✧LESTRANGE'S PLAN TO REKINDLE✧

❦❦❦|♕♕♕

◊━━━━━✥━━━━━◊

***

Rabastan could hardly remember when the last time he had gotten a full night's rest without nightmares or stress keeping him awake. Instead he was greeted with the same spinning fan up on the ceiling as well as a slumbering Aria right beside him.

He turned just a bit, attempting to move around to face her properly. His hand acted before he could properly think, he collected the strains of hair as it looked to be irritating her.

Just as he managed to pull it all behind her ear, it earned him a small hum and a little roll of her shoulders before she turned still.

He recalled that she was off for today, so perhaps that meant he could invite her to do something? If she wasn't busy with other things?

Would she even want to?

What was father going to do that he hadn't returned last night?

The questions swarmed him instantly, yet ceased when Aria let out a groan. "Raba your thoughts are giving me a headache on top of all the wine I drank...Shhhh."
"Where are your hangover tonics?" She mumbled the location and he didn't waste another moment before heading to the bathroom to check the cabinet.

It was pretty easy to spot, and he filled up one of the glasses with water for her to take it easier. He soon found himself offering it up to her and she groaned.

"Do you know if Reg's still here?" Aria said with another sip of water, and just as Rabastan was set to respond. Regulus did the next best thing.

"I AM, AND I'M NOT ABOVE TELLING FATHER IF I SEE YOU DOING ANYTHING SUSPICIOUS TO MY SISTER, LESTRANGE!" He called out, barging into the room with his arms over his chest. But seeing them both dressed and a hangover tonic in Aria's grasp, he was at least on ease for one of the two reasons.

"Is Wyatt home?"
"He sent an owl, coming back from his mate's house soon." She nodded, rolling out of bed feeling very well-rested.

"Do you want panca—"
"YES!" Regulus adored the sugary treats, which lead to Aria to turn to Rabastan. "Any requests for breakfast?"
"Ari you don't have to—"
"Are you hungry?" She questioned, and he nodded rather shyly.

"Then what do you want to eat?...I might have some bacon left." She thought for a moment as she grabbed a lounge robe and walked out of the room.

He stood there dumbfounded, or had until Loki had started barking at the fact that everyone was up. At least he could distract himself with playing with the pup, because as he followed the rest of the house downstairs, he realized that he was so out of his element that he didn't know where to begin.

Aria was a little worried on what Rabastan actually eats, so she made a plethora of pancakes—Especially if Wyatt was coming home soon.

The smelling in the kitchen was unbelievable, since Aria had broken up with him he rarely been near food where it's being cooked. But goddess it was a wonderful smell, and course he wasn't the only one.

"When's the last time you ate something?" Regulus questioned and Aria groaned. "I was fasting Reg."
"No bloody excuse, I told you I didn't want to hear you ending up at Saint Mungo's again because you're dehydrated and—"

Rabastan's head shot up instantly.

"You were in Saint Mungos?" She was surely caught red-handed.

"Oh, perfect! Aria's been having trouble eating and following a proper schedule, perhaps you'll listen to him rather than me." It pained Rabastan to hear that she wasn't taking care of herself, so he leaned further into his chair and crossed his arms over his own chest and titled his head.

"Is that true, Aria?"
"N-no, and that was last month anyway."
"Aria, is it true that you aren't eating?" Her face blushed as she started to look away, and while Regulus hadn't meant to throw her to the snake pit.

The amount of anger on Rabastan's face was concerning Regulus, and while he was going to retract his statement.

"Reg, I need to talk to your sister for a moment." Regulus took one look at the two and bolted. Taking Loki's collar and heading into the backyard.

"That traitor..."
"He isn't a traitor, why aren't you eating, Aria?" She bit her lip and turned back towards the counter, prompting Rabastan to come up behind her.

"Why aren't you eating, love?"
"Because I don't have an appetite anymore after smelling potions on the daily."
"But you were eating at the party last night...?"
"And I plan on eating now, I haven't been at the labs since Thursday. I was simply in the office yesterday. I've been taking most of my needed supplements in water, I have to. The hospital prescribed it." It was clear that Regulus didn't know or simply didn't understand.

