Confrontation
Hundreds of miles away, a smouldering hearth crackled with the dying embers of life before becoming engulfed by sinister emerald flames, blackening the ornate fireplace with its ferocity and regurgitating one figure after another onto the glossy hard-wood floors.
Sirius fell as gracefully as he could out of the unforgiving floo-system, trying to pull the good old ‘act natural’ trick when he inevitably stumbled like a newborn foal. With confidence he pulled out of his arse, he brushed his ruffled curls from out of his eyes and cleared the cloying dust off of his ostentatious robes – he felt like one of his mother’s dress-up dolls despite Arcturus being the one to force him in it. To be fair, it could be worse. It was a sleek midnight blue, crushed velvet cape decorated with moving and accurate constellations painstakingly embroidered by some poor enchanter in Austria that made the damning mistake of signing a life contract for niceties with one of his relatives.
What he found tasteless was that his grandfather insisted on matching with him, life would be so much easier if he could try and not be possessed by that awful sappy side of him.
He collected himself as his mother came pouring of the grate in a dazzling display of viridian and a surprising amount of balance on her side. One look at her and you would struggle to compare her to the mourning ghoul that visited the best blood bank in Azkaban. An intimidating potions routine and several different magazines of Witch weekly later, she resembled something that could be found in the forever trapped ghosts that haunted their photo albums, clad in poncy school uniforms and a confidence that life would bend to her will.
She had planned on wearing one of her treasured dramatic dinner hats, particularly the one with a taxidermized Ashwinder adorning the atrocity, luckily the sight of a dead snake had made Corvus burst into tears, resulting in a compromise of an intricate and ominous lace veil that cascaded over her features like a waterfall, enchanted to flicker and skitter as if she were hiding several spiders on her person. An unnerving addition that she had applied to her black lace robes as well.
They gave each other a strained nod, though he could see both the shadow of nerves and the twinkle of long-awaited excitement in her still slightly sunken eyes. The truce was still in effect, for who knows how long until either one of them will inevitably explode.
Proving to be great at distracting any dark thoughts that now often plagued him, Corvus shot out of the shoot like a Jackrabbit accompanied by an extremely bemused Arcturus who they all knew had long since given up hope of protecting the little bird from throwing himself at everything.
As the excitable toddler picked himself up from colliding with the shiny floor, Sirius took in the monstrous mansion he had gladly not stepped a foot in since his quiet exclusion from the family at the age of eleven.
He had visited a catholic church one before in his life, as a joke with Remus when the two had spent their sixth-year summer practically attached at the hip. He found now that comparison was the only one close to describing the magnificence of the ancestral home. Cavernous ceilings that bared down upon the visitors, The delicate colouring and tempering of patterned windows whose gazes burned the back of his neck and cast the impossibly darkened entry way with harsh rays of punishing light that danced beautiful stories and shapes upon the carefully detailed stonework and panelling that enclosed the ominous halls.
Every inch of space had been designed to inspire awe, intimidation and fear in whoever graced its steps and for Godric’s grace it was working.
“I must say, it is such a pleasure to see you all!” A melodic trill rung out piercingly loud in the unnatural silence that ruled these halls, startling the skin off of him.
He and the rest of their little group spun around so quick he was sure every one of them got whiplash, squinting in the definitely purposeful low-light he spotted a dark shadow lingering portentously at the very top of a grand sweeping staircase – that Sirus noted was decorated lovingly with moving snakes, of course why wouldn’t it be? Steeling himself, he made eye contact with his distant aunt for the first time in well over a decade only to be stunned by the exact replica of his hazy memories standing perfectly well and glowing in the place of what he expected to see of an unkempt hermit.
No, Aunt Cassiopeia stood proudly, with her shoulders draped in fine, deep silks and thrown back with a certainty only known by Blacks several generations ago. Her striking hazel hair was gently touched by the careful hand of age, doing her great favours by the look of the graceful weavings of silver that seemed to be incorporated into her style on purpose – all held up by devastatingly sharp pins and a dangerously beautiful hair piece keeping it all elegantly tied up. Her robes were clearly artisan made and her very being seemed to radiate pure-blooded importance.
She was dangerous.
That was what his mind was telling him, what his instincts were screaming at him. Turn tail and run for your life.
Unfortunately, if he did so he would likely die from the walloping his mother would give him afterwards. What is his life?
He chuckled and prayed to magic that he didn’t sound as nervous as he truly felt. “Aunt Cass… you haven’t aged a day!”
He watched cautiously as she descended down the marble steps like a higher being lowering herself to talk to such plebians like themselves. In contrast with this impression however, she wore a jovial grin and bellowed out her dainty laugh with only the slightest hint of the predatory glint in her eye.
“Oh you have such a way of flattering us older women Sirius, I must say the same to you all – well perhaps not you Sirius, you have changed quite a lot from that little eleven year old lion you once were.” It was a harmless statement, but it made chilling shivers race up and down his spine. What did she mean, apart from the obvious, why mention he was no longer the lion he had embodied with pride? He had not changed that much, surely?
His thoughts were cut off when she walked past him and bent down to meet Corvus at eye level, causing alarm bells to start screaming in his mind’s ears.
