You got stuck in a moment
And you can't get out of it
-Bono
"Sirius - darling, do come and eat some breakfast!" his mother said with a smile. A fake smile. Sirius knew how much she wanted to scream and yell at him, but she was going to control herself today so that she could convince him into being nice to the stupid, oh - so - royal Scottish family.
"I'm not hungry, mother. I would prefer to ride the new horse with James right now. If you'll excuse me..." Sirius said through gritted teeth. His mother looked like she was about to protest, but then thought it better not to. Sirius smirked with victory and grabbed a waffle on his way out.
To get his mind out of the disastrous meeting with the Scottish Rose, Sirius climbed on to his horse and began to ride it all the way to the castle at the end of the very wide field. The castle belonged to the Potters who were great family friends of the Blacks. Sirius was the best of friends with their eldest son, James Potter who he had literally grown up with. James knew him better than he knew himself and all of what he was capable of.
"Hello, Sirius! Up for a ride, eh?" the gate keeper asked him with a grin. Sirius grinned back at Gustave and asked him to send James out. Gustave disappeared and soon came back with James who was already on his horse.
"Hey, Padfoot!" James held his hand up, a grin on his face that was lit up with excitement. Sirius and James used to go riding every morning ever since they were ten and received their first horses. James had nicknamed Sirius Padfoot because his laugh was like a bark and he was extremely fond of dogs.
"Up for a ride?" Sirius grinned back, his mind wandering away from the stupid, royal, Scottish family. James suddenly zoomed off, leaving Sirius quiet a few meters behind. Sirius stared after James in a confused manner.
"I'M GOING TO WIN!" James yelled, grinning from ear to ear. Sirius chuckled and began to ride his trusty horse, who had not yet, lost a single race. He caught up with James in a matter of seconds and soon, they were running through all the fields, the mountains, the gardens...
When both of them reached James' house again, they settled down under the canopy of bright flowers where Gustave brought them refreshing drinks. Soon, their other best friend, Remus Lupin who was the son of a very highly ranked noble man, joined them. Sirius wished that he was the son of a noble man like his friends, and not the son of King Orion. Both James and Remus weren't getting forced to marry someone they barely knew.
"Are you excited about meeting the Scottish Rose, Padfoot?" James asked with a grin.
Sirius let out a surprised sound, "Excited? I would rather spend the day in the pigsty than meet them! I don't want to marry this stupid Scottish Rose!"
"But why?" Remus asked for the umpteenth time, "she's been given the title of the most beautiful woman on the planet! Imagine your kids, Sirius."
Sirius burst out laughing, "I don't want to think about kids for at least three years. And, I don't care if she's beautiful. I don't want to marry a woman who will spend her years, looking at the mirror and marvelling at her own beauty. There's no depth in a person like the Scottish Rose!"
Remus rubbed his forehead, "Nymphadora is pretty and she doesn't spend her life looking at the mirror."
Remus was engaged to a lovely maiden named Nymphadora Tonks. She was quite a pretty lady, with a heart shaped face and big, round eyes and Remus was already head over heals for her.
"Dora is different! She's got personality and she doesn't think about looks or clothes all day long!" Sirius knew because Nymphadora was related to him and it was because of Sirius that she and Remus met.
James took a sip of the freshly squeezed wine that Gustave had brought for them and asked, "so who do you want to marry, Sirius?"
Sirius shook his head, "I don't know. I haven't met any one I took a fancy to."
"Not a single person?" James asked, "not even one fair maiden?"
Sirius thought about it. It was true that none of the countesses or the maidens at all the balls had caught his eye and none of them seemed special to him, whatsoever. But his new maid, Iris had something about her that Sirius found immensly interesting.
"Well...I found some one very interesting today...but only interesting," Sirius said and he laughed when he saw Remus' and James' expression light up with curiosity and eagerness. It was very rare that Sirius ever admitted to actually liking a woman.
"Do you like her?" James asked.
"I told you I only find her interesting!" Sirius said irritably, "and it can't ever happen any way, so just forget about it."
"Why can't it happen?" Remus questioned, his eager expression still intact.
Sirius sighed, "she's a ... maid."
Remus nodded knowingly and James asked, "do you know what her name is?"
Sirius nodded and answered his question, "Iris." As he said her name again, that smile just crept up to his face. He couldn't explain it, but every time he said Iris, something would open up inside him and he would smile like a fool.
Remus and James exchanged an alarmed look.
