Fandom The Gathering of Death Eater Children

[Junko Natsumizaka]

"You think that what happened to my sister may be related to the case with Cattermole, don't you?"

"Yes." Luna sighed quietly. I love that I didn't even have to use my pendant for him to understand what I meant.

"But it could also be a method the culprit is using to confuse us, to make us think that these cases may be unrelated while they actually could be related."

"Exactly what I was about to say." Luna replied. A method to work towards an 'unforeseen reveal' later on.

"Anything could be possible."

Luna nodded, both irritated, and relieved that she was agreeing with him. He's pointing out that I shouldn't try to connect everything, so of course I'm irritated that I allowed myself to become irritated by the most worrisome theory I could put together. I'm also relieved he didn't immediately shoot my theory down. In all of this mess, we're still a team, and we love each other. She knew he had the power to be condescending to her at her thoughts, or try to get her to doubt herself...through all this, he'd never questioned her leadership or judgement. He was pointing out the flaws in her logic, and helping her fix them. She listened to the rest of his speech with the same mix of emotions, nodding along whenever he made a good point. She never broke eye contact.

"So no, absolutely not. No more than Pyrites was attacked and that my sister saved his life."

"Less is more." Luna agreed.

"Well, if you do not need me anymore, I will go to the hospital wing to take some dittany."

"Yes. Thank you, Professor Pyrites. Good luck." Luna replied, following him to the door to lock it after him. She hadn't meant good luck with the dittany; she'd meant with the media hounds who'd be bombarding him soon.

After the door was locked, Luna sighed with a soft laugh, visibly disappointed in herself. "Of course..." She turned from the door, to Elias. "my first instinct was to resort to lying and attempting to cover it up...." Her eyes moved from Elias's matching pendant to his eyes. "...and you caught me. Less is more." She slowly walked towards Elias, sighing deeply before she put her arms around his neck in a loose hug. She looked up at him, her lips curling into a serene smile while her eyes remained solemn. "Thank you, Elias." After a few moments she moved one hand to touch her pendant, thinking A lapse in judgement, corrected by the man I am proud to call my future life partner. Handled professionally, formally, without negative emotion. How perfect it felt...so perfect I could not describe it with words. She wished her feelings could get through via their pendants. She let go a second later, moved her hands to intertwine with both of his, then kissed him on the cheek. Her lips lingered for five seconds, then she took a step back, hands still intertwined. "Are you sure-" her eyes met his with a worried look "-Lily will be alright for now? Right now, I'm picturing looking back after some attack that was more...well thought out, and telling myself 'I could've prevented this'. Not the picture I'd love to see come to fruition." She finished logically. This was his sister, and as he'd said...there was a possibility that she was unreasonably connecting the threats and overestimating the attacker or attackers' malice towards Lily specifically.

Rosaleya didn't read the Quibbler due to disinterest; if her friends, or the staff, would bring up any relevant news in conversation anyway, why spend time sifting through the boring, inaccurate news? The Masked Man only looked through old articles when he needed information on someone he needed something from. Soren read through the Quibbler to scoff at how wild and inaccurate the media could be - he believed nothing. Athena read through Soren's old articles on occasion, mostly for the comics section and whatever crosswords Soren hadn't finished - it was fun rubbing those in his face.

Stephan was the only one who'd gotten steadily more and more angry about the lies they'd told about Lily. He remembered Lily expressing a desire to improve in class, and lamenting the fact that she could only read and study recipes outside the classroom. He knew she wouldn't commit such atrocities. As for her alleged crush on Flynn Pyrites...she was the way he looked at him. Unless all those looks were simply a cover for her feelings...I can't ask that...And then, he'd seen Lily being escorted out of Hogwarts, to a carriage leading her to who knew where. He had no idea what had happened. I just hope this can cheer her up, and maybe help me understand what happened... Stephan handed his letter to a solemn-looking Black Owl, and watched it fly off. He'd sent a perfectly folded white paper crane, which would unfold to read, in his tidiest handwriting:

Dear Lily (from Stephan),

I saw you leave Hogwarts with a serious escort. I do hope you're alright...I saw you were able to walk on your own, but still...I won't pry, but it would be a relief to know enough to stop worrying about everything I can imagine. I wish you well, and would love to help in any way I can. Just...let me know if you think of anything.

I just want you to know that, whatever happens, I'll always believe your word over whatever anyone else says. I remember how hard you told me you were working to improve at your Cooking with Magic classes...I found it admirable. And I saw the looks you'd give to Professor Flynn when you thought no one else was looking. My point is, I know it's probably true that none of those rumors are anything close to what's really going on, but I still can't figure out why you'd give him meals. It's probably some really obvious reason, too.

I was going to wait until later to talk about the Quibbler's nonsense with you, but now that I've procrastinated for so long, and I saw you leaving in the carriage, I was worried I wouldn't get a chance. If anything, I hope we can talk again, face to face, on winter break. I might be able to get some tips for your magical cooking from an expert, if you could give me just a few things you seem to have the most trouble with. If we focus on what's the hardest for you and conquer that together, everything else will seem easy.

~Stephan

It was only after he'd sent it that he realized he'd mentioned it was from him twice. He called to the owl, but it kept flying without any sign it'd heard him. "Oh, come on!" He groaned, heading back inside.

 

[Hikari Chan]

"Do not worry about Lily," Elias embraced Luna in return and kissed her on her forehead. "She will be fine. I know she will. Let's focus on the incidents that have occurred at Hogwarts while the Ministry of Magic takes care of anything outside the school." He almost released Luna from his embrace and held her loose but still close. "By the way, shouldn't we be planned for the 1st December?" He bit his lower lip in a grin. "You don't have to show me your wedding dress yet, let it be a surprise, please. We just need to go over the guest list and the plans with the decorations."

When Lily finally had left the dining room and went up to her room to rest for a bit until it was time to visit Serpentine Village with her father later in the evening, all of sudden, she felt her stomach revolting, a sickening feeling which she had been suppressing earlier, emerged to the surface. She rushed to the bathroom just in time to throw up in the white shining porcelain basin. Drop sweats broke at her forehead and she noticed how pale she had gotten in the golden-framed mirror. She also got a bit short-winded and just when she thought she was feeling a little bit better, she threw up again. And again. Till she felt that she no longer could breathe. She had no idea for how long she was laying on the marbled bathroom floor, gasping for air. It was only for two full minutes, but it felt as if ten minutes had passed, then her mother discovered her. Elizabeth had noticed that the bathroom door was not closed, but on ajar and that the lights were still on.

"Oh, good lord!" She screamed. She tried to help her daughter up and almost managed to get her out through the door just when her husband rushed upstairs.
"I will send for a healer!"

"Let's put her on the bed first...I think we can manage with the potions we already have..."

"Ugh..." Lily groaned while her parents tucked her in her bed. "...so much blood....there was so much blood..."

"It's alright...there's no blood...here, have some water..." Her father helped her to drink. He had added a few drops of calming draught to her water. Soon, she was feeling much better. She was feeling at peace as if nothing out of ordinary had happened earlier today. "Just ring the bell, if you need anything and we can postpone our visit to Serpentine Village." He kissed her on her forehead.

"It seems that Lily cannot stand the sight of blood and that today's incident must have taken a toll on her," Alexander talked quietly, once he stepped outside his daughter's bedroom and closed the door.

"How do you know? Shouldn't we send for a healer?" Elizabeth's voice trembled slightly, apparently, she was feeling very anxious and did not conceal her worries at all.

"You heard her. All she was mentioning just now was that there has been blood and Mr. Pyrites happened to get hit by the Sectumsempra curse in front of her."

"Mr. Pyrites? Do you mean-"

"Yes the professor in Transfiguration at Hog-"

They had both reached the bottom of the stairs when they suddenly heard the bell ringing upstairs. Cooky had just finished cleaning up the bathroom and rushed over to the young miss at once.

"Please put on the radio for me," Lily, who was laying down on her stomach, facing the door of her bedroom, ordered the house-elf. Cooky obeyed at once and put on the radio. It was on the wizarding wireless network and it was in the midst of playing a very corny song by Celestina Warbeck.

You stole my cauldron
My favorite black hat
Purloined my owl
Then flew off like a vampire bat
You claimed that you loved me
Said we'd never part
Then you stole my cauldron
(Oh, you stole her cauldron)
But you can't have my heart.

"Ugh...change the bloody channel!" Lily demanded. "Why do you always have to turn it on the stupid wizarding channel?"

"I am sorry, miss...I will change it for you..." Cooky apologized over and over again, whilst he switched over to the muggle channels and changed the channels back and fro until the young miss was very satisfied.

"See, she is alright. All she needed was calming draught," Alexander smiled as soon as he heard the subtle sound of music from upstairs.

"All she needs? I think she needs a better sense too. Merlin's beard, what kind of music is she even playing. You are sure you did not add something else other than the calming draught, to her water, are you?" Elizabeth muttered, shaking her head in disappointment.

"I thought I just heard Celestina Warbeck's voice," He chuckled.

"All of her songs are just rubbish and now this is much worse," She groaned and covered her face with her hands. She massaged her forehead with the tip of her fingers as if the song Dynamite by Lana Del Rey was giving her a headache.

It did not take long until the bell rang once more upstairs.

"I want french vanilla ice cream!" Lily ordered Cooky, who rushed down to the kitchen to start preparing the requested ice cream for the young miss.
"Speeding through the wasteland, Sparkling in the lights, Roll up to the boardwalk, Derelict delight, Eyes all on my dress again, I know how this ends, Boy, you're all adrenaline," Lily sang along with the song which was currently being played at the radio, while she waited for the french vanilla ice cream.

Just when Cooky delivered the french vanilla ice cream on a silver tray to Lily, a black owl landed on her window sill. She opened the windows, wondering who was sending her a letter. She shooed the owl away to read the letter in peace and knowing she would take some time to write a response, she did not want an owl littering around in her room. She thought first about her friends, Pegah, Clarissa, Summer, and Rhaine, but was not sure if Persephone had told Pegah about the incident yet since Luna had warned everyone during the meeting to not reveal a word about the incident or what they had discussed behind the closed doors of the staff room. Therefore Lily came to a conclusion that no other than Persephone had sent her the letter since the former had been assisting the latter with the Divination classes during her free time. Lily thought it must be something related to the subject of Divination, but was taken aback with surprise when she ripped the envelop open and read the first line.

Dear Lily (from Stephan)

...huh? who the bloody hell is this Stephan? I don't think I know someone by that name...also who the bloody hell is he to address me by the first name? I am only on a first-name basis with Clarry, Pegah and Summer, and Rhaine. And also with family members as well...But I can't recognize any Stephan...Lily was about to throw the letter into the fireplace but decided to read it for her entertainment while eating her ice cream. She scooped up a large bit of the ice cream from the silver bowl with the silver spoon and popped it into her mouth, then she continued to read.

I saw you leave Hogwarts with a serious escort.

...So this oddball saw me leaving Hogwarts earlier today...there were a lot who actually saw me leaving with my father, hmm...I should have paid attention to my surroundings, but it's typically me ignoring everyone else while walking straight head-on with my head held up high, not glancing the slightest at anyone insignificant...She smirked as she continued to read.

I do hope you're alright...I saw you were able to walk on your own

Lily burst out in laughter, almost choking on her ice cream. ...Merlin's beard, I am getting really curious about who this retard is. I am going to write to miss Pyrites later to ask her if she can look up any pupil who is named Stephan. It would be a bit tricky though if there are more than one with the same name...

but still...I won't pry, but it would be a relief to know enough to stop worrying about everything I can imagine. I wish you well, and would love to help in any way I can. Just...let me know if you think of anything.

Lily rolled her eyes. ...duh...you are already prying by addressing me by my first name. This is just another fool who has fallen hopelessly for me...pfft...I used to get these kinds of silly letters during my years at Hogwarts and I always threw them away. I should throw this away as well, but I have not read anything so silly in such a long time...

I just want you to know that, whatever happens, I'll always believe your word over whatever anyone else says. I remember how hard you told me you were working to improve at your Cooking with Magic classes...

Lily stopped reading with a frown and then reread the same sentence again: ...I remember how hard you told me you were working to improve at your Cooking with Magic classes...

...Ah now I know who this is...it must be Mr. Garnett. I talked with him a bit the other day and we also shared a few dances at the Halloween party. But that does not give him the right to call me by my first name all of sudden. He addressed me as miss Shadowwalker at the Halloween party when we first started to interact. Also, I remember that day when we met for the first time at Hogwarts, Elias suggested that we all go shopping together with professor Thorne. I remember that miss Fairbrook and an older man declined my offer politely but Mr. Garnett ignored me and treated me like air...so why this sudden change, why did he even approach me at the Halloween party...he probably has some ulterior motives and I absolutely don't like it...

I found it admirable. And I saw the looks you'd give to Professor Flynn when you thought no one else was looking. My point is, I know it's probably true that none of those rumors are anything close to what's really going on, but I still can't figure out why you'd give him meals. It's probably some really obvious reason, too.

Lily burst out in another fist of laughter. ...Me and Mr. Pyrites? pfft...He would be the last man on earth that I would ever think of...Mr. Garnett writes with such hopeless passion as if he does not know what to believe. Nor does he really know the truth...I never knew that I would be the subject of weird rumors just because I tricked Mr. Pyrites to eat my failed meals from the Cooking with Magic classes...I am going to leave Mr. Garnett in the dark, let him think whatever he wants...I don't care at all...pfft...

I was going to wait until later to talk about the Quibbler's nonsense with you, but now that I've procrastinated for so long, and I saw you leaving in the carriage, I was worried I wouldn't get a chance. If anything, I hope we can talk again, face to face, on winter break.

...you can dream about seeing me on the winter break...pfft...

I might be able to get some tips for your magical cooking from an expert, if you could give me just a few things you seem to have the most trouble with. If we focus on what's the hardest for you and conquer that together, everything else will seem easy.

"Conquer that together...Stephan..." Lily read the last lines out aloud and burst out in another fist of laughter for the third time. "Oh my..." She gasped after air, still laughing. "I can't wait to tell my friends about this ridiculous letter..." She had finished her ice cream and rang the bell for the third time again as soon as she had thrown Stephan's letter into the fireplace.

"A caramel latte, please!" Lily ordered Cooky who had rushed up to her room at once. ...let's see what I have planned for the coming events...Lily picked up her planner from her desk. It was a dusty pink leather-bound book with parchment sheets that she never run out of. Yet the planner looked as if it only contained fifty sheets.

...I am going to attend Elias' and Luna's wedding on Saturday the 1st December...then I am celebrating Christmas with my mother and father, Elias and Luna would probably be with us as well if they haven't decided to go on their honeymoon right after the wedding. Then the wizarding community is hosting a Winter Ball on Friday the 28th of December. This is the day when I am going to dress up as Cinderella and wear real glass shoes...and perhaps I will meet my prince charming...who will find my lost glass shoe...tehehe...and then I am meeting up with my girls at the New Year's eve...I just hope everything goes as I have planned...anyway, for now, I need to take care of two things...I need to talk with my father about Mr. Garnett. Since Mr. Garnett has managed to send me an owl to my home, it means he knows where I live and that's not good at all. What if that fool comes over here and starts to bother me during the winter break...I don't have to respond to any of his letters, but I need to resolve this in one or another way...and I need to write a letter to miss Pyrites to ask her if I should write an apology letter to her brother or if it would be the best to apologize to him face to face...

 

[Junko Natsumizaka]

"Let's focus on the incidents that have occurred at Hogwarts while the Ministry of Magic takes care of anything outside the school."

While Elias's confidence in Lily's safety was assuring, it didn't convince her. However, his logic gave her a reason to stop arguing. Without proof that the Hogwarts incident and the Diagon Alley incident were connected, the best course of action would be to focus on the most evident threat. The Book of Acceptance requires all my free time to read through as it is. I don't trust anyone else to look through it, without relying on Raven's help, or putting more work on Elias than he already has. Aislynn and Crystal are loyal, of course, but I feel as if they're the type to miss something, even subconsciously. Besides...it is my recompense for dropping my guard. Safety is...a fools illusion. And I was the fool.

"By the way, shouldn't we be planning for the 1st December?"

Luna noticed he was trying to move on from the subject, whether it be because lingering would be pointless, or because he could perhaps tell her guilt was acting up again. Either way, she appreciated it, and decided to move on for now.

"You don't have to show me your wedding dress yet, let it be a surprise, please. We just need to go over the guest list and the plans with the decorations."

"I'd love to show you what I've planned so far." Luna replied. "My notes are at home, so if you'd like to accompany me there..." She linked their arms, and made for the office door. "Unless you'd rather stay here while we discuss it, in which case I'll be back in twelve minutes." I have to feed Nagini again...

Luna handed him three pieces of paper, and a vibrant green self-inking quill. "Make any alterations or additions you like. We should both be satisfied, after all." I refuse to be one of those women who takes full control and won't let her husband-to-be choose anything. How selfish.

The first piece of paper held the guest list:

Raven
Aislynn Monroe
Crystal Thorne
Rosier Bloom
Lily Shadowwalker
Alexander Shadowwalker
Elizabeth Shadowwalker
Alastair

The list had a ton of room to spare after that. She'd clearly chosen the paper with the expectation of a long guest list. "I wasn't quite sure...whether you wanted a large or small wedding. In the event of a large wedding, we'll need to discuss which staff members to invite, whether Aislynn's family will be attending, and all of your relatives." I think a large wedding would be fun...another excellent way to celebrate everything we've accomplished since...this all started. Despite the times when I have failed, I still have accomplished memorable, good things. So why not celebrate with everyone we know and like? We'll complete the seating arrangement chart once we've decided how many seats we'll be needing.

The second piece of paper held the other arrangements:

Flower arrangements: Marbled black and green roses
Location:
Venue:
Dress code: Royalty, in the following colors: green, black, silver, purple, red
Starting and ending time: Sunset to midnight (__ - ___ )
Date: December 1st
Menu: Sushi buffet, and all flavors of sorbet for dessert (placed on tiers in the shape of a cake)
Chairs: Walnut wood, arranged in a half circle around the altar
Tables: Walnut wood and rectangular, with black tablecloths with
Music: Live orchestra - slower, whimsical waltz music

The third piece of paper held the main roles for the wedding:

Ceremony Official: Alexander Shadowwalker
Best Man:
Maid of Honor: Raven
Bridesmaids: Crystal, Aislynn, Lily
Ring Bearer: Nagini (negotiable)
Flower Girl: Lily
Photographer: Raven
Chef: Raven

"It's all negotiable, of course-" Luna added gently, pointing to 'ring bearer' "-but this one, especially." From her expression, it was clear she truly wanted Nagini to be the ring bearer, but she would understand if Elias refused. The concept of a better idea had never crossed her mind, because to Luna, there wasn't one.

"I've also got the invitations ready." I think it would be redundant if I reminded him again that everything is negotiable. She thought, handing Elias a black envelope with Invitation embossed on the back in heavy gold letters. The sweeping cursive letters were italicized, and stretched to take up 35% of the surface space. At the top right and bottom left corners were two pairs of delicate golden roses, one slightly smaller than the other in its pair. The front of the envelope had a wavy green line embossed at the pointed opening. The emerald wax seal had a peacock proudly fanning its feathers in the center, and a snake happily tracing the edges, breaking the seal's edges and 'slithering' onto the paper at the northeast and southwest sides. The inside of the envelope was entirely green, save a black trim at the edges. The wax from the broken seal crept into the envelope, and a split second later, out crawled two pieces of origami: an emerald green peacock with silver feathers, and a black snake with emerald eyes. Together, they did an adorable dance on the edge of the envelope, then unfolded and formed one invitation in one fluid movement. Once they'd merged, the paper was marbled silver and black, and the green had gone into the embossed letters:

To our honored guest, ______,

"I seem to be drawing a blank whenever the content comes into play. Perhaps someone else could help us with that, if you don't have any ideas?" I can't think of what else to write besides the details of the time and place. Would Lily be good with something like this? Raven? Or...Elizabeth Shadowwalker? Does the mother-in-law ever help with wedding preparations? "As you can see, there's quite a lot I am undecided on. The most important part being the venue and location." If we're going with a royalty theme, a venue that resembles a palace would be lovely. We could arrange for the center of the labyrinth to appear as such, but would the venue be alright with Elias? Would he prefer someplace more...opulent? She wondered, thinking of his peacock patronus.

 

[Hikari Chan]

Elias took some time reading through each piece of parchment carefully before doing any changes. Then he picked up the green self-inking quill and started with the first parchment that held the guest list. He crossed out three names, added more than twenty names, and added question marks beside Raven's, Aislinn's, Crystal's, and Alastair's names.

"It's going to be a large wedding, where all your acquired followers will attend," He began explaining while continuing doing changes to the two other pieces of parchments and adding check marks on a couple of things on the lists. "You do not need to worry about who is watching over Hogwarts. The Ministry of Magic will take care of the school and it won't be left unattended at all. My parents will invite all relatives and close friends, hence more names may be added to this list later this evening. Since Mr. D'Arcy is our acquaintance, I can ask my parents to send an invite to him and his family members. If Raven is going to be your maid of honor, in other words, your lady in waiting, then she will be with you, preparing you for and following you to the wedding. Hence she does not need an invite like a regular guest to attend. I hope you understand what I mean?" Elias paused momentarily, before continuing. He was going to suggest a lot of changes and wanted to take it slow. Then he continued: "And since my sister, miss Monroe and miss Thorne are going to be bridesmaids, they do not need invites like the regular guests. I am also wondering if Alastair is going to escort you to the wedding and walk you to the altar, if yes, then he also does not need a regular invite. Further on, a flower girl is usually a child and my sister is too old for that role. I will ask my parents and see if any children from our relatives can be flower girls or boys, otherwise, we can have raining flower petals..." He paused again, looking through the three different lists. "Also, my mother wishes to discuss the bridesmaids' attires and everything they need to be bridesmaids, with you and the bridesmaids. I will inform her about your choices of bridesmaids and then she will send you, Monroe, and Thorne an invite when it's time for a meeting. It will be very soon, so expect a letter from my mother anytime in the coming week. And before I forget, my parents will take care of the arrangements, such as food, location, venue, music, decor, sending out the invites, so I will take all the envelopes and invites with me if you have prepared at least fifty of these. As for the food, we cannot only have a sushi buffet, if Mr. D'Arcy and his family members attend, we need a separate table with bottles of blood, pasties, and also dishes and desserts that are made of blood. Besides, I do not know if I have told you about it, but my sister detests sushi. Do you remember that time when you and Alastair visited me and Lily at our place and we had pizza? The day after that, I ordered sushi because Lily desired to give it a try and I had to order something else and eat all the sushi because she disliked it. Anyway, so I suggest we have a large table with traditional English party dishes where we also add an assortment of sushi and other foreign dishes. Well..." Elias eyed the three different lists for the third time to see if he had not forgotten anything else. "My father has never been a Ceremony Official, so he will probably appoint someone from the Ministry. Raven may take photographs for her pleasure, however, she should know that the Daily Prophet will be there taking photographs. Any guest who carries a wizarding camera may as well. I am the son of a Minister after all, so our coming wedding ceremony is a grand thing for the wizarding community...hmm..." He eyed the guest list once more as if he had forgotten someone. "...Ah, I forget to add Mr. Robert Linden's name to the guest list-"

Raven?
Aislynn Monroe?
Crystal Thorne?
Rosier Bloom
Lily Shadowwalker
Alexander Shadowwalker
Elizabeth Shadowwalker
Alastair?
Natasha Quinn
Amelia Blake
The D'Arcys
The Carrows: Flora and Hestia Carrow
The Rockwoods: Maximillian and Vivienne Rockwood
Claude Selwyn
Gareth Rowle
Ivan Muliciber
Lachlan Avery
Lloyd Macnair
Raymond Nott
The Dolohovs: August, Andrew, Alexis and Adela Dolohov
The Pyrites: Persephone and Flynn Pyrites
Melody Wilkes
Mary Jane Gibbon
Faeryn Travers
Endewyne Jugson

Flower arrangements: Marbled black and green roses - ✔
Location: yet to be determined
Venue:
Dress code: Royalty, in the following colors: green, black, silver, purple, red - ✔
Starting and ending time: Sunset to midnight (__ - ___ ) (sunset esteemed to be around 15:50-16:00) ✔
Date: December 1st ✔
Menu: Sushi buffet, and all flavors of sorbet for dessert (placed on tiers in the shape of a cake)
One large table with a traditional English dinner party, to this an assortment of sushi, can be added, along with a couple of other foreign dishes such as taco, pizza...
note! separate table with special food for the D'Arcys
One table with all flavors of sorbet dessert placed on tiers in the shape of a cake. Another large table with an assortment of drinks.
Chairs: Walnut wood, arranged in a half circle around the altar - ✔
Tables: Walnut wood and rectangular, with black tablecloths with - ✔
Music: Live orchestra - slower, whimsical waltz music - ✔

Ceremony Official: Alexander Shadowwalker or there may be someone from the ministry
Best Man: Maximilian Rockwood
Maid of Honor: Raven - ✔
Bridesmaids: Crystal, Aislynn, Lily - ✔
Ring Bearer: Nagini (negotiable) - ✔
Flower Girl: Lily
Photographer: Raven, Note - the Daily Prophet
Chef: Raven, mother, and father will arrange the food

 

[Junko Natsumizaka]

"It's going to be a large wedding, where all your acquired followers will attend."

Luna nodded. A large wedding, then. She was looking forward to another large party, and the media coverage would be wonderful as well. The son of the minister and the daughter of Lord Voldemort. Even I'm impressed when we get along so well. She smiled subtly with a serene, happy look in her eyes. This proves using fear as the main motivator isn't the best way. They respect me. They do as I ask, and question me and make suggestions when I need help. They do not need dark marks, or sickening punishments for their mistakes. Betrayals are a different thing. Mmm, it's so satisfying to think about everything this wedding means for us.

"You do not need to worry about who is watching over Hogwarts. The Ministry of Magic will take care of the school and it won't be left unattended at all."

"That's certainly better than having my followers take shifts protecting it." Luna agreed. There was no doubt someone would see this wedding as an opportunity for chaos.

"I hope you understand what I mean?"

"Yes, of course." Luna replied.

"I am also wondering if Alastair is going to escort you to the wedding and walk you to the altar, if yes, then he also does not need a regular invite."

Luna thought about this for a moment. I suppose there isn't anyone else to walk me there. He's so proficient in these corrections, it's as if he's planned several weddings before. She thought in admiration. "Alastair will walk me down the aisle." She agreed.

"Further on, a flower girl is usually a child and my sister is too old for that role."

"I wasn't aware." Luna said slowly, taking in this new piece of information while running through all her known contacts. She couldn't think of any young girls she knew besides Lily, and a few students she'd encountered at Hogwarts. But I'm not nearly close enough with them to invite them to my wedding.

"I will ask my parents and see if any children from our relatives can be flower girls or boys, otherwise, we can have raining flower petals..."

Luna smiled subtly, loving the fact that Elias's immediate alternative was something so beautiful. "That's an excellent idea." Secretly, she'd felt quite lost in the planning, as reflected by her scarce notes, so seeing Elias's instant problem solving and gentle eloquence while explaining immediately brightened her mood. It also refreshed her excitement for the wedding as all the planning started coming together. Overall, her outlook felt optimistic again.

"Also, my mother wishes to discuss the bridesmaids' attires and everything they need to be bridesmaids, with you and the bridesmaids."

"That's perfect." Luna replied. I'll get to present my ideas, and easily be met with the best way to put them into action, or suggestions to improve or replace them.

"And before I forget, my parents will take care of the arrangements, such as food, location, venue, music, decor, sending out the invites, so I will take all the envelopes and invites with me if you have prepared at least fifty of these."

"I'll work at duplicating them after this meeting, and have the invites ready for you by the end of the day." Luna replied. I'll also be sure to have a talk with Alexander and Elizabeth to make sure I'm happy with the planning. She planned to make a list of things she wanted to handle personally, so she could ignore everything else. In the end, whatever venue the Shadowwalkers chose would be splendid; she was certain other elements would work the same way. They have good taste. Except for Lily...I wouldn't trust her with a project that allows for too much creative freedom.

"...Ah, I forget to add Mr. Robert Linden's name to the guest list-"

"-He's deceased. However, the Ministry has reported him 'missing'." Luna clarified before he wrote the name down. "He showed disrespect to my other followers, and for that, he was disposed of." She spoke in a proud voice, a victorious look potent in her eyes. "He was given a potion to keep him from dying of shock, then flayed alive. He unfortunately died of blood loss before I could finish." Vincent was sent a bottle of his blood...and Nagini ate a portion of Robert's flesh before his remains were burnt. I'm still surprised, until now, no one has questioned his disappearance.

 

[Hikari Chan]

Elias' hand froze, the quill hovered over the empty space where he would have written Robert Linden's name. ...She disposed of him because of disrespect of some of her followers. It cannot be simply disrespect, can it? Even if we are her followers, it's not like we are best friends with everyone on the team. There are groups of friends, and some of us may have disputes and disagreements with each other. It's quite normal in a group of team members with different personal interests, opinions, and perspectives. None of us are perfect, even I who am too proud to admit it, I am imperfect, I have flaws...August Dolohov crossed the line with me a couple of times, but I would not go to such lengths as punishing him with death. That would be too harsh...I believe it must be something much more grave than disrespect that Mr. Linden committed...She introduced him as superior that evening after our killing spree at the Ministry. That's why I suspect he must have done something too grave to earn her wrath. But she is cloaking it with a different word, such as disrespect...well, why am I surprised...she is the daughter of the late Dark Lord and Bellatrix Lestrange after all...

"I understand," Elias replied, feeling indifferent about Robert Linden's death. "Then you may hand over the envelopes with the invites to my parents. I was also wondering. The idea with the sorbets placed in the shape of cake, is that supposed to replace the traditional wedding cake?"

 

[Junko Natsumizaka]

"Then you may hand over the envelopes with the invites to my parents."

"Very well." Luna nodded.

"The idea with the sorbets placed in the shape of cake, is that supposed to replace the traditional wedding cake?"

"To me, yes." Luna replied. I'm surprised. I didn't expect him to care about traditions such as the cake. However, he may simply want to enjoy a cake on our most special of special days. "I would rather have sushi and sorbet than anything else and cake." She explained. "However, if you would like a cake, I do not see why the sorbet should replace it."

 

[Hikari Chan]

"Alright, I just wanted to make sure that we won't miss anything crucial. Why would I want to replace it? It's a very creative idea of a wedding cake, indeed!" Elias beamed and scribbled a notice about the wedding cake on the second piece of parchment that held the information about the wedding menu "I will take these..." He gathered the three pieces of parchments, folded them neatly, and placed them in the inner pocket of his cloak. "Time runs really fast..." He noticed when he checked his pocket watch. "I have scheduled a meeting with miss Dolohov regarding the investigation in Rouen later this evening. You are welcome to join the meeting."

"Pyrites never came!" Faeryn fumed. She had a headache and wished to return to Hogwarts as soon as possible. She stood in exactly the same spot where the sudden attack had taken place earlier today in Diagon Alley. It was already six o'clock in the evening and there were no traces left. The broken glass of the café window had been repaired and mended as if nothing particular or out of ordinary had happened today. "He did not even send us a single message by patronus."

"He got probably stuck by keeping a watch on Shadowwalker to complete her detention," Adela guessed.

"If you really think that is the reason-" Faeryn began but was interrupted by someone who she least expected and most feared to meet.

"Adela?"

Adela turned around and suddenly forget about everything else around her when she saw him. Everything else kept going on, as usual, the small cobbled streets buzzed with the sound of clicking footsteps and chatter. Wizards and witches walked past, some on their way out from Diagon Alley, either through Knockturn Alley or through the brick wall that would take them out to the muggle world, while some walked the opposite way. No one seemed to notice or pay attention to the tall and eerie figure that had entered Diagon Alley.

"Vincent..." Adela had not only forgotten Faeryn but also forgotten about everything else around her. She took a few steps towards him, first walking slowly and then nearly running into his outstretched arms.

"You promised me you would meet me the day after the Halloween feast, but you have been postponing it!"

"I am really sorry. It's just that a lot of unexpected things have been happening since that evening and I could not leave my responsibilities."

Faeryn stared dumbfounded at her friend acting all lovey-dovey with a vampire. ...is she bloody serious? she...she....let that nonhuman thing kiss her on her cheek...and...she returns it with a kiss on his cheek...and...and...eww...Merlin's holy moly bloody hairy fudging beard...

Some witches who walked past, snickered at Faeryn because she was staring with wide eyes and a half-open mouth at Adela and Vincent who were kissing passionately in a small corner between two shops. Faeryn closed her eyes hard and shook her head several times. She even pinched herself really hard and also slapped herself on her cheeks. She did not care if bypassing witches and wizards glanced oddly or pointed fingers at her, whispering among themselves about how weird she acted. Faeryn could not take it anymore. Her internal screams turned into external screams, attracting more attention to herself than she already had.

"Did you really have to act out like that?" Adela commented dryly as soon as she stepped inside the entrance hall.

"You promised me that I would not see him," Faeryn replied angrily.

"And how would I have known that he would appear all of sudden? We had decided to see each other the next day after the Halloween feast, but I have been postponing
our date because of the recent incidents that have been happening here. I did not exactly tell him to come and see me in Diagon Alley today."

"He can come and go to that alley for all I care. But how could you-" Faeryn gave Adela a very disgusting look as she gestured oddly with her hands.

"What are you trying to say?"

"You...and...and...that nonhuman thing..." Faeryn could not bring herself to speak anymore. Suddenly she felt so nauseous that she just rushed away and barged into the nearest bathroom for girls and threw up in the nearest basin in front of a couple of sixth-year girls who were discussing the recent article by Quibbler. The girls stared shockingly at the head of Ravenclaw and professor in charms who looked paler than a ghost.

"Professor Travers..." One of the girls, a Ravenclaw, took a few steps closer to Faeryn who was washing her face with ice-cold water. Faeryn looked up as she felt someone's gentle touch on her shoulder.

"Miss Engwall?" Faeryn wondered what one of her students was doing in the bathroom when her eyes suddenly fell on the two Gryffindor girls who were standing behind miss Engwall, one of them holding the latest number of Quibbler, the front page nearly visible. "May I have a look, please!" Faeryn did not wait for the girl to hand over the newspaper but took a few steps towards her with an outstretched hand and took it. She frowned as she read the headlines on the front page. "...well...well...that's quite interesting news..." She mumbled bitterly to herself and then spoke a bit louder, clearly directing her words to the three young girls this time. "I will borrow this for a while" She folded the newspaper into a roll and hid it under her cloak. "And you three, what are you doing here? And around this hour in the evening? Shouldn't you be in your common rooms?" She ushered the girls out from the bathroom. "Who hangs around in a bathroom anyway?"

