Somewhere in Cardiff: Aries' Lab
The next morning found Aries in her library, searching through the various bookcases that were pack full of books that she had accumulated over the last century. Her fingers brushed over their spines as she looked for the one she knew she had, all the while enjoying the soothing scents that always came with being in a place that was filled with books – both new and old.
The old bookcase she had found after her 'awakening' in this universe had been carefully moved from her house in London to her lab after Nancy and Jamie had moved in, knowing that with the wards and security she had placed around the area made it next to impossible for someone to find, let alone get their hands on any of the texts. They had slowly been joined by more books over the decades, both fiction and non, and the witch believed that her collection possibly rivalled that of her father's.
But after what had happened with having someone breech her wards via that obscure vortex back in '87, Aries had taken extra measures to protect not only her books, but her personal projects that she did in her lab itself. There was no way she wanted anyone to get their hands on the various texts and tomes on various aliens species and advance technology, let alone any of her on-going projects.
The bookshelf the witch was currently searching through held those texts, though these had been both warded and charmed to look like various different modern textbooks ranging from simple mechanics and engineering, all the way up to advanced biotechnology and physics. But to Aries' eyes, the books looked as they always had.
It was in these books that she was trying to find the one she remembered reading a few decades ago on alien biology. She had exhausted all her other sources that the witch had considered 'Earth-based' biology and was now at the point of grasping at straws. And although she had been warned by Sarah about doing any work, seeing the Doctor the night before had reminded her of something she had heard – but hadn't thought much of at the time – when she had come face-to-face with that Dalek.
And she doubted that her own personal research was considered work related...
It wasn't that she had actually forgotten about what the Dalek had said, having being slowly looking into her own biology after what had occurred during the Blitz, but life had gotten rather busy over the last few decades and her search had been placed on the backburner. Now that she had no other obligations apart from her work, Aries felt that it was finally time to dig out those old papers and start looking once more.
As her thoughts drifted, her eyes landed onto the back of her hand and Aries paused, tracing a line that only she could see on the back of it as she remembered the scar that had once been there because of the nanogenes. It had been the first time that she realised that there was something far more different about her than she had first thought. Something more than just being a witch that seemed to age excruciatingly slowly and Aries had continuously pondered the possibility of what had changed within her DNA and when it could have happened. And although she hadn't gotten anything conclusive as to what she could be, Aries felt as though she had figured out the when.
Sighing, the red head dropped her hand and continued on with her search. She wished that she could talk with her father, having pinpointed that it must have been when he had sent her away that something within her had changed, but she knew that such a conversation would be impossible.
"There you are," she muttered after her eyes fell onto a thick tome that had a deep red cover, a bittersweet smile appearing on her lips as she pulled it carefully off the shelf; feeling the tingle of her magic run through her as she did so. She knew that if it had been anyone else who had tried to remove any of these books, they'd have ended up in a world of pain, but since it was her magic keyed into her own magical signature, it barely tickled Aries.
She read the title of the book and her smile grew slightly as she ran her fingers down the book's spine. "Biology of the Milky Way. Let's see if you'll help me get some answers," she said as she headed out of her library and back into her main lab. A quick glance at the clock that was hanging on one of the walls had the red head breathing out a relieved sigh. It was only half-past nine, which meant that she still had just over two and a half hours before Sarah was expecting her.
Moving around a few of the cluttered tables, Aries headed to her R.O.R, blinking as she stepped into the deceptively bright room. It wasn't a park that she walked through this time, but instead a cosy looking sitting room that was almost a replica of the one at her home in London. The home she hadn't stepped foot inside for over five years.
Aries shook her head, dispelling that thought as she summoned a notebook and pen from her lab before making herself comfortable on the sofa and cracking the book open. She inhaled deeply at the smell the tome gave off, closing her eyes as she let the scent calm her. "Now, where to begin?" she murmured when she felt she was ready, skimming through the contents page as her finger ran down the chapters on the pages. It paused at one and her lip twitched upwards.
"Seems rather fitting," she snorted before flipping through the book and to the page that begun the chapter on Mars.
The book closed with a thump as Aries let out a frustrated sigh.
The witch had managed to get through four chapters in the last two hours, but had come up with nothing that would be of any use to her. And as she looked to her notes, they were on more interesting – and rather irrelevant – facts about the various lifeforms that had once inhabited the red planet.
