Rabastan Lestrange

Thu, 28 Apr 2016 22:44:08 GMT

"ABAAAH!" cried Dyllen, as he reached up to try and grab Rabastan's nose, much to everyone's amusement. The infant was now six months old, and had already taken a shine to his parents' friends.

"Just you wait until he's bigger," grinned Merissa, as she made her way to take her son from Rabastan's arms. "Then your nose will really be in danger."

"I should hope not," Rabastan said, releasing the child. "I'm afraid of what he'll do to it, especially once he starts teething."

"Oh, he's not going to be that strong. Yet," Gillan pointed out. "Yer nose'll be safe for a while more."

Rabastan sniffed, then sniffed again, making a face.

"Excuse us," Merissa said as she hurried to the stairs leading to the bathroom.

"Good thing we've got this place all memorised, lad," Gillan mused. "Or we'd get lost in here trying to find all the rooms."

"It is rather grand," Elea agreed, smiling. It had been about a year ago since she'd moved in, and even now she was still taken aback by how fancy the home was. "Makes me wonder if you're used to living in such splendid surroundings, or if you grew a taste for them as you got older."

"Used to it. My family's holdings weren't as grandiose as some families', but it was certainly fine in its own way."

"I wish I could see it," Elea sighed, wondering what it looked like.

"Probably in the possession of the local municipality, now that the heirs of Lestrange no longer live there."

"You don't sound very said about it, lad," Gillan noted.

"I'm not. I have this place. What do I need another manor for?"

"If you ever wanted to go back to your old home, you could claim it..," Elea suggested.

Rabastan was about to insist upon not returning to his old world, when Merissa and a much cleaner Dyllen came into the room.

"We're finished," she said, wiping a little powder off her dress as she held her son one-armed. "What are we talking about."

"Rabastan's old home—" Elea began, but was cut off by Rabastan.

"This is my home now. Here. With all of you."

Dyllen gurgled, as if to agree, but Elea looked as if she knew Rabastan was keeping some unpleasant secret from her.

He would be wary of that look for a while to come.

"Do you want to hold Dyllen again, Rabastan? He adores you."

"Sure," Rabastan accepted, holding his arms out for the boy.

Merissa beamed as she settled Dyllen into Rabastan's arms.

"I'm surprised that you're not a father, the way that you dote all over Dyllen," Merissa observed. "You're a natural. Like you were born for it."

"Believe me when I say this, Merissa: I do wish I had a child. He or she would never feel unloved or unwanted."

"Oh you're so sweet!" Merissa cried, and leaned in to give Rabastan a kiss on the cheek. "Adorable! Elea, you're so lucky!"

"Yes. Well." Elea stammered, blushing. "I guess I am."

Rabastan smiled at her, as Dyllen once again tried to grab Rabastan's nose, feeling a longing build up in his chest.

I am willing to be the father, but who is willing to be the mother?

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Wed, 22 Jul 2015 04:57:35 GMT

"I want to talk to you."

"I don't."

Beta Draconis had been trying to elude his brother for days, but now he was cornered.

"You're going to, anyways. There's nopony around to provide you with a last-second means of getting out of this."

He was right. Beta Draconis was stuck in a dead-end alley in the less-savoury part of town, and his older brother was blocking the single way out.

"What do you want, Alpha?"

"I have a message, actually," his brother, Alpha Lupus, said casually. "Nox is getting tired of waiting. He wants you to join up with him—"

"No."

"I knew you'd say that. But you can't refuse forever, you know. You either come willingly, or..."

Alpha let it hang in the air.

"I'm not going to be part of whatever it is Nox is planning. I told you that. Ponies are supposed to get along."

"Oh, am I going to get a lecture on friendship now? Or maybe something about those Elements of Harmony?" He snorted. "Who even believes in that anyways?"

"Some ponies do," Beta Draconis muttered.

"Yeah. You."

Beta Draconis flattened his ears and looked away, ashamed.

"Anyways," Alpha Lupus went on, "Nox has given you until the Summer Sun Celebration to make up your mind, or he'll make it up for you."

Beta Draconis' ears were barely visible, and he took a step backwards.

"He- He wouldn't?"

Alpha Lupus leaned in.

"Oh no? Well, you'd better make up your mind if you don't want to find out the hard way."

"No! No, I don't want to! And nopony can make me!"

Hoofsteps sounded outside the alley.

"Is anypony there?" a stranger's voice said.

"Until the Summer Sun Celebration," Alpha Lupus reminded, then teleported out of the alley.

Without hesitation, Beta Draconis ran out of the alley and past the stranger, as fast as he could, until he reached his cottage.

A note. He wanted to send out a note. But to who?

Then it dawned on him: Princess Celestia! Of course!

He'd never conversed with the princess before, since he didn't really know her at all, but with the ultimatumn hanging over his head, why wait to be given an invitation to meet her so that you can discuss your problems with her?

After all, there were ponies who came to her all the time to solve a problem, and this was a problem.

A brief search for quill and roll of parchment was carried out, then he set to writing.

"Dear Princess Celestia..."

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MLP:FIM!AU Rabastan

Fri, 17 Jul 2015 18:53:32 GMT

Points about pony!Rabastan:

1: Obviously from Equestria, though a slightly different Equestria than the one we all know. The Mane Six are part of it, though some elements are altered somewhat [see below].

2: Attended a special school that was exclusively for unicorns, which everyone his family has all attended for many, many moons.

3: Speaking of moons, he grew up fascinated by the tale of the Mare in the Moon, and it was this that lead to him wanting to learn more about the magics of the night and the moon that gave him his cutie mark.

4: His name is not Rabastan, but Beta Draconis [I am not sure what AU!name his brother and sister-in-law will have].

5: Has a bully-type dog named Betria.

6: Unlike canon FIM, there are elements that are similar to Potter-verse, in that there's a small group of ponies—unicorns specifically—that believe that they are better than the other kinds of pony, and one in particular is trying to establish a kingdom where unicorns rule and everyone else is either a second-class citizen or a slave. Obviously Celestia is Not Happy About This, and is trying to put a stop to it. Meanwhile Rabastan is being pressured by his brother [who has already joined the unicorn supremacy movement (not its actual name!)] into joining, but at this time, he has not, and is trying to avoid being press ganged or worse.

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Thu, 25 Jun 2015 22:01:05 GMT

"I don't know why we couldn't have taken the carpet if it was going to rain," Elea nearly shouted, trying to make herself heard over the sound of thunder and the rain that streamed down. "Yes, it would get soaked, but we'd be home faster."

"I thought the rain would hold off until later. Here. It's not going to keep us completely dry, but 'less wet' is better than 'thoroughly soaked'."

Rabastan handed over an umbrella that had to be twice as large as a regular parasol. Certainly it would shield them both from the downpour, if only their upper bodies. As for their legs and feet, well...

"This weather is just awful," Elea complained, wringing her hair out with her free hand. "And to think it had started out all nice, sunny and warm."

"Weather does that," Rabastan said. "We'd better move quickly, if we want to be able to dry off at home."

"Providing we don't drown in this storm first."

"Glad to see the weather hasn't altered your sense of humour, love."

Moving as quickly as they could, they made their way up and down the streets, taking advantage of any awning or overhang they could find, and making quite a splash as the puddles began to deepen.

"Really. Next time we're out on a day scheduled for rain, we're taking the carpet, Rabastan. Forget this umbrella."

"Would you prefer to wait out the storm inside one of the shops?"

"If there's one that's open at this time of night." Pause. Then rhetorically, "If only we could've stayed overnight at Merissa's place."

"Taverns usually are," Rabastan reminded her, as he scanned about for one that was still open.

They continued on, keeping an eye out for a sign that didn't say "Closed", until suddenly, Rabastan halted.

Elea, who was just slightly behind him, didn't notice until she bumped right into him.

"Please tell me you found one?" she asked, hopefully.

"No. Something else. I hear something."

"You can hear anything over this tempest?"

"Shhhhh!"

He waved his hand, handed the umbrella back to Elea [they had taken turns holding it], and began to look around for whatever it was he'd heard.

"It's over here. In this alley."

"In the alley?" Elea said with a tone of surprise. "Rabastan, don't go in there! It could be some vagrant, or worse, in there!"

"No. No vagrant. It's something else."

Not caring that the rain had his coat completely soaked through, he began looking behind boxes, bins, and other items that littered the alley for whatever it was he'd heard.

"Hurry up, Rabastan!"

"Here! Here it is!"

He pushed aside a couple of waste bins, and bent down to get a closer look.

Elea, forgetting that the umbrella could only just barely fit through the gap between the buildings without having to be folded, tried to join Rabastan where he was crouched.

"What is it?"

Elea's reply was a pitiful sound. Rather like a small animal.

Rabastan leaned in, pushed something aside, then went to pick up ... whatever it was, then tucked it in the driest part of his clothing.

"Can I see?"

"Just a moment. Open the umbrella and I'll show you.

Elea, curiosity now replacing her unhappy mood, complied. And Rabastan pulled back the part of his coat that he was using to shield...

It was a small animal. But what kind? The poor thing was too wet and shaky to tell.

"It's a kitten," Rabastan explained. "No idea where it came from, but it must've gotten lost somehow when the rain started. Couldn't see its mother anywhere, so I think she ran off to get dry."

"Oh, the poor thing! Rabastan, we need to get indoors at once! That kitten won't last much longer in this horrid weather."

Fortunately, for humans and animal alike, there was a tavern open just around the corner, and everyone was grateful to be inside.

Except, perhaps, for the barman, who upon seeing the shivering kitten, rushed over with a frown upon his face.

"'Fraid I can't let you two bring in any animals. M'customers wouldn't allow it."

"Oh, please. Just until the storm lets up?" Elea pleaded. "It won't be a trouble; I'm sure of it."

The old man took a look at the sorry-looking creature, sighed, then nodded.

"All right. Just until the weather clears up—"

"Oh, thank you!" Pause. "Could we get it some food and milk? It must be starving."

"Er... Well. I suppose so. Go sit down while I find it some meat and milk."

While they waited, Rabastan let the kitten roam the table top. It didn't go far, and certainly nowhere near the edge, as it was still shaky from the cold and wet. But it was slowly drying out, and Rabastan could see that its fur was of a rusty red, and the way its fur stood out made him realise that the kitten, once fully grown, would have a longish coat of fur.

It would be a beautiful animal, that was for sure.

But right now it was tottering along, looking for something to eat, or a place to hide up in.

"'Ere you go. Some fish and some milk."

The plates were set down, and the kitten, clearly starving, ate as much as its little stomach could handle, before turning around to go and curl up next to Rabastan's elbow.

"I wonder if anyone owns it," Elea mused.

"Doubt it. Stray, most likely."

"It's pretty, though. Too pretty to be a stray."

The kitten yawned, then began to wash itself clean and drier, if not completely dry.

"Maybe we could keep it."

"What?"

"The kitten, Rabastan. It has no home, so why don't we give it one?"

"I dunno. Think we'd be able to care for it?"

"Of course, silly," Elea said, playfully swatting his arm. "Kittens are not that much trouble. It'll be fine. We'll be fine. And I'm sure it will be grateful."

As if in answer, the kitten gave a soft little mew.

"See? It wants to go home with us."

"Oh. All right. But the poor thing's been out in the elements. First thing tomorrow, we take it to a healer to get it looked over."

"Wonderful!"

The kitten purred softly.

Rabastan and Elea were going to adopt a kitten.

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Thu, 25 Jun 2015 02:37:34 GMT

The day was sunny, though the air had the scent of rain in it as Rabastan and Elea walked up to the house her friend Merissa now lived.

