Fantasy +lumos; becoming the light+ (Closed)

[Pax Pardus Hale]

Loire Gaunt.

The last month of school flew by. After the... event with Barty, Loire had been entirely on edge. Dumbledore allowed the mentors to stay until the end of the year to console the students and support them through their grief over Cedric. Most of the Slytherins seemed unphased and she wasn't going to push for anyone to talk, and honestly? Loire wasn't the most approachable.

After that day with Barty Loire distanced herself from Cyrus. She locked herself in her room one night and read the stack of letters on her desk, most of them from her father, and up until now she was in denial of what waited for her at home. Lord Gaunt demanded her return once the year ended and, with everything going on Loire couldn't refuse. If she did he would hunt her down, find Cyrus, and-- She didn't like to think about the and. Loire quickly began to build up her walls again by shutting everyone out, even Cyrus. A curt "I'm fine" was always her response to anyone who asked.

"I need to return to the manor." Loire had been uncomfortably silent their whole final day, spending most of it packing up the few of her remaining things in Cyrus's room. "I'm still moving in with you so don't flip out. I just have some... things I need to deal with." At this point she had been avoiding looking at him-- she hated lying to him. While it wasn't a lie, not really, she didn't want to have to explain what those things were. With a small sigh the small woman closed the black suitcase and stood to her full short stature.

She smoothed over her tight fitting black dress before hugging the oversized black cardigan closer to her, the anxiety of home eating her up inside. "Go home and get settled. We can meet up later tonight?" For the first time all day she looked up at him, doing her best to keep that cool, calm demeanor of hers. Loire knew that her leaving the manor in one piece was a pipe dream, but if Cyrus knew he wouldn't let her go. And who else could she turn to for help? Larkyn? They had a small moment where they were siblings again when he arrested Barty, but other than that they hadn't said two words to each other.

Loire had to face this on her own.

 

[Pax Pardus Hale]

Sapphira

Death was something foreign to Sapphira. Her grandparents died before she was born, her parents were allergic to animals so she never had a pet. Sapphira lived in this happy, socialite bubble of hers and had yet to feel the pain of loss, of grief. So... Sapph followed Delaney that day in a complete daze, absolutely in denial. Cedric would get better. He... They were fucking wizards and witches, there had to be some way to fix him! She couldn't eat, she couldn't fucking sleep with the sound of Amos sobbing haunting her every thought.

The one thing that pulled her from the daze? Cedric's funeral. Sapphira felt like a shell of a person after that. By day she consoled the students and by night, well, whatever Larkyn did get her to eat she would vomit back up during the night, sobbing; The girl was a mess. Cedric was her brother, the student she was assigned to mentor, and she had failed him in the worst of ways. All that spunk, that light, that life in her was gone. There was no desire to go out with Larkyn for their flight training, nor desire to go out and do... well, anything?

Probably the worst of it all? Larkyn just seemed so... unphased by it all. The biggest trauma of her life and she didn't even feel like she could talk to him about it. Delaney was so busy with all the other students, she didn't need to console Sapph on top of that. Who else would she turn to? Loire, Dru? Yeah, right.

"So... our first place together! How exciting." Sapph was busy folding some of her remaining clothes, carefully tucking them into her luggage with the most forced smile she could muster. There were some bags under her eyes from the lack of sleep which she attempted to cover up with makeup, to no avail. It had been... what? A month surviving off of two, three hours of sleep a night at most? Her long red locks were tied up into a bun on the top of her head, her normally tight fitting clothes now loose on her rapidly thinning figure. It was clear she was still trying to take care of herself and put on a false front.

"What do you think about London? If I can find a good job there we can get you transferred there. We can avoid--" Being near Hogwarts or Hogsmeade? Anywhere that made her think of Cedric? Run away from all of these overwhelming emotions? "It'll be nice to get a fresh start anywhere." Tired green eyes looked over at Larkyn, a piece of her hoping that he'd agree with her. The man hadn't comforted her in the slightest during all these late nights, the least he could do is agree to a move... right?

 

[Sir Damien]

Weasley.

You'll never see me as anything but a monster... I guess you didn't really know me after all. Those were the words Hunter left Dru. Gutted, his heart in fucking pieces on that shed floor, Hunter felt tears burning in his eyes as he listened to everything she had to say. It was all a punch to the gut, but what could he say? Tell her the story of how he was abducted, tortured for a week, marked against his will? It was clear she didn't care-- all she saw was a fucking monster. But... she had every right to. Like it or not he was marked, there was no tap dancing around the fact. He was... everything she hated.

And now Voldemort was back. Hunter was a death eater and needed to get as far as he could from Dru. So... he left. Straight to his room to shove all his shit messily in a bag. Sobbing for a few minutes and simply pet Jade who was consoling him even without a gift in his hand, and said goodbye to the only room that had ever, ever, felt like a home after being gone for so many years. He knew it wasn't the room that was home, it was Dru. He had lost the best thing to ever happen to him.

Hunter bailed on the mentorship. Told Dumbledore some bogus story about being needed to deal with a dragon in the north, left it at that. Gryffindors had Cyrus and he was clearly more adept at handling emotional shit than Hunter. And while he knew that Dumbledore could see beyond the lie he was released from the mentorship. From there on out he spent every waking second in that beautiful apartment he had rented for Dru, for them. Something that was supposed to be so beautiful had quickly become something that felt like a prison.

"You're sure you packed everything?" Hunter strode through the hallway of the castle with all four of his siblings, Ginny's bag being carried by her doting older brother. Truth be told it was the first time he had left the apartment in a month, he looked a damned mess. His usually well kept messy locks were disheveled, a matching red beard now sported on his face. He had lost the desire to shave, and it was clear that he lost the desire to eat with how baggy his clothes were looking on him. His muscles were fading away-- Hunter felt like he was fading away. It'd be best for everyone though. Dru would be happier, at least.

The twins were conversing with Ron and truth be told Hunter drowned out the conversation, not really having the mental capacity to deal with any sibling drama. The only reason he was here? Ginny asked him to see them home. They approached the exit of the castle and Hunter was quick to heave a sigh of relief. The sooner they got out the better. If he saw Dru he'd probably vomit, burst into tears, crumble to his knees? All the things he had been doing this past month.

 

[Colt Voltage]

S. Longbottom

This was not the way he wanted to end the year. Instead a sense of comradery there was a tension in the air amongst the students and teachers. Voldemort was back, he killed Cedric, marked Harry. Of course he held back Loire from killing Barty, it was the right thing to do to stop a friend from murdering someone, but part of him wanted to let her go, to get revenge. Neville's parents were in the mad house because of the death eaters, Sebs father was dead because he was looking into them. They were monsters and all deserved death...

The topic always had a way to turn the level headed man irrational, always had. However the students needed him, Delaney needed him, so he bit his tongue. He went about the rest of the month trying not to acknowledge the touchy subject that Hunter was gone, and consoled both Neville and the other students.

"Knock, knock.~" Two playful knocks sounded from Delaney's wooden door before the tall, dark haired man strolled into the room. Dressed in a royal blue button down and black slacks he had a bronze bowtie fixated around the collar of his neck. His hair was slicked back, his hands casually relaxing in the pockets of his slacks. "How are you fairing in here my dear?" For a moment he glanced over her room, taking in just how empty it was. Delaney had been living on campus for the last few years, he could imagine she had a few bags to pack.

"Now I know we discussed getting a bigger flat." A long drawn out sigh passed his lips, a finger dragging against the footboard of the large canopy bed. "I just couldn't find anything that would suit our needs. Poor Turtle needs room to wander, doesn't she?" His left hand pulled from his pocket to pet the fluffy beast, his bright blue eyes catching Delaney's with a small smile. "Fortunately, I found something for us. Plenty of room for a garden, and more than enough room for Turtle... and maybe a friend or two for her."

Seb's right hand retracted from his pocket, this time his hand was holding a shiny new key. "Here. To our very first home, my love." Their first home together, without Gran being impossibly overbearing. A bright smile lit up his face as he made two strides over to Delaney, depositing the key into her palm before cupping the side of her warm face. His lips gently landed on her forehead. "Ready? I'll grab your luggage."

