A/N: Oh no, my fickle muse is back at it again! In all seriousness, this fic is something I've been considering for a while but never really did anything about it because I was always so daunted by it. Plus Decadence by Maddie Rose provided me with some much-needed inspiration and reignited my love for Remus John Lupin so this first chapter is dedicated to her and my enabler RandomFandoming for helping me flesh Cress out more!
This is a slow/medium burn (are any of us surprised?) and I hope you enjoy it!
Disclaimer: I am American, not English, so please do not hold any spellings or different words against me. Also any similarities between this story and others is purely coincidental. Harry Potter and the Marauders belong (unfortunately) to JK Rowling and Warner Brothers. I only own Cressida and her story.
Prologue:
Cressida found her first tarot card deck when she was four years old. Upset at having her favorite toy stolen by her mother for smacking Ted when he'd beaten her at one of his stupid made up games, she'd gone searching the house. The newly installed floorboards creaked underneath her bare feet as she tip-toed through the halls, well aware of her Mother's late nights and her Father's tendency to sleep through almost anything.
She was grateful Ted had decided to go explore the neighborhood with his friends because it gave her more time to get away with stealing her toy back. She caught sight of the bright red plastic on a shelf that was too high for her to even reach.
Not like that was going to stop her.
She didn't even tip-toe this time, the sound of her padding feet echoing through the empty halls of the small house, wood dragging across wood as she pushed the stool her father liked to rest his feet on back down the hallway. It skidded to a loud stop in front of the large closet door, and Cressida whipped her head around to see if she'd disturbed anyone.
When nothing answered her question, she turned back to the large stood, pulling herself upward until her fingers grazed the thing she'd spent all this time looking for. Huffing as she brought herself up on her tip-toes, she could almost reach it, and with one final pull, she went crashing to the ground, bruising her elbow and knee as pain shot through her. Silent tears welled up as they sprung down her cheeks, lip quivering.
She shouldn't have done this on her own. She should've just asked for it. She should've known it would lead to this. She should've known-
Her wail was cut off by something hitting her head and plopping onto the floor. She eyed the object, unsure what exactly they were. They looked like the cards Father played with, but more worn in and rubber banded together with one of those brown ones that always hurt her skin when Ted snapped them against her arm.
She didn't like it when he did that.
Abandoning the stool by the open closet door, she moved toward the kitchen table and undid the rubber band, the deck of cards spilling out onto the mismatched table, five swords staring up at her like they were daring her to touch them.
She did.
Instantly her head split in half from the pain, eyes rolling into the back of her head as flashes of women she'd never met and never known moved across her memory. Women with dark hair and wide eyes just like hers, all having been in the exact same spot she was now. But they all looked older.
They looked like her mother. Like her Grandmama Esme. They looked like her.
"She's awake…" a voice that sounded unfamiliar poked into her brain.
Another flew in from the other side, "...she's strong...good. This gift will do her no favors...not with what's coming."
"We don't know what's coming…."
"...it doesn't matter if we don't…..she will…"
The voices were like birds, tweeting and fluttering and diving and clawing and biting as if they all wanted a piece of her. Like she was a freshly dropped piece of meat on the ground left open for anyone to feed on. Her nerves electrified themselves, voices pouring into her until she lit up, a beacon of untold power that hadn't been felt in generations.
Not that she knew that then.
There was very little she knew then.
But she always remembered what she saw. Her brother Ted dressed in bright yellow and black school robes as he boarded a train. Her mother crying into her father's shoulder. Her friend Abbie stepping into a silver sedan as a woman in a grey pantsuit closed the door.
And then she felt it. A small tug asking her to look further. To dig deeper into what she'd already seen.
No. A sterner, more motherly voice called out to her. It was younger than the previous ones, reminding her of Grandmama Esme's. It even sounded a little bit like her mother. Cressida sunk deeper into the new images, hoping to find one of the woman who'd told her off. A sharp pain rattled her head again and she was thrown back, shoulders colliding with the wooden chair as sweat dripped down her face.
She'd have to ask for a bath when Mother got home. The images were fresh in her brain, lingering there like a moving picture.
But that wasn't what confused her. What confused her was the way the cards seemed to hum as she grew closer to them. Some were louder than others, and she hummed the tune as she shuffled them around, carefully picking through each one as the sun sank lower into the sky.
