"Does he know he has forsaken me?"

Emmaline Selwyn stood alongside her younger brother, Perseus Selwyn, as more guests continued to fill their family manor. Her eyes skimmed the room, noting that Henry Nott had his arm wrapped around Evelyn Rosier, speaking enthusiastically with Gregory Goyle. Her eyes found the infamous Black family, but no Sirius in sight, which caused her anxiety to spike. She gripped on to the cup of wine her mother gave her not that long ago, debating whether or not it would be lady like to down it all now since she can't find Sirius. The look of her face gaining the attention of the younger Black son.

It was the night of her betrothal to Sirius Black, and Emmaline was over the grand gesture, ready to get it over with. Much like her older brothers, her parents went all out with her announcement with the help of Walburga Black. It was a celebration that would be discussed until their own future children's, children were paired off with their arranged marriages. While her older brother's engagement to Narcissa Black was short, her eldest sibling was able to consummate the marriage and give the Selwyn name another generation of purebloods with the pairing that came with Cassandra Yaxley.

The sacred twenty-eight are an elite community whose time was dangerously coming close to an end. In order to preserve the purity of their blood, the oldest members came together to discuss pairings. With the Selwyn's rejoining the conversation by producing two more children 10 years after the youngest boy, they were able to pair Emmaline with Sirius Black, a pureblood elite and heir to one of the oldest names in their society. A win for the Selwyn family to have their daughter with an honorable match.

Emmaline and Perseus walked over to where her friends gathered, embracing Evelyn in a quick hug, and greeting Henry and Regulus. Perseus was the same age as Regulus, both boys a school year younger than the rest and bonded the way Emmaline was with Evelyn.

"I wish Severus was allowed at these things, he would be more appreciative than your brother, Reggie," Henry spoke, tucking his fiancé close to him. Emmaline hummed absently, not fully hearing his words before turning to Regulus.

"Where is your brother?" Regulus scoffed at her and nudged his head to the doors leading to the backyard. Emmaline sighed but couldn't help but feel guilty. "Over there, probably plotting how to escape and run to the Potters. Ever since second year he's been planning his getaway."

Perseus nudged her subtly, reassuring her that she would be fine to go seek him out. Thick saliva fills her mouth before swallowing hard. "Excuse me, then."

Emmaline set her empty cup down, going through the back doors that lead to the large backyard, filling the silence with loud conversation and music before it disappeared again when the doors creaked shut. Sirius looked behind him, spotting the young girl making her way to him.

"You shouldn't be out here; its cold and you'll freeze with that dress on," Sirius pointed out, turning back around, and putting out the cigarette in his mouth on the ground in front of him. Emmaline ignored his words and took a stand next to him, hugging herself close as the cold winter air was nipping at her skin. Sirius rolled his eyes at her stubbornness, shrugging off his jacket to give to her.

"Thanks," she mumbled. He nodded and kicked his cigarette bud around, both of them in silence as the party inside continued to rage in their honor.

"You know," He began, turning his head over to look over at her. His face was red, the cold air nipping at his face. She could see his thoughts turning as well, the same look in his eyes the way Regulus did not that long ago. "I thought this was something I couldn't do. The whole arranged marriage with you. I do love you but in my own way." He finished, turning himself fully to face Emmaline. She stared at him, waiting for him to continue, he pulled her into a hug in which she stood awkwardly for.

"Can you at least pretend to care?" He joked as he pulled away from her when he realized that she wasn't going to reciprocate the friendly affection. Emmaline laughed, the cold air forming a small cloud of her breath, turning back at the untouched snow settling into the yard. A soft and comfortable silence surrounded them, the only thing that could be heard was the party that continued to go on without either of the guests of honor, which didn't come to Emmaline as a surprise the more she realized how long they had been standing outside and not a single person coming to check in on them.

Both Emmaline and Sirius were the outcast of the family. Emmaline was born a woman in a society that only wanted men to keep the family line pure and their name live on in legacy. Sirius was sorted into Gryffindor and began to lash out on their family values, dragging the girl along with him. As first years, they found themselves in trouble a lot as Emmaline's nativity allowed herself to get close to James Potter, Peter Pettigrew, and Remus Lupin. The pranks and disruptive behavior began to interfere with schooling and grades, the Head of Slytherin send an owl home to the Selwyn home, informing them of their daughter's behavior the past few months.

