Merry Christmas
The next few days had gone by much faster than Cassie would have thought. Thankfully her mother had been too busy to spare her a glance, so she had spent her time in the library with her brother or managed to sneak out to the clearing Rabastan had brought her to on her first day. Having Bellatrix and Rodolphus here hadn't been all that terrible, but that was mostly because they were practically gone all the time, you'd see them for breakfast, and then poof, they would disappear. Being as curious as she was, Cassie had thought about asking but ended up deciding that she would rather not know, after all, ignorance is bliss.
As Cassie lay staring up at the roof, she couldn't help but let her mind run with thoughts, specifical thoughts about the ball that was happening tonight. Had she been at the Potters with James and Sirius, they would have already begun opening their presents, sitting in the living room around the large tree in their pajamas, switching between passing presents and opening them. A knock echoed from the door before it opened slightly, and a mop of dark hair appeared in the door opening. "Are you awake, Cas?"
She sat up, letting the comforter fall off her upper body. "Is that you, Reg?"
"Yeah, eh, breakfast is in a bit in case you want some."
"Thanks, I'll be right out there."
He gave her a nod and started to retract himself before he turned to her again. "Merry Christmas."
Cassie felt her lips stretch out in a small smile. "Merry Christmas." As the door closed, she let out a sigh before climbing out of bed and wander over the floor to turn the light switch on. As she got dressed, the girl made a note to shower or take a bath after breakfast. She very much doubted her mother would be pleased if she showed up tonight without having showered, even though she showered yesterday.
"Oh, Merry Christmas." A voice appeared behind Cassie as she stepped into the hallway and turned to close her door. Turning around, she saw a tired-looking Rabastan coming out of his bedroom.
"Looking at you, I'd rather say good morning, but Merry Christmas to you too. Just up?" She asked, watching him fight back a jawn.
"You could say that, pretty sure I'd still be sleeping had it not been for your bother asking if I wanted breakfast."
Cassie cracked a smile as she started to make her way to the staircase, with Rabastan following her. "Well, they say breakfast is the most important meal of the day."
"Can't argue with that, suppose we'll need it today of all days. Ready to spend the day listening to our mothers running around giving orders to every single being in this house?" He asked, giving her an almost amused grin.
"I think I'm going to take a page out of Regulus's book and find somewhere to hide." She commented, causing the boy to laugh. She turned towards the boy and gave him a rather confused glance. "What?"
Rabastan held her glance for a moment before looking away, shaking his head slightly while smiling. "Good luck with that. Personally, I'd help you, but I don't fancy meeting the wraith of my mother today when they can't find us."
"They did want us to spend more time together," Cassie stated as they started walking down the stairs with her in the front and Rabastan following closely behind.
Though she couldn't see him, she could already picture him rolling his eyes at her while still bearing that charming smile of his. "I believe their response to that would be; you can spend time together tomorrow, or better yet during the ball. I think they would want us to spend the day making ourselves look perfect for tonight, rather than using the day on each other, especially considering how many days we actually have to spend together."
She let out a small sigh and forced herself to admit that she had lost this round. "Okay, I see your point."
As they entered the dining room, both were rather surprised when they saw the only present was Regulus, who was too busy smearing jam on a piece of bread to notice them entering.
"Where is everyone else?" Rabastan asked the younger boy as he pulled out a chair and sat down across him.
Looking up from his plate Regulus chewed his food before swallowing it with a sip from his pumpkin juice. "They've already eaten. I think they have been up for quite some time though I wouldn't be surprised considering what day it is."
"Speaking of." Rabastan started as he leaned over the table and grabbed a piece of bread. "Your sister here was thinking about hiding out until tonight."
The younger boy almost spat out his juice as he heard what was said and turned his gaze slightly to his left. "You really think she's not going to find you?" He questioned, thinking about all the times Cassie had hidden from their mother when she was younger and didn't want to wear the dresses their mother had laid out, the girl could hide anywhere in the house, but somehow, someway Walburga always found her.
