Pureblood Privilege, the Perfect Doll of the Black Family

How many days had she been stuck in the same room? She was unsure. At first she had kept a tally on the stone walls by scraping loose rubble along bricks, but without any sort of guiding daylight to help her keep track of the cycle of hours the tally soon became useless and confusing.

It was a perfect prison. All that was in the room was a thin mattress with a patchwork blanket, a bucket for relieving herself, and a bucket for water. That, and of course an entire potions laboratory. It was the purpose for her imprisonment after all. There were jars upon jars of ingredients lining the walls alphabetically, along with vials both full and empty. On an elevated table were multiple cauldrons set over a fire that she could activate at any time. Scales, mortar and pestles, and a knife and cutting board littered the surface of the long table. There was an hourglass she used for timing, but it was so consistently turned and twisted for potions that it was useless for keeping a calendar. The corner of the room held a tank that used to be full of frogs.

Because she was allowed to keep her wand for finishing potions she was able to keep herself clean and continuously summon water. Every time she was visited they forced her to surrender it under the door before anyone could enter, and the entire room was enchanted so her magic had no effect on the walls or doors, but inside of her space she could use magic as she wished.

Unfortunately she couldn’t summon food so easily. It was one of the limitations of magic, and it was a glaring limitation since she had long run out of food and no one had visited in a long while.

At first she cooked and ate the clean dead frogs. The ones that hadn’t been contaminated by her experimentations. But soon all of the frogs were dead, either of starvation, experimentation or poisoning, and she had to burn them before they made the room stink.

Now she was the only living creature in the space.

Not even bugs could venture past the magical wards so she was forced to start eating ingredients. Anything that wasn’t completely toxic she ate. At first it was the safe ingredients like flobberworm mucus, vile as it was with his viscous texture, and bitter burdock root. But then she had to eat the less safe variants. Things that made her throat burn and her stomach twist.

Then there was nothing left but things that would outright kill her. At one point in her starvation journey she thought to just eat the poison, but she grew too weak to even open the jars. Her past self had sealed them tightly for safety, but she cursed her forethought. Now she sat, leaning on the mattress with her wand in hand, whispering Lumos every few minutes so that she wasn’t left in the dark.

She knew she was going to die.

Her body was thin and frail, nothing left on her bones to sustain herself, and her stomach boiled with painful hunger. Now that she was too weak to make water her throat was parched, her tongue thick in her mouth. Staring at her lighted wand tip, she thought deeply about why she was there.

The damned potions...

It was a mistake to excel at potions.

As a member of the Pureblood Black household she was held to high standards. She was born as a twin to Regulus Black and was made to comply with the demands of the pure lineage in her veins.

How she wished she could be as flippant as her older brother Sirius, but instead she did her best to impress her parents.

At the time she was desperate for attention.

Regulus was easy to manipulate and hailed as their heir, chosen in favor of their older brother Sirius because of his willingness to conform to their rigid “pureblood” ideology. Runestella bore a long and pretentious name to reflect Black traditions, a nod to astrology but still a mouthful, but was unsure of her place in this strange cult-like behavior. When it was discovered before she even entered Hogwarts that she was a prodigy at potions her parents leaned into her talents. Hard.

There was not a moment that Runestella didn’t live and breathe potions after that.

She was their pride, just as Regulus was. And she was suffocated with that pride. Potion crafting was genuinely her passion, but it was hard to enjoy it when she had hands full of burns and arms covered in contact dermatitis from irritating ingredients. By her thirteenth birthday she had already made every known potion and was creating her own.

And it was then that her parents decided to meddle in her future more, pushing the concept of pure lineage. They all but sold her to the Avery family, close confidants to the Dark Lord. They decided that once she was done with Hogwarts, instead of becoming a Potioneer, as was her dream, she would marry Avery and continue to keep the family tree pure.

She hated Avery.

So much.

He was an insufferable little sadist. And he acted as if he already owned her; leering and dictating what she could wear and who she could speak to.

