Sirius had just finished getting dressed when the bedroom door crashed open and Regulus stomped into the suite, his usually neat hair mussed, and his robes dishevelled. Placing his bottle of cologne gently down on his bedside table, he turned towards his younger brother.

'Are you ok?' he inquired tentatively, as Regulus yanked off his robe and threw it to the floor, where is slithered across the marble before coming to a halt against the wall.

'What do you care?' Regulus snarled, his silvery eyes like splinters of ice as he glared at his older brother. His fists balled at his side, as he seemed to ready himself for a physical altercation.

'I wouldn't bother asking if I didn't,' Sirius retorted, his sense of intrigue at this new side of his brother growing. 'Father returned home an hour ago. Where have you been?'

The question hung unanswered as they stared at each other. Regulus opened his mouth as if to speak, a ticking in his jaw, but instead of answering, he stalked across the room and slammed the bathing room door shut; the sound reverberating off the walls of the bedroom.

Sirius stared nonplussed at the door, his mind whirring as several thoughts overlapped. Should he try to find out what was wrong? Or should he leave Regulus alone? He bounced on the balls of his feet as he weighed up the two options, but before he could decide, a buzzing sensation drew him back into the present moment.

Retreating to his bed, he quickly drew the hangings closed and as he cast a silencing charm, he plucked a small mirror from his pocket.

'Alright Padfoot- you back on dry land?' chirped James's voice.

Sirius grinned down at the messy-haired boy, all theories about Regulus's mysterious mood forgotten, 'Yes, albeit barely.'

James raised an eyebrow quizzically and Sirius laughed. Towards the end of the last term, James had devoted an entire hour learning how to arch his brow in yet another failed attempt to beguile Lilly Evans.

'Explain further,' James said, raising his other eyebrow.

'Only if you stop attempting to seduce me,' Sirius responded, arching his elegantly shaped brow back at James.

'Only if you admit that I've almost got it,' James said while contorting his face as if he had eaten something sour

'Oh, be still my beating heart,' Sirius responded dryly.

'Go on, explain what happened,' James urged. 'Mum wants me to show my face at her sewing circle today, so I've only got a few minutes.'

Sirius shrugged, 'There's nothing much to tell. We went off unchaperoned, saw some hippocampi, got caught by the brother and she persuaded him to be alright about it.'

'Wait,' James interrupted, 'What do you mean unchaperoned? Did you guys go off snogging somewhere?'

'Of course not,' Sirius gasped in mock outrage, clasping his hand to his heart. 'We just took a boat trip without Kreacher ensuring there was no funny business.'

'Is that it? God, your lot are stuck in the 15th Century,' James snickered, 'I was hoping for some gossip.'

Sirius rolled his eyes. 'Speaking of gossip, Leopardi will be there tonight.'

James hooted with laughter. 'Ahh, you prepared for her to launch herself at you again?'

Sirius spent a few moments lost in reverie as he puzzled over how Leopardi's ardour for him seemed to come from nowhere. They had hardly any interaction until late last term, and she certainly didn't want for male attention. Yet she had pursued him so aggressively and in a haze of hormones, he had shared several sloppy and unenthusiastic kisses with her.

'Wait,' James said, interrupting Sirius's thoughts, 'How do you know that?'

'Well, she's from a minor Italian pureblood family, and literally, every pureblood on this peninsula is going to be there,' Sirius paused, his cheeks heating as he added, 'Also, Aeliana confirmed it.'

'Ohhhhhh Aeliana's confirming things, is she?' James said while unsuccessfully raising his right eyebrow. 'First, she's defending you and now you're sharing stories about drunken trysts.'

Sirius shook his head. 'I only told her because she asked,' he was about to continue, but James cut across him.

'Aeliana Black…. has a nice ring to it,' James suggested with a smirk as Sirius felt a flutter in his chest.

'Didn't you have to be going?' Sirius asked simply, refusing to rise to James's teasing.

'Yeah, I do,' James harrumphed.

'I hope someone stabs you with a sewing needle,' Sirius said in a mock saccharine tone.