Cassie scrunched her face as she too suddenly got the image of a seven-year-old little girl hiding all over the house only to be found by her mother eventually. "Sometimes, I wonder if she used a tracking spell to find me." She muttered before she took a bite out of her breakfast.
"I wouldn't be entirely surprised if that was the case. You did, after all, come up with a few rather inventive hiding places." Regulus commented.
Rabastan raised a brow. "Such as?" he questioned the younger boy, who noticed the look of curiosity starting to etch into the older boy's features.
Regulus stared amusingly at his sister, who only gave him a sharp look and shook her head, though he did, such as their brother have done and still does on several occasions, ignored her and turned his gaze.
"Well, she once found out that behind a loose plank in the back of her wardrobe was a hollow space in the wall, it wasn't big, but it was big enough for her to hide in there from our mother. But that's not the funny part." His grin grew as the words left his mouth.
Cassie propped up her right elbow on the table and buried her face in her hand. "Regulus..." she sighed.
"She had gotten this muggle book from our uncle Alphard during Christmas. It was something about a witch and a magical wardrobe that took you to a magical world. Anyway, she was absolutely convinced that her wardrobe was a portal to some distant land, and the hollow space in the wall was the evidence of it."
A deep chuckled erupted from Rabastan as he looked at the flustered teenage girl next to him. "Regulus.." She warned her brother, yet he ignored her.
"That's not all. She was sure that the Gryffindor lion was a talking lion named As-"
Cassie cleared her throat and lifted her head, throwing her brother the dirtiest glare she could muster, and managed to shut him up immediately. It was tiny moments like this when their parents weren't around, and his guard was down that in some ways he reminded her of Sirius.
"So that's why you were so eager to enter the wardrobe in your room." Rabastan mused, causing Cassie to sent him a small glare.
"Shut up." She muttered as her face heated up even more. The boy just sat and looked absolutely amused as he saw the dark cheeks and the way she nibbled her lower lip.
"Oh, there you are." Walburga let out a sigh full of relief as she entered the dining room and set her gaze upon her daughter. "I have been looking everywhere for you. Why on earth are you still sitting here when there's so much to do?" She stated, narrowing her eyes on Cassie, whose redness had faded from her skin, leaving her a bit paler than normal as she seemed rather uncomfortable in her seat.
"I was just eating breakfast," she answered quietly, almost as if she wasn't quite sure what to say, and honestly, she wasn't.
Walburga threw her hands up before settling them on her waist. "Breakfast can wait. A shower, however, can not. I suggest you take yours now before everyone else, so we'll have more time to do your hair later." She switched her eyes over to her son and smiled sweetly. "Make sure to eat a good breakfast Regulus. There won't be any dinner until tonight." She sent a quick smile to Rabastan before walking out of the room.
Cassie's eyes lingered on her mother as she disappeared from her sight. The two boys shared a look while she took a final bite from her bread and a sip of juice before placing both of her palms on the table and stood up. "Well... I suppose if I want to finish in time, I better get started." She stepped away from the table and threw the boys a small smile as she exited the room. "See you later."
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A knock brought Cassie out of her trail of thoughts as she had been sitting by her desk combing through her hair for the last ten minutes. "It's open." Her voice rang through the door and reached whoever it was on the outside.
"Hey." Turning around, she caught the sight of Rabastan, who was standing in the doorway holding an envelope in his hand.
"Hey, are you okay?" She questioned, watching as he bore a rather strange expression and seemed to be looking a bit nervous.
"Yes, yes I am." He replied as he stepped inside the room and turned around to close the door. "I-eh have something for you. Your Christmas present," he added, seeing a slight confusion decorating her features.
Her eyes widened slightly as she stood up and made her way to her wardrobe. "Thanks for reminding me. I got you something as well." She started shifting through her clothes until she found a box lying under a jumper.
"In your closet?" he almost wanted to chuckle as he sat down in what had seemingly become his chair. "You kept it in your closet?"
