✧NOT A PAWN IN YOUR GAME✧

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 Aurora had woken fairly early feeling great, it was confusing but Rabastan relished in the fact that his wife was starting to feel better in the mornings.

She woke up with a mission and that was getting the child's bedroom ready. Which was an odd concept, but it sent the elves running with orders to the attic and back.

His wife was standing in the middle of the room with a large sketch of what the room should be featuring. "We can hire someone for this Rory, or my mother would be beyond excited to—" Hurt flashed on her face as she looked off towards him.

"Love, I don't want you to be overworked. You should be resting." She waved it off and allowed the paper to levitate and stick to one height as she motioned to the wall. "The crib upstairs is a lil—" 

"Dated? We'll get new furniture kitten...And a paint job?" She turned back and nodded, still writing a few things down on her note pad as the elves entered and exited.

"Suppose my broomstick will be featured about our child's bed." She giggled behind her hand as she instantly shook her head.

"Maybe over the bookshelf. I don't want anything to fall on him if he has a lil spout of magic." He didn't even realize that was a hazard, which caused him to look over her plans even further.

"We can find a mobile with broomsticks and bludgers if you wish...But I kindly remember the first time you rode a broom Raba, gave your mother a heart attack." They shared one last bit of laughter before he settled it with a kiss.

"Whatever you think will fit Rory, when our son is old enough he can design it however he wishes..." She nodded along and leaned into her husbands offering hold, it was getting a little stressful on the fact that her stomach was starting to caught separating the two durning an embraced. But it was a sign of their marriage not falling apart.

"I was thinking that we have Ravenclaw and Slytherin in the room."
"And if our son is in Gryffindor?" He couldn't ignore that it was near miss on the mention of her brother but he hugged her tighter.

"Any quote?" 

"Intelligence without ambition is a bird without wings." He turned to his little bird and question where that steamed from.

"Me. I have my moments. But it's the question if they're going to be a chaser or a beater." She was tempting to start a little spat and it followed throughout the day, or until Narcissa had been announced downstairs.

"I'm having an elevator installed." 

"RABASTAN LESTRANGE I CAN PERFECTLY HANDLE STAIRS ON MY OWN!" Her yelling had made it through the majority of the manor, enough for Narcissa's laughter to carry forward.

"I was just getting back to you about the elevator." 

"Hm, perhaps you can humor my wife...I think she wants to tackle the boy's room already." Narcissa instantly took that as an invitation as she marched up the stairs with a purpose and want to be involved.

"CASSIOPEIA AURORA LESTRANGE, YOU'RE STARTING THE ROOM WITHOUT ME?!" Rabastan closed his eyes, believe it'd be best to visit elsewhere. And that's exactly what he told his wife.

That he was stepping out.

"Oh Rabastan, before you go...I want to take Cassi out to the new outlets." 

"I'll be right back." He wished he didn't have to do this, but he hurried along to his office and retrieved the necklace Aurora had worn the weeks prior to the wedding.

Instead of it being labeled as a betrothed item now, it acted as a statement that the baby is indeed a Lestrange.

Luckily times were different that she could venture the house without a male from the family, or perhaps it was further into the pregnancy? He couldn't be sure.

Narcissa barely had time to explain it, but Aurora knew what it meant seeing the necklace once again. Her expression grew bored, as it was obvious she was contemplating even going out now.

"Love, you can see the hook now. Once you're home you'll take it off." She took it from his hold and managed well enough to put it on herself.

"Don't look so miserable kitten, go enjoy yourself." He rightly didn't realize that he had used her bedroom nickname in front of Cissy, and the second he left their child's soon to be bedroom, Cissy whipped her head towards Aurora to see her three different shades of red.

"Kitten?" 

"So I was thinking that we get something painted, little lights or stars on the ceiling." She was not about to escape this, not with the damning stare her cousin was giving.

"Nobody is surprised you're pregnant already Cassi, and you've wracked up quite a few bets on the child's house."

"He's barely out of the womb!" The growing smile etched on Cissy's and it had Aurora groan and sit down into one of the rocking chairs she's picked up from upstairs.

"Why do I have to wear this?" She questioned, and Cissy's smile fell as she explained it.

It was basically the Lestrange claim on the baby and she sunk further into the chair. More so when her cousin explained the extent it would grow as her pregnancy progressed.

"I can't leave without a male escort?!" 

"There's no need for you leave the house, and our mothers rarely left their final trimester anyhow. And anything you need I will gladly get." What she needed was this support, she noted how soft Rabastan was being on her. The warning of how emotional she's turned was indeed spread. The smallest comment Bella had made caused her to turn angry then regretful.

The public outing of a new heir between the sacred houses was daily prophet worthy, but all Aurora wanted to do was order a few baby things. And Merlin when she spotted the perfect crib she couldn't help herself but put it on hold.

They wouldn't need it until later, but it would be delivered to the house soon, along with a dozen of other things that rightly didn't make sense at the time.

A dozen different blanket that Rory couldn't even imagine needing all that many, but Narcissa claimed otherwise.

"I've watched you grow up darling, you and your brothers...Come now, don't you want to spoil the lil babe?" Feeling the softness of the blanket once again she nodded, Cissy was acting as stir crazy as Walburga had.

