✧BACK IN THE LESTRANGE MANOR PT 1✧

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Rory had felt rather exhausted as today's events finally rallied back at her, the moment she stepped into her study was she met with the growing whispers of Regulus, and already with that she groaned.

"What was the first rule we established when calling me on this?" She ushered out, and Regulus' pout was completely visible through the mirror. "That I wait for your call, and before that message you in your book...But I was getting anxious! Aidan hadn't gotten a letter from you either."

"That's because this is the first chance I get to sit down, now...What's the matter?" Orion watched in silence to see how his daughter would react to the combined agreement of Aidan and Regulus.

"I don't think you'll need to send him it anymore, he should be there by the end of the week." Rory closed her eyes as she soon went to pinch the brink of her nose.

"Do you know how much it hurt me to break his heart?" She questioned, and before he could even think to respond she shook her head to answer for him.

"No, you don't. And don't bother to tell me that you're empathic to that situation. I love him, but I can't...Maybe after the war, maybe if I can salvage whatever's left of my soul. But not now. I'm sending him back." Regulus knew it was hurting his sister, but not to this extent—Though he should've.

"And the children? How are they—How are you?"

"Other than being stopped at the ministry for three hours for Lori's passport, I'm alright. They're settling in just fine I suppose, Romulus shook his father's hand and nothing is well." She was more than tired, and all she rightly wanted was a warm sprinkle from the shower and then to relax under the cover.

"We'll talk later."

"Rory please don't be angry with me. Can't you see I want what's best for you?" She gave in, knowing that this was just a bump in the road in being able to adapt to this move.

"I have such homesickness when I shouldn't...And seeing Aidan just going to make it worse."

"But don't you think it'll push Lestrange to try? Especially if he sees how Aidan is with the children."

"What sort of healing does that promote?"

"The kind that Karma dishes out, he was released from Azkaban Rory. There's no need to be kind to the man." With a final set of goodnights did Rory scribble the rest of her parcel and sent it to the directory for the foreign post.

Unfortunately, it would probably get to America by midday tomorrow, but it was all she could manage her and now. Not that it was anything worthwhile, just that she hoped he was doing well and keeping to his promises—Though she was sure they would be broken soon enough.

"Was starting to worry where you went off to..."

"I coaxed Romulus to get to sleep early and then Cara takes about half a chapter to finally fall asleep. And Ronan was already snoring by the time I came to check on him." The nightly routine was long as he soon found out, but Rory explained that it was only because it was the first night.

Soon they'll be better adjusted.

"Was Lorelei alright?"

"She's a little angel." Aurora laughed, causing Rabastan to flinch at the sound, what did the witch mean with that?

"I don't know, sometimes I think Romulus was right in naming her Lorelei. As she is very good at getting her way, you have to be firm sometimes Rabastan." Through all of this, he had watched the woman partly in the closest with a bundle of clothes in hand.

Her idea of a quick shower was indeed quick, as Rabastan didn't have enough time to actually commit to joining her in time.

"Tired?" She smirked, and he groaned as he didn't want her to be right. "I'm trying to listen to their interests."

"Oh there's about a thousand of those, even I don't know them all. Cara will surprise me with a half-read herbology manual and then leave it behind for some exotic creature from Japan...Don't think you'll be able to get them all in one night." He nodded, feeling quite relieved that even Rory couldn't name them all.

He was trying to go off of all that she knows—Though it would come to a challenge when Rabastan still viewed that as toddlers.

"Lorelei is...Rather tiny." Aurora was waiting for the question, and as she settled in under the blanket she sighed at the fact. "She is, she's very petite for her age. But the healers assured me that there is nothing wrong with her health, it could simply be that she's a late bloomer." Rabastan saw the stress and anxiety that this was giving her, so he engulfed her into his hold and hummed.

"I didn't know I was pregnant until three and a half months Raba, that isn't safe. She was born early and underweight."

