🞨 🞩 🞪 🞫 🞬 RAZOR SHARP

rabastan is the second son in the lestrange family, the spare if you will and while his parents doted on his older brother, bas was awarded quite a bit of freedom. he still had standards to uphold but where rodolphus was the gentleman, bas was the watchdog. he was raised to be ruthless and his dark and violent tendencies were only encouraged. if it were not for his friends growing up he would be nothing but a cold blooded killer.

though he was molded into this hound of sorts, rabastan has no stake in the war. he sides with his family without complaint however and would do anything for them, doing whatever his father and brother tell him to do, even becoming a cursebreaker wasn’t entirely his idea. 

honestly as long as he is able to be free to do what he pleases he could care less about the sides and everything. 

he loves quidditch, the physicality of the sport, the way he can exercise brains and brawn with no outrage or judgement. people cheer for him and he is thrilled by the danger and the competition

bas is rather aloof, he can come off cold and quiet but he is usually in his head, overthinking or over-analyzing every conversation. he’s fine if you don’t like him and he’s fine if you do, there are very few connections that are important to him and he is casual with just about everyone else. he has no real enemies, that he knows of, and is very go with the flow when he can be.

despite his ability to overthink and analyze, he gets only the marks he needs, not putting much effort into schoolwork. it isn’t really about capability, but motivation. quidditch doesn’t require any NEWTs but becoming a cursebreaker does so he studied hard to get the right marks for OWLs first and then NEWTS but outside these examinations he doesn’t care much about his marks in class. 

Bas doesn’t sweat other people’s opinions; if someone does manage to get under his skin he reacts with violence, intimidation and cruelty and he doesn’t feel badly about it. He’s a hothead, easily set off and reacting first with violence, with throwing punches, giving him enough time to pull out his wand and toss out a few curses.

Rabastan lestrange took his dark mark just before the end of his 7th year at hogwarts. He immediately went into the ministry, beginning training as a cursebreaker because what better career could there be for a boy who lived for the thrill of danger and consequence? It was the draw of travel and risk that made him enter the training program, even though he didn’t need to have a career, he could continue on as a wealthy socialite but that seemed better suited for someone more social than rabastan. He spent a few years working for gringotts, than the ministry for a bit and now he's a freelance cursebreaker, mostly branching off into treasure hunting for borgin & burkes

He kept to himself for the most part, kept to his own inner circle of fellow death eaters and rarely branched out to speak to even half bloods or muggleborns, because they were filth in his mind, that’s what he’d been taught. And he was nothing if not loyal to his family, he idolized his elder brother and would do anything to protect his younger sister, rosine. Everything he did was for his family, and then himself and nothing and no one would change that. 

IMPORTANT HEADCANON

         ❝ offend  me  ,  mister  lestrange ? ❞  now  it  was  her  turn  to  rise  a  brow  with  skepticism  ,  lifting  herself  from  her  seat  so  dolores  could  level  with  the  male .  maybe  then  he’d  see  her  as  his  equal  .  ❝  the  only  thing  you’ve  done  to  offend  me  is  to  think  of  me  so  lowly  .  i  have  yet  to  be  rude  or  even  consider  for  a  moment  to  think  anything  but  the  best  in  regards  to  you  or  your  family . ❞  a  finger  draws  along  the  edge  of  the  wooden  desk  ,  loosely  thinking  about  her  next  words  since  rabastan  had  decided  to  come  into  her  space  seeking  an  unfriendly  conversation .  ❝  it’s  a  shame  ,  though .  rodolphus  has  always  seemed  so  well-collected  in  public  ,  knows  how  to  carry  conversation  ,  but  maybe  it  was  all wasted   on  him  .  i’d  be  careful  before  you  lose  too  many  allies  ,  rabastan  .  your  words  alone  can  do  the  damage  and  i’ve  got  a  feeling  that  one  day  you  would  appreciate  to  have  people  with  certainskills  at  your  beck  and  call .  ❞ 

