✧MAKING AMENDS✧

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After two weeks of tiptoeing around one another, Aurora had come to Rabastan's office. Apparently, there was a lot to handle considering the injuries and damages to people's livelihood, it gave Rabastan something to work towards in righting his suppressive wrongdoings.

"Love, what's the matter?"

"Well, there's a bit of good news and a bit of strange news. Which would you like to hear first?" She asked, taking a sit on his desk and already gaining his full attention.

"Good news, after this load of work I've gone through. What's good to hear?"

"Hogwarts has sent out a parcel to parents about the Triwizard tournament...No, neither the twins are old enough. One needs to be 17 to enter." Rabastan bobbed his head.

"I wouldn't put it past either of the twins that if they wanted to enter, they would be able to." Aurora's eyes had widened and nodded. "You're right, best to owl them near the actual lottery date...Are you prepared for the strange news?"

He offered up his hand as he leaned back into his chair.

"Your sister is shadowing the headmistress of Beautroxious, so she will be at Hogwarts this year. Supervising younger years this entire year."

"Half-sister. And I haven't seen her since father's wedding."

"And that isn't her fault, she was a byproduct of a situation between your father and her mother. She's recently graduated, I should send her a gift." Rabastan had made a disagreeing noise, but he hadn't upped his voice much more than that.

"It wouldn't be too much to ask her to watch her nieces and nephews, would it?"
"She isn't anything to us, Aurora."

"You're wrong, she still has our name." Rabastan had slammed his hands to his desk and glared. "She isn't my sister nor is she a Lestrange."

"There's no reason to get angry, Rabastan. At this point, we're in short supply of siblings if you haven't noticed. What did you want to tell the children?"

"Suppose we cannot tell them to stay the hell away from her?" Aurora frowned and Rabastan mirrored it. "I'm sure if Orion had a mistress who came out of the blue with a child, then you'd feel the same."

"Wrong. Because I would never take my anger out on a child, my father? Yes. But considering who my mother is, I wouldn't blame him at that point." The two had shared a slight chuckle before the rendering of Aurora's doing to her own mother always caught him off guard.

"I'll owl her."

"If you do, I'll be proud...I'm not asking for you to invite her own for dinner. Just a small reach out, it'll mean the world to her." He bobbed his head and decided to draft it now with Aurora's help, and it would stop him from making another mistake.

Yet his actions had spoken louder than words, as Aurora had found her way back to her original seating—Right by his side.

It remained that way for the rest of the summer, even more so as the two spoke about what to do once the children realized that they too would be given the chance at attending a Yule Ball.

"It means they're not coming home this Holiday," Rory said with a saddened expression, and Rabastan—Who still felt ill knowing that his wife was so close yet so far away, leaned closer as their nightly routine consisted of reading in one another's company.

"Would you like to go to Norway?...Or how about America, Reginald's children enjoyed your company—Though, I cannot say that the fellow liked me very much." Aurora felt her heart fill up, it had been a while since she could make it to visit her brother for Christmas and so she smiled lightly.

"You wouldn't mind?" She asked, knowing that he didn't feel all that comfortable staying in the house that she formally shared with Aidan.

But Aidan was well in the past now, Aurora only spoke with him through parcels to not put her husband's ego at risk.

"Not at all, I believe we both could use a break from Britain." It earned him a wondrous smile, but not company in bed. Though she got into the habit of bringing him a cup of coffee in the morning, and that was certainly enough.

It was these small building blocks, and once the children returned back to Hogwarts, there would be no distractions into fixing that all have been misplaced.

The only downside to this, there would be no Quidditch matches this year for himself and Aurora to travel to see. And while the news of the tournament excited him, seeing the trunks starting to fill the foyer started to unnerve him.

Rory had tried to be supportive, but he always fell into this pattern when the children were scheduled for school, so in an instance to give him one less thing to worry about, Aurora stood outside the master bedroom and fiddled with her robe.

He had already issued her a goodnight, but she truly doubted he had fallen asleep already.

Upon slipping in without creaking the door too loudly, she had tiptoed towards her usual side of the bed. Only to catch that Rabastan had taken hold of her pillow.

"Rory?" He whispered, thick with sleep. So perhaps he did try to go to bed early. "I didn't mean to wake you..." She said with a soft tone, her hands brushing back his hair that lingered at his eyes.

"What is it—Is something wrong?" She shook her head, taking a seat on the edge, and stopped the small touching. "Nothing is wrong, I was just wondering...If you wanted some company tonight? You hardly spoke much at dinner."
He had instantly woken up from the offer of her joining him tonight. Aurora had bitten her lip in seeing him giving up his already warmed spot in bed. "I'm sorry that I woke you, usually I'm much quieter." She whispered in covering herself with the bedcover, which Rabastan was concerned of as well.

"No worries, turned into a light sleeper now that I haven't had you—No matter."

"Are you feeling alright?" Aurora asked, snuggling closer to his chest and noting that his heartbeat had picked up. "Never felt that great knowing that the children are leaving for the year...I get why mother was always a weeping mess."

"There's nothing wrong with being a weeping mess, perhaps we can visit Hogsmead and have a lunch together—Hopefully this semester isn't too stressful for them."
"Nah, I would've loved to have the Triwizard Tournaments in our time at Hogwarts."

"And my luck, we would've been of age and you would have been selected." Rabastan's grin had skyrocketed as he kissed her cheek. "You believe me worthy of being chosen for eternal glory?"

