Black Rose [Regulus Black]

The chairs at the back of the pureblood gatherings were cursed, Alessandra was sure of it, because every time she sat on one, she found out something devastating.

"I'm sorry, could you point him out again? I didn't follow."

Cressida pointed towards Regulus, who was currently talking to Evan Rosier, and Alessandra once again began regretting her decision of eating all that food, because she was starting to feel nauseous again. It probably wasn't even the seating arrangements, it was the very gathering that was cursed; this was probably a sign that she didn't belong in this world.

"Congratulations!" she forced out, the words feeling like they were carving the flesh of her throat. She didn't want to be that kind of person, but something within her instantly flared up, and she felt this deep hatred take over within her. It was unlike anything she'd ever felt before, an all-consuming profound rage, and she realised that she needed to get out now before she did anything stupid. "I'm so happy for you."

That was a lie, no matter how hard she tried to be happy for the kind-looking girl. "Thank you! Excuse me, I have someone I need to meet, I hope to see you around later."

And she gracefully departed, leaving Alessandra behind to boil in anger. An irrational resentment was beginning to grow within her, entering her bloodstream and tinting her vision red. She'd never been the kind of person to feel such extreme emotion; she'd always only felt emotions in moderate amounts, like a little jealousy or a little fear. But this was completely different, she felt like she was about to blow a fuse (metaphorically and maybe even literally), and she didn't like it.

She tried to calm herself down. It wasn't that big of a deal anyways, it wasn't like the world was going to end (although it did feel like hers was collapsing). She and Regulus weren't actually together and he didn't have a reason to tell her that he was betrothed.

But still, why didn't he tell her that? Were they not as close as she thought they were? Was it all just a ruse to get her on his side for some unknown reason? All these conspiracy theories were popping up in her head, clouding the line between imagination and reality, and thoughts she would have called absurd once upon a time now seemed rational.

"Should we leave now, or do you still want to stay?"

She looked up to see him standing beside her, a small smile on his face, and she tried her hardest to gauge how genuine he was. It didn't seem to be a facade, every emotion he displayed and every word he uttered appeared so real, but she wasn't sure anymore. He himself had said that purebloods were used to pretending, so what stopped him from doing it too?

She nodded, plastering on a fake smile as they exited through the door. He started gossiping about all the people over there, telling her who he liked and who he didn't, and she tried her hardest to pay attention but her mind was a million miles away. She was probably overreacting, because he didn't owe her an explanation for everything, but it still stung just a little. It did make a lot more sense though, such as why he was so horrified by the idea of them being together.

It still stung.

⚜

Alessandra squinted as the bleak sunlight filtered through the trees, right into her eyes. The wind wasn't as cold and bitter as it could've been, the skies were clear, and the park was filled with small groups of people chatting and laughing amongst each other. It was such a cheerful atmosphere for such a gloomy day.

She'd have enjoyed the lovely weather if it weren't for her sour mood that continued since yesterday. Granted, it had ebbed from a tempest to a minor drizzle, but more storms were brewing in her head, and she couldn't get over it. She'd known it was foolish of her to have hope that maybe they had a chance together, and that she shouldn't have counted on it, but she still did anyways, and finding out about Reg's betrothal was the final nail in her coffin.

Since when did she become one of those lovesick girls that cried because of a boy? God, she needed to get a grip.

"Earth to Alessandra." A hand waved in front of her face, and she looked up to see her friend, who had just arrived.

She sheepishly mumbled an apology as Chelsea slid down onto the seat opposite to her, carrying a box of what looked like brownies. "How have you been? How's wedding planning going?"

Chelsea made a face. "Good. Stressful. I sometimes consider eloping to save myself the trouble, because planning my wedding is such a pain in my arse."

"Really? You were so excited about it."

"I know, but," she lowered her voice and looked around, as though someone was going to eavesdrop on them. "I get nightmares about it sometimes. There's so many things to plan like cakes and wedding dresses and invitations, and it's driving me up the wall. On top of that, my mother-in-law has all these ideas and won't let me have a say in my own wedding!"

"Have you considered... I don't know, telling her?"

"I have, but she's usually such an angel, I can't bring myself to do it! And she has this massive gauzy wedding dress that would've looked good in the 1930s, but it's so outdated now, and she wants me to wear it."

"You didn't say no, did you?"

"I told her I'll think about it. But, speaking of weddings..." Chelsea popped open the box of brownies, to reveal a pretty picture of two girls designed on it with powdered sugar. "Would you like to be my maid of honour?"

"Chels, shouldn't you have asked me that before you gave me this sales pitch on how stressful wedding planning is?"

It was now the brunette's turn to wear a sheepish smile. "In hindsight, probably. But do you?"

"I'd love to," she said simply, genuinely meaning it.

Chelsea did some kind of victory dance in her chair, and then Alessandra nearly jumped out of her chair when there was an explosion of confetti from the back of the box.

