A Woman Scorned

She gazed into the fire. The Slytherin common-room had looked much the same as this drawing room. She sighed and remembered the evening so many years ago when he had first noticed her.

“I don’t believe I’ve properly introduced myself,� said the tall good-looking boy. “My name is Tom Riddle and I was hoping to escort you to the Yule Ball, Miss Black.�

Tom took her hand in his and lightly kissed it. She gave him a look of mild curiosity, raising her eyebrows slightly. This was the third time in the past week that she’d been invited to the ball. She was about to politely decline as she had the others but Tom cut her off, “I would be greatly honoured if you would attend with me, Walburga.�

She couldn’t help but make a face at the use of her horrid first name. Tom realized he’d made a mistake. “Forgive me. Was I too presumptuous in addressing you by your given name?�

She looked at him appraisingly and after a moment’s thought answered, “My friends call me Regina.�

“Ah, a name fit for a queen, it suits you, my lady.�

She couldn’t help but smile at the mock title. “Am I to call you Tom?�

A strange look flashed in Tom’s eyes but was gone before she was able to decipher it. The next moment his flirtatious demeanor had returned. “Lord Riddle, will do. As you can see, it is quite fitting that this lord attend said ball with a fair lady, such as yourself.�

Regina could feel her face growing warm, she accepted Tom’s offer and hurried off to her room.

“Kreacher!�

“Yes Mistress?� croaked the elf.

“Put the fire out. I will be in my room.�

“Whatever Mistress desires.�

Regina walked up the stairs of Grimmauld Place and into the master bedroom. Grimmauld Place hadn’t had a master in nearly five years. And good riddance! Orion Black wasn’t particularly missed upon his death. His wife certainly didn’t miss him. It was a relief to finally be free of the man.

Orion had never treated her with the respect she deserved. He had never bothered to charm her, not like Tom had.

Tom had been casually chatting with some older Slytherins in the common-room. He stood upon seeing her enter and produced a corsage to match her dress robes with a simple flick of his wand. Regina was delighted and impressed that he had already mastered the nonverbal spell. Tom then offered Regina his arm and escorted her to the Great Hall.

Regina tried not to appear awed at the beauty of the Great Hall. Yule Balls were held every four years and this was the first that she had attended. Tom proved himself to be a more than capable dance partner. Abraxas Malfoy tried to cut in, but a glance from Tom caused him to change his mind.

After several dances they took a break. “What may I get you, Lady Regina?� Tom asked, indicating the refreshment table.

“A glass of the elf-made wine would be nice,� replied Regina politely.

Tom returned shortly with two glasses of the dark red liquid and offered her one.

“Thank you, Lord Riddle,� Regina intoned demurely.

Tom merely smiled in response. He then raised his glass to her before sipping his wine. After a few moments, Tom offered Regina his arm and escorted her to the gardens.

“I understand your great-grandfather was the previous headmaster at Hogwarts.�

“Yes, I didn’t really know him. He died the same year my brother and I were born.�

Tom raised an eyebrow. “I thought Cygnus was several years younger than you.�

Regina elaborated, “I have two brothers. Alphard is my twin and Cygnus is several years younger.�

Tom fixed her with a penetrating stare. “Why have I never met Alphard?�

Regina did not like Tom’s tone or the way he looked at her as if to read her mind. She answered defensively, “Alphard was awarded a special scholarship by Durmstrang. Since great-grandfather Phineas was no longer headmaster of Hogwarts, my parents saw fit to let him pursue it.�

Tom’s voice became softer again. “You don’t seem altogether pleased about it.�

Regina sighed, looking down at her hands. “I would have preferred if Cygny had gone to Durmstrang and Alph had come to Hogwarts.�

“Why is that?�

“Well, Alph always calls me Regina. Cygny calls me Wally, Walby, and recently has started calling me Wallaby,� she replied, the hurt evident in her voice. She didn’t mention that Cygnus’ best friend, their second cousin Orion, had started doing the same and that some of the other Hogwarts students were picking up on the hated nicknames.

“I will see to it that he desists from calling you that, Fair Lady Regina,� answered Tom.

She smiled up at him gratefully. “Thank you. Is there anything I can do for you in return, Lord Riddle?�

“I’m sure I’ll think of something, my lady,� replied Tom, before kissing her hand.

It had turned out that what Tom had in mind for repayment was to help him research his family history. Having grown up with a detailed knowledge of her own family’s history, dating well back into the seventeenth century, as well as having access to many old genealogy charts, Regina had been an excellent choice for the task.

Tom and Regina fell into the habit of spending long hours in the library poring over old manuscripts together. However, despite weeks of hard work, they were unable to uncover anything.

