✧WHAT IT MEANS TO BE A LESTRANGE✧

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When walking through to the foyer she saw the chaos that went along with the elves attempting to sort out all the parcels. But Rory ceased their actions as everyone could get their own things.

"Is Lori off to take a nap?"
"Yep, honestly I think I'm headed there too, I didn't realize it'd be that much walking." Cara yawned out, and she laughed at the bunch around her.

However Imara was downright smitten with her little angel that she wanted the niffler habitat all prepared come night time. Even though Imara was planning to have Sterling sleep with her in bed.

Sterling seemed to only be attracted to cuddles it'd seem, otherwise she'd settle with scurrying this way and that in her new mum's bedroom. Peeking up from under the bed sometimes, but the darting the other way.

A game of tag never hurt anyone—Until it knocked over a nightstand.

"Imara, really? Already?" Romulus teased, and Imara shot a look off to the door. Already a gate was locked in place as there was no telling where Sterling would want to go in this maze of a house.

"She's exploring...How's your lil kitten?"
"The clerk said he's a lil older than a kitten, but he's rightly behaved and calm. Do you think they'll want to meet in a few, if Sterling calms down?" It wasn't that Nifflers weren't intelligent, they truly were. But the question of them being good pets for children found it's way into the air, domestic yes—Otherwise no.

However Imara caught Sterling looking up into the air at the calling of her name and she leaned back on her hind legs while her front Webbers sat at the start of her little stomach sack.

"Suppose now is as good as ever." Romulus grinned as he opened the gate and lifted Odin off his chest just a tat, the lil lad was tired it seem.

"Alright lil Alfather, go say hello..." Imara knew about her brother's fascination with Norse Mythology, it was something they shared though not as heavy.

But she did have to admit, the name suited the little fellow as he wobbled side to side when Romulus placed him down, though he was cautious and kept two hands at either side just in case he did indeed topple over.

But Odin knew his limits.

Sterling on the other hand, had been excited on account two reasons. The visitors and the open gate. But living with so many wild siblings, Romulus spotted that look a mile away and went to close the door.

Only stimulating Odin's senses and having him meow in confusion. "Right here Odin, but I think Sterling wants to meet you." He whispers, and Imara had bent down to the same level as her brother, urging Sterling to go and meet a friend.

It was only going to get difficult once the rest of the animals catch wind of the newcomers, hell—Romulus was sure Omen knew and was camping out in his room to confront them.

Odin had been the first to move, his nose close to the ground as he was using his whiskers to navigate what is around him. And the strong smell of the little beast cause him to let out a gentle paw, but retract it after feeling nothing.

Meow.

It earned Odin a few sniffs from the beaked gal, and a glittering ticks as Sterling took the steps forward. Almost as if she knew that Odin was slightly disabled.

She stuck her snoot towards him, sniffing him here and there before ultimately Odin licked her beak.

Thus, the two became friends within seconds.

The two found themselves in a tussle, and although Romulus freaked for a moment. They paused and continued at their own pace, apparently enjoying ones company considering Odin would curl up and kneed on Sterling.

Before long the two settled comfortably in a sleeping position.

"Guess they were exhausted too," Imara whispered, and Romulus chuckled.

"Yeah, everyone's taking a nap. Did you see that Father found the Seekter book in Flourish & Blotts?" His sister's shoulders fell, knowing that it wasn't any good that'd come with him discovering it.

"Did you ever read it or did you listen to me?"

"I listened, though I think mum knows I have it hidden." The two were sitting against her bed, their pets just between them as they shared in the silence.

"It must be true, or else mum could've called bull on it like Uncle Reggie said to do."

"Uncle Reggie wasn't a saint either 'mars, neither is father."
"You think I'm that thick don't you?" Romulus stilled as he had thought that he was the only one to know that their father was imprisoned and they were escaped the country.

"I trust mum. And if mum trusts papa then we should too."
"Opa doesn't trust papa."
"Okay then we don't trust him entirely, what I'm getting at Romulus, is that if it was serious then we wouldn't be here." This caused her brother to turn and face her entirely.

