Cassiopeia learned a few things about Professor Quirrell very quickly as she started her personal lessons with him. He was incredibly brilliant; his theoretical knowledge of magic was impressive, at least to her uneducated mind. She also learned that he was incredibly timid, easily frightened, and very socially awkward. In a lot of ways she liked him more for all of those qualities. He was very easy to read, a quality that was emphasized by his social awkwardness. He just did not know how to be devious. Because of this she almost felt like she could trust him and relax a little.
They only managed to get in one lesson, which ran over, before the Christmas holiday. He had spent the whole time explaining the very basics of spell construction. Or at the very least he tried to. A few tangents and history lessons later she was totally enraptured, and no where near understanding the magnitude of what they were trying to accomplish with creating a new spell.
From what she understood was that magic was a force of a nature, one that a few certain humans could tap into and manipulate. In the very distant past people interacted with magic in a very primal way, through emotions and powerful intents. This was before the days of wands or formalised spells. Magic then was much like magic was for children, random and tied to the individual person's emotional state.
She had interrupted Quirrell at this point, making the correlation to curses and emotions. The power of the curse was directly correlated to the feelings of the caster. For example one couldn't curse someone effectively that they didn't truly hate, it was the emotions that fueled the power. He paused to study her carefully, but didn't question her understanding of curse casting, just accepted that she had a (hopefully) theoretical understanding. He explained that because an emotion was the basest way to access magic, they had a very powerful effect. They fueled both curses and protection spells, such as a Patronus. With magic, intent was everything.
Over the years people began to notice that certain intents and wills could be condensed into words that could reliably have the same reaction. Spells. Nobody is really sure why certain words carry the power of intent, and there were lots of different theories, Quirrell had gone on a tangent that got very philosophical and a bit over her head for a while at this point.
When he got back onto point he started discussing spell diagrams. At some point someone discovered a method to creating new spells, a way to organise internalised vague intents into clear, defined characteristics. A spell diagram. These diagrams forced the magic user to clearly understand every aspect of the spell, and were the foundation of all new magics.
The more powerful the spell, the more complicated the diagram. Every witch and wizard was unique in how they individually ordered their own diagrams, but there were certain rules that most followed. Because Quirrell was going to be doing most of the spell diagramming they would follow his particular methods, which included a lot of ancient runes and latin. He sent her home with a few useful tomes to learn the basics, but acknowledged that she wouldn't be able to completely understand for many, many years.
Her main homework assignment over the upcoming holiday break was to read as much as she could about batteries, electricity, latin, ancient runes, and circuitry. He wanted her to come back from the break with the understanding of every component that made electronics work, and exactly how the power sources work. He would need this information before he could start working on magical simulations.
She left the lesson with her head feeling full. It was a type brain dead that she experienced only a few times after a particularly intensive study session. She was exhausted and decided to retire to bed early that night, unable to even think about opening another book to distract herself. That night she dreamt of spell diagrams and lightening.
Christmas break was finally upon the students, and electric excitement ran throughout the student body. The castle had been transformed into a winter wonderland, with magical displays of Christmas cheer. Cassiopeia found it equal parts fascinating and irritating. The enchanted snow somehow always managed to attach itself to her, and she couldn't venture outside without someone throwing a snowball at her. The culprits varied from light hearted fun seekers such as Constance or Daniel, to friendly teasing from Dora, or malicious strikes from anonymous members of the Slytherin house.
She packed to return home with a small ball of trepidation in her stomach. She had never really celebrated Christmas before, and wondered what her first Christmas would be like with the Tonks Family. She understood there was supposed to be an exchange of gifts, but she had never experienced such a thing so she was shooting in the dark. She also understood that friends and family were expecting presents, meaning she would have to also have to find something for both Constance and Daniel. She understood these things theoretically, but had no idea how to accomplish them, or even what to buy them. It worried her, but she decided to try and put it out of her mind until she was back home. Dora had mentioned that maybe they'd be allowed to take a trip to Diagon Alley to go shopping.
The train ride back to London she spent her time reading from a few books she borrowed from Professor Flitwick and Quirrell and talking to Daniel and Constance, whom she shared a train carriage with. They talked happily amongst themselves, having bonded over the first term over a shared love of Gobstones and muggle fantasy novels. The discussed the stories in great detail, both stopping to fill Cassiopeia in on the finer points of the plot that she needed to know to understand their discussions. She appreciated their attempt to include her but eventually excused herself from a particularly intense debate over a fictional character to do some of her own homework. Both Daniel and Constance lightly teased her for being sorted into the wrong house, but allowed her to continue.
