Tragedy

Anton&Rab

antonin-dolohov-x‌:

Settling himself as best as he could after the youngest Lestrange’s words, Antonin leaned his elbows on the table, listening intently. Hoping he could trust Rabastan. He was at a loss for a lead, so the only thing he could do was put his faith in the younger man. “A pureblood is a pureblood, I suppose; even if they have defacted” he mused over Rabastan’s words. Antonin knew that his prejudices often got the better of him; a weak spot he would have to reluctantly work on. It would mean that he would have to at least acknowledge the fact that mudbloods and blood traitors could possess some type of talent and ability. Something he outright ignored, many moons ago, when he attended Hogwarts. “Okay Rab. I trust you” he said, locking eyes with Rabastan, to show how serious he was. Regardless, he knew that Rab knew the consequences for not honouring his word. He said no more on the subject.

“Anyway…” he continued, easing back into his seat nonchalantly, “We have more pressing business to attend to”. The “pressing business” wasn’t pressing business at all, but another test. He knew Rab had been training with Bella, but he had heard no more on whether or not he had made his first kill. Antonin needed to ensure that the younger generation were no less than ruthless, so, he picked the most vulnerable target: a teenager, still attending Hogwarts. A fifth year muggleborn. Now, Antonin didn’t pick a vulnerable target merely to give Rabastan an easy task, but rather, to test his ability to disassociate. He wanted to ensure that the younger generation had no problem dealing with things psychologically or emotionally. Many would take issue with killing a child, particularly one that would basically be defenseless in comparison to themselves. But, for Antonin, it was crucial in ensuring Rab’s loyalty.

“There’s a Hufflepuff girl - Elizabeth Jones; muggleborn, still attending Hogwarts” he began, his tone relaxed, as though he was talking about the weather, “Fifth year I believe… or fourth. Anyway…”. He shrugged, not caring too much about the details, “Her father, also muggleborn, is becoming a prominent member within the Ministry - we need to send him a message. You need to kill the girl, and leave a note, a message to the Order”. Antonin passed Rabastan a piece of discoloured parchment, the scrawl messy but legible.

To whom it may concern,

This death is the first of many, if you refuse to comply with the following demands:

1. All half-bloods, blood-traitors and mudbloods must be removed from the ministry; from all positions - entry level, high ranking and voluntary positions.

2. The acceptance of half-bloods, blood traitors and mudbloods to Hogwarts must cease immediately. And subsequently,any current students, must be removed with immediate effect.

3. Half-bloods, blood traitors and mudbloods must be removed and banned from historically magical places. (I.e. Hogsmeade, Diagon Alley, Godric’s Hollow and so on).

4. For the Minister of Magic to acknowledge and agree to these demands publicly.

Signed,

The Pureblood Community.

Antonin was well aware none of these demands would be met, but he hoped for it to act as a catalyst for further recruits and hopefully, an all out war.

This put Rabastan in an interesting position. For the time being, he was being deemed trustworthy by the older ranks. He knew the vast majority of them were weary of the younger members, and while his closeness to his brother and Bellatrix certainly helped, he had managed to get himself on the short list of people that was considered trustworthy within their ranks. Nodding, Rabastan gave him a small, albeit tight lipped smile, and responded, “You won’t regret it”. Rabastan knew full well the consequences that would ensue if he did anything to break that trust, to break his word, and he had no intention of doing so. However, he knew that if push came to shove, he’d do whatever was necessary to protect the youngest Black.

Letting his hands fold on the table, he gave a show of giving Antonin his full attention. Getting another assignment wasn’t terribly surprising, seeing as it had been a while since he’d been asked to get his hands dirty. Rabastan had only killed once, and it had been a particularly gruesome one. He had been training with Bellatrix, for all intents and purposes, and he had spent hours perfecting certain torture techniques. Killing the man had been the most merciful part of the process, but Rabastan had been able to cope with it. Disassociating from the act itself helped, and putting in perspective his priorities had allowed him to act as well.

