The Black Manor: 1822
Licorus Black sat with his siblings outside their parents' bedroom door. Phoebe had pulled little Eduardus onto her lap, and Alexia fidgeted nervously until Licorus allowed her to sit on his. He ruffled her hair, the same straight, black strands that all four of the children sported at different lengths.
"This doesn't seem right…" Alexia said softly, gazing up at her brother. He pulled her tighter to him silently and glanced at Phoebe for help.
"It is different every time, love. Our little sister is just putting up a bit of a fight." Just as Phoebe finished speaking, a strangled screech could be heard from the other side of the door. "Oh, Licorus, don't you know a silencing charm that you could put around that damned room?" she said fretfully.
"Here, let's just go to the nursery and wait there," he said, picking up his youngest sister and carrying her down the hall. Phoebe followed closely with Eduardus. As they walked past the tapestry on the wall, they saw reflected in it each of their own faces, along with a slowly unfurling scroll on which the name "Hesper Black" could be seen clearly. The tapestry was a gift to their father from the Minister. Though it was almost empty right now, the gold-tinted green would slowly fill with the faces and names of each generation of Blacks, as far as the tapestry stretched.
It was a beautifully charmed object, and it fascinated Licorus every time he passed it. Now, that fascination was tinted with dread as the fate of his new sister hung in the balance. He'd been present for the birth of his three other siblings, but minutes into his mother's labor, his father had shooed them all out of the room. As he left, Licorus saw his father conjure heavy cotton rags to replace the few bloody ones on the bed. It had been eight hours since then, and soon he and Phoebe would be expected back at Hogwarts for their classes.
The stench of potions wafted up the staircase and formed a chokingly green haze around the whole manor. Once in the nursery, Licorus used a sealing charm to shut out the smells and sounds of the rest of the house. Phoebe lit a fire in the center of the room, and blew out the candles in the room. The morning light was still gray, so the dark room allowed the flickering shadows of the fire dance across the walls uninterrupted. Eduardus fell asleep first, curled into Phoebe. Alexia went next, wedged between her older siblings. Finally, just as the sun came up, Phoebe too fell asleep, her head on Licorus's shoulder. The gentle breathing of his siblings threatened to lull him to sleep too, all thoughts of schoolwork abandoned.
"Your father wants you in his room," the painting on the wall said suddenly. Licorus jumped a bit at the sudden sound.
"Is she here? Is Hesper here?" he asked hopefully, trying to bury the feeling of dread that had been building in his throat since the Headmaster had apparated him and Phoebe home. The portrait just backed away to return to its duplicate in the master bedroom.
Carefully, Licorus brought his sister's head down onto the rough rug beneath them, and headed to the heavy black door down the hall. He paused outside for a moment, taking a deep breath.
"It's just Mother and Father," he told himself softly, using all his strength to stop the trembling in his palms. He opened the door and stepped into the room.
Immediately, he was aware something was wrong. Not only had the screaming stopped, but his mother no longer moaned either. He walked to his father's side and looked down at her pale face.
"The child was born blue," Father said stiffly.
"And Mother?" he asked. His voice was faint, as he already knew the answer.
"She has lost too much blood. There wasn't anything left to do. If I'd known the child was dead already, I'd have stopped this long ago. I just-" Father cut off abruptly and gathered himself with three shaky breaths. "Please gather Phoebe and return to Hogwarts. I've sent for an escort already."
"But what about Mother? A burial?"
"That will be arranged, and you'll return here then." Father turned on his heel and quickly left the room, leaving Licorus alone suddenly. He looked down at his mother again, her face calmer in death than it had ever been in life. He recalled her gentle demeanor as she served dinner to her children, read to them by the fire, bundled their robes as they headed to Hogwarts. An obedient wife and a caring mother, but distant in everything she did. Now though, the worry lines in her face were smooth, and the sweat on her brow gave her a glow that actually made her beautiful. Licorus pulled her green eyes closed and kissed her cheek, before pulling up the black sheet around her.