The Difference One Choice Makes
22nd June 1974
"Where are you going Sirius?" said a young boy of 15 with medium length straight black hair and a pale chiselled face that displayed barely any emotion.
He was stood in the polished dark oak doorway looking through the open door as a 16-year-old boy that shared many of his looks was throwing things into a small trunk with so much anger and frustration that it rolled off of him in waves. The only noticeable differences between the two boys were that the older one had longer and messier black hair as well as being less smartly dressed than the younger boy.
The two boys were at one of the ancestral homes of the Most Ancient and Noble House of Black with their house known as Number Twelve Grimmauld Place.
The room they were currently in contained a double bed with red and gold sheets while posters of bikini-clad Muggle girls and motorcycles lined his bedroom walls.
The older boy looked up at the younger boy for a moment with a bitter look on his face.
"Anywhere but here Reg" said Sirius Black bitterly as he carried on forcibly throwing clothes and books into the trunk not caring if the contents of his trunk were neat or not.
The boy identified as Regulus Black sighed.
"Can't you just do what Mother says, she means well you know" said Regulus.
"She's a hateful bitch Regulus" snapped Sirius in a bitter voice.
Hearing those words screwed up Regulus's face in anger.
"Don't speak about our Mother like that" snarled Regulus.
Sirius finished packing his trunk and slammed the lid shut.
"The truth always hurts doesn't it Reg?" said Sirius bitterly.
"I said don't speak about Mother like that" snarled Regulus.
"What… that all she talks about is how we need to keep our bloodlines pure and plan mass genocide of Muggles and Muggleborns, how is that meaning well?" said Sirius bitterly.
Regulus straightened up into what most would describe as a blood purist Pureblood looking down on those they considered beneath them as if they were dirt under their shoes.
"Mother was right, you've been hanging around with Potter too much… filling your head with all this nonsense about how Muggles and Mudbloods are equal to us, not surprising for him given that he practically stalks that Mudblood Evans" said Regulus bitterly.
Sirius picked his trunk up dropping one end to the floor with a bang.
"And you sound just like Mum and Dad now, don't you think it's about time you started thinking for yourself, instead of behaving like a mouthpiece for their racist shit?" said Sirius icily.
"Tojours Pur Sirius, Tojours Pur, never forget that" said Regulus.
Sirius ignored him and walked over to his window opening the cage containing his Eagle Owl which he had had since his Second Year at Hogwarts.
He tied a letter to one of its talons.
"Take that to Potter Manor boy" said Sirius quietly as not to let slip where he was going to Regulus.
Potter Manor was the home of his closest friend James Potter which had been a bone of contention for his Parents ever since he first met the young Potter Heir.
Once the owl was gone Sirius turned back to Regulus.
"If that means marrying Cousins Reg then I'd rather go shag a Muggleborn… oh wait I already did, more than once in case your wondering" said Sirius bitterly referring to one of the few sexual escapades he had partaken in during his Fifth Year at Hogwarts.
Regulus suddenly looked disgusted.
"Then Mother should blast you off of the family tapestry ten times over for soiling our pure blood with Mudbloods, you should be ashamed of yourself Sirius, give me one good reason why I should not mention this to Mother" snarled Regulus voice dripping with disgust.
"And what about Andi… did she deserve to be banished because she got married to a Muggleborn?" said Sirius angrily.
Regulus stiffened slightly as memories of his older Cousin Andromeda surfaced in his young mind for a few moments.
His favourite Cousin who doted on him when he was young and innocent. The same Cousin whose name he now cursed after she ran away from home and married a Muggleborn by the name of Edward Tonks.
Sirius noticed his reaction.
"I thought so" said Sirius stiffly.
As he pushed his way past Regulus pulling his trunk behind him his brother called out to him.
"Andromeda should have known better than to consort with people like that Mudblood Tonks, she should have been grateful that Uncle Cygnus had promised her to someone worthy like Lucius Malfoy, she got what she deserved for betraying us like that!"
Had Regulus not been his little brother. Sirius felt like he would have smacked or hexed him without hesitation.
