A/N: This story has not been looked over by a beta. Please comment if you find any error or if you are interested in being a beta reader. Thank you and enjoy.
- - - - - - - - -
Cassie was ecstatic that her little Halloween idea had gone over so well with the rest of the school. The Hufflepuffs and Ravenclaws were a little upset that they were not as represented as the Gryffindors and Slytherins, but mostly they were in awe that Gryffindors and Slytherins had collaborated on anything. Students whom she did not even know congratulated her after they found out she was the one who invented the whole scheme. The group of Slytherins and Gryffindors grew closer, with Alexia, Sebastian, and Orion tutoring Cassie, Tim, Fiona, and Azalea. Sebastian found out that his sister Marigold and Tristan were a couple when he walked in on them while looking for the empty Potions classroom. Marigold was embarrassed, but Tristan kept his cool until Sebastian ran out and immediately told Alexia.
Alexia had a mixed reaction. She had very firm beliefs that a Slytherin should only date one of their own, but Marigold had come from a strong Slytherin background, it was not her fault she had been Sorted into Ravenclaw. Alexia was happy and was already planning their wedding, even though Tristan rarely kept a girlfriend longer than a month, Alexia did not know that about her brother. Meanwhile, the teachers grew stricter on the first years and they needed more help throughout the following weeks. The third years tried their best to help the first years survive their classes. This only succeeded because they all worked so hard at it.
In the beginning of December, an owl arrived during dinner with two envelopes, one for Cassie Weasley and one for Orion Malfoy. After dinner, Cassie and Orion rushed to the library to open their letters. Inside contained an invitation to the Christmas Feast Andromeda was hosting and also a letter for both of them. Orion read his aloud first.
Dearest Orion,
How has school been lately? I hope you have not gotten into much mischief, even though the mischief runs in your blood. I do hope both your father and grandmother can join us in celebrating Christmas, but if not, the invitation was addressed solely to you, and you may decline or accept if you so desire. If you are not able to stay at Malfoy Manor until the Feast, you are welcome to stay here at 12 Grimmauld Place. Kindly respond as indicated on the invitation, but do ask your father. I don't want to be on his bad side. Please don't mention who else is coming, though I did invite your godfather at your request. Let's keep it a secret, like we used to do when you and Cassie were little. Enjoy the rest of school and if you have any questions, your dear aunt Andromeda is always here to listen.
Love,
Aunt Andromeda
"Well, what do you think?" Orion asked Cassie.
"She's not asking much, now let me read mine and then we'll decide."
Sweet Cassie,
How is my little niece doing at Hogwarts by herself and the first to go to Hogwarts? Quite the legacy you have to follow, between your parents and Harry, plus all of your uncles. Try to stay out of trouble, though from what I hear, you single handedly joined the Slytherins and Gryffindors for the first time in centuries. Congrats on that my dear. I spoke to Harry about the Christmas Feast and I'll be picking you up from King's Cross Station and bringing you back here, where your family will join you shortly. Charlie, Nymph, Lyra, and Ares will also be staying in my humble abode, this time try not to irritate your cousins too much. Remember our little secret! Study hard and prove you're an individual. As always, your uncle Ted and I are always here for you.
Love,
Aunt Andromeda
"What was the comment about 'try not to irritate your cousins too much'?" Orion asked curiously.
"Well, last summer, I turned Lyra's hair green to match Aunt Nymph's because Aunt Nymph is a Metamorphagus and likes to change her appearance a lot. Then last Christmas, I blew up half of Ares's Christmas gifts. Singed Uncle Charlie's eyebrows because he got too close to one of the gifts," Cassie smirked as she answered, proud of what she had done.
"That only tells me what you did, not why you did it," Orion pointed out. He was always looking for a reason behind something, and knowing Cassie, she would never do something unprovoked.
"I blew up Ares's Christmas gifts because he said I had no father, which I know isn't true. And I turned Lyra's hair green because she was making fun of Serena's eyes. Serena's eyes glow sometimes when you look at them funny. Luckily, Aunt Nymph happened to have green hair, but when I get emotional, I can control my magic."
"That's impressive, being able to control your magic, without a wand, I assume?" Orion said.
"Oh of course! Mum would never let me get a wand before I was allowed to. She's way too strict sometimes. But Harry, on the other hand, well let's just say when you're in Hogwarts you can get away with a few more things," Cassie whispered.
"So you used a wand before you started this year?" Orion questioned.
"No, just Harry realized I could control my magic, that I could direct it and he let me practice by deliberately provoking me." Cassie shrugged. She didn't think it was that big of a deal that Harry had allowed her to practice or that she could control her magic if she was emotional enough. To her, it was normal, though to most people Cassie's entire life would not be normal. Living with the famous Harry Potter alone put Cassie on a pedestal. Now with her own strange abilities, Cassie learned how special she was.
"It's extremely rare for a witch or wizard to control emotional magic, which is what you've been using. Most just sort of do it accidentally. Just be careful about who you tell, okay?"
"Why?"
Orion hesitated a moment. He had to remember Cassie was only eleven and that he was older, though only by two years, and that made a big difference in his mind. "People might try to exploit you."
"What's exploit mean?" Cassie asked, almost afraid of the answer.
"It means take advantage. Dark wizards might want to take advantage of the fact that you can control your emotional magic, which could be turned into wandless magic, if you practiced hard enough." Orion spoke slowly and calmly to make sure Cassie understand how serious this was.
"But Voldemort's gone!" Cassie hissed.
