✧FROSTED WINDOWS✧

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"It's Sirius Black!" Aurora hardly had a moment to blink or properly react—It all happened so quickly, all at once!

Rabastan managed to at least pull Lorelei away from Romulus' side, and lucky the fifth year had been bronze enough to deflect one of the many jinx's used to disarm and paralysis him.

"Stop! Stop! That's my son!" Rabastan shouted out, but that was hardly heard over the eagerness of the auror attempting to detain the poor lad.

They managed to subdue the Ravenclaw, leaving him to fall down to the ground and gruff at the impact. Aurora hardly knew what the reward was for her brother, but she walked straight up towards the closest of the law enforcement and ripped their wand straight out of their grasp.

"How dare you attack an underage wizard!" She spat, and her husband was just a step behind.

"You touch my son again and I can assure you, that you'll find yourself in a lawsuit that won't have you placed in the workforce ever again." That stilled most, if not all the undercover Auror's within the area.

With that pause in commotion, Aurora had kneed down just beside her son. The lad had a decent few bruises on his neck, having been the result in the multiple jinks all at once.

Damage that was meant for a full-grown wizard, not for a fifteen-year-old. "Mum, I'm alright. I swear." She shot a glare, and he knew instantly that it wasn't smart to speak.

The auror's were careless and desperate to obtain the run-away wizard that the Ministry was more than likely on their arses every day all day.

The supervisor and head of the auror department had arrived, leaving Romulus to sit up against a brick pillar with his sister's napkin against his nose—A side effect from one of the jinxes, not to mention his ribs felt godawful.

"I cannot believe the carelessness of your Aurors! They act before they check, my youngest was standing right beside him."
"Ma'am, I understand your frustration. But Sirius Blac—" Romulus sucked in a breath, knowing his parents wouldn't rest until there was a bit of restitution.

"And my son is not Sirius Black, I don't cart you for looking too old for your position. Auror or not, my son has a bloody nose and god knows what else—You've allowed a whole scene that's halted the express! Congratulates." Clearly, the man did not know who the lad's parents were, and Rabastan smirked in reading his card.

"You'll be getting an owl from my attorney, I wish you good luck."
"Ministry doesn't hold us accountable for flooks like this."
"Really? The Ministry doesn't hold you acceptable? Would you like to put that in writing?" Aurora couldn't believe what she was hearing, and she knew very well that Rabastan was right beside her just itching to involve their team of lawyers, they would have a field day with this one.
Especially at the fact that the Daily Prophet had already taken their share of pictures.

"Are you alright...? I can take you to Saint Mungos."
"I want to see Lori's sorting, it's fine."
"Oh love, saint mungos takes an hour—You can skip the train ride." The lad had thought for a moment but shook his head, asking her to just stop the bloody nose and he promised that he'd go to the infirmary.

His siblings were more than threatening to tell their parents if he didn't follow through with his promise. So the lad was helped into the train by Imara with Ronan just behind him with his rucksack and broom.

"Well, I'd say that's an unforgettable start to the semester." He grumbled behind the tissue, however Ronan didn't bother with heading much farther. If anything, he opened up the closest compartment and the rest of the Lestrange children filled in.

"What the bloody hell is with 'em! They harassed us all summer because he's our uncle, and now Romulus—" Imara carted, but Cara shushed them all. Going to wave towards her parents as their mother looked certainly worried, close to tears if anything.

"Bet there's a parcel waiting for professor Flitwick and Snape by the time we get to Hogwarts." The eldest mumbled behind the cloth.

"With that look, they're already plotting the lawsuit. Granted it's an earned one, are you feeling alright?" Imara questioned, and Cara had instantly dug into her small little purse and produced a bit of everything. Together they managed to write down and settle the impending ache in Romulus' side.

"For sure thought mother was going to take you to the hospital..." Cara whispered, her head titling onto her brother's shoulder—Only to apologize shortly after.

Course that caused him to pull her back, he didn't want to voice that the potion had made him cold. And while his other siblings had gone off to migrate around in the express—Cara had remained by his side.

Imara had promised that she'd speak with the head boy and girl about what happened on the platform and how he wouldn't be much help. He hardly ever found himself slacking, but with the will to get up from his seat getting difficult by the second, he was sure to be written off and excused this time around.

