Truth About Orion Black - Life (Harry Potter Fanfic)

Life

He saw the death year.

Then he saw white.

And in the whiteness, he saw nothing, no matter how much he tried looking for that important something that he knew should be there.

And through the whiteness, he heard her call to him, calling him back to the world of the living.

~

Orion Black awoke at St. Mungos, looking up at the ceiling while a cacophony of voices came from around him. The most grating voice was that of the person who'd called out his name, begging him not to leave her. "Don't break my heart like they did, Orion Arcturus Black. Don't you dare!"

His mind at first didn't make out what was being said beyond how Walburga desperately clutched his hand, massaging it in her desperation not to lose him. Eventually, he heard her mutter about their boys breaking her heart, the hot tears rolling down her face as she struggled to say either of their names. He turned his head, noting that while she at least called their eldest filth, she didn't utter anything regarding Regulus beyond referring to their boys as they, they being the ones who broke her heart.

And he should have cared about what she said about him almost breaking her heart, yet he was far more concerned about something else. "Regulus is alive."

Walburga stared at him, her eyes wide in horror as tears continued streaming down her face as she clutched his hand. A part of his brain said she wasn't going to forgive him for using the name of their youngest, the one who dared to die before his parents did, yet she said nothing.

"Regulus is alive, and I'm going to find him," Orion said.

"Orion..." Walburga swallowed. "Regulus isn't coming home."

"That's because I have to go and find him."

"You're in no condition to do so!" she gasped out, clasping his hands desperately. He knew she was desperate.

"I'm going to get better, and I'll find him."

"Orion. Please."

"I'm going to find my baby boy and bring him home."

"Orion, the tapestry doesn't lie. Don't cling to false hopes. Please."

Orion ignored her, determined to get better, not caring how he made her fret.

~

Except the tapestry did lie; despite what Walburga said, it didn't matter that the chances of Regulus actually being alive, given how everyone knew nobody ever left the Death Eaters and lived, yet Orion didn't want to give up on finding his baby boy, thoughts of holding the surprise bundle of joy that he and Walburga never expected as they hadn't been trying—not as they'd tried for Sirius.

He'd found himself at the Church Hall in Little Norton because he knew. He knew that he knew, nor did he care if Walburga found out he was visiting a place that played the music that their eldest liked—that music that was based on that awful, filthy music, as his wife put it, yet when he looked at a picture of the lead singer of that band he knew.

Even though the lead singer covered his mouth, he knew because Orion knew what Regulus' eyes looked like. Those silver eyes were similar to his older brothers, yet not quite the same. And the lead singer was, at least when he started, scrawny as Regulus was, although he'd filled out to be more like Sirius was. He'd gone, not going in as he simply wanted to see Regulus, so he wasn't there when the so-called Stubby Boardman took a turnip to the ear, or so it was reported in the papers.

Orion simply waited, planning on ambushing Regulus. After all—

"Hobgoblins—check."

While some had forgotten that House Elves were a type of Hobgoblin, Orion hadn't. Not with his youngest wanting to know anything and everything there was to know about House Elves, his adoration for Kreacher knowing no bounds, which wasn't surprising as the child's only companion growing up was the family house-elf who adored Regulus back. The House Elf, who they couldn't console over Regulus' disappearance with him, told Orion as Walburga did that Regulus was a good boy and wouldn't break his mother's heart as that filthy runaway did.