Disclaimer - I don't own Harry Potter. International Fanwork's Day 2022 was about remixing classic series so I decided to finally go ahead and start my remix of The Eliza Trilogy for which the main character is now considered to be a classic Mary Sue. In fact, Eliza Dwiana Snape is one of my favorites.

What is my train of thought for this remix?

It's been stuck in my head for a while now, this question of what The Eliza Trilogy would be like had the writer got the chance to do so. And I've always pushed it aside until I recently started writing Regulus Black Lives stories and somewhere along the line, it clicked that, hey, The Eliza Trilogy was actually written before the introduction of Regulus character and I found myself wondering if she would have later on latched onto Regulus Black instead of Severus Snape.

Eliza and the Other Bookworm
A Story of Seperation

"Filth."

The word slipped from the tongue with ease, nor did the person cloaked in black do anything to hide the venomous tone of contempt she held as she looked around the unlit trailer of—

"Muggles and their Muggle filth," the woman muttered, her head turning to look around the small mobile home of the Muggle in question. "Disgusting. Disgusting seductress, leading a child astray as pure as Regulus, that wench."

"Enough. Don't make me regret bringing you along," the other figure said. "We've important business to attend to, perhaps the only way for the Black family to survive. So sit there like a proper lady and drink your tea."

The woman dressed in black lifted her finger, pointing right at the other figure. "Need I remind you, Arcturus Sirius Black, that you wouldn't even know about this, this wench if I'd not brought that if I'd not found that foul letter to her. That bint. If this is how our bloodline should survive, perhaps…"

"Not one more word for you, lest I remind you that I, Walburga, am the head of this family but of quite the sound mind. Or shall I remind you how your actions have driven this family to ruin?"

"Excuse me?"

"You were so focused on that part of the letter that you ignored the rest of what the letter said," the man snapped.

Walburga snarled at him. "I understand some Muggle trollop leading that nitwit of a whelp astray as he's already that far gone, but Regulus? If Muggles didn't have magic, I'd assume…"

The sound of a key in the lock made her stop speaking, her dark eyes focused on the door to the trailer, her fingers reaching for her wand while Arcturus continued sipping tea from one of those filthy cups from the Muggle's cupboard, though his wand wasn't out of sight. It sat instead on the table in front of him, within easy reach. Walburga took a deep breath as the door opened, and someone stepped within the boundaries of the charm used to make sure their voices didn't carry outside.

The trailer filled with light with one click, allowing the young woman to stare at the unexpected intruders. Her breath sucked in, and she turned, obviously intending to flee. Despite his old age, Arcturus flicked his wand, so the door closed and locked, preventing her from escaping. She stood there, frozen, her hand on the door handle, her mouth pressed together. She turned her head slightly, glaring at them.

Walburga, in turn, stiffened before stating rather bluntly. "She's ugly."

The young woman's head turned slightly so she might glare at them more intently while the other cloaked figure turned his attention to his companion instead. "Walburga."

"Well, she is," Walburga muttered. "I don't understand how such a simple thing managed to turn the head of our Regulus. She is so—so.." The young woman lowered her hand, turning now, so she physically stood there, still not saying anything. "Beneath him." Walburga's nose went up slightly. "And fat."

"The poor girl's pregnant," Arcturus said.

"Poor girl. She's a filthy…" She paused, her eyes narrowing. "She's filth."

Then came the silence, as if none of the ones in the small space knew how to break the silence, to broach what every single person knew was the reason for the visit. Instead, Arcturus continued sipping his tea from the proliferated cup while Walburga fumed over hers. The girl, in turn, stood there, one hand rested on her rather large belly.

Arcturus finally sighed, finishing his tea before turning to look at the girl, who still said nothing. "A normal person would ask who we are, let alone why we're intruding upon their home."

"Except I know who you are and why you're here," the young woman said, the disdain in her voice all too obvious.

Walburga stood, knocking the table as she did, making the cups rattle as she stormed over to the young woman. A slap resounded through the room as she backhanded the young woman, but as she did, the hood fell away from her head, revealing lush black curls and stormy gray eyes. "You dare to look down on my Regulus?"

"My disdain isn't for him," the young woman snapped, a fire in her brown eyes. Walburga's stormy gray eyes widened, and this time the palm of her hand went across the woman's face.

"You little wretch! You don't know how honored you are to be carrying the Black blood within that cursed womb of yours, harlot! If I had my way…" Walburga's eyes narrowed. "Well, you're far enough along. We could take the child and be done with it. I know for a fact, my sister-in-law…"

"Enough!" Arcturus snapped, suddenly standing up. "We will not be inducing labor before…"

The sound of something wet hitting the floor at Walburga's face made her facial features twist in disgust as she looked down at the bottom, the young woman's chest heaving suddenly.

"Or not.

"You disgusting…"

"She's gone into labor, Walburga; no thanks to you threatening to take her child away," Arcturus snapped, pushing Walburga aside. Gently, he guided the woman over to a seat. "And no, we're not going to do that."

"What are you talking about? I thought that…"

"I never said such a thing, woman. Be useful for once and fetch some hot water."

"Will not."

"Last time I checked, I'm the healer," Arcturus said, being as gentle as possible. "It's going to be alright, my dear."