One afternoon after spending a rather frustrating hour of searching, Tom joined her. “What’s that?� he asked her.

“Oh, I was just playing with the letters,� admitted Regina, a bit embarrassed.

She had written out “Tom Marvolo Riddle� and was using her wand to rearrange the letters to spell “love Lord R.�

“Interesting.� Tom was gazing at the letters in thought. He withdrew his wand and rearranged the letters further. After a few minutes he had spelled, “I am Lord DeMortlov.�

Relieved that he hadn’t commented on what she had been spelling, Regina changed the letters slightly.

“I am Lord Voldemort?� he enquired.

“It sounds better.� She shrugged. “I think it sounds like an old pure-blood name anyway.�

Tom smiled and whispered, more to himself, “I am Lord Voldemort.�

Regina broke into his musings. “Perhaps we should look at your middle name, Marvolo. I mean, my parents named me Walburga Regina Avery Black. ‘Walburga’ after my maternal grandmother and ‘Regina Avery’ after her mother. Avery was her maiden name but apparently it serves as a given name as well.�

Tom looked thoughtful. “Marvolo was my maternal grandfather’s name. I doubt it doubles as a given name and surname but perhaps it is time to look into it.�

The next week Tom asked her to meet him by the lake instead of in the library. He was standing under a beech tree when she got there. Tom gave her a charming smile and withdrew a small velvet pouch from his robes. Upon opening it, he revealed a locket.

“Lady Regina, would you do me the honour of courting me?�

“Oh yes! I’d love to!� she cried happily.

Rather than embrace her, as she had rather been expecting, Tom carefully placed the locket around her neck and fastened the clasp. He whispered in her ear, “When I inscribed your initials I left off the ‘W’. You are far too beautiful to be a Walburga.�

Regina blushed crimson and Tom gave her a very chaste peck on the cheek. They walked back to the castle, he with his arm around her.

Regina looked critically at her reflection in the mirror. She wasn’t nearly as pretty as she had once been. Regulus’ death had certainly taken a toll on her. She thought that perhaps the name Walburga did suit her now, except she was no saint.

She had laughed at the stories Tom had told her of his childhood. How he’d hurt those children in the seaside cave and killed their pets. She hadn’t cared; they were only Muggles after all, barely better than house elves.

She was glad when he punished anyone who crossed her, especially when someone made the mistake of calling her one of those nasty nicknames. She hadn’t minded that he was cruel, why would it matter? She had never believed that he would treat her in such a fashion. She believed he thought she was special. She had believed he wanted to spend the rest of his life with her.

Regina waited with bated breath. Tom was in the drawing room with her father. She was quite certain that he was asking permission to marry her. Regina, daughter of the most Ancient and Noble House of Black was not above eavesdropping. She hurried over to the grate that she, Alph and Cygny used to listen in on their parents’ conversations.

She could hear the voice of her father, Pollux Black, he sounded cordial yet cold, as always. “Yes, I realize that you have a promising career in front of you Mr, ah, Riddle.�

Regina winced. Riddle was not an English pure-blood name. She ought to know after having searched for it for so long.

“However, my daughter is descended from a most ancient and pure family. I cannot simply betroth her to anyone without first seeing their detailed family tree. As soon as you produce yours, I will reconsider your offer.�

“Unfortunately, Sir, I cannot produce the necessary documentation. It was destroyed in the accident that caused my parents’ deaths.�

“That is unfortunate,� agreed Pollux solemnly. “My cousin’s son, Orion, has also asked for Walburga’s hand in marriage. As you are unable to prove the purity of your ancestry, I see no reason to refuse his request. Orion is heir to the house of Black, it is a good match.�

“I understand, Sir. I will see myself out.�

Hot angry tears coursed freely down Regina’s cheeks. Not only was she not to marry Tom, but instead she was to be tied to that horrible second cousin, Orion.

“Regina?� asked a kind voice, softly.

Regina turned her tear-stained face to see her brother, Alph. He offered her a hand and helped her to her feet. Before she could say anything he continued, “Run away; marry Tom. You love him.�

“Oh, Alph! I can’t, Father would disown me!�

Alph looked at her shrewdly. “If I found someone I loved, I’d push Grandmother Black off a roof, if necessary.�

A smile twitched on her lips. Alph had always known how to make her laugh.

“If necessary?� she asked.

“Fine, you got me. I’d quite happily push the old bat off a roof anyway, but doing it for love would make a much better excuse when brought before the Wizengamot. Now, Regina, if you love this man, go find him, marry him and give me lots of adorable nieces and nephews.�

Regina caught the tinge of sadness in her brother’s voice and was once again filled with a regret that she would never entirely escape.

