we all need someone to lean on

rabastan lestrange. 23. soulmate of rodolphus & bellatrix, or so we say.

[boxed-in-black-blog]

Hide and Seek | Regulus + Rabastan

[boxed-in-black-blog]

“Would have been a smarter move.” Regulus allowed, but he’d turned away at the mention of a person, fumbling with his sleeves–something about that felt a little too right but he couldn’t think of why. It wasn’t like Vance would go blather on about where she was. “Yeah,” He added. “I’ll stay up here. I know a few places they might have gone.”

[theother-lestrange]

"Don't get yourself killed," Rabastan told him. "If you do find someone." He motioned in the direction that he was planning to go, feeling entirely awkward about leaving the conversation but not sure how else to. He gestured again awkwardly and then headed in the direction of the stairs.

[boxed-in-black-blog]

Hide and Seek | Regulus + Rabastan

[boxed-in-black-blog]

“Well you’d know.”

Regulus half shrugged, turning away. “Of course there’s something here worth stealing. But…” He couldn’t think of anything the Order would want. “But nothing I’d think they’d bother with all this to take?”

[theother-lestrange]

Rabastan's eyes narrowed at Regulus' words but he didn't comment. "A person then?" He asked. "Though I don't think we're holding anyone here, and it would still be very out of character for the Order. Then again-" he recalled the rubble in Knockturn Alley. "Their actions have been escalating. Perhaps they meant to blow the house and kill us all." That would have livened up the party.

“I’m going to check downstairs. I assume you're staying up here?"

[tedblack-soulmate-blog]

Ted resisted the urge to roll his eyes and sneer, yes. Instead he just shrugged. “We were all spooked. That was entirely unexpected on all sides. As I understand it, no one’s come forward to claim responsibility or accuse anyone else because it was so… out of the ordinary.” Ted felt a small shiver down his spine like ice was sliding it’s way over his nerve endings. “Like fucking Pearl Habor.”

Coughing slightly to dislodge a lump that was forming in his throat, Ted attempted to look apologetic but knew he probably just looked disoriented. “She’s fine. We’re fine. No big deal, we’ve dealt with things like this before.”

[theother-lestrange]

"We hardly need anyone to claim responsibility," Rabastan said, ignoring Ted's mention of Pearl Harbor. It wasn't something he knew about and he wasn't willing to discuss it if it was some muggle thing. Ted could keep his bizarre muggle events. "We might not have the names of those specifically responsible but who else would attack us so vigorously?"

He didn't comment on Ted's expression. He didn't much care what the man was feeling, only that he was bored of this conversation now and craving a quiet space. "Well I'm pleased to hear it," he said, then motioned to the door. "I need a drink. Thank you for the stimulating conversation."

[boxed-in-black-blog]

Hide and Seek | Regulus + Rabastan

[boxed-in-black-blog]

“Why duck into a quiet corner if you’re kissing your husband?” Regulus shrugged. It wasn’t his business anyway. Not really.

“I just expected more… anything if there’s some attack or infiltration occurring.” Not running into Greengrasses who were oblivious or Rabastan–feeling more awkward than he had before. 

[theother-lestrange]

"It might depend on how you were intending to kiss you husband." An attempt at a joke, or half an attempt. It was hard to know what might clear the air now, and what might make it more awkward.

"No, you're right." Rabastan nodded. "We should have seen or heard something by now. Do you think it was meant as some kind of attack fo stealth? Is there something here worth stealing?"

[boxed-in-black-blog]

Hide and Seek | Regulus + Rabastan

[boxed-in-black-blog]

Regulus jerked upon seeing Rabastan but quickly shook his head, “No.” He shrugged, “Not unless you count a Greengrass kissing someone in a corner somewhere.”

He found it surprising: if it were really Order Members he would expect a bit more… something to have happened to the house so far. Maybe they would have intended a quiet entrance but something had to go wrong. It always did. “Do you think the houseelf was mistaken?”

[theother-lestrange]

Rabastan laughed quietly. "I'm going to assume it wasn't a someone they weren't meant to be kissing." Trust Regulus to come upon gossip during a man hunt.

He looked around at their surroundings, considering the layout of the manor and the usual behaviour of the Order members. It seemed unlikely that they would have gone to the effort of infiltrating the manor quietly only to be caught by a house elf. "The creatures aren't smart but they're loyal," he mused. "It's possible that one panicked and reported the intruder in a misguided attempt to gain favour."

