✧PITY THE LIVING✧

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There were a few accounted days that Alphard could honestly say that he didn't have any recollection of what happened, why it happened, or when.

And this morning was another one of those days, even the miniature calendar by his bedside didn't aid him—Had he fallen behind so quickly?

After throwing over the covers, a fluff of feathers erupted on his face, causing him to swipe at them as his view was covered. And somehow they ended up in his mouth, causing him to cough and spit.

A faint hum had caused him to turn, and part of him was utterly thankful that it was Rhea. In his early days, he was rather rambunctious—And oftentimes, he wouldn't remember.

But now he felt a good chunk of the day missing, let alone what had caused the destruction of their bed frame and pillowcases.
Though he had a few theories.

"Rhea?" He questioned, yet he was only greeted with a tired yawn as she turned to look over her shoulder. "Sleep it off a little more, Alphard. I've already called out of work." She offered, her voice suggesting just how tired she really is.

"Fuck...What the fucks happened?!" He grumpled, and Rhea laughed into her pillow as she turned. Clearly bare underneath the blanket, and it certainly didn't make him feel any better that she was finding joy in his confusion.

"Which portion do you want to hear first?" She questioned, and Alphard stared at her for a moment and frowned. "Tell me it was just a drunken and foolish night between the two of us. I beg you." A silent shake to the head had caused the fellow to groan, and Rhea's entire protested as she rose up.
The blanket remained strictly against her chest as she followed him across the room.

Clear evidence of their night in seeing the scratches lingering on his back.

"Would you relax? I didn't even get the chance to tell you yet!"
"We have deadlines, Rhea. Deals and others relying on us."

"And they were all informed last night about our absence, now get back in this bed. Maverick said you need to take things easy for a bit. The potion could still be in effect." He fell short on his next thought, so Rhea had patted the side of the bed. Insisting that he take a seat down, though didn't hesitate to summon a robe for both herself and him.

"I thought I would wake up a bit bitter, but after last night...it's hard to stay mad at you." She claimed, pushing the hair in his face off to the side, and he couldn't decide the love in her eyes was for a different reason or another.

"What's happened? Why can I not remember?" She offered a smile before going to hold onto his hand and nodded. "I know that you were working with Evelyn to try and plan a birthday celebration for me." His blush had sectioned off another tick—So perhaps she is a bit angry.

"It was meant to be a surprise..."

"Not really, Theo told me—As an aid to get favoritism with my brother. But he told me that Evelyn was up to something, and thank goodness he did...Because I walked in and Evelyn was in the midst of becoming the center of your attention by using a love potion." It was a fairly quick summary, but it felt longer as Rhea's sucked in a breath.

With his silence, she continued the pattern of rubbing his arm, trying to get him to say something. "That wench! She did what?!"

"Y-yes...And I'm not proud of not ignoring you on the potion, truthfully it would've been better to sleep in a separate room to avoid this...But you were giving me such an adorable gaze. I couldn't name you anything else other than Atlas, and of course, you're cocky arse knew it too." She said with a small grin, and he was thankful in that portion that he was pleasant and not overly demanding.

"I haven't managed to get you to blush in a long time, love...Am I neglecting you?"

"You were just sweet, very caring."

"Am I not doing that enough?... I will admit, my mind goes blank this time of year regardless of being given a love potion or not." She shrugs her shoulders and offers another smile. Not having the heart to share that she felt adored after last night, and rather saddened that he was forced to forget.

"The Rookwoods are on the verge of falling—I spoke with the Nott family with Walburga, the marriage is canceled and the next few weeks will be telling just how Evelyn and her family manage out of this hole." She added, her expression soon falling at the sight of Alphard taking all this in.

"Evelyn...Gave me a potion?"

"Yes. She's under the impression that I stole you from her."
"That's a lie! I hadn't a clue she existed until I came to meet you. I've gotten a beautiful goddess as a wife, never doubt that."

"I will admit, it was difficult to see you in her arms dazed on the potion. But all is well, right? How are you feeling?" The back of her hand had gestured to his forehead, attempting to get a reading on his temperature.

While he wasn't overly hot, he was still a bit warm.

The morning ended in a bit of catering, as Alphard felt guilty for putting their relationship in such a vulnerable position, while Rhea felt the same—Just for the reason of being unable to help any more than she is.

Coming that very afternoon, Alphard could no longer focus in his study. So he crossed the hall and knocked at Rhea's door, only to find her gazing out the window—Worry crossed over her face.

"Rhea?" He called out, but she was still miles away. And she nearly jumped out of her skin when he finally made it close enough—Which caused him to hum along, hoping it'd calm her heart.

"I must look awful if it's got you screaming like that." He said with a grin, and Rhea giggled as she leaned her back into his chest. "I'm trying to think of another painting to begin, I realized I haven't gotten much done in a while."
"If I could make a suggestion? I quite like the Autumn season, and when the manor's sporting different colors—It looks beautiful."

"That means I have to wait to get the better picture."
"Not really, you could do it off the top of your head. Or you can create another painting specifically for our bedroom..." He tempted, and Rhea sighed with pleasure.

