Chapter Three
August 31, 1971
"Where is it?" Sirius yelled.
"I told you I don't know!" Regulus answered.
Sirius lunged at his brother and Regulus took off like a shot towards the door of his bedroom. He dodged Sirius's arms and ducked past him and out into the hall. Sirius followed, trampling after him down the third floor family wing. Regulus accidentally knocked a vase off one of the hall tables. It came down with a crash as he passed and Sirius had to jump over the shards. Catching up to his brother near the stairway, he grabbed his arm nearly ripping it out of its socket.
"Ouch!" Regulus yelped.
"I'll yank your bloody arm off if you don't give it back!" Sirius warned.
"I don't have it!"
"You little liar! I know you took it out of my trunk! It was you!" Sirius roared.
"I didn't!" Regulus cried.
Sirius pulled Regulus towards him and his brother flinched. He wrapped his arms tightly around his brother’s waist and lifted him up, heading towards the banister over looking the front entrance down on the first floor. Regulus bucked and kicked and elbowed Sirius in the throat, but Sirius kept going.
"Sirius, put me down!"
He pushed Regulus’s head and torso over the edge and hung onto his brother by his trousers.
"Sirius, stop!" Regulus cried.
Regulus grabbed for the spindles of the banister, holding on to anything he could reach and kicked as his brother grabbed for his ankles. Sirius shoved him over so he was hanging upside down three floors up. Regulus screamed.
"Tell me where it is?" Sirius growled.
"I don't know," Regulus sobbed. "Put me down!"
"I'll put you down when you tell me what you did with it!"
Suddenly there was a high pitched screech from down below, followed by his mother bellowing, "Sirius Arcturus Mirzam Black, pull your brother down this instant!"
Sirius peered down over the banister to see his mother, wild-eyed and incredulous staring back up with her wand pointed straight at him.
"Versum Flixi!"
Before he knew what was happening Sirius flew up in the air and flipped upside down, the force of the action nearly knocking the wind out of him. Regulus too had been hit by her spell and was suspended in mid air beside him. Mrs. Black trudged up three flights of stairs, clutching her robe in one fist, her other hand clutched around her wand. When she reached her sons, Sirius was almost glad he was suspended in mid air. If he weren’t in this predicament, she looked as if she would throttle him.
Glaring at him, she screamed, "What on Merlin’s earth were you doing? You could have killed him!"
His mother jumped up, grabbing at Regulus's arm to pull him down. Once he was safely on the floor, patted clean and checked for bumps or bruises, she glared back up at her oldest son.
"What do you have to say for yourself?" she asked, hands on her hips.
Sirius hung, upside down, arms hanging over his head, the blood rushing between his ears making him feel loopy. It took him a moment to get his bearings.
"Regulus stole something from my school trunk and he won't give it back," Sirius complained.
Calmly she asked, “Regulus, what did you take?" Mrs. Black turned on her youngest son.
"Nothing!" Regulus answered, wide eyed and shaking his head.
"He's lying!" Sirius shouted from up above.
"Shut up, boy!" Mrs. Black shouted up at Sirius.
"Regulus, did you take something from your brother's trunk?"
"No, Mother."
Mrs. Black rounded back to her older son, "So you accuse your brother of stealing then dangle him over the ledge? Three stories up!"
"He took it, I know he did!" Sirius argued. Unexpectedly his mother swung up and cracked him across the face with the back of her hand. Sirius, helpless, gasped from the blow.
"Silence! One more word out of you and I'll hex you." Eyes wild, Sirius watched as something of an idea flitted across his mother’s face, "Or perhaps you'd like to know what it feels like to be dangled over the edge." With a flick of her wand Sirius shot out over the railing so there was nothing between him and the first floor foyer. Fear and nausea enveloped him. What was his mother going to do?
"Mother, I'm sorry, please..."
"No pleading now!" she bellowed, eyes crazed. Something manic inside her must have taken hold. "Are you afraid of falling, Sirius?" she taunted, sounding so much like his cousin Bellatrix.
