✧SANCTUARY AND OLD FRIENDS✧

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 Aurora hadn't slept all that much after waking up, but she warned Regulus that perhaps it's best that the children don't see her—In other words, she didn't want to see the children.

Elizabeth understood, and spoke to Regulus in terms of the children acting as a reminder of what she's lost. In good interest of regaining herself, it's best to focus on healing before trying to heal others.

He truly needed Elizabeth's wise words, but it was a little strange having walked down this road into town with his sister in arm...The wizard dreamed of it, but the costs were enormous. Sure he's lost some mates, but Rory lost close to everything.

The Potters were dead, and he knew Aurora wanted to aid their son but couldn't. Not when her husband and siblings were out for blood.

She was borrowing a dress from Elizabeth that was more muggle than witch, and while Regulus continued to point out a few shops and options all around the town, she continued to deny.

"Elizabeth isn't paying for anything anymore. We need to save what we have."
"What do you mean? She won't accept rent or—" Aurora shrugged and continued to look around.

"I was thinking that building the apartment bigger would be the best option."
"And a potion shack out in the woods? Come on Rory, just rest for a bit before trying to fix everything at once." She turned to her brother, no longer resting against his arm in suggestion.

"You're leaving soon Reg, it's—"
"Aurora?" Regulus turned ridged, looking back to a wizard in full judgment and damnation. His sister was not in the mood to have more reunions, and so he stood before her and this newcomer.

"Mr.Proctor, it's not really the best time for me to—"
"I...I was just on my way to the potions pantry, perhaps you would like to—"

"She said it wasn't the best time, mate." Aidan had narrowed his brow to the fellow and smirked.

"Mr.Blackwell, always a pleasure."

"Likewise, now if you'd excuse us..." Aurora looked sadly off to Aiden and he caught that, causing him to grip Regulus by the shoulder.

"No, Aiden I'll owl you...Right now really isn't a good time." Reg watched the bloke look at his sister to make sure she wasn't lying, causing him to narrow his brow.

He didn't like Mr.Proctor at all, in any sense. But he was one of the friends Rory had made when she was enrolled in Salem.

"I look forward to it. Reginald."
"Aiden." Aurora looked at either man, and when Proctor was off and away she slapped her brother in the shoulder. "I don't recall that being in any updates."

"That wanker? Course not, we're mortal enemies." She laughed, throwing her head back and everything.

"He's a sweet—"
"Absolutely bloody not. Vial." Aurora rolled her eyes, perhaps it had something to do with the fact that Phoebe mentioned that he had a small fancyment to Rory that really rallied Regulus up.

"Have you been getting into trouble Reggie?" His nose scrunched up, after all the torment over the years between her, his father and Rabastan on a certain someone saying that nickname.

He finally realized why Rabastan handled Raba from Aurora, because it was sweet. "That's a reserved name."
"Nope, I founded it, it's mine." He had little doubt in that, but she smirked even wider.

"I think Andy was holding me up over your cot and I shouted to Sirius. We were so excited for a brother..." Regulus watched a smile erupt on his sister's face, so he sighed allowed and mumbled a string of curses before allowing her to do so.

"Is the owl post still the same?"
"Er, think so...Usually I just use the Halliwell's—Ah, that for Otto then?" She explained that she promised to send him news when she was settled, and to be completely honest...She would forget if she didn't complete the task today.

"He saved me Reg, if he wasn't at the ministry at the time...I cannot allow myself to think further than that courtroom."
"Then don't. Remember your comfy bed back in the apartment, remember your little munchkins waiting for you and the promises of sweets that we still need to pick up." Aurora blinked for a moment, and a slow smile began to form as she recalled the times herself and Liz hurried with their coins and managed to buy a ridiculous amount.

"It's strange being here..."
"But you made it safe and sound. What's the strange part?" She smiled at her brother attempting to talk to her as though he knew what to say and rally any depressing thoughts from her head, but she shrugged.

