AN: This is a short story I cooked up, I'm unsure if I should turn it into a multi-chap fic or not. Maybe if I get enough reviews I shall continue it. I wanted to explore Sirius Black's relationship with his family, predominantly his Uncle Alphard, I get the feeling that they were very close and I also wanted to write about Sirius as a young boy and how he began to break away from the traditions of his house. The title means; my small black rose, and it's in French because the Black family motto is French. 'Oncle' is the French word for Uncle, I use it because it's cute and I think it adds something to the innocence of baby Sirius, he also refers to his mother as 'Maman' another French term. I decided that it gives the family deeper roots, as there are a lot of things in canon that hint at the fact that the Blacks have French roots. Ok, sorry for the long explanations, please enjoy and I would love any reviews, thanks.

Mon PetitBlack Rose

Grimmauld Place was as grim as its name, Alphard gazed up at the door of his sister's house with distaste. He was the youngest child of three, his eldest sister, Walburga Black had married their cousin Orion Black, his brother, Cygnus had married a Rosier. Alphard himself, meanwhile, still refused to marry, much to his sisters chagrin. He took hold of the snakes head knocker and straightened his cravat as the door opened on a long dark hallway, he stepped over the threshold. "Walburga? Orion? Is anyone in?" He called through the old musty house, at first there was no answer until he heard the pounding of feet and a sudden burst of furious screaming.

"Sirius Orion Black! You get back here this instant!"

Alphard sucked in a sharp breath and ran to the stairs, just as he put his hand on the banister a small boy came flying towards him, long hair wet and covered in bubbles. He was at the top of the stairs when he jumped, Alphard laughed and snatched the boy out of the air as he floated downwards as gently as a feather. Sirius was sopping wet and totally naked, he had his uncle in a death grip with his arms locked around his throat as he giggled in delight.

"Oncle!" Sirius squeaked finally releasing Alphard from his prison and kissing him on the cheek, he started to wiggle and his Uncle had to put him on his hip for comfort. "Oncle, guess what I did today! Go on!"

"Hmm..." Alphard hummed as he began walking up the stairs with his nephew. "Other than winding up your mother I couldn't make a guess, Siri."

"I made fire today! Look!" He pointed at a large hole in the hideous green carpet that lined the hallway of the second floor. "I made fire and it burnt the floor..." Sirius sighed. "Maman wasn't very happy..." His face fell into a slightly concerned frown and he chewed his lower lip. "She told me I wasn't allowed to make the carpet burn...but I couldn't help it! I was just looking at it and it set fire...you believe me don't you? Don't you Oncle?"

"I do Siri, I do." He let Sirius rest his wet head against him and carried him back to the bathroom where he was confronted by a furious Walburga wearing a green housecoat and a thunderous frown. "Hello, darling sister...I think I found something of yours." He lifted Sirius away from him but the six year old was having none of it and he wriggled free, slipping easily from his hands and landing lightly on the floor before his mother could catch him.

"Sirius! If you do not come here this very instant I will punish you, do you understand?" Her voice was shrill with fury, her face almost white as she curled her hands into fists. Her son gazed up at her with big silver eyes, they looked so similar there could be no doubt they were closely related. "Alphard if you are not going to do anything except stand there like a buffoon, you would be better off downstairs!" Walburga snapped at her brother.

Alphard sighed. "Here, you go downstairs and I'll bathe him, Burgy, I think you'll both be better for it."

Walburga pressed her lips together in a disproving frown as he used her pet name but eventually she conceded. "Sirius, be a good boy and take your bath without complaints or I will put you in the dark room."

Sirius watched her go and as she turned her back he poked his tongue out at her, Alphard forced away his smile and went to the little boy. "Come here, Siri, let's get you washed and in your pyjamas."

Sirius smiled and took his hand, allowing himself to be led to the bathroom, steam filled the air and there was the definite fragrance of winter roses, Alphard smiled and lifted Sirius into the hot bath. "Oncle?" Sirius asked when Alphard rolled back his shirt sleeves and picked up the soap.

"Yes, Sirius?"

"Will you tell me a story so I don't have nightmares again?"

"Of course I will, you know I always tell you a story before sleep." He lathered the soap onto a sponge and began cleaning the boy as he stood in the bath gazing at him with those large, hauntingly silver eyes.

"I like Le Prince Lutin...will you tell me that one again? Please?"

Alphard had always been weak when it came Sirius, he didn't like to admit it, but he preferred Sirius over his little brother Regulus. The boy was fiery and beautiful, he was smart and had started being able to control his magic recently, only when he really concentrated though. He had been there when Sirius had been born, waiting in the drawing room with his cousin Orion, he had been first to hold the tiny baby boy as his father had taken one look pronounced him 'suitable' and walked away. However, Walburga was unable to cope with him, he was wild, his imagination almost overactive and he drove Alphard's sister to despair, but Alpahrd loved it. He loved everything about his tiny little nephew, even down to the tiny dimples he got when he smiled or his high little laugh that was so free and careless it made Alphard wish that he was a child again. "Of course, Siri, I'll tell you about the Imp prince."

