Moths to a Flame

50. Magical Theory Year II

Aria pov
September 1896

Telling my husbands about everything was such a weight lifted from me. Now I can focus my mind on the new school year that is rapidly approaching. That I'm going to have a new wave of third years to teach and my returning students. I start to put my mind on making lessons and what I can split for the different years based on difficulty. Third years are always learning or reviewing Gamp's laws only in greater depth. Then we get to start putting that into practice.

Ominis and Sebastian have been wonderfully understanding through it all in the last couple weeks. I can't wait to get back to teaching. Sebastian has been cooped up in his study. He won't tell us what's going on. He's only come out of there for supper and sleeping. Otherwise he's at work or in the study. It must be really important. There have been nights when I would need to wake him cause he's fallen asleep on his desk and I brought him to bed. I wish there was a way I could help him.

As August came to a close I got ready to the last day of the month I returned to Hogwarts to greet my fellow teachers again. I got up to my office and waved my wand to clean the room from the dust and cobwebs that accumulated over the summer.

"Hello my girl, it's great to see you again" I heard.

I looked to see Professor Fig's portrait.

"Professor! How wonderful to see you again" I said. I went over to his frame.

"How had the summer treated you?" He asks me.

"Oh it was fine," I said to him.

"That's it, you were away for two months with your husband and it was fine" he says.

"Well stuff happened but I'm not sure I want to discuss it was quite difficult for us" I said.

"Are you sure, I know I'm not alive anymore but I hope to help you anyway I can, talking about it could help" he said.

"Well, early on my husbands and I were having a great time, it was lovely having all that free time with them. There was a little bit there that I thought I was... was with child. But I wasn't and it was difficult for me to accept that. Professor, I had sunk so low, I was drinking firewhiskey to help me feel better but that wasn't enough, my parents were pressuring us to have children, I want them, so do they, but it's just difficult for us. My best friend, I'm sure you remember Poppy, told me she was expecting her second son. And that made me want one more. It was just a very emotional summer and now I just wish to forget and focus on teaching my students.

"Oh my girl, how awful for you to endure, it will happen, probably when you least expect it to. Now Mariam and I didn't have children, but how she wanted them but couldn't, I accepted that about her long before. We still had a beautiful life together, whether it does or doesn't happen for you my girl, just know you have a beautiful life and family already. Don't waste it, or let it pass you by waiting for something to happen. Live. And love; love with all your heart for your friends and family." Fig says. I smiled at him.

"Thank you professor, that really means a lot to me, and you're right, I will try" I said.

"I know I've said it before, but I know Mariam would love you, I thought of you as a surrogate daughter. I wasn't supposed to favor my students, but there were very few students I probably did over the years, but you my girl, was very special to me."

"How I miss you professor, talking to you like this was always so comforting to me when I was a student here." I was cut off by a knock on the office door. I walked over to answer it.