✧ALMOST LIKE WE'RE A FAMILY✧

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***

Aurora had watched until the back cart of the train was leaving the station, and then another few moments after that as she rightly didn't want to leave the platform in tears...If she did she knew that she'd automatically feel the dread the rest of the day.

"Two years time...That's going to be us Roe." Cara breathed out, with a slight smile on her face as she turned to her brother—But then looked up in panic to see that her mother heard her as well.

"Not that I ever want to leave!" She shouted, attempting to fix the situation before tackling her mother and locking her arms around her mum's waist.

"That's very reassuring Cara...I'll be just a moment darlings, stay with papa." She whispered before going off to the Auror, the smiled in greeting but kept a slight lingering eye to his charge.

Aurora was simply asking that since Rabastan was out and about already that they could out for a quick lunch rather than return home.

But the bloke was reluctant, and so he should be. Lestrange was still a name tied with Death Eaters and those alike.

"Sir, I promise you if my husband ever pulled anything to that extent again I will personally lock him in a cell myself and throw away the key." The Auror chuckled and gestured his hand out into the air, he was due back at the ministry but hadn't seen anything wrong.

Not when he was on proper behavior and checked in when it was proper.

When Aurora returned she held a smile on her face and went to go pull Lori into her hold. "Well then, I think I worked up an appetite...How about we go out and then perhaps some ice cream?" The children were undoubtedly excited, but Rabastan frowned as he turned to his wife.

He'd have to return home while his family went out.

But Aurora smiled brightly in his direct and kissed his cheek before whispering that it was alright. In his excitement, he had pulled Lori up into his arms once again and led his children off the fireplace to leave.

"Aurora? Aurora Lestrange?" A voice called out, and Rabastan had caught Rory hiss a strangled breath as she turned to see a rather elder witch, one that she's never met before. And although it seemed like a sweet and kind thank you, it suddenly turned into a nightmare of attention.

Though not the type the Auror was expecting himself, but it result in a call of back up and the quick apperation from Aurora to the entirety of her family.

When the image had become clear, Rabastan had leaned forward past the children to catch his wife. Having teleported with so many persons and a great distance caused Rory to lose her balance, but in that instance Ronan had taken hold of Lori in place of where his father was prior.

"Mummy?" Lori called out, her eyes threatening to cry as she looked at the scene, but Ronan simply hugged his lil sister.
"It's alright Lolli, mum just overdid it a little bit...She usually keeps a head-rush tonic in her purse." He said, more to his father than Lori, but the little girl had rushed out of her brother's hold and fumbled through the bag to find a few bottles.

The only issue is that Aurora found herself refilling bottles rather than having a brand name on them. Meaning that the ones Lori was holding all three, making her pop open the first one in hand. "Er, Lori maybe we should let mum or Cara—" Ronan had started, but then he realized that his lil sister was simply sniffing the contents before moving onto the next one.

And Cara had been smirking ever so widely to her our 'twin', "I believe that's three Gaellons when we get home, brother." She earned herself a slight nudge from his elbow before Lori held up the one she thought was correct and indeed it was.

"Papa papa! Mummy needs a drop!"
"Hmm, make it two. There were four of us." Rabastan had took the words of advice from his children, and soon enough Aurora's head had stopped spinning enough to see where they were...And perhaps it was rather a nightmare and a half.

"Er...Where are we?" Ronan mumbled, looking up to the rather dark alleyway. Rabastan hadn't even thought thought the check where they had apperented...

But never did he expect to have returned to Knockturn Ally. "Ronan, help Lori with her cloak. This place isn't for children." He spoke, and Cara knew right then and there that she too should put up her hood over her head.

Ronan took hold of either sister's hand and made sure to keep Lori in front of her as Rabastan had to work on memory to what Knockturn Alley had been...He was thankful that this rundown town hadn't experienced many or any massive changes, and the six of them had managed to return the lighter sense of the town.

As Aurora had taken the two drops in their original spot in Knockturn Ally she was starting to come to once she saw the brighter buildings come into view. "Gods that was awful..." She said, a hand still in the midst of caressing her forehead before turning to rub her temple.