Spoiler: The Cottage

 

[ZombieBaee]

Druella “Dru” Malfoy

Broken, that was the only way to describe how Dru felt, how she acted… who she was now. After Hunter left the small shed she stayed there on the cold ground for a long time. It wasn’t until far later that night when Loire and Cyrus found her there. Honestly she was thankful it was them, Loire understood the trauma that infected Drus mind so she didn’t ask questions like a lot of others would have. Instead they just lead her back to her old room and helped her get to bed. Dru spent a lot of her time in her room after that, there was only a month left of school and the students were occupied with testing and finishing up their social activities for the year so they didn’t bother her much. After about two weeks of complete solitude, Draco came to inquire about what exactly her “issue” was.

Draco and Dru had never been the closest of siblings but Dru would kill someone for her little brother. She liked to think he would do the same for her. He was becoming someone Dru wasn’t sure she liked, he hung out with the most annoying children and often said things that made her cringe… so when he began checking on her daily after hearing of her… breakup. It meant a lot to her. She wouldn’t tell him the whole story, she wouldn’t ever tell anyone about what happened with Hunter, it wasn’t her story to tell. Anyone who asked was quickly met with her simply saying it was too hard to talk about… which wasn’t necessarily a lie.

“I’ve already written Aunt Andromeda, she said I can stay with her until I find a place of my own.” Dru spoke quietly as the two of them made their way down the stone corridor with their trunks. Her brother eyed her with disdain at the mention of their estranged aunt, a look that Dru pretended not to notice. “I just need to wait for her owl to come with the letter containing a place to meet her.” Her aunt had kept her address secret from her mother as well as the rest of her family for a long time now, ever since she chose to marry Uncle Ted things had been strained but when everything went down in the war the two of them had went fully into hiding with their daughter. Truth be told, talking about her plans for living arrangements made her want to cry. Just a few months ago she had been moved to tears for a different reason, from complete and utter joy at the idea of making a home with Hunter…

Just his name moving through her thoughts was enough to make her walk slow, a glazed over look passing over her eyes that was more common that not lately. Dru had spent hours of every day going through the mental torment of her own memories. It hurt to remember the good ones but hurt more to try to ignore them. Part of her knew that she owed Hunter the benefit of the doubt, she owned him listening to his story and figuring out what in the hell was going on… she loved him so much and knew that mark wasnt the person he was. But her own terror and paranoia was always winning out over her own heart.

“Oh- sorry. I wasn’t paying attention.” Dru stepped back quickly as her shoulder bumped into someone a tad roughly. Looking up she quickly saw the sea of bright russet hair and her stomach dropped. “Bloody hell, I’m sorry Fred. My apologies really.” The male offered her a polite smile and waved it off but Dru noticed him shit awkwardly, then a moment later she realized why. Within a moment her legs turned to jello, her heart rate jumped to an ungodly number and her face went stark white. “H-Hunter.” Her words were barely a whisper as she spoke, honestly it was more her mouth moving than anything.

Her heart cracked just a little bit more, she didn’t even know she had any heart left to break. By seeing him like this… it made her want to run over to him and hold him tightly. She wanted to tell him she would listen, that she would try to understand because he was worth trying to understand… but her feet were planted to the ground and felt as if she were sinking into cement. Her line of sight blurred as Draco stepped in front of her, saying something to the group of red heads that didn’t fully compute at first thanks to the panic filling her head.

“ I don’t know what you did Weasel, but how about you just stay away from Druella. She deserves better than you and your lot.”

“Draco!” Dru snapped, her voice a near growl as she grabbed him roughly by the shoulder and pushed him down the hallway. “Don’t you DARE say that to him, to any of them! They are a lovely family and -“ Oh, there it was. The tears she had been fighting now fell down her cheeks in traitorous rivers. “Dammit Draco, just go, I’ll be right there.” With a scoff and a last quick glare over at the Weasley’s, he was off.

Druella turned back towards them and quickly wiped away the tears on the edge of the loose black sweater. She wasn’t dressed in her usual fashion, she had been prioritizing comfort recently and had opted for an oversized black crew neck and a pair of simple jeans with black flats. “Have a good summer guys, tell your parents I say hello.”

 

[ZombieBaee]

Delaney Wilson

The ending of this year was a hard one for her to learn how to navigate, losing Cedric was a monumental loss and one that was felt throughout the entire school. It was harder for her than she thought it was going to be at first, obviously it was going to be difficult… a student had died… but this particular student was a member of her house. He was a friend and mentor to so many of the kids that she spoke to day in and out, he was one of her brightest students and most of all, he had become family to Sapphira. While Delaney and Sapphira weren’t back to being the best of friends, they were working their way through these last few weeks awkwardly trying their best to support each other the best they could . Though if Delaney was being honest, that didn’t happen very often due to how busy she was with the kids.

“Oh Turtle, thank Merlin this year is over.” Delaney sighed at the cat wandering around her now empty floor as she finished closing up the last of her boxes. It was strange to look around the room now, it was so empty and honestly she had kind of forgotten what the walls had looked like without all of her art and plants all over the place. A lot of her plants had found new homes within common areas of the castle or with students who wanted small project plants to take home for the summer. She would still be coming to campus periodically over break but not nearly enough to take care of all these plants AND the greenhouse. Delaney heard the small knock and turned to watch the doorway as Sebastian came in.

Instantly a smile spread across her face, her warm eyes looking him over before looking down at her own outfit. Delaney wore a loose pair of mustard yellow overalls with a cream colored tank underneath. Her messy brown locks were tied into a bun on the top of her head. The two of them looked like they were ready for completely different days but at the same time it made so much sense for them that it made her chuckle softy. “All done finally, Turtle was no help as per usual.”

AsSebastian spoke, Delaney sat stood up from the ground and fixed all the wrinkles in her pants. “ That is true, little bugger likes his option of nap spaces.” She watched with a smile as Seb moved closer to her and pulled a key from his pocket. “Wait a HOME? Like a whole space?” The mention of a garden and space all finally clicked as Seb left a soft kiss on her forehead. “I mean yeah, I’m all packed but Seb- I can’t afford- I don’t-“ Merlin help her. Delaney was giddy with excitement and it was hard to find but she had close to no money saved up to help with this sort of thing. Rent was going to be hard enough for her as was, she had an okay savings account sure but Delaney had always been… free willed… with her money. Loans, buying things for students and other staff as gifts, constantly buying plants and art supplies… plus a professors salary wasn’t great but it was enough to not complain when paired with free housing. Delaney wrapped her arms around his waist and looked up at him with a sheepish smile. “I’m excited, I just don’t want to be a burden.”

 

[KAYDEN]

Cyrus

“What the hell Loire? That’s the first thing you have to say to me in hours?” Cyrus scoffed, rolling over on his stomach from where he laid on his bed while Loire packed up the things left in his room. Ever since the events following the last task of the tournament it seemed like she had been pulling away, Cyrus tried not to read too much into it because everyone was so fucking busy after all of the chaos but… not once he heard her say those few words! He opened his mouth to continue but was cut off by her telling him to not freak out. “I mean, you’re not doing a great job at making me feel great about all of this.”

Cyrus had found an apartment nearby the place that Sirius had been hiding out, it wasn’t rhe nicest of places but it was safe and clean, big enough for the two of them and had a nice view of the city. He hadn’t wanted to go full in on moving into the Order’s house, not without Loire having met half of the people and knowing if she could actually deal with being around some of them full time. She wasn’t always the most accepting of others, and Cyrus knew that some of them could be a lot to handle.

The man moved from the bed and walked over to where Loire was standing, pulling her sweater tightly around herself and causing Cyrus to let out a soft sigh. His hands moved to cup her face before leaning down to rest his forehead against hers. “How about I go with you? I’t not like I’ve never been in your house before, I mean your parents probably hate me more than they already did before but I can hide in Larkyns room the whole time. Or I can go with you and sneak in through your window once it’s dark, they don’t even have to know I’m there.” His dark eyes searched hers, his thumbs moving gently over her cheeks in soft sweeping motions. “Loire I just want to be there for you, I know you don’t need me, but I want to be there to support you, to comfort you if you need it. Hell you can even yell at me if you want… I just don’t want you to have to go back to that house alone. I mean Larkyn isn’t going back yet is he?”