She stayed at that table until the door opened and footsteps were heard in the kitchen.
"Hey sweetie," Mother pressed a kiss in her hair before moving to make dinner for the night, "What have you been doing all day?"
Cressida bit the inside of her cheek as she stared at the three cards before her. They matched what she'd seen and the memory flashed over her brain with a musical tone that made her feel like what she was seeing was correct. "Abbie's gonna be with her mother soon."
Mother froze. "What?"
Cressida brought her eyes up to meet the bright blue ones of her mum, shrugging. "Abbie's leaving her dad."
Her mother chuckled slightly and her dad flipped the newspaper down to join the conversation. Cressida hadn't even realized her dad had shown up.
"And did Abbie tell you this sweetie?" Her mother asked, and Cressida shrunk back at the tone. It sounded like she was mad at her. And Cressida didn't want her mum to be mad at her.
"No," She said sheepishly, trying to hide underneath her thick curls, "The cards did."
Her mother's smile fell into a frown, the stern tone returning, "What cards?"
The humming grew fainter as her mother drew closer.
In fact, there was no humming coming from her mother at all. But one of the cards was calling out to her, a high pitched musical tone that begged to be recognized. Could Mama hear it too?
How did she ignore it?
It already made Cressida's head pound.
Something flashed over her mother's face as she caught sight of the cards on the table, eyes widening and breathing heavy.
"Florence?" Her father called from his seat at the end of the table. Mother shook her head, sweeping up the cards and rubberbanding them up again. Cressida could hear the pained whine they let out, asking to be set free. She wanted to learn more about them.
About what she was doing.
She wanted to learn about the women she saw, about the voice that dared her to go further. She wanted to learn all of it.
"Call Mum," Cressida heard her mother say, "Tell her she's watching Ted tonight, that it's a family emergency. She'll know what that means."
Father nodded as he picked up the phone, dialing a number while Mama took Cressida's hands in hers.
"Whatever happens," She said calmly, stroking the dark curls on her daughter's head, "Your father and I love you very much. Please know that."
Cressida nodded, tears threatening to push their way out at the sound of her mum's voice. "I didn't mean to find them," She admitted, hoping it would make her mother less mad at her, "I just...I wanted my toy back and they fell down and I wanted something to play with and-"
Her mum pulled her close, shushing her as she squeezed tightly. Father picked out their jackets and the next thing Cressida knew, she was being loaded into the car while her father drove them into the night.
She doesn't remember much of what happened next, but she remembers being given an orange bottle of white pills to take every night and her father buying her a bright red journal as a gift on their way back.
Her mother told her that they would help her sleep. That they would help her focus in school. That's what they were worried about.
The doctor had told them that she was 'at risk' whatever that meant. But Cressida couldn't shake the feeling that there was something else. Her mother was the bravest person she knew, so why would a deck of cards scare her?
"There you are," Grandmama Esme engulfed Mama in a hug before turning to Father. "I was beginning to worry, is everything alright?"
Mother nodded, letting out a soft sigh as she pulled Cressida closer. She leaned into the embrace, holding tightly onto her mother's leg. "We found a solution, hopefully, it's the right one."
Esme looked between Cressida and Mother with a skeptical look on her face, dark eyes meeting blue. "Are you sure this is the right decision? I mean, the cards haven't called to anyone since-"
"Mum!" Florence Tonks cut the older woman off with a withering glare, "I don't care how long it's been. This is what's right for her."
Grandmama Esme looked like she was getting ready to disagree again, but closed her mouth when she caught sight of Cressida. "Come here, скъпа"
She rushed into her grandmother's arms, squeezing tightly as they collided.
Esme pulled away and knelt down until she was face level with her. "Your Mother loves you so much do you know that?"
Cressida nodded, "Yes Baba. I love her too."
Grandmama smiled at that, tucking a soft curl away from her face. "Good."
Esme stood up again, grunting in pain as she did so. Cressida didn't know much about getting older, but she knew that her Baba's once dark hair now held greying streaks and wrinkles had started to gather around her cheeks.
"Teddy went to sleep with as much trouble as he could," She informed Mother and Father, chuckling as she did, "You have quite the little monkey on your hands."