It was then that she was introduced to Severus.

Severus Snape.

A friend of her ‘fiancee’ who was on the list of those she could associate with.

Her mind drifted as she stared at the Lumos charm, blinking in and out like a firefly.

The image of a small boy, svelte and brooding, came to mind. He wore the robes of Slytherin, just like she did, and kept to himself for the most part. Often she would find him thumbing through a potions book or a dark magic text, sitting under the shade of a tree and enjoying the fresh air.

Meek. Unproblematic. Brilliant.

In love with Lily Evans...

But overall the least insufferable person she could speak to without getting tossed around by Avery. They made small talk about the theory behind minced bubotuber vs bubotuber powder and its subsequent effects in potion crafting. And through their talks she found he was almost as bright as she was about potions.

It became a habit to seek him out when Avery had been rough with her and sit quietly at his side, soothing herself with his calm aura. And if Lily came, her heart would ache to lose her safe place but she would stand and leave without a fuss.

Once she came upon Severus in a ruffled state, having been strung up a willow tree by the Marauders, a group of Gryffindor friends and bullies. One of their number was her older brother, Sirius, who had found his place with his friends instead of his family.

“Sev!” She scampered up the grass hill, kicking up blades of lawn in her haste, before whipping out her wand.

"Descendo!”

The spell holding him up released and he toppled to the ground. She just barely managed to cushion his fall with Arresto Momentum when she closed the distance.

“Are you hurt?” She asked, her brow furrowed in concern.

“I’m fine.” He hissed, pulling his arm from her worried grip. She didn’t take it personally. Red flushed the tips of his ears in embarrassment so she knew he was just upset.

“Those idiots.” Tears choked her voice and she looked over at the group of boys responsible, the group of them rowdy and out of hand. Her older brother, Sirius, laughed alongside James Potter. Rune couldn’t help but feel her lips pull into a frown in distaste.

She hated bullies.

“I’ll have a talk with Sirius about keeping his friends in check. Ever since he met that James Potter he-” Runestella stood up to confront them but this time Severus grabbed her, holding her back. Everyday Runestella dealt with abuse heaped on her from her intended, Avery, and still she wanted to confront the biggest bullies of the school. It was admirable, but reckless. She was a few years younger than Severus and Sirius which made her small and vulnerable, and she was naturally petite to boot.

“It’s fine, Rune.” He hissed again, dropping her hand and brushing the grass from his robes. “When have your brothers ever listened to you?”

It was a harsh truth. She couldn’t refute it.

Instead she dropped to the grass beside him, curling into a small shape.

“You’re right.” She whispered. “I just wanted to help.”

Severus softened at her small voice, glancing to her face for the first time. Shame had kept his eyes elsewhere, but now he noticed that she had a small bruise by her eye.

“Merlin, Rune. Did Avery do that?”

“What? No!” Covering her face, she cursed herself for being forgetful. Like always she had meant to use a Wiggenweld Potion to cover any scars or bruises so no one would know how severe it had become.

“I’m okay.” It was a lie. They both knew it. But Severus could see from the way she stared at him in a panic, afraid of the fallout, that there was nothing he could do for her.

“I heard your potion was submitted to the Ministry.” Starting a new topic to distract her, probably because she looked like she was going to cry, he leaned back and looked up to the sky. Severus was starting to relax. Because Rune was there, Sirius wouldn’t let James come over and bother Severus. Being a little sister gave her armor, so for the moment they had peace and could enjoy the day.

“Oh. Yes...” She glanced away.

Walburga Black had been thrilled when the Ministry announced her as a genius and added her potion to the index of known successful brews. It was in the advanced section and none of the staff Potioneers were able to replicate it. The Minister had already offered her a permanent position after graduation. Her dream career.

A position that Walburga firmly declined because she was to be married to Avery.

But they still called her a miracle brewer, spreading chatter of her abilities and even publishing articles about it in the Daily Prophet. She was lauded as the type of genius that came around once in a millennia.

