✧HAPPY ANNIVERSARY, LOVE✧

♕♕♕

◊━━━━━✥━━━━━◊

***

Romulus had a date marked on the calendar, it was usually the day that his mum would take a small trip before returning for Cara's birthday.

And for the longest time, he hadn't a clue as to why. It was such an odd day to take a day trip without anyone but then return that very night.

It just didn't make sense, but then when he asked Uncle Regulus and was given a lie—He went to Opa.

And Opa was notorious for giving Romulus the truth, thus allowing him to figure out that it was his mother and father's wedding anniversary. And this year would be the twelfth.

Hell he wasn't even eleven yet!

He assumed, rather wrongly, that his father would be doing something special for his mother but when he wasn't instructed to find plans with his siblings at another house—Like Aidan would when he wanted to take mum on vacation...Caused Romulus to knock on his father's door, only to see his father sighing in a struggle over a piece of parchment.

"Father?"
"Hm?...I'm sorry son, I hadn't heard you knock." He spoke, downing another sip of tea as he tried to consult another legal stature.

He should've taken that damn class his father recommended back in his youth, it would've helped tremendously now.

"Er...Are you busy?"
"Don't tell your mother but this bloody worse than actual potion class." The boy narrowed his brow and came over to see what his father was doing, and Rabastan smiled to his son for a moment, expecting him to be shocked and downright confused.

"I could grab mum's previous potion's worksheets, it looks all the same. I just don't the translations between the MACUSA and the ministry here." Rabastan didn't want his wife to worry about much else except the potion itself. This was beyond her, it should come naturally as he was a ranked lawyer in the ministry prior to his imprisonment and abandonment to his normal life.

He supposed this was the best job he was ever going to get, he might as well make the most of it. Especially when it meant so much to Aurora to work together.

"That'd be brilliant...I didn't know you knew so much about your mother's work."

"Mum would take me with her to meetings, I liked the labs and I used to fiddle with labels, but that was when I was a lad." Rabastan snickered and rose from his seat to retrieve another book.

Romulus had darted off to his mum's empty study as she must've gone to the labs to meet with Otto. Or that's what the task board said at least.

"And?"
"I think they both forgot..." Romulus whispered, looking through the files to secure the one he promised his father. "Forgot? Your mother doesn't just forget."

"Opa did you see how hard she's trying to get this potion on the promised date? At least it's not Cara's birthday she's forgetting." Romulus soon walked to return back to his father's study, and with that he decided to tell his father the date.

Surely the bloke wasn't that damning to forget.

"Hopefully it's the same, I grabbed the British one and the American one. Better reference."

"Thank you son, truly this is a lifesaver." The boy handed over either but then found him tugging at his sleeves, sort of nervous at telling his father.

But Rabastan was getting better at identifying small quirks of the children, and this is when Romulus was contemplating to speak or not. Though he assumed it was because he was working, so he docked his quill and looked to his son.

"Something the matter Romulus?"
"When'd mum leave this morning?"
"Sounded like five, been like that most of the week." Romulus' shoulders slumped as this was not at all easy to talk about.

So he sighed into the air and asked for the date. "The Twentieth, are you feeling well?" It wasn't like the lad to not know the date, he seemed so punctual and didn't waste his time to have nothing planned for the day.

"Yes. I'm fine. Look at the date again." He ordered, and Rabastan took another look at the calendar and didn't see anything written down. Causing him to draw up a blank.

So Romulus snagged the quill and turned around the sheet and wrote down the phrase:

12 year anniversary.

He turned it around, causing his father to jump out of his seat.

"Does your mother know?"

"She usually travels by herself and then comes back at night to celebrate Cara's birthday. Maybe she forgot too? I can't really tell." Rabastan ran his hand through his hair and cursed—not minding that his son was in the room with him.

"I'm not the best, but im sure we could figure out how to make a dinner?... And me and everyone can out in the gazebo or the other way around. I dunno, what do you want to do?"

"S-she'd like that?"

"I wish I had a camera when we cooked her a dinner and she came home just when we were setting the table. Opa said she was crying, but the happy kind." Romulus watched his father think for another moment before agreeing to the idea.

Romulus grinned, if it would make his mum happy on two accounts them it would be worth it.

