Rabastan's mind was an open book, with previews and commentaries before every chapter and an appendix. It was really easy to go from one sequence to another, a smooth sail for a good legilimence. Ophelia wanted to know if he lied to her, if he was busy or if he just avoided her for a while. From his looks alone, it did look like he was going through some sort of issue but she wanted to see it for herself and understand.
The first memory she landed in was right after they officialized their relationship. she had to leave for school but it was Rabastan's first year as a graduate. The Lestrange Manor was just as cold as she remembered but it was incredibly silent. She wandered up the stairs and into the hallway that led to her former room and, coincidentally or not, Rabastan's. She didn't have to knock to enter, the door was wide open and Rabastan was humming to himself happily. His eyes were glistening with joy and every part of him seemed so healthy. He was radiating, which was indeed odd compared to how he changed later on.
"Are you alright, Rab?" Rodolphus asked, entering from behind Ophelia. "Are you that eager to leave on your first official mission as a Death Eater?"
"...sure. Whatever you say," Rabastan's reply held no sympathy, no feeling towards his brother's strict demeanour. He was so nonchalant about everything as if he had nothing to worry about in the world.
But Rodolphus was not an idiot, or else he wouldn't have come so far in life. He eyed his brother from the top of his head and to the bottom and narrowed his eyes at him.
"Don't arrive late for dinner, the Dark Lord will be joining us tonight."
Rabastan nodded and walked past his brother and Ophelia out the door. The girl followed him and walked down into the dining room, where they ate. It was another memory, the same day but during dinner. Her father stood at the head of the table, eating as if he was the king with slow, almost snake-like, movements. His eyes were still blue, but she could see that something about him was changing. Once they finished, Rabastan wanted to leave but Tom stopped him with just a look.
"Yes, sir?" The boy asked as if he wasn't in his own house.
Tom got up and pushed a house-elf to the side while walking to the youngest Lestrange. Rabastan couldn't help but swallow nervously.
"I had heard that your first act was rather successful, Rabastan." He started, "Of course, I knew you could do it. I trust that your relationship with my daughter has been stable...? Nothing more and nothing less."
Ophelia glared at her father. Tom was reading Rabastan's mind as he was speaking so he knew the truth. It was more of a test to see how much Rabastan was going to reveal.
"I'm taking very good care of her, my lord. You don't have to worry. Ophelia is a good duellist, my brother and Bellatrix did a good job at quickening her improvement." He said, standing so straight and still that he resembled a soldier.
There was a pause, a moment of complete silence when only Rabastan's breathing was heard. Ophelia's eyes moved from the fear in her former boyfriend's eyes to her father's. There were no insecurities, no fears, no positive emotions whatsoever. He was just observing but he knew, Tom knew everything already. Then, he placed a reassuring hand on Rabastan's shoulder and gave a light squeeze before he left. The poor boy could finally relax but Ophelia could only watch her father's retreating figure.
"It has always been a test for him," she mumbled to herself.
Then the memory changed right before her eyes. It was the same room, Rabastan sitting in front of the fireplace with Tom pacing behind him.
"How long has it been? A few months? A year?" Tom asked with no type of emotion.
"Maybe a year," Rabastan replied, eyes set on the fireplace. "Does it matter, sir? If anything, this relationship can bring her closer to you."
Tom stopped and his eyes narrowed at the boy. A hiss alerted Ophelia and she approached to see that Nagini was crawling around Rabastan's legs.
"My dear Rabastan, you are young and inexperienced. You don't know what life is like. Emotions are feeble. Anger, hatred, and love, do not help you, on contrary, they mislead you on paths that will bring you misery. The only emotion worth having is fear. Fear can help you develop your strengths. Ophelia will understand that as well when you will break her heart." Tom said, walking right behind Rabastan and placing his hands on his shoulders.
Ophelia's chin tensed as she stared at her father. His values were so fucked up and he was forcing them on younger people, knowing his force of manipulation was strong enough to change them.
Rabastan's eyes widened and he clenched his fists as a method to calm himself down but also suppress his fear.
"What if I don't agree with you? Ophelia will have to marry someone one day and I do believe I am more than worthy, my lord. I am a Lestrange, a pure-blooded wizard with power and with your mark." His response surprised Ophelia, she was not about to lie. It warmed her heart.
But Tom sighed and it made the blood in both youths freeze.
"You see, my boy, marriage is a deal between two individuals that have to gain something one from another. Your brother's marriage will benefit all of us. But in order to have such a deal, you need to have a reason for this exchange. Ophelia has nothing to give and nothing to receive unless I allow it."
Those last words made her blood boil. She was so angry that she felt sparks tickle her fingers.
"Ophelia will never marry, Rabastan. Not you, not another pure-blood, nobody. Ever. Ophelia exists for one purpose, and one alone. That is all you need to know. But of course, she can experiment with emotions. That way, she will understand that love and kindness don't last forever. Love makes you weak."
Ophelia's eyes were glowing by now but she didn't want to stop. She went upstairs, to his room, at the moment she ran away after having Rabastan declare his loyalty to his family. Rabastan looked like he had been through hell now that she could see him clearly. His eyes were sore, his hair was a mess and he was limping with his left leg.
"Look what you've done, father!" Rabastan yelled at Aeron Lestrange, surprising him with the attitude.
