Being a Greengrass after all should sound pretty serene.
But being a part of "the Emeralds" should not, especially when hearts become entangled with the infamous Regulus Black.
Goodness, lawfulness, or evilness. Which path will they tread in the ti...
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December 24th, 1977
Avery sat still as her mother pinned the last silver clasp into her hair, the soft glow of candlelight flickering across the mirror. Her reflection stared back—cool, poised, every strand of her dark hair smoothed into place.
The Christmas Yule Ball was back.
After years of silence, scandal, and whispered conversations behind gloved hands, the Black family was hosting again. The air itself seemed charged with expectation. Since Sirius Black's dramatic departure—and subsequent disownment—their name had become a delicate thing, stitched into conversation with either reverence or disdain in the pureblood community. But now, they were reclaiming their place. And tonight was the first move.
"You look lovely," Melissa murmurs, smoothing the silk of Avery's sage green dress over her shoulder. "Remember: chin up. Like a Greengrass."
Down the corridor, she could hear Violet laughing—louder than etiquette would prefer, as usual. No doubt showing off to one of the house-elves or admiring herself in another mirror. Avery gave a faint smile as her sister came up to her with a look of admiration.
"You look amazing," Violet says, her eyes wide with the rare kind of sincerity that made Avery's chest tighten.
Avery turned from the mirror, smoothing down the front of her sage green dress, the silk catching the light like leaves dipped in moonlight. "So do you," she replies, and meant it—Violet, ever the storm, wore dark red with sharp earrings and sharper heels, like she was ready to waltz or draw blood depending on the tempo.
Tonight wasn't just about dancing and wine and whispered gossip. It was about power, appearances, and the future of the families that ruled their world. And whether she liked it or not, the Greengrasses would also be part of that.
✧˖°.☾
The towering gates of the Black Manor had been thrown open just for the night, charmed to shimmer with ever-falling snowflakes that never melted. From the outside, the manor still appeared dark and grim to Muggle eyes, but to those who mattered, those with the right blood, the house glowed like a jewel under moonlight, wreathed in garlands of enchanted silver holly and deep green ivy that twisted along the ironwork.
As the Greengrass carriage pulled to a stop, the thestrals pawed the ground, snorting softly, their breath forming clouds in the wintry air. Avery stepped down first, her sage green gown catching the starlight, casting a soft glow against the dark stone of the manor. She wore her hair swept to one side, pinned with a silver crescent comb. Violet followed with a flourish, her own deep burgundy dress a bold contrast, sheer sleeves dancing with enchantments that glimmered like embers.
A house-elf bowed deeply from the steps, trembling slightly.
"Welcome, Misses Greengrass. Mistress Walburga awaits your entrance."