Mother smiled at her words and offered to show her out.
"Come on pumpkin," Father bent down with a smile, "Let's go to bed"
Cressida smiled and leapt onto her father's back, clutching onto his neck as they ascended the small staircase, his arms outstretched as he became an airplane for her to ride on until she drifted to sleep among the clouds.
But she didn't fall asleep. Not that night or the next. Instead, all she saw were nightmares. Of beasts and snakes and lions who snapped at each other and tore each other apart until there was nothing but mangled corpses and death in the air.
And when Abbie's mother won custody of her in the legal battle a few months later, Cressida watched as her friend slid into the silver sedan alongside her mother's grey pantsuit and silently wondered what else she saw would come true.
Her Hogwarts letter came seven years later. Ted's came on his birthday, being born in June and accompanied by a stern woman with her hair in a bun and an explanation for everything Cressida had ever been experiencing.
Ted's random ability to somehow always make her favorite toys disappear. His weird habit of rearranging his bedroom because a different thing was always out of place. She'd even been there for the big one, when he'd accidentally shattered every glass in the house because he couldn't figure out how to do fractions.
Professor McGonagall, she'd said her name was, accent thick and bright green robes clashing with the pastel colors Cressida's mother had spent ages picking out.
The stern woman hadn't brought Cressida's letter. Instead, a large tawny owl with wide amber eyes simply hooted and dropped her letter in her lap as the summer began.
"Well go on then," Ted spoke with a wry smile on his face, "We all know who it's from."
She'd smacked his shoulder again, shaking off the look her mum sent her as she slid her finger underneath the bright green wax, the seal crumbling as the parchment spilled open, loopy writing detailing those words that she'd been waiting to hear since Ted received his letter, Mother and Father looking on eagerly.
"Dear Miss Tonks," She read aloud, unable to contain the smile on her face, "We are pleased to announce that you have been accepted at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry!" She exclaimed, celebratory cheers erupting around her as Ted drew her in for a hug and her mother plucked the letter from her hands with a smile.
But something else lay behind her Mama's eyes. Something Cressida hadn't seen since that awful day with the cards. But she shook it away, because she was going to be a wizard! She was magical like Ted!
All of that stuff and humming must have been one of those weird wizarding spells that Ted had done before he'd been accepted. Cressida was finally going to be with people exactly like her.
"We very much look forward to receiving you as part of the new generation of Hogwarts heritage," Her mother recited with a smile on her face, "This is so great. Now you'll be with Ted, at least for a little bit."
"As long as she doesn't distract me from my work," Ted teased, ruffling her hair as she scoffed.
Cressida shook her head and pushed him playfully, "Oh please, you're too busy snogging Andromeda to get anything done"
"Hey!" He called out, her chuckle catching the rest of them off guard as Ted moved to defend himself, "I'll have you know I'm nearly top of my class."
"And we're proud of you for it," Their father cut in, playing peacemaker between the two, "Both of you." He slammed his newspaper on the table, standing up with a wide smile on his face, "I think this calls for a celebration don't you?"
Cressida and Ted shared a wide smile, the two nodding excitedly and their mother rolled their eyes, but even she had a smile on her face. "I'll get my coat."
A cheer erupted between the two siblings and they raced to tie their shoes and button their coats, scrambling down the stairs toward the garage door, anxiously waiting for their parents to follow after them.
"I wonder what house I'm in!" She thought aloud, unable to keep the excitement at bay. Ted smirked as he leaned in, "Maybe you won't be in any house," He responded, a mischievous look in his eye, "Maybe the sorting hat won't sort you anywhere."
She smacked his arm again. "Shut up," Cressida pouted, "I'm going to be sorted. Probably faster than you anyway."
Ted shrugged, a proud smirk on his face, "I don't know, I was sorted pretty quickly."
Cressida rolled her eyes, trying to ignore the anxiety creeping up into her throat. What if Ted was right? What if she wasn't magical at all? What if the hat declared that she was a fraud in front of everybody and she had to go back to a normal school?
Mother and Father weren't wizards, why should she be?
Ted was probably some weird anomaly in their family. The rest of them were ordinary. She was ordinary.