Still, as Antonin described his task, he felt bile rising in his throat. Rabastan kept a diplomatic, straight face as he listened, but part of him knew that this was a test he might not be able to pass. Antonin was asking him to kill a child. A defenseless child for no reason other than to prove a point. Rabastan gave nothing away as he nodded his head. He kept his face blank and answered, “Consider it done. They’ll be having a Hogsmeade trip soon I’m sure.” Rabastan knew it was common knowledge that attempting to break into Hogwarts was futile. It would buy him some time to figure out how to get out of this, because killing a child was a line he was unwilling to cross. At the thought, an image of a beaten and bruised Mary flashed through his brain. He hadn’t been able to leave her to die in that alleyway, and there was no way he was going to kill a young, innocent, girl.

Taking the note from him, Rabastan started to read it.

As his eyes scanned the page, he felt a certain level of coldness spread throughout him. He’d known this was the eventual goal, but seeing the demands laid out in front of him, Rabastan couldn’t help but hate the idea as a whole. Magic folk were going to die out at the rate at which these demands were being asked, but he kept that particular thought to himself. “Do you think they’ll agree to these demands?” he asked, genuinely curious. Rabastan wasn’t sure that they were going to roll over so easily, but he could see this being a tipping point. “It’s certainly worth a shot I suppose. Seeing as it’ll be much more than just a threat,” the body of a teenager would be a more direct promise. People might willingly take their children out of school if this was to come to pass.

Synesthesia || Reg & Rab

#( thread | reg. )#( thread | synesthesia. )

littleking-toujourspur‌:

As Rabastan went to answer the door, Regulus grabbed the remote from the other side of the sofa and turned on The Conjuring. He vaguely remembered watching it once before, which was strange since he rarely consumed muggle entertainment, but watching a movie wasn’t why he had come to see his friend. The company was more important. “Yeah, I’ll grab us some wine” he retorted, heading straight for the fridge. He was sure they’d probably end up drunk and talking through most of the movie anyway. Regulus decided to make himself useful and pour them two glasses of wine as Rabastan was preoccupied with the food delivery. Making his way back into the living room, Regulus set Rabastan’s glass of wine beside his seat and awaited for Rab to return to him. Regulus noted that he was making drinking too much of a habit lately; he had been using it as a crouch. It seemed to be the only thing that lessened his anxiety as of late.

Awaiting patiently, and admittedly a little tensely on the sofa, once Rab returned; Regulus knew he would have to address a few things with him. Maybe not right away. Regulus would attempt to enjoy himself first. But, a few uncomfortable truths lingered in the air that he was almost certain he’d, ultimately, be too scared to address. Which would, in turn, leave him returning to Grimmauld Place annoyed at himself.

“I put on the conjuring” Regulus said, as Rab re-entered the room. Regulus’ glass was almost already empty; he was subconsciously gulping the wine to make himself feel more at ease. “What have you been up to, anyway?” he asked genuinely, a little nervously almost, considering he hadn’t spoke to his friend since the night he had confessed what had happened between himself and his parents.

As a general rule, Rabastan avoided the genre of horror. It wasn’t particularly scary, given his extra curricular activities, but it always left him a little bit on edge. Still, some of them had a good enough plot to him that he could enjoy them, and the Conjuring was one of them. He was grateful that Regulus was alright with some of the things muggles indulged themselves with, because Rabastan thoroughly enjoyed some of their later technologies. “Sounds good to me” he answered with a smile. He was mostly just glad to have a night in with Regulus. Having the food situation taken care of, he made his way back to the living room. He turned the coffee table into a kitchen one and magicked a couple of plates and utensils for them to use.

He could feel someone was off with the younger boy. Everyone had always treated his sensitivity as a weakness, but Rabastan had learned to use it as a strength. It allowed him to read a room without giving himself away or even giving the indication that he cared. Rabastan had spent much of his childhood learning how to hide his emotions, how to pretend to be emotionless, but he had never quite figured out how to turn them off. Instead, he figured out how to use them. Regulus made him feel warm inside, comfortable for the most part, but he worried that since their last meeting, a level of tension had been created between them.

“That works for me” he answered, smiling. Taking a sip of wine, he sat back into his seat a bit more comfortable, allowing his feet to tuck up under his legs. Raising his eyebrow, Rabastan decided to stick to the small talk for now, “I’ve been traveling mostly. I was most recently doing business in the Netherlands. It was actually rather enjoyable,” he admitted. Rabastan loved traveling for his job, truth be told. He had always had a certain affinity for languages and culture. His eyebrows knitted together mildly, showing just a hint of concern, “What about you Reg? Have you been alright? I know you have a lot to deal with”.

