NOTES: Wow, this one's rather long and painful to write. I haven't really proof-read, so I'm terribly sorry for the mistake you'd find. I really hope you guys like this chapter. Tell what you think, will you? And good news! Because I'm planning for ten chapters for each of Harry's school year, that means we're a chapter away from part two, which is Harry's second year. Feel free to tell me what do you wish to see during Harry's second year; be it your favourite characters or pairings or whatever. Anyway, happy reading!
Sirius liked to think that he was the closest with Harry. That was a fact anyway, seeing that he spent so much time with the kid more than anyone else in the house did. Even when James and Lily were still alive, being Harry's Godfather, Sirius took it upon himself to be the one whom Harry felt the most comfortable with, other than his parents. People often thought that the reason he was so close with Harry was because he saw James in the little boy. That was wrong though. Sirius knew perfectly who he was talking to because Harry wasn't James – and that wasn't a bad thing. Harry was his own person, and Sirius was proud to call him his boy. So, when Harry started to distance himself from Sirius, and everyone else in the house, it didn't take Sirius long to realise that something was wrong with Harry. The moment they all (yes, including Regulus and his family) picked the boy up at King's Cross, Sirius had felt something different about him. The green-eyed boy actually looked like he preferred to be at Hogwarts instead. Sirius would be lying if he said that didn't hurt. He had been raising Harry all his life, and he had long considered the boy his own kid. After the whole thing with the Sorcerer's Stone, Sirius realised just how much he missed his little Prongslet. He had asked Moony whether the werewolf knew what was wrong with their boy, but Remus merely said that Sirius should ask Harry himself. He was well aware that Remus was right, like he always was about everything else. Sirius should have talked to Harry. Why didn't he do so then? Because Sirius was an idiot, that was why. Throw him into a swarm of Death Eaters and dark creatures, he'd probably come out alive and unscathed. But when it came to talking? Especially when it involved feelings? Sirius was dumb. Nevertheless, after Marlene literally nudged him (violently) to go talk to their Godson, he finally relented. Besides, there was nothing Sirius wouldn't do for Harry.
That was how the Auror ended up in front of his Godson's room, three days after the boy returned for his summer.
"Fawn? Can I come in?" Sirius said as he knocked on Harry's door.
"…Okay. Yeah, sure," came Harry's answer after awhile.
When Sirius got inside the room, he found Harry sitting on the foot of his bed, eyes on the framed-picture of James and Lily. In the picture, James was behind Lily, hugging his beloved wife who was holding their newborn son. Eyeing his Godson closely, Sirius silently marveled how the boy looked exactly like Prongs did all those years ago, back when Sirius himself and James were around Harry's age. For a moment, Sirius was thrown back into the past as he remembered all the nights he spent at Potter house-hold when he couldn't stand it anymore at his own home. By the time they entered their third year of friendship, the Potters had instanlled another bed in James' room because of how Sirius would practically spend the whole summer at the their home. Sirius remembered how the late Fleamont Potter taught Sirius to play chess because his own son was a hopeless case, or all the hours Sirius spent helping Euphemia cooking for dinner because both her husband and son would only burn her kitchen instead of helping her. A small smile escaped Sirius when the memory of him running around the Potter household with James after every dinner up until they were thirteen, which later changed into smoking on the rooftop starting the summer of their fourth year. Taking a deep breath as he pulled himself back into the present, Sirius took a seat beside Harry, feeling a little awkward for being awkward. They were silent for a couple minutes, Sirius was wondering what he should say while Harry's attention was all set on the picture in his hands. It was until Sirius caught Harry's hand started to tremble that he realised he should have had this talk ages ago.
"Harry, what's wrong?" Sirius said gently. "You've been awfully weird this past few days. And don't lie to me saying that it's nothing. I know you, kid. And I'm worried about you. So, will youplease tell this old man what's wrong?"
"It's… It's stupid, really," Harry began, turning his head to look at one of the many Quidditch posters all over his wall. "I just… You would probably laugh at me if I tell you."
"I won't. I promise," Sirius said quickly without hesitance.
"Really?" Harry said, the look in his eyes reminded Sirius of someone else's twenty years ago.
("I promise I won't tell anyone, Evans.")
("Oh, really, Black?")
