Arcturus Black
By: Katerinaki
Published: 10/14/2014
Beta'ed: No
Notes: For those who liked Tonks, here's some more. I might be taking a few liberties with existing characters, but these characters were not really explored in the HP Series. Still, tell me if you think their characterizations are accurate. We're coming towards the end of pre-written chapters, so updates might be farther between.
-Katerinaki
Chapter 9: Yuletide Gay
"But you said I could spend Christmas with Tonks and her family!"
"I did no such thing!" Marius replied sternly. "I would never allow a nephew of mine to spend the holidays with blood traitors. You will attend the Christmas Ball at Malfoy Manor as is proper and that will be the end of it."
Infuriated, Arcturus wrenched his head from the fireplace in the Gryffindor common room. Lee sat in a chair nearby and had long ago learned to recognize Arcturus's temper, especially when it had to do with his aunt and uncle.
"What did they say this time?" Lee asked.
"They said I can't go to Christmas with the Tonks'. I have to go to some stupid ball." He kicked a few fly-away embers back into the grate before stomping back to sit across the table from Lee.
"What's wrong with a ball?"
Arcturus scoffed. "Besides the dress robes and the arrogant Purebloods who will be parading around and calling me 'the murderer's son'? I already told Tonks that I was going. Her parents are expecting us from the train."
It was the night before Christmas break was about to begin and most of Gryffindor common room was empty. Everyone was up in their dormitories, packing their things for the break. The Hogwarts Express would leave the next morning for Kings Cross. Despite all of his detentions and the mid-term exams, Arcturus had been packed for the last week. He'd been thrilled when Marius had agreed to let him spend Christmas with Tonks and her family. But then Marius had Flooed and told him that he was coming back to London so he could attend the Christmas Ball held each year by the Malfoys. Arcturus had been last year and it was just as awful as other parties at Malfoy Manor, the only difference was that he was expected to dance and there were many more people to sneer down at him.
"That sucks, mate," Lee commiserated.
"Well I'm not going," Arcturus declared. "I'll stay at Hogwarts before I go to some stupid ball."
"That's the Christmas spirit, Archie!" Fred and George each took a seat on the couch on either side of Arcturus and slung an arm over his shoulders. "Our little rebel," Fred teased, ruffling Arcturus's hair.
Arcturus shoved him off and flattened his hair out again. "You don't know what it's like."
"Can't be any worse than Christmas with Great-Auntie Muriel."
"But we've got a plan for that this year," George assured them. He and his brother exchanged mischievous nods and Arcturus suddenly felt rather sorry for their Great-Auntie Muriel, though he'd never met the woman before.
"What are you going to do?" Lee asked Arcturus. He knew his friend well enough by now. Arcturus wouldn't simply follow his aunt and uncle's orders.
Arcturus smirked. "Well if I don't show up, I can't imagine they can do much of anything."
The next morning Arcturus boarded the Hogwarts Express with Lee and Tonks. Fred and George had decided to stay behind to do some "exploring", as they called it. In truth they were just looking forward to roaming the castle with little supervision. Many of the professors went home for the holiday too with just a few staying behind to look over those students who chose to remain or didn't have anywhere better to go. Fred and George saw them down to Hogsmeade station. The whole ride there they hinted at a "project" they were working on, though they wouldn't tell Arcturus what it was. That was all well and good, for Arcturus had a hard time concentrating on the conversation and keeping his eyes away from the black creatures that pulled the carriage.
They looked like horses that had not been fed in ages and had lost all their hair. Their skin was leathery and their wings were bat-like. Arcturus could count every bone of its rib-cage and it huffed and stomped its foot, rolling milky-white eyes.
"Are you alright, mate?" Lee asked, looking over to try to see what had Arcturus pale as a ghost.
"Yeah," Arcturus said suddenly, pulling his eyes away. It was obvious the others couldn't see the creatures and Arcturus wasn't in the mood to try to explain what he saw. Maybe he could look it up later when the others weren't around.
Arcturus, Lee, and Tonks got a compartment to themselves. As the train got moving, Lee pulled out a bag of candy which he said Fred and George gave him. He thought they could split it on the ride home, but just one piece taught them never to trust what Fred and George gave them. Arcturus's stomach protested and Lee dashed out of the compartment towards the loo. Tonks's face turned apple green and she groaned, clutching her stomach.
"What was that?" she moaned.
Arcturus looked at the wrapper but there was no image or anything indicating what the sweets could possibly be or where Fred and George got them from.
"That was the last time I eat anything Fred or George gives me," Arcturus groaned. Luckily the effects didn't last very long. Lee returned from the loo after a few minutes and Arcturus was already beginning to feel better. Tonks had returned to her normal tan colouring and Lee, while still looking a bit pale, at least didn't have his head in a toilet.
"I'm sorry," Lee mumbled as he slumped back on the seat by Arcturus.