"What's your mum's favorite meal?"
"Er, I don't think I can cook that. But we can certainly try. She likes Salmon." Rabastan hummed in recognition, surely it couldn't be that difficult.

So it was Romulus who took out the given cookbook and flipped through it until he found the given meal. "Garlic and lemon Salmon with roasted potatoes and spinach, Auntie Pheebs would make it for mum as a surprise or a welcome back." It was then decided on the account that they would try and prepare this masterpiece.

"The elves could cook something for us after. I could owl mum to see when she's coming home. I'll be right back!" He shouted, thus leaving Rabastan by himself to face the likes of the kitchen.

How long would it take to cook? Surely not that long, and with the help of Romulus it shouldn't pass all that well. So Rabastan studied the recipe while his son drafted a parcel to know the exact time.

When it was confirmed that she was returning just before dinner and to tell the elves to make something for dinner he felt rather proud of himself for this plan.

The elves provided everything that was needed, and although Rabastan attempted to help. Romulus had more experience in the kitchen. Just lacked the height as of yet.

The two of them shared the task of cutting and oiling up the potatoes as it would take much longer than the fish to cook. Rabastan hadn't realized it would be so much management whilst cooking one thing to another.

Better yet, he actually found himself enjoying this task. And the added bonus beside learning a new skill set, it was a good bonding moment with Romulus as he hadn't the foggiest of what the lad might do in terms of fun.

Besides potions of course.

"Why did you sound so hopeless in cooking father? I think you're rather good at it."
"There was never a reason to cook growing up, and I wasn't sure if you children should know this skill. But it isn't as hard as I thought... Though I'm sure it turns much more complicated than this." Romulus nodded in confirmation to his assumption, but the two worked brilliantly beside one another.

Even going as far as to tasting said bites and humming in delight. "Sure your mother will like this?"

"Of course! She eats salmon on a bagel with cream cheese some mornings. I'd say she's addicted." It was another thing that Rabastan realized hadn't changed completely, thus it sparked a topic of interest.

The meal was soon complete and Romulus showed his father how to plate it, curtesy of Auntie Phoebe for demonstrating the pureness of making it look neat.

"Master Lestrange, young Master Romulus. Good Mother Mistress wash up. I start dinner for young masters and mistresses?"
"Brilliant, could you tell her that dinner's outside and nothing else?"
"Daisy do now master." Romulus grinned and turned back to his task before looking up to his father.

"I don't know if I should say good luck or tell you to bring some handkerchiefs just in case."
"You think your mother will cry?"
"I'd be surprised if she didn't...Best be off, and you should shower. You smell like you were cooking." Romulus snickered before running out of the kitchen.

Rabastan was left in ordering the elf to set up the table out in the Gazebo. Before he hurried to the bathroom to freshen up as well, he knew that Rory asking the elves to cook dinner tonight meant that she was exhausted, or that she herself hadn't anything planned.

He would surely need to find a way to thank Romulus, as he would've gone the entirety of tomorrow thinking that everything was alright—depending on his wife's behavior for him forgetting.

Decidedly he went off towards the gazebo, highly impressed what the elves had managed to get done in the time it took him to get showered and dressed.

He felt rather confident in the night, especially with the spread to back him up. And although he truly regretting having not been able to handle Aurora's reawakened soul and deny her, Rabastan still felt the glint of hope that they could rekindle what they had before.

Before Azkaban, hell before the Dark Lord was so prominent in their lives.

"Have to owl the purveyors before noon, settle the dispute with the ministry..." Rabastan had jumped at the presence of his wife, and her small mumbles of planning for tomorrow were starting to go underway. Perhaps he should put a rule at the table to not speak about work or anything of the sort.

Aurora had made it to the steps of the Gazebo before she really took in the scenery before her...And had she not grabbed the railing for support, Rabastan was sure she would've fallen over.

"Rabastan...?" She breathed out, looking beyond dazed at the sight before her.

"What is all this?" He had his hands clasped behind his back and at the offering of flowers, her expression could no longer handle it.

She was surely going to cry.

"Our first few anniversaries were spent you being with child, but I still manage to fill the room with your favorite flowers..." His eyes had fallen down to look at said bouquet, instead of acting his age, he felt like a nervous adolescent.

