[First Year 1/?] The Chance Meeting

|| The sorting hat hadn't taken more than five seconds to sort her into Slytherin. It wasn't really a surprise, as Aveline had expected to be in the same house her mother was. The only surprise was how boring Hogwarts could seem sometimes. She'd spent the longest time hyping herself up for this, only to crash right down in the face of reality. She handled most classes with relative ease, with the only exception of potions. She wasn't ahead of her class by any means, she just happened to be between the best students and the average students. The only class she enjoyed was flying, and that wasn't even a main class! She looked left before looking right, noticing that everyone along her table was chatting with someone and that no one wanted to even look at her let alone talk to her. She knew it was because of her mother, but it still made the experience droller. As far as everyone was concerned, Aveline was the daughter of a psychopathic killer who /thankfully/, in their eyes, was dead. She knew she should have taken her step-father's surname, but she hadn't expected /this/! In frustration, she closed the charms book, before walking out of the Great Hall. If she was allowed to fly, she would have walked over to the Quidditch pitch, but since that would have just gotten her in trouble, she walked over to the lake. Perhaps a bit of silence would do her well.

|| Forgotten. Or perhaps ignored. Both were accurate descriptions of the treatment of Felix LaChance. He was different. People did not appreciate that difference. It was something he'd learned, but also didn't always care for their opinions. He knew the difference was what made him, so he tended to focus on other things. Scrying, and unfortunate events that would come to pass. He releases a sigh and relegates himself to watching the hall with an intense gaze, finding himself drawn to the aura of a gray and purple tinted person. He hums to himself, brow furrowing in confusion as he watches the movement. It was only when he decided to stop looking at the auras that he allowed himself the ability to recognize the girl because scrying didn't let him see the auras of the people that he saw. Not yet, anyway. Besides, auras could change on a daily basis if the person was feeling drastically different. He pushes himself up, earning a few curious glances from the Hufflepuffs around him, and he grasps a couple of bread rolls before following the girl, speeding up to gain on her slightly, but not falling into step beside her without informing her of his position. He takes into account her aura, and he frowns, deciding not to bring up her real surname. Rather. "You're Aveline, aren't you? From the family of Thorne?"

|| As soon as her name was spoken, Aveline stopped and turned around to look at the boy who was speaking to her. She studied him closely trying to find out why this person was following her. Her name could easily have been found out from the sorting, so that wasn't as big a deal as... Her eyes instantly snapped into a harsh stare. Thorne. Not sorting then. "I'm not exactly a Thorne myself." She stated simply before continuing to walk. If the boy wanted to talk, he could follow her to the lake so she could sit down. She preferred wilderness, so the lake was one of her favorite spots, right after the Quidditch Pitch and the Forbidden Forest. It was just a shame she couldn't bring her bow along, but her mother had insisted on leaving it at home. "If you're following me because you believe my mother is a 'psychopathic killer' like the others, say so now." She tilted her head already lost in that particular train of thought. "Or perhaps they believe I will turn out just like her?" Either way, she really didn't care, it just got annoying.

Felix watches her for a moment, and trails after her, waiting for her to sit before he joined her, and extended one of the rolls he'd picked up as an offering. "Do you not believe if I came to speak accusations at you, I would have simply called you as you were named? Roku... It's one that contains a fair bit of... well, I'm sure you've heard the tales from your classmates," he points out with a shrug. He didn't need to drag up bad reputations when he came bearing bad news. "You are a Thorne by marriage, even if you chose to reject the name. Not that the family is any less... bloodthirsty than the original. Merely lesser known. But I'm not here to judge. I recognized you. I need to tell you something," he says. He was sure she would have heard the rumors. About him. Most of them were ridiculously far fetched and no one wanted to acknowledge the history behind his name. People believed all seers were frauds, and they ignored that Felix could do more than the average seer. He was labeled weird, and unusual. Come his graduation, and it'd be fraud and phony as well. He didn't mind much. As long as he knew his psychic abilities were more than just a folk tale, he was in the right. People didn't like what they didn't understand. "It isn't good news I bring you, I'm afraid, though."

|| She stared at the offered roll for a few seconds, before finally deciding to take it. She began picking at the roll eating it in bits, before raising a brow. "Everyone else does. What makes you any different?" Roku. A name that didn't quite belong. A name her mother had given up, but that Aveline had to take in order to avoid keeping her father's surname. She didn't want the surname of someone she didn't particularly care about, nor did she care that he was dead. Her classmates weren't exactly wrong about her mother. She was spotted while she was on a killing spree. 12 muggles before she had to stop. Aveline wouldn't admit that to anyone, though. "Well, Thorne is another name that simply doesn't belong to me." He needed to tell her something? Now he had her interest. Not here to belittle her, but what could he have to say. "Spill then."

|| Names were fickle, anyway. Auras were far more important than names, and her aura kept him interested. "Then I shall call you Aveline. For that is a name that belongs to you. Well, and hazelnuts. But we should focus on what I came for before I start talking etymology to you." He was cheerful. It was one way to describe Felix. He was unapologetic about how happy he was even when it may have been inappropriate. He chuckles lowly and shakes his head slightly, before reaching into his bag and withdrawing a mirror from it. "My name is LaChance. Felix. My family comes from a long line of seers and psychics. Not that anyone likes to believe that, of course. I am, myself, a psychic, meaning I've all the talents of seers, but... more..." he tries to explain as he looks in the mirror and frowns at the reflection, before shifting so he could hold it at an angle where the girl would also be able to see. This was the easiest way to show her. He wasn't good at telepathy, and thoughtography wasn't something he'd even touch on until he was older. It was hard to develop skills like this, and scrying was the only one he was truly consistent with. "My latest... observation involved you... Indirectly."

| Aveline was confused. It wasn't every day when someone randomly stated that a nut's name belonged to you. "Wait," she spoke trying to get an answer, "Why Hazelnuts?" She shook her head uncomprehending of what the boy was talking about. She didn't particularly know much about etymology, beyond that it was the origin of words. "Luck Luck." she stated, chuckling slightly at the name, "Sorry. I shouldn't laugh. My step-father believes the meaning of a name is more important than the way it sounds, or anything else" She added the last part hastily, in case the boy was curious. She knew she was. Seer... so he must have seen something in the future that affected her... or mattered to her... or something. Where most didn't believe in seers, Aveline knew the truth. While there were plenty of frauds, there were real seers hiding in the mix. "What did you see?"

