Alphard was the second son of Pollux and Irma. The sentitive boy of the family. He never got along with Walburga. She was clearly insane. Alphard and Cygnus got a better relationship. They used to play together as kids. Although Cygnus got away with mostly everything. Pollux had a clear preference for him. The Golden boy. But their parents didn't know the little devil he actually was.
Anyway, Alphard loved his brother. They would usually make pranks to Orion. He was really weird, a creep actually. Who prefered the company of the girls. Specially Walburga, which was super weird. And they loved to see his reactions.
(..............)
But Alphard's life changed when he was 14. Alphard got the habit of scaping his Slytherin mates and go to the Astronomy Tower to think. One day, he went to do so, finding a Gryffindor lying back on the Astronomy Tower's floor.
"Hiyaa there!" the Gryffindor said.
Alphard jumped. He didn't noticed the student there. The boy stood up yawing.
"Sorry" he said smiling "I was having a relaxing nap"
Alphard didn't answer. For him and his friends, Gryffindors were pure imbeciles. Reckless assholes that didn't think before acting.
The boy lit a cigarette. Alphard's father smoked but Alphard never found it attractive. Until now.
"Sorry, do you want some?" the boy offered it.
Alphard took it without thinking. He was very stupid as a kid. Accepting practically anything. Just to be accepted. His sister Walburga had left a really bad reputation for the Blacks. Alphard wanted to proof he was cool.
He took a drag and immediately coughed.
The boy laughed. "First time?"
Alphard nodded. "You'll get used to it. I reckon"
The boy looked at Alphard. He noticed he had really intense green eyes. Alphard was hypnotized by them. Shit perhaps he was getting dizzy already.
"Ranjit Bakshi" the boy extended his hand.
"Alphard Black" he responded awkwardly.
"One of the Black kids, ha?"
"What's wrong with that?" Alphard asked annoyed.
"Nothing, is that you have a reputation" he said "Your sister has"
Alphard knew all the rumours surrounding his sister.
"None of them are true. We are normal. Just like you. Or more than you, actually"
Who this kid think he was?
"I hope so" he said smiling "I don't want to be normal. I want to be original. Do great things in life"
Alphard didn't answer. He simply looked at the Gryffindor with disgust. His parents would hate if Alphard befriend a boy like that.
"Gryffindors are weird"
Ranjit laughed "Is that what the Slytherins think of us?"
"We are right, don't we?"
Ranjit shook his head laughing.
"Well you are different from them Alphard. From all the Slytherins. You actually spoke to me without insulting me, that's good" he turned off the cig "I guess I'll see you around"
And he left. Alphard thought he was a weirdo.
(..............)
The following days Alphard couldn't stop thinking about that boy. And his light green eyes. Who had eyes like that? Well Alphard had grey eyes, but still. He had never met anyone like that. Everyone he had ever met were false, too proud, too superficial. Alphard found out Ranjit was a seventh year Gryffindor, muggle born. His parents were these poor indian muggles that moved to England recently.
Alphard decided to not see him again. He was everything his parents despised. And he was older. He would graduate soon and Alphard would never see him again. So there wasn't a big deal.
But somehow, Alphard found himself going to the Astronomy Tower again. Hoping to see him.
"You couldn't leave without my cigs, right Alphard?" he asked.
Alphard jumped. He really didn't expect him to be there.
"You seriously don't have a better place to be?" Alphard joked.
Ranjit laughed "Is nice to see you again, Alphard Black"
(..............)
Alphard and Ranjit became friends. Well not friends exactly. Just lads that shared cigarettes or so. They smoked together. And occasionally chat about things. Alphard didn't and couldn't tell anyone about this. It was his little secret.
"So what are you doing after Hogwarts?" Alphard asked one night, lying on the floor, watching the night sky.
"Don't know, you?" Ranjit answered.
"Probably work at the Ministry, get married or so..." Alphard repeated what his parents had planned for him. And for his siblings.