There was so much pressure... and she couldn’t live up to it. Her wedding ring was practically a shackle.

She could continue to make history at least. One index entry at a time, quietly making strides with no professional title. While she brewed potions away at Avery’s home as a housewife, that is. If she had free time.

“Rune?” Severus saw her mood shift for the worse.

“Ah, I…”

Her mind drifted to her argument with Regulus. He was mad about how Avery treated her as well, but he assured her it was for the family. For the good of wizard kind. That she had a responsibility to pass on the magical blood circulating through her veins, just as he did. And that he would eventually get married too, so she shouldn’t feel like it was too unfair.

Reg knew everything. He knew about the beatings and the name calling and the control.

And he let it happen.

She tried not to hold it against him. Regulus was the same age as she was. He had a little more power in their social circle because he was a boy, but he was still under an immense amount of pressure.

“I…” Tears came up and she tried to stop them but they poured over her cheeks anyways.

“Hey…” Severus leaned forward and wiped the tears from her cheeks. “What’s wrong?”

The concern from the usually prickly guy made her break even further. If only she was engaged to Severus instead. They had so much in common and he was so kind to her. If it were Severus she wouldn’t be upset. Because she did like him. So stupidly much.

Another sob wracked her body and she curled into herself, pressing her face into her hands. Unsure of what else to do, Severus pulled her close to his side, hugging her while she cried.

It was the worst thing he could have done.

“What the hell are you doing, Runestella?” The shrill voice of Avery sent a chill up her spine and her tears halted instantly. Panicked, she pushed back from Severus, her eyes wild as she tried to find her fiancé. But he came from behind, from her blindspot.

“I asked what you were doing?!” His hands tangled into her long, wavy black hair and tugged her backwards. She cried out, reaching for her head to try to dislodge him, the pain burning on her scalp from the pull.

“Avery! She was upset so I was comforting her! It wasn’t…” Severus tried to intervene but Avery cut him off, wrapping his free hand around her throat and holding her there. The pressure made her freeze, terrified he’d actually try to choke her.

“Shut up, Severus. This is between my fiancé and me.” Avery hissed, squeezing. Runestella choked, tears pouring down her cheeks.

“No, really, I wasn’t trying anything. This isn’t right-” Severus tried again but Avery just squeezed harder.

“Don’t tell me what to do with her. She’s mine. You’re lucky I allowed you to talk to her.”

It was getting harder to breathe, her vision blackening.

“P-please, Avery. I’m sorry.” She muttered, wheezing, pulling at his grip.

“Shut up.” A darkness took over his face, his tone gritty and cold. One huge squeeze on her throat preceded him grabbing her arm and slinging her down the hill. She rolled towards the Marauders, trying her best to brace herself and stop her fall before she went too far.

If Sirius saw chaos would ensue.

Part of her didn’t want to deal with the fallout of Sirius finding out, and the other part of her didn’t want to deal with the shame.

“I can’t believe my father wants me to marry some little harlot that would seduce my friends.” Avery stormed towards her and she scrabbled back. A panicked look connected with Severus and she noticed that he was looking elsewhere.

To Sirius.

“No!” Rune tried to stop him before he charged off towards James and Sirius who were still horsing around and laughing by the Black Lake, not even noticing the confrontation.

“You dumb little slut.” Avery grumbled, cracking his knuckles. She barely paid attention to her assaulter, more focused on what Severus was doing. “My father gave me an earful about your whole stunt with the Ministry. About how my wife-to-be was ′outperforming′ me. I thought I told you to lay low and keep out of sight.”

“You up for more, Snivelus?” James jeered as he saw the boy approach, but Severus passed by him and went straight to Sirius.

“No!” Rune muttered again, shame billowing up. If Sirius knew… she would never live it down.

Avery came closer to her, but her eyes were still locked on Severus, like she was watching a train wreck.

“You! You are such garbage!” Her friend yelled, grabbing Sirius by his collar. The whole group grew silent, shocked by the uncharacteristic outburst from the slender boy.

