✧FUNERAL✧

♕♕♕

◊━━━━━✥━━━━━◊

***

━━━━━▼━━━━━

━━━━━▲━━━━━

***

Aurora awoke with a churning pain in the center of her chest, and at first she was going to roll over and ask Rabastan to get her the heartburn potion. But as the memories of yesterday managed to flood her mind, it caused her to sit up slowly.

It wasn't because she woke up alone, it was how sick she felt to having another empty hole in her heart where the relationship with her brothers lay.

    Now her mother's words of being alone in the manor had never been louder. It didn't even feel like she had been crying. Instead Daisy had peeked in the given room on order from her master on the every hour mark.

    "Sweet Mistress awake? Master ask that Daisy check on good Mistress..." The Elf had said a few other bits of nonsense, but with her luck, morning sickness decided to strike early sending Rory to rush to the likes of the toilet.

Nothing about puking up raw stomach acid was pleasant, and it wasn't as though there was much left. However Rabastan was conversing with the likes of Narcissa, his brother, and Bella.

    The rush of an elf had all four of the masters and mistresses to gaze over.
"Mistress feel ill, mistress sick master. Master come!" Rabastan had already struggled with his own grievance, but being strong for someone else was an internal struggle.

    "Rabastan I'll go and see Cassi, it's—"

"No. I'll be right back. Three days...For the funeral." Those around him nodded about, silently praying that Aurora was prepared for the news she was about to hear.

    The wizard took a solid moment before entering the master bedroom, his voice betrayed him, and the added bonus of her not even being in the room.

Her dry-heaving in the bathroom caused his alertness kicked into gear and rush to her side. Already talking into the factor that her hair was sporting a solid grey color, but with her head hovering over the toilet, he did not ignore the tears reigning on her face.

    "Love I know there is nothing I can say to make you feel better, three days and we'll put him to rest...Let me get you cleaned up, and I'll set you up with Loki and Romulus in the den." Put him to rest. How utterly morbid, how utterly wrong.

    Right now all she could do was see the horrid image of her brother close to death on her own potions doing, to combatted the count down until her brew brought his brain to shut down.

    Pairing that with the image of Yaxley, she lost the remaining bit of innocency that she had left. Sighing down into her arm did she feel so unbelievably tired.

She was pregnant, Narcissa, Lily?
Ronan being a newborn, the twins.
The Order.
The Death Eaters.

Honestly, how was one woman meant to handle all the above?

    Rabastan had left his wife's side for a moment as he started to fill up the tub. The back of her hand had covered the likes of her mouth as she began to shake her head. Nothing at the moment seemed right, and this lie was going to be too much.

Was this the lie that was going to finally do her in?

    "I'm going to fill it with your favorite scent, and I want you to soak in it for half an hour. Not a moment less. When you're done I want you to relax with one of the children." It sounded like orders, but this was his attempt at being stern.

Right now nothing was better than sitting on the floor beside the toilet.

    "H-his wand?" There were times when Rabastan could fall at the sound of her voice, cower at her angry tone. But now? Now he wished he could sell his soul to bring Regulus back.

Even if he already sold it to the Dark Lord.

    "In my study. Bella, Cissy, and my brother are—" Rory shook her head, not wanting to see a single person at the moment.

    "If you get in the tub and finish your tea you won't have to see them...I'll put his wand in your study." She tried to smile in a thankful gesture, but it ended with her sobbing even further.

    Getting to her feet had she struggled on wobbly legs, and didn't get any farther than sitting on the toilet itself.

    "I—I can't..." He once again kneed down beside his wife after shutting off the faucet.

"Love, he wouldn't want you to be in pain...What was the saying you two shared? As the Universe, so the soul? Don't let that die along with him. Our children will learn of their Uncle who died for the cause." Rabastan Lestrange had the chance, he had the chance and blew it as she threw his hands off her face.

    "And you're in wonder why I wanted to know when he received the mark?!" His eyes widened, completely taken back by her rage...

    "Who killed him? Who killed my brother?!" Rabastan knew what she was after. She wanted revenge. But realistically, she needed to continue the lie.

    "We believe it was the Longbottoms." Rory was shaking with a new sense of fury, never...Never had he believed that this would change her mood so quickly.