Getting up from the sofa, Aries placed the book onto the coffee table before stretching to relax and unknot her muscles. When she was finished, she grabbed the book and returned to her library, placing it back onto its shelf. She knew that if she tried to continue that it would only lead her to growing even more frustrated and unsettled, which both would be pointless and tiring. Pinching the bridge of her nose, the red head couldn't help but let out another heavy exhale as she searched her mind for the answer as to why it seemed so difficult to figure out what she was.
Dropping her hand, she stared at the book's spine for a minute before heading of to the small kitchenette that was just off her lab. She needed tea.
It's not the first time I've come up with nothing, Aries thought with a frown as she filled up the kettle, passing an empty bird perch that was located in the corner of the small room. Returning the kettle to its base after filling it, the red head flicked it on with a habitual wave of her hand as she moved to where she kept her tea; making a motion with her hand as she went and caused a cup from a cupboard to float out and onto the counter back next to the kettle.
Grabbing the container of tea, the witch inhaled deeply as she removed the lid; savouring the unique aroma of the blend inside. It was nowhere near what her father use to make, but as Aries slowly felt her frustrations slowly seep away at the smell, she knew that she was close. It had taken her decades to come to creating the blend she had, and it was almost just as effective.
When the water finished boiling, Aries fixed her tea the way she liked it; adding in a dash of honey to help curb her hunger as – once again – she had forgotten to eat breakfast. The red-headed witch knew, however, that Sarah would be rather furious to hear that she hadn't been eating again, and found herself rather grateful that she had agreed to go to the brunette's for lunch. Even if it meant she would have to put up with Sarah acting rather motherly.
Aries did feel a little guilty about not having gone and seen her friend over the last week, and knew that she probably deserved Sarah acting like a 'Mother Hen'.
The joys of looking like you're in your mid-twenties, the red head thought wryly as she sipped her tea, letting out a content sigh as the soothing liquid helped soothe her. She moved to the small table in the opposite side of the room, across from the empty bird perch as her thoughts drifted towards her rather unorthodox friend.
Both Sarah and Alistair, as much as they tried to act like some sort of parental figure towards Aries – which the witch allowed as it seemed to fill something that each had been missing – were rather forward when it came to making sure that Aries was looking after herself. And for Aries, she had come to appreciate their familiar, unfailing presence in her life, and in some odd and twisted sense, almost saw the pair as her somewhat substitute parents.
And Aries found that she didn't mind that idea at all. Out of anyone who she could have picked, she would never have thought to have chosen them.
The red head snorted, knowing how bizarre her train of thought sounded. She had over half a century on Alistair, and many more decades on Sarah Jane. But she found it both comforting and a little soothing to have their steady presence in her life. She didn't have to pretend, or 'act her age' around them. And even her magic wasn't hidden from them, knowing that unlike the others that had come to know of her powers, neither Sarah nor Alistair expected anything more than she was willing to give. Nor did they hold anything she might have done or may do against her.
They had no problem with exactly who Aries Prince was, or what she could do. The witch was even a frequent visitor to Alistair and helped him around his home, knowing and seeing that he was getting older. She dreaded the day he would no longer be in her life, but understood that it was inevitable.
But it didn't make it any less painful. Especially after losing both Nancy and Jami-
No!
Aries was on her feet; the chair she had been sitting on scrapping across the floor with a screech as she banished that train of thought. She didn't want to think of that, and with a renewed determination, the red head grabbed her cup of tea and headed back into her lab to grab her coat.
She knew that the inevitable would happen one day for both of them, and although she prayed that the circumstances wouldn't be anywhere near as heartbreaking as the last time, the witch didn't want to be on her own as those depressing thoughts and horrid memories swirled in her mind.
It was one thing to have lost someone she had grown to see as family, but it had been an entirely different thing to have been blamed for their murder.
Placing her cup onto her desk in one of the rare, clear spots that wasn't covered in notes or parts, Aries moved to the coat rack that was hanging just by the door that led outside and pulled a jacket off. It was one of her favourites, and although lighter in colour compared to what she normally wore, felt just right for her mood. It was a deep, ocean blue and reached just passed her knees with three-quarter length sleeves. It had been a Christmas gift from Sarah a few years back, and as much as the red head loved her more darker colours, she couldn't deny that she rather liked this coat.
She quickly slid it on before returning to her desk, picking up her cup and taking a sip before opening a draw and pulling out her psychic paper, glamoured ring, and mobile – never leaving her lab without them. And after seeing the Doctor the day before but not heard anything since, the witch knew that it was a matter of tie before the Time Lord surfaced again, and Aries wanted to be prepared.
