✧THE LAST SUMMER IN AMERICA✧

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Romulus Dimitri Lestrange

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|Two Weeks Left|

"Romulus! Imara! Dinner's ready, could you please set the table?" Aurora yelled through the house, and on cue had either child hurried along to fulfill their mum's request. She thought it brilliant to have them do simple chores, otherwise it was buck wild—Especially to Phoebe, that the first time Regulus had ever set a table was here in America.

"I wish we could just use our wands now, it isn't fair!" Aurora smiled down to her daughter, who held a bundle of knives and forks for the lot of them to use.

"And a handful of kiddos your age would've said the same thing, and will once they learn you've gone to Salem and received it two years early." Romulus smiled across the table to his sister, the year had flown by far too quickly to his taste, and he knew well enough that the moment of truth was going to be upon them.

Whether his mum and uncle had gotten better at hiding the truth around him, or it was simply resolved...The boy wouldn't know, not until he has a moment to seek out his Opa that following night.

Yet here they were, the six of them, surrounded by a combination of the twin's favorites. They had graduated Salem and were now moving onto Hogwarts in the fall, as it had been decided, finally.

Much to Imara's protest, as she wanted to follow most—if not all her friends from Salem to Ilvermorny. Hilariously enough, the two had gotten their letters, much like she had when she was eleven.

However the decision was in Aurora's hands, and no amount of whining or pleading was going to change her mind. Especially when allowing one would allow all.

"Mum, can we make brownies after dinner?" Aurora turned her head to see Cara returning from what she could only assume was the library. And in seeing the middle daughter, Rory had remembered suddenly that it would only be herself and Lorelei as the rest had been invited to a multitude of summer camps.

For Ronan and Cara, it's going to be their first time in this environment, while the eldest would be warmed up a bit before Hogwarts.

"Yes, and then we're going to have an early night so we can go to the Enchanted Trial. I believe we are in need of some wands at Warren and Bishop." She cheered, and Cara shivered with anticipation.

She already asked her Opa for aid in picking her wand, and now it only sent her into a stressful spiral.
"Carebear, sweetheart. Shsh, how about while we're baking the brownies we'll talk about it, Roe? Would you like to join us and bake some brownies?" He had just joined the room after hearing that the table was being set.

"Could we make brownie sundaes?"
"I think we can arrange that, and then we can talk about wands." Ronan's eyes sparked with a dozen questions coming and going that he knew he had to retain himself—But also he didn't realize it was going to be needed so soon.

Both him and Cara had worried, in silence, that they wouldn't be accepted into Salem. Though that was all the children's fears, it wasn't that Aurora held standards. It was just that she wanted the best for her children, and Salem was the absolute best.

"Do I get one too?" Lori pouted, and Aurora bent down to cup either of her daughter's cheeks into her hands.

"Of course Lil Lori, why wouldn't you get one?" This was one of the reasons why she didn't want the kids too far apart.

Lori still had to wait three more years until she could get her own wand and attend Salem. Instead Aurora tasked the youngest to get everyone cups while Ronan gets the drinks. She kissed Cara's temple gently before giving her the task of taking over Romulus' job so he could help with putting the food onto the table.

It wasn't that she didn't want to use magic, it was because she knew that when they returned back to Britain, they were going to be catered by the Elves.

"Thank you darlings." She beamed to her beautiful kids as they found their seats around the table. It had been settled that the youngest find themselves closest to mum, as Lori had been in the high chair quiet recently.

"Lori? Love why don't you start tonight?" Her gorgeous stormy eyes had blinked up to her mum with a fit of nerves, a prominent blush forming on her cheeks before her hair changed into a soft pink.

"But what if I mess up?" Roe nudged her and took over for his mum as he encouraged her. "The gods and goddess will see it as an adorable attempt, and we're right here to help." The three other siblings had silently cheered her on to promote confidence. And soon it started.

"I set a place at our table for the gods,
And ask them to join us here tonight.
O-o...Oy home is always open to you,
and my heart is open as well."

Lorelei let out a heavy breath as though she ran a mile, and Aurora took a small swipe with her finger at her daughter's nose. "Keep it going lovelies." She beckoned, and Ronan nodded in agreement.

"Earth who gave to us this food,
Sun who makes it ripe and good.
Dear Earth, Dear sun
By you we live. Our loving thanks,
To you we give.
Blessing on our meal, our family, our friends, and our world."