"Born early?... But then twins—"

"They were twins, that's considered normal." Rory closed her eyes in onset of worry, but Raabstan had turned very good at reading his wife's cues that he questioned her.

"What? What is it?"

"I was so...Angry when I found out. America was thought to be a fresh start, but I was carrying a murderer's child." Any and all emotion drained from his face, it was an aspect that he hadn't rightly taken into account, even when McNair told him.

Aurora's image had been spoiled, and her lawyers worked effortlessly to manage the accounts and damn all the rumors, her work spoke for itself. And it did, she overcame the means by providing a product for halfbreeds, to cure the racist tellings her husband laid out for her.

"The children were labeled, Raba it will be an awful conversation to tell them."

"So while I was in prison was I still your husband? You claimed that when I wear the mask that I am not—"
"Depends, did you consider yourself my husband when you left for weeks at a time looking for a dead Lord. The single night of sharing a bed and shagging had made me feel like a common whore."

"You are not a whore."

"But then you make me feel like it when I was with Aidan...Have I been too lenient?" Now Aurora was simply thinking out loud, and while Rabastan scrambled to sit up in regards to his wife starting to rise. It caused her to shake her head.

"Go to sleep Rabastan." How was he meant to sleep without his wife? Regulus' words had haunted her just a few moments ago, no part of her wanted them to cut as badly as they did. But maybe Reg was right, maybe Remus was right.

She was fucking a Death Eater.

"Let me beg for forgiveness Aurora. Had you not been here then—"

"Then you would've curled over at the bar in your snake den, yes...I'm aware. But you are not a man to be on your knees out of will, that's only for the Dark Lord. I simply get it when you wish to shag or in the attempt of an apology, or both combined." His shoulders shrank, there was nothing but truth coming from her lips now.

"I need to cool down. Please go to sleep." He knew she was trying hard not to crack—Not to yell. Rabastan knew if she started to raise his voice his heart wouldn't be able to manage any more of it.

She lightly closed the door and returned back to her study, it was the only way she could manage to tire herself out. A good book, warm tea, and the warmth that one of the mutts could provide. Though they were all occupied by the children, so Rory remained in her father's light company as he too was sleeping.

Romulus, on the other hand, had felt rather ill in his stomach, it reminded him the first night he had stayed at the Salem school by himself. Homesickness. And he felt entirely wronged that this was his home.

Wasn't it?
So why did it feel so damn cold. Why did it feel so lifeless?

It was well into the eleventh hour and he decided he couldn't take it anymore, he moved from the swing chair to lay down flat in his bed, but it wasn't working.

Throwing off the covers did he go in search of—Omen he supposed, but in this house he hadn't a clue where that would even be.

So he took a wild guess to check one of the only other places besides his sibling's bedrooms that he knew: His mum's study.

He didn't think to bother with a knock, but seeing her in her chair only made the boy sigh further. "Mum...Mum...Mama, come, I'm sure your bed is much more comfortable than this chair." He nudged her, but Rory would not budge at her son's attempts. So instead he took a look around and saw the couches near the fireplace, which was on and illuminated the room entirely.

"Alright well, since you're not being cooperative, then you can deal with the parcel from the ministry mum." He said rather snippish, and he thanked the gods that his mother remained sleeping after his fit of anger.

"Wingardium Leviosa." He whispered, and his mum's body was at the easy will of Romulus' wand. And he so easily placed her on the love couch, and once she was placed he retrieved the blanket from the chair and tucked her in.

"Romulus? Is your mother alright?"
"She fell asleep in her chair Opa, I just put her on the couch...Should I get father?" Orion thought for a moment and side a nod.
"Your mum has an important week ahead of her, go get your father... He'll tuck her in." Romulus snorted, and Orion chuckled as well.

Damn did the boy look like Sirius and Regulus, and it made it all the more hilarious to send him to his father.

Romulus took an honest guess before knocking firmly to the door, three solid knocks, and before long he had finally gotten an answer. Which was his father being rightly confused, but never the less willing to aid.