"It's been a while since I was here last. I do hope Merissa is doing well. And her family, too. Gosh, I wonder what it is she wanted to tell me?"

Elea knocked at the door, while Rabastan stood at the base of the steps, waiting. From inside he could hear both Merissa and her husband talking, then sounds of footsteps getting louder as they approached the door.

"Elea!" Merissa almost shrieked as she embraced her friend. "I'm so glad to see you!"

"Me too! How was the vacation? And your parents?"

"Excellent! You really should go - the food is marvelous! And my family is just fine! In fact, they wanted me to tell you 'Hello' for them. Oh, hello Rabastan. Come on in. We were just about to put some tea on, and I hope you'll have some."

He nodded, and went inside. The scent of tea leaves and something fruity wafted out of the kitchen, and he secretly hoped there would be more than just tea today.

"Rabastan! Good to see you, lad!" It was Gillan, Merissa's husband, heading over to give Rabastan one of his trademarked bear hugs. "Althena bless you, you're looking thin! Merissa? Think you could throw something in the oven and feed him up so he doesn't starve?"

Rabastan chuckled; this was becoming a favourite joke between them. Merissa laughed, too, and headed into the kitchen, with Elea tailing behind her.

"I'll help."

"Come, lad. How's about you take a seat in the sitting room while the ladies catch up over tea?"

He'd barely sat down, when the impulse to eavesdrop on Elea and Merissa came to him. Gillan hadn't gone into the sitting room, but instead to the wine cellar to get himself a glass of spirit.

That meant he was alone. For now.

"You're kidding, right?" he heard Elea exclaim. "Really? Oh, this is wonderful news! We'll need to throw a party for you! And Gillan as well."

Party? What for?

"How long has it been? When did you find out?"

Now he knew what the answer would be before Merissa said it.

"Just over three months, and I only found out about a fortnight ago when I saw the healer for what I thought was just a regular illness."

"Well, it's certainly not some 'regular illness', is it?" Elea ribbed.

So. Elea's best friend and former roommate was in an expecting way. Which meant he'd have a new baby to fawn over and spoil.

It was something he couldn't help. Children always brought out the paternal in him.

He smiled to himself and stopped listening in, just as Gillan entered the room.

"Y'know, it's not polite to listen in on private talk," the beastman said, startling Rabastan back to awareness. "Here. Have a drink. The tea ain't ready yet."

Rabastan stammered something, then took the glass. It had a heady scent of spices, nuts and a vague hint of honey.

"Bought it while we was on vacation. Locals are real proud of this here liquor. Say that it was the best year they'd had in ages." He paused. "G'on. Drink up."

It was. Well. He was certainly going to remember this one for a while yet. Not that it was unpleasant, or bitter, or sweet. Instead, it was something he couldn't put his finger on, but if he ever had it again, he'd know it at once.

"Good, huh?"

Rabastan nodded, and handed over the empty glass, feeling the alcohol work its way though his body.

Must be one of those "one glass" drinks, unless you're of strong constitution. And Gillan certainly is.

Alone again, and despite Gillan's remark about poor manners, Rabastan found himself listening in to the conversation in the kitchen. Merissa was busy chopping up something, while Gillan rinsed out the cups and began looking for something in the pantry to add to the meal.

It looked like Rabastan and Elea were staying for dinner. Which pleased him. Merissa was a fine cook, and he always enjoyed supping at her house.

"Gillan? Could you go outside to fetch some herbs from the garden?"

Rabastan knew what that new tone meant, and Gillan was to excuse himself while Elea and Merissa talked about something only the two women were supposed to talk about. A word of agreement, and Gillan headed down the hallway, past the sitting room, and then out into the gardens behind the house.

"Oh, I don't know," Elea's voice began. "It's just... Well... I don't know if that's a choice I want to make just yet."

"You're not getting any younger, and neither is he. Especially he. And you've been together for a few years now, too."

"Yes, I know, but..."

Her voice trailed off.

Getting old? Being together? What was it they were talking about that made age and time together such a big deal?

"I've always known you as the most decisive person, back when we were still sharing a house together with the others. Anything you set your mind on, you went after. I don't see this as anything you would ever hesitate on."

"We're talking about a major decision, Merissa. Everything else I chose to do or not do weren't even half as big as this. I just don't want to decide now."

"And when do you plan to decide? The longer you wait to ask him, or for him to ask you, the less time you'll have to make any decision at all."

Things got very quiet for several moments, and Rabastan thought that Elea or Merissa weren't going to talk about it any more, but...

"Merissa, you know how I feel about these things. With minor decisions, there's always the option of changing your mind. But this isn't some minor decision. And I want to be sure—absolutely sure—when I make it that I'm making what will be the right choice for me. I don't want to find myself, ten or twenty years later, wishing I'd thought about it more."

A pause, and a deep sigh.

"I just don't know if it's the right time or the right choice yet."

"Just don't wait too long, then."

The chopping sound resumed as the back door opened, and Gillan came inside. Rabastan quickly adjusted his expression to that of someone studying the room they were in, but Gillan didn't peek his head in to see what his guest was doing.

"Hope these are what you want, love," Gillan said from the kitchen. "'Cause I ain't goin' back out. There's a storm comin'"

"They're perfect, dear. Set them over here, please."

"Should I ask Rabastan to help out?" Elea inquired.

"No. I'll be done soon. Why don't you go join him in the sitting room while I finish up? I'll call you when it's done, if Rabastan's nose doesn't tell you both first."

Using the time it would take for Elea to reach the sitting room, Rabastan got up to look at one of the bookshelves for something to read.

"Find anything interesting?"

"Not yet."

He heard her sit down, and try to exhale as softly as she could in the hopes that he wouldn't hear.

"You sounded excited earlier. I take it that whatever Merissa said was something good?"

"Better than good. She'll be having a child soon, and I know how much you adore children."

"That is good news."

Giving up on finding anything in the bookcase that would serve as distraction, he moved over to look out the window. Sure enough, the sky had darkened, and the first rumbles of thunder could be heard even by people with normal hearing.

Elea must feel as if there's a storm inside her, given what she and Merissa were talking about...

Speaking of Merissa, the sounds of her footsteps told him she was heading their way.

"We're almost done. How's about you two come to the kitchen now, and we can talk about my big news there?"

Both grateful for the distraction from having to start a conversation, they left the sitting room to join Merissa and Gillan for dinner, while thunder growled overhead...

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Thu, 13 Nov 2014 11:52:59 GMT

Dawn broke just before Rabastan woke up again for the second time that night.

He'd had a fitful sleep after Rodolphus and Bellatrix had appeared earlier, and he knew without having to look in the mirror that it would show on his face, and Elea would be concerned about his health.

Again.

He got up, and made his way over to the bathroom to run the sink full of cold water.

Something to splash his face with. Get the tiredness out of him. Make himself look less like someone to fuss over in the morning.

Water dripping from hair and skin, he stared at his reflection.

It had been some time since his appearance had changed. Gone were the usual brown eyes, to be replaced by that bestial yellow he'd somewhat grown accustomed to.

And almost let slip from his mind.

It meant nothing. Heralded nothing.

After the Slenderman, and his healing, everything was pretty much back to normal.

Rodolphus was only taking note of a change that had occured since the last time the two had met.

So why did it bother him so much what Rodolphus had said?

"They all fight it, but they lose out in the end."

"Shut up, Rodolphus," he hissed at the echo of his brother's voice. "Shut up."

He emptied the sink, toweled himself dry, and went about looking for something to put on before going downstairs to put a kettle on for tea.

Because as hungry as he was, he still remembered the advice he'd been given so long ago about what he ate, and if the wolf was getting stronger, he'd need to do something about his diet.

The kettle began to whistle just as Elea stepped into the kitchen, where Rabastan was busy chewing thoughtfully on an apple.

"Some particular reason you're not having bacon as you usually do?" she commented.

Rabastan was not a morning vegetarian.

"Thought I'd try something different for starters."

"Do you want bacon?"

"Not today, thanks."

She looked at him quizzically, then proceeded to crack some eggs to make an omlette.

They didn't say much that morning, and, in a way, he was glad for it.

"The mail should be here by now. I'll go have a look."

He watched her go. He knew she'd be asking questions about his odd change in routine eventually.

"So. That's Elea."

Rabastan let out a cry of surprise, and dropped the core of his fifth apple.

"Who's there?" He paused. "Father? Is that you?"

He turned in his chair. For the second time that day a family member had made a ghostly appearance.

"Father. I—"

He stopped short. He had so much he wanted to say, and no tongue to say it with.

"I suppose you're expecting me to say something about your choice in partners, aren't you?"

Mutely, Rabastan nodded.

"You're expecting me to say that you should get rid of her, go home, and get yourself a proper wife, aren't you?"

Another nod.

"I could say that, but death seems to have mellowed me out."

"Papa. Father," Rabastan croaked.

"Say nothing. I am only here for a short time. The veil may be thin, but then, so is the time granted to us who visit the living."

Rabastan waited for his father to speak.

"You know how your mother and I felt about Muggle-borns and half-bloods. You know how we thought about those of us who were of pure heritage. We were not exactly cruel, as the Blacks were, and yet, like the Malfoys, we saw them as something beneath us. To your mother and I, they were curiosities that should keep to their own, and not involve themselves in the lives of proper witches and wizards."

Rabastan remembered all this. He remembered how his parents would talk to non-purebloods. As if they were oddities, something to be polite to, but never to accept in one's own world. The Lestranges were from one world, the Muggle-borns another. If they could not be removed from wizarding society, then they should keep to their own kind.

The two were simply not compatible, and should keep apart.

So why bring this up now?

"Well, death seems to change us, as I've said. It's sent Bellatrix over the edge, and caused your brother to adopt a new kind of cruelty."

That didn't bring Rabastan any comfort.

"Is he right?"

His father continued as though Rabastan had not said anything.

"You're not the first werewolf in the family."

It made his heart freeze.

"Anyways, about me, and about Elea."

The ghost paused for a moment.

"You love her?"

"Yes."

"You hope someday to marry her?"

"Yes."

"Then I suppose that settles the matter. See, if I were still alive, I'd have set you an ultimatum, and you would've obeyed it. But death seems to have changed me, and if you love her, then I suppose that will have to do. She's not my first or even last choice for my son, but if you love her..."

"Rabastan, are you talking to someone?"

"I must go. My time here is almost up."

The visage of the elder Lestrange began to dissipate, then vanish altogether.

He was alone again.

"Rabastan? I thought I heard a voice. Were you talking to someone?"

"No, love. I wasn't. It was probably just a voice coming in through the window."

Elea looked skeptical.

"If you say so."

"I do."

First his brother and sister-in-law; then his father.

What else did he have to look forward to this Halloween?

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Thu, 30 Oct 2014 01:51:14 GMT

From the start, it looked like this October was going to be a decent one.

Nothing bad had happened. Everything was fine. And even the increase in leaves and decrease in daylight didn't dampen his mood.

For once in his adult life, he was going to have an uneventful October.

Or so he thought.

The calendar on the wall in his room read "October 31". Halloween. Samhain.

No big deal. Later that day he and Elea could get dressed up as per the Earthen custom.

Tonight he'd just sleep.

Well, he was asleep.

Because now, suddenly, he was wide awake.

He looked about the room.

Elea was beside him, fast asleep. The blanket beginning to slip off her bare shoulder.

He looked towards the window.

There was a mantle of leaves on the other side.

So far, everything seemed normal.

He closed his eyes. What on Earth would have him suddenly awake?

Sitting up, he ran his hand through his hair.

Well if he was going to be awake, he might as well do something until he got tired again.

