Chapter Text
July, 1965
The manor his family was staying in was glorious. Alphard had stayed in his fair share of luxury estates over the years, but that one surely breached the top five. It was hardly a shabby cabin in the woods, as his uncle described it in the letter inviting him.
His cousin was travelling to France to close a deal with an investor in some land their family owned. Even while mostly being out of the loop all summer, too busy organizing appointments and preparing end-of-life arrangements for his father, Alphard was aware of that much. Somewhere along the line, someone had decided to turn the trip into a family vacation. Merlin knows why. As if they had ever managed one of those without a new family rivalry or two coming out of it.
Alphard had been in no mood to tolerate a business trip, let alone a family reunion, but he could not disregard an invitation from the former head of his house. And so, he reluctantly travelled out to Dover, Kent, where the remainder of his family was lodging while Orion did business in France.
His arrival got mixed reactions. Uncle Arcturus and Aunt Melania swiftly came out to offer polite greetings and their well-wishes for his father. Their son, on the other hand, did not bother leaving his study to welcome Alphard, despite the need for the pair to work together before Orion met with investors.
Alphard's brother, Cygnus, had only offered a half-hearted greeting and asked after their father's health in a bored tone. It was a rather ridiculous question when Cygnus lived in the same house as their father, and Alphard did not. His brother never spoke to their father or bothered to check in on him, though, avoiding their father's wing of the manor as though his life depended on it. Druella, his brother's wife, did not even offer up that much, not uttering a word to him.
Alphard was not surprised that the couple was maintaining a cold shoulder toward him. The last conversation he had with the pair had been an explosive argument about how they responded to their middle daughter's behaviour. Neither seemed keen to forgive him for the quarrel just yet.
His sister had been a different story. Despite only being apart for a few weeks, she had eagerly greeted him.
"Alphard," Walburga truly sounded happy, an emotion she rarely expressed those days. She embraced him briefly with one arm before she gestured him inside. "I will show you to your room."
Alphard did not mind the excuse to depart from the tense greeting he received at the front door. His uncle and aunt were hardly the best company, and Cygnus and his wife were making their displeasure at his presence well known. He would much rather escape to a private space with his sister.
Since their father had grown ill, they had seen much less of each other than usual. Before that, though, they had been inseparable. The pair had only been born a year and a half apart, making them lifelong companions from the start. They had been raised in the same strict regime - one that their significantly younger brother mostly avoided purely out of luck -, attended school together, and safeguarded each other's secrets.
Ever since his sister had been forced into a marriage with their younger cousin, his sister's life had become harrowing. Between being forced to wait for Orion to reach manhood, her struggles to produce an heir, and their cousin's ever-enduring loathing for her, the girl could not get a break. Alphard had stayed close to look out for her every step of the way.
"I am ever so relieved you are here," Walburga confessed once they were beyond audible distance from the others. "The bleak company here has been driving me up the wall."
Alphard could not restrain his smile. His sister tended to draw the best out of him, and vice versa. They had their differences, certainly, but in many ways, they saw the world in the same light and understood that they needed to protect each other in the family. They both were in precarious positions despite their proximity to the top. Walburga was married to the head of the house and mother to the future heir, but she was constantly stifled for the crime of being born a woman and because of her poor relationship with her husband. Alphard, on the other hand, had recently been named functional heir until Sirius turned seventeen. Despite being made his cousin's heir, Orion had only treated him as a greater threat ever since.
Alphard and Walburga were both at a disadvantage in some ways and had recognized that having each other's backs benefited them both. Their alliance only made Orion's passive aggressiveness toward them greater, but between the two of them, they learned how to navigate whatever he threw at them. Their father had not raised them to be fools - they knew very well what a member of the House of Black must do to survive.
"I would have come sooner if father could afford it," Alphard sighed, shaking his head. "I do not believe he has much time left. I will stay a few days to review the proposal with Orion, but I must return to him as soon as possible." He pursed his lips, giving her a side-eyed look. "I implore you to reconsider visiting him. He might be passed before your vacation ends."
His sister's lips twisted, briefly. She did not seem particularly moved by his reports. "Visiting him will do nothing to slow his passing. It is what it is."
Alphard wet his lips with his tongue. He was struggling to understand why Walburga refused to wish their father farewell. He knew they had not gotten along well in recent years, if they ever had. His father forcing her into an unhappy betrothal with their much younger cousin had been the final nail in the coffin of their relationship, most likely. His sister had never been able to forgive him, always seeing the move as their father putting his ambition of having his bloodline in the dominant line of their family before her happiness and quality of life.