[tedblack-soulmate-blog]

Ted shrugged. “It’s different when you love the child.” He could tell Rabastan wasn’t enjoying their conversation but he didn’t really care. He probably should. The more people who liked him the better off they were. The more Rabastan liked him the more he would open up in therapy and the more he could help him. But the stubborn, almost childlike, side of Ted was adamant: he just doesn’t like me because of my blood. And I can’t change that so I won’t be nice to him either. It was a petty kind of vindictiveness, Ted knew. But sometimes he thought that being only as polite as he needed to towards the people that hated him was the only thing keeping him sane. “Perhaps your expectations were off, though I could never hope to match your levels of conversation skills so there is that to take into consideration.”

“If my wife was injured I wouldn’t be here but I would be with her.” Ted explained crisply.

[theother-lestrange]

"Clearly she wasn't seriously injured," Rabastan said in a flat tone. Honestly, the way this man spoke to him. Rabastan allowed a certain kind of tone when he showed up for the so-called therapy because he had a respect for professional spaces but that did not make them equals here. He didn't let the irritation show on his face but he felt it. "I'm not an idiot. If she'd been injured badly I would have heard about it. I was asking if she'd been injured at all, or perhaps spooked by the experience." He squared his jaw, the only sign of annoyance he allowed to show. "Do you respond to every question of your family's well-being that way?"

[boxed-in-black-blog]

Hide and Seek | Regulus + Rabastan

You have got to be kidding, Regulus thought as he took the second floor. Its like some sort of messed up game. Peek-a-boo.

These things, Reuglus believed, never happened when Peter was around. Of course, that was more because no one really considered breaking into an occupied Death Eater home a good idea. Narcissa’s manor (because it was hers, by this point, no matter whose last name was attached) wasn’t even a good strategic choice. Peter Pettigrew: had nothing to do with anything before death and possibly everything to do with it after.

Still, at least it got them out of the drawing room and small talk. Regulus turned a corner and kicked open a door. It was probably a false alarm anyway.

[theother-lestrange]

Although Rabastan had been hoping for a break in the proceedings, he had wished it to be one that would allow him to go home. An intruder in the home of the Malfoys meant that they all had to remain, even help with the search, until an intruder was found or the house was deemed void of such a person. Either way: it meant that Rabastan was now roaming the halls in search of anyone who did not belong.

The person he spotted on the second floor was the opposite of that description, someone who belonged in the manor just as much as he did. Rabastan almost turned the other way just to avoid running into Regulus Black, but he knew that that was the coward's path.

"Found anything yet?" He called out, just as Regulus was kicking open a door.

[sweetgentlemary]

Every breath seems far too loud || Mary/Rabastan

[theother-lestrange]

Rabastan wanted to laugh at her response. It was the kind of obedience one would ask of a slave but maybe that’s what the girl had become to Julius. She bowed her head meekly and did as  she was bid; she was like a trained animal. “I’m not your soulmate,” he said, as if either of them needed reminding. His chosen soulmates were not nearly as timid as Mary; if anything he was the most timid out of the three of them. And he certainly wasn’t anything like Julius, taking in a mudblood soulmate and allowing her to sit with them at gatherings. Rabastan supposed he would have preferred no soulmate to a mudblood’s name on his skin, but it was hardly fair that Mary had a true soulmate and he didn’t. It was like destiny was laughing at him by placing this girl in his midst (after all, he could hardly avoid Julius, could he).

“You don’t have to follow my orders but you still would, wouldn’t you?” Rabastan had thought that he could figure her out by speaking to her but it turned out that she wasn’t that complicated after all. Her meekness, her willingness to obey even when there was no indication that she needed to, was as distasteful as her background and almost pitiful to watch. Rabastan sighed in disgust and motioned in the direction that Mary had originally been walking towards. “I think you should find somewhere else to be. Don’t come back to the room; your distress is obvious and it’s distracting.”

[sweetgentlemary]

Mary stared up at him for a moment, before nodded and turning away. All he’d done was given her permission to do exactly what she’d been doing in the first place. Really she should be grateful to him. Now she had an excuse for why she was disappearing, should Julius ask her later. She was a bit unsettled by the hatred in Rabastan’s voice, but by now she was used to it. Sometimes it felt like everyone here hated her, for some reason or another, even though she knew that wasn’t completely true. It just seemed that way when so many of them were so open in their distaste.

