Diner Date with the Devil
James didn’t understand this Seer nonsense. The leaflets had just been delivered when James walked into The Tree Broomsticks. He’d never seen one before, but when he walked through the door to the social club and had a seat Madam Rosmerta was thrusting one into his hands alongside his drink.
He’d read the column while sipping and hadn’t expected for it to be filled with gossip. Gossip of him nonetheless.
“Where did you get these Madam?”
“They came in this afternoon, I don’t know why the schedule changed.”
“There’s a schedule? To be changed? Where do these things come from?”
“Well, no one knows, that’s half the point ain’ it?” The woman said looking to James as if he’d asked if the sky were blue. “Wait a moment, do you not know? Have you never seen one of these columns before?”
“I certainly have not,” James looked at Madam Rosmerta, then down to the paper, then back up to the woman. “Why is it filled with these things about me and my friends? I’ve never seen a gossip column use peoples names like this.”
“That’s the other half of the point, Your Grace. Everyone finds it scandalously entertaining how specific the author gets.” Then she looked to her left and right, bent down and whispered as if her next words were secrets. “And they know everything. There have been people who think they got away with something, but The Seer sees all. They’re just picky about when they talk about such things.”
“By God, surely they don’t have some hidden agenda? Some kind of goal?” James mind immediately went to the hallway, with Regina and Avery. Both were mentioned in this issue, but word on the ball itself was notably lacking. At this point, James’ glass was mostly empty and so Rosmerta bent to fill it anew.
“No one could say, sir. All I can wish is for them to make as few waves for the common folk when they get whatever it is that they want.” Rosmerta blanched and stopped pouring. Looking up, panic could be seen in her eyes, “I’m, I’m sorry… I, I shouldn’ave said that.”
“Your fine Madam, I’d also say that if this Seer hopes to cause trouble for the wealthy, they should at least have the decency to leave everyone else out of it.”
They shared small smiles and Madam Rosmerta walked away.
OoO
“You know, we really have to stop meeting like this,” Sirius said as he stole the drink from James’ hand. “It’s the second time I’ve come to you frazzled and in need of a drink.”
“Yes, I agree, but why does it have to be my drink?” James chuckled.
“Simple, you’re the only bloke in this place that wont punch me for stealing it.”
All humor left James’ face then, “that can be remedied.” Sirius lost all of his color and after a moment James let a smile creep back onto his face as he looked up at the man. It only took a few seconds for his friend jumped right back into his energetic demeanor.
“Right, well, seeing as I’ll be keeping all of my teeth, we have something we need to discuss.” Finally, Sirius had turned and plopped himself into the chair across from his friend. Taking a long sip and letting James sit in anticipation of what they could be talking about.
Last time they met like this was less than a week ago and it was about Regina, was this conversation about to be about her? The Seer might not have mentioned the hallway, but that doesn’t mean that she hadn’t told Sirius herself. He wouldn’t be mad, would he? Sirius was acting a bit weird. He didn’t usually take James’ drink, but maybe that was just who he was when he was in the city. A bit tense, a bit lost in the eyes, chronically in need of a drink.
“Regina’s still upset with me.” Sirius said the words so fast and low that James nearly missed it. His proud shoulders curled into themselves, both hands clutching to his glass. “She’s like properly mad. I’m sure you’ve read that silly flier, only one gentlemen came to see her today. It might actually be my fault.”
“I’m sure that it’s not that ba-”
Sirius slammed his hand into the end table between the pair and everyone around them went quiet.
“No, James. This one’s on me. I thought I was doing her a favor, scaring off all those men who wanted to whisk her away. Our mother was encouraging these men, so many of them, and so many that had no intention of staying in the city, in England for god’s sake. I always thought Regina hated the country, she never went. I’ve never seen her particularly happy, but she’s never expressed a desire to leave, you know? So I thought, I genuinely thought, I was doing her a favor by running off the men who wanted to take her away.” Sirius’ eyes were glossy with a mix of sadness and stoney determination. “I was so wrong. That’s all she’s ever wanted. That’s what she said to me.”
Pinching his face and lifting the pitch of his voice, Sirius began to minimic his little sister, “Sirius, that’s all I’ve ever wanted. To get away from this place, to leave this hellish family for you to deal with.”
