Grimley Yet
The Youngest
There was no doubt in Orion's mind Regulus would be coming home. Not once did it cross his mind that the trial would not go the way they wanted and that Arcturus Black would fail to secure the release of their youngest family member, or at least the youngest with the name of Black.
It was easy to forget their younger niece now had a little one of her own, but then he'd found himself occupied with securing the freedom of his youngest, constantly worried about what Regulus was going through in Azkaban. Insanity on his part, some might say, with that expected Black madness showing through. No, they did say when they thought he wasn't listening, while Orion thought to himself that, yes, there was a level of madness on his part when it came to his youngest, yet he didn't think that a Black thing—more of a parent thing.
Regulus was Regulus, a child and now a young man with a rather unique view of the world. It was a point of view Orion never found himself able to put into words beyond the fact his youngest liked seeing the best in people, including individuals like Bellatrix, who was now considered the true black sheep of the family. Yet, despite seeing the best in everyone else, Regulus never saw the best in himself, always living in the shadow of the rest of the Black family.
The trial—
The trial was honestly one of the most painful things Orion saw. He'd told Regulus they would be bringing him home., and it felt simple enough, easy enough with everyone testifying on Regulus' behalf, only for Orion to fill himself break once the court came to Regulus' testimony, placing his youngest under Veritaserum, one of the first things out of the boy's mouth being, "Well, you do know that I confessed, right?"
Meaning Orion knew as he stood there holding Walburga's arm with a package of clothing under his other arm that Regulus believed that everything was said and done, that he would be going back in despite Orion promising they would bring him home. He kept telling himself, in his mind, that the court wouldn't listen to Regulus, particularly after Orion watched his youngest be unable to tell the court how old he was now, being off by a year.
"Yes. But do remember Orion," he told himself. "He's been in Azkaban, so the court might consider that reason for him not realizing how much time has passed."
But then the court dived into questions regarding what he'd done, such as " Have you ever used an Unforgivable Curse " with his son answering no after no, which made the hope he felt grow.
Yet there was also a growing level of agitation at hearing Regulus insist he belonged there, let alone what the boy had gone through, such as his son had realized that "I was sent places with my cousin Bella and her husband, but they always went into another room while I was around. Actually, I think they liked torturing and killing, knowing I was oblivious to…."
Almost as if on cue, almost as if Regulus knew his answers would get him sent home, he held up his arm, showing them the Dark Mark, which led to a line of questioning that revealed to the court he 'd received the mark when he was sixteen, yet started attending the meetings right after Sirius left home. Orion found himself swallowing back the bile, always disappointing Sirius' actions. " Is it really any surprise he betrayed the Potters when he was more than willing to abandon his own brother like that? "
But then, there came the point when his son, for some reason, started fighting the Veritaserum, and he vomited all over the place. Walburga lost it, screaming to know what they'd done to her boy along with words better left unused in public before being escorted out of the room as were the journalists upon Dumbledore's request before the headmaster gently interceded, getting Regulus to focus on him, letting the boy speak to him in a low, hushed tone.
Orion tensed, the color had drained from his face, and looked at his father, confused and wondering if this would hurt their chances. The older man's mouth was pushed into a frown. "I honestly don't know what's going on," the man said. "I wasn't expecting this turn of events, but…."
Arcturus didn't finish, his knuckles white ash. He gripped his cane, holding his wand in one hand and the railing in another.
Eventually, they saw Regulus come to a point where he blacked out, and his father said, "Stay here."
He approached Dumbledore, asking a few quick questions, before turning to look at Orion as some of the ministry members came to take his son away, removing the boy from his view. He walked back, using his cane, even though Arcturus could move without using it if he wanted to. Orion swallowed. "Father?"
"He's alright," Arcturus said. "Well, as alright as anyone could be."
"What just happened?"
"You mean when Regulus passed out?"
"Yes."
"The headmaster used wandless magic, but the spell he used is a spell we users use on patients when we can't administer a Calming Draught," Arcturus said. "They're also going to be administering the antidote for Veritaserum."