“Alph, I’m so sorry…�

“Don’t be,� Alph cut her off. “First of all, it wasn’t your fault. Secondly, we were children. Now hurry up and go find him!�

With that, Regina hiked up her robes in a most unlady-like fashion and ran down the street.

“Wait! Please wait!�

The tall handsome man turned enquiringly as she ran up to him, nearly breathless.

“I overheard the whole conversation. I’ll marry you! Even if I’m disowned and Knut-less, I’ll marry you.�

Tom looked at her and she was chilled to see that he didn’t smile in return.

“Regretfully, Miss Black, I cannot afford to anger your family. I am employed by your father’s brother-in-law. You are betrothed to Orion, this conversation is entirely inappropriate.�

With that, he turned on his heel and left. She stood there stunned, tears coursing down her cheeks. She didn’t know how long she had been there, but Alph eventually found her and brought her home.

As she walked home with Alph’s arm around her, Regina resolved to marry Orion Black. She decided that she would show Tom Marvolo Riddle that she was too good for him, just as her father had said. She would marry someone whose bloodlines were as unblemished as her own, even if he insisted on calling her ‘Wally’ instead of ‘Lady Regina’. By the time they returned to the house, Regina had decided that nothing was more important than blood and that she couldn’t possibly have been in love with a shameful half-blood.

Perhaps the only thing that revealed this was a lie was the fact that she could not bring herself to get rid of the locket.

Of course she realized now that Tom had never cared for her. He’d never cared for anyone except himself. He hadn’t cared that he’d left her in a loveless marriage, only that it meant he didn’t have access to the power her family could offer.

He’d killed Regulus without a thought for her. He’d recruited Sirius, who was now rotting in Azkaban, not that Sirius deserved any better. Sirius may at least have had enough influence over Tom to save his brother.

Still, Sirius was meeting his punishment but Regina needed to exact her revenge on Tom. He had taken all that she cared about from her, thrown her feelings for him back in her face. Now, she would make him pay with the one thing he held dear: his immortality.

It hadn’t taken Regina long to realize that Tom had made a Horcrux. She was the one who had finally found him a book that did more than mention them. Perhaps he hadn’t cared that she knew, perhaps he believed that she wouldn’t be able to do anything about it, or that she wouldn’t want to. If so, he couldn’t have been more wrong.

It had taken Regina the better part of five years to locate the cave that Tom had told her about so long ago. Kreacher was able to Apparate within and bring her with him, though with difficulty. A look of grim satisfaction spread across her features as she realized that the Horcrux was a locket. She had the perfect replacement.

Regina realized that she couldn’t make Kreacher drink all the poison in the basin. He wouldn’t be able to return them to Grimmauld Place if he did. She didn’t mind losing her servant, but she needed to make sure she got Slytherin’s locket out of the cave or the whole endeavor would be wasted.

An insane smile lit Regina’s once beautiful visage as she began her note.

To the Dark Lord…

A/N

The last line is from Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, Chapter 28

I realize that there were a few odd references to Alphard which weren’t explained, however they will be in either a companion piece or the next chapter, depending on which is more appropriate. It will also explain why Alphard was removed from the tapestry despite Regina describing him as being her favourite brother

Lastly, I realize that R.A.B. is in all probability Regulus, but I thought it would be fun to throw out one last alternative before Deathly Hallows is released (yeah, I guess I cut it pretty fine with this, hopefully it will be posted before the release).

As The Starlight Fades

“More tea, dear?� asked Regina kindly.

“Yes, thank you,� replied the tall dark beauty.

Kreacher happily served the two women from an old silver tea set that had once belonged to Ursula Black, Regina’s great-grandmother. She had no children to pass it on to now. She supposed Bellatrix would want it, or Narcissa. She smiled sweetly as she imagined the two sisters arguing over it.

“Well Bella, I hear you’ve been rising in the ranks of the Dark Lord.�

Bellatrix looked smug. “I’m rather more than one of his minions. I suppose one could call me his consort.�

Regina felt as if a knife had twisted in her heart. Tom had not only callously replaced her, his new lady in waiting was her own niece. It was all Regina could do not to keep her hands from shaking as she asked, “Cream, dear?�

Bellatrix was too preoccupied in thoughts about how much the Dark Lord cared for her to notice the strain in her aunt’s voice. She nodded, eyes gazing into the distance.

“How does Rodolphus feel about this?� asked Regina, feigning mild curiosity. She really could care less what Rodolphus Lestrange thought of anything; he reminded her too much of Orion. In fact, a small spark of happiness ignited within her at the thought of how Orion would have dealt with an affair between her and Tom.

