Temptessa Manor

...So soon? This could not be happening.

Anastasia clutched her sister, allowing herself to drop her shield for just a few moments.

"This can't be happening, Gwen," she muttered softly, trying to figure out a way to reverse this day.

How could Gwen never return? Anastasia would at least have to come back to say her final goodbyes - To Tinkle, to her mother. She couldn't just up and leave that quickly.

"Gwen...Gwen, it's a lot to think over. Please. Please, just give me some time to think this over. If it wasn't for certain things holding me back, I'd jump on boa-" she finished as she heard a door close. The two girls exchanged glances, quickly drying their eyes.

"Oh, thanks, Gwen. Seriously, I felt a bit woozy back there. Guess I just needed some air," she quickly babbled, coming around the hedge and waving at their mother's approaching body. "Sorry, mother, bit light headed there," she called, hoping no one heard the slight hitch in her voice on the last word.

Gwen held her sister tightly. "I love you Stass. But I need to leave. I-I´ll die if I´m caged in Stass. I can´t take it. I´ll come back..to visit Mum..." She said before trailing off when her Mother came. She kept her eyes lowered and held her sisters hand. Gwen nodded silently at her Mother and was surprised when her Mother didn´t say a word. She didn´t even smile when she saw them.
She looked horrified.
"Mum...what´s happened?" Gwen asked as the rushed to her.

Anastasia knew something was wrong. Her mother said nothing, but yet again Anastasia's paranoia kicked in. She opted to say nothing, instead deciding on the option of playing dumb for a while.

The silence was deafening, and she didn't quite know how to respond to it.

"What's the matter?" she eventually began, following their mother into the house. The reception hall was where they eventually stopped, and Anastasia felt their footsteps were entirely too loud in the house. Each footstep resounded, as though a mockery at how much space they had, but were indeed caged into. Ha, she was becoming metaphorical. This could not be healthy, she concluded, keeping her eyes averted from the gaze of her parents, her father having joined them. She knew the storm was about to be unleashed.

Gwen heard voices. Male voices. And had to bite her tongue not to say anything.
"Father...What´s going on?" she asked holding her head high and wishing she´d worn pants instead of a short dress.
She could feel that something was going on. Something she would NOT like. She felt caged. Claustraphobic. She started breathing a bit shallower and faster but only slightly.

Anastasia did not like the look her father held in his eyes. All too late was she aware that he brought his hand across her face with a fierce amount of ferocity. He said nothing, and Anastasia just stared. He'd never laid a hand on her before, well, before now.

Of course, he magicked it better before the male voices got closer. Some of her father's buddies-slash-cronies. And they looked upon her like she was dirt.

Her stomach plummeted. They had found out.

"How dare you shame this name?" Her father bellowed, and his cronies backed him up. Anastasia could find no way out.

"I...father, I have no idea what you're talking about!" Slap.

"Don't play me, girl! Avesly here wouldn't lie. Underage, and a muggle! Disgusting!" Slap. This time, she was on the floor. Her father spat at her. Not on her, just at her.

"Father, please, I -"

"Shut up! I might eventually accept you again. Avesly has even been so nice as to offer his son as the other half to your betrothal. Rather nice, don't you think? And you, Gwendolyn! How long have you known!?" He shouted, turning to the other sister. Their mother stood in horror, apparently unawares of anything Blaise was shouting.

Gwen screamed when her sister hit the floor and was instantly at her fathers throaght hitting him weakly. She managed one good hit but was then pulled back roughly by her Fathers friends. Her heart plummeted at one certain word.
"Betrothel? One half...of WHAT?!" She screamed. Then she did something that she, the calm, sweet, quiet twin, had NEVER done.
She fought back.
"YOU SWINES! YOU FILTHY DIRTY SON OF A HIPPOGRIFF! YOU MANIA-OOMPH!" She screamed before being slapped once by her Father. Her eyes were wide and she was appalled. She shook herself loose and bent over her sister checking up on her.
"We have no idea what you mean Father." She spat. Then she turned to her Mother.
"How can you just watch Mum?" She almost whispered, her voice thick with tears.
Her Father stared, shocked at her abnormal behaviour before pulling her up by the shoulders and shaking her before shoving her into the large closet. All one could hear was her cussing and screaming anf his hits and yells. She tumbled out of the closet with bruises on her arms and shoulders and upper back. He´d left her face untouched so she culd still look pretty for her 'Hubbie-Dearest'
She knew JUST what she was going to do to her husband.
And just WHERE to put her foot.
She glared silently while heaving breathes. Only her sister knew about her Asthma and breathing issues. And her Father had hit her lungs hard.
She coughed a bit, and then more and more.
"Stazzy....in-in-inhaler..." She coughed pointing at the drawer near them.

