Post by Leandra Riminesi on Jul 17, 2015 0:29:01 GMT -6
<This takes place about 4 years before Leandra came to Aurora. She's been at Aurora 2 years now>
Leandra had been away for months now. She had been avoiding actually seeing her family, but had answered owls promptly. Why the absence? It had started as a simple vacation from Italy straight to the heart of Australia. She needed time away - far away - from the prying Riminesi eyes. Now it'd been nine or so months and she'd broken the cardinal rule of her family. She'd fallen in love with a "mudblood". Bryant was a healer who played amateur quidditch on the side. He was cocky, kind, loving, adventurous, and great in bed. Definitely a "keeper" by most standards. They had met when Leandra had been bitten by a spitting cobra inadvertently. It was a sarcastic and painful first meeting, but love blossoms from stranger things. She had never questioned his blood status even after he'd told her. Though she didn't volunteer any family information of her own, just in case.
The afternoon sun was sinking lazily behind the horizon as the couple lounged on the deserted beach. "Do you love me?" Bryant asked, quirking his brow. "All day, every day." Leandra answered, "Why?" In one fluid motion Bryant pulled her from the sand to her feet, clasping her hands in his. "Then let's do something crazy...Let's elope!" His eyes shone with excitement as Leandra's breath caught in her chest. Her heart was screaming yet, but her head was reeling - it was a death sentence for one of them if not both. "W-we can't Bryant. I - um - I do love you, but...I haven't been honest. At least not about family...we can't, we just can't." Tears were rolling down her face. Bryant's face was contorted inro a mixture of pain and anger, a brilliant diamond ring poised to be slipped onto her finger. "I don't understand." He pulled away from her, leaving her standing alone and crying. "I - its complicated. My family is...traditional. They w-won't allow this." Leandra gestured between the two of them. This was not expected, but it was the natural order of things. What should be allowed to happen. She chewed her lip, she needed to be honest yet things wouldn't change. Her family would still be purists and love wouldn't matter. Bryant stood there perplexed before a knowing look dawned on his face. "Oh." He slipped the ring back into his pocket. "I see...I think I'll give you the night, Leandra. It's...difficult, but a decision must be made, " Bryant took her carefully into his arms as she cried, "I just hope you make the decision that makes us both happy." He tipped her chin up, kissed her softy and walked off down the beach needing to clear his mind.
Leandra collapsed in the sand, overwhelmed. She did want to be with Bryant, but she couldn't turn her back on her family. Even if she did...All sorts of possibilities flitted through her mind - none of them meant a happy ending. She was so lost in herself she didn't hear the audible 'POP' signaling someone had just apparated on to the beach. "Hello Lele" came a smooth, heavily accent voice in the growing darkness. This jolted Leandra from her thoughts, only one person dared to call her that. "Strange bond us twins have. It's why I'm here instead of Dante to retrieve you. All I had to do was concentrate and here I am." Leandra looked up, "Go away Gio. Leave me alone." Her voice was thick and it was obvious that she had been crying. This put Giovannia, her twin brother on alert, pulling his wand he knelt by Leandra, "Are you hurt? Who did this?" He questioned angrily. "I'm physically fine, Gio. GO AWAY! Our families beliefs did this to me!" She hissed back. "What do you mean?" His eyes narrowed menacingly. "Love Gio! We aren't given the freedom to love! Least of all me!" Leandra wept again. "You BOYS have always been able to do whatever and whomever you want - not me!" She yelled at her brother as anger replaced grief. "Sure you can be loved, Lele, as long as he's from a respectable pureblood family..." He trailed off as Leandra looked away. She had done it, she's said (or not said) too much. Anger throbbed through Giovanni, so this was what was going on. "You mean to tell me you've been cavorting with muggle scum?" He spat/ "No Giovanni! It isn't like that." Leandra defended. "Oh! So you allowed some filthy mudblood to defile you!?" He yelled, anger lighting his eyes. "You've been brought up to believe our blood is better - just because it's pure! Are you sure of that? I'm not - Bryant is a good man, muggle-blood or not, Gio. I love him...He wants me to be his wife." Leandra whispered. Giovanni went white, "YOu cannot be serious! You will not disgrace this family!" I will not allow it." His voice shook with rage and fear. How could she? The family could not find out. He had to take care of this and get Leandra back to Italy before Primo ro Dante found out. THey rain hell on all of Australia's muggle-borns searching for this Bryant. No, this problem has to be solved now. No matter how unsure of carrying out the task he "Where is he Leandra?" Gio asked. "I'm not telling you!" She yelled, still sitting in the sand. Giovanni swallowed hard, this was not something he wanted to do, but it had to happen. He grabbed Leandra by the hair, yanking her to her feet, his wand raised. "Tell me or so help me you will regret it even more." He spat. "Get off me!" She screamed, trying to break free, but Gio was stronger than her. "You leave me no choice...Crucio!" Leandra was suddenly overcome with unbearable pain and her screams tore through the night.
