31 Dec 2022, 19:40
Unhopeful.
| ─────────────── | ⬐ TRIGGER WARNING ⬎ ──────────────────────────
────────────────────────── |
─────────────── |
31st December 2022.
After what occurred at the ball and in particular subsequent, the 17-year-old wasn't feeling well; she was feeling extraordinarily terrible. In her despair, that thing in her chest bled away in tears that streamed till her eyes were puffy and dry. A glossy bottle of expensive red that she scavenged from the cellar would do to slow and muddle the thoughts in her head, if only temporarily, it provided some relief to soothe the aching. Transcended with the excessive amount of sleep her body craved in an attempt to pass the now torturous time that was her winter break, Aurelia could only continue this for so long before she had to return to school inevitably. God help her.
The Bezuidenhout Manor where she remained, was dark and eerily silent at this time of night. Although she was expected to be about halfway across the world staying with the Zuheirs at their American residence, Aurelia had instead been home ever since the visit to Virtanen's in Finland. While she would have stayed in the near-abandoned Notresvace property in the north of France, it was far too cold at this time. With her parents busy with travels for business, she had the whole place to herself to drown away in her dread and sorrows.
Until today. Just hours before the New Year's Eve, she heard them. The noisy patter of footsteps across the corridor stirred the girl from where she lay in a near-drunken stupor on the carpet of her bedroom. Shit. They weren't supposed to return till after the New Year, but then again, nor was she. Even with her rather inebriated mind, she knew she was in no condition to apparate away or turn an owl in this state. However, the mirth echoing in the hallways from behind the doors compelled her to attention. While the familiar deep guffaw belonged to her father, the high-pitched laughter, a sound mingling between a cackle and giggle, was not her Mother's.
That itself was adequate enough to piece two and two together had her head been clearer. Unfortunately, on this very day, it wasn't. Once Aurelia heard the firm shut, she would leave the safe confines of her own chamber, ambling silently on the balls of her bare feet towards her parents' across the hall. There was an idiom, curiosity killed the cat. Eyes wide, and a hand clasped over her mouth in disbelief: Mother was not the woman her Father was with behind those doors.
For longer than it was necessary, she listened against the egress of the room. Like torment, the sounds filled her head until she had enough, scurrying back to her room in a dither where she stayed. Angry, confused and agitated. The bottle of red was in her hands, she brought it to her lips once again. If only she had the right potion at her disposal, the adolescent witch could truly forget what she had just stumbled upon. In the darkness of her room, minutes had gone by when shadows passed under her door as the two adults crossed the hall.
If she could have thought more rationally, she would have just remained, to stay put. But her own curiosity, paired with the befuddlement of her own mind, would get the best of her. Peeking from a door ajar, she watched as they descended the stairs overlooking the living area below. Taking with her the bottle of red, Aurelia would leave her room. She settled on the cold marble steps of the grand staircase hiding behind the bannisters where she spied.
They were coddled on the couch, sipping on the glass of champagne in their hands, oblivious to the presence of the child above them. The lady in his company was undeniably attractive, with straight blond hair and a youthfulness to her visage. Edvard's arm was around her slim shoulders as they conversed. In a flirtatious giggle, the woman shifted to whisper something against his ear which he burst out in a hearty laugh and a bright smile beaming on his face. Aurelia had never seen him appear so happy, at least not in a while. Then they leaned in into a passionate kiss.
The emotions she thought she drowned with booze rose to the surface and set her heart in that dreaded ache once again. Please, make it stop. Lips trembled as the stinging moisture welled in her eyes, and her face buried in her palms as tears flowed. Her body shook in silent sobs of grief and despair at a realisation that hit hard and heavy: Edvard Bezuidenhout, her father, was just like her. They were the same - the sins they shared were the same. Aurelia Notresvace was unfaithful.
@june selwyn | @monica evans | @phaedra stavrou
|
“One can never be too careful,” STM — 5 | EVA — 19 | STR — 5 | WSD — 12 | ARC — 5 | ACC — 9 |
Lovely Creature — Evasive Manoeuvres — Monster Hunter — Terrible Presence
2 Jan 2023, 19:46
Unhopeful.