She thought back on his words, confused. Wherever had he gotten the idea that she didn’t have to follow his orders? Of course she did. Firstly because Julius would be angry if he knew that she was disrespecting one of his compatriots, much less a Pureblood, a Lestrange, of all people. Beyond that, there was the fact that he could easily hurt her himself if she didn’t comply with his wishes. Many of the other Death Eaters would, after all. They expected to be obeyed and were often harsh and vicious when their desires weren’t met with the proper deference. She had no reason to believe that Rabastan wouldn’t raise a wand or a hand if she defied him. Was he really so ignorant of his own power? Had it just always been there, always been so present, so absolute, that he didn’t even recognize it? 

[sweetgentlemary]

Every breath seems far too loud || Mary/Rabastan

[sweetgentlemary]

She seemed to be getting that question more frequently of late. Mary tilted her head, trying to come up with a proper response. “I do whatever is asked of me,” she cast her eyes downward, as she’d been conditioned to. That was the long and short of it. She was around to do whatever Julius required of her. And sometimes to help others, if they wished. But she knew that she wasn’t as useful as she could be. If she was talented in some way, maybe she could be of more use to people, but she knew she wasn’t. She hardly even realised that the voice telling her that sounded more like Julius than like herself. His voice had been whispering in her head for so long that she barely noticed it anymore. 

Looking up at Rabastan, she saw the flicker of amusement and the disdain that followed. It was par for the course, really. He treated her basically the same as everyone else did. “Is there something you need from me?” she asked softly, trying to diffuse the tension that she was feeling. If he told her to do something, then she would know where she was standing, what she was expected to be doing. She’d never been very good when she didn’t know what was expected of her. That was one thing she was grateful to Julius for. He was always telling her what to do, and she’d been relying on that for so long that she’d forgotten how to think for herself. 

[theother-lestrange]

Rabastan wanted to laugh at her response. It was the kind of obedience one would ask of a slave but maybe that's what the girl had become to Julius. She bowed her head meekly and did as  she was bid; she was like a trained animal. "I'm not your soulmate," he said, as if either of them needed reminding. His chosen soulmates were not nearly as timid as Mary; if anything he was the most timid out of the three of them. And he certainly wasn't anything like Julius, taking in a mudblood soulmate and allowing her to sit with them at gatherings. Rabastan supposed he would have preferred no soulmate to a mudblood's name on his skin, but it was hardly fair that Mary had a true soulmate and he didn't. It was like destiny was laughing at him by placing this girl in his midst (after all, he could hardly avoid Julius, could he).

"You don't have to follow my orders but you still would, wouldn't you?" Rabastan had thought that he could figure her out by speaking to her but it turned out that she wasn't that complicated after all. Her meekness, her willingness to obey even when there was no indication that she needed to, was as distasteful as her background and almost pitiful to watch. Rabastan sighed in disgust and motioned in the direction that Mary had originally been walking towards. "I think you should find somewhere else to be. Don't come back to the room; your distress is obvious and it's distracting."

[tedblack-soulmate-blog]

“Well your gratitude will be a gift I shall treasure forever.” Ted replied in a pleasant tone despite not meaning his words at all. He could tell he made Rabastan uncomfortable. Every time they interacted, whether it was in public or in therapy, Ted could tell he put the younger man off. It was plain as day, written across his face and in the way his nervousness seemed even more agitated. Ted rolled his eyes, hoping to get away from the topic of Dora and mentally cursed himself for even bringing her up in the first place. “Well I like to keep things simple and parenthood provides me with the perfect opportunity.” He gave Rabastan a sideways glance. “What makes you think that I can provide anything more than idle chit-chat anyway?”

[theother-lestrange]

"I've been in the same room as Narcissa's child," Rabastan muttered, "Parenthood is not something I imagine to be pleasant." He wished that he had a cup of something strong to get him through this conversation. It was bad enough that the Blacks had allowed their daughter to marry a mudblood and reproduce with him, flaunting him at public events was adding insult to injury. Not to mention his uncanny ability to tell when Rabastan was on edge." So far you've made a comment about shoes and told me about your daughter," he mused. "Maybe you're right. Maybe my hopes were set too high." He paused for a moment, and then latched onto the first topic he could conjure up. "I trust your wife wasn't hurt at the Knockturn disaster? I heard she was there but I haven’t spoken to her yet." News traveled fast and Rabastan was curious to know about those who had been at the site of the explosion.

