Fandom The Gathering of Death Eater Children

[Junko Natsumizaka]

"I see..." Alastair finally said once she had finished.

While she spoke, his expression had been emotionless. Now he wore a pained expression, clearly recalling his dream.

"My mother was...." he struggled to decide what exactly to say "...very abusive. I was merely re-living the worst I had endured." he finally managed to say. His face was cold, as if he had tried many times to forget his mother, only to have his dreams ruin his progress. "Perhaps-" Alastair said, staring at the vial of potion with a distant look "-we can speak more later." He looked up at her, with an expression that was hard to read. In his glance, he conveyed a single thought, quite clearly, to Aislynn. I trust you. "Tomorrow, I will tell you everything. " he promised. "If you have seen everything, and you begin to fear what you have come to love-" he paused, darkly referencing himself "-then we shall part ways. "

 

[Hikari Chan]

"I see..." Alastair said.

Aislinn bit her lower lip nervously, feeling unsure about how to interpret his I see...
She noticed his pained expression and understood it was because of what he had dreamed about.

"My mother was...." he struggled to decide what exactly to say "...very abusive. I was merely re-living the worst I had endured." he finally managed to say.

"I am sorry..." Aislinn said quietly, feeling pity for him.

"Perhaps-" Alastair said, staring at the vial of potion with a distant look "-we can speak more later."

She mentally agreed with him, because she was feeling too exhausted to stay awake anymore, especially that she had been waked up after only four hours sleep.

"Tomorrow, I will tell you everything." he promised. "If you have seen everything, and you begin to fear what you have come to love-" he paused, darkly referencing himself "-then we shall part ways."

"Sure..." She replied with a yawn. And we shall part if I fear him? Well unless if he turns out to be someone like Aaron Glass or Cerberus...or perhaps something much worse… But what can be much worse than a werewolf or a psychopath like Aaron?... Anyway, I hope Alastair also explains why he did not wish to speak about the purple eyes earlier today...Since he trusts me I hope he will tell me everything... She thought for herself as she laid down beside Alastair.

"Please take the dreamless potion..." She said with another yawn before closing her eyes.

 

[Junko Natsumizaka]

Alastair was about to ask Aislynn something else when she spoke first.

"Yes, thank you." he said once more as he opened the bottle, drinking it in one swallow.

"Good...night." he managed to say as he lay back down, quickly becoming tired. By the time his head touched the pillow, he was sound asleep.



Knock knock knock. Came Luna's soft hand against the door to Elias's office at Hogwarts.

She wished to see him, because, and she wouldn't allow herself to admit it; she missed him after only two days.

 

[Hikari Chan]

Elias had just finishing grading the fifth year's examination sheets when he heard a familiar soft knock at the door. He smiled as he put down his quill and rose from his desk. The final examination in dueling had been an interesting one in his opinion. The students had to demonstrate dueling. They had been divided in pairs and each pair of students had to duel under his eyesight in an empty classroom while the rest had been waiting on their turns outside. That had been the first phase of the exam. The second phase had consisted of written essays by the students. Each essay had to be one foot long, no more or less. With a wave on his wand his desk tidied itself, so that the parchments were neatly stacked.

"Good afternoon, my lady," He smiled when he opened the door. He was dressed in his usual attire. A black elegant suit with a floor length cloak in the same color. "Please, come in.." He said as he stepped aside, the door being magically held open.

Aislinn woke up during a time of what it felt like being afternoon for her. Still laying on the bed, she stretched out her legs and arms and yawned aloud, when she suddenly felt something beside her. She looked at her right side and her heart skipped three beats when she discovered that Alastair was beside her, sleeping soundlessly. Then she remembered that he had asked her to share bed with him last night. She sat up and made another embarrassing discover. During her sleep, she had taken all the blanket to herself, twisted the blanket and tangled it around her body. Her eyes then fell on him, as she wondered if he had been sleeping without a blanket or not.

Alastair who was sleeping at his back, was not covered with any blanket. Aislinn's face went red like tomato and her heart beat two times faster when her eyes fell on where his chest were revealed. It seemed that his clothes had loosened up during his sleep, because his chest was exposed much more than it had been last night.

He is so beautiful when he sleeps... She thought as she could not take away her eyes from his bare chest and handsome face.

Aislinn, don't sit and stare at him... A sudden thought crossed her mind and she had to unwillingly force herself out from bed. What if he wakes up and discovers that he has been sleeping without a blanket and besides, you are staring down at him... She thought embarrassed as she covered him with the blanket. I wonder if he chose that attire as nightclothes on purpose...

She brushed her teeth, showered to quickly and dressed. She opened the door of the carriage and noticed that it stood just outside Luna's manor. Perfect...then I shall prepare the breakfast....

When she entered the manor, she looked up at the clock in the hallway. She gasped when noticing that the time was twenty to four. Merlin's beard, I thought the time was only two o'clock or something... She rushed to the kitchen and with a swish with her wand she started to prepare a meal.

Aislinn lost the count of how many times she had to apparate back and forth to the kitchen. It was a beautiful weather and she did not want to sit indoor while eating.

Soon a white cloth was spread on a grass spot left to the carriage. Aislinn had squeezed orange juice and made baguette sandwiches, some with chicken and some with white cottage cheese. She hoped that the sandwiches would taste good as she had also filled them with tomatoes and cucumbers.

She looked at the meal she had prepared and felt that something was missing. She went to the kitchen and came back with a jug of ice-cold water and a bowl with assorted summer fruits: sliced watermelon, cantaloupe, strawberries and peaches.

This had taken her thirty minutes to prepare. She had left the kitchen in a mess and decided to clear it up after the meal.

"Good morning, did you sleep well?" She asked Alastair when she peeked her head inside the carriage, noticing that he was awake. "I have prepared break-.... I mean lunch..." She chuckled.

 

[Junko Natsumizaka]

"Good afternoon, my lady," He smiled when he opened the door.

"Good afternoon." Luna replied elegantly, her eyes first looking into his, and then his cloak.What a charming cloak...The look suits him wonderfully...

"Please, come in..." He said as he stepped aside, the door being magically held open.

"Thank you." Luna nodded, stepping past him and then turning to him once the door was closed. "In the past..." she began "I have nearly always come to you for something important to me. This time, it is just the same. " Her tone was so serious it was if she were about to discuss an enemy that had come, or a death that occurred, although her face was emotionless. "When I cried to you, the other day-" she sighed "-You showed me the wedding ring that you were planning to give me. That ruined your surprise." Her grave tone had not changed; she wasn't going to go on: she had been troubled about the ring. But, something in her voice suggested that she wasn't asking him for a solution; she was pausing to allow him time to recall the incident before she offered a solution herself.

"I am going to ask you to show me the ring. And, I will prepare the memory of you having shown it to me. I will instill it in the ring for now, so that you can give me the lovely proposal you were imagining." she smiled lovingly, her grave tone gone to be replaced with a very soft one "And I won't remember that I accepted your proposal. And, when I put on the ring, I will have my memory back; it will only be temporary. " Luna paused for a moment. "What do you think of the idea? It has been bothering me for several hours now, and I felt as if it could be fixed." She waited with a small smile on her face, as if she wanted to hear his thoughts as well. She also hoped he wouldn't simply agree with her; she wished to have some sort of input from him.



Raven watched Aislynn stare at Alastair's sleeping form the same way a mother watches her child leave for college; with a sadness at something you know must happen for the greater good, but wish to stop regardless.

Alastair awoke to look next to him, and noticed that Aislynn had left already. He rose from his bed and washed, and as he did the potion he had used last night washed off with his drowsiness.

The label had read:





When he emerged from the shower, his body showed all the signs of his younger years. His only regret was that the potion was one of the few that Luna could not make, for the ingredients were so expensive that he was better off buying the potion ready-brewed. The problem was; it cost a fortune. When he dressed in his usual attire and followed the cooking smells to the kitchen, he found an abandoned mess of dishes and laughed. It appears my lady has made us some breakfast...Luna would not leave such an inconsiderate mess. Why did she not simply wave her wand and- My dear, she probably knows nothing of household spells. He shook his head as he enacted the spell and then want into the dining room.

Upon finding yet another empty room, he smiled, and apparated straight to the center of the labyrinth. He looked around and found that Aislynn was still not there, but he did notice the food she had put out. Ice cold water...Fresh bread...Fruits arranged so elegantly...If she knows nothing of household magic, then I assume she knows no cooking magic, either. My lady; she must have put so much effort into something that Luna would think of as simple. What courtesy, how lovely. He thought as his smile grew warmer, if that was possible.

"Good morning, did you sleep well?" She asked Alastair when she peeked her head inside the carriage, noticing that he was awake. "I have prepared break-....I mean lunch..." She chuckled.

"He is in the center of the labyrinth." Raven said informatively. "He went looking for you as soon as he washed, and he has just come across the lovely display you arranged. He will, no doubt, be coming back here, having searched the entire house. By, now!" she said in a 'you should hurry and apparate there' way.

 

[Hikari Chan]

A wide smile spread across Elias' face. I ruined my surprise because I acted like a fool in the past...

"I do not oppose your idea...but no, I would never do a proposal here, not in a boring place like this office..." He chuckled. "I...." He paused for a moment and then said: "It was not my plan to show the ring to you the other day but on the torturing party you held some week ago. So..." How do I tell her now without ruining my surprise? "...I have been planning something..." His blue eyes twinkling mysteriously. "...I hope you do not mind waiting until the first July? Please take your time to prepare your best attire till then...."

Aislinn's jaw dropped when she unexpectedly was met by Raven.

"Oh..." That almost ruined my surprise for Alastair... Aislinn thought as she apparated to the center of the labyrinth.

She appeared some feet away in front of Alastair.

"Hello..." She laughed nervously as she walked closer to him. She suddenly blushed when she looked into his eyes, remembering how beautiful he had looked in his sleep.

"Eh...I prepared some lunch for us..." She managed to say as she took his hand in her. The image of him, with his loosened clothes, sleeping peacefully, was vivid in front of her eyes. I hope he won't ask me what I am thinking about...She thought as they both sat down by the cloth.

 

[Junko Natsumizaka]

"....Please take your time to prepare your best attire till then...."

"I will. Thank you for understanding." she smiled at the thought that she had taken it just as seriously as if there had been a death. "However, I do still wish to remove my memory." she reminded him. "I want the full surprise."

A rare sign of excitement showed in her eyes as she looked at him.


Alastair turned to Aislynn with an appreciative smile when she appeared near him. "Good afternoon, Aislynn. "

"Hello..." She laughed nervously as she walked closer to him. She suddenly blushed, and Alastair assumed it was because of his smile.

"Eh...I prepared some lunch for us..." She managed to say as she took his hand in her.

