Onii-san, I'm Pregnant.

[Ai Nightray]

Ai was trembling. How could she not be? It must have been a mistake right? But Professor Elvera had told her that the potion never lies. But then again, Ai wished it was a lie. How could she bear to accept this? Surely, she just tasted the potion wrong? She couldn't be bearing his child. She couldn't be pregnant. And so, with fear shaking her whole being and tearing her world a part, she took a sip of the pregnancy potion she held in her trembling hand. No. She took more than just a sip. In fact, she drank the whole thing. Down to the last drop. And nothing changed. The potion was just as sweet if not sweeter than she had drank it the first time. The sweetness of the potion the most dominant and obvious sign that she was pregnant. That she had a child within her. The mere truth of this had left the Hufflepuff broken and in tears as she had dropped the vial causing it to smash to the floor with a resonating sound. Her eyes filled with tears and her mind was in a rack. Pregnant? How could she be pregnant? It was a question that had an all too obvious answer. An answer that was all too hard to accept. Without thinking, she had scribbled a letter with tearful eyes.

Ai didn't even take the time to look at what she had written or to whom it had been written to. All she had done was fold it without looking and sealed it in an envelope. It could be addressed to the trash bin for all she cared. And that was where it was supposed to go, until her owl took it from her hands and flew as fast as her wings could carry her. To whom the letter was addressed to and who it will end up with, she did not know. But for now, she needed to vent. She wanted to scream. And with a silencing spell cast on to her room, she screamed for all it was worth. She threw her things, broke her stuff, punched the walls and cried her eyes out. It seemed as if war had broken into her room and she thanked Merlin that she had not forgotten to lock the door. How stupid was she? How stupid could she have been to let herself fall for that Gryffindor? How stupid was she to have gotten pregnant with Jeremiah Raven's child? But the most painful of all question she was asking herself was that how much of an idiotic did he think she was? Had he always thought of her as an idiot that he could manipulate to fall into his trap? She scorned him. She scorned herself. And now, she was ashamed of how low she had gotten. She was pregnant at the age of seventeen.
​

Ryuuji-niisan,

I'm so sorry. I'm so, so, so sorry. I'm pregnant. I don't know what to do anymore.

 

[Ryuuji Tsukino]

At the age of twenty one, Ryuuji Tsukino believed that there were only a few things left that could faze him. He was a wizard for Merlin's sake! He had encountered a lot of peculiar things and had experienced things that normal people his age wouldn't have experienced. His family, while traditional, wasn't a typical family either. Thus, imagine his surprise when upon waking up at the early hours of the morning, when the sun was yet to rise and his sister yet to knock on his door to wake him up, he happened upon a familiar looking owl knocking on his window. He hadn't even got the chance to wash his face and brush his teeth before he lifted the lock keeping the glass in place and felt his body shiver at the breeze that entered the opening. He nodded his head as he ushered the owl in and proceeded to his cabinet where he kept his own owl's foods. He rubbed his eyes in an attempt to get rid of sleep before he took the envelop from the owl and sat on his bed. A smile made its way to his face as he watched the owl happily eating on his desk. This letter must be from his little sister figure, Ai. She'll be graduating soon. Time surely flies, doesn't it? He pulled the letter opener from his bedside desk and slowly opened the letter, as if building up the atmosphere for what the younger girl had to say. Surely, she's been having the time of her life, right? She's been an achiever, she has accomplished a lot, and she was soon to harvest the fruits of all her effort. This letter was a great way to start his day. It never crossed his mind that the letter would make him travel from Japan to England in an instant. He didn't expect it at all.

The twenty one years old former Ravenclaw prefect read the letter again and again, as if by doing so, the letters would rearrange themselves and would say something else. Anything but this. His hands trembled and it was like he had been drenched with cold water. This can't be real. This must be a prank. But Ai doesn't play pranks. At least, not like this one. A knock and call from his sister made him drop the letter. He gulped, unable to say anything. "Ryu-san? Is there anything wrong?" His sister's worried voice brought him back to his senses and he had assured her, with voice much unlike his own, that he was fine. In a matter of minutes, he was able to change from his the jersey that he wore as sleeping wear into a simple long sleeved white shirt and carefully ironed pants. He had no time to check himself on the mirror, he had to hurry. However, he had been stopped by his older sister who had been waiting for him outside his door. The older gestured to his face before she handed him a mirror. He looked... different. His eyes of a completely different color, his skin a ghostly shade, and he looked a few years older. He was letting his emotions get the best of him. Hadn't he been trying to control this ability of his. He muttered an apology to his sister who had simply smiled at him and handed him sunglasses and a cap. She didn't question him, but instead had told him that she'd cover up for him while he's gone. It was at times like these that he thanked all the deities out there for giving him an older sister like Haru.

