✧A CONVERSATION WITH THE ELDEST✧

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Romulus stood outside his mother's study for an onset of a growing minute, he was worried—more than that really. He was starting to feel the weight of being the eldest brother, and not that he really cared all that much when they were at home or in the company of friends or family.

At school it would be nothing short of a blessing if Imara listened to him on the Quidditch pitch. Going into third year was going to be a right challenge, not only was he co-captain of his houses' quidditch team, but he wanted to make a good appearance to Professor Flitwick on the chance that he could perhaps be a prefect next term.

Aurora knew that her son was on the other end of the door, and as much as she wanted to wave her wand and throw open the door to allow him in. She knew more than anyone that sometimes it calmed down the bundled ball of anxiety to just breathe and think of what needs to be said before going ahead.

It was another indication that Romulus and Imara were indeed her children, Ronan on the other hand was starting to grow like his father with each passing moment. Right up to the style of his hair now that she thought about it, and—

A small knock bounced against the thick wooden frame.

"Come in!" She shouted, though it didn't stop her scribbling as she continued her final thoughts. Yet when she didn't hear the footsteps of her son, she peeked up for and shook her head.

"I won't bite, love...Come in." She cooed, and thus Romulus had continued forward—For a moment he thought his father would be in the room as well, but given that he was no longer on house arrest. The man was making every opportunity to explore the new aged world that he had missed.

Hilarious to say the least, especially when her eyes flickered back to the door awaiting for another knock to start this little talk.

"I promise it won't be like first year again, it—"
"Let's wait until your father comes before we start getting into the details of what we don't want happening this year. Alright?...Did you get everything packed up and away?"
"Yeah, but I have a few days left mum—Oh. I guess you were like that too, huh?" She nodded along, though that wouldn't stop either from repacking the night before and morning during.

It was just in their nature.

"Though I did want to mention something before he gets here, and it doesn't have anything to do with what happened your first or second year." He nodded, eager to get his mum in a better mood before his father returned home. Which should be any minute.

"There's going to be another first year that I want you to look after—You don't have to befriend him just...Keep an out for him, will you?" She spoke as though she already uttered his name outloud, and this caused the lad to frown.

"Uh, who?"

"My godson, though that doesn't really technically have any relation to you all things considering. I don't recall if the two of you ever met when you were babes. But Harry's going to be entering this year, Gryffindor for certain."

"Harry...You mean Harry Potter, don't you? Goddess mum, just send me to an early grave, won't you? I already have to watch Imara with the Weasley twins! That should be a full-time job!" It made Romulus groan at the sight of his mum rolling her eyes, but as she moved away from her desk and leaned against the front—She began offering her support in a sense of comfort. Two hands cupping and locking themselves over his cheeks to prevent any distractions.

"I'm asking this because I trust you, Romulus, you don't have to befriend him at all...Just, I'd like to know more about him. I've been awfully distant from him."
"You haven't sent him any gifts? Why not?" He was quick to question his mother's shake of her head, and realistically she didn't know why she didn't visit.

Perhaps it was because Rabastan's newfound freedom cause them to leave the country more often than not. And controlling a now free husband with no children in the house to use as an excuse was going to make the year even more stressful on her shoulders.

Thankful, she could get away with needing to be home parts of the year as she gets to working on a newly issued potion's manual and such.

"The war did funny things to either side, had I been put in jail your grandmother would've been the one to claim you—Considering father's father is...Not the best with children."

"Oh don't sugarcoat the whole story of it, Cassi...What your mother is trying to say, son, is that my wife nor Rabastan's father would've been the best at raising you. Not when he fathered another daughter with—"

"That's enough father! Go check on the others." Orion let out a grim nod before leaving this wall of confinement, however Romulus had gawked at his mother.

"Grandpa Lestrange had another wife?"
"No love, he simply had another child. Lyida Lestrange would be your—"
"Aunt...I have an aunt? A real aunt that isn't batshit loony or imprisoned? Can I meet her?!" Aurora sucked in a breath, would be wrong to separate the family further?

"She's not much older than yourself, she'll be 7th year when you'll be in..." She attempted to do the math in her head and frowned. "I recall she was about four when you were born, so I guess she'd be in 7th year now. Lydia's in France with another set of Lestrange's—No, they aren't that closely related to us." It was clear that Romulus was desperate for more active family members in his life, and this summer he was spoiled to have the Halliwell and Blackwell families just next door.

