Regulus Black
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Post by Regulus Black on Sept 9, 2007 13:10:52 GMT -5
Regulus unlocked the door to the apartment building, walking into the main lobby and looking around. Mrs. Finch, their elderly neighbor, was herding one of her cats towards the stairs with an old silk umbrella. Several tenants were collecting their mail out of the boxes along the wall. A young woman was juggling bags of groceries near the front desk.
He walked through the usual calamity, heading up to the floor that he and Adriana lived on. Unlocking their door, glancing over his shoulder as Mrs. Finch got her cat onto the landing, he pushed it open and walked inside.
"Adriana?" he called, tossing his keys onto the coffee table.
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Adriana Bell-Black
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Post by Adriana Bell-Black on Sept 9, 2007 13:21:17 GMT -5
Standing in Katie’s room, with said daughter standing on the bed, Adriana was attempting to comb her daughter’s wet hair into pigtails. “Katie come on honey, stay still so I can finish you hair. When I’m done you can jump around for a few minutes before I finish getting you dressed.” She said trying to coax Katie into standing still for more than a few seconds. Finally getting her hair don’t right, Katie jumped on the bed sporadically for a few minutes before exhausting herself. Grinning up at her mother Katie smiled angelically at her mother’s skeptical gaze. “I’m ready now mummy.” She said waiting for her mum to finish dressing her.
Finally able to get Katie dressed in her overalls and polo shirt, Adriana searched the room for Katie’s boots. “Katie honey, do you know where you boots are?” she asked the two year old. Looking under the bed she heard Regulus call from somewhere in the flat. Poking her head out the door she looked in the hall seeing him at the kitchen.
“Yes love?” She said brightly.
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Regulus Black
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Defense Against the Dark Arts[M:0:0:0:]
I've gotta be honest, I've been waiting for you all my life.
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Post by Regulus Black on Sept 9, 2007 14:05:17 GMT -5
"My brother's coming over," he said, walking over to Katie's room and leaning against the door frame. "He and I talked, he said he'd watch Katie. I invited him over for dinner like you asked...but I don't know if he'll stay for that."
He looked over at his daughter, who was sitting angelically on her bed and letting Adriana rummage around for her boots. Katie, appearing to be freshly washed, grinned brightly at him. "Hello daddy," she said brightly, kicking her feet against the edge of the bed. Regulus grinned back. "Been good for mum, Katie?" he asked.
Looking down at his girlfriend, Regulus raised an eyebrow. "Apparently not, if you're making poor mum look for your shoes. They're in the bathroom, Katie, go and get them so we can help you get them on."
When Katie bounced off the bed and rushed out of the room, Regulus looked back at Adriana, his grin fading. As far as he knew, Katie and Sirius had never actually met. That had been part of the row they'd had which led to him speaking with his brother...the fact that leaving Katie in the care of someone who was virtually a complete stranger to her wasn't the most responsible thing to do. But Adriana had won--hence the conversation with Sirius--and so they were going to have to deal with it. "Are you going to do the introductions?" he asked, keeping his voice down so that Katie wasn't eavesdropping. "And explain what he'll have to do?"
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Adriana Bell-Black
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Post by Adriana Bell-Black on Sept 9, 2007 15:07:11 GMT -5
"Really?" She asked somewhat surprised the two managed to come to some sort of agreement. Poking her head out from under Katie’s bed she smiled brightly at him. "Well that’s wonderful, your brother never says no to food, so I’m sure I can find away to get him to stay."
Adriana snorted as he asked Katie if she had been good, ‘Angel she was, before she decided to give me a bath along with hers’ she mused to herself. Looking at Regulus sheepishly, she tried to remember why the shoes where there instead of her room. “Interesting I don’t remember seeing them, but I suppose I was preoccupied with a certain little witch.”
Sitting up Indian style she looked up at Regs pensively. She hadn’t really thought about Katie not having met Sirius yet. Luckily her daughter was only two and wouldn’t ask too many questions but she needed to explain that Sirius was family. Shrugging she nodded in acceptance. "I suppose, but I mean not much other than that he is your brother is needed, she is only 2." she said reasonably.
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Sirius Black
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Post by Sirius Black on Sept 9, 2007 16:25:58 GMT -5
Sirius padded down the street, the gift wrapped box from quality Quidditch supplies clutched between his teeth. It was a good thing muggles were so oblivious to the oblivious magical activity around them. He spotted the street they lived on, and darted into a hedge, where he transformed, and then emerged clutching the present in his left hand. He wlaked causually down the street and up to the door of number 57. He rung the bell and stood back from the door, waiting, suddenly tense.