"Ai, she's... she needs me," he whispered to his sister's ear as he gave her a hug. He had to see his 'younger' sister. He had to be there for her. He went to their backyard, to his 'secret' place, one that he shared only with his sister. It was here were he had kept all his 'wizarding stuff' when his father had forbidden him from keeping ties with it. He hadn't apparated for so long. Hopefully, he could still do it. He took out his wand, recalling the lessons that he had on his sixth year. He had to picture his destination. Years ago, because the younger couldn't visit he, he had decided to visit her at the place where she stays. Surely, she'd be there, right? Taking a deep breath and trying to focus as much as he can, he performed the spell, and the familiar feeling of being pulled through a tube came and in an instant, he was standing at the dark alleyway near the place where the younger Hufflepuff stays. He pulled down the brim of his hat, though he was sure that he had been able to return his facial features to how it normally looks already. But still, he had to be careful, there's still a turmoil of emotions within him after all. He walked towards the building where the younger stays, hesitating a bit. Should he knock? What will he say upon seeing her? Would he ask her about the letter? For the first time in a long while, he was indecisive.

Japanese​

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[Ai Nightray]

No matter what Ai did to vent out her pain, it felt as if nothing she did would take away the pain from her chest. Right now, she wanted nothing more than this pain to subside, because Merlin knew that she had withstood more than enough pain to last her for more than one lifetime, and still the pain was never ending. It seemed as if it was a curse meant to follow her to death. It seemed as if that was the sole answer. But no matter how weak she was, no matter how in pain she was, she was not going to give up on her life or her child's. But still, it sounded tempting. Sweet even. To just end the pain so quickly. But no. She had always believed that there was something more to her future than pain. But how will she be able to hope more when the present was taking all hope away. She was alone. Alone through all of this pain. She would have to deal with everything alone. But still. She was a seventeen-year-old girl who was still in school and barely ready to face the world outside of Hogwarts. How would she even handle motherhood?

It's been hours since she found out of her pregnancy. It was already night or turning into night in the streets of England. And yet, Ai was still wallowing in her never-ending misery. Her room was a total mess in contrast to its usual cleanliness and orderliness. Torn books were everywhere. Bent and broken things of hers and even broken glass. Her once smooth hands were covered in wounds and blood for punching the walls more times than she could count. Her room was surrounded in darkness and yet she could make out the silhouette of each broken item. And yet, with all the things she had done to vent, it seemed that her pain did not even flinch. Did not even move. She screamed. Screamed with all the voice she had left. Screamed for all it was worth. Before she threw the nearest thing she could grab on to. Her skates. And it went straight through the window, shattering the glass effectively. She would need to fix that later on and apologize to Shiloh and Grace, but for now she couldn't bring herself to care as she let her body slump to the floor and sit down, her legs under her, amidst the mess. Her tears flowing freely from her now dull eyes. She didn't know what to do. What could she do? Nothing. Nothing but stare into the absolute nothingness.
​

 

[Ryuuji Tsukino]

Ryuuji didn't know what to do. He was pacing and walking in circles. Despite how well dressed he was, he looked like a demented fool, approaching the door in a gesture to knock before turning back again to sit on the sidewalk. He was restless, which was definitely unlike him. Ryuuji Tsukino could be described by a lot of words, but he's definitely not jumpy. But how, pray tell, could he stay calm at a time like this? This is his younger sister! He was from a pretty conservative family, and this was something that his parents would frown upon. Not that his opinion about Ai had changed. She would always be his younger sister. But still, he was finding it hard to believe that his innocent little sister was not turning into a mother. But that was not what worries him most. It was the tone of her letter. If her tone was festive, he would be happy for her. But no. She was apologizing. She was... unhappy, and that bothered him.

The twenty one years old continued to pace. He was already getting weird looks, but he couldn't be bothered to think about that. Ai's welfare was the priority. He didn't care whether he looked like a fool. He sat down yet again, clutching his head with both arms, pulling at his hair in an attempt to calm himself down. He could do this. Besides, he couldn't present himself in front of Ai, looking like a mess like this. She already had a lot on her plate, he couldn't worry her even more. He was about to stand up and finally knock to proclaim his presence when the sound of glass shattering caught his attention, and if he hadn't moved, he would have been hit by the sharp blades of the ice skates that soon came flying towards him. He eyed the skates that were now lying a few steps away from him. That was... Ai's, wasn't it? Ai. Ai loves to skate. She would never throw these things. He knew that she valued them. He bit his lower lips, luckily, the streets were no longer crowded, in fact, it seemed like he was the only soul in the area. At least, he and the occupant of the house. He bent down and picked up the skates, looked up to finally notice that the sun was ready to retire already. Seriously? He wasted hours fretting and worrying about whether he should knock or not? What if Ai did something to herself? He couldn't forgive himself should she do that.

