Chapter 106 - Stupid, Sirius! (1/2)
At a large dinner table, a family of four are dressed in mourning black as they sit. A scowling dark-haired woman with sharp attractive features and gray eyes stares at her sullen eldest son. Walburga Black sniffs loudly, ”Thankfully, your younger brother will be starting this year in Slytherin.”
Sirius glances at his younger brother and snorts. ”He could very well be a Ravenclaw the way he has his nose in books all the time.” Regulus glares up at his older brother shooting him a dirty look.
Walburga Black opens her mouth to yell, when the dark-haired man at her side says, ”Enough!” Walburga Black unhappily closes her mouth as Sirius stabs his food with his fork. Orion's steely gray eyes turn onto his son as he sneers, ”Sirius, despite your being a detestable Gryffindor, I expect you to properly comport yourself as a most esteemed member of the Black family that you are.”
Sirius clenches his fork tighter in his fist as he listens to his father. ”But I suppose a disappointment will always be a disappointment,” Orion added as Sirius clenched his jaws so hard that it seemed almost painful.
Turning to gaze at his wife, Orion remarked, ”Your younger brother's funeral is tomorrow-,” Walburga nodded her head in acknowledgment of the statement. ”Will you be in attendance?”
Regulus peeks at his mother waiting for the response. ”Yes, I will have Kreacher deliver the boys to the station,” Walburga answered, causing Regulus eyes to dim in disappointment as he quietly poked at his food.
Good,” Orion said as he changed the subject and glanced at his eldest son. ”Are you done packing?” Sirius slumps into his seat in reply as Orion knowingly sighs, ”Then finish up and go. What about you, Regulus?”
”Yes, father, I've already properly packed,” Regulus obediently said causing Walburga to beam at her youngest with pride as Orion adds, ”Good.” Sirius silently micks his brothers' words causing Regulus to glower back.
The rest of the dinner is quiet as Orion and Walburga discuss Abraxas Malfoy. Ever since, his change in his stance against Tom Riddle, Abraxas Malfoy had gained quite the following. Orion and Walburga Black were one of the several families that had joined his faction after learning the truth about Tom Riddle. Personally, Orion was pleased as Abraxas Malfoy made a much better choice in the end.
Bored and rather cross, Sirius excuses himself from the table without his parents noticing. Regulus finishes a few minutes later and politely excuses himself much to his parents' pleasure. Wandering back through the gloomy hallways filled with family portraits and dark objects, Regulus hesitates at his older brother's door, before timidly knocking.
”Is that you, brat?” Sirius yelled.
”I'm not a brat!” Regulus snapped back.
”If I let you in are you going to help me pack?”
”What? No!”
”Then no.”
”Please Sirius, just one question.”
”Then are you going to help me pack?”
”If I do, how many questions can I ask?”
”As long as they aren't too annoying.”
”Deal now open the door,” Regulus said as he heard the door unlock. Stepping inside, Regulus wrinkles his nose at seeing pictures of Quidditch players pinned to the wall. There are robes and clothes all over the ground with books, parchment, and more scattered in hazard all about the bedroom.
”What do you do all day? Throw around your things for fun?” Regulus gawked.
Sirius sheepishly scratches his face. ”I forgot.”
”What are you blind too?” Regulus snapped.
”No need to get so huffy,” Sirius said as he rolled his eyes. ”Now are you going to help me or not?”
”Fine,” Regulus said with a roll of his eyes as he bent down to gather textbooks off the floor. ”So, my first question is what's Slytherin like?”
Sirius groans and says, ”I'm not in Slytherin, Regulus! All I know is that it's full of dark wizards and the like!”
”That can't be true!” Regulus protested. ”Merlin came out of Slytherin and he's the greatest wizard of all time!”
Sirius tactfully chokes and says, ”He's an exception.”
”What about your friends?”
”What friends?”
”The Prince twins, are they, not your friends too?”
”Okay fine then, them too.”
”I knew it!” Regulus said with a measure of pride. ”What else?”
Sirius stops himself from hitting his head on the wall in frustration. ”As I said, I don't know much else other than that Professor Slughorn is the head of Slytherin and it's full of nasty purebloods.”
”You're not very good at this,” Regulus remarked rather crossly as he picked a cloak off the floor in disdain.
”Look how about I introduce you to Rowan at the station and have her tell you all about Slytherin, okay?” Sirius pleaded in exasperation.