Chapter 39
The next morning,
"You are really enjoying this whole married business" Alicia said as she and Warrington were enjoying their morning ritual of sharing breakfast together. He sat next to her pretending to read the financial section of the paper but really he was watching her.
He couldn't help it as she was growing more beautiful by the day and this morning she was glowing. Not literally glowing but she looked happy and content which in turn gave him a great sense of satisfaction. Ever since they exchanged vows his possessiveness of her had only increased. He couldn't get enough of her and he felt a caveman-like satisfaction knowing their child was growing within her.
He just wished he knew what the troubling dreams she been having were about but then she'd tell him when she was ready. He only hoped it was sooner than later.
"Well the sex is better- ow already dishing out spousal abuse" he said laughing as Alicia had punched his arm. He rubbed the spot where she smacked him.
"I don't want you score carding our sex life and anyway it's not spousal abuse it's correcting an unattractive behaviour with negative reinforcement" Alicia told him before she went back to reading the Daily Prophet with a snap of the paper. A smug smile curving her lips.
"Oh ok so I should use positive reinforcement to induce good behaviour from you?" he asked, she slid a look his way and saw he giving her a smile that could melt butter.
"Yes, definitely" Alicia said blushing as she went back to the paper. She turned the page and stopped as she read the main article, the colour drained from her face and her hands tremored as she couldn't believe what she was reading.
"What is it?" he asked. Alicia folded the paper to showcase the article and handed it to Warrington.
"Clara has died. Did you know about this?" She asked slightly in shock.
"No" he said stunned as he took the paper from her and read the article. It was an article about her death. According to the article she died in a fire, origins still being investigated but her subsequent death opened up old wounds for the Montague family.
"She died in a fire the night of our wedding" Alicia said. She tried to shake the coincidence of the vision she had that night and the weird dreams but pushed it aside as she was not ready to talk about it with Warrington and even then what would be the point.
"I wonder how Montague is taking it, curious" Warrington said as he read the article.
"What is?" Alicia asked.
"Apparently His parents are disputing Clara's will in Wizengamot" Warrington said.
"She was disowned, do they really have a right to make a claim for her will?" Alicia asked, she had to admit she skimmed the article and it disgusted her that Clara and Montague's parents felt they deserved more than what they were given.
"Greed will make many people disagreeable" Warrington said.
"So politely put. I think you should go to Montague" Alicia told him, she could only imagine how Montague was taking the loss of his sister. The thought inexplicably saddened her.
"Hey, are you ok?" Warrington asked her, he watched as two tears slipped down Alicia's face.
"Yeah why?" Alicia asked.
"You're crying" he said, Alicia touched her face and brought her hand back and looked at the collected tears.
"It's silly I barely knew her" Alicia said feeling incredibly weird that she was crying as she felt grief but there was a disconnect from her emotions like it wasn't really her feeling them.
"Now that is a lie and we both know it" Warrington said, Alicia shot him an incredulous look.
"You know what I mean. We weren't friends or anything but I feel a great sadness" Alicia said acknowledging the ache in her. "Anyway, you should go and see Montague" she told him.
"I will" he assured her. But he wasn't moving fast enough for Alicia so she snatched the paper from him which got his attention.
"Now" She told him.
"Can I finish my breakfast?" Warrington asked her, Alicia picked up the half eaten piece of toast on his plate. The last of his breakfast and crammed it into her mouth in one go and ate it. "Mature" he told her.
"Your friend lost his sister, he needs you and you finished breakfast" Alicia told him through her hand as she was still eating the toast. He raised an eyebrow at her in amusement. She glared back at him as she chewed the toast to the point he started to feel the air crackle and not in a friendly manner. So he held up his hands in surrender.
"Ok, ok. I get it the honeymoon is over. I'll go" he told her. He rose from his seat only for Alicia to grab his hand and pull him back down. She swallowed the toast and took a momentas she cupped his face in her hands.