She flicked her wand again and he plummeted, upside down, one story. He squeezed his eyes closed and screamed, palms down at the ready, a poor attempt to cushion his fall. Once he realized he'd stopped mid air, opening his eyes, he looked back up at his mother. She looked wild and demented glaring down at him a hint of a smile on the edge of her lips. She lifted her wand and he slowly floated back up to the third level. She left him bobbing up and down in mid air.
"What's wrong, Sirius dear?" His mother asked snidely.
"Mother," Sirius hiccupped then swallowed hard, "please put me down."
An evil smile spread across her face. Once again with a flick of her wand Sirius dropped several meters. He screamed again as the bottom floor came hurdling towards him. She stopped again before he actually hit. At the abrupt halt, he let out his captured breath. Out of the corner of his eye he could see Kreacher, the house elf, on the second floor watching him. The elf was snickering. Mrs. Black flipped Sirius right side up and floated him back up to the third floor. With another flick of her wand Sirius dropped like a heap onto the floor. He was red faced and panting.
His mother stared down at him, eyes hot, her chin raised in a challenge. After a long silence she asked coolly, "Have you learned your lesson?"
Sirius coughed, breathing heavily, and nodded enthusiastically, "Yes."
“Go to your room! Both of you!”
Sirius scrambled to his feet and rushed to his bedroom. He heard Regulus’s door slam just before his own. Once inside, he sat on the edge of his bed and tried to collect his thoughts. He was still panting, unable to fully catch his breath. His mother must have taken classes on how to hit a child. She always clocked him right around the eye so it would swell. He touched the growing bruise gingerly and winced.
If Sirius didn’t know better he’d think his mother was mad. When she was like this he was downright afraid of her. What if she had let him fall? His mother had done some strange things to him in the past, used hexes and curses that he felt were too harsh, but what child liked punishment of any kind? His mother had hurt him before, of course. She had hit him or smacked his bottom for talking back or being the naughty kid he sometimes was, but every parent clobbered their kids, didn’t they? But to let him fall three floors, would she have done it?
Sirius hiccupped again, scratched his chin, leaned back and stretched out across his bed, hands behind his head. Sirius wanted to be a good son. He wanted to be loved and make his parents proud of him. But sometimes he didn't know how. One moment his mother could be very loving and attentive, but the next she would become wild and unpredictable and actually quite frightening…like just now.
Sure, he probably shouldn't have dangled Regulus over the stairs, but then again the little prat had asked for it. His mother never seemed to listen to reason. Regulus was her baby and therefore her favorite. Sirius hated him sometimes for that. Who cares if he was born later? That didn’t make any difference, Sirius was still the heir.
Not sure how long he was confined to his room, he closed his eyes and willed himself to stop thinking. He wasn’t sure when he drifted off to sleep.
*~*~*
When Sirius woke, the sun was just setting and the sky was blazing orange. He knew his father would be home soon. He stood, stretched and yawned, then walked over to his wardrobe. He decided to finish his packing. He began rummaging through what he would bring along and what would stay behind. The house elves had already packed his necessities; jumpers, trousers, pants, and socks, but Sirius wanted to make sure he brought everything he might need with him. He walked over to his trunk and opened it.
The it was still missing. He knew he put it in the trunk.
Hands on his hips, his eyes scanned the room in search of it.
"Where the bloody hell would I have put it?" he asked himself, scratching his head.
He heard his door click open. He knew it was Regulus, the little idiot never knocked. Regulus slipped inside, one hand behind his back.
Sirius scowled at him, "What do you want?"
Even Sirius had to admit Regulus looked quite pitiful. The boy could put on one of the best innocent faces. Of course Regulus still had his round, baby cheeks and those helped quite a lot.
Regulus looked up at his brother; sad grey eyes, furrowed brows, and a pouty lip with the tiniest dimple forming on his chin.
Sirius changed his tone to concern, "What's wrong with you?"
Regulus looked down at his shoes for a moment then up into his brother's eyes. He pulled from behind his back a beautiful, hinged wooden box. The it that Sirius had been looking for.
"You stupid prat!” Sirius yelled as he grabbed the box from his brother. “You had it all along!"
"I'm sorry," Regulus pouted.
Sirius sighed, exasperated, and slumped onto his bed.
