Velvet Rouge avec Black Wine

Chapter 4: Appraisal

Disclaimer: Names and property rights of Harry Inc. are confined to Madam J.K Rowling.

Author's Notes: Why, oh why, did this take so long to write? Errors in French should be brought to my attention ASAP!

FYI: Gideon, Fabian and Sturgis are not Mary-Sues. I just like to pull up obscure characters from the book and infuse them with a little bit of personality.

Voler un baiser des lèvres vierges-- L'innocence goûte plus doux.

"When you said you wanted to take me out to celebrate, this wasn't exactly what I had in mind," Remus complained. He blew on his hands and rubbed them together, in a futile effort to keep frostbite at bay, before shoving them deep into his pockets.

The pair had been walking through the streets of London for what seemed like hours in the bitter cold. Sirius had assured him that their destination was nearby, but Remus had lost faith three blocks ago—coincidentally, around the time he lost feeling in his feet. He was fully convinced that they were wandering in circles, in the dark, and that Sirius was too damned stubborn to admit defeat.

"Why Remus," Sirius said, clutching his chest dramatically. "I'm hurt. One would get the feeling that you don't appreciate the effort that was put in on your behalf."

"Save your crocodile tears for someone who isn't about to turn into an ice block," Remus retorted.

Remus heard Sirius chuckle and felt an arm snake around his waist. Startled, he instinctively pushed away and found, to his horror, that Sirius' arm only held him tighter. "W-What do you think you're doing?" Remus demanded, squirming inside Sirius' embrace. His eyes darted around nervously, looking for anyone who might be watching them.

"I'm keeping you warm," Sirius said innocently. "I wouldn't want you to catch a cold."

Remus blushed, and was glad that his cheeks were already pink from the cold, so that Sirius wouldn't see his agitation. "That's hardly the issue," Remus said firmly, detracting himself from Sirius' hold. Was it his imagination or did Sirius' arm fall away reluctantly? "People might get the wrong idea, seeing us walking together so intimately."

"Or the right one," Sirius muttered cryptically.

Before Remus could ask him to elaborate, Sirius held out a restraining arm abruptly, stopping in front of nondescript building. "We're here."

"Where exactly is here?" Remus eyed the building suspiciously. Vines crept up the sides of the stout brick building, framing the windows charmingly. Despite this, Remus could see nothing special about such a building—historic or otherwise. The only identifying mark was a bronze plaque on the door which advertised: 12 Grimmauld Place. What in the world were they doing here?

"It's a surprise," Sirius said with a wink. He tugged on Remus' arm. "Come on."

Remus sighed. He knew enough about Sirius to know that once his mind was made up, there was no talking him out of it. Instead, he allowed himself to be dragged to the door, where Sirius used his cane to rap on the oak panels.

The door creaked open, revealing a wizened doorman. He eyed Sirius up and down sniffing disdainfully, before grudgingly greeting the pair. "May I help you… gentlemen?"

Behind him, Remus could hear that some sort of party was in progress. He had a fleeting thought that Sirius and Gideon had arranged some sort of fête in his honor, but dismissed it as whimsical fancy on his part. After all, it was only yesterday that he had passed his evaluation.

"Let us by," Sirius said peremptorily. "We're expected,"

The doorman made no move to step aside. "I was not informed of such a visit," Kreacher said with a voice two tones away from outright rudeness. Remus was surprised his audacity. Had Kreacher been part of the Lupin household, his father would never have tolerated such insubordination. This was merely further proof that the French were more refined.

"With the preparations, I'm sure it slipped his mind," Sirius said gritting his teeth. "Now, I shall ask you one more time to step aside!"

Kreacher shot one final contemptuous look at Sirius before slowly opening the door. "As young master wishes," he said with an ironic bow.

Sirius motioned Remus to walk inside and they stepped into the blessed warmth of the house.

"Disagreeable fellow, isn't he?" Remus said as they walked towards the source of revelry.

"Uncle Alphard humors him," Sirius shrugged. "Granted, Kreacher has served faithfully as the family retainer for ages. He's practically an heirloom--one that I would not be anxious to get rid of."

No more was said about the doorman as Remus and Sirius stepped into the bustling foyer.

Remus' first reaction was that of shocked disbelief. Gone were the clean lines and conservative subjects of Academic art and in its place were shocking images of pedestrians, laundry women, and bedraggled factory workers; all with faces resigned to a life of toil. Even the sky had not escaped artistic license, battling the after-effects of painfully bright oranges and yellows.

Here, was art in its most raw and purest form, unaltered by artistic censure. Remus wondered why anyone would want to inflict this upon themselves, for there were more people that he had originally thought. The room was packed with gentlemen, young and old, wandering listlessly around the room, imparting their opinion on the pieces to anyone who was unfortunate enough to be nearby.

"Remus! Sirius!" Gideon smiled broadly as he approached them. "I was beginning to think you both had come to an unfortunate end in some back alley."

"And risk missing your premier?" Sirius quipped, gesturing for a passing servant to take his coat. "Not a chance."