"Last time I checked, this is what a House Elf is for." Walburga took a deep breath. "Kreacher!"

"You bloody woman!" Arcturus said as a popping sound went off, making the young woman squeal. Walburga's mouth twisted in glee as the young woman attempted to move away.

"Mistress called?"

"She did. Fetch hot water, towels, anything needed for giving birth, and do not speak of what's going on here to anyone!" Arcturus snapped before turning to the young woman smiling. "It's going to be okay. It is."

The young woman shook her head. "I know why you're here. It's as she said."

"We won't."

"Unless, of course, it's a male," Walburga piped up. "A male we can pass off as…"

"Walburga!" Arcturus snapped. "You foul woman! When will you learn to hold your tongue?" His attention turned to the expectant mother, who was sobbing. "Shush, it's going to be alright. I'm a healer. Equivalent to…"

"Retired. Because of old age," Walburga rolled her eyes.

"Don't mind her," Arcturus sighed, shaking his head as he pulled back his hood, his own gray eyes showing as well as a few gray streaks in his hair.

"You don't…" Her words paused, and then she said. "…look old."

"I'm old. Too old for games like of which she plays," Arcturus said, glaring at Walburga.

"Seventy-eight, to be exact." Walburga crowed, biting suddenly on her nail, looking at the young woman as if she wished her to be in the most pain possible.

"Don't mind her," Arcturus said, smiling at the young woman. "She's just grumpy because she should have already been a grandmother when Regulus was born."

"You! You horrendous, cantankerous old man!"

"As you can see, she's quite the mouth on her." Arcturus turned to look at the House Elf. "I may be old, but I've Kreacher to help me. "

The lights flickered, and the woman cried. Walburga leaned up against the wall, glaring, not caring until—

Her eye narrowed, her lips pushed together. She turned her head, her arms still crossing her chest. "Figures."

While the young woman still cried, there was no mistaking the eerie quiet from the newborn held in Arcturus's arms as he cut the cord before handing the thing off to Kreacher to clean and wrap in clean towels. It was too much like when Regulus was born. "It's a girl."

"Wonderful," she muttered as the young woman continued to cry. "Can we…" She stopped noticing the look on her father-in-law's face. Something wasn't right. "What?"

"Twins."

Walburga's eyes blinked, her mouth opening. "What?"

"There's a second child."

"I guess that cunt…"

"Walburga," Arcturus snapped, glaring at her as Kreacher set the one newborn into a basket he found, which he in turn placed on a chair. Walburga watched as the child remained deathly quiet, although their tiny fingers moved.

It was too much like—

Her train of thought was arrested from any such ideas when the sound of an actual infant burst forth, but as she turned her head, there was no mistaking this one had lungs on them as Sirius did. Arcturus turned and handed Kreacher the wailing baby. "Another girl."

The girl muttered something about wanting her babies while Arcturus said something about being patient, of taking care of the afterbirth while getting her into bed. Walburga stepped over, looking down at the small things that Kreacher had washed and wrapped in clean towels, the one infant still howling, which meant—

"Even though it's a girl, she's strong," Walburga said, looking down at the blue-gray eyes, her breath pulling in. There was only one Black with blue-gray eyes, what with Narcissa's being a pure blue, at least in recent memory, and that was Regulus Arcturus Black, and she had Sirius' lungs as if the small child were the best of both worlds.

While also being absolute and utter filth.

She turned her head in disgust. "You know if the Dark Lord were to learn of them…"

She turned her head, smirking as Arcturus flinched. She watched the family patriarch turn and look at her before squeezing the hand of the girl. He let out a deep breath. "I am so sorry, my dear."

As Arcturus stood, looking down at the twins, the girl was in a feverish sleep. He glared at her, his dark eyes boring into her, speaking in a whisper. "I won't deny separating the twins would indeed increase the chances of at least one of them surviving in this godforsaken war we're in, should he seek reprisal. Let me remind you, though, Walburga, this is something you've brought down upon our home, enticing Regulus to that man's side and letting him follow Bellatrix as you did."

She sucked in her breath before reaching for the twin with the eyes that matched Regulus—the younger twin. "I'll see to it this one has a proper nursemaid then, and make sure she is kept hidden. And you don't need to remind me not to say anything to her. This is a right mess Regulus has gotten us into."

"Regulus?" Arcturus shook his head, watching her leave with the infant. He turned to Kreacher, lifting a finger to his mouth. "Remember. Say nothing of this. See if your mistress needs something."

Gently, he lifted the other newborn into his arms, gently carrying her over to the young woman. She muttered something.

"Here's your child. The other didn't make it," he lied, pulling a letter from his breast pocket.

"But the baby was crying."

"You heard things. You are quite feverish, but I'll be sure to make sure a Muggle ambulance is sent your way. Is there a secure place I can put this?" He held up the letter.

"What is…"

"Regulus dying words to you," Arcturus said. "Who cares what Walburga thinks of me leaving them with you. My grandson…" He smiled, deciding to tuck the letter under the mattress. "I hope you don't forget this is here, but thank you."

"What for?"

"For being the friend Regulus needed. I really am sorry this is your lot." He sighed. "I do what I must to protect my family. I'll see to it that if you are ever in dire need, should a wizard or witch's skill is needed that simply calling Kreacher's name will result in him coming to your aide."