After Hogwarts. (Apollo LeFay Book 2)

Chapter 4.

Apollo, Orion, Tom, Abraxas, and Theseus were all sitting together poring over books about the laws of marriage.

Abraxas was leaning against Apollo comfortingly and Theseus was leaning against his legs on the floor. Apollo had one arm around Orion pouring as much comfort as he could through one touch. Tom was sitting behind Apollo and Apollo was lying against him. 

It was such a loving scene between friends that it can't be expressed in words. 

"There's nothing in any of these," Orion said angrily. "They're all saying the same thing in a different way and it's frustrating!" 

"I know 'Rion,"  Apollo said. 

"But shouldn't there be some way around it?" 

"This isn't a story, love. Happy endings don't happen in real life." 

"They do sometimes. Like Fleamont and Euphemia, they got their happy ending, didn't they? And Octavius and Yasmine, they got their happy ending. What about us!? Where's our happy ending?!"

Apollo shrugged hopelessly. "I don't know Orion. If I knew I'd go get it." 

Orion stormed out of the room. 

"I'm gonna call it a night. I'll see you in the morning." Apollo said before bolting after Orion. 

Orion lay down in their bed and held a pillow tight as he tried not to burst into tears of frustration. 

Apollo closed the door softly and climbed into bed beside Orion. 

He pulled Orion close and hugged him tightly. 

"Why can't we just be happy?" Orion whispered. 

"I think we should be grateful for the eight and a half years we had together and then think about the future." 

"But that's the thing. We have been together for more than eight years. When I think of the future all I see is you. Maybe even eventually a little person as well." 

"Do you mean a child?" 

"Yeah." 

"A little person?" 

"Let me cry in peace okay?"

"Okay." 

Apollo held Orion tight all night long never once loosening his grip and Orion burrowed himself into Apollo's chest and warmth. 

"Father wanted children?!" Regulus said incredulously. 

"We're all shocked Reggie," Sirius said dryly. He picked up the next memory. "Only about a month before the wedding." 

"Shhh, Sirius," James said. "They'll make it." 

"James you can't change the pas-" 

"Try me." 

Orion was sitting at the table in Grimmauld Place. His family was gathered around him. 

"Are you excited, Orion? It's not every day that a boy is betrothed." Druella said. Orion clenched his fist angrily under the table. 

"He's overjoyed." Lucretia cut in quickly. 

"Am I?" He said through gritted teeth. 

"Of course you are," Arcturus said sternly. "Walburga is a beautiful, young, and talented witch. You'll be keeping this line pure." 

"And she's my cousin!" 

"Don't worry about such frivolous matters Orion," Lucretia said waving her hand. 

"I'm with someone else!" 

"That LeFay boy will find someone else," Arcturus said offhandedly. 

"I've been with him for more than eight years! I can't just put it in the past." 

"Of course you can. You are a Black. You will keep this line pure!" 

"HE IS PURE." 

"But you can bare no heirs with him and therefore you are endangering the line." 

"YOU'RE ENDANGERING THIS BLOODLINE." 

"YOU DARE INSULT ME!" Lucretia screamed. 

"YES, YES I DO. I AM WITH SOMEBODY ELSE." 

"Druella would you accompany me to the living room?" Arcturus asked and both of them left the room. 

"You're infatuation with Apollo LeFay ends here Orion Black. We have tolerated it for far too long."

"You don't need to tolerate it!" Orion said aghast. "It's none of your business!" 

"It's all of my business. You are putting the family line in danger. The Blacks can have three children at the very most so every Black must have kids." 

"I don't care! The only reason I'm still here is for my brothers." 

"Then you will know full well that if you decide to leave with your boyfriend then your brothers will pay the price." 

"Hercules is in Yorkshire." 

"Ah but there's always Ignatius." 

"WHY ARE YOU SO DETERMINED TO RUIN THIS FAMILY!" 

"YOU WILL MARRY WALBURGA OR YOU AND BOTH OF YOUR BROTHERS WILL SEE EXACTLY HOW BAD OF A MOTHER I CAN BE." 

Sirius got an immense feeling of Deja Vu from that scene so he quickly began the next one. 

"Orion." Apollo's voice cracked slightly. "I need to tell you something." 

"You're okay, right?" Apollo stayed very silent. "Right?" 

"Orion I-I'm sick." 

"What?" 

"I'm really sick. When I was younger I contracted a disease and my parents were given a choice. 1. I can fight the disease now with a 30% chance of survival or 2. They can give me a potion that will delay the illness till my early twenties and I can fight it then with a 10% chance of survival." 

"B-but you're gonna be okay right? You can't leave me here."

"I always wanted to tell you I swear but I didn't really think about it until I went to St. Mungos last week and they said that my immune system had been overrun and we were so fixated on the Walburga situation and it was never the right time." 

"But you're gonna get better, aren't you?" 

"The doctors said a month tops." Apollo's eyes filled with tears and he sat down on the couch heavily. "I don't wanna die Orion." 

Orion had tears streaming down his face. He fell to his knees in front of Apollo and grasped his hands. He kissed every finger while sobs racked his body. 

"Do the others know?" He said through his sobs. 

"Not yet." Apollo said. He wasn't crying. He had done his fair share of that in the past week. 

"We're gonna get through this Apollo. I swear we'll make it out on the other side." 

"I'd love to believe you. I really would." Apollo softly kissed Orion's tears away and held him tight and in the end the two of them sobbed together.