✧NOT THAT TYPE OF MISTRESS PT.3✧

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After sharing a drink, the party seemed much lighter, or perhaps it was the amount of alcohol coursing through Aria's veins. Which ever was the case, she embraced it. She hadn't felt this way since she was traveling with Randal or teaching, so it was better to accept the happiness as it came rather than looking back on it in the future.

Rabastan was a gentleman through and through, and while Aria had taken a small pause in their conversation to use the loo. It is where she had finally met Mrs.Lestrange under a different light, in the privacy of the bathroom.

"You must be Ms.Crawford." It had taken a moment for Aria to realize it was Rabastan's mother, but she smiled and gave her a greeting kiss on either cheek. She was partially French after all.

"It's a wonderful party you're hosting Mrs.Lestrange, it's beautiful."
"You're too sweet dear, I see why my son has his eyes set on you. He always was eager to pick the shiniest out of the box." The woman giggled, and Aria found herself frowning.

In one failed swoop, she was reminded that even if Mrs.Lestrange was the kindest woman on the earth. The witch still had her own morals and views on pureblood tendencies.

"What's wrong?" Rabastan asked, picking up her wine glass and returning it to her hand. "Nothing...It was nothing."
"Ari...We've given this chance all of half an hour and you're already hiding something from me, if someone said something then—"
"Your mother recognized me in the restroom. Said that you're 'always eager to pick the shiniest out of the box.'" He caught her discomforted quite easily, but never did he expect his mother to say something like that.

"Did she giggle?"
"What? Yeah I guess—"
"She's drunk love, it's the same as saying I picked the prettiest flower in the garden."
"I suppose..."
"Love. While I am humbly infatuated with your appearance, I've grown to love the person you are inside. You've grounded me. So yes, I did pick the shiniest out of the box." He said, ending it with a lingering kiss to her cheek.

Such a display of affection was sprouting sirens this way and that.

"I'll be right back."
"Where are you going?"
"Have a word with my drunken mother, it will only take a moment." She attempted to stop it, saying it really didn't upset her that much.

But he was already off and away before she could really do much more.

However it was a mistake in allowing Rabastan to leave, as it left Senior Lestrange open to talking to the young Ms.Crawford. Though he had learned quite a bit about her from Rodolphous.

"Ms.Crawford, I hope you're enjoying yourself this evening?" Aria had been taken from her thoughts that she instantly gave a smile as the introductory greeting when the wizard in front of her did not deserve a single ounce of her attention.

"I am, you and your wife throw a lovely party."
"Yes yes...I did see that you were just talking to my son. You've graduated with him, is that correct?"
"Oh no sir, I was in the same year as him yes, but I graduated a year early." Somewhere deep down, he realized that perhaps he did hear that bit of information before.

And Aria knew for a fact that he had harness that knowledge before, but it was clouded by past drinks.

"That's quite an accomplishment, though I don't think I've heard of the name Crawford before..."
"No, my family lives in America. But I've rooted myself here since graduating." He nodded once again, he had to admit that the witch was decent on the eyes and hadn't double-crossed herself just yet.

So he smirked.

"Seems you've taken much more of an opportunity amongst us, but I suppose that could slip under the category of 'rooting'."
"I'm afraid I don't understand, sir." She watched in utter disgust how Senior Lestrange downed another sip of fire whiskey and smacked his lips together.

Gods, what did anyone see in this man?!

"I have a proposition..."
"Merlin you sound like Rabastan, but I suppose I'll give it a go. What is your proposition?"
"This...Arrangement that you have with Black. End it." Aria narrowed her brows and tilted her head.

"End—"
"End it and become my son's mistress...You deserve a much younger wizard, I've seen the way you look at my son. You know you cannot get much farther than that, not in our world." Aria swallowed back all she wanted to say and damnit was she proud of herself.

But never had she felt so downgraded so quickly, it was the pairing of Rabastan's parents that truly reminded her that while she might have royal Black genes...

It didn't mean anything if she didn't claim it publicly.

"You've got it all wrong, sir, I am not Alfred's mistress."
"No? He just happened to have you on his arm for the last dozen parties?"
"Yes, and you have a lot of nerve asking such a thing from me Lestrange." The devil grinned, the aggression was just beaming in the back of her eyes that he wanted to tap into it.

Tap into it and destroy it.

"I could ruin your career with a snap of my finger."
"And I could ruin your reputation with five bloody words, so be careful how you speak to me, Lestrange. She's four now, isn't she?" It had taken an extra second for him to understand what Aria was getting.

And red never looked so good on an angry pureblood.

"Threaten me and I promise this bird will bite straight back. I've dealt with worse than being called someone's mistress. And like I told your son, I wouldn't whore myself out like that."
"What do you propose my son did with you all that time in Hogwarts, you were an infatuation...You broke his betrothal!" The conversation was getting heated now, and Merlin Aria couldn't internally scream any louder for Rabastan to come back.

