2
Mr. and now Mrs. Malfoy glowed in the middle of their huge, glittering wedding hall. Nothing overshadowed them or would overshadow them with their beautiful silky pearly white hair and the energy that surrounded them and made them look like two entities alien to the rest of the normal.
They were the perfect, ideal couple, the exact image of a pureblood couple, A marriage like theirs was everything that high wizarding society wanted to achieve, what all parents sought for their heirs.
They got married at sunset, said “I do” and united their magic just as the first star appeared in the sky.
It was angelic, magical and fairytale-like.
Even when they were two despicable human being and became from families that are known for their alliances and handling of dark arts, neither James nor Remus could deny how imposing and incredible they looked surrounded by their people, who were the opposite of what the hidden teenagers were and represented.
Remus joked that these people would be another level of mad if they found out they were hanging out with a creature darker than themselves in the wedding of the century.
The first part of the plan was done, they had sneaked into the wedding by posing as the Potters and then hiding under James' invisibility cloak before anyone recognizes them. The wizard at the entrance hadn't given them a second glance after being confused by Remus's efficient wand.
The hall where the ceremony was held was luxurious in its splendor, everything you could imagine at the wedding of two children of two of the greatest families in the magical world.
From the decorations and the freaking pale peacocks, to the people themselves, it was pure luxury. The magic in the room was palpable, it coiled around each one of those present. If it weren't for the fact that he knew that most of the people present would prefer that a person like Remus didn't exist or rub shoulders with them, the werewolf would be ecstatic.
Especially after they eyes where attracted by the image of Sirius Black coming down the stairs.
His roommate (Remus refused to call him anything other than that, even though his knees betrayed him and trembled at the sight of him) was the personification of beauty and elegance. If anyone stood out more than the couple themselves, it was the damn Sirius Black.
They saw him coming down the steps behind his parents, elbow to elbow with Regulus who was not far behind with his appearance (James, bless his soul, choked on when he saw him). Although the relative who was getting married was another, it was clear that what Andromeda had warned was true, all the power of the Black family resided in the people who came down the ladder, the side of the family who has the heirs and the duty to continue the bloodline.
For Walburga and Orion Black, their children were a pair of trophies, their boys were the jewel lf the crown in their eyes and in the eyes of all of society, at least the part of society that mattered in their ideology. As the only ones who had succeeded in having male heirs, they were responsible for raising a pair of full-fledged heirs no matter what.
Sirius was the black sheep of his flock, perhaps the white sheep was more appropriate. But he was still the heir, and it was clear the matriarch was willing to display him like the trophy he was.
So the eldest son of the family wore the finest clothes from the finest fabrics in the world, his hair was as impeccable as his posture and manners. To the outside, Sirius was the perfection himself. For the family, it was a misfortune that had to be solved.
But at that time he was acting, it was all a show that the Blacks knew how to provide and orchestrate. A united front, that was what they wanted to show. You would see the heir come down the stairs with his parents and brother, representing his blood and lineage of centuries, but it was very likely that said heir has been bewitched to the point of blood to achieve such behavior.
Remus found himself getting lost in the image, but he couldn't be blamed. He loved that stupid, bloody bastard of a jerk with all his broken heart. He adored his night-black curls that he was currently wearing down with grace, a lot shorter than what he knows Sirius likes, they had probably been cut off.
In parallel, the Sirius they knew and the one they were appreciating were two totally different people, but both at the same time. Back in Hogwarts, Sirius always had those "purebred fleas" that he couldn't scratch.
Sirius Black was a bloody bourgeois at mealtimes, keeping the room in an almost manic order, with the posture of his fancy back and the damn french timbre that crept into his voice at times.
But then you'd see him racing James, or being a fucking dog just for fun, and you'd kind of forget how many titles the bastard has under his belt.
But now? Watching him walking down the stairs dressing like a lord with his head held high, following their parents who could easily overshadow the Queen and King of England. It was like a slap of reality for Remus.
It took a jolt from James to get him back to focusing on the plan, on the mission. They had two ideas, one was to corner one or both brothers, they couldn't be with their parents all night, right? But if that was the case, they would be close enough to them to join them whenever they wanted to leave. Probably via Floo they would join together to enter Grimmauld Place. Then escape would be easy, if they trusted Andromeda's word.
Taking them and running away wasn't an option, the place was rife with security and spells that controlled if someone magically appeared, although neither Remus nor James knew how to do it yet.
