as the paste that was meant to heal the bruising wasn't pleasant at all.
"More lies! My Erika would never hurt a—"
"I saw her attacking my sister with my own two eyes Mrs.Bayes, she has a witness." Michael stood before his sister in defense, but she held his hand to pull him back. This was sure to get uglier than just before.

"You cannot bring the mother of your child to court."
"Actually since he is only a witness, yes, he can," Eli smirked, perhaps all the times he had brought her to his lawyer's meetings was starting to pay off now as she seemed well versed in this...Taking on a witch almost three times her age.

"How dare you! You disgusting litt—"
"That's enough. I won't tolerate disrespect to anyone in this household and you've made a mockery of the situation." Aria looked to the vial in hand, her eyes widening in shock to see that Erika was not lying.

She was indeed pregnant...But something was missing, and so she tugged at Michael's side which caused him to lean his ear down for her to whisper.

"Do you trust me?"
"Of course Bubbles." Popping off the cork did she clean off the small needle before turning to prick his finger. Sure he flinched, and stared down to the little witch but he was distracted after Mr.Bayes made another accusation directed at Aria.

Then another, but this time claiming she was too evil and dirty blood for the Scamander boy. Which was quite amusing considering that was the first time she met him.

Aria looked to the vial and stared in awe at the results, trusting her gut had been the best possible solution. The worry of the family was that the sanctuary wouldn't annul the marriage as easy considering Erika was carrying a child.

But that child was not Micheal's.

"Eli..." She turned to her father figure, and he was too quick to pull her into his embrace in thinking that she needed some comfort, but she held up the vial—All too easily had he recognized what it was.

"Chrissy, could you be a dear and owl my lawyers?" This threw the adults to rally again, claiming that it would be all for nothing as the child would be Crawford, that they were going against their own blood.

"Not to get my dirty and evil blood mixed into the matter, but I do believe the child has to be Micheal's for all that you say to be true."

"You bitch!" Erika had caught sight of the vial herself and started to cry heaps of apologies to both Michael and the rest.

But truthfully, Michael couldn't be more relieved—Sure he was hurt, but it was a god's blessing for it to end like this.

Course it meant that the entire lot of them would need to go to court now, but the statement made to the Auror's that came was enough for her to post claim of the issue and nothing more.

She was a student and underage, her quotes were enough for the lawyer to use.

The only issue was that her wrist was banged up, she'd need to get it mended soon if she wanted a good season. Though bandaging it up proved to be even worse as she was catered to her every whim, especially by Michael.

"God goddess herself, please I can use a bloody knife!" She groaned, how difficult was it really to understand a previous quidditch injury?

"Ari—"
"Bubs I'm fine." She never really used the nickname for him, not for a while anyway. He was the Bubs to her bubbles. The guilt on his shoulders rose up, as he took it to heart him hearing her say such a nickname.

And thus the house was starting to return to normal...Or as normal as it could be.

It was clear that Eli and Michael tucking her into bed reminded them of when she younger. And she even had to point to the calendar and claim that she was almost sixteen, that this wasn't what normally happened when one was sixteen.

"I think you both just want me to stay longer."
"I always want you to stay longer bubbles, but dad needs to get back to Salem and I should make the effort in getting back to work." She smiled to the both of them, giving a small kiss on the cheek to either of them before she settled herself in.

"That was quick thinking on your part Aria, I'm proud of you...I didn't suspect Erika to—"

"It was eating me up, all of it just felt wrong. To push a wedding for what? They sounded too happy to have a Crawford baby, and when they said it'd be his either way...All of it sounded staged." Eli bent down to kiss her forehead and claimed he'd see her for breakfast before dropping her off with the Scammanders.

This was surely going to be a fun trip, then she'd get to see Dennis and perhaps figure out what's wrong with him.

But the past two days were filled with nothing but surprises, and of course it was met with another as a repetitive tap at her window caused her to groan.

In a moments notice did she open the damn thing to look down. "A-Aidan?" She whispered down, and he smirked up towards her, his hands in his robes as he titled his head up. "Can we talk sunshine?"
"Merlin Aidan this really isn't a good time to—"

"Please? I heard you were in town...I wouldn't have snuck out if it wasn't important." She realized in close to a second after and with the harsh reminder of the wind that it was not the summer months nor holiday.

Aidan had snuck out of Ilvermorny to come to her home, of course the school was located in the same state and he had all the time in the world to return as it was nothing more than a good hour away...But what the bloody hell was he doing here?!

