CHAPTER SEVEN
The Noble House Of Black
February 7th, 1979

Returning home was probably the hardest part, she held the box tightly in her hand as she stepped out and released a breath. Her Mum's little voice that said we miss you lots and Mallory promising to try to come back, even though she knew it'd be impossible for now. It was one of the first thing she had said to herself when she became an Auror, she would never visit her parents if she was on a mission.

"I will just go get dressed, it's going to be soon five," she mumbled to Fabian as he hummed. "You can go back if you don't want to see Black."

Fabian offered her a tight smile, "It's not about Black, Mal. It's about you and you only," he replied. "Go change."

Mallory nodded reluctantly, casting a last look at Fabian as she headed towards her bedroom. Opening the box, her eyes lingered on the long and tight black dress her Mum had given her. It was actually perfect for these kind of events. She put it on, and noticed how the dress hugged her curves the right way. It wasn't too old but not too modern either which seemed to fit the occasion perfectly, even though Mallory had no idea where he was taking her but she had a feeling it'd match him and the event.

"Fab, should I put my hair up or down?" Mallory asked, walking in the living room as she spotted him sitting on a chair.

He looked up, his eyes widened and it seemed as if his breath got caught in his throat, "Merlin, Mal...You look terrific," he mumbled, rising on his feet so he could stand in front of her and have a proper look. "You look absolutely beautiful. Oh, and hair up," he added lazily.

If Mallory hadn't been so busy hiding her blush, she'd have kissed him but instead she cleared her throat and whispered a small thank you.

"Noted."

"It's soon five. Reckon you can give me one last kiss before Black shows up?" He queried, cupping her face and his thumb traced delicate circles on her cheek.

"Happily," she breathed out, tilting her head slightly so she could press a kiss to his lips. Thank Godric for the heels, or either way she would have been obligated to pull away much sooner due to being smaller than him. "I-I am going to miss you, Prewett."

"Me too, Abbott," he winked and leaned down to kiss her forehead. "Black should be here soon."

As if Regulus had heard him, knocks echoed around the flat and Mallory checked the clock just to see that it was five sharp. At least, Black wasn't late. Pulling away from Fabian, she walked to the front door and opened it. Her eyes fell on Regulus' suits, which looked awfully like they were coming from a Muggle shop. Surprisingly or not, he was wearing black. At least they matched. When she looked up, Regulus was ranking his eyes down her frame too.

"Hello, Black. Come in," she snapped him out of his thoughts and he jumped slightly at the sound of her voice. "It's a good choice, isn't it?"

"What?"

"The dress," she snorted softly, leading him through the flat even though he knew his way.

Regulus hummed lowly, "It is...Its actually perfect," he then said. "We match, too. Mum is going to be overjoyed."

"Does she know? Your Mum?"

He nodded as his eyes fell on Fabian in the living room, "Prewett," he greeted as Fabian mouthed a simple Black. "And yes, Mother knows about you. I've done my part of the job and talked about you. She seemed...she seemed quite excited actually."

"That's good, then."

"I reckon she just wants to find me a good pureblood witch to marry," he snorted as she did the same. "Alright, we better get going or we will be late."

Regulus offered his arm and waited patiently for Mallory to take it. Fabian couldn't stop staring and he didn't know if he should just flee the flat now or wait until she had crossed the door. After all, it was still his flat too. Mallory casted one last look towards Fab and winced as she took hold of Regulus' arm. The outside air was light, the small summer breeze hit her face as she released a breathe. Perhaps she was a little more stressed about this dinner than she thought she was.

"What does your Mother like?"

Regulus' arm tightened around hers as he cleared his throat, "She likes chess, surprisingly. Travelling too. She went to France, she absolutely loves it there. Her favourite flowers are Dahlias and she usually hates Gryffindor people, but I think she might fancies you."

"Yes, alright. I can deal with that," she breathed out. "I can also speak french!"

"Tu peux parler français?" Regulus queried, surprised.

Mallory chuckled, "Oui, mon père adore la France."

"Oh, that's interesting then. Mother will be more than happy."

"Is she frightening like Sirius told me?" Mallory asked. She could feel Regulus tense at the mention of his brother. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to talk about him. It's just that I always heard tells and tell about your Mother from his perspective."

Regulus cleared his throat and sighed, "Right. Well, my brother isn't all wrong about her. She is something, my Mother. Do not try to read too much into the things she says or does," he explained. "And, please, act like a pure-blood with good manners."

"I will," she replied. "Alright, one last check up before we go. Where did we meet?"

"Scotland. How's the relationship between you and your family?"

Mallory winced, "Mediocre."

"Right! So, we met in Scotland during my getaway, we grew fond of each other and now I'm introducing you to my Mother," he listed. "Oh, that's mental," he breathed out, shaking his head as they reached the Apparating point.

"Mental but necessary, Regulus," she mumbled. "Alright, let's go."

