The Not So Noble House of Black

Chapter 11: Everything Falls Apart Again

23:00

Regulus and Ascella moved away from their parents, faces frozen in shock.
"She- she can't." Ascella stuttered. "She wouldn't"
"I mean it makes sense," Regulus gulped, his Adam's apple bobbing up and down. "He's a pureblood, his parents are rich, he's a nice guy, he's handsome and sweet and funny and-"
"I get it, Reg. Doesn't mean I want to marry him! You might but I-"
Regulus shushed her. "Keep your voice down. Now let's go be nice to James."

As they approached James, Regulus stepped back, pushing his sister forward. Ascella muttered a few choice words before turning to James. The bright smile, that her tutor had spent hours perfecting, was plastered on her face but her eyes were worried.
"Hello James," she beamed, "I really am enjoying the ball, you have a lovely home."
"Uh, thanks?"

She laughed loudly, stepping closer and placing her hand on his arm. She lent towards his ear, whispering something only he could hear.
"Come outside with me, Potter. It's important."
Her voice was no longer sweet and sophisticated, but cold and assertive. James didn't dare ignore her.

They walked out of the ball into a long corridor. James muttered, "In here," and pulled her into some sort of lamp lit study. He turned to face her.
"What do you want?"
"My parents, they're doing something. Something terrible."
"Right." James nodded.
"How are you not even slightly surprised by this?"
James sighed, shaking his head.
"Your parents disowned Sirius this Christmas. He lives with me now. Anything else your parents do can't be that bad."

"They did what?" Ascella shrieked, "They disowned him? He is seventeen! How could they?"
"So," James asked, "What are they doing?"
"They told me to be nice to you so that your parents would accept a proposal."
"A proposal?"
"A wedding proposal. They want us to get married, James."

James leapt up from the desk chair he had been sat in.
"They can't do that!"
"Like you said, they disowned Sirius, and did he ever tell you what they did to me?"
"No."
"Good. But anyway, a marriage proposal really wouldn't be too low for them."
"You don't have to worry. My parents would never agree to a marriage unless I wanted to and no offense, but I don't want to marry you."
"Well," Ascella huffed, "For the record, I don't want to marry you either. I'll have you know that I'm quite a catch."

James chuckled.
"You really are Sirius' sister."
"You know, that's the second time someone has told me that today!"
"Not surprised."

They made their way back into the ball, James slightly shocked but otherwise alright. Ascella, on the other hand, was still worried. Her parents could be very persuasive and even the strongest of witches and wizards couldn't get in the way of them. Walburga always got what she wanted and Orion never ley anyone cross his path to victory. Were James' parents strong enough to defy them? She wasn't sure. 

As she entered the ball, a cold, pale hand fastened around her wrist pulling her to the side. She took a deep breath in preparing for the worst, until she saw that it wasn't her father, or worse her mother, but it was Sirius. 

"What was that about?" Sirius hissed in her ear. "What did you do with James?"
"I just-"
"You didn't just anything. What did you do?" Sirius stepped back. "God, you didn't snog James did you?"
"What? No, I didn't snog James! Why would you think that?"
"I don't know, maybe because you whisper something to him and then disappear with him. Then you come back and both of you are looking like you know some kind of secret! Maybe that's why!"
"Oh my god, why are you so overprotective?" Ascella snapped, "I didn't snog James and it doesn't matter if I did! I'm seventeen and so is he. We can make our own decisions Sirius!"
"Are you saying you did kiss him? And, forgive me for being protective over my best friend and my little sister who I haven't seen in years!"
"We're twins, Sirius! You're only older by twenty minutes!"

Ascella sighed, placing both her hands on Sirius' shoulders.
"Look, Siri," she said, "I don't want to have an argument when I've only just met you again."
Her brother opened his mouth to argue again but paused, realising he was wrong.
"I don't want to argue either."
He wrapped his arms around his sister and held her tight. Once again praying that if he held her tight enough, their parents wouldn't be able to take her away again.

"Sirius, dear, can I talk to your sister?"