"Lesson learned, I'd say," Tonks replied and the other two agreed. They settled in for some Exploding Snap to pass the time and when they were bored of that, or in other words when Arcturus had won enough rounds, they pulled out their books to work on their holiday papers. Tonks in particular had a lot of work. She was a seventh year and would have her N.E.W.T.s or Nastily Exhausting Wizarding Tests, when they returned next term.
"I'm going to apply for the Auror program," Tonks told them. "But I need top marks on all my N.E.W.T.s"
"Sounds miserable," Arcturus replied as he scribbled a few responses to his Charms assignment. He didn't much care about marks. In fact, he would annoy the Squibs more if he received poor marks. But Arcturus's own pride forced him to at least do the bare minimum to pass therefore he'd been receiving straight Acceptables so far.
"Don't you know what you want to do when you get out of school?" Tonks asked.
"I just want to get out of my aunt and uncle's house. After then, who knows?"
"You should think about it. You're a pretty strong wizard already, for an eleven-year-old."
When they arrived at Kings Cross station, Arcturus made a point of pulling his cap down low around his ears and eyes and staying close to Tonks' side. He glanced around and spotted the Squibs standing at the opposite end, waiting impatiently for Arcturus to come off the train. Luckily Tonks' parents were outside of Kings Cross, apparently having caught some Muggle traffic.
"It's always overly busy during the holidays. Ted Tonks." Arcturus shook Tonks' father's hand.
"And I'm your Aunt, Andromeda."
Tonks' parents were like night and day. While Ted Tonks was fair-haired with a rather large mid section, Aunt Andromeda was tall with dark brown hair and the same Black-family features that Arcturus had inherited. She smiled at him and gave him a gentle hug.
"You remind me of your father when he was younger. He and I were quite close growing up." She leaned in to whisper conspiratorially, "We kept each other sane."
Arcturus didn't like this comparison though. "I'm nothing like my father," he said rigidly.
Andromeda seemed to understand Arcturus's sudden coldness and nodded. "Of course. You have Lenora written all over you. She had quite the temper too."
The gentle reminder put a damper on Arcturus's rising anger. Very few had even mentioned his mother since he'd come to live in Britain. Even fewer had spoken about her so casually and nobody had mentioned her quick-fire temper that she had passed on to Arcturus.
"Let's get out of the cold," Ted declared, stomping his feet to warm himself up. Arcturus was more than grateful to focus on shoving his trunk in the boot of the Muggle car. He hadn't ridden in one since Bucharest. Magical transportation had been almost non-existent there and his mother hated Apparating. It made her sick every time.
"Have you ever seen a Muggle pantomime, Arcturus?" Ted asked as they drove out of London.
"No," Arcturus replied.
"They do a pretty clever one each year at the local theatre. I find the Muggle ones much better than the Wizard ones."
"Can't say I've ever seen one."
Tonks looked surprised. "Ever?"
Arcturus shrugged. "The Squibs think they're beneath them and there weren't very many in Romania."
"Well it's a good thing you're spending the holidays with us then!" Ted declared. "Tell me they at least have crackers."
But Arcturus shook his head and Ted groaned.
"Now I understand why you left, Dromeda."
Andromeda laughed. "Yes, I simply couldn't do without Christmas crackers!"
Arcturus knew, though, when he didn't turn up at Kings Cross, Marius and Ariadne would look for him. He was, after all, their only link to the Black family. The Tonks family residence would be the most obvious place to look, but his aunt and uncle were such that they would stay as far away from Muggles as possible. Ted, being of a Muggle family, made his home in the middle of a respectable suburb surrounded by people who knew nothing about the Wizarding World. Arcturus, therefore, was expecting the owl that tapped at the window. Tonks let the bird in but it nipped at her fingers when she tried to take the note off its leg.
"Arcturus, I believe it's for you," Tonks said, twisting her neck to try to see the address.
"Famous, are we?" Ted joked.
"It's from my uncle," Arcturus murmured. He knew what it would say but he read the letter anyways. Again, Arcturus was glad the Squibs couldn't send Howlers.
"Is everything alright?" Andromeda asked. She watched Arcturus carefully with curiosity and concern.
"My uncle wants me to go to the Christmas ball at Malfoy Manor."
The Tonks looked confused. Well, Ted and Tonks did. Andromeda, on the other hand, was well-familiar with the annual ball held at Malfoy Manor, and how the Black family viewed her family.
"They don't want you staying with us."
"No." Then Arcturus realized how his reply sounded. "But I don't care what they think."
"Well obviously, or you wouldn't have come here without their permission," Ted chuckled.
"I had their permission," Arcturus insisted. "They just took it back. Please don't make me go back to their house."
Ted and Andromeda exchanged wearied looks.
"They are your legal guardians," Ted replied. "We can't keep you here against their will."
But Andromeda was smiling. "However, they would like you to attend the Malfoy Ball and I don't see why you shouldn't. It's been quite some time since I've seen my youngest sister."
