✧A SACRED DAY IN HISTORY✧

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October 31st

Aurora had always favored the likes of Halloween. At Hogwarts there would be a large festive dinner that would spark the best treats from all over the globe. But even then she saw it as a religious holiday, not that she was one for prayers before bed. 

Yet as of late it seemed like she was reaching for all the spiritual items and seances.

Regulus claimed that the Dark Lord wouldn't go after the Potters until he had evidence of where they were. Otherwise it was a fail or miss considering they have a secret keeper for a reason.

It was as if someone attempted to get into Grimmauld Place without being a member of the family or without an invitation. Close to impossible.

And although she started to wear her blessed knots, say her prayers in the morning and with every meal. That damned pit in her stomach had remained since the beginning of the month.

Rabastan passed it off as her being anxious for an awaiting vision as it happened before.

He was still halfway in the Doghouse, but luckily for him, he hadn't been tortured as he wasn't home as often as he liked. Rory didn't mind that aspect, it gave her the opportunity to deal with it in her own way.

As she was settling the children to bed, she promised that it was Romulus' turn to sleep with her tonight. The firstborn was beyond excited, usually the nights would bring a bedtime story and snuggling.

But tonight that would not happen.

Romulus was instructed to get his stuffy and blankie so he could join mummy as she was getting ready, and so he traveled across the ways to his parent's bedroom.

But mummy wasn't sitting at the bed ready with a book and her pj's on. "Mummy?" He called out, his voice on edge as the bathroom light had been shut off and he couldn't feel anyone close.

His hair turned to a flash of blue, almost as if he was calling out to her. This was indeed not funny.

"Mummy?" Romulus attempted again, his blanket trailing behind him as he peeked his head into the closet. Only to find his mother convulsing on the floor.

"MUMMY!" He cried out, discarding his most precious toys and fell down beside his mum. She had been pulsing, her head jabbing forward into the air as she had fallen backwards.

The blood continued to gust out the side of his mother's nose and he cried out in agony. "DAISY! MUMMY HURT!" The elf rushed into the room and tilted her mistress' head to the side so her airway would be blocked.

Her breathing was ragged, her eyes completely unrecognizable as Romulus hadn't been alive when his mother faced weeks of blindness.

But no matter how hard he clung, Rory was stuck within a trans.

This wasn't simply a nightmare or a vision, this was in very current time as she watched the final moments of both James and Lily.

Hearing the begging of Lily to the shouts of panic from James, even the wails of terror from Harry. All of it caused Rory to fall into grief, but the vision soon ceased.

The pit of her stomach replaced by a boiling of rage, the secret keeper failed.
That meant Sirius must be dead.

James, Sirius and Lily all dead.

What about Harry?

Had he died in vein as well?

Would the Dark Lord be victorious and she would have to live in a world where her children were all Death Eater royalty?

"MUMMY! Mummy Mummy, I'm scared. Pwease mummy!" Romulus continued to shake against the protests of the Elf, Daisy tried to settle the young master. But his efforts had proved positive as it revived Mother mistress as she gasped for a proper breath of air.

"R-Romulus?" She cried, and the boy snuggled to his mummy. Sobbing and feeling the entire dose of empathy to what she was feeling, causing him to look up again.

"Who hurt?" Aurora sniffled, pushing away her son's tears as she broke further down in the claustrophobic space of her closet.

"Daisy...Get him out of here." The woman needed help, her body was beyond the normal reviving of a nap. She didn't have time for a nap, instead she called upon her patronus and warned Dumbledore.

The Potters are dead.

The whip of nausea caused her to gag, the second elf that tended to the eldest child was a blessing in disguise. Even if the mother attempted to build her way to her feet, it was met with another failed attempt.

Rabastan had been on the way home, but the burning sensation at his wrist had been severe to his mark until it slowly faded. The solid black ink was nothing more than a faint sketch.

What happened?!

