THUMP—

Darius peeked out from behind the shrubbery, his little girl on her BUM nearby— she wasn’t crying. Instead, she was staring, with those wide, grey-blue eyes. It felt like she could pierce his soul with those eyes—

“Daddy, we pay ‘gain?”

“Yes, we play again—“

A grey patronus shot past, though—Darius brandished his wand so quickly—“Later, Elliot—Later—“ and in the next second, he was gone. Elliot, bottom lip trembling, waddled towards her mother’s leg.
“Mummy pay Hide-Seek?” Tug, tug, tug.

Josey, almost done with picking her flowers, merely looked down, sadly. “Yes...we can play.”

The letter from Dani lay on the ground. Her fists rattled. Where was Maxwell? Elliot thought if she didn’t get to him soon, she’d do something she’d really regret it—like throw someone off the Astronomy Tower?

Suddenly, she was throwing things. Her trunk—her books, her bag—everything—it crashed everywhere. Elliot didn’t care. The anger she felt at her father—

Nothing would make up for her being here. Nothing.

“She’s just a child…” she moaned softly. Damn. She wondered if Dani’s eye would be black for weeks...months…would the other children notice? At Beauxbatons? What would she tell them?

“I swear, Max—the hotel owners are going to think a HURRICANE ravaged this place—“ she said, gesturing to the….hotel room. Clothes were everywhere—Elliot’s makeup and other girly things were strewn about in such a haphazard way—

“So….? We can just pay them,” he said gently, smirking at the mess they had made from their dancing the night before. They had danced a little too….all over the place, it seemed. Elliot had wanted to show Max how to ballroom dance—and well, they sure had danced all right.

“Merlin, I love you…” Elliot whispered, taking his hand, smirking.

The pepper-haired woman squinted down at the eleven-year-old with as much dislike as the girl was staring back up at her grandmother with. “The only Ravenclaw in our family…Slytherins for generations…always…knew…you’d be….the trouble one.”

Elliot merely snorted and glared. “And I always knew you’d die one day, of old age, of course, but you don’t see me parading that information around, do you?”

Hera Morganzo, grey eyes flaring, let a locket fall onto Elliot’s lap. “The glory of our family is in your hands, Elliot Mitchell. Don’t disappoint.”

Elliot picked up the locket…Morganzo….and ran her thumb over the sparkling letters.

The first night back home for the summer had been just as hard as Elliot had imagined. She hadn’t seen Max…since the train the day before. Had they gotten used to each other’s presence? Of course. Her heart was hurting. She missed holding his hand.

….We’ll meet, okay?

When? Father—he said we weren’t allowed—

After dark. We can do it, Elliot—be brave—

I will! I can be—just—don’t let him—

I won’t.

Staring at her father’s guards at the front gate surrounding Morganzo Manor, she took a deep breath and prepared to set their plan in motion.

THUD.

Elliot’s head had hit the ground hard, that time.

“Get up.”

Her father’s slow, menacing voice swept into her. Her father’s questionable lessons had begun since she had turned fifteen. The age ever Morganzo started ‘training.’

“I’m tired.”
“You’re weak. Nothing but a weak, little gi—“

But before he could finish his sentence, Elliot had hopped up, her face red, panting heavily. The words she wanted to scream at him drilled through her head, but instead of screaming, she spat at his feet. A sign of disrespect.

Darius stepped closer. “Nothing to say, girl?”

Elliot shook her head.

The butterfly-esque feeling in her tummy only increased when Maxwell shuffled next to her. “Feel—FEEL—”

Max hurriedly placed his hand against her rounding tummy. Six months along and the boy was starting to really move. So much so that Max would finally be able to feel—

“He-he’s moving!” Max smiled, sounding…astounded. Overjoyed. Touched. Elliot grinned over at her husband and kissed his cheek. “I love him so much already—I do—I dreamt that he was older—and he said he loved me—and I love him, Max—”

“I know…I know, Ell. I love him, too…and you.”