("Well, don't you trust me then?")
("This must sound crazy, but I actually do.")
"Really." Sirius waited patiently for what felt like hours until Harry opened his mouth and the word-vomit came profusely.
"I was jealous of Payne," Harry said truthfully, his green eyes were suddenly pained and very child-like again. "For years, it was only you and me, Sirius. Well, sometimes Moony and the ladies were there too. But most of the time, it was you and me. And I know, it's very unfair of me because Marlene had been dreaming for a baby for years. But, every time I see you making faces at Payne, or when Marlene is busy entertaining her, that's when I feel so alone. I realise that I'm not your kid. I'm just a boy who you adopted because you were best friends with my parents."
("I feel like I'm imposing you and your family, James. I mean, I won't be surprised if one day your parents decided that I better kick myself out of the house.")
("Bloody hellp, Padfoot, you're such a drama queen. Pretty sure my parents love you more than they love me, so shut up.")
"No," Sirius said firmly, his tone seemed to surprise the teenager from the way he jumped a bit. "You are more than that. You're not just a kid I adopted because Prongs and Lily were my best friends. Harry, you're my kid. You were right when you said that for years, it'd been you and me. And it doesn't change, kid. You're still my son, with or without Payne. I love you, even if you're not the product of me banging my Marley."
The whole time he spoke, Harry was silent. There was a look of disbelief was on his face. It was if he doubted the love and affection Sirius felt for him. But when the Auror reached the end of his speech, Harry's green eyes were filled with tears as he let out a soft chuckle. Sirius knew he'd said the right thing, so he grabbed Harry's hand and continued. "Harry, I want you to know that even if Marlene and I had a thousand kids after Payne, you will always be my son. You were here first before Payne for years. And me having Payne or other kids doesn't mean I'd be kicking you aside. And the same goes for Marlene, or Remus and Doe when he finally knocks her up. We are your parents, even if we're not biologically related to you. Whatever happens, we'll always be here for you. Really, you shouldn't be worried that we'd going to cast you aside anytime soon. Fawn, you're stuck with us till the end of time. Once a Marauder-"
"-always a Marauder," Harry finished, hugging Sirius tightly as the older man hugged him back. "I'm sorry, Sirius. I was so, so stupid."
"You were scared, and it was normal," Sirius said, patting Harry's back softly. "I understand perfectly. But, next time, I want you to talk to me, okay? Or Remus or whoever you feel comfortable to talk about this. Just…say something, yes? Don't keep us in the dark."
"I promise, this will be the last time. And I want you to know that I love you too, Sirius. You were a too much sometimes, but you were always there for me."
"Aw, look, I got dust in my eyes," Sirius laughed, wiping the tears that leaked from his eyes. He was glad when Harry laughed along with him. He put an arm around the boy's shoulder and pulled him to his feet. "Come on, let's have dinner. The women have cooked us something delicious."
Walking side by side, Sirius and Harry went down to have dinner with their family. Everyone else was already down there by the time they got there. Remus was engaged in a serious conversation with Regulus about Order related stuffs, and the two quickly shut up when they saw Sirius coming with Harry, changing their conversation into discussions about how things were in the Muggle world lately. Sirius' and Regulus' girls, Payne and Astrid, were lying in their respective cribs while their mothers were cooking with Dorcas, giggling adorably as the asigned Elf was entertaining the two babies until their mothers came. Ever since Regulus came to see Sirius, the older Black had decided that it'd be for the best for Regulus to stay with him, lest any ex-Death Eaters were hunting him down. At first, Regulus was reluctant because he didn't want people to think he was depending his and his family's life on Sirius. But after he listened to Sirius' reasoning that his family might be in danger if he kept on living with the Muggles, he relented. Just a week after the two brothers held the press conference, Sirius prepared the rooms for Regulus and his family. They'd been living together for five months, and to say that thing had gone smoothly would be a lie. For one thing, the last time the two of them lived under the same roof was sixteen years ago. Therefore, they'd more or less forgotten each other's annoying quirks. Sirius had totally forgotten Regulus' annoying habit of waking up in the middle of the night to have late-night snacks. Being a light sleeper, Sirius found it maddening whenever he heard the sound of Regulus' footsteps coming down to the kitchen, waking him up from his deep slumber. Then there was also the fact that the brothers always found it hard to agree on anything to eat for dinner. Lucky for them their wives were very understanding and willing to cook two absolute different menu for the both of them.
