Halloween had always been one of Aries' favourite holidays.
Her family used to attend parties but they weren't the boring ones where they were trying to marry off every one. It was always fun.
Her favourite was in 1970, her uncle Cygnus and aunt Druella hosted and Andromeda was in charge of the games. With a little rigging she made sure Aries won the majority of the prizes.
But eleven years later Aries had forgotten how much she loved Halloween, she didn't get out of bed all day. She couldn't even remember the last time she had a shower. She'd just been laying there. Peter would bring food in everyday but she wouldn't eat any of it, it would just sit on her bedside table. If he didn't move it, it would surely go mouldy.
Benjy had been around more often, the two of them talked about Dorcas to try and feel better but halfway through one of them ended up in tears.
The room grew darker as the sun set, she knew she had to get out of bed but she couldn't find any energy to.
"Right, that's it." Angelika said, walking into her room and turning on the lights.
Aries quickly covered the blanket over her eyes to shield them. "You can't spend all day in bed again, okay. I am going out and you are coming with me."
"I much preferred it when you hated me." Aries mumbled.
"I did not hate you."
Aries lifted the blanket off her face and looked towards Angelika raising her eyebrows.
"Okay, I just needed a while to warm up to you."
"Two years, Angelika."
"It takes me a while to trust people."
Aries rolled her eyes. "Nice costume."
Angelika smiled, straightening her headband. "Thank you, I'm The Scarlet Witch. Now are you coming or not?"
Aries shook her head.
"Oh please! Vik is already blowing me off because she's got a stupid job interview tomorrow. Please?"
"Sorry Angelika, Peter's coming later and I don't really feel like going to a party just yet."
Angelika sighed but understood. "Okay fine, but please at least shower- and open a window. Your room is stuffy. And change your pyjamas, we had shepherd's pie two weeks ago and it's still on your shirt."
Aries yawned as she got out of her bed, she looked in the mirror. Her once high ponytail had drooped down her back, her eyes were red and she couldn't breathe out of one of her nostrils.
She rubbed her eyes before walking into the bathroom, she let the hot water run down her body as she detangled all the knots in her hair.
When she went back into her room her bed had been made and her window was open letting in a light breeze, a small note was left on her bed.
Simon is coming with me,
See you later
Angie x
Angelika had been a lot less judgy since their run in with the death eater, Aries wondered if she should have told her from the beginning instead of the two years Angelika half ignored her. But now she was a great friend.
Aries dried off and changed into clean pyjamas, she didn't feel like getting into everyday clothes, she put her dressing gown on and put her wand in her pocket before walking into the kitchen.
Her stomach growled loudly.
When did she last eat?
Monday? Wednesday?
Wait, what day is it today?"
She opened the fridge, there wasn't much but Aries had watched Peter make a Spaghetti Bolognese many times and she had all of the ingredients apart from onions, although she didn't want to cry anymore today so that was a plus.
She pulled a pan out of the cupboard and turned on the hob, waiting for it to heat up. She started dicing the tomatoes when she heard the door open.
"I'm in the kitchen." she called out.
Peter walked in, Aries noticed quickly something was wrong.
"What is it?"
"Nothing, nothing. Everything is fine." he said, shaking his head. But his eyes were redder than usual, his cheeks looked more shallow. "Just Order stuff." He walked towards her and kissed her temple. "What are you cooking?"
Aries gave him an unsure look but he didn't notice as he stole a piece of the tomato she had just cut up.
"Well seeing as you're stealing my prep, I am stealing your recipe and making your famous spag bol."
"Really? It better be amazing." he half smiled.
"Of course, I've been practicing. Although if it doesn't work out we're ordering a pizza." Aries said, "Oh and I saw these earlier- yes it's still here.'' She opened the top cupboard and grabbed microwavable popcorn out.
"I've finally mastered the microwave, it took longer than expected." she left it on the side then walked into the living room and took a copy of singing in the rain from beside the TV. "I also thought we could watch this, it's a film Simon rented out and hasn't taken back yet."
Peter nodded. "Yeah, sounds good, Star."
He seemed distracted by something.
"You alright?"
"Mm? Yeah, yeah. Just a bit tired that's all-"
"We don't have to-"
He shook his head and walked towards her. "No, it's fine, I'll probably wake up after I've eaten."
Aries nodded and walked back into the kitchen. She grabbed another tomato and started chopping it.
"I think Ben's coming round tomorrow," she said, "I sent him a letter earlier but I haven't got a response. Was he at the meeting earlier?"