|| He couldn't help but grin at her, ducking his head slightly. "Aveline. It has roots in Ancient Roman. The place name, Avella means 'filbert' or 'Hazelnut.'" A slight snort escapes him at the girl's reaction to his own name, as well, and he shakes his head. "Technically, it's Lucky Lucky Chance... My middle name means 'luck,' too..." he tells her with a faint smile, shaking his head good-naturedly. His parents had a rather amusing sense of humor, that was all. And it was helped by the fact that he was the lucky chance. He was the first psychic in a long time. Seers were common in the line, but this was different. He was stronger. Or he would be, one day. His smile drops as the conversation moves forward to what he saw. He nods towards his mirror and murmurs something. "The spirit of Chava Thorne, born Roku has ascended, or will in the very near future. By the hand of Lucedio Thorne. It won't be long now for the true end to take place," he explains quietly, tapping the mirror and murmuring words in Latin to the object before handing it over. "You're not obligated to look... I just... some people prefer to see themselves. This is the only way I can make that possible if you do decide to see."

|| All other facets of their conversation lay broken at this new revelation. What did it matter that her name had roots in Ancient Roman? What did it matter if she got the boy's name's meaning slightly wrong? The only thing that mattered was what he had said about her mother. 'The spirit of Chava Thorne has ascended". She was dead or would be soon. That was the only thing he could be talking about. He pulled the mirror from his hands, before peering into it, watching a man who looked exactly like her step-father, minus they hair and eyes, stab Chava. Did Damien have a twin? Did he kill Chava, and really had a different name all this time? She didn't know, and she didn't want to know. She throws the mirror back towards the boy, before getting up and running off towards the Forbidden Forest. She needed someplace to go, someplace she was comfortable. Her mother was dead, and now she was all alone. As soon as she got in the forest, she climbed up a tree far within the bounds of the forest, and perched herself on a branch, curling up. Her mother was dead. What did she do? What could Aveline do? She heard scurrying below her, though at first, she ignored it. Just the sounds of the wilderness. But, then it got closer, and Aveline had to look... only to see a group of giant spiders making their way towards her. Her hand shot to her back reaching for her bow, but after a second, she realized it was at home. She backed up away from the spiders, before falling out of the tree, a scream escaping her lips.

|| Content to let the girl grieve in her own way, Felix watched her leave before picking up his mirror and gently wiping the surface, holding it on his lap. He could understand the way she ran from things like this. He'd seen and heard tales of adults doing the same thing when they'd found out about occurrences that had been less than positive. It wasn't unusual. People needed time. He was just lucky that the girl hadn't tried to attack him or something. He'd never been on the receiving end of that, but he'd heard enough about skeptics attacking if they heard anything they disliked, because they used it to further the belief that psychics were frauds. He leans back, tilting his head up to the sky and watching some of the clouds for a moment, studying them. Unique. Like him. Like Aveline. Like every one of their classmates. No two clouds matched another perfectly, but sometimes they joined together and made a bigger cloud and it was all harmonious and pretty, until his mirror heats up, burning through his trousers and he has to touch it to bring the image forth, and his brow furrows. Aveline. As she looked just mere moments ago. Had it been longer than it felt? His gaze flickers around the forest image, and he watches her fall from the tree, hears the scream, sees the spiders. His nose scrunches slightly, but he shakes his head, deciding now wasn't exactly the time to be squeamish about arachnids that lived in the forest. He tosses his mirror into his bag haphazardly and pushes himself onto his feet, double checking for the wand he knew wouldn't do much, and then darting in the direction of the forest. He'd get an adult. But there wasn't time. Now... how would he find her?

|| The spiders were clearly after her. Was she just a big meal heaped to them on a silver platter? She scrambled backward, before pulling herself up to her feet. No bow, so she would have to use a wand. "Think!" She screams at herself, trying to remember a spell that might work. What use would it be anyway? She'd just hit one and the others would keep advancing. She had to get back to the School. Maybe a teacher would help? She wasn't counting on Felix, he was probably long gone by now. "Petrificus totalus!" One of the spiders froze, but the rest kept advancing. They would get to her before she could get them all. Running was the best option. Thankfully there was nowhere she ran best than in a forest. She spun around heading back towards the border of the forest, being careful to step over roots and fallen trees, despite the spiders following her. In a moment of panic, she looked back to see if she had gotten away before her foot snagged on a root and sent her face first into the dirt.

|| She'd fallen in the right place, at least. Felix was right there when she fell, and he gasps quietly. He moves to stand near her, as he grips his wand and points it toward the spiders. His prayers must have met the right spirits because he felt the surge of relief that went through him as he pointed his wand at some dead leaves and tree matter. "Incendio." It was relieving when the spell worked on the dying plants and spread quite easily. It'd put a temporary barrier between them and the spiders until the spirits had to put it out. He extends his hand to the girl, staring at her closely. "We have to go. We really don't have long," he tells her urgently, blue eyes scanning the scenery, knowing they'd find a way around the fire soon, and they had to be gone by then.

|| She curses at herself for falling in an environment she felt most at home in. Though at the same time she was thankful that Felix was here. Most other students probably would have let her die in his position. She pulled herself from the ground, really, /really/ wishing she had a bow at that moment. "Why did I have to leave my bow at home." She mutters to herself. She shoots Felix a harsh stare as he sets fire to the forest, "Don't burn the forest down!" She demanded, before shaking her head. Forests could grow back, people couldn't be brought from death, "Never mind." It wasn't really important now that she thought about it. "Let's go." With that, she grabbed Felix's arm before running. She would need to make a new bow if she was planning on venturing in there again. "Sorry you had to come help me."

||He could have cracked a smile at her concern for the forest. "It is fine! The spirits won't let it burn!" he calls, before running with her, making sure to keep up, because he really didn't feel like becoming dinner for baby spiders that were already as big as them. He shudders at the thought. "I couldn't just leave you in there to get eaten!" He really couldn't. That would be terrible of him. Not to mention, he was sort of the reason she'd run in there in the first place. So if she had been eaten, it would sort of be his fault. He looks at her and pushes up his glasses slightly, blue eyes scanning her closely. "Are you hurt?" he asks softly, tilting his head and biting his lip a bit. He wasn't sure he'd be able to help much with that, except to aid her to the nurse if it was needed.

