The Arrival to Netherfield Park
Is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune, must be in want of a wife or husband.
James Potter was laying on the sofa of his living room watching his brother Remus read a novel he’s been obsessed with recently, some love story about a damsel and a fierce pirate, James doesn’t understand how Remus is able to read the same type of books over and over again, but reading makes Remus happy, and Remus happy makes James happy.
"Are you sure is true?" James listened his sister Marlene say while she and her other two sisters, Pandora and Mary entered the living room.
"Of course is true" Mary answered her sister "Emmeline Vance told Amelia Bones that her uncle saw him arriving last Saturday, she also said he is pretty handsome" the three of them look at each other and start to giggling like little girls.
"Who is handsome?" James asked as he got up holding Remus hand and lifting him while he followed his sisters taking Remus with him.
"Someone has moved to Netherfield Park" Mary answered "Mom and Dad are talking in the library about this"
The five of them pressed their ears against the door trying to capture the conversation that was taking place inside that room when suddenly the door feel open.
Each one of the Potter siblings try to seem less guilty as possible but for the look that Euphemia Potter was giving them, they weren't succeeding.
Although James is the only biological son of Euphemia and Fleamont Potter, this couple decided to continue raising different children as their own, it all started with Remus, he was a child when both of his parents died in an accident, and Euphemia when she saw the poor and sweet kid, who had been left alone and with lot of scars due to the unfortunate event, decided to take care of him, and from that moment the Potter family just continued growing, adding Mary, Marlene, Pandora and Evan, Pandora's twin who had recently leaved the house because of his marriage with Bartimous Crouch Jr a rich coronel, even though none of them shared blood, that did not stop them from loving each other and caring for one and another like the brothers they where.
"Why are you listening behind the door my dears?" Effie said with that sweet tone that only Euphemia Potter is able to speak with.
"We've heard that someone has arrived to Netherfield Park"
"That's true Marlene, Mrs Pettigrew has just left from one of our Tea and Pastries meeting and she told me that a young gentleman has just rent Netherfield Park"
"Is he single?"
"You don't even like men" Mary said while she giggle making James grin, Mary's laugh is one of those that make everyone around her smile.
"I wasn't asking for me I was asking for Jamie, Monny and you" she said "Pandora and I are the only ones with taste in this house" Pandora just smiled.
"Netherfield Park has just been rented by Sirius Black" Euphemia continued with the previous topic.
"How much money are we talking about?"
"Mary!" Remus said laughing.
"What?" she continued "if we are gonna marry this man we have to know how much money he has, this is our future"
"5,000 a year" Monty told his kids as he entered the room.
"With 5,000 a year, it will not matter if he had warts and a leer" James said.
"You have to visit him dad" Mary exclaimed "we can't visit him if you haven't"
"If already have, and I will give my hearty consent to his marrying whichever of you he chooses"
"Mr Potter!" her wife said "you have to tell me this thing, have you no compassion for my poor nerves"
"Oh, you mistake me, my dear" his husband told her "I have the highest respect for them, they've been my constant companions these 20 years"
"Will he come to the Ball tomorrow Dad?" Pandora asked.
"I believe"
Meanwhile this news altered the family in a positive way, James couldn't help but feel infected by this cheerful atmosphere, he had never think of marriage as something for himself, more like a desire than an actual reality, but for a moment he let's himself wonder of a person, someone to love and that will love him, it sounds unrealistic, he doesn't think anyone is able to know every pice of his souls, even the dark edges, and still love him.
But for a moment he let's himself dream.
...
"How much time do we have to stay here?" Regulus told his old brother
"Stop Reggie you're gonna drown me with your happiness" Sirius answered his brother with a crooked smile
"Don't call me Reggie"
"Stop frowning like that little brother, this place is wonderful"
Regulus watched his surroundings, he had to acknowledge that the countryside is indeed gorgeous, and Netherfield Park is not bad it self, with a big library, where he knows he's gonna spent most of his stay, Regulus had to admit it's a pretty good place to live, and Sirius smile while he's looking at this house is worth everything.
