Leaving the Noble and Most Ancient House of Black
Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter
"Shut up!" An angry voice boomed through the vast ballroom. "No daughter of mine would sink so low as to marry-"
"The man she loves?" Supplied the soft yet equally furious voice of a young woman.
Slap!
The hit resounded audibly silencing the few murmurs that were already scarce due to the ongoing fight between father and daughter, both highly respected nobles amongst the PureBlood community.
"Go to your room and do not show your face you've washed away the filth that has already brainwashed you against your family. Go! And think over your shameful sins and treachery. I do not want to hear another word from you."
With those last words whispered in a furious note, the dark haired man turned his back to his daughter, a sneer set on his aristocratic face with a glare darkening his already charcoal eyes directed at all those watching the disgrace happening to the Black family. As soon as the guests noticed that the verbal and slightly physical fight had come to an end, they each turned toward the person closest to them, unwilling to face the wrath of the man with the most power and resources in the room. They resumed their pointless talks and falsely genuine inquiries of the health of their chatting partner, acting as if the entertainment was over while keeping a watchful eye of the still standing woman.
While the nobles attendant to the Christmas ball hosted by the Black family returned to their discussions of insignificant matters, the young woman, Andromeda Black was her name, walked away with as much dignity as she could muster after being hit in front of room holding no less than a hundred and some. Head held high and shoulders squared, the auburn haired woman turned sharply on the sole of her feet, her emerald dress billowing after her and eyes set in a furious glare at those who continued to stare at her. With a soft yet echoing clic!clic! following her high heeled footsteps, the barely twenty years old woman walked stiffly toward the grand door leading to the hall, there should no longer be subjugated to the disapproving or sneering looks of the people she was related to. She didn't glance at anyone, family and strangers were all the same.
It wasn't until the Andromeda arrived in the safety of her bedroom, did she finally let her shoulders sag with fatigue and her cool mask of indifference crumble. As soon as she locked the door to her sanctuary, she sank to the ground, her knees drawn to her chest and her back to the door diluting the chatter from downstairs, and so she began crying. Tears leaked slowly from her tightly closed eyes, and once they started, they couldn't be stopped. She who had never let a tear flow from her hazel eyes before, cried that evening for everything she had lost and would most likely loose in the near-future.
She cried for her tarnished innocence, for the end of her protected and simple days of school, for her sisters who couldn't see their wrongdoings or simply couldn't stand up to the tyranny of her family. She cried for the oppression of their opinions and voices, for the blindness of her father and the silence of her mother, for the mistakes she committed and for the chances she didn't take. She cried for the little boy who was her cousin and resembled her in so many ways she feared for his safety. But most importantly, she cried for the life she wished to lead with the man she had long fallen in love with and couldn't marry.
Andromeda didn't know how long she just laid limply on the floor, staring blankly at the grey ceiling. Her beautiful dress was now crumpled with how tightly her fists had been clenching the emerald gown and her makeup was long ruined with the tears that had dried it seemed. The young woman wondered silently why she even bothered with her life, why did she put up with her family if she was so against it, and more often than not, wishing she could just end it all.
However, as soon as the thought would filter through her scattered brain, a picture of happier times would make itself known at the forefront of her mind. Of times when she worried over nothing but exams and getting caught with Ted, a muggleborn but the man she loved irrefutably. Of times when Cissy was still an innocent, loving gentle girl who admired her and not Trixie. Of times buried under the rubbles of a world heading to war unknowingly. It was still much too early to say such things, but there was already word of a powerful man called the Dark Lord by his followers or as she knew him to be Tom Riddle as she heard her father who apparently was once his classmate call him. Andromeda knew that Dumbledore was already preparing for this war; how and what he was doing, she did not know, she just knew.
Letting out a tired sigh, the woman tried to walk to her bed, only managing to stumble as if she was drunk. It seemed as if all her strength had left her once she finished crying what she was sure could fill an ocean. As soon as she reached her bed, Andromeda fell on it in a crumbled heap, her eyes welcoming the numb darkness, before even her head hit the first pillow.
-0-0-0-
Slap!
Sirius Black watched with wide eyes as his uncle slapped harshly his favorite cousin. The nine years old boy had always admired Andromeda; he could always relate to her and she had always been there for him whether because he was hurt or simply to entertain him. The both of them were like accomplices, they both were the black sheep of the Black family (or, in their case, the white sheep as Meda always joked). He couldn't tear his eyes from her as she stood up confidently and faced her father bravely, or rather recklessly. He wasn't above harsh punishment dealt courtesy of his own parents, but he wouldn't announce his love for a muggleborn in front of his whole family and some. Though he could understand where she was coming from, his uncle Cygnus was less likely to curse her as he wouldn't like to dirty his hands in front of everyone, unlike his mother dearest.
Even at such a young age, Sirius felt alienated to his family. He couldn't understand how they could enjoy to inflict pain on others, nor could he understand how they could think of muggles as animals when they created some extraordinary contraptions without the use of magic. Like the television and the eklectricity, they didn't need to use candles to light a room and it was so much better, oh and how could he forget the cinema. It was his favorite place in the muggle world. He still could remember the first time Meda be took him to muggle London. It was the best day in his life. It was just the two of them and, even if they were then joined by Ted later on, he was still very happy, especially since he was the one who showed them the cinema.
Clic!clic!
It seemed that during his short laps of attention, his cousin had left the ballroom. He only managed to take a glimpse of her stature as she walked, no strutted out of the room as if she had not only proclaimed loudly her feelings in front of everyone and for a muggleborn no the less, but also being slapped by her father. This was what he admired most about her. She didn't burst crying in front of their family, a family who seemed to find the pain of Meda entertaining, nor did she run out of the room ashamed. No, she walked away elegantly with the most arrogance a Black have, which let's be honest was quite a lot, and dismissed everyone who dared catch her gaze with a glare.
No one dared to move, not even after the figure of his cousin had completely disappeared. It wasn't until the echo of a door closing upstairs did the chatter start with a renewed vigor. Everyone started gossiping about the new act of rebellion of a member of the Noble and Most Ancient House of Black, whether they were old or young, woman or man, no one was silent. Everyone was discussing the slap, the glare and some were even quoting some words, such as love and muggleborn which were spat in furious and disgusted tones. He was perhaps the only one, apart his favorite uncle, who was disgusted by the antics of his family not by the scene caused by his cousin, seeing as his brother was following Cissy like a lost puppy.
As Sirius moved to the door to follow his cousin, he suddenly felt a strong hand grip tightly his collar. Coughing a few times after being strangled, the dark haired boy looked up to see who was the culprit, only to gape in shock at the grave expression on his usually happy-go-lucky uncle's face. Alphard Black was shaking his head disapprovingly.
"B-but she needs me!"
"No, let her be. What she needs at the moment is to vent out everything." Then, as his face turned from grim to shipper, he continued with a secretive smirk. "I'm sure tomorrow we'll all be quite surprised."
With those last cryptic words, his uncle led him to the buffet, handing him a glass of wine. "Drink, we all need a little rest from everything."
Surprised at first but eager nonetheless, the youngster drank avidly the red liquid, before coughing and spitting the alcohol, a disgusted expression contorting his handsome face under the barking laugher of his favorite uncle.
It was during the next few days that Sirius Black learnt what his uncle Alphard meant and that his cousin Meda was removed from the family tree after she had eloped with the muggleborn Ted.
-0-0-0-
It was just a small thing that has been brewing in my head these last few days, especially since I've been reading much of the Marauders Era stories, which more often than I like are tragedies.
I hope you enjoyed and please tell me what you think in a review :)