  "It would've been hilarious for you to try and ignore all the arse's since Beauxbatons would be participating."
"But Ilvermory attending?... You have a way with diplomacy."
"It was the coming together of two schools, it isn't often that they want to treck so far away from America."

"You mean that since one of the founders was basically neglected from any magical education that they would be a little wary of coming here." Rabastan grinned, as his wife was sure as protective of her Salem students as she was of her own children.

"Once a Salem graduate, always a Salem graduated, hmm?"

"I have to protect my roots, and since all the children have gone I'd say you're an honorary member. Did you owl your sister back?"
"Yes. They're settling a few things at their home schools before traveling, but she really isn't required to do much other than help her school's chosen campaign and wrangle those under her care. She's excited though, to come and visit where mother and father had attended." Rory's smile had risen once again as she curled into his hold and enjoyed the feeling of his beating heart and warmth.

"I'm glad the two of you are talking, perhaps in the given years the children can meet their aunt in a much easier setting."
"Not sure if Lydia wants to return to the manor that changed so much of her life...But I'll ask soon." The comfort silence had spread freely throughout the room.

"Is Blackwell going to be teaching at Hogwarts?"
"I don't think he can, his credentials don't reach Hogwarts standards. Though it should, but there's a rumor that the position has already been filled since Lupin resigned." Rabastan bobbed his head, while it would've been a good idea to send a professor to the school as well, in hopes to help an entire load of his own American students—His children as well, but he would be without them for a good portion of the year as well.

The night for the two Lestrange parents was long, and didn't allow for any peaceful rest. It wasn't that Rabastan's nightmares fully returned, but there were obvious refinance that he was adamant of falling fully asleep at times.

And Aurora couldn't possibly blame him, but come time for their alarm, neither of them had bothered to try and reset it. They dutifully made their way to the breakfast table and waited for the children to come down—Funny enough, it had been Lori who came down shortly after them.

Ready to start this semester strong, followed Romulus. Though Aurora wondered if he truly got a wink of sleep at all, not that she could say anything else.

The conversation was light, but the eldest son couldn't help but notice that there was something that his parents weren't sharing. And of course, had instantly gone to the status of their relationship and the looming threat of divorce.

If his mum hadn't divorced him during his time in prison, he doubted this would be the ending factor—But there was always a pushing line, and his mother was at her wit's end for sure.

Much like the following years, it took a few trips through the floo system in order to get a lot of trunks, quidditch gear, and pets. And Aurora didn't have the heart to tell the children that their quidditch year would be ultimately canceled.

Even when's peaking with the rest of their friends and their family, they seemed rather misplaced on this whole Triwizard tournament and all that it implies.

"Alright, I expect an owl every other week—We'll be sending allowance and Thanksgiving sweets in November. And I wouldn't mind just a friendly check-in here and there. Right, Rabastan?" He had been so focused on helping Lori with her cloak with a Slytherin clasp as he threw his head up.

"Yes, I wouldn't mind hearing how well your marks up are—Or how badshite your new Defense Against the Dark Arts professor is." Aurora swatted at him and hissed his name, and he held himself back. And it didn't bode well when Avery had come forth with a grin.

"Somethings never change, aye?" He questioned, coming forward to pat his friend's shoulder and kiss Aurora's cheek. "How're you doing, mum?" Knowing the existent of his friend's relation and how they react when the children go off.

"Good, great...Are you coming to the labs anytime soon?" He hummed and nicked his head over towards his wife, Amelia Avery nee Harper.

Aurora had taken a gaze to her old friend, not recalling the last time she had a conversation alone with the mother.

Even now, she was hurrying to get the three children ready to board the train. And after a few quick kisses between Wyatt, Maya, and Noah—They hurried to board.

"Mum, we have to get going." Avery had waved off to his own children while Aurora hurried to get her own rushed goodbyes out.

"Owl! Study! Play hard and no trouble! Have a good semester!" Aurora cupped and kissed each of her children's cheeks before staring up ahead to see that they made it alright.

At times she would try and follow where they would go and take a seat, but there were so many to keep count, that she decided to come forward to Harper and hook her arm.

It started the woman of course, but it was a silent agreement to accept the sudden company.

"I got your parcel, you know..." She whispered, and Rory turned to tilt her up in reaction. "And?"

  "Avery was away from our tent, Noah wanted to get a souvenir before they all closed and he claimed he was back at the tent. The children and I haven't said anything otherwise, can just say he was a bit drunk." Aurora sighed and shook her head.

"We're back right where we were."

"It's not that I didn't agree with you, we're back at their mercy. We're back to the same thing that drove you away from us...I'm at a loss at what to tell the children." With the sound of the train, either witch had pulled up a smile and started to wave as Rory turned closer.

"We tell them what we can now, but I feel it in my heart that all won't be well. Not for a long while."

"I have faith that you'll manage, you always do. You're more in the thick of it than any of us ever were." The sound of sobbing parents wishing their child well in their first year was heartwrenching, sure. But seeing the scattering of familiar faces was starting to give Aurora a heavy heart.

Who would fall victim to the rise of the Dark Lord?

Peering out the train's window, Romulus could see his mother speaking quietly with Mrs.Avery. It was for sure strange since they had a falling out when they escaped to America.

From what he could gather from that—Their friendship never recovered fully. Not to the extent to Clemintine of Evelyn at that.

That would be his first owl home, to make sure that father wasn't being a raging arse.

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Date Posted: 01/01/2022

Time: 8:49

Words: 2354