"Hey, the honeymoon will never be over you." she assured and as if to prove her point she gave him a kiss that made him want to stay and forget all about Montague and his grief. His friend had waited a week what was another day or two? But Alicia had other ideas.
"Dear Fellow, you look a wreck" Warrington said as he let himself into Montague's penthouse apartment to find his friend in the study sitting by the fire with a glass of brandy in hand and half empty bottle on the table besides the chair. The air smelt stale and sickly from sweat and booze, it told Warrington that his friend hadn't showered in a couple days and the bottle of fire whisky probably wasn't his first nor his last considering the the despondant look on Montague's face. Warrington had only seen him melancholy a couple of times and both times had lasted a few scary months.
"Shouldn't you be in your wife enjoying your honeymoon?" Montague asked as he sat slouched in the chair, his speech slurred and voice raw from fire whisky. His expensive black suit wrinkled. He watched as Warrington sat in the other arm chair and looked at him. Montague felt a stab of jealousy as his friend looked sickeningly content in casual navy shirt with the sleeves rolled up and blue jeans.
"Yes, but she doesn't have the stamina to keep up with me. So I decided to see how you were doing. Not well by the looks of it" Warrington said as he looked at Montague.
"I'm grieving, no one looks good when they are grieving but at least I have the manners to do so in private as it would be contrived of me to grieve openly like my parents are" Montague said disgusted by the way his parents were manipulating the media.
"I know"
"No, you don't." Montague said, he downed his whiskey and with a shaky hand picked up the bottle to refill his glass "You know my parents are completely fine with it all. Their daughter died and they act as if her death were one of a stranger. It was only until her will was read out that they cared to turn on the waterworks and forlorn looks. It disgusts me, the Montague family trust has more than enough funds and yet they are having their solicitors write up a claim. We didn't even had a funeral. Not that there was anything to bury" Montague said in a disgusted tone.
"Not to be rude but why are they contesting?" Warrington asked, Montague held up the bottle in a silent offering, Warrington nodded and watched as Montague summoned another glass and poured Warrington half a glass of whisky. Obviously he was playing catch up in more than gossip.
"Clara is- no sorry was a self-made heiress didn't you know?" Montague asked dryly, Warrington kept silent as he knew it was a hypothetical question. "I didn't, I thought she was dirt poor. Not that it mattered to me. But she left me substantial amount of land and properties in Portugal and a letter. She wrote-" Montague stopped and shook his head not able to share the contents. So he changed the topic. "And she gave Charles Weasley her bank vault and it's contents; Bonds and other investments to assist in the upkeep of the vault as well as enough for a substantial living for at least 5 generations of Weasley's depending on how tight they keep their purses or how prolific they breed whichever drains the coffers first" he drawled sarcastically before he took a sip of his fire whisky.
"Why?" Warrington asked, he wasn't curious but felt it was better to pry than have Montague bottle up his emotions and life. He picked up the whisky and took a sip.
"Apparently in her words 'My life held many secrets and favours. I never wished to burden you with them but I hope you will keep them safe for me as you kept me during the hard times'. Whatever that means, my parents are enraged that she has made Mr Weasley flush. They want their cut, they think it's unfair Clara's fortune goes to someone outside of the family" Montague said.
"Did Clara leave them anything?" Warrington asked out of curiosity.
"Nothing of worth, just a letter. I don't know what it says but my parents are incensed I have no idea why since they cut her off" Montague said with a shrug as he took a sip of his own drink.
"I'm truly surprised" Warrington said. Montague's parents were the kind of people who had their kids as a status symbol not because they wanted them and they always felt entitled to everything and anything they could get their hands on.
"By my parents or Clara?" Montague asked
"Both" Warrington said.
"Greed it turns people ugly." Montague said.
"Will they win?" Warrington asked.
