✧CURSES GALOR✧

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Tonight was their last night, and nobody had a nudge of decent sleep. Not in the Gryffindor tower at least, nor Aurora.

Rabastan was almost desperate to get home, he wanted to feel the glory of Death Eaters.

To take Aurora out of the house. Yes...it was going to be a grand summer indeed.

*
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*

Or so the boy thought, his father wasted no time in preparing him for what his weeks would look like. But he was rather joyous to have something to do, that both he and his little Ravenclaw had their careers starting to unravel, and quickly as it would seem.

With all the distraction at the ministry, and here and there meetings with the Dark Lord. He was almost confused when his mother told him that it was Aurora's birthday was in just a few days time.

Bless that women to the ends of the earth, he had forgotten. But he had the gift prepared for her since Easter.

To see her seventeen? 

Just a year away from marriage, it made his insides churn at the thought of waiting any longer, or using his right hand while looking at a picture of her from the last Christmas party to induce him further...He doubted he could wait any longer for her.

And yet, the torment his brother showed him was not at all his biggest concern...

It was Regulus.

The boy had been listening in on a conversation between his father and Mr.Lestrange, Rory was off at her internship and their mother doing god knows what. But it intrigued the boy as they were obliviously talking about Cassi.

Yet the second marriage was mentioned he almost dropped to the news.

"Rory...Rory's marrying Rabastan?" It should've been a dead give away years ago, but the Black family was adamant about sharing details unless better options would occur.

Clarissa managed to keep the peace, that no matter what house Sirius was it. Nor that Cassiopeia is in Ravenclaw, it was their little relationship sparking that really interested the families.

Because that meant children.

However, Regulus had done something very foolish. He told Kreacher that he was going to head over to the Lestrange manner because he wanted help on an assignment. He was allowed by the elf to enter the home and knocked fitful on his thought of best mate's bedroom door.

Now Regulus was usually a calm soul, but something in him had finally snapped.

"Ah. Reg, didn't expect anyone today...What can I—" Before the man could get anything else out, Regulus stuck his wand directly to his friend's heart.

"Did you know?" He questioned, lowly. And for a moment there Rabastan actual felt a layer of fear tingle in his spine, not because he was afraid of the boy. But because of the collateral damage it would cause, especially to Aurora.

"Er, know what mate? And watch where you're pointing that thing. Thought you were taught better than—" 

"THAT YOU'RE MARRYING MY BLOODY SISTER?!"

Rabastan choked on his breath, although he didn't rightly know where the conversation was going in the first place. He didn't think it would go to this.

So he grabbed the boy and pulled him into his room, thankful that nobody else was bloody home at a time like this. And set him down into his desk's seat.

"How'd you find out?" The question lingered in Regulus' mind for a moment, causing him to string to his feet. "So you did know! Does my sister—" 

"Your sister does not know. And I only know because my brother told me a year ago." That sparked a conceivable amount of anger into the young Black as he pointed up his wand.

"You didn't tell me!" 

"Reg, what was I going to tell you? That there's a contract since before you were born was written? How was I going to bring that up?" The boy faltered for a few moments, but that still didn't help in how betrayed he felt for the past twenty minutes.

The anger, the way he pinched his face up in disgust rallied almost how Sirius looked throughout any conversation at events. Rabastan sighed outloud. "Mate, I love your sister...Besides with everything going on, I'm glad it's me. Imagine some other bloke was promised her?" Regulus stood his ground, manifesting the ideas that she's her own person.

"She should have a choice." Rabastan nodded in agreement, but their ideals didn't rightly match their society. "But that's not how the world works...I've heard after graduation, my brother suspects after her birthday because then she's at least legal...I promise Reg I'm going to protect her, I swear it on my life." Regulus, after hearing these declartions of a promise...Started to sigh and nod.

"I get it Reg, I don't have a sister, but something about Rory makes me need to protect her...It's wrong to say, but female Death Eaters? They won't make it far without someone by their side." The glare still didn't simmer all that much.

