Chapter Text
No one dared to cross Cassiopeia Black ever.
The dark witch was known for her vicious retaliations if one would even dare to slight her. She had blackmails that could ruin a life and a whole family, malicious curses and spells up her sleeves, had a very strong underground connections, and was efficient on brewing potions most especially the deadliest ones.
It was also noted that she was a very independent and headstrong woman. Cassiopeia Black had even stood for herself against her father's and the society's expectations of her and refused to get married to anyone. She was very verbal about her thoughts about the notion of marriage and men deeming it a waste of her time.
So, it was definitely an understatement that everyone had been surprised that Cassiopeia had shown up in the ancestral home of House Black with a telltale bulge on her belly. The man who had even dared to procreate with her must have balls of steel, everyone concluded.
"Well, two impending additions to our house is definitely worth a celebration." Arcturus Black III said after a moment of silence when everyone was gaping at her. Cassiopeia barely glanced at her niece Walburga who also had a protruding belly and stalked off to the dining room to bully a house elf to give her a lot of bleu cheese.
No one bothered to ask who the father was or what even happened. He was most likely cowered and threatened by her to get lost and never come back to her life again.
_
They named the heir Sirius. After the brightest star in the night sky and in the dog constellation, Canis Major.
It was alright, Cassiopeia had thought. May her new nephew shine as bright as his namesake, she supposed.
However, what wasn't alright was how everyone always brought up the disappointment she must have for not having the opportunity to use Andromeda as a name. An Andromeda Black was already existing and she was most definitely not from her own loins.
Cassiopeia was insulted that everyone thought she would be that cliche in naming her child. And the name Andromeda did not even suit her tastes anyway.
"Asteria." Literally meaning star in Greek. Also the Titan goddess of falling stars, oneiromancy, and astrology and the mother of the goddess of witchcraft Hecate. Way more better than Andromeda who was chained by the rock and had to depend on a man to save her. "Asteria Cassiopeia Black."
The squalling baby did not disappoint. She most definitely took after Cassiopeia a lot with the exception of the shape of her eyebrows. Her eyes lightened to an unnatural silver and her hair was as dark as the night.
All in all, Asteria was a perfect baby and Cassiopeia would hex anyone who thought otherwise.
_
"The world would be yours if you ask, sweet girl." Cassiopeia promised to her daughter one night after she felt pure maternal love while staring at her for a long time.
Asteria slowly blinked at her before she let out a gummy smile.
_
Walburga often arranged playdates for Sirius and Asteria. Maybe in her twisted incestuous mind, she hoped to arrange a marriage between them for the future.
"No." Cassiopeia simply said after her niece confirmed her thoughts. "I would not force my daughter to marry."
Also, she was not a fool. Constant inbreeding resulted to madness and mutilations to the family. That much she knew after she researched why metamorphagi were not rampant in the Black family as it did before.
Cassiopeia informed Arcturus about this and he swore that he won't agree to intermarrying again for the next generation.
As expected, Walburga was offended and gossiped about how her daughter was secretly a halfblood because Cassiopeia was seeing a filthy muggle.
News about how Walburga was badly shaken and paranoid over a letter for the next few days also immediately spread. She kept mum about the entire issue now and learned why you should never really taunt Cassiopeia Black.
_
Cassiopeia and her daughter were invited to tea by none other than Druella Black née Rosier who probably thought that she would be on her good graces if she did.
Cassiopeia can hold grudges if she wants too and she did not forget the time Druella flaunted her daughters to her face and made statements with hidden meanings of "look at my adorable children and how you can never relate because you're an uptight bitch".
Well, she was still an uptight bitch after she had Asteria. Motherhood has not changed that aspect of her.
Her two years old daughter was playing dolls with the rest of her cousins and she genuinely looked.. disinterested. Huh. It was an expression that she was used to seeing in the mirror.
Cassiopeia will never admit it out loud but seeing her daughter unconsciously mimic her was the most adorable image that she has ever seen.