Regency in Diagon Alley [Theodore Nott | Harry Potter AU]

Chapter Six

Walburga Black was not pleased to find a dog sitting on her chair in the drawing room, and no matter what she did it would not leave, even Kreacher and Barrow could not make the large animal leave her beloved seat. She would have thrown the creature out of the house if it weren't for Regulus letting Carina keep the animal, and though she was his mother, she cannot argue with the duke's word. Besides, there was no chance in winning the argument knowing that Regulus would do anything for his niece the moment the girl would flutter those lashes and pout her lips at him. Using that little pretty face of hers to make her uncle spoil her.

"You spoil her too much," Walburga grumbled as she glared at Carina and the dog who sat on the ground, playing tricks.

"I do not spoil her," Regulus remarked, his eyes glancing from the documents he was reading to the dog that was rolling over the carpet. Since the night Carina brought the dog inside, he has been observing its movements. He was no fool, even if the dog thinks he is (or he thinks that the dog thinks he was a fool, but he was not. Typical of his brother, he thought. Sirius always had an impression that he could outsmart everyone, including him. And he did, because if this dog was indeed his brother, in his Animagus form, then for the past seventeen years they have been wrong. Sirius Black did not die in a dueling accident with Peter Pettigrew, rather, he did kill the man and just fled. Faking his own death to escape eternal persecution. If that were the case, maybe Regulus did not know his brother after all... that is, if this dog was Sirius.

He needed time alone with the dog, but he found it impossible as Snuffles – Carina named it – was always at his niece's side. At the day, in the drawing room, in the library, even in her bedroom – though Rose did say that whenever Carina was to bathe or dress, the dog would leave the room. That was another reason why he believed that the dog was his brother.

"You never knew how to say no to her, just like with her mother," Walburga huffed. Regulus glared at his mother, and with a single look Walburga shuts her mouth. "Considering that the room is overcrowded."

"It hardly is, Grandmother, there is only three of us and Snuffles," Carina noted, but her eyes were fixed at her new dog.

Walburga ignored her. "I shall be spending my day with Cygnus at his estate."

The estate that we pay for, Regulus wanted to add but kept silent. One of the downsides with the system of the banking and finances of magical families. They all have access to the family vault. With Regulus as duke, he was the main contributor, while his cousins and aunts and uncles had their own little estates and enterprises and rarely put into the vault. Something he still needed to fix as soon as he has issued a family meeting with all the Blacks in the country.

"Do not forget, we are going to see the ballet tonight, we were given an invitation by the Warlock." Said Regulus.

"You know that I do not like ballet nor do I have interest in sitting with Muggles," Walburga said. "I am leaving!"

"Say hello to Cousin Mali for me," Regulus said, off handedly.

"Speaking of your cousin, you can take her to the ballet instead, I believe she shares your view on—."

Regulus looked at his mother. "Let me make this clear, Mother, I am not interested in marrying a cousin of mine."

"It is not odd in families like ours."

"Yes, but I do not want to participate in such practice, and nor does Carina. So, please, stop with this godawful matchmaking you have been trying to concoct with your brothers and cousins."

From where she sat, Carina pressed her lips onto Snuffle's head to hide her smile and disguise it as her kissing the dog. Snuffles let out a noise that sounded like a laugh, but Carina shushed him.