Bellatrix took a sip of her tea and her eyes became even less focused as she replied, “Oh, he doesn’t particularly like it but there’s really nothing he can do.�

Regina was pleased that the Veritaserum had taken effect so quickly. It had been fortunate that Bellatrix always put cream in her tea, when Regina always drank hers black.

“What did you do for Voldemort to gain your new position?� asked Regina, all sweetness gone from her voice. She suspected her niece knew more about Regulus’ death than she let on, but this thought was quickly dashed with Bellatrix’s next words.

“I gave him a child.�

“You had his child?� spluttered Regina, aghast.

“No. It was a Mudblood child. He asked me to bring him one.�

“And you did?�

“Yes.�

“Why did he want the child?�

“I don’t know, I think he wanted to test a potion on it.�

“What did he say when you brought the child to him?�

“He laughed and said they were going for a trip to the seaside, but that only one of them would be coming back.�

Regina couldn’t believe her luck. Tom had told her about that cave by the sea years ago. She even had a vague notion as to where it was. It seemed a logical place for him to have hidden his Horcrux. After having asked a few more questions she gave Bellatrix the antidote and then modified her and Kreacher’s memories.

Bellatrix left number twelve, Grimmauld Place with the impression that her aunt had just told her a long and rather boring story about one of her old suitors. However, she couldn’t imagine why Aunt Walburga had told her the story or why her own teacup was still so full.

Kreacher was convinced that Miss Bella had thanked him profusely for the excellent tea and especially the cream. Regina bit her lip; perhaps she’d overdone the spell.

She had to admit, she’d grown… accustomed to Kreacher over the years. Her parents had given him to her and Orion as a wedding gift, but Kreacher had always made it clear that Regina was his true mistress. After each of her many spats with Orion, it had been Kreacher who brought her something to calm her nerves. She could often hear him muttering “my poor mistress� as he hurried out of the room.

Sometimes Regulus would try to comfort her as well. She remembered an evening after a particularly nasty fight. She had been certain Orion was about to use an Unforgivable on her. Instead he’d used a milder curse and vented his remaining anger on a portrait of her Granny Crabbe.

Regina was softly crying into a pillow when there was a gentle knock on the door. “Come in,� she called out, wondering why Kreacher had returned. To her surprise instead of Kreacher, her five year old son entered. Regina quickly tried to hide her tears.

“Don’t cry, Mummy. I fixed it, see?�

Regulus was holding a picture he’d drawn of Granny Crabbe.

Regina was once again overcome with emotion. “Oh, thank you Reg,� she answered, trying to control her voice.

He looked up at her with Alph’s blue-gray eyes and his lip trembled. “I can’t get her to talk though.�

The crayons she’d bought him in Diagon Alley would only make a picture move. Regina pulled out her wand. “What do you think Great-Granny Crabbe would say to you?�

Regulus screwed up his face in thought. “Have a cookie?� he asked, hopefully.

For the first time in days she nearly laughed. With a flick of her wand the picture asked in a rather high pitched voice, “Have a cookie?�

Regulus clapped his hands in delight. She pulled him up onto her lap and called, “Kreacher!�

The elf appeared with a loud crack.

“Bring us some cookies and milk, please.�

“Whatever Mistress desires,� answered Kreacher. The low bow didn’t conceal the smile of relief on the old elf’s face.

She wished with all of her being that Regulus had never tried to please Orion by joining the Death Eaters. Regulus had always craved both his parents’ approval, so unlike his brother. It hurt Regina terribly to know that Regulus would be forgotten. No one remembered Alphard, no one would remember Regulus. Regina suddenly realized that they were at the entrance of the cave. It had taken her several years to find the cave’s exact location. She quickly cut her hand on an emerald encrusted dagger with a serpent’s head and then she and Kreacher entered the cave.

She found the boat that Bellatrix had described to her and the odd pair slowly made their way across the black lake. Once they alighted, Regina spoke to Kreacher in as firm a voice as she could manage.

“Kreacher, I order you to ensure that I finish drinking the potion in this basin, once I have finished it you are to substitute this locket for the one in the basin. Under no circumstances are you to permit me to drink the water in the lake. Once the lockets have been switched, you are to take us both back home. No matter what I say or do while drinking the potion, you are to carry out the orders I have just given you. Do you understand?�

Kreacher was trembling as he answered, “Yes, Mistress.�

She withdrew a goblin-made goblet, embossed with the crest of the Black family. She dipped the goblet into the green liquid and raised the cup to her lips.

“Toujours Pur,� she whispered, before gulping it down. It was painful beyond what she’d imagined. The potion burned her throat and flames seemed to lick her insides as she was plunged back into her most horrible memories.

“Sirius Orion Black you are not leaving this house!� she screamed. She’d just caught her eldest son hexing Regulus.