    The woman had soon stormed out of the room, her bare feet taking her quiet quickly through the manor. Though Rabastan was faster without the added weight of a child.

    "Aurora we have this handled, the Dark Lord is not going to take this loss lightly. In fact, he isn't."

"The Blackline is done! Over! Ho-how do—" Rabastan watched as her breath started to quicken, an almost exact replica of what happened when she had found out.

Throwing herself into exhaustion was not safe for their daughter or Aurora.

    His hand wrapped around her head and tugged her into his chest, trying to instruct her on how to breath was setting into a struggle.

Especially when one thought followed through his mind:

Did she blame him?... Did she blame him for her brother's death?

No. Because he wasn't dead.

    "Breathe for me love, I cannot fathom the thought to see you lose conscious again." Her tired limbs allowed a nod as he partly carried her throughout the final ends of the manor and back to the master bath.

    She didn't have much of a chance to undress as he took the matter into his own hands. Once again as she was faced with the uncontrollable spike of her hormones, but with the cool air starting to bite away at her skin, she had no choice but to sink into the tub.

    "I'll send an elf in half an hour to help you dry, and I'm sure Rommy wouldn't mind a snuggle with his mummy..." Still sporting tears in her eyes did she manage a small nod in confines to wanting to see her babes.

    "I'll join you after everything is sorted, I promise." He finished his lasts words with a kiss to her crown before leaving her to steaming whims of the water.

    "Daisy...I need the paw print book from my study." The voice order carried throughout the manor. The elf had been called numerous times to retrieve this book and handed her mistress the said book and an extra quill.

Each of the assigned books held the symbol of their counterpart twin. And this was perhaps going to be the hardest damn written note that she could possibly send.

But how else was she meant to prepare him?

Regulus is dead, whoever was at the raid last night are being hunted. Stay safe, I love you

    Her words went unfinished as she scrambled to hide the book away behind the granted lot of oils and shampoos beside the tub. Only to be met with Loki and Nymeria, both of which were ecstatic to see their mum, but also empathetic to know that something wasn't quite right.

    It was when the Elf had come in that caused her to stand up abruptly from the water, she was craving company.

    Getting dressed in the simplest of gowns did the elf hurry along in hopes of stopping her mistress from the orders bestowed onto her.

    "He is planning with others, disrupting him to join and help me isn't what I need. Please, just ready a kettle into the den, I'll be down in a few moments." Daisy had a new directive, and a pregnant witch always triumphed that of the master of the home.

Actually...anything concerning a mistress' health would strike higher reign than a master. That is just how the elves functioned and listened.

    So for a few moments, Rory relished a reminder that the book was now placed at her bedside table, but for a few moments did she find herself playing with Romulus and Halsey.

Pretending that everything was alright was going to be difficult, but how could one feel sad in the presence of her children? Especially when they shared a toothy grin and repeated whatever sayings that they heard throughout the day.

    "Mumum, mumum bwankey." Romulus requesting his blanket was another reason why the tears returned, but an added bonus was that he rushed over to his shared bedroom with his twin, returning with it bundled in his arms as a ball, only to fling it at his mother.

    "Here you are Rommy." She spoke softly, wrapping the young lad with the blanket around his shoulders. "No! Mummum!" He proceeded to rip it off and put it on one of his mother's shoulders as he knew she needed the comfort.

    She had done just that, leaving Halsey in the care of an elf as she was hypnotized to her dollies from her Uncle Ralph and Bella.

    So Rory brought Romulus up into her arms as she made her way throughout the quiet manor and down to the den where Daisy was already waiting with the fire on the verge of starting.

    "Staar?" Her little baby whispered, and she gave a slight nod. Causing Daisy to rush with one task to get the projector working.

    "Daisy, please go heal yourself." She ordered, otherwise the elf would wear it as a badge of honor, as it looked as though she served her masters to the brink of injury.

"Thank you mistress." The elf squeaked, causing Romulus to squeal just the same in a mimicking echo to what the elf had said.

    "Mummy loves you Rommy, I love you to the ends of the earth." She whispered, and almost instantly had the son shared his own bouts of saying 'I love you' but turned into the adorable 'I wove yow' which was all his mum wanted.

    Rabastan had been pleased with the effort his wife was giving, and damnit was he proud of Romulus to take control of the situation.

