For Our Parents Willed So

For Our Parents Willed So

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Conversations

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An awkward silence had fallen in Lucius Malfoy's quarters. The blond young man glanced carefully over the table at the third year student sitting opposite to him.

Knowing how much his eldest son disliked the idea of being married to Lucius Malfoy, Solomon Black had made a request that the two would spend at least two hours together once a week in order to get to know each other better. He didn't do this to help Sirius get settled to things, no, he simply didn't want a scene around the neatly arranged engagement. Everything had been settled before even Lucius had been on the way, and no amount of disagreements from either boy's side would ever change the fact that they were going to get married.

So, now Sirius Black and Lucius Malfoy sat facing each other, having no idea of what to say or do.

At last, Lucius coughed, breaking the pressuring silence. "Let's get this straight," he said. "Neither of us is particularly fond on the other. Most likely we'll never be. But we don't have a way to avoid this marriage, either. Therefore, it'd be the best if we tried to work this out as well as we can. Even while I don't think any kind of real romance is possible, we should be able to at least not hate each other."

The younger wizard nodded, not saying a word. After another moment of silence, however, he reached out his hand. "Let's start from the beginning, then," he said coolly. "Sirius Solomon Black."

Raising an eyebrow in dry amusement, Lucius grasped on his hand. "Lucius Philippe Malfoy. Pleased to meet you."

"Pleasure is yours." As he'd said this, Sirius surprisingly grinned a bit. "At least we've got it easier than some," he said with a grim smile. "My friend and his fiancé can't have two words without going at each other's throat."

"James Potter and Severus Snape, eh?" asked Lucius. "You're right. I've never seen such animousity between two engaged people."

"And never will you see, I'm sure," Sirius replied with a shrug. "They've hated each other ever since they were just babies. James's told me that on his first birthday party, he threw cake at Snape's head, and after that, nothing has gone right between them."

"A rather bad start for a life together, I admit that," the Slytherin said dryly. "I still remember our first meeting, though. You were just an infant, and I was six. My mother took me to your cradle, told me to look at you, and said, 'There, Luce, you see? He's your future husband.'"

"A wonderful thing to say to a six-years-old, I'm sure," Sirius said, raising his eyebrows. "Surely you absolutely adored the whole idea, didn't you?"

"Oh, of course," Lucius snorted. "For what I remember, I threw a tantrum and they had to drag me away - I was such a spoiled prat. That's about the worst age to start preparing anyone for a marriage, anything even resembling a romantical relationship is disgusting."

"Some take it well, though," mumbled the darkhaired boy. "Remus and Peter didn't even get engaged until they were both five, and they're practically glued together."

"Your werewolf friend?" Lucius asked for confirmation. As a part of the staff, he'd been informed of Remus's condition. "Yes, well, they've been raised hand in hand. Lucky boys, they have it easy."

"That's highly underestimating it. I've seen them kissing each other to thank for handing a fork, and that's not even unusual."

"They'll have no problems once they reach sixteen, then."

"I highly doubt they'll wait for that long," replied Sirius, avoiding Lucius's eyes. For a moment, both sat in silence, pondering the fact that eventually, Sirius would turn sixteen, too.

At last, however, Lucius stood up. "This is not getting anywhere," he said irritably. "I don't suppose you have your Potions essay with you?"

Shaking his head, Sirius answered, "Nope."

"Pity. I could have helped you with it to make the time pass faster."

"Isn't that against school rules?"

"So's a student being in a relationship with a teacher. And still I bet you'll move here as soon as you reach sixteen."

That silenced Sirius for a moment. The boy just sat on the table, staring down at his hands.

Lucius turned towards him, continuing with a softer voice, "We don't have to do anything even by then. I'm not going to force you to anything - I am maybe an annoying snob, but I'm not a rapist, nor am I a paedophile. As long as we keep up a satisfying facade to our parents and the other world, and get at least one heir once we're married, nobody's going to care whether we're even talking to each other in private."

"And you think that'd manage?" demanded Sirius.

"Why not?" the Potions assistant asked back. "Let it be known that my aunt and her husband used to hate each other with passion. Not as much as Potter and Snape, mind you, but more than you obviously dislike me. They put up a facade to keep their families happy, and over the years, they've become very good friends. I don't know whether I could say that they love each other, but they're rather happy in their marriage, have three children, and I think that's more than enough." Sitting back to his chair, he eyed Sirius carefully. "You up to at least trying that?"

Sirius shrugged. "We don't have options, really," he said half-heartedly. "Either we get along, or we cry and get along. So I guess we could try to make it at least bearable to us both."

