The Black Family Legacy

Diggory Family

Cygnus Black looked around the small village of Ottery St Catchpole. Her eyes looking over the homes of the Lovegoods and the Weasleys with regret. But she had not come to face the fiery red headed family.

She had come to visit the Diggorys.

Her hand was shaking as it reached for the brass knocker, and after she had knocked against the heavy wooden door twice, she let it fall back against the wood with a hollow thunk.

She looked around the overgrown flower beds, the flowers long gone, mostly weeds now. To think that just last summer her and Cedric had spent so many long and arduous hours weeding them.

The door slowly opened, and Cygnus looked up into the green eyes of Cedric's mother. They weren't as bright as they used to be. And they looked sunken, but then again, she had long been suffering from an illness.

"Cygnus." Even her voice was hollow.
Cygnus stepped cautiously into the house, the air practically swallowing her.

Kidan crawled down from his perch on her shoulder and into her breast pocket, warily watching the scene with his head peeking out over the edge of the green fabric.

"Is Amos home as well?" She asked awkwardly.

"Who's bothering us now! I told you not to let anyone in!" Comes the very man's yell from upstairs.

Cygnus looks to Mrs. Diggory for permission before cautiously ascending the staircase.

She finds him in his study. And boy does it look bad.

"Amos," she says softly, and the man brandishes his wand at her, his eyes bloodshot and his face heavy with grief.

They stare each other down for a few seconds, and then Cygnus gingerly steps over the objects strewn about on the floor, and gently pushes his wand down.

"Amos." She repeats, studying the wizard.

"Oh... oh my... Cygnus." He trails off, and Cygnus catches him as he crumples.

"There there, Amos." She says, helping him into a chair.

The man grips her hand, as if making sure she was real.

"Cygnus..."

She knelt in front of him, her hand still clasped in his.

"My girl." He sobs, "my girl."

Cygnus spent the day with her best friends father, cleaning his study, returning the garden to its previous state.

One would never be able to tell that the house was anything but happy, after opening some windows, getting fresh air circulating in the rooms, the Diggory family home seemed normal.

"It's getting late, Cygnus, why don't you stay for dinner?" Amos asks merrily, his arm wrapped around his wife's shoulders.

Cygnus thought for a moment, then nodded, smiling. "Nothing would suit me better."

-

"Amos, your cooking is bound to kill me sooner or later." She laughs, poking at the burnt... whatever it was supposed to be.

She had to stop herself from looking to the empty space beside her for a witty remark, and Amos laughed, which stabbed at her heart. Finally the conceded to trek into town and eat in a pub.

-

"Won't you stay?" Amos asks, and Cygnus knows from the look in his eyes that she is doomed.

"I will stay." She nods finally, sighing.

Cedric's mother smiles gently and steers her towards Cedric's room, Cygnus doesn't have the heart to turn her down, and stares at the wood of his bedroom door for a long while before shakingly opening it.

Alone in Cedric's room, she sighs as she  changes out of her robes and into a pair of his pajamas. Everything smelled so strongly of him, his bed still messy and an armada of quidditch paraphanaliea scattered over every surface. She sat in the middle of his floor, cradling the stuffed badger that she had given him as a present in her first year.

She caught sight of his record player and smiled softly, padding over to it and dropping the needle.

Elton John's voice came echoing through it, and Cygnus closed her eyes and it was almost as if everything was alright.

-

"It's called a record player." He said with a toothy grin, "mum got it for me a while back, wait till you hear what these muggle bands sound like, it'll blow you away." 12 year old Cedric scrambled to find the perfect vinyl, and then flashed her a grin before placing it carefully on the turn table. That first song had been by the band Queen.

14 year old Cedric would sneak into the muggle studies classroom to play his records, Cygnus and Cedric would dance all night and sleepily try to keep each other awake all day.

16 year old Cedric Diggory wrapped his arms around his best friends shoulders and sang along with Elton John's your song, not caring that it was three in the morning and snowing outside.

17 year old Cygnus Black clutched the stuffed Badger to her chest and cried as someone saved my life tonight washed over her, missing the boy that should be standing beside her.