Rabastan was tired. He had to leave the castle twice a week in order to help his fellow Death Eaters with missions all around Britain. He was lucky enough to be paired up with Lucius several times, which gave them the opportunity to catch up on what has been happening in their lives.
"You're getting married sooner than I thought." Rabastan begun while on their way to a cottage right outside Kent. They were supposed to be searching for a family of purebloods and more or less convince them to join Voldemort.
"I'm just doing my share of responsibilities." He replied looking ahead.
"But you, unlike my brother, like your future wife. Narcissa is different from the rest of her family. Nicer."
Lucius chuckled and pat Rabastan's shoulder with sympathy.
"Anyone is better than Bella. But your brother is a good match for her. They're both very alike."
Rabastan laughed and then his mind went back to the subject that he's been trying to avoid around Lucius.
"What do you think will happen at Christmas?"
"What do you mean?"
"He told me he wants her there, at our house, locked away in a room. What if he kills her?" Rabastan mumbled feeling anxious. His meetings with the Dark Lord have taken quite a toll on him.
"Don't underestimate Ophelia. She is his daughter. If you look into her eyes for long enough, you will see that she and Voldemort are not that different." Lucius explained, knowing well how both had the same effect on people. "I'm intrigued though. She hates you now so why go and spy on her at school?"
"I have my reasons," Rabastan replied before they reached the cottage. It looked as if a tornado just ravaged the house and the land around it. "They fled. They knew we were coming."
"The Dark Lord won't be happy..." Lucius said feeling the chill of death down his spine.
Sirius Black has always been carried away by his instinct. He believed that gut will never disappoint him and he was right, most of the time. When he returned to school and looked after his brother at the Slytherin table, he did not see him. When classes began and he expected to see Regulus in the Great Hall, or even in corridors, he did not see him. Regulus was there but he was avoiding Sirius therefore the older brother could only do one thing: stalk Regulus, and even Snape sometimes because the two were spending quite a lot of time together.
Since they had more free time, Sirius made it his mission to try and find out if Regulus has become a Death Eater or is planning to do it soon. From an outside point of view, however, he looked incredibly suspicious and he wasn't even good at hiding himself.
"What are you doing?"
Sirius jolted, not expecting someone to breathe down his neck. He turned quickly and faced a person he did not know how to act with.
"Lestrange,"
Rabastan was preparing for his apparition lesson in an old classroom when he noticed black hair just outside the door. The two boys stared at each other with different thoughts. Rabastan was simply curious but Sirius was intrigued just what about the Slytherin was so great that it hurt Ophelia so badly.
"You're not that impressive." Came out aloud instead of in his head. Rabastan raised an eyebrow in response. "Except for the height and some muscle, you are rather blunt aren't you, Lestrange?"
"...what?"
Sirius bit his lip and truly seemed to analyze the former student. Indeed, Rabastan was a tall man and he used to be buff during school but from the looks of it, he lost quite a lot of weight. He had short black hair and blue eyes and in Sirius' mind, he looked a lot like a Doberman, especially when he was searching for one brunette in the Hall. Compared to him, Sirius was more of a black German shepherd. Actually, he couldn't believe that he just compared himself with Lestrange, it wasn't as if it mattered anyway. Rabastan didn't return only to watch Ophelia...right? And it wasn't as if it bothered him since it wasn't even proven that he was a spy in the castle. But for some reason, Sirius couldn't stop wondering just what was so great about Rabastan.
"Have a nice day," Sirius said quickly before he ran out. He had to sort out his thoughts and priorities.
The apparition lessons were going to be kept in the Great Hall. Almost all students signed up so he needed a big place and even some helpers, such as Slughorn or Flitwick. Rabastan was the main lead and he was just as imposing and authoritarian as his looks.
"I see you cannot wait to learn how to disapparate but try not to get too excited. It never works well from the first try. For some of you, it will not work at all if you don't focus." He announced and glanced briefly at Zabini who in exchange rolled his eyes. "You have to twirl and think of the destination you want to appear in. Such as the hoops that each of you has to the side. Remember to focus."
"How hard can it be?" James asked and twirled only to remain in the same spot. "Well..."
Students kept twirling, some more beautiful than others, but it didn't seem to have the wanted results. Rabastan looked at each and every student and couldn't help shake his head at them. The only person who seemed to have any type of result was Sirius, who seemed to already know the gist of it but was not focusing enough. Ophelia was in the very back with some Ravenclaws and honestly, Rabastan couldn't figure out what was going on in her mind. She looked up and their eyes met and for a moment, he forgot where he was but he could hear Malfoy's words...If you look into her eyes for long enough, you will see that she and Voldemort are not that different.
As soon as the class ended, students started to leave the Hall and go enjoy a bit of a break before their next class. Ophelia was in no hurry, instead, she seemed to have petrified in her spot.