Emmaline remembers when she came home for Christmas that year. She begged her mother to stop the curses that were flung at her. Her voice became hoarse from the screams and cries as she attempted to negotiate with her. In the end, Malcolm and Arthur intervened, Malcolm telling their mother to not waste magic on her and Arthur casted a silenco spell to keep her pleas quiet as he had his fiancé in the other room. That same night, Narcissa pleaded for her father to rearrange her marriage to someone other than Arthur.

At first, Sirius didn't face a punishment when his parents were made aware. Since McGonagall informed the Black family of his mischief towards his own house mates, they perceived this act as him still being the little boy they had raised. Of course, after seeing this mercy given by his parents, he lashed out upon returning to school, hitting every last student that bore the color green.

Emmaline learned to stay in her place as a dutiful daughter. Sirius learned to continue to fight to get away from his parents. She never told him about the abuse that happened within her home that year. She knew it would only fuel his fire to distance himself from the Pureblood society they were subjected to, and Emmaline didn't want that. She needed him as her lifeline at the time. While she was friends with the rest of the Slytherins in her house, Sirius understood the feeling of being different from the rest of them.

"We promised to run away from all of this. Do you remember that? That we would have a better life."

Emmaline pursed her lips together, looking back at the snow, trying to remember when the pact was made between them. It wouldn't have been that long ago as they were currently fifth year students on Christmas break.

"Sirius, we have nowhere else to go if we did run away now. We have school and our friends,"

"Your friends. They're not mine. Even my brother prefers you over me," he snapped at her. Emmaline scoffed and rolled her eyes at him. She could tell this angered him as he ran his hand through the length of his hair.

The Black brothers often confused her with the way they managed their emotions.

Both boys wore their hearts on their sleeves but insisted that the other was a heartless person. Everyone but the boys themselves knew how wrong they were about each other.

Regulus didn't have many friends as he was the youngest one in their generation of Purebloods besides Perseus. He confided in the youngest Selwyn's frequently, voicing his fears and concerns about Sirius. Always privately and never acknowledging the Selwyn's when they bring up the topic on their own.

Sirius was just as vulnerable with his friends, but he always made it known whether or not someone was friend or foe. In many ways, this separated the boys, but to Emmaline, it made her see they were the same scared child who just wanted to feel safe.

"They're your friends too if you just accept them for who they are. The same way you accept me for who I am- "

"That's different and you know it."

"How?" She questioned him. Sirius tugged her hand in his, forcing her to look away from the snow and to focus her attention fully on him.

"You are the best of them Emmaline. Trust me. But you will not survive if you continue to play their game. I know who you are. If we leave now, James and the Potters will take us in. I know they'll care for you as much as they care for me."

"And leave our brothers?" Emmaline questioned, pulling her hands out from his and taking a step away from him. She could see her actions had hurt him. Perhaps a part of him hoped to sway her to him and allow their brothers to follow in their own accord.

But she wasn't like him.

Sirius stares at her, trying to make sense of what she just told him. The gears began to turn again, but Emmaline knew she just made her stake in their lives and where she stood. She could see that Sirius made that connection too as he copied her motions and took a step back from her.

"I'm sorry."

Emmaline swallowed thickly, taking off the jacket he had given to her earlier, handing it back to him. He took it from her, a frown on his face but he didn't look up at her. Emmaline waited for a breath to see if he would make a notion to say or do something else but when he made no movement, she turned around leaving him outside.

Before Emmaline could even think to find her brother, Selena Selwyn gripped onto her upper arm harshly, but not without smiling at those around them, sending them a reassuring look.

"Where have you been?" She questioned harshly, pulling them away from the attention.

"I was outside with Sirius. What's wrong, is everything okay?" She asked her mother. Emmaline was hurting under her mother's iron grip, but she wouldn't give her the satisfaction to see the pain anymore. After years of practice, she learned to hide any type of emotion from her mother if it wasn't happiness, especially over things that were supposed to make her happy to hear. 

"We need you both to get ready to be lined up and introduced as a new generation of our future. Go get him." She murmured as people passed them, greeting them softly with her smile. Emmaline's focus fell to the door she just walked out of the weight of her conversation with Sirius still lingering heavy on her shoulder.

"Of course, mother."

Emmaline straightened out, adjusting her dress in the process before walking back over outside.