“oh it is, but …. i’m not sure it was ever really a privilege at all. that’s just something those ancient fucks say so they feel important about arguing all the time and getting paid for it, or making a bunch of bullshit up that we’re still arguing about, or what the fuck ever.” he rolled his eyes, not truly as bothered by the job as he was annoyed by how much time it took out of his day – even with as good as he was at avoiding it.”what? I don’t know what you want me to tell you mate, I like animals, I have pets, I like to take my pets places, it’s not that weird.” no, really the weird part was more .. amycus’ choice in pets. “besides, again, the food sucks. okay, it has to be pretty fuckin rancid to give an animal food poisoning.” he laughed, shaking his head, but still wasn’t bothered by anything else. not his creepy smile, or the fitzroy-howard bitches that, god damn it, bellatrix had to like. or she liked the one, and siblings …. carry the two … no, he simply didn’t care enough. “honestly mate, third lunch, be it liquid, or actual food …. it’s time. look at you, look how hard you work. they don’t even know what they’re up against, forget about them.”

“i suppose, just glad i got to avoid that entirely. leave all the politics to rodolphus, he’s suited for it, raised for it actually.” and that let bas be his own person. he felt badly for his brother often, for being their parent’s pet project, for being the sacrificial lamb. and he appreciated the buffer that gave him in life, more than he could say. “i believe you, no argument here mate.” he chuckled as he put his hands up in surrender, the only time that would ever happen. “even if my cursebreaking work was all they knew about me, it’s a tough job, dangerous, fucking brutal at times. but i don’t know amycus, i’m getting too tired for all this shit. i just want to live my life without all these mouths running at me. don’t i deserve to be left alone?” he chuckled. 

“I found her, too. after you, apparently.” mina smirked at him then, and a few beats later finally grinned. “congratulations, honestly. I owe you a drink, because I heard no names, but that story made me blush.” with a laugh, she hopped off the stool once more, steering herself around the counter to her side of the bar – mostly to give him a little space; the blonde knew some comments were best left to simmer in their hilarity without too much discussion. and who was mina going to tell? “you would,” she said, shaking her head as she poured the man a fresher drink than the one he’d been nursing forever. she set it on the counter for him with a sly smile. “can’t say i blame you, though. I told her it was an excuse to go back for seconds, but she obviously didn’t. you, however, clearly understand that it’s a reason for you to show up unexpectedly. smart man.”

“well thank merlin for that.” he grinned, thinking back to his time with alice. he wanted more with her, more than one night and he was very much looking forward to the future dates and evenings and nights and mornings. to everything in store for the two of them. he accepted the new drink with a wink at mina. “i’m not sure how much she told you, but thank you i guess.” he didn’t mind her knowing, he felt sort of proud actually. “ah well, i’m certain those seconds will happen eventually.” they had moved fast that night and he didn’t mind slowing it down to get to know her better. he wanted more than a bed buddy out of alice. “i haven’t felt this way about anyone in a long time, i didn’t want her to get scared and and run away after that one night. it’s happened before after all. but this? i don’t know, i felt sentimental somehow about holding on to it.” it wasn’t a trophy, but something to hold on to when the girl was a little flighty herself. something physical to hold on lonely nights. “what else did she tell you?”