Was he really doing the right thing? Did his sudden snap decision to babysit for his niece mean that maybe he and his brother could get along or was it case of 'scratching backs' as the muggles put it so truthfully.Deciding it was too late to turn around now, Sirius waited for the door to open, and for him to finally meet his niece. He greatly hoped she would like her present.
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Regulus Black
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Post by Regulus Black on Sept 9, 2007 22:50:16 GMT -5
Regulus made a noncommental noise when Adriana said that she'd be able to get his brother to stay with the lure of food. He really couldn't care less if Sirius stayed or went...he wanted a bit of time to get used to the idea of not fighting with his brother any more. As it stood, he still felt instinctively that he needed to be alert for the beginnings of a fight.
Looking after said little witch, Regulus smiled. "It was your turn for a bath anyway," he teased. "Katie and I took one yesterday--me in considerably more clothes than the little bugger." Holding out a hand for Adriana to help her off the floor, he said, "If you think that's all she needs to know...you know how she behaves when Narcissa tries to coddle her. Sirius should be just behind me, he had some errands to run."
He heard the bell and pushed himself away from the doorframe, walking quietly across the living room to get it. Regulus had left it unlocked when he'd come in a few minutes before. Turning the handle, he was not surprised to see who was standing on the landing. "Come in," Regulus said, stepping aside. He turned towards the hall, listening for his daughter's footsteps. She'd been in the bathroom retrieving her boots a long time..."Katie?" Regulus called into the flat, not walking any further into his home than the living room. No point in showing Sirius exactly how muggle their lives had become...baskets of laundry to be taken to the corner shop were sitting on the floor in the bedroom, toys strewn across Katie's room--a vast majority of them devoid of magic altogether. He'd see it soon enough anyway.
Katie came tearing out of the hall, a large smile on her face. The pigtails that Adriana had forced her wet hair into bounced as she ran. She flung her arms open when she got near to Regulus, and he smiled and scooped her up. "Come on, my little witch, and say hello to your Uncle Sirius," he said, turning back towards his brother with Katie against his side.
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Sirius Black
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Post by Sirius Black on Sept 10, 2007 12:32:49 GMT -5
Sirius shifted nervously on the doorstep as Regulus opened the door and let him in. He shut the door behind himself, and followed Regulus into the lounge. He could see that his brother and Addie were now living a very muggle lifestyle, and hoped they wouldn't take offence at his magical present, and stop her from using it, it was only a ball after all.
Regulus called Katie who ran giggling into the room, pigtails bouncing as she ran. She was gorgeous, the perfect blend of Addie and Regulus, and with her mother's smile. He watched as Regulus scooped her up, slightly jealous that he didn't have his own child to do that too, that he had only other people's children to dote upon.
Sirius smiled at Katie. "Hey, Katie." Sirius said awkwardly, not quitew knowing how to talk to the little girl. "I'm you Uncle, that means I'm your Daddy's brother. I'm not like the rest of the Black family, I'm the good one, who didn't get arrested for trying to kill muggles." he said grinning to cover up the fact that he realised he was babbling and probably embarrassing himself, and scaring Katie. "Anyway, I brought you a present to make up for not being here for your last birthday." He held out the box and waited for her to take it from him.
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Adriana Bell-Black
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Post by Adriana Bell-Black on Sept 10, 2007 12:58:48 GMT -5
Following her daughter out into the living room of the flat she stood at the back of the room taking in the scene before her. Hearing Sirius try to explain to Katie what uncle meant and his rambling about the family, Adriana laughed and took that as her cue to step in.
Katie eagerly took the present from Sirius’s hands and opened it with pure glee, granted it was almost bigger than her head still but she managed to throw it up a few times catching it successfully. Giggling as she did so, she tried to squirm out of her dad’s arms back onto the floor to play with the Quaffle.
Grinning as Katie opened the present eagerly, Adriana kissed her daughters forehead. “Katie that wasn’t very nice, what are you supposed to say?” Said Adriana staring pointedly at her daughter’s sheepish grin. “Thank you.” Said a very happy Katie.
