Who: Sebastian & Mackenzie Goldstein
What: Death. The Goldsteins die.
When: Right now
Where: Their abode!


"Of course you can borrow the invitation, darling! Just remember you can't copy it, they have all those ridiculous hexes against that sort of thing!"

Mackenzie could still hear Matilda's voice ringing in her ears as she looked down at the piece of parchment in her hands. It was nearly an hour later since she had been visiting (now she knew why Matilda had been so adamant about eating in at her house) for one of their usual get together dates. But this one included a wonderful surprise: her brother was getting married, Christopher was getting married. And how did Mackenzie find out? Not through her brother himself, or by invitation, no no. Through Matilda's invitation that had just so happened to be sitting on top of mail stack the house-elf brought in while they were talking, of course.

Weren't planned coincidences just fun?

But the realization of the fact still stung her much more than it should have. Christopher was getting married, and he hadn't even mentioned a single peep to her about it. Of course, Mackenzie knew that he really couldn't invite her, he was already going against every pureblood standard by even talking to her, let alone seeing her, so what did she expect? A formal written letter of apology? An explanation from him about how they were going to try to get her there anyway? She would be stupid to hold her breath. It wasn't exactly like she could show up with Anthony in her arms and Sebastian at her side.

But how had this even happened? Prisca Pucey of all people? Even within the confines of her own mind, Mackenzie struggled to let out the less-than-accepting thoughts she was feeling about the older woman. It just felt all so...wrong.

The sudden appearance of her husband in the room jerked Mackenzie out of her blank state, but not enough to pull the flat look off her face. Her hand dropped the invitation back onto the bed behind her with other papers she had carried in. Maybe Sebastian would assume her expression was due to exhaustion. Unlikely, of course, because he was a mind reader, but she could still hope.

A small, forced smile twitched onto her face as she greeted him, but it quickly fell before making any form of a lasting impression. Oh, she could hate Matilda for ruining her day off like this.

Since the earthquake, Sebastian had just been tired.

He had no real explanation for it, it didn't take much energy to point and click when he went to work, and Anthony was sleeping through the night like the perfect child he was, so. Sebastian couldn't tell you why he was coming home every day looking like he'd been trampled in an alleyway, nearly to his death.

Oh, wait, he had been.

There hadn't been a minute that passed that he hadn't thought of Christopher's attack, and the consequences it instilled into their family. Sebastian had been mentally driving himself mad about the secret he held, and to make matters worse, the scarring on his back had been aching terribly for the past few days. He had pain potions, telling Mackenzie that his mended arm was still giving him problems. What could he say? 'Oh, I forgot about this giant gash on my back?' Sebastian knew that the second she saw it she would know it was human made, and after bringing it up with some people in the Order, they were nearly sure that there was some dark magic residue in the wound.

Great.

"Mack, can you make my favorite chicken?" he whined as he came into the room, pouting greatly as he dropped his bags to the floor. Sebastian blinked wearily a few times at his wife, hoping to garner some sympathy from his pathetic state, but immediately noticed her face. He knew that face, that was her 'there's something wrong but I won't tell you until you prompt me about it, because I used to be a perfect pureblooded lady' face. Sebastian's eyebrows knitted and he leaned against the dresser, "What's wrong?"

As much as she tried, Mackenzie just couldn't shake the flat look from her face. What was wrong with her? She loved her life, she loved Anthony, and she loved Sebastian too much to even think for a second that it was worth a sixteenth of the life she had been set to have; seeing her brother get married while being miserably attached to an estranged marriage herself paled so much in comparison to what she had now. She was happy, happier than she had ever been in her entire life! There was no reason to bring up this one little blip of nostalgia. Mackenzie looked at Sebastian silently for a few moments, simply taking him in as she pondered an appropriate response.

"It's nothing," she sighed, pulling back her lips as she stood up. Sebastian still wasn't back to his usual self, so who was she to burden him with something so trivial? She didn't need him thinking that she regretting anything about their relationship or marriage, because if she could do it all over again, Mackenzie wouldn't change a thing. And if that meant not seeing her older brother, whom, at times could be rather nasty she would admit, then so be it. Anyway, she would much rather choose Sebastian over Christopher any day.