"Siri-," She called, but cut herself off when the figure before her turned around and it wasn't him but rather an older looking man with long hair that reminded her a lot of the boy she was looking for.

"I'm sorry, sir." She cleared her throat in embarrassment. The older gentleman chuckled and shook his head.

"It's alright. Maybe you should head inside and get back to the party. It is in your honor, after all."

Emmaline nodded but looked over her surroundings once more before her eyes landed on the footsteps in the snow, the direction of the prints going towards the forest before they suddenly disappeared. A pit of fear begins to form in her stomach as she realized what happened to her fiancé.

"Did you see Sirius disappear?" She asked the man. The stranger shook his head, giving her a pitiful smile.

"Sorry, Em. I didn't see him leave." He confirmed.

Panic began to creep into her. She looked behind, back at the house noticed that her brothers were beginning to round everyone up to make the announcement. But without Sirius, how would she go and do that? If she hadn't been so frazzled, she could have noticed the nickname the man called her, but she didn't and just before the water works came out, Perseus and Regulus came out, the older man moving out of sight.

"What is taking you so long?" Regulus snapped, ready to drag his older brother into the Selwyn home.

"He's gone. He left." Emmaline choked out, her hazel gaze meeting the boys. Both seemed to freeze in their spots, not believing that Sirius left.

"Stop fucking around, Em. He loves you too much to do this to you." Perseus chuckled, looking around, waiting for him come out and spook them.

"Does it look like I'm fucking around about this Percy?!" She snapped, a tear falling out, but she roughly brushed it off with the back of her hand.

Her eyes moved from her brother to Regulus and noticed the anger behind his stormy eyes. The same stormy eyes that asked her to leave them both behind.

"Reggie, tell me what to do." She begged. His gaze met hers and softened at her voice. 

"Marry me instead."

Perseus looked over at him with shock, but Emmaline knew this was meant to save her from whatever came from her parents if they were to find her without a suitor. It was always her fault, even if she was dragged into the situation. It happened when Sirius first got her into trouble and it continued to happen every day since then.

"Reg, that's my sister we're talking about." Perseus warned. While Emmaline kept the abuse secret from her friends, she was positive that her brother has spoken about it to Regulus.

The look on his face tells her all she needs to know.

This was the only way.

Regulus looked between the siblings and took a step towards Emmaline. She felt his comfort as he takes her hand in his and drags his thumbs across her skin repeatedly. She appreciated his reassurance, letting her know that he's got her and that he isn't going to leave her the same way his brother just did.

"Percy, go find my mother and tell her that Sirius ran away. That after she sent us to find them, we found Sirius trying to take Em against her will and that after seeing us, he spoked and ran. Let her know that I will be taking his place as heir to our name, and I will make Emmaline my bride."

Emmaline feels herself nodding, but his words were no longer registering in her head as everything was tumbling into her mind. She kept rerunning her conversation with Sirius in her head, looking for anything that would hint he was going to do this to her today of all days.

She doesn't notice her brother leave but she does feel her anxiety makes its way to the surface. Her focus was on the footprints of the snow of her yard, watching the snow fall continue to cover it up and she couldn't help but wish the snow would swallow her up as it was swallowing the ground before them.

Her eyes were burning with tears, but as soon as she felt them come out, she was brushing them away. Her shield was cracking but she was glad it was with Regulus.

Over the years of her mother's abuse, Emmaline was able to be the dutiful daughter they wanted out of her. She refused to cry in front of anyone anymore and tried her hardest to conceal her feelings. At times it hurt her to not be able to express herself, but she was conditioned to be this way. A feeling she knew the others felt as well.

"Emmaline, say something." Regulus pleaded. His voice was soft and cautious. He tugged her closer to him, resting his pointer finger under her chin, forcing her to look up at him and away from the field.

Emmaline's breath changed at Regulus' actions. She leaned into his touch and met his stare. Her eyes searched his and didn't see any hesitation in what is being asked of him. A decision he initiated but one he knew would eventually be asked.

"Please say something Emmy," he pleaded once again. Emmaline licked her lips and swallowed harshly. She nods her head slowly, her throat burning, begging to let her scream with all her might. "I don't want to do this anymore," she whimpered.

"We just need to keep playing the game until tonight, okay?" He whispered, bringing her into a hug and kissing the top of her head. "After today, things will go back to how they used to be and when I graduate Hogwarts, it'll be me you marry instead of Sirius. I won't let anything happen to you." He promised.

