InsaneJournal

Who: Lucinda Greengrass Lestrange and Rabastan Lestrange
What: An Epilogue
Where: The Reception of the Wedding of Draco Malfoy to Astoria Lestrange
When: 19 June, 2004

Lucinda looked around the hall and smiled for what felt like the first time in years. Despite all that had happened, weddings still were a happy occasion, especially weddings of class and elegance. This was no Snape-Chubb wedding, nor was it a Macnair-Wilkes arranged debacle, and it certainly it was not the Greengrass-Yaxley facade that Lucinda had participated in far too many years ago. No, this was the wedding of her children's generation, one that needed to happen for years: a Malfoy-Lestrange wedding. Draco Malfoy had just been married to her Astoria Renata Sieghild Eloise Lestrange. It seemed the perfect way to end the marriage streak of her children. For truly, although she had one more yet to be wedded, she feared Thadeus Aeneas Lucius Lestrange would never take a wife; he was far too much like his father. If the war had not happened, if both Bellatrix and Rodolphus had not passed, if they had not fled to Austria together, Lucinda even doubted she and Rabastan would have married. He likely would have been content seducing women until his death. But seduction was near impossible when you were mute, in hiding in Austria, and living with your mother once again. Marriage then seemed like an appealing notion. And who was Lucinda to complain? Stewart was dead, and Rabastan had been nothing short of wonderful since Ben's death, and truly, how could she complain about marrying a Lestrange? She constantly thought back to that day on the battlefield when Rabastan had scrambled to explain with no voice that the war was over, they had lost, fleeing was the only option. He had given Ben his word that he would look after Lucinda, and so he had. And then the days before she joined him in Austria--emptying her vault, gaining custody of her Nott cousins. At the time it had seemed as though the world was ending, and perhaps, in a way, it had, only to produce a new world. Austria: four children, a marriage, and then three more. Ten people in the Austrian Lestrange Manor, and the patriarch mute. It was absurd, and yet, they had soldiered on. Each child was diligently educated in the values they held dear, in the family members who had fought so bravely to protect them, and then sent off to Durmstrang, the only school that could claim to uphold these values any more. Despite their ever-changing world, they remained firm in their beliefs and education; it was necessary to avoid extinction. In truth, things had indeed ended just fine, Lucinda noted as she watched her children dancing with their spouses on the ballroom floor. Daphne and Theodore, best of friends as children, it only seemed natural for them to marry. Collete with her Frenchman, Calista with her Urquhart, and Leoben Alecander Walden Lestrange with Rosamund Macnair (despite her slight advantage in age). Each child with a strong pureblood match; she had done well. Astoria was currently with her father, and Draco, his mother. Each parent danced with their child sharing a mixture of pride and sadness for their princess or prince was truly gone now. As she watched them all, Lucinda was forced to wonder if those she had lost--her Aunt Claudette, Ben--would be proud of what she had managed to do with their children and namesakes, given her circumstances. In an effort to answer her question, Lucinda turned her eyes to her Uncle, only just released from Azkaban three years ago. She stared and attempted to study him, to gauge his emotions on this evening, but he was even more difficult to read than before. She prayed he was pleased with the way his children had matured, hoped that he could find some happiness in his freedom. He was, after all, her closest family. Her thoughts were paused upon Rabastan's approach and extension of his hand. The song had changed, Astoria and Draco were dancing together now, and Lucius with Narcissa; Lucinda could do nothing but join. With a smile, she rested her teacup in its saucer, made a note to read her leaves later, and took her husband's hand, determined to let this wedding be the reminder of the happiness that could be a bi-product of even the worst of times.