Chapter 22
James wakes up happy. He tends to do that, unless something is really wrong, he wakes up in a good mood. He was the only one who didn’t mind waking up at dawn for quidditch practice. Maybe that’s why he made captain this year, in addition to his truly remarkable skill on the broom. So he wakes up and stretches and before he’s opened his eyes he’s already smiled. Today, by the time his feet hit the ground, his smile falters. Today was the day of Regulus and Auroras wedding.
James wasn’t sure the timing of these things, didn’t know what they would be doing right now, if they would already be preparing at Grimmuald. He wished more than anything he could be there, he missed them already. Refusing to sulk, James searches for Sirius. He found his bed empty, the bathroom free, and the kitchen empty and dimly lit by the slowly rising sun.
“Sirius?” James calls. No answer.
“Padfoot!” James calls out louder. He strains his ears to listen, but finds no telltale sound. It was quiet.
Panic sets in like a wave of frozen water has crashed upon him. Running frantically around the house, James rushes to find his wand and put on real clothes as fast as he can.
Sirius was going to get himself killed. And in that house, no less; the very house he almost died leaving the first time. And would he make it out another? James has to choke back a sob at the thought, trying his best to steady his breathing. He would have focus in order to apparate. Thank Godric he knew the area well enough to get close, as he knew the Manor itself was guarded by several charms against apparition. He had no doubt that was where Sirius had gone, and from the looks of it he had taken the invisibility cloak to do so. James was forced to use the only other tool he had at his disposal; he downed the Polyjuice Potion in a quick swallow and readied himself to apparate to the clearing by Grimmauld Place.
—————————————————————The dress itched; it was beautiful in its way, but all the lace was hardly sensory friendly. The bodice was form fitting, with a high neck that strangled. Pearls and baby’s breath flowers were woven into her hair. Gazing at herself in the mirror as she adjusted her veil, Aurora had to admit she looked very pretty, but in a ghost-like way. There was something about the heirloom dress passed down from a long line of Black brides, with it long lace gloves that struck Rory as funeral-like in their formality despite the color. Clutching the bouquet like a lifeline, she takes careful, measured steps so as not to trip on her long skirts as the music begins to play.
She doesn’t bother casting her gaze over the crowd, she knows she will find no friendly familiar face; save for Pandora. Aurora takes measured breaths and keeps her eyes on the only person that matters, walking steadily forward towards Regulus. He looks lovely as he always does, but even more so in the finely cut night-dark suit he wore. Though she could not see it, for he had cast a vanishing charm on it, she knew the ring lay on his finger. Their eyes lock as Aurora promenades closer down the aisle, she lets herself be lost in them, allows the rest of the scene to disappear. His long lashes failed to cover the tired lines and shadows around his eyes. He hadn’t slept. Was it just nerves before the ceremony that kept him up? Why had he not sought her out? She knew the singular answer: The Family.
Two days before the wedding, they had come like a murder of crows. Perhaps it was more accurate to call them an unkindness of ravens, for they were certainly unkind to say the least.
With so many bodies in the house, it was harder to sneak into each others rooms. Per custom, the bride and groom were kept away from each other entirely the night and day leading to the ceremony. Aurora had little doubt charms had also been laid out to prevent a secret rendezvous.
So Regulus inevitably spent a sleepless night without her. But what weighed on him? What had his family done?
As Aurora nears the dais, Regulus holds out his hand, she takes it, caressing softly with her thumb. She dares a small smile, which he returns.
“Hi.” He breathes.
The officiant clears his throat pointedly, they were not supposed to speak out of turn. There weren’t even to be vows. Rory had been sad to learn this, but the wound was lessened by that night in the forest. As always, James was a balm, and comfort; and now ironically, a necessary piece of her and Regulus’s assured happiness. But he wasn’t here. She tries not to frown at the thought, as the officiant drones on.
Something was definitely off. The air around them was heavy and metallic like before a storm, but the weather was clear. Furthermore, Regulus wasn’t simply sleep deprived. His eyes kept shifting toward the crowd or down the aisle. He kept it quick, and out the side of his eye, but years of learning his movements have payed off. To top it all, Aurora could see the outline of a wand in his pant leg. It wasn’t in his pocket, but rather stuffed down his sock. He only did that when he wanted to be covert. Why would he need a potential weapon at his wedding ceremony? And why would he need to hide it?
She remembers regretfully exactly where she has left her wand, on her bed inside the manor. She hated to be defenseless if Regulus thought there might be danger. Lost in thought, she almost jolts at Regulus voice so near her ear.
Already? I’ll miss my whole wedding if I don’t focus.
“I do.” Pronounces Regulus in round, clear tones.
When her turn came, Aurora tried her best to echo the same strong volume, but found her answer catch in her throat.
“I do.” She manages only just above a whisper, but it’s enough. The officiant declares them man and wife, Regulus takes her in his arms and plants a firm, chaste kiss on her mouth.
At first she thinks it’s just the roaring in her ear, but in the space of silence before the band struck up, she realizes the crowd was really that quiet. It’s not as if she had expected raucous applause, but the soft murmur of the crowd rising from their seats to edge the dance floor was eerie.
Regulus offers her his hand, which she takes, letting him lead her to the center of the floor. The music starts up, and she is grateful for the comfort of his closeness, even in front of so many eyes. She takes every opportunity within the dance to hold him close; his waist, his back, the crook of his neck. To her surprise, when she brings her hand to his jaw, he places his head in her hand, allowing her to cup his face, and kisses her palm. She pulls him closer by the forearm, before jerking back in surprise as he does the same with a painful hiss.
