INFERI (REGULUS BLACK)

55

"You know, that's not a nice thing to say about someone," a voice chimed in. Sirius flipped around and saw Aoife leaning on one of the bookshelves. Belladonna too looked shocked, but Aletheia raised one eyebrow, unimpressed.

"How did you get in here?" Sirius spluttered. "We would've seen you if you'd entered from the door. I saw you downstairs just a few minutes ago."

"I was downstairs a few minutes ago, that's why," she answered, rolling her eyes. "I came through the back door."

"But there isn't a back doo —," Sirius was cut off by his brother's voice.

"There is not even one book about traffic lights in this library. Not even one!" Regulus exclaimed, appearing from behind Aoife with 3 books in his hand. "What is the use of such a big library then?"

"I'm telling you Regulus, traffic lights are not part of a Government conspiracy. They're just to avoid traffic jams and stuff like that," Aoife said impatiently.

"They are, but you just don't know it yet," he answered darkly, not noticing the others present. Sirius not-so-subtly clears his throat, causing Regulus to jump slightly, startled.

"When did you lot come here?" he blurted out.

"You should know that people don't like to be called witches," Aoife said again, looking pointedly at Aletheia. "It's just rude."

"And I was about to tell them that it's ridiculous!" Sirius said quickly, thankful for someone on his side. "You're a Muggle! No offence," he added quickly, seeing Aoife's mouth open, readying for a retort.

"You are magical, no doubt," Aletheia said in her impassive, stoic voice. "Have you never wondered why those marks appear without rhyme or reason?"

"Without what?" Sirius interrupted, looking genuinely confused.

"I'll tell you that later," Aoife said, her eyes fixed on Aletheia. Regulus saw her hand tremble slightly, and quickly knew what she was thinking about. He quickly brushed his hand against her, trying to comfort her. She looked vaguely pacified.

Regulus was thinking quite deeply. Did this revelation have anything to do with what Belladonna had said a week ago? The baseless theory she had? He was quite engrossed in this, that he didn't notice everyone had taken a seat, and were staring raptly at Aletheia, who was telling them something about sorceresses.

Regulus hastily sat down on the chair next to Aoife, who glanced in his direction briefly before whispering, "she's calling me a sorceress now. Can you believe it?"

Before he could say anything, Sirius hushed her. Regulus was quite off put by this revelation, but did not wholly believe Aletheia. There was a nagging doubt about her authenticity.

"Wizardry and sorcery are quite different, contrary to popular belief. Wizardry is more common than sorcery, and there are Muggle-born witches and wizards, but no sorcerer or sorceress is Muggle-born. They can be what you call Half-blood, but I haven't seen any Muggle-born ones," Aletheia said.

"Is there any proof," Regulus cut in icily, "that Aoife is a sorceress?" His tone was a touch derisive, and the girl in question was quite pleased to have someone as incredulous as her on this topic. Sirius looked as if he was ready to read all books on sorcery after this revelation.

"There is," Belladonna cut in. "Aoife's mother was one, and her grandmother too. This magic runs in blood relations, not like Muggle-born magic, which usually resurfaces due to Squib ancestors."

This was irrefutable proof, and neither Regulus nor Aoife had any contradictions. Except one.

"We don't know who her mother is," Regulus said, just as Aoife said, "we don't know who my mother is." They both looked at each other, mildly surprised.

Belladonna shot Aletheia an indecipherable look, at which she huffed defeatedly, closing her eyes soon after.

"What are you doi-," Sirius was cut off by Aletheia transforming into a red haired lady, with hazel eyes (like James, came into Sirius's mind, while Regulus's mind flew to a different tangent). She was quite short, not like Dolores, Regulus noticed, having come in contract with that toad one too many times. It was a dignified height, about a head and a half shorter than Aoife, who was around Regulus's height. Her hair was styled in a bob, poker straight. She looked quite like Aoife, if he was honest. It seemed as if Sirius had noticed it too (his eyes were darting between the two redheads), but most of the redheads looked quite similar, like other people. They had the same basic features after all, Regulus mused.

Suddenly, it clicked. Aoife was still watching Aletheia with a bewildered look on her face, quite confused about this sudden change. They had been talking about Aoife's mother. Just then Aletheia is revealed to look quite like her. Either she's being hunted down by somebody and wants to stay disguised, or else she doesn't want anyone to know their relation. Regulus hoped it was the former, but the evidence was pointing towards the latter theory.

By the looks of it, it seemed as if Sirius also realised it — this claim solidified by the look he sent him. Both of them knew it was her real form — they'd read too much about magic, especially shapeshifters and metamorphangi. (Lesson number 5 of the Black household - knowledge is power, and those who don't collect it are weak, gullible and malleable. A Black should know how to get such people to do their bidding. (Imperius them! His mother used to shriek)). Aoife was still stunned by the quick transformation to notice anything, but he doubted it'll take long.

"How did you do that?" she asked curiously.

"Magic," was the one word reply.

She looked quite disgruntled by this reply, and glanced at Regulus and Sirius to inform them that this topic will soon be revisited. Belladonna was looking at her expectantly, anticipating an outburst any moment.

"Hey, wait," Aoife said slowly. "You look quite like Donaldson."

Regulus clenched his teeth at his mention while Sirius looked exasperated. Did she not see that Aletheia looked like her?

Aletheia made a disapproving noise. "That is no way to talk about my brother."

"Your brother?" Aoife asked, quite confused. Suddenly it clicked for her too. Her face contorted into a horrified expression, even though her words were quite angry. "You are my mother?" She jumped up, staring at Belladonna disbelievingly. Aoife didn't even glance at her new-found mother, regarding her with contempt. "Don't tell me this is true," she said to Belladonna. "This is also magic right? That's made her look like this. She can't be my mother. I don't even have one!"

"You do," Aletheia exclaimed. "I am your mother. I gave birth to you."

Aoife ignored her. Her eyes were on Belladonna. She was waiting for an answer.

"She is your mother," was the answer it got. It looked as if it physically pained her to say so. "I knew your father, and I was at their wedding."

Aoife shot one furious look at Aletheia, and an apologetic one for Belladonna, before sweeping out of the library in anger, not before exclaiming quite loudly that she didn't have a mother.

Sirius rushed after her, not before shooting a confused look at the two ladies. Regulus just shot the only redhead left a cold look, before exiting after his brother.

*****

2k reads and 55 chapters! This is brilliant, honestly. I really never thought that I'd be able to write so much.

I have to say, if I was Aoife, I'd have left this mad band of wizards by now. Even her non-existent mother had materialised.

And finally, happy birthday to one of my favourite Marauders, our one and only Sirius Black! (I like him quite a lot, my favourite one. No offence to Prongs or Moony. I'm sure James would've thrown a fit. Tons of offence to the treacherous rat). Our deer (sorry, I couldn't resist) Snuffles would've been 63 now if he hadn't died (I really hate Bellatrix), probably lecturing Harry (Prongslet) about being cool with the ladies (especially Ginny).

Just one final last thing...

Padfoot supremacy!