It was a cold December evening. Perfect for celebrating the annual Black Christmas ball.
Cassiopeia Black was in her bedroom with her cousins Andy and Cissy. Bella was out claiming she had to greet some of the guests, but Cassiopeia thought otherwise.
"Cassie, hold still!" Narcissa, or Cissy as the Blacks all called her, hissed. "You'll mess up your hair!"
Cassie rolled her warm brown eyes. "Who cares Cissy? It's not like the Malfoys or the Minister are coming."
"Actually, they are," Andromeda, the ever peacemaker said in her whispery tones. "Uncle Orion invited them."
"Are you sure?" Cassie asked. Andy wasn't one to lie, but recently she had been mixing with mudbloods and Mother and Aunt Druella said that all mudbloods are filthy liars. However, Auntie Cassiopeia had laughed and told her that the Black point of view was incorrect.
Cissy smiled down at Cassie. "Of course they are! Father said that Uncle Orion invited the most influential people to the Christmas ball."
"Bella's getting engaged," laughed Andy.
Cassie blanched. "Our Bella?" Bellatrix Black seemed like the last person to be getting engaged. "The one with black hair and black eyes and tortures baby animals for fun?"
"Cassiopeia Nymphadora Black!" Cissy chastised. "Bellatrix is being engaged to Rodolphus Lestrange, a very high person in the Ministry and a pureblood. You should be proud."
Cassie scoffed and Andy lightly laughed. Bella burst in a moment later.
"–and then I said, 'You have eyes the color of blood, my lord,' and Rodolphus looked at me and said, 'Which lord,' and I could have Avada Kedavra-ed myself, I was so very embarrassed–"
"Bella! Slow down!" Cassie called. "Mother and Aunt Druella will disapprove of this unladylike behavior."
"Yeah, so keep talking Bellatrix." This was their unappreciated, yet not disowned cousin Sirius and Cassie's brother.
"Siri!" Cassie bounded out of her chair and into her brother's arms. She was only ten, so she wasn't Hogwarts age until the spring.
"Hey Cassie," he hugged her and spun the young girl around. She shrieked with laughter. "What do you say to coming to see James, Charlus, and Dorea tomorrow when I go to Potter Manor?"
Cissy looked very disapproving, but Andy smiled and nodded. "Okay Siri," Cassie beams. "Will Bella and Andy and Cissy and Reggie come?"
"Of course we won't," scoffs Narcissa, "and it would be better if you didn't either, Cassie."
"Why, Cissy?" Cassie put on the famous Young-Black-Puppy-Dog-Look. It only worked when Cassie did it. Cissy would have been taught the look by Sirius because Reggie was only a year when Cissy was born, but then Cassiopeia was born. Sirius was taught by Andromeda who learned from Auntie Cassiopeia. Bella was only a year.
"Well, because…" Narcissa melted at the look. Cassie was too adorable to resist. "They're blood traitors, alright?" There was Cygnus's bluntness.
"I thought it was only the Weaselbees that were blood traitors," Cassie frowned. "That's what Andy said. She said only the Weaselbees. Only, only, only!" She stamped her foot.
Sirius backed out of the room while Cissy looked helplessly at Andy. "Well Cassie," explained Cissy, "There are many families out there that…" Again with the Black Look. She stopped explaining.
"Not everyone is as lucky as us, Cassie," Andy took over. "They don't understand the way to act towards muggles and muggleborns, so they act…differently than we do. When those do that, they are known as blood traitors to purebloods."
"Ohhhhhh," Cassie nodded in understanding. So the Potters were different with muggles. There was one thing she didn't understand. "What's a muggleborn?"
Sirius laughed. "A muggleborn is the proper way to say mudblood. Mudblood is an insult towards them." He cleared his throat. "So will you come with me after hearing this long, pointless conversation?"
Cassie hesitated. "No, sorry Siri. Mother would throw a hissy-fit and I don't know if I can handle that." She waved goodbye at him, thinking it would be one of the last five times he'd come home. No need to come home for Easter. However, she didn't know that she wouldn't see him after her first year at Hogwarts.
