Back to Black,
Chapter 11, Dirty deeds
Orion Black sat at the large stone table in the kitchen of #12 Grimmauld Place, sipping his morning coffee while he pored over the Saturday newspaper that had just arrived. His mood was light because it was spring. The air just felt lighter in the springtime. He drew in an appreciative breath of the morning air and smiled. Rather than fresh flowers, the tantalizing scent of breakfast cooking floated over to him, causing his stomach to rumble. Kreacher hummed under his breath as he cracked eggs, six at a time into the frying pan without touching them. This was a useful trick, considering that his hands were busy with sausage and bacon. During these peaceful mornings, Orion read the paper aloud because Kreacher liked to hear the news while he cooked. Walburga and Regulus enjoyed listening as well. Sirius never seemed to enjoy much of anything, but he never woke until later, which meant he wasn't about making himself a nuisance. For a time on these early mornings, Orion could just enjoy his pleasant little family and pretend that he had no problem child. Such pretenses were always short, but that was alright. They were his shameless guilty pleasure.
"What's the news, Daddy," Regulus asked impatiently. His little legs swung back and forth enthusiastically as he twisted around to peer up into Orion's face. For the moment, he sat in Orion's lap so that he could read along. At seven years old, he red well, but he enjoyed listening to Orion reading and then commenting on the news.
"Well let's see," Orion said. "For a moment I became distracted by the delicious smell of breakfast." He sniffed the air appreciatively, then took a sip of his coffee.
"News, Daddy," Regulus pressed.
"Let us start with the front page, then," Orion decided. Though people assumed the most interesting and important news to be on the first page of the newspaper, this wasn't always the case.
"Two wizards and five Muggles dead," He read, before realizing that perhaps seven year old Regulus should not see this. It was too late now, though. The boy's blue gaze had already grown round as he leaned forward to study the page himself. With the damage done, Orion continued to read aloud for Kreacher and Walburga. "A group of Muggle bikers armed with knives attempted to rob a group of six wizards, killing two of them when they refused to hand over their money. When two of the remaining wizards struck back with magic, killing the entire biker group of five in what they claimed was self-defense, the Ministry was alerted and Aurors arrived on the scene. The wizards are now in custody awaiting trial."
"But why a trial," Regulus asked, a stunned expression on his little face. "They didn't do anything wrong. It was the Muggles doing that."
"They will throw them into Azkaban nonetheless," Walburga said angrily from her place at the table across from Orion. "They will do so simply because those wizards defended themselves from Muggle scum! Something needs to change!" Orion nodded as he slowly lowered the newspaper to the table, allowing the story to sink in. He understood her open frustration, because for centuries this weak stance of wizarding kind had not changed, but Muggle power was growing, and this was not being taken into account. Their technology and their very numbers were growing far more rapidly in this century.
"They will at least have a trial, though," Regulus protested. "There they can state their side of things." The poor child did not understand.
"Yes. At the trial, they should be able to explain what happened," Kreacher chimed in, agreeing with Regulus. Neither had been exposed personally to how things worked as neither ventured out into Muggle areas of London.
"That trial and explaining what happened in it likely will not matter," Orion told them gravely. As he spoke, Kreacher approached, platters of delectable smelling breakfast food floating ahead of him. One was piled high with eggs, and potatoes, one with sausage and thick slices of bacon and one with Kreacher's famous chocolate cream filled muffins, a recipe he'd invented when in the mood for chocolate a few years back. As every single one of Kreacher's invented recipes were always brilliant, Orion and Burga were always happy to encourage his cravings.
Orion began filling his plate, momentarily putting the recent tragedy on the back burner of his mind whilst distracted by good food. A few minutes passed with everyone eating silently around the table. What with the distressing newspaper article, they quite forgot to attempt waking Sirius for breakfast.
"Why, Father," Regulus asked. He'd gone to sit in his own chair and poked disinterestedly at his eggs with his fork, clearly more moved by the tragedy than his morning meal at present. For his part, Orion could and did get distracted by good food, especially when he was hungry, as he currently very much was.
"Ummm. What's that," he asked around a mouthful of perfectly seasoned potatoes.
"The wizards protecting themselves from the Muggles, Daddy! Why won't it matter that they were defending themselves and their own lives?" The fear and confusion in Regulus's voice snapped Orion's attention from the morning meal at once, and he placed his fork down on the plate with a quiet click as he collected his thoughts.