Ronan finished and looked off to Romulus who too the other end of the table—as nobody else was joining them tonight.

"Corn and grain, meat and milk,
Upon my table before us.
Gifts of life, bringing sustenance and strength,
We are grateful for all I have."

Much like his brother, he turned to Imara and she closed her eyes once more, Rory adored that her children found so much faith and protection to what she herself believed in.

"This meal is the work of many hands,
And we offer you a share.
Holy ones, accept our gift,
And upon our hearth leave your blessings."

"Lord and Lady, watch over us,
And bless us as we eat.
Bless this food, this bounty of earth,
We thank you, so mote it be."

And in a combined voice had all six of them whispered:

Mote it be.

Before continuing off and plating their food themselves. "Mum, and we all going tomorrow to the Enchanted Trial?"

"Yes, we need to get a few supplies and your uniforms. While Romulus and Imara, you can retrieve a few things you cannot find whilst you're attending Hogwarts...I personally recommend the fast-drying ink and the notebooks." Romulus soaked up each and every word their mum had said.

Causing Ronan to roll his eyes.

"So we're not going to Ilvermorny?"

"Hmm, I believe it's best that you all attend the school that your mother, father and uncles graduated from." A small bit of clatter on the plates sounded, it was bloody rare to hear a mention of their father.

Unless you asked in so many words or another person, but directly and without prompting it?

It made Romulus' stomach sick.

Aurora knew her mistake, but if she was going to introduce them to their father in a month's time then she would need to dig this topic out of the taboo grave she buried it under.

"There are plenty of clubs that are offered at Hogwarts that they don't dive into at Salem."

"Like what?" It was Cara's who peeked up the question, and Aurora recalled many a clubs. A few that she recalled attending to and hearing about others.

"Well, I'm afraid the Slug Club isn't around anymore. But my potion's professor would always have specula parties for the holidays. It was separated from the potions club, then there's Alchemy. Dueling club. And I'm sure the groundskeeper would love to humor you in magical creatures." She caught Imara's awaiting gaze and she winked off to her eldest daughter in confirmation.

"What sort of clubs did father do?" Aurora had a hitch in her breath but hid it well, just not well enough for Romulus not to spot the pain in his mum's eyes.
Which caused the eldest to glare to his brother.

"Your father and I were in the dueling club together, though it was always a mess considering the Defense Against the Dark Arts professors always leave after a year." Lorelei took a hefty sip of her ice tea and weighed in her question.

"Was papa good?"

"He was. But not good enough to best your mum." It was true, Aurora was much like Bella and Sirius in the defense.

She was calm, calculative and was damn ingenious to make her own spells to surprise her appointment. "Did you beat papa?" Aurora didn't rightly say so, she simply smirked at Imara's curiosity, but it was only until Romulus spoke up did she figure out how angry he was getting.

"Father shouldn't be dueling mum in the first place." He countered, and it caused Aurora to tilt her head.

"Of course he should, I practice with Aidan and Uncle Reggie all the time." She wanted to defuse the tension, but it already escalated beyond what she was capable of. And instead Romulus' hair turned into a solid black, displaying his anger and earning himself a glare from Ronan.

"I do hope you lot will play Quidditch, and I'll do my best to sneak into the stands."

"Really?" Cara cheered, the second youngest daughter questioned, and it earned her a positive response.

Cara had finally found her footing on a broom, and she damn well reminded Aurora of herself. "Perhaps this season Lori can take to trying a broom?" The siblings were undoubtedly excited, and a course of promises to help her through the beginning steps allowed her nerves to settle for the time being.

"Nonsense Lorelei, everyone on this table and including further family members have held a broom—Besides my mother, but she would never do something in that sort. But it promotes balance and quick thinking." Romulus' was pulsing, was his mother drunk?

She had been talking about her own mother and their father, what the bloody hell was—

"Why were you a chaser mum?"

"Ah, well Uncle Siri was a chaser on Gryffindor with his best mate. I couldn't see myself as a keeper or a beater, and I have the worse vision for a seeker. It left chaser, and at that point I think the Ravenclaw team was desperate because they asked me." Cara giggled at the idea that her mum didn't think twice about joining.

But she and Lori also adored any story that had to do with her Uncle Siri.

However Aurora had to abruptly stop her current thoughts, as she recalled two sexual encounters that happened with Rabastan in the locker rooms, and it was starting to seep too far into her muted soul.