A sound. A laugh. A woman's laugh. Cold. Cruel. Mocking.

And another sound. One that turned his guts to ice. A slow drawl that hid menace in its seemingly lazy tone.

He looked about. Where?

"Over here," said the cackle.

He turned his head so sharply his neck began to twinge in pain.

"Awwww... The poor liddle pup has an ouch?" said the woman's voice.

"Pay it no mind. Any pain he gets is tithe to me this night."

"What?"

Standing before him were two semi-transparent figures.

He recoiled in shock and fear. Not because he was afraid of apparitions—after all, he'd spent his youth in a school full of ghosts and spirits—but because of who they were.

It was his brother. And his sister-in-law.

Paying him an unwanted visit.

"Don't look so surprised to see me again," Rodolphus said, looking rather bored. "You know that you can't keep us away forever. Everyone dies sometime."

Bellatrix cackled.

"How about the two of you go back to where you came from, and allow me to enjoy my living years in peace?"

"I'm sure you'd like that, but it's not happening just yet."

Rabastan gave a snarl.

"Ah. I see the wolf in you has grown stronger. I'll bet even good ol' Greyback will be pleased."

"Your little attempt on his life didn't quite go as expected, and yet, this turn of events is intriguing."

Bellatrix turned to look at Elea, still fast asleep. Comfortably oblivious. This visit was not for her tonight.

"Ooh, I see you've found yourself a little whore?" she sneered. "Couldn't find anyone proper to lie with?"

"Shut your mouth!"

"I think not!" She paused, giggling silently. "How much longer before the big bad wolf devours his pretty young lover?"

"It's in your eyes, brother," Rodolphus added. "Not a good sign when eye colour changes. You're turning more feral."

"Shut up! I can control it!"

"Not for forever, you can't," replied Rodolphus, his lazy voice showing a hint of interest now. "Greyback told us they all fight it, but they lose out in the end."

"I won't!"

Rodolphus chuckled. "Oh, you think so?"

"Big eyes to see with. Big ears to hear with. Big teeth to eat with!" sang Bellatrix.

That was it. He was out of bed, on his feet, not caring about whether he was dressed or not.

"STOP THAT! STOP IT NOW!"

"And just how do you plan to make us, brother? Magic's not going to work on us, now."

"Shut it! Shut it up, you hear me?"

"Loud and clear. But if I were you I'd think about what this display of temper might cause."

Rodolphus smiled in his own wolfish way.

"You never trusted that trinket that god gave you. Better not trust it now."

"What are you talking about?"

"Oh, only that it might lead you to doing something you'll regret."

He shifted his gaze to his hand.

"You don't know. You have no idea whether it's dangerous or not."

"Perhaps. Perhaps not. But if you want to stay sane and your little trollop to stay alive, you'll watch what you say and do, and more importantly, feel."

Rabastan advanced, but Rodolphus made no move.

He was, however, becoming more and more transparent.

"Think about it. I know you'd never take advice from me, but maybe this time, you should listen to your dear older brother."

"Fuck off. And get out of my house!"

"We're leaving anyways. Go to sleep, pup."

And the two vanished.

His heart pounded in his ears as his nostrils flared with heavy breathing.

It was just a Halloween prank. A bad dream.

Of course it meant nothing.

Didn't it?

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Sun, 27 Jul 2014 04:49:21 GMT

As with yesterday, today saw Rabastan and Elea once again in his secret place.

Like yesterday, they had packed lunch and taken the carpet to fly out to this hidden locale.

In fact, minus Rabastan showing Elea photographs, not much was different.

Well. He wasn't planning on spending his afternoon as a jaguar. That too made it different.

Today, he'd had other plans, and before they'd left, he'd explained his idea.

Elea was, well. The thought of what he had in mind was both exciting and quite frightening as well.

They sat at the stream together in silence, their bare feet dangling in the cool water. Elea had another flower in her hair, just like the one from before.

"Mmmmmmm...," she murmured, contented.

While the day was hot, the water had the desired effect of cooling her down.

"I should bring you out here more often if you enjoy it that much. Hell, you should see it during the autumn. Or the winter. It's so quiet and still."

"We could do that. But I'd rather enjoy it while it's summer out."

With that, she leaned back and stretched out on the rocks, an arm shading her eyes from the bright sun.

Rabastan, seeing her this content, was considering changing his mind about today's activity, and offering to reschedule what he'd had planned.

A fish jumped from the water.

Overhead and about, birds and insects called, and a small animal darted amongst the trees.

Yes. They could just do this all day. They didn't have to do what he wanted to do.

But then Elea spoke.

"So. About your little idea. I'm still up for it if you are."

"You haven't changed your mind? We could just do what we're doing now. Or something else besides this."

Elea gave him a rather feline grin.

"That we always have time for."

He coughed, startling something nearby. Something that quickly jumped into the water.

Rolled onto her side, with her head propped up, she gave his thigh a poke.

"So. Basically, what you plan to do is carry me about on your back?"

"Basically."

"Which is something people from your world would do?"

"Of course. It's quite popular."

"Well. If you're going to be carrying me about the countryside, you might want to get into shape first."

He got up, then extended Elea a hand. She took it, and pulled herself up onto her feet.

"You sure you want to do this? You could fall."

"I'll hold on tight. I promised you that."

He nodded, closed his eyes, and concentrated, making sure beforehand to give himself enough room first.

"You weren't kidding, love. They are big."

I know. Goodness, Elea. You don't have to do—

She placed a hand on his muzzle to silence him.

All right. Though I have no idea how to make it easier for you to get up. It's not like you've had to lift yourself up onto something that's as tall as you are.

"Try kneeling or something."

With these legs? Elea, I have no intention of putting my arms in plaster for the next month while I recuperate.

"Lie down then?" she offered, and he nodded, then laid down on the grass.

"What now?"

Put one leg over my back until you're seated with a leg on each side. Then I'll get up.

"Okay." For the first time, she sounded uncertain.

It's safe. I promise.

Hands placed on his shoulders to steady herself, Elea swung her left leg over his back, then sat down.

"Okay. What next?"

Grab my mane. And hold on. I'm going to get up.

He paused.

I'll get up slowly so you won't fall off.

It wasn't easy, what with his size and the way his legs worked, but he did.

It didn't stop Elea from yanking on his mane as the two of them rose from the ground, and he nearly cried out in pain.

"Althea bless me! This is... This is... Wow!"

Are you alright?

"I'm more than alright! Though, I have to admit it is a little scary."

If you want off...

"No, no. I'm fine."

Keep hold of my mane. I'm going to walk now.

He did. Slowly. So as not to unseat Elea and give her a nasty tumble.

"This is truly something. People do this all the time."

Not as much as they used to, but yes. They do.

He set up a slow, steady pace, gradually circling as much of the perimeter as he could.

"I think I like this, Rabastan. This is quite enjoyable. Too bad your other forms aren't suited for this."

"Horse" is good enough for this kind of thing.

He carried her like this, sometimes moving slow, sometimes a little quicker. And sometimes he'd just stand there and let her examine things from her elevated vantage point.

"Nothing like riding a carpet. At all."

She stroked his neck, admiring the feel.

Two hours later though, and they had to put an end to Elea's first lesson in riding horses.

"I'm sorry love, but as much fun as this is, I'd really like to get off now. My legs are sore."

Moving to lie down again, Elea gratefully dismounted, and began the process of soothing her legs.

Did you enjoy that?

"Oh yes, very much," she said, rubbing her calves and thighs. "I'd like to do that again sometime."

Next time I will bring a rope so you can have something else to hold onto.

"I didn't hurt you, did I?"

Not at all, he lied. I just think it would be more practical.

He paused.

I will change back now.

But before he did, he gave her a playful nudge with his head, causing her to let out a shriek of surprise.

"Rabastan! Stop that!"

He was grinning when he returned to human. Just in time to receive a clod of mud to his chest. Elea had scooped some up as he was changing.

That led to the two of them cavorting in the stream, tossing water at each other. Laughing the whole time.

Later...

"I'm sorry I ever treated you the way I did. When you first told me you were sick. I should've been more understanding."

They were snuggling on the blanket as the sun began to set.

"No. You were right to be afraid. I had been careless, when I should've been thinking more about others' safety. I thought I had taken all precautions. Until you pointed out my oversights."

He sighed.

"And I could've hurt you."

"You didn't, though."

He gave her a squeeze.

"We should head back."

"Not right now. In fact, I think I'd like to spend the night out here. Sleep under the stars."

"I never took you to be a woman for the outdoors."

She laughed.

"There's a lot about me you don't know."

She snuggled up closer. They would snuggle for quite a bit later.

"Thank you Rabastan. For everything."

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Sun, 27 Jul 2014 02:47:54 GMT

Telling Elea about his illness put a huge weight on his back.

His otter experiment had lifted it, and, more than that, improved things between them by a great deal.

Seeing that Rabastan was not going to turn into some ravening monster and hurt anyone around him gave both a sense of relief.

He was not dangerous. Not dangerous at all.

It made him smile. Feel happy inside.

Even Gavin's chill attitude towards Rabastan couldn't put a damper on things.

Everything was fine again.

Two weeks after his little experiment, he'd arranged to take Elea out to the place where, prior to his revealing of his state of health, he'd run and flew in his animal forms. Where he was certain that no one would see and investigate. And thus, come to no harm from someone wanting to turn the creature they saw into some exotic artifact or beast of burden.

They flew out to the site on the carpet Rabastan had recently purchased, Elea snuggling against him while she held the picnic lunch in her lap.

It took about an hour's flight to reach it.

Once landed, Elea quickly set up everything, spreading out the blanket and taking out food and drink from the basket, before turning about to take in the scenery.

"I can see why you come here, love. This place is beautiful. All those trees. That hill over there. The flowers. Even that little stream we just passed. Lovely."

He smiled. His choice in coming here had less to do with how it looked and more to do with how well it suited his animal selves.

But, now that he thought about it, it was lovely.

"I could stay out here all day. Just lie on the grass, and feel the sun shining down."

Well. That was one way to pass the time out here. He was starting to think of other things they could do out here, away from everyone. Lots of them.

He quickly looked away. His imagination was getting the better of him.

Elea had noticed, though, and gave him a sly wink.

"So. You brought me out here because you wanted me to see your animal forms. This place seems appropriate enough to do that."

He nodded.

"I will show you them as they actually look," he said, "but I think first, it would be better to show you them in a way that might not be so intimidating."

"What's more intimidating than this wolf form you take?"

Before he sat down on the blanket, he pulled out a small envelope.

Back at the bar, he'd gone through the library to find pictures of the different animals he could be. With some spellwork he made copies of the ones he'd liked, placed them in the envelope, and brought them home.

"Here," he said, handing it over to Elea, "have a look."

"What's in that—"

The photographs slid out onto her lap.

"Oh!"

Scooping them up, she began to look at each one in turn, though now, they were slightly out of order.

"What manner of creatures are these?"

"Well, that one you are looking at now, is called a 'horse'. People on Earth keep them for many things, like riding, or work, or even just pets," he explained as she looked at a picture of a horse running in a field. "Some of them are big, like that one, and some are smaller. The smaller horses are called 'ponies'. I have no idea why."

She nodded, taking in all the details. The mane and tail were whipped up by the wind created by its movement.

It was, the more she thought about it, rather majestic.

"Do you look like this one?"

"Oh no. I look very different. See, that one is brown. When I'm a horse I'm all black."

The picture was placed back in the envelope, and she continued looking at the ones with horses in them, until she came to a picture of a tiny bird.

"And this animal is?"

