✧THE PROPER START OF TERM✧

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"Better be...Slytherin!"

Romulus couldn't have been all that displeased, if anything he was happy for his brother to have a sibling in their house to look after. And better yet, he knew father would be ecstatic as well.

So when he caught Ronan's shocked expression, he called him with a small whisper and motioned for him to stand up. The second son had recalled what Romulus had done when Cara had been called as Ravenclaw, and so he stepped over the bench he'd been sitting on and gave Lori the brightest smile of that very day. His little sister swelled with pride as she joined him, and he offered up what had been his seat—Though he knew it'd make her feel much better in sitting between either himself and Draco than a stranger.

"Decided to ditch the birds Lori?" Their cousin offered and she nodded, rather brightly at that and Ronan could only pull her close. "Proud of you."
"You don't think mum will be angry, will you."
"Not at all, no pouting now. Slytherin and proud." He said, offering his fist under the table to bump and she followed in pursuit.

"Welcome, welcome! To another year at Hogwarts." Dumbledore said, clearing his throat to address the crowd of readily hungry students, and he hadn't been oblivious to that notion either. "Now, I'd like to say a few words... before we all become too befuddled by our excellent feast—First, I'm pleased to welcome Professor R.J. Lupin, who's kindly consented to fill the post of Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher." There had been a round of applause and the fellow up at the head of the room had risen to bow slightly. Though Romulus had grinned, of course he'd know to give him chocolate for the Dementor's kiss.
He was knowledgeable in the realm of dark creatures for goodness sakes.

Though none of the Lestrange children didn't miss up the small 'good luck' Dumbledore had added at the end.

"Potter, is it true you fainted? I mean you actually fainted." Draco cheered, and Lori found herself laughing along or had until Ronan frowned.
"Not funny mate, Rom had it too." Course the Gryffindors hadn't heard that, but in turning back to their headmaster's voice—There'd been a warning.

"Finally, on a more disquieting note... at the request of the Ministry of Magic... Hogwarts will, until further notice, play host to the dementors of Azkaban... until such a time as Sirius Black is captured. The dementors will be stationed at every entrance to the grounds." Romulus rolled his eyes, his elbow connecting straight to the table for his chin to rest. Usually he held more respect for his elders, but frankly, all he wanted was to rest.

"Now whilst I've been assured that their presence will not disrupt our day-to-day activities, a word of caution. Dementors are vicious creatures. They'll not distinguish between the one they hunt and the one who gets in their way. Therefore, I must warn each and every one of you... to give them no reason to harm you. It is not in the nature of a dementor to be forgiving." Imara sucked in a breath, knowing that Madam Lestrange wouldn't let this go with the Ministry nor Dumbledore.

It was just a matter of time.

"But you know, happiness can be found... even in the darkest of times... if one only remembers to turn on the light." The old cook dwelled, and sure Romulus saw how it resonated with Luna and Cara—And sure it would've passed well if he was a poet, not a headmaster.

"No offense professor, but that would've been a nice mention before I boarded the damn train," Romulus said, much too loudly. And thus, a roar of laughter had erupted and it had defiantly been echoed by the red-headed twins.
It wasn't often that the Lestrange would make a joke.

It hadn't taken Dumbledore long to spot the voice within the crowd of snickers and cheers, but Romulus had shrugged his shoulder towards the headmaster.

Was it too early to be done with the school year already?

*

Just like the Lestrange children predicted, Aurora had done her best to secure her complaint to the Ministry—Course it aided that Romulus was underage and injured, but to boost it one step further. Being attacked by a Dementor when promised it would be safe was another strike against the minister for allowing this.

Romulus had received a hundred points to Ravenclaw while Cara had received fifty, both showing a talented effort in producing something as complex as a patronus that even grown wizards weren't always able to do.

Besides that, Lori having been sorted into Slytherin had been the blessing that the family needed. Rabastan didn't hold back in supplying her with everything from hats to gloves. Claiming that green was a much better fit than blue on her, and her agreeing only fueled his happiness.

"You'd think father wouldn't be obvious with his favorites." Cara whispered to Romulus, they're usual schedule allowed them to take their shared study hall in the potion's lab. Snape was very familiar with their work habits, and he rarely needed to be present for their experiments anymore.

The two future potion masters would always leave a description of their work and ever so often when he would observe, the conversation was phenomenal. Cara loved the challenge and Severus could see that outright.