This was one of the not so pleasurable or rewarding bits of being a parent. Explaining the horrors of the world to one's darling baby was not one of the things a father looked forward to. His son's first broom, his first wand, his wedding and the first grandchild that this wedding would bring, certainly but not this. Never this. "Likely because we have lost too many wars to the cursed Muggles, darling boy. Because of those losses, wizarding kind is far more terrified of being caught out and persecuted as a race than it is of losing a few to Muggle crime. Muggles kill one another on the daily, after all."
"But." Regulus's mouth worked silently for several seconds before he just completed his thought with a head shake of denial.
"Perhaps if Voldemort manages to succeed where Grindelwald failed, we shall rise up again," Walburga said. Unlike Orion, she had not touched her plate, instead staring down at it as if it held all the answers to the world's questions.
"Or more wizards shall just die." Sirius wasn't shouting, which was a rarity, but his young voice was flat and possessed of a sullen anger that set Orion's teeth on edge. He hated feeling this way about his son. He truly did. Sighing, he turned slowly to see Sirius standing resentfully in the doorway, still in rumpled black pajamas. "Come and have breakfast," Orion said.
"And keep your traitor mouth shut whilst you are about it, if you are going to use it to put Muggles above wizards," Walburga added tartly.
"Indeed, at least properly educate yourself before speaking so," Orion added gravely. "After breakfast, I shall select some history books for you to read that you may find interesting."
"Oh they are," Regulus gushed, straightening even more in his chair, his face lighting up at the prospect of discussing a good book. "I've read a history of war, as well as Muggles VS Wizards, and both spell it out quite nicely. All the wars we have lost to them, the ways they fear us simply because of the magic we have. The things they have done to us has given me nightmares to read of!"
Sirius yawned as he came to take his place at the table. "I don't care about any of that. It all happened too long ago to matter right now or to have anything to do with now."
"And that is where you are wrong," Walburga snapped before turning to Regulus with a warm smile. "Look at my baby already reading the histories. You are such a smart boy." She smiled proudly.
"I just wonder about things," Regulus said, but it was evident that he was pleased by his mother's high opinion of him. Orion did not miss the dark glare Sirius shot his younger brother, but Regulus did not appear to notice. Kreacher noticed, however and glared back.
"Stupid, ugly elf, stop looking at me," Sirius snapped, his eyes suddenly full of anger and even open hate.
"THAT'S IT," Walburga shrieked. In a softer tone, she added," "Go to your room. Apparently you have had enough to eat."
Sirius did not move. Instead he returned his glare to Kreacher. "You heard her. Go to your room and stop eating!"
"I was talking to you, and you know it," Walburga said. "Now go before I stand up and..." Sirius rose, toppling his chair as he fled the room. Kreacher righted the chair with a negligent flick of his hand as Orion sighed.
"Must you shout so, Burga," he asked plaintively. "It does tend to startle one, then it is difficult not to be on edge for a bit," he explained reasonably.
Walburga scowled, tossing back her long black hair and smoothing down the skirts of her elegant green spring dress, though she had not even had to rise. Perhaps she felt disrupted as well, Orion thought, and this realization softened his feelings toward her on the matter. "I try not to, I truly do, but he is so vexing! And honestly he won't respond to me if I don't scream at him." She said. The tired resignation laced with anger in her tone caused Orion to remember all the incidents throughout the years that had proven her words to be true. "I honestly do not know what is to be done with him," she lamented. "I keep hoping he shall grow out of it, but he only appears to be growing into it. He won't listen to me, and he certainly won't listen to you."
Orion sighed again. This was unfortunately the truth, as he had no better luck with Sirius. He tended to be soft spoken, feeling that a man need not shout to demonstrate his power. Apparently Sirius disagreed with this assessment, though, for he never listened. Before he could comment, the heavy door knocker banged out the announcement that they had guests.
"Who would be coming to visit at a time like this before breakfast is even over," Walburga grumped.
"Kreacher shall go and see," the elf said, before rising in a flash and slipping from the room. Regulus gazed curiously after him, clearly wondering who was at the door. Before long Kreacher returned with Bellatrix and Rodolphus. "Where is Rabastan," Orion wondered, as it was odd to see them without Rod's younger brother.
"Hung over," Bellatrix replied with an amused smirk. "Being miserable at home. Did you see the paper? Why it's intolerable how they're handling this!"
"Yes we did, and yes it is," Walburga said. "Shall you be wanting breakfast?"