"No and to be honest I've hired Weasley excellent legal council as I'd rather Mr Weasley have the vault and it's untold treasures than my parents" Montague said.
"Another Weasley flush with money. What is this world coming to?" Warrington joked lightly, Montague quirked his lips in a faint smile before becoming morose again.
"You should go home" Montague told him, Warrington gave a shrug and made himself comfortable as he didn't plan to return home for a few hours or at least until he convinced Montague to take a shower and eat something.
"I will when I know Alicia will be fully rested and ready for me" Warrington joked, Montague made a derisive noise but smiled none the less at the poor humour.
"Hmm let me see you child" O'Callaghan said, his face mere centimetres from hers as he grasped Alicia's face between his hands and peered into her eyes.
"What's going on?" Alicia asked, she had gone to pub after Warrington left to catch up with her grandfather and enjoy some tea and scones only to be interrupted by O'Callaghan. She had been talking with Cillian when the old coot appeared out of nowhere and jumped on the stool beside her at the bar and grabbed her face.
"You see it?" O'Callaghan asked her, Alicia wished she could pull back as O'Callaghan was freaking her out but the man had an iron grip on her head.
"See what?" Alicia asked as they sat at the bar. It was early morning so there wasn't anyone around to watch except Cillian who seemed just as interested in her answers as O'Callaghan was.
"The connection was not entirely separated there are tendrils still hanging on" He said more talking to himself than anyone else. "You saw the fire did you not?" he asked her in a desperate manner.
"What are you talking about?" Alicia asked she slid a look at Cillian hoping he would tell her something. He wore a cryptic expression which only made her feel more uneasy.
"Calm yourself, focus and think. Over 7 nights ago, you have a dream of fire?" O'Callaghan asked her.
"I am calm and I've been having a lot of dreams lately but not of fire" Alicia told him. She didn't want to admit she had a brief flash of a vision about a fire on her wedding night when she was on the dancefloor with Cillian as she didn't think it was relevant.
"Are you sure? Nothing about a fire?" O'Callaghan asked.
"Yes" Alicia said, O'Callaghan frowned as he moved his face closer to hers to the point their noises were nearly touching.
"I think you're holding something back" he said.
"Only my breakfast" Alicia assured him, Cillian chuckled and O'Callaghan shot him a look before turning back to Alicia.
"Don't be flip with me, my little Phoenix is lost and you're the last person to have magical ties with her" O'Callaghan told her.
"Little Phoenix?" Alicia asked sceptically, she wondered in O'Callaghan had finally lost it.
"It's what he calls Clara Velasquez, he thinks she is still alive but lost somewhere" Cillian explained to Alicia before he picked up a straw and poked O'Callaghan with it. "Let her go old man, Alicia doesn't know anything" he said, O'Callaghan sighed and much to Alicia's relief released her head.
"So how could she be alive if she died in a fire?" Alicia said completely confused.
"I had a vision she was alive, she arrives at the cottage by the sea owned the half wolf half man. But she wasn't there and I think you unconsciously know where she is as you are linked to her" O'Callaghan said.
"What?" Alicia said in disbelief looking between Cillian and O'Callaghan.
"O'Callaghan believes there is a link between you to. Remnants of the Teneo curse" Cillian explained.
"Remnants?" Alicia echoed. She was hoping they were playing a mean joke on her as she just wanted to regain a sense of normalcy in her life even if she did have odd dreams. But then she had read life transitions led to a person having odd dreams which she was happy to chalk it up to as she didn't want to be sucked into more drama than she had to be.
"The Teneo Curse created a link between you two. Clara broke the curse in a rough manner and left traces memories and the hooks of her being in you remain part of the connection still lives which means Clara still lives. Your other dreams, what happens?" O'Callaghan asked.
"I don't remember them, I just wake up feeling lost like I don't know where I am, like I'm falling but I know I have a purpose. There's something I have to do but I don't know where or what it is... I don't know it's all very random" Alicia said getting flustered.
