"…and I just don't understand why Andromeda hasn't been responding to my owls. I mean, it's summer so it's not exactly like she's busy with school work, and maybe she's busy with suitors, but surely that can't take all of her time, and it's not as though it takes that long to write a single letter—"
"Rabastan…" Rodolphus said slowly, watching as his younger brother continued nervously pacing the confines of his study.
"I suppose you're right, maybe she could be worried about any of the suitors getting jealous if she was writing letters to me, but I've known her for year and years, not to mention we've had almost all of our classes together at Hogwarts and —"
"Rabastan!"
Rabastan stopped, mid-pace, and looked at his brother.
"You are going to wear out my rug with your pacing. At least sit down while you're worrying," Rodolphus finished.
Rabastan grudgingly took a seat in a large, comfortable-looking leather chair adjacent to Rodolphus. For a second, the study was quiet, and then Rabastan abruptly continued his stream of words from mid-sentence. "And I just think that she should really have the right to write letters to her friends regardless of their gender, since Andromeda and I are just friends after all, and if any of her suitors are so jealous that they won't let her have friends than they're really the wrong person for her and —"
"Has anyone ever told you that you worry too much, Rabastan?"
"Yes. In fact, I believe the last person who told me that was you," Rabastan pouted.
"Good to hear my past self has as much common sense as my current self," Rodolphus said, reclining in his high-backed chair.
Rabastan began twiddling his thumbs and, without making eye contact with Rodolphus, hesitatingly started, "You know, if I could just ask Bellatrix if she's received any letters from Andromeda —"
"No." Rodolphus solidly continued, "I won't have you bothering my wife."
"It's not like it's any skin off of your back," Rabastan simperingly replied.
"Think about it, Rabastan: what good would it do? If Bella has not been receiving letters from Andromeda, you will keep worrying. If she has been receiving letters from Andromeda, then that means Andromeda is only ignoring you, and you will keep worrying."
Rabastan frowned and pursed his lips. Maybe Rodolphus had a point. "Narcissa said—"
"Miss Black."
"What?"
"Manners dictate you call Narcissa 'Miss Black'," Rodolphus lightly chastised his younger brother.
"But you call Narcissa by her first name."
"That is because Narcissa is my sister-in-law."
"Fine, Miss Black told me that Andromeda's been friendly with a Mudblood of late."
Rodolphus waved a hand. "Andromeda comes from a good family. I'm sure it is merely a misunderstanding."
"I suppose," he grumbled, before returning to twiddling his thumbs. "It's just — it's not like Andromeda to not reply to my owls."
Rodolphus sighed. He had been hoping to avoid saying this, but it was beginning to seem unavoidable. "Rabastan, do you think you would be spending this much time thinking about owls if it was Selwyn who hadn't replied to your owls?"
Rabastan stubbornly looked up again and frowned. Clearly, he knew where this was going. "I don't know, maybe."
"No, Rabastan, you would not," Rodolphus replied gently but firmly. "You have never floo-ed to my house to complain about your best friend being slow to reply to your letters. I know you and Andromeda dated for a while, but she broke up with you, and that is that."
"We're just friends, now. She's just a friend." Rabastan had barely finished his words before he shrunk back slightly at his brother's 'I don't believe you' expression.
"Take my advice, little brother. Relationships should have a good dose of practicality to them. It is not healthy to go losing your head over a girl."
"Yes, yes, I know." Unconvinced, he slouched forward in his chair and held his chin in his hands. "Since when did you become so grown up?"
For the first time that evening, Rodolphus's face broke into a slight smile. "You are an adult yourself, Rab. You've already come of age."
"Not like you're an adult. You have a house, and a job, and soon you'll probably even have an heir—"
"It is bad luck to talk about an heir before he's born," Rodolphus interrupted.
"Sorry," Rabastan hastily added, and his brother gave a nod in acknowledgment of the apology. With a dejected sigh, he continued, "Sometimes adulthood just seems overwhelming, though. I mean, Father's been teaching me pretty intensively about how to deal with the family finances - what the best investments are and all that - but sometimes it's hard to believe that I'll ever be an actual adult. And then I look at you, you who I grew up playing Gobstones with, and somehow you've become an actual adult!"
"All in due time," he replied simply.
"I suppose," Rabastan sighed and slumped back in his chair.
"There is one advantage to being a legal adult, though, even if you don't feel as though you are an adult, yet," Rodolphus added.
"And what would that be?"
"Firewhisky." Rabastan gave a slight laugh and Rodolphus snapped his fingers for a House Elf. Pouring two glasses of firewhisky, Rodolphus held one out to his brother. "I propose a toast. To growing up."
Rabastan smiled. "To growing up."
…
A/N: Written for Gamma Orionis's Rodolphus Lestrange Challenge at the HPFC. I had to write a story with Rodolphus Lestrange in it that wasn't Belladolphus, and I used the prompt 'firewhisky'. This is intended to be a missing scene from my Rabastan/Andromeda two-shot "Never, They Say".