AN: It is with great pleasure I present to you, baby Black. Details to be found down in the chapter. This time we'll be mainly focused on this new character and the topics of discussion it will bring with it as well as some of the guests it will summon. Be prepared to be educated on some of the names in the Black family tree if you're not aware of more than Sirius' immediate family members, since names are a bit of a theme. And as promised, there will be more time spent with the Malfoys. (Standard disclaimer applies.)
And regarding the Malfoys, I think it would be best to let everyone know that I do like them before you read what's to come. I believe that they have the potential for redemption (though perhaps not all to the same degree) and in this story they have embraced that. Narcissa is also genuinely eager to reconnect with what family she has left since I feel that 'blood is thicker than water' is a good way to describe her views. Unlike Bellatrix, she would not have been happy to see the end of the family she was born into. However, since she is still a bit of a snob, she finds it easier to associate with Sirius than with Andromeda since he has a higher social standing (being the head of the Noble and Most Ancient House of Black and all).
And as always, my sincerest gratitude to all of you who read, like, follow and review. It always makes my day to see that you've done so. You guys are the best! ^^
During the next two weeks, no one saw much of the Blacks. Mr Black walking from the front door to either get the mail or put out the rubbish bin were almost the only sightings that had happened. There were also three occasions on which Mrs Miller had seen him get into their car, drive away and then return a while later with groceries. Mrs Black had only been spotted twice; once when taking a short walk and once when hurrying after her husband while he made for the car, with what appeared to be the shopping list in her hand.
Baby Black was as of yet shrouded fully in mystery, with no word having come out even on the gender. Everyone was abuzz, tittering about when Carnation Lane's newest inhabitant would be revealed. More than once, Mrs Miller had witnessed her neighbours take strolls along the street, slowing down considerably while passing number eleven. Did they not know how rude it was to be so obvious about trying to get a look into someone else's home?
That was not to say no one had been allowed to meet the family of three. What seemed like every single car Mrs Miller had ever seen outside their house had been back at least once, though the trend of not seeing either the arrival or the departure had soon been established, with only one or two exceptions. It might be a relief to not have to witness the Red Clan in full force again, as the cars had indicated would be possible on the third day after the Blacks had returned home, but it also made for precious little to talk about beyond pure speculation.
After having been absent from the crossword group the first two Saturdays, Mr Black made a reappearance on the third and Mr Miller was all smiles when he returned home, bringing an invitation to tea with him. It was even for the very next afternoon and Mrs Miller thanked her lucky stars she was all done in the gift department. Mr Miller had even accompanied her and helped to select the dragon plushie. She had frowned at the red and green monstrosity, much more preferring a classical teddy bear, but he had insisted the Blacks would appreciate the more creative choice. In the end, she had given in, acknowledging that it was a better reflection on the younger couple.
There was also her secondary gift she had kept carefully hidden from Mr Miller, since he might be able to spot its true intent. A book on parenting could be seen as a genuine desire to help the first-time parents, but she had found it to be the best option for a gift that would leave the Blacks feeling inadequate. Perhaps enough so that they would want to move closer to their family and friends. Plenty of them had enough experience with children to offer up advice, after all. Not that it would be of the good kind, judging by how those children - or little terrors to describe them more aptly - behaved.
With them engaged to spend the afternoon and evening at Eleanor and her family's house, Mrs Miller made the mental effort to put everything else out of her mind. The Farleys were the perfect example of what a proper family ought to be like. There was no nonsense about surnames, both parents had respectable employment and two smart and well-behaved children. Their house was of just the right size and appearance, being well looked after, and located in a neighbourhood with a standard that could rival even their own now since the Blacks moved in. It was nothing short of a safe haven where Mrs Miller could forget the woes of her life.
Jack had showed them the maths test he had done the week before and received a perfect score on and Emily had played the latest piece she had learned on the piano for them before supper without a single note out of place. They truly had the most gifted grandchildren.
