Coven

The day they met, It was a bright, sunny, and far too hot day in July about two weeks before most students traversed Diagon Alley for school supplies.

A young, twelve year old with honey blonde highlighted auburn hair browsed the books selection at Flourish and Blotts.

It was going to be Anya’s first year at Hogwarts and her Gran- Siofra, had decided it best to get her school supplies early, so they didn’t have to worry about the crowd of students and parents that normally filled Diagon Alley towards the end of summer.  

Unlike most pure bloods, the muggle-born students and their families didn’t bother the two Evermoore witches. However, the constant stopping and gawking topped by the usual last minute shopping by halfblood and some pure blood families tended to make Diagon Alley unbearable. 

It seemed Siofra Evermoore, a fairly young looking witch, who many were surprised to find had a child (let alone a grandchild) despite being in her (early) fifties, wasn’t the only one who wanted to avoid the crowd, as several pure blood families were walking around diagon with their school aged children. Several seemed to be noble families, if the many heir and lordship rings were any indication.  

“Anya, don’ go fahr.” Gran called in her thick Irish accent, as the eleven year old walked deeper into the aisles of Flourish and Blotts.

“Yea, Gran.” Anya responded absentmindedly as she searched the books for something interesting that she might want to read.…not that she ever actually read the books that her Gran bought. 

Even the ones she picked out herself, most of them are still in her room or the library collecting dust.

“Can we go to Quality Quidditch after this?” Anya asked eagerly.

She didn’t even have to turn around to see the eye roll. 

“Oh, always Quidditch with ye now, in it?”

Turning around Anya gave her Gran a sheepish smile, which she returned with an exasperated one of her own, blue eyes sparkling.

“Oh, I suppose going to Quidditch is fine.” Her Gran sighed. “You can’t bring nothing with ye, though.”

Anya grimaced. Apparently there were several broom accidents last year, topped with the odd prankster or two. So to try and avoid any more of those incidents, Hogwarts had banned first years from bringing their own brooms.

Anya shook her head and grinned back eagerly. “I know, I just wanna see the latest brooms.” 

The latest Cleansweep and Comet brooms had just been released on the market. The Cleansweep Six and the Comet 220. Both were racing brooms and were faster than their previous models with added or improved special features.

“Alright.” Siofra chuckled as she turned back towards the cashier and handing over a couple galleons. “Here ye go, Patrick

The cashier- Patrick, was startled. “A-ah Lady Evermoore, this is far too much money!” The dark haired eighteen year old tried to reason. “The books you are purchasing are barely worth a fraction of this!”

Siofra just smiled at the young cashier. “Tis fer the muggleborns, Patrick.”

The young cashier seemed hesitant, after all he had only just started working at Flourish and Blotts fairly recently and had never encountered Siofra Evermoore’s extreme generosity. Generosity that grew from being the only magical child born to squibs. Squibs who struggled to send their only magical child to Hogwarts after the main family refused to give aid.

That was something Siofra never wanted anyone else to go through and thanks to her miraculous marriage to Darragh Evermoore, she could hopefully spare some families from such a burden.

“Well what do we have here?” A male voice rhetorically said in a voice full of disdain. “Taking pity on Mudbloods, Lady Evermoore?” 

Anya startled at the new voice but frowned at hearing the slur. Gran had always told her to never use it. Patrick, meanwhile, paled as Siofra turned around, a blank look on her face. “Sir Cygnus.” The blonde greeted cooly. 

Standing at the bottom of some stairs stood a dark haired male- the one who spoke, and five females. The blonde at his side was obviously his wife as she was the only other adult in the group and holding her hand was a small, long blonde haired child around the age of seven dressed in blue dress-like robes and had a matching blue bow tied in her hair. Standing next to the woman we’re two identical brunette’s, one with her long brown hair free flowing and one with her hair in a styled braid. Both looked to be about nine and were wearing similar looking brown dresses and held each others hand.

Finally, Anya’s eyes drifted towards the final member of the group, a young girl around her age with curled raven black hair and striking gray eyes. You would think the girl was going to a funeral with the way she dressed in all black, but she didn’t seem to care since she carried herself haughtily. 

The man- Cygnus’ eyes trailed towards Anya, making her clench her fist in an attempt to not reach for her Gran’s robes. 

She wasn’t a child, after all.

“So this is the young Evermoore heiress?” Cygnus asked rhetorically and Siofra raised her head slightly in challenge. “How…regrettable that we haven’t met before today.” With an overly sweet smile, Cygnus bowed lowly. “I am Cygnus Black, scion of the Ancient and Most Noble House of Black.”

Anya took a moment to reply before bowing slightly, making sure to not bow as low as he did. “Anya Evermoore, heiress of The Most Ancient and Most Noble House of Evermoore.” Straightening up, Anya added. “Well met, Sir Cygnus.”

Cygnus straightened up, his overly sweet smile turning just a little bit more genuine. “Well met, Heiress Evermoore.” Extending his arms, he directed Anya’s gaze to the rest of his group. “My family.” He introduced, using his hand to indicate each member. “My wife, Druella.”

The blonde haired woman curtsied. “Well met, Heiress Evermoore.”

Anya nodded her head in greeting. “Well met, Madam Black.”

Druella straightened and Cygnus continued on. “My youngest, Narcissa.”

The young girl startled but a quick squeeze of her mothers hand had her quickly dropping down to a  curtsy. “W-well met Heiress Evermoore.”

Anya smiled at the younger child. “Well met young miss.”

Cygnus cleared his throat, it was best to move along to avoid his sister finding out about Narcissa’s little slip up, and quickly pointed at the two brunettes. Which, in most universes would have only been one due to Druella Black’s grief over her mother and father’s death causing too much strain during her pregnancy. 

“The twins.” Cygnus introduced and both curtsied. “Cassiopiea. The older twin.” 

The brunette with the braid gave Anya a small smile. “Well met, Heiress Evermoore.”

Anya returned the small smile and nodded. “Well met, young miss.”

“And Andromeda, the younger twin.” Cygnus added and Andromeda followed her twins lead and smiled at Anya.

“Well met, Heiress Evermoore.” The younger twin said softly.

Anya’s smle softened. “Well met, young miss.”

Both twins straightened and Cygnus moved on to the final girl, the curly haired ravenette who was watching Anya with a calculating look. 

Perhaps in most universes, the Most Ancient and Most Noble house of Evermoore was one of the first to fall at the hands of the dark wizard Lord Voldemort before his rise to power. Perhaps in most universes, Bellatrix Black had only ever heard whispers of the poor unborn child who perished while still in their mother’s womb. Perhaps in most universes, the two had never met because none in the Evermoore Branch families could send warning to their Head of House. 

However, in this universe, Anya was born, and her birth caused a large ripple that changed several lives, including that of young Cassie.

Cygnus looked at his eldest for a moment with a strange expression on his face, turning to Siofra, the elder woman just nodded and Cygnus’ eyes light up in realization before turning guilty.

“And my eldest,” Cygnus continued, internally wincing at Siofra’s response. Perhaps Arcturus had a right to yell at him eleven years ago. “Bellatrix.”

Bellatrix tilled her head slightly as she took in every detail of the girl before her. A slight panic bloomed in her parents chest the longer it took her to greet the auburn and honey blonde haired girl.

Oh if Walburga found out….

Finally, Belltrix curtsied. “Well met, Heiress Evermoore.”

Anya nodded, surprising the others by bowing ever so slightly at the raven haired girl. “Well met, Miss Black.”

Siofra, however, had never been more proud of her granddaughter.