So she was just being silly, letting Matilda get to her like that. It was upsetting, yes, but that was what pictures were for? It was his wedding, not hers. And he hadn't even gone to hers. This was Christopher for Merlin's sake! Mackenzie barely believed he loved anything to begin with.

Blinking quickly, Mackenzie took the stack of parchment in her hands. That was enough of that. Though despite her very good self-argument, she couldn't help but know this whole thing would plague her for a while. "Are you hungry now?" Another smile formed this time, much more convincing than the last. She approached him, reaching out with her open hand to grasp Sebastian's arm lightly. "How is your arm feeling today?"

"Sure it is," Sebastian said with a light roll of his eyes, tilting his head at Mackenzie. Maybe he should just let it slide, seeing as he wasn't really in the mood for anything but food and sleep. And sex, if she was up for it, because you never should deny sex with your wife. Sebastian let out a breath as Mackenzie took his arm, letting her gingerly examine it. It didn't hurt at all, really, but he winced anyway. "I think if I used it more it wouldn't be so bad. Getting lazy I guess."

With his bullshit response out of the way, Sebastian used his other hand to take Mackenzie's chin, trying to get his wife to look him in the eye. There were a lot of things she didn't tell him, going from small issues like not having the right kind of jelly to big, gigantic issues about some of her best friends being death eaters. Sebastian hoped this was one of those jelly moments. "My arm's fine---what's this 'nothing'?"

Mackenzie pulled her lips back, pushing her tongue up against the inside of her lips. Mackenzie wasn't exactly sure why Sebastian said his arm was still hurting. It had been properly healed (she would know, she did it herself), therefore making it as good as new, fine and pain-free before walking out the hospital door the next day. Mackenzie secretly suspected that his arm wasn't the real issue, but then what could he be so driven to cover up about? Sebastian never lied. Well, when it came to serious matters like this, he definitely didn't! There was no real way to tell, Mackenzie could only sneak a peak so much in the middle of the night when she wasn't too exhausted coming home.

"If it still hurts tomorrow, I think I'll set up an appointment for you with Euan," she said quietly, giving his arm another squeeze before quickly glancing up to see his reaction. Mackenzie had no doubt Euan would attempt to fix whatever problem Sebastian had, fake or not, most appropriately. And if not, then it would teach Sebastian to never lie to his Healer wife again, because fortunately Euan had that effect on people.

Though, that glancing test proved to backfire horribly, because as soon as she looked up, his eyes caught hers, effectively evoking her kiss of death when it came to keeping things to herself. How could she resist when he looked at her like that? Mackenzie refrained from squirming uncomfortably where she stood. At least it wasn't that big of an issue... on the surface.

An abrupt frown appeared on her face for a split second, and her hands curled tighter around the things in her hand. It was important that Sebastian didn't misunderstand; her brother, and her entire family for that matter, was such a sore subject, it could be very detrimental if he thought she wanted to go, or even intended to! She wasn't, of course, like she would ever go to a wedding unattended, let alone to that bloodbath of a setting. Mackenzie bit the side of her lip, feeling Sebastian's gaze so much now that she knew she was dying fast.

"Matilda showed this to me today." Mackenzie revealed as she handed over the wedding invitation quickly, but slow to let it out of her grasp.

Sebastian was ready to argue in his best whiny, child-like manner at the prospect of seeing Pamplemoss at the hospital, but instead looked down at what Mackenzie had shoved into his hand. Oy, another wedding? Sebastian was really sick of standing around feeling awkward at these things, so----Loftus? His mind immediately skidded away from the dreadful thought of dress robes and tight shoes as he scanned the rest of the invitation quickly. Christopher? Prisca...Pucey? Sebastian supposed he really didn't need to know the bride to get the full effect of this piece of parchment.

'Matilda showed this to me today,' Mackenzie's words repeated in his head and Sebastian fully understood now. His wife hadn't been invited to the wedding of the brother that she was still devoted to. Sebastian had felt that sting before, a few times with his brothers, but he knew that somewhere inside of his wife she still...it might have be perceived by a silly dream of hers but it was still there, but Sebastian was sure that she still believed that one day they would be accepted by her family.

This invitation seemed to be the thing that would burst all of those dreams however. Sebastian slipped it back into its envelope, holding onto it because handing it back to Mackenzie might give it more attention than it deserved. Good, he was glad that she didn't get invited; there was no reason for her to be associating with her death eater brother, anyway. This was the best way to get that point across to her, he believed.

