Rabbit: February 1969
Title: Rabbit
Chapter Number/Title: February 1969: Parents (24/100) [[ Previous | Next]]
Rating: G
Word Count: 1166
Workshop?: Suggestions always welcome.
February 12, 1969
Parents
Rabastan turned to the dark wall, ignoring the whispered chatter of Evan and Darren. It was no fun being around two best friends. He liked them well enough but it was nothing like being with his own Sirius. He hated Darren for inviting him, and he hated Father for passing along the invitation. Maybe it was true that he normally enjoyed himself, but apparently that was before Darren and Evan had formed the Avery-Rosier-Club-of-Being-Annoying-Best-Friends.
“I’m just saying,” Darren was saying, “You’d think we’d be old enough to be down there by now.”
“Hff,” laughed Evan. “Not little children like you.”
“I’m old enough to not be tired. And I know they’re planning again. It’s one of those nights.”
Rabastan knew that his cousin was right. Those were the only times that he would go and sleep over with Darren and Evan, without Sirius. He thought back to a story Darren had made up once, about the Blacks. There was something secret in it… a crown. Maybe there was truth to it.
“We should find out.” Rabastan’s eyes went wide at his own words, which felt thrown into his mouth by his missing friend. Curious as he was, finding out seemed like a very bad idea. He rolled onto his back and opened his mouth to alter his suggestion.
“What?” Evan propped himself up. “How?”
Out of the corner of his eye, Rabbit saw Darren somersault off his cot and land with a light thud. “This way,” the young master of the house offered.
Rabastan and Evan sat still for a second, considering the options, but before Rabastan could protest, he heard the rustling noises of the other boy getting up from bed and joining Darren’s side.
“Come on now, Rabbit,” Evan whispered. “You can’t suggest something and then go back on your own idea.”
“Right.” Rabastan took a deep breath and climbed out of the cozy bed. A wall of light shone in through the now-cracked door, and soon, they were in the hall. Darren led the way, as he knew it, and Evan followed close behind. Rabbit jogged a step to try to catch up. He didn’t want to trail behind and keep an eye out; he wanted to be with Darren, leading.
However, all his fears swarmed back when they came within hearing distance of the adults. The children stood at the corner of a balcony, and muffled sounds of low voices came from a room off the hall below. “No,” Rabastan stepped back. “I just said find out, not spy on them. Bellatrix and Lucius have caught me spying and it’s always awful, and they’re just schoolchildren. If one of our fathers sees us…” he gulped.
He could tell that the other boys were imagining the horror of such a thing happening, because they kept quiet and screwed up their faces in thought.
Before they could come to an agreement, the door below opened and men streamed out. Rabastan wasted no time in hiding himself and grabbing one friend with each hand. The three stood like statues, backs pressed against the wall.
“We’re going back,” Rabastan ordered, and then stole a glance at the wizards, to check the situation. There was Father in a rare moment of cheer, laughing at something Mr. Rosier had said (“It’s just my father, and Evan’s father,” he explained); Uncle Liam was waving his hands around and walking three slightly younger men out of the room-the first skinny, with a rodentish face, the second broad, and the third short, with small eyes and a thin beard (“And Darren’s father, and Mr. Nott, and Mr. Mulciber, and Mr. Duv…” “Dolohov,” Evan hinted. “Yes, Dolohov.”); and then there was another, who exited last but drew all the attention (“And…”). The man was tall, though not the tallest, even though he somehow seemed so. His robes were of a rougher material than the rest, without lace or embroidery, and he strangely wore his hood, which cast a shadow on most of a thin pale face with strong features. Rabastan did not know his name. He craned his neck and squinted to see better, but he knew that he did not know the name.
“Rabbit!” Darren was shaking his cousin’s arm. “I said, what’s going on?”
Rabastan shook his head and pointed forward, too caught up to respond or move. Darren stood on his toes and craned his neck to peek above Rabbit’s head, and Evan fell to the ground and poked his own head below.
“In the plain robes?” Darren was whispering right into Rabastan’s ear.