“What are you doin-” James stepped forward to stop Snape but he shrugged him off, his single focus on Sirius.

“You are sitting here fucking off with your friends while your sister suffers just meters away!” He yelled. “She gets harassed by her fiancé daily and you are so caught up in your bullshit that you didn’t even notice!”

“What you are talking about?” Sirius growled, trying to pull Snape off his collar, when he looked over in Runestella’s direction.

“NO!” She yelled, hoping he didn’t notice... just in time for Avery’s palm to collide with her cheek. She could no longer focus on her brother and Severus. The momentum knocked her to her side into the mud. She groaned, her ears ringing.

“I SAID PAY ATTENTION TO ME, YOU DUMB BITCH!” Avery yelled, completely enraged by her split focus. He crawled over her, his hands wrapping around her throat.

“You are just a broodmare!” He yelled, her face turning red as he pressed down. “You are meant just to carry my seed and make a child! A cum box!”

“A-Avery… pl...ease…” She gurgled, grabbing at his hands.

“GET OFF MY SISTER!” Sirius charged at him full force, his shoulder colliding with her attacker’s side. The pair of boys rolled off of her in a chaotic mess of limbs. She gasped in air, clawing at the ground to escape, mud squishing between her fingers.

Sirius was enraged and he had the upper hand. The angry older brother got on top of the other boy, holding him down. The sickening sound of pounding flesh filled the clearing as his fist collided with Avery’s face again and again.

Runestella did her best to regain her composure, trying to stagger to her feet. Her vision blinked and she stumbled.

“Rune!” Severus tried to steady her, his brow creased in concern. The other Marauders looked on with wide-eyes, unsure what to do while blood spattered the grass as Sirius attacked.

It would be a huge disaster if Sirius killed him.

It was already a disaster that had gone this far.

This was what she wanted to avoid, at all costs. She wanted to die before Sirius found out.

She jerked out of Severus’ grip and stumbled forward, grabbing Sirius’ arm.

"NO!” She cried again, panting. Her brother tried to break free to continue the beatdown.

“Sirius!” She cried, those cursed tears back again. “You have to stop!”

“I’ll kill him!” He yelled, fury so far over him that he had a hard time breaking free of his attack.

“YOU CAN’T!” Rune replied, her voice scratchy and raw from the strangulation.

“Why not?! He was hurting you, Rune!” Sirius turned around for a moment and froze when he saw the agony on her face, mud smeared all over her usually perfect appearance in contrast to her pale skin. Under the mud peeked purple and blue bruises.

“You know the Averys are close with the Dark Lord. If you kill him, you will be inviting ruin on us all.” Her hands trembled. She was so scared. Sirius saw how scared she was and lost all will to continue doing anything she didn’t want. Getting off Avery, he turned to her and wiped at her face with his torn up hands, smearing the mud around with Avery’s blood.

“I’m sorry.” He muttered, his face contorting with a complex emotion Rune couldn’t decipher. “I didn’t know. I’m sorry.”

Avery sputtered beneath Sirius, groaning as he tried to sit up.

“You…!”

“P-please, Avery. Don’t let this go further. I’ll stop talking to anyone. Just…” Rune tried to grip him to keep him close and he pulled free.

“I’m going straight to my father and telling him all about this.” Avery hissed and a cold chill raced up Runestella’s spine. If Avery Sr knew the Dark Lord would know.

“Avery.” Severus stepped forward. “If you tell your father you will have to admit you were soundly beaten. I don’t think you will come out unpunished. He doesn’t tolerate weakness.”

Avery glared at Snape, but his reasoning was true. The family would seek revenge but they’d be disgusted with him.

“Fine.” Avery got up, rolling his shoulder, an icy expression stilling his bruised and bloodied face. “But remember, Black. Your sister is to be my wife. I will make her suffer every day for this humiliation. All you did was make it worse for her.”

Sirius’ face paled.

