family. duty. loyalty.

Upon arriving, Ari caught Mirek’s presence. They chuckled to themself seeing the outrageous man sitting by himself drinking — Merlin, was that firewhiskey? So common. They took it upon themself to rectify the situation as there was no excuse for such a drink.

Ari gracefully sat in the seat next to Mirek, eyeing his glass, along with his surveying of the room. Without asking for permission, Ari commented on these two observations.

“First off, firewhiskey isn’t for our type,” they took a sip of their scotch with ice clinking in the glass. At least that’s one thing the party had going for it: their drink of choice. “I must suggest something a bit more refined.” Normally Ari wouldn’t suggest scotch to someone outside the family but with the hope of chaos, they wanted to get Mirek a bit inebriated. They slid the bottle toward their companion. “Do you see anything of interest happening in the crowd? I, for one have my fingers crossed for a bit of trouble.”

Of course not.

As they walked past Flourish and Blott’s, they were confronted by a ...thing way too chipper for her own good.

A cupcake? Really?

Ari rolled their eyes until they couldn’t go back any further. They closed their eyes and rubbed their brow. Upon looking at the table, the cupcakes looked (maybe) more dysfunctional than the blonde offering them. Without realizing what they were doing, Ari leaned down, elbows nearly touching the table, to look her straight in the eye.

“You’re almost as pathetic as these damned cupcakes,” they snarled.

Blood boiled.  Their hand reaching for their wand.

Ari noticed it was that obnoxious man, James Potter. He was as half-witted as he was a disgrace. Just like his precious friend Sirius. Such a sad pair the two made. At that thought, Ari stopped clenching their wand rather held it loosely.

“You should be sorry,” Ari looked him up and down with disgust. “In fact, I believe I deserve something more than an apology.” They crossed their arms and waited, not patiently, but waited nonetheless.

It had been far too long since they had a private moment in which they could indulge, the world and the war not making its demands on them without care for their personal lives when so many others were losing theirs. No matter how long it had been, however, it was easy sink into a peaceful state under Ari’s touch - perhaps easier than it usually would be if only for the amount of time that had passed since they shared such a moment.

Eyes threatening to shut, Valentina felt as if her skin was lighting up to mark the path of Ari’s fingers, a shimmering trail of flowing of glowing golden awareness as she breathed out. “Your surprises tend to be a marvel. I’ve never been disappointed,” She murmured as their bodies pressed together, eyes opening back up. There were some days when she would tease Ari, would disobey and push at Ari just to be pushed in return, but it wasn’t that sort of day and Valentina let Ari wash over her like a wave, drinking up the attention and drowning in it.

Her entire body was tingling in anticipation as she followed Ari into their room, a room that Valentina associated only with peace and the rest of the world being locked aware. Dear Merlin, did she need that. Maybe Ari did, too.

“Yes, Ari.” Goose bumps rose on Valentina’s skin in response to the cool air of the room as Ari undressed her, but she didn’t care, the feeling of Ari’s fingers alone was enough to give her chills. “I’ve missed this, wicked heart, we shouldn’t let the world distract us from each other so.”

No matter what left her coiled with tension or simmering with frustration, Ari was always capable of drawing it out of her, soothing her raging emotions until Valentina felt as though she fit inside of her body again and having Ari touch her felt like having the cracks in her flesh sealed up. “How do you want me?”

Ari felt Valentina slink under their touch. They adored they were still able to make her do so after the years the pair had been together. Their passion for one another had never died or dwindled. Unfortunately the time the two could spare for one another had been entirely cut in half. That made the moment even more special. “It is still invigorating feeling your skin,” Ari said as though it was to themself but more for both of them. The words were necessary. Valentina needed to know Ari still saw her in all her glory; from her skin, hair, eyes, ideas and intellect. She was their perfect match.