"That is a swallow. It's as small as you think it is. Very fast, catches insects, and migrates when it gets cold."

"Why would you choose a small form? Why not bigger?"

"Small can be very useful," he said cryptically.

She gave him an inquiring look, but said nothing and continued on. There were only a couple swallow pictures to look at before she came to another one of a horse.

As Rabastan had pointed out, horses came in small, and so she figured that this one was a pony, rather than a full-sized horse.

It was cute. Just like that little bird.

More pictures of horses and birds, before she came to one of a much larger, much fiercer-looking bird.

It looked like something that would eat the poor, tiny swallow.

"And this one?" she asked, feeling sorry for any poor creature that came near it.

"That is an eagle. It's part of a group of birds people from my world call 'birds of prey', because they hunt other animals." He grinned, suddenly. "It's also one of my school's mascots."

"This thing?"

"Yeah. I like this bird. It soars high, and while it's not as fast as a swallow is, it can see and hear for miles around, because it has amazing eyes, and surprisingly good ears."

And it makes him look regal, the way the horse does.

Apparently he'd had something of an unrealised streak of vanity, or perhaps it was an instinctual recognition of a noble animal by someone from a noble parentage.

"Don't worry. It's not dangerous. Unless you're something small and furry."

Elea gave him a look that indicated she didn't see the humour in what he'd said.

More pictures. More swallows, more horses, more eagles. There were also some otters amongst them, and these she spent more time looking at.

She found that, despite the initial surprise at seeing it, she rather liked him as an otter. Small, furry, and rather adorable. The thought of something like an eagle carrying off the small, wet, slippery creature made her want to cry.

She came to a picture of a wolf, and Rabastan explained that his wolf and that one in the photograph were not exactly the same. The build was different, for one, but it was a good approximation of what to expect should she ever see him in that form.

They both silently prayed that if that ever happened, it would not be during an eclipse, as he had told her that the animal only experienced aggression during the time it was supposed to appear. Outside the time of change, it was rather docile.

Finally, when she was close to the end of the pictures, she came upon the last form.

"It looks like it could be a distant relative of Nall. Only... It's a lot bigger. And has spots."

"That, love, is a jaguar. It lives in something called a 'jungle', which is a bit like a normal forest, only hotter, wetter, and with all manner of strange plants and trees. And the animals are very colourful."

"I should like to see a jungle some day," she mused, examining the big cat.

"Maybe I will take you."

"You would? Oh, that would be wonderful."

She paused.

"Tell me about this animal."

"Well, it's a cat, and it lives in warm places, as I'd said. It's a predator, and eats other animals, and the people who live where it does revere it and consider it almost a god."

It seemed to him that Muggles tended to do that with large, powerful animals.

A few more photos, and then they were replaced back in the envelope.

"Now that you've shown me, what next?"

"First? Lunch. After that, I will show you in actuality an animal or two."

It did not take long to finish the first, and, having plenty of time left in the day, and soon, they were strolling around, taking in the scenery.

Rabastan picked a flower and, like someone half his age or younger, put it in Elea's hair.

She laughed and gave him a kiss.

"I have shown you in pictures," he'd said as he sat by the stream. Elea had kicked off her shoes and was splashing about as if she were a little girl. "What animal would you like to see first?"

A good question, she seemed to be thinking. He had a short list of animals, but picking one from the list wouldn't be easy.

"I'll stick with something that moves on the ground, first," she concluded. "I would like to see that jaguar. I want to see how much it actually does look like Nall."

Rabastan smiled. He'd warned her that the changes were weird, but unlike last time, she watched in fascination as he assumed the spotted form.

"Ohhhhh..."

Her tone was breathless.

"I can see why people hold it in high regard. You're so ... magnificent."

He rumbled his approval, and flicked his tail slightly.

Before he knew it, she was kneeling right next to him.

"You are beautiful like this," she whispered.

I'm glad you like this.

"You can show me the other animals another day. I think I should like to look at you like this for the rest of the day."

No horses or swallows?

She stroked his head.

"Maybe tomorrow. Or the day after."

He rumbled again.

Elea put an arm about his shoulders, and in response, he gave her the gentlest swipe of his rough tongue that he could.

"Come on, love," she said, getting up after several minutes. "Let's get back to our walk."

He gave an amused sound, and, as she got up, fell into step at her side.

He wished, for a moment, that there was someone else there to take their picture.

Elea and the jaguar.

It would be a wonderful addition to his photo album.

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Sun, 20 Jul 2014 20:40:01 GMT

Things always seemed to get worse every time you think it's getting better.

Rabastan knew this, and knew the source of the tension in his heart.

Just as agreed, a more secure place to ride out his change had been found. A room in his house that could be secured, either by lock from the outside or a password that needed to be spoken aloud before he could be released.

The question to that was "which did he prefer".

But that was easy.

He really only had two choices there.

The bigger problem was Elea.

He'd thought that, once he'd assured her he'd be no danger to her or anyone else, now that he'd complied with her requirements, things would go back to normal.

Yeah. That wasn't happening.

Despite all assurances to the contrary, Elea seemed no more comfortable to be around him now than she was over a month ago.

He could see it in her expression and posture, and knew why she insisted upon sleeping in the spare room instead of with him at night.

If he could read her thoughts he'd hear them say "My lover turns into a wild animal and bites people with sickness".

She was sitting in the living room, pretending to read a book while he knitted.

Was she expecting him to transform right then and there?

Of course she was.

She was afraid, and if he didn't do something soon, the fear would create a rift too wide to heal.

And he'd be back to being alone, with perhaps an even more remote chance of finding someone new.

Hell, he might even have it told to everyone that he was sick and a danger to others. Not out of malice, but out of a genuine concern for everyone else on Lunar.

And some of those people would get hostile and try to harm him.

He might even be exiled if the pressure to Do Something About It got too much.

God. His knitting was suffering because he was getting paranoid about his relationships!

He looked up, without raising his head.

She was staring at him, not even bothering with the book.

Time ticked, and after giving up his knitting as a lost cause, headed off up the stairs to bed.

Elea, as was now usual, did not follow.

In the darkness, he stared up at the ceiling.

Well. It would be dark to others.

He saw things just fine.

Not that he cared about improvements in sensory abilities now.

Tracing the little cracks in the stonework overhead he churned the idea of what he ought to do.

He needed to show her he was harmless. Show her that just because he was sick with an illness he'd had thanks to his brother's failed assassination attempt [he never told her that], that he was safe to be around.

Safe for her. Safe for Lunar.

Hours ticked by, and it wasn't until it was half past one in the morning that he finally got some idea of what he'd do to prove himself to Elea.

It might not save their relationship, but it would at least help her see him as the man she'd come to know and love.

With that, he drifted off to sleep.

An hour before dawn, he awoke.

If his plan was to work, he'd have to be the first one up.

Checking in on Elea showed her to still be fast asleep, though her stirrings indicated she would soon be awake herself.

Slipping down the hall and into the bathroom, he ran the water in the tub, disrobed, and slid in.

And changed.

Not to his wolf form, but to his otter shape.

Ooh! Water!

His lutrine instincts kicked in now that he was submerged, and perhaps because of it, he started to splash about a little more than he'd intended to.

Perhaps too much, because he didn't hear Elea get up and head towards the sound of the splashing.

"Good heavens that had better just be you pretending to be five," she whispered, slowly opening the door.

Rabastan's head popped above the water, and when he saw who was at the door, gave an excited "PIP!".

Elea gave a scream in surprise.

"What is that? Rabastan, if that's you, it's not funny."

It is me, love.

"Where did that—"

I'm speaking to you with my mind.

Elea hesitated, then stepped into the bathroom, minding the puddles on the floor.

"What are you? What sort of animal did you become? Don't tell me you have more than one contagious form."

She was getting to like using that word. Contagious.

I am an otter. An animal from my world. Semi-aquatic, and loves fish, water and playing. And it is not contagious.

He dove under the water, causing it to churn with his frantic antics. Then poked his head above water.

Well. Being an otter is. And so is the love for fish.

He swam about the tub, and Elea, despite herself, edged closer to the tub.

Elea, I won't hurt you. I would never hurt you. I promise you that.

"But you... You change. And bite."

And that scares you, doesn't it?

"Why shouldn't it? I'm afraid I'll be bitten. I'm afraid of you getting loose and biting people."

He paddled over to the edge, to get closer to her.

Do you think I could hurt you now?

"I don't know. I know nothing of your animals."

Come closer then. I promise nothing bad will happen if you do.

"But..."

Please?

Hesitation, then compliance.

He hopped up onto the rim of the tub.

Sit down? he asked, knowing full well the rim was covered in water.

Her night things would not suffer. They'd dry out soon enough.

She sat, with much trepidation and time-taking.

"Well. I am sitting. What do you— Ah!"

She almost sent him for a tumble after he'd climbed onto her lap. Both from the sudden sensation of water on fabric, and furry animal on her knees.

Ahhh! he repeated, then steadied himself.

"What are you doing?!"

Sitting on your lap.

"Oh that is very funny." Her tone had no humour.

Are you afraid of me now? Do you think I could hurt you now?

"I— Well. I— I don't know."

He curled up, almost like a cat.

Elea raised one hand, then dropped it. She stared at the creature in her lap that claimed to be Rabastan.

Then raised it again, and, hesitantly, placed it on the damp fur.

He only looked up at her in response.

"Well. I guess... I guess this is not dangerous."

She gave him a scratch.

"So you turn into two animals? One that bites and one that does not?"

Not two. There are six. Including the wolf I told you about.

"Six! How?"

A bit of magic, stored in a place that most wouldn't think to look in.

"Like a room or in your wand or?"

The ring.

"Wait. That silver ring of yours?"

The magic is in the stone. Through it I can assume other forms.

He paused.

Perhaps I could show you?

"Not today. Not... Not right now. Later. This is all a bit much to take."

He snuggled in her lap a little, then hopped off.

"Rabastan," she said, looking down at the furry animal at her feet. "I have learned more about you in five weeks than I have in nearly two years. And some of it terrifies me. It terrifies me greatly. I don't know what I am to make of it. Because now when I look at you I think of what you've told me, and it's hard to reconcile that with the you I've known and loved for so long. And I wish I could go back to not knowing. So that I can look at you and not be afraid when I do."

Please. I promise I will never hurt you. I promise that I will do what you have asked me to, to keep you safe. To keep my home and everyone in it safe. You are not the only one who fears what could happen if... If...

They were quiet for many minutes.

I'm about ready to change back now. It's kind of weird, so if you look away, I'll understand.

"No. I think I need to see this."

Before her widening eyes, the otter changed into Rabastan.

"I assure you. Sickness or no sickness, I'm still me."

With a choked sound, she flung herself at him, and he held her as she cried.

"It's just awful. And I've been awful, too."

"With reason."

She sniffed into his bare shoulder.

"I know, but..."

"Shhhh..."

When she'd stopped, he grabbed a cloth, wet it, and wiped her face.

"It's okay, love. Everything is okay."

She nodded, clinging to him again. Head nestled against his neck.

"Everything will be okay."

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Thu, 17 Jul 2014 18:06:59 GMT

He was, simply put, heartbroken.

It had been over a week now since Elea had left him the note saying she'd gone home—a week going on two—and he was beginning to feel, like a large weight settling in his pit, that this might very well be it.

It was very much over.

Maybe he'd hoped too much that his lover would understand his state of health.

You told her you turn into an animal at certain times, he reminded himself, with much morose. An animal that can turn others into more of you.

He winged his way south [he had taken eagle form and was trying to lift himself up literally if not metaphorically], hoping that maybe he'd see Elea somewhere below.