|| That was something at least. The forest wouldn't burn down. She liked them too much for the one closest to Hogwarts to be turned to ash. "Spirits?" She questions, wondering what he meant. She knew about ghosts of course, but they could do anything to help, they couldn't maintain a physical form. Were spirits something different? "Anyone else would have." She mutters darkly to herself. Let the daughter of a killer die, they would have thought. Then turn their backs on her. The teachers would only help her because they were obligated to. The students? They had no such obligation. At least this was how Aveline saw everything. "Not beyond my dignity. Couldn't even fend off a group of giant spiders." She realized she said that last bit aloud, so she waved her hand before adding quickly. "Beyond that, I'm fine. Took a bit of a fall, but nothing unusual."

|| Nodding, he extends a hand to the forest. "It is a place in which lives have been lost. Many of them not human, but many of them pure. Spirits help those who treat them with the respect they deserve," he says softly, before looking back at the forest and a small smile builds on his face as he watches. He could still feel the spirits helping him, and he couldn't help but watch for a bit longer, smiling appreciatively as he hums a little. "I am not anyone else. Until I see that you are no different from the names that people force upon you, I will believe you an individual, Aveline." He turns from the forest and bows his head slightly before reaching out and patting her on the arm lightly. "No one expects you to be able to face a horde of killer spiders alone, Aveline."

|| She tilted her head, listening to him speak before nodding along. She understood what he meant. In the wilderness, there was a 'Kill or be killed' way of life. Creatures and even people died often, usually for food or protection. It was a way of life she knew very well, and she was often the victor. It would make sense that there were many spirits in forests and the like. "That puts you above the rest at least." At this train of thought, Aveline spun towards Felix, a thought festering in her mind, "I know you're a seer, you've proven that. But, how did you know my mother was married to Damien? The rest of the world believed she died ages ago." She scoffed at his consoling before shaking her head. "I'm a hunter. I should be able to handle a group of killer spider easily."

|| Felix looks at her, her question catching him off guard. No one ever cared to know how he saw anything. They saw it as unimportant. He frowns and clasps his hands together. "It is important to remember, Aveline, that I am in contact with the spirits. If Chava had died when the world believed she did, I would have known. That did not happen, and I see visions of the same people more than once. You learn things about people in that time." He offers a smile, looking around and shrugging lightly, a hand moving through his hair and he sighs softly, shaking his head. It was hard to explain. Many times, it wasn't his decision who he saw or what he learned. While he could influence it, he didn't always do so. A lot of the time it was a coincidence. That's why seeing was often written off as false because it was unreliable for many seers. Some could see, but would never learn to influence what they saw.

|| Aveline was... absolutely confused, but that didn't quite matter. He just put his explanation as 'He's a seer' and left it at that. "I'm not going to pretend I understood any of that." She smirks slightly, before looking off towards the castle, "And I'll just take your word on all that." Lunch had already been halfway done when she walked out, so she felt it was likely that it was almost over. Which meant classes. Aveline just hoped she didn't have potions first. That would be a disaster. "Lunch is probably nearly over," She started, "And I don't know about you Hufflepuffs, but I have class soon." She gave a slight wave, before starting to walk on. For a slight moment, she stopped before shouting out back towards him "Thank you!" Then, she ran off back towards the castle. For a moment in the back of her mind, she thought about sending a letter back home warning her mother about what would happen, but she didn't need a seer to tell her that was a bad idea. Stop one event from happening, and something worse could happen instead. Definitely not a good idea.

|| Felix laughs softly and nods at her. He knew it was hard for people to understand when these were foreign concepts to them. He nods. He wasn't sure if he had a class now. But he should probably check, lest he missed it. He wouldn't rush though. What was the point, really? If he missed it, he missed it, it'd be fine. Worst that could happen was a detention and some lost point, really. And he could earn points back. He smiles a bit, nodding at her, and when she turns back, he laughs slightly. "Anytime, Hazelnut!" he calls back, watching for a moment before wandering back in the direction of the castle himself, humming slightly and focusing on nothing and everything all at the same time, the way he often did when he was alone.

[Pre-Hogwarts 3/3] A New Generation

|| Chava wasn't okay. It had only been less than a week, and the trauma of Lucedio breaking into their house, almost killing her and her family, and gouging out Damien's eye, of course, had not left her yet. It wouldn't for quite a while. And in the few days since, Chava had not slept, true to her word. Most of the time, she pretended to, to please Damien, but she was always keeping an eye out and listening for Lucedio to break in again. She knew it would happen eventually. Most days, she could feign normalcy. Sometimes, however, it was all she could do to barricade herself in a corner and rock back and forth until the sobs and memories and forefront fears passed. Today, thankfully, was a better day. Though she was, of course, exhausted, and largely paranoid every minute of her life, today she could fake it. She felt gentler, much more docile, and was ready to go look for Damien and curl up into his side when something else caught her attention. The owl outside the window made her jump, immediately screaming, before she realized no, it was not Lucedio breaking in, but still something slightly unusual. An owl? Maybe some Ministry shit for Damien. She'd grab it and give it to him when she went down to find him. But grabbing the letter and watching the owl fly off, she closed the window, her eyes widening. The letter had the Hogwarts seal on it. Someone was getting a Hogwarts letter. And somehow Chava became even madder at herself for not yet realizing this was about to happen with her own daughter. Aveline was eleven and perfectly magical, and it was the summer before her train would leave. She had gotten her Hogwarts acceptance letter- she had to go find her. Without hesitation she hurries to the girl's room that she never quite left, knocking on the door. Now was a good time to prove she could be a good mother.