"You should've told me." The boy growled, and the elder one of the room sighed and nodded once again. "My brother wasn't meant to tell me either Reg, don't tell your sister. She shouldn't have to worry about something like that with her internship and NEWTs this year." The smile crept up rather slowly in Rabastan's mind that the boy hated secrets.

"Thought I was going to propose without a blessing Reg? You wound me." That lifted his spirits, enough so that the two managed to get in a few practices moves out before Clarissa ordered them down back to the ground.

"Ah, I thought it was Avery...Would you like to stay for dinner Regulus?" 

"If that's alright with you and mother?" The women was more than alright to host the Black children, especially if it meant bringing them out of that bloody house of theirs.

"You know, I believe Cassi is home alone at the moment. Rabastan, why don't you go invite her after the both of you freshen up...She shouldn't be dining alone." The two hurried about to wash up while Rabastan went off to the Black manner, when he came through the fireplace he brushed off the excess ash and sighed in relief.

"Well thank Salzar that nobody's here...That would've been embarrassing." He muttered, taking his wand and cleaning up his entire body off the bloody substance.

His brows furried for a moment as he heard the starting melody off in the distance. It caught him off guard, but he did know of Rory's musical abilities. Merely another talent on the list of many.

"Well your faith was strong but you needed proof...You saw her bathing on the roof. Her beauty and the moonlight overthrew ya. She tied you to her kitchen chair, and she broke your throne and she cut your hair...And from your lips she drew the Hallelujah..." Rabastan followed the sound as though he were being tempted by a siren or something of the sort. 

Although the song wasn't familiar, there was no part of him that wanted to interrupt. Especially seeing how into it she was, so he crept up behind her to allow her to continue.

"But baby I've been here before...I've seen this room and I've walked this floor, I used to live alone before I knew ya. And I've seen your flag on the marble arch, and love is not a victory march...It's a cold and it's a broken Hallelujah." She hummed along with her lingering cords, and part of him knew that the song was not over. But it still drew to him as interesting, like a beautiful angel.

"Maybe there's a God above, But all I've ever learned from love...Was how to shoot somebody who outdrew ya. And it's not a cry that you hear at night, It's not somebody who's seen the light...It's a cold and it's a broken Hallelujah." The lurring was starting to wear out, and he enjoyed to see her hands dance on around the keys to finally finish the song of choice.

To be a bit humorous, he started to clap off behind her. Causing her to stir a few keys in fear. "Rabastan!" She breathed, holding onto her heart as she was breathing sporadically. 

He simply kneed before her, taking her none clenching hand and intertwined it with his.

"Mum said you were home alone, why didn't you come over?" 

"I never really get the house to myself, and I thought Reg was over the Carrows." He chuckled, she spoke recently on how she didn't rightly like the girl twin of the Carrows. And did her best to stray from the girl.

Even if she followed Aurora like a lost puppy, even if it meant a pretend friendship.

"Well how about you dine with us. Father's out with yours for the evening." She nodded her head and started to put away the music sheets, she claimed that she'd only be a few minutes to change but he groaned. 

"Rory you look absolutely perfect, don't bother with that...Save the dress for later." She narrowed her eyes for a moment and then pouted.

"Cassiopeia Aurora Black, march back down those stairs this instant." She gawked out in a rage of furry, pointing her finger up in the air. 

"You're bloody lucky that I can't hex you yet." Was her hissing threat, but he cocked a grin and nodded.

"Hex me? Love you wouldn't!" He shouted as she hurried up the steps, and she mirrored his playful smirk. 

"Right to the arse!" Rabastan noted that her face was blushing madly, but he also took an important note on where her room was.

He'd never been in there before, even when they were kids. There was a bit of a battle in wonder if it was in order, or a chaotic mess, so much so that he almost missed the fact she had done her hair.

"Cassiopeia..." He warned, but she batted her eyes just a bit as he sighed and went off towards the door. "Not the fireplace?" 