He took a deep breath and finally mustered the courage to step towards the door and knock. He knocked a few times, absentmindedly doing it in rhythm. He willed himself to smile. He had to smile for her. He was not going to bombard her with questions as soon as she opened the door for him. He would give her space if she needed it, but he wouldn't leave her alone to deal with this. He wouldn't make the same mistake that he did before.​

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[Ai Nightray]

Ai didn't know for how long she was staring into nothingness. Inwardly, she thanked Merlin that she had used the silencing spell, otherwise, Grace and Shiloh would have heard the ruckus she had been causing. They could not see her like this. Especially since Grace and Jeremiah were siblings. She would not be the cause of fight between them. She, herself knew how important a sibling was. They were all you had when the whole world was against you. And losing them. Losing them was like losing yourself. Or at least a part of yourself. How much Ai wished that Conan was there for her. Or Ryuuji-niisan. Ai missed them both greatly and how she wished that both of them were there now when she needed them most. She did not need a father for the child. She did not need any kind of help in raising her child. What she needed was a family. And not for her child. But for her. That was what she was needing. And sadly, that was the one thing she did not have.

Ai was mildly snapped out of her trance by a knock on the door. And another. And another. And another. Until it followed a rhythm. Truthfully, Ai was hesitant about opening it. What if it was a burglar or something that wanted to trick her? That didn't matter. But what if it was Shiloh? Or Grace? Or even worse, what if it was Miah? Dear Merlin, the Hufflepuff was not at all ready to see that jerk yet. Or tell him that she was bearing his child. Would he even believe that it was his child she was carrying, because Ai was very sure that it was his. Against better judgment, Ai opened the door with a small mutter of the spell she needed to swing it open only by a small fraction. A fraction that was still enough to hide her figure that was staring dully at nothing in particular. Although part of her wanted to know who this person was, the worse part of her wanted nothing more than to pay no mind to whoever it was that came.
​

 

[Ryuuji Tsukino]

It took only a few minutes, perhaps, even just mere seconds, but it seemed like an eternity already. Behind this door, was the reality that Ryuuji wasn't sure he was prepared to face. It must be a prank. It should be a prank. Even standing there, knocking, he still couldn't fully believe it. But he told himself that whatever the truth was, he'd stay at his younger 'sister's' side. It was a brother's job, isn't it? The former Ravenclaw was hyper alert of his surroundings that the slight opening of the door already seemed like a big deal for him. He need not see who the person behind the door was, because even without seeing, he knew it was her. Against better judgment, and without realizing it, he pushed through the door and engulfed the girl in a tight hug. She had grown, but so did he. "Ai, I... I miss you," he said softly, dropping the honorific as he squeezed her shoulder. He bit his lower lip, he had to calm down for her. He didn't know how long it was that he held her there, before he let go and smiled at her direction. Smile Ryuuji. Be happy.

He held her eyes, his own brown disks looking down on hers. He decided not to comment about how different she looked. He then remembered the ice skates that almost took his head earlier and held it in front of him. "I didn't know that ice skates fly, almost got my head," he told her, trying to act normal as he could, but hi voice was breaking already and though it wasn't that obvious, he doubted that the younger girl would have not noticed it. though in her state, she probably didn't.​

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[Ai Nightray]

Ai did not know how long before her thoughts became coherent about the human who was currently engulfing her in a hug. That's right. She should at least be a little wary on who it was but she really couldn't bring herself to care. Until she heard him speak. It was a voice she would never forget. But what was he doing here? And in this time of night nonetheless! Why? Why was he here? Why would he not even tell her he was coming? Why? Why now? Her thoughts were a swirl as she looked at him. His smile. It was there. He was here. He was really here with her. She was not dreaming or wishing or hoping or hallucinating. One of her brothers. Ryuuji-niisan. Ryuuji-niisan was there in front of her. Smiling and showing her her skates. Her skates that she had thrown only seconds ago. And in a matter of seconds, she pounced on him, maybe pushing him with her weight too that caused him to slam to the door, closing it effectively. But she couldn't bring herself to care. He was right here with her.

Ai had thought that she had ran out of tears. And yet, her bloodshot eyes were once again filled with them and producing more than ever. She held on to the former Ravenclaw like there was no tomorrow. As if he would disappear if she were to let up from her grip. And she sobbed. She didn't know if he was confused or weirded out or whatever. She didn't care. She just wanted to cry and cry and cry while her brother was holding her. She wanted this. She needed this. Too much had went on with her life. From the time she had messed up the prefect meeting, to when Heath had kissed her, to when Liam had kissed her, to when she and Miah became together, the night they spent and then the time they broke up. And today when she discovered that she was pregnant. All of it. All of it had piled up into her little, petite body. She wasn't alone now. And she'll be d**ed if she passed up the opportunity to seek the comfort and family she needed. "Onii-san. Onii-san. Don't leave me, please," the usual strong young lady that held facades expertly was reduced to nothing but a pitiful, miserable, pleading and crying girl.
​

