Chương 27: 27
1976, 29 June- Tuesday
He was standing in the kitchen, leaning against one of the counters as he set his gaze on his older cousin who was packing the cookies she had made. "I don't need any, let Nymphadora have the rest," He tried telling her. While Nymphadora frowned at him, having turned around from her mother's side, and stood on the stool she had to see what her mother had been doing. The little girl jumped down from the stool, pointing her finger at Polaris.
"Stop calling me that!" the little girl stomped her foot hearing Polaris speak. And Andromeda's lips twitched in amusement trying not to laugh, as she glanced at them both.
"Well I think your name is beautiful, so I don't get why you don't like it… it must be from your father's side of the family," Polaris mused, and this time Andromeda just had to laugh, "She's only three and has already decided she doesn't like her name."
"Because it sounds funny. No one else has a funny name…" she said with a pout, crossing her arms as she did.
"Fine… I'll call you Tonny. Is that better?" Polaris directed at the toddler who seemed rather happy with that as she shook her head. She rushed to her mother's side, "Give me the cookies! I'll give them to cousin Risy!"
He really couldn't understand why she decided t call him 'Risy' instead of just Pol, though he didn't hates it. Though he probably would if it came out of someone else. His uncle Alphard had a good laugh at it so did the other adults seeing Tonny refusing to call him anything buy Risy.
"Ready to go?" Alphard said from the kitchen door.
"Yes. Thank you, Andy," Polaris said looking towards the door Edward had just walked through with his uncle letting him past, "And you Ted. Though I'm still processing a Hufflepuff managed to bag a Slytherin."
He just found it an odd match but then again his grandfather Arcturus married his grandmother Meliana who was a Macmillan a house known for being Hufflepuffs, she herself was a Hufflepuff.
"Polaris," Andromeda said in a scolding tone, though it was obvious she was trying not to laugh, while her husband flushed. All the while his little cousin Tonny was shoving the bag of cookies in his grasp and to a hold of them smiling back at her toothy grin, before she ran off to who knows where.
"You know, I would say a Slytherin and a Hufflepuff are one of the best matches. Odd… but groundbreaking." His uncle Alphard contributed. His Cousin Andromeda nodded, "Without Ted, I don't think I would have had the courage to leave everything the House of Black was known for. I wouldn't be as happy as I am now. I wouldn't have my little Doron, she truly is a gift."
"Well, I suppose it makes me happy that you're happy. You are still my second favourite cousin… though I think you've been pushed down to the third spot with Tonny now taking first." Polaris said smiling, she hugged him again.
This time when she hugged him he didn't feel as awkward as the first one had been. He honestly couldn't remember the last time he had been given a hug… it was nice, comforting especially knowing she cared. Perhaps the last one he had received was from his cousin Narcissa though he could barely remember when it would have happened.
His family wasn't exactly, all hugs and sunshine.
"Just know, you will always be welcomed, Polaris. so don't shy away from visiting because you'll always be welcomed, Alright?"
"…Alright." He found himself whispering
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"Now unto the next place." His uncle droned out as they arrived at Diagon Alley once again, "Where to?" he asked his uncle who chuckled nervously, "Well, the Potter Manor. Would you like to"
"I respectfully decline… I suppose it's about time I went back home, we were at Andy's for a while, weren't we?" Polaris told his uncle, shuffling to the side as he looked to the side watching as the people walked past, chatting away having just come out of the Leaky Cauldron with his uncle.
His uncle stood at his side, pushing his hand into his robes and taking out a pocket watch. The same one he has always had, there was always a moment his uncle would take out a pocket watch and it was always the same one, though he wasn't complaining. He liked how simple it was.
"Do not have any other ones?" Polaris asked, pointing the silver pocket watch in his grasp, "Ah, no. I don't see the point in having another one. I only need one, I like, don't you?"
"I like it a lot. You don't see stuff like it nowadays, how old is it?"
"Who knows… my grandfather Cygnus gave it to me on his death bed, I was ten then and I've just always kept it with me. It's nice, isn't it? I've done a good job keeping it unscuffed more than it was when I got it."
"Yeah, nice…" Polaris responded.
His uncle clasped his hands around it hiding it from view and he shoved it back into his robes, "Well too bad. You can't have it." His uncle said jokingly, with Polaris rolling his eyes in response. "You know you should visit Britain more often… though I have a feeling you do, just don't bother to visit us. I get it our family can be a handful and they don't exactly hold back on their indifferences of your lifestyle, even so, I don't mind seeing you so send owls and I'll send you ones too." He told his uncle, barely looking at the man, looking down the street, the back of his neck reddening.
