AU!
WRITTEN FOR QLFC, RESERVE LEAGUE
S4, R12
Write a fluffy story about the Black family.
AU! Good Black Family. No Voldemort.
THC
Slytherin, Muggle Studies (stand-in)
Standard
Theme: Trying (or succeeding) to understand what someone is going through
Prompt: (object) photograph
WC: 1785
Sirius picked Regulus up from under his armpits and swung him around. Regulus squealed, "Don't drop me, Siri!"
"I won't," Sirius said with a laugh. He kept swinging his five-year-old brother around until they were both dizzy and breathless and his arms hurt. He tossed Regulus onto the couch and leapt on top of him with a loud, "Hi-yah!"
Regulus howled with laughter and rolled over just in time for Sirius to land beside him. "That was fun! Let's go again!"
"My arms are like noodles," Sirius said, wriggling his arms for show. "How about we play pretend?"
"Okay, what are we today?" Regulus sat up, his eyes shining with excitement.
Sirius pursed his lips and thought, tapping his chin as he had often seen his father do. Finally, an idea popped into his mind. "I know! We could be pro-fess-ional treasure hunters. Come on, we'll steal the Thunderbird's treasure and fly off with it."
"I'll get your broom," Regulus said, hurrying out the door. Once he was back with Sirius's toy broom, the two brothers climbed onto it and levitated the two of them up. Sirius looked around the room at the high bookshelves and decided to avoid that area; he would hate to get in trouble for bumping into them again. He flew around, dodging the coffee table edges and ensuring they remained above the couch and chair as much as possible. He didn't completely trust that Regulus wouldn't let go.
"Higher! We need to steal the Thunderbird!" Regulus said with a laugh.
Sirius complied and was almost the height of the mantle above the fireplace that was filled with the 'best' family pictures.
They were still playing pretend when their father stepped into the room. Instead of pausing their game, the boys continued to play. Sirius was talking about springing a trap for the Thunderbird when their father suddenly jumped in front of them. His voice boomed out, "Who dares disturb the slumber of Zeus?"
Sirius and Regulus stopped and stared at Orion. Sirius asked cautiously, "Father… What are you doing?"
"Father? Who is this Father you speak of? I am the mighty Zeus." When Sirius and Regulus both continued to stare, Orion sighed and asked in a normal tone, "God of Thunder? He controls the skies. You two were in a thunderstorm, right?"
"No, it wasn't really a storm. We disturbed the Thunderbird by stealing its treasure, so now it's after us," Regulus said, clapping in excitement.
"Then, I will kill the Thunderbird for you because I have lightning. You're welcome," Orion said and bowed low at the waist, a smile playing on his lips.
Sirius and Regulus shared a confused look. Sirius said, "Sorry, Father, but the Thunderbird can only be killed by the laughter of a banshee." He reached down and tickled Regulus's waist, and Regulus burst into peals of laughter.
Sirius cried, "Whoosh! Fwap! Boom! The Thunderbird has been defeated!"
"Fun." Awkwardly, Orion straightened up and tugged on his robes. He said sadly, "Guess you don't need Zeus anymore, huh? I have been so busy these days that I'm afraid I'm a little rusty on pretend-time."
Sirius shrugged and said, "That's okay. Reg and I have got really good at playing by ourselves. Remember the time we rode the dragon out of the chimaera's lair?"
Neither boy noticed the sadness in Orion's eyes as he shuffled out of there. They continued playing, talking about the memories they had created without him.
"Oh, come on! It's fine, I'm fine. My heart is strong," Orion muttered to himself as he bent over the kitchen table, clutching onto his chest.
"What's got into you, Ri?" Walburga asked, startling him.
"I said I'm fine," Orion grumbled, plopping down onto a chair noisily. He glanced up at the fireplace and sighed sadly.
Framed photographs lined the wall over the fireplace. In one frame, Orion was holding a baby Sirius right after he was born, a tuft of black hair poking out from above the swaddled blanket. In another, Sirius was starting to walk, holding Orion's hand with the most determined expression on his chubby little face. A picture of an annoyed Sirius holding a swaddled Regulus was next. In another photograph, the two brothers were drinking cups of warm milk while Orion stood by and supervised.
Orion's heart longed for the good old days. Where had the time gone? It seemed like only yesterday he was ordering Kreacher to sniff Sirius's nappies and watching his son take his first steps. Now Sirius was almost seven years old. Soon, Orion would have to watch his son buy his first wand and leave for Hogwarts.
Just the thought of having to send his son to Hogwarts broke his heart. Soon, neither Sirius nor Regulus would need him anymore, and that thought shattered his heart into millions of pieces.
Orion grunted in gratitude when Walburga handed him a cup of tea. He looked away from the photographs that seemed to be tearing his soul apart, opting to stare at the steam rising from the cup instead. He mumbled, "Where did I go wrong, Walburga?"