He muttered three words, surely Aries mistook them, there was no way he had just said what he said.
"Pardon?" she almost laughed.
"I killed him." he muttered quietly.
Aries turned around slowly facing him, putting down the knife on the chopping board. "What? What do you mean you killed him?"
"I had to. He was going to tell you- he found out and I couldn't- wouldn't let him tell you Aries, I'm sorry." he said tearing up. "I had to get rid of him-"
"What?" she breathed out, a lump formed in her throat as her entire body froze up. "Tell me what? Tell me what Peter!"
He shook his head, "I can't- I can't- I'm sorry. Please forgive me... please"
She saw his hand reach for his arm.
"Tell me you didn't." she shook her head. "Tell me you didn't, please."
"I'm sorry," he whispered, putting his head down.
She rushed towards him and pulled up his sleeve, she gasped loudly backing away. The dark mark was tattooed on his forearm.
"It was a mistake."
"A mistake! What did you do?! Fall into a pit of deatheaters and get a fucking tattoo?!" Aries shouted.
"I didn't mean to."
"You've got the fucking dark mark on your arm, Peter!" a sudden realisation hit her. "Oh my god. It was you. It was you that day I was with Vik and Angelika."
"I didn't want to hurt you. I love you-" Peter said, tears ran down his face, he tried to walk towards her.
"NO!" Aries shouted, backing away from him. "If you loved me you wouldn't have done this! You wouldn't have become this!"
"I had to- it was the only way. I didn't have a choice-"
"I almost died when they tried to turn me! I almost died! And you're telling me you didn't have a choice!"
"Please Star-"
"Don't call me that, you don't get to call me that-"
"Aries I'm sorry,"
Aries breathed heavily, moving away from him, her back hit the cupboards. "That night... when Dorcas called me. You said you were at your mums. Did you lie to me?"
"Aries-"
"Did you lie to me!"
"Yes. It was me. I- I was at Dorcas' house."
Aries covered her mouth holding back tears. "You let me blame Sirius? You let me blame my brother for something you did!"
"She was getting suspicious, she kept asking questions. I couldn't risk it."
"So you got rid of her?" Aries asked in disbelief. "Who else?"
"What?"
"Who else did you kill?"
"Please don't make me tell you-"
"Who else did you kill Peter!?"
He let out a breath. "I helped with the McKinnons."
Blood rushed through her body as she became angry. "You helped? You fucking helped! Dorcas was here and I was comforting her and you sat next to her knowing you had killed her fucking girlfriend!"
"I didn't want to, believe me." Peter edged towards her, she flinched as he took a hold of her arm. "Aries, I never wanted this, I just wanted us to be safe. I wanted us to have a life after the war."
"You killed my friends."
"For us. I did it for us." he cupped her cheek, his hand was cold like ice, in the corner of her eyes she could see the tail of the snake slowly swirl on his forearm. "So we could be safe, together."
For once Aries was speechless, she looked into his pained eyes, she saw her own reflection, her scared face. She shook her head.
"This wasn't the way, Peter." she said calmly, but her heart was speeding rapidly. "What you've done is wrong."
"I'm sorry." he whispered, his hand still wrapped tightly around her wrist. "I need you to help me."
She took a deep breath. "Okay," she nodded, he looked at her, his eyebrows furrowed, she reached up with her other hand and wiped his hair from his eyes. "Okay, I'll help you. Just let go of my arm. Please, let go Peter, you're hurting me."
He slowly released leaving white marks on her arm.
"It's going to be fine, we're going to be okay-" She pushed him away and ran towards the front door but he used his wand to lock it.
"Open the door!" she shouted, struggling with the door handle. "Open the door!"
"You said you were going to help me!"
"I can't!" she turned around to see him pointing his wand towards her. "I can't not when you've done this."
"Please Aries."
"It's too late, Peter." she shook her head, she slowly reached down into her pocket, taking a grip of her wand, but it felt different. "You've done too much."
"Aries, I can change, I won't hurt anyone anymore-"
"But you've already hurt them." Aries whispered. "I can't trust you."
Peter raised his wand higher. "You can. You trusted me before."
"Before I knew what you had done."
"I can't let you tell anyone." he said.
"What are you going to do, kill me?"
"No, Aries, I love you." he said, walking towards her.
"This isn't love, Peter. You don't kill people for love." she shook her head, as he got closer, she gripped her wand tighter. "Please let me go."
"I can't."
"Please?" she whispered, she felt like she was a child, somehow she was trapped again, trying to run away. She closed her eyes tightly wishing- hoping that this was all a bad dream. There was no way Peter was a death eater.