Finishing off the rest of her tea, Aries sent the cup back to her kitchenette with a wave of her hand. She pocketed her things, along with her UNIT ID, and when she was certain that she had everything, the witch closed her eyes and thought on the location she wanted to go.
With the image of Sarah's attic clear in her mind, Aries turned on her heel and disappeared with an almost silent crack.
Sarah Jane Smith bustled around her kitchen as she cleared up the mess that she had created with preparing lunch.
"Thanks," the brunette said with a smile as a dried glass was handed to her and she returned it to the cupboard.
"It's no problem," a man with dirty-blond hair replied as he moved onto the next dish that needed drying.
As she turned back to the sink, and the man standing before it, Sarah raised an eyebrow. "You're pulling my leg, aren't you?" she asked, "There's no way that she got that all on her first try."
The man glanced at her, a smirk lifting the corner of his lips. "It's true," he confirmed rather proudly, though a glint soon appeared in his eye as his smirk grew just a tad with a dark twist, "Far before that mutt and his gang even thought about trying. She had to one-up everyone and succeeded not long into her second year."
Sarah just shook her head with a soft snort as she accepted the pots that needed to be put away. "Aries always seems to be stuck neck deep in her research, and that's not even accounting for the work Alistair gets her to do," she said rather fondly before a sigh escaped her and she sat down at the table. "I was worried that she was going to up and disappear after what he put her through," she admitted as she looked to the blond; the humour that had once been present in the air between them vanishing.
The smirk disappeared from the man's face, swapped with a deep frown. "Jamie?" he questioned quietly as he took the seat across from Sarah Jane.
"I still can't understand how he could have done that to her," Sarah stated as she looked to the man across from her. Her expression was a blend of both sadness and anger, though as the words continued to come out of her mouth, anger seemed to win out. "Aries had done nothing but look out for his family ever since she ran into Nancy and her son during the Blitz, and it infuriates me that sixty years of friendship went all down the drain over something that had been Luka's fault to begin with."
"Not everyone has the patience or understanding you do, Sarah Jane," the blond said quietly as he reached across the table and placed a hand over hers. He gave it a gentle squeeze as he added, "And grief can do terrible things to one's mind, causing them to lash out at the ones they never meant to hurt."
Sarah's expression turned pained as she spoke quietly, her gaze dropping to their joint hands as her eyes burned with unshed tears. "It almost broke her, what he did. We almost thought she would have just up and disappeared on us. Rieka hasn't even stepped foot inside that house since Alistair escorted her so that they could retrieve that box. Even Mickey doesn't remember who she is anymore." Her gaze met the blond's and he squeezed her hand once more in comfort as she added, "She cut herself off from almost everyone."
"Not everyone," the man replied as he let her hand go. "Both you and Alistair are what have kept her here. Not once have either of you let her push you away; blamed her for anything that she felt she should have been able to control." He offered the brunette a brief, but genuine smile, "And I know that she appreciates what you do every day."
"I worry about her," Sarah confessed with a small frown. "About when we're gone," she clarified when the blond shot her a confused expression, "Who will she have then? I'm not getting any younger, and we all know that Alistair's age is finally catching up to him. What will keep her from disappearing for good next time?" she questioned. Her eyes were searching the blond's as if they held all the answers to her questions.
He leaned back into his seat as he thought over Sarah's words, his gaze regarding the brunette as he did so. It took a few moments of silence before it seemed that he had found the words that he was looking for. "Do not think that she will disappear, Sarah Jane. Of all the things that have kept Rieka going, it has been both yours' and the Brigadier's support that has helped her the most," he raised an eyebrow, "Can you tell me that you would not look for her if she did try? That you wouldn't turn the entire planet on its head to look for the woman whom you see as your own daughter? Obscure as it may seem, Rieka sees you as a motherly figure. Regardless of what her age should have people believe."
"And what of Aries when we're gone?" Sarah questioned, "She's gone through so much since I've met her, and I doubt tha-"
She was cut off when the blond reached across the table once more and grabbed her hand. "Think over my words, Sarah, and look between the lines. Aries will not be alone – never again. Right now however, she is trying to regain her footing in a world that doesn't even scratch the surface at understanding her. It is only a matter of time before she finds just where she will take her stand." He offered the brunette a knowing smile as he stood up, letting her hand go again in the process. "She, by all rights, has already started on the path that will lead her to where she will belong."
