bullet in a wand | ariadne

[ares edward lestrange]

lovely.

JANUARY 4TH 2024

Gasping as he woke, blue eyes blown wide and fingers stretched wide, Ares Lestrange tried to take in his surroundings while he slowed his breathing. His heart felt like it was pumping out of his chest, something impossible but…He wished it were true. The smell of medicine as well as unpleasant smells that some magic spells seemed to bring filled his nose which left Ares to wonder where exactly he was. Was he in…A Hospital? And then, it all hit him. The days before were filled with chaos. He remembered, the night of the New Years Eve, Andromeda and himself had conjured up the plan to kill their parents. It was for reasons that involved their sister Ariadne, reasons that while Andromeda was strongly passionate about, Ares wasn’t so much so. He just enjoyed the look on his sister’s face whenever violence was involved.

It had always somewhat feared the eldest Lestrange to die at the hands of his family, but with Andy by his side, it didn’t seem so bad. But alas, at the last minute she backed off. And soon the house came crashing, resulting with…Well…Him being here. He looked around, making slight movements until a mop of blonde hair caught his attention. ”Ari…” He croaked, blinking to adjust himself under the bright lights. ”Where’s Andromeda? I-Is she hurt?” The last thing he remembered before the rubble took him whole was his act of stupid bravery with Ares using his body to cover his sister.

He slowly sat up, the sheets covering his body rustling with him and soon — like the impatient person he is, the Lestrange reached forward, attempting to throw the sheets off of him. ”Father? Mother? Did they survive?” The worry that he presented was covered with a sheer lie. He prayed that the two were dead, in graves where they deserved to be.

@ariadne & hopefully this works!

NEVERLAND at ADOXOGRAPHY 2.0!

[Deleted]

The past twenty four hours had been....Ariadne didn't know how to explain it. To even begin to understand what had happened.  What her parents had done to her, the look on Andy's face when she had told her.  The Cruciatus Curse.  Her own father had used it on her when he had found James' love letters to her.  Aria had been locked up, like a bird in a golden cage, and had no way to escape his wrath.  She had felt utterly broken, helpless after he had left, slamming the door shut and locking it behind.  How could her own father have resorted to this?  And her mother...she just let him do that to her.  Ariadne knew her parents had had high expectations of her, and for all of her life she had tried so desperately to please them, to do the right thing.  Then she had met James.  She knew of the eldest Potter boy of course; the playboy Quidditch player who would never settle down.  Ariadne had seen the true James though, and he had seen her.  The bond they felt, it wasn't something Aria could have dreamed of ignoring.  Just like that, she was the scorn of the Lestrange family, a disappointment.  Still...their loss was heavy on Aria's heart.  At least her siblings were still alive.

What had it cost though, to Ares and Andromeda?  Andy was now in the hospital, same as her brother.  Andy though, was currently in a locked ward, a shell of the beautiful sister Aria had always loved, and envied.  She didn't know how she'd bring her sister back, but damned if she wasn't going to try.  Ares though, he was awake and asking her questions as she sat down by his bedside.  Aria didn't know the details of what happened at the Lestrange manor, and if Andy wasn't in any fit state to tell her, then perhaps he would.  "Andy is alive," Aria said simply, flinching at the curt tone of her voice.  She reached out and took his hand.  "Our parents....they're gone Ares," she added, her voice dropping to a low whisper.  She squeezed his hand, hoping it provided him some comfort.  "I need you to tell  me, what happened," she said.  It wasn't a question, it was a soft demand for answers.

ares edward lestrange

[ares edward lestrange]

lovely.

Ares knew his parents were twisted in their own way, from their beliefs around Blood purity and even their family history but he hadn’t been expecting such cruelty to be brought to his younger sister. It was horrific to think his father could be filled with viciousness and evil, which always seemed to panic the eldest Lestrange into thinking he would be a similar kind of father with Sebastian. Though, he truly hoped that wouldn’t be the case.