To think of him terrible for this covetous transgression would only denote her own hypocrisy. Witnessing the vice of the great man and benevolent parent she only ever known him to be, to have curated many of her fondest memories with, was heart-wrenchingly agonising. Through the eyes of a daughter he nurtured up so tenderly, she couldn't see less of her father but only of herself for her own immorality. In her own lamenting experience of love, Aurelia was a terrible human being. A terrible fiance, she was a terrible girlfriend and a terrible ex. This was who she was, and she abhorred herself for it.
As her hands trembled, each breath she inhaled was barely gratifying, hyperventilating for the air she so desperately needed as if it weren't already sufficient around her. The faint sound from a distance, a woosh all too familiar to her ears, signalled an apparition. Head lifted from her palms, finally a grounding distraction to draw her away from the pain that racked in her chest. Eyes bloodshot, she glanced down in between the banisters to see another man emerge. Hair in dark mahogany, a chiselled face and those expressive eyes that twisted with emotions at what he'd witnessed.
The couple separated as if a revulsion spell had been cast on them, leaving the couch. Just like a deer caught in headlights, the woman stared at the newcomer. “Phin, w-why are you here?” She asked, avoiding his gaze all the more guiltily. It was familiar, finding fault in someone else in defence of one's own mistake. It wasn't above herself to do the same. The man managed to appear calm, impressively so, “How long?” Silence hung for a moment, which Aurelia took to nurse on the bottle of liquor again. The woman was at a loss for words, glancing in the direction which Edvard stood a distance away, then back at the man.
He took a step forward, the agitation growing in his voice despite the outward appearance to remain collected in his demeanour, “Damn it, Louise, how long?” Aurelia wanted to know too: long had this been going on with her Father? However, hearing the answer would only bring back tears to brim over as her hand clasped over her mouth. “Since the beginning of the year.” Twelve months. It was longer than her own. Why had she been so oblivious, how had she never noticed until this very evening? The man would look away as the realisation hit, painfully so, just as Aurelia was.
“We visited in Summer, you knew. The both of you.” Then his burning gaze settled on Edvard with rage simmering. Edvard replied calmly, all without an ounce of penitence in his voice, “We did.” A response that appeared only to make Phin's patience wear thin and his anger to grow exponentially. Spying from above, Aurelia could see the man's fists tighten around his wand. In Gryffindor's chivalry, Aurelia would not see her Father hurt, no matter the extent of his misdeeds unearthed today. Slowly down the steps, she traipsed unsteadily, clinging on tightly against the railings.
Unbrushed for days, her hair was in a tangle. With dark circles under puffy, bloodshot eyes and cheeks stained with tears, Aurelia was a mess. “No, Phiny, sir.” In a drunken slurry, she announced her presence, summoning the attention of the three unsuspecting adults in the midst of their tense exchange. The bottle gripped by the nose in her hand was a telltale sign of her state of mind. “Don't you speak to my Father that way.” The short girl moved to stand an arm's length right in front of the man, a bold move.
Then she felt hands rest tenderly on her shoulders. "Lys," Her mind was in shambles as she mumbled. “Lia... you're not supposed to be here.” The voice behind belonged not to who her intemperate head had thought it to be, but her Father's. Of course, it was. His tone was both apologetic and mortified. “No,” Aurelia snapped, moving away from his touch with a step to the side and turning around to face him. “I know how to fucking apparate, Pa. I'm not a child.” The agitation was erratic and uncalled for as she swiped his hand away. In the silence, the looks they gave were of mortification, disbelief and guilt, the adolescent child had heard and witnessed it all.
However, now that she wasn't up the top of the stairs, she had a closer view of both their faces and not just the tops of their heads, they were familiar, she'd seen them before. In the month of June, coming over for dinner. “I've seen you two. Selwyn, was it?” Her fingers danced in a wiggle as she gestured to them. The man, Phin, let out a defeated sigh, turning to the woman. “This isn’t the place to talk about this.” His voice was angry yet low in an effort to maintain his cool. “I’m going home to our daughter, Louise. We will talk about this there.”
Before the man could flick his wand to apparate off, the girl would stop him. “Wait, wait.” A finger extended, she'd point to the clock hanging in display across the living room, high above the main fireplace. The minute hand was past 2, but the hour was right on 12.“Look, it's the New Year! Happy blessed fucking new year, Pa, and to the both of you.” Unhinged, she laughed, a sound that only replicated the joy and happiness that she was emptied of. Until the tears streamed again, and the girl broke out in a broken sob. What a great way to start the new year.