"Romulus? Son it's very late and—"
"I know. Mum fell asleep in her armchair in her study, Opa said she has a busy week and she gets cranky in the morning when she doesn't sleep comfortably." Rubbing his eyes did Rabastan smile to his son and follow him towards the study.

"It's a good thing you're doing, helping you mum like this...I used to tell you that you were the man of the manor when you were a little lad." Romulus had remained silent as he tried to wrap his head at any time his father might've said that.

"She always sleeps in her study though, if not in her chair then on her desk."

"Squealing on your mother Romulus?" The son grinned up to his Opa and nodded, while Rabastan had been confused to see Rory on the couch.

"Er...I levitated her."

"Let's reframe from using magic on your mum son, or wait until she's awake." Romulus nodded, both his Opa and mum had said to respect his father, and so he followed after to see that his mum was tucked into bed and placed a small kiss on her cheek.

"I am...Truly proud of you son." Romulus turned back his parent's room to see Rabastan partly out of the doorframe, yet only when he stopped walking back to his bedroom did the father come further out.

"It's true, your mother told me how well you've managed with your siblings. Your studies...And I know you think ill of me, and I've been a git to have abandoned you five and your mum... I want to promise you that I want to get to know you."

"Okay. But you cannot hurt mum. I don't care if you are my father, mum doesn't deserve to be hurt anymore." Rabastan nodded, perhaps Romulus knew more than he was letting his mother know, but it was surely speaking volumes now.

He held the same posture that Rabastan witnessed his brother and Sirius hold.

"Speaking like the true eldest..."

"Why does that matter if I'm the eldest? Imara is the same age as me." Rabastan peeked into the bedroom to see that Aurora was still sound asleep, so he nicked his head and offered a small history lesson to his son.

Had he not been sentenced in Prison he would've done this much like his own father had—Just in a more adoring way and not like it wasted his breath.

If only he wasn't sentenced to prison.

"I doubt your mother has told you much about our family, or Britain for that matter."

"It hurt mum too much to talk about it." Rabastan frowned further, realizing that even mentioning their homeland would send her into a state.

Never the less, he continued onto his next thought.

"In Britain, the eldest son carries out as the heir. And that's a bigger responsibility than taking care of your mum." Rabastan had opened the door and summoned the lights to flare without much of a thought.

"Brilliant..." For being raised in America and having electricity in their home, having seen a beautiful chandelier suddenly illuminate from one flick of his father's wand was captivating his attention.

"This is our family tree, the Lestranges steam from France...Your mum was a Black, your Opa for example is a Black, they steam from an old line from Germany."

"Mutter sagte das." [Mother had said that.]

"Ah, so she did teach you German."

"Et français. Nous avons voyagé pour des vacances au Canada."
[And French, We traveled for holiday to Canada.]

A wholesome smile graced his lips as he beamed with pride, the childish pronunciation wasn't at an elementary level, it was conversational.

"Cela fait longtemps."
[It's been a while.]

"Cara's the best, she knows how to read...I still have trouble with the German sometimes."

"Could only grow, my mother used to tell me that learning a language doesn't count if you never use it. You're still using it...Perhaps I should take up learning German." Romulus turned to the wall once again before grinning at his father.

"Mum would like that." Then Rabastan was going to try his damn hardest to do so, but he watched Romulus move forward to touch his small portrait in the wall. "Mum's a flower?"

"Ah, yes the woman in our family are labeled by flowers. When you marry your wife will appear just like Rory—Your mother's."

"...Why is Ronan smaller?"

"Because the fortune turns to the eldest, you turn into the head of the household once the title is passed down. But I like to think I have a few years left." It earned a small chuckle to pass his sons lips, perhaps he wasn't that hard to talk to.

"Mum said you work—worked with the law?"

"Yes. I took my father's place in the ministry, a few grandfathers of ours was actually minister for magic."

