Categories > Books > Harry Potter > Roses in December
Roses in December
0 reviewsThe life story of Bellatrix Black Lestrange. It will get darker as it progresses.
-1Boring
It was one of those nights, when the sky is black as freshly burnt charcoal and you think that you are going to be swallowed by it whole. When the snow falls so thickly that even in the utter dark the white shows through as it slowly drifts over well-kept lawns and always pruned
rose bushes that are normally overflowing with crimson buds. The air was thick with promise: promise of an heir, a son if they where lucky, which was what Cygnus Black was hoping for.
He paced the polished wooden floor of his study in a steady rhythm, eight steps then about face and repeat. In fact it was so very predictable that it was driving this younger brother, Orion (he and Walburga had come at the request of Druella - she had little faith in the midwife or house elf's) mad.
"Cygnus, do calm down, they'll be fine," Orion said, matter-of-factly, patting Cygnus on the back in one of those manly 'hugs'. Cygnus turned to glare at him, this hand gripped tight around his wand, which was concealed in his robe pocket.
"Little brother, try one of those manly hugs again tonight and you may or may not live to regret it."
Orion grinned but changed the subject, trying to calm his brother a little bit, if that was indeed possible.
"What's the baby's name, do you think? I mean I suppose it depends on if it's a boy or a girl," he said thoughtfully, a little grin crossed his naturally smug face - Orion knew quite well that his brother wanted an heir, a boy though he was kind of hoping for a niece - it would be more amusing, to him at least.
"He will be named Alshain," Cygnus said emphasizing on the word 'he'. A daughter would be fine, after he had his heir. Orion just chuckled softly to himself, and hoped the gods had a sense of humour and gave his brother a daughter.
--
A blond haired little witch, no taller then five foot two scurried about the large bedroom on the second floor. She was dressed in her midwife gown and had an apron tied across her front as she worked. Walburga pressed the damp cloth against her sister in law's forehead, small little drops of cool water dripping over Druella's tired face.
Druella screamed again as another contraction came and the little blond midwife rushed over and popped her head underneath the sheets checking to see how far along Mrs. Black was coming.
"Mrs. Black, I'm going to ask you to push on the count of three," the midwife said and Druella muttered something about hexing stupid children and something else that would have made any normal male cross their legs.
"One."
Druella's breath quickened and Walburga wiped the sweat from her brow.
"Two," the little witch said warmly, head still hidden between the sheets and Druella's legs.
"Three," and Druella screamed again, but not for the last time that night.
--
It took merely four hours, though later in life Druella would exclaim that it was indeed much longer for the first child to be born. The blond little nurse could be heard muttering spells before she came out from under the sheets and Druella was lying back against her pillows utterly exhausted.
"Well, what is it Nancy?" Walburga asked as the witch finally came out of the sheets.
"A little girl, a darling little girl!" The nurse cooed over the wailing child, hungry and cold in this new, large world.
"A girl?!" Druella repeated, suddenly more aware of things, Walburga smirked slightly - Cygnus wouldn't like this.
"Indeed," Nancy repeated, walking over and handing Druella the child. Druella looked at her daughter, ten fingers, ten toes and the most beautiful thing she had ever seen. Not that she would say that, of course.
"You best feed her," the nurse prompted. "I'll go get the father then, shall I?" she asked Walburga as Druella discreetly fed the child and the girl clung to her mother, the world would be a strange, large thing for some time.
"In a few minutes, get changed into something... clean. I'll make Druella presentable." With that, the two of them set off on their separate tasks.
--
"A girl?!" Cygnus repeated for what must be the twentieth time; Nancy just smiled patiently and nodded.
"Yes Sir, a wee little lass," the faint hint of a Scottish accent appearing as she repeated herself; that sometimes happened.
He sighed but glared at Orion's chuckle. "Well, don't just stand there, take me to my daughter," he barked but she obliged with only a short disapproving look.
As they walked into his wives quarters Nancy smiled at the mother and child, despite the first shock of no son there was hope that the family would love the child none the less, but she knew these where the Blacks. They loved naught but their pride and blood, well, she had been told as much anyways.
"I think we should call her Bellatrix," Druella said evenly, but she sounded exhausted nonetheless.
"Hmm... why Bellatrix?"
Druella's eyes narrowed at him and she snapped, "Because Cygnus, because I said so and I just spent four hours pushing the child out!"
"Fine. Bellatrix it is," he didn't want her starting on complaining about labor when a child was hardly an hour old.
Walking over to his wife, he looked at the child and wondered what she would grow up to be like. Probably his wife's temper he thought. They could always have another, he supposed. He needed an heir.