Turning around, she gave him a cheeky smile as she pulled out the box from underneath layers of clothes. "Just in case any of you decided to come snooping." She moved closer to the boy with the box in her hands and sat down on a chair next to him. Just like they had been doing for the last few days, sitting up here with each of their own cups of tea while they just talked.
"Here you first." she insisted, leaning slightly forward as she handed him the gift that was nicely wrapped, topped off with a red bow. Her eyes brimming with excitement as she watched him slowly unwrapped the paper. He raised a brow curiously at her before he looked down at the box in his lap. As he opened it, he immediately came upon his own reflection.
"It's a two-way mirror. I figured it might come in handy at times." Cassie explained.
"Thank you. It is brilliant. I don't think I would have thought of that myself," Rabastan said happily as he lifted the mirror in his hands and turned it around before placing it back in the box. After putting it on the floor, he lifted his gaze and met hers while a rather nervous smile made its way to his lips. "Here." Stretching out his hand, he handed her the envelope.
She grinned excitedly at him before turning her gaze down and proceeded to open it. Inside was a piece of paper folded in two, and as she pulled it out of the envelope, she gave him a quick, curious glance. Unfolding it, she let her eyes dance over the words before they widened significantly as she raised them and looked at him in pure shock. "Are you serious?"
A small grin appeared as he seemed to relax visibly. "Maybe I should have gotten you glasses instead if you confuse me for your brother."
"Oh, shut up." She glared playfully at him. "But honestly, are you serious?" Her voice was full of disbelief as she almost didn't believe what she saw or rather read.
"You did say you wished for a chance to disappear. This is it."
She reread the letter to see if there were any clue there on if he was lying or, better yet, where they were going."
Dear Cassie,
I remember what you said during Slughorn's Christmas party. That your Christmas wish, if it had to be anything, was that you'd get the chance to run away. Now we won't be running away, but I managed to persuade our parents to let us go on a trip together, "to get to know each other better," as I told them.
They don't need to know everything, and when it comes to where we're going, neither do you. All you need to know is that we're leaving the day after your appointment with the dress counselor. The rest? Well, that's a surprise.
Merry Christmas,
Rabastan.
Cassie's smile was so bright and so warm that Rabastan couldn't help but trade his grin out for a smile. Standing up, she moved over to him and held out her hand. For a moment, he stared questionably at her until he took it and was rather surprised when she hoisted him up in a standing position before leaning up on her toes and throwing her arms around his neck, catching him off guard.
Rabastan stood still for a moment, unsure what to do. Before he snapped out of it, he encircled his arms around her waist and held her close. Her dark hair tickled softly against his chin, and though he tried not to, he couldn't help but inhale, letting her fragrance wash over him. And instantly, almost magically, he thought, all of his nerves disappeared. The small, almost terrified feeling that had lingered in the pit of his stomach while he was gathering up the courage to knock on her door was gone.
As she slowly lowered her arms and stepped away from him, he could see the way her eyes lighted up as she smiled at him.
"Thank you. So much, I don't even know where to begin." Cassie seemed almost speechless as she tried to piece together a sentence. She took his hand and gave it a gentle squeeze as she gazed up at him. "Thank you."
"You already said that." He said as his other hand went up to his neck and rubbed the back of it. "But you are very much welcome." The corner of his lips tilted upwards as he watched her smile grow even more if possible. Lowering his eyes, he caught the thin silver chain around her neck. "I didn't see that earlier."
Cassie tilted her head slightly downwards as her hand immediately went up to the necklace. the thin chain led down to a small round silver pendant, and in it was a single elegantly written C. "It was a Christmas present from Regulus." She smiled fondly as a finger lightly caressed the pendant. "He was here just before he went to take a shower."
"It suits you." He complimented.
"Thank you." She smiled up at him before letting a small chuckle fill the room as she shook her head. "I should probably stop saying that."
"I'm pretty sure you've said it enough times to cover at least a week if not two." Rabastan joked, smiling slightly. He sent a quick glance at his watch, noting the time before meeting her eyes again. "Speaking of a shower. I should probably take mine too, before Rodolphus and Bellatrix comes back. Did you know that Bellatrix takes the longest time in the bathroom?" He asked as he started to move closer to the door.