***
Iris took deep breaths as she stood in front of the doors to Sirius' chamber. Sirius had brought back his two friends, James and Remus who were also attending the banquet for the Scottish Family. Iris was to take the drinks on the tray she was holding to him and her friends and also ask Sirius to change into a suit and comb his very messy hair.
She pushed open the door and slipped through the very little space. Sirius and his two friends were on the balcony, all three of them laughing as Sirius read something from a book. Iris recognized it as a comedy novel that she had read when she was fourteen. She still remembered it, even after five years.
She went on to the balcony and cleared her throat. They all turned around and Iris saw the tall boy, with very untidy hair nudge the sandy haired boy. Both of them grinned at each other and then at Sirius.
"Ah, thank you, Iris," Sirius took two of the glasses of the tray and handed it to his friends, "these fools are James and Remus, my best friends."
Iris bowed, "good afternoon, Master James and Master Remus."
"Oh, no," James said with an impatient wave of his hand.
"Please refrain from calling us anything but James and Remus," Remus said with a smile, "how do you do?"
"Very well, thank you," Iris answered warmly. Then she turned to Sirius and said, "the Queen asked me to ask you to wear your finest suit for the Scottish Rose and to..." she coughed slightly and looked down, blushing scarlet and mumbled, "to comb your hair."
James and Remus burst out laughing and Sirius chuckled, "very well. Iris, could you just pick out any suit from the closet."
"M - me?" Iris stuttered, "forgive me, Sire -"
"Sirius," he groaned.
"Right. Forgive me, but I have no experience with matters like these," Iris said apologetically, "If you leave it up to me, you'll probably end up wearing a green suit with rose coloured shoes."
Sirius, James and Remus laughed and Iris was confused to why they did. Sirius smiled warmly at her and said, "I hope you put together a hideous outfit for me, so that the Royal Family Of Scotland rejects me."
"I shall do no such thing, please!" Iris said, outraged, "the Queen would murder me."
"Same here," Sirius chuckled, "please pick an outfit out, Iris."
Iris sighed, "if you insist, Sire."
"How many times must I tell you? My name is Sirius," Sirius said, irritated. She smiled apologetically and disappeared from the balcony and he heard her step into his massive closet.
"You DO like her!" James said suddenly, when she was out of ear shot.
Sirius stared at James, "why on Earth would you think that?"
Remus chuckled and sipped his drink, "you seem to have some sort of ... connection with her. And she's quite pretty, mind you."
"Very flat, though," James piped up, "no curves at all."
"Wait - wait - I just asked her to pick out an outfit and suddenly, I have a connection?" Sirius chuckled, "honestly, you retards. Why don't you two do something, take a stroll or what ever while I get dressed for the stupid family."
James and Remus shook their heads, chuckling and walked out of his chamber. Sirius finished his drink and placed it on the table carelessly, and walked towards the closet. He slid the doors open and saw Iris standing there, her lips parted slightly and her eyes wide as she looked at the rows and rows of clothes all made of special imported cloth.
"You could fit my hut in here," Iris whispered.
Sirius laughed and leaned against the wall, "my mother is a bit of a lunatic. Decided on an out fit yet?"
Iris shook her head and walked forward. Bending down, she took out one of his finest black tuxes. She slid open the door to the closet which contained his ties and pulled out a red one. She handed the clothing pieces to him and asked, "well...what do you think?"
Sirius sighed, "I was hoping you would pick a ridiculous out fit that would frighten the stupid royal family."
Iris chuckled and asked, "shall I prepare your bath?"
"I can do that myself," Sirius said, "thank you for all that you've done, Iris."
"You're welcome," Iris bowed and left the closet.
"I TOLD YOU TO NOT BOW BEFORE ME!" She heard him yell. Iris smiled and walked out of the chamber, humming to herself.
***
Sirius, with his family and the Potters, Lupins, Tonks and Evans waited for the Royal Family Of Scotland in the Royal Court. Sirius' mother was extremely pleased with Iris for she had managed to get him to come to the banquet.
James was, as usual, trying to chat up Lily Evans, the daughter of Robert Evans, one of the upper class noble men. She was a bright red head, with vivid green eyes to die for. Too bad for James though because she showed no signs of interest in him.
Remus and Dora were in a corner, talking and discussing their plans for their wedding. Sirius wished he could be like them. Have a future with some one who he knew. Remus and Dora were so in love and it was a pleasure to see them together.
