✧PICTURE PERFECT✧

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Over the next few days, Rabastan spent the majority of his time at Aria's manor. She had gained her strength back, but after another appointment with her healer, she was recommended to not use her wand for another few days and stay away from the labs to ensure that everything had healed properly.

So while she would've gone to the labs, she still managed well enough at the office to do paperwork or interviews—The potion had only a few weeks left, as she wanted it to stop the curve that usually spiked up during the fall sicknesses.

With Aria partly back at work, he lost his sense in what the schedule was—Though he made it a point to spend it with Wyatt just to check on the lad too.

To say it was a hassle was an understatement, especially when his parents were urging him to invite her over for dinner. As though everything between them was normal.

"Rabastan, we have a problem." He hardly managed a moment into Aria's manor and Wyatt had been waiting for him. "Is everything alright?"

"No! Aria's talking to Scamander again!" To say Rabastan was hurt was a complete understatement, it hurt more than he realized and at the very least he was given an explanation.

"Why?"
"She was invited to the magical beasts convention bloody whatever it's called and Randall starting owling her again and she's responding. I don't know if they're going together or if she's going but I don't want him here! He's going to hurt her again!" To see the little fellow all badgered up with his fists curled.

"Guess that makes two of us."
"Three, Jacob doesn't like the bloke either. Can you help? Please?" Rabastan rose a brow and his jaw dropped.

"Me? What the hell am I going to do? Besides, Aria's much more open to listening to you than myself. I've already been seen as a jealous pig for three years mate. I'd like to think I've grown from that."
"So if I tell you she's having dinner with him Friday night and asked Mrs.Roads for me to spend the night?" The sound of this plan made the Slytherin feel awful, but he had no place to tell Aria not to spend it with Randal.

Especially if he said the same thing with going to the Potter wedding, it made no difference.

"Then I best be going."
"Rabastan—"
"Nah mate, it is what it is. If she wants to be with a bloke that's going to hurt her again then so be it. Owl me if something happens." Wyatt was starting to like Rabastan coming around manor but of course, that stopped the following day when two o'clock rolled around and Lestrange still hadn't shown up.

Course Wyatt hadn't blamed him, but under further investigation, the two were taking the other to a potion event and then a creature event. It seemed like a networking promise, however after the convention and the dinner date—It seemed that the two were hanging out a bit more.

It took Aria a full week and a half to see that Rabastan hardly spoken to her, and to be frank it was like a breath of fresh air. With him around, she always lost focus of her work, much like she would at Hogwarts.

The fact that Aria hadn't reached out hurt him more than he ever thought of, though he should've seen it coming. She told him she hardly had time for things besides work—Falling behind had been a good excuse on his account to stay away, but the updates from Wyatt weren't all that.

He learned that the two were attending conventions, it wasn't what Wyatt thought of entirely but the lad had been so damn against the badger that it was somewhat humorous.

Rabastan felt accepted by the lad and that was more than enough for now. So while he had taken a break in seeing her, he had a reason to visit—And thankfully she was there as this was not a note to be just left on the fridge.

"Ah! I was just reading about you in the paper!" Aria called out, a beautiful smile to greet him with and he recoiled.
"I haven't done—Oh. Yeah, father let me take lead with it." She nodded and took another bite of her salad before continuing on with her reading before looking at the clock.

"I have a meeting in half an hour if—"
"Yes, I heard from Wyatt you've been busy. No, I just wanted to warn you that your name's been coming back up in the circles." Aria sucked in a breath and bit her lip.

"Suppose that's because I joined the wolfsbane research team?"
"You have? Since when?"
"It's not starting up for another month or so, Otto said that I should focus on another project than sitting and waiting for another. Guess the Dark Lord has an ear out for me." Aria said before taking another small nibble.

"He won't be inviting you like the last time, it'll probably be Avery or McNair."
"Not yourself?"
"It's better if the Dark Lord isn't...Aware of how close we are." Aria's eyes began to grow as she realized at what was at risk and she nodded quickly.

