Part Twenty-Four
January, 1955
There was a loud crack that splintered the cold evening. Marden and Ailene landed in front of a magnificent, brick tudor mansion just outside of Burford. It was quite homely despite it's size.
Ailene lost her footing slightly, but was quickly supported by Marden.
The Morning Sickness Potion worked absolute wonders, for she didn't get sick like the last time she Apparated. Still, it felt all too strange, and very unnatural.
They walked the long drive up to massive French doors. The couple looked at one another before Aiden grabbed one of the brass knockers. They held hands as one of the doors opened.
Euphemia Potter stood in long, purple robes. At first, her face was lit up in greeting, clearly expecting to see her brother, but it quickly dissolved as her hazel eyes fell upon Ailene. The Muggle offered the Witch a small smile.
"Hello, Euphemia." Ailene smiled kindly, but the witch just looked at her, then to her brother.
"Marden..." Euphemia echoed to her brother. "What are you doing?" She asked, though her voice sounded as if it wasn't going to put up a fight.
Marden held his head up high, looking at his sister in the eye.
Euphemia's eyes flickered from Marden to Ailene, then back to Marden before she turned, letting the door open more.
Once inside, they sat in a magnificent cirucluar room, high windows surrounded them with the darkening sky. Fleamont was as pleasant as ever, and quite happy to see Ailene despite his wife's displeased greeting.
The three of them sat, Ailene and Marden next to one another with their hands intertwined, Fleamont sat by in a chair, but Euphemia stood with her arms crossed.
"Go on." Mia directed, looking expectantly.
"We're getting married." Marden said proudly, waiting for his big sister to reprimand him. But she just looked at him, before sighing.
"I knew it. I knew you were seeing each other." Euphemia said almost immediately, shaking her head before looking at her husband, who practically beamed.
"Well, if it puts your mind to ease, we've only been seeing each other again since last August." Ailene offered, hoping this would make Euphemia only a little better, but it didn't seem so.
Fleamont extended a hand. "Congratulations!" He shook Marden's hand like men do, before raising a wand in the air and seconds later, an unopened bottle of champagne followed by four glasses came gliding into the room.
Ailene wasn't sure what to do or say, but she took the glass that was offered to her.
"A toast! To two people who are inseparable as they come!" Fleamont toasted to them. Ailene raised her glass, but she did not drink, and Euphemia quickly took notice, slowly sipping her champagne with her hazel eyes glued on her. Even though Mia's eyes were not the same color as her brother's, they could still pierce your soul.
"So, when's the ceremony...?" Euphemia asked slowly.
"Well, we haven't decided yet, but we are hoping it's soon. Very soon, and we would like you both to be there. As witnesses." Marden spoke, his arm intertwining with Ailene's.
"How soon is soon?" His sister inquired.
"As soon as humanly possible..." Her brother answered. "within the next week would be optimal."
Euphemia then looked back at Ailene, and the untouched glass of champagne.
Ailene looked back up and found Euphemia still watching her, as if she knew. The Muggle took a long, deep sigh. "I'm pregnant." She said softly.
The look that came over Euphemia's face was a mixture of shock and pure pain; as if a knife was stuck in her heart, followed by an attempt to keep her composure. She slowly sank down into a nearby chair, her collarbones protruding from the base of her neck as she took a large, deep breath.
"That's...that's wonderful." Her voice shook, and she did not make eye contact with either of them. Ailene knew that there was something wrong instantly, for when she looked at Fleamont, he too had a defeated look on his face, though he watched his wife diligently.
"I'm sorry, Mia." Marden now spoke up, walking over and sitting next to his sister with an arm around her.
"I'm fine... I am, and I'm happy for you, truly I am." Euphemia reassured her brother with a pained smile. "I get to have a niece or nephew to play with now." This statement seemed to hurt the most, for Mia's eyes began to water and her smile turning more painful.
Ailene came and knelt on her knees in front of Euphemia, taking her hand. "We thought that maybe you can be more than that...you can be godparents." This wasn't something they thought, nor did they discuss, but Marden smiled down at Ailene, rubbing his sisters arm.
"It would be an honor." Fleamont stood, coming to sit on the arm of the chair, beside his wife. Ailene never understood Marden's slight animosities for his brother-in-law, but she thought Fleamont was a wonderful man, and an even better husband. Euphemia nodded, a few tears escaping her eyes before she wiped them profusely.
