✧BACK IN THE LESTRANGE MANOR PT 2✧

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Soon after breakfast, Rory held back at the fact that the children went off to do their own thing. And Rabastan remained seated for a few extra moments, so she reached over to grab his hand in both of hers. "You could help Lorelei set up her room, the others like to act like they're mature. But you could still offer help, they still need to get to know you Raba. And I can name a few times where I've been unneeded for them. They went to their Aunt for help on homework instead of me." He gawked, shaking his head.

"Merlin they're daft, I would've jumped through hoops to get your notes for classes."

"Yes well, they're children. And I was thinking about a tutor for Lori so she's prepared for Salem."

"A tutor to prepare her for Salem, to prepare her for Hogwarts?" Rory rolled her eyes and poured herself another cup of tea and she smirked.

"I can see Lori wants to have a conversation with her siblings half the time and cannot keep up...Do you think I'm pushing her? I certainly don't mean to, perhaps I should—"

"Love, a tutor is a wonderful idea. But how much can you prepare her for Salem, you don't want her to be bored the first day of school. Nor can she get a wand until then." She let out a settling breath and she rubbed her brow, rather hard in Rabastan's opinion.

But she soon hummed in pure exhaustion.

"Rory, go and get some rest."
"I haven't the time. The potion is meant to come out in a month, and I have people who rely on me for work. I can't simply call out." Perhaps it was difficult now that she had a higher position in the potion world, but then he smiled.

His kitten made it.

"Then I'll leave you to your hefty schedule, and if you do need my help I can brush up on my law books."

"That's a wonderful idea!" Aurora sparked in pure excitement, leaning further to face him did she smile so brightly.

"I'm not the best at the legal or law side of potions, and I think it's starting to become apparent to my team. It'd be just like what you did before. Just looking over certain things, and maybe some paperwork?"
"You'd hire me?"
"Not yet, perhaps after everyone heads to school for the semester...And I know you won't be able to travel to Salem to see them off, but I've sent an owl for them to be lenient with you, so you can join us on the platform for the twins."

The sudden realization dawned on him in two regards, one being that he was still on house arrest. But the bigger of the two was that he still felt like he was going to be returning to Hogwarts, and now seeing off his children to board the Hogwarts express?

"And then we need to have a proper talk with the twins—Later. Perhaps a week before school starts, I'm damn sure Imara has some of Sirius' traits when she—"

"A Gryffindor?!" He sputtered, trying to clear up the spit from his given sip of juice.

"Oh no, not at all. I meant with the pranking. But like I said, she wants a Niffler."

"A Niffler? Surely we called that before but how is she going to manage that?"

"A domestic Niffler. Their collar has the shiniest of any jewelry and they'll be content and calm. Otherwise the little fellow will try to swallow the whole house...The house is worth about seventy-five million." He shot her a questionable look, but she waved it off as she took one of the last pieces of fruit.

"The bank had owned all three, and I don't think it's wise to reclaim the other two when that's not an investment on any front. The deed will remain in the Lestrange vault, but some people were interested...Though I'm not about to take anything away from our name." He was relieved to hear her say that, actually...he was smiling at how generally concerned she was over it all.

"I was thinking that the children would inherit it one day, but I think we'll remain here."
"Not the bigger house?"

"Oh no. I was spoiled in having the kitchen just a few steps from my bedroom back in the states. Perhaps you can get an idea of the house from some pictures...I'll dig for it later." He nodded, and soon after the two went their separate ways to go along with the day.

It confused him for a moment which of the many things his wife would be up to. But he didn't want to bother her—He seemed to be doing that a lot lately. Instead he found himself looking for Lorelei, the little witch was exceedingly perfect and he wanted to know more about her.

About them all.

"Ah, lil Lori what might you be up to?" He questioned, and he instantly smirked in catching her with a tea set out and at the ready. She looked completely dolled up with hairpins childishly place here and there, her kiddish features portraying in favor to stop her father from squealing, but that didn't stop her from gasping at his sudden arrival.

"Are we not listening to mummy?"

"But I got it myself! See! And I'm not hurt!" He shook his head and kneed down close to her.
"That's not the point darling, your mummy doesn't want you to even risk to get hurt."

