Mal and Ares may have spent their nights together, but after their lessons began, their contact while awake was minimal at best. When they finally crawled into bed at the end of the day, they were too tired to do anything but sleep. With Bella curled up with them, they couldn’t have done more than kiss anyway.

Their training was split into half. The first half was brutal on both of them for different reasons.

Mal would meet Monty and Mia in the dueling room, and while there, she began learning about wielding a wand. They were given a mock one by Gabriel. He was the angel who helped with her magic training.

Her first day, they started her with the most basic of things, getting comfortable with the wand in your hand, and feeling your magic flow into it.

"Your shoulders are still too tense." Gabriel said as he laid a hand on her shoulders getting her to relax them a bit. "If you're too tense you can overpower a spell and wear yourself out quickly. You'll be subject to missing your targets or destroying it when you mean to simply lift or capture."

Mal took a deep breath, closing her eyes as she did so. Releasing as much tension as she could.

“You’re excited.” Mia spoke as circled the angel and Mal. “That’s to be expected, but forcing yourself and your magic immediately is the wrong way to go about it. Enthusiasm is a good thing to have, but you need respect for magic more.”

“Forcing magic is what leads to disasters.” Monty added from where he was leaning against a wall. “You want it to work with you. It’s a part of your, a friend, forcing it to your whim is not necessary.”

“Let it flow through you. Give it direction, and magic will take care of the rest.” Mia added softly.

Mal listened carefully to their words, breathing in and out slowly. It was there, she could feel it, her magic, softly flowing through every facet of her being. It was almost as if it was sleeping. He began to pull on the magic slowly. With each inhaled breath she took, she would pull on her magic just a little. With each exhale, she let go for those few seconds, before taking hold of it again. Her magic began growing with each breath taken. It pulsed with life and energy, ready to be used like Mia said, all it needed was a direction.

She raised her dummy wand again. Holding it in her hand, a firm grip, but relaxed muscles.

Gabriel and Mia had both stepped back. She felt them as they moved away.

“Say the spell now.” Mia instructed.

“Lumos!”

She opened her eyes to see a bright light emerging from the tip of the wand. Before when she attempted it, there was a spark of light, or a dim light emerging from the wand. Similar to that of a dying flashlight. She grinned brightly at the glow.

She looked at her teachers. "Did I do good? Is that's how it's supposed to be?"

Monty was currently shielding his eyes, "Yes, you did well. That's actually brighter than usual."

“Given what we know about her power levels, that’s not surprising.” Gabriel chuckled.

Mia was bouncing with excitement. “Oh, this is wonderful! You’re going to knock those old tosser’s socks off!”

"If I land in a pureblood family, I think Wizarding Britain will be expecting me to be exceptional." Mal sighed as she canceled the light spell. "While I want that anyway, I'm not looking forward to dealing with it."

"I sympathize." Gabriel said sitting down motioning Mal to do the same. "As an Arch Angel, I've been in that position a lot. Take recent events for example. Rida, and her backer Stephan. They are nothing but trouble and endless drama."

Mal nodded. "I dealt with negative people and hypocrites all the time in my other lives, so while I have the experience, I'm still not looking forward to it again."

Gabriel shrugged. “They are everywhere, in every life. There’s not stopping that.”

“I know.”

The first half of her training was spent like that. Monty and Mia teaching her as much as they could, while Gabriel's supervision and helping where required. They became aware very quickly that transfiguration gave Mal some trouble. She excelled with charms. She always had a smile on her face while working with Charms. With Defense, she struggled a bit, but nowhere as near as much as she did with Transfiguration.

Her thinking was Curses were the opposite of Charms. Charms were about protection and creating. Curses were about attacking, there were Defense Charms in there, but again, it was a charm and all about protection.

Transfiguration was about turning something into another thing. You had to understand the object before you turn it, and you had to have knowledge about what you turning the object into. You had to know the texture, and preferably, the chemicals and elements that went into it. Going further, you had to know anatomy about living things before you could transfigure animals into a different one.

In her mind, this was akin to Science, and she was always really bad with this subject. When she voiced her theory as to why she struggled, this gave them something to think about.

When they felt she had mastered all they could think of that would help her pass as a regular witch, it was time to move onto the subjects that didn’t require a wand.

“Let’s see how she fares with potions and Herbology.” Lily grinned from the doorway several days after her wand training began.

}TLCW{

Ares had a different kind of training for the first half. He knew about wielding a wand as he'd done so for nine lifetimes before. Michael had devised the training he was going to receive to help Ares with the coming war effort in his homeworld.

He walked out to the front of Pottermore the first morning and gave Michael and his company a quizzical look. He expected it to be just him and Michael, doing some physical exercises he was to keep up once he got back to the mortal realm. However, with Michael was Satan and another soul.

"Not what I expected, but alright." He said stepping forward and nodding his head at the newcomers. "Good to see you again Satan, and nice to meet you, stranger. I'm Ares. Welcome to Pottermore."

The soul nodded and grinned at him. “I’m Julian.”

“These two, along with myself, are going to be teaching you combat.” Michael folded his arms behind his back and he looked at Ares critically. “Remus assured me there will be ways to help continue this training back in the mortal realm. Until then, you will learn physical combat as well as weapons training from us. Though, I’ll only be working you through your beginning workout. Once that’s finished, Satan and Julian will take over.”

Ares nodded and grinned. He was already enjoying this. He looked over at Satan and Julian. "I get Satan's qualifications, but may I ask about yours, Julian?"

Julian grinned. “I was a Greek General. Had my own armies and everything. I was even apart of the battle of Troy. I took down several Spartans in my day, and supposedly they were the best warriors Greece had.”

Ares looked at him stunned. “That’s impressive.”

“Wait till you see him fight!” Satan barked with laughter.

“Quite.” Michael agreed with a friendly smile, seeming to be happy that Ares was getting along with Julian. “We had wanted another, Julius. He was a Roman General. Really impressive fighting skills, and mostly a good man.”

“Why isn’t he here?” Ares asked curiously. It wasn’t like Michael to not get what he wanted.

"Because he's one of Stephan's followers." Satan grunted. "He's locked in the barracks with the rest of the nutters."

“Any word on what’s going to be done about them?” Ares directed the question at Michael.

Michael shook his head. “Whether he realizes it or not, we already know what he’s planning. One of his old recruits stayed under his tutelage long enough to learn most of Stephan’s beliefs. From there, we realize he’s been getting ready for a war.”

Ares shook his head. “I’d offer to help, but I think you guys will have it all mopped up before I get back.”

“Maybe.” Michael sighed.

That was the last pleasant conversation Ares had with them.

Michael took command after a moment of silence and set Ares up with a workout, participating alongside him. From the start, Michael turned it into some kind of competition.

Ares started with stretches to get his body ready. All three instructors argued that this was needed before any kind of work out so he didn’t pull or strain his muscles. The next step was knowing his limit. In the mortal world, he would have to start off his training slowly, and gradually work up to where he would be at his physical best.

Here in Purgatory, however, there was no such limit, and they pushed Ares as far as they could.

Following the stretches was a hundred pushups, followed by a hundred pull-ups, using both hands. They then switched to a hundred pushup and pullups alternating between his arms. He'd done fine while using both, doing it all one-handed gave him a bit of a struggle.

“Come on Bane!” Barked Julian. “This is cowards’ stuff! Before you’re done, I’ll have you doing it all with one finger!”

“Joy.” Ares grumbled back.

Immediately after that, were the crunches. Full body, alternating between one leg crunches, and more. He had to do a hundred for each pose.

Sit-ups came after that. Again, his goal was over two hundred.

After that, he ran around the whole of the flat earth floating in Purgatory. Three times.

When he crashed on the ground after that, he was breathless. He wasn’t sweating, such a thing was impossible in Purgatory, but he sure felt like he should be. There was little doubt in his mind his sweat glands would be a steady stream, creating a flow off his body, leaving a trail on the ground behind him and a puddle beneath him when he finally stopped for a moment.

A moment was all he was allowed. He hadn’t even caught his breath, and they were back at it.

While Julian was proficient with weapons wielding, there was no argument that Satan was far better and had more experience. Julian's focus was hand to hand combat. They started with dodging and blocking. Ending Julian's session with attacking.

Satan took over with weapons. He used the fact that they were soul to his benefit. They used actual weapons and did not hold back. If Ares didn't block in time, he got hit. When Satan saw an opportunity, he even skewered Ares with whatever weapon they were using.

Shields didn't even register in their minds. So Ares didn't have any kind of protection. He either dodged or blocked, or he got hurt.

Day in and day out, his training was brutal at the hands of two Arch Angels and a Greek General. There was no doubt Ares got through the warm up faster, even with the limits and weights they added later on. When it came to combat, he learned his lesson quick. After a while, they couldn’t land a hit on him, but he still couldn’t attack for anything.

By the end of the first half of the training, Ares was almost dead even with his instructors. He could even keep pace with Michael during the warm-ups.

}TLCW{

“UGH! Those bastards!” Ares groaned as he crashed down onto the loveseat Mal was curled up on in the Family Room.

“That bad?” She asked tentatively.

“YES!” He exclaimed. “Just when I showed signs of being able to handle what they were doing to me, they amped it up! From two-armed pushups to one, from one arm to fingers, then just one finger, One Finger! Then they started putting weights on me!”

She couldn’t help the small smile coming to her face. He was no doubt complaining, but there was a hint of amusement in his eye.

“As if that wasn’t bad enough! Julian took to calling me names! Bane! Ruin!” He groaned as he fell back again, throwing his arms over his face and resting them against his forehead. “Over and over! Satan got involved as well. It got worse when Michael started doing it too.”

“You had fun.” Mal grinned at him.

He grinned back from under his arms. “The best. They’re still a bunch of wankers though.”

“If it helps, my time with Gabriel was pleasant. He’s a very patient teacher.”

“Because he knows I’d shove a scimitar up his arse if he wasn’t.”

She broke out laughing, almost falling off the loveseat in her mirth.

“Glad to see someone is enjoying this.”

Mal and Ares looked towards the doorway to find the Arch Angels and Julian in the doorway. Gabriel was shuddering and had a look of revulsion on his face. Meanwhile, Michael and Satan looked rather amused. Julian was doing his best to not laugh at the situation. But his shaking shoulders told them all that he was failing.

“I’m not apologizing.” Ares said with a grin.

“I didn’t expect you to.” Michael nodded, “Mind if we join you?”

“No.” Mal said with a shake of her head. “I think we’re just unwinding before exhaustion wins out and we go to bed.”

“Training will do that.” Michael chuckled as he sat in one of the chairs. He gave it an appraising look as he made himself comfortable. “These are actually really nice. I don’t think even the cult’s richest proprietors had something as fine as this.”

Mal shrugged. “I wouldn’t know. I only socialized with the middle and lower class of the cult.” She smiled at him. “But I agree, these are like something out of high-end furniture store that would have over a thousand-dollar price tag.”

“Then you’d take it home and a cat or dog would shit all over it or tear it all to pieces.” Satan said as he sat down and held his arms behind his head in a similar fashion as Ares.