Clarissa came at the request of her son who thought Aurora could use some company. Especially after learning about the whole claiming necklace, Aurora found herself ignoring any and all involvement to going in public.

"Come now sweetheart, once you're in the final months you won't want to even get up to use the loo...There's a new tea shop, they have special brews for expecting ladies." It was these invitations by her mother in law that she rightly couldn't disagree.

So she had to trudge along to Rabastan as she returned the necklace and now needed it back. "How's the baby room coming along?" 

"It's a surprise!" She cheered, causing him to roll his eyes.

Since Rory couldn't rightly brew potions without the risk of hurting the baby she stayed away, though that didn't stop her ideas or conversation owls between Otto and Zane.

"I'm going out with mum, can I have the—" An even brighter smile rallied on her husbands face as he took it out of his center draw, though he hadn't given it to her right away. Instead he was the one to fasten the hook, even adding a small kiss at the back of her neck.

"Rory please enjoy yourself, once he comes do you think you'll want to leave?" They were all right, they were right and she knew it. So she kissed his cheek and nodded.

"We can escape to France when all the grandparents get their fair share of cheek pinches." He chuckled, but his hand hadn't ceased it's interlocked state as he pulled her back. "Your father wants to talk to you soon." A sour topic indeed, but she sighed.

"Fine, later...We'll invite them to dinner one day this week?" She was in giving mood but continued out with mum right after it.

It was fun, of course it was she didn't disbelieve that. She just hated the weight that bloody necklace felt around her neck, Clarissa sympathized with her. Back when she was pregnant with either of her sons she couldn't leave without a male member at all, granted come later on in the pregnancy it would revert to older laws but for now, she shouldn't have to worry.

"The baby's room is coming together beautifully, have you two decided names yet?" Aurora blew at her tea for a moment more and took a cautious sip, damn it was a good brew.

"We're playing around with a few, but nothing final...I'm sure when we see him it'll click." There was no doubt in the soon to be grandmother's mind about the name of the child, and already Cassiopeia settled the whole young mother stigma instantly.

Nobody had any doubts that Aurora would be a good mother, she ate what she needed to for the baby and hated taking any potions if it meant disrupting him.

Even if it would save her the trouble.

"Hello ladies, look who's out and about!" Cissy cheered, and it was indeed the lightness that the poor new mother needed. She was overworking herself, and Rabastan has caught her more than a few times reading to the babe.

Adorable yes, but not necessary until later.

Clarissa was set to go home, but Narcissa wanted time with her cousin as well. Truth be told Aurora was feeling great that day and so she continued throughout Diagon alley to buy little outfits as Narcissa loaded far too many clothes into her cousin's arms.

But she was getting far too tired as the day was coming closer to dinner. Usually she would have a small nap and then continue with the rest of the day, however what was odd was that Sirius was just at the end of the ally.

And a very creepy wink was sent in her direct. And the mouthing word run was all she got as a hint. "Narcissa." She warned, and that caught the cousin's attention instantly. 

"Order members." Aurora kept her head down into the rack of baby clothes and caught Lily doing the same creepy gaze across the street.

"Check out, we'll leave in Knockturn Alley...Nothing will happen, I swear it." The woman was comforting, but it wasn't until she called upon a few members of the Death Eater community from her own wife brand.

Although not as strongly sensed, it was enough to call her sister and husband.

When leaving the store, Narcissa picked up a random conversation with Aurora, however neither could ignore the number of Order Members who continued to pop out and stare.

The anxiety of the situation was indeed making her heart race, but the quick turn into the dark alley gave her the strange comfort as the usually sketchy beggers were far too afraid of the likes of the Lestrange or Malfoy family.

Seeing Sirius at the end of the ways had caught Narcissa off guard and there was no room for temptation as the older cousin took hold and apparate instantly back to the manor.

Through the warp Aurora turned emotional, part of her was right in not wanting to leave the safety of her home. However coming into the manor had caught Rabastan's attention as he was entertaining a few friends.

"Cassi! Cassi wait!" Narcissa called after her, and Rabastan was quick to take that cue. Even if neither of the former Black women would wait.

"Cissy what's the point?! Now I can't even leave the house!" She cried, and Rabastan shook his head.

"I don't think that's true, why wouldn't you be able to—" Cissy leaned into her brother in law and explained how they were starting to be cornered by Sirius and the rest of the Order Members, and instant anger flew into her husband.

"WHAT?!" He yelled, this was something that needed to be shared with the Dark Lord instantly, which Narcissa took control of as Aurora needed to get her breathing under control.

"Kitten, look at me, you're safe..." 

"B-but he—They—" Her crying made it honestly difficult for him to deal with, it wasn't herself that she was scared for.

It was the baby.

"Romulus is safe, you're safe. Do you feel him? He's safe." His hand forced hers on top of her stomach, but what she truly craved was his hold.

It was a mistake to tell the Order, they were going to use the likes of her and her child to gain attention.

She should've made it clear, that if it comes down to anything she is going to choose her child over the cause. Selfish wasn't what was running through her veins, instead it was the damnable virgin rites finally sparking into a mother dragon.

That night before bed she wrote a single line in the book as a warning.

Whatever your plan is, be careful. My baby is not a pawn

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Date Posted: 09-02-19

Time: 6:05

Words: 2290

Happy Labor Day!! Definitely needed this Monday off 😁