…
"I beg your pardon?"
Walburga Black was holding her fork aloft as she stared across the table at her mother in surprise. Irma Black was flanked at the head of the table by Walburga's younger siblings, Cygnus and Alphard, and Walburga sat across from them.
"You will not be inheriting your father's estate," Irma repeated icily.
"You're lying," Walburga replied, shaking her head in disbelief. "Tell me the truth!"
Her voice rang shrilly through the dining room, causing four-year-old Alphard to drop his cutlery and drop down from his chair to hide under the table.
"Stop shouting, you dreadful girl," Irma snapped. "You're scaring your brothers."
"She isn't scaring me," Cygnus interrupted. "She just sounds like a baby."
Walburga glared at Cygnus. He was twelve years old, and since their father had died just a few weeks earlier, he seemed to think he was the man of the house. Irma did nothing to calm her son down from his illusions of grandeur, and Walburga now understood why. She was rearing Cygnus to inherit what belonged to Walburga.
"Father promised me," Walburga hissed. "He said I would be the head of the house when he died! He has been teaching me, raising me for this all of my life!"
"Your father was wrong. A woman cannot be the head of the house, especially not a silly girl as volatile as you, Walburga." Irma paused, reaching idly over to Cygnus to pat his dark hair. "I will find you a suitable man, you will marry and have children to continue his family. No, no. You cannot be the head of the house. You're not capable of such responsibility. Not like Cygnus will be, when he comes of age."
Walburga stood up from her chair angrily, and reached across the table to sweep the teapot, plates and other crockery onto the floor. Irma only stared nonchalantly as the porcelain shattered. "You're wrong, Mother," she muttered. "I'm capable of anything."
…
When Walburga reached her bedroom, she glared at her reflection in the mirror on her vanity. She was eighteen, and in the prime of her life, but she hated the woman who stared back at her. She wished she could have looked like her father, who was stockily built with an angled face and dark eyes that could cut diamonds. He wore smart suits and walked with an authority that made everyone around him tremble. Walburga tried to hold herself with that same authority, but her appearance often ruined the impression.
She wished she had the classic Black features, but she was doomed to look like a Crabbe woman, with features inherited from her mother's side of the family. She was too dainty, too thin, with blonde hair and blue eyes and sickly pale skin. Cygnus and Alphard both looked like miniature versions of Pollux Black, and Walburga knew that they would grow to be as headstrong and domineering as their father had been.
Walburga clenched her fist and punched the mirror suddenly, shattering her reflection. Shards of glass fell out of the frame and dropped to the floor and all over her vanity.
She would find a way around this. She would rectify her mother's dreadful mistake.
…
Some days later, Walburga was tending to her patch of garden when she was approached by her cousin. Gardening was the only thing that made her feel calm and at ease. She admired the plum-coloured hydrangeas as she trimmed their excess leaves, feeling proud of the colour she had managed to achieve with just a little magic.
When a hand touched her shoulder suddenly, she jumped out of her skin. "Don't touch me!" she screamed, whirling around with her pruners clutched in one hand. She expected to find Cygnus smirking behind her, probably planning on trying to force her to accidentally clip the head of one of her beloved flowers.
She didn't expect to see Orion, her cousin, backing away as she aimed the pruners at his throat. "W-Walburga," he gasped, breathless with shock.
Walburga dropped the pruners instantly and bowed her head. She had no quarrel with Orion. He was a year her junior, and had only just finished his final year at Hogwarts, so he was spending much more time at home in Grimmauld Place.
Orion was nothing like Cygnus, which Walburga appreciated. He was much calmer, quieter, and spent most of his time reading in the library when he was at home. He was polite and respectful, and Walburga generally enjoyed his presence.
"I'm sorry, Orion," Walburga apologised hastily. "I was so caught up in my thoughts while I was gardening, you surprised me…"
"Do not feel forced to apologise," Orion replied, reaching down to pick up Walburga's pruners and place them back in her hands. "I should have alerted you of my presence."
Walburga smiled softly at Orion, and he grinned back.
"Sit with me?" she asked, and walked over to a small stone bench in the centre of the garden. Orion sat beside her obediently, and looked out at her patch of flowers.
"You are doing a marvelous job with the garden, Walburga," he observed. "You truly have a wonderful eye for design when planting your flowers."
Walburga felt her heart swell with pride. She spent so much time gardening, and it was nice to hear someone compliment her for her efforts. She thought idly of her mother, who would surely soon be trying to find her a husband so she could 'continue his family'. No man would be as kind to her as Orion was, she was sure of that.
