Disclaimer: I Do Not Own Harry Potter.

Written for History of Magic.

Druella Black was not what anyone would call a warm affectionate woman. She was beautiful, but her cold stare and frowning expression took away from that beauty.

She hated people who smiled all the time, she hated a lot of things.

Some who knew her before she got pregnant with her eldest daughter and forced to marry Cygnus Black to avoid bringing shame to her family would say she had a bubbly personality then. A lot would say having three children before she was even eighteen had turned her into a very bitter woman.

And they were right it had left her bitter at the world, at her husband and children.

Cygnus had got to finish his education at Hogwarts while she had been stuck at Black Manor with her mother-in-law who criticised everything she did. While her friends were attending parties and wearing pretty dresses, she was at home covered in baby sick.

As her children grew they became more and more ungrateful, whining at every opportunity.

"I want chocolate, "

"Why can't I have a new doll,"

"Bellatrix hit me,"

"Andromdea ripped my book,"

"Narcissa took my doll,"

All day long until she just wanted to walk out the door and never stop walking.

Cygnus was either working or trying his hardest to sleep his way through the wizarding world while she took care of his precious heirs.

She was glad when Narcissa turned eleven and all her children were finally at Hogwarts. But without her children at home she had no one but House Elves and portraits to talk too.

She'd lost contact with the few friends she had at Hogwarts and at only twenty seven she was a lonely bitter woman. The rare times Cygnus decided to grace her with his presence they argued.

When her children returned home for the holidays they thought they knew everything about the world and had all these grand plans that she would laugh at.

It was funny because they didn't know that one day a man would ruin their lives.

And that's exactly what happened.

At sixteen Bellatrix left home without a thank-you for everything Druella had given up to have her, she moved in with Tom Riddle who had started calling himself Lord Voldemort.

By the time she nineteen Bellatrix was half mad and a murder.

Andromdea ran away and married a Mudblood, gave birth to a filthy half blood and Druella warned her one day she'd lose them both in a long letter. The last letter she ever sent her daughter, a letter filled with hatred and bitterness about all the things she had to give up and how had Andromdea repaid by bringing shame on her family.

Cygnus died a week before Narcissa married Lucius Malfoy, Lucius was spineless and Druella knew one day that would bring nothing, but heartache and ruin to her youngest daughter.

And she told Narcissa this, but like everyone else did her daughter ignored her warning.

So yes, Druella Black was a cold bitter woman, but once she had been a bubbly happy girl.