Black Widow

IN HER SIXTEEN YEARS OF LIFE, NATASHA LEARNED MANY THINGS ABOUT DEATH. 

The first time she experienced death was when she was 1 — watching her mother sacrifice herself for her daughter. However, her relationship with death grew with each year. 

She could remember the first time she'd ever violently killed someone; the brutalizations she’d committed. She was 9, having been freshly returned to the red room after 3 years in Ohio. 

Girls, who used to be her friends, stared at her with jealousy — shoving, and pushing her around when the guards weren’t looking. Girls, who used to look out for each other when one of the guards stared at them for too long. 

Of course, they knew that someday they’d end up killing each other, but they all had an agreement with each other. 

Never be alone with a guard. 

If a girl saw another girl with a guard, they were to walk over and pretend something was happening. The girls, however, stopped doing that for Natasha. If anything, they’d leave the room whenever Natasha was near. 

She could remember Tom always keeping an eye out for potential danger, making sure that Natasha would never be alone with a guard. Still, even with all the precautions, it was no good. 

(WARNING STARTS HERE!!!)

The smell was the first thing she always remembered. Second, was his smile — his teeth crooked, and lips pulled back into a smarmy smile. Lastly, was his hands. 

She could still feel his rough hands on her arms if she remembered hard enough. She could still remember Tom’s threats towards the man who could not see or hear him. She could still remember the feeling of the cold wall on her back. 

Her heart raced, and her stomach flipped upside down with dread. She could remember how helpless she felt — how her throat closed up on her, and the hairs raised on her body. 

She could still feel the roughness of his uniform pressing against her body; could still feel the coolness of his gun digging into her abdomen. She wasn’t quite sure how it happened; if Lady Luck was on her side that day or what. 

All she could remember was biting down on his cheek once he got low enough, and unhooking his gun from his holster. She didn’t even fire any shots, choosing to simply beat the man to death with his own gun. 

Then…

Then she could remember the claps; the look of interest on Dreyko’s face as he made his way into the small room. 

“You have lots of potential, little spider,” He had said, a smirk on his face, “I think you’ll be my new favorite.” 

It was at that moment that Natasha realized something… Any childish fears she had were stupid. What she should be afraid of were people. 

Natasha also realized something else at that moment. 

She should be afraid of herself. 

Endure and Survive, Tom thought as the two men made their way through the forest. Tom followed his wand as it pointed him toward Natasha’s location. “You know, I’ve always wanted to know…” Tom started casually, eyes glancing over toward the man, “Why light my closet on fire?” 

“What?” Dumbledore stopped, taking a moment to process that question. “I did it to prove a point. You stole other people’s property, and that was not acceptable at Hogwarts.”

The Brunette stopped, holding an arm out to stop the man from continuing, “No, because how did you know the stuff wasn’t mine? For all you know, the stuff could’ve been given to me. If you hadn’t frozen the fire, all of my worldly possessions would’ve gone up in flames.” 

“The Orphanage Director said that you—!”

Tom couldn’t help himself; he let out a booming laugh. Tears flowed out of his eyes in amusement, his chest heaving up and down with how hard he was laughing, “Oh, that’s funny, Headmaster!” The man quickly composed himself, though, he still had a look of amusement on his face. “You honestly believed that woman? Are we talking about the person? The one who clutched a bible in one hand, and hard liquor in the other.” 

Dumbledore was quiet for a moment, his blackened hand twitching ever so slightly from nerve pain. “… I’m not quite sure why I did it.” The older man admitted. “Perhaps it was simply an old man’s kookiness, or I simply saw something that I did not like.” 

“You were afraid of a child?” Tom chuckled, rubbing a hand over the lower half of his face, “A malnourished child? Seriously. Albus?” 

“No, I saw something evil.” 

Tom stopped, his easygoing attitude disappearing in a second. “Evil?” His eyebrows raised in amusement, a look of surprise in his eyes. “From the moment you met me, you deemed me a monster?”

“No, I—!”

“That is quite the observation you have, Albus… especially one formed the first time we met.” Tom ran a hand through his hair, fingers running through it seamlessly. “I made the most out of my situation, Albus. I’m a horrible person — I’ll admit that. But what was I supposed to do? Mop around with sadness and sorrow like every other orphan? Did you want me to crawl into your arms, asking why Mommy and Daddy didn’t want me?”

