AIANES (Theodore Nott) H.P AU

Chapter Eighteen

The rain outside hits the balcony windows, creating a continuous pitter patter that threatens to get Olympia out of her slumber. The clock on her wall too, with its constant ticking every other second. However, the one thing that actually manages to wake her up is her grandfather's voice and the way his hands shake her right back into the realm of the living.

"My dear, wake up." Apollo says, his voice tired as though he has been trying to get her up for hours and not just a couple of seconds.

Olympia further leans into her pillow, bedding over her head with nothing more than her nose peeking out, so as to not suffocate. "Hm?"

The older wizard chuckles, pulling the blankets away and causing her tangled hair to spread all over the place. "Wake up."

His tone is final and Olympia has to surrender.

"Morning..." She says with a huff, rubbing away the dried boogers from the inner corners of both her eyes.

Apollo smiles at her, kissing the top of her head while placing a pretty wrapped box in her lap. "Happy birthday, my dear."

Olympia smiles back, she has to squint because otherwise keeping her eyes open feels quite impossible. She hugs her grandfather sideways on the bed, turning to stare out her windows and catch sight of the cloudy skies before returning to the present at hand.

"What is this?" She asks, twirling the ribbon around her finger.

"A gift." Apollo answers, voice laced with too much excitement. He almost looks ready to open it up himself if she doesn't hurry.

"You didn't have to..." Her words are drawn out at the end, each of them dripping with poorly concealed mirth and sarcasm.

Apollo doesn't miss to catch it. "You little liar," He hits her forehead with a finger, pushing the hair out of her face with calloused hands. "Open it."

She doesn't have to be asked twice. Olympia's ring clad fingers are fast and dexterous at pulling the ribbon out of the way and taking the cardboard lid next. She expects to be met with some sort of custom made piece of jewellery, maybe some pearls or diamonds in a necklace, but instead, the sight of a single key greets her.

She grabs it, watching the gold glint in her palm.

"A key?" She asks, turning to stare at Apollo with questioning.

He waves a hand in the air, motioning for her to keep looking. "You'll see what it belongs to later today — Focus on the rest."

Olympia sighs, following his lead and advice before looking through the rest of the box's insides. She comes across a thick bunch of papers, a coat of arms printed proudly on the top left corner. Her eyes skim the words before looking back at Apollo.

"St. Mungo's?" She reads the first two words on the top page.

"Keep reading..."

She does. Her gaze landing on one of the underlined premises. 'As of January 1st, 1995, Sixty-five percent of St. Mungo's Hospital for Magical Maladies and Injuries shares will be bought by Mr. Apollo Basil Sarantos, who resides in Athens...'

Olympia stops reading, instead, she goes back to stare at her grandfather. Eyes narrowed in curiosity before she voices out her queries.

"You bought a hospital? In London? Don't you own one here already?" She points out, fully aware that her family has a history of being partial owners of several businesses and institutions that have only made their wealth increase over the centuries.

Apollo sighs again, growing impatient. "Why don't you finish reading the whole thing first and later bring the questions forward?"

"Okay." She keeps going after a sigh of her own, coming across a bunch of technicalities.