"What...?"
"It's alright love, well done for thinking as quickly as you did."
"It's not the first time it's happened, is everyone alright?" Her attention had turned from Rabastan to the children, who looked entirely relieved that their mother was feeling better. And Lori had carefully wrapped her arms around her mummy's waist and didn't move until her father picked her up.

"How about we go to where papa used to take me when we were dating?" The children liked the sound of that, and honestly Rabastan wouldn't have minded his usual and thus the family continued through Diagon Ally.
Since it was September 1st, there was no chaotic rush the summer would bring when everyone was preparing for the new semester.

When they were seated at the booth, Aria turned to look at Lori with suspicion. "You know the rules young lady, back on the counter," Aurora said waving her finger as both she and her husband had taken the ends of the roundabout booth.

Rabastan turned to Lori in confusion as he was sitting right beside her while Cara was sitting beside her mother. While Ronan felt rather involved in the center of either.

"Lori likes to swipe the sugar packets, isn't that right Lolli?" Cara giggled, and Lori pouted as she placed it on the table for her mother to take away—And it was a joint effort for Ronan to hide it between either him and Cara between then.

"Unfair. It was for my tea."
"You don't drink tea home, how about you tell papa what you like to eat and he can help you read through the menu." Of course Lori knew how to read, but this restaurant was slightly posh in terms of names all this and that.

But Rabastan was rather happy in seeing that his favorite meal was still available and thus he was easy in deciding what he wanted, while Lori was a difficult mess to know what she would want.

It was between pasta and a children's portion of a sandwich of some sorts.

"Merlin Lori, you're giving your father a migraine. If you don't decide by the time the waitress returns you'll be getting pasta." The young witch had soon swiped the menu from her father and read through the given children meals and then decided that she was best in choosing the pasta.

Especially when both Cara and Ronan said they'd let her snag a piece of their meals as well.

When the waitress did return she took everyone's order, Rabastan noticed that Cara was much more like her mother than he first thought. Aurora had gotten salmon and a salad, not a shock to anyone at the table, while Cara ordered codfish and chips. 

But Ronan took the more of what his father would order.

And he smirked towards his son after ordering before letting his arm lean over the bench in pure bliss. When he was off house arrest he would surely do this every night.

Every day.

"Mummy did you bring my coloring book?"
"I think I have the old one, I took my other purse darling." She said, handing over a creature infested book with a packet of crayons. The girl hadn't minded what she was drawing as it gave her something to do, while Ronan and Cara were talking about what they needed to pack for Salem.

"What are you thinking about so hard over there love?" Rabastan instigated, and Aurora took a cautious sip of her steaming tea as she grimaced.

Not prepared for the question.

"I meant to stop at the potion shop there, it must've been in the back of mind that I—"
"I'm not faulting you love, it was a brilliant escape. I was simply curious." She smiled never the less, and it hadn't been that long until the food came and Rabastan had caught the beautiful manners of his children yet again.

Although Lori was still slightly too short for the table and thus sat on her legs to get that extra boost, but still kept the napkin in her lap and ate with small bites.

Lunch had been a beautiful affair, and after exiting the restaurant, Rory had said that they had just enough time for ice cream. As she claimed that she and Rabastan needed to finish up some work.

It was the perfect lie, though it was slightly true in it's own right. But the children were readily distracted by the mention of ice cream that they finished their plates with no issue at all.

Lori had been very interested in telling her mum something, so that left Rabastan holding hands with Cara. Not that there was anything wrong with it, but she had been one of the more silent children.

He assumed that this was how Aurora acted with her father, and so Rabastan would need to break the ice eventually.

"Do you know what you're going to get darling?"
"Probably chocolate with sprinkles, I like all the rainbow colors—Oh! And extra cherries." She grinned up to her father, and the bloke could only smile down to her in return.

Especially when her hair turned into a very cherry color, as she was damn near excited for it. But Ronan frowned to see the heads turn at his sister's ability and how it earned their attention.

He caught that his father didn't like it either and those adults had earned a fair share of glares on his account, until Ronan showed his own pride by taking his mum's style of sterling grey hair.

"Are you two attracting trouble?"
"No mum, people are staring at Cara because her hair changed." Cara hadn't seemed all that misplaced about it, a trait Aurora wished she had in her own time when first discovering it. However she smiled at her son in taking the oddity off his sister as a whole and shared the attention.

