Enchanté

James is convinced that their decoration is completely based on a lack of imagination and an atrocious need for enormous things. It’s common for Pureblood houses, though James’ own home is drastically different, and he tries to not show his distaste by focusing on the large painted portrait standing above them in the parlour.

It has always bemused him that the painters never put smiles on their faces, despite fantastic skills, but it’s the main hint that you’re dealing with a Pureblood family. Sometimes the mother smiles but Walburga Black is somehow sterner than her husband on the painting. The portrait is only beautiful thanks to the mature teenager sitting between them, gracious and simply exquisite in the dolent picture. It’s him who caught James’ eyes.

Regulus Black has no trace of emotions, following the blind lead of his parents, yet carries a feeling that shouldn’t have slipped in. His short black hair embraces his face, a mix of waves and curls that begs to be tugged at, giving a clear view of the clean-line of his nose and the groomed eyebrows crowning his grey eyes. Several beauty marks break his blemished skin and one tickles the edge of his jaw. He doesn’t look unhappy but the painter must have stroked his brush one time too much to leave this unclear trace of longing.

The grey of his eyes is like a small lighthouse, weakly shining and shy of attention, because James swears they are taking over the whole painting. It’s not a storm, nor some steel or any kind of stone - it calls something else but he can’t look closer. There isn’t any blue but James isn’t an artist and this might flaw his eyes. He wonders if the painter hadn’t fallen in love right there to linger their attention so obviously on him. Walburga and Orion Black are tasteless ghosts that are fighting to have any place in this gigantic painting eaten by Regulus Black. James has the mind to not spell them away.

“It’s imperial to refer to this as an abduction and a corruption,” Walburga declares after the elf-house served the tea and disappeared. “We want all the charges to be as drastic as possible for understandable reasons.”

Her husband drinks his tea, not quite paying them any attention. James quietly clears his throat and politely takes his own cup in hand. Remus hasn’t moved, despite loving tea, and it leaves him with a clear feeling to only fake sip it rather than drinking it. Lily has caught on as she straightens herself in her seat to meet the head of the house.

“Lady Black, you wish to accuse your older son of abducting his brother-”

“Yes,” she openly sneers and Lily’s face almost loses her cool. “Regulus has always been smart and well-mannered which has always tortured Sirius due to his own stubborn inadequacy. It’s quite obvious that he is trying to turn our beloved son against us now.”

“Is there a reason why he would do that?” Remus inquires.

Walburga eyes him, almost twitching but her disgust doesn’t slip out. They are all aware of it with how the house feels like it’s trying to swallow them all.

James immediately realised that they weren’t happy when they stepped in - even himself, a 'fellow' Pureblood, doesn’t quite satisfy them. The Potters have quickly ignored most Pureblood and Sacred Families’ traditions decades ago and they appear to have not digested it yet. Sadly, they can’t spit them out of their house. They have asked for the best Aurors, probably hinting that they must be Purebloods and only James somewhat fit their criterias. They are the best Aurors but none quite the Purebloods they were waiting for.

The look Lily received, even from the house-elf, could have been an Unforgivable Curse if they hadn’t been around. James doesn’t mind taking the lead, to perhaps flaunt his supposed blood purity, to get them out of this. If they could they might have kicked Remus and Lily out but James announced right away that they are the best team at the Ministry to resolve their troubles.

“Sirius is born mad,” she answers, looking positively sick at addressing them. “Of course, Regulus always understood that but there is a limit to what he must endure. Sirius was sent away because of his lack of— penance.”

“And you believe that he would take this out on his little brother?” Lily interrogates, fingers tapping the side of her quill.

“Obviously.”

James purses his lips at the look they sent to his friend, even if she shows no fear or compliance at the Blacks.

“Do you have any idea what he might do to him?” He asks with the hope to somewhat cool it down.

“I reckon Sirius would like revenge by taking Regulus from us, converting him, or simply disappearing such as now to leave us distraught.”

Lily mouths ‘converting’ but focuses on her notes with a pointed look.

“Where did you send him away? It could help to retrace his steps,” James adds, hesitating to put down his cup of tea still full. “Has he broken in to reach for his brother?”

They have refused to let them search the house. The main reason is probably that they aren’t proper Purebloods and a disgrace in their sacred house of purity but they also assured that there was no break-in despite Regulus disappearing in the middle of the night 3 days ago.