"Can we go to America for Christmas this year?" He asked, and the laughter of Rabastan graced the room. "Now that sounds like a plan if I've heard one, I hope I'm not too late, love." Aurora had checked her watched and thrown it up.
"About ten minutes or so, but this one decided to take an extra five and wait at my door."

"I was thinking!"

"I'm only joking Romulus, I've said most of my piece on the matter...Would you like to say anything?" Aurora could see the shocked expression on his face that she started without him, but since he was indeed late—He couldn't really be all that mad.

"Right, I'm assuming your mother said to watch out for your siblings...And reiterating on the matter that it doesn't matter which house Ronan or Cara get."
"Of course it wouldn't matter." Romulus agreed, his brows scrunched together that it caused Aurora to lick her thumb and smooth out the said crease.

"Ew, mum! Cut that out!" Her laughter rang through as Rabastan came in to settle the differences between the two, though this time they discussed academics.

And better yet, things other than academics.

"What do you mean I have to join a club?" He said, his face already lined up with disgust. "I'm already co-captin of the team and I'm supposed to watch my sister and brother. No. It's pointless."

"What your mother says isn't pointless, it'd be good for you to join in a few things...Make new friends, and perhaps make up your own cluster of mates. Yes, Monty is your friend. But more friends, lads you can go out to Hogsmead and get a butterbeer with. Not the ones you spend the afternoon and evening in the library with." The defensive look he gave his mother caused Aurora to shrug.

"I had a handful of people I was friends with, and look, we're still friends. And if it wasn't for your father, I'm sure I would've starved in the library on more than one occasion."
"More like a dozen, Rory, Merlin I almost ripped my hair out when we broke up after—" The look of surprise flash on Romulus' face.

"You two broke up?" He questioned, sharing a look between either and ended up frowning with his arms acrossed his chest. And low and behold, he blamed his father.

"Your mother thought it'd be best if we could 'go on a break' while I 'sort out my priorities,'"
"That doesn't sound any at all suspicious, Merlin...I'm already with Professor Snape twice a week, doesn't that count as a club?" Rabastan chuckled.

"I can promise you, son, Severus Snape wasn't apart of a club and look how he turned out. A bitter old man with no wife or children. Do you want to become like that?" Aurora slapped the back of her hand onto her husband's chest and glared.

"Don't make it sound like you settled for me, Rabastan."
"Merlin woman, I don't want our son to turn out like Severus. Gods no." While the wizards had their laughs, Aurora remained solum. Perhaps she had a small weak spot for Severin, but it didn't conclude anymore than that.

"I don't know love, he's the one with a stable career and no tainted record to boot."
"Don't compare me to Snape, Love." Romulus had been oblivious to his parent's unspoken words and winks, and instead he ran through a list as to which clubs might peek his interests.

"Maybe Alchemy might let in a third-year if—"
"It cannot be related to potions, son."
"What?!" Now this caused the eldest son to rise up to his feet, his hands in his hair to show just how much emotional stress this was causing him.

"Why not? I don't have an interest in anything else!" He deemed, and Aurora smiled.
"And that's the point." Romulus was stuck in the middle of it all, his mother was in loads of clubs—Right alongside his father.

"What about dueling club, it teaches wand etiquette and other—"
"I much rather stay the hell away from any Dark Arts professors, they all get fired or go missing by the end of the year anyhow." He deemed, and Rabastan smirked.
"Wouldn't that be interesting? To get a new person teaching every term and acquiring more than one teaching and tactic method. I don't regret taking the class, and I'm sure your mother feels the same way." Aurora nodded her head and allowed her hands to fall onto her son's shoulders.

"There'll come a time when you need to use your wand for something other than potions. Think about it love, we only want what's best for you and this'll help you use you understand your wand and your own methods much quicker. Wouldn't you agree?" Of course he did, his mum always looked out for him and his siblings and thus he sighed loudly.

"Alright, fine, fine! I'll join the dueling club. But don't expect me to be all chummy with a bunch of no good gits in Hogsmead just because."
"Even if I can tempt you with an extra bit of allowance? There is quite a lovely bookstore in town." His eyes narrowed towards his mother, and of course that was the time that Imara assumed she could walk in.

Rabastan smiled fondly at the sight of his eldest daughter skipping into the room, her hair unable to chose a color to stick to as it bounced upon her shoulders.

"Oh...Am I too earlier, or are you finished griller the 'eldest'—"
"Imara stop teasing your brother, you have two younger sisters that look up to you and will be going to you for questions they can't ask Romulus." That silenced the gal instantly, especially when the situation sparked last year—An urgent letter did not come urgent enough to the Lestrange manor and back.