 

[Ryuuji Tsukino]

Ryuuji surely didn't expect what had happened next. One second he was showing the ice skates to the girl, and the other, she had her arms around him, and his back was against the door. He flinched a bit, surprised by the sudden force that slammed into him. It was great that they were still near the door, otherwise, he was sure that he would have lost his balance already and they would find themselves on the floor. He had unconsciously let go of the skates when the girl pounced into him, and the poor skates were yet again, left alone a few steps away from them. He was about to throw a silly joke to make her laugh when he felt his shirt get wet with her tears. Ai was crying, and his breath caught in his throat. He had never been used to seeing people cry. It pained him. And Ai wasn't just a random stranger. She was his family.

He relaxed and pat the girl on the head, letting her cry as much as she wanted. He decided not to say anything for he doubted that any of his words would make anything better. His sister had cried like this to him before, and when before, he used to offer advice, he learned from the older that sometimes, people just wanted someone to listen to them, not someone who would offer solutions. And right this moment, he decided that he wouldn't be forcing Ai, but he would be there for her should she need him. He had always been there for her after all, no matter how many miles it was that separated them from each other, because despite not being blood kin, Ai was a precious member of his family.

It was as if he had been stabbed by a hundred of knives when he heard the girl's next words. Ai was breaking down, and he couldn't bear to see her like this. He couldn't be weak though, he had to be her pillar of support at this time. He caressed her back in an attempt to comfort her. It pained him to see her like this. "I won't leave. I'm here, ain't I?" He tried to lighten up the atmosphere, after all, he had never been one for heavy emotions. He then placed his hands on both her shoulders and pushed her just enough to put some space between them so he could see her face. His eyes dropped to her hands which were covered with wounds and remembered the days when she was too hurt that she had forgotten to take care of herself. He took one of her hands and squeezed it a bit, careful not to cause any pain. "Ai, what happened?" He didn't know when he had dropped the affection honorific and name calling, perhaps it was because of the years that he had spent training to succeed his father's position in their company, but even so, that didn't mean that she was no longer his younger sister. Ai would always be his younger sister, even though he already had two of his own.​

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[Ai Nightray]

Ai had been keeping things from Ryuuji for the longest time. How could she not? She was either in England living with Shiloh and Grace or in New Zealand studying in Hogwarts while he was off in Japan, learning to handle the business of his family. Of course it was natural that she tried her best not to worry him whenever she would write him letters. It was not that she intended to keep those things a secret from him forever but she merely wanted to wait for a time that she could tell him without having to worry him. So, what were the things that her older brother didn't know? Her breakup with Heath and the passionate kiss they shared half a year later. The mess of a prefect meeting. The fact that Liam kissed her. That Miah kissed Conan's fiancee and had become her boyfriend for a mere month. And the fact that she was pregnant with Miah's child. Well, first though, he had to know every truth. He need to know how much of an idiot his sister was.

"Heath," she croaked out with her hoarse and almost non-existent voice. "He broke up with me a year ago. He... He... It was because I didn't have time for him," Ai tried to explain without spilling more tears though it was of futile effort. She had always known that despite her once growing love for Miah, a small part of her remained with Heath. Deciding to leave out the part about her kiss with the Hufflepuff in the Fifth Floor Corridors, she figeted as she struggled to form words on how to explain things and what she was going to say next. "I got into a relationship with Miah a month ago and... He... He broke up with me a few days after... After..." and as her voice died down, Ai broke down into tears and a fit of sobs, her breathing growing erratic as she tried to calm herself but to no avail. "Nii-san... I'm... I'm... I'm..." Why couldn't she bring herself to say it? She didn't know. It was all too much to take in. She was still trying to cope with the breakup, but now she also had her pregnancy to cope up with. It was all too much. And as she tried to stutter out her condition, she never managed. All she could manage was scramble towards her older brother and envelope him in another tight hug as if he was her lifeline. She trembled in his arms. Trembled from her barely suppresed cries and screams. And most of all, she trembled from fear of what the future may bring.​

 

[Ryuuji Tsukino]

The former Ravenclaw tried to remain calm as he let the younger girl pour out her emotions to him. Inside, though, he was hurting. But on top of that, he was angry. Angry at himself and at the people who had caused her all these pain. As her brother, he had long vowed to always be at her side, to always be there to support her no matter what. But obviously, he failed. He wasn't there for her when she had a fight with her twin. He wasn't there when she was suffering. Did he really have the right to calm himself her brother?

He remained silent as he listened to the Hufflepuff. No one deserved to suffer this much. Especially Ai. Ai was a wonderful girl. She was strong. She deserved to be happy. She did not deserved... this. He merely nodded his head at the mention of Heath's name. He knew him. He had nothing against the younger, but still, he should have been more understanding about Ai's situation. Though of course, he had no right to judge as he did not know the whole story.