Mal bobbed her head in concession.

“So, to what do we owe the honor of this visit?” Ares asked skeptical of their presence.

"We wanted to see how you both were handling the training, and check on Bellatrix's state." Michael said then looked over where Bellatrix was currently sleeping on the couch. The fact that she was in her teenage body and very few floating crystals that were the pieces of her broken soul astounded the Arch Angels. "I can see she's doing a lot better. In fact, she's almost healed."

Bellatrix rarely left the room wherever Mal was. She followed Mal around like a shadow, clinging to her whenever she could. She would address the others, politely, never meeting their eyes, and when she did, she looked like a heartbroken, guilty child who was afraid of getting in trouble but expected it. Even with Ares, though she did open up to him a little more than the other adults. It was the opposite in her regard for Mal.

Every morning, during her breaks in her training, even taking breaks in her training to do it, and before bed at night, Mal would sit back and place the pieces of Bella's broken soul back into the main body. Whenever she would notice the cracks reappearing, and it wasn’t break time, she would make them stop so she could put the pieces back. No one argued against this.

Monty, Mia, Lily, James, Remus, Tonks, and Sirius, all watched with morbid fascination as Mal pieced back together the one woman they all thought was their bitter enemy through and through. To learn otherwise was enough of a shock. Seeing it, brought further home the point that nothing was as it seemed back in the mortal worlds.

Sirius was the first to recover. Forgiving Bella, promising to help her as much as possible. Bella cried, for the first time though, it was in happiness and hope.

“She’s a great deal better now.” Mal said as she ran a hair through the sleeping Bella’s hair. “The more of her soul that’s healed, her body grows. I think I might actually be able to have her soul into one piece before the end of all of this.”

“That,” Satan started to say and paused. Just staring at the sleeping Bella for a long few moments before looking back at Mal. “That’s actually really impressive. The Artisans and Cherubs have difficulty with this. It takes them years to accomplish what you have in just a matter of days.”

Meanwhile, Gabriel was grinning like a loon. A rather smug look in his eyes as he did so. However, no words were spoken by him.

“Thank you.” Mal said with an embarrassed smile. “I don’t understand why it’s so easy for me. I know Michael and Gabriel seem to think that I’ll be a Goddess or something.” She sighed with a shrug. “I honestly don’t understand how that would happen, but I guess we’ll see as the future progresses.”

Satan snorted at Mal’s remark. He relaxed his pose and grinned at Ares, “I can see why you never found your match anywhere else.”

Ares shrugged and grinned.

“So,” Satan clapped as he sat forward, folding his hands together as he looked at Ares with a serious expression. “I hear that you will be joining my ranks once you ascend to an angel.”

Ares nodded. “That’s what I was thinking about.”

Satan nodded also, before looking back to Mal. “And you’re alright with this? We’re not exactly well received by the masses as you’ve witnessed. He joins us, it won’t be easy on either of you.”

“Are you saying you don’t want me!?” Ares demanded a little upset. “After all of the fighting you did to get my soul, you’re have second thoughts now!?”

Satan held up his hand in peace. "That's not what I'm saying, I've just had this nagging thought since coming here, and I'm asking questions before I voice it."

Ares sat back and waited.

All eyes were on Mal, waiting for her answer. She rolled her eyes. "No, I don't have a problem with it. Given the fight you put up for his soul in the past, I had a feeling. Then I got to know about his past, and I got to know him over the course of that mortal life. He acts on his emotions more often than not. If that wasn't the case, he wouldn't have committed suicide or attacked people when his anger boiled into a rage. I knew when that Cherub said we would become angels what he would become."

Satan nodded slowly, as he seemed to process what she said.

“As for the discrimination,” She shrugged, “I’ve faced worse being raised in that cult. I’ve faced worse while being a stripper. There were protestors outside the apartment building where I lived one day. They’d been protesting at the club because it was a cesspool for sin. They found out that Ethan paid for the apartment building and a lot of the girls and other workers for the club lived in that building. So they showed up there to attack us in our own homes. We couldn’t work for two days because they wouldn’t let us leave the building. They had it surrounded. The police got involved and everything.” She looked Satan in the eyes. “If I can handle that as a mortal, I can handle a few idiots here in Purgatory.”

Satan sighed and looked at Michael. “I’ll kill Rida. Not as a favor, not under an order. I’ll kill her personally for what she put this woman through.”

“This is a lot of animosity for a person who only lived one life.” Mal said softly. “She’s ignorant of the truth sure, but not evil.”

Satan looked back at her in shock. Mal felt a blush in her cheeks as she saw he wasn't the only one. Even Ares was looking at her with that expression.

Satan, however, was the one who spoke. "Mal, I run the Underworld and the Hell. I deal with evil day in and day out. What Rida did to you was nothing short of despicable. What made it worse, she enjoyed making you suffer. She did everything she could think of to make you suffer. My angels are well trained, and they caught onto that immediately. All of that abuse, all of the pain you endured, she intentionally put you through that. Her thinking was it would make you hate humanity enough to turn to God and enter the convent where she spent her life immediately after high school.

“I watched that initial life you lived with Michael.” Satan continued much to Mal’s shock at hearing that. “Someone had to run things while Michael away. We both watched as you finished up the following years without him up to your death. Michael was much too broken to run things until your soul was back in his arms. You were unconscious and resting, we left you in that state because you needed the rest more than we needed to talk to you.

"I was the one that wrote up the file as Michael just held you apologizing all the while. Living a mortal life for a while broke his usual reserve." Michael looked away from the room but didn't deny Satan's words. "I wrote it so you would be safe in the next life, the cult would be shut down, and you would find some semblance of happiness."

“Thank you for the effort.” Mal said softly. “Even if I never got to live it, I appreciate the gesture and the effort.”

"It's my job." Satan said in a soft tone. "I deal with evil, and I help the victims find better lives." His tone darkened as did his expression as he continued. "You can imagine my surprise, and my rage, when I found out Rida had been given your soul. Gabriel passed it to Stephan, under the impression he would follow the instructions to the letter like he'd always done in the past. If it's one thing we knew, despite his personal beliefs, he would do whatever job you gave him as instructed. Without question.

“I’d seen Rida around before. I knew she fell in line with the same beliefs as Stephan, only I didn’t realize how bad she was until later on. That’s when I found out she had your soul.” Satan sat back with a disgusted look on his face. “I read what she did to you. I know she planned worse. You didn’t read that contract she had written up, I did.”

“But I did read it.” Mal protested. “I read that thing so many times I have it memorized.”

Satan shook his head. “There was more to it.”

“What do you mean more?”

“It’s better we don’t know.” Ares said laying a hand on her shoulder to calm her.

Satan nodded. “Rida deserves nothing less than a death sentence.”

Mal shook her head. “You’re wrong.”

All eyes were back on her in shock. So she took a breath and explained. "By killing Rida, you're justifying her beliefs about you. About Purgatory, and the way she treated my soul. By killing her, you'll be vindicating Stephan and his supporters' beliefs, and it will be that much harder to deal with them. If it's one thing that I've learned, death isn't the worst thing that could happen to a person. Life is."

Satan just stared at Mal.

Michael looked greatly amused.

Julian had a neutral expression.

Gabriel again looked smug.

“Told you so.” He chanted to the other Arch Angels. “She also makes an excellent point.”

Satan nodded. “That she does, and it actually might open doors to new punishments in the Underworld.”

Mal held up her hands. “I don’t need to know, I don’t want to do, or I will be compelled to help out with it, and that’s not something I’m willing to do just yet.” She looked back at Satan, “So what brought all of this on anyway? What’s been nagging at you to make you ask those questions before?”

Satan sighed. It was clear, he had hoped that his previous statement would have been forgotten as he changed the subject. “As much I would like to have Ares among our rank, he would make an excellent Enforcer in my realms, I don’t think that’s where he’s headed.”

"Why not!?" Gabriel demanded more than a little shocked. "It's been clear to me for a while that's where his soul was headed."

Michael nodded. “There was never any doubt in my mind, and I agree with your assessment brother. What makes you think that he won’t join your ranks Satan?”

Satan merely pointed to Mal. “Her.”

“I would never stop him.” Mal said her eyebrows burrowing together confused.

“I know.” Satan lowered his finger. “What I meant by that was, because of you possibly being something more along the lines of a Goddess, I expect the same for Ares in the future.”

Ares looked shocked himself now. “What?”

Satan nodded. “I think you will join my ranks when you come back after succeeding, however many times it takes. But it won’t be for long. I think, just as Mal will evolve into whatever God has planned for her, so too will you.”

Michael groaned and buried his face in his hands. "That actually makes sense."

Gabriel looked between his brothers, "What exactly is happening here? First, these two have power levels that's on par with our Arch Angel level, as souls, now they might be more than that?" He looked directly at Michael. "Has she said anything as to what she's planning."

Michael, still buried in his hands groaned again. “No.”

“So we have no way of knowing what’s going to happen in the future?” Gabriel pressed.

“No.”

“I think that’s a good thing.” Mal said laying back against Ares. “I don’t want to know everything right away. Whatever future Purgatory holds for us can wait.”

Ares wrapped his arms around her and kissed her head. "Agreed. I just want to live a life with you. One where I remember everything about us and enjoy the mortal's pleasures together."

“On that note,” Julian said speaking up, “we’ve reached the halfway point with your training. Meaning there will be different schedules starting tomorrow.”

As the Arch Angels were talking at their lightning speed, seeming to forget the souls in the room, Julian was left to explain.

“You two will start with Herbology with Lily and James. After that will be potions with Lily and Remus. There will be a break after that. Then in the afternoon, you’ll split up. Mal will be with Lily and Mia learning about being the Lady of Pottermore, and the role of the Lord’s wife. Ares, you’ll be with Monty, James, and Sirius, learning about being the Lord of Pottermore, your role in the Wizengamot, as well how to interact with the other Purebloods without setting off their delicate sensibilities while maintaining your thoughts and beliefs. At the very least you’ll be able to hold conversations without issue, at most you’ll be able to get away with subtly insulting them so that by the time they realized what you’ve done, it will be too late for them do anything about it.”

“Nice.” Ares grinned.

"The following day, in the morning, both you and Mal will be in training with us. Mal will be getting into the routine of a steady workout and learning what her limits with that are. We'll also be exploring her combat abilities and where she's the strongest as far as that's concerned." Julian opened his palms and bobbed his head. "There's a chance that she might not be able to do combat at all, and is only able to play the role of support and heal the victims. There's nothing wrong with that, but it's still good to be able to defend oneself. Remus will be helping us with that as well. So both of you can do it physically, as well as magically. The entire day will be devoted to that."

“And we’ll alternate the remaining days doing that until it’s time to go.” Mal nodded.

Julian smiled. "Pretty much yes. Tomorrow, however, we'll be taking a day off. All of us need a bit of a rest." He looked over at the still debating Arch Angels. "And I suspect they'll be at that all night and most of tomorrow."