And so on Christmas Eve night, Arcturus found himself once more stuffed into his acutely uncomfortable dress robes, only this time he stood in the guest bedroom in the Tonks family home, muttering over his bad luck. The holiday had been rather nice up until then. He'd spent time with Tonks and her family, doing normal things. He hadn't watched television since his mother died, but they had sat around last night watching movies by the fireplace. Arcturus hated that he had to attend this ball and be reminded of all the Pureblood nonsense the rest of his family ascribed to and desperately wished the Tonks would simply let him skive off.
There was a gentle knock at the door and Arcturus tugged at his collar again before he opened the door. Andromeda was in the hallway and Arcturus looked at her attire in confusion. She was dressed in stunning silver dress robes and her brown hair was twisted up in an intricate style. She held herself upright and proudly, but not with the same snobbish airs that he'd seen of the other Pureblood women at these functions before.
"You're going to?"
Andromeda seemed amused. "Of course! You don't think I'd let you go it alone! I've been to enough of these sorts of events in my time."
"But won't they tell you to leave?"
Andromeda smirked. "They wouldn't dare. My little sister is too prim and proper to cause a family scene." She winked and for the first time tonight Arcturus found himself grinning. Tonight just might be alright. If only his stupid collar would stop choking him!
With an over-exaggerated flourish, Arcturus offered Andromeda his arm and the two of them descended to the foyer where Ted and Tonks were waiting. They hooted and cheered as the two of them descended the steps and Ted spun his wife in a tight circle, admiring the figure she cut.
"Arcturus, I'm counting on you tonight," Ted said very sternly. "You need to keep all those Pureblood wizards away from my witch or there will be hell to pay."
"Count on me!" Arcturus promised. Ted and Andromeda shared a kiss and Tonks and Arcturus groaned and made the obligatory gagging noises.
"We shouldn't be too long, but don't wait up," Andromeda told them as they fastened on winter cloaks and prepared to leave. "Come along, Arcturus. Into the belly of the beast we go."
Malfoy Manor was decorated in full holiday splendour. With fairy lights everywhere and more Christmas trees than could be counted, it was obvious the overall intended effect. Andromeda looked around and winced.
"I forgot how bad it was," Andromeda murmured as the two of them stood at the Apparation point, brought up short by the sight.
"We can just go back now," Arcturus suggested. "After all, we came."
But Andromeda seemed to recover her cheery attitude. "Don't be ridiculous, we have to make an appearance."
And so the two of them set off down the walk. They were soon joined by other witches and wizards, all bundled up in heavy, fur cloaks with hints of the finest dress robes in all sorts of colours peeking from the bottom. With so many lights decorating the garden and the manor itself, it was easy to recognize those arriving. Many saw Arcturus and while there was still a bit of murmuring, it was not nearly as bad as it had been the first time he'd attended a function such as this. No, the true gossip for the night was the witch he was escorting. Andromeda Black had not been seen at any social event since marrying "that Muggle-born boy" nearly 19 years before.
They arrived at the door and handed their cloaks off to a struggling house elf before joining the rest of the partygoers on the way to the ballroom. As they approached the entrance where each group was being announced, Arcturus found himself growing increasingly nervous and maybe a bit giddy. Andromeda seemed to sense his tension and she smiled down at him reassuringly. When they arrived at the entrance, she gave the elf herald their names.
"Master Arcturus Sirius Black of the Noble and Most Ancient House of Black, and Lady Andromeda...Tonks."
The hall fell silent as all turned to look at them. Andromeda's confidence never faltered but she had to practically drag Arcturus down the stairs and into the ballroom. The hosts awaited them at the bottom of the stairs. Lady Malfoy had gone considerably stiff as she watched their progress while Lord Malfoy raised his nose higher, as if someone had just shoved a particularly rancid piece of garbage under his nose. Still, as Arcturus and Andromeda stepped up to pay their compliments, Lord and Lady Malfoy went through the same motions they had with everyone else, albeit much more stiff and formal.
"Mr. Black," Lucius Malfoy hissed, inclining his head ever so slightly.
"Mr. Malfoy," Arcturus replied, though he couldn't keep the smirk from his face at the way Lucius Malfoy's eyes kept glancing towards his sister-in-law.
Andromeda seemed to think now was an excellent time to abandon all formal propriety.
"Cissy!" she cried, throwing her arms around her younger sister. Narcissa Malfoy nearly fell over and it was only her husband's guiding hand that kept the two women on their feet.
"Andromeda," Narcissa bit back tersely.
"It's so good to see you, and after such a long time!"
Narcissa seemed to be at a loss of what to say. "I—Andromeda..."
"Enjoy the evening," Lucius said crisply. He looked down at Arcturus with narrowed, accusatory eyes and Arcturus gave him a very smug wink. Finally Lucius Malfoy saw him as he truly wanted.
"We certainly will, Mr. Malfoy."