Remus couldn't help but notice that he had freshened up from the last time they had met. Gone were the paint speckled smock and loose trousers. In its place was a neat, double breasted suit, complete with a spray of flowers for his uppermost buttonhole. Next to him, Remus felt underdressed in his navy vest and trousers.

"Hardly mine alone," Gideon said self-depreciatingly. "Fabian's fielding offers for his latest piece in the drawing room. Not to mention, James has been accosted by several gentlemen wondering if he would be interested in constructing a fashionable bust in their likeness—at a reduced price, of course."

"I wasn't aware of an Exhibition scheduled this late in the fall," Remus said. He could've sworn that there were only three major showings in London every year and all of them were on the other side of town!

"The Discard is an unofficial venue which displays artwork that hasn't been approved to be shown in official Exhibitions," Sirius explained. "This way, struggling artists are still able to make a few pounds and the nouveau riche get to buy a masterpiece for a fraction of it's worth. A delightful compromise, I can assure you."

"It's held in a different place every year depending on the sponsor. This year just happened to be Alphard's turn."

"And it is a duty that take quite seriously," a deep voice interrupted. Remus turned to see that an older gentleman had joined their conversation. Straight away, Remus could see that this was not a man to be trifled with. Despite the cane, he had a commanding presence that demanded deference. His coal black hair was touched with silver at the sides, which only added to his distinguished air. Judging by his finely tapered nose and generous mouth, this could only be the infamous Uncle Alphard. "Like I always say," Alphard said with a faint smile. "Those who can--paint. Those who can't--pay through the nose."

He shot Remus a curious look before his eyes alighted on Sirius. "I'm glad to see that you changed your mind and decided to attend after all. No doubt I have Gideon to thank."

"On the contrary," Sirius said. "My presence can be blamed on Remus. When I had heard the poor lad hadn't had the privilege of attending such an extravagant soiree, I felt that his condition had to be remedied."

"Ever the thoughtful one," Gideon conceded.

"And how is it that you know Sirius?" Alphard asked, turning his penetrating gaze at Remus. "I would have thought that with your apparent age difference that there would be little you two have in common."

It was an entirely innocuous statement, but the careful way it was phrased aroused Remus' suspicions. He was being tested, but for what, he could not say. Perhaps Sirius' uncle meant to assess Remus' sincerity. Remus himself had suffered his share of 'friends' and 'admirers' who were obviously only out to relieve him of his wealth. Alphard's concern was valid.

"Your assumption is not far from the truth, Monsieur Black. Anyone who witnessed our first meeting could attest to that," Remus hesitated, choosing his words with utmost care. "But I believe that art recognizes neither gender nor race, much less age. Its language transcends all barriers."

This startled a bark of laughter from the dignified patron. "Well said, Master Remus," Alphard said rapping his cane for emphasis. Sirius and Gideon were grinning outright, which made Remus sigh in relief. He had passed. After that, Alphard exchanged only a few more pleasantries, encouraging Remus to take in all that there was to offer, before pulling Sirius away to speak to him privately.

"He was in the army, you know," Gideon said suddenly they watched Sirius tried to help his limping uncle, only to be waved away impatiently. "Lieutenant Alphard Black. Rumor has it that he took a bullet for the Major during a skirmish in South Africa and was awarded a medal of honor. A poor trade, I think, considering he's half paralyzed because of it."

Remus looked thoughtful. "What does he do now?"

"He's invested most of his fortune in a shipping line that runs from London to Calcutta," Gideon replied. "Even now, he has plans to extend business to Hong Kong. Old army contacts come in useful when one engages in international trade. Mind you, his business is strictly above-board."

"That explains all of this," Remus said gesturing to the elaborate oriental rugs and hand painted silk screens depicting scenes of Chinese countryside. They were sheer, with an illusion of transparency. The delicate silk embroidery around the frame, alone, must have cost a small fortune.

"Paltry trinkets, considering he's probably got more stashed somewhere else," Gideon said dismissively. "He's quite the art connoisseur. I'd wager that every piece of art that's displayed in the London Museum has passed through his ownership at one point or another. He alone owns one-fourth of the Tanagra statues which were excavated from Greece. An amazing feat considering that Alphard also spends thousands of pounds each year simply buying the works of minor artists so that they can get their start in the art world."

"Speaking of minor artists," Remus said mischievously. "I still haven't seen your showpiece."

"Is that so?" Gideon raised an eyebrow. "We'll have to fix that, won't we?"

X.x Un beauté sans pareille x.X

"I wasn't aware that you were bringing a friend," Alphard said lightly, when they were out of ear-shot. The look that passed between them was the only thing that indicated the exchange was less than innocent. "Had I known the two of you were coming together, I would've arranged for someone to fetch you."

"Such a stern face, Uncle," Sirius smiled. "Remus is merely a colleague of mine. He's recently transferred from France and Dumbledore asked me to look out for him; steer him away from bad influences and the like."