}TLCW{

As Julian suspected, the Arch Angels were deep in their debate, as it didn’t appear as if they were arguing, just throwing out ideas and trying to figure out who was the closest to the truth they were largely left alone. The next morning when everyone got up, they weren’t there at all, and they didn’t show up the entire day.

So the souls in Pottermore decided to spend the day resting separately. The couples were curled up together somewhere, Bella being with Mal and Ares. Though, at this point, it was clear that she wasn’t going to be waking up again until it was time to leave. Which Mal thought was for the best. Letting her healing soul rest as much as it could.

The only one truly left alone was Sirius, and he wanted it that way. James and Remus both tried to get him to spend time with them, but he refused. Telling his brothers in all but blood to spend time with their respected wife and just let him wallow and spend his day in quiet contemplation. He was thinking about his past, and about the future. He swore that this time around, things were going to be different. No more innocent souls were going to get hurt. He also vowed that this time, he would throw caution to the wind and approach Amelia again. He hadn’t before because of her position and in fear that she wouldn’t believe him. He realized Dumbledore fed on that fear and compounded upon it. This time, he wouldn’t go anywhere near Hogwarts until his name was cleared. And after reuniting with Ares and Mal, his next appearance would be to Amelia.

Monty and Mia wandered around, with no particular destination in mind. They’d been told after this; they were going to Heaven. Where they would sleep, and likely not see their former family ever again. It was a general knowledge that after resting in Heaven, some souls emerged with no memory of who they were before entering the pearly white gates. So it was a clear possibility that if they ever left Heaven’s safe slumber, they wouldn’t even remember each other.

So they walked around their former home, thinking about all of the lives they lived where they had been Lord and Lady Potter. In most, there was no Voldemort, and Dumbledore was merely a Head Master, nothing more. Others, there was Voldemort, but they survived the first war and raised their grandson. In others, James and Lily stayed in Pottermore, just as Alice and Frank stayed in Longbottom Hall. Voldemort won the war, and the worlds fell into darkness.

They had lived many lives yes, and their souls were very weary of it all. This last one was by far the worst, and there was no way they could go back to help even if they wanted to. All they could do was pass on their knowledge to the next generation and trust them to do their task. Which they did. They trusted Mal and Ares implicitly. They were rather fond of this version of their grandson, and they felt at peace knowing they were leaving Pottermore, and their last mortal world, in good hands.

There was still a lot left to teach them, but they had faith in those two.

So they wandered all around Pottermore, remembering, lamenting, but mostly, they acknowledged their weariness. They had overheard part of the conversation the night before and agreed with Mal, the worst fate offered to a soul is to live. To be forced to go on when all they wanted to do was rest. This is what led to the breaking of souls.

James and Lily were in the library, curled up on one of the couches, watching the cosmos. They hadn’t lived many lives, so they knew they had more lives waiting for them. They also knew they couldn’t go back, and were resolved to send Ares back with as much knowledge they could impart. More than that, they wanted him to go back firm in the knowledge that they loved him more than anything, and they were very, very, proud of him and the man he had become, despite the horrors he’d endured.

At the very least, he could go back with his head held high, knowing all of this. Knowing that he had their support. They knew when the time came, he would be taking lives. But, if those lives were allowed to live, their world would be ruined. So they supported him, and no one could damage that feeling in him. It was what James and Lily really wished to accomplish here. So no one, not even the mighty Dumbledore, could use “What would your parents say?” “Do you really think this is what your parents would have wanted?” on Ares. No longer would his parents be used against him, to guilt trip him into whatever scheme that old tosser was planning.

Remus and Tonks were talking about strategy. They also talked about their son and what they hoped he would be like. Knowing deep down there was a chance he was going to be born a lot faster this time around. So the strategy revolved around how to make sure her parents understood and helping those they knew were going to wake up with their memories along with them. Remus focused for a time on how to get Ares away from the Dursley's, while Tonks, made plans to quit the Aurors at the first available opportunity.

Julian, had remained at Pottermore. He too wandered around and was very much alone in his wanderings for part of the day. It was during one of these wanders he found Mal and Ares curled up with each other in the family room. They had their arms around each other, eyes closed, but not sleeping. Here was the chance he'd been waiting for.

“Have you figured it out yet?”

Ares and Mal looked up to see Julian was leaning against the doorframe with a friendly smile on his face.

“Figured what out?” Mal asked.

“How we all know each other?”

Mal and Ares shared a confused look before looking back at Julian.

“That’s a no if I ever saw one.” He chuckled as he came in and sat down with them. “I figured you guys didn’t have your memories.” He smiled gently at Ares. “I tried everything I could think of to jog your memory without actually coming out and saying anything. I was quoting word for word some of the things I said to you while training you to be a soldier. Since that didn’t work, I thought I’d ask my question. Now it’s clear you don’t, and likely never will, remember.” He rubbed his chin pensively. “That actually might be for the best.”

“Was it that bad?” Mal asked nervously.

Julian nodded. “It ended very terribly.”

“Tell.” Ares said his arms securely around Mal. “It’s clear you want to, and we’ve got nothing else to do today.”

Julian shrugged. “Alright. But it’s a long tail, with nowhere near a happy ending. It’s very much yet another Greek tragedy.”

Both Ares and Mal just waited for Julian to stop stalling. Seeing their determination, he nodded and began the tale.

Julian hadn't been there during the afterlife part, but he knew what happened. Mal and Ares, though they went by different names back then, were among the many broken souls. Two thousand years ago, the Artisans had only just begun piecing souls back together, and the infirmary hadn't been thought of yet. They met by accident, or at least that's what was assumed. They immediately got close and wanted to spend a life together. They weren't sure if they were completely in love or not but wanted a lifetime to find out.

Michael adamantly opposed the idea when Gabriel brought him in as a consultant. Mal was shipped back to her first world. It was similar to the one she lived in while under Rida's care, and that's all Julian knew. Ares was put back into his original world, that was basically Mal's version of Ancient Greece.

Their memories had been wiped of each other, as expected, and they grew up in different worlds, never knowing what was missing in them, but feeling that empty place every day. Julian only knew that piece because of what the previous version of Ares confessed to him, and filled in the blanks in later years. Mal had worked as a professional dancer in that life. All of her life she was a dancer. She never married, never bothered being in a relationship with anyone. To be blunt, she never had sex.

Ares grew up as the prince of a kingdom. He was loved by his father, King Photis, and was spoiled, but it never diminished his great character. He trained as a warrior in his own kingdom, though never in a serious manner. He was raised and mostly taught under King Photis's supervision for the day he would take his father's place.

Mal was eventually sucked through some kind of portal, landing in the temple of Aphrodite. Because she couldn’t speak the language and fell out of the sky, all who had witnessed the event believed she was a gift from the Gods. Among those in attendance, was Ares.

Ares had been sent to the temple to take a consort now that he was of age. One look at Mal and he had to have her. He'd never felt lust stirring in his loins the way his father always talked about. He'd had urges yes, but never felt the fiery need other men spoke of. He felt it now and brought her home with him to the castle.

At first, she didn’t work as a consort as King Photis had envisioned for his son. Mal would dance to earn her keep. Which was a clean room, the right to bathe, and eat regularly. She was treated very well at the castle. Ares was astonished and entranced by her very being. He could watch her dance for hours. Often times at night, he would go to her room and have her dance for him alone.

Because she was confirmed to be untouched by a man and came from the temple of Aphrodite, the elder men were conflicted on how to deal with Mal. On the one hand, she came from the Goddess of Beauty and Love's temple. She should have been perfect for a consort or wife. On the other hand, she was untouched by men, perhaps she was meant to stay that way. It was eventually decided that no man was to touch her. It was believed that any man who defiled her, would be greatly punished by the Gods.

Mal lived in the castle, she learned some words in the Greece language but was far from fluent. She knew just enough to get by. Conversations between Mal and Ares were hardly ever spent speaking. It was mostly with gestures and gentle touches. He taught her enough to make her intentions and wants to be known. She learned the rest by and by.

For two years she worked in the castle as a dancer. For two years, Ares sated his lust with the other consorts of the castle. But it was never enough.

When Ares couldn’t stand it any longer, he disobeyed his father and went to her room. This time, when she danced, he stood and touched her as she moved. For several months he’d watch with no clothing on himself while she remained covered. That night, he slowly removed her garments until she was as bare before him as he had been with her. He laid her on the bed and took what he believed the Gods gave him.

Ares never held any hope that after that one night with her it would be enough. It became almost an obsession with him. He took her as much as he could. He was still caring and tentative to her. He was still a gentleman to her. He loved her deeply. Nothing really changed after their relationship became a physical one, except in one aspect, he became territorial about her.

It wasn’t unusual for men to show interest in her. Visiting Kings or other nobles would watch her dance during their stay and put bids on her to King Photis to take her away to their Kingdom for their own pleasures. Given that he and the temple guardians agreed she was to remain pure, King Photis always refused.

After they became lovers, it was Ares who now shot them down before King Photis could even speak. The other men would return and speak with King Photis, asking for a private dance, even if his father had granted the request, Ares refused to let Mal leave his sight. Many duels were issued, and Ares won them all. He never killed the other men, but he drew a line the sand, and any man who crossed it, met his blade. No other man was going to touch her.

No one was aware of the fact that they were lovers. Ares was very careful about making sure they were never caught. They wouldn’t just have King Photis to deal with, but the temple Guardians as well. He didn’t want her to be in trouble for things she couldn’t understand.

One night, Ares was lying beside her, when she touched her heart then his, saying the word love. Ares mimicked the gesture, and both cried in happiness. But their moment of joy in each other’s love was short-lived.

Because Ares's obsession with Mal began to worry King Photis, he began to consider the offers for her. One King, King Mateo, wanted her for his consort. He upped his offer of gold as well as offering to marry Mal in the temple she appeared in and make her his Queen. King Photis thought it was a good idea. It would negate any wrath the Gods may send upon his kingdom and it would get that girl away from his son. So he wrote back his acceptance.

Ares overheard his father talking his worry over his son's obsession with the girl and the many offers for her hand. Fearful his father would accept them; Ares ran away with Mal to the temple of Hera. He married her there, and they spent the day there as husband and wife. He returned home with her as his wife and begged his father to forgive him, but let him keep his wife.

King Photis, in a fit of fury, refused. Unknown to him up to that point, King Photis had been in negotiations with King Mateo. Ares simply couldn't marry Mal or any other women of Ares's choice as he was already betrothed to the daughter of King Mateo, Princess Delphine, a far better prospect for a bride, more suitable for Ares's station as the crowned prince and future King. At least in the mind of King Photis. Better a woman already of royal blood than a maiden who may or may not be a gift from the Gods.

Mal could just as easily been sent to ruin them all.

The deal had already been sealed, whether Ares liked it or not, there was no arguing about it.

Princess Delphine was to be Ares’s wife, then shortly after the marriage, King Photis would step aside and Ares would take over the Kingdom. Mal was already sold to King Mateo, while Ares would marry Princess Delphine in the temple of Hera, as was proper for the King and Queen of the nation; King Mateo would marry Mal in the temple she appeared in so as not to draw the Gods wrath. Upon the arrival of King Mateo and his daughter Princess Delphine, Mal would be handed over to King Mateo, while Princess Delphine was to be on Ares’s arm, and wife before sunset.