"What?" Adela nearly snatched the Quibbler out of Faeryn's hands when the latter one took it out when they had entered the headmaster's office for a meeting with Elias. "Ohh...I can't believe Mr. Pyrites ditched his responsibilities to be with miss Shad-"

"Excuse me!" Elias snatched the Quibbler from Adela's hand and threw it in the fireplace, feeding it to the burning flames. "I thought you were smart enough to not believe such nonsense!"

"Well, I won't be surprised if a professor and a pupil had an office romance, after witnessing a love affair between miss Dolohov and a vampire. It seems that Mr. Pyrites used the so-called detention as an excuse to have fun with your sist-"

"How dare you!" There was a dangerous tone in Elias' voice. He glared so angrily and darkly at Adela and Faeryn that they both looked down at their feet. The latter one started to tremble with fear. Even if he was standing behind his desk, his presence and aura felt like a dark and heavy cloud hovering over them. "It's enough that this terrible newspaper is circulating around the pupils here at Hogwarts. I don't want to hear you adding more fuel to the false rumors. Mr. Pyrites had a very good reason to not return to Rouen after my sister completed her detention in Diagon Alley," Elias did not explain much but the severe tone in his voice suggested that neither Adela nor Faeryn should question whatever the reason Mr. Pyrites had or try to pry into the matter. "Anyway, miss Travers..."

Upon hearing being addressed, Faeryn went cold, her heart beating unnaturally fast. "I only ordered you to prepare the tracking charm, no more or less. Why did you tag along with miss Dolohov to Rouen?"

"Oh, I asked her to come along, because I thought it could be good to have someone skilled in curse-breaking with me." Adela hurried to reply in Faeryn's stead because the latter one seemed to have lost it as large tears started to roll down her cheeks.

Elias sighed but did not comment on anything as he sat down behind his desk. Still, none could tell if he was being disappointed or satisfied.

"Besides, we need more time to carry on the investigation in Rouen," Adela continued. "It's not a simple village, but a very large town and the specific art gallery could be hidden anywhere."

"Fine, but I am only giving you tomorrow and one more weekend but no more. Your brother was there once, so just ask him to come with you next time."

Upon hearing Elias' last words, Faeryn seemed to brighten up, already looking forward to a return to Rouen, while Adela, on the contrary, did not look so happy.

The tunes of a romantic song could be heard from behind the closed door to Lily's bedroom, when her father knocked several times, waiting for his daughter to answer. When the famous muggle song the Power of Love by Celine Dion finished and a commercial started to play on the radio, Alexander got a little worried and opened the door carefully. Lily, who was still dressed in her Hogwarts uniform, was laying on her stomach in her bed, facing the door, with only her legs covered with the white blanket. On her bedside table, a pink heart-shaped candle was lit, casting a pink cozy light in the darkness of her room. She was sleeping soundlessly. An empty goblet and plate with a few crumbs on her bedside table were left after she had enjoyed a warm bun with a slice of melted cheese along with some orange juice. Alexander stood motionless for a couple of minutes, trying to figure out how to turn off the radio. When a new song began to play, he gave up and picked up the silver bell from the mantlepiece. Cooky came at once and turned off the radio as well cleaned up the aftermath of Lily's last meal.

"Lily, my dear..." Alexander caressed Lily's head gently.

"Hmm..." She opened her eyes slowly.

"You did not brush your teeth, did you?"

Lily mumbled something inaudible and closed her eyes for a while.

"Don't you want to change into something more comfortable?"

"Hmm..." She opened her eyes again and this time she tried to sit up. Her father helped her gently and then walked her to the bathroom. He did not mention anything about the plans he had about taking her to Serpentine village this evening and decided that it was for the best that she rested the rest of the evening since the incident earlier today had been exhausting.

After Lily had brushed her teeth and changed into her soft white victorian nightgown, she laid down in her bed. But even if she felt much more comfortable, she could not fall asleep. She was wide awake. She debated for a while if she should take some sleeping draught while her thoughts drifted away. She sighed and covered her eyes and forehead with her left hand, trying to figure out how she should apologize to Pyrites. ...The best is to write him a letter because I don't think I will ever see him again...and I do not really care about him, I am just going to do this to please my father...
She got up and sat down behind her desk where she lit a couple of candles. When she dipped her quill in the blank inkwell and moved her left hand to the piece of parchment she had prepared, her hand suddenly froze. ...How should I address him...I can't write like that, can I? She grimaced and cringed at the thought of writing Dear Mr. Pyrites. ...he is not exactly a dear person to me...pfft...She shook with laughter, not noticing the drops of ink that fell from her quill, staining the parchment. When she decided to only write Mr. Pyrites she noticed the black stains of the ink. She sighed, crumbled the parchment, and threw it in her fireplace. She took a new piece of parchment, but she had no idea how to begin, even if she knew how to address him at the top of the letter. After wasting more than ten pieces of parchments, she gave up. She was feeling too tired and thought that she would probably have a better idea of what to write tomorrow morning if she got a good night's sleep and rest. This time, when she placed her head on her white silky pillow, she immediately fell asleep.

The next morning, Alexander began arranging the invites for his son's wedding to send them away, after he just had finished his breakfast of fried egg, sausages, toasted bread, custard, and a cup of Earl Grey with milk and sugar. He felt relieved that he had received the envelopes this morning since he felt he was in hurry due to little time left. ...I should have had these envelopes at least one or two months before the wedding...but I received them when it's only about nineteen days left...

"You are still persistent about inviting your relatives, aren't you?" Elizabeth nearly fumed when she took a look at the guestlist for the tenth time.

"There's no reason to exclude them from the wedding," Her husband replied firmly, his eyes on the fortieth envelope.

"They were never here when we most needed support during our darkest time when Elias got locked up behind the bars at Azkaban," She commented with a bitter tone.

"Oh well, I don’t think the news reached them. I never told them about it in the first place.”

“You don’t think?” She stared at him shockingly. “Almost all the wizarding communities from several countries teamed up with the blood traitors here against my son and everyone else who supported miss Lestrange! How could the news not reach your relatives?”

"Let's talk about it later, please. I am already stressed as it is!" There was a clear tone in his voice that strongly advised her to not interrupt him again and she dared not to speak anymore, instead, she left him alone, fuming with herself about the thought of meeting his relatives at the wedding. She hoped that there would be so many guests so that she would interact as little as possible, preferably avoiding the family on her husband's side. Her sister and relatives were going to stay with them for Christmas, which she did not mind, but she was worried that her husband would ask his relatives to stay as well.

"I have been thinking about simpler gowns for the bridesmaids and here's a couple of sketches of ideas which Madam Malkins were kind enough to provide me with," Elizabeth spoke as she spread out six pieces of parchments, each one showing a different sketch of a bridesmaid gown.

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"My only request is that the bridesmaids' gowns are of a much simpler design than the wedding gown," She continued. "...the bridesmaids' gowns should of course have the same color, however, they do not have to match the color of the wedding dress. I have been to a few weddings where the bridesmaids wear the same colors as the bride, but most of the time I have seen the bridesmaids wearing a different color from the bride."

Aislinn popped an entire round sweet biscuit in her mouth, as she secretly hoped that she would not have to wear pink or yellow as a bridesmaid, or any light color for that matter. Lily on the other hand, who had much better table manners than Aislinn, was munching on her biscuit, taking very small bites as she was brooding over how she would apologize to Mr. Pyrites. She had not managed to write a proper letter yet.

"So the call is yours, my dear," Elizabeth smiled, still only looking at Luna while speaking. She had noticed how miss Monroe lacked a few manners at the afternoon tea, but did not pay her the slightest attention as if she did not care whether miss Monroe was from a noble family or not. But one could never tell what Elizabeth was really thinking of the girl. Elizabeth was also still angry at Lily because she still believed in the nonsense Quibbler had written about Lily, and thus treated her like air. "I can have all the bridesmaids' gowns tailored and sent to each one of you," This time Elizabeth briefly looked at Lily, miss Monroe, and miss Thorne before turning her attention towards Luna once more.

 

[Junko Natsumizaka]

Stephan reclined against the headboard, half sitting up in bed. He ran his charcoal pencil over the parchment, adding depth at all the right angles to accentuate each one of Lily's features. He drew her as he imagined her to look at the Winter Ball; a simple ice-blue gown, similar in style to Belle's, with matching half-up hair with perfect ringlets. As a finishing touch, he drew glass slippers from Cinderella's tale. It wasn't until he'd reached the end of the drawing, five days later, that he realized why it still felt as if it was missing something.

Before the ban on magic, he'd been practicing a spell to sculpt ice into a certain shape, and another to prevent it from melting afterwards. After the magic ban, he'd grown an obsessive desire to create delicate snowflake earrings for Lily, for the winter ball. They'd be made entirely out of ice, have several layers of detail, and dangle an inch from her earlobes by a thin-yet-magically-sturdy ice link chain. Best of all, they'd be just the right size to avoid detracting from any attention that should be aimed at Lily's eyes. Now, he sufficed to add them to the Lily in the picture, with what he believed to be a sweet note on the back:

It is my greatest hope that you will gain the same joy from receiving this drawing as I did from creating it.

Each time he worked on Lily's portrait, Athena attempted to dissuade him from completing it. Her subtlety faded each time, until it eventually disappeared. "I bet she won't even give it more than a passing glance."

"She'll do more than that." Stephan replied without hesitation, not looking up from the drawing.

"Trust me, she won't." Athena sighed, racking her brain to say something she hadn't said already.

"I have been to a few weddings where the bridesmaids wear the same colors as the bride, but most of the time I have seen the bridesmaids wearing a different color from the bride."

"It would offer some contrast." Luna replied thoughtfully. I originally planned to have the bridemaids' gowns be the same color as my own, but this is far more interesting.

"So the call is yours, my dear."

Luna's eyes panned across the table, taking in the details of each sketch. In a minute she'd narrowed down two designs she sought to combine. She pulled a self-inking quill from her bag, and circled the train of one dress, and the top of another. She flipped a third sketch over, and drew a rough sketch of what she'd like. "This would be lovely in black," She handed the three pieces of parchment to Elizabeth. "while my own gown will be a rich forest green."

"I can have all the bridesmaids' gowns tailored and sent to each one of you."

"Splendid." Luna smiled elegantly, reaching forward to sip her cup of tea.

Crystal was more interested in the cookies. She took bites that were a bit larger than she should've, but still nowhere near Aislynn's. Her tea sat ignored, until it eventually went cold.

Throughout the days leading up to the wedding, Luna used every free moment to search through the Book of Acceptance. Otherwise, she'd take a few minutes to design her wedding dress, and handle business as usual at Hogwarts. A few times, she was tempted to bake Elias a batch of something sweet and join him for lunch in the grounds, but she knew it would be a waste of time. She looked forward to the wedding, where they'd get to spend the entire day together, and focused on her tasks until then.

Luna set her disguise mirror down, silently critiquing the full-length view of herself as she stood in her bedroom.

Raven stood beside her, with the same critiquing eyes. "It is missing something," She said in response to Luna's thoughts. "Perhaps a more interesting sleeve?"

Luna ran through a mental list of all the sleeves she could think of, eventually choosing bishop sleeves. "Yes. Now, it's perfect." It was a rich forest green ballgown with puffy bishop sleeves, and a modest sweetheart neckline. Starting at the back of her waist, thin lines of white beads ran down to the train of her dress, gradually getting thicker as they twisted down, until they formed large white snake heads at the bottom. Their heads were the size of baseballs, with glowing emerald eyes.

A thick ring of oak trees enclosed the cobbled brick courtyard. A myriad of oil lanterns hung off the larger branches, softly glowing in shades of purple, green, and orange. A wide set of smoothed black stone steps ascended upwards, ending underneath a magnificent archway of polished brass. Deep red, and marbled white and black roses covered the archway, and the descending stairs that followed, magically transforming into engraved versions of themselves to avoid being crushed underfoot. Drops of silver shone from the petals when they resurfaced, like beads of sparkling dew. Both ascending and descending staircases had gilded railings in the shape of intertwining serpents.

The removal of various walls in the manor, as well as heightened ceilings, gave the ballroom a palatial feeling. The sun cast divine beams of light on the scene below through the ceiling's mosaic - a giant rose formed by panels of frosted glass. From the mosaic's edges, rich green vines curved downward, turning to deep red through a gradient. Giant rose heads the size of cauldrons tipped the vines, glowing bright enough to light the ballroom when evening came.

Below, two near rows of padded brass chairs filled the east and west sides of the room. A black carpet stretched from the base of the stairs to the altar - a massive black rose supporting a slate of light oak wood. Behind it, an upbeat, orchestral version of 'Here Comes the Bride' played from enchanted instruments in a pit.

Northeast, two brass pillars parted the ballroom to offer the garden's peaceful respite. Nine foot tall rosebush walls formed a round clearing, before twisting off into smaller walking paths. Ultimately, the paths led to light mahogany benches and refreshments. A triple-tier white stone fountain stood in the clearing's center, topped with a statue of Elias and Luna. Their wands crossed, held high with prideful expressions. Jets of water arched from the wand tips to the next fountain tier, where another set of jets arched into the next tier, and so forth until the last.

"Ready?" Alastair asked gently, looking from Luna to the alter.

"Of course." Luna nodded eagerly, feeling only happiness in this moment.

Alastair linked their arms, and together, they descended the steps. Red rose petals fluttered down the moment they set foot on the carpet. Luna held her head high underneath the veil, only having eyes for Elias. As she admired him, she thought, This has become the memory for which I will summon my patronus. As Alastair lifted her wedding veil her eyes met Elias's with a soft sigh.

As guests gradually rose to their seats, the chairs disappeared with a small pop, and the black carpet slowly rolled inwards on itself until it eventually rolled up the stairs and out of sight. Long tables faded into existence at the west, the base shaped like various human servants in uniform supporting the top. Upon closer inspection, the top was made up of various rectangular food trays, each supported by a different servant. Atop the table was a variety of different foods, with an item each guest would enjoy.

Meanwhile at the ballroom's east end, white Victorian day couches materialized. With the chairs gone, the polished mahogany floor was visible. It took on the quality of the descending stairs, with blooming roses appearing at every untouched surface. The orchestra transitioned to slow waltz music just as Luna held out her hand to Elias. "Shall we dance?" She smiled, beholding Elias with all the warmth she felt in this moment.

 

[Hikari Chan]

"I actually feel reluctant about leaving Hogwarts unattended after the recent incidents," Flynn said with a deep frown while Persephone was combing his hair.

"Oh do not worry," She grinned while she tied his hair behind his neck with a black silky ribbon., eyeing him in the floor-length mirror in front of them, being proud that she had finally made him wear an elegant victorian black suit with a black cloak instead of his usual attire. For her own attire, she chose purple, her favorite color, and wore a long floor-length gown with a high neckline and long sleeves. She had arranged her hair in an elegant updo with ringlets that fell down behind her back. She did not try to persuade him to take off his eye patch, knowing how uncomfortable he would feel if others stared at him because of his eye condition. "The Ministry of Magic is watching over the school. I can assure you that nothing will happen."

A couple of minutes before the wedding ceremony started, Lily was standing in the courtyard, taking a few steps over the cobbled brick ground, remaining close to the thick ring of oak trees. She had not stepped out of the manor since the day she had returned home from Hogwarts and it was not until this morning her mother finally began to speak to her, teaching her what was expected of a bridesmaid. Lily was supposed to wait indoors along with the two other bridesmaids at the entrance and not outdoors. But she was not close to them and found herself as an outsider, after seeing how they treated each other as best friends. And she seemed to be waiting for someone as she looked into the distance. She greeted the guests politely while they arrived, yet she did not look anyone in the eye and kept her gaze at the large spot where carriages were landing.

Just when the Pyrites arrived and walked to the entrance, Lily grinned widely and waved her arm.

"Hey, doofus!" She called out.

Flynn frowned and wondered what had gotten into her, thinking for a moment that she was greeting him. Persephone looked surprised and wondered for a moment if Lily was teasing her brother. Lily rushed past them, her long hair, which was down and hold back by a diadem, fluttered behind her. It seemed that she had not noticed them.

They heard waves of laughter behind them and they could not help but turn around momentarily, noticing that Lily was greeting a young man with dark brown wavy hair. He seemed to be around her age. It was a silly greeting, where they clapped hands and sang a very silly chant, acting like ten-year-old children and laughing at themselves.

"I really thought for a moment that she called you doofus," Persephone laughed. "...I was about to ask you when you two become so close..."

Flynn ignored his sister and secretly hoped that she would not start calling him a doofus, knowing that sometimes she would copy Lily's wild ideas.

At that precise moment, Elizabeth appeared at the entrance, calling out to Lily with an irritated and tired voice.

"What on earth are you doing? You should be waiting with the bridesmaids, not flouncing around! Good grief, you never listen to me."

"I am sorry Mama," Lily apologized at once. "I was just greeting Lucas, my cousins, uncle, and auntie."

"You could have done so indoors at the entrance," Elizabeth spoke curtly. She neither frowned nor did she smile. As a polite greeting, she nodded silently towards the guests that just had arrived. It was her husband's half-brother and his wife, their three sons, two of them married with children. Elizabeth was not fond of them, especially of her husband's supercilious sister-in-law, but had no other choice than act politely since Alexander had invited them to the wedding. Lily excused herself and hurried inside. Clarissa arrived a moment later with her family, greeting her best friend briefly just before the wedding started. The last guests who arrived seemed to look a bit odd and inhuman, but none noticed them when they quietly entered, as everyone's eyes were on the bride who was walking towards the altar. The bridesmaids were walking a couple of steps behind. Lily was holding up her left hand in front of her, smiling softly at the red rose petals that fell down on her palm. At the same time, she was almost daydreaming about her own wedding, thinking how big it would be with thousands and thousands of guests, how the most beautiful wedding dress she would wear, with Pegah, Clarissa, Summer, and Rhaine as her bridesmaids. She pictured almost everything, the food, cake, guests, venue, and decorations. The only thing she could not visualize was the face of her future husband. The groom in her imagination was just a blurry, almost nonexistent image in her mind.

As they gathered by the altar, the bridesmaids positioned themselves on the left side of it, while Alastair took his place beside Rockwood on the right side of the altar. Silence fell, even the little children stopped making any noise and watched with great curiosity as the ceremony official began to speak.

"Friends and Family of the BRIDE and GROOM, we would like to welcome all of you, honored guests, and thank you for being with us today on this important day.
We are gathered here this evening to join BRIDE and GROOM in Union, and bear witness to the miraculous power of love.
Love is our purpose in being here; it is the essence of who we are.
With Love as their foundation, marriage offers BRIDE and GROOM the opportunity to become their essence with one another.
Marriage is an art form that brings profound joy and demands great responsibility, awareness, and commitment.
We who partake of this occasion bind ourselves as witnesses to the journey of love that they are undertaking here."
​

He paused momentarily before continuing. Elizabeth was not the only one crying silently. Quinn was crying too while her close friend and colleague Blake smiled softly. While Aislinn was only thinking about food because she was hungry, Lily was watching Elias and Luna excitedly with big eyes that shone like stars. When the ceremony official began speaking the vows, Lily held her breath.

"Do you, Elias Shadowwwalker, take Luna Lestrange to be your wife, to cherish in friendship and love today, tomorrow, and for as long as the two of you live, to trust and honor her, to love her faithfully, through the best and the worst, whatever may come, and if you should ever doubt, to remember your love for each other and the reason why you came together with her this day?”

"I do,"

"Do you, Luna Lestrange, take Elias Shadowwwalker to be your husband, to cherish in friendship and love today, tomorrow, and for as long as the two of you live, to trust and honor him, to love him faithfully, through the best and the worst, whatever may come, and if you should ever doubt, to remember your love for each other and the reason why you came together with him this day?”

"I do,"

"You may now kiss the bride."

The guests cheered, some whistles could be heard across the room. Persephone chuckled as she recognized Macnair's and Avery's whistles among the cheers. She had such a sharp hearing that she could distinguish between the two. As soon as the cheering toned down, Lily's soft singing voice took over and filled the room with tones that touched the hearts of the guests and made the ladies who cried, cry even more, and a few more ladies, among them Clarissa, Vivienne and Elias' maternal aunt began to cry silently. Aislinn forgot her own hunger for a brief moment, feeling very impressed that Elias' sister was able to sing so beautifully without any music. Persephone was holding her breath and staring with wide eyes and a half-open mouth at Lily. When Lily finished the wedding song, the orchestra transitioned to slow waltz music just as Luna held out her hand to Elias. "Shall we dance?"

"With all my pleasure," Elias replied with a soft smile. He took her hand and led her into a waltz.

 

[Junko Natsumizaka]

Everything is perfect. Luna admired the elegant way Elias moved as they danced, the way his hair fell, and the way his eyes remained perfectly fixed upon hers whenever they flitted back to his. She laughed softly, overwhelmed at the rose-colored beams of light shining through the glass ceiling, the roses disappearing swiftly beneath them as they waltzed, the way the details in their clothes were immaculate, and the music's smooth transitions between songs. "Elias," Luna smiled, bringing her forehead to touch against his in between dances, "everything is wonderful in this moment. I cannot think of a single thing that I would change." I'll be sure to write a letter of gratitude to...She caught herself, nearly mentally addressing her as 'Elizabeth' in her mind. ...my mother in law. She slid one of her hands away from his, brushing them across her neckline so as to not break eye contact as she found her brooch. And Lily as well - her singing was spectacular. Just as her fingers found it, she thought, Elias, the moment I saw your smile at the end of the aisle is the moment I will summon my patronus to. I cannot describe my happiness in this moment. She laughed a bit louder, unable to contain her joy. I wish I could bottle this feeling for darker days...I'll have to research such a spell when I have the time. But for now...you will be my bottle. I will be able to come to you whenever I have need of anything...I cannot believe I finally have someone in my life like this. You're perfect, my love. Luna breathed deeply, drawing her head back to meet Elias's eyes again. She was overwhelmed with curiosity to know his thoughts in return, once again wishing their brooches could transmit their emotions as well.

In a far corner, Crystal played a game of trying to stomp on the roses before they neatly disappeared into the stone. Fifty-eight for you little guys...zero for me... She sighed, making her way to the banquet tables after a while. The vibrant sorbets caught her eye, the fragrant smells beckoning her to try each and every one. Eating at the dining tables is always better with a friend. Crystal laughed, turning to scan the room for Aislynn. She smirked when she saw her waltzing with Alastair. ...I'll give them one more dance before I cut in. She can't spend all night dancing when the sorbets smell like- She reached behind her to pick a random one, happy there were spoons nearby so she didn't have to lose sight of Aislynn and find her again. -this... She breathed in the smell of an orange sorbet, surprised it smelled so amazing. She took a taste, raising her eyebrows in surprise. Screw that last dance. You guys have had a few already, anyways. Now's as good as any other time. She finished the sorbet in three large bites, quickly turning to place the dishes on an empty tray. The dishes slowly sank in, appearing someplace else to be cleaned later. She giggled when she turned around again to find she'd lost Aislynn in the crowd. Here we go... Her eyes panned the room as she prepared to make her way over. At any other party, I'd just shoot a Death Eater Sign up into the air to get everyone to stop moving for a few seconds so I could have an easier time, but not today. She shook her head with a laugh, imagining Luna treating it like a normal firework.

Aislynn... Alastair focused on keeping a neutral expression as they danced. He couldn't even bare a fake smile as his throat closed up. I can't even swallow my guilt. He thought, despising the irony. He avoided Aislynn's eyes, flitting to Luna's. The ceiling. Ah... He resigned to feign admiration for the stained glass ceiling. ...A much easier view to behold, thank you, Luna... Just as he felt his shoulders begin to relax, he remembered who he was dancing with. Aislynn...I have enjoyed our time together...just...not as much as I could've. I know I should've tried to let go of her but I couldn't. It's quite likely...no, it's nearly assured I would've truly been able to love you if I'd only managed to forget her. I tried everything I could to make it work...and to make this work...but you just couldn't be her...and I should never have expected you to. Look at you - you look completely different, act differently...it was a losing battle from the start. I've made a fool of us both by playing this game...I should never have even tried...I should've shut myself in my castle and focused on my duties. Luna always buried herself in her plans when was in turmoil...I always knew my comfort wasn't enough to ease her mind...why would it? Now Luna gets her happy ending, and look at me now...I can't even bury myself in my duties at the castle...I have no castle...

Alastair placed a myriad of spells on the front doors, internally pleading it would buy him enough time before Celeste's mob stormed the castle. A hasty peek out a side window informed him he didn't have long. The image of them marching up the path stuck in his mind as he raced through the foyer to the throne room, nearly stumbling up the steps. He shuddered to think of what Celeste thought of his withered hell flower, imagining her eyeing it in disgust. He's been working it to death to absorb all his negative emotions. How fitting that your flower's pitiful state suits you now, in your final hour. He forced his racing thoughts away, tearing velvet sheets off his prized possessions. He gritted his teeth as he hesitated to destroy them, mentally measuring the time it would take to transport them instead.

BANG

Celeste aimed counterspells at the double doors.

BANG...BANG...

Anyone setting eyes on them would be even worse. Alastair tightened his fists, taking one last long glance at everything; statues, portraits, mosaic tableware, figurines, dolls, and tapestries. Duplicates in a variety of sizes and materials, all created in her image, embossed or embroidered with the same name: Celeste.

He grimaced as he set his fist ablaze with a ball of fire, unable to bear the sight of their destruction. He looked away, tightening his jaw as he shot fireballs at each and every item, not caring if he missed to scorch the floors. A crescent of flames flared, pushing his temperature even higher. Finally...it is done... He sank to the ground in the arc's center, consumed by the same burning feeling his possessions felt. His neck hung as he sobbed, catching a glimpse of his pathetic expression. A fallen king...an occurrence that has never...ever before taken place in all of hell's history...the fate is now mine, forever. He envisaged his fight with Asmodeus, despising the way he'd kept cool and calm as he lost everything. He envisaged the look of disgust Aislynn would aim at him when he came clean of his blunders. He imagined Celeste laughing with the others at his failure of a legacy. All for you... He flinched away from his reflection, eyes widening as he remembered his throne. He stumbled to his feet, raising his arm to shoot one last fireball to erase Celeste's name, carved on the headrest.

"Not one more move, Fallen King." Celeste's voice cut through like a sharp knife, paralyzing Alastair.

The crowd flooded in behind her, and in an instant, the flames were extinguished.

Celeste tilted her head, looking down at Alastair as he barely fought the demons that seized his arms.

Alastair let his body go limp as they dragged him out, pleading Celeste wouldn't notice his throne. It's all over, now...everything is ruined. Celeste, why couldn't you just be mine? Regret tore through him as he stole a glance; her countenance was somehow worse than anything he could have ever imagined. Will you say it now - a line so painful it will haunt me forever? You were always so eloquent... His eyes widened as she turned away, disinterested in paying him any more attention than that. Even worse...His eyes stung with tears as the demons dragging him turned the corner into the foyer. The last words he heard from Celeste were, "Have the castle shrunk and delivered to Asmodeus. He's been needing a new paperweight."

A moment later, another voice sounded from further inside. "Your name's written on the throne. I thought that's what these remnants were. Now I'm sure."

...Malice? Alastair thought, surprised his shame could increase further still. He squinted at the sunlight outside as the demons dragging him jumped, leaving the castle far behind. Wind whipped Alastair's bangs into his eyes, heart racing as they flew. Another jump later, and the demons tossed him into the dark, desolate passageway between Hell and Earth. He wanted to stay there, enveloped in the darkness for all eternity, if only there wasn't one last thing he had to do first. I cannot miss...my beloved sister's wedding. I must be strong one last time, before I collapse into this hallway to forever wallow in my regret.

A distant look dominated Alastair's countenance, until it could be hidden no longer.

"What's up with him?" Crystal asked bluntly, narrowing her eyes at his latent tears. "He doesn't look drunk."

Meanwhile

"Come," Luna took Elias's hands after their seventh dance, leading him to the banquet tables. "let us choose a few refreshments to enjoy in the solace of the gardens. I want to be alone with you." She smiled softly.

 

[Hikari Chan]

"Eeeyyy" Lucas grinned and waved at Lily as he came forward to where she was standing and chatting with Clarissa and Persephone, nearly close to Flynn's table. Flynn was sitting together with Alexis who liked to keep him company, one table away. They were both treating themselves to delicious treats, mostly savoury treats. Flynn was eating as slowly as he could, so that his sister would not ask him for a dance or worst, force him into a dance with a random guest. He did not even care about using any cutlery, holding a chicken drum with his right hand, munching on it, knowing that this would keep Persephone away. She did not like to get her hands greasy while eating or touch anyone's else greasy hands. Seeing how comfortable Flynn was, Alexis allowed himself to get as much as comfortable as he desired that he also ate with his hands and did not care about using any cutlery. He was eating a burger and enjoying a goblet of pumpkin juice, his favourite drink.

"Heeeey" Lily grinned and waved back.

Both Lily and Lucas were so loud while greeting each other again, that they could be heard all over the room. Elizabeth gave them a long look and decided that she should speak with her daughter after the wedding. But she was not alone about that. Lucas' grandmother was also eying them.

"Merlins' beard, you have become much taller than me since the last time I saw you!" Lily exclaimed, still grinning.

"And you have not been visiting us for four years! And hardly a letter did you send!" Lucas exclaimed. He had a smooth British dialect with an undertone of a Bulgarian accent. "How come, you stopped visiting us in Bulgaria? You have not grown tired of us, have you?" he pouted, yet his eyes were smiling.

"Well," Lily sighed. "My mother grew tired of going to Bulgaria every summer and she prefers to spend Christmas with my aunt, Aunt Eveline. And a lot of things have been happening lately, that we did not have time for a family vacation the last summer. And I am really sorry for the lack of letters, I did not mean to neglect you. But you know how my mother can be. Watching me like a hawk around the clock whenever I am home and I had to keep studying whilst I was at Hogwarts."

"And did you get top grades, like A in every subject?"

"No, I got decent grades and that's enough! Duh, who cares, anyway!"

They both burst out laughing, only to be interrupted by Lucas' grandmother who neared them from behind. She was a beautiful old lady, in her early 60s, always wearing her hair, that reached her shoulders, down, straight and flowy. She wore rings with large purple, yellow and blue gemstones on almost all her fingers. A necklace with a larger purple gemstone and a pair of earrings with smaller purple gemstones completed her look and her black gown. Her gown was very simple. No pattern in the black color. The only notable details were the neckline which was half circled and ended in a small v-line at the front and the long sleeves with manchettes around her hand wrists. She was smiling and looked like someone who never frowned, yet she moved around with an air of arrogance.

"Miss Shadowwalker, how have you been?" She spoke with a deep voice.

"I have been well, Auntie. And how have you been?" Lily beamed.

"I have been very good, thank you for asking!" The old lady smiled. "You don't mind looking out for Felicity and Selina, do you?" She asked, gently ushering two little chubby cute girls, a five-year-old and a three-year-old, towards Lily, not waiting for an answer and seemingly not expecting a no for an answer. Both girls were wearing matching cute silver dresses with a lot of frills and short puffy sleeves. They were also wearing their dark-brown hair in Minnie Mouse buns with silver ribbons. To their Mary Jane flats, small silver bells in pairs were attached to the each ribbon on each shoe, so that every time they walked, the bells clanged.

"Of course, I will look after them. I do not mind at all," Lily replied cheerfully.

"Thank you, my dear," The old lady walked away, but not before giving Lucas a look that told him he better watch his behaviour at the wedding.

"Well...eh..." For a moment Lily looked at Clarissa who was stealing glances at Lucas, then at Persephone who was chewing loudly on a purple-coloured sorbet. Lily realized that she had nearly forgotten to introduce Lucas and her friends to each other. "Clarissa and Miss Pyrites! This is my childhood friend and relative, Lucas Rabenstein. That old respectable lady, who was here a moment ago, is his paternal grandmother, Lady Helena Rabenstein, and also my aunt. Actually, she is my paternal uncle's wife, hence my aunt. And you may wonder how come my father is Shadowwalker while my paternal uncle is Rabenstein. Well as simple as it is, they are half-brothers. My paternal grandmother first married a Rabenstein and then married a Shadowwalker when she became a young widow. And these little cute girls-"

"-are my cousins, Felicity and Selina. You could have kept it simple, instead of telling an entire love story," Lucas interposed.

"Oh my, Felicity was just a little baby the last time I visited Bulgaria, and now she even got a little sister or cousin? Did Gerald get married?"

"Nah, Uncle Gerald is still a bachelor. Selina is Felicity's sister."

"Ah...anyway, I love describing the details, why do you mind? duh!" Lily laughed.

"And I love hearing details..." Clarissa spoke quietly, looking from Lucas to Lily, waiting for Lily to continue telling more about her relatives on her father's side but instead Lily continued with the introductions:

"...anyway, Lucas, this is my best friend Miss Clarissa Malfoy and my past professor in Divination and MagiPsychology from Hogwarts and also my best friend, Miss Pyrites."

Meanwhile, Selina had neared Flynn who was munching on a slice of pepperoni pizza. She was looking at the dangling cheese from his pizza, her mouth drooling.

"So nice to meet you," Lucas nodded both at Clarissa and Persephone who was still munching on her sorbet. "And who are these two gentlemen, why have you not introduced us, Lily? The gentleman with the eyepatch, could he be a relative to Miss Pyrites? They resemble each other."

"Eh...he is just her brother-" Lily began but stopped midway when she discovered to her horror that Selina was digging her chubby fingers into a slice of pepperoni pizza on Flynn's plate. He had not touched it yet since he was still munching on his first slice and let the little girl poke and eat from the second slice. "Oh, I am so sorry, sir! I will bring you a new plate." Lily panicked and did not hear Flynn tell her that he was fine. She left in a rush and came back with a plate with not only one slice of pizza but several slices which she placed in front of him
"You cannot touch the food of other guests," Lily gently told Selina. Without asking, she sat down at the same table where Flynn and Alexis were sitting, and let the little girl sit on her knee and helped her with the rest of the pizza slice she had poked. Alexis looked carefully at Lily and then at Flynn, wondering if the Quibbler had been speaking the truth about their affair or if it was just all nonsense.

Flynn stared at the new plate in front of him. He could not help but for a second imagine how the pizza would taste and look like if Lily had baked it. At the sudden thought he lost his appetite for the pizza and pushed the plate a little forward.
"Please have some, this is a lot..." He offered, not really specifying if he meant that Lily could take a slice of pizza or if Selina could have one more. Alexis who had finished his burger, gladly helped himself with one slice.
"Thank you, but I don't eat savoury food during parties, because it's so boring. I only eat sweet treats," Lily replied curtly. She did not even look up and kept her eyes on Selina.
Persephone was holding her breath, waiting to see if Lily and Flynn would start to quarrel with each other.
"So you must be Mr Pyrites then if you are Miss Pyrites' brother," Lucas took a seat and helped himself to a slice of pizza without asking. "I see now why Lily has stopped sending me letters,"
he teased.
"He. is. not. my. friend." Lily spoke with gritted teeth. "Only my past professor in Transfiguration. No more, no less. Don't you dare getting any funny ideas!"