 

[EclipseRosee]

Larkyn Gaunt

The last month of the school year was kind of hectic for Larkyn, between the end of the tournament and the death of a student he was pulled in a hundred different directions at work.The Potter boy claimed that Cedric had been killed be Voldemort himself, a man that everyone presumed dead due to his absence since that famous night in Godric’s Hallow… Larkyn believed him, it wasn’t as if he thought the sniveling little man would have killed the boy himself, but there was no proof of his claims. The Ministry was hellbent on calling him and Dumbledore liars for their claims of he dark lords return. But why else would this year have gone the way it went? Why would Barty imprison Alastor and impersonate him to get the boy into the competition…

Then there was Sapphira, the woman was clearly very affected by the boys death and Larkyn felt for her truly but… they had just met this year. They weren’t family and while she understood they were close, how long would this go on for ? He didn’t know how to talk to her about it because he simply didn’t understand it. He wasn’t the type of person who had a bleeding heart for people he barely knew. He couldn’t in his line of work… with his family. So instead he just skirted the situation, left her to have some space rather than say something crass and make things worse.

“It won’t be anything fancy, but we can find a nice little spot. Something to serve us well for a while.” Larkyn smiled softly over at the woman as he finished buttoning the white dress shirt he wore. When she mentioned London his smile faltered for a moment, “I mean that shouldn’t be an issue. London is just a train ride away and there is plenty of Ministry transportation from the city.” But Larkyn had never lived in a fully muggle area, he had always grown up and lived in areas that were all magic folk, or at least ones aware of it. “I have a short term rental a few towns over right now, so we have time to find something in the city if that’s really what you want Sapphira.”

 

[Pax Pardus Hale]

Loire Gaunt.

"Cyrus..." Those cold, blue eyes of hers melted from the warm hands cupping her pale cheeks. The resolve she had waivered at his words, at his forehead pressed against hers, at everything! "You're wrong. I do need you, I just--" For once her voice was small, so small that it cracked as she tried to find something to say. She didn't want to martyr herself, she didn't want to be like Larkyn and push everyone she loved away. Just... the thought of Cyrus getting hurt because of her? It killed her. The small woman could take anything her father threw at her, but she couldn't handle that.

With a shaky breath she decided to let him in again, just a little. "If I tell you to leave, you leave. This isn't you coming for a weekend stay with Larkyn, this is--" Her lips thinned into a tight line as she once again tried to find the words. "Lord Gaunt has never been this displeased with me before. I can handle anything he has planned for me, but I can't handle him hurting you." This was Loire's attempt at meeting him halfway. The meeting had to happen or they'd be hunted down like animals. And... maybe she could convince the family to go easy on Larkyn.

After this she could get back to living a life with Cyrus.

"They're aware of us, so I suppose it wouldn't be odd for you to come with me." Her hands finally moved from her sweater to cup his face before giving a small, defeated sigh. "Let's do this before I change my mind." Loire grabbed her bag and turned to wait for Cyrus. "If it gets ugly don't say I didn't warn you." And with that they were disappearing in a swirling magic, appearing right before inside the ominous gates of the Gaunt manor. She ran her hand through her white locks with a heavy sigh, contemplating if she should send Cyrus back or not.

Fuck it, they were already this far in. Loire laced her fingers together with Cyrus for some encouragement before moving to the large double doors, which were opening for them like magic. A tall man in his mid fifties was there to greet them, his white hair falling just below his shoulders and having similar piercing blue eyes as the twins. His face was eerily calm as he smiled at Loire, though if looks could kill her and Cyrus would be dead. "Well now I didn't anticipate you'd actually bring... him, here. Blatantly without your brother, too. Where is my dear son?"

"Yeah, not here to talk about Larkyn. You wrote 20 letters wanting to see me. I'm here. Get it over with." Lord Gaunt smirked at Loire's attitude, his eyes darting back to Cyrus. "Boy. I would like to have a discussion with my daughter alone. It... could take some time. Feel free to wait in my sons room. Or leave." Loire felt goosebumps form on her arms but she wouldn't argue. She didn't want Cyrus to hear one of his famous crucio sessions, and who the hell knew how long it'd last.

 

[Pax Pardus Hale]

Sapphira

In some ways their family dynamics brought Sapphira and Larkyn closer together; the loneliness, the constant pressure, the desire to just be who they wanted to be. The two of them were so similar, but sometimes it was hard to look over their differences. Sapphira was a naïve vibrant soul who hadn't witnessed a single bad thing in her whole life. Larkyn? His family was full of bad shit, not to mention his job. The lack of empathy was putting an unbearable strain on their relationship.

Sapphira was doing everything she could to look past the strain and looking towards the future. A future with Larkyn, one where they could both finally be happy. Though the looming threat of he who shall not be named was making that future look a bit grim.

Bright green eyes looked up at him from across the room, not missing the falter in his smile but she didn't say anything about it. This was new to him, to both of them, they were both having to adjust in their own ways. "It'd be a good place for me to get a safe job. I, um, figured it'd be better than me putting my application to be an Auror." At this point it was a job that Sapphira really wanted. She wanted to fight against the bad guys, against Voldemort and all his croonies that played a part in Cedric's death. She hoped that more and more exposure to the idea of her being one would rub off on Larkyn, but it didn't seem likely.

Slowly she moved over to him and smoothed over his white button up. "I'm excited about this though, our new life. We'll have to celebrate... maybe invite everyone over?" There had to be someway the lot of them could make up. All she knew was, Larkyn had to want to make up too, or else it'd all be for naught.

 

[Sir Damien]

Weasley.

Normally Hunter was in peak physical condition so a bump from a petite female like Dru wouldn't have moved him. But with how the last month had played out, not eating, basically living the most sedentary life of his existence, he felt the force of her bump. "It's fine--" He turned to see who it was that bumped into him but he froze. Dru... His bright green eyes landed on her and and he wanted to vomit. His mouth went dry and for once he was at a loss for words. She looked beautiful, a bit downtrodden though that was to be expected. He crushed her, it'd take time to recover.

Then Draco stepped in front of Dru and Hunter felt his entire face heat. Not with embarrassment, but with rage? Sure Dru deserved better than him, Hunter was a fuck up and always had been He wasn't a top student, always goofed around, and never took anything seriously. His family? They were good people even if some snooty pure blood didn't think so. Hunter reeled; his lips pursed, shoulders squared, and he went to bite off the little fuckers head.

Thankfully Dru was coming to save him. His brows narrowed as he shoved his hands deep into his pockets, rolling his shoulders in attempt to call him down. "It's something we're used to by now, Hunter. Draco and his friends are quite vocal about their dislike for us." Ginny tried to pacify her brother and he took a deep breath once, twice, and he was slowly feeling the anger pass over.

Dru thankfully returned alone, though as he looked to her face he noticed the glossy eyes. It broke his heart, she didn't deserve any of this. But... she made her thoughts on him very clear. She didn't care what he went through, what had happened to get this mark, why he hid it... it flared the bitterness in his chest again. That paired with Draco's nasty comment... "We'll be sure to say hi to mom and pop Weasel." "Hunter! Oh, forgive him Dru. He's been held up in the apartment like some hermit, it seems like he's forgotten his manners."

Hunter couldn't help but sneer at the fact Ginny was the one scolding him let alone taking Dru's side. He knew she was right, but that didn't mean he liked it. His hand ran through his shaggy locks with a small huff. "Oh, whatever. Hunter's always the bad guy, I get it. Let's go." The scruffy man was a shell of the once energetic dragon hunter. Hunter shoved his hand deep into his pocket once more and let out a frustrated sigh. His grip on Ginny's bag tightened, fighting the urge to pull Dru in for a hug and comforting her, quietly forcing himself to move towards the door once more. "Have a good summer, Dru."

She didn't want to have anything to do with him anymore, she had made that blatantly clear. He was set on parting ways one final time with those words being their last.