His uncle didn't reply straight away, nothing was said and Polaris felt compelled to just turn around to know why. Though he stopped when the hand landed on his head ruffling his hair and he didn't bother to complain, the damage was already done, complaining wouldn't change things.
"I'll do that, Polaris. You have my word. Perhaps when you're older we can travel together, without your mother accusing me of kidnapping since you'll be of age to make your own decisions." His uncle told him, "Just don't do it before. You know your brother was stupid leaving that early. If I were him I would have just waited until I turned seventeen since the parents have legal ownership of his trust funds until he's of age."
Polaris snorted, "So essentially, my brother is broke, is what you're saying uncle and you don't wish for me to burden you without having a vault following me along on our trips across the continents." He said in amusement.
"No, no I don't mind if I have to support you financially, as long as we have fun, Perhaps I even have too much money to send in my lifetime, which is why I enjoy getting gifts and when I do, I go full out. It's fun being wealthy, imagining not being able to buy unnecessary things for the fun of it."
"This is why mother doesn't like me being around you. She thinks you're a bad influence, which I know you are but I don't mind, besides I'm old enough not to pick up on your habits, such as unnecessary spending. If I'm going to buy something I would have to actually have a plan of using it." He told his uncle, "and if you enjoy getting people gifts, how come you don't get anything for my birthday which was back in march? You got Regulus the two-way mirrors for his."
"What? I did get you something… perhaps I didn't-"
"-See!" Polaris blurted out.
"No, no! that's not what I meant, I did get you something I just can't remember if I sent it to you. I had planned for the company to send it to you but I think it's still in storage," his uncle said thoughtfully.
"I… didn't, sorry about that Polaris. I honestly thought you got it, I'll owl Mr Nimbus about it, no worries. You'll get it by tomorrow, that's a promise. You'll love it!"
"Oh… what did you get me?" Polaris had to ask, his brows furrowing still unsure if his uncle was telling the truth, "Something amazing something any boy your age would want. You'll be the most talked about in second year when you bring it to school with you. Even your brother will be jealous," his uncle told him excitedly, only making him more curious.
"What is it?"
"A broom that's not even on the market yet. Brillant right? you might as well praise me right now." his uncle stared at him and frown, "What? No thank you, uncle Alphard! You're the best uncle! All my friends are going to be so jealous! I can't wait to show it off! Maybe I'll even join the quidditch team!" his uncle said trying to mick his tone of voice, getting nowhere close it.
Still, Polaris just stared at him, and his uncle groaned, "Come on Polaris! You've barely even ridden a broom properly before, just give quidditch a try. Get Regulus to take you flying, and see what potion will best fit you. I doubt a beater but perhaps one of the other positions. The broom I got you would be the best fit for a seeker but I suppose it'll be good for a chaser too. Regulus is the Slytherin seeker isn't he?" his uncle spoke.
"Yeah, he is… I guess I'll try quidditch out properly. Corvus did mention joining in our second year, though I won't be asking Regulus."
"There's the spirit! Here now, we can even go to the Quidditch shop and get you a proper manual on the sport to see what position most incises you, perhaps you'll be a seeker or maybe a chaser… I think one of those will suit you."
"Regulus is the Slytherin seeker." Polaris droned out as he moved to follow his uncle who began walking, his uncle gave him a look.
"So? Polaris, you do realise there can be more than one seeker in the team, you just might not get to play all the time. You know I was a seeker, I started in my third year and became captain in my fourth year been a fan of the Magpies since then, and my loyalty hasn't shifted one bit which paid off seeing as their one of the best in the league- they've won two European championships. The league will be starting again in August, you should root for them."
"The Montrose Magpies…? Isn't that the team that lost their chaser last year?" Polaris asked remembering something akin to that in the daily prophet.
There was a look of sadness on his uncle's face, "Yeah, Fabius Watkins, poor fellow. He's gone into early retirement, after the freak accident with that muggle contraption, you should know it seeing as you did muggle studies, you know they didn't have that subject back in my time. It's like a- um a thing with wings, but not wings? It spins real fast, an air transport that muggles use."
Polaris just stared at his uncle, giving him a pinched smile pretending as if he knew what he was talking about nodding as he spoke, "yeah, that's the… um, aircraft." He had no idea, he tried remembering the transportation the muggles used in the sky by remembering what was learned in the class. All he could remember were the words plane and aircraft, he was pretty sure there was more though he couldn't remember having to push the thought of muggle studies deep in his mind.
His uncle hummed, "Aircraft, it doesn't sound right…" the man pondered, "Well, it is right. Like you said you're old so back in your day they didn't have muggle studies. What innovation there now is, we get to learn how muggles turn on lights and spin a wheel to travel on a road."