Elliot rolled over onto her back, her head hanging off his bed as she watched Max fiddle with something on his desk.

“I can’t believe I’m in love with an American.” Elliot made a scrunched face. It made Maxwell laugh, though.

“I can’t believe I’m in love with such a little snobby Scot.”

“I can. Look at me—” and she flipped her hair as she sat up, giggling madly—because lately, it’s all she seemed to be able to do around Maxwell. Giggle. Well…mostly giggle.

Max stepped closer. “I am looking at you, Ell.” His smile made her smile

He….was gone.

Darius Alexander Morganzo was gone. Elliot heard the patronus—her sister’s shaky voice—Dani probably didn’t know how to feel either. Emotions…Elliot wanted to feel numb, but she didn’t.

“I’ll be right over—” she sent one back just as fast. Max’s eyes were wide—she ignored the hint of satisfaction on his face—her father was dead. “I have to—Dari and Sam—they need me—mother’s gone insane—” she said softly.
Max might be happy, but Elliot didn’t know what to feel.
Her cruel father…was dead. The man she wasn’t sure had even loved her.

“The party theme is PINK Elliot Mitchell—“ Josey wrangled the dress over her daughter’s head.

“I HATE PINK! I HATE IT! I HATE YOU AND I HATE THIS DRESS!”

The eight year old was not happy.

Josey winced and clapped the dress over her. Elliot’s face was RED and her eyes were PUFFY. “Elliot—Mummy has a very special brunch though—don’t be selfish!“

“YOU’RE THE WORST MOTHER EVER!” The words sliced through Josey and she sat on her bottom, watching Elliot cry as she struggled to come to terms with the very pink dress on her body.

Eight pounds. Two ounces. Maria placed Felix in her arms, and Elliot almost burst right there—the baby’s eyes were shut, but she could feel his little body moving as he took his breaths. Max was beside her, staring at Felix as if this was his first child.

“Hi, Felix—” His tiny eyes opened slowly when Elliot spoke. Their gazes met.

Elliot felt his fingers suddenly curl around her thumb. His grip was tight, and strong. He wasn’t letting go any time soon. And Elliot, for the first time, felt like something she had made had turned out right.

It was one of the most beautiful places she had ever seen. Elliot had wide, grey-blue eyes as she took it all in. It was grey, snowy, and cold. It reminded Elliot of herself.

“Moscow, doll.” Darius drawled. His daughter just nodded in silence as response. “The University is pretty, too—“ and Darius Morganzo, for once, was loquacious. But he loved Moscow, so Elliot didn’t mind so much. “Come—if we finish early, I’ll introduce you to some comrades.” He smirked.

Elliot wasn’t sure she liked the way he was looking at her. There something hidden behind his eyes.

Maxwell was responsible for many a fancy nights—but tonight was different. Elliot hadn’t grown up using muggle vehicles—but tonight—this loooooooong vehicle was taking them somewhere.

It was very long.

Elliot had her face pressed against the glass of the window. “Why is it DARK, Max?” she asked softly, impressed with how CLASSY muggles could be, Merlin!

Her husband chuckled. “Because it’s called…tinted windows. You know. So people can’t see in here, baby—“

Elliot whipped around, eyes wide. “…People can’t see in here?” Her voice had lowered to a whisper.

Maxwell smirked. “Nope. Not at all, dear.”

“I’m not your boyfriend, Morganzo. Dinner would give the wrong impression.” Aleksandre smirked as Elliot’s face seemed to drop a little, along with her phone on her lap. They had been snuggled on the couch, and she had been looking up reservations for a restaurant nearby.

“I guess there’s only a few reasons why you come over then?

Her classmate laughed, cruelly. “I thought we talked about it. I can’t even remember your first name half the time, Feisty.”

Feisty. She had a pang for a relationship—and this—whatever it was—was clearly not it. She wanted to cry.