'Love you too, darling.' James replied as the mirror went blank.

Regulus was still in a dour mood, as the brothers stood in front of the fire waiting for their father. A strained silence stretching between them. A prickle of irritation crept across the back of Sirius's neck as his father swept into the room while casting a critical eye over both his offspring.

He seemed, to Sirius's relief, to find nothing wanting and handed them each a small mahogany box inlaid with a mother-of-pearl flower.

Sirius felt a rush of joy, as he took the chaperone box from his father, as it meant that he could at least spend the evening away from adults and Kreacher, even if he had no friends at the ball.

He flipped the latch open, and a plume of purple smoke rose from the box, surrounding Sirius in a fog, as gold lettering formed against the backdrop of the dark vapour.

'I, Sirius Orion Black' Sirius read out loud, 'Do solemnly vow, to act in a gentlemanly fashion while attending the annual flower ball and I pledge my honour from this moment until the next sunrise.'

The second he had finished speaking, the words disappeared, and the smoke billowed downwards. Coiling around his wrist until it solidified into a violet silk ribbon sealed with the Black crest.

'Now that you have both sealed your pledges, Regulus, I believe one of your associates is arriving in 15 minutes to take you by carriage,' Orion said in a business-like tone.

'Yes,' Regulus said with an edge to his tone and a lack of the usual overt deference he showed their father.

Orion glanced at his youngest son with the same stern look he ordinarily reserved for Sirius and Regulus huffed out a breath.

'Vincenzo De-Nardis, my teammate on the quidditch team,' Regulus clarified, sounding ever so slightly petulant, 'He will both collect me and see that I return in the morning.'

Orion regarded Regulus with a slight frown on his face. 'A Trenta family if I recall correctly?'

'Of course.' Regulus countered with a sarcastic edge to his voice and Sirius googled at his brother with a growing, albeit grudging, sense of respect.

'Very well,' Orion acknowledged, 'You will wait here until I've spoken to your brother.'

Finally, turning his attention to his eldest son, he arched his brow appraisingly, and Sirius suppressed a smile at the thought of how envious James would be at Orion's eyebrows.

'You will comport yourself properly tonight, Sirius,' Orion said before pausing and adding. 'I want no reports of illicit boat trips.'

Sirius's stomach knotted itself with anxiety, but he forced himself to glare at his father, as Regulus stared at him with a quizzical expression.

'We will discuss it later,' Orion continued, and Sirius experienced a thrill of foreboding. 'In the meantime, your pledge should keep you in line for the most part.'

Orion reached into his robes, pulling out a small, thin box covered in cloth of gold. 'You will offer her this as a token of your affection and ensure that you dance at least twice.'

'Who said Romance was dead?' Sirius countered dryly, reaching for the box and whatever it contained.

'Certainly not the boy chartering gondolas,' Orion replied acidly.

'You instructed me to secure her hand, and that's what I was doing,' Sirius responded, tossing his head insolently as he smirked at his father.

Orion's face coloured and for a brief instant, he looked exhausted. 'We will talk about it later,' he breathed as he surveyed Sirius's navy linen dress robes, which he had tied with a black velvet sash.

'At least you are appropriately attired,' Orion said in a consolatory tone, 'The girl will meet you in the entrance hall, where because of some tradition or another,' he explained while waving his hand dismissively, his large signet ring glinting in the candlelight, 'You will travel to the ball on horseback.'

And turning back towards Regulus, so he could look at both his sons, he added with a rare smile, 'I hope that you both enjoy your night.'

Vincenzo De-Nardis had arrived exactly on time and after a quick hello to Sirius, had immediately occupied Regulus's attention.

As Regulus and Vincenzo discussed, in what Sirius's opinion was excruciating detail, the Hawkshead Attacking formation; he found his mind wandering to whatever Regulus had been so upset about. He furrowed his brow as he glanced over at the younger boy, who was once again the picture of a detached, well-bred pureblood, both impeccably dressed and groomed.