Eleanor had also played the piano since she was young and excelled at it. Mrs Miller was sure they must have inherited it from her since she had always felt she would have been a true proficient had she ever learnt. Luckily, her daughter had taken the sensible course in life and not pursued it as a profession, even if her teacher at the time had insisted she should. No, she had finished her education, started working as an accountant for a major office in the nearest large town, where she had met Allan. They had got engaged and married, both after the proper amount of time, and settled down close enough to her and Mr Miller to make the distance an easy one.
It was not until they left that delightful place that the coming afternoon intruded on her mind once more and left her with a sinking feeling. The Blacks had proven near impossible to pin down so far and every time she had to socialize with them her patience was tested a little more. Still, they had a child now, so maybe they would let their guard down enough for her to slip past. Deciding to take a more optimistic stance on the matter, rather than her normal pragmatic disposition, Mrs Miller almost managed to convince herself that tomorrow would bring a victory.
With the gift-wrapped book safely stored in her handbag, Mrs Miller crossed the street Sunday afternoon, while Mr Miller carried the large - and to his knowledge only - gift. When they reached the door of number eleven she rang the bell and then turned to throw a quick glance at number ten while they waited to be let in.
With the short notice she had not had time to meet with her friends to discuss the event, but she did call Mrs Sutton this morning to let her know what was about to happen and to arrange for them and Mrs Jones to have tea the next day. She could make out the older woman standing in her kitchen window, lifting her cup of tea in a salute and wishing her good luck. It felt good to have that moral support, given that her husband had none to offer.
Just then the door next to her opened and Mrs Miller turned back around, finding herself face-to-face with Mr Black. But it was not Mr Black quite as she had even seen him before. The classical black slacks and almost properly buttoned shirt were there, but so was a wet spot by the left shoulder on the latter and a cloth with some of the same substance peeked out from the right front pocket of the former. Since she'd seen him up-close last, his hair had also managed to reach a length that allowed it to be pulled back in a small messy bun at the nape of his neck that only left a few strands to fall by the sides of his face, where a far past five o'clock shadow resided at the bottom. But despite his rumpled appearance, she had never seen him so happy. It was as if he was radiating joy, his eyes shining and lips pulled up in a blissful smile.
"There you are. Please, do come inside" he said, moving to the side to let them in.
"Thank you for having us" Mr Miller replied, "I know you must be wanting a lot of time by yourselves now in the beginning."
"Think nothing of it. We have enough family and friends to make that impossible anyway and both Mione and I agreed that it's best to let the neighbourhood get a glimpse before someone comes and breaks down the door."
"Ah, yes. All us old folks are eager to see some new life breathed into the area. But I am genuinely happy for the two of you."
"Thank you" their host said while he switched between watching them pull off their outerwear and shoes and glancing up the stairs. "But do come on in to the sitting room. The tea's already in there and Mione will be down any moment. Just needed to take care a of a dirty nappy."
The house, Mrs Miller soon perceived, had undergone the same change as its owner. There was the same tasteful décor as always, but parts of the surface had taken some minor hits. A pram took up the space next to the chest of drawers in the entryway, a bag full of apples sat on the floor next to the entrance to the kitchen, in which some dirty dishes were stacked on top of the dishwasher, a thin layer of dust covered some less used surfaces and a side table in the living room were cluttered with baby things they no doubt had received as gifts already. A small, knitted sweater caught her eye in that heap, since it was near impossible for her to miss something so brightly red. The way it was folded also fully displayed the golden R on its front.
Gesturing for them to sit down, Mr Black then placed himself in the sofa, looking relaxed but for the way his eyes darted towards the hallway.
"So" Mr Miller began after a few moments of silence, "how is parthood treating you? Get any sleep?"
"Not so much as I'm used to perhaps, but I think we're fairly lucky since we're only woken about two times each night. Still, it's an adjustment, but one we're both happy to make."
"I can still remember that period in our life" Mr Miller said, reaching over and grasping her hand where it lay on the armrest of her armchair. "Some days you'll be certain you're seconds away from falling asleep standing up, but there's an underlying contentment that keeps any regrets at bay."