James let out an almost girlish giggle. “I’m sure you’re just being dramatic, she wouldn’t truly say that.”
Actually, after a moment of thought, James couldn’t tell if she would say that or not. James wasn’t generally against lying, but he tended to like knowing whether or not he was lying, especially to his best friend.
“Neigh, my dear friend, she would. She would.”
If James knew Sirius any less, he’d think that his friend was drunk out of his mind. Slouched and repeating himself, his mannerisms were that of a drunkard. Mumbling words were the only thing missing from the picture, and that’s how James knew this was a dramatic episode, not a drunken one.
The first time he’d ever seen Sirius drunk was in the dorms at school. He’d come in to find his friend sprawled in his usual manner, but mumbling beyond recognition. It took three times as long then it should have for James to piece together that Sirius was asking for “a duck dressed in a tophat” to tuck him into bed and since then his translations haven’t gotten any quicker. The only guaranteed why for the pair to be understood was if they were both either entirely sober or drunk out of their minds. One way or the other, it had to be as a unit because James miraculously loses his ability to understand normal english after a few too many.
Because Sirius could be perfectly understood, and the room wasn’t currently swimming around James’ head, it was safe to assume the they were both sober in this instance. Sirius was just throwing a temper tantrum.
“Okay, so your sister’s mean. You messed up and she doesn’t want you involved in her match making. I understand why you would pout, but this is a bit much, even for you. So what if your entire social calender was built around finding your sister a husband? Now you just have some free time to actually enjoy the city.”
“HoHooo, no no nonononono. I wont be having any extra free time James.”
“Sirius, it sounds like she’s made herself clear. Besides, maybe you should have just trusted her to find a match from the beginning. Have a little faith in Regina.”
“I have plenty of faith in her, it’s my mother that I’m worried about. I wouldn’t have had to intervene if it weren’t for good old Wallie, and now it just seems that we’ll have to take a few more steps.”
“Now Sirius, I understand, wait… We. There is no we in this operation.”
“Oh yes there is,” Sirius clamored to his feet, pulling James up next to him. “By the way, you’re coming to diner.”
Despite his adamant protests, Sirius refused to let go of his friend’s hand as he dragged him out the door.
OoO
How had Regina gotten here? Sitting in her own dining room, the same one from countless childhood memories, staring daggers into the sunny man from the hallway.
Oh, how she wished that looks could truly kill. Of course that man was none other than James Potter. Potter, the brother Sirius always wanted and could finally have. Regina hadn’t even known he was coming into town for the season, yet here he sits. In her families house, on grandfather’s favorite decorative chair, eating off of her grandmother’s dishware.
She’d thought he would have come just to support her brother, the pair were attached at the hip, but to expect him to attend a ball? Regina thought social settings that did not involve a horse or a gun were beneath the Duke.
Yet, he was in that hallway. He had appeared to be looking for an escape, but he was there. Now, he’s in her house. Her sunny man was actually Sirius’ partner in crime and- and he’s looking right at her. Is he’s… saying something. Oh god, he’s saying something to her.
“When do you plan on sitting Miss Black?”
“Pardon me, sitting for what?”
James’ (oh god his name is James) eye gleamed with amusement for a moment, almost like a cat catching a canary. “For your portrait? Sirius and the viscount and the viscountess each have one hanging in the hall. I even noticed what must be several of your uncles.” He looked down and sawed a perfect cube of beef from his plate and placed it in his mouth. After taking a moment to enjoy and swallow, he spoke again, “I think you would make quite the subject.”
Regina seethed. Apparently the only sure fire way for her to forget that she was angry with Sirius was to have diner with The Duke. Her eyes found themselves wandering towards her brother, desperately sending out distress signals.
The Viscountess cleared her throat and shuffled in her chair. “Regina wont have a portrait in the hall. Only those of the Black name hang there. She’s already sat for a lovely piece that her future husband can hang wherever he’d like.”
James seemed to raise a brow and opened his mouth as if to speak, but Sirius spoke first.
“Regina will always be a member of this family, Mother. I’m sure I can convince her to sit for another so that I might hang it somewhere else in the house.”
