In which the untold story of Walburga Black unfolds.
She was a witch before she was a wife, mother, and cruel woman.
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"You failed as a mother; I failed as a son. Can you sit here truthfully, and say you love me? Look in my eyes, and say that you...
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𝐉𝐚𝐧𝐮𝐚𝐫𝐲 𝟓𝐭𝐡, 𝟏𝟗𝟒𝟔 - 𝐇𝐨𝐠𝐰𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐬 𝐋𝐢𝐛𝐫𝐚𝐫𝐲.
As time moved forward, the Black siblings found themselves back within the familiar stone walls of Hogwarts. Their father, Pollux, had been immersed in his dealings, leaving Walburga and Alphard in a state of detached solitude, until they had been forced to go back to Hogwarts.
Since the funeral, Pollux had maintained a stoic silence toward his children. It was a silence that neither Walburga nor Alphard opposed; instead, they welcomed the reprieve from the weight of familial expectations.
Meanwhile, young Cygnus found himself thrust into the spotlight. As the youngest and, for the moment, the favored son, he became the center of attention in their father's eyes.
On Walburga's birthday, Pollux, true to his recent pattern, did not say goodbye to his children as they left for Hogwarts. There were no birthday wishes, no acknowledgment of the day that marked his daughter's existence. He simply closed the door to his study, leaving the siblings to leave on their own accord.
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Once they had arrived at the castle they were met with the usual looks of hatred and some of pity. Not that both siblings cared, they made their way to the Slytherin common room not bothering to eat dinner.
As they approached the entrance to the Slytherin common room, the emerald-green door embedded in the dungeons greeted them with the soft hiss of opening. The familiar ambiance of low-lit torches and the subtle rustle of students engrossed in various activities welcomed them back.
The siblings stepped into the common room, their entrance drawing fleeting glances from fellow Slytherins.
Before Alphard could slip away, Walburga seized him by the collar, her grip firm and unyielding. Ignoring any potential protests or attempts at resistance, she dragged him to the nearest secluded corner of the common room.
The dim green light cast a shadow over their confrontation, shielded from the prying eyes of their fellow Slytherins.
Once in the relative privacy of the corner, Walburga released her grip on Alphard but maintained a stern gaze.
He avoided her gaze by looking at the seaweed that shone through the window.
"Alphard," she stated firmly, her gaze unwavering. "You can't keep avoiding me like this. We're family, and we have to stick together, especially now."
Alphard sighed, his eyes still fixed on the underwater ballet outside. "It's not fair..."
"I don't understand how someone as kind, and good-hearted as Ares met the same fate as our mother," he finally looked at his sister with glass eyes.
She finally understood his anger, his grief.
It was never directed towards their mother, it was directed towards Ares Carrow. The first casualty; the boy with big doe eyes and curly brown hair. The boy who would remain 13 forever.
She softened her expression, acknowledging the pain that lingered beneath the surface. "Ares didn't deserve what happened to him, Alphard. But, we cannot stop living simply because the dead come back to haunt us."
Walburga placed a hand on his shoulder, offering a rare display of comfort. " Ares wouldn't want you to dwell in darkness. Let's find a way to honor his memory and build something better."
Cupping his cheeks in her hands, she wanted to internally peel her skin off at the amount of discomfort she felt.
Nonetheless, she held his face in her hands "You and me, remember that, okay?" Her voice held an uncharacteristic vulnerability. "Despite everything that may happen, you'll have me, just as I'll have you. We can count on each other."
Sniffling the young boy nodded. "And Cygnus?"
Huffing, she let him go and stood tall, her resolve unwavering. "You and me and Cygnus, of course." Repeating the sentence that she had before.