As it happened, Bryant was walking back towards where he had left Leandra. He was hoping to talk some sense into her. He would be her family. She didn't have to worry about hers. That's when the screaming hit his ears - it was Leandra! Pulling his wand as he went, Bryant ran as fast as he could towards the screams with only the moonlight to guide him. Two dark shapes were only a few feet in front of him, "Let her go!" He pointed his wand at the larger figure. Leandra knew that voice, but she couldn't stop screaming as the pain seared her body. Gio looked up, taking his wand off his sister, "Go away...just go..." She moaned, curling into a ball on the sand. "Oh so this is him? And Dante acts like this is hard..." Gio grinned into the night and the fight was on. Sparks and curses rent through the air. Leandra was still trying to gather herself - what was she to do? Let them fight to the death? Lose the man she loved at the hands of her brother? Worse yet, lose her twin? The two men continued to fight, flinging curses at each other - both a bleeding mess. She wished she'd never made the trip then none of this would be happening. Finally, still aching, she managed to pull her wand, but at that precise moment a curse hit Gio knocking him into her side which sent them both tumbling through the sand. He was a mess and Leandra felt immense guilt and pain because she'd caused her brother to step into a role that he was not ready for. Bryant was bearing towards them - Leandra loved him, yes, but not enough to lose her brother - Tears streaming down her face with quick reflexes she raised her wand, pointing it at Bryant's chest. "I love you...but you won't remember it." She whispered before bellowing, "Obliviate!" The spell knocked Bryant back, slinging him against a rock. "Anywhere, but here Gio. I hear others coming...We've made a ruckus." She panted, grabbing his arm she disapparated them.
The family would never know what happened. It would be their secret until death. But Gio could not forgive her so easily. As soon as he was healed and they were home he decided it was his turn to venture out into the world - though in reality he needed away from his twin - the he thought he could have trusted. Leandra was left to nurse a broken heart hidden behind a fake smile. She hurt her brother deeply with her Australian affair and that hurt the worst. Love wasn't what it was cracked up to be if she couldn't love whom she chose and her family would never let that happen (should they find out) unless she fell for a pureblood. No, she'd stick to what she did best. Hiding and watching. Finding out secrets and inner desires for the greater good of her family - no matter how it hurt her.
Leandra had been away for months now. She had been avoiding actually seeing her family, but had answered owls promptly. Why the absence? It had started as a simple vacation from Italy straight to the heart of Australia. She needed time away - far away - from the prying Riminesi eyes. Now it'd been nine or so months and she'd broken the cardinal rule of her family. She'd fallen in love with a "mudblood". Bryant was a healer who played amateur quidditch on the side. He was cocky, kind, loving, adventurous, and great in bed. Definitely a "keeper" by most standards. They had met when Leandra had been bitten by a spitting cobra inadvertently. It was a sarcastic and painful first meeting, but love blossoms from stranger things. She had never questioned his blood status even after he'd told her. Though she didn't volunteer any family information of her own, just in case.
The afternoon sun was sinking lazily behind the horizon as the couple lounged on the deserted beach. "Do you love me?" Bryant asked, quirking his brow. "All day, every day." Leandra answered, "Why?" In one fluid motion Bryant pulled her from the sand to her feet, clasping her hands in his. "Then let's do something crazy...Let's elope!" His eyes shone with excitement as Leandra's breath caught in her chest. Her heart was screaming yet, but her head was reeling - it was a death sentence for one of them if not both. "W-we can't Bryant. I - um - I do love you, but...I haven't been honest. At least not about family...we can't, we just can't." Tears were rolling down her face. Bryant's face was contorted inro a mixture of pain and anger, a brilliant diamond ring poised to be slipped onto her finger. "I don't understand." He pulled away from her, leaving her standing alone and crying. "I - its complicated. My family is...traditional. They w-won't allow this." Leandra gestured between the two of them. This was not expected, but it was the natural order of things. What should be allowed to happen. She chewed her lip, she needed to be honest yet things wouldn't change. Her family would still be purists and love wouldn't matter. Bryant stood there perplexed before a knowing look dawned on his face. "Oh." He slipped the ring back into his pocket. "I see...I think I'll give you the night, Leandra. It's...difficult, but a decision must be made, " Bryant took her carefully into his arms as she cried, "I just hope you make the decision that makes us both happy." He tipped her chin up, kissed her softy and walked off down the beach needing to clear his mind.