"Suppose it's odd being married with children, and being here where I was my happiest." Regulus didn't know if he should smile or frown at her honesty, but it was too late as the store clerk had managed to find his way into a conversation and downright gasped at taking in her appearance.

"Aurora! By goddess has it really been that long?" She offered a short smile and an embrace to see the elder wizard babble on about all that she missed in the years of her absence.

"Thought you two were related, what are you to our Aurora?"
"Cousin sir, I should've told you prior...This one requested dozens of your sweets when she was with child." Rory hadn't a chance to glare at her brother as she saw the man rush around to collect all the best sweets.

She wouldn't leave until he took the payment for what she was leaving with, and even then it was difficult to leave as he wanted to know all about her.

And bless Regulus as he said that they had an appointment to catch up to.

"Why do I have the feeling you're famous here without having created the cure for—"

"Let me live in silence before I dive back into that world...I want the children to settled first, and myself, and-...what?" Regulus had been caught in a smile, he had almost given up the trip into town when she hadn't said more than a few words between him or what about anything.

It was making him uncomfortable, especially since his Ravenclaw sibling had lost the ability to talk about anything.

He would take her rambling about some muggle phenomenon rather than her being silent. Silent Aurora was a brooding mess, but when they passed a sanctuary she smiled, looking down to her right hand at the promise she made in that building.

"Phoebe says there's always a high priestess or priest if you want to go in...Maybe it'll do you some good." Perhaps she needed to display her sins, to mediate in a confined space and release her demons.

While the siblings had gone into the sacred haven for all those in favor of the old practice, there was another issue back over at the apartment.

Phoebe was off making lunch in the kitchen while the kids found themselves out in the garden running around with the mutts. Yet it was Romulus who decided to stay indoors, waiting for mummy to return and giving Omen the attention she wanted.

"Sweetie, why don't you go outside with your brother and sisters?" He looked towards Phoebe and then back to the front door before shaking his head.

"I want to wait for mummy."
"Mummy's coming back soon darling, she has to come home for lunch doesn't she?" It aided the eldest son to feel better, but he remained with the small book in his hands.

Since they hadn't been able to enroll him and his sister into the program yet, they were entertained with the given books from Anton and Alex. Anton was only a little older than him by a few months. Then Alex was stuck in the middle of Ronan and the twins.

"How about we play a game? Or draw?" Bending down did the boy almost recoil, it wasn't that he was shy. But the worriment on his face wasn't meant for an almost-four-year-old boy.

"I'm okay." He whispered, curling on the couch more and away from Phoebe. Not in a sense of being scared, but the boy wanted to be left by himself.

So she gave him a small kiss to his forehead and continued off back to the kitchen, however it didn't bother him all that much when she shouted she needed to check on the rest of them outside.

He thought that staying inside would give Uncle John a break on the amount of heads to watch out for.

But with Phoebe outside, Romulus placed his book down and dropped down to his feet and marched himself up to his grandfather's portrait.

"Opa?" He questioned, and it took a few seconds for Orion to surcome back to the present time, and in getting there he blinked almost confusingly to his grandson."Opa?" 

"Hello Romulus, is everything alright?" He questioned, it wasn't often that he would get the chance to talk to his grandchildren, especially one on one like right now.

"Mummy went out with Uncle Reggie."
"She'll be back soon son, where are your sisters and Ronan?" The boy frowned and sat down on the floor in front of the man with his knees risen up.

"Outside, they're playing with Anton and Alex."
"And you're inside by yourself? Whatever for?" He looked back onto the couch to Omen and the book he had been reading through and then back to Opa.

"Opa, papa isn't coming back...Is he?" The young lad couldn't read shock as well as his mother could, but the silence was enough. "How did you come to hear of—"

"Mummy said he's not coming back, so is Mummy coming back? Or is she going with papa?" The young child had been on the verge of tears, but the only force Orion could manage is exactly what he did when little Cassi acted like this when she was a child.

"Come now son, it isn't the time for tears. What did your father tell you when it came to mummy? To watch out for her and for your siblings. Isn't that right?" He nodded, rubbing his eyes as he tried to recall what his father did exactly say.