                    it   was   almost   a   dour   note   she   hummed   as   her   brow   creased   a   little   at   his   answer   ,      not   the   one   she’d   been   wanting   to   hear   but   progress   nonetheless   .      something   was   always   better   than   nothing   .         ❝      and   you   weren’t   even   getting   that   before   ?      we’ve   not   found   the   fix   yet   but   we’re   on   the   right   track   then      ❞         you   had   to   claim   the   little   victories   these   days   ,   claw   them   back   as   much   as   you   could   ,      and   she   felt   she   owed   the   other   as   much   as   to   keep   him   informed   as   to   his   care   .      things   felt   all   together   safer   that   way   .         ❝      things   would   be   a   lot   easier   if   we   had   more   of   a   clue   as   to   what   we’re   dealing   with   ,      is   it   okay   with   you   if   i   try   to   clean   things   up   a   little   to   see   if   we   can   find   anything   that   gives   us   any   clarity   ?      it   could   hurt   .      i   can   give   you   something   for   the   pain   if   you   don’t   think   you   could   manage   it   but   knowing   if   something   hurts   of   if   it   stays   numb   could   be   another   clue      ❞

      rosine  gives  her  brother  a  roll  of  her  eyes  as  she  enters  rabastan’s  place  ,  gently  taking  her  cloak  off  before  discarding  it  to  the  side .  ❝  i  was  worried  you’d  have  some  friendly  or  even  some  unfriendly  company  over  -  ❞   a  simple  tsk  as  she  passes  him ,  glancing  over  the  working  utensils  in  the  kitchenette  for  only  a  moment  before  turning  back  to  rabastan .  ❝  was  it  really  a  tantrum  if  you  meant  every  word  ,  bas  ?   even  i  struggle  sometimes  to  understand  what  rodolphus’  intentions  are  sometimes  ,  but  it’s nice  to  hear  that  you  managed  an  apology .  ❞ she’d  heard  about  their  quarrel  more  so  from  others  who  had  been  witness  to  it  ,  especially  since  many  craved  a  look  into  the  happenings  of  a  family  that  had  been  so  publicized  recently .  rodolphus’  hand  had  merely  grown  the  width  of  the  microscope  following  their  lives .  ❝  i  actually  found  myself  at  a  meeting  recently ,  you  know .  not  in  some  newfound  loyalty  ,  but  out  of  innocent  curiosity .  care  to  know  what  i  think  ?  ❞ 

“i wouldn’t have invited you in if that was the case, i do have a lovely little garden though.” he pointed out as the tidying stopped. the judgement in her tone was unwelcome but what was he to do? they were siblings, it came with the territory. “can’t it be both? i was told i was being unreasonable when i was simply being honest. i do wish rodolphus would include me more in certain things, i am too old to be protected by my elder brother as an excuse to keep me in the dark. but i do hope he is coming around to that way of thinking.” he didn’t really think it was a tantrum, but he wasn’t going to argue the point either. “do i not seem the sort to apologize when i’ve done wrong?” his turn to tsk, but he grinned right after to show he was only kidding. his eyes widened momentarily at that news, and he felt himself grow annoyed, if not confused. “why?” was all he could ask. “why would you go i mean, i thought --- “ but now he didn’t know what to think. 

       eyes  deviantly  searching  for  even  the  tiniest  break  in  expression  ,  dolores  simply  gives  the  middle  lestrange  a  shrug .  ❝  you  must  simply  ask ,  rabastan .  it’d  be  a  pity  if  there  a  paper  trail  to  follow  ,  and  even  more  so  if  there  wasn’t  one  that  lends  one  to  be  incriminated  . ❞  dolores  had  found  her  purpose  and  it  was  incredibly  too  easy  to  be  of  service  to  the  right  crowd .  ❝ but  you’re  just  sending  your  most  polite  greeting  ,  right  ?  can  i  assume  that  everything’s  been  well  for  you  recently ? ❞ 

                    she   said   she’d   see   to   his   arm   first   but   she   heard   the   groans   from   the   other   as   he   settled   down   she   couldn’t   help   a   quick   muttering   of   episkey   as   she   waved   her   wand   over   where   his   hand   clutched   to   .         ❝      that   should   make   things   a   bit   easier   till   we’re   able   to   turn   our   full   focus   to   them   ,      hmm   ?      ❞         a   quick   rhetorical   hum   as   her   eyes   too   fell   to   his   arm   ,      nodding   as   he   listed   the   symptoms   as   she   couldn’t   help   but   run   her   eyes   over   the   ink   on   his   arm   just   south   of   the   gash   .      she   knew   what   that   meant   .         ❝      numbs   not   good   at   all   ❞         one   of   her   hands   taking   his   as   ,      with   her   wand   in   her   other   hand   ,      she   traced   the   injury   ,      vulnera   sanentur   on   her   lips   .         ❝   can   you   feel   this   ?   ❞      giving   his   hand   the   slightest   of   squeezes   up   by   his   wrist   .