It was hard to argue with her reasoning, but their father was the only parent they had left, and in his own way, had cared deeply for all of his children. Alphard truly believed his father made that arrangement since he thought it was the best he could do for Walburga, placing her at the heart of their family.
"It will not prevent him from dying," He agreed, scornfully. "That is not why I am suggesting you see him. Do you not wish to say goodbye or allow him to impart any final words to you?"
Walburga blinked a few times. "No," she said coolly. "If you so desperately need someone to stroke his ego, then force Cygnus to attend to him. Our father is leaving him the manor, after all, he has something to express gratitude for. What could I possibly say to him? I have woes of my own to deal with."
Alphard shook his head, giving up on the conversation. His sister was unmovable once she set her mind to something. She had decided never forgive their father for the betrothal fourteen years ago, and she had stuck to her word. She played her part, did her duty, and remained civil with him in the years that followed, but she never regarded him as her father again.
"Cygnus cannot be bothered to walk down a hallway to visit him," Alphard replied dryly. "Father has not seen him in months."
"Yes, well," Walburga scoffed, her nose lifting, "Our brother is very much a petulant child. Father did not give him enough attention as a boy, or so he says."
Their brother's loathing for their father was even more difficult to comprehend. Sure, he had seen much less of the man than his older siblings had. Cygnus had been a surprise child born six years after Walburga, and by then, their father had grown weary of parenting. When Alphard graduated from Hogwarts and returned home to work at his father's side, he had become more of a parental figure for his brother than his father had been. His brother had never developed a relationship with the man in the first place, he supposed, and eternally held it against him.
Walburga led him to a set of heavy wooden doors on the second floor of the estate. "Your room," she said primly.
"Thank you," Alphard replied, giving her a fond smile. "I wish I could stay longer. I am only weary of leaving our father for long."
Walburga waved one hand dismissively. "Yes, I know. He is your father, which is more than the rest of us can truly say. I am not faulting you for wishing to see him off, even if I do not share this urge. I am pleased you are here for however long you can stay."
"I know," Alphard agreed. Despite his sister's troubled relationship with their father, she had never resented Alphard for maintaining close ties with their father. She seemed to understand the value of having a senior member of the family on one's side, as well. She had gone to their Uncle Arcturus, her father-in-law, for counsel and advice instead.
A sudden slam of a door below disturbed the peaceful atmosphere within the estate. Suddenly, squeaks could be heard from boots on the ground floor as someone darted about. The door slammed a second time, followed by a few voices.
"Come back here!" His niece could be heard laughing, which was rarely a good sign. Bellatrix was not known to laugh for any pleasant reason, usually.
"No," a familiar, boisterous voice hollered. "Get away from me!"
Walburga turned toward the railing at the sound of her son's voice. Alphard followed after her, eager to see his nephew.
"Sirius," Walburga huffed when she caught a glimpse of her son. "How in the world did you dirty your clothes to that degree?"
Alphard had to stifle a laugh when he caught a glimpse of the boy. His six-year-old nephew was wild to the core, something that tested his sister's patience to no end. Unlike his younger brother, who was quiet and well-behaved, Sirius had been adventurous, inquisitive, and strong-willed from birth. The boy had gotten himself into no shortage of mischief.
Right then, the boy was covered from head to toe in wet mud, only bits drying on the edge of his top and shorts, forming crusty and cracked layers of dried mud. The boy's hair was in a similar state, though the finger streaks on his face showed he had tried to rub some dirt away. He pointed an accusing finger at his cousin. "It's her fault! She will not stop stamping me. I was trying to get away and did not see the puddle."
Bellatrix, the child he was pointing at, turned to smile at her aunt. Her expression was bright and mischievous as she tucked her hands behind her back. "I was only playing with him, Aunt, really. I did not expect him to fall into the mud puddle."
"She is stamping me," Sirius insisted, pulling up his sleeve to show off his forearm. Even from the floor above, Alphard could make out the rectangular stamp inked on the boy's skin. It looked like a stamp they'd use to sign off on a letter.
Bellatrix only chuckled in response, swaying her skirt back and forth, her hands still tucked behind her back. She was likely holding the stamp back there, he figured.
"You should not be tracking mud into the manor, regardless," Walburga scolded her son. She turned to Alphard and lowered her voice. "Would you retrieve the stamp from that incorrigible child? If I so much as breathe a word in her direction, I will need to hear about it endlessly from her parents."
Alphard hardly thought he was in a better position to reprimand Bellatrix, given how cold her parents had been when greeting him minutes earlier, but he obliged. He left his suitcase outside his assigned bedroom to head down the stairs.
