✧WHO'S BROTHER?✧

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Sirius had hugged the leather jacket tight as he went to the rally spot in which him and his sister would usually wait at in order to call the knight bus. However this time it barely took two seconds...Had he turned into a wizard in need?

Apparently so, but the man recognized him in the instant and nodded without needing a proper address as it was always the same.

But just his luck that it had been raining that July day, and his own safety was onboard the bus. The rest of the way to the Potter estate would be him bearing the elements until he could get to the front door.

He thought of his sister first, how she looked so bloody desperate begging him to stay. And he cursed himself for doing it over and over again, it wasn't that the torture was what caused it. It was insisting that there was something wrong with him for the views he has.

He had no doubt in his mind that if Aurora was vocal about it, she would be sitting with the same expression. But alas she was back at home, crying, heartbroken? He felt like balling even further as he hunched over and tried to hide behind the current of hair he had managed to grow further down to his shoulder.

The conductor knew that they were closing in on the house and readied the boys trunk, whatever happened looked serious and he was without the gal of his...So he left it and went off towards the young man to rest his hand onto his shoulder.

"Almost there son, you gonna be alright?" Sirius nodded, he'd see Rory in school. Explain to her everything, just hoping she'd find the book that he placed under his pillow. The one that he communicates with James with all this time, it was a gift from her and he hated to part with it but if anything were to happen and she needed to leave as well...At least he would know.

Sirius cleared his eyes and readied himself to face the weather, thanking the man for giving him a warming charm after taking a look at the walk he had ahead of him.

It wasn't that bad, his entire body was burning and the cold rain actually felt rather nice against his aching muscles. But that didn't stop the onset of tears rolling down his face, his expression growing further and further down the line as he started to drag his feet...Then he stopped. Looking back at the road behind him as he felt regretful of his decisions.

What is Rory doing right now? Falling apart? Are they celebrating?

No, they were not celebrating.

Sirius picked up his feet again and hurried up to the front door as the rain was starting to pick up even more. He knocked quiet forcefully at the door, hoping...Praying that someone was home, even if it was just Mrs.Potter at least he could explain to someone what had happened with—

"Padfoot? What are you—" James had been the one to answer the door, and when he recognized the random person to be his friend he opened the door further. Only to see him soaked and chilled to the bone, shaking...behind him his Hogwarts trunk and the expression that will more than likely haunt James for the rest of his days.

He didn't stare too long as he pulled his brother in for a hug, both arms around his head as he motioned for him to come inside while James dragged the trunk in further.

The boy had been silent and there wasn't any need for words as James took his coat and told him to wait there just for a moment.

"Mum...Sirius is here." 

"Oh wonderful, Aurora can help me with—" James shook his head, he had warned his parents about the promise he had made and it was now coming into effect.

So James came out with his mother strictly behind him, but that had ended once the elder women had saw how damaging it had turned out to be for him. She wrapped her arms around the young boy almost man and told him that he was always welcomed here, and that they'd set up the room for him.

Sirius attempted to stop his tears but there was nothing he could force out. James knew that he left Aurora, and that must've been the most bitter portion of it all. 

"Come on mate, we'll get you some tea and something warm to wear...It's gonna be alright." And it was, once the calming draught had kicked into Sirius' system he was finally able to tell them what had happened.

Mrs.Potter had flinched more than a few times, and the second Sirius told the bit about Aurora begging him to stay made the two sitting across from the freshly escaped Black frown.

As Sirius found himself in James' room, a place where he had only dreamed of being for the entirety of the summer only to still be miserable here wasn't worth it...Was it?

"You can owl her tomorrow Pads...And we can tell Moony and Wormy that—" 

"That women will burn the letter...And not yet? Just...I need to..." Sirius trailed off trying to sort through his own thoughts, and it just aggravated him further to the point of dropping to the couch in James' room.

Prongs had instantly gone to side and condoled his brother and it ended with either of them falling asleep side by side right then and there.

*

Aurora was in damn shock, Regulus was holding onto her but even he wasn't prepared for her to collapse on the floor. And whilst mother was cleansing the 'filth' off their family line Orion had ran out the door in search of Sirius. It came to a surprise to either of the children that is what their father had done but alas...Few hours later, he had come up empty-handed.

The young girl hadn't dared say a word nor looked at her mother as she hid in the corner of her reading nook, staring at the same page for hours now. Word was spreading, she was the eldest and her mother already waved her ring ridden finger that she needed to start acting like the eldest. Which was shut down imminently as her father came to her rescue, Regulus had escorted Aurora to her room and he hadn't moved from his spot either...Simply doing his homework at his desk waiting for something else to happen...

But Aurora was waiting for Sirius to come back.

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At one point she looked out the window, it had been dark and stormy for ages and she didn't even bother coming down for dinner. Actually...Nobody had, Orion was furious for his wife for making a 'big deal out of nothing' and Walburga was strictly 'upholding the noble house of Black' so clearly the argument and frustration was deeply rooted...Regulus was having a difficult time as is, all the promises of protecting his sister were suddenly becoming clear, now he needed to fulfill his rank as her brother.

