Where's your gavel? Your jury?

What's my offence this time?

You're not a judge but if you're gonna judge me,

Well, sentence me to another life.

Dinner With the Blacks

Riley couldn't believe her eyes when they entered the room. Her eyes stayed on their hands.

Her Father had took his sear at the very top of the table and her Mother was sitting at the first seat on the right hand side. Sirius sat next to her, directly across from Riley and Claudia sat next to Riley, closest to her Father.

Across the table, Riley was giving Sirius daggers, put he was playing about with his napkin. Riley's parents greeted the Black's and the starter course was then served. Throughout the whole dinner, all Riley could think about was Sirius and Claudia. There was no way he liked her again, Riley thought. How could he? She represented everything he hated. Liers, prejudice and smart arses.

"So, Riley," Mr. Black said, "Tell me about yourself. Are you in Ravenclaw like your sister?"

"No, sir," Riley replied. "I'm in Gryffindor, along with Sirius."

With that one sentence, Riley knew she had lost his respect. She could tell in his facial expression. With what had once been a relaxed, interested expression, a disgusted and hard look had replaced it.

"I see," he said, sitting back against his chair. "And who are your friends at school?"

"Well, there's James, Remus, Peter and Lily."

"That's it? Four people?"

"Yes," Riley said, looking at Sirius. "Only those four people."

"I presume they are all of purity?" Mr. Black asked, watching her carefully. "I know your family aren't ones to associate themselves with lower class witches and wizards."

"You mean muggle-borns?"

"Yes," he replied. "Mudbloods."

"Well, my friend Lily is a muggle-born and she is the brightest witch Hogwarts has seen in a very long time," Riley looked at Sirius. "Isn't that right, Sirius?"

Sirius was now staring daggers at her. Riley didn't find them as a surprise. She knew what she was doing was wrong. Her Father was looking livid, her Mother looked disappointed and Claudia was trying to hide her smirk.

"Who wants dessert?" Riley's mother asked the group.

X

The night had been long and Riley knew she was in for a very rough morning. She said goodnight to Rosa who was cleaning up Riley's on-suite bathroom and climbed into her bed. When she heard Rosa close her bedroom door, she got out of the bed and switched on the lamp at her desk. She pulled out some parchment from the drawer and dipped her quill into ink.

Lily,

I've not even been home for a full twenty four hours and I want to leave. You will honestly never believe the next thing I'm about to tell you…Sirius and his family are spending Christmas with us including Bellatrix and Narcissa! I don't even know why-I don't even want to know. Now, here's something else that will shock you.

Sirius and Claudia are back together.

I could not believe it. They just walked into dinner hand in hand. I really don't understand it and I'm too mad to talk to him. I can't believe it. I am so tempted to write to James but I'm not sure.

I'm sure I'll be writing to you more than I thought this holiday.

Riley

As she was folding the letter, there was a knock on the door. Riley quickly dropped the letter onto the desk, switched out the light and dived back onto her bed. There was a knock on the door again and it opened up.

"Señorita Riley?"

"Si, Rosa?"

"Hay un muchacho que desean ver-"

Riley was out of her bed and at the door. She saw Sirius standing behind Rosa.

"Sirius. What do you want?"

"I need to talk to you."

"Rosa, que va a venir conmigo para hablar. ¿Puedes poner un encanto silenciar la habitación? Gracias."

Rosa nodded and moved out of the way for Sirius who walked into Riley's room. Riley closed the door over and sat on the edge of her bed and watched Sirius pace back and forth at her balcony doors.

"What do you want to talk about?" she finally asked.

"What the hell were you playing at tonight?" Sirius yelled. "Did you even listen to the conversation they were having? Obviously not if you were talking about Lily like that!"

Riley bit her lip. She could either ask what they were saying or start shouting abuse at him.

"What were they saying?"

Sirius sighed and sat down on the chair at the desk and put his face into his hands.

"The reason we're here is because…" Sirius sighed and looked up at Riley. "It's because Voldemort wants something from your family. I never caught on to what it is…but it'll help him."

