✧THEN THERE WERE FOUR LESTRANGE'S✧

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 Sirius had fallen the second he appreneted into the safety of his home, his hand clutching his heart as his other caught the floor just as his knees crushed against the wood.

Remus instantly jumped from his position on the couch, his mate was simply going to get take out, so what— "She's dead..." Padfoot cried, anger raging on his face as he there was no ounce of his body that wasn't hurting.

"What? Who's dead?" Remus question, but one clear look had Moony's own heart shatter. The question had been a waste as the air felt thin.

Sirius couldn't grasp a handle, and when he attempted to summon his patronus it failed. The pure essence of light had been his sister, and with his emotions out of order, he was indeed lacking the happiness to secure the spell.

But Remus, the man who faced hardship after hardship managed well enough to call their fellow Order members to the flat.

Minutes later they appeared, and the dread that they felt in the room was by far too easy to read. "N-no...H-how—"
"Bastard cornered me with the rest of the snakes...S-she...I don't know. But she's gone." It wasn't true, but was enough to turn into widespread knowledge that Aurora had been killed.

However, it was Alastor's agents to find that Aurora was at the clinic, and Rabastan had been wrong. But Sirius did not believe a damn word of it, Lestrange looked downright out for blood so how could he have been wrong.

"Intell says she had two kiddos." Lily held a hand over her mouth, it was a personal theory that the birth had gone wrong. And indeed it had.

"S-she's alive?" Sirius needed the last confirmation, gods it was one thing for the war to take people away. But Merlin how many times was his sister's life going to be in harms way, and she wasn't even in the raids or anywhere near the active war.

And with the babies perhaps would give her that safety net of staying out of danger. Just like Narcissa wasn't sent to the raids.

His sister was finally a mother, a mother of two. And now he was an uncle of two, to babies he'll likely never meet unless this war comes to an end.

Unfortunately Aurora was required to stay the first three days in the clinic until she was healthy enough to travel, but finally it came the day to move. Narcissa claimed that everything was settled in the twin's room, clothes and nappies.

But Rory knew the first few days she would have the little cots beside the bed. Which bed? She wasn't sure, because she hasn't said much to her husband.

At the current moment she was wearing one of her lounge dresses. While the entirety of her stomach was carefully wrapped with a soothing cloth.
Goddess was it a blessing for magic, had she been a muggle? Using their medication?
Merlin no thank you.

Instead she held her stomach to secure the wraps tighter in one area than others, and nothing...Absolutely nothing skipped Rabastan's attention now.

"Love, what is it?"
"Just a little pain, it's alright." Their voices carried out through the manor, and in a rush of excitement had Loki charged from the corner hall in pure impatience to see his mum.

But newborns near animals was not a good idea, even if they all were a clean bill of health.

"Sit!" Loki slid at the order, scrambling to sit on his bum and although it was an abrupt instruction he gestured his paw in the offering.

"Sorry Loki, you have to wait to see the babes." She offered her hand a decent scratch, but she couldn't bend down all that much. Nor focus her attention on much else other than the babies.

"They're sleeping love, please rest." She looked at her husband and nodded. She would indeed to that, just after a warm bath.

The oils provided would destroy the ache and maybe give her a good sleep, granted that would be grand if the babes stay asleep for more than an hour.

"Sweet Mistress, Mistress bring home little master and little mistress...Daisy see?" The elf was truly a wonderful addition to the family, a positive change to Kreacher. Speaking of the elf, he too appeared around the corner.

"Isn't that your parent's elf?" Rabastan questioned, either hand holding the carrying basket they were snuggled into.

"Kreacher?"
"Good Mistress tells Kreacher to stay, Kreacher cook lunch?" Aurora turned to her husband in question and he shrugged.

"Cissy offered Dobby as well, I think it's a normal offering to send elves to help." It was an odd gesture sure, but Aurora offered the two elves to take their first glance at the babies.

Though seeing Kreacher getting emotional was doing a wonder for her own hormones as she waved at her eyes.

"Daisy could you run a warm bath?" Rabastan smiled, coming closer to her neck and whispered an offer to join.

"I believe your father mentioned something about reviewing a recent document?" She questioned, and goodness was she living in denying him any rights at the moment.

"Should only take a few minutes." He tempted, but she shook her head.

"Are you suggesting you rush through work to take a bath?...No. Besides, I don't know if it's okay for you to sit in a medicine bath." He understood now, but still pouted at the denial.

"Cissy says she put two cots into our room."

