𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐎𝐓𝐇𝐄𝐑 𝐁𝐋𝐀𝐂𝐊, black sisters

━ eleven : snape, lestrange and black

THE OTHER BLACK
CHAPTER ELEVEN
. . . .

➖ CORDELIA BLACK,
SEVENTH YEAR ➖
. . . .

It was only after a week after Eileen Snape, or rather Prince, had told Cordelia what she was that a knock sounded on the door. Eileen was sitting with Cordelia in the living room, listening as the teen told her about how annoying school was, when they heard the knock and they both stared at each other. Eileen had told Cordelia that she never had visitors, and the only person who ever visits Snape was Lily Evans.

"I'll get it." Eileen hummed, worry etched upon her ghostly features. Snape was in the garden, tending to his peonies and dahlias. The elderly woman held her wand tight to her chest, fearful it may not be Lily Evans like she was hoping. When she opened the door, she was met with a pair of blue eyes. Lily Evans had green eyes and she definitely wasn't this insanely tall, unless muggle feed their children food that were very different from wizard food.

"I'm looking for Cordelia Black, and no, don't say she isn't here because by God, only Merlin knows what I'll do to you Snape." The boy had hissed. Cordelia sat up straight, she knew that voice.

Eileen nodded, wand still pressed on her chest. "Come in." There's a reason why Eileen Snape called herself by her birth name, Prince. Reasons like this boy.

When he stepped into the living room, Cordelia jumped, gasping. "Rabastan! What are you doing here?!"

"Cordelia, you can't run from this like Bellatrix did." Rabastan stated matter of factly. Years ago, Rodolphus Lestrange was to marry Bellatrix, yet Bella ran, only to appear two years later, hair wild, eyes wilder. Cordelia never asked what happened, she was intrigued by how people parted for Bellatrix Black, for how people feared Bellatrix.

"I'm not running." She held her head up high. "I don't love you Rabastan, that's the reason why I'd never marry you."

"It's not about love!" Rabastan yelled, growing angry and Cordelia could feel her heart speed up. Why am I terrified? Was she scared that she might hurt Rabastan like she hurt Ted Tonks? Maybe. "You don't get it, do you?! We're going to die Cordelia!"

"Die? What ━"

"Yes, Cordelia, we're going to die if we don't marry." Rabastan sighed, shaking his head. "If you had read Bellatrix's letter, you'd know what I'm talking about. They're going to kill us should we refuse, and I'm just here to tell you that I have a lot at stake Cordelia, my family, my brother, my friends...." He shook his head again. "And I'm sure you don't want to die, somewhere hidden beneath that malice, I believe you actually really care for your sisters, and Snape as well."

"I ━ I'll think about it Rabastan."

"Think about it?! There's nothing to think about! You're going to die!" Rabastan was fed up now, that Cordelia could tell. But did he really think that it'd be that easy?

"I'm not going to agree blindly! If I marry you Rabastan, we have to come to an understanding." Cordelia huffed out, equally as fed up. She was angry at herself and at Rabastan and at her mother. Why would she agree to this? Is it because Walburga had urged her last year to marry another man after Cygnus' death? Is that why Druella wanted Cordelia to marry?

"What understanding?"

"If we are to marry, you have to listen to me Rabastan." Cordelia started, huffing out. "My voice will not go unheard just because you're a fucking man."

"That's not ━"

"No, just because you have a dick hanging between your legs doesn't make you more powerful than me Rabastan. So you will listen to me, whether you like it or not. I will bow to no man."

Rabastan laughed bitterly. "You have no choice in this, just like me. If they say jump, we have to ask how high if we don't want to die."

Cordelia Black never felt so miserable.

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Cordelia thought it was unfair. Why was she forced to marry Rabastan whereas Bellatrix ran away so easily? Why did she have so much at stake than Bella ever did? They didn't threaten to kill Bellatrix or Rodolphus when Bella ran, so why her and Rabastan? What made them more special than their siblings? Was it the weird devil thing Cordelia had? It couldn't be it, could it? But as Cordelia stepped unto the Hogwarts express for the second last time in her life, she tried to push all the negative thinking away. Rabastan had told her that as soon as they graduated, they were to marry, Cordelia was not looking forward to it. She absolutely did not love the boy she was forced to marry, but she kept quiet, if what Rabastan said was the truth, Cordelia fancied staying alive. If not for herself, for her sisters.

Once on the train, Cordelia told Snape to find them a compartment, stating that there was something she wanted to take care of first. She disappeared, in dire search for a certain family member, even she didn't know why she sought him out, something just told her that she needed him.

Once she found his compartment, four pairs of eyes narrowed in on her.

"What do you want? Want to curse one of us like you nearly did?" James Potter seethed, recalling how Cordelia nearly cursed him. "Or are you here to kill us like you killed Ted?"

"I did not kill Ted Tonks!" Cordelia yelled out before she smoothed down her robes. "Look, I just want to talk to Sirius."

"Me? Why?" Sirius was baffled, his cousin Cordelia had changed over the years he knew her. He watched as she became a dark twisted soul and he could do nothing, he was only twelve after all.

"Can we talk? In private preferably?"

"Oh no, that's not happening! You just want to off him!" James dramatically yelled out, jumping out his seat and he stood before Sirius.

"And I will off you if you refuse to let me speak to my fucking cousin!" The Slytherin couldn't help but grow angry, James Potter was annoying. She didn't see the point in why he was refusing to let her talk to her own cousin. Calm down Cordelia, remember what Eileen said.

"James, it's fine, I'll talk to her." Sirius quietly said, wondering where his cousin went. This was not her. The young Black stood up, and he took Cordelia by the hand, leading her away from his friends and once he found an empty compartment, they sat down and Sirius looked at Cordelia. "You only came to me when you're in trouble."

Cordelia swallowed hard. "I know."

"What's wrong Cordelia?"

"Sirius, our family... It's falling apart." Cordelia sighed, shaking her head. "Andy's ━ uhm ━ Andy's pregnant Sirius, with Ted's child, and even though I would've suggested she should take it out, she's keeping it. Mum's going to be furious when she finds out about that. I just want to protect my sister, I want to protect you all, believe me." Four slender fingers raked through her dark hair and she looked out the window. "And I'm being forced to marry Rabastan Lestrange."

"What?" Sirius blinked. "I get the Andy part and really, I don't mind it, she's going to be an awesome mum and all but Lestrange? Why is aunt Druella forcing you?"

"I don't know but if we don't, they'll kill us, they'll kill you, Regulus, Andy, Cissy... I have no choice Sirius."

"But Bella ━ Bella ran! You can run too!"

Cordelia looked at her cousin, a sad smile washing over features and she shook her head. "I can't risk it all. You still have a life, you may an outcast just because you landed in Gryffindor, but you're still family. And Andy's child needs a mother." She then snorted. "I mean it's Lestrange, he's a bit daft, I can handle him."

Sirius let out a hearty chuckle. "Of course you can."

"By the way, don't tell anyone about this, or I might just have to off you like Potter suggested."

The grin on Sirius' face made Cordelia want to fight for her family even more.

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an. just saying, her favorite family member is Reggie but Sirius has a special place in her heart.