Mrs Miller thought back to those first few weeks after Eleanor had been born and could only agree. The love she had felt for her daughter, despite her exhaustion, was enough to not just sustain her but to also smile through it all. It had been the same with Oliver. Becoming a grandmother was nearly as profound and she had loved all four of her grandchildren from the moment she first laid eyes on them.
When they heard someone coming down the stairs the men ceased talking. Mr Black even stood up, his smile widening and his eyes softening when his wife entered the room, gently cradling their child against her chest.
Mrs Black also showed signs of parenthood in her appearance. Her already unruly hair now seemed determined to try to break out of the bun she had put it in, her blouse was rumpled and her socks did not match the rest of her ensemble. However, she shared her husband's radiant joy and went straight to him, easily accepting his arm around her waist and a kiss to her brow before sitting down.
"Welcome" she said then, turning properly towards her guests for the first time. "So happy you could make it despite the short notice. We were supposed to have some relatives over, but they had to reschedule for supper instead and we thought directly of you."
"How kind" Mrs Miller replied, forcing a smile at the rudeness. Perhaps they were being affected by the presence of a baby in the house, but that was no reason to let your guests know they were only their second choice.
"Thank you for letting us come instead" Mr Miller replied almost simultaneously, completely at odds with her sentiment. "We've only known you for a little more than half a year and I'm sure you must have many people clamouring to come visit at this time."
"Yes, there are a few" Mr Black said, shrugging, "but I wanted you to come and Mione agreed."
A tiny arm suddenly came loose and started aimlessly waving around by Mrs Black's shoulder, followed by a few baby noises that captured everyone's attention. Slowly, the new mother turned her child towards them, giving them a full view of a face that was too new to determine which parent it might favour, but adorable all the same. Almost black tufts of hair adorned the top of the head and large baby blue eyes blearily blinked at the world.
Mrs Miller found it was impossible not to smile.
"Allow me to introduce our son, Regulus Granger Black" Mr Black said, leading her straight into a frown instead.
"No middle name and two surnames?" she could not help but ask. Not even she had predicted that they would be able to make such a mess of naming their child. Perhaps it ran in Mr Black's family, seeing the strange name he had. Not that Regulus was any more acceptable.
"Yes, we've already had that question a few times" Mrs Black replied with a chuckle. "It's all my fault really."
Her fault? While Hermione was far from common, it at least had the distinction of being used by the great bard himself. But maybe she had some strange love of unconventional names and had married Mr Black in part based on that? Thinking back, she realised she had no idea what any of Mr Black's relatives had been named, so maybe this went back several generations?
"How so?" Mr Miller asked, being better equipped to keep up a conversation with these people than Mrs Miller could ever be.
"Before we married, we debated which surname to go with. Sirius wanted both of us to go with Granger Black, or even just Granger."
"Yeah. The name of Black really never brought me much good, did it" Mr Black commented, a hint of bitterness in his voice despite the smile that played on his face while his eyes rested on his son.
"But I convinced him that the best revenge he could have on his family was to keep the name and make it stand for something good instead, while I would keep my maiden name in addition to taking his to remind everyone that changes were indeed on the way. I had the same argument when we discussed names for this little darling. I wanted to uphold the tradition of his family, since their names are one of the few things I like about them, while he wanted something new. We reached a compromise."
"So, Granger isn't his surname then?" Mr Miller asked, now leaning forward in his armchair to get a closer look at the baby.
"Exactly. It's his middle name. That way Mione's family name can live on for at least one more generation."
"I see. That's a nice sentiment. Where does Regulus come from then?"
"My brother. He died as a very young man and I only found out a few years ago that he did so while trying to atone for the mistakes our family had pushed him into doing. We both felt he deserved to be honoured in some way."
Mrs Miller listen with fascination as her husband managed to get so much information out of their hosts. Not that it was his goal, no, he was simply interested to get to know his friend better by learning more about his life. And if it was all true, it seemed to be quite some life. Perhaps he had a written down family tree somewhere she might get a look at?
"Regulus and Sirius" Mr Miller commented. "Your parents had some original thoughts on names I take it."