The farther they got from Hogwarts the more hope she had that her Walkman would start working again. Sure enough, a few hours into the train ride, she was able to lose herself into a world of music for the first time in months. She completely checked out of the happenings in the train carriage and listened.
So lost was she that she nearly fell off her seat when someone shook her out of her stupor. It was Nymphadora, grinning widely; holding a pile of treats from the trolley the size of a small mountain. She saw her friends already attacking the pile, still arguing over the victor in some fictional battle in the book they were reading.
"alrigh' Dora." She mumbled, pulling her headphones off her head.
"Alright Cass. I thought I'd check in on you, glad I did. You haven't eaten yet have you? Always with your head in a book." She grinned and gestured to the mountain of sweets, "Luckily for you, I am amazing and have brought only the most unhealthy treats ever."
"Thanks, Dora. Are you staying for a bit?" she asked while grabbing a cauldron cake from the pile. She was fascinated by the variety of sweets available in the wizarding world. It was exciting to be finally experiencing it first hand, having not really eaten many sweets growing up.
"I can stay for a bit, what're you listening to so intently." Dora asked curiously. And thus began an hour-long conversation with her sister about the joys of muggle music.
It wasn't long before her Walkman was being passed around the train carriage, with each member enraptured by the different sounds. This continued until the Hogwarts Express pulled into Kings Cross station in London.
Andromeda and Ted were anxiously waiting for the two children, excited to have some life back in their house and eager to hear how the first term had gone for both children. Nymphadora ran into her parent's arms, giving them each a large hug, and waved goodbye to her friends. Cassiopeia was not so exuberant in her greeting, instead stopping a meter or so away from the couple and giving them a hesitant smile. Constance hovered nearby, wanting to introduce Cassiopeia to her parents who were hovering near the magical barrier, looking slightly dazed that they managed to make it onto the platform to begin with.
Ted broke the distance between them and the girl by stepping forward and wrapping Cassiopeia in a large hug. The girl tensed with the contact, didn't quite return the hug, but let it happen nonetheless. She was a little more prepared for Andromeda's hug, which wasn't quite as all encompassing as Teds, but tender all the same.
"Wow Cass, you look just like your mom!" exclaimed Constance, looking between the older woman and her friend. Both Cassiopeia and Andromeda blushed slightly, each taken slightly by surprise by the outburst.
"Er… yeah, I guess we look similar." Cassiopeia muttered, ducking her head to hide behind her unruly curls, fingering her silver bracelet nervously.
"And you look nothing like your father! How funny how that happens some times." Constance continued, totally oblivious to the embarrassment of the Tonks family.
Ted was the first to recover, joining in on her laughter, "You're right, our Cassiopeia here is all Black sister, and very little if any Tonks. But we still love her all the same." He said jovially, gently squeezing Cassiopeia's shoulder. The girl hunched in on herself as she took in his words. She knew he probably didn't mean it that way, but it sounded as if he was distancing the Tonks name from her. But that was silly, he was happy she took his name, right? It was something she'd have to think about later.
"And just who might you be?" Andromeda asked curiously, wrapping her arm lovingly around her other daughter.
"Oh right, er… this is my, uh, friend. Constance. She's in Hufflepuff." Cassiopeia swallowed thickly, her face burning, "And Constance, this is my, erm, parents. Ted and Andromeda Tonks." The words sounded forced and false even to her own ears.
Constance ogled her friend, a wide smile on her face, "You're so weird Cass, you call your parents by their first name?! It's why we're friends. Nice to meet you Mr and Mrs Tonks. Oh, I think I see my parents over there, come on Cass, I want to introduce you to them too!"
Constance didn't give Cassiopeia a chance to respond before pulling her away from the awkward Tonks family over to the her two parents, both of whom looked completely discomforted by their surroundings. They beamed however when they caught sight of their daughter running towards them.
"Mom! Dad! I wanted you to meet my friend Cassiopeia! I told you all about her already in my owls. I wanted to introduce you to my other friend Daniel but I lost track of him already. Cass, these are my parents." She was positively beaming in her exuberance. Her parents smiled kindly at Cassiopeia. Unlike Constance's own comparisons with her 'parents', there was not a doubt in her mind that Constance was their child. She was a perfect mix of the two adults in front of her. Her mother was a relatively short, well rounded woman with soft, straight auburn hair and thick rimmed glasses. Her father was taller than his wife, though not tall by any means, with bright green eyes and a body that was dominated by his reasonably sized belly. They both seemed absolutely lovely.
