The next morning was quiet at the Gaunt Manor. The first rays of sunlight streamed through the windows, bathing the hallways in gold and filling the walls with life.
Stinky had taken it upon himself to prepare an almost festive breakfast, still excited by the twins' visit to the mansion.
In the garden, under a tree with perfect shade, Aurelian enjoyed the morning silence, sitting on a blanket while chatting casually with Hestia and Flora. The twins watched him closely, with a soft, dreamy expression typical of the morning.
It was Hestia who broke the silence, playing with a strand of her hair.
"Aurelian..." she began cautiously, "Yesterday... when we met your mother..."
Her voice trembled a little. "She was... so kind. So warm."
"And beautiful," Flora added quietly with a smile. "Exactly as we imagined the mother of the boy we love would be."
Hestia nodded, then tilted her head in confusion, looking up at the sky.
"But... it made us wonder. Your mom... Elaine... she was sweet, kind," she bit her lower lip gently, "How could someone like her fall in love with... well, Voldemort?"
Flora shrank back a little, as if afraid she had gone too far with her question.
"Yes... How could someone like that love a man the whole world considers a monster?"
Aurelian was silent for a moment.
He didn't feel angry or uncomfortable about the question. But it caught him off guard, as if he didn't quite know what words to use.
Finally, he replied with unexpected calm.
"Perhaps..." he said as he watched the leaves move in the wind, "she saw something in my father that no one else noticed. Something the rest of the world never wanted to see or never let them see."
Hestia and Flora looked at him with rapt attention.
"She once told me," Aurelian continued, with a slight smile and a touch of longing, "that people are not only what they show... but also what they hide, what they fear, and what they long for. I honestly believe that my father was different with her... perhaps he stopped being Lord Voldemort and for a moment was just himself."
The twins seemed to absorb those words in silence.
"My mother..." he continued, lowering his gaze slightly, "had a different way of seeing the world. She saw goodness where others saw only danger, and she saw pain where others saw only evil."
Flora reached out and took his hand.
"So... do you think your father was capable of loving her?"
Aurelian sighed softly.
"Yes... I think so. I also believe that love was the only pure thing he ever had in his life. At least he loved her enough for me to be here."
Hestia leaned toward him, resting her head on his shoulder.
"Aurelian... you are the best thing he could have left behind in this world."
Flora hugged his arm with a sweet smile.
"And we... will take care of you just as your mother asked us to," she finished, kissing him on the cheek.
Aurelian looked at them, feeling a deep warmth in his chest.
This was his home. His family.
The wind gently rustled the leaves in the garden, and a comfortable silence settled between them for a few seconds until Aurelian tilted his head, staring at them intently before asking.
"Girls, I want to ask you something," he said, immediately capturing their attention. "What do you know about the Muggle world?"
Hestia and Flora sat up straight, exchanging glances.
Flora spoke first.
"Well... we know they don't have magic and that they use strange objects to compensate."
Hestia added.
"And that they're noisy. That they're chaotic, their cities are full of smoke. Dad says they're an organized disaster."
Aurelian let out a small laugh.
"You're not entirely wrong," he admitted. "But there's also some beauty there, things that don't exist in our world, like... quiet cafes, museums, huge gardens, live music, fascinating shops, and the feeling of walking around without anyone knowing who you are or what family you belong to."
The twins looked at him with genuine curiosity.
"And why do you ask?" asked Flora.
Aurelian interlaced his fingers and smiled at them.
"Because today you have a date with me."
The two froze.
"A date?" repeated Hestia, blushing bright red.
"Really?" added Flora with a smile that tried not to be too possessive.
Aurelian nodded calmly.
"Yes. But not in the magical world... in Muggle London."
Hestia opened her mouth while Flora blinked. They both turned to him as if they had misheard him.
"A Muggle date?" they asked at the same time.
Aurelian leaned back against the tree, smiling with his usual mixture of serenity and mischief.
"Exactly. I want you to see that world with your own eyes, to show you a different London. It's full of brightly lit streets, delicious food, incredible places... I want you both to be able to experience that with me."
Hestia and Flora fell silent... their expressions slowly began to transform into pure excitement and uncontrollable happiness.
"When?" asked Flora, practically vibrating with excitement.
"Now?" said Hestia, jumping up.
Aurelian laughed.
"We could go in a few hours. You can ask Stinky for help if you need it."
Stinky appeared quickly when he heard his name and nodded immediately.
"Stinky will help the ladies with whatever they need! Stinky knew the master would do something romantic!"
The twins hugged Aurelian on both sides, squeezing him tightly.
"It will be our first date outside Hogwarts!" Flora said excitedly.
"Ohhh, it will be a wonderful day!" Hestia added with a bright sparkle in her eyes.
Aurelian returned the hug, calmly wrapping his arms around them.
"Take your time, I'll show you a world without magic... but one that can still feel magical."
Hestia paced around the room where they were staying, while Flora checked the trunk where they kept their clothes for the fourth time.
"Are you sure this is 'Muggle'?" asked Hestia, lifting a garment with two fingers as if analyzing an exotic creature.