Ari sighed deeply, pleasantly, as they removed Valentina’s clothing as she stood before them, exposing her fully. Ari breathed in deeply as they did so, exploring every inch of her with the soft ends of their fingertips, barely touching her. They felt her bumps of anticipation. “You are stunning,” Ari whispered, this time more to themself than to her.

When Valentina brought up the outside world, Ari placed a finger on her lips. “We don’t discuss the outside world here. Not now. Now is just you and me. Us,” Ari looked deep in her eyes as they found Valentina’s breast with a single hand. Her skin was smooth. This had been the perfect plan for the evening.

“I want all of you, my love,” they walked her over to the couch and laid her down, posing her; hands above her head, left leg draped on top of the couch and her right leg falling off, showing off her body completely.

Ari leaned down over her naked body and looked her in the eye, their right hand sliding down her torso. “This is how I always want you.”

With that, Ari walked to their canvas, all the while their gaze fixated on their subject. 

Sirius nearly growled like a dog at the smile that crossed Ari’s face. Without taking any time to think through his actions, he got in their face. Sirius had quite a bit of height on Ari, but he knew it wouldn’t be enough to intimidate them quite like he would want. He wanted to punch. He wanted to grab and smear and crush in ways that he never had before.

“Perhaps I’m not the one who should,” he shot back. “It’s funny. One could say the same of yours.” Sirius meant it about Ari themself, but perhaps it was a cheap shot at Alaric as well. Sirius appreciated that he’d walked away and found someone. To Ari, though, Sirius was sure it was the ultimate betrayal. 

Good. He wanted it to hurt.

He wanted someone else to feel a fraction of what he felt. He wanted to be so full of rage that sorrow had no room left to fill. “Who was it?” he asked, voice edged as tight as it could be. “I know it was one of your friends. Who did it?”

Sirius got in Ari’s face. 

Big deal.

Ari covered their mouth and yawned. They could feel the rage inside of Sirius. It did nothing but give satisfaction to Ari. Was he really willing to hit them? There was certainly the possibility — not one Ari was thrilled about, given their vanity, but wasn’t ignorant enough to not see it as an option.

While Ari enjoyed the situation they had been lucky enough to find themself in, they were soon deflated with Sirius’ reference to Alaric. Fire burned up inside them. The desire to reach for their wand was very strong. The desire to attack with their own fists was even greater. The thought of physical violence isn’t one that came naturally to Ari but when it came to his blood — no matter how estranged they may have currently been — was something not to be challenged.

Ari stared Sirius in the eye, following his gaze with an uplifted nose as they began to walk slowly around him. Circling him like the disgusting piece of flesh he was. They tried deciding what their next move ought to be. Calculating was Ari’s game, something they were reminding themself of to soothe their want to pull Sirius’ long hair until it ripped from his head.

Maybe — no. Not now.

He didn’t know Ari was a legilimens. No possible way for him to know. Ari could pull every thought from his puny brain. They could use those thoughts against him.

The urge became strong. — Their mind began to go to that place. — They held back.

As Alecto turned from the reporter, she caught someone’s eye. She raised her eyebrows at them slightly, trying to work out if they’d been staring at her or if it was just one of those weird moments when you both look over at the same time.

Ari knew better. They watched and waited for the woman to notice them. When she did, Ari crossed their arms and tilted their head backward, a questioning look on their face.

"Speaking with the public, are we? Oh, dear, sweet Alecto. At least you maintained your composure and spoke in vague sentences."

Rudolphus watched Ari sit and returned her smile, open and easy. They looked beautiful, as always, and Rudolphus knew that to watching eyes they would be quite the striking pair. Disdain for their surroundings rolled off of Ari, but Rudolphus was glad to see them: they had a keen mind, and a ruthless loyalty to their family name that he admired. They also had in common siblings that were less-than-pure, siblings who spent entirely too much time on things that weren’t family, weren’t the movement, weren’t advancement in society.