"Your mother is going to be busy Romulus, and she won't have all the time that she had before to watch you and your siblings. As the eldest you need to take responsibilities, both you and Halsey." A rush of motivation and pride relished through the young heir and he looked up to her grandfather and decided all of two things.

He hates his father and he has to help mummy.

"I'm going to help uncle John, Cara and Paige are always getting into trouble." He spoke, and it earned him a proud smirk. "That a boy Romulus, your mother will need this strength. You take care of her, yes?" A toothy grin relished as he bid his Opa goodbye before rushing to the front door on a hunt for Cara.

Phoebe had been rightly confused when returning into the apartment once again and had to do a double-take at seeing the lack of Romulus in his previous place.

Spinning around in a panic did she shout his name, only being left with no response.

"Easy does it now Ms.Halliwell, he went to check on Cara and...Paige was it?"

"Y-yes...Paige is my niece." Another knowing smile plastered on his face as he saw the care in her eyes already for his grandchildren.

Aurora and Regulus had returned as lunch was starting, with spring on the horizon Elizabeth brought out the large picnic table, and with the help of the elves did they find themselves with more than enough food. While the adults were scattered for the likes of the children, though the youngest were perched up on their mum's lap.

Cara smiled directly down to Romulus. "Mummy, Rommy read me book today." She cheered, and Aurora turned to give her eldest son and angelic smile with a proud kiss on his forehead.

One that he wore with pride.

"Thank you Rommy, tonight I'll read a book yeah?" He didn't agree right away as he was helping Cara again and fed her.
Regulus had to watch his sister carefully, although he was familiar with the religion that mostly everyone at the table favored—Barely familiar it'd seem, as when Aurora returned from the sanctuary, she was in a high state.

Which had Phoebe laugh and explain what the priestess had done, not his sister sudden turning to an herb to get high. But it did cause Elizabeth and John laugh at his brotherly defense to what his sister was doing.

It was one of the first times the kiddos had seen their mummy, or see her this interactive with a conversation. Little did she know what she had discussed just before she arrived, it was all she could do, pray for forgiveness and then receive it within minutes?

The amount of kindness and warmth she felt finally reconnected, it wasn't that she hadn't prayed while at home. It was simply deeply rooted here, it was more accepted. So much so that she found that she would join for weekly prayer groups and hopefully bring back the spirit in her considering there's a massive hole in her chest.

That night Romulus had snuck out of his bed with Halsey to join his mummy, and she was well cuddled within the pillows with Omen and Nymeria on the covers. The Dire wolf aided the eldest son to join them in bed, and once he fiddled with the sheets to get under, he smiled against his mum.

His father he could live without, he couldn't rightly remember the last time he had seen the man...But it didn't matter, he wasn't returning.

And Romulus was going hold to the promise to his Opa.

*

The weeks following were the most difficult to live through, the normality the Halliwell family had been given was suddenly added to the given five new members and three animals within the apartment.

Which pushed a new manor being built within the second week. Aurora had fought with Elizabeth and won it, much to Regulus' shock considering he's been trying to do the same throughout his stay.

But then again, Rory did always know how to persuade someone. Hell he was persuaded to run away to America under her directive.

So the costs were under the Black and Lestrange name, which had been a terrible mistake as it caught the attention of others. Especially when the Ministry had caught wind of the situation and had all the Lestrange children head to the capital and receive proper documentary.

Regulus was stressed the entirety of those three days when they had stayed in the penthouse while in new york.

And the look of pure satisfaction was beaming off her face after returning from the big apple. There was no stopping amount of offers coming to the house, but it was the same copied answer from the last dozen she had responded to.

She wasn't joining the American potion world yet.

And especially not when she doesn't have her potions license here, and that required a test—or she thought she did until she went to the ministry for the said exam only to leave with another job offer and a temporary license to get her lab started.

