The Aftermath PV Finished Reopened

Coming home from Hogwarts had been no question. Of course Andrew would rather spend his summer with family and catching up with old friends! That Saturday afternoon had been spent riding skateboards with Cody and Elmer, the three of them playing video games at Elmer's house until sundown rolled in. A sleepover at Cody's was proposed at last minute, and after Elmer got permission from his dad, the three boys headed out onto the sidewalk. It was only a few blocks from Elmer's house to Cody's house (right across the street from Andrew's house), about a 10 minutes' brisk walk slash few paces jog (providing they take a shortcut across the park). They knew better not to dilly-dally with evening fast approaching, not to worry their parents counting down the clock in anticipation of the follow-up text that the six of them had arrived safely at Cody's house - the other three being Penelope (Andrew's pet rat), Zero (Elmer's black terrier mix) and Katie (Cody's Australian Shepherd). While Penelope snuggled into the hood of Andrew's backwards sweater, Zero and Katie trotted alongside on leashes. The two dogs were exhausted from keeping up with the boys on their skateboards, all in good exercise, and the boys were looking forward to another lap around town with the pooches (and Penelope) tomorrow.

There wasn't much activity in this part of the neighborhood, this time of evening. Especially not at the park - nearby to Andrew's old Muggle school, Hillstone Primary - which was a popular hangout for most students to romp around until their parents or other buses picked them up. Cutting across the playground, as the three boys often did to shave off a few minutes from their walk to and from Elmer's house, a lone figure caught their attention, and they halted in surprise. Moreso Andrew than his two Muggle friends, who were taken aback in shock.

It was a girl, in a long-sleeved dress that appeared too formal for everyday wear at a playground, ambling around disoriented and heavily bleeding from one arm. It was the blood that caught the boys off guard more than anything, particularly with the evening shadows that made the sight of a disheveled stranger all the more eerie and spine-tingling.

Andrew recognized her face instantly.

"Aurelia?" His eyes widened in alarm at seeing the older Gryffindor in such a beat up state.

"You know her?" Cody glanced at him.

"Yeah, she's from my school in Scotland." Memories of Hillstone Primary with him and Aurelia (and the Remembrall incident) were long past, faintly beyond his six-year old recollection. How Aurelia ended up here in London could be answered later. The more pressing matter, at the moment, was her arm. "Aurelia, what happened?" Andrew was the brave one among the trio to take a step forward towards the girl, his voice urgent with concern.

"Aurelia?" A voice that barely reached the lightheaded girl's ears. Aurelia? Aurelia. Yes, that was her name, she had registered, perhaps a tad bit longer than she would had the girl not been bleeding pints of blood from her arm.

Who would have thought that she would have come across someone who knew her of all places. As a one who spent time cooped up under the conservative protection of purebloods like her, Aurelia barely knew any muggles. But she would soon learn that the boy who called her was not a muggle but rather someone from school.

"Aurelia, what happened?" He has asked. At such a close proximity, Aurelia would have heard him clearly, but instead, his words seemed to fade in the distance. The boy, was shorter than her, a face she vaguely remembered, perhaps if she were not in the state she was now, her memory would be clearer and she would have had a better grasp on her thoughts that were now in turmoil in her lightheaded head.

Stay focused. She told herself. Stay focused. A task that was not as simple as she would think possible.

"I know you. You're from school. Slytherin." Instead of structured sentence, all she could manage were closer to bullet points. Her lack of enunciation, a light slurring of her words and lack of eye contact was a clear give away of her deteriorating health.

"Could you point me to the - the um - pharmacy pleas-" Those few words were the last the girl would remember as she crumpled onto ground, in front of the three boys who would soon have her fate in their hands.

The girl's Terrible Presence did nothing to encourage Andrew forward, only to keep him rooted at the spot in fear, about an armlength or two away from Aurelia when she collapsed to the ground rather suddenly, snapping the three boys out of their petrified state as they rushed over to check on her. Fortunately the lawn caught Aurelia's fall, earth and grass cushioning the impact, what might leave a few mild bruises but no broken bones, if ever she got up again, that was.

"She okay? She dying? She dead?" Cody's face paled as the boys huddled around Aurelia's crumpled form, though a quick pulse check and seeing the shallow rise and fall of her chest confirmed that she was still breathing on her own.