But it was clear now that it wasn't on her end, that it was a reaction from brewing all day.

"Could you work on it a bit, Reg's right. I'd hate to hear you're in the hospital over something that I could've helped with."
"Shoving food into my mouth won't keep it down Raba, I tried to take potions. It's just a side effect of being involved with so many potions, I heard I'll build a tolerance." He nodded, now having felt bad for being a controlling nightmare.

"Sorry...I can't stand when you hurt yourself love."
"It's not intentional, I promise you that." She finalized with one last smile, all before cutting up the rest of the fruit that she planned to eat right beside an egg sandwich.

Their conversation hardly finished, the door had opened and closed. Yet it wasn't the back, instead it was the front. And with the quick footsteps, Aria knew Wyatt was home.

"Merlin it smells great!"
"Did you have fun over Jacob's?" The boy nodded eagerly, however the wizard he thought was Regulus was suddenly recognized as the other fellow.

"What are you doing here?"
"I uh—" Aria turned around with a spatula in hand, already directing it off to the lad.

"That is now how we speak to guest, Wyatt."
"I'm sorry...But uh, how would I ask?" Aria had to bite down her lip, but she was relieved that Rabastan hadn't taken it anyway.

"Ari invited me and Reg to breakfest."
"Reg's here?" Oh, Rabastan could only dream the lad would get excited soon when he was here...Perhaps he could be a bit kinder to the lad?

"He's out with Loki in the back." Wyatt's face instantly brightened and went to go out, but was instantly called out.

"I hope you're not running with shoes on in my house!"
"Of course not!" Aria caught the Slytherin's grinning into his coffee and she rolled her eyes.

She was just setting up the table, and Rabastan looked oddly to the stack of pancakes. He assumed it was those hotcakes that Regulus adored, but he didn't know much more about that.

"You'll like them, I promise. I usually put fruit on mine, but a few have chocolate in them." She pointed to the either of them when explaining which is which, and she hardly had to open the window to get the lads in before they stomped their way in.

Both breathless and just as energetic as the pup beside them.

Rabastan was rather sweet in loading her plate with food, but it was far too much that she surely wasn't going to finish—But shocker, she had. So did the rest of the table, and it made her feel elated that all the food had been eaten.

The talk was light, but most of it was in direct of Wyatt and what he did over his friend's house. Not longer after, the table turned vacant as Regulus needed to head home and Wyatt went up to take a shower.

"Do you have any plans for today?" Aria smiled over her shoulder and shrugged, as she enchanted the dishes to clean.

"I dunno, I wanted to take Wyatt out to do something but I think it's going to rain." He grinned, leaving her open to do something. He eyed the clock and then smirk.

"Have the perfect plan...Be ready at five."
"Uh—Define ready...?" Rabastan had risen from his seat and kissed her cheek.

"Have you ever been to an Opera?" And the beautiful smile that erupted on her face was just the right amount of confirmation that he knew it was a yes.

*

Rabastan however, didn't expect to find his father day drinking this early—Though perhaps he should've planned for a much brutal awakening.

Especially when his mother was in the mist of the argument, and his brother idol by.

"Damn, there's the lad of the hour," Rodolphous grumbled, probably hungover and surely bored with the situation at hand.

"What have you learned?" His father said, already throwing an interrogation to his son, as though he didn't deserve a greeting.
"She found out from a parting letter from her father, two years ago she went to Grimmuald's place to find the truth...And well the rest is silent, I don't think she's ever planned on claiming the name back," Rabastan said, which of course his father hissed at.

"They're right, the contract was nulled—If we hadn't set up the betrothal with Denault then—" "Then nothing, we couldn't have known that Cassiopeia would be returned to us." Rabastan was shocked at how kindly he had said Aria's true name.

But that didn't stop the head of houses' tantrum.

"I should've known, Aria Roswell, that damn name—"
"Darling, we'll fix this. She loves Rabastan, she always has...I'm sure that they can manage on their own." Rabastan gulped, the pressure was always from what his heart wanted.

