AN: Good evening! (Or whenever you're reading this XD Ah time-zones) I bring a new chapter! Woop!
Before we get underway, I just want to clear some stuff up. Now, I do try to reply to everyone's reviews individually (sorry if I ever forget to reply to you). However I can't do that with guest reviews, so just a couple of things that people brought up that I thought I should answer:
1) Most people seem to understand, but others don't seem to be registering that I have University, and therefore writing is something I really struggle to find time for at the minute... I'm trying to make sure I update frequently, and every couple of weeks really isn't that bad... Thanks for being patient though and just know I'm doing my best x I will NEVER abandon this story... Sure, updates might get slow, but they will keep coming, so don't worry!
2) No, I will NOT be using Harry Potter as a "prophecy", Molly might compare a couple things from the books to the world she's just entering, and references will occasionally be made, but it's just a bit of fun, not a huge plot-point.
I hope that's cleared some stuff up for you! On with the chapter :)
"Grabiner?" Arianna's stomach constricted, her heart thudding. She felt sick. The look on her face… "Isn't that your last name too?" she locked eyes with Arianna and suddenly something snapped in her mind…
She couldn't reply. A strange buzzing sensation filled her head and she couldn't say a word. She couldn't deny anything, she couldn't explain herself… Hours seemed to pass, though in reality it was only a few seconds, before Molly spoke again, her voice suddenly seeming to grate on Arianna's nerves like a nail on a chalkboard. Her head was pounding, and this innocent (if irritating) freshman was, unwittingly, causing it.
"Are you, like, his daughter or something?" Arianna felt bile rise in her throat. Oh good god no! her inner-voice screamed, but her real voice couldn't materialise. She was frozen to the spot, the feeling of hands pressing in on her skull increasing exponentially with every second she stared at the girl.
Virginia and Ellen exchanged a look, guilt written all over both their faces.
"Arianna…?" Ellen whispered, laying a hand on her friend's arm gently. Arianna did not respond. Virginia shook her arm.
"Woah, Arianna, girl snap out of it!" she cried.
"What's going on here?" came a familiar voice, and the two girls couldn't quite decide whether they were glad to hear it or terrified…
"Professor Grabiner." Virginia turned to him as he strode up the path, eyeing his frozen wife with concern. "She… Uh… Ellen… We sort of…"
"Think about what you want to say before opening your mouth, Miss Danson." He snapped. "What is wrong?"
Virginia took a shaky breath, trying to steady herself. Ellen was about to open her mouth when, to her horror, Molly beat her to it.
"Professor, is Arianna your daughter?" she seemed completely oblivious to the shocked state of the Sophomore girl, whose mind was racing too fast to pay any attention to what was happening around her.
Grabiner drew in a sharp breath, eyeing Ellen and Virginia with a venomous look.
"Ah, so that is why she is stood as if she has been hit with a binding spell." He ground through his teeth. Ellen gulped. "No. Arianna is not my daughter." He steeled himself to continue, but the stupid freshman girl before him insisted on trying his patience.
"So why do you have the same last name?" This girl will be earning a lot of demerits from me if she continues to be so irritating.
"If you would let me finish." He snapped, but she didn't shrink back. "Arianna is not my daughter. She is my wife." The girl's eyes widened and she turned to stare at Arianna, who upon registering his voice, had finally seen fit to return to the land of the living, blinking rapidly as she turned to look at him.
"H-hi…" she tried to say his name, but couldn't quite find her voice. He closed his eyes for a brief moment, letting out a sigh of relief, before turning back to the young girl causing all this trouble.
"Miss…?" he raised an eyebrow.
"K-kingston, sir… Molly Kingston." She replied quickly.
"Miss Kingston. What lesson have you scheduled today?" he laced the casual question with disdain, and finally the familiar flicker of fear appeared in her eyes as she gulped and rifled for her timetable.
"Uh… W-white Magic… Sir." She replied shakily. A morning lesson. He thought.
"Then I suggest you move along, or you will be late for your first class of the year, and I shall have to assign you demerits. I've half a mind to do so for disrespecting your elders, but I won't. Leave now, before I change my mind." He said menacingly, and Molly scurried away. "Are you alright, Arianna?" he turned to his wife, a concerned frown etched on his face.
"I… I'm sorry… I…"
"It's not your fault, Arianna… I'm the blabber-mouth. Sorry." Ellen admitted.
"I started it though. I'm sorry too." Virginia muttered.
