✧FINAL HOURS✧

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The wizards had to return Rory to her manor, and although she was partially drunk. She did humor the lads to reminisce what life was like when Rabastan was around, she called her goodnights and settled into bed without much of a thought.

However that left the two in the snake den.

"Feels strange, doesn't it? Seeing her again—Being here."

"She looks fit as ever, the Black family beauty holds true." McNair didn't like Avery's comment, and they sprouted ever since Amelia had turned into a whore. But this was indeed crossing a line.

Though there was a reason Aurora hadn't told Avery about the lad she'd been seeing in America, and he wasn't about to share it with him.

"Don't start that shite mate. 'Bas is going to..." It felt so easy-flowing a comment that Rabastan would beat their arse for saying something like that, and yet Avery shrugged. He meant it in honesty, so he attempted to rephrase what he meant.

"She looks good, look at my bloody wife McNair. She hasn't met the stress Rory had, five children? A new country? A whole damn new life?" It caused Avery to kick the nearest table in damnation.

"Hey...It's alright, she's back."

"We promised Rabastan to watch over her, and she was in Salem all this time. Under a false name, false locations. It looks like we didn't even try!"

Aurora was the head of her little witch group, but it was a clear cut that Rabastan was the leader of them.

"I'm going to get an earful from Amelia about it all, but Rory's right. All of our wives are stay at home mothers..."

"Evie wanted to wait a few more years before working, but she's tutoring the children. Do you think Aurora tutors her children?" Avery shook his head in thinking to all that was spoken.

"Doesn't sound like it, but they're all going to Salem—not much of a surprise. 'Bas had a little brain on his head until he was consumed by the bloody—" McNair had to stop the growing rage, but the two had stayed a while after their arrival before leaving Aurora in the manor by herself.

*
The Next Morning
*

"Mother mistress, Daisy and Poppy sorry to wake mother mistress. But guests downstairs." Rory groaned and demanded a hangover tonic before thinking about anything in the realm of entertaining guests.

"Suppose I can't tell them to piss off, can I? Who is downstairs?"

"Mrs.Rookwood, Mrs.Yaxley, and Mrs.Avery...They wait in the foyer for mother mistress."
Perhaps I can tell them to piss off.

It has been a while since Aurora found herself in the position to pep-talk herself in front of a mirror. She had to remind herself that she was a Black daughter and married into the Lestrange name.
So why was it so damning for her to walk downstairs to greet people she thought were her friends.

"Perhaps she won't show her face, not when both McNair and Avery returned home so late last night. I bet you that she fuc—" Amelia's bitterness was far too early to condemn, and so Aurora had removed the likeness of the witches' mouth as a whole.

"That's better." She beamed, coming closer to the rest of her former friends to seem them almost shuttering in fear. It was easy to see that they held resentment, but one look into their eyes and she received years of harsh comments being fired in her direction.

Her name was taken in vain.

"So why on earth, would any of you step foot into my manor with an attitude such as this? My my Amelia, cat got your tongue?" Rory teased, sitting down in an armchair all by her low some as she poured herself a spot of tea and looked to the woman before her.

"Funny, not even a look in my direction. Clearly you all came here with a purpose, or has Amelia filled your head with lies?" Amelia attempted to defend herself, but it caused Aurora to smirk.

"She has, now then. Let me fill in the blanks...While I housed you all for the last few months after the downfall of the Dark Lord, I do not even get the simple courtesy of a proper greeting—Amelia, I did not sleep with your husband. And if I wanted to end it all right this second I could simply pluck a hair off Noah's head and find out the true parentage...So while it might've been your idea to come storming to my manor, perhaps it best you armor up your supporters." Aurora finished with another cup of tea before looking to either Clem and Izzy.

She hadn't met either of the women as they entered in motherhood, but they too look matured. It was only Amelia who seemingly fell off the wagon.

"Rory...How could you leave?" Clem's voice broke into the air, and the woman moved unceremoniously towards her friend to sit on the table. Her hands holding onto Clemintine's in a matter of comfort.

"I needed a fresh start Clem, my children needed a place to grow up without the stigma of their father's faults. I could've been thrown into Azkaban just the same, it was Mr.Hanson who prevented it from happening. Otherwise I would be getting released now with Rabastan..." Isabella turned to Amelia, having not heard that portion of why Rory returned.

Which called the Yaxley wife to scoff.

"Why didn't you mention that! The important shite! Not the damn part where she was with McNair or your husband! Aurora isn't you!"

"Thank you Izzy, but if she enjoys making imaginary versions of me. Or are you implementing all you've done into me? Now I rightly didn't prepare for any company this early in the morning—"

"Rory it's eleven." Clem chimed in, and Aurora rolled her eyes.

