✧THE OPERA✧

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"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.

Wyatt was never good at spotting the difference when it came to yelling, he always assumed it was him being subjected to the verbal abuse. And Aria knew it by the way his shoulders hitched.

"Wyatt...Sweetheart, come here...Why don't you go upstairs and hang up the pictures you already took? Dinner's already set in the oven, all the instructions laid out." The boy numbly followed his mum's orders and hurried away, but Rabastan's head snapped up the steps when he heard the boy starting to cry.

"I told you never, never raise your voice when he's in the room. And what do you do?!"
"That didn't answer my question, Aria."
"Rabastan asked me to the Opera." Which caused Rabastan to get the full blunt of his anger.

"You're taking advantage of my daughter and her lack of knowledge of our world, already wearing Lestrange jewels!" Aria held the necklace Mrs.Lestrange sent over as she swallowed unsurely now.

"Mr.Black, sir, that is not at all what I'm trying to do here. Aria wrote to me and we discussed it."
"Discussed what, exactly...? Before you bring my daughter out into the public eye."
"That I don't care what my parents want, that I just want to be there for Aria when she needs a friend."
"You're expecting me to believe that the two of you are friends when she's dressed like that."
"And how am I dressed father? Or is that the kind way of saying that I look like a whore."
"No! That isn't what I meant, my light please—"
"No, you talked straight through me—The both of you, as if I'm not here. And that is exactly why I don't want a marriage. So screw those ideals, I want to go to the Opera. And you need to apologize to Wyatt." Rabastan had been shocked at the way Aria had spoken to her father, but then she didn't have the memories of how to act and how not to.

And Orion was attempting to remember that as his face turned beat red.

"Aria...You should talk to your father." She turned up to Rabastan and gawked at him like he was crazy, instead he pointed upstairs claiming to go check on the badger.

The second Rabastan had turned to the second floor, Orion shot up a silencing ward so what they would say cannot to be heard or used again them.

"What is the meaning of all this?"
"Rabastan invited me to the Opera."
"And?"
"And? There is no and, father, he's a friend. I'm too busy for a relationship and he's understood that, he's—"
"Aria, my little light. He's a Slytherin through and through, his family will work to get you to agree to a marriage. I don't want you to be forced, my sweet. Listen to me..." Her face had fallen as she looked to the dress now.

"Is that why Mrs.Lestrange sent the dress?"
"Don't count yourself as naive with this, they're sneaky. They've always have been. Don't trust all that he says, my light, whatever you feel for him, whatever this is—You cannot trust the Lestranges completely."
"But why?"
"They're seeking to rise up on the list, and would've if Rabastan married you. It's us and the Malfoys that outranked them for decades." Aria's lips parted as she looked up to the ceiling in damnation.

"He wouldn't...He promised he wouldn't—"
"This isn't a world of rules sweetheart, it's not one simple color that I can tell you that'll be true. He could be truly on his own whims but...But we can't trust that, if he wants to court you...That is another conversation."
"But that goes with claiming Cassiopeia back, and I don't want marriage, not for another few years." A breathless sigh caused Orion to be relieved to hear that.

"But I love him, I'm not a fool to think that he'll change just because he knows I'm a pureblood now. His father and brother are cheaters and he's seen that as normal."
"That's what happened...My light—"
"I can promise you that if he hurts me again I might very well go to Azkaban for murder."
"I'll pay for your release regardless, now usually this is a mother's job. But there's minimal contact whilst out and about, one glass of wine—Usually witches powder their nose when the wizards go out to have a cigar."
"Rather adorable of you explaining how a witch is meant to act on a date...But I'm not looking to date any more than I am in looking to get married." Orion took a moment and shot his attention off towards the staircase.

"Is it Proctor...Or Scamander?"
"I need time as my own person, and I hate that I've said that twice already and then disregard it. I have a potion to release and Rabastan is a Dea—He's one of them...I don't know how I feel about that yet." It caused him to turn ridged, he didn't want to hear that his daughter denied the family views and values.

She could've been the perfect member, and surely still could be—But he wanted her happy and healthy. He already saw the damage he's done to Sirius in trying to get him to conform.

"My light, that isn't something you can simply disregard so simply."
"I'm not, but have you taken any thought of Sirius and Regulus being pitted against each other in the future? Because I think about that more than I care to admit." No. It did not occur to him, but then again Sirius was considered a forbidden topic.

"Rabastan said five o'clock..."
"Yes. Yes. I'm not saying don't enjoy yourself, sweetheart, you adored the Opera." A rather sad smile sparked on her face.