Anastasia stood up, glaring at her father as he made the bruises disappear. She watched in horror as her sister tumbled out of the closet, and dashed for the inhaler. After handing it over, she watched her father raise his arm. She grabbed it. No, no. Her sister shouldn't have been a part of this.

"Stop! Stop, please, I...I..." she faltered. What was she meant to say? How could she...

Avesly's sneer was disgusting. She doubted very highly his son could be attractive, or a decent person whatsoever. Perhaps now was best to ruin her father's name.

"I...I...Yes father. I know, I did it. Everything, everything Avesly told you? It is most likely true," she replied, waiting for her father's bellow. Her mother gasped, shock one of the emotions she played well.

Gwen gasped into the inhaler and started breathing again. She had been about to faint. Gwen´s vision was blurred and she leaned against the wall in shock and horror as her sister stood. "no anastasia....don´t..." she whispered closing her eyes to her Fathers wrath. She had no clu what her sister had or hadn´t done so she couldn´t say anything else. She cringed. The men were UGLYYYYY. And she couldn't bare the thought of marrying their sons...
Ewww.

Anastasia was surprised at the power she suddenly felt; the power to stare him down. Of course, he just punched her three times harder, and she bit her tongue as she fell. She could taste blood, and Avesly was sneering. Creep.

But how could he have known, unless he was listening in in the garden, spying?

Creep. He was trying to ruin her family's name, the name she didn't know if she cared about or not. What was wrong with this day?

She was aware she was at her mother's feet, who just stared upon the scene. Anastasia could think of multiple things that were wrong with this picture.

"Avesly, go. Now!" Blaise shouted, and Avesly left, apparating outside. Blaise rounded, quite now. "Tell me, you pathetic excuse, was it worth it?" Anastasia gaped.

"Please, father, stop -" She began, her breath hitching.

Gwen couldn´t speak. Not only because her Father had almost crushed her windpipe but because she was speachless with horror.
"LEAVE HER ALONE!" She wanted to yell but she couldn´t. She could only watch as her sister hit the floor and..
And begged. Then her father did something that showed his lack of humanity.
He laughed. Maniaically, sneering and sarcastic.
"You piece of filth. Was it worth it!? ANSWER ME! WAS IT WORTH IT!?" He yelled. Her Mother came to a bit, "Blaise.." she started softly but he silenced her with a look and she flinched. Then it clicked.
Her mother hadn´t just stood and watched all those years.
She had payed witness and taken the blows for her daughters.
She had protected them.
That did it. That was the final straw.
Gwen stood shakily clutching her chest as her lungs protested but then she fell again and slowly made her way over to her Sister,
She helped her upright and expected to be hit any moment but she wasn´t. She heard the blows though and she closed her eyes holding her twin, knowing her Mother was paying for her movement.
"BLAISE!" Her mother cried out in vain. Blaise had gone...Lord Temptessa had completely taken over now.
She closed her eyes to the scene and wished they were somewhere else.
She wished she could reach her box...her box with her savings...
Her eyes looked at where it was hidden shortly before looking down again.
Her father caught the movement.
"And you...Did you think i wouldn´t find out? Did you!?" He yelled pulling her upright by the back of her dress.He shook her when she didn´t answer and yelled before throwing her back down and getting her box from it´s hiding place. Tears streamed down her cheeks as she watched him set her life, her dream, her chance on fire. She collapsed sobbing and he kicked her in the ribs and she doubled over coughing. Then he was back with Stasia,
"And YOU! Did you think this would be funny? Funny... TO DISGRACE YOUR FAMILY`S NAME!? DID YOU?!"

Anastasia couldn't grasp what was happening. Her father had flipped. Was it her fault? Was he just the scum of the earth?