“Sirius, despite being mad, happened to be smart at times,” Walburga stiffly admits. “He might have left himself an opening in the house before we sent him away. We searched the house then and now but found nothing.”

“Do you mind if we take a look?” Remus asks, unwavering even after they sat here for excruciating minutes.

“I do,” she huffs and her teacup rings in the silence when she puts it down. “There is nothing here that could hint about Sirius whereabouts, as I mentioned he hasn’t been here since he was twelve when we sent him away for a school fit for his-- behaviour. And Regulus’ room is clean of any traces of magic except our own.”

“Alright,” Lily concedes, smarter than James who wants to pinpoint that it's their job to check on these things. “Any information is helpful, especially about Sirius to consider the best chances to find Regulus. Like a habit or a liking to certain places.”

“Sirius was sent to a boarding school in the south of France for troubled youth and ran away three years after,” she answers with a tilt of her chin when meeting Lily’s eyes. “We didn’t spare another resource for him and left him. What only mattered was that Regulus is free from his filthy influence.”

James can only imagine what this so-called boarding school was and what kind of treatments were offered that Walburga and her husband couldn’t employ to educate them, which aren’t a lot and certainly illegal. He wishes, again, that they could have refused this case because just the name Black gave James enough feeling to understand there is nothing good to find here. It’s not impossible that one of their sons went mad, especially when there is a favourite and the other was probably sent to hell, which might make this case a serious one.

The portrait of Regulus Black seems to look back at him but doesn’t help James to answer any questions he has. He wonders what kind of smile belongs on Regulus’ face.

“Have you received any kind of messages that could refer to a ransom?”

Lily nods at Remus’ comment. “Is there a possibility that Regulus might give Sirius access to your family’s wealth? It’s a plausible motivation.”

“Sirius doesn’t have a vault anymore but Regulus does. There is no access to ours but we have already requested to be warned if someone tries to open any of them.”

“Does Regulus have any close friends, perhaps a confidant or a lover, who might know about private information?” Remus asks. “There is a chance that more people are involved or that Regulus noticed something before disappearing.”

“No. He would have obviously told us. As I said, Regulus knew and perfectly understood why Sirius is no part of this family.”

He nods amiably after confronting Walburga’s piercing eyes. “My apologies.”

She doesn’t deign to look at him one more second, giving her attention to James who swiftly fakes drinking his tea.

“Er, is there anything else you can recall that could help us find out where Sirius is hiding or what he is planning?”

Orion Black seems to come back to them. He hasn’t moved from his seat after greeting them at the door and left all the chats to his wife, even during the tense silence before the tea was prepared, but he has been paying attention. His eyes are clear, not as aggressive as Walburga’s, and they lazily wander to all of them. With a blink, he is merciless and takes the lead from his wife.

“If Sirius offers trouble during the arrest, there is no need to forbid your strength.”

James swallows and shakily breathes in through his nose. “You mean–”

“Bringing Regulus back is the only concern you must have,” Walburga agrees, “whether Sirius survives from his mad plot isn’t of any importance. Be it the price of his own foolishness.”

Orion nods with a perfect simplicity. “We won’t pose a problem to your career if an accident happens.”

“Such a feat might come in handy for a promotion,” she agrees, looking right at James.

They are asking him to kill their son, even going as far as promising him a gratification in exchange - obviously only offered to James.

“Thank you for your time,” Lily cuts and leaves the couch with her eyes drilling into them. Walburga immediately follows as if she might start to run feral. “I believe we have all the information needed and we will keep you updated on how it evolves.”

Remus slightly elbows James to follow her lead, fully conscious of his turmoil and disgust, and stands up without another glance at the tea. James takes the time to put the teacup down and to recall his manners to not throw up. Orion observes him before standing up.

A hand is offered to him and his eyes meet the Lord of the House. He musters a somewhat polite smile to shake it. He doesn’t care if Orion takes it as an agreement of his previous request but James would rather offer them an empty promise before they make the bounty on their older son’s head crazier than it already is. It's probably foolish to hope so, but he sincerely hopes that the bounty doesn't request to kill Sirius but he knows it's nowhere mentioned in what state he must be found. They have already taken too long to inform of Regulus’ whereabouts which leaves a door wide open for a myriad of possibilities on why and who else is in this case.

“Keep in mind that Regulus would have never followed his brother willingly,” Walburga comments, prim and stern from the tip of her hair. “There is a chance that Sirius earns to kill him too.”

“I assure you, your son is our highest priority and we will bring him alive.”