Anton&Rab

antonin-dolohov-x‌:

Musing over Rabastan’s words, Antonin still couldn’t help but feel something was off. Admittedly, the story seemed viable enough but Antonin still had his suspicions. Given Rabastan’s background, it was hard to believe that there was no option but for him to flee and leave Nathaniel, but then again, it wouldn’t have been the first time that Antonin had underestimated the Order and he had to give them credit where credit was due, if they had genuinely managed to ensnare Nathaniel and leave Rabastan at a loss. Antonin had purposely picked an open area in the event that the younger Lestrange was a liability and in case Antonin’s veiled accusations would cause him to lash out. Despite the common knowledge that Rabastan was a pretty placid individual, Antonin was also aware that a cornered dog was likely to bite.

However, the fact that Rab had allegedly spoke to Rodolphus about the whole situation put him at ease, albeit only slightly. Furthermore, Antonin couldn’t simply go around accusing people of treachery simply because he had an inkling and no viable proof. “I know you’re not a moron, Rabastan, which is what is worrying me. You’re intelligent. Very intelligent actually…” he paused slightly only to let out a frustrated sigh, “there has to be someone letting things slide to the order”. He knew that there were also intelligent people within the order ranks but Antonin’s own biases towards Pureblood Supremacy always had him in disbelief that even the most intelligent in the order could outsmart a highly intelligent Pureblood. He viewed it as a blow to the collective ego of the Pureblood community. Antonin had his suspicions about a few people within the Death Eaters and the wider Pureblood community, particularly the younger crowd - perhaps because he wasn’t as well versed with them and often infantalised them. “What’s wrong with that youngest Black boy? Why hasn’t he took the mark yet?” he asked without beating around the bush; he knew Walburga and Orion well so it was surprising to him that prior to their death, there was no discussion of him taking the Dark Mark. It also didn’t help that his older brother was a blood traitor. “He’s not trailing after his brother is he? I need you to keep an eye on him for me; maybe even give him a bit of encouragement” he began, watching Rabastan for a change of expression.

Despite his lack of full hearted belief in the cause, Rabastan was unfathomably loyal. Nate was a friend of his, one that he hated leaving behind when it came to that night. It was unsurprising that the higher ranks in the Death Eaters were underestimating their enemy, and Rabastan was sure that was going to be their downfall in the end. As Antonin interrogated him, he picked up on some of his antics. A public place where he wouldn’t be able to lash out, which is exactly what a cornered person did. However, Rabastan didn’t feel cornered. The truth of the matter was, he’d done nothing wrong. Instead, he stayed rational and focused on solutions.

Raising an eyebrow, Rabastan gave a nod of understanding, “Believe me, I was as shocked as you are. Don’t forget they have purebloods in their ranks. Blood traitors or not, they have a few gifted members,” he answered. Nodding his head, Rabastan gave a hum, “I don’t doubt that at all. They’re not clever enough to know we had something planned.” Rabastan was fairly sure they had a mole as well, but he wasn’t sure who it was, and making blind accusations could be particularly damning. The mention of Regulus made his blood run cold, but he didn’t show any signs of worry. Instead, his eyebrows furrowed together curiously, “I don’t know why he hasn’t taken the mark. He was still in school for the majority of this year though, and he just lost his parents. Maybe he just needs some time to adjust before making such a heavy commitment,” he answered. Rabastan truly didn’t know why he hadn’t taken the mark yet, but given his brother’s traitorous status, he understood why it would raise suspicion. Shaking his head, Rabastan replied, “No, not to my knowledge at least, and we’re good friends. He’s always condemned his brother’s actions, so I doubt he’d follow suit”. Knowing that Regulus was now more prominently on their radar put him on edge, but part of him was grateful for the command Antonin gave. If he was the one watching Regulus, he could ensure the other boy didn’t get himself on the wrong side of the Death Eaters. “I can do that. I’ll keep an eye on him and push him towards our ranks,” he agreed.

