Written In the Stars | s.b |

FIFTY-SIX

"Please don't say that," Ariah said, completely stern.

Sirius winced. "Sorry.... obviously that's not going to happen. Neither options will happen and I'm sorry I mentioned that."

"You promised me, back when I found out just how bad things at home were for you, that if things ever got too bad, you would leave. For good," Ariah said. "Can you solemnly swear to me that you will leave if things get too bad?"

"Nothing is going —"

"Please, Sirius," she pleaded. "If anything were to happen to you... I would literally loose my mind."

Sirius cupped her face in his hands, her hands holding onto his arms while he pressed their foreheads together. "I solemnly swear that if it gets too bad, I will leave. For good."

"I love you, Sirius," Ariah whispered.

Sirius pressed a kiss against Ariah's forehead. "I love you too."

"Please just, don't make a fuss tonight," Regulus begged his older brother as he messed with his perfectly quaffed hair in the mirror.

"Yeah, because I'm the problem with this family," Sirius shot back, rolling his eyes.

His brother stared him down from the mirror. "This is important. I want mum and dad to like her and I want her to not...."

"To not realize how fucked up our family is?" Sirius finished. "I'm sure Ivy knows. I'm sure everyone knows. They just choose to ignore it because culty pure-bloods are all this fucked up."

"Our Family is not a cult," Regulus argued. "And don't refer to us as a cult when Ivy gets here or I swear, I will murder you."

There was a knock on the door causing Regulus' eyes to widen like a dear caught in the headlights. "That's her..."

"Calm down, brother," Sirius said, standing up and putting a hand on his little brother's shoulder. "She must have low standards if she's dating you."

Regulus smacked his brother, who chuckled and watched him flee out of the room. Sirius grabbed a piece of parchment off of his dresser, running a hand over the neatly written words that told him he was missed, wanted, cared for and thought of.

"Son." Sirius flinched at the sound of his father's voice. He shoved the letter in his drawer, turning to face the man.

"Sir," he said.

"Just making sure you're dressed appropriately," his father said, examining his son. "Fix your tie. And do something with your hair. You're not a hooligan."

"Yes, sir," Sirius said, turning to look at his tie in the mirror.

"You better look even cleaner tomorrow," Orion said, judgmentally.

Sirius stopped fussing with his tie, looking at his father in the mirror. "W-whats tomorrow?"

"You're initiation, of course," he stated. "To prove yourself a real member of this family."

Sirius turned, looking at his father once again. "You mean...." He looked at his father's left arm, then to his own. "To become.... a death eater... I -I'm only fifteen I —"

"I was fourteen when I committed myself to this esteemed organization," Orion interrupted. "You're lucky your mum and I still care enough to do this for you after all you've done to embarrass us. Now, fix your hair and join us for dinner."

Orion left the room before Sirius could say anything more. He glanced at the drawer with the letter from Ariah, his palms sweaty and heart pounding.