✧TRIAL OF THE FOUR LESTRANGES✧

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The days rolled together with the weeks, then into months. And it was an empty nest of the lack of husbands within the Lestrange Manor.

The other homes rightfully abandoned as the five of them needed one another, if not for themselves then for the children.
Their fathers were the ones to be in this mess, what more could the wives do?

Whenever a husband did come home however, it was a reunion in private. The love the wives still had for their husbands was unmistakable, and although Rabastan knew Aurora was furious with him for being away for so long...

She surprised him by being passionate in the bedroom without a single regret etched on her face.
Or not until he told her they were still looking for the Dark Lord.

    It erupted into an argument, and when he mentioned the Longbottoms he truly received an earful. He was running away from the law, in the eyes of everyone he was a criminal.

Aurora didn't want to say that he looked awful, but he did. And what made matters worse is that he continued to leave and return at his own pace.

    Evelyn and McNair were the first couple to claim their return back to their own life, McNair couldn't be gone for as long as the rest as the baby was going to join them soon.

The pattern continued, much like before the wives were at the mercy of their husband's actions and if they chose to stop running it would allow them to return home. Avery had been one of the last to retire the game of searching for the Dark Lord, leaving Rabastan with his brother and Bellatrix.

To think Aurora was stressed prior to this time, there was nothing worse than this... she was living in agony. The woman didn't leave her home, nor did she leave for the collected funeral of Senior Lestrange. Or Linda Lestrange.

    Aurora partly felt guilty in the sense that Lydia had been completely abandoned by her a family that just recognized her. But when reaching out, an extended family member had taken her into the family.
Lydia would be heading to France for a safer environment.

    Amelia had offered to house Aurora and the Lestrange children, but was declined. If she denied Evelyn's invitation she was sure as hell not going to find herself living at the Avery's.

Which had been the mistake of the century, as Rory hadn't seen Rabastan in the last few weeks.
Only for the same two Aurors to show up in her foyer with a search warrant and the means for her arrest.

    "Under what grounds am I being arrested for?" The man smirked and took out the given decree, listing off topics of harming innocents, aiding the Dark Lord, using illegal curses.
She swallowed and nodded, looking to an elf and telling her to watch the children.

Aurora's faith began to fade as she was escorted within the depth of the ministry, her hands fastened together. Her wand confiscated.

Tears were already reaching the brim, threatening to come out. And she hadn't reached the breaking point until two ministry officials had strapped her into a chair, her wrists fastened to the armrests.
The only thing the woman was left to do was pray, to be reminded of the last time she had seen her husband, all that she had done with the children today and the days prior.

Because her fate was set in stone.

    Rabastan had returned home within this month, which day she hadn't recalled. But there was little speaking to one another, Aurora couldn't talk him out of doing either of his tasks.

And now it's most likely costed the three of them, as there were three empty seats ready to be filled.

The cackles of Bellatrix were indeed heart wrenching, what had she done to put her into such a high? Her preaching and propaganda caused Aurora to close her eyes and beg the goddesses that she could redeem herself given the chance, and when she opened her eyes...She was met with the cold glare of her husband.
Until it softened.

    "Rory..." The man couldn't do anything as he was being strapped just beside his wife and his sister. But his eyes had been hypnotized to the witch to his left, only to miss the beginning decree of their sentencing.

He realized at this moment that his actions had brought Aurora to the same fate. A lifetime in Azkaban had indeed caused her breaking point as she closed her eyes, a tear falling down her cheek in silence.

    "Cassiopeia Lestrange, wife to Rabastan Lestrange. How do you plead?" The woman had straightened her bowed head, not fearing the likes of the man who had given her an Order of Merlin just a few years prior.

    "Not guilty." It sent the jury and those in the audience in a frenzy, whether they believed her to be lying or be siding with her she did not care.