At first, everyone found it amusing to find the two full-grown brothers fought like they were teenagers. But after the fifteenth time they fought in the six weeks Regulus and his family lived with Sirius, it started to get on everyone's nerves. Marlene was the first one to snap, obviously. The woman actually threatened to kick both Blacks out of the house so they'd sleep in the garden. Judging from the look on Irina's face, Sirius knew that the only reason the nurse refrained herself from loudly proclaiming her support toward Marlene's decision was because of how she feared to offend Sirius. But the woman, even though she still jumped about a foot in the air every time an Elf popped out of thin air, soon found her place among every occupant at the Black Manor. Albeit being five years younger than Marlene and Dorcas, they'd become best friends in no time. She was also starting to get used to magic, which was amazing in Sirius' opinion. He hadn't talked much with the woman, but she was growing on him. The fact that she'd changed his brother and made him happy would always be the reason why Sirius accepted her into his family with opened arms. Albeit yelling at each other for almost every day, Sirius cared about his brother a great deal, and vice versa.
When Harry was first introduced to Regulus, the boy seemed rather wary of his Godfather's brother. Sirius rarely spoke about his 'dead' brother to Harry, and to see the man that they'd all believed to be dead for so long was a jarring for the little boy. But, he got over it rather quick. Even though he was avoiding everyone, Harry was still very polite toward Regulus and Irina. When the boy found out that Regulus was a Seeker too, despite being rather moody, Sirius could see that Harry was dying to interrogate his younger brother. Sirius had told Regulus to be tactful with Harry, and his brother assured him that he would do so. As Sirius took his usual seat on Remus' other side, he watched Harry cautiously took his seat beside Regulus. At first, his Godson kept to himself, sending curt glances toward his brother. But after awhile, Regulus realised that there was someone who had been trying to get his attention. It started out a little awkward, with Regulus asking how was Quidditch. With head bowed down, Harry replied by saying that because he was unable to participate in the game, Slytherin won the game. Much to Sirius' amazement, Regulus made an effort to cheer Harry up, and added some suggestions for the next game. Sirius remembered how Regulus was always so much better with kids, and judging from how quickly Harry fell in a comfortable conversation, it proved that Regulus' charm worked on Harry as well. It put a huge smile on Sirius' face to see his brother and his Godson talking so easily with each other, the fact that they'd just met a few days prior seemed to be forgotten.
"Oh great, you're here already," Marlene said as she entered the dining room with Dorcas and Irina. Both she and the Healer had their wands aimed at the plates of food behind them.
"Did it usually take them long to get here, Mar?" Regulus asked with a grin, and both Black brothers were brought back to the memories of their mother yelling for the both of them to get down quickly every dinner.
"You wouldn't believe it, Reg," Marlene sighed dramatically, throwing herself on her usual seat beside Sirius after she was done preparing all the food on the table. "These two gentleman with Mr Two-Face over there have absolute no control when they're too busy playing their Quidditch toys."
"They're not toys, Marlene!" Harry, Sirius and Remus exclaimed at the same time, having had the same argumentation countless times before. "They're limited edition figurines!"
"They're labelled for children age ten," Dorcas deadpanned, backing up her best friend once she'd made sure everyone had something on their plates. "Pretty sure when something are meant for someone bellow the age of fifteen, they're called toys."
"But it's different when it comes to Quidditch figurines," Regulus said, winking toward Harry who beamed widely. Sirius and Remus laughed out loud at the scowl on Marlene's and Dorcas' faces.
"Should have known you'd back them up," Marlene snapped. "You and that annoying jerk are related, after all."
"What is Quidditch?" Irina inquired. She was enjoying her dinner, although she kept an eye on the Elf that was still taking care of her daughter.
"Quidditch is a sport game," Regulus answered. "It's a little bit like football where the players have to score the ball into the goal-posts, only we're riding brooms. There are seven players; three Chasers to score, a Keeper to stop the other team from scoring, two Beaters to beat away or knock the other players using, and also a Seeker whose job is to seek a special ball that is worth a hundred and fifty points."