Mallory's feet touched the ground merely seconds after answering to Regulus. There she was, 12 Grimmauld Place. She had seen photos of this house, she had heard things from Sirius but none of them compared to the feeling of seeing it in real life. It was as if all the warmth had left and they were left with coldness and darkness. Regulus seemed hesitant to walk in.

"Regulus," she started but he cut her off.

"Are you sure you want to actually do this, Mallory? This is your last chance to back out of this mission. You can tell Moody and Dumbledore that it was too dangerous," he ranted as she frowned.

"And, what about you? What do we do with you then?"

He thought for a second and shrugged, "I'll go to Azkaban," he answered.

Mallory didn't know what to say. She didn't know what was more surprising: Regulus begging her to not walk in or Regulus willing to go to Azkaban for her safety. She took a moment to think about his offer; after all, he was right, she could just walk away. But then, no one would be safe for a long time and she had the opportunity to move things forward. Remus won't be going away anymore, Marlene and Dorcas could get married, James and Lily could finally settle in.

"Regulus, let's go inside. I'm not leaving and I will not let you go to Azkaban for me."

He threw her one last look and headed inside. As he pushed the gates, Mallory could feel the magic coming from the wards–it was so overwhelming. She could feel that the ward had been altered so she could step in without any problem. They reached the front door and Regulus pushed it open and they were greeted by a rather elderly elf.

"Master Regulus," he greeted, then turned to look at Mallory.

Regulus rolled his eyes, "Kreacher, say hello to Mallory and take her coat."

"Miss Abbott, your coat please."

Mallory took off her coat and handed it to Kreacher with a smile as he walked away, "He's a grumpy one, isn't he?"

"He can be grumpy, yes," Regulus chuckled. "It's funny that you have never heard of him. Sirius and he used to get angry at each other all the time. Sirius always treated him poorly. Do you have an elf house?"

Mallory smiled sweetly, "Oh yes. Her name's Pilm."

Before Regulus or she could utter another word, a rather tall and thin woman appeared in front of them. Her eyes were darker than a light green and her cheekbones were defined. She was towering over Mallory and for some reason, her eyes seemed to darken the more and more she got closer.

"Mallory Abbott, is it?" Mallory barely had the time to nod that she was talking again. "Walburga Black, Regulus' Mother."

"Delighted to meet you," Mallory forced a smile. "Regulus talked a lot about you."

"He did talk about you," she replied. "Come, come," she motioned for them to follow. "He said you two met in Scotland while he was away. His father and I met in Scotland for the first time too. It's a beautiful country, isn't it?"

"Marvellous."

She nodded in agreement and sat down as they did too, "How come you are so far away from your parents?"

"We are not on speaking terms," she muttered. "I stopped talking to them when my Mother gave up on her magic."

Walburga let out a sigh, "It's a shame, isn't it? I remember your Mother being brilliant," she spoke. "In Herbology and Potion. Brilliant."

"I reckon she was."

Mallory hated lying and she hated even more lying about her parents. She felt like she was betraying them by acting as if they weren't present in her life. Thanks to Merlin, she had worked hard on her Legillimens skills because if not, Walburga would have read right through her. She could feel how Regulus' Mother was trying to break in, to see things Mallory could possibly be hiding.

"Regulus told me you liked France," Mallory continued, trying to win over Walburga who weirdly seemed to completely melt in her presence.

Walburga hummed pleasantly, "I did go to France too. I've learned the language and visited Normandie."

Her eyes lit up at the mention of the town as she faced her fully, "Oh, Salazar," she exclaimed as Regulus stared at her with wide eyes. "Normandie is beautiful. Have you had the chance to go to Dunkirk and visit a little?"

Mallory remembered vividly all the times she visited France and she thanked mentally her father for being so obsessed with the Muggles' World Wars, "Merlin, the beaches are marvellous. They found a bomb while I was there."

"It must have been impressive."

"Well," Mallory said with a smile. "I hate to admit it but Muggles were very intelligent for creating these kinds of weapons."

"Ah," Walburga let out a sigh. "I hate to admit it too. That is why I never do," she added and let out something that sounded like a laugh. Mallory found herself laughing along, not wanting to disappoint and ruin the mission. "I like her," she then whispered to Regulus as she stood up and walked up the stairs.

Regulus scooted closer to Mallory and he fought the urge to inhale her perfume that smelled like a flower, which one? He couldn't tell yet. All he knew was that the smell of it made him lose his mind. He licked his lips, getting ready to utter some words but Mallory beat him to it.

"She likes me!" She exclaimed happily. "Merlin, all I had to do was talk about bloody France, Reg," she added, whispering.

"Surprisingly, she does like you," he said, surprised that his mother could like someone so quickly. "I told you, she is very fond of France."

"Cheers to that," she snorted, nudging him playfully as he rolled his eyes. "Reckon your dad is going to like me?"