Walking up to Sirius Adriana gave him a hug. “I’m glad you could come.” She said before stepping back next to Regulus. "However that explanation." She trailed off laughing at the thought of it. "Maybe a bit more than a two year old needs to know. Thank you for the gift though Merlin knows she has enough toys already." She said smiling at her Daughters attempts to squirm away. “The little witch already has good aim, go figure the Quaffle is what she likes most.”
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Regulus Black
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Post by Regulus Black on Sept 10, 2007 19:24:00 GMT -5
Regulus eyed the quaffle warily, watching Katie bounce it about the living room. "The fourth time I get hit square in the head with that thing, I don't care if we've just made up, I'm coming to your flat and murdering you. I know where you live now, after all." He grinned at his brother though, glad that Sirius had had the foresight to bribe Katie with something. She'd be putty in his hands now...he didn't doubt that if they asked Sirius to give her a bath, she'd emerge smelling fresh and clean and he'd be as dry as the sidewalk on a sunny August day. They'd probably come home and find her peacefully in bed, no problems had.
He glanced over at Adriana, quirking an eyebrow. "Are we going to get food, or not?" he asked curiously. Looking at his brother, he said, "Since we're asking you to stay here, we might as well feed you..."
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Sirius Black
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Post by Sirius Black on Sept 13, 2007 16:12:55 GMT -5
"Hey, it's not my fault if she hits you in the head with it, you should teach her not to hit you." he said with a laugh as Katie bounced the ball that was bigger than her head on the floor. "I though she should have some variety, i mean living with two seekers, could be very hard for her to make her own way in life and more specifically Quidditch. So i bought her a present to help her along. Plus I already have a seeker for my juvenile Quidditch team. James is determined that Harry's going to become a seeker, he good at catching gold balls that are thrown in his direction though so you can see why. Anyway."
He looked at between Addie and Regulus when food was mentioned. His stomach suddenly grumbling with hunger as he realised he hadn't had his last meal. "Food sounds good, I'm starving, what are we having?"
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Adriana Bell-Black
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Post by Adriana Bell-Black on Sept 15, 2007 15:54:08 GMT -5
Adriana grinned as Regulus complained about Katie hitting him with the Quaffle and his threat about going after Sirius. “Please its not like she does it on purpose, your big head just happens to be in the way.” She teased. Smiling she looked at her daughter who apparently took a liking to Sirius and his gift, maybe the baby sitting wouldn’t be such a challenge to him tonight.
“Well yes, we want her to play, but anything she plays is fine honestly the more she could do on the pitch the better. How are they doing anyways, the Potters that is? I haven’t talked to James and Lily longer since I haven’t talked to you.” She asked curiously, having once been close to all the Marauders it was hard when she had to loose communication with everyone, especially after hearing the ordeal with Voldemort not to long ago.
Grinning as Sirius’s stomach grumbled as if on cue, she bit her lip thinking about what she had planned to cook that evening. "Steak, potatoes, corn and some pie for dessert. If that sounds good I suppose, what ever you boys want I’ll make." She happy to finally have some company.
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Sirius Black
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Post by Sirius Black on Sept 15, 2007 16:49:03 GMT -5
"Lily and James are doing great, they were abit shaken up after Voldemort and everything, but after coming in and finding James without his wands on him one day I gave him a big lecture and he never puts it down, so he was able to fight Voldemort off best he could, then I got there, and we took him out together, like the Auror partners we'd always planned to be, until he went into hiding. Anyway, Harry's doing really well too, he'll be in the year below Katie at Hogwarts, and if they both get into Gryffindor, man are they going to have a good team while they are there. Harry's amazing on a toy broomstick already, Lily's put away all the breakable stuff, so that James doesn't break it when he trips over while chasing harry around the room. I've got a picture, here." He said pulling his wallet out of his back pocket and flipping it open. He pulled out a folded up photo of Lilly, crouched in one corner clutching her sides, laughing, as Harry zoomed around, and James' legs tore after him. He laughed as he looked at it, he loved his Godson, and hoped that he could love Katie the same way, she was blood in the way Harry wasn't, although he might as well be.
Sirius chuckled softly as his stomach grumbled as if on cue. "Addie that sounds great, what ever food you put in front of me, I will eat it, as long as it's edible, which I'm sure it will be." he grinned at her, and at his brother as he watched Katie, who seemed to be enjoying her present. Sirius crouched down to her level, and called her over. "Hey Katie, want to show me some of your other toys?" thinking it would give Addie the space she needed to cook, and give Regulus some time off from his daughter, to relax. It was the job he assumed with Harry, although James usually came and joined in eventually anyway.