Synesthesia || Reg & Rab

#( thread | reg. )#( thread | synesthesia. )

littleking-toujourspur‌:

Begrudgingly, Regulus locked his door and began towards Rabastan’s flat. It wasn’t that he didn’t want to see his friend, it was quite the opposite; he anticipated seeing him a little too much which made Regulus uncomfortable. He enjoyed the company of his friends but this was different and he couldn’t quite figure out why there was a fluttering in his belly. It was not a pleasant feeling. It was something akin to the feeling he got before he knew he had to travel via apparition. He had decided to walk to Rab’s flat in order to give him some time to think - probably a bad thing, he mused but it was too late now to cancel and he didn’t want to arouse any suspicion’s on Rabastan’s end.

Be normal. Act Natural. It’s just Rab.

He couldn’t shake the strange anxiety within himself. Maybe it was because he had told Rab too much? Regulus was used to a lot of space and began to wonder if Rab felt obliged to invite him over because he now seemed like a liability. Rab’s flat should have been a safe space for him but, now, something felt different.

“Nope, just me, unfortunately. What did you order?” Regulus grinned back at his friend when he opened the door.

“How about something scary?” he asked, stepping passed Rabastan, making his way toward the sofa and plotting himself down comfortably. “Although muggle horror movies don’t seem to have the same effect when you’re used to Bellatrix” he said with a slight laugh, trying to keep the conversation light.

As a general rule, Rabastan’s flat was open to anyone that needed a place to get away. He’d specifically gotten it to avoid his own parents, and he understood all too well how often such an escape was needed. Regulus didn’t have his parents to get away from anymore, but he also worried about him spending too much time alone. Rabastan understood the need for space though, and tried not to come across as over bearing. Given how much he worked, it wasn’t hard to keep their plans more few and far between. Tonight though, he had off completely, and was grateful to be spending it with some of his favorite company.

Rolling his eyes, he answered, “I’m just as happy to see you. Greek. There’s a little restaurant down the road from me that’s owned by a Greek family. Honestly, it’s some of the best food I’ve ever tasted”. Having been to actual Greece, he was grateful to have authentic cuisine in his area.

Opting to sit on the other half of the sofa, he nodded his head, “We can definitely do that. The Conjuring or Silence of the Lambs?” he asked. Rabastan snorted a laugh at his comment as he replied, “You’ve got a point there. I don’t know that anything can be as terrifying as she can be”. As a whole, Rabastan wasn’t afraid of Bellatrix, but he knew that she could be a right terror when she wanted to be.

The ring of the doorbell signified the food, and Rabastan handed the controls to Reg on his way to the door. After paying for their food, and tipping the delivery driver, he headed back in. “I’ve got water, soda, beer, and wine in the fridge, do you want anything?” he asked, setting the food down on the table.

Synesthesia || Reg & Rab

Ever since Regulus had opened up about what happened with his parents, the youngest Lestrange had felt a protective surge over him. Rabastan had never been overbearing; his protection was quiet and unassuming. Everything about him always been just that, and Rabastan thrived because of it. Still, he’d invited Regulus over for the evening, knowing that too much time alone would allow him to stew too much. Having the night free, he sent the invitation early in the morning. Coming home from work, he changed into more comfortable clothing and went back to the living room.

Having ordered take out, he was grateful for an easy night in. Something had been different in their last interaction, but Rabastan was hesitant to put a name to that feeling. Regulus was someone that had always been important to him, and the idea of their relationship changing scared him. However, leaving everything to a could have been was arguably worse. A night in was good, though. It was familiar, comfortable, and easy.

Hearing the knock at the door, he moved up from his spot and opened it. Seeing the familiar face, he smiled, “I wasn’t sure if it was you or the food. Come on in, make yourself comfortable”. Moving back so that Regulus could step in, he made his way back towards the living room. “Whatever sounds good to watch we can put on,” he offered, knowing that Reg had been here enough times to know that anything in fridge was up for grabs.

@littleking-toujourspur

#( thread | reg. )#( thread | synesthesia. )

Anton&Rab

antonin-dolohov-x‌:

It was true that Antonin embodied the saying: Just because you can see the lion’s teeth doesn’t mean he is smiling. That could not have been more true than in this moment. Antonin sat with a smile on his face and all pleasantries aside, it was easy to tell just how agitated he was. “Quite a lot actually” he replied, keeping his tone as pleasant as his voice would allow him. “There are cracks appearing in the foundation of this organisation and I want to know why” he began, watching Rabastan’s body language carefully, albeit he seemed unphased as he took a seat opposite him. “It’s a peculiar thing that since we have had an influx of a younger generation, things have gone tits up” he said, leaning back in his chair; his smile finally lessening. “Now, don’t get me wrong, I’m not blaming anyone in particular but I have noticed certain patterns… certain alliances so to speak” he said, taking a sip of his now lukewarm coffee. “I think it’s only fair that we start to investigate these alliances; people’s motives, their loyalties” he continued, his eyes still locked on Rabastan’s face, “Tell me, how did someone as capable as yourself and Nathaniel fail so miserably at such a mundane task? And couldn’t escape a trap set by a bunch of half-wits nonetheless?”.