Elea's parents lived in Meribia's south end. If she'd gone straight home she'd be there.

Quickly, he was soon overhead the house he'd been seeking. But there was no sign of her.

Guess I should've known better.

Feeling rather guilty for following after what he thought was his now ex-lover, he turned and headed west.

If she wants to end it, then it's ended, he told himself bitterly. Don't be an idiot.

He spent the rest of the day, rejected but resigned.

He'd just have to be more careful about whoever he took as a new partner.

If there's a new partner.

Accepting that his life was that of a solo act was something he was now seriously considering.

You've been alone so long, and anyone who could accept you will do so only if you keep your secrets to yourself. You just need to guard them better in the future.

But he'd been careless, and he was found out in the end. Best to just accept fate, not fight it, and live alone.

Well. Not completely alone.

Surely there was some stray animal he could adopt and keep for a pet.

Hell, he could even play with it in a way most people can't.

His mood now rising and falling in a steady rhythm of "I am doomed to never be happy" and "what kind of animal I should get for a pet", he stopped noticing the passage of time until the sun started to go down.

Time to go home.

Eagles can't see well in the dark.

Taking his time, so as to enjoy the last couple hours of daylight, he spotted a figure somewhere below him.

A familiar figure.

And it was heading in the direction of his house.

Hope surged up in his avian breast.

Maybe things were not over. She certainly seemed intent on getting where she was going.

Especially if the piece of parchment in her hand was any indication.

He debated whether he should speed up and appear to have been spending his day moping at home, or if he could make it look like he'd been out, and just happened to arrive when she did.

The first idea made him sound pathetic. The second made him look like he no longer cared.

You can always call down to her. It's not like you being an animal is going to surprise her now.

He shelved that one quickly. He'd never specified what animal it was, and she could easily mistake his eagle form for the dangerous, sickness-spreading form.

After a few minutes' deliberation, he decided that he'd rather look pathetic than uncaring, and sped his way home, changing back to human once he'd landed in his secret entrance.

Not more than fifteen minutes later, a knock could be heard from his place in the kitchen.

"Oh. Hello Elea," he said, trying not to sound like he knew she was coming. "Come in."

She stood in the doorway a moment, then stepped inside.

"I've been thinking a lot, and talking to mother a lot too," she said, with no preamble.

Here it comes, he thought. Get ready to say goodbye, and get ready to help her move out.

"Rabastan, I'm very afraid right now. You have a sickness unknown to this world, and more than that, you have been acting in a manner that could spread that sickness to other people. No matter how secure you think you are when you're ensconced in the cave."

He winced.

"You could've given it to me."

Elea looked shaken.

"I should call this off. If you're a danger to others, I shouldn't be here."

She raised a hand at his protest attempt.

"Your family might be able to assure me you're safe, especially in the cave, but it won't change my mind. I don't feel safe. And I won't feel safe unless I know you are absolutely unable to escape while you're contagious."

She paused, drawing breath to steady herself.

"The next eclipse will not be for another five months. Between then and now we're going to find a place for you to go where escape is impossible. Somewhere where you're sealed off so you won't run around, passing what you've got to anyone you happen upon.

"In other words, something a lot better than the Cave."

He wanted to ask her what right she had to dictate to him how he was supposed to manage his illnesses, when he realised she'd had a point.

He was lucky that he'd never left the Cave whilst transformed. But luck can't last forever.

"If I'm to stay here in this house with you I need to know that you are safe. Your sickness is not your fault, but it won't make much difference if I or someone else catches it. And they won't have the opportunities you do to manage it."

He stared at the floor, wishing in some perverse way that Elea had chosen to call off their relationship instead of demanding he lock himself away for a night every six or so months.

"You understand where I'm coming from, right?"

He nodded.

"And you'll find some way to ensure that you will never, ever get loose while sick, right?"

Another nod. His eyes stung. He wanted to cry.

"Good. Now. I want you to tell me all the details of your illness. You've told me some. I want to know the rest."

He moved to brew a tea, grabbed some cups and spoons, sat down at the table, and began...

...he told her things that pertained to his illness, and even things that didn't apply to his sickness itself...

...but there were some details that were left out.

She didn't need to know about them.

comments

Thu, 17 Jul 2014 04:37:55 GMT

It had been a few months now since Elea had moved in, and summer was in full swing.

But despite the heat outside, the indoor temperature was quite tolerable, thanks to a cooling spell retooled for inside use, and so it was always comfortable, no matter how hot it got.

But today Rabastan was not feeling very cool.

He felt a cool, damp sensation against his forehead.

Elea was applying the wet cloth to his head again.

"You have the strangest illness I have ever seen, love. Normally you're fine. But every few months or so, you get tired and pale and it's like it's all you can do to keep your food inside you.

"You spend most of your time either on the couch, or in your bed.

"Then one day you disappear for a night, and the next morning it's like you were never sick at all. And I don't understand it."

She pressed again. He did not speak.

"More than that, it's not something that's in any healer's text or dusty old book on obscure diseases."

The cloth was taken away.

"I wish I knew what it was that ailed you. I could help. I'm not a healer, but I can try."

He opened his eyes a crack to see a look of deep worry on Elea's face, then closed them.

"Nothing you can do. The potion I took earlier is about the only thing that can be done about it. The rest... Well. It clears up on its own without more help than that."

"I still wish I knew what it was that's wrong with you," she said, as she soaked the rag again, before wringing it out. "At least I'd like to know about its symptoms, and whether it's terminal or just chronic."

He didn't answer.

"Oh good heavens, it's terminal isn't it?"

He shook his head.

"Chronic."

A sigh of relief.

"Well. I know a little more about it now than I did before."

Pause.

"Are you ever going to tell me what it is that has you this sick? Is it something I should be concerned about? Surely it is not contagious, or I would now have it."

He didn't answer.

"Rabastan. I'm not asking for an exhaustive list of your medical history. I want to know because if need treatment and it's something I can give—"

"It's not something you can treat. It's not terminal, just chronic. And while it is contagious—"

"Contagious!"

"—It is so under very specific circumstances. I just have to wait it out."

"I should like to know what these 'very specific circumstances' are, Rabastan."

Elea's voice had grown cold and hard.

"And you will tell me what they are. I can live with whatever it is you have, and maybe, just maybe, passed on to me, but I'll not have you running loose while you're a potential hazard to others."

She sounded just like a mediwitch he'd known from his old world.

He sighed. He knew he wasn't going to go anywhere anytime soon unless he gave in and told her.

Fine. But there would be details left out. Some things he was not willing to share. Too much hurt to just lay it all out for her to see.

"You'll not find what I have in even the dustiest section of the library, because what I have isn't from your world—it's from mine.

"It is a cyclic illness. Once a month I fall ill and must be quarantined for my own and others' safety, until it passes.

"Well. That's how it would work. Back home. Here? Well. Here on Lunar, it works differently than it would at home."

"How would I recognise you when you are in the quarantined stage, and why would it work differently here?"

Her stern tone was purely artificial. Elea was frightened.

"I'm ... not myself."

"No one is when they're sick. And that's not an answer to either question. I need specifics."

Now it was his turn to be afraid. But he'd learned how to not sound like he was.

"This illness of mine causes a physical transformation to occur, and the reason why it works differently has to do with the nature of this world as opposed to mine."

"Transform?! Into what?"

She was too frightened to bother faking serious.

"An animal."

"That's— How?"

"Accident," he lied. "Ran into someone when he or she was in the infectious state and... It's passed from infected to uninfected by a bite."

"Oh Althena. Oh you poor dear. How do you manage?"

Well at least she wasn't running away. That's good, right?

"By knowing when I am to be confined, and by taking that nasty potion."

"How do you know when to be confined?"

"I told you; it's cyclic. On my world, the transformation happens during a full moon. And that's why it works differently here. As Lunar has no moon, it relies on another trigger. If you've noticed, I always seem to get ill about the time an eclipse is to occur."

No answer. She was obviously making note of all the times he'd been ill, and when an eclipse was scheduled.

"You... Turn into an animal. And if you bite someone, they become what you are."

"Yes."

"Where do you go when you need to be confined?"

"I have the Cave to go to."

"But how would that keep you and everyone else safe? You could get loose!"

"One. The potion is a drug that affects the animal mind. Two. Even if I did not take it the creatures of the Cave would never let me leave until I was restored to normal."

They were quiet for many minutes afterwards.

"When did you plan to tell me this, Rabastan?"

The stern tone was back.

"To tell you the truth, I didn't know. I certainly had no idea you were this observant of my health."

"I once worked with a healer. I've learned how to read people's health. So. When would you tell me?"

"I decided to wait until after you made your decision to move in."

"What would you tell me if I didn't move in?"

"The same thing I'm telling you now."

"That's not funny Rabastan."

"I'm being serious, Elea. This is not the sort of thing you just spring onto someone. And, despite what it sounds like, I am rather vulnerable in my contagious state. Anyone who knew this about me could set out to kill me in a state where I can't defend myself because I've been medicated into a tranquilised state."

Again a silence.

Then he felt the cloth on his forehead.

"When do you have to leave?"

"About an hour before dusk."

"And you will be..."

"Back by dawn."

"I see."

Getting up, she moved over to a chair not far from him, leaving the cloth where it was, and stayed there.

Hours ticked by, and when the time came, he excused himself to leave.

When he got back that morning, there was a terse note on the table.

"Visiting parents. I have a lot to think about."

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Tue, 01 Apr 2014 06:28:44 GMT

Rabastan's life post-wedding was a quiet affair.

Oh, there was a trip or two outside Vane with Elea. Something that made Gideon happy, as with his employee's return there was a fresh stack of carpets to sell.

But during all this he had one thought always on his mind, if not always at the forefront.

Elea had not yet told him if she had decided to move into his house and live with him.

An inquiry or two—both times answered with an "I haven't made my mind up yet"—and he let the matter go without further comment.

Yet he kept hoping for an affirmative.

He hoped when he helped Merissa move her things out of the house she'd no longer live in, now that she was a married woman.

He hoped when Elea took him along on her search for a new abode.

And he hoped when she asked her parents if she could stay with them while she conducted her search.

Summer turned to fall, and fall to winter.

Still no indication that Elea had anything in mind other than her own place to stay.

It was after the new year that he began to lose hope.

Surely by now she would've said something if she wanted to move in.

With that in mind, he resigned himself to accepting that, despite Elea's love for him, he'd be living alone in his own home.

Perhaps he'd wanted too much from life, and this was life's way of telling him to keep his wants within a reasonable boundary.

Walking down the streets that were now more than half-thawed, lost in his thoughts, he didn't hear someone calling him.

Gideon had closed shop early, and so he'd planned to head to the city limits and have a fly about before going home, since Elea would not be showing up until much later.

They called again, but he continued walking.

Then a tap on the shoulder, and he whirled around.

His heart beat fast as his wand slipped into his hand.

"Sorry," he mumbled, when he saw who it was. "I should've been paying more attention."

"Perhaps then you would not be so jumpy," Elea said, eyeing the wand. "Did you think bandits had jumped you?"

"Sort of."

"Well. I'm no bandit, but I'd still jump you anyways."

Rabastan laughed. It seemed as though Elea didn't think his odd reaction was comment-worthy.

Or maybe she'd comment about it later.

"Walk with me?"

"Certainly."

Feeling much better than he had ten minutes ago, he slipped his arm into Elea's, and they walked on, in a companionable silence.

"I'm glad I ran into you, bandits or no bandits."

"Why is that?"

Without preamble, Elea told him that the house hunting had not gone as well as she'd hoped. Most of the places she'd wanted were either claimed or too much for her budget. And while her mother had told her she could stay as long as she wanted, Elea was eager to be on her own again.

