loveless; regulus black

ೃ⁀➷ iii. ophelia

⋅•⋅⊰∙∘☽༓☾∘∙⊱⋅•⋅

three years since she chose to sit in the gryffindor table, hope greengrass still has no idea how she ended up here. how she ended up in front of her mother's house, beside harry potter, hermione granger and ron weasley, because she knows how to defeat voldemort. she and her father almost succeeded.

mother? father? those were foreign words to her now.

it's been three years since she moved out of greengrass manor and moved the weasley's burrow. hope was sure that wasn't legal in any way but her uncle theseus hadn't said a word. uncle theseus. it's been two years since she found out her mother was ophelia greengrass. it took a slip-up from professor mcgonagall and a confirmation from professor dumbledore.

"you don't have to come inside, you know," hermione spoke, gently. hope shook her head. she needed to do this. she needed to confront the woman that abandoned her.

harry squeezed her hand before the four of them walked towards the door. before hope could knock, the door swung open revealing a woman. victor had described the ophelia black that he met all those years ago. he said she looked ancient and her hair was all over the place.

after this war, ophelia was going to buy him some glasses. because this woman was nothing like his description. she wore a summer dress, a bright yellow one, and in her hand was a copy of 'a tale of two cities.'

"who—" she paused when her eyes met hope. something fluttered in the young girl's chest, this is my mom. "theseus sure knows how to keep a promise," she said, rolling her eyes.

"are you ophelia black?" hope asked, her voice breaking mid-sentence.

hope didn't have time to feel embarrassed because then, ophelia's face softened. as though her voice breaking reminded her of something. "you look and act like your father, he would have rubbed it in my face," she said, a fondness in her tone. but as though she remembered who and where she was, the smile was wiped from her face. "enter, i just put the kettle on."

the door opened widder as ophelia walked away and placed her book on the kitchen table. hope was seriously going to get victor glasses. after describing what her mom looked like, he then described what the house looked like. he said there were cobwebs everywhere and that the library was wiped clean.

but as she stood there, in the cleanest house she has ever seen, she was in awe. she glanced at the library and found it full. even the walls of the living room were filled with books.

hope didn't even notice her mother had went upstairs to her room, she only did when ophelia exited with a box. "this... i haven't opened this box in ages. it's from my—my favourite memories in hogwarts. but in an effort to not get caught by aurors, i hid this book in this box. because, who would deny a crying widow?" she said so casually that hope looked alarmed.

then ophelia placed the box and opened it, bringing out a black book. it was so plain that any muggle that saw it would ignore it and choose one of the other books in this place. but it was plain enough for any wizard to be suspicious.

hermione grabbed it and began skimming through it.

harry's eyes were on something else. he grabbed what seemed to be a picture of him being carried by regulus black, ophelia running behind him and his parents chasing them. he showed the picture to ophelia, who tensed at the sight. "you knew my parents?"

"i loved your parents, harry potter, and my husband loved you," she said, muttering the last part as though it pained her, "yes, to answer your question, i did know your parents. i knew them so well that they treated me like their sister. but they soon treated me like the enemy. wars... they bring out a side of people—they bring out the worse in you.

but do not look for a mentor in me, potter. we have two things in common and that is we were both meant to die but instead it is the people we love that die. and if i love you like a son and you love me like a mother, which of us will die first?" ophelia said and then she paused. she paused as though she didn't mean to say those words, something else did. but then she regained her posture and looked at hope. "i gave you up for a reason, hope. i am not fit to be a mother. your father was always the maternal one between us, to be honest. while i am sorry he is the one that is dead and i'm the one you've got, do not look for a mother in me, either.

now, when you finish up, don't bother calling for me," ophelia said as she turned on her heel and opened the door to her room before saying, "i have some food, i think, feel free to rummage through it."

⋅•⋅⊰∙∘☽༓☾∘∙⊱⋅•⋅

ˏˋ°•*⁀➷D SPEAKS!

aaa im so sorry this is short :( yall deserve better but i cannot for the life of me write this idk maybe its cause ik its making the ending towards this book closer but its hard yeah bye

pan being so different hurts I CANT DO THIS