Tragedy struck
POV 3RD
The next morning the noble house of Black went into chaos, and it only took one thing to happen. Walburga and Orion were furious, they couldn't believe their oldest son's audacity. Aurora was heartbroken, and Regulus was a mix of furious and not quite as devastated, but still devastated, not that he would ever let anyone know he was sad. He hated his brother, at least that's what he tried to tell himself. But Aurora knew, and that only made it hurt worse. She also had a growing suspicion that it was at least partly her fault. Sirius Black had run away in the night. He planned it during the fifteen minutes that everyone was asleep, and all of the guards were changing rotations. He planned it, and he did it perfectly. No one knew where he went, and that's what he wanted. Except... he left one thing behind. A note, addressed to his dearest little sister, hidden under her pillow. She found it after she tore apart her room once she knew her older brother was gone. She read it, and it only made her feel worse. The note was an overall goodbye. But there was part that hurt her more than anything. He said that her question about running away, and declaration about only being able to do it if they both went with her, made him decide to do it. He wrote that it made him realized how he hated the version of himself that he became in that house, and he had to get away. He also wrote that he was originally planning to at least take her, but then he saw her in the library and heard her conversation with Regulus. He finished the note by saying that he realized that she didn't need him as much as she needed Regulus, and while he only needed to escape and only wanted his siblings with him, Aurora needed Regulus and only wanted to escape with the two of them.
Aurora was crushed, she hated how she never realized that Sirius felt like he was that unimportant to her. She loved her brothers, and needed the both of them, and she felt like a fool for not realizing that sooner. Aurora hid in her room after reading that letter, she felt responsible, so she hid and let her tears fall and silently mourn her brother, whom she pushed away without even realizing it. She spent most of the day in her room, thinking of all the memories she had with Sirius, which mostly ended with her finding Regulus. She felt sick to her stomach when she realized how little she showed her care to her oldest brother. She hated that she was the one to push him away and his comforting presence. But she hated that she couldn't even argue with the letter. While Walburga and Orion were getting everyone they could involve in the search for their oldest child, Aurora sat in her room knowing that they wouldn't find him. Sirius was reckless, but he would never ever do something this big without knowing he wouldn't get caught. Aurora was so stuck in her grief that she completely forgot that today marked Friday, and that she missed the time of when she was supposed to meet up with James Potter if she wanted to get away.
Aurora had fallen asleep with wet eyelashes and stained cheeks while she held onto the black dog stuffed animal that Sirius got for her, she held onto it like she wished she could have held onto him. Similarly, Regulus was asleep in his room, holding onto the almost identical stuffed animal that Sirius had gifted him. He held to it closer than he would admit, as he was safe in his room, in the only place he would admit to missing his brother.
The next morning the breakfast table was silent, Aurora and Regulus both looked down at the plates and ate silently, too hurt to look at Sirius' empty seat and too afraid to look at their parents' furious expressions. Walburga was looking at the twins carefully, like she was trying to get into their heads and find out if they knew anything. That approach obviously didn't work, so when the twins didn't speak up, even though they felt her gaze, she did. "Do one of you know where Sirius is?" She said, but with how silent the twins were it made it seem like she never said anything. They only moved their gaze up to pay attention to their mother. Walburga pursed her lips and glared at her two youngest children, a sour expression on her face. "Do not make it seem like I am talking to a wall! You will dignify me with a response! If you have any idea where your brother is, you will tell me or you will regret it!" Walburga yelled so loudly it echoed in the empty dining room. Aurora looked down and then back up, feeling small in the presence of her mother. "I don't know, and I'm certain Regulus doesn't either." She responded meekly, and then Walburga glared at her, not quite believing her, "If I find out that your lying, there will be consequences. But, it doesn't matter, me and your father will find him either way. That foolish boy will not get far." Walburga promised and Aurora looked back down at her plate and ate silently once again. The table remained quiet after that.
Aurora and Regulus left the table as soon as they were both done, she followed him to the library. As soon as they were in the library, they both grabbed a book and sat next to each other. There was an uncomfortable silence, and it got so bad that Aurora had to break it. "I can't be the only one who misses him Regulus." Regulus sighed and looked at his sister. "I don't, you know how I feel about him." He said firmly and clearly wanted to drop the topic. Aurora refused to drop it, "I do know how you feel, which is exactly why I won't drop it. You care about him Regulus, admit it." Regulus gave her a heavy side eye and stayed silent. Aurora glared up at him and pushed him away, "Regulus, admit it!" she pushed harder, and Regulus let out a heavy sigh and looked annoyed. "Fine! maybe a little, but it doesn't matter! He left! He didn't even say goodbye! He doesn't care! He never did! Gods Aurora get that through your head!" Regulus snapped and Aurora reeled back and looked at him in shock. She hadn't expected him to snap at her or say what he did. "Regulus, that isn't fair." She whispered gently, and Regulus scowled at her, "that's how I feel, you asked, it doesn't have to be fair." He said and went back to reading. Aurora looked dejected and then after a moment she went back to reading as well.
