Ghosts of her past.

Ariana hiccuped, whilst a myraid of tears coursed down her face. Her body felt immobilised but her feet were still willing to move ahead. Her grip tightened around a bottle of firewhiskey as her mind wandered, bringing the ghosts of her past right before her very eyes. She shook her head, willing herself to think about something else; just for a few more minutes, after which she would be in worthy hands.

She staggered between the alleys of the Hogwarts castle, occassionally using her free hand for support or to pull herself upright.

Ariana took a halt when she reached her destination, and knocked on the door. The simple gesture looked pathetic in her current situation, and so did her speech as she finally allowed her mouth to move.

"Ursula".

Ursula had- quite unladylike- gone and fallen asleep. On her favourite chair and on her favourite night. A Sunday night. Sunday nights usually meant doom and gloom for work or school the day following but with her it was more of a welcoming transition into the work of a job she loved to do. Teaching was her life and she'd love to do absolutely nothing else. Unless it was dancing but it had always come a long way second.

But she was woken up by the sounds of quite clumpy footsteps. As she spasmed and got her groggy self up to her feet and made her way furtively with no slippers on to the door, she heard a knock and flinched a little. Too loud too soon.

And then a small voice saying her name.
"Hell- hello?"
At which point she sucked in a breath, rubbed her eye and opened the door. To see Ariana.
"Oh."

Ariana looked back at the woman with bloodshot eyes, and her hair in a mess. She managed a smile, and hiccuped once more. "Urs...Ursula," she said, before her legs finally gave way, and she lay on the ground, curled up like a baby, as tears ran down her face once more.

"Don't tell Thomas," she whispered, "Please don't tell my son".