Title: I Have to Say I Love You in a Spell
Author: Along Came the Spider
Summary: Sirius has something to say

Part Four: For, Some Parties are Torture

Sirius paused and drew in a sharp breath. He hated social events, and had been avoiding them since leaving his parents house. They were loud, the people were insincere, and all in all most of the guests would hex you so much as look at you.

The footman at the door to the room where the event was being held gave him a questioning look. Sirius took another breath before nodding. The footman opened the door and announced the latest arrival.

"Mr. Sirius Black."

A hush fell on the crowd and he saw a number of startled faces among the throngs. One face smiled at him briefly, if sourly. From that little concession he gathered that his mother wasn't here, otherwise she would have held Regulus more in check. He descended the stairs and paused, watching his brother approach him.

"Is the disinherited little popinjay crawling back to society hoping for a handout?" A voice sneered to his left.

"A handout My Lord?" He asked not looking at the voice's source.

"A rich wife," The voice continued. "Though, you're no longer titled, and therefore no longer a catch."

"I still have what my Uncle willed me." Sirius nearly smiled, "Therefore you have it backwards. I am looking for a poor title to go with it."

The voice let out a snort. "Good luck."

"Thank you my lord." Sirius smiled as his brother finally finished his approach.

"What are you doing here?" Regulus snarled as he grabbed Sirius's arm and led him to a more secluded area.

"I will admit to being slightly rusty on the protocol," Sirius raised an eyebrow. "But I was under the impression that one attends these things to be seen."

"You've been thrown out," Regulus scoffed. "Who'd want to see you."

"A lot more people than will want to see you," Sirius smiled. "Especially once Mother finds out that you rushed to my side the moment I arrived."

Regulus paled slightly but held his head up anyway. "She might just come after you, I am after all the only heir."

"Bloodlines can't be erased so easily." Sirius murmured. "I will still inherit the title and quite a bit of the estate."

"What do you mean?" Regulus demanded.

"Mother should have remembered, as should you, that the title goes to the eldest son with no exceptions." Sirius examined the tapestry on the wall. "Most of the people out there will be remembering that very soon, so I wouldn't count on Mother's 'disinherited' line for much longer. I'm back you see."

"A disgrace," Regulus sneered.

"Sowing my wild oats," Sirius cocked his head. "Everyone is young and ideal at some point."

"Mother won't take you back," Regulus said warningly. "Not after what you said to her."

"I don't want Mother to take me back," Sirius shrugged. "And who out there can blame me? I'll be applauded for getting read of a controlling mother. The debutantes will look on me more favorably, simply because I'm at outs with her."

"So this is all about a wife?" Regulus raised an eyebrow. "What brought this about?"

"You'll understand in a year or so," Sirius patted his brother's shoulder. "I know that I didn't understand what was so great about matrimony when I was only sixteen."

"When you were sixteen you ran away from home and got yourself disinherited." Regulus pointed out.

"You really should try it," Sirius suggested. "It's done wonders for me."

Regulus scowled but didn't object when Sirius left him. Sirius again paused to view the crowd. Not much dent had been in the ranks of the pureblooded. Such gatherings with his own circle of friends often had large gaping holes of those who had left the country, gone into hiding, or were killed by the opposite side. It was depressing to realize that the opposite was not happening. Here they were, as always, dancing, drinking, and gossiping in their eternal game.

Sirius covered his mouth as he sighed. A sigh would indicate that he was lonely, or upset. A yawn was a means of conveying boredom with the party going on around him. A suitable statement from someone who had walked away from this life three years ago. A young girl who sat nearby smiled at him briefly before her chaperone, an elderly old maid of the Malfoy line, frowned at her and at him. Apparently his depleted fortune and title were not deemed enough for the girl's attention.

"Mr. Black," A voice called to him demurely. "Always a pleasure to see you."

"Miss Malfoy," he smiled as he turned to her. "Mrs. Goyle, the pleasure is all mine." He bowed to both her and her companion.

"Sarah," Miss Malfoy said to her companion. "I think I will sit on the side awhile. Do not let me keep you from your own pleasures."

Mrs. Goyle didn't say anything, just nodded and left Sirius alone with her friend.

"Impetua," Sirius stepped closer, "You look beautiful tonight."

"Thank you," Impetua Malfoy smiled and held out her hand to be kissed. "Yet I feel that your sudden arrival back into the scene wasn't just to tell me what I already know."

"You wound me," Sirius clasped her hand. "All I could think of when I heard of my disinherited state was of how that meant I could no longer be considered a suitor for your hand."

"Since you recognize the fact that you can't have her hand, you might release it." A masculine voice that Sirius didn't recognize said hotly.

"Antonin," Impetua soothed. "Sirius is an old friend, surely you can see there is no harm is a simple gesture of friendship."

"Impetua," Sirius warned as he untangled their hands. "If you would be so kind?"

Impetua gave him a mischievous look before placing her hand on his arm. "Sirius, my fiancé Antonin Dolohov. Antonin, the Right Honorable Sirius Black."