 

[ZombieBaee]

Druella “Dru” Malfoy

The rise in Hunters anger wasn’t lost on her, Dru watched as his entire body went ridged before he shoved his hands in his pockets. For a moment her eyes lingered there on his arm, on what she now knew was hidden beneath the fabric that lied there. The terrifying mark that now ruined her life again, something as stupid as some black and green ink seemed to constantly destroy things for her. Voldemort tore apart her family, they had never been the warmest people but the Wizarding war had turned their home into a battlefield both literally and figuratively. Even without one of those very marks marring her skin, Dru had been judged and treated as if she had one of her very own because of her lineage. Now… it kept her from the man she loved more than anything. Drus heart yearned for the man, to reach out and smooth away that wild hair from his sullen face. To make him smile. To simply exist with him. But her own body betrayed her, just straight fear bolted her feet to the ground where she stood.

Hunter would never hurt her, he would never hurt someone who was innocent, he would never touch anyone who didn’t deserve it. These were all things she knew, Dru believed those things without a doubt. But pure irrational fear and her own personal traumas were in overdrive.

“Hunter-“ Dru gasped softly at the words he spat at her, “I would never.” Her voice was soft, hurt, though she couldn’t blame him for his behavior. She had shattered him, that much was apparent by looking at him. It broke her fucking heart into pieces, it made the tears welling up in her eyes finally spill over her bottom lids. Ginny spoke up and Dru shook her head and offered the nicest smile she could muster at the moment. “Don’t worry about it Ginny, really. I understand.” That part was painfully true, Dru had avoided the world herself these last few days. The only time she really interacted with other people was with her own brother and maybe some of the other staff members in passing.

Hunter didn’t even look up at her as he spoke again, more words that felt like daggers to her chest. The other Weasley siblings in attendance all gave her looks of pity, even the twins who were often not up to snuff with their emotional intelligence. Ouch. “Y-yeah. You guys too.” They all started to walk away and it felt so final, so gut wrenching and painful. Why was she letting all this go over his secret, over a stupid fucking tattoo? Hunter hiding it from her scared the shit out of her but she KNEW that wasn’t the person he was so why couldn’t she get the fuck over it? Why was it like her fear had her throat held in a chokehold?

“Hunter!” Dru went to shout but her voice cracked and fizzled out. She just needed him to turn around, she just needed to see his face one last time, she needed him to know that she was madly in love with him and that she always would be. That she was so terribly sorry that she was too broken, that her issues were hurting him and that she wasn’t strong enough to handle this. When he did finally turn around Dru caught his stare in her own, she just hoped that all her thoughts were conveyed through that glance…

Dru was the first to look away and only because her tears had made it impossible to see, that and her brother had returned and was yanking her along with one last glare back at the Weasley man down the hallway.

 

[KAYDEN]

Cyrus

“Oh kitten, the only thing he can do to hurt me is if he were to hurt you. But I don’t want to make anything harder on you, so I promise. If you tell me to go, I’ll go… but not far.” Cyrus smoothed over a piece of loose hair before pressing his lips to her forehead for a moment before pulling away to offer a reassuring smile. He knew that her home was always a stressful place, more than stressful really, sometimes it was downright terrifying. Now there was a whole new aspect to the situation, Loire had disobeyed and not over something small, she fully broke off an engagement for a muggle born man. In her father’s eyes Loire might as well have publicly shamed him. “It’ll be okay. We got this.” Loire reached out and cupped his face, Cyrus could see the remnants of worry on her features and knew she wouldn’t really listen to his words but he had to try right?

The two of them were standing in front of her family home within moments, Cyrus thanked Merlin for Dumbledore temporarily allowing apparition because without the split second travel Loire probably would have backed out. The house was imposing, always had been, but not quite as imposing as the tall stern looking man who stood in the opening doorway. “Ah, what a warm welcome Devlin, lovely to see you and your amazing home as always.” Cyrus had to physically fight rolling his eyes at the man. He had to know Cyrus’ name by now but he acted as if saying it would physically hurt him. Prick.

At the mention of a private conversation Cyrus glanced at Loire sideways, watching for any sign of a plea before looking back to her father with a lopsided grin. “Of course pops! That’s why we’re here after all.” His smile may have appeared friendly but Cyrus made damn sure his eyes were deadly. If this man thought that he would lay a hand on Loire while Cyrus was anywhere in this house he was out of his mind. Back in the day Larkyn was always here to physically hold Cyrus back when they overheard the sounds of her torture, now? Larkyn was no where to be found. “I’ll be in Larkyns room, he wanted us to grab a few things to drop off at him and Sapphiras place.” That was a lie but Cyrus couldn’t help but take the opportunity for an extra dig at Declan. “Yell if you need me.” He pulled her in gently by wrapping an arm around her shoulder and placed another quick kiss to her forehead before heading down the hall and towards Larkyns old room.

 

[EclipseRosee]

Larkyn Gaunt

Everything at this point felt like swimming in murky darkness at this point for Larkyn. His own sense of self was no longer solid, he had created such a strong persona of the person he thought he was and now he realized how wrong it all was. Maybe he wasn’t as selfless as he thought, maybe he wasn’t content with his dream career and some good friends. Larkyn realized he wanted it all, he realized that everyone deserved to have it all but it shattered the person he thought he was. Now all he had that was solid was Sapphira, well her and an overwhelming amount of fear. It wasn’t just his little world that seemed to be turned upside down, their entire universe seemed to be feeling the aftershock of the events at the World Cup earlier this year and Potter’s accusations of the return of Voldemort following Cedric’s death. It made him paranoid, scared and anxious. So if Sapphira wanted to find a safe job in the city, if that was all he needed to do for her to give up on this auror thing. It was done.

“That sounds like a good idea for us.” Larkyn gave her a tired smile, watching her hands as they moved over the material of his shirt, his body going tight at the touch. Sapphira was solid, she made him want to figure himself out, she made him want to fight for better things. It was just hard to navigate out of the old ways, Larkyn thought he had escaped his family and their influence a long time ago but maybe they had all affected him much more than he had realized. The mention of inviting everyone over however made him flinch slightly, his blue eyes going a bit wider as he caught her gaze. “I- maybe.” Larkyn didn’t want to shut it down but who in the hell would want that awkwardness in a place they were going to make their safe haven away from all the world’s insanity? His sister and her new boyfriend clearly held disdain for both him and Sapphira, Loire had said downright awful things about the gorgeous woman in front of him! And Dru? HAH. She would never speak to him again if she could help it. Then there was Sebastian and Delaney… that one would be up to Sapphira but Larkyn himself wasn’t super thrilled about the idea of inviting someone Sapphira had slept with into their home. “We should probably find a place and get settled before we plan any parties though. Are you all packed and ready to go?”

 

[ZombieBaee]

Delaney Wilson

“Oh Sebastian Longbottom.” Delaney let out a soft gasp, her hand resting against the soft material of her sundress and over her heart. The cottage was more beautiful than she could have dreamed of, it felt like something straight out of a children’s storybook. The two of them had packed away their items in her charmed satchel before grabbing Turtle and heading off towards the small town south of Hogsmeade. Their new home was a bit off the beaten path but Delaney thought it was nicer that way, it was quiet beyond the the sounds of the town… she could hear the wind and various birdsong. It was all so wonderful. “It’s perfect. You’re perfect.” Delaney couldn’t help but grin over at him before bending to let Turtle down to the cobblestone path to explore.

“Come on!” Delaney took Sebs hand before nearly skipping towards the front door, yanking him along with her. She already had a dozen different thoughts about a garden for this front yard, they even had enough space on the side of the house to make a little space for an apothecary garden! Ahhh! Delaney let out an excited little squeal and turned to throw her arms around Sebastian’s neck and pull him into a tight embrace. It was the house of her dreams, with the man of her dreams… she already had an amazing job, a great pet and a good group of people around her. Delaney almost couldn’t believe she was awake, that this was all real life. Years ago she never would have thought her and Seb would have even gone on a simple date, if you had told her that one day the man would buy her a cottage for them to live in together she would have died from laughter.

“Well? Give me the grand tour!”

