Chapter 44: Tapestry
Blackmoor, Essex, England
February 1, 1987
Cassiopeia paused before the doors that led into the large lounge that was dominated by the family tapestry. The lounge only held a few pieces of furniture and a coffee table. The rest of the space was dominated by the beautiful tapestry that hung from ceiling to the floor and dominated all the walls of the room. It was a beautiful piece of magic, one that few knew how to reproduce nowadays. The ancient masters had kept the secret of how to make the tapestries sentient enough to update themselves. The Blackmoor Tapestry was important to the Black family because it was keyed to their blood. It would update with each birth of a child and it didn't matter if the child was a Squib or even the great-great grandchild of a squib that had been cast out of their family.
She had stood before this tapestry just seven years ago. She had cradled Leonis close to her chest then and had wept in relief that the Tapestry showed Regulus Arcturus Black to be dead and Leonis Regulus Black to be alive. It meant that their ruse had worked. Leonis would be safe and the tapestry would not reveal their secret. The blood adoption had rendered Leonis a new entity. He had ceased to be Regulus and the tapestry had recognized that.
Now as she looked at the Tapestry she chided herself that she had not bothered to properly examine it before. The lineage of Phineus Nigellus Black II was displayed before her and if she had paid attention to this years ago then she and the Lord Black could have approached the Branstone family about young Eleanor. She pursed her lips then. Arcturus would have taken Eleanor from her family then. The girl would have been an infant and would have no memories of their care or neglect. She couldn't fault him for the idea to take Eleanor from her family as an infant. She still thought that he was foolish to leave Eleanor with a few Squibs and Muggles now. Eleanor's Grandmother, Corinne Branstone, was a problem. The woman loved her granddaughter, but Cassiopeia could see that the love the woman had for her didn't transcend her own fears. Corinne wanted Eleanor to learn how to be 'normal' of all things. She wanted the child to stop being a Witch and become a Muggle instead. Corinne's latest correspondence with Petunia had been full of questions about magic spells that could take the magic out of her granddaughter so that the girl could have a 'good life'. It had infuriated her when Petunia had shared that bit of knowledge over tea while their boys played. Petunia had been at a loss as to what to do about Corinne's attitude.
Cassiopeia liked her sister-in-law. Petunia was a loving mother to her son and her nephew and she was a good fit with Marius. She was devoted to her brother and Cassiopeia appreciated her. She liked that Petunia did not let magic intimidate her. She thought that perhaps that came from the younger woman's childhood of being raised side by side with a Witch. Lily Potter had been considered a powerful Witch and Cassiopeia was sure that Petunia would have been just as powerful if she had not been born a Squib instead.
She frowned as she stared at the name Corinne Branstone on the tapestry. She needed to talk with Arcturus about the woman. The love that she had for her granddaughter was turning toxic. The woman was not even allowing Eleanor to have a House-Elf to act as Nanny and Bodyguard. It was absurd. A Wizard or Witch who wanted to hurt their family could apparate to the Branstone home at any time and kidnap Eleanor, or worse, and there was nothing that Corinne Branstone could do about it. The woman's fear of magic was becoming a problem and if Arcturus didn't choose a good course of action to stop the woman's foolishness then she would step in and do it herself.
"I still think it was stupid of you to have allowed Enid to marry that Mr. Corner," she heard her aunt Lysandra protest. She turned away from the descendants of Phineus Black II and focused on Lysandra and Callidora. Her cousin looked annoyed by her mother's venting of her opinion. She didn't blame her. She had grown up close to Callidora and Cedrella. She and Callidora were born in the same year, and Cedrella had been a year behind them. The three women had spent most of their lives bonding over how their mother's drove them crazy in one way or another.
"Mother, Enid was in love with Raphael," Callidora said with exaggerated patience as she defended her daughter's right to marry for love instead of politics. "It was a good match. They have two beautiful children and grandchildren."
Lysandra sniffed. "A Corner. She could have done better. She could have married a Rowle, a Selwyn, or even a Flint would have been better than a Corner."
Cassiopeia smirked as she joined the fray. "Raphael Corner might not be a Lord of House but he is of House Avery. In fact, it is quite probable that either Raphael or his son Alexander will be the next Lord Avery since Old Avery is the last male of the Avery name."
Lysandra frowned at that. "I was not aware that Corner was of the House of Avery."