Being told one thing about herself always made her feel the same and question it. What did she like about the Opera? Did she like the music, the acting?

"I didn't mean to scare the lad."
"I know, but honestly father...If I was his age and hardly knew you. I think I would be crying in my room too." Orion's shoulders fell and he removed the silencing charm and Aria made her way up the steps.

But in seeing Rabastan sitting on the bed with Wyatt in his side brought an even wider smile to her face. "See, told you she'd reign some hell on him."
"Language Lestrange...Sweetheart, are you alright?" Aria said, bending down before the lad and holding his hands in hers.

The smile she graced him with was a loving and tender one, and Rabastan could only compare it to his mother's. Though he hadn't made the connection just yet.

"Wyatt you are the sweetest Hufflepuff I have ever had the honor to meet, and seeing you cry breaks my heart. He was not yelling at you, yeah? Nobody is ever going to yell at you or hurt you ever again. I promise you that." Wyatt nodded, starting to rub his eyes with his sleeve.

"How about I take off of work tomorrow, we'll go out and doing something."
"R-really?"
"Yep, now how about you invite Jacob over—I don't want you home alone after that. You two can manage to not burn the house down while I'm gone. Right?" Wyatt looked happy at the offer, as his quick mumble of 'thanks mummy' burned in her heart in reassurance, though he didn't bounce back as easily, though she did hear the soft words of an apology that Orion was giving the badger.

"Ari—"
"I swear to all the deities that I worship Rabastan if you make me the laughing stock of Britain you will never hear from me again, do I make myself clear?" She said with all the conviction she could muster, just as she was taking off the necklace.

"Loud and clear love, how...How about you wear this one? It's a little dainty but it's uh...Mother told me I was going to give it to you for your last birthday when we were—" Rabastan couldn't manage to get through his final thoughts out loud, but when Aria looked up the faded white gem that the golden chain had...She realized it was much her style than the gaunt jewels the other one had.

"White's a neutral color I'm assuming?"
"Yes, and Aria I swear I had no idea that the colors would be Lestrange...Mother's always worn those colors, I'm as clueless as you are with that realm of it, courting colors—I never really paid any attention." Aria remained silent for a moment as she thought about whether or not she could simply go without any jewelry.

But then turned around so he could help her into it, which didn't take long at all.

"Now let's go before father decides to lecture you the rest of the night." Orion had to bite his tongue in seeing Rabastan helping his daughter down the steps, but he did have to admit that seeing the necklace being replaced by another one made him feel much better about the evening and thankful that it was nothing more than a rather daunting 'Have a good evening you two,' But truthfully it was daring the wizard to do something out of line.

Rabastan had held the door open for her out of her manor and aided her down the stairs, he knew well enough that there was an alleyway down the ways that's perfect to apparate out of the muggles' eye.

"Um...How long is an Opera?"
"Two hours, this one is just under it but they have an intermission halfway through." Aria thought for a moment on what they would need for an intermission, but before she could question it, Rabastan had taken the chance to depart.

Just on the edge of the theater itself in a rather posh side of the wizarding community. "Are you ready?" He questioned, and she gripped his awaiting arm for her to wrap herself around. "Why is it that I can hear your smirking?"

"Well, I do have the most beautiful witch in the room as my date tonight." She rolled her eyes at the gushy comment, but Rabastan hardly had to wave his card before one of the attendees went ahead and escorted them.

"Er...Where are we going?"
"Mother and father have a booth." He simply explained, and thus they were escorted to one of the many doors that lingered the royal halls.

And no matter how many times Aria had to remind herself that she was indeed wearing a dress that probably cost more than a few of her academy textbooks way back when, she still felt underdressed.

Especially when she caught other witches wearing much more elaborate dresses.

"Lestrange." The attendant said leaving the door open and Rabastan smiled to the lad and retrieved three galleons from his pocket as a thank you to the bloke.

He hadn't been to the Opera in a while and he was damn thankful for being escorted, or else that would've been embarrassing. "Tipping? I didn't think Britain had that curiosity."
"Course, mother's very generous when it comes to it. Especially to the catering companies." He spoke, and when he blinked for a moment he realized that his memories were starting to conjoin with one another.

It hadn't felt like a callback to before Aria left, and so he tried to push passed that revelation...Though his feelings were overlapping one another when he thought of something during Hogwarts two sides of his heart tugged.

Perhaps he screwed himself over in gaining his memories back.