"You two troublemakers ready?" Mama asked as she rounded the corner, Father not far behind. Cressida lifted her eyes to meet her mum's.
"Mama, am I ordinary?"
"Of course not sweetie," Mother crouched down and stroked her hair like she did all those years ago. Father sent a stern look Ted's way, her brother only shrugged. "The school wouldn't have sent that letter if you were."
Cressida nodded, anxiety lessening as they followed their parents into the car, driving down the street until they reached their favorite place to eat out. But she was so consumed with that doubt that Ted had placed into her head, she couldn't enjoy her food.
She was a wizard. She got a letter.
She was going to Hogwarts. They were picking up her school supplies tomorrow.
Ted was wrong. Obviously, if he was a wizard she was one too.
He was being ridiculous. The Hat wouldn't tell her no. She'd be accepted into a house just like Ted was. She'd make friends and-
As she snuggled into bed, a horrible thought struck her. What if no one wanted to be her friend? She wasn't from one of those rich families like Ted said Andromeda was. In fact, she didn't even know anything about Hogwarts that wasn't what Ted had already told her.
What if she failed at performing magic? What if no one wanted to be her friend because she was the weird girl who couldn't do anything right?
Who had to take medicine to sleep at night.
Who got weird headaches and heard incessant humming everywhere she went.
That's who'd she'd be. The weird girl with no magical family to speak of. An outcast surrounded by high walls and only her brother for company. No way to call home or turn to her mother for company.
She didn't get any sleep that night, although she was unsure whether it was because of doubt or excitement. All she knew was that she was tired and her head hurt again. Ted wasn't helping either with his always waking up earlier than the sun attitude and barging into her room with a wide smile on his face.
"Come on Cress!" He called out, throwing open her curtains as he practically bounced against the walls, "It's Diagon Alley time! And that means I get to show you the best places to go."
Cressida groaned as she pulled herself out of her bed, sighing as the sunlight streamed through her walls and her brother smirked at her misery.
"It's barely eight-thirty," She moaned, rubbing some of the sleep out of her eyes. Ted only smiled wider as he began to walk backward, almost colliding with the doorframe on his way out.
"The early bird gets the worm, Cress! Come on, Mum and Dad are waiting downstairs. Don't wanna disappoint them do you?"
She rolled her eyes at his antics and dressed, trying to tame a stray curl before huffing and giving up.
"How do we get there?" Cressida asked as she joined the rest of her family in the dining room. Her father and mother were examining her Hogwarts letter, a stack of books on the table. She recognized most of them as Ted's from his first year at school.
Her Mum must have noticed her eyeing them cause she said, "They're still in good enough shape for you to use this year, we'll have to go shopping for everything else though." Her Mum turned back to examine the list before realizing that her daughter had actually asked a question, "And we're driving, like we did with Ted."
Cressida nodded as she picked apart the thin pages of her brother's old textbooks. They were in good shape despite Ted's usual mishandling of school supplies, although she thought she spied a tea stain every now and then.
Sitting down at the table, she opened the first page of A Beginner's Guide to Transfiguration, a soft smile appearing on her face as she read Emeric Switch's descriptions of turning a pencil into a snake, and how to achieve such a simple task. She was halfway through the first chapter when the sound of jangling keys pulled her away from the book, her mother calling for her to join them in the garage.
She could hardly keep her excitement in, smile growing wider as she climbed into the backseat clutching onto her secondhand book, not wanting to let go of it the whole way. She spent most of the drive reading through the different techniques and ways to transfigure one thing to another, ignoring the world around her as cars beeped and honked and rushed past her. She was lost in a land of her own, envisioning herself waving a wand and turning a lamppost into a squirrel with ease and shocking everyone around her.
It would be like one of those magicians her parents used to take her to on her birthday. The guys who pulled rabbits out of hats and turned paper roses into real ones.
She was nearly halfway through the book when they reached Charing Cross, Ted escorting them the rest of the way through the winding roads and giant groups of people until he stopped in front of a decrepit old shop that seemed to be squished between a bookstore and a record store, a shabby sign swinging back and forth with the words The Leaky Cauldron Public House scrawled in nice cursive on it.
"Uh Teddy," Cressida spoke up, unsure why her parents hadn't commented on it, "Hate to break it to you, but this is a pub, not a place to buy school supplies," She cocked her head at him, wondering if this was another one of his jokes, "Am I even old enough to head in?"