Severus walked off with Avery, offering to heal him since he should avoid the nurse. He was doing his best to soften the rage that simmered in the boy, but it wouldn’t be enough.

“Why didn’t you tell me that shit was hurting you?” Sirius cried, turning to his sister with an agonized sadness twisting his lips and pinching his brow. “You are my little sister. I’m supposed to protect you.”

“How could I tell you?” Runestella whispered, averting her eyes. “You have all but escaped the prison of our family. I can’t drag you back like this.”

“Does Reg know?” Sirius asked. The way she gnawed at her lower lip told him that Regulus was aware.

“And he let this happen? Runestella…” He started, reaching out for her. But she dodged back.

“No. Sirius. Stop. Continue what you were doing. Enjoy school. Enjoy freedom. This isn’t your problem anymore. Mother and Father have all but disowned you. Don’t get stuck in this trap now.” It was an act of love for her brother. “I’ll be fine. I’ve dealt with him for years now. Please. Don’t make yourself another victim.”

“Little Star. I can’t just-” Her older brother tried to grab on to her, to pull her in for a hug, but she jerked back. The fond nickname only he used tore a hole in her soul, but she had to rebuff it.

“SIRIUS!” Her voice was loud and it made him pause, his eyes wide. “If you keep involving yourself I’ll brew a potion so poisonous it will kill within seconds. And then I will drink it myself. I would rather die than see you harmed trying to protect me.”

With her potions proficiency it was possible.

Her older brother froze, fear flashing in his vision at the threat. There was nothing he could do. Knowing him he wouldn’t simply stop, and instead he would join the fight against the Dark Lord or something to protect her from them. But it was better than everything imploding now.

She got up, shaky as a baby lamb, and walked away. It took everything in her not to look over her shoulder and see Sirius’ expression. His friends descended on him to help, but Rune knew everything was ruined.

As she walked away she was met around the corner by a meek and very concerned character. One she was shocked to see.

“Are you okay?” He asked, his frown turned in worry. This child had more scars than other kids of his age, a haunted expression, and went missing around the full moon. Anyone with any sort of brain could deduce why. Someone who went through so much didn’t deserve her ire. It was inevitable that she was kind to him.

“I’m fine. Thank you for being concerned about me.” She gave a weak smile to him. “You are very kind, Remus.”

“Here.” He held out an offering. “It’s chocolate. It’ll help settle your nerves.”

She was touched. It was such a warm gesture, and it did make her feel a little better. With a trembling hand, the one free of mud, she took it. Her face softened.

“Thank you.”

As she left she couldn’t help but to ponder the rough but soft spoken boy. Remus had always been thick as thieves with Sirius and James so she hadn’t tried to talk to him, but he seemed much more mild than his cohorts.

And she was in a unique position to help him.

If she ever spoke to him again perhaps she would try to offer aid, just as he was kind enough to offer chocolate. The sweet confection melted in her mouth and she found strength again.

At this point she could only keep to herself and try to stay off Avery’s radar. Instead of talking to anyone she threw herself into her studies, just as she promised Avery she would.

Often when she was brewing potions she’d feel a curious gaze. When she looked up there would be no one, but she knew her senses weren’t wrong.

Finally she caught him. It was an off day after the full moon so he wasn’t as quick as normal.

“Remus. I see you there.” She let out a small chuckle, measuring some boomslang dust.

He hesitated before coming in to the room, shutting the heavy door behind him.

“I didn’t mean to intrude.”

“No. It’s fine. It gets rather boring brewing potions alone.” Tilting her head in a gesture, she pointed out a stool next to her. “Would you like to keep me company?”

“I’m not bothering you? You are always so engrossed in your work.” His pretty green eyes scanned her workstation and she just smiled at him invitingly.

“No. Truly. I don’t get many visitors anymore.” It was a bitter sentence so she tried to keep a positive tone.

“Is it… because of Avery?”

The mention of her fiancé made her freeze, her blood running cold.