All of this was explained to Ares, by his very furious father. Ares wasn't even given the chance to argue his side of the story. Either Ares brought her back to the temple of Aphrodite and offer Mal up as a sacrifice to save their kingdom after defiling her, or he was to go back to the temple of Hera, have their marriage stricken from the record and give her up when King Mateo and Princess Delphine arrived. King Mateo would marry Mal, virgin or not, and Ares would take Princess Delphine for his bride, getting a proper wife.

Either way, Mal would no longer be a problem in King Photis's palace or a blight on his kingdom. Ares's father statement ended the one-sided argument. It was resolved in his mind, and Ares would obey, and there wasn't any more to say on the matter.

Ares left, with Mal in tow, not saying another word to his father. As if his father expected this, and everyone knew better than to disobey the king, no one stopped Ares as he left the palace and walked through the city. However, Ares didn't bring Mal to either temple. With nothing but the clothes on their backs and each other, Ares led Mal out of the Kingdom. That was how Julian found them a few days later. Ares explained the situation, and Julian brought them to his Queen.

Queen Melissa had lost her husband and could see the same love and devotion in Ares that hers had for her. She offered him a deal; the villa she grew up in, and a place in her army to earn a living, so long as he vowed to his blade to Queen Melissa and to never lay with any woman but his wife. Something which was unheard of during those times. Most men would make the deal but go behind the backs of those they made the promise to and take other lovers. All the men witnessing this balked at the very idea and sheer audacity of Queen Melissa.

Shocking them even more, Ares made both vows then and there.

With Mal safely in the villa with servants to care for the place and herself, Ares trained with Julian and quickly rose through the ranks to the same standing as Julian. Whenever they were on the battlefield, the enemy never stood a chance. Even when facing off with the soldiers from his former Kingdom, Ares never showed an ounce of mercy if Queen Melissa refused any. Ares’s name was spoken with both fear and respect in most circles.

As the other men found pleasure with other women, or with each other when there were no women but the lust was too great, Ares remained true to his vows. He never laid a hand on another woman. It wasn't a hard vow for him to keep, he loved his wife, and he would not betray her.

Ares cared not for the happenings in the Kingdom where he was raised or the politics of the man who he once called father. But there was no denying that there were happenings, and they weren't for the better. Because of Ares's actions, King Photis was unable to follow through with the initial deal as promised for both necessary bodies for the deal to be completed were no longer in the Kingdom. By the time King Photis realized this, it was too late, Ares was already under Queen Melissa's protection. King Photis’s managed to calm the temper of King Mateo when he arrived; they had time to make Ares see reason, Princess Delphine was still a child. Eventually, like all men, Ares would desire a younger, healthier woman to carry his children. Both Kings were counting on that fact.

As far as Julian was aware, they never learned about the vow Ares made to the Queen. Any men who knew of it could only be found in Queen Melissa's kingdom or supported her, naturally, they too were at odds with the disgruntled kings. Those men preferred to think that Ares went behind Queen Melissa's back to get lovers, and he was just that good at covering his tracks. Such "foolishness" was never spoken of again after the day the vows were made.

Over the following years, King Photis sent many messengers to Ares. Begging him to come home, they missed him, they needed him. Ares's reply was always the same, he asked what of his wife. Each time, his father refused to acknowledge that Ares had one. Princess Delphine was waiting for Ares to come home and marry her. She was waiting like a dutiful bride to be for her groom. Ares always refused.

As the years went on, and Ares denied his fathers every time, Ares's birthplace had barely been able to avoid all-out war. Though there were still battles that were fought. King Mateo worked with King Photis the entire time, even if it was tense.

Both kings were already at odds with Queen Melissa served under, even before Ares joined her ranks. Now that she was essentially harboring a fugitive, the situation got worse. They sent their combined armies to the battlefield when Queen Melissa refused to cow to Kings Photis and Mateo’s demands, be it for Ares, or whatever else they attempted to force out of her. They never even tried to negotiate, they’d show up armed, and threaten her; demanding her submission. After her husband’s death, she submitted to no one but herself.

Shocking both Kings each time they attempted this; Ares stood by Queen Melissa during each battle. They brought whoever they thought could sway Ares back to his father's side, but Ares didn't even hesitate to kill his own cousin and former friends when his Queen demanded it.

During the reprieve from battles, both Ares’s and Julian’s men were welcome at the villa. While Julian and the other men relaxed and found comfort in willing women, Ares hardly left his bedroom. The men could hear what was happening, given the open nature of the villa, but they rarely saw the couple who was hosting them.

When it was time to leave again, Ares never wanted to leave his wife's arms, just as she never wanted to let him go. Duty called, however, and the couple parted ways. Julian thought they weathered their separation with grace and understanding he'd never seen before. Those years were well spent, and very little trouble actually touched the villa where Mal resided.

But, Greece was a tragic place, and the couple had built up a lot of enemies. Try as he might Princess Delphine and King Mateo soon left King Photis, and the kingdom was not left in good standing. King Photis sent scathing messages when none were answered, he turned up in person to yell at Ares for betraying him.

When Ares's father attempted to make Ares see that he'd been cursed by the Gods, Ares showed him the truth of his life. He had a loving wife who was carrying his child, he had an army, good standing with Queen Melissa, and wanted for nothing except more time with his wife. He wasn’t cursed, if anything he’d been blessed. If his father could see that, if his father could accept that, he would come home.

King Photis left without another word, and stony determination was written on his face. Julian didn't learn until after it was all over what came to pass during and after that visit. The tale was turned into a tragic ballad by survivors in later years.

After the failure of luring Ares home, the failure of confronting him, and being forced to realize his son was doing far better under Queen Melissa than King Photis was as a King, and far better than Ares would have been if he took over the throne to his birth kingdom now; King Photis went to the only other person who could understand his pain and humiliation.

King Mateo and Princess Delphine were looking for ways to get revenge on Ares, as well as King Photis, but King Photis arrived seeking redemption and revealed what he had learned. The information the father and daughter team needed, as well as the physical location of where the "wife" was so as to strike fatal blow there as well, came from King Photis, and he knew exactly what he was doing when it gave to the two of them.

The two kings amicably struck up a bargain to get what they wanted above all else right now, revenge. King Photis pretended to make amends and asked to visit Ares and Mal to apologize and try to work things out. Ares gave his permission and went home with his men.

Upon arrival, the two Kings were waiting with their armies. While Ares was captured and drugged, his men were slaughtered with little regard and then immediately forgotten. Their bodies weren’t even given proper respect, much less a burial. They were slaughtered outside the villa and left to rot in the sun and for the carrion birds to feast on.

While drugged, Princess Delphine married an unaware/ unwilling Ares, and using more concoctions, consummated their marriage. Ares wasn't aware of any of what was happening, but his body acted on instinct. Giving any onlookers the impression that Ares was a willing participant in all of this. For two weeks, Ares was kept drugged in that state, and Princess Delphine only stopped her "honeymoon" for basic needs, such as food, rest, and other basic needs the body has.

Since the cavalry arrived a week before Ares, Mal was beaten and tortured every day. Alternating between the kings and the princess as the administer of her treatment. When Ares arrived, Mal became hopeful to be saved, but she was one of the witnesses forced to watch what happened to Ares’s army. Ares would hit with a dart that knocked him unconscious and he fell on the field. The next time Mal saw him, was at his “wedding” to Princess Delphine.

At first, Mal wanted to deny it was true, but the taunts from the Kings, and Delphine while Ares was in bed with Princess Delphine, gave the illusion the two kings wanted. As they hoped, Mal's heart broke first, then the next time Princess Delphine came to torture her, Mal's body broke. How she kept from miscarrying the baby within her was a mystery that was never answered.

Now that their revenge on Mal had been fulfilled, it was time for their revenge on Ares.

They stopped the drugging, and Ares awoke to his senses once more, only to find a horrific scene before his villa, his screams altered his intruders that he was awake. King Photis and King Mateo told him all that they had done to him, to Mal, with the final declaration that they had succeeded in breaking Mal's spirit.

They brought Ares to the bedroom where King Mateo was having his with Mal. Something he wanted above all else before they finished what else they had planned. Princess Delphine sat on her husband’s lap, her dress hiding the fact that his hands were tied, telling Ares to watch as her father broke the woman that stole Ares from her.

When finished, King Mateo dragged the broken and bloody Mal to the floor in front of Ares and Princess Delphine. Ares saw the broken look in her eyes and knew Mal believed he'd betrayed her and that he was in on all of this. Then he saw her mind leave her eyes, and she was unaware of what followed.

Ares cried and begged them to let her go. He begged his father, if not for him do it for his grandchild. King Mateo held Mal up by the rags that barely clothed her, King Photis said that child wasn't his grandchild. Princess Delphine giggled and ran a hand over her abdomen saying the child she birthed would be King Photis's grandchild. Her child with Ares, a pure-blooded royal. She would raise her son alongside King Photis, and one day, that son would rule the Kingdom Ares was meant to. Their son would not abandon his post as his father had.

King Photis pulled out a sword; Ares fought against his restraints and Princess Delphine sitting in his lap, who filled the room with girlish laughter. He screamed, begged, and pleaded with all of his might, but nothing stopped his father from walking forward and stabbing Mal clear through her abdomen. Killing not only her but the child she was carrying.

That was Ares's breaking point.

Having had her revenge against the couple, and with no doubt in her mind, she was now carrying Ares's heir, she left with a small contingent of bodyguards to return to King Photis's Kingdom. There she would be waiting in the King's bed. It mattered not if it was Ares or King Photis who came home to greet her there. She would still have Ares's heir.

Princess Delphine was well and truly satisfied and her need for vengeance complete. However, the two Kings weren't finished by a long shot. They had their revenge against Mal, but they still had more in store for Ares. His pain had only just begun.

Over the course of many weeks, he was tortured. Limbs were removed and sent back to Queen Melissa. Piece by piece until they cut out his heart and sent it last. They sent it to her as punishment for “taking” what was not hers to begin with, and as a message that these two kings were not to be messed with.

"I only learned that both of you had been killed by King Photis and King Mateo after Queen Melissa received your heart. She sent scouts, but the villa was too heavily guarded, and she knew by the time we got there, it would have been too late anyway. She made the attack known once we had your heart. She had it cooked and all of us ate a piece, so we could carry your strength within us." Julian said remorsefully. "We all marched out to the villa, where the last of the maids and servants were trying to collect themselves after the Kings left the day before. We took the time to cremate everyone there, after confirming who was who. It was difficult given the state of the corpses. You were a husk of what you once were, and Mal was left with the rest of the corpses. It was a horrifying state.

“There wasn’t a day that went by after that where I didn’t regret taking you up on the invitation to go with you. I had a bad feeling, but believed you when you said there was no threat.”

Ares was now clinging to Mal, and she was to him.

