Thursday morning arrived at Number 12 Grimmauld Place with a rush of wind and a rumble of thunder. It was September 1 and a very exciting day in many households across Britain. Sirius Black awoke with a start. His younger brother, Regulus, had just launched himself onto the bed, landing painfully on Sirius’ left ankle with a shout of, “SIRIUSGETUPITSTHURSDAY!”
“Merlin’s pants, Reggie!” Sirius yelped. “What in the bloody hell is the matter with you? It isn’t even daylight yet.” Noted Sirius with a nod toward the window.
Regulus followed Sirius’ gaze. “Uh huh!” he replied. “It’s morning. It’s been morning, sleepyhead. It’s just storming. Dad says it’s a big one. Andie says it’s a bad omen.”
“Andromeda is here?” Sirius perked up a bit at the mention of his favorite cousin.
“Uh huh! And Bella and Cissy.”
Sirius grimaced. His other two cousins could relocate to the moon as far as he was concerned. He found them to be bratty, whiny, and altogether stuck up. Regulus was fidgeting with a thread on the grey bedspread.
“Hey, Sirius?”
“Mm?”
“Are you nervous? I mean about leaving. And about living somewhere else?
Sirius gave the boy a confident grin. “Nah. Can’t wait to get outta here! And besides, our whole family is in Slytherin so I’ll see them all the time. Except you, of course. I guess I’ll miss you. But not in the mornings,” he yawned. Reggie smiled.
Sirius turned his head and caught a glimpse of himself in the mirror over his dresser. He smirked as he ran his fingers through his tangled hair. His mother had given him a haircut last night, complaining that he looked “ragged and unfit to hold up the Black family name”. Wait til she saw how well it grew back!
“Sirius, stop gawking at yourself and get UP!” teased Regulus, now bouncing atop his older brother’s kneecaps.
“OUCH!” cried Sirius as he pushed his brother off his throbbing knees. Regulus, tangled up in the bedclothes, tumbled off the four poster and landed on the hardwood floor with a thud. Both boys froze.
“BOOOYYYYYYS!” came a screech from downstairs. Both brothers flinched as the sound of Walburga Black’s high heeled boots echoed on the staircase. Sirius’ posture became more and more tense as his mother’s footsteps grew closer to his bedroom door. With a snap, the heavy door slammed open and a pale, eerie light framed his mother’s angry face. She was a pale woman with long black hair and a rather prominent nose. Sirius reckoned she looked like the standard Muggle representation of a witch and this tickled him to no end. She was a remarkably tall woman who used her height to intimidate those around her, especially anyone she deemed to be a blood-traitor.
The Black family were proud to say that they were all pure-blooded witches and wizards and they thought anyone who wasn’t was a disgrace to wizard-kind. Sirius himself was rather disgusted by his family’s beliefs and often went out of his way to irritate his mother, who was proudest of them all.
“You!’ she snarled in Sirius’ direction. “Why aren’t you out of bed yet? The train leaves at exactly eleven o’clock and if you miss it, it’s your own fault!” she closed the door with another snap.
“She’s barking.” Protested Sirius. It’s not even near eleven. Is it?”
“Nah.” Replied Regulus. Round about seven-thirty. You know mum. She gets up at dawn and thinks the whole neighborhood should, too. I’m starved. Meet you downstairs for breakfast?”
Sirius nodded and watched his brother leave the room quietly. Then he flung himself back and sprawled out on the bed. The jet plane hanging from his ceiling wavered a bit. He knew he ought to be sad about leaving home but he was having a hard time thinking of things to miss. He sure wouldn’t miss this moldy old house with its dark walls and chilly drafts. He would miss Reggie, he supposed. They’d never really been apart for long. His parents, though. Well, he wasn’t so sure. He definitely wouldn’t miss their idealistic beliefs and pure-blood mania. He wouldn’t miss the Noble Society dinners and the way they sat around complaining about blood-traitors. He wouldn’t miss the stories his mother would read to them about the horrors of an increasingly Muggle-born nation. He’d miss his motorbikes, though, he thought as he looked around the room. His walls were decorated with an impressive 4 different posters featuring the Muggle mode of transportation.
“Master Sirius...” croaked a voice from the doorway.
“Blimey, Kreacher! I’ve told you to knock!” yelled Sirius.
“Apologies, I’m sure. Kreacher has come to summon young master for breakfast. Will he be joining the noble family?”
“Fine.” Spat Sirius.