"Right then, what else?" Rabastan dove into the fact that both she and Romulus would be joining a club this semester, and this earned them a stomp on the ground.

"I have to take another club? I couldn't even complete my Divination assignments at Salem, how on earth am I going to survive the real class?" She shrieked, making Rabastan recoil at the high pricing screech his daughter managed.

"It'll be good for you and your siblings to do something all together, wouldn't that be fun?" Aurora's cheery attitude managed a groan from the children and she huffed in annoyance.

"Or I suppose you can just take all your assignments by owls and screw going to Hogwarts all together—"
"We'll join the clubs! Mummy please, I love Hogwarts!" While Aurora did try to get the kids to do a few fun activities a day, it was clear this house was not as fun without their friends over.

Even with the enormous playground outside, it seems like Lori is the only one who truly plays with it now.

With the eldest having been spoken to, that left three others—Yet Aurora's migraine was already the size of the planet in getting the twins to do anything in the realm of socializing.

"Love it's alright...They'll be fine this semester, they've managed with nearly perfect grades the last two years."
"It's not that, I have a bad feeling. It isn't that big of once I just—I can't wrap my head around it." Rabastan had been ignorant to his wife's internal call for help, but he simply shrugged.

"Our children are well behaved, you did beautiful raising them. Don't doubt yourself now." He deemed, though pushing the kind comment into the air caused her to huff.

"Don't start down that path Raba, they're leaving in a few days and I cannot afford you falling into a rut." His feet instantly guided him over to where his wife stood, his hands tracing inwardly towards his ear to caress her properly.

"I won't, I've been doing well with therapy—I won't relapse."
"Good." She said with a small smile forming up, however the blush in her cheeks told a different story.

It occurred to Rabastan that there hadn't been much time to properly indulge in his wife.

"How about we go to France? Wouldn't that be lovely? Go sightseeing, enjoy the summer manor?" Aurora knew well enough that she wouldn't want to be in this manor when all the children would be back at school, and so she nodded.

"That's a great idea, but we should bring the dogs...Maybe spent a month or two there?"
"Oh? And here I thought I was just going to be able to please my wife for a few days...A whole month?" Her head fell down against his shoulder, it withheld her squirm and certainly allowed a better position as a knock on the door held them attention.

Aurora now realized why her parents were so strict in knocking at the door, and she certainly passed that onto her children out of habit more than knowing or realizing it.

"Come in!" Rabastan called out, and Ronan didn't hesitate to take the first steps while Cara had peeked her head in, and once she caught sight of her parent's embrace she squealed. Rushing forward to join the hug and earned her a kiss on her temple.

"Would you like to join in too Ronan? Come now, how many times will you get hugs from mummy this year?" He pouted his lips and thought widely on the number, until his mum gripped him lightly by his arm and pulled him closer. Course their heights were starting to gain, and it was certainly unfair that they were more than likely going to be taller than her once they reached fourth year.

"Will you come to see Quidditch games?" Cara wiggled, excited to see her siblings playing on the pitch—And better yet, perhaps join them soon enough.
"Well that certainly is a plan, isn't it Raba? We'll have to make a pit stop. Perhaps in the middle of the season, yeah?" She cheered, and Cara jumped on her tippy toes in excitement.

Ronan was equally excited but held himself back, Hogwarts was like a distant dream and it was finally coming true.

"That depends if they manage to get through their first term better than their siblings..." Rabastan dwelled and Ronan let out a firm nod. "No stealing a potion's suitcase on our end, right Cara?"
"Right! Romulus must've been bonkers, besides...I like it when mummy proctors me." The young daughter cheered, course that still didn't settle the idea in Aurora's opinion. But alas, all was settled and decided.

The rules were set in place and now all that they needed to get through was these few short months and then she could see her little munchkins for Holiday break.

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Date Posted: 01-02-2021

Time: 10:09

Words: 2925

I'm so sorry, I meant to post this New Years day but it escaped me. As I mentioned in the Author's Note, updates will be very irregular, but I promise I'm working on the continuation! 

Immer Mutter is not over as of yet, but right now I'm at a stand-still in continuing it.

While this Prologue takes place in the summer before the Sorcerer's stone, it will jump ahead to the 3rd book/movie.

What are you all hoping to see?
Let me know, maybe it'll happen😉

Again, thank you so much for sticking around and being patient with me.
I hope everyone had an amazing start to 2021💕
Cheers to the new years!!