"I um...I got you something—Wyatt said you were busy with the case so..." Seeing her rise up from her seat and scramble for a wrapped present was rather adorable, and Rabastan hardly recalled why he was angry at all.

Until it hit him rather abruptly as there was a large bouquet of flowers on the counter and in the center of the table. Aria's favorite too, he wasn't fool enough to see reason in that.

However she bounced over towards him with a wrapped gift that felt rather heavy in his hands. "Love you didn't have to get me anything."
"Oi quit it, you've always gotten me things and you played nurse. I would've gotten it to you earlier but the labs have been a mess. Caught a bastard trying to leak my damn potion." The lawyer in him was quick to recite her rights in this regard and she smirked.

"Studied up in potion law have you? That's the first thing I was required to get, a pattoned on it once it was approved." He smiled before starting to rip off the parchment it was concealed in.

He certainly didn't know what he was expecting, but a leather binder with his name engraved in such an Aria pattern that it brought a smile on his face.

"Merlin this is..."
"It's stocked with that American drying ink and a few quills. I know it's not the best gift in the world, but with you working all the time I thought it'd be a practical gift." She opened it from across him and he laughed in seeing the flask.

"You're setting me up, love."
"No! You hide it in the ink pocket, foolproof. Besides, I think your father's taking my case."
"What? He is?" Aria stood for a moment of thought before digging through a pile of parchment.

"Let's see...R.L Defenses?"
"That'll be my father, perhaps nows a good time to say that mother and father want you over for dinner." It certainly came as a shock, and sure Rabastan knew that Aria's expressions were unreadable or too easy to spot.

And this was surely the case as her mouth dropped. "They want me over for dinner?"
"Of course, actually mother wanted you over ever since we went to the Opera. And father well, my parents love you too. I know we don't remember it at all but they do." Aria perked her lips and tried to find a ways of escaping, but the better part of her turned to her calendar.

"Uh...I can do Friday? Or Saturday? Otherwise, I'm going to be around the world for a lil."
"What?"
"Hmm, the potion has to release in other countries—People like to see a face beside the potion. Especially since it's a witch's creation." He didn't realize that Aria would be leaving so soon, and when he asked he almost had a heart attack.

She'd be gone for a month!

"Oh, hopefully it won't be really a month, that's just what Otto and the media team predicted."
"And Wyatt?"
"He's coming with when I'm traveling throughout Europe, the next half I haven't rightly planned out yet. Some communities aren't meant for children." It seemed like he had missed a lot the coming days he hadn't arrived, but in seeing the thoughtful gift from her allowed to feel better.

Or at least a little bit.

"Did you want to join me and go to France?"
"Sounds like you're using me as a translator darling." She shook her head and shrugged.
"I dunno when we're visiting France, but I'll let you know if you change your mind." He nodded, but alas he was soon given the boot since she needed to go off to work.

Course he lingered for a moment extra to give Loki a few rubs, the pup was growing huge from the last time he'd come to visit—And from what he gathered, it didn't sound like Aria and Randal were back together, no, not after she invited him to France.

He mentioned the idea to his mother, and it hadn't taken much convincing from his parents for them to offer their France manor to Aria if she needed to remain somewhere.

But Rabastan knew well enough that Aria was always strange when it comes to gifts and offers. "Nonsense, Lestrange manor would be the safest place for her—Her Advisor would say the same." His father dwelled and Rabastan nawed on his cheek.

"She told me that you have taken up her lawsuit?"
"Hm? Ah yes, I meant to owl Orion on the matter. I assume you will want to take lead on this?" Rabastan shook his head.

"I think I'm too close too the situation father." The son earned a laugh from his mother as she tried to settle her giggles—The wine being a bit too much for her.

"You managed well enough with your studies when the two of you were dating in Hogwarts, isn't that right love?"
"You cannot get between a Ravenclaw and their reading." The conversation at his home had turned so light, especially when Aria had been in the focus of the conversation.