"Raphael's mother was Lucinda Avery," Callidora informed her. "Not that it matters. Raphael is devoted to Enid. He worships the ground my daughter walks on and that was more than enough for Harfang and I to approve of their match."
Lysandra frowned at that and then looked back to the tree. "Enid's boy, Alexander, he married well. The Boot family is a noble house, even if I dislike how closely aligned that House has stood with Albus Dumbledore in the past."
Cassiopeia could not disagree with that. She was not fond of Dumbledore. She was intelligent enough to know that the man was manipulative. That was obvious after he didn't insist on Sirius having a trial and with how high handed he was in placing Harry with Petunia instead of with his magical kin. That Dumbledore got around the law and was not punished for placing Harry with Petunia still irritated her. Dumbledore was too powerful and too cunning. They could not trust him because he was not one of them. He never would be. He'd rather subjugate them than work toward a common goal and she was not honestly sure that they would be any better in that regard. Dumbledore should be subjugated by their house or put out of the way permanently. He was too much of a danger.
"I have not met little Michael," Lysandra mused as she tapped on his name on the tapestry. "I'll have to remedy that while I am still in England," she said simply. Then she turned her attention back to the tree and focused on Enid's daughter Katheryn. She scowled at the name scrawled beside Katheryn's. "Andrew Cornfoot. Not the Cornfoot that own TerrorTours?"
Cassiopeia couldn't hide her amusement at Lysandra's ire. TerrorTours was a very successful travel agency. Their main office was found at 59 Diagon Alley. They specialized in adventure tourism, offering such thrilling getaways as Vampire-owned castles for rent in Transylvania, trips along the Zombie Trail, and Cruises in the Bermuda Triangle among other things. The company did waive any responsibility for injuries or deaths resulting from the vacations. Cassiopeia had taken a trip along the Zombie Trail when she was younger. It had been an interesting trip.
"Yes mother," Callidora said simply. "Andrew owns the family business that was started by his family two centuries ago."
Lysandra glared at her daughter then. "I have not met their son either," she jabbed her finger at the name Stephen Andrew Cornfoot.
"That is not my fault," Callidora snapped. "You have been gallivanting throughout the Mediterranean for the last ten years. You haven't bothered to visit."
Cassiopeia thought that their mother's removing themselves from England and living on their island while touring the Mediterranean in search of ancient magics was a blessing really. She and her own mother, Violetta, could hardly be in the same room without it resulting into a scathing competition of who could insult the other more.
"I'll see him before I leave. If I dislike his situation then I shall remove him from his parents," Lysandra insisted.
"You most certainly shall not!" Callidora snapped. "That boy is protected as a scion of the House of Longbottom. You have no jurisdiction over him."
"He has Black blood," Lysandra said snidely. "Or did you forget your own heritage?"
"Black blood, mother, not Yaxley," Callidora said with such saccharine sweetness that Cassiopeia wanted to applaud her.
Lysandra huffed and turned away stalking toward Melania to no doubt petition for Stephen's removal from his loving parents. Cassiopeia reached out to Callidora and placed a hand on her arm and gave it a small squeeze. The two women shared a look that spoke volumes of just how much they despised that their mothers had chosen to involve themselves in family politics.
"I have neglected Michael and Stephen a bit since taking Neville from Augusta," Callidora admitted then.
"You should take Michael and Stephen for a few weeks," Cassiopeia suggested. "Neville should get to know them better anyway. They are his closest cousins by blood. He does very well with Leonis but they are not first cousins. It would be good for Neville to become closer to Michael and Stephen."
Callidora nodded. "Yes, and I need Michael and Stephen to know that they are loved as much as Neville."
The two women then approached Cedrella who was frowning at the tapestry. Cassiopeia's brow furrowed as she stared at the Crouch line. Callidora and Cedrella's youngest sister had been married off against her will to Caspar Crouch. It had been a bad personal match but a good political one for the House of Black. Charis had been miserable and had hated her husband. Despite that they had three children – Bartemius Crouch Sr. the current Lord Crouch, Celeste Smith nee Crouch, and Anthea Fawley nee Crouch.
"I have never met Zacharias nor Cordelia," Cedrella admitted to them then. "They are Charis's Great-Grandchildren and I have not met them."
