Black Christmas

Disclaimer: I own nothing. All character and ideas belong originally to JK Rowling. I'm just borrowing for a little bit of fun.
I hope you'll have fun as well.

Note: This is my version of the last time Sirius spent with his family. In book five he tells Harry he moved out when he was sixteen, so here's how it could have happened.
In this fiction Sirius is 16 (year 6), Regulus is 14 (year 4), Bellatrix is 18 years old, Andromeda is the same as Sirius and Narcissa is 15 and in her 5th year in Hogwarts.
By the way, I do like Regulus and Narcissa is one of my favorite side-characters, but this is how Sirius sees them, so I guess they're not all too likable here

Chapter 1 – Nasty news

Sirius felt a lot like just jumping down that damn Astronomy tower. It was Christmas time, the school grounds were all white and the lake was frozen. The typical cheerful, relaxed end of term atmosphere was in the air.
"It's too bad you can't come along, Padfoot" James said dully as they strolled down the grounds towards the Hogwarts Express. "Damn what got into that crazy hag that calls herself your mother? She never asked you to come home for Christmas since - I don't know, 3rd grade?"
Sirius shrugged. "Maybe she wants to torture me."
"Or she forgot about you being a shame for the family and a blood traitor and all.", offered Remus in a weak attempt to cheer him up.
"Not in this life, Moony, no. She will probably lecture me the whole time about the pureblood way of life and give me a lovely autograph of the Dark Lord as a present… if I am lucky. Anyway, say thanks to your parents for inviting me.", he added to James.
"No problem", reassured his best friend, "they love you."

Sirius' mood sank lower and lower as the train left his school far behind and creped nearer and nearer towards the most horrible place in the world, Grimauld Place 12.
As always when Sirius thought things couldn't get worse, something really displeasing happened. His brother. Regulus wasn't as spiteful as their mother, or as fanatic as their father, not half as nasty and dumb as most of his Slytherin friends. He was worse. He did everything those people told him to do. It sometimes seemed to Sirius like his brother didn't even have an own opinion. The character traits Sirius most hated were cowardice and bootlicking and both seemed to be all his brother was made of.
Now Regulus stood in their compartment door having a sour look on his face, showing that he could image lots of places where he would rather be.
"Mom just sent an owl." He mumbled.
"Can't she wait another hour till she sees her favorite sonny-boy?" Sirius asked him spitefully. James and Peter laughed.
Regulus chose to ignore his older brother's comment. "She wrote we should get the Knightbus to Hampshire."
"What the hell are we supposed to do in Hampshire? I thought we would spent Christmas in that dirty hole we call our h- ". Then it dawned on him. "No way in freakin' hell! Don't tell me we are going to spend Christmas at-"
"…Black Manor. Yes we are. Auntie and Uncle invited us for the holidays." Regulus didn't look too pleased himself but seeing his older brother so freaked out made him grin a little bit. "Ah I almost forgot the good news", he added with a true Slytherin smirk, "There is something that will sweeten your stay and cheer you up." Sirius watched his brother with a quizzical and doubtful look. What else was there to come?
"She just came back from her trip and will spend the holidays with her family. I bet you long to see her, huh? After more than a year of being separated…" Regulus shut the door a bit too forceful and walked away to sit yet again with the other Slytherins.

James and Peter looked rather worried at Sirius' horrified expression without having a clue who Regulus had been talking about. Only Remus sighed sympathetically "So she's back? I was so relieved when she finished school two years ago." he said while Sirius turned paler and paler at the prospect of being locked inside a house for more than a week with this insane woman. "I am going to die"
"Normally I would say you are overreacting but under these circumstances…" Moony admitted, "I'll have to agree. Bellatrix is a crazy bitch."