"Ah, so that's what she meant." Rory nodded, but one look at the stairs and she hobbled further to the elevator.

Loki had taken the stairs, knowing where the elevator would end up. There he had met up with Nymira and Aurora laughed at the sight.

The new parents continued to the bedroom to see two cots side by side to one another, they were utterly adorable. Blankets draped over them, granted it was a bit chilly in the room anyway so Rabastan had placed either basket onto the bed and threw a spell off towards the fireplace.

"Ah ah nono, back to sleep little shhhshh." Rabastan turned back to see his wife already transferring Romulus into the given cot. Where Loki sat between the two, tail thumping back and forth in waiting for an introduction.

"When they're awake Loki, okay?... They need to sleep." The pup whined, but the stern look he earned surely silenced him in the instant.

Rabastan had no doubt that Aurora loved both of the children, but the shock was still running through either of their minds when Halsey came into the picture.

"We still need to give them middle names, and godparents..." She whispered, and Raba had nodded in confirmation. It was smart to deal with that now than later, with them being close to a week old already it was is becoming a need.

"Double R's don't work...What about Dimitri?"
"Romulus Dimitri Lestrange..." Aurora whispered straight down to the cot, nodding with a smile as it fit perfectly.

"So when the little lad gets into trouble, a quick Romulus Dimitri will settle him right there."
"He is going to be the perfect gentlemen." Rabastan chuckled softly as he sat beside his wife, never getting tired of watching her handle and interact with the children.

It was truly addicting.

"Halsey Imara Lestrange...If she doesn't like Halsey." Rabastan kissed his wife's cheek, he knew she didn't like Cassiopeia as a name. Aurora was simple, or or rather tone down and different than the star related name of Cassiopeia.

Though all her relatives, except her mother, called her Cassi.

"And Godparents?" Aurora shook her head, barely running down a list off the top of her head there were too many people that could be the godparents and she felt sick just even contemplating.

"It's alright love, go take a bath...I'll wake you up in a bit for lunch." The idea of food was unappetizing, and has been for the past few days. But when Rabastan detected a hint of a denial he tisked.

"Rory you need to eat, unless you want a potion to help...Try." She hummed, making sure either of the kids are settled before moving carefully through the room to the bath.

Rabastan should've left, but he was downright infatuated with the babies. So he sat just above them, smiling ever so often as they were kicking in their sleep.

A day didn't pass without a faithful few kicks, so it's good to see them do it now...What did scare him was how the babies compact themselves into little balls, but his wife told him it was because they were in such a small space they didn't know just yet that they could move their limbs freely.

So they'll either strike out in sudden movements or stay confined to what they know. It's adorable, but Rabastan still couldn't find any reason to leave.

Apparently he had stayed there quite some time, considering his wife returned fully dressed and with washed hair, but catching sight of him still in the same spot had her shake her head.

"Hovering?"

"Just a bit." Aurora chuckled as she made her way into the closest to grab one of the fuzzy blankets that were on the top shelf. But what really stung...Was that he was so easily swayed to love the children because she was still alive and well.

Settling on her side had Rabastan yet to move either, so she interlocked her hand into his as she gained his attention. "I don't want to be angry with you Rabastan, but if I wasn't here?... And you were off on a killing spree then—" His eyes turned dark as he gritted his teeth.

"Who told you?"
"Ah, so I do have a right to be livid...But I read the paper you know." Fuck. He hadn't thought of that. She was giving a comforting rub with her thumb into his hand as she sighed further.

"I don't want any of it coming home Rabastan." She warned and he nodded. "Of course not, I swear to it that—"

"No. No swearing, no promises, no trust. You're at a restart Lestrange, you left without even hearing what the doctors were doing. You jumped to conclusions. That's dangerous." He gritted his teeth, taking the given scolding once more.

It was better than silence...Merlin was it better than her ignoring him.

"No Death Eater mentions near the kids, now go and get some work done so you can play with them when they're awake...Papa." How she managed to scold him and reward him in one go was troubling. But he settled a small kiss to her forehead, which she accepted, before he left the room to Loki.

Who was all too happy to cuddle up beside Aurora and take his place...She fell into a peaceful asleep seconds after she closed her eyes.

It barely felt like ten minutes until one of the babies had started to feel alone or discomfort, so she moved to the side and carefully lifted the baby up.
"Hey little one—ah ah, nono, your sister is sleeping. Let her sleep. What's that matter Rommy?" The boy snuggled closer onto his mother's chest, it wasn't that he was hungry, perhaps it was a bad dream?