"Please don't tell her, she'll take away my tea set!" He saw the panic in the girl's eyes, the amount of fear that came with losing her tea set was undoubtedly the worst thing that Lorelei could be scared of from her mother.

And he felt relief, but also a sense of spoiled. He knew that Rory felt uneasy about disciplining the kids, but sometimes a spank on the bum would set them straight.

"How about you pour me a glass and we'll wrangle out a deal?" She stifled a giggle and proceeded to move a chair away for him to sit down on a pillow. It was an adorable little set, though it was fake tea...Instead he ordered the elf to make some tea he favored as a child as it wasn't a bitter as everything else.

Lorelei's eyes glistened as he filled the little cups with real tea, she hadn't stopped smiling since. The two were talking non-stop since the addition of tea and biscuits have landed at the table.

Aurora smirked as she had made a second map, similar to the Marauders Map. But until her children were at Hogwarts it was simply lying in wait. Though she should've done this ages ago in preparation, now she could see their names floating about so gently throughout the home.

It seemed Cara and Ronan were exploring, Romulus was outside—Possibly reading a book. And Imara was coming this way at the moment.

"Mum?"
"Yes darling what's the matter?"
"I'm bored!" Rory bit her lip to stop herself from laughing aloud, but leave it to her daughter to find nothing to do in this beautiful home. Rory would've thrived in having been here rather than Grimmauld Place.

"Did you explore the house?"
"There's so many closed doors, what else is there to do?"
"Are you bored of the treehouse already?"
"Nobody wants to go with me."
"And why don't you go wonder the house?" She shook her head and pouted, so Rory exhaled a long breath and removed her glasses.

"Love, sometimes we have to do things we don't want to do. Now unless you want me to find you something to do, which I know you won't like. Then I suggest that you find an activity to occupy your time until lunch. Read a book, play with the wolves, do that study guide Salem prepped for you." If Aurora had ever gone to her mother and said she was bored, she rightly didn't know what that would entail. Rory always had been dragged left and right to events, and here she was completely pushing her daughter to be academic and productive, though it didn't go all that well.

"But I don't want to!"

"Then I suppose the elves can have some help polishing the silverware." Imara gasped, her hair even turning a vibrant yellow in distaste to the idea.

"Now then, what are you going to do?"
"Draw!" She cheered, and finally Aurora was left to her devices. She had barely been able to get through the owls, and one of them was demanding that Sarah, her assistant come straight away. While her appointed director, Annalise, will hurry as well.

They had been the first on the to-do list, otherwise it was Otto, responding lawyers—And by the end of the final hour before lunch, she had run out of ink in her pot and massaged a sore wrist.

"Did you get anywhere?"
"I suppose, but I was absent for a few weeks father. And moving a company isn't always easy, the blasted ministry wants to take a percentage and ownership to ensure that I'm not bloody evil." Rubbing her eyes had she seen it as a bad time for Rabastan to come knocking that lunch was nearly ready.

"You look stressed."
"Thank you captain obvious." She moaned, putting her head down to her desk and closing her eyes for a solid minute. Only to feel his hand on her shoulder, which was rather a timid as he didn't know how she would take such contact.

"Surely that's where Lorelei has gotten her sass from."
"Oh that is always fun...Let me guess, she's gotten her dollhouse out even though I said no?"

"Tea table instead, we managed with the rest of her room until Imara came in and started to draw together." Rory rolled her eyes as Imara seemingly was a social witch, though shy around those she doesn't know.

"Goddess what am I going to do...?" She groaned into the air, and yawned at the idea of even going so far as to—

"Mother mistress? Mother mistress guest downstairs asking for mother mistress!" Rory perked her lips and rose from her seat.

"No name?" The elf looked dumbfounded and clearly out of practice.

"Nonsense, it's Sarah, or Annalise. One of the two I sent for—Actually both because I'm swimming in a mess." He hadn't realized that his wife had so many faculty members under her belt, but then again he hadn't given the chance to think about it.

"Thank the gods you're here!" Rory shrieked, which did indeed gain the attention of the children as well as Rabastan to see two witches standing in his foyer. "Oh I've always wanted to visit here! I'll have to go to that Ally you spoke about." The American accent was a rude awakening, but he remained in the background as he smiled at the young witch.

She couldn't be any older than Rory herself.

