Dancing in the Shadows

'So, Miss Greengrass, I take it you are starting Hogwarts next year?' Aries asked her.

'That's right,' she replied. 'I'm very much looking forward to it.'

'What House do you think you'll be in?' he asked.

'Slytherin, most likely,' Daphne answered. 'All my family have been in Slytherin.'

'So have mine,' Aries replied. 'Except for my dad. He was in Gryffindor.'

She raised an eyebrow. 'Really?'

'You find that surprising?'

'A bit,' Daphne admitted.

Aries chuckled. 'Dad is a very bold character. He doesn't much like to slink around in the shadows, though he can if he needs to.'

'That doesn't sound much like the Sirius Black everyone talks about.' The girl blushed. 'I'm sorry, I shouldn't have said that.'

'Why not? It's true, isn't it?' Aries smirked. 'Tell me. Who is this Sirius Black that everyone talks about?'

Daphne paused. 'They say he was one of You-Know-Who's greatest followers. They say he deceived all his friends for years and betrayed them.'

Aries snorted. 'That just goes to show how much "everyone" knows my dad. Bunch of idiots.'

'My father says that Professor Dumbledore...'

'Please don't mention that Muggle-loving old fool around me, Miss Greengrass,' Aries said coldly, for the first time making Daphne feel a bit uncomfortable.

'I'm sorry,' the girl replied, and they danced without speaking for a few moments. Daphne took a deep breath. 'Tell me, Mr Black. Who is the real Sirius Black that no one actually knows?'

Aries smiled. 'My dad is the best father in the world. Nothing frightens him, and he's loyal to his friends no matter what. He has a great sense of humour and loves to take me and Draco on adventures. You don't want to cross him, but he's not really strict either. You just have to follow the rules.'

'Does he have many rules?'

Aries shook his head. 'Only five.'

'So few?' Daphne was surprised. Her family had many more rules than that. 'What are they?'

'The first one comes up most often: "No whinging." Dad can't stand to listen to people complaining, especially when their voice goes all high-pitched and nasal.'

Daphne laughed. 'I shouldn't have thought that would be the most important.'

'They're ranked in the order he came up with them at school,' Aries explained. 'The seond one is: "If the sun isn't up yet, neither is Sirius." Never forget that one, or the consequences are likely to be dire. Draco ran into trouble over that one during the summer. He's an early riser.'

'What's the next one?' the girl asked with a grin.

'"Never lie to Sirius." That's probably the most important one. If you steal something of his and lose it, it's better just to tell him. He'll figure it out anyway, and then there will be hell to pay.'

Daphne blushed. 'Doesn't he mind it if you swear?'

Aries stared at her blankly. 'Pardon?'

'You just said an impolite word,' she pointed out.

'Sorry,' Aries mumbled, looking a bit embarrassed. 'Aunt Narcissa doesn't like it either. I should have been more careful in front of a girl.'

'I don't mind,' Daphne said quickly. 'It's just that my parents are very strict about things like that, and I was surprised Mr Black didn't seem to care.'

'Dad?' Aries laughed. 'No, not at all. He's actually a bad influence on me in that regard.'

Daphne joined in his laughter. For some reason she found the thought of swearing as one of Sirius Black's chief vices to be quite amusing. 'So what's the fourth rule?' she asked.

'Sirius locutus est, causa finita est.'

The girl rolled her eyes. 'Sirius has spoken, the case is closed?'

'Dad says it's the rule that covers all the others,' Aries said. 'He hates it if you keep arguing with him once he's made up his mind.'

Daphne frowned. 'I thought you said he came up with these rules at school.'

'He did.'

'Didn't his friends object to that one?'

Aries snorted. 'Of course they did. My dad's best friend, my godfather James Potter, had his own set of rules, and one of them was the exact same, only with "Jacobus" instead of "Sirius". Even now, Dad's always bickering with James's portrait over which one of them gets the last word.'

'What's the fifth rule?' Daphne asked.

'Probieren geht über Studieren,' Aries replied with a smile.

'I beg your pardon?'

Aries chuckled. 'It's German. It means trying is better than studying. Dad says that's his philosophy of life.'

Daphne shook her head. 'Well, it certainly seems that the Sirius Black you know doesn't have much in common with the one everyone else talks about.'

The music drew to a close and they stopped. Aries escorted her back to her table.

'It's been a pleasure dancing with you, Miss Greengrass,' he said with a bow. 'I hope to have the honour again sometime.'

Daphne sat at the table and watched as the fascinating boy went over to talk with the witch his father had been dancing with. Pansy returned from where she had been dancing with Draco and sat beside her.

'Tell me,' she said eagerly. 'What was he like?'

'Interesting,' Daphne replied with a smile. 'And he doesn't look inbred, either.'

'Of course.' Pansy giggled. 'My mother says it's just like with horses. It all depends on the quality of what one's breeding.'

.....

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