The sound of footsteps and the halting of conversation finally pulled Sirius's focus away from puzzling over his little brother.

At the far end of the entryway, Aeliana appeared, holding onto Leone's arm. Time seemed to halt as she approached, her scarlet dress whispering against the floor and the diamond collar around her neck glittering in the candlelight. Sirius felt both his mouth and throat become dry as she smiled while presenting him her crimson-nailed hand.

'You didn't wear gloves,' he declared with a wry smile while continuing to hold her hand near his lips.

'I could not find a pair that matched my gown,' she paused, her dark eyes dancing as they stared up at him, 'and heaven forbid that my sartorial choices offend you.' They grinned at each other, her liquid black gaze enticing him into their depths.

'Sirius, you look well,' Leone announced, and Sirius jolted as though a stinging hex had hit him.

'And Regulus, I hope you enjoyed your afternoon?' Leone continued after Sirus had nodded his assent.

Regulus immediately launched into a reply, which Sirius heard as if through a haze of Firewhisky, his eyes captivated by Aeliana's headband of roses. The velvety blood red petals, contrasting beautifully against the ebony silk of her hair. Shaking himself from his trance, he shifted his attention back to the conversation, just as Leone turned to greet Vincenzo, who had been quietly observing the other members of the group.

'Vincenzo, it is a pleasure to see you again,' Leone stated while extending his hand, 'Please give my well-wishes to your mother and remind your father that he owes me a drink.'

'Of course,' Vincenzo replied politely before turning towards Aeliana and letting out a dramatic gasp as his blue eyes swept over her, 'But I can no longer ignore such beauty. Aeliana, you are a vision,' he continued bowing to her ostentatiously, 'Venus herself could not compete.'

Sirius controlled a sudden and inexplicably urge to punch De-Nardis in the face. Instead, he spent several moments fantasising about pummelling him into a bloody pulp.

Sirius silently scoffed to himself, 'The stupid perfumed little prick had probably rote learned his words from some manual for charming gullible witches,' he thought savagely, as Aeliana thanked De-Nardis, with a bored expression on her face.

'I think you should all get on your way,' Leone said, his deep voice cutting through the atmosphere that had descended on the group, 'Regulus, feel free to return at whatever time Orion has permitted for you, but Liana and Sirius, I will expect you back no later than 4 am,'

He pressed a kiss to his sister's head and smiling down at her, he declared fondly, 'Sei bellissima stasera.'

The night air was cool as Aeliana, and Sirius stepped outside and walked down the front steps of the house.

'So why are we going by horse?' Sirius asked as they reached the bottom of the portico, gravel crunching beneath their feet as a gentle breeze carried her peach and vanilla perfume towards him. 'Personally, I was hoping for a Vespa.'

She regarded him with a mocking expression while folding her arms across her chest. 'Considering you apparently want an Italian bride; you do not seem to have learned much about our culture.'

Sirius shrugged while controlling the smile pulling at his lips, 'Well I know about Vespas, I can tell you about their engines.'

'Go ahead,' she said, while cocking her head, 'Afterwards, you can name all the different types of pasta you know. Really impress me with your deep cultural knowledge.'

Sirius laughed, but he couldn't tell her he'd been dragged here kicking and screaming. Especially when he didn't necessarily mind her company, and it was certain to offend her. After all, his family stuff wasn't her fault, and she'd been a decent, if slightly haughty and sarcastic, host so far.

'I bet you don't know much about English culture,' he grinned at her, 'Considering you apparently want an English husband.'

She looked at him nonplussed, throwing her hands into the air, 'You're right, I know nothing about England as neither my father nor my brother attended Hogwarts, and you are merely hallucinating me speaking to you in English.'

Sirius felt the back of his neck heat. He rarely said anything so obviously stupid, and he controlled the desire to turn away from her.

'Fine,' he replied, trying to keep the bite from his voice, 'Enlighten me about why we are going by horse.'