|| So much had happened, that Aveline was having a hard time keeping up with everything that was going on. The latest events were something she was completely unprepared for. Seeing her mother without a hand was shocking enough, but seeing her stepfather without an eye had nearly made her sick. /Nearly/. She was used to seeing death or limbs removed, though typically she saw them in animals, and not humans. But seeing an eye socket where an eye used to be... that was jarring. But all the shock and dismemberment couldn't keep her spirits down. She knew that she would receive her Hogwarts letter soon. She didn't lack for magic, though she did prefer her bow, so there was no doubt it would arrive. She just hoped it was soon. Yet there was some small nagging thought in her mind. One thing that made her fear a possibility. What if she couldn't go to Hogwarts. What if she wasn't able to afford everything? Sure there was that bowl of galleons down in the living room, and she had no doubt that Chava would be able to snag the galleons if she wanted to, but even she knew that the amount there wouldn't really be enough to buy everything. A wand alone was expensive from what she heard. Though her stepfather was rich, absurdly so, would he even buy for her? The man had always seemed cold, indifferent, with the exception of her mother. Not even to mention that he was sadistic, and a cannibal. She dared not ask him just in case. A small knock on the door to her room caused her head to snap up in that direction,"Come in." It was odd to hear a knock on her door. For the most part, everyone had been content to just let her be.

|| Why was she nervous? She and Aveline hadn't ever had the greatest relationship, and Chava wanted to prove herself better, but how? She wanted to prove she could handle an 11-year-old and two twin babies, with another on the way. Lots of kids /had/ to have a good mother, there was no doubt about that. She pokes her head into Aveline's room, before slipping in, leaving the door open a crack. Perhaps Damien would show up soon looking for her. She doesn't say anything at first but slides the unopened letter to Aveline, the Hogwarts seal on the front out and in the open. She cracks a smile, standing awkwardly away from her daughter. Would a good mother hug her? Congratulate her? At least give her a pat on the arm and a way to go? She bites down on her bottom lip. "Well we'll have to go shopping soon, which means sunlight for us," she muses, cracking a grin to show it was something of a joke, trying to break the ice. It was strange, to not know what to say to her daughter. "I believe we've plenty of things to get you and very little time."

|| The letter had arrived. For a few moments, Aveline sat there, holding the letter in her hands a small smile in place on her lips. It wasn't until her mother started speaking that she pried the letter open looking at the contents within. There was the usual spiel she was told it would contain. Pleased to inform, await your owl, etc. She pulled the second part of the letter out of the envelope wanting to see exactly what they'd have to get. As her eyes lowered further and further along the list, the more her face fell. The galleons in the bowl would never be able to get all of this, not even if she got everything second hand. "Will Damien...?" Her voice trailed off leaving her question unfinished. Will Damien pay for this? Would Damien even allow them to go to Diagon with all that had happened recently? There were just too many variables. "This will all add up," She stated simply, waving her hand at the list.

|| Chava couldn't help but smile as she watched Aveline, happy for her that she had gotten her letter. Chava's own letter had been nothing special, and the only reason she got decent things for school was because her pureblood parents wouldn't allow their own pureblood and newly Slytherin daughter to look and appear anything less than perfect. Hence came Chava's perfect scores and prefect status. Chava wouldn't pressure Aveline into doing much of the same. Hogwarts should be fun, not all study and work and worry about home. Though with this kind of family, she supposed Aveline was bound to worry either way. She took note of her daughter's falling expression, tilting her head. What could possibly be worrying her? Would Damien what? At her last words, she suddenly understood. And it was almost cute. She opens her mouth in understanding and moves to sit next to Aveline. "Oh! Oh, of course he will. Aveline, I /married/ him." She grins faintly. "You're technically his daughter too." It occurred to Chava how little Damien and Aveline communicated, and how strangely they must see each other. Damien must have not looked very warm at all. Chava glances towards the door. "In fact, maybe I should get him."

|| It took a while to get used to the lack of his left eye, but he had managed it easy enough. He could still see with his right eye, so it wasn't as big a deal as Chava's hand. Though he made sure to cover it up with a patch, so it wasn't as jarring for those around him. He planned on going into Diagon to get a glass eye of some sort at some point. As he sat on his throne contemplating his eye as well as trying to figure out how to move forward from there, he heard footsteps walking across the upper floors. He waited a few moments, before pulling himself out of his throne, figuring it was Chava going to check up on the twins or something. He made his way up the stairs, before hearing voices over towards his right side, which crossed out the twins, as they were in the left hallway. That left Aveline or Clover, and he was betting on the former. He walked over towards Aveline's room pushing open the door a little bit, only to catch the last snippets of the conversation. "No need. I'm here. Now, what will I do?" He smirked lightly, before leaning against the doorframe, waiting patiently for an answer.

|| The words had some reassurance, but Aveline couldn't tell if this was the truth or if it was just placating words. "Stepdaughter." She mumbles slightly. Just because she was his wife's daughter, didn't mean he had to like her. He had the sneaking suspicion that he didn't like everyone minus a very select few. Either way, Aveline would have to find some way to do without, in case the man didn't want to pay for her Hogwarts things. Perhaps she could go hunting again and sell hides in order to pay her way. The sudden sound of Damien speaking made her jump. She hadn't been paying attention to the door, her focus primarily staying on the slip of paper between her fingertips. With nary a word, she extended her hand to give her stepfather the second part to the letter. "I got my Hogwarts letter." She spoke cautiously as if she thought she was tiptoeing on broken glass, and the slightest noise would lead to trouble.

|| Yes, Chava was feeling better today, but paranoid Chava still jumped and nearly knocked over everything in her vicinity when Damien popped up suddenly. She hadn't screamed, but she clutches her chest as if she had been having a heart attack, before calming herself down and grinning sheepishly at her husband. She slides over to him, curling one arm around his torso. Along with being more paranoid, she was much more affectionate and needy for affection and attention from him. She nods as Aveline's hands her letter over to him to examine, noting the caution in her voice. She looks Damien in the eye as if trying to tell him unspokenly how worried Aveline was, especially with him around. Perhaps she would try to prove more to her daughter that Damien really did have a heart so she would be more comfortable around him. "We need to go shopping for her and she's worried about money," Chava states bluntly, skipping right over Aveline's carefully worded statements. "But there's no need to worry." Chava shrugs. There was no doubt in her mind that Damien wouldn't care about shelling out some of the fortune for her.