"You know it's special to me, Regulus. Why would you take it and hide it like that?" Sirius asked sadly.
Regulus looked as though he may cry. "I thought...I thought that maybe if you couldn't find it, that..." He looked away, "That maybe you wouldn't leave. Maybe you wouldn't want to go to school."
Sirius stared at the box in his hand. He traced his finger over the spiral carvings. So Regulus was going to miss him. Sirius had never really thought of the kid, home alone at Number 12 when he himself went away to school. He was so excited, although a bit nervous, about Hogwarts that he never really thought about how Regulus would feel when he left. He looked up at his brother through his long fringe.
"Regulus, you know I'm going to school no matter what. You're an idiot if you think that taking this would stop me."
Regulus walked over and sat next to his brother on the bed.
"I know, but I thought I’d try," he sighed.
They sat quiet for a moment then Sirius nudged his brother in the ribs with his elbow, a silent sign of forgiveness.
"Don't," Regulus complained.
"Stop pouting," Sirius smiled.
"No.” Regulus started up in a whiney voice, “I don't want you to go. What am I supposed to do here without you around? There will be no one to play with and nothing to do and…and I hate those bloody elf heads. You know I hate walking past them by myself! I’ll be all alone and…"
"It won't be that bad!" Sirius interrupted.
"Yes it will! What about Kreacher? Or, or the creepy noises that come from the study at night? What will I do?"
“You’re going to have to grow up!” Sirius answered.
“I’m only eight!”
“And mother’s little baby!” Sirius argued.
“Don’t call me that!” Regulus replied.
“Then stop acting like it!”
Regulus huffed then both boys sat quietly on the bed in thought.
"Look," Sirius placed the box behind him on the bed and turned towards his brother, "I'll write you every week. And...and I'll tell you all about the things I learn and then...well, when you start then you'll be that much ahead in all your classes. You’ll be the cleverest in your year."
Regulus huffed again.
“When I come home for holiday I’ll teach you how to fly,” Sirius suggested.
“I already know how to fly,” Regulus answered as indignantly as an eight year old could muster.
“Regulus, floating so your feet are centimeters above the ground in your bedroom does not count as flying.”
“Uncle Phineus’s portrait said I was a natural!” Regulus argued.
Sirius rolled his eyes, "Uncle Phineus is a sarcastic berk.”
At Regulus’s confused face, Sirius continued, “Fine, you're a natural flyer. But there will be loads more I can show you." When Regulus’s snarky mood still didn't subside, Sirius added, "I promise."
Regulus eyed him warily, "You swear?"
Sirius nodded and placed his right hand over his heart, "I swear on Great Aunt Maliflua’s giant bum."
At this the hint of a smile flitted across Regulus's face.
"Now get out so I can finish packing," Sirius added with a shove at his brother. Regulus shoved back and soon they were all arms and legs wrestling on the floor. Sirius tickled and poked at Regulus and pulled at his trousers and his brother giggled trying to force them back up. He struggled and fought his way out of Sirius's reach, pulled up his pants, and ran to the door. He turned when he got there.
"You promise?"
"I promise!” Sirius laughed, “Now, get out!"
Sirius crawled his way on the floor over to his bed and rested against it, tucked his feet underneath him and pulled the carved box down onto his lap. He flicked the clasp and opened the box so it laid out flat in front of him, revealing a chessboard. He pressed in two tiny tabs on either side of the box and two small drawers slid open. Inside laid the exquisitely detailed black and white carved pieces.
He pulled back the red velvet the set rested in and removed a small piece of parchment, unfolded it and read it once again:
Sirius,
Happy Birthday! I received this chess set on my eleventh and I wanted you to have something special for yours. I didn’t really want to part with it but this was the only thing I could think that you’d truly enjoy. This is the set we played on last summer when you finally beat me. Hope you have a good day and Regulus gives you some peace.
Your favorite cousin,
Andromeda
He smiled as he folded the letter and tucked it back in the velvet casing. He closed the box and returned it to his school trunk and under his cashmere jumpers for safekeeping.