"Cassiopeia, a pleasure to meet you. Our Constance has told us all about you in her letters home. It's rather amazing isn't it, all of this? And Owls for letters. She mentioned you had spent some time in uh, what do you call it? Our world?" Mrs Green said, her voice warm and welcoming.
Cassiopeia felt a twinge of guilt. She had apparently been the subject of many letters home to Constance's parents, and yet she hadn't mentioned her at all in a single letter to the Tonks. In fact, she simply hadn't written a single letter home in her first term. Perhaps that was a bit unusual, she'd have to do more research to be sure.
"Yes, a few years." She said simply, trying her best to smile.
"Well, if you ever have a chance you must come over for dinner some time over break. Do you have a landline in your house, or only, erm, owls?" Mr Green asked, stumbling a little at what was once a preposterous question.
"Yes sir, Ted, uh my father is muggle born, we have a phone as well as a family owl." It was strange to openly refer to Ted as her father. He was miles better than her own real father, but it still left a funny taste in her mouth.
Mr Green beamed, "Brilliant, here is our number. Why don't you have him ring us so we can set something up." He handed Cassiopeia a card with his name and number written on it. "It was lovely meeting you Cassiopeia, but we must be going, we have a train to catch after all!" Mrs Green said happily, and with a final, mildly awkward hug, Constance departed with her family.
"Nice girl." Ted remarked when she made her way back. Cassiopeia shrugged and handed him the business card, "Mr Green wanted you to ring him, something about setting up a dinner or something." She fingered her bracelet and looked away, embarrassed by the presumption. She held her breath, waiting for the Tonks response to her making plans without approving it. She let it out slowly when Andromeda exclaimed it was a brilliant idea, and Ted agreed.
They departed shortly after, bound for Ted's parents house in South London. Since they were in the city they thought they would visit and introduce them to Cassiopeia. Nymphadora complained loudly about how she just wanted to go home, or anywhere that wasn't filled with stuffy old people but neither child was really given a choice.
Cassiopeia followed silently, boarding the underground on the muggle side of Kings Cross and wondered about her own grandparents. She had never met them, or even heard of them before. She wondered what their names were, and what type of people they were. She wondered if they were even still alive. She had four of them; surely they couldn't all be dead? She wondered what type of relationship they had with their children, if they had one. Were they proud of them? Of Bellatrix and Rudolphus? She frowned as she imagined their faces and their life stories.
Ted's parents house was every bit as stuffy as Dora complained it would be. They lived in a small house along a row of identical houses in a suburb of London. Inside was like an explosion of lace doilies and porcelain figurines, from dolls to animals. Everything was pale pink and creams. Mrs Tonks met them at the door, welcoming everyone with hugs and kisses on the cheek. Cassiopeia entered last, and Mrs Tonks smiling face soured a little as she looked down her nose at the latest familial addition.
"You must be that strange girl. The niece." She said quietly. She wasn't quite in rude territory with her tone, but Cassiopeia felt that she might have been close.
"Lestrange mam, though its Tonks now." Cassiopeia ground out, glancing away in embarrassment. The older woman just sniffed disdainfully before turning to the others. Mrs Tonks had prepared a afternoon tea, complete with cucumber finger sandwiches and slices of Battenburg. She ushered everyone into the sitting room, and with Andromeda's help everyone was served a plate with cucumber sandwiches, scones, jam, and cream. She notices Mrs Tonks gave Cassiopeia a slightly burnt scone and the smallest piece of sandwich, but she didn't dare complain. She still remembered times in her life where she wasn't given any food at all. Though some time had passed since then, it was still ingrained into her mind.
Mrs Tonks spent the whole evening monopolizing the conversation. Talking about the latest gossip in her sewing circle, updates on Mr Tonks latest job at the bank, what the neighbours were up to, and changes in the local town council. Ted and Andromeda were both engaged in conversation with Mrs Tonks. Mr Tonks gazed into the living room where the TV could be heard distantly, trying to catch a glimpse of the news reports. Mrs Tonks occasionally broke conversation to dote on Nymphadora, asking how school was coming along, and whether she had met any boys. Cassiopeia was notably left out of any such conversation, and was ignored totally.
Once tea was finished, Mrs Tonks bid everyone to retire into the living room while she cleared up.
"Ill give you a hand in clearing up Mary," Andromeda offered, standing and gathering the tea plates from around her.
"Oh no need, your niece can help me. Go on along into the room with Ted and Dora. We'll be along shortly." Her voice was pleasant but it was obvious it was not a question.