"And?"

"And I've been thinking. About your offer, that is."

"Yes?"

His heart beat fast, but for a different reason this time.

"I'd like to live with you."

He stopped, causing her to stumble as she went past him.

"Mind you, I am still looking for my own home. I don't want to mislead you into thinking that my decision is permanent. But if I feel that it is in my best interests, I will make this move a permanent one."

He had no words.

"Lover?"

"Sorry?"

"Are you all right?"

"Yes. Yes I am."

"Good. Are you hungry? I sure am. Let's go get something to eat."

It felt like his feet had wings as Elea led him off for dinner at her favourite restaurant....

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Mon, 29 Jul 2013 04:12:51 GMT

Having seen his share of weddings during his youth, Rabastan had expected Merissa's marriage to be just like those dry, crusty and excessively formal affairs he'd witnessed that were more about securing ties between the pureblood families, as dictated by ancient magical tradition, and the arrogance that came with being part of the "elite", not the Muggle-loving commoners, than it was about celebrating a new love between two people who were about to start a new life together.

He thought this, despite all that Elea had told him during the months leading up to the ceremony.

So when the big day finally arrived, the scene as he expected it to unfold played in his head as Elea made absolutely certain he was properly outfitted in that set of clothes he'd come to dislike so much.

It continued to play in his mind as they made their way to where the wedding was to take place.

Before he entered the courtyard on that bright, sunny day, he was given last minute instructions on what he was to do.

As he was a guest, and therefore had no direct role in the actual ceremony, his instructions were brief.

And then he was sent in.

What a surprise there was to be found when he stepped into the courtyard!

This was nothing like all those weddings he'd gone to in his youth!

This was no ossified ritual to pedigree. This was a celebration.

Bride and groom beamed bright smiles as they took their vows and exchanged their tokens.

Oh sure. There was a formal element to the scene. After all, it was a wedding, and he'd expected something of the sort to be involved. There were prayers and blessings and Rabastan heard Althena's name invoked more times in one afternoon than he'd heard in the last six months.

But there were personal touches that the bride and groom had added, too. And it was these touches that Rabastan found himself liking a lot.

It was definitely better than some dusty pureblood wedding, he had to admit. A lot better.

And he found that it made the ceremony go by much faster than he'd expected.

So when the guests were called to attend the post-ceremony feast, Rabastan had to wonder where all the time had gone.

He didn't wonder long.

The sight of tables groaning under the weight of food and drink sent that thought packing, and without any need for invitation, he helped himself.

Turns out that the feast was a worthy rival to the wedding in terms of its sheer entertainment value.

Plenty of laughter. Plenty of gifts. Plenty of toasts that got more and more ribald the more drink was consumed by all present, not that Rabastan minded. He'd heard Elea say many of those things before, when they were alone at night, and so was more than used to it.

Night?

Damn.

When did it get dark out?

"Love? Love, it's time to go— Oh goodness. How many have you had?"

"Threerforrrrrr plats... I thnk....," he slurred drunkenly.

"No, silly. How many drinks?"

"Idinnnoo..."

"Goodness. We're heading straight for the nearest hotel so you can sleep it off—" She broke off, gave him a stern look, and said, "No. I don't think so. Just sleep tonight. Oh, Althena, I hope there's a potion shop open so we can get you something. You'll be smarting in the morning without it. Now, can you get up?"

After three attempts, he gave her a helpless look.

"Good thing there's a hotel nearby." She sighed. "I'll help you up."

Another three attempts, he was on his feet, Elea at his side, propping him up.

"Next time I invite you to a wedding, I'm making sure there's a cap on how much you drink. Now let's get going."

They made it to their destination.

Eventually.

Rabastan even made it to bed, and was asleep by the time Elea got back.

And in a few hours' time, he'd be smarting, just as Elea said he would.

But despite all that pain, he knew one thing.

He'd gladly do all this again.

Lunar weddings were a hundred times better than Magical weddings.

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Mon, 08 Jul 2013 23:57:15 GMT

Previously...

It couldn't have worked out better if he'd tried.

Two weeks before Merissa's wedding, and things were more hectic than before, but, as his role was mostly finished, he could take a breather if he wanted to.

And with Gideon's sister in Vane for a rare visit, he didn't need to work at the shop, either.

It was perfect.

If only he could take full advantage of it and just be a lazy sod for seven whole days.

Too bad.

He'd made a claim to a skill he'd never learned.

Wizards, or rather, purebloods, didn't bother much with skating in the winter.

Most of them. His family included.

Not wanting to be caught in his lie, he marched himself straight over to the guild's library, and spent the first day of his week off learning how to make ice last in the summer heat.

His house came with a waterfall, and the shallow pool at the base would be what he'd practise on.

If only it would stay frozen.

Two days, and, just as he was about to call it quits, the pool managed to stay frozen for more than a few minutes.

Good.

Now for the hard part.

Wobbling over to the refrozen pool on the fourth day, he began his other lesson.

Skating.

It would've gone well, if only Elea wasn't there to witness his attempts to stay vertical on a pair of blades.

Between her laughter and his falling down every three or four metres attempted, he was bruised both inside and out by the time the day was over.

And he still hadn't quite mastered his boast.

Damn.

And the following day wasn't any better, either.

By the time the week was over, he was so sore that all he could do was limp—slowly—about his room before returning to bed.

Forget going downstairs. He'd just Accio anything he needed to eat or drink.

God, he hurt.

Why, oh why did he have to lie to Autor? Of all people?

He closed his eyes and made a mental count of his bruises.

And if Autor knew he'd been lied to, he'd never stop laughing.

Because Rabastan was a rank amateur when it came to deceit.

Damn.

Oh God, I'm so sore...

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Sat, 06 Jul 2013 21:03:10 GMT

Now that summer had arrived the preparations for Merissa's wedding took on an earnest tone.

The guests were beginning to arrive, and making sure each one was comfortable and seen to and told what role if any they were to play took up almost all of Elea's time.

Even with Merissa and the other housemates' help.

And Rabastan's as well.

The last two weeks had, quite possibly, been the busiest yet, and while Elea seemed to be in her element, he was not.

He'd been sent this way, told to go that way, made to stand and inspect things that were presented to him, given lists of things to buy, and used more spells—especially levitating and Accio—far more for Merissa's wedding than he'd ever used in Gideon's shop.

And here he was, standing in front of the mirror as Elea clucked her way about him, fussing with what she insisted he'd wear for the big day.

It was not his favourite thing to wear, and thank Merlin he was only supposed to wear it once or twice a fortnight from now.

"No. No. More like... This," Elea said, tugging at the fabric a little too tightly, causing him to make a soft noise of protest.

"Sorry," she muttered, and continued on.

He frowned, and the reflection in the mirror frowned back.

Well. At least this all would be over soon enough.

"There. You look lovely like that."

"I'm glad you approve," he said, hoping his distaste for her choice in clothes stayed out of his tone of voice.

"I'll be glad when this all is over. Soon as they're married I'm going to take a week off and just not do anything that isn't absolutely necessary to do."

"You deserve it, love."

"I just don't know when that week will be."

"Huh?"

Elea didn't seem to hear him, or, if she did, took it as her invitation to elaborate.

"Once Merissa is wed, she'll be moving out, and the rest of us will all have to find somewhere else to live. I've asked my parents if I could stay with them while I did that."

"Whyever would you need to move?"

"We just won't have the money to live in that house. Between the four of us we just managed to get by. With Merissa gone the expenses will have to be split between three people, not four, and that's just too much, given our wages."

An idea came to him.

"You could ... stay here?"

"What?" Elea was busy cleaning up the room, putting clothes away.

"Stay here? You could ... stay here? With me? Here?"

He was excited by the idea, yet strangely all the words he wanted to say became tangled up once he tried to speak them.

And the look on his lover's face made the rest of them scamper off, leaving him with nothing left to say.

"Stay here? With you?"

Don't say it like the thought is utterly laughable.

"If... If you don't want... Want to..."

"Rabastan, I... I don't know..."

He looked somewhat crestfallen. Was he rushing something? Asking too much at a time when Elea had little of it to think about anything other than her friend's wedding?

"I appreciate the offer, love, but let me think about it first? I've got so much to do..."

"I ... understand...," he muttered.

"Oh, love; don't take it that way. I'm a busy woman. I can't make a snap decision just now. I need time to think on it and weigh my options. I've love to live with you, but I need to be sure if that's what's in my best interests first."

He smiled a little.

"I will let you know what I've decided once this all is over, all right?"

He nodded.

"But first, we need to put those clothes of yours away. I'm not risking them becoming dirty or damaged between now and the day of the wedding."

"Oh. Of course."

Thank goodness.

He was relieved. Relieved to not be wearing this stupid outfit. Relieved that his offer wasn't being rejected. Yet.

"Take them off, and while you're doing that, I'll be making dinner. Anything you had in mind?"

"Whatever you feel like is best. I don't mind."

I don't care. As long as you're here.

She nodded, and while he disrobed and put on his regular clothes, Elea slipped out to make dinner.

I just hope you'll say "yes"...

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Thu, 23 May 2013 01:29:07 GMT

Quite possibly, this was the sickest Rabastan had felt in the last twelve months...

Staggering into the bar, it took him a full five minutes to lurch his way from the back area door over to the nearest table, where he sat, almost boneless.

A passing waitrat saw him, and, two minutes later, returned with a mug filled up with a weak mushroom broth for him to drink. When he wasn't plucking debris from his hair, or dusting off the dirt from his clothes.

Head resting on his crossed arms, he scanned the bar.

To be expected, there didn't appear to be that many people about.

Of course. It's just after dawn. Nobody's up at this hour.

With a soft groan, he straightened up, just long enough to take a drink.

So sick...

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Wed, 03 Apr 2013 09:08:07 GMT

You'd think by now he knew how things worked at the Bar at the End of the Universe to recognise its weird whenever it sprung up...

He didn't talk to the drunken man; only passed him by.

Innocent, for a beginning.

And an hour after that, he'd forgotten even that much.

But when he saw that oh-so-simple-looking cube, with all those colours...

He spent a good three hours twisting the damn thing this way and that, trying to figure it out and getting steadily more annoyed with it, before giving it up as a lost cause and deciding to hand it over to someone else instead, so that they could share the frustration.

It ended up in his pocket. Presumably for later.

With that little matter settled, he went about looking for something else to do.

That's when he made another discovery.

Contrary to popular opinion, rocks are not dull. They're interesting. Unique. Fascinating.

And the bloody things have their own personality, that you'd only discover once you've gotten and spent time with two or three of them.

Five or six.

Ten or twenty.

And now here, at his home in Lunar, one of the rooms has been transformed into a ... kennel? Stable? Rockery? full of rocks and stones of all sizes and kinds, much to Elea's amusement.

Or is it annoyance?

Well, while her beau spends time dusting his granite companions, she's sitting downstairs waiting for someone just a little more inclined to talk about far more normal things than whether basalt is given towards playfulness, or if flint rocks are happiest in groups.

She examines the kettle that's steadily heating up.

He should be here any minute now...

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Wed, 03 Apr 2013 07:59:09 GMT

"Miss, I can't have you standing about if you don't intend to buy!"

"It's okay, Gideon. She's here to see me."

And with that, Rabastan escorted Elea to the back room while Gideon resumed his efforts to talk a young couple into buying a carpet.

He smiled to himself.

Had it been only a month since he started working here? In some ways it felt like he'd been doing it his entire life—or at least since he'd made Vane his home.