Sirius rummaged through his things and found another box, this one long and slender. He smiled as he held it in his hands. He removed the lid and unfolded each side of the tissue paper inside. He bit his lip and removed his wand; black mahogany, pliable, fourteen and a half inches long with dragon heartstring core. He held it in his hand, careful not to point it directly at anything.
The day before was spent in Diagon Alley, collecting all of Sirius’s school things. It was only his mother, his brother, and himself as his father was working. It was an unusually fun day, his mother had doted upon him entirely and Sirius lapped up the attention like an eager puppy, enjoying Regulus’s envy even more.
First they stopped at Madam Malkin’s and bought Sirius’s school robes, which was quite a boring task, but before long that was done and out of the way. Then they moved onto the Apothecary where his mother picked up numerous ingredients for herself along with the few items listed on Sirius’s Hogwarts letter. Then onto Eeylops Owl Emporium where Sirius picked out a dark, Short-eared owl he named Raven for her uncharacteristically dark color with jewel bright yellow eyes. He picked her particularly because she nipped at Regulus when he tried to pet her. The owl hooted and sat on his shoulder until the man running the shop put her in a new, golden cage. On their way to collect his books at Flourish and Blotts, both Sirius and Regulus had to pause and press their noses in the window of Quality Quidditch Supplies to get a glimpse at the latest and greatest racing broomstick.
“I want one of those,” Regulus pointed.
“Mother,” Sirius looked back over his shoulder, “may I have a broomstick?”
His mother smiled, “Sirius, Hogwarts does not allow first years to bring broomsticks with them.” At this Sirius turned back and looked longingly at the broom in the window. A moment later he felt his mother’s hand on his shoulder, “Of course, you are a Black, and certain rules don’t apply to the Black family.”
Sirius’s smile engulfed his face as he left the shop carrying his new Silver Arrow Racing broom.
“But you don’t even like Quidditch that much!” Regulus moaned.
Sirius shrugged, “Maybe I’ll start.”
“It’s not fair!” Regulus pouted.
They stopped by Florian Fortescue's Ice Cream Parlor to cheer up Regulus; Sirius himself ate a triple dip cone, chocolate chunk, snazzle strawberry, and chewy cherry chip. He had worked up quite a hunger with all the shopping they had done.
By the end of the day they were all loaded down with packages. His mother had bought him a solid gold cauldron, even though the list called for pewter, an expensive set of scales for weighing potion ingredients, a brass telescope and many other items. The last and longest stop of the day was in Olivander’s Wand Shop.
The hours spent with Mr. Olivander proved to be long and tedious. The shopkeeper sorted through at least forty wands before settling on this one, and the shop was almost completely destroyed by the time Sirius held this wand in his hand.
The shopkeeper had simply hummed and said thoughtfully, “Very peculiar.”
Back in his bedroom, Sirius rolled his wrist and flicked the wand at the wall. The wallpaper rippled from a point in a circle like he’d plopped a stone in a deep puddle of water. The ripple continued on all four walls around the room. Sirius twisted, mouth gaping open, as he watched it dissipate on the opposite wall. He smiled and looked back down at his wand. He was powerful, his parents had said, and something inside him exploded. He was going to be a great wizard, he just knew it.
There was a knock at his door. Sirius hastily wrapped his wand back up and put it back in his trunk. He opened his door to find Kreacher.
“Master is home now,” the elf mumbled. “He is wanting to see his nasty little brat who tried to kill the smaller nasty little brat.”
“Where is he?” Sirius asked.
“Master is in his study,” Kreacher answered and walked away mumbling. “Oh how Kreacher hopes Master clobbers the brat. Kreacher wishes he could but, no, Kreacher mustn’t harm the sprogs until…”
~*~*~
“Father?” Sirius entered the study, “Kreacher said you wanted to see me.”
His father sat behind his desk, elbows on the arms of the chair, his hands folded in his lap. He was obviously waiting for Sirius. His mother sat in a chair in the corner working on her needlepoint. She did not look up from her work. Sirius swallowed a growing lump in his throat. This couldn’t be good.
Arcturus Black lazily placed his finger to his temple and stared at his son.
“Your mother tells me you had a busy day, Sirius.”
