Hello everyone!

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miss e malfoy, EchoMoment, Wikked, Jasmine, iRedeem, love fiction . 2021 thank you!

While standing in the dining hall and drinking coffee, Caroline smiled to herself as she looked at the Daily Prophet, and saw a picture of herself walking out of the main atrium in the company of aurors.

Carolie Lestrange, wife of Rabastan Lestrange, questioned during the St. Mungo's Annual Ball

Caroline Lestrange, wife of a notorious Death Eater, Rabastan Lesrange, who is one of the prisoners who recently escaped from Azkaban, appeared at the St. Mungo's Ball, where she was taken for questioning shortly after the Ball's beginning. Lestrange was in hiding since the breakout, hasn't been to work and was considered a possible suspect. However, although the auror department itself has refused to give out any details, the head of the department of Law Enforcement, Amelia Bones, made a short statement that Healer Lestrange is no longer suspect in this case. Several sources have also stated, that She-Lestrange has separated from her husband almost a year before his imprisonment and is now staying with the Malfoy family, for safety reasons.

Caroline smirked. All and all, the Ball was a bigger success than she anticipated. She was now able to go back to work, and she was expecting a letter from Umbridge any day now.

She froze as a hand touched her hip as Rabastan stood behind her, slowly placing a kiss on her neck. She didn't feelhim approach her. She checked her own shields, and slowly placed the mug and newspaper on the table.

"Now now, I must admit, you've played that brilliantly," he whispered into her ear, while pushing her hair on the other side and placing another kiss on her neck. Her heartbeat was increasing every second, as he moved his hand down her body, whole way to her core. She was wearing just her nightgown with a housecoat over it, so it didn't cost him much effort to get under it. She let out a gasp and turned around.

Their mouths quickly found each other, and before she could even notice, Rabastan raised her up and sat her on the dining table. Their kisses deepened, and she spread her things in order to let him stand closer to her. He was quick to remove the housecoat from her shoulders, as well as the top of her gown, and continued to place kisses all the way from her neck to her breasts.

Only when he took one of her nipples to his mouth, she felt something switch in her mind, but quickly disregarded it, as Rabastan made her let out a gasp.

"As much as I am glad you two are fucking again, I have a mission to attend to today, and I would very much like to have my breakfast before I leave."

Caroline and Rabastan both froze, and Rabastan coursed under his breath. Caroline had to work hard with her occlumency not to let the embarrassment take over. How could she be so stupid and ignore the warning of Rudolphus approaching? She quickly pulled her clothes back over her shoulders, trying to maintain a bit of her dignity.

"Great timing, brother," Rabastan answered through clenched teeth while still trying to catch his breath.

"It has always been my special power," Rudolphus said back with a smirk, and Caroline's face got even redder, as she recalled some of the moments in their youth when her brother-in-law did just the same thing.

Although Caroline was using her magic mostly on calming herself, she still could feel something from Rudolphus. He wanted something.

She wasn't wrong. Her husband eyed his brother suspiciously with narrowed eyes as he was approaching them.

"You look happier, Caroline," Rudolphus stated. "It's good to have you back."

In the evening, when both of them were back in their room and Caroline was getting ready for her upcoming return to work, Rabastan stopped by her side again.

"Rudy was right, Carol," he started. "You really do look happier."

xXx

Caroline took a deep breath before she knocked on the door of her superior and waited for an invitation to come in. Her heartbeat was up as she was both excited and terrified to be back to work. On the way up to the top floor, where the director's office was, she already met some of her co-workers. Some greeted her with an honest smile on their face, some just stared at her with stony expression. Caroline knew that the Prophet Article didn't persuade all of them – especially not those, who already stopped believing it because of the Potter-Dumbledore nonsense.

But her thinking was interrupted by a short "enter" from inside the office.

"Good morning, Caroline," the director greeted her from his table.

"Good morning, sir."

"Please, sit down," her superior nodded at the free chair. "Now before we start. I understand your actions and decisions to hide, Caroline," he started, "but my consciousness won't allow me to let you work here, unless I express myself and my worries. Not with what's happening outside."

Now Caroline started to get a bit nervous. She briefly and very carefully looked into his mind – he was sure the Dark lord was back and although not publicly, he stood on Dumbledore's side. Caroline nodded at him as to acknowledge she understood and her boss continued.

"I've been the director of this hospital for almost fourteen years now and before I became one, I had worked here for a long time. I've spent most of my life in this building," he was slowly starting and Caroline already had a brief picture on what he was about to say. "I am sure there are bigger things to come. Ones, that may not very well play in my favour."