His fist clenched as the girl continued. Miah. Was she talking about Jeremiah Raven? He did not really know the Gryffindor, but, wasn't he a decent man? Was he the one who caused her to cry like this? Even Conan, her own brother, was not able to break her down this much, at least, that was what he knew. His fingernails dug into his palm as he tried to control his anger. There was no use in letting Ai see his anger. She would just worry. And he did not want that to happen. Not right now. He didn't even notice how long he had been holding his breath nor how hard it was that he was clenching his fist until he began hearing those dreaded words. Ai need not say it. He knew that it must be hard to admit it. He had read enough. He did not want her to suffer anymore.

"It's fine, it's fine. You don't have to say it," he whispered, as he returned the girl's hug and let her cry once again. "It's alright to be scared. But we're here. I'm here," he added, trying not to falter on his words. He had to remain calm. He had to. Inside though, he was seething. Though not violent in nature, he wanted to beat the leaving daylights out of the Gyrffindor. How could he leave Ai? How could he abandon his own child? "He does not deserve you Ai." he deserves to die and suffer, were his unspoken words. "Does... he know?"​

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[Ai Nightray]

Ai remained sobbing. Not a word escaping her lips and the only sound coming past them are from her sobs and hiccups. She just wished time would stop. That time would let her heal right now. She wanted the pain to stop. When did she last cry like this? When did she last hurt like this? Perhaps the answer was obvious. This was the first time she cried like this. This was the first time that she was hurt like this. And this was the first time that she wanted everything to come to an end. She knew she should not be thinking these thoughts. Not that she already had a life growing inside her. Not when she was currently living for the life of another. But that was not to be. Foul thoughts invaded the Hufflepuff's mind. And she wondered, did she really deserve all of this? And if she did, what did she do to deserve this? Had she been the right hand of the devil in another life? Had she killed a person in her current life? Ai had never thought that one day she'd be broken enough to actually wish that everything would just stop. "Onii-san. I'm scared," the former Hufflepuff admitted and shook her head at the older's question. Could she even bear to tell Miah? What would he think of her? What would he tell her? She didn't think she could take another rejection.

Ai had never been this hurt. Not with her parents. Not with her relatives. Not with Conan. And not with Heath. What made Miah so different? Perhaps it was because she thought that he was her last string to sanity. She trusted him enough to give him everything she had. And then finding out she was wrong. Finding out that he could just replace her so easily with whom she had thought was her friend. "It hurts," she whispered in broken sobs. And it really did. Her heart clenched painfully, her throat felt restricted and every effort to breathe hurts. "I just want all of it to stop," the younger said as her tears were slowly subsiding. It was not that she wanted to cry. No, she wanted to cry some more. But her tears had run out. Her eyes had dried and her whole being was just... exhausted. "No more, please. I've had enough," she said quietly as felt the exhaustion that hit her body like a huge wave. How could she not be? Hours of crying and her room was still a total wreck with every torn book, every broken glass, every broken thing. "I can't take it anymore," she whispered as her eyes fluttered close and she lightheaded. Or was it heavy? She certainly couldn't tell anymore. But one thing's still for sure. "Onii-san, I just want to," her words were cut short as darkness over took her and she lost her consciousness through exhaustion. Her words rung heavy through the air though. And though she couldn't finish her words, it was obvious what she wanted right now. She wanted everything to stop. To end. For once, she wished the unthinkable. To die.
​

 

[Ryuuji Tsukino]

Ryuuji felt helpless as he watched Ai slowly sink into depression. He wanted to save her from her misery, to stop her from further hurting, because as he watched her, struggling and fighting her own inner demons, her tear streaked face, her voice cracking, and saying those words that he never thought he would hear from her, he felt like he too, was drowning in a painful death. And it hurt. It hurt so much that he couldn't do anything. Maybe it was a misplaced guilt, but he still blamed himself. Why didn't wasn't he there to stop her from hurting? Why couldn't he be there to prevent all these things from happening. There he was, sitting in his old room, reading who knows how many books and complaining about the smallest stuffs, wanting to just connect with the wizarding world again, yet all those times, Ai was alone, facing those problems by herself. He knew he could not bend the reality and do the impossible, but still, he couldn't help himself from getting angry. Angry at those people who hurt her. Angry at the world for forsaking her. But most of all, he was angry at himself. He was pathetic. He couldn't even keep his promise.

