Queen of Disaster | 𝑅𝑒𝑚𝑢𝑠 𝐿𝑢𝑝𝑖𝑛

Chapter 35

A few Muggles around them turned to look over at them curiously as Diana and her mother stood fixedly in the middle of the station.

"Keep your voice down!" Mrs. Greengrass hissed at her in a hushed tone, glancing around her nervously, feeling embarrassed at how people were giving them questioning looks.

Although Diana doubted that the only reason they were staring was that she had yelled; they were probably thinking and wondering why two people would still dress like the women in the nineteenth century. But at the moment Diana had more pressing matters at hand.

"Mum — what are you — what on earth do you mean!?" Diana exclaimed again, unable to hold herself back as her face fell into a mingle of horror and shock.

"Diana, you should know well by now that marriage is an important tradition in respectful Wizarding families such as ours," Mrs. Greengrass said firmly. "Once you're of age, as a woman, it will be your duty to our family. Darwin understands this duty. Why can't you?"

"My duty to what?"

"Your duty to marry well and have children to carry down the bloodline!"

Diana went pale, her breathing becoming more rapid as her mother's words sank in.

    "But — but — why!?"

     "Well, you can't really marry Regulus Black. He's a year younger than you. It's against tradition —"

     "That's not what I meant!" Diana exclaimed in terror. "I — I meant — why do I even have to get married!? What's the point of keeping the bloodline going? Darwin is already doing his honorable duty to this family. Can't you just leave me be? I'm not even sixteen yet!"

     "Oh, Diana, don't be silly. You don't have to worry about marriage right now. You'll have until you're of age, after you graduate from Hogwarts. Until then, we'll just try to get to know the Black family better."

     Diana remained silent, forgetting how to speak for a second and her stomach dropping as she gaped up at her mother.

"Now let's get home. We mustn't keep your father and brother waiting," said Mrs. Greengrass after a long pause, letting out a sigh. Diana followed her out of the station wordlessly, suddenly feeling dizzy.

     The whole night, Diana's mind forgot peace. Even when she got to bed to sleep, she found it impossible to close her eyes for a mere second because of all the terrifying images that flashed through her mind.

She no longer cared about Remus Lupin and their assignment, and she completely forgot about Professor Tenebris and the visions she'd had.

She was unable to get Sirius Black's face out of her head. A sickening feeling grew inside her stomach as she uncontrollably pictured her life with him; getting married, living in the same home, sharing a bed, having kids to carry down the bloodline.

     But in order to have babies, they had to—

Shut up! Shut up! Shut up! Diana repeated to herself in her head so she could silence her other thoughts, but it was pointless. She couldn't do it. She could never go through with this mad idea.

     Diana knew for certain that if that day ever came, she would rather run away from home than be forced into marrying someone.

***

The next day, in order to distract herself from any thought relating to Sirius Black or arranged marriages, Diana spent hours behind her desk in her bedroom, finishing all her homework and essays in a single day. This worked to her favor, because now she was free for the rest of the holiday to do whatever she wanted and read books for as long as she wished.

      She tried to convince herself that this marriage wasn't going to happen, and that there was no way her parents would force her to marry Sirius Black. They didn't know him like Diana did; she knew he was a player and basically a manwhore who only caused trouble at school and spent more time in detention than in actual classes.

     Although Diana suspected that her parents weren't going to care about these things as much as they cared about his family and the fact that he was a pureblood.

     Then I'll just tell them he's a blood-traitor, Diana thought to herself, trying to come up with a way to make her parents forget this mad idea. Or I'll tell them that he was adopted and his actual parents were Muggles. That would definitely change their mind.

While these ideas were fun to think about, Diana knew that they weren't going to work. If her parents put their mind on something, it was hard to change it. And it was scary to imagine what would happen to her if she decided to run away. They would probably disown her from the family. She would have no money or any place to go.

All Diana could do right now was to wish and hope for a miracle to happen to ruin her parents' plans concerning Sirius Black.

She was sure that Sirius hated her almost as much she despised him. He would never agree to this marriage either. It was hard to tell who was more stubborn; Sirius or Diana.

On Christmas morning, Diana woke up with a smile on her face. The moment she opened her eyes and lifted her head lightly from her pillow, she saw from her window that it was snowing again.

Her smile widening even more, she hopped off the bed and ran toward the window, opening it and letting the cold wind sweep into the bedroom, covering her like an icy blanket.

Diana had slept in her long woolly socks last night, so she still had them on now as she sat on the windowsill, gazing out at the snow-covered ground and the frozen creek that flowed past their house in spring and summer.

"Good morning, world," she whispered with her eyes on every snowflake that fell through the morning sky, a smile spread across her face.

"Diana!" She heard her mother's voice call from downstairs.

Quickly, she closed the window and changed her clothes, though she left her red woolly socks on, which had reindeer patterns on it in white. She hoped that her long skirt would cover them from her mother's judging eyes.

Diana then opened her bedroom door to run downstairs, but remembering that she was back home and this wasn't allowed, she slowed her pace and walked into the parlor, where her family was already gathered.

Mrs. Greengrass sighed the moment she laid eyes on her daughter. "Didn't you comb your hair? It's a mess."

"Merry Christmas, Mother," Diana said with an eye-roll, trying to ignore her remark.

"Merry Christmas," Mrs. Greengrass finally said with a smile.

A small Christmas tree stood in the corner of the hall, which was already designed with beautiful ornaments and a star on top. Since she was a kid, Diana always wanted to decorate a Christmas tree, but she was never allowed to do so. It was a job for house elves, as her mother kept reminding her.

After a breakfast which was spent in silence — except for the time Darwin talked about his conversation with Mr. Bulstrode at the Ministry — Diana walked back into the hall and toward the Christmas tree.

    She sat down beside it, looking through her presents and opening them up. She had gotten a beautiful scarf from Layla, and numerous books from her brother and parents, which she was glad about.

     Although there was a fifth gift underneath the tree which caught her attention. It was addressed to her.

     At first, she thought Regulus had sent it and so she felt a little guilty for not getting him anything. But when she picked up the letter stuck to the box, her heart dropped at the name written behind it.

R . J . Lupin