✧FATE IN THE WORKS✧

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Aria, who's nose felt like it's never known what it's like to breathe easy had finally had enough and woke the poor girl awake with a sudden sneeze, followed by a few coughs. She had little strength in trying to take the heaps of blankets off of herself but Rabastan beat her to it and handed her a cooling glass of water and a box of tissues. One she graciously accepted, though tried her best to not seem so disgusting in front of him.

"Raba, I still think it's a bad idea for you to be in here with me. I should be under quarantine in the infirmary."
"I'm fine. America hasn't got anything above me." He confirmed, though he still sounded awfully a lot like he was half asleep and thus made Aria smile light to herself. And although she had started out on the pillow, he had reached over towards her and settled her onto his chest. Kissing her forehead that was even hot to the touch.

"Raba—"
"Kitten, the lack of faith in me is starting to get offensive."
"It has nothing about faith in you, your body isn't used to foreign illnesses."
"Neither is yours it'd seem."
"Yes well Emma had decided to sneak into my bed and chat my ear off until the wee hours of the morning, this is technically the same thing."
"Oh? And what did you two talk about?" He wanted to hear that she told her sisters about him, to know that he wasn't forgotten this holiday.

But Aria had felt so drained that she had spewed only a few half sentences. Something about a book, a drawing, and a Niffler?

"And Randall?"
"I invited him with my friends to the carnival...It was grand." She mumbled, smiling fondly at the memory. Though he felt a surge of jealousy that she was with a wizard, he felt rightly more in tune to ask if Aidan was there.

And he was.

"Hmm, but we didn't talk all that much..."
"Why not? Sure you two have loads to talk about."
"I didn't wanna talk to him." He chuckled, having earned herself another kiss did she groan again. But then relaid the events at the carnival, all the games she played—It almost sounded like a childish adventure more than anything he could ever imagine.

But if she had fun then he couldn't fault her for it, instead he was just thankful she returned...Though it looked like he too was going to be sick come morning, causing him to fall readily asleep beside Aria.

An annoyed groan passed through Aria as she looked over towards the clock, it'd be best to just owl the infirmary now before it was too late and they owled her.

Rising from her position from his hold did she realize all to suddenly that Rabastan had managed his own tin of tissue waste. Damn purebloods and their ego!

Summoning a parchment she quickly wrote a summary on how Rabastan had spent time with her last night and he too was coming down with the cold. Evidently he too was feeling the slight head cold, and dear sweet Madam Pomfry had sent over two dosages for herself and for Rabastan.

"Raba...Love. Hey..." She nudged, knowing that the sooner he gets the potion into his system the easier it would take in affect when he was sleeping than awake.

"Hmm?" He issued, before coughing to the side into a fresh tissue. "Pomfry sent a potion to speed up a recovery, it's best we drink it now than—"

"You went to the infirmary? When?" He said, looking at the clock before turning to look at her attire.

She best not have left in that!

"No, I owled her that we're not going to class today and she sent these in return."
"I don't recall ever getting potion deliveries."
"Yes but I'm the brewer." She teased, tilting her head back and downing half the bottle before gesturing to his own.

"Best get down half and a few sips of water...G'night." She bustled, happily going back under the covers and then—Out like a light.

Rabastan had stared in shock at it, but also a slight bit out of his normal thought. He rallied in this being what a sickness felt like, it was worse than a hangover—Worse than a curse.

Bloody hell it was awful!

He felt like he couldn't keep his head still yet he wasn't moving in the slighest, his eyes felt like they were going to pop, and Merlin was his nose and everything in his sinuses clogged up.

"I'm dying..."
"You're not dying, merlin stop being dramatic. It's a head cold."
"A head cold? I can't afford to lose my head Ari." She sighed, good gods would she have to explain everything to him.

"What hurts?"
"Bloody everything, it feels like my eyes are about to pop out of my sockets."
"That's just the pressure build-up darling, nothing is going to pop out. It's a sinus infection."
"A what infection." With a small sniffle did he watch Aria lean up slightly before coming to a full stop to tap his nose.

"Sinuses. They run all over your face and it's basically the airways from your nose, to just under the eyes to right here between the brows. And sometimes the build-up is too much and then...A stuffy nose, or in your case pressure in the eyes. I usually get pressure in the ear, but it's relatively the same."
"There's an infection in my face and you act like it's normal."
"Of course it's normal, sickness doesn't matter if you're pureblooded or not Raba. It's just the natural progression, if you went to another country where the water isn't as pure as you're used to you're bound to get sick. But to the people who've grown up with it and are immune to it won't get infected by it." He blinked, finding truth in her words but feeling all the more grouchy now that he realized she is right.

He crossed his arms and found himself pouting in his chest, only for Aria to come over to kiss his cheek. "At least we get excused from class."
"Oh yes thank the gods and goddess that we were excused from class because my sinus is infected." Aria had begun giggling under her blanket as she looked at him in pure amusement.

"And I'm the strange one?"
"How are you so bloody calm, my skull feels like it's going to crack." Aria stilled, she hadn't thought she was going to divulge in this so suddenly but she let out a sad smile and shook her head.