A sympathetic look of apology the man gave her before he apparated off without another word. Louise remained, no doubt feeling awful for the distress of the child in front of her, yet she would pull Edvard into a long embrace, a hug. It was a gesture Edvard did not reciprocate, not in front of his own daughter. After all that she had seen, Aurelia simmered, eyes narrowing darkly at the woman and her wretched presence reeking. The blondie would have felt it, certainly. “I have to go,” She said, and with that, apparated off with the flick of her wand.
Now alone with her Father. Surely, she was in trouble for her behaviour, she expected it. Raised in an aristocratic pureblood household, she had always been perfect, this was too far. "I'm really sorry." She sniffed, her gaze fell on the ground apologetically as she rubbed her arms folded. Aurelia was terrible.
-----------------------------------
PHINEHAS 374a5c
LOUISE 586336
EDVARD 542d2d
dialogue between dnpcs was discussed with june selwyn
As her hands trembled, each breath she inhaled was barely gratifying, hyperventilating for the air she so desperately needed as if it weren't already sufficient around her. The faint sound from a distance, a woosh all too familiar to her ears, signalled an apparition. Head lifted from her palms, finally a grounding distraction to draw her away from the pain that racked in her chest. Eyes bloodshot, she glanced down in between the banisters to see another man emerge. Hair in dark mahogany, a chiselled face and those expressive eyes that twisted with emotions at what he'd witnessed.
The couple separated as if a revulsion spell had been cast on them, leaving the couch. Just like a deer caught in headlights, the woman stared at the newcomer. “Phin, w-why are you here?” She asked, avoiding his gaze all the more guiltily. It was familiar, finding fault in someone else in defence of one's own mistake. It wasn't above herself to do the same. The man managed to appear calm, impressively so, “How long?” Silence hung for a moment, which Aurelia took to nurse on the bottle of liquor again. The woman was at a loss for words, glancing in the direction which Edvard stood a distance away, then back at the man.
He took a step forward, the agitation growing in his voice despite the outward appearance to remain collected in his demeanour, “Damn it, Louise, how long?” Aurelia wanted to know too: long had this been going on with her Father? However, hearing the answer would only bring back tears to brim over as her hand clasped over her mouth. “Since the beginning of the year.” Twelve months. It was longer than her own. Why had she been so oblivious, how had she never noticed until this very evening? The man would look away as the realisation hit, painfully so, just as Aurelia was.
“We visited in Summer, you knew. The both of you.” Then his burning gaze settled on Edvard with rage simmering. Edvard replied calmly, all without an ounce of penitence in his voice, “We did.” A response that appeared only to make Phin's patience wear thin and his anger to grow exponentially. Spying from above, Aurelia could see the man's fists tighten around his wand. In Gryffindor's chivalry, Aurelia would not see her Father hurt, no matter the extent of his misdeeds unearthed today. Slowly down the steps, she traipsed unsteadily, clinging on tightly against the railings.
Unbrushed for days, her hair was in a tangle. With dark circles under puffy, bloodshot eyes and cheeks stained with tears, Aurelia was a mess. “No, Phiny, sir.” In a drunken slurry, she announced her presence, summoning the attention of the three unsuspecting adults in the midst of their tense exchange. The bottle gripped by the nose in her hand was a telltale sign of her state of mind. “Don't you speak to my Father that way.” The short girl moved to stand an arm's length right in front of the man, a bold move.
Then she felt hands rest tenderly on her shoulders. "Lys," Her mind was in shambles as she mumbled. “Lia... you're not supposed to be here.” The voice behind belonged not to who her intemperate head had thought it to be, but her Father's. Of course, it was. His tone was both apologetic and mortified. “No,” Aurelia snapped, moving away from his touch with a step to the side and turning around to face him. “I know how to fucking apparate, Pa. I'm not a child.” The agitation was erratic and uncalled for as she swiped his hand away. In the silence, the looks they gave were of mortification, disbelief and guilt, the adolescent child had heard and witnessed it all.
