12 Grimmaulde Place
"Please, Cassie, come with me. You don't belong here. Neither of us does." Silence fell through the dark green room that was decorated with the colors of red and gold. On the wall hang multiple pictures taken with a wizard camera and some that looked to be taken with a muggle one. Most of them consisted of five people smiling and looked as if they had won a million galleons. Some of the pictures were occupied by two boys, one with glasses and rather messy hair while the other boy had dark curly hair.
However, there were also many pictures of the curly-haired boy and another boy with sandy blonde hair. One could tell that they were all great friends in the way they looked standing next to each other. However, one particular picture stood out the most. There were two children, with hair as dark as night and both with elegant curls. They were almost an exact copy of each other and couldn't have been more than six years old. The boy looked up and smiled a big mischievous smile that showed a few missing teeth, while the girl was making a funny face at the camera before giving a big smile.
"I remember that day. Andy wouldn't stop taking pictures because we looked so cute." A slight laugh escaped the younger twin. "Mother was furious, saying that was no way for a young lady and gentleman to behave." A look of longing lighted up her eyes, as of trying to relive the memory. "Cassie... "
She turned around and looked at her brother. It felt like someone was stabbing her heart with a knife. "Sirius, I can't. You know that, go and live with James. I'll visit if I can, but I have to stay here." Silence filled the room for a moment as she took hold of his hand and squeezed it gently. "He needs me, and I know no matter how much you want to leave, the thought of leaving him is hurting you. "
A small smile appeared on his face. It sometimes surprised him how well she knew him. She could look at him once and see that something was bothering him, there were times where he hated it, but he couldn't help but secretly love it. It was unbelievable how much his sister had grown over the years, from the little girl who used to follow him around all the time to a strong independable woman who would do anything for the people she loved. Including letting their parents marry her off to someone she didn't know, so they would let her brothers be. However, what worried him the most, was that now that he left, his sister's engagement would happen sooner than planned to cover the fact that the oldest child of the black family was disowned.
He told her that she could always do the same as Andy did and marry for love. But she said that this was the only way she could make sure that their brother would be safe. Sirius hoped for his sister that whoever she ended up marrying would treat her with the respect she deserves.
"I'll be fine. Besides, mother is dying to finally show off her wonderful pure-blood Slytherin son-in-law, so until they find the poor bloke, I'll be okay." Cassie smiled at her older brother before giving him a tight hug. She pulled away from her brother and smiled at him. "Promise you'll write to me?" A chuckle filled the room. " Of course, even I can only take so much of Prongs rambling about Evans."
He picked up his bags and gave her a smile before walking out of his bedroom. Cassie could hear his footsteps echoing down the stairs, and then a loud shriek filled the house. She listened to her mother and her brother yelling at each other before suddenly a loud noise was heard, and the front door was slammed shut. Tears started gathering in her eyes, and unwillingly the first one fell. Sitting down on her brother's bed, she took his pillow and hugged it close.
"CASSIOPEIA!!!" Her mother's voice echoed through the halls.
Cassie dried her tears and walked out of the room towards the staircase. On the way down, she met Kreacher's eyes and gave him a soft smile, he bowed his head, but a little smile could be seen. Even though they didn't share the same views on blood status, they still cared for one another. Reaching the end of the stairs, she walked through the narrow hallway before reaching the parlor.
The first thing Cassie saw as she entered the room was a tall woman with dark curly hair dressed in a long dark dress and wore a big necklace with the Black family crest. Walburga looked at her daughter as she entered and didn't bother hiding the scowl on her face as she saw what her daughter was wearing.
She hated that the muggles had a way of affecting her children; it didn't help that her oldest son found such pleasure in rebelling against her. Now that he was gone, she was happy that that problem was solved. However, no matter how much she thought of him as a blood traitor, he was still her son and a part of her pained with the loss of him. Nevertheless, she was a woman with too much pride ever to admit it.
"Yes, mother?" Cassie looked at the woman in front of her and couldn't help but wonder why she had been called. Her mother rarely talked to her children before dinner, as she was usually busy drinking tea and gossiping along with the other pure-blood wives of those who shared the same view as her on the matter of blood status.
"As you know, your 17th birthday is coming in a few months, and your father and I decided that it was time for you to get married."
It wasn't until then that she had noticed the other people in the room. In the corner sat her father in his big chair, with his legs crossed reading the daily prophet, while occasionally looking up and meeting the eyes of his daughter. On the dark green sofa that stood in the middle of the room sat her younger brother Regulus, his eyes flicking between his mother, his sister, and the other guests that she had yet to notice. Following her brother's gaze, she saw her cousin Bellatrix leaning up against the fireplace, looking at her with a wicked smirk on her face. Next to her stood a tall, dark-haired boy with the same wicked smirk and nasty look in his eyes as her cousin, Rodolphus Lestrange, Cassie thought right away as she saw her cousin's husband.
On the opposite couch of her brother, Mr. and Mrs. Lestrange sat in clothes that were befitting such a family and looked at her with something in their eyes that she couldn't quite describe. However, she had a feeling that it couldn't be any good. Next to them stood a tall boy, who she recognized as Rabastan Lestrange. She had seen the boy around the school, and during the last few weeks, had thought she heard her mother talking about him. He was, as she put it, the perfect Slytherin. He had been a part of the quidditch team, a prefect, and a member of Slughorn's club, though he had just graduated a few weeks ago. So the chances of seeing him in school were pretty slim, to say at least. Her eyes returned to her mother before landing on her father as he put away the prophet and met her gaze.
"We have an announcement to make. Our two families have agreed that you, Cassiopeia, and you, Rabastan, will be set to marry."
She looked at her father, countless thoughts and feelings went through her right now, but she wasn't able to sort out a single one of them. Cassie had hoped she would at least have until the end of next year before any engagement would come up. But it seemed like that wasn't going to happen. "Yes, father."
Her eyes swiftly flew over to where her brother sat, but he kept his gaze at the floor, refusing to meet hers. She knew that this was for the best, that this was the only way she could make sure that he would be safe. "The wedding will take place next summer." His grey eyes looked sternly upon his daughter. Cassie nodded her head and turned her gaze over to her future husband, who looked as if he wasn't quite sure if he should be there. Her legs moved closer to him until she was standing before him. Brown eyes met in a stare down that lasted a few moments.
That was before Rabastan put his right hand out for her to shake. She gave his hand an uncertain look before taking it and clasped it firmly. "It's a pleasure meeting you, Miss Black."
" Likewise, Mr. Lestrange, I'm looking forward to getting to know you."
Over the next few months, Cassiopeia endured her mother, who had grown to be even more of a pain. It almost seemed like she had forgotten about the child that she had not only months ago blasted off the family tree. As she practically danced around the house in the joy that her daughter was marrying into a respectable pureblood family. Truth be told, there was nothing Cassie wished for more than to be back on the train to Hogwarts, so she could see her brother and friends and get some peace and quiet from that bloody woman called her mother.
She looked at the newest letter that had arrived only moments ago and smiled as she read about Peter and Remus's appearances at the Potter Manor. The letter told of the pranks they had played at James's father, of the mess they made while trying to bake a cake, and Dorea forcing them to clean up. And how they were going to buy Remus all the chocolate he wanted, to make up for the full moon that they missed while he had been home. Pulling out some parchment and a quill, she quickly replied. Signing her name, she folded the letter and tied it around the leg of her white owl Nova and watched as she flew out the open window and disappeared. A smile appeared on her mouth as she thought about her four mischievous friends and how she couldn't wait until she saw them again.