"Aurelia, wake up!" Andrew crouched down to give Aurelia's shoulders a light shake, and when that failed to earn a response, moved to her face to plant a few slaps across her cheeks, each one more firmly than the last. Ouch. Hopefully that wouldn't leave another bruise. He hated to pop the bubble of personal space and didn't want to touch or otherwise move Aurelia's body any more than he had to, but from what he had learned through intuition, having someone fall asleep from cold temperature or blood loss meant bad news… if Aurelia didn't come around soon.

"What do we do, call an ambulance?" Elmer whipped his head around and let out a frantic holler across the vastness of the empty park. "HELP! Someone!!"

"No, stop!" Andrew grabbed Elmer's pant leg just as the Muggle turned on his heels toward the nearest house, hissing for Elmer to shush.

"I'm getting help!" Elmer protested, in disbelief that Andrew would try to stop him from saving the girl's life, as he attempted to shake his leg free of Andrew's grasp.

"No!" Andrew clung tightly to the fabric, desperation filling his tone, enough to halt Elmer from taking off when Andrew finally released his hold. Oh, Merlin, how was he ever going to explain this?

"Then call an ambulance!" Elmer replied in frustration. "Cops or something!"

"No!" Did she say…? Oh, Merlin, she did. The wave of dread started to sink in, realizing that Aurelia had said one of the big "no-no" words in public. Nothing to worry about. Andrew's heart pounded, praying that Cody and Elmer wouldn't bring it up, if they had even caught the word between Aurelia's slurred speech. Gibberish, he assured himself; the only way he'd be able to play it off as, if Cody and Elmer inquired. It's all gibberish to them.

"We gotta get her to a hospital!" Cody pressed urgently.

"No, we–!" Andrew hesitated.

We can't. He was torn, terrified of being punished for breaking some Wizarding Secrecy rule, but even more terrified of being held responsible for a death he could have prevented. He knew Aurelia was a pure-blood, and had his doubts that her family would be very much appreciative of him bringing Aurelia to a Muggle hospital, even without his sneaking suspicion that Aurelia's bleeding arm might not be of "natural" causes. If only he had his wand on him, and some potion ingredients… Maybe he could do something? The Knight Bus, he knew how to summon, but… Were there even such a thing as magical ambulances? How was he supposed to get Aurelia to St. Mungo's while she was unconscious? Should he Floo himself to the Leaky Cauldron and ask for help? But that would require making sure Cody and Elmer weren't around and then coming up with explanations for his disappearance!

Just hang in there, Aurelia.

"Take her to my place," Andrew finished his cut-off statement with barely a second's pause, nodding at Cody and Elmer with an air of calm certainty. "We'll call an ambulance at my place." His hands fumbled for his cell phone and shortly dialed his parents, along with some secret code-word texts that he and his family had invented to keep any wizarding related matters low key and discreet.

The boys did their best to soak up the blood with their sweaters and wrap up Aurelia's arm, Cody and Elmer staying with her while Andrew headed for the parking lot as the Vances' blue minivan pulled up, a couple of minutes later. His mother was working overnight, and his siblings had been left behind at the house, Andrew soon found out, when it was only his father that exited the vehicle, exchanging some private words with each other as Andrew led his father back to where Aurelia was lying.

At least they had an adult with them, now. Even though his father was a Muggle too, Andrew felt greater confidence and comfort in having a member of his support team around, knowing he didn't have to bear those Secrets alone. The assurance of an ambulance was only to put his oblivious friends at ease, but far be it from Andrew's and Mr. Vance's intentions to make true on that claim in taking Aurelia to a Muggle hospital, if they could help it. If the makeshift sweater-bandage did its job in slowing the bleeding, or if the shock from blood loss wore off, perhaps they might get some words out of Aurelia yet, if she came to.

Even as the girl was sprawled on the ground, unresponsive to the frantic boys crowded around her, the terrible aura seeped from her pores and collected in the surrounding air like a layer of thick fog. A defence mechanism perhaps to deter every soul away from her whilst she laid vulnerable on a ground in an area she was not too familiar with. It was clear that Aurelia needed help, but she would never trust her on well-being onto the hands of these boys whom she barely knew and especially not a muggles.

She was losing blood, a lot, yet her consciousness fought to stay afloat and take control of the wheel of an already sinking ship. For only a few seconds, her eyes would flutter open, her surroundings were all but a blur, glossed and foggy. She would be met with the sight of the young Slytherin once again. Mustering the remaining strength she had, the girl would reach out, grabbing the boy's arm as her pale lips moved, "help me" she had mouthed, barely audible.