He allowed her chose which seat, and an excited smile graced her lips as she looked down to the stage below. "Goddess, these seats must cost a fortune."
"This Opera is exclusive as is love, it's uh...It's a little bias, which I know you don't approve of."
"Are you saying that this is a pureblood only establishment? I didn't even know that was a thing." She turned to him and he shook his head.

"No, not by blood, by status and net worth which evidently isn't much better."
"So you're saying when I start mass producing my potion I'd be allowed in?"
"They wouldn't dare make you pay, you'd be a celebrity—You are going to be one. I believe my mother is already starting to start your wardrobe on that end." Aria had started to deny the help this way and that, and only found her whispers cease when the lights dimmed and Rabastan held her hand within his.

When the curtains rose, Rabastan found himself at peace—Though he knew just what was going to happen. The translations falling right in sync with Aria's.

"You can understand it right?"
"Course, the princess is begging for freedom and the pauper is looking for the same."
"Funny, I didn't think you could understand German—And Kudos for picking an Opera where I can connect to either." He soon lost her in a daze, but the more he thought about it, it was true.

Aria was both the princess and the pauper, but being a mistress in potions would be carving her own path.

But he also wasn't expecting Aria to cry at the ending, so perhaps she was indeed more of the pauper than she first thought.

"I don't think my parents are home, did you want to have a glass of wine?"
"That sounds like an invitation for something else...You're lucky I'm out of wine." Rabastan was surely not expecting her to fall into bed with him, but he'd take this opportunity to have a bit of time after to talk.

Playing with her hand and giving her a handkerchief during the performance was the most interaction in the last two hours.

However, in apprenting them both to his manor's back porch, Aria soon forgot that it was rather cold out. Though he hadn't hesitated to wrap her in his coat.

"Rose, two glasses of wine." It had hardly been a few seconds before the order was set in place as well as chairs, but Aria ignored them as she went to go sit at the stone steps—Leaving Rabastan to fill her up a hefty glass and hand it off to her.

"Thank you...I had a really good time Rabastan, though I don't deserve it after dropping that bomb on you the other day."
"It wasn't at all what I was expecting love, but it makes a whole lot of sense. And you were right, if I still had your trust you would've told me before." Aria clinked her glass to his and the two fell into a pattern.

Course it ended far too early when his father strolled out for a smoke only to find the two laughing.

"Suppose that's a good sign that you are back in sync?" A voice caught them and Aria instantly turned rigid, and for good reason. The last time she saw the wizard in front of her they were at each other's necks with threats.

"I don't think I'd use that term, Mr.Lestrange. But I think it's safe to say we're rekindling." It didn't take a genius to know that little Ms.Black was slightly tipsy, especially by the rather sweet smile that returned.

"I—I don't want to intrude." She mumbled out, starting to rise to her feet but Rabastan knew all too well she wouldn't manage a safe step.

"Rose, ready the guest bedroom...You shouldn't be alone tonight, Cassiopeia."
"Wyatt's home alone with a friend, I'll be fine." While Rabastan wished his father didn't scare her away, he promised to drop her off at home.

"And? How was it?" Wyatt asked, not all filled with suspicion as it once had a while ago. But Aria turned to look around.

"Uh...Where's Jacob?"
"His mum owled, his dad came back from the ministry trip he had so he went back. It's alright, he left like ten minutes ago." She hummed and looked off towards Rabastan with a small smile.

"It's probably best if you don't sleepover tonight, so I guess this is goodnight Rabastan..." While he wanted to stay he needed to stay in the realm of this 'almost courting' and partly because she is not looking for a relationship.

Though he was hoping that she truly meant what she said to his father...That they were rekindling.

"Goodnight Ari." He whispered, disappointment clearly written all over his face so she leaned up to give him a kiss on his cheek. "I did have a wonderful time, owl me?"

"Promise you'll respond to it this time?" She nodded, leaning in to leave a small peck on his lips as Wyatt shouted his disgust and ran away.

"Ahh...When is it that lads start liking gals?"
"Around this time, but I think it's safe to bet that for him it's fourth year." She let out a small but nodded in agreement.

"Get some sleep love." And thus, Rabastan left and Aria had fallen asleep far too quickly to not dream about her Death Eater lover—Boyfriend—Soulmate—Whatever he may be.

Aria's feelings were the same, but either she or Rabastan had fallen asleep with relief and a glowing soul.

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Date Posted: 10-31-2020 (Happy All Hallow's Eve

Time: 8:00

Words: 2910