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[OOM: Rabastan broods in his room, then runs into Wheel. The post probably doesn't make a whole lot of sense, but then, life for Rabastan has taken a rather surreal turn as of late. Timed to after the conversation with Neville.]

Whoever told him last night to begin his work in earnest is being listened to. Everything he asked to learn and everything he ought to learn he spent practising earlier today.

Sword work and archery and an attempt at the Patronus Charm, which was doomed to failure right from the start, since he couldn't think of anything happy enough to manage a Patronus with.

Now he's just picking at a modest meal of uninteresting fare, wishing he could undo twenty years' worth of stupidity and bad mistakes.

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Rabastan looks like he could use some kind company.

Or at least some kind of company.

Mia walks over to him and says, "You look like you've had a rough time as of late."

Company that doesn't want him dead is a good kind of company.

He lets out a heavy breath. Mother of Merlin, the last couple of days qualify as one of the worst days in his life. And it's likely going to get even better. Which means even worse.

"That's putting it mildly Mia," he says, poking at his plate.

It's gotta be bad when he doesn't eat much and it's not a full moon.

Mia still doesn't really understand much at all about werewolves, so she wouldn't really know.

"Something from home?" she guesses.

A careful arm around him, in case he needs it.

"Someone from home. Someone I never expected to see and yet, I must've known that one day I'd meet them."

"From before, then?"

When he was a Death Eater?

Around that time, yeah.

"He was only an infant at the time, when I saw him last. He's a grown man now."

She rubs his shoulder a little.

"You don't have to tell me if you don't want to. What you did, that is. But do you have any idea of what to do about it?"

He is so relieved he doesn't have to get into sickening detail about what happened that night. Once he's managed to put it into an abstract form it might be easier to discuss.

"About the boy who is now a man? No. I don't. Any more than I know what to do with what happened so long ago between me and him. Me and his family."

Forgiveness is out of the question. He's not going to ask it of Neville; it's too late for that.

It's only too late if Neville isn't willing to forgive him. Granted, he has good reason not to, but the thing about kind people is that they usually don't listen to those good reasons. Just look at Mia.

"Maybe there's nothing to do for now. Wait for a while, see what happens."

Yes. Mia offers hope that there are people out there who do care. Who will forgive. The whole world doesn't have to; just the important people.

"Might be a long while. I feel as though my time in the bar is running short and I'll have to go home."

And maybe never return.

She nods.

"It likely won't be long before Draco has to go back, reluctant as he is. I saw him by the door."

A small, closed sigh.

"I don't know what I would do if I didn't have faith that he would come back. And though it's different, I am concerned about you in a similar way."

"I don't expect him to be too chuffed about going back. I wouldn't—

You worry about me?" he asks, quite surprised that she should. "You care that much to be concerned about my well-being?"

Oh, it's a shocker. Most people don't trouble themselves over him.

"Why wouldn't I? You're Draco's family, which means you're practically my family, and goodness knows I hardly have any. Not that it really matters, as I'd still care."

A little giggle.

"You sound like Draco when I told him I worry about him."

He flushes. Really. It's not entirely necessary.

Well, he'll use that for a protest. Lame protest.

"Draco wasn't given much reason to see himself as someone worth worrying over, I don't doubt. I ... feel the same way myself."

Draco, he'd argue, has more reason to be the object of worry than he is.

"Life is always worth worrying about, regardless of whose, but let's not forget that at the rate things are going, I can practically call you uncle. Worthier of the title than Rodolphus, judging from what Draco showed me on his rememberizer."

She's.......finally starting to really see what the rat is like.

That she was right about Death Eaters, much as she likely didn't want to be.

Whatever Mia saw in that rememberizer-thingy is only a small fraction of what Rodolphus is like as a human being.

Rabastan has lived with him his whole life; he remembers other things. Uglier things. Things you want to have removed from your brain for all eternity.

"Do you really think so? Am I like family to you?"

There's hope in that voice.

She nods with a bright smile and says, "You are."

She gives him a hug and then takes a seat next to him.

And when she sits down, something that's been wandering around in the back of her mind hits her again and she decides to ask about it.

"Actually, have you met anyone from your world's future? James or Teddy?"

Mia is such a dearling. Seems like there's something good in everyone with her isn't it?

He gives a sound of surprise at the hug, but the gesture is still returned.

"Yes I have. Teddy at least ~~in an abandoned slowtime :(~~. He said he was from the future. I wonder how he got here. Ministry had to have made advancements on time turner magic."

"You're forgetting this is Milliways. People can come here from pretty much any time."

Silly Uncle Rabastan. =D

"I met James. He's very sweet."

And she looks eager and fidgety and all sorts of nervous.

"He said there are children at Hogwarts with the last name Ausa."

And she and Rabastan both know that there's only one person from the wizarding world she's interested in.

"Yes, but, I never expected anyone from my world's future to come here."

Pause. Kids? Ausa? Mia? Hers?

"I have ... nieces and nephews?"

Hopeful? Kids = opportunities to spoil them rotten.

"Two nephews."

That she knows about.

"In James's time, they're in their third and first years at Hogwarts."

A little laugh, part nervous, part disbelief.

Kids!

.....

Kids!

They're grand-nephews-by-marriage but what does he care? They're kids and kids mean you get to take them out to the wizarding zoo and serve them more cake and ice cream than their parents can handle afterwards.

"Yours and Draco's?"

She gives him a playful sort of eye before saying, "No, mine and Salazaar Slytherin's. Didn't I ever tell you I fancy him?"

Giggles.

"Of course mine and Draco's. He's the only person from your world I'm interested in."

And the giggling dies down shortly.

"Mine and Draco's," she repeats, a little quieter.

"Mine and Draco's."

Maybe it will become real if she just says it enough.

Things change a lot in twenty years' time. They could have an entirely different father than balding-like-Arthur-Weasley!Draco.

"Your kids. I want to meet them when you have them."

They might be the only kids whose lives he'll get to play an active part in.

~~That was a misprint. XD~~

"Of course you'll meet them. It's not a matter that's exactly coming up soon, otherwise I'm certain I'd be far more nervous, but you'll meet them."

A little more nervous giggling.

"It's funny. There haven't been any men born in the Ausa family in a long time. First time a man will be Guildmaster in quite a few generations."