What she needed was support, and their son became one of the many. Especially as he and Halsey were starting to test the limits of their voice.

*

    Aurora had been wide awake for the onset of 48 hours now, and finally had Rabastan been relieved to find her snoring away in the den.

    The twins curled up within their mother and mutt's hold, he had somehow managed to lay beside his wife after picking up Halsey and placing her to his chest. The sound of her light breathing was sending the same relaxing sense that a potion would.

    Narcissa promised that Aurora wouldn't have to worry about any single detail, all she needed to do was attend the ceremony.

    Orion had attempted to come and see his daughter, but was argued against it as Walburga didn't want to stress his already weakening body.

Everyone needed to save their strength for the funeral.

    Course Rabastan had to be the first to wake, but at least it gave him the settling order of having the Elves ready the children as he took care of his wife.

    It was a trick he learned while she was blind, which by default made him think of all the hardship the two had battled from the first kiss as husband and wife to now.

In the beginning, he hadn't rightly thought that this is what his life would entail. Yet then he realized at how mature both Rory and himself turned, for more reasons than just being parents.

Parents.

    That was going to strike him as odd until his children would attend Hogwarts, receiving their acceptance letter surely will bring that.

    However his little trick of rubbing his fingers along the sides of her arms was starting to work. A soft moan escaped her lips as she shifted closer to his form.

"Come love, sure a shower will wake you up." He watched as her brows rose in confusion, all before her eyes peeked open. With her visibly awake, he was waiting for the smallest of any comments. But instead her breath had barely been audible at a moment like this.

    "Daisy and Poppy are getting the babes ready, we need to be ready in two hours...How about you eat a small bit of toast after?" His question had prompted a small shake of her head as she denied the request.

    "Rory I know you won't eat after. How about that drink you created for Amelia?" Her cheek was firmly connected to his shoulder as she nodded.

    "We can spend as long as you want and need to Rory." She had intercepted his hand that was going to lock her hair behind her ear, only to kiss the back of his hand.

    The two didn't get up until another ten minutes, and it was Aurora herself who attempted to get herself up and moving.

    Nothing was quick about the shower, but what indeed telling was her quick update to Regulus himself as she explained that she told Sirius about his death as well as going to attend his funeral.

She was going to really attempt a follow-through conversation that night, hopefully. This six-hour difference was already starting to be a pain.

    One of the many gifts that she received was now coming to good use. It was a binding wrap that allowed her to hold Ronan close to her chest. Granted he was sleeping the entire ceremony anyhow, and it gave Rory the sense of longing as she watched 'Regulus' join the rest of the Black family in their prestigious graves.

    It wasn't entirely proper for Rory to bend down to pray, especially pregnant. But nobody dared tell her otherwise as she held the small necklace into her hands and continued to mumble behind her hand and behind the black lace.

    "She did the same at Uncle Alffie's funeral..." Narcissa whispered off beside Rabastan, his eyes still casting different levels of pain. But the worse he felt was when looking in his wife's direction.

    Her hair was still grey, but it wasn't as noticeable as she attempted to disguise it under the layers of black lace. However, what he did stop, was Walburga's attempt to go Aurora.

    "Mrs.Black, let my wife pray in peace." The elder witch had ripped her arm away from Rabastan's firm hold and scoffed. "I simply want to comfort—"

"Comfort? Oh nonono, I don't think she would have your comfort. I won't warn you again." Aurora had been oblivious to her mother attempted to do, especially as it was most likely going to turn into a scolding.

"You are near,
Even if I don't see you.
You are with me,
Even if you are far away.
You are in my heart,
In my thoughts.
In my life, Always."

    Those in attendance had long passed, but Orion had remained. A settling nod that he sent in Rabastan's direction as he saved Cassi another causation of tears, and that indeed had made her father proud.

    One hand had struck rightly to his cane, while the other had been holding onto Romulus. His first grandchild was rightly fond of his grandparents, while Halsey was off in the arms of her uncle.

Their hair was sporting grey just like their mother, giving yet another reason as to why the Lestrange children wouldn't be so able to venture out into public. Not only were they uncontrollable children, but their skills were something on their own will, which made it a struggle to control on top of their actions.

    Rabastan had smiled lightly. Regulus would've loved to hear all of the sayings that Rory came prepped with. It was one thing for Sirius to run away, but for one to die?