"Did you really want that stone head of a gal carrying your son's heirs?"
"Her blood is pure, she comes from a respectable line—"
"It's only pure because of the amount of incest you lot are progressing with, have you never thought about the curse of squibs, or are you just completely ignorant to that as well?" The two glared at one another for moments on end, and Rabastan had been completely blindsided to stumble upon the two.

"Uh...Father—"
"Quiet boy, not another word."
"Don't bloody speak to him like that. Gods, have you any respect for your son?" Rabastan hadn't a clue what the hell happened, but by how geared up Aria was...It couldn't have been pretty.

"Respect? He's—"
"He is loyal and kind, and may the gods rest your soul but from the five minutes chatting with you, I can see you've done nothing to deserve that from him." Rabastan could hardly breathe, he could hardly think straight.
He couldn't even believe what Aria was saying, she was defending him. Even after all that he's done.

He wasn't loyal, not in the slightest—But here she was, yet again. Proving that she was the bigger and better person.

"I couldn't help myself...But it seems whatever this conversation was would be better suited away from prying eyes." Aria was happy to have Rabastan back, but now her father?!

Oh bloody fuck.

"Orion, my dear friend, perhaps you could help me...We'll take this to my study." Aria looked between the three wizards but it was clear that there were no words to get her out of this mess.

But then again, neither Orion nor Rabastan knew what the master of the manor had asked.

It felt like she was being led against her will, following just a bit behind the Lestrange's. She was sure that Rabastan felt elated to what she said in defense, he always did take things like that to heart.

Yet then she recalled what McNair said about the Pureblood tree, that the Black's reigned higher than the Lestrange's. So if anyone was going to put that bastard into his place, then it would surely be Orion.

Speaking of which, he had a firm hand on her shoulder in a sense of comfort, so why did it feel like she was being sentenced?

Having walked an obnoxious about, she was welcomed into a room that smelled far too much like cigar smoke and ink that she wanted to choke. Goddess she wished she had her glass of wine.

Rabastan had heard her small sniff and caught himself smirking, he knew well enough that the smell of his father's office was bothering her.

"Right then, I suppose this can't get any worse..." She said in a grumble, which only earned her a grip from Orion's hand. But in all honesty, she was just asked to be her ex's mistress. How long and degrading could this night possibly get?

"Surely we could come to an agreement, I suddenly find myself open to hearing your suggestions."
"An agreement? I'm not a brand deal, Lestrange." Orion narrowed his eyes, his little light looked rather frazzled and enraged.

"What is it that we are discussing?" He beckoned, and a smile from Senior Lestrange graced the conversation.

"The times are changing, surely you see that now Orion. Wouldn't it do this young witch a much better opportunity than being a potions mistress to simply being a mistress? I'm sure your brother could understand if she trades in for a more...Lively lad." He said, his elbow knicking his son. Though Rabastan only saw it as a warning of what tonight will bring.

Aria smirked, the offer was now out in the open for either wizard to hear and so she shrugged.

"I don't feel comfortable without my father present for such an arrangement...As I assume you only see me as property or a future sale."
"I'd be happy to owl the fellow, you said he lives off in America? Is he—" Aria turned to look up towards Orion with the biggest shite eating grin she could possibly bestow.

"Father? What do you propose of this lovely arrangement?" Livid would not even begin to describe how utterly disgusted he was with the mention of his little light as a mistress.

Rabastan found himself in a stutter, had he heard her correctly?

It seemed either Lestrange was shocked to hear the truth, but the longer the room stayed silent, the easier it was to see the Black family traits being passed down to Aria.

Orion's dark expression tilted in confirmation as he stared at his friend with such disappointment.

"My daughter isn't about such a low title."

"If she is your daughter then another contract is in effect." Fuck. She hadn't thought this through at all. So when she eyed Orion in curiosity, Orion turned to settle her worries.

"That contract was nulled the second you brought her to the Orphanage, you know better than reinstating a torn slip."
"Merlin, what contract?" Aria questioned in full annoyance, why were they talking in circles?

"Your mother and I thought the two of you would be the perfect match. And so a contract was put in place for you two to be wed."
"But I was disowned at six, what the bloody hell was I doing betrothed at that age?!" She said with her hands on her hips, but Senior Lestrange was smirking, there was no way for her to get out now.

Or so he thought. It was perfect to—

"Oi, quit your smirking, my father is right, that contract is for Cassiopeia Black and she is dead. She's dead and as long as that bloody contract stands I have another reason for not taking my old name." She refused to look off to Rabastan, and her stomach was flipping this way and that.

What a headache.

"And what's stopping us from announcing that your disowned daughter is indeed back?"
"The same thing that is stopping me from telling the crowd downstairs about Lydia...Besides, I think my father is angry enough with you, Sir." It surprised the three wizards at how Aria was handling the situation, but truth be told, she lived in a man's world.