Ted chuckled and shook his head, his insufferable smirk was back, like he knew something she didn't. She didn't like not knowing.
"That's because the place we're going is behind the Pub, Cressy,"
Mum fidgeted before gesturing toward the shabby shop, "Can we go in, please? Before people start to stare at us?"
Ted sighed and opened the creaky door, the sounds of cheery music and loud conversation filling her ears as she moved through the crowded tables, staring at the brightly colored robes of the people around her.
"Hey, Tom!" Ted waved to the bartender, who gave a smile and a wave back before fixing up a drink for his next customer.
One man had what looked like a stick stuck into a wild mane of curls, his animated expression clashing against the serious one of his companion. They seemed to be in some kind of heated discussion, although Cressida couldn't tell what it was due to Mum and Dad pushing her along with as much haste as they could muster. It was clear they felt like outsiders in this community, wary looks sent toward certain people near the back of the pub, one with shockingly blonde hair before Ted lead them outside into a small courtyard, poking several bricks in the wall with his wand as the stone began to move, opening a portal into the world Cressida would be living for nine months.
A cobblestone alley opened up before her, stretching out like the yellow brick road, hundreds of shops lining either side and Cressida wished she had time to go through each and every one of them.
Several other alleys branched off into different pathways and roads to take, hundreds of people crowding the streets. Some with hats and the same robes she'd seen earlier and some dressed in similar clothes to Cressida and her family, looking just as confused as they pulled their kid through the maddening crowds.
For some reason, seeing so many people in the same situation lessened the anxiety she was feeling. Maybe she wouldn't be alone. Maybe she wouldn't be the only one who struggled to learn. Something was bothering her though, ever since they'd entered the pub. It was faint, but every time a person in one of those robes passed her it grew louder. After accidentally bumping into a stout woman in pink robes who'd huffed at her, Cressida understood what it was.
It was that humming again. It had started back when they'd been in the pub, only now it surrounded her everywhere she went, growing louder and fainter as wizards and witches passed her in a hurry to get where they needed to go.
She felt as if her head was being squeezed, like a watermelon with a hundred rubber bands on it. They pressed against her, begging her to explore each and every one of them. Shaking her head, Cressida clutched tighter to her mother, hoping the humming would go away soon.
It didn't.
Ted had disappeared from their side, no doubt to go find Andromeda and get a quick snog in before they had to leave. Not that they would be anytime soon. If it were up to Cressida she'd spend the whole day at Diagon Alley, wandering the different paths until she'd explored everything it had to offer.
A giant marble building lay near the end of the long road, large letters spelling out Gringotts. Her parents were headed toward it, dragging Cressida behind her as they passed a series of shops. One was a pet shop where hundreds of owls seemed packed together with sleek feathers and wide eyes, staring her down. Another smelled like rotten eggs and fish, smoke curling up from the vials in the window as a giant cauldron stood outside the door, different liquids glowing different colors. But it was the last one that caught her interest. There were only a few shops between it and the giant marble building they were headed to, but she read the curled script and saw the towering shelves of books waiting to be read and picked up she just couldn't help herself.
"Mum," She called, tugging on her mother's sleeve. The woman turned toward where she was pointing, a smile curling on her face as she caught sight of the tall bookshelves. Cressida turned to her mother with a pleading look on her face, tugging harder, "Can I go while you and dad are in there?" She pointed at the towering white building before dropping her arm, "Pleaseeeeee?"
Her mother sighed slightly, mouth opening like she was going to say no. "Stay within shouting distance of the manager," She instructed, "And don't leave the shop."
Cressida squealed as she ran forward, the bell ringing as she entered the bookstore. Instantly her nose was hit with the smell of freshly pressed books and the sound of candles burning. Exactly as she liked it.
She ran her fingers over the spines of the books, gravitating toward a display near the front window of the store, where most of the textbooks were placed. The ones Cressida was interested in didn't involve schoolwork though. The title had drawn her curiosity, especially since the cover had the picture of a stack of cards matching the ones she'd brought with her on it. The ones she'd used to play with and bring to school when her mum wasn't looking.
Tarot cards. She'd since learned their name and what they did.