"Maybe it's for the best," he said with a sad smile, though inside he was feeling better already. Maybe he wouldn't have to tell her that Christopher was a death eater, maybe Mackenzie would break away on her own after this.

She didn't know what kind of reaction she expected from him, but the one Mackenzie got left an unappealing taste in her mouth. She knew she shouldn't have brought this up, their families were such a touchy subject, including almost everyone she knew with Sebastian. But it was just so... sad. This made her sad, she was sad, wasn't she allowed to feel that way? Whether she was or not, Mackenzie still felt that way.

And she couldn't quiet find it in herself to agree with him out loud. Verbally admitting things and realizing them in your own head were two very notions, Mackenzie knew that. She knew she should be whole-heartedly agreeing with Sebastian, and laughing over how silly this was, but as the seconds past all she could confess to doing was being sure she could hear Anthony sleeping in the next room because of how quiet it had gotten.

Suddenly, an unknown source of anger flared up inside her against Sebastian not being more understanding, and for so openly disliking Christopher (he had brought their son back!). At the time, it didn't feel so ridiculous to think; in the moment, she felt very justified. Afterword, of course, was a completely different story. But then, just as quickly as it had come, the anger passed to give way to a fresh emotion. It had been subdued before, but now her chest actually begin to ache with dejection.

Was she pregnant? She hoped to Merlin she was pregnant with how ridiculous her emotions were spiking every which way. Mackenzie took a few deep breaths and flattened her hair with the palms of her hands, pushing down anything else that decided to consume her. There was no reason to be angry with him, she knew he was only doing what he thought was right. That was what she kept repeating to herself.

"I have to return that," Mackenzie said in a small voice, speaking for the first time in a few minutes. She noticed that Sebastian didn't give back the invitation to her almost immediately, and at that realization her heart jumped to a faster pace. She needed it back, even if it was just to stare at the cursive letters for a bit longer before owling it back to its rightful owner.

Great. Sebastian had definitely never been the smoothest of talkers, but he'd always found that honesty was the best policy. Of course, he was hiding the fact that Mackenzie's brother was a death eater that had attacked him...but for most cases, being honest was the way to go. Sebastian wished he had just walked away after his unsympathetic comment, but no, he had to stay, and he had watched Mackenzie's entire silent reaction. Sometimes he wished that they didn't know each other so well, that secrets could actually be hidden, but---you're not supposed to have secrets in a marriage.

"Wait," he said, pulling the invitation to his chest. No, he couldn't just let it go on silently again, like all of their fights or discussions about the issues they had with their families and friends. Sebastian hated fighting with Mackenzie, or getting her upset, but they were never going to get passed this if he just let it slide each and every time. He shook his head, trying to mentally prepare himself for what he was about to say. It wasn't easy; how the fuck did you relate to your wife that her brother was demented and one of Voldemort's followers? "Mackenzie...I...want you to know that I would never say anything I didn't mean, or---I wouldn't...make things up, to hurt you..."

Really, what a great way to start. She was probably going to think he was cheating on her, or something. Sebastian wasn't ready to tell her about the Order, which was going to be another big event that he hoped to avoid for...forever, if he was lucky. But with Christopher, Sebastian had the scar on his back as evidence. Did she need anything more?

Sebastian pressed his lips together and before speaking again put his arms out to pushed Mackenzie back gently, hoping she'd take the hint and sit down on the bed. If she were him, he wouldn't be able to take this news standing up, "Your brother isn't...he's not what he---what you think he is----I know he's a death eater, Mackenzie, I'm sorry."

Oh, she did not like where he was going with this. Shifting uncomfortably in her spot, Mackenzie let Sebastian direct her back to the bed and sit down. Gaping up at him with her mouth slightly open, she watched him attentively, taking extra care to watch his face and listen to his words. When she heard what he had to say, Mackenzie's reaction was instantaneous. Her face went deathly white as she stared at him blankly, her hands turning into tensed claws in her lap before burying her face into them. She pushed her palms as far as they would go, taking deep breaths as she balanced her elbows on her knees. Eventually, her hands moved to only cover her mouth as she looked down at the ground, thankful her hair was long enough to cover most of her face.