The door closed. I certainly won’t miss him Sirius thought. As the Black’s house-elf and servant, Kreacher was bound to follow any order Sirius gave him, but he was far from happy about it. Kreacher worshipped the very ground Walburga walked on and he and Sirius had never seen eye to eye on anything. Sirius got out of bed, walked to his wardrobe, and flung open the big oak doors. He supposed Mother would expect him to dress in black. He pulled out one of his many charcoal suits and began to dress, resigning himself to one more breakfast with his family.
As Sirius walked down the narrow hallway to the skinny staircase, his mood became increasingly sour. He took his place at the dining room table and somehow, he wasn’t quite sure exactly how, he got through breakfast with only a few snide remarks from his cousins and mother. It seemed the family was too preoccupied with the morning’s rush to adequately berate Sirius. At 10:57, they all apparated to King’s Cross station. Sirius didn’t care much for side-along apparition but the Blacks were above floo powder or any such ways of travel and the family name had always given them special privileges when it came to Ministry laws.
Sirius loaded his luggage onto the train and sighed. He guessed he’d better bid his mother farewell or he would never hear the end of it. Sirius stepped back onto the platform and approached his mother.
“Er, goodbye then, Mother,” he faltered under Walburga’s glare.
“If I get so much as ONE owl, implying that you have somehow disgraced the family name, so help me I will disown your sorry behind. Is that understood?” she demanded.
Sirius raised his head and mumbled an affirmative response. Not wanting to meet his mother’s blazing eyes, he glanced slightly to her left and saw a dark-haired, bespectacled boy. He was standing with his mother’s arm around his shoulder and appeared to be watching Walburga with a curious expression on his face.
“Bye, Sirius.” Came Regulus’s timid voice. Sirius reached out a hand and ruffled his brother’s hair. Then he turned and stepped onto the train, shutting the doors firmly behind him. He sighed once more and proceeded to search the cabin for an empty compartment. Sirius had almost reached the end when a door slid open and the dark-haired boy from the platform stuck his head out.
“Hey. Need a seat?” He inquired. Sirius nodded. “Come on in,” said the boy. Sirius entered the compartment and took a seat next to a scrawny, light-haired boy with a scar on his cheek. The boy with the glasses sat across from Sirius.
“I’m James. James Fleamont Potter.” He offered his hand and a small, mousy boy whom Sirius hadn’t noticed before let out a small snigger. James frowned at him, then returned to Sirius. “Anyway,” he continued, “I’m James’, he gestured grandly toward himself, “this is Remus,” he pointed to the boy with the scar, “and this knucklehead is Peter.”
Sirius nodded at each boy in turn. “I’m Sirius. Sirius Black.” He concluded. James gave Sirius a knowing look.
“Well, Sirius,” James began. “Let me know if you ever get tired of being a Black. You’d be welcome with us Potters, I’m sure.”
Sirius smiled at the boy. Thursday was turning out to be alright after all. It seemed Hogwarts was going to be even better than he had expected.
crown, headphones, and the envelope ask (can i do multiple?)
Yes you can do multiple!!
👑 Describe the most important person in your life in no more than ten words. If you cannot decide on one person, describe yourself.
I have a lot of important people, but I’m gonna go with my cousin. She’s very intelligent, funny, quirky, kind, faithful, thoughtful, and just all around amazing!!
🎧 Put your music playlist on shuffle. What is the first thing that comes up?
Cabinet battle #2 from Hamilton lol
💌 Have you ever written about someone you care about?
aminuseternal said: because weird reasons idk I mean he even waves at you in the middle of fighting darkspawn like a nerd XD
I know man and I kept everybody's special gift that would be a waste if I used them, but his gifts just have the same effect D: Not to mention that it's harder to gain approval in Awakening
Involved → Isabella Rossi, Eva Rossi, Gianna Rossi, Tomas Lombardi, Preston Phillips
Time frame → March 1, 2014, Before Lorenzo's debut party.
Location → Rossi penthouse
Outline → Team Rossi prepare and sass each other.
Isabella rested her hand on her hip and waited as everyone else composed themselves. The tension was high, but not unwelcome, and rolling her eyes at the minor adjustments the rest of her family made in the reflection of the large glass windows, she whistled to draw attention back to the matter at hand. "I don't know what the Hell you plan to do, but I want to look that son of a bitch Rinaldi in the face and tell him we're coming, I want him to know," she snapped coldly.
Eva lingered in the back, biting her nails. It wasn't a habit she often partook in, but occasionally there was nothing else to do to stifle the nerves. And she was anxious, ready to be in the thick of things. Even though she knew there were matters left to handle, she had little patience. At Isabella's loud whistle, Eva glanced up. She nodded, staying silent. Yes, Rinaldi was going to know they were coming.
