May 15, 1927
There was an old saying that a person's home reflected how they wanted to been seen as. That said a lot about the Da Aculeus family. A wide driveway lined with high hedges running off into the distance beyond the pair of impressive golden gates. A lovely manor house grew up at the end of the driveway, lights glinting in the diamond-paned downstairs windows. It was surrounded by an elaborate garden and in that garden where gleaming marble fountains. It looked like a piece of heaven was lovingly placed on earth. Unfortunately the manor only reflected the outside appearance of the Da Aculeus family. In reality both were unfit for a child, let alone the second one who arrived into the world not even an hour ago.
The lady of the house, Ophelia Da Aculeus laid in her bed exhausted and drenched in sweat. She was currently being fawned over by a number of house elves. The double oak doors opened and a timid house elf with a ribbon around her neck, holding the newest member of the Da Aculeus family and a young girl with dark hair and doe eyes slowly walked up to the bed. The house elf's arms were trembling as she held out the swaddled baby.
"Babe is clean. Would mistress like to hold the babe?" Ophelia grimaced as she pushed the baby back towards the elf.
"Minnie, I'm exhausted. Get her out of here before she starts crying so I can rest." The young girl frowned at her mother who didn't brother to look at her. She cleared her throat and stepped closer to the bed.
"Um, mother? May I hold her?"
"Fine Cecilia. Just please be quiet."
Minnie handed the baby to Cecilia. Cecilia nervously held the baby close to her chest. The baby stared at her with unblinking, green eyes and in that instant Cecilia fell in love.
"Hi there," She whispered. "I'm your big sister and I'm going to teach you everything I know." The baby cheeks puffed and Cecilia took that as a sign that she understood what she said.
Ophelia lazily rolled her head towards her eldest daughter. She watched as Cecilia tried to get a reaction from the baby and wondered why her baby's face didn't instigate the strong emotion that she felt when she gave birth to Cecilia.
"You were so much easier," Ophelia mused. Cecilia looked at her mother in confusion but Ophelia continued to talk. "You barely took an hour though you cried so much. Especially when the wet nurse took you away to feed you. Her though, she felt like she was trying to rip my organs out with her. She didn't even cry. There might be something wrong with her. The midwife said it would be a boy. Your father is going to be disappointed." She gestured Cecilia to come closer so she could have a better look at her baby. Cecilia offered the child to her and this time she accepted. She observed the baby who was beginning to squirm.
"She has your grandfather's and my eyes. With luck she'll have our blonde hair."
"Does she have a name yet, mother?"
Ophelia glared at her eldest daughter and gestured for one of the other house elves to get her a drink. As Minnie ran out of the room Ophelia sighed and looked at Cecilia.
"Her name is Cynthia. Now please leave and let me rest. And give her to Minnie so she can be fed." Cecilia followed her mother's orders and left the room, closing the door behind her. She was grinning from ear to ear. She was a big sister! She was going to be the greatest big sister there ever was. Though she might be eleven years older than Cynthia but she was sure they would get along just fine. She hoped that she wouldn't miss much while she was at Hogwarts. As she walked through the hallway she passed by her father's study. 'He should know that nothing bad happened. Maybe he'll be happy that Cynthia seemed perfectly healthy.' She thought as she opened the double doors. She walked in and stood in front of her father's desk. Her father glanced at her before continuing his paperwork. She was always told that she looked more like her father then her mother. They both had dark hair and eyes and noble features. Her mother on the other hand looked more unapproachable with a more angler face. She looked like a regal ice queen looking over her kingdom of ice and snow.
Cecilia waited with her hands behind her back for her father to acknowledge her presence. Her father, Reginald Da Aculeus stacked his papers and looked at his daughter.
"Hello Cecilia. Is something the matter?"
"I-um I thought that you should that mother delivered the baby. Reginald stood up from his chair with a smile and sparks in his otherwise dull eyes.
"Dorian was finally born? Does he look healthy? Please tell me he doesn't my mother's nose."
"Oh the midwife was wrong. It turned out to be a girl. Mother named her Cynthia."
Her father sild back into his chair with his head in his hands. "It was supposed to be a boy."
"That what mother said too."
"I told her that midwife's methods were ridiculous."
"Well, you know how grandma is. She insisted."
"Yes well, the sediment about my mother's nose stays the same. Thank you for telling me Cecilia. Is that all?"
Cecilia nodded and Reginald went back to his paperwork. He looked up at her one more time and pointed his quill towards the doors. Cecilia left the room and closed double doors behind her. 'That went pretty well.' Cecilia thought as she deciding whether or not she should go back to her room or outside to the garden. Mother wanted to extend the hedge maze and Cecilia wondered if that was even possible. 'Maybe if I can find Minnie I can spend more time with Cynthia.' Cecilia then searched the halls for Minnie. As she tried to find the timid house elf she couldn't help to think that Cynthia's first night wasn't turning as good as it should. Though Cecilia couldn't imagine how it was supposed to go.