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MALFOY MANOR
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SIX-YEAR-OLD ROSALIND MALFOY was seated on the plush velvet ottoman in front of her vanity as her mother braided her platinum hair and listed off rules for the evening. "...and don't even think about speaking with your mouth full of any food, young lady. I know you're young but this could very much be one of the most important evenings of your life."

"If he's anything like Lucius he'll be gross," the little girl groaned. She scrunched her nose up at the thought of being around any boy after having to have dealt with her older brother for as long as she had. Glaring at Rosalind in the mirror, her mother began brushing the bottom layer of hair that had yet to be braided harsher than she had the other layers. The little girl let out a small yelp when her mother hit a knot but held her tongue in fear of punishment later.

"It doesn't matter if you like him or not, you're marrying him." The last few minutes were filled with silence as her mother braided the last piece and pinned it all into a bun. The last few stray baby hairs were charmed to lay flat and her mother helped her dress into the ruby red dress that was laid out on her bed.

"You look lovely," her mother said just as a crack sounded from downstairs. "They're here." The youngest Malfoy was led out of her room onto the balcony that overlooked the foyer where she saw two boys around her age.

"Walburga! Lovely to see you again," Rosalind's mother said.

"And you," Mrs. Black replied but her tone sounded almost like a sneer. Perhaps, though, that was just her voice because Rosalind had never heard anything different from her. As Rosalind walked down the stairs to greet everyone, careful not to trip on that one place on the carpet that always got her, she saw her father and Lucius exit the drawing-room just opposite her bedroom.

"Hello. My name is Rosalind, what's yours," she said and put her hand out to shake the boy that was stood behind his mother- he didn't seem scared just a little apprehensive.

"That's Regulus. I, however, am Sirius." Rosalind turned her head slightly to see the other Black boy, he already seemed a lot more confident than Regulus as he shook the hand she had originally extended to his brother. There was a charming smile on Sirius' face but Rosalind noticed a very faint, almost healed black eye that disturbed his features.

"How'd you get that?" she asked as she practically jabbed him in the eye.

"Uh-uh, well," Sirius glanced up at his mother that had paused her conversation with Mrs. Malfoy momentarily to glare at the young boy. "I was climbing a tree and fell out of it."

"Mother doesn't let me climb trees. Says it's not "ladylike"."

"That's a shame," the smile returned to Sirius' face. Their short conversation was interrupted when Mr. Malfoy suggested they go to the dining room to have dinner-- that having been the entire reason Sirius and his family had come to Malfoy Manor in the first place. Rosalind ended up being seated between Sirius and her father and Regulus across from her. The conversation at the dinner table flowed quite nicely between the adults. However, the betrothed children spent their night whispering stories in each other's ears, stifling giggles before either of their parents could chastise them. Regulus simply sat there; He was bored out of his mind and had absolutely no entertainment for the night.

"I see you two are getting along just fine," Mr. Malfoy said amusedly while gesturing towards Sirius and Rosalind as they were pulled from there conversation.

"As if it would matter, Abraxus," Mrs. Black scoffed. Thankfully, she didn't see Sirius roll his eyes after her comment.

"I know. It's just nice to know they won't try to break out of this marriage later on. It'll be easier for all of us." Mrs. Black just shook her head and placed her folded napkin next to her plate. As the conversation continued, Dobby scurried into the room to grab the plates and napkins of those who had finished. The house elf seemed as if he were ready to topple over from how many plates he had accumulated on his second trip through. He made no noise, though, as he trembled into the kitchen to clean the dishes.

From underneath the table, Rosalind felt the kitten she'd recently gotten for her birthday brush past her leg before settling underneath her chair. The cat, Vaska, was a white cat that looked like an overly large cotton ball wherever it chose to curl up. So much so that Dobby had twice tried to move her to the bathroom drawer before promptly dropping the cat out of surprise during his morning clean of Rosalind's room.

"We really should get going now..." Mrs. Black trailed off when she noticed that Sirius and Rosalind had somehow snuck away from the table without a single adult noticing. The two were up on the balcony in front of Rosalind's room, criss-cross as they shared every story either of them could remember. That was, at least, until they heard footsteps slowly ascending the staircase and Rosalind's mother appeared at the top of them.

"Sirius has to go, dear," she said. There was no emotion in her face but her voice was pleasant. At least Rosalind didn't have to worry about getting in trouble later. The two children followed the older woman down the staircase so that everyone could say goodbye. By this time, all the charms had worn off Rosalind's hair and the once tight bun had fallen into chaos.

"I guess I'll be seeing you when we get to Hogwarts in four years, then," Sirius smiled sadly.

"Five, actually," she replied.

"You'll be Regulus' year." Rosalind looked at the younger Black for the third time that night. Once again, he was tucked into his mother's side but Rosalind noticed the same mark she'd pointed out on Sirius hours before painted over his own eye.

The crack of the family disapparating happened all too soon for Rosalind as soon after she was ushered upstairs by her mother and changed into her pajamas. "Will I really get to marry him, Mother?" Rosalind asked as her mother tucked her in. She placed a small kiss on her daughter's forehead, a rare occurrence in the household, and responded with a simple, "Yes."

[ AUTHOR'S NOTE! ]
okay i know this seems like a sirius fic right now but i PROMISE it'll be a regulus fic,,,, just trust me :)