August 13, 2004 was the day of Artemisia Anastasia Dilma Ophelia Lyanna Pontellier's baptism. The Pontelliers were a very catholic family so naturally an event such as this was a grand affair, the whole family was invited. Aurora had arrived a day before and would be spending the remainder of the week at her brother's home.

Countless house elves were bustling about preparing for the festivities that would take place after the service. Aurora paid not mind to it, she was in her room preparing herself, for they would be leaving for the church shortly. She sported light blue silk robes and her neck was decorated with aquamarines. Aurora had just finished setting her hair in a French twist when she heard a loud crash and the laughter of a mischievous child. She sighed and shook her head as she poked her head out to see what had happened.

A house elf was chasing Etienne desperately trying to get him to cooperate and dress in his robes, but the boy wouldn't have it. Instead he was running around in nothing but his undergarments and socks.

"You can't catch me! You can't catch me!" Etienne taunted as the poor elf chased after him holding a pair of trousers.

"Master Etienne must dress!" The elf pleaded as she continued to run after him.

"Etienne!" Aurora scolded, stepping out into the hallway.

Both the elf and her nephew stopped and stared for a moment, and then Etienne let out a shriek of delight and quickly ran out of sight.

"Miss! Miss! Master Etienne will not listen to Dilli! I is trying my bestest to get him to dress, but, but-"Dilli began to sob.

Aurora sighed, Etienne looked like a cherub but he could be an absolute menace.

"I'll take care of it." Aurora picked up her robes and began to walk briskly in the direction that Etienne ran off to. The heels of her shoes clicked and echoed as she walked down the marble stair case. Aurora looked around for a moment and gasped when she saw Etienne running around in the garden threw the window.

"Oooh, that kid!" Aurora pushed the French doors that lead to the garden open.

"Etienne! Come here right now!"

Etienne stopped and looked up at his aunt, he smirked at her and then stuck out is tongue and ran into the hedge maze.

"Etienne! Oh Merlin, give me patience." Aurora picked up her robes and ran after him full speed.

After running after her rambunctious nephew for about an hour Aurora was able to chase Etienne out of the maze and cornered him to a tree. Although she wished she had known that the kid could climb trees because he scurried up to the highest branch like a squirrel and refused to come down.

"Etienne! I'm am going to count to 3, if you do not come down here I will tell Papa about your bad behavior."

"Je m'en fiche!"[1]

"1-" the child didn't budge, "2-" still nothing, "3-"by this point Etienne removed his muddy sock and threw it at his aunt. Aurora grimaced and brushed it aside. "Little shit head." She muttered as she pulled out her wand.

"Fine, you leave me no choice." She put the child in a full body bind causing him to fall out the tree, but just before he hit the ground, with a few waves of her wand, Etienne stopped inches above the ground looking absolutely terrified. Aurora smirked, in her opinion fear and pain were the best teachers, she was sure that Etienne will never pull another stunt like that with her ever again. She waved her wand once more and the boy lifted off the ground up and into his bedroom window which was now open, Aurora was sure to place him on his bed and did not undo the spell until Dilli was able to bathe and dress him.

Aurora returned to her room, her clean robes were now covered in mud, her hair was disheveled, and she was covered in a thin sheen of sweat. She removed her shoes, undid her hair, and began to undress. Thanks to Etienne, now she would have to start the whole process of getting dressed all over again, she'll start first with a shower.

The service was lovely, even though Aurora hardly paid attention because she was too busy shooting Etienne stern looks to make sure that we wouldn't try anything funny while they were in the church. It was normal for a child begin misbehaving when a new sibling was born, but man was that boy really getting on her nerves, and the summer heat wasn't really helping her patience either.

Later that evening Nathaniel invited everyone back to his mansion for the celebration. More than two dozen lanterns illuminated the Greek Pavilion where the family all congressed. Everyone was enjoying themselves. The cousins were as chatty as ever catching up and getting reacquainted with one another. The Grand Duchess Anastasia had made an appearance, she spend a majority of her time cooing over the new baby making Etienne exceedingly jealous. Aurora's uncle Nigel was drunk as usual, making inappropriate remarks, and babbled on about his adventures in the Serengeti. And her vicious aunt Deyanira was as cynical as ever.

Aurora was currently chatting with Desdemona, Deyanira's daughter, when she felt someone throw their arm around her shoulder.

"Dearest sister!"

Aurora resisted the urge to roll her eyes, it was Emerson.

"Brother." She greeted curtly. Emerson was a bit unsteady on his feet and was using her to keep his balance. "How much have you had to drink?"

"Not-not much."

Aurora looked at him, his face was red and he was sweating.

"I beg to differ."

"You know- Desy! How are you?!" Emerson turned his attention away from his sister and to his cousin.

"I am well Emerson, and yourself?" Desdemona offered a nervous smile, not really knowing how to react to her intoxicated cousin.

Desdemona was the youngest child of two, she was shy and quiet thing. In fact there were times when her presence was completely forgotten, Aurora truly pitied her. Having a strong willed mother like Deyanira would no doubt damage the psyche of a person, that's probably why she tries her best to be a nonentity.

"Still living with your mother are you?" Emerson stumbled over to her.

"Yes…" Desdemona shrank away from him looking at Aurora for help.