"It will be alright, It will be fine Ai. It will be, " he said, reassuring her as well as himself. Things could not be perfect. But it would be fine. He would make sure that it would be fine. Even if it meant that he search the whole d*mn world for the d*amn Gryffindor. He would not force him to marry Ai. He would not put his sister in a lifetime misery. No. He did not deserve her, and she did not need him in her life. She had them. She did not need a pathetic scum in her life. But he was going to drag that Gryffindor and make him apologize. Ai did not need his money. Ryuuji could support her. He would support her. She would not need Jeremiah's help. But he had to apologize, and he had to know how he had d*mned Ai's life. Ryuuji knew that an apology would not be enough, Merlin, even Jeremiah begging would not be enough. But he would apologize, and he would explain himself. He had to do that. The Ravenclaw would do all measures, even contact Conan. Forget all those years, he would make sure that the Hufflepuff forget his pride and be at his sister's side. He would not take no for an answer. He wouldn't. He might be unreasonable, but in his rage, it all made perfect sense.

"You didn't have to do it all by yourself Ai. You're not alone. You were never alone," he whispered, trying to wipe the girl's tears with his thumb. He wanted take away all the sadness in her heart and give her all the happiness that someone as lovely as her deserved. Ai had grown up. She had gotten taller. But though she had gotten taller and grew in more ways that he couldn't even imagine, he believed that deep down, she was still the same little girl from before. The same strong girl that he met. She might be breaking and falling apart, but he knew, he knew that she would be able to pick up all the pieces and stand up tall and proud again. This was just a phase. She would win this. She could fix this. He knew she would. And this time around, he would be there to help her.

A look of surprise and desperation crossed his face as the girl fell on her feet. He barely had time to catch her. But fortunately he did. He tried to calm himself down. But inwardly, he was panicking. He was terribly panicking. Though he came from a family who mainly associates with hospitals, he was too worked up to think straight. So he did the first thing that crossed his mind. One hand under her knees, and the other supporting her back, he lifted her up and searched for her. "Calm down Ryuuji. She fainted, she's not dying. She's not," he convinced himself, trying to calm himself down. This was an inn. They were not alone. Someone could help them. He started to take steps towards the lobby. Yes. That would be the appropriate action. He wasn't familiar with the place, he had to find someone who could help them. His steps were quick as he approached the receptionist who flashed a look of concern on their way. "We need help. Please, we need help. She fainted and she's....," he started, his voice cracking. He couldn't say it, because if he did, it would become more real. But he had to. He couldn't be selfish now. "She's...she's pregnant," he finally said, his voice faltering. The Receptionist nodded and left. He did not know where she went. But surely, she went to get some help, right? "It will be fine, she will be fine," he muttered as he placed the girl gently on the couch before he sat on the floor so he could hold her hands. With his other hand, he caressed her face. "You'll be fine Ai. You will be. You can get through this," He told her, though he knew that she might not hear the words that he was saying. It was fine. He had to say this, if only to keep him sane and stop him from apparating and searching for that d*mn Gryffindor. "He'll.... he'll pay for this. I will make sure he will," It was strange, and it certainly was not great, to feel this strong negative emotions against someone. But his anger was eating him and it was only Ai who was keeping him grounded, keeping him from lashing out. But it was ironic, as as much as she was the one who was preventing him from drowning on the sea insanity, she was also the one causing him to dive down deeper. But it was not her fault. She was not at fault. Because though he dislike having to feel this way, he would still take actions to protect her.​

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[Shiloh Denton]

Christmas was the busiest time of year for the inn. There wasn't a spare five minutes to be had anywhere really. Most of the time, Shiloh was run right off of her feet. It was horrible. Not that she would complain. This was her dream. Her and Grace together. This was something that they had always wanted. A cake shop had come first though, but they'd grown bored of the daily grind and had eventually expanded into a bed and breakfast and now and inn. All within the space of about five years. Still, Shiloh would never regret how much work they had put into this. It was her life's ambition and she had been lucky to fulfil it young. Though she now had little to no time to socialise with anyone. Most of her school friends had drifted away by now. She didn't talk to any of them much. Grace was the only one she stayed in contact with. Her parents didn't see her much, though they had a free pass to the inn whenever they wanted it. Shiloh's little sister Joana, she was six now, she stayed with them often. She liked to hang out around the place. Ai was good with her. Carah stopped by when she could, but she had her own life now too. She was in her last year of college. When she graduated, she would be a qualified english teacher. Shiloh was happy for her. She'd stopped going by the name Creta years ago. Shiloh still couldn't stand her birth name though. Shiloh was who she was now. Not Sarah. She didn't think she could ever be Sarah. It was her Grandmother who named her such. She wanted her to be like her. Shiloh was not like her. She would never be like her and there had been no use in trying to deny it.