“Now aren’t you adorable? You can call me your aunt Cass, what’s your name little one?” He was suddenly and vividly reminded of the way snakes hunt their prey, rearing back and sneaking unseen and concealed in the obscuring grasses of both the natural world and the confusing layers of social niceties that existed in this political savanna.
He would later lay the blame on instinct, but he immediately barged past his mother and placed himself between the obvious performance of predator and prey. He pointedly ignored Corvus’s confused squawk in favour of staring down the bemused expression painted across his aunt’s face, as if she wasn’t at all surprised by his actions.
“You already know what his name is, you said it yourself that you saw him on the family tree.”
All she gave in response was a disappointed sigh before she once again rose to her full height, pulling her velveteen drapery back tightly over her shoulders with an amused smirk pulling at her eyes.
“Theres no need to get so defensive, I’m just trying to start a conversation, but I see were all just a bit hungry aren’t we?” She turned her back on them and began to slowly saunter into the darkness as she beckoned them to follow.
“Come along then, both I and the elves have pulled out all the stops to make this a dinner to remember…” And with that ominous statement she melted into the shadows, leaving the rest of them to nervously continue in her general direction.
He led the way, still riding of the brazen confidence from that little confrontation, and he snuck a glance behind him to check how the rest of them were faring.
His mother followed close behind him, her uneasy face was the most alive he had seen so far – alight with the danger of this supposed meal, Arcturus on the other hand looked quite queasy. Perhaps what had made him such a good politician in his younger days was the fact he feared no one as much as he feared his own family. Corvus looked delighted to be here, craning his neck to stare in wonder at the ominous and often times macabre decorations and paintings of vile acts that adorned the seemingly never-ending hallway they were traversing.
Curiously, Sirius slowly started to notice a quite literal light at the end of the tunnel. The only light that seemed able of penetrating the choking gloom despite the entire place being lined with fancy windows. The all sped up to an anxious trot of some sorts, desperate to escape the hostile atmosphere that’s seemed to press down on them as if were walking through the depths of the ocean with a mounting pressure persisting on their bodies, their minds and their magics. Even curiouser, the more uncomfortable they all seemed to become, the happier Corvus seemed to be, practically and joyfully skipping as they neared the exit to this strange place.
Thankful and gasping for air, they crossed the threshold and became witness to the strangest sight so far.
If the side of the mansion that they had seen so far was equal to a hellish cathedral, then this bizarre dining was as opposite as it could be – as if they had taken a wrong turn in the underworld and ended up in heaven.
Brilliant light pouring in from delicate French windows, spilling into the room unbidden and paralyzingly bright as their eyes adjusted to is sudden influx. The windows were lined by gently flowing white curtains that billowed like angel’s winds despite a non-existent breeze and they caressed the backs of light, cushy chairs that bracketed the grand dining table that groaned under the weight of cutesy snacks and appetizers.
Sirius wasn’t an interior designer, but he knew this room was making a clear statement. This is neutral and sacred ground.
He gulped nervously as his eyes adjusted and then comically widened as he took in the rest of the room only to find several other figures already further decorating it with their presence.
As an unbothered Cassiopeia sat herself down proudly at the head of the table, to her right sat the stiff form of one Narcissa Malfoy and the bored languishing form of her son Draco who perked up like a dog for food upon their entrance.
More worrying than that however was the figure that’s sat to the immediate left of Cassiopeia, as a furiously glaring Andromeda Tonks perched with a righteous scowl and her arms crossed in a defensive posture as she regarded her family with eyes that clearly told them she saw them as lower than filth.
….
This certainly would be a dinner to remember.
Arcturus was quite literally one loud noise away from a sudden and serious heart attack.
The six of them sat humbly at the lounging stretch of ornate table and light wizarding deserts like scolded children before the furious burn of Andromeda’s scowl and the predatorial smirk of Cassiopeia as she began trouncing on about how nice it was to see everyone together again and that it was important for them all to come together as a family.
Codswallop. He knew for a fact that everyone here would rather eat one of Walburga’s taxidermy hats than play happy families.
He looked warily up and down at the various stiff forms sitting primly in the soft velvet of the dining chairs and saw that even the children had picked up on the icy inferno of an atmosphere and had not even made a grab towards the food yet, only looking at it longingly. If he wasn’t sure of it before he was sure of it now – this was not a family get together, this was a negotiation.
Clearing his throat of the cloying fear of his family members, he sat up as straight as his damned back would allow and faced the crouching beast that was Andromeda head on, and then immediately regretted it as she returned his icy glare with one that could melt metal.
“Andromeda… I hate to point out the obvious but… Why are you here?” Start gentle, work out their intentions and then work up to their weaknesses – strike them in the heart. It had been his motto when he had ruled the Wizengamot political sphere with an iron fist, his family wasn’t all that different really now that he thought about it.