"Oh man! I do not envy you!"

Aurora grabbed Emerson by the tail of his coat and pulled him back.

"If you are going to act disgracefully why don't you go inside, away from prying eyes?"

Aurora hissed, she didn't have the patients for this, after that stunt that Etienne pulled in the morning she was simply not in the mood, and to be frank out of all her brothers she got along with Emerson the least. They constantly budded heads, he was immature and wild, and she was…well the complete opposite of immature and wild.

"I-can-do-what-I-like!"

"Well, go do what you like inside!"

"Why? Nigel is drunk all the time!" Emerson turned to the direction of their uncle and raised his flask to him and Nigel returned the jester by raising his own flask and shouting.

"SALUTE!"

Aurora groaned. "Fine, go sit with him then. I'm positive that he is the only person that wouldn't be annoyed or disturbed by your presence."

"Hey!" Emerson leaned towards his sister, he was close enough for her to smell the firewhisky on his breath. "Learn your place."

"Excuse me?"

Emerson was about to retort but was interrupted by a chiding voice.

"Emerson, leave her alone." It was Nathaniel.

"Fine, fine. I'll just go hang out with Nigel over there." Emerson turned and wobbled over to his uncle.

"I swear that boy is a menace." Aurora muttered to herself, but loud enough for Nathaniel and Desdemona to hear.

"Oh come now Rory, he's just having a little fun."

"By what? Embarrassing us because he's had a little too much to drink?"

"Don't act all saintly now, I'm sure you've had a drink or two in your life."

"Yes, but if I was going to get inebriated, I'd do it in closed quarters and not make a fool of myself in front of everyone."

Nathaniel chuckled, typical Aurora, always cared about her pristine image.

"Desdemona, how are you?"

"I am well cousin, congratulations on your new child."

"Thank you, how is your mother."

"Her mother can speak for herself, nephew." Drawled a sharp voice from behind Desdemona.

Nathaniel grinned. "Tante Deyanira, how lovely it is to see you."

Deyanira stepped forward, she was clad black velvet robes, and had a skinned fox draped around her shoulders. This was Deyanira's signature look, she always wore a dead animal whenever she went out. Aurora would have greeted her aunt, but was too distracted by the fox head to even say "hello".

"What are you gaping at girl?" Deyanira snorted. Aurora's eyes quickly shot up and met her aunt's. She put on her falsest smile.

"Tante Deyanira, lovely to see you again." God she hated that woman. It was not in her nature to hate, but Aurora would only make an exception for her dreadful aunt.

"Indeed."

"Are you enjoying yourself?" Nathaniel asked.

"Yes, yes all is well. I was just speaking to your brother's wife, what was her name? Penelope?"

Nathaniel and Aurora both nodded in unison.

"Lovely creature, and to think she's not much older than you." Deyanira's shifted to Aurora. "How old are you, 18? 19?"

"I'm 20, actually." Aurora answered slowly, she looked between her aunt and her cousin. Deyanira bore a cynical smirk, which could only mean that she was preparing to make some snide remarks which would, without a doubt, offend everyone. As for Desdemona…well the poor thing was longing to be anywhere else than to see the outcome of this.

"That old and still unmarried?" Deyanira sneered.

"Mother!" Desdemona was completely mortified by what her mother had just said, oh Merlin this was humiliating!

"Hush girl!" Deyanira admonished. "If I remember correctly I was addressing your cousin, not you!" Desdemona bowed her head in submission, and Deyanira continued. "I would have thought that my brother took his job as a father a bit more seriously. What is he thinking allowing you to run about unmarried, I'm ashamed to hear it!"

Aurora was still smiling and stated challengingly, "forgive me, tante, but don't you think that's a bit hypocritical of you? Your own daughter-no offense Desy- is 23 and still unmarried." Aurora couldn't seem to grasp why there was suddenly a big emphasis on her getting married. First her parents and now this hateful woman.

"Ha, like I claimed that she was any better! Perhaps you two will live out your old age together-"

"Maman! There you are! Come it is time for us to leave," the speaker was Desdemona's older brother Audric, "you know what the healer said, it's not good for your health to be up this late."

"I don't need a lecture about my health, boy!"

"Of course you don't Maman, however, I do think that it is getting late." Audric pleaded with his mother some more until he was finally able to persuade her to leave. Once they were out of sight Desdemona grimaced.

"I really hate that woman sometimes."

Aurora couldn't surpass a giggle. "Don't worry cousin, you're not alone. How someone like you came from someone like her, I will never understand."

"Are you planning on leaving with them Desy?" Nathaniel asked.

"No, I think I'll stay for a bit."

"Why, don't you spend the night?"

"I couldn't possibly impose."

"Nonsense! Aurora is staying over, Leonora and I would love to have you! Think about it, do you really want to go home to the shrew?"

Desdemona thought for a moment and nodded in acceptance.

"Excellent! Now if you'll excuse me-"

Nathaniel parted from the two women to return to his wife who was currently keeping her great-grandmother company. Nathaniel bowed and kissed Anastasia's hand.

"I am so happy you were able to make it grandmamma."

Anastasia nodded and raised her glass. "Nostrovia!" And proceeded to drink.

[1]: "I do not care!"