"Sorry. I got carried away."

"Don't be," she grinned. "So, how's Doug?"

"Brilliant. Absolutely amazing. I've heard all these horror stories about how the whole marriage thing leads to you discovering a whole new terrible person in your spouse, but it's been nothing but heaven since then. Oh, I feel so lucky to have him, Al, he's the best..."

Alessandra smiled wistfully as her friend rambled on about all the things she adored about her future husband. Chelsea and Doug made a wonderful couple, and she was so happy for them.

"But what about you?"

Her knee jerked upwards under the table, colliding painfully with the table, and she winced. "What about me?"

"Carla from your work was telling me that a boy came along to check in on you..." a sneaky smile crept over her friend's face. "Is there something you're not telling me?"

Plenty, actually. In the last three months, I met a boy who introduced me to a new, crazy world, and I now harbor strong feelings towards him and I'm worried I'm falling too easy and that I don't actually have feelings for him because he's the only person I talk to and I might just have a very strong attachment to him which is now growing into obsession. Oh, and I also have to deal with his mother, who's a she-devil. And a band of monkeys called the Marauders and a group of flaming chickens. He's also going to get married to someone else, so there's that. And all those times I wished I knew my parents, I regret it because it's way too messy for me and they abandoned me for no reason. Just your regular fairy-tale stuff.

"Er..."

She took that as a yes, and jumped at the opportunity. "Oh my God. Tell me more. What is he like? What does he look like? Do you have a picture? Are you dating? How long has this been going on for? Wait, have you...fucked?"

"No!" Alessandra denied it instantly, mortified at the direction the conversation had progressed in. "We are not dating and neither have we done that."

"So there is a someone!" Chelsea declared heatedly. "Tell me now, come on. What's the deal?"

"There is no deal."

"Yes, there is, don't lie. Maids of honor are not supposed to lie."

"You can't just hold that over me."

"Don't change the topic, come on now, tell me," Chelsea insisted, looking excited for Alessandra's non-existent love life. "Wait, was that who you went out with for dinner on your birthday?"

"Yes... and there is nothing to it! We aren't dating or even remotely close to that."

"But it's a work in progress, right?" Chelsea seemed so much more excited about this than Alessandra did. Alessandra wished she could tell her friend everything, but that would mean introducing her to the magic world, and it was too messy and could cause more damage than repair. But, maybe she could give snippets of the story, and conceal all the 'magical' parts, because her friend could actually give her some good advice. She mulled it over, going over and modifying all the details so her story was accurate but also didn't give too much away.

"Kind of," she replied. "I don't really know."

"Spill."

And so she launched into an explanation, of how she felt about it and how she thought he felt the same way, and then described his goblin of a mother who kept causing rifts between them. When she got to the part where she'd finally 'allowed' them to stay in touch, Chelsea squealed.

"Oh, that's so romantic!" she gushed.

"It is?"

"Yes, he stood up to her for you, that's huge."

"Right, and I kind of thought so too, and he even took me out to dinner, but then I found out he's supposed to get married to someone else."

"No way. He's been engaged the entire time?! And he didn't say anything?"

"Not exactly engaged, just...well, its a family obligation, and I'm sure you can tell how insistent his mother is."

"But he still didn't tell you?"

"No, that's what frustrates me!" Alessandra exclaimed, now understanding why the girls at the orphanage loved gossiping. "I'm just so confused and don't know how to feel about it. The thing is, it keeps switching up with him. One moment he's so nice and I think he feels the same way, but the next moment, he's still the same but is giving off a completely different signal."

"Did you talk to him about it?"

"I don't want to," she mumbled, munching on one of the brownies now. "I'm terrified that it'll screw everything up and make the whole thing awkward and then we'll grow apart."

"You know, this whole thing seems so precarious and complicated, maybe you should just give up on him," Chelsea advised. "I don't know what he's like and even then I don't have the right to judge, but it feels like you're getting tangled in something bigger than you can handle, so you should kinda... extricate yourself from all that insanity. Don't worry, there are plenty of other fish in the sea."

"You're so lucky, you just found the perfect guy for yourself and here I'm practically swimming in drama."

"I know, but it'll get better. One day, you'll get lucky too, I'm certain of it."

"You think so?"

"I know so. Just make me a bridesmaid, maybe even a maid of honor?"

"Too soon, Chels, too soon, but we both know I will," she grinned.

⚜

"Princess!" Sirius greeted her the moment she set foot into her own house. "How has your day been?"

She stared at him while he casually read her book on her couch in her house, completely oblivious to her shock. "What are you doing here?"

"Is it a crime to spend time with my favourite sister-in-law?"

For obvious reasons, that irritated Sandra, especially considering that they hadn't even dated in the first place, and she picked up the nearest thing she could find, causing him to yelp and duck. "Fucking hell, woman! Don't throw that!"

