RP: Lily Luna Who: Lily Luna Potter, Rabastan Lestrange Where: Lestrange Manor Gardens When: 7 March, 2025 - morning Rating/Warnings: N/A Summary: Lily reflects on failures and the comfort of sleeping in another bed.
Lily woke to the touch of tiny fingers, opening her eyes to find Prissy's large blue ones staring at her from the edge of the bed. The elf looked anxious, but she'd looked that way since she'd come to live at the Manor, and Lily had tried to put her at ease. Tried to convince the little thing that she could take care of herself.
Apparently it wasn't entirely true.
"There are robes for Miss," the elf squeaked, laying Lily's things on the bed. "And breakfast. Miss is to enjoy the outside until she's wanted..."
Lily sighed and sat up, sliding reluctantly out of Rabastan's wide bed and making her way into the bathroom to wash. She'd paced this room the night before; her feet knew it well. Rabastan had brought her, crying and shaking, here and tucked her into bed. Stayed with her until she slept. But her sleep had been as thin and fretful as the last few nights and it wasn't long before she'd been awake, sitting up in the bed with its thick covers, worrying at the ribbons on the nightdress she wore. He'd gone, probably to talk to Bellatrix. Or to Him.
She washed her face and hands, then returned to the clothes and began to dress. She was so stupid, she thought, tugging the laces of the dark green corset as tight as she could get them before applying a bit of magic. A swatch of matching lace served as knickers. Dark green robes and her boots. Lily combed her fingers through her hair, twisting it into a plait and tying the end off with a ribbon cut from her nightdress, leaving the gown lying across the foot of the bed.
The tray held tea which she gulped, and a sweetroll, bacon, other things. She dumped the contents of the plate into the napkin and gathered the corners, leaving the tray to Prissy as she headed outside.
There was a spot in the garden that was becoming her favourite. A low bench sat there, along with bushes and plants that would be glorious when spring came. For now it was quiet and sunny, warm in the chill of the morning, and here Lily spread her picnic breakfast and settled to think.
To think about her reactions of the night before. The man had come into her room. There had been plenty of time, plenty of opportunity to hex him first. To kill him, and avoid the fight. But she hadn't. She'd cut him, and then panicked, screaming for help like a child. she'd distracted others, maybe from catching him, to take care of her.
She'd been crying like a baby.
Disgusted, she picked up the sweetroll and began picking bits off, tossing them for the rabbit and squirrel who showed up, interested in her meal. The squirrel was more interested than the rabbit, and Lily reached for a slice of apple and tossed it his way.
"I should have killed him," she told them, then rolled her eyes at herself. Talking to animals. Like some Princess. Lily began to eat slowly, her thoughts continuing to turn, replaying the night in her head. The panic. The shaking. The warmth of Rabastan's arms. His voice, telling her that he'd teach her to Apparate. He'd been annoyed with her, and why not? She'd been a child...
"I won't disappoint him again," she said quietly, finishing off the last bit of bacon, then leaned back on one hand. The rabbit wiggled its nose at her, and she drew her wand, sending a green jet of light first to him, then the squirrel, watching them fall over, simply dead. She shouldn't have wasted the sweetroll.
"I won't disappoint him again," she repeated, then leaned back on both hands, wand still clasped in her fingers, and turned her face to the sun.