“Sir?”
“She informed me of the little stunt you pulled on the stairs this afternoon.”
Sirius looked over at his mother. She continued working diligently at her needlepoint, not looking up at her son at all.
“She told me that you could have hurt your brother very badly.”
Sirius didn’t know what to say. He didn’t know why he’d done it. Sometimes he just reacted without thinking.
“Sirius,” he glared at his son. “There is one thing you need to know and this is the most important thing I am going to tell you. Your family is, and will always be, the most important factor in your life. Whatever it was that your brother might have done, whatever row you two were having, you must remember that you will never, ever cause any sort of harm to one of your own.”
Arcturus Black stood and walked around his desk towards his son. Sirius felt himself edge backwards. His father was very tall in proportion to his son.
“We’re pure bloods, Sirius. We must maintain and uphold the family line. There are not many of us left. You and your brother are the only two males in the Black family that can carry on the name. I know you don’t think that’s of importance now but when you’re older you will understand. We are the upper crust, the upper class. Nothing must ever happen to you or your brother. You both have a responsibility to this family and its survival. You are the heir and you will act as is becoming a Black.”
His father grabbed him by the collar and looked down into his eyes. Pale grey meeting even paler grey, Sirius tried not to blink.
“You will follow my orders and do as I say. I will not tolerate that sort of behavior from my own son towards his brother. If you ever attempt to hurt him again you will suffer the consequences.”
“Father, I didn’t mean…”
“I will not listen to excuses. You will respect and uphold what has been handed to you.”
“Yes sir.”
Sirius’s father gently placed his hand over his swelling cheek. An odd expression passed over his face, a mixture of anger and sadness. He stared down at Sirius. Sirius was uncomfortable with the closeness and desperation in his father’s eyes.
“Have you learned your lesson?” Hand still on his son’s cheek, Mr. Black tapped the bruise on Sirius’s cheekbone with his finger.
“Yes sir,” Sirius swallowed.
Arcturus Black whispered, “Make me proud, Sirius. Make me proud.”
Sirius’s heart did a flip, he gasped, “I will father. I promise.”
A smile fell across his father’s face and his mood lightened.
“I trust you have your trunk packed?”
Sirius nodded, “Yes sir.”
Arcturus Black nodded in reply, “Very well.” And with that, Sirius was excused.
~*~*~
It was late at night on the last of August as Sirius lay awake in his bedroom at Number 12, his duvet pulled up to the edge of his nose as he shot furtive glances out the darkened window. It looked daunting, heavily framed in dark velvet curtains, with flashes of lightning and booms of thunder cascading out from behind it keeping him from his sleep. Sirius hated thunderstorms.
Thunderstorms at night were worse. They were more frightening than during the day. Shadows at night make a lot of things scarier than during the day; shadows from creatures or dark magical trinkets that lurked in corners at night in the Most Ancient and Noble House of Black; things that couldn’t be trusted.
In the silence between the cracking of thunder he heard a familiar click of his bedroom door. He looked over to find Regulus in his nightshirt, frightened face illuminated by the candle in his hand and clutching a cuddly stuffed dragon in the other. Sirius pulled down the cover as his brother scurried towards the bed. Regulus handed his brother the candle and slid in beside him. Sirius set the candle on the bedside table then blew it out and tucked them both in. Regulus was terrified of storms. Sirius was secretly happy for this. This meant Sirius could be comforted with the feeling of security of his brother’s warmth during the storm. Then no one had to know that Sirius himself was frightened, least of all, his brother.
“Are you frightened?” Regulus whispered, his small body tensing as another loud crack shook the window. They were huddled nose-to-nose, knees to knees in the large poster bed.
“I’m not afraid of anything,” Sirius whispered back.
“Liar,” Regulus’ eyes kept darting from the window back to his brother. “Kreacher told me you’re afraid of Cissy.”
“You know Cissy bites,” Sirius answered indignantly. He held up his hand, two fingers bent at the knuckles, “See? She bit them off.”
