Dollhouse [Rabastan Lestrange]

Chapter 21

"...god, how I ricochet
between certainties and
doubts."

Callista held up a diamond stud earring to her ear. Once she was satisfied that she had memorized how it looked on her she raised a pearl teardrop to her ear. She huffed and raised the diamond one too so she could look at them.

She groaned in frustration and dropped both earrings, slamming her hands on her dressing table.

Freya walked in and looked at her, an eyebrow raised in sisterly judgement. They locked eyes through the mirror. "What's the matter with you?"

She groaned again, but this time it was closer to a scream. She rested her elbows on the dressing table and dropped her head into her hands, groaning. She looked up and found Freya in the mirror. "I can't figure out if I should wear the diamonds or the pearls."

"For dinner?"

"Yes!" She said as if it were obvious.

"Why do you care what the Lestranges think?"

"Maybe because I'm marrying one of them!"

Freya scrunched up her nose. "Not the father, right?"

Callista laughed, some of her stress falling away.

"You like him, don't you?"

She sighed, looking at herself in the mirror. "Maybe he's not as bad as I thought he would be."

Freya grinned. "I knew it! You two looked far too comfortable these past few weeks for it to just be appearances." She walked forward and examined the earrings. "What dress are you wearing?"

She pointed at the cream satin dress that her mother told her to wear. This dinner was more than a dinner between two families. They would spending the rest of the week together and it was expected of Rabastan and her to show them that the arrangement was working.

Freya looked at it. "The pearls. Wear the diamonds to the ball."

She nodded and gave her a quick hug. "Thank you, thank you, thank you." She grabbed the earrings and put them in and then had her sister help her with the necklace. "Now, go finished getting ready." She shooed her sister away with a laugh. She made a face and left.

~~~

"Cally!" Stellan called into her room. "They're here." She got up and slipped on her heels and followed him into the hallway.

"Ready?" He asked, moving his arm so that she could hold onto it. In her heels, she was almost as tall as he was.

"I always am." She never was.

They walked into the foyer as the Lestranges walked in. Estelle and Montgomery Lestrange walked in first. She noticed the father was paler than their last encounter and he moved with added caution. Their two sons following behind with Bellatrix Lestrange. The oldest son and his wife would only be staying for the dinner before leaving to spend it with the Blacks.

The parents greeted each other with handshakes and cheek kisses, the way all of the families greeted each other. Rabastan shook her father's hand and greeted her mom with a charming grin. He shook her brother's hand and kissed the top of her sister's knuckles. She heard her mother whisper, "A charming young lad, isn't he?"

He finally stopped at her and whispered, "Hi."

"Hi."

He smiled and moved forward to kiss her on the cheek and then pulled back and offered his arm. She smiled and took it. They followed the other's into the dining room. She leaned closer to him and in a low tone said, "What did they say that's making you suck up to my family?"