"I do have a bit of inspiration. Any requests?"

"Hmm...I liked the mirror, that might be difficult." Alphard had watched his wife's face morph into something of understanding, she was allowing herself to daydream and conjure up something to work with.
And soon enough, a smile popped up.

"Our faces don't necessarily have to be in it, just our bodies." Her words had received a hum of approval. "Shall I ask the elves to move the mirror?... I wouldn't mind giving you some personal modeling for said painting."

"Alphard! We have work to do!"

"And we're not in our right state of minds to focus on anything at the moment, besides...I worry that you're still cross with me." Rhea had turned her head back to look at him, but it wasn't enough to get a proper reading of his expression, so instead, she pulled herself from his embrace.

"Cross? Why would I be?... Nothing of it was your fault."
"I should've listened to Sirius—Regulus—The both of them. I didn't realize that Evelyn made you feel that way since the start."

"That's because I don't feel the need to shout from rooftops that my parents made it clear that they would've preferred her as a daughter than myself. I feel as though I get enough pity from you as is." The second the words dropped, Rhea gasped.

Her hands rushed over her mouth in seeing just how quickly Alphard's face had shattered.

"Is that what you think this is?... That I pity you?"

"No—No Alphard I—" The way he swallowed had already shown signs of just how much her words had affected him. And thus, she sniffled.

It wasn't in Alphard's character to walk away when he knew for certain that she was crying, but Rhea had thought that he was doing the same.

What did it matter—She knew well enough that there was at least some form of pity, if not for herself than for the situation she was in.

With a loud sigh, she turned back towards the window. That certainly could've gone better than it had.

In trying to find a distraction, since work was not an option now, Rhea had snuck away to her small Niffler Sanctuary. Humming a small tune as she always did when coming and disturbing the peace.

But unlike this morning, it seemed like the mother and her little hogs were already awake. Or awake as they can being for being so young.

"Hello my beautiful babes, did we get a good nap in?" She said, her voice having swooned over Sterling within hours of meeting.
Rhea had meant to tell Alphard about this small secret she's been keeping, but it kept slipping her mind.

It is probably not the best idea to have a Niffler in one of the ancient houses in the Black family...But that was a problem for another time.

She had taken the liberty of reading up on numerous facts, all of which steamed from the medical side of magizoologoy—More commonly referring to Newton Scamander and his work.

Course Rhea was pushed away from anything so brutal in terms of hands-on labor, but she adored any subject pertaining to medicine. And sure enough, one of the journals she had purchased in Knocktern alley was the beginning of a manual for certain creatures off in the colder climates.

Though she assumed it was never found again considering the dates are rather older than she first predicted, and now it laid waiting on her shelf.

Upon cleaning up the area, feeding Sterling, and just getting an established relationship with the small hoglets. Rhea was starting to feel more at ease, but still saddened that she had pushed her husband.

He was being so sweet, even when his emotions were conflicting with one another from the reversal potion—She should've known better.

When dinner time approached, Rhea asked the elves what Alphard would like to eat. But it was at that moment that she realized that he was no longer in the manor.

Curious about where he might have gone, she assumed that he left to go and get some hours in at his work office instead.

No, that hadn't been the case at all. For most of the afternoon, Alphard wallowed in his study at home. His mind swirling with ideas of how he could get Rhea to understand that he truly didn't pitty anyone, well...Besides Orion of course, poor bastard.

But no, he never did pittied, Rhea.
He was on the verge of cursing those closest to her on the record of leaving her so alone.

Instead, his mind had gotten the better of him—Too much so, as he thought that with the current state of their relationship, he should look to see other living situations.

Rhea was too familiar with this manor, and he wouldn't dare take her from it.

Instead, he had gone to see the state of his halfway house—The one he usually moves into in the colder months the accommodate for the chilly temperatures.

That, and a single man had little need for a large manor.

Upon arriving there, however. He was caught in a whirlwind of issues. Not only was the better part of the house darkened and smelled foul. But when he shouted for the elves he knew to be living here, they didn't respond.

And it didn't take that long to figure out why—Or how.

The burning smell of flesh was mind-numbing at best, and Alphard hardly had much warning before he turned the corner and threw up in the first bin he could find.

As he was gasping up for air, he realized that the place looked empty to when he was here last time. "Damn it all!" He roared, anger fueling him as he made his way towards his balcony.

First, he had called upon the Auror's office to report a break-in, followed by calling upon Orion.

When the Aurors finally arrived, Alphard had taken to smoking on the steps of his balcony and explained the situation. Knowing just how awful this would sound, but he was prepared to use any and all support to show the claim that he wasn't at fault for this.

With the detectives sorting through all the rooms, most of his artwork has been blast protective—Were facing minimal damage. But his personal belongings of clothes and nicknacks were either missing or burnt to a crisp.

"This better be good, Alphard. Walburga is still on the rampage from the Rookwood situation."

"My elves are dead and my home has been turned over. I would rather deal with Walburga." He said with another long drag of cigar, his eyes flickering over towards his brother with an annoyed expression.

"What?!"