The man picked up his jacket that was hung over the back of the chair and put it on as Sarah tried to understand what he was telling her. "Sarah," he begun as he turned back to the brunette, though hesitated. He wanted to tell her so much, but knew that as much as he wanted to ease her worries, things had to play out as they had to. So instead, he asked, "Did Aries ever mention a prophecy?"
"A prophecy?" Sarah blinked, confused, "You mean like the one for Harry?"
A grimace appeared on the blond's lips before he slowly shook his head in the negative. The day that people didn't first think of Harry bloody Potter when the word 'prophecy' was mentioned was too far off for his liking. "No," he said, "Before Rieka came here, there was another prophecy. One that spoke of a wolf... and a Lord of Time," he finished before sweeping from the room.
"What?" Sarah asked in confusion before she realised that the blond was gone. "A wolf and a Lord of... oh!" The brunette froze when it hit her and she stared unfocusedly in the direction of her front door; hearing it close behind the blond. "But I thought he was dead," she said out loud to no one before getting up out of the seat and started to pace in her kitchen.
A glance at the clock told her that it was twenty to twelve, which left Sarah with too much time alone with the bombshell her friend had decided to leave her with. And so to keep herself busy, the brunette set about laying the food out on the table for lunch, having used the charmed containers that Aries had created for her. It didn't help much with the swirling thoughts that ran through her mind, but it did help pass the time.
The Doctor's alive!
Sarah felt overly ecstatic, and an immense feeling of relief coursed through her at that thought; having believed that the Doctor had died. Her feelings were dashed away when another thought crossed her mind, however, and it brought a frown to her face.
Unless Nick was talking about another Time Lord.
Before she could let that thought run rampant, there was the tell-tale crack of apparation sounding from her attic and Sarah glanced at the clock once more and realised that Aries was early. "This can't be good," she muttered under her breath as she placed a small plate of biscuits onto the table.
"Sarah," Aries' voice called as the sound of her footsteps could be heard coming down the stairs that led to the brunette's attic, "Sorry I'm early, but Alistair informed me that I was to take the day off."
The moment the red-headed witch walked into the kitchen; Sarah knew that she had been correct in that Aries was having a bad day. She was wearing the deep blue coat that Sarah had given her three Christmas' back, although the brunette could understand why.
"I'm just glad you're here," she replied as she offered Aries a small smile; one which the red head returned a little hesitantly. "How's your research going?" she asked, knowing that even with being told to have the day off, Aries would have done something to try and keep her mind occupied. Although given Aries' early appearance, it didn't seem as though her answer was going to be positive.
And just as Sarah thought, Aries shook her head with a sigh. "Not good," the witch admitted, pausing for a moment as she took a deep breath in, "And as much as I want to know what I am, I'm starting to think that I may never find out."
Definitely a bad day, Sarah thought in surprise when Aries suddenly hugged her after her words, though the brunette was quick to return the embrace. Aries rarely – if ever – instigated a hug. "Have you asked Alistair if he could help?" she questioned as Aries pulled away, making sure to make no comment about the red head's actions.
"No," Aries replied, a frown appearing on her lips as she overanalysed her sudden show of emotion. But the witch needed to ground herself a little and knew that Sarah was the one person who understood that need. And even on such a day as today where the red head continued feeling like she was waiting for the other shoe to drop, Aries knew that Sarah would never push her away.
"I think you should," Sarah remarked before gesturing to the already prepared table, "But enough of that. Let's have some lunch," she continued as she led Aries to a chair, "And then you can tell me how you've been too busy to come and see me."
The smile on Sarah's lips had a sheepish one appearing briefly on Aries' as the red head took her seat and Sarah shook her head, moving to sit down across from Aries. She glanced at the witch as she opened the container that held some sliced sandwiches, deciding to break the tension she could still feel coming from the other woman. "I have to say that the stasis-charmed containers you made work wonders. I can cook in a day's advance and the food will still be fresh the next day," she said smoothly as she placed a few of the cut up sandwiches on her plate before moving to the next container.
She watched with hidden satisfaction as Aries' shoulders relaxed slightly, a small smile appearing on the red head's face.
"I figured with all the investigating you do that it would come in handy. I know how often you're out and about and rarely having time to cook when you get home. All that take away can't be good for you, Sarah," Aries said, her voice holding a slight teasing tone to it.
"Takes one to know one," the brunette quickly shot back, though she was smiling. It fell slightly as she grabbed the container with the sandwiches and held it out to Aries, "So why does your research project have you bothered? I thought you had exhausted all you avenues on microbiology and DNA."