Awake in his hospital bed was one thing Ares could simply be thankful for. While the evil that coursed through his veins came out to play alongside Andromeda when the two decided to slay their parents was rather fun, the consequences of it all wasn’t. The death of their parents was accidental rather than intentional, with the house crashing down in the end. Ares knew he didn’t want his sister to die like them and the last thing he remembered was his body being used as a shield while the debris covered them. ”Oh thank god…” He croaked, knowing his brave actions hadn’t been for nothing in the long run. ”W-What’s the date? The day even?”

But when his sister revealed that their parents were gone, the Lestrange felt his lips twitch, eager to pull a smile but instead he shook his head lightly. Mentally smiling instead. ”Oh…” He muttered, his head turning to the side as he looked out the window. Great acting. Wincing at the squeeze Ariadne gave him, pale eyes locked onto her own and his mouth drew a sigh. ”Where do I…Even begin?” It would be hard for the Lestrange to confess their plans, to wreck their family home a tad bit, with the intention to kill their parents. That it was Andy’s idea and Ares was simply tagging along. ”It’s complicated…All of it. I hadn’t known of father’s doings until Andromeda told me…And well…” Ares trailed off, unsure of how to even continue.

@ariadne

NEVERLAND at ADOXOGRAPHY 2.0!

[Deleted]

“It’s the fourth of January,” Ariadne replied to his date question, the easiest one to respond to. She could tell he wasn’t too fussed about their parents being dead, and to be perfectly honest, she wasn’t either. They had psychologically abused her from a young age, too young for her to realize just how horrible they were. She had to be perfect, act perfect, speak perfectly. She used to think it was their way of showing their love and affection. Now she knew better; she was just a pawn to push the family forward through marriage. Their reaction to her relationship with James was not normal. It was one thing for a parent to not like a boyfriend of their daughters, but to pull her from school and perform the Cruciatus Curse? There was a reason those types of curses were unforgivable.

More complicated was how to answer how Andy was. Physically? She was a bit bumped and scratched up obviously, but the bigger issue was her mental stability. She had been able to visit with Andy when she was first brought in but it was like visiting a mute patient. Her sister hadn’t said a thing to her; she had no idea how Andy was going to get through this. She believed she would though, she had to believe. It was one thing to lose her parents; she didn’t want to lose her siblings as well. “Andy is...recovering,” Ariadne finally told her brother, looking back at him. If he wanted to know more, she would try to delve into exactly what she had witnessed in the aftermath, but she wasn’t going to go straight into it. She heard him say how he had no idea about their parents treatment of her until Andy divulged it to him. She couldn’t be mad at her sister though; she had been trying to do the right thing. “How did it happen?” she asked abruptly, making it clear she didn’t want him to leave anything out.

ares edward lestrange

[ares edward lestrange]

lovely.

The fourth of January? How had Ares been asleep for that long? The last he recalled, it was December thirty-first, 2023 and his body was covered over his sisters when everything came crashing down. It was pitch black after that. It hasn't been part of his plan to find himself in Hospital. It was more so, head in, speak, kill, leave. Their family home crashing down hadn't been a part of any plan. How he missed it. "The fourth..." He breathed as he repeated. "I've been out for four days? How is that even possible?" The Lestrange truly hoped his sister saw past his feigned worry, their parents had meant nothing to him for years now.

Since graduation, he hadn't really kept in touch, only returning to their manor for major holidays like Christmas and even Easter. Hell, Ares was sure they weren't even aware of their grandson's existence. What a conversation starter that would've been. An ex-Slytherin student, half blood may he add, had given birth to the Lestrange's first born. Out of wed-lock also. How his parents would've been so proud. "Recovering?" He parroted, eyes staring at his sister, filling with worry. Had that meant her own mind had driven into a whirl of insanity? Ares thought it was already bad once she came up with the idea to kill their parents, a strict warning or even their own torture resulting with broken bones would've sufficed, paying the return for Ariadne's own suffering. Maybe if they had performed the Cruciatus curse on father, the same way he eagerly did to Ari.

