Marlene
“Marls!!” Sirius’s voice announced the arrival of the guest to every person in the house before any servant got the chance.
Marlene was a family friend so really Regulus and Sirius had grew up with her through thick and thin. She had been a pilar for Sirius through their move to Eastmeadow, when Regulus was too damaged to be. And well although he would never admit it, he did quite like her, not only that but he really bloody admired her sometimes.
She had been promised to an Earls son since she was born, it had all been settled, when he was 20 and her 18 they would wed and she would live that life.
Well when the time came and she turned 18 she refused. Flat out refused, it was practically unheard of for anyone to refuse an Earl let alone an 18 year old girl, but Marlene McKinnon didn’t want to get married and in her words, ‘If that means I have to defy a bloody Earl then so be it’ and from Regulus’s memory that was one the first times he felt real admiration for Marlene.
Sirius was untangling himself from the hug he had obviously flung at her when Regulus came into the entrance hall.
“Reggie! It’s Marls she’s back!” Sirius beamed, obviously forgetting in his joy, that Regulus did actually have eyes and could see exactly who it was.
“Hi Marlene welcome back.” Regulus gave his signature half smile that to people who didn’t know him would look unbothered, but if you did you’d know it was genuine.
“Reggie you haven’t changed a bit” a full smile growing on her face. “Still haven’t fixed up the hair no?”
“Oh shut it McKinnon!” Regulus bit back with the half smile still right on his face.
“Can’t say the same for you Marls, where’d all your hair go?! Doubt your parents will be too pleased.” Sirius remarked gesturing to her hair that now just barely made it to her chin. Which although unconventional it was perfectly Marlene, Regulus thought to himself.
“Oh I’m hoping they won’t notice” she laughed “I’m betting they’re the same as before I left, still hung up on the marriage situation. You know they sent about 10 letters throughout my traveling? All of them starting with a question about how my prospects for suitors was looking!” she rolled her eyes.
“You see they just can’t seem to understand why I haven’t settled down, because they had actually already had me by this age meaning of course everyone else must follow their strict timeline of life, and I’m being unruly by not” she said with another role of her eyes and a smile.
At these words Sirius promptly threw himself on to one knee “Marlene McKinnon, my love, my one and only will you do me the honor of becoming my wife” he beamed.
“Oh Sirius I thought you would never ask” she said as she threw herself around him in a very dramatic hug.
Regulus who simply thought it was too early in the day for yet another one of their endless skits, made his way back to the library.
Of course they followed him in Regulus never doubted them with that.
“So any news on this new heir, Sirius wrote to me about? Oh is he here? I must meet him!” she exclaimed.
Regulus had already grown tired of hearing of this new heir and he hadn’t even arrived yet.
“No he is not here thank god.” he sighed “But hey! Yes maybe you should meet him when he comes, maybe she can be your new plan Sirius!” he turned to his brother “Who knows, maybe Marlene will marry him.” he said his tone dripping in sarcasm.
“Marry?” she shot up in her chair. “You’re going to marry the man?” she looked at Sirius just how Regulus had done earlier.
“Oh god no!” Sirius shot back “Why does everyone think I’m off to marry the bloke? Do you know me at all?” he sighed.
“I had suggested Regulus but he shot it down as I thought, I don’t know why I bothered bringing it up” he added.
“Reggie?” she laughed. “Oh Sirius you were too optimistic darling.”
“But it would solve a lot of problems I must admit” she said with a nod.
Two mornings later Regulus was yet again interrupted while Barty was dressing him, with a request from Andromeda to see him.
“Regulus thank god you’re here!” She exclaimed in a hurry the minute he made it down the stairs.
“Woah, Hello to you too.” He yawned “Glad to see me being here is a good thing, but just out of interest where else do you think I would be at half seven in the morning Andy?”
“Oh I would like to think everyone would be here but as it seems you and I are the only ones!” her tone indicated that she was not having a good start to her day.
“Only ones? Where’s Sirius? Where’s Ted?”
“Teds at the lawyers there was some last minute things to sign to do with the inheritance.” she gave a small sigh “And both Sirius and Marlene are gone along with two of the horses, seems like they wanted an early ride.”
“At half seven in the morning?” Regulus exclaimed “Sirius can barely get out of bed before 9 most days.”
“Yes but it is Marlene’s last day and well you know what they’re like with their random plans when they’re together.” she murmured.
And the thing was Regulus did know, he really did. Once when Sirius and Marlene were 13 and Regulus 12, they had planned to run away to London on one of their family’s horses.
It was the day after Regulus had received one of the more prominent scars on his left hip, courtesy of his mother.
Marlene and Sirius immediately decided they would go, that Sirius would find a job in London and they would live there forever. Of course the horse only got as far as the gates of their estate before one of the servants notified their Mother and that was the end of that. Nearly exactly two years after, Regulus and Sirius left home to Eastmeadow and no one was there to stop them then.
“Anyway that doesn’t matter now that you are here.” she said interrupting Regulus’s mind.
“And why exactly is it so good that I am here?” he asked
“There was some mix up and the train is here this morning instead of this afternoon. So my original plan to have all four of us go to greet them is out the window, and now I’m afraid it’s just going to have to be you as I have interviews lined up for my new lady’s maid.” she huffed
“Train? Train for what? Meet who?” Regulus asked still trying to clear his head of sleep.
“Oh Regulus don’t tell me you’ve forgotten! James! James’s train its due to arrive in less than half an hour and I need you to go down to the house and greet them with an invitation to dinner” she pleaded.
“James? The lawyer? Ugh god is that today?” Regulus let out a groan.
“Yes, so could you please finish getting ready and make your way down to the house?”
The original plan to have James stay here with them in Eastwood was changed when James wrote back that considering the fact that him and his mother would be staying for an unforeseen amount of time. They would feel much more comfortable funding somewhere to stay in the town instead of getting in the way.
So Andromeda and Ted compromised with them by giving them one of the family owned cottages down in the town to stay.
All of this in Regulus’s mind was probably the only positive thing about this Lawyer, that he would not be staying with them.
“Wait me? You want me to go? But why? You’ve given them some servants haven’t you? I’m sure they will give them a satisfactory greeting.” Regulus argued.
“Oh stop it Regulus, even you with all your cynical ways know that you must greet your guests.” She said in a huff “Besides you will have to get to know him one way or another at least this way you get the first bit over with.”
“And I have to go alone? Oh Sirius better have some hell of an excuse when he gets back” he groaned yet again.
“Just do it for me Regulus I would really appreciate it.” she said with a smile, that even Regulus couldn’t refuse.
“Oh alright, but it will be a hello, a welcome and a goodbye, that’s all you’ll get from me I’m afraid.”
“And an invitation to tonight’s dinner of course” she added. “And who knows Reggie maybe he’ll surprise you.”
“No one in my 24 years of life has accomplished that Andy, I don’t think a random Lawyer from London will be the first.”