✧EASTER CELEBRATIONS PT.2✧

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***

He humored his mother and ate while she took her afternoon tea, though it was laced with strategic. And he probably spoke more on Aria than he wanted to, but then his father had made an appearance and he could feel his back straighten so quickly.

"Love, I didn't know if you wanted to join us..." Clarissa played it cooling, and even if she had asked, Rabastan knew that his father would come whenever he pleased.

"Your mother tells me you've had a spike in markups?" Rabastan nodded his head and quickly followed it with a 'yes sir' before taking another bite of the small meal before him.

"Utterly pointless potions, I don't see why you'd need to study that nonsense." Rabastan bit his tongue as he attempted to hold back, it'd seem like his father always spoke out of turn and whatever was on his mind.

Honestly what was one to say?

"I wouldn't say it's utterly pointless darling, they're making movement in curing Dragon Pox. I'm sure a fine line of people, including Alfred Black, would disagree with you." Senior Lestrange chuckled at his wife, shaking his head as he gestured his fork towards his mum.

"Witches...They don't know what they're ever talking about." Rabastan blinked towards his father in utter silence, had it always been like this? Had he said that to Aria she would've smacked him upset the head, called him an arise and walked away. But here his mum simple shrugged her shoulders and remained silent while sipping her tea.

"Actually...I agree with mother, I think I'm starting to finally understand potions and the beauty of it." The beauty of a certain—

"Suppose that's your bird's doing, isn't it Bas?" Turning over his shoulder did he see his brother take the free chair at the table and fill his plate before dropping a napkin down to his lap.

"Bird? What bird?" Their father scoffed, and Rodolphous nicked his head towards Rabastan. "Fancies a Ravenclaw that one."

Aria was a dead witch.

"A bird? What happened to Ms.Barns?" Rabastan's eyes flicked towards his mother in damnation, this wasn't rightly a lunch conversation and thus...He might as well paint Victoria in bad light with the family.

"Avery and I had a suspicion with her and a witch named Ms.Harper, that they're trying to climb the ladder." Rodolphous turned to look at his brother and nodded, seemingly feeding into the lie—Though it wasn't all a lie. Both Victoria and Amelia were working effortlessly to get through someone's heart.

Unfortunately for Avery he was starting to have feeling for his own bird.

"And this bird...What is her name?"
"Aria...Aria Roswell." Senior Lestrange stopped for a moment and turned to look at his wife.

"That name sounds familiar...And this is the Ravenclaw that's pushing your grades up."

"Yes sir, she's the smartest in our year." It was undoubtedly true, even if his roommate Snape and Ms.Lily Evans could say anything.

Aria Roswell was at another level.

"And...Who are her parents?"

"She actually lives in America, and I haven't heard much of her parents." Rabastan absolutely hated having to discuss this, he felt under fire even though his father was only half in the conversation anyhow.

"Half-blood I'm assuming?"

"I doubt 'Bas would bring a Mudblood to the table father. He knows better than that." Rodolphous could see the protective shift in his brother's face, so much so that he had to hide his free hand and curl his fist under the table.

"Of course I wouldn't." He spat back towards his brother, clearly losing the last thread of sanity. But all this talk caused Clarissa to smile in delight.

"And what does this Roswell do?"

"This one says she's a Chaser on her houses' team. Please tell me that Slytherin hasn't a witch on the team?" Rabastan shook his head, but hadn't Bellatrix played?

What the hell was this bias? And why did it leave a fowl and bitter taste in his mouth.

"Suppose Aria does a little bit of everything..." Rabastan spoke just before a bite, and that caught his father by surprise.
"Oh? And do tell...What has spiked your interest in this witch? I had thought your mother and I's selection of Claudette was a fine choice." Rabastan could feel the blood trickle from his palm as his nails were digging far too deep into his skin.

Claudette and Aria was simply not a competition, Aria won each and every time.

"She is...But Aria is..." But he couldn't say it, he couldn't put Aria in danger or explain that a witch didn't want to get married. What his little kitten didn't understand was that his word thought of marriage long before a child is even born to pair them up with the current generation.

"...Is just an infatuation, I'm sure I'll see another witch in the coming months." Apparently it was the correct response as his father smiled, although his mum claimed that the contact could be changed, he was sure his father didn't want to be bothered or lose a friendship with Claudette's family or French ties.

His mother knew better, as the corresponding parcels between him and her spoke volumes to what this witch meant to him.

And it wasn't a simple infatuation.

With lunch finally done he was invited to his father's study and given a humored glass of firewhiskey. "Father, could I ask a question?" He caught his father nodding his head, though he wanted a cautious second in case he changed his mind at the last moment.

As it's happened before and the consequences of his father were simply brutal.