"Black," Dolohov's voice held no little warning as he shook hands with Sirius. "I've heard much about you."

"None of it good I'm sure." Sirius said blandly, "Yet we must agree that at least I no longer live at the whim of my mother."

A spark of humor entered Dolohov's eyes, Sirius reflected that he wasn't such a bad choice for Impetua, even if he was most likely a Death Eater. 'Maybe he can be convinced to spy on them like Severus does.' Sirius thought as he looked the wizard over.

Dolohov smirked as Sirius moved back to look at his face. He gave Sirius a knowing look before bowing to Impetua again. "Shall we dance?"

Impetua nodded to him and gave Sirius a smile. "I do hope that you don't disappear again, we have so much to catch up on."

Sirius watched the pair dance for a minute before pulling himself together. He was supposed to be looking for a wife, and staring at a women who already had a fiancé was not the best way to go about finding one. He moved about the room wondering where all the people his age had popped up from. There seemed to be a sudden influx of young witches and wizards. He wondered if the Order was aware of them, he certainly hadn't heard Severus mentioning them before.

As expected no one else approached him that night. He had alienated far too many of them for them to come rushing back the moment he reappeared. He had been surprised that Impetua had sought him out, but then she had always gone her own way.

"Well look what we have here." Severus Snape drawled as Sirius drew up alongside him. "It is a surprise."

"You've already made it abundantly clear what you think of me tonight." Sirius sighed. "Would it be too much to ask to you just ignore me?"

"Oh no," Snape smiled nastily. "You and your friends did far too much to me for me not to seek revenge."

Sirius didn't bother to hide his sigh this time. "I really am sorry."

"I believe you," Snape stated. "Once a Gryffindor, always a Gryffindor."

Sirius gave a hasty glance around the room. There were several people watching them unobtrusively. There were enough that Sirius knew he couldn't just walk away.

"Severus," Sirius said softly leaning into the man.

Snape raised his eyebrow and his eyes darted around just as Sirius's had a few moments ago.

"They're all watching us," Snape replied.

"The mama's especially," Sirius agreed. "So I bid you farewell."

Snape blinked not ready for Sirius's statement. "Farewell." He stuttered.

Sirius smirked as he walked up the stairs to leave the House. He had come, he had seen, he had been seen. That Regulus had been there had just been the icing on the cake. All in all it had been a good party.

Sirius walked up to his flat with a near jovial air. He had forgotten how much he enjoyed annoying others. He whistled a tune that had been playing at the party as he let himself into his flat. He blinked a little in the light of his living room. He hadn't thought he had left it on. He stopped whistling and walked into the room. Sitting on the floor in front of the fire was a shivering Remus Lupin.

Sirius wanted to run across the room and pull the werewolf into a hug, but he held himself back and walked slowly to Remus's side. "Remus?"

"Sirius," Remus turned too look up at his friend. "Where were you?"

"The Parkinson's party," Sirius replied.

Remus looked surprised at that. "I thought you hadn't talked to any of those people civilly in years."

"I haven't," Sirius groaned. "And they haven't forgotten it. However, Dumbledore asked me to just go and see the lay of the land. So that means making up with them."

Remus sniffed a little, and Sirius wondered who or what he was smelling on him. "Anyone glad to see you?"

"Impetua," Sirius shrugged. "She introduced me to her fiancé. He's from out of country."

"Hmmm." Remus nodded.

Sirius looked at Remus in the firelight. He wanted to ask where Remus had been, why he'd been avoiding him. He wanted to shout and scream. He wanted to demand. Yet having Remus here was better than knowing.

"How long are you staying," Sirius asked. He needed to know, he didn't want his friend to leave to soon.

"How long can you put me up for?" Remus asked. "I would have gone to James and Lily's but it seems like intruding."

"I know what you mean," Sirius sighed.

"I can pay rent," Remus offered.

Sirius was tempted to say that Remus didn't need to do that. That friends helped friends out and didn't expect anything in return. Remus needed to pay rent though. Remus needed to know that while he had friends, he was also a person. "That would be nice."

"The full moon is next week," Remus said standing up.

"I know," Sirius stood as well. "Do you have a place to go?"

Remus hesitated, "Yes and no."

Sirius waited for him to continue.

"There is an experimental potion that will allow me to keep my mind during the transformation." Remus told him. "With it I could stay here, but we don't know if it works yet."

"I can have James and Peter come over," Sirius offered. "James and I can keep you in line."

"A stag would be pretty hard to explain in this neighborhood." Remus said dryly. "I think it would be best if I went back to Hogwarts for the change, since that is where Severus is making the potion."

"Severus," Sirius repeated.

Remus gave Sirius a look that the wizard wasn't able to interpret. "Is my room still the same?" The werewolf finally asked.

"Of course," Sirius said. "It's late isn't it."

"We'll talk more in the morning." Remus promised.

Sirius nodded then followed his guest to bed.

End Notes:

Before anyone gets up in arms about Impetua, I created her for another story entirely. I hate her, and she isn't a good guy. She does prove a useful female pureblood for Sirius to interact with though. Mainly 'cause she was well named.

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