Rabastan realized that perhaps the stress of having to save the Lestrange imagine of finding a betrothed for him that wasn't a squib caused his parents to part ways even further.

It was certainly a brighter atmosphere, especially when Rodolphous had any say on Rabastan's puppy behavior—It made his parents laugh and himself embarrassed as all hell.

Especially since now he acted partly the same.

In the weeks continuing, Aria found herself having to converse with Rabastan's father, and sure he was friendly and very thorough in his work. But it felt strange, this wizard clearly saw her as Cassiopeia and couldn't separate from her six-year-old self.

It made everything difficult to say the least, though thankfully she had put the wizard out of commission for working in the position world.

"Slimy bastard is not going anywhere near another cauldron after today, congratulations."
"It's all thanks to you, I simply gave the information—I can see where Rabastan can talk himself out anything. Perhaps being a lawyer is good for him." She said with a faint smile, and the wizard had tried to stay away from prying between his son's and Cassi's relationship, but it was impossible now.

"Do you see yourself with my son?"
"I'm sorry?" She said, completely unprepared to be called out in such a way.
"You claimed that you don't wish to marry anytime soon, and I have to admit. After seeing what you do on a given day, I get what you mean. But when do you plan on getting married?"

"I don't have my whole life planned like that sir, and for the record, I thought it was rather important for Rabastan to settle the differences in his career, his other activities, rather than following me around." He certainly saw the reason behind that, though if they were following the true contact the two would be away at their honeymoon right about now.

Hopefully making him a grandson.

"Then I ask you this, Mr.Lestrange...If the love of your life betrayed you with another—Thinking there was nothing wrong, would you forgive them?" She said, her eyes telling much more than the rest of her expression.

"Are we taking the Ravenclaw or Slytherin approach?" A laugh escaped as she shrugged.
"Perhaps I should take the Slytherin route, so what would that be?"

"Inflict the same pain, cunning and ambition leave little room for emotion...How did he betray you?"
"I never heard about Claudette, and I certainly don't have to tell you the time before we started to date. But there are things that cannot be forgiven."
"Yet you find it in your heart to forgive your parents for giving you up at such a young age?" She shook her head and squeezed her eyes shut.

"No, but the guilt in either is telling."
"I can certainly tell you that Orion will take the regret to his grave, as will I. And my son wouldn't dare speak your name in any lesser light than it's deserved." Aria licked her lips and turned back for a moment over her shoulder, the office in the ministry was empty and soundproof.

"What do you gain from your son marrying a Black?"
"Besides status? A chance for a grandchild, a chance that the Lestrange name lives more than my sons. And a chance that my son starts taking actability and responsibility for more than himself and his mates. Correct me if I'm wrong, but even when he was simply dating you—You spread the belief of family, and Rabastan had hardly looked my way whenever Mrs.Selwyn was mentioned, much less Lydia." The pang in her heart at the wizard's honesty meant much more than she realized.

"You told me he was loyal and kind." He hadn't meant to make her cry, not when they had managed a decent relationship as of late. But as she looked off to the wall, she nodded.

"He is, he is when he wants to be...I'll think about the dinner offer, thank you for your help sir. Despite what my father said, thank you." The wizard nodded behind the desk and watched the young witch leave the room.

Of course his son would be a bloody idiot!

And just as he was returning home, he had a planned drink with Harper that he couldn't put off any longer. To make matters even better, he caught sights of the infamous Amelia Harper. Oh, he certainly heard a few words about the young witch, most were in anger of Orion of what this family did to torment Aria in the years at Hogwarts.

"Ah, there he is...Love, look how grown up Ms.Harper has gotten. I could've sworn the last time I saw you, you were yay high." Senior Lestrange let the words lull away in his mind as he offered the father a seat in his study.