Cassiopeia followed perused the line of Celeste Smith nee Crouch until she saw the name of her only grandchild, Zacharias Nathanial Smith. She then repeated the process with Anthea Fawley nee Crouch until she saw her only grandchild, Cordelia Lysandra Yaxley. She sighed. Cedrella sounded so mournful. She really could not stand it. "You have a large brood of your own grandchildren to handle, Cedrella," she reminded the woman. "It is understandable that you've been a bit busy."
This caused Cedrella to laugh. "They are a handful. Especially those twins of Arthur's."
Callidora scowled. "Neville fears them," she pointed out causing her sister to wince. The only time the twins had been invited to Gracewood Hall they had terrorized Neville.
"They were punished for that," Cedrella said. "I am not honestly sure it did much good though. Molly alternates between being disappointed in them and then doting upon them. They remind her of her brothers I think."
"Transference is not a good thing," Cassiopeia supplied even as she remembered Fabian and Gideon Prewett, the twin born younger brothers of Molly Weasley nee Prewett. Lucretia had wept many bitter tears over the loss of her nephews. She had been exceedingly fond of the boys. She vaguely recalled that Bellatrix used to blush when one of the Prewett boys would look at her. She shook her head to clear it of thoughts of the dead and the damned. The Prewett brothers were dead and Bellatrix was damned to Azkaban and deserved to be there. Oh, but sometimes when she thought of what Bella had been like as a child and a young teenager, so beautiful and fierce, it made her want to weep bitter tears.
"Oh, Rommie look!" Narcissa called out to her sister Andromeda Tonks.
Cassiopeia moved over to Narcissa's side as well, curious as to what had attracted her protégé's notice. She was soon watching Narcissa's finger trail down the lineage of Arcturus Black I. He had two children and it was the second child, the daughter named Aster that Narcissa was so worked up about. Aster had married Aldrich Nott. She blinked in surprise at that. She followed the line down further. Aster and Aldrich had a single son named Beornraed Nott. Beornraed likewise had a single son named Cantankerous Nott. Cantankerous Nott had married the beautiful but fragile Alektra Malfoy. Their son was the powerful and imposing Orran Nott who now was sitting in Azkaban prison. Orran's only living child was Theodore Nott the young Lord Nott. Theodore was also one of Narcissa's Wards or as Cassiopeia preferred it "'Cissa's Menagerie".
"I wasn't aware that Theodore was a descendant of our house," Andromeda admitted to them as her finger trailed over Theodore's name.
His name seemed aflame for a moment before it settled. Little effects like that made Cassiopeia even more curious about the magics that went into weaving the tapestry. "I rarely contemplate the House of Nott," Cassiopeia admitted. "I cannot understand how Aster could have married into that House let alone Alektra Malfoy. Cantankerous Nott was a vile man. Poor Alektra must have suffered in his clutches."
She remembered that Alektra was four years older than her. She was still a beautiful thing. She had, in her youth, often been compared to delicate flowers; lovely but in need of great care. Cantankerous Nott was not the sort of man to give a woman great care. It was little wonder that Alektra had not protested Theodore being raised by her Great-Nephew Lucius instead of by herself. Alektra probably felt she couldn't keep up with a rambunctious child. Cassiopeia was grateful that she could keep up with Leonis.
"I was not aware of his connection to us," Narcissa admitted a little ashamed. "I should have researched it. I should do that with Blaise as well. I know the Rosier side of his family but not much about the Zabini's."
"It couldn't hurt," Cassiopeia encouraged. "I remember his father. Strong, striking man. He had a good presence. No one ignored Julien Zabini when he entered a room. You felt it in your bones that the man was a predator. I have heard his brother is much the same."
Narcissa nodded. "Yes, he is," she admitted. "I send reports about Blaise to his uncle. The man didn't want to raise Blaise as his own but he does care for his brother's child. I think his aversion is Claire. He didn't want Blaise because that meant dealing with Claire."
Andromeda frowned. "It doesn't say much for Blaise's uncle, but it is to our gain. We get to have Blaise and he gets to know his nephew through reports and any letters that Blaise may ever choose to send him."
Cassiopeia nodded her agreement. She was quite fond of Blaise Zabini the Heir Rosier. Blaise had become the Heir Rosier in 1980 when his maternal uncle, Evan Rosier, had died. Hector Rosier the Lord Rosier had declared that his only grandson would be the Heir Rosier and succeed him as the Lord of the House. This had thrilled Blaise's mother, Claire, right up until she had come to understand that she would be bypassed as the Regent of the House and would never have access to the vaults. As far as Cassiopeia knew, Claire and Hector had not spoken a single word to one another since.
