The Tragedy of Walburga Black

★𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝟗𝟖★

(𝟓 𝐌𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐡𝐬 𝐋𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐫)

𝐉𝐮𝐧𝐞, 𝟐𝟎𝐭𝐡 𝟏𝟗𝟕𝟔 - 𝐏𝐥𝐚𝐭𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐦 𝟗 & ¾

"Mother?" Regulus's voice cut through the bustling crowd of parents and students disembarking from the Hogwarts Express.

His eyes widened in disbelief as he caught sight of her. She stood there, a striking figure amidst the chaos, her long black dress swaying gently with each step, a strand of hair cascading over her eyes.

With a warm smile, she approached him, gracefully navigating through the sea of people. Her hand reached out, brushing aside the stray strand of hair that threatened to obscure her vision.

"Regulus," she said softly, her voice a soothing melody amid the cacophony of the station. His surprise was palpable, his expression a mixture of astonishment and gratitude, as if he hadn't expected her to be there.

Before mother and son could embrace or exchange another word, Lucius Malfoy stepped into their path. Tall and imposing, he wore the same arrogant smirk that was characteristic of his father.

"Mrs. Black," he greeted smoothly, his voice carrying over the noise of the luggage and the chattering crowd, "you look as stunning as always." With a flourish, he extended his hand towards Walburga, his gaze flickering with amusement at the interruption.

Walburga furrowed her brows but managed a tight smile as she looked at the young man. He bore a striking resemblance to his father, with those same silver eyes. Yet, his demeanor was different—it echoed his mother's.

Shaking his hand, she only smiled back "Lucius, you're as charming as ever."

The white-haired boy smirked, but Regulus gave him a firm shove before he could say more. "Ow, is that any way to treat your only friend?" he exclaimed, rubbing his shoulder with mock injury before retaliating with a shove back.

Regulus adjusted his hair and rolled his eyes, then turned to Walburga, who watched the exchange with a suppressed smile.

"You came to pick me up?" Regulus sounded unsure, his usual expectation being his father or Kreacher to collect him.

Her smile faltered, "I wanted to see you." placing her hand on his shoulder.

Regulus's gaze lingered on Walburga, his expression unreadable as he processed her words. He could sense the underlying truth behind her excuse – she had come hoping to catch a glimpse of Sirius. With a resigned sigh, he shifted his attention to the hand resting on her shoulder, a silent acknowledgment of the unspoken longing that hung between them.

Beside him, Lucius observed the exchange with a keen eye, though he did not comment. Instead, his focus drifted to the bustling platform in search of Narcissa, who was engrossed in conversation with her friends.

"Well, thank you—" Regulus began, but his words were drowned out by the sudden eruption of laughter nearby.

He didn't need to turn around to know it was the Marauders. Their unmistakable raucous laughter seemed to echo through the platform, drawing the attention of everyone nearby.

As the sound reached its peak, Walburga's smile froze, then slowly fell from her lips. She withdrew her hand from Regulus's shoulder, her gaze fixed across the bustling platform where Sirius stood, surrounded by his friends.

He didn't glance in her direction, too engrossed in the moment, his laughter mingling with that of the others. Walburga watched, her heart heavy, as Sirius and the Potter boy exchanged farewells with their friends. She observed the genuine affection exchanged between them and Euphemia Potter, the warmth of their embraces contrasting starkly with the chill that settled over her own heart.