This was written for the Moonlight Forgotten Year 7 THC/ The House Competition 2021
Round 6
House: Gryffindor
Class: Muggle Studies
Category: Standard
Prompt(s) chosen: [First Line] It all started on a Friday in March.
Word Count: 2566
It all started on a Friday in March when Orion had received the devastating news of his son Regulus's death. The news broke him to the point that he didn't feel like himself anymore. Getting through every day after that felt like a chore and as if he was a walking dead body with no purpose in life.
Orion now felt ashamed at himself for admiring and agreeing with Voldemort's ways. Orion remembered how Sirius had accused Walburga and him of being the cause of Regulus's death during Regulus's funeral. His older son was right, he thought guiltily. He and Walburga had pretty much raised Regulus to idealize Voldemort's ways which led to him joining Voldemort and getting himself killed. Sirius had always rebelled against their views and eventually ran away after he had a huge row with Walburga. While Orion agreed with Voldemort's views in theory, he actually preferred a peaceful life away from all the war and violence. But Walburga actively encouraged Regulus to live up to his family's reputation. Orion never disagreed with Walburga, and hence joined her in actively encouraging Regulus.
He never protected his boys from Walburga's rule of tyranny. He let her dictate their lives and paths. Unlike Regulus, Sirius stood up to Walburga on his own. He refused to let Walburga control his life. He didn't approve of Walburga burning Sirius off the family tapestry and implored that they go to the Potters to bring Sirius home, but Walburga would not hear any of it. As usual, Walburga wore the pants in the house and her decision was the final decision. Perhaps things would have been different for both their sons if Orion was as daring as Sirius to stand up to Walburga. Perhaps Regulus would not have become a Death Eater and would still be alive. Perhaps Sirius would not have run away and been burnt off the family tapestry. He had tried making peace with Sirius during Regulus's funeral, but Sirius refused to listen to him.
Orion tried talking to Walburga about whether they should start questioning their belief in Voldemortafter what happened with both their boys. Walburga insisted he was being silly and that Regulus's death was an unfortunate accident that had nothing to do with their beliefs and ways. She further insisted that Sirius was a blood traitor who betrayed their family and shouldn't be spoken about. Regardless of what Walburga said, he couldn't help but feel a constant guilt in himself.
Orion Black stood outside Sirius Black's apartment, contemplating whether or not he should knock. Ever since Regulus passed away, Orion had become paranoid about safety. He had put all sorts of protection charms around his house and rarely left his house except when absolutely necessary. This was one of the rare occasions when he left his house, because had to talk to Sirius. Sirius was his only son left and he didn't want to lose Sirius too. It was too late to rectify his mistakes with Regulus, but he could still rectify his mistakes with Sirius. He could still redeem himself as a father to Sirius. It was a pity that it took his son's death for him to start questioning himself and his ways.
Orion's fist reached for the door a fourth time before he finally brought himself to go through with knocking on the door. A few seconds later, Sirius opened the door with his wand pointed at him. He lowered his wand at the sight of his father.
"Father? What are you doing here?" Sirius narrowed his eyes towards his father with mixture of astonishment, weariness and annoyance.
"Son, I wanted to talk to you," said Orion.
"I thought your wife made it clear that I wasn't part of the family anymore. Can't say I'm complaining about that. Does she even know that you're here?" asked Sirius.
"No, your mother does not know that I'm here. I came here on my own accord. May I please come in? I won't take long," Orion implored.
"Fine," Sirius said as he stepped aside from the door to let his father in.
Orion looked around the fairly sized apartment that would have been very comfortable for a small family of three. The apartment's walls were white and the kitchen counter was a bronze marble. There was an oak dining table by the kitchen with four chairs. In the hall, there was a navy blue three seater sofa and two navy blue recliners. Navy blue was Sirius' favorite color and the sofa and recliners looked very comfortable. He silently thanked Alphard who was both his brother in law and cousin for leaving Sirius with a generous amount of money to afford an elegant apartment. Around the apartment were pictures of Sirius and his three best friends. Orion's eyes wandered to a strange item in the hall. It was rectangular and placed on a cabinet right in front of the sofa.