The three women drifted over slightly to stare at the part of the tree that listed the children of Atlas Black. Atlas had been the grandson of Arcturus Black I. Cassiopeia followed the line of Atlas's first son, Oberon, down until she was staring at the three girls that were of some debate earlier. Soleil, Polaris, and Ascella Black were the granddaughters of Oberon Black. She didn't know much about the girls because they lived in France and Cassiopeia had rarely bothered with the descendants of Arcturus Black I. Now she wished that she had more information than she did.
She knew that Soleil was Beauxbaton's Transfiguration Mistress. Her skill was said to outreach that of Minerva McGonagall, a woman who was hailed as one of the greats in that field. The girl was not married and the last she had heard the girl had little care to ever marry. Cassiopeia thought that she might like Soleil very well if she ever had the opportunity to get to know her.
She knew more about Polaris than of Soleil and Ascella. Polaris was a brazen beauty who had a reputation for charm and sophistication. She was sure the girl had many lovers, but she was discreet. It was a relief that the girl knew discretion and didn't flaunt her excesses. She was sure that the beautiful, seductive Polaris would be chosen by the others to attempt to seduce Remus Lupin into matrimony. It was a mistake, she was sure. Remus was a Werewolf. A woman like Polaris would come across as a predator to him. It would earn his aggression more than his romantic interest.
Ascella was the gentle one, if she recalled correctly. Gentle, kind, but not a pushover. The girl was decisive and didn't stray from her goals. This was the girl that she would vote for to attempt to seduce Lupin. She probably had the better mix of strength and softness to beguile the Werewolf. The problem was that both Lupin and the Wolf had to be entranced by the woman they chose. Soleil would intrigue Lupin but never entice the Wolf. Polaris would be a disaster because of the Wolf. Ascella would intrigue them both. A far better choice.
"Andromeda! Narcissa!" Cassiopeia's mother, Violetta, called to them. "Why didn't you tell me that Bellatrix had a child?"
Cassiopeia heard Narcissa gasp in shock beside her. The other ladies fell silent and everyone was staring from Violetta to Andromeda and Narcissa and back again.
"What are you talking about?" Andromeda asked.
Violetta sniffed. "It says right here on the tree that Bellatrix has a son," she announced.
Cassiopeia moved at once to her mother's side and the other ladies of the room seemed to move a moment after her, crowding around Violetta and Cassiopeia. Cassiopeia easily found Bellatrix's name upon the tree and gasped aloud when she slowly trailed her finger down from Bellatrix's name to that of Scorpius Apollo Lestrange. His name lit up, aflame, after she ran her fingers over his name. The other ladies began to murmur their surprise and their outrage that Bellatrix had never told them.
"The House of Lestrange should have informed us!" Melania said in outrage.
It was truly a horrible breach of etiquette that the Lestrange family had not informed them that Bellatrix had given birth to a child. Furthermore, why would Bellatrix not have bragged about it? She had spent years married to a man she didn't love. She had been discouraged and angry at her lack of an heir. Surely once she was pregnant she would have bragged to the family about it. "We may never know why she didn't reveal it," Cassiopeia said.
"I think I know," Narcissa said softly. "Look at his birthdate," she directed the other ladies. "It reads October the thirty-first of nineteen hundred and seventy-nine. She was probably still in half-mourning for Uncle Orion. Then there were her duties to the Dark Lord," she said the last with disgust. Cassiopeia was pleased to see that Narcissa's disgust over Bellatrix's loyalty to the Dark Lord was shared by the other ladies of the room. "Then there was the death of Regulus as we entered mourning for him. Then in the following March, Lord Black declared the family to be the enemy of her Dark Lord."
"So, you think that she was withholding telling us because she didn't trust us?" Cassiopeia asked bluntly.
Andromeda sighed. "She was a loyal and devoted follower of the Dark Lord. She bred that son to follow in his footsteps. To become a soldier for him or worse," she said.
Narcissa shivered then. "Oh, sweet merciful," she trailed off as a hand raised to her throat, a sure sign that she was distressed. "Bellatrix was willing to murder children. She was happy about helping her Lord. We, we have to find Scorpius and save him."
Violetta frowned at that. "Even at her trial it was revealed that she had not harmed Neville Longbottom," she argued.