Elea was offered a chair to sit down in, but no sooner had he taken up his own, than she was seated in his lap, snuggling against him.

Sighing contentedly, he let his mind drift back to when began his first day at the shop.

~~~~~~~~~~

Getting into the routine of his duties didn't go as smoothly as he'd thought it would that first week.

Gideon ran a tight ship, and that first day proved to be a real learning experience.

Having only the house-elf and his mother's standards as a guide, he'd thought, when he'd finished cleaning that first morning, that he'd done a thorough job. Only to have Gideon go through the front area, cleaning as he went, and showing Rabastan just what the word "completely" meant.

The rest of that day meant learning how to do it right, and "right" meant "according to Gideon's Standards".

After closing, he'd spent all evening doing what he could to improve his own spell-work, to ensure that what he had was up to scratch.

Three days of that, and finally, it was. Much to his relief.

If he was going to lose his job so soon after getting it, it wouldn't be down to a poorly-cast scourgify.

The following week was spent being introduced to the other two people who worked for Gideon, and one of them happened to be the man's son, who was apprenticing under his father in the hopes of one day taking on the mantle of shop owner once Gideon got too old to do it himself.

And if Rabastan thought Gideon was absolute in his standards, it was nothing compared to what the son was like.

Serious and demanding, Gavin wouldn't let Rabastan so much as look at the carpets, let alone touch them. This was going to be his business some day, and if Rabastan was hoping to be employed here long-term, he'd better get used to how things were going to be run once the shop's ownership changed hands from father to son.

But, given that Rabastan had worked under a man far more frightening than merchant's heirs, dealing with Gavin wasn't nearly as daunting as Gideon's son hoped it would be.

Certainly Gavin did not find it amusing how easy it was to order the outsider about throughout the day.

The other employee was a man not much older than Elea was, and Rabastan seldom ever saw him. His job was to go about to other cities looking for any carpets that might be for sale, and then to inform Gideon once he'd had enough of them to form a shipment with.

Rabastan could not remember the man's name, having only met him once that first week, then twice more the next three.

It probably didn't matter. Rabastan had other things to do.

Between Gideon and Gavin, he was finding that he quite enjoyed the work he did. It gave him something to occupy his time with, and, as promised, the silver he earned was sufficient for what he needed, and still have enough left over to save for a rainy day.

Or a birthday.

Elea's birthday would be in a little over a month, and he was at first at a loss as to what to get her, then remembered.

That doll she pointed out. The one she said she used to have when she was a little girl.

Yes. That would do.

After a month had gone by, along with several requests for Elea to be allowed to visit him, Gideon finally relented, and now here she was, sitting on his lap, just enjoying being close.

When the soft rapping at the door came, they both jumped.

"I'm sorry miss, but I'll be needing my assistant. They want someone to help them choose a carpet, and it'll be a lot easier if I have his magic to help me."

They looked at each other, smiled, then laughed.

"Should I wait here? It'll be time for him to go home soon."

"I... Er... All right miss. But just this once."

"Of course Gideon."

Extricating himself from the chair as well as his lover, he smiled.

"You don't have to wait for me here."

"I don't, but I thought maybe we could walk home together? Or..."

"Or?"

"Go out for dinner, perhaps? I know a nice little place..."

He laughed some more.

"Mr Lestrange..."

"All right. A walk. But to this little place of yours, hmm?"

Her response was a smile and a kiss on the cheek.

"Mr Lestrange..." Gideon's voice was getting impatient.

"Be right out."

"Don't keep him waiting. I won't be going anywhere."

He nodded.

"Right away, sir."

And he stepped out into the front of the shop, ready to assist Gideon for the rest of the day.

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Sun, 24 Mar 2013 08:34:41 GMT

Getting there might have been the easiest part of his quest to obtain a job, and thus, much-needed coin.

Merissa's bit of parchment included directions as well as the name and address, but he didn't really need it. As someone who knew Vane from both street level and bird's eye, finding anything in the city took no effort at all.

And speaking of bird's eye...

Winging his way over the roofs of Vane, and fighting the animal's instinct to fly south to a warmer clime, was Rabastan in swallow form. He would have liked to use the eagle shape, but when it came to keeping his talents a closely-guarded secret, size mattered.

In no time at all, he was circling over the building that he hoped would be his place of future employ. Merissa had told him to be there just before the shop opened that day, if he expected to get the job, not just ask for it.

It took a quarter hour before the coast was clear enough that he could descend behind the building and resume human form.

Sure, he could have Apparated, but flying was enjoyable in its own right.

And didn't carry risks like splinching or dizziness.

Listening for anyone else approaching, he made his way out onto the street.

It was quiet.

Good.

He rang the bell to announce his arrival, and as soon as he did, he heard footsteps coming down the staircase and towards the door.

"Eh?" a man in his late sixties said, peering over a pair of glasses that looked to be the same age. "I'm not open yet. Come back in an hour, if you're lookin' for a carpet—"

Straightening his clothes and smiling, he said, "Actually, I was told by a young lady by the name of Merissa that you were looking to hire someone."

The old man seemed to come alive then and there. Or at least more awake. "Merissa? My goodness. My niece sent you here?"

No wonder Rabastan was told to mention her name. As soon as he did, the man began to barrage him with questions asking how she was doing and was she finally getting married, among other things.

"In the summer. She just announced her engagement last week."

"Good good. I wanted to be there, but I had to leave Vane to collect a shipment of carpets. Do tell her I send my regrets?"

"Certainly."

"Good good. Come inside Mr Lestange, and I'll tell you what I need doing."

It turned out to be quite spacious on the inside. And full of carpets. As they made their way about, Gideon, as he called himself, went on about the history of the store, and how his grandfather had started it, and that if Rabastan decided to work here, he'd have both the old man and his son as employers.

Well. At least this man seemed nice. Not like the first man Rabastan had worked for.

"Now. If you intend to work for me, your duties will involve mostly cleaning. Both the shop as well as the carpets. Carpets are tricky things, and I don't know enough about your magic to let you work on them directly, you understand?"

Rabastan nodded, and Gideon went on.

"You'll also help me with bringing carpets for the customers to examine, as well as unloading any shipments I get. I'm not getting any younger, you see."

Sounded fine so far, even if half of it involved drudgery work. Then again, it wasn't anything like what Voldemort had tasked him to do.

"Of course, there may be other, lesser things I'll be asking you to do, but for now that's what you'll be doing for me."

Rabastan nodded again.

"Good good. Now that we've discussed that, there's the matter of when you start, and how often I expect you to work. If you're working for me you'll be here at seven in the morning, ready to clean up the front before the customers arrive. And it had better be clean. This shop may be old but I'll not have it looking that way."

More nodding.

"You work five days a week, and get two days off. You'll be here from the time I open the store, and you'll be here after I close. Shops get dirty during the day, especially at this time of the year, and you'll not leave until it's clean, understand?"

"Certainly, Gideon."

"Of course, by now you're wondering about silver. I'm not a rich man and this isn't one of Vane's fancier shops, but if you're looking to earn silver for yourself and your family you won't need to worry too much. You'll get enough."

Again Rabastan nodded. Things were going better than he'd hoped.

"Now, lad. I want you to repeat everything I told you, so's I know you understood what I'm asking of you."

He did. All of it.

"Good, good," Gideon nodded. "When you start. I expect to see you here first thing next week. I'm closed tomorrow and the day after, but at seven I expect to see you standing outside that door ringing that bell to be let in, understood?"

"Yes Gideon."

He was feeling elated now. Finally, he'd be earning his own coin, not living off what he had left.

"Good good. Now, I've got a busy day ahead and I can't have you standing around here doing nothing useful, so I'll be seeing you off now. But remember: seven in the morning two days from now. Understood?"

"I understand sir."

With that, there was another round of inquiring into Gideon's niece, before Rabastan left the shop.

Smiling.

And casually slipped behind the store while no one was looking, so he could fly home and tell Elea the good news.

He had a job.

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Fri, 22 Mar 2013 10:09:04 GMT

As parties went, it was tolerable in his estimation. All the fuss put into Elea's appearance—including the much-debated dress—was clearly forgotten as she made her way about the house she and four of her friends shared.

Rabastan wasn't much for get togethers, and he stayed on the sidelines, out of the way, watching his girlfriend chat with this person and laugh at that person's jokes, and shared plenty of stories about her recent trip with her parents.

Some of the guests had brought instruments and had set up an impromptu band, that he found a bit too loud for his liking. Certainly it would take a week to get the music out of his ears.

And every now and then one of Elea's room mates would wander over to where he stood or sat, and asked how he'd been doing lately.

He gave them a partial story. One that left out any extra-dimensional watering holes and stuck to what was foremost on his mind.

"Ah. Well. I know someone who's looking to hire. Perhaps I could point you in their direction?"

He was given a name and address and told to mention the name of the room mate who'd sent them.

He nodded and they left.

Two hours after the sun had set, and the blue star was rising in the night sky, the guests were called over to one of the rooms. The big announcement was to be made.

Standing in front of everyone was the woman who'd given him the name of the potential employer. Her name was Merissa, and she was not much older than Elea. Next to her stood a man who Rabastan figured had to be at least a foot taller than her, and clearly of beastman stock. And more than a little imposing. He made Rabastan think of a younger Mel.

They were holding hands, and immediately he knew before they said anything what it was.

"Friends. Family," Merissa smiled. It was almost enough to light up the room, even with the ones already lit. "I'd like to announce our engagement, and our marriage this summer."

At once the room burst into excited chatter, toasts and more congratulations than Rabastan thought was strictly necessary.

Wizarding engagements were low-key affairs, at least in his time.

After that, there wasn't much else to do, save a lot of dancing.

And more congratulating. And toasting.

He thought he was better at the former than the latter.

"Oh Rabastan. I'm so happy for her. They've been together for three years and I was wondering when they'd finally make their decision," he heard Elea's excited voice speak in his ear. The party was over, and the two of them were clearly showing signs of having had a few glasses of liquor, and instead of Apparating, were making their way to Elea's parents' house instead of Rabastan's. "You know, I'm going to be quite busy these next few months. If I know Merissa, she's going to insist on getting all of us to help."

"Us?"

"Well, I'm sure she'd like your help too...," she said, leaning against him, and smiling warmly.

"Me?"

"Of course. She likes you you know. And I'm sure there'll be something for you to do. Say. What did she give you earlier? I saw her handing something to you."

"This?" He showed her the name. "It's just—"

"I didn't know you were looking for a job. I could've helped, you know. There's a lot of people in Meribia looking for people to work for them."

"This is closer to home."

"So is Meribia."

"If this doesn't work out I'll try my luck in Meribia."

"All right," she nodded, shivering.

Slipping his wand out he cast a warming charm on her, though, given the way she was snuggling against him, it was only partially necessary.

And that they were almost at her parents' home.

"I hope you two had a lovely time," said the woman who was Elea's mother as she stood in the doorway, greeting them as they approached.

"We did mother."

Ushering them inside, she grinned knowingly at them both. "Tell me all about it. I want to know everything."

They did.

It would take them another two hours before they finally headed off to bed.

And then sleep.

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Fri, 22 Mar 2013 10:08:09 GMT

"Be honest with me: what do you think of this dress?"

Standing in front of his mirror, Elea turned this way and that, frowning deeply as she examined the dress she'd purchased not more than three days ago. And her expression was clearly unhappy.

Rabastan, who was sitting on the bed, already dressed in the best set of clothes he had in his wardrobe, was at a loss as to why it could be.