[sweetgentlemary]

Every breath seems far too loud || Mary/Rabastan

[sweetgentlemary]

Mary turned around at the sound of a voice, her eyes wide as she saw who it was. Of all the people who might have followed her, Rabastan Lestrange was not a name she would have guessed. She bit lip, still not having control of that little quirk, that tell that made it oh so obvious that she was uncomfortable or unsure. Surrounded by those who’d been trained to decorum from birth, they could probably all read it from a mile off. Anyone who ever had doubts about Mary’s suitability only had to watch her here for a few moments before it became glaringly apparent that she was from a different world, and had very little in the way of any natural talent that would make up for it. 

“I’m not…” she shook her head, taking a step backwards instinctively. “I’m not opposed.” Of course she wasn’t. That was an opinion, after all, and she was trained not to have those, not to counter anything that Julius thought or believed with something as silly as beliefs of her own. Though as much as she tried, that didn’t mean she didn’t still have them from time to time. She knew better than to admit such a thing to Rabastan, of all people. “I was just getting a bit of air. Nothing more,” she glanced behind him, trying to see if anyone else had followed him out of the dining room. 

[theother-lestrange]

"There's no need to lie," he assured her, though he supposed lying might have become a natural reflex for her when she dealt with Julian on a daily basis. "You're absolutely terrible at it." She had no real need to fear Rabastan; he wasn't known for torturing people, even with his words. He much preferred to employ understanding and patience to get what he wanted. That didn't mean that he held any respect or care for her however. He would have quite happily seen her dead, mudblood that she was, if not for Julian's inappropriate obsession with her. Rabastan noticed her glancing behind him and chuckled, entirely amused at her concern. "No one's followed me out. Your whereabouts are not that fascinating."

He regarded her cooly, giving her more attention then he possibly ever had in the past. "I suppose the conversation might be hard to listen to, for someone like you." Someone like you could have meant a myriad of things: her blood status, not being a Death Eater, never having killed someone (or so he assumed). The way he said the words said that he implied them all at once and disdained every single part. "You can't go and spend time with the other women though can you?" He didn't need her to answer but he was interested to see if she would say anything. Her general demeanor suggested not but Rabastan wasn't above being surprised. "How do you spend your time with us, Miss Macdonald?"

[theother-lestrange]

The City is at War | Rabastan + Remus

[theother-lestrange]

“Terrorist?” Rabastan looked like he was mulling over the word. “Yes, I suppose that is an apt descriptor. It is fortunate that you missed it; I’ve heard that the aftermath was almost as bad as the attack itself. You and I were both lucky.” If Rabastan was right about where he thought he knew Remus from — and he was almost certain — he wondered if the man had even been in London until today. The werewolves didn’t have much use for London.

“A terrorist, like you said,” Rabastan said in response to the question of who would want such chaos. The Death Eaters certainly wouldn’t have set their own places of business and trade on fire, and the Order imbeciles seemed the most likely suspects which ever way you looked at it. Rabastan cursed the lot of them.

He’d finished with Remus for now however, given that he was sure he wasn’t going to get any more useful information out of the man today. Rabastan was sure that there would be another opportunity to interrogate him, perhaps make him reveal his werewolf origins and what he was doing in London. “Well, I have to be going,” he said, waving the little potion bottles in his hand. “I have my own to buy and brew. I’m glad I could be of some assistance.” He nodded to the aconite. “Be careful with that.”

[viciouslupine]

Remus inclined his head as Rabastan agreed with his terminology. It certainly was an act of terror and while Remus didn’t believe that the Death Eaters would attack their own businesses, whoever had certainly meant to spread terror. He wished he had gotten back to London sooner so maybe he could have put his spying skills to work to figure out who was planning the attack and possibly prevent it. But that was wishful thinking, so he let the thoughts go.

“Absolutely. Good luck with your own potions and stay safe out there.” Remus responded pleasantly with a small wave as the other man bid him goodbye. He was relieved to see him go so now he could find the actual potion he was looking for. But as he watched Rabastan walk off, he realized neither of them introduced themselves during the exchange which left him with an uneasy feeling. Had the death eater remembered his name just as Remus knew his?