He dragged his trunk all the way down the stairs until he reached the door.
Unfortunately, he was not able to avoid a certain someone as he was about to open the door.
"Sirius Orion Black, where do you think you are going!" shouted the shrill angry voice of his Mother Walburga Black.
She was around 49 years old with shoulder-length black hair with identical facial features to her two Sons and she was dressed in a fine, expensive gown-like dress.
Sirius turned around to see his Mother marching towards him with her wand in her right hand while his tall, aristocratic short black-haired 45-year-old Father Orion Black following behind her.
"As far away from this house and family as I can get" said Sirius angrily.
Hearing those words caused his Parents to stop dead in their tracks.
"Don't be so stupid Sirius" said Orion Black icily managing to keep his temper in check.
Walburga Black however was a different story.
"Get back upstairs right now Sirius, or its ten lashes with the belt" growled Walburga.
"No… I'm out of here and you're not stopping me" said Sirius defiantly.
"Then its twenty lashes, disobey me again and I'll make it thirty!" shouted Walburga.
"Just let him go Walburga… if he wants to waste his life by associating with Blood Traitors and Mudbloods then let him, he'll come back eventually begging for forgiveness" growled Orion.
He stepped out from behind his Wife.
"You are no Son of mine Sirius Orion Black… and it sickens me to know that you share my good name" snarled Orion.
Sirius spat at their feet only serving to make them even angrier.
"I'd rather have Muggles for parents than the two of you" snarled Sirius.
With that, he left their house for the last time slamming the door on the way out.
Though it took him nearly an hour he eventually reached the Leaky Cauldron and managed to get a room for the night while he waited for his best friend James Potter to get his letter letting him know that he was at the Leaky Cauldron.
26th June 1974
Having heard about her Cousin leaving home four days ago when her Uncle Orion and Aunt Walburga had turned up at her home Black Manor shouting about how Sirius had betrayed and disgraced the Black name Narcissa Cynthia Black felt like she was all alone in the world.
While not having a particularly close relationship in recent years, she and Sirius always had each other's backs when they were children.
The 17-year-old long blonde haired witch and Prefect considered by most in the school to be one of the most beautiful girls at Hogwarts sat on her bed clutching one of her pillows against her chest as she wrestled with her thoughts.
Overhearing what her Father Cygnus Black and Mother Druella Black nee Rosier thought was a private conversation over an hour ago did little to help her immense feeling of loneliness.
For a long time, she had known that her Parents wanted one of their Daughters to be married to the 21-year-old Lucius Malfoy as both of them were in the same year at Hogwarts as Lucius's Father Abraxus Malfoy.
Her older Sister Andromeda ran away from home and married a Muggleborn to get away from the betrothal when she was told that she was going to be betrothed to Lucius Malfoy. Now Narcissa was going to be betrothed to him and it made her feel sick.
Though he was not unattractive as Narcissa remembered girls in school gushing over the blonde-haired boy's good lucks he had the personality of an extremely rude goblin. The rumours circulating around the Slytherin Common Room at Hogwarts that the likes of Lucius Malfoy, Rabastan Lestrange and several other year mates of theirs had pledged themselves to this new Dark Lord hell-bent on purifying Magical Britain only dissuaded Narcissa even further.
After hearing that her Parents would start negotiating with Lord Abraxus Malfoy in the coming weeks Narcissa had spent the next half an hour crying into her fine plush pillows before finally coming to her senses.
Glancing at the foot of her bed she saw her now packed trunk containing most of her clothes and jewellery, her school supplies and enough gold to last her a few weeks until she could find somewhere to go. Though as she stared at it she was still in two minds about whether or not to actually go through with what she was planning to do.
Could she really do what her older Sister and Cousin were strong enough and brave enough to do? Could she really walk out on her family and everything she knew just because she overheard a conversation?
"Maybe Lord Malfoy will refuse my Fathers offer" thought Narcissa with a faint hint of hopefulness that nothing would come of her Parents offer but deep down she knew better.
Abraxus Malfoy wanted a Black Daughter to be married to his only Son and nothing would change his mind.