She furrowed her brow at his show of temper but seemed to dismiss it as she transfigured some of the gravel beneath her velvet slippers into wooden puppets

Correctly, reading his expression, she explained, 'If I am to tell a story, I prefer to use props for full dramatic effect. Also, I am proud of my heritage and want to do the story justice.'

Flicking her wand, a female puppet flew upwards, settling on the middle stair with a clang. Despite himself, Sirius marvelled at her transfiguration skills as the puppet was fully dressed in a silk robe like Aeliana's and even had a crudely rendered face.

Aeliana smiled at him before beginning.

Thousands of years ago, there lived a beautiful Phoenician princess named Asherah.

When she was born, she was her parent's only child and beloved by all that met her.

But as she got older, people noticed strange things happening around her.

Plates would explode when she was angry, and snakes seemed to obey her commands.

Concerned by this effecting her bride-price, the king banished her to a hut in the marshlands, which he had guarded by his best men.

And when she turned 13, the king secured a marriage with a wealthy foreign chieftain.

Aeliana paused to clear her throat and Sirius grinned at her. 'You should consider running the Punch and Judy booth in Covent Garden, you really have the knack for it,' he said, causing her to smirk at him before continuing.

But she had fallen in love with one of the men who guarded her.

A man named Neith whose mother was Egyptian- a land that understood and practised magic.

So, he procured an Abraxan and the night before her wedding; they escaped on it.

Crossing the Mediterranean until they came upon a beautiful land.

They landed by a lake and to both thank him for rescuing her and to celebrate finally being able to use her magic; she filled the lake with flowers.

It was the first piece of magic ever performed on the Italian peninsula.

And before unification, Tuscans and Romans would hold a festival of flowers to mark the occasion, as the lake sits on the borders of both regions.

This would involve horse races and boating on a flower-filled lake.

Now it's celebrated by all and forms the start of the Italian marriage season.

As she finished speaking, she waved her wand, and the puppets became pieces of gravel once more.

It was perfect timing, as a stable elf arrived pulling the reins of a medium-sized Granian. It was a magnificent horse, and Sirius briefly remembered summers at his grandfather's estate, where he and Regulus would spend many sun-dappled mornings riding through the forest surrounding the house.

Upon seeing Aeliana, the Granian whinnied and tossed his silver mane happily. Struggling against its reins, as she hurried towards it, her hand outstretched as she cooed in Italian. Taking sugar lumps from a sack held by the elf, she fed the creature while scratching its ears and laughing wildly as it nuzzled her.

'Sirius,' she called over her shoulder as she examined the reins and bridle, 'Come and meet Maximilliano.'

Sirius closed the gap between him and the winged horse, enjoying the feel of its mane between his fingers and feeling a rush of delight as the stable elf encouraged him to feed the spoiled creature yet more sugar lumps. Maximiliano's rough tongue tickling his fingers as he savoured every morsel of sweetness, neighing with pleasure and pawing the ground as if to ask for more.

'So, we're taking part in a horse race?' Sirius asked as Aeliana moved past him to double check the saddle.

'Not quite, I was being deliberately vague as I do not want to ruin the surprise for you,' she said, her eyes twinkling up at him, 'Speaking of the surprise, we really should be leaving.'

She gestured for him to get on first, and he acquiesced climbing up into the saddle and tucking his feet into the stirrups beneath the creature's wings. He turned to offer her his hand, but she had already climbed up in front of him, sitting side-saddle as she gripped the reins.

'I think you may need to hold on to me,' she said over her shoulder to him, 'Maxi is very fast.'

He barely had time to fold his arm around her waist when Aeliana tugged on the reins, and silver wings unfurled as they galloped forward at increasing speed.

Maxi's hooves sending sprays of gravel and dust into the air behind them, as his silver mane whipped back. Sirius felt a surge of excitement as the sound of hooves mixed with the dull boom of flapping wings, the ground falling away behind them as they climbed ever higher. The wards clashing against his senses as they left the Marcellus compound and instead of feeling uncomfortable, it added a euphoric edge to his excitement.