"That's a muggle television set," said Sirius who noticed him staring peculiarly at the television.
Of course Sirius was into muggle culture, Orion thought to himself. He was partly amused when he thought about how Walburga would react to seeing Sirius's apartment and muggle television set.
Orion wasn't sure how to start or what to say. After a few moments of silence in which Sirius continued starting at him curiously for answers, he finally gathered his words together. "Listen, Sirius. I've been thinking about what you said the other day and you're right. Your mother and I are mostly responsible for the terrible fate that befell your brother," he admitted.
Sirius furrowed his brows as he crossed his arms and pressed his lips together.
"It was how I was raised. I was raised to believe in what 'You Know Who' stood for. I was raised to honor family tradition and I was raised to believe being Black made us royalty," said Orion.
"I was raised in the same family with the same beliefs, father, but I knew better than to follow them," said Sirius, fixing him with a poignant glare.
"Son, please come back home," Orion pleaded.
"Home? You realize that my so-called mother burnt me off the tree and would never welcome me home," said Sirius.
"I'll talk to her," Orion said quickly.
Sirius's eyes were now wide with disbelief as he uncrossed his arms. "You? Stand up to Walburga Black?"
"I'll stand up to her. Please just come back home," Orion pleaded again.
"Father, I have no desire of returning to Grimmauld Place, even if you do convince Walburga Black to accept me. My life is here now," said Sirius.
"Son, if you're worried about our family following 'you know who', we're done with that now. We'll live a peaceful and solitary life away from the war," said Orion.
"Away from the war? I'm in the Order. I'm fighting against Voldemort and his Death Eaters," said Sirius incredulously.
"That's what I'm imploring you to get away from. I'm not telling you to support 'you know who' in any way but you don't have to put yourself at risk fighting in the Order. Many of your family members are Death Eaters, including your Cousin Bellatrix, 'you know who's' most maniacal supporter. If 'you know who' orders his followers to get rid of their family members who oppose him, you're the first one they'd target. Bellatrix is crazy enough to target you all on her own for being her family and opposing her master," said Orion.
"Father, you're asking me to be a coward. I'm not afraid of Voldemort and his Death Eaters. I'm aware that Bellatrix is a psycho who would probably have it out for me, but I don't fear her in the slightest. If I die fighting for a good cause, then I would gladly die for it," Sirius crossed his arms again,
"Sirius, please…You'll be safe at Grimmauld Place. I've cast all the necessary protection charms that 'you know who' and his followers would never be able to set foot in our home. I just lost Regulus to the war. I don't want to lose you too," Orion pleaded.
"That's why you're here isn't it? If Regulus was still alive, you wouldn't have been concerned about me at all. You're only seeking me out because I'm your only remaining 'heir'," said Sirius.
"Sirius, that is not true. I've always treated Regulus and you equally," said Orion.
"Right. You always agreed with mother that Regulus was a better son than I was. You always knew where I was, but you never once visited me until now," said Sirius. "Not that I wanted you to," he quickly added.
"Alright, maybe I favored Regulus a little bit because he was more obedient and followed our family tradition, but I love you both equally. I apologize that I never visited you but it took me all these years to dare go against your mother at all. And I do admit that I was wrong in many ways. Now, I just want us to live a life away from the war. We don't even have to keep contact with any of your cousins associated with 'you know who', Orion offered.
"As glad as I am that you've seen the 'errors' of your ways, father, I do not wish to shy away from the war like a coward. Nothing you say is going to change my mind about fighting against Voldemort," said Sirius, matter of factly.
"But Sirius—." Orion began.
"I'm terribly sorry father, but if you've come here to get me to back out of the war, you're wasting your time," said Sirius.
"Very well," Orion relented. "But please, at least consider what I said," said Orion as he walked out of the door.