 

[Pax Pardus Hale]

Loire Gaunt.

Before the addition of Cyrus Loire knew what to expect. Hours of torture for her transgressions, even more to change her mind and to 'guide her back to the right path'. Loire wouldn't waiver in her decisions; she'd be moving in with Cyrus after this no matter what. So if a little torture was all she had to go through to stay with him she'd do it a million times over. Her father would have to kill her, or give in and let her make her own decisions. There would be no changing her mind this time.

With Cyrus here, however, it added an extra bit of tension. Devlin was more than irritated with his presence, and with the way Cyrus was addressing him in such a casual fashion Loire could see the man boiling over. Loire did her best to suppress her grin and keep a straight face, and she damn near lost her composure at the 'pops' comment. "C-Cyrus...?" The warm lips to her forehead caused her heart to skip a beat and that stern look of hers to fade. Her cheeks heated as she watched him walk away, making sure he got a safe distance away before turning back to Devlin. "The usual place then?" The white brow on the man's face twitched with irritation, which seemed to be enough of an answer for Loire to walk past him and down into the 'family room', or the basement where they had their crucio sessions.

Some time went by and everything was quiet, and for that household some would say too quiet. There was finally a knock on the door to Larkyn's room before Devlin walked in, his hands casually resting in the pockets of his slacks. A smug grin played on his face as he narrowed his eyes at Cyrus. "My daughter seems to have taken ill suddenly the poor dear. I'm sure you're aware of her afflictions, she may be out of commission for a few days... Here. Hold onto this for her." Lord Gaunt didn't give him time to react; a gloved hand was tossing him a bewitched golden snitch. Once caught it would teleport Cyrus far, far away to the middle of the Scottish Highlands.

A portkey. Cyrus would find it impossible to apparate back to the manor. It was like Devlin knew this all would happen and had a plan up his wicked sleeve.

--

A week had come and gone and it was like Loire evaporated from existence. The manor was unusually quiet from the outside, no movement in and no movement out, and the tall iron wrought gates didn't budge for Cyrus no matter how much he tried. On the seventh day of Loire's forced stay to the home she was finally released. Her small, tattered body appeared in front of the gates like a welcoming gift for him. The usual snow white long locks of hers were matted in blood, her right arm twisted and mangled out of its socket rendering it completely useless. Luckily her dress was all black and hid the blood that stained her abdomen, the wounds something she didn't wish anyone to see.

Crucio hadn't been enough this time so Devlin, and Nikolai, had resorted to physical torture. Loire refused, and refused no matter what they did even as they literally carved into her skin. She was committed to this whole 'death or freedom' quest of her, but when they said that they'd kill Cyrus next, then Larkyn... Loire cried. She gave in, promised to marry Nikolai just as long as they didn't hurt them.

The terms given to her were simple; should she survive her injuries she was to break things off with Cyrus permanently and to return home, claim Larkyn's place as a Death Eater and be the ever obedient daughter he wished her to be. So Loire laid there on the cold ground surrounded by several of the grounds cats, praying to Merlin that she'd just succumb to her injuries before Cyrus could find her. She could live with the scars, the marriage and her family, but she couldn't live with breaking Cyrus's heart.

"I'm not dead yet. You can't eat me." A calico cat nuzzled Loire's bruised face like it was trying to help a fallen comrade. With a groan Loire tried to push herself to a sitting position with her left arm but quickly found out a week of no food and no water, her body was far to weak to do anything. The week of torture probably didn't help anything.

 

[Pax Pardus Hale]

Sapphira

Truthfully Sapphira only put her application into the ministry to prove to herself that this Auror dream wasn't meant to be. She was sure she could of found someway else to get her revenge on the dark lord, to avenge Cedric, and Larkyn had her convinced she wasn't good enough of a wizard to become an Auror. So she spent the week playing house with Larkyn. He felt like home, like he accepted her for who she was, something she had never felt with anyone other than Delaney.

Sapphira distracted herself from the lingering overwhelming grief of Cedric by staying busy. Cooking, cleaning, laundry, she even ironed all of Larkyn's clothes. A few times she left the apartment to look around and go to the shops for groceries, to look for a job that intrigued her. She put in a few applications here and there, but nothing she truly felt spoke to her. And when she was alone with her thoughts for a moment she felt the sinking pit of grief consuming her. Other than that? She was the perfect little housewife. Delaney was busy adjusting to her new life at the cottage with Seb, which, how cute was that? Loire and Cyus seemed to drop off the map, and no one had heard anything from Dru or Hunter. Not that Larkyn and her were the first people on their contact list.

It was another morning like any other before Larkyn headed off to work. The windows were all open to get a fresh morning breeze in the apartment, Sapphira quietly humming to herself as she packed Larkyn a lunch. She was all dolled up per usual with a cream cashmere sweater, tight dark jeans, her hair perfect with not a curl out of place. A white owl suddenly flew in, dropped a letter off in her hands, and flew right back out. "Um..." Long dark lashes blinked a couple times as she gingerly picked up the letter.

"Oh Larkyn, there's a letter from the ministry!" Instantly she moved to find him as he got ready for work, pausing upon further examination of the letter. "Wait, it's for me?" Her French tipped manicured nails cut open the sealed envelope so she could pull out the letter, emerald green eyes scanning the text. For some reason it didn't process the first time, or second, or even third time reading the letter. It took her four times reading over it before she found herself grinning ear to ear.

"They accepted my application!" Yes it was an extremely dangerous profession, but Sapphira was a damned good witch! Surely Larkyn would be happy to hear, right? This was something she had wanted for months now! And as a loving partner obviously he'd support her through this. "Looks like we'll be coworkers after all, babe."

 

[Colt Voltage]

S. Longbottom

Their new life in their new home had started off so right. Seb had given her the grand tour; the beautiful kitchen with lots of windows to let in air, the cozy living room with the fireplace, the pieces of furniture he got specifically for Turtle, to the spacious outdoors with endless gardens and the greenhouse for year long gardening. There were three bedrooms, two bathrooms, and while it wasn't the most grandest of homes it was a start. Honestly he would of been happy living in some cramped flat with Delaney, but he wanted her to have her own home. He worried not about money, his inheritance was seemingly endless and the shop always made a pretty penny so he insisted Delaney keep her salary to herself. He knew that he had a ways to go to prove himself to her as trustworthy, he hoped this was a start.

After only a few days of blissful peace for the couple tragedy struck. Neville called in a panic. Gran had fainted while doing dishes and she wouldn't wake up, and in the moments it took for Seb and Delaney to apparate to Gran's home in attempts to get her to Saint Mungo's she was gone. Gran was the person who raised Seb when his father was murdered, the only true parent either of the Longbottom/s and even Delaney knew. The devastation rocked their entire world.

Seb moved Neville into the cottage with them since they had enough space. Hell, even without the proper space he would've moved the boy in. Gran never let the boys know any of their plans after her passing, but someone from the Ministry got ahold of Sebastian to inform him that he was now Neville's new legal guardian. It was good to know that the family wouldn't be split up, but that didn't heal the hurt. The worst of it? Seb and Delaney were left to pack up the house. The house was left to him, which he'd give to Neville should he ever want it, but it still needed to be cleaned.

"Gran was so tidy. I never knew she had so much shit." Seb let out an annoyed groan as he sat on the floor of Gran's living room. The boxes of paperwork were endless. There were boxes of memorabilia from both of her sons, Neville's father and Seb's, her late husband, adoption records, graduation records of the whole damned family. Seb had been drinking most of it to drown the sadness and make it somewhat bearable. "Another damned box Gran? Come on." Seb heaved a heavy sigh as he pulled out the last remaining box of records. Only, he paused as soon as he pulled out the first paper. "Delaney this box must be yours." Steely eyes glanced at every piece of paper he sifted through. "Yours and someone named Delaney Greengrass. Weird..."

For such a smart man he could be such an idiot at times.

 

[Sir Damien]

Weasley.