Who she did catch was Dumbledore, but after having her brother thrown in prison for a crime she knew he hadn't committed, she wasn't expecting him to jump to her aid like he had with Severus...
Of course, Aurora has more than the normal amount of resentment to her former headmaster.

    "My cousin wasn't strong enough, the Dark Lord saw her unfit and unworthy of the mark!" This sparked for a fact check, her wrist had been revealed to be bare.

"But her cousin shares the wife mark! Check to see if she holds it!" The audience had watched Rabastan struggle against the chains as he did not favor anyone near the likes of his wife. Luckily a witch had taken the task and Aurora had been cleared of having any dark mark.
Wife or otherwise.

    Aurora snuck a glance to her husband, blinking so rapidly as she felt so entirely uncomfortable being in the judgment chair...But his eyes, his storm blue eyes, he was whispering all his regrets in a bursting mumble.

But the chaos around them for the acts committed was beyond inhumane.

To torture Alice and Frank Longbottom to the point of insanity. She couldn't possibly love the monster he became.

    "I can testify for Cassiopeia Lestrange!" A voice in the crowd shouted, her eyes landed quite easily to the wizard who spoke. And a small sigh of relief relished over her to see Otto with a solid sense of determination to fuel his endearment.

Screw Dumbledore, the arse was sitting in the audience without so much of a lifted finger.

    "How could you possibly testify a matter outside of potions, she's—"

"Exactly that minister. Cassiopeia is my student first and foremost, she worked full time in developing a cure for Dragon Pox. There would be no time between her children and her work to be involved in this attack or anything that followed such a thing." The murmurs continued to rally on either side of the minister until he slammed his knocked down to the desk before him.

    "Silence! I will have order before this judgment! Mrs.Cassiopeia Lestrange will be trailed after!... Rabastan, Bellatrix and Rodolphous Lestrange, you are hereby sentenced to Azkaban for your loyalty to the Dark Lord, your crimes against wizarding codes, the ministry, to innocent wizarding families and muggles alike. Any final words?"

    The two males had remained silent while the final sentence washed over them in damnation.

But Bellatrix took it with pride.

"The Dark Lord will rise again! Throw us into Azkaban, we will wait! He will rise again and will come for us, he will reward us beyond any of his other supporters! We alone were faithful! We alone tried to find him!" Rabastan bit his tongue, knowing anything he could say would be worse for his wife.

His dedication has already lost him the ability of freedom, but the fear Aurora had about being a single mother prior will now be a reality.

    The three of them had been removed from the chairs and began to walk off to their private shipment to Azkaban.

"I love you Rory...I love you and the children. I'm sorry." His voice had drifted by the approving applause from the stage above them.

    "I love you Raba..." She spoke, keeping her face in line with his as it would be the last time either would see one another for eternity.

A heavy sob escaped her throat as she looked at those around her, they celebrated the imprisonment of people who were raised in an environment where it was beaten into them. She loves him, but her mind still thought heavily on the actions that got to them here and now.
They were caught torturing the Longbottoms, and all Aurora could do was pray that they were--Gods how were they?

    "The Lestrange assets will be closed...The Lestrange Manors will be passed to Gringotts—" Rabastan had heard the final sentencing of it all, so not only had his wife lost him...The house and their fortune would be inaccessible.

Aurora was ruined.
Her credibility would be ruined after this.

    "Minister, my former student could never be involved with such an atrocity. Half of you in this room had been affected by her research, time and energy that she placed whilst putting together a cure for Dragon Poxs. A woman of her caliber is far more intelligent than to get mixed up with her husband and siblings." Otto had held his own phenomenally, and she turned her gaze to see the stands were less than supportive of her going to Azkaban.

"Her siblings! Let us not forget that Sirius Black betrayed the Potters!"

"Correlation does not permit causation, yes she is a blood relative of Sirius Black. But what more proof do you have in the matter?" A hand rose, the woman from prior who had lifted Aurora's skirt, she had noticed a few stretch marks on the woman's tum, knowing full well that they were from past pregnancies.