Stepping onto platform 9 ¾ felt like taking the first step up to his executioner to Sirius. He said a hasty goodbye to his friends and left as fast as possible because their constant sympathy just made him feel worse. Regulus was waiting at the barrier accompanied by their cousin Andromeda. Andromeda was still wearing school ropes, a shiny Slytherin prefect badge gleaming on her chest. Her wild and long, dark hair and lean figure made her look a lot like her older sister, but her face was softer and her eyes warmer. Sirius actually got along quite well with Andromeda. She was in his year and even though they never talked in public or hang out together after classes, she was always polite and civil towards him and his friends. She even let him copy her herbology essays from time to time. She gave him a small smile as he approached feeling somehow uneasy.
"We're just waiting for Cissy." Andromeda told him with an annoyed tone. "She should be here any minute." Right, Sirius thought grimly. How could he forget Narcissa. She was probably the vainest and most arrogant slut Hogwarts had ever seen. Always surrounded by friends and admirers, she walked the castle like she was its princess.
"There she is", Regulus called out, sounding quite excited. Sirius followed his brother's gaze and found his youngest cousin making her way through a crowd of people, every now and then hugging someone goodbye or striding arrogantly past some poor Hufflepuff boys who tried to hand her some early Christmas presents. She was quite a looker, Sirius had to admit that. Though slightly younger than Andromeda she was already taller than her, her slim figure moving gracefully, while her long and sleek blonde hair was flying behind her.
"Let's go!", she commanded when she reached them, handing her suitcase without another word to Regulus (who seemed kind of glad to help her) and walked ahead through the barrier like a queen with her courtiers.

It was already getting dark outside as the four teenagers made their way out of the station and into a lonely alley. "Well let's call the Knightbus then." Andromeda sighed and pulled out her wand.
"Wait a moment." Narcissa muttered and hastily scanned the area.
"We're all alone, don't get jumpy." Andromeda sighed irritated.
"It's so embarrassing!", wailed Narcissa, losing her cool. "We're supposed to be pure bloods, nobility." Sirius rolled his eyes and Andromeda as well chose to ignore her sister and lit up the tip of her wand, waving it.
"I agree, Cissy." Regulus said eagerly. Sirius tried very hard not to laugh aloud. His brother was so talentless when it came to girls.
"Yes.", she went on tossing her blonde hair back. "We should be picked up and brought to the manor. Riding the Knightbus always makes me sick. The Blacks are a rich family after all, they could really send a car to get us."
"They were rich." Andromeda corrected. "It's just a name, You know very well there is no damned money left. So will you two just shut up about it and –". Her last words were drowned by the huge bus suddenly appearing with the loud screeching of brakes.

The ride on the Knightbus was quite uneventful. Narcissa continued to complain silently about this very "muggle-style, second class" way of traveling and Regulus wasted no time in telling her she was completely right. Sirius sat next to Andromeda who filled him in on what had happened in the Black family in the last few months. He wasn't really interested in it, but was glad to be able to talk to Andromeda since she would be the only sane person he would meet in the next days. He started to pay attention when she told him what Bellatrix had been up to the last two years.
"She is worse you know." She said in a low voice. "I mean she always was fanatic but now… she officially joined the Deatheaters. You've heard of them, haven't you?"
Sirius nodded darkly. Oh yes, he had heard of them. Some years ago the rumors had started spreading – the rumors about a certain dark wizard, who called himself Lord Voldemort. Sirius knew that many of the Slytherins his age planned to join the ranks of his followers. It had become some kind of trend.
"Do you know that Lestrange bloke?" Andromeda asked him.
"Some tall dark guy, who was Slytherin prefect when we were in first year? Yes, I think so. What about him?"
"Well", Andromeda started, "his father was one of the first Deatheaters and he always had a little crush on Bella…"
"He's got to be mental." Sirius interrupted. Having a crush on his deranged cousin was pretty much the sickest thing he could imagine.
"No he's not mental." Narcissa stated from behind them.
"Cissy, no one asked to hear your opinion." Andromeda retorted annoyed.
Narcissa chose to ignore her older sister. "Rudolphus is his first name. He is extremely handsome. Bella met him again after she finished school because they both went to learn high level dark arts from an Arabian magician. He is in love with her." She added in a tone that suggested it would be highly unlikely to not be in love with her sister.
"Whatever.", said Andromeda cutting across Narcissa before she could elaborate on Rudolphus' feelings for the oldest Black girl. "The fact is, that he will join us on Christmas Eve because mum and dad are just thrilled. He is pure blood, rich and a Deatheater. What more could they hope for? The perfect match for their golden girl." Andromeda rolled her eyes, but smiled nevertheless. "I can't wait until they marry. I'd love to be bridesmaid. I always wanted to be one."
Sirius gave her a freaked out look. "What?", she snapped. "I like weddings, even if the groom is some freaky dark wizard. Who cares."
Sirius sighed silently. There was the proof, that his favorite cousin was a Slytherin after all. Nothing mattered as long as she got what she wanted.

So this is Chapter One. The whole thing will probably have 5 to 7 chapters, I'm not sure yet. If you liked it, please review, if you didn't, please review anyway and tell me what I've done wrong. Thanks!