✧THE PATH TO REDEMPTION✧

♕♕♕

◊━━━━━✥━━━━━◊

***

Aurora had no appetite to eat, nor did she have the energy to hear either her brother or father. They were either dead or too far away to solve the issue at hand.

To say that she had woken up on the wrong side of the bed in a slump, was an understatement. The children were cautious, tip-toeing but always managing to ask if she needed anything.

No, she needed to figure out a viable plan. To know how drastic she needed to make the decisions, especially now that they so heavily affected the children.

When night approached, the Lestrange family hadn't been so lucky into being left undisturbed. Rabastan had arrived, partially hungover and attempting to get drunk—His victories had been a beautiful gain.

But his losses were just about to strike, and as Aurora had discussed with the elves. She wanted to be notified the moment he stepped foot into the house, and evidently, her feelings had gotten in the way of her plans.

Anger had caused her to lose focus, especially when her body was pulsing with pain. Thus, she had summoned a trunk and started to throw the countless articles of clothing into the endless depths. She had run away pregnant and all the children barely considered toddlers, she could certainly do the same without her emotions getting the better of her.

But the tears had returned.

Rabastan had stumbled through the main foyer, disregarding all the words the elves were spewing. And had ordered a tall glass of whiskey, which was all on his mind, as well as spending some time with his wife.

But as he neared their bedroom, he was introduced to a furry of madness, dozens of clothes laid scattered around. "What in the bloody hell—" Aurora had turned to him, with tears straining down her face and the bare minimum of clothing on as the cloth pained the burns so very much.

She stood upright and look at him, nearly vomiting up her thought of words in seeing him. But she shook her head. "You promised..." Was how she regraded all that's happened between them, and she slashed down the jumper in hand.

"When will I learn your promises mean nothing!" She hissed, and Rabastan nearly stumbled backward. "Ror—"

"No. You cannot come into this manor drunk and disoriented after the shite you've managed. I knew there was more to your friendship with Lucius. I knew it, but I wanted to trust you, to break the pattern of my pinning the blame." She said, offering her scorched arm to him and Rabastan's attention had been redirected.

Guilt had sparked on his face, but it was all too late.

"I was in the tent, Rabastan. If Romulus hadn't returned I would've—"

"I placed spells and enchantments on the tent, I swear to the goddess—"
"Do not bring her into this. How dare you defile her name with such a lie. Nobody was in the tent beside me, and your magic had failed. If you were half as dedicated to this family then perhaps it would've worked. Perhaps we wouldn't have nearly lost Cara, after she and Romulus had been blamed for casting the Dark Mark." He had whispered her name again, and she sneered.

"It took all of six years...Six years of freedom and redemption to fall back to your old ways."

"Hold on, I have done nothing wro—"

"You've done everything! You've put our lives in danger, the children were at risk and I was unaware that you turned our friendly family vacation into your prime targeting. How could you let him manipulate you again? To start up a pointless—"

"It is not pointless, it's our duty to bring him back, Rory...Please, the Dark Lord will rise and once he wins, all will be well."

"But it's not! None at all! What happens when our lives are turned upside down? The Aurors are still convinced that my brother is here!"

"We are safe, we always will be, love. I will not let anything happen to you. My miscalculation will not happen again." Aurora had pulled over a dress and cloak and she stared at him. "No, it will not." She demanded, walking towards the door just to his side and opening it wide before turning over her shoulder.

"Be on the lookout for an owl, the faster we get this done the less painful it will be." Her voice had regrettably cracked, and that caught Rabastan's attention outright. She held her own grandly, so what could possibly cause her to break now?

"What are you—"

"I have given you chance after chance before you were arrested and after. This cannot go on, whatever happens when he returns, so be it. I've filed for divorce, and it would be best if you signed it and send it to—"

"Aurora...No, love this is not what I wanted." The panic had overtaken him. What would he be without his wife?
What would all this be worth if Aurora left him?

"You've given me no choice, I will not have your actions corrupt the children." She nodded with another set of tears streaming down her cheeks.

"It's your family's manor, I'll find another residence. Take care, Raba—" He had grabbed her as carefully as he could, his arms wrapping around her waist as his face suffocated in the back of her neck.

And the drunken man had begun to sob all that he was worth, much like a child would when they had angered a parent. She tried her best to ignore his pleas, yet she even admitted that his promises were her fault in accepting them.

"Don't make this more difficult, Raba."
"You're my wife, my love, the mother of our children."

"That wasn't enough for you to change a detrimental decision that placed a burden on us...Sleep, you're drunk." He couldn't ignore the word looming over his head, not when it was so fresh in his mind.

Divorce.

He had turned her around and pulled her into an endearing kiss, one that spoke all the words he wished but couldn't formate into a sentence. What would've swayed her before would do nothing to her now, while she wished she was immune to his charms, it didn't pose as much of a factor now.

"Goodnight, Rabastan." She offered with a final nod, leaving his hand misplaced in the air that had once head onto her cheek. His eyes had pleaded with her as he stuttered over his words and tried to follow her out.