Making it less strange.

When entering the small shop, the children rushed towards the counter to look down at the massive selection of flavors while Rory had gone for her usual.

Vanilla and some fruit, some things would certainly never change. Especially with his wife's eating habits.

However he had a weakness of chocolate and nuts and thus he ordered it right beside his wife, having not to really look at the options.

"Why does it feel like you've just taken me on a date and we're rushing to meet my mother's deadlines to return me home?"
"Because that love, was actual fear." He whispered back to humor his wife, even giving her a bite of his.

And she hummed in delight, rolling her eyes as she realized he too ordered their old favorites. "Did you want a bite, or are you going to say 'it's too fruity'?"
"Why do you think I get chocolate and nuts? To always counteract how yours tastes." She chuckled, though her children were finally ready to order as she paid the witch behind the counter and gave her a sizable tip for catering to her slightly picky children.

"Did you get your extra cherries Cara?"
"Yep! Did you want one?" He hadn't been able to respond before she dropped one into his cup and continued to eat another bite.

He offered her a bite, and it caught her curiosity now—He could see it shine in her eyes.
"Merlin, you look like your mum when you do that Cara." She turned to look her father in a slight bit of confusion and pouted.

"Like I have my head in the clouds?" Rabastan knew where those words came from immediately, of course they would still haunt Aurora."Of course not darling, where did you hear that from?" 

"That's what mummy always says when she's angry, that 'she must have her head in the clouds to be thinking that way', and I guess everyone says it to me too." Rabastan placed his ice cream down for a moment and leaned forward to be able to hold direct eye contact.

"You can't truly believe that can you darling?... If your mother truly had her head in the clouds then would she have been able to manage all her potions?...I'm not much of a potion fanatic but I know well enough that potions is a delicate art."
"I think Maya got it from her mum and everyone else's been saying it." Rabastan frowned again as he tried to—Of course Amelia would try and ruin his daughter's imagine alongside his wife.

Suppose he'd need to have a word with her.

"Don't let it bother you darling, if your mum took all the criticism from others she wouldn't have been able to do what she did." Cara hadn't responded nor looked back up to her father and instead leaned into his side and continued to eat her ice cream in peace.

But it did earn Rabastan a tap on his foot, Aurora knew Rabastan had a soft side and it was beautiful to see it.

Especially when it was with the children.

Having filling their bellies with ice cream, they had sought out a fireplace to use the floo network before being brought home.

Rabastan had caught his wife doing a headcount before being tackled by Loki. "Oh darling, Imara is at school now. You'll have to sleep with Lori." She cooed down cupping the mutt's cheeks.

"Papa when you're done with work, can you have tea with me?"
"I'd love to darling, Cara...Will you be joining?" Cara smiled up at the idea and agreed.

The only issue was that a burst of laughter filled the air as McNair had come around the corner. "My mistake, I haven't been prepared for the 1st...And how was it?" Lori had rather adored her Uncle Nair and decided to run towards the fellow and babbled all that happened.

"Auror's these days turned rather useless, not surprised...But I am surprised your papa is joining you for tea." Aurora had closed her eyes, remembering kindly the imagine of having walked in with a tiara on her husband's head and him sitting at Lori's tea table was just the beginning of what she caught happening at those tea parties.

"It sounds like you're offended with the lack of an invitation, mate." It was rather hilarious to see McNair and try and get out of the tea party, only to be invited back once Papa and mummy were done with work.

With the addition of Rosabella as well.

"Why don't you two make invitations? Ronan, did you want to go and visit a friend?" The lad shook his head and decided he would remain home and plan something for tomorrow instant.

With that, everyone had gone to their own devices while Rabastan looked over the legal stature for the potion.

"I feel so bloody dumb having missed your stress when Dragon Poxs was being produced." "Hmm, that was because it was a cure to a much spread academic that the world desperately needed. The ministry wasn't going to stall the fact that a witch from Britain figured it out." Rabastan thought it was rather fitting that Aurora was releasing a pregnancy kit, especially after all the children.