As if the week of torture wasn't bad enough it seemed Hunter was hell bound to forever torture himself. Why did he do this? Why didn't he just... go after her? Call out to her? Fuck, just pull her in and squeeze her until she caved and listened to him? Hunter didn't know what he could've done, or what he should've done, but it was better than the nothing that he did. All he could do was stare at her and feel the shambled pieces of his heart break even more. She wanted him, this, them just as badly. She needed this, and yet her fear of all things Death Eater ripped her from it. She knew deep in her soul that Hunter wasn't that type of person. How could he? Beasts adored him, he was thoughtful, he loved her more than himself.

Hunter couldn't fix the way her mind worked though. He couldn't make her accept him, mark and all, no matter how much he wanted to. So instead of reaching out to grab her hand and stopping her like he had wanted to he swallowed the unbearable lump in his throat and continued his travels with his siblings.

That didn't stop him from thinking about her night and day as he sulked in his apartment. Hell at one point he even reached out to Cyrus to distract him from Dru-- she needed to move on with her life. If she wanted that life then he could have no part in it, all he would do was ruin things for her. Cyrus and him met up and, well, Hunter had no one else to confide in. He broke down, told Cyrus about that week he was held against his will, tortured, beat, marked for life. He didn't know whether to turn himself in or go back into hiding.

The last thing he expected was for him to drag him to some townhouse in London. Sirius Black was there of all people, and before Hunter could jump to any conclusions they were telling him about the Order. Hunter literally had nothing else to do with his life at this point, not with Voldemort back. Dragons could wait until the bastard was good and dead. So... Hunter joined on the condition that Sirius and Cyrus didn't say a word about his mark to his family.

"You're going back to the Gaunt manor again? I'm telling you, Loire's resilient. She'll just walk out of there when she's good and ready to." Hunter was kicked back on a couch flipping through the newspaper as Cyrus once again got ready to stalk the manor for Loire. He was convinced the two of them should just stay away from the girls all together, though Cyrus insisted Loire was ready to leave the life. Dru was ready too until she found out about the mark, it twisted him up inside that he'd never have an unconditional love like that.

Damn it all he was sulking again. "Ugh. Whatever. Do you buddy. I'll see if the house elves need any help until you or Sirius need me, I guess." The elves never wanted his help. The one time he did help he dropped and shattered about ten plates, resulting in him getting banned from the kitchen all together. Little assholes. Hey, at least being here was giving him a sense of purpose. He finally shaved off that scraggly beard of his, and the insisting elves had even gotten him to eat more than the nothing he had been consuming.

The only thing he was missing now was Dru... ah, there was that self-loathing and empty hole in his heart.

 

[ZombieBaee]

Druella “Dru” Malfoy

It had become quickly clear that there would be no easy way to get away from the manor once she arrived with Draco. Upon arrival her mother had whisked her away to one of the dens in the side of the house they used the least often in an attempt to get her to leave immediately. Narcissa had asked Dru why she came back, asked her why she walked away from that boy and why she was so stupid to have returned despite the warnings. The questions had honestly shocked Dru to the core… did her mother want her to be with Hunter? Did she actually… support this? They hadn’t gotten long to talk about it all before her father caught wind that she was home and came barging in and ordered her mother out. The yelling fit that erupted from her father as soon as the door shut didn’t shock her much, what did surprise her is how little she talked back… normally Dru would have been toe to toe with the man but her fight was just absolutely gone.

The next few days weren’t any better, Dru waited for the owl from her aunt to arrive and hid in her room nearly all hours of the day. At this point the woman was fairly certain she would rot away in her bed, wrapped in her somehow cold and dry blankets and clutching the stupid Gryffindor red sweater to her chest. It had somehow ended up in her chest, Dru blamed Jade but for once wasn’t upset with the creatures stealing. From time to time her mother would sneak to her room to sit on the edge of her bed and brush over her long blonde locks, she would ask Dru about Hunter, about what all had happened with Larkyn, she told Dru about the rumors she heard from the Gaunt household in the last twenty four hours. This was like a woman she had never met before, it was like the mother she always thought she was behind the cold exterior was finally surfacing after twenty six years.

“Druella, mon lumière des étoiles… you still have not told me why you left this boy? You speak of him so fondly… you love him.” Dru adjusted in her bed, pulling the blanket tighter around her as she glanced over at the woman who was petting her bangs back. It had been about a week of this now, a week of rotting and sharing… the occasional berating from her father outside of her door. “He has a mark.” It just escaped her lips, it just flew right out as did the tears that came with the words. Words that she hadn’t spoken to anyone and she had never wanted to speak about again but if anyone on this planet could understand it would be her mother, the woman who despite everyone close to her supporting Voldemort fully in the war, had gotten away alive and without the terrible mark on her forearm. She knew that world, she survived in it and kept her distance at the same time and Dru just didn’t understand how. How had she been so close and untouched yet Hunter, a WEASLEY, a stand up man with a heart of gold, how did he have one?

“Impossible.” Narcissa scoffed her hand pulling away from her daughter’s hair as she stared down at her incredulously. “The boy is too young to have gotten one during the war and Voldemort himself is gone despite what that Potter boy says.” Well, at least that’s what she was trying to believe despite… movings. “Even if he was, he wouldn’t pick one of them.” She tried to hide the sound of disdain in her voice but it came naturally at this point… “Druella if that young man has a mark, it’s a bastardization of one and it didn’t come from supporting … him. Someone could have given him one but- I really don’t understand when or how. You kids were so young when the war ended.”

The words made Dru sit up and stare at her mother, everything slowly seeping into her tired mind. She was sure she looked nearly dead, face pale and sullen and the lack of shower in two days likely made things much worse than she imagined. But Hunter had occupied every minute of her day, her brain trying against itself over and over to get over her fears.. and Merlin what was taking he aunt so long to get a meeting place?! “I’m not mistaken. It was there.” But that means if it was there… how in the hell did it GET there? The question should have been obvious since the first time she saw it, the timeline wasn’t hard to understand but her fear had gone into overdrive. Oh gods. Dru jumped from the bed and went to grab her jacket, tossing her wand in a pocket and gathering Jade in her blanket where she slept on a chair in the corner. “That’s my girl.” Dru turned with wide eyes towards her mother who had moved from the bed and was now handing out a letter with familiar handwriting. “Go to Meda. I didn’t read it I promised I won’t betray her safety. I might not like her husband and she might not like mine but I love my sisters, as misguided they may be.”

Dru felt tears streaming down her face, taking the letter gently before crushing her mother in the tightest hug the two had ever shared. “I love you mom.” “I love you too, I’m so sorry I ever … I thought you loved Larkyn.” Dru pulled back and gave her a soft smile, “I do, just differently.” They shared a look before Narcissa shooed the girl away, telling her to get moving before her father got home. She had to be outside to apparate, the house was charmed to block any travel in or out besides floo. So she went, tucking Jade into the large inner pocket of her leather jacket and making her way down the hall and stairs without a glance back.

Dru had nearly made it to the front door when her father came into the room from his office to the side of the entryway. “Where do you think you’re going Druella? You’ve refused to fix things with Larkyn and refused to act right in general! Do you think I’m going to just let you go and continue to embarrass me and ruin our name? I set up everything for you to have a good life and this is how you repay me? Publicly philandering with some dirty blood traitor and now what? Running off to do more damage?” Dru turned on the man to see that he was much closer than she had expected, his face red with anger and the tip of his cane stabbed into her pant leg and attaching it to the floor. “Then disown me publicly. If it’s all really so awful for you, disown me just like the Black family did Sirius and Andromeda. Save face since that’s what’s so clearly important to you.”

In a flash her face went white with stinging pain to her cheek, burning hot blood trickling down from a now pulsing gash across her cheek. Her father had slapped her for her mouth once or twice in her life but… this was insane. The cane that had been pinning her to the floor was now in his hand and had just ripped her skin open as he … hit her with it. There was only a moment of pause before Drus body went into motion, it may have cost her precious moments but she wasn’t letting Jade get hurt. She reached into her pocket and pulled the small girl out quickly, “Get somewhere safe and find me.” Silently she thanked the gods that nifflers could apparate and that Jade was a master hider. Then Dru turn and ran for the door herself.