bit of an usual place to catch up on her writing, but with the start of the school year approaching and having to keep feeding the death eaters new information, rita hadn’t had time to do her actual job, the one that paid the bills. the lack of sleep only made the noise even more of a bother to her. “excuse me? tone it down, would you? some of us are trying to work here.” 

“hard to expect quiet when you’re in a public place, honey.” he drawled, half drunk and looking for a fight. of course he could just go to --- fight club, but that was expected. this seemed more fun, bothering the pretty brunette. 

“oh, good, me too. i’m holding up a vote with my absence.” amycus only grinned a little brighter as he declared this, not ashamed in the least by the delay or the money he was making for causing it. “yeah, but who really cares, cause i’m gonna keep bringing animals in there and tom’s gonna keep being a cunt about it, there’s no winning there, and I don’t fancy food poisoning anyways.” he rolled his eyes, huffing as he finished his mini-tirade, and topping it off with a chuckle as he moved on. “see this, this is why I continue to wear the grumpy face, because people get scared when I smile, and it feels kinda shit being all happy when you’re not, ya’know? and it sounds like we need to skip third lunch in favor of first round, but hey lady laid-her-way junior? nice, what’d she do?”

“i don’t envy you that seat, the wizengamot seems to be more of a chore than a privilege these days.” really rabastan was happy to be the second son, the younger brother because it meant less pressure, less responsibility. it was why he was allowed to postpone his betrothal all these years too. “what is it with you and those animals?” he chuckled though, not meaning to seriously ask the question. he knew amycus loved his big predators and he didn’t fault the man for it. they all had their thing, after all. “it’s the way you smile man, it’s creepy sometimes.” he admitted. “is that what you call her?” he snorted, that was funny even if it wasn’t true about josie, but there were whispers at least to warrant the nasty nickname. “first round works for me, she was completely disrespectful, acted like she was better than me, acted like she wasn’t afraid of me. she’s lucky i was feeling some restraint, but next time i won’t hold back, trust me. and the borgin brat was the same way. i don’t know what’s in the water, amycus but i’m tired of these little kids being so disrespectful, as if my reputation doesn’t give me enough for them not to run their mouths at me or challenge me. don’t they know i won’t back down from any challenge? it’s foolish at best, a death wish at worst.” 

            ❝  that’s  correct  , ❞    she  gives  the  male  a  quick  glance  over  ,  brows  only  furrowing  when  dolores  catches  him  getting  close  .  it  wasn’t  often  that  people  approached  her  without  reason  .  ❝ mister  lestrange  ,  do  you  also  require  a  private  floo  connection  or  is  this  simply  an  attempt  at  casual  conversation  ?   ❞ 

      ❝  i  wasn’t  intruding  on  anything  ,  right ?  ❞  rosine  asks  rabastan  hesitantly  ,  considering  that  she  should  have  sent  an  owl  before  deciding  to  stop  by .  the  two  lived  drastically  different  lives  it  felt  like  .   ❝  i  will  stay  for  a  quick  tea  ,  though  . ❞  so  she  invites  herself  into  her  brother’s  place ,  grateful  for  the  cooler  air  and  that  for  the  first  time  in  a  while  -  some  space  to  breathe .  ❝ have  you  spoken  to  rodolphus  recently  ?   ❞  a  question  that  would  have  been  considered  normal  in  any  other  occurrence  but  this  was  a  simple  test  to  see  if  her  younger  brother  knew  what  had  just  happened  .  she  knows  of  rabastan’s  involvement  with  the  death  eaters  (  it  would  be  rather  foolish  to  overlook  that  detail  alone  )  but  wasn’t  exactly  clear  how  much  he  knew  either  .  