Shifting slightly as she grabbed a sandwich, along with a few biscuits, Aries waved her free hand and had the kettle that was on the stove floating over towards them; two cups off a shelf following moments later as she tried to gather her thoughts. "I exhausted all my Earth based avenues," she muttered after a few minutes of silence. She had never actually told Sarah about her warded bookshelf, never really having a reason to bring it up before.
The kettle poured the boiled water into the cups and floated back to the stove. Sarah raised an eyebrow at Aries, wondering what she was talking about. "And what do you mean by Earth based avenues?" she asked as she added a teaspoon of sugar into her tea with a dash of milk before stirring it.
The red head sighed as she made her tea, this time forgoing honey, "I have a few sources of information on alien lifeforms in this galaxy and I was searching through some of them," she admitted, looking to the brunette across from her. "And no, Alistair doesn't know about them either," she added when she noticed the look on Sarah's face.
Sarah furrowed her brows as she grabbed a sandwich, "So, if it wasn't Alistair, then where did the source of information come from?" she asked before taking a bite of her sandwich.
Aries finished her mouthful of biscuit and had a sip of her tea before she replied, "I've told you about how I arrived here."
Nodded, Sarah wondering where the conversation was going. She knew how Aries had arrived in this universe over a century ago, and had even tried to help the witch in figuring out who would have known she was going to appear, but they had come up with nothing every time. Even the house that Aries owned was never mentioned on any records before it just appeared with her name on the deed.
Aries chewed on her bottom lip before she stopped herself, taking another sip of her tea. "Well, there was a bookshelf that was in the room I awoke in. It was filled with all kinds of books on alien lifeforms and advance technology. I keep it warded and protected, knowing that if any of them got into the wrong hands that it could cause a catastrophe."
Sarah laughed, causing Aries to startle, not seeing what was funny. "If anyone could even find your lab, let alone get through the wards I know would be surrounding it, they would never be able to get out," the brunette said as she managed to contain her laughter.
A slight smile appeared on Aries face, "That is true," she said with a small chuckle, "My father did teach me how to ward." Though her smile fell at the thought of her father.
Sarah frowned as Aries face fell, realising that it wasn't just her research that had brought on her downtrodden mood. And it didn't help that it was getting closer to that time of year. It was only a week away from the anniversary of Jamie's death and Sarah knew that Aries was still fighting with the guilt of what had happened to the man.
A man the red head had helped raise since the Blitz.
It was not a secret to Sarah or Alistair that Aries would out live them and both had come to terms with that. Aries on the other hand... Well, it was harder for her, knowing that the people she would get to know would leave her. That they had left her. And adding to the fact that the whole time Sarah had known Aries, the witch really hadn't seemed to age at all.
In fact, Sarah remembered Aries once mentioning that she now appeared to be in her early twenties compared to how she had looked when she first arrived.
Aries was a witch, and Sarah had learnt that she aged much slower than normal humans. The red head had mentioned that when her father had died, she still looked to be in her late teens. It told Sarah that Aries hadn't stopped aging completely, but none of them knew why it had stalled so much. Having only aged by a couple of years in over a century was not normal for a human – witch or not.
But Nick's words replayed in the brunette's mind and it made her curious to know what he had meant by his parting words. She knew that the wolf he had mentioned was Aries. It was her name, after all. One that Alistair and herself had sworn to never tell another soul. But she was still unsure about the Time Lord he had mentioned and whether or not it could have been her old friend; or another altogether.
Sarah decided it was best to change the topic, knowing there wasn't any real way to comfort the witch and decided to think over her rampant thoughts later. "So, what was the research Alistair had you doing?" she questioned before taking another sip from her tea.
Aries shook her head, smiling a little at the brunette knowing full well what the other woman was doing. "You know I can't tell you about that, Sarah," she remarked, happily going along with the topic change, "But I can tell you that Reynolds seems like he'll go far. The man's worked for UNIT for over a year now, but if he keeps working the way he is, I can see him furthering his position quite quickly."
The corner of Sarah's lip twitched upwards as she finished her biscuit; eyeing the look that was on the red head's face. "You had a talk with him, didn't you?" she asked knowingly and her question had Aries chuckling.
"You know me too well, Sarah Jane," the red head said, "But yes. And he took it rather well." Her face suddenly scrunched up with distaste, "Unlike that other Private I had the unfortunate pleasure of meeting. What was his name again?" she muttered as a line appeared between her brows as she tried to recall the man's name. He hadn't even lasted an entire day with her, so she wasn't entirely sure.
