Mon Petit Black Rose 2

"But I don't want to go! Why can't I stay here?!"

"Because Reggy, Oncle's looking after us while Maman and Papa are out with the Lestrange's arranging Bella's Engagement party! Stupid."

"I'm not stupid! You're stupid!"

"Am not!"

"Are too!"

"Ow! Don't hit me! I'll tell Oncle!"

"You go and tell him, Siri, he's not a very good wizard, Grandfather Pollux says so!"

"He's a really good Wizard, you're just jealous because you're rubbish! I haven't even seen you use magic, you're probably a squib!"

Alphard stepped into the room and saw Sirius push his little brother in the chest. "Now, now boys! Calm down or you'll stay here with Kreacher, I won't have you fighting on the trip to Diagon Alley."

Sirius turned wide innocent eyes onto his uncle. "But he hit me first!" He whinged.

"Did not! You big fat liar!" Regulus said and kicked Sirius in the shin.

"I'm not fat! You're fat!" Sirius retaliated by shoving his brother to the floor and pinching him on the arm. "Take that!" He cried furiously, pinning Regulus down with his body. "I'm older than you that means you've got to be nice to me all the time!"

"Does not-ow! Sirius! Stoooop iiiiit! I hate you! Muuuuuuuuuuuuum! Muuuuuuuum! Sirius is bullying me again!"

"AM NOT!" Sirius cried indignantly. "You started it, squib!" He gave his brother a rather nasty Chinese burn on his lower arm, tears sprang to Regulus' eyes.

"Muuuuuuuuuuuuuuum!"

"You're such a baby." Sirius spat angrily. "Always tellin' on me."

Waburga ran into the room, her hair fell about her face and she clutched a silver backed hair brush in one hand. "What in Merlin's name is going on in here?! Alphard, why didn't you stop them?" She glared heatedly at her brother who was slightly amused at the boy's antics, but the fury in her eyes made him flush slightly. She moved over and grabbed Sirius by his upper arm, she dragged him to the sofa and, with the speed of a striking snake, smacked him across the head before lifting the hair brush and smacking him on the bum. Sirius winced but made no sound as a red mark appeared on his face. He lowered his head as Walburga held him in place. "Why were you bullying your brother?" She snapped.

"I wasn't!" Sirius replied mulishly, his mother's fingers dug painfully into the flesh of his arm and he could feel it going numb.

"I saw you! How dare you lie to my face, I want you to apologise to him this very instant!"

Sirius glanced at her through his fringe, he sighed heavily. "'M sorry, Reg." He muttered, avoiding his brother's eyes. Regulus looked smug for an instant before he rearranged his face into something more appropriate as his mother bore down on him.

"Oh you poor little darling! Where did he hurt you?" She crooned, Sirius watched her look at Regulus' red arm and the pinch mark, Walburga kissed the marks better and patted him on the head. Sirius met his brother's eyes for a moment, his own full of jealousy. "Now, if you cannot be good Sirius I will have to make you come with me. I know how much you dislike being looked after by the Lestrange's."

Sirius pulled a face, he hated Bellatrix. She was always bullying him, trying to get him into trouble and her fiancé was worse. He was a brutish and violent, even at sixteen and he enjoyed forcing Sirius to be his 'slave' whenever they were visiting. He lowered his head and twisted his hands in his smart new robes. "'kay." He muttered.

XXX

Diagon Alley was busy with Hogwarts students and their family's going about buying their school things for when they would start in September. Sirius walked ahead of his brother, he had been ignoring him since they had left the house in an attempt to avoid getting smacked again. "Your mother has told me that you're in need of some smart new dress robes, Sirius." Alphard said as they passed the clothes shop, he paused and guided the two boys inside. "Now then, stay here while I talk to the proprietor…" He looked at Sirius whose eyes were alight with eager curiosity. "If you wander off I will tell Walburga."

