The Black Queen | F. Weasley

1. Salem Maia Black

A small gnarly hand was holding a dirty dishcloth, running it over the dusty furniture. Instead of giving it a most needed cleaning, the dishcloth and its holder only succeeded in smudging and begriming the old chests, tables and stools.

"Kreacher!" A voice called from the baby room upstairs.

The owner of the small gnarly hand vanished with a loud pop!

"Yes, master Regulus?" The elf bowed deeply for his master, his nose nearly touching the floor. He looked up at his master with his big grey eyes. The handsome black haired man looked older than his actual age. The war had done nothing good to him.

Master Regulus was holding little Salem in his arms and looked down at her with tears in his eyes. It was the last time he would see his daughter, but he would sacrifice himself any day if that meant a better world for his child after everything that he had already put her through.

"Kreacher, I want you to bring me to the cave the Dark Lord has shown you."

The elf's eyes widened in fright. His master would never... His dear master Regulus wouldn't make him go through all that pain again, he chanted again and again in his head.

He swallowed visibly and nodded at his master's demand. He outstretched his small hand and waited for his master to put little Salem away in her crib, giving her one last kiss on her forehead and whispering in her ear how much he loved her. Master Regulus looked down at his daughter sadly and sighed deeply before taking Kreacher's hand and smiling down at him reassuringly. With a loud pop they disappeared, away from the Black residence.

♠️♠️♠️

The Crystal Cave was just as Kreacher remembered it.

Cold and deadly.

"Where did the Dark Lord take you Kreacher?" Master Regulus asked kindly seeing the elf's hesitance. He looked up at his master before refocusing his eyes on the wall in front of them and pointing his finger at it.

"There, master Regulus. The Dark Lord slit a knife across Kreacher's hand and made him smear it across the stone wall," Kreacher said quietly.

Master Regulus walked up to the wall with a determined stride. He pulled out a knife that he had gotten from his mother when she was still alive and slit it across his own palm. Kreacher flinched at the pain his master must be feeling and watched on as he smeared his blood across the wall.

With a loud rumbling the wall opened up and revealed an even bigger cave with a large black lake. It's water was as still as it was dark. It had an ominous feeling, a feeling of upcoming doom.

Kreacher feared it, just like he feared it the first time. He knew which dangers lied ahead of them, but with hesitant steps he followed his master.

"Lumos Maxima," master Regulus muttered and a light bulb lit up the cave, joining the greenish mist that shone far away in what looked like the middle of the lake.

"You mustn't touch the water, master Regulus," Kreacher whispered, clear anguish in his voice. His master looked up at his elf and saw the fear in his eyes, he carefully picked up the rope that was attached to a boat which lied at the bottom of the lake and warily began to pull it up.

"Thank you for the warning Kreacher."

Eventually the boat lied at their feet. Together they stepped aboard and master Regulus rowed to the middle of the black lake, to the small island which was enlightened by the greenish mist. He helped Kreacher out of the boat before he stepped on the small island himself.