"What a meal you have put out for us; it looks so beautiful. How lovely of you to make me lunch." he said as they walked over to the cloth. "Thank you, especially, for remembering my taste for iced water."

He took a bite of his sandwich, tasting everything that she had put in as if he was savoring a five-star dish. "I did not know you had this knowledge of cooking." he said curiously with an 'I wonder what other hidden talents you have' face. "You did quite a lovely job." he praised softly.

 

[Hikari Chan]

"Well...." Elias did not like the idea about erasing a memory but as long as Luna was only deleting a few minutes of the moment of when he had revealed his surprise for her, he did not mind about it.
"I told you that I do not oppose your idea, so you may do as you wish," He smiled. It will only be temporary memory loss and I would love to surprise her twice on the same day... "Please be careful."

Aislinn laughed nervously and then bit her lower lip as she looked shyly at Alastair.

"Well uhm.... the truth is that I do not know cooking with magic..." She confessed; her face redder than the sliced watermelon. "I just know how to prepare simple meals like slicing fruits or squeezing them into juices, making tea and hot chocolate and sandwiches..."

I hope he did not see the mess in the kitchen while he was looking for me.... She thought embarrassed.

 

[Junko Natsumizaka]

"I told you that I do not oppose your idea, so you may do as you wish," He smiled.

"Thank you."

"Please be careful."

"I will." she said, both appreciating his warning, taking it as a sign of caring, and wondering if he knew she really hadn't needed a warning at all. She was always careful.

"The ring, please." she said as she took the vial from her pocket. "Do you know the spell to place memories in objects?" she asked, knowing that she had a book at home which explained the process clearly.

"What a beautiful ring it is..." she smiled, appreciating his taste. "I didn't get a chance to tell you that the other day. You are likely to hear it from me again later." she referenced his future proposal.

Aislinn laughed nervously and then bit her lower lip as she looked shyly at Alastair.

"Well uhm.....the truth is that I do not know cooking with magic....I just know how to prepare simple meals like slicing fruits or squeezing them into juices, making tea and hot chocolate and sandwiches..."

"I understood that when you made this meal; I could tell that you had made it by hand. It doesn't matter; no one said you have to use magic for everything." he said politely, assuring her that he was fine with it. Although he didn't mention how he had known. "I styled your hair the other day on the way to China, as you recall, with my wand on the table. Some things, as I am certain you agree; are easier done manually than with magic." No gentleman would intentionally bring up a woman's faults. The mess does not matter at all, as long as she was willing to clean it as well; it was not as if she had merely said 'Meh, it's fine' and left the manor to spend some leisure time elsewhere.

 

[Hikari Chan]

"Hmm....no, I have no idea because I have never done this kind of magic before...." He said as he gave her the box with the ring "Though I do not doubt it to be a charm, since it is only temporary......hehehe, have you ever heard of the adage which says Your eyes are beautiful...?"

How did Alastair know that I did not use any magic? He did not enter the kitchen, did he? Or perhaps he knew because I made tea in front of him that day when he had baked croissants... Aislinn thought as she recalled the first day when they had breakfast together.

"Yes..." She nodded, agreeing with him. She was not feeling ashamed because of using muggle methods for some things, but it would be very embarrassing if he had seen the mess she had left in the kitchen.

As she continued to eat, she reminded herself that she had a lot of questions to ask him. And he had promised her that he would tell her.

I have no doubt that his past must be disturbing somehow. It gives him nightmares and he expect me to leave him if he shares his memories of it with me.... Anyway, I am to curious now about it that I can not rest until I know.... and especially about the purple eyes...

"I can take care of it..." She offered as soon as they had finished their meal and used magic to carry away the cloth with all the dishes to the kitchen. "Please wait here, I'll be back soon," She smiled towards him before apparating away. She did not want him to see the mess which she had left in the kitchen.

When Aislinn appeared in the kitchen, she thought for a second that she had entered a kitchen in a different house, but then she recognized the surroundings and almost dropped the cloth with the dishes when she realized that Alastair had been here. And cleaned the mess I did... She was feeling very ashamed. Of course that's how he knew I have prepared the meal like a muggle.....

 

[Junko Natsumizaka]

"Then I shall do it for us. " Luna said, disappearing in smoke for a literal second, then re-appearing in the same place with the book under her left arm. "And thank you." she said gently, referencing the adage. I haven't heard it before, but I assume he meant it as a compliment. She performed the four-step spell calmly, and four minutes later the spell was complete. She handed him the ring in its box wordlessly, a blank expression on her face.

Since the last step had been removing the actual memory, she didn't know why she was holding the box, what it contained, or why she was giving it back to him. "Well, now." Luna smiled a moment later. "Have a lovely afternoon." And she turned to leave, happy that she had seen him, even if it had been for a few minutes. I am certain that he has other things to do...He doesn't have time to bother with me. As long as I handled whatever it was that had been bothering me, it's fine...

Alastair was about to hastily offer to clear up to prevent Aislynn's embarrassment at seeing the already clean kitchen when she spoke first.

"I can take care of it..." She offered. She used magic to carry away the cloth with all the dishes to the kitchen.

"But my lady, I-" he said quietly.

"Please wait here, I'll be back soon," She smiled towards him before apparating away.

Alastair put his hand to his forehead in frustrating, emitting a disappointed sigh. "I couldn't keep you from your embarrassment; my apologies!" he said shamefully.

 

[Hikari Chan]

"Thank you," Elias smiled, hiding the box in the inner pocket of his cloak. "I hope you have a lovely afternoon as well." He closed the door behind Luna and resumed his work.

If I work hard enough, I might finish grading the rest of the papers before it is time for rehearsal with the others... He thought, feeling very optimistic about the time.

He started immediately with grading the papers by the sixth year's students and he did not check the time until he had finished grading, noticing that he had missed the dinner.

One hour left till we are going to meet.... Shall I take a break and eat or continue with work? He looked at the stack of parchments by the seventh years students and decided grade them as well. Work hard...and rest later... He thought amusingly. I have no doubt that I will finish the rest of my work before the meeting...

"You're late...." Persephone commented dryly; her face expressionless.

"I know," Elias smiled as if it was alright to be late for a meeting.

"One hour to be exact. What where you up to?"

"I know."

"WHAT WHERE YOU UP TO?" She was not screaming but speaking with a tough voice.

"I was busy with work."

"Why did you not alert us?"

"Because I was busy with work."

He seemed to tease her, as if it was fun to be late for a meeting. And she was on the edge of losing her patience with him.

A snigger emerged from somewhere in the music room.

She turned around and gave Avery a murdering look which made him choke on his own laughter. Macnair's face turned red as tomato as he swallowed his laugh. "Well, I hope you used the time well while I was not here," Elias continued in the same merry tone and looked at everyone as if he had been expecting them to practice music in his absence.

He took his place by the piano, but he had no intention to play and instead picked out a large wrapped sandwich from another inner pocket of his cloak. He looked at Persephone with an innocent -I missed the dinner- face as he took a large bite of the sandwich. She made a sour face and clutched the viola hard in her hands. This time both Avery and Macnair burst out in laughter. Endewyne, Faeryn and Adela were playing on their instruments, creating fairy like music, as if they did not care if Elias had been late or if Persephone was being moody with him, while the rest were watching silently. Melody had a very grave look on her face and was hugging her guitar as usual. She had been attending every meeting till now, always being on time, but she never practiced with the others. She always sat in a corner and seemed to be invisible to them. She did not even bother to draw any attention towards herself. She sang and played in the dawn every morning when she woke up. And she was fine with that.

Fifteen minutes later, Aislinn appeared in the center of the labyrinth. Due to her embarrassment, she had almost forgotten that Alastair had promised to tell her about his nightmare.

She conjured a hammock and sat down in the corner to relax.

"Please sit..." She smiled and gestured to the seat in front of her. "Any plans today, beside a next mission? By the way, how do you know when we have to complete another mission?"

 

[Junko Natsumizaka]

Alastair had been standing with his arms crossed behind him, lost in thought, when Aislynn appeared.

"Please sit..." She smiled and gestured to the seat in front of her.

Alastair did so, folding his hands in his lap.

"Any plans today, beside a next mission? By the way, how do you know when we have to complete another mission?"

"Firstly, I do not have plans today. If you wish me to accompany you somewhere, I would be more than happy to do so. Secondly, missions are always available. You can complete them whenever it is convenient, and you can even go a whole week without doing any, and it wouldn't affect your pay-check. However, it will anger the Director if his Agents are slacking, so each month, he counts how many missions every Agent has completed. If the amount is less than eight, he will have a talk with them. If he needs to have the same talk with them the next month, they are immediately fired, no questions asked." he explained simply. "The Director has never asked to see me. Well-" he said, remembering "-he did tell me that I was over working myself a bit when I had completed nearly ninety missions in one month." he said quietly. I couldn't help it...I didn't want to stop. He wanted to remind her that she should be questioning him about last night's incident, but he also wanted to postpone the moment where he would have to lose Aislynn. He decided that if she didn't bring it up in the next ten minutes, he would have to do it himself.

 

[Hikari Chan]

"Merlin's beard! Ninety missions in a month!" Aislinn could not believe her ears.
She pulled out her wand and drew the numbers in the air, creating a magical mathematical calculation. "That's three missions per day..." She said after ten seconds, looking shockingly at Alastair with big round eyes as she wondered if he ever had time to eat and sleep and having some leisure time. "I won't do more than ten..." She confessed and blushed of embarrassment. "...ten per month..."

I hope he does not take it personally or think that I am faint-hearted ...perhaps he enjoys haunting down criminals...She thought, glancing nervously at him. But if I do not have time to rest enough.... I might start dreaming about the missions in my sleep... Her last thought suddenly reminded her about last night.

"Perhaps I can do fifteen per month.... I’ll try..." She hurried to say and then bit her lower lip, cursing herself inwardly for suggesting something without thinking straight.

"Well....uhm..." She switched on her legs. I am curious that I cannot hold it anymore....I want to know why he had a nightmare last night, why he asked me to not to speak about the purple eyes during the mission, I am not really curious about these things but I am feeling more concerned about him. I am curious about why we would part ways if he told me everything....

"...Last night you promised to tell me something today..." She reminded him carefully.

 

[Junko Natsumizaka]

"Yes, three a day is correct." Alastair replied. "But you really don't have to push yourself; I can handle both of ours if you fall short." he smiled, letting her know that there was no pressure to complete any large number to prove anything.

"Yes....I...promised..." Alastair said quietly, apparently uncomfortable when she reminded him. "Listen to me;" he said, looking into her eyes. "I cannot go on having you not know. I must tell you everything. However, I cannot simply show you my story, for it will not make sense. I must show you how my parents met, and how they treated their first child, and then me, then Cerberus, and eventually Luna. You must have ample patience, my lady." he said, thinking that it would be the last time he would be allowed to call her that.