"I know," she whispers.

The two just held each other for a moment longer before Malcom came out with his son in his arms. Emmaline pushed herself away gently from Regulus before laughing and pretending everything was fine.

"Oh, how is my sweet Finney?" She asked the small boy. He giggled at her, reaching his small arms out, asking to be held by his aunt. She took him away from Malcom, peppering him with small kisses, the baby boy's laughter intensifying at the over stimulation of her small but many kisses.

"We should go inside," Emmaline stated, looking up away from the baby and setting her eyes on her eldest brother. Malcom gave her a concerning look before she discreetly shook her head. She knew Regulus would ask about this later. An issue that Sirius was handling but now fell in his hands, one without context and certainly an argument that will arise between them once the information is fed to him.

"Alright, let's get this over with then, shall we?" She asked her brother and fiancé. Both men nodded at her words, affirming the decision, and followed closely behind her as she made her way back into the noisy manor.

Many didn't notice their presence, a fact that Emmaline thanked Merlin a million times in her head as she held Finnian close to her and avoided bumping into anyone due to the one-year-old baby in her arms. With every step she took, she wanted to lose her focus and run away but she couldn't do that to her brother as Sirius had done to his own.

Upon arriving in the parlor, Walburga and Selena smiled at the children, the rest of the Selwyn brothers standing at attention behind their mother. Emmaline knew this night would be discussed for years to come, expect it will no longer be about how grand and amazing the night was. It will be overshadowed by the departure of Sirius Black and how quickly the Scared Twenty Eight replaced him with his own brother.

The music queue began and both head of households went out, gathering the attention of their guests. Emmaline paid them no attention as the house elf took Finnian away from her. Malcom stepped out from the parlor; Cassandra draped over his arm.

Arthur and Perseus followed their eldest brother after a few moments of polite clapping from the people outside. Emmaline's attention pivoted from her dazed state to the arm that nudged her attention. She looked to her left and saw Regulus with a curt smile, her elbow out for her to take. She could hear his mother begin to speak about the union of two great and pure lines, praising Emmaline's parents for raising a dutiful wife for their heir of the Black family. Emmaline could only imagine the whispers that would come once they saw Regulus step out on stage instead of Sirius Black.

"Hey," Regulus whispered, "It's better that it happened like this. Can you imagine the outrage our parents would throw if this happened after the announcement of you two? This way, we can better handle any conversations with our parents taking the brunt of all those questions. You are safe with me, okay?" Regulus reassured her. 

Emmaline went through the motion of nodding her head, agreeing with his comment and looped her own arm with his as their mothers announced their queue to walk through the doors.

"Join us in welcoming the new heir of Black and his beautiful fiancé, please welcome my son," Walburga began, allowing Emmaline's mother to finish.

"And my daughter, Regulus Black and Emmaline Selwyn!" Selene Selwyn finished.

The guests in the Selwyn home clapped for their new marriage arrangement, the murmurs of what happened to Sirius began and with the first whisper, Emmaline clung to Regulus' arm more, digging her nails into him.

Both children smiled at the crowd, taking center stage and that was when Emmaline's eyes wandered over to her friends. Their smiles encouraging her to look good while the situation was not the ideal station.

As quick as the announcement happened, it was over, and the families stepped off the stage, everyone swarming Regulus and Emmaline. The Yaxleys were the first ones to come into view, greeting their daughters sister in law, then came the rest of the Black family, Bellatrix Lestrange and her husband with Narcissa Malfoy and Lucius just behind them, congratulating their cousin, Bellatrix praising Emmaline for not following Sirius like the lost puppy she thought she was.

Emmaline gave her a thinned lipped smile.

Emmaline stood alongside her fiancé, Regulus Black, as guests continued to file in front of them, swarming and giving their congratulations. Her eyes skimmed the room, finding the rest of her friends, eyes already looking at her as Henry Nott ignored the conversation that Gregory Goyle was trying to continue. Evelyn Rosier was tucked closely into his side, almost as if preventing her from disappearing. Emmaline gripped the cup of wine that made its way into her hand, feeling faint from the events that had just transpired not even a full hour ago. The look on her face gaining the attention of her fiancé.

The night of her betrothal turned sour and in it so did Emmaline Selwyn.