[HP] Once Upon a Time in England

-1979-

This winter is extremely cold.

The young parturient lay on her back, covered in blood, and had fallen into a coma.The Muggle doctor under the Imperius Curse told them she was in good health, but Cornelia hadn't expected a difficult labor.

She wasn't much of a doctor or healer, but, with the help of potions, things weren't too bad.

"Twins, a boy and a girl." She said to herself, with a somewhat crazy expression, "Blake's child will dedicate himself to Rozier's career in the future...how wonderful."

Cornelia grabbed a piece of clean linen and wiped away the blood on her hands. She threw the lifeless girl at the feet of the unconscious mother, picked up the crying baby boy and walked out the door.

Edmund waited outside the door, his eyes bloodshot, he only glanced at the baby in her arms and looked away.

"It's really affectionate. People who don't know may think you are the father of the child."

"Is she okay?"

"Passed out, but still alive." Cornelia giggled, "If something happens to her, will you come to me and fight for your life?"

Edmund chose to ignore her taunt: "What are you going to do with him?"

"Bring it back to White Castle." Cornelia shook the baby in her arms lovingly, "I will raise him well and let him be a great help to me."

"Will you raise Blake's children well? Give up the country you have worked so hard to give to someone who has no blood relationship with you?" Her expression could be called gentle, but it made Edmund feel cold.

"No blood relationship? That's not necessarily the case." Cornelia stared at Edmund with unfathomable eyes, "I'm a pure-blood, but I don't believe in the so-called blood line. As long as I It’s good to hold power and sit on a golden mountain when I’m alive, and it doesn’t matter who inherits my career after I die—I only care about my ideas, my plans, and whether they can be passed on.”

"I thought you were just trying to threaten Black with the baby."

"I have always believed in the principle of making the best use of everything. Unless it is absolutely necessary, I will not easily make a fuss about his life experience."

"Now you can leave my house?"

"No rush." ​​Cornelia handed the baby boy back to him unexpectedly, "I will stay here and let her take good care of him. I will come and take him away today, one year later."

Edmund guessed what effect she wanted: "You are cruel!"

"If you want her to obey me obediently," Cornelia smiled happily, "this is the best way."

This child is her last hope.If you take it away now, you will inevitably risk indifference.After he was one year old, he had learned to babble, and he also had an impression of his mother. If they were separated at that time, she would definitely give in for the safety of the child.

She woke up from the pain, and blood was still dripping from her body.There was no one in the room, and there was no voice outside the door.She propped herself up to sit up, and then saw the suspected dead child thrown there at a glance.

Tears welled up in an instant, and despite the pain of the wound, she struggled to crawl over and hug the child's body.is a girl.The skin is blue and the eyes are closed.

"Wake up." She touched the child's face, but the child did not respond, as if he had really died.She didn't know what to do, she wasn't taught what to do, it was all motherly instinct - she'd lifted the baby upside down, slapped her on the back.The baby girl coughed, slowly spit out the amniotic fluid and blood that she had choked on before, and then began to cry weakly.

In grief and joy, she took the child into her arms and kissed and comforted her. Her tears fell on her daughter's back and rolled onto the blood-stained sheets.

Why do you want to survive?why don't you die

She vaguely knew Rozier's plan.If the child had to be taken away as soon as it was born, and reduced to Cornelia's tool, it might as well be dead.A crazy idea popped into my mind.She only hesitated for a second, and let herself forget all the hesitation. Rozier would go and come back at any time. She couldn't afford to delay, so she stretched her trembling hand to the baby girl's throat before her heart softened.Although she was exhausted, it didn't take much effort to strangle such a slender neck.

Perhaps death was a better option than growing up with Rozier, than the prospect of a dark future.She could have strangled the baby girl first, then waited for the opportunity to kill herself, so that Rozier would never have the opportunity to take advantage of her.Then everything will return to calm.

At the moment when she was about to exert force, the baby girl suddenly opened her eyes as if she had noticed it.

Those were the gray eyes she knew so well.

She stared at her unconsciously, making her heart palpitate.