Shaking his head slightly, Antonin furrowed his eyebrows in mock concern, “Either too much trust is being placed in the wrong people or it was intentional sabotage and as days go on it’s seeming more like the latter to me”. Antonin’s trademark smile finally crept back on to his face as he shrugged, “..but hey, maybe I’m wrong, so that’s why I’ve brought you here to speak face to face, maybe you could enlighten me as to what on earth is going on?”.

Exhaustion was threatening to over take Rabastan at this point. Being apart of the Death Eaters was an obligation he had accepted to continue his place in his family. It wasn’t even a cause he believed in, but his brother and the rest of their small clan meant everything to him. Knowing that this conversation was going to be more of an interrogation, he prepared for it. Nodding his head, Rabastan gave a hum, “Well then, let’s get started” he spoke. He schooled his expression the way he had since he was a kid. Rabastan gave a stoic nod as he spoke, “My brother brought that issue up recently actually. We were discussing how to start sealing off these said cracks” he answered. That wasn’t strictly true, but he was sure Rodolphus had in fact noticed the cracks that were happening. They weren’t very well hidden. A near smirk formed on his lips as he answered, “Ah, I get it. I agree. We need to sort out these alliances, as you put it. I imagine it’s my turn”. Rabastan put everything on the table, laid the cards out, and braced himself for the questions coming next. “My loyalties have always been to our people Antonin. Be that my family, the Death Eaters, and the cause are the three things my life revolves around. What happened with Nathaniel and I was a difficult circumstance to say the least” Rabastan started, before continuing, “The traps they set could only be undone by the person that cast them. If I had tried to undo it, Nathaniel could have ended up bleeding out or worse” he answered, honestly.

Rabastan continued, “So by that point we had a decision to make. Either we both got captured, or one of us did and the other ran retcon. The latter seemed like the more sensible of the two.” A face between indifference and confidence danced across his face as he answered, “I have nothing to hide, Antonin. So let me speak freely; I’m not a traitor, and I’m certainly not a moron. They got the better of us this time, and we’re all working to make sure it never happens again. I haven’t seen any distinct factions isolating themselves yet, but the moment the signs appear, you’ll be the first to know” he responded, pushing the face of sincerity through his eyes.

Anton&Rab

antonin-dolohov-x‌:

xDespite having barely slept, Antonin was more awake than he had been in weeks; his suspicions were high and his muscles were sore from the tension in his body. Every time he had planned something lately, it seemed to fall apart at the seams and he doubted it was anything to do with his ability or organisational skills. There seemed to be different and conflicting factions within the Death Eaters themselves and he had to nip it in the bud before the organisation was split into a new or different groups. He knew sooner or later, he would have to call a meeting to address this and ensure unification but in the meanwhile, he was going to go through each Death Eater individually to try scout out the reasoning behind the splits within the group. Not to mention; to test their loyalty, to ensure there were no Order infiltrators. Rab was one of the first he would talk to.

Antonin waited patiently on the Lestrange’s younger son at a muggle café. He had a cheap cup of coffee in front of him that was more akin to sugary tar than anything else. Zoning out slightly, he snapped back to reality once he caught sight of Rabastan; he noted that he wasn’t dissimilar to Rodolphus, but he definitely wouldn’t have pegged them as brothers; more like distant cousins. “Rabastan” he smiled; his demeanor friendly but his voice tired, “take a seat. We need to talk”.