"Well I should start getting used to appreneting with you love, better now than when you're properly dressed." She swatted at him as they continued down the round until she offered a small alley.

"This is the end of the boundaries, or at least I think it is. I haven't really needed to go with father anywhere in a while." She mumbled, and so Rabastan simply wrapped his arms up and around his precious little Ravenclaw...Which automatically made her groan at his playful hands. 

"Care hun, just wanna make sure I've got you secure." She shook her head, but closed her eyes rather tightly.

He knew a bit of her motion sickness when teleporting, but when she shinned a bright smile up towards him when they managed to get to his property. He felt like he was given a reward.

"What were you and my brother up to anyhow?" She questioned, and he could've kicked himself for hesitating. "Er...Just a bit of Quidditch, he was bored. Promise you'll come over when you're home alone?" She pouted a bit, only to be greeted with a chaste kiss. 

"And if you're not home? I love your mother Raba, but there's only so much pampering I can personally take." He tried to hide his laughter, but the gal was not a fan of the tickling that he attempted to mask it.

"Ah there you are Cassiopeia! Come, we're just starting dinner." The warmth that always radiated off of Clarissa seemingly rose as seeing her son and future daughter in law together, holding hands.

The conversation at the table was light and flowing, Regulus was hopeful that he was going to be granted Prefect status. While the rest of the adults prided themselves into putting money on Cassi and Rabastan being the head boy and girl this coming year.

But either was just perfectly content on being just prefects.

Once Clarissa left the children on their own accord, the three made it a rather eventful night with some board games. Regulus told him, in pure soon to be in-law brothers secret. 

That Aurora loved board games, it was an odd fact. Surprisingly he didn't know, but it extended further than just card games.

*

Cassiopeia has had seventeen birthdays, perhaps a given fifteen she properly remembered. But Bellatrix was all too thrilled to drunkenly try to teach her how to throw a cruse off into the gardens hedges. 

Being nervous as she was, Rabastan had stopped his sister in law from making such a scene. There is a time and place for such a practice. Besides, the Dark Lord wanted to privately teach her the becoming steps of being right underneath Bellatrix in his growing coven.

She couldn't sleep that night, nausea hit her like a rocket and for the first time she didn't message Sirius about it. What good would come of it? 

Continuing this pattern of going to him for guidance, when in reality he just keeps saying the same sentence. Just leave them.

It was much harder than that, the betrayal would be enormous, they'd kill her on the spot. One of her biggest fears was that they'd make Rabastan or Regulus having to do it if she wasn't careful enough.

Her Apprenting class was going swell, there wasn't a point to wait until school. But even now she was overworking herself, and yet it was perfect. 

In the lab it didn't allow for her mind to wander too far. It was contained, and her small little internship was starting to turn into an. Apprenticeship/ schooling entry if she so chose.

Yet with everything she didn't want to ask her father his opinion, not yet at least. So much was happening that it gave her a whirlwind and migraine that surpassed her from properly relaxed...

"Mistress, Young Mistress! Mistress Lestrange is here, she has important message for young mistress. Downstairs she is!" Aurora sucked in a breath and withheld the urge to throw up her breakfest. So instead she walked on down the steps to see Bella smiling out loud.

"Oh there you are love! Such an empty house today, where is everyone?" 

"Father's with Mr.Lestrange, Reg's at the Carrows and...I don't know where mother is actually..." Bella pulled the young girl into a hug as she attempted to think of where in Britain Walburga Black had gone.

"I'm here for you darling, you're being summoned." Aurora's eyes widened in disbelief. Already?!

"W-what? I-I thought I was d-doing alright...I—" The women cackled, throwing her head back in laughter.

"Love nono, your lessons are starting. The Dark Lord has put aside time because he wanted to teach you properly." Now that...That was what Rabastan had told her previously, but she simply assumed within the next year. She scolded herself for being foolish and nodded. Claiming that by the next session she could most likely apparent herself, which caused her dear cousin to laugh.