"Have you given any thought to my proposal?" Merlin, Harper hadn't even allowed him to take a sip of fire-whiskey before stepping up to the point. "My son is in the midst of finding his own witch, though he's hardly given me a name to work with."

"Still? His last betrothed ended two years ago, I think you're being too lenient with the lad." He forced out a steady chuckle and sipped the fowl whiskey.

He wished he sat with Aira, offered her a victory glass of wine. Anything would've been better than this, and he already knew his wife would have some strong words against having to entertain Ms. Harper.

"My daughter has gotten a few but none of them seem to catch her eye."
"But my son has?"
"Of course, they were in the same year at Hogwarts." He withheld an eye roll, and found himself almost instantly comparing Amelia to Aria.

A smirk rose, he felt like a proud parent after being around her for more than for a few bitter words. Truthfully he didn't blame his son for his indestructible feeling, though he hoped that Rabastan would stay at his mate's house for another few hours.

"What does your daughter aspire to do?"
"Aspire? Merlin nothing, as thick-headed as her mother on most days. Though that should settle with motherhood." He hadn't expected anything more.

"I hear that you took up a case with Ms.Crawford?" Harper dwelled and Lestrange hummed. "You know I cannot disclose information on my clients, even to friends."
"No of course not, but that witch is good for nothing on my daughter's name. She should've been kicked out of Hogwarts years ago. And to think she graduated early!" Lestrange turned his head and twitched his jaw.

"Why does that sound familiar?" He whispered out loud and the wizard instantly became the gossiper he needed to be. Such a Ravenclaw, always on a rant or monolog.
"Ms.Crawford was adopted by a family in America, she was originally Ms.Roswell, and I'm sure your son has mentioned her twice over." An understanding agreement had escaped his lips before turned his shoulder.

"That does jog a bit of memory."
"It should, she's shagged your son up throughout Hogwarts." Now that was a complete lie, as Rabastan only mention Aria in the fifth year, but he allowed the bloke to continue otherwise.

"I wanted to tell you, before the rest of our crowd becomes aware of what he's been up to in school...Shagging a mudblood."
"Halfblood, I wouldn't work with a mudblood. You know that." He said in defense, and he clear his voice to destroy that tone he issued. But it had the wizard throw up two hands in a sign of a white flag.

"You know we've been mates for a while, that is why I wanted to give these...Before they get into the wrong hands." He said, revealing a small envelope that caught the attention of Radolphus instantly. Setting down his drink he popped the seal and took out the first image—Which he almost instantly regretted.

He never wanted to see Aria in such a position—Merlin! Orion would kill the world if he saw anyone with these prints!

"Amelia swiped them, could you image the sick mind the half-blooded has—Using your son as a trophy."
"I'll be having a word with Rabastan about this, but actions in Hogwarts don't dwell much further than that. Harper." He knew that the wizard hardly had any say in their world, but he wouldn't put it past an ant to not go for the biggest crumb.

"Of course, of course..." Thus the two talked a bit more here and there before it was clear Rabastan wasn't going to arrive anytime soon, which must be Clarissa's doing—Thank Merlin. But the second the Harper's were off, either Lestrange huffed in aggravation.

"What did he want?"
"The same as the last time, though he had brought a bit more leverage." He said, retrieving the same envelope and handing it off, Clarissa's hand slapped over her mouth to hide a gasp.

"What the bloody hell is this?!" She shouted, and her husband just shook his head. "I haven't a clue, but call our son home. Cassiopeia could be in trouble if this is leaked." His wife quickly called for their son's return and he hadn't disappointed, though the stress on his parent's faces were evident.

"Did Aria's hearing going alright?" He issued and his father instantly nodded. "Of course, her arguments were smooth and held enough evidence—You looked over it countless times son. Good work. But we have more pressing matters. Harper, is back at it." Rabastan inhaled instantly, he hadn't told Aria of what the hell Amelia had been up to for the past two years.

Wanting to marry him, he knew it would simply send her off the railings.