"I know my parents' story, and everyone else's, because I used an ancient book that shows all aspects of someone's past, but not their future." he was referencing the book Luna had, that had showed her her past. However, he was unaware that she still had it. "I apologize in advance for what you are about to see. I give you this-" he extracted an empty vial and offered it to her "-should you wish to avoid the nightmares that will surely follow this presentation; to remove your memories if you must." he explained.

A pensive, please. Alastair thought, and one appeared between them. He took a while to extract several memories, attempting to get them in the correct order. After what seemed like an hour but was truly only ten minutes, he faced Aislynn bravely. "I am ready. Together?" he asked, offering her his hand.

Snow-covered trees formed around them in an old-fashioned square. The air was very cold in London, the moonless night brightened only by the dim street lamps, the light bulbs of which were in dire need of replacement. A nearby church was full of candlelight; the only bright thing amongst the otherwise darkened houses at that late hour. Beside the church on the left side was a cemetery.

A young woman, in her mid-twenties, sat on her knees in front of a tombstone, crying softly. She was nearly invisible in the dim light, as she wore all black.

"Father...." she wept, her voice a bare whisper. "I loved you so...You were the only thing that made my life worth living...I cannot go on with only mother, so I will be joining you soon..." she said, reaching inside a fold in her old-fashioned gown to pull out a short silver knife, which glinted in the candlelight. She proceeded to position it at her chest, and was on the point of impaling herself when an oil lamp was suddenly lit beside her.

She dropped her knife in surprise and turned to see a hand connected to the lantern. There stood a tall, pale man dressed entirely in black as well. He wore the sort of clothing that Alastair usually did, with the addition of a top hat.

"Good evening." the man said, concern in his voice as he looked from the woman's startled face, to the fallen blade.
"G-good evening." the lady said, hurrying to stand.

The man didn't say anything else as they just stared at each other for a moment. In an attempt to ease out of their awkward silence, the lady asked "Are you in mourning as well?"
"Yes. " the man said quietly. "As I can see, you can relate. May I ask how long it has been?"
"One year exactly."
"And your eyes remain full of their melancholy after all of those days...I can relate, as both of my parents died when I was eighteen." the man said quietly. His voice was full of compassion when he spoke about the lady, but cold when he spoke about himself. There was a sort of eerie charm about him that was both attractive and unsettling at once.

"May I inquire your name?" he asked.
"Evelyn Tremaine." she replied hesitantly.
"And a lovely name it is. I am..." he said as he bowed gracefully.
At that point, a strong, chilly wind blew, drowning out the sound of his voice so that his first name was not heard.
"...DiVilliers. Pleased to make your acquaintance." he finished, kissing her hand.
"Excuse me, but I didn't catch your first name." Evelyn said apologetically. "Could you please repeat it?"
Mr. DiVilllers did not answer her, but held out his arm so that they could walk together.
"It is such a dreary, cold night." he remarked, coldly looking out at the darkness. "Perhaps-" he said, turning back to her "-your charm could help warm it."

It was both a compliment, and a request, so masterfully spoken that Evelyn could think of no reply. Before she knew it, they had walked, arm in arm in silence, out of the cemetery and to the end of the street.

"Would you care for a nightcap before we depart?" he asked, looking at her with caring eyes.
"May I ask..." she began uncertainly. "Why did you approach me just now?"
He looked at her for a full minute, his face unreadable. "It would be such a shame, to see a life end so sadly, without ever having had any purpose." he said.
He briskly walked on, turning left without her. He didn't look back.

Evelyn looked at his quickly disappearing figure, then down the other side of the street, caught between following him and going home.

"And so my parents met." Alastair explained as Evelyn ran after Lucifer. "My father's name, as my mother came to find out, was Lucifer. Such a fitting name." he said darkly.



"Hmm. Such a lovely night. It is charming, much like you. " Lucifer smiled, admiring Evelyn as the moon glowed bright and full behind them and a soft, warm wind blew. Evelyn smiled, blushing in modesty and matching his loving glance at the same time.

They stood on an elegant balcony overlooking the sea, and as the waves clashed Evelyn's eyes brimmed with tears.

"You are perfect in every way..." she whispered, "Never once within this year have you lied to me or done anything foolish...You are there when I need you, and gone when I need to be alone. Elegant and dark ...I owe my life to you!" she cried "Had I not met you that night, I would have died without ever having felt...." she stopped, because she had run out of words. But it was clear that there was so much more she wanted to say.

"My lady-" Lucifer smiled, surprised by his lady's sudden outburst of admirance. He stepped closer to her in a second, and their noses were nearly touching as they looked into each other's eyes.
He had a way of moving that was so fluid and elegant, as if he was eternally dancing. Lucifer was taller than her, so he looked down just so slightly, and Evelyn looked up. "-you flatter me so elegantly. I would think you were attempting to confess your love."

Silence for five seconds, then Lucifer spoke again.

"If you are..." he moved away from her, pulling a black box from his inner coat pocket as he knelt before her. "...you have beaten me to it, my love. Look into my eyes and answer the question that you already know. ", he spoke, his voice high and dramatic; passionate in the way a performer portrays a love-struck character on a stage. Except that Lucifer's voice had not been practiced numerous times by someone who had never felt such emotion; he meant every word and the words flowed without much thought. "Tell me now, my love, that which we knew from the moment we met! That we are bound to remain by each other's side throughout all eternity!"

"I..." Evelyn stuttered, looking from the ring to Lucifer's passionate expression. Something had been troubling her the whole time, but she had said nothing. It seemed it had been bothering her for such a long time that she feared to speak of what bothered her.

"What ails you, my love?" Lucifer asked, closing the box and standing to look at her with concerned eyes. "Even if the world is burning to ash, I shall be there for you. Whatever it is-" he assured her "-we can fix it, together." He held her hands firmly in both of his, speaking no more as he patiently awaited her answer.

"I would love nothing more than to marry you." Evelyn smiled a small smile, but it faltered. "But..." she sighed a deep, pensive breath "...we are too different..."
"Sorry?" he asked, certain he had misheard her.
"I'm an angel, and you are a demon...." she explained carefully.
"Does that bother you, my love?" he asked, his expression hard to read.
"No! Never in the least!" she breathed, shaking her head as if the idea was so foolish. "But..." she took her hands away from his and turned away, deeply disturbed. With her back to him, she looked to the sky "....my mother would forbid it."
"Are you certain? Perhaps, if we reasoned with her-" he began confidently.
"There would be no reasoning with her! You don't know what she is like!" Evelyn said quickly, mortified at the thought of introducing them.
"Until now, I did not know you had a mother. I thought she had passed away, the way you were always speaking of your father with such pride, before mentioning that he had passed." he said, trying to find a way to reason with Evelyn.

For a second, a dark look crossed over his face as he stared at her figure illuminated by the moonlight. He was clearly planning to destroy the one obstacle that seemed to have been troubling his precious bride for all of this time.

Evelyn turned around, and Lucifer's deadly expression disappeared, replaced by the same patient, understanding face as before.

"What are we to do? I could not elope; she has threatened to disown me if I ever did. And if she did that...she would treat me like any other lady. She wouldn't stop until she had killed us both! She is so much more powerful than me; I wouldn't be able to stop her."
"Listen to me, Evelyn." Lucifer interrupted, suddenly firm and commanding, although still gentle. "I will find a solution to this problem. Tomorrow at dusk I shall bid you farewell, and set off on another business trip, marking the beginning of seven days. On the final day, I shall return, and present my solution to you. Until then, do not worry yourself with it." he smiled, first gently stroking her forehead with a gentle finger, then moving it to fix a loose strand of her hair behind her left ear. "Do rest well." he said as he led her to the entrance to the balcony, holding the door open for her elegantly.

Before Evelyn walked through the door, she shared a look with Lucifer.

I shall do just that, I promise. Her glance said.
And I shall keep my promise, my lady. Lucifer's said.



A crescent moon shined high above an eerily silent night. Evelyn sat on her lavish bed, using a small pillow to muffle her sobs as she cried in pain.

Lucifer walked quietly through the manor, attempting to find Evelyn's room. He made no sounds and opened no doors, moving with purpose. He walked in strangely calm manner, already seeming to know his way around in a house that he had never visited.

"What are you doing here?" asked an older woman's voice from the shadows near Lucifer's left.
He did not answer, but instead turned around and faced the woman, his face emotionless.
"I asked you, what are you doing...here?" the woman said, stepping out of the shadows into the moonlight. She bore a great likeness to Evelyn, with thick black hair and greenish-blue eyes.
"What are you, the head of an esteemed household, doing out of bed so late at night? You really should start getting proper rest, rather than spying on your daughter all the time." Lucifer smiled, a penetrating glance in his eyes as he stared at Evelyn's mother, Mrs. Tremaine.

In a second, Mrs. Tremaine had Lucifer pinned to the wall by his collar, holding a sharp knife at his throat. Large black wings protruded from her back as she did so, flaring like her anger.
"You shouldn't be planning to elope with my precious daughter." Mrs. Tremaine said in a dangerous tone.
"If she was so precious to you, then why did you harm her?" Lucifer asked, surprisingly calm for someone who was having their life threatened. "I came tonight, all the way from Russia, because I felt my lady in pain. I was too late, for when I arrived you had already done your wicked deed."
"What are you speaking of?" Mrs. Tremaine asked innocently. "I was only keeping my daughter safe."

In a second, Lucifer had reversed their positions, so that he was now pinning her to the wall, with the knife at her neck.

"Cutting off your daughter's wings so that she can no longer escape from this prison at night and see me? So that she cannot fight for the freedom that her heart longs for?" Lucifer said, his voice potent with mixed passion and anger.
"Freedom isn't going off with filth like you." she spat. "I will not have my daughter defiled by your kind."
"De...de...I would never do such a thing! " Lucifer said, enraged at her accusation. "How dare you? You one to talk; you married a human rather than another angel! Talk about filth. "
"He was different; he was the one exception." Mrs. Tremaine said quietly. "I gave up my home for him...And my magi-"
"No, you didn't." Lucifer said quickly, angered further by her lies of self-sacrifice. "Because if angels marry other angels, their power grows. If they marry lesser beings, their powers weaken until they eventually lost their wings. That was your reason for staging your husband's death, was it not? Because you couldn't bear losing the one thing you cherished most in return for love."
"How do you know all of this? None of the servants-" Mrs. Tremaine began in fear at the amount of facts he knew about her past.
"I can read minds. As you know very well, I am a demon. Now, shall I show you what demons do best?" Lucifer's eyes flashed dangerously.
"No...Please, don't take me away from my daughter, I beg y-" Mrs. Tremaine began to cry pitifully.
"You disgust me; you have already taken yourself away from her. " Lucifer said, disgust showing all over his face. "Now, how about I give you the DiVilliers' finest?" he laughed.