Andromeda stuck her nose up in the air with derision clearly painted on her twisted expression, “I wish I knew myself – curiosity, maybe, perhaps I’m curious to see the sorry state you lot have driven yourselves into since you kicked me out.” Ouch, okay, straight for the kill – he can still do this though, just focus…
“Yes I suppose you’re right, we are a sorry sight to see…” he chuckled at the painful admission, “Not a day goes by where I do not regret that entire decade, so much destruction was wrought – not just upon our society but among ourselves as well.”
He paused, weighing the potential danger of his words, “I know we cannot make you forgive us for how we treated you and your… choices… but I want you to know that you were never abandoned by the house of Black, not truly anyway-”
His little speech was interrupted by the simultaneous screeches of disbelief emitted by both Andromeda and Walburga, “What do you MEAN? I saw it clear as day- are you saying I am MAD?” He winced as his daughter-in-law surely broke whatever laws of sound were in place and settled with giving her an offended glare.
“I’m sorry Walburga but did you ever really believe that I would put you in charge of the family affairs? I may be old, but I am certainly not as batty as you – the whole thing is handled by our goblin accountants, and they would skin you for disrupting the profit intake of our vaults.”
He turned to Sirius at this thought as well, “I suppose that you were never estranged as well – congratulations.” He received a blank stare and a thumbs up in return, ugh – so muggle.
“OKAY – GREAT – so I’m no longer a disgraced daughter, AMAZING, but that doesn’t change the fact that I want absolutely nothing to do with any one you-” She began turning her accusatory head around the table.
“At best everyone here did ABSOLUTELY NOTHING when I was rendered penniless and homeless because of the man I chose to marry – and you-” She turned furiously fast towards the stony façade of Walburga.
“YOU- are the main reason WHY IT HAPPENED IN THE FIRST PLACE-” her voice trembled as she struggled to maintain her fragile composure, “I know that you were the one spouting that vile poison into my father’s ears – you HATED me and everything I stood for because I refused to follow your miserable footsteps and marry a man who is not my cousin and who actually likes me-”
Walburga bristled threateningly at that, but Andromeda refused to stop there.
“What’s more, I have a daughter now and I am proud of the fact she is a half blood – I’m also unashamedly proud of the fact she is the only one in our family that possesses one of our family traits that you used to always harp on about reappearing when our “blood was pure enough”, I do NOT want her meeting my family because I KNOW FOR A FACT that you are all vile blood purists with sticks so far up your arses that you cannot see what is RIGHT IN FRONT OF YOU and will treat her just as shit as you treated me.”
She was standing now, breathing heavily and in a defensive stance – you would think she was facing assassins but no – well, she was facing an equally riled up Walburga and that was practically the same thing.
“Now you listen here young lady…” Her voice was dangerously quiet, the edge was razor sharp and Arcturus could practically feel it drawing blood from its target.
“I know just as much as you do about what I did – I know now that I was blinded by my jealousy, my hatred, my resentment and Merlin knows what else but I also know, in your words, for a fact – that I am not that woman anymore.” The temperature seemed to hastily be dropping, as if the heat itself was scared of her wrath and wanted a quick escape before as Sirius would put it – shit hit the fan.
“I was a cruel woman, and I was in no way shape or form a mother, no matter what the documents say, and while I am still as far as I can be from perfect – I know what I am saying when I tell you that if you continue on like this – I will see you as just as bad a mother as I was.”
Arcturus had to fight hard to keep his jaw firmly in place – and he could tell that beside him Sirius was wearing an incredibly incredulous look on his face as if he was smelling a particularly foul odour.
Instead of acknowledging the dubious reactions to her statement, Walburga just steamrolled onwards, “Your daughter is as much a Black as I am despite her addled blood, and by keeping her legacy, her heritage, from her – you are sealing away a part of herself.”
At that Andromeda suddenly leapt from her seat, uncaring to whatever else Walburga might say, pulling out her concealed wand she began to hiss curses at the solemn woman before her who gladly responded in kind.
In a split second, the washed out whites of the delicate decoration were awash with the eclectic hues of the dark magics that were spat out between the two women like hissing cats – cutlery went flying and fine chins exploded as Arcturus grabbed a giggling Corvus and an awestruck Sirius by the heads and dived under the table – he was in no way surprised when he met a white faced Draco and Narcissa beneath the Egyptian cotton shield of the dining cloth.
The crouched there, petrified, for a few moments before a deafening bang shook the room like a canon’s shot, curiously peeking his head out into the newborn silence he saw the looming form of Cassiopea standing between the two women with a fierce gloom replacing the eerie smile she had worn mere moments before.
“GIRLS – no fighting in here, YOU are ruining my porcelain collection!” Merlin there was no hope for this family, that is what she was worried about? “DO YOU KNOW how long it took to collect full sets of these? NO? Then stop acting like schoolgirls and calm down for Salazar’s sake!” She huffed and sat back down, ignoring the two metaphorically stunned women in favour of trying to repair a teacup that kept trying to bite her.
The two of them simply looked awkwardly at the mess and then each other before Andromeda spat at Walburga’s grave face, “Don’t tell me what is best for my daughter – that is my decision and mine only.”
She then stalked out of the desolated room, out from the silence of the duel, into the engulfing silence of the manor – leaving the emotional and physical chaos behind her like worthless waste.