Four weeks had now passed since Sirius' disgrace and a shadow had fallen over the House of Black.
Regulus was accustomed to the gloom of Grimmauld Place. Devoid of colour and brightness, it existed as a place of shadow, nurturing fears and mysteries within its crevices. He and Sirius had made games out of the hidden and secret places. They had undertaken expeditions from one floor to another, uncovering the unknown corners of the house over the years. They had made their own fun in this strange void-like place.
These days the weight of Sirius' sorting hung over the house. Regulus had listened to his parents discussing the matter with various degrees of different emotions in their voices: fury, shock, disbelief, despair, irritation and embarrassment. His mother had vented about how the Black family name had been tarnished forever because their house tradition had been broken at last. Her shrieks about them being a laughing stock in the wizarding community had reached up to the third floor where Regulus sat in his bedroom, reading his books. Occasionally he would hear his father, not ordinarily a shouting man (rarely needing to) shouting over her, ordering her to calm down.
After the first week or so those talks had remained quiet and whenever Regulus' curiosity had been provoked, he'd had to resort to sitting lower and lower on the staircases just to hear what they were saying exactly. Despite what he had been told, he was sure he had a right to know. Sirius was his brother and this was his family too.
His uncle Cygnus and aunt Druella had visited a handful of times more than usual and the four adults had locked themselves away in the drawing room wherein it was much harder to hear anything from within but still Regulus had tried. Of course he'd asked Kreacher to listen in for him but Kreacher had informed him that he had been ordered not to say anything of what was discussed. This, of course, led the youngest Black to form some of his own views on what his family had planned for Sirius when he returned.
Regulus might be ten years old but he was no stranger to witnessing the unyielding and commanding expectations of his parents. He had been brought up to expect that the Blacks would be held to a higher code of behaviour because they were superior to so many other wizards including many wizarding families. Therefore they had to be the best and they had to be the brightest. Nothing could reflect badly on them. They had to uphold their family values and behaviours. After all they were the Ancient and Most Noble House of Black. He and Sirius had both grown up with an extensive education in etiquette, magical theory and genealogy. They needed to know what the acceptable code of behaviour was, who made suitable companions for a Black and what subjects they should excel in.
This had been Sirius' opportunity to follow the family footsteps in being extraordinary and nurturing the most important qualities in the family house, Slytherin. His Sorting had gone against his upbringing and now it called his private education into question. So said their mother anyway. People would be questioning how the Blacks had let this happen. They would say the family had slipped up and betrayed their own heritage by not raising Sirius "right."
Outsiders didn't know what Regulus knew. That his brother had always had a bolder, less conforming temperament than most of the Blacks, almost rivalling Bellatrix.
However Bellatrix's energy served the Blacks while his brother seemed more inclined to do his own thing. Regulus had been watching this for years: watching his father reprimand and intimidate his son into falling in line, listening as his mother raged and screamed at Sirius, bowed his head as both of his parents chided Sirius for being a disrespectful son. They must have believed they had begun to chase the rebellion out of him, to be this shocked at where he had ended up.
It was almost seven in the evening and Kreacher had been sent to take Regulus' dinner to have in his room. So his parents were holding another meeting, he realised. Probably determining what damage these rumours were still doing to the reputation of the House of Black.
For the last two hours, Regulus had wandered the top floor of the house, visited the family library and returned to his room. He was tired of sitting and lying around by this point and instead moved around his room to just to give himself something to do. He hovered by the window, pulling his curtains aside just enough to look out on the street below. People in suits and dresses passed by, unaware of him.
Sometimes he wondered why his family had not chosen to live in some wizards-only village, away from living among all these muggles. Surely it would be a better reflection of the world in which they wanted to live, surrounded by magical folk. When he'd asked his father, Orion Black had told him that London was a city of greatness and so it would be again. They would not let muggles chase them out. The House of Black had been living in London for over five hundred years.
