Tear in My Heart ** (AARON)

[Deleted]

@aaron
<3

If there was a word to describe how Elias felt, it would be said. However he felt like he could hardly speak. He had no idea what to think, or what to say. His anger was rising as he left Hogwarts, making his way to Hogsmeade. He had just had a run in with his half-sister, Jamie. Apparently his cousin Maria had said things to Jamie that upset her, but Jamie was now accusing Elias of it all being his fault because he can't 'control' Maria. Well, he was absolutely shocked to hear that! No one can control anyone! And then Jamie had the audacity to tell him that if he didn't get rid of Maria, he could 'kiss the Greyback family goodbye'. Elias didn't know if he wanted to scream or cry. Either way, he needed a drink.

Anger flowing through him, he walked into The Three Broomsticks. Normally, he would've smiled gently at every person he walked by. But Elias kept his head low and made his way directly to the bar and sat down. He looked up at the man in front of him and nodded in a hello. "Butterbeer, please." As soon as he had sat down in the dark restaurant, he felt a bit better. Elias closed his eyes for a moment, and let out a long sigh, attempting to release his anger.

[Deleted]

Aaron stood at his usual post at the bar, scrubbing a glass with a fluffy white towel. He heard the door open and close and turned to smile at the new customer. He gently sat the glass now next to a neat row of other clean glasses, and wiped his hand on the soggy towel. The customer didn't look too happy. In fact, he looked downright pissed. Aaron frowned. The customers that entered Broomsticks were usually full of smiles. The sullen ones usually spent their money at The Hog's Head. When the young wizard sat down and ordered a butterbeer, Aaron shook his head. "You look like you could use something a little harder."

The man walked down the bar, grabbing one of his freshly cleaned glasses on the way, and set about making a firewhiskey. The warmth of the drink never failed to lift his spirits, and he hoped it would do the same for this poor soul. He slid the drink down the bar, the glass stopping right in front of the boy. The foam jiggled happily, but not a drop was spilled. Aaron's precision had gotten much better with practice. "'s on the house." He poured himself a pumpkin juice and pulled up a chair. Taking a sip of his drink, he eyed the stranger over the rim of his cup. After a heavy swig, he put his drink down and leaned across the table. "Wanna tell me what's got you so in a twist?" he asked, taking another sip of his drink.

@jill6

[Deleted]

@aaron
<3

Elias rose a brow as the man shook his head and told him he needed something a little harder. Elias chuckled, even though the anger was still lingering. He probably did need something stronger, but Elias had never really drank before. Hell, he needed it.

The bartender brought over a firewhiskey and Elias blinked. He watched as it slid down to him and he swallowed. Well, this was going to be completely different than what he has ever had before. Elias grabbed the glass and leaned it back, taking a big sip. His eyes widened and he coughed slightly. Goodness, that burned! But, it was a good burn. And he liked it. Taking a deep breath, he gave the bartender a shocked face. "Are you sure? I, I have money." Elias was a gentleman; he wasn't used to having things for free or things being bought for him.

And then, the bartender sat across from him and pretty much asked him what was wrong. Elias laughed. "What isn't wrong?" The man seemed genuinely interested. But Elias wasn't the type of person to bare his heart and soul to any old person. He took another sip of his drink and made a face, but he was starting to get used to the taste. Eli coughed once more. "Just...family things, I suppose you could call it. Siblings."

[Deleted]

Aaron couldn't help but laugh at the expression on the boy's face when he took his first swallow of the firewhiskey. Aaron's reaction had been very similar, but now he depended on the stuff like water. That and his wolfsbane potion. He drank both regularly and probably in a much higher dosage than he should have. But they were his greatest lifelines, so he wasn't going to complain. Maybe one day he could kick them both, but he doubted it was going to be any time soon. He put his hand up, palm out to silence the guy when he offered him money. "No tip, either. This one is on me."

He settle back in his chair to get comfortable, propping his own drink up on his knee. After hearing What isn't wrong?, he knew he was in for a story. He heard that phrase at least twice a day, and his attention to it, even if he was only feigning interest, usually brought in a good tip. But this guy seemed out of sorts, and Aaron was genuinely curious to listen. He smiled again as the boy choked down his drink. When he mentioned family problems, Aaron nodded in understanding. He hadn't even know he had siblings until a year ago, and now one was living with him.

"I know how you feel, irmão (brother)," he said casually, lifting his glass to his lips and taking another long swallow. Once the boy finished his firewhiskey, Aaron would probably give him a pumpkin juice, just to get the bitterness out of his mouth. Drinking firewhiskey was never easy on the first try and always went down smoother with a chaser. "I've been dealing with some family issues of my own. It gets better, though. You'll see," he said reassuringly, raising his glass.