Caroline understood. Director Spleen was a muggleborn and she could imagine him becoming a target. "I know of your affiliation to the Malfoys." And their notion, Caroline felt disdain from him. She knew for some time, that the director valued them for the financial support they've repeatedly provided to St. Mungo's but otherwise he wasn't a big fan.

"And I also think that you had nothing to do with the breakout from Azkaban, and that you were truthful to me on Saturday, and you're not in touch with any of them," he looked her in the eyes and she had to occlude in order not let herself slip. "In my long carrier, I have also learned not to be naïve." He gave a short pause before he continued again. "I am fully certain that You-know-who is back, I know Dumbledore for far too long than to believe this nonsense they're writing. Therefore I deem it possible, that time will come and I won't be able to act as a director of this hospital anymore. I don't know when this time comes, but if You-know-who is back, it will come. And in that scenario, I need to make sure that this place is safe."

He stopped again, looked her in the eyes, and she nodded at him wordlessly in acknowledgment. Caroline felt like the person in front of her suddenly aged a decade.

"So, speaking just hypothetically… If I am wrong and you are somehow connected to thatside, I want your word that you'd do anything in your power to protect this place, Caroline. The workers and the patients, all of them."

There was a dead silence between them. Caroline quickly went through her options in her head. He was truthful in everything he said to her. So she may just as well give him the same courtesy and not deny anything. She owed him that much. But she doubted that her doings in order to protect St. Mungo's would be successful. Of course, she could try to carefully speak to Rabastan but she felt there would hardly be a guarantee of protectiqon.

She looked into the directors eyes again and saw a scene playing in his mind. Caroline saw herself walk through the corridors of St. Mungo's all covered in black, with a cold expression on her face. She saw the looks of disdain the others were sending in her way but she didn't look like she cared until she approached a door that said "Caroline Emily Lestrange, Director". When she saw herself enter the very same room she was now sitting in with the director, she noticed another thing, as the other-self took off her black coat. There was a Dark Mark on her forearm.

Caroline quickly withdraw from his mind and faced the grim face of the director, who somehow seemed aware that she knew what he had in mind. "By anything, I meant anything, Caroline."

For the first time in years, Caroline was left speechless, and even her highest level of occlumency couldn't help her keep her emotions in bay.

But the man opposite her still had something to say. "I don't want to imply that you're a criminal. As I said, I don't think you had anything to do with the breakout. But I know and I've seen what people are capable to do for love. And therefore I'm asking you – should the time come for you to make a choice, please, make sure it's the right one."

Mind reader or not, nothing could prepare Caroline for this conversation. She understood her superior in every way, she knew he spoke the truth and she felt his emotions – hope and despair and his will to protect this place no matter what. She could understand that. And deep in her mind she knew, that her neutrality was slowly slipping on one side. And she was sure Dumbledore and Severus knew as well.

She looked the man in the eyes and spoke firmly. "Were there a situation, where I could do anything in order to keep this place, its employees and patients safe, I would do so. You have my word, sir."

With that said, she could feel the relieve radiating from him and for the first time since the beginning of their meeting, he offered her an honest smile.

"It has always been a pleasure to work with you, healer Lestrange."

Her first day in work was afterwards surprisingly normal. She spent most of her time catching up with the patients that were new, while talking to the healers in her department. To her pleasure, most of them were glad to see her back, at least in Mind-healing department.

She stayed a bit longer, in order to make sure she was fully ready for tomorrow before she left. She finished some of the paperwork and carefully looked on the list of shifts that her depute head has prepared. She wrote herself down for some night shifts, before she finally packed her things to go home.

As much as she enjoyed her return to work, she also felt she looked forward to see her husband after the day. She looked at her hand, where her wedding ring still was, in all its majestic glory and a memory flashed before her eyes.

It was during the train ride home for Christmas holiday. Caroline shared compartment with Rabastan, Rudolphus, and Augustus Rookwood who all went home for holiday. While the boys were talking, she was reading a book about advanced Legillimency with an emphasis on feeling of other peoples' emotions, which Dumbledore smartly transfigured for her to look like the book Fantastic beasts and where to find them.

It seemed as a perfect, calm ride for Caroline, until some of the prefects on the watch reached their compartment. And sadly for Caroline, their part of train was supervised by Ravenclaw prefects – with one of them being no other than John Dawlish.