Gripping Aeliana's waist, her rose-scented hair tickling his face; he let out a bark of exhilarated laughter as they sped towards the clouds, the air around them growing steadily colder. Within a few minutes, she had pulled Maxi into a gentle glide, his grey wings seeming to glow in the moon and starlight, as diaphanous clouds washed over them.

'I hope you do not suffer from Hay-fever,' Aeliana said, her voice seeming to echo across the vastness of the night sky.

Sirius leaned forward before answering, 'I don't, and I won't bother asking the reason behind that question as I assume it's got to do with your surprise.'

'You assume correctly,' she replied, and Sirius finally settled against the back of his saddle, his hands resting on either side of her waist as he looked up at the dog star.

They had been flying for around half an hour talking about the differences between Beauxbatons and Hogwarts when Sirius's senses detected another ward. His wristband glowing purple against his pale wrist and the side of Aeliana's dress.

He felt Maxi judder beneath him as the wards washed over them, filling his mouth with a metallic tang. He licked his gums facetiously to rid himself of the taste, shaking his head in tandem with the horse.

Aeliana glanced back at him with concern as he continued to fidget, placing her hand over his and gripping tightly, in what Sirius guessed was an attempt at preventing him from falling out of the saddle. Her fingers were icy, and Sirius cast a silent warming charm over them, appreciating the feeling of warm air as he ran his finger over hers.

'So where is this surprise?' He whispered in her ear, as a blush-coloured Peony fell into his lap.

She smiled at him, as a rose petal landed on her cheek and Sirius looked upwards. A ball of light shimmered above them. Flashing blue, red, green, and orange as it undulated against the night sky like a softly blowing curtain, illuminating the dark, glassy surface of the lake below. And at the centre of the ball flowed a waterfall of flowers, filling the air with petals and whole blooms.

He stared awestruck, his fingers now fully entwined with Aeliana, as the flower-rain grew heavier, the sweet scent of peony blending harmoniously with the woody notes of Iris and the musk of freshly cut roses. A riot of colour surrounded them as his lap filled with flowers and petals gathered in Aeliana's hair. The beat of Maxi's wings, now within touching distance of the lake, sending up sprays of water-soaked petals, as floating candles cast dancing light across the water which was now blanketed in flowers.

Sirius stretched out his free hand to catch a coral sunset peony, remembering how his grandmother had loved them as he spent several minutes admiring its pink and yellow petals.

'One of your favourites?' Aeliana asked, while glancing down at his hand.

'My grandmothers,' he admitted, before he could stop himself. 'She was an avid herbologist and gardener, and she loved peonies and roses. Taking care of them was the one job, I was never allowed to do.'

'You garden?' Aeliana asked.

'Well, it wasn't always willingly, but granny always made sure I ended up enjoying it,' he stopped speaking, a lump forming in his throat, as he recalled his grandmother's soft brown eyes and clear singing voice.

'The Trenta Senate building,' Aeliana said while pointing to the large marble palace set on the shore of the lake, 'Has some of the finest gardens in Italy, if the ball gets boring, I can show you some of the rare peonies.'

Sirius nodded, still unable to speak as an understanding passed between them.

Trenta Senate building,

10:30 pm

As they passed the threshold of the ballroom, Sirius took in his surroundings. Crystal chandeliers hung from a ceiling enchanted to mirror the night sky and illuminated a blue floor that was so polished it resembled the lake outside.

People thronged the room, and a wave of laughter and chatter washed over him. Finally remembering the gift his father had given him, Sirius pulled Aeliana into a small alcove before they were swept into the throng of the ball.

She looked at him enquiringly, as he dug the box out from his robe pocket.

'For you,' he said while opening the lid and offering it to her.

An unmistakable look of shock crossed her face at the contents of the box, and Sirius looked down to see a pair of sapphire earrings glinting against a bed of ivory silk.

'Misaghi sapphires?' she asked in a shaky voice, her face so full of devastation that Sirius was taken aback, and a prickle of unease ran down his body.

'I think so,' he said while scrutinising them. They certainly had the flawless ultramarine colour so prized by pureblood women that the Misaghi family was now one of the wealthiest wizarding dynasties in the world.

