DISCLAIMER: Harry Potter belongs to JK Rowling.

~ The Dark Blue Waters of Acheron ~

"I don't want a little brother!" two-year-old Sirius Black cries, running to hide behind the living-room couch so he can't be forced to acknowledge the infant cradled in his mother's arms.

Orion starts to scold his son, but is interrupted by an unexpected sound - Walburga's laughter.

"Wally...? What's so funny?" he says, nonplussed.

Holding baby Regulus against her shoulder with one arm, Walburga wipes tears of mirth from her face.

"Oh, sweet Merlin," she gasps out between giggles. "That's the same thing Lucretia said about you when you were born!"

"She did?" Orion asks in surprise. He has been close to his sister for as long as he can remember, so this is news to him.

"Oh, has no one ever told you the story?" Walburga says. "She cried so much, it was absolutely ridiculous! In fact..." She pauses and shoots her husband a sly look. "I took the opportunity to steal one of her toy unicorns and she never noticed it was missing."

"You didn't!"

"I most certainly did, and I still have it somewhere."

Orion chuckles. "You're terrible."

Sirius's curiosity finally gets the better of him and he creeps out from his hiding place to peek at the baby. Seeing that his parents have ceased talking to each other and are now looking at him, Sirius scowls and pronounces, "Ugly!" He then scrambles behind the couch once more.

~ end ~

A/N: Acheron is one of the five rivers of the underworld from Greek mythology; it is the River of Woe.

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