It wasn't until the end of the second month that there was a schedule throughout the day and week. It involved daycare and preschool. Where the house was lacking any children except Cara and Paige, but that allowed the mothers to enjoy a quiet afternoon.

However it was one parcel that she had been so hopeful to open, and then turned into an agonizing groan when falling back onto the couch.

"Love? Is everything—What's with you?" Regulus found his sister laying on the couch and a letter on her chest, crumpling the said conversation which was most likely causing her to groan.

"Yes love, everything's perfect." She teased back, and now he grumbled his own teasing before shouting that he was putting a kettle on.

"So, what's the issue?"
"An old friend wants to meet up." Regulus narrowed his brows in confusion, his arms crossed and leaning against the wall didn't pose as helpful as he was planning.

"And that's an issue?"
"I feel a bit guilty in losing connection with them, with all of them. Before I made the American escape plan, I doubt I sent more than a few owls a year to Liz." Reg sat beside her now as she made room, soon he'd get the apartment back to himself and Phoebe.

And he was slightly apprehensive of it, but Aurora fought tooth and nail. Three families deserved three houses.

"That's nothing to feel guilty about, did they owl?" She responded immediately with yes, and strained Regulus to ask who she received mail from as he had a suspicion.

"Let me guess. Mr.Proctor has made an arrangement at the best restaurant in Salem to take you to."
"Aiden wants to get coffee." He laughed, and there was nothing more Aurora could do but watch her brother throw his head back and laugh.

"If that bloke bloody thinks he could win you over with coffee and—"
"Why would he have to win me over? I'm married with children." He scoffed.

"Sure that won't stop him."

"And what is possibly wrong with Aiden?" Regulus turned a side-eye and crossed over his arms.

"Your choice of men is astounding Rory, just brilliant." He hadn't meant for her to cry, he really didn't. But she threw that parchment and rose up without a word to her brother, and no explanation before the door slamming.

"Shite."
"Indeed. I take it that could've gone much better. When have you turned so heartless son?" Regulus' face fell, if his father was the one to tell him that he was being heartless, then it must be true.

"Father I didn't mean it as an insult, I meant it as she trusts too easily."
"From my understanding, she's known Aiden—Mr.Proctor, longer than you. Is she not allowed to have friends? To enjoy herself? Honestly son, I've fought your mother on this time and time again, but Cassiopeia isn't just a mother." Anger relished into his veins at the idea of a scolding, and so the son did the one thing he thought could make this situation better.

But it made it worse.

He told his father what happened to their mother.

"Did she really?" It was unbelievable sure, but Orion had looked so torn at the idea of his little light doing something so dark that his shoulders slumped and remained silent.

"Yes. So am I the heartless one father? I didn't kill our mother."

"And you haven't been on the receiving end on your mother's anger, Romulus and Halsey have been threatened before they were born. Walburga had thrown her own words just after Cassi had gotten the numbers for her potion sales there she was, once again, putting herself where she wasn't invited or needed. I didn't wish for Cassi to darken her soul on the account of her mother." It was the most he had heard his father speak, and of course it was a scolding.

But out of everything Rory was facing, guilt over their mother was beyond the last on the list.

In realizing this, it caused him to tug at his long locks. And to make matters worse, the heartburn he had gotten at the start of this semester caused him to kneed at his chest.

"Son, are you alright?"

"Maybe I'm feeling her agony with my being an arse." Orion stayed silent, but it was the same as agreeing to this madness.

However it was an odd departure, as Regulus hadn't made it all that far in seeing Aurora's Patronus dancing around her. Why had she summoned it?

"Do you feel it too?" She whispered out, not daring to turn to her brother. Especially if she felt any more anger, then Salem would be locked from her again.

"Feel what?" He responded, coming closer but he too watched her padding her heart down as well.

"He's getting his soul sucked." Regulus couldn't understand how he would be getting Rabastan's punishment as well, but Phoebe only diagnosed this as an outlet of stress.

"So I'm getting hurt from the bastard now too? I thought Liz silenced it?" Aurora shook her head, bending down to reach out for Salem, who responded rightfully so.

