Cassiopeia Black the Second is nine years old when Walburga Black sits her down and tells her she is betrothed.
Cassiopeia smiles, her parents birthed her for this, she will not disappoint them.
She is to marry Andrew Avery, he is two years older than her, the same age as her brother Sirius and he is too start Hogwarts with Sirius in the fall.
Cassiopeia will meet Avery at the annual Malfoy Ball on Saturday.
Every year the Malfoys have a ball to celebrate the new lords and lady's of the purest houses attending Hogwarts, it's a sort of farewell to their childhood but there is the underlying message of duties needing to be fulfilled.
get your families house, keep with the right sorts, reach academic excellence.
"Mother?" Cassie speaks, watching across the large family dining table as her mother cuts her lamb chop.
"Yes Cassiopeia?" Walburga replies, exasperated.
"Does Lord Avery have a big Manor? will i get to stay there?" Cassie is excited to be married even if it is a ways away.
Walburga starts to speak, Orion cuts her off.
"Child, Lord Avery has a wonderful estate, much to your liking" Her father says, her mother glares at her lamb chop.
"What if Avery doesn't want her?" Sirius asks
Cassie hadn't even thought of that.
"Sirius Black you will not say such things!" Her mother screeches
Regulus' eyes go wide in fear before he looks at the ground.
"The boy is the heir Women" Orion snaps "he will say what he likes"
Walburga doesn't even look shocked.
Men no matter how old have always held rank over the women in noble families, since the minute Sirius was born he has been more important than their mother and their father has never had any problem making sure she knows it.
Orion turns to face Sirius "Avery will want your sister, he doesn't have a choice, I did not raise you to ask stupid questions."
"you did not raise me at all" Sirius wants to say.
Despite the fact that Sirius has always been more important than their mother Sirius has always had a soft spot for her. Maybe it's because Sirius is the first born but Walburga has always liked Sirius the best, it's obvious in the way she calls him her star and sings to him as he drifts off to sleep.
But just because Walburga likes him doesn't mean she always does, Walburga loves Sirius the most but he always gets the most severe punishments and the most scoldings, Cassie thinks it goes back to being the first born, they're trying to teach him respect.
They're trying to teach him to be the heir.
There Black's after all.
When Saturday comes Aunt Druella brings Narcissa and Andromeda to help Cassie get ready.
like usual Bellatrix is with Sirius.
Narcissa fiddles with pieces of Cass' hair as she speaks at a rapid pace
"Cassie it'll be wonderful, you'll dance with Lord Avery and drink champage if your mother lets you of course"
Andromeda is in front of her putting rouge on her cheeks.
"not too much drom, she mustn't look like a jester" Narcissa chides "How do you want your hair done?"
"Mother says its best to style it down, says i haven't lost the baby fat in my cheeks and having it up makes my face look fat" Cassie says softly.
the Black family is known for many things, their wealth , their status and most of all their beauty. The family traits of high cheekbones and sharp jaws passed through generations even the traitors burned off the tapestry have these features despite what their mother would have the children believe, they were Blacks once.
"Cissa didn't lose her baby fat until she was 12, yours is nearly gone don't fret" Andromeda says, attempting to be reassuring.
"Shut your mouth Andromeda" Narcissa scolds
"Do you think Lord Avery will like me?" Cassie asks, she doesn't want a marriage like her mother and father, she wants lord Avery to love her, a real love.
"Of course he will, your beautiful" Narcissa says looking at Cassie like she's a half wit.
"No i mean will he like my personality, who i am"
"Personality's have nothing to do with it child and you're a black, that's who you are" Bellatrix says from the door, shes holding Sirius on her hip.
"Bella Sirius is 11 , stop carrying him like an infant" Andromeda snaps
"Sirius wanted it" Bella snaps back "and the heirs get what they want"
Sirius grins like a fox at Andromeda before burying his face in Bella's shoulder.
Bella smiles and drops a kiss into his neatly styled hair.
Sirius and Bella have always had a strange less cousin like relationship than most. It's not uncommon to hear Bella calling Sirius her soulmate and it certainly wasn't uncommon for Sirius to be jealous of every male suitor Bellatrix had ever had. But it never seemed romantic, it almost seemed spiritual, like Sirius even at 11 was Bella's god.
Regulus wanders into the room and sits on the bed, his black hair is gelled back and he's wearing a green and black coloured suit, the waist coat off leaving him in just his vest. he looks small.
his frame is lanky and bone thin while Sirius is broad shouldered and lean muscle even at such a young age, he never has had a blemish on his face or patches of dry skin,
Sirius has always been rather perfect.