"Just because he's gone doesn't mean another won't rise to power. Give it time. They always do." That was something his father had drilled in his head since he was little and that Orion must choose for what he believes in no matter what.
"You mean not everyone has a little extra talent?" Cassie added meekly.
"No, why would you think everyone did?" This perked Orion's attention.
"Harry doesn't always use a wand. Sometimes he just thinks and an object appears. I know he's not just hiding his wand because the wand is on the table when he does this little trick. I didn't notice he did it until we moved into Hogwarts. I think Hogwarts amplifies his magic," Cassie responded, answering the same way her mother had explained to her.
"But he's Harry Potter! Of course he has something special about him," Orion answered as though it was the most obvious thing in the world.
"So? Mum can do stuff too!" Cassie snapped back indignantly.
"Like what?" Orion retorted.
"Like, like, like," Cassie stuttered for a minute before she remembered. "Mum can change her voice at will. Not just make funny voices, like a Muggle comedian, but she can actually make her voice sound like someone else's. And she can make her voice really loud by just thinking it or really soft. She scared me the first time she mimicked Harry. She perfected his voice really early."
"You're just a special family." Orion said, trying to make himself feel better.
"Who knows, maybe you can do something," Cassie thoughtfully said. "Mum once told me she didn't learn she could change voices until she graduated Hogwarts and I know Harry didn't learn he could do pure wandless magic until the end of his time at Hogwarts. Does anyone in your family have special powers?"
"Not as far as I know, but my father is very secretive about his family, as is my grandmother. Neither of them ever talks about my mother's family, so who knows. Not me, that's for sure."
"Well, remember the Christmas Feast, beg your father to let you spend the night. I can't wait to buy your Christmas gift!" Cassie added as she walked out of the library.
"See you later Cassie!" Orion waved good-bye and headed to the Common Room, where Alexia and Sebastian bombarded him with questions. It was unusual for owls to be allowed to deliver any mail at all after the morning post, so that was the first concern. Secondly, Orion had been gone longer than normal and Alexia had become worried about Orion. Sebastian seemed to be just going along with it because of Alexia, he could care less where Orion was or how long it took him. He knew that Orion would tell him everything later while in the dormitory.
Orion moved to a corner where three chairs were and promised to answer all of their questions. First was Alexia's question about who the letter was from, which led to more questions about his aunt Andromeda. Then Sebastian wondered what took so long in the library and Orion explained that he was planning part of the Christmas Feast with Cassie, as they'd be the oldest children and would have to figure out what to plan for their younger cousins. Those answers satisfied Alexia and Sebastian and the three of them headed off to bed.
That night Orion snuck back down to the Common Room in order to write a letter to his father. He knew he would have to beg to stay with Aunt Andromeda and that it was crucial he stayed with her and Uncle Ted.
Dear Father,
I hope this letter finds you in good health. The purpose of this letter is to ask your permission that I may stay at Aunt Andromeda's immediately following the beginning of the holiday until after the Christmas Feast. She has already invited me to stay with her, she just wishes your permission as well. In the letter she wrote to me, she extended an invitation to Grandmother and yourself to stay at 12 Grimmauld Place for the same duration. I would like to attend the Christmas Feast, but if you decline, I will be attending anyways. Friends of mine from school will also be in attendance and I hope to see them during the holidays. Thank you and tell Grandmother I say hello.
Sincerely,
Orion Malfoy
Orion reread the letter a few times before he decided it was good enough and headed up to bed. In the morning, he would send the letter to his father and hope that his father would respond with a favorable answer.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
The following afternoon, Draco received a letter from his son, detailing his desire to attend a Christmas Feast. Draco reread the letter several times before he decided to question his mother about the Feast. Narcissa thought Draco would not mind seeing his aunt again and responded that they would be attending, as well as Orion. Draco agreed, but also decided to approach his mother with another question.
"How would you like to spend a few nights at Aunt Andromeda's house before the actual Feast?" Draco asked.
"I think it would be a splendid idea, but it would be rude to impose ourselves on her while she is preparing such a large Feast," Narcissa moved to sit across from Draco, who was seated at his desk in the study.
"Your grandson just sent a letter, he says hello."
She interrupted him. "Oh it's been so long! Does he say how he's doing?" she asked with excitement.
"He just says hello and that Aunt Andromeda has invited all of us to spend time before the Feast at her house."
"Respond that the three of us will be staying there. I don't think I've spent a Christmas there in almost 25 years. I just hope Andromeda has stuck to a few Black traditions. Never forget, as much as you are a Malfoy, you are also a Black, my son," Narcissa told Draco, as though he could ever forget. She constantly reminded him after his father had been put in jail that he also must live up to the Black name, since the Malfoy name was not as good as it had been.
"I'm sure it will be as grand as you remember. Uncle Ted is a better chef than any house elf and Aunt Andromeda was raised to be a society wife, she knows how to throw society events like you do," Draco recalled fondly on Ted's cooking. While in hiding many years ago, Ted used to bring new recipes for them to try all the time.
Remembering his time in hiding also brought up memories of his ex-wife Ginevra Weasley, who he had not seen in almost ten years. He still could not understand what led to the end of the marriage but knew he was happier. When he thought about Ginny, he always remembered the little girl he left behind. Cassiopeia would be eleven now and in Hogwarts, most likely a Gryffindor like her lovely mother. Just as his son had been in Slytherin, her daughter would be in Gryffindor.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
A/N: Thank you for reading and please review.
