With his father feeling ill this morning, Reuben agreed to run the shop for the day. School had already started, so he didnโt expect it to be very busy. In fact, if he was lucky, heโd be able to do some of his own research while he was on his own. With a yawn, the wizard waved his wand to unlock the door before looking up at it.ย โWhat the-?โ he mumbled as he ripped off the flyer that was attached to the front door.ย โThat does not belong there,โ he muttered in frustration as he crumpled it up and brought it inside to throw away. Reuben shook his head. This was just another reason that he wished he was still in the woods somewhere. His thoughts became more and more annoyed as he restocked the shelves in thought about this stupid rally. It was sure to get in the way of their work, and he wasnโt looking forward to telling his father about it. However as he let his thoughts get the best of him, the bell on the front door caused him to jump.ย โUh.. hi. Sorry. Can I help you with something?โ he asked, shifting so that he could see the customer around the shelves.
After a botched job in Cairo Cassius was in left in need of a new wand. Somehow heโd been careless enough to let the item out of his sight and had found it nearly snapped in half. Needless to say it made his work even harder, and longer, committing to just wandless magic and brute strength, but eventually he got it done.ย Now he was needed for another job, a high paying one, therefore it was essential that he either fixed his old wand - preferably - or gotten a new one as soon as possible.ย
Normally his mother would make him get a wand from a private maker, or at least a foreign one with similar affiliations to the family. But this time Cassius had decided that Ollivanderโs would have to do just fine. Now he was standing in the crowded shop impatiently looking around for signs of the owner. As soon as someone finally greeted him from behind the shelves the Curse Breaker made his way towards the counter.ย โ Yes, actually.ย โ He spoke.ย โ I was hoping there was something you could do about this.ย โ Cassius pulled the box containing the damaged wand from his inner jacket pocket and set in on the counter.ย โ Iโm quite attached to this wand, you see. If thereโs a chance it can be saved Iโd be very grateful.ย โย
When the cursebreaker had suggested a coffee shop in muggle Cardiff, Dorothy had been both intrigued and relieved. She was curious as to why Cassius Lestrange would want to meet in a place so far from their magic-filled London โ but she was grateful to be away from prying eyes. She wasnโt here on official Daily Prophet business. The last thing she wanted was for someone from the office to spot her interviewing someone and then run off and tell her boss, or worse, interrupt the interview themselves. She didnโt want anyone to know what she was working on until she was absolutely sure it was ready to be seen.
Sheโd arrived early โ one of the things she picked up from her years of interviewing Quidditch players. Most people didnโt like to be kept waiting. (Dorothy herself was not one of those people - the extra time between her arrival and someone elseโs was often filled with observations about her surroundings. Having details about location helped when she had to fill another fluff piece about this seekerโs big scandal or that goalieโs troubled family life.) Besides, sheโd asked Cassius here as a favor, and she didnโt want to jeopardize their tentative working relationship by making him impatient.
When he arrived, she lifted a hand to catch his attention. โMr. Lestrange! Over here!โ She put on her best Gryffindor smile - bright, warm, full of confidence - and rose to greet him. โI hope you donโt mind, I ordered us coffee. I wasnโt sure how you took yours, so I left it black, but weโve got cream and sugar here if you need it.โ Dorothy held out her hand for him to shake. โI really appreciate you coming to meet with me today.โ
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Unfortunately for Cassiusโ self-esteem the journalist had arrived at their meeting place before him. The familiar sound of the womanโs voice reached the former Slytherinโs ears and informed him of her whereabouts - heโd initially missed her waving, fact for which the curse breaker mentally facepalmed. Should have brought his glasses along ... With long and steady strides Cass made his way towards the table she occupied. Luckily, she had picked one further away from prying muggle eyes, fact for which the curse breaker was very grateful.ย
โ Miss Min.ย โ The greeting was accompanied by a small nod and a polite smile. His hand reached forwards to meet with the journalistโs and give it a light shake.ย โ Always a pleasure.ย โ The smile on the Lestrangeโs features widened a bit as he uttered the sentence. Nothing flirtatious about it, he genuinely enjoyed the company. After he let go of the womanโs handย Cassius made fast work of draping his jacked across the back of the vacant chair before he pulled it back so he could sit. The sight of fresh coffee steaming in the mug was a very welcomed one.ย โ Not at all, no.โ One of his hands reached out to grab the closest beverage. Cassius usually took his coffee with sugar as well but after the day heโd had, black and bitter seemed more suitable. โ Thank you.ย โ