Turning away from that reflection, Regulus looked around his room once more. His room was decorated as darkly as the rest of the house with pure black wallpaper and carpet. His four poster bed occupied the central space in the room with thick black drapes hanging over it. A huge armoire with a mirror on the door sat in one corner of the room, a great polished wooden desk in another. A window seat with many plump, black cushions offered a comfortable view of the garden and the skyline of London. When he was younger, he used have hovering shapes of animals and figures spread out throughout the room. But at ten years old, he had outgrown such things.
Regulus stepped up to his armoire and gazed at himself in the mirror. He shared the same raven hair as the majority of his relatives and the rainy-grey eyes of both of his parents. He kept his dark hair tucked nearly behind his ears as it dropped to halfway down his neck. He had inherited his father's lean frame, his mother said often enough He was a contrast to Sirius who was already showing signs of a broader frame like his uncle Cygnus. Regulus may yet inherit his father's impressive height but it was too young to tell yet. Sirius was already showing signs that he might grow tall like Orion too, standing at least a foot over Regulus. Regulus hated that; hated that he had to wait for time to make him grow too. Hated how pale his skin looked compared to the rest of his family, like he was sickly and weak. And it had made them concerned at one point.
He was not weak. He hated that implication.
Just as he'd hated Sirius leaving him behind to go to Hogwarts.
It was only for a year, his cousin Andromeda had assured him with a laugh that had infuriated him. Why was it so funny that he wanted to go now? He was just as smart as Sirius was and more than keen to prove himself at school, to bring more honour to the House of Black. Why would she laugh at something like that? It was one of many reasons why Regulus preferred Bella and Cissy. Cissy would counsel him to have patience in that careful, understanding tone and Bella would remind Regulus how much fun it would be to be the only child in the house. No more sharing the spotlight with Sirius for a year. They would both make excellent points. Why could Andromeda not do that?
The sound of the front door opening he heard, albeit, distantly. This was followed by the sounds of multiple sets of footsteps entering the house.
Regulus moved away from the mirror as swiftly as a shadow. He carefully pulled his door open, slowly enough to minimize the creaking. He stepped out onto the landing that looked out over several staircases. Glad for the absence of his shoes, Regulus began to creep down the stairs, keeping to the wall, listening for any signs that one of his relatives might decide to come upstairs and check on him.
One floor down and so such signs. He could hear the conversation more clearly now.
"Good to see you again," Orion Black was greeting his brother-in-law (and third cousin but such was pureblood family ties).
"Yes, thank you for coming by." Regulus heard his mother's ingratiating tone.
"Well it was no trouble of course," Cygnus Black's richer, honey-like voice reached Regulus on the second floor landing.
"In such times we must be united, after all." His aunt Druella added enthusiastically.
"Indeed we must," Orion agreed. "And Bellatrix, it's wonderful to see you."
Regulus, by now, had reached the top of the stairs on the first floor. At the mention of his cousin's name, he went very still and it occurred to him that Bellatrix might perhaps be sent upstairs to occupy him while their parents talked. He looked back up the stairs and contemplated how fast he could hurry back before Bella caught him lurking and listening to the adults' conversation.
"As always, it's a pleasure to visit you Uncle, and you dear Aunt," Bellatrix answered, her voice soft and warm, as it could be when she was in the mood to be pleasant. Regulus had been the subject of her affection and generosity over the years but he had also heard the brutal harshness she could unleash on anyone at any given moment. Bellatrix was very much like one of those volcanoes. You never quite knew when a blinding hot burst of lava was going to fly out of it.
Such was the case with his spirited cousin.
"I trust you are enjoying being out of Hogwarts now," Regulus heard his mother ask with the kind of polite curiosity that belied her own unease. The "fake it if you can't feel it" maneuver she wielded so well most of the time.
"Yes, I'm rather happy to be out of the school," Bella answered.
"Well you certainly worked hard enough," Orion complimented her. "Your NEWTs were even more outstanding than your OWLs."
"So they bloody should be," chuckled Bellatrix. "I worked twice as hard to ensure that they were."