Rabbit nodded. “I don’t know him,” he responded, as quietly as possible.
“No,” Darren agreed. He barely whispered, and he spoke as if telling a great secret. “But I’ve seen him before.”
“Yeah, so’ve I.” Rabastan’s eyebrows drew together, and he and Darren looked down at Evan at the same time. The blond boy nodded slowly, confirming it all. Rabbit felt a chill run down his spine. This was something important. This was someone important. Too important to even introduce to them. He refocused on the action downstairs and saw Father and Uncle Liam murmuring in consultation on either side of the tall figure, whose face was now completely hidden by shadows. A memory flashed before Rabastan: a photograph, three boys, a Prefect, asking who, cards crashing down-
But all his thoughts stopped short when he saw the candlelight glimmer on Mr. Rosier’s balding patch as the man turned and glanced around the hall. They could not be caught in that gaze.
Without a second word, he pulled himself back behind the wall, kicked the feet of the other boys, and crept as quickly as possible back down the hall. As he rounded a corner and came to Darren’s door, he heard Darren and Evan running up behind him. The three tumbled into the dark bedroom, and shut the door behind them.
Soon, all were again in their beds, small hearts thump-thump-thumping in their chests. They stayed quiet, just in case a parent or elf should choose to check for the cause of the footfalls. When their breathing slowed and calmed, Evan spoke. “So they weren’t planning something, after all. They were meeting somebody.”
“Somebody with a plan,” corrected Darren.
Rabastan imagined a glint in his cousin’s eye, but it did not cheer him up. He could still feel his heart in his chest, and all he could think about was what they had seen. Business. It was business, that was certain. Avery and Rosier were friends, and Nott, but the others-Mulciber and Dolohov-they only came by when Father was discussing Important Matters. The other wizard… Rabastan was sure he had seen him before, just as Darren and Evan had, but it had not been often. Still, the boy could not understand, and he turned over and back in Darren’s guest bed, torn between a desire to know more and a fear of putting his nose where it could get cut off.
Chapter Number/Title: February 1969: Parents (24/100) [[ Previous | Next]]
Rating: G
Word Count: 1166
Workshop?: Suggestions always welcome.
February 12, 1969
Parents
Rabastan turned to the dark wall, ignoring the whispered chatter of Evan and Darren. It was no fun being around two best friends. He liked them well enough but it was nothing like being with his own Sirius. He hated Darren for inviting him, and he hated Father for passing along the invitation. Maybe it was true that he normally enjoyed himself, but apparently that was before Darren and Evan had formed the Avery-Rosier-Club-of-Being-Annoying-Best-Friends.
“I’m just saying,” Darren was saying, “You’d think we’d be old enough to be down there by now.”
“Hff,” laughed Evan. “Not little children like you.”
“I’m old enough to not be tired. And I know they’re planning again. It’s one of those nights.”
Rabastan knew that his cousin was right. Those were the only times that he would go and sleep over with Darren and Evan, without Sirius. He thought back to a story Darren had made up once, about the Blacks. There was something secret in it… a crown. Maybe there was truth to it.
“We should find out.” Rabastan’s eyes went wide at his own words, which felt thrown into his mouth by his missing friend. Curious as he was, finding out seemed like a very bad idea. He rolled onto his back and opened his mouth to alter his suggestion.
“What?” Evan propped himself up. “How?”
Out of the corner of his eye, Rabbit saw Darren somersault off his cot and land with a light thud. “This way,” the young master of the house offered.
Rabastan and Evan sat still for a second, considering the options, but before Rabastan could protest, he heard the rustling noises of the other boy getting up from bed and joining Darren’s side.
“Come on now, Rabbit,” Evan whispered. “You can’t suggest something and then go back on your own idea.”
“Right.” Rabastan took a deep breath and climbed out of the cozy bed. A wall of light shone in through the now-cracked door, and soon, they were in the hall. Darren led the way, as he knew it, and Evan followed close behind. Rabbit jogged a step to try to catch up. He didn’t want to trail behind and keep an eye out; he wanted to be with Darren, leading.
