malachar's daughter

ON 31st OF JULY 1980, Celine Ashby née Evans was in labor. Elias Ashby, her husband, kept hold of her hand, looking both anxious and excited. "Give us one more push, Mrs. Ashby," the nurse said, drawing a groan of pain from Celine. The pair looked at each other when a baby cried out. The nurse cleaned the infant and settled him in his mother's arms, only to pause and frown when she spotted something. "What is it?" Elias asked, fear slipping into his voice. The nurse smiled. "Looks like there's another baby." "Twins?" Celine asked, stunned. "We had no idea-" "That's perfectly alright; it isn't unusual not to know," the nurse said. "Two?!" Cassian asked in shock after he stepped into the hospital room with his husband, Ronan Ash, pointing at the babies held by his best friend and his best friend's wife. Elias stared down at the baby girl in confusion. "Yes, Stray. But this baby doesn't really look... like us." "Surely you're mistaken," said an angry Celine as she finally tore her gaze from their baby boy. "How could she not resemble us?" "She's.. oh," Elias said under his breath, his eyes widening as the girl in his arms opened hers. The child had Emerald Green eyes, dark brown hair, and plump lips. What unsettled the couple was her aura. It was dark. Being near her simply felt dark... "She's... different." Celine agreed at once, and the other couple traded a confused glance. "Maybe.. we should.." She added, looking over at her husband. Elias nodded once. "I agree. We should send her to an orphanage." "Are you mad?!" Ronan cut his best friend off. "There is no way you're sending our goddaughter to a damn orphanage. Especially a muggle one when it's obvious she's going to be a powerful witch." Celine hummed, an idea forming for later. "I agree with Ronan, Elias. We can give it a little time." "What are their names?" Cassian asked, trying to steer the subject elsewhere. Elias proudly gestured to his son. "This little one is Rowan Elias Ashby." "And her?" Cassian asked, now cradling the newborn girl. Celine frowned as she thought. "Mira Celine Ashby." Mira Celine Ashby was forgotten by her parents almost at once, mostly because of the stupid prophecy that somehow involved Rowan Elias Ashby and Tom Riddle. Celine and Elias Ashby doted on their son every hour of every day, ignoring their daughter so thoroughly that the house-elves ended up caring for her. The wizarding world had no idea there were two Ashby children. Cassian and Ronan Ash were growing more and more bitter toward the two people they still counted as their best friends: Celine and Elias. And all of it came from them forgetting their other child. In the wizarding world, children were meant to be gifts, yet the Vales cared little..and the light side was no better. The dark side already knew all of this, and that was why their children were spoiled and genuinely cared for. "Where's Mira?" Ronan asked as he and his husband apparated into Ashby House. Celine blinked in confusion. "Who's Mira?" "Mira, your daughter," said Cassian, anger plain in his voice. "Oh, she's around somewhere in this manor." Elias brushed it aside. "Anyway, it's Rowan's birthday." Colin Vane came in right then. "I'm here! Sorry I'm late." "Elias," Ronan said, his tone dangerously calm. "It's your daughter's birthday too." "Mira!" a bubbly, now-one-year-old Rowan Ashby cried excitedly. He and Mira had been spending weeks playing by themselves whenever their parents were off at Order meetings, and Celine and Elias had never noticed. "No, Rowan." Celine said, "It's your birthday." Ronan and Cassian shared a furious glance. "We're taking her if the two of you choose to be this careless with her." They spoke at the same time. "Of course not!" Elias insisted. "She'll be fine, so let's just celebrate."