Finally, giving up all hope of sleeping, she went to the library to read.
Arik's mother was the one to find her the next morning. She had gone to wake her daughter up, but been surprised when she wasn't in her bed. She had decided to check in the library and found Arik curled up in her big chair by the recently used fireplace. When she went to wake Arik up, she had picked up the book her daughter had been reading the night before. Wuthering Heights was opened and laying on th floor next to Arik. Mrs. Williams took the book and placed it back on the shelf while placing a featherweight charm on her daughter to carry her back to bed.
As she placed Arik into her bed, she leaned forward to tuck her in and kiss her forehead.
"I know this isn't what you wanted darling," she whispered, "but you have to understand, it was an offer we couldn't refuse."
As Mrs. Williams watched her daughter move in her sleep she felt a tear come to her eye, she knew what it was like. Her parents had put her in an arranged marriage with the man she was with now. She had been furious, Arik had no doubt inherited it from her, she had been in love with another man, a muggleborn, and her parents found out. They had arranged the marriage the next week in order to get them apart. When this happened, Mrs. Williams swore she would never do this to her future children, or at least never split them from their true love. She couldn't help but wonder how this relationship would go, would it be a marriage for convenience like hers had been? Or would they find out that those feelings actually did exist for each other? All she knew was that either way, the beginning would be a rough ride, but hopefully, in the end, it would be worth it.
Looking back at her daughter she remembered why exactly they had agreed to this. They needed the money, it was as simple as that. They knew that once their doughter was married, they wouldn't have any money to help her get through the first years. Then in came Mr. Nott with his money offering them a wonderful life for her where she'd never need to worry about needing anything. They couldn't resist it. They had only wanted what was best for Arik, even if it meant forcing her into a marriage that she didn't want.
Mrs. Williams had not been deaf last night, she had heard what was screamed behind closed doors, the secrets that had been shouted in each others face. She knew this wasn't going to be easy for either of them, but maybe they could learn to put aside their issues and focus on what was going on. Right now there was chemistry, their fight had proved that, the only thing to figure out now was if it was bad or good.
Leaving the room Mrs. Williams looked at her daughter one last time, in a few short months everything would be different, her daughter would be married and on her own. She would be in a manor with no one but her husband and a broken heart. And the Nott family would have her daughter, her baby, in their clutches.
Closing the door softly behind her, Mrs. Williams made it to the library again. She went over and picked up the worn copy of Wuthering Heights her daughter had been reading and began at page one, settling down into the couch by the newly lit fireplace