"Hardly original. My family's used celestial names for its members for as long as our history has been recorded, with a focus on stars and constellations. There are some more loose connections as well, such as my mother, Walburga. Walpurga is the name of some large asteroid, though I suspect it has more to do with Walpurgis Night. Then there's my aunt Lucretia, which is another asteroid. I think there's even a moon crater represented some generations back."
Mrs Miller barely had time to marvel at the fact that his mother also came from a family with outlandish names before Mrs Black continued the explanation.
"There are also those with names that have nothing to do with the heavens, such as your cousin Narcissa and two of your great aunts, Dorea and Iola. All men seem to have had more traditional names, though."
"Fascinating" Mr Miller commented, his eyes even rising from young Regulus to his parents. Mrs Miller had to agree. Unconventional as it was, it still made for a good tale. One she was eager to share. "What are some of the male names then?"
"For starters, I'm the third Sirius in the family, and this here" Mr Black said, reverently caressing his son's cheek, making those blue eyes temporarily focus on him, "is the third Regulus. My father was named Orion, my uncles were Alphard and Cygnus, my paternal grandfather was Arcturus and my maternal grandfather was Pollux."
Wait, what?! Did he just include his maternal grandfather in that list, Mrs Miller marvelled and felt herself compelled to ask about it.
"Did your mother's family have the same tradition with names?"
"Yes" Mr Black said, looking up at her with an amused glimmer in his eyes. "But only because she shared the same family as my father."
Glancing over at her husband, Mrs Miller saw that he looked as taken aback as she felt, and she nearly stumbled over her words when she asked him to confirm her suspicion.
"Are… are you saying your parents were… were related?"
"Oh yes. They were second cousins. Dear old mum didn't have to change her name when they married. I believe I did tell you that they were horrible people. Their xenophobia ran so deep they even married within the family to keep our blood as pure as possible."
Mrs Miller gulped. While marrying close relations had not been terribly uncommon among royals and nobility throughout history, the practice had dwindled down considerably in the modern era. The notion of blood purity also sounded like a dangerous belief, if not fanatical. Maybe it was not so strange Mr Black had ended up a criminal if that was what he grew up with. At least he seemed a much more tolerant person than what he painted his family to have been.
The heavy atmosphere was broken by little Regulus as he started to make some noises and wave both arms while kicking with his legs. At once, everyone was back to smiling as the present dispelled the past. And after the tea and cakes had been consumed, while much more agreeable topics had been discussed, both guests were offered to hold the baby. Mr Miller eagerly took him first, holding the tiny body with the same ease he had always handled their own children and grandchildren with. He both cooed at and talked nonsense to the baby, who seemed as enraptured by him as someone that fresh into the world was capable of being.
When it came to her turn, Mrs Miller graciously accepted the boy into her arms and reminded her husband that they had brought gifts.
"Gifts?" Mr Miller asked, perplexed. "I thought we only had the one."
"The second one is in my bag, dear. I felt that one would not be enough to convey how delighted we are at having these new parents as our neighbours."
He gave her a funny look, but complied and bent down to fetch the item from her bag, which sat on the floor between their armchairs, before handing over both gifts to the Blacks. The dragon appeared first from its wrapping and the parents gave each other an amused look before giving their thanks, saying it was perfect and would fit right in in the nursery.
Mrs Black was then the one to unwrap the book. It did not, however, have the desired impact, much to Mrs Miller's disappointment, even if she knew it would be best if they did not take the full meaning. At least not consciously.
"How lovely and thoughtful" the young woman said, holding up the book for her husband and Mr Miller to see. "After some of our previous guests, it's so refreshing to receive advice in written form."
Mr Black snorted.
"Thank you. I'll be sure to read it soon."
Luckily, or perhaps unluckily as it would turn out, Mrs Miller was spared her husband's disapproving gaze when they were all distracted by the sound of the doorbell.
"Who could that be?" Mr Black asked after looking at his pocket watch.
Mrs Miller would have marvelled at him using such an old-fashioned thing if she had not had to focus on Mrs Black coming to reclaim her son while she asked her husband to go and see who it was. Mrs Miller hoped no one of their neighbours had got it into their head that it was acceptable to come visit now just because she and Mr Miller were there. It was common knowledge, after all, that new parents invited you over, you did not turn up unannounced.
