Walpurga Black was not a witch to mess with. She was a formidable dueller, an excellent conversationalist and an unofficial supporter of Voldemort.
She also had an unhealthy obsession with suits.
8 year old Sirius Black tugged at the sleeves of his tuxedo. "I don't want to wear it Mum."
"You have to Sirius. You are Sirius Orion Black after all, eldest son of Orion Black III, and you will carry on the pure blood line like your father. We can't have you going to the ball where you will mostly likely meet your future wife looking messy, can we? Now turn around." She barked, all sentiment gone. Sirius pulled on the uncomfortable bow tie and followed his mother into the enormous ball room.
He started to run towards his younger brother and friends, but after a stern glare from his mother, started power-walking towards Lucius, Regulus and Narcissa. "I hate this suit." Sirius grumbled, once again tugging on his tie.
"I like my dress though. Isn't it pretty?" Narcissa twirled and then looked at us expectantly. Lucius clapped politely, Regulus jumped up and down, and even grumpy Sirius smiled at her enthusiasm. She smoothed down the silver material and looked over at her mother. "Mother wore this to her first ball. She said it suited her better though. I want to be just like her when I'm older ." She muttered despondently, shaking her blonde hair over her shoulder.
" I'm not going to be like my dad. I'm not going to kill people when I'm older." Said Sirius suddenly, looking worriedly over at his mother and father to see if they were listening.
"I might." Replied Lucius thoughtfully. "But not girls."
"Why not?" asked Regulus, frowning.
"Girls are pretty."
Narcissa blushed and looked down but then murmured "If the Dark Lord tells you to, you'll have to though."
"I won't." said Sirius defiantly, then looked up suddenly when inspiration struck him. "We should make a pact."
"What for?"
"To say that we will only hurt people if we have to, like if they hurt our friends or something."
"Ok." Said Regulus and Lucius, but Narcissa looked sceptical.
"But why?"
"You don't want to be bad, do you Cissy?" piped up Regulus. "This will stop you being bad."
" Ok, but how?"
"We'll do a blood bond." Answered Sirius, fingering the antique cufflinks he wore. All of them pricked their fingers and pushed them together, ignoring the stinging pain.
They broke apart, feeling a tingle run down their spine.
Sirius looked at Regulus' innocent smile, Lucius' wide grin and Narcissa's laughing eyes.
Friends.
17 year old Sirius jerked awake and grabbed a box on his bedside table. He flicked through the pictures until he found the picture he was looking for. Transfiguring a tissue into a pure white frame, he put the picture in the frame on the cabinet, looking at the 4 people in it laughing and smiling. All with plasters on their thumbs. He looked again at Regulus' innocent smile, Lucius' wide grin and Narcissa's laughing eyes and smiled.
A note on the back read: 1968- Amici potius quam familia
Friends are better than family.