Mrs. Black

SIRIUS

July 15th 1972

Today is Bellatrix's wedding.

She is getting hitched with some muppet named Rodolphus Lestrange. Obviously it is not a celebration of love but an arranged pureblood setting for blood purity and blah blah blah.

I am not even slightly thrilled to have come here. Mother had blackmailed me that she would burn the muggle music albums that Andromeda sends me if I do not abide by her orders.

Moreover, to add to my despondency, I was forced into these GREEN dress robes.

Honestly, these dress robes look like they were made out of frog's skin. They are downright hideous.

But for the sake of my beloved albums, I shall endure this affliction for a day.

The wedding ceremony was taking place at the Lestrange's estate which was surrounded by magical gardens enchanted to bloom in rich, dark colours like deep purples, greens and blacks. The guest lost was swarmed only by the prominent pureblood families' names such as the Malfoys, Averys, Parkinsons, Rosiers, Notts, etc. The venue was adorned with dark sophisticated decorations, including floating candles, enchanted crystal chandeliers and tapestries depicting the Lestrange and Black family crests.

The worst factor of today's ceremony was that I and Regulus were the groomsmen.

Thus, we, along with some other older boys related to Rodolphus were being positioned at the entrance to greet the guests and lead them to their seats. I didn't bother talking to those boys. They looked like those typical pureblood sons raised by their families just to continue the bloodline.

I was extremely reluctant about this.

But I was being threatened.

However, Rodolphus' cousins were keen about doing the job. They enthusiastically led the guests to their destined seats. One by one they were leaving the entrance to help the guests. The last one was now guiding the Averys inside who had just arrived.

Regulus was silent the entire time.

But then again, we didn't have anything to converse about either.

"Sirius..." I had heard Regulus' voice the first time today. It was small and hesitant. I turned my attention to him but suddenly I heard a voice that gets on my nerves. "Black?!" The tone of speaking was scornful.

For Godric's sake, please, not her!

Hesitantly I turned my head and there she was! Satan herself! The devil definitely couldn't reach me, so he sent her instead. She was the last person I wanted to see while wearing these atrocious dress robes.

Y/n Lierre.

She looked exactly the same like she did on the last day of school before the summer break started. Don't get me wrong. It wasn't like I was noticing her or anything. I had bumped into her on the last day of Hogwarts and ended up having wiggly arms. Lierre stood in front of me, wearing contemptuous expression. She wasn't in her school robes today. Instead, she was dressed in an elegant and modest black dress. Maybe her hair grew slightly.

Maybe she wasn't that ugly after all.

"My my my, pretended to abhor Slytherins for a year and now you're wearing their colour? Didn't expect this from someone who claims to be a proud Gryffindor. Mommy finally tamed you?" I have always hated Lierre. Mostly because our families were attempting to set us up.

Even so, Lierre has never been this mean to me.

There was a derisive confidence in her voice that she appeared to have gained over the summer break. Lierre was picking on me. This was the first time she had started an argument.

"Piss off, Lierre." I grumbled through gritted teeth.

I was impotent here. If I dare to misbehave, it won't end up benefitting me.

"Is that a way to talk to your guest?" Lierre smirked. "If I snitch about this to your mommy, she wouldn't be much happy about it, would she be?"

"You're taking advantage of the situation, aren't you?" I had a feeling that she knew I couldn't start a fight here. "Taking advantage? Oh no, Black. I am just making an innocuous speculation regarding a lion who is gutsy only inside his den and outside, he is nothing but a tamed dog." Lierre replied.

It was evident that she was referring to Hogwarts as the 'den'.

Wherever she is, Lierre never fails to get on my nerves effortlessly.

"Can this snake respectfully hiss its poison somewhere else?" It was taking every bit of patience not to manhandle her here. Lierre smirked and leaned closer to my ear. "Hissing the poison on you is much fun, Black." She whispered and leaned away.

I was about to say something but taller figures positioned themselves behind Lierre.

"Oh, if this isn't Sirius?" It was Mr. Lierre. Y/n's father.