The witch found that she didn't do well with dunderheads.
The brunette frowned as she asked, "Are you talking about Collins?"
If it was possible, Aries nose wrinkled even more at the name. "That's his name. He reminded me too much of Tonks, too be fair. She was a good Auror, but she was as clumsy as a toddler who had just managed to learn how to walk. Collins however, also seemed to have loose lips. Clumsiness can be accepted if you're efficient in other parts of your job, but mix that with a loose tongue did not bode well for him."
"He must have been more than terrible to have only lasted a day with you," Sarah remarked as she shook her head, "I know how you treat all your associates, and I know how fair you are with them."
Aries shook her head, "Oh, he was the worst. Think of a mix between Tonks, Malfoy Jr, Potter Sr, and Ronald Weasley," she said before finishing the last of her sandwich.
A brunette eyebrow raised in both surprised and intrigue while a frown tugged at Sarah's lips. "Surely he wasn't that bad?" she questioned, not recalling much that Aries had said about the man. Though it didn't really surprise Sarah, understanding that the red head was very rarely one to gossip.
The woman in question wasn't able to stop the snort that escaped her and her eyes lit up in a way that Sarah hadn't seen in a very long time. "He was the most clumsiest, arrogant peacock who believed that his shit didn't stink. And if he wasn't complaining about the work he needed to do, it was always questions as to when lunch was going to be," she explained with another shake of her head before adding, "He lasted a total of four hours and thirty-six minutes before I had to call Alistair to get him out of my sight before I did anything myself."
"I take it back. He sounded terrible," Sarah stated, her eyes wide with surprise. She had never – and she meant never - heard Aries speak badly about anyone. Not even Luka after everything that young man had put her through. So to hear the witch's words told the brunette that Collins must have managed to do something even Luka had when he had blamed her for Jamie's death to have gotten the red-headed witch to react in the way that she had.
"You have no idea," Aries replied with a small smile as she finished her tea. The expression didn't last long on her face, however. And as she placed the now empty cup back onto the table and looked to Sarah, her expression turned remorseful. "I'm sorry I haven't been around as much lately," she murmured.
Sarah watched the witch carefully, knowing that they had finally gotten around to what she had truly wanted to speak with Aries about. "It's not a problem, Aries," she replied quietly. "But I have to ask," she took a breath and let it out slowly, watching the witch across from her tense, "Did you want me to go with you this year?"
"I..." the red head frowned, her gaze dropping to the empty cup as her hands closed around it. "I... wasn't going to go," she admitted so quietly that the brunette almost missed what she had said.
Sarah reached across the table, and much like what Nick had done for her, she did for Aries as she gave the witch's hand a gentle squeeze. "If you do decided to go, know that I'm here for you Aries," she told Aries quietly.
It was just after sunset when Aries had finally left Sarah's home; having spent the rest of the afternoon talking about some of the old adventures that the brunette had experienced with the Doctor, along with some of Sarah's more recent investigations as the witch once again tried to repair K9. Her effort had been once again fruitless, but Sarah never seemed to mind that she couldn't fix the robotic dog.
Fifty-first parts were rather hard to come by in the twenty-first...
The red head did feel bad about telling Sarah about her own run-ins with the Time Lord throughout the years. Or about having just seen the man yesterday. But when she had noticed the sad, almost wistful and longing look that had appeared on the brunette's face as she spoke of her travels, Aries felt that withholding her own 'adventures' was the right thing to do. She didn't know why the Doctor had left Sarah behind all those years ago, and from what Aries had learnt about the man, he had been a completely different person.
They had – of which Aries was quite grateful for – spoke no more about Jamie, or Luka. Though it didn't keep those thoughts away. Nor the pain.
With a heavy sigh and a muttered notice-me-not charm, the red-headed witch made her way through the streets of London, wondering if she should just apparate back to her lab in Cardiff. She had been rather glad that she had agreed to go to Sarah's for lunch; the other woman always managing to take her mind off the things that were bothering Aries – which seemed to be a lot of things lately. And as always, trying to repair K9 helped relax her further.
Science had, and always would be something that was a part of Aries life; just as Potions were for her father. And Severus had always acknowledged her affinity with the subject, allowing her to learn and study what she could during the summer breaks.