Lucas raised his eyebrows in surprise as it was his first time seeing Lily showing slight anger, she who always was cheerful in his company.

"I am also a professor at Hogwarts, Mr. Alexis Dolohov.." Alexis spoke carefully as he introduced himself and reached out his free hand to shake hands with Lucas, trying to ease the awkwardness at the table.

Flynn was sitting still, feeling the thirst growing in his throat at the same speed as the feeling of awkwardness growing in his stomach. He debated if he should come back to the same table or not if he went to fetch a goblet of pumpkin juice. Almost all the tables were occupied and he wondered why Lily had not taken the other empty table, but had to sit at his table.

...Please don't fight...please...Persephone shuffled the rest of the remaining sorbet into her mouth, swallowing it quickly before going for another one.

"Felicity, are you hungry? Would you like some pizza?" Lily helped the other little girl to sit on a chair beside her.

Elias forgot everything else around him as he swirled around with Luna. He smiled softly, seeing how joyous she was made him speechless for a moment that he remained silent and listened happily to her words and also the thoughts she shared with him through her brooch and her laughter. He bent his head forward and said: "I will be everything you want me to be..." He laughed softly before touching his brooch. He knew exactly where his brooch was attached and brushed his left hand quickly against it. ..your bottle of joy, a shoulder where you can always lean on, you may share your joy, sorrow, anger and everything you need with me, anything that burdens your mind...I will help you carry that burden...

"Come," Luna took Elias's hands after their seventh dance, leading him to the banquet tables. "let us choose a few refreshments to enjoy in the solace of the gardens. I want to be alone with you." She smiled softly.

"That's a lovely idea. I would like some fresh air as well..." Elias responded and followed Luna as she led the way. Fresh and cool winter air...

...where is she? My sweetest Aislinn...Edward who had not cared about wearing a disguise, had come to the wedding in his usual attire and wearing his death-eater mask. He caught a glimpse of Aislinn waltzing around with Alastair in the crowd, but then she vanished from his eyesight as soon as he quickly glanced at the food, wondering how he would try to taste the delicious mouth-watering dishes without revealing his face. His mother shot angry glances at him, fuming over the fact that he had dared to come to the wedding without a disguise. Lady Monroe wanted to talk with Aislinn before she revealed the truth about her father.

Aislinn tried to keep up her pace with Alastair, but she felt as if he was not being with her while they waltzed around. She noticed how he hardly smiled and avoided her gaze. ...he is not his usual self...he has not even tried to meet the look in my eye for a bloody second...She frowned, a clear look of disappointment visible in her eyes. ...what's the matter with him...he has not consumed any of the alcoholic beverages, hence he cannot be drunk...he was not like this at all at the Halloween party...For Merlin's sake we are at a wedding where everyone are enjoying themselves and having fun while he is acting like as if it was the end of the world...

"Alastair?..." Aislinn could not take it anymore, the tone of irritation was notable in her voice, and she nearly stepped on his feet as she tried to stop their dance.

 

[Junko Natsumizaka]

Luna selected a beautiful slice of cherry cheesecake for Elias, gently taking hold of his hand to place it in his palm. "This is for you." She smiled, turning to select a lemon tart for herself, and a lemonade infused with mint. Once Elias had selected everything he desired, she interlinked their arms, and led him to the secluded paths until they found a polished black walnut bench. Luna sat in the center, pointedly leaving just enough room so their sides would touch when Elias followed.

She ate her refreshments in silence, savoring the moment as her eyes admired Elias's.



"Alastair?..."

Alastair's eyes widened, and his eyes met hers at once. "My lady..." He spoke as though this was the first time he'd seen her all night. He let go of her hands, taking a step back. His mother's voice snapped in his head, 'Could you be any more obvious? Quickly, say something to make this better!' "...please excuse me, I'm feeling a bit light-headed." He bowed, turning in search of the rest room. Drink some water, put a bit of it on your face...anything. I need to keep it together for one more day. I can't bear to be the one who ruins this special day for Luna. He just barely resisted the urge to cover his face with his hands in shame. What am I doing? He stopped sharply, realizing he was far from the dance floor. He turned his head frantically, searching for a sign to lead him to- A rose-crested sign. Perfect. He nearly shoved the doors open, flinching at the resulting slamming noise. Calm yourself, that's why you're here.



Weirdo." Crystal shook her head while staring at the place where Alastair had been standing. "Eh." She shrugged, using her wand to summon a pair of red sorbets. She turned to Aislynn with an excited expression, handing her one. "You have to try the food here! Don't get carried away dancing, now." She giggled, summoning two spoons for them. "Come on, let's get off the dance floor and sample these amazing little things." What's up with that guy? It's a celebration. You know, the thing you celebrate. He needs to lighten up.



Luna placed her empty dishes on the grass beside the bench, slowly leaning her head on Elias's shoulder. Her hand seemed to find the perfect strand of his hair on its own, yet she hesitated to run her fingers through it. She tilted her head a bit to watch his expression as she slowly ran her fingers through once, pausing to see if he had an adverse reaction.

She smiled softly before continuing to run her fingers through, loving the feeling as she allowed her thought to drift off. "I do." Elias kissed Luna briefly, knowing neither were too keen on having a passionate kiss in public. Luna sat up, turning to Elias. "...May I..." She laughed softly. "What am I saying? We're married. Of course I can...right?" Her eyes met his, still hesitant as she hesitantly brushed a finger against his lips. With a short breath, she leaned in for a passionate kiss. ...My everything...nothing will ever tear us apart.



"Heyy ghost eyes.", Crystal eyed Alastair boldly as he approached them. "Did you forget who you came with?" She gestured to Aislynn with a raised eyebrow. You really owe her an apology.

"Aislynn," Alastair began in an apologetic tone, moving closer to down a glass of water from the table, "I apologize for being distant with you." Don't say it, just come up with an excuse. Anything. "There's something I've got to discuss with you," Anything but that. What are you doing?! "but it would mean the world to me if we could discuss it after the wedding." He downed the glass of water, placing it on an empty area to sink away. "I promise I'll tell you everything,"

Crystal rolled her eyes and put a bit of distance between them under the guise of trying a different sweet. He's got a weird vibe about him today.

"but for now," Alastair continued, "would you do me the honor of dancing with me once more...my lady?" He nearly avoided calling her Celeste. Did the icy water do nothing to bring me to my senses?! He thought, feeling his temperature rise in shame.

The weirdest of vibes. Crystal thought. I'll check in with Aislynn later today about it because right now, it sounds like even she has no idea about what's going on.

 

[Hikari Chan]

"Mmm...thank you," Elias smiled when Luna handed him a plate with a slice of cherry cheesecake. He selected more assortment of sweets, a slice of chocolate ganache, crème brûle, and vanilla flavoured cupcake. He also picked up two goblets, one for her and one for him, something that she loved to drink and something that he also loved to drink, knowing that they would both get thirsty. He took a little longer time to savour his refreshments, enjoying the feeling of her fingers running through his hair, finding it very relaxing. He followed her example and placed his empty dishes on the grass as well. He laughed softly at her question, finding her cute for still asking. He held her in his arms, caressing the back of her head softly.

Aislinn did not care about keeping a straight face or her feelings and thoughts under check. Her eyes clearly spoke of what she was feeling. Fury, irritation and disappointment.
Lightheaded? You did not even try anything of the food or drinks... She wanted to comment but did not say anything. She was feeling too furious to speak a single word and found comfort in the soothing ice cold and sweet red sorbet. She was thankful that Crystal had appeared beside her just in time and then handed her a cup of sorbet along with a spoon. Somehow, she remained quiet and could not bring herself to chat with her friend like usual. She silently agreed with Crystal that she should focus on the delicious treats and take a pause from dancing. She was feeling a heavy lump in her stomach and actually wished that she could leave the wedding as soon as possible. But she remembered that she was a bridesmaid and wondered how long she needed to stay.

By the time Alastair had returned, Aislinn had finished her sorbet. She tried to keep her calm as he neared her. She sighed audibly when he began to explain himself. Does he think I am stupid or what? I can clearly see in him that he is hesitating, that he is distraught. There is something on his mind that is distracting him. He is either thinking about someone else or something else. I have grown tired of dancing because I have not enjoyed a single dance I shared with him this evening. I remember the first time when we danced at the torture party at Luna's place. I still remember how he treated me back then and now...so much difference...
"No, thank you!" She replied curtly, trying not to snap at him but was pretty close to doing so, when he asked her for another dance. "I need a break," She turned away from him. "You know where to find me when you are ready to explain yourself. I will be close by the refreshments." She walked away, not looking back the slightest, yet her heart wished that he would stop her and take her into his arms, apologizing for how he had been treating her this evening, while her brain wished that he would rather leave her alone. ...I need fire whiskey...She neared a table with an assortment of drinks. Just as she was about to pick up a goblet with fire whiskey, someone took her by her hand, stopping her from picking up the goblet and instead placed a small plate with a chocolate cupcake topped with chocolate cream and flakes, in her palm. Aislinn looked up in surprise, half expecting to see Alastair, but it was not him.

"Something sweet for a sweet girl like you," A tall, masked man spoke. His voice was deep, a bit rough and it sounded as if he was smiling. There was an undertone in his voice that questioned her choice in drinking fire whiskey. Aislinn stared dumbfounded at him, totally speechless. Then a sudden realization made her lose all the color in her face. She had seen him once before and recognized him from his black inhuman eyes and death eater mask. It was one time when she had been for a short visit at Gringotts to exchange foreign money for galleons.
Feeling both shocked and a little bit creeped out at the same time, she popped almost the entire cupcake in her mouth, without thinking, first biting off half and then finishing the other half in one go as well. It was rich in chocolate, the cake, the filling, the cream, and the topping. It was so delicious that she momentarily forgot Alastair and she did not realize she had eaten the cake until he carefully wiped the right corner of her mouth with a tissue. She felt guilty a bit of a sudden and wanted to slap herself for trusting a stranger so carelessly. Before she could react, he had already taken away the plate from her and handed her a goblet with pumpkin juice in her hand. Had it been Robert she would have shoved the cupcake right on his face and even splashed the entire goblet's content at him. And she usually never trusted strangers. She never trusted Sherwood when he used to invite her for a cup of hot chocolate. But with this stranger, her mind went blank and she felt impotent refusing him.

"Ehmm...excuse me..." Aislinn finally found her voice. She took a sip of the pumpkin juice out of reflex since the cupcake had made her thirsty. She was not expecting it to be pumpkin juice and nearly grimaced. "...ew...do you really like drinking pumpkin juice...I prefer fire whiskey!" She shoved the goblet into his hand and this time she took a goblet of fire whiskey before he could stop her. "...So who the bloody hell are you?" She finally managed to find herself and talk like she usually does with strangers. But that was only for a sheer moment.

The masked man nearly flinched at her sudden words, however, he remained calm and kept the same smiling tone in his voice as he replied to her:
"A good ol' friend of your parents." ...well I did not lie, did I? I am best friends with myself and I was a best friend to your mother...

...so what am I supposed to do...I never knew if my parents had some friends, they probably had, but what do I know...Aislinn remained silent and had almost forgotten the lump in her stomach. Instead, she was feeling awkward and wondered if she should just walk away and try to find Crystal.

"May I have the honor to dance with you? Just once?" He suddenly asked her before she had time to decide what to do.

"Eh..." ...I should decline his request. I should say no. Why am I getting speechless all of a sudden...

Before she knew it, she was suddenly swirling around in a waltz. His boldness took her by such surprise that she entered a state of mind where she just followed his steps.
...I should push him away...but why cannot I do that? why am I humouring him? Am I even humouring him or have I suddenly become such a weakling that I let a stranger do whatever he pleases with me? Or could it be my gut feeling telling me that he is harmless? Aislinn was feeling confused and had mixed feelings about the entire situation. ...is he another vampire that is going to ask me for more dances after this...the terrifying thought suddenly crossed her mind, however after their first dance, he did not ask her for another one. Instead, he patted her on her head, telling her to not drink too much fire whiskey before wishing her a pleasant evening and leaving the wedding.

"Were you out for your mind?!" Lady Monroe was furious. She paced back and forth in the parlour while Edward was sitting in a comfortable armchair, comforting himself with a bottle of fire whiskey. She had just returned from the wedding with the rest of the family members, except Aislinn who had remained with Mr. Divilliers.

"No. I was serious," Edward replied boldly. "When are you going to tell her? If you don't talk with her before Christmas Eve, I am going to reveal everything to her very soon."

"Are you threatening me? You ungrateful-"

"Mother, please..." Tears rolled down his cheeks. "I.." He lost his voice and swallowed loudly. He looked up at his mother for a mere second and then looked away, turning his gaze to the burning fire in the hearth. He sighed deeply and heavily before continuing: "I have been living in hiding in Transylvania all for her sake so that she could get enrolled to Hogwarts and so that I one day could return to her. If I had known it would have taken such a long time for the downfall of the good-for-nothing order, I would have taken her with me when fleeing the country and had her enrolled in Durmstrang instead. I don't know how long I have to live and if I don't get to celebrate the coming Christmas with her, I will have to wait a year...another year...mother...I cannot take it anymore...I am losing my patience-"

"Fine!" She stopped pacing back and forth but remained standing. "I will talk to her as soon as I see her and make sure you two celebrate Christmas together."

"Thank you, thank you so much, Mother," Edward's sad expression suddenly changed to a very cheerful one as if he had not been crying. He kissed his mother's hands before leaving to retire for the night.

"Tsk..not knowing how long he is going to live," Lady Monroe muttered as soon as her son had left. "Should have thought about it before running away...tsk..."

 

[Junko Natsumizaka]

"You know where to find me when you are ready to explain yourself. I will be close by the refreshments."

Alastair sulked, torn between stopping her, and letting her go. Look how distraught she is...I have no right to ruin her night even more. I know she's capable of doing much more, but she did me the kindness of holding back...I'm ruining everything and I can't stop myself. It feels as though my control over even my own movements is slipping...I used to be better at this. No one would know if I was thinking anything bad...and now it's all... He looked up to see a stranger standing before Aislynn. How long have I been standing here?! He wondered as he snapped out of his daze, frantically searching the banquet tables for Aislynn. When he couldn't find her, he spun to search the sea of dancing guests. Is she dancing with Crystal, or...? He squinted, trying to catch a glimpse of her partner. A moment later he froze, eyes growing wide when he caught sight of the stranger leading her in a dance. Who the hell is that?

Luna pulled away with a serene smile, adding a second kiss on Elias's forehead. She ran her fingers through his hair as she stared into his eyes, softly asking, "What do you think of spending the night in each others' embrace?" She touched her pendant, mentally adding, And nothing more?

Alastair reached Aislynn just as the stranger departed. "Who...was that?" When he saw the look on Aislynn's face, he shook his head. "More importantly...there's something important I have to talk with you about. I owe you an explanation...and much more..." His expression pleaded for her to give him a chance to explain, tight lips holding back the frown he'd grown tired of holding back.

 

[Hikari Chan]

"Finally, you will explain yourself," Aislinn sighed, her stern expression relaxed. She felt relieved and even smiled for a mere second, forgetting the odd stranger for a moment. She had no idea who the stranger had been and did not care about explaining herself not until Alastair explained first. "Let's find a quieter place to talk in peace away from prying ears. Somewhere outdoors, please. I feel so stuffy from being indoors and need fresh and cool air..." She walked ahead of him yet she had a slow pace as she moved towards the exit of the wedding hall.

"Whatever you wish, my queen," Elias rose from the bench. "And I know a perfect place for us to spend the rest of the night..."

He led her around the manor, through an outdoor path that led to the garden behind the manor. There was a small door at the back, through which he entered indoors. It was quieter here since it was behind the wedding venue. He led her through another door and ascended a small staircase which led to a corridor that took them to the northeast wing of the manor. They reached a room at the end of the corridor. The doors to the room were already ajar, allowing a serene scent and soft light to seep out into the corridor. As soon as they reached the doors, the doors swung up by themselves, revealing a square room with a half-moon-shaped balcony. The balcony had tall glass windows, allowing the light from the moon and stars to illuminate the room during the night and the daylight to shine through during the daytime. A white Victorian garden table with two chairs was placed inside the balcony. There was no door that separated the balcony from the square room. Only rows of bleeding heart flowers that hung from and covered the wide-arched opening separated the room from the balcony. The bleeding heart flowers were enchanted to survive the indoor atmosphere during any season of the year. The roof was high and a black chandelier with enchanted candles cast a dim light in the room. There was a white milky white round leisure sofa with a couple of pillows. The night light, dim candlelight along with magenta-coloured bleeding heart flowers gave the leisure sofa a dreamy colour. There was another smaller couch, large enough for a snake to rest upon. On both the left and right sides of the room hung heavy milky white draperies.

"Do you like it?" Elias moved towards the right side of the room and pulled away the drapery to give Luna a glimpse of a bedroom. "I was not sure if you wanted to share the same room with me, so I had both bedrooms equally furnished and designed, with functioning bathrooms as well, where you can have your own spa too..." He paused for a moment and then explained: "...so you have a bedroom for yourself...and well...if you ever grow bored or feel lonely at night, you can always come over to me since there is plenty of room for both of us in one room..." He laughed.

Lily and Clarissa spent the rest of the evening together as soon as Selina and Felicity had fallen asleep in the midst of the wedding celebration. They danced with each other, not caring if some of the guests gave them odd stares just because they were two girls dancing. And they shared and tried out every kind of sweet treat together until they had enough of the sweet treats. Lily noticed that even if Clarissa was enjoying her company, her smile was faltering. Lily put her arm around Clarissa's shoulders and Clarissa let her arm slide around Lily's waist and rested her head against Lily's shoulder.

"Are you alright?" Lily asked. "You know you can tell me everything."

"I am fine," Clarissa replied. "Just fine..."

"Hey, let me tell you a secret," Lily led Clarissa outdoors.

"What? Can't you tell me about it indoors? It's freezing out here..." Clarissa shuddered.

"I won't take long and besides I will keep you warm," Lily waved her wand at her dear friend, placing a simple charm on her that would keep her warm in the cool night air. "I found a potion that will help you find your soulmate."

"My soulmate...but how is that possible?" Clarissa was surprised yet she hesitated for a moment, not knowing what to believe at first. "Don't tell me it would be something like using a love potion or some kind of manipulation? I don't like the idea of forcing myself on someone."

"Oh no, don't worry about that. It won't be like that at all," Lily hurried to explain. "You will simply enchant an item of yours and only the one who is destinated to be your soulmate will find it. That's how the potion works. But I am not sure if it's accurate because I could not find any historical record about it. The potion could be a joke just like those prank items one can buy at Zonko's. But whatever the outcome, I promise you that none will get hurt in the process. I happened to come across a potion book I have never seen before a couple of days ago when I was venturing around in my family's library, so I thought about giving it a try at the Yule Ball. I am going to dress up as Cinderella, wear glass shoes and have one of my shoes enchanted."

"..." Clarissa still seemed to hesitate.

"Look, you are my best friend and I don't mind if you use my idea with the glass shoes. So stop sulking around just because my brother did not marry you and give this a try," Lily hugged Clarissa long enough to comfort her for a bit before gently breaking their embrace. "I already brewed the potion, enough for us both to use it," Lily picked out a small vial from the secret pocket of her gown and placed it in Clarissa's right palm. The content of the vial looked mysterious, dark and glittering. The blue and purple colours dominated the potion and were smoothly integrated with each other. It was as if Lily had caught part of the space inside the little vial. She gently folded Clarissa's fingers around the vial. "Trust me, Clarissa. This does not work as a love potion and it's much safer to use, I believe because this kind of potion is not classified as dark arts and neither affects anyone psychically nor physically. At exactly midnight, before the day of the Yule Ball, place one drop, only one drop, on your chosen item and the next day you have to wear the enchanted item to the Yule Ball. As soon as you enter the ball, the item will disappear and reappear somewhere inside the ballroom. And the one who is destinated to be your soulmate will be the only one able to find it and will hopefully try to look for anyone who lost an item to return it. Everyone else will not be able to see your enchanted item."

"But what if my soulmate is not there or what if I cannot focus on a special someone while placing a drop of this potion on my chosen item," Clarissa looked even more confused than she had ever been in her life.

"According to the instructions of this potion, you don't have to focus on anything or anyone, in particular, while placing a drop of potion on your chosen item. As long as you are not doing this in your sleep or being too distracted that you can't see where you splash this potion, and just place one drop on your chosen item, everything will go well. Further, if your soulmate does not attend the Yule Ball, your enchanted item will return to you at midnight as soon as the clock strikes 12 o'clock at the Yule Ball."

 

[Junko Natsumizaka]

"Let's find a quieter place to talk in peace away from prying ears."

"...Yes." Alastair agreed quietly, his words drowned out by the music.

"Somewhere outdoors, please. I feel so stuffy from being indoors and need fresh and cool air..."

A vision of the ruins flashed in Alastair's mind. The is the place. I wonder, would pushing me off the tallest fractured tower ease her pain at all?

"I'll take us there." Alastair surpassed her in a few long strides, standing before her with an outstretched hand. "I hope you'll forgive me," One last time... "but I know nothing of this place. So I believe, to be in true privacy, we'd have to leave the venue." If she says no, I'll tell her where. I believe she'll grow so furious, she won't want to be around anyone for a while...And if she refuses...I'll just have to take her there anyway.



Luna wondered if she'd feel more relaxed, or nervous as she followed Elias. Goosebumps blossomed on her arms as a cold breeze blew past, yet she took no notice, focused on her growing curiosity. When the doors swung open, the scents of bleeding heart flowers, fresh linens, and candles greeted her, soothing her nerves a bit. She moved to follow Elias inside, yet found herself hanging back in the doorway. Where did all these nerves come from? I was fine a few moments ago. She watched as Elias strode to the window to pull back the curtain, scanning the room to take in the other details. It's just a room. A beautifully decorated one, but a room nonetheless. And this is Elias. Nothing bad will happen here.

"Do you like it?"

Luna took a deep breath and took a few steps inside the room, unaware that her body tensed like a stone statue.

"...so you have a bedroom for yourself...and well...if you ever grow bored or feel lonely at night, you can always come over to me since there is plenty of room for both of us in one room..."

Luna forced a laugh. "You could've just asked, yet you took the time to prepare such a beautiful gesture." Gratitude shone in her eyes despite her rigid smile. "I'm quite fond of these decorations." She gestured to the flowers, subconsciously trying to draw attention away from her nervous form. I won't back down on what I said a few minutes ago just because of my nerves right now, I will move past this. I just need to think of a way to do so... Her eyes flitted from Elias to the bed, mind racing for a way to ease over there without being too sudden or awkward. Why am I acting as if this will be our first time, nothing is going to happen! He's mine, he's my dear Elias, and above all he wouldn't dare do anything to make me uncomfortable.

 

[Hikari Chan]

"Fine..." Aislinn replied. "Take me there...You know I trust you..." She took Alastair's outstreched hand. A moment later she was in a familiar place. It was the ruins. The ruins that were close to her home and Knockturn Alley. She leaned against a tall pillar and crossed her arms. She did not say anything and remained silent, waiting for him to speak first.

Elias noticed how nervous and stiff Luna had become. He sighed quietly, feeling impotent about how to make her feel at ease in this kind of situation.
...We have already talked about this...so she should relax...I would never cross the line...never as long as I am breathing...I would never make her feel uncomfortable...
"I am very happy that everything is to your liking," He bowed. "I am going to change into my pyjamas." He took a couple of steps backwards. "No peeking." He vanished behind the curtains to his bedroom and came back dressed in dark night robes, silky black pyjamas and a robe with green and silver details on the hems. He had made sure to button up his pyjama top all the way up and covered himself with a plaid blanket, black with green and grey stripes, around his shoulders and neck. To this, he wore a pair of black slippers. He had also put up his hair in a small hair bun. He sat down on the sofa and looked up at her.
"You know you can trust me, right? I will never cross the line. Only hugs and kisses." He held up his left pinky finger.

"...alright...I will give it a try..." Clarissa put the vial containing the soulmate potion in her purse. Even if she sounded hesitant, there was a glimmer of hope in her eyes.
Lily smiled and remembered something she had almost forgotten about.
"By the way...I have to tell you about something really weird..." Lily laughed and recited Stephan's letter word by word. And after each sentence she finished, she and Clarissa laughed.

"Merlin's beard," Clarissa wiped off a few tears from her eyes carefully so that her eye makeup remained intact. "What a hopeless lovestruck fool!"

They both burst out laughing, laughing louder and harder this time.

"What's so funny girls?" Persephone had left the wedding and was about to return to Hogwarts together with Flynn.

"Oh tell her please, you have to tell her," Clarissa laughed. Lily who enjoyed making fun of all young men who tried to pursue or woo her, told Persephone all about Stephan and his letter with such gloating pleasure.

Persephone burst out laughing. "Oh my... what made him fall for you so hard?"

Lily shrugged. "He was cold as ice and treated me as air the first time we met at Hogwarts. And all of a sudden he forced himself to dance with me at the Halloween party. We shared a few dances and he was the one who asked me to dance with him. It was not a simple invite though. He begged me to dance with him. And none of his dances felt genuine at all even if he started to relax and became more comfortable. Then we ate some desserts and I talked to him a few times afterwards."

"Mr Garnett has such a wild imagination, believing that you have a thing for my brother pftt hahahahahaha...."

Lily was about to laugh again but her smile faltered when she suddenly noticed Flynn being close by. She had not forgotten her promise to her father and she had been thinking about it every day since she had returned home from Hogwarts. She did not know if she would see Flynn again so she decided to seize her chance. ...It's now or never...

"Hey, may I speak to you for a minute?" She asked him flat out, not batting an eye. She had a serious look on her face.

"Sure..."

Persephone and Clarissa exchanged surprised looks with each other. Then the former nudged the latter gently with her elbow, signalling her that they should give the other two some privacy.

"I just wanted to apologize for everything..." Lily began as soon as she was left alone with Flynn.
Clarissa almost returned indoors to the wedding, she stood lingering in the entrance while Persephone was waiting for Flynn by the gates.
"Even if it never was my intention to fail my classes in Cooking with Magic, I deliberately gave you my failed dishes as a payback for the detentions you gave me in the past. But I never thought it would lead to baseless rumours. I am deeply sorry for defiling your reputation as a professor. That was never my intention." She looked him directly into his eyes, not breaking eye contact the slightest as she spoke.

"It's alright," He shrugged. "It's all in the past and besides I have already forgiven you." He added with a carefree smile yet his tone suggested that he appreciated that she apologized.

"Well...I am sorry for troubling you...have a good night sir," Lily felt a huge relief that she had kept her promise to her father. She turned away to return inside, but before she had taken a single step, Flynn spoke to her, making her stop in her tracks.

"Look, I am also sorry."

She was confused as she tried to recall why he was apologizing.

"About?" Lily turned around to face him.

"I should have handled the situation differently that day when you entered my sister's office when I least expected it."

"Didn't you already apologize to me about that before?" She laughed nervously.

"While I still was mad and with only a handshake? Nah, that doesn't count as a proper apology. I shouldn't have got so furious with you. And it was so wrong of me to threaten you. You couldn't have known that I would be in my sister's office that day, could you? So I am really sorry about it."

"Hey, it's alright," She shrugged. "I have already forgotten about it....and forgiven you!" She added before almost running to Clarissa who was still waiting for her at the entrance.

 

[Junko Natsumizaka]

"Take me there...You know I trust you..."

"Thank you." Alastair replied softly as he took her hand. 'You know I trust you'... The words echoed in his head as they disappeared in a puff of white smoke. He'd chosen the closest place where she'd feel most at ease; although after tonight he doubted she'd ever want to return here again. So, in a way, I'm ruining this place for her as well. How selfish... He frowned deeply, finally letting his mask fall. His throat tightened, and he went silent, unsure of where to start. I've had all this time to decide, and yet, I haven't...Do I start with 'Our relationship has come to a close', 'It was never you I desired', or...something softer?

A few minutes slipped past as Alastair became lost in his thoughts, pointing out the pros and cons of each approach while the crease between his brows deepened. In the corner of his eye, he saw a movement; whether it was Aislynn shifting impatiently, or the onset of shivering, he couldn't tell. He turned his head to face her, wondering if he should offer her his blazer. No...no more delays. "Aislynn...I'm afraid I've done you a great disservice. I've wasted heaps of time, and..." Wonderful job, this isn't clear at all. You're beating around the bush. "...I've even...hurt you. But, it'll be alright," No it won't. His heart stung as he continued, "you'll move past it in time." Just say it. "I'll accept whatever...you see fit to do...after all, I deserve it..." Tears welled up in his eyes. "...I just...want you to know that your anger will be justified when you hear how I..." He winced, fighting against the urge to disappear and delay this conversation forever. Say it now, or delay it for all eternity. "...I've been using so many of these." He pulled out a pair of contact lenses with a purple tint. "These ones are new, since I haven't used them today..." He waited a moment, as if he thought Aislynn might snatch them from him to figure it out for herself. "They have the power to only affect the way you look at a single person - they're like...reverse-polyjuice-potion." He sighed deeply. "I was never looking at you, Aislynn...I was looking at the woman I loved, and pretending I could be with her. And now...I can't pretend any longer. I'm drowning in regret, and I can't bear the thought of hurting you anymore." That sounds awful... "I'm so sorry..."



"No peeking."

Luna laughed softly, finding the idea ridiculous. He must've noticed...and it's so sweet of him to try and lighten the mood with a joke. Perhaps I should try to follow his example. She smiled as she got an idea.

When Elias disappeared, she rustled around her right thigh, searching for the hidden pocket she'd specified in the sketches. One can never be too careful... The idea of keeping her disguise mirror, a collapsible wand, and Raven's feather nearby had helped to ease her worries of something going down at the wedding. One disguise and some unrecognizable wand later, she would've been able to escape whatever attack was planned and summon Raven, but thankfully, no such event had occurred.

Luna looked into the mirror, and became Elias, dressed in his wedding attire.

Now...pyjamas... Luna tried to imagine what Elias's sleepwear would look like. She made herself giggle with a pair of white baggy boxer shorts with red hearts before switching to a sleek black silk night robe and matching slippers.

By the time Elias had returned, Luna had hidden the mirror in the left robe pocket, and placed her hands at her hips, puffing her chest out in an impression of Elias whenever he spoke to anyone else.

"You know you can trust me, right? I will never cross the line. Only hugs and kisses."

"Only hugs and kisses." Luna repeated, using a deeper voice than Elias did as she moved to pinky promise.

 

[Hikari Chan]

"Aislynn...I'm afraid I've done you a great disservice. I've wasted heaps of time, and..."

Aislinn frowned, looking at Alastair with a questioning look. ..what does he mean? Has he been betraying me behind my back? Probably done something that caught up to his guilt that he could not hold it any longer tonight? But why would he do something to me behind my back that would make him regret it?

"...I've even...hurt you. But, it'll be alright,"

For each sentence, he spoke, the more confused she felt. She straightened her back and moved a couple of steps away from the pillar that she had been leaning at.

"You'll move past it in time."

"...I don't understand..." She nearly whispered, her lips hardly moving.

"I'll accept whatever...you see fit to do...after all, I deserve it..." Tears welled up in his eyes.

She opened her mouth to speak but closed it when she saw his eyes filled with tears.

"...I just...want you to know that your anger will be justified when you hear how I..."

She wanted to tell him that everything would be fine, that they would work everything out, that she would forgive him no matter but felt too impotent to speak.

"...I've been using so many of these." He pulled out a pair of contact lenses with a purple tint. "These ones are new since I haven't used them today..."

She stood still, not understanding what he was getting at.

"They have the power to only affect the way you look at a single person - they're like... reverse-polyjuice-potion." He sighed deeply. "I was never looking at you, Aislynn...I was looking at the woman I loved, and pretending I could be with her. And now...I can't pretend any longer. I'm drowning in regret, and I can't bear the thought of hurting you anymore...I'm so sorry..."

It took at least five minutes, five minutes for everything to sink in for Aislinn. Her eyes widened in shock and her heart started to beat unnaturally fast when she finally realized what Alastair had been doing with her. Memories of the past suddenly flashed in front of her eyes.

"Good evening sweetie," Aislinn greeted very cheerfully but stopped in her tracks as she stared at the stranger. She felt the colour rise to her face as she froze at where she stood.

Alastair stopped playing immediately and threw the violin in the air with the same grace Luna did. "Good evening, Miss." Alastair greeted politely. "Forgive me for this awkwardness," he spoke charmingly as he held out his hand to shake.

"You...are...not...Luna..." She said awkwardly as she was feeling very stupid.

I am Luna's brother, Alastair. Once again, I ask your forgiveness as I am meeting you for the first time."

Aislinn stepped closer and spoke in parcel tongue: "Luna, is this you, disguised as a handsome man, you have no idea how you surprised me..."

She grinned as she expected Luna to reveal herself, but her smile faltered when she understood from his look that he had not understood parcel tongue.

"I cannot understand Parseltongue, but I can assure you mean no harm; I was merely awaiting Luna's arrival, meaning to surprise her with one of her favourite songs."

"So, you are not Luna...." Aislinn was feeling more stupid as she wondered how she should excuse herself to leave the labyrinth.

"May I inquire your name?" he asked.

"I am Miss Aislinn Monroe," She replied politely. "It is an honour to meet you Mr..?"

"Mr. DiVilliers. Alastair DiVilliers," he spoke politely. "Pleased to meet you."

Alastair was making breakfast of fresh croissants and jam when Aislinn entered the kitchen. "Good morning." he greeted politely.

"Good morning," Aislinn greeted politely.

"That is a lovely dress." he smiled kindly. "Would you like some croissants? I made them myself."

Oh good Merlin, croissants! And he made it by himself. I can only make hot chocolate and tea...

"Thank you…I love croissants…" Aislinn replied politely as she took one croissant and tasted it. This taste like heaven.... oh, good Merlin... She thought as she avoided putting the whole croissant in her mouth and instead took small bites.

“I am quite glad you do,” Alastair replied, smiling.

"This is so delicious..." Aislinn finally managed to speak to thank Alastair for the lovely croissants and took another one.

“You are quite welcome.”

"Ehhmm...I can make tea..." She offered before she took a bite of her second croissant and immediately rose up from her place to prepare some tea.