"Surely you know more than that. You've visited her haven't you?" But when the question of how everything happened arose...Ares swallowed a dry lump in his throat, reminding him for his need of water. He had already began, explaining what seemed to be a tragedy, before continuing on. "Andy...She...Uh." He paused briefly, his hands raising to rest on his sister's shoulders. "Were you aware she tortured me? Back in September? Ari...She's lost her mind." Not that he minded it, he just believed he didn't have to gain scars from it all. To his realisation, he knew he was falling off topic and so continued. "Months later, when I had only heard from her through Owls, she turned up at my apartment and that's when I discovered everything. How much...pain you went through. She came up with a plan, to kill them and simply them. We had no intention for the house to come crashing down too." And there was the truth.

@ariadne

NEVERLAND at ADOXOGRAPHY 2.0!

[Deleted]

Ariadne took a deep breath, and sighed, putting her hand on his shoulder. “When someone experiences physical trauma, it is in their best interest to be put in a deep sleep while the body, and magic of our Healers, do their work without disturbing the patient,” she explained softly. When they had brought Ares and Andromeda in...Ariadne closed her eyes, not wanting to relieve the sheer panic that had shot straight through her body when she saw their dirty, broken bodies lying on the beds. They were alive, the Healers had reassured her time and time again that they would do their very best to heal them, then again when they said the worst was over. Except that it wasn’t. She saw how Andromeda was now, there was a change in her that Ariadne couldn’t explain. But that would be another time, another conversation with Ares.

Except that Ares didn’t want to let the topic of their baby sister go. “She is under psychiatric observation,” she said curtly, looking away from her brother briefly before turning her attention back to him. “I was not aware, but from what has transpired, it does not shock me,” she added quietly. Andy and she had never been particularly close; Ariadne loved her world of books and piano, while Andy was the unplanned third Lestrange child. Their parents didn’t encourage a loving, close relationship, and Ariadne now regretted it. However, there was no point in lamenting about what she could have done to prevent this catastrophe, and Andy’s psychological condition; she had to move forward.

Ares explained how Andy had let him know just what their parents had done to Ariadne when they pulled her out of school. She blinked, trying to hide the surprise she felt. Ares….cared? Sure, they were brother and sister, but he had always swayed closer to their parents ideology than the ones the sister had forged throughout their years at Hogwarts. “I don’t care that the house is gone,” she said simply, her head inclined towards her brother. “It held nothing but bad memories and a poor excuse for a childhood, for all of us. It is better to move forward than try and hold onto what’s no longer there,” she told him. She checked his pulse almost by accident; she was so used to being the Healer at Saint Mungo’s that she didn’t know how to turn off her instincts when she was a visitor. “You are almost fully Healed, which is why they felt it was time for you to come out of your sleep. I don’t know if they’ll let you see her though. They have her under quite a restrictive visitor policy,” she told him softly.

ares edward lestrange

[ares edward lestrange]

lovely.

AT HER EXPLANATION, ARES rolled his eyes. It was the healer in her, that had to explain the role of a job he already knew. It was in the title after all, being a healer, making it pretty self-explanatory. With her hand on his shoulder, dark eyes trailed upwards to stare at her, listening to the words leave her mouth…Only for them to pass through the other year. ”Mhmm.” He responded, shuffling a bit more to rise a little further. He wanted to stand, but was unsure if his legs would even allow him. ”I appreciate what your fellow healer friends did. But I would like to get out of here now.” He told her, reaching for the sheets that covered him.

Psychiatric observation only brought a mental smile to Ares. On the outside, he feigned surprise, confusion to the situation while his mind pieced it all together. He knew Andromeda had been one with insanity. Killing whoever she pleased and even torturing her own brother. It was a sight to see when he wasn’t exactly the subject. He just hoped with her leaving soon, Andy wouldn’t change. ”Andromeda has always been…A little different. Unless you somehow haven’t noticed.” Ares commented. His relationship with his youngest sister had been an odd one. They didn’t mind each others company, but they weren’t the best of buds. After all, she had the intention to kill him once in her life.