Lucifer turned his head to the direction of Evelyn's bedroom. "Evelyn?" he called, his voice smooth and gentle.

In her bed, Evelyn sat bold upright, ceasing her sobbing immediately. She thought she had imagined it, but then he repeated her name the same way.

"Lucifer?" she said in a pleading voice; pleading that she had truly heard him.
"Yes, my lady. Come here at once." he called gently.

Evelyn rushed out of her room, unlocking the door by simply turning the handle. It was the easiest magic she knew, so she never had to think when she used it. She wore only her thin nightgown, and in her hurry she had neglected to put on her slippers.

"Lucifer? Are you really here before me?" she said, looking at Lucifer's tall figure standing in the hallway, dressed in all black.
"Yes, my lady." he smiled, holding his hands out wide, inviting her to embrace him.
They embraced, and Lucifer whispered in her ear as she cried tears of joy.
"I am so sorry...I was too late to save you from your mother's wickedness...."he said, and for once his firm voice shook with sadness.
"Where is mother?" Evelyn asked after assuring him that she would heal eventually.
"Let us say that she is taken care of." Lucifer smiled contentedly.
"What do you mean?" Evelyn asked, stepping away from him with a fearful look.
"I told you that before the end of seven days I shall present my solution to you." Lucifer began to explain with a dark look in his eyes. He raised a gloved hand in front of him, and in his palm grew a small ball of fire, large enough to use as a torch to light the otherwise dark side of the hallway.
"Behold, your mother." Lucifer said proudly.

A tall statue bearing a precise likeness to Mrs. Tremaine stood tall, made of the blackest stone. As she stood there, she looked a lot like Ravenna, only her hair was not as wild and her wings were larger.

Evelyn let out a sound that was half scream and half gasp. "Is that....really...."
"Yes. This way-" Lucifer used a hand to pat the shoulder of the statue "-we can place her above the fountain in our future manor, so that she can always watch us enjoy the life she wanted you to never have."
"That's..." Evelyn began. The way she said it sounded as if she were thinking of a word like psychotic or horrible to finish her sentence. What she actually said was more disturbing than Lucifer's words. "a wonderful idea!" she laughed. "What worse torture could there be for you, mother? Perhaps we should put you in our bedroom!" she smirked at her mother's stone form.
And both Lucifer and Evelyn laughed for a few minutes.
"On a more serious note-" Lucifer said once he was able to stop "-the garden shall be fine. Anywhere else would begin to make us uncomfortable." he said reasonably, offering her his arm.
"Your right. " Evelyn smiled, taking it. "We will raise the perfect children. A son that can charm whichever bride he loves, just like you."
"And a daughter that, according to prophecy, will take over the world someday...." Lucifer said dreamily as he magically levitated Mrs. Tremaine's statue behind them.



Late one night, Evelyn awoke after a nightmare, gasping for breath as she was drenched in a cold sweat.

"What is it, my dear?" Lucifer asked, sitting up quickly to put a comforting hand on her shoulder.
"I had a terrible dream about our future children!" Evelyn said, alarmed as she looked down at the small bump that had been forming in her belly for six months.
"Tell me about it, my dear." Lucifer said calmly, as if he wasn't extremely tired.
"There was a lot of very important information." Evelyn said quickly, getting up out of bed and making for the writing desk on the wall to the left of the bed. "I must write it down quickly!"
"Very well." Lucifer said, getting up as well and turning on some of the lights.
Evelyn had already found herself a quill and parchment and was sitting at the desk, writing quickly.

Twelve minutes later, she had a very odd looking letter.

"Before you read it, I want to explain that I heard my mother's voice telling me these things in the dream. Except that it didn't feel like a dream at all...It felt real, but I just happened to wake up afterwards...Tell me if I'm making too big a deal out of this?" she asked after Lucifer had picked up the parchment.

To Evelyn DiVilliers, my now unholy daughter, Lucifer read.

During the course of your marriage to your demonic husband, you will have four children.
Two sons, and two daughters.
As punishment for your disobedience, I shall give you these four curses, each meant for one of your children. They shall become effective after each child turns seven.

"Now-" Present-Day Alastair interrupted. "I cannot recall exactly what the prophecy was, only bits and pieces. So, I shall tell you what I remember."

Alastair sighed, then began.

"Valetta was, shockingly, my sister, born first. I hadn't known that when I met her!" he said quickly. "Grandmother gave her two curses. The first was that she would have Vampiric powers, but not their weaknesses. The second was that she would eventually betray anyone who came to love or protect her. Had I known any of these things, I would never have saved her in the alley that night." he sighed. "I was the second child; the only other blood-related DiVilliers child. Grandmother gave me my father's Demonic Charm. A power that allows the user to unintentionally attract the interest of anyone he meets that becomes more than an acquaintance. She had intended it to make it difficult for me to understand what true love was, for love without limit was love without meaning. She also gave me the Curse of Blood Lust, which I shall explain later. Cerberus received the power to read minds flawlessly, and the power to use Wizarding Magic, despite being a Muggle. It took effect after they had adopted him. Luna was to receive two curses as well. To be unable to love because of a self-inflicted curse...And to never find another man romantically attractive. Henceforth, she was, and still is, asexual." he explained solemnly. "There was something written...Some obscure hints about which children would be affected...So they knew what was going to happen first."

"And she told you these things in your....vision?" Lucifer asked, choosing the first word that had come to mind besides dream.
"Yes. . . You don't think our little darling girl is going to be subjected to this prophecy?" Evelyn asked, alarmed as she placed both hands in front of her belly as if she would be able to protect her baby at this stage.
"The first prophecy, of course, since the last is clearly meant for Ms. Lestrange." Lucifer said, reading through the letter again.
"Yes."
"We do not know if this is valid or not." Lucifer finally said. "In the end, there is nothing we can do to prevent it, so we shall merely have to wait. If our darling Valetta begins displaying any signs of this first prophecy, we will know. Besides; there may be a way around these if we try hard enough. I promise you, my love-" he said as he began turning out the lights "-we shall both work hard on our precious children. If we give in, we shall only be doing what she wanted. "

Evelyn agreed, and the both went to bed. A sleepless night lay ahead, followed by many more...



"How are you doing today, Valetta?" Evelyn asked, opening the door to young Valetta's bedroom.
She sat in front of her mirror as she attempted to braid her long hair into a neat side braid. She had managed to split it into three parts to start, but hadn't done much else.
"Very well, mother. Thank you." she smiled, attempting to hide her frustration.
"Happy birthday, darling."Evelyn smiled, tentatively walking over to Valetta. "Can I help you with that?"
"No, thank you, mother." Valetta spoke gracefully as she looked at her mother through the mirror rather than face her directly.
"Would you like me to have the servants make you a very special breakfast?" Evelyn smiled kindly.
"Yes, mother, that would be lovely." she smiled appreciatively.
"What would you like?"
"Hmm...Perhaps an assortment of fresh fruits with some buttered toast?" she asked politely.
"That will do nicely. I'll have them start on it right now. And let me help you with that, dear. It will take less time if I-" Evelyn began helpfully, moving toward Valetta.
"Mother." Valetta said in a voice that warned her to come no closer. "I'm seven years old, now. I think that I should be able to do this on my own, now. "
"But, darling-"
"Besides, if you help me with it all my life, I will never learn how to do it. And then where will I be?" she asked reasonably.
"A...Alright." Evelyn said, tentatively walking out of the room.

Valetta didn't resume with her hair; instead, she closed her eyes, waiting patiently. Once she could no longer hear her mother's footsteps, she opened her eyes and looked intently at the door that her mother had left open.
It closed gently, as if she herself had gotten up and closed it.
She smiled contentedly, put her feet up on the vanity, and laughed as her hair braided itself so neatly that her mother couldn't have done a better job.

Meanwhile, her mother stood supervising the servants as they set the table, wishing for everything to be perfect for her daughter's special day.
Lucifer entered the dining room a minute later.
"What was it that you wished to speak to me about, my love?" he asked brightly.
Evelyn grabbed his arm and they made for the courtyard outside, where Evelyn thought Valetta would not overhear them.
"It's about Valetta." she said worriedly.
"Has something happened already? It's barely nine!" Lucifer said frantically, checking his pocket watch for confirmation.
"No, but I fear it will. During these seven years, Valetta has grown so polite and calm, despite me always offering her anything she wanted..." Evelyn began.
"Why would you do that?" Lucifer asked, puzzled.
"Because I'm...I'm afraid of her..." Evelyn said, embarrassed. "The prophecy said that she would end up betraying anyone who grew to love and protect her...Isn't that what parents do? What we're trying to do?" she asked fearfully.
Lucifer stopped Evelyn from walking any further, seizing both her shoulders and looking at her seriously.
"This whole time, I have treated her normally. During the mathematical lessons and the historical lessons. The vocabulary and riding lessons. Every time she made a mistake, I ensured that she knew exactly what she had done wrong so that she could correct it the next time. She isn't going to betray us, she loves us, dearest." Lucifer said calmly, as if he had anticipated the same thing.
"But we don't know that for certain! When she turns seven, it said, her powers would come, and with that, the rest of the prophecy! I-" Evelyn said quickly, close to tears.
"Dearest." Lucifer cut in. "Do not worry. We shall wait through this year, and if there are no signs, then we can live calmly, can we not?"
"Yes, but-"
"And if we see even one sign, then we shall dispose of her, like any other threat. Is that understood?" Lucifer finished coldly.
Evelyn was hurt, but she nodded as a reply.
They embraced, for it was difficult for both of them.

"We shall see about that." Valetta said to herself darkly.

She had been crouching in the shade of the fountain that bore the dark angel's statue, hearing everything.

As her parents turned to walk back to the dining room, she smiled darkly as she changed into a bat, discreetly flying toward the house so that she could make it before them.



"How long has it been?" Evelyn asked nervously as she paced back and forth in the drawing room.
"Six months, two weeks, three days, seven hours. It is now eight o' clock at night." Lucifer stated calmly, not looking up from his notes as he wrote. "Calm yourself, Evelyn."
"Yes...I'll do that." she said, although she kept pacing.

Upstairs, Valetta was getting herself ready for bed. A toothbrush brushed her sharp fangs thoroughly as her daytime clothes folded themselves and replaced themselves in the closet. Her vanity organized itself as she came out, going from the largest to the smallest bottles. Her hair loosened itself from the side braid which seemed to be her favorite style.

She stood expectantly at the foot of her bed, staring at the door to her bedroom. A second later, it opened and a tray with two steaming cups of hot tea flew in and held itself in front of her. There was a fragrant peppermint, and a sweet-smelling lemon and honey.

She picked up the peppermint, and the tray left, flying to her mother's room. After Valetta finished her tea, the tray had returned, ready to take her cup back to the kitchen, and the door closed behind it.