"Exactly." Once again, they were silent for some time.

This time it was Sirius who broke the silence. "Do you mind if I ask you a personal question, Lucius?"

The tall blond shrugged. "You're my fiancé," he replied simply. "Ask whatever you want, but don't expect an answer."

"Are you a Death Eater?"

For a moment, the Slytherin froze. Then, very slowly, he shoo his head, his eyes locked to the ceiling. "No, I'm not... At least not yet. My father's trying to make me join, though, so I think that eventually I will be one."

"Oh," was all that Sirius said in response. After a moment, he asked another question, "Do you want it?"

It was silent for a moment as Lucius pondered the question. Shaking his head again slowly, he replied, "No, I don't. Not really - it's plain ridiculous, to kill people just because of who their parents happen to be, or whom they themselves are. But I don't think I have any options in the matter, not any more than we have in our engagement."

His heart sinking, Sirius lowered his head. "Most probably I'll be forced to join, too, then," he whispered.

"We don't know that yet," Lucius reminded him quietly, silver eyes examining closely the darkhaired boy. "Even if that happens in the future, it does make difference whether you join voluntarily or you're forced to it. I won't force you to join, that's for sure - it's a decision everybody should do for themselves."

"Good." Sirius nodded. "I have friends, friends whom Voldemort will be after, and whom I don't want to lose. I couldn't bear it if I was forced to hurt them."

"Oh, yes. Lupin, a werewolf and a Halfblood, Evans, a Muggleborn, Potter, one of the greatest families opposing him... You do seem to have a full set."

"And I'm determined to keep it full."

"I see."

For a long time, neither of them said anything.

*

"Well? What was Malfoy like?" demanded James as soon as Sirius came back from his "date".

Sirius shrugged as he settled on his bed. "Weird," he replied truthfully. "Not at all like he's usually. He was... almost human."

"Funny, Sirius, very funny," Remus grumbled, then glanced up to the top of one of his bed posts. "Come down here on this instant, Hector!" he commanded angrily, pointing at the floor in front of him. The commaroo, clearly recognizing this tone of voice, quickly jumped down from his hiding place, obediently stopping to the floor in front of his master's feet. When it was near full moon, nobody would even consider making Remus angry, and definitely not would such an intelligent creature as Hector do that.

"Calm down, Remie," said Peter with his sweetest tone, draping his arms around the other boy from the backside. "I'm sure Hector isn't trying to make you angry."

"He damn well is," the werewolf argued, huffing in irritation. "He's never before run away at the mealtime! Why'd he do it now, unless he wants to make me angry?"

"Maybe he's not hungry," James suggested simply. "Hey, did yuo ask whether he's - well, you know."

After a moment of silence, Sirius said, "No, he's not... yet. But he said his father is pressuring him to join, though."

"Crap," James muttered. "So, your changes avoiding that are rather slim, right?"

"At least he said he's not going to force me join," the other darkhaired boy said quietly. All the others had fixed their eyes on him, and even Remus had forgotten his previous anger. "Which doesn't of course mean that I could avoid it."

"Poor Sirius," sighed Remus, the last traces of his anger vanishing at the sight of his low-mooded friend. Then, in an attempt to cheer the other boy up at least a bit, he asked, "Well, do you think you'll live through it?"

Again, Sirius shrugged. "We made it clear that neither of us wants to be married to the other, and that neither of us can avoid it," he said calmly. "So, we came to an agreement to try to get through it as easily as possible. If he's going to keep like this in the future, yeah, I will live. I might not particularly like it, but I think I can stand him enough."

"Just my luck," grumbled James, adjusting his glasses. "Everyone other gets at least a person they can stand, and I'm stuck with the one person on the Earth I loathe most. Perfect."

"Aww, cheer up, Jamie," chuckled Remus, ruffling the boy's even previously messy hair. "Think about the bright side - nobody expects you to even talk to him for still three years!"

"Thanks, Remus," came the bitter reply. "That was just the thing I needed to hear. I bloody well know I only have three years ahead, so why can't you just bloody let it drop?"

"If it comforts you a bit, I don't think Snape's really looking forward to it, either," Peter noted dryly. "I overheard yesterday as he talked to one of his supposedly friends about ways to kill you before you hit the fateful age."

"Well, isn't that just bloody great. I can either be murdered by the Slytherins, or get married to the worst one. The options seem so frigging good. Give me a break, boys. There's no need to continue this discussion anymore."

And so, they fell silent about the topic.