Sirius laughed derisively. “Yeah, you named me well, have you ever thought what the initials spell? I think it’s quite fitting!�

Regina stopped as if slapped.

Sirius shouted, “You can’t force me to stay! I hate this old house, I hate this family but most of all I hate you!�

And then he was gone. The last words he’d ever spoken to her were that he hated her.

As the memory began to fade Kreacher handed her the goblet, refilled.

“Where have you been?� she demanded.

“Taking care of some family business,� Orion snarled.

“What are you talking about?� she asked, somewhat fearfully.

“Cyg and I just ‘put down’ a stain of dishonour to the Black family.�

“What are you talking about?� she whispered, fear clutching her heart.

“Oh, so you don’t like it when you’re the one left in the dark?� yelled Orion. She could smell the stale Firewhisky on his breath.

“I d-don’t know what…� she faltered.

“Well let me clear it up for you then,� he replied, his voice dangerously low. “Cyg and I just killed that mangy half-breed brother of yours.�

“No!� screamed Regina, lunging at her husband. He gave his wand a flick and she was thrown across the room.

“Cyg told me the whole story. How your stupid grandmother was the Secret-Keeper and now that she’s dead, you, your parents and Cyg are all Secret-Keepers. So why is it that my wife isn’t the one to tell me that her twin is a bloody werewolf?�

Before she could answer he blasted a hole in the tapestry where Alph’s name had been. Nothing but a small round burn mark remained.

She knew she was speaking but she wasn’t even aware of the words anymore, only the memories and the burning thirst within her.

“Madam Black, it is with deepest regret that I inform you that the body of your son, Regulus, was discovered underneath You-Know-Who’s mark,� droned Crouch in a manner making it perfectly obvious that the man wasn’t the least bit regretful.

He ignored her shattered sob of grief and continued. “As is standard practice with You-Know-Who at large, his body has been burned so that he will not become an Inferius.�

“You… you didn’t even give me a chance to claim his body!� she cried out in hurt and anger.

Crouch looked at her with a depreciating stare. “Madam Black, we did examine your son’s body long enough to know that he bore the Dark Mark. You should be grateful that I’ve taken the time out of my busy day to tell you that your worthless son was killed on his master’s orders.�

She raised her wand, fully ready to use an Unforgivable.

“Just give me a reason to lock you up,� snarled Crouch. “I would love the opportunity to give you to the Dementors.�

Her hand was shaking but she lowered her wand. “You’re lying!� she shrieked, “He’s not dead! You foul blood-traitor, you’re lying!� She slammed the door and rushed to see the tapestry. To her horror, there was a date of death underneath her son’s name.

She could barely even focus on the memory, so great was her thirst. She could feel a goblet raised to her lips.

It was a dark night many years ago. She was only seven years old. Grandmother Black had told them a story about the faerie rings and how the faeries would dance there at midnight each night. Regina had been captivated by the story and Alph had agreed to sneak out to find them with her.

They were walking through the woods near their summer home, hand in hand. It wasn’t long before they got lost and started calling for their parents. When the light of the full moon broke through the trees, they thought that it would help them. Regina noticed a clearing and they were near the middle of it when a blood-curdling howl broke through the night.

Alph grabbed her arm and screamed, “Run!� She would have stood there, too scared to move except he had dragged her by the arm. They got to a tree but the branches were too high. Alph told her to get on his shoulders so that she could reach the lowest branch. Once she’d scrambled up he asked her for her hand.

As she was pulling her brother to safety, her grip slipped and he fell part way down. It was just the opportunity the werewolf needed to bite Alph’s leg before she could help him back up into the tree.

“Make it stop!� she cried. She knew it was her fault that Alph had been bitten by that monster and by the same token it was her fault he was dead. She had avenged him as best she could years ago, but the guilt would haunt her to her dying day. She vaguely hoped that the clammy hand gripping her arm was that of Death’s.

There was a loud crack and she was back in number twelve, Grimmauld Place’s sitting room. Kreacher was forcing a glass of water down her throat sobbing ‘my poor mistress’ over and over. After a pitcher of water, she felt somewhat better and retired to her bedchamber for the night.

All night she dreamt of the memories she’d relived in the cave. By morning she neither felt rested nor at peace. She went downstairs to the drawing room where she normally had Kreacher serve her breakfast. She couldn’t help but dwell on the events of Alph’s death and her subsequent revenge.

Regina had felt numb. Alph was dead. Orion and Cygnus had killed him. She had explained the burn on the tapestry to Regulus as being for Alph’s having left so much of his estate to Sirius. She knew that Alph had written his will the day after Sirius’ birth and had simply never thought to change it, but she couldn’t bring herself to tell Regulus that his uncle was a monster.