"Ari?"
"Yeah okay fine." She hurried out, parting her window open further as he climbed the side of the house. He looked much to proud of himself for making it up in record time, but truthfully Aria was still partly asleep—And sure she was happy to see him but she valued sleep more than this reunion.

Especially since the last time they spoke was just before the new year rolled around. And here they were, at the end of January.

"Hey." He breathed out, and sure she wasn't the best in seeing in the dark, but she could just hear his cocky grin.
"Can I help you?" Clearing his throat did he turn to close the window as he nodded back to her.

"Why didn't you tell us you were here?"
"Us? Suppose you're talking to everyone again if you feel the need to say 'us'."
"If you'd been reading my letters then you'd know, gods Aria what do you want me to do? Apologies? Beg on my knees and say how much of a dumbass I've been?" He took a step forward, perhaps it was the blocking moonlight that didn't allow him to get a clear view of her face, but in seeing it he paused any and all anger he had for being ignored.

He froze.

"Who did that?" He huffed, and she carefully tapped her cheekbone and close to instantly regretted it. "That's a long story. How did you know I was here? I didn't sent out any letters."

"Danelle Bayes left for the wedding, I assumed that—... Sweet Diana Aria what happened?" As angry as she was with her guardian family, there was the mention of her friends failing to tell her about the evil blood that miraculously came to bite her in the arse.

"A mess of it really, I wasn't invited to the wedding because the Bayes thought I was too dirty and too much of an Orphan to attend." The lad swore before her, passing by her as he went to go and put on the desk light, urging her to sit down so he could look at the bruise.

"Why didn't you tell me?"
"Because I'm a Salem prince, and who's going to against my word?...Sweet mother Diana, an unlawful?"
"Yes well, Michael's getting a divorce—Shocker—But apparently she was hiding the likes of being with child."
"He's still going through with it?"
"I've seen enough suspicion to piece together that it wasn't his, and Omen helped me get a swap of her blood." He turned rather giddy at the thought of her being so devious, but his pukwudgie wellbeing wanted to fix the injury at her face.

"And you wound up hurt? How."
"Ah, well an angry day old bride turned divorce pension surely wracks someone up in being angry, and on pregnancy hormones she came storming in and threw an unlawful at me. Hopefully that letter doesn't wind up in Mrs.Blanchard's—"

"It won't. Record of self-defense, especially if you've charged them. Which I'm sure that Mr.Crawford wouldn't let you go to bed without filing that."

"And he didn't, and Ben's been all out of sorts...Chrissy and him prepared a paste, it's on my nightstand." After he sat her down at her desk he took the long strides to grab the ointment and found himself acting as her healer.

"Feels like the summer then? Where I come to you with a new thing to heal."
"At one point I thought you were doing it on purpose, coming into the clinic with a smile on your face? The other interns thought you were insane."
"And what'd you tell them?"
"That my girlfriend wa—That you were trying to learn a new trick in Quidditch." He found himself finished, with no more excuse to touch her, he felt oddly out of place.

"Aria you should know I broke up with Jackie." She turned widened eye as she rose from her seat and held her arm tightly. "So you didn't read any of them...Figured when I didn't get anything back that you were angry with me."
"Well, Jackie and the Bayes are similar in that regard." She was right, gods she was always right.

And no amount of self-control could manage to stop him from crashing his lips against hers. It felt so familiar, so adoring that she couldn't help but feel the aftershock only when her wrist reminded her of the time and place.

"Aidan—Aidan this—" He had surely gotten carried away, her light nightwear only making him more in tune as her body didn't reach the same verdict of logic as her mind.

"Aidan John Proctor you stop this right now." She spoke, pushing at his advances as though he were a puppy. And he surely resembled one with the flared cheeks, beating eyes and a pout to boot.

"Aria I'm sorry I just—I—" She attempted to comfort him, her hands taking hold of both sides of his cheeks and trying to retract at how harsh she spoked. Yet the events of the past two days paired with being abruptly awakened really didn't void well for any decent conversation to be had.

Or whatever he planned for.

"You...You're not wearing your ring." It was a stumbled realization, only that he check once—then twice over. His fingers rubbing the bareness of the finger as he needed to make sure.

It was a silent display of removing his promise, and it hit him harder than anything he heard in the passed hour. "It's—It's because of Jackie I—I swear Ari I broke up with her weeks ago, she's—She was a mistake, I promise I—"
"It's not you Aidan, I think...I've started to fancy another bloke." It was the first time she had actually said it out loud, and to Aidan no less.