"Hmm." she sighed contentedly as she checked her wall clock. "Peppermint tea is the best way to end the day."

She laughed at her own independent routine and promptly turned out the lights by pointing her finger at the switches. She was in bed just as Evelyn opened her door.

"Goodnight, darling." Evelyn smiled, coming over to the right side of her bed.
"Good night, mother." Valetta smiled innocently.
"I do hope you sleep well." Evelyn said, reaching forward to adjust the already smooth sheets.
"More importantly-" Valetta said seriously, sitting up, "-I hope you sleep well. You haven't lately, so I had the servants make you one of your favorite lemon honey teas. I love you, mother." she smiled.
"Th-thank you, Valetta. I love you as well." Evelyn smiled uncertainly at her daughter's overly kind act. She turned to leave the room once more, closing the door behind her.
"I love you." Valetta repeated to herself once her mother had walked away. "As if." she laughed. "Die." she breathed before she fell asleep.



Evelyn awoke in the middle of the night and emitted a short yet loud scream.

"Lucifer!" She gasped.
"Yes, my love?" He said protectively, already sitting up. "What happened?"
"I...I swear it was like...like I saw Valetta standing over me with a butcher knife just now! Please believe me!" she pleaded, looking at him fearfully.
"Calm down, my love. I didn't say I didn't believe you." Lucifer said. "I will lock our bedroom door magically, -" he did so "-and then I will speak with her in the morning. Better?" he asked lovingly.
"Yes, thank you." Evelyn smiled.

Outside their bedroom door, Valetta swore silently.
"I missed. She just had to wake up." she said angrily as she walked back to her bedroom in disappointment.



"Father? You wished to speak with me?" Valetta asked politely as she stood at the door of her father's office.
"Yes darling, please come in." Lucifer said calmly.
She stood quietly as he looked over a few of his papers before he gestured to a chair in front of his desk. "Do sit down."
Once she sat down, he continued. "I have called you hear to inquire about an incident that occurred sometime last night after the 3 o'clock hour." he paused, surveying her blank face.
It was clear that he wasn't going to be subtle; he was prepared to start boldly.
Seeing this, Valetta spoke up, looking boldly into his eyes "I already knew what you were going to speak with me about-" she paused "-and the answer is yes. I meant to kill mother last night. Only..." she sighed in a disappointed way "...I failed."
"Why would you do such a thing?" Lucifer asked, both revolted and intrigued. "She loves you very much, and so do I. You know that very well." he reasoned, harsh undertones in his voice.
"Yes, but you see-" she stood up from her chair, her eyes not leaving his as she walked over to his side of the desk "I despise mother." she said frankly.
"And why is that?"
"Because she treats me like she is afraid of me; I am just a child. Why can't she grow a spine?" Valetta asked, an unusual coldness in her voice that showed that she had no emotional attachment to her mother.
"Are you?" Lucifer asked, his lips curling at the edges in a 'we both know that is not true' way. He gave her the same sort of demanding look that Alastair had given Aislynn when he needed an answer from her.
Valetta's cold boldness quickly melted into shame as she took a step back. The pressure of his gaze was too much for her and she looked away, taking a few steps back.
Her father stood up slowly, and walked over to her. He placed a firm finger on her chin and forced her to look back into his eyes.
"How long have you had your powers?" he asked firmly.
"Since I was seven." Valetta answered timidly. "So, four years."
"How did you learn to use them so well?"
"I practiced every day on menial tasks, then late at night on more difficult things."
"Mm hmm." he said, already having known the answer "I already knew these things; I've been watching you the entire time. "
Valetta let out a small gasp, fearing that he spoke the truth.
"And, I suppose you also waited to harm your mother until you had learned to control your powers perfectly, so that, in the event you were caught, you would be able to survive on your own when you were thrown out, and even come back to finish the job, correct?" he continued coldly.
"...Y...Yes, but how did you-" Valetta asked, fearing he could read her mind now.
"Listen to me, Valetta." Lucifer said, his harsh gaze suddenly gone as he spoke in an affectionate voice "I love you, very much. I would hate to see anything unfortunate happen to you; I would like to protect you forever."
".I.I..." Valetta stuttered, startled by this sudden change. The fact that he still cared for her surprised her the most.
"So I shall offer you one piece of advice-" he said as he bent down to speak with her on her level "-Never trust anyone; even family."
Valetta's face was confused, and she was about to ask him what he meant when he leaned forward and kissed her forehead.
Her eyes closed and her body went limp, and her father caught her easily. "....Even family." he repeated as he put her over his shoulder and proceeded toward the door of his office.


"So she's...." Evelyn whispered, her eyes full of tears.
She had been listening just outside the door.
"Yes. She won't remember a single thing about us when she wakes up in the middle of London." Lucifer said coldly, as if the gentle fatherly way he had always treated her had been an act all along.
"We tried our best." he said dismissively. "Onto the next one, I suppose? Perhaps if we are stricter with this one, it will turn out better than the last." he said, as if they were training dogs instead of raising children.
"Why London?" Evelyn asked curiously as they walked toward the front doors of the house.
"Because it was a place she had always wished to visit when she grew up."
"How-"
"Her diary is quite informative; I cannot read minds." Lucifer explained softly as they walked outside.
"Why did she not attempt to betray you? The prophecy stated that she would betray anyone who came to love or protect her."
"Because, my dear Evelyn." Lucifer paused to move Valetta further up his shoulder "I never allowed myself to love her at all; it was all a game. Did you not understand that?" he asked, as if it had been obvious.
"You said nothing when she was here." Evelyn said, wondering why he had not advised her to have the same outlook on Valetta.
"Because she was always listening. I felt her presence almost every time we were discussing something important." Lucifer explained. "She watched us as thoroughly as I watched her."
"When will you return?" Evelyn asked casually, as if he was merely going on another business trip.
She had already detached herself emotionally from Valetta, as easily as one would throw away a piece of old parchment that was too yellowed to use.
"I shall return in 6 hours. Airplanes take twelve hours, from Rouen to London...What fools." he laughed, bracing himself and then literally jumping upward, soaring high into the sky before he landed a few miles away a minute later, right next to a well-known bakery named Antique.



Evelyn stood in their large library, a chalkboard behind her, and a piece of chalk in her hand. She stood waiting firmly, her eyes fixed on the grandfather clock that stood by the entrance to the library.

"My parents decided that they were not strict enough with Valetta, so they treated me very differently." Alastair explained.

"My apologies, mother. Please forgive my lateness."

Young Alastair had come through the entrance in a hurry. He looked to be eleven years old, and seemed to be a solemn child who seldom smiled. He moved with a fixed smoothness, like a dancer who focused on the accuracy of his moves, without having any emotion behind them in all of his strictness.

He wore a crisp white dress shirt pants, a golden vest and jabot, and tall creme boots, all in the Victorian style. He had clearly not chosen his own clothes that day.

As he took a seat on a chair facing his mother, she smiled such a sweet smile, her voice soft as she spoke. "I do not like to be kept waiting, Alastair. Seven o' clock, sharp, darling."
The time was seven o' three.
"Yes, mother. I'm sorry." Alastair repeated, his head hung in repentance. His voice was completely monotonous and emotionless.
"That's alright, my darling." she smiled, turning toward the chalkboard. "We shall continue last night's lesson on the proper etiquette around young ladies."
Etiquette she wrote on the chalkboard.
"Yes, mother." Alastair said politely. He sat with his back unnaturally straight for such a young child, his hands folded on top of each other in his lap.
"Firstly, we shall lay out the three main rules for conversation. Number one-" she began, writing the number one and then turning toward Alastair expectantly.
"-Always allow them to speak with you about their tastes. They have no interest in mine." Alastair finished calmly.
"Precisely. Number two-" she wrote.
"-Always compliment something of theirs. Their gown, their hair, or a preference they have mentioned."
"Number three-" she nodded.
"-Always agree with what she is saying. Only add your opinions in if they go along with hers." Alastair finished. It was clear he was trying his hardest to understand his mother's lessons. But inside, he was pained because he knew it was all wrong.
"Very good." she smiled. "Now, let us go on to learn the things you should most certainly never discuss with them."
"Politics, religion, money-" Alastair began plainly, as if he had rehearsed these words many times before.
"-very good-"
"-menstruation-" he continued, disgusted
"-go on-" she pressed
"-shopping, magic, manga-"
"-What?" she said sharply, and Alastair flinched in his seat.
His eyes had become excited at the last words, which had been things he liked very much. In his excitement, he let slip something he shouldn't have.
"What did you say?" Evelyn's eyes flashed dangerously, yet her sweet smile and voice remained.
"I..." Alastair trailed off, hating himself for having forgotten.
"Hmm. I believe you said manga which, as I recall, was forbidden, was it not?" she asked.
"I apologize; I didn't think you meant manga when you said Outside books weren't aloud." Alastair hurried to say.

"My mother carefully selected the books I read, so that I did not get any ideas about children who were too independent or disobedient." Present-Day Alastair explained.

"What was that?" Evelyn asked.
"I didn't think-"
"Precisely! You didn't think!" she said in her too-sweet voice, her words not matching her voice and smile.
"I'm apologize, I-" Alastair began, standing up and rushing over to her to stop her from doing the thing he feared.
"No you aren't, darling. Because if you were sorry, you wouldn't have done it in the first place! Let us see about these manga... Hidden somewhere in you room, I suppose. "
And she struck him sideways in his stomach, knocking all the wind out of him as at he fell to the floor.
"Don't leave this room." she said as she nearly ran from the library.
She returned a moment later with a small stack of Kuroshitsuji manga, and a butler's costume folded neatly.
"What do you do with these?" she asked, holding up the manga.
"I read them." Alastair gasped in pain as he lay sideways on the floor, clutching his stomach.
"And this?" she held up the butler's costume that looked to fit him perfectly.
"I wear it and imagine I am the man in the books."
"Wrong!" she smiled.
She threw the items onto the floor, and looked stared at them for a moment.
"Pick them up." she ordered.
Alastair tried to get up but found the pain too crippling.
"Now." Evelyn ordered.
He crawled to where she had dropped the items four feet away, and gathered them up in his arms. Evelyn watched with satisfaction, her lips curled in a wicked smile.
"Now follow me, this instant."
And she turned and started toward the door to the library.
Alastair gasped again as he moved to stand, his body shaking, for his mother still had some of her inhuman strength.
Very slowly, he followed his mother outside, to the bright courtyard.
"Drop them here..."
She called for a servant, who came quickly. "Fetch the gasoline and the matches." she said curtly, and the servant hurried away.
Alastair watched, his expression emotionless, as his mother burned the few things that had brightened up his strict, monotonous life with the strike of a match.
Once the fire had burned out, leaving only ash, Evelyn turned to Alastair smilingly.
"You must have left the house to purchase these items, correct?"
"...Yes." Alastair said flatly.
"And what do you do with them?" she asked, repeating the question from before.
"I....I burn them." he replied.
"Address me as mother." she said, barely letting him finish.
"I burn them, mother."
"Very good. Now, back to our lessons." she said, turning away as if nothing had happened.
Once her back was turned, Alastair gave her a look of such hatred that if looks could kill, she would have been stabbed a thousand times in a shower of her own blood.