However, all his fears swarmed back when they came within hearing distance of the adults. The children stood at the corner of a balcony, and muffled sounds of low voices came from a room off the hall below. “No,” Rabastan stepped back. “I just said find out, not spy on them. Bellatrix and Lucius have caught me spying and it’s always awful, and they’re just schoolchildren. If one of our fathers sees us…” he gulped.
He could tell that the other boys were imagining the horror of such a thing happening, because they kept quiet and screwed up their faces in thought.
Before they could come to an agreement, the door below opened and men streamed out. Rabastan wasted no time in hiding himself and grabbing one friend with each hand. The three stood like statues, backs pressed against the wall.
“We’re going back,” Rabastan ordered, and then stole a glance at the wizards, to check the situation. There was Father in a rare moment of cheer, laughing at something Mr. Rosier had said (“It’s just my father, and Evan’s father,” he explained); Uncle Liam was waving his hands around and walking three slightly younger men out of the room-the first skinny, with a rodentish face, the second broad, and the third short, with small eyes and a thin beard (“And Darren’s father, and Mr. Nott, and Mr. Mulciber, and Mr. Duv…” “Dolohov,” Evan hinted. “Yes, Dolohov.”); and then there was another, who exited last but drew all the attention (“And…”). The man was tall, though not the tallest, even though he somehow seemed so. His robes were of a rougher material than the rest, without lace or embroidery, and he strangely wore his hood, which cast a shadow on most of a thin pale face with strong features. Rabastan did not know his name. He craned his neck and squinted to see better, but he knew that he did not know the name.
“Rabbit!” Darren was shaking his cousin’s arm. “I said, what’s going on?”
Rabastan shook his head and pointed forward, too caught up to respond or move. Darren stood on his toes and craned his neck to peek above Rabbit’s head, and Evan fell to the ground and poked his own head below.
“In the plain robes?” Darren was whispering right into Rabastan’s ear.
Rabbit nodded. “I don’t know him,” he responded, as quietly as possible.
“No,” Darren agreed. He barely whispered, and he spoke as if telling a great secret. “But I’ve seen him before.”
“Yeah, so’ve I.” Rabastan’s eyebrows drew together, and he and Darren looked down at Evan at the same time. The blond boy nodded slowly, confirming it all. Rabbit felt a chill run down his spine. This was something important. This was someone important. Too important to even introduce to them. He refocused on the action downstairs and saw Father and Uncle Liam murmuring in consultation on either side of the tall figure, whose face was now completely hidden by shadows. A memory flashed before Rabastan: a photograph, three boys, a Prefect, asking who, cards crashing down-
But all his thoughts stopped short when he saw the candlelight glimmer on Mr. Rosier’s balding patch as the man turned and glanced around the hall. They could not be caught in that gaze.
Without a second word, he pulled himself back behind the wall, kicked the feet of the other boys, and crept as quickly as possible back down the hall. As he rounded a corner and came to Darren’s door, he heard Darren and Evan running up behind him. The three tumbled into the dark bedroom, and shut the door behind them.
Soon, all were again in their beds, small hearts thump-thump-thumping in their chests. They stayed quiet, just in case a parent or elf should choose to check for the cause of the footfalls. When their breathing slowed and calmed, Evan spoke. “So they weren’t planning something, after all. They were meeting somebody.”
“Somebody with a plan,” corrected Darren.
Rabastan imagined a glint in his cousin’s eye, but it did not cheer him up. He could still feel his heart in his chest, and all he could think about was what they had seen. Business. It was business, that was certain. Avery and Rosier were friends, and Nott, but the others-Mulciber and Dolohov-they only came by when Father was discussing Important Matters. The other wizard… Rabastan was sure he had seen him before, just as Darren and Evan had, but it had not been often. Still, the boy could not understand, and he turned over and back in Darren’s guest bed, torn between a desire to know more and a fear of putting his nose where it could get cut off.