“If you like.” Alastair smiled before stepping out of the kitchen

I need to keep myself busy and also have something to drink otherwise I might easily devour all the croissants...even if I am small and have a high metabolism, if I eat too much in front of him I would perhaps give him a bad impression about myself... Aislinn thought nervously as she prepared the tea and placed both the teapot and three cups at the table within a few minutes in case Luna turned up.

He returned two minutes later, holding a wrapped gift. “I will take a cup before I leave; I have business to assist Luna with. “She has already left for Hogwarts, and sends her morning greetings.” He explained.

"Oh, say hello to her from me, please.." Aislinn smiled as she glanced that the wrapped gift in his hand.

“A surprise for Luna. Is there anything I may assist you with?” he asked charmingly.

She almost got speechless at his sudden question. My goodness, we barely know each other and yet he treats me with such kindness....so different from Robert....

"Thank you, no, but thank you..." She smiled politely and drank her hot steaming tea so fast that she almost burned her throat. Her cheeks were glowing red with embarrassment and she hoped that Alastair won't notice how nervous she was. I hope he will think that my face is a little too red because I am drinking my tea too quickly...

"You shouldn't drink your tea so fast; you'll burn yourself," Alastair said gently.

"I'm alright…" Aislinn smiled. So concerned he is about me...I wonder what Luna has told him about me that makes him treat me so gently...he has never seen me before and yet...

"Thank you for the tea," he said, once he had finished his tea within three minutes. "I will be leaving now; do let me know if I can be of service-" he motioned to the emerald at the tip of his wand. "Farewell." he bowed his head, his eyes not leaving hers.

When Aislinn entered the dining room, Alastair immediately stood up and walked over to her.

"Lovely to see you." he greeted, pulling out her chair so that she could sit. "I do hope you enjoy the meal." he smiled as he served her just the right amount of everything. "Would you like wine-" he asked, gesturing to her empty glass, "firewhiskey, or water? There is also a variety of fruits, so any juice you would like can be available within seconds."

"May I have this dance?" Alastair smiled, his voice so charming that Aislinn forget everything else around her, when he approached her, bowed and held out his hand to her.

"Yes..." Aislinn replied without hesitation, almost not believing her luck, and put her hand into his. His hand and touch were so soft that Aislinn was feeling like she was walking in a dream. And this feeling is so overwhelming…I feel like I have thousands of butterflies within me...

"Serpents are supposed to be powerful, but also untrustworthy and good at using people. " Alastair sighed. "I suppose that makes you feel odd around me?" he asked.

"No.." Aislinn smiled warmly. "Not really, because I listen to my instincts. It does not matter what kind of Patronus a person has. If I get a bad feeling about a certain person, I won't trust him or her even if the inner spirit of that person corresponds with a trustworthy creature....so uhm..." She paused as she did not know how to continue. I rather feel nervous when I am around him. This overwhelming feeling of butterflies inside me, I do not know how to explain it. I don't have the courage to tell him the way I feel about him... "..Well...when I met you the first time I....my instincts told me that I could trust you....and I do trust you...." She finally managed to say, and she was honest.

Aislinn looked around with wide eyes when she stepped down the carriage. A beautiful and lovely city indeed...so different from London...

"I have planned many places for us to visit. However, you must tell me first: Are you more hungry or energetic?" Alastair asked Aislinn.

"Well, I am actually hungry," she replied sincerely and blushed as she remembered that they only had breakfast before they left but no lunch. I hope there will be pizza or any other Italian dish heheh... She thought for herself.

"Wonderful." Alastair smiled. "Shall we?" he offered his arm to her so that they could leave the building together.

They apparated to the front of it, where Venice's Wizarding town lay . . .

A wide canal stretched as far as the eye could see, eventually leading to the ocean. The canal was lined with several places, each meant for a certain purpose. Whether dining or painting, each one would be wonderful fun. Gondolas made their way up and down the canal, holding people; mostly couples who were chatting and eagerly pointing to places they wished to visit. Unlike Muggle Gondolas, these small boats magically rowed themselves.

"Here we are." Alastair smiled, pointing to a boat of their own. He carefully stepped in, graceful even though the boat rocked as he entered. He extended his arms to assist her, intent upon not allowing her to fall into the water because of poor balance, as he once had.

She looked excitingly around her as the boat made its way across the canal. She was fascinated by how the buildings which surrounded them went through the water. There were no streets with fences to separate the buildings from the water. The canal must then serve as a road, so odd... she thought with astonishment.

"This is only one of Venice's three Wizarding canals. This one stretches on for quite a while, so it would be impossible to cover the best places within one day. . . Without an experienced guide, that is." he smiled, gesturing to himself jokingly.

Aislinn laughed heartily. A charming and handsome guide as well
"Aw, it must be very grand then, I wonder how many days it takes to visit all the places," she smiled.
I wish we could remain in Venice for several days to have time to discover more, but duty will call us back to London tonight. Perhaps another time, I hope...

"Now, this canal is named: 'Glimmering Canal'; the reason it is called so will be divulged to you at around 5:00. For now, we shall simply enjoy the sights," he explained.

"It would be lovely to see it by then," she commented excitedly

"Do not worry yourself-" he smiled, seeming to read her mind, "-we will get the chance to come back here once more, and many times after that. There are so many places in this world you have yet to visit, and I shall take you to all of them, if you are willing to go with me, of course." he smiled charmingly, once again placing his hand on top of hers, caressing it slowly; gently.

Aislinn almost forget to breathe when Alastair caressed her hand.
"I would love to..." She replied shyly yet smilingly, her cheeks glowing red, when she had found her voice.

An eerily vacant place. . . The ruins of an old building. . . A bench lay nearby. . .He placed one hand on her cheek and under her chin, holding her face up to his as his other hand held hers gently. He paused when they were very close, then moved forward. Instead of kissing her, he let his lips brush over the skin on her face. He began on her left cheek, then slowly made his way to her lips, closing his eyes as he did so. When he kissed her, he did so passionately, savouring every moment.

“Do you have feelings for this girl?” Valletta asked.

“No.” He stated calmly. “She is merely another toy for me."

Aislinn's eyes widened in shock.

"You know how I look at ladies. . . Like games. You know as well as I do that, just as vampires hunger for fear in their victims, I hunger for love in mine. This young lady has never experienced love before, so I felt it would be such an interesting game to play. She was so blinded by her own love that she couldn’t see I didn’t return her feelings.” He said.

It was as if he had slapped her hard on her face.

"I will begin by expressing my sincerest apologies; I was merely lying to Valletta to keep her away from you. In truth, I do love you. “He said. The look in his eyes was so warm it could melt the largest of icebergs. "I never meant for you to get caught up in all of this. The business I had been with Valletta. However, she didn't keep her end of the bargain...

“Come in,” Aislinn smiled towards Alastair when she opened the door to her room and entered.

Aislinn took out her device and closed the cupboard.

“Is it alright if we sit here?” She asked as she sat on her bed with the muggle device on her knees and gestured beside her.

“The muggles call it for laptop,” Aislinn explained to Alastair. “I have manipulated it so I can use it without that thing which muggles use in their everyday life, that thing which they call for iliktrissitii, I really don’t know what it is…” She frowned and then laughed. She tapped with her wand at the black mirror and the device suddenly came to life. A few of the buttons lightened up and the black mirror was replaced with a picture of the muggle rock band Nightwish. There were icons of pictures above the largest picture as well.

“I never use these buttons,” She explained as she caressed the buttons with her hand. “Even if they still can be used. I use my wand instead” She pointed her wand towards one of the picture icons on the large picture, and suddenly a different large picture popped up and covered the picture of the rock band. The new picture was grey-black and got white letters. She pointed her wand at one line of the letters and a song which was mixed with opera and rock music started to play. The sound came from the device.

“I use it for playing music,” She smiled as she lifted her device and put it in Alastair’s hands. “Do you want to try? You can use the buttons if you like to try them out and you can control the device with this flat button.” She put her hand on the biggest button which was so flat that it could hardly be seen. She caressed it softly and pointed at the large picture in front of them where something tiny which looked like a white arrow started to move around. “Look over there,” She laughed. “I never use it, because I find it too complicated hence why I only use my wand to control it.”

Aislinn almost forget to breathe when Alastair accelerated the speed. He drove faster and faster until he reached the speed which she remembered from his memories. The ride become more enjoyable and delightful when he was driving so fast. She did not look at how he drove anymore but rather at the views in the windows beside and in front of her. She also moved around in her seat, so that she instead placed her knees on it and turned her back against the front window, holding the headrest with her both hands, to try to get a view from the back window in the car.

“Ahhh…” She was fascinated by the view she discovered in the back window.

“What do you think?” She asked, feeling suddenly so nervous, the sensation of butterflies fluttering in her stomach. It was not the first she asked someone for an opinion about her hairstyle, she had asked her cousin once when she had cut off her long hair into a short bob, but she could not tell why she was feeling nervous this time.

"Charming." Alastair smiled, standing up.

"I was aware that you worked as a valuable client when Luna was working on taking down the Ministry; she told me all about it. She holds you in such high esteem that it was no wonder why she thought of you as an invaluable friend." Alastair smiled. "About my job..." he sighed. "...I discontinued it a while ago, having barely enough time to flee to Japan. I had to leave the agency since Sheila remained working there and she would have most likely given me away. Also, I had begun to develop a conscience about killing people, so I was going to retire anyway...However, seeing as how my enemies are no longer a problem, I see no reason not to return to the agency. I've had a change of heart since the memories I showed you, so killing is no longer a problem. I re-applied to the company this morning, and they replied, telling me that I had three days to confirm my new partner. I had been searching for you this morning-" he turned to her smilingly, putting a charm on the tray of food to keep it floating in the air while he reached into his pocket. He pulled out the engagement ring box, knelt, and opened it slowly, "-to ask you to be my partner. Do you-" he said in a serious voice "-Aislynn Monroe, promise to love, honour, and kill by the side of Alastair DiVilliers, till death do us part?"

Aislinn’s eyes widened in surprise and bewilderment. She was literary hugged the jug of juice, clinging it against her. First, her face lost all the colour of life, and then it gradually become crimson when the shyness and embarrassment overcame her. He is not proposing, is he? This cannot be a proposal… not so soon, oh good Merlin, I am not ready for marriage, but my heart cannot decline him… Her heart was beating so fast that the sound of it was so loud in her ears that she almost thought that Alastair was hearing it too. Her mind was in an uproar as she tried to dissolve what he just had told her. What…what did he just say before he knelt? He used to work for an agency, yes…it was with Sheila before, and now he has reapplied to the same agency and asking me to join him….yes, that is right, he is asking me to join him on a mission…it is a job you foolish girl, not a marriage proposal….

“Yes,” She finally said in a low voice, barely moving her lips, looking at him. There was a serious tone in her voice as if she was accepting a marriage proposal. She did not recognize her own voice. As if it was a stranger who was speaking instead for her. “I promise…”

I believe that would be 'I do...'" Alastair laughed, closing the box and standing up again. "Why so serious?" he said, concerned that he may have scared her.

Seeing Alastair laughing, Aislinn could not help but laugh in relief.

"Because you were so serious yourself," She laughed as she relaxed her grip on the jug.
"You startled me indeed..."

"Forgive me; I didn't mean to scare you..." he said a moment later. "Let's go..."

"It is alright, dear..." She smiled and proceeded to walk again.


"This is Sushi!" Alastair smiled excitedly, his hand making a sweeping motion of the display. "Rather appetizing, is it not?" he smirked with a 'are you as excited as I am to try these?' expression.

"Oh...." Aislinn was amazed by the displayed sushi. It did not look as she had been expecting it, but rather more subtle and delicate. "They look so cute..." She commented with a laugh.

"There is salmon, tuna, yellowtail, eel, butterfish..."

Aislinn blinked twice when Alastair named twelve different kinds of fish, which she did not have time to register. She laughed with relief when he stopped himself from mentioning more. Merlin's beard, he must know over hundreds of kinds by heart...

"Tables, please." I am going to eat sushi for the first time, so I rather sit somewhere which is more discreet than the bar… She thought as she took her seat by the square table. "I love spicy food," She smiled.

"Wonderful; I share your affinity with passion. Now, I shall order a bit of everything, and I will explain how the sides work, like so..."

When they were served sushi, Aislinn looked at the silverware with bewilderment. Is it something wrong with my eyesight or am I hallucinating? There are no forks or knives, but sticks? Sticks?! She stared helplessly with a frown at Alastair who was showing her how to use the chopsticks. She tightened her hand and fingers as she tried to get hold of the chopsticks and hold them just like he did. Her hand shook as she picked up one piece of sushi, a white bed of rice with a peach-coloured piece of fish resting upon it, the salmon sushi. When she lifted it up to her mouth, her hand still shaking, she remembered that she had forgotten to dip her piece of sushi in the soy sauce. She moved her tensed hand to dip the piece of sushi in the sauce. Her fingers were hurting because she was pressing the chopstick so hard around the piece of sushi. When she was about to dip her piece of sushi, the chopsticks slipped off her fingers suddenly and the piece of sushi flopped into the bowl. Soy sauce splattered around the bowl. Aislinn flushed with embarrassment. She was so clumsy indeed.

"Ehh… I am so sorry.... I’ll pick it up..." She hurried to say. She took hold of her chopsticks with her both hands, one chopstick per hand, and tried to lift up the piece of sushi from the soy sauce. After several attempts where the piece of sushi slipped off and flopped back in the soy sauce, she gave up and instead pierced the piece of sushi with one of her chopsticks. She managed to lift it up and place it on her plate. When she loosened the chopstick from her piece of sushi, she suddenly discovered that she had only got a bit of plain rice on her plate and that the missing piece of salmon was still swimming in the soy sauce. With a face, redder than a tomato, she managed to pick up her piece of fish using her previous method, namely by holding the chopsticks with her both hands. She looked apologetically at Alastair after she had placed the piece of fish back on the piece of rice. She tried to get hold of the chopsticks in a proper way and hold them just as he was holding his chopsticks. When she finally managed to lift up the piece of sushi, rice with fish, to her mouth, she took a bit. She was still pressing the chopsticks so hard with her fingers that the remaining bit of her sushi fell down on her plate.

She chewed slowly, trying to take in the taste of something which she was eating for the first time. The rice was to her unexpected anticipation sweet. The taste of the raw fish was interesting. It did not taste as gross as she had thought it would. On the contrary, raw salmon was tastier than cooked salmon.

"Mmm...." That was all she could say when she had finished her first piece of sushi. This time she picked up a rolled sushi and topped it with a bit of the green cream, which Alastair had introduced as wasabi, the spicy flavouring. This was even tastier than the soy sauce. "Mmmm..."

She covered her mouth with a serviette to hide her laugh. She loved the taste of sushi and she was laughing at her own clumsiness of using the chopsticks.

"Allow me to show you again?" Alastair asked helpfully.

This time, he held her hand, positioning them properly to hold the chopsticks the right way, and open and close them easily. "You needn't use so much force." he laughed softly. Once again he watched her try the chopsticks.

Once they were inside the carriage together, Alastair turned to Aislinn.

" I wish you a pleasant sleep and cannot wait to begin work tomorrow." he smiled, holding his hand out to shake in farewell.

"Thank you, Goo-…" She replied as she took his hand, finding it odd that he wanted to shake hands with her and was suddenly surprised when he pulled her in for an embrace.

"Good night, my lady," he whispered before letting her go with a warm smile on his face.

Aislinn browsed through the dark-coloured kimonos until she found one to her liking. It was a full black silky garment, with a corset, ribbon and wide sleeves which almost reached the floor. When she brought it with her to the fitting room, it suddenly crossed her mind that she had no idea how to put it on. Well, I'll just try to be logical... She thought and sought advice in her pendant, which told her exactly how to put this foreign attire on. The kimono was feeling heavy as she dressed. The wide sleeves were the most annoying part which got in her way as she tried to keep the kimono around her body whilst putting on and fastening the corset. At last, she managed. Her legs up to her knee were bare, even if the kimono was long that it reached the floor, though she had managed to cover her shoulders and chest decently so that only her neck was visible. She had the ribbon left and no matter what her pendant told her to do with it, she still find it difficult to tie the ribbon properly thus she ended up having the ribbon tied at her side front instead of at her back.

When she walked out from the fitting room with her previous clothes folded neatly under her arm, one of the salespersons noticed that one of their customers, seemingly Aislinn, was not wearing her kimono properly.

"Nanika tedasuke ga hitsuyōdesu ka?"

Aislinn nearly jumped in fright when a Japanese woman touched her shoulder, speaking to her. She looked confusingly and questioning at her.

"Nanika tedasuke ga hitsuyōdesu ka?" The woman repeated her words.

Aislinn did not understand a syllable and just walked quickly away, almost running as if she had seen a dementor, ignoring the woman, who was shaking her head at the customer's lack of response and behaviour.

Aislinn stirred around in the grand store, almost getting lost, as she ended up among a sea of bright-coloured kimonos. She tried not to panic but to stay calm and consult her pendant until she found her way out to the entrance where Alastair was waiting for her. She was very pale and her cheeks glowed crimson red because of the distress she had felt of getting astray in a shop.

When she saw him, she almost did not recognize him in his different and interesting attire. She stared at him for several seconds. Oh my, he is so handsome...but Merlin, what has he done to his hair…?

"Are you ready, my lady?" he said in all seriousness as if it was normal.

She burst out laughing, not laughing at him, though laughing of joy because he had made her shopping experience amusing and enthralling in a way she never had expected.

"I am ready," she replied, giggling, as she walked closer to him. "Though I need to pay for my attire before I leave this store, I have no yen. I only have galleons with me, do they take that?"

Once inside the carriage, Alastair smiled warmly toward Aislynn, weariness reflected in both their eyes now. "Aislynn?" he asked as they stood facing each other, his right hand on her shoulder. "May I ask something of you?"

"Sure," Aislinn replied smilingly. She was feeling weary and longed to sleep, though she would not leave Alastair unless he retired for tonight.

"Could you possibly accompany me to bed tonight? I swear, my lady, it would remain innocent, without any second thoughts," he said genuinely as he looked deep into her eyes. "I merely wish to remain with you tonight, even as we sleep."

"Uhm....I..."

"I understand if you do not trust me, my lady. Do not hesitate to reject me."

".... pyjamas..." She finally managed to say. She thought she had told him I would love to accompany him tonight; I just need to change my clothes to more comfortable ones... but then she realized that she merely had spoken anything but uttered one single word, namely pyjamas.

She blushed even deeper and hurried to mumble: “...need to change..." before she almost rushed away. She tried to walk calmly to her room where she had her luggage.

Aislinn washed her face with cold water as soon as she had changed into black silky pyjamas. Did he really ask me to...? She looked at her reflection in the mirror. ...Merlin's beard...
She washed her face again and patted it gently with a white towel. If he had meant.... meant.... well…he would not have asked me this way, would he? I think he only meant that we would share a bed like friends.... not like couples...

Aislinn's heart was still beating faster than usual. Usually, she loved to have short hair, though this time she was for the first time thankful for her bangs and long hair because they hid part of her red flushing face as she looked down at the floor whilst walking out in the main room.

She knocked at Alastair's bedroom door, waiting for him to give her permission to enter since she expected him to change his clothes to more comfortable ones as well.

Aislinn tried not to stare when Alastair opened the door. Merlin's beard......he is so elegantly dressed...and here I stand in simple pyjamas... She blushed even more when her eyes fell on the part where his clothing revealed his chest.

"You..."

She blinked twice as she looked at him and for a split second, she awkwardly thought that she might have imagined that he had asked her to share a bed with him. Just tell him that you wanted to wish him a good night before going to bed...She thought awkwardly but then she calmed down when he opened the door, stepping back and gesturing for her to enter. "You wish to humour my request?"

She was still too speechless to say anything, though smiled lovingly yet shyly towards him as she entered his room. She took a deep breath when he closed the door behind her.

"Thank you, my lady, for this honour.' he smiled with a small bow before he turned to the bed. "Do you prefer the left or the right side?" he asked, "I have no preference myself."

"Uhm....the right side..." She almost whispered.

"Very well. " he smiled, making for the side she did not want.

Aislinn, who was feeling very nervous, went to the right side of the bed. It is fine, Aislinn, it is fine...remember when you both lay beside each other on the picnic cloth and watched the stars together, it will be just the same...the only difference is that you are just lying beside each other in a bed under a roof...

She giggled softly and nervously, her cheeks glowing red, when she met his loving eyes and soft smile. She took his hand when he held it out for her and closed her eyes. And she smiled happily as she fell asleep.

Aislinn blushed when Alastair complimented her attire.

"So…what is a film...?" She asked when she had entered the carriage.

"A film is a series of moving pictures; a recording, of people acting out a storyline. If the actors and actresses are chosen well, it can be quite a lovely event to watch one. These days, muggles go to a film every week, and they go in casual clothing like it is nothing special. I much prefer the old-fashioned way of dressing up to go to a glamorous theatre, and that is why I love the theatre we are about to visit. It is called the Old Times Theatre, located inside the Old Times Hotel." he laughed at the simply obvious meaning behind the name. "It is located in Rouen, and films are shown upon request."

"Oh..."

When they arrived at their destination, Aislinn almost forget about the Theater because of the breathtaking view of the sunset. What a relaxing view... She thought with a content sigh. She was then reminded about the purpose of coming to this place with Alastair when he led the way to the Theater.

"There are three sorts of tickets available tonight." Sir Marshall explained as they came to a large arched entrance with French writing on the arch. "One for any of the films playing already for other people, which is the least expensive. One to request any film you would like, which costs a bit more...And, one where you may choose whichever film you like, and dine in at our exclusive restaurant, which is the most expensive," he informed them. "Which will you take?"

"There was no question from the beginning; only the finest for my lady," Alastair said charmingly. "We shall take the last option."

"I do hope that you will enjoy the film." Alastair sighed, excited. "It has been six years since I last viewed it."

"Aha..." She smiled as she took a seat in a very comfortable chair beside him in the Theater room. She was suddenly taken by surprise when the lights turned off despite his warning. "Oh..." She said when it suddenly become dark and a white cloth was lit in front of them.

"It was such a great film..." Aislinn replied amazed. It was more animated than I imagined it to be. People spoke and moved fully in the pictures...

"I am glad you enjoyed the plot to its fullest. Were you satisfied with the ending?" Alastair asked. "It was supposedly happy, although D'Artagnan was killed." he sighed in an 'I wish that hadn't happened.' sort of a way.

"Hmm...I think it was a good ending after all..." She replied and took his arm as he led the way to the restaurant. She was hoping it was not that expensive, but her guts told her otherwise.

..it looks expensive... She tried not to stare as she entered the restaurant.

She looked out through the window beside the table which he had chosen, and almost gasped when she discovered that they were so high up. And I thought we have been on ground level the entire time...

"Wondering how we got so high up when we climbed no stairs?" he laughed once they had been seated and served menus. "We climbed gradually in the hallway; so subtle, was it not? It was charmed that way so that no stairs or elevators are necessary to reach this perfect height."

"Oh...." Aislinn was amazed and could hardly take away her eyes from the window view.

"Would you like some wine to start, Sir?" a waiter asked.

"No, thank you. Just iced water for me, if you please." Alastair responded. "The coldest water possible."

"And you, mademoiselle?" the waiter turned to Aislinn.

Alastair gave her a 'don't worry about the price, order whatever you wish' gaze.

"Uhm...water..." She replied, blushing. "I'll also take ice-cold water..." She almost bit her tongue when she realized how she had spoken. Merlin's beard Aislinn, that is not how you speak in luxury restaurants...I should have said I would like cold water, please...

"Would you like my recommendations, or would you like to order yourself?" Alastair asked when they had been served their drinks.

She looked at the menu when he had magically translated it from French to English for her.

"Thank you," She smiled before eyeing the list of dishes. Since she did not recognize any of the dishes, she assumed that they must be French. Merlin's beard...I have no idea what these dishes costs or what they taste like...so the best is...

"I would like your recommendations, please," She said as she put the menu down.

"Very well, my lady," Alastair said with a small smile. "Only the finest for you."

When the waiter came back ten minutes later, just as instructed, and ordered their entire meal in flawless French. "....merci." he finished.

The waiter bowed another shallow bow and made for the kitchens.

"Enjoy, my lady." Alastair smiled as the food arrived. "Do beware of the potatoes; they are baked in a garlic sauce," he said, pointing to one of the two potato dishes. "I apologize; I adore the meal. However-" he said seriously "-if the smell bothers you, I will have them take it away immediately."

Alastair smiled, and they continued walking out of the hotel. As they descended the shallow stairs at the front, Alastair was relieved that the talkative manager's shift ended at nine. "My lady?" Alastair asked with a gentle look in his eyes. "Would you care to travel with me...the way a demon does?"

"Uhm.... yes..." Aislinn replied quietly, her voice almost a whisper.

"You trust me, do you not?" Alastair asked although it was more of a statement. "You know I would never intentionally harm you."

As a reply, she quietly put her arms around his neck just when he put his arms around her in an embrace. Then, he picked her up, just as he had done in the Theatre of Game, and jumped. A second later, she felt the rush of air, the tingling sensation in her tummy of leaving the ground. The ground shrank beneath them, and the city shined beautifully below them. They were high up in the sky, surrounded by thin clouds and seemed to be close to the glowing moon. The air blew their hair picturesquely, and Alastair gazed down lovingly at Aislinn as he held her firmly.

"...Allow me to select a table..." Alastair trailed, looking around for the perfect one, before turning back to her.

"Now, wait until you see how to order!" he said, the familiar excited look in his eyes. "Firstly, choose what you wish. Don't worry about limiting yourself." he smiled encouragingly.

She laughed nervously before turning her attention towards the display of desserts. Choose two, two is fine.... but oh, this is so hard...

She ended up choosing three kinds of desserts.

Alastair smiled and took her by the shoulders, leading her away from the display. "...Such a lovely choice."

He stopped at a certain place, then said "Look down."

She looked down and noticed that she was standing on the tile of the first dessert she had chosen.

"Say the word 'please' clearly, as if you are giving a polite order," he instructed.

"Please," She said and the dessert she had chosen, rose from its position on the display, and plated itself delicately, before flying to Alastair. "Over there, please." he indicated his chosen table.

"Oh..." Aislinn was amazed and surprised by the way desserts were ordered and served.

"My turn." he said with a mischievous 'watch me' smile.

Aislinn gave him an exciting and curious smile. Then suddenly the classical music changed to a more energetic and instrumental one. Surprised, she watched him dance his way over the squares to order one dessert. Then his eyes locked to hers in a pleading 'join me' face.

She laughed excitingly and gladly joined him. She took hold of his right hand and put her left hand on his shoulder.

"Allow me to lead you, my lady. Please relax into it," he instructed helpfully.

She laughed happily and enjoyed it as he led her around in a dance, to a different kind of music than classical, to the next tile.

"Please-" Alastair said once they stopped, in perfect sync, just as the song ended.

"Thank you for joining me on this lovely night." Alastair breathed contentedly as he looked out the window, his profile so picturesque. "I love how you do not care about who is watching you..." he referred to her joining him in the dance moments ago, rather than shy away. "These desserts were so very sweet..." he smiled, looking romantically into her eyes. "...but you are incomparably sweeter..." he finished genuinely, unintentionally leaning forward just a bit.

"I....wish to fly with you..." She almost sang, putting her arms around his neck and resting her head against his shoulder. "...to the moon and back..."

"If that is what you wish, then I shall do my best to fulfil your desire, my lady," Alastair said elegantly, picking her up and then jumping just like before.

This time, they went higher, and as they came nearly level with the moon, it seemed, he looked into her eyes once more. "My lady...the joy you feel at this very moment is the same joy I feel whenever our eyes meet. " he tilted his head slightly and whispered in her ear "It has become my dearest wish to never part with you. I only desire your affection." And with that, he kissed her passionately, just as they began their descent.

"Oh..." Aislinn was amazed by the breathtaking view when she stepped out of the carriage. She could hear Alastair's voice and feel his breath on her neck when he spoke quietly:

"It gets even better..."

She closed her eyes for a couple of minutes, smiling, before opening her eyes and seeing him standing with eyes closed in front of her. She watched with great interest as he conjured flames and send them flying away to light up the mountain.

"And there we are," Alastair said. "It's fixed so that only we can see them, so you don't have to worry about any unwanted visitors." he smiled with an 'It will be just the two of us' twinkle in his eyes.

Aislinn giggled excitingly and grabbed one of the brooms, eager to set off.

"There are two things you must understand before embarking on this flight." Alastair began.

"Yes?"

"Firstly, it will be rather cold at the top, so I am happy that you have brought a sweater-" he gestured to her turtleneck "-although I'd like to place an adaptable temperature spell on it, just in case. The spell-" he explained as he pointed to it with his finger, performing the spell "-will allow the sweater to warm or cool your body depending on its needs. It is the one spell I use most often; it is the reason I am able to wear whatever I wish, regardless of the weather."

"Thank you, I appreciate it," She smiled.

"Secondly, we will be racing to the top, and the winner will get to choose where we dine tonight." he explained as if it was the most serious thing in the world "The loser will have to pay as a penalty."

He laughed as he turned to mount his broom, and then spoke very clearly. "I want you to count down from three, and then we will begin our race."

"Alright..." She smiled. "One......two......three!"

Aislinn glanced sideways at Alastair, admiring him as they flew beside each other with perfectly matching speed. He even looks so beautiful when riding a broom...his hair blowing so elegantly in the wind...while my hair is... Her bangs had loosened and were blowing wildly around her forehead and she felt that her hair band was sliding off her ponytail.

When only half of the way was left to the top they parted and Aislinn flew to the opposite side of the mountain, making her way to the top. She reached the top within a matter of some minutes only to find it empty. She could not see Alastair anywhere. She hovered at the top of the mountain, her hair loose and wild. She had lost her hair band during the flight and only one hairpin was stuck to some hair strands of her bangs.

"Hello," Alastair said suddenly from just behind her, his voice eerily quiet.

She nearly lost her balance. She spun around laughing when she saw the mischievous glint in his eyes as he had clearly intended to startle her.

"The bloody hell!" She laughed, finding it very amusing.

Aislinn entered one of the bedrooms, where Raven levitated and put Alastair on a bed.

"Is there anything else you wish of me?" Raven asked when Aislinn proceeded with taking off his shoes.

"…No..." Aislinn replied absent-mindedly as she tucked his socks in his shoes before putting them away.

Even if taking off his suit jacket was more difficult than she had expected since his unconscious body was heavy, she did not ask Raven for help. She just wished to take care of him by herself. She loosened his tie and hung his suit jacket before covering him with a blanket, making sure that he was laying very comfortably.

Aislinn ran back and forth to her bedroom to bring all the necessities she needed. She was not wearing her wand thus she could not summon everything to her at once. She dabbed Alastair's face with cold water hoping that he would wake up. But it was in vain as she kept dabbing his face for about ten minutes. Checking his pulse calmed her down a little, even if she was crying silently. Perhaps he needs to sleep a bit... She thought as she caressed his face lovingly.

"May I remain with you? Perhaps I could help you get your mind off of Alastair until he feels better? It would do you no good to worry about him the entire time." Raven said reasonably.

"Fine..." Aislinn shrugged in reply when she closed the door to his bedroom. But even if Raven kept her company, Aislinn could not get her mind off Alastair. She was feeling restless the entire time.

After she had been fluttering around with a worried facial expression and fretting about the earlier incident for nearly one hour, she suddenly remembered Raven and blurted out to her: "I am going to check on him!"

Aislinn tried to walk calmly, though she nearly run as she tried to find the way back to the bedrooms. She had been walking around that she nearly got lost and she could not really focus.

When she finally found the corridor, which led to the bedrooms and reached his bedroom, she put her hand on the handle. In other circumstances she would have thought twice before opening the door, thinking that perhaps Alastair was changing his clothes. But since she was distracted with her worries she could not think straight and therefore opened the door before thinking.

And there he stood in front of her. She stared at him with a tear-streamed face for one second and the next second, she flung herself around his neck. She blamed herself and apologized, stumbling on her words as she tried to speak in between her sobs.

"Thank....thank good-ness....you re-recovered......I am.....so sorry...so sorry...I was.....so selfish...if I...if I....only knew.....I would....not have....asked you for....piano music...and I....I....talked too much... too much...I must.....must have....given....you...you...headache...that you.....you....fainted...."

His sudden embrace and kiss took her by surprise and she nearly forget to breathe for a second. His lips and kiss tasted like chocolate.

When he broke the embrace, she looked speechlessly at him, with glowing red cheeks, her lips slightly parted. Her heart was beating so fast that she could hear her own heartbeats in her ears and almost thought that he could hear it as well. There was a dreamy look of mixed feelings in her eyes: Surprise, in a positive way, and happiness and love.

"Oo I never meant to lie...I never lied!" She burst out. She could not hold it any longer. She rushed towards him and flung herself around his neck in an embrace. It was impossible for her to follow the exact storyline of this play when he had been taking it too seriously. She felt that she would break their hearts if they followed the storyline. She did not care if she changed it. There was no audience and even if there was anyone watching them, she would not care at all. All that mattered to her was to make him feel happy.

When Aislinn had calmed down a bit, she looked up, and Alastair wore a very loving look. He closed his eyes when he saw her hand moving to remove his mask. “Ah…you…chose me.” He sighed in pleasure as she lovingly kissed his scars. After a few seconds, he opened his eyes and pushed her away gently. “You understand now,” Alastair said, his eyes conveying his deep gratitude.

“And this…” he held her hand with one of his, and put his other on her shoulder as if they were about to dance”…is the perfect ending, is it not?” Before she could reply, he opened his mouth and began singing in a very heartfelt voice as they began to waltz.

She smiled happily and mentally agreed with him with one look in her eyes. She let him lead her in a waltz as he started to sing. His singing voice was beautiful and soothing. She sighed when he stopped after singing about ten sentences and wished that he would have continued.

"Your food is ready, Sir," Loretto said, faster than expected.

"Thank you," Alastair said, standing. He linked arms with Aislynn, and then they followed Loretto downstairs.

Their order was already loaded onto their boat, on a small table with a checkered tablecloth and two candles.

He helped her inside the boat, just as before, and they sat down on the count of three. "Now we can resume our journey," Alastair said, obviously talking to the boat, which began smoothly at once, proceeding to pass the restaurant, where Loretto was standing, admiring the romantic couple.

They passed many more restaurants, cafes, and shops. Some sold clothes, paintings, food, chocolates, and desserts. In time, they were out of the canal, and soon it was just a collection of lights in the distance. The calm, dark waters mirrored the starry sky and bright moon above. It was beautiful.

