Is this the life you chose yourself, or just how it ended up? Is that the yard you pictured when you closed your eyes and dreamed of children in the grass running through the sprinklers? Being somebody's wife, or were you living in another life?
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Ascella took her next available day off from work, which wasn't until a while after New Years due to her leaving once with no word, to go visit the only sister she still had contact with.
Andromeda greeted her youngest sister warmly and burst into tears when she caught sight of the small bump that had began forming under the dress Ascella had insisted on wearing, despite it being winter.
Ascella had waited to tell Andromeda, knowing there would be questions, like when she was due and all that fun stuff.
The healer at St Mungo's had her conception date around a week before Halloween, which explained everything to her.
"You've grown up so much!" Andromeda cried, thanking Ted softly when he handed her a handkerchief. Ascella couldn't help but finally acknowledge she was growing up. She and James would turn twenty at the end of the month.
Four years ago, their biggest concern was winning a match against whatever two teams they'd play that spring. Now, they had a war to win. They were having a child in the middle of the war and they woke up every morning not knowing if their friends would live to see the next day.
It was also then that Ascella was forced to acknowledge the consequences of joining the order.
Just joining the small organization put a target on their backs. Fleamont and Euphemia had been members of the order, though they weren't very active. They died. While dragon pox was considered common, it was rare for magic users under ninety.
Muggleborns that joined the order— half of them were tortured for information and then murdered when they refused, left in the streets for their families to find them.
None of it was right.
Ascella stayed at Andromeda's for a little while longer before bidding goodbye and heading off to Diagon Alley.
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Florean Fortescue’s Ice Cream Parlor was as she had always remembered it, minus the lack of customers, the place was how it always looked.
Ascella got her weekly tub of ice cream and thanked the man. As she exited the building, she made sure to be careful as she walked down to Quality Quidditch Supplies.
James ran out of broom polish that morning and Ascella knew first hand how he got fussy if his broom wasn't in good condition.
The trip inside to grab the broom polish was the shortest amount of time she spent in there since she left her parents and sisters.
Though as she left, she came face to face with someone she hadn't seen in a long time. For a moment, neither of them said anything. They just took in how the other looked.
"I see a congratulations is in order." Narcissa said, staring at her little sister, who apparently wasn't so little anymore. "Likewise." Ascella responded. Despite her steady voice, her eyes held so much emotion — emotions her mother would've seen as weakness had she been alive to see it.
"I see you married Potter."
Narcissa immediately noticed the emotions in her sisters eyes change, she always did. She knew what was coming. "I did. Gorgeous ceremony in the orchards, which you would've known, had you been there. . . Andromeda had some hope that you'd show up to my wedding, even after you refused hers, because we all promised. . . You do remember making that promise, right Cissa?"
Of course, Narcissa remembered making the promise. All four of the sisters did it. Ascella had only been eight, but she was so in love with the thought of marriage that she made all of her sisters promise to be there at her wedding and in return, she made the promise to be at theirs.
Ascella went to all of theirs with no convincing, no prejudice — just love for her sisters.
Andromeda showed up, being the only one to fulfill the promise. Narcissa had the opportunity to fulfill it, but chose not to. Bellatrix was an entirely different story — even with the promise, Bella lashed out at Ascella constantly after it came out that she was dating James.
When Ascella left with everything she could hold in her trunk, Bella didn't hesitate to destroy anything of Ascella's that had been left behind.
Thats why she wasn't invited.
"I remember. . . But I also remember you leaving." Narcissa stated. "Because I was unhappy living with people who berated me on a daily basis for things out of my control. . . I'm glad I left. Had I not, I'd likely be married to Avery, or someone considerably more evil."
"Still, you could have said goodbye. . . To me at the very least." "Why? You didn't. You went off and married Malfoy, and you didn't even look at me once during the entire wedding, let alone speak to me. You didn't say goodbye to me, so why should I say it to you?" Ascella questioned.
"You're my little sister, Ella. Nothing could change that." "Everything changed when I got sorted into Gryffindor and you let our parents and Bella treat me like rubbish. . . You're still my sister and I care about you a great deal, however I'm sure you can understand why my loyalties are no longer with our family."
"I understand." Narcissa said quietly. "I should get going, Lucius doesn't like it when I'm gone for long." "I should get going as well."
"Be safe." Ascella smiled lightly at the clear worry in her sisters voice. "I'm always safe."
"I'm serious — do not — Ascella. I'm not as involved as my husband, just as I'm sure Potter pulled you from the war. . . It's highly dangerous and. . . Well, just be safe."