"Does that mean I'll have to go into law?" Rabastan shook his head, he would hope one of his children would like to follow him but Romulus was already in a different direction.

"I sort of fancy potions."

"Not very surprised, the way your mother teaches makes me wonder if she'll ever be a professor."

"She was...At Salem? But that's when Lori was very little and she decided to return back home, would've liked to have her as a professor." Romulus soon figured out that his father hadn't known this of his mother, but he did like the proud smile that was reigning on his father's face.

He did want mum to succeed, so perhaps he wasn't that much of a bastard? He still had some good qualities.

"Could I ask a question?"

"I'd be delighted to hear and answer anything on your mind." He remained silent for a moment, trying to escape the depth of his mind. He wanted to give his father a chance, the goodness and logic of having a father weighed against it all, but he had to know.

"Did you want to stay?"

"Oh son...Of course I wanted to stay, I would've traded my soul to fight to stay, but I was over my head. I made the wrong choices and dragged your mother into this mess, it's affected everyone I love around me and I cannot express how deeply sorry I am for not being there for when you received your Salem letter, your first day of school. And I will be forever damned that I missed Lorelei's birth." Romulus did indeed have abandonment issues, it was clear to Aurora that he would slightly panic and not know what to do with himself when she wasn't home.

And that reverted to Rory waiting to vacation when the twins were away at school, or vacation together. But it was difficult to bring a young lad to meetings and labs, yet that is where Romulus began to fall in love with a cauldron as much as his mum had.

He had simply started earlier and had his mother nurture his talents rather than leave him to his lonesome. Not what her mother had to her in her own youth.

"I will make whatever I have to up, and I do hope to receive some owl posts from your time in Hogwarts."

"Of course, I always write home." To his mum. Rabastan knew he had little time to make an impression, but he felt rather relieved that his son wasn't difficult to talk to.

"What else do you fancy?"

"...I don't rightly know. Mum says I try all sorts of things but I haven't found much else that I like as much as potions. But I plan to play Quidditch in Hogwarts." Rabastan hummed, smirking slightly at the fact. "I hear from a little bird that you see yourself as a Chaser?"

"Imara and I are rather deadly together. Hopefully we don't play against each other." Rabastan had made a comment about Aurora once again, how much of a beautiful flyer she had been and he too disliked playing against her.

"I'll never forget seeing your mother fall from being struck by lightening, though she has given me plenty of heart attacks before and after that game."

"Mum was struck by lightning?!" He gasped, and all too suddenly had Raabstan whiteness his son look like Sirius' twin—Especially as his hair had grown down in fluent inches. 

"Oh drat." He groaned, but Rabastan saw a bit of humor in it.

"I'll have to cut it or else mum will think I'm working myself up again...Were you joking?"

"Not at all, she had made these necklaces for the rest of her team which were charmed to avoid lightening. Just her luck that her own didn't work." Rabastan learned one of the first mistakes in this conversation, that Romulus was extremely protective of his mum and siblings, his sisters especially. He figured that he was overthinking the possibilities, so his father ceased his fears and claimed that Aurora had healed perfectly well.

Romulus looked at the time and realized it was well after one, so he decided it was best that he head to bed. Meaning Rabastan was left to his own quest to return to Aurora.

His wife hadn't woken up as he snuck to his own side of the bed, which he was entirely thankful for as he couldn't stomach another argument. So he remained chastely on his own side and kept his movement to a minimal, he truly did not want to be kicked out.

He could only sleep with his wife near him—So perhaps he was like his son in that way.
That he was anxious to be near Aurora.

It couldn't have been all that much longer before the door opened and the soft sobs alerted Rabastan. He quickly shifted the covers, causing Rory to stir, though once she heard the sound of a child crying. She jumped into gear, and even with Rabastan being closer to the door he couldn't tell who it was until Rory had spoken her name.

"Lori...Love what is it?"