“Yes...” She admitted. “He doesn’t like other men to talk to me. You should be careful.”

“I’m not afraid of him.” Remus announced, and the furrow of his brows showed it was true. He was meek, but he had the Gryffindor courage she so admired.

“Still. Be careful.” She added softly.

“But what of you? Isn’t it too sad to wither away on your own like this?”

“Sometimes reality is the saddest tale there is.” Runestella sighed, adding the powder to a vial of chimera blood and swizzling it around to make a slurry. “But if that’s my fate, so be it.”

It was that old Slytherin habit of self-preservation. It was easier not to make waves. Safer. For both her and her brothers. And most importantly, her silence would protect the Black image.

“I won’t get caught.” Remus confidently asserted. “I will come to visit so you aren’t lonely and Avery will never find out.”

Runestella pondered it. In reality, Lupin had managed to sneak around so efficiently for months that even she was unaware of him.

“Alright. But you must allow me to do something for you. Every month before the moon is full I will fill seven vials with wolfsbane potion. I will leave it on my desk and forget about it. And if it goes missing I’ll just assume I’ve misplaced it and will brew a new one.”

Remus paled, his mouth falling open in disbelief.

“You knew?” Panic filled his voice, but his green eyes settled on her and he felt a stillness. “And you aren’t afraid... or... disgusted?”

“Why would I be? I deal with a true monster every day.” The rebuttal was dryly delivered, but it was obvious she was talking about Avery.

“I couldn’t… the ingredients-”

She cut him off.

“It’s no trouble for me. As Slughorn’s valued protegé I have access to any ingredient I wish to have. I only need to make a list and he supplies it. Truth be told, the most costly ingredient of the potion, Occamy Egg, is underused in my lab I have quite an impressive backstock. And I have nothing but time to brew.”

A long pause filled the room.

“Let me do this.” She insisted. “You saved me that day with chocolates. Let me do something for you.”

He nodded.

And Remus kept the bargain. He stopped by often, a calm and welcome presence to break up the monotony of her life. They became fast friends, and she never once missed a round of potions. The rare ingredients were laughably easy for her to procure, considering the difficulty many werewolves had in finding them. Being a member of the Slug Club and the Lady of the Black Family gave her the sway to get anything she wanted. Especially because she continued to be excellent and a genius worth investing in.

Not only did she finish the curriculum for Hogwarts early and pass all her N.E.W.T.S. before her final year, but she also continued to produce potions that were astounding. To get praise from her mother she would submit them to the Ministry, receive the commendations, and then receive the beatings from Avery for outshining him.

Severus tried to be present for her like Remus was. He would show up in the potions classroom, a silent addition, and attempt to help her. But unlike Remus, she was hyperaware that Avery knew that Severus was visiting and he was unhappy about it. Now she kept her distance, frightened to drag him into her misery too.

But he would still visit.

A true friend to her.

And again she wondered if things would have been better if she was engaged to Severus instead.

It was a poisonous thought, but the memories with Severus were her best ones. The only happy point in her bleak life, tainted with the darkness of the Black family.

Whenever she saw Sirius he would look at her with a sharp pain and hesitation. A look and feeling that was foreign to his free spirited and brave nature. So she avoided him, not wanting to taint his life with her problems. Regulus must have heard about the fight from Sirius and gotten an earful for supporting the union. Now he was more opposed, trying to find solutions to dissolve the engagement. Deep down he always had a soft heart, his kind whispered words to the house elves sometimes caught in rare moments when the house was quiet.

Sirius also tried to handle her confinement in his own way. While he didn’t want to cause her more problems with Avery, he wanted to make sure that she didn’t feel alone. He would often send along little notes with an owl and attach little found items. Like flowers that he dried for her, or a feather he found on a walk, or a fallen leaf that had turned a beautiful autumn color. The little gifts reminded her that she was loved by her brother.

Regulus was the only person who could freely visit her without Avery’s ire and he rarely did. So she avoided him as well.

Her brothers.

