#summer 1973

Location: Black Family Cottage Date: Summer, 1973

“Is she really wearing that?”  Narcissa commented as she shielded her eyes from the sun, squinting on the shores of the lake.  Vivienne Parkinson was sitting peacefully in a paddle boat, drifting along where the current would take her as she sketched away, ignoring everything else - and everyone - around her.  Narcissa scowled as she cast her gaze over to Sirius.  He’d never been her favorite but with Regulus still in swimming lessons, she supposed he would have to do.

“Sirius, ugh Si-ri-us,” she whined, dragging out each syllable of his name as she tried to get the twelve year old's attention. “You’re supposed to be paying attention!”  If it were Andromeda, she would have been laughing along with her, poking fun at the 1950′s esque coverall bathing suit the older girl was wearing.  Instead, Narcissa found herself with the only relative available.  Somehow, she began to come to the conclusion that afternoon tea with her mother would have been more enjoyable than this.

Instead, dealing with Sirius’ constant shifts in attention, constant juvenile comments was proving increasingly difficult and she was beginning to feel more like a babysitter than a cousin.  The five years that fell between them had never felt bigger, even as she wished to show Sirius what a proper Pureblood would do.  She knew already that a part of her wished that she could be wild like Sirius and Bellatrix, but that was not the role she was supposed to play.  She knew that all too well now.

“Ugh, fine.” She exclaimed finally, “choose not to pay attention.”  Narcissa stamped on the dock in consternation before an idea struck her.  Smiling wickedly, she knew just the way to make Sirius pay attention to her.  Making like she was walking away in defeat, she managed to walk just past him before she turned and gripped his shoulders.  From there, it was easy.  Still light and skinny, Sirius was easy to knock off balance - right into the lake.  The splash he made as he fell in was satisfying.  Maybe now he might learn to pay more attention to his surroundings.

Words could not describe how excited Caradoc was today. It felt like it had taken ages, but they’d finally done it. He and Fabian had found a flat that they both loved and had signed a lease. Of course, it was a two bedroom, a rental agreement on which they were roommates, and not partners, but that was only because of the fact that what they were was quite simply frowned upon by most of society. They both knew that if they applied as a couple they weren’t very likely to get anywhere. It was much more important for them to be together than to be accepted - the people they cared about accepted them anyways. He just wanted this to be as perfect as he imagined it. There was very little left in the small apartment he kept alone. He wasn’t even bringing most of his furniture with him. They weren’t the greatest in quality, and they were definitely the belongings of a bachelor - mismatched and unkempt. He hadn’t bothered to keep them in good repair because he’d spent so little on them. These things were disposable. He looked forward to furniture shopping with Fabian. Getting new things that weren’t his own or Fabian’s, but things that belonged to both of them. This flat was theirs, and this was about moving forward, getting even more serious. His threadbare pullout couch that had taken permanent residence in the corner of his unit did not scream “serious relationship” in any regard. He was in his twenties now after all. This was the time to grow up, to start to take more responsibility for himself. He was well on his way to becoming a full fledged Auror, and that had to mean something. He planned on moving out of his own flat the proper way, a stack of cardboard boxes against the wall by the door, far too many for what he owned and planned on keeping. Still, this was something that Fabian didn’t really know as well, and moving was fun. Moving meant pizza and beer, and some shifty records playing in the background while you went through all of our old things. He’d asked Fabian to finish packing up what little was left in the kitchenette while he emptied his desk, and then they could finish cramming his belongings into the back seat of his car and be on their way. He’d picked up a case file from the bottom drawer, papers spilling out of it. The sight made him stop, and he had to laugh, grinning as he picked up one in particular, “Fabian, you’ve got to come and see what I’ve just found.” It was only fitting that he’d come across the case that had brought Fabian to his desk at the Ministry what felt like years ago now. This piece of parchment filled with runes had been where everything had started; he’d never get rid of it. @prxwett