"Is this going to hurt Regulus' chances of, you know," Orion took a deep breath.
"No," Arcturus said. "The public trial was actually a technicality to put the public's mind at rest. But this…" The man shook his head. "I'll be going with the minister now to see to Regulus."
"I want to be there as well," Orion said, his mind still pouring over how desperate he was to see his youngest at all these days. With Sirius, it was different, having always found himself disappointed in the young man's life choices, with the newest one leaving him so disappointed he didn't want to see Sirius at all—didn't care whether Sirius got a trial or not, as betraying James Potter was just an escalation of what Sirius had already done to Regulus, the next step in the young man's increasingly erratic behavior.
"You don't want to be in there," Arcturus said.
"He's my son."
"And you're mine," Arcturus said. "And he's my grandson. If things weren't so complicated," his father continued before shaking his head. "I don't think Regulus would want you to be in there, Orion, seeing him like this, but I also think there are going to be some things in there that I don't think Regulus is ready for you to hear, that you need to hear when Regulus is ready to tell you."
"Yes, but will he understand?" Orion asked, not wanting his youngest to think he was abandoning him, not after everything that had happened.
"No, I don't think he will," Arcturus said, the attempt at smiling at his own son fading from his face, the hope disappearing. "That boy—Orion, there is a lot that I believe Regulus doesn't understand, a lot going on in that head of his. All of this mess we've found ourselves in happened because Regulus didn't understand."
"Yes, but…"
"I don't blame him, but you must understand that boy's mind isn't understanding things the way it should," Arcturus said. "He will, though, be coming home."
"I should hope so."
"I'll have them send for you when Regulus is ready, but send that damn wife of yours home. She's caused enough of a scene. She should wait for the two of us to bring Regulus home."
"Yes sir," Orion said, knowing Walburga wouldn't like being told to go home, wondering how she would react when she'd been they'd forcibly removed her from the courtroom, then realized he didn't know where she'd been taken, let alone who to ask. There were many people there, and he finally cleared his voice when he stepped out of the courtroom. "Can I speak to an Auror? About where my wife's been taken?"
"Mister Black," a man called out, heading in his direction.
"And you are?" he frowned, unsure.
"Kingsley," the man said.
"Are you an Auror?" Orion asked.
"Yes. I'm one of the ones assigned to escort him here to the ministry. The other is Dawlish, who is with him now," Kingsley said.
"I'm actually wondering where my wife is. I need to speak with her," Orion said.
"Ah. This way," Kingsley said, leading him to a fuming Walburga, showing slight discomfort upon seeing her.
"Are you calm?" Orion said.
"Of course, I'm calm. Nor do I appreciate the implication that I need a Calming Drought," she said.
"I didn't say such a thing," even though Orion thought she came close to needing one, what with how she screamed in the courtroom.
"When do I see my son?" she said.
"When Arcturus and I bring him home."
"Excuse me?" Walburga's tone rose.
"Do you really want to get on the bad side of the family head?" Orion said. "I'm simply relaying his orders, Walburga."
She flared her nostrils. "And?"
"And what? You're to go home."
"Our boy, I mean."
"Regulus. Ah," Orion said. "Dumbledore…"
"I don't want to hear about that man!"
"…calmed him down. Something along that line. He's in the care of," Orion paused, looking at Kingsley.
"Dawlish. He won't let anything happen to him."
"He's an Auror. Your job is," Walburga snapped, then smiled. "Not to help criminals."
"You mean a young man whose not done anything criminally wrong except to get the Dark Mark?" Kingsley shook his head.
Orion sighed. "Walburga, go home."
"And you."
"I'll wait. We'll be home, and Regulus will be with us. Father promised," Orion said.
"Much good that's done. Regulus has been in there for a good three years, almost four! He should have been out sooner."
"Just go home," Orion said again. "Please, for my sanity?"
"Fine," she said, bustling out of the room with her long skirts.