He had met a lot of faces in the previous few days, and knowing her own mind it was probably already far too colorful for him to really recognize what is what.

Aurora soon rose back on up, only to realize that Halsey was awake as well.
So much for a nap.

She placed Rommy onto the bed down in front of her, making sure there was proper support for his head while she picked up Halsey to settle right beside her brother. The two had started to kick and bump fists with each other, almost in secret twin-like communication.

The laughter of their mother shot their attention up above than to each other.

"Don't mind me, but no teaming up against me and your father. Is that understood?" She tried to be stern, but hearing Halsey mimic laughter caused her mum to smile down in amusement.

Rommy was more interested in gnawing on his hand at the moment, but a little nudge from his mum sent him in the same reaction as his sister.

Laughter.

"Mistress awake?" Daisy called out from behind the main door, after a brief mention forward had she come in, the little elf hopped onto the bed to get a better look at the babies.

"Little master and little mistress healthy, good mistress eat...Master say mistress must eat." Food didn't sound terrible, but the babies were up so how were these days going to work?

"Is he done with work?"
"Oh yes Mistress, master ask to wake mistress." Her husband was a little scared, wasn't he? Good. He was wrong and is going to be treated for his wrongs.

"You and Poppy give these two a bath?" The elf perked at the order and squealed with glee.
"M-mistress w-want Daisy to take care of little master and mistress?" The woman nodded, earning another squeal.

And the copy cats in her children rallied the same ovate of said squeal, then followed giggles.

"Use the sink though." The elf nodded eagerly as he popped out for a moment and returned with Poppy, while Rory pulled a light shawl over her shoulders and continued forward.

The oils and rest would allow her body to start returning to its normal size, how she managed to walk with those little beings actually in her stomach was a damn miracle.

"I was just coming to get you...Everything alright?"
"Hm, they woke up before me." Course they did, his poor wife looked desperate for a real nights rest.

"And? How are the little ones?"
"They turned into copy cats." He chuckled, but the man had been far too deprived of holding his wife that he leaned in. His hands snaking up and around as his forehead pushed against hers.

"Thank you." He whispered, and that had confused her greatly. What did he mean by that?

"Whatever for?" His hands cupped her cheeks and hummed with a smile on his face.
"For giving us a family, for enduring me as long as you have." Her hands overlapped his, kissing the insides of his palms as she closed her eyes.

Smoozing her wouldn't allow him to share a bed.

"Ah, but you've endured nothing yet...Come, food sounds good at the moment." He chuckled, moving to place a firm grip on the likes of her back to lead her to the elevator.

Stairs were completely out of the question.

The amount of food that the elves had whipped up was far too much, but in seeing Kreacher's meals she smiled. It remaindered her of home, and right now her body needed whatever ounce of nutrition she could manage.

The onion soup was the first one she chose, gods was it warm and delicious.

"Does it feel different?... Without them in—In you?" Rabastan had asked a simple question, but it had sounded rather odd the way he phrased it. But the mother nodded, covering her mouth for a second as she finished her current bite.

"Definitely a weight off my shoulders if that's what you mean...And I can start seeing my feet." It broke his embarrassment, her body definitely had started to lose the stomach. He was indeed happy that she was returning to her normal self, but missed the view of her pregnant.

The two started to talk about godparents for the children, and though it was rather difficult to sort through and manage. Aurora reminded him that if they chose one from a couple, it would involve both.

So that is what they were going to go with.

"Mistress! Mistress! Owl!" The elf rushed into the dining room and instantly held up the letter for Aurora to take, she already started to grit her teeth at the obnoxiously perfect handwriting.

"Is it Otto? He and Rose could come whenever you feel up to—"

"It's my mother." Now it had Rabastan frown, surely the woman heard the news of two babies being born instead of the single one everyone had thought of.

"Don't you dare feel guilty Aurora, she almost—"

"I know what she did. Believe me, I know." She didn't dismiss the idea, but if they had just immediate family then it would be alright, everyone would watch Walburga and protect the children if she or Rabastan were out of sight.

"We'll invite both our families."
"In a week, when you're rested and the two are used to being home." A humbling smile graced her lips, anger still coursed through her about his actions.

But for right now, for this meal...She could pretend otherwise.

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Date Posted: 09-23-19

Time: 10:10

Words: 2904

Alright so today was a ride, my first class of the day gets canceled. So I'm doing errands and staying near or on campus for my next class. 

And it gets canceled too.

So to lighten my mood, so here's Mama Rory and Papa Rabastan fluff.