So the best thing to do was to follow in their footsteps and hold on to them when they retreat. Spending the night in the Black's haunted house was a possibility that they were prepared for and mentally prepared for. Although they hoped that by dawn everyone would be out and on their way to Potter's.
Squeezed under the cloak, they made their way behind the Black brothers, who looked like mirror images of each other. None of them spoke except to say hello behind their parents, which was not much because the patriarchs seemed to think themselves too superior to the others to greet those who approached them.
Remus couldn't take his eyes off the back of Sirius's neck, searching for any clues that might indicate his condition after a whole week with his family. James was the same, even more manic, whispering as Regulus' hand seemed to tremble slightly and as Sirius, behind his hard aristocratic image, seemed lost.
It was clear that what they assumed, Not only did it go beyond what the brothers had barely expressed, but it was a thousand times worse than expected.
Sirius and Regulus were reluctant to talk about their family life in everyday life, they might perhaps mention how unconventional and strict their parents could be, but they would never confess to punishment and the torture sessions to "mold the perfect heir" to which they were subjected. They would never say it out loud, sober at least, but they, who had shared many early mornings and late nights of firewhiskey with Sirius in the common room, knew. They knew too much, more than they could have imagined possible.
That was why they were there, that was why Remus had put aside his pain to search for the fucking love or his life, to save the one person who hurt him deeply.
He was going to save the person who had torn down the walls of the castle that protected his heart to break it into a thousand pieces by playing with the deep secret that was kept there.
Remus wasn't going to forgive him, Sirius didn't deserve it yet. But he was still the person his bleeding heart sobbed and begged for at nights, Sirius was still the person he looked for when he looked up at the night sky. He would die and wither away if something happened to his lady stardust.
He could not allow that woman with the haughty nose and dangerous beauty to extinguish the brightest star in his sky. Nor should that man with sharp, dark eyes crush his son's spirit and charisma under his elegant boot.
Remus loved Sirius like the wolf loved the moon, in a dangerous and obsessive way, which destroyed him from the inside out without being able to do anything about it, but it would be like that until the end of their lives. He had tried, but no one could take his breath away and move him as much as bloody Sirius Black.
Would die for him if necessary, even if he wanted to kill him and hate him so deeply.
Regulus sighed and the discreet hand that touched his brother's threw them both off balance. At his side, Sirius gave an unnoticed start, as if the simple touch hurt.
– Maman, Sirius et moi aimerions parler aux jumeaux Rosier, ils sont à côté de la bibliothèque, n'est-ce pas ? – Regulus's silky, cautious voice drew them in, unaware that it spoke more than just the names of his brother and the Rosiers.
It was clear that the father cared little or nothing about what his sons did or didn't do, he was very busy helping himself to what the various house elves delivered. The mother, on the other hand, turned around with her face clouded by something that they, as strangers, did not know about, but that was stressing her children out.
– Ne me laisse pas gêné, je te veux à mes côtés quand je t'appelle – Walburga's response was tough and ruthless like her, spitting elegantly in her closed French.
Regulus nodded and pulled Sirius arm to do the same, the eldest of the two seemed to be in a parallel and distant world.
– Oui, maman – both brothers spoke together, taking distance from the woman to go to the other end of the room
James and Remus hurried after them, dodging people and doing everything possible to avoid colliding with anyone and starting a scandal from which they would not emerge alive.
– You have to wake up Sirius, no one is going to believe your performance for long. – they heard how Regulus scolded Sirius, in a tone of voice that seemed annoyed and disinterested, but they knew it exuded concern and sympathy for his brother.
Who seemed to have loosened up a bit by putting meters between his parents and them, but continued to look lost and terrified in that ocean of snobs.
The perfect heir who had created a respectful silence upon entering the hall now seemed to be in panic just by finding himself in the midst of those people. The imposing and superior image was no longer there, now there was only the teenage boy they knew, in his lowest and most depressed version.
They didn't liked that version, when that Sirius came up, it was because he was in deep shit, sunk up to his nose in a pit of depression. Seeing the concern hidden in Regulus' voice, he didn't like seeing his brother like that either.
– I know Reg, i'm trying but my head is still spinning... I don't know how to make it stop – Sirius's voice, which they knew for its liveliness and clarity fruit of his proud and energetic personality, seemed stuck in his throat as he seemed to be thinking too much about what to say in what little he said. It sounds like as if he was suffering with every word.
