The sapphire stood out among the small diamonds that surrounded it in the ring adorning the right hand of the young woman with eyes as blue as the gem.

"Wonderful, isn't it?" Betelgeuse smiled as Marguerith observed the ring with discreet astonishment.

"I still can't believe Stephanio proposed to you."

Happiness was visibly etched on the face of the older twin.

"When he said he had a surprise, I didn't imagine it would be this. Of course, it was only a matter of time before he proposed, but I thought it would take longer."

Marguerith settled on the black velvet loveseat she shared with her sister in the house library.

"Uncle Sirius must be ecstatic with this match, especially after the fiasco with Tomek."

Betelgeuse's lips formed a new smile, but her feelings were of scorn, not contentment.

"Poor Tomek. How is he now that his father was imprisoned for supporting Grindelwald and lost all his fortune? What happened to the Grygiels was unfortunate."

Despite her words of pity, it was notable that the young woman seemed to take pleasure in the situation, or at least in the fact that she had avoided a disastrous engagement.

"Didn't the Ivorys support Grindelwald?" Marge asked, curious.

"Yes, but Stephanio's family is too powerful in Russia to be affected by the decline of that wizard. And to answer your question, Uncle Sirius seemed in paradise when I gave him the news."

Marguerith couldn't help but laugh.

"I don't blame our uncle. The Ivorys are as ancient and important a family as ours," the younger twin commented.

"And I love Stephanio," Betelgeuse said.

The younger twin noted an unshakable certainty in her sister's words. She involuntarily felt an absurd envy of Bete. The older twin truly seemed happy, and Marge wished for something like that for herself.

That night, sleep seemed to have abandoned her. Marguerith stared at the cream canopy above her bed, unable to rest. She, too, was in love, just like her sister. It made no sense to deny herself the same happiness she saw in Betelgeuse.

It might have been madness what she was about to do, but at that moment, she didn't want to think about the consequences; she just wanted to give in to all the feelings she had tried to repress.

Marguerith got up, changed her nightgown for a dress and a hat. On the dressing table was a small box Alphard had given her. She opened it, reading the address. Carefully, she left the house unnoticed and disapparated.

Alphard was finishing organizing books on the shelf of the small apartment he had acquired. He heard a noise outside and looked toward the entrance. At that moment, the door handle turned, revealing the younger twin. Alphie blinked, confused to see her there.

Marguerith entered, closing the door behind her.

"I want to be your girlfriend," she said. "And I also want to spend the night with you."

"Are you sure?" Alphard asked, to which Marge nodded resolutely.

Following to where the emerald-eyed young woman stood, Alphard positioned himself in front of her, a half-smile escaping his lips. Gently, he took one of her hands and guided her to the bedroom.

He had dreamed so much of that moment that it was almost impossible for him to believe it was real.

Despite Marguerith's neutral expression, her eyes betrayed her. He could see the glimmer that passed through her green orbs. Alphie moved even closer, removing the hat from the young woman's head, then placing his hand on her chest, noticing with satisfaction that her heart was as erratic as his.

His hand descended to her neck. Nervous fingers took longer than desired to untie the knot that held the straps of her dress. When he succeeded, he watched as the layers of the dress's top fell, revealing her breasts hidden under a beautiful white lace bra. Seeing that she didn't repel him, Alphard began removing each piece of clothing, gradually revealing Marguerith's body.

The young woman decided to do the same—she unbuttoned his shirt and pants, removing Alphard's clothes.

Marge went ahead, lying down on the bed, trying to maintain a serious face, although the young man could perceive a slight tremor in her hands.

He followed, lying beside her. Alphard spent some time just observing her naked body, wanting to imprint as many details as possible in his memory.

Then he closed his eyes, letting his fingers memorize her body as well. Still without opening them, he began kissing her, starting at her thighs and slowly reaching her lips.

Marguerith reciprocated with the same passion.

The caresses became increasingly intense and intimate. Alphard noticed that Marge's expression changed for a moment, contracting, and fearing he was hurting her, he made a move to pull away. But as he tried to break the contact, she pulled him closer to her.

The night passed with the two losing themselves in each other. Her rose perfume mingling with his musky scent, becoming a single fragrance. Until both, exhausted, lay in bed.

Marguerith nestled in Alphard's arms, just as she had the night they first kissed, and soon she seemed to be asleep. He, despite his physical exhaustion, remained awake, staring at the ceiling.

However, that night, more than ever before, he realized he could no longer live without Marguerith. He would face the family patriarch without fear when the time came.

"I will never give up on you, Marge," he murmured softly before finally closing his eyes and sleeping.

arguerith blinked, trying to shake off the sleep. Beside her, Alphard snored peacefully. She let out a smile at the sight of him.

Marge brought her hand to the young man's face, gently caressing him. It was then that she realized that despite his soft breathing, he was awake. She smiled slightly, withdrawing her hand from his face, before turning over in bed, lying on her back.

For a few moments, Alphard just looked at her, her long black hair tangled on the sheets, her calm face, the faint smile...

"I love you," he murmured.

Marge blinked, turning her head to look at him.

"I know."

