As far as Sundays go, Walburga Black has had better.

Firstly, Kreacher is in an awfully cheerful mood. Usually this wouldn't be a bad thing, as he's more attentive when in a good mood, but the cause of said elation is turning it into an annoyance: the first birthday of Regulus' firstborn could be handled by no other (the menial labor and direction of house elves, anyways), and he's been speculative over every little detail. It's driving her daughter-in-law insane, which only means Walburga has to extend effort in reigning in the damn house elf and calm the woman down. No amount of "the babe will not remember the event" is enough to keep Kreacher tethered to the ground, he has to have the best for Vulpecula. Regulus is no help with it, either, the child has him wrapped around her finger. If the babe wished to be gifted a sphinx, she would wake up to one in the foyer. Her daughter-in-law, while just as dedicated to her family as they (a reason she approved of the match), is more sensible. The only reasonable ones in the home are the witches. As usual.

Secondly, her firstborn is in Azkaban. Let no one say that a Black woman doesn't care about her children, because the moment she heard, she whisked herself out of her depression bed and got dressed to give that useless Minister a piece of her mind: no Black goes to Azkaban, and especially without a trial. His disownment was unofficial: a dramatic display of power to try and sway him back to the right side (nevermind that it didn't work). Not to mention Alphard still left him quite a bit of gold in death, and non-blacks cannot inherit anything from the family. No matter what. Besides, Sirius loved that Potter boy and his mudblood too much to do something as uncouth as betray them. Blacks do not betray. Nevermind that she still believes Sirius to be a blood traitor, that's different. He's turned his back on the culture of his people, but not on family. No, never. He'd never harm a hair on either of their heads. That is the Black way. No matter how harsh the screaming matches got.

Third, her bloodtraitor firstborn son's personal mudblood is on the front steps of her house dressed like a common Muggle holding…

What is that.

Walburga doesn't have bad eyesight, far from it, she's managed to evade the terrible eyesight that runs through her family line (the Black Madness, though, that's another story for another day), and the tapestry had changed just two years ago so she knows she's not hallucinating when she sees-

The Mudblood speaks up and introduces herself, as if Walburga hadn't already memorised her name on the tapestry. Scorned her and burned it off the moment she realized it wasn't a horrible dream, but instead a cruel reality. That her surname wasn't a foreign wizarding name, but a common Muggle one. That her firstborn had gone and bonded himself with scum.

"-and I am a Muggleborn witch." Sweet Circe, why doesn't she just announce it to the entirety of Magical Britain? "And this is your grandchild."

And how dare she-This filth step up on her home, holding up her son's poor precious half-blood, looking as proud as any Black bride with a right to the title. As proud as Regulus' chosen pureblooded bride did when their engagement was announced. How dare that baby breathe, when she should have been lost and taken care of years ago. Vulpecula should have no first cousins.

A forced sneer, because the child is undoubtedly her son's: it has all the classic Black family traits, even as a cubby toddler. Because she can sense the magic swirling around it, as familiar as her own.

Walburga looks down upon her grandchild and remembers Sirius. She remembers how small he was when he was born. How fiercely he cried. How tightly she held him. The sheer blooming life that burned within his tiny body. How it was then that she knew she had given birth to a warrior.

Walburga remembers Andromeda. Dear Andy, and her banishment after making that mistake called Edward Tonks. Dear Andy and her poor, half-blood child. A miserable thing robbed of her proper Black title. A great-niece she'll never know. A family member forever lost thanks to the filth.

Walburga takes a deep breath and remembers Regulus. How much her forced ostracization of Sirius affected him. How her rage had overtaken her when she saw he was sorted into Gryffindor-It was the only proof she needed to know that she had lost him. All those rebellious outbursts, his refusal to go along with their family's traditions, it wasn't all just a phase. She couldn't let him take Regulus too, no matter what.

Her chin tilts up, challenging, "What is her name?" It hasn't shown up on the tapestry (Walburga still recalls the day when she saw that their unholy union had produced a child, she had half a heart attack), that can only mean she hasn't been named yet, which is strangely appropriate. A proper mother should wait to name her child, not like Muggles who decide months before the birth of the babe. At least Sirius had the sense to find a Mudblood without gravel in her head. Of course he lacked the common sense to have a pureblood. For Hecate's sake, he could have at least gotten a common poor pureblood like a Weasley or an Olivander.

The look in the Mudblood's eyes is triumphant. A general cheering her battle cry. Walburga expects no less at the first utterance of a Black baby name, and the fact that it's being given by someone worth less than the dirt under her fingernails burns at her heart and pride. She's sure Sirius would have loved to have witnessed this moment, and that added thought hurts more. The insolent boy.

"Ursala." The name folds over Walburga like a crashing wave over the shore, she can feel it weaving itself into the fabric of the tapestry, binding the toddler to her rightful family, "Ursala Rebekah Black."

Not sure what I was thinking starting another project. This won't be as long (probably) or as detailed (probably) as Serpentine, but it probably takes place in a similar universe (meaning you might see characters from Serpentine in this fic, but in different roles/ages!). Rather than long chapters with chronological events, it'll be snippets of people in the kid's life interacting with her through their POV. You'll also see Regulus' kid around too.

Ursala: After Ursa Major/Minor, she-bear. Alternate form of Ursula, meaning little bear.

Rebekah: "From the Ecclesiastic Late Latin and Ecclesiastic Greek Rhebekka, which is derived from the Hebrew רִבְקָה ribbqāh (noose), from rabak (to bind, to tie)." You may now make your Friday jokes.