Glancing to her left she saw a single moving picture on her bedside table. The picture was of herself, Andromeda and her oldest Sister Bellatrix sat in the Hogwarts courtyard when she was in her Second Year at Hogwarts. One of the last happy memories that the three Black Sisters shared before life started to change for them.
Shortly after she graduated from Hogwarts Bellatrix had been married off to a Slytherin named Rodolphus Lestrange who was a year older than her in school.
Thankfully her older Sister's marriage to Rodolphus Lestrange only lasted until last July owing to Rodolphus's sudden death at the age of 22. Though it was never proven rumours travelled that Bellatrix had poisoned her Husband just as rumours also surfaced that Rodolphus Lestrange took pleasure in beating, raping and torturing his Wife with the Cruciatus Curse.
Narcissa was pulled out of her thoughts when one of their family House Elves apparated into her bedroom telling her that her father wanted to see her in his study.
Five minutes later…
"Tell me your joking" said Narcissa in disbelief and anger.
Her father looked at her in slight shock.
"A joke… why would this be a joke… Lucius Malfoy is a fine match for you, and the two of you will be formally betrothed before you go back to school, and married immediately after you finish Seventh Year" said Cygnus Black sternly.
Cygnus Black was 41 years of age with medium length neat black hair and a clean-shaven aristocratic face dressed in fine silk dark green dress robes.
Of course, what Narcissa had overhead earlier was her Parents plans for her in an effort to increase their own social standing.
Only now her Father had just confirmed it and was expecting his Daughter to go along with his plans without hesitation or complaint just as he expected of her Sisters or her Mother.
"Andi ran away from home when you tried to force her to marry that vile man, why do I have to marry him?" said Narcissa icily.
Her Father stiffened slightly at the mention of her Sisters name which had become taboo in Black Manor.
"Just because your Sister disobeyed us and refused such a fine match, does not mean that you get to do the same… Lucius Malfoy is a fine young man from a respectable family of Purebloods, what more can you possibly want?" said Cygnus.
"To get my Newts and be accepted into the Auror training program, to marry a man of my own choosing and not to be used as your pawn" thought Narcissa bitterly.
Narcissa remained silent wishing for her conversation with her Father to be over so she could get away from him.
"You are a Black Narcissa… and you will do your duty as all Black's must do" said Cygnus.
"And what if I say no?" said Narcissa stiffly.
"You don't get to say no, I am your Father and you will do as I tell you" said Cygnus bitterly.
"Well, I do say no… I won't marry Lucius Malfoy and you can't make me do it, I am your daughter, not your pawn" said Narcissa trying to sound fierce.
She stood up ready to walk out not willing to continue with the conversation before her Father stood up opposite her.
"You will do your duty to this family and marry Lucius Malfoy, or I will find you a Husband far less tolerant of these ridiculous notions of disobedience" said Cygnus sternly though Narcissa could see that his temper was rising having seen it numerous times since she was a little girl.
Feeling defiant and wanting to be brave Narcissa straightened up.
"And if I don't?" said Narcissa defiantly challenging her Father.
Cygnus remained silent and still for a second before backhanding her across the cheek knocking her to the floor.
Narcissa clutched her cheek as tears welled up in her eyes as she felt the full force of his slap for the first time in her life.
She knew he would strike her Mother every now and again but he never laid a finger on her or her Sisters no matter what they did.
She looked at him with tears streaming down her cheek as she finally made the hardest choice of her life.
She slowly got back to her feet feeling the stinging pain in her cheek start to go numb.
"I'm leaving… and I'm never coming back!" shouted Narcissa through tears and pain.
Turning around she pulled the door open with strength and force she did not know she had before running out back towards her bedroom.
"GET OUT… GET OUT AND DON'T COME BACK YOU UNGRATEFUL LITTLE WHELP, YOUR JUST AS BAD AS YOUR BLOOD TRAITOR SISTER!" roared Cygnus which brought even more tears to Narcissa's eyes only serving to make her want to leave even more.