And better yet, perhaps it would aid her and the family, even more, to see that they weren't a threat to society.

About an hour and a half in their session of discussing what the week would look like and mulling over the course work. Ronan came knocking at the door with a rather joyous smile on his face.

And Aurora was already suspicious.

"Something wrong Roe?"
"Not at all, I coursed into delivering this to father. But I think Lori spelled 'attire' wrong." He said, handing the small invitation off towards his father and the bloke had laughed at what his girls attempted to produce.

"Right then, while your father and McNair are busy with the girls...Would you like to play a game of chess?"
"Of course! I'll start practicing!" The boy looked beyond excited and hurried off to do just that.

Rabastan however was laughing over the attempt of making a formal invitation, though the glitter and stickers weren't fully attached or needed another minute to dry.

"This is bloody adorable."
"Hm, best not get any glitter on my documents Lestrange or we're going to have a few issues." He chuckled but never the less gestured it away from the desk to continue to read through it.

"Merlin, get a load of this...'We, Cara and Lorelei Lestrange, are honored to invite you to a special tea party host by us. Tea will be promptly at 4:30, formal attire is required.' This is gold...Is this Lori's handwriting?" Aurora had turned up for a moment and dotted her final line and plucked her glasses from her neck.

"Hmm, though I think Cara told her what to write. She used to do the same with Imara. Best get suited up papa, it's almost 4:30." Rabastan had pulled back his sleeve to stand up abruptly as he barely had twenty minutes.

"Suppose they've owled McNair?"
"That must be where Onyx is...I'm sure the girls are matching color for their gowns, best ask what color they're going with Raba." He nodded his head as he cleaned up his space before departing, but not without leaving his wife with a kiss to her cheek—And when she looked up to smile before another kiss graced her lips.

"Will you and Ronan be alright on your own?"
"Hmm, he's the easiest to entertain. And favors board games just like his mummy. Alright, chopchop!" She clapped, and the father hurried out of the room to get freshened up.

Only for Ronan to return with a bright smile on his face.

"Don't suppose you have a full line of games to play? I could do with a bit of fun."
"Have you told papa about poker yet?" Aurora let out a laugh before shaking her head.

"Perhaps we should leave that talent for when his mates are over and you sub in for your mummy. For right now I was thinking battleship or if you did have your heart set for chess?" And thus the pair continued forward with a table loaded with sweets to fuel them.

*

{Hogwarts Express}

It wasn't that Romulus was nervous—No. He surely was, but if he wanted Imara to remain calm then he would certainly keep his stature maintained.

Even though either twin was feeling the pressure, would they get their father or mother's house?

Or Uncle Sirius'?

At least the Weasly twins provided a good level of distraction for the both of them, and best of all...They too knew what it was like to have siblings.

But Romulus couldn't possibly fathom the idea of seven children in the household.

"Right then, what house you two rooting for?"

"Hm, we have our eyes on Gryffindor...Whole family seems to be shaping up to be in that house, let's see we've got Bill, Charlie, and Percy already. Then mum and dad of course." The two continued to talk, and it was a load of anxiety off either Imara or Romulus' shoulder that they didn't have to try and keep the conversation flowing.

It seemed that the redheads could manage on their own.

"Kind of split down the middle," Imara spoke, and that peeked up Fred's interest as he leaned forward. "Yeah? Between what?"

"Slytherin and Ravenclaw." She simply replied, and thus the racist bit their mother warned them about had arrived. Especially when the two had turned their noses up as though they smelt something awful.

"Something wrong?" Romulus interjected, turning a rather defensive gaze to either of them as it wasn't necessarily polite to act such a way. But these two were ready-made goofballs.

"Couldn't imagine why you'd want to be a snake is all."

"Yeah, at least with a bird you could say you're soaring—What's a snake going to do?" Fred tagged up the following question, all in an attempt to keep the peace. Especially after how he caught Imara responding with a frown.

"The equivalent of flying for a snake would be slithering, so unless you're looking for a pun you're all dried up. Our mum thought of them this entire summer."
"Yeah? Your mum full of pranks is she?" Imara scoffed at the idea of her mother pranking any of her siblings, and the issue was—They would be damned shocked to find out it was their own mother instead of another sibling.

