Sirius
"It is really convenient; you see? The other families have already agreed."
It was the first business conversation Sirius was able to participate. He was disappointed. He expected he could avoid it for a lot longer.
"Rosier offered he can deliver it next Tuesday."
Sirius looked up from his plate to see the reason why he was here. Round face, blond straight hair, brown warm eyes, slim tanned arms, female sex. At least she was pretty.
"What do you think, Sirius? Are you interested in the broomstick production?"
Sirius wasn't prepared to answer that he approves production of slightly specious brooms.
"I am afraid I am not interested in Quidditch."
Rudolphus snorted and then started to cough to cover it.
"And what are you interested in, Sirius?" Mrs. Lestange asked.
"Duelling," answered Sirius truthfully. He saw the smirk on her face before she covered it too.
"Interesting." Mrs. Lestrange nodded few times and Mr. Lestrange hummed between bites.
Then they were standing up and Sirius didn't know what he was expected to do next. He wanted to go to bed, but that wasn't acceptable. Mr. and Mrs. Lestrange were discussing something in whisper voice and Rudolphus started to read some small letter. There were another two men Sirius didn't know, who started to laugh when this one house goblin fell and twisted his arm in a weird direction. And then there was her, cousin of Rudolphus, who slowly headed to him.
She was two years older and about one head smaller. They called her Becky, but her name was Rebecca. And there was murderous look in her face, which was funny, because she was quite lovely, otherwise.
"Let's make things straight between us, shall we?" She hissed when she was close enough that just Sirius could hear her.
Sirius raised an eyebrow in completely phony manner and smirked. That was the expression Black was supposed to do when being around a woman, who talked to him like that.
"We," she pointed furiously between them. "Are not happening. Am I clear? Whatever you are here for, won't happen. And if you say just one word about this," she again pointed between them. "I am going to hex a broom to your arse for the rest of your life. I am not willing to stay in this house. I have my own plans and you are not going to cross them. Understood?"
Sirius knew how to control himself. However, his face was aching and there was nothing he could do about the tears coming to his shut eyes. His mimics muscles were twisting in all directions and his breath was coming out sharp and desperate.
He bit his lip so hard that there was blood on his tongue.
"What are you doing? Compose yourself!"
In and out. Inhale and exhale. Simple. Imagine your mother. Imagine the rest of your life in this place. You can't laugh now!
Sirius licked his injured lip and stared at her with just a simple smile.
"Very nice to meet you too."
She puffed in confusion. "I believe there is some misunderstanding here," she frowned.
"I believe we are going to make a wonderful couple. I wasn't expecting that, my dear Becky."
She was so furious she was losing her temper in quite a dangerous way and Sirius couldn't let that happen in front of all the others.
"I always wanted to sell ice cream, what do you think about to postpone our marriage to September of the next year. We could buy an ice cream shop and sell it together! What a wonderful way to get to know each other! You are missing some unimportant thing between your legs, I believe, to catch my attention properly, but if you agree to our new business, I am one hundred percent ready to arrange everything." He smiled sweetly.
She stared and stared. Then there was a glint of understanding in her eyes, she pushed her hair back from her forehead and grinned cheekily.
"Oh, I love ice cream."
/
Becky
Becky had been attending Beauxbatons two years back. Her family was slightly French, but she hated France and everything about it. She hated the uniforms more than anything in her life. It was too girly and princessy and it itched in the most uncomfortable places. And French was really funny language she couldn't speak properly and everybody always laughed at her because of it. Then there was this curfew, that banned her from going anywhere and to actually get to know France at all.
She was actually happy when she could come back to her family's home. She spent the next two years reading and learning new spells, so she could escape whenever the reason came. She was prepared to disappear at the end of the summer to America. She wanted to start over like a normal healer. There were techniques, she learned, nobody ever heard of in England. She was really excited about it when this feeble troublemaker came to her life.
"Mum! We are going for a walk, all right? We will be back for dinner," she screamed to the house and waited for an answer.
"Sure, Rebecca. Have a great time."
It was two weeks since Sirius had changed his room in Lestrange's house for a room in Becky's home. They spend so much time together, that it started to be weird that they really wanted to get married so late. When someone asked, they replied that they are planning their own business before getting together forever. How mature of them! Oh, are they really our children? And so one.
Sirius started to be her most favourite person in the world. She actually started to regret they weren't really getting married.
"I don't think it's any good," he complained and turned up his nose at it.
"Too much ice, right?" She swallowed and shook her head. "Do we really want to do it the muggle way?"
"We discussed it already! I am not going to that quarrel again!"
"But we are in the muggle area. The possibility is just too small!"
"I was taking Muggle classes; you know? I know there is plenty of ways how to distinguished between muggle food and food made by magic."
"It's ice cream. It's not something wizards would be buying from weirdos like us."
"Speak for yourself."
"You are being pathetic. I am starting to hate you."
"Oh, really?" He pulled her cheeks with dirty fingers and laughed when she punched his stomach with no strength.
"You two!" Their boss commanded. "There are customers!"
Becky stuck out her tongue and turned her head to the row of angry people. The only reason they weren't screaming was that she was so pretty, Sirius figured.
They were working in this small cake shop. She was selling ice cream - because she was a girl - and Sirius was doing the store job and in his free time, he was inventing new flavours. They wanted to learn how to do it the muggle way, so they could rent their own place.
Sirius has it all well planned. He was working here for few hours and then she covered for him, so he could be attending the Auror entrance test. That was a huge relief. She was really thinking he likes duelling as the old families do. She had been laughing for a half an hour, when he had explained to her that it's the other way around, actually.
Sirius felt free. She didn't know him so he could be whoever he wanted. For the first time in his life. And he chose to be brave and funny and optimistic and cheerful and everything he couldn't be back home. He wore his hair in a messy bun. He wore a yellow apron. And he made a secret tattoo in the colours of Gryffindor.
If anybody, who knew him, saw him like that. There was a big possibility they wouldn't recognize him at all.