No matter if Bellatrix was laughing out of pure sadistic reasons or not, there was still an eery feeling once it bounced off the walls.

Cassiopeia recognized the manner as the Malfoy's, theirs being the biggest and Lucius being a heavy followed. It made perfect sense.

The two gals continued in persuit, which made the Dark Lord all too pleased to see the almost pair former Blacks standing at his attention.

"Bellatrix, you're dismissed for your other duties." He ordered, which caused her to squeal with a happy and good luck kiss onto her cousin's cheek.

"How are your studies Cassiopeia?" She smiled politely and nodded, explaining how she's preparing for the NEWT finals just a few nights ago. But he himself was more intrigued by her internship.

"Otto has talked about turning it into an apprenticeship or switching me to a student in his partner's lectures...I haven't told my father just yet." The demonic chuckle rivaled Bellatrix in terms of horrifying, but the conversation looped on back around to the true purpose.

"Cassiopeia, I wish to...Start your training." She nodded, looking up to the Dark Lord in a bit of question. Which he cocked his head to reflect her glance.

"Curious little thing, aren't you?" 

"Mother says I'm usually in the clouds my Lord." The growl was low as a scoff followed after her comment. "Your mother is...A true Slytherin yes, but she does not linger in the same playing field as the rest." The young member of his coven nodded in response with a little bit of a smirk on her face after that.

"Throw a curse at the pillar." He ordered, and she turned to eye the pillar then back to the Dark Lord. "My Lord?" 

"All members are required the simple skill set of providing a few curses...There has been talk of a certain Slytherin creating a rather deadly hex. But I wish to see a curse from you." She nodded, allowing her wand to fall from her sleeve and look directly to her target.

"Crucio!" She hissed, and the spell marked the pillar just as the Dark Lord suggested. "Again." And like a machine she perceeded, and only when she felt comfortable did she silently aim the curse.

The only issue is that after every cast of the forbidden spell, her wand burned her skin. "Excellent, quiet the study...Have you ever cast this spell prior?" 

"No my Lord." She breathed, her heart still beating rather roughly in the tombs of her chest.

He nodded, and with the silence casting over the two...Was it odd to see Rabastan's brother coming into the room, along with a skipping Bellatrix. They were transporting a body mid-air, and it confused the young Ravenclaw, plus being in a room surrounded by elder Slytherins?

It was enough to cause anyone a pain of anxiety.

"How is she fairing my Lord?" 

"A natural just like yourself Bellatrix, but not ready for an audience. Leave us." Unfortunately, even with Cassi hoping and praying silently to herself for them to leave with the body. However it merely wiggled and groaned off in the middle of the room.

"It's one act to cast the curse, little bird, but it's another to maintain the effects. Anger, dominance...This results in a stronger punishment, a further holdout." She nodded, soaking in the words through and through, eyeing him like the eagle she was sorted for.

"This muggle born was captured attempting to aid the Aura's in a raid...I suggest not to kill him. There still might be a bit of use in this mudblood." She hummed, closing her eyes for a moment to gather her thoughts.

"The floor is all yours, little bird." There was a bit of disgust coaxing her, the bile rising in the back of her throat as she didn't want to hear him saying Rabastan's nickname for her.

I'm sorry Siri. She thought, begging for the twin link to stay true as she aimed her wand to the specific target and shouted as tasteful as she could manage.

The muggle born wizard had cursed out in another groan of torture, as if he hadn't been trapped in the cellar for the past two months...But his pain was short-lived as Cassi had gasped, dropping her wand to see the outline of her wand imprinting on her skin.

Although he was disappointed for a moment, he eyed her hand in compete confusion. 

"M-My Lord?" She questioned, thankful for no childish tears coming from Ms.Black at a time like this, but instead he hummed.

Summoning her wand up did he sway it in the air, examining it. "What is your wand made of?" 

"Phoenix Feather sir...Is this normal?" He lowered his gaze for a moment and shook his head.

But as he too took hold of the wand and waved it to get a good feel about, it was soon interrupted as he fired a curse towards the mudblood.