When Dorothy Min had first reached out to him asking for an interview Cassius had been weary, to say the least. Most of the times when someone in her line of work wanted to speak with someone like him it was usually about either family matters or something relating to dark magic affiliations --- parts of Cassiusโ private life had been in the scandals column of one magazine or another one too many times for his linking ... Thankfully, nobody had gotten anything quite right yet. As Dorothy expressed her gratitude for him accepting to meet, Cassius quickly dismissed it with the wave of a hand.ย
โ Seriously, not a problem. Itโs nice to finally work with a journalist who is actually doing their job rather than harassing me about nonsense.ย โ The former Slytherin gave a quick shrug before taking a sip of his coffee. After he set the mug back down his eyes returned to the woman across the table.ย โ So, how can I help you today?ย โย ย
ย ย ย Throughout her studying to become a Healer, Ravenna had made a point to leave none of her leisure time preys conscious enough to be able to match her face to the wicked words sheโd muttered as her sharp ends dug the deepest wounds on their flesh. Since starting her work at St. Mungoโs, sheโd doubled her efforts โ you wouldnโt know how many of their families had cried on her shoulder, unknowing that her hands were stained with their loved oneโs fresh blood. It was empowering and it kept her on edge even during the most borings of days at work. Sheโd seen many known faces roaming these corridors and sheโd always alwaysย offered an apologetic smile as an acknowledgement of their suffering. Sometimesโฆ Her curiosity simply got the best of her. Like this one day, where she couldnโt help herself from approaching the figure sat in the waiting room.ย โFamily or friends?โ spoke her softest, most fragile tone, as if she were truly so affected by her dying patients. As if she didnโt adore the feeling of life being drained from a body under her skilled hands and wand.
Cassius was sat in the waiting room of St. Mungoโs, a place he knew all too well by then.ย Since he wasnโt the most cautious of Curse Breakers the former Slytherin had amassed a rather impressive collection of injuries throughout his years in the career. Heโd also gotten to know pretty much every nurse and Healer in the hospital, or at least had learned which names to associate with which face if he hadnโt met them in person.ย
At present, Cass was sprawled across a chair, eyes shut and trying to ignore the incessant sobs of a nearby couple. Ugh, youโre whatever is dying, just get over it, people do that ... It was really messing with his already messed up sleep schedule. Before he could open his mouth to make a snide comment about the situation, the sound of a familiar voice caught his interest.ย As he noticed the softness in the womanโs tone, Cassius did his absolute best to hold back a wave of laughter. When he failed, the former Slytherin masked it as well as he could with a supposed fit of coughing.ย
Blue eyes flicked open and it didnโt take them long to find the slender figure of the blonde.ย โ Healer Carrow.ย โ Cassius spoke in greeting before his gaze moved to the others in the waiting room.ย โ If sheโs on the job, your friend or loved one is in good hands.ย โ Yeah, right. The Curse Breaker trying to look and sound as compassionate as he could possible muster.ย
Injuries in Cassiusโ profession were quite a common occurrence. Especially when one did their job as recklessly as the Lestrange did, diving head first into one trap or another, just to see what would happed. Those were the only times in his life when Cassius could afford to take some risks. The real traps were those set when he returned to his family home.ย
A recent trip to Cairo had left the former Slytherin with a very loud ringing in his left ear and two, in his opinion, rather shallow gashes on his left shoulder. While he would have preferred to head home for a shower first, the pain that was beginning to radiate throughout the left side of his body made the curse breaker apparate straight into St Mungoโs. By then the sight of him covered in rips, dust and fresh blood was no longer a factor of surprise for any of the staff. Instead of being startled by his presence everyone carried on with their tasks.ย
With long strides, as steady and casual as he could possible make them appear, Cassius made his way towards the nursesโ station at the front. Most gave him a weird look as he leaned casually against the desk, a few drops of blood dripping onto a stack of papers.ย โ Anyone know where I can find Miss McKinnon? Itโs a bit of an emergency.ย โ While his tone was mostly playful there was also a hint of urgency to be heard - the ringing in his ear had decided to get louder.ย
The times when Cassius had listened to his motherโs instructions on how to conduct himself were few and far between. But some of the womanโs pieces of advice he had actually found useful. One of them was to always, always be on time for any appointment you have set. Therefore it was very unnatural for Cassius Lestrange to be late for anything. It made the Slytherin every so slightly uncomfortable, having to rush through the sea of bundled up bodies on his way to the location of his appointment.ย