"Oh, I know. I learned from a rather young age that if you're going to shower, never shower after Bella, she either uses up all the hot water or takes an extremely long time getting done." Cassie retorted with a slight smile.
As he was halfway out of the door, he turned to face her. "Good luck with your mother."
Rolling her eyes, she smiled playfully. "Good luck with your shower," she answered, making the older boy chuckle.
As the door closed, Cassie couldn't help but let her smiling face linger on the door. She eyed the letter in her hand yet again, finding it hard to believe that he had given her exactly what she had wanted for Christmas. A break. It wasn't terrible, but it was more like walking around and being continuous tense because you never knew who you'd see or what's going to fall out of her mother's mouth next.
Thankfully she had a few hours until her mother would come and help her get dressed, and though she had thought about hiding, Cassie figured that it might be best to use that time for something reasonable. Like perhaps get some lunch so she wouldn't starve until the ball started.
On her way to the kitchen, she managed not to bump into or see a single person, though as she sat by a table, she did overhear the sound of her mother and Cerys discussing flower arrangments and where to put them. It made her wonder how those two would act when the wedding got closer. As Cassie ate, she savored the feeling of food, knowing that it would be a while until the next meal.
For the next few hours, Cassie had spent her time in her room, though with occasional visits from Regulus, that had made the time pass a bit faster. While sitting on the end of her bed, her eyes were glued to the dress that hung on the wardrobe door. Her mother had been rather, well pleased, would be an understatement but satisfied when Cassie had shown her the dark green dress she had chosen for the night. The color had been chosen deliberately to please her mother, but even if she had the opportunity to choose something else, she still would have chosen this one. It was a satin off-shoulder dress with a sweetheart neckline. The top was beaded down to the waist before going out in a full skirt. It truly was a beautiful dress.
Cassie had just found a parchment and figured that she would write a letter to Sirius when her mother came strolling in the door with her hair curled up in an elegant hairdo, wearing the same clothes she had worn earlier, which meant that Walburga would wait until after she was done with Cassie to change into her own dress.
"So what should we do with you." She mumbled mostly to herself as she stopped in front of her daughter and let her eyes roam her hair and face. "Come here." Walburga urged the young girl from her bed and over to the chair by her desk and immediately started to brush her hair gently.
"I am old enough to do these things myself, mother," Cassie spoke, feeling the movement in her hair as her mother combed. Walburga didn't say anything at first, just sat quietly until a small whisper reached Cassie's ear.
"I know." Though she couldn't see her mother's face, she heard an underlying tone of what almost sounded like sadness. "Did you get the present from Rabastan?" Walburga asked, changing the subject instantly.
"I-yes, I have," Cassie answered, smiling slightly at the thought.
" I thought it was an excellent idea. It will give you two an extra chance to get even more acquainted," Her mother said smugly as she tugged and moved the dark locks of hair around. "Don't you agree?"
"I do. Since I won't be seeing him until summer, I think it's a good opportunity for both of us." She lied smoothly, winching lightly as her mother pulled a bit too hard on her hair.
"I do wonder where you are going," Walburga mumbled quietly. "Did he tell you? Will you be back before you return to school?"
Merlin is she planning on interrogating me, Cassie thought while listening to her mother ramble on about what types of clothes she should bring or how many days they would be there. "I'm not sure mother, all he told me was that we would stay there long enough so that he would drop me off at the platform when I'm going back. So I doubt we're returning here together." She gave yet another lie. It did seem that around her mother, they came easier than she thought. Rabastan hadn't said anything about how long they were going to be gone, but with a little bit of luck, she was sure that she'd manage to convince him to let them stay until term started again.
Her mother gave a final humming sound before she stepped away from her daughter and gave an approving nod to her work. "There, now that's done. Now turn around so I can fix your face."
Closing her eyes, Cassie took a deep breath to calm her nerves before she stood up and turned the chair, and sat down facing her mother. She knew what her mother meant by what she had said, but it didn't make Cassie any less annoyed while hearing it. Truthfully there was nothing more she missed now than her four roommates; at least they managed to keep the mood up and lively.