"Papa." Both Orion and Rabastan had turned down to the young lad, and the father couldn't help but pick up his son.

    "The kids are helping her...Nothing I say is working." Mr.Black had turned his gaze off towards his son in law, his final son.

    "I ask that you be patient with her Rabastan. I cannot imagine what my little light is thinking of, but just you being there with her then—" After all the two had argued over in the sake of Aurora's sanity, this was going to be the biggest downfall.

    But with this, Orion was feeling his own sense of failure. As the last male Black, he looked over his youngest son's grave in the sense of unmistakable pride, though it was laced with impending failure.

Regulus was too young. Sirius had run away. And Aurora was in the same organization as Regulus, with the factor of children.

"Goddess
Please untie the knots
That are in mind,
My heart and in my life.
Remove the have nots,
The can nots and the do nots
That I have in my mind.
Erase the will nots,
May nots,
Might nots that may find
A home in my heart.
Release me from the could nots,
Would nots and
Should nots that obstruct my life.
And most of all,
Goddess
I ask that you remove from my mind,
My heart my life all of the 'am nots'
That I have allowed to hold me back,
Especially the thought
That I am not good enough.
So Mote It Be."

    The two masters had politely given Aurora a silent moment through her prayer as she continued from one to another. And when Romulus had caught sight of his mum, he itched his little grappeling hands, it caused his father to sigh.

"Mummy's saying goodbye, Rommy." He explained, though that did not pass the mind of the sixteen-month-old child.

    "Romulus stay with your father, your mummy's busy at the moment," Orion spoke, and insight of his daughter's actions. He had poked his grandson's nose, causing him to squeal.

This distraction had changed Romulus' attention to him, and his hands snapped in that direction. "Orion it's alright to—" Mr.Black had easily shifted his caine to the other side and took the toddler into his arms.

    "I don't have long left. Promise me Rabastan, you keep my daughter safe and my wife away from her when I am gone." Walburga was going to be in a world of being alone the second her husband meets his own grave.

But that was the farthest from either woman in his life's mind. Because Regulus was still fresh on his mind, and what had shocked Rory in the midst of her praying was when she peeked her head up into the distance...

Only to see a black mutt off by the lone tree.

    Sirius had made an attempt in attending Regulus' funeral, and Rory couldn't image how much he was hurting. It was the regret of losing touch with the youngest sibling that was worrying Aurora once again.

If only she would allow herself to tell him the truth.

    But one person knowing would be dangerous for anyone involved, and she wasn't going to risk the generosity of the Halliwell's, to out them and make them join the war.

No, they would be kept hidden with Regulus' secret.

A smile crept up onto her face as she took in his figure, and since he was in his animagus form, there would be nothing wrong with joining her closer.

    Both Orion and Rabastan had stood at attention as they watched Aurora hold out her hand to the strange dog to sniff.

    "Ronan look, it's one of Hades' Hellhounds...It means Uncle Reggie made it safe to the afterlife." She whispered, causing Padfoot to whine out at how unbelievably different his sister sounded.

Sirius hadn't noticed that his nephew was currently bundled up close under her cloak and in a wrap, it confused him sure. But he began to lick at his sister's tears before nuzzling close to her chest, in the effort to peek at his youngest Nephew.

And another surprise was waiting for him.

His sister is pregnant once again.

    A whine that had sounded like a growl in Rabastan's ears had him walk forward.

"Aurora?" They hadn't shared many words that morning, or throughout the ceremony. If he was being entirely honest, she had only said prayers and a few words to the children.

But not to him.

    Her attention changed to see Romulus with her father, but when she scanned the area for Halsey, she started to panic. "She's with Rodophus, it's okay love...Take your time." It was highly ironic that Sirius was indeed present at a moment like this, especially when everyone else was present.

    "Mummy?" Padfoot's ears perked at the sound, how innocent and soft the child sounded.

"Father you should sit down..." Rory scolded, and Orion came walking forward as he placed Romulus down beside his mother, who sat rightfully on her praying leg.

    "Of course my little light." She leaned into her father as he bent down as well to settle a kiss, and now Rabastan had felt a little left out between the father and daughter moment.

So he went in search of his own.