"Mr.Lestrange...Nice to meet you."

"Oh, love this is Sarah, and this is Annalise. My Assistant and my Advisor." Rabastan had watched the woman named Annalise hug his wife while rolling her eyes. "Your letter sounded urgent, but then we arrived at the company house and good gods I can understand why you need us." The three were talking faster than Rabastan could keep up with, but before long they hurried up along the stairs—Leaving him with the children for lunch.

"Your mother has been taken away by her assistant and her Advisor."

"Anna is here?!" Lori cried, feet rising onto the seat, which Rabastan closed his eyes at pretending he wasn't seeing it. Romulus had taken note of this.

"Lori, feet off the seats. Mummy doesn't like shoe marks on the seats." Rabastan was thankful that his son was assertive, and it only followed with Ronan calling his sister out on being in trouble.

But their father had only given a wink to their eldest son.

"And what have you lot been up to today?" It had been a collective of answers, and he smirked to see that Romulus hadn't even bothered to try to get a word in after realizing that everyone wanted to speak at once.

"We have a full plate of food children, we have plenty of time to talk." That seemed to settle them as they talked very amicably throughout the given time, they certainly had a lot to say.

Nor did they know that the house has a swimming pool.

"Mum didn't mention a pool."

"Of course, she built it just after Ronan was born. It's indoor and out, but I'm afraid we don't have water toys." Having explored the house they were in awe that they had walked by it in confusing it for another empty room.

Aurora had left the two for to sort through the given mess of study that Romulus and her had barely gotten through, and perhaps she could fix up a room for those two to have a combined study in case they wanted to work here.

Her thoughts had her join a very enthusiastic table, it seemed Rabastan handled them and their energy. "Mummy is Anna here?"

"Yes, but she is very busy helping me with work. And she didn't bring her nieces and nephews." Lori pouted, but instead Rory graced them with a smile and continued with the conversation.

Until she was bombarded with the idea of the pool.

"I told you all to explore. And I want new pool water in it before any of you jump in. Like the treehouse, there are no exceptions for being in the pool without adult supervision." Her tone was very strict, hell even Rabastan had straightened his back. But the last thing Rory wanted was to have a drowned child on her hands.

"Imara? Did you hear me?"
"Yes mum." Apparently Imara was the troubled child, though he had been warned that she acted like Sirius and Regulus in terms of being naughty and looking for an outlet.

Though it was an adorable sense that she turned her hair lavender purple for the duration of the meal, while Lori attempted to try and get the same color.

Cara, simply opted for purple tips, and Ronan rolled his eyes and smirked at his brother for the childishness that their sister was going with.

Until Romulus turned his hair grey, and it caused Ronan to turn his hair grey as well.

"Well I'll be... What a colorful family."

"Papa change yours to green!"

"Oh Lolli I wasn't blessed with that talent, not all witches and wizards can do it." It had come as a shock to Lori, but that was probably because one of Regulus' children had it as well.

Probably why she was named after her aunt as well. Asteria Cassiopeia Blackwell.

"Mummy can you make your hair purple?"

"Purple's not my color sweetheart, how about blue?" Rabastan chuckled, watching her normal brown being swallowed by blue hues. Unfortunately for Rabastan, he would soon learn the hard way that Aurora's career brought her away from the children more times than not...And she only appeared for meals and bed, but usually she was late and Rabastan was half awake and exhausted to have a conversation.

Luckily she would be having the weekend off from all these meetings, and it was then that the children would have an event to attend—Or rather host. As Rabastan was a few months away from being off house arrest.

The pool was ordered new water, some rooms have been converted to fit all the toys the children had—And sweet merlin Rabastan was surprised to see how much. But the longer that the children were home, the more he understood them. Their rooms showcasing their personalities and interests. It was hard not to love their almost Quidditch team.

It was a struggle, having all this responsibility of being a parent put onto him so quickly, but he realized how much Aurora was risking for him.

Just yesterday was she creating a howler for some purveyor who wasn't keeping up with demands, and the stress was surely getting to her after not being on top of it for being his rehabilitation to society.

He only had a few rules, Lucius Malfoy is not allowed on the premises, not that he would want to be all things considering. And although it wasn't much of a rule, he did want her to try to be present for eating times with him and the children.

