How it all started

Sirius stood up in front of the window. There she was, the little snobby girl being carried by her father; she seemed so happy in her father’s arms. His father would never do something like that. Demonstrations of affection were forbidden in the Black family. Sirius tried to remember when the last time his father hugged him was. He was feeling miserable until he noticed that Ana was staring at him; she probably was enjoying his suffering. Sirius started to make faces at her, making fun of her nose. He smiled when he saw her frowning and wrinkling her nose. That sure would teach her not to mess with him. He wanted to punch her little nose, maybe that way she would look uglier; and he could really make fun of her. Sirius heard someone open the door behind him. He stood up straight, and slowly turned his head to see who was entering the room. Mr. Black was wearing a disgusted face; he slowly approached to his son.

“Your mother informed me that your behavior was not as good as we expected” Mr. Black gave his son a reproachful look. “I am getting tired of this Sirius; every time I ask you to raise the honor of your family name you disrespect me”

“I didn’t disrespect anything” Sirius replied angry and a slap crossed his face. He could taste of the blood on his mouth and bit his lip in anger.

“This is the last time Sirius!” Mr. Black slapped Sirius again “You’re grounded. You’ll spend all day in this room studying for your preparation for school”

“But I don’t have to go to school until next summer!” Sirius replied and another slap hit his cheek. He felt his cheeks burning with pain and his nose started bleeding.

“Silence!” Mr. Black pushed his son aside “You’ll spend the entire year studying. No games, no fun, no pets for you. You will leave this room only when I order you to do it! Understood?” Sirius didn’t reply, he wasn’t going to give father that pleasure “I see, you don’t care! Well, that means that I have to find another way to punish you and make you understand”

Sirius glared at Mr. Black, he couldn’t understand why his father hated him so much. It was like every step that he took was a mistake to Mr. Black. He could never please him; he tried once to be the perfect boy his father wanted but instead of love he received mocks from his cousins and his mother. Sirius challenged Mr. Black with his eyes, waiting for another slap, he smiled and shrugged. He was used to being beat by his father; it was not a new thing for him. Mr. Black turned his head when he heard the door crack and saw Regulus standing there, too scared to step inside the room. Mr. Black gently pulled his youngest son inside and noticed the change on Sirius’s face.

“Maybe if Regulus receives the same treatment as you” Mr. Black raised an eyebrow, he could see the fear in Sirius’s eyes “Yes, from now on, Regulus will pay for every single mistake you make! Understood?”

Sirius muttered. He didn’t believe father; Regulus was his favorite son, father would never touch him. Mr. Black waited a few seconds for a proper answer but Sirius remained silent, just glaring at him with hate in his eyes. Mr. Black frowned and slapped Regulus; the kid wasn’t expecting the hit and he was expelled to the floor. Sirius ran to aid his brother and glared at his father, he was being serious. Sirius contained the tears of anger and stood up in front of his father. He lowered his head and nodded.

“Finally we understand each other!” Mr. Black said and walked to the door “And remember Sirius, I am watching you closely”

Sirius stared at Regulus and helped him up. “Are you alright?” Regulus nodded “Don’t worry Reggie! I won’t let this happen again!”

“Your nose!” Regulus gasped “You’re bleeding! Does it hurt?”

“Nah! I’m fine, I’m used to it!” Sirius smiled and sat on the edge of his bed.

“Are you in too much trouble?”

“I have to stay here until I go to school!”

“It’s almost a year!” Sirius nodded “Sirius, do you want to go to Hogwarts?”

“Sure!” Sirius laid his head on the bed smiling “It would be nice to have a place to get away from here!”

“But I will miss you!” Regulus sat next to Sirius and lowered his head. He loved his brother more than anybody else.

“I will miss you too Reggie!” Sirius hugged his little brother and messed his hair “I promise I will write you everyday! We will find a way to avoid mother getting the letters! Now go to your bed!” Regulus nodded and jumped on his bed smiling. “Reggie, I am sorry that father hit you!”

“It wasn’t that bad!” Regulus leaned back on the bed “I wonder if we are going to see Ana again! She was nice!”

“I didn’t pay attention to her really!” Sirius huffed

“Well, her hair was nice!”

“So she has long Black hair! I have black hair too, we have that in common!”

“And nice eyes …”

“Big dark blue yes! Pffffffft and so what? Mine are gray, that’s not a big deal!”

“And she doesn’t have a big nose like you said!”

“She has a tiny nose covered with freckles, and she wrinkles her nose a lot! … I mean I don’t know I wasn’t paying attention!”

“It seems to me that you were paying attention!”

“I was not!”

“Yes you were!”

“I was not!”

“Okay, if you say so!” Regulus chuckled “But you really described her better than me!”

“I know all those things because I was really impressed. I’ve never seen a girl that annoying and disgusting! Now go sleep! I am tired!” Sirius frowned again. He sure had paid too much attention to that girl, but why? She was a snobby girl; the kind of girl he hated. She was exactly like his cousins Bellatrix and Narcissa. He checked that Regulus was sleeping and slipped out of the bed. He could hear his parents talking in the next room. Sirius carefully opened his door and placed his ear on his parents’ door.

“Alfred Prince is one of the most important men in the Wizarding community!” Mr. Black said “This meeting was a big step for us!”

“We should think of an engagement! Ana is the only daughter of Mr. Prince; that means she is the only inheritress of his fortune! We cannot wait until Alphard decides who is going to be his inheritor” Mrs. Black said firmly “I know now is too soon, but we could plan to start making arrangements for that!”

“I expect you’re not thinking about Sirius!”

“Of course not! He would spoil everything!” Mrs. Black chuckled “Regulus would be the perfect match for Prince’s little girl! I know Mrs. Prince would be pleased; the Black name has a strong line of tradition!”

Sirius gasped. He couldn’t believe what he was hearing. And why he wasn’t good enough for Ana? He ushered his feet back to his room. “It’s better Regulus than me” Sirius said to himself “I couldn’t stand her for more than a minute!” Sirius stared through the window. A gray manor was standing not to far away from 12 Grimmauld Place. He could see a little window that caught his attention. He went back to his bed wondering who lived in that house and closed his eyes. He smiled thinking in that girl that wrinkled her nose a lot and he fell asleep.