"It doesn't matter, Rab. It actually happened at the right time. You can't waste your time on a girl, even if she is Voldemort's daughter. You need to focus on our cause. Be more like Rodolphus for once!"
"I'd rather die than become like him. Or like you! I'm not a slave, father. I feel unwelcome in my own house. It's like he took control of everything we own, of us!" He screamed. "Maybe this was a mistake."
Aeron scoffed and slapped his son with force. Rabastan's eyes widened but he didn't dare say anything.
"Be careful what you say and to whom, son." Aeron hissed and hurried out.
Ophelia watched Rabastan with a mix of pity and anger. He...was all words and no action. Except for promises, and declarations, he didn't really do anything. He didn't run after her, he just fought with his father first and then limped towards the nearest house-elf. By the time he got to the kitchen, she was gone.
"Where is she? Where did she go?" He asked Dobby but he glared. Lestrange was not his master, after all. It really looked like Dobby might attack Rabastan but thankfully, Rosie interfered.
"We don't know, sir. Misses just left." There was no kindness nor truth in her words. At that particular moment, Rosie despised his young master more than ever before.
Ophelia jumped out of his mind and saw him disheveled.
"Your eyes were shining with malice for a while before you returned," Rabastan said, knowing what she had seen. "You shouldn't have done it. Those memories are not...my best." He added feeling very awkward.
"My father is right." She said, shocking him so much that he jumped on his feet. "Love doesn't last forever but neither does fear. I am not afraid of him and I am not afraid of death. That gives me more power than he will ever know. Tell him that. Let him see this conversation, if, of course, he's not listening already. You're too open, Rabastan."
He wanted to say something but he couldn't find his words.
"I know you meant for me to see all of that but it doesn't change anything. You should think less and do more, otherwise, you will lose to your brother." She said, sounding colder with every word. "That's it for now. We'll start for real tomorrow so come prepared."
Nothing happened after that one time. Ophelia didn't enter any memories about her or their relationship, not even about Katie Rosier. Instead, she focused on his memories as a Death Eater.
"How am I doing?" He asked on the weekend before Halloween.
"Worse than Severus but it depends on how much you want to block me. And you don't, obviously." She said as they walked together down the halls of Hogwarts. "You should ask him to help as well. He has improved his legilimency quite a bit and could be a different type of presence. But Tom, you will feel him right away. He just barges in with no time to prepare. That's why you should take this more seriously." She scolded him, something Rabastan hasn't experienced before with her.
"You have become bossy,"
"I've always been bossy. Ask Sirius and James, they will agree with me."
"You spend a lot of time with those two."
"Oh my, how perceptive you are. What gave me away?" she asked sarcastically, making him playfully glare and push her.
"So you don't hate me anymore?" Rabastan asked seeing how she was a lot more like she used to be around him, before their relationship.
"I don't think I can hate you. You were my first love, Rabastan. Still are." she said and stopped. He took one step towards her and she took one back. "I can't trust you anymore. I still love you but I can't trust you." She added and bit her lower lip anxiously.
With that said, none spoke another word for the rest of the way. Rabastan seemed disappointed but Ophelia's heart felt lighter for some reason. She did love him a lot, it was impossible to stop her heart from skipping when he was glancing her way or searching for her in the Great Hall or in the corridors, but there was always this voice of reason in her mind. If placed between her and Tom, even out of fear, he will still choose Tom. That was the unmistakable truth.
When she entered the common room, it was as if all her doubts vanished. Gryffindors had a way of being very homey and the common room was the best example of that. The fireplace was lit, students were lying around playing chess or having a laugh, or, in Remus' case reading in advance for their extremely long Charms homework.
"The first match is right around the corner, hm, Potter?" A fourth-year Gryffindor called Fergus Lovell asked the loudmouth. That was enough to have him start a whole speech about Quidditch and how vital it was for him to play Seeker.
Ophelia shook her head and chuckled as she sat between Frank and Sirius who were discussing one detail that she had forgotten.
"I was thinking that maybe we could use the Room for the party? I mean, Goldstein could literally charm any professor to give us the classroom or the key to an unused classroom but do we want that? It may come with a cost," Frank asked as he rubbed his chin thoughtfully.
"Definitely not," was Sirius' response after what happened during the last Halloween party. "I don't want to be murdered in my sleep." He mumbled loud enough for Ophelia to hear.
"The Room exists with the sole purpose of helping Hogwarts students. I'm sure that if it can be big enough to have lessons with 40 students, it can also welcome 40 plus for a party." Ophelia commented although she didn't really care. "The problem is the Slytherins. They don't know about the Order, or at least when we meet. There are so many students, one of them could slip. I don't trust all of them." She said knowing that some of their classmates were easy to persuade.
"Have you invited Rabastan?" Frank asked eyeing her from the side. "You're teaching him occlumency, right?"
Since there were no more secrets between the three of them, Ophelia nodded with a tired sigh.
"I haven't. I'm not sure I want him there."
"But Zabini's coming. Aren't they friends?"
Ophelia glanced at Sirius for help but he just stared at her with a poker face.
"Rabastan's mind is easy to invade. My father could watch us through his eyes."
"So what? Isn't that better? Let him see us have a great time." Sirius finally said, his black eyes shining with mischief.
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