He had his arm linked with his wife and their elder daughter tailed them. "Hello, Mr. Lierre." I said in the most tepid tone possible. Mr. Lierre was flashing a sluggish smile while his wife was looking down at me with the most loathsome eyes. Irene Lierre on the other hand was whispering something inaudible to Y/n.

"Reg, show them their seats." I said to my brother.

I was not even slightly interested in doing that myself.

"Oh, Black," That pawn of Satan spoke again, just as snootily. "Why don't you do it instead? Since we're closer to you than Regulus." "Excuse me?" Close? We? We were as close as the two poles.

"Yeah. we're in the same year after all." Sweet Venom was dripping from her voice.

Lierre was certainly up to something.

But my albums were at stake today. I would be the one at loss if I misbehave. Although suspicious, I still assented. I guided them towards their seats. Through the course of the brief journey, Lierre was quiet. She was just smirking.

Once I showed them their seats and turned on my heel to leave, the leg that Lierre had extended in front of me was unnoticed by me and hence I ended up tripping.

I somehow saved myself from falling.

Furiously, I jerked my head back to her direction. "Oops, apologies. The dress is a little hard to handle." She didn't look even slightly sorry.

I would've complained to her parents but they had climbed onto their seats, not even mildly interested in whatever their daughter was doing.

"I'll see you at Hogwarts." I narrowed my eyes and went back to the entrance.

I swear to Merlin, I'm going to make Hogwarts a living hell for her.

During first year, we just had mild disputes as our families were attempting to force us into an unwanted arrangement. But this year, there shall be a two-way war. Not just her. I'll get back at all those snooty snakes. I've been scrounging Father's library lately for spells, hexes and curses to use on those slyther-snakes.

I planted myself at my previous position.

I sighed. This wedding was already a torture. The arrival of Lierre is just like a cherry on the cake. Sarcastically. The rest of the wedding is going to be grueling as well. But I must endure the day. If I behave well, I shall be given the permission to stay at Pettigrew's.

Actually, James has been inviting me over through owls ever since the summer break started. But my family is sternly against letting me stay at James' home. So, we came up with a masterplan that I'll say that I'm staying at Peter's instead.

Mother will probably allow that.

And Peter's home isn't far from James'. So, I'll stay over at James' once I arrive there.

If I'm lucky. I will get the opportunity to spend the rest of the summer break at James' and then will depart to Hogwarts without having to come back home. It will be no less than heaven.

To have some upcoming days filled with mirth, I must endure this arduous day.

You got this, Sirius!

"Hey, who was that girl you were talking to?" A voice hauled me out of my thoughts. It was Rodolphus' younger brother talking. Rabastan Lestrange. He was an year older than me. He was a quite thin boy with nervous eyes darting around.

"Girl?" I blinked twice.

"Yes. The girl you were talking to. You two looked like you knew one another." Spoke Gaspar Avery, a pale dark haired boy. He was in the same year and house as Rabastan Lestrange.

"Girl I was talking to..." I repeated, trying to understand who they meant. And then it hit me. "You mean Lierre?! That devil's advocate?"

"Devil's advocate?" Avery raised a brow.

I groaned. "The girl I was talking to was Y/n Lierre. She is in the same year as me. You didn't recognise her? She is in the same house as you two."

"A girl as appealing as her is in the same house as us?! How come I've never noticed?" Spoke Rabastan. Appealing? Her? I'm not quite sure certain about that.

I understand Rabastan and Avery not noticing Y/n. She isn't that affable. She is quiet most of the time. Except with me, of course. The devil in her emerges every time she talks to me. As per what I have observed through our first year, she either hangs out with Bellatrix and Narcissa, standing behind them silently as Bellatrix bullied other younger students.

The rest of the time, she is with Snape and Evans. She rarely talks with Evans but often talks to that greasy git. At first, I thought she fancied him. But its evident that Snape fancies Evans. I still don't get it why Lierre hangs out with that slimeball.

Whatever it is, Lierre is somehow friends with him but is more or less quite and distant. She doesn't seem to engage in socialising.

In conclusion, she is a stuck-up puppet raised by her family.

Pathetic.