Apparently, it was a wizard thing as well.
She picked up the book, turning it over in her hands as she traced the golden letters with her finger. Uncovering the Unseen: A Seer's Guide to Divination.
Was that what she was? Was there a word for what she was? For what she heard?
She was a witch. Clearly, this must be for people who were older than her. Seer was their job, not some kind of different type of wizard or witch.
But that didn't stop her curiosity.
The sound of the ringing bell pulled her back into the shop, watching as a skinny boy with light brown hair entered with his dad. While the dad went immediately to speak to the manager about his son's books, the boy drew closer to one of the displays near her. His shoulders were hunched over and his head hung low, like he was trying to hide something.
Immediately the humming grew louder, like it was drawing her to him.
Cressida moved over toward the display the boy was at, tucking the book she'd picked up underneath her arm. The display held books on something called Quidditch, most covers showing a flying broomstick or a weird red ball flying through a golden hoop. It reminded her of soccer, although she was sure that Manchester didn't fly during their games. Not that she really noticed. Ted was always the one who loved sports, although she did try her hand at soccer when she was younger before failing miserably. Maybe she'd try Quidditch too.
"Do you play?" She asked the boy, hoping to make some kind of connection before heading off to a school where she knew nobody.
The boy snapped his head up, wide eyes meeting her own as fear flashed over his face. It didn't take Cressida long to see why. Three large scars etched themselves into his pale face, evenly spaced and resembling claw marks, she now understood why he'd kept his head down.
"I'm sorry?" He stumbled out, like he couldn't believe she was really talking to him. Cressida gestured to the stack of books beside them.
"Quidditch, or whatever it's called," She explained, picking up a book and flipping through some of the pages, "Do you play?"
The boy chuckled slightly, a red tinge to his cheeks as he moved closer, still hanging his head down when he wasn't talking to her. "No, not really. I watch it with my dad sometimes but I don't play."
Cressida smiled, happy that her first interaction with someone hadn't gone horribly wrong. And then he asked a question she didn't want to answer.
"What about you? Do you play or watch or…" The boy gulped, like he wasn't used to talking to someone his own age.
Cressida chuckled slightly as she placed the book back down, "Uh no, I don't. I don't really know what it is."
Recognition flashed over the boy's face before he turned his gaze toward the ground. Cressida bit her cheek, already hating herself for revealing that she wasn't born a wizard. God how stupid was she? Of course, he'd assume she was one, she was here talking about a wizard sport with him for god's sake!
His eyes flicked up to meet hers, hands shoved deep into his pockets, looking like he was getting ready to say something but was thinking it over. "So your parents are Muggles then?"
Cressida stepped back at his words, irritation stirring in her gut as he said that word. She didn't know what it meant, but it didn't sound good. Cressida may not get along with her parents all the time, but she didn't think they deserved to be insulted.
"Okay, well if you're going to insult me and my parents-"
"No no that's not what I meant!" The boy quickly called out, reaching out and groaning as he brought his hands to his face, "No I just- That's how wizards refer to non-magical people. It isn't bad I promise."
She stopped in her tracks, slowly turning back around at his words. "You're sure?"
"Positive," He spoke with a small smile on his face, Hands stuffed back into his pocket's. "I'm Remus by the way," he held his hand out with the same shy look on his face and Cressida gently took it with a smile on hers.
"Cressida." She shook it once before he snatched it back, a wider smile on his face as he stuffed it back into his pants pocket.
"If you want to learn more about Quidditch," He began, shuffling around the bookstore as she followed him, "Flourish and Blotts has a ton of stuff back here," The two of them rounded a corner and saw shelves full of books on the subject, an entire section devoted to the sport. "Quidditch Through the Ages is the most popular one, and it does a lot to teach you about the sport and how it works and…" His rambling trailed off as he met her gaze, worry swirling in his eyes as he saw how silent she was.
"This is so cool!" She exclaimed, running her fingers down the spines, "I can't believe there's a whole section to it."
Remus seemed to relax at her words and joined her in exploring the shelf, "Wizards take Quidditch very seriously." He looked over his shoulder before leaning in, like he was sharing a secret, "I've seen my dad get into rows over it."