Sure she mentioned it to Randal to stop any unnecessary awkwardness, that and it made it rather hilarious to see everyone assume so wrongly. But then again the banquet was horribly awful for her.

"You fancy someone, you didn't even call it a fancyment when you were with Fabian."
"Well I certainly haven't managed to come to a conclusion! Let alone pronounce it for what it is."
"Who is he?" Aidan was protective yes, surely she could see that a mile away from having met him.

"Rabastan Lestrange."
"Les—Lestrange?! You're joking, Ari isn't that the ass who—"
" Who's bullied me for the majority of my time at Hogwarts? Yes, I'm more than aware—"
"What the hell did he say? What did he promise? To find your parents o-or—"
"Or nothing! I don't want to find my parents, I've said that countless times and I'll say it again. A hundred times over..." He saw what his accusation had done, but what was he meant to do with this discovery.

Rabastan Lestrange was the biggest bastard—Her words, not his—To ever walk the earth. There was not a single good word tied to his name, his attitude, his aura...All of it was a mess, and he surely heard enough to not condone this.

She was surely spiteful, surely—

"It's foolish, I know. But he's been adoringly sweet. He comforted me when Michael sent his letter of regret in not inviting or waiting for me to attend his ceremony. And he's done that in the past, and I've come to read him differently...I swear—I swear."

She had started to cry, gripping his shirt and tugging at it in between her fists the cloth. "I believe you have the best intentions, you always do sunshine. But...You have to be absolutely sure, promise me that—that if he does something, anything—You get yourself out." She nodded, smiling up to him with such a relief that she leaned in once again.

It was a goodbye kiss, or perhaps it was the kiss that she desired to have during the new year party. But it was all for not, as she found herself moving away his overflow of hair behind his head, an action she would do on any occasion as she let the back of her hand trace down his jawline.

"You told me the heart is a strange thing..."
"Hm, I did."
"What of the soul?" He blinked for a moment, then two as he sighed out into the open. "The soul...Is our spirit sunshine, and you are so bright and warm with it." That word, that phrase.

Warm.

That is what she felt when she was with Rabastan. So why hadn't it clicked in her mind that the fates were trying their damnest to point her in the right direction? And that direction was out of his arms and to another wizard.

"I will happily beat his pureblood ass to run crying back to mummy."
"Oh, please remind me when I come during the summer to teach you proper dialog. You're god awful at it."
"And I'm going to Americanize you right back." Had this happened during the summer the two would've gotten a little rowdy and possibly scandalous, but as of late she didn't feel the same spark in being close to Aidan.

But that didn't mean her feelings were completely void, she still cared for him and nicked her head to the couch. "No cuddling?"
"Not when Eli notices the ring isn't there anymore, though I'm sure he'd be jumping for joy when he does." Aidan politely chuckled, though it was laced with more hurt than reacting to the humor.

"What if you have a nightmare?" She stilled as she was removing the pillows and cushions from their place on the couch, it was a normal pull-out as Chrissy and Eli wanted her to be comfortable if she has guests over.

And she did, frequently. Though Aidan always had an open door, it still irked Eli to let the fellow in. And Aria would see to it that she remained as respectful as possible.

"Ari?"
"It's not nightmares anymore."
"What?"
"It's strange...It's—It's scenarios, they so blurry and raw that..." That I don't think they're dreams anymore.

"It's late, do you want something to change into?" She asked, walking over to the closet and grabbing his spare clothes that he left a stockpile of.

Just for moments like this.

He smirked in taking off his shirt, the tattoo showing prominently on his chest in an attempt to persuade her otherwise. "Oi, I didn't do this when you started flirting with that Bitch."
"Hm, and a bitch she is. Something I wish you warned me about."
"We can't protect each other from everything, and flaunting your perfect body is just not going to work."
"Huh, is he charming and cunning?" She shrugged, though she went to go and turn off the light and re tug the curtain in front of the window.

"Are you sure you don't want to join me sunshine? It's nice and—"
"Get in my bed before Omen takes your spot." He scampered to join her, the ready-made bed completely abandoned as he made himself comfortable beside her.

"I regret the whole thing, all of it."
"Least she wasn't your first."
"Ari I apologized for a whole month for that."
"Hmm, and was it worth it?"

"You not talking to me for a month? Yeah!... I wish you could take off for American Holidays." She shook her head and pulled the covered further over her body.

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Date Posted: 04-08-2020

Time: 1:20

Words: 4881

I promise it will start picking up soon, the time in Hogwarts will go by much quicker as well as the start of Aria and Rabastan's relationship:)