Broken thrones

Sirius shifted uncomfortably, running a hand through his unruly hair as he eyed the unfamiliar girl sitting across from him. He wasn't used to meeting family members that didn't instantly sneer at his existence.

"So… hello, cousin, I guess?" he said, offering a lopsided grin.

The young woman smiled, making herself comfortable on the bed in the guest room. "Hello. I'm Ruhanika—your mother's elder brother's daughter."

Sirius arched a brow. "Oh, well then, proper introductions are in order, I suppose. I'm—"

Ruhi waved a hand, cutting him off with an amused glint in her eyes. "I know who you are, Sirius. And you too, Regulus. Bua talks about you both quite a lot, you know. You can call me Ruhi."

Regulus, who had been silently rocking Ara to sleep, finally looked up, intrigued. "She talks about us?"

Ruhi nodded. "Of course. She's quite fond of you two."

Regulus hesitated before asking, "Tell me about her."

Ruhi tilted her head, thinking. "Who? Bua?" She gave a small smile. "She's a wonderful woman—witty, smart, and absolutely gorgeous. But… well, she can be ruthless when she wants to be. Some people don't see her in the best light, but you can't judge a person based on just one perspective, right?"

Regulus hummed thoughtfully, glancing down at his baby sister.

"There are always multiple sides to a story," Ruhi added, shrugging.

Sirius smirked. "So, would you say she's a good person in some sense?"

Ruhi considered it for a moment. "She's loyal to those who stand by her. She takes care of the people she trusts. But beyond that? I don't think she concerns herself too much with others."

Regulus chuckled. "Sounds about right for a Black."

Ruhi grinned. "Oh, and she's quite the prankster."

Sirius perked up. "Now that is interesting. Tell me more."

Ruhi laughed. "One of my favorite pranks of hers? She made my father believe he was losing his mind. At first, she just started misplacing small things—his keys, his watch, his phone. Then, she slowly escalated it, messing with his schedule. He was so convinced something was wrong with him that he even went to see a Healer."

Sirius burst into laughter. "That is brilliant. Absolute gold!"

Regulus groaned, shaking his head. "So that's where Sirius gets his prankster streak from. I always wondered how he turned out so different from the rest of the family."

Ruhi smirked. "Oh, she's a master prankster. Apparently, it was revenge for something my father had pulled on her years ago."

Sirius wiped a tear from the corner of his eye. "Damn, that's a fine idea. I have to try something like that."

Regulus shot him a glare. "No. Nope. Don't even think about it." Then, narrowing his eyes at Ruhi, he added, "You're enjoying this far too much, aren't you?"

Ruhi laughed. "What can I say? I love watching a good prank unfold. I just don't like being the one pranked." She gave him a teasing look. "So, Reggie, can I call you that?"

Regulus hesitated, then sighed. "Sure, I guess."

The conversation lulled into a brief silence, the weight of their new connection settling over them.

Sirius, never one for prolonged awkward moments, suddenly blurted, "So… anyone fancy a cigarette?"

Regulus whipped his head toward him. "What in the name of Merlin, Sirius? There's a baby in the room!"

Sirius held up his hands in defense. "I'm sorry! It got awkward, and I panicked! I didn't know what else to do!"

Ruhi laughed. "Well, Sirius, I'll pass. At least for now."

Suddenly the heavy oak door creaked open, and Walburga Black strode into the room with an air of authority, her piercing gaze sweeping over Regulus.

"Regulus, son, where have you been?" Her voice was sharp but laced with an odd tension.

Then, her eyes fell upon the baby in his arms.

Her expression froze. Confusion flickered across her face—a rare sight for the formidable Walburga Black. Her lips parted slightly as if to demand an explanation, but instead, a strange fog seemed to cloud her sharp, calculating eyes. She blinked, once, twice, then turned abruptly on her heel and walked toward the door.

Just as she reached the threshold, she paused. Without acknowledging Sirius or Ruhi, she turned her gaze back to Regulus. Her voice was as cold and clipped as ever.

"Well, Regulus, I trust you are prepared for the Yule Ball. Someone has to uphold the family name—unlike your disgrace of a brother."

She didn't wait for a response. Instead, she swept out of the room, muttering curses about Sirius under her breath.

A heavy silence followed.

Sirius let out a low whistle, running a hand through his hair. "It's not just me, right? You saw that too?"

Regulus's grip on Ara tightened. "Yes. Yes, I did." He met his brother's gaze. "Do you think—"

Sirius exhaled sharply, his usual carefree demeanor momentarily replaced by something more serious. "Yeah. I think so too."

Ruhi, who had been watching the exchange with growing confusion, threw her hands up. "Alright, can someone please explain what is going on?"

Sirius smirked, though there was little amusement in it. "Well, Ruhi, let's just say our dear old father has a habit of messing with people's minds."

Back with Orion and Vishaka

Orion lay on the bed, holding Vishaka tightly against him, his fingers tracing soothing patterns along her back as he whispered sweet nothings into her ear.

"You know, I'm not going to vanish, ji," Vishaka murmured, pressing a hand to his chest.

Orion tightened his grip slightly, his voice low and serious. "Well, I'm not taking any risks. You've vanished on me once, madam, and I don't intend to let that happen again."

Vishaka sighed, brushing her fingers over his jaw. "You're impossible, you know that?"

He smirked, pressing a kiss to her temple. "And yet, you married me."

A sudden thought struck her, and she tensed slightly. "Wait—where is Ara? And Ruhi?"

Orion exhaled, sensing the shift in her mood. "Relax, they're with Sirius and Regulus."

She bit her lip. "Do you think they'll like me? I mean, they had another mother. They don't quite remember me, and I'm afraid they won't want me…"

Orion pulled back slightly to look at her, an amused glint in his dark eyes. "Well, it's their loss if they choose to reject such a wonderful mother." He smirked. "Besides, if they don't want you, we can always throw them away. We have Ara, and we're still quite young—we can always have more."

Before he could finish his sentence, Vishaka twisted his ear—hard.

"Ouch! Madam!" Orion yelped, laughing despite the pain. "Here I thought you missed me. This isn't the type of welcome I expected, but if my wife likes it rough, who am I to say no—"

With a wicked smirk, he flipped her beneath him, pinning her wrists on either side of her head. Just as he was about to close the distance between them—

Knock. Knock.

A loud, impatient knock echoed through the room, followed by a familiar voice.

"Father, it's us. Can we come in? We wanted to ask you something," Sirius called from outside.

Orion let out a slow, suffering sigh and flicked his wrist, casting a sound barrier around them. Then, he turned to Vishaka with a deadpan expression.

"Now, you see? This is exactly why I said we should throw them away."

Vishaka laughed softly, cupping his face. "Let them in, ji."

Orion groaned dramatically but obeyed, pulling away and waving a hand to undo the spell. As he settled back beside Vishaka, his face was the picture of exaggerated disappointment.

"Madam, I swear, you enjoy my suffering far too much."