"So you came," Rabastan said, approaching her slowly.
"How did I do?" She asked not quite interested because she didn't even try.
"You obviously didn't apparate." He replied glancing from her spot to her hoop and then back to her. "You have to clear your mind and focus on the place you want to apparate in. You spin and you should land there without a problem. If not, you get splinched." He explained in his professor tone.
"Like Zabini?" She asked having seen one of his recent memories. "Is that why he came today? To learn how to apparate correctly from his friend?"
Those green eyes of hers seemed so innocent and yet she was audibly teasing Enzo. Rabastan chuckled and his mask fell at her feet.
"What else have you seen in my mind?" He asked, eyes glinting with care and curiosity.
It was not exactly the way he said those words but how he looked at her that made Ophelia raise an eyebrow. It was an invitation, she figured that out as he leaned in. They stared deeply at each other before Ophelia sighed.
"Why should I teach you occlumency? Isn't your job to spy on everything I do? Isn't he supposed to roam freely through your mind?"
"Soon he will ask for you and when that happens, when he will try to lock you away, you will need to know how to disapparate." Rabastan replied stepping even closer to her. He didn't really answer any of her questions, though.
"And what do you win from this deal?" She asked tilting her head to the side. "A quick death?"
Rabastan leaned so close that their noses touched and Ophelia could see her reflection in his blue orbs. She had to stop breathing for a bit because his perfume reminded her of their happier days together.
"I want to be the master of my own mind. I'm quite sick of both your father and Dumbledore." He said in a low tone. Ophelia swallowed nervously as she felt her heartbeats increase.
"O-ok." She breathed out before she spun around and literally ran out. Rabastan couldn't help but feel happy. Emotions don't just vanish and he was sure that the green-eyed girl still had a soft spot for him.
"I'm still here, just so you know." Came Zabini's voice from a few feet behind Lestrange. "It's not wise, Rab. You're not here to win her back, that could kill you."
"Death is irrelevant at this point."
Zabini rolled his eyes. That was dumb. Love was clouding his judgment.
It was later that night when Ophelia realized what she truly accepted to do. Giving her former boyfriend lessons meant she must spend time alone with him...the boy she loved for a while and who decided that loyalty to Voldemort is more precious than her. But then again, it was definitely going to work in her favor since he could protect his memories and filter the information received by the Dark Lord. At the same time, she gets the opportunity to check his mind and find out information crucial for her. But what if that was the point in bringing Rabastan to Hogwarts? Dumbledore seemed to be very sure of his decision although he probably knew how it will affect her. So then, was it really for her, or was it so that Dumbledore could also have access to Death Eater secrets?
"Am I just a toy..." Ophelia mumbled, her heartbreaking a bit at the theory.
She was standing there, on the armchair next to the window and she was looking at the moon with such intensity as if she was expecting it to answer her.
From an outside point of view of a boy who has come in after literally running around, stalking his brother, Sirius truly believed she was ready to cry. The sky was pretty dark, it was obvious it will start to rain soon and yet the moon was visible and it was as bright as her green eyes. Sirius stood there, just staring at her. It was a melancholic sight and he was sure she was probably thinking about her father.
"I'm not." She answered out of nowhere.
"What?"
"I'm not thinking about dad. At least not just about him." She added turning to him. Sirius bit his lip and approached her slowly. He noticed her eyes narrowing and he kind of knew what was to come. "Really, Sirius. Why don't you just talk to Regulus if you're so worried? Tell him not to get involved with Death Eaters."
"How can I when that's all he has been talking about before I ran away? Mother transformed him into a perfect little Black and I couldn't do anything." He said before he suddenly got a great idea. "Why don't you tell him the truth?"
"Excuse me?" She asked feeling appalled.
"Tell Regulus the truth about your father. He's not going to have the power that he wants but only be a slave. What are Death Eaters if not cold-hearted murderers? Look at Rabastan, he doesn't seem well, does he? Your father doesn't just give them a chance but it takes their souls and cuts short their lives." Sirius said with passion running through every word. He truly believed that; it was visible in his eyes.
"Why don't you tell him that? It's not like I represent a more trusted figure than you, his older brother." She didn't want to meddle, honestly. The Black family was complicated anyway and whatever Regulus decided to do with his life was not her problem.
"But you are. Really, Molley, who better to talk him out of it if not the Dark Lord's daughter herself." Sirius said out loud in the common room.
Ophelia's eyes widened because just at that exact moment a group of people entered through the portrait and heard everything.
"Wh-what?" Frank asked, his mouth dropped in complete shock. Next to him were Alice, Remus, and Lily. The werewolf looked at Sirius with a disapproving shake of his head.
"Shit," Sirius whispered, glancing at Ophelia. She didn't seem as scared as expected; if anything, she looked like she had already made peace with her identity.
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