"Hmm...And Rhea thinks I pity her." Orion had only repeated the question, shaking his head at the thought of things falling apart so easily. "What the devil's is going on? I don't even know where to begin...What?!"
That decision was made for them as an Auror had taken a statement, and it wasn't that difficult to explain the situation, and with the state of the bodies and the obvious distress of Alphard over his home.

"The wards are tampered with, Mr.Black. You said this is your second home?" A third Auror questioned, and he nodded. "Yes, my wife and I have been living in our current manner for almost half a year already...I haven't even looked at the other—" The Aurors had offered taken over the situation and he groaned.

"Shite, Rhea is at home and doesn't know that—"

"I'll go and tell her. You get things sorted here, you're more than welcome to stay at our home while your wards are being fixed." He pondered it, and while Rhea would be pissed with him, perhaps it would bring them closer together if Walburga was in the vicinity.

Oh, he would surely enjoy making his sister squirm, and the mere thought was giving him some happiness.

"Tell her it's best we stay with you. Grimmauld Place is as safe as any." Orion grinned, patting his brother on the back before apprenting on his brother's other estate.

Oh, he was beyond delighted to have Rhea at his manor yet again, a part of him was protective, yes. But her persona always seemed to lighten up the room, and better yet—Piss of Walburga as she wasn't as young as she used to be.

"Becker, where is Rhea?"

"Good Mistress is in green house, Becker take master Black?" Orion nodded, not knowing where the supposed greenhouse would be. Nor did he expect to be so bloody horrified in seeing Rhea in a mudded apron and gloves caked with dirt.

"You've certainly picked up quiet the hobby." He deemed, crossing his arms and watching her form. Recalling that it was a lesson or two about the technique in patting the soil to be able to plant better—Or something of that sort.

"Would you rather I twiddle my thumbs?"
"No. Just didn't expect it, is all." She turned over her shoulder to see that Orion wasn't picking on her, no, he seemed generally surprised.

"Sorry."

"For being defensive?...Understandable since my brother is under the impression that you think he pities you." Rhea had let out a harsh breath and sighed once again. "It's just how I feel sometimes."

"I don't think you're wrong, but Alphard doesn't see you as a damsel in distress."

"No? Do you know sometimes before my marriage was set in stone with Alphard that I tempted the idea of just killing myself? No. Drowning wasn't an option, as it's easy to revive a person from it. Sometimes I wondered if I could sneak away from mother for a bit in Diagon Alley, and request a potion...Nobody pities me more than myself, Orion." His placid face had nearly shattered at hearing the truth.

That they were closer to losing Rhea than they first thought.

"You weren't going to run off?" He questioned, and Rhea turned fully towards him now. Wiping her dirtied hands onto her apron with a nod. "I didn't know it was that good of an option, but yes. That was a thought."

"Alphard would have married you regardless if you ran away."
"I'm not regretting my choice in marrying the man, make no mistake. I love him senselessly that it hurts that he's off at the other manor probably preparing himself a room..." Orion flinched at the mention of it, but she wasn't entirely wrong. "Have you seen him? Is he alright?"

"Well, that is why I'm here. Apparently, there has been an attack at the manor—With ease, your husband is fine. He just walked in on the aftermath. Most of his things are falling at the seams and damaged." Rhea's hands had begun to shake uncontrollably as she threw her apron off.

"W-what can I do?" She asked, desperately to do something to distract her.

"Get together a trunk for the both of you. He thinks it's best to stay at Grimmauld Place. He'll be upgrading the wards here at this manor. You'll be safe."

"Will he be joining?"

"Of course. Though I can't say this is what either of you needed at the moment." She nodded, hurrying off towards the master wing to get things ready for when he returned back.

Rhea couldn't fathom the idea of how awful her husband was filling after uncovering what he did.

The elves, dead?

His lifelong collection? Destroyed.

Her heart was breaking with every passing moment in filling up both her own trunk, and Alphard's. "I promised Alphard that I'd help any way I could." Rhea wiped her sleeve and nodded.

"I've got most of his night wear, could you grab a few dress robes. We have meetings the majority of this week." He nodded and went along to do just that, but stilled in the center of the room as his eyes connected to a portrait he didn't think he would ever see.

"Oh, Orion! Could you grab Alphard's extra trunk? I forgot our toiletries and—" Rhea gasped as she caught her in-law standing there gobsmacked at the painting featured on the far wall. "Little goddess," Rhea whispered, and it instantly disappeared into the proper painting it was meant to be showing.

Clearly, her husband seems to have been looking at the other depiction more than she thought.

Instead of facing Orion, she hurried into the bathroom and gathered the better part of their products. Wondering just how long they would be staying at Grimmauld Palace, though she assumed for a week.

It was better to take than be looking for it later.

"Merlin sakes, Orion. You're going to give me grey hairs." Rhea hissed, seeing that he was still looking at the painting. "Me?! What the bloody hell kind of art is that?"

"The kind my husband prefers."

"Curious as to who you hired to do something like that, Alphard's always been quite private."

"Hired? I painted that. And it's up here for a reason. Now help me get through this, I need to speak with him before I lose my final nerve!"

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Date Posted: 04/14/2022

Time: 6:47

Words: 3298