"Is Mrs.Sewlyn...Doing well?" Perhaps it hadn't come out correctly, or there really wasn't a proper way to ask how ones father's mistress is doing being with child to a bastard.

"Best watch your tongue when you speak to me boy!"
"I simply wanted to know how my sibling was doing, I'm sorry father." The cooling glass felt lovely against his bleeding palm, and so he took a sip of his drink.

It was better to be intoxicated if he was going to get punished for his foolishness.

"Your sibling?... What are you sprouting about now?"

"I had some thought, and I always thought of Regulus as a younger brother and all...But there isn't any blood connection there, yet now with Mrs.Selwyn being with child, I thought that perhaps a younger sibling would be...Sort of grand." Rabastan turned to look at his father, and a wide grin showcased on his father's face.

"She's nearing the end of her third trimester, the babe should be here within the month." Rabastan knew little to nothing about pregnancy, babes and much less about birth than he realized. And he sighed not knowing what else to say.

"Aria...She has these dreams, she said her brother's wife was expecting a child. But mentioned that the witch in the dream was blonde while her sister in law is a brunette." Rabastan watched his father turn in slight curiosity before finishing this glass.

"Can see visions can she...This infatuation of yours?"

"Yes, and a slight bit of Legitemency, though she doesn't find control with it." Rabastan realized he was putting Aria—Gritting his teeth had he finished his glass and placed it onto the table, all before turning to one of the many law books that lingered off towards the side.

"And? What did she see?"

"A girl being born." A breathless smile escaped his father, and when he had caught the good graces of his father he smiled slightly as well.

"A daughter...A-and this bird, she trusts these dreams?" Rabastan nodded, though looking back to his slight twist of the truth did ti rightly not matter if he told his father Aria's brother sought out a divorce.

"Roswell...Merlin, I've heard the name before but I cannot—Cannot place it..." Turning down to look at his scraped palms did Rabastan chose his next line carefully, but alas what was his father ever going to do with Aria?

She lived in America and she was still a student in Hogwarts.

"She hasn't told me outright, but I believe her parents have died or unfit to take care of her—Which leaves her to her stepfather in the states. Mr.Crawford being her step-father."

"She hasn't told you outright?... Fucked her the wrong way did you?" His father's laughing taught but Rabastan silenced it with a shake of his head. "No father, she wishes to remain pure until marriage."

"Oh does she? Suppose you can't go back to Barns if she's wishing to be a Lestrange."

"No. I won't be going to her for anything, turned out to be an unfaithful whore—Though I didn't want to say that in front of mother." The master of the home hummed in confirmation that that was the right course of action.

"Hm, best leave that away from a witch's ear. Though I didn't expect you to come home and have yourself tied to a virgin witch that plays Quidditch, yet your brother continues to remind me that times are changing." The room fell silent, and for a moment Rabastan smiled in seeing a law book focused on potion related incidences and thus he plucked it from his father's shelf.

"Your betrothed is coming before tonight, do your best to humor Claudette...Unless you believe that Ms.Roswell is more than just a current Infatuation?"

"Haven't a clue yet father, she's tickled my interests more than I thought she was...I always thought Ravenclaws were nose deep in the books, but she came back this summer and—Merlin she could ride a broom." He watched his father raise his brow in record of what his son had said.

"Suppose your brother should take you to Eve's Garden if you're lacking in getting a witch to your bed..."

"No father she's religious to the gods and goddess that she—"

"Oh. She's one of those. At least she seems to be pulling your head out of your arse and making you focus on what's important." Rabastan narrowed his brows together as he turned to look at his father, though the book was still in his hold.

"Family...Now then I'm going to tell Linda the good news of a daughter!"

"Will you owl me...When she's born? I'd like to know if Aria was right." Senior Lestrange scratched his finely trimmed beard, almost thinking it was worth the effort in writing his son a few sentences in a parcel. Alas, he earned a nod.

Which Rabastan countered with a grin.

He had soon left to head to his room, knowing full well that this was going to be his summer in between hanging with his mates and his internship. But having said all that he found himself rather intrigued, the potion world was a lot brutal and more mundane than he's come to realize.

There were so many laws, and countless efforts to know what is patented to what could be brewed and then on top of it all, a master could decide whether they wanted ingredients listed and the steps to procure said potion out in the world.

Did Aria know all of this? He was certain she did, when she was speaking about how dull his future profession would be she seemed to acknowledge bits and pieces—And her future looked like a lot of what his was, however he then realized she would have to hire dozens of types of people if she did manage to procure a potion out into the world.

Was that why the potion industry was so damn expensive to get a headstart on? Or was the school she was planning on attending simply expensive?

All these questions were starting to jumble in his head and he found himself writing a few down into his journal as well as things he would focus on come time for his internship

His mother came in to inform him that Claudette would most likely be coming in the morning seeing how it was already past nine at night and thus...He decided that he was due for an early night.