However, now that she wasn't up the top of the stairs, she had a closer view of both their faces and not just the tops of their heads, they were familiar, she'd seen them before. In the month of June, coming over for dinner. “I've seen you two. Selwyn, was it?” Her fingers danced in a wiggle as she gestured to them. The man, Phin, let out a defeated sigh, turning to the woman. “This isn’t the place to talk about this.” His voice was angry yet low in an effort to maintain his cool. “I’m going home to our daughter, Louise. We will talk about this there.”
Before the man could flick his wand to apparate off, the girl would stop him. “Wait, wait.” A finger extended, she'd point to the clock hanging in display across the living room, high above the main fireplace. The minute hand was past 2, but the hour was right on 12.“Look, it's the New Year! Happy blessed fucking new year, Pa, and to the both of you.” Unhinged, she laughed, a sound that only replicated the joy and happiness that she was emptied of. Until the tears streamed again, and the girl broke out in a broken sob. What a great way to start the new year.
A sympathetic look of apology the man gave her before he apparated off without another word. Louise remained, no doubt feeling awful for the distress of the child in front of her, yet she would pull Edvard into a long embrace, a hug. It was a gesture Edvard did not reciprocate, not in front of his own daughter. After all that she had seen, Aurelia simmered, eyes narrowing darkly at the woman and her wretched presence reeking. The blondie would have felt it, certainly. “I have to go,” She said, and with that, apparated off with the flick of her wand.
Now alone with her Father. Surely, she was in trouble for her behaviour, she expected it. Raised in an aristocratic pureblood household, she had always been perfect, this was too far. "I'm really sorry." She sniffed, her gaze fell on the ground apologetically as she rubbed her arms folded. Aurelia was terrible.
-----------------------------------
PHINEHAS 374a5c
LOUISE 586336
EDVARD 542d2d
dialogue between dnpcs was discussed with june selwyn
|
“One can never be too careful,” STM — 5 | EVA — 19 | STR — 5 | WSD — 12 | ARC — 5 | ACC — 9 |
Lovely Creature — Evasive Manoeuvres — Monster Hunter — Terrible Presence
11 Mar 2023, 13:03
Unhopeful.
There was a moment of short-lived silence between them. Her gaze remained on the ground, unable to look her father in the eye. As certain as she was that his were filled with depreciating disappointment at her behaviour, she did not want to believe that this philandering man in front of her was the same man she called 'pa'. "Look at me, Aurelia." Her name was uttered almost solemnly. As Edvard took a step forwards with his arms outstretched, she took a step backwards, maintaining the distance.
"Lia, please. You're not in trouble - I'm sorry you had to see that." Aurelia merely shook her head in response. She had defended him against Phin for his own adulterous vice and the hardest realisation to swallow was that she was just like him. "No, you don't understand," She mumbled with desperation mingled with sheer vexation. For all this time that her own father was with that pretty blonde woman, Aurelia kept a secret of her own. Just as unchaste as that woman was, simply for it all to fall into ruins and her heart with it.
It brought tears to her eyes, realising how terrible she was and now to hate him for it. To hate herself for it - the anger, despair and self-loathing. Overwhelmingly so, she felt sick to her stomach. Then without so much as a warning, its contents were regurgitated in a gruesome reddish mess at Edvard's feet, soaking the carpet pink that reeked of acrid wine. Despite how disgusting it was and her grousing that followed, hurling it all out made her feel a whole lot better.
"You had enough for today, and we'll talk tomorrow. Come on, you need rest, sweetheart." Edvard moved to acquire the glossy glass bottle in her grip. Before he could, swiftly from her side she would pull out her wand. Her thoughts were clouded with anything but rationale with how much she had to drink. Apparate! The destination? Well, Aurelia wasn't quite in the capacity of mind to visualise anywhere. Alcohol and apparition: a recipe for disaster.
With a whoosh, she would find herself losing her balance on top of the staircase above where she was a second ago. A knee hit the edge of a step hard while a chunk of flesh from her left hand stubbornly remained splinched on the ground floor. The glass bottle flew from her grip, shattering down the steps. The ditzy brunette let out quite a curdling shriek at the pain and chaos that ensued. "Aurelia?!" Alarmed, Edvard called from downstairs, sprinting up to find his daughter clutching onto a bloody hand.