"Sirius is innocent Reg." Regulus suddenly felt the truth of his ignorance, he placed it as stress but it was his brother being damned by dementors.

Aurora had smiled at Salem and nodded. "Go to him." The Leopard had pounced forward and into the air above, it hadn't taken all that long to reach its destination.

For Sirius it had been a blessing, the beautiful blue hues had taunted off the Dementors as Salem stomped her paws forward and let out a muted roar to get rid of the two the guards who had been ordered upon him.

A sob hadn't meant to come out, but it was far too late to retract it as his cell's neighbors had grinned at the misfortune of the Gryffindor.

Rabastan smirked, though he wasn't so fortunate the past few days either. The Dementors loved to feed off of Rabastan, as it seemed he had the most positivity in his life. Whether it involved his wife or children, no longer was Bella or his brother feasted upon.

They had lost their sanity ages ago.

There wasn't a moment that passed, where his thoughts weren't to Rory or the babes...It usually ends with looming thoughts of escape, or if she would keep up her promise to come storming Azkaban, nipping him by the ear to drag him out.

But days had passed and Rabastan reluctantly realized that it was just a daydream. Until he thought about what she was doing now, now with the Lestrange fortune out of her reach.

He wasn't religious, but he prayed that she would figure it out.

She had to. This is Aurora, she had plans A through Z.

Sirius however, relished in the pureness of his sister. Knowing that Rabastan was nearby, and so he shook his head. "Be careful sister, he's right next door." Salem turned her gaze through the wall, almost tilting her head. But then she looked back to his sunken expression, Aurora wasn't getting this sense because the figure of her patronus couldn't communicate back and forth.

But three words whispered out, a tortured soul of Sirius Black had clenched further. Almost relinquishing all that he had felt these past few months.

"I believe you." Aurora always knew what to say, how to say it. And as his hands caressed the last remaining light of Salem he kept his eyes wide as he knew his sister couldn't manage this all the time.

Even now, lasting as long as she had was all he needed.

She believes me.

But there was no evidence to prove his innocence, he killed Peter. The Potters were dead—Harry!

"Do you have Harry? Is he safe? Is he—" The departure of Salem had been abrupt and without any warning. But he caught himself in haste, any louder someone would be able to hear.

Instead he fixed his position against the wall, the shredded cloth that was around his shoulders had slid off. Tugging it back into place did he find a glint of happiness, he heard when Lestrange had come in with his brother and Bellatrix.

Oh what a day it had been to hear Rabastan gut filled apology, but to Aurora.
Not to the people he tortured, not the crimes he committed.

"Ya hear her screamin', got a voice on her. Which ones hers?" Sirius' ear perked to the echoing and decided that this was as much of entertainment he could get.

"That one 'ere, hear that mate? Ya witch couldn't handle nothin'." It caught the attention of the four closest to Aurora, and Rabastan scowled to the guard.

"Put up a good fight downstairs she did. Wasn't 'nough to stop what was comin' to her." Sirius withheld his own fist to the wall as Rabastan had caught him first, however he managed to rise up to his feet was beside him. But he damned him for making commotion or arguing with those who fed them.

His swears echoed, of course Bellatrix had cackled at the idea of these half-bloods finally touching something of value.

But it had thrown Rabastan for the loop to get that response, and Sirius had smirked while glaring across the ways to see him attempt to curse and swear of torture.

"Give it a rest." He growled, his body shifting to turn away from his brother in law. Only to gain the next attack. And whilst hearing a repeated monolog for the hundredth plus time on being a failure to a Black name, he simply turned over to his in-laws and smiled with a rising grin.

"You know Lestrange, for all the shite you've given me for leaving Rory...Who left her now?" 

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Date Posted: 12-27-19

Time: 9:55

Words: 4303

Had an awful day, but at least I can come here to write and edit to get away from all the bullshit drama.
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I'll be posting chapters Monday's and Fridays,
be on the lookout:)