Chapter Text
James Potter.
Sirius’s energetic friend. A boy of barely thirteen had arrived at the Black mansion, ready to spend the holidays with his friend’s family. The idea, admittedly, could seem rather unappealing to any child his age—at least to anyone who knew the Black family.
Upon taking in how ominous his friend’s home appeared, he reconsidered his decision for the second time—to spend nearly two months with the Black family. He could still back out and write a letter to his parents, asking them to come for him as soon as possible. He quickly dismissed the thought. He could not do that to Sirius. He would endure it. Well… as much as he could.
Stepping inside made his stomach churn. He expected the worst. Every step felt heavy, as though he were walking straight towards his death sentence. At last, the door opened.
The interior of the house was just as intimidating: an entrance hall almost completely dark, barely illuminated by the soft light of a chandelier. On the central table stood a large bouquet of pink hydrangeas submerged in water. James was certain it would be the most colourful thing he would see during his entire stay.
A raspy voice pulled him from his thoughts.
—Young Master Sirius. —said a rather unpleasant-looking house-elf — You are late. Everyone is waiting for you in the dining room.
With a snap, and as was customary for elves, it disappeared.
—Come on, James. —Sirius said. —Before we provoke the fury of my beloved mother.
Sirius’s beloved mother.
James knew enough about her to fear for his wellbeing during those holidays.
They walked down a corridor that seemed endless to him. The walls were covered in portraits that murmured amongst themselves and watched him with open disdain. He was certain he heard at least three remarks judging him. It was then that an enormous tapestry appeared before them, covering a large portion of the wall.
There were far too many faces. He found the way they were depicted oddly amusing.
Sirius noticed his interest.
—It’s my family tree. —he explained. — Every birth is recorded here.
—Then why are there burned patches? — James asked, pointing to several blackened gaps.
—Er… those are the ones who, in one way or another, brought disgrace upon the family.
A sad grimace crossed his face. James did not have the courage to ask any more. The conversation did not continue.
Reaching the dining room left him feeling suffocated. Eight pairs of eyes fixed on them at once. James noticed two blond heads that stood out clearly from the rest, all of whom had black hair.
—You are late, Sirius. — his beloved mother scolded.
Walburga Black sat in the first seat on the left side of the table. She was an intimidating woman: pale skin, dark eyes, and black hair perfectly arranged. Her posture was so impeccable that she seemed to be part of the furniture itself.
—As usual. — Sirius replied.
He flashed a cheeky smile and took his mother’s hand to kiss it. Walburga then turned her gaze to James, studying him closely.
—This is James Potter. — Sirius introduced him with a slight nod of his head.
—Potter. — commented a blond woman. — Fortunately, pure-blood.
James saw the first smile of the evening. The woman smiled directly at him. She was beautiful.
Sirius guided him to their seats. Once seated, James carefully observed every person at the table.
At the head sat a man with black hair and beard; judging by his position, James assumed he was Sirius’s father. To his right was another dark-haired man who struck him as even more intimidating. Beside him sat the blond woman who had spoken earlier, and next to her, a boy slightly younger than they were, also with black hair.
To the boy’s right was another blond head. James assumed she was the blond woman’s daughter. They were very alike: fair hair, light eyes. Both stood out among the rest.
James watched her longer than he should have. She was very beautiful.
He was so focused on looking at her that he did not notice when she turned her head. Their gazes met. James immediately looked away, embarrassed, and continued scanning the table.
On the left side sat Walburga, followed by Sirius and then himself. To his left were two intimidating figures: a woman and a man, both with black, wavy hair. Some seemed interested in his presence, while others ignored him entirely.
Sirius noticed how James assessed each person and decided to introduce them quietly.
—My father. —he whispered, pointing to the man at the head of the table. —Orion Black.
Orion lifted his gaze and gave a brief nod.
—That one there is Cygnus, my uncle. —he continued. — And the blond woman is Druella, my aunt.
She offered him a soft, elegant smile before returning her attention to the adults’ conversation.
—The boy is Regulus. — he added. —He’s my brother.
Regulus glanced at him for a moment before turning his attention back to the pretty blond girl, whose name James still did not know.
—The blond one. — he lowered his voice even further. — She’s my cousin, Narcissa.