“We will start on some lead right away,” Remus deliberately declares with a calculating shine in his eyes.

Walburga’s eyes don’t cover her disgust but his sight seems better than Lily’s. She swiftly looks at James.

“We count on you, Mister Potter.”

A delirious laugh almost escapes James at how hard they try to ignore his colleagues. Remus doesn’t care, though he would have said something under different circumstances, and it looks to be amusing Lily by the way she bats her eyes at James, brewing mischief. If they even had a chosen leader in their group, it would be her but telling so might send poor Walburga’s heart into the abyss. He doesn't want to go to jail for a stupid murder like this.

James only nods because his words might fail him and he can’t throw all their efforts of standing in Grimmauld Place for nothing. They walk out of the parlour, the house-elf hurrying before them to open the front door to lead them out.

Lily spins with a toothy smile and offers her hand to the Blacks. “It was a pleasure to make your acquaintance, Lady and Lord Black,” she declares with a sharp edge on her pleasing tone, “we promise you that we will exceed your wishes.”

Remus has stopped on the threshold and his lips almost betray him at the violation thrown on Walburga. James coughs and looks outside to not fully lose it but quickly glances back to watch.

Her eyes tick, fingers growing like claws as she keeps them anchored to her waist, and her nostrils flare with many curses.

“Please, do so,” she articulates as Orion gestures for them to walk out.

Lily is satisfied, retreating her hand, and walks out with James leaning away to give her a perfect path to overturn the house if she wants to.

The door is closed, tightly charmed like an unbreakable jar of sour pickles, the moment their coats flutter outside. Remus takes a deep breath without slowing down as James follows with a last look behind and a grin itching his face. Lily, already at the other side of the road, pauses on her path for them as she shrinks her notes in her pocket. Her green eyes burn with a brimming delirium.

“Will Mister Potter be able to solve this case with his unbecoming friends?”

Remus snorts and she relishes on it with a beaming laugh.

“Har, har, hilarious.”

“Oh sorry Lord Pureblood-”

“Merlin, this was awful,” James says to cut her before she makes him more uncomfortable about his blood ties.

“Were you expecting anything else?” Remus asks with a raised eyebrow as he stretches his neck.

“Is it insane if I say yes?”

“Yes,” Lily deadpans.

“They are one of the oldest Pureblood families left,” Remus muses. “I’m honestly surprised they have let us in the first place.”

“Can’t even shake my hand! What a powerful family,” she mocks with a derisive shake of her head.

“I’m not saying that I thought they were, er, better. Just hoped they weren’t that mad. It must have been awful for you two.”

Remus shrugs.

“Well it’s fun seeing them act so hard at being racist, though I wish we didn’t have to work for them,” she admits and looks at James. “Do you think they are telling the truth?”

“It’s not because I happen to be a Pureblood that I know all about it. And I’m a traitor to their kind,” he comments but she only raises her eyebrows expectantly. “Well, it’s not uncalled for Pureblood families to banish someone and try to hide them as much as they can.”

“Or have them murdered,” Remus concludes.

James nods. “Whatever is going on might be the revenge of one brother to another, it's a possibility. I don’t want to imagine what they did to Sirius.”

“Why not target his parents then? That’s faster.”

“Did you hear that bit about ‘converting’ him?” Lily adds. “Is it about this purity nonsense again?”

“Who knows?” James shrugs. “Perhaps he wants to destroy his family in one strike, not only his parents.”

“If Regulus really hates Sirius by following their parents' lead then it's plausible.”

Remus hums pensively before twitching his head toward their left and stops here. James eyes down the street, Grimmauld Place hovering in the distance, as Lily ties her hair. Peter steps out of the darkness, looking skittish, and quickly takes the head of the group to reach the corner of the street.

“Alright there?” She asks as they follow his lead.

“If I don’t have to go back in there, I will be.”

“Really? That bad?”

“You can’t say that the house isn’t creepy!”

“It is,” James agrees. “We didn’t even drink the tea.”

Peter looks at him, surprised. “Why?”

Remus moves his jaw before sighing. “Something didn’t smell right.”

“You think they spiked the tea? The one they served to bloody Aurors?”

“I don’t think they would care if I was the Minister,” Lily drily notes. “We are just filthy blood traitors and all.”

“I’m not sure that they put something in the tea,” Remus confesses. “But it didn’t smell right either. They drank it just fine.”