The two children below finally seemed to realize Alphard was there as he travelled closer. Bellatrix's nose wrinkled up in disgust, but Sirius' face brightened. The boy ran up to greet him as he neared the bottom step, enthusiastically.
"Uncle Alphard!" The boy tried to fling himself into his arms. "I did not know you were coming!"
Alphard laughed, holding the boy out at arm's length. "Do me a favour and change out of that filth first, would you?"
Sirius withdrew sheepishly. "Oh, yeah," he giggled, flicking his sleeves until a few drops of mud dripped off. "I forgot."
"To the bathtub, now," Walburga ordered her son, growing more distressed the longer he dripped mud everywhere. "Now, I must locate the house elves. Must you always find mischief?"
Alphard's attention had turned to the other culprit, though, moving closer until he was standing across from his niece.
She gifted him a phony smile, looking as unhappy to see him as her parents had been. "Uncle." She greeted him.
"Bellatrix," He replied, holding out a hand. "Let me see it."
The girl hesitated. He could see his niece's mind whirling as she contemplated whether or not it was worth fighting his order or denying the existence of the stamp.
"Must I call for your parents?" Alphard asked sternly.
Alphard hoped she would fold before he needed to carry through with his threat. Druella would flip if she discovered the first thing he did after arriving was scold her daughter. She was very protective of her rebellious daughter, especially from senior members of the family who turned their noses up at her so-called unladylike antics - on both the Black and Rosier sides. Druella had a similar temperament in her youth, his brother told him once, and wished to protect her daughter from the same humiliating treatment she had endured.
Bellatrix rolled her eyes, exasperated, but she thrust the stamp over. It was a large stamp carved out of wood with a golden handle. There was no ink pad attached, but the stamp was still damp with fresh ink. She crossed her arms over her chest. "You must be the least fun person on the planet."
"Hmm," Alphard hummed in response, not caring if she gave a bit of cheek so long as she did as she was told. "A stamp is not a toy. I will be keeping this."
"Fine," Bellatrix said, her eyes widening mockingly. She whirled on her heel, stomping off toward the door she entered from.
Alphard was alone when he turned back toward the stairs. He supposed his sister went for the house elves, and his nephew took his dirty self to a bathtub. There would be time to speak to them all later. He ought to settle in and locate his cousin, then get started on finalizing the proposal, as much as he would rather stay away from the surly fellow.
He located Orion in a spacious study on the first floor. Bookshelves were covering all four walls, besides the patch behind the main desk, which contained sets of windows. From there, the children could be seen running around in the yard.
Orion had been thoroughly ungrateful for the effort it took to come out there. "Your presence is not necessary," He drawled out when Alphard explained he had been invited. "I have completed the proposal. I suppose you might as well review it if you are here anyway, but it is not needed."
Alphard was unsurprised to hear that his cousin and his uncle were not on the same page. When were they ever? "Your father wished for me to work on the proposal since the hospital deal was rejected." He referred back to a failed attempt they had made to sell some land to the ministry a few years back - a failure Uncle Arcturus largely blamed on Orion over the poor proposal he had developed. "Your father had me seek extra counsel from lawyers to craft proposals afterward. I created the final drafts for his last few proposals."
Orion craned an eyebrow, sensing what he was getting at. "I drafted the hospital deal shortly after I was first named head. I was hardly aware of how to do it. That is not the case anymore."
Alphard did not bother stating how doubtful he was of that being true. Despite all of the heir preparation his cousin had undergone, he did everything sloppily and half-heartedly. Alphard was constantly retracing his cousin's steps to edit out errors. The mistakes had gotten so frequent that the family had decided to move their finances largely to Cygnus' role to lessen the accounting errors being made.
Orion gave him a dark look. "Do not be so brazen to presume I need assistance from you, no matter what my father says."
Alphard did not reply.
Orion was significantly younger than him, something that was a thorn in both of their sides. He was twenty-seven then, but had only been twenty-four when he took over as the head of their house upon Uncle Arcturus' retirement. Far too young for such a steep responsibility, Alphard had thought. And when it came to his cousin, well, another decade might have been needed before the man had the maturity to think of anyone beyond himself. His sullen cousin was still driven solely by his impulses and pride.
Everything had been simpler when Uncle Arcturus was still running the family. His uncle had been fond of him and gave him plenty of responsibility. It did not matter how much his cousin resented his being around when his uncle remained in control. Between his connections with Uncle Arcturus and Walburga, Alphard had access to whatever he wished to be involved in. Everything changed when his uncle retired at the age of sixty-one, leaving the family to his son.