"Close your eyes," Walburga commanded as she let the brush in her hand glide over her daughter's pale face.
After what felt like hours, her mother leaned away from Cassie's face with an approving smile. Though she hadn't seen herself yet, the proud expression on her mother's face almost made the girl slightly terrified of what she would see.
It didn't look entirely bad, she thought, studying her face in the mirror. She was thankful that her mother hadn't attempted to put glitter on her face. She would have drawn the line there. Her dark eyes were framed with a dark eyeliner and dark eyeshadow, making her eyes stand out more than usual, her cheeks held a warm and healthy glow, one that she certainly didn't have earlier that day, and her lips were painted in a soft red color.
"Now the dress." Walburga clapped her hands together excitedly as she broke Cassie out of the slight trance she had fallen into while watching herself. Turning her gaze from her reflection, she watched her mother's figure move across the floor and stare admiringly at the dress before taking it off the hanger. "Come on now." She said to her daughter, who only let out a deep breath before following her mother's orders.
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For the last half hour, guests had been coming through the front door, handing off their cloaks before making their way to the ballroom. Rabastan had to give it to his mother for coming up with the idea of making the library into an additional wardrobe room for the night, seeing as the closet in the hallway were pretty much filled with their own clothes.
He stood leaning by the wall next to the staircase. Each time the front door opened or anyone from the foyer or dining room made an appearance in the hall, he stood straight with a good posture, just like a perfect gentleman who was waiting for his lady to descend down the stairs. And in a way, he was just that. It had been almost ten minutes since he had seen Walburga coming down the stairs before greeting Mrs. Rosier and leading her towards the ballroom.
And in those ten minutes, he had been waiting patiently for a certain female to walk down those stairs, being said, he'd rather much stay waiting here than go in with the others and stand around almost awkwardly until their parents had made their opening speech.
"Lucius." Rabastan greeted as he noticed the tall blonde man walking down the hall with his wife on his side. "Narcissa. It's good to see you two again."
Lucius sent the boy a curt nod. "I could say the same to you. Why are you standing here? Join us." There was an underlying meaning in his voice that Rabastan recognized but chose to ignore.
He shook his head slightly. "I'm thankful for the offer, but I'm waiting for someone." His gaze flickered up the stairs before he turned and sent a small smile towards the couple.
Lucius's eyes widen slightly as he looked at the younger boy almost mockingly. "Oh really? it wouldn't happen to be a certain Miss Black now, would it?"
Narcissa placed a hand on Lucius's shoulder, making him turn his gaze to her. "Perhaps we should go in. I'm sure my cousin will be down any minute, and I promised my sister that I would find her when we arrived." She moved her eyes, meeting Rabastan's grateful gaze.
Lucius nodded his head at his wife. "Well, we all know how impatient your sister can be." He chuckled before throwing the younger boy a final look along with a firm nod as both he and Narcissa continued their way down the hall.
The moment the two disappeared around the corner, Rabastan let out a breath he didn't know he had held, and he felt a sudden need to loosen his bow as it felt much tighter than before.
"If I didn't know any better, I'd say you almost look constipated. Are you okay?"
"Yeah, I'm f-" As he turned to face whoever it was that had spoken, he felt his breath hitch, and his eyes widen. It felt as if all the air was sucked out of him the moment he laid eyes on her,
"Is it that bad?" Cassie asked nervously as he stood and stared at her. "Rabastan?"
He blinked a few times while shaking his head as he let his eyes rest over her again. "I- You look.." He struggled to find his words, but Cassie was not an idiot. The way he looked at her at the moment reminded her of how James looked at Lily when he saw her before the Christmas party. If that was not enough, the sight of his red ears was enough to tell her that the boy was rather embarrassed.