Cassiopeia gathered dishes silently and brought them into the kitchen to wash while Mrs Tonks dealt with the teapot and cups. It wasn't until they were alone and sounds of laughter and chatter emitted from the living did Mrs Tonks say anything.
"My son is too kind hearted you know, adopting strays like you." Gone was the pleasant tone, instead she was sharp, scrutinising the girl in front of her.
"Honestly, he told me all about you of course. Your parents, and your circumstances. If it were up to me I'd have left you in the system where you belong. Goodness knows what sort of problems you have." She continued
A sudden flash of irritation and shame burned in Cassiopeia, and she hid behind her curls. "Good thing it wasn't up to you." She retorted softly. That earned her a slap to the back of the head.
"Don't talk back to me girl. I know what you are; I know what you are capable of. And I may be normal, but if you so much as think about hurting that family in there you will have to deal with me." She warned.
Cassiopeia couldn't help but to laugh darkly, finding the situation absurd. A muggle like her posed no real threat, and Ted clearly didn't tell her everything. "Do you even know who my parents really were?" she asked, genuinely curious.
"Evil wizards who are in prison for life for violent crimes." She responded stiffly, perturbed by the girls laughter.
"For torturing and murdering muggles like you. They killed dozens if not more people. I grew up in a house controlled by wizards who would kill you without a second thought, just for the fun of it. You think some meaningless words will frighten me, well you don't know what frightening is." She said darkly, keeping her voice quiet and her eyes averted.
Mrs Tonks paled considerably and couldn't hide the slight tremor in her hand. "Are you threatening me girl?" she asked hoarsely.
Cassiopeia sighed, trying to rein in her annoyance with the woman. "I don't need to threaten you. Andromeda and Ted know my past, know who I am and they still took me in. I would never do anything to hurt them." She finished quietly, returning to the dishes.
Mrs Tonks remained silent after that, her face drawn and pale. Cassiopeia was thankful when they finally left for home.
Xxx
Ted and Mr Green had kept in touch via telephone and had arranged for the girls to meet in Diagon Alley for a day of shopping, followed by dinner in a muggle pub. Somehow Andromeda has found out about her only other friend, Daniel Jones and had managed to owl his family the plans as well. She suspected her sister was heavily involved in that particular nugget of information.
Cassiopeia had mixed feelings about the trip. She was happy to see Daniel and Constance, especially together since their conversation styles tended to play off each other, taking the pressure of additional commentary off Cassiopeia a bit. But she also was aware she needed to do some much needed Christmas present shopping for the pair, something that would be quite impossible to do while they were together. Not that she had any idea what she was going to get either of them. She had never celebrated Christmas, and had never exchanged gifts with people so she really had no frame of reference to work from.
The adults gave the children some space as they walked down Diagon alley, keeping care to keep them in sight, but also allowing them their privacy. They paused a little ways down the street when they entered shops together but did not follow them in unless they were directly summoned.
Cassiopeia found the space at least a little relief. So she walked, listened to Constance and Daniel chat amicably about their winter holidays. She even contributed to the conversation, briefly detailing her time at the muggle library looking up more information about electrical currents and circuitry. Her friends both rolled their eyes and exclaimed in mock outrage how she really should have been a Ravenclaw. Cassiopeia shrugged and smiled, remaining silent through their exasperation, and continued window-shopping.
Personally she felt she would have made a terrible Ravenclaw. Ravenclaw's sought out knowledge for knowledge's sake. It was a naïve way to use ones intellect and to look at the world. Sure she spent the majority of her spare time reading and learning, but it was always for a reason.
Finally the group of children began to grow restless, each unsure of what they really wanted from all the stores and uncertain what to do if they weren't going to be shopping. Cassiopeia had already purchased Christmas presents for her sister, and for Ted and Andromeda.
"Anything you need to pick up Cassiopeia? Perhaps a book?" Daniel asked her teasingly. She rubbed the back of her neck and looked around at a few of the shop windows surrounding them.
"Honestly, the only thing I still need to buy is your Christmas presents. If that's alright?" she asked uncertainly. She still wasn't entirely certain that they were friends enough to exchange presents.
"I actually have to do the same, I have some ideas but well maybe we should split up for the next little bit and do some Christmas present shopping." Constance mused, Daniel was nodding, glancing around as well, "Yeah, I think we might as well do it now, when we have a chance. I don't know when I'll be back here."