It sickened her that after years of secrecy and Grandmother Crabbe’s protection, Alph had been killed by their own brother and her pathetic excuse for a husband. Her father had only been thirteen when she and Alph were born. Grandmother Crabbe had raised them until her parents had both graduated Hogwarts. Apparently their births had caused quite a scandal.

When Alph was first bitten, Pollux Black had been all for quietly disposing of his eldest son. Grandmother Crabbe had defended him though. She hadn’t spent five years raising her grandson so some ‘blithering idiot who’d barely come of age’ could murder him. Pollux Black hadn’t been quite prepared to deal with his wrathful mother-in-law; naturally, he asked his own mother to back him up. Violetta Black had been fully prepared to defend her son’s position and had even brought a bottle of the Draught of Living Death, reasoning that Mrs Crabbe would likely see it as being a solution; after all, it was a painless death. Mrs Crabbe did not see it as being any sort of solution and made this view quite clear by threatening to force the potion down Mrs Black’s throat. Mrs Black lost her temper and said that she absolutely refused to have a ‘filthy half-breed mar the family tree’. Apparently ‘mar’ was a poor word choice. Grandmother Crabbe immediately reminded Violetta that she had once had a son by the name ‘Marius’ and that if she didn’t want the fact that she had given birth to a Squib to become very public knowledge she was going to have to accept having a werewolf for a grandson.

Grandmother Crabbe had been wise enough not to simply leave Pollux and Irma Black in charge of her grandson’s safety from that point. She cast a Fidelius Charm, making herself Secret-Keeper. Only those who might be close to Alph near the full-moon were told about his condition; his grandparents, parents and two siblings. She had also taken a great deal of time in helping Alph to learn Occlumency. Grandmother Crabbe was a rather skilled Legilimens, which is likely how she had discovered the secret of Marius.

After Orion and Cygnus had murdered Alph, Regina decided to take matters into her own hands. She wasn’t about to murder her only remaining brother, no matter how much she hated him. However, Orion wasn’t held in such high regard. It had taken her some time to brew the poison, then one afternoon while Orion was out on business the carefully took the book he had currently been reading, Nature’s Nobility and dabbed some poison on the corner of each page. She’d always hated his habit of licking his fingers when turning the page of a book.

She then went to her parent’s old summer home for a few weeks, taking Kreacher with her. As expected, no one ever connected Orion’s accidental poisoning to the book, or his widow.

Suddenly she was overcome with a strong desire to see her brother’s grave. She called for Kreacher and told them to prepare for another trip.

“Yes, M-mistress,� the elf replied, trembling too hard to make his usual low bow.

“We won’t be taking another journey like that, Kreacher. We’re going to pay our respects to Alphard and Regulus.�

“I shall get your traveling cloak immediately, Mistress,� answered Kreacher, the relief evident in his voice.

They Apparated to an old graveyard that had been owned by the Black family for generations. Regina was dressed in her finest black robes and carried herself with all the poise and dignity that would be expected of a daughter of the House of Black. Her façade vanished upon seeing Alph’s gravestone and the tears began to well in her eyes.

“I’m so sorry, Alph,� she whispered, “You saved me and I was never able to save you. You were always so kind to me, you even called me ‘Regina’ instead of ‘Walburga’. You always knew how hurtful names could be, didn’t you?�

She waved her wand and small blue flowers grew up on either side of Alph’s grave. Regina knew that no one would likely ever visit it again and thus felt the forget-me-nots quite appropriate.

Her next stop was at Regulus’ grave. Simply staring at the name, “Regulus Arcturus Black� caused her to cry hard enough that she couldn’t form words. She repeated the gesture of the forget-me-nots, realizing that no one was likely to remember her dear Regulus either, her poor son who had died on Tom’s orders. Then she noticed something, without the ‘W’ in her own name, she and Regulus had the same initials. Tom Riddle wouldn’t be so stupid as to think that Regulus had managed to get the Horcrux, but… anyone else would. Suddenly, Regina knew what to do so that her beloved son would not be forgotten.

She Apparated back home and set to work. Try as she might she couldn’t find a way to destroy the locket. Her plan was becoming more complicated than she had anticipated. After a good deal of thought, Regina re-wrote her will, leaving all that she possessed to Sirius. He was sentenced to a life-time in Azkaban, so there was no need to worry about him ever claiming the inheritance, however it would give Kreacher more time to complete the task she was to set before him in the event that she failed. She couldn’t risk Narcissa taking ownership of Kreacher or Grimmauld Place as her loyalties were still to Tom. Bellatrix too, was serving a life sentence in Azkaban so she was no longer a concern.