"Could be my little phoenix" O'Callaghan said.
"Or it could be just weird dreams" Cillian said to be contrary as he didn't want O'Callaghan upsetting his grand daughter anymore than he already had.
"If this theory of the connection is correct. Is it going to affect my baby? And what about us are we safe?" Alicia asked, she knew Clara led a very secretive life and probably made a lot enemies. Alicia didn't want those enemies coming after her or any trouble. It was selfish but she had had enough adventure to last her a lifetime.
"The connection is only one way and incredibly weak. So I think you should be fine" O'Callaghan said dissmissively.
"Think? Is there anyway to sever it completely?" Alicia asked, O'Callaghan shot her an incredulous look.
"We might lose Clara completely if we do. Wherever she is, you're the last tie she has to this world. No we will not be severing it, her story isn't finished. I know her future and she does not die now, it's too soon and too dangerous for you" O'Callaghan said.
"O'Callaghan, stop making things sound so dire" Cillian warned to the old man before he looked to his granddaughter. "Alicia, the links between you and Clara should fade over time. I think" he shot O'Callaghan a look of censure before turning back to Alicia "That the fact that Clara suffered a horrible and her last thoughts are just reverberating in through the dreams"
"She is alive" O'Callaghan mumbled.
"Then where is she?" Cillian asked.
"I don't know but her dreams can't be 'reverberations' of Clara's thoughts" O'Callaghan argued.
"Why don't you do that thing where you look into my mind and see what I've dreamed" Alicia offered to O'Callaghan hoping it would stop the argue completely but the old man shook his head.
"No, your child now dreams. Her mind is linked to yours just as Clara's but she has more control" O'Callaghan said, Alicia blinked at him a couple times truly confused by him.
"What?" Alicia asked. Cillian gave a sigh and shook his head.
"O'Callaghan believes that when a woman becomes pregnant her body and mind is subtly controlled by unborn child. As such linking telepathically could interfere with the connection to your child. It's his crazy theory" Cillian said holding his hands up in surrender.
"You tell me why a grown woman would want to dip her scones and cream into a pint of Guinness? It's just unnatural" O'Callaghan said in all seriousness.
"Your theory is unfounded." Cillian told him.
"Pfft you believe what you want, I'll believe what I want but I know better than to mess around with an immature mind. Children are parasitical and the only reason why we don't kill 'em is that they come out adorable and in need of help. So where is your husband?" O'Callaghan asked Alicia.
"He's gone to see Montague" Alicia said.
"Aye, I heard about all the malarkey with Clara's will from Charlie" Cillian said.
"You know Charlie?" Alicia asked. She then mentally kicked herself as she remembered that Cillian had ties with Charlie and Clara during the war when they tried to recruit the small Irish pockets of magical beings into the fight. They were just as unssuccessful as Voldermort only exception was that Clara and Charlie parted on good terms with her Grandfather.
"Of course and he sends his congratulations to you" Cillian said with a smile.
"When did you see him?"
"Last week" Cillian said with a shrug. Not offering anything more precise in a time frame "He wasn't doing very well after he heard about Clara and then the will, he's staying with his brother-"
"The half wolf half man" O'Callaghan said interruping Cillian.
"Bill" Alicia said.
"Hmm" O'Callaghan murmured in agreement.
"She left him her vault. You know what is in there?" Cillian asked Alicia, ignoring O'Callaghan's comment about Bill. Cillian didn't care what species the man was, he had a name and it should be used.
"I do, Charlie knows never to go in there right?" Alicia asked in a serious tone.
"Of course" Cillian said, he was having a few of his people in England keep an eye on Charlie and making sure he stayed out of the vault as there was no sense in losing a good man just because his curiosity got the better of him.
"Good, now can I get something to eat and cup of tea now?" Alicia asked.
TBC- Thank you for all the reviews and patience! cya all in the near future :-)