Leaving one of the stock rooms, Shiloh was nearly bowled over when her receptionist, Talia, ran straight into her. Shaking her head to relieve the momentary cloudiness, she looked at Talia and frowned. "Wow, slow down, where's the fire?" Talia shook herself off just as efficiently and pointed downstairs towards the lobby. "A man came in, he was carrying Ai." Shiloh's eyes immediately widened and she made her way around her receptionist. "There's something else." Shiloh looked at her. "What?" Talia swallowed before continuing. "He said she's pregnant." Shiloh whirled around Talia and down the stairs so fast that she was sure she must have flown. There was no way her feet had been touching the floor at that point. She rushed over to where Ai was sitting on the couch, accidentally knocking the young man out of the way, and fussing over Ai. She was far too concerned right now to even bother wondering who this man was. "Ai. Ai, Honey, can you here me? Wake up, Ai." Shiloh checked her breathing and after being satisfied that she wasn't dead, she looked at the man who had brought her in. "Who are you?" Why was Ai with this person. Who was he to her? He wasn't her brother, she knew that. He wasn't Conan. Shiloh didn't think she'd ever seen him before. He was far too concerned about her to not have known her. "Are you the father?" She shook her head. It didn't matter she had to get Ai to her bedroom and she needed help for that. "It doesn't matter, help me with her. I need to get some potions." Shiloh left the pair in the lobby whilst she went to retrieve what she needed before she went back to them. "Just follow me, and be careful with her head."
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[Ryuuji Tsukino]

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<SIZE size="50">It was painful to see Ai like this. She looked too vulnerable, fragile... broken, and Ryuuji hated it. He hated it with every fiber in his being. He had vowed to protect her smile, to always be there for her whenever she needed him, and yet he failed and he hated himself so much for failing to be there for the girl. Ai was an important part of his life. She was like his family, the little sister that he used to not have. While he did have younger sisters now, Ai was different. She was someone that he had always vowed to protect. But at the time that she needed him the most, he was absent. Ai didn't tell him of course, but he should have felt it, should have sensed that she was carrying a lot of burden. He did have problems of his own, but his problems were small compared to hers, compared to her, he seemed like a child complaining because he had lost his candy. Brushing the younger girl's hair away from her face, the former Ravenclaw prefect flinched. It hurt. It really did hurt a lot. But he was the older one here, he should stay strong. Or at least, he should act strong. He couldn't let his own emotions get the best of him while Ai was being like this. He had to be her pillar of support at this moment.

"I wish things were easier. I'm sorry" he whispered, his head hung low. They said men were not supposed to cry, as he held the girl's hand and looked at her , he felt himself being unable to breathe, his throat dry and his eyes almost watering. He felt the first sign of tears trickle down his cheek, his shoulders shook and his breathing became uneven. He shouldn't cry. This was not right. What if Ai wakes up and see him like this? He should help her pick her broken pieces not to shatter it into a million more. He should be strong, yet, tr as he may, the silent tears kept on coming. He was blaming himself, and while he was aware that it was not really his fault, he couldn't help it. "He will pay, I promise, I will." His voice was low cold, and his eyes, usually calm and bright, was steely and hard. He clenched his fist and pressed his lips together, composing himself as he wiped away the tears. This would be the last time that he would let his emotions get the best of him. Never again. His feelings were going haywire, and his thoughts turning almost murderous. His mind, his thoughts, it scared him. He can't pretend that it was okay. He couldn't fake it anymore. Still, his thoughts scared him, they did, but he was clinging to them, unable to push them away.

Ryuuji's thoughts were cut short when he was pushed away from his position by a rather unfamiliar woman. It was all too sudden that he was unable to react immediately and formulate any coherent statement. He supposed that she was the owner of the inn, one of the women who was looking after Ai, but he did not really have time to ask or do any formal introductions. He couldn't do that now, not when Ai was still unconscious. He stood up from his position on the floor, walking closer to the woman and the still unconscious girl to watch and make sure that just in case, the woman was not hurting Ai in any way. He still had those negative thoughts, but having the woman with them had calmed him down, even just for a bit, after all, Ai must trust this woman. If it was any other situation, Ryuuji would have laughed and denied the woman's accusation, but he was too caught off guard that he was unable to answer her right away. "I-" he started, but was cut short when the woman ordered him to carry the girl. He nodded, deciding that making sure that Ai was alright was more important than clearing that misunderstanding. He gently picked up the younger girl, noting how light she was. Was she eating properly? The woman left the return and returned with some potions before she instructed him to follow her. He did. He did not have much trouble carrying Ai, she was light, but as he looked down on her, that was when the negative thoughts and emotions came flooding in. He shook his head, he couldn't have the other woman see him like this. He had to be strong right now.

