Sundays mornings were the best. Arielle always slept in ‘til noon on Sunday mornings. This particular Sunday morning Arielle was laying back on her four-poster drifting in and out of her memories. Sebastian, Arielle’s grey and white persian cat, was stretched out lazily on his mistresses stomach. He was thoroughly enjoying being scratched behind the eyes by her when a tapping noise coming from one of the windows startled both mistress and cat. tap, tap. The noise just wouldn’t stop so Arielle dragged herself up from the bed and opened the window. A stately, dark, grey owl swooped into her dorm and dropped a letter on her head before turning around and leaving again.
Arielle’s heart started pounding against her chest when she saw the familiar thin, slanting writing on the parchment. She opened the scroll with trepidation.
I know you have betrayed me.
Arielle’s breathe caught in her throat and her breathing became erratic. Ignoring the mewing cat at her feet she ran into the bathroom and splashed some cold water onto her face. He knew. The thought didn’t fill her with joy as she thought it would. Instead her entire body was doused in a feeling of dread and panic. There was no satisfaction in making Rabastan jealous, she knew that now. Arielle couldn’t doubt that he was dangerous when pressed and now all Arielle felt was fear. Fear for herself and for Sirius. She quickly threw on some clothes and grabbed her books. Pippa is in the library, I’ll go to her. She’ll know what to do. She quickly ran down the stairs and out of the common room when, BAM! She ran into something large and very hard, stumbling backwards she fell down onto her bottom and looked up at the furious face above hers. Aaron.
Aaron Simpson and Arielle were twins, and looked very much alike. They were the male and female counterparts of each other with the only other difference being their eyes. While Arielle’s were an alluring turquoise color, Aaron had pitch black eyes that were a little unnatural and very frightening when he was angry, like he was now.
“Just when I thought you couldn’t shame our family any further, you surprise me,” Aaron growled, he roughly took her arm in a vice-like grip and began dragging her down the many flights of stairs to the dungeons.
“Aaron, let go of me, I can walk on my own,” Arielle pleaded, trying unsuccessfully to get his painful grip off of her arm.
“Shut up,” he said, tightening his grip even further.
Finally he stopped outside of a door, a little bit away from the Slytherin common room, and threw her inside. Arielle stumbled into the room and almost fell again, but she used a nearby desk to help balance herself out. Looking up she saw that the room wasn’t empty and that Rabastan Lestrange and Regulus Black were both standing against the wall. Regulus wasn’t looking at her, instead he was inspecting his fingernails as if his nails were the most interesting things he had ever seen. Rabastan, on the other hand, was staring at her with nothing but pure fury and hatred etched across his handsome features.
Out-numbered and un-armed, Arielle felt her heart rate speeding up again.
“The little Gryffindor slut decides to join us,” Rabastan sneered.
“What the fuck were you thinking? Dating Black? The blood-traitor? I’ve never been more humiliated to call you my sister. I’ll be writing to father about this. I think it’s high-time you were pulled out of Hogwarts; you obviously can’t be trusted. Fraternizing with mudbloods and blood-traitors, every day, you disgust me,” Aaron rose his arm and slapped Arielle across the face.
The impact of his hand against her cheek caused her to fall backwards, passed out.
“Get up.”
Silence.
“I said, get up,” Aaron walked around to where Arielle fell and dragged her back onto her feet when he noticed her unconscious state.
“Aguamenti.”
Coughing and sneezing, Arielle slowly came back to consciousness. Aaron let go of her arm and she stumbled and almost fell again, but grabbed her brother before she did. A loud sob escaped her throat and she slumped into his shoulder, in tears. She was crying for her stupidity, for her weakness, for being humiliated in front of Rabastan and Regulus as her brother abused her, for the pain searing the side of her face, and most of all for Sirius and for Rabastan because it was suddenly obvious to her that she could never be with either of them, in peace.
Aaron felt guilt sear him as he held his twin sisters small body in his arms. He was disgusted with himself for hurting her. Yes, she was a disgrace, but she was his sister, his first friend, the one that he knew the longest and the best. When Rabastan had come to him that morning telling him of his sisters date with Black he knew that he had to do something. He didn’t want to seem weak to Rabastan, his best friend, but he couldn’t help feeling the guilt and regret for hurting his, slightly younger, sister.
“Arielle, I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have hit you. But, I can’t let you date Black. I was thinking it might be better if you withdrew from Hogwarts and continued your studies at home. I’m going to talk to father about it.”
“No. Please, Aaron, don’t tell father. I swear I wont ever go on another date with him again, just, please. Don’t make me leave Hogwarts.”
“Regardless, I can’t make the final decision anymore,” Aaron replied, glancing over at his two friends.
“What do you mean?”