The five of them began to laugh. In that moment, Regulus moved instinctively down that final flight of stairs, figuring that he may as well go all the way now that he had begun. As he neared the bottom, he heard the front door shut firmly and for half a terrified second, he imagined that he may be seconds away from bumping into Bellatrix on the stairs or worse, looking around the corner and finding five sets of eyes on his.
But when he peeked around the corner and down the long hallway that led to the front door, he was relieved to see that all five faces were looking away from him.
There was his uncle Cygnus. Dressed in fitted black robes, he seemed to blend with the shadows of Grimmauld Place. He cut a solidly-built figure next to the leaner frame of Regulus' father giving him a far more powerful stature. Still, he bowed his head towards Orion once. His similar dark hair to most of the family was longer too. However it was combed meticulously behind his ears. His dark eyes jumped between his sister and brother-in-law.
Next to him, his wife Druella was smiling indulgently at her hosts. Regulus didn't like to look upon his aunt so much. She wore her brown hair in a tight bun that only drew more attention to the lines on her forehead. She had an almost skeletal thinness and the overabundance of make up she wore did nothing to make her appear more than averagely good-looking completely unlike her husband, daughters and those of the Black bloodline who tended to inherit a haughty grace about them. Her light green robes did not suit her and she stood out among her darkly clad relatives.
His father had his back to him but Regulus didn't need to look at his face to recall the taut smile his father always gave any guests that visited. His hair was trimmed and slicked back to just above his ear. Every movement he made was rigid, like each one was absolutely deliberate. His mother was turning toward the doorway to the drawing room, gesturing inside. Unlike her sister-in-law, Walburga Black looked as radiant as she always did, in her fitted black gown and onyx necklace. But the smile didn't quite meet the grey eyes her sons had inherited.
Kreacher was hanging around, taking the coats of the other three Blacks before waddling away with them into another room. Cygnus and Druella were already moving into the drawing room. Regulus caught the briefest glimpse of Bellatrix as she followed her parents inside. Orion and Walburga followed them, closing the door behind them.
Regulus exhaled and stepped down from the last step and walked along the hallway with careful quiet steps, pressing his ear against the wall to the drawing room. The voices within were muffled but still comprehensible. He hovered outside the door and stilled himself.
"Where is young Regulus now?" his aunt Druella was asking in her thin, dry voice that always sounded like it might crack if she put too much emphasis into it.
"Upstairs." Orion answered shortly. "He is getting on with his own preparation for school next year." He sounded like he was stood on the other side of the door. Regulus took one step back from it and tried to keep his breathing as quiet as possible. "He won't be disturbing us."
"Are you sure it's wise to leave him on his own?" Druella pondered. "I mean Sirius was left to his own devices a great deal-"
"Not that often," Walburga answered waspishly. "One quickly learned that leaving Sirius alone for too long was never a sensible idea."
"That boy's temperament should have been checked sooner," Druella insisted though her tone was marginally less critical now. "I'm not blaming either of you of course."
"Are you not?" Walburga snapped at her. "Because it sounds very much so. How many times are we going to discuss this?"
"We've all seen what Sirius is like," Druella pointed out, "and while such things should have been checked earlier, none of us could have seen this coming — would have imagined it possible. So, I think you'll find, Walburga, that I am not actually blaming you. I'm simply saying what should have been done."
"That's hardly helpful now is it?" Walburga was practically growling now.
"Even so, it's more imperative than ever that Regulus should be observed more keenly in the wake of Sirius being a disappointment."
"Regulus is not Sirius," Cygnus interrupted Drusella. "Sirius was always a rebellious boy, despite his upbringing. Regulus has always been an obedient and dutiful son. We have little to fear from Regulus."
"Did you not have the similar thought about Sirius?" Druella's tone was catty.
"Yes," Walburga agreed. "I had hoped Sirius would grow out of such behaviour. But being loud and mischievous does not necessarily prevent someone from being a Slytherin. After all Alphard had quite the adventurous spirit did he not?"
"He did," Cygnus agreed. "And now is hardly the time for recriminations, Druella." His tone was condescending. "There is quite enough talk like that from the many gossips among the pureblood circles. We do not need to join in do we?"