"I don't know if it helps, but Queen Melissa personally helped cremate you and the others at the villa. She took the servants back home, where she had them tell the tale to all of her advisors and allies. Later, the whole Kingdom and the ally kingdoms knew what was done by the two kings. There was no question, there were no arguments when she called for war, all shouted in favor." Julian took a deep breath, to gather himself and say this next part right. "We went after King Mateo first. His army was smaller, and fresh off the success he just had, he wasn't prepared, and he outclassed as his better fighters were still with Princess Delphine. Two days, that's all it took. Two days and the army was finished. The people pledged to Queen Melissa when she personally beheaded Mateo and his harem in front of the entire Kingdom. She swore to them she would not be this kind of leader, and she would be one that they could proudly follow. Many of them were confused, but then one of the brave maids who now attended the Queen, but were formerly at the villa, told the story to that Kingdom. The Kingdom fell to their knees, and she was praised.

“The next was King Photis’s kingdom. We snuck in under cover of darkness. The army quietly went after all of the soldiers in the castle, I and Melissa went to the King’s chamber. I dragged the King from his bed and stabbed his shoulders to the wall with my daggers. Melissa dragged Delphine out of bed, shoving potions down her throat. We dragged the two before the Kingdom the next morning. The army battled the soldiers who tried to fight, most dropped their weapons, knowing the battle was lost. In front of everyone, she proclaimed that the former Princess Delphine was now a whore with a pretty name. Her father was dead, her Kingdom was gone, and her child that she claimed was Ares, was now dripping from her whom in the form of blood. The potions Melissa gave her, were to kill the babe in the whom and render Delphine sterile. King Photis was then disemboweled in front of everyone.”

Julian coughed a bit, knowing it was a lot of detail, decided to wrap it up. “Both kings were killed without honor, and their corpses were left in the same state that they left the soldiers under Ares back at the villa. Only this time, no one made a move to give them a proper send off. Once the healers confirmed Delphine was not pregnant before the administering of the potions, and would never have children now, Delphine was severely beaten and her once pretty mutilated by Melissa before she was thrown to the streets of her former Kingdom. Forced to live among the rags of society that hated the royal family and took every chance to attack them. What was further done to her, I cannot say. I can say with all certainty that Delphine later died of disease. It was a slow and rather painful death.”

Mal and Ares still had nothing to say. Julian sighed and was beginning to wonder if he shouldn't have told them. But, it was hard for him not to. Ares had been his best friend, like a brother to him. Julian never had a brother or a sister for that matter. He was the only son of a soldier; Julian’s mother died in childbirth taking his baby sister with her when he was just a boy of two. His father took other women to bed, but he never sired another child. He'd gone to an apothecary and drank a poison that rendered himself sterile so he’d never put another woman through that. He could still perform; jut not sire children.

Julian was more or less raised on the battlefield. He never regretted his lot in life. Never asked for more than what he was given. What he earned he kept, what was given to him was respected. He never regretted not marrying. While he may have been lovers with Queen Melissa for a time after the death of Ares, it more for comfort for both of them than it was love. They respected each other and needed that comfort to carry on with their lives, nothing more.

Having seen how Ares was with Mal back then, even if the two couldn’t speak the same language, Julian couldn’t imagine having less than that. So despite the offers for his hand, he never wed a woman. Though the women who sought his hand didn’t understand, Queen Melissa did, and never spoke of word of marriage.

Being brought to Ares all over again, Julian had hoped his former friend would make an appearance, and he could pick things up where they left off. But it was clear now, even after hearing the story that it wasn’t going to happen. The memories of that life had been wiped clean.

“It’s a blessing you don’t remember.” He eventually said, drawing the couple’s attention once more. “Mal died believing you had betrayed her. Ares, you died knowing she believed this and was killed because in your mind you couldn’t protect her. You trusted too easily.”

Julian sighed as he continued. “I was told that when you came back, you were both nothing but fetuses with shattered pieces of souls no bigger than a grain of sand all around you. There were more pieces than there were actual souls, and the artisans couldn’t even see the pieces to fix the both of you. When other souls came back like this, they were simply purified and turned into energy. Many seem to believe that God only put you back together with pieces of the other because she couldn’t tell the two apart. The Artisans certainly couldn’t.”

“What a bunch of bullshit.”

Julian looked at Mal in shock. The first version of her rarely spoke, and he doubted she’d ever say anything like that even if she had spoken the same language.

"Just because they couldn't do their job, doesn't that God didn't know what she was doing." Mal argued sitting up, Ares rubbing her back in comfort. "God knew what she was doing by putting our souls together the way she did. She was ignored before, so she was going to make damn sure that nothing could keep us apart for long this time around. I can't say I wouldn't do anything differently!"

Julian looked back at Ares, “She always this opinionated and loud?”

Ares smiled and pulled Mal close again. “Yup. And I wouldn’t change it for the world. Someone needs to have a strong constitution to reign me in when I overstep my limit.”

Julian sat back and watched the new versions of the people he once knew. Before, Ares had been reserved, as had Mal. They both had hard limits placed on them. They were closed off, guarded, forever looking over their shoulders. Until the one time, they didn't.

This couple; Ares was bold, but cautious, trying to outsmart his enemies. Mal was strong-willed and wasn't afraid to ask the hard questions. Both were honest and open.

They were free. Free from whatever kept their souls bound in the first time around.

Julian like this version of them much better. Even if they didn’t remember. He looked forward to getting to know them all over again.

}TLCW{

When the Arch Angels returned, the new training began.

Ares found himself really enjoying the potion lessons despite his previous worries. His mother had a knack for teaching these things, and a passion about them he never would have pegged her form. Ultimately, he resolved, even if Snape couldn't be saved, then he was going to work harder at this subject regardless.

Mal thrived with her potions training. Ares could see, if his mother had been alive, this would have been a subject that the two could have bonded over for years to come. He could easily see his wife taking an apprenticeship with his mother. Him sneaking into her room during her stays with them, his mother none the wiser that he was corrupting her innocent apprentice.

Mal must have sensed his train of thought because she punched his arm during his musing causing him to laugh.

Herbology, however, was a miss with both of them. While Ares got the purpose of the plants, as well as how they worked in the potions, the actual carrying for them he could leave for another to do. Mal was of the same opinion but knew for the purposes of her school work that she would inevitably need this knowledge.

Though she did go the extra mile and ask if there was a way to turn off one’s sense of smell while working with the fertilizer. When they said no, she asked why someone hadn’t thought of a spell, or potion, to do so.

No one had an answer. It was another simple thing that could have been dealt with using magic, but it was something that had been done for centuries, so no effort was spent to change it.

When it came time for the physical workouts, Mal could understand Ares's pain. She had to jog around the flat earth once. She had to do the crunches and push up. It was at that point she crashed down. Screaming she'd a bike or a swim! But not any more of that workout. Ares just laughed. He tried to join her, but Julian and Satan were having none of it.

While Julian and Satan kept up with their weapons training with Ares, Michael and Gabriel worked with Mal on her self-defense. They had no idea what kind of home situation she was going to be going into. Sure, they could write for years to get the details down, but it all came down to mortal choices. Things could pear shape the minute their souls touched the ground. So they thought it was best to prepare for the worst. They expanded upon what little experience she already had, and helped her gain confidence in her ability.

They learned about Wizarding Law, and they learned about their positions. What role they would have to play, and how to get more information once they were in Pottermore again. Monty and James stressed not to go there until Ares was out from under Dumbledore’s control. Else Dumbledore would tear through the wards by any means necessary, and as Ares’s Guardian, he would have legal right to do so and demand Ares let him anywhere within the Castle.

Mal was so furious upon hearing that, her magic reacted and she accidentally blew out the walls for the entire back half of Pottermore. It had quickly repaired, but everyone had seen it happen, and they were all in a state of shock. Even Michael could only stare wide-eyed at the spectacle.

Lily and Mia immediately decided to work occlumency into the plans. Both for Mal and for Ares. Gabriel and Michael helped as well so they could speed the process along. This skill was generally what helped the white wings control their own emotions. Even if the younger generations weren't aware of this. They explained this would make things much easier for them once they went back to the mortal plane. For every day they spent in their mindscape, it was one minute in reality. This would give them the chance to review all of their memories from the moment of their mortal bodies birth, to their souls being placed back in their mortal bodies. It would also help keep their knowledge locked away as well. Which the angels were already doing, but this added another layer of protection.

When creating hers, Mal's did indeed take the form of the Secret Garden. However, dropping down into the small stone pond revealed Ariel's grotto. Only it wasn't human items stored in that cave. It was underwater treasures. Going out into the open ocean, the place appeared to be just like the area from the first Kingdom Hearts game. Going down a special hole to the left the grotto, brought the person down to a clearing where there were a wrecked ship and sharks circling nearby attacking anyone who got near them. Giving the impression that the true memories were stored in the ship. However, thanks to the angel's protection, instead of a rock hiding the path to Ursula's lair, it was just a solid wall, with no cracks. Only those allowed or with the knowledge of the angels could see the opening along the wall of rock.

Beyond that, in Ursula’s lair, amid the many potions and the cauldron in the center were Mal’s real memories. Her memories would be stored in all three locations, but only the knowledge of the afterlife and the memories of her previous lives would be hidden in the lair.

Ares's mindscape was much different. It started as the Dursley's house. Just as Albus would expect. Holding his memories of his young childhood, from his baby days to the day he got his Hogwarts letter in the cupboard under the stairs. In the small bedroom, He stored all of his years at Hogwarts. At least, up until the point, he would be dropped into a mortal shell again. Going outside, there was a rather large hole. It was concealed by Petunia's rose bushes, and it one had to really search for it, but it was there.

Jumping down the hole, it was a dark slide, almost like Alice’s trip down her rabbit hole. Bringing a person out to the apparition point of Pottermore. Inside, Ares stored his memories in the library. Setting up all of the defenses that Pottermore had between the front door and the library. All of his knowledge about the afterlife was stored in that elusive third-floor library, and unless you were in on the knowledge of the afterlife, or given permission, no one could access that library. Not even Dumbledore with his precious Elder Wand.

For a brief moment, Ares wondered about the Elder Wand but shook his head. Assuming that the Elder Wand was just another powerful item and not actually created by Death.

Still, something persisted in the back of his mind.

"Hey, love?"

“Yeah?” Mal called as she brushed her hair in the bathroom.

“So, no portals exist to and from worlds, am I right?”

She came into the bedroom and nodded. “To my knowledge and understanding, yes.”

“Then, what’s the veil of Death?”

She collapsed on the bed as she thought about it. “I, I have no idea.”

Ares nodded. “I’m confused about it. When we were setting up our mindscapes and defenses, I thought how not even Dumb-as-a-Door could get into that third library even with his Elder Wand. And that begged the question-”

“What role do the Deathly Hollows and the Veil of Death play?” Mal asked, understanding where he was going with this.

“Do you think we should ask the Arch Angels?”

Mal nodded. "Definitely. This is something that needs to be answered. I'd say let's hunt them down now, but I'm suddenly very exhausted."

Ares was already asleep as Mal laid down on the bed, curling up into him.

