✧ILLEGAL SUBSTANCE FOR THE POTION MISTRESS✧

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Mrs.Cassiopeia Aurora Lestrange nee Black was currently resting in the main room as she wanted to greet her husband when he returned from the latest Death Eater meaning, mainly because she wanted to know how both he and Severus were fairing in demonstrating the new spells.

She warned her brother of her task, the only issue is that she was still attempting to figure out a strong block for the given spells.

However, the movement to her side beckoned her to look off to the main entry to see her mother enter her home.

Unannounced.

"Mother? Did we have something planned for today?" She spoke, rather in confusion and a hint of desperate fear...Just imagining the scrutiny that would follow in that regard.

"Do I have to plan to see my own daughter and grandson?" She spoke with another question before making her way over to show Cassiopeia the same fake love that lingered in the young wife's heart...It was all ever fake.

"Your father sends his best." Aurora hummed, but her eyes looked towards the massive amount of bags that followed in pursuit. "Mother, I put a rule on buying—" 

"Oh but darling I saw these I couldn't resist!" So there was a small haul at what would be added the babe's closet. A few outfits for the coming months in between, but it was excessive.

Walburga also made comments on Aurora's eating habits, that since her body was 'going to hell' anyhow. She should be free to eat anything her heart desires, which lead to a small meal by her house elves to be prepared for herself and her mother.

But the mother of course, had a motive in being here.

She had been reading about another herb that had medical benefits, but it wasn't something that could be found in the borders of their ministry as it was beyond illegal.

It was all because Walburga had heard some other witches conversing that her daughter was having a girl. And there was nothing more of a disgrace than having a witch being the firstborn.

It would cause...Future problems. And Walburga was entirely prepared to squash all of them.

Aurora was currently speaking out of her arse to entertain her mother, so either had a motive. Aurora's was to make her mother leave, while Walburga was squashing a so-called bug.

However the pregnant witch had been filling her bladder with kettles of tea and here was another set to be polite to her guest. "Excuse me for a moment..." 

Her mother waved it off. "Please, no need to explain it to me darling." So as her daughter waddling to the closest loo, it left Walburga at the table, alone.

Aurora escaped to the bathroom to breathe and relax her nerves, not only had she emptied her bladder, but she gave a few moments to stare into the mirror to give an ample prep talk like Sirius would've done, or could've done had she knew that she'd be meeting her mother.

However at the table, Walburga took the vial out of her robe and taken the recommended spoonful to get the outcome desired.

It was a quickly manifest plan, poorly thought out and left all consequences into the air as she dumped two spoonfuls into her daughter's tea, mixing it before adding another few gulps of steaming tea. If there was one thing she could hope for in her daughter, it was that she never left a tea unfinished.

She smiled up to her child, who was quick to sit back the head of the table...Almost like the queen of her secluded castle, just like her mother had taught her.

Thanking her mother for the fill-up did the two drift back into the conversation towards Regulus, rather than continuing off about the baby.

Her mother left soon after, along with leaving an actual army of clothes and toys that followed in her wake. Merlin if Narcissa notices one bloody thing she'll think Aurora bought it herself!

There were enough gifts coming around, even one from Sirius. A black dog stuffed animal, and it already sat proudly in the crib, waiting for the child.

Loki had come the moment her mother had left, even the pup knew when evil sprouted in human form. But he had turned into a whining mess to his mother.

"I already gave you some snakes Loks, you have to wait until later."

Ahuhahuh

He started to pant and it worried Aurora that the pup wasn't feeling ill or sick. But he followed her around just fine, throughout the home as she worked on a few projects, hiding away the child's additions and smiled at the work she had done in the baby's room.

Close to completion, perhaps a few more artworks or something...It was missing...something.

An interrupting shift of Romulus had settled her thoughts back to the babe himself. 

"Come to join the party have you? Did mother scared you?" She cooed down to her baby, and as she breathed through the uncomfortable hazards did she have to sit down at the rocking chair in pure damnation to the pain.

"It's alright Rommy, she's gone and she left presents. A few cute ones too. And I can't wait to snuggle you in them and these—" She attempted to talk through the pain but a hiss fell out of her throat without warning.

A caressing hand rubbed the spot in question, but at the same moment, another clash had tracked. Clutching it with her hand did she put more pressure, seeing as that is what worked back in Hogwarts when these cramps would happen during a lecture.

But something was wrong, she felt it in her bones. Especially when her body began to track warm liquid between her legs...Her breathing started to pick up violently as she gasped at the dark red blood that soaked her dress.