But now the look of want came from everyone in his family.

"Is this true?"
"Uh, well—" Rodolphous laughed himself further into his seat as he strode further to the center of room.
"The one thing I've learned from Black women, is that they hold grudges for a lifetime. And you failing to explain your betrothal to Ms.Denualt will never leave her mind...It might be a closed case, father. Ms.Black might be out of reach, unless 'Bas pulls a few romantic stops here and there." It had earned him a smile from their mum as she eagerly nodded.

"Of course! Our boy's handsome, he'll win her heart back...There's no need to be sneaky about it nor bring lawyers." Rabastan wanted to move away from his mother's pinching cheeks, yet he remained as she was the only one in his corner.

"I suppose, if she's already let you back into her bed—"
"No. I slept in the guest room and ate breakfast, nothing more...Not when Orion Black reminded me the courting—"
"To hell with courting her!" That had obviously been the wrong thing to say as Clarissa didn't hold back her own anger.

"Radolphus!" The son's hissed a breath at their mother's voice, especially in seeing how damned angry their father had turned in being spoken above an inside voice.

"Cl—"
"Don't you bloody dare! Cassiopeia isn't the only one who can hold Lydia over your head, and the courts would just love to tear this family down. From what I recall, dear, you loved Cassi just as much as I did. We made a mistake—We are at fault for making that mistake, her bitterness is normal. She was labeled a mudblood for the majority of her Hogwarts years! Learning right beside her brothers without a memory about them! She's hurt!" It was clear that the wizards in the room had failed to think that way.

As did Rabastan, as he trusted her when she said she was fine.

"Orion has all the memories locked away, she doesn't want them—So I thought I could take her to Opera tonight." The offer earned him a smirk from Rodolphous, as there was oh so many things one could do in a private booth.

While Clarissa squealed like a girl.

"The Opera, that's your brilliant plan?"
"Like Rolph said, she holds a grudge. From both us and me, I need to make it right. You heard her father, she doesn't want to get married."
"Bah! Women never know what they want." He said with a wave of his hand, and Clarissa through up a brilliant smirk.

"Are you sure? Because it sounds like Cassi wants to be a potion's mistress, and she's succeeded, cracked a potion, and is on her way to be the youngest potion mistress in the world. A bachelorette of that amount of success doesn't need pure blood or the Black name behind it."

Radolphus was clearly unhappy hearing what he had, he cursed swears left and right. It was a personal matter now, but Rabastan knew deep in his heart that even if Aria was married into the family she wouldn't bow to his whims like everyone else.

She was too stealthy and cautious.

"But you're right, witches don't know what they want. But I know I'd adore Cassi as my daughter in law. The question is, Radlophus...What do you want her as your daughter for?" Rabastan stood in shock, to what sounded so sweet and kind caused him to shiver.

What was his father's reasons?

"And don't spout that nonsense of her being a Black heir, say it. Say it!"

"I loved her like a daughter too! Her being a squib lost us a perfect union for our son! Losing her broke this family, it broke us and it broke Orion!" So perhaps Aria hadn't been the only one effected, and the way his brother looked away caused Rabastan to ask.

"Who was she to us?" Rodolphous had risen from his seat and gone to the painting behind their father's desk, pulling the painting aside to reveal the vault.

And Radolphus hadn't stopped him like Rabastan would've thought.

Instead his brother held up a vial, offering it up to his brother and it earned him an eager nod.

Nobody in the room truly forgot Cassiopeia, it had only been himself. The room was silent and Rabastan closed his eyes as Rodolphous had pulled the string of memories from the vial and returned it to his younger brother.

He received an instant migraine as he saw flashes of Aria—Cassiopeia. Dozens of times where she wore a fancy get up to an event alongside him.

How he hated her dolls because they took her attention away from him.

The scolding his mother had given the both of them for climbing the willow, as well as dozens of times they played bored games while their parents hosted one another.

And the look of utter despair was clearly shared throughout the room, thought he did find comfort in his mother's touch in holding him up and trying to steady his swaying position.

Though he hadn't known he was doing that.