She also commissioned Kreacher to do her portrait. After several weeks, the old elf had nearly completed it. Regina was not at her best, she hadn’t had a proper night’s sleep since her trip to the cave. Whenever she slept she was immediately thrown into nightmares of the memories brought back by the potion. She knew she was becoming paranoid, especially of the werewolves. She’d run from that half-breed who’d bitten her brother every night for weeks. Perhaps it was her overworked imagination but it seemed as though it was getting closer to catching her.

Once Kreacher had finished her portrait, Regina asked him to join her in the drawing room. She sat down on the sofa and indicated that the elf need not stand.

“Kreacher, I don’t want Regulus to be forgotten. There’s something I need you to do for me.�

“Kreacher, lives to serve the most noble house of Black,� replied the elf bowing low.

Regina smiled. She then ordered Kreacher to remember events differently. She detailed how it had been Regulus and not her, who had stolen the Horcrux. She created another memory for him to explain how they were able to find the cave. She ordered him to tell this to none of the Black family and to destroy the locket if she failed to herself.

Next, she sent him back out to the kitchen with instructions to return in exactly an hour. Regina rolled up her sleeves and withdrew her wand. She had one plan left to destroy the Horcrux. She aimed her wand and yelled, “Avada Kedavra!�

For a moment she thought it had worked when the spell hit the locket. Then, the jet of green light rebounded, hitting her squarely in the chest. Her steel-blue eyes went blank as she fell gracefully to the floor, facing the centuries old tapestry which was already inscribing the year of her death under her name.

A/N
I know this doesn’t appear to be canon-compliant at first glance; however there seem to be a few oddities in the plot that it clears up nicely.

-Why Voldemort used a house-elf instead of a Muggle child. A Muggle child would have been in better keeping with tradition and would have been considered even more expendable.

-Why Mrs Black left Grimmauld Place to Sirius instead of Narcissa

-Why Lupin had the impression that Regulus had been killed a few weeks after deserting the Death Eaters. If Kreacher’s version of events were true, at best Lupin should have thought that Death Eaters had eventually killed Regulus, no body would ever have been discovered and it would have been more likely that everyone would have thought that he deserted and successfully went into hiding.

However, I did eventually realize that the tapestry may be like Mrs Weasley’s clock and thus updates itself. In this way, I suppose it would be possible for people to know when Regulus died. Assuming Death Eaters killed him for deserting seems a bit of a stretch though. I still would have expected it to have been assumed he was killed by an Auror in battle and the body simply wasn’t recovered.

Also, I adore reviews, but if you do decide to leave one, please be extra careful not to mention a DH spoiler in it. If there are any plot points that you would like to discuss that do require mention of a DH spoiler, please PM me on the forums instead. My forum name is the same as my penname, Hypatia.

The Final Act

Narcissa Malfoy sighed in frustration. Somehow, she’d had the job of arranging her aunt’s funeral foisted upon her. The older generations of the Black family had tacitly agreed that it should be the task of someone young, which left either Narcissa or her five year old son, Draco. Narcissa briefly imagined their faces if she allowed Draco to organize it and smiled to herself. A dragon themed funeral with cake, balloons, party hats and a round of Quidditch would probably cause such distress amongst the older generation that Narcissa would be stuck planning several more funerals. Instead she had to plan the funeral for an aunt she didn’t particularly like, to be attended by many people she was less fond of. If Bella weren’t rotting in Azkaban… she’d likely have still made her younger sister take care of the unpleasant task. Bella hadn’t ever been a particularly helpful sister, not like Andr…

Narcissa gave herself a little shake and went back to pretending she had only one older sister. However, her imagination once again took hold and she wondered what Andromeda would do if she suddenly received a letter from Narcissa explaining that since she was older it should be her job to plan the damn funeral.

There was a loud crack and Dobby appeared in the room. Narcissa glared at him in an attempt to hide her guilt over thinking about Andromeda.

“Mistress requested tea,� squeaked the elf.

“Well put it over there and let me get back to work,� she snapped at him.

Dobby bowed obediently and disappeared with another loud crack. Narcissa rubbed her temples, she wasn’t sure if her headache was due to the planning or Dobby’s exit. She took a quill and wrote a quick note to Lucretia Prewett nee Black, politely requesting black roses for the funeral. Lucretia had an elaborate garden and black roses were traditional for a pure-blood’s funeral.

Narcissa had already provided Dobby with a list of refreshments he was expected to prepare. Normally, Narcissa would have asked Walburga’s house-elf, Kreacher, to do it. However, Kreacher was in such a state that Narcissa was concerned he might accidentally poison them all. The old house-elf had been quite devoted to Walburga and kept randomly bursting into tears. He had been the one to find his mistress’s body and had alerted her parents.