}TLCW{

From her perch in her room, God let out a long breath “Phew!”

Still, she smiled at the two of them. "You are smart, and you're on the right track. But I'm afraid it's still too soon for you guys to be asking those kinds of questions. Someday, hopefully on that day, Michael won't try to do anything stupid, but not today. This venture must succeed first."

Her hair rippled as she giggled. Then she tilted her head to the side and she noticed something else happening in her domain. She glared at the situation.

"Oh no, you don't!" She growled. "I think instead of waiting, let's speed that process up a little bit. That should get the situation given its due attention and be dealt with accordingly."

She sighed and sat down in her chair that looked like a golden U on a short pedestal. Leaning against the side she watched the worlds progress. She sighed again.

“Oh my. So much to do, and yet,” she looked down at the sleeping couple. “And yet.”

}TLCW{

During a break day, Lily and James found Mal and Ares in the library, both working on their occlumency.

“Mind if we cut in?” James chuckled as he entered the room.

“Actually James,” Lily sighed as she sniffed back tears. Closing her eyes and shaking her head. “You do this, I can’t. I just, I can’t.”

She turned and walked out of the room without another word.

“Mum?” Ares called as he tried to go after her.

But James caught him by the shoulder. “Actually lad, let her go. This is difficult for her, and I’m sure you’ll understand once I tell this story.” James looked at Mal. “He’s going to need you to be here for this, so as much as you want to go after Lily, which I appreciate, he’s going to need you more.”

Mal nodded and sat back down. Ares sitting beside her, taking her hand was more habit now than it was anything else. It felt natural to be in contact with her. To be without it when she was near felt wrong.

“What’s this about dad?” Ares asked.

James sighed and hung his head for a while before raising it and meeting his son’s and daughter in law’s eyes. “We’ve told you about how Snape was our friend from the beginning, but what we didn’t tell you, is we had another friend.”

“Petunia.” Mal surmised.

Ares looked at Mal with a look that screamed, excuse me!?

She shrugged. “Given her actions during one of your lives, what you told me she said, I suspected that might have been the case. She spoke to James as if she was speaking to someone she’d known for years. There was no other explanation for it. Certainly not the words of someone who only saw the guy a handful of times. And Petunia never displayed the insanity one would need to be a stalker of that kind of magnitude. She certainly wouldn’t have been able to marry another man, much less raise his child.”

Ares looked to his father for confirmation. Not that he doubted Mal, he just needed to know.

James nodded. "Because we were all very close early one, Petunia was as much our friend as Snape was. At least, she was friends with me and Lily. Not so much Snape we later learned, but he didn't want to spoil our friendships by saying one thing and her saying another, and Lily taking her side because they were sisters.

"Petunia and Lily were actually really close, even after Lily started to go to Hogwarts. They wrote to each other practically every day. We didn't learn until much later that she was actually desperate to be a witch herself. As the years went on, and she couldn't perform any magic, not even a slide of hand, she steadily became jealous of Lily. More so as the years went on. Then, she was bitter about it, further poisoning her heart and mind."

James ran a hand through his unruly hair and avoided looking at Ares. "Of course, this meant that I knew her from a young age as well. We wrote letters back and forth after the summer after first year. Second year is really what began my friendship with her and our correspondence. I wanted to know more about muggle life, the world Lily grew up in and wanted to have a piece of in her life forever. I figured the best place to get that information was from Petunia. Your mother wasn't averse to being my friend, being more came much later in our Hogwarts' years.

"Petunia used Lily's owl, Athena, that I got for her birthday so she could write to her family and they could write back to her. Since keeping contact while in Hogwarts is difficult. Even the mirrors we thought up later wouldn't work for muggles. Only a witch and wizard can make them work."

James looked away and sighed deeply. Mal noticed there was a lot of sighing. He was obviously putting off telling this story. Though she had a feeling she knew where this was going, and why. She looked at Ares, he met her eyes and nodded a bit. He’d figured it out too. So they sat back and let James tell the story in his own time. Long sigh breaks where he needed. Which was often.

“Anyway, we were good friends, at least I thought I we were. Lily knew about our letters and everything. I kept no secrets from her, but Petunia was very reluctant to tell Lily about any of our correspondence. I had no idea why. Lily read my letters after I’d written them to see if I made any mistakes or if there were details, I had omitted or needed to omit for obvious reasons. She also got to read Petunia’s letters to me, so nothing in them was secret from Lily. There was nothing to really keep secret.

“I never saw it coming, though looking back, I probably should have, but I didn’t. Maybe I had filters, maybe Petunia was a good actress, I have no idea. But I never realized until much later in the future that she wanted more from me. More than I was ever willing to give her.”

Ares' hand tightened in grip in Mal's. She returned it while scooting closer and laying the other hand on her arm.

"As the years went on, we had our roles to play. I was the enemy, Snape was bullied by me, and Lily eventually came to hate us both. I wrote to Petunia, often, course I didn't tell her the truth of what was going on, she might tell her parents and they would take Lily and run. I didn't want that, plus the less Petunia knew, the more she was protected. She became very much the sister I never had.

“Apparently, according to her parents, she had vowed after meeting me that she would marry a wizard, and have his children so she could be a part of the magical world as well as Lily. They saw no problem with it, and had no idea that she had a specific husband already picked out.” At that James pointed to himself. “In sixth year, Lily and I began to slowly make our true relationship known. I began going steady with her back in fourth year, but we only began to show bits and pieces in the sixth year. That summer, it was time to do something we wanted to back when we first got together; announce it to my, and her, parents, eventually the extended family as well.

"I came over one night, we had a lovely dinner and sat down for some tea afterward. Petunia sat to my left, and Lily sat to my right. Then Lily took my hand and said we were going steady. Had been for a while, but we wanted to wait until we were sure it could have a future before we told anyone. Now, we knew. I was ever so relieved and happy when they approved and gave their blessing to keep courting her. I think her mum knew eventually where it would end up, but didn't say it out loud.

“That’s when we looked to Tuni, sorry Petunia, that was her nickname. She had been very quiet over in her corner on the couch. That’s when we noticed the look of utter shock, and how it turned to anger as she eventually realized what we were saying. She threw the biggest tantrum I had ever seen. I’d never seen anyone, except the most undisciplined child, behave that way. She screamed things and tried to pull me away from Lily. Eventually, she was sent to her room until I left. Which was scant minutes later. I was too shocked to be of any comfort to Lily that night.

“I found out from Lily later that Petunia went into their parents’ room that night. She demanded that they stop Lily from seeing me. Petunia saw me first, she laid claim to me first, Lily had no right to me. It wasn’t fair that Lily got to be a witch, and get the Wizard at the same time. So she demanded they tell Lilly to back off, and demand that I court Petunia instead.”

“I can only assume they refused if they said anything at all after a shock like that.” Mal couldn’t help but comment.

James shrugged. “No idea. Next thing I knew, I had received a long letter from Petunia. Claiming that she was in love with me, that she had always been love with me. She talked about how much better we would be together than Lily and I. She begged and pleaded with me to answer her and tell her that I felt the same. She knew I did. So many of my letters to her confirmed it. I stopped writing to her then, but she kept writing. Only to me. She barely even spoke to her parents; she wouldn’t even look at Lily. It was only when she wrote me a letter begging me to run away with her and get her pregnant so we had to get married when Lily insisted that I write back. Petunia wanted us to meet up at the train station in London and sneak away before the Express took off and go somewhere else, anywhere else, and begin a new life together.”

There was another long pause as James struggled to find the words to continue.

“I wrote back. Telling her how sorry I was. I never meant to mislead her. While I knew I hadn’t, I knew I needed to say that, at least for her sake. To drive the point home. I told her that I had only ever loved Lily, and thought of Petunia as an older sister. Like the one I lost before I was born.” James smiled a bit. “When we got to the platform, Petunia was waiting there, a smile on her face, a large bag in hand, but I merely waved and went with Lily through the barrier. I got on the express with her and the rest of the Marauders, and we were headed back to our last year at Hogwarts.

“We learned the following weekend from Lily’s parents that it was while their backs were turned that Petunia ran away. They searched for hours, but it was eventually learned that she took a train somewhere else. She rode several different trains, taking Lily’s parents out to some remote places. Eventually, they learned she took a train back into London where she left the station. They did find her right before the letter was written. In a hospital. She’d been working as a hooker, someone beat her up, but we weren’t sure if she was raped, or if the guy was just rough with her. Petunia wouldn’t say either way.

"That Christmas, I asked her parents if I could marry Lily. I then told my parents about my intentions. Both gave their blessing. I asked her to marry me on Christmas day, she said yes. I celebrated with her and her family for a while. Petunia was hidden away in her room; I never saw her then." His voice began breaking, and he had to cough a couple of times to get a somewhat normal voice back again. "That night, I was out celebrating with the Marauders before Moody dragged us all out of the bar and into holding cells for a few hours for being drunk and disorderly. I went home for a while but decided to spend the last couple of nights with Lily and her parents before the beginning of the next term. Petunia slipped into my bed naked on that first night and began to stroke me. I freaked out as soon as I realized what was happening.

"The first time, she merely licked her fingers saying I wanted her. It was just a matter of time and she left the room." He hung his head. "I didn't tell Lily right away, but before bed the next night, and took her aside and told her. I told her I was worried that Petunia would try it again. Lily, chose to believe that her sister wasn't that kind of person and would respect my wishes, but I held my doubts. This time, when she crawled into bed with me, I immediately shoved her out before she could touch me and threatened her at wand point to not do it again. She left with her lower lip quivering; all the while still naked as a jaybird. The third time, I began shouting at her, forgetting the silencing charms, and the rest of the family came running in. Lily slapped Petunia on the face and stopped mending the bridges between them that night."

“What did Petunia say to make Lily react like that?” Mal asked.

“How did you know that Petunia said something?” James asked concerned.

Mal merely raised an eyebrow, looked toward the door, then back at him. "I haven't known you that long, but I would like to think I know you well enough to understand your reaction to things. Lily is hot-tempered yes, and catching her sister in bed with you after you warned her would have angered her yes, but not enough to warrant that kind of reaction."

James gave a half-hearted smile before looking at Ares. “Did I ever tell you how proud I am of you for finding a good one?”

Ares merely grinned. “Never hurts to hear it again.”

“Petunia called Lily a slut. Then began to exaggerate what we’d done in bed together, and what would have happened if Lily hadn’t interrupted.” James answered looking back at Mal. “School life went on just the same after that, we made our engagement known at the end of graduation. She took her apprenticeship, and I took mine with the Auror Corps. We started planning our wedding, and Petunia was engaged shortly before our wedding, to Vernon. No one was sure how she met him, Lily’s parents suspected he was the man who beat her up something terrible, but we had no proof, and Vernon was never anything by nice to her when they were in public, or alone. She seemed so in love with Vernon that Lily and I began to make partial amends with her.

“This led to Petunia sneaking into my dressing room before the wedding wearing Lily’s dress. We fought, and Lily cut her out of the dress with her wand before transfiguring it into something else for the wedding. Which I was grateful for. The last thing we needed was our wedding to be ruined by Petunia wearing Lily’s dress before she did.”