Tom didn’t even give Dumbledore the time to speak, continuing on with his rant, “No, I did what I knew how to do best; to rely on myself and stand on my own two feet! That makes me evil,  Albus? My independence from my childhood scared you that much? That’s ridiculous! Yes, I stole things, but so did everybody else! We were poor, you bloody imbecile! We took what we wanted because we couldn’t afford it! So, I’m sorry that my childhood messed me up so bad that it made you piss your pants like a baby!”

They were quiet for the rest of the walk, the air tense around them. Finally, the two of them made it to Natasha. Both of them blinked in surprise at Natasha’s state. 

However, Natasha said nothing about her appearance, instead commenting, “You guys look like shit.”

The two men said nothing, choosing only to share a glance with each other. 

“Okay…” Natasha trailed off, taking in the tension between the two men. “Well, we should get back. I don’t know about you guys, but I’d like a shower.”

“Yes, a shower and a cup of tea sound wonderful right now, Miss Romanoff.” Dumbledore smiled, his okay hand massaging his injured one. 

Natasha narrowed her eyes, brows furrowed in confusion. 

“Yeah, I’d like to get some new clothes from my closet.” 

Daphne Greengrass was very much concerned for her friend, Natasha Romanoff. Sure, it was understandable that Natasha wasn’t her usual self anymore – anyone would be acting the way she was after what she went through. Hell, Daphne dealt with a greater bout of depression after Hermione passed, but… 

Whatever Natasha Romanoff was going through, was much more serious than any kind of depression a person would go through. Natasha looked like death – the physical embodiment if she was being completely honest. Her skin was paler than usual, with her skin looking like it was almost stretched over her face with the amount of weight she’d lost. The bags under her eyes were heavy, and her lips cracked open from the amount of chewing she was doing. And she had cut her hair!

If that wasn’t a sign of mental instability, Daphne didn’t know what was! All in all, Daphne was worried – no, concerned for her friend. If she was being completely honest, she looked like Dumbledore’s hand. 

She grimaced as she thought of her headmaster, the flesh on his hand getting worse and worse with each day. It was rotting, the smell horrendous. She sighed, eyes glancing towards the clock ticking in the room, the class dragging on. Honestly, she didn’t even know why they even had History of Magic as a class anymore. What was the point if they couldn’t even manage to properly hire a teacher? 

Slumping into her chair (“Sit up straight, Daphne! How do you expect to get a husband with that posture?!” her mother yelled, a vein popping out of her forehead.) Daphne turned her attention to the newest attraction of Hogwarts. 

Mangus Bala, Hogwarts' newest exchange student. A libra, his favorite color was blue, and a tragic backstory. Daphne knew all about the boy, having been the one to find out all the information about him. However, even with his charming smile and great figure, there was something off about him. 

She didn’t know what, though… 

Natasha warmed up to the boy pretty quickly, practically taking him under her wig. Honestly, Daphne thought it was a great idea! Maybe her friend would be able to take her mind off of Hermione, and hell – maybe she’d even get a boyfriend. But Natasha never really got better. She still looked like Death in real life. 

The fact the two could practically have conversations with their eyes was enough to cause suspicion. Mangus looked back, having felt her staring. They held eye contact for a few seconds before Mangus gave her a small smile. Her eyes narrowed, brows furrowing in suspicion. 

Friend or Foe, Daphne didn’t know. However, what she did know was that she was going to get to the bottom of it.  

Natasha gripped her fork, taking slow bites of her lunch. “—I’m just saying that Mangus seems suspicious, that’s all!” Natasha snapped out of her thoughts, turning her attention to her group of friends. 

“Really, Daph? Are you only saying that because he rejected you?” Blaise chuckled, taking a bite out of his fish sandwich. “It’s okay to admit to yourself that not everyone wants you.”

Draco chuckled, glancing up from his book to give his two cents on the conversation, “Seriously, Greengrass. Just because you spend twenty minutes a day just fluffing up your hair, doesn’t mean that every guy is going to drop down and worship you—!”

“Shut up, Malfoy!” The trio snapped, giving the blonde a look. Blaise smiled, his canines popping out playfully. 

“Like you’re one to talk. Didn’t you use to spend hours combing gel through your hair? I distinctly remember you having a mental breakdown if a single piece was out of place.” 

Draco gawked, his eyes flickering between the trio. “Yeah, Crabbe!” Goyle chuckled, talking with his mouth full as he chewed his own sandwich. “Remember when he threatened to sue the company because the products weren’t ‘working properly.’”

“Made us carry around his petition to get the company shut down,” Crabbe continued, stealing an apple slice off of Draco’s plate. “Hey, didn’t your family also run that company too, Romanoff?” 