There was this slight burning sensation that he too look at his mistrucken hand. But he was soon interupted by his train of thought as he heard a rip of fabric, the girl was wrapping the wound up, and he chuckled as she looked mighty ready to continue.

"I will look into this oddity little bird." 

"Father says it's good to be skilled at any spell with either hand." He hummed, saying that Orion was right at ether occasion. Which prompted her to try her left hand, although a bit of a draw back, the thrill and thumping of her chest subsided.

"Addicting, yes?" She nodded, breathless after the mud blood was escorted out. But not by her relatives as these were cloaked and unnamed.

"A bit...Is it always a thrill?" He smirked, especially when she was clutching at her chest. 

"Oh yes, getting information out of our lovely guests." The conversation didn't find much more of Cassi's time as she started walking out of the Dark Lord's room.

"Rory!" Her eyes took a moment to register Rabastan, but never the less she smiled. "How was it then?" 

"I think it went well enough, is Cissy home? My wand burned me a—" The second Raba saw the indented burn on her hand he sprung into action.

Calling Dobby to bring a first aid kit to the small study that the two hid away in. "Raba it's fine, I can do this at home." She hissed, but the second he dapped a bit of cleansing onto the wound she really groaned in pain.

"What happened?" 

"I was just practicing and my wand started to burn, I've never heard of it happening. Neither did the Dark Lord." His eyes flickered up, only to look back down to see it's red deepen in color.

Waiting for a few moments to let her hand soak up the liquid before carefully applying some sap onto the burn and rewrapping it with proper bandages.

"Well well well Cassi, the Dark Lord is ecstatic with your work!" Bella exclaimed, ruining the moment for the young couple as they scooted away from one another as the elder witch gripped her cousins cheeks to pinch them.

"I didn't do much Bella...Honestly." 

"Not from what I heard." She sang in retort, it made Aurora smile. As well as Rabastan as he was cleaning up the box of supplies she had used up.

"Either Rabastan or I will pick you up for your next session...Can you take her home darling?" Rabastan nodded to her sister in law, only receiving a kiss after the girls dear cousin.

"Ecstatic...That's interesting." 

"I think it's Bella's excitement, mother thinks it's because Cissy is only a wife of a Death Eater." He nodded, but his smile never dwindled. Even when he offered to take her back to his home, knowing full well it was empty.

To have her in his home with an empty house? It was as if they were already married, that they were dining like there wasn't a care in the world. But when he brought her home that night, Walburga gave either of their children a stern look.

"My apologies Mrs.Black, Cassi wasn't feeling all that well after her meeting with the Dark Lord. Just wanted to make sure she ate a bit." The smile soon spread across the girl's mother's face, but it was bone chilling to say the least.

At least in Cassi's mind.

"Alright then, not this late Rabastan...We have plans in the morning Cassiopeia. Off to bed." It was a quick kiss on his cheek before she hurried along upstairs.

Rabastan saw the cold stare she had gotten from her mother as she moved along, but he sported a fake smile before kissing Walburga's cheek and leaving the home.

He didn't understand why the family still lived here, it was dead center in a muggle neighborhood. He would listen to stories about Rory and Sirius watching from the tallest room's window to overlook at the cars, even as they passed by now...It was such an oddity.

Knowing about the knight-bus was one thing, but this was another...However, he had this sick feeling deep in his stomach about Rory getting punished...And he was close to right.

"Mother, nothing happened. He was simply there at the Malfoy manner after I had a meeting with the Dark Lord. I hurt my hand and he invited me to the Lestrange Manner." 

"Cassiopeia, you were alone with him, in his manner." The hurt expression was plastered on Cassi's face, even with everything going on...How well she had done today in the eyes of bloody Death Eaters, her mother still manages to make it about purity.

"Then why do I bother wearing this bloody ring then?!" She ripped it straight off her finger and threw it to the ground, walking away from the conversation as she slammed the door closed, leaving Walburga alone in her daughter's room.