“You never know,” James agrees with an acute eye brushing over his friend. No one could disagree with the nose of a werewolf and perhaps it’s a type of tea Remus never tried but he sincerely doubts that’s it. “Anyhow, they weren’t helpful. Did you find something?”

“I managed to get into Regulus’ bedroom which is completely trashed.”

“Trashed?” Lily startles, stopping near the phone booth for the Ministry. “Do you think it’s his brother?”

Peter shakes his head, pausing at her side and looking through his pockets. “Dunno. I couldn’t completely look through everything because the house-elf came back to clean but he muttered how Walburga had trashed it another time, not why though.”

“This could explain why they didn’t want to let us in.”

“Do you think she was looking for something?”

“I have no idea. Though I managed to find this letter and a photo. Definitely close friends,” he trails off, taking out folden papers before his eyes catch on something behind them and widen, “Merlin's balls! Not you again!”

James turns to catch a cat sitting beside a streetlamp. The light is enough to recognize its shape even in the night and its deep black fur. It stares at them, blinking with grey pupils before lazily licking a paw.

“Your friend?”

“It tried to eat me before I slipped in, probably roaming around the house,” Peter complains with a huff. “Almost managed to swat me.”

“I’m sure you can have the upper hand on a street cat,” Remus says, almost with a chuckle.

“Of course, I do. It just doesn’t make the experience pleasing.”

“Aw Pete, it’s just a cat,” James comments, eyes quickly coming back to observe the cat. It looks well-groomed and the strong light of the streetlamp almost makes its eyes shine like molten silver.

“I would love to see you meet a predator that feast on stags, mate,” he grunts. “Not a funny thought.”

Remus pointedly clears his throat with raised eyebrows.

James chuckles. “Well, I think I would be friends with any of my supposed predators, even best of friends.”

“Oh, you think you’re so smart, do you?”

He can only laugh and accept Peter’s shove.

“I don’t fancy staying here any longer because I deserve a good bath with my girlfriend. Play with the cat if you want but don’t bring it back to the office,” Lily warns and steps in the phone booth to abruptly disappear.

“Please, don’t bring a cat back to the Ministry,” Remus helpfully says and follows her lead.

Peter harumphs and his frown almost softens at James’ grin. “Next time, your turn to sneak in the creepy house.”

“How do you want me to do that? I’m not a smart and discreet rat and I wouldn’t even compare to you, my deer.”

He clearly enjoys the compliment but he doesn’t completely let go of his pout and casts a look behind him. “Well, I did find things so let’s start on a plan now to be home before morning.”

The cat is nowhere to be seen. James still takes a few seconds to stare at the empty street before getting in the phone booth to type the Ministry combination to be swooped there.

Grey has never caught his attention as much as now, not that James hates it or never noticed it before, but meeting the Black family and this cat out of nowhere really brings it forward. Regulus’ eyes is by far the best shade of grey and anchors deeply in his mind at every sign of a slight silver, like the buttons of the Ministry' elevator.

The painting has blessed his eyes. Everything feels more raw and he is hit with the contrast of the previous cold air with the somewhat warm one in the Ministry. If he had been the one painting the portrait, he would have kept every detail as truthful as possible and he hopes that’s what the painter did. Regulus hadn’t looked perfect in there but breathtaking, a calm but outer wild force that feels too much for such a simple painting. It's quite enough. For James, it's smothering his heart just in the best way.

The Ministry isn’t completely empty. There are still a few people that he can bid goodnights on his way to his shared office and he drops by the break room to see if anyone left anything to eat behind. They will only take a look at what Peter’s found and establish a plan for tomorrow before going home.

Lily is already writing the main information on their blackboard from their meeting with the Black family - that they insisted on having after dinner. Remus is sitting beside Peter, looking at a purple paper, with what looks to be a picture beside them.

“What do we have here?” James inquires, taking off his coat and accioing his chair to join them.

“I found these, which seemed personal enough to lead us in a direction or at least find people close to Regulus that aren’t his parents.”

Peter had the right thought. Purebloods are all about family and their ancestry but it often doesn’t lead to a particular closeness or a liking. James can assure that from his old experience at Pureblood gatherings that his parents loosely assayed before realising that nothing good will come out of it. The Black family already exiled one of their sons and an uncle of the two, if his memory serves right.

“That’s smart.”

“First,” Lily interrupts, stepping up to them to have a look above Remus, “do we assume Sirius Black really kidnapped his little brother, like their parents claim, or do we take another direction?”