They exchanged a look of understanding and concern, they had to be quick and efficient. They couldn't spend another day with that family.
– Just try to focus, you heard Maman, she will kill us if we make a scene.
Walburga Black angry at her son's reputation must be a beautiful person to meet, they were hoping that Merlin doesn't want them to know her.
James could even imagine the cynical and calculating look in the gray eyes of the youngest Black, probably analyzing the room and the members, looking for what or who could unleash a scene of chaos and shame for the family, specially in the actual mood of his brother. James knew that Regulus was feeling responsible for his brother who seemed incapable of having a very coherent line of thought. It seemed to depend on him that both of them would return to Grimmauld Place intact and with their parents as close to happy as possible.
Knowing the weight that fell on Regulus's delicate but firm shoulders made James' heart ache. He knew perfectly well how strong his boys were, but he never tired of admiring and recognizing the strength of Regulus Arcturus Black, his boyfriend not boyfriend or the person with whom he wanted to desperately want to date and love.
He sighed and earned a strange look from Remus, ignoring his friend, just keep following the brothers.
The matching faces of the Rosier twins, Pandora and Evan, stared at them sightlessly, smiling at the newcomers, especially Regulus as they were best friends and roommates with Evan.
– Hi sweetie, Hi Sirius – the tender and soft voice of Pandora Rosier rose above the noise of the hall as he kissed Regulus' cheek fondly and Sirius's sympathetically.
As she let them go, Evan patted his younger brother on the shoulder and smiled at them in a friendly manner. They were all childhood friends, but it was clear that the closeness and friendship was stronger with Regulus. Still, they were kind and didn't leave Sirius out, especially at events like the present one where everyone was obligated to be there and behave like pureblood idiots.
They didn't mentioned the strange thing about Sirius' way of acting. There was a tacit agreement between them not to mention certain things; they knew first-hand the realities hidden in the houses of great families.
They watched as Sirius silently thanked. Slumping elegantly but painfully into a chair arranged so that the group hid him from prying eyes, the two Slytherins and the eloquent Ravenclaw took the hint without even looking at each other.
If Sirius needed a moment to compose himself from whatever had happened to him to get through the night, they would give him that moment.
– Barty is not coming, his father doesn't like the Malfoys and has sent him to Germany with his uncle to study law and politics for the summer, you know that he wants to become a ministry official after Hogwarts –Evan commented casually, even when he was anxious because of the separation with his lover.
Both Remus and James knew from their relationship with Regulus what was going on in the privacy of the Slytherin dormitories. The love affair of Rosier and Crouch's heirs. That was it, it was a secret love affair. Their parents would kill them if they found out, or worst, set them into an arranged marriage with another pureblood woman.
James wanted to prevent that same thing from happening to Regulus and himself. Remus at his side, probably preferring not to think beyond saving Sirius that night, his mind was still very clouded by an intense anger towards his own lover.
– How many days do you guys think Barty would last there? – Regulus said in his own joking tone, only those who knew him very well knew he was mocking, although his face and tone of voice seemed dry and with his aristocratic disguise
– I gave him a week – Pandora exposed with a silly giggle – Probably our Barty is already hidden somewhere in England and neither his parents know.
– Surely Winky does – Evan whispered in a tone that bordered on melancholy.
– Well, that elf overprotects him a lot, Barty it's her baby, so it wouldn't be a surprise... although his demon father would be horribly furious if he finds out, I hope he doesn't retaliate against poor Winky – They noticed how Pandora was lost in her mind, frowning her beautiful face with concern.
If the girl did not have such a social position, many would have already called her mentally ill out loud. It was common to see her daydreaming, lost in her mind and with pearly eyes not looking at the world around her, but one beyond what is known to the people around her.
She had visions and predicted crazy things for a future so uncertain that her exaggerations were taken as possible truths by her friends and the people who loved her as herself.
So no one stopped to think twice as she looked curiously over the shoulders of the Black brothers, smiling a little maniacally at the faces of James and Remus. Pandora had already discovered them and was going to keep their secret.
How had she seen under the invisibility cloak? That was a mystery for another day, now they had more important things to solve, like surviving the night surrounded by people who hated them to dead.
The clink of a champagne glass caught the attention of the entire room, Druella Black once Rosier, held a glass at the foot of the marble staircase and caught the attention of all the guests of her daughter wedding.
Ready or not, Regulus raised his older brother. Show must go own.
★★★