Many years earlier, when Alphard had been a boy, he had been his uncle's heir and seemed destined to be the next head of their family after his uncle made many failed attempts to birth an heir. Alphard’s father had never gotten over how Arcturus finally produced a son eight years later. The man prepared Alphard as though he was still destined to be head of the family, regardless. All of his father's efforts had been in vain. His cousin had been made head of the family three years back and had done everything in his power to ostracize Alphard ever since.
"You can review the proposal," Orion went on, pushing a folder across his desk absent-mindedly. "Though, not a single alteration will be made without my say so."
"Very well," Alphard agreed, carefully concealing his frustration. It would be a rough few days with his ghastly cousin.
Alphard escaped the man's study and relocated to a chair at the end of a long table at the center of the main floor. He had nearly gotten to the end of the proposal before voices were ringing through the halls again. The children must have been beckoned inside, as all were soon drifting through the manor.
His presence was soon spotted.
"Hello, Uncle," Andromeda interrupted him brightly, her face lifting with a genuine smile. The girl was as sweet as pie, and his brother's favourite child. She could do no wrong in his eyes.
"It is nice to see you, Andromeda," He replied, dropping the proposal down and holding out an arm for a quick hug. It had been a while since he had seen Cygnus' three girls. Their parents had been avoiding family events for some time.
Narcissa approached him stiffly once her older sister backed off, holding out a hand as an offering. "Hello, Uncle Alphard," She said, her expression strangely glum.
Alphard was surprised by her demeanour. He didn't know the girl well, but she had seemed pleasant when they interacted in the past, with perfect manners and decorum. She surely never had a frown on her lips when saying hello before. He wondered if the girl was somehow aware of the tension between her family and him, but that would be a bit absurd for a six-year-old.
"Hello," Alphard said, carefully, accepting her handshake. "Is everything okay?"
The girl nodded her head quickly.
"Narcissa," Druella's voice came from down the hall. She had appeared in the corridor and caught a glimpse of her daughter before him. She did not look pleased about it. "Go get dressed for supper, dear." She said quickly, though she clearly only meant to get the girl away from him.
Alphard let the child slip off, giving Druella a thin-lipped smile. Hell, she was so dramatic and unreasonable. He had no intention of hurting her children. He had only voiced some concerns he had over the lack of direction Cygnus bothered to give his daughters, especially since one seemed to desperately need it. The girl's parents had taken the arguments as a personal attack on their daughter and their parenting.
Druella only gave him a cool look in return, then held her arm out to gesture to her other daughter. "Come along, Andromeda."
Her daughter gave Alphard a helpless smile, likely being old enough to pick up on the tension, before she hurried to her mother. Druella whisked her elsewhere in no time.
Alphard was left alone in the main room with his younger nephew, who was still removing his shoes. He could hear his uncle and aunt speaking in the kitchen area, and Sirius muttering to a house elf somewhere nearby, but he was glad to have a moment alone with the youngest member of their family.
"Hello, Regulus," He greeted the child gently.
Walburga's younger son was a nervous thing, Alphard knew from past encounters. He had once raised his voice to grab the boy's attention after the child dumped a bucket of sand on his brother, and the boy had instantly been reduced to tears. Alphard had been careful to watch himself around the child ever since, not meaning to cause unnecessary distress.
It was a trait the family was hopeful Regulus would outgrow, as he was only five years old then. The boy was so resistant to speaking to adults that his sister had once feared her son had a speech delay. After meeting with several specialists, they had been informed that since Regulus had no issues speaking to his brother and cousins, only to his parents and elders, there were no speech deficits. Rather, it was a matter of anxiety or fear.
Regulus turned, clasping his hands. "Hi, Uncle Alphard."
"What were you doing outside?" He asked.
Regulus seemed lost on how to answer that, chewing on his bottom lip for a beat before he replied. "Playing."
"You do not say," Alphard chuckled. He knew forcing the boy into conversation rarely got any pleasant interactions. His best moments with the boy were after he tried to play with him without talking much. The child usually calmed down and seemed less nervous when he took that approach. "Do you need to change out of your play clothes before supper?"
Regulus nodded. His eyes widened after a moment, as if he just remembered something. "Yes, sir," he said hurriedly.
Alphard was not sure why the boy seemed nervous. Perhaps the child had been reprimanded for not responding verbally. He gestured toward the stairs. "Go on and get changed then."
The little boy was happy to comply, hurrying off up the stairs. Soon, he could hear a muffled conversation picking up between Regulus and Narcissa somewhere upstairs.
Sirius was the first to return to the main floor, the boy in pristine condition once the house elves fixed him up. He jumped down the last few steps, then bolted up to Alphard's side.