"Because I've been a lot sicker than this." She whispered, her eyes fluttering to the sides as she refused to make eye contact with him and when she did...She could see the questions swimming back and forth.

"Sicker as in...?"
"Not on my death bed sick but close enough to be admitted to the hospital."
"Did they find out what it was?" She nodded, it had been the American version of Dragon Pox and he realized then and there that there was no age range for sickness, there was no category that could be immune or non.

"Scared father out of his wits, almost missed Hogwarts if I had been sick any longer...That's why I favor potions Raba, I want to help people. I want to help cure illnesses." He saw the fear return in her eyes, and he couldn't imagine what the situation had been like for her and her family.

But then he could, he could picture her eldest brother being overprotective, or her mother catering to her whims because she didn't want the youngest daughter in the family to suffer.

"I'm sorry love."
"Don't be, I'm healthy...Just my immune system is weaker than most, that's why I put drops in my tea." He had noticed a while ago, and although he had more questions on this deathly illness of hers he had let it go for the sake she falls back asleep.

Though he couldn't help but turn his head back towards the ceiling and think of a world where Aria Roswell was not present in.

Neither could be sure how long they slept, but it was coming to lunchtime when Aria had finally felt it was time to get some work done. Which made Rabastan groan and complain that she was moving around too much for his taste, which caused him to take Omen as a sense of warmth. And the feline was much too happy to comply with, allowing Aria to catch up the assignments that she had missed in the counting days.

Hopefully she was healthy enough to attend tomorrow's lectures.

A knock at the door tore Aria from her thoughts as she waved her wand to unlock the door. Only to see either Avery and Clemintine come in, tho Clem had the decency to have her hand covering her eyes before peeking behind.

"Oh what a load of bull...Mate! Stop spooning the cat!" Avery yelled, and Rabastan turned to his with a red nose and reddened eyes—He looked like the epitome of a sick lad, thus the story fell in suit.

"Suppose they are really sick...Which means..." Clem gripped Avery's school robes to tug him back, and that ultimately confused him.

"What? Rabastan doesn't get sick, we're—" And he too received a smack with a pillow, causing Rabastan to chuckle a small bit before a sequence of coughs followed through.

"If I hear one bloody boast on how your blood is going to protect you from a cold I'm hosting a bloody intervention." Clementine looked fearful, Aria wasn't usually an unpleasant person to be around when she was ill, but it seemed like she had enough strength to throw a pillow.

Which meant she was in a breathing fire stage.

"But I brought you the assignments for today?" Clem mumbled, looking down to the bundle in her hands while Avery reached into his robe and pulled out a folder for his mate.

"You too, seems like McGonagall doesn't trust this lil sickness."
"That's funny because I couldn't get any homework from her," Clemintine smirked, taking either and having it levitate off towards them. She made a promise to check on them later while Avery was still in a mess of giggles that his best mate was sick and cuddling with a cat.

Although Rabastan seemingly woke up in a fit of anger when Avery came and disrupted the peace, nothing was more angelic than seeing Aria in an oversized Ravenclaw jumper with a slopping bun at the top of her head—All in offering a steaming cup of herbal tea that was meant to numb the feelings that the sinuses were sending off.

With all that said and done the two recovered quicker than normal, or quicker in Aria's case. But in all seriousness it gave Aria a image Aria a picture of a domestic Rabastan, take away the pureblood and what are you left with?

It was currently Friday and the two had just finished up a makeup potion assignment together, and by 'together' Rabastan meant that Aria had it done hours ago while he put it off for last. He was starting to get a better understanding, but he felt dumb when he asked a question or let her read it over.

Yet then he would be rewarded with a brilliant smile or a kiss on the cheek, which he dragged out even further with a pout or his puppy eyes.

However at the current moment Aria needed a reference book from the library while Rabastan was going to turn in their finished potion's homework—He had to ask few things to ask in regards to missing a Slytherin prefect meeting.

Sure either felt weak in terms of fighting the small illness, either knew that they had to get a few things in terms of assignments and other responsibilities. However the there had been a knock on the door causing either to turn in confusion.

"It's open!" Aria shouted, pulling her bag onto her shoulder and soon they were greeted by a blinded Regulus as he took a cautious step into the classroom.

"Everyone decent...?" He questioned, and Rabastan chuckled as he grabbed Aria in a slight yank as he hooked her by the waist, earning him a squeal and Regulus a reddened face as he was about to leave.

"Oh knock it off Lestrange, stop scaring the boy. Yes Reg we're decent, I was heading to the library...Did you want to join?" The bright smile erupted one his face as she squeezed her hand to his shoulder.

"Come join us when you're done?" She said over her shoulder and he nodded in confirmation as well before leaving the room to him...And Omen.

Who was looking rightly happy with herself as she swished her tail and looked up to a new found cuddle buddy.

"That was a one-time thing darling."

Meow!

"Fine. But it's between you and I."

Meow...Ow.

Rabastan had the assignments in hand but had taken the entirety of his satchel as he did want to join back into the public eye. Sure sickness was one thing, but he didn't like being cooped up for so long.