|| A brow raises as he reaches out to grab the letter that the girl was handing him. Was Aveline eleven? Time seemed to fly by fast. He remembered first hearing about the girl when she was what eight? Nine? Somewhere around that range. It didn't seem that long since those events. "I was planning on going to Diagon anyway." He waved a hand towards his eye, before glancing over the list. "So we can kill two birds with one stone." He winced slightly at the list, disgust showing clearly in his face. "There are a few changes since I've been, but a few things haven't changed at all." He handed the letter over to Chava in case she wanted to take a look as well. "Just three work robes? You need more than that." He shook his head slightly before counting out on his fingers. "You'll need a full week's set of work robes and casual clothes." He tilted his head, before continuing. "A couple pairs of dress robes and a single set of formal wear. You never know what could happen. In my own first year I ended up having to attend a disciplinary hearing." he winced again, at the thought of the events that led up to that. It was one of the few things that stuck with him to this day. The first casualty of an endless war. "Though you won't want to hear about that. And you'll want two wands. What do you do when you get disarmed? Always be prepared. Expect the unexpected. That's my motto."

|| Aveline shot her mother a subtle glare at her completely subverting her careful words, and telling Damien so bluntly that she was worried about money. She didn't say anything though, only turning to listen as Damien spoke. A well of relief welled up within her as he spoke about going to Diagon. So she wouldn't have to worry after all. She opened her mouth to speak when she noticed the look of disgust in his expression. This was it. He was going to completely turn around and say he wasn't buying anything, and she would have to spend quite some time hunting. If she could even find a forest nearby. Plans started rolling out through her head on how she could get what she needed. Perhaps she could find a map somewhere and find a forest that way. Her fears were shown to be completely unfounded as the man began to speak again. She couldn't help but let her jaw drop in shock. Not only would he be buying what she needed, but he'd be getting extra as well. Her first impressions were so completely off, or were they? Perhaps Damien had two faces. One that he showed those close to him, and one he showed those he didn't know. "Thank you."

|| Chava couldn't help but smirk as Damien kept speaking, ticking off everything they should get her as opposed to what they absolutely needed to. And Aveline's face was priceless. Chava holds out a hand to drag Aveline towards the two of them. "Like I said, technically his daughter now," she muses, grinning wickedly at her daughter. She was right to have no doubt, but Aveline's doubt was childishly adorable. "I insist on coming with, I'll change my face or something to-" Chava stops dead in her tracks, her excitement immediately trailing down as her face completely falls, looking slightly crushed. She had just remembered there were two seven-month-old twins sleeping in the other room, and Clover somewhere around here, and Lucedio probably watching and waiting to strike. If Damien and Aveline went to Diagon, there was no way Chava could leave the other kids alone here while Lucedio was perfectly capable of breaking in and striking. Paranoid. Paranoid, that's all she was. Nowhere was safe. She starts to feel her breathing get heavier, clutching her chest once more as if she were having a heart attack. "Nevermind," she murmurs, her face turning starkly pale as if she were going to pass out, utterly downtrodden.

|| A chuckle escaped his lips as he watched the look on Aveline's face fall and rise. Since Chava didn't take the letter, he folded it up, placing it in his pocket. "You don't have to thank me. I would have done it regardless. Just like I'll do for my daughters when they get their letters." He smirks slightly, before glancing over at Chava. He understood her worry, though he doubted Lucedio would be a problem quite yet. It was still so soon after the last fight, and if he knew Lucedio, he'd wait until they started to get comfortable again before he struck. He waved his wand, summoning two sheets of parchment, he started to write. One of the letters was going to confirm Aveline was going to Hogwarts, where the other... "I'm going to have a couple people I know from the ministry come down to watch the children. The don't have work today, so they'll arrive a minute or two after we leave." With that said, and the letters written, he figured he'd send them out while they were getting ready. "So yes, come along. I'm not letting you stay home."

|| As much as Chava wanted to go, she didn't know how she could now. Aurora and Orianna were just babies who were barely learning how to speak and stand. They'd stand no chance against Lucedio, and some people watching over them from the Ministry? People Chava didn't know into their house to look at and touch her babies or even find things they weren't supposed to? "Are you crazy?" she hisses at Damien, her hand now clutching at her hair in anxious habit. "I don't know them, how can they watch my babies?! How are they supposed to fight off Lucedio when /we/ can't even do that most days? They're dead. God, they're dead." It took quite a bit of coaxing for Chava to calm down some again to agree to go, as she really did want to be there for her eldest daughter as she got her things for Hogwarts. And she knew Aveline would be more comfortable that way too. But it wouldn't stop Chava from being anxious and paranoid, clinging to Damien every step of the way. Her disguise on and she would be ready to go, practically bouncing off the walls with how nervous she was for this. Lucedio had ruined her.

|| A sigh escapes his lips before he shakes his head at Chava. "Don't worry. They're trained Aurors. They won't find anything anyway." One she finally was willing to come along, he walked down towards the living room, tying the two letters to his owl to send out. Once that was done, he waved his wand and the wards did the rest. Every dangerous object, every incriminating thing. Everything that shouldn't have been in a normal house changed appearance. The thrones simply became tall chairs. The dagger displays now displayed other things instead. The daggers on the wall appeared as paintings instead. The door to the basement completely disappeared, appearing as a solid wall instead. With that done, he walked out of the house, figuring the others were in tow, before walking towards Diagon. "We'll need to head to Gringotts first. Pick up some money." A small smirk appeared on his lips, knowing that neither of them had seen the vault before, so he knew it would be a bit of a shock. It was ten minutes and a crazy ride later when they finally stood in front of the vault door. The goblin that had led them there inserted the key into the large door before it opened. The vault itself was neat and orderly, and coins were stacked in neat piles. The only issue was that you couldn't really see beyond the first row of stacks, which only sat half a foot away from the door. And of the stacks of coins, only a single stack was silver, where every other stack was gold. "I think we should be able to cover it." He moved over towards one of the smaller stacks that he could reach, before shoving several of the galleons into a small pouch, though it had been fitted with an expansion charm. "Where to first?"

