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"It's about your estranged daughter… Andromeda Black."
The moment her name left his lips, Cygnus's expression darkened, his face hardening like stone.
"Don't you dare bring up that bloody traitor's name in front of me," he snapped, each word cold and clipped.
Rigel wasn't the least bit surprised by the outburst. This reaction was well within his expectations.
After all, much like Sirius, Andromeda's name had become taboo within the House of Black.
In fact, it wouldn't be wrong to say hers was the greater taboo.
Sirius was merely a disappointment, sorted into Gryffindor and eventually ran off, turning his back on the family.
But Andromeda? She committed the ultimate sin for a Black…
She married a Muggle-born.
The worst crime imaginable for a pure-blood witch of her standing.
She wasn't just cast out, she was branded a Blood Traitor.
In Cygnus's eyes, she was a disgrace. A stain on his proud lineage. An affront to everything the House of Black stood for.
Still, Rigel knew he had to bring it up. He met Cygnus's icy glare with a firm expression.
"I understand how you feel, Grand Uncle… truly, I do. But this matter can't be swept under the rug, it needs to be addressed."
"There's nothing to address," Cygnus growled, shaking his head.
"I've long accepted we weren't able to punish her properly before, but it seems the time's finally come. Things at the ministry have settled now after the disappearance of you-know-who… and it's only right we deal with her at this time."
Rigel's brows drew together. "Deal with her? What exactly do you mean by that? What are you planning to do?" Of course, he had a fair idea of what Cygnus meant by deal with her, but he wanted to hear it straight from the man's mouth.
Cygnus said nothing at first, but seing Rigel continuing to stare at him, he finally relented. Ending the brief silence, he spoke—his face cold, emotionless. "Naturally, that would mean putting an end to that filth's life with an Unforgivable," he said flatly.
Then, as if it were the most mundane thing in the world, he added, "Along with the Mudblood she married… and the foul little brat she birthed."
To speak such venom about his own daughter and grandchild, truly, Cygnus held not a shred of warmth for those he deemed blood traitors.
Rigel let out a slow breath and shook his head, his expression hardening.
"Grand Uncle… you'll do no such thing. And that's not a request, that's an order."
Cygnus's eyes narrowed, a deep frown settling on his brow. "You're defending a blood traitor?"
Rigel didn't flinch. "I'm not defending no Blood Traitor. All I'm doing is stopping you from torturing the mother of my future children to death," he said, his voice firm.
Cygnus looked utterly gobsmacked. "M–mother of your future children?" he stammered.
Rigel gave a firm nod. "That's right. I intend to have her atone for her betrayal of the House of Black and becoming a Blood Traitor by serving me for the rest of her wretched life, and while she works as my servant, I shall have her bear my future children." He paused briefly, then added, "She may be a Blood Traitor… but she's still a Black, and a pure-blood at that. To preserve the sanctity of our proud lineage, I, the heir, must have children with a fellow Black. But there aren't any options before. Aunt Narcissa belongs to the Malfoys now, and Aunt Bellatrix is a Lestrange—and rotting away in Azkaban, no less. That leaves only Aunt Andromeda. There's no one else."
As for the matter of incest? Among the Blacks, that was never seen as an issue. His own grandmother had wed her cousin to preserve the bloodline. So, for Rigel, taking Andromeda, who is his father's cousin, as the mother of his children wasn't just acceptable, it was necessary.
Of course, from the biological perspective, there's the issue of gene recessivity and the potential risk of birthing a defective child, or worse, a squib, when it comes to consanguineous children. But that's not something that can't be solved with the knowledge of modern biotechnology combined with potions, magic, and rituals…
Even if such a thing hasn't been understood yet or discovered, Rigel firmly believes that using magic artificial selection should be possible.
If the foetus's genes are carefully selected and adjusted, there's little to worry about.
And as for the age gap? Wizards can live for centuries, so what's the difference of two or three decades in the grand scheme of things?
Moreover, if he were to get his hands on the Philosopher's Stone and manage to make the Elixir of Life
All that really mattered was that Andromeda was stunning, a proper pure-blood, and carried a strong motherly presence being a Total Milf… and he wanted her for that. Plain and simple.
Cygnus, clearly taken aback by Rigel's declaration, fell silent for a moment.
Noticing his Grand Uncle's quiet, Rigel pressed, "What is it? You'd rather have some woman who's not even of Black blood bear my children?"
Not that he wouldn't do that… after all, he intends to make a Harem, but still, Cygnus didn't need to know that for now.