A thought popped into Walburga's head so suddenly that it made her sit up a little straighter.
Orion was her cousin, of course, but he was a member of the House of Black. If Walburga was to marry him, she wouldn't change her name. She would remain a Black lady, and as the eldest member of the family, with a husband who was a prominent high-ranking member of the family, there would be no argument over her inheriting her father's title and estate.
She glanced at Orion, who was smiling dazedly back at her. He had the classic features; the dark ebony hair and gleaming charcoal eyes. His jawline and cheekbones were angled and sharp. He was beautiful. Any children she had with Orion would be true Blacks.
"Orion, may I pose a question to you?"
"Of course."
"Will you marry me?"
…
It was some months later when Irma Black stepped into Walburga's room, glaring at her daughter. Walburga was standing at the window, looking out at the wedding party that was gathering in the garden. She spotted her mother's snarling face in the reflection of the glass.
"Mother, how sweet of you to finally join me in preparing for my wedding."
"I see you found a dress," Irma stated, glancing down at the gown that Walburga wore. It was ivory silk, sleek and figure-hugging, with lace sleeves and a high neck, with a long train that was currently curled around Walburga's ankles. "You were supposed to wear my dress. My grandmothers did not pass it down from daughter to daughter only for you to break tradition."
"I wouldn't dream of wearing that distasteful old thing that has no real place in my ancestry," Walburga replied breezily. "This gown belonged to my great aunt Belvina, my grandfather's sister, who had it made for her marriage to Herbert Burke. Truly befitting a Black wedding, wouldn't you agree?"
"I do not agree to this union," Irma said scathingly. "You cannot marry your cousin."
"It is not unheard of in this family, you know that, Mother," continued Walburga. "Do calm your nerves. I wouldn't want you to have to miss my wedding." Walburga turned to face her mother and smiled widely. "I know your only reason for being unhappy about my marriage is because you won't get to make Cygnus the head of the house." She stalked across the bedroom to her mother, trying to loom over her with the presence her father once had. "Now, unless you want to make yourself useful and fetch me your best lipstick, go down and join the rest of the party."
Irma and Walburga stared at each other for a moment, trying to hold out the others' gaze. Finally, Irma caved first, and backed away from her daughter, hurrying back down the stairs and out of sight.
…
Walburga let her smile linger on Irma and Cygnus as Orion pushed a ring onto her finger. They were both glaring daggers at her. Cygnus looked ridiculous, crammed into a suit that was far too large for him, with his arms folded crossly as he watched the wedding.
Walburga said I do and waited for Orion to do the same.
"I do," he responded to the vicar's question, smiling brightly at Walburga.
"Good boy," Walbuga whispered, and leaned forward to seal their union.
She had no qualms about marrying her cousin. She had no qualms about stepping on another man to get what was promised, especially if that man was so pliable and willing.
Orion held her hand gingerly as they walked back into Grimmauld Place, and Walburga knew that this man would do anything for her.
Written For:
- Assignment #8/Oneirology Task #6: Write about conflict
- Autumn Funfair/Halloween Bingo: 26. (colour) Plum
- Autumn Funfair/Drive In Horror Movies: 3. (relationship) Mother/Child
- Autumn Funfair/Monster Mash Up: 17. (character) Walburga Black / 19. (dialogue) "Good boy."
- Autumn Funfair/Apple Bobbing: 10. (object) broken mirror
- Autumn Funfair/Potion Making: 18. (dialogue) "Tell me the truth!" / (word) Forced / (word) Disbelief
- Autumn Funfair/Pumpkin Carving - Step 2: (emotion) Surprised
- Autumn Funfair/Hot Air Balloon: 4. (word) breathless
- Autumn Funfair/Spooky Playlist: 9. (dialogue) "I'm capable of anything."
- Writing Club/Written in the Stars: 17. (flower) hydrangeas
- Writing Club/This or That: Romantic Comedy 14. (object) Lipstick
- Writing Club/Showtime: 6. (relationship) Siblings
- Writing Club/Elizabeth's Empire: 30. (word) mistake
- Writing Club/Amber's Anime Adventure: 13. (object) glass shards
- Autumn Seasonal/Days of the Year: 12th October - Moment of Frustration Day: Write about someone getting frustrated with someone else.
- Autumn Seasonal/Jewellery Month: 22. (object) Teapot
- Autumn Seasonal/National Author Month: 7. (object) Ring
- Fortnightly/Dreadfully Delightful Decorations: 3. (dialogue) "Don't touch me."
- Spooky Fight Club/Fight: 3. (word) Window