I Forgot To Remember To Forget

[Ai Nightray]

August 2037

Ai was heavy and she certainly did not like the feeling of it. She also disliked not being able to wear too fashionable clothes and instead sticking to loose dresses. She had thought that by now, her hormones would be calmer about everything. However, she had been dead wrong. For lately, her hormones had nearly been reaching overload that she was even surprised that she had not killed anyone yet. How could her hormones not go on overload anyway? She was going through her pregnancy alone, without the father of the child because he was too much of an **shole to even help her through the months that she'd be carrying his child inside her. Then there was also the part where she had been judged numerous times because of her situation. Well, after all, she couldn't really blame them, she was a seventeen-year-old teenager who was bloated and pregnant. The person she least expected to judge her though was Heath. Though who was she anyway to stop him from doing so? He obviously did not care about her anymore the moment she opened her legs for another person and that hurt her. Because obviously no one really cared enough to stay. Everyone had left her alone really and no matter how many times people assured her with their words, sometimes their actions definitely said otherwise. With a sigh, the former Hufflepuff had decided that this was definitely not the time nor place to let her mind wander.

It was a peaceful afternoon really. Or as peaceful as it could get in an England shopping district. After Ai had finished her appointment with the healer she was seeing for her pregnancy, she had decided to go shopping. Her healer had already told her that while the baby was fine, her pregnancy was not going that too well. Her stress had been piling up and her hormones were sometimes unstable because of it and this worried her healer at one point. After all, with this conditions, Ai was susceptible to placental abruption which was potentially dangerous for her and her child. And so, the former Hufflepuff had decided to go shopping for baby clothes. It had taken her more than an hour before she had deemed herself completely exhausted and ready to go home to a nice bath, a hearty dinner and a good night's sleep. And so, with the bags in her left hand and her right hand rubbing her midsection, she strode on, though at some point couldn't help but check if her wallet or her baggage and products were still complete just because of paranoia. She should've known better than doing that though for soon enough, the former Hufflepuff had bumped into another person which caused the bags to be dropped to the ground. Normally, Ai would be angry, but now she was just relieved. At least it wasn't her else the baby would be in danger indeed. "Sorry," she murmured an apology as she struggled to retrieve the bags she had dropped earlier.
​

 

[Liam Nightray]

Liam Nightray was annoyed. No. He was more than annoyed. Since graduating from Hogwarts, things had never been the same for him. He did not miss the d*mn school. He was more than glad that he left it, but he wasn't happy to be back at their manor either. Everyday, he had to see those stupid faces of his relatives. Seeing his younger cousins was one thing, but having to live under the same roof with his aunt and uncle was a different matter. Though he wouldn't admit it, he had gotten used to seeing his cousins back at Hogwarts. Though annoying, he could at least tolerate them. That is, when they are not being stupid. But Aunt Francesca and Uncle Sebastian, they were insufferable. Their stupidity could not be cured. That, he was certain. But these things, though extremely irritating, was already normal in Liam's life. The thing that surprised him, and thus, infuriated him, was the recent news that he learned. First was his aunt Celeste having a child. Never, in his seventeen years of existence, did he thought that the woman would choose to settle down and build a family of her own. She had taken care of him, his siblings, Ria and her siblings. Weren't they her children already? Weren't they enough? Apparently, not. And knowing that his aunt wanted more, than he didn't suffice, was such a great stab at his pride. But he could no nothing about this. That thing that she brought with her, that child of hers, no matter how despicable it was, was a member of his family. And though he hated to admit it, doing something to dispose of the child would only make things worse for him. Though he greatly denies his fondness of his aunt, he would never do anything to intentionally hurt her. Though she could never replace his mother, she was still the closest thing to a mother figure to him. This, however, did not mean that he would play nice with the kid or with his loathsome father.

The other news, the one which he couldn't, and would never accept, was the news about his cousin. Arianna? She was just the same age as him. She was too young to have a child! On top of that, she was much too sickly! But that wasn't the cause of his current plans of committing a crime. He could deal with her being pregnant, so long as the man responsible would own up to it. So long as the man responsible would not deny the contemptible thing that he did. If he wouldn't, then Liam swore, he would force him. Merlin be damned, he will force him. The problem, however, was the identity of said man. Jeremiah Raven. That d*mn Jeremiah Raven. Stupid hero wannabe. Hypocrite, and d*mn irresponsible Raven. He couldn't even begin to list the reasons why the lion did not deserve his cousin. He had already impregnated another woman. If he couldn't own up to his past actions, couldn't be a man, then Liam swore that the lion could never be good for his cousin. He was against it. Definitely against it and Merlin forbid, should he see that Gryffindor, he wouldn't be liable for his actions. He knew that should the two get married, it would be beneficial to the family. Jeremiah, after all, was also a pureblood. But blood purity be damned, Jeremiah Raven did not deserve his cousin.

Pinching the skin between his eyebrows, the Nightray heir scoffed as he exited the establishment where he was supposed to meet up with one of his family's colleagues. The supposed meeting only added to his irritation. He was not told that it was cancelled and was moved to a later date. He was certain that his uncle was the one behind it. It took him all his effort to not blow up and curse everyone in sight, it would be unsightly, and his grandparents would not be pleased. He was no longer in Hogwarts, his actions outside their manor now would reflect back to his family. It wasn't a good thing to keep one's anger bottled up though, and as he made his way through the shopping district, he was projecting said anger by the murderous air around him.