But she was older and that was odd in other terms. He thought about owling Rabastan but to be fair Aurora needed to cope for a few more days before dragging in other family members.

However, an idea sparked into his head as he recalled this happing just a few years ago with their cousin who ended up marrying a muggle-born wizard...

Narcissa Malfoy had gotten the letter and made the decision in the moment to go to that god awful manner that her cousins were stuck in. She was greeted by Kreacher and already by the tone of his voice and the heavy air that there was not even a happy soul.

Orion was pleasantly surprised, curious as to what his niece was doing here. But then it became clear. "Cassiopeia is in her room with Regulus...I'm sure they'd love to see you Narcissa." He formally spoke, inviting her properly into the home as she hurried on upstairs.

The knock on the door was odd but Reg was the only one responsive at the time and so he went to go check. Thinking it was their father had been a hearty conclusion, but it was proven false once he was greeted by his lovely cousin.

She had instantly thrown her arms out to her youngest cousin, and yet that hadn't caught Aurora's attention. "How is she?" 

"She hasn't spoken a word since he left..." He lowly admitted, but the boy moved away to wipe his own tears as Mrs.Malfoy made her way over to the little nook.

"Rory?... I was wondering if you wanted to stay at my manner, you and Regulus...How does that sound? We can..." Aurora hadn't been paying attention, she looked drastically sick to the core and watching mindlessly as her older cousin mouth words that she couldn't possibly follow. And instead she simply leaned in and planted herself in Narcissa's hold as she cried out properly. A fitful sob echoed, and Orion had cracked his jaw even further.

His little Cassi was crying out for her brother who chose to leave. There was barely any fault on his behalf, his mother made it a living nightmare that even the smallest crumb at the table could've enacted that. So when he looked into his son's now abandoned room he found that there were little to no things renaming, the Gryffindor posters sure...The picture left behind here and there of the family, but the muggles were not that much at fault.

Even when he was in his years at Hogwarts he knew of a magazine that was passed around with similar-looking women. Muggles as well, no witch in this day and age would pose that exposing, and so he simply turned around and closed the door only to see Narcissa right behind him.

"Orion, I think it'd be best to move the children so they can relax instead of—" 

"You are absolutely right Narcissa...I'll explain to my wife the plan." He bitterly ended the conversation while Narcissa hurried along back as Regulus hopped up and prepared himself for a bit of a vacation. While Aurora just wanted Narcissa move back and forth from her dresser to the trunk she offered out.

Grabbing a few books off the shelves, her homework anything at all that the young girl would need...Narcissa was still feeling the pain as well, a mix of a reminder in losing her sister to now losing Sirius.

Orion had walked on down to his wife's study and explained simply that Narcissa was going to take the children for the time being. "Just grand Orion, make it seem like we're unfit to be parents...That'll show the circle won't it!" 

"You blasting off our son—"

"He is not my son! He spit the name of Black back me, his own mother! You undermine me countless time Orion, with Cassiopeia, but not with him...He's gone." It was then that Master Black had gotten mere inches away from his wife's face, having her cornered up against her desk as he narrowed his eyes down at her.

"He is gone, and it is your doing...Not another word to or about Cassiopeia until she is healed over this." He ordered, and standing a moment longer did he then step away. "Healed? Over what? She holds the same views, she—" 

"That was her brother! Her twin! How heartless of a women are you to not hear her cries or hear her pain?!" The mother had fallen silent, he did care about her children but it was so hard with the times shifting...

"I..." She attempted to speak but failed, Orion had said his peace and kissed either of his children on the head goodbye and cursed himself for the fact that his daughter wouldn't look him in the eye.

She wouldn't look anyone in the eyes actually.

Perhaps a flicker here or there, but Sirius' book was going unnoticed and unread underneath his pillow that continued to shine with new messages but alas they were not home.

Narcissa explained everything to her husband Lucius and frowned at the thought of Sirius running off to go be with Blood Traitors. But after seeing how disrupted his wife's cousins looked he simply couldn't disagree, not that Cassiopeia was even aware of leaving. But she settled down each and every place that Narcissa had settled her in, getting her nails done, drawing...It seemed like she wasn't very...Active, Regulus said she was in her autopilot mode.

And she was.

It was then that Mrs.Malfoy wondered if Rabastan would be the best course, but she had been shut down by Regulus. "I'm sure in a bit Cissy, but right now that's the last thing she needs. To cry in front of him again." Which prompted a few stories to be told, they were in his point of view rather than a reliable source but it didn't rightly matter.

On the flip side, Orion had taken to discussing a sort of break for his daughter with her intern master and head of the department. He lied a bit here and there but frankly, there was nothing they could do, Sirius was of age and soon he'll be 17. 

There's no use when he could just freely walk out again.

Otto extended his worries and offered his labs to Aurora if she so pleased to come in just for the hell of it, which Orion greatly appreciated. Witches and Wizards alike weren't allowed to brew properly at home, only one or two cauldrons were permitted in the household and even then there were limitations to what one could brew without a lab.

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Date Posted: 03-25-19

Time: 8:52

Words: 2367