The Last of the Blacks

Chapter 22: The Prank War

"So, you two?" Cassie asked, leaning against Kol's chest, nodding in Draco and Hermione's direction. "Are you a couple now or..."

"Are we?" Draco asked.

"I believe we are, Malfoy," Hermione laughed at him, blushing. Cassie looked over her shoulder to see if Kol was seeing that. Voldemort's son nodded. "I'm so happy that we're finally together!"

Cassie turned around, buring her face into Kol's neck. "Something is going on," she whispered, kissing his cheek.

"I know. Talk about this later," he whispered back. Then he took her face in his hands and kissed her deeply, lovingly. "I missed you."

"Me too. All of you actually, don't look at me like that, Daphne!" she said to her best friend, smiling. This. This was all that mattered. Her friends, her chosen family, her uncles and aunt, her cousin. All the people who truly loved her. All the people who would come back for her, not Sirius. She had forgiven him too much. "How did the second task go?"

"Potter saved Gabrielle Delacour and Weasley..." Hermione started, but Cassie cut her off.

"Please, be nice and don't say Gabrielle's name like she is some sort of slut," she smiled. "Thank you. And which Weasley? Aren't there four in this fucking school?"

All she had to do is to push Hermione to the point where the Gryffindor would start screaming at her. She just had to prove that Hermione Granger was nothing more than Harry Potter's spy.

But all the Muggle-born did was to smile at Cassie and say, "Of course. I'm sorry. Ronald Weasley. I was Victor Krum's..."

"So it really was underwater?" Cassie turned to Daphne, who nodded. The two purebloods smiled on each other. They both knew what the other one was thinking, they had developed this skill after a summer with two boys, who didn't have to understand all of their secrets. "Cool. How did the other professor's classes went?"

"He said, and I quote, 'The Slytherins must know the Unforgivable curses'." Draco kissed Hermione's neck. "Cousin dearest, my mother invited you and your aunt to dinner this weekend. She has written to your aunt and I have..."

"Whatever," Cassie smiled. "I will be honored to meet aunt Narcissa again."

"How did the search go?" Daphne asked carefully.

Cassie shooked her head, remembering about what had happened in Dumbledore's office. She planned to leave her dad now more than ever. She was going to let him have this beautiful father-son relationship with Harry and she would show up only from time to time until one day she goes to France or America. And then she would completely disappear.

Maybe she would take Kreacher with her. Harry Potter didn't deserve such a brave and brilliant house elf (who was making wonderful pudding). And Walburga's portrait. And Regulus' journal. And the family tree. And everything that belonged to the house Black.

"You could have been..."

"Daphne!" the group turned around only to see the laughing 12-year-old Astoria (AKA the reason that Daphne was acting that she was stronger than she actually was). "You have to hear th... Oh, hi, Cassie!"

"Hi."

"What happened?" Draco asked the smallest Greengrass. Astoria blushed a little, but looked at her sister, her cousin and Cassie.

"Professor Black is blue!"

Cassie laughed as her friends (and Hermione) looked shocked at her.

******
"Let's get this straight," Daphne laughed. "You gave your father a finding potion and he..." she laughed again. "I can't!"