The next thirty seconds were so blurry that it was hard to fully pinpoint what happened but a few things were clear. Dru was close to the door when the cane had hit her in the side of the knee, she stumbled but reached the knob anyways and then as she was falling out into the open air and preparing to apparate to the location on the letter… her father grabbed her by the leg and yanked her back. It messed with her focus and Dru began to spiral through different locations in mid time and space, her father with her attached to her leg and ripping at her skin to stay there. She kicked and kicked but at some point her mind completely forgot about meeting her aunt and all she could think about was getting away from the manor and how badly she wanted Hunter. How badly she needed him. How much she loved him.

Then somehow her leg was free and Dru was sent slamming into the muddy ground in a field that felt so familiar. And then the pain hit, a guttural scream escaping her lips as she clutched at her leg. It was hard to sit up, hard to even breathe from how hard she hit the ground but after a moment she could look down and see how badly her leg had gotten mangled, no not mangled, splinched. Then she realized where she was, a place that instantly made her feel safe and comfortable. Within a few seconds she heard two familiar voices running at her, identical twins with fiery red hair that made her smile despite her consciousness fading. “Sorry for dropping in, c-could you boys go g-get your mo-“ Then she was out.

 

[ZombieBaee]

Delaney Wilson

Everything had been so insanely blissful that Delaney almost wanted to curse herself for trusting that the world was maybe just giving them a win for once. Maybe this one time they could be happy for longer than a few weeks. They had a situation that was basically a dream in real life, the two of them spent their days outside curating their garden and their evenings together in front of their fireplace with dinners they cooked together. Turtle was in love with every single windowsill in the house. The sun woke them up in the morning and Delaney was fairly certain she would never be able to forget the first time she saw the sight of Seb sleeping next to her as she golden light took over his face… she never wanted to either.

Then Gran died.

Seb was distraught, Neville was without a home and Delaney was so sick with herself for not feeling sadder. She felt like she should be more upset, that she should be doing more in general but the fact was that while Delaney loved the woman and was thankful for the life she gave her, she didn’t approve of the one thing Delaney now held most dear and that was conflicting way to feel right now. So Delaney put her energy and guilt into cleaning and cooking, making a home for the two boys and trying to be supportive of them and their grief.

“Well the woman did love her trinkets.” Delaney chuckled softly as she held up a little ceramic rabbit from a box she had finished going through. They would keep some things, especially ones that held sentimental importance to them all. But Seb was right, this was a lot of nonsense. “I’ll take this box for Neville to go through, I’m not sure what he wants to keep but some of these things seem like he would like them. Plus we have a whole new home for me to fill with even MORE shit than this. And as for the paperwork we can take that back too, go through for any of the important things and consolidate it all to maybe just one box.”

Delaney had another reason to feel guilty today, seeing all of the history that Gran had kept for the boys made her feel a bit jealous. They had ways to know where they came from and Delaney never would. She hated how much it mattered to her but she was just so painfully curious… then as the thought went through her mind Seb mentioned something about a box for her. “What?” Her eyes went wide as she pushed aside the box she had just finished with and slid across the floor to sit closer to Sebastian, her eyes not leaving the box in front of him once.

Greengrass? Delaney leaned over to peer at the paper in Sebastian’s hand and very rudely she reached over and snatched it with a gasp. “Seb this is my adoption certificate for Gran… this is my birth name. I-“ she placed the paper to the side and began rifling through the rest of the box. There wasn’t much but there were a few leather bound journals and a few aged envelopes as well as one loose piece of parchment against the side. Delaney went to that one first. “I- my mother was a Greengrass. Her name was Aquila…” Wait. Tears prickled in the corners of her eyes, she knew that name. She had two students whose mother was Aquila. Pure blood sisters. The eldest of which would have been nearly ten years younger than Delaney… “The father’s name is burnt off.” These people gave her up but kept two others just years later? Two girls who had been quite literally in Delaneys classroom less than two months ago? Girls that she saw nearly every day? And Gran KNEW all of this?

 

[KAYDEN]

Cyrus

How stupid could he have been? Cyrus knew that Devlin would pull some tricks and he knew damn well not to do anything the man fucking said but catching that snitch that was tossed toward him was just pure instinct. Then of course the fucking moment that his skin came into contact with the metal, he was gone, swirling through space and eventually landing in the middle of a fucking field and before he could attempt to use the port key in reverse, it crumbled to ash. Apparating back was blocked and Cyrus just kept ending up in a fucking loop to this field. Eventually after a lot of cursing and frustration, he found his way back to London and eventually to the manor once more. Only now there was a protective charm around the place that kept Cyrus at bay and and quite a fucking range. He tried everything until he was absolutely ragged from all his attempts and barely had enough energy to get back to the safe house.

There was only more shit from there. Things were getting bad out there in the world, Cedric’s death had drawn lines in the sand and unrest was rising. Sirius and Remus were gathering old and new allies and moving more people into the safe house. The Weasleys were some of their closest allies and Cyrus knew someone who could use a distraction almost as much as he could lately so he took to a daily routine of going to the Gaunt Manor with hopes of Loire appearing outside the gates and then going to Hunter in his sad ass apartment to convince him to stay with them and the rest of the growing Order. It had only been a few days when the man finally broke, Hunter told him everything and Cyrus was in absolute shock about it all. Hunter had a dark mark, he had one because death eaters had used it as a form of torture for him… it was the reason why Hunter was gone for so long and it was the reason his and Drus relationship fell apart so suddenly. However it was also the reason that Cyrus NEEDED Hunter to join them. Thankfully, he was able to convince him of that last fact.

“I don’t want to hear it when all you have to do to get Dru back is write a letter with why that stupid tattoo is on your arm. You know damn well she’s logical, she’s just logical AND traumatized. I however have to figure out with counter charm will get me into that fucking house and I had to admit it but I’ve never been a good in school type of guy.” Cyrus grumbled and smacked Hunter on the back of the head as he walked by him. “Stay away from kreacher, he might push you down the stairs. If you really want to help out, get the upstairs rooms ready. Sounds like Hermione and your clan will be here sometime next week.”

Then Cyrus was gone, landing an instant later in the small lawn that he had grown to hate since it was the closet he could get to this fucking house. Only this time it felt different, he didn’t feel the usual push of the magic nearby. That thought should have made him elated but in reality it made his stomach flip a few times in a very bad way. This felt wrong, this felt like something bad was happening or had already happened. Cyrus didn’t waste another moment standing and thinking, Instead his feet began moving taking him up the winding path that led to the large iron gates.

As soon as Cyrus was close enough to see the dark lump of a body on the ground, he was off at a run. His body wouldn’t move fast enough for him and he couldn’t even think straight at this moment, from where he was he could tell it was Loire and he could tell she looked … lifeless. The few seconds it took him to reach her felt like an eternity, once he reached her he skidded to a halt and dropped to his knees next to her. “Loire? Loire!” The sight of her tore him apart into pieces instantly, he was a mix of sorrow and absolute red hot rage. “Loire please do something, blink, speak. Anything please.” Cyrus reached down and pushed away some of the blood matted hair from her pale skin and nearly shattered at the feel of her blood on his hands. They needed to get away from here, he needed to get her to someone to take care of all this …. Carnage. “Just hold on okay? I got you love. Just stay with me okay? Please Loire.” His arms slid under her knees and shoulders before gently lifting her up as he stood. Cyrus wasn’t sure where they should go, his instant thought was the town house but no one there could do this level of healing… she needed a real doctor.

The moment Cyrus arrived outside of St Mungos they were rushed inside and a nurse took Loire quickly to a bay to be looked at. Cyrus tried to follow but was told to wait until they could get her stable… that part is what really killed him. The waiting. The not knowing. It was pure fucking torture.

 

[EclipseRosee]

Larkyn Gaunt

Was it even possible to fall into a rut within just a few weeks? Hell just a few days? Larkyn could now tell for certain that it was indeed possible. It was like they had both gone numb from everything that had happened, they were in this playing house routine that should have made him over the moon but instead it just made him… well it didn’t really make him anything and that worried him the most. People mentioned it at work, asking if he was feeling okay and if he was sick. After a few days he snapped on one of his fellow aurors and now nearly no one spoke to him. There were whispers that he was acting this way because Dru dumped him, whatever, let people think that was it… it was easier than trying to explain the truth.