"You didn't believe me when I said she broke the vase..." Was all that Rabastan had said, his eyes betraying him and his emotions. But in the privacy of just his family, it was alright—For the most part.

But nobody in the room would fault him, the memories brought a rush of emotion.

"Nobody believed me! Nobody believed me or her brothers! Hell, even Alfred witnessed it!"
"We couldn't be sure sweetheart, it was safer this—" His mother had always been a voice of reason, but he pulled his arm away from her hold.

"Safer?! You sent her to a bloody Orphanage where she was beaten and starved for being a witch, for resembling signs of the devil. She was saved by her father from America and brought to the Salem school for witches—Two years!...That's all it would've been." Rabastan's voice broke, and he didn't know who to look at or who he was displaying his own anger too.

It was a collected fault, and Aria payed the price for it. At six she was disowned and left with nothing.

"That's all it would've been..." He repeated, and perhaps for the first time in his life, he saw the collection of his family to all hold the same expression on their face.

"We grieved the same way son..."
"Tell that to the scars on her back, tell that to her face—that you grieved. Merlin. I despised her! I made her life a living hell in Hogwarts, and for some reason, goddess only knows. She forgave me! She forgave me and I was still an arse. So no, I will not bait or trick her into a marriage, father. Because Aria, Cassiopeia, Rory—Whoever she is. She deserves a lot more from me, from her family—from us. Then she's been given." Rabastan hadn't bothered to be dismissed from the conversation, not when he felt the tears spilling over.

His voice was hoarse by the end of his rant, but he felt much better in that end. However when he arrived to his bedroom, he realized how much of it...Cassiopiea had given him.

The sketches that was from his days as a lad that he could never remember, Aria.

The figure of a thestrals, a gift from her because she had an obsession.

"Goddess, how bloody morbid of you, Rory." His hand slapped over his mouth, the name had fallen out with ease. A complete opposite to what he had felt before, like it was far too strange to ever be said.

But now it was easy, too easy.

"Raba! No, give it back. That's my dolly!" Her voice was surely much more high pitched then, she was younger than six all things considering.

But how was he supposed to explain that he had been a bully much longer than they had been friends before she was disowned? He sat in the center of his bed, the memories flooding in with every instance he thought of Rory's face.

However the fear crepted in, a childlike one where he couldn't catch his breath.

He knew what was going to happen!

Almost instantly he scrambled to his draw and undid the draw—How the hell did he forget about this?!

In removing it, he dumped the contents out from inside it, leaving it possible to turn fully around. Revealing what was a large envelope.

He hadn't bothered with the seal and ripped the paper, and he was greeted by a piece of paper and a small velvet pouch.

Rory,

I overheard mother and father speaking the other night, I tried to convince them that you're not a squib. That it wasn't Sirius and I that broke your mother's vase last month.

I don't think it worked. They don't believe me.

Mum said she'd tell me when the last day was going to be, and it scared me even worse. What are they going to do? Are you going to live with Andy? Has your parents said anything to you?

Rory please, you're the smartest witch I know. Cissy always jokes that you have your nose in the books but you're controlled, you don't have outbursts.

Please, please! Do some sort of magic.

I beg you.

-Raba

Rabastan remembered wanting to send it the next morning, he hid it here in case someone found it...While he didn't know that she'd be sent away to a muggle Orphanage, he realized how young he really was.

His script wasn't perfect, his grammar was wrong and rushed—There were a few words crossed out and rewritten. He even misspelled a few words, but the haste and fear was recalled as though he just finished writing it in the present.

He let his shoulders fall as he caught sight of the velvet pouch, he untwisted the ties and tipped it into his palm. Only to reveal a beautiful heart-shaped necklace.

The memory of buying it was clear, he wanted to get Rory a gift from France for her birthday. And here it was, because she hadn't made it to a last celebration.

And his mother hadn't made it for a warning.

Rabastan sat in the midst of his things for quite some time, and it wasn't until a knock on the door pulled him from these thoughts.

"Darling...? Can I come in?"
"Come to lie to me again?" He laughed, leaning further to the side of the bed as he felt weak.

