The Other Side of the Looking Glass: A Series of Harry Potter One Shots
The Ancient And Most Noble House of Black
A/N: A side of Mrs. Black that hasn't been seen, but I believe is there. This takes place during Harry's year five at Hogwarts. I don't know all the names of his family off the top of my head, so forgive me if I get it wrong.
It was October, the October before the events at the Ministry of Magic. And Sirius was lonely at 12 Grimmauld Place. The kids were all at school; Arthur, Moody and Knightley on a dangerous mission; Snape and Dumbledore at school and Molly and Tonks were shopping at Diagon Alley. This last fact was both depressing since he wanted to go out as well, but amusing since he knew how much the tomboy Tonks hated most shopping. Remus was off being…Remus…except furrier…since it was a full moon. And Sirius' latest new friend, Bill Weasley, was off on a job for Gringotts.
Sirius was not only lonely, but bored. He couldn't even clean since Molly had left the place spotless. He almost was desperate enough to talk to Kreacher, except that Kreacher had gotten into a great fit about "desecrating this noble dwelling" and "the wonderful dark and violent old days". Then he'd met up with Winky and they proceeded to demolish a dozen bottles of butterbeer between the two of them. So wherever Kreacher was hiding, it was likely he was very ill and not very happy.
Depressed, he sat down in the middle of the staircase and gloomily surveyed the portraits of his ancestors. A lot of them gave him a sad smile, shrugged and left their picture frame. These were his relatives that dabbled in the dark arts like the rest of the family but had not been Death Eaters or otherwise so evil. When cleaning, Sirius had eventually decided only the portraits of his truly evil relatives (Bellatrix and Narcissa to name a couple) would be removed. The others, well, he didn't like them but they WERE family.
He glanced up at his brother Regulus' portrait, the only Death Eater whose portrait remained. Sirius had always loved and respected his brother, despite their circumstances of Order/Death Eater, Good/Evil, Family Traitor/Perfect Son, Gryffindor/Slytherin. This was his brother whom he had played with, grown up with, gone to school with. And, he was pretty sure, had just been too scared to stand up to their Dark Arts loving parents.
"Why does life have to be this way, Reg?" he groaned.
"Look Siri, on the bright side, you're still alive." Reg's portrait responded.
"A lot of good THAT does me."
"You're a traitor." His mother's portrait spat from the other wall.
"Yeah, I know, the failed soon, mudblood lover, who fouls the name Black."
"Yes," his mother quietly replied. "But you're still my son. It is true your father and I were disappointed in the fact that you were in Gryffindor, but you did well and made friends. You may be friends with muggle lovers and mudbloods but you are at least vehement and stand by your choices. The Black name stands for honor and loyalty and while you were stupid to take the fall for that idiot Pettigrew, you stayed strong in the Azkaban. It takes a strong wizard to do that. I may be disappointed in what you are but I am still proud of who you are. My son. And you would have to do a lot worse than what you have done before I stop seeing you as that.
"Why didn't you ever tell me then?" Tears filled Sirius's eyes.
"You were young, reckless. We thought we could change you. You also had the courage to stand up to Voldemort, something most people lacked. Don't look so surprised. You think all the purebloods look at him the way they used to, now that we know he's half and half? They mock him behind his back and hate him for being the very thing they persecute but to his face they praise him. That's why the dark side can't win, they aren't united anymore."
"Gee, Mum, you're starting to sound like me. I think having my friends at home is starting to wear off on you."
"When you're dead and stuck in a portrait, you get a lot of time to think. I don't like muggles and mudbloods but that doesn't mean I want them dead. I just think that purebloods are better. Although your friend Ms. Granger makes me wonder. And stop moping around feeling sorry for yourself. That's not the son I know and love. And I do still love you."
"I know Mum, I love you too," he said, smiling at the words he hadn't heard since he was eleven and about to leave on his first train to Hogwarts.
"I'm sorry we didn't support your choices."
"It's alright, I understand."
Just then a door slammed downstairs, female voices of Molly and Tonks were heard, and Mrs. Black took up shouting again. "Mudblood traitor! Muggle lover! Filth of a wizard!"
"Ah sod off Mum," Sirius said halfheartedly as he made his way downstairs, a renewed gleam in his eye and a smile on his lips.