A Broken Inheritance

Chapter 2: Moves and Countermoves

Anastasia flinched. It was slight, almost imperceptible, but it was there. A flicker of pain flashed in her eyes before the mask slid back into place. Her gaze flicked to the wand, then back to Walburga's face, her expression unreadable. "If you gave me everything, it was only because you needed something from me. Let's not pretend this arrangement was ever about charity."

Orion's eyes darkened, his hand tightening on the back of the chair. "You ungrateful little—"

Walburga cut him off with a wave of her hand, her attention still locked on Anastasia. "You forget your place," she said, her voice dangerously soft now. "We made you. Without us, you'd be nothing but a forgotten orphan, rotting in obscurity."

"And yet here I am," Anastasia replied, her tone razor-sharp. "The dutiful ward of the noble House of Black. So tell me, am I to be punished for a crime I didn't commit, or are we going to continue wasting time on baseless accusations?"

Walburga sneered. "This defiance, this treachery—it reeks of your father. Falling for that pitiful excuse for a witch, disgracing the Gaunt name—do you think you're any better?"

"I see little relevance in dredging up the dead." Anastasia replied coolly, though her voice had grown quieter. Her hand flexed at her side, the only outward sign of the emotions she buried deep beneath the surface.

"Ungrateful, just like your father. He was soft too, wasn't he? Marrying that pathetic excuse for a witch who couldn't even—"

"Enough." Anastasia's voice was quiet, but it cut through Walburga's tirade like a blade. She raised her chin, her steel composure firmly back in place. "I am not my parents. You can believe whatever you like. But I know nothing of Sirius' plans."

Orion's voice was cold now, a sharp contrast to Walburga's volatile fury. "Let me make something clear to you, Anastasia. You live here under our protection. You carry our name. If you think for one second that we won't cast you out as quickly as we took you in, you are gravely mistaken."

"Then do it," Anastasia said quietly, her voice steady. "If you're so certain of my guilt, cast me out. But I won't confess to something I haven't done."

Walburga raised her wand, the tip glowing ominously. "Enough of your lies, Anastasia. You will tell us where Sirius is, or you will suffer the consequences."

Anastasia's resolve hardened. She couldn't let them break her. "I am telling the truth," she insisted, her voice rising. "I have no idea where Sirius is."

Walburga's eyes blazed with fury and she raised her wand.

Anastasia braced herself for the familiar onslaught of pain, but before the curse could hit her, a loud crash echoed through the room. Regulus had burst in, his face pale but determined.

"Mother, please!" he shouted, stepping between Anastasia and his parents. "This isn't the way."

Walburga hesitated, her wand still raised. "Regulus, stay out of this. Anastasia needs to be punished for her betrayal."

Anastasia's eyes remained fixed on Walburga's, her voice calm and steady. "I haven't betrayed my family," she replied, her tone devoid of emotion.

The room fell into an icy silence. Walburga's rage crackled like a storm barely held at bay, but Orion studied Anastasia with a piercing gaze, searching for any weakness in her armor.

Finally, he spoke, his tone clipped and final. "Enough. Go to your room, Anastasia. We'll discuss how you'll make it up to your family later."

Anastasia inclined her head, her voice like velvet. "And I'll sleep soundly knowing I've done nothing wrong."