Aurora had walked unevenly towards her study as she needed to take numerous documents at the moment and could pick up the rest another day.

Perhaps, in the end, Rabastan would realize his actions have consequences.

"Mummy? Where are you going?" Lorelei had questioned, and Aurora had wiped her tears and bent down. "I am going to stay the night elsewhere, I want you to be good for papa, alright? I'll be back in a bit and we'll finish your potions assignments together. It's—"

"Aurora!" Rabastan had caught up to her with ease and she quickly kissed her daughter's forehead and slipped into her study to lock the door. She could easily hear the conversation, on how Lori described the catastrophe that was their vacation—But it reigned hell when the young daughter spoke on how thankful she was that her father had gone unscathed.

Making Rabastan even guiltier than before.

The voices of Lori and Rabastan had called upon the rest of the children, especially since mother had promised that dinner would occur, even if they weren't hungry they needed to eat.

But Aurora would not be present.

"Mum!" Aurora had clutched her bag tighter in hearing Cara, so she turned and cupped her daughter's cheeks. "I have to get going love, I will owl in the morning. If anything happens, I'll be on the mirror." She offered but Cara had tackled her with a hug. "I don't want you to go, mum. Please! Please!" The rest of the children had stood in the hall now in question.

"Mother?" Romulus called out, "What is going on?" Aurora nodded and pulled Cara forward to discuss it first and foremost.
"You are all Lestrange heirs, I have no rights to take you from the family estate. You are your father's children." She resisted the law, and Romulus' eyes had darted between his mother than his father.

"You're not considering—"

"Yes. Unless your father gets his act together, that is up to him. The only chance I have to gain the rights to you lot is to take the Black name." She had wanted to explain that she had some hope that Rabastan would surprise her outright, but she explained that she was a mirror call away before kissing them each and heading off.

Romulus, who was outraged, turned back to his father with the same hatred and anger he rallied when he first heard of the Lestrange past.

"You'd rather cause chaos and destruction than have mum remain your wife? Was Azkaban too luxurious that you're missing it?" Romulus had taken the strides forward, but was interrupted by Ronan as he gripped him. "Rom, calm yourself."

"No. I'm past remaining calm. You left us to fend for ourselves, we're your children for goddess sakes! Where were your morals? Because that's what's ending your marriage!" Romulus hadn't been kind in explaining what was happening to everyone before them, he gripped Lori's hand to lead her off to the far side of the manor where the children regrouped.

Rabastan was left alone to wallow in his mistakes.

His children showed hatred that stabbed an even deeper wound into his core, and while he tried to draft a parcel to Aurora—It was worthless.

He knew exactly what she was talking about, in fixing his act. But when the mark burned on his forearm, he knew it was inevitable that the Dark Lord would return. Lucius said so himself. Yet now he was faced with the decision, would he be better off alone and in service to the Dark Lord, or remain an unfaithful servant with his family when the time truly came.

Aurora was correct, that he had suffered the consequences before—Perhaps he could still take the joy in having done the Quidditch tournament, and convince her that there was nothing more to be done on his end...

That once the others had played their part, that all will be well. But he was still convinced that Aurora was a follower of their ways, she was just at a standstill for getting the short end of the stick.

He was thankful that she was given a safe haven in America, as there would be no end to the guilt if Lorelei had been lost due to the mistreatment the inmates suffer in Azkaban.

They wouldn't think twice for a witch pleading that she is with child, and the Dementors would see it as the perfect target.

Across the ways, Aurora had appareneted to a street she had longed to forget. But her options were at a minimal as she hurried through the unfortunate overcast of this night and frowned as turned the corner.

Her stomach was caught up in a twist as she was elected entry to her parent's old estate—Her old estate.

Tears prickled in her eyes now, how she wished to conform into the arms of her father and let him handle all of this. For him to scare Rabastan shitless would be an honest blessing at this point. But alas, he was long buried and the mistakes were starting to pile further.

She whispered a blessing and continued down the street before thinking of a valent ally to call. "Kreacher." Was all she spoke, and instantly enough the elf had appeared with the same unfriendly expression on his face than prior.

"Good mistress return to Grimmauld place? Kreacher make kettle." She shook her head at the offer, but ordered him to start cleaning up bit by bit. Wondering if would be smart to have the manor as a backup if all else fails—Considering the protected charms were better than any curse breaker could manage.

And from what Narcissa had attempted, it wasn't worth it.

Funny how the house had opened for her, but Aurora had no desire to enter.

"I have no doubt I will need to return home in the future, Kreacher. It's best to return it back to living conditions."

"Of course Mistress, Kreacher live to serve the noble house of Black." She smiled and offered him a quick goodnight before retiring at a muggle hotel.

It was the easiest of places to retire, but almost instantly she was bombarded by calls that she decided to contact her brother first—All before settling down her children one at a time.

The fight wasn't upon them yet, but it would be soon if Rabastan couldn't get their act together.

◇──◇────◇────◇──◇

Date Posted: 11/27/2021

Time: 11:45

Words: 2176

Sounds like there's absolute chaos in the Lestrange manor, but hopefully things will work out in the end...Right?