@xrlestrange

The night that Nate and Evan were captured, everything had gone completely wrong. Never in a million years would have expected things to go so horribly up in flames. Rabastan was an intelligent person, often more so than anyone gave him credit for, but the Order hadn’t come to play. Their traps were set with every intention of keeping their prey, and despite his best efforts, he had been unable to free Nate. Rabastan hadn’t entirely wanted to leave him there either, but getting both of them caught wasn’t going to do them a damn bit of good. Instead, he had immediately gone to his brother and started working on damage control. Rabastan had enough connections that he could at least try to pull some strings to get them out of their predicament. Still, he knew it didn’t look good, and he had no doubt that the word traitor was being tossed around on his behalf. Despite not being fully invested in the cause the way some of their ranks were, Rabastan wasn’t a traitor.

Meeting with Antonin wasn’t entirely surprising, but he was surprised that it was happening out in the open. Still, he arrived early enough to get his cup of coffee and be seated without being late. He knew better than to keep someone like Antonin waiting. Instead, he sat down across from him, and returned the smile. Antonin,” he greeted, knowing better than to trust the smile as friendliness. Still, Rabastan was a diplomat and he gave a nod, “Of course. What can I do for you?”

littleking-toujourspur‌:

Regulus watched Rabastan carefully; his every movement, his every breath, completely unsure what to expect. When he gave his reaction, Regulus was underwhelmed but slightly reassured, he almost expected to be scolded or worse. Letting out a slight laugh, Regulus nodded in agreement when Rab said that the younger of the two never did things in half. “I know, thats the problem” he sighed, setting his tea on the table in front of him and rubbing his arm anxiously. Whilst Rabastan did make him feel more at ease, his stomach still felt heavy and he felt a strong sense of guilt. It was a bizarre situation. Being the youngest, and basically, the only child since Sirius left; his mother coddled him despite her cruelty. It was hard to explain or rationalise their relationship. Unhealthy, to say the least. One moment he was put on a pedestal and the next he was tore down from it.

“Look Rab, I’m sorry for laying this all on you but there was no-one else I could turn to” he muttered, leaning back in his chair and looking up at his friend. He had hoped he wouldn’t think any different of him and it wasn’t in his nature to use such extreme magic. “I wasn’t even gonna tell you and I’ve sworn Kreacher to secrecy” he said flatly, wondering what Rab would think if he began to tell him about the horcruxes; he never would tell him, but his trust in Rab had grew exponentially after telling him what happened between himself and his parents. When he pondered over everything, he began to realise how bizarre it was that the closest person to him was his house elf who had no other choice but to serve him. This only furthered Regulus guilt considering Kreacher had no other choice but what was he to do?

“If this is too much… I can leave” Regulus said, realising that perhaps the reason Rab gave him such a pleasant response was because he was being polite and was overwhelmed. He stood up, pushing his chair back with him; internally panicked but externally remaining completely placid. “I know this is a lot but please don’t tell anyone Rab, even Rodolphus; I know he’s your brother and all but he’d probably kill me and Bella…oh god” he groaned, not even wanting to think about Bella’s reaction; especially considering how close they are.

Given the circumstances, Rabastan couldn’t blame Reg in the slightest for his actions. Truthfully, he’d considered offing his own father more times than he liked to admit throughout his life time. There was only so much a person could take before they snapped. Having grown up in a cold home, he could understand that conflicting emotions. Rabastan grew up with guilt that he couldn’t be what they wanted, anger that their standards were impossibly high, hurt from all the pain they’d inflicted, and disappointment at the hand he’d been dealt. He could only imagine how much more intense those conflicting feelings were when murder was involved. It hurt his heart some to see Regulus watching him so cautiously. Seeing that weary look on his face was gut wrenching, especially aimed towards him. Giving him a small, hopefully reassuring smile, he answered, “It’s not always a problem. Sometimes being all in is a great trait”. Other times, it could cause impulsiveness, but Rabastan wasn’t going to dwell on that. Right now, he was going to focus on reassuring and bringing Reg some peace.

Shaking his head, Rab waved off, “Don’t apologize for coming to me. You shouldn’t have to carry this alone” he answered, “not when you have someone here to listen”. Rabastan didn’t want him to feel the weight of this all on his own. Raising his eyebrow, Rabastan gave him a warm smile, “I’m not going to betray you, so you won’t be betraying Kreacher” he swore. His priority was Regulus in all of this, and he knew that these actions could have dire consequences if anyone were to find out. There wasn’t anything that Rabastan wouldn’t do to protect the people he cared for. Regulus was in the very tight knit group of people that Rabastan considered to be family. It was hard not to worry about them all constantly. Between the war and the threats in their own personal lives, it was exhaustive trying to protect them all. He would try thought, and he would keep trying until they were safe or it killed him.

