Regency in Diagon Alley [Theodore Nott | Harry Potter AU]

Chapter Five

It was seventeen years ago that Regulus last saw Sirius. It was in the same year that the girl lost both her parents, a memory she will never remember as she was just two years old when the darkest tragedy came to the Black family. Starting with Emmanuelle's death that has haunted Regulus every night, as he was the one who held the woman after her sudden fall, and months after that Sirius too died in a dueling accident between the man also responsible for the murder. But Regulus always believed that Sirius have died the moment Emmanuelle did in their box at the opera, as the man suddenly turned mad. Obsessed with revenge.

"Sirius! Brother, please!" Regulus watched as his brother looked through the scattered papers on the desk, documents that was all mixed up that he did not know which was whichs. Carina's cries echoed in the background as the girl called for her mother, while her nanny did all she could do to ease the girl's yearning. "Listen to me – listen to your daughter! Carina needs you now!"

"Carina needs her mother."

"But Emmanuelle is gone! She needs you and you cannot just abandon her for what? Revenge?! What would that do?! Leave that rat to the hands of the Aurors, do not ruin your life for this!"

Sirius glared at him; eyes bloodshot from the sleepless nights he spent mourning his wife. "I demand satisfaction, Regulus."

Regulus slammed his fist on the table, toppling the small portrait of Emmanuelle that Sirius had commissioned, along with one of Carina's dolls that was kept there for her entertainment. "A duel not issued or granted by the Ministry is illegal. Only Aurors are allowed to engage into battle and are allowed to use the Unforgivable Curses. Even if you kill him, you will be arrested. Sent to Azkaban! You will have nothing left!"

"If that is the price to avenge my wife, so be it!"

"How selfish can you be?! Think about your daughter! Don't make her an orphan, Sirius! Do you think Emmanuelle would want this for you? For Carina?!" Regulus followed his brother and blocked the path to the door. "What about your title? You are Duke of Londinium, if you die, Carina will be given the title of Duchess and she will be responsible for all of this before she could even learn how to read! Have mercy on your daughter at least – spare her from this early burden!"

"That is why I transferred the title to you. From now on, you are the duke..."

Sirius shoved his brother to the side and walked out. Carina's cries echoed in the halls, growing louder as the brothers walked towards the main house where the girl was reaching out to her father while her nanny held her.

"Mummum! Dada!" Carina let out a high pitch cry as she reached for Sirius. She coughed and hiccupped having crying hysterically for almost an hour now. Unable to fathom why her mother was missing and why her father was ignoring her.

Sirius went to his daughter. Her cries lessened as she thought he was going to take her from her nanny, but the man only placed a kiss on her head and whispered, "Goodbye, my love." And then left. Carina called for her father, her cries sending a chill down Regulus' spine. When Sirius did not turn to her, the chandelier above them started to shake, also the walls, the floor. Knowing that it was the child's magic responding to her strong emotions, Regulus lets go of Sirius and went to take Carina. He hushed his niece's cries, swaying her around, patting her back, whispering soothing words, until she finally grew tired and fallen asleep.

That night, Regulus held Carina until morning as the girl refused to be put down. When the sun rose, he received news from one of his brothers' closest friends, James Potter, that Sirius has killed Peter Pettigrew and himself in the duel. There were no bodies found due to the destructive spell used.