#alecto1

After the mixer had finished and Leigh had gone from friendless to essentially more friendless, she decided it was time to make the trip back to her dorm for a well earned nap. After wandering for a few minutes, she wondered out loud, “Why’s there not a map given out?” Finally she saw somebody else and once she’d talked herself into it, did she finally approach them. 

Fabian had attended the holiday party for two reasons: firstly, and primarily, to keep an eye on Gideon. Secondly, and less important but perhaps more entertaining, to watch the drunken teenagers make fools out of themselves. After he’d eventually grown tired of the latter, he had made way back to the Ravenclaw commons, only to find Flitwick guarding the door. After a brief conversation with the tired man about their last Legal Aid class, Fabian accepted the detention slip and stepped inside to his dormitory.

It wasn’t until the day of the detention that he glanced to his bedside and noticed the paper, remembering his task. So, setting down his tea carefully on a coaster, Fabian rose and stretched before walking to the first-floor bathrooms where he was set to serve. Upon arriving, he found a bucket of soapy water already sitting on the floor, waiting for him, along with two large sponges and several rags. Wasting no time to get started, he rolled up his sleeves and kneeled down, not looking up when he heard footsteps by the doorway. Must’ve been Flitwick checking in on him.

Rabastan was a man of plans and people often said that everything he did was done with the utmost care and control. Not a strand of hair was parted incorrectly, not a toe was out of line, and not an order was ever disobeyed. He was the golden boy of the Lestranges, not even his older brother's headstart in making himself a shiny plaque with his name on it mattered; because the younger Lestrange was well in Rodolphus' level already despite the years of gap in their ages. The only thing that Rodolphus had that Rabastan didn't was a ring on his fourth finger symbolizing an lifetime tie with a wife, but even this, it seemed, wasn't a difference that would last.

The announcement came as a surprise for both Rabastan and the woman he was betrothed to. The party they were in was announced to just be a celebration between Purebloods. What they didn't expect, though, was for the party to be announced as a celebration for the imminent union of two Pureblood families--the Lestranges and the Carrows. So when the words were said, even Rabastan was taken by surprise. The only reaction he could give was a pretty amusing face with his mouth closing and opening like a fish thrown out of the water. But what struck him worse than the announcement was his betrothed's reaction: Alecto said nothing, showed no emotions, and only walked out.

Now, it had been days, close to a week since that night, and no interaction between them had happened since then. She walked out, spoke no words to him, and answered none of his letters. For the first few days, he let her be, gave her space because even he could admit that news as such needed a long time for it to sink in. He understand the news was worthy of a few days of space, but it had been a week now, and he was already going insane with worry. Was she angry at him? Did she think he had something to do with it? Did she no longer want to have any connections with her? Did she want to end their friendship? So many questions plaguing him, so many fears slowly starting to eat him up, especially since...especially since he couldn't live a life without her...He had long accepted friendship, but without even only that would wreck him.

"Where is she? I need to speak to her right now. I know she's there, you're just hiding her," he told the house elf, his anger making him want to strike the stupid creature. His voice was loud, meant to be heard across the whole house, demanding, very angry. "I swear if you don't let me in right now...I will..." he didn't bother to finish, though. He might not have Alecto's permission, but he was sure her parents would side with him and therefore wouldn't want him kicked out. With that thought and leverage in mind, he pushed past the house elf that welcomed him and stormed through the whole Carrow Manor, in search of Alecto.

It didn't take him that long before he found her, but to him, even just five seconds more of this avoidance from Alecto was already too long. It was a struggle not to rip the door off its hinges, but in order to not make Alecto angrier, he controlled himself. Taking a deep breath, he pushed the door open, as gently as he could considering the situation. He found her talking to the house elf that had welcomed him. Apparently, he came to her to give her a warning that he'd trespassed. Too bad the elf was too late.