|| Aveline used to feel confident that nothing would surprise her anymore. With her mother's hand gone, Damien’s eye gone, and even being nice, she felt that there was nothing else that could surprise her. Of course, that wasn't true, as it was barely five minutes before she faced another shock as various "household" objects appeared normal. Was it a transfiguration thing? Or simply an illusion. She hadn't the slightest clue. The only thing she knew was how excited she was to go to Diagon, as she'd been thinking of what possible wand type she would end up with. The long walk to Diagon was thankfully short, and reaching the vault didn't take that much time either. She tilted her head in curiosity, peering through the cracks to see inside the vault. There, laying within was yet another surprise. She knew that her stepfather was rich, yet she didn't know the extents to which that reached. Yet now, she could see it before her very eyes. It seemed that the vault was entirely filled with galleons, and that was no small feat in of itself since the coins weren't haphazardly filling up the vault, instead, fitting as much as it could by being in neat stacks. Once again, she couldn't help the look of sheer shock that appeared on her face as she watched Damien scoop coins into a bag. "Wand," She blurted instantly.

|| She wanted to be outside, yet she didn't at all. Chana couldn't keep her mind away from the twins back home, how they might not at all be in good hands. How Chava didn't trust anyone but herself and Damien around the both of them. Lucedio could kill some Aurors and some babies. The thought kept her on her toes but in her own head the whole trip, glazing over in thought as they got to Diagon and entered Damien's vault. It wasn't a surprise to her. Purebloods typically had fortunes such as these. She wouldn't be surprised if her family had one somewhere in here where she was locked out of the will and any cent from the money. Damien had been quite crafty in gaining his fortune. Aveline stated she wanted her wand first, and Chava spun out of Gringotts rather quickly, expecting the other two to follow along with. As much as she wanted to be here she'd also want the trip over with. She shakes slightly, not wanting Damien to see how freaked out she was. She didn't want him more concerned or worried about how she would handle anything. Yet she kept tripping over her own feet walking, occasionally muttering something under her breath about the twins. "Wand, I know where they are, wand," she mutters, moving to lead the way, gripping her hair in her nervous habit.

|| Chava's mini freak-out didn't go unnoticed by Damien, and he pulled ahead of Aveline a little, to walk next to Chava. "It's alright." He speaks, trying to make sure Aveline didn't overhear them. Didn't want to freak her out as well. "The Auror's are well trained. They can handle Lucedio if he shows up again." He remembered one of the previous encounters, where an Auror had shown up during a fight and winced. No wonder she was worried if all she had to go by was a rookie dying to protect them. "The last auror was new. The people I asked have a bit more experience." With that, he waved his hand towards the wand shop that was now in view. "Let's get Aveline her wand. And hope that doesn't forever. I remember my experience being a bit lengthy." With that, he pulled open the door, stepping inside the dusty old shop, ushering Chava's daughter up to the counter.

|| This was it. The moment she'd been playing over and over inside her mind. What type of wand would she get? She stepped up to the counter, and the man behind immediately walked towards the back rows, pulling off wand after wand. "Let's try these first," The man placed the first set of wands on the counter. Aveline picked up one of the wands at random and flicked it. When nothing happened, the wandmaker snatched the wand from her hand "Clearly not this one. Try another." Another wand was shoved into her hand, and yet again she gave it a wave. Wand after wand failed to yield any reaction whatsoever, and Aveline was starting to worry. Was she a squib? Did she not have any magic? She couldn't really remember any times of accidental magic, yet she had always assumed that they were more subtle than most. Was this not the case? Finally, a wand was pressed into her hand that did yield a result, though not quite the result she was hoping for. Instead of nothing occurring, each lantern in the shop burst into a flurry of flame and glass. The wand-maker let out a loud yelp, before quickly waving his own wand to clear the mess. "Close, but clearly we're going to have to try another." The wandmaker paused, before quickly adding, "One preferably less explosive." The wandmaker hurried off to grab another selection of wands, before returning to the counter. Weary about causing another explosion, Aveline tenderly grabbed the first wand presented to her. Her eyes flickered about the shop looking for a safe direction to flick the wand in. At slight encouragement from the wandmaker, Aveline finally waved the wand. As she did, a shower of green and blue sparks emitted from the tip. "It seems we have found your..." The wandmaker's voice trailed off as a rattling sound came from one of the boxes on the counter. "What's this?" The wandmaker opened the box before placing the other in her hand. Like the first wand, a shower of sparks, though this time in silver and bronze. "That will be fourteen galleons."

|| Chava should have been paying attention, but how could she? While Aveline was off getting her wand, Chava was curling herself into Damien's side, as if trying her hardest not to be seen by anyone around. As if anyone could recognize her for who she was at a moment's notice. And maybe if she hid close enough to Damien, arm wrapped around him, she could be saved. She was trembling slightly, her body jerking at every movement from anywhere else, any sound or voice that reached her ears. "It's not alright," she whimpers, wanting to just collapse into a ball right then and there. "Lucedio will kill them all and he'll kill me and then he'll kill you and the twins aren't safe and we aren't safe we're never safe we're-" The explosion that came from Aveline's wand was deafening to Chava, and she could help but jump from Damien and scream, holding her face in her hands with a whimper. When she realized it was just the wand, she calms down somewhat, but her breathing was a considerable amount heavier, clinging back onto Damien and burying her face into his chest. "Let's hurry up please."

|| Nearly a half hour had passed, and almost everything on Aveline's list had been bought. He made sure to buy things that were in the best quality, as he remembered the stuff he had to work with when he went to Hogwarts. Most of the books he had were old and decrepit, and the cauldron had broken after only a year's use. He didn't want any of the kids to have shoddy equipment. There was far too much that could go wrong in that case. Another couple hours later, and Chava was dragging him out of Flourish and Blotts when he kept piling more and more books in front of Aveline, constantly saying, "Be prepared. Expect the Unexpected." The final place that they had to go, Damien saved for last, as he knew it would take the most time. Another hour later, and they had arrived at home. When the two Aurors saw the group walk in, they nodded at Damien and walked out of the house, since they were no longer needed. All in all, the trip to Diagon had been successful, even if it had taken a while to acquire everything they needed, including his glass eye. "See," Damien spoke, turning his gaze towards Chava, "Everything's fine. Noone's dead. Check if you must."