The Gryffindor let out a long, dragged-out whine akin to that of a child. "I splinched. Fuck this. Fuck that. Fuck this stupid wand." She sobbed quite dramatically in a drunken stupor. Edvard approached the 17-year-old sulking on the steps, kneeling down and gently taking her bleeding hand. With the wave of his wand and incantation, the gnarly wound was amended up in a second. "Pa," Face tear-stained and eyes bloodshot, she finally looked up to her father. "Why am I like this?"
The man sighed. Dismayed. "Let's get you to bed, golden girl." He'd scooped her up effortlessly. Aurelia was perhaps too intoxicated and exhausted to protest and let herself be carried away across the hall to her room, where he set her down on the bed. "That Louise - she is pretty. Do you love her?" A question she mumbled as Edvard pulled the quilt over to tuck her in; he paused midway. Mouth opening and lips twitching as if to make of something so say. "You should rest now, Aurelia." With that, she would never know.
"I love him."
The man looked up at her puzzled. "The Zuheir?" Aurelia shook her head. There wasn't a chance that Aurelia would ever divulge such a guarded piece of information so freely, had she been in another circumstance where her head wasn't filled with delirium from large ounces of wine she consumed. "Fuck Hadrian." She spat coldly, shaking her head. "Lys. I fucking love Lysander." Then Aurelia would again feel the moisture brimming in her eyes and the aching in her chest. "I'm just like Louise or just like you. W-we made looove in his house," She sang, almost reminiscing.
"What? Aurelia, at the Virtanens?" His voice rose in disbelief and rising anger. But Aurelia would bury her face in her hands, sobbing. "There. He proposed to me after. I couldn't... not when he'd been ignoring me for months. I... I said no. I really loved him, Pa. I know I shouldn’t have." The distraught Gryffindor broke into tears. She felt a warm hand on her shoulder, an attempt to provide some comfort. “I didn’t know Aurelia… You did the right thing, Goldie. I’m proud of you.” Edvard would plant a tender kiss on his daughter's forehead.
“Sleep. You will feel better tomorrow. I’ll take care of this.” He said sternly. Aurelia was far too exhausted from all the crying, overwhelming emotions, a broken heart and the alcohol in her system. “Don’t tell Ma, please.” She whimpered barely audibly as the last of her consciousness drained by passing seconds nor would she register the wand brushing over her head. "I'm sorry, Aurelia. For everything today." Oblivate. The spell cast in a low whisper. It all faded away, just like the dreams she fell into and woke up from.
Something was amiss. Aurelia could feel its absence within her conscience, yet it was always out of reach. Under a colourful night sky and above a blanket of snow, her dreams featured an event eliciting a heavy impact of emotions. It was long gone by the time her eyes fluttered open, stirring from her slumber to reminiscence of a fading echo in her chest, too far off to realise what was present in her muddled dreams. It was beautiful and heartbreaking, that was all she knew. Dreams were but dreams, never reality, that was what she believed as the adolescent witch carried on with her morning and the headache that followed.
"Lia, please. You're not in trouble - I'm sorry you had to see that." Aurelia merely shook her head in response. She had defended him against Phin for his own adulterous vice and the hardest realisation to swallow was that she was just like him. "No, you don't understand," She mumbled with desperation mingled with sheer vexation. For all this time that her own father was with that pretty blonde woman, Aurelia kept a secret of her own. Just as unchaste as that woman was, simply for it all to fall into ruins and her heart with it.
It brought tears to her eyes, realising how terrible she was and now to hate him for it. To hate herself for it - the anger, despair and self-loathing. Overwhelmingly so, she felt sick to her stomach. Then without so much as a warning, its contents were regurgitated in a gruesome reddish mess at Edvard's feet, soaking the carpet pink that reeked of acrid wine. Despite how disgusting it was and her grousing that followed, hurling it all out made her feel a whole lot better.
"You had enough for today, and we'll talk tomorrow. Come on, you need rest, sweetheart." Edvard moved to acquire the glossy glass bottle in her grip. Before he could, swiftly from her side she would pull out her wand. Her thoughts were clouded with anything but rationale with how much she had to drink. Apparate! The destination? Well, Aurelia wasn't quite in the capacity of mind to visualise anywhere. Alcohol and apparition: a recipe for disaster.