She smiled as her eyes fell on the two wrapped gifts. She touched the gifts carefully as if she was afraid of breaking them. She read the cards which were attached to each gift, smilingly. She sat down on her bed and opened the first gift. She took a deep breath when she smelled the delicious scent of chocolate emerging from the gift. There was a note inside in Alastair's handwriting, telling her that it was an inedible bath bomb. She giggled as she sealed the bag with the bath bombs and put it on the bedside table. Then she opened the second gift. It was a bar of chocolate. She took a bite and nearly choked with surprise when she clearly heard Alastair's voice in her head:

"I love you. The sweetest dreams to you, fair lady."

She nearly dropped her jaw when she entered the building. She first thought that she had entered a ballroom because her eyes immediately fell on the orchestra playing in the centre of the grand room. The black marbled floor which reflected the tremendous ceiling like a dark sea during a starry night, the orbs casting their lights and the paintings on the wall gave her more a feeling of a ball rather than a shopping place.

"Please dance with me," She blushed smilingly as she turned towards Alastair. She did not care that she was wearing a turtle neck top with a pair of high waist trousers or if it was a shopping place or not. ...if we danced in the cafe where we ate desserts in Rouen once, we can dance here as well... She thought dreamily.

Alastair smiled and bowed, his hand extended for her to take, recalling that time at Antique in Rouen.

Several demons looked their way, although they had the good sense not to stop and gawk. It was unheard of, for a ruler to bow to someone else. And a stranger to all of them, at that.

They began dancing together, a charming waltz. The orchestra seemed to see their ruler's intentions, their music changing to match their dance; a perfect waltz music.

She touched Alastair's hair gently and tenderly. She picked up the brush with her right hand and started to brush his hair tenderly and carefully. At the same time, she caressed and combed his hair lovingly with her left fingers. She brushed his hair for nearly what felt like two minutes and then she put down the brush and picked up the comb. Whilst combing tenderly she also caressed his hair lovingly with her free hand as well. After what felt like two minutes, she put down the comb.

"Now it's your turn to fix my hair, please," Aislinn giggled.

Alastair nodded, and as they switched places Aislinn smiled romantically and happily towards him. He returned her smile with a contented and appreciative one.
"Tilt your head back, please," he instructed, his voice warm.

Aislinn tilted her head back and wondered what Alastair had on his mind when he started to work on her hair. She had thought that he would usually style it by just using a brush and some pins, but to her surprise, he did more than that. She smiled as she closed her eyes, wishing that he would massage her head for eternity.

...If I knew...I would have washed his hair and not only brushed and combed it...ah sometimes I do not get brilliant ideas at once...though I shall remember to give him the same treatment once we are back in the human realm... She thought, knowing that he would not be able to refuse her request. …Not when it is an order from his lady… She nearly felt ashamed of her thought but then tried to soothe her mind that it was his choice to view himself as someone lower than her.

"Your thoughts, my lady?" Alastair asked once he had finished, handing Aislinn a large handheld mirror.

"Oh..." She had neither been expecting he would curl her hair nor that it would look as if it was thicker than usual. Her long bangs had been curled sideways and looked to be part of the other curls it looked as if she did not have any bangs. ...I wonder if this is his favourite hairstyle for ladies... She thought for herself. "It is lovely..." She said gratefully and looked up at him with a smile.

"A pleasant view," Alastair remarked when they reached the perfect height from which they could see a lovely view of London, and the sun was nearing the horizon. He had only finished a quarter of his drink, sipping it slowly to enjoy the taste. "Made even more pleasant in your company. Thank you for joining me." he raised his cup to her.

"No need to thank me," Aislinn smiled and took a sip of her drink. It was so relaxing, sitting on the ride and enjoying a drink in the sunset. She tried to drink slowly.
She watched the sun vanishing behind the horizon during the ride.

"I wished to know...How shall I put this?" he sighed. "Luna and I are quite close; with the exception of a few things, we know everything about each other. Asmodeus knows everything, down to the last detail. I wished to know if you had anyone whom you were just as close to?" he asked.

"...I…no one.." Aislinn replied honestly, shaking her head. "…besides you. I only feel close to you," She blushed.

A gentle smile played across his lips, and a loving look showed in his eyes.

He bowed to her. "I am honoured to hear you say such words," he said genuinely, his right hand in a loose fist, pressed to where his heart was. His eyes were closed as if he were savouring that moment.

"My lady." Alastair smiled at Aislynn "Shall we?" he offered her his arm.

He wore the attire that Aislynn had requested; a black Victorian suit with violet details.

"And might I say that you look miraculous on this splendid evening?" he smiled.

Ehm..." Aislinn blushed, looking down at the ground as she took Alastair's arm. She had not shown him her gown before the day of the feast. She was wearing it with the pair of earrings she had bought at Darkest Creatures and a pair of black flats to easily dance all night. She had chosen simple make-up, neutral lips with black lined eyes and violet-coloured nails. She had put up her hair in an elegant yet sloppy hairdo with her bangs down. She preferred it this way, to surprise him with her attire for the feast.

Elias was a bit slow to notice that something was out of place. It was not until when Luna spoke with a deeper voice than his, repeating his words, that he realized what was going on. He nearly doubled over as he burst out laughing.

"Merlin's beard Luna..." He gasped for air while still laughing.

"...AISLINN!!" He rushed, trying to catch his breath as he hurried after Aislinn who did not seem to hear him. Just a moment ago he had caught a sight of her exiting Knockturn Alley and entering Diagon Alley. He had just walked out from Leaky Cauldron and recognized her at once, but the way she moved and walked and the empty and absent look on her face gave an eerie feeling as if she was not conscious and that made him worry. First, he had stopped in his tracks, feeling too paralysed to move, as if he could not move his legs forward. Her beautiful appearance and the pale empty look in her eyes had put him in a state of shock. She suddenly turned to the right and vanished from his sight. That's when he started to react and hurried after her. She was gone from his sight and he wondered if it just had been his imagination or if he had seen a ghost when after rushing back and through when he realized that she must have left Diagon Alley. He never stopped at the entrance between the muggle world and the wizarding world, the brick wall that functioned as an entrance to Diagon Alley. He did not hesitate for a second. He did not care if he was still wearing his raven mask and cloak as he rushed out into the muggle area.

Even if it was a late Saturday night, the main streets in London were still trafficked, yet less than during a usual day.

"Merlin's beard...AISLINN...stop, please..." He managed to enclose the distance between them, ignoring the sounds of honking cars, and caught her in his arms.

It was four o'clock in the morning. It had been a long sleepless night for Flora Carrow, Mulciber, August, Persephone, Vivienne, Faeryn and several healers from St Mungos who had been called in by the Ministry of Magic just around midnight.

"We have cleared the memories of every muggle who witnessed and was indirectly and directly involved with the accident," Persephone reported, reporting for herself, Vivienne and Faeryn. She had black shadows under her eyes. "And we have also taken care of the muggle hospital where both Miss Monroe and Mr Sherwood were taken in."

"There are no traces of magic anywhere near the accident or the victims," Faeryn filled in. "No trace of any curse such as the Imperius or something that could have forced them both out in the middle of a street in a muggle area. Other than the urgent patronus message you received from Mrs Bloom who had heard Sherwood's loud scream, calling out Monroe's name just after she had left Leaky Cauldron after finishing her late shift, there's no trace of another kind of magic that could be related to Monroe or Sherwood leading to the accident."

"Anyway, there's no sign of the accident anymore. It is as if no incident has happened at all" August added. He had taken care of any cars that had been involved in the accident and cleared all the visible traces of it.

"Then all that's left is to find out why they were hit by a muggle car. I could force myself inside their minds and search through their memories whilst they are still unconscious or we could question them when they wake up," Persephone suggested.

"You have done well so far. I cannot thank you enough for your hard work. Please retire for now and we shall find out sooner or later the cause behind the accident with my methods." Alexander said, emphasising the two last words of his sentence. He did not mind how they searched through Mr Sherwood's memory, but he would never allow just any kind of method on Miss Monroe since she was the daughter of his right-hand man. "Whatever happened last night shall not leave this room. I understand you need to report to the Dark Heiress. However, I will take care of that. What's the status of Monroe and Sherwood?"

"Sherwood lost so much more blood than Monroe, however, he seems fine now. Nothing life-threatening, but we have run out of blood-replenishing potion," Flora exchanged looks with Mulciber. "And we need more of that kind of potion."

"Do not worry. I have a solution for the blood-replenishing potion. I'd like Mr Dolohov to stay here at St. Mungos to keep an eye on Monroe and Sherwood and report to me as soon as they come to consciousness." Alexander already knew that August Dolohov had been temporarily suspended from his teaching position at Hogwarts since Elias had reported it to the Ministry of Magic. Hence why he ordered him to stay at St. Mungos for the timebeing. August had no other choice than to do as he was told since he wanted to prove his loyalty and return to his teaching position at Hogwarts. "The rest of you can focus on the incident regarding Cattermole."

 

[Junko Natsumizaka]

Alastair remained quiet during the silence that felt like hours. I want to make amends for everything that I've done, and do whatever she asks until she can move on...but can she ever move on from this? I've done some irreversible damage, and here I am only thinking of how I can help her to help alleviate my own feelings... He furrowed his brows in guilt, forcing himself not to look away from Aislynn. I can't look away just because I'm uncomfortable. I can't sink to my knees and roll up into a ball, rolling right off these ruins to a painful landing. I can't jam the contact lens case so far into my eye socket that I can't get it out on my own. I have to be here, until this is over. Then, I can sulk in hell. His heart pained him with each passing second spent staring at Aislynn's agony. Why didn't I just tear my heart out of my chest years ago? As usual, Luna's done better than I...she knew her feelings would be too much of an issue for her, and planned accordingly. But not me, why am I always making a fool of myself?

Alastair snapped out of his thoughts when he saw Aislynn walking away with a distant expression.

That's it...I've ruined everything to the point that she cannot even find the words. Alastair gritted his teeth, swallowing hard. "Goodbye...my lady..." He whispered the words for the last time as he disappeared in a puff of grey smoke that smelled of burnt things and car exhaust.

The moment he appeared outside the Hallway of Despair, his knees buckled. Unable to summon his patronus in such a state, he tried for a parchment and quill instead, and set to work writing on the cold floor. Of the remaining demons in power, I know for certain Asmodeus will never help me again. Dante will follow Celeste's example, Wrath doesn't help anyone, and Nova would ignore my orders since I'm no longer the king and my bad deeds would have him disowning me as a friend on principle. That leaves Malice, Diana, Reign...and Eric. He nodded, sighing as he began to write:

To my dear friends, who have never failed to assist me in all endeavors,

I write this letter to formally absolve you of all favors or moral obligations. I have committed numerous unforgivable sins, the most disgraceful of which include failing the entirety of the demonic kingdom with my deplorable leadership, and projecting Celeste's likeness onto an innocent human to assuage my own desires. I will be inflicting my own punishments for centuries to come, but if ever there is a moment where you require my assistance, feel no hesitation in informing me. I will continue to live on and carry out any errands you require, as ending my life in the Realm of the Living would only limit my usefulness. I insist that you make no attempt to comfort or dissuade me. Even if I were given a blank slate to start over and make amends, I'm certain I wouldn't do any better, so waste not your efforts.

~ Alastair

He duplicated the letter thrice, then sent one copy to Malice, Diana, Eric, and Reign.

Now... Alastair thought, ...I've tied up all my loose ends. Luna has Elias and Ravenna, so she has no need of me. She has no need for a note, since she'll be able to gather what happened from Aislynn's reaction. All my remaining allies have been informed that they are no longer required to protect Aislynn, so she won't be bothered. I've absolved myself of my demonic leadership, and I have no doubt that in Malice's hands, the kingdom will prosper far more than under my reign. As for the friends I've made in the Realm of the Living...should I wish for them to find fulfilling relationships? Or should I...ah yes, I've interfered in enough lives already. I'll leave them be...now...I'll get some rest.

Alastair forced himself to stand on shaky legs, limping to rest in the place he hated most in hell. He collapsed at the feeling of a thousand dementors amplifying all his negative emotions. Lying on his back, he gazed at the glittering black chandeliers, eyes tracing up the arched ceiling until his vision blurred, and he fell asleep.

"Merlin's beard Luna..." He gasped for air while still laughing.

Luna smiled, feeling a bit better at the lighter atmosphere. Now that a great portion of the tension's dissipated, I feel more at ease. "Excuse me," she headed to the bathroom, "I'll be with you in a few minutes."

The moment she closed the door, she retrieved her mirror to change back to herself, wearing a comfortable nightgown. After hiding the mirror again, she headed back to the bedroom, mentally replaying the promise they'd made. Only hugs and kisses.

She pulled back the covers on her side, settling into a comfortable position as if she were alone. Then, she turned to Elias with an outstretched hand and a soft smile, wanting to hold hands as they fell asleep.

Diana placed Alastair's letter in her pocket after reading it.

Reign rested peacefully on the grass in his gardens, napping through another one of Diana's rants.

"You knew about this, didn't you?" Diana turned to him.

"Mmmhm." Reign replied drowsily, scratching his nose.

"What do you plan to do?" Diana asked.

"Leave him be. I've foreseen that he'll reject any assistance we offer anyways."

"Oh..." It still feels wrong to just ignore him...but if Reign foresaw that leaving it be is best... Diana slumped, pondering the matter for a bit.

At least she's being quiet, now. Reign thought, drifting back into unconsciousness.

Malice sat in Alastair's old throne room, having placed a comfortable chair and writing desk near a window. When she had time, she planned to demolish and rebuild the castle to suit her tastes. For now, she'd set to work reviewing every demonic law to decide which ones should be undone, and which should be kept. The Official Scroll of Demonic Law lied unrolled on the desk's center. To its right, Malice scribbled down a list of laws she wanted to change. To its left, a plate of snacks infused with souls, and a glass of water.

She'd decided firmly in favor of leaving the laws set in place against homosexuality, and the laws preventing demons from killing each other alone as they were fine as-is. Now, she'd reached the section that contained Alastair's laws. On her list, she wrote:

Vote to undo the law against demons telling people Alastair is the sovereign

Since, Malice thought, he isn't anymore, that rule is simply unnecessary.

As the minutes passed, she added more laws to her list:

Vote to undo the law against demons telling people what was in Alastair's castle.
Vote to undo the law against questioning the ruler's orders when asked to cease.
Vote to undo the law against requesting a law to be changed unless backed by at least one hundred demons.
Vote to undo the law against demonic citizens refusing to bow when recognizing the King of Hell.
Vote to undo the law against formerly complaining about the inflation rates of Hell.
Vote to undo the law against the Princes of Hell entering the King of Hell's castle.

Two Hours Later

Malice covered her mouth as she yawned, leaning back in her seat. Finally...finished. She'd been up for three days straight, trying to move as quickly as possible to prepare for the upcoming meeting with the Princes of Hell. She gazed at the ceiling with weary eyes, acknowledging that she needed a break. Sitting up, she opened a drawer full of unread letters, and retrieved a handful. Still so many...and they've just been piling up. I'm working as hard as I can...so I have to acknowledge that I need help. Catching a glimpse of the name Asmodeus on the back of a crimson envelope, she grabbed her letter-opener. When she sliced it open, it emitted the sound of Asmodeus's smiling voice, "I know you're probably tired of reading things all day, so here."

The white paper square contained two characters: a colon, and a closed parenthesis.

Malice smiled at the sideways smiley-face, picturing Asmodeus's smile for a bit.

Next, she chose a white envelope bearing the Shiki Agency seal. Pulling out a pink, sakura-scented paper, Malice mused that he must've had his secretary write it up for him. It read:

To Malice DiVilliers,

Over sixty percent of demons advocate for the repeal of the law that states:

Demons are forbidden from killing magical humans that aren't on the Shiki Agency's Villain List

Even with the assistance of Prince Reign and Prince Nova, it is still impossible for us to register every wrongdoer in our database for assassination. However, it's highly likely that majority of the active advocates are only wishing for richer-tasting souls. Prince Nova has gone on the record, saying:

"Instead of 'Demons are forbidden from killing magical humans that aren't on the Shiki Agency's Villain List', we were thinking 'Demons are forbidden from devouring the souls of magical humans that aren't on the Shiki Agency's Villain List."

End quote.

I followed up with the following quote:

"...And by removing the reward for killing an innocent magical human, the sensible demons will not kill them; it will be a waste of time and effort. For the five evil demons who will still murder, such as Satan, we will state clearly that the old law still applies to them."

Should you take measures to instate this new law, Prince Nova has promised to personally grant a wish to return you to the specific point in time before its instatement for a clean slate.

In addition, the entirety of the demonic race is united in the promise to vow against abusing the law.

Finally, I've attached another piece of paper that lists the repeal's active advocates, so you may verify my claims.

Malice re-read portions of the letter before putting it away in her drawer of read letters. She stood and stretched, making her way to a high tower to ponder the matter further.

From the tower, the demons' homes looked like tiny toys, and the breeze carried the scent of soul-infused muffins.

Asmodeus is an active supporter of the repeal as well, so I cannot ask him. But I wonder, with such a favorable change, why doesn't the entire population support the change? Mmm, Malice nodded slowly, I'll hold a number of meetings with different members to hear out the opposition. From my perspective, the law should be passed, but despite the majority leaning in favor of such an outcome, I cannot allow my own bias, or theirs, to sway me. Yes, hearing out the opposition would be the best action to take. I'll get to it after the upcoming meeting with the Princes. Just as Malice came to that conclusion, she drifted off to sleep.

Eric read through Alastair's letter, twice, eyes growing wider in disbelief. He's...given up?! I've got to go visit him!

Right at that moment, Asmodeus summoned him, and he sighed. Right after whatever errands Asmodeus has in store for me.

 

[Hikari Chan]

A hard yet quiet knock disturbed Lily in the midst of her dreams. She woke up with a start, not remembering what she had been dreaming about. Her sleepy eyes wandered to the clock on the wall, an enchanted miniature castle on clouds. She could hardly make out the time and it was still dark in her room. She thought it must have been a dream and was about to drift back to sleep when another similar knock on her door made her wide awake. She hurried out of bed and put on her night robe before glancing quickly at the mirror on her dressing table. A third knock followed the second one making Lily drop her hairbrush on the floor. She was slightly surprised when she was met by her father as soon as she opened the door. She did not notice that he had barely slept a wink and she was too tired to focus on what he was telling her. She just smiled and nodded, her father seemingly proud of her as he stroked her head. It was not until she saw the packages that Cooky had left outside her room that she realized what her father had asked her about.

..Merlin's beard...father needs two thousand bottles of Blood Replenishing Potion. They have run out of stock at Hogwarts, St Mungos and every wizarding shop in the country. It takes two hours to make one bottle, so if I need to make two thousand bottles...Lily groaned at the thought of calculating how many hours it would take to fulfil her father's request. ...well first thing first...Coffee!

Lily returned to her room and noticed that it was barely seven o'clock in the morning. She could not fall back to sleep anymore and instead spent at least one hour taking a warm bath. When she was done she put on a white blouse with long sleeves, a black wide skirt that reached just below her knees and black thick stockings. She had Cooky bring her breakfast in a tray to her room.

...If I handle four cauldrons at the same time, then I will have 4 bottles ready in two hours...Lily scribbled down her thoughts on a piece of parchment while she sipped her coffee; hot caramel coffee with steamed fluffy milk on the top. ...and if I work with only a break for lunch and dinner...She frowned and put her quill down. She hated calculation and anything to do with numbers.
She eyed the potion recipe closely and thought that if she added the ingredients ten times in one cauldron she would have ten bottles yet she could not figure out how to make the correct calculations. Just as she was to pick up the bell to call for the house elf, there was a familiar knock on her door. She recognized it at once and rushed over to welcome her guest. She had almost forgotten that her relatives on her father's side were staying for Christmas.

Lucas was caught off guard when Lily dragged him inside and placed the potion recipe in his hand, asking him for help.

"Don't you know how terrible my skills in potion-making are, do you? I will probably blow up-," He began to protest but she interrupted him at once.

"I just need help with calculating numbers," Lily hurried to explain. "This recipe gives me fourteen fluid ounces and one cauldron holds one hundred fluid ounces. I am trying to figure out how much I can put in the cauldron to make about one hundred fluid ounces of the blood-replenishing potion. I also have three other cauldrons of different sizes, one that holds seventy fluid ounces, another that holds thirty-five fluid ounces and the third that holds seventeen fluid ounces."

"Well, if it's just about numbers, then it's a piece of cake," He grinned. "May I?" He gestured at her chair and desk.

"Of course, make yourself at home," She giggled and rang the bell so that Cooky could come and take away the breakfast tray.

"Did you already have breakfast downstairs?" Lily asked while she made herself comfortable with a fiction book in an armchair far away from her desk where Lucas was sitting.

"Yep. By the way, why does your father need two thousand bottles of blood-replenishing potion? And so urgent!" Lucas wondered while going through the recipe.

Blood Replenishing Potion
Honeywater (twelve fl. oz.)
Valerian Roots (two, pulverized)
Nettle Leaves (five, bruised)
Rose Petals (red, one handful)
Dittany Leaves (five, whole)
Fairy Wings (two, whole)
Silverweed Extract (two fl. oz.)

A powerful healing potion that replenishes the drinker's blood after loss from injury.

• Pour Honeywater into a silver cauldron and gently bring to a low simmer
• Pulverize Valerian Roots with mortar and pestle while Honeywater is heating
• Stir Valerian Root into the mixture in any direction for one minute
• Use clean mortar and pestle to lightly bruise Nettle Leaves before adding them to the mixture
• Gently mix Rose Petals and Dittany Leaves together in separate bowls, and stir into the cauldron in a clockwise direction
• Drop Fairy Wings into the mixture and let simmer for ten minutes
• Pour Silverweed Extract into the cauldron and stir until thoroughly combined
• Remove from heat and allow to cool until the potion turns red
• Strain and pour into a flask for storage

Outcome: One bottle of fourteen fluid ounces

"I do not know, he did not tell me and I did not get the chance to ask. I will probably know soon..."

"Hmm...."

For the cauldron that holds one hundred fluid ounces

hundred divided by fourteen= ..... fourteen times seven equals ninety-eight,

Honey water (twelve fl. oz.) - seven times twelve equals eighty-four, use eighty-four fluid ounces of honey water
Valerian Roots (two, pulverized) - seven times two equals fourteen, use fourteen pulverized valerian roots
Nettle Leaves (five, bruised) - seven times five equals thirty-five, use thirty-five bruised nettle leaves
Rose Petals (red, one handful) - seven times one, dear Lily this is so simple, just use seven handfuls of rose petals
Dittany Leaves (five, whole) - seven times five equals thirty-five, use thirty-five whole dittany leaves
Fairy Wings (two, whole) - seven times two equals fourteen, use fourteen whole fairy wings
Silverweed Extract (two fl. oz.) - seven times two equals fourteen once again, use fourteen fluid ounces of silverweed extract

For the cauldron that holds seventy fluid ounces

Seventy divided by fourteen equals five

Honey water (twelve fl. oz.) - five times twelve equals sixty, use sixty fluid ounces of honey water
Valerian Roots (two, pulverized) - five times two equals ten, use ten pulverized valerian roots
Nettle Leaves (five, bruised) - five times five equals twenty-five bruised nettle leaves
Rose Petals (red, one handful) - Please just five handfuls of the red rose petals
Dittany Leaves (five, whole) - twenty-five whole dittany leaves
Fairy Wings (two, whole) - ten whole fairy wings
Silverweed Extract (two fl. oz.) - ten fluid ounces of silverweed extract

For the cauldron that holds thirty-five fluid ounces

Thirty-five divided by fourteen equals... fourteen times two equals twenty-eight

Honeywater (twelve fl. oz.)
Valerian Roots (two, pulverized)
Nettle Leaves (five, bruised)
Rose Petals (red, one handful)
Dittany Leaves (five, whole)
Fairy Wings (two, whole)
Silverweed Extract (two fl. oz.)

Just double the measurements and we will have....drum rolls...

Honeywater (twenty-four fl. oz.)
Valerian Roots (four, pulverized)
Nettle Leaves (ten, bruised)
Rose Petals (red, two handfuls)
Dittany Leaves (ten, whole)
Fairy Wings (four, whole)
Silverweed Extract (four fl. oz.)

"I'm done!" Lucas put down the quill.

"Woah, that was quick..." Lily looked up from her book. She had only read the two first pages of a fiction story The Scarlet Letter.

"You will have thirty-five bottles in two hours if you manage to handle all the four cauldrons at the same time. And if you work for ten hours today you will have one hundred and seventy-five bottles of the potion, which means two thousand bottles within twelve days," He explained.

"..eh..." First, she looked a bit confused but then she shook her head to clear her mind. "Very well then!" She took the parchments with the three different calculated recipes and the original recipe. "I will see you tonight at supper when I'm done..." She made it clear in her tone that he should leave.

"Is this how you thank me?!" He grinned, crossing his arms.

"I will thank you when I am done with the task!" She rolled her eyes.

Still standing with his arms crossed, he squinted his eyes and pressed his lips so that he looked like a frog. "Hmm...."

Lily burst out laughing and nearly pushed Lucas who was laughing harder, out of her room.

"I promise I will treat you to something really nice," She held up her pinky finger and together they sang the pinky promise song so loud that they could be heard all the way down to the parlour. Both Lily's mother and Lucas' grandmother appeared below the staircase, the former wondering why her daughter was so loud and the latter wondering the same about her grandson.

"Seriously Lily! Your father is in a meeting and we are having guests. Merlin's holy wand!"

Lily hurried inside and closed the door to her room before Lucas had time to utter the word blood-replenishing potion. ...I will deal with my mother later...She thought, not feeling the slightest guilt about leaving Lucas to his own fate. She moved towards her dressing table where she pushed the table mirror three inches to the left. The wall behind her dressing table started to shake slightly as it was pushed to the left, revealing an opening to a secret room where she kept all her potions, ingredients and tools for potion-making. It was a quite large room, with a wooden table in the middle where she had smaller cauldrons while she had the larger ones over the fireplace behind the table. Wooden shelves for storage of potions, ingredients, vials, and empty bottles, covered the walls. She transported all the packages with ingredients over to the wooden table and started unpacking everything her father had brought her.

"I apologize for the urgent message I sent you early in the morning," Alexander spoke quietly. He had called Luna to his personal office in the manor.
A large breakfast with various dishes had been served, but he only seemed to have an appetite for a cup of Earl Grey.
...nine o'clock in the morning is not that early..but as a newlywed, she probably finds it too early, especially since the festivities continued until midnight...

"Also I do not wish to disrupt your morning just after the wedding with bad news. But I am worried since one of your bridesmaids and closest partner is unconscious at St. Mungos. It is very unfortunate. And unexpected. Miss Monroe was found in a terrible traffic accident in a muggle area in London. I cannot recall when she left or who she left the wedding with, but when we received an urgent patronus message from a witness, Mrs Bloom, a witch that was close to the site of the accident, we found Miss Monroe with a former member of the Phoneix of Order, Mr Sherwood. He is also unconscious at St. Mungos, however in a much more critical state. The only ones who know about this incident are Miss Flora Carrow, Mr. Mulciber, Mr. August Dolohov, Miss Pyrites, Mrs Rockwood and Miss Travers. They took care of everything last night, you know, clearing away every ounce of trace and such. I don't want any newspaper writing about this. I have placed Mr Dolohov in St. Mungos to alert me as soon as Miss Monroe or Mr Sherwood gains consciousness. I have asked everyone who knows about this incident to keep quiet about it. You may speak about this with the members within your circle, as long as it does not spread outside with all that's going on, finding groups of dead muggles with no trace of magic, the Cattermole incident, the attack on my daughter," Alexander sighed, his face in a slight frown. "All the incidents could be related, but we do not for sure. They could be unrelated for all we know. As for now, I am going to speak with one of Miss Monroe's family members. Please do not tell her family about this. She is in a good state and she will probably gain consciousness soon, if not today, then tomorrow."

 

[Junko Natsumizaka]

Elias kissed Luna's forehead before falling asleep. But this time, instead of levitating him back to his bed, she made herself comfortable in his embrace. She took in the smells of wine, chocolate, and fresh morning air. She let the gentle creak of the hammock swing, and the chirping birds soothe her into a tranquil state. And, as the sun rose over Paris, Luna's sleepy gaze turned from the Eiffel Tower to Elias's peaceful expression. She ran her fingers through his hair, cherishing the soothing feeling, as if this moment would never end...

Luna groaned as an emerald glow roused her from her sleep. As she sat up in bed to snatch her wand, she felt her other hand slip away from Elias's. The sensation drew her gaze, her expression softening as his peaceful smile paralleled the one from her dream. She took a moment to reflect on the dream, planning to magically preserve it later to share with Elias, before gently slipping out of bed to listen to the message.

In the next room, Luna's brow furrowed as Alexander's tone defied her expectations. Her weary brain clung to the vague urgent message, rather than lighthearted blessings of good fortune. As the message reached its conclusion, she searched her pockets for Raven's feather.

A Few Moments Later

"Yes, mistress?" Raven replied, standing before Luna.

"A terrible event has occurred, yet I know nothing of the details." Luna paused, saving herself the time of asking Raven if she knew anything by noticing her shocked expression in response. I was far too hopeful by the night's end to believe it would've gone off without any issues. It is as I feared - last night was the perfect opportunity to arrange an attack. "Observe everyone that concerns me with your Spy Clouds, save Elias and the Minister of Magic."

Raven nodded, focusing her attention on the air between them. She twirled her hands in a circular motion, forming clouds like cotton candy. When a large ball of fluff rested in her arms, she tore of bits to form into smaller clouds, crafting Spy Clouds at lightning speed. The first few focused on Aislynn, Lily, and Crystal, while the rest were dedicated to the other people Luna knew.

At first, Luna's anxious gaze overlooked the sleeping Aislynn, her attention drawn instead to the black void that filled a different cloud. "What is this?" I thought Raven could see everything with her clouds...this has never happened before.

"...That..." Raven nonchalantly shook the cloud as if it were simply a malfunctioning electronic. She stared at the cloud, blinking in confusion when nothing changed. Shaking her head, she assured, "I'll look into it further-" as she turned her head, she caught sight of Aislynn's cloud. "-that's Saint Mungo's!" She pointed.

Luna's gaze flitted from Melody's cloud to Aislynn's, eyes widening at the second look. "Show me how she ended up there."

Raven grabbed Lily's spy cloud, shaking it up to have it display the prior incident instead. The cloud dissipated with a puff, drifting towards the window. "Hey!" What is happening...this is supposed to work just fine... After another failed attempt, she met Luna's confused expression with an apologetic one. "I'm unable to do that right now. I'll look into that as well."

"We will discuss this later." Luna agreed. "For now, check in on Aislynn, and anyone else that looks suspicious." She gestured to the clouds. "Report back with your findings at once, and if I'm in the Minister's company already, do not make yourself known, but give me a small sign of your presence so I may step away." Raven being unable to see things...and finding it difficult to control Spy Clouds...and Aislynn at Saint Mungo's...it's as if history is exchanging one perfect day for an absolutely terrible one.

"Yes mistress, right away!" Raven flew out the window, resulting in a gust of wind so strong it nearly sent a table crashing against a wall.

Luna caught it with a quick levitation spell as the spy clouds flew after Raven, setting it down unharmed before turning to prepare herself for a smoke apparition to the Shadowwalker estate. With one foot over the threshold, she paused, remembering Elias. We're married now. A team...and I wouldn't want to be left behind sleeping in his position. Especially for a meeting with the Minis- she raised her eyebrows -with his...with my father in law and his father at his own home. She shook her head, disappearing in a puff of smoke to his bedside.

With a firm grasp on his shoulders, she shook him awake. "Elias, there's been an incident of which I do not yet know the details, and I'm on my way to speak with the Minister for more information. I've woken you up now to go with me, if you so desire." She paused, withdrawing her arms with a slight shrug as if questioning whether she should've rouse him at all. So here we are, facing this together. If you truly would rather sleep through it, you have your own right to fall back asleep right now. But considering your father sent an urgent message to speak with me, you'll most likely be grateful that I woke you up.

"I apologize for the urgent message I sent you early in the morning,"

"Sleep can always be made up later." Luna assured with the wave of her hand. And energy potions can always be drank in the meantime... She scanned the food as she took a seat, casting a spell on a green apple. Hovering in the air, it peeled and sliced itself in one fluid motion, floating to a plate which settled itself in her lap. As the peel fell, she flicked her wand at it, making it disappear inches away from the ground.

"Also I do not wish to disrupt your morning just after the wedding with bad news."

"Considering-" Luna caught herself before saying 'my' "-our position, it's a relief the wedding itself was able to continue without interruption."

"But I am worried since one of your bridesmaids and closest partner is unconscious at St. Mungos. It is very unfortunate. And unexpected."

"Which bridesmaid?" Luna asked, feigning ignorance.

"Miss Monroe was found in a terrible traffic accident in a muggle area in London."

A...car accident? Whoever thought to target one in my closest inner circle is truly trying to toy with me...It's as if they are trying to say that Aislynn is so foolish she could possibly ever-

"I cannot recall when she left or who she left the wedding with, but when we received an urgent patronus message from a witness, Mrs. Bloom, a witch that was close to the site of the accident, we found Miss Monroe with a former member of the Phoenix of Order, Mr. Sherwood. He is also unconscious at St. Mungos, however in a much more critical state."

For once I'm relieved a member of the Order of the Phoenix is such a fool. Luna breathed a sigh of relief.

"The only ones who know about this incident are Miss Flora Carrow, Mr. Mulciber, Mr. August Dolohov, Miss Pyrites, Mrs. Rockwood and Miss Travers. They took care of everything last night, you know, clearing away every ounce of trace and such. I don't want any newspaper writing about this."

So the public remains unaware. That's excellent news. Luna thought. "Thank you for keeping the incident concealed, Minister."

"You may speak about this with the members within your circle, as long as it does not spread outside with all that's going on, finding groups of dead muggles with no trace of magic, the Cattermole incident, the attack on my daughter," Alexander sighed, his face in a slight frown.

Luna nodded. Ideally, only Crystal, Elias, and Raven will know of the incident.

"All the incidents could be related, but we do not for sure. They could be unrelated for all we know. As for now, I am going to speak with one of Miss Monroe's family members. Please do not tell her family about this. She is in a good state and she will probably gain consciousness soon, if not today, then tomorrow."

I'm not close with her family, so I would have no reason to inform them. Luna thought. "For now I'll confer with my confidants and investigate the incident further. Presently, I'm dubious that Aislynn would fall victim to something as mundane as a car accident, and with all the recent incidents I suspect it's all part of some unknown enemy's greater plan. However, I won't allow that to cloud my judgement. Furthermore, I'll update you on all our findings, and trust you'll do the same."