"I wasn't allowed to leave the house on my own." Present-Day Alastair explained. "Unless Mother was with me. I felt like a doll; she would dress me in clothes she selected, and teach me everything she wanted me to know. She would only take me with her when she wanted to show her to friends at social gatherings to make herself look better, and she wouldn't give a second thought to the feelings of her little doll." Alastair highlighted the word bitterly.



"Now, I am going to be a lady at the ball you shall attend in a week, and you will pretend that we are at the ball right now." Evelyn explained in her jovial voice. "You have just entered the party. Out of the corner of her eye, she notices you, then looks back at her friends. After a minute, she gives you another furtive glance, and soon another...."
They stood in an empty ballroom, and they were both dressed formally. Alastair was now fourteen.
"...I want you to assume that this lady had the courage to introduce herself. We shall go through your final test on etiquette when speaking with young ladies."
They went through a standard conversation; names were exchanged, then tastes in classical music, food, and art, to which Alastair merely agreed to everything she said, adding in bits of knowledge to make the conversation more interesting.
It became more difficult when the 'lady' asked him if they could walk through the gardens outside.
Alastair, of course, agreed, and offered Evelyn his arm.
They went outside, to the actual garden where an old fashioned swing stood enticingly.
"Oh, how I love these swings. We used to have one in our manor, before the rain ruined it." Evelyn sighed, pretending to reminisce.
"I've always wanted to try them out." Alastair said. For once in the conversation, he spoke the truth. "Ever since I was very young. But I was unable to, for-"
"Alastair." Evelyn cut him off immediately, slapping him across the face with her unfaltering smile. "This lady is not trying to open a conversation. She wishes to hear nothing of your troubles! When she talked about the swing she used to have, she really only said it because she wanted you to offer to push her on the swing! Think about what she is saying! If she did live in a manor, couldn't her parents simply purchase another swing for her? She speaks lies to get what she wants, just like all women do!" she reminded him, as if she had tried to do so many times. "Offer to push her on the swing, and stop being so selfish! She doesn't want to talk about you."
"I'm sorry, mother." Alastair said, his hand pressed gently to the place where she had struck him. "Fair lady; why not allow yourself to relax. I will push you gently." Alastair said, an imitation of a smile on his face, yet his eyes were unnaturally sad.
"Not good enough. You are showing too many signs of your own sadness; you'll make her feel as if you'd rather be the one being pushed!"
"But I-" Alastair began longingly looking at the swing.
"I told you, dearest. Stop thinking of yourself, and perhaps you can succeed at this."
"My lady, I would like nothing more than to push you on the swing you miss so much." Alastair said passionately. "However, I hope this will suffice?" he asked, standing behind the swing and gesturing for Evelyn to sit down.
"That was beautiful! Such emotion!" Evelyn smiled as she sat down and Alastair began to push her. "That was perfect. You see; you don't need to truly feel anything. You only need to ensure that others are convinced you do. All that about love being wonderful; it's all a lie, darling. You're so lucky to have me in your life to teach you that."
Once again Alastair gave Evelyn a hateful glare, pushing her softly.



Late at night, Alastair crept from his bed, making a great effort to remain silent. Eventually, he was outside, making his way to the spot he and his mother had visited earlier that day. When he arrived, he nearly cried at the sight of the swing, which was still there.

He sat down on it eagerly, ready to try it for the first time. Gradually, he learned how to make it swing back and forth, and when he did, he smiled for the first time since his mother had destroyed the manga he so cherished. He swung high up, back and forth, allowing a few bouts of laughter to escape the lips which were accustomed to being silenced.

An hour later, he got off, and gazed up at the glowing, waxing moon, happy. After a minute, he turned to return to his bedroom, only to jump back in shock, falling on the floor.

There, sitting on the swing, was Evelyn, a betrayed look in her eyes despite her smile.

"How could you do this?" she asked quietly.
Alastair was shocked that she was truly there; that he wasn't having a nightmare.
"Everything I've done for you was to make sure that you had everything you needed to do what you needed to later on. The table manners, the varied languages, the etiquette lessons, the calligraphy... All you had to do was wait until you grew up to enjoy these things that you wanted; then it wouldn't matter how much time you spent doing leisurely activities. But you couldn't do that for me, could you?" she asked.
Alastair didn't know how to respond before Evelyn went on.
"Apologize to me!" she ordered.
"I apologize...mother." Alastair said obediently, bowing his head as he switched to a kneeling position on the ground.
"It's not enough anymore, Alastair!" she said, a few tears leaking from her eyes. "All I have tried to do...All I have spent my time doing....I want you to beg my forgiveness! Make me believe that you mean it!" she said maliciously.
Slowly, hesitantly, Alastair keeled before her and spoke, staring at the grass "I...I beg your forgiveness, mother."
She bent down and raised his head to make him look at her.
Their eyes met for a whole silent minute, and just when it seemed she was about to forgive him, she used both of her hands to harshly push him backward to the floor. "Crawl in the dirt and beg for it." she repeated forcefully.
Alastair stood up, walked over to her quickly, and backhanded her across her face.
"Do you know what it feels like, to be treated like dirt every day?" he said, his voice mixed hatred and coldness as he hit her again. "Except that the dirt in these gardens is tended to every day, watered and adding flowers and-" he hit her again, this time so hard that she gasped and was knocked off balance. "Do you know why I let you treat me so badly? Because I only wanted to see you happy! Every time I did something right, I would be happy to see you satisfied. But then, you'd criticize me about something else. Eventually, those brief moments weren't enough anymore, and I began to seek other sources of satisfaction. The manga, this swing. And you took those away!" he yelled. "Food didn't taste good anymore, and sleep failed to prepare me for another day in this hell!"
From the grassy ground on which she had fallen, she glared at Alastair, disgusted. "Are you saying that my love has hurt you? I was only trying to make you into the perfect gentleman!"
In an instant, she was standing up again.
"But...But I guess you didn't want that..." she said darkly.
She fixed him with an intense stare, and in a second, he crumpled to the floor, unconscious.



He awoke some time later in a dark room with tiled walls, which was humid and poorly ventilated. He hung from his hands, which were suspended on either side of him, supported by chains. His legs dangled below him, two feet away from the floor.

A pair of chocolate brown eyes just like his stared back at him .

"I see you your awake, darling." she said softly, and the pair of eyes rose, as if she had been sitting and was now standing up. A leather whip was dangling from her right hand. When she stood up, candles lit themselves all around the room, creating an eerily dim and flickering atmosphere. "Are you ready to apologize?" she smiled.
Alastair said nothing, his gaze lowering to the floor. "...No..." he said quietly.
"What's that? I couldn't hear you." Evelyn said, using the hilt of the whip to raise his face so that their eyes met.
"No!" he nearly spat.
Evelyn unbuttoned his shirt, and as if fell to the floor, the whip cracked on Alastair's chest.
He grunted rather than satisfy her with the sound of his screams, which only made her whip him harder.
Eight times later, she stopped, and the only sound in the room was Alastair's pained panting.
"Are you sorry yet?" she said, nearly laughing.
Silence from Alastair.
She continued on with the torture for another two minutes, cracking the whip at least forty times. When she finished, his chest was bleeding profusely, numerous gashes in his skin. Despite his effort, he had ended up screaming out in pain during the last minute.
"Say those words." she demanded, her eyes fixing his with such an intense stare.
Alastair looked at her through his blurry, teary-eyed vision, and spit on her gown.
"I see." she said, disappointed. "Well, I'll just leave you here to think about it."
And she turned to leave the room. As she closed the door, the candles went out. The only sound was of the blood dripping from his wounds.
Then, as soon as it had come, the silence disappeared, to be replaced with some of the most awful music Alastair had ever heard. Banshee's sang in their high, screeching voices through the speakers that her mother had ensured were the best quality, for the next ten hours.
"Make it stop." Alastair finally moaned through the impossibly loud music.
"What was that, darling?"
In a moment, the music had stopped, and Evelyn had entered the room to stand in front of him.
"It has to stop..." Alastair begged.
"There's only one way it can stop..." Evelyn reminded him.
"I..." he hesitated for a moment, but as the thought of continuing on with the torture came into his mind, he finished the sentence. "...I apologize." he breathed.
"Say it again." Evelyn smiled.
Silence, and then she turned to leave again. "I'm sorry!" Alastair hurried to say.
His chains broke, and Evelyn caught him. She carried him to her bed, and lay him down on a sheet of plastic she had laid out. She cleaned his wounds and applied some medicine, smiling all the while at her masterpiece.
"Now, we don't have to go through that again, do we?" she smiled when she was finished.
Alastair nodded silently, and Evelyn stepped back.
"Go sleep in your room, darling. Good night."
Alastair tried to sit up, but fell back down. His torture had left him nearly paralyzed with pain.
"You can't move, can you?" Evelyn asked sweetly, tracing a finger over his wounds.
"N...No. Please have one of the servants-" he began weakly.
"That won't be necessary. Why don't you remain here for the night?" she asked, her hand tracing over the skin closer to his abdomen.
"I can't do that...Please call one of the servants...Please." he repeated, becoming worried.
"I don't see a reason to. After all, your sleeping form is so very attractive." she said, tracing a finger over his belt "And I simply couldn't resist you when you look so weak and helpless. It's like your begging for it." she breathed, looking at his pained expression.
She forced a vial to his lips, which Alastair tried to refuse. He used the last of the strength to try to push it away with his hands, but Evelyn was relentless.
As he felt the vial's contents slide down his throat, he slipped into a state where he was half-conscious, and half-asleep.
And soon, Evelyn was proceeding to do something a mother should never do; only a lover. Soon, he faded out of consciousness.

Present-Day Alastair was looking away, close to tears, although he would never cry in front of anyone.



Alastair awoke in the morning, with Evelyn at his side, her arm lying across his chest in a half-embrace as she slept. His face fell in despair, as he realized what had happened.
He hurried to leave the bed only to realize that he wore no clothes. He draped a towel from a nearby closet around his waist, then ran to his bedroom to dress, only to find locks on his bedroom door. He banged his fist against the locked door in frustration, not knowing where else to go.
"Oh, good morning." Evelyn smiled brightly, looking him up and down sadistically. "Did you sleep well?"
"W...w....why..." Alastair stuttered, not knowing how to reply to this insanity.
"Come on, darling; it's time for your daily lessons." she said as if it was any other day.
And she walked away, stopping in the middle of the hall with a 'Why are you not following me?' glance.
"Father!" he yelled, turning away to nearly fly down the staircase. "Father, I need you!" he yelled.

