Before he married, Grimmauld Place had not been very well kept. Saturnine was a single man with a ministry job, and those two combined made it against all codes for him to keep track of the household, a woman's task. So upon the arrival of his young wife, who had been trained to keep things moving in a house, the staff got quite a shock. In the end, the housekeeper had been replaced, as had two cooks, three maids, and a valet. Soon there was never a single dusty room and no chandelier was ever missing a candle. The house was bright and beautiful, the model of aristocracy.
Angeline sighed, as she looked around. The hallways were dim during the day now, as if in mourning, and the staff was once again neglecting their duties. Apparently they seemed to think that since she was mourning her late husband, she wouldn't pay attention to how things were kept. They'd be in for a surprise.
She made to take off her robe and climb into bed, but paused. There was a worry lingering in her mind. She tied the waist again, and took her wand from her writing desk. She opened the door and looked down the dark corridor, holding her wand out for light.
Quietly, she moved up the stairs and toward the other bedrooms. The first door was open, and she shone her light in, and saw Bellatrix--now her only unmarried neice--sleeping peacefully. Angeline shut the door and moved on. The door to Narcissa's room was shut, and Angeline didn't bother to look in. Even if Narcissa wasn't able to take care of herself, her husband was more than powerful enough.
Upon the approach of Regulus' room, a floorboard creaked under her foot and she saw a light in the crack underneath go out quickly. She pushed the door slowly open and looked in the room. The room smelled faintly of paint, and she could see that her younger son had gotten quickly into bed.
She moved to his bedside. A hand reached out to brush his hair, then stopped. He was still awake, and she didn't know if Regulus would like it.
Regulus, her baby. Her baby who had found Saturnine dead in his study. What would that have been like? And with a jolt, she realized that he wasn't her baby. He was fourteen, nearly an adult. She'd missed it completely. She had missed her sons growing up.
A swish of a nightgown, and she was out of the room before she sobbed and gave herself away. A moment to pull herself together, straighten her long hair that was already in a braid and wipe non-existant tears, before she continued at last to her oldest son's bedroom.
The two of them, her son and his friend, had fallen asleep on his bed, completely clothed, and no under any blankets.
Angeline had never seen this friend before. She was glad to see that Sirius had chosen not to bring Potter or Pettigrew who--although both pure of blood--were not very company to be seen with. She had no doubt they were good friends, but the Potters were on the opposite side of the political spectrum and the Pettigrews were known to be extremely simple.
She would save observations until both were awake and she could properly judge him.
Carefully, she placed a hand on Sirius' head. Sirius. The love of her life. All the way from his deep blue eyes--which could darken to black in annoyance or anger in an instant--and thick black hair, to his firey temper and rebellious nature he was like his mother. The two of them never mixed well, though, and fought nearly every day now. And every day her heart broke.
She leaned in and gave a light kiss on his forhead, the most affection she would ever have the courage to give him.
Often, she wished she had been taught to be a better mother. She had been trained from birth to be a lady, a hostess, a wife. She had been ready for that. But she had never been ready to be a mother. She didn't know how to show her love to her two sons. Her two sons, who--despite Regulus' naievete and Sirius' rebelliousness--she loved more than anything in the world.
Angeline made it back to her room, and slipped into bed. She would need plenty of sleep--and probably quite a bit of brandy--to make it though the day.
Notes: Sorry, not a real update. Just fixing an error >.
Yay, I made it! I wanted to write a chapter for Sirius' mother. Really, I never saw her as hating Sirius. There was a quote--and I know I'm going to slaughter it--about a woman never being able to hate her child, always loving it. And somehow I feel that Sirius is probably a lot like his mother.
Also, my own computer got fried. The one I'm using now only has Wordpad (ugh), and I am without contact to others. So please, if I make a mistake, mention it, so I can fix it with the next update!
Sir Deranged Reindeer: I don't really see Regulus as mean. He seemed more like he just didn't know what he was getting into.
Also, thanks to Georgie's Girl, Kilikapele, and Audrey G. Black for the reveiws!