|| The day had gone by better than she could have hoped. She had everything she needed and more, even if she really didn't see the point of the extra clothes. She doubted she would need any sort of formal wear whatsoever, but said nothing regardless. It was better to have something and not need it than need something and not have it. She took one of the pouches from Damien, the one with everything that had been bought for her, "Thank you." She could have had a worse mother and stepfather. She could have had nothing to her name. It gave her a new appreciation towards them. After all, she had spent a few years fending for herself, hunting for her food, hunting to sell the pelts to pay her way for anything she might need. And from the small little comments that Damien had made during the trip, she suspected she had it better than him, even if she had to fend for himself. She wasn't a 'touchy-feely' kind of girl, but she couldn't help but hug her mother, and even Damien, with some hesitation. With that she walked up to her room, to pack everything into a trunk, except for the books. Those she planned on reading.

|| The first thing Chava did was check, after giving Aveline her hug she ran upstairs to where she knew the twins should be, to find them lying safe and sound. So relieved was she after the long day and ordeal that she picked both girls up to press kisses to their temples, before laying them back down, stumbling back downstairs to find Damien. He had been very kind today, and Aveline's thankfulness was evident in the way she even hugged Damien, very gently. Chava cracks a small smile, before falling onto Damien, closing her eyes. She was absolutely exhausted. But she still couldn't sleep. There was still absolutely no way she would sleep unless Damien forced her to, which was perhaps very likely tonight. "Thank you for being so sweet to her," Chava mumbles, pressing a small kiss to his lips. "And for helping me. I'm just... scared." Scared was an understatement. She was terrified. She couldn't even live her life properly. But she had to. She still had another kid to birth, and twins to raise, and Aveline to watch out for, and a husband that she loved, that she had to keep happy. She couldn't very well do that dead. "We'll be alright," she murmurs with some strange finality, kissing him one last time. And maybe one day she'd actually believe that.

[Pre-Hogwarts 2/3] With A Heavy Heart

|| The past three days Chava had survived solely on her anger that was still built up inside her, the madness that still consumed her from her days in Azkaban. Nothing was quite the same, and it was all Chava could do to keep her mind off of Damien. She didn't want to think about him, because whenever she did, it hurt physically, a pang in her heart she couldn't get rid of, aching away at her. The worst part was, in the state she was in, she mistook this pain for anger at the man, even hatred for him, breaking out until violent fits whenever her mind strayed. She had already been kicked out of five shops and motels under polyjuice potion in three days for disturbing guests or for property damage. She always made sure to stay in Muggle populated areas, as the Wizarding world knew her too much, especially now they all thought she was dead, bleeding away in a dirty Azkaban cell. Muggles were easy to manipulate and fool. Just carrying polyjuice on her made her feel safer than she had in months. But of course, after being thrown out of her sixth motel for throwing a wine glass at a man with familiar looking long dark hair, Chava figured some changes had to be made to her lifestyle. She wasn't sure how involved the Ministry was in her own household, but perhaps it was time to go back. She didn't much care what happened to her anymore anyway, so long as she was out of that hell that was Azkaban. And so, with a few bottles of alcohol and polyjuice stashed away in her bag, one bottle in hand, Chava makes the journey back to Diagon Alley carefully, before apparating directly into her home without using the door. Her apparation was still rather weak, especially while she was a little drunk, and she trips and stumbles upon arrival, her bottle of whiskey collapsing to the floor and shattering. "FUCK!" Chava cries in frustration, by way of arrival.

|| For nearly two years, Aveline had stayed in this home of her mothers. Occasionally she turned up, and 'practiced', but she spent most of the time at her boyfriend's house. In the recent months however, that dynamic had changed quite a bit. Her mother had decided to hide out at her boyfriends house completely when the ministry began investigating into some murders. A couple years ago Aveline might have been conflicted about having a killer for a mother, but in the recent years she'd hardened a bit. She would not go committing murders for fun, herself, but she wouldn't condemn her mother for such. One of the previous days, after a mass investigation of the house, a lone ministry official had come by hunting for dark artifacts, and anything that the others might have missed. The man had completely ignored Aveline, something she turned to her advantage. In just a few minutes, she had gone to her room, grabbed her bow, and shot the man through the heart. The body still lay there this day, Aveline didn't have the strength to move it far. Luckily it had only been there a few days, and hadn't started to smell... yet, but she was sure it would. Pretty shortly. A loud commotion pulled her from her memories, and she moved towards the source. "Mother?"

|| Kicking aside the remnants of her shattered bottle, Chava looks up, and the first thing she sees wasn't actually Aveline, but rather the body that lay there. Jumping into auto drive, the woman pulls out her dagger and starts to hack at the man's chest, reaching her fingers in for the heart. When she grabs it, she tears it out, moving to put it in her bag to give to... She freezes. She was used to collecting hearts to give to Damien as a treat later. The familiar pang in her chest hits her, as does the anger as she realizes what she had automatically come to do. The next thing she knew she was squeezing the stolen heart in her fist, until the blood coated her fingers and down her arm, tearing the thing apart, and throwing it across the room with a loud scream. It was only then that she noticed the girl, staring at her. "Aveline," she whispers, brushing the blood onto her cloak and across her own cheek. "I..." She didn't quite know what to say to the girl, what Aveline would even know. The woman collapses to the floor on her knees, looking numb and lost, devastated. "I'm staying home again."

|| While she knew her mother didn't particularly care for her, Aveline cared a slight bit for her mother. At first she only stayed to get to know the mother she never knew, but now... she wasn't sure why she still stayed to be honest. A roof over her head, food, a parent that wasn't dead. Something along those lines. Her eyes watched closely as her mother went to work on the dead man, "I thought you were dead... How?" Despite her question, Aveline didn't care what the answer to that question was. Her eyes narrowed and brows furrowed in confusion as she crushed the heart and tossed the remainders aside. "Aren't you going to stay with your 'oh-so-amazing' boyfriend?" She mocked slightly. In truth, she didn't know that much about Chava's boyfriend, even after two years, but she still loved teasing her mother about it.

|| She had almost desperately hoped Aveline wouldn't have brought him up, but she did. She did. Another loud scream, and Chava's fist is quite literally through the wall, a low groan escaping her lips, trying to fight the tears threatening to spill from her eyes. "What boyfriend?" she snarls, tearing her hand from the wall and sitting in front of the fire, as if she'd like nothing better than to throw herself into it. "I want /nothing/ to do with that man." She'd meant this to come out coldly, but the pain in her chest was still there, and her words came out with a whimper instead, wiping at her tears. Still, she mistook her heartbreak for anger. She sat in front of the fire for a while, before remembering Aveline's first question. "Not dead," she mumbles, rubbing the blood at her fingers, not looking away from the fire. "They broke me out, made it look like I died. Clearly I'm alive."

| Aveline wasn't quite expecting this reaction. If she had to say anything, she would say that the way her mother was acting reminded her of a spoiled child. She scoffs audibly, before taking a seat near her mother, though out of arms reach in case she decided to lash out. "Clearly not. If you wanted nothing to do with Damien, you wouldn't be acting like this." She pointed out the tears, and the bits of heart as if to prove her point. Aveline felt there was more to it than just the details her mother was giving about a breakout, but she didn't press into it. "If he went through all that trouble to get you out, he clearly cares a great deal about you." "It seemed obvious to her, and yet, why did her mother not want anything to do with Damien? That part made no sense. "So why all the anger?"

