Broken thrones

Orion waved a hand, opening the door allowing them to enter.

Sirius strode in first, his sharp gaze scanning the room before settling on his father. "Father, what is happening? Why does it feel like everyone has just… forgotten what has happened, as if they were never even aware of it? What did you do?" His voice carried both accusation and suspicion.

His eyes flickered to the unfamiliar yet strangely familiar woman sitting beside Orion—Vishaka—who was watching him with a soft smile. She patted the space beside her on the bed, her warmth evident despite the tension in the air.

"Come sit down, Rudra," Vishaka called out gently, her voice laced with an emotion Sirius couldn't quite place. She turned her gaze toward Regulus, who was standing behind him, rocking a sleeping Ara in his arms. "You too, munna. Come sit with me… I've missed out on so much," she murmured, her eyes glistening with unshed tears.

Once they were all seated—Ruhi included—Orion finally spoke.

"Bold of you to assume I did something, Sirius," Orion drawled, his voice carrying the usual sharp edge of command. His presence alone demanded obedience, yet the unspoken tension in the air was shattered when Vishaka placed her hand over his, grounding him with a mere touch.

Regulus flicked his gaze toward Sirius, silently communicating his thoughts.

"Are you seeing this?" he asked with his eyes.

Sirius, ever the rebellious one, raised a brow. "Yes, I am, Reggie."

Vishaka smirked, clearly amused. "You do realize that your father is sitting right here, don't you, kids?"

Sirius and Regulus exchanged sheepish glances.

Orion exhaled and leaned back against the headboard, pulling Vishaka closer into his arms. "Well, now that you bring it up, I suppose it is possible I might have had a small hand in it."

" oh mahdev!! Can anyone, explain to me what is actually happening?" Ruhi groaned, crossing her arms in frustration.

Regulus, still gently bouncing Ara in his arms, smirked. "Well, father dearest might have messed with the family's minds, making them forget what happened during the meeting. Am I right, father?"

Orion sighed, his expression unreadable. "I just don't trust our family enough, Sirius."

Sirius scoffed. "So what, really? Mom is back, and we should be moving forward. I mean, I have another sibling—a sister. Why don't you want anyone to know?"

Before Orion could answer, Regulus beat him to it.

"Isn't it obvious?" he mused, adjusting Ara in his arms. "Someone or something is after them. Our family. And they aren't telling us everything."

Ruhi's eyes darkened slightly, her expression serious for the first time. "Exactly. Like those people who attacked Bua back home."

Sirius turned his gaze back to Orion, his tone quieter this time. "Won't you tell us what's going on, Father?"

Vishaka spoke before Orion could. "It's not about us not wanting to tell you, beta. It's more that we are afraid… because we ourselves don't fully understand what's happening."

Orion nodded. "So until we have a clearer picture, we think it's best that things remain as they are."

A heavy silence settled over the room before Vishaka sighed, shaking her head. "Enough of all this. Tell me about yourselves. How are you, beta?..... I am so sorry. Don't be angry at me, na, munna. Your ma is so, so sorry for leaving you alone when you needed me the most." Her voice remained steady, but the emotions were visible in her trembling hands—hands that Orion clasped in his own, whispering something into her ear.

Sirius hesitated before finally speaking. "Well, Mother I mean ma… I study at Hogwarts.I am a Griffyindor we are known for our bravery and Reggie is a Slytherin known for their.... ummm

"We are known for our smartness and brains ma" Regulus smoothly cut in 

"Well moving on.... I have three best friends who are my family—James Potter—"

"The Potter heir, nephew of Dorea," Orion interrupted, as if providing an explanation to Vishaka.

Sirius continued. "And Remus Lupin—"

"A half-blood werewolf," Orion once again interjected smoothly.

Sirius sighed, rolling his eyes. "And Peter Pettigrew. And no, Father, I will explain this one myself—he's a pureblood, Ma. And together, we're a gang."