Soon, they could hear the front door opening and then Mr Black speaking.
"Oh. You're a bit early. Never mind, though. We have two of our neighbours over still, but do come on in and join us."
The rustle of coats being pulled off and hung up, along with an occasional clatter of shoes or boots put down on the floor sounded down the hallway to the occupants of the living room. The quietness of the process told Mrs Miller that it could not be the Red Clan, but then who was it? She had seen the scandalous Mrs Lupin, along with what must have been her family, visit just three days ago, so surely it could not be them. The other most frequent visitors were the Potters, who had been over the day before that and should be equally unlikely. Especially since Mrs Potter must be due any day by now.
Her answer walked into view not a minute later as four people followed Mr Black into the room. It was the three blondes and lone brunette with the expensive car and coats. The clothes they wore now were equally impressive and Mrs Miller even hazarded a guess that they were tailor-made, judging by the way the garments fit so perfectly.
Mrs Black met them halfway between the opening out to the hallway and the sofa, and for a while Mrs and Mr Miller were ignored in favour of acquainting the new arrivals with Regulus Black. The two women were even more enthusiastic about the baby than Mr Miller had been, cooing at him while letting the tiny hands grip their fingers. The two men remained much calmer, though the younger did smile.
The story about the name was then repeated, but no explanation regarding the names of the Blacks followed. These people were clearly in the know and if Mrs Miller had guessed correctly - which she prided herself she tended to do - they were relatives. Maybe the blonde woman was even the cousin that had been mention a short while ago. Narcissa was it?
"Will you give another son, if you have one, Sirius as a middle name then?" the same woman asked once her supposed cousin had finished his tale, "or have you dropped that part of tradition?"
"We'll be going with Black first names and names with greater personal meaning to us for middle names" Mr Black replied.
"I see. Well, that is acceptable I suppose" the woman said while the older man scoffed.
"I think it's lovely" the younger woman said and then turned towards the younger man. "Maybe we should do the same, dear?"
"Tradition is important, I think, but it would be best if we hold that conversation when the time comes" the man replied after shrugging his shoulder in that same nonchalant way Mr Black did, reinforcing the notion that they were related.
The older man looked disapproving at this but continued his silence.
"While we are pleased to have you, we did not expect you for another hour" Mrs Black said, ending the apparently sensitive topic. "I hope nothing serious happened to keep you from your appointment."
"We made the appointment with no trouble, but those cursed goblins at the bank, after having the nerve to summon us in the first place, only told us that a new issue had come up regarding one of the heirlooms they confiscated for examination. Those cretins could just as easily have written to let us know we have to wait at least another month before we can have it all released" the older man replied.
His voice was so cold it sent the most unpleasant sort of chill down Mrs Miller's spine and she quickly averted her eyes from him, not wanting to risk having his equally wintry gaze turned on her again.
At the same time, she could not help but wonder what kind of bank was open on Sundays. Perhaps it was some kind of special bank for the truly wealthy, but if so, would they not have employees that were competent enough to not warrant being called goblins or cretins, even if they did have to work weekends?
"Lucius, dear, mind the company" the older woman said, and just like that, all eyes turned to the two people still sitting down.
"Ah, yes. Please allow me to make the introductions" Mr Black said. "This is our neighbours across the street, Ernest and Enid Miller. And this is my cousin Narcissa Malfoy, her husband Lucius Malfoy, her son Draco Malfoy and his wife Astoria Malfoy.
More strange names then, Mrs Miller thought to herself while nods were exchanged by most. Only her husband and the young Mrs Malfoy used a verbal greeting. The old Mr Malfoy did nothing. At least she had guessed the identity of the older woman correctly. It was important to look for the silver lining in these types of situations.
Soon, three of the four leather armchairs that stood around the smaller table off to the side were carried over to the coffee table and everyone but Mr Black sat down. He had hurried off to the kitchen to put on a kettle so they could have some more tea, as well as to fetch some small cakes for the Malfoys.