A quiet huff of laughter passed the Lestrange’s lips at her comment. Ares would miss the house, only because of the many rooms and many places he could hide within it. It was like a maze to guests, but a playhouse for the Lestrange children. Though Ari did have a point. It was no place for a child. For Ares, he was taught to grow faster, to become wiser and oversee the actions in the household. But it was the one thing he didn’t want. He wanted power of his own, not to be somebody’s bitch. Even if the person he was reporting to was his father. ”I moved on the minute I moved out of that hell.” And while his apartment wasn’t a beauty, it was still home. One day he’d have a better place for him and Sebastian to reside in. Sarah too if she was sane. Nodding in understanding, Ares sighed. ”I’m her brother. We’re her siblings. We should be allowed.”

And at this, Ares finally threw the sheets off from him, before turning to the side, his bare feet coming in contact with the cold floor. Slowly he rose, gripping onto the side of the hospital bed. His mind was a little faster than his body, the explanation for the slight swaying he felt. But it felt good to stand, to move again, despite it being four days since he last did so. ”Let’s go see Andy.”

@ariadne

NEVERLAND at ADOXOGRAPHY 2.0!

[Deleted]

“I’ve noticed,” Ariadne replied, somewhat coolly. The truth of the matter was she hadn’t realized how far Andy had gone, not until she had found herself in the Hospital under observance. Aria had never been the strong one of the family, a fact she knew better than anyone, but she hadn’t realized the lengths her siblings would go to protect her. While that made her feel safe, it also frightened her. What else were they willing to do for the people they loved?

Aria tried to speak, to tell her brother it was physically impossible for them to see Ares, but he still swung his legs out of the bed, clearly undeterred by her rejection. Fine, he would see for himself that visitors were being barred. Silently, she led him down the hallway to a room with a small door window and two guards flanking it. “See her for yourself,” she said flatly, pointing to the window. The guards would not let him go through, but Ares still would be able to see their baby sister for himself. It would have to be enough for now.

ares edward lestrange

[ares edward lestrange]

lovely.

LISTENING TO THINGS SUCH AS rules, guidelines or all in all, something important wasn’t exactly Ares’ strong-suit. He had a dangerous habit of going against things that didn’t line up with his plans simply because he would find more enjoyment in doing Option B over A. ”Good!” He said, trying to force a smile. ”At least you’re part of us brainy folks and aren’t like Mum and Dad. They thought everything was fine with their precious little girl.” With his lower half pretty much out of bed now, Ares felt uneasy as he rose slowly, but still his declaration was valid. Andy had been lonely for days and was most definitely in need of company.

With his younger sister leading him down a hallway that only grew darker with every step, dark eyes welcomed the guards by the door and the small window in between them. Ari said he should step forward, to have a look for himself and after swallowing a dry lump, he slowly moved forward. Tall enough to completely peer over the window, Ares’ eyes widened at the sight. Andromeda sat there, arms bound by what all insane people wore, and feigned shock ran throughout the eldest Lestrange’s features. In truth, as he stared down at his sister, a mental grin only grew in mind. ”It’s…That serious huh?”

@ariadne

NEVERLAND at ADOXOGRAPHY 2.0!

[Deleted]

Ariadne quietly laughed to herself. She had never considered Ares to be particularly brainy; she had rarely seen him in the library those few years they had actually been in school together. “Their precious little girl kept many things to herself,” she responded in a quiet voice. It had started when Ariadne had been a fourth year really, when she had been pulled aside by Professor Longbottom and told of her affinity for plants. Her parents had been grooming her since birth to put in a few years at the Ministry in a department of their choosing, before being married off to a highborn Pureblood and bear his children; a life of keeping house and raising little ones while her husband earned the family money. Ariadne wasn’t exactly a talkative sort though, and knew that her surname would create enemies of her in the Ministry; when they found out how shy she was, they would walk all over her, like some of the students in her year already had. Something about that talk with Professor Longbottom had stirred awake something inside of her though, and she began to imagine a life different from the one she had been groomed for. Then, of course, she had met James Potter.