Slipping her ring out of her pocket as she thought about those summers, Aries ran a thumb over the gemstones as she looked at the design. It had been a gift from her father on her seventeenth birthday. One which she cherished to this day.
Rieka sighed as she glanced up from the muggle book called 'Engineering and the Mind's Eye' and towards the clock, trying not to think of what could be holding her father up. She was seated in his private chambers, and he had promised to be back hours ago.
But ever since the Dark Lord – and he was the Dark Lord to Rieka as she wouldn't speak his name around her father, and Tom sounded a little... odd – had returned during the last challenge in the Triwizard Tournament, Rieka had to be even more careful about how much time she could spend with her father, and that time was slowly dwindling away to nothing for another day. And given that Amelia had wanted her to try and spend the entire day with her father, consider that it was Rieka's seventeenth birthday thanks to the time-turner she had been given in the summer between her first and second year, the witch had hoped that she'd at least get to see Severus before she had to return to the cottage.
It was an unplottable place that had been 'gifted' to Rieka since she was unable to stay at her father's home in Cokeworth during the summer holidays – thanks to the possibility of Death Eater's appearing at his house unannounced – that only Dumbledore, Amelia, Severus, and Rieka could access. It was hard at times, the witch found, to be staying at the property on her own. But Rieka had always known that when the Dark Lord returned, this would have been the most likeliest of outcomes.
And her father did try and visit as much as he could, but with him having to return to his duties of spying fulltime, along with teaching during the school year and brewing for both the infirmary and the Dark Lord as well, the hours they had once spent in each-other's presence had reduced dramatically. Thankfully for the young witch, Amelia also made sure to visit whenever she could, although even that was getting harder for the older witch.
The main blessing that Rieka could think about with the cottage was that since he had warded the place, Albus Dumbledore had never shown his bearded face.
Shutting the book that she was no longer reading with a thud, the red head's eyes narrowed as she stood up swiftly from the couch she had been seated in; her irritation getting the better of her. Another glance towards the clock had her scowling, seeing that it was just past two in the afternoon, and the witch wondered just exactly what Albus sodding Dumbledore was talking with her father about. She knew that Severus would tell her if she needed to know, and she trusted that he would never - had never – withheld information from her that might affect her directly.
But this was Rieka's seventeenth birthday!
She wished that the Headmaster could have had the curtesy to let her father have the day off, but it seemed as though that the old coot was trying to keep her father away from her more and more now that he had his only spy back on the chessboard that was the war.
Oh, Rieka knew all about the vow that Dumbledore had made with her father. She knew that Severus had basically thrown himself at the Headmaster's feet as he asked – begged! – the older wizard to do anything for the safety and protection of Lily, James, and Harry Potter. But the old man seemed to conveniently forget that he had also failed at upholding his side of the bargain. The he failed the moment he allowed Peter Pettigrew to become the Potter's Secret Keeper. Failed when that rat had told the Dark Lord exactly where to find Lily and her family – leaving Harry an orphan after the Dark Lord had slaughtered his parents.
She had learnt near the end of her third year just how conniving the Headmaster was. The red-headed witch had always known that Professor Lupin was a werewolf. But it had been quite the surprise to find out that the youngest male Weasley had been harbouring – abet without actually knowing – a Death Eater that had been masquerading as his family's rat for the last twelve years. It had been quite the shock to have discovered that it hadn't been Sirius Black that had betrayed the Potter's and killed those muggles.
But Rieka also found that she couldn't come to forgive Sirius Black for her misguidance towards the truth. Nor could she forgive Granger and Potter for setting the man free.
Sighing to herself, Rieka placed her book back into her bag and dropped back down into the chair. She knew that it was no use to dwell on things that she couldn't change. The red head had never thought that the Headmaster would have given a time-turner to another student, and after what Granger and Potter had done that night was something that went against everything that Rieka had been told about time travel.
The witch found that she didn't have long to think on such thoughts as the door to her father's quarters opened and the Potion's Master himself walked in with a scowl plastered across his face. Rieka frowned when she noticed how drained and tired he looked, though his sour disposition was quick to change; being replaced with a warm, though small smile when he noticed that she was there. The expression, Rieka swore, made him look younger and found herself wondering – and not for the first time – what his life would have been like without the rise of another Dark Lord. His troubles from the day seemed to melt away from Severus' features at the sight of his daughter, and she could see just how effective her mere presence was for him as his entire demeanour relaxed.
"Sorry, Rie," Severus apologised as he removed his outer robes and hung them on the hook by the door, "Dumbledore had me tied up with one of his Order meetings."