Alphard scowled. "Bad influences. Pah! I can't imagine what that man was thinking. He must be growing senile in his old age. It was bound to happen sooner or later. I see now that I shall have to have a few choice words with him."

"There's no need to revisit the Douglas affair," Sirius sighed. "I've learned my lesson."

"Then I won't have to remind you that I can ill afford another scandal—especially one so close to the maiden launch."

Sirius knew how important his uncle's shipping industry was, and how business directly correlated with reputation. His last escapade had cost the Black family dearly. Luckily, the charges of sodomy and gross indecency were dropped with the sailor's sudden disappearance. Funny how such a minor indiscretion drove away even the most hardened of business partners. It had taken his uncle years to recoup the losses.

"I can assure you that such… unsavory behavior will not be repeated. Remus isn't one for such games," Sirius said. He glanced over to where Gideon and Remus were standing, laughing over some comment or another. Remus' cheeks were pink, which no doubt had something to do with the wineglass in his hand. A flash annoyance appeared in Sirius' eyes before he resolutely looked away from the pair. "Besides, he has proven to be in possession of enough sense for the both of us."

"It isn't him I'm worried about," Alphard said significantly.

He knew Sirius better than anyone and could recognize the subtle signs he was emitting, which all pointed to his infatuation with the French boy. He also knew that while Sirius may have yet to make a move, it would not be long before someone forced his hand. No Black could sit idly by with such a tempting specimen in plain sight and not covet it. Furthermore, despite Sirius' assurances that Remus was more than capable of resisting his advances, he had no doubt that the boy would cave, for if Sirius had inherited anything from the Black bloodline, it was persistence—in spades.

Alphard sighed, rubbing his temples. He was growing too old for this. "I suppose I have no other choice than to accept your promise at face value. But be assured that I shall hold you to your word and should the slightest rumor of an affair reach my ears…"

"I shall sign over my fortune to you and throw myself into the Channel," Sirius finished. "That, or I shall marry Bellatrix and produce a number suitable heirs, although I'm not sure which one is the lesser of two evils."

Alphard's hand made a move to swat Sirius' ear, as he had always done before when Sirius was younger and made some impudent comment, but stopped midway as he realized the public setting they found themselves in. "You're a good boy, Sirius. I strongly urge you to reconsider your options. Narcissa isn't such a terrible match and I'd hate to see the Black line end with you."

X.x Un garçon sans l'honte est sans la fierté x.X

The remainder of the party went off smashingly. Remus couldn't remember a time when he had enjoyed himself so immensely and in a room full of critics no less. James had finally managed to extract himself from a particularly stubborn client who was determined to have a statue of him as Zeus, towering mightily on Mount Olympus. Remus had laughed hysterically when James recounted his explanation as to why that endeavor would not be feasible with the subject in question standing a whopping five feet three inches.

In fact, as the night wore on, Remus' only concern was for Sirius, who had returned from his private conversation with his uncle more subdued that usual. He refused to answer both James and Gideon's questions and stood silent as the rest laughed merrily and drank shots of Du Kang.

"Sirius, whatever is the matter with you," Remus asked, when they were in the carriage. Alphard had insisted on proving suitable transportation to take them back to school safely and would not hear a word otherwise. Gideon and James had arrived together, and so left the same way. "You've been acting pensive all night."

Sirius was silent as he regarded Remus with hooded eyes. He pursed his lips thoughtfully, a strange expression in his eyes, but with the shadows, Remus couldn't be entirely sure. "How would you feel if I told you that my uncle disapproved of our friendship?"

Remus took a moment to ponder, slightly nervous at Sirius' queer behavior. There was no trace of good humor in his face as he stared at Remus intensely. "I-I'm not sure I would disagree," Remus finally replied. Unable to meet Sirius' eyes, he looked out of the window, staring up at the full moon, which hung low from the sky. He missed the look of surprise that flashed across Sirius' face.

"Why?"

"Had it been me introducing you to my parents, I'm not entirely sure that they would've welcomed you either," Remus said slowly. "There's always a certain element of distrust with strangers, especially old, wealthy families who are wary of anything that hasn't been known by their grandparents' grandparents." Remus reached over and touched Sirius' hand which had been resting on his knee. Looking him straight in the eye, he continued, "But it doesn't matter what they think. What matters is whether you believe I'm trustworthy, and not just out to pick your pockets clean."

Sirius had been regarding him with growing amusement as he spoke and when Remus stopped, he started laughing. Remus, who had been sincere in his speech, was mildly offended. This was not the reaction he had been expecting and he withdrew his hand with a huff. Honestly, Sirius could be the rudest person on the face of the earth.

Gasping for breath, Sirius covered his eyes. "Remus, you're a riot," he chuckled. Seeing that Remus was annoyed, he stopped immediately. "I apologize for my earlier remark. I should never have broached such a topic. I'm not entirely sure what came over me. Do you think you could find it in your generous heart to forgive me?"

Slightly mollified, Remus replied, "Of course. We'll just blame it on the moon."