Three
When they returned to Grimmauld Place, the living room was empty.
Well, except for Kreacher, who was picking up glass shards on the floor near the dining table. Orion Black was drinking Muggle beer again, judging from the brown-tinted shards on the carpeted floor. The Muggles are no-good for everything except for their beer. Lysandra had once heard him say when Walburga was berating Sirius for running out and about in the Muggle World and plastering pictures of Muggle women in his room.
Sirius had said that the Muggle blonde in a bikini on his poster was a personal favorite of his friend’s. Lysandra presumed it was the fiery redhead with a fierier personality. Walburga didn’t care who the friend was. Displaying liking of Muggle women was atrocious to her, and she had asked for Orion to chime in and agree. Instead, he only complimented Muggle alcohol.
Regulus had shut the door and casted an Imperturbable Charm to block the screaming. That night when Lucius had arrived to pick Lysandra up, Walburga was smoking cigarettes and both Sirius and Orion were nowhere to be found.
Fairly speaking, at this moment, both Sirius and Orion were nowhere to be found again. Sirius was gone for good this time, and Orion, well, they’d presume he would be in some Muggle pub again.
As for Walburga, since she had smashed the ashtray, she couldn’t smoke. Lysandra carefully set the velvet boxed new tray on the dining table while Regulus peered around his home. He knew of his mother’s temper and hated to be caught in the middle of it.
They heard footsteps coming from the stairs and looked up. Thump, thump, thump, thump.
The footsteps came to a halt, and then continued again.
Eventually, they saw Walburga Black leaning on the bannister between the first floor and the ground. She looked down and noticed them.
“Ah, you’re back.” She noted. She stopped and looked over them. “Won’t you be a dear and set your new book down, Lysandra?” She gestured for both adolescents to come upstairs.
Lysandra obliged. Placing the encyclopedia on the small table near the sofa, she followed Regulus upstairs into the drawing room.
Although she had been in the drawing room countless times, the view of it still took her breath away. The room was simply exquisite— with a large fireplace flanked by two ornate glass-fronted cabinets, and windows overlooking the views outside. She admired the gigantic family tree on the wall the most— the Black family was intricately related to so many wizarding families that gave her a headache to remember the last ten generations, but the tapestry managed to depict every single one of bonds forged through marriage.
The only other place that held the same value over Lysandra was the family library in Malfoy Manor, and Father had refused to install a tapestry of the Malfoy family tree. He claimed that it was too complicated to conjure and was unnecessary.
We have our own family tree in the Wizengamot and the Ministry. Take a look at the list of members and there’s the family tree.
Clearly Abraxas Malfoy did not appreciate the beauty of such a sophisticated elegant way of tabbing the bloodline.
Walburga Black stood in front of the tapestry. To be more specific, she stood in front of the section where Sirius’s and Regulus’s names were on.
“Regulus,” Walburga started in a resolute tone. “You have seen how it was done with Andromeda.” She tapped her wand against the blackened smudge a few branches next to them.
Andromeda Black— Tonks now, no longer a Black— had eloped with a Muggleborn when Regulus and Lysandra were first-years, and had given birth to a daughter two weeks after they were promoted to second-years. When Cygnus Black had found out the name of a Muggleborn appearing on the tapestry three days after Andromeda went missing, he abruptly blasted her off the tree, an official declaration that Andy, Regulus’s nicest and friendliest niece, was no longer a member of the Black family.
It was at that time that Sirius gave up appeasing his parents and stayed in trouble, no longer hiding the Muggle items he had in possession of.
“Now, the same is to be done with Sirius.” Walburga drawled, “Regulus, take out your wand.”
Regulus obeyed, unsure what to do next.
Walburga’s having Reg blast Sirius off the tapestry. Lysandra realized in horror.
“You may do the honours.” Walburga dictated. Regulus held his wand tightly and hesitated. He had a pained expression on his face, his wand digging into the flesh of his palm.
Walburga was obstinate. She gripped Regulus’s hand and made him point his wand at the tapestry. Sirius Orion Black. The wand indicated.
“By leaving, he no longer is a member of our family.” Walburga flared, “we do not need another blood traitor to taint our bloodline.”
She clutched Regulus’s arm austerely. “You remember the spell.”
Lysandra was horrified. She knew how Walburga was, so there was nothing left for her to say to remedy the situation. All she could do was standing closer to Regulus and grasping his other hand, as a silent way to give him support.
He squeezed her palm tightly as he shut his eyes and muttered “Reducto”.
“Good.” Walburga let go of Regulus’s right arm. There was a red mark on his wrist where her hand previously was gripping on. She left the drawing room.
On the tapestry, a black burnt mark replaced Sirius’s name. The once elegant cursive letters that spelled out Regulus’s brother’s name were no longer there.
It was just Lysandra and Regulus in the room. The stoic and grand room Lysandra loved suddenly became suffocating. She pried Regulus’s wand out of his stiff hands and wrapped her arms around him. Regulus was never the talkative type so she just silently embraced him, knowing that he understood what she was trying to convey.