"Would you join me for dinner love?" The truth was that she had forgotten, but it was an effort to ignore it as she rightly didn't want to impose this on his husband, their marriage had been hardly anything compared to the children's ages.

Most of the last year before he was incarcerated had been at the whims of the Dark Lord, he was hardly present then.

Perhaps his rehabilitation would be the easiest without said negative leadership—Dictatorship.

Knowing that her voice would tell him she was already emotional, she nodded quickly and allowed herself to be led to the table and aided to settle into the chair.

"Outdone yourself, haven't you?"
"I think my wife deserves to be wined and dined for the rest of her life, but considering your work ethic it's only holidays...Or after potion releases, but I'm holding to my promise just slightly." Her brows narrowed in confusion as she settled the flowers down onto the table.

When he revealed the dinner, her happiness elated tenfold. Not having realized she was craving salmon or this meal at all, she moaned in damnation.

"I do hope you're hungry, I wasn't sure how much fish counted as a serving." She had caught what he said rather instantly, and it was a shared look between the meal and Rabastan.

"You cooked?" She breathed out, unable to truly comprehend that he already managed. Even if the meal turned out to be god awful, it was the thought—the attention she simply wanted.

"Not without some help from my little chief. But yes, and I believe the children ordered breakfast for dinner."
"Their Aunts spoil them like that." She whispered, a small sniffle escaped her as she reached for the freshly placed lap napkin.

"Well at least try it before you judge love, it's almost my first attempt." 

"I don't care how it tastes Rabastan, you've come from the man who scolded me for making a batch of cookies while pregnant to preparing a full meal for me." This is what she wanted to see, and he grinned at being able to change the image she had of him.

That was his ultimate goal.

"I cannot take all the credit, Romulus was a major help."
"He was?" She seemed eager to know, and he nodded in confirmation to how to they bonded while cooking this feast.

"I'm glad he's come around...I thought for a moment my eldest would hate me."
"Romulus usually isn't that strongly negative, and he's taken a liking to you. I knew it'd happen eventually." She whispered, trying to make her voice sound at all even.

The two enjoyed a rather romantic evening in the company of one another, not entertaining the children but instead just themselves, while in the house the munchkins enjoyed their feast of breakfast foods.

Sugary pancakes, orange juice and a whole assortment of bagels and such. But Lorelei didn't understand where her mother and father were off to, or why her siblings suggested she sit in her father's chair.

But she was centered at the table and was rather enjoying seeing everyone at once.

"But where's mummy and papa?"
"They're having dinner outside Lolli, it's like a date." Lori scrunched her nose at the idea, but then realized that they were having their own dinner.

She jumped to her feet on the cushioned chair, almost managing to spill over her glass had Romulus not caught it.

"Lorelei, feet off the seats. Honestly I see why mum gets tired of telling you."

"We weren't invited to dinner!" She grumbled, crossing her arms over her chest as she looked to the rest of the table.

Not understanding why they were so okay with it.

"Mum and papa should get dinner by themselves sometimes too."
"But when you go to school I'll be all alone if they have a date!" She cried out, and her siblings realized that even when they were ready to depart from home to school.

Their youngest sister wasn't.

"I'm sure you'd be able to have a friend over, or a sleepover." Ronan offered, but that didn't settle the sister's worries as much as he would've hoped.

"I don't want you to go." She whispered, her voice not managing to stay even. But it was Cara who spoke up first. "We have to Lori, and you'll be joining us soon too. We'll all be at Hogwarts soon enough, won't that be fun?" Lori had begun wiping her eyes to her sleeve as she let out a small sob.

"We'll all write to you, and send candies."
"And pictures?" The lot of them looked to one another, surely they could manage to send her pictures.

"Yeah, we could do that." Imara stated, and Lori smiled—Even though her cheeks still had escaped tears still featured on them.

"Do you think mummy will let me stay with Auntie Phoebe and Auntie Liz, this house is too big by myself."
"But you can have everyone over, Rosa and Emmeline. I think that'd be a grand time Lori, watch, you won't miss us after the first week." Romulus was completely sure that Lorelei wouldn't be this emotional come the time she gets used to it.

But one could only hope.

◇──◇────◇────◇──◇

Date Posted: 05-04-2020

Time: 9:14

Words: 2701

Happy Monday!!
ALSO
May the fourth be with you;)