Raven approached Aislynn's bed, eyes panning worriedly over her body to assess her injuries. She sighed in relief when she realized her mistress was only in a deep sleep. And there's something more there...although I'm not quite sure what type of pain that is. It's not muscle pain, and none of her bones are broken...she has no hangover from the night prior... As an extra precaution, Raven discreetly healed Aislynn's muscles, wishing to give her the feeling of being rejuvenated when she woke. She glared over at Sherwood's battered state, feeling simultaneous waves of gratitude and anger. I'm relieved he stepped in and helped her...yet I'm enraged I was unable to do anything. "Mistress..." Raven whispered, "...I swear I will make up for this neglect." She approached Sherwood's bed. As for you...this is how I will thank you. She partially healed his injuries, focusing more on taking away the sensation of pain.

 

[Hikari Chan]

"Merlin's beard...an incident...," Elias sighed. ...why can't we have some ounce of peace... ever since we took over the Ministry and Hogwarts, we have just been facing one issue after another...
"My father did not call for me specifically, did he? If he just called you then I won't join the meeting. I will be waiting here instead," Elias said and got out from the comfort of the bed and started to prepare to take a long hot bath. "We can have breakfast wherever you wish when you come back."

Mr. Alexander Shadowwalker took a deep and heavy breath, let out a long sigh and brazed himself for the worst. He told himself over and over that the meeting would go smoothly just as it had gone smoothly with his daughter-in-law.. He knew how to break the news to Mr. Edward Monroe. If Alexander's daughter-in-law had taken in the recent information calmly, he expected that his right-hand man would act with a calm demeanour. Alexander tried to put himself in Edward's place by reminding himself about the attack on his daughter Lily. Little did he know that Mr. Monroe would not take things lightly if his family members were in danger or in a life-threatening situation. On the other hand, Alexander thought it would be easier to first talk with a human rather than some pureblood vampires since Mr. Monroe was more human than the rest of the family members. After the meeting with his daughter-in-law, Alexander had immediately left for the Ministry of Magic, sending for Mr. Monroe to meet him at once at his office.

Mr. Edward Monroe was in a perfect mood when he woke up this morning. He got up around eleven and ate a grand brunch, consisting of buttered toasted slices of bread, fried eggs and sausages. Since it was his day off from work, he ended his breakfast with a goblet of fine firewhiskey and got ready to run some errands. When he stepped out from the manor he found an envelope on the doorstep just outside. He recognized the seal. It was a letter from the Ministry of Magic. With a flick of his hand, the letter flew into his pocket inside his cloak. He decided to read it after he had taken care of his business.

Diagon Alley bustled with wizards and witches who were shopping for Christmas gifts. But none was really conversing about the upcoming holidays. The most who were gathered were talking about the recent incident that happened last night. Mrs Bloom had told every visitor who dropped by Leaky Cauldrons about what she had witnessed last night and the news spread like wildfire in Diagon Alley.

"Do you...do you think the young woman was under the influence of the imperius curse...?" An elderly wizard wondered just as Mr. Edward Monroe walked past and stopped by the newsstand to grab the latest issue of the Daily Prophet.

"I would hardly believe that..." A middle-aged witch shook her head.

"But who would walk straight out in a street of fast-running muggle cars?" Another witch exclaimed.

...well someone with a death wish... Edward thought as he browsed through the Daily Prophet to read the latest news quickly. He frowned when he did not find any news about what he had just heard about. ...that's weird...something happened last night...but there's nothing about the incident in the news...yet, here in Diagon Alley, everyone is talking about it. The Daily Prophet is always quick to post news about anything that happens in the wizarding world...unless this is about a suicidal muggle...

"If it is really the witch who Mrs Bloom thought it was, then who would dare lift their wand at the young woman, the one closest to the Dark Witch, and control her with imperius?" The middle-aged witch pondered aloud.

"But Mrs Bloom only caught her first name when the young wizard was running after her to stop her. So we cannot know for sure if it really was Monroe who got into the terrible accident," The elderly wizard said.

Edward froze. ...what...?!

"There's only one wicked witch with that name in the wizarding community and Mrs Bloom saw her. I bet Monroe was heavily drunk while walking out among the running cars and I won't be surprised if that was the case. I have heard that she is a regular at the Black Cobweb in Knockturn Alley and my son told me about when she held a guest lecture at Hogwarts. With his own eyes, he saw her pouring herself a goblet of fire whiskey and drinking it during the guest lecture," The middle-aged witch exclaimed but came to regret her words as soon as she had uttered them.

The newspaper that Edward was holding in his hands, crumbled quicker than if it had been consumed by a fire, leaving an aftermath of dust and the smell of smoke. The newsstand fell down to the ground with a heavy and loud thud. Before anyone had time to react, Edward was already holding the middle-aged witch by her neck, pressing her against a brick wall, nearly strangling her.

"How dare you!" Edward nearly howled with a dangerous tone. He looked darkly at the middle-aged witch in front of him. However, he let go of his grip quickly when, in the corner of his eyes, he noticed that some bold wizards and witches pointed their wands at him. She fell down to the ground, gasping for air and her heart beating rapidly. He wanted to question her and everyone else in Diagon Alley, demanding an explanation, but he remained quiet and with a shaky hand he opened the letter that he had received from the Ministry of Magic. There was nothing in the letter other than the Minister of the Magic requesting to see him. He was angry and confused, his feelings were hurt. There was nothing about an incident involving his daughter in the Daily Prophet and the wizarding community was badmouthing her. He did not know what to do. He wanted to see his daughter so badly and his heart ached because he had no idea where to find her. He crumbled the letter and envelope in his hands, leaving another pile of dust after him and apparated quicker than anyone had time to spell out Daily Prophet and left the wizards and witches in Diagon Alley half shocked and half scared.

"Good Lord!" Mrs Victoria Monroe groaned when she woke up because of doors being slammed inside the manor. "What on earth..." She muttered as she put on her morning robe and walked out of her bedroom. She descended the stairs and was met by her son who was pale, sweating and gasping for air.

"Where is she?" Edward asked, his voice nearly trembling as he was trying to keep his tone in check to not scream.

His mother looked confused, having no idea what was going on.

"Where is Aislinn?!" He could not hold himself any longer and almost screamed.

"Really, Edward?! Do you have to scream? You awakened me from my sleep by slamming the doors. Are you trying to wake up everyone else? Calm down and explain yourself! Why are you looking for Aislinn all of a sudden? I told you to wait, that I would talk to her, to arrange a meeting with you two so that she would be prepared," She sighed. She hoped that the others had not heard her son's outburst, but it was already too late. The rest of the family members soon joined them.

"Where is Aislinn?" Edward asked again, however in a much calmer tone this time. Yet his hands were trembling as he ran his fingers through his hair. "Did she come home last night?" He asked again when no one answered.

Vincent shrugged. He did not even care about Aislinn's whereabouts. Since he learned about Alastair the first time he had drifted away from his second cousin, hardly talking with her. Since the fuzz was all about his uncle looking for Aislinn, Vincent just turned around and went back upstairs. None tried to stop him and before anyone could say anything, Edward spoke once more: "Never mind...I think I know where to look..." He had a distant look in his eyes for a mere second and then he looked calm and collected, but his hands were still trembling. "...why did I not think about it..." He muttered and then excused himself, uttering a half-hearted apology for disturbing his family members before rushing out from the manor.

"How rude and I thought I raised him well, tsk...tsk..." Lady Monroe's voice dripped with anger and disappointment. "Vincent?! Vincent!!" She called several times until her grand-nephew had to drag himself out of bed and return down to the hall.

"Yes auntie, you called!"

"You are the only one of us, aside from your good-for-nothing uncle, who can be out in the daylight," She spoke with a tired voice. "Please, hurry after him and stop him before he makes any more trouble!"

...she could be here...if she got hurt and some wizards and witches witnessed the incident, then this is the right place to first look for her...Edward thought when he entered St. Mungos. He tried not to run inside as he walked past the reception. ...but should I check every floor here...? He pondered.

"Excuse me, sir, do you need assistance?" A young healer asked Edward, nearly giving him a jump-scare since he was so deep in his thoughts.

"I...eh...I am looking for Miss Aislinn Monroe," His voice trembled. "She...she is probably admitted here..."

"Oh..." The healer, a young woman who seemed to be as old as his own daughter, walked behind the receptionist and flipped through the admittance book with her wand.
"I am sorry, but no visitors are permitted-"

"She is here, isn't she!" Edward could not hold himself anymore. He slammed his palms right at the flat surface of the reception table. The young healer fell backwards, losing her balance because she got scared of his sudden outburst and dark hovering aura. Before she had time to react, he overpowered the book of admittance to allow him to flip through the pages and search for his daughter's name. When he had located her and rushed up the floors, the young healer had come to her senses and quickly notified the Minister of Magic with a patronous message.

Edward did not care if he was loud as he ran through the corridor on the sixth floor, opening every door to peek inside instead of looking at the numbers of the doors.

August Dolohov who was keeping a watch was shocked to see a stranger entering the hospital room where both Monroe and Sherwood were admitted. And even if August reacted quickly to stop the stranger he suddenly got hit by what felt like a strong force. August had tried to stun the sudden uninvited visitor, but his spell had gotten reflected back to himself when it got blocked. Edward stopped in his tracks, lowered his wand, and stood still for a couple of minutes. He took off his mask and pinched the bridge of his nose as if he was trying to avoid crying at all costs yet the tears rolled down his cheeks. Then he walked quietly towards the bed where Aislinn was resting. He did not glance the slightest at Sherwood and did not care about who it was. He stopped by her bedside, looking down at her pale and calm face, framed by her short black silky hair. She had a peaceful look as if she was having a beautiful dream, yet her red lips were neither smiling nor frowning. He wanted to call out to her, wishfully hoping that she would open her eyes if he spoke to her, but he felt impotent to speak. He was feeling dreadful.
He had done everything in his power to make sure her childhood would not be affected because of his past as a death eater and that he would survive when they lost the second wizarding war so that one beautiful day, eventually, he could return to his daughter. But now he felt as if he had failed her. He did not want to believe the rumours he just had heard, but on the other hand, he had seen her being drunk on the Halloween Feast. The mask in his hand slipped off his fingers and fell with a loud thud on the marble floor. Feeling so dreadful, confused and sad, he felt that he could not stand on his feet anymore and so he fell down to his knees, totally insensible to the sharp pain that struck as soon as his knees were hit by the hard and cold marble floor. The pain in his chest was stronger. Crying and whining, with his face covered with both hands, he did not notice when the Minister arrived.

 

[Junko Natsumizaka]

"My father did not call for me specifically, did he?"

"No." Luna replied.

"If he just called you then I won't join the meeting. I will be waiting here instead," Elias said and got out from the comfort of the bed and started to prepare to take a long hot bath. "We can have breakfast wherever you wish when you come back."

"The gardens, like last night." Luna recalled their kiss last night. "We can pretend we never left."

And with that, she disappeared in a puff of smoke.



As Luna stood to utter a parting phrase to the Minister, Raven's feather rustled softly in her pocket. Hmm, perfect timing, and a wonderfully subtle arrival as well. She apparated to a solitary space in a far-off corner of the gardens, retrieving the feather as the black smoke cleared. "Raven, I'm ready to discuss our findings."

"Yes, mistress." Raven landed gracefully before her.

"How did Aislynn fare?" Luna asked, forcing her worry behind a mask of neutrality.

"Sherwood took the brunt of it, and I've already healed her of any possible physical pains." Raven reported. "Even after reading the Minister's mind while awaiting you, I was unable to understand anything more than you have of the incident."

"We'll keep investigating post-discussion." Luna assured. "I refuse to believe a traffic incident did Aislynn in, it's preposterous." She folded her arms. "So, what of this magic business? Why are you unable to use the full extent of your powers now, of all times?"

"I'll will inform you as soon as I find out myself." Raven looked away, various suspicions swirling in her mind.

"Have you any ideas? It's alright to voice them, even if you're uncertain of their veracity."

Raven sighed. "I think my father may be interfering with my magic."

"But why now, of all times? If anything we've committed far less atrocities than my father, and seeing as you were his assistant for a time, it would've been far more prudent to hinder your magic then."

"That was my reasoning as well. He's never approved of anything I've done down here." Raven shook her head. "That's why this is only my theory - a worry borne from my fear of what he'll do if he decides to exercise his full might against me."

"You'll inform me of your findings when we reconvene." Luna's arms returned to her sides as she raised her head to the cloudy sky. "As much as I'd like to continue forging ahead now, I'll continue my own investigation after breakfast with Elias. If I don't force myself to take a break the day after our wedding I never will, as there seem to be no end to these urgent matters." She allowed her irritation to show in her tone at the end, clenching her teeth to stop herself from shouting. "And perhaps it's time for us to address the possibility we've both been ignoring," she met Raven's gaze, "and recall that for the most part, Alastair has been stuck to Aislynn like glue for quite some time, yet suddenly he's nowhere to be seen."

Raven frowned.

"After breakfast, I'll choose between my brother and my righthand lady. I'll trust you to make your own choice as well." Luna turned into smoke, appearing a moment later on the bench beside Elias.

After a warm greeting, she summarized her meeting with the Minister over breakfast.



Crystal awoke with a groan, stretching so close to the edge of her bed she nearly fell off. Catching herself just in time to avoid a collision with her bedside table, her mind struggled to recall her dream. Fragments slipped away like sand in an hourglass, until she could only remember one thing: Aislynn's uncomfortable expressions during the wedding.

"It's probably nothing." She shrugged, rummaging around the pile of things cluttering the table to find her wand. "But just in case." She rubbed a smudge off her wand's emerald as she spoke softly, "Aislynn, how're you doing this morning?"

She dropped her wand at the top of the pile, then rolled back into the blankets to fall asleep once more. Thank goodness it's a Sunday...

"...Alastair-San?" Mirari stared down at Alastair with pity in her eyes.

"Don't trouble yourself with me. I'm here to waste away for my sins until they drag me off to the Sinner's District." Alastair rolled over so his back faced her.

"Doiu imidesu ka? (What do you mean?)" Mirari asked, kneeling to place a hand on his shoulder.

"The Princes will soon find me guilty of many crimes I committed during my rule. They're unforgivable and unfair, so I won't be here for long, I'm sure." Alastair shrugged her hand off.

Mirari closed her eyes, focusing on sending her warmth and whatever hope she had inside her towards Alastair, taking on his negative emotions, instead. "Watashitachi wa mina, waruikoto o shita koto ga arimasu. Tsugunaou to omoeba daijōbudesu yo. Watashi wa anata o tasukeru koto ga dekimasu, watashi wa anata no tame ni soko ni imasu- (We've all done bad things. If you try to atone, it'll be alright. I can help you, I can be there for you-)"

"-Stop it!" Alastair demanded, sitting up to grab her by the shoulders with a glare. "I don't want help. I don't want to be talked out of this. I'm here to rot, and I want it to get worse. I'm too far gone, don't you understand?! Nothing I ever do can make up for the mess I've made, but that ends now. I can't hurt one more person, so get out of here! Go find someone that has a chance of loving you, because I never will." He pushed her away, and let his hands fall to his sides. "Don't waste your life on me. You could've been her, you know..."

Tears slid down Mirari's cheeks, her heart stinging from seeing her love act like this. Part of her doubted what she'd seen in him at all, while the other wondered if continuing to show him kindness could possibly change him.

"...I knew, all this time, that you had a crush on me. But I never said anything because I hoped you'd stick around. That girl I was with...I chose her instead. We played pretend for a good long while, and I sold her a dream! And I thought that maybe, if that didn't work out, I could go for you afterwards." Alastair gritted his teeth. There...I can gradually feel her hold on my negative emotions slipping. She's letting go. I'm sorry I forgot to release you from this too, Mirari. I should've written you a letter, at least. It's my fault you had to come all the way down here for closure...I'm sorry for leading you on for all this time...

Mirari clenched her fists, turning her head away. Imanara wakarimasu... Watashi ga nani o shite mo kare o kaeru koto wa dekimasen... (Now I know...nothing I ever do will change him.)

"You showed me kindness. And I threw it away. I planned to use you when I had no other options. Now, do you understand what kind of person I am?" Alastair let his words hang in the air for a moment before yelling, "Do you?!"

Mirari flinched, moving to stand instead. Kore wa kesshite aide wa arimasen. (This could never be love...)

Alastair sprawled out on his back again as he felt all his negative emotions come back. Don't ever try helping me again, Mirari.

"Sayonara, Alastair-San. (Farewell, Alastair.)" Mirari blinked tears out of her eyes as she turned to leave, running to the end of the hallway.

When she got back to the Shiki Agency building, she focused on her work until she fell asleep at her station.

Raven stood in the gardens for a moment, thinking of Aislynn back in her hospital bed. Why didn't I try to read Alastair's mind more when I could? Why didn't I try harder to learn more? I really was too distracted...by that demon. She spread her feathers and shot off the ground, gliding in the air once she got high enough. Since when did I believe they could be anything more than demons? Ever since I found out humans were more than what father said...have I become too naive? I've allowed others to get close as well...How many times has Luna been in the vicinity of all those demons and I said nothing? I should've been reading their minds as well to ensure no harm came to her. All of them, congregating in one place could've meant I wouldn't be enough to protect her if they acted randomly enough or played a trick. And now that my magic is getting weaker, how do I know I'll even be able to protect her from future incidents? What if my father or any of the other angels have nothing to do with it, and it's something tied to my mental state? Can angels contract unknown illnesses that stop their magic?! Her thoughts went in circles as she glided farther, until she found herself absent-mindedly drifting near an old farmhouse. She landed to sit on a fallen tree by a brook, resting her head in her palms.

As tears blurred her vision, a faint noise reached her ears.

"Woe to me" Spoke a voice between ragged breaths, "that on this day...I shall die this perilous death...unless a kind soul shalt rescue me..."

Wiping her tears away on her sleeve, Raven flew in the direction of the noise. In a small forest, she caught sight of a tiny, black, outstretched wing peeping out from beneath a pile of rocks. She levitated the rocks away, asking, "How can you talk?"

"Can't you understand birds, normally?" The crow remained in its strange position despite gaining the ability to move. "You look half-bird yourself."

"I'm an angel." Raven pouted as she tried to read his mind. "A fallen angel - but regardless of that, what happened to get you here?" I can't seem to read it at all...why are all these things happening now of all times?! And why can this bird speak English?

"My owner brought me about to play around. He'd take me out with a string on my ankle so I didn't fly away - called it 'walking the bird'." The crow slowly stood on its legs, turning its wings about at different angles in disbelief. "But this time, he wanted to show me off to his friends. Eventually they got bored and one of them started climbing this hill - he set some rocks loose and they all sped off without me!" The bird took flight, zooming in circles over Raven's head. "Some owner he was. You know, I regret the one time he forgot to lock my cage, and I pretended not to notice! I'd have thought he'd be grateful!"

"So you're...just a crow?" Raven raised an eyebrow.

"A CROW?!" He squawked. "How rude! No miss, I'm a raven."

"Of course, how could I make that mistake?" Raven snarked.

"Crows are easily fooled by scarecrows." The crow scowled. "But ravens know that little trick, and they're never fooled." He zoomed off with a huff.

"Why didn't you escape when you could?" Raven pursued him.

"I thought things would get better if I persevered, but I was wrong." The crow avoided her gaze. "He left me to die."

Raven contemplated his story for a bit before asking, "...What will you do now?"

"Bird things, I assume, until my life runs out and I wonder why I did anything in the first place. I suppose it'll be difficult to get along with the other birds, since they all seem to run off instinct. They don't have such thoughts as 'why' or 'what if', but they all simply 'do' until they die." He landed on a low branch, stooping to peck at a berry bush.

"...Would you prefer to return to 'doing'? I can do that you know," Raven offered, landing gently beside him. "and you'll never have to worry-"

"-No." The crow spit out a bitter berry. "It just won't do."

"Why not?"

The bird stared at her for a while before replying. "In my place, would you really just decide to forget everything? Would you allow everything you've done to mean nothing? The boy, as bitter as he was, may one day look fondly on the memories we shared. He may regret his actions, and wish he could take them back for the world. Or he may forget and grow more sour. But, it will mean nothing to me. What will mean something is the question. If I forget everything, I will certainly never know that answer."

This reminded Raven of her own responsibilities, and her thoughts began to circle again until the crow interrupted.

"-What about you? What means something to you?" The crow fluttered to the ground to kick an acorn about with its feet.

"My work." Raven replied simply.

"Oh do I envy you," The crow laughed, "you've got it all figured out, haven't you miss?"

Even the crow knows... "I do suppose it isn't that simple." Raven leaned against a tree, watching him work at prying the acorn open. "There are times when I wonder if this will ever be enough. As an angel, my lifespan is a great ocean compared to my mistress' shallow goblet of water. It occurs to me now that I've never pondered what to do when they pass. I suppose I just assumed I'd go back to 'doing'." A bittersweet smile spread across her lips.

"Hah! 'Doing' won't suit anyone." The crow secured the acorn in his claws, flew a few feet upwards, then dropped it on the ground. He flew lower to peck at it, groaning, "Blast this thing!"

Raven made to do it for him with her magic.

"-Stop! Stop! Don't touch that! Doing it for me won't do a THING!" The crow shrieked, flying about.

Raven lowered her arm in bewilderment. "Whyever not?"

"Have you never tried to do something on your own," He settled on the acorn again, "only to be pestered by someone who thinks they know better?" The crow narrowed his eyes.

Raven rubbed her arm in embarrassment, flashing through distant memories of home. "I have. I'm sorry."

"Imagine, for a moment, you don't have your sorcery or your thumbs. How would you open this?" The crow pecked at the acorn some more.

Raven opened her mouth to reply.

"Now now, don't tell me. I want to figure it out on my own." The crow hopped a step back, sizing the acorn up. "While I do, why don't you tell me a story? Perhaps the thing that's on your mind?"

Raven bent to pick up an acorn of her own, turning it over in her hands. "Is it really that obvious?"

"Who doesn't have something on their mind?" The crow reasoned.

With a shrug, Raven began. "Years ago, I left my home to find a new place to work. I searched the world, and came upon a human who had an immortal's ambition, but only a man's lifespan. And so, I decided to work for him..."

"A fallen angel, here to make my day, are you?" Voldemort mocked, turning from Raven to his death eaters. "Tell me, who here believes this failed transfiguration project is an angel?" He laughed. Forced laughter rippled from the followers seated around him, and he turned back to Raven with a satisfied smile.

Raven sighed patiently - she'd expected this sort of reaction at such ridiculous news. She folded her arms, demanding, "Give me a task, and I shall complete it."

"So she wants a task?" Voldemort sighed. "Tell me what I am thinking right this second." He turned to the follower seated on his left. "Any guesses?"

Lucius raised an eyebrow. "That she should be ashamed of interrupting our Dark Lord in the middle of a meeting?"

"Well now we all know what you're thinking, Lucius." Voldemort laughed, turning to the follower seated on his right. "Bellatrix?"

"You want to pluck her feathers off and roast her outside like a giant turkey for our supper?" Bellatrix shot Raven a murderous grin.

Voldemort only laughed in amusement before turning back to Raven. "No one can read my mind. Now, amuse us with your parlor tricks, and guess what I am thinking."

Raven took a deep breath. A good show will do the trick for starters. She stepped slightly to the left, moving her arms over her view of Voldemort's head as if it were a crystal ball. But I have a feeling this still won't be enough. She searched through the thick mist of his thoughts, which would've kept most intruders lost until their deaths. Further on, his thoughts felt tough and tight, like they were knotted around his mind. Shallow thoughts like how long this was taking, and what lie he should tell to ensure Lucius would take care of one of his horcruxes. These are things I'm quite sure everyone at this table and beyond can already guess...that must be why they're protecting his other thoughts...ah! Here we are. She met a weak point in the knot, pushing her consciousness through to meet a horde of thoughts running over each other and perpetually shifting.

Raven saw visions of agonized faces, burning buildings, people bending to his will in the tyranny he'd enjoy when his war ended, and the civil wars he'd stir to keep things interesting afterwards. All of this is useless, there's nothing intimate at all. Nothing secret that could shock this entire table...there must be something... She caught glimpses of Bellatrix and Voldemort becoming intimate, his creation of the horcruxes, fragments of his past as Tom Riddle, and even moments of emotional vulnerability. But if I were him, I wouldn't want any of those to be revealed to my subjects... "I see nothing more than what everyone at this table can already guess." Raven concluded, retracting her consciousness into her own body once more. "A beautiful vision of never ending chaos."

"She's a fraud." Lucius shook his head.

"All of this time for that?" Bellatrix sneered. "Smells like roast angel to me." She fingered her wand as she eyed Raven's black wings.

Raven stared unblinkingly into Voldemort's eyes, hoping he'd taken the invitation.

"That was all she saw," Voldemort said, not breaking eye contact with Raven. "because that is all I allowed her to see."

Everyone turned to him.

"I was reading her mind at the time." Voldemort boasted. "And as you may have guessed, she gained nothing more than the knowledge that my mind is impenetrable. Now," he stood "leave me."

Raven turned to leave as well.

"Everyone but you." Voldemort said.

Raven smirked. I thought so.

Neither moved until the room had cleared out. The last one to leave had been Bellatrix, hovering near the door and visibly anxious to leave the two alone. Finally, Raven turned to Voldemort.

"Showing up to my meeting uninvited was quite rude." Voldemort smiled. "Especially for someone who wants to become one of my followers."

"Perhaps if you hadn't mocked me-" Raven began.

"And who gave you permission to read my mind?" Voldemort raised his wand. "Crucio."

Raven hugged herself, grimacing in pain as she tried not to scream aloud. "Is this really..." She spoke through gritted teeth, "...how you'd treat a loyal servant?"

"Imperio."

Raven gasped at the relief as visions of fluffy clouds and the feeling of a cool breeze filled her mind. A moment later, she blinked Voldemort's surprised expression into view.

"So you don't want to obey." Voldemort mused.

"Why don't you just tell me what you want me to do instead?" Raven insisted, brows furrowed. "I'll do ask you ask, there's really no need for any of this." Is all this really necessary to get your answers? Can you not believe what you've already read in my mind? Or do you just wish to use all of this as an excuse to observe how those spells affect a fallen angel?

"What drew you here, then? Tell me why you wish to serve me."

"As a fallen angel," Raven knelt before him, drawing back a tattered sleeve to reveal a dark mark already in place. "my hatred for heaven is my motivation. I wish to serve whoever it is that will be the polar opposite to my father, for if I do not wish to do good, then I must wish to do bad. If it will cause the angels the most headache, then I will serve the most wicked person with the most ambition. I cannot think of any other motivation, and I care not who I must serve to achieve that goal."

"I see." Voldemort replied quietly.

"So," Raven allowed her desperation to show, "you'll allow me to help you?"

"Of course." Voldemort replied quietly. "Leave me, and I shall call upon you when I've found another task to suit your...skills." Disbelief and mockery dirtied his tone as he gestured to the door.

Raven blinked twice, sighing in disappointment as her posture slackened. She picked herself up, and flew out the open window. I'll just have to think of something else! A display of loyalty when I didn't reveal any of the secrets he saw me take, a dark mark already in place, and a false motivation that was certain to please his ego...what went wrong? She stopped to rest in some old ruins, eyes tracing constellations in the stars. Perhaps the reason why he remains a disbeliever is because he felt the information was too easy to get, like a trick? And so his instincts mislead him. Hmm...

For the next few days, Raven watched him order his followers about on a chase to procure more information about her. She left them clues in certain places, and red herrings in others. Some led to dead-end stories of nonexistent relatives, and others led to their 'true' goal: a little boy and his mother to which she'd 'grown emotionally attached'. While the death eaters played detective, Raven instilled false memories in the boy, his mother, everyone they knew, and their neighbors. And on the eighth night, Voldemort called his followers to another meeting to discuss their findings. This time, she didn't intervene, but waited for Voldemort to apparate away to approach him alone.

"What are your orders?" Raven knelt before him.

"After witnessing your display of devotion, I thought any ordinary task would be an insult." Voldemort waved his wand, revealing a little boy squirming in fear as he hung upside down from invisible binds.

Raven feigned shock. "Albert!" She made to free him, but froze when Voldemort grabbed her arm.

Bellatrix crept from the shadows, fingering her wand.

Voldemort dug his nails into Raven's flesh, dragging them down her forearm to twist her hand into place.

Raven winced, glancing back as she groaned in pain. She recognized the positioning for the Unbreakable Vow at once. "But, my lord, I was already willing to do whatever you asked-"

"-DON'T YOU DARE QUESTION THE DARK LORD!" Bellatrix shrieked, lunging to point her wand at Raven before she seemed to remember something. With a sigh, she aimed it at their hands instead.

"-then you have nothing to fear." Voldemort retorted as if Bellatrix hadn't spoken. "Nothing good in this life comes so easily. So, do you swear to obey me, without question?"

"-Without question?" Raven's no longer needed to feign her desperation. "But my lord, how will I-"

"-Do you doubt me?" Voldemort asked, eyes flashing dangerously.

"No, of course not." Raven replied as blood trickled down her arm. "But..." I am able to see and know more than you can. How then, will I warn you of impending dangers you cannot foresee, if I cannot even question-

"-I don't like her hesitating." Bellatrix warned.

"Don't worry, she's just nervous." Voldemort mocked.

Perhaps...there's a loophole! Raven thought. Maybe, if I do not question him directly, I can still help and offer hints from the shadows. And, there's nothing in there about me controlling his followers to act out in my stead. Of course, it will be a lot of extra work to ensure he thinks I'm not involved, but in the end-

"-I can wait for quite a while." Voldemort laughed, "But can he?" he tilted his wand in Albert's direction.

"I do." Raven replied.

A thin beam of fire snaked from the end of Bellatrix's wand, winding around their hands.

"Do you swear to abstain from attempting to read my mind ever again?" Voldemort asked.

"I do." Raven replied. I only needed to read it once to show him my abilities, after all.

A second string of fire joined the first as Voldemort continued, "And, do you swear to never betray me?"

"I do." Raven nodded. I don't plan to.

A third stream of fire twisted around the rest, glowing brighter before slowly fading into burn marks.

Voldemort flourished his wand to release the boy.

Raven rushed to catch him as if he was more precious than life itself. "Albert, are you alright?"

Albert nodded his tear-stained face, shivering as he buried his head in her chest to block out his vision of Voldemort.

"Your first task will be..." Voldemort began, unmoved by the display before him. "...killing his mother."

"Raven could never-" Albert began.

Raven gently ran her fingers through his hair. "Hush now." She whispered, then turned to Voldemort. "...Understood."

"Don't kill her!" Albert sobbed. "Please, Raven..."

"Please, Raven!" Bellatrix mocked. "Don't kill her!" She turned to yell at the boy. "DON'T YOU VALUE YOUR OWN LIFE, BOY?!"

Albert sobbed harder. "I don't know! Why does anyone have to die?!"

"No one does." Raven kissed his forehead. She waved a hand over him, causing him to fall asleep at once.

Voldemort pulled a vial from his sleeve, holding it out for Raven. "Make him watch, and bring that memory to me."

Raven hesitated.

"I don't want him to remember you killed her..." Voldemort paused to let his words hang in the air. "...until you disobey me. That way, even if you become a ghost when you die, he will hate you for what you did."

Raven slowly reached for the vial, voice cracking as she replied, "It will be done."

"Excellent." Voldemort disappeared in a puff of smoke.

Raven looked around, realizing Bellatrix had already left. She peered down at the boy, feeling a twinge of remorse at the thought of taking his mother away from him. "I'm sorry." She whispered, spreading her wings to fly him back home. "But at least...you won't remember a thing."

A Bit Later

Raven placed the vial on the table before Voldemort, silently awaiting his response.

Minutes passed as he paid her no mind, searching the pages of one of his old diaries.

As Raven made for the door, he asked, "What you said before, about you being a fallen angel...was it true?"

"Of course!" Raven turned back, excitement turning to disappointment when she saw he hadn't even looked up from his book. "...Back home-"

"-I believe I've found your next task. Fill me a goblet of your blood."

"Of course." Raven's lips tightened as she conjured a goblet from thin air, and pulled back her sleeve. She extended her index finger, transformed her finger into a dagger, and made an incision near the burn marks. "What results are you hoping for with this?" She looked over as her blood trickled into the goblet, surprised to meet his gaze.

"What results can come of drinking fallen angels' blood?"

"...To my knowledge," Raven shook her hand, returning her index finger to normal. "no human has ever drank the blood of a fallen angel. I think it would be better to test this out on someone who is of no value to you, as I am also unlike any other fallen angel." She magically sealed the wound, then looked down at the goblet. "Would you like me to transfer this to a vial?"

Voldemort stood, and sent a spell towards the staircase, prompting thumping noises and loud, incomprehensible babbling from the floor above.

Raven watched as a wizard tumbled down the steps, thrashing as if fighting some invisible creature that dragged him closer.

"Feed a bit to him." Voldemort ordered.

Raven conjured a shot glass to pour a bit of her blood inside. As she walked over to the wizard, she saw a white glaze over his eyes. He's blind...

The wizard thrashed as Raven brought the glass to his lips, nearly knocking it away. A moment later, he froze.

Raven glanced at Voldemort, spotting his wand trained on the wizard. When she peered back, the wizard's eyes rolled to the back of his head, he grabbed the glass, and drank deeply. She stepped back beside Voldemort, and conjured a curved, transparent wall of ice to shield them just in case. Will he suddenly sprout wings? Will his blindness be cured? Will it turn to poison in his veins? Will he explode?

The wizard paced in circles for a while, rambling incoherently.

"Mister Charles Lancaster." Voldemort's lip curled in disgust as his rambling grew louder. "You thought it virtuous, to hold yearly exhibitions on Muggle Inventions. In your eyes, their creations weren't something to be shunned, but admired. And despite facing reviews from critics who clearly knew better, you resigned yourself to your false ideals." He turned his head to Raven. "I tortured him for a little while, but he still hasn't acknowledged his foolishness. He became so stubborn and unresponsive, I pondered letting Bellatrix toy with him...tell me, do you think your blood could do worse?"

"I-" Raven began.

"-WHAT HAPPENED?!" Charles convulsed. "WHAT HAPPENED?! WHAT DID YOU DO TO ME?!" He flung the glass in Voldemort's direction, where it shattered against the ice.

"Brackium Emendo." Voldemort smiled.

Charles whimpered when the bones vanished from his legs. His skin wrinkled as he collapsed, melting clean off his muscles. "The glass...the glass..." He groaned, feeling around for a shard. "Why...didn't I just...end myself when I...had it?!" His muscles swelled to thrice their size as he dragged his body nearer, pleading, "...Just one shard...just one-YES!" He screamed in relief, raising it to his neck. "No! NO NO!" He wailed as his engorged fingers slipped, dropping the glass. "JUST KILL ME! KILL ME NOW!" His flesh burst, splattering pus everywhere. The liquid bubbled, dissolving his bones before evaporating away to leave deep red stains.