Cassiopeia looked at her two friends and realised they didn't understand quite what she was asking, and a sudden warm feeling bloomed in her chest. They never once considered not getting her a present it seemed. She had to find something perfect for the two of them.
The trio made their way back to the lingering adults and explained the situation. Andromeda had to get going to a previous appointment, and Ted was going in search for his wayward daughter who had disappeared with a group of her friends. Mr and Mrs Jones agreed to keep an eye on the children as they split up to their respective shopping, and to help Mr and Mrs Green acclimate to their new surroundings. It was agreed that they would all meet at the pub for dinner in a little over an hour.
And so Cassiopeia found herself alone, in silence, with a handful of gold coins, and a semi-present guardian. Initially she found it refreshing to be left to her own thoughts again, until she remembered her thoughts was not always a pleasant place. She focussed on the task at hand, finding the best Christmas presents for her newfound friends.
She was quickly overwhelmed. What was an appropriate present? How did she know if she was doing enough? What if she did too much? How much should be spend? Her head was spinning as she weighed her different options.
For Daniel she found an interactive map of the wizarding world. It replayed major historical events in full colour illustrations, everything from wars, famines, and changing borders. She thought he'd enjoy it given how interested in history he was. She had the map gift wrapped in the shop and continued on shopping for Constance.
She wanted something to show Constance that she really did think of her as a friend, even though she didn't always show it. She wanted to show the girl that she was appreciated. A matching set of charm bracelets caught her eye in a jewellery shop and she stared at them through the window. They were friendship bracelets, a pair of twinned bracelets that apparently they each wore. Cassiopeia rubbed her silver bracelet; she hated having things on her wrist generally, and didn't see the point of jewellery. And yet, these might not be the worst things, and she knew Constance would be over the moon about it.
So she went into the store to inquire about them. So focussed on her task that she was for once, completely oblivious to her surroundings. She mentally rehearsed on how she was going to talk to the shop lady, and fingered her money in her pocket. She didn't notice how quiet the store was compared to the bustling crowds outside, or that there was only one other shopper in the store. A woman whose eyes widened in surprise as she did a double take. Cassiopeia missed all these signs, instead peering into a case that had several different friend bracelet designs.
The woman who noticed Cassiopeia open and closed her mouth several times, wanting to catch the girl's attention but uncertain on what to say, so nothing came out. She rubbed her fingers together and took the moment to take the young girl in. She was small but not unhealthily so, her features hidden under a wild man of black curls, with deep bags under her eyes. She had her face so close to the display case that her nose was almost touching it, and her breath fogged it a little.
"Excuse me miss, anything I can help you with?" the shop assistant asked the young girl, her voice dripping in disdain. The shop assistant sneered a little as Cassiopeia twitched suddenly and took a half a step back, hiding behind her hair.
"Er, I'd like to buy one of those please." Her voice was soft, uncertain. "How much are they actually?"
The shop assistant rolled her eyes and sniffed. "Our cheaper bracelets are 10 Galleons for the pair."
"Oh." She said sadly, pulling out a handful of coins, she was close to that amount, but not quite there.
"Perhaps you're better off trying one the other, more common shops." The assistant dismissed her haughtily.
The girl started to glare but then deflated. It was the perfect gift, but just out of her price range. And it was clear that the witch behind the counter wanted her out of the shop.
"Cassiopeia." The woman in the shop finally gasped out, "Is it really you?" she asked, delicately brushing blonde hair behind her ear.
Cassiopeia paused as she noticed the other witch in the shop for the first time. The witch looked stricken, a mix of hope and sadness lining her features. She squared her shoulders and casually put her hands in her robes, grasping for her wand.
"How do you know my name?" she asked suspiciously, inching away from the other witch.
"You don't recognise me do you? How could you, we only met the once, all those years ago." The woman said sadly, raising her hands in a placating gesture.
Cassiopeia studied the woman carefully. She did look familiar. The witch was elegant; everything about her was put together and perfect. Not a hair was out of place, her make up was expertly done and her clothes were tailored exactly. She wore a few modest shining jewels in her ears and on her fingers; she was rich but not ostentatious. It was very tasteful she imagined.
"Sorry to keep you waiting Mrs. Malfoy here is the - is this girl bothering you?" the jeweller and shop owner emerged from the back of the store, holding a box in his hands, taking in the scene in front of him.
Mrs Malfoy.
Cassiopeia's shoulders tensed as she quickly glanced around looking for her husband. What was her name, she wracked her brain, "Narcissa. Aunt Narcissa right?"
They had met, once that she remembered. The woman's smiled in relief, her eyes shining.