I am aware that she has a other side. Every time she makes an attempt to rile me up, I know that she is actually much more assertive. But she chooses to be as stuck-up as any other daughter from a typical pure-blood family. Perhaps she is trying to fit in just like her mother wants her to.

Its just miserable to watch.

"Are you friends with her, Black?"
"Introduce us to her."

I snorted at their request. "Friends? She loathes me." I decided not to spill the beans about almost being tied to her.

The two of them frowned. "Lets just try to approach her ourselves." Avery suggested. "She's with her parents. Approaching her in front of her mother would definitely result in you two appearing to be courting her for marriage and I am ascertain none of you are interested in settling down with her." I reasoned.

Their excitement faded.

It was obvious that all they wanted was to have her. Not love her.

"The term will start in September anyway, we shall shoot our shot then." Said Rabastan. Avery nodded vigorously.

Looks like you have admirers, Lierre. I rolled my eyes. This term is going to be rad for her.

Soon, the seats were filled and we soon found ourselves positioned to the right of Rodolphus in a line. I managed to secure the spot farthest from the groom. Regulus was right beside me. Avery and Rabastan were on the other side of Regulus. Those two were conversing incessantly while stealing glances at Lierre.

However, that diabolical entity was smirking at me, gesturing at my dress robes with her eyes.

She was too busy deriding me to notice Avery or Rabastan.

She is aware that I cannot do anything here and she is certainly taking all the possible advantage from it. I preferred to pretend she wasn't there.

Time ticked slow but in what felt like hours to me, the vows were over and after the bride and groom kissed (eww gross), the dance started. I had no interest in dancing with any of the stuck-up prickly pure-blood girls here, so, I headed hastily straight to the buffet so that I can disappear before Mother forces me to dance with anyone.

But on my way there, bumped into someone.

The person stumbled but I caught a grip of their arm to stop them from falling but the moment the face of the person came into view, I abruptly and awkwardly let it go.

Another prickly pure-blood. Lierre. But this time her family was not surrounding her.

"Watch where you're going, Lierre."
"Uh, huh? So your eyes are just for decoration?"

This girl is infuriating. "Just step aside, Lierre. I'm in a hurry." I muttered. "Why? Isn't it time to be dancing? Why are you running away? Couldn't find a girl who'd be unlucky enough to dance with you? What a shame but I wouldn't blame the-" I interjected her venomous words.

"Step aside while I'm being nice, Lierre. Just go dance with Avery and younger Lestrange. They're trying to approach you anyway." I growled.

"What?" She appeared puzzled.

Before I could answer her, a voice interrupted us. "Uh, you're Miss Lierre, aren't you? May I have a dance with you?" There bowed Rabastan Lestrange with an extended hand.

Lierre evidently wasn't anticipating this. She glanced at me. Rabastan must've spotted her glancing at me, with flaring eyes he gestured me to get lost. As if I want to stay here and watch them! I rolled my eyes.

"I shall not be a third-wheel then." I shrugged.

Saying that, I proceeded towards the buffet counter. I filled my plate with whatever I could spot. The wedding is torpid but the food is great. The only part of the wedding that I can relish.

I found myself a secluded spot. It was behind some curtains from where I could watch over the crowd but won't give away my presence. Which means I can hide from Mother. She was bending over Regulus and some blonde girl. She was setting them up.

Thank Merlin, I escaped.

Little Reggie is stuck.

I stuffed some steak into my mouth as my eyes travelled through the crowd. People were dancing. Lierre was dancing. Rabastan held her by her waist as they swayed to the slow music. He was saying something from time to time while leaning into her ear.

Lierre would say something or smile or shake her head.

Mrs. Lierre was watching over them with a contented gaze. Her daughter was doing what she wanted her to do. Seduce a pure-blood.

I assume Rabastan shall now be replacing my spot as Mrs. Lierre's ideal son-in-law.

After all, that is where Lierre belongs anyway. I diverted my gaze to make sure Mother is not heading to anywhere near where I was hiding.

Usually, I relish steaks. However, this one peculiarly tastes bitter.

Perhaps, they didn't season it well.