Harry Potter One Shots (Vol. I)

Pureblood Customs (Sirius Black)

How I had ended up standing in the foyer of the Black Manor, I wondered as I looked around the grand room. Here I was playing the role of the perfect pureblood daughter whilst mother and father talked to Mr and Mrs Black who had come out to greet them. I had been ordered to stay behind them with my younger sister at my side.

My parents had always lamented their fate; three daughters and no sons. I, the middle daughter, was the disappointment but I had no idea why. I had no way of changing that. But, if having seen what made them proud, I wasn't so sure that I wanted to change that.

Mr Black turned to escort Mrs Black towards the other guests as father fell into step with him. The two men talked between themselves as they went. But father glanced over his shoulder at mother who instantly moved to my side. With a single look she dismissed my younger sister who went ahead of us and walked after father.

Mother took my sister's place, by my side. She put her arm through mine, clinging harshly onto my arm.

"You need to behave," she hissed violently into my ear, her face never once losing the expression of a doting mother. She reached up to tuck some of my hair behind my ear and from afar the gesture would have appeared to be affectionate but in reality it only served to bring her glaring eyes closer to my own. "Behave or else."

"Yes mother," I said demurely, my shoulders stiffening as I remembered my last punishment.

If I concentrated hard enough, I could still hear my screams echoing through the empty drawing room. I reached a hand up to the side of my neck, knowing that under the glamour charm was a slowly healing cut.

Satisfied with my response, mother led me after the host family. When we had stopped, she returned to my father's side and my sister returned to mine. My eyes swept across the hall full of pureblood families. My sister looped her arm through mine as I made eye contact with my older sister who hanging off the arm of her husband. She had been my age when she had been married right at the start of her seventh year at Hogwarts. That had been three years ago and she had been trapped in a loveless marriage ever since with a husband who, if her words were anything to go by, preferred the embrace of men to that of women. And my sister, well she got her need to be embraced fulfilled elsewhere. But, in my parent's eyes, she had married well.

My younger sister cleared her throat, stopping the staring contests I had been having with my elder sister. I sent a smile in her direction, seeing her do the same as I was led away to stand beside my parents. Plastering on a faker smile than the one that I had given to my sister, I nodded at the host family.

Mrs Black looked me over from head to toe and I struggled not to squirm under her eyes. "You look beautiful," she complimented.

Catching the approval in her gaze, I shifted my eyes away from hers. "Thank you."

"This is my son, Sirius." She gestured to the boy standing beside her. I smiled slightly at him, having already met the eldest son of the Black's. He raised his glass to me.

Our parent's continued to talk to one another before Mr Black broke away to make an announcement.

"We would like to thank everyone who joined us this evening," He said with a charming smile. "I would like to ask you to join us in the celebration of the engagement of my eldest son."

I glanced over at Black whose face remained blank. He might have looked calm but his eyes did absolutely nothing to hide his shock. I was pulled out of my observations when I felt a hand take my own. Looking up into the eyes of my mother, I was shocked to find her smiling genuinely at me. She took my hand and placed it in Black's hand, which was being held by his own mother. I stiffened they couldn't possibly-