“Father. It’s been too long.”
Sirius stayed in the spot he was standing in, watching as his father looked around the room. He nodded his head at his son, Regulus, but when his eyes met the faces of the two people at the table, his eyes became two tiny slits. Orion Black had always been against Sirius’s friendship with James Potter and Lily Evans (Potter). He had not cared too much about James “ the wizard was, after all, at least a Pureblood “ but he was completely against Lily “ the witch was nothing but a filthy Mudblood. Orion just didn’t approve.
Lily moved around in her seat uncomfortably. She felt like Orion’s eyes were burning through her skin. She knew he didn’t like Muggles, and that he didn’t even like halfbloods. She attempted to look as if Orion’s stare didn’t insult or even intimidate her as James unconsciously moved his chair closer to her.
“Why did you bring me here? Especially when you know how I feel about filthy Mudbloods,” growled Orion as he turned to look at his eldest son. Lily opened her mouth to say something back to him, but James stopped her. It was true that they were both extremely angry about what was said, but James knew that Sirius was the one who needed to react. This may have been a bad idea on his part, but James’s doubt disappeared as soon as Sirius began to speak.
“How dare you call her that! If you have a problem with one of my friends, you take it up with me when they’re not around!” Sirius shouted back. “Hasn’t what Regulus went through taught you anything?”
Orion stared back at his son as a smile started to spread across his face. He began to laugh a deep, terrifying laugh, and Sirius looked over at his brother as if he was asking ‘What the bloody hell is wrong with him?’ Regulus shrugged, and continued to stare at his father.
“Take it up with you? That has to be the funniest thing I’ve heard in my entire life,” Orion said as his laughing began to die down. “I am surprised you lasted this long, being who you are.”
“And what is that supposed to mean? What’s wrong with who I am?” Sirius said. He had a feeling that he knew what his father was going to say, but he wanted to hear it from him.
“You know exactly what I mean. You were born a Black, but now, you’re no better than any of those Mudbloods you consort with!” Orion bellowed. He was being honest. He was surprised that his son had lasted this long in the wizarding world being the traitor that he was. He was extremely proud of Bellatrix for what she had done, even if Sirius was his son.
Once again Lily opened her mouth to say something, but unlike before, this time, James didn’t stop her.
“How dare you speak to your own son like that!” Lily shouted. “If anything you should be proud of him. Even though he has some faults, he is a brilliant man. He went to Azkaban for twelve years because of a crime he didn’t commit, but I have not once heard him complain.” Her face began to turn red, and her breathing became more rapid.
“I know he probably complained in the past “ anyone would “ but, I have yet to hear him say anything about it in front of me. He cared so much about other people, and those people just happened to include James, Harry, and me. Why does the purity of blood matter so much to you now? Your youngest son died because of what you told him. He died because you put the idea of purebloods being better than anyone else into his head. If you would have never said that to him, he would still be alive!”
Orion stared at Lily, his own face turning red from anger. He had always hated Lily, but now, that hate was even stronger. Never in his life had a Muggle spoken to him like this, and he wasn’t going to stand for it now.
“Sirius is not my son. He hasn’t been since he was sixteen- years- old. He was the one that chose to live his life the way he did. If he would have just listened to me ““
“” Then I would have died just as Regulus did, and you know that,” Sirius interrupted. “Why don’t you put the blame on yourself for once, instead of trying to make other people feel guilty? Regulus would have never become a Death Eater if you would have just told him you were proud of him. He would still be alive!”
He began to walk towards his father, and glanced over at Regulus as he did so. Regulus was sitting in the same spot he had been all night. His face was in his hands, and Sirius knew that Regulus just wanted the argument to end or at least for it to be about something else besides him.
“And as for me,” Sirius continued, his voice lowering as he got closer to his father. “You’ve known my entire life that I was nothing like the rest of the Blacks. I have always been different. That’s why I got along so well with Andromeda. She actually understood me, and I understood her. Why can’t you just put all of that stuff in the past, and actually try to get to know the son you haven’t had for a long time?”
Orion stared in disbelief at his son. The two of them had not spoken since Sirius was sixteen- years- old, and now that Sirius was offering a truce, Orion didn’t know what to do. He would never accept the fact that Sirius was friends with Lily, and he would never accept that regardless of James marrying a Muggle, Sirius was still friends with him. In his eyes, Sirius had betrayed the family; and that was one thing that Orion Black would never be able to forgive and forget.
“You betrayed this family, Sirius,” he said. “How am I supposed to forgive you for that? The whole time growing up, your mother and I thought you were going to eventually realize that being a Pureblood was something to be proud of. Instead, you act as if it’s something to be ashamed of!” exclaimed the elder Black.
