------------------> "WALBURGA!"
"Adeline!
Sirius watched as the two woman embraced each other.
"Oh and look how big Sirius has gotten!" Lady Adeline Rosier nee Greengrass gushed over him once the two woman had broken from their hug. "And so handsome too!"
Sirius smiled at her. "Thank you, Lady Rosier. You look absolutely lovely this evening."
"And such a charmer as well." Adeline cooed, before meeting Walburga's eyes. "You've raised a proper gentleman, 'Buga."
"Of course, Adele." Walburga replied in a tone that believed that it couldn't be suggested otherwise. She turned her identical grey eyes on him. "Sirius, why don't you go and find Cordelia?"
"Of course, mother." Sirius replied promptly. "Lady Rosier." He nodded his head respectfully at her and calmly walked out of the room.
It was only after he was sure that they could not hear him any longer, did he start picking up his pace of speed. He knew exactly where Cora would be.
It had been four years since he'd first met Cordelia Chrysanthemum Rosier and since then, she'd been his best friend. She was perhaps the only person he had met that shared his views. She was like the annoying big (only be two months) sister he didn't know he had needed.
The ancestral Rosier castle was huge and built on top of a lake. The property lawns surrounding the castle extended to over six acres. If a person was to walk exactly straight ahead from the kitchen exit of the castle (after crossing the lake) for about five minutes, then they would find a pink ribbon tied to a tree. And if the person turned to the direction of the longer end of the ribbon (left) and walked straight ahead for another three minutes, then they would find another pink ribbon. The person would once again have to turn to the direction of the longer end of the ribbon (left again) and continued along the same path for another seven minutes, then they would reach a cave. And if that person stepped inside the dark cave and continued ahead, they would soon find themselves in a light-filled, vast, spacious, beautiful, fairy-tail like garden with numerous colourful butterflies fluttering their wings above them and a crystal clear lake in the middle.
Cordelia had told him that she and her older brother, Evan, had found the area while playing hide-and-go-seek when they were younger, and had marked the turns with ribbons so they wouldn't forget it. It had been years since Evan had last visited the 'Space', but Sirius knew that Cordelia stayed there for the majority of her time whenever she wanted to avoid certain conversations with her parents and brother.
Sure enough, there she was.
She had spread a picnic blanket on the grass and was sitting on it and reading a book about the mind arts. There were little finger sandwiches beside her along with a bowl of green grapes and a water bottle.
"Heiress Rosier."
Sirius grinned as Cordelia almost jumped, startled. When she realised who he was, she relaxed and fixed him under a glare with no real heat in it. Sirius lifted his hands up in the air in the universal surrender motion. Cordelia sighed and used a fallen leaf to bookmark her page, before standing up.
Sirius roughly had only three seconds to brace himself before he was tackled by a golden-brown haired blur. He laughed as both of them fell to the ground, just missing falling into the lake.
"Sirius!"
"I take it you missed me?" Sirius grinned as he stood up and offered her his hand.
Cordelia laughed as she accepted it. "Don't look too much into it. I reacted the same way when Daddy gave me that Runes book three days ago."
Sirius gasped and dramatically clutched a hand to his chest. "Cora, how dare you put me in the same category as a book!"
Cordelia rolled her eyes. "Wrong side, genius." Sirius quickly shifted his hand. "And Sirius, you must know that if I had to choose between a book and you, it would be the book."
Sirius pretended to faint in horror.
"If you faint, then I can't tell you how to blackmail a ghost when we get to Hogwarts." Cordelia sang with a smile.
Sirius immediately bounced back. He smiled in her direction and sat down on the blanket. "Tell me everything." He demanded.
Cordelia's eyes sparkled with mirth as she sat down beside him. "Okay, so Evan told me about this ghost named Peeves who apparently pranks everyone and everything. The only person who Peeves is supposed to be scared of is the Bloody Baron."
"The Bloody Baron?"
"Yeah, Evan told me that the Baron looks exactly like he sounds. So anyway, I was thinking that we should probably search for a spell that lets us imitate people's voices. It would be an extremely useful tool to have when-"
------> 0o0 <------
Since Sirius and his mother had ended up talking to their respective friend at well over seven, they were invited to stay for dinner.
The enormous and spacious 'informal' dinning room of the Rosier castle could seat six people, which was perfect for their situation.
Lord Rosier sat at the head chair, with Lady Rosier on his right and his daughter at his left. Sirius and Walburga sat beside their respective friends and directly opposite for each other (a perfect way for his mother to subtly kick him from below the table to give him cues to behave and or stop talking; and to also glare at him directly) and the Heir Apparent Evan Rosier sat opposite to his father at the other end of the table.
The main branch of the Most Ancient and Noble House of Rosier comprised of four people.
Lord Hadrian Rosier was a harshly handsome man in his late forties with Caspian-Sea blue eyes (a trait given to him by his late mother who had been a Macmillan, which he had passed on to both his children) and greying golden-brown hair.
His eldest child, Evan Rosier had been the product of Lord Rosier's first marriage between himself and a Bulstroad. It had been a pre-arranged marriage, a contract signed by his late grandfather. And to be honest, Bulstroads were not exactly the prettiest things to look at. Their characteristic features were that they were big-boned, had a hooked nose and somewhat large, pointed chin.
So Evan Rosier was indeed very lucky that he looked like a carbon copy of his father, with his tall yet lean structure, wavy hair, Caspian-Sea eyes and regally handsome features, and took nothing after his mother except her horrid temper and dark hair colour.