Raven levitated all the windows open to clear the putrid scent.

Voldemort applauded, laughing maliciously. "How beautiful."

Raven turned to him in surprise, pleased to see he'd delighted in the display.

"I will see you tomorrow, in the graveyard. Arrive a half hour after the other guests, and wear something suitable."

"If you don't mind, my lord, I'd much prefer this gown." Raven gestured to her attire.

"And why is that?" For the first time, Voldemort seemed to show genuine curiosity.

Raven smiled, overjoyed at his change of attitude. "I sewed it from the remains of someone who hurt me dearly. I like to wear it all the time now, as a reminder of what happens to those who dare to harm me."

Voldemort grinned wickedly, allowing Raven to savor the moment before asking, "And what is that?"

Raven followed the trajectory of his gesture, looking down at her black teardrop necklace. "A secret." She giggled, flying out the window. "I'll see you tomorrow, my lord!"

The afternoon sun reached its peak, glinting off the water in the distance.

Raven sighed. "I often worry if I would've fared better approaching him as a weak but devoted witch...I could've been just like everyone else, and perhaps I could've simply used my powers in his absence to exceed his expectations. However, a part of me still wishes he'd shown excitement instead. A desire to learn more, to experiment, to reach new heights and expedite his plans in ways he never could've alone. Instead, he let his pride get in the way, and never allowed me to assist him through the full use of my powers. The distance at which he kept me pained me, and eventually sent me back to heaven to question which place was worse."

"And now?" The crow tilted its head to the side, hopping around the acorn. "How do you feel about the state of things right now?"

Raven's gaze fell to the leaves scattered about the ground. "My mistresses still keep their distance. They don't ask me for nearly as much as they could. For all their kindness, it still pains me that I could be helping with so much more...and now I fear I won't be able to physically help them as much as I could have before."

"So no matter the master, the same problem seems to arise." The crow observed.

"What more can I do?" Raven crushed her acorn in one hand, picking out fragments of seeds with the other.

"Well, have you ever talked to them about what your first master was like?" The crow asked. "You said your mistresses are kind, so it sounds like they'd understand." He dropped the acorn on the ground once more, and it cracked open, revealing its seeds at last.

"...No. I suppose I believed much detail of my early work was irrelevant to them." Raven admitted.

"Well, there you are." He pecked out the last bits of seed, "Now, if you don't mind, I'll be on my way."

"What is your name?" Raven asked.

"Eeeh!" The crow shrieked. "My owner gave me a nasty moniker - Stinker."

Raven chuckled.

"Oi oi, I comforted you, and this is the thanks I get?!" The crow took flight, threatening to leave.

"Wait wait, how about I give you a new name?" Raven straightened up, extending her hand with hopeful eyes.

"Why would I need one of those?" The crow replied.

"I'd like you to become my familiar." Raven replied. "You can help me reflect on some things, and I can help you just the same. It seems clear to me that neither of us is quite sure of what we're to do in this life, and I could take you farther than you could on your own."

"I'll consider it." The crow flew nearer. "And for starters, you'd better make it a better name than 'Stinker'. I don't want something that sounds like I've crawled out of a loo."

Raven laughed harder as she pictured that. "How about...Balthazar?"

"It sounds like an old wizard about to die on the loo." The crow grimaced.

"Onyx?" Raven suggested, looking at the color of his feathers.

"Sounds like the company that made the loo."

"Raven?"

"That's so obvious it's boring. And who'd want a name like Raven anyway?"

Raven giggled. "...Solaris?"

"Now, that sounds quite nice." The crow nodded, landing on her outstretched palm.

Raven smiled, plucking out one of her feathers with her free hand. "Would you like a collar, a coat, or a hat?"

"Can you make a hat that won't fall off? I'd love a dapper top hat."

"Of course! I'll ensure it only comes off when you intend to shake it off yourself. Don't go losing it now." Raven closed her fist around the feather. A moment later, she displayed a tiny black top hat on her palm, with a crimson ribbon and an acorn seed fashioned around it. "Do you like it?"

"I do love acorn seeds!" The crow cawed happily.

Raven levitated the hat onto his head, nodding in satisfaction when it fit him perfectly. "Well then, let's be on our way."

"Hold on, now!" The crow protested as Raven closed her arms around him. "I can fly on my own!"

"It'll be faster this way." Raven assured, taking flight.

"Eeee!" The crow screeched as Raven sped off, holding on for dear life.



Luna appeared inside her bedroom in a puff of smoke. "Did you find anything at the Shadowwalker Estate?" She asked as Nagini slithered from her shoulders to the floor.

"Nothing, mistress." Nagini sighed.

"Then it's time to investigate Alastair." Luna shook her head, then focused to summon her patronus. "Alastair, this is urgent! Reply the moment you hear this!" She ordered.

She asked her spy mirror, searched around the general areas of the manor with Nagini, even checking within her own bedroom, but she found no clues as to where he'd gone. Usually he leaves a note, or replies right away. What could possibly be so important at this very minute?! She came to stare at his bedroom door, pausing for a moment to give his patronus one last chance to come slithering through the walls. "Nagini, search the carriage."

"Yes, mistress." Nagini slithered off, down the steps.

Luna knocked at his door. Could it be he's just sleeping?

A long silence dashed her hopes.

I don't have time for this. Luna twisted the handle, then glared at the locked door. One silent Alohomora later, she began her search. He's not off galivanting with Aislynn. He's not in my manor. He's not off on business or napping because my patronus would've roused him from his sleep! The last time I saw Aislynn was with Alastair at the wedding, now what if the real attack wasn't on her but on Alastair?! What if he's been taken as some sort of hostage to distract me from something bigger?! What if they wanted to take Aislynn as well, Her movements became harsher as she searched, flipping through a stack of papers so fast she got a paper cut, and that fool stepped in and saved her before the cars stopped them from being carried off, too?! She hastened to heal the cut before levitating his bed to check beneath it. No, I have Raven for a reason. If I allow myself to investigate things beyond what we already are then there will be no end to things. I'll return to the investigations we're already performing, and leave Raven to discover Alastair in some obscure corner of the world. She took a deep breath, lowering his bed to the ground before retrieving Raven's feather. "Raven, return to my manor at once."

Luna had just appeared outside the labyrinth when Raven landed beside her.

"I was just on my way here." Raven replied in response to Luna's surprised expression. "We've got a few things to discuss." She allowed Solaris to squirm from her grip, resting on her shoulder instead.

"Good day!" He greeted.

"Your Raven can talk?" Luna asked in surprise.

"I like her." The crow grinned at being called a raven. "She's sharp."

"Where did you find it?" Luna eyed it suspiciously.

Six Minutes Later

"Very well, then." Luna nodded in approval as a table sprouted before her. "Be sure to keep a close eye on him in case he's some sort of spy planted to get you to open up." She unrolled a map of the world, and two hands sprouted from the desk to hold it in place.

Raven conjured a vial, then placed the memory inside. "Here's the full memory of what we discussed in the forest, for whenever you'd like to view it."

Another hand grew from the table's edge as Luna took the vial. "I'll view it when I need a break." She slid it into the hand's grasp.

Raven looked to the crow, and he gestured encouragingly. "The most important part was that...I feel that you're not giving me enough to do. You're taking too much on, on your own, and considering my powers are weakening, I should be doing far more. Aislynn barely asks for anything, so I have plenty of time."

"Don't you have other things to do in your spare time?" Luna invented. "You wouldn't want to work all the time, would you?"

"In all honesty, there isn't much I can do that thrills me or truly is enjoyable. I wouldn't mind dedicating my life to working." Raven admitted. "I'm well aware most humans have a variety of hobbies they enjoy, and a part of me worried you'd view me as some boring ethereal being if I confessed otherwise."

"You needn't worry about that," Luna assured, fingers tracing over where Mahoutokoro lied on the map, "we are different species after all, and I'm not foolish enough to assume we'd perceive things the same way. But, what of my own capabilities? Seeing part of your powers disappear already, I'm grateful I didn't allow myself to get used to relying on them. Do you not think if I grew reliant on what powers you had left, I'd have a larger problem in a future where you're no longer able to assist me as you do now?"

Raven took a deep breath, then allowed herself to speak boldly. "Mistress, I firmly believe that any setbacks you face then would pale in significance to the price you'll pay now if you continue to ignore the resources you have. You're overwhelmed with tasks as it is, the others have their hands full already, and neither of us would want to see Aislynn bogged down with tasks for a while. And, no one would look down on you for asking for more help."

A brief silence followed as Luna considered Raven's words.

"You make a valid argument. I am quite underequipped to handle things at their current pace." Luna sighed, looking back to the map.

"What are you doing with that map?" Raven wondered aloud, noticing Luna's fingers tracing over Durmstrang's location.

"I'll be needing more allies in the future. Even if it's only a contingency plan should some greater force emerge, it's still preferable to be in our allies' favor. It's been over half a year since we've taken over Hogwarts, so I would say if we're able to wrap everything up in December - especially with the winter holidays giving me a reprieve from grading papers and managing classes - and January - we could begin meeting with the leaders of the other wizarding schools under the guise of discussing The Triwizard Tournament. I originally assumed overtaking Hogwarts would be enough, but I miscalculated."

"What will my role be in all of this?" Raven asked excitedly.

"Is it possible for you to read this book quickly and find the information I need?" Luna asked, gesturing to the Book of Admittance.

"No, mistress." Raven replied. "The closest I could get would be to read the mind of someone who had and remembered it well, then summarize that, but considering I'm currently unable to read minds, that wouldn't be feasible, either."

"You're-" Luna began, then realized she had no time to fret over it. "...In that case, for the next few days, I'll need you to investigate these incidents in the following order: Alastair's disappearance, how Aislynn ended up in that 'car crash', and what's going on with your powers. In the meantime, I'll organize a list of tasks for you to carry out. I've got lots of planning to do, in addition to reading through that tedious book." Luna laughed. "I've also got to research more of our allies, and find ways to ensure they accept our alliances."

"Very well, mistress. I'll return to you in the evenings with my findings." Raven stood with a bow, then gestured for Solaris. "His name's Solaris, by the way."

"Charming name." Luna smiled gently. "It is quite nice to have a familiar of your own now, is it not?"

Solaris cawed cheerfully as he landed on Raven's shoulder.
"The company is quite nice." Raven beamed.
Luna gestured for Raven to wait a moment as she drew her wand, pressing the tip against her temple. "I nearly forgot - I want to extract my dream before it fades from my memory."

A vial appeared on the desk, which sprouted another hand to hold the vial in place before Luna. As she extracted the memory, a black parchment and green quick-quotes-quill poofed into existence. "Review this memory privately whenever your heart desires a respite." She spoke as the quill jotted her words down. "It was the dream I had on the night of our wedding. Luna." The quill dotted the final sentence, elegantly signed her name, and vanished. "Raven, please leave these on Elias's desk in his room at the manor for me."

Raven summoned the items with a warm smile, delicately rolling the vial inside the parchment. "I will." She stretched her wings, and swept Solaris off her shoulder to secure him in her arms.

"And Raven?" Luna added, "Thank you for discussing these things with me." More papers, two quick quotes quills, and a self-playing violin appeared upon the table. "We'll discuss your memory in more detail later."

Raven nodded, then took flight.

Eric crept closer to Alastair, debating whether he was truly asleep or not. As he hesitated, Alastair's voice startled him.

"I'm not the person you think I am, Eric. And I'm certainly not the type of person you'd want to model yourself over." Alastair spoke quietly, seemingly on the brink of falling asleep due to his lack of sustenance.

Ignore his words, he doesn't mean them. "Hey, Alastair!" Eric settled into a cross-legged position, setting a steaming cup of soul-infused tea between them. "You've been through tons of bad things, and you've always come out better for it. I know it might not seem like that now, but don't rush yourself. I admire the way you always continue on no matter what comes your way, so I'll be here for you. I've heard you turn down demons left and right all day!" He shook his head with a chuckle. "You're just playing the noble hero so they can hate you enough to go on with their lives, but I'm not fooled. The fact that you're convincing them to look out for themselves instead proves it!"

"You're fooling yourself this time, Eric." Alastair's eyelids drooped shut. "I'm not resilient, noble, or admirable, and I wish I'd never met you. Maybe then you wouldn't have turned out as useless as I am."

"Alastair, you can stop now. It's just me." Eric assured, trying to ignore his words. "You're not useless, and you are resilient. You're still here, aren't you? I've seen what you've been through, but after all of it, you're still here, alive-"

"-I'll stay alive for a bit until a few messes have been cleared - I'm quite sure I haven't remembered to tie up all my loose ends. And when those pesky things come back to summon me to the Realm of the Living, I'll gladly allow anyone I've wronged to avenge themselves, free from any resistance I might've had if I still had my spine."

"Alastair," Eric's tone turned stern, "no one can be strong all the time. You haven't lost your spine, it's just...taking a vacation, but I'm sure we can remind it there's still plenty of work to do! You're just lacking guidance. You need to pull yourself together!" He pumped his fist. "You're still the same king everyone admired."

"-Asmodeus, Malice, Celeste, and half the demonic populace have forsaken me, as my sister soon will. Eric, don't you think if I wanted comfort or had any hope left for myself I would be with my sibling right now?"

"...Not necessarily. You might instinctually isolate yourself if that's what you're used to doing. Like a pattern, but we can break that-" Eric assured, reaching out to put a hand on Alastair's shoulder.

"-No. If I really wanted to change, I would've done it already. Instead, what I choose to do over and over is 'repent' - I pick some form of self sacrifice and focus on that goal, telling myself things will be better and that I'll never do terrible things again. I fall in love with someone I want to project all my desires on, halfheartedly move about the rest of my tasks as guilt builds, and when I finally can't take it anymore I confess and apologize. And I repeat that because it's easy. I like knowing what will happen next, I hate how unpredictable things can be, and this cycle is who I am. I'm not interested in becoming anyone else."

"See, understanding and acknowledging the problem are the first steps!" Eric tried to remain positive. "The next step is-"

"-Eric, I'm happy with things the way they are, and it's about time you stop feigning altruistic motives. Do you even know what you're doing here?"

"It hurts me to see you this way, Alastair. And when I'm away, It hurts me to think of you this way. But everything is telling me it's not what it seems! You're here in this hallway to make sure people stay away from you. You're pushing people away, and you sent out all those letters, all because you're still trying to make things right! You've taken the steps to ensure you stop hurting people - you confessed to that lady, you sent out the letters -"

"-I'm here because I don't want my sulking to go without pain. I would've ended myself already if I could be sure no one up there would need me."

"You're still thinking of others!" Eric gestured, as if Alastair had proven his point.

"Eric, why are you here?" Alastair sat up, knocking Eric's hand off his shoulder as he grabbed the cup and downed it in one go.

"Hey, it's-" Eric raised his hands to stop Alastair before he realized he'd already drank it "...hot." He nervously fiddled with his hands for a moment before folding them in his lap to stop himself.

"Why are you here?" Alastair repeated, slamming the cup down; a crack ran down the center on impact.

"I can't just let my favorite demon rot here. I don't care what anyone thinks!" Eric insisted. "You're my favorite - I admire everything about you! So if we can't work together on this-"

"-Your goal here, whether you want to acknowledge it or not, is to ensure the person you've modeled yourself after can remain your reference forever. You hate to see me this way because you hate to think of yourself becoming like me, and me staying in this pathetic mess means you'd have no direction anymore...no goal. That's why you want me to be strong, isn't it?" He aimed an accusatory glare at Eric. "So whenever things go wrong with you, you know what to do: 'What would Alastair do? What would Alastair think?' How many times have you thought that in your life?"

"That's not it at all!" Eric furrowed his brows in denial. "I just care about you, why is that hard to understand? Besides, there's nothing wrong with having a positive role model - that's why it's called a role model!"

"You're useless without a thing to copy, Eric." Alastair reclined on his back again.

Eric felt his heart sting, but tried to block out the feeling.

"How many times in your life have you ever thought about what you would do? Even now, you're talking like someone else." Alastair's tone turned soft, mocking Eric. "Who are you mimicking now, Eric?"

...I may have taken some notes from how Nova speaks to me when I'm feeling down, but...I'm still making loads of this up on my own! I can think for myself, I'm not just some carbon copy of everyone I've ever admired! Eric realized he was shaking, and tried taking a few deep breaths to steady himself.

"...Is it Nova?" Alastair met Eric's gaze with eyes full of mock pity. "It's so obvious. Will he be your new guidebook, now? The man who has no time for anyone is a wonderful hero. Well, your instincts lead you down a better path without you even realizing it! That's wonderful news - you're probably already well aware that no one takes you seriously with the way things are? Everyone's secretly laughing behind your back thinking you'll just grow out of this little phase. 'Oh look, that cute little child who wants to imitate the king! He's so unoriginal it's pathetic.'"

"...I said you CAN STOP!" Eric yelled, standing with gritted teeth. "This has gone FAR PAST trying to look out for me, now you're just being cruel! Nova's a good person! And I can't let you badmouth him when you're..." He stopped himself from saying, 'being so terrible yourself'. He took another deep breath, and shook his head. Moments from the past flashed before his eyes - times where he'd just turned around to hear snickering behind him, moments where he'd appear back inside a room when he'd forgotten something to hear people abruptly stop talking as they shot him embarrassed or pitying glances...even one time where someone laughed at a bow he'd spent hours trying to perfect to be as elegant as Alastair's.

Alastair smirked.

Just ignore it, just ignore it, just ignore it. He just wants me to leave so I don't waste my time here. He's doing the same thing he's been doing to everyone else, I can't fall for it! That's...all this is! I have to make him see that everything can be mended! I have to make him understand that it's not as bad as he thinks it is! I can't give up and accept that he's turned into some monster, he's not in his right mind right now. Eric tried to take more deep breaths. "It's me, Eric, the child who wants to be JUST...LIKE...YOU. I'M NOT GOING TO TURN ON YOU SO JUST LET ME HELP!"

"You can't even convince me to leave this hallway, much less become a better person. Don't you know, people have to truly desire change or else it won't work."

"You don't want to change?" Eric put a hand to his heart, though it did nothing to soothe the feeling that it was about to burst out of his chest.

"That's what I've been telling you over and over." Alastair sighed. "Ah, you're back to acting like me again - only hearing whatever you want to keep yourself going. Haven't you heard...about what I've done to hell, yet?"

"...No, I haven't..." Eric lied.

"...So Malice hasn't released the papers, yet? I do wonder what she's waiting for."

Neither spoke a word for a while, until Eric broke the silence. "I convinced you to drink that cup of tea."

"I need to make sure I don't die before I'm certain I won't be needed. You just saved me time."

"I convinced you to talk to me about what you're thinking. The last demon couldn't get you to talk at all." Eric pointed out.

"And my alternative was letting you prattle on until my ears bleed? You wouldn't walk away until you got something out of me, so why should I deal with your bothersome monologues? You must get your blabbering mouth from Nova, since you don't have any parents to raise you."

SMACK

Eric drew his hand back, leaving a red mark on Alastair's cheek. "You know what...I hope you rot in the worst part of hell." He glared.

"Oh...was that...Asmodeus?" Alastair snickered.

"I'm sorry I tried helping you." Eric turned to leave.

"Diana whenever Reign doesn't react the way she wants?" Alastair laughed harder.

"Farewell, Alastair." Eric walked away.

Alastair feigned a dramatic gasp. "...Mirari?" He laughed maniacally.

Eric swallowed, abruptly remembering Mirari having used those same words a few hours past. I'll just...stop talking...I'm done with him. I can't deny that all of this has gone far past what any good person would do to protect those they care for...and I have to accept that he really is...the worst king in all of hell's history. He's too far gone, and I'm going to take some time to save myself instead of wasting any trying to save him.

Eric appeared in a bakery beside Nova and a human lady. They were the only ones left after hours, it seemed.

"Oh! He gave me a scare." The lady clutched her heart with a laugh.

"Ah, this is Eric. He's a wonderful boy." Nova enveloped Eric in a half hug, beaming as he ruffled his hair. His grip loosened as he returned his attention to the lady. "So, what is your wish?"

"I wish the loan could be approved so I could fix up some of the things around here..." The lady replied, gesturing to her broken oven.
Eric focused on not bursting into tears as he held Nova's hand, finding it difficult to focus on whatever the lady was saying. His attention drifted in and out until she eventually resigned to ask Nova for his advice.

"I can't give you any advice on your wishes, that's against the rules of my magic." Nova replied. "Just give it a good think, alright? I'm sure your bakery won't close down tomorrow, so why don't you sleep on it and call me back then?"
"...That is a good idea. Thank you, Genie!"

Nova ran his fingers through his hair in frustration, momentarily torn between arguing that he wasn't a genie, and attending to Eric. "...You're welcome. I'll see you tomorrow." He took Eric's hand, and disappeared in an explosion of cake-shaped confetti.

The lady swept it up for a few minutes until she realized she enjoyed their delicious scent, and decided to leave them where they were until tomorrow.

Meanwhile, Nova and Eric appeared back in Hell.

"Indecisive wishers." Nova laughed, shaking his head. "So, is there something you need, or does someone-"

Eric threw his arms around Nova, hugging him tightly.

"-now now, what's this about?" Nova's expression grew serious when he saw the look in Eric's eyes. "What happened?"

"Alastair...he really is a horrible person...and...and I didn't believe any of you...this whole time..." Eric cried.

"Oh, I know, Eric." Nova hugged Eric back. "Do you want to talk about it for a bit?" He felt Eric nod. "Alright, then. Let's get you something warm and hearty to eat, and something sweet to drink. Don't force yourself to feel better about it, there's no need for that - you'll get there eventually. And in the moments while I'm busy, I'd suggest thinking about what hurt the hardest, and why. Trying to ignore it will only make it hurt more, and it might even come back to bite you in your dreams, or even normal waking moments. But if you give it time and think it over, I'm sure you'll be able to work through lots of it on your own. As for the rest, I'm always willing to talk it over with you."

"Thank you, Nova."

"You don't have to thank me, Eric." Nova assured, "You're a wonderful boy, and you help out so much it's a joy to give something back. There're tons of new bits of information swimming around in your mind right now, just calm down, and let yourself process them all."



Four Days Later

Seven demonic princes and one Eric sat in the meeting room, in the tallest tower of Malice's castle. The palace still looked the same as the way Alastair had left it, as she'd prioritized gathering information for their first meeting above redecorating, as much as she desired otherwise. Around the polished onyx heptagon table stood eight unremarkable thrones, set apart only by their intended guest's name carved onto the left arm. Eric's chair sat closer to the arched stained glass windows, which, combined with the candle chandelier, provided just enough light to read without squinting. As opposed to the usual spread of soul-infused foods, stacks of notes cluttered the center.

"According to one of the demonic laws I would much prefer to keep," Malice spoke, occasionally glancing at the papers in her hands, "if a meeting is called thrice without all princes present, the stand-in selected prior by the missing prince or princes will be called in their stead. Here we are at our first meeting, and we can all agree that Wrath's prince is missing-" she gestured to Satan's empty chair "-and as for what constitutes a meeting, I've looked it up in the law scroll's glossary." She switched to the next page of her notes, and read verbatim, "A meeting will be considered any gathering of all demonic princes and any other officials or assistants whose main business relates back to managing the populace of the Demonic Realm, and whose topics comprise plans or suggestions for the betterment of the Demonic Realm. According to the scroll, the Demonic Realm is defined as-" Malice switched to the next page of her notes.

"-It's alright, Malice. You don't have to take this so seriously." Nova assured. "We'll respect you even if you're not directly quoting from the scroll and talking more formally than usual."

"I understand that, Greed," Malice nodded, meeting Nova's gaze, "but since Alastair disrespected this position so much, I desire to mend its reputation by paying it the proper respect. We won't have any snacks, we'll all pay attention and ensure everything is going according to whatever laws remain after I fix them, and we'll discuss all important matters in this room so they can be recorded and stored in the demonic libraries for transparency amongst the other demons."

Asmodeus beamed. "A show of hands for all who support Malice's approach."

Every demon raised their hand.

"Thank you all." Malice smiled. She continued on to read the scroll's definition of the 'Demonic Realm'. "Under those definitions, we are now in a meeting whose events will become public after its conclusion, and the recordings are distributed to the demonic libraries. Does anyone have any questions?"

A moment of silence.

"This meeting has reached its conclusion. May I ask you all to leave, and return a minute later?" Malice asked.

Despite her confusion, Diana silently joined the other demons.

One Minute Later

"Welcome to our second meeting." Malice greeted the moment everyone had retaken their seat.

A look of realization dawned on Diana's face. "So that's why..."

"Yes. We're all aware of the reasons why Wrath isn't here, and since we've got no time to waste we'll proceed with the third meeting directly after this, which will give us time to prepare Wrath's stand-in for the fourth, taking place in one week since all demonic princes must vote on any legal changes by law." She shuffled to the next page of her notes, then read the quote from the scroll that backed her claim. "That concludes this meeting."

One Minute Later

"Welcome to our third meeting."

Nova chuckled.

"During this meeting, I'll be discussing some of the upcoming changes that will be the topic of the next meeting." Malice levitated a stack of papers off the center pile - two for each demon. "The papers are treated with a particular type of invisible ink so only those who have attended this meeting will be able to read them."

Fourth Meeting Topics of Discussion:​

• Removal of contradictory, illegal, or secret laws approved by the former king of hell
• Removal of laws that do not aide in hell's betterment
• Approval of laws that will result in the betterment of hell
• Plans to fix the time flow issue currently ongoing in hell
• Plans to remove the former king of hell from the Hallway of Despair
• Elimination of the current Demonic Currency in favor of a currency forged directly from human souls
• Remodeling and restructuring of the king of hell's castle
• Personalization of Demonic Meeting Room thrones
• Elimination of The Five
• Plans to implement farms for human souls
• Plans to distribute Demonic Meeting recordings to public libraries more efficiently
• Plans to create a Cabinet of Demons to aide the current king of hell in their duties
• Meeting with the denizens of hell responsible for expanding the island to discuss further expansion
• Reallocation of certain properties owned by Lust
• Plans to schedule regular meetings with the general populace of hell to hear concerns more efficiently

Asmodeus finished reading first, meeting Malice's gaze. "I understand why you wouldn't want these discussed aloud just yet."

Malice nodded to Asmodeus. "These papers won't leave this room, so your choices are to memorize them, or return here to review them whenever you wish. The items on the lists will be revealed gradually, and it's quite likely that we won't even be able to cover one topic per meeting, but require multiple to discuss one."

"Are these in order?" Celeste asked.

Malice replied, "No. Since their priority will fluctuate over time, one of three things will happen at the beginning of each meeting: we'll continue on whatever topic we were discussing previously, we'll vote on which we believe is the most pressing, or I'll select the topic for us to discuss at the beginning of the meeting. Are there any other questions?" After a brief silence, she continued. "To the demonic princes, I request that you use this week to completely clear your schedules. To Eric," She turned to him, "I request that you inform Wrath's stand-in of the upcoming meeting, assist them with the preparations, and forward them Wrath's letter." She levitated a stack of papers over to Eric, which contained: details of the identity of Satan's chosen stand-in, a letter he'd personally written in preparation for this situation, and a general list of formalities to abide by during the meeting. She waited patiently for a minute as Eric looked through the papers.

"I don't have any questions, thank you, Pride." Eric replied, shrinking the papers to store in his pocket.

"Very well. Once again I ask if there are any questions?" Malice waited through another moment of silence before concluding, "This meeting is over, thank you all for attending. I'll see you tomorrow."



Malice returned to her old home, and passed out the moment her head hit the pillow. She'd been sleeping so terribly the past week to get everything ready for this meeting, and had been looking forward to today as a result - the moment her week of recuperation would begin. She'd get to sleep the time away, take time to clear her head, play some games with whichever demons were free, or listen to music while admiring the scenery from her rooftop. The best part was that most details concerning meeting dates and topics were sorted now, so she could return to a normal sleeping schedule at last.



"Good evening, mistress!" Raven landed in the labyrinth with a bow.

Solaris squirmed, excited to reach the surprise Luna had left for him.

As he flew over, Raven followed his trajectory to glance at a small, beautiful gazebo with a green cushion and a large bowl of seeds in the center. "That's very kind of you, mistress. Even when you're so busy..."

"It's no trouble at all," Luna assured. "I was already in the market."

"This is wonderful!" Solaris squawked, burying his beak in the seeds.

Raven giggled before standing straight, and focusing her attention on Luna. "None of the students noticed the change, none of the professors asked me about my behavior, and I'm managing everything perfectly well."

"That's wonderful news. Very well then, you've proven you can handle it all. For now, I'd like you to continue teaching Cooking with Magic lessons in my stead. It's a relief you can still change your appearance." Luna sighed. "How have you been faring with the investigation?"

"The most helpful testimony from the wedding night came from Ms. Thorne." Raven explained. "She'll be arriving momentarily to tell you herself. I ran across her when she arrived at Hogwarts on Monday, looking for you, and I wished to investigate more before having her repeat the story to you. If you had all the pieces of the puzzle at once, I thought you might be able to reach a conclusion easier."

"Hello, Luna." Crystal stepped into the labyrinth's center, prompting a sofa to spring from the ground.

"Thank you for your consideration, Raven." Luna nodded, turning to Crystal. "Hello, Crystal. Would you like any refreshments?"

"No thank you. I'd prefer to get this out of the way and return to the shop." Crystal replied politely. "So, on the wedding night, he was acting really distant with Aislynn, almost like he was trying to look everywhere but at her, which is strange because usually he's very attentive." I still remember nearly everything she said since it clashed so hard with what she'd told me about him in the past...I'd really started believing there might be another good man in this world and then Alastair comes around and breaks my best friend's heart.

"I used to keep my own room clean, but since I met Alastair, he does not let me do a single cleaning. He treats me like a queen," Aislynn giggled.

"I didn't know that you knew Alastair like that; I only saw you two dancing at the Torture Party not long ago, and thought that you two were just acquaintances." Crystal shrugged. "That's really cute that he insists on cleaning. You're so lucky." She smiled, "I'm happy to hear that your time together is spent happily. Throughout my entire life, the only good man I've ever known was my Dad, so I am overjoyed that you have found someone that isn't a jerk or a liar. And the day before yesterday he took you to London's Eye, right?" She asked, confirming that her 'date' had been Alastair. "That must have been really nice. I haven't tasted his cooking, but I'm sure it is wonderful. Luna said that they went to the same school to learn cooking, and that he was an even better chef than her. He also said that he loves travelling; has he taken you anywhere else cool?"

"Yes! He has taken me to Venice twice, Japan a couple of times, Mexico and Rouen…I think it is somewhere in France...and… and…the…the de-de- I am sorry," Aislynn laughed. "I just got to excited that I started to stutter in the end."

"That sounds really nice." Crystal smiled. "Is there anything that you two don't agree on? Like, something that he really likes that you could never understand or like yourself?"

"Of course, there is something that I and Alastair don't agree on," Aislinn laughed. "You see, I always insist on cleaning my own room, to clean up after myself during a trip, like when I was with him in Mexico, he owns a villa there and I borrowed one of the rooms while staying there. I insisted on tidying the room I have used, but he refused and went ahead and tidied for me. He always insists on doing everything for me, like once when we arrived at Luna's manor after one of our trips, he surprised me by going ahead and cleaning and tidying my room here. I don't agree with him doing everything for me and he doesn't agree with me tidying or cleaning at all."

"When Aislynn noticed, they got into an argument and Alastair excused himself to go to the bathroom while she hung back and answered my questions about why he was acting so weird!" Crystal shook her head. "Everything I've told you up until now has been Aislynn's account. From this point on, everything else was something I noticed as the night went on."

Eight Minutes Later

"...and that's all I remember from that night." Crystal concluded.

"Thank you, Crystal." Luna pondered the account for a moment, then turned to Raven, "Have you been able to locate Alastair?"

Raven hesitated for a moment. Her eyes flitted to Crystal and back with a questioning glance.

Luna nodded.

"None of my instruments have given me any readings on him," Raven continued slowly, giving Luna time to change her mind. "so I believe he's in a realm we cannot access: The Demonic Realm."

"I'm not sure. He's always been secretive about these things." Luna replied. "Raven, why are we unable to access that realm?"

"Angels are not able to access that realm." Raven explained. "As for beings who are not of divine origin, there are two methods: becoming a demon, and drinking a potion made with a demon's blood to temporarily allow you access to that realm. Regrettably, both are outside my capacity."

Luna recalled Alastair's reaction when he'd first seen Malice speaking with her. That well mannered girl...she's one of his relatives. There's a good chance that she's a demon as well, from the way he acted about her. "I believe I have someone you should keep an eye out for - an elegant young girl with white hair, going by the name of Malice. She attended the Halloween Party?" I do hope you can help me identify her, as I don't know much more about her aside from her hobbies.

"She's indeed a demon." Raven summoned a spy cloud. Black screen again... She sighed. "And I will keep an eye out for her."

Luna turned her attention back to Crystal, who'd been silently contemplating the matter. I wish I had informed Aislynn sooner, if I'd known you would've done it like this, Alastair. "Alastair had been emotionally distancing himself from Aislynn for a while, even referring to her by her last name whenever we spoke. Considering this went down on the wedding night, and he's now hiding in Hell, my theory is that they've broken up and he's feeling ashamed. Until we can speak to him in person, it remains a theory. Is there anything you would like to add, Crystal?"

You...knew? Crystal felt her temperature rise, heart beat hastening. I thought Aislynn had finally found a good man who would treat her well...someone that loved her, and you knew that wasn't so, yet you didn't even warn her?! You didn't advise your brother to not get too close to someone who's been nothing but loyal to you if he wasn't serious? She stood with a fierce expression, feeling her fingertips grow warm. "If I may...be so bold. Why did you not warn Aislynn of this impending disaster?"

Raven raised an arm in Crystal's direction, prepared to intervene should she do anything rash.

Luna stood, gesturing for Raven to stand down without breaking eye contact with Crystal. "Your boldness is justified, and I fully admit, I should have done otherwise."

Raven hesitated to stand down, but eventually lowered her arm.

We'll discuss this later, Raven. Luna placed her hand on her heart with a serious expression. "Choosing my brother over my loyal friend has been a grave mistake. Understand that he has saved me from a great many disasters in the past, and we had a deep friendship at a time when I had no one else. However," she furrowed her brows as her voice reached a deeper pitch, "harming someone from my inner circle, then disappearing without a trace, is not something I take lightly from anyone. From the moment I understood the truth, I renounced my loyalty to him, as no brother of mine would commit such a crime, and for that, he will pay like any other sinner."

What a bold move... Raven thought. ...to discuss the heart of the matter with a witch who could burn you at any moment...Voldemort would have tortured her for her insolence.

"...I understand why you wouldn't tell her." Crystal relented, relaxing her posture. "I apologize for speaking out of turn, in that moment I could only think of Aislynn in the hospital bed...but if you swear you'll make him pay..."