He was still angry about what had happened years ago. It was as if he was reliving it all again in his mind, and this made it so he wasn’t able to calm down.
“I’m not ashamed of being pureblooded. I’m ashamed of what our family was and still is. I don’t agree with anything that you’ve done, or anything that you’ve said. The whole time I was growing up you acted as if being a Pureblood made you superior to everyone else, and it doesn’t!” Sirius argued back as he continued to stare at his father.
“Being a Pureblood does make you superior to everyone else,” said Orion, his voice sounding like he was trying to explain the obvious fact that two plus two equals four to a particularly dense child who still hadn’t understood it. “Since Purebloods are people who have two magical parents, it means that magic is their birthright! Their children may possibly be more powerful than any half-blood and definitely any Muggle,” he stated matter-of-factly. He watched as Sirius’s face dropped for what seemed like the millionth time that night.
Lily, James, and Regulus, who had been sitting at the table quietly for the past two hours watching Sirius and Orion argue about things that happened so long ago and beliefs that had spawned arguments between the two of them every single time, looked up as Orion finished this. Once again, Lily opened her mouth to speak, but this time Regulus started before she could.
“Father, Sirius, why do two have to fight about this stuff? It happened years ago, and yet neither of you can get over it!” Regulus shouted, walking over to where his brother and father were standing. “Father, you’re just going to have to deal with the fact that Sirius is friends with James and Lily, and that he was against your beliefs since he was younger.
“And Sirius, you’re going to have to accept the fact that our father is stubborn, and that he won’t believe anything else besides what he was told when he was growing up. You know, I may be the wrong person to say this, but both of you are being stupid.”
Sirius nodded his head at his brother, but Orion just stood there, staring at his youngest son. Orion was in shock for the second time that night, and this time it was towards the son that he had spent the past seventeen years with in this place, the son that had never tried to talk back to him.
“Regulus, why all of a sudden do you want to talk now? You had nothing to say an hour ago,” Sirius said with intense frustration showing in his voice.
“Because I’m tired of listening to you two fight about the same stuff that you fought over when we were growing up, Sirius,” the youngest Black replied, sighing. “I’m just tired of it. You both need to learn how to put those things in the past. -- I mean, come on, we’re all dead. How is fighting over the same things going to change?”
Sirius knew that what his brother was saying was true, but he just couldn’t bring himself to forget about it. He wanted to, but his father was making it hard. He was willing to put it all aside and actually try to forget about it. The way his father was, though, made it impossible. At this point in time, Sirius was glad that his mother was in the painting at Grimmauld Place instead of in the afterlife at this very moment, but he had a feeling that that may end up changing.
Orion, on the other hand, didn’t care about what Regulus was saying. The way he felt was never going to change, and he wanted both of his sons to realize that. He still believed in the purity of blood making one superior to everyone else, and he knew there was no one that could change him feeling that way. At times like these, Orion wished that his wife, Walburga, had come to the afterlife with him instead of staying in the painting. He knew that there was a way to get her there, but she was set against leaving that house.
“How about a compromise, Sirius? Why don’t you just let me go back to my version of the afterlife? And never, ever bring me here again?” Orion said in a low growl.
Sirius looked at his father, and although he wanted to let this happen, he felt as though he still wanted to make a truce with the man. Such a feeling wasn’t normal for Sirius to feel , but the fact that he was dead, not to mention the fact that his father was proud of Bellatrix for being the one to kill him, made him want to know why. Why did his father believe in the purity of blood so much? Why did his father hate Muggles and half-bloods? Why did his father support Voldemort, even though Voldemort himself was a half-blood?
All of these questions were racing through Sirius’s mind as his father continued to stare at him. He knew that he wouldn’t have to answer Orion’s questions. His father always said things like that, and every time he did, Sirius knew that those questions weren’t meant to be answered.
“Before you leave, which I know you’re going to no matter what I say, I have a question for you,” Sirius said. He looked back at his father, and when Orion nodded his head, Sirius continued. “If you hate half-bloods and Muggles so much, why do you follow Voldemort? You do know that he is a halfblood himself, don’t you?”
Sirius watched as his father’s face grew red with anger, and he smiled to himself for perhaps finally defeating the man who had made his life a living hell growing up. For perhaps defeating the man who had disowned him when he was only sixteen- years -old. For perhaps defeating the man who was now proud of his niece for killing Orion’s eldest son. These thoughts “ these glorious, wonderful thoughts running through his head “ made him feel a lot better about finally getting to see his father after all of these years.
World of the Dead by TCole
Chapter Notes: For the third time, and probably not the last, a thanks to megan_lupin for betaing this for me! She is extremely talented, and I'm glad I have her as a beta for this story, and hopefully any future stories! =)
I hope you all enjoy this!