Druella said nothing.
"In any case, many boys Sirius' age can be boisterous," Orion agreed, "It's quite ordinary. Abraxas' boy Lucius was just as cocky at that age."
"Exactly." Cygnus agreed,
"Perhaps Lucius was not as energetic as our Sirius-"
"Few could be," Walburga mused.
Orion continued, "-but still, he was disobedient enough to keep things… interesting… at the Malfoy household."
"I can't imagine Abraxas put up with that much longer than you and Walburga did." Cygnus answered. "Anyway boys will be boys and who likes being told what to do at that age? Sirius isn't that abnormal for his age. He's spirited which can be a good thing for the right cause. Most importantly," he added after a short pause, "as we have said, none of us saw this Sorting coming."
"We all assumed he would still follow the tradition. Yes, perhaps he would have made a loud and trouble-making Slytherin but he would have grown out of that," Druella suggested. "You have given the boy a fine education. It's no reflection on you if he's thrown it back in your face."
Regulus heard his uncle sigh. "Druella you keep talking like Sirius has completely abandoned his family values. We don't know that he has yet."
"I think this is about more than a bit of rebellious spirit," Orion chided them lightly. "The Sorting Hat looks into one's soul."
"Clearly something is defective within Sirius then." Druella countered. "Something has gone wrong somewhere."
"I see you are back to the blame game," Walburga answered. Her tone was extremely icy. "Perhaps you might care to try a different tune, Druella."
"I'm just-"
"I don't believe the boy is entirely lost though," Cygnus declared, cutting off his wife. "It's a shame of course and we need to keep a close eye on the boy. But we cannot change the Sorting Hat's ruling. We must learn how to deal with this predicament and try and take what we can from it." He paused and Regulus internally panicked, wondering if his uncle had somehow cottoned on to the presence of an eavesdropper. "If nothing else, Sirius is brave and confident and those are good qualities in a Black."
"There is a fine line between bravery and foolishness," Druella reminded her husband,
"A line Sirius has been known to cross from time to time,"Orion agreed.
"From time to time?" Regulus heard his cousin scoff. "Uncle Orion, I think you are forgetting the time he locked himself in our artefacts gallery and draped them all with mine, Andromeda's and Cissy's… undergarments."
There was a stillness following Bellatrix's words for a moment. Regulus readied himself to move at the slightest indication that they might approach his hiding place. He hoped that Kreacher did not come along and catch him or that he could persuade him not to tattle on him to the council of Blacks inside the room.
"Or," Bellatrix continued, "the time when he introduced that potion to all of Regulus' laundry so everything was purple. Oh and let us not forget the time he switched Cissy's hair care product with a potion that gave her hives. And these were only in the last year alone. Sirius is trouble."
"My daughter is right," Cygnus agreed, "but Sirius is still a very young boy."
"Women mature faster than men anyway," Walburga added with a sniff. "Most of them anyway." Regulus suspected she was looking towards his aunt right now.
"Right now, this mischief at his age is not abnormal," Cygnus added calmly. "It may well be a phase."
"Yes but if he's in Gryffindor then he is also going to be surrounded by blood traitors and mudbloods," Bellatrix commented.
"He is at an impressionable age," agreed Walburga. "What if they try and warp his beliefs?"
"My darling, we have given our son as thorough an education as we could," Orion told his wife "We have reinforced the importance of our values with both of our sons. Enough for it not to be an easy task for anyone to persuade them otherwise. They understand our lineage and the importance of keeping that lineage pure. They understand how important our traditions are to us."
Another silence followed his words.
"But does Sirius appreciate what he's been taught?" Druella finally asked. "As you've said, Sirius is rebellious. What if he decides to ignore what he's been taught?"
"Sirius knows the consequences of disgracing the Black family," Walburga's tone was severe. "He has grown up with stories of these consequences. However much bravado he has, I do not think that he will stray too far from what he's been told."
"I think we can all agree that Sirius' rebellion is far from over but it will pass," Cygnus agreed. "At this point, it's damage limitation we need to look at and remind him of his duty as a Black and that he is not to be swayed from his upbringing. But the boy may surprise us yet and prove to be faithful despite his house."