Naturally, Cygnus shook his head. "Preserving the purity of the bloodline is paramount. I do see your point, lad, but…" He hesitated. "That girl—she's married. Even if you aim to have her carry your children, it won't be easy. She'd never turn her back on that Mudblood she shacked up with…" Another pause, then a question, "So, how exactly do you plan to make her… serve you and her bear your children?"
It didn't even seem to register with Cygnus that they were discussing his own daughter in such terms. But then, such conversations were hardly out of place in the circles of pure-blood aristocracy.
Rigel let out a low chuckle. "Mudblood Husband? That's not a problem anymore."
Cygnus narrowed his eyes. "What d'you mean by that?"
"She's a widow now," Rigel said smoothly, leaning in. "Only a few days back, in fact. The Mudblood she ran off with died. Some muggle heart problem, or so she told me when I went to see her at the funeral. I didn't catch the full details. But the fact stands, she's alone now and with a. daughter to raise. That obstacle of her Mudblood husband is out of the way."
Of course, Rigel had no intention of telling Cygnus the full story. The fewer people who knew what really happened to Ted Tonks, the better. Only he and Kreacher knew the truth behind that death, and that's how it was going to stay.
'Or maybe… I should make Kreacher forget this too?' he wondered for a moment before deciding it would be the clever thing to do. 'Yeah, even Kreacher ought to forget that.'
Meanwhile, Cygnus's was surprised at the news that Andromeda's husband had died and she was now a widow. As the information sank in, a cruel smile curved his lips. "Good riddance… Thanks Merlin that the filthy Mudblood's dead and I won't have to dirty my hands with his blood…"
He greeted the news with unbridled delight.
Rigel, too, allowed himself a small smile. "So, as I was saying, Grand Uncle… she's a widow now, so that problem's solved."
"Hmm… indeed, that issue is no longer there," Cygnus agreed, though his expression turned pensive. "But there's still the matter of her being a Blood Traitor… other families will scoff at us."
Rigel shook his head, confidence sparkling in his eyes. "No… they won't."
Cygnus sighed, "You don't understand them, boy. They will laugh at us, talk behind our backs that the Blacks have fallen so low we're forced to welcome back Blood Traitors just to keep our line going."
But Rigel wasn't concerned about that and shook his head. "As I said, Grand Uncle… they won't." He offered a wicked smile and continued, "Rather than laughing at us, most will sympathise with you, with Grand Aunt, and with my dear Aunt Andromeda. After all, your precious, innocent daughter was taken advantage of by a Muggle-born and forced into a marriage against her will under the effect of that foul potion, Amortentia."
Cygnus looked stunned. "Under the effect of Amortentia?" he asked sharply. "You mean to tell me she was made to consu—!"
He stopped midsentence, catching Rigel's knowing smile. Understanding dawned on him, and he muttered to himself with a thoughtful expression, "I see… yes… that would certainly earn us some sympathy…"
"But that's not all," Rigel continued. "It would also sow distrust and distance between pure-bloods and Muggle-borns. Other pure-blood families would be fearful, worried their own sons and daughters might be swayed by Mudbloods with love potions and whatnot."
He leaned in slightly. "Think about it, Grand Uncle, this whole affair can be spun to our advantage. Not only to restore House Black's reputation and earn back the sympathy and respect we lost after what happened with Sirius and Aunt Bellatrix in the First Wizarding War, but also to condemn Muggle-borns entering the magical world and restrict them."
He paused, voice dropping lower. "Besides… Edward Tonks is dead. There's no way to verify if he truly fed Aunt Andromeda a love potion or not. If we choose, we can pull a few strings and spend some galleons to make sure everyone believes it."
The more Cygnus mulled it over, the clearer it became just how massive this could be spun into.
He had to admit, Rigel's plan was nothing short of brilliant.
For a moment, Cygnus regarded his grandnephew as if he were some kind of monster. 'To come up with such a nasty scheme at that age… lad, are you really a child?'
If he didn't know better, Cygnus might've sworn the boy was a cunning adult masquerading as a child.
But the truth was, Rigel was just that—a child. And the grandson of his dear sister.
If Rigel had any inkling of Cygnus's thoughts, he'd have smiled in amusement, 'Who's going to tell him?'
But unaware of any of that, he simply turned to the older wizard and asked—
"What do you make of the plan, Grand Uncle?"
Cygnus's eyes narrowed. "Lad, I have but one question… Would that girl agree to it?"
He knew Andromeda's stubborn streak well enough to doubt she'd agree easily.
After all, the foolish girl had the gall to abandon her life as a Black, cut ties with the whole family, and run off to live with that filthy, poor Mudblood in some backwater corner of Britain.