Alphard caught the child when he climbed into his arms, laughing softly. "Hello, silly. It has been a few weeks."
"Yes!" Sirius agreed and patted his hands on Alphard's chest. "It has been so long! Are you going to stay? Mum said you have to stay with Grandsire Pollux because he is ill, but I don't really care, because he is quite mean, and I wanted you to come play-"
"Sirius," Walburga interrupted, appearing at the railing above them. "Surely, I am not hearing you disrespect your grandsire."
Sirius closed his mouth quickly, but he only sent a petulant expression at his mother in response.
Walburga waved him closer. "Come back upstairs at once. You are not leaving your room in this state of disarray."
"Aw, the critters can clean it," Sirius complained.
"Critters?" Alphard questioned.
"Kreacher and the rest of them," Sirius explained, primly, his face twisting into a nasty expression.
Alphard frowned, finding that nickname a bit mean-spirited.
"You will tidy it up," Walburga insisted, firmly. "Upstairs, now. If I must tell you again, I will do so with my hairbrush."
Sirius exhaled dramatically, then he pushed away from the table. He skipped up the stairs again, not looking the least bit deterred by his mother's sour mood, even if he complied.
Alphard chuckled as he watched the boy disappear into his bedroom. Walburga went after him, likely to ensure he cleaned it up. His sister sure had her hands full with that bugger.
Narcissa and Bellatrix avoided him when they passed on their way to the dining hall. Alphard did not bother trying to speak to either, knowing that their mother wanted to keep him away from them. His overzealous sister-in-law always got her way.
He had finished reviewing the proposal and wrote a few thoughts down on a spare parchment to give to his cousin as suggestions, not alterations, as Orion had demanded, when a blur of movement above him caught his attention.
Alphard peered through the upstairs railing, noticing that the door leading into the bedroom he was rooming in was shifting, ever so slightly. When he leaned back, he could see a little boy silently scampering away from his door.
Alphard watched, a bit dumbfounded, as Regulus tried to slip back into his bedroom without drawing any eyes.
"Regulus," He intervened, slowly rising to his feet so he had a better view of the boy.
Regulus whirled, his hands slipping behind his back, just as Bellatrix's had when she was trying to hide something from him.
Alphard gave the boy an assessing look, still completely lost on why the boy might have been going through his room, and what he was hiding behind him. "Did you go into my bedroom?"
Regulus shook his head no, swiftly. The panicked expression on his face suggested his answer was far from true.
Alphard closed the folder on the table before him slowly, keeping his eyes on the child as he stepped closer to the stairs. "Come downstairs." He ordered firmly.
Regulus looked petrified, but he followed the order anyway. The boy was usually very well-behaved, his sister often told him, but he was so horribly weak and timid, in her words.
Alphard waited till his nephew was standing before him. He could already see light reflecting off the gradual wetness in the boy's eyes. He had not said a word yet, and the child was tearing up. "Let me see what you are holding behind your back."
Regulus did not reply or move to offer up what he was hiding. He blinked hard a few times, chewing on his lip roughly.
Alphard sighed before he stepped forward, reaching around the child to pull the item in his hands free. A moment later, he found himself holding the stamp he had taken from another child earlier that day. His eyebrows furrowed. "Why did you take the stamp from my room, Regulus?"
The boy did not reply.
Alphard tried a different approach. "Did Bellatrix request that you retrieve this?"
"No, sir," Regulus replied quickly. His eyes were dropping down to his feet, sheepishly.
Alphard cupped the lad's chin and forced him to meet his eye. "You can tell me if your cousin told you to do this."
"No one told me to," Regulus insisted. "I wanted to get it for her."
Alphard raised his eyebrows, surprised. Neither Sirius nor Regulus seemed to get along with Bellatrix, even if they were close with her two sisters. It seemed odd that the boy would wish to help her. "You wanted to retrieve the stamp for Bellatrix?" He clarified, slowly.
"For Cissa," Regulus replied, his words almost a whisper.
Now, Alphard was truly stumped. "Why would Narcissa want the stamp?" When he gave the stamp in his hands a better look, though, he answered his own question. Upon closer inspection, he could make out a phrase ingrained in the material: ‘From the library of Narcissa Black’. Alphard chuckled. "Ah, this belongs to Narcissa, not Bellatrix, doesn't it?"
Regulus nodded, still nervous.
That explained the girl's mood and why Regulus felt obligated to rescue it for a cousin he seemed closer to. It was still surprising, regardless, that the child would have the nerve to sneak into an adult's room and take something. Perhaps the boy wasn't as innocent as his mother made him out to be.
