Duel Fic

Disclaimer: you know the drill. These aren't my characters they belong to the author who first created them, etc, etc, etc.

This is a Duel Fic that my friend Fi-Fo the Black Queen has set me ( ) We're using our two favourite characters, hers being Lucius Malfoy and mine being Sirius Black. Due to unfortunate circumstance, there were only two choices to the duel, past or AU. This is past. It all has to be completely in character, etc. ~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-

Sirius Black sat down, yawning slightly. As he did, an owl came in through the window with two envelopes in its beak. It landed on the table in front of Sirius, causing him to frown. He didn't recognise the owl and that could only mean one thing - the letters were probably from his parents.

He reached out and took the envelopes as the owl dropped them, immediately flying off again, which was a good sign. That meant that it wasn't anything important if it was from his parents, for if it had been, the owl would be impatiently awaiting a reply. There was no sign of the familiar red letter either, his mother had loved to send him Howlers when he had been in Hogwarts, all about his choice of friends.

With a sigh, he looked at the envelopes, then swore loudly and eloquently. One was obviously an invitation of some description that his parents wanted him to go to since they were visiably ordering him to do so and he hated all the functions that his parents went to. All the guests were invariably upper class snobs who were full of how mudbloods were tainting the Ministry and the superiority of pure bloods and other stupid ideas like that, all of which Sirius did not agree with. Swearing softly again, he tore open the letter and read it.

Sirius,

I know you're not going to want to go to this, I mean, I don't want to go to it and it's my sister. Mother and Father are unbearable since Narcissa announced her engagement. In their opinion, both my vile siblings have managed to net a "most suitable" husband or potential husband, while I keep bringing "mudbloods", "half-bloods" and "muggle-lovers" home.

I beg you to come. I don't think I'll be able to stand it on my own. You're the only one I've ever been able to talk to in the family and I seriously doubt my sister's intended's family is much better than ours. Have you ever met Lucius Malfoy? I've had the distinct displeasure on numerous occasions. The guy's a creep and I don't think his rellies are going to be any better.

So please Sirius, send back an owl. I hate subjecting you to the same sort of torture as myself, but, I swear if I have to put up with something like what happened with Bellatrix, I'm going to snap and start cursing them all into slimy little pieces.
And anyway, you missed the engagement party.

Lotsa love, Andromeda.

Sirius put down the letter, this was not good. He only knew of one engagement party that he'd missed in the last little while and that had been of his cousin Narcissa, whom he couldn't stand. With a daunted and apprehensive look on his face, Sirius opened the invitation as if it would bite him.

Sirius Black

You are hereby cordially invited to

celebrate the marriage of

Narcissa Black

and

Lucius Malfoy.

Sirius swore long and loud. He did not want to go to Narcissa's wedding, no matter how much Andromeda begged him. It wasn't that he didn't love and like Andromeda but because he couldn't stand either Narcissa or
Bellatrix, who were Andromeda's sisters. They were both stuck-up and arrogant, and he would bet all his possessions that Narcissa's fiancé was just as bad. He already knew what Bellatrix's taste in men was like, he had
been at the wedding - she was Bellatrix Lestrange now, for which he was
thankful.

He wasn't going to go. He didn't want to see the wedding, that would mean he would have to spend time in the company of both his parents and his aunt and uncle, all of whom he despised and all of whom held him in contempt for the path with which he was following. They had all wanted him to be a good little boy - follow the family path of being stuck up and arrogantly aware of his status in life as part one of the few old "pure- blood" families left.
He shuddered.

"Sirius, what's the matter?" James Potter came into the room in time to see Sirius shudder.
James was Sirius's best friend, Sirius was going to be best man at James's wedding to his fiancée Lily - it was only a matter of time before they set the date.
They were all living in the same house, James and their two other friends, Remus and Peter had moved into the house Sirius had bought when he was seventeen. They would probably all live together until James married Lily and moved out.

"I just got a letter from my cousin inviting me to a family wedding," Sirius replied, turning to face James. "It seems her younger sister Narcissa is getting married to Lucius Malfoy."

"Isn't he." James asked and Sirius nodded, not needing James to finish the question. A broad smile crossed James' face and he started to laugh uproariously.
"This isn't funny, James." Sirius said menacingly, but James just kept laughing.

"Are you kidding me? Of course it is!"

Sirius swore and James laughed harder.

"I'll leave you to write your acceptance," James said between chuckles.

"You do that," Sirius replied, his face now black. James left, still laughing.
Sirius ran a hand over his face. Maybe he shouldn't really leave Andromeda to face them all alone. He had to admit, she had been there when he'd gone to Bellatrix's wedding with one of those Slytherins from school, Rodolphus Lestrange. It was only fair that he help her out this time and anyway, half the reason James was laughing was because Sirius didn't want to go.

With a sign, Sirius composed a letter.

Andromeda,

No, I haven't ever met Lucius Malfoy,
but I know him by reputation.

Alright - I'll come to the wedding,
you can tell dear Aunt and Uncle
that I will be at the "happy" event.

However - I'm not going to go to the reception.
I learnt my lesson with Bellatrix's.

Sirius.

A couple of hours later he received another owl. Frowning he read the letter that came with it, which was a note from Andromeda begging him to go
the reception. With a snarl, he sent one back saying one word 'No!'.

An hour later another owl arrived, with exactly the same contents, but including a couple of well worded threats. Sirius swore, sending back his one word answer 'No', yet again.

A volley of owls followed, each and everyone having the same note, begging Sirius to come to the Reception, with a couple of very well worded threats. As each time Sirius sent back the word 'No', Andromeda got tired of sending well worded owls, and began sending one word 'PLEASE!', ad nasuaem.

She was sending four owls to one of Sirius's when he finally gave in and sent her the reply - 'Alright!'.