Riley's breath was caught in her throat. How could she of missed out on information like that? What on earth did her family have that would help Voldemort?

"I'm sorry," Riley said. "I wasn't listening. I was planning your death, actually."

"Excuse me?" Sirius asked, looking alarmed.

"You were holding hands with Claudia! What was that all about?"

"Oh, that," Sirius rubbed the back of his neck. "We're only doing that for the sake of this holiday. That's another reason we're here, actually. Regulus told my parents about Claudia and decided they wanted to make sure your family were in…well, basically that you guys were all for blood purity. The one thing Regulus forgot to tell them was that we were over."

"I still don't understand why you're faking it," Riley said. "It's not you, Sirius. It's not like you at all."

"Let's put it this way," Sirius said walking over to Riley, "If your parents do something to upset the Dark Lord, with my being tied to Claudia, he won't take immediate action seeing as my family are, well, close with him. It's protecting you in a sense."

"That's crazy. Why couldn't you just say you were dating me then?"

"Do you really think they would be prepared to save you if I dated you after the show you put on tonight?" Sirius laughed. "No, they would have you dead in a second."

Riley stayed quiet.

"You still don't get it do you?"

"No. But let me try. Is it just that you are only saying you are dating Claudia so your family will help us out if we get into trouble?"

"Yes, that's right."

"Wouldn't they do that even if you and Claudia weren't together?"

"Maybe and maybe not," Sirius sighed and then smiled. "I think they are just please I'm 'dating' a pure blood and not a muggle-born."

Riley smiled. At least she knew the truth. Now all she had to worry about was the morning to come and why her family were suddenly involved with the Dark Arts.

X

The next morning, Riley had breakfast in the kitchen with the staff instead of in the dining room with everyone else. It was Christmas Eve and that night, Riley's family were hosting a party with very important people from all over the Wizarding world would be attending.

Riley heard footsteps coming from the staircase and she looked over to see Rosa.

"Sus padres quieren que se ve en la sala de estar."

"Bien," Riley said, walking towards the staircase. "Gracias, Rosa."

Riley caught Rosa's sad smile before she went up the stairs to the dining room. She knew how much trouble she was about to be in. She was prepared. The one thing she could breathe a sigh of relief for was that she wouldn't be hit. Her father couldn't leave her with a bruise if many people were going to notice.

She knocked on the living room door and then entered. Her father was sitting stiffly in an armchair across from her mother, staring outside the window.

"You asked to see me?"

"Yes, sit."

Her father looked pointedly at the settee that sat in between the two armchairs.

"You embarrassed us last night, Riley," her father said. "You were wrong, out of order, disgusting and utterly embarrassing."

"How?" Riley asked.

By saying that, she knew she had gone too far already. When you got called to see your parents, you sat there quietly and only nodded after each statement. Not today though. She wanted answers and it was about time she got them.

"Don't talk back to me! How dare you proudly claim friendship with a mudblood! In front of the Black family, especially!"

"Don't call Lily that word!"

"Riley, dear," her mother said, stretching over and laying a hand on Riley's arm. "Calm down."

"No, I won't! I didn't think we were a family who cares about others blood status, but I guess I was wrong!" Riley stood up. "If anything, I'm more disgusted with you!"

Before her Father could stop her, Riley was out of the door. She ran up to her bedroom, grabbed her jacket from the back of her door and ran downstairs and out of the front door, slamming it shut.

WOW. Two chapters in one day! Amazing, isn't it? Being sick really pays off sometimes, haha!

Translations:

Hay un muchacho que desean ver - There is a boy here who wishes to see
Rosa, que va a venir conmigo para hablar. ¿Puedes poner un encanto silenciar la habitación? Gracias.- Rosa, he is going to talk with me. Can you put a spell to silence the room? Thank you.
Sus padres quieren que se ve en la sala de estar - Your parents wish to see you in the living room

Hope you enjoyed this chapter! Please review!

Abbey xoxo