"What do you think he's done?"
"I dunno, something bad I know that. Or else mum and Reggie wouldn't be walking on eggshells like everyone else. But whatever it is, it's why he doesn't like Mr.Malfoy." That was true, it was a blatant rule of law in the house that that man was not allowed near the manor.

"It must be part of it."
"Surely, but mum doesn't like him either. Course mum and papa's friends were effected too, do you think we can ask Opa for something more?" Romulus shook his head, their grandfather told him to wait until his parents shared the news.

And he warned his sister that they'd probably find out in the next few days.

Which was true, Aurora and Rabastan had made plans for the three younger children. And when Romulus asked to go over Lennox's house, his mother denied him.

Which could only mean one thing, especially considering how damn nervous father looked at the other end of the table.

"Gods I can't breathe. Can someone just tell me what's going on?" Imara huffed out, and Rabastan closed his eyes, thinking that his children wouldn't notice the radiating stress that was coming from his side.

But surely they did, and surely she was blunt about it.

"Imara that was very rude, and not appropriate for a lunch conversation." Aurora reprimanded, and Romulus just shrugged.

"Well it couldn't be any more obvious that we're the last ones here." He mumbled into his cup, and Rabastan groaned further, causing Rory to place a hand onto her husband's and stare down her children.

"How long do you suppose it'll take to walk to Hogwarts?" Aurora threatened, though it was meant to be a slight jest. Imara had taken it seriously. "I'd fly."

"Oh...? With what broom?" Imara was being very testy this afternoon, like most when her siblings went off to enjoy their time elsewhere.

And surely she could've eaten in her room in the company of Sterling had they not settled for a family lunch.

"Rory I think I should just do it now, not tonight." She agreed with a squeezed hand, not speaking to give him the floor to speak out to the children.

"Is something wrong? Papa are you alright?" Imara said in a slight panic, either having forgotten about their prediction a week prior.

"Are you ill?" Aurora smiled lightly at their children's honest concern, and declined that theory.

"No, your father and I are perfectly healthy. But we need to tell you something that—"

"Are we getting another sibling?" Imara happiness radiated in seconds, wherever she had gotten that idea was jarring. But Rory had turned red in the face while Rabastan choked on his spit.

"No, I believe Lorelei is the last one your mother and I are having." Aurora pulled her free hand to cover her eyes, and when Imara attempted to pick up on another guess Rory held her hand.

"Imara. Two minutes, just two minutes I wish for your undivided attention." That caused her to realize how serious the situation was, and Romulus turned wide-eyed as he was starting to see the bigger picture.

It was time.

"Your father and I wanted to share with you—Considering that you will be attending Hogwarts...There are some things you need to know about the family and about our past that students might take into consideration before getting to know you." Aurora started, and it caused Imara to frown.

She was heavily nervous already in having to make new friends, but how the hell was Hogwarts going to go with her last name giving her an added difficulty?

Could it truly be that bad?

"Your mother is being a little too kind in that regard, and I'm sure you two are curious as to where I was all this time. And before I say all that has happened, I want you both to know that I wish...I wish I could've been there to see you and your siblings grow up. I've lost a considerable amount of time with the family I made with your mother and I do hope that you do not—...do not see me differently." Do not fear me, is what he had meant.

But all similar in a sense.

"...Okay?" Imara whispered out, but Romulus had snuck his own hand down near his sister's. Squeezing it roughly as their father picked up in an attempt to speak again.

"I was imprisoned, wrongly imprisoned. But imprisoned never the less. I may have been innocent in what I was locked away for, but they had enough evidence at the time to prove that I was guilty. Your mother couldn't have known as she was here tending to you four, and unknowingly with child...But it's time you learn about why I was convicted and away." Romulus hadn't realized that his father was wrongly convicted, but that still meant there were plausible cause and punishment to deem him with.

"What...?" Imara breathed, looking to both her mother and brother but either was still stuck in staring at Rabastan. Who was trying to find the right words to put together and he finally looked up when he found them.