"Well, she or you could have told me that." Alphard sighed, giving the boy a long look. "You cannot go into adult's rooms and take things that do not belong to you, son." He peered up the stairs, debating whether he ought to call for his sister. He probably should, even if the boy's intentions had been kind. It was still bad behaviour. "That was rather naughty of you, Regulus. I am going to need to tell your mother about this."
"About what?" A deep voice asked behind him, causing Alphard to straighten up, as if he were the misbehaving child being caught red-handed, not the little boy before him.
His uncle was approaching, surveying Regulus mercilessly. The man's expression gave Alphard the sense that his uncle was not particularly fond of the child. The child’s timidness must drive him nuts. His uncle, similar to Walburga, saw that personality trait to be nothing more than weakness, which he had no tolerance for. Despite how bad Sirius could be, many senior members preferred him to his little brother, seeing Sirius' faults as something that was easier to correct than what they deemed to be evidence of a flawed or weak character.
Regulus was shrinking under his grandsire's gaze.
"Well?" Uncle Arcturus asked, giving Alphard a side-eyed look.
Alphard did not wish to embarrass the child, but he was hardly going to disobey an order from his uncle. Even if his uncle was no longer the true head of the family, Alphard had become so accustomed to doing everything humanly possible to please the man that it was a habit he would surely never outgrow.
"Regulus went into my room to get a stamp I confiscated from one of the others earlier," he explained quickly. "I was going to inform Walburga. She is upstairs."
A flicker of interest showed on Uncle Arcturus' face, as though Alphard had handed him a long-awaited trigger. He almost looked smug as he turned, calling for his son. "Orion!"
Alphard could see his nephew flinch. He supposed the prospect of his father getting involved was a worse threat than being told his mother would be informed.
Orion had the guts not to respond right away. Alphard would have come running the second his father called his name in that tone, but his cousin took at least twenty seconds to exit his study. "Yes?" He finally called back.
"Do not call across the manor," Uncle Arcturus was telling his son off, as though he was still a boy, not in his late twenties and running the whole family. "Come over here to speak to me."
Orion exhaled, but he obliged, sauntering over slowly with a blank expression on his face. He did not even glance at Alphard or Regulus when he paused a meter away, his eyes remaining on Uncle Arcturus. "Yes?" He repeated, his voice empty.
His uncle gestured at Regulus with a thrust of his chin. "Your so-called well-behaved child was sneaking through an adult's bedroom and stole something."
Orion's mouth opened slightly, and his eyes shifted, assessing Alphard and then finally, his son. "What did he take?"
"A stamp," Alphard explained, faintly. He felt very sorry for allowing his nephew's stunt become such a public affair. The child must be petrified. "I confiscated it from Bellatrix earlier since she was using it in inappropriate ways, but it had actually belonged to her sister. Regulus tried to retrieve it for Narcissa."
Orion addressed his son. "You did that?"
Regulus' eyes were bulging. "Yes, sir," He got out, ever so softly.
Orion's face twisted with annoyance. He seemed more annoyed that his father had something to criticize him over than the boy's actual misbehaviour. "Hmm."
Uncle Arcturus was watching Orion, incredulously. "Well? Do enlighten us on how you will handle this situation with your impeccable parenting skills."
Orion's face darkened, but he did not reply.
"The boy needs discipline," His uncle went on.
"I am his father," Orion said in a measured tone. "I will decide what he needs."
Alphard sucked in on his breath, sensing he was about to get caught in the middle of an argument between his cousin and uncle. He gave the child before him a pitying look. The poor boy probably did not even realize the argument had little to do with him. Uncle Arcturus seemed eager to start a conversation with his son and had used the situation to force one along.
Uncle Arcturus' temper flared. "Yes, we are all perfectly aware that he is your son. Both of your offspring are as uncivilized as they come, and they are meant to be the future leaders of this family. You are skirting your duties by neglecting them."
Orion did not reply, only turning back to the boy before them. He snatched the child's arm and started up the stairs, yanking the boy along. Regulus struggled to keep his footing on the steps, tripping several times as he got dragged up rapidly.
Uncle Arcturus shook his head as he watched his son vanish into one of the bedrooms upstairs, shutting the door behind him. "My son, good grief." He turned to Alphard. "You would never speak to your father in that manner, would you?"
"No, Uncle," Alphard murmured.
"I did not think so," His uncle hummed, his expression haughty. "I have not got a clue where I went wrong with him."
Alphard did not know what to say in response. He was hardly a parenting expert, but any critical thoughts he did have about his uncle's form of parenting, which more closely resembled bullying, he would never dare to breathe to life.
His uncle changed his tune after a moment, his voice calmer. "How is your father doing?"