Gianna was seated at the dining table, examining her nails idly as she bided her time. Already she could see the blood flowing between her fingertips, the warmth sending a chill down her spine and tugging the corner of her lips into a placated smile. When Bella spoke, her attention snapped upward, amusement flickering in her eyes as the smile spread, "Oh he will know." She began humming to herself as she drifted off into the sight of her nails once more, imagining all the ways she could make the Rinaldi's pay for their sins. And the expressions on their faces when they did.
Tomas leaned against one of the walls in the room; the cigarette in the corner of his mouth was limp as he absentmindedly scrolled the internet on his phone. Being the oldest person in the room hadn't moved him a bit, though it was an odd feeling of being there as a babysitter rather than an adviser. When Isabella raised her voice, he lazily looked up at her position in front of the window, exhaling another puff of smoke as he spoke in a sarcastic tone. "Sure. Would you like for me to send a carrier pigeon beforehand?"
Isabella: Raising a finely plucked eyebrow, she had gone through too much unnecessary primping for the goddamn event, and of course Tomas was being the smartass as per usual. Letting a smirk cross her face, she twirled a lock of hair in her finger. "If that's you offering to strap on wings and dress up as the pigeon, by all means, do what your heart desires," she said with a roll of her eyes.
Preston sauntered in, a cigarette tucked behind his ear. He'd apologize for being late, but he's not really too bothered by it. He sends a curt nod in Tomas' direction before heading to Eva. "What have I missed?" he asked, only a bit mindful of his volume.
Eva rolled her eyes as Preston approached, looking as arrogant as ever. She reached up and removed the cigarette from his ear, lighting it with a nearby lighter. She didn't answer his question, only shook her head. "You're late."
Tomas laughed. "Shut up." He told her. "Could you at least do that for a while?" Tomas' eyes had taken a few glances at her, hoping that she would stay on her side of the room for both their benefits.
Preston sighed and shook his head as she took the cigarette. "I'm aware," he said, "Traffic. What've I missed?" He repeated the sentiment, hoping to get an answer this time. He was well aware he probably wouldn't.
Gianna stifled a yawn as stretched her arms above her head, crossing one leg over the other, "Is there food?" Without waiting for an answer, she slipped out of her heels and stood to wander into the kitchen, walking gracefully on her tip toes as if she thought she might disturb someone by causing the slightest bit of noise. But her family knew better, Gianna often slunk into rooms unnoticed and it had only served her cause in the past.
Isabella only shook her head. "Ah, what it's like to see the effects of old age set in. Cranky, irritable...like a woman who has just gone through menopause. I'm just counting the days before the dementia sets in."
Isabella redirected her attention to the smell of smoke coming from the corner of the room. With a huff, she stalked over to Eva, grabbed the cigarette from her hand and stubbed it out on the mahogany table without a care for the wood finish. "It's like you're TRYING to poison me."
Eva just shrugged, not in the mood to talk. When Isabella appeared before her to grab the cigarette, she raised a brow. A hint of a smile tilted her lips as her cousin stubbed out the cigarette. She wasn't upset by it; didn't care enough to be upset. She wished Genna would finish dressing and preparing herself so that they could leave. The longer the rest of her family waited, the more impatient she became.
Tomas wanted to pluck his fucking cigarette at Bella, but only went back to his phone instead. "I like your dress. What table did you snatch the cloth from?"
Preston stifled a laugh at his uncle's remark and his hand moved to his pocket to fish out another cigarette and stick it behind his hear. One for the road.
Gianna had rummaged up a few crackers and lingered by the doorway as she snacked, listening to the conversations around her. Her expression had faded to stoicism even if she could feel her irritation rising in her chest. Where was Genna? "And I'm the one in high school," she muttered quietly, breaking the cracker in her hand into fourths.
Isabella "You're moms after I killed her, bitch," she snapped at Tomas, hardly thinking at all about what she said until the words escaped from her lips, the insults almost automatic. Turning, she went to sit down by Gianna, resting her head on her hand. "God, I hate waiting. Can you tell Him to give me some patience, please and thank you?"
Tomas "Your mom jokes...Clever." By this time, his cigarette was nowhere near finished by the time he'd dabbed out the cigarette in an ashtray nearby. Time had been going by slowly, and with either of them leaving any time soon, he was starting to get a bit stir crazy as they waited for the rest of the family to stop by. If they ever did, that was.
