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Regulus was looking through James' old clothes that Euphemia had told him would fit when he found an old photo with two familiar faces. He turned the photo and saw the following inscription:
"The Sweet Patooties -1940"
The image depicted two women smiling at each other, behind them was a lake. Regulus looked carefully at the photo. After a moment, he recognized the two women. Regulus ran into the living room.
“Effie! Effie! He cried. "What is this ?"
Effie was sitting on the couch, James and Sirius by her side. She looked up, Regulus handing her the photo. She smiled wistfully when she saw the photo.
"Ah yes I remember that" She pats the seat in front of her for Regulus. The little boy sat down.
"What's up ama?" Ask James, he seemed really interested in the old photo.
"Just an old photo from my years at Hogwarts," she said sadly.
"That woman on the left," Regulus began. "That's- that's my mother, isn't she?"
"You're crazy Reggie!" Said an offended Sirius. "Why would Mommy Effie hang out with that wicked witch?"
Mommy Effie laughed. “Actually, Sirius, Walburga and I were friends.
"HAVE YOU BEEN FRIENDS?!" Sirius shouted. "HOW IS IT EVEN POSSIBLE?! YOU'RE AN ANGEL AND SHE- SHE IS"
"The devil himself" Regulus finished.
"EXACTLY !!" Sirius continued.
"She wasn't the same back then." Euphemia has begun. "And yes we were friends, on her good days Walburga would say we were sisters..." She sighed and looked at the photo with an extremely sad smile.
"Could you please..." Regulus asked softly. "Tell me - tell us!" He looked at Sirius for agreement and continued. "Stories... if you want of course!"
“Yeah, yeah of course!" She accepted and clung to the photo.
"So in this photo." She began. "It was in our fifth year. We were at the black lake at Hogwarts, and we were joking about our future."
"Your future?" James asked.
"We planned to run away." Effie explained. "We said we were going to move and travel around the world. We were going to go to France to see Paris. It's a good memory."
"What happened ?" Sirius asked. "Why didn't you do it?"
"I think you know the answers sweetheart." She responds sadly. "It was that year that the muggles and muggleborns haters to have influence. His mother, your grandmother, was a strong believer in that ideology."
"Ouch..." Regulus and Sirius said in sync.
"She's a muggleborn hater..." James added.
"Yeah..." she continued. "After that summer, she was completely different. She stopped talking about our plan with me, saying it was a stupid plan and she couldn't stand going to a town full of muggles." She took a deep breath and continued. "She also said that if I really wanted to go to Paris, I could go with that blood traitor , your father." Effie looked at James.
"I'm sorry Effie." said Regulus. "It must be hard to talk about. I'm sorry."
"Oh no honey." She reassured him. "That was thirty-five years ago, I've since moved on. Don't worry." She smiled sadly as the room fell silent.
"What is a Sweet Patooties ?" James asked. Regulus thought he could suck James' cock right now to thank him for changing the subject. Regulus hated seeing Effie sad.
"Sweet Patooties was our nickname." Effie explained. "It's in thirties slang, it means good-looking women. It was your father's idea." When Regulus and Sirius thought she was looking at James, she surprised them by looking at them.
"Our father ?" Sirius shouted.
"Like our father, Orion Black?" said Regulus. "Son of Arcturus Black and Melania McMillan?"
"Himself." Said Effie laughing. "I think he had a little crush on me in third grade."
Sirius and Regulus were shocked. First of all, the sweetest woman in the world was their mother's best friend, the most evil and cruel woman - if you could call it a woman - in the world. And second, their father, the most inhumane and neglectful person in the world had a little crush on the same sweet woman. And finally, these two horrible people got married. The men were too stunned to speak.
"I'm-" Sirius started but failed. "Wow..."
"Take your time boys." Said Euphemia standing up. "I'm going to make some tea, James will you help me?"
James nodded and joined his mother in the kitchen.
Regulus and Sirius remained on the couch. They looked at each other and started laughing.
"Merlin's beard!" Sirius declared.
"Salazar..." Regulus added.
The boys got up and headed for the kitchen.
"Do you have any other stories about our parents?" Sirius asked.
"Did you know who his first love was?" Says Effie.
"Walburga can love?" joked James.
"A boy in Ravenclaw, I think his name was Clark Rosier something like that…" Effie stated.
"Wait Rosier?" Regulus asked.
"Yes Rosier." Euphemia okay.
"Isn't Rosier Pandora and Evan's last name?" James asked.
"Yeah, it's their father!" Informed Regulus. "But why mother didn't marry him?" He's a pureblood and an muggle-borns haters.
“Because of his sister, Druella. Effie explained. "She was promised to Cygnus. And on top of that he fell in love with another woman."
"Wait a fucking minute." Sirius said suddenly. "Are you telling me that Crouch's boyfriend and Pandora are our cousins?"
"Your cousins ?" James wondered. "How ?"
"It's simple." Started Regulus. "Druella Rosier, who is now Druella Black, is our aunt."
James looked at them with a complex look.
"Druella is the mother of Andy, Cissy and Bella." Sirius replied.
"Ooh I see!" Said James.
Effie laughed. "It's crazy how small the world is." She says.
"Do you have any other stories?" Regulus asked.
"Yeah." She responded enthusiastically. "A lot actually."
For the rest of the day, Euphemia told them stories about her years with their mother at Hogwarts.
Someone was knocking at the door.
"Come in !" Screamed Regulus trying to hide the fact that he cried.
"It's me for a goodnight kiss." Said Effie with her warm smile. She approached the bed and sat on its corner. "Darling, you've cried ?" She gently asked.
Regulus wiped his face. "No ?" He was trying to be convincing.
"Regulus darling." Started Euphemia. "No need to hide it to me."
And Regulus knew it. That why he stopped liying.
"I'm just scared." He admited.
"Why are you scared ?" Peacefully asked Effie, she passed her arm around his shoulders.
"It's just that-" Started Regulus, searching for his words. "She was so human ! I just- Imagin if I turned like her ?! Imagine history repeat itself ?!"
Regulus started panicking. It's true when you think about it. His mother wasn't that crual and she dreamed to run away but at the end she turned just like her mother. What if Regulus turned that way too ?
Regulus's heart fast beated in his chest. His breathing was blocked in his throat and his hands started shaking. He felt Euphemia's hand on his shoulder pressing him closer to her. She was practically hugging him.
"Shh darling I'm here..." She reassured him. "I'm here..."
Regulus felt his body calm down and his breathing started to work normally.
"You aren't like her." Said calmly Effie. "I promised that you are not."
"How could you assumes that ?" Stated Regulus. "Why made you think that I'm not like her ?"
"Because you have accepted the help that Sirius and James handed to you." She explained to Regulus while calming him. "Thats made the difference between you two. Maybe she was a beatiful person but she became awful because of her choice. She made her own choices."
"If you say so..." Admitted Regulus.
"You know." Started Effie. "I only have one regret." She taked a breath and continue. "I regretted to not taking her at my home before that summer. I always tell myself that mayby if we've actually moved out that mayby, mayby you and Sirius would have a amazing childhood with a loving mother."
Regulus raised up his head and looked in Euphemia's eyes. They were guilt in it.
"Don't feel guilty." He said to Effie. "Like you said sha made her own choices. She decided to be an awful mother. It's not your fault, you were the best friend that someone can have. Don't feel guilty for the choices that she made."
Euphemia looked at him and hugged him. She murmured a thanks you and kissed his forehead.
"Goodnight Darling..."
"Goodnight Mommy Effie..."
She smiled at him and closed his door.