"Please, help me this instant!" he begged as soon as he had reached his father's study. "You're the only one here I can trust; you've always been there for me when you weren't busy with work. I must tell you what happened last night!" he said quickly.
"Go on. Tell me everything." Lucifer said understandingly, taking Alastair in his arms and offering him one of his own night robes. "Every detail." he said as he locked the door.
He sat down, not behind his desk, but at a seat next to Alastair.
Hesitantly at first, Alastair recounted last night's events for his father, who had been working late at the time, and hadn't taken a break all night.
"Oh my son, I wish I had been able to stop this wickedness." Lucifer sighed when he had finished, putting a comforting arm around Alastair. "What do you wish to do about it?"
Alastair hesitated. Although he trusted his father completely, he couldn't tell if it was a trap or not; he had never been asked for his opinion...Except from his father, but those were rare, since his father was nearly always working. "I'm going to run away." Alastair said quietly.
"Alright, my son. I shall keep Mother occupied for the entire day if I must, and well into the night. Good luck."
"Father; do you truly mean that?" Alastair asked, close to tears with gratitude. "I-"
"Of course; I would never lie to you." Lucifer said genuinely, embracing his son. "I despise what you mother has done to you. However, I cannot show any displeasure toward her. If we get a divorce, then she will regain her powers, and she will be even worse than she is now, because she will have her full powers. I plan to dispose of her once her powers have vanished completely, I promise you."
"I understand...Farewell, father."

And Alastair stood to leave.



That night, he made his way outside with a small bag he had packed which fit in his arms. He had nearly reached the front door when he heard his parents talking in a nearby room.

"...away from home?" his mother asked quickly, fear in her voice for once. "Has he truly left already?!"
"Yes, my dear. But, he will be back, I promise you. " Lucifer said quietly, his voice certain.
"How do you know that?!" Evelyn nearly screamed. "I cannot lose my perfect boy! I loved him beyond compare!"
"Because..." Lucifer paused.
Outside the door, Alastair strained to hear his father's next words, which were spoken quietly.
"...of the prophecy."
"What about it? He knows nothing of it!" Evelyn insisted.
"In the following years, we will adopt a daughter. We will, not doubt, wish her to be as perfect as him. Henceforth, she will receive the same treatment as him, until she becomes obedient. Perhaps we will have to be even more strict so that she doesn't end up running away..." Lucifer said lightly.
Alastair left the manor, feeling betrayed.

"He knew all along..." Present-Day Alastair explained as his past-self opened the front gates to the manor with the key his father had given him."Not only that, but he told mother....I don't know if he intended for me to hear that conversation...All so that I could return to protect the next child they would ruin? They knew that I wanted to do the right thing, so I was certain it was a set-up. How could I morally allow another to suffer as I had? I left the manor that night, my mind confused..."

The memory changed to show young-Alastair in a shoddy room, sleeping in a messy bed with thin sheets and the heavy odor of perfume.

"I found a letter next to the bed I slept in at an inn with low security. It said 'If you come back, the daughter we shall adopt in three years' time will not be treated with the same malice you were. If you stay, we will treat her as if she were a goddess. Your choice, darling.'"

"I contemplated for many nights, about whether to go back or not...In the end, I returned, a year before Luna was adopted, to find Cerberus residing there as their adopted son..." Alastair sighed, a long, pained sigh as another memory formed. "...My mother loved him because he was everything I wasn't. Obedient, compliant, and he already knew how to play an instrument and use proper manners, and even dance. Most of all, she loved that he let her do what she wanted with her. In fact, he could read minds, as you may know, so he used his powers to his full advantage. He made all of her darkest fantasies come true, from toying with him, to torturing people that soiled the DiVilliers family name. He didn't care, as long as he got what he wanted: He came and went as he wished, wore what he wished, and ate what he wished, because he did what my mother wished... Mother and father lost count of how many women he had...entertained..." he shuddered. "But what bothered me most of all..." he paused as the memory finally formed and Cerberus and Past-Alastair were in a hallway together.

"She did quite a number on you." he laughed, reading Alastair's mind.
"Stop that this instant!" Alastair said angrily. "Those are priv-"
"Oh my!" he laughed, not listening to Alastair. "Did you enjoy it?" he asked, breathing as if he was witnessing something euphoric.
"No! How dare-" Alastair objected.
"Can I see your beautiful scars?" Cerberus asked, eager as he reached for Alastair's top collar button.
"No!" Alastair said, slapping his hand away. "Please stop talking to me like you're better than me. You're a horrible person." he said as he turned to walk away.
"Am I?" Cerberus asked, using smoke to appear in front of Alastair. "Your parents seem to love me more than you...I just get so very jealous, the way she treated you...I would have been like a dream for me!" he sighed, the same euphoric sigh.
"You're a filthy sadist." Alastair spat, turning away to walk the way he had intended to walk in the first place.
"Such strong words for a perfect doll like you..." Cerberus laughed wickedly as he read Alastair's thoughts yet again.

"That night..." Alastair explained darkly. "Cerberus begged Mother to hurt him the way she had hurt me. She, of course, agreed, being a sadist herself. The next day, they were closer than ever. She exploited his mind-reading powers, and they became an inseparable pair. Cerberus would blackmail me for all of my secrets...I would plead for him not to tell Mother, and he would offer me a deal every time:" he paused, painfully remembering "To allow him to harm me as he liked, or tell Mother my secrets. Half of the scars I have came from Mother, and the other half from Cerberus. I endured everything so that I could protect Luna when she finally entered the manor." he paused to catch his breath from all of the explanations.

"...She was so self-conscious and clumsy in the beginning. That innocence that was so rare in my family. I immediately found no regrets in my many decisions to remain at the manor, for I had an overpowering urge to protect that innocence. My family kept true to their promise of treating Luna with care, and for a while they were a normal family. They taught her all of the talents she knows today, from her cooking to her etiquette and posture. But one day, they decided to keep her all to themselves; to prevent her from attending Hogwarts, despite knowing full-well that she was magical. She would have become an Obscurus! " He said, outraged. "So, I helped her..."

He showed her the memory of when he had assisted Luna in escaping the manor to get to Hogwarts.

"I saved her life, although she didn't know it until she was much older. I went to Japan, where the music and the manga and the language that I so loved originated. Gradually, I recovered, and became a rather odd character. " He explained as they returned to the present -day. "I developed two personalities; one which is harsh and violent, and likes to harm things. The other which is gentle and apologetic; the side that I made sure you saw more of, although you have seen my other side...Like when I asked you about the milk and the dream...I hadn't meant for you to see that. My eyes developed symptoms of the final curse Grandmother had given me; the Curse of Blood Lust. " He paused. "My eyes turn purple if I have not killed someone within a certain amount of time that always varies. If I do not, then I lose control until I satisfy my hunger. It was my dear grandmother's way of reminding me who my father was...A sadistic demon. "

He stood ready, awaiting her disapproval....Her dismay...Her abandonment. And there is one more thing...Yet I can never....never tell a soul...I bless the fact that Cerberus is dead now...

 

[Hikari Chan]

“I understand…” Aislinn replied quietly, taking the empty vial, which Alastair offered to her.

She watched silently as he extracted his memories to the pensive.

"I am ready. Together?" he asked, offering her his hand.

“I am ready,” She replied, taking his hands.

“Why are you standing?” Aislinn gave Alastair a confused look. “I conjured this hammock for relaxing purpose...” She stood up and walked over to him so that she was facing him. She had to use all her force to keep her sanity and look into his eyes with such calmness. She had been expecting anything, but never in her life had she been imagining, not even in her wildest fantasies, about a mother having different interests in her child. She was feeling that her tummy was protesting difficulty about this. “Please...” She placed her hands on his shoulder and pushed him gently down so that he sat back in the hammock. “And relax…” She gently pushed him backwards this time so that she made him to rest his back against the hammock. “No one sits with a straight back and folded hands in their lap in a hammock. It is ridiculous” …does he know he can even swing a little with a hammock? It is not the same as an actual swing…but still... She was going to resume her place beside him, when she suddenly felt the awful protest in her tummy.

“I’ll be back soon...” She said, managing to smile, before poofing away, appearing inside her bathroom in the manor. Aislinn had almost made it. She rushed over to the toilet but did not have time to open the lid and therefor she vomited in the sink instead. Everything she had eaten for lunch. Everything went out till she felt she had become so empty inside that it hurt her stomach, throat and gullet and she had nothing more to throw up. When she was done, she sank on the cold tiled floor and laid down panting of exhaustion. She tried to focus her mind on something else rather than thinking about what Alastair’s mother had done to him in the past. So, Valetta has vampiric powers but no weakness? Then it must mean that she…. she…. Oh, good Merlin, she could be alive at this very moment, healing since the day we left her. If she has no weakness of a vampire, then she has no weakness against garlic… Aislinn thought alarmed. Have Alastair really been thinking about this matter? She stood up and proceeded to clean up the mess in the sink. So she is his real sister, they share same blood…Merlin’s beard, they were so close…so close to do that thing together after they kissed so passionately…if Cerberus had not interrupted…perhaps it is the bright side of it after all… Aislinn thought as she recalled the memory which Alastair had shared with her that night when they left Venice. Well I am glad that Cerberus put an obstacle to it…. he might be evil and hateful, but after all he, unaware about it, prevented two siblings for doing that thing. At least…I also hope that Alastair sees the bright side of it…. I guess that Valetta still does not know that she is his sister, hence why she kissed him when she caught us in Venice..

Aislinn washed her face with cold water to clear her mind from the thoughts that disturbed her. Siblings who kissed each other like lovers and the mother who took advantage of her son in his weak position to satisfy her needs. Aislinn had lost her appetite despite her hunger. She patted her face dry with a white soft towel and drank a vial of peppermint extract to get rid of the disgusting aftermath taste of vomit. So, Alastair is not human… She thought, trying to stir her thoughts towards another direction. When he said that he was not pure blood when he took me to the underwater restaurant, I always thought that he was a half blood or mixed blood wizard as a human…well he is one quarter human…. was his maternal grandfather a wizard? Or is it possible that children of demons and angels become magical?

After being away for ten minutes, Aislinn appeared in the center of the labyrinth.

“I am so sorry I kept you waiting here,” She said as sat beside Alastair. “I just needed to visit the restroom…” She smiled innocently and hoped that he won’t suspect or even ask her why.