Panic raced through him at the idea of Regulus leaving in such a vulnerable state. Seeing him get up, Rabastan couldn’t help but act on impulse. His hand shot out involuntarily and he gently held onto Reg’s arm, “Don’t leave,” he requested, not holding him with any real force but keeping his hand there as a reminder. “Regulus, hey, stop. I’m not going to tell anyone, okay? This stays between me, you, and Kreacher” he promised. Despite the fact that he was pretty sure both Black sisters and his brother would have Regulus’s back in this instance, he wasn’t going to risk it, and he certainly wasn’t going to betray Reg’s trust.

#( thread | reg. )

narcixxablack‌:

Narcissa had taken the last few weeks to let herself get fully caught up in her work and forget about everything that had been going on. While she hadn’t planned anything for her own wedding, she had planned everything for other people’s weddings. Stepping back from her friend she smiled and nodded her head.·“That’s good. Being busy will keep you out of trouble.” She teased before nudging his side with her elbow.·“Of course I am! I had a meeting with a bride who wants to get married in December and doesn’t care that getting married in less than three months is insane.” She sighed, surprised by some of the people she worked with.·“But over all I’m good! Just living my life, as I do best!” She joked with a happy smile and a shrug of her shoulders.·“I’m right there with you, let’s go inside.” Narcissa said as she moved into the restaurant and they were led to their seats.·“I’ve heard this place is amazing, so hopefully the food lives up to the hype.”·

Shaking his head, Rabastan teased, “Well you know me, getting into trouble all the time.” For the most part, Rabastan had never really been one to break the rules. His work with the Death Eater’s was of course, illegal, but the rest of his day to day activities were decidedly mild. A party here and there, sure, but nothing much more wild than that. He shook his head, “That’s mental, Cissa. With all the work that goes into a wedding, in what world does she think it can come together in three months?” he asked. Smiling, he mused, “I’m really glad to hear you’re doing well.” Wrapping an arm around her he headed inside, “Absolutely; I’m starved.” Getting inside, they took their seats and Rab took a second to glance over the menu as he listened to her. “I’m betting it will, based on how many people are here. Honestly, I’m just glad to try something else out. It’s been ages since I’ve been to a new restaurant.”

#( thread | cissa. )

narcixxablack‌:

Narcissa had been working her ass off for the last couple weeks and was looking for some time to just relax and have dinner and drinks with a friend. Standing outside of the restaurant, she checked her watch to see what the time was. It was a couple minutes till she was technically supposed to meet Rab, so she made a couple calls as she paced next to the building she was originally in front of. It was as she made a turn once more that she spotted her friend and gave a wave before ending her phone call. “Hey!” She called before moving to give her friend a hug. “How are you?” The excitement in her voice clear as she moved back to see him once more.

@xrlestrange

Making time for his friends was something Rabastan was fairly good at. His schedule was busy, but he’d taken to making sure he actually scheduled out time for them. After his last meeting, Rabastan took a moment to change in his office from his work clothes to something more casual. Dinner and drinks with Narcissa was something he had been looking forward to all week. Making sure everything was squared away, Rabastan apparated near the restaurant they were meant to be meeting. Coming around the corner, he caught sight of his favorite blonde and gave her a grin. Returning the hug with ease he answered, “Hi, I’m good. Busier than normal, but still good. How are you? Are you in the throngs of fall wedding season?” Heading inside, he opened the door for her and said, “I’m so excited to eat, I’m starving.”

#( thread | narcissa. )

littleking-toujourspur‌:

Regulus watched Rabastan patiently as he pattered about his kitchen, putting on the kettle and preparing the mugs; he felt leagues better now that he was safe from the eyes and ears of the public. Inhaling deeply, Regulus attempted to gather his thoughts but he was unsure where to begin. He didn’t know if Rabastan would understand his reasons but he hoped he would at least be sympathetic. Regulus held the warm mug full of tea in his hand, it sent a comforting warmth throughout his body. Sipping his tea, he walked towards the first seat he saw in Rabastan’s table and beckoned the older boy over to sit with him.