“not today, no. you got lucky.” he teased as he walked back inside and whisked his wand out to get the tea on. he didn’t do much by hand, except fight that is. he was just so used to using magic for most tasks. but he was also subtly whispering some cleaning charms too, not that his place was a mess but it as messy at times and not having too many guests meant it was untidy at the moment. “he and I had a conversation recently, yes. I had to apologize for my --- tantrum at the black ball.” but she seemed to be asking for a reason. “why do you ask?” he prodded. 

.

it wasn’t exactly crowded in the pub just then, and, for the most part, mina had been pretty good about minding her own business so far – definitely a new record for the week. but, sometimes .. the girl just couldn’t help herself. she’d only been intending to ask if he was interested in a fresh one yet, but when the all too familiar sparkle of the hairpin caught her eye, mina found herself perching on the next stool over, a wide grin on her face at the greeting. “i was wondering when i was going to see that again…. I guess you found who you were waiting for after all, hm?”

he chuckled, barely suppressing a wide grin. “yeah, guess i did.” he was wry about it, he really liked alice but he wanted to keep what they had quiet for now. not because he was ashamed or anything but people had the nasty habit of ruining something new. if the rumor mill didn’t know about him and alice they couldn’t destroy it. but mina, he trusted her for some reason, and she knew alice so well it was good to keep her in the know. “i told her i couldn’t find it.” he admitted. 

“Eh, I don’t wanna mess with their good time. They know where to find me tomorrow, we can just head out.” Dmitry stood, calling Lord Stair back over from the group of young women that had been petting him. “You good, or do you need to find anyone?”

“if you say so.” he pulled his leather jacket back on and began to walk through the crowd toward the exit. the noise really bothering him, he preferred peace and quiet, to everyone’s surprise he was sure. “i’m good.” as much as he wanted to see alice, he couldn’t spend another minute at this party. cissa would forgive him for leaving, he was sure. 

sitting at the hog’s head, perched on a stool at the bartop, was one rabastan lestrange. he was nursing a firewhiskey and reading over the details of a possible contract, alice’s hairpin turning absentmindedly in his hands when someone approached. he didn’t bother hiding the pin, no one would know what it was, or who it belonged to. but of course, this person was the only one who would. shit. “mina --”

                    ❝      you’ve   done   a   good   field   assessment   but   i   can   get   it   all   sorted      ❞         if   he   was   patient   enough   ,      too   many   of   the   people   that   came   through   her   door   seemed   keen   to   walk   back   out   of   it   as   soon   as   possible   ,      as   soon   as   the   symptoms   were   gone   ,      and   it   was   all   she   could   do   half   the   time   to   let   her   help   them   properly   .         ❝      arm   first   of   course   ,      then   i   can   check   in   on   the   rest   of   you      ❞         locking   the   door   and   sliding   the   bolt   into   place   before   following   him   into   the   living   room   ,      kneeling   on   the   ground   next   to   where   he’d   sat   .      she’d   been   ready   to   suggest   the   spare   room   might   be   more   comfortable   but   she   could   tell   that   maybe   wouldn’t   be   taken   so   well   .         ❝      so   we’ll   treat   it   based   off   symptoms   :   besides   the   cut   what   else   are   you   feeling   ?      ❞         pulling   her   workbag   out   from   underneath   the   sofa   and   setting   about   cleaning   up   the   blood   .

                    ❝      has   it   been   you   that’s   been   making   themselves   scare   or   has   it   been   me   ?      ❞         probably   her   ,      she’d   been   dealing   with   a   lot   this   summer   .