Bella shook her head as she wandered over to take a seat. "No. We already ate at Rod's, but thank you, Aunt." Like Walburga's, Bellatrix's spring dress was green, but its tightly laced Victorian style corset was black, adding a darker if more uncomfortable looking edge.
"I could eat," Rodolphus said, looking at Orion's nearly full plate with open interest.
Kreacher sighed and rose to his feet. "Kreacher will bring an extra plate," he said in a long suffering tone as he gave Rodolphus an equally long suffering look.
"Thanks, Kreach," Rodolphus replied, giving Kreacher a cheeky grin as he slumped into the chair beside Bellatrix's.
"I'll at least have more coffee," Bellatrix said. "If you bring a cup, I shall even pour it myself so that you do not have to bother, Kreacher," she added. The elf snorted as he left the room, and Bellatrix bit her lips hard to keep from laughing. Those three had played together as children, and clearly still had their strange little games, Orion thought fondly. Strange but at least playful unlike Sirius and the unnecessary way he treated everyone. What with Sirius on one side and vicious Muggles on the other, he was beginning to get a headache.
"We are expecting The Dark Lord to call a meeting about that situation," Bellatrix said, gesturing toward the newspaper spread on the table beside Orion's plate.
"Although with those wizards who only defended themselves in custody, I don't know what we could do about freeing them," Rodolphus said. His disgruntled frown quickly turned into an eager smile as Kreacher returned with a plate for him. "Thanks, Kreach." He leaned forward, reaching across the table to fill his plate from the platters of food. For an instant, he lost himself to the enjoyment of breakfast as Orion had earlier. When he spoke again, his plate was half empty.
"Something must change, though, and we are eager to see what move the Dark Lord will make next to show the Ministry his displeasure on this situation. Muggle lives are never worth more than wizarding lives."
Bellatrix nodded in approval, sipping at her coffee that true to her word, she had poured herself. "Never," she agreed firmly. Orion found himself nodding as well.
"I wish I was old enough to attend the Dark Lord's meetings with the two of you," Regulus said sulkily.
"Some day when you are older," Bellatrix promised, giving him a small smile. "Don't rush yourself to grow up too fast, Regi."
Regulus scowled."Bella! I do wish you would stop calling me Regi!"
"Well don't bother wishing for something that you aren't ever going to get," Rodolphus advised with a laugh.
Regulus turned toward Orion, deciding to ignore his older cousins for the moment. "Daddy? Didn't you attend Hogwarts when the Dark Lord was there? What is he like?"
Orion shook his head. "I never heard the name. Must have been before your mother and I attended."
"Ah," Regulus said, unable to hide his disappointment.
"My uncle attended Hogwarts with him, but he doesn't really talk about it these days, which is honestly weird," Rodolphus muttered after a moment. He flashed a sidelong look at Bellatrix that, to Orion, looked a bit uncomfortable or uneasy.
Bellatrix bit her lip and nodded. "And Rod's uncle, when he doesn't want to talk about a thing, he won't talk about it. The more you persist the less you get."
"He did say that he should've stuck it out at Beauxbatons rather than transferring to Hogwarts in his sixth year. He went to get to know the French side of our family or so he claimed, but my own father claims he went for the girls." Rod chuckled. "I was fortunate enough to grow up with mine so I never cared about Beauxbatons." He gave Bella an appreciative glance and she blushed, making Orion remember the good old days with Burga fondly.
"We both wanted to go to Durmstrang, but thanks to stupid tradition, we weren't allowed to go anywhere other than boring Hogwarts," Bellatrix complained.
Rod nodded. "Yep. Unlike my uncle, my dad is very steeped in tradition just like the Blacks."
Orion gave Regulus a proud smile. "Regulus is much like Corvus in that. He shall always be the good boy who makes us proud." He'd attended Hogwarts with Corvus and they'd always held similar values. It was nice to know that Bella, admittedly his favorite niece, would eventually marry into a family as upstanding as their own. Turning to Rod and Bella he added, "And it's never too late for the both of you to attend Durmstrang. You could simply do so as professors now. Passing on your knowledge is a worthy undertaking."
Bellatrix gave a little shudder of horror. "Oh no, Uncle. Roddy and i have bigger plans. We shall have far more glory than any professor."
"Indeed," Rodolphus agreed. "We shall help to change the world for the better for all magical kind. under the leadership of the Dark Lord."
"I can't wait to help too," Regulus said, eyes shining in excitement as he leaned forward eagerly.