She was very good at maintaining that portion of the day, and though he didn't understand why she favored cooking, he could see now that it would make her get into a schedule.

Currently he was laying beside his wife, and the only time the two have had a conversation was in front of the children. He felt the strain in his soul not being able to touch her, even now she was curled in the center of her pillow. But Rory had outgrown cuddling against a man as it wasn't the same warmth with Aidan.

As well as her soul still being silenced from his still. Thus her being able to find sleep without him.

He hoped it would be unsilenced soon, it was killing him to know that he was only receiving the warmth. So she couldn't understand the addiction he had. Even now it was radiating, calling to him. And in a moment of weakness had he scooted closer, only to stop on the record of flinching.

But she did not wake up.

Just as he was about to say something, it happened again, a violent flinch that surely would've woken him up...Suddenly her breathing had begun to pick up, and she shivered.

His heart leaped at the idea of her having nightmares, she never shared it. But then again, there was a lot she hasn't shared yet. Perhaps she wrote it in one of the hundreds of parcels?
He'd have to check.

A final gasp of hair had her rise to sit up, and out of all the things Rabastan had done. He closed his eyes and pretended to sleep, part of him didn't want her to be embarrassed. And it was clear that she was scared to have woken him up upon her nightmare.

Rory surely did have a nightmare, it had been the third one this week.

She hurried to grab her night robe and scampered out of the bedroom to make herself a kettle of tea, and hideaway. The first night she made the mistake of going to her study.

With her father standing guard she was happy that her book was still in her remaining spot as she curled up in one of the Gazebo's chairs with a blanket around her and the fire cackling just in front of her.

Not that it was chilly, but the sense of dread was still making Aurora cold. After discussing it with Regulus, he put it into her head that perhaps it was Sirius' senses that she was connected to.

And thus...She started to put the pieces together. The coldness, the constant chill of someone close, the hunger...It was partly the reason why she was eating so much, but it didn't transfer as Sirius wasn't receiving the same food.

Rabastan had given her ten minutes, knowing that she would have calmed down by then. Only the issue is that he didn't know where the bloody fuck she went.

Having checked the children's rooms, peeking into her study, the library, and piano room.
The den.

And he sighed in utter relief to see the light out in the Gazebo, causing him to hurry along. He surely was used to the chilling temperature, better yet his nightwear was much warmer than his prison—

Seeing Aurora crying over a book was surely a normal sight, but it was clear in a moment of watching that this was not the case.

"Rory...Love? What's the matter?" She hadn't heard him come near, and perhaps it was quite a wrong move on his end to scare her when she's already facing a nightmare and was bawling her eyes out.

Coming to sit beside her on the couch, he cautiously made a move to grab her hands...Being considerate that keeping the page of her current read still marked before closing the book entirely.

"Love talk to me...What is it?" She attempted to calm herself, but she cracked.
"I still feel him in Azkaban." Rabastan had been confused for a moment, but then his lips parted in realization.

If this is what she was feeling towards her brother, he couldn't imagine how she felt when Regulus died, or when he was in prison himself.

"What can I do...Is there anything I can do? Tell me. We'll fix it." She shook her head, gripping his as tightly as she could.
"For him I just have to endure it, and it's stronger here..." He caught her shaking once again and he joined her under the blanket and held her close.

"I hadn't realized that...That you felt all of it." She so hesitantly nods before leaning further to his chest. "I threw myself into work, I silenced my soul because I couldn't take the pain anymore."

"You should never feel as though you made the wrong choice in that, you didn't deserve my punishment." She shook her head, agreeing to his comment as she knew she didn't deserve it.

Any of it.

"When my father told me...That you and Bellatrix were—"

"Rory I promise on my mum's grave that I thought it was...Was you...The guards told me that you were elsewhere and that—that they—" Aurora surely hadn't been told this portion of it, so had Bellatrix take advantage of her husband?

"Bella...Bella raped you?" She whispered, and Rabastan was quick to deny such a claim.

"Rabastan, if you thought it was me you weren't in your right mind. That is not consent." He found himself remaining silent once again, and when she pulled away to look at him properly—It caused a sense of denial to sway through him.

