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Astrid Rosario was always one with the stars — she'd point out constellations, name each one, even the ones so far out of view, accurately from memory. Sirius Black enjoyed watching her gaze up at the small specks of light that scatter the sky. He didn't care for them, he only care for Astrid. The young woman who wandered aimlessly on Hogwarts grounds. He'd never seen her at school, only when the constellations shown so vividly, you could feel the heat radiating from them,
At the sound of her voice, Sirius darted to Astrid's bedside. Her skin was pale and sunken in from exhaustion, sleep deprivation and malnutrition. She wasn't getting better, and this worried him. The due date for their baby was sooner than expected. Five months early expected. Astrid was too fragile. She couldn't. He wouldn't allow her to. When she was sleeping, he glanced at his wand. He knew a spell, but Astrid was adamant on having the child. Always muttering that it was, 'for the greater good.'
"Yes, my love?" Sirius rushed to her beside, gently holding onto her hand. It was soft, her hands, her face. She was amazing. Too good to be true. He never expected someone so pure to allow herself to be corrupted by him.
"I'm— I'm not going to survive this birth, Sirius," Astrid said adamantly.
Sirius only thought she was afraid of giving birth, but Astrid's eyes told a different story. She wasn't scared, she was certain. As if she knew she wasn't going to survive, like it'd been planned that she was going to die.
"There's no need to be scared, Astrid, darling," said Sirius kissing the top of Astrid's hand and holding it close to his cheek.
Astrid let go of his grasp and rested her hand on his face. She pulled him in and kissed him, softly. Sirius felt his stomach tie into knots, it felt like a goodbye kiss.
"Sirius. I'm not scared for me, I'm scared for our baby. I—I haven't told you everything about— about me. I swore I wouldn't but I have— have to. . ."
Astrid choked, her breathing became unsteady and she held onto her belly in pain. She was going into labor. Sirius ran for some of the midwives, yelling and screaming for them to help his wife. They proceeded to collect the things they needed and enter Astrid's room. They propped Astrid into a warm bath, her white nightgown sticking to her skin as she was submerged.
Sirius stood behind Astrid, far ways from the Midwives duties, allowing them to work and save his wife's life.
The couple was young, far too young to experience loss of such sort. Whether it was their soon-to-be-born baby or Astrid. Sirius could not lose her, he refused. Astrid was the only person who made him feel like he succeeded. She didn't care for blood purity or the house system, her love was rooted into Sirius' soul; not his money, or his reputation.
Astrid's cries echoed throughout the room, cloths and cloths drenched in her blood piled at the Midwives feet. The clear water was now tainted red, Astrid's grip on his hand tightened as she continued to push and push and push.
The atmosphere felt other-wordly, mystifying. Sirius felt like he was floating whilst his baby had taken its first breath.
"Sirius Orion Black. I love you to the heavens and back," said Astrid tugging at his hand weakly. Small laughs escaping both of their lips as she spoke, "I—I feel lightheaded, is this normal?"
"She's losing too much blood, Mr. Black, I'm so sorry," said a midwife, the other ones still working on getting his child to cry. "I am so so sorry."
"No. . . No, Astrid, please." said Sirius, caressing the side of his wife's face.
"It's okay, Sirius, I'm ready and I have been ready, but I don't have enough time," she said, uncertainty spread across her face. "Do one thing for me? Name her Venus."
"Yes— yes. But Astrid—"
"Sweetie, my husband, my best friend, I will love you always. Don't let it corrupt you, I already feel it it's here," she coughed nastily, "My brother. Life and death. Good and evil."
Sirius didn't know what she was getting at. Whether she was trying to tell him something or if she was confused from the amount of blood she's lost. Astrid ripped off her necklace with the strength she had left and placed it in Sirius' hand and she whispered, "tell our baby I love her to the heavens. . . and. . . back."
Her grip on Sirius's hand loosened, her body slumped into the blooded water. Sirius picked her up and cradled her in his arms. He had hope that she'd wake up but her eyes didn't blink, her chest stopped rising and her glow had vanished.
She was gone.
As Astrid died, he heard his baby cry. Like she'd absorbed Astrid's life after she'd gone. Sirius picked his wife up and placed her back in the bed, pulling the covers over her. He kissed her on the forehead, as if she was simply asleep and exhausted from her successful birth.
Sirius walked to the crib, looking down toward the baby. It nibbled on its finger and bubbled spit from its mouth. Sirius just looked at it. It was as if a switch flipped in his mind. Not instinct to pick it up, cradle it like he did with his wife, or bond with it.
This baby meant the world to him just a second ago, what had changed?
The thoughts circled through his mind. This baby took his Astrid away. The love of his life, the woman who believed in him and loved him was taken away by this little person who laid in the crib, like it hadn't.
"It's a girl," said one of the last midwives in the room before exiting the room to leave him and his daughter alone.
Sirius looked back down at his daughter. He was going to fulfill Astrid's wish before she was taken from him. This time, he picked the infant up, carefully, cradling her in his arms. He thought of a planet, a planet she reminded him of most.
"Venus," said Sirius to his baby daughter who was sleeping peacefully in his arms. "You are Venus Celeste. Venus because you will inherit your mother's values and her capacity to love. Celeste because your mother's beauty was completely celestial and I guarantee it so will yours. Only because she gave it to you, before you took her from me. You. . . You Venus Celeste were born a murderer."