He knew, he knew, Sebastian knew--- how did he know? How could he have--- what had happened--- what had he done, what had Christopher done? Why--- why--- why would he-- ? She would be stupid as a rock if she hadn't thought about her family's involvement with the war before: a bunch of pureblood slytherins with very high opinions simply sitting out because they didn't feel like getting their hands dirty? Grayson and Amery were insane, her cousins were not right in the head (a distinct encounter with the both of them a year ago stuck in her head as a key example), not to mention she had always had an inkling about her brother, but when he had become an auror, and never mentioned a peep about the war or his views, it was easy to believe he had just decided to take the high road.

It had just simply been all so easy to turn a blind eye when it came to this, with Christopher, her family (though that was simply because she was terrified of what the Wilkes would do to her if she said anything), her friends--- they had never hurt her! They had never hurt Sebastian! They almost never talked to her about things like that (despite the fact that she knew all of them were involved with himone way or another), it was too terrifying to believe that they would do the things she read about in the paper. They were her friends, her family that had adopted her when her real one couldn't care less.

What else could she do?

Actually, she knew what she could do, and it took a lot of time for her to pluck up the courage to finally speak. She would tell Sebastian the truth. He knew, now, it would only be a matter of time, so she couldn't lie to him anymore. The thought that she should act like she had no idea never came to her, and in a rare how of emotion, she decided to not hide anything. For the first time, probably in her entire life, she admitted to the horrible things she knew about people. "I know," she whispered miserably into her hands, actually afraid to look up at Sebastian. He would not like this, he was going to be so angry with her, this was why she didn't like talking about these things, he wasn't even going to want to look at her. Mackenzie began to mumble, "I didn't... I thought he... maybe.... wasn't sure---"

The invitation fluttered to the floor and slid underneath the bed. Sebastian felt like the blood rushing throughout his body had all instantaneously hit a road block, causing his body to seize up in front of his wife. He had been anticipating a breakdown of sorts, he had been anticipating that Mackenzie would be torn apart by the revelation, but all his wife was upset about was the fact that she had to reveal that she, in fact, had known all along. Sebastian couldn't make his mind move any faster than the snail-like speed it had taken on, he could not force himself to listen to her weak excuses.

Stepping back, Sebastian, for the first time since they'd moved into their castle, felt like it wasn't safe. What if he had told Mackenzie about the Order, or something relating to it, and...and it had somehow, maybe in her worries, slipped out to Christopher? Or----Sebastian's face flushed a dark red as his mind began to open up the inevitable tangents that this revelation of his wife's had. Rosier, the Order knew for a fact that Rosier was a death eater, that he had tortured a few of them himself, and----

He couldn't do this, he took a few steps back, ready to leave because he couldn't---she trusted these people, she trusted all of them with seemingly unwavering devotion, and she knew, Mackenzie knew that they were murderers, death eaters who were out to destroy people like Sebastian, people like---

"You let him into our house!" he shouted, turning back toward her, his entire body shaking as his hand continued to grip on the door, "After our son was kidnapped, you let him in!" Sebastian felt like such an idiot for thinking for a second that Christopher had actually, from the kindness of his heart returned Anthony to them, that he was the literal one who had let the man enter, but Mackenzie! She'd known of her brother's status, she knew how suspicious it must look that he was the auror that----it just could not compute.

"Who else, who else, Mackenzie!" Sebastian yelled, but his voice was pleading. He wanted to believe that she was only loyal to her brother, but he knew in his heart that Mackenzie held the secrets of her friends. She must know about Evan Rosier, and she probably knew that Dearborn had been a death eater as well, even if the Order had explained---good God! And she was--how could she defend them and only know the dark side?

"After everything we have been through---what is it going to take? Anthony getting taken? Me getting hurt again---killed? What!"

"No!" she choked out quickly, but immediately cowered back as if she had been slapped. Mackenzie shuddered as Sebastian yelled, her shoulders jutting up as her neck seemed to shrink, letting her head sink low to create a direct gaze to the ground. Literally feeling absolutely insignificant, she felt her arms tighten as they pushed themselves into her sides, and she was sure she had never felt her legs curl back and clench together so tensely in her entire life.