Her sweet brothers.

They couldn’t be tainted with the evil that was Avery. They deserved better than that.

Only Remus was allowed near her without her feeling a sense of anxiety. Severus managed to keep breaking through her attempts at solitude, but she was paranoid. It was so risky. At times her heart would thud just looking at him and she couldn’t afford those feelings. So she shoved them deep down inside and pretended she felt nothing at all.

It was summer. The halls of the Black Manor were solemn as usual. There was one more year at Hogwarts and one more year of freedom until she was of age and able to marry Avery. She could have graduated early, every requirement already met, but she needed the shield of safety the school provided.

If only for one last year.

Sirius, his friends, Severus and Avery were all ahead of her in age and had already graduated. Remus managed to visit her, no matter where she was, and she still supplied him with potions. But he had to be more cautious now that she was back in the viper’s nest she called home.

She looked at herself blankly in the vanity mirror. Beneath her hand she had the newest Daily Prophet.

Potions Genius of the Century! The Pure-blood Black Family breeds excellence again! Her newest brew promises clear skin and small pores, reminiscent of youth. I used it and it worked better than bubotuber pus. I looked at the mirror and saw my younger self. If there was someone capable of making a potion of eternal youth, it would be made with the talented hands of Runestella Black.

She had only made the potion out of boredom. Clear skin potions already existed, so it was easy to tweak the recipe and make it more effective. But the Black Skin Tonic had taken off and the patent was making the family even richer. If she were of age the money could be hers, but she wasn’t, so it just lined her father’s pockets. And when she married Avery would get the fruits of her labor.

Her eyes glazed.

In the mirror she looked lovely. Because she had little regard for own wellbeing she had tested all the brews on herself. Just as they boasted in the paper, her skin was as clear and smooth. Even without her potion she was hailed as the most lovely of the Black family. Her dark eyes were large and round, like a doe, and her lips were full and heart shaped. A small, fairy-like nose was sprinkled with just a few freckles and matched her delicate jawline. Unlike others in the Black family she didn’t have a chaotic mass of curls. Instead her black, glossy hair fell in gentle waves along her shoulders.

She was beautiful. But she might as well have been a doll. Numbly she reached down and grabbed red lipstick, dabbing it in the center of her lips for just a bit of color. Something to make her pale skin look less dead.

So that she looked like a human and not a puppet.

The squawking of an owl broke her focus and she looked to the window. It was an owl she knew.

“Severus!” She snapped out of her depression, dropping the lipstick, before scurrying to the window sill. Tossing the window open, she gratefully took the letter.

“Thank you, Prince.” She gave the bird a little pat before sending him away, regretful she had no treats for him. Going back to her vanity she rummaged until she found her letter opener and slid it under the wax seal. Unfolding the parchment, she found Severus’ clear and concise script.

Rune-I saw the article about you in the daily prophet. Congratulations. I know you must feel conflicted about the attention, but I think you should be proud of what you have accomplished. You are truly the greatest potioneer I’ve ever met. I find myself ruminating on our time talking about potion theory on the hill by the Black Lake. I know this is cliché, but I truly do miss your insights. And your company. Maybe once you graduate from Hogwarts this year we can meet up somewhere quiet and away from…

The writing stagnated for a moment, a blob of ink settling on the paper where his pen hesitated.

Away from prying eyes. Where we can truly talk. I hope we are able to connect at least once before I receive an invite to your wedding.

Sev.

It was a pipedream. Her hands trembled. She knew that Severus was now close to the Dark Lord. Right in his pocket. There was no way she would be able to see him without prying eyes. Avery, and the Dark Lord, would know. And just like Severus, Avery had become Voldemort’s little pet.

Again she felt helpless, folding the letter up and tucking it away with the rest.

To his credit, Severus actually wrote a lot. More than anyone else she knew. Even Sirius, who had gone awol after graduation.

“Miss!” The crack of apparition caught her attention and she turned to see a house elf. “Madame Black is asking for your presence, Miss Black. She says it’s urgent, and to dress nicely.”