No, she had to think. No. Something had made him this way. She'd never had the pleasure of meeting her grandfather, but she imagined him a nasty piece of work.

There went Gwen's savings in magical fire. Knuts, Galleons, Sickels...All gone. Up in flames. Anastasia shrank back down to her knees, her eyes staring widely at the floor. What was wrong with the Temptessa family?

Was it worth it?

"Was it worth it father?" she asked, still staring at the floor. "Was it worth it? Yes. Yes it was, father, to feel free. I'm sure you've never been in love before, but it is wonderful. But I assure you it wasn't funny. It was most serious. Disgracing the family's name? No. Other things, maybe, but our name? No. Our name is already as corrupt and disgraceful as it can be," she rattled off, somewhere in a broken monotone. Her father was a monster. To think she had once strived to please him made her feel sick.

And the thought she knew she'd either be thrown out or a disgrace, but either way, never speak to him again made her feel even more sick; the paternal bond was somehow still there, hanging on by a string.

Anastasia made no move to her mother; she flinched with every resonating punch. But still she felt that the summer needed to end. It couldn't last much longer; and either way, she would be leaving this hell hole.

Gwen felt stronger with each word her sister said. She flinched with each blow and still sat on the floor grasping her probably cracked ribs.
She waited in fear. Through the pain she managed to feel happy for her sister to have been in love but then pain again for being forced to cast it away. She winced when her Father slapped Anastasia for her words. His face was redder than ever and he was breathing hard. He picked them both back up by the fronts of their clothes and she gasped.
"You will both go to your rooms. You will both get ready for the ball tonight. You will both be on your best behavior and you will BOTH be ladies from now on. Or I will not hesitate to repeat this afternoon again." He hissed pushing them back to the ground and turning to go. Their Mother wanted to rush to them but their Father pulled her along with him as they went to make the houselves prepare for the ball.
Gwen was helped into her room by her houseelf Bimpy and Tinkle did the same with Stass seeing as Tinkle was hers.

Gwen was escorted to her bathroom and set the bed while Bimpy tried to heal her to the best of her capabilities. She made the bruises fade and gave Gwen her inhaler again then helping her sit up and pinning her hair up in a half-do so some curls fell to frame her face, and put on her make up.
All the while Gwen felt numb and refused to look in the mirror. She was deep in thought and was on the verge of breaking down but her fear of more pain forced her not to. She felt the small corset being tightened and gasped in pain from her cracked and protesting ribs. Bimpy loosened it and she felt the dark blue gown appear on her.
She hated the corset and was thankful that they only had to wear one to Balls.
Of course..if it were up to her she´d NEVER wear them but it wasn´t. s
She looked in the mirror blankly.
She probably looked beautiful but she couldn´t see that. All she could see was the scene playing over and over and over.
And then she knew she had to leave.
Tonight.

Spoiler:

Anastasia blinked at her father, lazily, as though she was past caring. Allowing Tinkle to escort her to her room and heal her bruises, Anastasia stared into the mirror, watching herself transform into what was perceived to be the normal for any pureblood female.

She hoped at this very moment in time Tinkle would accidentally tie the corset too tight. Maybe then she'd get out of this god forsaken ball and perhaps she'd realize this was all some horrid dream and not reality.

She was actually very surprised that her father hadn't chucked her out, now Avesly knew. Her only excuse for this was that maybe he had wiped Avesly's mind. Blaise wouldn't let the name be ruined, and she knew this. She shuddered at the thought of Avsely being her father in law. Whatever.

This was not her ideal weekend. At all.

Gwen left her room hours later when the ball was starting and knocked on her sisters door. They were supposed to enter together. She could almost smell all the men down there.
Eww. Not the attractive sort.
She felt a bit dizzy for lack of air in the corset and had no idea how she was going to dance. She picked up her skirts slightly and waited before whispering, "Stass? Stasia!"

Ana started at her sister's knock, lost in listening to the sounds of the people downstairs. Taking one, shaky, steadying breath, she slid out of her door, grimacing at her sister.

"I don't think I can do this," she sighed, linking arms with Gwen and taking slow steps downstairs. She cracked the door to the ballroom, gazing around before returning to Gwen.

"Well. Avesly isn't there. Seems that father 'took care' of him somehow," she breathed, taking one, long blink before taking her sister's hand.

