At some point in the last few hours the Yaxley House had started swarming with people. The usually empty hallways were now a mass of rich robes and antique jewelry dripping from every finger, roped around every neck.
The guests were all of a kind. All extraordinarily wealthy, the sort to be found in the Pure-Blood Directory and all supporters of… Well Cassie didn't want to think about that.
She sat in the corner of the drawing room, holding a cut crystal glass, spinning the thin stem between her fingers to fight off the boredom.
From the far side of the room Leila gave a loud, confident laugh. She could see her sister swish a molten gold braid over her shoulder and smile brightly at whomever she was talking to. It didn't matter who, not really. When it came down to it one truly pure-blood family was as good as any other and all were just as dull.
The only interesting ones were missing. The Averys were nowhere in sight, Cissy and Bella hadn't bothered to show up and Cassie didn't suppose she was ever going to see Dromeda again. That was what happened when you turned your back on your family. A scorch on the wall as a clear warning to any other rebellious children.
Cassie glanced out of the window. Rain trickled down each pane, landing in a little pool on the sandstone window ledge. It had rained all summer, keeping Cassie shut up in the house even more than usual. She normally escaped into the city and spent hours wandering around Edinburgh but not his year.
Glasses started clicking, someone tapping a polished silver spoon against the edge of the crystal. Cassie rolled her eyes and looked around some someone, anyone, more interesting than her mother making the hundredth speech of the night.
"Ladies, Gentlemen. Esteemed Witches and Wizards, we are honoured to welcome you to our home." Her voice drifted from the stairs in the hall. She liked to think of this as her effort for the coming war.
"This year, without a doubt has been hard. We have lost friends, family all in service for..."
Cassie turned out of, what she was sure, would have been another bland speech.
Her job was to sit there, pretty in her new robes and borrowed jewelry, and try not to draw any attention to herself. It was almost working until she felt the cushion move beside her.
"They're all the same after a while aren't they?"
A boy, a year younger than Cassie sat down beside her. The chaise longue was only big enough for one really, meaning he had to sit annoyingly close.
He was slight, small, he would probably have been quite good looking if Cassie hadn't met his brother.
"Couldn't have said it better myself." She gave Regulus a small smile.
Her mother was talking about Him now, she sounded half scared half love-struck at the thought of him. She didn't mention that He wasn't here. THe Dark Lord had better things to do than go to parties.
"Are you looking forwards to going back? I know school isn't the easiest for you." Under his robes Regulus had his shirt sleeves rolled up, showing thin pale, unmarked, forearms. He was still just a child.
Cassie shrugged to herself and downed the last of the wine she was not meant to be having.
"It's not the school that's the problem. It's the people."
"I can imagine. How many mudbloods and blood traitors… You especially, you're surrounded by them. Bella says that-"
He had misunderstood her completely but there was no point correcting him. She may as well tell her mother she was marrying a muggle.
Regulus was trying to score points now, "I mean, imagine having to spend most of your time with my brother. It would be unbearable… not that you can't- I mean-"
"I know what you mean." She gave him a smile. No matter what she thought of Sirius, Regulus certainly lacked his brothers charm.
"It's one more year, I can survive that long. Then I'll be out of here… out of the country. "
"You won't stay around to join up?" Regulus's voice rose just to loud. Earning them a glare from the Senior Mrs Malfoy standing closest, wrapped in aging furs and emeralds.
"We'll see… I don't fancy getting stuck in the middle of a war." Cassie dropped her empty glass onto the mahogany side table.
"Will you have a choice?" Story grey eyes, wide with worry and a little fear caught hers.
"...Raise a toast." Her mother was still going on. "To the Dark Lord."
"The Dark Lord." Was echoed around the house and everyone clapped, drank. Sparks were shot from a few wands.
Regus lifted his butterbeer then took a sip as Cassie sat back, hands folded neatly in her lap.
They all started chatting again, straight away Leila's laughter caught Cassie's ear.
"Who is she talking to? There isn't anyone here that funny."
"Rabastan Lestrange." Regulus sighed. "He's a sort of cousin now. His brother just married Bella."
Cassie raised an eyebrow. Leila had started husband hunting the moment she left Hogwarts. A Lestrange would be almost perfect for her. If one was good enough for Bella Black…
Regulus looked as though he was struggling for something to say.
"I had the pleasure of talking to your mother earlier." Cassie started, a grin threatening to break through her stony face. Regulus gaped at her, taking a moment before he registered the sarcasm.
"Oh?" He laughed
"Charming woman."
They both burst out laughing, Cassie covering her mouth to about drawing attention.
"She said you were thinking of joining after school." She asked in a more serious tone.
He nodded, "As soon as they'll have me."
It was hardly something to be ashamed of in that house. ANyone here would congratulate him and shake his hand. Over half the Death Eaters in the country were currently drinking in Cassie's dining room, leaning on her armchairs, probably wondering up her stairs… Spreading like a disease.