Alphard hardly wished to think about that. "He is holding in there." He said softly.
His uncle hummed, bobbing his head. "Tell him I send my best wishes. Melania and I will visit when we can." He sighed, cracking his jaw. "He was a good man. He should be comforted in the knowledge that he is leaving his family in competent hands." He gave Alphard a clap on his shoulders.
Alphard appreciated the kind words. At least someone in their family was saddened by his father's declining state. Everyone else was acting as though all was well in the world, as though his father meant nothing to their family.
Orion was descending the staircase already, this time without his son. The expression on his face conveyed that he was bracing himself for whatever his father would say next.
Uncle Arcturus straightened up at the sight of his son. His eyes narrowed dangerously. "Finished so soon?" He asked.
"Father, please," Orion sighed. "Do not start. His mother is handling the situation."
"Oh, yes," Uncle Arcturus spat. "Let his mother fulfill your role and be the man of your household. That is a splendid plan."
Orion's cheekbones poked out of his cheek when he clenched his jaw. "You would have found something to criticize regardless of which approach I took."
Alphard gave his cousin an incredulous look, lost on why the man was testing his father. Surely, that was not wise.
Uncle Arcturus tilted his head, his pupils pulsing. "I had thought you would have outgrown your childhood theatrics by now."
Orion was still for a moment, then he turned away, his face vacant. "I have work to do." He said softly.
"I wager you will have a lacklustre performance on those tasks as well." His uncle spat after him, his tone acidic.
Orion walked off, not responding again.
"Unbelievable," Uncle Arcturus huffed.
Alphard did not say anything. Even if he agreed his cousin was immature, self-pitying, and obtuse, he could not say so anymore. Not since the man had been made head of their family. All of Alphard's past harsh words about his cousin had come back to haunt him. He did not need to add fuel to the fire.
Uncle Arcturus pinched the bridge of his nose as he fixed his posture, his face dark. "Do excuse me. I must address my son's latest fits of passion. Do yourself a favour, Alphard, and beat the foolishness out of your children when they are young, so you do not end up navigating such a foul character in adulthood."
"Yes, sir," Alphard replied automatically. He did not bother stating that he had no intention of having children. That would only lead to questions, and both answers he could offer in response would probably send his uncle into a coma.
His uncle stalked off after his son, clearly intending to give him a piece of his mind. Alphard was relieved that he at least did not need to listen to the rest of the argument. It always unnerved him to hear the two argue. It brought him back to unpleasant childhood memories he'd sooner forget. Unlike Alphard's relationship with his own father, Orion's relationship with Uncle Arcturus barely matured at all once he reached adulthood.
Soon after, Sirius was descending the staircase with a troubled expression. "Where did my mum go?" He asked.
Alphard hummed, "I believe she is with Regulus," He suggested, recalling that Orion said he left the child in his mother's hands. He was relieved that his cousin had made that call, truly. He trusted Walburga to be fair over Orion. His cousin was the type to take his frustration with his father out on his child. Alphard had seen him do so toward Sirius in the past.
Sirius' face crinkled. "Why?"
"Your brother managed to get into a bit of trouble," Alphard admitted. "Do not worry about it."
"What?" Sirius' eyes widened. He instantly turned back toward his brother's room.
"Hey," Alphard called, "Do not go in there."
His nephew did not listen, hurrying up the stairs toward his brother's room.
"Sirius!" Alphard tried again, but it was of no use. Sirius had already slipped into his brother's room.
It only took two minutes before his nephew was expelled with a pout on his lips. He probably had been told off by his mother. The kid returned downstairs sullenly. "Why did my brother get in trouble?" He wondered.
"That is none of your business," Alphard chided. "And I told you not to go in there."
Sirius disregarded his second comment, tapping his hips against the edge of the table. "Please! Tell me."
"I said no," Alphard sighed, "That is my final answer."
Sirius considered that for a moment, then he pushed away from the table. "Fine, I will just ask my dad."
"What?" Alphard whirled. "Absolutely not. They are speaking in there right now..."
His nephew was not listening, taking off down the hall at a surprisingly rapid pace. The child was giggling as he bolted, seeming to revel in his naughtiness.
Alphard cursed under his breath as he went after him. The child could not pick a worse time to force himself into the room. He was sure his cousin and uncle were not exchanging niceties in there. He was not quick enough. Sirius had opened the study door before he could reach the child. Alphard stopped a few meters back, waiting to see what would happen.
The hum of voices within the study came to an abrupt halt as Sirius peered inside. The boy froze, evidently finally realizing that his father was not alone in there.