Part of him hoped that Miss Min would, by some miracle, be running late herself so he wouldnโt look like an absolute ass for having made her wait. It was only ten minutes, but still. Cassius almost ran into the glass door of the little coffee shop on his way inside, attracting the eyes of a few muggle customers. It was an odd meeting place, the quaint building in muggle Cardiff, but to the Lestrange it was perfect. He couldnโt risk being spotter by any other Knights talking to a journalist, they would absolutely get the wrong idea. Therefore he had to pick a place where none of them would set foot even under the threat of death: a place filled with muggles.ย
Blue eyes scanned the room for said journalist while he tried to slow down his breathing from all the running heโd done to get to their appointment. Dorothy Min was one of the few people in her profession who didnโt manage to get on Cassiusโ every nerve by bombarding him with personal questions and he respected that about her. Hopefully, it would last.ย
Athena knocked on Cassโ door sharply with one hand, two bags full of takeout levitating behind her. She knew that he was with the boys today, which was exactly why she had decided to come by, even though it was unannounced. Her mother would have a conniption if she knew Athena was doing anything in the spur of the moment, but she and Cassius had always been close. She was sure he wouldnโt mind, and even if he did, he still had no choice but to have her around, anyway.ย
As soon as he opened the door and she caught sight of Rodolphus and Rabastan, her features broke into a bright grin. Say what you will about Athena, no one ever accused her of being mean to children. She crouched down and spread her arms wide so she could hug both of them.ย โMy, my, little warlocks, youโre getting huge! Soon, Iโm not going to be able to call you little anymore!โย ย
She stood and leaned in to give Cass the customary kiss on the cheek and once over with her gaze.ย โI brought dinner. Hopefully, thereโs enough for the boys. Last time, the three of you ate like giants.โย
As much as he had been against having children when the subject first came up, Cassius no longer had any regrets about the boys. Were they a handful? Absolutely. Did they give him a headache every time they were around? Definitely. Would he ever give them up for anything else in the world?ย Never.ย Not even when they ran across his living room, screaming louder than banshees and throwing enchanted balloons full of paint at each other. He meant to renovate his apartment anyway. Plus, it was the only time when the boys got to have some actual fun.ย
โ Daaaad! The door! โ His eldest yelled at the top of his lungs, waking the Slytherin from whatever daydream heโd been caught up in.ย โOn it.โ Cassius replied as he bolted from his safe spot in the armchair, beelining for the door while avoiding balloons being thrown directly at his head. The boys really didnโt take down when it came to harassing their father. When he opened the door, the Lestrange was meat with a very welcome surprise.ย โย โThena! โ A smile formed almost instantly on his features. He could already hear the galloping footsteps of his sons as they made their way towards their auntโs arms so he quickly stepped aside, allowing their bodies to crash into Athenaโs.ย โ Boys! Donโt break your aunt.ย โ Cass scolded, half serious, half playful.ย โ She wonโt feed us anymore if you do!ย โ
As soon as Athena was free from their grasps he could greet his cousin properly.ย โ Itโs great to see you! And all that food! โ His door was always open for his favorite family member.ย โ Oh, watch your step. And, more importantly, your clothes. I guess weโre doing some abstract painting today. โ Cassius let out a faint laugh as he gave his living room a once over. It looked like a rainbow had exploded all over the place.ย โ You know us, always hungry. โ The boys bellowed in agreement behind him, already eyeing the bags with interest.ย
โ Soon enough weโll be rolling dad down the stairs if he keeps eating like that. โ Rodolphus spoke up, a wide grin on his face.ย โ Oh, really? Iโll eat you for dinner if you keep talking like that!โ Cassius replied to his eldest as he nudged him playfully.ย โGo wash your hands! Weโll set things up. โ As his sons rushed towards the bathroom, Cassius gestured for Athena to follow him into the kitchen.ย โ Iโm afraid our usual hang out spot is compromised. โ He spoke, his tone a mix between playful and apologetic.ย ย
at the moment cassius is a reluctant villain, pretty much forced into this by family and circumstances. heโs done plenty of bad things, killed a few people, some because he had to, some because he wanted to. right now heโs a little bored of the villain lifestyle but doesnโt really know how to quit it. i might dig his hole even deeper or try and make him a good guy, not sure which route to take. guess iโll just see where the rp takes this.ย
information
as long-standing members of the sacred twenty-eight, the lestranges consider themselves almost royalty and expect to be treated as such. they take great pride in the pureblood status and are not afraid to flaunt it whenever given the opportunity or talk down to those they consider inferior. they passed down the sameย โvaluesโ to their children.ย
