The Tragedy of Walburga Black

★𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝟔𝟒★

𝐃𝐞𝐜𝐞𝐦𝐛𝐞𝐫 𝟏𝟎𝐭𝐡, 𝟏𝟗𝟔𝟏 - 𝟏𝟐 𝐆𝐫𝐢𝐦𝐦𝐚𝐮𝐥𝐝 𝐏𝐥𝐚𝐜𝐞.

The following day Walburga prepared herself for lunch with her brother and his family.

Over the years, they had grown slightly apart, and it weighed on her. The memory of the healthier bond they shared in the years before her marriage to Orion tugged at her.

Now, he was a grown man, he wasn't the same little boy she grew up watching over. He had a wife and three daughters, and their father had effectively passed the weight of family responsibility onto him.

Despite the challenging dynamics, Walburga made an effort to have lunch with Cygnus at least once a month.

However, this meant enduring the presence of his wife and daughters. While she didn't necessarily dislike his family, she found Druella annoying and his oldest to be quite the wild card.

Andromeda, the middle child, was quiet and reserved, never speaking up. The youngest, Narcissa, was the same age as Sirius and, in Walburga's opinion, the most beautiful of the three. Despite the complexities, Narcissa seemed to be a little angel compared to her sisters albeit she was only two.

"Mistress the company has arrived, they are in the main room," Kreacher informed her as she fixed her hair with one hand and held Regulus with the other.

"Thank you, Kreacher," Walburga replied, adjusting her demeanor as she made her way to the main room, where her brother's family awaited. As she entered, she put on a polite smile, masking the internal tensions that lingered beneath the surface.

"It is nice to see you Walburga." She could hear the falsehood in Druella's voice as looked at the family.

"Thank you, Druella. It's always a pleasure," Walburga responded, her tone equally polite.

Cygnus, observing the palpable tension in the room, cleared his throat, attempting to break the thick atmosphere. "So, how have you been, Walburga? It's been a while since we've had a chance to catch up," he said, giving her a hopeful look, hoping to steer the conversation away from the strained undercurrents.

Despite everything Cygnus never once disrespected Walburga, he knew she worked hard to keep the family up, especially following the death of their mother.

Walburga, appreciating her brother's attempt to diffuse the tension, nodded and replied, "I've been managing Cygnus. The boys keep me busy."

He smiled as he looked down at the baby she held, "There he is, little deviant can I hold him?" he questioned as he walked up to her.

Walburga returned a small smile, recognizing the genuine affection in her brother's eyes. "Of course," she said, carefully passing Regulus into his arms.

She watched as he moved to sit on the leather couch before his eldest daughter Bellatrix moved forward, the girl was only eight but she tried to pull at the baby's hair.

Walburga's protective instincts flared as she swiftly intervened, gently guiding Bellatrix's hands away from Regulus's hair. "Easy there, Bella. He's a baby, and we need to be gentle with him," she advised her tone firm but not unkind.

Cygnus, noticing the tension, chimed in with a chuckle, "Where is the other one? Where is Sirius?"

Walburga looked to Druella who had a haughty look on her face as she looked at the decor of the room.

"Yes, where is Bella's future husband?" Druells turned to look at Walburga a slight smirk on her face.

Walburga, masking her annoyance with a tight smile, replied "Nearly five minutes, almost beating your record there Druella," it was a routine with her, every time she found the opportunity to bring up a marriage between their children she would.