Natasha stopped, setting down her sandwich slowly. “What?” She asked, genuinely confused. She turned to her friends, asking, “What the hell is he talking about?” 

“You didn’t know?” Said Daphne’s younger sister, Astoria. “The Potter family is one of the most successful families. Your grandfather, Fleamont Potter, invented the Sleekeazy’s hair potion company. After a few years, he invented the hair gel Draco used to love.” 

Why didn’t she know that? She should’ve known that. “Although, after Fleamont died and a distant family member took it over, they rebranded. It was a good thing, too. People went crazy over the potions — some even claimed it would make them immortal. They seriously thought they were going to be the next person to survive the killing curse.” Blaise explained, “One of my mom’s husbands believed that… Let’s just say it didn’t work.” 

Natasha gripped her necklace around her neck, quiet. The group stared at her, watching as she stood up and grabbed her bag, walking out of the Great Hall without saying a word. 

Popping into Diagon Alley, Natasha took in the view in front of her. Witches, Wizards, and creatures of all ages scurried through the shopping district, bodies tense as they walked quickly to wherever they needed to be.

After the attack on the ministry, people started actually believing that Voldemort might actually be back. Glamor on, Natasha made her way through the crowd, making her way to the largest building there; Gringgotts. 

She had been there a few times, making sure her finances were fine, and confirming the fact that she was actually Rosa Potter.

“Good day,” Natasha greeted once it was her turn in line, “I’d like to speak with my account manager.”

“Name.” The Goblin in front of her sneered out. 

Natasha smiled, discreetly dropping her glamor long enough for the Goblin to see. “Rosa Potter.” The goblin straightened up in front of her, a look of interest in his eyes as he shouted out in Gobbledegook.

A few moments later, an impressive Goblin appeared before Natasha. “Ms. Potter—,”

“—Romanoff, Griphook. We’ve gone over this, yes?” Natasha smirked, a playful look on her face. The Goblin in front of her sneered, but she could see a pleased look in his eyes. 

Natasha knew how much he liked a client that would speak up — correct him for his mistakes, treat him as an equal, and look to him for advice. “Come, Ms. Romanoff. I’d rather my lunch not get cold waiting for you.” 

Giving the goblin at the counter a bow of respect, Natasha followed the intense Goblin. When Natasha first met Griphook, the first thought she ever had about him was, “Small and Impressive.”

He was smart and quick to quip back. Natasha liked that about him; it made every time she came to an interesting adventure. Finally, the two made it to his office. Natasha waited for the man to unlock his office, taking a moment to scan the area. Once the door was unlocked, Griphook said, “Ladies first.”

Natasha chuckled, raising an eyebrow. “Such a gentleman.” Strutting into the room, Natasha let her glamor fall, gracefully falling into a chair. 

“So,” Griphook started once he sat down in his chair — sorry, throne, Natasha corrected mentally, “What brings you here today, Ms. Romanoff? As far as I’m aware, aren’t wizarding children supposed to be in school right now?” 

“I’m skipping,” Natasha replied, crossing one leg over the other. “Actually, I came here to learn more about my family.”

Griphook raised an eyebrow, his lips quirking up into an amused smile. Although, if Natasha was being honest, it looked more like a painful grimace. “Wouldn’t a book be able to tell you that? Or any fan of yours?” 

“I’m not talking about who my family is; I wanna know what my family was. What legacy did they leave behind? What’s been forgotten by everyone except for a piece of paper?” Natasha leaned forward in her seat, a piece of her hair falling out from behind her ear. “I’m ready to read my parents will.”

The Goblin’s head tilted to the side, an unconvinced look in his eyes. “Are you sure? Is Lord Black okay with this?”

“Yes. No. Maybe. Who cares? It’s my life — my decision. I want to see the will.” Natasha narrowed her eyes, which if someone looked close enough, flashed a bright red around her iris. “Now.” She demanded.

Griphook hummed, taking a moment to access her. Finally, the goblin stood, holding out a hand for her key. Natasha reached into her bag, placing the large key into his hand gently. “Thank you.”

“Don’t thank me, Ms. Romanoff. It is a right to know your parents’ last words.” 

“I, Lily Lousie Potter, am of sound mind as I give these words.”

Natasha watched with a blank face, taking in the features of her birth mother. They looked identical, with the only significant difference being the nose and Natasha’s curly hair. 

