So I'm doing this Star Wars Style.
Sorry but in the past two weeks I've been doing a lot of thinking, I have also been reading Order of the Phoenix at a glacial pace to come to the conclusion of rewriting my story of Cassiopeia from the beginning of her fourth year at Hogwarts.
So here's the story from the beginning, eventually I'll catch up with what I had (maybe fix it so it makes more sense with the book).
Here it goes, hope you enjoy.
Bellatrix and Rodolphus Lestrange had a daughter before they were sent to Azkaban, now she's in school with all the people whose lives were affected by her parents' actions. *I DO NOT own anything Harry Potter related AT ALL*
Blink. Breathe in. Stare at wall. Breathe Out. Stare at wall. Blink. Breathe in. Stare at wall. Breathe out.
Breathing methodically like this for extended amounts of time makes one light headed, almost giddy, enough to enjoy an hour-long period of speechless staring at the wall. Thus sustained my mealtimes with Grandmamma for the past few years. Plus, the routine gave me something to concentrate on, though the time never went by any quicker.
"Grandmamma," uh oh, I had been thinking between my blinking, staring, and breathing, a dangerous thing in the house of Lestrange. I did not turn my head, I just continued staring at the dark and ornate wallpaper opposite me. Grandmamma sat at the head of the table, with about six chairs between us, which made not talking much easier. When my presence was acknowledged I continued carefully, I was treading deep and dark water.
"What if, I had not been sorted into Slytherin? What would you have done?" I had Grandmamma's full attention; I prayed she thought this question to be entirely hypothetical.
"That's an idiotic question, Cassiopeia, seeing as you are in Slytherin." Ha! If only she knew. And here is where I should have held my tongue, slipped back into my own mind, my breathing, my staring, and my blinking.
"But what if I wasn't?" I burst out. Grandmamma pressed her bony, knobby, wrinkled little fingers together in a way that reminded me bitter sweetly of Headmaster Dumbledore, a comparison I would never make aloud in her house.
"Well surely I would disown you. All those other houses are crawling with filthy scum of mudbloods and blood traitors. Also, the Dark Lord may need loyalty but he has no use for Hufflepuffs, Gryffindors, or the like," she proceeded to spit on the floor, which was hastily cleaned by our house elf. My stomach tossed, then Grandmamma laughed as if I had told the funniest joke. Then the laughs turned into wheezes and she chose to end dinner early, even though the food had already left the table at least a half an hour before.
The darkness of the manor was getting to me like it did most days so I immediately ran up two floors and sat out on the wrought iron balcony off of my bedroom. I admired the clear sky, it was just that time of twilight when the whole sky makes a rainbow with reds and oranges and yellows from the sun fading into the blues and purples of the star filled night. It was times like these when cool night breezes rolled through my open door across my room and out the window on the opposite side that reminded me of lighter times spent with my friends on the school grounds. The last thing I felt was like I was trapped in a dark house full of dark magic just itching to get away.
The next day I buttoned the last button on my flannel shirt and looked in the mirror. Pretty convincing. I fluffed my bangs, slung my bag over my shoulder, then tossed a final pair of socks into my trunk.
"Orion?"my call was answered by a muffled hoot as my barred owl glided in through the open door off my balcony. He had a limp mouse in his beak. I crinkled my nose, my next pet would not be a predator. I grabbed some owl treats and offered them on an outstretched hand.
"Trade?" Orion hopped off his perch and waddled the short distance to the edge of my desk. His big orb-like eyes flitted up to mine for a second, black to gray, then back down to the owl treats in my hand. He promptly spit the mouse into my hand (I bit my lip to keep from vomiting) and took the treats. I immediately chucked the dead mouse out the door through which Orion had just entered. I watched the mouse clear the railing of my balcony and thanked Merlin I wouldn't have to pick up the mouse and try again.
I put some more treats in Orion's freshly cleaned cage and patted him on the head when he took the cue to get in.
"Young Mistress Lestrange," a feeble voice came from the doorway.
"I told you, please call me Cassie, or Mistress Cassie, if you must," I told our house elf, Pereguin, for what felt like the millionth time.
"Mistress Cassie," Pereguin said uneasily. "Pereguin would like to remind Young Mistress that she asked Pereguin to come collect her trunk."
"Yes, of course," I crossed the room and shut and locked my trunk. "Would you be able to help me carry this downstairs?" I knew the trunk was heavy and looking from my skinny arms to Pereguin's frail, wrinkled body it was obvious we would need more help. But before I could grab a handle at the one end of the trunk Pereguin snapped his long green fingers, and the trunk was levitating towards the door.
"Oh. Right then," I said as I readjusted the bag on my shoulder. I stuffed my wand into the back pocket of my jeans, grabbed Orion's cage and headed down the stairs after Pereguin and my floating trunk.
"Cassiopeia, why are you dressed like a filthy muggle?" I turned toward the sitting room where my grandmother was slowly rising from an armchair.
"Grandmamma, it's September first, I have to go to school," I sighed. She looked me up and down, pursed her lips and said, "Hmph," which was better than a speech about how the school went downhill since Dumbledore became headmaster. She walked off to the drawing room, I quickly followed.
"Er… Grandmamma, are you going to take me to Kings Cross?"
"Goodness no," she laughed in response. "You can floo there, can't you?" Grandmamma said without the least bit of concern.
"Oh, yeah, I- I guess that would be…fine," I said while playing with the hem of my shirt. I had never gone to Platform 9 ¾ alone, even if Grandmamma was not one for warm goodbyes.
"Pereguin will send your things. You should probably go now," she added looking at the clock on the drawing room's mantle.
"Right, erm… bye then," I said awkwardly as I watched Pereguin disappear my luggage and Orion. My grandmother nodded curtly then left the drawing room.
"Goodbye Young Mistress," said Pereguin before bowing out of the room. I was left alone to go to Kings Cross where families would be by the dozens, hugging and kissing their lucky children before they boarded the Hogwarts Express. I sighed and took a fistful of floo powder from the bowl on the mantle.
"Platform 9 and ¾," I said clearly before spinning off into oblivion.
If you read this please please review, even if you just write "good" or "bad"
This is only my second fanfic and I really want to know what you liked or didn't, I'm up for any sugesstions.
I already have a few more parts written its just the in between part I need to work on.
Thanks a ton!
mayzie