"I—I had a nightmare...A-and Nymeria wa-wasn't there!" He waited in clear need to learn his wife's ways, but all Aurora had done was really sooth the tears away and reassure her that the dream wasn't real.

"Can I sleep with you mummy?" Rory must've nodded, as he soon watched his wife lift up Lorelei to join them into bed. And she was more than demanding as she took the center spot of the bed. Even taking her mum's pillow.

"Comfortable there Lori?"

"Mummy's pillow always smells so good." Rory soon crawled in right beside Lori, being heavily children as she tickles the little gal.

"No! Mummy! I yield!" With a final bop on the little girl's nose did Rory settle on the edge, and once again Rabastan felt guilty that he had most of the bed to himself, but Rory was immensely comfortable in curling up beside their daughter.

"Mum?... Could you sing me a song?"

"What kind of song?" It was beyond clear that Rory needed sleep, the woman was withholding a yawn.

"The baby song that Auntie Phoebe sings."

"Hush little baby, don't say a word,
Papa's gonna buy you a mockingbird.
And if that mockingbird won't sing,
Papa's gonna buy you a diamond ring.
And if that diamond ring turns to brass,
Papa's gonna buy you a looking glass..."

At first Lorelei turned in excitement at the mention of her papa being in the song, but her mother's method of dragging out the words brought the once stressed child to fall asleep effortlessly.

She hadn't stopped humming, and the only telling that Rabastan had to know that she fell back asleep was because it finally ceased.

And he was alone in his thoughts. Better yet he looked at the clock to see that it was four in the morning.

Gods how did Rory do this?
With all the children?!

But Rabastan was flattered that Lorelei was cuddling against his arm at one time during the night. Yet by morning he was greeted with the beautiful sight of both his girls slumbering softly. Rabastan couldn't see his mother in Lorelei at all, she had features that Cara and Imara held from Rory herself.

The hair was a light brown, lighter than Rory's sure. Seeing them reminded him of what his promise was to Romulus, that he needed to work in order to gain the children's trust.

But where was he meant to start?

As Rabastan continued to stare up at the canopy of the bed, he missed the fact that Lori had woken up. Her toothy grin catchy him by surprise, she gasp and slapped her hands over her mouth.

"I'm sorry papa, were you thinking?... I always take away mummy's thoughts from her."

"Hm, nothing to worry about. You mum's the thinker in this family. Did you sleep alright?" She nodded, looking mighty proud of herself.

"No nightmares...can I get my dollhouse out of my trunk?"

"Is that something you can do on your own?" Although Lori had started with a yes, Aurora cut fitfully into the conversation.

"Lori, we do not lie to papa." She spoke tiredly, and it caused the young girl to look as though she was going to cry. "I didn't lie!"

"Trickster, only if an elf, your father or I am there. And why would you want to play dollies at eight in the morning?"

"I have to set up the dolly house!"

"Not before breakfast, no pouting." It was a glorious sight to see that Aurora knew all of Lori's tells without having to open her eyes. It even caused him to chuckle as Lori was still pouting.

"Can I have a tea party then?"
"Tea parties are long after breakfast love."
"Can I go in the treehouse?"
"Not this early."
"Can I—"

"I think you're mummy wants a lil more sleep in her system. How about I show you my study so I can write a parcel?" The child was ecstatic to do something, and so she rose to her feet and began to bounce before hurrying to the door in an effort to get dressed for the day.

"Would the others be awake?"
"No. Surely not. Cara's exhausted from her studies and Romulus surely went to bed past twelve. Imara never wakes before nine. Perhaps Ronan? It all depends with him." Rory looked comfortable in her slumber, so Rabstan pulled up the covers on her shoulder and kissed her forehead.

"Rommy tattled on me...Didn't he?" Her eyes fluttered open to look that he was much closer than she first thought. But she hummed, Rabastan surely had missed this sleeping side of his wife.

"He's giving me a chance, he told me so last night." The room filled with a hum, and a smile graced her to give her an angelic expression.