"We. Are. Not. Dating!" she shouted, and he cowered behind the table. She instantly calmed down, feeling satisfied that she'd let out her anger somewhere but also a bit guilty for yelling at Sirius. "Now, why are you here?"

"Like I said, isn't it-" he cut himself off upon noticing her deathly glare. "I just wanted to visit my favourite person in the world!"

"We've spoken to each other for a grand total of three times."

"Which is why, I think we should get to know each other. Isn't it nice? Sirius and Alessandra, two peas in a pod-"

"Sirius," she sighed, dumping her handbag on the table and kicking off her shoes. "If this is some sort of dumb ploy to expose me as a Death Eater, you're wasting your time. You won't find anything, because I'm not a Death Eater."

"It isn't about that, but he is, so you'll become one by association when you marry-"

"We're not getting married," she muttered, the very idea of Cressida and Regulus bothering her.

Sirius opened his mouth and frowned, and then closed it. Then, a smug look came over his face. "Ah, jealousy. I see how it is."

"I am not jealous," she hissed, glaring at him.

"Whatever you say, princess," he raised his hands in a gesture of surrender. "Just so you know, he's the most oblivious person on the planet, so you might as well go snog him so you can stop staring at each other like lovesick puppies."

"We don't-"

"Anyone with two eyes can see that you do."

"But we don't," she whined. "He doesn't even like me that way."

He wiggled his eyebrows playfully. "So there's trouble in paradise, I see."

"There is no trouble nor is there paradise," she muttered, "There's an entire war and he's in danger so we have no time for 'paradise', and on top of it, your stupid mother, no offence-"

"-absolutely none taken-"

"-she keeps interfering, Sirius!" she ranted. "Do you have any idea how annoying it is? She constantly keeps track of him even though he's an adult at this point, and not even in that doting motherly way. It's like she's that bloody Evil Queen in Snow White with a talking mirror, except she uses hers to follow her own son, and every time he's around me, she acts like this absolute entitled cow and demands that he stay away from me, calling me a gold digger!"

"I do have an idea, yes," he replied, remembering all those days of splitting headaches when his mother screamed her lungs off. "The thing about my mother is, she seeks attention. She needs to know that she has an impact on you, so she'll push you to the brink, until you snap, and then she'll blame it on you and distance him from you. Don't give her the satisfaction of knowing that she's getting to you, and she'll give up eventually. Or she'll be persistent until she finally croaks, which won't be too far away, if you ask me."

"Easier said than done," she grumbled. "There hasn't been a single interaction where she hasn't rubbed it in my face that I'm never going to be with Regulus, or one where she hasn't basically called me a gold-digger. It's so annoying, I want to slap her. Actually, I did slap her-"

Sirius gasped, awestruck. "You slapped her?!"

"Yep," she muttered. "After she slapped me, obviously, I didn't do it unprovoked."

"What was it like?"

"The most satisfying thing I ever experienced. It pops up in my dreams every now and then."

"I can imagine," Sirius barked out a cold laugh, and Alessandra realised that his advice had been very specific... which meant he'd only gone through the same thing.

"What was it like, growing up in there?" she asked.

He pulled a face. "I preferred dying over being there. Nothing else to say about it, I think it's obvious what it was like... at least I'm out now."

But Reg is still in.

A grim silence blanketed them, as she imagined the kind of ghastly horrors they had to face in that house with that demon of a woman. Her heart ached for both the brothers, who'd clearly been driven apart due to their different preferences and choices, and she wished that one day they would talk it out and get along better.

"Oh," Sirius' head shot up. "I just remembered what I was here for."

"You were here for something?"

"Obviously," he rolled his eyes. "Did you think I'd come here for no reason?"

"Well, you did break into my house. Twice. For no reason."

"I didn't break in, I just politely entered to give you a warm surprise welcome."

She snorted. "Spit it out, Sirius."

"So, my friends and I were thinking..."

"Oh, no."

"And we got off onto the wrong foot, so we wanted to you know, meet up for dinner, become best friends all over again. You know, Alessandra and Reggie and Sirius and J-"

"You're joking."

"No, I'm quite Sirius," he grinned. "Get it? Because I'm Sirius?"

"Sirius," she sighed. "There's no way he's going to agree, he despises you guys, no thanks to the stunt you pulled a few days ago."

"But you know, you can just bat your eyelashes and give him a good shag and he'll agree."

"Get out."

"Okay, but can you at least try? We are on the same side now."

She sighed and tossed her head back, praying to God to grant her more patience. "Fine, but it's not my fault if he says no."

"Okay," Sirius grinned. "Just so you know, I still think you'll be my favourite sister-in-law when it does happen."

"Get out."

"Yes," he got up and mock saluted. "Good evening, your highness. I'll send you the address to the restaurant. where we'll meet up. And don't forget to-"

"-don't you dare-"

"PRACTICE SAFE SEX!" he yelled in a sing-song voice, shutting the door behind him to leave no room for argument.

⚜