cassius has a twin sister who is a few minutes older than him. normally, she would stand to inherit everything as the oldest but their father wouldnโt hear of it. hector lestrange is as sexist as they come and he believes the only things a woman should inherit are pots and pans. he only acknowledges his wife and daughter during public events when they need to look like a picture perfect family.ย
growing up, cass tried to shield his sister as much as possible form the horrible things their parents did to them, especially their mother. heโd often take blame for her mistakes, knowing whatever punishment heโd receive would be far less than she would. yeah, pretty violent family behind closed doors, verbally and physically.ย
he did not inherit the sexist trait from mr lestupid. in fact, heโs very respectful towards women, unless they are his mother. when he was younger, cass would sometimes play along with his fatherโs comments, mostly out of fear that if heโd contradict the man heโd hurt his sister.ย cassโ parents quickly learned that they could use their daughter as a way of keeping their son in check and took full advantage of that.ย
hector and ophelia lestrange were never the warm and fuzzy type of parents. their interest in the children never went past checking up on how their studies were going and grooming them for their future professions: ministry worker (maybe straight up minister) for cassius and housewife for his sister.ย
their mother loves to take out all of her frustrations on the children, even now when they are adults. she loves to find new ways to threaten them and keep them just as miserable as she is. cassius has often fantasized of getting rid of her but heโs never really had the opportunity to do the deed. he hopes he will one day, before she drops dead of natural causes.ย
his father passed on a bit of a drinking problem to cass.ย
as a child, cass never really understood his familyโs obsession with blood purity and their hatred towards everyone who wasnโt like them. one day he dared ask his father why it was so important, something he regrets to this day --- he still has the scars to remind of that beating and why itโs important to keep his opinions to himself.
since that day his parents have been wary of him and kept cassius on an even tighter leash so he wouldnโt go around talking nonsense to other people or, heaven forbid, associate himself with the wrong type of people.ย instead of further questioning the way of things, cassius decided it would be much easier, and safer, to just go with it --- even if he still doesnโt understand what the hell blood has to do with magical abilities.ย
becoming a knight was not something cassius chose as much as it chose him. all his relatives, and almost all of his acquaintances, are firm believers and defenders of the blood purity doctrine so, when riddle came up with the plan to eradicate the muggle scum, they all jumped at the idea. naturally, cassius was expected to follow in their steps.ย
school was an escape for cassius. even though his mother was constantly sending letters reminding him to keep up his studies and not embarrass her by associating with the wrong crowds, at least she wasnโt there in person so he could ignore her. he was pretty popular, mostly because of his last name, but didnโt make a fuss out of it. he sometimes loved the crowd and the attention, sometimes hated it.ย he was also on the slytherin quidditch team from year 4 to year 7. he played chaser and was even captain in his final year at hogwarts.ย
after graduation, cassius was expected to go work in the ministry of magic just like his father. his choice to become a curse breaker left his parents scandalized, especially his mother. the only reason they tolerate his profession is because they still have need for an heir and canโt kill him for disobedience.ย
mrs. cassius lestrange
as a way of controlling their son further, the lestranges forced him into a quick and loveless marriage. she is the daughter of another important pureblood family and, unlike cassius, she is someone who actually understands the importance of blood purity and duty. the lestranges hoped she would manage to keep their son in check. the couple have two sons together, rodolphus and rabastan, but cassius isnโt very involved as a father.ย
in fact he isnโt very involved in the marriage altogether. heโs never wanted it so heโs not really trying his best to be a good husband. heโs nice to his wife, tries to keep up a decent friendship for the sake of appearances, but lives separately from her and kind of does his own thing.ย
ex-lover/wedlock baby mama
cassius had a fling with a muggle a few years back and it resulted in a child. heโs kept the secret from everyone except his sister. he doesnโt care about his reputation but he does care about her and the kid so heโs worries his family might try to kill them to avoid the humiliation of the situation.ย at some point he thought he was in love with this woman but heโs not so sure. they arenโt really together anymore. still, they keep in touch and he sends her money to take care of their kid.ย
personality
personality wise cassius is generally charming but distant. heโs as polite as he can be but is very reticent to open up to people. he can talk about nothing for hours but ask him a personal question and watch him shut down.ย while heโs definitely prone to violence, cass also knows how to choose his battles so he doesnโt immediately lash out when angered.ย
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