"See...Just needs a lil time. And if you don't want Lori snooping on your work, best let her write her own letter." He grinned and kissed her once more before dressing for the day, he was indeed lucky that he had beaten Lori as she was already one her way back to their room.

"Alright lil lady Lori, let's get to work." He cheered, and she squealed when he picked her up in his arms. Good gods was she light, perhaps even lighter than the toddlers were.

"What kind of work are we doing papa?"

"I need to send a parcel to some of my old friends, how about you write a letter to your friends in America?" She cheered at the idea, and he was thankful that Rory had given it to him before he left.

She smiled widely in seeing her father's office, and he didn't waste any time before opening the windows and setting up his lil gal with a quill and piece of parchment.

Sure he wanted to ask that perhaps next week all the children could come and meet in the coming week or so. But he found himself utterly distracted at Lorelei's penmanship was adorably perfect.

She was currently sitting in his lap, attempting to write all she could onto the paper provided, and even in her words did she sound happy as could be.

"And who might you be writing to?"

"Paige, she and Cara are in the same year. But we always play dollies together." He chuckled, but it earned her a kiss the temple for her adorableness.

"Papa! Mum's asking what you want for breakfast." Ronan called out, and Lori flashed a grin to her brother. "Can I have oatmeal?"

"Mum already knows you want oatmeal and honey Lolli." Rabastan hadn't thought about breakfast, but if he made any protest he knew Rory was going to panic and baby.

"Rather fancy that egg sandwich, where is your mother?"

"The kitchen, Imara and Cara were cheering for French toast." Rabastan had told Ronan to watch his sister as he was going to find Rory off in the kitchen, and sure enough—She was cooking.

"Ah, what did you want to eat? The girls wanted French toast, and Romulus usually isn't picky with—"

"Why are you cooking? We have elves to do it." Sighing did she turn back to look at Rabastan, nodding that he was right but then offering out to ask him a question.

"Rabastan, could you make me a pot of tea?" He blinked, narrowing his brow as he realized he hadn't made the simplest of anything in his realm of food and drinks.

"Elves get paid in the states, and I could not afford an elf to clean or cook or watch the children. And I happen to like cooking very much, I'll be upgrading this kitchen very soon."

"But cooking every night?"

"Oh gods no, we would eat over Phoebe's and Liz's as well. They had elves, or we would eat out. It was just difficult in the beginning when I didn't have the income for them. And I don't want the children to rely on them either."

"That I understand Rory, my mother taught me the same—Or said that they needed to clean the house and not cater to my whims."

"Perhaps you aren't as posh as I remember."

"When have I ever been posh?" Aurora didn't bother to hold back, she leaned over and gestured to the entirety of him.

"Merlin love, how much do you suppose your suit costs?"

"I know exactly how much my suit costs, but it's also dated. If I were posh then I would've bought another." Rabastan watched as his wife came over and planted a kiss to his cheek. "I don't mean to point fingers Raba, having to budget money surely brought the humility out in me."

"And prison brought me to the same humility, if not more...I do look forward to trying your fish and pasta dish." Rabastan suddenly realized that it meant a great deal as she flashed him a smile and returned back to the food.

It was an adorable sight, not that she was doing it all by hand. The clean up was by magic, or to summon a new plan or plate.

"Cooking turned into an outlet when I was with child, it distracted me...As well as give the children to do, since Cara and Rommy cannot dive in much further with potions. And Ronan cannot say no to brownies." The man was interested to know what truly went into cooking, especially if his wife took it as an interest.

The elves did set the table and bring all the food to it as Rory went off to search for the munchkins. "Gods and I thought it was difficult to find them before."

"Would you think they would go to the treehouse?"

"I sure hope not, because they were not allowed to go without telling one of us for permission." He had forgotten that rule, and he hoped that they hadn't pushed the boundaries that Rory had set into place. He truly did not to sentence them to a—

"What do you do when they don't follow the rules?"