"Oh, I wouldn't doubt it."

Mallory found it a little ridiculous how she seeked their validation, especially when she wasn't even being courted by Regulus but she would do anything she could to prevent more people from being harmed.

Footsteps caught her attention as she straightened her posture. She could hear Walburga murmuring things to Orion–if she recalled well what Regulus had told her earlier. He had a moustache and a tight black suit that somehow suited him perfectly.

Orion stood in front of her as she rose on her feet to greet him, "Hello, Sir," she greeted with a soft yet elegant bow as he smiled.

He took hold of her hand and kissed the top of it, "You must be Mallory Abbot," he then said as she nodded shyly. Mallory had never been greeted that way and properly. Sure, Sirius used to do it as a joke but Orion Black was quite serious about it. "Nice to finally meet you. My son was right, you are quite the beauty."

"She is!" Walburga gushed quietly behind her husband.

Regulus cleared his throat, "Right. Aren't we supposed to start the supper?"

"Oh, you are right!" Walburga said, heading to the kitchen and shouting his name like a mad woman.

Orion excused himself as he followed his wife to the kitchen, leaving Regulus and Mallory together again. Regulus was red as a tomato and she couldn't help but laugh at his face.

"Is it true?"

He hid his face in the palm of his hands, "Is what true, Mallory?" He queried.

"Well, that I am quite the beauty," she teased as he grunted, refusing to look at her. "If it makes you feel better, you are quite the beauty too, Regulus."

It didn't make him feel better at all. Instead, he wanted to run upstairs and hide under the cover. Thankfully, their names echoed in the house and they both stood up, hurrying to join them in the dining room. Mallory couldn't shake off the emptiness she felt as soon as she discovered more room in the house–everything felt so hollow.

"I feel rude for asking, dear, but where did you buy your dress?" Walburga asked. "It is quite exquisite."

Mallory thanked her with a smile then spoke up, "Paris."

"Those French are very good at mode, I will tell you that," she exclaimed, cutting her meat. "It suits you like a glove, it does make you shine."

Mallory blushed despite hating the dress. She had never worn dresses in her entire life, she hated the way they were too tight or too big or too ugly but this one seemed to fit perfectly. But, she wondered how a black dress could make her shine.

"Thank you very much," she nodded her head gratefully.

Orion cleared his throat, catching her attention, "So Mallory, what did you do after Hogwarts? Surely, you didn't spend all your time in Scotland."

Mallory shook her head with a chuckle, "Oh no, even though I wish I did," she replied, making Walburga and Orion chuckle. "Actually I have passed the tests to be an Auror but chose not to continue with this path."

"Oh, really? Why?"

Regulus reached for her knee under the table, trying to reassure her. After all, they had this conversation many times in private. Mallory relaxed a bit at his touch and took his hand in hers. None of them realised they were holding hands as she spoke up.

"As a witch and a pure-blood, I reckoned it was time for me to find a husband," she explained. It was a plain and stupid explanation but good enough for a pure-blood. Walburga and Orion smiled widely, satisfied.

Dinner was over rapidly and just as the sun was setting down, Mallory was saying goodbye to Orion and Walburga Black. Regulus stood by her side, his face stoic and his hand on her lower back.

Walburga stepped forward, cupping Mallory's face, "We were so delighted to make your acquaintance, dear Mallory."

"The pleasure was all mine."

Regulus had no idea why his mother was so straightforward with Mallory Abbott. He still recalled the conversation he had shared with her about a nice pure-blood that he had proposed to her, she loathed her. Her name was Calliope Parkinson—Regulus and she shared classes at Hogwarts.

Despite her good grades and behaviour, Walburga had refused her. Whenever she would come up, she would find millions of reasons why she wasn't perfect for her son.

But, Mallory, she was special. There was something so capturing about her that none of them seemed to resist—even the coldest heart of the Noble House of Black.

"Orion and I would like to invite you to the next ball. Regulus's cousin, Narcissa Malfoy, is holding a ball next week and it would be brilliant if you could come."

Orion's hand clasped Regulus's shoulder, "Be a gentleman, mon ange and convince her, oui?"

Regulus and Mallory chuckled, "Papa, I will try."

"Good."

"I need to walk her home before it gets too dark," Regulus notified.

Mallory smiled widely, bowing her head a bit, "Thank you for supper and for inviting me. Goodnight."

As they walked home, none of them dared to speak up. They didn't talk about Walburga's weird behaviour and her being fond of Mallory. They didn't talk about the fact that Regulus had called 'a beauty' and even less about how they had held hands.

Both of them were too busy trying to convince themselves that all of it was a mission.

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authors note, there is so much to talk about... walburga having a soft spot for mallory? regulus telling his father that she is beautiful? mallory saying she'd rather do this mission than letting reg go to azkaban???? 🫣