A tray bobbed by at her side.
"Wait." Cassie ordered. She grabbed two full glasses of deep, burgundy wine from the top. "Thank you Lala."
She said under her breath.
"Thank you Miss Cassie." The elf bobbed and scuttled off into the sea of legs.
"Here." Cassie passed a glass to Regulus.
"Are you sure about… you know?"
Regulus nodded again, with more determination this time.
He was mad, Cassie thought to herself. They all were. Maybe she was mad too, just for being here.
"Well, here's to not getting killed."
They clinked glasses and Cassie got to her feet. She had taken as much as she could of this house, this party.
"See you at school, Regulus."
"Oh. See you Cassie!" He beamed up at her, seeming very young.
It made Cassie feel a bit sick, she pushed her way through the crowd, until she reached the stairs, snaking around her mother, chatting, to go to her room.
"Just where are you going?" A cold hand stopped on her shoulder.
"Upstairs."
"Why?" Her mother turned her around to face her, instantly reaching to tuck stubborn flyaways back into her braid.
Rings sparkled on every finger, the family jewelry on display along with a black serpent coiled and ready to spring from a skull, sitting bold on her forearm, sticking out like a flashing sign.
"Because I need to go. You said I could leave after nine."
"Where exactly are you going, Cassiel?" She scanned Cassie's eyes, searching for a lie.
"The Leaky Caldron. To meet Pyra."
"Pyra Zabini? Darling she isn't the most responsible person to be spending time with. Anyway, you can't leave. Your sister is about to be become engaged." There was a note of pride in her mother's voice. Her head lifted a little higher, the snarl crawling into a real smile.
"Then I'll send her an owl. She won't want me here anyway."
Tatiana Yaxley nodded, that was difficult to dispute.
"Very well. You will send her a letter full of heartfelt congratulations. Take some time over it, make her feel like you actually mean it. It is good for the family."
She gave Cassie a cool kiss on the cheek then turned and swept over to Mr Lestrange and his son, leaving Cassie in full view of the man standing in the dining room door.
Ash blonde hair was pulled back from his face, the young looks just starting to age, grim lines forming around his mouth. He raised a glass to her, cold silver eyes watching Cassie closely, assessing her.
She hadn't seen her uncle in a few weeks. He had been sent out recruiting.
Cassie turned and as fast as possible, bolted up three flights of stairs. Right to the top where her room was tucked away, as far from the revolting guests as possible.
She ran to a mirror, pulling out the tight braid and shaking a mane of chestnut hair. She tugged off the pale grey robe, she had narrowly avoided the green one simply because Leila was wearing green, and tossed it onto the bed along with the heavy silver jewelry.
Two minuets later and she was in jeans and a plain white t shirt, Doc Martens pulled onto her feet and a baggy denim jacket on over a red jumper.
Her trunk was ready to go. It hadn't been unpacked when she got home, some robes pulled out to be washed. That was all.
"Miss Cassie." A voice squeaked from the doorway.
"Yes Lala?" She glanced down at her elf as she fixed her hair into a low ponytail.
"Lala made you these, Miss."
She held out a small stack of sandwiches and a flask of the best coco in the country.
"Thank you!" Cassie tucked them away and beamed down at Lala. "Now get back! Before someone notices you're gone! I'll see you at christmas."
"Thank you Miss Cassie!"
She vanished, leaving Cassie alone in her room.
It was starting to get dark outside, just enough cover for a safe appearance.
She pulled her broom from the corner and picked her empty owl cage up from it's spot by the window. Her tawny owl was out hunting. She was smart though, she knew how to find Cassie.
She needed to hold tightly to everything. Merlin knew what would happen if she left go half way.
Cassie closed her eyes and imagined exactly what she had always been told. A little house, modern built, on the corner of a quiet street in Cokeworth. A beach tree in the garden, a neat lawn and a new red car in the drive. Just as the letters described.
Disaperating was harder when you had never been to the place. Still, Cassie was good at it.
She held her breath and turned sharply on the spot. Vanishing with a loud CRACK.
She appeared a few hundred miles south, outside the corner house on a quiet, modern street. Trunk, broom and cage all intact.
No-one seemed to notice the noise, or the girl who now stood where nobody had been a moment before. The only movement was a curtain that flicked in an upstairs window, a pale face with long red hair glancing out into the night.
A second later she was gone. Cassie could hear shouting inside the house and then the door was thrown open. Her best friend standing in the light.
"I couldn't take it anymore." Cassie dropped her trunk. "Is it alright if I stay here until school?"
"Cassie..." Lily Evans stepped out of her door, wrapped in slippers and a red fluffy dressing gown. "Stay as long as you like."
Hello! So here we are, an old story on a new site!
I'm going through all the chapters and editing as I go until we catch up and get lots of new chapters out!
I hope you all enjoyed the first chapter. If you have time then please let me know what you think.
S xx