When she reaches for his arm again, he pulls it back, wild eyed.
“What did you do?” She asks him, voice low and dark. By now, the music has stuttered and flatlined.
“Je suis tellement désolé, s'il vous plaît. mon ange. mon aronde , je n'avais pas le choix.” Regulus softly begs. The crowd begins to murmur in agitation.
“Regulus what did they do to you?” Her voice breaks as she struggles to keep herself composed.
The crack of high heels alerts her to Walburgas approaching before her voice does.
“What is the meaning of this?” Walburga spits.
Like a wave, Aurora lunges at Regulus, tearing at his sleeve, rendering his marred forearm bare. The Dark Mark squirmed under their attention.
Overcome, she screams at Walburga and the crowd, voice breaking with the effort “WHAT HAVE YOU DONE?!”
Shocked and affronted murmurs rise from the crowd. Walburga reaches her, wand raised and sneering.
“You will hold your tongue or I will cut it out of you, girl.”
She barely has time to flinch at the words before a sudden pressure at her side distracts her. Regulus eyes grow saucer wide. Rory glimpses long, dark hair, a flash of a painted hand. Wands were drawn now, by most except for her. Her mouth goes dry, she doesn’t try to hide the tremor in her hands.
“You.” Walburga Black sneers at her eldest son, “What are you doing here? Insolent child! Lower your wand this instant!”
If only she could get to Regulus, but Walburga was blocking him now, caging him away from Sirius. With desperate eyes she searches the shifting crowd, failing to find her sister.
“We have to go.” Sirius warns her under his breath. Aurora shakes her head.
“What about Pandora?”
“Silencio!” Walburga hexes Sirius, his words die in his mouth. Sirius clutches at his throat in a panic, eyes growing angrier by the second.
“Give it back!” Aurora sobs. Walburga’s eyes go wide enough to see the whites of her eyes. She peels her lips back from her teeth, and in a flash has raised her wand again.
“Imperio! You will learn to do as you are told.” The ice in her voice seeps into her veins, her very flesh frozen to the spot.
“Mother. Please.” Regulus pleads, hanging on her arm. She pushes him away roughly.
Sirius pulls and tugs at her arm, trying to get her moving, to no avail. The only sound able to pass his lips are panicked sobs as he tries and fails and tries again to drag his friend to safety.
Several things happen at once.
A loud BOOM sounds, followed by whooping and popping and exploding lights.
An invisible force knocks Aurora to the ground.
In the commotion, the crowd is distracted by the fireworks and confusion. Regulus crawls towards them. Pandoras blonde head pops out from under a cloak, evidently the invisibility cloak. Sirius and Pandora are already pulling her up.
Regulus reaches her and takes her hand.
Everything is happening so fast, nothing made sense. It was a nightmare.
“Go.” Regulus urges. Grey eyes darkened to stormy steel, he looks between Sirius and Aurora.
“Go.” Regulus pushes her hand. She is pulled to her feet, the cloak thrown over their heads. With the three of them, it doesn’t cover their feet, but they press on away from the house. Away from Regulus.
She is half carried, half dragged for a while, before she regains control of her limbs. Once they are far enough away, they take off the cloak and dare to whisper.
“Where are we going?” Sirius asks.
“We have to go back for him.” Aurora pleads.
She is met with a moment of heavy silence before the three of them startle at the sound of nearby rustling.
For a moment she fears she has truly gone mad. She does a double-take, then a triple take as she fails to comprehend how Pandora was both beside her and across from her clearing the forest line, broom in hand.
“What the fuck?!” Sirius exclaims, backing away from the now-approaching Pandora.
There was something innately wrong with this not-Pandora, something uncanny valley about the movements as she holds her hands up in surrender.
“Guys it’s just me. Polyjuice potion.”
A nervous scratch on the back of the neck give it away.
“Jamie?”
Sirius huffs “Prongs?! What the bloody hell are you doing here? Did you follow me?”
“Of course I-“ James is interrupted by the true Pandora.
“We have to go! But we aren’t going to all fit on the broom. And I can’t apparate.”
“I can”
“I can” James and Sirius say in tandem.
“I haven’t got my wand.” Aurora admits gravely.
James goes paper white.
“You should take the broom and get out of here.”
“You’re the fastest on a broom” Sirius objects, “even with Pandora on the back, you’ll make the best time. We have the cloak-“
“Rory doesn’t have a wand!” James incredulously interjects.
“Sh sh! Shut up!” Sirius hushes them somewhat desperately. They all pause, silently listening to the sound of approaching voices and footsteps. They were out of options and they all seemed to understand this. James straddles the broom, Pandora hurriedly settling herself behind him.
James spares them a backwards glance as Sirius draws the cloak around their shoulders. James’s brow is furrowed, it looks as if he’s about to say something, but Sirius gets there first.
“I’ll take care of her.” Is all he says before they are gone from sight beneath the cloak.
James takes off, and then it is just the two of them, children, alone in the dark woods, as the pack of wolves descend.
French translation: “Je suis tellement désolé, s'il vous plaît. mon ange. mon aronde , je n'avais pas le choix.”
“I’m so sorry, please. My Angel. My dove, I had no choice.”