After what seemed like a long while, Regulus finally spoke up.
“That’s it, I suppose.”
“Oh Reg, I’m sorry it had to turn out that way.” Lysandra whispered.
“Sometimes I still feel like he’ll come back days later and it’ll turn back into before.” Regulus’s soft voice was muffled with the way he buried his head on Lysandra’s shoulder, “with all the screaming and hexing.”
“There’s definitely no turning back this time, isn’t it?”
“Well, as long as you don’t turn away from me too.”
“In your dreams, Black.”
“It’ll be a nightmare, not a dream. And you say you’re a Ravenclaw, Malfoy.”
“Oh, shut it.”
A snarky grin appeared on Regulus’s face as Lysandra smacked his shoulder.
“My brother shall hear about this.” She threatened.
“I dare you.” Regulus simpered. He knew Lysandra wouldn’t.
“Just you wait,” Lysandra intimidated, “enjoy the dinner tonight at my house.”
She winked suggestively as she walked downstairs to pick up her book and Floo-ed away.
***
They planned to have dinner tonight at Malfoy Manor to finalise plans for the wedding of Lucius and Narcissa. So when Lysandra Floo-ed into the Manor at four thirty sharp, it was no surprise to see that the house elves Teensy and Tinky were setting up the dinner table.
Narcissa had been here since this morning, and she waved at the blonde girl. “Hiya Ly, how was Regulus doing?”
“Sirius ran away,” Lysandra informed, “it was quite a mess, actually, but look what I got!” She held up her book.
“How many times have I told you that you can’t just run off to Black’s as you please without any warning?” Lucius’s voice boomed from the hallway.
Lysandra turned around and saw her brother, not looking best pleased at her.
“It’s an emergency!” Lysandra defended, “plus I’m not needed here, I bet you two had a fun time snogging without me here.”
“Lysandra!” Both exclaimed at once.
“You both know that’s the truth.” Lysandra crossed her arms, “the hickey on your neck is showing, Cissa.”
Narcissa yelped and tucked her shirt neckline upwards.
At five, Cygnus and Druella Black arrived at the Manor. Lucius opened the door for them and started to chat with his future parents-in-law, albeit how nervous he was when Lysandra peeked through the doorhole and notified them about their arrival.
It seemed almost comical to see her always stern and confident brother panicking once in a blue moon, but now all traces of the anxiety were gone already.
Lysandra was snooping in the kitchen trying to see what sort of delicacies they would be having for dinner when Regulus and his parents arrived.
Abraxas Malfoy quickly ushered the adults into their conversation in the study, while Regulus tapped on the shoulder of his unsuspecting best friend, scrunching her brows and analyzing the aroma from the kitchen, trying to figure out the menu tonight.
Lysandra jumped and turned around. “Could you make more noise next time?”
“Oh sorry, you were just too absorbed in your investigation, you can’t really blame me.” Regulus shrugged. He draped an arm over her shoulder and guided her away from the kitchen. “You’ll know what’s for dinner soon enough in about an hour, let’s go somewhere else.”
Lysandra rolled her eyes and they went outside to the gardens. They levitated themselves onto the top of the hedges and peered at the albino peacocks.
It had been a childhood activity for both of them (sometimes with Sirius too) to sneak out of the Manor House and admire the peacocks kept in the gardens. To Lysandra’s undying horror, Sirius adored chasing the peacocks around and fooling around with his wand. It was a great relief for Lysandra and for all animals to know that he did not take Care for Magical Creatures for his OWLs.
Dobby, the new house elf they got after Lucius’s nanny-elf Twinny retired, was tending to the hedge maze. He was the youngest house-elf Lysandra had ever seen, catering to her whims bursting with liveliness, so she treated him more cheerily and kindly than she did to other house-elves.
“Are the peacocks fighting?” Regulus pointed to two peacocks swatting each other with their tails.
“Mating season, Reg.” Lysandra replied. “They are more aggressive these weeks.”
The peacock with a larger train swooped triumphantly into a leap as he dug his claws into his opponent. The poor peacock, seeing defeat, promptly broke into a run and left the scene.
The victor strutted with his train wide open, bashing his lushly green feathers.
“Dramatic males.” Lysandra muttered. She shook her head amusedly. “Not as dramatic as you Blacks though.”
“What?” Regulus retorted defensively. “I’m not dramatic.”
“I mean, between Sirius grovelling at Professor McGonagall’s knees because he had to serve detention on a Hogsmeade weekend and Bellatrix wailing everytime people bring up Andy and speaking as if she’s dead, or you know, Cissa throwing herself in front of Lu when they made their relationship official to protect him from her father’s rage, as if my father and her father hadn’t been talking about marriage between them, then I guess you don’t qualify as dramatic.”
“Salazar’s sake, I really was born into the family of dramatic lunatics.” Regulus sighed.
“It’s alright,” Lysandra patted him in mock comfort, “I’ll still be your friend.”