Leandra collapsed in the sand, overwhelmed. She did want to be with Bryant, but she couldn't turn her back on her family. Even if she did...All sorts of possibilities flitted through her mind - none of them meant a happy ending. She was so lost in herself she didn't hear the audible 'POP' signaling someone had just apparated on to the beach. "Hello Lele" came a smooth, heavily accent voice in the growing darkness. This jolted Leandra from her thoughts, only one person dared to call her that. "Strange bond us twins have. It's why I'm here instead of Dante to retrieve you. All I had to do was concentrate and here I am." Leandra looked up, "Go away Gio. Leave me alone." Her voice was thick and it was obvious that she had been crying. This put Giovannia, her twin brother on alert, pulling his wand he knelt by Leandra, "Are you hurt? Who did this?" He questioned angrily. "I'm physically fine, Gio. GO AWAY! Our families beliefs did this to me!" She hissed back. "What do you mean?" His eyes narrowed menacingly. "Love Gio! We aren't given the freedom to love! Least of all me!" Leandra wept again. "You BOYS have always been able to do whatever and whomever you want - not me!" She yelled at her brother as anger replaced grief. "Sure you can be loved, Lele, as long as he's from a respectable pureblood family..." He trailed off as Leandra looked away. She had done it, she's said (or not said) too much. Anger throbbed through Giovanni, so this was what was going on. "You mean to tell me you've been cavorting with muggle scum?" He spat/ "No Giovanni! It isn't like that." Leandra defended. "Oh! So you allowed some filthy mudblood to defile you!?" He yelled, anger lighting his eyes. "You've been brought up to believe our blood is better - just because it's pure! Are you sure of that? I'm not - Bryant is a good man, muggle-blood or not, Gio. I love him...He wants me to be his wife." Leandra whispered. Giovanni went white, "YOu cannot be serious! You will not disgrace this family!" I will not allow it." His voice shook with rage and fear. How could she? The family could not find out. He had to take care of this and get Leandra back to Italy before Primo ro Dante found out. THey rain hell on all of Australia's muggle-borns searching for this Bryant. No, this problem has to be solved now. No matter how unsure of carrying out the task he "Where is he Leandra?" Gio asked. "I'm not telling you!" She yelled, still sitting in the sand. Giovanni swallowed hard, this was not something he wanted to do, but it had to happen. He grabbed Leandra by the hair, yanking her to her feet, his wand raised. "Tell me or so help me you will regret it even more." He spat. "Get off me!" She screamed, trying to break free, but Gio was stronger than her. "You leave me no choice...Crucio!" Leandra was suddenly overcome with unbearable pain and her screams tore through the night.
As it happened, Bryant was walking back towards where he had left Leandra. He was hoping to talk some sense into her. He would be her family. She didn't have to worry about hers. That's when the screaming hit his ears - it was Leandra! Pulling his wand as he went, Bryant ran as fast as he could towards the screams with only the moonlight to guide him. Two dark shapes were only a few feet in front of him, "Let her go!" He pointed his wand at the larger figure. Leandra knew that voice, but she couldn't stop screaming as the pain seared her body. Gio looked up, taking his wand off his sister, "Go away...just go..." She moaned, curling into a ball on the sand. "Oh so this is him? And Dante acts like this is hard..." Gio grinned into the night and the fight was on. Sparks and curses rent through the air. Leandra was still trying to gather herself - what was she to do? Let them fight to the death? Lose the man she loved at the hands of her brother? Worse yet, lose her twin? The two men continued to fight, flinging curses at each other - both a bleeding mess. She wished she'd never made the trip then none of this would be happening. Finally, still aching, she managed to pull her wand, but at that precise moment a curse hit Gio knocking him into her side which sent them both tumbling through the sand. He was a mess and Leandra felt immense guilt and pain because she'd caused her brother to step into a role that he was not ready for. Bryant was bearing towards them - Leandra loved him, yes, but not enough to lose her brother - Tears streaming down her face with quick reflexes she raised her wand, pointing it at Bryant's chest. "I love you...but you won't remember it." She whispered before bellowing, "Obliviate!" The spell knocked Bryant back, slinging him against a rock. "Anywhere, but here Gio. I hear others coming...We've made a ruckus." She panted, grabbing his arm she disapparated them.
The family would never know what happened. It would be their secret until death. But Gio could not forgive her so easily. As soon as he was healed and they were home he decided it was his turn to venture out into the world - though in reality he needed away from his twin - the he thought he could have trusted. Leandra was left to nurse a broken heart hidden behind a fake smile. She hurt her brother deeply with her Australian affair and that hurt the worst. Love wasn't what it was cracked up to be if she couldn't love whom she chose and her family would never let that happen (should they find out) unless she fell for a pureblood. No, she'd stick to what she did best. Hiding and watching. Finding out secrets and inner desires for the greater good of her family - no matter how it hurt her.