"It really is you?" she clasped her hands together in front of her, "Merlin, forgive me, but after the, well after everything we tried to find you, only to see you shipped off, away to that awful place. And you're back now, and at Hogwarts. Of course. Slytherin I see."
A few tears did slip from her eyes; she brushed them away with a small embarrassed laugh, "look at me. I'm just so happy to see you, I wasn't sure we ever would after everything that happened. Please, Gerard, would you mind giving us a moment, Cassiopeia we must catch up, you should tell me everything that has happened to you since then." She was careful in choosing her words, not revealing too much about her past, about why they were separated.
Cassiopeia took a step back as Mrs Malfoy came closer presumably for an embrace.
"Right, of course. I am almost a complete stranger to you I guess. It was these you were looking at correct?" she gestured to the display case holding the bracelets,
"Gerard, have your assistant box up this pair and put them on my tab for my niece here Cassiopeia L—"
"Tonks. Cassiopeia Tonks. And that's not necessary Mrs Malfoy" She interrupted Mrs Malfoy.
Narcissa stilled for a moment, finally understanding. "Please box this up for Miss Tonks," her voice was cooler, slightly more subdued, "best put it in my name dear." She amended after a second.
"Please, Mrs Malfoy, you don't have to—"
"Oh hush Cassiopeia darling, it's the least I can do for you. Gerard, once your finished with that would you mind giving us a moment." She commanded the jeweller who was rushing to box up her order.
He bowed his head and grabbed his assistant and went into the back of the store with a solid click of the door. Narcissa smiled and stared at the girl in front of her, sadness radiating from every gesture. "I am so sorry Cassiopeia. We should have been there for you, even before— I can't even begin to describe my regrets" she shook her head, wiping another tear away. "Are you happy? Now? Do you need anything?"
She gulped, carefully taking the wrapped box in her hands. The Malfoy woman didn't seem like an immediate threat, but the whole situation was distinctly uncomfortable.
"I am well as can be Mrs Malfoy. With a family and enrolled in Hogwarts. Back where I belong." She carefully tucked the wrapped parcel into her pocket.
"Yes, family." She smiled wistfully, "Andy found you first. I am pleased you are safe. I have so many regrets about that time. I have thought about it, about you often, it was a different time, but I should've been there for you. Please, if you would permit me, I would love to take you out for dinner, get to know you a little better. And you can get to know us."
She seemed sincere, but Cassiopeia still hesitated. Narcissa seemed nice, but this was really only the second time she had met her. She really didn't know this woman. She remembered her husband and wasn't too keen on kindling a relationship with him.
"I'll think about it. And I'll have to talk to Andromeda about it first." She responded hesitantly. Narcissa looked both resigned and a little relieved, but she was interrupted before she could respond.
"Oi, Cass there you are!" exclaimed a loud voice behind her, as the owner came and gave her a side hug, ignoring the way the girl tensed. "Mum and dad are looking for you, its time to get some grub. Oh hello." Nymphadora, her hair now a shock of red, smiled briefly at Narcissa.
The door opened again, carrying a slightly irritated Ted, "Nymphadora what did I tell you about running off—oh" he took in the scene, his daughter with her arm wrapped around a very uncomfortable Cassiopeia, and Narcissa Malfoy. "Cass, its time to meet your friends for dinner." He eyed Mrs Malfoy warily.
Cassiopeia glanced between the two adults, Ted looked highly uncomfortable as he eyed the Malfoy woman with suspicion and slight dislike. She had never seen Ted ever look at someone with anything other than kindness and warmth. Narcissa had the beginning of a sneer on her face, hardly acknowledging Nymphadora's and Ted's presence. Instead she looked as if she were smelling a highly potent pile of dung.
"Please consider my offer Cassiopeia. And enjoy your bracelets. If you'll excuse me." Mrs Malfoy excused herself, leaving the shop quickly, sweeping past the Tonks as if they didn't exist.
"Rude." Nymphadora snorted as the door slammed shut. "Mrs Malfoy has been known to be just that. At least where we are concerned." Ted muttered darkly, watching her retreating form before turning back to Cassiopeia. "Though don't let my opinion influence yours, Cass. It was only a matter of time before you two met, though I wish it were later instead of sooner. We can talk about it later with Dromeda, but you should get to know her for yourself, form your own opinions. But for now, the pub awaits girls." Ted forced a smile on his face and injected as much good cheer as he could into his tone as he led his two girls out of the jewellery shop and back onto the streets of Diagon Alley.