Thankfully for Narcissa, she had passed her apparation test before the end of the school year making it possible for her to grab hold of her trunk and apparate to Diagon Alley before her Parents could react.
Later that night…
Narcissa placed her wand on the bedside table next to her bed in the large room she had rented for the night at the Leaky Cauldron.
She was not sure how long she had been sat on the edge of the bed debating where to go or what to do next.
Her now 43-year-old Uncle Alphard who was her Father Cygnus's older Brother would have been a place to start if he was not currently isolating on a ward at St Mungo's Hospital for Magical Maladies and Injuries suffering from a bad bout of Dragon Pox.
Naturally, her next choice would have been her Great Aunt Dorea Potter nee Black who lived with her Husband Charlus Potter except for the fact that they were currently conducting business with the MACUSA in the United States and she had no idea when they would be back.
Even Andromeda was out of the question as Narcissa had no idea how her estranged older Sister would take to her if she suddenly showed up on her doorstep in the dead of night without so much as a warning.
"I love him Cissy… we are getting married in two weeks and I want you to come to our wedding" said the 18-year-old long brown-haired Andromeda Black soon to be Andromeda Tonks.
Narcissa then aged 14 just looked at her Sister with contempt and disgust.
"How can you marry that Tonks Boy, how can you bring shame on this family so willingly?" said Narcissa angrily.
Andromeda looked at her younger Sister in slight shock.
"Would you rather I marry Lucius instead… and resign myself to being a trophy for him to parade around high society" said Andromeda icily.
"It's better than marrying that Mudblood" said Narcissa out of spite.
Andromeda reeled back in shock.
"If you want to follow what our shit stain of a Father does then be my guest Cissy… go ahead, play the proper Pureblood wife to whomever he chooses for you, refer to Ted by that disgusting name all you want… but at least I will be happy with my life and my Husband, unlike you" said Andromeda icily.
With that, she grabbed her trunk and apparated on the spot leaving her Sister for good.
It took several seconds for Narcissa to collapse to the floor in tears after losing her Sister.
Narcissa wiped traces of tears from her eyes trying to ignore the feelings of guilt that resurfaced in her mind stemming from that fateful night three years ago.
"I'm surprised you and Potter haven't announced your engagement yet… given that you're practically joined at the hip" said Narcissa snarkily.
She was dressed in her Hogwarts Uniform while she was sat writing a letter on one of the benches in the courtyard when Sirius walked past her minus his three friends for once.
Sirius turned to her with an indifferent look on his face.
"If you knew what was good for you you'd follow Andi's example and get shot of our family for good before something happens that you can't undo" said Sirius in a serious tone of voice before walking away from her.
"You'd probably laugh if you knew how right you were Sirius" whispered Narcissa bitterly.
It was then that the thought she had so desperately been searching for finally came to Narcissa.
She slowly stood up and made her way over to the fireplace and floo which was available to guests who paid a little bit extra for the room.
She gathered a small amount of floo powder from the small box on the shelf above the fire and dropped it into the flames.
"Potter Manor" said Narcissa quietly.
Gazing through the flames she could see into the large living room of Potter Manor through the wards on the property prevented her from stepping through.
"Who are you?" squeaked a small young female House Elf which hobbled over to the fire.
"Narcissa Black… I want to speak to Sirius Black" said Narcissa quietly.
The House Elf remained still for a moment before disapparating with a crack.
It took a good few minutes before a dressing gown and pyjama-clad Sirius walked into the living room and over to the fire.
"Narcissa… what do you want?" said Sirius warily.
"I need to talk to you… can you come through?" said Narcissa.
"Where are you?" said Sirius.
Narcissa took a deep breath.
"At the Leaky Cauldron, room four… just please come through and talk to me, please" pleaded Narcissa who had never begged or pleaded for anything in her life.
Sirius remained silent for a few moments before nodding.
"Okay… I'll talk, and you better have a good explanation" said Sirius flatly.
Narcissa stood up from the fire and sat down on the edge of the bed as the floo roared into life and Sirius stepped through.
