house of black

chapter 16: does blood make brothers?

12 Grimmauld Place, 1976, Easter.

A Black family reunion was not something Walburga Black would have suggested. It was one of Cygnus' daughters (she knew exactly which one) to suggest the family gathering over Easter.

"It should be at Grimmauld Place." Cygnus told his younger sister. "Since your children are still of school age."

"Yes, both my boys are." she said (still able to gloat in her successes).

And so the plans were made. She had given the responsibility of the food to her house elves and her husband, caring not for seeing her brother or his children. The two that were still considered a part of the Black family were both married off. His duties had eased with such successful matches.

Unfortunately Walburga was not having such success with her son.

Sirius Black was far too strong willed, stubborn and free thinking for his own good. Finishing his fifth year at Hogwarts in a matter of weeks and newly turned sixteen he behaved as if nothing repulsed him as much as his family. Walburga could not shake, beat or scream any sense into him. But he was (almost) taller than her now, and certainly quick enough to outrun the wave of her wand or the outstretching of her hand. Wouldn't that give her brother something to gloat over, seeing how he behaved.

But Regulus. Now he was someone for the Black family to be proud of. Quiet and refined, of great intelligence. He was the one who was currently sitting with her in the drawing room awaiting their guests. He was about to enter his fifth year of school after the summer and was diligently studying one of his brother's old textbooks.

"Regulus." she said as he raised his bright eyes to look at her.

"Yes mother?" he asked.

"Fetch your brother downstairs. And remind him to turn off that muggle filth before he leaves his room like a good boy."

Regulus closed his book without a word of protest (he had learned this made life in the Black home much easier) and began the journey up to Sirius' room.

It was beside his own but Sirius rarely spoke to him anymore. Unless it was to scoff or jeer at him. It had hurt Regulus for a time, but not anymore (he was quite sure of that, he was).

He knocked on the door twice but knew from experience that Sirius couldn't (or wouldn't) hear him over the music so he pushed open the door.

Sirius was reclined on his bed, the room in disarray. Clothes were strewn over the floor and his bed was unmade. The posters that littered the walls were of girls on motorbikes and one with a surfball was on the ceiling. Muggle bands and girls were everywhere. Regulus looked them over in an unphased way. He knew the real reason Sirius put them up would be to infuriate his mother. Along with the girls, Gryffindor flags hung on the wall alongside pictures of his school friends and their adventures.

"Ah, my favorite baby brother." Sirius drawled without lifting his eyes from the magazine he read.

His hair was long and shaggy, sitting on his shoulders. He wore brown pants and a white shirt which was bunched up around his elbows. He finally looked up at Regulus who remained waiting at the door. "You coming inside Reg?"

"No." Regulus answered coldly. "Mother wants you to come downstairs as our uncle and cousins will be arriving soon."

Sirius let out a dramatic groan. "Regulus, not even you can tell me that you pretend to enjoy the company of our insufferable family."

"You might not find it so insufferable if you didn't argue with them over everything." he countered.

"I'm not going to let them slander muggle borns." He said with a shrug. "I'm-"