AN: OH MY GOSH HI!

So it's been a while, I know... What, 2 months? Jeez... I am so sorry. I know it's a long time to wait, and I know that maybe it doesn't seem worth it for the short chapters I tend to write...

But think of it this way: at least there IS a chapter!

Okay, explanations of lateness... University basically threw EVERY PIECE OF WORK that it could at me a couple of months ago. Literally, I had no time at all, I was constantly in the library or preparing for an exam, and if I wasn't doing that I was in a lecture or sleeping. And Christmas didn't leave me much time either. I had tonnes of work to get done over the holiday. I wrote most of this chapter ON MY PHONE on Christmas Day and New Years Eve... (Or in the car on the way back to University). I've said it before and I'll say it again. I WILL NOT ABANDON THIS STORY.

That said, updates seem to be becoming few and far between for reasons of work and I'm not entirely sure when that's going to change...

It may not be until Summer that updates become more consistent again... Sorry but that's the truth of it. But I am still writing so that's all that matters.

Enjoy the chapter :) xx

Arianna sped down the hall, trying desperately to ignore the insistent pounding in her head as she headed for a destination she had not yet decided on. Anywhere away from noise she thought, noticing the annoyed edge that bit through her usually calm thoughts. Any ability to feel calm in the face of the days events had been thoroughly destroyed the second Molly's voice had pierced into her head in that awful way it did...

She growled under her breath. It was still morning; lessons were still going on. That meant she couldn't even go and see Hieronymous. She knew he would understand her need for silence, he was the type that relished in silence from time-to-time, considering he was surrounded by chattering teens all day long. But with the amount of lessons he taught Arianna knew she wouldn't see him until lunch, if he even had time to stay for long. It wasn't his fault by any means, but that didn't mean that the fact he was unavailable wasn't annoying to her.

She could try the library, perhaps Ellen would be in there buried in research, as was her usual state. But then, nobody ever followed the rule of "silence" so Arianna couldn't be sure that she'd actually get any peace there, in fact it might be louder than the halls. At least in the halls all she heard was the dull murmur of distant voices and the occasional yell (usually in her husband's voice).

She spent at least half an hour aimlessly stomping around the campus, during which a class switch-over occurred, which did nothing for her head. Tired of the never-ending noise the building seemed to be emitting, Arianna finally swept from the building into the grounds with a huff.

The air was mild, cooling finally from the final blaze of summer heat that had been beating down on the school. It was by no means the perfect temperature, but the humidity was better. The sun streamed through still green leaves as she strode into the forested area of the school grounds, taking a deep breath and taking in the scent of bark and grass.

But even in the grounds there was no peace. Groups of students were sat together under the trees, enjoying the sun and chatting animatedly about various subjects. It wasn't loud, but it was noise, and Arianna craved silence, pure and undisturbed...

In a sudden and frankly reckless decision, Arianna stopped walking and muttered the spell for teleport, ignoring the small shock of panic that shot through her in favour of focusing on her destination.

Magic tingled through her as the forest melted away, replaced suddenly by stone and a near perfect silence that seeped into her skin. A sigh of relief escaped her lips as she looked around the restored church with a smile. The only sound she could hear was the gentle breeze wafting through the still empty windows, a far more relaxing sound than the chitter of gossiping schoolgirls. The air was much cooler in the old building, the stone seeming to radiate cold off it as she walked over to examine one of the stone pillars her husband had helped restore.

If she concentrated, she could feel his magical signature, an energy of sorts that was rooted deep into every stone he'd had a hand in placing.

There was another signature of course, that of professor Potsdam, but Arianna ignored the bright pink aura in favour of the warm, wine red aura of her husband's magic, familiar and calm. It was the second best thing to his actual company, almost as if he was there with her, a gentle hand rested on her shoulder, a silent presence beside her. Despite the concentration required to feel such an energy, it was the closest she could get to a calming presence, and the pros far outweighed the cons of such an endeavour.

Bit by bit the tension in her shoulders began to melt away, not completely but it was a start. Her head was still pounding though...

It was like a hammer beating on her head in time with her slightly erratic heartbeat, combined with the constant feeling of pressure, like somebody bigger and stronger than her had their hands clamped around her head and was squeezing with all their might, trying to make it burst.