"I, and a large group of others were collected and invited to join of people, like-minded individuals, all of which understood the importance of being  pureblooded..." Aurora bit her tongue in hearing her husband saying all this, she didn't want him influencing the children like this.

But they needed to be fully educated.

"Both your mother and I were raised under the influence of keeping our lines pure. And I realize that with everything that happened, both of her brothers leaving her so young...She has detested the idea of continuing it. But your blood is very pure to those who you are going to school with." Romulus could see how angry mum was getting across from the table, but she kept it together rather beautifully.

What else was there?

"The point of all this is that the world is considerably more dark than your mother and I care to admit. And with you not being in the same country you weren't around said..."
"Traditions."
"Yes, thank you love...Traditions." He stopped for another moment, realizing that he didn't have the blunt factor that others had.

Which left the hard aspect for Aurora.

"There is a term that is used here, another term for muggle-borns. It refers to the sense their blood is dirty compared to ours, mudbloods. A term that is not suitable for any type of conversation" Her eyes pointed off towards Rabastan as she spoke and he too nodded in agreement that it was probably best to reign in with the times and give up his losses.

"Dirty blood?... Are we clean blood then?"
"In the sense, yes, the idea of the sacred twenty-eight is that we steam from very powerful witches and wizards. And it's only been that way because our families had the same mindset as each other. To keep the blood reigned pure, sure there are other pureblood families. But the Lestranges and the Blacks are one of the many the fight to keep it pure." Aurora gave the children a few seconds to digest this information.

"There was a wizard, a dark wizard, and under no circumstance. None. I do not want it coming home, I do not want to even hear a whispered about him. This conversation will be for when your siblings enter Hogwarts and only then. But he wanted to eradicate muggle-borns under the terms of all magic casters should be pure. And that the mix of muggles into this world is dangerous, and it's true—That it is somewhat dangerous in different areas."

"Eradicate...As in..." Romulus couldn't fathom the idea that his parents were evil, but instead he waited to hear it from then.

And his mum's grave expression surely spoke all that was needed.

"The Dark Lord offered solutions, that is why most, if not all our friends and family are within Azkaban. They were captured and prosecuted for the crimes that were committed throughout the time they exited Hogwarts."

"Papa...What did you do?" Imara's voice had been so desperate for an answer, and Rory had let go of Rabastan's hand at the beginning of the conversation.

She offered her support in helping him get through this, but not in the sense that she stood by his decisions. "I was a high ranked Death Eater beside my brother, Rodolphous, and my sister in law, Bellatrix. The group included Avery and McNair, and your mother's brother Regulus. We worked to follow the cause and tempt the ministry with the ideals of the Dark Lord."

"You mean this is a glorified version of Grindelwald?" Romulus spat, and Aurora shivered in hearing how deadly serious her son was. "Romulus—"

"No Mum you made it sound like he wasn't bad, that he wasn't evil. But it's clear he was just that, he cursed you! We're we going to hear that part?!"

"Son, that was an accident," Rabastan interjected, but that hadn't done him any good.

"An accident?! What person accidentally curses another? And if that's what you did to mum what did you do to others? To muggle-borns?" Romulus had risen to his feet, though his height didn't help him much to those sitting down. It did gain at least a bit of leverage to get his point across, while Imara sat idly in her chair.

"Mum, were you—"
"No. Your mother had little to no part. She was a wife. That is why she was safe from the same sentence as myself and our siblings." Aurora was crying, it was clear as a small sniffle rallied into the air and silenced the entire room.

"Your father was on a life sentence in Azkaban, and he was framed for the crimes against the Longbottom family. But those in the Ministry were desperate to throw us all in, the Dark Lord had been stopped—Died at the hands of a young boy...What the ministry did was fake your father's wand testings... He never tortured the Longbottoms." Her voice was cracking in more than a few areas, it was difficult to process for their young minds.

But it would've been worse if they found out at school, this shouldn't be shared in a letter.