Orion walked into the room, hands deep in his pockets and he stood next to his wife and the bed. "Some little girl you've got there, Druella," he chuckled, Druella just smiled.
rose bushes that are normally overflowing with crimson buds. The air was thick with promise: promise of an heir, a son if they where lucky, which was what Cygnus Black was hoping for.
He paced the polished wooden floor of his study in a steady rhythm, eight steps then about face and repeat. In fact it was so very predictable that it was driving this younger brother, Orion (he and Walburga had come at the request of Druella - she had little faith in the midwife or house elf's) mad.
"Cygnus, do calm down, they'll be fine," Orion said, matter-of-factly, patting Cygnus on the back in one of those manly 'hugs'. Cygnus turned to glare at him, this hand gripped tight around his wand, which was concealed in his robe pocket.
"Little brother, try one of those manly hugs again tonight and you may or may not live to regret it."
Orion grinned but changed the subject, trying to calm his brother a little bit, if that was indeed possible.
"What's the baby's name, do you think? I mean I suppose it depends on if it's a boy or a girl," he said thoughtfully, a little grin crossed his naturally smug face - Orion knew quite well that his brother wanted an heir, a boy though he was kind of hoping for a niece - it would be more amusing, to him at least.
"He will be named Alshain," Cygnus said emphasizing on the word 'he'. A daughter would be fine, after he had his heir. Orion just chuckled softly to himself, and hoped the gods had a sense of humour and gave his brother a daughter.
--
A blond haired little witch, no taller then five foot two scurried about the large bedroom on the second floor. She was dressed in her midwife gown and had an apron tied across her front as she worked. Walburga pressed the damp cloth against her sister in law's forehead, small little drops of cool water dripping over Druella's tired face.
Druella screamed again as another contraction came and the little blond midwife rushed over and popped her head underneath the sheets checking to see how far along Mrs. Black was coming.
"Mrs. Black, I'm going to ask you to push on the count of three," the midwife said and Druella muttered something about hexing stupid children and something else that would have made any normal male cross their legs.
"One."
Druella's breath quickened and Walburga wiped the sweat from her brow.
"Two," the little witch said warmly, head still hidden between the sheets and Druella's legs.
"Three," and Druella screamed again, but not for the last time that night.
--
It took merely four hours, though later in life Druella would exclaim that it was indeed much longer for the first child to be born. The blond little nurse could be heard muttering spells before she came out from under the sheets and Druella was lying back against her pillows utterly exhausted.
"Well, what is it Nancy?" Walburga asked as the witch finally came out of the sheets.
"A little girl, a darling little girl!" The nurse cooed over the wailing child, hungry and cold in this new, large world.
"A girl?!" Druella repeated, suddenly more aware of things, Walburga smirked slightly - Cygnus wouldn't like this.
"Indeed," Nancy repeated, walking over and handing Druella the child. Druella looked at her daughter, ten fingers, ten toes and the most beautiful thing she had ever seen. Not that she would say that, of course.
"You best feed her," the nurse prompted. "I'll go get the father then, shall I?" she asked Walburga as Druella discreetly fed the child and the girl clung to her mother, the world would be a strange, large thing for some time.
"In a few minutes, get changed into something... clean. I'll make Druella presentable." With that, the two of them set off on their separate tasks.
--
"A girl?!" Cygnus repeated for what must be the twentieth time; Nancy just smiled patiently and nodded.
"Yes Sir, a wee little lass," the faint hint of a Scottish accent appearing as she repeated herself; that sometimes happened.
He sighed but glared at Orion's chuckle. "Well, don't just stand there, take me to my daughter," he barked but she obliged with only a short disapproving look.
As they walked into his wives quarters Nancy smiled at the mother and child, despite the first shock of no son there was hope that the family would love the child none the less, but she knew these where the Blacks. They loved naught but their pride and blood, well, she had been told as much anyways.
"I think we should call her Bellatrix," Druella said evenly, but she sounded exhausted nonetheless.
"Hmm... why Bellatrix?"
Druella's eyes narrowed at him and she snapped, "Because Cygnus, because I said so and I just spent four hours pushing the child out!"
"Fine. Bellatrix it is," he didn't want her starting on complaining about labor when a child was hardly an hour old.
Walking over to his wife, he looked at the child and wondered what she would grow up to be like. Probably his wife's temper he thought. They could always have another, he supposed. He needed an heir.
Orion walked into the room, hands deep in his pockets and he stood next to his wife and the bed. "Some little girl you've got there, Druella," he chuckled, Druella just smiled.
Sign up to rate and review this story