Uncle Arcturus' sharp voice rang out. "What do you think you are doing?" He asked.
Sirius frowned, taking a step back.
Naturally. Even the reckless child knew better than to cross the fearsome man. Alphard was certain his uncle had taught the child a lesson or two at some point. When they were young, Uncle Arcturus had never shied from correcting Alphard or his siblings if they misbehaved in his presence. Anyone with Black as their last name was his to control, his uncle seemed to believe. Knowing how horribly naughty his nephew could be, it was safe to assume his uncle had delivered a few messages.
"He is not doing anything wrong," Orion interjected.
"He approached your study without an invite," His uncle disagreed in a cynical tone. "Surely he knows that children are not to speak unless they are spoken to."
Alphard tried to wave the boy away from the study, but Sirius was not paying him any mind, still staring at his father.
Orion was speaking again. "There are no rules in my household barring him from approaching me in my study if need be."
His uncle scoffed, incredulous. "Your son is free to barge into adults' conversations?"
Orion was still arguing, somehow. "He did not barge into a conversation. He only approached the door. How was he meant to know we were speaking in here?"
Alphard was unsure if Orion was defending his son out of compassion for the child or merely out of spite for his father. Knowing his cousin, he was guessing the latter.
"Orion." His uncle thundered, sounding even more terrifying than usual. "How contradictory you are today! This is the example you set for your son of how he ought to speak to his father? With insolence and disrespect?"
Orion relented, his tone subdued again. "My apologies."
It was quiet for a moment. Alphard was tempted to grab Sirius and walk away, but the boy was stubbornly waiting at the study entrance, refusing to back off.
"Send the child away," Uncle Arcturus ordered, after a long pause. "We are having a conversation."
Sirius finally stirred when his father addressed him.
"Go prepare yourself for supper," Orion instructed the boy. "I will seek you out later when we can speak."
Sirius held his palms up. "But, I have a question!"
"Do as you are told," Orion replied quickly, a warning in his tone.
Sirius made a face, but his eyes darted back to his grandsire, and he thought better of defying. He reluctantly backed off.
Alphard snatched the boy up once he was away from the entrance. He marched Sirius back to the open section of the ground floor before he gave the boy a hard swat to his rear end. "You are not listening very well today, are you?"
Sirius made a whiny noise of protest. "You would not tell me what happened!" The boy sulked.
Alphard shook his head, exasperated. "Yes, as it was none of your business." He released the boy's arm and returned to his seat, calmly. "Come here. We must catch up."
Sirius obliged, his sullen expression fading away. His face softened into a smile, and he hopped over, allowing himself to be pulled onto Alphard's lap.
Alphard readjusted the boy until he was leaning against his chest, a peaceful smile on the lad’s lips. "So," he asked, poking the boy in the side. "How have things been since we last saw each other? Has your vacation been enjoyable?"
"S'okay," Sirius shrugged. "Father has been real busy, but it has been fun here. I have not seen my governess in a whole week!"
Alphard chuckled. "Yes, I suppose that is something you'd be pleased about." The child got very high grades, he recalled, but his behaviour in class was especially foul.
Sirius' expression sobered. "Uncle?" He asked.
Alphard stroked the boy's hair. "What is it?"
"Are my grandsire and father fighting?" The boy wondered. "They seem cross."
Alphard winced. He supposed even a six-year-old could detect how tense that study had been. "They are working through a disagreement. Do not worry about it - this is nothing new for them. They always clash, then come to a resolution. There are too many personalities in our family to always get along."
Sirius slumped down a bit. "Okay." He said softly.
Orion emerged a few minutes later, pausing at the edge of the central space as he peered around. He seemed to be looking for his son, as his eyes soon narrowed in on the child. His expression, which already looked worn and tired after a conversation with Uncle Arcturus, only grew darker. He did not look happy to see his son on Alphard's lap.
"Sirius," He called sharply.
The boy straightened up quickly, scrambling off Alphard's lap to eagerly approach his father. Orion wrapped a hand around the child's neck when the boy reached him, the gesture reassuring and familiar. "We can speak now."
Sirius nodded, his eyes shining up at his father. He seemed to savour every droplet of kindness the man offered him. He truly did love his father. It was unclear whether it was more of a result of the child's forgiving nature or his cousin's only redeemable qualities. Surely Orion must be doing something right for the boy to desperately seek him out, after all.
Orion's expression was softer when he smiled at the child, but when his gaze returned to Alphard, all warmth vanished. Alphard witnessing that encounter between Orion and his uncle likely only made his cousin loathe him more.
His cousin did not speak again, only turned away, disappearing into his study with his son securely tucked beneath his arm.