Not her Peter.
Peter who's favourite hobby is cooking, and baking, not the Peter who looked past her family's dark side and still treated her like a normal human being, not Peter who is the kindest person she knows.
Not Peter.
She opened her eyes. He was still there. He had rolled his sleeve back down, the mark was no longer on show. "I can't let you get away with this." she said, she quickly pulled out her wand casting the stunning spell. "Stupefy!"
But nothing happened.
She looked down at her wand but it wasn't there, she had picked up the drumstick Leo had given her as a leaving present, not her wand. Her wand was still in her bedroom, next to her table lamp on her desk, she hadn't looked before picking it up.
Fuck.
She dropped the drumstick on the ground and ran towards her room but Peter was quick with his wand and used a spell, throwing her against the wall. She gasped for air as she felt blood trickle down her forehead, she touched it, the scarlet blood on her fingertips.
"Aries, I'm sorry-"
"Don't touch me." she flinched back as he knelt down next to her, he cleaned away the blood.
"I'm sorry, I'm sorry. I never wanted to hurt you." he said, cupping her cheeks, he wiped her tears with his thumb. "I just need you to tell me you love me, please, just that."
Aries lifted up her arm, touching his. "No."
"Please Aries, just tell me you still love me."
"No."
"They were going to kill me."
She shook her head as she whispered. "Then you should have died."
Peter nodded his head, he leaned in and kissed her forehead, wincing as he heard her cry. "I love you." he whispered, he pointed his wand at her.
"What are you doing? What are you going to do-"
"Obliviate."
"No! NO-"
☽☆☾
Aries awoke with the worst headache she had ever had, she groaned in pain as she stood up from the sofa... she didn't remember coming into the living room. She smelt burning.
"Shit. Shit. Shit." she ran into the kitchen turning down the hob, luckily she hadn't put the food in yet so it was just the pan that was burning.
She heard the front door open.
"I'm in the kitchen." she called out, Peter walked in, Aries noticed quickly something was wrong.
"What is it?"
"Nothing, nothing. Everything is fine." he said, shaking his head. But his eyes were redder than usual, his cheeks looked more shallow. "Just order stuff." he walked towards her and kissed her temple. "What are you cooking?"
Aries gave him an unsure look but he didn't notice as he stole a piece of tomato that was on the chopping board.
"Well I was attempting to make your famous spag bol, but I think I ended up taking a five minute nap on the sofa, which I don't remember."
Peter furrowed his brows. "You alright? You don't usually take naps."
Aries shrugged, "Apparently now I do. Oh, I saw these earlier- oh maybe I didn't" she said looking through the kitchen cabinet, she looked down on the side and saw the microwavable popcorn. "Oh there it is, when did I move it?"
She brushed it away and walked into the living room. "And I thought we could watch- shit did Simon take it back- nope it's here." She picked up the copy of singing in the rain. "I thought we could watch this later."
Peter nodded. "Sounds good, Star."
He seemed distracted by something.
"You alright?"
"Yeah, fine, just a little tired."
"We don't have-"
"No," he said, walking towards her. "I'm sure I'll wake up when I eat... Speaking of eating, let me cook tonight. You seem a little rushed on your feet." he kissed her forehead.
"What would I do without you?" she smiled, she rubbed her forehead. "My head is killing me."
"I've got some pepperup potion, if you want it?"
"Nah, I'm sure it will pass." she said, taking a seat on the island stool and watched Peter cook. "Oh I think Ben's coming tomorrow. I sent him a letter earlier but I haven't got a response. Was he at the meeting earlier?"
Peter looked at her a moment then shook his head. "Nah, I think he was on a mission with Sirius."
Aries rolled her eyes at the sound of her brother's name. "Oh, I'm still not speaking to him."
"I'm sure you two will forgive each other."
"I don't think so." Aries muttered. "Anyway, I don't want to talk about him, how was your day?"
☽☆☾
I'm singin' in the rain, just singin' in the rain
What a glorious feeling I'm happy again
The rain poured down tapping against the glass, the two sat on the sofa, Aries lay her head on Peter's chest as they shared a bowl of popcorn together.
She looked up at him, a smile etched across her face. "I love you."
Peter turned his head, she didn't know. She didn't know that she didn't love him. He returned the smile and stroked her head. "I love you too, Star."
I'm laughing at clouds so dark above
The sun's in my heart and I'm ready for love
___________________
HAPPY HALLOWEEN 🎃
again I am sorry!!!
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