This surely represented that.

"You've broken my son's last betrothal, take it as—"
"I will not take it as anything, Rabastan failed to tell me about it and I forgave him. What you cannot understand is that I don't want to get married."
"What?!" It was such a forbidden topic, a woman of Cassiopeia's nature, blood, and heritage would be prime real estate for anyone downstairs.

"You know father, I don't like Lestrange having something to hold up over my head. If you want to share with the people downstairs my birth name, go right on ahead. Because I can promise you it won't change the fact that that contract is outdated, but perhaps my father could point me into the direction of an eligible bachelor." Orion smirked and nodded to his daughter.

"Avery's boy I believe was in your class, no? Or Waldon McNair, he seemed like a nice fellow the last time I spoke to him." While Aria didn't want to hurt Rabastan, it was clear what she was getting across.

"You would let your daughter marry below her worth?" Lestrange hissed, and Orion smirked.

"I would give my blessing to whomever she thought fit to be her husband, and while I didn't know the extent of the two of your's relationship—It's starting to make a few things clear...Aria. But she is far too busy with her career to focus on the prospect of a husband." Lestrange had let out a noise similar to a groan and a displeased grunt.

And Aria laughed.

"Now I believe I've overstayed my welcome, thank you, Lestrange...For making me aware of my worth. Raba? Could you drop me off?" Aria hated that Rabastan had looked to his father for permission, but the way Ms.Black was almost daring Lestrange to step out of line...It protected Rabastan more than he ever expected it would.

"Son, go escort Ms.Black back to Grimmauld Place. I believe I need to speak with Orion." Aria bowed her head in a taunting sense before turning to leave the study with Rabastan in tow close behind.

"Take Regulus with you." Aria rolled her eyes and continued down the hall the way she recalled, but sweet Merlin Rabastan couldn't take it.

"You...You found your parents." She had started off with such a bored expression, until she caught how upset he looked. "Raba—"

"You said you never wanted to, what changed your mind?" She closed her eyes and smiled.

"Do you remember that one night at Hogwarts, and you were begging me to pick and find something that I could do for myself?...I knew then. Orion had left a cloak's buckle with the Black family seal on it alongside a goodbye letter. I only ever found it because Dad gave me the box the Orphanage had. They've known since Christmas."
"Christmas? Two years?"
"That's why Regulus and Sirius got so close to me the rest of the time I was at Hogwarts." Aria had made the motion of interlocking her hand into his, in an attempt to get a move on.

But he pulled away.

"I-I knew I had an arrangement before, but I—I didn't know who—"
"Rabastan, I beg you, let's go—"
"After everything you told me about lying and being honest, you couldn't show me the shred of decency to tell me that you found your parents, your brothers?! Yet I'm the one in the wrong?"
"We weren't together, I had no obligation to tell you. You being betrothed while dating me is an entirely different story. Would it have changed? If you knew that I was Cassiopeia Black?"

He realized that she was in hiding, her connection to purebloods was private. But it was there, however Aria's shoulders fell.

"I would've hoped that now that the truth is out I could explain myself at my house, but I understand if you don't want to...Goodnight Rabastan." She finalized, turning just around the corner only to almost have run into Mrs.Lestrange herself.

"I'm sorry ma'am." Aria mumbled, just about to maneuver her way around the elder witch—Only to be pulled into a hug. It was confusing at best, but when Clarissa's hands cupped Aria's cheeks, she was met with only an adoring gaze.

"Cassi..." Aria sucked in a breath and squeezed her eyes shut, she hated when her mother said it out of spite. But the way this woman had whispered was full of disbelief and pain.

"Oh my sweet girl, you're here...You're alright." Rabastan could hardly calm his heart at the way his mother spoke to Aria—To Cassi—To the love of his life.

"Of course I'm alright, but excuse me...I've angered your husband and I've surely stayed in this manor long enough." She instated, but it all made sense.

The way how Rabastan had felt so in love and connected that he would risk dating a half-blood, Clarissa turned back to her son and urged him to follow. And when Aria heard his approaching footsteps she stopped halfway down the grand staircase.

"Don't come with me because you're forced Rabastan."
"I'm not, I want to hear everything."
"I'll admit, I don't know everything. But I know enough." He nodded, coming to meet up with her and kissing her cheek.

"Then that's enough for me." After aiding her down the steps, she assumed that his hold on her would cease, but her right where she was and scanned the room for Regulus.

It hadn't been all that hard, and Rabastan made quick work in claiming that Orion wanted him to join them in dropping off Aria at home.

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And? What do we think?
The truth is out...Sort of😂
I don't know when I'll be able to post next, these next few weeks are crunch time so lets hope for soon🤞

Date Posted: 09-28-2020

Time: 7:46

Words: 3034