His uncle chock no nothing but air, "Old? Is that what my young nephew thinks of me? I'm heartbroken, Pol. I've only just turned forty-four, you make it sound like I'll be dying anytime soon, calling me old. If I do die, you have to at least name your child after me." His uncle jested and Polaris huffed, "I'm not going to have kids, but I'm thinking of getting a dog so I'll name it after you."
"Not having kids?" his uncle repeated, "now Polaris are you trying to get your mother to blame me for that? And seriously a dog, don't give my name to a dog, I feel so degraded." He said jokingly.
"You're being dramatic, I'll just give it a version of your name if that bothers you."
"What does that even mean?"
"I don't know? I'll name it Alfie or something," Polaris responded, his uncle grunted in disapproval, "Alfie? So you lose the dog in the muggle streets of London, calling out the name you're just gonna be getting Muggles looking at you thinking you're calling them. What about Alpha?"
"I like Alfie." Polaris said as they finally reached the Quidditch shop, pushing the door open, "Are you just going to ignore my opinion?"
"I'm not exactly ignoring your opinion seeing as I heard you and responded," Polaris told his uncle, holding the door, his uncle held the door open as he walked in, with Polaris letting go and looking around. He heard the door close behind him, "You know that's not what I meant." His uncle droned out as his eyes swept the place. They were a few people in the shop but not a lot.
"Look at it, apparently It's faster than the Cleansweep. I won't believe it until I see it, know anyone getting either of them at Hogwarts?"
"What do you mean faster than the Cleansweep? The Cosmo is definitely faster, and it came out at least a week before the Cleansweep eight"
"So what if the Cosmo came out first? The Cleansweep is well better than the seventh version, the Cleansweep eight definitely beats the Cosmo 220. Though we can agree that they both beat the nimbus."
Another voice joined in, "Well obviously they beat the nimbus seeing as both companies came out with new brooms, we're still waiting on the new nimbus. You can't deny that the nimbus' is fast, but the last one is out of date but still good for a seeker."
Polaris watched the boy that seemed a few years older than him argue about the two new brooms on display. He turned his gaze back to his uncle who was more interested in a set of gloves, "You said you were going to contact Mr Nimbus before, for my gift. What broom did you get me? The Nimbus 1701?" he asked his uncle moving to his side.
His uncle hummed in his crouched position shaking his head, "No, no. Do you really think Id get you that old thing? It came out in like 1971."
"But there haven't been any new releases from the Nimbus company," Polaris said rather suspiciously.
"Oh right, Mr Nimbus was ever so kind to give me access to the new prototype Nimbus 5."
That peaked Polaris' interest, "Really? He gives you early access? Why? How?"
"I'm friends with the owner, I was one of the first people to invest in his company when he was just starting back in 1967, I saw the potential and invested and he's grateful for the opportunity to be able to properly make an impact on the quidditch industry. You get to be one of the first people to test it before release."
"That… that sounds brilliant! Mostly the fact that no one else will have one, Sirius and Regulus would be so jealous right now," Polaris found himself saying with excitement even though he hadn't been all that interested in the sport, the idea of flaunting it at his brothers seemed fun. Especially with Regulus who was a seeker. "Wait are you getting them one too?" Polaris asked, not liking the idea of having the same gift as his brothers.
His uncle laughed at the look on his face, "Don't worry about it. I told you it was your birthday present, I'm hardly going to get them something for your birthday too."
"Well I doubt you won't get something for Sirius, his birthday is in November. Will you get him the broom too?"
"Don't worry Polaris. He won't be getting the same gift, I already got him a broom for his last birthday, I'll be getting him something else. He's been trying to convince him to get him an invisibility cloak, that boy, what expensive taste."
Polaris gaped at him hearing 'invisibility cloak', "Those are so rare! And the expensive taste? That's more than expensive, they're really hard to get and when you find someone to buy it from I don't doubt they'll empty your pockets to get it. He's mad to ask you for one."
"Mr Black." A voice said from behind them. Alphard turned to look up to see someone he was familiar with. He stood up from his position greeting the man, "Lord Travers, it's been a while." His uncle told the man formally, and they shook hands, and he saw the serious look on his uncle's face.
"To think Alphard Black was in Great Britain once again, it rare to spot you in Digon Alley to think I would be spotting you in Quality and Quiddich supplies. I see you have company." The man who his uncle spoke, looking in his direction. "Yes, my nephew. Polaris Black. Polaris this is Lord Travers." His uncle spoke and Polaris nodded.