"It's nothing personal, Slytherin's are proud of their own." Romulus challenged, and that Cara sighed into her books. "And what are Ravenclaws to one another?"

"Well, let's see...We transcend into madness together."
"Oh shove off, you promised to help me with my Divination assignments." He chuckled along, they were evidently walking off towards the tower where professor Trelawney was set up.

"You'll love the classroom itself, sure you'll design your bedroom at home like it this summer. Now ease up, just bullshite bits and pieces and you'll survive. It's just for the year." The eldest explained, and the laughter off behind either Cara or himself caused a smile.

"Imara said it's a load of bullshite. So I guess the way to combat that is to formulate the same?" Romulus nodded to his brother and greeted the rest of the Slytherin click. After a quick reminder of where to meet for break, the third years had followed up and around the long staircase and found their seats on the cushions lingering around.

Cara smiled all around, it was downright beautiful, it was only the smell that truly caused Ronan to choke. Otherwise he wouldn't have mind.

"Welcome, my children. In this room, you shall explore the mysterious art of Divination. In this room, you shall discover if you possess...The sight!" Ronan sucked in a breath and rolled his eyes off towards Draco.

"Mysterious art my arse." He hissed off to Ronan's table and Cara swatted the air to shush her cousin.

"...Hello! I am Professor Trelawney. Together, we shall cast ourselves into the future. But know this. One either has the Gift or not. It cannot be divined from the pages of a book. Books only cloud one's inner eye." The young Ravenclaw frowned with the rest of her friends off behind her, both Vivian and Sage had looked misplaced.

Leaving her to assume that it was more spontaneous results than cold hard facts.

"What rubbish." Hermione called out under her breath, but the Gryffindor conversation hadn't paused the introduction. However with the offer of reading tea leaves and palmistry, Cara truly found herself in hell.

It'd been the first class she couldn't find herself even bothering with now.

After Neville had already broken one cup that Trelawney had offered the students and their clubs of wet tea leaves at the bottom of the cups. They offered it up to the person on their table as they wrote down their observations.

"What are you seeing in mine?"
"Well I can't really tell, this one looks like a rather dark cloud—A storm perhaps, so I wrote a bit about that. And then a feather?" He offered up the one he was analyzing and thus, the two had seen the very same feather.

"Odd."

"More than odd. You've got a feather and some sort of creature, though perhaps that's the demeanor from the train. Better bullshite that bit, get some pitty points hopefully."
"Knock it off, mum only said we need a passing grade." The two snickered about while Draco had leaned his over as well, Cara didn't want to admit to anything.

But it was strange to see the same feather that conjured up in theirs wound up in Draco's own cup as well.

"Ahh!" The shock of Professor Trelawney had sounded more masculine than feminine and caused one of the student on the other side to question her. Yet Trelawney's eyes were more set on Harry than anyone else. A mixture of pity and fear mixed in between she neared closer.

"My dear boy...You have the Grim." She said as though she had made a sensible announcement. With the question ringing throughout the class, it was Cara who found it in the textbook first.

"'The Grim...'" She spoke up, leaving everyone to turn to her in a moment of curiosity. "'Taking the form of a giant spectral dog, it is among the darkest omens in our world. It's is an omen...of death.' Oh for goddess sake Harry, it's the first week!" She called out, knowing full well that the Gryffindor had a difficult two years prior, having been one of the few that didn't alienate him after the entire Hogwarts population had pinned him as the Heir of Slytherin, mainly because her father had damned the entire state of Hogwarts that a descendent of Salzar Slytherin would never be sorted into Gryffindor.

Yet it only posed stranger when Harry admitted that he could speak to snakes and was almost sorted into Slytherin.

Cara looked off towards her brother and the bloke rolled his eyes again, knowing that Romulus was going to have a nightmare hearing that sort of omen.

*

"Bet this bloke is gonna get sacked long before the semester is over."

"Bet what? You're broke!" The red-headed twins cheered one another, and Imara snickered as she rolled her eyes to the back of her head.

"You'd think since Professor Lupin is a Gryffindor you'd be much more kinder." She issued, showing that either of them didn't know that aspect.

"He's the one who helped Rom, right?" Fred questioned and Imara nodded.
"Well, Cara and Rom handled themselves, wish I could've helped. I've never seen a Dementor, just when they left out the side."
"You want to see one? Are you deranged?" She shrugged her shoulders and caught sight of her brother already in class writing fiercely in his seat.