She trembled slightly, and loosened her hands weakly.

Cornelia told him that the birth was a little bit brutal.Edmund walked into the room. He was fully prepared to witness the horror, but he didn't expect that she was sitting up and holding another child.

Seeing him coming, she shivered a bit, and suddenly pulled the quilt to cover the child in her arms: "Please..."

"I didn't come to hurt you." He handed her the baby boy who had been cleaned and wrapped in a blanket. "You gave birth to twins, and this is a boy."

She opened her eyes wide and looked in disbelief at the boy who had closed his eyes and fell into a sound sleep. She stretched out a hand and touched his forehead carefully, but did not take the child.Edmund watched her gradually showing surprise, but... Didn't Rozier say that the girl was a dead baby?He looked suspiciously at the bulging piece under the quilt.

Sensing his gaze, the happy smile that briefly appeared on her face disappeared in an instant: "Please." She looked at him mournfully, "Don't tell Rozier."

He guessed: "Is she still alive?"

After hesitating for a moment, she pulled back the quilt.It turned out that the baby girl's mouth was covered by her, and her little face was flushed red.Now that she let go, the baby finally got fresh air, and immediately let out a weak cry like a milk cat. Although it was weak, it was obviously alive.

"Please don't tell her." She begged again, tears streaming down one after another, "I can do whatever you want, just don't tell Rozier that she is still alive."

As if it was a telepathy between twins, the baby boy woke up and sang with the baby girl, crying louder and louder.

Edmund didn't answer, he didn't expect things to go this way at all: "Hug the child first. I'll go... get you some potions."

The children scrambled to get into her arms for food instinctively, and her eyes were glued to Edmund's back until he left the room.Edmund needed to think carefully about her request.He could indeed lie to Rozier.But he could fool her for a while, but he couldn't easily fool her forever.

When he returned, the twins had been put to sleep.

"Here." He handed her the potion, "Rozier wants this boy."

With a shake of her hand, most of the potion was spilled.No wonder Rozier didn't try to save the girl, it turns out she already got another one.She hugged her son and shook her gently, pressing her face against his tender cheeks.

"Not now," said Edmund, "in a year—she wants you to keep him for a year before she takes him away."

"What does she want to do?" Her voice was hoarse.

"Train him. Make him his assistant." He repeated Cornelia's words verbatim, and then went on, "As for the girl... I can lie to her for you."

Edmund thought he must be crazy.If Cornelia sees through this big lie, she will never make it easy for him.But he couldn't refuse, maybe out of pity, maybe out of guilt.

"Rozier wants you to do things for her too. She wants to keep you with her." The moment he saw the opal necklace, Edmund realized he had been tricked by Rozier, thinking he would be the last The winner, but did not know that Rozier was sneering and manipulating him to take another step on the chessboard, "The premise for me to help you is that you have to obey my arrangement."

She listened carefully to what he said.

"This girl must be sent away immediately, without delay. Do you know where or who can entrust her?"

Her eyeballs moved, and after a while, she replied, "Wu's Orphanage."

"Very well. I will send her away tonight, and tomorrow I will tell Rozier that I have disposed of the dead baby. All you have to do is not show your feet in front of her." Edmund made a quick decision, and they really Rozier can be fooled, as long as they cooperate perfectly, "Also, I will start teaching you Occlumency."

"Okay." She quickly agreed, lest he would go back on his word, "What do you want... as a reward?"

What do I want?

What can you give me?

He saw a touch of fear in her eyes, she must not have forgotten why she was brought to Parkinson Manor.Edmund knew that she would not refuse any of his requests now, but he shook his head: "It's just atonement."

After all, he was the one who sent her and her child to Rozier and placed them in such a dangerous place.

Without saying anything, she lowered her head and kissed the girl's forehead, and silently handed her over to Edmund.He looked down at the sleeping girl, feeling a little ironic.

"Give her a name," he suggested.

She thought of the star under Canis Major, Edharo, which had been the brightest star in the night sky.

"Alright, the nickname can be Ida." Edmund didn't know why he was so kind. "An ordinary Muggle name would be safer."