Regulus giggled. Sirius loved the sound of his brother laughing and even more so when it was he who inspired the laugh. A lot of the time having a little brother was a right pain in the arse. Like today, when he’d stolen the chess set Andromeda had given him out of his school trunk. But then again, there were adventurous times when it was a laugh to have him around. After all, a captain is nothing without his crew. Regulus was easily manipulated and would try anything Sirius suggested…at least once. Sirius had convinced him to sneak in and steal their mother’s wand once or twice so they could blast Kreacher in the bum. Playing Werewolves and getting muddy in the garden was no fun by oneself. And what fun was playing Vampire when there was no victim to prey upon. Having a brother was alright…especially when it was storming outside.
Sirius yawned and rubbed at his eyes gingerly.
“Does it hurt?” Regulus motioned towards Sirius’s black eye he’d received from their mother.
Sirius winced, “Nah.”
Sirius sighed, closed his eyes and snuggled down deeper into the mattress. He really wanted to get to sleep because tomorrow was a very important day. He wanted to do his father proud. His mother was always insisting on good first impressions and he wanted to do his best. He was just dozing off when he felt a finger poke the tip of his nose.
“What?” Sirius asked. He was starting to get irritated.
Regulus wrapped his arm back around Armand, his dragon, and asked, “I meant about tomorrow, are you frightened about tomorrow?”
Sirius rolled over onto his back and placed his arm gently over his eyes. Yes, he was frightened but he would never tell Regulus that. He would never tell anyone he was afraid. He had been prepped for Hogwarts since the day he was born. His entire family had gone to school there dating back to the Middle Ages, even one of his uncles, Phineus, was once headmaster of the school. In all actuality there should be nothing to be afraid of but Sirius could not convince his brain of that. He was nervous about all the new people. He was nervous about meeting half-breeds and Mudbloods and all the awful filth that the current headmaster allowed in the school. Would they infect him with something? Would they make him unclean? How does one converse with a Mudblood? Sometimes Sirius wondered why his parents allowed him to go to Hogwarts at all, since they disapproved of the filth that attended. But they assured him that he would be sorted into Slytherin house and he would not be among those, the wrong sorts.
But that lead to another problem: he didn’t want to be sorted into Slytherin because that meant he was housed with two of his cousins, which he really, well…hated. Narcissa, besides the obvious flaw of biting, was an absolutely self centered, mean little witch. She would cheat and play nasty and was basically just a downright horrible girl. Narcissa started Hogwarts last year and she wasted no time conveying back to Sirius all the horrible endeavors he would be forced to face. And then there was Bellatrix. Bella was in her fourth year and she made Cissy look like a beacon of hope in a treacherous storm. Perhaps he could be sorted into Ravenclaw. His favorite cousin, Andromeda, now starting her sixth year, had been placed there. Of course the family was, at first appalled at this, but in time they had accepted the fact that Andromeda was just extremely intelligent and therefore Ravenclaw was the best house suited for her. But, although Sirius knew he was clever, he didn’t know if he’d make it into Ravenclaw. This entire house dilemma had lead to the last few nights in sleepless angst.
Sirius felt another finger poke, this time in his ribcage.
“Ow!”
“You’re taking an awful long time to answer,” Regulus yawned. The storm outside was slowing up. The thunder was less frequent and the rain no longer sheets against the window.
“I was sleeping.”
“You’re lying again.”
Sirius elbowed his brother with little malice, “No. I’m not frightened.”
Sirius felt Regulus curl up tighter around his dragon and wiggle down into his pillow. He watched his brother shut his eyes and yawn once again. He couldn’t help but smile when Regulus murmured half asleep.
“I want to be like you when I’m eleven.”
*~*~*~*~*
Sirius was startled awake the next morning with Kreacher leaning over his bed.
Sirius yelped as he scrambled beneath his covers until the elf came into focus.
“Bloody hell, Kreacher, you gave me a start!” Sirius, breathing heavily and shoving the elf’s nose out of his face, accidentally knocked Regulus in the head with his elbow. His brother was still clutching his dragon as he stretched and yawned.
“Young masters is to dress for breakfast,” Kreacher grumbled in a low voice, setting a washbasin and cloth on the bedside table. “Master and Mistress do not wish to be late for the train.”