With a whoosh, she would find herself losing her balance on top of the staircase above where she was a second ago. A knee hit the edge of a step hard while a chunk of flesh from her left hand stubbornly remained splinched on the ground floor. The glass bottle flew from her grip, shattering down the steps. The ditzy brunette let out quite a curdling shriek at the pain and chaos that ensued. "Aurelia?!" Alarmed, Edvard called from downstairs, sprinting up to find his daughter clutching onto a bloody hand.
The Gryffindor let out a long, dragged-out whine akin to that of a child. "I splinched. Fuck this. Fuck that. Fuck this stupid wand." She sobbed quite dramatically in a drunken stupor. Edvard approached the 17-year-old sulking on the steps, kneeling down and gently taking her bleeding hand. With the wave of his wand and incantation, the gnarly wound was amended up in a second. "Pa," Face tear-stained and eyes bloodshot, she finally looked up to her father. "Why am I like this?"
The man sighed. Dismayed. "Let's get you to bed, golden girl." He'd scooped her up effortlessly. Aurelia was perhaps too intoxicated and exhausted to protest and let herself be carried away across the hall to her room, where he set her down on the bed. "That Louise - she is pretty. Do you love her?" A question she mumbled as Edvard pulled the quilt over to tuck her in; he paused midway. Mouth opening and lips twitching as if to make of something so say. "You should rest now, Aurelia." With that, she would never know.
"I love him."
The man looked up at her puzzled. "The Zuheir?" Aurelia shook her head. There wasn't a chance that Aurelia would ever divulge such a guarded piece of information so freely, had she been in another circumstance where her head wasn't filled with delirium from large ounces of wine she consumed. "Fuck Hadrian." She spat coldly, shaking her head. "Lys. I fucking love Lysander." Then Aurelia would again feel the moisture brimming in her eyes and the aching in her chest. "I'm just like Louise or just like you. W-we made looove in his house," She sang, almost reminiscing.
"What? Aurelia, at the Virtanens?" His voice rose in disbelief and rising anger. But Aurelia would bury her face in her hands, sobbing. "There. He proposed to me after. I couldn't... not when he'd been ignoring me for months. I... I said no. I really loved him, Pa. I know I shouldn’t have." The distraught Gryffindor broke into tears. She felt a warm hand on her shoulder, an attempt to provide some comfort. “I didn’t know Aurelia… You did the right thing, Goldie. I’m proud of you.” Edvard would plant a tender kiss on his daughter's forehead.
“Sleep. You will feel better tomorrow. I’ll take care of this.” He said sternly. Aurelia was far too exhausted from all the crying, overwhelming emotions, a broken heart and the alcohol in her system. “Don’t tell Ma, please.” She whimpered barely audibly as the last of her consciousness drained by passing seconds nor would she register the wand brushing over her head. "I'm sorry, Aurelia. For everything today." Oblivate. The spell cast in a low whisper. It all faded away, just like the dreams she fell into and woke up from.
────────────────────────────────
Something was amiss. Aurelia could feel its absence within her conscience, yet it was always out of reach. Under a colourful night sky and above a blanket of snow, her dreams featured an event eliciting a heavy impact of emotions. It was long gone by the time her eyes fluttered open, stirring from her slumber to reminiscence of a fading echo in her chest, too far off to realise what was present in her muddled dreams. It was beautiful and heartbreaking, that was all she knew. Dreams were but dreams, never reality, that was what she believed as the adolescent witch carried on with her morning and the headache that followed.
It was all so odd.
|
“One can never be too careful,” STM — 5 | EVA — 19 | STR — 5 | WSD — 12 | ARC — 5 | ACC — 9 |
Lovely Creature — Evasive Manoeuvres — Monster Hunter — Terrible Presence
18 Mar 2023, 10:20
Unhopeful.
The light of early winter's dawn flooded through the windows, Aurelia stirred awake with a groan as the rays met her eyes nearly as akin as they would a dhampir's - the throbbing in her head was astounding. Leaving the bed, she ambled towards the bathroom in a daze, not quite fully awake just yet. Leaning lazily against the marble sink, her ghastly visage was set on display in the mirror reflection. She looked awful. Entering a cold shower followed by her usual careful morning routine. At least she looked a tad bit better.
