Lifeline

23. A Letter

I'M BAAAAACK!!!!! Okay, so this is the last chapter of this book, but don't worry, there is a sequel. Sorry this took so long, the trip took longer than I thought it would. It's here now guys :)

Third Person POV

Needless to say, it had surprised the heck out of Jay and Jane when Astra was hanging out with Hunter the next day. They were (briefly) worried that Astra had fallen ill, but when she was revealed to be fine it confused them greatly.

Whatever Hunter had done, it had worked. Astra opened up to him more and more, and eventually, he even got to meet Amelia. He hadn't expected it when he found out Astra was a mother to a three year old - especially to a warlock - but when he looked at her, something about her body language told him not to ask how it happened.

Months began to slip by, and soon it had been a little more than a year since Hunter had joined their life. The sense of temporary now forgotten, Hunter was embedded in their lives, a now permanent part of them.

***

Amelia was at a magic lesson right now, (Astra had payed to have another warlock teach her how to use her magic since she turned four).

After Amelia was finished with lessons today, Aunt Katy and Uncle Ricardo would pick her up, and they would spend the night at his apartment. Uncle Ricardo now tool potions to glamour him, making him look to be Aunt Katy's age. This was just so it didn't look creepy when they were seen together, so people no longer though it was a guy in his early twenties dating someone in their forties.

The point being that Astra and Jay were home alone, and had invited Jane and Hunter. They all planed to sleep in the living room (which was also the library, and there was a small room off to the side that was the kitchen, so the dining room was also there. Basically, everything was in that room, because it was very large and therefore it made sense to have it serve multiple purposes). At the end, with many couches, was a decent - sized TV, and a coffee table as well to hold food and beverages while people watched a movie or whatever else.

Aside from sleeping there, the only special plans they had were pizza and chips with pop or beer. They decided to binge watch Friends throughout the evening.

Astra ordered the pizza, going for pick-up rather than delivery (because the institute was clamored as an abandoned church, and that was probably weird), and asked Jane and Hunter to pick it up on their way over. She then spent her time studying her copy of the grey book for the millionth time as Jay spent his in the training room mutilating a dummy. Astra had promised to get him when their friends arrived. She heard the sound of the loud creaking of the institute door opening and, knowing they had arrived, went to go get Jay.

Technically, downworlders weren't allowed in the institute. Only shadowhunters, and in very rare cases, a mundane who had been wounded by a supernatural - and even then, their memories were erased directly after. If shadowhunters didn't have a key, perhaps needing refuge in another cities institute, they could simply touch the door, and recognizing their angelic blood, the door would open to them. But when Astra and Jay, or even Aunt Katy were home, they would simply open the door to downworlders and there was no issue. For their friends though, they had received keys with the angelic rune on them, and the doors would recognize the rune before their blood, and allow them to pass. For Ricardo, there were charms that banned him for being undead. But behind the Claves backs, they had payed a warlock handsomely to remove the charms and keep quiet about it. They did a lot of things behind the Claves backs when it came to bending rules for downworlders. If it was ever discovered, they would be screwed.

Now that Jane and Hunter were here, Astra went to go get Jay.

***

They were all sitting there on the couches now, watching the newest Friends episode with old ones ready to go on tape. Jane and Jay shared one couch, spooning as the watched the show. Astra and Hunter shared another, Hunter on one end with Astra on the other, laying down on the whole thing with her feet over Hunters lap. He didn't seem to mind.

Then suddenly, from an open window, an owl silently flew in. Unnoticed by the rooms occupants, it dropped a letter on the window sill, and flew off into the night, which continued on without change.

Hours later the four friends argued over who was at fault in Ross and Rachel's break-up. Hunter and Astra thought Ross was to be blamed for not trusting Rachel enough, while Jane and Jay both thought Rachel should have stopped hanging out with Mark when Ross got uncomfortable.

Eventually, Hunter got up to trap another bottle of water. Something white caught the corner of his eyes, and he turned to see a letter on the window sill. He felt something drop in the pit of his stomach. Feeling lightheaded, he went a picked up the letter.

It was addressed to him. With a sinking feeling, he opened it...

Dear Mr. Clement, it read, we believe you should be made aware of the passing of Poppy Pomfrey, and know that her funeral will take place in four days time at Hogwarts.

With deepest condolences,
Akiko.

To Be Continued...

End of book One.