"You can come to my next game and see it yourself, if you want to," Harry added, smiling shyly toward the nurse. "It'll be easier to understand when you see it."
"Am I…am I allowed to?" Irina said, glancing toward her husband then toward Sirius. For some reason, whenever she was unsure about something, the girl would always look toward Sirius.
And whenever she did that, when those big blue eyes landed on his grey ones, Sirius couldn't help but to be reminded of a pair of big green eyes looking toward him with a hopeful look in those uncanny eyes the last time he saw her.
"You're family," Sirius said, smiling toward the younger woman. "Both you and Reggie are our family. So, yes, of course, you're allowed."
("You're asking me to tag along on your meet-the-parents dinner? Are you sure about that, Lil? I mean, I know I can get a bit obnoxious, but I do know there are some lines that I'm not to cross.")
("Don't be an idiot, Sirius. You're family. And we do need some extra help in case Tuney's bloated whale of a fiance starts to pick a fight with James.")
It had been five months since his return from the dead, and even though he missed his small yet warm home, Regulus did like living with his brother. It wasn't about the luxury though. It was more about the fact that he had his brother back. When Sirius walked out of their parents' house all those years ago, a part of Regulus hated his brother for leaving him behind. That was probably one of the many reasons why he decided to become a Death Eater. It was like a sign of rebellion toward the brother that he thought had abandoned him. Regulus was a rational man, and he was also a firm believer of being the captain of his own fate. He was grateful though that there was some higher power out there that had intervened with his life, setting him on the right path again and giving him a second chance to right all his wrong. Sometimes he had horrible nightmares of him dying in the cave and watching his brother from the after life as the great Sirius Black was sent to prison after he was accused of becoming the reason of the Potters' death. The dreams were so vivid sometime, often times it would wake him up even from his deepest slumber. Regulus then would reach around for Irina, who readily snuggled closer into his arms, and then he would lie awake in his bed for hours as he tried to calm himself. He was aware that his life wasn't perfect, not even close. But the alternative, where he died and Irina was not a part of his life, where his brother was a convicted murderer and little Harry lived a horrible and unloved life? That was much too horrible.
"Hey, you," he heard Irina called out as she entered their room. "I've been looking for you."
"Hi," Regulus said, opening his arms so his wife could settle against his chest. "How was shopping with the ladies?"
There was going to be a big dinner to celebrate Regulus' return, as was custormary in the Pureblood tradition when they wanted to introduce (or in REgulus' case, re-introduce) a family member. Originally, both Regulus and Sirius didn't want to do it. They thought they'd done enough with the press conference. But a lot of the Council members of the Sacretd Twenty Eight agreed that it would be beneficial to hold a dinner, saying that by doing so, Sirius could show to the rest of the world how Regulus was under his care and that anyone who dared to mess with Regulus and his family was going to face the Sirius Black as the leader of the Sacreds. That was the only reason Sirius and Regulus changed their minds. Thus, after much debate, Sirius allowed the ladies to go on shopping for dresses. He did have three Elves to follow them, so Regulus could breath in relief at the thought of his wife roaming around London without him.
"It was great," Irina said, grinning. "Mar and Doe took me to Madam Malkin's. I didn't have much girl friends growing up – or any at all. I was always the weird girl back at school."
"You and me both," Regulus said with a small smile. He leaned onto her so he could give her a kiss. "If it's any consolation to you, I didn't have friends too. I don't know how much you've learned from Marlene and Dorcas, but in the Pureblood society, we only have acquiantances for political benefits. Like, people only wanted to be friends with me after they found out who I was."
"It must be hard growing up for you," Irina said, her hand reaching up to caress his face softly. "I mean, I didn't have friends because people saw me as this weird girl who hated parties and looked down toward girls who threw themselves at boys. But you? You had acquiantances instead of friends, and you had to pick them carefully."
"I have you now though, and that's what important. The past hardly matters when the present is so much more appealing. Yes, the road I took for me to get here wasn't easy, and things were hard for me at first. But I have you and Astrid and my brother."
Astrid took his hand and let him onto their bed. With her free hand, she gathered his other hand together. She trailed the lines in his palms, and Regulus watched her with absolute fascination. He truly couldn't picture his life without her.
"Well, I better go get ready, okay?" Irina said after awhile. "Big night tonight."
