A/N: Written for Round 8 of The Quidditch League Fanfiction Competition

Team: Tutshill Tornadoes

Position: Beater 2

Opt Prompts: "Good as gold" "Sleepless nights"

BLACK SHEEP

There are always black sheep in a family. Even pureblood families.

Usually the lifestyle of a pureblood man or woman is simple. They are born, they are sent to Hogwarts at 11, and then they are married to the arranged spouse of their parents' choice. Some may not find this ideal, but it has worked for centuries. I always have to remind other ill-fashioned wizards and witches that 'if it isn't broken, don't fix it.'

The Potter family, which I married into from the noble house of Black, was just as rich and traditional as my maiden family. We had scholars and healers and warlocks all the way back from the times of Merlin. I was aware of my own arranged marriage to Charlus when I was 13. Yes, the idea frightened me at first. I suffered sleepless nights the close it got to the wedding day after graduating from Hogwarts. But looking back on it now, it was the way it was meant to be. My husband understands me and is cooperative to my needs, just as I am to his. We have one son, who tends to be a bit outlandish at times, but we love him and hope that he keeps up with tradition.

Charlus refuses to speak about one relative who broke our prestigious family's heart. I believe it involves intermingling with muggles. In fact, I believe he was betrothed to one at some point in his life. That, in itself, was a death sentence to his share of the Potter estate. He quickly was written off the will, and was destined to live a life of hard work and self sufficiency, just like any common witch or wizard. I believe what happened next was that this cousin on my husband's side of the family got cold feet suddenly, and ended up marrying a pureblood witch soon after. However, the damage was done, and since it was to a witch they did not arrange themselves, it did not matter to the heads of the Potter line.

Apparently, the man and woman had a son, who they like to call James. Despite the fact that our family does not acknowledge their existence, nor pay them any type of inheritance, they are indeed Pureblood, based on their marriage. But, I have heard the worst news that can only end with the permament disownment of the family: James had married a muggleborn.

What a blemish to the rich history of the Potters! Don't they realize that we have been born into such privilege, and that it is up to us to continue to bestow upon the world the wonders of our history? They frolic about in Godric's Hollow in some cheap slum of a cottage, raising the mutt of their union. Who knows what their financial status is. It must be all charity causes, because I know for a fact they are not receiving an ounce of gold from our family.

Did you hear what they also did for that wild and destructive Sirius Black? I know he was disowned completely for running away. Yes, Walpurga was a radical traditionalist. My aunt was a bit perturbed to find that my parents arranged a Slytherin to marry a Gryffindor. Regardless, Sirius was written off from his family's will, and yet the Potters took them into their home. The purpose of disownment was to prove to him he was nothing without the Black family name. Talk about a true black sheep of the Black family. What has my family come down to? It is as good as gold that they will be the next to be written out of the will.

We do not live in a perfect world. It is inevitable you have those choice few heretics who will step the boundaries of civility and of tradition. Each family has their own share of black sheep; of blemishes on their family tree. They will discover in due time that disloyalty will only fail them.