"Tell me what you're talking about so I can pinpoint exactly where you went wrong," Walburga said, calmly sipping on her tea. She had never been the emotional or sentimental sorts—that was Orion.
"Ha. Ha," Orion deadpanned, glaring at her before rubbing his temples. He glanced up at the photographs again, still wondering where the time had gone by. He didn't understand his sons anymore, and they seemed like they didn't care about it—about him. The realisation stung. He sighed and said, "The boys… They're having fun."
"So?"
"Without me."
Walburga snorted and placed her cup down. "Tell me you're not jealous of your children."
"I'm not jealous," Orion said quickly, and Walburga stared at him pointedly. He pursed his lips and mumbled, "I'm not that jealous. Just a bit, maybe. A little. Maybe, a lot? I don't know…"
"If you're jealous they're spending time together without you, why don't you go and talk to them?"
"I can't just talk to them! That would be ridiculous." Her ludicrous suggestion offended him. What kind of parent told their child they were jealous that the child was spending quality time with their sibling but not with them?
"Talking to your children about feeling bad they're not playing with you is ridiculous? I'll add that to the 'Ridiculous Things My Husband Has Said' list," Walburga said, drumming her fingers against the table. Even when she was annoying him, she looked so graceful and elegant; she liked to claim it was her superpower.
Orion shot her a half-hearted glare, wondering whether she really had a list or not. Knowing his wife and her tendency to be over-organised, she probably had her lists stashed away somewhere secure where he couldn't get to them. Orion pleaded, "Tell me what I should do."
"Besides talking to them?"
"Yes, I'm not talking to them. I'm a man."
"Ridiculous," Walburga muttered before tapping her chin and pondering for a few moments.
"Come on, help me out here."
"I'm thinking! I'm not the one feeling emotional about our children growing up."
"That's because your heart is made of stone," Orion teased lightly.
"It's marble actually—or maybe diamonds—but thank you for the compliment." Walburga even flipped her hair over her shoulder to show him how unaffected she was by his 'insult.' "I'm trying to understand what you're going through, so help me out."
"It's like there's this gaping hole in my chest every time I see my sons having fun without me."
"That's… That's just jealousy, obviously."
"Yes, but why? I'm their father, they should depend on me for certain things, right? Where did I go wrong? What should I do?"
Finally, she sat straighter and suggested, "How about you take the boys out for a boys' weekend? You three could do manly things like chop wood or grunt, hunt for food or whatever else your species likes to do. That will cheer you up."
"We have Kreacher for that," Orion pointed out, but her words struck a chord in him. He pressed his finger against his chin and thought out loud, "Maybe you're right… We could do with some boys' time, right? Maybe I could teach them how to cast spells or—"
"They're children, Ri. You're not teaching them spells. Do anything else, but if the Aurors arrest you or even the Muggles, I'm not coming to bust you out," Walburga said, getting to her feet. "Come, Kreacher, I require your assistance in the study." She strolled out of the kitchen, her long dress swishing about her ankles, with an obedient Kreacher nipping at her heels like a lost puppy.
Orion leant back in his chair and thought for a few moments before he got to his feet and walked over to the fireplace. He picked up one of the frames and stared at it, an idea forming in his mind. Grinning, he placed the photograph back on the mantelpiece, turned around, and strode towards the living room, where his sons were still playing. He stood in the doorway and watched Regulus chase Sirius around the room.
"I'm going to get you, Viking warrior!" Regulus roared, jumping onto the edge of the table and almost slipping off.
Orion hurried over and grabbed the back of Regulus's shirt. He helped him down and said, "All right, Viking warriors. Settle down. I have some news."
"What is it?" Sirius asked, perching himself on the edge of the armchair. "Ooh, am I getting a new broom?"
"No, don't give him a new broom! I want a new broom! You promised I would get a broom next!" Regulus cried, and the boys began to bicker, smacking each other's hands.
Orion shook his head and said, "No, I'm not buying anyone a new broom. What I was going to say"–he reached forward to stop Sirius and Regulus from hitting each other–"is that we're going on a Boys' Weekend!"
"What's that?" the boys asked in unison, their eyes wide with curiosity.
"We'll go camping in the woods and enjoy ourselves! Won't that be fun?" Orion asked enthusiastically.
The boys shared a glance before grinning. Sirius asked, "Mother is not coming with us, right?"
"No, it will be just us three men in the woods," Orion announced.
"Awesome!" Sirius cried, and he high-fived Regulus. "We can go fishing, right, Father?"
"If that's what you want," Orion said.
Sirius and Regulus grinned. Orion didn't understand the smile on their face.
That should have been his first warning, but Orion was so excited to spend some time with his sons that he ignored it.
That was his first mistake.