The state of her fading consciousness aid with the pain on her arm, no longer burning but now a dull throb. Aurelia barely knew Andrew, their encounters were little, but he was the only one in this situation that she had to put her trust in. He was a wizard, and she truly hoped that he was aware of the customs. The exhaustion was overwhelming, and it soon rendered her unconscious.

He caught the whisper of words from her lips, or at least was able to mouth-read them, before Aurelia slipped into unconsciousness once more. Either way, there was a sense of mutual understanding that gave Andrew the assurance he needed, that he was making the right decision for Aurelia. There would be no taking this girl to a hospital, and he was grateful that his father got the hint.

As gently as he could, all the while rushing briskly to save her, Mr. Vance lifted Aurelia and carried her to the van, and the rest of the boys and their dogs (and rat) piled in. Andrew didn't bother to put on his seatbelt, and his dad didn't care to remind him as he got behind the wheel and sped off, Andrew's lap cradling Aurelia's head where she lied in the folded back seat area of the van, careful to prevent her from jostling too much.

« Vance family house »

Stacy and Kyle were standing at the ready, munching on their bowl of popcorn interrupted from movie night, once the entourage came barging through the door. A frantic scramble for first aid kits immediately ensued, and blankets pulled down from the closet were layered on one of the living room couches (made of wipeable leather, to catch all the blood spills) for Aurelia to recover. Switching on the bright lights, the Vances got to work on cleaning and disinfecting the wounds (as best as they could make do with Muggle medicine), which fortunately weren't as bad as the amount of blood made them look. The flow of crimson seemed to be stopped with the right compression of bandaging and gauze. All the while, Andrew was able to get a closer inspection at Aurelia's wounds under proper lighting, and there were little off details that nagged his suspicions. The pattern of the wounds, the unusual discoloration… An enthusiast of Magical Creatures, he worshiped Newt Scamander's Fantastic Beasts and had other books on the subject dedicated to memory, in anticipation for one of his third year electives. Andrew had a hunch that whatever the cause of Aurelia's injuries, it wasn't due to ordinary circumstances. He doubted someone from a conservative pure-blood family like Aurelia would be allowed to walk by herself in Muggle public for no reason.

He couldn't leave Aurelia's side, not without getting answers from her, and making sure she would get home safely. How was he supposed to reach her parents? Andrew felt too unsettled to want to leave his family alone with a witch that had been the victim of an attack. If anything happened, he'd have to be the wizard of the house to protect his family and be there for Aurelia, if she needed anything else from him.

"We can have a sleepover here…" Elmer proposed, not letting Andrew's decision to remain home ruin the boys' sleepover, though secretly, Elmer's and Cody's shy glances betrayed…who wouldn't want to stick around with an attractive damsel in distress?

"Cool, everyone for movie night!" Kyle whooped in his pajamas. "We'll make more popcorn!"

Elmer and Cody would leave to station their dogs at Cody's house across the street, granting a moment of privacy for any wizarding matters to be discussed concerning Aurelia's welfare. Andrew, his father and siblings would linger in the living room to keep a close watch on their guest. Stacy would set the kettle on the stove, preparing a choice of tea and hot chocolate to help soothe the nerves, as the shock of the event wore off.

Within the span of time she was transported from the vehicle to Andrew's home, Aurelia would remain unconscious and oblivious to what ever that was going on. Granted, these strangers had took very good care of her whilst she was asleep, not that Aurelia would ever know how. Eventually, the fourteen year old would stir awake, her eyes would flutter open and she would assess her surroundings, still in a slight daze. She would find herself on a leather couch, warm blankets over her and her doxy-mauled arm was well bandaged. The once blood-stained arm was now clear and clean.

There was the whistle of a kettle in a distance. With her good arm, Aurelia would prop herself up. At the sight of the unfamiliar faces, subconsciously, her aura would seep from her pored and diffuse around her like a cloud of fog, the presence now much prominent that it had been when she was unconscious. Not that Aurelia herself was aware of it, now that she was awake, this unsettling sensation would radiate from her entire being.

Finally, after a look around, Aurelia assumed that she was in a muggle home. Her family would never approve. Not that they would ever know. An over protective Thellea Bezuidenhout, her mother had always told her that muggles were dangerous, of course, young Aurelia believed so, but over the years, she had matured. Although it was clear that these muggles had helped her she still had to be wary. The expression on her face would give it all, the light furrow of her brows and the tad bit of fear and concerned that formed in those strong yet alluring pair of blue eyes.