The rest of the evening passed in laughter and smiles as the Greens acclimated to the wizarding world and as her family was introduced to her two friends. She was also pleased with her first ever Christmas present purchases, and was excited to present them to her friends and family.
Xxx
Cassiopeia woke up early on Christmas morning, electricity running through her veins. The previous night the whole family had a modest Christmas dinner and watched muggle movies about the holiday. Cassiopeia had never seen any of them before and was totally enraptured in A Christmas Carol particularly. She had even managed to sleep through the whole night without any nightmares and felt almost refreshed as she greeted the dawn. She was also surprised to hear movement already around the household. Glancing at her clock she realised it was actually much later than she initially expected. For the first time in her life she actually managed to have a bit of a lie in.
She climbed out of bed, eagerly wrapping a dressing gown over her pyjamas she made her way downstairs where she saw the whole of the Tonks family sitting in the living room, around a Christmas tree with a modest pile of presents underneath it.
"Finally! Mom she's up, can I start opening presents?" Nymphadora exclaimed, eagerly eyeing the tree.
"Go on you two, help yourselves." Ted said, wrapping his arm around his wife and smiling at his little family.
Nymphadora wasted no time attacking the tree, grabbing presents and tossing them to their respective owner and tearing into her own without abandon. Cassiopeia was a little more subdued and quiet, warmth filling her chest and her eyes burned slightly. She swallowed thickly and smiled as she took in the small pile of presents. She had never seen such spoils before and she was determined to treasure every single moment of it. She read every single card attached to the presents, noting whom they were from and committing it to memory before carefully peeled away the wrapping paper, methodically unwrapping the parcels. Every item to her was better than gold. From Mrs. Weasley she received a knit sweater in Slytherin colours and a box of home made biscuits, her favourite sort. She immediately put the sweater on over her pyjamas, and carefully opened the biscuit box, helping herself to just one. After that she received a book on useful charms from Daniel, and an enchanted notebook from Constance. The notebook changed colours and had a monstrous supply of paper contained within its small form. Constance wrote it was for her ongoing research projects.
"Merlin Cass, you sure are taking your time with those," Nymphadora exclaimed, the area around her a mess of ripped wrapping paper and tinsel. She had parcels littered around her and was already eating a box of Christmas sweets.
Cassiopeia blushed, "I want to enjoy every bit of this." She said quietly, moving onto the next parcel. She had several parcels from Andromeda and Ted respectively. Their presents ranged from the practical, a few sets of new robes, a scarf, and a hat for when she went back to school. Andromeda gave them both new pairs of slippers, and a fresh set of quills for school. Ted gave Nymphadora more sweets and a few muggle books on electronics for Cassiopeia. Nymphadora gave her a book on duelling techniques, with a small note written inside the cover saying that if she was going to duel, she might as well kick ass at it.
She was so touched by the pile of presents that she abruptly stood up and hugged every single person in the family. Ted and Andromeda stiffened with surprise, so used to the girl having a general aversion to touch, but they accepted it all the same quietly. "Blimey Cass, you're acting like you've never had Christmas presents before." Nymphadora joked, returning her sisters hug. Cassiopeia blushed and hid behind her hair, anxiously fiddling with her bracelet. Dora grew serious, reading her body language. "You have opened Christmas presents before right cass?"
"My er parents didn't really celebrate it. Neither did the muggles I was with." She shrugged and backed away slightly from the family, feeling suddenly awkward. Nymphadora opened her mouth to respond but was interrupted by Andromeda, "Cassiopeia, you still have one more present." Shooting her daughter a sharp look.
Cassiopeia looked in surprise and sure enough there was a small present still left, the parcel dwarfed by the letter that sat upon it. It was wrapped in green and silver, and she carefully lifted off the envelope.
"Who is it from?" Ted asked jovially, gathering up a plate of mince pies and putting it in his lap. She carefully opened the envelope and read the signature at the bottom. She swallowed, "its from Mrs Malfoy." She said quietly. Andromeda pursed her lips before trying to smile. She was almost convincing. "Go on then Cassiopeia, Nymphadora help me start cleaning up this mess." Andromeda said.
The letter was moderately long,
Dear Cassiopeia,
I was so pleased to have seen you the other week in Diagon Alley. I have been wanting to write to you for weeks but was unable to find the right words to convey how I feel. Even as I write this I have a small pile of discarded letters around me. I know we are strangers to you, and that you have found some semblance of happiness with your new situation. I know you have no reason to indulge us, but we, myself and my husband Lucius and my son, your cousin, Draco, would love to have you over for dinner one night just to get to know each other. Or if that is too much, perhaps tea in Diagon Alley? I know a beautiful café that does the most delightful cakes.
