𝑻𝒉𝒆 𝑹𝒊𝒔𝒆 𝑶𝒇 𝑳𝒂𝒅𝒚 𝑩𝒍𝒂𝒄𝒌 ~ 𝑊𝑎𝑙𝑏𝑢𝑟𝑔𝑎 𝐵𝑙𝑎𝑐𝑘

chapter nine

Present day,

Regulus looks at his gaze in the mirror. He no longer bears any marks proving the blows his father gave him. He swallows with difficulty, readjusting the collar of his shirt that strangles him. He can hear the guests in the living room and he feels nervousness seize him. Inhaling deeply, he turns towards the door when Kreacher enters and he sits on the bed as the elf brings him the ring.

"It's too big," Regulus says. "Steviah won't like it."

Steviah. The name he can't erase from his memory. His best friend who is forced to marry him. Steviah, who he has been in love with for some time now. This half-Malfoy and half-Weasley girl who loves him too, but who loves Sirius even more. Regulus sighs, he should have confessed his feelings to her before it was too late.

And now he has to marry her. He could have been happy. He's finally going to get the girl, but he never wanted it to happen like this. Steviah doesn't deserve to suffer and he knows how much she suffered to join the Black family. Preferring not to think about it, he looks at the ring and then he looks at the house elf.

"This is ridiculous," he says. "This is all ridiculous."

"The master doesn't want to get married," the creature notes.

"Yes," he sighs. "I told you how much I love Steviah, I would have simply preferred to marry her because she chose me. But she gave her heart to Sirius and I will never be able to have her. I never told her how I feel. Maybe if ..."

The door opens and he stands up and Kreacher crashes to the ground in a curtsy as Walburga enters. Standing tall, her hair impeccable, she approaches Regulus and leads him to the mirror, her hands on his shoulders and she looks at their reflections.

"Your collar is badly put on," she notes. "Today is the big day. You will see, we will make your wife right and she will be able to be an integral part of us."

"What are you going to do to her?" asks Regulus, trying to speak in a detached manner.

"Whatever needs to be done to make her perfect," Walburga replies. "You don't have to worry about that. Be ready, the ceremony will begin soon."

She is about to say something else, but she keeps silent and leaves the room. She is a mother first and foremost, she recognizes her son's sad eyes, that look she had had, once upon a time. Shaking her head, she regains her cold smile and enters the room where Steviah is being prepared.

"You're not too bad," she says.

"Go to hell," Steviah replies. "All of you!"

The slap she receives burns her cheek and Walburga looks at her as if she's nothing more than an insect, but the young girl keeps her head high and glares at her. For a moment, Walburga hesitates to take her in her arms and tell her that everything will be fine. Because it's not Steviah she sees, but it's herself. Same age, same character, same fragments in her heart.

"Throw a tantrum if you want, but soon, you won't even remember all this," Walburga says with a mean smile.

Seeing Steviah's face fall, Walburga clenches her jaw, because behind her, the ghost that haunts her, watches her with disappointment and she swallows with difficulty while Sirius seems to be disgusted by what she is.

"Look at yourself," he says, "it's as if your father were standing in your place. You've become what you've always run from. Look at that poor child! You're a monster."

Steviah is about to speak, but Walburga, overcome by rage, grief and fear, slaps her before she can speak, trying to chase away this ghost that is swallowing her up and chasing her. She glares at the young girl, the young girl she herself once was, and her gaze is devoid of any expression.

"Hurry up and finish getting ready," she spits.

She turns on her heels and once in the hallway, when no one sees her, Walburga rushes into her room and leans against the door. She closes her eyes, inhaling and exhaling. Trying to control the trembling in her hands, she shakes them and then becomes the icy woman she is again.

Walburga goes down to the reception room and the people greet her respectfully. She nods back and heads towards her husband who is eating petits fours. She looks him up and down, a pout on her face and she leans towards him.

"Stop eating like a pig," she says. "Straighten up and go get Regulus right away."

Orion looks like a deer caught in the headlights of a car. He seems frightened and nods before walking away. Walburga looks at him and swallows. How can such a ridiculous man hurt her so much when he is drunk? This situation is exactly the same as when she had to marry Orion and Walburga does not feel very well.

For some time now, Sirius has been haunting her even more and it is often that young Walburga resurfaces, but she must survive. She always has and she must continue. No weakness, no tears. That's what she tells herself as Regulus appears. Doing to her child what was done to her makes her feel sick and she clings to the table.

"Do you think he'll be happy?" says a voice behind her. "Look at your son. Look at what you're doing to him. You're destroying him. Everything you touch, you destroy."

Walburga staggers, she knows that Sirius isn't really there. He hasn't been for a long time and she doesn't answer, not wanting to look like a madwoman talking to a ghost. Standing up straight, she takes a deep breath and heads towards her son, whom she accompanies to the altar.

When she sees Steviah arrive, she watches her advance and she overlaps with her. She sees herself again, sees Steviah and so on until she gets completely close. The poor girl looks like she's at rock bottom, but the looks don't lie. Walburga knows the look of love.

And she sees it in Regulus' eyes, but also in Steviah's. Maybe after all, this marriage is not so cruel. Walburga tells herself that they love each other, and even if everything has been organized, at least they will live in love.

"Maybe not," Sirius whispers in her ear. "Remember where you're going to send that child after the wedding. She'll never be the same again if you break her."

Walburga tenses. She takes a deep breath and looks at Steviah. She has no choice. Steviah is too fragile and she needs to be forged and that's exactly what she intends to do. Break her to make her survive in this family.