"Thank you." She smiled and gave him a knowing glance, causing the boy to let out a small breath of relief while smiling almost nervously at her. Cassie lifted the hem of her dress as she walked down the last few steps before stopping in front of Rabastan. "Are you ready?" She tried as hard as she could to mask the slight nervousness that shook her voice, but he picked up on it immediately.
Snapping out of his thoughts, he lifted his arm for her and smiled encouragingly. "I'm ready if you are."
Placing her hand in his, their eyes met as they both offered mental support to the other. The two walked down the hall and into the dining room. As they continued further down the room, they entered the door opening on their left side, which brought them into yet another hall. They passed a closed door that led into the kitchen a few moments after entering the hallway. A bit further down, they passed yet another door, which Rabastan informed her was his father's study, namely the place their fathers had spent their days hiding from their wives, he joked, causing Cassie to giggle.
At the end of the hall, they came to a large grand double door. Though it was closed, the two could still hear the faint sound of music coming from behind them. Rabastan sent her a questioning look, to which she responded with a nod. He stretched out his other hand, the one she wasn't holding, and knocked on the doors. It didn't take more than a mere second before the doors opened, and the sound of music and chatter filled their ears.
From where she stood, Cassie caught a glimpse of her parents having a conversation with Druella and Cygnus Black, her own aunt and uncle. Not too far from them did she find Bellatrix with a glass of wine in her hand, frequently sipping as both she and Rodolphus shared a conversation with Lucius Malfoy and his wife, as well as Cassies cousin, Narcissa. Feeling a slight nudge in her side, she turned to Rabastan only to find his attention already fixed on something else, or rather someone. As Cassie followed his stare, she saw that Cerys was coming their way.
"I was beginning to worry when I didn't see you two." The woman started the moment she reached them. Her eyes switched between the pair as a small smile stretched her lips. "But no worries, you're finally here. Come on. The speech is about to start." She urged as she stepped behind them, placed each of her hands on their upper back, and gently guided them towards the direction she had come from. While being guided across the room, Cassie caught the sight of a long table stacked with several glasses along with elegant bowls and fountains of beverage, and she made a quick note in her head to somehow find a way to that table throughout the night.
When Cerys stoped, the two came to a halt, feeling the woman's hands drop from their back as she moved to stand between the couple. A few feet in front of them stood Corvus with his wand ready as he looked out over the crowd. "Could I have your attention?" Just as his voice boomed across the room, the music died down, and the chatter stopped making all the attention fall on the Lestrange Patriarch.
"First of all, I want to open with a Merry Christmas. Its been a tradition for as long as most of us can remember that each year the annual Christmas Ball would be hosted by a family different from the year before. Last year it was the Notts, and the year before, it was Rosier, and next year it will be the Black family who will have the same honor of hosting the same gathering as my wife, our sons, and I are currently doing. However, this year this ball is somewhat more special to us than the previous ones, as we are currently, yet again expanding our family."
Cassie felt the older woman's hand on her back again as a slight push sent her forwards. Panic filled her eyes as she turned and met Rabastas gaze, who also had been pushed. He smiled encouragingly down at her as he offered his arm. Taking it immediately, he led her towards his father as he stopped next to him. She tore her eyes from him as she turned and faced the crowd in front of them.
"Though it might be common knowledge by now, I'm pleased to officially announce the engagement of my youngest son Rabastan and Cassiopeia Black, who is set to be married in the summer." Corvus adjusted the wand at his throat before continuing. " I do hope your union will be as successful as your brothers and his wife. Now, if everyone would join me in a toast." He raised his glass and watched as the majority of the room did the same. "I proclaim this year's annual Christmas ball for officially opened." He tilted his glass to his lips and let the flavor of the expensive wine fill his mouth, as did the majority of the guests as well.
The room filled with applause, both to the host and, of course, to the engaged couple. As the applause ceased, music and chatter yet filled the room as everyone returned to what they had previously been doing, except for a few, who went and found someone else to talk to.
"So.." Cassie turned towards Rabastan as he held his sight on the number of people in front of them. "Want to get a drink?" He suggested. Her dark eyes immediately danced with relief when he turned and faced her. "I thought you would never ask."