Lorelei had popped her head in once in a while, even returning with the first picks of the trolly's snacks. "Mama said that I should buy you chocolate."
"Did she now? Thank you Lori." He said, taking a solid hack off the chocolate bar, and he did have to admit.

It helped.

Cara had urged him to go take a nap, especially with the traveling ahead. It was easy with the impending storm they were riding through, the slight pitter-patter on the window was even making her slouch against him. Course the slight chill in the cabin had woken up either of them.

Sweet Goddess, it had been difficult to even think about falling asleep—Even with Cara's charmed robe over them both, something was wrong. Terribly wrong.

"I have an extra sweater you could borrow, it's father's."
"That's alright, we should get dressed soon regardless."
"I am not changing into a skirt, are you mad?" Romulus had felt the light chuckle release, but Cara had stared at him in awe.
"What?... Is my nose bleeding again?" His sister had shook her head, breathing heavily out to show her find.

"It's less than fifty degrees—How could the temperature just drop so suddenly? Even New England wasn't that bipol—" Romulus had ushered a quick 'shush' and good thing as well, considering the loud sound of what could only be described as a fan had echoed through their compartment.

Cara gulped and curled further into a brother, while Romulus hardly had let go of his wand since the Auror's attack.

"T-there's only one explanation...If the temperature gets close to freezing out of the blue. Do you remember what Uncle Reggie says?" Romulus blinked, foggy due to the tonics coursing through his veins.

"I'm not in my right mind at the moment Carebear, remind me?"
"One-two, lips start to grow blue, three-four happy thoughts grow a bore, five-six don't let it destroy your happiness... it's a de—"
"Dementor." Cara gulped and nodded at her brother interrupting her rhyme.

It had been an absolute blessing that Uncle Reggie is a Defense Against the Dark Arts professor at Inlvermorny now, and Cara huffed. "I can't produce a patronus."
"Have you tried? It doesn't need to be a corporal one. No worries, they'll leave once they find out he's not here." Cara didn't want to voice her reasoning, but if Auror's couldn't identify the difference.

How would a mindless being be any different?

The ice had long settled on the window, and sure enough a yelling force on the other side of the train had caused the siblings to jump. "You don't think that was—" He hugged her tighter, internally thankful that he hadn't taken his mother's suggestion in going to the hospital.
He couldn't imagine Cara by herself.

Romulus just knew he would've felt guilty.

It was the dementor's boney fingers that were creeping forward to the compartment's door handle, ripping it open as though the masked demon had found its prize. Romulus had taken the beef of the attack, his chest having been pulled forward as the soul likeness had started to strip further into the stomach of the beast.

"Expecto Patronom!" With Cara's attempt causing a ray of blue light to surge out of her wand, allowing Romulus the moment or two to regain his momentum and chuck out his own cast—Though his was much more of an animal-shaped, the light didn't allow for either of the Lestrange children to take into consideration the possibility of the creature, it didn't matter.

All that mattered was that it was enough to scare off the Dementor and those around it.

With them no longer in danger, Romulus heaved to the side—His throat burning at the idea of having joined in on whomever else had yelled in shock to what he'd witnessed. And there was hardly any chance to let this go without his parents finding out, not when he knew damn well that a Dementor pulls his worse memories from the void of his brain.

"Romulus! Romulus can you hear me?!" Cara had been screaming in sheer panic for a full minute. However the crowd around him had caused him to jolt in a rush. Having not seen them all come in.

"Lori, give Romulus the water bottle mum gave you before we left. He's looking a lil pale." Ronan said, kneeling down and helping his brother back up to his seat. "Is everyone alright here?" A voice came through and Imara huffed.

"As can be professor, those things went after my brother and sister." She answered, but that was fairly odd for a professor to be taking the ride to Hogwarts with them. So the fellow leaned down and offered a piece of chocolate. "Here, eat this. You'll feel better." And right now, Romulus was hopefully for any type of distraction.
"Actually sir, that's not entirely true. Sure chocolate releases endorphins but there is no true correlation between chocolate and Dementor kisses. Though I guess that could from the lack of testing—" Ronan nudged her to quiet down and Romulus chuckled.