“Why, I would never dream of my child not being a member of the family, but tradition is tradition,” their mother waved her hand through the air, as if dismissing a persistent fly. “I shall not be the one to break tradition.”
“Yes, but you are also not the head of this family,” Sirius placed his utensils down, “according to tradition.”
Walburga’s eyes blew wide as she looked frantically between her son and their guest. No one was eating anymore.
“Mother, James is family, don’t act so appalled.”
“He may very well be your family, but that does not make him my son. That does not make him your sister’s brother.” Her voice was shrill as she rubbed at the base of her throat, appalled anyway. “But as long as he is your family, you should not have a problem with us speaking as if he is family.”
The room held a collective breathe as Walburga took an unnecessarily dramatic pause. James’ eyes met Regina’s own. Shocked dark eyes met scared light ones. She’d been expecting a fight, but Regina had been hoping for something a little more passive and significantly less aggressive.
“You go away for over a year and you come frolicking back with a duke on your heels expecting everything to be the same? Well, I hate to inform you Sirius, but everything is not the same. You had responsibilities that should have been attended to, but you left. So, take a guess at who actually attended to those things. Who was it? Oh yes, it was me. You were gone, and I filled in.” Walburga lifted her chin, showing that her next words would ensure victory. “As far as I’m concerned, you shouldn’t even be considered a member of this family, so I don’t know why I’m discussing family maters in front of two unwanted guests.”
The air of the room was beyond shocked, it was electrified.
“Guest? Responsibility?”
“Yes, now I’m going to have to ask you to leave.”
“Mother,” Sirius dragged his hands over his face in frustration. “Father had just died. I had only a year left of school. That summer, he practically begged me to finish my final year. Then, I graduated and was ready to come back, and you know how my letters were responded to? With nothing, then finally a quiet dismissal.” Walburga gasped, utterly appalled. “Don’t act like that, Mother, James already knows all about your dismissal of me. I didn’t realize how thorough your transgressions were, perhaps I should start to remedy that. Perhaps I should do that just now.”
Abruptly, Sirius stood and rushed out of the dining room in the direction of their father’s old study. Just as quickly, Walburga was on her feet and trailing after him, whispering madly and growing in volume with every step.
Those left at the table could do little more than stare after them. Slowly, their gazes shifted back towards each other. It took several long minutes, but the angry voices eventually faded behind numerous heavy doors.
Eventually, James picked up his knife and fork and began eating anew.
“Colorful conversation, no,” Regina commented, taking his leading and picking up her own utensils.
“It always is.”
“So he acts like that even when he’s with people he likes,” she said, raising a brow. “Here I was thinking I’m special.”
“Miss Black, you are quite special, but I’m sure it hasn’t escaped your notice that Sirius has a flare for the dramatics.”
“Miss Black? Your Grace, I thought we were family, why the sudden formality. I mean, you allowed me to act a fool just the other day, not allowing me to know your name. You couldn’t have mistaken me for someone else,” without warning, Regina’s body suddenly began to feel all the rage of being tricked. Hands shaking, she continued on. “You knew I was Sirius sister, and yet you said nothing.”
“Yes, well, I was thinking that hiding a body together would be a strange time to bring up the fact that I am your brother’s friend. Is it not?” James stopped moving and looked to Regina for an answer.
“Hiding a body? Lord Avery isn’t dead,” she could feel her face flush under his undivided attention, looking anywhere but his eyes.
“No, not quite dead,” the dark haired man wondered aloud, and Regina wasn’t sure he’d noticed her need for a different path for their conversation or just needed one himself. “A shame, really, I would’ve been overjoyed to have witness the first man to be taken out by a single punch. Though, considering the unfortunate circumstance of him calling on you this morning, I’d say he was somehow encouraged by the act.”
While Lord Avery wasn’t a comfortable topic, it wasn’t Sirius. Regina wasn’t sure where she stood with her brother at the moment and did not want to explore that dynamic with his best friend. After their ride in the park, she was less angry, but frustration still bubbled in her veins.
With this, Regina decided to giggle and take control of the change.
“Imagine if I’d actually managed to kill him.”
