After the last vision that Aine had found herself stumbling upon, she couldn't stop thinking about it for the rest of the day. It had messed her training up ever since and there were just so many questions running wild in her mind, all needing answers desperately.
Time seems to pass relatively quick when she was busy pondering the connection between the Dark Lord and her mother and Aine had become quiet even as she was preparing lunch with Mrs Weasley. Which others found odd as the girl would usually be in high spirits, humming away a short melody as she skips around the kitchen. No one knew the reason behind her silence nor could they invade her mind as the girl had her thoughts barricaded strongly. No one dared to ask her, knowing that it must have been something important that she was even found dazing away blankly as she chops up the ingredients. They wanted to give her space and time to sort out her thoughts, and hopefully, in time. She will tell them all when she was ready.
"Aine dear, would you mind getting your father upstairs? The tart is almost done," Mrs Weasley asks her, popping her bubble of thoughts.
Aine puts on a smile, nodding. She peels away her apron and headed to the door when she heard Mrs Weasley add on, "I think he's with Dumbledore in the office!"
The girl gave the mother Weasley a thumbs up before skipping out of the kitchen and running up the stairs. She was met with Kreacher again, dragging a thick cloth bag across the corridor when she passed by him. She gave him a polite smile as a greeting but the house elf simply glares at her, mumbling something grouchily under his breath as he clumps past the girl.
Once Aine was out of Kreacher's sight, she quickly picks up the pace and headed to the office. But her tracks had slowed down when she approached the room, she could hear voices being raised through the slightly ajar door and her steps came to an abrupt halt when she was nearly outside. She could recognize the voices in the room: her father's and Dumbledore's. There was no doubt some tension in the room judging from how serious their tones sounded.
She ponders, whether to come back to get her father later instead. It felt like she shouldn't intrude on their conversation, or rather shouldn't be there in the first place. She decided to head back downstairs but just as she turned her heels, her curiosity got the better of her when she heard a strange line from inside.
"She deserves to know the truth, Elliot. You know that above everyone else that it shouldn't be kept from her..." It was Dumbledore.
There came a sigh from her father and Aine leans against the wall outside, listening intensively.
"How? Where do I start? There are so many things I have to tell her but how can I? Every day the truth scares me and I can't... I can't even think about how much it could affect her!" Elliot replies, his voice trembling and Aine's eyes softened. She has never heard her father being so emotional in his words before, nor so fragile. Even when he was angry, he would always speak with such calmness in him. "I cannot lose her again, Dumbledore. I really can't..." her father spoke in a strained whisper, yet it was loud enough for Aine to hear. She could hear the heartbreak in his voice.
Aine's brows knitted together as she stares blankly at her reflection in the faded mirror ahead. She couldn't understand a single thing from their conversation except for the fact that she probably stop listening sneakily. It felt wrong and she was slowly feeling guilty when she thinks about the possibility of the conversation being something she shouldn't be hearing.
"From the beginning, El. Right from the start..." said Dumbledore. "There is still time..." he added.
There was a wave of silence between them both and Aine paused, was this the part where she should pretend to knock on the door to step in? However, she heard Dumbledore continue his words of wisdom. "Revealing the truth is always a difficult task, especially if it has been concealed for years. But Elliot, it is the truth that will also set us free. She deserves to know and I'm sure that no matter what, in time— She will come to understand why you did what you had to do all those years ago."
"Dumbledore, I—"
"Elliot," Dumbledore stops him. She could sense the unease in her father's voice. "She's a strong girl. She will understand your reasons, I assure you," he told her, offering the younger man some glimmer of hope. His voice suddenly became low as he went on, "You do know that the longer you draw this out, the harder things may become. He is on the move and this time we may not be able to conceal her like before."
"I know..." Elliot replies.
"She will understand. She's your daughter after all," Dumbledore reassures him and Aine blinks back to her surprise, realizing that they might have been referring to her all this time.
Just what was her father hiding from her? What was the secret he has been keeping from her all these years that even her Headmaster had known? What is it that Elliot had done to seek her understanding? Just what is the truth that he has been so desperately trying to bury?
She knew that her father had secrets kept from her. A brother she only know of last year when he had come out and revealed to her on his own record. She did wonder why her father had kept Aion's existence away from her ears. She knew there was a reason he had kept it from her but she didn't question him. Even at certain times, when her father had acted differently, it had stunned Aine too but she kept quiet because she trusted her father to tell her the truth in time.
Was it merely a consideration for her father? Or was she just scared of the truth?
