What would happen if there was a slight change in the family tapestry of The Most Ancient and Noble House of Black?
Specifically, four years before the birth of a certain Sirius Orion Black III, a little baby girl was welcomed into the world.
She wa...
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--------------------> WALBURGA BLACK WAS ANGRY. And tired. Additionally, it would please her greatly to rewind time to nine months ago and ask her past-self to be careful so that her current-self did not need to experience the torture that was child-birth.
Her breathing was irregular as she gazed around her hospital room. Dull, white wallpapers with soft, flowery patterns in pastel colours stared back at her, a stark contrast to the decor at the many Black manors which were filled with greens and shades of silver and black.
Theoretically, she had known that child-birth was supposed to hurt. She had heard accounts of its fall from the mouths of the women in her family and even some of her friends, plus, the fact that she would have to push a literal human being out of her body also played an indicator to foreshadow the pain.
If only Walburga had known how much pain she would have to undergo pre-hand. Maybe then, she would have contemplated following in the footsteps of her aunt Cassiopeia or her ancestor, Araminta, and live a blissful life with her husband without the pitter-patter strides of children running around their manor.
A jolt of burning pain coursed through her veins and Walburga had to bite her lips to refrain from yelling death threats to her husband, Orion, who was peacefully seated in the waiting room while she was blanketed with such excruciating agony.
While Walburga would have loved to shout just where she would like to shove a piano inside Orion, she didn't think that her mother-in-law, who was assisting the healer through Walburga's labour, would like that very much.
Eventually, her temporary suffering receded. Beads of sweat dropped from Walburga's forehead as she breathed heavily. The opportunities to lament her decisions or feel apologetic for herself were drawing to a close because soon, she would receive the blessing of being a mother.
The child better be worth the torment that she was undergoing, Walburga thought in the solace of her mind, offhandedly wondering which was worse: being put under the crucatious curse or childbirth?
Childbirth, she decided a moment later when her contraction flared up again, throwing her head back and closing her eyes, wishing nothing more than the earth to swallow her to avoid experiencing this agonising misery any longer. Her belly felt tight, her body felt like stone and there was great pressure all the way from her back to her lower abdomen.
Soon after that dreadful minute that Walburga felt lasted forever, she felt a hand gently placed over her shoulders lovingly. She looked up, meeting the face of her mother-in-law, Melania.
Melania smiled down at her. "You are doing a wonderful job, Walburga, really. I'm so proud of you darling. It's hard now but I promise, children are the loveliest treasures you'll receive."
"It doesn't feel like it right now." Walburga panted out as Melania giggled, using her free hand to pick up a cloth and wipe the sweat from Walburga's face.