His mind went into his own sense of panic as he knew it was Aurora. But the twisted feeling came at the price of leaving the Death Eaters at the Malfoy's.

"Aurora!" He shouted, his apparenting went straight to her study. Though she had been absent, the room long empty and dark.

"Sweet Salzar Rabastan, keep your voice down!"
"I'm sorry Orion, but Aurora called me on the Dark Mark. Has she gone to bed?" The man nodded and it gave Master Lestrange, his jog picked up the second he heard his son's wails. The bedroom door still cracked open as Romulus hadn't shut it properly.

"Rommy what has—" Happened?

Gods what hasn't happened?! He watched as the boy was being coaxed into staying in the bathroom while the elves crowded around Aurora's still jittery form.

"R-Raba—" The bloody hand had reached out to him, and he fell to his knees before her as he held it utterly close to his chest. Begging down to his wife as she looked beyond cold.

"Rory...What can I do...What—"

"I--I'm c-c-cold..." He wrapped his arms around his wife in the instant, yelling an order for his son to be removed and for someone to call his brother.

Rabastan continued his obsessive line of promises, but with his soul so close to her form. It brought a sense of calmness to sway her over, but the shaking had calmed down, her heartbeat slowed tremendously.

"Blessed Diana and Circe Rory, what happened?!" Her eyes peeked open for a moment, and without saying a word had Rabastan understood what was at stake.

She had a vision.

The man picked up his wife easily and placed her onto the bed, he knew she needed a blood replenisher and had one of the free elves bring it forward. While he continued to soak up the blood and cleaned the dried splotches from her skin.

"What did you see darling, what happened?" His questions were met with silence, Aurora had fallen into a trapped sleep as her body slowly recuperated all that has happened.

He found himself pulling a seat beside her as she suffered through hot flashes, and the only thing Rabastan could do is dab her face with a wet cloth.

"T-tub..." She mumbled, it had been a few solid attempts to get the word properly out to Rabastan, but he bounced to his feet to deliver the request with warm water.

Even when the woman was sweating, her body profusely didn't give up the sense of shaking as though she was cold.

Picking her up gently was he able to tap his wand and undress her easily, all before doing it to himself. There was no chance he would be able to remain calm if she was alone in the bath.

"Breath with me kitten, it'll pass. It always passes." She wanted to scream that this was torture, her bones were aching at the idea of so many deaths in one failed swoop.

"Rabastan! Rabastan?!" Avery's voice echoed throughout the manor, and it caused the man to straighten his back at hearing his mate calling out for him.

"What?!" He hissed, attempting not to disturb his wife any further. But she flinched anyway, especially when her foggy vision showcased Avery coming in out of breath.

"Mate. It could wait five—"

"The Dark Lord is dead." Rabastan's expression fell, Rory had been affected by his death. It was the only explanation, and Avery didn't have to question the situation Aurora was in.

He understood well enough.

"There's chaos Bas, everyone's in complete chaos. The Malfoy's have abandoned the cause." It was then that Rory found it promenade to raise her head slightly.

"...What?" The woman had been returned back to her husband's chest and hugged tighter.

"I need to protect my family, the fall of the Dark Lord will—"

"I understand. I'll send word to your brother, they're throwing everyone to Azkaban." The two continued to converse, and Avery asked a favor. If he could send his wife and children here. Before Rabastan could get a word in, Rory nodded. "Evelyn?" 

"I can't find McNair. Salzar willing he's at home." Lestrange heard his wife mumble a prayer as Avery began to leave the manor.

He needed to keep the women contained, but he couldn't believe that Lucius would betray them. The loss of their support would throw the lower tiers to rally on their own, surely chaos would erupt in the wizarding world anyhow.

Thankfully the medicine bath had worked, reviving her without the usual nap these visions push for.
"The Potters and the Dark Lord are dead." She whispered, her voice so utterly soft, but Rabastan' knew that she was finally coming to.