The previous Lady Rosier had sadly passed away mysteriously (poisoned) a year after she had given birth to an Heir. On another completely unrelated note, the then recently widowed and 'grieving' Lord Rosier married the younger sister of Lord Greengrass because, "His darling deceased wife would have wanted him to be happy and give their baby son a mother." The fact that Adeline Greengrass was ten years younger than him (being eighteen and fresh out of Hogwarts), and was extremely attractive and overall very aesthetically pleasing compared to the late Lady Rosier, had absolutely nothing to do with their marriage.
Lady Adeline Rosier soon became an excellent mother to a year and a half old Evan, despite having just reached magical majority herself. And seven years later, she bore what Evan considered the greatest gift of all- his baby sister, Cordelia Rosier.
If Sirius was being honest with himself, he liked the current Lady Rosier. She was always cheerful, caring and very protective about her family. Perhaps the only flaws of hers was her opinion on blood purity and her support towards pureblood supremacy, otherwise Sirius would have hailed her as a perfect mother.
"So," Lady Rosier broke the silence first, smiling brightly. Sirius liked the fact that she had smile lines near her eyes. His own mother had no wrinkles spare the multitude of frown lines she desperately tried to cover up. It showed the difference between the two of them. "Are you excited for Hogwarts, Sirius?"
Sirius returned her smile. "Yes, Lady Rosier, thank you for asking."
"What are you most excited about?" Lady Rosier asked with genuine curiosity.
Sirius grinned, remembering his earlier conversation with Cordelia. "The ghosts." He replied.
Lady Rosier's eyes lit up. "Yes, they are quite fascinating, aren't they? Nearly Headless Nick and Peeves had been my favourites." She mused, her eyes showing nostalgia as she remembered her school days. "Moaning Myrtle, I hated though. That reminds me- Cordelia darling, don't forget to stay away from the second floor girl's bathroom, otherwise you'll have the pleasure of seeing an ugly ghost's head pop in from the toilet seat." She grimaced.
Cordelia smirked. "Speaking from personal experience, mother?"
Lady Rosier grimaced again. "Yes." She confessed.
"And when Moaning Myrtle is in a particular depressed mood, she'll flood the floor." Walburga pitched in, wrinkling her nose in disgust. "It's horrid."
Lord Rosier have both the Ladies an amused look. "As much as I love talking about ghosts, I would prefer having that conversation when we aren't eating?" Lord Rosier suggested pointedly.
Lady Rosier flushed. "Right. Cordelia is very excited about potions, no doubt she'll be invited to join the slug club soon, isn't that right, my little potion mistress?"
Cordelia pinked. "It's up to Master Slughorn, mother."
Lady Rosier waved her off. "Nonsense! Of course you'll be invited." She stated firmly, leaving no room for argument. She turned to the other end of the table. "Evan dear, how was your day?"
"Great." Evan replied.
"And?" Lady Rosier prompted. "Do elaborate sweetheart, I'm sure that 'great' isn't the only adjective you know."
Sirius smiled while Cordelia giggled. Evan shot her a mock glare with no actual heat behind his gaze, before turning back to his mother.
"It was fun, I guess." Evan shrugged. "Master Kennington said I was doing exceptionally well at the moment and if I can continue at this pace, then I can finish my Mastery by Yule of the following year."
Lady Rosier clapped her hands in delight, eyes shinning with pride. "That's wonderful Evan. I am so proud of you, darling! I still can't believe you've grown up so soon. It seems like it was just yesterday when I was healing your wounds from when you jumped off the window thinking you could fly ("Mother!" Evan exclaimed, trying to cover up his blush) and look at you now- just about to complete your Transfiguration Mastership. Aah, how time flies!" She mused.
Lord Rosier chuckled. "I think you've embarrassed him quite enough, dear." Lady Rosier slightly pouted when Lord Rosier looked at his son with pride. "I believe congratulations are to be offered, son. Excellent job, and keep up the good work."
"Yes." Walburga said. "Very wonderful work, Evan, and many congratulations from myself and my family. It is a great deal of pride that you have earned from this achievement." She said and gave Sirius a not-so-subtle pointed look.
"Congratulations, Heir Rosier. I wish you the best." Sirius said.
Evan inclined his head. "Thank you, Heir Black." He replied neutrally before his face shifted to a small smile while looking at his younger sister. "No congratulations from you, my dear sister?" He teased.
Cordelia smiled widely and held up her index finger to him, wordlessly asking him to wait a minute. Everybody looked at her curiously.
Cordelia produced a wand from under the table by reaching out to a wand holster that had been fastened at her right thigh and kept it on the table. She then took a white napkin nearby and made an origami heart shape from it. She pointed her wand at the heart and made a swishing and flicking motion with it.
"Wingardium Leviosa!" She said clearly, making the heart float all the way to her brother at the other end of the long table.
The Rosier's looked at her casual display of magic with visible pride and Walburga gave Sirius another kick and pointed look. Sirius refrained from rolling his eyes.
Evan caught the heart and looked at his sister questioningly.
"My heart-felt congratulations to you, brother dearest." Cordelia said, mirth sparkling in her eyes. She looked at the heart shaped napkin in his hand. "Get it?"
Evan rolled his eyes with a fond smile and the elder Rosier's laughed heartily (pardon the pun) and so did Sirius. Walburga laughed as well, but that was most likely because she didn't want to be left out.
"Aren't you getting a little old for this?" Evan asked with a soft smile, accidentally bending the napkin in half.
"Why, brother, I am simply offended you would ask such a thing." Cordelia said dramatically before looking him dead in the eye. "You broke my heart."
Laughter erupted again.
Evan gave her an unimpressed look, although his eyes shined with mirth. "Are you serious?"
"No," Sirius replied before she could. "I am Sirius."
Lord Rosier and Lady Rosier continued laughing, and so did his mother. Evan chuckled and Cordelia giggled.
Sirius decided that if you could forget about or ignore the distaste and immense hatred for anything not pureblood, then the Rosier's were alright.