"I do." Luna assured without hesitation.

"...Then I believe in your word." Crystal said, more to herself than Luna. "You've kept secrets, but you have never lied to me before. You've resolved to punish someone you've known for years to avenge Aislynn. You must truly feel sorry for everything if that is the choice you're willing to make."

Luna nodded. "Precisely." She allowed a silence to hang in the air for a few minutes before asking, "Do you have any other concerns, Crystal?"

"No." Crystal said, "Thank you for discussing everything with me." You chose to share everything you knew as well. You knew I was worried...which is why even when Raven wanted me to leave, you allowed me to stay to hear more than anyone else. When I return to the shop, I'll see if I can request any help from Nova to aide you. "I'll be heading back to the shop now." She turned to leave the labyrinth.

"Goodbye, Crystal."

"Goodbye, Luna."

When her footsteps faded, Luna turned to Raven. "Raven, I cannot have you questioning me during a moment like that. Do you understand why?"

"Ms. Thorne was already questioning you, so it would look worse if everyone followed suit?" Raven guessed.

"No. You are my righthand lady. You are to follow my orders precisely in crucial moments, because if you do not it is nothing more than a distraction, and a symbol of distrust. Do you not trust me to win a duel against my subjects?" Luna asked. "Much less a one on one duel?"

"I do. I was just worried, since she can conjure fire with-" Raven began.

"-Anyone can conjure fire with a wand, it would've made no difference. I could defuse it with the wave of my own." Luna promptly drew her own wand in a millisecond. "I understand tensions are high, but in situations like these, I've already made my own assessment. Your concern is appreciated, but a witch who is weaker than her subjects is a laughable leader indeed. Besides, I did not ask you to leave the room, did I?" She raised an eyebrow, pointing out that Raven could've just as easily reacted if she'd only appeared to step down.

"...I understand." Raven promised.

"Then do not distract me like that again." Luna ordered.

"I won't repeat that mistake again." Raven swore.

"Very well." Luna brushed the matter aside, retaking her seat to shuffle through her notes. She added a few lines to a lengthy list, then levitated them over to Raven. "These are your responsibilities for the time being. Meanwhile, I will be managing the Book of Admittance, and looking into our future allies' vexations."

Raven nodded, rolling up the list to read later.

"What of your powers?" Luna inquired, her quill hovering over a different list.

"Neither my instruments nor my other resources have been helpful in the investigation. My plan is to access a sacred lake in heaven, that will give me the insight I need." Raven swallowed. "The reason I have not already is that it is a highly sought place for answers, and thus it is likely I will meet obstacles along the way that may prevent me from returning so quickly, since as you recall, I fled quite some time ago."

"And I presume humans are disallowed from such a sacred realm?" Luna asked.

"Yes, only angels are able to enter that area of heaven." Raven confirmed. "So I will leave it up to you to decide when I should take my leave and investigate the matter properly."

Luna wrote another line on a different page full of notes. "I'll keep that in mind. That is all for now, Raven. Please inform me if anything new turns up."

"I will. Solaris?"

"Thank you for the food!" Solaris cawed as he flew past Luna to settle in Raven's arms.

"I'm glad you enjoyed it." Luna replied, not looking up from her notes.

When Raven landed at Hogwarts, she unrolled Luna's list, admiring the elegant handwriting before reading:

​

Raven's Responsibilities (Memorize, then burn) :​

~ Attend Cooking with Magic classes disguised as me, and maintain the facade​

~ Grade all papers as I would - refer to the old graded papers in my office for examples​

~ Watch over Hogwarts to ensure no more incidents take place​

~ Monitor Aislynn in the hospital to ensure she remains safe, and alert me the moment she awakens​

~ Leave a fresh vase with one black rose each day on Aislynn's beside table - once the day is up, dry the rose and press it, then keep it with you until I request it​

~ Offer Crystal a reprieve if it appears she requires one, and remind her she is able to use your services for travel or assistance​

~ Check in with me each evening to tidy my notes, and remind me to sleep​

~ Make preparations for the Yule Ball, and manage everything related to it to ensure the event goes smoothly​

~ Keep an eye out for Malice, and when you find her, refer her to me​

​

"Why not?" Crystal asked.

"It's against the law to reveal hell's existence to Alastair's sister." Nova replied.

Crystal raised her eyebrows. "Why only to Luna?"

"Because Alastair used to be the king, and he didn't want her to know. Why, I have no idea - personally I'd be thrilled to share it, if I had a sibling." Nova shook his head. "But since Malice has become the ruler, she's changing up a bunch of laws. That's going to be one of them."

"Do you know when it will be changed?"

"No. There are so many things that need to be fixed, and we haven't had a meeting yet to talk about the first thing." Nova explained. "Is there anything else I can help you with?"

"...Can you just...undo everything that happened between Alastair and Aislynn? He broke her heart...he messed around with her...he's terrible!" Crystal nearly yelled, thankful that Leigh wasn't here at the moment. She relaxed her hands when she realized they'd clenched into fists.

"To do that," Nova explained gently, "you would need to clarify things in such detail, specifying every little thing to make sure nothing else terrible happens in its place, or nothing worse. Do you think you could do that?"

"...No." Crystal sighed heavily. I just hate not being able to help her at all... "I'm sure I'd miss something."

"I'll be off then." Nova straightened up his clothes. "Please let me know if there's anything I can do to help. I wish I could stay for longer, I'm busier than I've ever been."

"...Bye." Crystal said quietly.

"Goodbye." Nova disappeared without a trace, not wanting to leave a mess for Crystal.

"Oh Aislynn..." Crystal looked back at her work station, preparing to throw herself into her work again to avoid thinking about her. When she picked up her sewing scissors, she got an idea. "...Aislynn! You might not want to go...but just in case you do..." She searched through her fabrics for a beautiful dark black, laying it over a deep red, then a beautiful green, and finally a pure white. "...I'll make you a lovely dress! Yes, we could go together, and get our minds off everything. We could dance, and you'd look so lovely at the Yule Ball!" She excitedly got to work, clearing her mannequin for the new design.



"Sunshine! There's someone here to visit you!" Claudia sang, knocking on Rosaleya's door.

"Oh?" Rosaleya stood in surprise, and dog-eared the magazine before flipping it shut. It's so nice that you never barge in, even though you could easily. You always respect my privacy that way...

Rosaleya opened the door to see Soren asking, "Who is it?"

"That's her business, dear." Claudia ruffled Soren's hair, then gestured for Rosaleya to follow.

Rosaleya aimed a grateful glance to Claudia before offering her hand to Soren with a smile. "You can come, too!"

Soren grinned, taking her hand.

When they entered the kitchen, Rosaleya gasped in surprise to see Eric seated at the kitchen table eating a bowl of the chocolate pudding they'd made together that morning. "Hi, Eric! Do you need help with something?"

"How's the pudding, dear?" Claudia asked, taking her seat at the head of the table.

"It's delicious, Ms. McCunnen." Eric replied politely before turning to Rosaleya. "I don't need any help, but I think with this news, you will.

"What's the news?" Rosaleya asked, sitting across from Eric.

Soren sat beside her.

"I'm still not sure how to explain everything to you, but don't worry, it's not bad news! I think it's...good news." Eric pulled three notes out of different pockets, handing them to Rosaleya. "I think you should read these, and ask me about any questions you have afterwards. There's plenty of time for me to fill you in on everything."

"Okay." Rosaleya noticed the notes were numbered, and set the others down to read number one. She carefully unfolded what felt like a brown paper bag, to meet a messy splatter of French vanilla frosting. How did none of this smudge in on itself with all those folds? She wondered, pressing a finger to an R-shaped splatter. Oh, it's really hard. I wonder if it really is just some sort of ink. Looking closer, she noticed the message's main portion in the center, and countless notes cluttering the margins, giving the impression of a frosting explosion. This handwriting is so bad it might as well be a bunch of spaghetti thrown on the page.

Greetings, from the Representative of Wrath!​

​

Since you're receiving this note, it means I am unable to relay this to you in person! Such a shame, but at least you won't be completely in the dark for this!​

​

I'm unable to attend to my usual duties at the moment, so I've decided to share the honor of being Wrath's representative for as long as I am unavailable! Of course, you have the right to refuse, anyone does. But consider that if you don't, not only will meetings be halted completely and all political progress hindered, but you'll also forego having me owe you a considerable favor in return! ​

​

Should you decide to take on this responsibility, your duties will consist of: attending all meetings in the demonic court to give your input and vote on important decisions, working toward the betterment of hell, and answer the call of anyone who is foolish enough to summon me.​

​

You may, but are not obligated to: interact with The Five and attend their meetings, carry on my duties as one of the black sheep of Hell and act as any member of The Five would, rest at and utilize the facilities located in my castle, and secretly break demonic laws!​

​

Yours Truly,​

Wrath​

​

Rosaleya skimmed the paper a second time, questions appearing like fireworks in her mind. So many...okay, I need to just take this one question at a time. I'll start...at the bottom since there are so many at the top... "...The Five can break the laws?" She looked to Eric for clarification.

"If they're not caught red-handed." Soren rolled his eyes. "They can do whatever they want. So disgusting."

"I thought demons would die if they broke the laws?" Rosaleya glanced from Soren to Eric.

"That goes for all demons that aren't members of The Five." Eric shook his head. "Hopefully, that will soon cease to be true."

"Me, too." Rosaleya agreed.

Claudia rose from her seat. "Would anyone else like any tea?"

"Oh," Rosaleya sighed in relief. Tea would really help right now! "I'd love some of your demon bark tea!"

"With the cinnamon and whipped cream sprinkled on top?" Claudia smiled warmly.

"Yes, please!" Rosaleya nodded eagerly, searching the paper for her next question.

Claudia looked to Soren.

"No thank you." Soren replied, patting Rosaleya on the back.

Rosaleya gave Soren's hand a squeeze so she didn't speak and lose her train of thought. "...If I'm only a representative of Wrath temporarily, why would I be able to break the laws? Why aren't being Wrath's representative and being a member of The Five separate things? From what I've heard about them, they don't sound like the types of demons I'd want to interact with...even though I'm curious," she admitted, "I don't think I'd get any help if I messed around and something terrible happened, since...it would just be what I deserved, wouldn't it? Who wouldn't see that coming?"

Eric sighed. "...If you're really that curious, I could accompany you. Since they're only allowed to break the laws in secret, and I count as a sort of court secretary to the demonic princes in addition to being their personal assistant, and since I am not required to help The Five in any way, it should all work out. I don't think you should, but..." He reflected on his last interaction with Alastair. "...sometimes you have to experience things for yourself to fully understand them. You can't just go off everyone's opinions all the time."

"Yeah, Rose!" Soren smiled reassuringly. "We'd all be here for you if something happened."

Claudia set Rosaleya's cup down before her, having sprinkled the cinnamon into a heart shape. "Of course we will, darling."

"Thanks, everyone." Rosaleya smiled, nodding to herself to commit their reassurances to memory before turning to Eric.

"Oh, right." Eric realized he'd never answered the other questions. "Wrath has been a member of The Five for so long, the positions were eventually tied together by law. So yes, becoming Wrath's representative would also give you all the...abilities" he finally chose a polite word "...that any member of The Five would have."

"Okay." Rosaleya glanced at the paper. "What are meetings at the demonic court like?"

"They used to be very casual, kind of like...a lunch together." Eric explained. "We'd eat and joke around while the king presented his ideas, and we'd talk about how things would play out if we voted on it. The process took forever, and the king's attitude gave the impression he was trying to balance getting to the point of things and keeping us entertained, like we'd get bored if things went on without a new song playing every so often or another round of food. He'd never give straight answers, and he'd always go off on tangents..."

"Eventually," Eric began to fidget with the spoon in his empty pudding bowl. "the princes got frustrated and arguments sparked as easily as matches. That seemed to be the excuse the king was waiting for, since meetings became less frequent after that. Laws began popping up at random without ever being voted on. One announcement, and it was suddenly-" He snapped his fingers. "-'New Law - Do This or Else'. Secret meetings took place away from the palace, but since Wrath could've been helping the king write those laws, a lot of skepticism was aimed towards him. Not only that, but without a set leader, the debates didn't end. It took a while, but eventually Envy was chosen as the leader."

Rosaleya smiled. "That sounds like Celeste."

Eric nodded, setting down the pudding spoon.

The moment it left his hands, Claudia levitated it away.

"Sorry for the noise." Eric apologized before continuing. "Once that happened, it didn't take long for her to stage a few instances where the king was being unreasonable for the people to see, and backed her claims with other evidence. As per Hell's law, if over half the population of Hell comes together to deny their loyalty to the king, a new ruler must be chosen."

I was already amazed by how awesome Celeste was...now I find out she lead a whole revolution against an evil king?! That's amazing! I need to talk to her and find out more from her perspective! Rosaleya thought fondly.

"And since everyone loved Malice, she was voted in as the new king, and pride's new representative, during the election." Eric finished.

"Malice?!" Rosaleya exclaimed. "How's she handling everything?! And why wasn't Asmodeus voted in?! I thought he was the next most popular choice?"

"Those questions can only be answered by Malice and Asmodeus, since I wouldn't want to muck up any details for you." Eric replied. "But Malice seems to be doing much better than Alastair ever was. So far, she's already set the bar high by preparing meeting plans, scrubbing the law scroll of hell to clean out its bad laws, and setting a serious atmosphere in meetings. The demonic population is admiring her with so many positive letters she can't read them fast enough."

"I had no idea any of this was even happening..." Rosaleya looked down at her hands. Have I been a bad friend to Malice? She's always been nice to me...but suddenly all these changes happen and I haven't even asked her if I could help with anything...

"It's not a big deal," Soren assured. "all of this happened a few days ago in Earth's time. Mother and I only watch the news every morning. You're usually still asleep."

Only every morning? I've never even watched the wizarding news...much less the demonic news...Rosaleya thought, feeling foolish.

"There's a magazine Athena subscribes to," Claudia offered. "and it's got a section that summarizes the news each week. I could fix it to a daily subscription, and you could read that instead. How does that sound?"

"That sounds perfect." Rosaleya sighed in relief. "I can't thank you enough for everything..."

"You're new to all of this. No need to thank me." Claudia assured. "Athena's not reading those magazines anyway, at least they'll go to good use, now."

"I really like reading them in my room, actually." Rosaleya explained. "I was even reading one just now, when you knocked on my door. They're so interesting to find out more about the demon world. And now," She felt embarrassed admitting it. "I won't skip the political news section out of habit."

"It's alright." Eric said quietly. "There's nothing wrong with ignoring important things in the past, as long as you make up for it now. You're trying to do better, right?" I feel so foolish, for never doubting Alastair...I always thought the other demons had to be wrong...that there was some error with the law scroll, or that Alastair was just really bad at being strict during meetings and hated the conflict when they fought...that he as really trying to do better...Even right up until the end, I ignored everything for him...I should've known...

"Yes! I'll read the political section every day while I'm Wrath's representative-" Rosaleya nodded. "if I take the job. So, what is your role like in the demonic court?"

"I take notes on things I need to help with before and after the meeting, and I can give suggestions and input like the princes." Eric replied.

Rosaleya read the part in the note about 'hindering Hell's political progress' again. "Will the progress really stop if I don't take the position?"

"Wrath must appoint a new stand-in to take your place, or a representative to take his. The only other way is if you both die - then the voting would fall to the people." Eric swallowed.

Rosaleya felt her posture grow tense. "Do you think anyone would kill me over that?"

"I don't know." Eric admitted.

"You don't know?!" Rosaleya wore a worried expression.

"The Five are unpredictable. If any one of them has interest in the demonic court, they may make it a priority to keep things going if they stagnate for long enough." Eric replied worriedly.

"Why are you worried?" Rosaleya questioned. I know why I'm worried, but it doesn't make any sense for you to be worried, too.

"I didn't think of that!" Eric admitted.

"How long do you think Wrath will be away from his job?" Rosaleya asked.

"...A few months at most." Eric recalled.

"What is this, a planned vacation?!" Rosaleya flailed her arms.

"No one's killing you, sunshine." Claudia intervened.

"Yeah." Soren nodded. "They can't get past us."

"But...but they can break laws." Rosaleya furrowed her eyebrows. "And you guys wouldn't be able to fight on even ground-"

"-You've got a week to be prepared for the position." Eric interjected. "You can use part of that time to think it over. Then it will be publicly announced, but since your identity as his stand-in will stay secret until then, you've got time."

"You should've prefaced with that!" Soren glared at Eric.

"Hey," Rosaleya gave Soren's shoulder a gentle squeeze, "he's trying his best."

"To stress you out?" Soren shot back, shrugging her hand off.

Rosaleya blinked a few times, momentarily at a loss for words.

"Why are you even defending him? He comes in here with this stupid-" Soren interrupted himself to take a deep breath. "-I'm sorry." He said to Rosaleya, then half-heartedly mumbled the phrase to Eric. "Everything's fine, I shouldn't get so worried." He closed his eyes to massage his temples.

Rosaleya picked up her demon bark tea to give herself time to think, and sipped the warm liquid. Why are you being such a huge jerk? He's like ten, and he just told you he's been helping the demons overthrow a king. Well, he's a demon, he could be older than that, but he looks like a little kid. Anyways, cut him some slack! "If this is stressing you out too much, I can just have Jade summarize it for you afterwards." Rosaleya offered. "I'm the one that invited you here, after all. Besides, you know I'm not going to make a huge decision like this on a whim, especially now that I know I've got a week to think about it."

"No, it's fine. I'm supposed to be here for you, aren't I?" Soren sighed, lowering his hands to put one around her shoulders.

'Supposed to be'? That sounds...really weird. But now isn't the time to be thinking about this. Eric's here, he's probably got tons of things to do after this, so we'd better keep this meeting moving! "Thank you." Rosaleya gave him the least awkward smile she could manage before turning back to Eric. "So, to establish some good things about this position, I know all the demons that will be in the meetings, right? No other positions have changed?"

"Nope." Eric confirmed, fidgeting awkwardly. It feels weird to just ignore what happened, but if they're ignoring it now, I'm sure they'll talk about it later, so it's none of my business!

Rosaleya re-read the note. "So, how will I be able to help people who call on Wrath? I don't have any special demonic powers of my own...and I can barely even do things normal demons can do like jumping." She sighed, feeling a tinge of embarrassment. "I can't help people like this...will being in his position give me some sort of power I didn't have before?"

"No, but if someone does summon you, you can always summon me, and we can work it out together. Since you'll become a representative, even temporarily, that also allows you to call for me for whatever you need." Eric assured. "Which..." He realized, "isn't too different from what you usually do."

Rosaleya laughed softly. "I remember all the terrible things you said about Wrath's representative before, and read about him in the demonic libraries...but I need to know, do you have any idea why he picked me?"

"None at all." Eric shrugged. "Maybe that's something you've got to discover for yourself. Or maybe he'll tell you when he retakes his position."

Rosaleya carefully folded the note back up again, and stared at the other two for a moment. "I'll read the rest later, and let you know if I have any more questions. For now, I need to be alone for a bit."

"I can help you decode those notes!" Soren offered.

"Jade should be awake by now." Rosaleya assured.

Soren's face fell, and he stared at his hands, resting on the table.

"Okay, then." Eric stood. "Please remember that the week you have will also be used to help you prepare for the position if you take it."

Rosaleya nodded, meeting Eric's eyes. "Thank you, Eric."

"Good luck." Eric leaned forward to bow, but stopped halfway, standing straight to nod instead. "I'll see you later."

"I'll see you out." Claudia stood, leading Eric to the door.

"See you later." Rosaleya said quietly to Soren, then swept the notes off the table, and jogged back to her room. As she closed the door, she heard a soft yawn behind her.

"Good evening, Rose." Jade stretched.

Rosaleya admired his picturesquely messy hair for a moment before replying, "Yeah, I want to think about that for a bit while I read the rest of these notes, but I wanted to read them with you. First I wanted to ask...Soren had a weird outburst, and I'm not sure what to do about it."

"Just tell him he was being a jerk. Maybe then you guys can have your first fight and you can see how it goes." Jade chuckled.

"But what if I make him mad by bringing that up?" Rosaleya thought of the time she'd nearly killed Leigh. "I haven't exactly had the best temper, either...and wouldn't expecting him to be perfect when he never said he would be...be asking for too much?"

"Rose, he's not your dad. He's not going to bring up every bad thing you've done when he's confronted. He'll probably laugh it off, and explain that something else was going on in his mind, then apologize again. And that would be a satisfying conclusion instead of just thinking about it, right?" Jade shrugged, gently taking the brown paper note from her hands to unfold. "Claudia's probably still busy with showing Eric out, Soren will probably be alone, so you can talk to him about it right now while I translate this chicken scratch. Then you can come back with a clear head for the real issue here."

"...Thank you, Jade." Rosaleya nodded, unable to find any holes in his logic. "If you finish that quickly, do these too so we can save time." She dropped the other two notes on the bed and left, locking the door behind her. As she made her way back to the kitchen, she turned the key over in her pocket, slowing to a stop when she heard Soren yelling. She couldn't quite make out what he was saying, so she crept a bit closer.

"...MESSING AROUND WITH THAT STUFF!" Soren yelled.

"Hush now, dear. You wouldn't want-" Claudia reasoned gently.

"-I don't CARE! WE'VE FINALLY GOT SOME PEACE AND SHE WANTS TO GO OFF-"

"She hasn't even accepted, yet."

"She was so excited she shut me out! She won't even let me in, but I bet you-"

Rosaleya turned to leave, not wanting to get caught eavesdropping. As much as I'd like to keep listening, he might storm out of here in a minute!

"-Shh!" Claudia hushed. Her tone turned overly sweet, and she called, "Rosaleya dear, it's impolite to eaves drop."

Rosaleya froze, tensing up as she felt her stomach turn. Wait! Maybe she's bluffing? She tried to continue walking away.

"You left the rest of your tea here, sunshine, I figured you'd be coming back for it." Claudia said patiently.

Rosaleya sighed, turning to enter the kitchen with her eyes to the floor in embarrassment. "Actually, I forgot all about the tea...I hoped you'd still be busy with Eric so that I could..." she paused, wondering if she should even bring it up now. Maybe he just needs time to cool down or...something.

"To what, darling?" Claudia approached her slowly, handing her the reheated tea.

Rosaleya held the cup to her chest. "Nevermind..."

Soren huffed. "...Well you clearly heard me, so let's just talk about it now."

"I don't think that's a good idea." Rosaleya mumbled. "You seem mad, so maybe we should wait until-"

"-Until you've made a decision, without me?" Soren pulled out a chair, gesturing for her to sit down.

Rosaleya looked from Soren's clenched jaw and the way his hand tensed as he gestured, to Claudia.

"Your first response is usually the correct one." Claudia met Rosaleya's eyes with a gentle expression. "You can handle this."

Rosaleya smiled as an incredibly serene feeling filled her chest, muffling her nerves a considerable amount. You really believe I'll make the right choice. It feels amazing, to have someone actually believe in me, for once. She turned to Soren, and sighed. "Soren, come by my room later when you're feeling calmer..." she remembered Jade's words. "...and like less of a jerk." She giggled, turning to leave. On the way out, she couldn't tell if she imagined Claudia chuckling softly, "Good choice."

"Yeah...maybe that wasn't the best choice for me right now..." Soren admitted.

"Why don't you go for a swim, or a walk to calm down, hmm?" Claudia suggested.

Rosaleya couldn't make out Soren's response as she turned the corner, grinning. I'm definitely going to talk more with her about this later, after I've read all those notes. And Jade was right, Soren was being a jerk. I'll do whatever the hell I want, why does he think I hated dad so much?!


The Next Morning

Rosaleya plated two beautiful, red, heart-shaped muffins, and poured herself a glass of milk before sitting at the kitchen table to eat them. The note beside the heart-shaped muffin display read:

Good morning, darling! I hope you slept well. If you need to talk about anything with me today, I'll be back in the evening since I've got some shopping to do. Good luck with everything, dear.

~ Claudia

"Hey." Soren sat across from her, waving somewhat awkwardly.

"Hey, jerk." Jade chuckled.

"...Hi." Rosaleya replied, focusing on her breakfast.

"...I'm really sorry about last night." Soren swallowed.

"Sure you are." Jade rolled his eyes. "Especially with that generalized apology."

"I wanted to apologize, but when I came to your room, you were already asleep." Soren explained.

"...What exactly are you sorry about?" Rosaleya glared at him. I may be pushing it, but like Jade said...he's not dad. And if I can't speak my mind with him...

"I shouldn't have yelled like that, or treated you so rudely, especially when you're trying to process all of this for yourself." Soren frowned. "I just got so frustrated when you shut me out, and since I couldn't talk to you about it, I kind of exploded when mom asked me what was wrong."

Jade crossed his arms.

"Yeah, my main worry about that," Rosaleya replied, "is that you're trying to get me not to go through with this. There's no danger in it, is there?"

"Oh, that's not it at all!" Soren assured, placing his hands on the table for her to take.

Rosaleya pointedly placed her palms down on her end of the table. "That's...what it sounded like to me." She tried to remember his words last night, but couldn't.

"No, I was just worried that when you said you needed to be alone, you were going to make the decision without me and block me out." Soren admitted. "That's happened to me before in past relationships, and I know that's not you, and it's got nothing to do with you. I just still have that worry."

"I get that. Sometimes I start worrying you or your mom will start acting like dad." Rosaleya agreed.

"Then why did you say," Jade imitated Soren's voice, "WE'VE FINALLY GOT SOME PEACE AND SHE WANTS TO GO OFF?"

Yeah! "But, I remember you saying," Rosaleya quoted Soren's words verbatim. "...and that sounds like you don't want me to do this at all."

"I'll expand on that then, now that we're talking." Soren nodded. "We've finally got some peace and quiet, away from Athena, from that moron in the mask, from Stephan, from everyone, and instead of growing closer, you're going off to make decisions on your own and shut me out."

"What's so wrong with making decisions on my own?" Rosaleya furrowed her brows.

"Nothing, Yin." Soren chuckled. "Relax, I know you're worried but that's not what I mean. I know that I have no pull whatsoever on your decisions, and I don't want that. I just want to be included in the decision making process, offer suggestions, and bring up counterpoints to help you think about things you might miss! And last night, that's just how I felt, and feelings are irrational, especially when we let them spiral or let our imaginations go crazy. The reality is that the final decision is all always up to you, and I just want to help you. Since we're a couple, we've got to share things like that, you know. That's what they do: you're no longer just you, making decisions alone, we're a team. And the same goes for when I want to make a decision, too."

"Then..." Rosaleya recalled how he hadn't told her about his Quidditch matches, and how he seemed to have completely forgotten handing her a list of spells he'd made himself. "...why does it feel like you exclude me from things a lot?"

"Not telling you about Quidditch was a mistake, I know that now. And I'm gradually working on opening up more to you as well. Just promise me you'll do the same?" Soren pleaded. "I don't want to be the only one working on things in this, I really want us to be a team."

"I had no idea you were feeling so left out." Rosaleya admitted. "I guess I was so busy trying to think about what was going on that I didn't consider that."

"Hey, I didn't consider that you'd need time to gather your thoughts before talking to me about it, but from now on I'll give you that time." Soren smiled. "So now we're both here, what did you find out?"

"Well," Rosaleya handed him the first note. "I've named the first note, 'Frosting Bag'. Apparently, those tiny scribbles on the sides are just useless edits of the original message. It's like the entire first draft of the message is splattered around the edges." She giggled. "Just be careful when you open it, it feels like it'll fall apart any second."

Soren looked it over, turning it to random angles, and even trying to read it upside down before declaring, "This is written by an SAWD - a Sugary Automatic Writing Donut. It's huge, and you eat half while thinking about the thoughts you want to get across. Then, you shake the other half onto the bag it came in, and the frosting forms the message neatly in the middle. Leave it to harden for a minute, and it's ready to go. Most of the time, demons stick it to a sturdier piece of paper for more support, or transfer the message to something else entirely. You can tell from the weird stiff phrasing, like someone's putting on a weird show - no one talks like this. Which means, there shouldn't be any sort of weird edited messages on the side."

"Really?" Rosaleya raised her eyebrows, gesturing for him to hand the note back. "Do the donuts ever mess up?"

"They could, if they're not made right, or not finished baking. They could also really screw up if the person's distracted or otherwise not in their right mind at the time." Soren explained.

"Well, that's something to go on, at least." Rosaleya shrugged. "I didn't even know those donuts were a thing."

"What's the next note about?" Soren asked.

"The next note looks pretty normal, so I nicknamed it 'To-Do List'. It's just a list of general advice, like, 'Wear one of the dresses Sloth gave you', 'Let Gluttony ask the dumb questions', and 'Don't make any deals with The Five'. Some of them, I already knew, some of them are new to me, but it's nice to get something easier to understand than that weird first note." Rosaleya handed it to him.

Soren glanced over it with a chuckle. "'Wear a different hat each meeting' seems pretty useless."

"Yeah, some of them are dumb." Rosaleya nodded.

"Are you still going to follow them?" Soren teased.

Rosaleya giggled. "The third note's from Eric, so I nicknamed it 'Eric's Parchment', and it's got a list of things I should do beforehand, like reading all the laws, asking the princes for their advice on things, pretty much a general to-do list on things I can do to get prepared."

"Who are you going to ask?" Soren smiled.

"Well, I think Celeste is cool so I'll ask her, Asmodeus is always nice with advice, Nova is really laid back so he's probably got an interesting mindset during the meetings, and then there's..." Rosaleya trailed off, realizing she'd be asking nearly everyone. "...The note says not to bother Malice since she's been working very hard, so it's basically everyone but Diana and Dante." In response to Soren's quizzical expression, she added, "He's kind of cranky so I wouldn't want to bother him for advice."

"Okay." Soren nodded, thinking for a moment. "Have you considered how big of a time-commitment this will become?"

There's that feeling again, like he's trying to convince me out of it. Am I imagining things, or is he actually? He keeps denying it, but he's got tons of negative questions about it...or is he just being analytical and trying to help me think of everything? "...Yes, but considering I don't exactly have a job, I think this will be a great opportunity for me!" I'll just have to prove it to him by letting him see how I truly feel about it! Rosaleya's eyes nearly sparkled with excitement. "Think about it, I've never had any plans with the way things were going, since I assumed I'd be working in the dress shop forever, but now that I've got options, there are so many things to try! It's why I've been trying to learn more and more, and since the demon realm is the best place to do anything you want, why not? Celeste and Dante have an art gallery, Asmodeus has businesses all over hell, Nova sells wishes...and in a place where the only thing you have to worry about is getting a soul, I just have to pick something I enjoy. No rent, because you'll get your own house - I still have to look into how to get one of those in the demon realm - no utilities or need to work...anything could be a job! If I like this, I can do it for as long as Wrath's busy, and in the meantime, I can figure out what I want to do for real!" She glanced down, realizing Soren's hands were still waiting for hers, and slowly reached out to them.

Soren smiled warmly, caressing her hands. "I can see how much all of this means to you. And, I'm sorry for underestimating how much you think about things beforehand. This is just a reminder that I can trust your decisions."

"Mhm!" Rosaleya nodded energetically. He gets it now...I think! "So, I'm going to edit these lists a bit today, add to them and get rid of the silly stuff - but of course I'll keep the original notes untouched just in case - and then I'll ask your mom if she's got any advice for me! What about you, do you have any?"

"Well, I'm not won over. I'll stay skeptical." Jade pouted.

"A good general rule is to find out what role the other demons in the court are playing, then find your own so you're bringing a fresh perspective to the meetings." Soren explained. "I read in the news that now, the meetings will be recorded and distributed for the public to hear, so part of the meetings is to also ask questions the audience will want answered. That's why 'Let Diana ask the dumb questions' makes sense."

"Okay, that makes sense! Do you think I should call an informal meeting between the demons to talk about everything at once?" Rosaleya shrugged.

"I think that would be a great idea." Soren agreed. "I already listened to the recordings from the first three meetings, and they weren't much to talk about, but listening to them, and holding that informal meeting, could really help you get a sense of what things will be like when the real meetings take place."

Rosaleya sighed. "I'm really glad we could talk this all out. I was worried for a second there that you'd really turn into dad. Or that you'd try to turn down the first big decision I'm making for myself. I just..." she felt silly saying it, but she pushed herself anyways, "...I feel nervous when you yell. He used to yell a lot, and I know anger is normal, but I can't help..."

"...How about this? I'll try my best to not yell about anything, and to talk to you before I start imagining crazy things on my own?" Soren suggested.

"I'd like that a lot." Rosaleya sighed in relief.

"Then that's what we'll do." Soren assured.



6 Days Later

Rosaleya craned her neck to gaze up at the towering demonic castle, which contrasted with her fairy-tale-like memory of it.

"It's alright," Soren assured, placing an arm around her tense shoulders. "you did all you could to be ready for this. And you're going to be mostly quiet anyways, right?"

"As much as I can." Rosaleya nodded, adjusting her dress for the second time in a minute. "I just remember the castle looking nicer..." She swallowed. I must be remembering it wrong... She aimed a nervous glance at her surroundings. "...Maybe we're too early?"

"It's better if we're early." Eric handed her a clipboard and quill. "If there's anything you're not sure about during the meeting, write it down so you can ask me or research it later."

"Right." Rosaleya nodded. "Thank you."

Soren gestured behind them, "Look, there they are now."

Rosaleya turned to see Celeste and Dante landing gently a little ways away, soon joined by Reign and Diana. She jumped when Nova appeared beside her with a loud pop. "Oh!" She gasped. "Hello, Greed."

"Hello, Wrath." Nova teased with a wink.

Rosaleya giggled, happy to be reminded that she'd mostly be amongst friends, despite the strange atmosphere.

"Good luck." Nova gave Rosaleya a quick half-hug, then turned to greet the other demons.

Rosaleya looked down to see a few pieces of four-leaf-clover-shaped confetti clinging to her dress. That's sweet... She smiled softly.

"I'll see you when you get out, okay?" Soren kissed Rosaleya on the forehead, then hugged her tightly. "I can't hang around here, so head over to the closest library when you're done. We'll go over the recording together and talk about anything you want!"

"Thanks, Soren." Rosaleya waved as he jumped away.

"Your dress is perfect." Reign smiled.

Rosaleya turned to him with raised eyebrows. "When you gave it to me, did you know...?"

"Maybe." Reign half shrugged.

"That's so kind of you, Reign!" Diana stopped clinging to his arm, trying to look more serious than usual.

"Face the doors." Celeste advised Rosaleya, nodding behind her.

Rosaleya spun to face the entrance as she heard Asmodeus land behind her, hastily greeting, "Good day, everyone!"

"We've got this." Jade held Rosaleya's hand, and she squeezed it tightly.