@jill6

[Deleted]

@aaron
<3

Elias watched at the man laughed and he smiled shyly at him. This wasn't what he normally did; talk to strangers and act all buddy buddy. It wasn't him. He was the shy werewolf Greyback kid who had no friends but a crazy cousin. But at Hogwarts, in London, he felt... Normal.

Elias hadn't meant to, but he rose an eyebrow at the man behind the counter when he called him brother. Granted, it wasn't Bulgarian. But certain words, especially that one, tended to stick into Elias' mind. The man seemed to have a few scars, but Elias didn't dare ask about them. And if he must say... the form of his scars look quite similar... "I don't know if this one will get better... There's been multiple things going on. All of this recently started when I came to Hogwarts, you see." Elias figured the bartender knew he was Bulgarian by his accent, meaning he was a Durmstrang student. He also assumed that the man knew about the tournament...

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Aaron nodded, picking lazily at the scar above his mustache. The deep, pale groove, along with the many others that covered his face and body, was a gift from his dear father. The thought of his father made him scowl, and he felt himself growing twitchy. He reached under the bar and pulled out a small vial. The thick black liquid sloshed around, unhappy with being disturbed. His wolfsbane potion, his crutch. It was a blessing during the full moon. It kept him human underneath the fur and fangs. Outside of the full moon, he used it as a placebo. Drinking it calmed his nerves, and he had many more identical vials stored in various places around the pub and in his home. He tossed the potion back, downing it in one loud gulp, and stashed the empty container under the bar again. He chased it down with more pumpkin juice.

He nodded to the vial he had just hidden. "Medicine always taste better with something sweet to wash it down, true?" he said with a smile. "And I get you. Ever since I moved to Hogsmeade, things have been crazy. It seems like anything within reach of Hogwarts is a war zone for craziness." He laughed at the thought. Jamie was trying her hardest to keep him from looking for their new brother, and he was trying his hardest to convince her that everything would be okay. Then, of course, there was that mysterious cousin to worry about. But Aaron could handle himself. He laughed again and took the last swallow of his pumpkin juice.

@jill6

[Deleted]

@aaron
<3

Elias watched as he scratched his face, and then scowled. Hm, that was unusual. He looked very agitated, but Elias wasn't sure on what to do. He continued to drink the firewhiskey, hoping the bartender wasn't getting angry with him. Elias wasn't sure what he would be angry about, maybe the scar he was scratching. Who knew.

Halfway through a sip, the bartender reached under the bar and grabbed something small, and tipped it back and drank it. Elias sniffed. That scent was something he would never forget. It was something he himself had to drink, every month, to protect himself and others. Without thinking, Elias shut his eyes, and breathed in through his nose, the scent of Wolfsbane Potion. He opened his mouth and let out his breath. Oh, was that relaxing. Elias opened his eyes slowly, and looked right into the bartenders.

His eyes widened. Uh oh. He shouldn't have done that. Nope, not at all. And as soon as he opened his eyes, he noticed the bartender looked different. He looked...more like him. More like Jamie. More like Maxima. More like Odette. Elias hasn't met Adrian yet, so he couldn't really say if he looked like him either. But, he had met all of his sisters. Was this his brother? Was...was this Aaron? Elias swallowed nervously. "Hogwarts definitely is crazy."

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Aaron smiled again, his scars curving and rippling with the wrinkles in his face. He heard someone call him name, and he looked up. Another customer had sidled up to the bar and was trying to get his attention. "Excuse me for a moment," he said quickly, going to help the other customer. He chatted with the older wizard for a few seconds and fixed him a drink. Once the older man had waddled away, Aaron returned to his conversation partner, stuffing a hefty tip in his pocket and fixing himself another drink.

"My sister goes to Hogwarts. Two of them actually. And my brother. I worry about them, especially after everything that happened last year. I wish I could be closer to them all," He almost wanted to add on "considering I just met them", but that wasn't a conversation he wanted to have. His family life was a mess. His mother was dead, and his father was a monster. And Aaron spent every day of his life trying to be the exact opposite.

"So what's your name, kid?" he asked, taking a sip of his new drink.

@jill6

[Deleted]

@aaron
<3

As he went over to help the other customer, Elias took this moment to gulp down the rest of his firewhiskey. Goodness, did he want some Wolfsbane Potion. But...why was he drinking that? Well, Elias knew why. But it wasn't the full moon. And...he had just sucked it down like nothing. Confusion clouded Eli's brain as he watched the bartender fix the other man a drink. He began walking back towards him and Elias coughed softly.

Elias had heard of what had happened the year prior at Hogwarts from a few friends he had made. It was horrible, and Eli couldn't imagine being put in that position, or having to worry about Maria in that way. And now, Elias had a few of his own siblings to worry about...two sister's...and a brother. Eli's eyes narrowed at the man behind the counter. Goodness gracious. Was this really happening? "I-I've got siblings too, at Hogwarts."