It doesn't have to be now, I would settle for even just a written correspondence with you. I can not begin to describe the sorrow and regret I feel about the state of our current relationship. I should have been there more for you when you were younger, I know the environment cant have been the most nurturing of ones. It was my own selfishness that kept me away, I never did feel comfortable visiting the Lestrange Manor in the later years, when you were a child for entirely unrelated reasons. This is a poor excuse for my absence in your life, and if you would indulge me, I would like to start making amends for that.
If you need anything Cassiopeia, please do not hesitate to contact me. I promise that anything you tell me I will keep in the strictest of confidence. I hope that you can one day confide in me as a friend, and I dream of the day we can gossip about boys, hair, and makeup. You can owl at any time and I will always be available to you now.
I hope you enjoy this present; it is the first of many I hope, as I so wish to have a girl to spoil. It is but a small token, a family heirloom that I think would look fetching on you. If you would like I can show you a few ways to style it.
Happy Christmas Cassiopeia, from all of us here at the Malfoy Manor,
Your aunt,
Narcissa Malfoy
She folded up the letter wordlessly, frowning slightly. She wasn't sure what to think about the Malfoy matriarch. During her brief meeting she hadn't been able to get a good enough read on her to really form an opinion. She opened the box carefully and beautiful silver hair comb fell out, encrusted with small green and white jewels. It was exquisitely made, the jewels made perfect little flowers. She had no idea how to even begin to use such a hair comb and had no idea how to even style her hair appropriately for it. Most days she left her hair to run wild, it was nearly impossible to comb and despite Andromeda's best efforts, she hadn't been able to learn how to tame her impossible mound of curls. She tossed the comb back into the box and put it in her small pile of presents.
"So what did the old snob say then?" Dora asked curiously, ignoring the sharp looks from her parents. Cassiopeia shrugged, glancing carefully at Andromeda who was silently picking up pieces of wrapping paper.
"She wants to meet me. She wants us to have more of a relationship. Its all rubbish though, I mean she's basically a stranger." Cassiopeia tried to shrug it off nonchalantly.
"You should take her up on the offer and meet her. You might get along. Family is important, you shouldn't reject part of your family because of my own personal relationships with them." Andromeda was quiet but firm. "At the very least think about it. I mean it, Cissy might be good for you. She always had a way of bringing people out of their shells." She smiled sadly, lost in memory.
"Well I personally wouldn't have anything to do with that snobby hag," Dora exclaimed, earning a slap in the head from her father. She grinned, rubbing the spot. "Now about breakfast, I'm famished mom." Andromeda smiled indulgently at her daughter and ushered them all into the kitchen as conversation turned to lighter topics.
xxx
The rest of the holidays passed in a rush, luckily Ted's parents decided to spend the New Years in Ibiza at a holiday resort instead of in England, so the family decided to celebrate at home, marathoning movies. There had beene a few more visits to the arcade during the day, something which Cassiopeia dominated at, and they even had time to make it to a roller rink, something Nymphadora was particularly good at. Cassiopeia fell half a dozen times before giving up and reluctantly agreed to hold Andromeda's hand as she learned how to manoeuvre on the roller skates.
She reluctantly wrote a quick missive to her Aunt Narcissa, politely thanking her for the Christmas present, but was vague about her offer to meet up. She suggested maybe during the Easter break, but refused to make any solid plans. She had to think things through before taking the step.
It wasn't long until Cassiopeia found herself reuniting with her friends on the Hogwarts Express, both Daniel and Constance filled her in on their holiday, and for once Cassiopeia found she could talk at length at the events over her own holiday. They listened to her tape player for part of the journey and when it cut out as they neared the castle, the trio changed into their uniforms and continued their happy chatter.
She smiled later that evening, recalling the events of the break and her conversations with her friends fondly. She performed her nightly silencing ritual, casting the spell upon herself and sighed happily. She was beginning to feel finally at home.
The nightmares that came that night were vague and far away, barely depriving her of any sleep. All in all it had been a good day, and a good few weeks.
A/N Again sorry for the pause. I am still working on this story full time, I swear! planning scenes and figuring out everything. Ive honestly been super busy with real work, but that should be slowing down, and I can finally take time to write fun things like this story, as im still bursting with inspirations and idea (admittedly for the later years. Her young years might fly by a bit...) Hope you enjoy, and please review if you have the time! The feedback really helps, good or bad!