Black Rose [Regulus Black]

34 - birthday reconciliations & burnt houses

Alessandra could hear footsteps right outside her door the next evening after her shift, and before she even heard a knock, she shot out of her chair to open the door, making eye contact with grey eyes, just not belonging to the owner she wanted to see.

She sighed inwardly. Here we go again. It was futile resisting.

"It's my birthday."

"Happy birthday."

"Thank you!"

"You're welcome!" she smiled, cheeks aching from how forced it was. She couldn't slam the door on Sirius because it was his birthday, but her hand still itched to do so. She couldn't help it, it was instinct for her at this point.

"You know what my ideal birthday present would be?"

She sighed, out loud this time. "Reconciling with your brother?"

"Reconciling with my brother."

She tilted her head back and groaned. She really wanted to shut the door on him, but it was his birthday! It would be too mean.

"Sirius. I can't be the buffer between you and Regulus all the time. It's not my job, I'm sorry."

If he was in his dog form, his ears would have drooped. She could see it, from the way his jacket-clad shoulders dropped and the brightness in his eyes dimmed just a little.

Still, she couldn't help it. She was done trying to help the brothers reconcile because every effort she had made had blown up in her face. If she kept trying, it would actually damage Regulus' trust in her and she wasn't willing to let that happen.

"But I was thinking about what he said the other day, and I just want to start this new decade of my life-"

"I get that," she interrupted. "But it's unfair of you to keep coming here and asking me to arrange a place to meet up for you guys. It's so difficult convincing him in the first place, which is honestly understandable, and then you blow it up by accusing him of- do not say he is a Death Eater, I will kill you if you do." Her nostrils flared when she saw him open his mouth.

"I know this is besides the point," Sirius said hesitantly. "But I wasn't wrong about that."

"No, but that's not the point, like you said! Firstly, I hardly think he had the choice, and he's been brought up that way. Also, you should be more supportive of the fact that he's actually choosing to help with the war, instead of being a stubborn prat determined to prove your stupid point. We get it Sirius, you were right, but how is that going to help? Why would he outright tell you he was a Death Eater, when you've given him no reason to trust him?"

Sirius looked stunned, eyes wide and mouth hanging as though he'd never expected her to lose her temper at him, but to be fair, he had it coming. She was tired of him making it her mess to deal with. He didn't have to convince someone who was hardly trusting to begin with, and then comfort the same person whose hopes were shattered over and over.

It was exhausting.

"I understand where you're coming from," Sirius told her softly, and she felt like he genuinely meant it. "Would you mind doing this just one last time?"

"Yes, I would mind," she exhaled, leaning against the doorframe. "I'm sorry, but you need to start putting in the effort to mend your relationship with your brother without any help from anybody or grand gestures. You need to do it by yourself."

There was a long pause as Sirius soaked up her words, and every beat of silence caused Alessandra's anxiety to spike a little more because God help her, if Sirius Black asked her to convince his brother for a restaurant rendezvous, she would murder him in plain daylight, eyewitnesses be damned.