"Oh, I have, and my answer would always remain to continue fighting. You have a good day, father," said Sirius as he shut the door.
Orion grew increasingly ill in the next two months. The healers had given up hope that he would make it. It wasn't a physical illness, his body was simply breaking down out of heartache and grief. It wasn't just the grief of losing his son and not having properly made peace with his other son, but it was the grief of the mistakes he had made in life. As he lay on his deathbed and knew his end would come soon, he only had one wish. To see Sirius for one last time. He conveyed this to Walburga. He never told her that he had paid Sirius a visit two months ago. At first, Walburga refused and told him he was being senile. But fortunately, she loved him enough to finally give in and honor his last wish. Kreacher was sent to summon Sirius. Orion wondered if Sirius would bother showing up.
It was a cold morning in the middle of December when Orion, who was on his bed, heard his wife and son arguing. Walburga was warning Sirius that she only allowed him in this once to see his father and he was not to set foot in the house ever again after his father passed on. Sirius answered back that he was also only here to see his father and would stick pins on his feet before setting foot in her house again. Sirius entered his room and Orion was glad that Walburga and Kreacher had decided to give them privacy.
"Sirius, I'm glad you came. I was afraid that you wouldn't show up," said Orion, weakly.
"James and Remus convinced me that it would be cruel to dishonor a simple wish of a person on his deathbed. How are you feeling, father?" asked Sirius as he sat on the chair by his bedside.
"I know that I don't have much time left," said Orion.
Sirius's face shone with guilt.
"I apologize that I was short with you the other day, father, but I can't give up fighting for the Order for anyone," said Sirius.
"I apologize too, son, that I did not recognize the nobility in your actions. I only thought about protecting you but not about respecting the cause you were fighting for or your own freewill in living your life. I've realized what you're doing for the Order is honorable indeed," said Orion.
"Really?" Sirius was taken aback.
"I mean it, son. I'm proud of you," said Orion.
Sirius took few moments of confusion and astonishment before reacting.
"Thank you, father. I really appreciate it," said a touched Sirius, putting a hand on Orion's.
"I've done many wrong things in my life, son and I apologize for all the ways in which I wronged you," Orion said guiltily.
"Father … I don't know what to say," said a confused Sirius. "What made you suddenly change your mind?"
"I started seeing things differently after your brother died. It's a pity that it took your brother's death to get me to see the error of my ways. Will you forgive your old man?"
Sirius stated intently at him for several moments before he finally said "I forgive you, father,"
Despite his illness, Orion's face lit up.
"It's too late for me to rectify all my mistakes but I wanted to at least redeem myself as your father. I have spoken to my proctor to finalize my will. I told him to leave Grimmauld Place and a sum of the gold in my Gringott's vault to you," said Orion.
"Father, I do not desire any of your money or this house. Please just leave it all to mother," said Sirius.
"Sirius, I have left your mother quite a lot. This is the least I could do for you. Our family home is supposed to belong to you according to our family tradition of leaving the house to the firstborn son. I beg of you, son. This is the least that I could do for you after what a lousy father I've been. It's too late for me to do anything else for you. You can use at least a part of the gold to do good for others for me since I never got a chance for it," Orion begged. He was struggling to string his words together as he grew weaker.
"Alright, father, but I won't ever live at Grimmauld Place. It would only be mine in name," said Sirius.
"But you'll use the house if you have a need for it, won't you?" asked Orion.
"Alright, I will. If I ever have the need for it," Sirius agreed.
"Thank you, son," said Orion with a really weak tone.
Orion's breaths were increasingly slower as he drew his last breath, his hand in his son's. Sirius found a few tears pouring down his cheeks as he looked at his dead father. It really was a pity that it took his father till near death to realize his mistakes. With guilt, he wished that he had more time with his reformed father. But he was glad that his father had at the very least realized his mistakes at the very end and he was glad that he had made peace with his dying father. It all started on a Friday in March when the news of Regulus's death had led to his father reexamining his choices and on a path of redemption. It was too bad that it was cut short by his death.