“What did Vernon have to say about this?” Mal wondered. “Surely he must have heard the fight.”

“Oh, he did.” James assured her, “He was aware of magicals at this point. As we’d told him about it. He didn’t want to know more, but we told him what we could having been given permission and were under orders to obliviate him if it came to that. She claimed to him she was trying to save Lily from making a terrible mistake. She could be a witch, that was fine, but don’t marry one and cement herself in that abnormal world. It was fine to be a freak, but don’t invite it to further infect the next generation and ruin years of good breeding. Something Vernon understood and approved of.”

"She said exactly what he wanted to hear." Mal shook her head. "She didn't believe his ideas, but she pandered to them just the same."

James nodded. “Once again, contact was minimal, and we were busy with the war. We barely had time for other magicals, let alone muggles.”

“Then came the pregnancy announcements.” Mal said, knowing it was something along those lines that caused the canon falling out between the sisters.

James nodded. “Petunia had just bragged all about it to their parents when Lily came in announced the same. Petunia lost it. She said Lily should abort her baby because she could never give James a worthy heir like Petunia could have. Lily was trash! A Freak! Petunia could have given him so much more! Their child would be a monster and filth like Lily! Better it be saved the embarrassment of having Lily as a mother than be forced to live with the reality. Petunia then provided places where Lily could get said abortion and apparently had appoints already made for her. Though those appointments were for Lily to get sterilized, all it would take was a phone call to change it to an abortion, then a follow up for sterilization.”

Ares stood and paced to the window to look out. It was as calming as Mal’s presence was. She stood and laid a hand on his back.

“I find it hard to believe that Vernon never knew about any of this.” Mal said looking back at James sympathetically.

“Oh, he did.”

Everyone looked at Gabriel who was standing in the doorway.

“Don’t you angels have anything better to do than Eavesdrop?” Ares asked, still looking out the window, his arms folded behind his back, his fists clenched together to keep himself from having a violent reaction.

Everyone knew present knew him well enough to know that it wasn’t Gabriel that had Ares so upset.

Gabriel merely came in and rested back in a chair while putting his feet on the table. Unconcerned, and unphased. "Vernon was very much aware of Petunia's obsession with James. But he also knew she was his one and only chance at getting a decent wife and family, so quickly courted, and married Petunia before she changed her mind. She was pregnant before she could change her mind about that too. So long as James was never around or even brought up, she was his ideal wife.

“With James and Lily’s deaths, he had hoped that Petunia’s obsession had well and truly ended with them. But the more Ares grew up, the more both Dursley’s saw James reborn. To Vernon, James as a freak who never should have existed if he wasn’t going to be a slave to those of better society, like Vernon.” At Ares threatening growl, Gabriel raised his hands in surrender despite Ares’s back to him. “Hey! I’m just saying what was in his mind.”

Mal rubbed Ares’s back in comfort as she laid her other hand on his stomach. “Please, continue, and do try not to quote that vermin’s thoughts again.”

Gabriel readily nodded. "Anyway, he knew what Petunia did that afternoon because of the afterglow he was familiar with, but far more pronounced than he'd ever seen it. He knew immediately what had happened, and despite knowing that it was Petunia who did it all, he was resolved to kill Ares so he could keep his wife and family together. If Petunia left him all that was left were the diseased riddled prostitutes that would only let Vernon touch them after he paid.”

Mal shook her head and rested her forehead against Ares’s shoulder. “Can’t we live in a universe where people aren’t this twisted and complicated.”

Ares sighed. “Not ruddy likely.”

Gabriel nodded his sentiments. “Unfortunately, until more of the taint infecting humanity is cleared, there will be more people like this.”

Ares took a breath. “I expected as much.” He brought the hand Mal had on his stomach to his lips. “I’m fine. Thank you for that love, but I’m alright.”

He continued to stare out the window at his land, his home. Standing in his library. With his wife and lady at his side. “Gabriel, out of respect for our friendship, please, kindly take your dirty feet off my table.”

Gabriel slowly removed his feet from the table. Even sitting upright in his chair. Straightening his clothes as he did so. He cleared his throat and coughed a little.

Mal giggled and smiled at Ares. “You enjoy scaring him way too much.”

Ares shrugged as he chuckled. “Perhaps.”

“Anyway . . .” Gabriel said drawing out the word. He met Mal’s eyes. “Michael wants us all in the family room. Apparently, a request from your family has been granted.”

}TLCW{

“Excuse me!?” Mal asked more than a little shocked.

“They want to watch your lives, all of them, like they had been able to with Ares.” Michael explained as he tapped the mirror above the fireplace. “They want to know all about you, and talk you through whatever other doubts you may have.”

“But I don’t have any!” Mal insisted.

“And do you still think less of yourself for having to work as a stripper?” Mia asked critically.

To that, Mal pursed her lips and tapped her knuckles together but said nothing. Ares just smiled and rubbed her back.

Mia nodded. “We did this for Ares, and we have systematically given him the closer he needs by loving him and helping him onward with his quest.” Mia smiled gently. “Monty and I are in for the long sleep after this. We may not even last long. I want to leave this place and go to sleep in Heaven knowing that I’ve done everything that I can for my family. Please permit this old woman that sense of peace.”

Mal sighed defeated and she nodded.

With a sigh of his own, Michael hit play. Sitting by Gabriel and Satan as he did so. Sirius and Julian were the only ones sitting in chairs.

Mal opted to snooze in Ares’s lap as they watched the lives she lived play out.

Having heard them was different from seeing them, at least now Ares had faces with the names. To everyone else, this was new. They knew about the last life and they heard about the deaths, but seeing everything that Mal endured at the hands of that family was, was, terrible was just too nice a word, but it was as close as they got without cursing up a storm.

Mal woke up as the screen went back to being a plan mirror.

“My realm!” Satan said with venom. He looked over at Ares. “I’ll have them put on ice till you get there. You want the same with the bastards from your world?”

Ares nodded as he hugged Mal close.

“Do the same with the Dursley’s, as well as Molly when you do. Hermione and Ginny as well if they haven’t repented or been given an alternate punishment already.” Mal said softly from his embrace.

Mia’s eyes had tears falling down her cheeks as she shook her head. “Everything you endured, it’s a miracle you’re not worse off than you my dear.”

Mal shrugged. “When I finally got away, the stories I found gave me some help. Closure that not all of the world behaved that way, and many wished for different things and better places.”

“What kind of stories?” Ares asked in a teasing manner.

“Haha.” Mal mocked, “you already know.”

“Still like it if you’d tell me.” He said as he snuggled in closer. So she was looking at only him as she talked.

Mal laughed before she obliged him. "Well, I read the canon verse, then a friend introduced me to the fanfiction, and I was hooked. Among my favorites are Sirensong, Up Yours Dumbles, The Lightning Lord, Savior of Magic – which that one is essentially a rewrite of Lightning Lord with a continuation that the Lightning Lord didn't have because Harry was so OP to begin with or something along those lines, Daft Morons, and the one I was reading before coming here was Harry Crow. In that one, Vernon abandoned Harry with the Goblins and he was Goblin raised!"

Ares threw his head back and laughter before mellowing down and frowning at her. “Please tell me I wasn’t a merman in Sirensong.”

“No.” Mal said quickly. “You were a Siren. You had black wings, you could breathe underwater, you were a sex machine, and extremely monogamist.”

Ares chuckled as he drew Mal closer for a kiss, before devouring her mouth with his, he growled. “Damn right.”

Ares couldn't help it, even with people there. She thought about him, dreamed about him, and loved him before even meeting him. Him, the person, not the boy who lived, Gryffindor's Golden Boy, Dumbledore's Man, or the defeater of Voldemort – The Man Who Slayed. If he suddenly turned into a milkman with nothing of value to offer, she'd still love him and choose him over all the rest. She'd take him in any form, no matter his backstory, no matter the career path, no matter his riches, or physical state. She'd take him. The soul, the heart. Just as he'd take her.

When he pulled back, her cheeks were red and buried her face in his chest. Her hair turning candy apple red while she did so.

“That’s it!” Tonks shrieked jumping to her feet scaring everyone in the room. “No one! And I repeat, no one, gets to claim her again until she has mastered being able to morph at will.”

“I can only do my hair.” Mal protested weakly.

Tonks narrowed her eyes. “Doesn’t matter bitch, from now until it’s time to leave, you’re mine!”

Mal shuddered. “I should mention that another of my favorites was Rune Stone Path, where Harry was a Rune Savant, and he had a harem.”

Everyone in the room froze.

“And you were in that harem Tonks. Most of the girls had fun with each other, as well as Harry. Hearing you say that just made me think of Tonks being all playful in the story, something along the lines of, “You’re my bitch now!" right before you had sex with Fleur or something."

Tonks went cherry red staring at Mal in disbelief. Then looked curious, “Really?”

Mal proceeded to bite Ares before climbing on top of him. “Mine, Bitch! You have your walking fluffy toy and Bestiality Porn! Leave me and my man out of it!”

Tonks pouted, grinning viciously towards the end. “But it would have been so much fun, and don’t diss a werewolf’s tongue till you’ve had it licking you front to back.”

Mal paled. “Oh, dear sweet Lord, what have I done?”

Everyone, even Michael, laughed hysterically.

}TLCW{

They stood at the apparition point of the property looking at everything as they held hands. Their training was now complete, and it was time to go. Each were marveling at the place that would one day be their actual home. Though they would miss the company, especially since they would never see this version of Monty and Mia again.

“Oh.” Mal said as the thought of them and looked at Ares. “I learned what happened to your aunt.”

Ares looked at her curiously, fury ready to be unleashed depending on what happened.

“You know what “Shaken Baby Syndrome” is?”

He nodded. “The child is shaken so hard their brain receives so much damage that they become braindead. I almost died that way once, that was one of the many times that Dumbledore brought Pomfrey to heal me. Rather than deal with me at all after that, the Dursley’s just locked me in the cupboard.”

“Monty’s brother was left alone with her, and she wouldn’t stop crying.” Mal said softly. “I’m sure that you know where it goes from there.”

Ares sighed as he nodded and looked back towards Pottermore. “So that’s why what happened to Snape’s mother really hit home for them.”

Mal tightened her grip on his hand in comfort. “Yes.”

“I swear, no one will get the chance to do that to our children.”

Mal laid her head on his shoulder, smiling at the promise. They watched as their family said goodbye to Monty and Mia. They already said their goodbyes. This was the chance for everyone else. The couple decided to give them their privacy since most of the extended family grew up knowing Monty and Mia as parental figures.

Sirius, like Mal and Ares, had already said goodbye to the couple who more or less raised him. He was off to the side having a brief reunion with Walburga, Regulus, with an awake and cleansed adult Bellatrix.

“You did a good job.” Ares assured her as he noticed which group she was staring at.

“Thank you.” She said as she kept her eyes on the group. “Did she say anything to you?”

“Only that she’d understand if I left her in Azkaban to suffer.” Ares sighed. “She completely expects me to do that.”