"D-did they murder the L-longbottoms?"
"No, but they still remain in Saint Mungos and aren't...Aren't in their right minds to ever leave." The twins looked to their mother wide-eyed, the idea that their father was merely present for such torture, was giving them an idea of what else could've happened.

"The world is very dark lovelies, but your father protected me from a number of things. Our families are notorious for arranged marriages...You two—You two were a blessing I always prayed for, but my mother...She was an awful woman, Opa says it just as well. But she was obsessed with me having a child and it being a son." Rabastan hadn't known she was going to tell the story, and he tried to squeeze her hand to silently stop her for doing this as well.

She didn't have to dig a grave beside him to make matters better.

"She didn't trust the potion when it said a boy, and she poisoned me when I was a decent way along...My heart stopped beating for minutes, and you both had almost died because of my mother's impatience and ignorance. Then your birth I was pronounced dead for four minutes...But you two were healthy, and Imara...You were such a blessed little surprise." Romulus swallowed the lump in his throat as his attention turned to his father.

"And you left her then too."
"Romulus, Son...I hadn't meant—"
"It sounds like you hadn't meant a lot of what you done! But what I'm not hearing is that you're accepting your actions. Mother has taught us that we have to take pride in what we've done and are doing. There is nothing good about any of this." Imara had gripped her brother's hand again and begged him silently to stop his rant.

"Romulus there are things I am not proud of as well. When I had been free of the charges, and finished packing this manor to move to America—"

"Yes, you weren't meant to take us with an illegal portray. So what? That has no comparison to—"

Rabastan had turned to Aurora and shook his head, reaching towards her in an attempt to stop. But his throat betrayed him as no words would come out and aid him.

"I killed my mother...In the event that I had followed your father's charges to Azkaban,  you children would've been sent there to live and be raised." Romulus' back had straightened, his idol, his mentor, his mother...

Had killed her own mother.

"Romulus, Imara. What you both need to understand is that your father and I were shaped and trained at a young age to follow these ideals. To follow a path because our parents controlled our actions. My brother ran from this lifestyle for a number of reasons, but our families are pureblooded and mainly Slytherin. But with arranged marriages...with set dinner parties with a cluster of purebloods. We were only opened to a network of people like us."

"Your mother's mother...Was an awful woman, I know it doesn't say much considering I am the one saying this..."

"She would curse Sirius for the littlest of things, she downgraded me to nothing because I should've been born a lad. And it isn't just my mother who did this, Opa had the same mentality."

"Opa cursed you?" Imara's voice croaked, her hair suddenly flaring a dangerous red as she couldn't stop the onset of tears in hearing this.

"No. But that doesn't mean he didn't have his own faults...Imara, remember when you were scared that papa would take away your dinner because you were being naughty?" Romulus had seen his father's fist tighten in hearing this.

"My mother thought it best to get me under the mentality that eating would resort to not looking as fit or as skinny as a woman should be. And before you both go through those types of hormones, eating food has nothing to do with attracting anyone or appearing a certain way. But my mother taught me that eating was wrong. And while you may not understand her methods, I found myself not eating at Hogwarts even away from home."

"You...Stopped yourself from eating?... Because your mother told you to?"

"Lovelies, children and those your age are so open to whatever your parents said. If I told you one thing, you'd believe me, wouldn't you?"
"Of course."
"Right, that...That right there is what gives parents power and control. And my parents and your father's parents used that on us." The twins were starting to understand what their mum was getting at, that manipulating was awfully tempting when it's someone you love.

"But papa hurt people."
"And your father was punished for it, and believe me when I say I gave him a very strong word on what is acceptable in this household." Although hearing what their father had done, either child had been slightly curious about what had been said to get their father to behave.

"With all that being said, he has been in prison for a long while. And when he was released he had missed six years of not only you and your sibling's lives—But the rest of world kept spinning. However the purpose of all this...is that when you arrive to Hogwarts there will be two types of people that you come across." Romulus had never looked like Sirius so much in his life the way he looked so angry, and Rabastan too that as another sense of karma for all he's done.