"I'd rather us spend it here in our room," Regulus replied with a cheeky grin. Irina rolled her eyes at her husband's childishness, knowing exactly what he had in mind.
"Your brother will kill you if you choose to ditch him tonight. After all, he did all this for you."
"He's gone through events like these for all his life. I think he'll be able to come up with an excuse if I really choose to stay here with you." His grin widening, Regulus leaned closer to kiss Irina, one hand cupping the back of Irina's head while the other had wrapped itself around her waist.
"Regulus!" Irina giggled, pushing Regulus away with a hand on his face. "We can't do this!"
"Yeah, listen to your woman, Reg!" Sirius yelled from outside of the room, his voice thick with humour. "Don't make me come in there and drag you out myself, brother!"
"Oh, sod off, Sirius!" Regulus yelled. He had the sudden and overwhelming urge to blast his brother through the door.
"Naughty, naughty," Sirius said as he started to walk away, his annoying chuckles were still heard even though he'd gone. Annoyed that his time with his wife had been disturb, Regulus buried his head into the crook of Irina's neck and groaned immaturely like a child.
"Come on, husband mine; you heard your brother," Irina said. She gave a peck on Regulus' forehead before she went into the bathroom to get ready.
"Someday, I'm going to kill him and you cannot stop me," Regulus called to his wife. The woman merely stuck her tongue out at him and disappeared into the bathroom.
The next two hours till the so-called dinner were spent with Regulus hanging out with Sirius and Remus in the kitchen, dreading the moment when the Elves would start to announce guests. The temptation not to drink themselves to oblivion was to hard to resist, but fortunately (or unfortunately) Remus was there to stop the brothers from doing anything stupid. Just a minute after Irina went into the bathroom, the door was knocked loudly by Marlene and Dorcas, who later demanded on Regulus to leave the room so them ladies could start on the painful and tedious process of primping themselves. The younger Black had made a mistake on commenting that the girls took the party too seriously ("Stop with the puns, for Merlin's sake!" his brother had hollered from downstairs) – to which Marlene replied with a viscious glare as she spat that it was easy for Regulus to say so, seeing that men did not need to do much work to look perfect. Regulus had thought that Marlene was going to kill him right then and there. Lucky for him, Mrs Lupin was as much of a blessing as her husband was, and she was quick enough to usher Marlene into the room before the other woman could hex Regulus into bits. Sirius looked at him in sympathy when he complained to him about Marlene, telling him that he was lucky not to get hexed. That was how the three men of the house waited for their significant others to get ready in absolute boredom. At least the kids were there to keep them entertained as they watched Harry trying (and failing) to teach Payne and Astrid to stop poking at his glasses.
The first guest arrived just minutes after the door to Regulus' room was opened, revealing the ladies of the house stepping out in their own respective dresses. Dorcas was the first to get out, dressed in a breath-taking blue dress that matched her eyes. She was looking at her husband nervously, wringing her fingers together. But, even though Regulus was blind toward other woman's beauty other than his wife's, he could tell that Dorcas had nothing to worry about. Judging from the dumbstruck look on Remus' face, the man probably had a hard time to stop himself from going all caveman and swooped his petite Healer into his room – which was unlike Regulus' brother. The moment Marlene came out behind Dorcas, wearing a bold red dress that clung to her effortlessly as if she hadn't just given birth a few months prior, Sirius looked like he was just half an inch from dragging the woman into his own room. The look in the older Black's eyes screamed out all the inappropriate thoughts he had in his mind, one of them surely was about how he preferred Marlene out of the dress. Regulus was just about to laugh at both Aurors' face, but was forced to swallow it down when he saw his own angel. Irina was dressed in a silver dress that shimmered every time she moved and the glitters on it caught the lights. In his eyes, Irina was always the most beautiful woman in the whole universe. But he really had to admit that right at that moment, the only time Irina looked even prettier was during their wedding day.
"Well?" Dorcas said for herself and the other two ladies. She gave a little twirl with a shy smile. "What do you think, boys? How do we look?"
It was until Harry had answered with a little sneaky grin on his young face that Regulus realised how he, his brother and Remus had gone stupid and began to stutter words that couldn't be English.
