In The Aftermath

28.

-Sebastian pov-  

We've been traveling through the jungle and forests of Indonesia. At the moment we're investigating a cave we stumbled across we set up our tents just outside of it. We've only been here a day and it's quite an intriguing cave. According to Tao, translated by Ing, it was rumored to be a catacomb for a famous deity from ancient times I can't remember the name however. I was only in my trousers and some body paint. I was picking up a few words of their language but not enough to be conversational. But I'm so grateful for Ing translating everything for me. It was early in the morning they start early before dawn even. I was in the tent getting ready for the day when Ing came into our shared tent with an envelope in his hand.

"This came for you, you know you're not supposed to have contact with anyone of the outside world, but I'll let it slide this one time just don't let Tao see you." Ing tells me. I nodded.

"I know I told them not too, it must be important if they did" I tell him. I ripped it open and took out the parchment it was from Ominis. I read through the letter. My heart breaking with each word.

...Aria is spiraling into a deep depression and took up drinking firewhisky throughout the day and night....
...She needs you here I'm trying my best to help her, but I'm not you and it's already been over a month and a half of this behavior...
...It turns out it was a muggle ailment which is why magic didn't work....

Wait Anne is cured? How? I need to go home. But how we're not even there yet, but I guess that doesn't matter if Anne is cured.

"Ing I need to go home there's things going on that are very serious." I say.

"Very well, but you can't leave during the day, you'll have to wait until night. I'll get you to the city but that's it you'll have to take it from there" Ing tells me.

"Very well, thank you" I say.

"Now let's get on with today and then we can work out a way for you to leave later, we have a cave to explore" he tells me.

I followed the tribe into the cave and we were transcribing the writings on the wall, I didn't know what any of it said but the rest of the tribe seemed too. I was looking around, it was actually quite hard to focus on this when I have the news from Ominis, and now journey home. My dear beloved Aria is struggling back home. Ing said he would get me to the city and I can apperate from there. There was a slight staircase going down deeper and as soon as I stepped down I slipped and it crumbled underneath me and then everything went dark.

________________________

-Aria pov-

Weeks are going by very slowly. Days just pass me by. Recently I had inherited my fathers portion his vault money from the Blacks. He got his inheritance and stashed it away in a separate vault at Gringotts where his family couldn't find it. I didn't know all of this until I got a letter from the bank explaining all this. He must have had my name on the account for if something should happen I'll have means. Which now is the case. I just ignored it because I can't deal with any of that at the moment. It's late in the day and I'm out of firewhisky, but Ominis won't let me out of the house without either him or Anne. But he forgets that I can apperate and have for a while now. So that's what I do.

I opened the window and climbed out and apperated to the Leaky Cauldron and bought four large bottles, then went home and started to drink one. I know I shouldn't be doing this but I don't know what else to do anymore. I could get a job but I don't need one. I've thought about asking Professor Weasley if I could have Professor Figs old job, since shes never filled the position teaching magical theory. But I need some time before I could. I need Sebastian back first. I pass out, but when I woke up it was to the blinding sun.

"Ugh someone turn the sun off it's blinding me" I groan.

"I going to pretend you didn't say that" I hear Ominis' voice.

"Oh sorry" I say as more of the groan of annoyance.

"You went out to get more didn't you?" He says unamused. "And don't try to deny it I can smell it everywhere in here"

"Yes" I say sadly. "I'm sorry"

"Aria you keep saying that, I don't know much I can trust it anymore; you say sorry but still do it anyway. I need you to admit that you have a problem, it's the only way anything is going to change" he says to me.

"I can stop I swear, it's not that serious, once Sebastian is back I'll stop" I tell him.

"Aria this can't wait that long, you need to stop now, it's been two months. Anne is going off to Hogwarts in three days, didn't you realise that it's nearly September, it needs to stop" he tells me.

"No I didn't" I say quietly.

"I know, you spent nearly all of August drunk and sleeping" Ominis tells me. I started crying at his comment. I know he wasn't trying to upset me but to make me understand, but I didn't hurt any less.

"I'm sorry for upsetting you but I hope you realise it's bad, and that you need help. So please. I'm serious it has to stop." He tells me.

"It's not your f-fault, your j-just trying to hel-help. But you-your right" I say. "Can I a-ask you so-something?"

"Sure"

"How is it yo-your not falling a-apart but I am, don't you miss h-him too?" I ask.

"Of course I miss him he's my best friend, brother even. But you love him, you have deeper feelings and a stronger, more emotional bond with him. I know what happened at Christmas so it's obvious you're much closer to him... physically as well" he says to me.

"How do you know about that" I say blushing.

"Did you really think Sebastian wouldn't tell me about it? He didn't shut up about it for a week" he jokes.

"Should have known" I tease smiling for this first time in weeks. Just then Anne came in holding a letter.

"Ominis this letter came for you" she says.

"Thank you Anne, can you sit with her a while while I read this" he asks.

"Sure" she says. Then Ominis walks out of the room.

"Anne as much as I love your company I don't need a babysitter, and I've already had an earful from Ominis about all this" I tell her.

"I wasn't going to say anything about it. Only that I understand, I know what it's like to lose your parents. I lost mine when I was nine, it was very difficult for me, for us, in fact. But it will get easier, time will heal, and soon you'll be able to think about them without feeling sad, and soon you'll think of all the good things and fun times you had together. I also understand that it also happened at a bad time, you're just graduating Hogwarts, where you had three very eventful years from what I heard and understand, and Sebastian had just left for a different country. Now I may not be able to understand how you love that idiot, but then again he's my brother" she chuckled. "Point is he'll be back shortly and you can spend all the time in the world together after that" she tells me. I listened to her.

"Thank you Anne, that does make me feel a little better" I say.

"Now cough up the firewhisky I'm going to get them out of here" she says.

"Under the bed" I say. Next thing she crawls under to retrieve them.

"I'm going to bring them downstairs, you get some rest and I'll have some food ready for you, see you in a hour or so" she tells me while carrying away the bottles and then closing the door. I lay down again and decided to sleep for another few hours.