"At this point, that is what we must pray for," Orion agreed. "But this could be an opportunity for other purebloods to be turned back onto the right path," he continued. "Children of blood traitors who could be persuaded in the old ways."
"An excellent point," Cygnus remarked. "There are still some families that used to hold some distinction before they aligned themselves rather badly. The Potters have always been muggle loving but I believe Fleamont is quite old as is his wife. They will likely take their beliefs to the grave but they have a young son around Sirius' age."
"Yes, James Potter," Druella answered. "I've heard of him. He's an only child. A good candidate for persuading, I should think."
"Sirius is a charming boy," Bellatrix conceded after a pause. "I will say that for him and it may well come into his favour if he can befriend the Potter boy and influence him. At least we can say that much for him. The boy is very persuasive and confident. Children like that in a friend."
There was another short pause and Regulus heard some movement from within the room. He took another cautious step to the side.
"I still think we should keep an eye on Regulus though," Druella said. "Even if he is different from his brother-"
Regulus frowned at the doorway. Why was his aunt so determined to check on him? He was not the one who had broken the Black tradition? He wasn't the one breaking rules on a regular basis. Why should he be monitored because of Sirius? He folded his arms, his features shifting into anger. He shouldn't be surprised. Druella Black was a grumpy, cynical old bag. Sirius had been saying so for years and telling her to her face for the last few. He'd had quite a few smacks for his efforts yet Regulus could not help the smile that took over his face as he remembered his brother looking over at him and winking. Their silent agreement, as brothers, that Druella was just a miserable hag. Regulus had often wondered if she was grumpy because all she had given Cygnus was daughters and then there was Walburga who had had two sons.
Yes, Regulus decided. She's just bitter and jealous. She wants there to be a problem with him. But she's the problem in that room at the moment.
"Regulus is different," insisted Walburga irritably. "Are you being deliberately dense, Druella?"
Regulus covered his mouth to muffle his laughter at his mother's reply. You tell her, Mum. Stupid old bat.
"Calm down, Walburga," Orion soothed her.
No no, Dad, let her carry on, Regulus thought silently with a grin.
"It's utterly ridiculous," his mother growled. "With the way she is talking, you would think she is one of the vultures hovering around us, waiting to see weakness. Do you need reminding, Druella, where your loyalties lie?"
"No," Cygnus cut in abruptly, "she does not. Perhaps my wife will take the opportunity to keep her words to herself unless she can use them constructively." Once more,there was silence; no comment from his wife. After the pause, Cygnus cleared his throat. "While I may not agree with some of my wife's implications, I think we need to keep an eye on Regulus regardless."
Well screw you Uncle Cygnus, Regulus scowled. He caved. He'd actually caved to the cranky hag.
"He and Sirius are so different," Walburga remarked. "It's difficult to imagine Regulus wanting to follow in Sirius' footsteps."
Because I don't want to be in Gryffindor, Regulus answered in his head. I want to be in our house. The proper house. I don't want to be a disappointment.
"Cygnus is right, regardless," said Orion. "We need to make sure. Let's not forget the influence that older brothers can have on their younger ones. How many times has Sirius gotten Regulus in trouble with his tricks."
Yeah, he has, Regulus grumbled in his head. There had been the time when he and Sirius had released about half a dozen boggarts from beyond their father's formally locked study after being told to leave the room alone. Plus the time when Sirius had stolen and lit one of Cygnus' cigars and then accidentally dropped it in Bellatrix's wardrobe (where they had been hiding). Bellatrix had flung herself around the house in a rage, chasing them. It had been Regulus' idea to jump in the courtyard fountain. His reasoning had been that girls didn't like to get their pretty clothes wet. And so into the fountain they'd gone. Only for Bellatrix to jump straight in there after them.
That was probably why Sirius had stopped listening to Regulus' advice in a crisis.