It felt like she was rotting from the inside out, and couldn't muster a single response for him, let alone look at him. She forced back the sad frown pushing to form on her face and the tears bursting to wet her eyes as she tried her best to ignore the fact that he was backing away from her. Eventually, Mackenzie plucked up the courage to shakily look up at Sebastian after he stopped, her face heavy-hearted and torn.

He didn't understand, he didn't understand that by doing this she was keeping him safe, keeping this family safe. Evan, Matilda, they would never hurt him, her friends would never hurt him as long as they kept believing she kept her mouth shut. Which she did! She was good at that, she was good at knowing secret things about people and never letting them out. She was good with never letting things out period! By not telling Sebastian, and going along with them, everything had been fine. Not wonderful, but manageable!

Her brother, on the other hand.... a sick feeling filled her as she assumed the worst of what he was capable of. And what he could have done for Sebastian to know he was a--- death eater?

Her body began to shiver, her hair standing on end as jolts rolled down her body. Her stomach began to tie in such tight knots it felt like they would never come unhitch. What had she done, since the day she had decided to be with Sebastian, she promised herself she would never admit to the things she knew to him. And yet here she was, just blabbering away, ruining her marriage because--- because she had been upset her death eater brother hadn't invited her to his wedding!

What was she doing? Her eyes began to brim with tears as she looked at Sebastian, not knowing you could ever feel this much pain without physically being hurt. "I'm sorry," she moaned finally. Out of all the the things in the world that she could say, it was only those two words she could manage? She was going to loose him, she was going to loose him. "I didn't think---" Mackenzie cut herself off, closing her eyes tightly as she pulled her lips back. "I shouldn't have--- I just thought---" She didn't know what she was thinking. "--- that--- he had changed."

"Are you fucking kidding me?"

He couldn't even feel guilty for cursing at her, his blood felt ready to burst from his skin. Sebastian stared at Mackenzie as if she was sprouting wings, or her eyes were spiraling in their sockets. She thought he had changed? That was all she could give him? Sebastian stood back, hand on his head, sure that if he moved it his brain would explode from his forehead. He'd always bit his tongue with Mackenzie and her no-good friends and family, he knew the pains of being disowned and ignored by your family. Just---just because they lived in the magical world didn't mean that the muggle part of his life didn't exist anymore.

Sebastian hated that bullshit! None of these people understood---look at him, calling purebloods these people. He'd never felt so separated from the wizarding world in the ten years he'd been a part of it, and it was his wife's fault. If Sebastian knew that one of his brothers was running around in a fucking hockey mask killing people, he would tell the authorities! How fucking---protecting Christopher meant letting him ruin however many lives! The man was passing as a goddamn auror for fuck's sake, who knew the crimes he got away with!

And Mackenzie had thought he'd changed.

"Unless he's fucking seen the light since he tried to kill me during the earthquake, which I severely doubt, Mackenzie---Is that all you can really say?" Sebastian let everything out quickly and loudly, throwing his hands up, "This is unbelievable! Did--did you really think this would all just go away? That he and----all those other fucking ponces you call friends would just happily ignore that you're married to a fucking mudblood?"

The word stung now, and his face showed it. It hadn't before, Sebastian had enough time to joke about it with Graeme and his other muggleborn friends to make it almost comical to say, but now. How many times had Mackenzie's friends referred to him as that, how many times did Mackenzie just frown and not say a word? God, it felt like---she must know, that if Voldemort told any of them that Sebastian Goldstein was to die, or---or if there was a wrong time, a wrong place, they would not hesitate in shooting him down and---she had been fine with keeping that secret.

Sebastian flinched, revolted by it all. "How could you be okay with all of that?" he whispered, suddenly losing all his anger as the betrayal fully set in.

Again, Mackenzie instinctively cowered back from Sebastian, it being her turn this time to inch away from him as much as she could. He was--- he was hurting her, like he had suddenly taken out a pocket knife and started to randomly jab at her. Did he not understand at all? This was hard, unbelievably hard to endure, and after a few more seconds, Mackenzie began to tug at her face, her nails digging deep into her skin to help her concentrate and focus on something to control. Taking deep breaths, one after another, Mackenzie willed herself to get angry enough to say something back. Anything in her defense. But instead, she just felt herself shrink, shrink and shrink, her head spinning out of control until----

"What?" she croaked, her hands dropping from her face as she abruptly looked back up at Sebastian. Christopher had--- tried too--- for a fleeting second, she almost didn't believe him. Her brother would never-- Mackenzie felt her emotions go flat, her entire body lose all its energy. Sebastian wouldn't lie, he never lies. That, with the sick realization of knowing exactly what her brother was capable of nearly made her hurl.

