Chapter 284 - Sorry is not always Enough. (1/2)
Later that evening, three figures make their way from the town of Norton and towards the woods found at the edge of the town. The dark-haired woman, who once had shallow skin looked to be in peak health. Her dark eyes were rimmed red as if she had been weeping. Cradled in her arms was a baby boy close to a year old. The dark-haired babe greatly resembled his father, Roderic Filch, down to the tiny, slightly crooked nose. At her side, stood the slender, broad-shouldered man of Roderic, her husband and that the slightly hunched over the figure of her brother-in-law, Argus Filch.
The babe in her arms fusses sleepily as Eileen soothes him in her arms with a rocking motion until he settles back down. As they may their way through the muggle town, she recalls Cokeworth, and the tiny twin babes she'd cradled in her arms then. Everything had been so bright and so very full of hope back then despite living in a tiny flat with two newborns. And then, Tobias had received a promotion in the factory, and they had been able to afford a much larger flat on the edge of town. It had been cheap, and not necessarily the best of places, but it was a place to call home, and that was all that truly mattered to the couple.
However, everything changed on the day, when Tobias lost his job at the factory. The twins were far too young to be left alone and she couldn't take a job to help with their struggling finances. Not that she could really as she was a witch, and didn't know much about working in muggle factories. Tobias did the best that he could until he found a job at another factory, but it was a terrible soul-draining place. Every day the cheery nature in him slowly was sucked away and drained until less and less was to be found. Soon he began drinking and then the twins performed their first magic.
Oh, Eileen had been so very proud until she saw the horror-filled face of Tobias. And with dread, she saw the betrayal in his face at the realization that she had been lying to him all these years. But it was all true, she'd always been too much of a coward to confess to him that she was a witch. Maybe, if she had, everything would not have ended as it did, but she did not. And their marriage was never entirely the same again as Tobias could never bring himself to fully trust her again.
”Is this the place, love?” Roderic asked as he stared at the gravel path that led inside called, 7th Meadow Lane.
His older brother, Argus tactfully remained silent as he knew the full truth but didn't want to cause trouble between his brother and his wife. Argus nervously pulled at his collar as if trying to breathe. Though there was a slight sheen of sweat across his face as if screaming out his terrified nerves.
”Yes, hon,” Eileen whispered with guilt, before leading the way in the shadow-filled forest in the setting sun. This place had once been filled with so many happy memories with her father, mother, and aunt. But they had all long ago become tarnished because of her actions. For the Prince's had one terrible fault above all, they could never say they were sorry even if they were wrong. And that included herself.
They had not gone very far when a soft sound could be heard. Roderic immediately reached for his wand as Argus clenched a stone in his hand to throw. A white ghostly figure appeared to reveal a handsome ghost, Sir Knight Prince. Sir Knight Prince stopped a short way from them and said, ”Eileen, you know this, but that you cannot enter Prince grounds no more. You will hurt yourself and your companions should you try to force your way inside.”
”I know,” Eileen pleaded with the ghost, who had once been so fond of her in her childhood. ”But please, I have to at least say goodbye to her.”
”The funeral was already this morning, there is nothing to say goodbye to.”
Eileen lets out a gasp, she hadn't known she had been holding. ”I know, but please at least let me place flowers on her gravestone. Just this once.” She had been too late as usual. A captive to her cowardly nature until the very end. And now, even if she apologized her words would fall onto deaf ears. Her mother was gone.
Sir Knight Prince is silent for what seems like a long time, before he says, ”Very well, but stick close to me. The wards will attempt to harm you otherwise.”
Eileen rushes forward as Roderic and Argus hurry after her. The woods were strangely silent as they flitted through the path. Not long after they emerged onto giant green lawns with a grandiose castle-like manor looming even from the distance. Argus lets out a gasp of shock as Roderic furrows his brows wondering exactly how his wife knew the Prince family.
A loud peacock cry can be heard across the grounds echoing mournfully through the evening sky. The evening sky was in shades of violet and pinks as if not sure whether to be joyous or sad. The peacock sounded rather sad as it's cry trailed off in the distance. They suddenly came to a stop as Sir Knight Prince stopped before the gravel path that led to the white granite front steps inside.
The grand front doors swung open as a rather tall, very slender man with a stern face emerged. His mostly silver-streaked hair glinted in the dim light. Reginald Prince's cold eyes came to finally settle on the face of Eileen Filch, who flinched at the icy visage of her father. There was no warmth or forgiveness to be found in his eyes towards her.
”What are you doing here, Eileen?” Reginald coldly inquired of the women, he had once called his daughter, but nevermore. The Prince's were many things, but forgiving was not one of them. ”The funeral was this morning.”