“I‘ll just let Regulus take over now, Regulus?” Aaron motioned for Regulus to come forward. He complied, walking over to Arielle with a determined look in his eyes before taking her hand.
“Um, what are you doing?”
“Arielle,” Regulus began, “would you do me the honor of accepting my hand in marriage?”
Silence.
“What? Marriage? I barely know you! You’re younger then me. Who put you up to this?” Arielle pulled her hand from his grasp and backed away from him, a look of horror and confusion on her face.
Aaron answered for her:
“Father and Orion Black made a pact, years ago, a binding magical pact. They each promised to join their households by marriage once both of their children became of age. As the eldest daughter you have been picked to marry into the Black family. After Sirius Blacks betrayal father was hesitant to let you marry into the Blacks, but the magical contract that they signed is very strong. Since Orion Black has no daughters I can’t be the one to fulfill the pact and Aura is still much too young. You and Regulus are the main candidates now.”
“No, no! I can’t marry Regulus! I was engaged with one brother and now I‘m expected to marry another? That’s completely barbaric, why do I have to be sacrificed for fathers stupidity?”
“Arielle, the ultimate decision lies with you and Regulus, but keep in mind, the contract is binding. If you don’t marry Regulus both the Black family fortune and the Simpson fortune will be lost. It cannot be undone! Try to put your selfishness aside and think of how it will effect everyone involved if you don’t agree.”
“My selfishness? You‘re the one asking me to enter into a loveless marriage for money so don‘t you dare try to guilt trip me.”
“That’s enough.” Arielle turned around and faced Regulus.
“Excuse me?”
“I said that’s enough, I don’t want to marry you any more than you want to marry me, but circumstances being as they are we have no choice. If you agree, I‘ll allow you to remain at Hogwarts. We can live amiably together, Arielle. We need only pretend to be a married couple in public, but in private we can choose to do whatever we want. I wont tell you how to spend your time or who to spend it with and you will show me that same courtesy.”
“What would be the point of a marriage between us if we‘re not even going to act like a married couple?”
“The point would be, we keep our fortunes and our honor. Do you really think you could survive without your money? I know your not willing to work for a living. Or give up your jewels and clothing. You would never be able to go on vacations again. Your diet would consist of potatoes and cabbage. And you’d no longer have money to spend on books and other trivial things. Are you willing to wear second hand robes? Are you willing to force your sister to buy secondhand materials for the remainder of her school years? What about your pride? Wouldn’t it just kill you to dress in rags when all around you other girls less pretty then you and of lower blood status walk around taunting you with their expensive shoes and dragon skin purses?”
He’s right.
Don’t be so materialistic.
I’m not being materialistic I’m just hesitant about giving up the luxuries that I have grown to get used to and expect.
“I need to leave now, lunch is about to start and I promised to meet Felicia,” Aaron said, walking towards the door. “You have a lot to think about, Arielle. Let us know of your decision. Good day.” He walked out of the room and Regulus left soon after, not even sparing a glace at the girl he had just proposed too.
“You must be so pleased with yourself,” Rabastan said from his place against the wall.
“How do you figure?”
“Oh please, as if you don’t enjoy all the attention you’re getting. First me, then both the Blacks. You have been busy.”
“Get out of my way, Lestrange.” Arielle attempted to push past him, but he walked in front of the door blocking her way.
“Back to surnames, are we? Well, Simpson, I’m certainly glad I broke it off with you when I did. If I had known you were such a conniving, two-faced, slut I never would have even bothered with you in the first place.”
“Just leave me alon-”
“And to think, I actually believed you when you said there was nothing going on between you and Black. It’s curious though that you would be going on a date with someone merely 2 days after breaking up with someone else. That’s cruel even for you.”
“How’s Parkinson? “
“Lovely. As always. But, don’t change the subject.”
Arielle’s temper flared up again and she pushed past Rabastan with all her strength trying to get past his hulking frame.
“Get out of my way,” She hissed, baring her teeth.
“Feisty, today,” He smirked.
Arielle rose her hand to slap him when we grabbed it and pressed a soft kiss on the inside of her wrist. The small gesture shot sparks up and down her body and before she knew it, they were wrapped in each others arms and his lips came down on hers hungrily. She relished in the taste and familiarity and pressed herself against him, silently begging for more. His cold hands slipped under her shirt causing Goosebumps to erupt all over her skin.
The two lovers never broke apart as they fell to the floor and stripped each others clothing off.
“I’ve missed you,” Rabastan groaned, into her mouth.
“Shut up and just kiss me.”
The warmth of his skin contrasted greatly from the cold ground beneath her and Arielle felt a heat rush up from her navel to her face, her back arched into his torso and she moaned with pleasure when skin met skin. His tongue trailed along her neck before he bit down on her skin eliciting another desperate moan from her.
“WHAT THE FUCK!?”
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