"I was not raped Aurora."
"Did you consent to it Rabastan?" His silence was his answer, but she continued anyway.
"Raba, if you didn't verbally yes then—"
"But I thought it was you, I could never deny you." She swallowed thickly before leaning in to kiss his lips.

"I've said no to you countless times, and one happened to have been just a given week ago. You look for my yes, and respected my no..." The tears were prevalent in his eyes now as he was still in absolute denial, but Aurora also didn't want that idea swirling around either.

"I...I understand wanting—Needing comfort. I will never fault you for that, and under all that you had faced Bella sure can be conniving."

"But I...R-responded..."
"Rabastan you are a wizard. And I am not ready to give any of our children that tale just yet, but I shouldn't have to explain that being aroused is a natural thing." He felt rather dirty for having the conversation turned from something so serious to this.

But she was making sense.

"Proctor arouse you." He bitterly replied, and Rabastan saw how her jaw was set straight.

"His intelligence yes, but it's been months now and it's just a heart break." She avoided his eye contact, and though he was thankful to not see her reaction on thinking of the other wizard. He hadn't meant to make her even sadder than she had been.

"Rabastan, how many times do you think I slept with him?" It had been on her mind for a moment, and he flinched rather violently at the thought of his wife entangled with anyone other than him. "A high number." She shook her head.

"After Lori was born we dated, and then it was just before the twins were enrolled in Salem. Two years." He had truly thought his wife was more sexually active than just two years, but then she squeezed his hands. "I think it's less than the number of fingers we have right here, because most of the time it felt wrong. But then it felt right. You two are so very different from each other that it was easy to get lost." He knew Rory was an emotional person, and an empath.

So perhaps Proctor wasn't all in the wrong.

And it did make him feel better that they hadn't shagged more than twenty times, gods he could name twenty off the top of his head just right now. And then it would happen multiple times throughout the night.

"I...Um, nows not the best time to share. But I want to take a permanent birth control." She knew it would confuse him greatly, and so he wracked his brain to try and figure out what she meant until she just came out with it.

"I won't be able to have any more children after it." She issued, and he rose a brow. She looked damn serious about such an idea that it felt like he didn't have a choice, but then...There was no thought in his mind on the idea of having another child, Lorelei was their extra babe as is.

"Will it hurt you?"

"No. But I've heard it feels like morning sickness for the first few days, but if that's all then it'll be worth not having to worry about it." It had sadden him for a moment, but then hope rushed through his soul as she was thinking about a future with him.

A sexual future.

"After the potion is out on shelves. I cannot think of morning sickness in adding to a stressful morning." 

"When is the potion coming out?" She groaned.

"We're behind, so I'm trying to push for the original release date but it doesn't look like it's going to happen. And here they're being arseholes." He chuckled at her businesswoman lingo simply being dismissed, so he kissed her cheek in agreement.

"I'll help where I can, put me to work writing parcels."

"I think I can use you more for other things, and I'm trying to persuade the ministry to let you out to the platform and for the Twins getting their pets."
"Ah, yes that's the birthday gift then?" She nodded.

"I assume they all want a pet when they arrive at Hogwarts, and the Niffler can be let in if it's an emotional support animal...Imara has panic attacks."

"What?!" Aurora had given herself a rather hard facepalm.

"I think I only ever had a couple in my life, and it's truly stressful. That's why I want her to have the Niffler, because it will devote her attention somewhere else and they are smart creatures." He allowed the idea to simmer, but then narrowed his brow.

"They'll each be getting a pet when they turn eleven?"

"It's only fair, and like I said the idea of responsibility. I can already guess that Ronan will ask for an owl, Lori will surely ask for a cat...Cara, well Cara is the one that always surprises me."

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Date Posted: 04-01-2020 (HAPPY BIRTHDAY FRED AND GEORGE WEASLEY)

Time: 9:45

Words: 4655

Author's Note:

I guess I'm posting Wednesdays from now on? 

It's been a rough week already, I took the COVID-19 test this morning where they stick a thin plastic needle up your nose, sure you've seen it on Twitter a few times by now. 

Hopefully I get the results soon and some answers.

Please continue to practice social distancing, wash your hands, and keep a positive mental attitude:)

Hope you enjoyed this chapter, and if you haven't already, I've been updating Immer Waise recently. You should check it out!!