Part human, part angel and half demon…. And Vincent who thinks that Alastair is just a human…. I would like to see his face when I introduce him to my bloodthirsty demon... In other circumstances Aislinn would have laughed at her own thoughts. But this time she was in a too serious mood because of Alastair’s past. And she was quiet. She did not what to speak about. She tried to relax, but she was feeling so awkwardly embarrassed, after having seen him without his clothes in his memories. She tried to think about something else and went over to debate about what actually happened to his grandmother. So with his demonic charm he can attract the interest of anyone he meet....well it make sense...close friends with every lady he meet...the two whom I heard whispering at the agency have then spoken the truth.....but can he still feel true love? His curse is still different from Luna's... She put her hand on his, feeling so sorry for him and pitying him more than words could describe rather than dismaying him the slightest at all.

 

[Junko Natsumizaka]

”Why are you standing?” Aislynn gave Alastair a confused look. “I conjured this hammock for relaxing purpose...”

Why do you care? Aren't you going to run?

She stood up and walked over to him so that she was facing him.

Alastair looked at her, shock emanating from his eyes as she looked calmly at him. How can you be so calm? Have you not just seen-

“Please...” She placed her hands on his shoulder and pushed him gently down so that he sat back in the hammock.

Perhaps she is trying to put on a calm front so that she can run away without alerting me of her escape?

"I-" he began, sitting up straight with his hands folded.

He was about to tell her that he was going to leave peacefully, assuming that she perhaps feared his true nature.

“And relax-"

Alastair allowed her to push him back, and he grew even more surprised when went on about him relaxing. “No one sits with a straight back and folded hands in their lap in a hammock. It is ridiculous”

His eyes did not leave hers as he saw her glance at the space beside him, and then...

“I’ll be back soon...” She said, managing to smile, before poofing away.

"Farewell..." Alastair whispered to himself. Perhaps not fearful...More repulsed...She will never look at me the same way again... With every second she was gone came a growing suspicion that she would not be back.

Four minutes later, he had lost track of time, and he stood up, thinking it had been a half-hour. The hammock disappeared, and he was surrounded by three flawless wax figures, each baring a great likeness either his mother, father, or brother. A short knife appeared in his hand, and he stabbed each and every one of them, many times, because they fixed themselves once he had ruined them. To finish, he beheaded all of them, and just when they had disappeared to be replaced with the hammock once more, Aislynn appeared, to see him sitting up straight with his hands folded once more. He hadn't meant to sit that way; it had come second nature for him to take a seat in that position.

“I am so sorry I kept you waiting here,” She said as sat beside Alastair. “I just needed to visit the restroom…” She smiled innocently.

That was....an innocent restroom break? So she doesn't want to... he thought hopefully. "So you don't wish to leave me?" Alastair asked, standing up just as she sat down. He looked into her calm eyes with the same surprised eyes as earlier.

 

[Hikari Chan]

"No, why?" Aislinn stood up and took hold of Alastair's hands, holding them tenderly in hers.
"I have no reason to leave you...."

She went quiet for several minutes, looking at him with such pity that the brim of her eyes started to fill with tears. She was feeling very sorry for him. Yet she managed to keep a calm tone in voice as she spoke in a quiet voice:

"I neither fear you nor do I blame you. Your grandmother and parents are the ones to be blamed..."

"We are not getting anywhere with this!" Persephone complained. "We are only practicing our instruments, but do we really need that when we already know how to play them? And that girl is not even contributing!" She pointed furiously at Melody who looked a little alarmed at the sudden outburst.

"Fine, Phonie," Elias said with a cold and calm smile. "You can put down your instrument if you think you are done practicing."

An awkward silence filled the air in the music room.

"If everyone else are feeling that they do not need to practice anymore, we shall get started with playing songs together-" He continued as his hand went inside his cloak.

"We were supposed to compose songs!" Persephone interrupted.

"Do you think we have time for that? I have already prepared some-" he replied as he pulled out his pocket watch.

"You have not composed songs on your own, have you?" Macnair asked doubtfully.

"You know there's something called a library that do not only provide text books for classes and leisure but also poems and music sheets." Elias said as he looked briefly at his pocket watch.

Adela burst out in laughter while her two friends tried to keep calm faces, but then ceased to laugh because of the mad look Macnair gave her.

"And as for that girl..." Elias continued calmly. "She actually has a name..." He looked into Persephone's eyes until she looked away, not replying him. "Miss Melody Wilkes, may you play us a song, please."

 

[Junko Natsumizaka]

"No, why?" Aislinn stood up and took hold of Alastair's hands, holding them tenderly in hers. "I have no reason to leave you...."

"You do not mind that I have to kill things in order to maintain my curse? Or that I..." he thought of what his mother had done "...Are you not so revolted that you can no longer stare at me without your stomach churning? And you do not fear me, at all, now that you know I am not human?"

She went quiet for several minutes, looking at him with such pity that the brim of her eyes started to fill with tears. She was feeling very sorry for him. Yet she managed to keep a calm tone in voice as she spoke in a quiet voice: "I neither fear you nor do I blame you. Your grandmother and parents are the ones to be blamed..."

Alastair embraced her, feeling, for once, that someone truly knew and understood him, and felt for him. After nearly six minutes, Alastair backed away and explained: "I am not a wizard. I carry a wand because I pretend to be one. Demons have similar magic to magical people; they can summon objects, transfigure things, apparate; but we can travel differently if we wish-" he literally threw his wand away, into the hedges "We can marry other sorts of beings without losing our powers, and we are extremely perceptive. We can jump from place to place, should we choose to, although we cannot fly. Most cannot read minds, but we can see in the dark perfectly. We have a larger memory capacity than humans, and we can move much faster. Finally, we can taste food, and we do not need souls to survive if we are not of pure blood. Do you have any questions at all?" he asked.

Hopefully, she will not ask about my father's parents....

 

[Hikari Chan]

"...No..." Aislinn smiled, who nearly had become speechless because of the hug they had shared.
"I don't have any..."

I understand now, how Alastair was able to jump up high in the air at the theater of games in Venice...

"Let's sit..." She said after a minute of silence and gently pulled him down beside her on the hammock.

She leaned her back against its pillows and gently pulled him so that he was also leaning with his back instead for sitting unnaturally straight.

"Even if you have been of pure blood, I wouldn't fear you.... I think..." She laughed softly. "Anyway...I was wondering.......you know it is Thursday today...well it is not much left of it..." She referenced to the sun who had recently went down the horizon. "When it is Friday and weekend, I don't wish to work...Is it fine with you if we wait till Monday to complete a mission?"

 

[Junko Natsumizaka]

"...No..." Aislinn smiled, "I don't have any..."

Lovely... Alastair sighed inwardly, relieved.

"Let's sit..." She said after a minute of silence and gently pulled him down beside her on the hammock.

He sat down usually. Should I learn to relax more to please her, or should I remain the way I am? Alastair wondered as she pulled him into a lying position a second later.

"Even if you have been of pure blood, I wouldn't fear you.....I think.." She laughed softly.

Alastair smiled. So brave...Perhaps she stopped fearing super-natural beings after she met her family?

"...wondering....you know it is Thursday today...well it is not much left of it..When it is Friday and weekend, I don't wish to work...Is it fine with you if we wait till Monday to complete a mission?"

"Yes. Take as much time off as you wish." Alastair said politely. I have to meet with the Director soon...Three days off is entirely too much for me...I don't think I can handle that. Perhaps she doesn't have to know? Or perhaps she will understand. "Now that we have that nasty business out of the way, is there anything you would like to do? Anywhere you would like to go?" he smiled. "We don't have to use the carriage only for missions." he reminded her lovingly. "We could go anywhere in the world." he smiled charmingly. The Theatre of Game again...Or perhaps a park?

 

[Hikari Chan]

"Anywhere...?" Aislinn said dreamily. It was not a question directed to Alastair, though more to herself as she pondered where she would like to go.

What if we could have a weekend together at the Magical Spa in Serpentine Village... She thought dreamily, but suddenly blushed deeply at her own thoughts. No....not this weekend....perhaps another weekend.....and besides I need to book time for us both ahead of the planned weekend...I'll have some bubble bath for my own in my bathroom instead......I hope he does not find it weird if I spend several hours for myself in the bathroom...

"Take me anywhere you like.." She smiled. She had no idea where she would like to go or to do this night. She was open for any idea and at the same time she did not mind to just sit close to him and cuddle in the hammock.

 

[Junko Natsumizaka]

Alastair looked adoringly at Aislynn as she thought of where she would like to go. He was certain she would choose a lovely place, but she caught him off-guard when she told him he should decide. "Hmm..." he said, in mock-deep thought as he sat up. He turned around halfway so that he was facing her, and put his left hand right next to her head, leaning over her romantically. "Would you like something exciting, creative, or relaxing?" he asked charmingly.

 

[Hikari Chan]

"Uhmm...." was all Aislinn could say first, her heart skipping several beats, when Alastair leaned over her. "Relaxing this evening, exciting tomorrow and creative on Saturday..." She then said, speaking a little too fast, not having an idea what each choice was about. On Sunday I will have bubble bath...

"Thank you," Elias applauded smilingly when Melody had played not only one song but two.

"Wow girl, you have such a talent, singing and playing at the same time..." Avery praised her.

Macnair rolled his eyes as he found Miss Wilkes' taste in music very boring comparing to his taste.

Melody remained silent, her eyes showed that she was happy and thankful for the few praises she got, but her silence made Persephone frustrated.

"You don't know how to say You're welcome and Thank you," She said dryly and haughtily.

"Persephone..." There was a warning tone in Elias' voice.

"Uhm....Goodnight..." Melody spoke up and quickly left the music room.

The other girls followed her example only leaving Selwyn, Flynn, Macnair and Avery with Persephone and Elias.

"Can't you try to be a little nice?" Elias said with a raised eyebrow as the others where tending about their instruments.

Persephone did not reply and got up to put her viola in its case.

"Miss Wilkes barely knows us and besides she is the youngest...perhaps she becomes more talkative when she knows us better.... Good night" The door was on the edge to be slammed as he left.

 

[Junko Natsumizaka]

"Very well." Alastair smiled, sitting up straight again. "Are you familiar with any Muggle films?"

"Hmm...I think I have a few that you may like." he smiled. "Have you heard of the Count of Monte Cristo? It was first a book." he asked hopefully, having thoroughly enjoyed the book, and wishing for her to read the book first and then watch the film.

"Then perhaps the Man in the Iron Mask? It was another one of my favorites." he smiled with an 'I have decided.' face as he offered her first his hand to help her up, then his arm to escort her.

"How long do you require to prepare yourself? It is an old-fashioned, rather formal theatre." Alastair explained.

"Very well. In that time, Ravenna shall prepare the carriage, and I shall prepare myself." he smiled, bowing slightly as he turned away.

When the time was up, the carriage was ready, and Alastair stood prepared in an all-black tuxedo and a top hat.