Of course, there were other moments too such as his brother's adoption of a muggle sledge. He had set it up by using a broken cupboard door, some rope and gathering his terrified younger brother in his arms as he pushed off from the topmost floor stairway then re-adjusting it for each set of stairs afterward. It had all gone reasonably well until two flights later when the sledge had caught on something on the stairs and both boys had been flung forwards and crashed together down both sets of the final flight of steps. Their mother had found them bleeding and dizzy by the front door and they had both spent the afternoon in St Mungo's and the next week in their rooms.
It was a quiet moment before Walburga spoke. "The last thing we need is Sirius glamorizing Gryffindor to Regulus. Regulus does look up to his brother sometimes."
"He might very well write to Regulus about the benefits of being in Gryffindor." Orion agreed. "You're right about his age being impressionable. However there is only so much encouragement Sirius can give him from Hogwarts. Regulus has studied our family history and understands the true paths far more than Druella has given him credit for. He is an obedient and intelligent boy. But we will keep an eye on things. Kreacher can keep an eye on his post if need be."
Regulus felt an unpleasant squirming feeling in his chest as the image of one of the family house elves reading through his post sprung to mind.
He closed his fists and reminded himself that no one knew he was here for now. He would only incur his father's wrath if he was caught spying, whether he felt justified or not.
"I'm sure we will not have much to worry about with Regulus," Bellatrix agreed with her uncle. "He is a good boy."
"Speaking of whom," Orion spoke from near the door and Regulus hastily scooted away down the corridor, "would you go and see him, Bella? No doubt he is curious and he hasn't seen you in some weeks. Your parents and I have some business to discuss regarding the gossip among the circles."
"Yes, Uncle."
The door opened and Regulus flung himself at the staircase, landing on his hands and knees. Clicking footsteps sounded their way along the corridor. Regulus began to scrabble his way up the stairs and used the top step to pick himself up with some haste.
"Hello cousin," Bellatrix greeted from the foot of the stairs.
Dressed in a black, fitted dress much like her aunt and with her smooth raven hair falling over her shoulders, her complexion looked even paler under the dim lighting of the hallway. She was like a shadow, stepping out to greet Regulus and he didn't mind privately admitting to being terrified of her. It had always been the case with her. She didn't have Andromeda's rationality or Narcissa's dignity. No, Bellatrix was terrifying because she could be charming and sympathetic and engaging in one moment and then lose her temper entirely and rain hexes upon you in the next. That flip of a personality was a terrible thing to behold. And yet when you were in her good books, everything could be wonderful. She would give you all the assurances and the loyalty you could ask for. Until you angered her. She was like a snake, always needing to be charmed.
Regulus looked down, his expression caught within panic and terror flooding through his chest.
But his cousin was simply smiling at him. "I'm guessing you heard all of that?"
Regulus nodded, tongue refusing to answer her with words.
Bellatrix continued to smile, "I would do the same," she told him quietly. "In fact, I'm pretty sure I have. Why don't we go downstairs? Kreacher can make us some drinks."
Regulus didn't remember descending the stairs or walking with his cousin down further stairs towards the kitchen. He didn't even remember her ordering Kreacher to make them said drinks. But suddenly he was sat next to Bellatrix sipping from a bottle of butterbeer while Bellatrix nursed a small glass of wine. Kreacher hovered about the room, cleaning and inspecting things, glancing over towards the pair of them.
Regulus was content to sip his drink quietly while he tried to get his thoughts in order. He couldn't fathom how his parents, aunt and uncle could all suspect he would go the same way. He and Sirius had always been different and so if Sirius was in Gryffindor then surely, he, Regulus, would be more of a candidate for Slytherin? He'd never considered the possibility of being in another house. It had never seemed possible before but now he knew it was. It seemed so unlikely that generations of Slytherins had somehow produced a Gryffindor. But all the same, Regulus couldn't help but think that that house would suit his brother best. He was brave and didn't let anything hold him back. Maybe they all should have seen this coming.
"Don't worry about what they were saying," Bellatrix murmured after a moment. "They are just rattled by what happened to your brother."
