the_debt_of_time

allowing the boy to dress himself these days. Are you suddenly destitute, sister? Have all
your house-elves died, leaving him to his own devices?"
"The boy has a name," Sirius muttered under his breath.
Walburga ignored Sirius entirely, as well as any conversation pertaining to him.
"Narcissa is as lovely as ever. She'll make a fine wife for your boy, Abraxas." She turned
her attention back to Cygnus and sighed dramatically. "Shame, of course, that you were
forced to break tradition and marry your daughters off out of order. Any word yet on dear
Andromeda?"
Cygnus's jaw tightened, and his nostrils flared. "Still missing."
"Not that this isn't all fascinating," Sirius interrupted loudly, and all of the adults
turned and gaped at him for speaking out of turn, "but can a bloke get a drink?"
"You ungrateful little―" Cygnus began, but suddenly a hand fell on his shoulder,
silencing him.
"Let the boy be. How many of us were perfect little noblemen at thirteen? I'll get
the little whelp out of your hair."
Sirius grinned up at his uncle Alphard, who moved past both Cygnus and Walburga
to put an arm around him.
"You dote on him too much, Alphard." Walburga scowled but said nothing more.
Alphard chuckled deeply as he walked Sirius over to the bar, silently motioning to
the house-elf behind it with two fingers. Sirius memorised the movement when the house-
elf reappeared with two glasses of firewhisky. He made eye contact with the creature,
gestured with two fingers the same way his uncle did, and the elf sneered at him before
walking to the other end of the bar.
"You're going to give them heart attacks, you know."
Sirius snorted. "The elves?"
Alphard gave him a look. "Your parents."
Sirius rolled his eyes. "Well, that's the plan. I figure if I time it right, they'll all drop
dead at once, and you and I can take over the family. We could flip a Galleon for all the
vaults and properties, Uncle. Or duel to the death, leaving one victor standing. Do you
think you could take me?"
Alphard genuinely laughed and slid one of the small glasses toward him. "Here, boy.
Drink up."