Silence fell between them again. Alphard watched her lightly bite her lips, as if searching for something to say. Then he sat up in bed, pulling the clothes that had been thrown there toward him, without looking at her. A sudden fear that Marguerith had regretted the night they had shared took hold of him.

Then he felt her delicate hand on his shoulder, her green eyes shining vividly.

"I'm happy," she said seriously. "I've told you before and I repeat, I love you too."

Alphard looked at her for a few moments, as if searching for a trace of falsehood behind her eyes. But there was nothing there to contradict what she was saying. On the contrary, there was tenderness on her face, affection in her eyes... there was love, after all.

He pulled her back to him, hugging her carefully.

"Will you marry me?" he murmured softly, without letting her go.

Marguerith widened her eyes, truly surprised. She hadn't expected that. She had just accepted dating and he was already making such a significant request... She didn't know what to answer, she remained silent for a while, snuggled in his arms, trying to put her thoughts in order. She loved him, and that should be enough, shouldn't it? However, she didn't want to rush. There was much to think about, much to organize within herself before she felt truly ready to take the ultimate step. Marguerith pulled away from his embrace a bit, placing her hand back on his face. Her eyes fixed on his so Alphard would understand that she was not rejecting him.

"I want to, but not now... maybe after our graduation. I want to find out what it's like to be with you not as my best friend, but as the person I love."

He watched her for a few moments before nodding, kissing her lightly.

"I'll wait," he replied. "I'll wait as long as you need."

She smiled, pulling Alphard back to the mattress. She rested her head on his shoulder, feeling his fingers gently playing with her curls. Marguerith wanted that moment of tranquility to last forever. She wanted the whole world to stop, and not have to worry about what to tell her uncle and Bete, or about the fear of losing loved ones. There, in the room dimly lit by the pale morning light, she just wanted to let herself fall, without fear, into Alphard's arms.

Marguerith didn't take long to return home, and luckily, everyone was still asleep. She lingered a bit in her room, trying to process everything that had happened. She agreed with Alphard to keep their relationship discreet, even at Hogwarts. She didn't want to make a fuss until she felt ready to tell her uncle. After their graduation from Hogwarts, they would formalize the engagement before Sirius and the others. However, she didn't want to lie to her sister, despite anticipating that Betelgeuse might not approve of her impulsiveness.

At breakfast with her uncles and sister, Bete's engagement to Stephanio was the main topic, much to Marguerith's relief, so no one would notice her discreet nervousness.

Hesper and Betelgeuse began planning the day to buy the first pieces of the trousseau. This kept the women of the house occupied, leaving Marguerith alone with her sister only at tea time. Although their aunt usually shared that afternoon tradition with her nieces, that day she had a business meeting with her husband in Belgravia, one of London's wealthy districts.

Betelgeuse observed her sister's slightly trembling hands as she poured the tea. It was almost imperceptible, but it would never go unnoticed by the older twin's observant eyes. Focusing on Marguerith's face, she noticed the excessive paleness of her sister's complexion, as well as the nervous blinking of her long black eyelashes.

There was something throughout the day that didn't match her sister's usual formality. She knew Marge almost as well as she knew herself. She was acting strangely. It was as if the younger twin was trying to hide something, as if she was repressing what was on her mind.

Closing her eyes, Betelgeuse let her body relax in the chair while her mind sought some connection with her sister's thoughts. They had been able to do this with each other sometimes since they were girls. And then she saw it.

The cup Marguerith was holding crashed to the floor, spilling its contents over the Persian rug. Although she couldn't close her mind to her sister, she could feel the invasion. Bete reopened her blue eyes, facing the surprised look on the younger twin's face.

"I was going to tell you..." Marguerith stammered.

It wasn't as if she feared her sister, but she wanted her support, or at least for her not to oppose her, as she had done when she told her she loved Alphard.

Without expressing any emotion, the older twin stood up, turning her back to Marguerith.

Do you have any idea of the consequences your thoughtless actions could have caused?"

Betelgeuse's low, grave voice hurt much more than nervous, irritated screams. Marge bit her lower lip, lowering her head, staring at the porcelain shards on the floor.

"I didn't..."

"You could be pregnant now. Do you want to ruin your life like Cygnus and Druella? How would you explain yourself then to everyone? How would you explain yourself to our uncle?"

Betelgeuse was right. Not for a moment had she considered the consequences her actions could bring. She had acted selfishly, almost recklessly. However, even after those words, there was something she realized she was feeling.

For she was not regretful. And she doubted she could ever regret the decision she had made.

"Alphard and I are going to get married," Marguerith said with determination. "After our graduation, he will talk to Uncle Sirius and propose. It's not like he's taking advantage of me. His intentions are serious."

Betelgeuse crossed her arms, raising an eyebrow. She didn't trust her cousin. Never had. However, she preferred to give the benefit of the doubt to the young man as she had promised him at Hogwarts.

"For your own good, I hope you're right, Marge."

"Are you going to tell Uncle Sirius?" the younger twin asked, still apprehensive.

"No," she replied, sipping the hot liquid as she noticed her sister cleaning up the spilled tea and repairing the cup with her wand. "This is your and our cousin's matter. I'll let you handle it your way. But if Alphard does anything to harm you, I will intervene."

"He won't, Bete. I know he won't disappoint me."