"You all look amazing, Doe," Harry said kindly. "And if you don't believe me, these three intelligent men's reactiong should be proved enough."
"Aw, you're too nice, dear," Marlene said, ruffling her Godson's hair affectionately. Turning to her fiance, she rolled her eyes though the way she beamed couldn't betray the joy she felt upon the reaction she saw on Sirius. "And how are you, love? You're doing alright?"
When Sirius opened his mouth, Regulus was damn sure what he'd said definitely wasn't English.
"I'm sorry? Didn't catch that," Marlene said with a smirk.
Blinking his eyes a thousand times, Sirius took a deep breath and finally said, "Let's just say that if we weren't in the company of children, I'd do something really inappropriate right now to you."
"Ew, Sirius," Harry said, scrunching his face in his disgust. He put his hand on the twin-cart where the girls were lying and began to push into the ballroom, shaking his head dramatically at his Godfather.
"Remus, are you alright?" Dorcas asked, putting a hand on her husband's shoulder. Sirius snickered as he looped his hand around Marlene's.
"It seems dear Moony is in a bit of shock, Doe," Sirius laughed before he followed Harry and the girls into the ballroom.
"I hate him," Remus finally said once his out of his trance-like state. Regulus nodded his head at Remus' statement, understanding perfectly what the werewolf meant.
"You and me both, Remus. You and me both," Regulus said.
"Well, we better get in then," Dorcas said, a huge smile on her face. It was clear that she was extremely pleased at how she managed to stunt the ever calm and collected Remus Lupin. "Even with Marlene with him, I still don't feel it's save to leave the kids alone with Sirius."
"Yeah, lest he manages to convince Harry to ask the Elves to start some firework-show in front of the guests," Remus agreed. Waving a hand, Remus led his wife into the ballroom.
"What about you, Mr Black?" Irina said once they were alone. She took a step closer toward Regulus until they were less than an inch apart. "What do you think of my dress?"
"Darling," Regulus started, careful not to ruin Irina's make up when he kissed her. "I'll let you know that my brother isn't the only with naughty intentions at the moment."
"Naughty boy," Irina giggled. "But, since you've been such a good boy, I think I'll give you a reward after we're done with this party."
Regulus laughed at her words. "That's one of the way to get me looking forward to having this whole thing done and over with. I guess we'll have to get in then, Mrs Black. Can't have the guests waiting for me, now, right?"
Still chuckling, the couple went into the ballroom, arms linked around each other. Sirius had briefed them all in the morning that there would be at least a hundred guests coming, not counting the possible reporters and plus-ones (or twos) that might tag along. Being the raised as the son of Head Council of the Sacred Twenty Eight, Regulus and Sirius knew what to expect when guests were to come. Regulus could guess same thing went for Marlene, who was a Pureblood too. But for Remus and Dorcas, who were raised half-bloods, he understood their stiff composures. He could only imagine what Irina was feeling, seeing that she was a Muggle. When the bell rang, signaling them of the first guest, Regulus felt Irina's grip around his hand tightened. He had no idea what his wife had learned about the Pureblood society from Marlene and Dorcas, but seeing that worried look on her face, Regulus could tell it wasn't anything pleasant. The first ones to arrive were, of course, the Malfoys. Lucius was dressed in his best robes, a mask of impenetrable indifference on his face as he moved further into the house with his arm around his wife, Regulus' and Sirius' cousin Narcissa, while their son Draco was tailing behind him. He politely shook each other their hands, though he did have the decency to look a bit uncomfortable in front of Marlene. Sirius had told Regulus about the Head Malfoy's attempt to poison Marlene and the baby. Looking at the man now, Regulus began to wonder what was Lucius thinking when he sent the pie to Marlene, and he would probably go all blunt and ask him about it, if he hadn't seen the very visible disgust flashed in those unfeeling grey eyes when Irina gave him her hand.
"Reggie, don't," Sirius said from under his breath. The older Black, who had been standing not far from Regulus, was quick to stop his younger brother's hand from reaching for his wand. "Don't do anything stupid now. Not here."
"Did you see what he just did?" Regulus hissed, glaring at the back for Lucius' head as the man was shaking Remus' hand after he decided not to take Irina's hand. "He very well just insulted my wife and myself when he did that."
