By Along Came the Spider
Part One: Knights in White Satin
Sirius followed the House Elf to the drawing room expecting either another visit from the tailor or another lecture from his mother. He opened the door to find a blond girl sitting in one of the dark blue chairs that inhabited the light blue room.
'Blacks are never at a loss for words. If you find yourself in a situation that might have other's grasping for straws you merely close your mouth and arrange your face so it looks like you see or deal with whatever on a daily basis.'
Sirius's mouth dropped open as he looked at his caller. "Have you lost your mind?" He hissed when he had gained some semblance of composure.
"Not so I'd notice," Impetua Malfoy pouted.
"Does your mother know you're here?" Sirius nearly pleaded.
"As if she had any thoughts about anything but the wedding these days." Impetua scoffed.
"There are no other women here." Sirius stressed.
"Good," Impetua sniffed. "I came here to see you not spend uncounted minutes trading wedding plan stories with your mother."
"People will talk," Sirius buried his head in his hands.
"What people?" Impetua raised an eyebrow. "There is no one here but you, your father, and Mr. Ketteridge. The House elves are the only ones who know I am here and they certainly aren't going to talk."
"It is still not proper." Sirius sighed.
"And here I thought you were a Gryffindor."
A flash of fear ran through Sirius at those words. Even after a year, he was unused to being subjected to the prejudices of his family and friends.
"I'm sorry," Impetua hung her head. "Wrong thing to say."
"Very," Sirius said quietly.
"I'll be going then," the girl stood up and crossed to the door. "I don't like living in fear of society."
Sirius stared at the door. He looked down after he heard her disappear into the hall fireplace.
"Was that the Malfoy chit I just saw leaving?" Patrick Ketteridge asked as he entered the drawing room.
"Depends," Sirius looked up.
"Depends on what?" Ketteridge raised an eyebrow at his nephew.
"Depends on whether you actually saw Impetua or not." Sirius shrugged.
"There is a rumor going around that there may be a second Malfoy-Black marriage in the works." Ketteridge winked.
Sirius shook his head. "Nothing has been decided either way. Impetua just turned twelve after all, we're a little young yet."
"And you're parent's weren't betrothed at birth?" Ketteridge smiled, "Age is little deterrent to the Pureblooded mothers."
Sirius nearly groaned. As much as he liked having his uncle around he occasionally found the way his uncle treated him trying. It was almost as if he wanted Sirius to slip up in front of his mother.
"I go on to much, don't I?" Ketteridge smiled again. "I actually came looking for you for a specific purpose."
"Did you?" Sirius raised an eyebrow.
"I have tickets to see Puddlemere play against the Wasps," Ketteridge grinned. "Want to come?"
"When?" Sirius had to stop himself from whooping with joy.
"Next Thursday," Ketteridge sat himself down. "Two days after the wedding."
"Thank you Uncle." Sirius said properly. "I'd be delighted to go."
"Delighted to go where?" Mrs. Black stood in the doorway to her drawing room and stared at her bother and son.
"I want to take the boy to a Quidditch match," Ketteridge explained affably.
"Have you finished all your work for this summer?" Mrs. Black's eyes narrowed at her son. "Don't think that just because you got good grades last term you can slack off during the summer."
"I completed it mother," Sirius told her.
"Then you may go to the Quidditch match if I ascertain the validity of that statement." Mrs. Black bestowed a small glare upon her son.
"Thank you mother," Sirius bowed to her dismissal.
He heard his uncle begin to speak before the door closed.
"Jolly good of you to let him accompany me Arachne." His mother's reply was lost as the door firmly shut behind him.
Diagon Alley was bustling when Sirius around at his mother's side.
"Madam Malkin's first," Mrs. Black nodded to herself. "Cloth for dress robes and maybe some for your school robes as well."
"I don't need dress robes." Regulus groused
Mrs. Black looked at her youngest son. "Are you currently in possession of dress robes that fit you perfectly?"
"No," Regulus looked down sullenly.
"Are you attending your cousin's wedding?" Mrs. Black choose to ignore his tone.
"Not by choice." Regulus muttered.
"By choice or not you are attending." Mrs. Black snapped. "And since I won't have a son of mine looking like a beggar you will have new dress robes!"
Sirius smirked at his younger brother as their mother stalked off. "Come on Reggie! Maybe she'll be able to find a pretty lavender color for you. That should set off your eyes nicely."
Regulus rolled the eyes in question. The two boys followed their mother into the indicated store.
"Narcissa's robes will be blue, and Lucius will be wearing black," Mrs. Black was telling the older Madam Malkin as they joined her. "Therefore we shall begin by looking at a green for Sirius and a burgundy for Regulus."
The bolts of cloth were brought forward in short order. Sirius had never truly understood why his mother always insisted on buying her cloth from Madam Malkin's store when she employed her own tailors and dressmakers to outfit her family. Apparently whatever Mr. Jones brought with him during his fittings wasn't up to Mrs. Black's exacting standards.
"No," Mrs. Black announced bringing Sirius back to the present. "Change the colors around. Or, maybe a gray for Sirius instead."
A light gray was brought forth for inspection.
"Darker," Mrs. Black said in disgust. "We don't want to wash him out!"
It was finally decided that Regulus would have royal purple and Sirius a gray that was mere shades away from black. Mrs. Black, happy with her choices, handed each boy the bag with their cloth in it.
"Come along now," She said decisively. "We must go to Knockturn Alley to get a gift for the Happy Couple."
Sirius rolled his eyes at his mother's back. There had been a gift sent to the 'happy couple' every week since his return home. Andromeda had joked that there was a whole room set aside for Mrs. Black's gifts.
"Narcissa is Aunt Black's favorite niece." Andromeda had said when Sirius had asked her about it. "I think she sees something of herself in 'Cissa."
Coming back to the present Sirius stopped as he saw a familiar head across the street.
"Mother?" He called to the imposing women.
"Yes?" She turned around an glared at him for interrupting her pleasant thoughts of her favorite niece.
"May I go to Flourish and Blotts instead of Knockturn Alley?" He asked.
Mrs. Black looked like she was considering the pros and cons of letting him run free among the possibly contaminating environment around them. "Only to Flourish and Blotts," She finally decided. "Talk to know one I don't know, and wait for me to come and collect you."
"Thank you mother," he bowed, grateful for having gotten out of another gift buying trip.
His mother gave him a brief nod before sweeping Regulus away.
"Finally," James Potter grinned as he approached Sirius. "I thought she was never going to leave you alone."
"I'm not supposed to talk to you," Sirius reminded him.
"I know," James's grin got wider. "But she can hardly object to you talking to Remus."
"Is Remus here?" Sirius grinned back.
"Oh ye of little faith!" James chastised him. "He is inside Flourish and Blotts. Which is where you told your esteemed mother you were going."
"Indeed it was Mr. Potter." Sirius nodded. "Shall we go join Mr. Lupin then?"
"Of course Mr. Black." James said leading the way to the store.
End Notes:- This is the sequel to one of my other stories: 'Again I Turn Around to You'. You can read this on it's own, but you might get more out of it if you go and read the other first.
- Please Review.