Hieronymous sighed. "The freshmen will find out sooner or later. Some most likely already know."
"I don't know why I just… froze… I…" Arianna clutched her head and squeezed her eyes shut. "I just don't want a repeat of last year…" she muttered. She didn't think she could handle people staring at her again, laughing or whispered about her behind her back when she could clearly hear them. At least… she couldn't handle any more of that, it already happened enough as it was. What would the new Freshmen do with the knowledge that their teacher was married to a student? What questions would they yell at her in the halls? How many hateful looks?
And suddenly she realised she was crying. Tears were cascading from her eyes like waterfalls, though she didn't exactly understand why. She heard Hieronymous sigh before he pulled her into a hug.
"There will be no repeat. And even if there is, I shall be here." The words were awkward for him to say, especially in front of her two friends, but he knew it was what his young wife needed to hear. This time, he wouldn't be her enemy, he would be her friend. Her ally. Her lover? He fought the blush that threatened to colour his cheeks.
Arianna hugged him back briefly, then stood back and smiled at him.
"Thanks." She said. He nodded.
"I have a class to teach. I shall speak with you later." And with a quick flourish he vanished into the school.
Arianna rubbed at her eyes with the sleeves of her uniform.
"Arianna, I'm so sorry." Ellen said, panic in her voice as she threw herself at her friend, wrapping her arms around her shoulders in a tight hug.
"Me too…" Virginia muttered, not joining in the hug.
"It's okay, guys… He's right, they'll find out eventually anyway." She shrugged, once Ellen had released her, and led the way back to Horse Hall, none of them had lessons until later. "On another note… Did you guys find Molly incredibly annoying?" her friends burst into laughter as they followed her back towards their dorm room.
Arianna took her usual seat in the Blue-Magic classroom. It made sense to keep History and Blue Magic in the same room, since only Hieronymous taught them. Her usual seat was on the second row, in the middle of the room.
Ever since Elementary school, Arianna had usually taken a seat in the front of the class, since it offered a prime position to listen to the teacher and see the board. However, ever since the school had found out about her nuptials she had decided it probably wasn't in her best interests to act like a teacher's pet in a class taught by her husband. People already thought something was going on, why fuel the fire?
The class was only about half-full when Professor Grabiner entered, which Arianna had honestly been expecting. Most students disliked Hieronymous' teaching, and/or the lessons he taught, and would avoid them as much as possible. It made things easier for him, with less of a class to control, but she couldn't help but wonder if he ever got a little upset by people's opinion of him.
A vivid memory of the day she'd gone to him for comfort after everyone had shunned her swam into her mind. When she had asked him if he knew what it was like to be completely alone, for everyone to hate you… He hadn't seemed upset, but he had made it clear that that was what his day to day life was. Each and every student hating him or fearing him. As his gaze swept over the room, she smiled. Perhaps he liked being feared. It wasn't impossible. After all, it was a part of his job. He was supposed to be the scary one. The one who intimidated people into following the rules.
As he started the lesson, Arianna pushed the thoughts to the back of her mind and focussed her attention on her husband.
Monday 1st September 2014
Dear Diary,
First day of term over. Thank God.
We met one of the new freshmen after the assembly this morning… She's obsessed with Harry Potter. Virginia and Ellen accidentally led to her finding out I'm married to Hieronymous, and I honestly don't quite know what she thinks of it all. She thought I was his daughter at first…
That's a terrible thought. Like… that could've been how he saved my life… If he'd adopted me or something. No. No I don't want to think about it. I had a crush on him! That would've been… awkward.
Anyway, moving on! History was really interesting, although I noticed at least 2 people in the class falling asleep… Hieronymous taught us about the council and its role in everything to do with the magical community. I knew I'd like History. Man, that makes me sound like such a nerd.
Ah well, guess I am one.
Ellen and Virginia keep apologising to me… Ellen just did it again now. I keep telling them it's okay but they won't listen!
I guess it's my own fault… If I hadn't cried they wouldn't be so worried. It's not that I'm panicking about them all finding out. That's going to happen no matter what. It's just… I'm scared about their reactions.
This time, at least, Hieronymous won't yell at me for telling everyone. You know, I think he still feels bad for that… He shouldn't, he leapt to the most likely conclusion. I would've done the same in his situation (probably, I'm not really sure).
I'd better go to bed. I've scheduled Red Magic tomorrow and it's a morning lesson. I wonder what Professor Finch will be like…
As always, I'd love to know what you guys think :D x