"It's a pleasure to meet you, Sir. Are you perhaps Andrew Travers's father?" he asked, he saw the flash of disgust on the man's face, he had no doubt the man was embarrassed by Andrew's existence. Lord Travers is known to be a rather proud pureblood Lord, he was sure the man paid people off to keep the news from spreading so fast when it came to being known about his second son. He still remembered how he had to be told of the boy's existence.
The man hummed looking back, "Yes," the man drawled, "Here he comes now, it seems he must have gotten his sense of direction from his other side of the family." The man said and Andrew tensed slightly walking towards the man slowly.
Polaris couldn't think the man hated Andrew seeing as they were in the Quidditch shop together, that had to mean something.
"Ah yes… I heard of the appearance of your second son. I would have thought your son Heron was enough, Hektor" Alphard spoke, and Lord Travers, Hektor frowned before smiling charmingly ignoring his words. Then he turned towards his son, beckoning his son over like a dog.
Polaris knew his oldest son was already in his mid-twenties. Polaris wasn't sure how old Lord Travers was though the man did seem young for the age he knew he was around, which should be his late fifties perhaps his early sixties.
"Herkules, come."
"This is Alphard Black, and I'm sure you would have met his nephew Polaris at Hogwarts, have you?"
"Ah, yes father… Well met sir. Hello… Scion Black." Andrew greeted the Blacks. Polaris raised a brow seeing a forced his greeting was.
"A pleasure… How is Yolanda? Fine, I hope?" Alphard asked in amusement, smiling as his eyes drifted to Andrew then back to Hektor who clenched his jaw, "My wife is perfectly fine, I'll be sure to pass on your greeting."
The men continued talking so Polaris directed his attention to Travers. "So… Herkules is it? Getting a broom or something?" he spoke and Andrew smiled awkwardly.
"Yeah… my father prefers to call me that instead of Andrew. I don't mind as much seeing as it's my middle name. My father said he would get me one if I did good enough in my Christmas exams, so I think he's going to get me one, so I've come to see them in person."
"Thinking of trying out for the quidditch team in our second year?"
Polaris received a shrug and hummed in response to it, "Alright… have any interesting plans for the summer then?" Polaris asked and Andrew shrugged.
"Then thinking of just studying for next year?"
Agin he received a shrug and Polaris finally gave up trying to make conversation- there was nothing to salvage from this. "Well, do you know anything? or do you just think I'm not worthy enough to hear a verbal response?" He snapped in annoyance.
"Oh, sorry. I didn't mean to come off like that." Andrew responded.
"Well, you did." Polaris droned out, "I did say sorry" Andrew snapped.
"Yeah, I heard. A lovely a apology I didn't ask for," Polaris told him and Travers frowned at him, "What's your problem I thought we were going to be civil with each other and stuff since Hogwarts!"
Polaris hummed in amusement, "Want to go flying sometime? What about next week? My uncle is getting me a broom and your father is getting you one." Polaris had no idea why he just offered to go flying with Andrew Travers, though it didn't completely sound like a stupid idea, perhaps he would have to convince his mother.
There was no point taking it back, perhaps he could go flying with Corvus and Hadrianus before then knowing they would be annoyed that he hadn't flown with them with his first proper broom. He just knew Corvus would talk about it non-stop if he didn't.
Travers looked taken aback not expecting Polaris Black to be inviting him to hang out, it was weird, was it supposed to be a joke?
"Have you used a broom before?" Polaris asked him, and he shook his head, "No, I never had the courage to ask for a broom and my half-brother wouldn't let me use his." Polaris heard him say, "Well I can teach you some things and we can learn more about Quidditch together since I doubt you know more than me. I have two older brothers who love quidditch."
"Herkules, we're leaving now." they both heard Lord Travers call out, obviously displeased with what his uncle Alphard had said. His uncle was stood there unfazed, looking rather bored.
"Yes, father- father? Polaris invited me to go flying next week, will that be okay?" Andrew asked his father, the man sent a glance towards Polaris. "That doesn't sound like a bad idea. The Travers manor has a quidditch pitch I'm sure you boys can make use of it now that my eldest has decided to move out. I'll contact your parents." The man then turned to Alphard, "A pleasure as always." There was obvious sarcasm in his tone which Alphard ignored, smiling instead of replying as both Travers left.
"You're not good at being civil." Polaris simply told his uncle who just hummed in response. "Poor Travers didn't even get to get his broom today with you pissing off Lord Travers. No wonder mother always complains about you and your social etiquette."
"What? I think I did a good job pretending to like the man." His uncle defended himself.
Not long after being in the Quidditch shop, his uncle bought him all the equipment he needed, having everything made to be sent to his house, which would arrive the next day around the same time his broom would arrive. He made his way home while his uncle continued sauntering through the streets deciding before visiting the Potter Manor.
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