"How many children do you have?"
"Four. My eldest two are turning four this summer." It sparked another outburst of an argument, the entire witch side of the jury started to grow in favor of returning the woman to her children and start redirecting her life now that her vault was shut down.

    Question after question, had Aurora sat confined in the chair, until finally...They reached a verdict.

"Cassiopeia Aurora Lestrange nee Black. You are herby found not guilty...For the crimes of aiding the torture of Alice and Frank Longbottom or being involved with the Death Eater community." Her chains had been released and she was free to go.

    Otto was quick to rush to her side as he continued to aid her into returning to the manor. A manor that was no longer hers.

    "Aurora what in devils happened?" The witch had finally broke down, her arms wrapping around her mentor as she craved someone's warmth.

And she already knew who he soul was craving for.

    "I couldn't stop him, I couldn't—He...Otto I cannot stay here." He knew that her family accounts would be frozen, meaning the Lestrange vault. But he knew the witch, her accounts filled with her own money would be alright.

A brilliant witch indeed.

    "I cannot stay here."
"Of course not, you'll stay with Rose and I for—" She shook her head, squeezing her eyes shut as she dreaded saying the contents of her plan.

But Otto couldn't have looked more relieved.

    "Aurora...You're a mother, you do what is best for you and for your children. American has earned a beautiful young potioneer to their arsenal." Her tears were far from over, and Otto had been hesitant in leaving her alone. But the woman had to pack, she had to move her entire livelihood in order to make it to America as quickly as possible.

It caused the Elves to bustle about, packing the valuables and hiding them. Covering the furniture with a thin white cloth for preservation, and packing any and all personal items that the five of them would be needing.

    Aurora on the other hand, had gone straight to her father's portrait and sunk to her knees.

"He's been sent to Azkaban..." She whispered, and it caused the man to frown. Especially after seeing the small scraps and embeddings into her skin.

    "What?!"

"If Otto hadn't spoken out for me, I would be there as well..." She whispered, clutching her wand so tightly. The chair in Orion's portrait had scratched back, his pacing hadn't helped his daughter one bit, not until he slammed the inner wall of his prison.

    "That good for nothing bastard had you arrest and prosecuted! My sweet Cassi, pick yourself up...You have work to be done, do not fall so easily darling. Please." He was right, her father was always right.

She needed to get her packing done because by this time this evening, the Lestrange's will be gone.

    "We're going to Regulus father, he'll be happy to see you." Orion nodded but pushed her into continuing with what she had to do.

The woman had stuffed all her work into two trunks, screw the dresses, she could buy everything later. The children and their belongings were more important. As were the dozens of documents, money, and things of that nature.

Aurora had on account a few ten-minute naps here and there, but all the woman could see was her husband being dragged away in the same chains he had been tied down with.

    It had barely been eight in the morning, and an eviction notice had already been set in place. Although it was a time limit of a month, Aurora couldn't manage another night within this manor.

    Instead she hurried along to Gringotts, her cloak and hood hiding her through the crowds. Her name will surely be on the front page of the Daily Prophet, this crime would go down in history.

And she could only beg that her children not hate their father when they grow up.
When they grow up without their father.

The elves begged their mistress to take a nap, but she only responded with requesting another coffee. However with this delirious mindset, a thought popped up. A meeting that she couldn't leave without settling first.

And that was to go see her mother before her untimely departure.

    It was odd standing in front of the Grimmauld place, especially since she hadn't entered since the twins were about two. Good gods, it was still as ominous as when she was a child, and when walking into the tight-knit foyer had she shivered at the flood of memories.

But at least she would be able to see Regulus.
Yet she blamed herself for not being able to save Sirius

    "Young mistress? Good mistress is not expecting—"

"Could you put a kettle on the stove Kreacher? I need to have a word with my mother." The elf nodded and followed through the rest of the order while Rory found herself sitting at one of the many lounge chairs.