Not that he's ever gonna tell him that.
"I know you've always prefer London" Sirius continued "But don't be that grumpy, we came here to have a good time"
"You came here to have a good time" Regulus looked at his brother "I came here to make sure you don't end up killing yourself"
"Stop, you sound like Mother" Sirius said teasing.
Regulus knew his brother didn't mean it that way, he really did, but it still hurted, Regulus would prefer to breake every bone in his body than to be compered to that human being.
Sirius noticed the look in his face, he always did.
"I didn't want to say that" Sirius holded with both of his hands his brother face forcing the other one to look directly to his eyes "Reggie you're nothing like her"
"I know" he said, when he actually knew he didn't.
"Reggie" Sirius continued "You're not"
Both brothers look at each other's eyes, something passing between them, some silent understanding grown in all those years of shared hurt and abuse.
"Aww sweet, am I interrupting something" Bellatrix said with a sarcastic tone as she entered the room.
"Remember me, why is she here?" Sirius said letting go his hands of the other boy's face.
Regulus immediatly missed his touch.
"Mother said that if you wanna go to the countryside we have to take her lap dog" Regulus answered his brother although he knew Sirius already knew the reply to his question.
"Oh, don't make me laugh regulus" her cousin said "I didn't know you two followed the family's teachings so closely, but you know what aunty always says, 'Toujours Pur' "
Regulus understood what she was insinuating, the Black family is known for marrying each other to keep the family tree 'pure', Regulus and Sirius parents are actually cousins as Bellatrix, which probably explained a lot about why she was a psychotic bitch.
"Shut up Bella" his brother told her.
"I've heard there's a Ball" he continued, Regulus started mentally cursing his brother "We should go"
"They'll probably don't even have appropriate clothes for a dance" Bella said "Everyone knows that people that live at the country are poor"
"For everyone you mean your blood supremacy friends?" Regulus said with a bored expression "They're the only ones who can bear you"
"You Ratbag!" her cousin shouted at him.
Regulus stopped listening when his brother answered his cousin and both started arguing, he walked out of the house and started to march his way to a high hill, when he arrived there he glided gracefully onto the soft grass and lied down to watch the sunset.
And all he could see was the sun.
...
"You've been very quiet" James told his brother Remus while they both laid down on their bed with a blanket pulled over their heads to not alert everyone in the house about their late-night conversation.
"No I've not" he answered, James knew he didn't had to say nothing, Remus will know what he thinks about those last words with only taking a look at his face.
"I may have been a little bit quiet" he confessed "It's just that I don't know what to think about the arrival of that man"
"Aren't you curious" James insisted "He'll probably fall in love with you with just one single glance at your face"
"Don't be stupid James" His brother said with a smile that told James that he wasn't been serious "with this scars that's not possible" Remus tried to say it as a joke like if he didn't care at all.
The problem was that James knew he did care, more that he left anyone see.
It was hard for James to understand how a person as beautiful as Remus was not capable of seeing himself as everyone else saw him, because there was not a single person on the face of the earth who could suggest that Remus Lupin Potter was not gorgeous, those scars that so much complex gave him, which James suspected was more because of the story behind them than because of them themselves, only added personality to his angular face, he had olive skin, with thick lips, honey-colored eyes and light brown hair with touches of gold, Remus Lupin Potter was undoubtedly beautiful but he seemed unable to see it.
"And what about you? " Remus told him hurrying to change the topic.
"Me?" James asked confused unable to understand what his brother was asking him.
"Do you want to fall in love with this mysterious man?"
"Well, with 5,000 a year I think I have start felling butterflies" He said mocking.
"Yeah, me too" Remus said laughing, James knew it wasn't true, Remus couldn't care less about money, James himself didn't mind, but that didn't stop the from joking.
"Goodnight Jamie"
"Goodnight Moony"
That night as James closed his eyes dreamed about a star.