Blackbird

Chapter 2: A bit of an Introduction

Aquila Walburga Black

Not the prettiest name by any terms, but when you have a mother who insists on tradition... I suppose I'm lucky I didn't get worse off. I could've been named Hydra or Grus. But I would've much preferred Cassiopeia, or Libra, maybe even Lacerta. But no. It's Aquila.

I don't even want to talk about my middle name. It's like that horrid woman follows me everywhere. I could swear that when she looks at me there are galleons in her eyes.

I wasn't supposed to exist, you see. Mother and Father had the heir and spare. Why bother with one more? I was the accident, something that shouldn't have happened. No matter what Sirius said or Regulus pretended to believe. They knew it, and I knew it too.

From a young age I was swept completely under Mother's cloak. Stuffed into dresses and horrible corsets. Taught how to serve tea like a lady and how to sit primly while my brothers got to run around and all I wanted to do was join them. I had never been one for ribbons and lace, but I got used to them. Simply because I had to.

I remember trying hard not to cry when Sirius was sent off to school. Our parents were puffed with pride and irritation. I loved both my brothers, and although Sirius was excited to leave, I couldn't help but not want him to go.

I don't want to say that I preferred one brother over the other, it's just that Sirius was more open and daring with his affection. He would steal me books when I was sad or let me into his bed during thunderstorms and after nightmares. Often whispering stories and jokes, and we would giggle until we fell asleep.

Regulus loved in different ways, trying to make sure I didn't break the rules, kept in his and Sirius's shadow where it was safer. And I appreciated it, I really did. But there were nights when I missed 12am story time and blanket forts on stormy days.

The day my parents found out that Sirius was a Gryffindor was the day all that changed.

Mother's screeching could be heard from Regulus's room where we were currently huddled behind the door hiding. Sirius was downstairs, and I can't remember being more afraid for my brother's life. I felt like it was all my fault.

Which it was.

I hadn't been careful enough in hiding the letters Sirius would send me. The owls always came late at night, after I was sent to bed. And always straight to my bedroom window.

I was the only one who ever got letters from Sirius. Sometimes he'd feed me a line or two to share with Regulus, but they'd never been close. Mother and Father we all collectively decided to ignore.

There was banging downstairs and the sound of something breaking. I was shaking as Regulus rocked the both of us back and forth against the door. I was crying, I remember that distinctly because it wasn't something I allowed myself to do often.

When we finally heard it quiet down and Sirius came into the room, I immediately tackled him, but it took him a while to hug back. There was a steal in his eyes as he pulled away. He grabbed his trunk, still packed, and hauled it out and up the stairs.

Apparently, our parents didn't want him infecting us with his Gryffindor ways.

The next year Regulus went off, coming home the perfect Slytherin son. That year was probably the hardest for me. After they found out about Sirius's letters they made sure I couldn't ever get one again, using a permanent sticking charm on my window. They locked Sirius's door whenever he wasn't home, and it was like they intended to forget about their oldest son.

That summer was one of the worst. Mother and Father fawned over Regulus, constantly making jabs at Sirius and making sure I couldn't sit by him or talk to him.

And then it was my turn.

I genuinely didn't know what house I wanted to be in. I heard a lot about Gryffindors from Sirius. He and his friends always seemed to be having an adventure and stirring up a ruckus. But I was no longer sure if I wanted an adventure.

Slytherin would obviously be the ideal choice for a Black. I wouldn't get any backlash from Mother and Father, but...I didn't know if that's what I wanted. To come home stone cold like Regulus always looked.

To be honest, I think I was leaning toward Ravenclaw. You never heard anything good about the badgers in pureblooded houses, and Ravenclaw seemed so...free. Above it all.

But it wasn't meant to be. I wasn't sure whether I wanted to cry or let out a breath of relief when the hat shouted "SLYTHERIN!"

I could see Sirius's face fall, before he pulled up a faint smile, clapping along with the messy black haired boy beside him.

I knew who he was of course. Even in his letters from his first year my brother never shut up about him.

James Potter.