Utterly weak.

"No. I'm sorry sweetheart, but you have to understand. We loved Cassiopeia, we loved her dearly—"
"Love. It's love. She's not dead. God, I knew, I knew you lot were going to do something too! I knew and I was going to tell her... I was too late." Clarissa's eyes burned, especially when she caught sight of an old necklace.

One that certainly didn't fit a wizard's jewelry collection.

"Do you remember what you told me, when you saw this necklace?" Rabastan shook his head, and his mother join him on the floor beside the clutter of his things.

"You told me, 'mama, I want to get Rory something as beautiful as her,' and you referenced it being the brightest star in the Cassiopeia constellation. Which was another necklace you got her." He let out a laugh, merlin he was sap even then for her.

"It's almost 3, I'm sure you wanted to get ready for your date?...Her favorite is playing tonight." "It's the German one, isn't it?" Clarissa nodded, smiling ever so bright to see the light in her son's eyes return.

Even if it was clouded with saddness, it would come to pass soon.

But then her recalled all the times his family was set to go to the Opera, only to find out they were playing this exact one. "That's why we never saw it again, right? Because it was her favorite?"
"We didn't want to risk a memory spike for you love, you were very protective of her, even back then." He nodded, but still felt relatively weak in terms of being introduced to so many emotions that didn't match his age.

"Does Cassi have a dress to wear tonight?" Rabastan thought for a moment and sighed. "I'm not sure, I didn't really tell her anything other than I'm picking her up at five."
"I've got the booth ticket here and I can certainly head over the Grimmauld place and offer a few dresses that Bella thought were too...Colorful." He appreciated his mum trying to make amends, but he didn't know how Aria would respond to that.

"Uh well...The last time you spoke to her, you offended her too."
"Oh Merlin, what did I say?"
"That I know how to pick the shiniest of the bunch..." Camilla inhaled and realized that no witch would like hearing that from a potential mother in law.

"How about I'll pack them up and we send an elf?" Rabastan smiled and nodded, thinking that was a much better idea.

"Wouldn't that be a bit...Offensive? Thinking she doesn't have a dress for the occasion?" "Darling, let me tell you a little secret about women. We can say and dance about how much we don't want gifts, but inside we adore them. Would you rather you pick one out?" He nodded, perhaps he could turn the table on that end.

Clarissa squealed as she hurried off to whichever closet was deemed as Bellatrix's rejects, as she usually always showed up to an event with her signature black dress.

And that's if she showed up.

Rabastan had barely laid out his own attire when his mother returning with a rack of options. "Goddess mother, you just have these laying around?"
"Cassi could pull off any color, those Black girls always have a way of bending things to their will...Let's see, the last time I saw her dress shopping she picked a silver one I believe. And then the last a blue?" There was certainly a silver dress within the mix, as well as black and purples.

Which Rabastan himself turning to as he touched the silk fabric for just a moment and smiled. Aria would surely comment on the quality and deny it.

"That is one of her favorite colors...Let's see, ah, here we go." Rabastan groaned at the idea of his mum even giving up some of her jewelry for the idea of a date.

"We've missed so many years with her, sweetheart, she was like a daughter—Always let me play dress-up with her."
"I hate to break it to you mum, I think she grew out of that. She's eighteen." Saying Aria's age out loud had caused Clarissa to still.

"I always saw her as a beautiful child, Rabastan...I always will. Much like how I'll see you." She said while pinching his cheek, or trying to at the very least.

But she accepted her son's push, especially when she turned around to see Radolphus in the doorway. His finger pointed off towards the rack in confusion.

"We're picking out a dress for Cassi."
"It better be the purple, anything else will get the same rejection Bella gave it." The father smirked, and Rabastan tried to hide his shocked expression.

Perhaps his father had been close to Cassiopeia.

"Rabastan was telling me that Cassi doesn't have many dresses for events like this."
"She's not claimed as a Black heir, darling, but I'm sure she'll ask for your advice over her mother's like before." The son had never recalled his father ever being kind to his mum before.

Had losing Aria factored into his parent's relationship? How? Why?