Sirius sat with his younger brother, Regulus who kept on asking him why he didn't want to marry the Scottish Rose. No one understood that Sirius didn't want her beauty. He wanted some one he actually knew and loved.
"She's a nightmare, honestly," James collapsed on the chair next to Sirius, "I ask her how do you do, and she tells me to go away!"
"You think Lily's a nightmare? Wait till you see this - ah, here they come."
They heard the Royal Siren and all five families stood up to greet the Scottish Family. First, the King and Queen of Scotland stepped in, dressed in silk and decorated with jewels of all sorts.
"Ah - Orion, it had been so long since I last met you," King Henry said with a smile. He went forward and both him and Orion embraced. Sirius' mother kissed Queen Penelope on both cheeks and then shook her hand, "so nice to meet you - so very nice - love to have you in our home."
Sirius wanted to roll his eyes at them. Next, came in the Scottish Rose. And honestly, Sirius found it hard to see why every one thought her so beautiful. She had rosy cheeks, electric blue eyes, sun brown hair that reached her waist. Nothing so special about her. There was nothing interesting and alluring about her and Sirius was now, even more reluctant to sign the papers.
His mother was giving him sharp looks and Sirius suddenly remembered what he had to do. He stepped forward and held out his hand. Rose smiled flirtatiously and slipped her hand in to his. He bent down and kissed her hand as his mother had made him practice.
"You look well," he said, with a slight smile.
"You're free to look, Sirius," she said in her thick Scottish accent. Sirius failed to comment on how slutty that remark was. They all sat down to dine, Orion and Henry in deep discussion about the rebellions in Ireland.
"The country has been a bit unstable ever since the kidnap of the Irish butterfly," Queen Penelope pointed out.
"The Irish butterfly?" Sirius asked, confused.
"Ah, my boy! That is a tale worth telling on this very Royal table!" King Henry took a sip of his wine, "you see, when the King and Queen of Ireland had their first child, she was kidnapped and held hostage."
"Why? By who?" James asked, equally interested as Sirius.
"Who knows? They asked for a large amount of money. The King and Queen payed them and begged them to let them have their daughter back but they refused. They sold her and she has not been seen since."
"Why do they call her the Irish Butterfly?" Lily asked curiously.
"Ah, fair lady, it is because butterflies fly and flutter around the flowers and gardens. She fluttered away from her parents who grieved for years," Orion sighed, "sad story - what a tragedy -"
"Have you tried the roasted lamb, Henry? Please do," Sirius' mother snapped her fingers and a waiter rushed forward and served Henry some of the lamb. Then he went around, refilling all of their cups with wine.
"So, Rose," Sirius' mother said after sipping her drink, "I heard that you're interested in astronomy?"
"Oh, very," she replied with enthusiasm.
"So is our Sirius," she said with a great smile at her eldest son, "ever since he found out he was named after the constellation, he's been addicted to finding out about the stars!"
"Have you spotted Uranus yet?" she asked with wide eyes, "all astronomers are trying to do so."
Sirius snorted, "You need a mega telescope to spot the planet. I tried to, but all I could find was Mars."
"We'll get you both a mega telescope as a wedding present!" Mrs Potter said joyfully, "oh, think of all the discoveries you could make!"
Sirius stiffened up and stared at his mashed potatoes. When no one said anything for a full two minutes, he got up and said, "will you excuse me?" He went out of the Royal Court and into the gardens. He walked over to the lake and leaned weakly against the tree. What was he going to do? How was he supposed to refuse this Scottish family who had signed a treaty with them ever since he was born? Couldn't Rose marry Regulus instead? She was exactly his age and they would be happier together.
Sirius sighed and watched a white butterfly flutter around a bed of Irises. He was reminded of his maid, and he had to admit, there was something about her that made him feel ... happy inside. She was sort of full filling, deep and satisfying, unlike this ridiculous Rose.
What was he going to do?
Hey every one. Sorry for the ridiculously long wait. I was on a holiday and I posted this literally the minute before I left. And I must say, twenty two reviews for the first chapter! THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU!
Sorry I couldn't update WTSGB today. I'm just really tired after nine hours of driving and want to just cuddle up in my blankets with a Harry Potter book. I wrote this chapter before I left, so I could update. :)
Reviews, please? May I have ten this time?
I PROMISE I will update WTSGB tomorrow! And November Rain in a day or two. I'm just so exhausted! I ended my vacation early just for you guys so please forgive me for updating those stories a little late!
REVIEWS, lovelies!