𝐑𝗼𝐲𝐚𝐥𝐬 - 𝘛. 𝘕𝘰𝘵𝘵

ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀ ᴛᴡᴏ

(ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀ ᴛᴡᴏ: ᴋɴᴇᴇʟ)

Aven had awoken that morning, fueled by determination and hot tea. She'd skipped breakfast and headed straight to lessons, breezing through the entirely too long classes. Luckily, with it having been their first day, it was mostly just an introduction to each class. Regardless, Aven was exhausted by the time her first three lessons had finished, but she ignored the growling out of hunger in her stomach and instead set off towards the library.

She often spent a lot of time in the library, rather for studying or just to escape from the outside world. In the library, all that existed was forbidden worlds trapped within the pages of a book and the smell of polished oak.

Aven set her items to the side as she chose a comfortable armchair, sinking into it and leaning her head back. She took a steadying breath and stared above to the ceiling, watching as the chandelier casted gloomy shadows upon the rows and rows of shelves that lined the exterior of the room.

Sighing heavily, she thought back to the night she received news of her mother's passing.

"She'd been caught in the crossfire, Avena. There was nothing we could do."

"Why are you acting so okay with this? She's dead!"

Flexing his arm, he swept his hands across the surface of his desk, casting the items flying across the room and shattering against the floor. Glass stuck to the carpet, gleaming in the light. Aven flinched, tears welling in her eyes as her fathers face burned bright red.

"I fucking know that! But there's nothing we can do, now!"

"We can avenge her death!"

"And defy the Dark Lord in the process? You foolish girl. No one betrays him and lives! Look at your mother. She was a devoted follower until Potter and his friends infiltrated the Ministry and she was called to attend the attack. Marriot was one of the many casualties that occurred tonight."

"You don't even care," she whispered, the revelation dawning on her. Her hands shook, digging into the armrests of her chair.

He opened his mouth to protest, but he slumped against the wall, coughing violently. Under normal circumstances Aven would approach him, offering to assist him to his room.

She stayed seated and watched him slide to the floor, blood tainting his lips as he clutched helplessly at his chest.

"It should've been you," she sneered firmly. "You're weak, and now you're asking thing impossible thing of me!"

"I'm out of commissions, Avena!"

"If mum were here, she would never have forced me to take this," Aven yelled, her chest heaving. Her lips were chapped from the amount of times her teeth had sunk into them, her nails bitten down to nothing.