"They call themselves the Marauders, Ma," Regulus added with a small smirk.

Vishaka gestured for Regulus to place Ara in her crib before signaling him to come closer. As he did, she gently cupped his face, her fingers tracing over his sharp features, much like she did with Sirius. "You've grown so much, Reyansh," she whispered before brushing her hand over Sirius's hair. "And you too, Rudra… you've grown into such a handsome boy. Tell me, is there any girl I should know about, munna?"

Orion smirked, his tone playful. "Well, your son over here is quite the Casanova, madam. He seems to have charmed a majority of the Hogwarts female population—including the staff. So it's safe to say he doesn't have just one girl. Maybe a few."

Vishaka narrowed her eyes at Sirius, a teasing glint in them. "Rudra, I don't want you playing with any girl's feelings. Our family isn't known for that."

She let out a small laugh before adding, "The only thing we're really known for is being crazy… and that, I'm afraid, runs in the family."

Vishaka turned her gaze toward Regulus, her eyes filled with curiosity. "And what about you, Reyansh? Who are your friends?"

Regulus straightened slightly before answering. "Well, Ma, the heir of the Evans family and Barty Crouch Jr. are my friends..... sort of."

At the mention of Barty, Vishaka leaned closer to Orion and whispered, "You mean Barty—the one with that weird hairstyle he procreated?"

Orion smirked, whispering back, "Yes, darling, that weird guy."

Vishaka suppressed a chuckle before shifting the conversation. "Wow well ..... what do you boys like? Hobbies, interests?"

Before Sirius or Regulus could respond, Orion cut in, his tone firm. "Enough. I want to spend time with my wife." His gaze sharpened as he looked at them. "I suggest all of you remove yourselves from this room before I remove you myself. And let me warn you—if I do it, it won't be pleasant."

Vishaka rolled her eyes and placed a hand over Orion's, her silent plea evident. "Orion…" she murmured, looking into his eyes.

But Orion held her gaze steadily, his voice unwavering. "No, darling."

Vishaka sighed but let it go, she pulled out two delicate silver chains from where?! we dont know. In the center of each chain was a single Rudraksha bead, dark and polished.

"Here," she said, handing them to Sirius and Regulus. "This is a family tradition. Every Rathore family member wears one. We are all devotees of Lord Shiva, and this bead is a symbol of his protection. As long as you wear it, he will always watch over you."

Sirius turned the chain over in his fingers, his lips twitching. "So, Ma, does this mean I get divine protection for all the trouble I cause?"

Vishaka arched an eyebrow. "It means Lord Shiva will protect you from harm, not from the consequences of your own mischief, Rudra."

Regulus smirked, fastening his own chain. "It suits you, brother. Maybe this will finally keep you from getting hexed every other day."

Before they could continue, Vishaka turned to Ruhi, her expression softening. "Ruhi choti, are you alright here?"

Ruhi grinned. "I'm fine, Bua. Don't worry about me. Nothing is going to happen to me. And I like my cousins—they seem fun to hang around with. And…"

"Come on, Ruhi!" Sirius called impatiently.

Ruhi huffed but quickly took both Orion and Vishaka's blessings by touching their feet before running after Sirius and Regulus. "Take care, Bua! Bye, Uncle Orion!"

In the Corridor…

As they walked through the dimly lit hallways, Ruhi shook her head in amazement. "Damn. I have never seen my Bua change her decision like that."

Regulus hummed in agreement. "Well, we have never seen our father like this either."

Sirius smirked, his hands tucked into his pockets. "Well, there's a first time for everything."

Ruhi chuckled. "True that."

Sirius suddenly clapped his hands together, his grin widening. "Alright, enough of the emotional stuff. Come on, I'll introduce you both to my friends. We'll see if you two can keep up."

Ruhi rolled her eyes but followed, while Regulus simply sighed, already resigned to whatever chaos Sirius was about to drag them into.