Once it started to get dark Aurora put the book away and left the library without another word, she went back to her room and sat on her bed with the stuffed animal next to her. A few minutes later Regulus entered the room and sat next to her. "I'm sorry" he said into the silent room. Aurora shrugged and laid her head on his shoulder, "I'm sorry too, I shouldn't have pushed you." She admitted and Regulus shook his head. "No, you should have, it's fine. I was being stubborn, and ignoring those feelings. It's just hard to admit it sometimes." Aurora stayed silent for a few moments after his admission, but once she spoke up it was a whisper. "You know, he didn't leave because he hates us right?" She asked and Regulus shrugged, "Why didn't he at least ask us to come then? Or tell us?" Aurora hummed and remembered the letter. "He knew about what we were fighting, and he knew you wouldn't leave, and that I wouldn't leave without you. I'm sure he didn't tell us so that Mother wouldn't have any reason to punish us." Aurora pointed out and Regulus stayed silent.
After a heavy pause of conversation Regulus finally responded, "I suppose you're right." He grumbled, hating that he was being foolish. Aurora grinned at him and Regulus merely shook his head at her, hiding a small grin as well. The twins stayed up until they couldn't fight their eyelids anymore. Somehow during their conversation the stuffed dog laid between the two, and they both fell asleep huddling close to it.
A week later and there was still no sign of Sirius, Walburga and Orion were both losing the determination of finding him. The police were no longer helping, determining him a runway, he was turning eighteen in a few weeks, so they simply closed the case. Walburga stayed determined to find him, but it was clear Orion didn't really care. Another week and Orion convinced Walburga to give up, and name their perfect child their heir. Orion didn't see a point of trying to find Sirius when they both knew Regulus would be the better heir. So finally after two weeks Regulus had taken Sirius' place, much to the displeasure of Aurora. She knew how much Sirius hated the pressure, and she couldn't stand to see another brother slowly lose the remaining happiness that he had.
A month after Sirius' runaway, Aurora was called into her father's study. She walked in and saw her father sitting down in his chair and her mother standing behind him. Aurora paused for a moment but sat down in the chair across from the desk, that was obviously meant for her. Walburga looked at her only daughter and hummed, "we called you in here to inform you of a new betrothal option we have for you." Aurora's face faltered before she could put a mask of indifference on. Walburga noticed this and narrowed her eyes before continuing. "You'll be excited to know that you'll be marrying Gilderoy Lockhart, a respectable man from a respectable family." All the color drained from Aurora's face, she felt sick. Lockhart? She met him once during a ball and she hated him. He was so smug, and he acted like her voice and opinion didn't even matter. He was also a hardcore believer in women only belong in the kitchen, or his bedroom. He thinks that women are a decoration, not to be heard and only to be seen. Walburga gave Orion a look and he sighed, "Aurora, this is your duty to our family. Do not make a fool of yourself and try to disagree with something that will happen anyways." Aurora swallowed and nodded, she looked at the ground and Walburga smiled in triumph, "All noble women are in an arranged marriage darling, it is only our duty." Aurora looked up at her mother and smiled weakly, the only time her mother had ever tried to speak kindly to her was when she wanted to manipulate her.
Aurora looked at her father and gave him sad eyes, surely her father would help her. Orion needed boys as heirs, but he didn't need a daughter, and perhaps the lack of expectations for a daughter made him love her a lot more than his boys. Orion was never a soft dad, never a soft person, but over the years he developed a small tiny soft spot reserved only for his daughter. Orion softened his gaze only slightly, "you will always be welcome in this house." Orion said, in a way to comfort her. Aurora felt her throat tighten and she nodded. Walburga narrowed her eyes on the two, Walburga had always hated the soft spot her husband had for their daughter. In a way she was jealous, Walburga had always been jealous of her only daughter. Walburga had always wanted a parent to care about her, to be valued more than a boy. Just as she always wanted to be kind, but she never could, Walburga liked to blame that on her upbringing. Walburga had also been jealous of the fact that Aurora had brothers to love her, and that she wanted her husband to have a soft spot for her, not their daughter. Perhaps those are the reasons Walburga is more harsh towards her daughter, or perhaps it's another reason even Walburga can't admit to herself.
Aurora sulked out of the study and immediately left to go find Regulus. She burst into his room and found him writing in his poem book. "Regulus!" She shouted, on the brink of breaking down. Regulus got startled and whipped his head around to look at her, "Uh what happened to knocking?" He said sarcastically but immediately grimanced when he realized something was wrong. "Sorry, what's up Aurora?" Aurora immediately went further into his room and sat down, "It's horrid, mother and father called me into the study." Regulus grimaced that was never a good sign. "I'm getting engaged to Gilderoy Lockhart." Regulus opened his mouth in shock, he also fucking hated Lockhart, he vaguely remembered when that son of a bitch hit on Aurora right to his face, and not in a respectful way at all. "What?! No absolutely not. I'll go speak to dad myself." Regulus said furiously, but Aurora shook her head feeling hopeless, "mother would never allow for my betrothal to be broken, not after the embarrassment of the last one." Regulus grumbled as Aurora made a good point, Orion may take carry of everything related to making sure their family is in the best standing, Walburga takes care of preparing the children for their future, as it is her duty as the women of the house. Aurora felt sick knowing that soon enough that will be her duty, she wondered in the back of her mind if she would end up like her mother. She wondered if being forced to marry and bare children for a man that would never love her would make her lose her soft touch and kind ways. In a way, it made her dread getting married and having children, something that she looked forward to as a child would soon turn into a nightmare. Regulus seeing her expression fall, and her spiraling, pulled her closer and gave her a hug. soon the twins fell asleep curled into each other, as many nights before when the other needed comfort. In a way, the other twin would forever be a comfort for the other to fall asleep next too.