"I...I'll take you up on that offer, by the way. By Merlin I have to get out of here," she stated, almost to herself.

The ballroom was filled with colours, men, women, children. Too many, it seemed. Her father and mother were joking and laughing across the hall. She caught her father's eye, purely by coincidence. He smiled, but his eyes stayed burning with unconcealed hatred. She knew it was far from over, and she gripped her sister's hand harder.

Gwen squeezed Stass´hand. "WE can do this. And good," she paused entering before whispering, "Because we´re leaving tonight." she smiled though inside she was screaming. She greeted their guests with a smile before waiting for her Father to announce their betrothels. The Men gathered around a small stage and She and her sister walked up it slowly.

Anastasia took a deep breath as she stood behind her father. The faces in the crowd were only familiar by association; she couldn't have named most of them. Some of the younger ones were familiar by name; she went to school with some. She had been to school with others. Some were the sons who went to school at Durmstrang. Anastasia sighed.

None of these were who she could picture herself spending the rest of her life with. She'd rather marry a Hufflepuff than any of these. Anastasia bit her lip to stop herself muttering under her breath to her sister, who was absent-mindedly twiddling her wand as she did when nervous. Anastasia half expected a sudden explosion from her father, but he began his speech powerfully, and as though Anastasia had never shamed him.

Gwen saw only Slytherins and Durmstrang swines.
A mess of ignorance, stupidity and a great deal of ugly.
Shivering she and her sister were brought to the front of the stage. Stass first though so Gwen was a few feet behind her.

"My first daughter, a few moments Gwendolyns senior. Intelligent and a temprementful beauty, however her faults may be, her virtues surpass them by far. It gives me great pleasure to announce her engagement to the heir of the D'levour family. Marcus D'levour!" Blaise Temptessa ushered Marucs on stage to hold Stassys hand. He wasnt bad looking, but he had an evil and dark aura about him. Scary...

Then he led a trembling Gwen to the front, next to Stassy.
"And my little flower, Gwendolyn. She´s rather timid and quiet, no less a beauty of course. Very intelligent though a bit sickly at times. It also gives me pleasure to announce her upcoming betrothel to the heir of the Thorn family, Blaine Thorn." Said heir to the Thorns approached the stage and all colour had vanished from Gwens face.
He was a Slytherin, at their school. He was admittably handsome. However he was as aggresive as Father and just as evil.
He went to take her gloved hand but she pulled back.
"No.." she whispered panicing.
"No..no..nonono! No! I wont! I refuse! I cant! I cant do this.." Then she looked at Stassy pleadingly, "Now Stass.." then she turned and ran.
She made it to the garden before a spell hit her causing her to fall and scream in agony.
It was Blaine, with her Father right behind him.
Her world was spinning..but then she heard a scuffle and a female scream.
"GO GWEN! GO! I`LL HELP ANA! GO!" her mother called out fending off the two males. Gwen watched in horror as they ganged up on her.
She watched, frozen, as her father cried that last curse. A flash of green light washed over the garden.
Silence.
She caught Stasias eye from the entrance of the garden briefly and ran, she dropped her heels and picked up her skirts and apparated outside the grounds where she kept on running. She ran until shecouldnt run anymore.
Where Anastasia was she didnt know.

Anastasia was terrified, nervous, and angry all at once. Her father gave her away like some gift, and she was sure that this...What was his name? Marcus? Was a Durmstrang, and her senior by a few years. He wasn't ugly at all, but there was something about him that Anastasia didn't like. His hand was cold, and Anastasia tried her hardest to look like nothing was wrong at all.

She numb was her sister was given away, and she prayed that Gwen would do nothing to endanger anyone. But, however, her prayers were to no avail.

Gwen moved like lightning, running and screaming. Everything happened so fast; and before she knew it, her mother was dead on the floor, Gwen was gone, and everyone was staring at her. Marcus' grip on her hand was tight, and Anastasia didn't move a muscle, not even enough to cry.

"What now, Ana?" Her father asked, anger clear on his voice as he eyed his dead wife.

"...Nothing, father," she replied, and Marcus smiled. His accent was as heavy as his dancing, and Anastasia was confused and dazed. Whatever else happened that night, she wasn't sure. All she could remember were her mother's glassy eyes and Gwen's look to her as she had left.