"I want you all to pick at least one club to be involved in while at Hogwarts, it's a great way to make friends outside of your dorm mates." It was one of Imara's fears, not that anyone at the table wasn't afraid of it, but it was Imara who voiced it.

"Sweetheart, I'm still friends with Liz, Phoebe, Aidan and a whole line of other people. Hogwarts is seven years, it's an important time." Soon after did Aurora find herself cleaning up for a few minutes alone before she started with her promise to make a dessert.

Yet it gave the opportunity for Romulus to intercept Ronan just after the youngest son had returned from their Opa. "What's wrong now?" He tests, and the eldest boy crosses his arms over one another.

"You had to mention father?"

"I simply asked a question Romulus, is it a sin to ask?" The two brothers usually got along swimmingly, but Ronan knew that this was surely a trigger that threw either into a spiral.

"Yes. Didn't you see that it was hurting mum?"
"She asked me before if I wanted to know anything about him. He is our fa—"

"If you really think our father is working Ronan, then that's the first issue." Romulus found himself not being able to stomach anything sweet, so he warned his mum and asked what time they were leaving in the morning before claiming to go to bed.

Aurora knew straight away what the problem was, and she needed to fix it before she went to bed that night.

Yet it wasn't just Romulus, it was Ronan too. He had been excited before dinner to make brownies and now he was too silent. More silent than usual.

It was a fun activity, but it was missing a few elements. Yet the thought threw into the mix that Rabastan would never do something like this, he was a bit hands-on, but never as much as their mum.

Sure he helped at the milestones—Prior to being thrown into prison. Then it had been the random opportunity by giving them a bath or playing with them.

The easy things.

"Romulus? Hun are you sleeping yet?" Romulus closed his eyes in damnation, his mother was far too smart. Even the smallest cues she could read. So he shouted in return and she peeked her head in, in her hand a bowl of ice cream and a brownie.

As she completely ignored his earlier dismissal of the sweet. "I'm sorry son, but you've got your lying skills from your mum." He broke, it was nice to hear that she was like his mum—But more recently he has been hearing that he was like his Uncles in appearance. His hair turned into a sudden shade of blue, much like it would when he wanted his mum when he was younger.

"Feeling blue?"

"A little." A kind repeat followed as Aurora found her son's shade and handed him the bowl before joining him in his bed.

"Can I guess why you're sulking?" He closed his book and looked away, his knees coming up to his chin as he invited his mum to guess away.

"I think...You don't like the mention of your father." There was an eerily silence, and it caused her to lose her son's eye contact.

"What's he ever done for us? Besides getting into trouble and leaving?" It was fortunate that he hadn't looked up, because Aurora was a bit shocked—Not that he knew.

Well part of it because he did know, but another was because he was so blunt about it.

"Romulus, love...If anyone should be angry, I think I should be the one to take that spot."

"Are you not angry with father?" He was careful not to use his father's name in his mum's presence as her sanity would've been lost then and there.

And because Opa swore against the use of it.

"Of course I am darling. But why are you angry?"
"Because he's not here, and I know there's more to it...I get that, but it makes you sad. Especially when Ronan—" Aurora stopped him right then and there.

"You are not allowed to dictate your brother Romulus, his questions are between him and I. That was wrong of you to go after him, tomorrow I want you to apologize to him."

"But mum!" She shook her head and stood her ground.

"There are going to be big changes coming Romulus, you and Imara are going to Hogwarts, Ronan and Cara going to Salem. It's just going to be Lorelei and myself while everyone is away...I want to know that there's no war going on in my house when everyone is home." He sighed in defeat, claiming that he'd go and apologize tomorrow.

"Can I ask a question?... About father?" Aurora smiled, her heartstrings pulling as perhaps she would finally break this stigma her son had made about his father.

But all was shattered with what he asked.

"When is he getting out of prison?"

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Date Posted: 02-07-2020

Time: 8:05

Words: 2772

Author's Note:

ROMULUS DIMITRI LESTRANGE HOW DARE YOU DO THAT TO YOUR MOTHER!

Does he remind you of anyone?😉

I'm so happy on how this chapter turned out, some Mummy Rory moments are bittersweet to write before they return to Britain.

Let me know what you think!
And I'll be back Monday (or tomorrow for Immer Waise)💕