Chapter Text
Sirius Black needed to be ready an hour ago, but alas, he is not. The official start time for the Black Christmas party was 4 PM sharp but their family motto, besides Toujours Pur, was “if you’re not early, you’re late.” So when he had to be ready by 3:30, he truly had to be ready by 2:30.
“Siri-dear!” his cousin, Bellatrix Black popped her head into his room without knocking and called, “Walbitch is making me tell you that you need to get your arse downstairs, so be ready!” she sang as she waltzed away.
Sirius groaned, grabbing the first robes he saw, throwing them on, tying his hair back in a low pony tail and running downstairs.
“Sirius!” Walburga Black, his mother, said as soon as she saw him, “You were supposed to already be ready, sweetie ,” she said through clenched teeth. Sirius balled his fists trying not to remind her that it was only 3:15.
Instead he said, “Sorry, Mamam, I just wanted to look perfect for our guests.”
“You are a Black, you already are perfection, it’s your birthright.” she sniped, “Now go to your brother's room, I have already sent up your cousins, we do not need children running around messing everything up.” She tentatively patted his head and he went back upstairs.
“Reggie?” Sirius knocked on Regulus Black's door before being tugged into the room, the door swinging shut behind him.
“Where have you been?” Regulus questioned, a scowl forming on his face, “Your tardiness is going to make this night even harder than it has to be.” he began pacing, “Mother is going insane - if she wasn’t already - and worst of all, Lucius Malfoy is coming!”
“Ugh, Malfoy,” Narcissa flopped onto the bed. “I would say he can suck my dick but I do not want him anywhere near me.”
“Aren’t you getting engaged to him?” Sirius asked.
“Don’t remind me,” Narcissa replied, “I fucking hate him, he’s an abusize, rapist, pig, and once we get married I’m going to slowly poison him so I get his money and I can live out my rich woman dreams with Alice.”
“Good luck,” Regulus nodded.
“Where’s Bella?” Sirius changed the subject.
“The sacrifice,” Regulus answered, “We picked her to do the first sweep of the party, she’s the only one who can keep their sanity after getting touched by these people.” Sirius hummed in response.
“Now what,” he said after approximately ten seconds of silence.
“Now we wait and enjoy silence until Trixie comes to get us,” Narcissa responded, “But since you can’t sit still for five seconds, here, play with this,” tossed him a cube with different color facets.
“What’s this?”
“It’s called a Rubex cube, try to get all the same colors on the same side by twisting it, Alice showed it to me, it’s a muggle invention.” she explained and Sirius began trying to solve the cube. After many failed attempts Bellatrix showed up at the door.
“Time to go, I believe in us,” they took a deep breath, trying to preserve the last sounds of quiet and peace before heading downstairs.
Immediately, the four were split up, Narcissa’s arm got hooked with Lucius’ and she was led off to the study, Bellatrix was cornered by Roldulphus, Regulus walked to another corner of the room, trying to blend into the shadows, and Sirius wound up in a conversation with his great aunts’ cousins three times removed, or something, Odessa Lestrange.
“Mudbloods just don’t deserve the rights as us good one, you know,” her wine sloshed dangerously close to the edge of her glass, Sirius rolled his eyes, and she was too drunk - already - to notice.
But for once, he was actually saved by his mother who grabbed him by his arm and whisked him away.
“Library, now.” Her claw dug into his skin, through his robes.
He didn’t argue, he walked into the library, a mile long stare at the rows of books in front of him.
Walburga sighed, “What I’m about to say, I’d just like to preface, is not easy.” She took a deep breath before saying, “Your Uncle Alphard has died, he has surprisingly left you almost everything he owned.”
“What?” Sirius rasped, he was tempted to ask if she was kidding, but his mother didn’t kid. “How?”
“Mudblood car crash. You will not attend the funeral, you will not move into his house, but you will have his money and his possessions, those are my terms.”
“Terms?” he squawked, “For what?! He gave me those things, I should be able to use them!”
“You are not of age yet, as your… parent. I can and will if necessary withhold them until you agree.”
Sirius felt like he was going to be sick. His favorite uncle was dead, he gave him all his stuff, and now his mother was going to withhold all that stuff. “Isn’t the house mine? When I’m older I could move in there.”
“No, he left his house to his… friend, Fleamont .” She spat out the name.
“Fleamont? As in Fleamont Potter?” Sirius gasped.
“Yes.”
“Why?”
“I do not know, they were friends back at school,” Walburga’s voice was emotionless, her eyes far away in memories from her youth.
Sirius sighed, what other choice did he have, he needed his uncle's stuff, “I will agree to your terms.”
“Good, now return to the party.” Walburga said, turning to the fire beside them, her eyes watering. Sirius didn’t know why so he quietly returned downstairs.
The commotion in the parlor had only worsened, someone was in a body bind, floating in the air, he didn’t know who was floating and who was binding them but he didn’t want to know: he kept his eyes on the floor. Cackling laughter made him jump, the floor was sticky from spilled wine, his eyes stung from grief.
Slinking back upstairs, he slipped into his room, only to find Regulus curled up on his bed.
“Regulus?” he said, “What happened?” A garbled groan was the only answer so Sirius crawled in next to him, finally letting his tears come. “Alphards dead.”
“What?” Regulus looked up to him from his fetal position.
“Car crash, he left me everything except his house, which he gave to Fleamont Potter, Prongs’ dad.”
“Fuck,” Regulus said, “And I thought my night was bad.” He said more to himself than Sirius. “Happy Christmas, Sirius.” The boy whispered into the dark.
“Happy Christmas, Regulus.” Sirius whispered back, not caring that they would probably be in trouble for staying upstairs during a party the next day, people only noticed them when they were in trouble anyway.