So no, he didn't reckon she'd fall in line easily and agree to such a thing.
And if Andromeda were to come forward and deny everything and all the propaganda they are planning, claim it was all a lie, the whole scheme would crumble.
Not only would it not restore the Black name; it'd also bring the wizarding world's scorn crashing down on them.
Muggle-borns would oppose them outright, naturally, but that's not much of a worry, since their opposition holds little real weight and is of no consequence.
But worse still, even those pure-blood families who'd kept their heads down so far would start laughing at the Blacks, mocking their desperate, foolish attempts to restore their House.
And that was what truly worried Cygnus.
He didn't want the Blacks to become a laughing stock!
Rigel, however, remained unruffled. With a confident smile, he said, "She's just a desperate widowed mother with a daughter to raise. No wealth left from Ted Tonks to fall back on. Given her situation and how things are shaping up for her, I believe if we move the right pieces and present the decision to her, she'll have no choice but to weigh her options carefully, deciding whether to secure her own future and that of her daughter, or cling to the useless memory and shattered reputation of her late, filthy Mudblood husband."
Cygnus was silent for a moment, then asked cautiously, "Are you certain?"
"I'd like to think I am," Rigel replied.
"That's better than being absolutely certain," Cygnus nodded, satisfied.
"Alright then… since you're confident, go for it. Tell me what pieces I need to move, and I'll see what I can do."
"So, it's like this…" Rigel began outlining the plan.
They spent some time hashing out the details to ensure everything went smoothly. Only when everything was settled did Cygnus say, "Leave those matters to me, I'll make sure they're handled properly."
"Then I can focus on my end as well without worry," Rigel nodded, satisfied as he stood and headed for the door.
Just as he reached it, Cygnus stopped him, raising a question they hadn't yet touched on. "What about her mixed-blood daughter?" and questioned, "Do you intend to keep her?"
Rigel didn't turn, answering simply, "She must live. She would be my leverage over Aunt Andromeda… If her daughter is killed, there would be nothing left to control her, not to mention, Nymphadora has a very useful power and could make a fine Bitch (tool)."
'After all, she's a Metamorphmagus just like me… can't have her die like that, now can I?'
…
Tonks House, Somewhere in Southern England,
"Here's your tea, Mum," said Nymphadora as she set down the cup of nettle tea on the table.
"Hmm, thanks, love," Andromeda replied, turning to look at her daughter.
Nymphadora placed her own cup opposite and took a seat before asking gently, "How are you feeling, Mum?"
Andromeda blinked slowly, pausing for a moment before offering a faint smile. "I'm alright, dear… feeling much better."
It had been a few days since that night, the traumatising incident neither of them could quite forget.
Thanks to her daughter's timely interference, Drek hadn't been able to force himself upon her and nothing terrible had happened in the end… but still, the shock had lingered.
Andromeda had been rattled for days, constantly on edge.
Every night, she slept in the same bed as her daughter, clinging to her tightly, too shaken by the what-could-have-beens that haunted her dreams. The only real comfort she found was in Nymphadora's presence.
At the same time, she kept the house sealed shut with defensive enchantments firmly in place and the fireplace disconnected from the Floo Network.
She half-expected Drek to show up again at any moment, and because of that, she refused to let either of them set foot outside. Thus, they stayed cooped up indoors, locked away from the world.
Thankfully, he never did, and that alone brought her some small relief.
Enough, at least, to begin settling her nerves… even if only just a little—and to start focusing on other things. Important things.
"That's good," Nymphadora said with a relieved smile, before glancing over at the row of parchments and quills scribbling across them. "What are you up to, Mum?"
"Oh, these?" Andromeda replied, eyes flicking toward the parchments.
"I'm writing to a few old acquaintances from my Hogwarts days… seeing if I can rustle up a job."
After everything that had happened that night, it was clear she couldn't ask Anna William for help, not with work, not with anything. She didn't have the heart to face her… and honestly, she doubted Anna would lift a finger for her now anyway.
Whatever friendship Andromeda Tonks and Anna Williams had developed was gone.
That door was shut. Locked. Bolted.
And since that one was closed, she had no choice but to try another.
So here she was, penning letters to other classmates and acquaintances, hoping someone might be willing to help her find a way forward.
Of course, aside from penning to her former contacts, she was also applying for any job offers posted in the Daily Prophet, hoping to get a bit of luck there…
"I see…" Nymphadora murmured, her eyes drifting down to the parchments, a thoughtful look on her face.
Andromeda offered her a reassuring smile. "Don't worry, love. It'll work out. I'll definitely manage to find something."
Nymphadora gave a small nod. "Hmm… yeah."
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