“I don’t even know where to begin” he said quietly, looking up at Rabastan, “It just all got out of hand so quickly”.

Regulus sat the mug on the table, deciding he would have to tell Rabastan whatever unstructured mess of a story that he was capable of.

“Well, Mother called me down from my room, telling my she had good news. The good news being she found a pretty pureblood girl from Beauxbatons for me to marry” he snorted slightly, trying to find the humour in it but he was still angry that she would spring an arranged marriage on him at 17; he had never even heard of her hint about marrying Sirius off before he left. “I know arranged marriages aren’t uncommon but she wanted me to marry her in the upcoming months…before I had even finished Hogwarts” he sighed, realising he was going off track. “I obviously accepted my fate but I did attempt to argue my case… get the wedding date pushed back; anything that would help”.

He cleared his throat slightly before continuing, “…then things obviously got heated very quickly; she threw a few jinxes at me, which I dodged, but one hit Kreacher; he was very hurt… almost killed the poor thing”.

“That’s when I got mad, I started throwing spells back - nothing too dangerous, of course - but that’s when she went crazy. Using the cruccio curse; it was nothing like I had ever experienced. She was unhinged” he looked Rabastan in the eyes, pleadingly; hoping he would believe him. “It was unbearable. I mean, she’s always been wicked but usually, she used her hands; I have never seen anyone full of so much contempt before. I was terrified. As soon as I was able to breathe….I… used the killing curse”. Regulus finally paused, his eyes towards the floor this time; a wave of shame washing over him, “then my Father came in. Obviously saw my mother’s body. I had no other choice but to kill him before he killed me”.

Regulus took a sip of his tea in front of him to calm his nerves before turning to Rabastan, “The noble and most ancient house of black, eh? All gone. Well, almost”.

Moving around his kitchen was easy and gave him the chance to prepare himself mentally for this conversation. Rabastan could feel it in his bones that this was going to be a big one, and if his friend’s hints were anything to go by, Rab was going to have to keep it secret. It wouldn’t be the first time he kept a secret for a friend, and it likely wouldn’t be the last. Passing over a mug, Rabastan leaned against the breakfast bar and kept his hands around his own cup. The warmth spread from his palms into the rest of his body. He hoped the mug would help ground Regulus in a similar way.

“I’m going to preface this conversation by saying that anything you say here, isn’t going to leave this room. It doesn’t matter what you’ve done” he promised, before continuing, “Just start from where you feel comfortable”.

Rabastan had always been good at deductions and putting the pieces together.

Hearing Regulus talk about his mother, he had a fairly good idea on where this story was going. His heart sank for his friend. If Regulus had to do what he thought he did, then that meant he had to live with the guilt and the fear of being found out. Rabastan listened to his testimony carefully, nodding along to show his best friend that he was being heard. The idea that Regulus was going to be married before he’d even finished Hogwarts was somewhat absurd. Even the Black sister’s had been given the liberty of finishing their studies and join adulthood before they’d been expected to be wed. Rabastan hated the whole tradition, but this was more extreme than he’d expected, even from Reg’s parents.

A wince formed on his face at the idea of Regulus being hurt. Rabastan understood, of course, having experienced the cruciatus curse at the hands of his father at a younger age than he cared to mention, but he hated the concept all the same. Rabastan nodded, understanding how important Kreacher was to him. Most people would laugh, maybe even tease him, but Rabastan understood the need to protect the ones that showed kindness in the darkest hours. Kreacher was Regulus’s family, and Rabastan understood the need to protect family.

It was clear where this story was going, and Rabastan was just waiting for the damning words. He had no doubt that Reg’s mother had gone off the deep end. There were few pureblood parents that weren’t at least a little unhinged, as sad as that was. Rabastan nodded his head, making sure to keep his face a mixture between neutral and sympathetic. He held no judgement for Regulus’s actions. Once he finished, Rabastan let out a sigh, “You never do things in halves, Reg” he breathed.

Gathering his thoughts, Rab spoke, “You did what you had to do. At the end of the day, it was self defense. Your mother was unhinged; she was hurting you. Your father would have killed you. If I was in your position, I’d have done the same thing,” he reassured. Rabastan looked at him carefully as he reaffirmed his promise, “Your secret is safe with me.”

#( thread | reg. )

Caught in a Web || Nate & Rab