Those eyes would soon find Andrew's greens, the only person she knew. "Where am I?" she would utter. But before Aurelia would receive an answer, she would speak again this time in such a hurry that her words came out almost inaudibly, "I have to take my leave. Mother would never approve of my presence in a home of muggles." Her speech was definitely one too formal and her accent crisp and proper. The girl would then try to stand, but would soon realise that it was not a very good idea given the amount of blood she had just lost. She would stumble a few steps. Andrew's parent would likely realise that Aurelia was not in any condition to be discharged out of the Vance's care yet.

Aachee. A sneeze would then follow all of a sudden, then another. Aurelia knew the feeling all too well. Her eyes would begin to water, the Vances around her might interpret such a portrayal of emotion as a result of stress and anxiety, but from the high pitch sneezes, the tears would be discerned to be from another cause. For the past year, Aurelia had been living with roommate with a pet cat, by now, she should have developed a tolerance, but that would not be the case. She was still terribly allergic. The more the reason for her to leave.

Seeing Aurelia finally come to was a relief for everyone present. Andrew especially, who sat in a chair closest to where Aurelia was lying. "Hey, Aurelia," he greeted softly and upturned a small smile, when he noticed Aurelia open her eyes. He studied her reaction closely when he said her name. Any sign of disorientation or memory loss would have been alarming, but at least she was coherent enough to speak.

"She awake?" Andrew's father called from the dining area, overhearing Andrew's voice.

"Yeah." Before he could respond next to Aurelia's question, she had stood up abruptly, too fast for Andrew to stop her as Aurelia stumbled in haste to find her way out, in the direction towards the dining and kitchen areas, where the front entrance hallway wasn't too far off, but still hidden around the corner.

Mr. Vance had walked over from the dining room to check on Aurelia's status, nearly bumping into the girl as she stumbled forward, catching Aurelia with his dad reflexes and stabilizing her by the arms to prevent her from collapsing to the floor entirely.

"Steady. Lie down." The man's voice was gentle but firm, having mastered patience in rearing three children at home while his wife worked long hours away. He began half walking, half lifting the fragile Aurelia back to the couch. "We'll get your guardian to pick you up here, or we'll escort you. It's nearly dark, you're not going out there alone," he warned.

"You're at my house. Our house. Still in London." Andrew wanted to get to the heart of what was ultimately important, and that was restoring the balance, getting Aurelia home and making arrangements for it, before Elmer and Cody returned. "How do we call your parents, let them know you're here? Or, where do we take you, drop you off, then?"

Wasn't long before Aurelia started sneezing. Andrew didn't know if it was a side reaction of her injuries or if she had gotten sick. Unbeknownst to him at first to the issue of cat allergies, indeed, Duchess and Princess were prominent fixtures in the Vance household. Both had been dozing in their beds next to the fireplace not ten feet away from Aurelia's couch before the entourage appeared, shattering the peace and startling the cats from sleep. Princess, ever the shier one, had darted up the stairwell to hide in Kyle's bedroom loft as usual. But Duchess, normally the braver and more social one to nuzzle up to strangers, had also been off-put by Aurelia's presence and slunk away nervously to hide in the laundry room.

"Here, maybe some fresh air will do the trick. Andy, Kyle, put the cushions out, will you?" Mr. Vance would help carry Aurelia to the backyard porch, when it became clear her allergies weren't about to ease up inside the house. The two boys would head over to one of the storage closets beside the house, hauling back mattresses and pillows for Aurelia to make herself comfortable on the outdoor sofa. A clean woolen blanket would insulate her pale skin against the faint chill of a breeze, rustling the leaves and windchimes on a warm summer evening.

"Care for some tea? Or hot chocolate?" Stacy would offer Aurelia, having prepared herself a mug of Earl Grey, four hot chocolates with heaps of marshmallows for the boys, and a blend of jasmine and chamomile for Mr. Vance.

"And um…maybe a new dress? Or pajamas? Clean clothes, if you need." The sixteen-year old was trying her best to be friendly, but at the same time, careful to not be too overbearing with her presence, considering Aurelia seemed to be wary of everyone except Andrew - only putting her guard down slightly for him, at least. Stacy didn't want to hinder any conversation between the two, as much as she was awestruck by having a second magical person in the house, struggling to refrain herself from asking Aurelia too many questions about Hogwarts and the wizarding world.

"Or…isn't there a spell you could do to fix it? Clean it up?" Stacy's eyes lit up at the thought of seeing more magic.

"Not supposed to use magic outside of school," Andrew reminded with an uneasy glance. His sister very well knew the rules (though if she were born magical, undoubtedly Sorted into Gryffindor, Stacy wouldn't have been deterred by rules so easily). "Though I suppose Scourgify and Reparo could do it." The Trace would isolate any underage magic coming from a Muggle house, however. Andrew wasn't about to risk himself getting into trouble over a dress.