Ah. Narcissa.
James’s throat went dry.
—And beside you. — he continued almost in a whisper. — Are Bellatrix, my cousin, and her husband, Rodolphus Lestrange.
Both turned at the same time. Bellatrix smiled in a way that made James shiver.
—So, Potter. —she said, arching an eyebrow. — You’re smaller than I imagined.
The ogre she had for a husband nodded and smiled as well.
James decided, at that precise moment, that he did not like either of them.
Sirius scanned the table, checking if anyone was missing. His eyes stopped on the empty seat beside Narcissa. James noticed it too: a full place setting had been laid there, something not repeated at the other empty seats.
—Lucius hasn’t arrived yet. — Sirius said with a grimace of distaste. — He’s always late.
—Who is…?
James did not manage to finish the question.
A tall figure entered the dining room.
He was a very young adult. He appeared older than the cousins, yet considerably younger than the adults. Tall, blond, well-built. James might have considered him handsome were it not for the arrogant expression on his face, something he immediately disliked.
He walked calmly to his seat beside Narcissa. The colour of his hair made James briefly think they might be siblings, but upon closer inspection he changed his mind. They did not resemble each other at all, not even the shade of blond. His contrasted less with the surroundings; it was clear he did not belong to the family.
—Good evening. —he said calmly. — Apologies for the delay.
—Think nothing of it, dear. —Walburga smiled, making an elegant gesture with her hand. — Much work at the Ministry?
—That’s Lucius Malfoy, Narcissa’s fiancé. —Sirius whispered. — A giant baby, spoiled, far too arrogant and showy.
James looked up and agreed.
He watched Lucius share knowing smiles with Narcissa. Uncomfortable, he lowered his gaze to his plate.
—Very well. —Orion said, setting his glass of spirits down on the table. —Now that we are all here, dinner may begin.
Dinner began in an uncomfortable silence. James silently begged for it to end soon. He felt completely out of place. There were so many pieces of cutlery on the table that he had no idea which one to use. Mimicking Sirius’s movements seemed the wisest option.
It did not take long for Sirius’s dark-haired cousin to notice.
—I didn’t know Sirius’s friend was a mirror. — Bellatrix mocked, amused.
The enormous dog beside her—Rodolphus—laughed deeply.
—Bella —Druella intervened. — Leave him be, he’s learning.
James decided to ignore them and focus on his plate.
Walburga then turned her attention to him.
—Potter —she said. — Have your parents raised you properly?
James stiffened.
—I think so, madam.
—You think?
—Well… yes.
Walburga studied him in silence for several seconds. James felt as though he were being assessed like part of the menu.
—At least he doesn’t seem ill-mannered —she concluded. — Sirius, take note.
—I always do, Mother. —he replied, with no intention whatsoever of doing so.
Regulus kept his head down, focused on his meal. Orion remained silent. Rodolphus spoke little throughout the dinner, limiting himself to nodding whenever Bellatrix spoke with excessive enthusiasm.
—How long will Potter be staying? —Druella asked.
—All summer. — Sirius answered before his mother could.
Walburga raised an eyebrow.
—Let us hope he knows how to behave.
James swallowed.
—I will do my best, madam.
—I certainly hope so.
Dinner continued without further direct remarks, but James knew every one of his movements was being observed.
At times, he allowed his mind to wander through the conversations around him, in a futile attempt to dispel his boredom.
The adults and Lucius spoke of the Ministry, using words he did not understand but which sounded important. Lucius stroked Narcissa’s hand beneath the table. Regulus and the couple beside him spoke of Hogwarts and other topics James found dull. Narcissa and Sirius spoke enthusiastically about Quidditch; that conversation interested him, but he did not dare to intrude.
Dinner was exhausting. He felt as though he could not breathe there for another second.
Seeing Cygnus rise from the table felt like a victory: the torture was over. After him, everyone stood and gave thanks for the meal.
Sirius led him to the room they would share. Along the way, James noticed that the house was as intimidating as its inhabitants: dark, barely lit by warm lights that only appeared comforting, for in truth they made him even more uneasy. Judging portraits, paintings depicting horrible events, and, to make matters worse, several unicorn heads adorning the walls like trophies.
They were going to be dreadful holidays.