I always remember the day I was inducted into the Feminae Putus Cruor. At the time, I had little concept of what it meant; only knowing that it was a council created by the women of the House of Black. Strangely, I had felt proud, pleased and excited “ I would finally be following my mother and my sister, seeing what they did at the meetings, and joining in on the ‘fun.’ I had no idea of the significance it held, what they stood for or how they would rule my life in the years to come.
My mother dressed me carefully that morning, even though I had reached the age where I could dress myself. She clothed me in a long, purple velvet dress and tied a matching ribbon in my long, dark hair. My image was very important to her, not because she was worried about me, but because she knew that everyone would judge her by my appearance. It took an hour before she was satisfied enough to grab my hand and head to the fireplace with Bellatrix in tow. Narcissa cried when she was left behind with the house elf, even though she was not old enough yet. At only four years old she was too young; you were inducted on your sixth birthday.
I remember walking into the room, watching every single pair of eyes turn to me. I saw Bellatrix amongst the crowd of women, looking absurdly pleased. At the time I believed it was because she was happy for me, but now I know how she loathed being the youngest, the weakest link. With my induction, there was someone below her; someone whom she could push around.
It was this council of women who were in control of most of the things I did in my life. They influenced everything; what my interests were, who I could associate with and when I was old enough, who I would marry. They enforced the rules, the all-important rules that I would have to follow.
We entered the room in silence. Without even a comforting word, my mother led me to a chair and sat me down, facing the crowd of women who had began to scrutinize me.
“She is attractive,” my Aunt Walburga commented as though I was not even there, “Not as attractive as your youngest, but she could still go far in life.” I said nothing, too frightened to speak.
“She is quiet, which is good,” murmured Lucretia Black, who had married one of my uncles, “No one wants to hear a girl with too many opinions.” Others whispered among themselves, commenting on my appearance, my mannerisms and my future prospects. The rabble grew louder until I was no longer able to make out whose voice was whose among the din.
“Enough,” spoke my grandmother Irma, who was obviously the leader of the group. The chatter stopped immediately. Most people I know see grandmothers as kind, loving and warm. My grandmother was as cold as ice. Her face was tight, wrinkles stretched out, and cold blue eyes. Even years after her death, I would always be able to remember those eyes searching me, first in indifference, then later in disgrace.
“Andromeda Black,” she spoke in a chilling voice that sounded horrifying to a small child, “welcome to Feminae Putus Cruor, the women’s council of the Ancient and Noble House of Black. As a woman of this house, you will shortly be inducted, but before we can accept you, you must learn the rules.”
“The Rules!” The others chorused. Someone dimmed the lights, giving the room an unnatural glow.
“There are Seven Rules you must learn and follow without question,” Irma continued, “Do you promise to follow the rules?” Faces loomed out of the darkness, staring at me, waiting for my answer.
“Yes.” I said in a small, frightened voice.
Someone flicked a wand and everything went black. I sometimes still have nightmares about that moment; the moment when I could see nothing and hear nothing. It was as though the world did not exist and life had disappeared altogether.
After what seemed like an eternity, I could here voices from all sides, whispering, chanting and calling out to me. I longed to scream but even as a child I knew that it would not help me. The voices grouped together and I knew that they were telling me the rules. I listened in closely, still blind and deaf to anything but the words inside my head.
“Listen to these rules seven.” The voices called out through the dark. “For you must follow them until your dying day.”
“The first is to never associate yourself with Muggles, Mudbloods, blood traitors or filth. You are from the Noble and most Ancient house of Black and you must behave accordingly.
“The second is to always keep yourself in control. Create a mask for yourself and never emerge. Black women are strong and shouldn't be given into things like breakdowns or emotional scenes. Your secrets belong to you, the council or your family and no one else. Always keep your mask on; never let it slip.
“The third is to never have friends “ only acquaintances. Friendship is unimportant, and in times of darkness, friends are only a liability. Making connections with other Purebloods is important but the only people you should trust is your family.
“The forth is to never kiss or touch a man before you are married. When the time comes, someone suitable will be chosen for you. Do not ruin your reputation in the meantime.
“The fifth is to always inform the council of your actions. Everything you do must be brought to the council’s attention. This includes who you associate yourself with, what activities you participate in or if a man catches your eye. These things must be told to a Feminae Putus Cruor elder. Everything will be taken into account. If your choices are acceptable, you may be allowed to continue your actions.
“The sixth is to never ignore a council decision. Once the Feminae Putus Cruor has made its choice, its decision will not change. You must agree to the decision it makes.
“The seventh and last is to never turn your back on your family. Your family is your first priority and you must never, ever betray them.
“Follow these rules seven.” The voiced began to disappear. “For this is the law of the Feminae Putus Cruor.” “
From the moment I opened my eyes and looked at the faces of the council, I did exactly what the voices said.
At that time, these rules and requests seemed simple enough. Bellatrix seemed to thrive on the rules, and would often remind me of them, just to make sure I was doing the right thing. She even had them written out in her room in large golden letters for everyone to see.
Two years after my sixth birthday, my sister Narcissa was also inducted. With her stunning blonde hair and attractive face she was a council favourite, tipped to go far and make a great match. It was strange to see the induction from another point of view. I wondered why I could take no pleasure in watching her cry like the others, but I pushed the thought aside. After her induction, Narcissa greatly enjoyed council meetings. She marvelled in the attention and loved anything to do with Feminae Putus Cruor. The rules were not a problem for her.
For the next 11 years after my induction, like the others, I had had no problem with the rules. I received my Hogwarts letter and went to school. With the rules so firmly ingrained in my mind, combined with my unwillingness to break them, I was sorted into Slytherin, much to the council’s delight.
At school, I did everything right. I made acquaintances; not friends. I always kept myself cold and in control, rarely changing my mind once I had made a decision. I didn’t talk to Mudbloods, Muggles or blood traitors and I didn’t fraternise with the opposite sex. I was loyal to my family and I never dreamed of turning my back on them. The council was informed of my every move and they told me my life was perfect, so I believed them.
Little did I know that in the short space of time starting on my seventeenth birthday, a series of events would cause me to break every single rule.
Little did I know that every single rule I broke, I would break for him.
Fractured Rules by helz_belz
Chapter Notes: Thanks to my beta's HJ and TheBlackSister
Chapter Endnotes: Thanks for reading all the way to the end. If you liked, why not drop a review, if you didn't like - why not tell me how I can improve.