Lily sniffled, tears forming in her eyes as a watery smile formed on her face. “Hi, baby. I bet you’ve grown up to be beautiful… Honey, I… I wish that I didn’t have to do this — that I could hold off making this until I’m gray and wrinkly, but the world is cruel. The world wants to take you away from me, and I won’t let that happen. I would kill everyone on this planet if it meant keeping you safe.” 

The translucent figure of her mother wiped her tears off her face, trying to keep a brave smile on her face. “I want you to know that I love you, so very much. I want you to live every day without fear — without having to look over your shoulder every second. If…” Lily choked on her tears, lips wobbling with tremors, “When I die, I want you to live in a safe environment. One of your Godparents will take you in, and you will live every day feeling the love from everyone.”

“I don’t want you going to my sister. I love my sister, I truly do, but she doesn’t understand magic… her husband scares me, too. I don’t want you to feel scared in your own home. I know she has a little boy — Dudley — maybe one day you shall meet. Having a cousin would be nice, yeah? I loved hanging out with my cousins when I was younger.”

Lily took in a deep breath, taking a moment to calm herself. “Money-wise, your father and I have left you an account to use for school and other things you might need. You’ll get access to your full account once you turn 17, but for then, this account should be fine. I’ve left you a chest filled with my diaries, and spells I’ve come up with. On your 17th birthday, I’m leaving you the first gift your father ever gave me; a conserved lily pad.”

“Oh, look at the time! It seems like it’s your father’s turn, now.” Lily gave one last smile, “I love you, my little Rose. I love you more than the world could even imagine.” With that, Natasha watched as her mother disappeared. 

Her nails dug into her palms, body tensed up from listening to her mother’s voice. “Would you like to continue?” Griphook interrupted her from her thoughts, grabbing Natasha’s attention. She took in a deep breath, taking a moment to calm herself. 

“Yeah, you can continue.” 

Yelena sat in her bedroom, stretching her body over her chair. She let out a sigh of relief as she heard her back crack, pressure releasing itself. 

“Take on me… take me on! I’ll be gone in a day or two!~” 

She closed her eyes, listening to the soft acoustic of the song. Her toes curled anxiously, her bottom lip raw from chewing on it.

“Yelena!” Sirius called, his voice echoing through the house. “Remember to lock your door, honey! And go to bed at a reasonable time!”

She yelled back, rolling her body over to look at the moon. She watched as the clouds moved, playfully revealing the moon for a second. 

Yelena always liked the moon — liked the freedom she felt underneath it. She could remember Mama Melina telling her about Artemis, about her hunters — girls who swore off men and kept their bodies pure, devoting themselves to Artemis, and Artemis only. 

She used to watch the moon at night, sneaking up onto the roof with Natasha as they talked about whatever. When she was sent back to the Red Room, the moon comforted her. Trapped in her bed, with only a sheet to give her warmth. In the corner of the room was a small window, with just enough space to stare at the moon. 

She wondered if Natasha was staring at the moon right now. Was it even nighttime where Natasha was at? She missed her sister, and wished she was physically here. Sure, her weird-magic necklace allowed her to be here, but she wasn’t actually there. Instead, her sister was out there on her revenge mission. 

Yelena knew she would do the same thing – if someone took away Natasha from her, but Yelena felt like Hermione wouldn’t want this. Was Hermione resting easy on the other side, or was she stuck watching someone avenge her? Was she horrified, or pleased with what was happening? 

From the few times Yelena met Hermione, she could tell the girl was a pacifist. Hermione would be horrified by what Natasha was doing. But it’s not like Yelena could say something – Natasha would just call her out on her bullshit, claiming that she’d do the exact same thing. 

And she’d agree. 

“I, James Fleamont Potter, am of sound mind as I give these words.”

“Hey, prongslet! It’s your dad!” Her father, James, cheered. “Hey, wanna hear a joke? What did the mermaid wear to her math class?”

He was silent, his lips twitching with the urge to laugh, “An Algae-bra! Get it? Like the muggle math Lily-Pad was telling me about? From what I’ve heard, it’s almost as bad as arithmancy!”

Natasha chuckled softly, taking in the features of her biological father. There wasn’t much in common, unlike with her mother, but she could see that her nose was all him. She most definitely got her uncontrollable curls from her father as well. Subconsciously, she reached up to her hair, twirling her curls around her fingers. 

Finally, after a few moments, a serious look came on his face. “Now, there are certainly other things I’d like to be doing on a Friday night, but this has to be done. I don’t wish to live my life in fear – I don’t want you to live in fear, but the world has forced us to. That monster has taken almost everything from us, but he can’t take our hearts; our love for you.”