Shaking herself from her thoughts, Ariadne watched her older brothers’ expression carefully as he surveyed their little sister in the locked room. “She hasn’t spoken to anybody, not even to Neville, or Phil,” she told him. Or me, she added to herself as an afterthought. The Lestrange sisters had not been close growing up, but Ariadne had tried to start changing that after they were taken in by the Longbottoms. “She’s...done this before, hasn’t she? Hurt people for hurting the ones she loves,” she posed to Ares, part question, part statement. She already knew it was true, but she wanted to hear her brother say it out loud.

ares edward lestrange

[ares edward lestrange]

lovely.

SOMEWHAT KNOWING HIS DECLARATION WOULD get him no-where, Ares was still somewhat determined to see his little sister. ”I suppose so.” Ariadne had a fair point though, Andy was a master at hiding the truth. Whether if it meant the truth could save her from a deep-shit scenario, or if it meant hiding some secrets. Or bodies more like, potato—potato in the end. Ares didn’t know much of the story behind it, including how the two girls were adopted by the Longbottoms or even the reason behind it. He always felt envy that they were approached but not the three of them collectively. Perhaps it was because Ares was old enough? It didn’t matter in general, he would have declined anyway. He wasn’t proud of his parents nor their choices for each of their children, but it didn’t mean Ares wanted to tarnish and rid the name any further. They could rebuild it as the next generation of the family, turn the Lestranges into what they deserved to be. Recognised for only good things, even if there were hints of evil weaved in.

”She hasn’t even spoken to her dearest Phil?” He asked, a hint of sarcasm in his tone. Ares knew how Andy felt about Phil, and how after being supposedly ‘adopted’ how awkward it became for the two of them. Since after all, they were siblings by law. At Ari’s next question, Ares’ lips thinned, his stare remaining on the darkness where his sister sat in, refusing to turn back to Ari. ”Who knows.” He lied, knowing Andy had done something similar…multiple times. He had never caught his sister in the act, but it was somewhat interesting, knowing this is who she truly was. Not the fake Hollywood productions she would create sometimes. ”I truly hope it isn’t.” Lie again. After being hurt by Andy all the eldest wished was for her journey to slowly drive her into insanity. And now, it looked like she was almost there.

@ariadne

NEVERLAND at ADOXOGRAPHY 2.0!

[Deleted]

Ariadne’s eyes flashed warningly at Ares’ mocking tone. “Careful brother, I could easily decide you still aren’t fit to be walking and forcibly confine you to your bed,” she said sharply, a tone quite unlike the delicate one she usually had. Perhaps it was this newfound freedom that came with their parents’ death, but Ariadne didn’t feel like she had to be a pretty little bird anymore. She didn’t have to sing the songs her parents wanted to hear, or get beaten savagely when she fell in love with the “wrong” boy. Being with James allowed Ariadne the creative freedom to be herself, and had given her more of a backbone in the process.

Ariadne joined her brothers’ silent vigil watching the limp figure that was their baby sister for a moment, though her expression was dark. Ares knew more than he was letting on, and she knew how easy it was for him to lie instead of telling her the truth. “Time to go,” she said abruptly, placing one hand firmly on his shoulder, steering him away from the window. “And before you tell me I can’t tell you what to do, know that I can, and I will. I am a Healer, you are a patient. You listen to what I say, not the other way around,” she added in a low voice, a warning coming from her. She would not be made a fool of by her own brother at Saint Mungos...this was her territory.

ares edward lestrange

[ares edward lestrange]

lovely.