He thought the little blue and grey number was perfect. Even told her so when she bought it.

Hell, he liked it a lot. It was a toss-up over who liked it more, before it was purchased.

Maybe he liked it too much. And maybe was a bit over-eager for her to buy it, as he imagined her wearing it at the party they were supposed to go to in an hour's time.

But then, what did he know about women's clothing?

Alright, he knew something about them. But this? Wasn't it.

"I told you, love. I've never seen a better dress on a better woman."

She gave him a half-hearted smile.

"But... If you don't want to wear it... You could pick something ... else ... out?"

Considering the amount of time she spent at his house, finding an alternative would not be too difficult.

"No. No. I like this too," Elea said, as she turned to examine the dress from the right side. For the third time in ten minutes. "It's not what it looks like that bothers me."

Oh. Well. That was a relief. Here he'd been wondering if maybe she'd come to dislike the dress she was giving a critical examination of.

"I'm glad you like it," he ventured carefully. "It's very pretty."

"Maybe too pretty. Ah, Althena. I don't know. It's a birthday party we're going to. And this looks a little..."

"Fancy?" he offered.

"Absolutely. Fancy. Too fancy. It's a party between friends. This is much more appropriate for a night at the theatre or a formal dinner."

"Should I go get something else for you instead?"

"Maybe..."

He made to get up.

"No."

Then stopped.

"Wait."

He got up. And made his way over.

"Can you get the pale green one? And the yellow one?"

Frowning inwardly, he nodded. And wondered if this was the way of all women. His mother certainly seemed to put a lot of stock into her appearance, and his father always gave her an extra hour or two to get herself prepared whenever they went socialising with the other pureblood families.

But then, years spent in Azkaban had made it difficult for him to determine whether it was a universal or not.

He considered himself fortunate that his lack of experience in this area wasn't translating into him making a right fool of himself and causing Elea upset as she agonised over what was and what wasn't "fancy".

"These ones?" he offered as he came back from the wardrobe.

Taking them from his hands with a thank you, she began what he figured was a woman's ritual in determining The Right Thing To Wear Today.

And listened to her not-so-private assessment of the three choices she had.

He looked out the window. Already the sun was going down. If they didn't hurry things up, they'd be late. And knowing Elea's friends, there would be plenty of unsubtle speculations as to why she was being held up.

"Anything else you need?" he ventured, during what he hoped was a break in her thoughts.

"No. Not right now. Stay here though."

Good Merlin...

He sat there on the bed, looking as passive as he could make himself look, watching silently.

Another ten minutes went by, and he was sorely tempted to tell her to just pick something so they could be off.

The invitation he'd gotten said there was a special announcement to be made, and, well, he wanted to know what it was.

Finally, after much hemming and hawing, Elea decided on the one she was wearing.

Apparently it wasn't too fancy after all.

Ten minutes after that, perfumed, made up, and wearing what he considered his favourite of her necklaces, she was ready.

And the sun was only a few degrees from setting. They might just make it there in time after all.

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Sat, 09 Mar 2013 07:30:40 GMT

Shortly after he returned to Vane he found a note tacked to his door informing him that Elea and her parents would be spending the rest of the month on holiday halfway around Lunar.

And that she apologised for such short notice [Elea's parents, he knew, had an impulsive streak, so this wasn't the surprise it might've been had it been someone else], and said that she'd bring back a gift, among other promises that essentially boiled down to "I'll make it up to you".

Uncharitably, he was relieved.

He'd intended to leave her a note telling her that he'd be unavailable for the next week or so, but now that was unnecessary.

Rabastan could take the Cave of Trials all the way to the outside of the city and beyond, and just ... get away from everything for a little while.

Heading upstairs, he began to grab all that he needed for his little excursion. Not much, since he didn't plan on bringing much by way of human essentials with him. Clothes. Food charmed to prevent spoilage. Personal items. The materials Bar had given him on job-finding.

A tent, cot and bed things for sleeping. A book detailing warming charms, since the snow outside the city would be thick and the temperature of the area quite frigid.

Then a note, to pin to the door in case someone came looking for him. Because someone just might.

It was a simple note, giving only a minimum of information, and unless you knew how to read it, it was pretty vague in the details. Only those who'd known him since his first days in Vane and before would know to read between the lines and understand what was meant.

He wanted to be left alone for a little while, as he was feeling a bit strung out lately, and would return when he was ready to. And not a moment before.

And then he was off.

If he didn't get much peace during his solitude, well. It wouldn't be for a lack of trying.

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Thu, 07 Feb 2013 03:18:12 GMT

"You're perfectly fine, Rabastan," Skill said as she finished up the examination. "Nothing lingering. No coughs. No infection. You're good as new."

"Rabastan! Oh thank goodness you're all right! I was so worried!"

Elea, having spotted him as he left his home, rushed right on over to give him a solid hug and several kisses—most of which were returned.

"I saw the note. By the goddess, what happened to you? How did you manage to get so sick you couldn't leave your own home? Oh, you must have been ready to climb the walls from being cooped up like that!"

This was one of the things he liked about Elea: her concern for him when he wasn't well. As well as her concern for him when he was well.

It was a mutual concern. He'd already nursed her back to health at least twice.

Something he was thinking about when her voice broke through his musings.

"What did the healers say you had?" she asked, still hugging him, but this time, with her head nestled on his shoulder. "Was it really that bad that you couldn't be allowed out of your own home to be with the ones you love?"

"Lung infection," he said, rubbing her back to soothe her worries. "Catarrh, I think she said."

"Oh you poor thing. Was it bad? How did you get it? I hope they treated you well. I wish they'd let me tend to you."

He laughed a little. Elea was always like this whenever he showed signs of illness. At least twice he'd told her she was missing her calling by not becoming a healer herself.

"No, I don't know where I got it from. And I felt like shit, despite the excellent care." Elea gasped at his vulgarity, but he continued on. "And have it spread all over Vane and Meribia?"

"Well, no. But still..."

He felt her nuzzle at his shoulder. It almost made him want to be sick again. Almost. He settled for making a contented sound as they stood together in the snow. Just reassuring each other that everything was well again in the world.

In fact, he was so wrapped up in the moment that he gave a little jump and a sound of surprise when she spoke again.

"Hmm what?"

"I said, 'I hope you're hungry'," Elea said, with a laugh.

"Oh you know me. I'm always hungry."

"So I've noticed. But this time we're going to my parents' house. Oh, when mother found out you were ill..." Elea paused. "Well. We'll go over and she'll make you a nice dinner to make you feel better."

"I already feel better, Elea."

"Not until you've had mother's special brew and soup."

"Ah. In that case I think I'm coming down with a fever. Can she fix that too?"

Elea gave him a playful swat—

"Oh you!"

—then extracted herself from his embrace long enough to take his hand.

"Come on!" she said, nearly half-dragging him at first until his pace matched hers. "Let's not keep mother waiting!"

Oh, Elea; you are too good to me...

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Wed, 26 Dec 2012 08:04:03 GMT

"Good morning, love," the voice said as he felt someone snuggle up against him. "Did you sleep well?"

A familiar question. Elea always asked him that on those mornings she woke up in his bed.

"I get sleep?" he returned, pretending that he was, in fact, asleep.

His reply was a laugh and a light slap on his arm.

"Get up, silly! It's Christmas!" Elea said before sliding out and picking her house coat up off the floor to put on. She was off to the bathroom to shower before he finally turned over to see her reflection pass by in one of the mirrors in the hall.

He didn't get up. Not yet. He wanted a lie-in, but was now too awake to go back to sleep.

And his head was too full of the events leading up to today.

It had been one of the best winters he'd had in recent memory. Better than recent memory, now that there was someone in his life to share it with.

Had anyone told him, this time last year, that he'd find that "special someone", as Muggles called it, to wake up with in the morning, he'd have laughed and said "Not likely. But maybe. Someday".

Well, today was "someday".

He propped himself up on his elbows, then up into a sitting position, then finally grabbed his wand from the nightstand.

One wave of his hand and a silent incantation, and the curtains were drawn back.

Outside, fat flakes of snow fell, some clinging to the pane before sliding down into the little pile on the sill. The sun was just above the horizon, he figured, judging from the grey light filtering in.

He smiled.

Two days ago, he and Elea were out walking through the snow-lined streets of Vane, with Elea spending much of her time gazing longingly into the shop windows.

"Oh Rabastan; have a look! I used to have a doll just like that when I was small!"

He made it a point to get her one once he'd gotten some form of employment with which to buy it with. If not for Valentine's Day, then certainly for her birthday.

The next day had them acting like teenagers as they cavorted in the snow, building a snowman and tossing handfuls of the white stuff at each other.

"Rabastan. Are you up yet?"

Done aleady?

"I am. Let me get ready and I'll join you."

"Anything you wanted for breakfast? You're probably hungry."

He laughed quietly. Elea had gotten used to his considerable appetite without asking too much about it; simply commenting about how women would be jealous of his ability to eat as he did and still stay slim.

He'd tell her about the "why". It just wouldn't be today.

"Rabastan?"

"Anything will do, love. I'm not picky. And don't worry about not making enough. Already had my first course."

"Tease."

Twenty minutes later, showered, dried and dressed, he was downstairs sitting on the rug with Elea in his lap, helping herself to his toast and jam.

"The tree looks lovely," she said to herself. "I wish it could stay all year."

Rabastan made a contented sound. This is how Christmas should be. A day spent with people you cared the most about. Not running for your life or living a seret existence.

"Time to open presents," Elea said as she got up. "My family brought you gifts."

"They did? I— Oh, I'm sorry. I didn't get them anything," he said, feeling guilty about being short on money. His gift for Elea cost him a fair bit of coin.

"It's fine, love. You don't need to worry. There's always next year."

She rummaged through the parcels, until she found what she was looking for.

"Here, love. Open mine first."

And a small object was placed in his hands before Elea returned to her place on his lap.

He gave it a shake, which caused Elea to laugh.

"Open it, silly."

Carefully unwrapping the paper, he admired the box that he held in his hand.

Elea's expression was eager.

When he opened it, his eyes widened.

"Where did you get this?"

Dangling from a gold chain was a pocket watch. Gold, with four topazes set into the metal. It looked old, yet decidedly well-kept.

"Like it?"

"It's wonderful. Where did you get it?"

Elea giggled. "It's been in my family for years. It used to belong to my grandfather before he gave it to me. And now it's yours."

"You shouldn't have. Elea, I—"

"Please. You're as dear to me as my grandfather was. I want you to have this."

He held it up for inspection. The light from the fireplace glinted off the metal.

"This is beautiful. Thank you."

His response was a giggle, a snuggle and a kiss on the cheek.

"You are too kind to me." He paused for a moment. "I have something for you, too."

Waving his wand, he accioed Elea's gift to where they sat.

"For you, love."

While she too was careful in the unwrapping, she was more eager to see her gift.

"Oh. Oh my. For me?"

It turned out that both had given each other jewellery, as Elea admired the tear-shaped smoothed lava stone that was wrapped in netting.

"Thank you. This is just what I needed!"

"It is?"

"Yes! I've been looking everywhere for something to help me with my magic. This stone is perfect for me." Elea continued to admire the handiwork. "This should make things easier for me. The magic in this is strong. Thank you."

"You. You're very welcome," he said, eyes pricking as he smiled, watching her put on the necklace.

The rest of the morning was spent unwrapping his gifts in-between promises that he would get her family something soon, despite her asurances that he didn't have to—

—followed by a cuddle on the couch—

—a long cuddle.

"Merry Christmas, Rabastan."

"Merry Christmas, Elea."

"You'd better get ready."

"What for—? Oh."

"That's right. We're going to visit the Ausas next."

Getting up, they made their way upstairs to prepare for the rest of the day.

They would only be slightly late...

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