Gulping, he smiled gently. If this was Aaron, he was going to know it was his second brother the minute Elias told him his name. He knew Jamie would've told him already. "Elias. And you?" Aaron?

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"I-I've got siblings too, at Hogwarts."

Aaron nodded, a creeping suspicion edging its way up his spine. They had things in common. It shouldn't have bothered him. He had things in common with a lot of people. But this was different.

When Elias spoke his name, Aaron began to choke on his drink. He spit half of it out, the other half lodged firmly in his windpipe. He began beating on his chest, trying to dislodge the liquid, but it clung to his trachea, refusing to move. He doubled over, coughed a few times, and the pumpkin juice was finally cleared. He sat back up quickly and gave Elias a hard stare. "What did you just say?" he asked sharply.

Elias? As in his brother, Elias? Aaron had planned on going in search of the newly discovered brother that Jamie had mentioned in her letters, but he never thought it could this easy. He never thought Elias would come to him. "Elias what?" He didn't like the edge in his voice, but he had to know. Was this one more person to add to their little mismatched family? Or was it just a painful coincidence?

@jill6

[Deleted]

@aaron
<3

Oh great. Elias just seemed to have this luck thrust upon him of meeting each one of his siblings when he was out and about. Other than Maxima...he actually met her at school. He hasn't met Adrian yet, which was weird since they went to school together. But as the man behind the counter coughed on his drink when he spoke his name, and then sharply asked him what he said, Elias took a deep breath. "I said, Elias." Eli said it strongly, hoping Aaron would know he wasn't scared. No matter what Jamie had already told him.

The man, who he assumed was Aaron, questioned him on his last name and Elias sighed. He rubbed his eyes and sat up straighter. "Elias Greyback."

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"Elias Greyback."

Aaron couldn't believe his ears or his eyes. It had been to easy, too damn easy. He knew it couldn't be too difficult to find his brother, but figured it would take at least a month, maybe two or more, before they ever crossed paths. But no, the mystery brother that Jamie had told him about had waltzed right into The Three Broomsticks. And now things were falling into place. Hogwarts was crazy...his problems had begun at Hogwarts, where everyone knew who Fenrir Greyback was...he had siblings at Hogwarts, siblings that he probably didn't know existed until he came to Hogwarts for the tournament.

Aaron rubbed his temples, trying to process everything. It was too much for him. His brother was right there. He would have an owl out to Jamie by the next morning, detailing his discovery. He sighed and dropped his head, closing his eyes.

"My name is Aaron Castro," he said quietly, "Aaron Castro...Greyback."

@jill6

[Deleted]

@aaron
<3

Elias watched Aaron as he had a small mental breakdown, sighing and rubbing his temples. He knew this was going to be hard, Elias had done it three times now, this being his fourth. And all within the matter of a few weeks! The stress it gave him, well, he just had a constant headache, not paying much mind to it anymore.

Then, Aaron introduced himself and Elias nodded his head slowly, not too surprised by the name that was spoken. He gave him a gentle smile, his anger quickly disappearing. "I assumed just as much."

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Aaron frowned. Perhaps Elias had been forewarned that Aaron existed and was nearby, but the apathy expressed by the younger man was disheartening. Aaron was a mess of emotions: excitement, confusion, wonder. He desired to know everything about his brother, down to his favorite color. And the fact that Elias didn't seem to share his feelings was a little disappointing for Aaron.

Another thing that bothered Aaron was that Elias knew seemed to know who he was before the climatic moment where he actually revealed his full name. Sure, the scarring was kind of indicative of a tangle with something large and dangerous, but it didn't necessarily scream werewolf. Unless...Aaron's frown deepened and his eyes lit up with realization. He didn't voice his theory, but he had some suspicions. He would let Elias determine whether or not that theory was correct. "How did you know who I was?" he asked curiously. But as he glanced at the empty potion bottle under the bar, he was pretty sure he already knew the answer.

@jill6

[Deleted]

@aaron
<3

Elias' eyes widened a bit at Aaron. He was definitely concerned as to how he knew about him, but even Elias thought that might be obvious. And even then, Aaron could be messing with him. He took a deep breath and shrugged, but smiled gently all the same. "Well, if anything, I could smell your pretty little drink down there." Eli nodded to under the bar, as well as gesturing with his hand. "Let's just say, I take it too. However...probably not as much as you do." Elias chuckled, wondering why Aaron was drinking it regularly.

His drink was now gone, and Elias was pretty thirsty after all of this new sibling meeting going on. He was still a bit shocked to say the least; meeting each new sibling was like a head rush for him. He became dizzy, nervous, and didn't really know how to react. Especially when each of the siblings all looked like him quite a bit. Aaron, for example, had the dark skin, and similar hair. Jamie...well, other than her hair color, looked like Elias' twin. It was all so much for him, but as he looked up at Aaron, he rose a small eyebrow. "Can I have another drink?"