Regulus, still in a happy mood, was transferred to the older Mrs Malfoy, who sat in the middle of the sofa with her daughter-in-law and Mrs Black on either side. There was a reverence in both the way she looked at the baby and how she held him that Mrs Miller could not explain. She was not even an aunt, yet looked as if the boy was the answer to all her troubles. Eventually, she looked up at Mrs Black.
"He's beautiful. And so like his father. I know we've had our differences in the past…"
"To put it mildly" Mrs Black replied, but without any real heat.
"But I hope you know how grateful I am that you managed to wrangle my rebellious cousin into marriage and now give him an heir. The House of Black hasn't had a new birth since the previous Regulus and I was despairing of there ever being one. You know it's not all I hoped for, but to see the House I was born into suddenly have a future again… Well, I couldn't be happier."
"Thank you, Narcissa. That does mean a lot coming from you."
"Yes, I'm absolutely thrilled that you've given me a new cousin, Granger" the younger Mr Malfoy drawled, but with amusement in his eyes and a smile teasing the corners of his mouth.
"Mind your manners, Draco. We are family now after all" Mrs Black shot back.
By the time Mr Black returned with the refill and new treats a few minutes later, Regulus rested in the arms of the younger Mrs Malfoy. He had started to look a little sleepy and made half of the people in the sitting room, Mr Miller included, coo in adoration when he yawned. It was a sound he seemed most adept at producing from those around him.
Mrs Miller made sure to pour some tea for herself the first chance she got, hoping to calm her increasingly frazzled nerves. The atmosphere at the table could soon be described as forced at best and hostile at worst. There was no mistaking the fact that the Malfoys largely ignored them, with only the younger couple exchanging a few words with them. The older Mr Malfoy even seemed to radiate an increasingly malevolent aura, as if he was trying to push them out of there with nothing but sheer willpower.
The Blacks, to their credit, did the best they could to include everyone in conversation, but it was increasingly difficult to deny that even if they were there on the time they had been invited to, their welcome was coming to an end. The Malfoys did perhaps not know they were going to be there when they showed up early, but there was no doubting that they thought themselves the more important guests and would take precedence. And while they were related to the hosts, Mrs Miller could not see how that overrode a prior engagement. There was a reason polite society had set up rules for how to handle these things, but as always, the really wealthy did as they pleased, not caring if they caused offence.
"Thank you for having us over" Mr Miller said after the older Mr Malfoy had pointedly ignored a question of his for the second time, "and as pleasant as it has been, I think we ought to get back home."
Mrs Miller was unsure if she had heard the unpleasant man muter 'finally' under his breath or not, but was relieved to be able to leave. Mr and Mrs Black followed them to the entryway, little Regulus currently napping in the arms of the younger Mr Malfoy, who had been cajoled into holding him by his wife and mother.
"I'm sorry it ended up being like this" their hostess said. "We thought we'd have more time to offer."
"Please. No need to apologize" Mr Miller replied.
Mrs Miller thought there was every need to apologize.
"We'd be delighted to have you over another time" Mr Black said. "When no family or friends are expected the same day."
"That would be lovely. Wouldn't it, Enid?"
"Yes. I can hardly wait" Mrs Miller said, but continued the sentence in her head with 'to get home'.
The only positive thing she could take away from this visit was an abundance of information to use in her research. With so many specific names it surely ought to be easy to garner some useful results at long last. There was also the fact that the older Mrs Malfoy had referred to the Blacks as a House, rather than a family. That did indeed signify a long and prestigious history. Maybe they needed to call Mrs Sutton's cousin again.
It was not until they had said their goodbyes and left the house that a most horrifying thought struck Mrs Miller like lightening, making her steps falter almost to the point of standing still in the middle of the street. Since she had never seen the name in writing her error was understandable. How was she supposed to know Mr Black was named after a star of all things? However, that did nothing to alleviate the knowledge of having committed such a mistake and humiliation burned through her body. All those letters to all those prisons and courts… No wonder they had commented on the strange name. For as it turned out, there was no Serious Black in existence.
Next chapter: The quest for more information is valiantly continued by Mrs Miller and her friends, loyalty is called into question and another house might soon be up for sale.