"What about Mum and Dad?" Euphemia looked up at Marden then, who returned her worried look.
"I'm going to tell them, of course. I'll do everything I can to include them, but I highly doubt they'll want to be a part of the ceremony." They all collectively nodded their heads in silent agreement.
"We just want you two there. Only you two. We want to be able to get married as soon as we can so we can begin preparing for this baby. I'm due at the end of May." Ailene cupped her lower stomach, now showing significantly.
Now had come the hardest part. The very next morning, Marden and Ailene stood in front of McKinnon Manor. As much as Marden was dreading this encounter more than anything, he had to do the right thing and let his parents know of what was going to happen. Mainly, it was out of respect. Marden already knew what their reaction was going to be, and already knew that they were going to walk back out of this manor without convincing his parents to be apart of their growing family.
He instructed Ailene to wait in the large foyer of the home, noticing that not much had changed since the last time she was there. Ailene noticed the many portraits on the walls, clearly of past relatives, and they all looked at Ailene with disdain.
Marden approached the drawing room door and knocked. There they sat, both reading the Daily Prophet separately, still in their night robes. His mother's long, brown hair cascaded down her back, and her blue eyes flickered up to see her son.
Angus McKinnon sat up in surprise. "Marden, m'boy!" Marden smiled in response. "Hello, father. Did you have a good Christmas?" he asked both of his parents.
"We did, and we missed you at Christmas dinner. Where were you?" Verana now spoke up, folding her paper neatly and resting it in her lap. She seemed pleasantly surprised to see her son.
"Well..." Marden started, placing his hands in his pockets. "You'll...hopefully be pleased to know I have been making plans to get married."
Verana clapped her hands with joy, a rare smile on her face. She considered her son lovingly and it caused Marden to smile as well. She stood and walked over, taking his hands in hers.
"This is wonderful news Marden, I knew you'd find a wife sooner or later. When can we meet her?"
"Well, I figured I'd bring her with me today. Perhaps we can wipe the slate clean..." Marden offered, letting go of his mother's hands, a questioning expression on her face.
Marden returned with Ailene, hand in hand. Angus began mumbling angrily under his breath, folding his paper up rather roughly and tossing it aside. Verana's expression eerily matched her daughter's from the night before. Ailene stood before Verana, watching her warily before offering a gentle bow of her head.
Verana then shook her head, causing her long hair to follow along. She sat back down in the chair, her eyes averted and lost in thought.
"I love Ailene. I have always loved her. She is no different than you or I, she is a human being." Marden stated firmly. "We will be getting married, hopefully within a week or so. Fleamont and Euphemia know and will be present as witnesses. And I would like for you to be there, as well. As my parents." Marden explained. "There is nothing that you can say or do that will prevent this union. "
He paused, giving his fiancée a glance before sighing.
"We are..." Marden hesitated, "also expecting..." he finished, and Ailene absentmindedly drew a hand over her growing belly, outlined underneath her robes.
There was silence. Everyone in the room held their breath.
"For Merlin's bloody sake!" Angus hissed, standing rather quickly. Ailene couldn't help but jump. Angus was no spring chicken, and usually held a pleasant demeanor. To see him move so quickly and have such an outburst was shocking.
"You're not serious!?" He barked at the pair, quickly looking to his wife for support, but she sat still as a statue, watching her son and soon to be daughter-in-law. Ailene couldn't tell what kind of expression she held, a mixture of absolute helplessness and rage.
"You do not have our blessing! If you go through with this marriage, we will never speak to you again! And we will have no participation in the life of this poor child you bring into this world!" Angus bellowed at them. Marden's chest rose and fell shakily, keeping his composure as much as he could. Ailene could only look between father and son, anticipating their next move.
Angus looked as if he wanted to say so much more, but he resigned to shaking his head furiously. Ailene could hear him mutter the word "Half-breeds!" under his breath as he stormed past them.
It was a few long pauses before Verana McKinnon slowly stood and approached the couple. She gently reached up and placed a hand on her son's cheek. She had absolutely no expression on her face, and it was difficult to read what she was thinking. The same hand that touched Marden's face now came to rest on Ailene's baby bump. It lingered there for a few long moments, her eyes coming to meet Ailene's, and a shiver ran up her spine as she stared into the same eyes that Marden had inherited, before the woman slipped past them, and following her husband.
Little did they know that this would be the last time they saw his parents alive.