Mr Vance's fingers would close around her shoulders, slowing the momentum of the fall. The room was still slightly spinning, Aurelia was clearly still disoriented from the loss of blood. If she were in st.mungos, a blood-replenishing potion would have been administered to her and brought her back to optimal health, however, she was not in a hospital running through a magical medium, she was in the house of a muggle. Even if magical treatment was near given that she was in London Aurelia could not afford to make a visit, it was not that she did not have the funds to but rather the fear that her parents would be notified about her whereabouts.

Staring up at the man, Aurelia replied timidly with her voice hushed, "My Parents aren't in London. I doubt they can be reached with an ordinary muggle call, an owl possibly." Could she trust this man? He seemed nice enough moreover, had bandaged her injured arm. Aurelia shifted, her hand would snake down the collar of her dress and shortly emerge back up with a wad of rolled up cash in between her fingers. It was very much odd that a fourteen year old would have such a large sum of money kept down in her cleavage, but carrying a purse would just not have worked with the extermination of a nest of doxies. "I was given instructions to find a place to stay for the night. Grandmother would then collect me at dawn."

In a fit of sneezes, Aurelia found herself lifted from the ground, the movement unsettling slightly. She was being carried by a stranger, but she was only in the man's arms for a short while as she would be lowered down again, this time on another sofa. With the fresh air, her irritated nose cleared. Andrew and another younger boy came forth with cushions in their grasps that they placed beside her. A warm blanket would be draped around her. Aurelia would mutter a thank you to the two boys. They were too hospitable. If such were to happen in a pureblood household, the preparations would rarely be done by the children but rather the houselves.

But for once in a very long time, Aurelia genuinely felt cared for. Her own family was not a very affectionate one. Somehow, she felt safe enough not to ease her own worries, poise and usual paranoia, something that she would never feel even with her own family. Her train of thought was interrupted by a girl who seemed older, who offered her clothes and drinks. Aurelia gaze lowered to inspect her bloodied dress. A change of clothes were necessary. "Any would suffice, thank you." she said with a polite smile on her face.

It was true what Andrew claimed. If only Aurelia had her wand, she could have cleaned her dress. But she didn't. Her grandmother thought it her wand was not necessary for her mission, the result was a successfully exterminated nest and a wounded young teenager. "If only I had my wand with me, I could demonstrate a few spells. But like Andrew said, I might end up in grave trouble if I do." She explained.

Aurelia now turned to Mr. Vance before speaking. "I really do appreciate your hospitality. But it is not in my wishes to trouble you and your family any further. I should take my leave. "

Mr. Vance huffed lightly, almost a scoff in disappointment, which Andrew caught in the glance directed towards him. "No owls around here, unless if you could summon one," he replied to Aurelia. The man didn't understand the logic behind owls. His world and occupation revolved around computers and technology. Such a slow, archaic way of communication was beyond him. Even to Andrew, at times. After all, if wizards could "poof" themselves via fireplace to faraway locations, why not implement a Floo system for mail?

The wad of cash drew surprised stares from the family, but Mr. Vance - in closest proximity to Aurelia at the time - quickly masked his embarrassment, denying the notion of payment with a sheepish smile. "No no, you keep that with you. Or -um- let's keep this in here, for now." Rather than have Aurelia stow it back where it came from, Mr. Vance would slip the money into one of Aurelia's shoes (whether they were on her or removed for her feet to be more comfortable as she settled on the couch).

"We do have the Floo connected to our house," Andrew spoke up, uncertain about the idea. "If you wanna go to the Leaky Cauldron, you can, " he suggested to Aurelia. It seemed like the most logical arrangement. The inn would give Aurelia access to magical treatment, and a much needed owl to her family. Better than having the pure-blood be picked up at a Muggle's house. She'd probably sleep much more comfortably at the inn, too.

Her disappearance might be sudden, but Andrew was fairly confident he and his family could stretch out some excuse for Elmer and Cody not to pry about it too much.

Mr. Vance nodded in understanding. "You can stay as long as you like until you're well," he assured Aurelia. "You're also free to leave as you wish. So long as it's not through any door or window of this house. Or the yard." Implying that there was only one option of escape if Aurelia desired to at this time of evening, which was the living room fireplace, though Mr. Vance's resigning smirk conceded that he couldn't hold the teen against her will, if she insisted otherwise.