"Are you feeling better?" He offered, completely deflecting what she had said. She agreed and began to move away, the water slowly turning cold...But then her expression turned sour before she began to cry.

"Rory it'll be fine...You'll be safe. I promise that everything will—"

"They're hunting everyone, how could you possibly think that anyone will be safe?" He lifted his hand up and began to caress her cheek.

"I will protect you." She believed him, wholely and without a second thought. What she didn't trust was the sudden arrival of unannounced guests waiting to be met by the master and mistress of the manor.

"Who is downstairs Daisy?" Rory questioned whilst getting into proper clothes.

"Aurors." The two caught each other's gaze as Rory began to shake.

"I'll say you're away...I'll say—"
"No. I'm coming downstairs with you." Aurora shook her head, grabbing hold of his shirt and pushing him back.

"They'll arrest you."
"Catching you in a lie would be enough to get you detained...Rory just—" She shook her head and continued off towards stairs to see two Aurors, their suits well maintains and an immediate frown showcasing on their face.

"Can I help you gentlemen?" She questioned politely, her eyes flickering to the clock to see that it was well past midnight now.

"We have a few questions for you Mrs.Lestrange...Pertaining to your brother Sirius Black." She couldn't afford to wavier it off and so she questioned them.

"I haven't spoken to my brother since he was disowned, if you could so kindly wait until tomorrow at a decent hour then—" Rabastan had been caught making his way down the steps.

And this made the two Aurors hold their wands more firmly, was her husband that terrifying to two well-trained officers?

"What news do you have about Sirius Black?" Rabastan ushered out, and Rory hadn't been able to stand on her feet after hearing such a tail.

Her brother—Betrayed the Potters? Killed Peter? Killed Muggles?

He's a mass murder? And was sent to Azkaban? 
None of this sounded at all like the truth.

"Neither myself nor my wife associated ourselves with that man, and unless you have any other business outside his arrest then—"

"We need Mrs.Lestrange to come to Black's flat, the Minister wants a word." Aurora blinked at the idea, her mind racing until Rabastan stepped in front of her.

"If the Minister wants a word with my wife he could do so at an appropriate time in his office. Not in the remains of a traitor's home." Aurora didn't understand why Rabastan hadn't allowed her simply go and answer the questions, but once they left he sighed in relief.

"Had you gone...They could've planted evidence tying you to your brother."

"They wouldn't really—" Her husband silenced her with a simple tilt of his head and she bit her lip.

Perhaps they weren't so friendly as one might think, especially if they had done something as vial as that.

Rabastan ran a stressful hand through his locks and nodded. "Your birds will be coming soon, I don't suggest sleeping tonight love..."

"If you have to go Raba, then go...If you can save Avery and McNair then please do." He nodded, kissing his wife as there was much he wishes he could say. "I'll come back." 

"You best hold to that Rabastan." He apperanted the second he agreed to her final words, and within mere moments had her home become a refugee for her birds and the children.

It had been the first time that Aurora had properly met Maya Avery, and the young gal was indeed held securely by her mother as everyone was...on edge.

Nobody except Evelyn had slept, and she had tried to hold out as long as she could. The children were upstairs, split up between the Lestrange children in hopes of rectifying the situation.

But all was lost, and it was the Ravenclaws that were beginning to construct their own fail-safe.

As wives, they weren't as directed to being at fault for the crimes of their husbands, but their credibility and names would be ruined as the Black name was all but finished.

Aurora had cried to her father, claiming that this isn't how the Dark Lord was supposed to fall.

That Sirius couldn't have betrayed the Potters, that Remus wasn't right for saying it was her brother all along. There was another traitor, but who?

All was scattered, Dumbledore battled with himself on whether or not Aurora had been aiding the wrong side all this time with her brother.

One word and she too could be thrown into Azkaban.

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Date Posted: 12-06-19

Time: 9:18

Words:2421