The mother lifted up the small ring, it had been a promise ring from ages ago. It held symbols of purity and respect for women's bodies, but even then it didn't matter. 

Cassiopeia had broken a very strict rule in their book and she wasn't allowed to simply wave it off.

Orion lucky came home, strolling into the foyer to see his daughter at the kitchen table with the first aid kit. "You alright darling?" He offered, kissing the crown of her head as he stared directly at the burn.

"I'm fine...Could you explain to mother that I was perfectly responsible when I was over the Lestrange manner?" He chuckled, summoning a glass of fire whiskey as he poured himself a glass.

"And why would she suspect you weren't responsible?" 

"Rabastan and I were alone at the manner." She rolled her eyes, but her father hummed rather lowly.

"Yes well, try not to allow that to happen again Cassi. Your mother is worried about images, not rightly you...Do you understand?" Cassi nodded, but hissed as the solvent was still rather painful to endure.

Orion took over as the issue being was still on her dominate hand. Leaving her left to be tasked with wiping the wound.

"How did you manage this?" She shrugged and bit her lip. 

"I don't know if I allowed to say father, I'm sorry. But he was very happy with me, said that we're continuing the lessons soon." The father beamed with pride, smiling and nodding.

It sickened her to the point of not knowing whether to continue this conversation or find the nearest lavatory and clean her stomach of all the build up.

Today had been an odd account, and here she was sitting at the table with her father aiding her wound.

"Cassiopeia what on earth is that?!" She shrieked, and it was once again her father coming to her aid to calm Walburga to a point of needing tea for either females.

"Looks as though her wand burned her, but she's not allowed to speak of it love...Best let it—" 

"WHAT WERE YOU DOING TODAY CASSIOPEIA?!" The amount of distrust was unsettling.

"I simply followed an order from Bella to go to a lesson! I didn't do a single thing wrong!" It was odd to see his little girl start to throw this sort of fire, but he didn't want her to be silent either.

"You will lower your tone with me young lady, you will march up to your room this very instant and think about what you have done." The girl seemingly took the roll of bandages before continuing back to the safety of her bedroom.

Or so she thought.

"Haven't done a bloody thing." She grumpled, but of course her mother and her hearing confirmed that she was indeed badshit.

There was no warning, no change for Orion to stop the given curse to be fired. But neither of her parents knew about her animagius ears hearing the thinnest bit of movement of her mother's chair, but it was all too easy to block the curse.

"I didn't get this burn on my hand for nothing mother." She spoke, but the laugh that rallied in Orion's side had either of the women stall for a single moment.

"Careful love, she's a little Death Eater in the making...Rest up darling." He went straight over to his daughter and escorted her up the steps.

"That was the best bloody thing I've seen in the past two decades Cassi, well done." She chuckled at her father's standing by her side, but it was Regulus who stayed up in his room and owled Rabastan at what had occurred to make their mother angry.

Rabastan sighed at the bloody letter and went to his mother, offering up the letter to her as she sighed.

"Well Rabastan, I wouldn't say it was the best idea in the world. Walburga is still very protective of her children, even if she supports the two of you seeing on another." That is when the fear set in, he recalled the conversation that Aurora had with her mother about 'him being a gentlemen' and if he didn't fit the standards then it would ruin his chance of marrying her.

"Mother she was angry, furious...What do I do?" It was a long sit down discussion between mother and son, and Clarissa was more than welcoming of it. She promised her children long before that any conversation was open, he even made the mention of how Rory was religious, but that didn't stop her mother from placing unwanted boundaries to everything.

"Mrs.Black is very old fashion darling, but Regulus said that her father was there to help." 

"That doesn't help mother." He groaned, soon walking himself back up to his room, clutching the letter in hand as he sat on his bed.

"Fuck." He growled, leaning back fully clothed. He'd be lucky if he saw her in a few days if anything. He needed to see her, so what was he to do?

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Date Posted: 04-02-19

Time: 5:38

Words:  5039