Chava curls her hands into fists, shoving them into her pockets so she wouldn't end up hurting Aveline. If there was one thing she learned over the past couple days, it was that violence wasn't going to fix anything. It might make her feel better for a bit, but it fixed nothing. She wished she could go back in time, before any of this had happened, so it wouldn't be like this now... But she was still angry, right? "Shut up," she hisses at the girl. "You're ignorant. It doesn't matter if he broke me out if he let me get in there in the first place." Chava scowls, shaking her head. Aveline wouldn't understand... She didn't think she could get her to understand. "I'm only... I'm only acting like this because I'm angry. I'm angry and he hurt me and I... I never want to see him again, never again." One of her hands clutched at her chest over her heart where it ached, doubling over with a choking sob. Physical pain to go along with the emotional, and she just wanted comfort. But the one person who could bring comfort to her was the one currently causing her pain. She finally glances over at Aveline, looking into the younger girl's eyes with a sort of helpless look in her own, a devastating look. Never had she been so weak in front of her daughter.

|| Truly pathetic, her mother was. Having raised herself, and been initially raised by someone who taught her archery, she had a lot of patience, and thus was able to make logical connections, by stepping back from the situation. And she had plenty of time to learn of her mother's. Aveline had not known about the breakout, yet she did now about the arrest. "I heard about the arrest. 'An auror and several dementors coming across someone who decided to steal from a shop window.'" She started, "I wonder how he would have managed against those dementors without his wand once dealing with the Auror. He'd already used a patronus charm prior from what I've heard, and that's a difficult spell, isn't it?" "She gave a slight, cocky, grin, as if she had just beaten someone at wizards chess. "Accept some responsibility, mother. If you hadn't tried stealing from a shop, you'd never have been in that situation." "She shakes her head slightly, folding her arms over her chest as her mother speaks again. Aveline might have been young, but even she could tell the difference between anger and missing someone. It truly was sad the way Chava was acting. "No you aren't. No you don't. That pain isn't anger. It's sadness. You miss him."

|| Tearing her eyes away from Aveline's, Chava stares back into the fire, dumbfounded. Even through her emotions, and anger, there was no doubt she had made a point there. Damien hadn't had his wand. Magic would have drained him immensely anyway. Blinking into the fire, she shakes her head, still determined to be angry somehow. "But... he... he could have apparated too, but he didn't. He didn't. He sat and watched it happen and then let them take me away... I..." Perhaps Aveline didn't quite understand just how terrible Azkaban was, for Chava. Her worst nightmare. "He knew how much I hated Azkaban, I begged him not to let me get there, but he let it happen... He didn't even look sorry," she whines, gripping her hair in her hands and tugging roughly at it. Aveline was trying to make it sound like she missed Damien. No, no it wasn't true. What did a nine year old know about the difference between hating someone and missing them? She might have loved him, but he hurt her. She couldn't miss him anymore. She didn't want him. He didn't even love her enough to... She shakes her head, growling menacingly. "I don't fucking miss him... Why do you think I left him?! He's gone, he's gone, and I won't... see him ever again..." Her voice trails off towards the end, choking on a sob, her body getting shaky.

|| Instantly Aveline's features twisted into a slight grin. "Oh, Are we on the topic of Apparating now?" She clapped her hands mockingly, before waving off her comment, "Only a powerful witch or wizard can apparate without a wand. I highly doubt he fits that bill." She tilted her head contemplating that for a brief moment, before shaking her head, "And even if he could, From what you've told me, he'd probably get you both splinched if he tried. Two very hefty spells in a row, and without a wand to boot?" She tsked and shook her head. No, from what she heard and read, her mother's boyfriend did the best thing he could do. She smirked again, before holding up a finger, "And while we're on the topic of apparating, why didn't you?" She queried, turning herself to face her mother, who was staring into the flames. "From what I heard, you had at least three opportunities to apparate away: As soon as things started going down, when Damien cast the patronus charm, and when he got close to you." As she listed each, she put up a finger to count out the opportunities. How was something so obvious to Aveline, so oblivious to Chava? Perhaps she could get through to her, but Aveline wasn't holding much hope. "Why do I think you left him? Because you were being immature, and let your emotions cloud your mind, rather than think logically."

|| Again, Aveline had made very logical points. Chava hadn't apparated. Why? She liked the thrill of almost being caught. And she hadn't even thought then of such a thing. Why hadn't she? Maybe if she had, maybe if she had listened to Damien in the first place and not gone out when she knew it was dangerous... It wouldn't be like this now. Chava heaves a sigh, and gives up on her argument, unable to think of anything more to say. Aveline would just refute it anyway. The woman curls onto the floor in a ball, her head near Aveline's feet. Before she even realized she was doing it her hand was resting on Aveline's, in an... almost, motherly type of way. Never, before now, had she shown the girl any small sign of affection. While she might be able to admit Damien might not have been entirely in the wrong, that really didn't change much in the way of being with him. The woman closes her eyes. "Its too late now," she whispers. "He's gone. There's no going back. I don't love him anymore, he doesn't love me." She says this with finality, even though a very, very small part of her knew deep down that this was a lie. A huge lie. Chava was heartbroken. Never had a broken heart hurt this much before. Releasing a small sigh, she stays there for a moment, before attempting to stand up. Petting her daughter's hair, she goes to make her way to her bed without another word.