The Gryffindor was quite Surprised to see her father seated at the dining when she made her way down. "Morning, Aurelia." Edvard greeted, to which Aurelia mustered a tired smile in response. Wasn't he supposed to be abroad? Then again, she was here instead of where she ought to be at the Zuheirs - she simply couldn't fathom why that was the case with the thick stubborn fog rendering her mind incapable of thinking thoroughly. It was probably why he was here. "Breakfast?" He asked, gesturing to the small platter of food. It made her realise just how entirely famished she was.
"You cooked..." The last she remembered Edvard cooking up a meal was in those distant days of her childhood before they got so busy to have to leave it to the house elves. It was quite an unusual occurrence. Ravenously, she devoured servings of sausages, eggs on toast, potato pancakes and grilled tomatoes. "Feeling better?" He asked after she cleaned her plate. "The Zuheirs were very concerned; you didn't return to their residence with them from Finland. Instead, I found you home, very drunk. Care to explain?" Aurelia blinked, entirely confused.
The worst thing about it - aside from the ridiculous hungover - was that she couldn't remember any of it. Just how intoxicated had she been? Why had she even the need to? "I don't - I really can't recall what happened." If the wise man was convinced at that with the way he sighed, "You're not making it any easier on yourself - or for us with your constant lack of accountability, Aurelia." The disappointment was evident in his voice, and it felt awful. "I know, I'm sorry, Pa." With her hands rubbing her face wearily, she muttered apologetically.
"You are not a child anymore. I want to trust that you know what's right, understood?" He said sternly, to which Aurelia nodded in response. While she had expected perhaps more of a tense reaction from her father, Aurelia would gladly accept what it was. "Well, that aside. I assume you prefer to stay here instead of the Zuheirs for the rest of the break?" Those stays and visits to the Zuheirs in America were always arranged, with her abiding without much protest.
Fingers drumming the table in a subconscious nervous habit, she would add, "I think Heinrich would like that too - he has been in America for a while." Her dear brother was always on her mind, and it was selfish for her not to take him back with her when she returned - for whatever reason, she still couldn't quite fathom. "Right. I'll send word to the Zuheirs. I will be here for the week, what do you say we go camping for a few days?" Hearing that, she looked up at him, surprised by her father's sudden spontaneity. They hadn't gone camping in ages, and it was unusual.
"Yeah, that sounds really nice. Some sun would help with my head." She replied with a gentle smile on her face.
Silence hung for a while, but not long enough for the awkwardness to set in. "Have you been alright? With the Zuheir boy and the betrothal, in general?" Another unexpected query took her aback, causing her gaze to fall on the empty plate in front of her, contemplating her response. For the longest time, her relationship with Hadrian hadn't been exclusive, with Lysander and her dilemma of feelings making it all the more complicated. Now confronted with the question, she didn't know how to feel about it. "The wedding is in April. It's approaching fast." She admitted.
"There's a lot of pressure on you for concern. It's a marriage, after all. Know that although your Mother and I want the best for your future," Edvard shifted as he spoke. With his hands no longer clasped seriously in front of him, he continued. "Between you and me, as your father, when the day comes, I do not want to walk you beautiful in white down the aisle to give you away to a man you do not want, Goldie." The tender words brought moisture to her eyes, and she bit her lip. "Pa," she sniffed, brushing the glossy tears away with her sleeve.
To abide by the rules of an aristocratic system in pureblood culture endlessly, the front of a perfect pureblooded young woman was exhausting to maintain. Especially harbouring Gryffindor's rougher attributes and strife, Aurelia would rather have been a Slytherin with traits she shared but was not. Edvard was a Gryffindor himself. "I will have a talk with your mother and the Zuheirs to postpone the wedding to Summer. And as I said, you're old enough to know what's right for you." he then said. To hear those words, it was as if a plaguing burden on her shoulders was uplifted, with relief washing over her. Aurelia threw her arms around the man.
"Thank you, Pa." she muttered, hugging him tight, eyes crescenting in a broad smile. "Alright, Goldie. You should start packing for our trip. We don't have much time." He chuckled.