“Thank you, Thing.” It was a cruel name for such a cute little female elf, but she hadn’t given it. It was a mean moniker by her father, and she was just forced to abide by it. Another crack and the elf was gone. Runestella sighed and went to her wardrobe, ruffling through. All she had were black dresses.

It was all her mother allowed her to wear. It was stupid. It was cliché. It was silly.

The Black family wears Black.

She settled on one that had a corseted top that pushed her boobs up and kept her waist small. Her mother liked when she marketed her sex appeal. The black lace skirts parted and showcased her legs. It didn’t matter whether Runestella wanted to wear revealing clothing or not. She was a product. Made to be sold.

Slipping into it, she turned to the mirror and adjusted her hair. Even to her she looked stunning, but she couldn’t allow herself to be satisfied.

It was a means to an end.

So she put on matching heels, stuffed her wand in the wand pocket, and left her room, clicking her way down to the sitting room where her mother was likely to be. Once she drew near she heard voices and knew she was to entertain company. Without much thought she knocked on the door.

“Mother. I’m here.”

“Come in, Runestella.” At her mother’s instruction a house elf snapped, the door swinging open. To reveal that the person she was chatting with was Avery.

Every muscle in her body tensed up, the blood rushing from her face.

“There you are, my love.” A predatory smile stretched Avery’s thin lips. He got up, stalking up to her.

The last year at Hogwarts had been so peaceful without him. It was sad without Severus, Sirius and Remus, but Avery had also graduated and she had silence for her studies. It had been nearly a year since she saw Avery last, and it wasn’t long enough.

“Avery.” She breathed, trying not to stumble away. If she made a wrong step here, Runestella had no doubt that her mother would punish her with the Cruciatus Curse.

“You look stunning. A vision, really.” He put an arm around her waist, drawing her into his side. She went limp as a ragdoll, afraid to resist.

“Avery said he missed you after you’ve been apart so long. He wants to take you out. It’s very nice of him, so please be on your best behavior.” Walburga gave her daughter a cold and practiced smile.

There was no way that she missed Runestella’s body language.

Walburga knew that she was terrified.

Leaning over so that his lips were just a whisper from her ear he spoke in a low tone so only she could hear.

“I told you not to make a spectacle of yourself. And now you’ve caught all the wrong attention, my love.”

It was confusing. And alarming.

She looked at her mother one last time in a panic before Avery latched on her wrist with tight fingers, pulling her outside of the house where the enchantments didn’t keep him from using transportation magic. Before she could tug her hand free the world crumbled away with a crack as he apparated them both.

Kidnapping could be so simple in the Wizarding World.

In an instant they were in another house. She stumbled, her heels struggling on the cobbled floor. Avery released her to watch her struggle, a leer on his face.

“Do you remember, my little cum box, how your stupid brother beat me a few years ago?” A dangerous flash passed over his eyes, and terror took hold of Runestella.

“Avery, please-” She tried and he spoke louder to drown her out.

“WELL I TOLD HIM, that you would be paying the price for his outburst. So when the Dark Lord asked me to give him my talented little fiancé, I was more than glad to comply.”

“N-no! Avery, you didn’t!” Terror froze her to the spot and her wild eyes searched the room, trying to figure out where he had taken her. But it was dark and full of cold stone, indiscernible from anywhere else. His hand darted out and gripped her wrist so hard it radiated an ache.

“You can thank your brother for this.” He whispered in her ear, taking a deep breath in to inhale her scent. Her stomach turned.

“Now, now. Avery. Stop tormenting our guest.”

She didn’t hear him come in. All the hairs on her neck stood on end and she slowly turned, her heart pounding in her throat. Standing in the doorway was a cloaked figure, pale and waxy. And snake-like. He exuded a power unlike anything she had ever felt, the sheer presence making every nerve in her body prickle. As she turned, her full form in his gaze, she saw his eyes flash with some sort of approval.