“We can’t really decide yet. There are chances that they are lying but it’s true that Sirius Black showed up in London barely a week ago,” Remus says. “And it’s a classic scenario that one sibling goes after another out of jealousy because of their parents and all. But they are also really suspicious if you consider what they might have done to their sons.”

“Right,” Lily sighs out, “we can’t really figure it out now. But it will be more complicated to follow two different leads like that. If Sirius came back to England though, it’s worth checking why.”

James focuses on the picture on the table to have a proper look at the people beside Regulus.

“Hey— wasn’t this bloke at Hogwarts too?” James frowns before his eyes pauses on the black woman. “And that’s Dorcas Meadowes, she was in Slytherin and a Keeper for their team for 5 years. Pretty good at that too, she liked to smash anyone coming too close to her goals.”

“The bloke is Evan Rosier,” Remus confirms, “and all of them actually were at Hogwarts with us. They were a year below us. I recognize the blonde girl, Pandora, she was in Ravenclaw.”

“They are all from Slytherin except her and Regulus,” Peter says. “That’s Barty Crouch Jr., they were all friends.”

James nods without hiding his surprise that Regulus found himself in such a tight group, even though he appears to try to push them off in the picture. Rosier is a Pureblood which could be how he got to know them all.

“Regulus never went to Hogwarts but they all look pretty close,” Lily comments. “We should try to talk to them.”

“Rosier left England if I remember, something about family business.”

“Our luck might be with Pandora,” Remus says and gestures with the purple paper in his hand.

They mingle around him to have a closer look. Even without a fine nose like Remus you could smell the sweet and breezy fragrance on the colourful letter - one could think it is a love letter. It only summarises a recollection of a night out and thoughts for the New Year from Pandora. There doesn’t appear to be a secret code that could hint of Regulus and her sharing a secret romance but the possibility isn’t none.

“That’s something,” Lily recognizes. “Doesn’t look like a secret lover but with his parents you never know.”

“His parents probably wouldn't approve,” Peter agrees. “Even if she is a Pureblood, I don’t remember her belonging to any outstanding family— actually, what’s her family name?”

“Think she grew up in an orphanage,” Remus replies and waves his wand to start the boiler along with the teacups quietly settling on their table. “We didn’t chat much but we often crossed paths in the library. She always came to talk to me after the full-moons just to check on me.”

Lily stares at him. “Do you think she knows?”

He shakes his head and leaves his chair to pick up the tea amongst all the boxes in his desk. “No or at least never hinted at it. Probably only asked because I was in the Hospital Wing for a day or two and was curious about it.”

Everyone except him share a look. James busies himself but they opt to not comment on this. Remus’ lycanthropy is more than often better to be left alone until he decides to talk about it - Pandora probably hasn’t caught on or they would have known back then.

At least, it doesn’t seem to put him in a bad mood at the moment, even if Remus is only an Auror because he is a werewolf. There are no means to fight off the Ministry without ending up in Azkaban. It’s awful because James is aware that Remus would love for werewolves to have better rights but not at the price of his own freedom - not when the result might never come around. Even with him and Peter following him to become Aurors during their Sixth Year, after Remus broke down from his meeting with the Ministry to explain that he has no choice but to be an Auror if he wants to have a sort of life, it’s not enough to solve his fate.

James is convinced Remus would have been an amazing professor like he wished to be but the Ministry deemed him too dangerous as one. Instead, as an Auror he can put to good use his improved senses from lycanthropy. They keep promising him that it will prove how werewolves can be apt to live and work like any other wizards but he can see that Remus doesn’t believe in it - if he ever did.

“Mh… Well, she could be Regulus’ secret lover since he kept the letter and look at the picture, how she is the only one touching him and it doesn't seem to bother him compared to the others. It might also explain why his parents trashed his room. He might have run away with her but they accuse Sirius so we can arrest him. Awful timing for him in this case.”

“Maybe he helped them elope,” Peter agrees with her hypothesis.

“But look, they talk about the Chimera,” James points out once he reads the letter again, “that’s like the number one place for queers. And it looks like they are planning to go there again. It’s interesting.”

Lily stares at him a beat too long to promise anything good. He glances back at the letter even though he is sure there is no mistake there since Pandora wrote: ‘We had so much fun but we didn’t try all their drinks yet so we need to return to Chimera soon to resolve this drastic lack of knowledge, right Reggie?’.