Her perception of her father was fracturing, was he not what Aine had thought he was? Just the idea made her scared and her trust was cracking. She was slowly having her doubts.
There were secrets kept from her. Everyone had secrets they want others to know not. Secrets that they want to keep hidden deep down within them. And just like everyone, Aine had secrets too—
But there were lies fed to her as well. Perhaps it revolves around more than just her life; her identity.
And it was something she couldn't overlook easily anymore. Deception.
What is real and what is false... Aine was slowly having trouble differentiating them both.
"Don't you want her to be free? Aren't you willing to protect her?" Dumbledore asks him.
"With my life!" Elliot retorted without a single hesitation, making Aine's heart skip a beat. She could hear the determination in his unwavering voice even outside. It left her both feeling flabbergasted and greatly overwhelmed
"Then tell her the truth, El. Because of the truth... It can protect her too..."
Footsteps suddenly neared Aine and she panicked, realizing she was literally eavesdropping a moment ago on a conversation that should have been hidden. She blinks awake from her daze and looks around, finding a way to act as natural as possible. Then her eyes laid on the doorknob, it was slowly twisting even though the door was already opened.
She lets out a gasp as if astonished to see her Headmaster. "Professor!" she greeted brightly, plastering a smile on her face but the ends of her lips were twitching.
Dumbledore's shot her a bewildered look as he layers on a grin to hide his surprise. "Aine, dear!" he greeted back, his eyes curling into crescents behind his half-moon glasses. "How lovely to see you."
"It's wonderful to see you too, professor!" she replied cheerfully.
Her father came out behind him, his face solemn and deep in thought but when he caught a glimpse of his daughter at the doorway. He immediately threw his sullen look away, lathering on a quick smile to Aine. "Sweetheart! Wh-What are you doing here?" he asks, flustered. His heart palpitated quickly, wondering if she had overheard their conversation earlier.
Aine noticed her father's stare and she smiles at him, "Mrs Weasley told me to come and get you, the tart is almost ready— Actually, I think it's done by now!" she relays to him.
"Oh! Right! The tart..! The Lemon Meringue tart! Yes!" he exclaimed, completely forgetting about the pastry he had baked. It was honestly the last thing he had in his mind and he was feeling bad about it. He frantically jumps out of the office, turning to Dumbledore who chuckles at him. "Would you like to join us too, Dumbledore?" he invited the older wizard.
The Hogwarts Headmaster gave a suppressed laugh, nodding. "Ah~ I was actually hoping you would ask. I quite fancy a lemon tart, you see!" he chortles, taking up Elliot's offer without a second to waste. He stole a glance at Aine's father and nodded his head, then turned back to the young girl. "I'll head down first, El. I presume Aine here might have something to ask you." He gave a small smile to Aine, his eyes glinting through his glasses before he disappears down the stairs.
Elliot stood rooted awkwardly, his brain suddenly freezes and it was as if he has forgotten how to speak to his daughter normally. His eyes trail back to Aine who was looking down at her shoes, she plays with her sweater sleeves. "Were you listening to our conversation earlier, sweetheart?" she heard her father asking her, his voice gentle. There wasn't a hint of reprimanding in his tone and he patted the top of her head, making her look up at him.
"I didn't mean to..." Aine mutters back. "The door was left open and I didn't want to intrude on such a serious discussion," she stated and there was a sigh. "I'm sorry, dad..."
Her father seize her close to him, bringing her into a hug before he bent his knees, meeting her golden eyes. He blinks slowly as a sad smile faded on his face, "Oh... I don't even know where to start, sweetheart... But please know this, no matter what I may have done, I will always love you now and forever. So, I hope you can be a little patient and wait for me to tell you everything when I'm ready. In time, I will tell you everything," he promises, stroking her porcelain cheeks with a tender gaze.
Aine studies her father's face, taking a moment to process everything. She nodded and decided to give him a chance. But she couldn't help herself by asking a question, a question that Elliot hadn't expected to hear from her. "Why did Voldemort need mother?" she asks, brows contorted as she was reminded of the vision she had seen.
The older man blinks, startled and dumbfounded that his eye twitched at the question he was caught off guard. He wasn't sure what had surprised him more, the fact that Aine used the word 'Voldemort' so casually or the question she had raised. "Wh- What—?" he stammers momentarily. His lips curled downwards.
"I had another vision, dad... A couple of days back," Aine reveals. She was planning to keep it to herself but after hearing the conversation between her father and her Headmaster, she didn't want to keep any more secrets from him. His silence only urged Aine to go on as she told him what she saw and as she continued describing her vision, Elliot's face only became paler with shock.