Sirius pouted prettily and sighed. "Yes Oncle." He muttered. Alphard went to explain to the Witch who owned the shop and left Sirius and Regulus by the door, they sat down on a bench and Regulus kicked his feet back and forth. "I want ice cream." Sirius said suddenly, forgetting that he had been giving his brother the silent treatment.

"Will uncle let us have some, d'you reckon?"

Sirius nodded. "If we're really good." He said firmly, he put his hands in his lap and leaned back to stare up at the ceiling. "You know what, Reggie?"

"What?"

"I can't wait to go to Hogwarts." Sirius smiled brightly, his eyes shining.

"Me too. Lucius told me all about Slytherin common room, apparently it's actually right under the lake and sometimes they get to actually see the giant squid!" His eyes went big and round as he described this scene, excitement shone in his little face. "He says that when you get there you have to go in boats to get to the castle, there's a biiiiiiig lake there you see and first years have to cross it!"

Sirius sneered. "I wouldn't believe everything Lucy tells you, Reg. He's a big liar he is. He told me once that Dumbledore, you know that bloke who's like, really famous? Well, Lucy reckons that he's an idiot. I bet he's really clever and knows loads of magic."

"Don't call him Lucy, he doesn't like it. Remember when he gave you hives because you called him names last year?"

Sirius wiggled in his seat, his nose wrinkling in distaste at the mere memory of it. "Yeah, he's mean." He paused and his eyes brightened. "Oooh!" He said and leaned towards his brother, their heads got close and Sirius smirked. "'Dromeda told me once, right, that at Hogwarts there's actually a real live Giant!"

Regulus looked at him doubtfully. "Who would want to work with a giant? They're really, really scary."

"Pfft, no they're not, idiot. They're cool! I reckon when I get there I'm going to befriend it and then no one will ever bully me again 'coz of my giant friend." He smiled happily at the mental image of the giant tearing his mother in half. "It'd be soooo cool." He sighed.

"I'd like to see you get close to it, I bet it'd kill you."

"Nah, I'd just kill it right back, wouldn't I?" He puffed out his chest bravely. "I'm not scared of no Giant." He mimed holding a wand and aimed it at a rack full of robes. He frowned in concentration and made a loud explosion noise, suddenly, with a whoosh, the rack went up in flames and Sirius' eyes widened. "Oops." He said as the Proprietor came running out onto the shop floor.

"Oh! Oh my!" She gasped and put the flames out with a wave of her wand, she turned to frown at the two boys who lowered their heads. "Which one of you two did that?" She asked sternly, both hands on her hips. Alphard appeared at her elbow and stared at the mess, he blinked and looked at Sirius who flushed.

"I did, Ma'am." Sirius muttered, lifting his hand. "'m sorry." He used the same tone he had used on his brother, the tone of one who isn't as sorry as they probably should be.

"I am sure he didn't mean it, Madam." Alphard said with a smooth smile. "Here, I am sure this will cover any damages." He dropped some coins into her hand and she nodded in satisfaction.

"Of course, thank you. Now then, what was it you wanted?"

After getting his new robes Alphard took the two boys to the ice cream parlour. Sirius tried to order everything on the menu but his uncle told him he would end up having no money left at all if he did that, so Sirius contented himself with a Mint Choc Chip Sunday with extra glitter sauce. Regulus went for chocolate and they ate in silence while Alphard smoked his pipe, he watched Sirius eating with a fond smile on his lips. Sirius was eight years old now and he was growing at an alarming rate, he would be tall like his father but Alphard knew he would look more like his mother in every other aspect. His eyes, his mannerisms and even his speech patterns were all Walburga. When Sirius finished he flicked his cherry at his brother who squealed in disgust and lobbed a napkin at him, Sirius glanced at it and his eyes narrowed slightly. The napkin moved and folded its self into a swan, it flapped its wings and flew off over the heads of the crowd. Alphard's jaw dropped and he gazed at his nephew who was running a finger around the inside of his glass and sucking the ice cream off with apparent relish, he had a sticky mouth but didn't seem to care as he rarely got such treats. "Was that deliberate?" Alphard asked slowly, Sirius glanced at him and shrugged.