“What’s interesting about it?” Remus wonders as he brings the teapot over and serves their cups.

“It’s a secret hangout for queer people! You can’t go in otherwise. If Regulus is queer then maybe he isn’t involved with Pandora.”

“Does it matter?”

He blinks before shrugging. “Well it’s better to have the official story.”

“Uh-huh.”

“James, Mary works there,” she drily replies, weirdly sounding like she is talking like a child. “Of course I know this place when my girlfriend built it.”

“Uh yeah? We go there plenty often,” he agrees and can see Remus raising his eyebrow at him as he tries to hide a smirk with his teacup while Peter puts sugar in his own. “What— ouch! Why did you slap me Lily?!”

“Because you don’t fool me. I know you James Potter,” she declares and gives him another soft swat at the back of his head. “We don’t need you drooling after our missing person, not in this case.”

“I’m not!”

“You are. Don’t think I didn’t catch how you looked at this horrendous portrait in their living room.”

He splutters and asks Peter to help who shrugs and Remus nods without looking away. “I can’t appreciate great art now?”

“Great art my ass,” Lily refutes. “James, you know I love you, but remember when you shagged the person we were supposed to only escort?”

“Well, you and I both know you wouldn’t have refused either.”

“Not during the job, James!”

“Is it my fault if sometimes we meet wonderful people who deserve some kisses?!”

“Merlin,” Peter mutters and busies himself with his tea.

“Why am I the only one getting a lesson about this? As if you lot never found anyone attractive when we worked!”

“I have the prettiest girlfriend James, I don’t need to look at anyone else. And Peter is smart enough to know not to act on impulses like a three-year-old.”

“Thanks?”

“What about Remus? We both know his casanova-”

“Excuse me?”

“Trail hasn’t diminished after we left the Gryffindor Tower! What’s the name of the trainee who always undresses him with his eyes when we cross paths?”

“Royan.”

“He what?” Remus squeaks, glancing at Peter who grimaces a bit but nods.

“Remus knows how to separate his work life and private life.”

James frowns at Lily but she only goes back to the board to write down all the names of Regulus’ supposed friends. He huffs and takes the picture back to have another look as he chugs down his tea. Their Hogwarts years were eventful but he can vaguely remember their faces, especially Dorcas since she played really well during Quidditch. Regulus looks annoyed in the picture but there is a tiny smile creeping up that he tries to hold back as he pushes off Barty and Dorcas leaning on him. The magical picture lets it appear for a brief, barely there, beat.

It’s incomparable with the painting but James can’t really choose which is his favourite. In the picture Regulus is far happier, despite the grumpy facade that only makes him cuter and James wants to soothe and kiss his eyebrows, but the painting could have completely stolen Regulus away. His eyes are still mesmerising in the picture but they don’t call James like a siren, trying to get him to reach that forbidden line.

“Do you think someone can be stuck in a painting?”

“Happened to several painters who haven’t mastered the spells yet for that kind of work.”

James only hums and softly brushes a finger over the picture with a nasty desire to make a copy of it just for him. The portrait still comes through his mind, taunting and eating at his thoughts, as he tries to think of a way to get it only for himself. It would fit right in his home, perhaps not his bedroom or he might never sleep again because his eyes will never waver away from it - neither his supposed office because that would force him to go in there and work less than before. He only has one for appearances and to fill the room with something because an empty room is just sad. The painting deserves a place dedicated to him, or at least not be put somewhere just because there is space.

“Do you reckon they would mind if I took their painting? They don’t seem to really care, didn’t even look once at it-”

“James!”

“I’m serious!” He almost whines but a bit of dignity sticks to him at Lily’s horrified and bewildered look. “Have you seen it? The eyes? They were not paying it any attention even though we only talked about Regulus! It deserves better.”

“The… painting?” Remus asks.

“Yes,” he sighs out. “Maybe I could come by their house with the excuse of the case and take it. I’m sure they wouldn’t notice-”

“Er I think they will?” Peter interjects.

“I just need to cut it or erase his parents out of it, don’t see the point of them really-”

“James, holy shit,” Lily cuts. “Do you even hear yourself? You’re in bloody love with a painting?”

“Give me that picture before you steal one of our evidence,” Remus requests and frowns at his pout; James surrenders it at last and he snatches the picture away.

“You can’t argue that Regulus isn’t breathtaking."

“James, it’s a painting. The type these families order to show them as pistrine and flawless as possible—it’s the whole point. They wouldn’t show a bad painting.”