Narcissa had already arranged for the tombstone and coffin exactly as Pollux Black had requested. Walburga had quite thoughtfully been wearing her best black dress robes when she’d died, so that was another problem taken care of. However, it seemed that Walburga had misplaced her wedding band and engagement ring, for while she was wearing a beautiful emerald necklace, neither ring could be found either on her hand or in Grimmauld Place.

Not that it particularly mattered since Walburga had left everything except a tea-set to her son, Sirius. This had shocked everyone, especially since no one in the family had acknowledged Sirius’s existence or said his name since Walburga had blasted him off the family tapestry. It simply didn’t make sense. Not only did Sirius not deserve any of his inheritance, he would never see it since he was sentenced to life imprisonment in Azkaban. Meanwhile there were much more deserving persons in the Black family, persons who had not disgraced the family and subsequently been disowned, persons who could find a use for an immense house and all the valuables within. Meanwhile Narcissa, who was graciously planning her aunt’s funeral without complaint, had received the tea-set.

It was a very nice goblin made tea-set that had once belonged to Narcissa’s great-great-grandmother. Narcissa was quite pleased with it, but had rather expected her aunt to leave her considerably more, the emerald necklace for instance.

‘Borrowing’ any of Sirius’s inheritance was out of the question. Pollux Black had already discovered this when he had tried to take an old music box and a locket from the house. Kreacher had attacked him with a saucepan screaming that his mistress had given him orders to keep everything safe for Sirius. No matter how many times Pollux punished the elf, Kreacher still refused to let any of the heirlooms leave Grimmauld Place.

Narcissa’s thoughts were interrupted by the chime of the clock. She would need to have dinner ready soon and Draco needed a bath before dinner. She’d have to finish the planning then.

*

The day of the funeral was gray and dismal. Roughly twenty people had shown up to pay their last respects. Pollux and Irma Black looked quite somber, dressed in long black robes. All three of their children were dead. Cygnus had died the same year as Orion. Cygnus had always been their favourite, but the death of their last child took a toll on Pollux and Irma.

Arcturus and Melania Black were clearly there only because they were expected to be. They had never been particularly fond of their daughter-in-law and had not protested at her being buried next to her brother, rather than their son. Lucretia Prewett was too busy accepting compliments on the lovely black roses to give much thought to her late sister-in-law.

Narcissa was critically studying her reflection in her hand mirror. Black was her maiden name, not her colour. She felt she looked washed out and pale in the black dress robes. Lucius was busy renewing business contacts with Harfang Longbottom and Marcus Burke and had left Draco in her care.

She noticed that one of Walburga’s cousins, Humphrey Crabbe, and his wife, Isabelle, had a son about Draco’s age and made a mental note to set up a play-date. There were very few pure-blood children Draco’s age and since he was an only child, he rarely had anyone to play with.

Pollux Black cleared his throat. The rest of the group stood in silence, even Draco and Vincent. Pollux spoke slowly and deliberately. “Walburga was my first child. She was an attractive girl, with a flair for Potions. She honoured her noble heritage by marrying a pure-blood wizard and produced an heir to the house of Black.�

No one commented on the fact that the heir to the house of Black had been shunned and was serving a life sentence in Azkaban.

“A few years later, she bore a second son. She managed the house of our forefathers while raising two children. She was a model wife and mother.�

Melania Black sniffed; she felt Pollux was grossly exaggerating Walburga’s virtues. Had she known that Orion had been murdered by his model wife, she would likely have had a good deal more to say. As it was, she tried to pretend that she had sniffed as a result of being overcome by emotion.

Araminta Meliflua nee Crabbe, one of Walburga’s other cousins, stepped forward. Araminta was one of the few in attendance who looked truly saddened by Walburga’s passing. A tear trickled down her cheek as she placed a long stemmed black rose on the coffin. The rest of the mourners followed suit, walking in a circle. Once the last rose had been placed on the coffin, they left for the Malfoy manor for refreshments.

Raindrops began to fall on the new gravestone upon which was inscribed:

Walburga. R. A. Black
November 9, 1925 – October 18, 1985
Daughter of Pollux and Irma Black
Sister of Cygnus Black
Wife of Orion Black
Mother of Regulus Black
Toujours Pur

*

Over the next ten years, no one noticed that flowers appeared daily upon the gravestones of Regina, Alphard and Regulus. Kreacher had followed his orders as best he could and nothing had left Grimmauld Place, however he was unable to destroy the locket. Then one day the unthinkable happened. Sirius Black returned to claim the house and its possessions, ordering Kreacher not to leave the premises. Just as no one had noticed the daily appearance of the flowers, no one noticed when they stopped appearing. As the names on the graves began to fade, so did the memory of those who lay buried there.