"Let me go pack this and have the elf send it, did you want to add this?" His mum held up his written parcel and Rabastan nodded, and off the witch went to secure a travel suitcase for the necessary things.

Aria hadn't done much since the time Rabastan had left, she cleaned up a bit, fed her pets and readied a bath to soak in. However she realized much too late that any dress she had would be reused.

What did one wear to an Opera house?

Hearing a pop caused her to be startled and jumped up and out of the tub to peek out of her bathroom. Only to see an elf settling a trunk in her room.

"Uh, excuse me...?" Aria questioned and the elf jumped, only having conducted one snap which allowed the picked dress for the evening be showcased as well as the dozens of jewelry options.

"Good mistress, Rose get good mistress ready for Opera. Young Master Rabastan pick out dress with mother mistress." Aria had trouble holding up her towel over her body as she couldn't bloody believe it.

"I uh...I'm sorry?"
"Parcel from Master Rabastan." Aria bent down to the elf's letter and began to read it through, goddess this felt surreal.

"Rabastan picked this dress?"
"Yes young mistress, Rose help mistress get ready...Come mistress, sit." The elf had snapped her fingers once again and the vanity table's stool had pulled out at the will of the elf and Aria could only follow the order.

She felt rather...Ill knowing that an elf was ordered to help her.

"You said your name was Rose?"
"Yes Mistress—"
"Oh please call me Aria, or Ari." The elf gasped and started babbling that it was against the rules. Or that's what Aria had managed to dephifer.

"Oh no, nonono sweetie I'm sorry. How about you call me Ari in private, when it's just me here." The elf had been pushed to the point of distress that Aria felt guilty in making such a request. The elf was a Lestrange elf.

Not hers. And certainly not Kreacher.

"Sweet mistress say sorry? Sweet mistress not need say sorry to Rose. But Rose can't call Mistress by first name, forbidden."
"O-okay. How about sweet birdie? Rabastan calls me birde all the time, I don't like being called mistress." The elf hardly had social skills to figure this out and so she agreed.

The little Elf styled the witch's hair, did her makeup and managed with the dress...All before summoning the mirror off the wall to give her a better effect of how she looked.

"Could you tell Mrs.Lestrange that I love the dress, and thank you for helping me?"
"Of course Young Mistress, should I tell Young Master to come?" She let out a sharp breath and looked to the clock, he would be coming soon anyway.

Anymore extra time would be to go over Opera edict, as she hadn't a clue as to what to do.

She nodded and said her farewells to Rose and continued downstairs, only to bump into Wyatt in the hall. "Whoa, is there a ball?"
"N-no. Rabastan invited me to the Opera...Do I look okay?"
"Okay?! Goddess Ari you look like a queen!" He shouted hurrying off to his room to snag his camera.

"Can I take a photo?" He said with such excitement that she couldn't deny him the opportunity and so she followed down the stairs with Wyatt darting off to get a better view at the bottom of the staircase.

"Alright you little badger, how many did I sign up for?"
"Until I run out of clicks." Aria couldn't help but giggle, and in the midst of it all she hadn't noticed Rabastan floo in just a few paces away.

"Merlin...You look—Breathtaking." He coughed and Wyatt tried to hide his own laugher at how flushed the Slytherin looked. "Let me take a picture with both of you!" The lad ordered, and the snake was all but eager to help his date down the steps and pose with her.

Though not before he kissed her cheek in greeting.

"You do look beautiful."
"Thank you, and I do love this dress." He smiled, and he hardly had the chance to kiss her again when the floo had erupted into another set of flames—And a very livid Orion Black had emerged.

"What the bloody hell is this?!" Orion's voice boomed as he made his entrance from the fireplace. His excusing glare staring directly towards Rabastan as though he were the devil himself.

◇──◇────◇────◇──◇

Date Posted: 10-20-20

Time: 10:12

Words: 5090

I remmeber when I first started this I said it wouldn't be as long as Immer Rein...
Well, I lied.

There's still a lot to get through and plan to only do one book for this 'what if' because I really do want to finish Immer Mutter😬