He was social, he was born to be social—To control the mood of a room, to be a manipulative pawn. It was one of the many reasons he was Betrothed to Claudette.

It was a conversation he wasn't ready to have with Aria, not that he'd ever admit to what happened—To him it was normal, Claudette was his betrothed so was it cheating?

If anything he was cheating on her with Aria.

Either way Rabastan Alistair Lestrange was in the wrong, and yet he walked through the halls with a dominating grin on his face. He admitted to himself that he was starting to love Aria, spoke it out loud as well.

Knocking at the potion labs door did he see his head of house waddling to get his own tasks done for the day, it hadn't taken all that long to submit the said work and get a summary of what'd he missed in both his house's meeting to the entire year meeting.

However in the midst of it he had a brilliant epiphany, and he smiled politely as he needed to word this correctly.

"Sir...? I was wondering if you needed anything in Hogsmead this weekend, Aria is always commenting on how there isn't enough—"

"Ah yes, I've been meaning to make time. You wouldn't mind, would you? I have a school tab on the shop." Rabastan nodded and smiled, he had a basis of an excuse...But now he needed another element to the offer.

"Then is it possible to have Aria signed off just for the day to visit Hogsmead? She'd be better to identify a list and—"
"Bly me! I would've expected that Dumbledore signed her letter then for her!" The elder wizard shuffled before finding a parchment, both to sign off to the town and then the long list of ingredients.

He was about to question as to why Dumbledore would need to sign off a permission slip versus Mr.Crawford. Was a step-father not enough of a guardian to sign her off?

It was making more sense in his mind as he pocketed either piece of parchment and hurried off to the library. Rabastan felt elevated for thinking of such a thing, and now he'd get to take his little Kitten out for a butterbeer like he planned to do since the beginning.

Having it be the first thing he ever asked her gave an extra skip in his step, to those passing by it was suspicious to what the Slytherin was up to. And it made muggle-borns scurry out of his was, but he hadn't even given them a second look as he dropped off his things at the table Regulus was already at.

"What's got you all smily 'Bas?"
"I've got a plan." It was clear that Regulus looked unsure, and his eyes trailed off towards where Rabastan assumed Aria to be—Course she was in the potion's section on the library with a book in her hands, skimming through the paragraphs to find a certain fact as her hand was at the ready to write it down. However a small first-year rushed up to her in a slight panic, and the Ravenclaw was all too prepared to put aside her task to aid another.

He gazed at her exceedingly kind nature, his eyes glistening after his little bird being so ready to help and nurture those around him.

Was that what drew him to her? Her kindness?

"Ms. Aria Roswell?" He spoke, interrupting her return to the reference book. He hadn't exactly prepared for her to flinch at the sound of her name, but then she groaned as she realized it was just Rabastan.

"Would you like to go to Hogsmead...If you could?" Turning to face him directly did she mark the book and hug it to her chest, but ultimately she gave his question a shrug. "I haven't rightly minded it, I see enough of it when going on the train."

"Rubbish, and you know it...I'm asking if you'd like to go." She blinked up towards him in now a set of confusion, her frown fighting to set in.

"If you're asking that I sneak out, I won't." He noticed that she was caving in on herself, and he quickly shook in denial as he pulled out the parchment from his robe.

"That surely would've been an idea, but I've asked Slughorn to sign you off just for Saturday...We do have to go to the potion store and purchase a few things. But afterwards I can give you a tour." Aria's eyes widened in downright surprise at the idea, but then she shook her head.

"I don't want any trouble Rabastan."
"Trouble? It took all of a minute, he was as shocked as I was. Then said the headmaster should've signed your permission slip? What's that all about?" An unnerved inhale swooped between the two as she felt the tips of her hair start to creep in the familiar shade, Merlin please!

Licking her lips did she try and find the words to counter his suspicion and curiosity. If she had tried to sneak out to Hogsmead she knew right then and there that her detentions would be sent straight to the Fountain of Angels.

Which would ultimately make it more difficult for Eli to adopt her from there.

He was getting dangerously close to the truth that her anxiety was spiking from a mere mention from Slughorn about Dumbledore signing her permission slip.

The reason she didn't was because Aria knew he'd ask for a favor, she just felt it in her gut.

"Won't you be honest with me kitten? I'm sure whatever the issue is, it isn't—" She looked positively unsure about where the conversation was headed, and he absolutely hated when the stress of a conversation would lead to her playing with the tips of her hair.

But it was out of nerves, to make sure they hadn't changed shade. However no part of her wanted to go through the whole Orphan story, especially after just sharing it recently with Sirius and Regulus.

"If I say yes will you drop it?" She questioned, dipping into the familiar Slytherin nature that Rabastan couldn't manage to counter. "If you say yes to a butterbeer I won't mention a damn thing you don't want me to." A soft smile erupted on her face as she nodded in confirmation.

Finally, after months of trying—Rabastan Lestrange would finally manage a date with his kitten.

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Date Posted: 05-08-2020

Time: 1: 53

Words: 3333