Rudolphus hummed at Ari’s comment. “Appraising, more like. Property values tend to plummet after disasters like this, and I think it’s time for the Prophet to expand. Now I know why I’m here, but what are you doing out on a sunny day? Shouldn’t you be bursting into flames, or scuttling into the nearest dank cave?

“I can’t remember the last time we had a moment like this. You’ve been so caught up with your pretty fiance, and your work, of course.”

Ari caught glimpses of Rodolphus’ face; watching him notice how attractive they were. Although Ari knew they were one of a kind, it was always an ego boost when noticed by someone else. Especially someone, well, not equally as attractive, but attractive in their own right. Ari took his look as a compliment. Always.

Rodolphus was an interesting man. He had an air of cockiness about him — something Ari could relate to. The two had every reason to be more than confident. They supposed that’s what made him so intriguing. Not many could live up to that standard. Rodolphus should feel honored, even though Ari would never tell him any of this. It wasn’t their style. They had to be sure to let everyone know they were above them. Even Rodolphus.

“It has been quite a while, indeed. I don’t believe I’m the only one buried in their work. After all, you’re sitting here not because of the enjoyment of observing pain but to pursue expanding your career.” Ari laughed slyly. “Although the same thing could be said for me. Growing in one’s career is always admirable. I just do mine in the virtual caves, as you call them, of the Ministry,” Ari wished they could tell Rodolphus about their work in the Thought Chamber but being an Unspeakable made that impossible so they decided to move on.

“As far as bursting into flames, I’m not entirely sure that’s my forte, but bursting others into flames ...that seems to be more up my alley,” Ari said while raising an eyebrow. “Merlin knows there are those who deserve it.” Ari’s mind went to Alaric and their stomach turned. He didn’t deserve it but knew the Death Eater community felt differently. They pushed the thought out of their mind with the thought of Valentina. “I wouldn’t call my fiancée ‘pretty’ so much as beautiful,” they responded almost with a snap in their voice. “She’s more than a lovely face, you know. I couldn’t be a luckier person to have her as my betrothed. On that topic — how is that spitfire of yours? Treating you well, I’m sure.” Ari laughed.

@ariavery

Sirius found out at work. 

He was probably fired now because when a snide customer had remarked, “I would say it’s a shame about your brother, but it’s probably not. I read about it in this morning’s paper. Bad luck, but such things happen to those who stray from the path,” as if Reg’s death were a lesson for Sirius to learn better instead of him losing a brother, Sirius lost it. He hauled off and punched the man, not caring that he crumpled to the ground. 

Sirius left just like that. He stumbled around, practically unseeing as his rage fueled him through Knockturn Alley. Weren’t Aurors supposed to bloody tell family? Shouldn’t he have been marked as some kind of next of kin. Wouldn’t Moody send someone anyway?

As they walked down Knockturn Alley brimming with what happiness Ari could express, they were bumped into. Hard. Immediately they went on the defense, joy deceased. This is not something they could let go without consequence, Ari didn’t care who it was. Then they saw who it was.

A smile raised up inside them. It was Sirius Black, Regulus’ poor brother. Ha! What a great excuse for belittling and showing another Black who made a huge mistake where he stood.

Rudolphus tilted his head back, distant sunlight warming his cheeks even as a stiff April breeze cut across his shoulders. It was a beautiful day, with absolutely nothing to do with the weather. 

As he took a sip of his tea he watched the hustle and bustle of Diagon Alley, the normal shoppers’ intensity replaced with a sort of determined cheer that couldn’t quite dispel an undercurrent of dread. The safety of the wizarding world had once again been compromised, the boat of their little world rocked. Rudolphus had been present only on the sidelines for the coordinated attacks against the Ministry, but he’d heard plenty of what happened on the ground, and reported plenty in the following days. It was his job to make sure the Prophet made a proper spin on the tragedy, after all. While the others dodged spells and flung curses he locked himself in his office, working- in his own way- for the good of the cause. 