Her voice was cracked and unable to move as she tried to rise to her feet but failed to steady on either limb. Causing her to fall to her knees and clutched her stomach in pure protection of falling to the ground, her cries in agony was only met with the whines and pants from Loki.

"R...Raba—"

Her eyes slowly closed as the herb slowly, but surely, took effect on the witch's system. 

And there she laid, in the fluff of the carpet that covered the floor. The sickening white was starting to stain a sickening dirty red, almost an ironic twist as those in her family have titled others in their wake.

Loki attempted to nibble the likes of his mother, trying to regain a reaction, but no matter how much he licked her face or barked...There was nothing, not even a scolding.

The wolf was in a panic, so much so that he curled up beside his mother and rested his head to her heart, hearing her slowing beat. And the erratic one of her child's.

Sirius, who was having a bit of an early dinner with his mates at the Potter flat had felt a sickly twin connection as he too clutched his stomach in agony.

What was wrong?

The second Loki had heard the sound of his master he darted out the door and down the stairs, although Rabastan had dismissed him as an alert wolf. It did indeed still Severus, the two were delivering a message of criticism from the Dark Lord on the offered curses she had offered up to the Lord.

As the two wizards discussed for a moment and ignored Loki once again, it prompted a bark. Rabastan turned back, the wolf was not outspoken. He had been trained not be so much of a nuisance.

"Oi, I'll give you a snack later." Rabastan once again moved away from the pup and followed through with the conversation on how to present it to Aurora one what could be done.

And Loki, named after the Norse Trickster god had bit onto Rabastan's back cloak and attempted to yank him back. 

"NO!" Rabastan roared, earning the dog a whack straight to the nose. Only to have the mutt retreat for a moment with a few whines.

Peculiar, even for Severus as he studied the animal.

"Daisy...Where's Aurora?" Severus chuckled, the manor was far too big to play hide and seek. Especially when there were multiple areas where the witch found herself in.

"Mistress is sleeping master, Mistress Black come visit Mistress for lunch." Rabastan groaned, her attitude seemingly would be foul.
Hopefully the nap extinguished it all.

Severus followed while Loki trailed strictly behind, not stopping this annoying attitude. But Rabastan would get a stern yelling if his wife knew he harmed the mutt, so he couldn't discipline him any further.

"Love...?" His wife was not present in the room at all, not in the bed or bathroom. Perhaps the elves were mistaken?
Perhaps she fell asleep in her study.

Severus Snape, a future potion's master in the making had a keen nose for any scent. Any smell had a category in his mind, and currently whatever he was picking up was sending red flags.

The door that was opened a crack is where he believed it was coming from, Rabastan had tunnel vision when passing the door as he wasn't allowed to enter it.
And he respected his wife's wishes in that regard.

However curiosity of what Aurora was cooking up popped in his mind, and with a single glance did his already vampire-like complexion drain further.

"RABASTAN!" He yelled, bending down instantly to check the pulse of Mrs.Lestrange. 

Rabastan hadn't understood what the yelling was about, but it shot Loki out of the room and the nonsense barking rallied up again.

He quickened his pace and the sight of his wife on the floor in the center of both Severus and Loki was caused him to grip the doorframe in disperse.

"Lestrange, call a healer. NOW!" The master of the house instantly rushed to Aurora's study and called upon her healer, but the damnable women weren't answering.

"No answer...I'll bring her to—" It was a rushed voice, as Severus looked at the woman's veins and settled his ear to her swollen stomach.

"Summon the elf." 

"Daisy!" Rabastan roared and the little fellow came. "I need Aurora's potion kit." The elf took one look at the situation and instantly popped in and returned with the desired luggage kit.

Of course Aurora would spend a fortune on the best one available. And luckily for her, this one has bezoar. He had unboxed the damned thing opened her mouth attempting to get her to swallow it.

"What are you doing?!" 

"Whatever she took it's stopped her heart, it's a bezoar." Severus offered, and as he listened again he shook his head in damnation.

"It's enough to move her." Rabastan was giving far too much emotion and Snape was worried to leave him vulnerable to the rest of the wizarding community if he left either Lestrange's side.

He picked up his wife, who acted more like a rag doll than his fiery kitten.

Now he felt immensely guilty for leaving her alone for so long as well as not taking Loki's warning.

Apperenting straight to the hospital after lifting up his wife caused him to quickly rush into through the doors. Those working in the emergency room instantly took the sign of the code A5, a pregnant witch threw red signs all around.

