Ultimatums

Chapter 13

Hermione and Regulus were sitting at the breakfast table, waiting for Sirius so they could sneak off to the Muggle fair. They didn't want to bring him, but they knew it wouldn't be beneficial to anyone if they didn't, and a tad bit selfish.

"What do you think of the Selwyns?" Hermione asked, breaking the comfortable silence. It had been a week since their dinner, and she wanted to know if her voice of reason thought Hadrian was alright.

"Gabriel seems a bit uptight. Very serious. Very pureblood" her friend replied, rapping his fingers on the table.

She knew he was avoiding the other brother by his tone, but she pushed the subject anyway "and Hadrian?"

Regulus paused "Sirius esque. Although smarter in the sense that he can keep a lid on his opinions. Perhaps he has the same opinions as Gabriel, but is rebellious in different ways. I wouldn't know"

For such detailed answer, he seemed to be wishing the conversation to be over. "You?"

"I'm going to write to him, when we go back to school"

"I'm going to see what is taking my brother so long" Regulus replied through gritted teeth and fled the room.

Hermione watched her friend leave with an eyebrow raised, confused. Hadrian seemed quite nice at dinner, and she didn't understand why Regulus wouldn't want her to write to him. It was all very odd to her, and her day would get odder by the minute.

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Sirius was supposed to be taking his brother and their guest to wizard town across the valley, to do boring pureblood things. So obviously he agreed immediately when Hermione came to him with a proposition: going to the Muggle fair. He honestly didn't think Regulus had it in him to directly go against their parents rules.

He was still wary of Hermione, and suspicious about her intentions concerning his family. Was she trying to take his place? Make alliances? Or maybe she was just friends with Regulus, and his mother was being hospitable? Either which way, Sirius was keeping an eye on the girl. There must be a reason James resented her...

When Regulus came to get him, he was in a right mood.

"What's got your knickers in a twist" Sirius snorted, looking at his brother's wrinkled nose and furrowed eyes.

"Nothing. Are you ready?" Regulus replied shortly, surveying Sirius before leaving without a verbal reply.

Sirius followed him anyway, and the boys found Hermione being patted on the shoulder and given a tight lipped kiss on the cheek by Walburga.

They watched the interaction from the doorway.

"Now, Hermione, do watch my boys for me. Sirius is determined to lead Regulus astray, and I know you won't let that happen... your future depends on it, you know"

The woman walked away, and Hermione showed poked her tongue at the boys from behind her back.

Sirius chuckled in surprise at the girl, but his mind was also wandering to what his mother had said. Her future depended on it? But he shook it off and went to greet her.

"Alright Potter?" he asked, observing his brother stubbornly not meeting her eyes, and her apparent confusion.

"Yeah, Black, you?" but she continued on without an answer, lowering her voice "we need to go the long way, walk through the main road of the village before heading over"

"Why?" Sirius raised his eyebrows.

"Your mother is employing villagers to spy. Apparently your reputation sparks doubt that we can be sensible" Hermione snapped, and Regulus felt a sense of dread. He knew the two of them had extremely clashing personalities.