Chapter 2, Meet The Parents

In order to understand the children in question, in this case those children being Sirius, Regulus and Kreacher, one must first understand their parents. Walburga Black was a purist in the... well purest sense of the word. She hated her some Muggles, as in all Muggles, and for good reason. Because of Muggles her people hid like rats in the shadows when they were far more powerful. Rather than proudly wielding their birthright, their gods given abilities, they had to hide them for literal fear of their lives! It galled her to no end that Muggles were weaker and more stupid yet their vast animal Hurd numbers afforded them the luxury of being a danger to more powerful races, I.E wizards, goblins, and elves.

Though wizards and goblins had had their differences, literal centuries ago, Walburga liked goblins fine; even respected them! Their brand of magic was powerful and their complex spell work was admirable. The bottom line was their blood was pure and though the two races had had various petty issues over the centuries, no goblin was stopping witches and wizards from using their magic. For this reason, Walburga was civil and even cheerful as she skipped into Gringotts to withdraw the Galleons she would require to purchase her wedding dress that she was about to commission with Madam Malkin.

Hagatha followed her inside, pausing to close the door behind them before following Walburga up to Bogrod's desk. He was the goblin they always did business with, as Walburga preferred not to deal with someone new each time. It was three years from the day that Hagatha decided that she did not need to put a love spell on Balthazar. Bogrod was polite, but got right down to business without tedious small talk, another thing Walburga greatly appreciated. She made her withdrawal and was back out in less than ten minutes.

"Riding in that stupid cart always makes Hagatha feel sick to her stomach," the elf complained, as she followed Walburga down the street toward Madam Malkin's. The thin soles of her satin ballet slippers slapped the paving stones as she rushed to keep up with Walburga's brisk strides.

"Why?" Walburga asked, genuinely perplexed. "I think it's fun."

Hagatha scowled. "How should Hagatha know? Ask her stomach why!"

Walburga chuckled. "Seriously, though. I'm going to need you to steal some fabric from Madam Malkin's once I have the lady in question distracted."

Hagatha peered up at her and scowled in open consternation without breaking her stride. "Why!" She demanded. "That's mad! Walburga has enough gold to buy that bloody shop if she wished to. If Hagatha is caught stealing, the Aurors shall surely have her head!"

"I shall claim all responsibility if you are caught," Walburga assured. "But you shan't be caught. You shall take it outside then Apparate it home then return. It's simple."

"Perhaps," Hagatha murmured. "But why?"

"Because I can't give you clothes," Walburga explained, giving her friend an exasperated side eye. "I wish for you to have a pretty wedding dress and I know of no other way to make certain that you get it. I would have loved for us to have a double wedding, but when I mentioned it, both of our parents were horrified. While they appreciated my sentiment, they were certain that others would not and that we would all suffer for it."

"Of course we would, Burga, and you know it," Hagatha said softly. Pausing she wiped at her eyes with the back of her hand before throwing her arms around Walburga's black skirted legs. "Hagatha loves you for daring to ask anyway, and for having the thought." Sobbing, she pressed her cheek into the heavy velvet of Walburga's dress as she clutched fistsful of the fabric. Scowling Walburga shook her free. "Stop that, else you have me blubbering like a baby here in the bloody street for all to see," she snapped peevishly. "I simply thought, because we grew up together, that getting married together might be fun. It means nothing."

Hagatha snickered, then pointedly wiped her face on Walburga's skirts. "At least Father is going to allow me to marry Balthazar and go and live with you and Orion. Hagatha would not be able to stand it if another elf served Walburga's new family."

"I never would've stood for it," Walburga said quietly. "You know that." The elf was her only friend other than Orion and truly the only other friend that she'd ever wanted, and they both knew it. Even at Hogwarts, she never deeply connected with other girls. They were around, but none were anything close to a friend that Walburga trusted. They were stupid and boring and usually needed to be told what to do.

Even back when it was time for her to leave for Hogwarts that first year, she'd cried for Hagatha to be able to come along, then had become infuriated when Hagatha snidely pointed out that she knew more magic than Walburga and that silly school had nothing to teach her. This enraged Walburga, mostly because she knew the elf was right. She had thrown a pillow at Hagatha for the comment, though. She had missed, but, in that case it had been the thought that counted.

The elf stole a beautiful shimmering silver fabric while Walburga had Madam Malkin doing fittings for her. Just to be safe, Walburga overpaid the witch for the fabric for her own dress so that if she noticed more fabric missing, she would not be inclined to make a fuss. If she did not notice, she would merely assume Walburga Black to be extremely generous, which was not a bad thing. Over the next few months, while Walburga and her mother Irma planned her wedding, Hagatha stitched herself a beautiful wedding gown in her spare time. When it was finally finished she modeled it for Walburga. It was after midnight and the two were in Walburga's room with the door firmly shut. "Do not look yet," Hagatha ordered. "Hagatha is still tying the shoulder straps. Oh she does wonder if Balthazar will like it!"