Desperate to dispel the pounding sensation, Arianna closed her eyes and allowed her mind to wander far from school and her gossiping classmates. Instead, she led herself gently through her memories of summer; sitting with her husband in companionable silence over dinner... The first time she'd come to the church. Even remembering the arguments was pushing the hammer away from her head, alleviating the tension by tiny increments as her mind wandered.

She couldn't help but contemplate how odd that was. How strange that love could change a person's mood so drastically in such opposing ways. One minute, it could be the singular most frustrating thing in the entire world, the thing that was breaking you into tiny pieces and tearing your entire world into shreds of paper fluttering in the wind. The next? It was what was picking you up and putting you back together, almost as though it were its own brand of magic... She heaved a great sigh, releasing a surprising amount of tension along with it, and sat down with her back against the cool stone.

Slowly but surely, her headache began to fade, dulling a little with each breath she let out. The pressure began to lessen, and each strike of the hammer was softer than the last.

Resting her hands on the floor she let the warm magical signature of her husband wash over her and it began to feel almost as if he was there, holding her hand, talking to her quietly about nothing in particular…

"Arianna!" Her eyes shot open as the familiar voice echoed through the hollow church. She frowned, could she possibly be imagining it? No, it was definitely real, even her imagination wasn't that vivid... But why-?

"Arianna!" The voice came again, and with it, footsteps. Slowly, Arianna picked herself up off the floor, dusted herself off a little and turned to the entrance of the church, where she saw Hieronymous storming in, oblivious to her presence. She frowned in confusion. What is he doing here?

"Hieronymous?" As soon as the word left her mouth his head snapped up to look at her and a strange nausea settled in the pit of her stomach at the furious look in his eyes.

"Stupid girl! What on earth are you doing here!?" He bellowed angrily as he stomped towards her, a gust of angry magic whirling behind him as he went.

Arianna gulped, trying desperately to ignore the burning in her eyes and the lump in her throat as she stepped backwards a few paces, her hands clasped in front of her.

"I... I..." Words failed her, terrified into silence by the flames that licked in her husband's eyes. This was the side of him she hated... The side of him she'd hoped never to see again. The side of him that had held her against a wall and threatened to lock her away in a dungeon for telling people they were married. It was the same look, the same anger. What had she done that was so terrible to deserve such anger? Her brain had short-circuited, any ability to think lost in the nausea and the fear she was being pummelled with in that moment.

She continued to back away until suddenly her foot caught and she fell backwards with a startled cry, landing hard on the cold, stone floor. The shock dislodged the tears that had been building up since she had noticed his ire, and they spilled down her cheeks as she stared up at him, his face blurred through the tears though his anger was still plain to see.

"Hierony-" she coughed suddenly, as she was prone to when she cried, losing the rest of his name in her spluttering.

"Do you have any idea how reckless you've been?! Disappearing completely at random!? What were you thinking!?" He hadn't seemed to notice the tears streaming down his young wife's face, nor had it registered that she had fallen over until he was right in front of her.

"I-I'm sorry... I..." She trailed off, unable to formulate the necessary words to explain her actions. She pushed herself further away from him, never taking her eyes off his even as the tears cascaded freely down her face.

"Well?! What were you-" he stopped suddenly, halting his advance and his tirade. Arianna froze as well as his frown deepened, though she quickly realized it wasn't in anger. It was confusion.

But the look did not last long. As he realized that his wife was crying, shaking... And had begun to back away from him again. His eyes widened.

"Arianna?" He lowered his voice, returning to the soft tone he normally adopted around her purely out of habit. Her breaths were shallow as the quiet sobs wracked her body.

All she could think was that she'd screwed everything up. She'd never imagined that she would see such anger in his eyes again, not after the last time... But she had been wrong.

But this time, he had listened to her. This time, he had stopped. It didn't stop the tears, or the thudding of her heart in her chest... Or the sick feeling in the pit of her stomach. It didn't stop the memory of being held against the wall as he had threatened her... It didn't dissipate the fear she couldn't help feeling at the memory.

For a long moment he stared at her, confused. Why was she crying?

Slowly, he ran his actions through his head again, and after an age of just standing there looking at her, seeing the fear in her eyes and the tears streaming from them, he realized why they were there.

What have I done?

Sorry if I've hurt any feels :/

He doesn't MEAN to be mean...