"Honestly father, I wouldn't want to touch Harper with a ten-foot pole even if my life depended on it."
"Rabastan!" His mother hissed, and he rolled his eyes.
"Mother, would you like her as a daughter in—"

"Absolutely not, but I expect you to treat women better than that!" Rabastan offered his arm.

"Just the one." He grinned, though his father's face steered further. "I suppose Aria didn't accept the dinner invitation?"
"She held it off as a maybe, but that is where our first issue begins." He said, handing off the envelope for the last time.

Yet Rabastan had dropped the lot of pictures and they were much worse than he realized. "Son...What is this?" His father questioned while Clarissa made quick work in trying to cover up Aria's dignity.

"This...Was Amelia using a polyjuice potion to seduce me into thinking she was Aria—Wanting to get back together." The explanation had been worse than he expected, and he knew exactly that his wife would push to settle the matter.

"These were meant to be destroyed, she must have more if—" 

"I'll handle it, do you pose it's better to warn Aria in the meantime?" The young wizard shook his head, he knew she would simply panic and there was no time in her work schedule to fall out any further with her potion.

"No, if you think you can fix it seamlessly then I don't see the reason for involving her—I warned that witch to stay away from her!" Clarissa went over to soothe her son but he looked more than pissed.

"These prints aren't the originals, they can only be duplicated if one has the originals." His father's had made him feel better, but only slightly.

"What else did Mr.Harper say?"
"That Aria should've been expelled...Though from the week working to aid her, there's nothing but sweet little Cassiopeia in the gal. She's hardly changed." It took his mind off the looming threat, and caused a smile to widen.

"Was she nervous about today?"
"Course, bundle of worry that little witch is, so she'll only be made aware after this is concluded? I saw her little planner and I'm surprised she has enough time to sleep in a given day." His father tested and Rabastan had the sudden itch to go and see her, but the idea of the images so fresh in his mind made him livid.

When he was this angry he hardly had a filter, so when he excused himself to his bedroom he slammed the door and threw the packet on his bed.

Pathetic as always to see one of the few pictures he had of him and Aria, but now his draw had a bit of an addition. He was beyond protective of her before, so how did that change so quickly just because Bella took away his memories? It hardly made any sense, and if he was going to avoid an angry Cassiopeia, he'd need to fix this.

But the literal porn on his bed felt even worse, he truly thought she was Aria—He was so distracted by his love for her that he hadn't seen the signs, that she'd never just hop into another wizard's bed that quickly.

That she wouldn't stay at Hogwarts for that sort of heartbreak, and he was for sure positive that she'd cry for more than a few times over it, but of course the bigger picture got the better of him.

And better yet, no matter how much he tried to forget about how Aria made him feel, he'd neglected another thought—Rabastan hardly ever had to handle being sexually frustrated, and it's what lead to him cheating on both Holiday breaks on Aria.

His head got the better of him—It was almost embarrassing how badly he needed a release, and embarrassing that he felt the need to jerk off to violently to such an old photo of her.

Yet the fullness of her in the Yule ball dress as she sang her broken heart out had been too easy to allow a release. He's hardly ever had to resort to such an action, or perhaps it was near the time where Aria confirmed that she was waiting for marriage and wouldn't dare think otherwise.

He remained as pure as he could—and he could hardly fathom what the hell was going through his mind at the time beforehand.

Was hiding this better than telling her? He truly wanted to be honest with her, but in the event of her going in swinging like the last few times? It would be better to have the Slytherins handle this.

Better yet, he didn't know how he felt in his parents seeing him with Aria like that—Course the general smile on his mum's face spoke of grandchildren.

But there was both a grim face on his father's face before it turned into a smirk. While the picture wasn't truly Aria or Cassiopeia or whomever they were naming her in their heads, they were surely much more accepting than Rabastan ever thought they were.

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Date Posted: 11-21-2020

Time: 10:56

Words: 4228