It was about time he gave himself a small reward. Hence his presence here, lounging in one of the chairs outside Rosa Lee Teabag as though it were a throne, watching the world move around him and enjoying the taste of despair on his tongue. The dissolution of the world as they knew it was going so smoothly, and here he got a front-row seat to see how the common people reacted. Of course, he wasn’t here just for them. He could people-watch from his office windows at the Prophet. 

No. He was here not only to see, but be seen. Just days after fire and destruction and death, Rudolphus Lestrange sat drinking tea with not a care in the world. Inviting speculation. Inviting reproach. Inviting… well. 

He wasn’t sure yet. But he had another hour until he had to get back to the presses. Plenty of time to see if any trouble, or information, flocked to him. 

An eye roll here. An eye roll there. An eye roll to the perfectly fluffy clouds.

They did not want to be there. It wasn’t fulfilling in any way except to possibly see aftermath left behind. Each storefront they passed was another reason to despise parts of the wizarding community. Everything was bubblegum pink, sparkles or something else “feel good”. It was enough to turn their stomach. Even the tea shop’s name “Rosa Lee Teabag” was detestable -- then Ari saw a familiar face sitting outside sipping tea like the princess he was.

Ari had to take the bait. It had been too long. They followed a path to the dainty chairs and lowered themself into a chair opposite Rodolphus, a deranged smile crossing their face.

“Getting a good look at the damaged too, then?”

Patience was not particularly a virtue Valentina enjoyed having and some days she was better at it than others, although that particular day she was rather fed up with the majority of people her job caused her to encounter and her hair had been pulled up for so long that she was beginning to develop a headache. It was with a sigh that she finally entered her home, heels clicking on the floor as she made her way to a mirror hanging near the entrance.

The ornaments in her hair were removed one by one, the ends of her hairsticks exceedingly sharp and clicking against the bowl she placed them in, dark hair falling down around her face and leaving her head tingling. She could hear footsteps behind her and while it seemed too early for Ari to be home, Valentina didn’t show any response to the sound because the wards were in place and nothing seemed touched. And besides that, if it was an intruder, they weren’t being very subtle.

Despite that, she still shifted enough to use the mirror to check behind herself before smiling, turning towards Ari and declaring, “This is an unexpected surprise.”

Ari was even more dedicated to their career than Valentina was and she reached out to take Ari’s hands while doing a quick sweep along their appearance with her eyes. Not normal Ari attire, but rather a special uniform that indicated Ari was in a rare and particular mood that Valentina happened to enjoy, one that soothed her for some reason. “What’s the occasion?”

They briefly saw Valentina taking her hair down and gazing in the mirror. The smile on their face broadened. When she turned to Ari and moved closer to them, taking their hand, Ari immediately wrapped their hands around Valentina’s waist, pulling her close as they whispered in her ear. “I couldn’t get my mind off you while at work today,” Ari confessed. “All I could see was your body, its curves and marks that only I know about.” 

Ari’s body tingled with the anticipation of Valentina’s clothes slipping off so they could admire her body, one they loved so well. They anticipated the following evening with excitement, joy and intensity. Three things that defined the love of their relationship. Ari didn’t care if people knew of their attachment to one another. As long as Valentina knew, that’s all they cared about. And today was a day Ari wanted to remind her just how they saw her. Beauty, what some would call flaws and her hair framing her face. Their body went from tingling to almost shaking with anticipation. The pair hadn’t had a proper moment together in some time, something Ari despised.

Ari swept Valentina’s hair behind her ear and ran their fingers along the side of her face ever so lightly, not rough as they normally did. They placed a kiss on Valentina’s lips that could only be described as romantic and caring.

“As far as I know, you love being surprised by me,” Ari pulled her hips closer to theirs, enjoying the quiet of the house. It reminded them of the world not existing outside of the walls of the manor.

Ari then grabbed Valentina’s hand in theirs and slowly walked her up the staircase to their room that only she had ever seen.