The Last of the Blacks

Chapter 43: Other Side

"Have you seen my brush?!" Daphne yelled from the other bed, waking her best friend up. "Cassiopea!" she screamed. "Aren't you going to get up already?!"

"Relax. We are just going to Diagon Alley!" Cassie mumbled and hid her head under her pillow. After Draco was attacked by Potter in the bathroom, Narcissa decided that all five children should come home. Andromeda was the one to yell at Dumbledore, of course she was. And that's why Cassie, Daphne, Astoria, Kol and Draco appeared in 12 Grimmauld Place a month before Christmas break. Draco left his mother's mirror in Hogwarts so the Slytherins could call whenever they needed help. "You know I love the twins, but..."

"No. No. No. You are getting up," Daphne said. "All of you are getting up."

Cassie closed her eyes once again. "Remind me again. Why are we friends?"

"You came up to me, you are responsible for all of this."

"Believe me, I know."

And not only for that. She was responsible for a whole fucking war. She was responsible for her father's death... Merlin. She didn't want to be responsible for more deaths, to feel that emptiness again.

Cassie got up just in time for Daphne to throw some clothes on her face. "Thanks," Cassie said and took her black top and green skirt. She started getting dressed. "Where are we meeting with the twins?"

"In their shop."

"You sure you want me to come?"

Cassie hoped her best friend knew that she and the Weasley family weren't in good relationship. She hadn't seen the twins in a long time. She hadn't gone to their shop. She hadn't written to them even though both of them invited her to the shop.

"Of course," Daphne smiled. "They are your friends. And you need more than just me, Draco and Kol."

"I have more friends," Cassie said. "Theo. Pansy. Zabini. Those idiots, Draco's friends."

"Some who aren't in Slytherin?"

"Care to share why do you ask that?"

For a moment the two girls were just staring at one another, trying to figure out how to answer the question of their best friend. Yet they couldn't.

Cassie had no friends that weren't in Slytherin. She didn't need to have other friends.

"Fred and George haven't seen in quite some time," Daphne said. "They asked me to bring you with me just to see and I quote 'our dear Blackie'."

Cassie laughed at the nickname they had thought of when she was 11 and they met on the train. Merlin, what a day. Her aunt had been in such a hurry, yelling at everyone to be faster, because they were going to be late.

"OK," Cassie said calmly. "Can you braide my hair?"

Daph's eyes sparkled.

********
1st September, 1991

"Ok," Andromeda said, smiling. "Write to me at least three times a week. If there is any problem, I want to know... Oh, hello, Mrs Weasley."

Cassie turned around to see a fat woman with red red hair and lots of children around her. "Ah, Mrs Tonks! It is so good to see you, dear," Mrs Weasley smiled at them. Cassie looked at her aunt. "Is this Sirius' daughter?"

Sirius' daughter, Cassiopea thought with disgust. Why she had to be Sirius' daughter and everyone had to think of her in that way?

"Yes," Andromeda nodded and Cassie felt that her aunt was shaking. "She is in her first year as I believe is your son," she nodded in the youngest boy's direction.