~Memory 4~
Aiden glanced at his toy broomstick warily. His father had just given it to him earlier in an effort to try and spark some quidditch interest in him but so far, Aiden was still to scared to even sit on his broomstick and still jumped a few feet whenever the broom would start to move.
Suddenly, the door burst open and a figure thoroughly covered by a long black cloak stepped into the house dragging a large trunk.. Aidan let out a terrified squeal and took cover behind the couch.
The figure removed her cloak, revealing a fifteen-year-old girl dressed in a rather tight black top with matching black pants accessorized with heavy metal chains. Her shoulder length black hair had dark violet streaks and her gorgeous blue eyes hidden by the dark eyeliner. The girl herself would have been enough to terrify anyone but Aiden knew who she was and immediately let out a sigh of relief as the fear subsided, for the girl was his older sister Adara.
Adara rolled her eyes as she observed her brothers rather cowardly behavior. "Fuck, Aiden. You're so pathetic. You practically had a heart attack when I walked in"
"I did not." Aiden pouted.
Adara rolled her eyes again. "Whatever. Are mother and father here or is it just us again."
"Nope! They're upstairs and they'll be here all week!" said Aiden brightly.
Adara snorted in disbelief. "I doubt that. They'll probably be gone later today."
Aiden glared at his sister. "No they won't. They promised they'd be here for the whole holiday!"
"I doubt that. Give it a moment or two. They'll be gone." Leaned across the back of the couch with her arms over her chest waiting.
Sure enough, about 5 minutes later Albus came running down the stairs with Minerva close behind him. The first and last words out of his mouth being "Move, Adara." As he grabbed his cloak and stormed out the door.
Aiden was shocked at his parent's abrupt behavior and grabbed his mother's hand in an attempt to stop her. "Mummy, where are you going? You promised you'd stay here with us all week!"
Minerva stopped trying to put on her cloak and bent down to Aiden's level. "I'm sorry dearest. But mummy and daddy have been called away, something important has come up."
Aiden sniffed and wiped away at a few of the tears that had made its way down his face. "It's alright, mummy. I understand."
Minerva smiled tenderly at her son and hugged him tightly, giving him a kiss on the forhead, which Aiden returned whole-heartedly.
Adara, on the other hand, felt quite ignored. Ignored and annoyed, but not quite hurt and not at all surprised.
Just as Minerva was almost out the door, Adara cleared her throat loudly. Minerva turned and just noticed her daughter standing there looking quite annoyed. Hearing her husband call her name and tel her to hurry up, she continued striding out the door. "Look after your brother," she called over her shoulder.
The door shut itself, leaving the two siblings alone in the house. Aiden continued to stare at the door, more tears making its way down his face. Adara got up from her position and opened her parents liquor cabinet, taking a few minutes to carefully consider her selection.
Aiden stared at his sister, completey bewildered by the fact that she was completely unaffected by their parents abrupt change of plans, while he was crushed with disappointment. "Aren't you upset that mum and dad changed the plans?" he asked.
Adara picked a bottle of sherry and opened it, pouring herself a generous serving. "Not at all."
"Why not?" asked Aiden, completely shocked.
Adara swirled the sherry around in her cup before answering. "Aiden, it's not the first time Mother and Father have backed out on their plans, and I can assure you it won't be the last." She lifted her glass towards her brother, toasting to him. "Here's to you, Aiden. Happy fucking Christmas!" She drained the entire goblet in one swallow, proving that she wasn't an amateur drinker.
"See you later, midget." She called as she made her way up the stairs to her room, a few extra bottles of sherry and the goblet in her hand..
Aiden stared at the liquor cabinet his sister had forgotten to close. Still a bit upset and disappointed in the change of events, he decided to follow his sister's lead. Choosing a green bottle, he opened it without much difficulty and began to drink, delighting in the sweetness of the beverage and the warmness her felt in his chest, eating away at his disappointment.
~The Next Day ~
"Howdy Mummy!" Aiden slurred as he waved enthusiastically to his mother.
Minerva smiled as she reached the top of the staircase and saw her youngest son already awake and waiting for her. The winter holidays had already begun, but she had yet to spend any time with her children.
"Hello sweetheart." Minerva held her arms open for her son.
Aiden grinned and ran over to his mother. Or, at least her tried to. Minerva noticed right away that something was off and immediately grew concerned.
"Are you alright, darling?" Minerva asked, gently cupping Aiden's face.
"Fantastic!" Aiden exclaimed.
"If you insist," said Minerva warily. "Have you eaten breakfast yet?"