    "He wouldn't want you to dwell Cassiopeia, he wanted you to be proud."
"I will always be proud of Regulus, but he was too young father...Too young." He was close to being nineteen, and of course it made Rory think of what she had been doing at eighteen close to nineteen.

A mother. An order member.

    "Doggie...Doggiedoggie." Rommy cheered, causing the lad to take the world by his puggy little legs and hold out his hands to carefully rub the mutt's face.

    "Careful Rommy, what do we have to do with new Doggies first?" The boy had instantly retracted and held out one fist instead.

    "I thought about changing Ronan's middle name, but it'll have to wait for this lil gal."

"Have you and Rabastan decided a name?" Orion had never asked the question before, and Rory had feared the same as what her father had.

That he wasn't going to be able to meet this coming little one.

    "Cara Regulus Lestrange." Sirius tried so desperately to not make it obvious in listening and staring at either of his blood relatives. His first introduction to his two nephews in person.

But then his attention casted of to their mum, who was still sporting grey locks, which took him by surprise seeing them be featured on both the twins.

And the peak of the little Lestrange Heiress had made her appearance as well.

    "Mummy wook!" Rabastan returned to his wife's side, with Halsey close to his body in a protective shield, as he was indeed worried about the mutt and what he could be carrying.

    "Good doggie." Halsey praised, which allowed Rory another reason to smile...But then she continued to break down once again, her head bowing to grasp of her husband.

    No words would process in her head, not from her father or from her husband.
Nothing, not a single thing.

    Finally her hand had grasped her mouth as she shook her head and began to raise up. Only after kissing the dog in parting goodbye, which prompted her to slightly move in the idea to leave, receiving aid from her husband to get back up on her feet. And both the twins attempted to do the same, though their efforts were not at all helpful.

    "Rabastan, could I trouble you with a quick word?" The Black heir had been offered a small nod before he held onto his grandson and departed from the scene while Rabastan had the instance of both his wife, daughter and son in the midst of one single warp.

    They had been the last of the attendance, though Bellatrix and Rodolphus followed in pursuit afterward. Either still relatively nervous for Cassiopeia's next episode.

Rabastan warned them that Rory would be seeking revenge. But that was not going to happen in any regard, Mrs.Lestrange was still pregnant and nursing. The safety of her for the children is was rallied the three and the added addition of Barty crouch Jr.

    With the departure, Sirius was left by himself without an audience. Allowing him the moment to return to skin and bow down in the same spot as Aurora.

    "Merlin Reg what happened? What'd I say would happen?... And it wasn't worth it any bloody way. You promised to protect her, and I suppose you did for the most part...Bet she didn't tell you we're still talking aye? Hm...Watch out for her Reg, and her children..." He sighed up into the air, daring himself not to cry in front of his kid brother.

    "That was the first time I've seen them in person, and she's pregnant again. Bet Orion wasn't too excited about that." And Sirius had stayed there, and for the first time in the given few years had he had a conversation to his brother.

Just not what he was hoping for.

    Aurora hadn't said verbally that she was going down for a nap, but finding the babes in the room by themselves and an elf left Rabastan to question.

    "She needs the rest. I wanted to ask something of you, Rabastan." The man nodded, offering a glass of fire whiskey as the two found themselves in the study of the second Lestrange son.

    "I promised her that I'd protect Regulus...I failed her again. This was my last strike."

"Son, this wasn't anything you could control. She knows that, and if she doesn't, I'll remind her of it."

    Orion had taken another small sip before he began to cough, merlin had he been holding it in for the duration of the funeral. As he was saving his daughter from being reminded of her father's health.

"Sir?"

"I'm dying Rabastan, quicker than I would like...But I'm worried as to what will happen to my line when I am gone." Lestrange was more than distraught that he was having this conversation just after arriving home from the funeral.

    "Sirius will not get a single coin if that is what you're referring to sir."

"This hasn't happened in close to a century Rabastan, and I'm embarrassed to even suggest this..." The silence ran thick, and the only support the son in law could give was shake his head.

    "Whatever it is Orion, I assure you that it isn't—" Orion's eyes drifted back to the conversation and interrupted his 

"—That one of your children needs to become a Black."

◇──◇────◇────◇──◇

Date Posted: 10-25-19

Time: 10:57

Words: 4566