"Yay!" Sirius jumped up and down, splashing soapy water everywhere and soaking his uncle. He giggled and leaned over the side of the black tub to kiss him on the cheek. "I'm glad you came back." He said in a tiny whisper, all of a sudden his eyes became like twin moons, they almost filled his entire face as he shivered slightly. "Maman was...getting angry again..." His voice lowered to a harsh whisper and his eyes darted to the door and back again. "She doesn't get so angry when your here...why can't you stay forever and ever or take me away! I-I don't like it here..."

"Hush, Sirius..." Alphard gently brushed away the sudden flood of tears that spilled from those beautiful grey eyes with his thumb. "It's alright. I'm here and I will protect you..."

"But then you go away again." Sirius whispered blinking at his favourite Uncle and twisting his hands together. "You g-go away and I-I'm alone...a-and Maman s-she...she..." He chewed on his bottom lip and glanced back towards the door, his little chest hitched and a shudder wracked his tiny frame.

"Sirius, Sirius, listen to me." Alphard took his nephews face in his hands and looked into his terror filled eyes. "Listen well; You're strong, you know you are. I can't take you with me when I go away, because I go to faraway places, places I can't take a child, be strong when I'm away and I will always come back to tell you stories and bring you toys. Do you understand? Show me you understand."

Sirius nodded and pressed his lips to his uncles before moving away again. "I do, Oncle...I'm sorry." He looked down and Alphard sighed, pulling the boy into his chest and smoothing back his coal black hair.

"It's alright, I'm here for a few days, and I'll be able to tell you stories and show you the pictures of where I've been." He felt Sirius nod his head and took a deep breath, the little boys scent filled his nostrils and he smiled.

Finally he was clean so Alphard lifted him easily out of the tub and stood him on the toilet seat while he picked up a fluffy towel and wrapped him in it, covering even his head so only his little face was peeking through its folds. Once done he picked Sirius up, swaddling him in the towel and carried him across the hall and into his bedroom where he set him down on the bed. "Now...where did your mother put your pyjamas?" He muttered and saw Sirius point to his chest of draws, he went to it and lifted out a set of black cotton pyjamas with the Black family crest sewn into the breast. "Here we are, now, up we get!" Sirius stood and dutifully allowed his uncle to dress him, his skin was pink in places where the rough sponge had scrubbed it and his hair was still tangled and damp but he smelt of roses and it made a tingle spread down Alphard's spine, he ignored it in favour of brushing out Sirius' hair while the boy sat in his lap and talked about what he had been doing.

"I wanted to go to the park but Maman said that there are Muggle's in the park...and I'm not supposed to like Muggle's so we didn't go. Regulus sicked up his dinner, he doesn't like peas...I was going to shove one up his nose but Maman caught me and slapped me. Still, reckon he'd like peas more if he ate with his nose, he wouldn't be able to taste them then...I was only helping. Then I asked if I could play in the street, but Papa said no because the neighbours like to eat little Wizard boys...Regulus reckons they're jealous because we have magic, but I don't know...Maman and Papa talk about Muggles as if they're Trolls, but they don't look it...I watch them sometimes from my window, and their children look just like me with heads and feet and hands and eyes and ears and noses..." He huffed and Alphard smiled as he pictured that adorable little frown he got when he was confused or upset by something. "It just seems weird...I mean, aren't they people too? Why are they monsters? Do they eat magic? Because if they do then they can't be very hungry or they would've got Hogwarts wouldn't they and I wouldn't be able to go when I'm big."

"I'll tell you a secret, Siri..." Alpahrd whispered as he beckoned the boy close as he turned around, Sirius leaned forward with glittering eyes burning with curiosity. "Muggle's are just like us, except they don't have any magic, which makes us better than them, they can be stupid and blind, but they're alright really. They don't eat magic or little Wizard children." He smiled as he watched Sirius absorb this information.

"They're really like us? What do they do if they don't have magic? How do they live?"

"They get by, now, into bed and I'll tell you that story." He helped Sirius into bed and waited for him to settle down before laying at his side. "There was once a king and queen who had a malformed son named Furibon. He was as large as the largest man and small as the smallest dwarf, he had an ugly face, deformed body and mean spirit, but the queen was insane and thought Furibon was the most beautiful child in the world. Furibon's governor was a rival prince, who had claims to the throne. This governor brought with him his own son named prince Léandre.

Léandre was very well liked in court, the ladies loved him, thought him very handsome, and called him the "beautiful indifferent one". Furibon was hated. Furibon insulted people and reported their secret faults to the King and Queen..."

By the time he had finished his tale Sirius was fast asleep, he lay on his side, one hand curled into a fist in Alphard's damp shirt gently he untangled his hand and kissed the sleeping boy on the forehead before standing up and leaving the room silently.