Vane: Rabastan's Visit

[gorgonfondness]

With the inquiry over and Draco feeling better, Mia is finally able to take Rabastan to visit her home. She leads him through her door and to the Magic Guild.

"The Guild is finally finished after so long," she says. "I'm glad you're able to see it like this."

It feels like Hogwarts, ancient and hallowed.

"Draco and I have our apartment here."

She gestures to the door on the left of the hallway.

Comments

[iambetadraconis]

Busy examining the walls and their stonework, he's a bit preoccupied to really listen.

The architecture is most unusual. Nothing he's really seen before, and being part of the inner circle of purebloods, he's seen a lot of old houses.

"Oh. Yeah. That's where you live?"

Considering Draco, he expected something more opulent.

[gorgonfondness]

Draco' wife is is a simple woman, though.

"Yes. You're welcome to come in and see."

She opens the door to the apartment, showing him the sitting room. The door to the bedroom is open enough to see inside.

[iambetadraconis]

Doubtless that leads to some interesting discussions. Five hundred year old antiques, or straight-from-the-Ikea-catalogue?

"It's ... pretty roomy..."

Spacious the room looks, but there's a kind of simplicity to it. He really did expect to see more of Draco's influence here.

Well, they're still newly married—that sort of thing has yet to come.

[gorgonfondness]

Draco hasn't really had a chance to bring his things from the Manor here. Most of his things are either in the House of Arch waiting to be moved here or in their bedroom at Milliways.

"I guess I'm still trying to get things in order, even if it has been about a year since I've moved back in here. Have any suggestions?"

[iambetadraconis]

Oh. Well then.

"I—what? No. I... I really don't know what to suggest."

Interior decorating was never his forte.

[gorgonfondness]

"I'm sure Draco will have ideas enough. Between the inquiry and the grog snake sickness, he's been worn out. But thankfully both are over."

She leads him out and downstairs.

"There's a lot of Magic Guild left to see. Most of the rooms are either classrooms or dormitories, but the family has a few more rooms for themselves and guests."

They take a right and come to two sets of double doors, one on the left and one on the right. Mia opens the ones on the left.

"This is the Grand Hall, where official announcements are made and ceremonies are held. This was where my Guildmaster ceremony took place."

[iambetadraconis]

This room is more like what comes to mind when he thinks of the Malfoys. Somewhere, he's certain, Lucius and Narcissa own a place not unlike this.

"'Grand' indeed. This place looks almost as big as the Great Hall at Hogwarts."

Indeed, he can imagine the four house tables as well as the staff table being arranged as he remembers them.

[gorgonfondness]

"From what I remember, the Great Hall at Hogwarts is bigger."

She's both honest and modest, so it's hard to tell which is the case here.

"We don't end up using the Grand Hall for much. The next big thing is likely going to be the Christmas party."

[iambetadraconis]

He looks at her with a surprised expression.

"You celebrate Christmas in Lunar?"

Even the Wizarding World didn't take to Christmas right away, what with it being seen as a Christian holiday and therefore a symbol of why magical folk went into hiding for so long.

[gorgonfondness]

"Well, not before I found out about it at Milliways. And Draco seemed to like the opportunity to receive presents. Didn't we send you a basket of sweets for the holidays?"

[iambetadraconis]

"Yes. You hand-delivered it to me, in fact."

An excuse to exchange gifts and be with family might be a big selling point for the people of Lunar even if they never get into the religious aspects.

[gorgonfondness]

"I thought so. I would hope that I didn't forget my uncle."

She gives him a smile.

"Come, there are a few more rooms to see, as well as the garden."

They continue down the hallway before they reach a small hallway with a couple of rooms, the doors on the opposite side from them. She opens the closer door.

"This first room is a lounge for guests to wait if they've come to see a councilman, Nash, Draco, or me and we're not available immediately. We also take tea here sometimes. My office is just down the hall. Both rooms have doors to the garden."

[iambetadraconis]

"If you did, I'd be worried, because I'd think you'd been Confunded."

He follows along, looking a little confused.

Garden? Now why would he want to see a lawn? There's nothing special about a lawn.

Gosh darn differences in English...

[gorgonfondness]

She takes him through to see the flowers and the stone pond in said garden.

"Draco and I were out here when I saw my first natural rainfall," she says with a warm smile. "We saw some fairies while we were here."

[iambetadraconis]

Oh. She meant the flower beds. Right then.

"Huh? It doesn't rain here in Lunar?"

How does the place avoid turning into a desert?

[gorgonfondness]

"No, it just never rained in the city. We flew above all of that. One of the reasons why I was always so fascinated by umbrellas. A luxury item here at the time."

[iambetadraconis]

Yeah. "Flying cities" is a concept Rabastan can't quite get his head around, even if he tries.

Brooms and cars and carpets that fly he gets. Cities he doesn't.

"Oh, parasols can be used for other things besides rain. Muggle women would use them as sun shades once upon a time."

He did pick up a few things from Muggle Studies, despite not paying complete attention.

[gorgonfondness]

"I've heard that, but from Milliways. It didn't seem to happen here. But at least now umbrellas are useful here and Draco was sweet enough to give one to me."

He got tackleglomped for that present.

[iambetadraconis]

There must be a little of Arthur Weasley in Mia, regardless of their non-related-ness.

"Seeing as it doesn't rain here in the city, you can use it for that."

Because it'd be hard to use it for a patio umbrella.

[gorgonfondness]

"Well, it does rain here now that the city is sitting on the ground. Which reminds me, if you plan on seeing anywhere outside of Vane on foot, I hope you don't mind stairs."

She looks up to the sky, the Blue Star in clear sight.

"It's better that it's on the ground, I think. We can appreciate things more here, like rain and the Blue Star."

[iambetadraconis]

That looks suspiciously like the satellite images of Earth that Muggles take.

Uncanny.

"You couldn't see it before?"

Surely higher in the sky affords a better view?

[gorgonfondness]

"We could, but while we're down here, it illuminates much more of the city at night. It's very beautiful."

While Vane was in the sky, people didn't really look to the heavens. They were enjoying being able to look down at people both figuratively and literally way too much.

[iambetadraconis]

Flying cities have snob appeal, eh? Makes sense, in a way.

"I think it would be just as bright high up in the sky as on the ground. Flying on broomstick I never noticed a difference in brightness when it came to altitude."

Won't be doing that any more. When the moon's at its brightest is when he's incapable of flying anything, let alone a broom.

[gorgonfondness]

She looks up in wonder.

"Maybe it was and we just couldn't see it."

"I doubt that would be something you would miss, Mia," says a woman who quietly came from behind them. Except for the fact that her hair is a rather goldenrod color, she looks very much like an older version of Mia. "But brighter or not, it does look different. We can't deny that."

"Oh Mother, what have you been up to? And before I forget my manners, this is Rabastan Lestrange, Draco's uncle and, through marriage, my uncle. Uncle, this is my mother, Lemia Ausa."

"How do you do?" Lemia says. "I was wondering when I might get to meet you, already having the...pleasure of meeting Draco's parents."

[iambetadraconis]

Oh! He starts at the sound of the voice—he'd thought Mia and himself were the only ones present in the gardens.

Looking up again, it's hard to tell how "different" it could look: it looks like that famous picture of the Earth from the vantage point of a moon-situated astronaut.

So he thinks, anyways. Spend enough time in Milliways and the concept of "other Earths" becomes an accepted notion.

"Oh, uh, hullo," he stammers around his surprise. "I'm not like the Malfoys, if you're worried about that."