"Of course he will," Walburga scoffed. "He's a man. May I look now?"

"Not yet," Hagatha insisted. Then less than a second later, "Very well, now Walburga may look." Walburga opened her eyes and caught her breath. She had expected the dress to be beautiful, but Hagatha had truly outdone herself! Shimmering silver spilled down her body to pool around her dainty feet and threads of silver snaked around her shoulders, spilling down her arms.

"You look like an elf princess," Walburga said.

"All because of Walburga." Hagatha said. "Hagatha did not forget."

Walburga shrugged. "It was nothing."

"Nothing for Walburga, perhaps, but Hagatha bets she shall be the only elf to have her own wedding dress in ages and ages!"

Walburga shrugged. "I know nothing of elf weddings."

Hagatha scowled. "Walburga suspected enough to tell Hagatha to steal the fabric."

"I wanted to give you a wedding gift of some pretty fabric, and I knew if I just gave it to you, that you would be freed. One winter when we were children, I tried to give your father a scarf when he was going shopping." She shivered, recalling how hard Ronan had smacked her hand. It had stung for nearly an hour. "He was so angry. He said that would have freed him and then what would become of you and he? I told him that Mother and Father would have still allowed you both to live here but he said that it would not be the same."

Hagatha listened with round eyes, and she nodded slightly when Walburga was finished. "Father is often too strict and traditional for Hagatha's liking, but she feels he was correct in that. Hagatha shall raise her own children to be cautious about accepting clothes." She giggled. "How insane is it that we shall both be having children some day, Burga?"

Walburga smiled. It was their family duty to do so, but yes, it did feel insane. It wasn't so long ago that she and Hagatha were children themselves playing with their dolls. "I hope our children grow up to be as great of friends as you and I are."

"And Balthazar and Orion. Balthazar tells me that the two have been studying defensive magic together. Though Hagatha does not quite see the point, she finds it cute. She likes it that she and Walburga made the two become friends."

Walburga nodded. "They did begin talking more because of us, didn't they?" Elves tended to stick to themselves when not directly serving the family in many cases, especially when there were more than one of them and Balthazar had a few siblings. While it struck Walburga as odd in a sense to have elf servants when elves were the more powerful race, it seemed to even be how the elves wanted it.

She and Hagatha ended up playing together as children because they were two girls of a similar age. Walburga was the younger sibling, Cygnus being enough older not to have an interest in playing with his baby sister, and Hagatha was an only child. "So, is Ronan planning your wedding," Walburga asked. "Or how does that work with elves?"

Hagatha shrugged. "Elf parents preside over the wedding, so Father and Balthazar's father shall see to our union. It is a simple affair without a great deal of fuss from Hagatha's understanding."

"Well? Are you going to invite me and Orion," Walburga asked. Hagatha was not being forthcoming about the entire thing and she found it annoying to have to poke and prod into it. It nearly made her feel unwelcome.

Hagatha shifted from foot to foot, glancing away. Walburga's discomfort grew and so did her scowl. "Hagatha is unaware," the elf murmured. "Hagatha has no experience with such things, and Hagatha knows that humans and elves travel in different social circles. Of course she wishes for Walburga to be there, if this is allowed, but it will not be up to Hagatha."

"Why haven't you asked Ronan," Walburga snapped impatiently.

Hagatha blinked, tears suddenly filling her eyes. "Because Hagatha is worried that he shall say no."

Walburga sighed."Very well, do not get yourself upset. You are making me feel guilty."

"Good," Hagatha said, sniffing and wiping at her eyes with the back of one arm. "Because Hagatha shall feel very guilty if Walburga is unable to attend her wedding."

Walburga sighed. "I had assumed I could just invite you to mine, but perhaps that is going to be complicated as well. Either way you and I shall sort it out. We can both find a place to spy on one another's if we aren't able to be typical wedding guests, but I would enjoy it far more were you eating the wedding cake right along with the rest of my family, because you are family."

"That can be arranged." The voice came from the bedroom door that neither Walburga nor Hagatha had heard open. It belonged to Irma Black, Walburga's mother. "Now both of you get to bed, because it is extremely late," Irma continued firmly.

"Yes, Mother," Walburga said. Some day very soon, she would have her own manor and it would run by her rules. Until then, she respected the will of her parents.

"Yes, Mistress," Hagatha said. She bowed low, before realizing that she was still in her shimmering silver dress and giving a small cry of alarm.

Irma's stern lips twitched as a smile played in her storm gray eyes. "Indeed, I should not sleep in that dress were I you, so you had better go and change, Haggy."