"Course, our mother's crazy." That was surely the wrong word to use in that content, but it was George who asked the burning question now.

"What's your lots last name?... Sure you've heard of us, the red-headed Weasly's. That's right, all of us. Including mum." The twins stilled at the idea of sharing their last name, but Imara took the initiative to lessen the strangeness, hopefully their mum was right about putting a good word in before stating last names and affiliations.

"I sort of like the red hair, it suits you both." She said, all before closing her eyes and allowing the magic to seep down from her hair roots and change the brown locks she'd inherited from her mother before smirking up to the lads.

And of course...They were awestruck.

"Fred?"
"George?"
"Did we just make friends with a metamorphic?"
"I think we did."

The two went back and forth in this pattern, it was surely a twin habit because nor Imara or Romulus were rightly that concerned over the oddness of it.

They were sure they've done it a million times before, especially when their mother's claimed they were in sync with one another.

"Hmm, actually...You're both wrong." Romulus chuckled, turning to his sister before copy the same shade of red as before. Which only caused George to grip his brother's shoulder to knock him back and forth.

Why was it that this was always such a turning point for the conversation whenever they met those their age or around it?

"You've met two!" Imara cheered, clapping her hands together which ultimately woke up Sterling from the cage—Thus managing to earn her freedom by issuing a few sad pouts and a scratch the bar.

"I thought we're only allowed to bring—"
"Sterling's my therapy pet. She helps me cope when I'm having anxiety." She told Fred, but held Sterling up to offer the lads a pet.

And sure enough Sterling had earned another set of friends, and surely enjoyed the company of a born looter.

"Suppose you'll hear our names at the sorting hat...Romulus and Imara Lestrange." He said, letting his hand out to greet either of the lads.

But they both shrunk back into their seat, all in remembrance of the dozens of complaints their mother's told them about the pureblood fanatics.

Which left Romulus' hand untouched, forcing him to retract it with a defeated sigh. Suppose he should've started out with that bit.

However Imara felt offended, she didn't want her mother's words to be true in regards to having a difficult time finding friends to trust. She liked the Weasly boys, they were funny and made her laugh.

"Slytherin makes senses then."
"Does it? Our mum's a Ravenclaw." Fred had remained silent while George was the one to make the comment, he was trying to remember what his own mum said about the family.

"Ravenclaw? I thought your mum was Bell—" Fred nudged his brother in the stomach and shook his head. "Their mum's the one in witch weekly that mum always talks about." Either set of twins were silent until George shot his head back in complete and utter shock.

"Your mum's Aurora Lestrange?"
"Y-yeah?" Imara confirmed, still a wee bit cautious but recognition shot up in the air.

"Merlin, mum's been raving that she wished your mum came out with her kit a decade ago." George honestly admitted and it earned a smile from those seated across from him.

"Hmm, yeah mum wishes she did too." Romulus disclosed before turning to his sister in a sense of suspicion. But in confirming their twin bond she pouted, it was better to be slightly wary than be hurt later.

It was why Romulus was suspicious of his father, but like everyone said around him. They wouldn't see him for most of the year anyway.

"That must be brilliant having a mum like that, ours is always running around and trying to take care of Ron and Ginny." The two strangers assumed that those were the younger siblings of them, but Imara smiled politely—Though still remain quiet.

Either of them had.

"Oi, we didn't know that your mum was—"
"So? Far as I know our Uncle didn't have any children." That Uncle at least.

Fred's shoulders shrugged, his attempt to make things less tense failed automatically as Romulus was downright set to end it there.

"Not like we've been here that long anyway," Imara mumbled, scratching Sterling's neck in an attempt to breathe fluently and not focus on the dooming emotions her heart was feeling.

This was more infuriating than Salem for sure.

"You weren't here?"
"Yeah we've lived in America for most of our lives. And before you ask, mum wasn't a Death Eater." Romulus shot towards either lad, and they straightened their back in attention to the word.

Little did either side of the cart know, that Rabastan had killed their Mrs.Weasly's brothers with the help of Rodolphous.

"And Papa's too afraid of mum now, I personally think she threatened divorce on my end but Rommy thinks it because mum had a boyfriend in the—" Imara had seemingly started to run her mouth, the last thing the family needed was to be gossiped about at Hogwarts.