"No. I'm not hungry. I drank a lot of the magic lemonade." He slurred as he walked over to the table and took a long sip from his cup.
Minerva's eyes immediately narrowed in suspician. "What magic lemonade, Aiden?"
Aiden reached for the cup and handed it to Minerva, spilling a few drops in the process.
Minerva sniffed it suspiciously and took a few sips. It was then that everything clicked. "Adara….." she hissed. Quickly, she waved her hand, summoning a large glass of water.
She bent down to Aiden's level and handed him the glass. "Here, darling. Stay right here and drink this, alright?"
"Yes, mummy"
"Good boy" she whispered, feeling a surge of affection for her son, as she stroked and laid a kiss on her child's head.
Minerva stood up and headed down the hall to her other child's room, one who Minerva wasn't particularly feeling a surge of affection for, at the moment. She rapped three times on the door loudly.
"ugh, go away" Adara muttered from inside, not making any attempt to open the door.
Minerva waved her wand, blasting Adara's door open.
Adara groaned, clutching her head in an attempt to try and stop the unbearable throbbing.
"I don't believe this. Not only do you give your little brother a margarita, but you're intoxicated as well." Minerva glanced around the room, noticing all the empty bottles of sherry, firewhiskey, and vodka along with empty packets of cigarettes.
Adara rose from the bed rather clumsily, swaying slightly as she stood. "Ok, first off, I'm not drunk. I'm just exhausted because I spent the night drinking. Second, I didn't give Aiden anything. The little brat went and got it himself from your liquor cabinet.
Minerva glared at her daughter, arms crossed, clearly disgusted with Adara's behavior. "I don't know what to say to you, Adara, All I ask is that you watch over Aiden while your father and I are on Order missions and meetings and Alberic is on an internship at the ministry. And what happens? You end up completely intoxicated and Aiden is on the way to being intoxicated himself. Do you realize what could have happened?"
"What the hell do you mean 'all I ask'? I come home from Beauxbatons. Dad knocks me over as he ran out the door with you right behind him, and you called over your shoulder, something about Aiden. There was no question involved. Only orders!" said Adara, indignantly as she sat down on her desk. Her mood visibly improved as she noticed that one of the sherry bottles still had about a quarter left. Smiling, she brought the bottle to her lips, anticipating the soothing burn, until Minerva knocked it out of her hand,
"When did you become such a drinker?"
"Started when I was ten. It's not like you were around to notice though. So it's really no big deal if Aiden takes a few swigs every now and then. He's what, nine now?"
"Try seven"
"Close enough" Adara shrugged as she continued looking through the other bottles.
"Just wait until your father hears about this." Minerva muttered as she walked out of the room.
Adara let out a snort of laughter. "And when will that be, mother? In a year? A year and a half?"
Minerva made a slight grimace, which Adara didn't notice, and turned around. "You make it seem as though your father and I choose to spend as little time with you all as possible."
"I call it as I see it."
Minerva sighed and laid a hand on Adara's shoulder, not entirely surprised when Adara pulled away. Hurt, she decided to give up and return to Aiden. She was already out the door when Adara's voice stopped her.
"It's probably a good thing the family's a secret. Otherwise dad would have to face a hell of a lot of embarrassment."
Minerva whirled around. This little spat had turned into something she couldn't ignore.
"Excuse me?"
"You know, the whole deal about fucking his deputy, getting her pregnant, having to marry her, and then popping out 2 more kids. One a pompous self-centered prat, the other a complete screw up, as she was lovingly called, and the last one a total coward whose afraid of his own shadow. That's a whole lot of shit on someone most people consider the greatest wizard in the world. Can't really blame dad for wanting to shush it all up."
Angry and disgusted beyond belief, Minerva did the one thing she vowed she would never do to any of her children. She raised her left hand and struck Adara hard across the face, leaving a red mark and a rather nasty scratch from (ironically) her wedding ring.
Adara let out a small gasp at the sudden sting she felt at her face and the warm blood dripping down her face. This was the first time her mother had ever really gotten physical with her. Normally she would just reply something equally harsh and cruel before storming off to be with Aiden or Alberic. Adara honestly did not expect to get slapped. Stunned, she stared at her mother with a shocked expression while gingerly touching her face.
Minerva was just as stunned at what she had done and stared at Adara's face with horror at how it was starting to swell and quite a bit of blood was oozing down her face. "A-Adara I'm so sorry. I don't know-"
But before she could finish, Adara ran right past her. "Stay the hell away from me." She whispered as she ran out of the house