"What do you mean mummy?" Imara whispered, her voice filled with uncertainty of what her question would bring forth.
"There will be students, from families like ours or those in Slytherin who will worship the ground you walk on for your name, for what your father has done...Or, they will be scared and hate you for it."

"That's not fair!" Imara screamed, finally join in with something that was not a question.

"No, it's not. And with those that are friendly, you will need to be careful that they aren't attempting to use or gain something from you. Like I said in the beginning munchkins, life is beyond harsh."

"That's bullshite!" Imara screamed, her hair suddenly growing rapidly down her back.

"Imara you watch your tone! Either of you! I understand you are upset, I understand you are angry. But do not take my patience for granted. I can easily shift to my mother's teachings, but I don't. I have a heart and soul, as does your father. Why do you think I left you lot instead of stay?"

"That doesn't count, the house was foreclosed!"

"And before I start locking my study Romulus, you watch your tone as well. Your father paid the price, and all of this would've happened whether he was in prison or not. The Lestrange name is pureblooded and popular in the papers, the second I turned legal did the daily prophet and witch weekly make it their mission to find anything they could on me because of my maiden name." Aurora was getting fitfully angry now, Rabastan didn't deserve all the hate.

"I'd like to think I did the name some justice in light of everything, but we are a family. And your father and I are prepared to do anything to keep you safe."

"Safe?! Safe from what? The Dark Lord is dead, you said so!"

"That doesn't mean all of it Romulus, there are still people who are racist. Who want to see the world burn. And others haven't given up the teachings he taught."

"And why are we going to Hogwarts if we're going to be open to that?!"

"Because, I made that choice, and I stand by it. You are getting your education here and that is final. And if you have an issue with that Romulus, either of you. Fine. Don't pack your bags, don't go to school. Because apparently I've spoiled you both rotten."

"No mum I didn't mean to question—"

"Yes Romulus, you did, and if you don't think I debated that question every day since we arrived in America, you are wrong. You are both excused." She shot out, and Rabastan kept his eyes still focused down onto his plate. Seemingly useless at this disclosing all this to the children had taken an awful turn.

"Mummy no, please—" Imara attempted to usher out, but was interrupted by her mum within seconds.

"I said you're excused." They had offended their mother, and so Imara had wiped her eyes and rose to hurry away to her room. While Romulus took off his napkin and shot a glare to his father, one of which Rabastan had taken the punishment of enduring.

"Don't say it Romulus."

"Get out of my head mother." That had been the last straw, Rory had risen from her seat and pointed to the staircase.

"Your room, now!" He had stomped the entire way there, and either parent flinched at hearing the door slam shut.

Though it was Rory's crashing sob that caused Rabastan to push his chair legs back and go to her. "Love, it'll be alright. They love you, I don't care if they hate me...They can hate me all they wish, but you—You are good. You are their mother and you've done everything that you—"

"Then why did they make it seem like I haven't done a god damn thing for them. Ever! And never, never, has either of them spoken like that. Not to anyone, and certainly not to family. They crossed a line, they were taught manors and—And what Romulus was thinking..." Rabastan had almost forgotten that his wife was gifted in the sense to pick up thoughts.

"Love what did he say?" Rabastan saw the fear in her eyes again, and she shook her head with tears falling at a quicker pace.

"I can't..."

"Yes. If it is about me and he was on the verge of saying it then...Then I deserve to know"

"He was stopping himself, and I finalized his decision. And gods I cannot even begin to sort out punishment for all of this—"

"Aurora, what did he say?"

"He wishes Aidan was his father."

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Date Posted: 05-26-2020

Time: 10:10

Words: 4398

Author's Note:

I really like how this chapter turned out, it did take a bit to finally get the final product (Sorry for the delay!) but I managed to get everything. I almost forgot to mention the Longbottoms and I kept going back and forth on whether or not Aurora should explain the story of her own parents and family. But I think it helped build the scene of what the twin's parent's lives were like. 

 Do you think Aurora was in the right to shelter them from their whole 'pureblood status'? 

Were the twins out of line? 

And Romulus' almost comment? 🤭

Let me know what you think!! 😘💕