She told him about Voldemort instructing his followers to set the 'others' free and also about finding the whereabouts of her mother. Elliot swallowed, growing anxious the more information Aine exposes. His fist had clenched together, hiding his uneasiness and rage. But he wasn't angry about Aine not telling him, nor the fact that she had kept it from it. It was because the Dark Lord was once again targeting his love, Aris.
Elliot took a shallow breath, recollecting himself as he gazed back at his daughter. His heart was thumping so loudly when he wanted to speak, who would have guessed he would be enlighting her about the connection between the Dark Lord and her mother this quickly? Even so, he couldn't afford to delay it anymore, not when she had finally asked him. "Your mother..." he began, smacking his lips as they went dry just like his words coming from his mouth. "She possessed something extremely important. An extraordinary power that only she has, it was so rare and special that many had craved it for decades. A power passed down to only those who were worthy of it and Aris— She was the only person who wields such power."
He suddenly stopped, lids fluttering to a close as he recalled the first time he saw Aris's true power up front. The flames whirled around her like a tornado, burning everything and anything under her command, it was like the whole world was in her palms. "It was a remarkable power that allowed her to perform any kind of magic flawlessly, even for the most powerful advanced magic. And besides that, it often gave her the ability to look into the future, permitting her to predict what was coming ahead. It didn't just make her powerful, but a threat. It was such a tempting power that many would steal and die for. Because it could be reaped away when the person dies. It made the Dark Lord thirst for it, he desired Aris's power when he had confronted her last time."
"What happened to him the last time they fought?" Aine asks.
"Chaos. Destruction— Everything would wither away as if it would have never existed because of the power," her father replied with a pained smile. They lost so much back then during the battle: friends, homes, relationships and many more. "Now that he has returned, he must want revenge for the unfinished battle between himself and your mother. He would want her power for himself once more."
There was a cold silence between them and Aine dared to ask another last question. She looked into his eyes and her lids faltered. "Is that why... She left us?"
It took Elliot a while before he forces a reaction out of him, his heart was aching at the very sight of his daughter. The memory of that unfateful day surfaced in his mind and with a shaky voice, he responded. "Y... Yes, it was to protect you," he said, tucking her hair behind her ears as he avoided eye contact.
It was a lie.
A lie Elliot wanted to believe that he forces himself to for the sake of his daughter. No father could ever tell his children that a parent didn't want their own child. No parent would let their child know that they were abandoned because they hated them. He wouldn't dare, no— He could never. Ever. Hence, it was a lie Elliot had said to protect Aine.
He stood back up, watching Aine intently as the girl stares blankly at the spot he was in earlier. "Well, more stories will be told in time, my sweetheart. For now, that'll be it," he finishes, offering her a hand to take to head back downstairs. The tart he was baking earlier must be cold by now and the others must be waiting for him to finish it.
However, Aine simply looks at his hand. She snapped out when her father called her name, looking at her with worried eyes. He wondered if it had revealed too much. "Why don't you head downstairs first, dad? I'll be there in a bit," she tells him with a smile.
Elliot nodded, deciding that it must have been hard to digest everything he had just said. Figuring that Aine may need some time to regain her normal self again, he planted a kiss on her head and left her alone to sort her thoughts.
Aine watches as her father's figure slowly descended down the stairs, he gave her a small simper before he disappears towards the kitchen, leaving her alone. Once he was away from Aine's vision, her expression slowly hardens into a cold glare and she balls her fist, fingers curling into her sleeves. For a second earlier, she could look into her father's mind and just a single moment. She could hear his thoughts.
And she heard his lies of telling her that her mother left to protect her. Because deep down, she somehow figured it out. Why she didn't come back? Why she didn't bother to leave a message in all the years she was growing up without her mother? Why did her mother only take her brother along? Why there was nothing left behind to remind her of her mother beside the little pendant hanging around her neck?
The girl gave a dry chuckle, her jaw tightening. It was all too obvious to her now that she thought about it.
It was to erase all traces of a mother that didn't want her.
─── ⋆⋅☀⋅⋆ ───── ⋆⋅☀⋅⋆ ───
This just got so dark. I'm sorry guys! But it is what it is and it was something that I had planned ever since I started writing the series, let alone drafting out Aine's backstory. What do you guys think? Let me know in the comments~
As always, thank you so much for reading and I'll see you guys in the next chapter! Do upvote if you like and stay safe everyone! Love you guys lots! <3
- Zeneria