“Aw, is that a proposal?”
“Sod off, Black. You Blacks can’t keep snatching Malfoys here and there.” Lysandra shoved him playfully.
Except, Regulus didn’t anticipate it and he lost his balance, tumbling off the hedge.
A white wisp of light surrounded him as he was enveloped by an incantation and levitated in the air.
Lysandra followed the trails of the light and stared into her brother’s unimpressed face.
“Next time you’re planning to murder someone, don’t do it in your house, Ly.” Lucius flicked his wand and Regulus landed onto the grass softly. “Or else it‘ll be hard to explain even after I help you to bury the body.”
“Rowena’s wrath, Lu, I didn’t mean to!” Lysandra exclaimed, jumping off the hedge with the aid of a Cushioning Charm.
“Anyways, I’m just here to tell you two chimpanzees that dinner’s about to start.” Lucius grabbed both of them by their shoulders and pushed them back into the Manor.
The dinner went calmly, with the chair and cutleries originally for Sirius removed. They went on about details of the wedding, and swapped some guest seats. With a small feud breaking out between Bellatrix and Rodolphus Lestrange, it would be better for the Blacks not to be seated with the Lestranges.
As far as Lysandra was concerned, it was about their forced bethotal as decreed by both patriarchs and the tall man with curly hair and a sharp nose.
They referred to him as a Lord, but Lucius kept his mouth shut, unwilling to tell her anything about that mysterious man he followed.
After they had finished dessert, the adults returned to the sofa to further discuss alliances between the two families, namely the distribution of assets, and also the society Lucius and Bellatrix were in.
Abraxas Malfoy neither approved nor disapproved of the society, but had explicitly disallowed them to discuss it at home, so Lysandra did not know much.
At nine, Cygnus excused himself alongside his wives and daughters, and shortly after Walburga also returned to Grimmauld Place with her husband and Regulus.
Once all the Blacks have left, Lucius let out a deep sigh.
“Finally, all of this is over.” He exclaimed, “I can finally marry my daffodil.”
“Is that why you kept courting her for six years? To avoid the family conversation?” Lysandra sniggered. It was still bewildering to her that Lucius shuddered at the thought of Cygnus and Druella Black. She did not quite understand what all the anxiety was for.
Lucius shook his head. “Partly, though it wasn’t the main reason.”
“What else could be stopping you from proposing sooner?” The two of them had been lovey-dovey before Lysandra started Hogwarts and they are finally marrying next week, just before she turned fifth-year. She always assumed Lucius would have proposed right after graduation, but he didn’t until four years later.
“You weren’t old enough to be a bridesmaid yet. You said you wanted to be one, Ly dearest.” Lucius ruffled her hair and answered.
Ten-year-old Lysandra and Regulus were bored out of their minds in Malfoy Manor. Too old for the children’s playbooks and puppets in the playroom, they decided to venture into the big library. Sirius followed after the running ten-year-olds as they dashed into the library, ignoring the whispers of the portraits telling them to slow down.
They were not interested in reading. In fact, they only sought after the library for its spacious room spanning nearly the whole West Wing on the second floor. They were here for hide-and-seek, and for an adventure.
Lysandra silently crept to the small reading room furthest in the right, as she heard footsteps pacing across the library. Leaning against the door, she turned the doorknob and slowly opened the door.
Sitting on the silver sofa below the windowsill was Lucius and Narcissa, snogging the daylights out of each other.
Lysandra screeched and slammed the door shut abruptly.
The footsteps behind her quickened as the Black brothers rushed to Lysandra’s rescue.
“Are you hurt?” Sirius yelled, clasping his hands on Lysandra’s shoulder. He scanned her from hair to toe, trying to see if she was injur-
“They’re-” Lysandra hollered, pointing at the shut door, “they’re snogging. Inside!”
Regulus scrunched his nose in distaste. “Ew.”
Sirius let go of Lysandra and turned to the door in confusion. “Who?”
The door opened and they saw a disheveled Lucius crossing his arms. He raised an eyebrow at the three kids as he straightened his shirt collar.
“Now, pray tell,” he drawled, “what are you three doing here?”
“What are you two doing here?” Sirius piped back, instinctively stepping in front of Regulus and Lysandra to shield them from his calm fury.
Narcissa emerged behind Lucius and placed a hand on his shoulder. Blushing furiously, she sighed, “Lucius, you’re scaring them.”
Heat rushed to Lucius’s cheeks as his gaze softened. He had never learnt how to deal with this situation.
Lysandra giggled at the helpless couple.
Lucius glared at her and threatened, “not one word from any of you.”
“Only if you make me your bridesmaid.” Lysandra bargained.
“Me too!” Regulus chipped in.
“I want to walk you down the aisle!” Sirius declared.
Lucius facepalmed and waved them off.
He remembered her childish whim.
“Now I feel sorry for delaying your wedding.” She muttered. She had almost forgotten about it.
“You can blame it on Regulus, Ly. He wanted to be a groomsman as well.” Lucius smiled warmly.