"Yes, well America certainly rubbed off on me. And it seems fire whiskey was stronger than I remembered." Rory waved her wand towards Amelia but gave a pointed look.

"Don't make me regret it love, now then...How about you all catch me up on what you're all up to."

"Much better off." Aurora turned to Amelia and blinked in her direction.

"Are you truly better off? Or how about you could've been evicted from your manor with four children, pregnant and a closed account...I was better off in America Amelia. Now what has gotten your panties in a bunch to think this is an acceptable act?"

"See, always about her...Like I said." Clem turned to Amelia in clear distaste as well.

"She asked you a question 'mila about what she missed, why can't you settle down for just this once?"

"Settle down? Settle down?! My marriage is ruined! Noah's heritage is being questioned! She cannot just come back and think everything is dandy!" Aurora rolled her eyes.

"I don't remember a warm welcome on your end either sweetheart. You wanted to throw me out, and unlike you, I actually have that power and the means to actually throw you out."

"You see! She's threatening me again, I'm surprised I haven't curled over like her mother."

Either Clemintine and Isabella sat in silence once again, waiting for Aurora to blow up. The two usually allowed Amelia to rage and stomp her feet like a child.

"Threatening? Oh I can be threatening love, I could curse you silly—I could make your life an absolute living hell. But you know why I haven't? Because I've matured, unlike your sorry arse. You're living in the past, and you're certainly living in the delusional realm of these two ever agreeing with you on anything...This isn't Hogwarts anymore, our children are about to be enrolled. And what sort of role-model are you?"

"You act like you're so bloody perfect! All the time! But you never checked up on us, not once!"

"I didn't know I had to continue babysitting you and nannying over you. Were you that lost without me? Did you have to make the big decisions on your own?" Clemintine shivered, Aurora had indeed changed. But Izzy had held the witch's hand beside and nodded, the two discussed this in private. Without Amelia, as they simply continued their friendship around the crazy witch.

"Mistress, mistress! Mrs.McNair come with Mrs.Dolohov's." Amelia smirked. "Brilliant, you aren't the only one who's husband is imprisoned."

"Then stop acting like it's you." Aurora targeted, and that muted her for a moment as she greeted Evie and was properly introduced to Eliza.

Perhaps she met her at a few parties before, but the young witch definitely looked familiar.

"Ah, Evie. Good that you're here, because Amelia claimed that I was sleeping with your husband and hers just last night."

"Well Avery did say you were fit and that Black beauty has lived up to the rumors...Are you that distrustful? You're blaming Aurora that she slept with Avery? Will that make you feel better?" It caused Aurora to scoff and offered either girl a seat at her roundtable, and it was completely ironic to see that the odd girls out sat on the love sofa, while Aurora and Amelia sat by their lonesome.

"Now then...I have bigger concerns than what you think of me at the moment. Ah—Another word and I'm calling my bloody lawyer for harassment and for a restraining order...Now then, what have I missed?"

The rest of the gals gave her a full rundown, and although Amelia started to show signs of her normal self. It'd snap in a different direction and point out Aurora's faults.

Eliza sat rather silent, having really only been there for Evie but even she was confused about the hostility in the air. Or how disgusted Izzy and Clem had been towards a witch she assumed they favored.

When all the people in her manor left, she felt utterly drained. She remained in the chair for another hour, with the attempt to drown her worries in a meditation.

But it was postponed as Nymeria wanted some cuddles.

Yet another pair decided to ask for her company.

"I don't rightly remember my door always being so open for company to arrive whenever they feel like it. Unless times have changed."

"Told you she'd not want company, especially after your wife threw the adultery card at her." Avery came over, almost as exhausted as Rory had been, but she called her elf and asked to make a small dinner as she took the easiest sitting with either Avery, McNair and Yaxley's gossip session.

They were less brutal than the women, and she actually enjoyed herself more than having to watch her back with Amelia.

"Do you need us to come tomorrow?"

"Perhaps not tomorrow, he needs to acclimate to—Everything." This was the first time Yaxley had seen Aurora, and he had to agree on Avery's first few comments.

Though McNair subtly reminded him of who she is.

"She must've been lonely, witches have needs too." It was indeed a red flag, though McNair knew Avery was only saying this to take a stab at his own wife. But he would have to watch out, perhaps not tell Rabastan himself.

Surely prison would push him down a brutal path.

Aurora was right to feel nervous in meeting Rabastan again. McNair might've held his tongue on the fact that the damned arse found his needs met by Bellatrix—Multiple times.

Even with reconnecting with the given families, she still felt sick. Which left her sleeping in the den, in the very comfortable corner of the sofa with the fireplace roaring in comfort.