This morning was like any other, Sapphira was out in the kitchen while Larkyn finished up getting ready for work. His grey slacks had been pressed to perfection, as was the white button up and his cloak. His nearly white locks had grown out a bit but were still able to be neatly slick it back behind his ears. He was tying his shoes when he heard Sapphira speak from the other room about a letter, why would the Ministry be sending something at home? Usually any correspondence would be placed on his desk for him to read when he came in. As he considered the options she spoke again, apparently a letter for her?

Sapphira came into the room with a smile painted on her face that made his heart skip a little beat, but her words a moment later caused it to plummet to his stomach. Larkyn stood quickly from the edge of the bed where he sat and stormed over to her, snatching the letter from her hands and staring at the words on the paper like they were in some other language. “Absolutely not.” His panic rose into his throat at the thought, she could barely fly! This was like it was ASKING for her to get hurt or killed? “Are they out of their mind? When did you even do this anyways Sapphira? Didn’t we already talk about this once?” He threw the parchment down on the bed and turned to her with wide eyes, his anxiety turned to anger within a matter of moments and he didn’t quite know how to handle any of it. “You just started flying within this year, and it’s still quite rusty. What are you going to do if you get stuck in a situation and need to get out? You can’t always rely on apparation! You know that. Apparating requires focus and a clear mind, it’s impossible in the middle of a fight. Being an auror isn’t all about spells and casting, it’s about quick thinking and action.”

Larkyn was so fucking- Merlin he didn’t even know what he was. Scared. It all boiled down to scared. He had already lost EVERYTHING because he needed her, because he fell in love with her and found that she was worth letting go of everything else… now she wanted to do something that killed his coworkers at least once a year, often more commonly than that. “No. I simply won’t allow it. If you’re hellbent on the ministry maybe we can find a posting for something in office. If you want to work with aurors so badly I’m sure we have something secretarial or who knows. That would be a much better fit for you.”

 

[Pax Pardus Hale]

Loire Gaunt.

The theory that cats had nine lives seemed applicable to Loire, which maybe that explained why her animagus was that of a cat. Despite the miserable and horrific scene it wouldn't have been her first dance with death. As an infant when her mother cursed Loire she had to be rushed to the hospital. Her heart had stopped, they revived her, and she lived with scarred lungs for the rest of her days after that incident. Up until Hogwarts she was kept in the house simply because any excitement could lead to respiratory distress, hence why she was always so calm and nonchalant about everything. There was one point Loire wanted to play Quidditch with Larkyn. One simple mishap during practice and a strong wind sent her petite body spiraling, crashing into the ground and temporarily paralyzing her lungs. That was, oh, her third time dying? After that there was no more Quidditch. Books and cats, that was her life.

As she laid there on the ground she felt so tired. The pain was something she was used to. With the blood loss, her malnourished and dehydrated body, all she wanted to do was sleep. Her eyes grew heavy just as she heard Cyrus's voice and she swore she had went to heaven. He was everything she had ever wanted; peace, love, acceptance, happiness. A small smile crept on her face as she could feel her breathing grow shallow, her heart rate falling. Hang on he said... Her eyes couldn't even open at this point, but her left arm weakly held onto his sleeve as he cradled her into his arms. "m...sorry..."

And just like that they at St Mungo's, commonly referred to by Loire as her 'second home'. It wasn't often that the hospital found wounds that weren't able to be treated with magic, but once Loire was taken back to the trauma bay they quickly found out how ineffective magic. It was like whatever they used on her was cursed and prevented magic from healing her, which was a conundrum in and of itself until her heart stopped. Four code blues, intensive surgery to fix her arms, 52 stitches to her abdomen, and nearly six bags of fluids later Loire was finally considered stable.

Stability wasn't to be confused with cooperative. It was par for the course with Loire and something the staff was entirely used to. Between those four bouts of death Loire had come to term with a few things; she was going to live because she was just too damned stubborn to die, and she was going to protect Cyrus, Larkyn, Harry. If she was to be forced into joining the Death Eaters she vowed to herself that she'd be the one to kill her father, Nikolai, fucking Voldemort himself. She wasn't going to waste her last life moping or being an obedient puppet, no, she'd go out swinging.

"Hopefully she'll be more pleasant with you." One of the nurses escorted Cyrus back to Loire's room and even halfway down the hall they could hear her arguing with someone. "Loire you can't shift for at least six months. We don't even know how useful your arm will be once it heals, you nearly lost it--" "So you keep saying. Get me my paperwork so I can leave." "Again Loire, we highly recommend that you stay. This isn't just a lung issue. You need to be monitored for a few days. The wounds to your stomach alone are--" "Did I stutter? Paperwork. Now." Loire was never one to yell but the harsh tone of her voice was enough to get people to listen to her.

The doctor walked out of the room throwing his hands in the air just as Cyrus and the nurse approached the room. "Maybe you can convince her to stay?" Inside the dreary white hospital room Loire was sitting on the edge of the bed trying to summon the energy to stand. Her entire right arm was in an obnoxious cast to prevent her from moving it, her already thin frame now completely frail and adorned in a baggy green hospital gown and pants. She was just thankful to have something covering the bandages around the wounds on her stomach-- or, rather the carving Nikolai thought it nice to give her. Krum, he marked her like some sort of property and it made her sick thinking about it.

Her white hair had been washed and pulled back in a tight ponytail, though the majority of her locks were stained pink. Her usual rosy cheeks were pale and sunken in, her bright blues exhausted. The instructions were clear: she survived so she was to break up with Cyrus and return to the manor. Her only issue at this point was how she'd be getting home since Devlin snapped her wand in half.

 

[Pax Pardus Hale]

Sapphira

Sapph knew how miserable the two of them had been as of late. They were together finally, but the two of them lost everyone. His sister and friend, Dru, Sapphira gave up her family back home along with Delaney and Seb. The loss of Cedric and the word of Voldemort being back were just the catalysts that sparked the anxieties in them both, yet they were so terrible at talking about their problems. Sapph had been trying to get better, to be more open and candid, but Larkyn, he-- he was struggling. Sapph wanted to be there to support him, in turn she had lost herself in trying to help him and in silent mourning of Cedric.

This job was supposed to fix everything. She'd be able to be his equal again, be able to protect the person she loved the most. She knew he was against it at first, but she certainly didn't expect this reaction. That bright, genuine smile he loved so much faded until glossy tears stained in her eyes. "Larkyn, I-..." Her initial reaction was to comfort him. It was clear Larkyn was scared of losing her, she understood that completely. However in trying to prevent himself from losing her, he was losing her. This was just what Sapphira needed to feel... whole? To take back her life and not feel so sad over everything.

"I don't want to be a secretary anymore. I-I want to be able to protect others from what happened to Cedric. I- I want to protect you!" And there it was. Tears spilled down her cheeks and suddenly Sapphira was finally standing up for herself. Her brows bunched up as she glared up at the tall white haired man and for the first time she was mad at him. Sapphira side stepped around him with a huff and grabbed the parchment once more with a small aggravated huff. "I don't understand you. You taught me yourself how to fly, Larkyn. You keep praising me on how well I'm doing. I don't fall off anymore!"

Sapphira spun back around to face him, sadness and anger mixed on her face as she looked up with him sharply. "And how could you think that I'm not a quick thinker? Is it because I'm a woman, or is because I'm your woman? Because news flash, I can be helpful in a fight. Just-- give me a chance!" The anger washed away from her face and left nothing but sadness in its wake. Her soft manicured hand touched his in attempt to soothe not just him but the both of them. Her bright green orbs looked up at his so she could take a quick inhale. "I know you want me safe. I love that about you. I can't just sit around and wait for more bad news though Larkyn. I- I need to be out there protecting people. And... I can't lose you. You mean everything to me." Her hand gave his an encouraging squeeze.

Her eyes were practically begging him to be okay with this, be okay with putting her life on the line every single day. Poor Sapphira was so, so hopeful he could be swayed. Surely the big bad Auror wouldn't let fear win over his good senses, right?