"I usually take things, but Halsey will want that trip to the pet store so I doubt she'll be naughty. And as you saw this morning, Lori isn't always an angel...They're good children Raba, they have our morals more or less."

"I know you were very adamant about punishes, especially the way we were brought up. So what—"

"I don't hit our children if that's what you're referring to."

"Gods no! No, you haven't hit me when I've wronged you so many times. I simply mean to ask what to do if they misbehave." Aurora settled down as she breathed fluently in an inhale and exhale.

"Time outs, chores, homework...I give them an assignment I know they won't favor. It's difficult sometimes because they'll fall in love with any damn topic I give them." Rabastan chuckled, but followed his wife as she went upstairs—Though she stopped abruptly.

"Breakfast! Come or it'll get cold!" She cheered, and he hadn't thought it would work. But soon enough the children came hurrying out of their rooms, and he smirked to see that she was doing a headcount.

"Imara, where is Romulus?" The young girl looked about the small crowd and she shrugged, causing her mother to roll her eyes. "Honest! I haven't seen him this morning."

"Alright, go start eating lovelies...I'll go find—"

"No, I will. You need to eat as well Rory." She perked her lips, but it was Lorelei who teamed up with her father who wanted her to cut her pieces up.

"I usually send a patronus...But he does like to sleep in." Rabastan actually had a few assumptions as to where his eldest son was. First he checked the bedroom, which had been halfway unpacked as well as a remade bed. So he turned back towards Aurora's study but it had been another failed attempt.

Perhaps he was where they talked last night?

Rabastan took another chance before he would need to send a patronus, but he smiled in victory as he knocked on the door to alert his son. "Your mother's cooked breakfast, though I still have to get used to your mum actually cooking."

"Mum's cooking is great." The boy frowned at his father, but Rabastan chuckled.

"I'm jesting, your mum was too busy to cook when you were all younger."

"Mum cooks all the time, oh no... I'll be missing Thanksgiving this year!" Rabastan smiled down to his son's panic.

The boy was still a child, even if he was reserved—Perhaps he was like Regulus in that manor.

"I'm sure your mother would be delighted to send you some of your favorites...I do believe she requested a lovely walnut stuffing, though we don't celebrate thanksgiving here."

"No thanksgiving?... Is that why Britain isn't religious? Roe said that the Malfoy's don't pray before eating."

"Your mother introduced it all to me bit by bit, and she was very involved with her brothers in a phrase...I'm at amiss at what it was."

"'As within, so without. As above, so below...As the universe, so the soul...' Mum says that to us too." Rabastan was glad that she hadn't shielded the children from the likes of Regulus, he was surely a good lad.

"Do we have any relatives?"

"None that are alive, or that I have ever met...No. All are dead or—" He stopped himself short, having rightly forgot that he was talking to his knowledgeable son.

"Rodolphous?"

"That is my brother, he is the eldest...And I have a half-sister named Lydia, though I believe she is in France with distant relatives. I don't blame Rory for not taking up another child." Romulus turned to his father, not rightly seeing the wizard before him being a second son.

Romulus was Rodolphous, and Ronan was Rabastan.

"Did you fight with your brother?"

"Ah, well you see. Rodolphous was a little less than a decade older than I am. So by the time I started at Hogwarts he was already an Alumni. Is there something you want to talk about?" Romulus shook his head and rose up from his seat that he had comforted in, and hurried off into the hall.

"I've had plenty of spats with him, and I can name a dozen off the top of my head that your mother had with her siblings. It's alright if there's an argument, there are a lot of you." Romulus remained silent as he led his father down the steps to see that everyone was already eating, though Rabastan frowned to see that Aurora was picking at her food and focusing too much on Lori.

The conversation was light, and Rabastan enjoyed to hear Aurora share the Quidditch scores to the table. He started to categorize who favorited who's team.

Though he was almost certain that all the gals would team up for the Hollyhead Harpies.

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Date Posted: 03-25-2020

Time: 10:14

Words: 5900