"Pfff... That sounds boring man"
"Those are my plans" Alphard said kind of pissed.
"Sorry is just that I would never want to do something like that, you know?"
Alphard simply looked at him.
"I want to enjoy life. I'm gonna become bloody rich with some evolutionary spell or potion" he continued looking at the sky "I want to do what I please when I please. I want to meet a lot of people. Enjoy all the pleasures of life, travel around the world. Don't get married no. Ranjit is not ready to be tained"
Alphard rolled his eyes smiling.
"I want to fall in love as many times as I can. With people from different parts of the world, you know?"
Alphard blushed at that statement. He didn't know why.
"And when I'm done. I'm gonna settle in Rome. Bloody Rome man. Heaven on Earth. And I'm gonna spend my old days there. Just enjoying my quiet and peaceful life"
"Sounds like you have everything planned" Alphard said
"No man, you have everything planned" Ranjit laughed
His parents had everything planned for him. Alphard couldn't dream of doing those things. His family would never allow it. Al had heard many stories about Blacks who were disowned and exiled for being different. He didn't want that for himself. Al wouldn't know what to do. But Al couldn't deny Renjit's plan sounded appealing. Alphard imagined himself coming along. The two of them on adventures. But that couldn't be.
(..............)
"You're graduating next month" Alphard didn't want to sound sad. But he was. He said it out of nowhere as they paced through the Forbidden Forest. Ranjit had made Al be more bold. Do things he would never imagined himself doing before.
"Don't worry about it Al" he said. For 8 months, Ranjit and Alphard had had these meetings. To smoke, talk, whatever. They had learned so much about each other. And soon it will be over. Alphard didn't want it to be over.
"We can see each other again. I'm not dying" Ranjit smirked.
"My parents will never let me see you"
"Al" Ranjit kept walking, Alphard tried to follow "Don't ever let your parents define you. Just do as you please"
"You clearly don't know them" Alphard smiled sadly.
"I'm pretty sure you'll do the right thing Al" Ranjit said "And if I don't see you again" he stopped walking and faced Alphard "I want you to have a pleasant life. That when you are grey and old you will turn back and say: Ufff what a life"
Ranjit put a hand on Alphard's shoulder. "Do you promise?"
Alphard smiled "Yeah I do"
And that was the last time Alphard saw Ranjit. But he promised himself he was going to live the life he wanted. Enjoy it. Do as he pleased. And for that he had a plan.
(..............)
"Father?"
22 year old Alphard wanted to talk to his father. He was not Cygnus, who could easily get anything from him. But he wasn't Wally. Alphard was sure his father liked him better than her poor sister.
The wizard was eyeing his Daily Prophet so intensely that he didn't look at his son.
"Yes?"
"I want to ask you a favor"
His father hummed in response.
"I would like to move into my own flat"
His father looked at him. With his eyes full of hate.
"I'm a full grown man. Is not well seen to live with my parents"
Pollux lit a cigarette with his wand.
"And " Alphard continued "I'm gonna be lonely honestly. Wally is in Paris. And Cygnus will marry Druella soon"
"And you? You're not gonna get married?" his father asked.
"Yes father" Alphard lied "I want to find a proper witch first. A beautiful, pureblood woman who is proper enough to give me children in the future. I'm not gonna be so stupid to marry the first woman I encounter. Like Cygnus"
Alphard knew exactly what his father wanted to hear.
Pollux smirked "You're intelligent after all son"
Alphard smiled.
"Fine. I will get you a flat. But I'm watching you Alphard. Don't dissapoint me. I'm too old for this"
"Yes father"
"Remember we are The Noble and Most Ancient House of Black"
"Yes sir"
"You can go now"
Alphard left his father's study with a smile on his face. He was going to pretend to live the life his parents had planned for him. But in reality, he was going to live the life he promised Ranjit. He was going to do as he pleased.