Four people now separated him from his wife and unborn child, and all he could do is stand behind the wall beside Snape, waiting to hear what the cause of this could be.

He turned to the half-blood beside him and asked for what he believed happened.

"Has Aurora taken anything lately? Or stopped taking any—" 

"She didn't want to risk it...Do you think one of her teas?" Severus shook his head, wracking through his brain for what could affect the veins the way that it had.

"She's smarter than that, if she feels the risk with ministry grade potions then she wouldn't take something else." Rabastan agreed, either were negative in terms of figuring out what happened. But the second the doctor exited the room he greeted the man with the ring on his finger.

"Mr.Lestrange...You got her in just in time. We're getting a matron witch down now, has your wife been taking anything out of the ordinary?" 

"No, she wasn't taking anything at all. Why? What are you suggesting it is?" The healer sighed and swallowed, knowing full well the range in which the Lestranges rest upon.

"There is a foreign substance, did either of you put the bezoar—Ah, well it certainly saved her, as well as stopped the child's heart from beating out." It was enough for Rabastan to fall back into his seat.

"Sir, your wife's heartbeat is already returning to normal now...Right now the concern is on the child, you can see her but she is under another dose of a bezoar infused potion." Rabastan understood, he was in this mess previously when it came to the potion explosion.

But now it involved their child.

He rushed into the room, and thankfully he saw her chest rising and falling.
She's alive, goddess could Rabastan strain on his soul to see his wife hurt. Again.

Severus stood in the doorway in confusion as he is a lower ranked Death Eater, his means were in response to either of the Lestanges at the moment.

"Not a word of this...To anyone. Not until I know." He nodded, hoping that she regains health quickly. 

"Severus...Thank you." Was all Rabastan had instated one last time, and although Snape felt guilty. A smile rose up in reflection to his work.

He had saved the Dark Lord's seer.

He had saved Rabastan's wife and child.

He had saved Aurora's life and child.

He had hope that whatever was happening didn't have enough time fester, if her heart returned then the babe's would be settled in a few proper doses of potions and analysis.

However when Rabastan was left alone in the room he instantly threw his morals out the window of being a strong and emotionless Death Eater as he allowed it to spill out.

"What is that bloody saying that you and Reg have...A-as the universe, so the soul? Rory, what happened? What went wrong..." He whispered, his eyes flickering off with tears. He was mumbling the saying over and over again in hope.

"You can't leave me Rory, you promised, you promised Reg. You vowed." The moan pulled him out of his begging mumble, deep down it had been the words, the highlighted promises that she would die trying to keep.

And here she was, coming through the medication to keep her comfortable as well as numb the pain.

"Raba?" She called out, her eyes completely dizzy as she attempted to take the world into her view. So she squeezed them shut as opposed to trying to get used to the sensation. Rabastan on the other side had instantly taken the liberty to see her alive, alive and speaking. 

He took her hand into his and kissed it repetitively.

She hummed a loopy smile, completely drugged up to clear his system. And the effects were rightly meant to be dealt with asleep, but she argued through it.

There were small mumbles coming from her but nothing important, nothing pertaining to what could've happened. And when he asked the checking witch who visited soon after she claimed it was normal.

"Mr.Lestrange has your wife been eating regularly?"
"When was the last sexual interaction?"
"Has she been experiencing any pain?"

He answered any and all questions that the witch had asked and she nodded as it wasn't in the category of food or anything in that realm to cause a miscarriage.

"Whatever it was sir, it was on its way to becoming one...Your wife has lost a lot of blood. She's under a potion to recover what was lost...It's one of the quickest and effective ways to check and see the health of both mother and child." Rabastan nodded once again and continued to sit on the edge of his seat while the nurse continued to run through a list of what it could be.

Then it hit her.

Rabastan knew the look, his wife had it daily if not hourly. A spark of understanding, damning...But when she excused herself from the room and returned with a fellow witch he knew that they were close to a discovery.

"We are running the test to confirm this sir, but I believe that she had taken an illegal herb." It doesn't sound like his wife, and when he questioned what the herb was meant to do she couldn't answer.

"I'm sorry sir but it's dependent on what form it was taken in, right now we won't have the results or true story for another hour." The wizard sighed, it was going to be another waiting game.

But the four walls of this hospital room were all too familiar. Too depressing and familiar.

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Date Posted: 09-06-19

Time: 5:14

Words: 2939

Things are starting to get intense, what's Rabastan going to do once he finds out it was Walburga who did this...😳

Better yet, what is Aurora going to do to when she finds out it's her mother? 😏