“Oh…” Natasha breathed, chewing her bottom lip. 

“If – when we die, I want you to live comfortably. I’m sure Lily has already talked about the money, and where you’ll live, but… I want you to know what we were like – who our family was. Lily and I got our portraits done the other day, and they’ve been sent to the Potter Manor. When we die, I hope Sirius or god-forbid, Severus, takes you to talk to our portraits. Heck, you can also talk to other members of the Potter family. On your 16th birthday, you’ll be given a key to the manor. Until then, Sirius shall hold onto it.”

He took in a shaky breath, tears forming in his hazel eyes. “I’ve also left contact information for distant members of the Potter family. You should know all sides of your family, Prongslet. Family, Friends, hell – enemies. They’re meant to help you advance in life. I want you to have every opportunity to advance through life.”

James ran a hand down his face, where a slight stubble was starting to grow. “Merlin, I need to shave…” He laughed, shaking his head in amusement. “Anyways, I don’t need to ramble about my personal hygiene. What I do need to ramble about is my love for your mom, for you. If I had to kill everyone in this world to save you both, I’d do it in a heartbeat. I love you more than words can even say… Rosa, you are the best thing that has ever happened to me. I love you, so much.”

The memory cut off, with the last thing Natasha saw was his watery smile. 

“Ms. Romanoff,” Griphook cleared his throat, holding out a key for her, “I believe this is yours, yes?”

She reached forward, her hands shaking as she grasped the key. This was the key to the Potter Manor… “Thank you,” She started, standing up from her chair, “May the blood of your enemies flow in rivers of blood and gold flow in abundance to your vaults. “

He gave a nod, a look of respect in his eyes. 

“Good day, Ms. Romanoff.”

Leaves flowed through the air, her hair moving with the wind. She gripped the key in her hand tightly, taking in the manor in front of her. Even though no one had lived there in years, it still looked like it was well taken care of us. Marching up to the gate, she jammed the key into the lock, turning it until she heard it unlock. 

She could feel the family magic flow through her body, welcoming her as a member of the family. She shook, feeling the love within the magic. Taking in a deep breath, Natasha took a second to calm herself. “This is actually happening…” She murmured under her breath, body stiff with nerves. “Snap out of it, Romanoff!”

Shaking her nerves off, Natasha stroud towards the door, unlocking it with the key. Stepping into the manor, Natasha gasped in amazement. It was beautiful, with intricate designs all over. Soft light filled the hallway, with candles creating a calming atmosphere. Something popped in front of her, startling the girl for a second. 

She reached for her wand, holding it out threateningly. “Oh!” The elf in front of her jumped, holding up her hands in surrender. “Friendly, Ms. Potter! Friendly!”

Natasha lowered her wand slowly, meeting the large eyes of the elf in front of her. “Oh, look at Ms. Potter!” The elf gushed, rushing up to her and taking her face in her hands, “Ivy remembers watching Ms. Potter as a baby!”

“Oh,” Natasha chuckled, kneeling down to allow the elf to reach her better, “Hello, Ivy. I’m Natasha… or Rosa, as you know me.”

Ivy tilted her head to the side, a look of confusion in her eyes. After a few moments, the idea seemed to solidify in her mind. “Ms. Potter has been a long time! Ivy and the other elves have been keeping the manor clean. Why hasn’t Ms. Potter visited? Ms. Potter’s parents have missed her.”

Natasha looked down in shame, not wanting to meet the elf’s disappointed eyes. Of course, she knew it wasn’t her fault, but she couldn’t help but feel guilty; Ivy just had that way about her. “I… I didn’t know,” The redhead admitted, “but I know now. Would you… Would you be so kind to lead me to my parents?”

Ivy considered her for a moment before nodding her head, taking Natasha’s hand within her own. “If Ms. Potter did not know, then Ms. Potter should not feel guilty.” She said, a serious air around her. Natasha smiled, squeezing the elf’s hand. 

The elf led her through the halls, twisting and turning. Natasha could hear faint murmuring, laughter sometimes being heard. Ivy stopped, snapping her fingers to open the door. The elf said nothing, simply giving the redhead a smile. Taking in a deep breath, Natasha stroud forward.

The portraits stopped talking, looking at the girl curiously. She approached James and Lily’s portraits, stopping a few feet in front of them. 

“Hi Mom, hi Dad.”