Sirius sat up and scowled at the house elf. The damn creature was always lurking around and scaring the shit out of both brothers. Sirius couldn’t wait for the day it was beheaded and mounted on the hall wall. Oh, happy day.
“Kreacher, while I’m away at school you will be nice to Regulus and do what he says. That’s an order.”
“Young master thinks he can order Kreacher around,” the elf mumbled somewhat inaudibly. “Happy the bloody brat is leaving today. Kreacher should tell Mistress that her spoiled brats sleep together with childish trinkets. Doesn’t deserve to be her son…”
“Shut up, you miserable old duffer!”
Sirius grabbed said trinket from his brother and lobbed the dragon so it bounced off the back of the elf’s head. Kreacher squeaked and scurried out the door.
Regulus padded sleepily across the floor and picked up his dragon, “Armand never did anything to you. You mustn’t be so mean to him.”
Regulus was answered with a pillow thrown at his face from across the room.
Sirius had never yet been accused of being a morning person. He stretched, yawned loudly and started getting prepared for breakfast.
*~*~*~*~*
“Regulus, don’t cry. You know father won’t approve,” Sirius whispered holding his brother’s shoulders squarely as they stood on Platform 9 3/4. He glanced over at their parent’s, Mr. and Mrs. Black were busy speaking with a wizard couple and not paying much attention to their sons at the moment.
Regulus wiped at his nose, “I’m not crying.”
Sirius looked down at his brother; Regulus’s eyes were brimming with unshed tears. Sirius didn’t really want to deal with this right now. He was bursting at the seams with excitement of getting on that bloody train and getting to Hogwarts.
“Look, I’ll see you in a couple of months at holiday,” Sirius said.
Regulus nodded and sniffed, now stone faced and determined. Sirius looked down at his trunk. He bent down and quickly unlatched it. Holding the lid open, he fished through his things with one hand, finally pulling out the chess set he received from Andromeda. Standing, he closed the trunk and handed the wooden box to his brother.
“I want you to keep this for me,” Sirius said.
Regulus gaped, mouth open at the chess set then up at his brother, “But it’s your present from An…”
“I know!” Sirius interrupted. He hurried his explanation, “Why would I want to bring it to school, you know? What if someone would take it? I don’t know who my housemates will be. This way it’ll be safe. I want you to keep it for me.”
“Are you sure?” Regulus asked.
“Yes. I’m not giving it to you though, alright?”
“Of course!” Regulus beamed up at him. “I’ll keep it for you.”
“Sirius!” Mrs. Black hissed.
Sirius spun around. Now standing with his parents were his aunt and uncle and all three of his female cousins. Narcissa and Bellatrix were dressed in their Slytherin robes, Andromeda in her Ravenclaw.
“Sirius! Over here, now!” Mr. Black pointed to his cousins.
Clumsily he carried the cage containing Raven and dragged his trunk over and stood in front of his parents for his last minute instructions.
“Do not talk with anyone you don’t know on the train. Wait until you are sorted into your house.”
“Yes Father.”
“You are to stay with your cousins on the train, understand?”
“Yes Mother.”
“Go on.” She placed her hand on his cheek and smiled. Sirius was pleasantly surprised when she bent down and kissed him gently on the forehead. He smiled sweetly back up at her. She looked back up at the black and red train blowing its smoke and shooed him, “Go on! You’ll be late.”
He smiled widely at his mother’s good-natured shooing, gave one last wave to his brother and father and followed after his cousins.
Andromeda waited for him and smiled.
“I’ll see you once we arrive. I have to go sit up front with the other prefects.” she said. He pulled away yet smiled as she ruffled his hair and set off ahead.
Once out of earshot of their parents, Bellatrix hissed, “C’mon little bitty baby cousin!”
“I’m coming!” Sirius huffed back at her, following behind them, hands full and dragging his trunk.
“I’m coming!” Bellatrix mimicked in a baby voice, then added, “Stupid little berk. Just wait until he’s in Slytherin with us. We’ll show him.” She looked over at her sister Narcissa and the two girls gave identical evil grins.
Sirius sighed trudging up behind the girls and thought this is going to be a long, difficult ride.