The Not So Noble House of Black

Chapter 6: The Last Summer

Friday 14th July 1972

She couldn't believe it. She actually couldn't believe it. Out of everything they had done, this was the worst. She couldn't imagine how she was going to tell Sirius, when he returned. It had been hard enough watching them tell Regulus but she would have to tell Sirius herself. 

Sirius hadn't come back for Christmas. Their parents wouldn't let him, just because he had been sorted into Gryffindor. This meant that they hadn't seen him since September. Ascella had been doubting that they would even let him go home for the summer, though there wasn't really anywhere else for him to go. Perhaps, Andromeda's but the chances of their parents allowing that was even lower. 

Ascella and Regulus were sat on her bed, in silence. It was as if they couldn't talk, from shock or sheer disbelief. Sirius on the other hand came bounding into the room.
"I'm baaaaack!" he cheered. The grin on his face fell when he saw his silent siblings. 
"Hi, Sirius," Ascella sighed, "How was Hogwarts?"
"Good, but forget about that. What's wrong with you?"
"They didn't tell you?" Regulus mumbled, his eyes fixed on his shoes.
"Tell me what?" asked Sirius. With no response, he dropped his case in the doorway and moved over to the bed, where his siblings sat solemnly.
"I'll try again. Tell me what?"

Ascella took a deep breath in, bracing herself for what was to come. She knew Sirius would have to know some time, so it was better now then never. 
"Do you remember all that rubbish about being a good wife?"
"Oh yeah that shit. Why?" Panic flickered across Sirius' face "You're not getting married are you?"
"What? No, no! They're- they're locking me up."
"They're doing what?"
"Locking me up. From September, I won't be able to see anyone except Mother, Father and any female tutors."
"Until when?"
"Five years, until I'm seventeen, so July 1977."

Sirius jumped up from the bed. His face was no longer worried or panicked. It was red with pure, unbridled rage.
"They can't do this!"
"That's the problem, Sirius," Ascella muttered, "They can. They've already kept me out of school without any problems."
"How are you so relaxed about this?" Sirius yelled, "We are twelve, Reg is eleven and we're never going to see you again!"

She couldn't hold the tears in any longer and they tumbled silently down her cheeks. 
"Do you think I don't know that Sirius? Do you think that this doesn't pain me, that it doesn't make me feel like our parents don't love us any more? Because it does and it has every second of every day since I found out. But I have to stay strong, because otherwise I won't make it to the end of the five years!"

They didn't talk after that. They just lay on Ascella's bed, arms wrapped around each other, both brothers silently praying that if they held their sister tight enough, she couldn't be taken away from them.

Tuesday 18th July 1972

"You don't understand, this is of the upmost importance!" 
"Sirius, teaching our sister swear words is not of the upmost importance."
"Yes it is, not that you'd know, Regulus."
"Why'd you say my name like that?"
"Like what, Regulus."
"You did it again!"

Ascella rolled her eyes. Sirius and Regulus had been going on like this for hours. They had been arguing about what was more important for the three of them to do before it happened. Regulus was going for spending time together whereas Sirius' ideas involved teaching her about things she'd miss out on. They weren't useful things either, mainly just swear words. Ascella didn't care what they were doing, as long as she was with her brothers all summer. Their last summer

Monday 4th September 1972

Ascella hadn't even been allowed to go to King's Cross. Even her father was going, but she'd been left with Kreacher, who really shouldn't be left in charge of a twelve year old. He had left her alone, so she had to sit in her room staring at the wall when she was meant to be reading a book about dinner etiquette. Was this what the next five years were going to be like? If so, oh boy, she did not think she'd survive that long.