He followed the woman's lead until they facing a door which he assumed, would lead to the younger girl's room. He paused, hesitating. He looked at the other woman before he gently opened the door to let themselves in. It was quite difficult with him carrying the girl, but he managed to open it. What greeted him, however, was enough to send him spinning back to that pit of insanity. The room was a mess. No. That was a severe understatement. The air whispered from the broken window, stuffs were scattered on the floor, bed sheet, curtains torn, glasses broken, it was as if a natural disaster had torn through the place. It was as if the room was the manifestation of its owners current state, and unsurprisingly, his own emotions and state of the mind reflected the same. He maneuvered through the mess scattered on the floor and gently laid the girl down on the bed. She was... broken and he seriously wanted to put her pieces back together, but even he knew that it was her who had to take the first step.

[timeskip]

After assuring the woman who had helped him that he was not the father of Ai's child, Ryuuji decided to make himself useful instead of letting himself drown in the sea of his negative thoughts. He decided to clean up the room, thinking that it would at least help make the girl feel better to wake up and not be reminded of the chaos that was surrounding her and of her problems. Even just a tiny bit, he wanted to ease her pain. even just for a fraction of minute, or a second even, it would be fine. He was in the middle of picking up the shattered pieces of glasses when he heard a pained and strained sound from the girl. Panicked, he immediately stood up, accidentally cutting his finger with the glass. He flinched, but he could care less about that. He immediately ran next to her side. Ai was tossing and turning on her bed, her expression looked like shew as in pain, and worry started to etch on the man's features. His own injury forgotten and the droplets of blood coming from his finger unnoticed, he shook the girl's shoulder, willing her to wake up. "Ai, Ai, it's okay. It's alright. I'm here. You're dreaming, it's not real. Wake up Ai. It's alright," in his panic, his words were repetitive, his tone uneven, but it didn't matter. All that mattered was Ai.

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[Ai Nightray]

The scenery was familiar, in fact, all too familiar for Ai's liking. It was a place she'd rather not return to as much as possible. The Hufflepuff had found herself within a hospital, though it was not just any hospital. It was where she had seen her mother and father all battered from the car accident they had been in. The young woman gulped as she entered the room in front of her, knowing full well what sight would greet her there. And indeed, she was right. In the room, lay six beds, each had a figure laying atop and covered head to toe. The seventeen-year-old was confused by this though. As far as she knew, there should only be two beds. And yet, why were there six? With trembling hands, she brought out her wand and with a silent spell and a wave of the magical stick, the blankets revealed the figures underneath and Ai couldn't have been prepared for the sight she had seen. Her father, her mother, Conan and Ryuuji lay in the four beds and while the latter two had been shocking enough, the last two were enough to make her heart stop. It was a pregnant woman, though who it was, she wasn't sure, and the last was an infant, though too small to have been fully-grown. She already knew her parents were dead, but the fact that Conan and Ryuuji-niisan were there was enough for tears to form in her eyes. "Conan? Ryuuji-niisan?" she stuttered out as she placed herself between their beds and touched their hands which were as cold as ice. She tried to wake them. She checked for a pulse. A breath. A heartbeat. She tried everything. She really did. But no matter what she did, they remained silent, cold and dead. She screamed. She cried. She begged. Nothing worked. And just when she thought nothing could have made this any worse, she turned to the last two beds and she finally recognized the bloody pregnant woman. It was her. "W-wha?" and she was glued to the ground before attempting to stagger to the woman. "Mama. Mama. Mama," a male, childish voice resounded and it couldn't have been coming from anywhere, until the infant twitched in her bed and the woman disappeared. Frightened, Ai stepped back only to realize that her midsection had grown rather large and blood was flowing down her legs. Pain racked through her whole being and the childish voice continued to resonate within the confines of the room. "Stop! Stop! STOP!" she screamed as she collapsed to the ground, her hands covering her ears in hopes of no longer hearing the haunting voice of the male child.

Ai woke up screaming and shaken out of her wits, tears streaking down her face as they leaked from her eyes. The place was dark and her eyes had barely adjusted to the darkness that surrounded her right now. However, she could hear him. A pillar of support that she had known since she was a mere ten-year-old girl. "Ryuuji...niisan?" she asked unsure, as she turned her head towards the source of his voice though she could still feel his hands clutching her shoulders. Her hands flew towards his face as she touched it in utter desperation. Desperation to know that he was alive. To feel he was alive. And to feel the warmth in his skin that was a massive contrast to the coldness of his features in her dream was a huge wave of relief for the younger. To hear him speak instead of the silence that filled her dream was calming her heart that was running rampant in her chest. He was alive. He was well. He was with her. And she threw herself towards him. "Thank goodness," she muttered like a mantra for who knows how many times as she hugged him like he had just come back from the dead. "You were dead. You were dead in front of me. And Conan too," the younger said as she couldn't help the tears that were leaking from her eyes as she held on to her older brother figure as if he was her only lifeline. Well, she couldn't help it though. After all, she had seen more than just Ryuuji and Conan dead. She had seen herself dead as well as an infant. And right now, it frightened her to no end. She didn't know what to do. For all that ran through her was absolute fear.
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