“Will you?” Mal asked softly.

He sighed again. “Part of me wants to, but I forgave her the moment I realized she was broken and hated herself more than anyone else ever could.” He looked down at her as Sirius and Walburga shared an embrace. “I think I will at least try to save her.”

"If it helps." Mal said running her hand up and down his arm. "I think I might have an idea on how to."

“Any help would be appreciated.” He said with great emphasis.

She didn’t need him to tell her just why this was going to be difficult. “It’s something to discuss with Sirius when we get back to the mortal realm. I think it can wait until then. We have to leave some surprises for later.”

Before Ares could agree with her, there was a flash just behind them. Everyone who was going to be here today was already here. That included Julian, Satan, Gabriel, and Michael. They were standing separate, in their own group, having some kind of meeting of their own. So no one should have been arriving. When she looked to see who it was, Ares gripped Mal's hand and did his best to contain his fury.

Mal’s stomach plummeted. She knew it wasn’t over, not by a long shot. But she hadn’t expected anything this soon. “Rida?”

Rida hadn't known where Mal and Ares were. Roger merely gave her the location and sent her on her way. She didn't expect to no longer be at the Purgatory's office building with its attached infirmary and access to the underworld, and from there, Hell. She naturally assumed there were no other locations. It was such a shock to her system that such a place could exist here.

It was something out of history, or a fairy tale, and floating on flat land in the vast expanse of space that Rida hadn't taken time to fully admire in all of her time in the afterlife. Her mind and purpose left her momentarily as she stared around.

When Mal called out to her, Rida looked at her, forgetting who she was. Then it slammed back with such a shock she actually jumped back to her senses. She remembered her mission, her destiny. Looking across the way, she saw Satan. It was further proof in her mind that the wonderous Sir Stephan was right. This was obviously Satan’s palace, his seat of power away from all of the rest so he could plot terrible things. Thankfully, Mal hadn’t entered the gates yet. She obviously just arrived, taking that poor innocent soul with her. Well, that was one soul that would be saved from sin if Rida had any say in the matter.

She didn’t see the other Arc Angels; else she might have lost her courage.

“Oh, thank goodness I found you!” Rida gushed with genuine relief. “I feared I might be too late.”

“Too late for what?” Mal asked curiously.

Rida stood before her with a sweet smile. “I realize I was completely wrong about you.” This had Mal’s eyebrows lifting. “I realize now things aren’t as they seemed. I misjudged you. For that, I must apologize.”

Mal spared a glance at Ares. It seemed as if she was being sincere. So far, the ring of truth resounded in every word that came out of Rida. It shocked Ares as well.

“I have here,” Rida said pulling a contract from her pocket, “an updated contract for you. It’s for your protection and would greatly benefit you.”

Rida had Mal going right up to that point. Mal looked down at the contract with a sense of impending doom.

“But, I’m already under contract.” Mal said dumbly. “I signed one with Gabriel weeks ago.”

This gave Rida pause for a moment before her bright smile was back in place as she faced Mal. "As I said, this is an updated contract. Gabriel must have forgotten to mention it."

“I highly doubt that.” Ares seethed. The ring of truth had completely left Rida’s voice. She was blatantly lying now. “We can’t trust you Rida, so forgive me if I refuse to take your word for it. I’ll have Michael take a look at that contract you have there.”

“I assure you there is no need to bother such a busy man.” Rida assured Ares with that same bright smile that wasn’t fooling anyone. “I’ve learned my lesson, and I really do have Mal’s best interests at heart.”

“MICHAEL! GABRIEL! SATAN!” Ares called. “GET YOUR LAZY ASSES OVER HERE! WE’VE GOT AN INTRUDER!”

Before Rida could even blink in shock, the three Arch Angels were standing before, all of them looking livid. Gabriel snatched the contract out of Rida’s hands before she could refuse. Satan waved a hand and Rida was petrified, unable to even blink.

Michael stepped forward and hugged Mal and Ares tightly. He kissed Mal’s forehead before ruffling Ares’s head.

"Alright you two, this is it." Michael smiled at them. "I won't ask if you're ready, because I know this what you've been training for. All I can say is good luck, and we'll be watching closely. We may be able to send a sign to guide you on the right path." He grinned at Mal. "You'll be the one to see them."

“I’ll keep an open mind and look out for them.” Mal promised.

“Take care of her.” Michael warned Ares.

“I will.” Ares promised, before glancing at the frozen Rida. “So long as you deal with things here. Because if I come back, and I have to deal with it, I assure you things will not be pleasant.”

Michael nodded. “So noted.”

With that said, Michael took a step back and with a wave of his hand, both Mal and Ares vanished in a spiral of bright lights before disappearing entirely. He took a deep breath before looking at his brothers, currently pouring over the contract.

“Do I want to know?”

Gabriel merely thrust the offending document to Michael before making quick strides to Rida. He proceeded to backhand her across the face for all of his worth. Sending her flying through the cosmos before she was summoned right back.

“Do you have any idea what you almost did!?” Gabriel thundered.

“I was trying to save you!” Rida screamed. “She’s destined to be the Devil’s bride and ruin all of us!”

Satan gagged. “Oh, that’s gross! That woman is like my niece! My baby sister! I could never be with her in the manner of which you speak. Further, Ares would kill me if I so much as looked at Mal in that way.”

“I will not believe your lies!” Rida scoffed. “I see the truth of you!” She then looked at Gabriel and Michael with determination. “I will save you! Or I will die trying! It’s my destiny!”

“No.” Michael said, his tone dark and threatening. All of the cosmos dimming with his tone as he did. “You almost destroyed us all! Had you succeeded all of the cosmos’ and worlds would have been lost! Our entire universe! Gone! I was willing to go easy on your because you were a new soul pulled into something bigger than your limited experience and small mind could handle. Now, I’m not so sure. You are confined to a room until we’re able to deal with you! You make one more move, and your fate is sealed!”

With a blink, Rida was back at her room in the barracks, but it was a different barracks than Sir Stephan. She couldn’t even get word to him that their master plan had failed. Mal was still with that mortal soul, and Satan had a palace! It was worse than they all feared. It would appear as if Michael and the other Arch Angels were in league with the Devil. None of them were safe! Not even her husband God! She had to get out and warn them all! She banged at the barrier, screaming and crying with all her might.

Nothing in her meager power was enough to bring down the barrier.

}TLCW{

Robert had been watching everything from a viewing screen in his cubical. He knew immediately upon Rida’s arrival that this plan wouldn’t work. He saw the Arch Angels where she hadn’t. When she was imprisoned, Robert went filtering through his desk. After several long moments of looking, he pulled up a golden coin. It was one favor from the Arch Angels. Could be used in any scenario, so long as it was within their power to grant.

Robert had been saving this for a life or death situation, or something dire such as that. He sat for a while, weighing the pros and cons of using this coin. So far, he'd gone undetected in his part of Stephan's plots, and Rida's. They could never trace a specific contract back to anyone angel in records. All of their power was the same, so it would take a lot of nitpicking, meaning a great deal of time, to be able to tell the difference between the individuals in Records. At that point, Robert would have had his memories wiped and gone back to the mortal realm as an innocent soul, thus, beyond their reach of punishment.

However, if he used this coin to spring Rida, and helped her with her “mission” some more, he would become a known entity. The question was, could he get laid before he did?

He flipped the coin. “Heads Rida, tails I get my memories wiped and my ass out of here before the shit hits the fan.”

He flipped the coin a few times before letting it lay flat on his palm. He glanced at the results. “Guess, I better go then.”

He got up and walked out of his cubical. He walked through the maze of the cubicles that was the Records Departments.

He came to rest as his destination, he double checked by flipping the coin once more, and with a sigh, opened the door.

“Robert!” Rida gushed when she saw him. “I’m so sorry! All of your hard work! Wasted because I failed!”

Robert let her berate herself a little longer. He stood there staring at her. She really was a beauty, and he wondered if her delusional faith would let her lower her guard enough for him to at least cop a feel. The more she spoke of religion, the more he was beginning to think that perhaps not. However, the coin flip landed him here, too late to turn back now.

“Maybe not.” He said in a cautious tone.

Rida looked at him in shock. “You mean there’s another way?”

He shrugged. “Possibly.”

“Tell me! Tell me!” Rida’s insistence was almost crazed.

“We know the world they’re going to; people are already going back with the “divine gift” of their memories.” He tossed the coin in his hand. “Wouldn’t be too hard to give a few of them their memories back as the Arch Angels get everything up and running. Especially if these people make life difficult for Mal and her lover.”

Glee, pure unadulterated glee, spread across Rida’s face before turning vicious in nature. “A perfect plan Robert. Perfect! Of course, we’d have to choose people who could do the most damage. But I’m not familiar with that world, are you?”

Robert shrugged. “Shouldn’t be too hard to find the people who cause some trouble for them.”

“Perhaps they’ll kill Mal’s mortal shell early. When they do, she’ll come straight back to me, and I can finish what I started.” Rida laughed wickedly.

Robert didn’t correct her. He knew there was no chance of that. Because Mal was under contract with Gabriel, that’s to whom she would go back to. Nowhere near Rida.

“Shall we go then?” He asked as he took a step back.

“But the barrier!” Rida insisted. “I can’t break it! What hope do you have?”

“Oh, I have an idea.” Robert said nonchalantly as he tossed the coin softly in his hand. “Step back.”

Rida immediately obeyed.

Robert tossed the coin at the doorway and the barrier electrified before collapsing.

“What was that!?” Rida demanded.

“A favor from the Arch Angels.” Robert answered. Then grabbed her wrist and began pulling her away quickly. “We have to leave before Michael realizes what’s happened, or both of our necks will be on the chopping block.”

“My hero!” Rida gushed. “You saved me!”

“Let’s just hope we can accomplish something before we’re inevitably caught.” Robert muttered.

“Oh, we will!” Rida said excitedly. “My husband God will not let us fail. I knew he was watching over his true wife.”

Robert rolled his eyes. No wonder he didn’t stand a chance, she had deluded herself into believing she was married to God, and that she was a guy! Oh, he wished he could be there when she realized God was a woman. Still, that was for later.

He took her to the back of the Record's Department, where they had a few viewing rooms that weren't used anymore. He locked them away in one of them, watching the influx of souls returning to the world where Mal and Ares were going. Robert picked three at random to remember. Thinking that at least one of them would be in the position to cause some damage to the star couple. He didn't know this world any better than Rida.

His homeworld never had the Harry Potter stories, and he wasn't inclined to look them up once he was promoted to an angel in the afterlife. Something he'd regretted every day since, but that was for later. He knew Rida would never even consider it since it had witches and wizards. People and creatures that were either myth in her religion or needed put to death immediately.

Since the room had only one chair, once Robert’s interference was finish. The memories granted, and the proper paperwork filed so it would take effect on the souls upon their waking, he sat in the chair and Rida willing sat in his lap to watch.

Rida waited as patiently as she could to see her revenge, no that was wrong, she thought, her destiny to take effect. She was so excited she was bouncing in Robert's lap, completely oblivious as to the effect it was having on him.