Rieka smiled slightly as she shook her head. He was the last person who needed to apologise to her. "It's fine, father," she said, "I'm just glad you're here now."
"It's not fine," Severus stated with a frown as he looked to Rieka, "It's my only daughter's seventeenth birthday, and the old man should have allowed me to leave as soon as I could instead of keeping me around when I wasn't needed, nor wanted."
Instead of replied, said seventeen-year-old hopped out of the chair she was sitting on and made her way to the small kitchen just off her father's sitting area; giving Severus as quick hug as she passed. She knew that he needed something to help take his mind off whatever the other Order members had been droning on about.
"Sarkey," Rieka called, and a house elf popped into the kitchen with a barely audible crack.
The creatures large ears flapped in anticipation at the possibility of helping its young charge. "What cans Sarkey do for the Little Wolf?" he asked excitedly, and his excitement had Rieka smiling. He had been an elf selected by her father for her to bond to, not trusting any of the elves that worked for the school, and Rieka was still amazed at how willing and genuine Sarkey was with his need to help her. He was chosen to keep her visits to her father a secret... as well as to stop the meddling Headmaster from sticking his nose into business that didn't pertain to him.
"Could you bring up a plate of sandwiches and some fruit for me and my father, please Sarkey," Rieka requested and the little elf seemed to bounce on his feet as he nodded over-enthusiastically.
"Sarkey happy to serve," he said before disappearing the same way he came.
Shaking her head with amusement, Rieka turned to the kitchen counter and started on the tea, knowing that her father preferred his own blend to whatever the elves served. She had never been able to replicate his recipe and Severus had never divulged it, mush to Rieka's disappointment. But she took it as the challenge she knew it was and had been determined to figure it out. She inhaled the scents of the tea, already knowing what it should smell like and quickly got to work. When finished, she carried the tea tray out into the living room and seeing her father hunched over his seat, rubbing his hand over his face tiredly.
The moment he heard her returning, however, Severus straightened with a smile as she placed the tray on the coffee table between them. "You should have had Sarkey do that," he muttered as he watched her make two cups of tea, "It's your birthday."
Rieka just smiled as she replied, "I know that, but I also know what those meetings are like for you." She handed him his tea before grabbing her own and sitting on the couch opposite him.
Sarkey popped in a moment later with a small platter of sandwiches and fruit and placed them on the coffee table as well.
"Thanks, Sarkey," Rieka said and the elf bowed before he disappeared with another almost silent pop.
Severus shook his head as he sipped his tea, "He really likes you," he stated.
Rieka shrugged as she grabbed a sandwich, "He loves helping me and I know that they live to do it. It would be rude and disrespectful not to allow him to help."
Severus nodded before placing his tea on the table. "I have something for you," he said as he pulled out his wand and flicked it in the direction of his outer robes that he had left by the door. A small box flew towards him and he grabbed it before putting his wand away, sheathing it back up his sleeve.
He hesitated, just barely noticeable before handing the box over to his daughter and Rieka accepted it after placing her cup onto the table. She looked to her father curiously before opening it and her mouth dropped open in surprise, seeing a silver ring with a row of four gemstones inlayed into the band. The first was a light, almost exquisite imperial topaz. The second a golden beryl that shined like the sun. The third was a rather dark green gemstone she realised after a moment was a diopside. The fourth and final stone was an almost blood red almandine garnet. She blinked a few times, fighting back tears as she managed to raise her gaze back to her father. "It's beautiful," she whispered, her voice laden with various emotions that were bubbling to the surface.
Severus smiled slightly as he explained the significance of the ring, "It is a custom for a witch or wizard, once they come of age, to be given a ring by their parents that symbolizes their family affiliations. Normally..." he trailed off as he looked away, an almost painful expression briefly appearing on his face before his infamous emotional control snapped into place. "Normally I would give my daughter the ring left to me by my mother. One that would recognise you as a member of the Prince family," he said quietly as he turned back to Rieka, "But I know that in doing so would only place you in danger."
Rieka carefully plucked the ring from the box, smiling a watery smile at her father as she did so. "It does not matter what ring I wear," she said as she slipped it on, feeling her father's magic was over her, "As I know who my father is. Just as I know where I belong. It doesn't matter to me that I may never be known out there as your daughter," she continued, gesturing to the door that led to the rest of the castle and the world beyond, "What matters to me is what I have right here, with you," she finished as she stood up and hugged her father.