"Yeah. I wanted it to turn into a hawk but a 'spose a swans close enough…" He wrinkled his nose slightly. "An' I really don't know what a hawk looks like in napkin form."

"That was impressive!" Alphard smiled proudly and saw Sirius' face light up, he beamed at his uncle with pride.

That evening they returned home to an empty house, Sirius grinned happily; he always preferred it when it was empty. "Now, I have to go…" Alphard said, glancing down at the watch on his wrist. "I'll be back tomorrow to say good bye."

Sirius' eyes widened. "Where are you going?" He asked.

Alphard smiled and crouched down, he smoothed the boys hair back gently and took both his hands in his own. "I have to go away for a while." He said softly, Sirius' bottom lip crept forward and began trembling. "I will be back, I'm only going away for a few months but you see I have a friend in Germany who I have not seen in a very long time. They're not very well and I doubt they'll be around for much longer. Don't look like that, Siri, I will return as soon as I can."

Sirius stared after his uncle, Regulus said good bye and went up to his room leaving his brother in the hall. He took a small, shuddery breath and slid down the wall gazing intently at the door. Around him the hallway grew dark, light seeping from the world and the lamps empty. He stared at the door attempting to will his Uncle to return, his heart beat rapidly in his small chest as panic began to grip his insides. He despised it when his uncle left, it always meant terrible things. A tear slid down his pale cheek and wiped it away with his sleeve with a loud sniff, his mother would tell him off if she caught him crying and his father would be furious. Black's did not cry, after all. He clenched his teeth tightly until they ached, his hands clenched into fists and he rested his head against the wall as he drew his knees tight to his chest where his heart fluttered in panic.

It was midnight when Walburga and Orion returned, they were talking about how wonderful it was that Bellatrix had chosen such a suitable future husband. Orion put his coat up on the rack and moved forward, his feet tangled on something on the floor and he fell over with a loud crash and a curse, Sirius yelped and bolted upright. Walburga waved a hand and the gas lamps burst into life, throwing golden light everywhere and chasing away the shadows. She saw her eldest son crouching against the wall, his eyes wide with surprise and animalistic terror. "What on earth are you doing down here at this time of night, boy?" Orion growled furiously, Sirius flinched away from his father and looked down at the patterned carpet.

"Fell asleep." He muttered to his shoes.

"This is ridiculous! Why didn't you go to bed? Are you two years old?" Walburga shook her head sternly. "Such a disgrace, lying in the hallway like a homeless drunk! Are you a wizard or not?"

Sirius glanced up at her through his hair. "A wizard…" He whispered, cheeks flushing in shame.

Orion climbed to his feet and grabbed Sirius by the top of his arm, he shook him roughly. "Why were you here? You should have been in bed!"

"…I-I'm sorry…I just…Alphard l-left a-and I only wanted…" He cut himself off by biting down on his bottom lip, turning large eyes to his father who was white with rage. "P-Please, Papa, I-I should g-go to bed now…"

"Not now. No. You will have to be punished for acting like a fool. You, young man, are a Black! Have some pride and dignity for crying out loud." Orion dragged him down the hall and into the kitchen where he was thrown to the stone floor, he sat there on his aching knees and kept his eyes on a cracked stone as fear threatened to close his throat over. "Pull down your trousers and bend over the table." Sirius, his little hands trembling, did as instructed. He braced his hands on the table and closed his eyes, preparing himself for his punishment. He heard his father undoing his belt and almost let slip a whimper of terror, he bit it back because it would only get worse if he showed any sign of weakness. As his father brought the belt down across the sensitive skin of his backside he jerked forward with a sharp gasp, he concentrated on thoughts of his uncle and tried to ignore the agony that lanced through his body at the contact of the leather.