Not giving him chance to speak to her Narcissa just let out a breath she did not know she was holding in.
"I left them" said Narcissa flatly.
Sirius raised his eyebrow at her.
"What?" said Sirius warily not quite believing what she had just said.
Narcissa looked up to him before glancing at her trunk on the floor.
"I left them Sirius, I ran away" said Narcissa.
Sirius moved closer to her.
"So why come to me?" said Sirius warily showing that the bond that they had as children had been broken.
"Because I didn't know where else to go" said Narcissa.
"You didn't think about going to see Andi?" said Sirius testily.
Narcissa let out a single sarcastic laugh.
"After what we said to each other the last time we spoke… yeah I'm sure she would have welcomed me with open arms" said Narcissa sarcastically.
"Yeah well calling her Husband a Mudblood certainly didn't help" said Sirius sarcastically.
"Why do you think I didn't go to her?" said Narcissa.
Sirius sighed.
"That still doesn't explain why you came to me… why not Uncle Alphard or Great Aunt Dorea, out of all of our family they are the sanest" said Sirius warily.
"Aunt Dorea is in America, and Uncle Alphard is at St Mungo's with Dragon Pox… believe me I would have rather gone to either of them than come begging you for help" said Narcissa icily.
"I suppose I should be grateful" said Sirius sarcastically.
He straightened up and locked eyes with her.
"So what now?" said Sirius flatly.
Narcissa moved closer to him.
"Can I come and stay with you, until I figure out where to go?" said Narcissa.
Doing something he had not done in years Sirius pulled her into a hug for a few moments before letting go.
"Wait here" said Sirius before he turned around and flooed back to Potter Manor leaving Narcissa to wait on her own.
Half an hour later…
Narcissa climbed into bed relishing the feel of the fine silk covers and feather pillows on her skin feeling a great sense of relief at how things had turned out.
It had taken Sirius nearly ten minutes to return to her room at the Leaky Cauldron with Lord Fleamont Potter in tow.
Once Narcissa had explained her situation to the elder Potter who had become a foster Father to Sirius, Fleamont Potter returned to Potter Manor to add her to the wards so she and Sirius could come through.
Not wishing to stay here permanently Narcissa had told Fleamont Potter that she just wanted somewhere to stay while waiting for her Great Aunt Dorea to return from the States so she could go and live with her instead.
"You may stay with us as long as you like Miss Black… my Cousin and his wife will be back from their business trip the day after tomorrow, I will let them know you want to see them" said the 68 year old tall, greying dark brown, short-haired Fleamont Potter as he led her towards her allocated guest bedroom.
After using her wand to extinguish the candles around the room Narcissa drifted off into the first peaceful slumber she had experienced since she finished her Sixth Year a week and a half ago.
27th June 1974
James Fleamont Potter was in for a real surprise when he walked into the dining room for breakfast that morning only to find Narcissa sat at the large table sipping from a steaming mug of coffee.
The only child of Fleamont and Euphemia Potter was 16 years old with messy wavy brown hair making him look like he had just spent hours riding his broomstick. He was dressed in his dark red and gold pyjamas with his steel-rimmed spectacle glasses perched on the tip of his nose.
Narcissa looked up from her morning coffee noticing him looking at her with his mouth slightly open in shock.
"Close your mouth Potter… your attracting flies" said Narcissa lazily.
"What are you doing here?" said James frostily.
"Drinking coffee" said Narcissa with her voice dripping with sarcasm.
"I meant what are you doing in my house Black?" said James frostily.
Narcissa sighed and turned away from him taking another sip of her coffee.
"Perhaps you should ask Sirius" said Narcissa lazily.
She finished her coffee and stood up walking towards him.
"If you would excuse me Potter, I have far more important things to do than talk to you" said Narcissa flatly as she walked past James who still looked shocked at her presence.
Once her Great Aunt Dorea and Great Uncle Charlus Potter had returned from their business trip in America Narcissa had wasted no time in telling her favourite Aunt exactly what her Father had planned for her before travelling back to Potter Cove in Portsmouth where she would be staying for the foreseeable future.