Left with only his thoughts, Remus began going over every small part of their exchange to reassure himself he didn’t say anything he shouldn’t have. If he remembered Rabastan from the werewolf pack, it was only a matter of time before Rabastan remembered seeing him there and the thought made him very uneasy.

[sweetgentlemary]

Every breath seems far too loud || Mary/Rabastan

He’d been keeping her close all night. Which wasn’t necessarily what she was used to, recently. Julius in a good mood was becoming a rarer and rarer sight. Tonight, though, he had her by his side, an arm thrown over her shoulder, a hand resting possessively on her thigh, fingers running idly through her hair. He wasn’t really paying attention to her. He didn’t speak to her, and everyone else at the gathering followed suit, ignoring her like she was just some accessory of his, barely sparing her a second glance. The most she’d gotten was the ghost of a smile from Severus Snape, gone as soon as she’d recognized it, and a few moments of empty conversation from Narcissa while Julius and Lucius talked of their 

She should be pleased. She should be glad that he wanted her with him instead of leaving her at home or banishing her out into the hallway to wait for things to be over. But all Mary was feeling was suffocated. She hated this type of meeting; all it ended up being was a stark reminder of what exactly it was that her Soulmate did. The other Death Eaters weren’t being at all considerate of her presence. They were talking about their exploits as if she wasn’t there. She hated it, hated hearing about all the pain that they caused. As soon as she could, she slipped out into the hall, taking a moment to breathe, wandering quietly away from the festivities far enough that she could pretend, just for a minute, that the man she was in love with wasn’t talking about all the people he’d hurt, tortured, killed. 

[theother-lestrange]

Rabastan had nothing against gathering with other Death Eaters and talking about their business but after a while he'd heard all the stories and it became a little suffocating. He didn't really have anything to offer in the way of a tale, only various pieces of information that he'd gathered, and while he liked to sit back and listen, enough was enough. He almost wished that he had stayed home where no one would expect him to participate. Thankfully enough -- something more interesting finally presented itself in the form of the young woman slipping out into the hallway. No one else seemed to have noticed, or cared enough to go after her, so Rabastan took it upon himself to take notice of her exit.

Usually he wouldn't have bothered with someone like Mary Macdonald but she was slipping away from her ball and chain (or was it the other way around?) and following her might provide something more entertaining than hearing Crabbe's story for the third time this week. He slipped out after her, closing the door quietly behind him and following her down the hall. "Was the conversation not to your liking, Miss Macdonald?" He asked, hoping that his abrupt presence might make her jump, at least a little. It was Julius' perogative to torture her; Rabastan just wanted to see how she would react. "I'm surprised that Julius brings you with him if you're so opposed to them.”

[theother-lestrange]

The City is at War | Rabastan + Remus

[viciouslupine]

Remus sensed a small shift in Rabastan’s demeanor and it took all his control to not look at him curiously. He felt as if the two of them were circling each other dangerously, waiting for one of them to slip up and reveal something they shouldn’t have. But adopting a fabricated character was second nature to Remus so he didn’t feel too nervous. Yet.

“I suppose it must. If everything shut down, then the terrorist who caused the explosion would get what they wanted. I fortunately missed the explosion myself and was a little unsure about coming to Knockturn in the aftermath. But I must admit I’m glad I did.” Remus flashed Rabastan an easy smile before it faded quickly and he grew more somber. “It’s quite horrible. The casualties of the bombing were most unfortunate and I can’t imagine who would want to cause such chaos.”

The truth was he could certainly think of a group who would enjoy causing such chaos. But he wasn’t going to admit that to one of the members that was standing right in front of him.

[theother-lestrange]

"Terrorist?" Rabastan looked like he was mulling over the word. "Yes, I suppose that is an apt descriptor. It is fortunate that you missed it; I've heard that the aftermath was almost as bad as the attack itself. You and I were both lucky." If Rabastan was right about where he thought he knew Remus from -- and he was almost certain -- he wondered if the man had even been in London until today. The werewolves didn't have much use for London.

"A terrorist, like you said," Rabastan said in response to the question of who would want such chaos. The Death Eaters certainly wouldn't have set their own places of business and trade on fire, and the Order imbeciles seemed the most likely suspects which ever way you looked at it. Rabastan cursed the lot of them.