"What are you reading, Scrimgeneur?" she heard a familiar voice from the door and decided to ignore it.

"Come on, Scrimgeneur, you don't have to pretend you know how to read, we all know the truth," Dawlish continued. Caroline still didn't reply to that, but she quickly looked at her companions who all stopped talking and were quietly watching her exchange with Dawlish. She paused for a second on Rabastan, whom she spend more and more time with recently, and who actually offered her to sit with them, before she got back to her book.

"Playing dumb, are we? Although I guess it's not playing on your part…"

"Why won't you just get your nerd-ass out of this part of the train, Dawlish? It smells bad in here since the moment you appeared in the door," Rabastan answered calmly, with his usual bit of arrogance.

"Oh, I see… So you've got yourself bodyguards? Then I guess you're not just dumb but also a coward. You truly bring honour to your house," Dawlish mocked her further and she tried to build her occlumency shields as Dumbledore taught her in order to not let this embarrassing to her, although that proved more and more difficult with every other word Dawlish said.

That was also the time her classmates decided to interfere. She may not be their great friend, but Slytherins valued house unity above all.

"No one here is interested in your bullshit, Dawlish. So I suggest you get lost, before we make you," Augustus spoke with a voice that suggested that he wouldn't really mind the second option. Caroline felt sudden wave of gratitude towards him. Rookwood was one of the most skilled students in their year, and hearing him stand for her like this meant a great deal for her.

She heard Rudolphus joined the conversation, and Dawlish's smart responses, but she didn't really listened to them, because she was trying to use the fact that he wasn't focused on her and carefully use Legillimency without any of them noticing.

And then she got it. This little thought she could use. And she withdraw just in time to hear him turn on her again.

"Really, Scrimgeneur… even I didn't think you'd hide behind those. They will give you to You-know-who for torment at the first chance they'll have."

Caroline decided to change the topic instead of commenting that and focus on the thing she thought could bring her a bit of piece from this man. "Don't you want to be an auror, Dawlish?"

The boy in the door froze and didn't say anything. He wasn't public about his dream to become an auror, since he wasn't sure whether they'll except him to the academy. And now, it was Caroline's turn to have a moment.

"And are you aware of the fact that my older brother is one of the most promising aurors at the Ministry in years? So seeing this, even if you get excepted and graduate the Auror Academy, he will most probably be your superior," she continued and added a false sweet smile to that. "So, is there anything else you'd like to say to me?"

There was a dead silence in the compartment for several seconds.

"You bit-" Dawlish started, but didn't have a chance to finish, because a course hit him straight in the chest and he felt to the ground petrified, with a bad looking rash on his skin.

Caroline quickly turned her head towards the caster, and saw unimpressed Rabastan, who was just putting his wand back to his pocket. "I couldn't bear him for a second longer."

And while the others smirked and laughed, she noticed Rabastan was sending her a few questioning looks. She played with an idea to look into his mind and see what it was about, but she quickly rejected that idea. If he noticed her playing with Dawlish's mind, he would no doubt notice if she attempted anything. So she just got back to her book, and from time to time raised her eyes when she felt he was looking at her. And even though she didn't even actively try with her mind magic, she could feel she suddenly became much more interesting for one certain Slytherin.

The moment she got home, Wixie was taking her coat from her and told her that Rabastan was waiting for her in his study. Caroline just raised her eyebrows at that, since she and Rabastan hardly ever discussed anything in his study, but she decided to head there nevertheless.

Before she knocked on his door, she carefully spread her magic to confirm he was there alone. And as the only mind she felt was his, she smiled for herself before she gently knocked and without waiting for the answer, entered his study.

Her husband was standing with his back to her, facing a window with a glass of whiskey in his hand. Her good mood was somehow gone as she sense his emotions – worry being the strongest one of them. Rabastan was hardly ever worried.

"What is it?" she went straight to the point and her husband slowly turned to face her.

Caroline took a moment to measure his face. Gone was the carefree expression he had that morning, but he occluded so she couldn't read anything except his emotions, unless she tried actively. And she much preferred him saying it aloud.

He took a sip from the glass, put it down and kissed her forehead. No matter how gentle she found that gesture from him, this made her anxiety grow even more.

"You're late," he looked at her and said after a few moments of silence.

"I always stay longer at work, get used to it. That's not the problem," she said and gave him a time to say something. "What is it, Rabastan?"

He closed his eyes for a moment before softly speaking. "It's the Dark Lord. He asked about you today."