'I have plenty,' she replied sharply, as she turned away from him 'They are part of my mother's heritage after all.'

Sirius's mind buzzed. This was the first time in two days that there had been any mention of her mother. He knew her father had died of dragon pox, and that her brother was both her guardian and head of the Marcellus family. Yet he had heard nothing about the whereabouts of her mother, and he silently cursed his lack of knowledge about both Italian culture and the girl he was being forced to court.

But before he could translate his thoughts into words, they were interrupted.

'Aeliana,' cried a tall blonde girl, dressed in purple taffeta as she walked towards them with her arms outstretched, 'Dolcezza, come va?'

The two girls kissed on the cheek as Aeliana replied in a steady tone, 'Non posso lamentarmi.'

Sirius stood awkwardly besides them, clutching the box, as more girls came over to greet Aeliana, some casting him curious glances, while others ignored him completely. After what seemed like the umpteenth hello, Aeliana finally looked back at him from the midst of the group now surrounding her.

'Sirius,' she said in a formal tone, her face a mask of polite indifference, 'Would you mind waiting for me? We must visit the powder room as you English say.'

And without waiting for his reply, the entire group of girls moved away in one giant swirl of taffeta, silk and velvet, chattering and giggling amongst themselves.

Sirius stood alone, and as he processed what might have just happened, he briefly contemplated finding Regulus before remembering that he too was inexplicably angry with him. The bone-deep ache of tiredness that he had banished for much of the day was back. A vast chasm of loneliness opened within his chest as people laughed and chattered around him and he felt a weariness that he could not articulate.

Closing his eyes, he leaned against a wall and slid the box back into his robe pocket. The gift had clearly touched a nerve, and he wondered if Orion had known that her mother was a sore topic for whatever reason. Or had Orion innocently intended it as a nod to her Misaghi heritage? Guilt prickled in his stomach; he hadn't meant to upset her.

'Sirius Black, you are the last person I thought I would see here,' a soft female voice said as Sirius's eyes flew open, and he looked at the exquisite face of Simonetta Leopardi.

Annoyance roiled inside him; she was the last thing he needed right now.

'Hello Simonetta,' he said dully, forcing himself to be polite despite his desire to run from her as quickly as humanly possible.

'Tsk, first you do not reply to my letter now you are in my country without so much as a hello,' she said with a growing edge to her voice, her green eyes narrowed.

His jaw clenched, as his internal monologue became increasingly more furious. He couldn't bare another person being upset with him for no reason. How dare she come over and try to start a fight with him? Adrenaline surged through his body as the angry faces of Regulus, his father and his mother, flashed across his mind.

'It was one snog,' he hissed at her through gritted teeth as she blanched, 'And its frankly pathetic that you are this upset about it. I didn't bother to open your letter, let alone reply, because it was just a drunken kiss.'

Her cheeks flushed scarlet as her beautiful face twisted in fury 'Do you know how many boys would give their right arm to be with a girl like me? Yet you can't even afford me basic common courtesy.'

'I don't care to know,' he countered in a voice heavy with venom as his head span with adrenaline 'So I advise you to go and find them and leave me alone.'

He paused, catching sight of Regulus laughing and talking with a group of Italian Slytherins and anger surged through him, cutting off all sense of reason.

'All you offer is a pretty face, and frankly, your desperate behaviour has negated its value entirely,' he said in a vicious voice, emphasising each word, 'Now leave me alone.'

He bit his tongue, uncomfortably aware of how his mother had thrown an almost verbatim insult at his Aunt Druella. Guilt and shame surged through him as tears welled in Simonetta's eyes. It wasn't even true; he'd always had the impression that she was as clever as she was beautiful. Also, he admitted uncomfortably, he should have spoken to her properly after their encounter instead of ignoring her. But he knew the damage was done by the look of utter contempt on her face.

She looked him up and down, her lips curling in disgust. 'You and 'Liana deserve each other,' she spat, before leaving him to stand alone once more.