Cressida giggled at his hushed tone, relishing in the new friend she'd made. "I can't believe my brother never told me about this!" She scoffed, "I mean, you'd think he'd have mentioned it at least once."
Remus went silent once again before asking another question, "Does your brother go to Hogwarts?"
Cressida smiled proudly, puffing out her chest, "Yep! He writes home all the time, so I know some things about it."
God, she hoped this boy didn't think she was stupid just because her brother refused to tell her about one of the big parts of the wizarding world. She did know some things. She knew about the houses and wands and the different subjects. She knew about the ghosts and the sorting ceremony. She wasn't stupid, she wanted to tell Remus. Her brother just didn't tell her everything.
Thankfully, he didn't seem to think she was. "What house do you think you'll get?" She asked, although immediately she could tell it was the wrong question. Remus ducked his head again, like he was avoiding the question altogether. She bit her lip at her carelessness. People probably already knew what house they were going to be in. She sounded stupid again.
"I don't really know," He finally answered, fidgeting back and forth, "I mean, I'm lucky I get to go to Hogwarts at all really."
Cressida smiled, "Me too! I thought for sure I wouldn't get accepted," She used that to find common ground, hoping it would be enough to salvage her mistake, "I mean, what are the chances of two magical kids?"
Remus chuckled along with her, although she could still feel the tension. It encircled the two of them like a bubble, threatening to break if either of them said the wrong thing. She moved the copy of Uncovering the Unseen back into her hands, the cover facing out as she held it in front of herself.
Remus's eyes caught sight of it and he gulped again, although this time his expression was unreadable and Cressida worried again. "I thought we didn't need that unless we were taking Divination," he asked warily and Cressida shook his worries away.
"We don't," She reassured him, watching his shoulders relax, "I just thought it looked interesting so I checked it out."
Remus nodded along, although Cressida wasn't sure if he actually believed what was being discussed in the book based on the skeptical look on his face.
She stepped forward again, the musical humming already making her head hurt as she reached for her bag, "I've actually predicted a few things," She bragged, hoping they could bond over their weird wizarding quirks, "I mean, they've been small but still."
Remus furrowed his brows at her comment, like he didn't quite believe her, "Really, like what?"
"My brother meeting his girlfriend," She responded with a chuckle, Remus joining her nervously. "I uh, I read some tarot cards and a few weeks later he met her." Silence hung over the two of them again, and suddenly something in her gut was tugging at her, almost like the cards were calling out to her, begging her to do a reading of the boy in front of her. The humming grew louder. "I could do yours if you wanted."
Silence met her words again and the boy brought a hand to rub the back of his neck sheepishly. Cressida's stomach knotted itself, waiting for his response for what seemed like forever.
Just when Remus moved to say something, a voice called his name. The two of them snapped their heads toward the front of the store, Remus growing sheepish again.
"Coming Dad!" He called, an apologetic look on his face as he turned back to face her, "I'm so sorry I have to go. It was nice to meet you though!" he called as he moved back to the front of the store, disappearing behind a large stack of books.
"Nice to meet you too!" She called out to him, hoping Remus heard it before he left. The bell rang through the store again, drowned out by the faint humming that was still in her ears. The pull in her gut was stronger and she gave in, opening her bag to pull out the deck of cards she'd always kept in there. Undoing the rubber band, she shuffled through them until she finally landed on the source of the humming, it growing fainter as she picked up the card. A large yellow moon stared up at her and Cressida's surroundings melted away, replaced by the young boy she'd met in pain, his bones cracking and screams ringing in her ears.
She dropped the card like it had burned her, the piece of paper fluttering to the ground as she stared at the space he'd once been standing in. What on earth was he going to go through? What would be that painful?
Crouching down, she picked up the card once again, ignoring the flashes that were now in her memory and tucking the card into the transfiguration book she'd brought along with her, tucking it back in her large bag.
And a few hours later, Cressida left Diagon Alley with a brand new wand, several books about Quidditch, a small grey kitten that Ted had gotten her ("consider it a super late birthday present") and her vision forgotten.
All she remembered was the kind boy who had shown her around. And she hoped she would see him again sooner rather than later.
Hope you enjoyed the prologue! The next chapter is heading straight into her fifth year and the actual story.
Please leave a comment if you enjoyed it!