He'd finished with Remus for now however, given that he was sure he wasn't going to get any more useful information out of the man today. Rabastan was sure that there would be another opportunity to interrogate him, perhaps make him reveal his werewolf origins and what he was doing in London. "Well, I have to be going," he said, waving the little potion bottles in his hand. "I have my own to buy and brew. I'm glad I could be of some assistance." He nodded to the aconite. "Be careful with that."

[dromedanoir]

Sit with me and they might, she thought to herself. Her blunt nature wasn’t well-suited to nights like these but she couldn’t quite bring herself to leave it at home. Andromeda’s company wasn’t especially pleasant like Narcissa’s, nor did it inspire awe or attraction like Bella’s. Between her general demeanour and the destiny she’d been dealt, small talk wasn’t something Andromeda had to engage in often, thank Merlin for that. Her reputation was beyond repair in any case. She saw the way people looked at her husband, how they looked at her for being married to the man. Andromeda’s destiny was unconventional, questionable, disgraceful even, if anyone’s destiny could be called such a thing. Rabastan on the other hand had a destiny befitting his position in pure society. 

“That’s the general idea,” she said. “But if you’re worried about being called unsociable I’d advise you hop back onto your feet at once. I believe that’s just one of the words used to describe me.” One of the kinder words, one that sat well with her by comparison to its partners. Listlessly, she turned the page. “Haven’t you got better things to worry about?” she asked, eyes still on the paper, however her attention was caught. She looked at him, curiosity tugging at the corner of her lips, a hint of a smile. “Go on then, let’s see it.” With only a few pages of the paper left, soon she would have little better to do than talk, be it big or small. Andromeda could do worse than Rabastan Lestrange.

[theother-lestrange]

Andromeda Black had a certain appeal to her, Rabastan had always noticed. She spoke her mind but was far more approachable than her older sister, not that Rabastan minded Bella's ferocious nature these days. Still -- if Andromeda hadn't been dealt such an unfortunate destiny, and follow it, Rabastan thought that they might have gotten along. It was a pity that she'd followed her destiny to her mudblood husband after all. "I can hardly be unsociable if I'm being sociable with you, can I?"

Rabastan asked relaxing back into his chair and crossing one leg over the other. At least he was engaged in conversation; it would be very rude of someone to butt in on him and Andromeda now. He scoffed at her question, genuine amusement on his face. She of all people had to know that image mattered, especially among people like them. "If I had better things to worry about I wouldn't be here in the first place. I'd be at home or doing something useful." He gestured to their surroundings. Her sudden interest in him confused him though and set his nerves on edge. "See what?" He asked, voice just a little higher than it had been a moment ago.

[tedblack-soulmate-blog]

“Rabastan Lestrange.” He proclaimed with a sort of happy surprise. “I am honored that in your desperation for entertainment you’ve chosen to actually make conversation with me.” Shrugging and taking a sip of his wine he looked around the room. These sort of things bored him to no end but showing up was part of the deal wasn’t it? He had to be as respectable of a husband as possible despite the fact that he knew he would never be truly accepted. “Most interesting thing on my mind currently is whether or not a small rash around a five year old’s mouth means they’re allergic to something or have just been getting too messy in the garden.”

[theother-lestrange]

"Edward Black." Rabastan mocked the other man's tone. Having to deal with him at this clinic was bad enough, but having to deal with a muggleborn in a setting like this? It made Rabastan's skin crawl. And it irked him that they were related -- even remotely -- by marriage. "As you can see, there aren't many other choices," he gestured around the room. "If you promise to engage in more than idle chit chat, I'll happily speak with you. And what's more -- I'll be grateful." He made a face of distaste at the mention of the child, though that reaction had far too many levels for him to pull apart there and then. "Your daughter, I assume? I've forgotten her name. How simple life must be for that to be at the forefront of your mind."

[tedblack-soulmate-blog]

“But just look at Susan’s shoes, Rabastan.” Ted exclaimed in a faux-excited voice. “Those are last seasons, she’s either an idiot or the rumors about her gambling problems must be true and she’s poor as dirt now.” He dropped the act and grinned at him, teasingly. “Small talk makes the world go round you know.”

[theother-lestrange]

Rabastan narrowed his eyes at the sound of Ted's voice, but he was quickly smiling politely at the man as if he was actually glad to see him. "If I wanted to talk about the travesties against this season's fashions, I'd talk to Narcissa," he said. "And the business talk is even worse if you get stuck with old Greengrass." He regarded Ted with a vague interest. "Surely someone with your unique point of view could offer something interesting."