Regulus' eyes find Sirius and Sirius taps twice on Bella's shoulder and she brings him down to the floor.
Sirius walks over to Regulus, Bella on his heels and Sirius sits down beside him, Bella takes residence beside Sirius.
"Reggie, where is your waistcoat? Mother will be furious if you don't have it on when we leave" Sirius speaks like a royal, his chin tilted up slightly as if he's looking down on Regulus, his inferior, the spare.
Regulus doesn't shrink back from his brothers gaze rather he knocks their shoulders together and speaks "I gave it to Kreacher, he'll give it to me when it's time"
Sirius smirks before pouncing on Regulus and knocking him to the floor from the bed, the two squirm on the floor giggling and wrestling before Bellatrix pulls Sirius up and adjusts his waistcoat.
"Don't Sirius, Lords don't wrestle" Bellatrix says grasping his hand in hers and dragging him from the room
the only words Cassie catches on the way out are
"Lords never get to do anything fun"
One word to describe the Malfoys would be extravagant.
The ballroom was entirely made of gold and marble, vines of ivory wound up the columns.
House elves wandered the rooms, silver trays in hands filled with flutes of champagne and Lestrange brand wine.
Walburga was holding Sirius' hand in one hand and Regulus' in the other as they made there way to the Avery's, Cassie's hand began to tighten around her Fathers who glared down at her.
"Black's don't get nervous" he hissed and began to follow Walburga, Cassie in tow.
The Averys all looked rather alike, brown hair, small noses and full pink lips. Mrs. Avery was gorgeous, she had tan skin and dark eyebrows that framed a pair of beautiful green eyes, Mr. Avery was a tall man, with lots of hair and a moustache much like Orion's.
Finally she felt something grab the hand that wasn't holding her fathers, Andrew Avery.
Andrew Avery was handsome to say the least, tan skin and bright green eyes with a sharp look in them, he was tall, he towered over Cassiopeia.
"My Lady" He bowed before placing a kiss on her gloved hand.
Walburga seemed delighted. She even let go of the tight grip so the boys could now feel their hands.
Cassiopeia curtsied "My Lord"
"Would you like to dance?" He asked, still smiling.
"I would be honored" She replied, it's not like she could say no anyway.
she didn't think she wanted too anyway.
he led her to the dance floor before pulling her close and they began to sway slightly, she heard the way the noble ladies fawned over the newest pairing.
"so your going to Hogwarts this year My Lord?" She asked politely
"Oh none of that, you'll call me Drew" He said, twirling her.
Drew.
it felt like she could say the name a million times and never grow old of it, always know what it represented.
he saw them as equals.
"Well in that case please call me Cassie" She replied.
He grinned and twirled her again before speaking
"what activities do you enjoy?" He asked
Cassiopeia had rehearsed this
music. art. books. music. art. books
"music, art and books" she said, going lightheaded at the feeling of his thumb lightly rubbing the back of her hand.
"i know the hobbies noble women are expected to have Cassie" he sighed " I'm asking what do you like to do"
she hadn't rehearsed for this, this wasn't what her mother told her would happen, her mother also told her to do what makes him happy.
"Care of magical creatures, I like animals" she answered honestly
"a most interesting hobby, you will have all the animals you desire when we are married" He said as if it was fact.
she smiled "thank you. Drew"
"your most welcome dove"
The two danced for a while longer before dinner was too be served, Cassiopeia moved to sit beside Sirius where she was always sat in public.
"Cassiopeia would like to sit by me perhaps?" Drew asked
"I would if that's alright with my Brother and Father" She looked to Orion and Sirius
Sirius nodded and Orion spoke "that would be quite alright"
She watched as men and women shuffled down the tables, some even abandoning seats entirely and being forced to stand as she sat beside Drew.
he grabbed her hand under the table.
"Are you excited for Hogwarts My Lord?" She would have called him Drew if Walburga wasn't suffocating her with a single look.
He seemed to understand as he just replied "Yes, i'll be a Slytherin of course and when you come I will be more than happy to show you how everything works"
He looked at her again, his gaze changing to one of a sort of fierce desire "I'll take care of you"
she tried not to let the look get to her "Thank you My Lord you are most kind"
They went the rest of dinner with there hands clasped together, although now Cassiopeia thought they felt rather heavy