"They're meant to be scary." She offered up, taking her usual seat upfront with her brother. Otherwise he'd sit alone as nobody wanted front seat.

"What is?"
 "Dementors."
"I'd say they're much more than just scary." He claimed with a frown, offering up his half baked parcel to their parents. Leaving Imara to suck in another breath.

"When'd this come?"
"McGonagall handed it to me, have to send this after class or else mum's bound to come." The Weasleys laughed behind the Lestranges and said it'd be a new record right behind their parents Howler to Ron.

"Mum would just leave us in the tree and have us figure it out on our own. Thing is, she didn't expect it from Ron." George teased and Romulus hummed while trying to continue with the letter.

"Could I ask one of you for some help, might be an incentive of house points in the mix." The three others had looked straight towards Romulus and he glared at them.
"Could you finish this? Add whatever, better to calm her down. Or better yet, write one to father too." Romulus mumbled before following off towards Professor Lupin to his office.

"What did you need help with Professor?"
"Oh nothing really, I wanted to know how you feel after what happened on the trail. I apologize, I hadn't done so before. It's my first time teaching." Romulus offered a kind smile and nodded.

"The chocolate did help, don't mind my sister. If it were up to her, she'd hold experiments outright."
"Well in that sense, Professor Remus Lupin. My manners escaped me on the train."

Oh shite.
Wasn't this mum's old friend?

"Er...Romulus Lestrange." His eyes widened and Romulus started to itch the back of his next.
"O-oh really? I should've known that I'd run into Rory's children eventually." It sounded much more of a thought that should've remained and Romulus let out an unsure chuckle.

"Outside of Hogwarts you mean? As I recall, mum hasn't heard from you for a long time...No worries, I don't know a thing more. Just enough to know why I'm named as your twin." That certainly caused Remus to smile as well.

"I did hear your sister's sorting, I bet your father's proud."
"You know my father?" And that earned an instant shake of the head.
"Not entirely no, but I was the same year as your mother and the rest." That caused Romulus' lips to part, it made sense.

Moony, Wormtail, Padfoot and Prongs.

The map!

And yet Remus had done his own evaluation of the lad, seeing how so very similar to his blood Uncle. Only this time he seemed to be sporting everything that Aurora done in her youth, Ravenclaw blue and a freshly polished prefect badge to tie it all together.

"Has Dumbledore spoken to you yet?" The professor question and Romulus shook his head.
"No, he's probably more worried about Potter than an escapist's nephew and nieces. It's alright professor." That hadn't been what he had expected, but the Gryffindor sense of unity only involved themselves and not the others in the school or alumni from other houses would be bothered with that type of protection.

"Well yes...He is who Black is after." Lupin reminded and Romulus hummed in agreement.
"I can promise you, professor, I've been informed all summer about to be cautious. The only issue is I'm meant to watch Potter as well, course that's a bit difficult when I look the way I do." Remus wanted to ignore it, he truly did. Yet he was surprised he missed it the first time.

Had it been that long that he'd almost forgot what Sirius looked like?

"That's not something you can control, Mr. Lestrange."
"No I suppose not, maybe I'll dye my hair for the semester." He teased, turning his head to see that his other classmates were making their way in.
"I don't recommend angering your mother, from what I can recall. She has a slight temper when someone makes trouble." Romulus' only replay had been to shift his hair into his mother's beautiful grey.

"Good luck this year professor, whatever the curse is on this position, mind or matter." It left Lupin with a smile growing on his face, whyever he was worried that Black's mini would be as devious as Padfoot, he was clearly wrong.

No, it was much worse, because Romulus no doubt inherited his mother's brilliants.
And while he had been shocked by an extra Lestrange, he knew of four.

Yes, it was safe to say he'd be fucked this year or worse.

While Romulus had taken the entire class to study his new DADA Professor, and by the end of the class, the itch had formulated an answer.

Remus John Lupin is a Werewolf.

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Date Posted: 01-23-2021

Time: 11:19

Words: 2707

Lorelei is an adorable Slytherin🤗💚
Romulus and Ronan are sassy boys😂
Cara and Luna's friendship✨💕I can't wait
A N D
Imara and the twins are up to no good✨😉

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To keep updates going, I'll be trying to post a chapter a week rotating between Immer Ende and Immer Wasie.
This semester is going to be the death of me, so I'm apologizing in advance if I'm a day or two late with updates!

Hope everyone is staying happy and healthy!