"I didn't even think that was possible," Regulus found his voice at last though it cracked somewhat. "How did that happen?"
"It happened because there is something in Sirius," his cousin answered coldly, turning her dark, heavy lidded eyes on him. "Something went wrong with Sirius a long time ago," she added before taking another sip of her wine.
"What if there's something wrong with me?"
"Regulus," the coldness left his cousin's face and she smiled affectionately at him, slipping one arm around his shoulders. "There is nothing wrong with you."
"How do you know?"
"Because Sirius was always the troublemaker in the family. But you were always better than him. A good boy who got dragged into a bad boy's games."
"But what if I end up in Gryffindor-"
"Regulus, you won't. You're nothing like your buffoon of a brother," Bella insisted.
Despite the severity of their conversation, Regulus chuckled a little. His cousin's words somewhat lessened the dark cloud of worry hanging over him. "He is a buffoon," Regulus conceded with a laugh. "And he gets into trouble a lot."
"Exactly," Bellatrix agreed. "But we may yet be able to keep him on the right path. It'll mean more work for your parents to make sure Sirius is a good son and so you mustn't give them a reason to worry about you too. You must show them and my parents that you are a most excellent son, that you will follow the family ways and be sorted into the only truly worthy house at Hogwarts and not-"
"I don't want to be in Gryffindor!" Regulus objected loudly. Bellatrix grimaced and for a moment, Regulus saw the flash of anger and impatience in her eyes. It was enough to make him go completely still, his insides frozen. "S-Sorry," Regulus muttered.
That look in her eyes was gone and Bella squeezed his shoulders. "You are already proving yourself to be a good son, Regulus. You are more careful, more respectful. You have the necessary instincts. You will make a fine Slytherin when the time comes. You are already thinking like one."
"I am?"
"Thinking about your future and what role you want to play in it. You want to serve our cause don't you? You want to bring honour to our family do you not?"
"Of course I do!" Regulus said between sips of his butterbeer. "I know how important that is."
"And Sirius does not for he is a fool," Bellatrix agreed. "You are already a true Black, Regulus. You have nothing to fear from your brother's mistakes. But you must not take heed of any recommendations he may make towards that house. He is in need of guidance and so his words cannot always be trusted right now. Do you understand?"
Regulus wasn't sure that he did understand. She was saying nothing that Sirius said could be trusted? Even if they fit the Black values? Even if they would please their parents? He wasn't to trust them at all.? Was Bellatrix so suspicious of him? He looked up into his cousin's dark eyes and her affectionate smile, remembering far too well how easily her expression could change and how cruelly her words could turn? Her words sounded tender to his own ears but their meaning towards Sirius was something else, something darker. He wanted to push the subject further, to ask what it was she thought Sirius was going to do now he was in Gryffindor, now he hadn't followed the family plan. But as he continued to gaze into her face, he couldn't help but feel that if he did ask, he would not like the answer. He also might anger Bellatrix and he didn't want that.
"Yes, cousin," he answered her quietly. "I understand."
Bella leaned over and kissed him on the head, laughing against it when he pushed her away.
"Get off," Regulus grumbled but Bellatrix kept her arm around him.
"My mother is wrong to doubt you, Regulus. She's wrong about quite a few things actually," Bellatrix mused, "but that's another matter," She squeezed his shoulders. "All this talk will become old news and it'll be another family they'll talk about. Or…" she continued, "they'll have another reason to talk about our family." She withdrew her arm.
"What do you mean?"
"You heard them send me out the room so they can talk about the gossip, yes?"
"Yeah."
"Well gossip will always fade away in the end. I have my own suspicions as to what they were really talking about."
Regulus' small hands tightened around the bottle of butterbeer as he leaned in closer to his cousin. "What were they talking about then?"
"I think," Bella leaned sideways and spoke in a conspiratorial tone, "that they were planning my marriage." She smirked down at Regulus who instantly huffed.
"Is that all? I thought you were going to say something interesting!" he complained.
"Hey," Bella laughed and swatted him, "don't be cheeky. A good marriage is a very important part of all our futures. You will have to make a good match one day yourself."