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Regulus Black
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Defense Against the Dark Arts[M:0:0:0:]
I've gotta be honest, I've been waiting for you all my life.
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Post by Regulus Black on Sept 15, 2007 17:15:58 GMT -5
Regulus listened curiously as Sirius told Adriana what had happened to the Potters. Of course, everyone knew about their ordeal, and what it had cost the Dark Lord. It was a situation that Regulus still wasn't quite sure how he should feel about...it had become a vehicle that he used to get out of the Dark Lord's shadow, and start working for Dumbledore. To redeem himself a little bit...not enough to make up for being a part of what turned into something much darker than it was ever meant to be, but enough to keep himself out of Azkaban. He hadn't really ever done anything too harmful on the Dark Lord's orders, after all...unlike some of the people he'd seen fed to the Dementors. Regulus looked curiously at the picture that Sirius pulled out of his wallet, seeing a young James Potter ride about on a toy broom while the former Lily Evans laughed in the corner. It was such a stark difference from the pictures that had been taken when he and Sirius were kids...but Regulus looked over at Katie and smiled. He and Adriana had full volumes of such pictures of the little witch.
"Whatever you want to make, love," Regulus agreed as well. He watched his girlfriend get started in the kitchen for a moment, when his brother went off with Katie. Listening, though, he wondered what they were doing in the other room. Knowing that Adriana worked better when there wasn't anyone in her way--himself included--Regulus walked over to where Katie was happily stacking her dolls in front of Sirius, babbling all the while about them. "Katie's showing you her dolls?" he asked, amused. "That's first-class treatment, bro. It took her a few months before she'd bring them out in front of the neighbors. You really know the way into a girl's heart," he grinned. Katie looked over at him and gave him a doll too, pushing it into his arms and looking sternly at him until he tucked it against himself like it was sleeping. She smiled and tottled off to get more, babbling softly into her room.
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Sirius Black
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Post by Sirius Black on Sept 16, 2007 15:06:31 GMT -5
Sirius followed Katie, and watched as she piled dolls in front of him, telling him all their names, as he struggled to remember what the last two were called. He wondered how she remembered them all. He saw regulus come in and smiled at his comment.
"Come on, you can't pretend I don't know the way to a ladies heart, are all the wooing I did at Hogwarts. In fact some of them fainted without me doing more than look at them, but that was the giddy first years while I was in second year." Katie was back with more dolls, and continued to pile them in his arms.
"This is Daisy, she's Sunflower's Sister..." said Katie happily showing him yet another doll.
"How many does she have?" Sirius whispered to Regulus under his breath. "Katie, have you got any other toys, that aren't dolls. Has your daddy bought you a broomstick yet?" he asked, an excited grin coming onto his face. If she did have one, he could take a picture of her on it, for him to show Lily and James. He was really keen for the two children to get know each other, it would be good for them to already have a friend when they got to Hogwarts, well Harry would have friend in the year above him, and Katie could be all motherly and protective over him. Like Addie had the tendency to do, which Katie was quite likely to have.
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Regulus Black
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Post by Regulus Black on Sept 16, 2007 16:29:20 GMT -5
Snorting at his brother's reply, shaking his head. "Yeah, I do remember, and that was your third year you git--because I'd just gotten there, and it was pretty much instantly decided that I had pretty good looks, but you were the favorite." He smirked. "Quite a turn-around from the way it was at home, huh?" Thinking about it, Regulus laughed and added, "Do you remember when that Hufflepuff girl in my year read you that poem like two weeks after school started?"
He watched Katie continue to babble about her dolls, continuing to pile them onto Sirius. Grinning at his daughter's antics, he chuckled at Sirius's whispered inquiry. "Too many. People around here heard that the baby'd been born, and it's some strange muggle custom to give dolls to new babies. Adriana explained it to me once, but..." he shrugged one shoulder. At Sirius's louder question to Katie, Regulus wasn't surprised to see Katie gasp and drop the dolls she was holding, looking up at Sirius with a wide, toothy grin. She tore out of the room, returning moments later with a broom clutched in her hand.
Regulus eyed her warily, glancing about to see if there was anything breakable left out in the room. The lamp had good potential. And the framed photo on the bookshelf...perhaps even the curtains were in danger. Katie climbed happily onto her broom. "Look out, daddy!" she giggled, rising off the ground. Regulus put the doll she'd given him earlier down and watched her, trying to determine her warpath before she got going on it.
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