“Did you drink their tea?”

“Oi, I’m alright.”

“Not really if you’re blabbering about someone you haven’t even met,” Peter unhelpfully comments. “And who might have eloped with one of his friends.”

“And they went to Chimera?”

“I’m speechless,” Lily exhales and puts her head in her hands.

“No one disagreed with me about how beautiful Regulus is.”

“James, you realise that he is missing right?” Remus softly recalls. “And his family is… peculiar.”

“I’m not insane. I’m just saying that I know and want to appreciate beauty.”

“Of a blood purist?” Lily says before sighing. “Well if he goes to Chimera and his friends too then perhaps there is hope that he isn’t a complete wanker like his parents.”

“Well-”

“James, no,” she sternly cuts. “I’m too sober to hear about your kinks and how sassy and mean is what gets you going.”

“I need alcohol.”

James laughs and nudges Peter. Remus clears his throat and looks up at the board.

“Putting aside James' newfound love in art, what do you reckon we should do? Is his brother really the culprit in the first place?”

Lily gives him a thankful look but still warns James with a stern glare before turning to her board. “Well Sirius Black did come to London just a few days ago before Regulus supposedly went missing. He has strong motives to attack his brother to hurt him and his parents. They haven’t really said anything that could imply they treated him well either.”

“But what’s the point?” Peter wonders, leaning back and forth with his chair. “If he wants to stop their bloodline, murder is the best way to do it. But if he abducted his brother then he will need to keep him away for a loooong time for this.”

“Maybe he wants the family fortune.”

“He might also want to do something more public,” Remus says. “Killing his brother would have been the obvious way to go for revenge. Money is also a possibility, but he might have gone through all the trouble to kidnap him to make a public example of some kind. There are tons of events for Purebloods, right? Maybe he wants to bring his brother there and act then.”

Lily nods, deep in her thoughts. James can't manage to think of anything else different than his friends' ideas. They don’t have enough information about Sirius to determine what could be his style. He disappeared in France and it’s only now that Regulus’ parents called for help that the Portkey Office’s workers noticed Sirius Black coming back to London. They sent a request for any information about him to the French Ministry but there are fat chances that there is nothing. His picture is clear and despite the difference of years since he went missing, you can recognize the Black features on him.

“He looks a lot like Regulus,” Peter mumbles.

“You can thank incest for that,” Remus says before James has the time to put his thoughts together.

He isn’t wrong but James wants to argue that they are plenty different if you look carefully. The vague image of Sirius’ face leaving the Portkey Office doesn’t help him to put this guess into words. Regulus seems to be more careful about showing his feelings while Sirius has an edge of mischievous and excitement that would make any Auror looks twice behind them if they met him. Frankly James wouldn't be surprised if he actually did something back at the Portkey Office and he jots down that thought for later.

“So we contact Regulus’ friends to hopefully have more insight about him and hopefully find something on Sirius there?” He asks.

“I think it’s the best move,” Lily admits though she isn’t sure as she stares at the board. “I really don’t want us to end up on the wrong track in case Regulus is really in danger.”

“Because he might have eloped?”

“Maybe… If Pandora also left London then I suppose that’s a big hint at it. But I was more thinking along the lines of the timing is curious— Sirius really might have his brother but can we really believe what their parents said about them?”

“They might not actually hate each other,” James nods.

“Their parents might have also prepared a trick,” Remus muses. “They could be using Sirius showing up here as a way to cover something concerning Regulus. I wouldn’t be surprised if they are forcing him into something or sending him to a place for misbehaving kids.”

“He is 23,” Peter says but grimaces after a second. “Yeah they would probably do that. Just from what I saw from the blasted bedroom makes it obvious they are really controlling. If he was in contact with Sirius then it must be something untraceable for his parents to never caught on.”

“Well, that gives us nothing,” Lily fakely cheers. “Let’s try to find more information tomorrow or at least establish if Regulus eloped. We will have to hurry though since they put this stupid bounty for Sirius’ head.”

It’s on the board too. She cut it out from the newspaper just this morning and it leaves a bad taste whenever it's in the corner of his eyes. It’s an old picture of Sirius, probably when he was 14 or 15, before he went missing and then the one taken at the Portkey Office. Bounties aren’t truly used anymore and James can’t remember if he ever saw one before. He supposes that the Blacks have strings to pull to manage to pull a request on their own son's head.