Cassiopeia sighed then. Her mother had never wanted to believe that one of her blood could have willingly served Voldemort let alone gone happily along with the idea of harming children. "The vows she swore upon her majority to serve the House of Black and protect the children of our blood would have warned her against harming Neville," she explained and then she shared a look with Callidora. "I have seen Neville's Elf," she said gently to Callidora. "It is Jint, Bella's Elf."
"Jint," Andromeda whispered the name of the Elf.
There was a pop and the women whirled toward the source, a few had drawn their wands and had leveled it on the little Elf now standing in the center of the room. "Mistress Andromeda called for Jint?" the Elf asked her with warmth and excitement in his eyes.
Cassiopeia glanced at Andromeda and watched her Great-Niece swallow hard. She placed a supportive hand on Andromeda's back and gently rubbed the woman's back to soothe her. "Jint, we would like to know how you came to be bonded to the little Lord Longbottom?"
The warmth fled from Jint's eyes and tears began to form. "Jint's Mistress Bella orders it. She severed the bond between herself and Jint and ordered that Jint was to bond to the little one so that Jint could take him away and protect him from the other bad peoples who were in the house. Jint obeyed his Mistress and he loves Master Neville."
"Oh Merlin!" Melania whispered in horror. There were other mumbles of shock and dread at what Bellatrix had done. Cassiopeia mulled it over and shivered. Bellatrix had not been completely sane before the severing of the bond, but the horrible pain and loneliness caused by the severing must have made her mental condition worse. Added to that was the fact that the Auror's had held Bellatrix in Azkaban before her trial. It was little wonder that her Great-Niece had slipped between catatonic and deranged during her trial.
"What can you tell us about Scorpius Lestrange?" Narcissa demanded of her sister's former Elf.
Jint looked at Narcissa and gave her a sad smile. "Jint has not seen young Master Scorpius since he was bonded to Master Neville," he told her.
"Did Bellatrix give birth to Master Scorpius?" she asked of the Elf.
Jint looked then to Cassiopeia. "No. Mistress Bella was never pregnant. Just after Lord Black declared his family against the Dark Lord, Mistress Bella and mean Master Rodolphus brought home a child. They did a ritual upon him," Jint explained.
"Blood adoption," Cassiopeia whispered. "Do you know where they got the child?"
"No," Jint answered. "It was mean Master Rodolphus that brought the child to Mistress Bella. She was unhappy at first, but soon liked the idea about the child. She offered the child to the Dark Lord. She promised little Master Scorpius to him."
Cassiopeia placed a gentling hand upon Narcissa as the other woman whimpered. "We must locate him," Narcissa insisted. "I always thought Theodoric Lestrange an evil sadist. He's the sort that would sympathize with the Dark Lord's ideals. I find it amazing he was not a marked Death Eater himself."
"No, he just gave up his sons to the cause," Andromeda said with derision in her tone. "He's a disgusting man, I pity Amaryllis Parkinson for marrying him."
Cassiopeia inclined her head in agreement. "Jint, could you locate Master Scorpius?"
"Jint can try, but young Master might be hidden behind family wards," he admitted.
"Find him if you can!" Cassiopeia directed.
Melania began to move away from the group then. "Get comfortable ladies," she called out to them as she strode purposefully toward the door. "I think it is time that we involved Lord Black in our endeavors. He needs to know about Scorpius," she said before she left the room to go call her husband to Blackmoor.
Cassiopeia frowned then and looked to the other ladies. "Search this tapestry," she insisted firmly. "We need to see if there are any other children of our house unaccounted for."
Narcissa and Andromeda immediately obeyed her and began to search over their own lineage, the descendants of Cygnus Black II and Violetta Bulstrode.
Cassiopeia waited until the other ladies began searching lines before she chose to search the line of Castor Black, son of Arcturus Black I and Dahlia Brown. Everything was as she expected it to be but she frowned at the names of Perseus Rigel Black and Corvus Saros Black. The two boys were born a few months after Leonis and they were twin born sons of Rigel Black. She didn't know a single thing about them and it was suddenly quite infuriating to her. She would make a note of it and demand of Arcturus that they begin to close ranks around the children of their lineage whether they bore the name Black or not. These children were their future, they needed to be properly cultivated.
I hope you have enjoyed some of the plotting of the ladies and some of the plot twists in this chapter. Next Chapter: Scorpius. In which we meet Scorpius Lestrange and we get a glimpse of what his life has been like in the Lestrange home.