ARES’ HAND ROSE, WAVING OFF his sister’s words. Even though he wasn’t directly looking at her, but instead inside the dark window of the room that confined his other sister, Ares knew Ariadne probably had that same scowl of a look, which was always present when she disapproved something. Or whenever Ares said something she simply didn’t agree with. A smile eventually grew on his lips and while he still looked inside, trying to overanalyse it all, he decided to respond to the figure that reflected off from the window.”Nonsense sister!” Ares responded, standing as straight as he could. He noticed her tone of course, how confident she sounded and tried to recall the last time she had sounded the same. He drew up the conclusion of: never. ”I can walk fine. Walk, jog or run. And I can sure as hell do magic perfectly fine.” He added, looking directly at her eyes through the reflection with a smile. ”Freedom suits you nicely.”

The abrupt statement was enough for the eldest Lestrange to shrug and agree, it was probably best they left and left Andromeda to…wallow in the dark. He felt her hand on his shoulder then, steering him away like a child. ”Ow!” He complained, the firmness too tight for his sensitive shoulder. While the warning was serious and the two were further away from the window now, Ares still couldn’t help but snort in the face of seriousness. ”Was that meant to intimidate me?” He questioned back in a low tone. Maybe she didn’t want the guards to realise how weak she was in comparison to her dearest older brother. ”Even in a state like this Ariadne, I can still beat or overpower you. Even worse than father could.” He didn’t ever call Ari by her full name unless the situation was serious or Ares felt threatened. And right now, the scenario lied in both buses. Though, he was his father’s son. And being the only male meant there were other things to learn as he grew up, other things like how to overpower your own father for instances. ”But for now, I’ll play this game of Doctor—Doctor and listen. Can’t lose both of my sisters you see.”

@ariadne

NEVERLAND at ADOXOGRAPHY 2.0!

[Deleted]

Ariadne returned his smile with one of her own, a small weight lifting off her heart. Despite their differences, she knew that Ares had been beyond angry about what their father had done to her, and he was a very protective big brother. “Thanks,” she said, tucking a stray strand of hair behind his ear. She had settled into her room at the Leaky Cauldron nicely, and had been seeing James every single day over the break, after she had explained everything to him about what happened. He had been angry too of course, furious even, but Aria had gotten him to not do anything about it, which had turned out to be the best move she’d made.

She released his shoulder, forgetting that he was still injured. “Sorry,” she muttered as they walked back to his room. She stopped short however when he launched into that power tirade though. She knew she was not as powerful of a witch as he was; she was skilled in healing, wheras Ares...well, there was a reason he was named after the Greek god of war. “Perhaps I should get one of my fellow Healers to check in on you then, since you seem to question my abilities as a witch,” she told him coldly, turning her face away from him so he couldn’t see the hurt look on her face.

ares edward lestrange

[ares edward lestrange]

lovely.

THE SMILE REMAINED HIGH ON his lips once she smiled back, and Ares knew freedom was the only thing Ariadne craved every minute while their parents were still alive. But with their death being brief, she looked…happier. Well, being far away from the Lestranges was bound to make any sane person happy. ”You’re very welcome.” He grinned.

Even though she had hurt him, Ares knew he was somewhat exaggerating. He had more strength than people knew of, but he kept it hidden. A trick his wicked father had taught him, but something he learned to use well. His hand rose, waving off the apology as they moved further and further to his room. He hadn’t meant to offend her with his power speech, but given Ares’ temper tended to flick on and off like a simple switch, an apology was too late. He sighed, watching her turn and while he wanted to reach out and apologise, he knew keeping up the act would’ve been best. Besides, he didn’t want to stay in the hospital for longer than necessary and if all went well, he would’ve been out of the hospital and the country by morning.

”I think that might be best.” He said, feigned anger in his tone as dark eyes watched his sister turn. She had been happy to see him once but now, he could tell she was irritated with him. It was for the best truthfully, she would eventually learn to trust less. Ares turned however, walking further into his room and approaching the bed he worriedly woke from. The ache he felt in his body wasn’t the same aches he felt as a younger boy, but after all, the damage he took felt like a bullet from a wand.

ARES END?

@ariadne

NEVERLAND at ADOXOGRAPHY 2.0!