"That's what Aurelian said," replied Flora, tilting her head curiously.
"And I'm not going to ruin our first REAL date with him by wearing traditional robes. We have to look absolutely perfect!"
The problem was that they had no idea what was considered appropriate clothing among non-magicians.
Flora pulled out an elegant black dress with a modern design that they had bought "just in case" during a visit to Diagon Alley, where several stores had begun to stock Muggle fashion as a novelty.
Hestia found a light white blouse and a more discreet navy blue skirt, which they had also purchased without much conviction months earlier.
They looked at each other.
"Will this work?" Flora asked, holding the dress up in front of the mirror.
"I think... yes," Hestia replied uncertainly, examining the skirt. "Although Muggles have strange tastes. What if women don't wear skirts like this? Or what if they need extra layers? What if we show too much... or too little?"
Flora sighed deeply, bringing a hand to her face.
"Hestia, we're acting like first-year girls. Aurelian said we'd look beautiful no matter what. Remember?"
Hestia's eyes softened as she remembered. Aurelian always spoke the truth when he talked to them.
"Besides," Flora added, regaining her composure, "he'll be there. If we make a mistake, I'm sure he'll help us."
Confidence flooded back into her.
After much deliberation, nervous laughter, mutual criticism, and trying on at least seven outfits each, they finally chose an outfit that balanced elegance, comfort, and a modern touch... according to them.
Flora opted for a simple black dress, fitted at the waist, with thin straps and a light jacket over it. Something that, according to her, was "sophisticated but adorable."
Hestia chose a dark blue skirt, black tights, and a fitted white blouse with details on the cuffs. She turned slightly, looking at herself in the mirror, and declared.
"Aurelian is going to faint."
Flora laughed.
"The only thing that's going to make him faint is us going to a place full of Muggles."
"It's a date!" Hestia replied. "We're not going to let anything ruin it."
Then came the details:
• Small hairstyles with minimal spells to keep them in place and make them look natural.
• Soft fragrances, nothing too extravagant.
• Light makeup, learned from a magazine "aimed at modern witches."
When they were done, they stood in front of the mirror, holding hands.
"We look beautiful," said Flora with a satisfied smile.
"Ridiculously beautiful," confirmed Hestia. "The Muggles won't know what hit them."
They put aside any doubts or prejudices. They were just excited. Excited for their first real date with Aurelian. Excited for the adventure of discovering an unknown world together.
When they were done, they both took a deep breath and looked at each other with a mixture of nervousness and excitement.
"Let's go see Aurelian" whispered Flora.
"Yes, I can't wait to see the look on his face when he sees us," replied Hestia, her heart beating fast. "It's going to be a perfect day."
The hands of the large clock in Gaunt Manor pointed to noon when Aurelian finished getting ready. He had chosen a discreet outfit: dark pants and a simple T-shirt paired with a blue jacket. He didn't want to draw too much attention to himself.
While waiting for the girls in the main hall, he mentally reviewed the places he wanted to show them: a few cafés, a bookstore, and above all, the streets full of life and lights of the city. Muggle London had its own magic, one he knew well and wanted to share with them.
Soft footsteps on the stairs made him look up.
Hestia and Flora were coming down together, and Aurelian felt the air stop with their arrival.
Both were wearing "Muggle" clothes. Hestia wore a dark blue skirt with black tights and a fitted white blouse with subtle details, her hair loose and falling in soft waves. Flora wore a black dress, fitted at the waist, and a jacket, accompanied by a small silver necklace around her neck that highlighted her natural elegance.
The two looked at him with a mixture of excitement, shyness, and pride.
"What... do you think?" asked Flora, fiddling with the edge of her jacket, a rare gesture in someone normally so self-assured.
"We chose what we thought was as normal as possible," added Hestia, biting her lower lip. "We're not very used to this Muggle fashion..."
Aurelian took a few seconds to respond.
His brain didn't know what to say; he was genuinely impressed.
"You look..." He took a deep breath, feeling his chest warm and a blush spread across his face. "Truly beautiful."
Both girls' cheeks flushed at the same time. Flora moved a little closer with a soft smile.
"Really?"
"I mean it," Aurelian confirmed, approaching them and gently taking their hands. "These clothes and any others you wear will look lovely on you."
Hestia and Flora looked at each other, stifling a nervous laugh. It was strange how a simple compliment from him was enough to completely disarm them.
"So..." said Hestia, taking a deep breath, "where will you take us first?"
Aurelian smiled calmly, a touch of amusement in his eyes that made their hearts flutter.
"To a special place," he replied, "one where the Muggle world shows that it doesn't need magic to shine."
He opened the front door and extended an arm to each of them. The twins took it without hesitation, pressing themselves a little closer to him than necessary.
"Ready for our first date in the Muggle world," said Flora, excitedly.
"Yes, ready," added Hestia, with a look that mixed love and curiosity.
Aurelian led them out of Gaunt Manor, and together they disappeared in a gentle swirl of magic, heading for a London full of people, lights, noises, stories, and new memories to be made.
Their date was just beginning.
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