𝐁𝐞𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐝 𝐂𝐥𝐨𝐬𝐞𝐝 𝐃𝐨𝐨𝐫𝐬; 𝐃𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐨 𝐌𝐚𝐥𝐟𝐨𝐲 𝟑

Aftermath Or Aftercare

"Mum!" Lorenzo screamed as he came rushing into Kehlani's living room, Xavier trialing behind him along with their dog, Marcy

"Lorenzo" I smiled up at him, a cup of whisky in my hand as I sat on the couch with Kehlani.

"Can Xavier and I take Marcy for a walk?" He asked hopefully.

"You can on my part but it's not my dog, baby" I shrugged and looked over at Kehlani.

"Aunty Lani?" He looked at her with a hopefully glint.

"Be back before dark and stick together" Kehlani answered. Lorenzo and Xavier gave a cheer before running back out of the room.

"So tell me again what he said?" Kehlnai asked as she leant forward on her seat and showed she was listening.

"It's not really what he said but about that he meant what he said" I sighed and she gave me a confused look "He could say a million things that he doesn't mean and I wouldn't care but the thing that has me upset is that I think he actually meant it. What if he really does blame me for Scorpius?"

"That's bullshit" Kehalni scoffed "He couldn't possibly mean it. Scorpius killed himself because he had some serious problems, he had them way before he met you l. It's not your fault"

"But what if I brought them out in him?" I groaned and took a sip of my drink. Even dead, Scorpius was creating problems in my marriage.

"You didn't" she assured me "If anything, you were good for him and he was too dumb to see. Maybe it's genetic" she joked, giving me wide eyes as she sipped on her drink.

"Kehlani—"

"Lani!" Albus shouted, coming into the living room 100% unaware that I was here from the fact that he came wearing a bright pink heart shaped apron "How do I—oh, hey Anna" he blushed from embarrassment.

"Nice apron, Albus" I laughed and looked him up and down.

"Yeah right" he rolled his eyes "Where's Draco?"

"Uh" I cleared my throat "He's at home"

"Oh" he nodded, understating what was going on "Lani, could you help me in the kitchen please?"

"Albus I—"

"It's ok" I smiled and stood up "You go help. I'm gonna go find Elora"

"Ok" she said quietly before standing up and walking back to the kitchen with Albus.

I finished the rest of my drink before turning around and leaving the living room. There was only a hand full of places that Elora could be in this house and my guess was Nevaeh's room. So, I headed up the stairs and down the hallway toward her room.

I noticed the door was closed so slowly I knocked and waited a minute before a got a response. I pushed open the door and saw that only Elora lay on the bed with a book in hand, Nevaeh no where to be seen.

"Hey, El" I smiled "Where's Nevaeh?"

"Shower" she responded shortly, seeming deep into her book.

"Could I talk to you for a moment?" I said, crossing my arms as I sat down on the edge of the bed by Elora's legs.

She sighed before putting her book down onto her lap.

"How are you feeling?" I had spent so much time wrapped up in everyone else that I did not even think to ask how my children were. They found out that their mother almost died and that their uncle did, all at once.

"I'm fine" she shrugged and looked back into  her book.

Just like her father, that one.

"Elora" I said as I took the book from her hands "How are you feeling?" I asked seriously.

"Mama, I'm really fine" she tried to assure me but I could see that she wasn't.

"I know you're not" I said quietly "No one can be ok after going through what you and your brother did and trust me, I will be asking him after but he's not home at the moment"

"Why did you keep us in the dark?" She finally said after a silent second "I-I knew that Uncle Scorpius wasn't a good person but the way he abused you, why didn't you tell us—tell me?"

"Elora" I sighed "It wasn't exactly a conversation for a 14 yr old girl"

"I'm your daughter. I'm supposed to know you better then you know yourself and I'm only now realising that I know nothing about you. You never talk about yourself, about your past, you avoid the subject" she sat up and crossed her legs.

"I-" I didn't know what to say. She was right. I never liked talking about my past with them, about what Scorpius did. It made me feel little and I never want them to think of their mother as someone so weak to put up with what I had.

I guess another part of me never wanted ti admit to them that it actually happened. Maybe if they didn't know then it didn't actually matter.

"I don't want you to think that what he did was right. I don't want you to make the same mistakes as I did. I thought that keeping you in the dark would never even give you the idea to think that it was ok" I admitted.

"Never once had I thought it was ok" she sighed "And you know why? Dad told us about Scorpius, about you. He knew that you would keep us in the dark as a means to keep us safe so he made us swear to never tell you that we knew and no, I don't think you're weak or any less of a woman"

"Because quite frankly, you are the strongest one I've ever met"

I love you guys <3

I don't tell you all enough.

Word count 1590.