“His ghost would be pouding on the door, demanding your hand in marriage already.” The color drained from Regina’s face and James must have noticed. There goes control.
They were meant to be joking about dead bodies and where in the ton would be best to hide them. Maybe progressing into revenge plots, stealing the cookies off of Avery’s windowsill Those were the conversations Sirius had made Regina come to expect from the duke, not whatever this was turning into.
“No, surely not. He can’t have, can he?” James said as his utensils stilled.
“Unfortunately, he can propose to me at any point, he’s simply chosen to be-”
“Aching for it?” James looked across the table with the widest grin, looking like the king of the world.
“Your Grace.” At Regina’s gasp, his face fell into concern.
“Right,” his hand flew to cover his face, “here I am taking about wishing us not to be family, and yet I go on talking as if-”
“I were my brother?”
“No.” She’d never seen his face look so stern as both of his hands spread onto the table. “Please don’t ever think I’ve mistaken you for your brother. He’s far more pretty.”
“That he is, isn’t he.”
OoO
When Sirius walked through his father’s office door for the first time in over a year, the first thought that came to him was that it still smelled like him. He wasn’t allowed that peace for long, instantaneously, his second thought intruded.
Nothing looked like him.
All the furniture was the same, oak wood soaked in the ink wells and fruity cologne, but it had all been moved.
Viscount Black preferred his desk pushed to the side by the windows, allowing sun to come streaming in over his work. He liked his book cases lined with souvenirs, reminding him of old jokes and friends. He liked a plush rug spanning the floor, shoes were rarely worn in the room.
Viscountess Black had gotten rid of the rug and trinkets, moving the desk to the middle of the space, meaning that candles would need to be burned even in the middle of the day. Sirius found it disturbing how familiar and foreign it all felt.
His third thought came in the form of his mother, that very Viscountess that had ruined the study. She was seething, slamming the door behind herself.
Sirius actually giggled. He’d gotten her so upset that she forgot all about her “no doors” rule. His laugh steadily grew when the older woman’s eye brows began to twitch. Twitch. If Sirius went on any further he might even manage a nostril flair.
Unfortunately, he wasn’t able to make it that far. Walburga began to speak.
“How dare you make a fool of me like that. I don’t care that he’s a Potter. I don’t care that he’s your friend. He is not a member of this family and should not be privy to our disagreements.”
“Disagreements? Mother, please, be honest with yourself. Those of us in this family don’t have disagreements, we have arguments. A disagreement is about the proper number of sugars one should put in their tea. A disagreement is about waking someone up from a nap an hour too soon. You and I? We have arguments. Arguments about how Father should be BURIED. Arguments about if Regina continues to need a governess. Arguments about what roles each of us should play in both this family and in this society as a whole. We argue about whether or not I’m allowed home for Christmas, or Regina’s birthday, or her PRESENTATION INTO SOCIETY.”
“Yes, we argue, but that still does not explain why The Duke must be privy to all of these things.”
“He is privy to them because he was there. There when I got the news of Father’s death. There when you sent me back to school. There when I desperately tried sending governess after governess, but you sent them all away. He was there when you continuously showed your support of Tom Riddle, despite what it would do to Regina’s marriage prospects. James was there when I was told time and time again to not come home.”
“That does not give him the right-”
“It does though. James is my brother, just as much as Regina is my sister. I will see neither of them disrespected with ignorance. You give me the title as head of family, yet you do not allow me to actually take on the role. Then, you try and shame me, shame, in front of the rest of this family. Saying that I have done nothing, when I have tried everything in my power whilst being forced to live in a form of exile from my own home.”
“Well, if while your father was alive, you actually showed interest-”
“No. I am perfectly capable of running things now. I don’t plan on leaving any time soon, so your services are no longer required. You can live in this house, eat our food, wear our gowns, but logistically, you’re no longer The Viscountess Black. You may attend the rest of your social calender for the season, but you will no longer be handling marriage arrangements. For either me or Regina. And, yes, I am aware that you have been working behind my back to marry me off.”
Sirius finally paused to take a massive breathe, in and out, slow but sure. Then, and only then, did he meet his mother’s eye.
“You can leave my office now.”