Growing up Pureblooded

New Sorrow

1991 brought fresh sorrow to the Black family, as Arcturus Black's drawn-out illness finally concluded with his death on Easter Monday. His funeral was a quiet, private affair, very unlike the grand state occasion Pollux's had been. The family went down to France on Tuesday; the funeral was scheduled for Thursday. Much to Aries's confusion, Arcturus's death did not seem to hit him with the same force as Pollux's had. Part of it, no doubt, stemmed from the fact that Arcturus had been ill for quite some time, and the death was not at all unexpected. Furthermore, though Aries had many fond memories of his time at the chateau, he had never spent much time with his Great-Grandfather, who had always preferred to maintain a cordial aloofness, which, though it might at times rise to the level of authentic affection, never reached that peak of true grandfatherly love which had characterized the relations between Harry and Pollux. Above all else, however, it was the irrepressibility of Melania Black that carried the entire family through the funeral. She bore her husband's passing with her quiet good humor and indefatigable diligence, single handedly taking charge of all preparations for Arcturus's burial.

"We had a long and happy marriage, boys," she told Harry and Draco as they helped her chop potatoes for the funeral meal. Ordinarily Granny would have handed such a menial task over to Roquefort, but in this instance she felt that a bit of manual labor was just what the boys needed to keep themselves occupied whilst the adults concerned themselves with other matters. "This year would have been our seventy-first anniversary. I only hope the two of you are as fortunate in your spouses as I have been." "Won't you miss him, Granny?" Aries asked. "Of course I will," she replied, giving Aries an affectionate smile as she checked on the beef bourguignon. "For a little while, at least." "Then what will happen?" Draco asked, confused. "Why won't you miss him anymore?" "Because I shall go to rejoin him," Granny answered calmly, "and we shall never be apart again."

Arcturus was buried in the little family cemetery on the grounds of the chateau. The service was quiet and dignified, and the weather was lovely. Granny herself had chosen the inscription for the tombstone:

In the sight of the unwise he seemeth to die:
His departure is taken for misery,
His going from us to be utter destruction:
But he is in peace.

After the burial, the family walked together up the long path to the chateau where Granny presided serenely over a magnificent banquet, surpassing even her usual standard. "Mother, I do wish you would come back to England and live with me and Nate," said Sirius's Aunt Lucretia, Granny's daughter. "You have quite enough to be getting on with, dear," Granny answered her, sweetly but firmly. "There's no need to add a troublesome old woman to the mix. I am quite happy here." "I don't feel comfortable leaving you here all by yourself, Granny," Sirius said from the other end. With Arcturus's passing, he was now head of the family, and Aries noticed a subtle shift in how the others related to him.

"I appreciate your concern, dear, but it's really quite unnecessary," Granny replied. "I have Roquefort to take care of me. I have some friends in town, and you and the boys will come here over the summer. What more do I need?" "Actually, Mrs Black," Lucius said. "Since Draco is heading to school in September, we had thought to keep him at home this summer." Aries and Draco gave each other a forlorn look when they heard that, and Granny noticed. "Call me Granny, dear. Everyone does," she told Lucius. "As for your dilemma, I have a simple enough solution for that. You can all come here for the summer. There's plenty of room in this draughty old house for everyone."

Lucius looked ready to refuse, but Abraxas spoke up first, glaring sideways at his son as he did so. "What a charming idea, madam! We should all be delighted to spend our summer in your elegant home, enjoying your exquisite cuisine." "It's settled then," Sirius said with a barely suppressed grin. "We're all coming here for the summer."