11 April 1891 — The Great Hall
Aristide Selwyn

Adrienne had always thought it was going to be a normal Sunday. They had free reign for where they sat that morning, but Adrienne had separated herself from Aristide just this once to finish up some homework. It was the normal routine of attempting to ignore those around her chattering about whatever nonsense was in Witch Weekly at the moment.

That was another reason Adrienne liked to sit with Ari; gossiping about who Witch Weekly was choosing to target that week just wasn't something she wanted to partake in. She usually had to block out the noise around her, but this week seemed to be different. The girls across from her kept looking at her and staying oddly silent. As she finished scrawling the last sentence, Adrienne looked up, ready to snap at them to please be quiet. The cover of that week's magazine silenced whatever reprimand was in her throat immediately. Without another word to the girls, Adrienne snatched up one of their extra copies, ignoring their protests and upsetting her glass of orange juice before she ran to find her twin.

She found him quickly, his blonde hair like a crown atop his head. "Ari!" she cried, her voice breaking as she collapsed in the spot next to him, throwing the magazine in front of him. "Ari, have you seen this?" Adrienne gazed at the picture of their aunt on the front cover, too scared to open and find out what had happened.

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Aristide was already abreast of the news and had even written to his uncle about it. Though he had mostly intended to wish the man a happy birthday and send the gift he had made the man over. "No but I can guess what it is about. Liliana, Ambrosia and Tanwen went on a cruise that experienced a shipwreck," he informed her, handing her the letter that he had just finished reading before she had collapsed down beside him. "Uncle Trystan says there is no news of them." Which wasn't good, obviously. Hopefully they would be recovered safe and sound.

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italics means Aristide is speaking French

set by MJ!

Adrienne took the letter and scanned its contents. Her eyes moved up and down the page multiple times as if each pass would give her new information.
I should not think even a shipwreck could be any real match for your aunt.
Adrienne had to laugh weakly at that line, for Uncle Trystan was very much correct. That was perhaps the only solace to be gained from the letter aside from the fact that Adrienne had forgotten Uncle's birthday. She let her hand fall to the table and gazed ahead. "I hope they're alright," she fretted, frowning back down at the letter before scanning it once again and handing it back to her twin.

She leaned into him putting her head on his shoulder. "What did you get Uncle for his birthday?" An uncharacteristic question since, under the usual circumstances, she would have likely remembered, if not coordinated with Aristide to send a joint present.

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"I am sure they will be," Aristide said as he scribbled own a quick response to his uncles letter. Aunt Ambrosia was not one to really be worried about. He was sure Liliana would not do well with wet and cold but would probably survive out of sheer spite. Tanwen was the one he was most worried about.

"I made a painting for him of himself as a conquering Roman hero in battle," Aristide said, idly resting his own head on hers as she leaned into him.

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italics means Aristide is speaking French

set by MJ!

His assurance was usually enough to quell any thoughts she might harbor, but Adrienne still chewed on her bottom lip as she watched him scribble out a response to their Uncle. She laughed softly as she withdrew to make herself a plate of food. "Merlin I wish I could have seen it!" she commented, as she spooned some eggs onto her plate.

A Roman hero in battle. Yes, Uncle Trystan would certainly love that. "How did he like it?"

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"Sorry, I sent it off without thinking to ask you of your opinion of it," Aristide said. It did not happen very often but in some very rare instances it did. Another small example of how they had blossomed into their own beings over the years. There had been a time when Arisitide had hesitated at any action if it did not feel like it would resonate with Adrienne.

"It's hard to say through written word but he praised my talent so I imagine he quite did."

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italics means Aristide is speaking French

set by MJ!

Adrienne jutted her lower lip out indifferently and shrugged. She was slightly put out that she didn't get to see it, but she was more than confident that if Ari had made it, she would have loved it. There was, however, another person he might have consulted on the painting. But Adrienne wasn't sure she wanted to spoil this morning even further by asking — "Did Scabior like the painting?" she eventually said, giving into her curiosity, doing her best to make her voice light and even more indifferent.

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At the mention of his closest friend, Aristide unconsciously cleared his throat. "We share a room so he did see it. I think he liked it, I didn't ask." Well, he hoped Asa had but he hadn't really asked the boys opinion. It was one he valued and he hadn't wanted to second guess himself when he had worked so hard on his uncles gift. Aristide was not completely oblivious to the animosity between his twin and his best friend.

And had it been anyone else, Aristide might have chosen to abandon the friendship for the sake of his sisters peace of mind. But there was something different with Asa. Aristide couldn't pinpoint what but it had definitely lead to many secret sketches of the boy. He sincerely hoped neither Adrienne nor Asa would ever become privy of them. Not when Aristide didn't understand his own inclination towards drawing them in the first place nor why he felt a need to keep them secret.

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italics means Aristide is speaking French

set by MJ!

Well.

It slightly comforted her to know that Scabior hadn't been asked his express opinion of the piece. She couldn't help that she wasn't a Ravenclaw like her brother. The idea that Scabior had even so much as seen it first still irked her, and Adrienne tried to shrug it off as just expectations of their close relationship.

"He better have loved it." she found herself saying defensively. Though she loathed the idea of Scabior being privy to the painting, she was downright sour at the idea that he wouldn't have liked it. Although it would give her the excuse that she had long been looking for to have a few choice words with the other boy. "How could he not have when you're so talented?"

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"I'm sure he did," Aristide chuckled, a little oblivious to how defensive Adrienne was about it. "You flatter me, dear sister." He knew his own talents but that didn't stop him from being reasonably modest about it. "Shall we go and see if any of her friends have received news of their own kin?" Aristide stood up, wondering who they should start with. They had a reasonable number of mutual friends as well as those that were friends with one twin but not the other.

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italics means Aristide is speaking French

set by MJ!

Flattery had nothing to do with it, and Aristide knew it. What was more, Adrienne knew that her twin was only being modest, which drew a slight grin from the scowl that had been threatening to overtake her features. "I suppose we must," she replied, just as a wail of despair echoed throughout the Great Hall. Adrienne rose slightly out of her seat to see who had made the noise, and she winced. "Come on," she motioned to Aristide after listening for a few minutes. "One of the second years just learned her new baby sister might not make it back."

It was going to be a long coming week.

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