Or that is what her mother used to call them anyway, they were stiff boards with the minimal ounce of pillows. To add to the idea of comfort.

That is how Rory lived her life in this manor, and she'd be damned if her munchkins ever step foot in here.

    "Cassi! What a pleasant surprise!" Her mother cheered, Aurora recalled that the woman was simply lonely and wanted company. So here she was, with one final visit.

"Have you had a chance to look at the paper?"

"Oh no, I was just packing to go to Germany. The weather is..." Aurora couldn't handle this sweet gossip with her mother, not at a time where she could feel slight jolts in her skin.

The bond of her and Rabastan would be the death of her, Dementors lurking about the jail walls would surely affect her on this end of the spectrum.

"Look mother, I have to return to my children soon...Rabastan—He was sent to Azkaban." There was on account two times Aurora could recall that her mother consulted her. Walburga was quick to take the seat before her daughter and soothe her, but she pulled away.

    Nothing the woman could say or do would aid her, so there was no point.

"I am ruined mother, the Lestrange vault has been closed and I am being evicted." Walburga nodded, her daughter still had a touch of pride in her blood that wouldn't allow her to look for pity in others.

Instead she breathed out a sigh of relief, smiling that Kreacher had come with the tea.

    "Thank you Kreacher...Would you like a few drops mother? It's helped me all morning." If they were going to calmly discuss what the next course of action would be, and while her daughter was battling lack of sleep and the loneliness of having an imprisoned husband.

Walburga could offer a few options.

    Aurora placed a small sand clock, saying that she needed to take another dose or else she wouldn't be able to get through the day. Mrs.Black had already seen the jitteriness of her hand prior to taking another dosage of whatever the two were taking now. And she had to aid her daughter into pouring the contents into either glass.

    Walburga hummed in delight, but frowned as she watched her daughter overfill it to the brim further with a new bottle as the previous one had been emptied. "Cassiopeia it isn't wise to—"

"My husband is about to rot away in Azkaban for the rest of his days, I am without a house with four children at home waiting for their father to return." She spoke, downing the boiling tea as if it'd help her situation.

    "We can convert the rooms upstairs for the children and—"
"Absolutely not." Walburga had squeezed her cup tightly into her hands, her offering hand been completely denied without a proper second thought.

"I never felt more joy...then moving out of this manor mother. I will not be moving back." The elder witch had spewed a relaying fountain of backlash for that insult, but Aurora simply looked down to the sand clock by her small dish and prayed that the time would speed up.

Until it hadn't turned into a social call anymore, and the pent of anger that Rory had been harboring since her youth...Finally spilled out.

And with a minute left on the time.

    "You know mother, I didn't come here for the advice, I came here to tie up loose ends. I lived in the shadows of what you have carved me out to be. And I am blessed to know..." Aurora took the faithful sip of her tea and smirked.

    "That within less than thirty seconds your heart will burst just like you threatened mine to do. So I suppose it's the perfect time to share that Regulus is alive and I never, no matter how hard you tried, lost connection with Sirius. Only now when he is in Azkaban for a crime he didn't commit!" Aurora's voice only rose an octave when her mother had begun to choke, as if it would her any good.

She had drank too much of the poison.

    "What do you say now, mother?" She taunted, the light in her eyes had finally cut out as the Walburga Black had fallen to the floor with a thud. "Are you proud of this bird mother?"

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Date Posted: 12-09-19

Time: 11:23

Words: 3345

My friend texted me this after she helped me edit:

Aurora: I just escaped being thrown into Azkaban

Also Aurora: I'm going to kill my mother

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I was seriously debating on whether or not I wanted to send Rabastan to Azkaban or not, but I've already messed up the timeline to what is canon. So he's off to a life sentence locked away and Rory is on route to America!

Please don't hate me!