Aurora was surely over those days being whispered about in the halls.

But as of right now, she was a rather familiar household name and face.

"The only thing mum threatens dad is to lessen his share of bacon in the morning, meaning more for us." Imara held her hands over her mouth as she giggled at that idea, that sounded so silly and innocent that she rightly couldn't fault these two for being interested.

But Romulus sure could, though he always did suspect that Imara made friends much easier—Even if she didn't want to admit it.

"Wanna share a boat?" Fred asked the two, and it seemed as though Imara had completely forgotten what her parents had said and thus she gripped her brother's hand and was aided into the boat with the red-headed twins.

Course she was always told that the fellow with the lantern would be the one she should go to for all her creature related interests.

In the midst of the excitement, there was a sudden realization of their arrival as the entire first-year group continued up to walk the steps to the entrance of Hogwarts.

And an old feeling had taken hold of Romulus, so much so that he unknowingly squeezed his sister's hand and she responded with the same force. "Hey...There are three houses we could be in. The possibilities—"
"More like the likelihood, you don't think either will be saddened that we didn't get their house?"
"Sure, but mum also isn't going to fault us, not when she was by Opa and Oma. Now shush, a professor is coming." Romulus said, and sure enough Professor McGonagall had approached the sea of neutral robed first years and greeted them with a tight smile.

"Welcome to Hogwarts...Now, in a few moments, you will pass through these doors and join your classmates. But before you can take your seats you must be sorted into your houses. They are Gryffindor, Ravenclaw, Hufflepuff, and Slytherin..." It had all been well and fun until her words reigned heavily on Romulus.

His mum was right, he did need to start making friends...And although the Weasly twins weren't the best at hiding their judgmental thoughts. He too needed to learn not to be so defensive and cold towards new people.

And so he smiled up towards Professor McGonagall, making her turn to look at him twice over.

He had an unnatural resemblance to Sirius Black.

But she knew well enough on who's child this must be, though she hadn't smiled back.

"...Now, while you are here, your house will be like your family. Your triumphs will earn you house points. Any rule-breaking, and you will lose points. At the end of the year, the house with the most points is awarded the house cup..." The Gryffindor head of house continues off for a moment to see that the other years were properly settled, and like a breath of fresh air, Imara found herself feeling the sense of dread that her brother had felt moments ago.

"Whatever house we get..." Romulus started out, catching his sister's eyes quite quickly but she nodded in agreement. That no matter the house, they would still be brother and sister before it.

"As above, so below?" He whispered out, just desperate to make her smile once again. And she took a deep breath in and nodded. "As within, so without."

And an inherited Black family trait was used wildly as they smirked to one another.

Concurring their fear as they continued off to the great hall, one of which was much more intimidating than their mother and father had mentioned prior.

However, with the last name of Lestrange. Either had a decent time to watch their fellow classmates be sorted. Though it was quite obvious that whenever it was a Slytherin member that the only table that cheered was those in green, and when it was any others—minding the Gryffindors obnoxious wailings for their own colors—There was a shared applaud.

"Imara, Lestrange," McGonagall called out, and Romulus was fortunate that his sister was more concerned about not tripping or falling down the steps than how everyone was reacting to their name.

But his eyes flickered towards the headmaster, the one his father had called him a wanker—While his mother expressed that she wasn't afraid of him anymore.

Why would anyone be afraid of him?

The sound of cheers rallied over Romulus' thoughts as he found himself clapping but ultimately had to watch where his sister was headed to find out which house she was placed into, suppose his thoughts were too loud for the room.

"Romulus, Lestrange." The woman called out, and thus he too found himself in the hot seat before the hat fell onto his head.

"Another Lestrange I see, mymy a track record like your sister...Though a distaste for your father...Are you sure you don't want to be in Gryffindor, you could be destined for greatness? No? Then I suppose it better be..."

And it seemed like all that stress had been for nothing, though he did have a sense of guilt in looking at the other possibilities. Especially when he eyed his sister from across the ways before ultimately joining right beside her.

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Date Posted: 07-30-2020

Time: 4:29

Words: 5415