Mumbling expletives, the former Slytherin rounded a corner, and to make his day worse, instead of freely walking and continuing on to his destination, he bumped into someone. Or in his perspective, someone bumped into him. His patience running thin, he decided that he could no longer hold his tongue. The apology sent by the other party did nothing to calm him down. "You better be," His words were sharp as he dusted off his shirt. "I haven't fallen so far from grace that I would allow a mere plebeian to bump into me." This part of the shopping district wasn't as crowded as the other parts, but his tone still caught the attention of some people who gave him an accusing look. He merely glared at them. So what if this woman was pregnant? She bumped into him. It was only right that she apologizes. As he turned his attention to the person that bumped into him though, he froze. It was only for a second, but he froze, and a flash of surprise crossed his face. He was quick to recover though as his face immediately turned cold at recognition. The Hufflepuff's appearance might have changed a bit, but he knew, Liam knew that this was Ai Edogawa. Jeremiah Raven's former... He closed his eyes to get rid of the thought, folding his arms across his chest before he directed his gaze back at the woman. "Edogawa." He said flatly, more of a statement than a question. Ai Edogawa was a lot of things. She was stupid, that much Liam knew, but even he could not deny her accomplishments. A head girl, prefect, president of some clubs, quidditch captain, as annoying as it was, she had a lot to boast of. But she let her stupidity get the best of her. Love? She let herself be blinded by such a superficial thing. She should have known better. She was stupid. She really was stupid. "Where's Raven?" He asked sharply, the words leaving a bitter taste in his mouth. He knew the answer to his question, he knew, and he was aware that his words were going to cut deep into the girl. He knew that, but old habits are hard to let go off, and throwing insults was his defense mechanism when faced with something that made him feel even the slightest bit uncomfortable.​

<i></i>

 

[Ai Nightray]

Ai was in a rather confusing mix of emotions, and anyone could hardly blame her for it. She was undergoing a lot of stress after all and the pregnancy sure as hell is not helping with it. But despite everything, she refused to think of anymore vile thoughts and instead focused on moving forward. For herself and for her child and not for anyone else. That's why lately, she mostly tried to keep her temper in check as to avoid endangering her child. But it seems as if lately, peace of mind had been harder and harder to come by. And just when she had thought she would be able to get such peace, she just had to bump into this grumpy stranger of all people! After all, she could bump into an old lady, or a school kid, or a married couple, or a teenager! But noooo. She just had to bump into a stuck-up and rich person by the sounds of it that couldn't care any less if he could kill a pregnant lady just by bumping into her. Mumbling a number of incoherent curses, she tried her best to pick up her fallen baggage, but with the imbalance proportion of her body and the constant moving about of the people around, that just seemed harder than usual. And this person just had to stay and spite her even more! "He-," Ai stopped herself as soon as she looked up, saw and recognized the face of the supposed stranger she had bumped into. Turns out, he was not much of a stranger as the former Hufflepuff had originally thought.

"Oh. Liam," Ai absentmindedly mumbled as soon as she had recognized the face she almost glared at earlier. It had only been two months since graduation and honestly, while she and Liam had been on friendly terms, or at least as close to friendly as it could have been, with the former Slytherin, she knew that they had graduated not quite as friendly. She kind of knew why though. It was because she was bearing Jeremiah's child. While she had been able to close the gap between the two of them despite her friendship with Miah at first, she knew that the child in her prevented the both of them from reverting back. After all, they hated each other with a burning passion. Well, she hoped though that right now, she'd be able to fix that. Or at least she'd try to. "I never would have thought I'd see you here in England. I didn't think the Nightrays live so close by," she mused as she tried to make casual conversation, which no doubt would probably earn her something close to an insult, mean words or a glare. She couldn't have been anymore prepared though for the question he had landed on her, and in that instant a flood of emotions washed over her.

Ai was trying to keep herself from crying. From screaming at this former Slytherin. To keep from showing any unnecessary emotion on her face, any emotion that would betray the facade she'd been keeping. The facade that she can handle this on her own. That she can handle the nine lonely months of her pregnancy. But, she wouldn't give Liam the satisfaction of knowing just how broken she was right now. Even if she had to lie, or maybe just twist her words a little? "He's... uh... at home," she answered meekly to the former Slytherin. Or at least she hoped he was at his home at least? She wondered if her lie was working, she had never been good with lying after all. Not to Conan. Not to Liam. Not to anyone. "H-he didn't really need to accompany me to the healer. I'm more than fine on my own so I came alone," she tried to explain in hopes that he would not discover the twist upon her words. The truth that she had no idea where Jeremiah was so he didn't accompany her to the healer. The truth that she was physically fine on her own, but she could barely bear the stares and the whispers she would get during her appointments. Heaving a sigh to calm herself lest she betray herself and scream and sob, she tried to divert the conversation. "Anyways, l-let's not talk about him anymore," she said as cheerfully as she possibly could while trying her best to grab her once forgotten baggage again. "How have you and Arianna been?" she forced a smile at the thought of the former Gryffindor, and she knew that it was probably too early to fool Liam. After all, she could barely fool herself.
​