Sebastian knew Christopher was a death eater because he had attacked him. What had he done? Was that why he said his arm still hurt, because there was something else that was seriously wrong? Her face watered as she looked up at him miserably, completely ready to throw in the towel at this point. She would make herself stand up, find the energy in her legs and--- "Don't!" she spoke fiercely, interrupting herself and him to convey her distaste. Mudblood. Her face automatically shifted as if she smelt something horrible, and for a split moment, she was held between being horrified he revealed that her family had once again volleyed for his demise and being revolted that Sebastian had used that name for himself.

This was why she had tried so hard to evade him for so long during school, why she had tried endlessly to ignore any emotion she felt about him because she knew she wouldn't be able to help herself--- and this would happen. They were so different sometimes, and even now it was blazingly obvious. But no, he had repeated endlessly how they would make it through, how nothing would be able to come between them, things would work out because they were meant to be together, and yet, here they were.

"I am not alright with any of this!" Mackenzie suddenly began to hiss, feeling herself fill with air as her voice became more venomous with every word. "Do not dare think that I stay quiet because I believe or agree with anything that people say against you! Do you think I enjoy it? Do you think I enjoy turning away? I do it because as long as everyone thinks you don't know anything, they will protect us!

"Do you know how hard it is to keep everyone believing that I have not told you about my family? About who they are? So I am sorry for one second that I let myself believe my absolutely insane brother had finally come to terms and help. I am sorry for letting myself believe that someone actually cared to help keep you alive besides me!" Even as she spoke, Mackenzie felt herself begin to lose her air, and realize that as soon as she shut her mouth, this would only send Sebastian into another galaxy of anger.

"What do you want me to do Sebastian, march up to the Ministry and tell them one of their top Aurors and half their employees are death eaters? That will not provoke anyone, I am sure!"

"That's all such bullshit, Mackenzie!"

Sebastian couldn't heed any of her words; there was no reason to play nice. The second she opened her mouth to try to defend her secrecy, he had stopped paying attention. No, there was no fucking way to defend hiding the identity of a goddamn death eater. They could have cut off all ties to Christopher, they didn't have to report him to the authorities. They should have just forced him out of their lives, if Sebastian hadn't been so bloody understanding it would have been done a long time ago. Same with her bloody friends! For all Mackenzie knew, Dearborn was a death eater that pissed them off and got chased across countries before they murdered him and left him for the aurors to find.

Even though Sebastian knew the truth, his anger raged at the idea that Mackenzie would still defend him. Who did that? Who did that besides a person who really didn't see what was so bloody terrible about this war? Sebastian knew---if he left now, Mackenzie would...she'd be allowed back into that world in an instant, and all her past 'mistakes' forgotten and ignored.

To know that he could be so easily erased was unbearable, and while Sebastian truly, deeply believed that Mackenzie would always love him, it felt like he was being betrayed. It felt as if she'd taken the road that was easier, over the one that was right. No Gryffindor could stand by that, especially one that had been persecuted like Sebastian had. Like his family had, his ancestors, it just...from every angle of his life, someone was telling him he wasn't good enough. His wife was willing to let other people say what they wished about his bloodline, to supposedly keep him safe. Saying nothing was just as bad as being a part of the problem.

He just couldn't fight anymore. They would go around in circles, him shouting, her crying, it would never end. She knew where he stood, he knew where she stood, and right now it didn't feel like anything Sebastian said would make her truly understand. Fine, she was doing her best? He didn't need it, not right now.

Pressing his fingers to his temples, he shook his head. Sebastian's voice was low and hollow, and his eyes were unable to look at his wife "I'm sorry this has been hard, Mackenzie, in my next life, I'll try to be born under more preferable conditions."

His hands dropped and Sebastian turned away, storming out of the bedroom and slamming the door shut. He had no bloody idea where he was going, but he couldn't stand another minute inside his own home.