Having taken a hot shower and not running through a list of tasks or homework assignments that needed to be complete, he was able to fall asleep rather quickly in his bed.

Until he felt movement around him.

It was strange, causing him to groan and rub his eyes—Gifting him only a slightly blurred and darkened version of his bedroom. And nothing made any sense at to what that sensation had been until his felt soft hands riding up the height of his thighs to tug down his boxers.

His cock had sprung underneath the covers and allowed her to welcome him into her mouth. Rabastan's length gliding into her fluently followed by a slight pop before returning to him a damning rhythm— "Sweet Merlin..." He found himself groaning into the air with a strain, his knuckles turning white as they gripped the bedding around him.

Looking down he had found the figure underneath the cover's form, bobbing their head to tell him that it wasn't a fever dream. It was real.

The witch's task wasn't finished, and nor was she stopping at this simple greeting...And in Rabastan's distracted state he hadn't been all that aware or prepared to enter the witch's slick entrance and push further into her heat.

Another incomprehensible sound followed from his throat which was followed by a light giggle.

"ça fait tellement de bien...Ouais?"

[It feels so good ... Yeah?]

There were no words that could pertain to the last few months of abstaining to sex. And here he was awakened to the sweet and beautiful form of Claudette Denault that was struggling to withhold himself from calling out to Aria—As he knew—He knew that this was not her.

His hands finally left the sheets and latched onto the witch's hips and slammed into her, almost in punishment for waking him up...And yet she had only squeals further at being handled so forcefully, so much so that she rewarded him with removing her nightgown to give him front row seats to her large breasts.

"Embrasse-moi."
[Kiss me.]

He ordered and she happy complied to reach down further, though it fell trapped to turned the two of the over and pushing her fitfully to the bed.

"Tu es encore en retard."
[You're late again.]

Was all he huffed in her ear before pushing down at her shoulder to keep her pinned below, his eyes were close to rolling to the back of his head at the pace they were going.

"I...I'm zorry." Claudette had spoke muffled into the likes of his pillow, and it caused him to smirk rather darkly down to his little betrothed—His home persona soon trickling in...The wizard that Aria had started to find herself fancying more and more every day had vanished in the slight instance.

And while she was touring the grounds with Randall and urging him to try all the types of fried food that there'd be—A small stabbing sensation had spiked in her lower abdomen, though she excused it as her menstrual cycle...

Had been the Gods and Goddess way of telling her...That her faithful soulmate wasn't so faithful after all.

*

Aria had found herself in such a high over the course of the Holiday that she rightly didn't want to return, and neither did her family want to see her leave so early.

So she decided to stay the extra day and Eli would drop her off, as he too needed to come to London and speak with the Ministry once more.

It seemed like they were meeting more and more, and although she didn't want to even know what type of bill this would cost the Crawford family, she swore up and down that when she released her plan set of potions then she would eventually pay them back for all they've done.

Rabastan, on the other hand, hadn't felt at all guilty in humoring his betrothed this Holiday, not had he told his mates that Claudette had come paid him a nightly visit in his bed chambers while he was fast asleep.

The issue being that Lestrange didn't know what boundaries were or what the definition of cheating would look like, if anything he wasn't meant to be dating a half-blood, or was he meant to be fucking his betrothed. So, in reality, the whole 'what he was compensating for' was becoming to be a little bit more clear.

Well not to himself anyway, however he felt rightly out of place when Aria hadn't shown up in the Prefect cart, so he readily assumed that she was going to be coming a day late.

It was rather unfortunate as he wanted to see her now, but if she wasn't feeling up to using the portkey non could be blamed. And instead he went to go and visit Ghost on her behalf, and Merlin was the beast excited.

"Sorry mate, she'll be coming soon. Believe me, I'm just excited as you are...Perhaps even more." He whispered to the beast, and it earned him a nuzzling bit of affection.

But a bird like coo erupted and it caused Rabastan's pureblood persona to drift back to reality as he nodded and cupped Ghost's beak.

"We're even then."

Aria hadn't returned lunch the next day, and she had missed the given classes scheduled for that morning she went to those professors and asked for the assignments and book pages to read up on.

Usually they were all catering to her and she absolutely hated it, and most of the time it was Professor McGonagall who caved in, while Slughorn would push over with ease and give the full assignment.

However it was usually, and it was clear that Aria was starting to feel under the weather. So she took a pepper up potion and decided to head off towards Ghost, and a proud smile erupted on her face as she saw Rabastan there already.

She hadn't sent him an owl, which was probably for the best and considering she hadn't asked for his address to mail anything. But what was the point? They hadn't been gone even a week, even with her extra days.

However her next step had been in hesitation as the pit in her stomach had spiked roughly in return, and it made her stomach almost revolt right then and there. Perhaps she should head back up to bed and sleep until tomorrow morning, as she felt rightly awful.