Regulus made a gagging sound. "Yeah but not for years and years. Anyway, why do you want to get married?" he demanded, gazing up at her again. "You'll be stuck in a big fancy house with babies and we won't see you very much. You'll be boring."
Bellatrix laughed again. It was a rich and dark sound. "I can promise you one thing, Regulus, and that I will never be boring. Anyway there are advantages to not living at home anymore. I will be the lady of the house and I can have my favourite cousin visit whenever I like," she declared, reaching up to ruffle Regulus' hair. "And I'll throw the best parties as well."
"Yeah?" Regulus rested his cheek against his hand. "You'll probably forget all about me once you have your fancy husband. I'll just be your baby cousin."
"Never," Bellatrix said the word with such reverance that Regulus raised his head a little. She smiled at him. "We are Blacks and we will always be close because we are united, aren't we? No husband of mine shall get in the way of that because he will share in that cause." She turned away to finish her wine and Regulus looked at his drink.
"Who do you think they'll get for you?" he asked after a long pause.
"Well," Bellatrix purred, "I too have done my own share of eavesdropping, Regulus and from what I've heard, they are in discussions with the Lestrange family."
Regulus dropped his hand and lifted both brows at his cousin's answer. He, like his brother, had received an excellent education in pureblood genealogy and the Lestrange family was one of the very few in Britain to coming even remotely close to rivalling the Blacks. From what his mother had said anyway. "The Lestranges?" he repeated. "That's lucky," he said. "They have two sons, right? And they weren't already married?"
"Rodolphus, their oldest, is just a couple of years older than I and Rabastan was in the same year as I was," Bellatrix explained. "But there was no luck about it, at least not on our side. The Lestranges are ambitious about who they associate with. The luck is on their side for us approaching them."
"Do you think Uncle Cygnus will persuade them?"
"Yes, Father is very good at getting what he wants," Bellatrix answered confidently. "I am sure that Rodolphus and I will be matched. We are the closest in terms of wizarding nobility. Anyone else would be a step down for a Black."
The doorway to the kitchen creaked open and both of them turned towards it. Cygnus Black was smiling amiably towards them as he stepped inside. "You know, it's a shame that the surprise was spoiled, Bellatrix, and just as well the match was agreed as that would be a difficult statement to eat, I'm sure." He teased his daughter.
Bellatrix rose from the table. "They've agreed?" she asked as she moved around the table to approach her father.
"The betrothal will be formalized this weekend when we are invited to stay the weekend at Lestrange Manor in Paris." Cygnus confirmed. He held out his hands for his daughter to take. "And our family will make another extraordinary alliance."
Bellatrix took her father's hands in delight. "Thank you, Father. This match will elevate our social standing even more," she agreed. She looked back over towards Regulus. "And so will yours, Regulus. Yours and Sirius'."
Cygnus chuckled a little before turning towards his nephew. "Plenty of suitable eligible girls out there waiting for you Master Regulus."
Regulus leaned his cheek into his hand again. "I don't care." He huffed before swigging from his bottle.
Cygnus and Bellatrix both laughed at him. "No I don't expect you to, right now," his uncle mused. "And you're not wrong either. In a few years, it'll be a different story."
Regulus huffed once again. Bellatrix shook her head at him and then redirected her attention back towards her father. "Is that your business concluded?"
"Not quite. We're still discussing other matters," Cygnus answered. "Has he said much about Sirius?"
"Yes," Bellatrix lowered her tone. "He's adamant he doesn't want to go the same way as Sirius. He's far more traditional, as his parents said."
"Even so, we should keep an eye on him," Cygnus murmured. "Just in case."
Bellatrix looked back over towards Regulus. "I think it would do him good to get out of this house more. With Sirius away, he should spend more time with the rest of the family. Perhaps he could visit us and once Rodolphus and I marry, he can come and visit me. We need to start presenting him more in our social circles."
"And it's never too early to resume hunting for a future bride for him," her father agreed. "Because if Sirius lets this family down, Regulus will be the last one to carry the family name."