"It's alright. I'm alright. And I'd like to add to that testing, it works." He said, shoveling the rest of the bite and humming in relief. "Good, but I suggest you go to the infirmary when we arrive at Hogwarts...Now I do need to get a word with the conductor, excuse me." While Lupin had risen, he couldn't shake off the feeling of who he had just looked at.

Sure he'd been pale and the bloody nose had taken away the true attention to the rest of the lad. But he remembered those eyes, he'd know them anywhere.

After having discovered that chocolate actually worked, the siblings had supplied him with enough to ruin his appetite for dinner. However Cara simply said that it was the tonic making it feel like he's hungry.

When they finally arrived however, he noticed that his siblings had remained with him and by his side. Usually Imara would be with the twins, Ronan would be off with Draco and the rest of his Slytherin friends.

Leaving the carriage ride to be just him and Cara, and another bird.

"I see you've already said hello to this fine fellow." Romulus cheered with a smile, the blonde Ravenclaw had turned over her shoulder with a lofty smile. "Romulus, good summer?" He hummed and went forward to pet the Thestral.

"Yes, did you end up catching that nomb in your garden?"
"Yes but they always seem to come back. I'm sorry I couldn't join your family to France this summer." Romulus found himself smiling down towards Luna and shrugging his shoulders.

"I know Cara would've loved the company."
"That's nice." The little witch had beckoned, though an exciting squeal had been the overlaying gesture of the two Ravenclaws greeting one another.

As of course, Cara had to find someone who was equally drawn to the world as she is—Or that's the nicest way Ronan has ever put it.

Ms. Luna Lovegood had joined the Lestrange family and enjoyed the ride up towards the castle. While Lorelei had been instructed elsewhere to experience the scenic view of Hogwarts in the boat down below. Imara knew outright that her little sister would adore it, much like their own mother had mentioned.

"I heard what happened at the platform...Father says he'll write an article in the Quibbler." Ronan bit back a chuckle, while he had the right idea in remaining with family for this ride, he couldn't have felt more left out than when he was with his mates.

Everyone in the carriage here was a Ravenclaw, and it made him feel both dumb and outcasted.

"That's alright, mother would probably wring my neck if I gave an interview." He teased, and the rest of the siblings laughed their agreement.

They wouldn't put it past their mother to storm Hogwarts again over something of that nature.

Returning to the halls of Hogwarts was nothing short of a blessing, especially since they knew that their mother could start relaxing without the constant need in entertaining them the whole summer. That and their father promised to distract her from her brother's missing status, course now they truly had a distraction with this lawsuit.

Whatever it might turn into, but Romulus was not that guilty in the midst. And if Lori had been hit by any of the jinxes, he had no doubt that it would've hurt her worse than what'd he'd manage to try and deflect.

Romulus nudged his brother and winked. "Don't forget to go to the infirmary, mother's going to send us a howler if you don't listen." His elder brother rolled his eyes and continued off with the rest of the birds while Ronan had sulked the entire way towards Draco.

"Complete utter madness is what it is, is your brother alright? Mother couldn't believe that—"
"Besides that and getting targeted by Dementors on the train, I wouldn't hold my own mother accountable for hearing that as well." Ronan said to Draco, his eyes flickering off towards twin and they shared a smile.

Though he soon fell into a conversation around him about this year's quidditch season. That he couldn't wait for.

Yet that was soon interrupted as Professor McGonagal had gone forth to lead the first years up to the sorting hat. And Draco nudged his 'cousin' and smirked. "You nervous?" He caught and it earned him a shake of the head. "Nah, not a surprise if she's a bird too." 

"I'm not so sure about that Roe." He whispered back, his father hadn't any siblings in the entirety of Hogwarts. So why was he feeling so alone?

The names had come and gone, but being a Slytherin called for only capping when it came to those sorted into their own house. And they'd make as much noise as possible to make up for the lack of others cheering on the sorting.

"Lorelei, Lestrange." McGonagall had said with a bright smile. And since the gal had been one of the last, she took the stage with just as much grace as her parents. It was clear that she said a polite hello to her future transfiguration professor and that earned her another smile and not as a robotic action from the deputy headmistress.

Lori had settled herself properly onto the stool and sat straight up, scanning the crowd to look for her siblings and smiling before they had caught her mumbling along with the hat.

Then it turned into a full minute.

"Better be..."

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Date Posted: 01-17-2021

Time: 8:56

Words: 2673