Ghost had been the first to notice her scent, his perched wings motioning up and calling out to her to come closer.

A lofty smile was given to the lads while Rabastan had dropped his hand from Ghost's beak and came at a quickened pace to greet her. And what had started with a hug and an adoring kiss—He had been caught off guard when she moved away from his ready lips.

Did she know?

Who told her?

It wasn't possible for her to know as he hadn't told Avery or McNair of what Claudette had done, just that she had visited over the holiday.

"I'm sorry Raba, I've been feeling under the weather. Planned on being dropped off this morning but father thought it best to relax a bit longer." His eyes softened as his hand felt her head and realized that it was slightly burning to the touch.

Yet she was sick for a different reason altogether.

"Come love, say hello to Ghost and we'll get you warmed up with some tea."

"But I wanted to stay with—"

"And I'm telling you it's too cold for you to stay out. We're going inside." Her mouth opened and she took a step away from his hold as her hands cupped her hips.

"Oh you knock that shite off right this instant! I don't care for when Regulus acts all high and entitled after holidays but I will not be ordered around like that." His eyes widened, and it hadn't even crossed his mind that he turned different, sure the normal stoic expression that his mates made fun of him for.

But was he really all that different?

Claudette hadn't an ounce of confidence to say something like this to him, much less disobey an order from him and yet Aria looked like she was a second from slapping him upside the head.

"I'm sorry kitten, but I did say it nicely the first time." Her eyes squinted and she shook her head, letting her pointer finger tap his nose.

She would surely get him back later.

"No present for you sir."
"Kitten I promise I won't act like that again." He did want to talk to her about her holiday and tell her about his, mindful of skipping over a detail or two.

After about five minutes, and Rabastan's hinting huffs told her that he was getting impatient. Thus cutting the visit short and for him to escort her to the classroom, all too easily had he gone to start a kettle on the fire.

"Do you have any nightwear in here?" He called out, and she turned to look at him in confusion. "Er, yeah? Why?"
"We're sleeping in here love."
"What? Why?...I don't want to get you sick either, it's awful." He smirked as he opened a draw to find a soft pair of pajamas for her to change into.

"I don't get sick."
"What does that mean?"
"Don't know, never been sick. Father think's—" He hadn't seen it coming, the pillow that is.

But Aria being sick had given her less patience than normal.

"Right well I still never been sick before."
"And that has anything to do with pureblood? Merlin, this is why you need muggles."
"Need Muggles? Love I think you're going a bit far in—"
"Tell me Raba, what is an atom?"

"An atom?...Isn't that a name?"
"No—Well Adam is, but an Atom...A-T-O-M, is the smallest component of an element. It's found in everything around us."
"What sort of nonsense is that?"
"It's not nonsense, it's science...And you're going to get sick because your body isn't used to American illnesses. Which I suppose I got from Emma." Rabastan started to scratch his head in complete confusion over the entire thing and then she shrugged.

"Here, what is around us?"
"Er..."
"What do we breath in Rabastan?"
"Oh, Air."
"Yes but what is air?" Perhaps if he had taken Alchemy he would start to see the similarities to what she was talking about.

And for some reason or another he never found her talking this type of nonsense annoying, perhaps he was confused at the end of it all. But she looked readily adorable after getting her set up in a change of comfortable clothes, underneath a blanket and a steaming mug filled with herbs to get her sore throat under control.

But here she was explaining what elements in the world were being discovered, and sure there were magical creatures and he hadn't ever thought of the other creatures that was on the earth. But the fact there was still unexplored and undiscovered creatures in the deepest depths of the ocean was making his head spin.

Yet it was Aria who put this into perspective, that their lives were so utterly insignificant to a world the was millions of years old in comparison to their almost sixteen years on this rock.

He had managed to get a kitchen elf to get a bowl of soup, chicken noodle to be process as she said she couldn't stomach onion. And that was probably the best choice, but instead she found herself sleeping within a few minutes after finishing the bowl.

Having slept beside one another multiple times, and in his bed for one of those nights, he knew the set up of hour Aria liked to have the classroom look before she went to bed. And after checking to make sure she was entire comfortable, he pulled her closer—Hoping that his warmth would make her feel any better.

It didn't.

It sent her mind into a spiral of colorful dreams that mixed in matched previous ones, but never outrightly showed what Rabastan had done this Holiday.

He turned to kiss her cheek, noticing the small smile form on her face as was heavy with sleep.

"I think I'm in love with you Aria..." He stated, and that declaration had only upset the gods further.

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Date Posted: 05-07-2020

Time: 1:10

Words: 4114

I felt dirty writing Rabastan with another character that's not Aria/Aurora, do you think he loves Aria or loves the idea of normalcy that comes with being with her?