Tomorrow is another day

Chapter 33

Angela waited anxiously as she stood in total silence on the busy platform. People rushed around her, but she hardly noticed any of them. The past year had been insane and she could not wait to have her daughter by her side again. She'd missed her more than she could ever explain. She sighed deep as she tried to calm her thoughts. The last thing she wanted was to let her daughter see just how much turmoil there was inside of her. Cassy had been through enough as well, her life was difficult enough without worrying about her mother.

"Just a few more minutes" the sound of Hermione's soft voice shocked her and Angela jumped. This earned her a chuckle from Ron, as he moved closer to them with Ginny and Harry. Angela smiled as soon as she saw them, feeling her shoulders relax slightly. It was quite unbelievable, realizing just how quickly these people had become such an important part of your life.

"Feels like I've been waiting forever" Angela confessed and Hermione smiled, asking her how long she had been waiting. When Angela admitted that she had only arrived ten minutes prior, Hermione grinned while Ron just barked out a laugh. They had missed their children as well, however their lives had not been nearly as disruptive as Angela's.

Angela caught a glimpse of Astoria in the distance and felt a shudder going through her. Astoria had not seen her yet and she had hoped to keep it like that. She could not blame the woman, but their relationship was strained to say the least.

Angela thought back to her last conversation with Draco and found it hard not to cry. As if Hermione had felt it, she grabbed her hand and squeezed it. Angela smiled at her and squeezed back, hoping it would show the immense amount of gratitude that she felt for her and the other people around her. Without this wonderful family, she wasn't sure how she would have gotten through it, especially that last conversation with Draco.

Draco had set up a meeting at a legal office to create some ground rules for them and Cassy. He had told her that he wanted to be in her life. He wanted to be the father Cassy deserved. At the same time Astoria had been very vocal about her struggle to accept Angela as well. Who could blame her.
Astoria had promised to accept Cassy into her home, and to be kind and gracious. However she requested minimal contact with Angela. Both Draco and Angela understood where she was coming from.

Draco had confessed to Angela that they'd been having marriage problems, which they were trying to work through. Angela had simply nodded and pulled away from him. She still remembered how much she had loved Draco. And she knew that he had loved her as well. But this was over ten years ago and they had both changed. Their past should not be a problem for either of their futures.

He deserved to be happy. As did she. And they didn't need any unnecessary drama.

Cassy leaned back into the seat as she stared out of the window. This year had been crazy. She didn't even recognise herself any more. The girl that had started this year, was not the same as the one on the train home today. She was still insecure, sure. But she had definitely changed. A huge part of that was thanks to her friends. And of course finding out who her father was didn't hurt either. Somehow that gave her a sense of belonging that she never even knew she had missed.

Getting to know her father, felt like finding a missing piece of herself. The past few months she and her father had been sending letters back and forth, getting to know one another. She liked him. He had a great sense of humour. He was also kind and interested in her life. He wanted to be in life as much as she wanted to be in his.

Naturally Scorpius had not liked it. In fact they'd gotten in a huge fight over it. As much as Cassy wanted her father in her life, he didn't want to share his. He'd never had to share him before.

When Scorpius had first found out, he'd thrown a fit. Screaming at her, telling her to stop writing letters. It was his father and she had no right to write him. She had been shocked and hurt. Uncertain of how to defend herself to him.

Scorpius had been ready to tear her latest letter from her hands, when Tom had pulled him back and got him out of the hallway they had been standing in. Cassy had been left behind, wondering just how she would ever be able to talk to Scorpius in a regular way again. He was her brother, they were bound to one another for the rest of their lives.

Brother, that little titbit of information still felt strange to her. Even now. Even though things had gotten considerably better after that fight.

When word had gotten out of his outburst, Headmistress McGonagal had once again called them to her office. There she had explained to them the importance of family, blood or not. She told them it was important to belong. To find people that you loved, that had your back. People that would make you feel safe and more importantly made it safe to be you. Afterwards she had walked out, leaving them to mull over their feelings. Together. Cassy could still see the look on his face when she had walked out. Now it seemed comical. Then it had not.

Cassy had looked at Scorpius as he sat silently beside her. He was avoiding eye contact and the scowl on his face told her all she needed to know. He did not want to talk. He did not want to have her in his life. She was hurt by that realisation. As much as he pushed her away, she wanted to know what it was like to have a brother. To have a family beyond her mother.

"I know you wish you never met me,"Cassy began, "And I understand." She had kept looking at him expectantly, hoping for a reaction, anything would do. He gave her nothing.

"I never wanted this either. My life got turned upside down and nothing makes sense any more. To top it off I just exchanged one bully for the next" she continued. Scorpius looked up in shock.

"I'm not a bully" he exclaimed and Cassy chuckled, she had not been talking about him at all. Although the bully was linked to him.

"I meant Amber" she explained with a shrug, trying to play it down even though the girl scared her.

"She's still at it?" he asked her, shock evident on his face. It helped her to know that he was not in on it. Having a bully she could deal with. Having a brother bully her was something she wasn't sure she could handle. His face had softened after that and Cassy felt some tension leave her body.

"Yeah..." Cassy looked down at her hands, avoiding him now, "But I can manage"

Scorpius' next words were shockingly akin to James and she almost chuckled upon hearing them; 'You shouldn't have too' he had said. He then promised her that he would do anything he could to get her to stop and Cassy thanked him. Grateful that he at least didn't want her to be bullied. It was something.

However upon his next question she had shut down again. Unable to form an answer that would not let him see her weaknesses. He wanted to know if she knew why Amber had gone after her.

"I think she saw an easy victim in me" Cassy again looked down at her hands as she uttered those words, feeling them get clammy. She was embarrassed. Hating that, that was what she was. An easy victim. Cassy wished she could be strong as Rose.

"Then show her you're not"

"But I am. Don't you see," she said looking up into his eyes, "I'm a muggle, who just found out who her father is, got myself a brother in the process, who wants nothing to do with my I might add. And I am not very good at making friends nor at standing up for myself. I'm the weak one in the pack" Cassy had snapped, finally looking at him again.

"Tom had mentioned that it would be hard for you. I just never thought of it like that" Scorpius admitted with a shrug. Cassy could understand that he would not want to share his father, after eleven years of having him to himself. However, she did not choose this either. A few minutes had past in silence as they both got lost in their thoughts.

"I'm sorry" Scorpius offered after a while, looking Cassy in the eyes, "For acting like it was your fault. It wasn't," he continued.

After that, things had gotten better. Not good, necessarily, but better nonetheless. She and Scorpius would be civil to one another. And one time they even hung out with the same group. Of course their interaction with each other was limited, but it was progress. Or at least that's what James and Rose called it.

When the train entered the station, Angela had to keep herself from running towards it. After all she had no idea where Cassy would be sitting. Soon though the doors opened and Cassy was one of the first to jump out. She ran over to her mother and cried as she felt the arms of the one person that was always in her corner wrap around her. She was home now and all was good. No matter what, her mother would make it better.

Both Cassy and Angela knew that things were different. Things would be difficult and straining. However, they also knew that they would face it together. And they would be fine in the end.

A/N: initially I had wanted to make this the ending, because I can't remember my original plan. However, it seemed cruel after such a long time. So I planned out another chapter. Although I have no idea when it will be posted, I hope not make you wait too long.

I hope that whoever is left to read this, enjoys it. This story deserves an ending. A real one.