"Rory?" She blinked a few times from her position to lean forward, it caused her to summon her cloak as she forgot the two-way mirror.

"Merlin Reg, six-hour difference remember?" She groaned, but her brother taunted her with a laugh.
"Yeah, but it only took once to get your attention, I was just heading to bed...How's everything?" She swallowed, and Regulus watched as the sadness washed over her, and it was indeed highlighted with the fire illuminating her face.

"Cissy is the same old, she was a bit angry but I think it blew over once I told her about Lori...Ronan and Draco are going to cause lots of mischief, I'm sensing it already." He chuckled, then asked about Lucius. "It barely took a few words before he cowards down, disgusting really, saying six years in Azkaban is nothing." Not was Regulus' turn to scoff, sharing his own change of profanities to follow suit.

"Oi, my children will hear you."

"Nah, Lori is with Phoebe already...Who else did you see?" Aurora reminded silent for a moment as she started to bite her nail. "I went to the McNair manor, both of them were so happy to see me. Same with Avery, it was Amelia who's bitter. Gods Reg, what did I bloody do to her?" Regulus had a theory, especially since Amelia was heavily racist in Hogwarts.

Wether Aurora saw it or not.

"Surely she's just jealous of how well you've managed your life."

"She blames me for her marriage falling apart, even though her youngest is being suspected in not being Avery's. How do I fix that? She's damn delusional!" Regulus continued to ask, it was difficult for the two siblings to be so far away from one another now.

She looked in need of a hug, and perhaps Regulus' guilt was for not accepting Aidan earlier—And if he had, perhaps Aurora wouldn't have returned to Britain.

"Call me if that bastard needs a good ringer, bloody idiot he is."

"Careful, your Brit side is coming out. And I already have the husbands all at my beckon call to do the same." The two made each other calm down drastically, and luckily they both managed a bit more sleep. Both wishing that the other had gotten a bit better.

*

The Morning

Aurora felt dreadful, forcing herself to take a bath. In the same bathroom in which she would heal her husband for the first time—and the last.

Better yet, this is where she learned that the Potter's were dead. Perhaps if she sketched the Potter's and enchanted it, would their souls be called and partially be housed by the portrait?

It was something she needed to look into.

Everything was prepared, she ordered the elves for every light meal options they could think of. Rabastan was living off of the bare minimum for the longest of times, and she already planned to get him cleaned up and dressed nicely.

Part of her was waiting for him to curse her out, so she could just run back to the states in tears and disregard everything that's happened. But deep down she still loved her husband, even after the news, the trial, after Lori's birth and the years that follow.

Her loyalty would be her death.

—

Hey mum!

I really like the Malfoy's, they're very kind. They sort of remind me like the Warrens. Typical posh and all, Aunt Cissy made a few comments about America and I managed to hold my tongue, not to worry. But why do they hate America so much, even when I mentioned that I would be attending Salem they seemed to be hating on the idea?

-Roe

___

Aurora rolled her eyes, of course Lucius would make Ronan feel worried about going to Salem. They were just immensely questionable about the quality of the elementary level, but had Draco met the requirements she would never hear the end of it.

So there really was no winning.

Rory had her breakfast out on the Gazebo in the company of Nymeria before finding herself to find comfort with her father. Orion tried his best to share memories of how a few stories of Azkaban prisoners have turned out when they were released.

Aurora found herself changing her outfit four times in the course of ten minutes, and she groaned into the air.

"I'm bloody thirty years old and here I am changing like I'm a fucking teenager!" She shrieked, and it caused an elf to rush in on the count of their mistress' distress.

"Poppy help mistress? Poppy put kettle on stove."

"Thank you Poppy, what time is it?" The little elf's footsteps stumbled away before returning.

"Ten minutes to twelve mistress. Master come at noon?" It earned the servant a smile by the woman she idolized.

"I think I Americanized my wardrobe Poppy, I almost forgot how to tie a corset and it's uncomfortable."

"Mistress bring dress?" The little elf went to retrieve her mistress' trunk and pull it into the closet so she could find something to wear.

"Daisy can mend dresses. Mend to fit beautiful mistress." Aurora snorted at her elf, perhaps it was the workout the children gave her daily, but her figure was the ideal shape that a witch wanted.

Or so says Howlers magazine off in America, all she could remember was that Reg's half-blooded friend claimed it was the playboy of the magical world.

With an outfit already picked out, she found herself descending down the stairs and informing the elves the second that Rabastan comes to fill the tub.

She plucked her watch from her belt and looked at the time. Less than a minute to noon, letting out a silent prayer did she beg the gods that she had done the right thing.

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Date Posted: 02-17-2020

Time: 7:59

Words: 2949

Author's Note:

Gifs won't load anymore and I don't know why :(
See you Friday;)