"I understand perfectly, Regulus. But this is a party in your honor. That means we can't have you killing the second most powerful Sacreds after myself. Rita Skeeter would have a field day."
"To hell with that wretched wench. That bastard was the reason I got involved with Voldemort in the first place."
Regulus realised it a moment too late that he had said something he had sworn to never say out loud, much less to his brother. Even though they had their moments where they'd almost kill each other, Regulus had never witnessed a moment where pure and unadulterated rage crossed Sirius' handsome face. The moment the words left Regulus' mouth, he actually had to refrain himself from flinching at the murderous look on Sirius' face. His brother was always popular for his temper, but only then did Regulus understand why. He was half-expecting Sirius to kill Lucius, but it seemed like the man had other things in mind. He squeezed Regulus' shoulder, worldlessly making a promise that he'd make things right, and then went off to greet the next guests. Most of the guests who came were the elite Purebloods and Ministry officials, and that meant Regulus had to go through the unbearable pain of watching his wife lowering her hand when people rejected her handshake. Out of the a hundred-something guests coming, Regulus could count with one hand how many had actually taken Irina's hand genuinely because they really wanted to know her and not because of the glare Sirius threw from across the room. He felt immensely grateful when Arthur and Molly Weasley greeted Irina with more than the usual dose of formal politeness and with kindness instead. Regulus thought he was going to die in guilty and shame when Augusta Longbottom, whose son and daughter-in-law had been tortured into insanity by his fellow Death Eaters, didn't even blink as she shook Irina's hand with one hand while the other gently held his wife's shoulder. The former Slytherin had never felt lower than he was at that moment.
The dinner went on smoothly after everyone had arrived (Minister Fudge, that idiot pig, was the last one to arrive). Food was served continuously, no matter how much those greedy lot had. For most of the time, Regulus kept quiet as he sat between his wife and his brother. A lot of people tried to talk to him, but Sirius and Marlene were always quick to answer it for him. He wasn't blind though, nor was he deaf. He knew people talked about his wife. He saw them pointing their rude and filthy fingers at Irina, heard how they looked down upon the fact that he'd married a Muggle when even his wayward and rebellious older brother kept the tradition and married a Pureblood. As the hours passed, it was getting harder for Regulus to keep his temper in check. The only reason he managed to stop himself from exploding was the feeling of Irina's comforting hand on his own, and the assuring smile she gave him. He felt horrible for subjecting her into this horrible even where everyone looked down on her. When someone made another not-so-subtle jab about Irina, Regulus was going to snap when Sirius beat him to it.
"Mr Thicknesse," Sirius said loudly as he forcefully pushed his brother into his seat. "I see that you, and probably everyone else here, have made it habit tonight to say things about my sister-in-law."
The tone Sirius had taken, cold and calculative, chilled even Regulus. Sirius threw a look to each one of his guest, his grey eyes were menacing. The sweet yet humourless smile on his face was enough to remind everyone of Sirius' status as the only man, other than the Prime Minister, who had a say in the fate of the British Wizarding World. That wanker Thicknesse seemed to realise his mistake, and made a hasty effort to correct himself.
"I am sorry, Master Black, but I was just – "
"Need I to remind you that you are all my guest here? I invited you to my house, and have you eating my food so all of us can celebrate my brother's return. I didn't ask for anything in return except for you to respect my family. And you, Pius, just because you got promoted, thought that you had the right to talk about my brother and his wife? Were you really that thick?"
If he wasn't so stunned with Sirius' display of defending himself and Irina, Regulus would have laughed at Sirius' little pun.
"I actually didn't want to hold this dinner. I hate stuffy events like these. But now, after I see how you've been treating my family, I know that I've made the right choice. So, I hereby bestow my protection unto my brother Regulus Black and his Muggle wife Irina, and also their half-blood daughter Astrid. I will personally see to it that my brother and his family are going to be treated well. You all know of what I'm capable to do. So, if any of you have brilliant ideas on making Regulus' life or his family's life hell, you better believe it when I say I'll come knocking to your down and make your life hell."
When no one said anything else, a portion of Sirius' murderous look decreased as a look of triumphant took over. Leaning into his seat, Sirius said, "Now that we all have an understanding, let's enjoy the delicious ice cream my Elves have prepared."