The Gryffindor was quite Surprised to see her father seated at the dining when she made her way down. "Morning, Aurelia." Edvard greeted, to which Aurelia mustered a tired smile in response. Wasn't he supposed to be abroad? Then again, she was here instead of where she ought to be at the Zuheirs - she simply couldn't fathom why that was the case with the thick stubborn fog rendering her mind incapable of thinking thoroughly. It was probably why he was here. "Breakfast?" He asked, gesturing to the small platter of food. It made her realise just how entirely famished she was.
"You cooked..." The last she remembered Edvard cooking up a meal was in those distant days of her childhood before they got so busy to have to leave it to the house elves. It was quite an unusual occurrence. Ravenously, she devoured servings of sausages, eggs on toast, potato pancakes and grilled tomatoes. "Feeling better?" He asked after she cleaned her plate. "The Zuheirs were very concerned; you didn't return to their residence with them from Finland. Instead, I found you home, very drunk. Care to explain?" Aurelia blinked, entirely confused.
The worst thing about it - aside from the ridiculous hungover - was that she couldn't remember any of it. Just how intoxicated had she been? Why had she even the need to? "I don't - I really can't recall what happened." If the wise man was convinced at that with the way he sighed, "You're not making it any easier on yourself - or for us with your constant lack of accountability, Aurelia." The disappointment was evident in his voice, and it felt awful. "I know, I'm sorry, Pa." With her hands rubbing her face wearily, she muttered apologetically.
"You are not a child anymore. I want to trust that you know what's right, understood?" He said sternly, to which Aurelia nodded in response. While she had expected perhaps more of a tense reaction from her father, Aurelia would gladly accept what it was. "Well, that aside. I assume you prefer to stay here instead of the Zuheirs for the rest of the break?" Those stays and visits to the Zuheirs in America were always arranged, with her abiding without much protest.
Fingers drumming the table in a subconscious nervous habit, she would add, "I think Heinrich would like that too - he has been in America for a while." Her dear brother was always on her mind, and it was selfish for her not to take him back with her when she returned - for whatever reason, she still couldn't quite fathom. "Right. I'll send word to the Zuheirs. I will be here for the week, what do you say we go camping for a few days?" Hearing that, she looked up at him, surprised by her father's sudden spontaneity. They hadn't gone camping in ages, and it was unusual.
"Yeah, that sounds really nice. Some sun would help with my head." She replied with a gentle smile on her face.
Silence hung for a while, but not long enough for the awkwardness to set in. "Have you been alright? With the Zuheir boy and the betrothal, in general?" Another unexpected query took her aback, causing her gaze to fall on the empty plate in front of her, contemplating her response. For the longest time, her relationship with Hadrian hadn't been exclusive, with Lysander and her dilemma of feelings making it all the more complicated. Now confronted with the question, she didn't know how to feel about it. "The wedding is in April. It's approaching fast." She admitted.
"There's a lot of pressure on you for concern. It's a marriage, after all. Know that although your Mother and I want the best for your future," Edvard shifted as he spoke. With his hands no longer clasped seriously in front of him, he continued. "Between you and me, as your father, when the day comes, I do not want to walk you beautiful in white down the aisle to give you away to a man you do not want, Goldie." The tender words brought moisture to her eyes, and she bit her lip. "Pa," she sniffed, brushing the glossy tears away with her sleeve.
To abide by the rules of an aristocratic system in pureblood culture endlessly, the front of a perfect pureblooded young woman was exhausting to maintain. Especially harbouring Gryffindor's rougher attributes and strife, Aurelia would rather have been a Slytherin with traits she shared but was not. Edvard was a Gryffindor himself. "I will have a talk with your mother and the Zuheirs to postpone the wedding to Summer. And as I said, you're old enough to know what's right for you." he then said. To hear those words, it was as if a plaguing burden on her shoulders was uplifted, with relief washing over her. Aurelia threw her arms around the man.
"Thank you, Pa." she muttered, hugging him tight, eyes crescenting in a broad smile. "Alright, Goldie. You should start packing for our trip. We don't have much time." He chuckled.
FIN.
|
“One can never be too careful,” STM — 5 | EVA — 19 | STR — 5 | WSD — 12 | ARC — 5 | ACC — 9 |
Lovely Creature — Evasive Manoeuvres — Monster Hunter — Terrible Presence