"Antonio," Aurora said as she approached him with tentative steps.
Despite the somber atmosphere of the funeral surrounding them, her happiness at seeing him was far too evident on Aurora's face.
A small smile was threatening to break across her face, and the excitent in her eyes as they t his eyes was difficult to hide. This was the first ti they had seen each other since the day of her supposed wedding with Alex Timirus.
Antonio had planned to visit her, but a lot of other commitnts and then the chaos of recent events had engulfed him, leaving him no ti to make the journey.
Mingled with happiness on her face was a distinct touch of shyness. Though their betrothal agreent had been made only in na and for the sake of deception, they were still bound by it. And it was an arrangent she was more than happy to maintain.
"Aurora," Antonio greeted her with a warm smile, pushing his conversation with Dumbledore to the back of his mind.
"How are you, Antonio?" she asked softly. "Have you truly recovered?"
"Mh-mm," Antonio nodded. "I am completely fine now."
"I wanted to visit you in the hospital," she began, her tone apologetic, "but Grandfather would not allow it. He said he was not sure how the situation would develop or what new dangers might arise in Wizarding Britain and he was keen to avoid any association with you, especially considering what happened at my wedding."
"He did not want to put the Sinistra family in a more precarious position than it already is," she added.
"You need not explain anything, Aurora," Antonio responded calmly. "I received your letter, regardless."
Antonio did not fully understand what was going through the head of Raphael Sinistra, Aurora's grandfather, but he certainly would not bla Aurora for the old man's decisions.
"Aside from that," Antonio said, his eyes narrowing as they searched her face. "Are they treating you well? Are they troubling you in any way?"
She shook her head in response.
"No," she replied. "Aside from the occasional cold shoulder, they are not disturbing or trying to cause any trouble."
"Are you sure?" Antonio emphasized, his protective instincts flaring.
"Yes," she insisted. "I am very certain."
"Great," Antonio smiled, and a comfortable yet awkward silence settled between them.
Aurora had been incredibly excited to see Anronio but now that he was standing there, living and breathing in front of her, she found herself at a loss for words. She did not know what to speak and what to ask. The sheer number of people present and the heavy atmosphere of the funeral were not making things any easier for her.
Prior to everything that had happened and what Antonio had done to save her from the clutches of Alex, she had been very frank, open and comfortable with Antonio. But now, a tint of shyness and hesitation had crept in between them. At least from Antonio's side.
The reason? The feelings she had started to develop for Antonio. She found herself drawn towards Antonio and this made her weird and awkward. For she did not know how to respond to those feelings, especially, when she was unsure about how and what Antonio felt for her.
"Who accompanied you here?" Antonio asked, breaking the silence as he continued the conversation.
"Grandfather and Uncle Raphael," she replied, glancing toward the platform.
Antonio followed her gaze and spotted the two n standing near the dais, waiting for their turn to approach Alia and Edgar to offer their condolences.
"And how is your family faring?" Antonio asked, pressing for more information. "Has there been so kind of reaction from the Timirus Family?"
Aurora hesitated for a mont.
"Answer , Aurora," Antonio insisted softly. "And be truthful."
"As of now," Aurora answered after taking a deep breath, "we have not suffered any remarkable or significant losses. It has mostly been petty business deals or insignificant setbacks that do not really affect our fortunes in the long run."
"But," she continued, with a slight tremble in her voice, "the rumor in our circle is that the Timirus family has been preparing for a full blown assault against the Sinistra family."
"They say the Timirus family is even willing to suffer losses themselves just to put us through more harm and greater setbacks."
"Though it seems the events at the Wizengamot have pushed them to the back burner for now," she said. "Things have been a bit quiet for the past few days."
"But I believe they could strike at any ti.," she added, "as soon as the situation gets a bit more normal. Perhaps after the funeral itself."
Antonio did not reply imdiately and he contemplated a response in his mind. Earlier he could have boasted a lot and to be truthful, in his eyes, the Timirus family was sothing hardly worth considering.
But transpired events changed the dinsion of a lot of things. And Antonio needed to deal with them. And he would be busy and occupied with those things.
Going and finishing off Timirus family in one go was a cake walk for him but this was not that kind of battle. It would be a long and drawn out political and economic battle and he could not divulge a lot of ti towards this.
Also to consider was that though he had begun to earn a lot of political might, it was not organized. He was going to lead the Bones faction as of now but he was not sure how they would react going against Timirus family.
And his economic heft was also not sothing that was very great.
"Aurora," he finally said, his right hand finding its way to her shoulder.
"You need not worry," he assured her. "I cannot promise to protect every business or enterprise your family owns, but what I can promise is this."
"Under no scenario," his voice serious and tint of hardened resolve in his eyes, "I will allow any harm to co to you or your kin. I will protect you and your family too from all kinds of danger."
A smile, a deeply relieved and heartfelt smile, spread across Aurora's face upon hearing his words. She did not know to what extent Antonio's promises could truly be fulfilled, given the imnse complexities currently surrounding his own life which she understood quite clearly.
And also after everything he had already done for her, the last thing she wanted was to beco an additional burden.
Yet, hearing such reassuring words made her feel genuinely happy and at peace and she could only nod her head in response.
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