Albus Potter, Friends and Foes

Ch 10 An Awkward Easter with Cassiopeia

Minor additions and corrections last chapter and this, although one of my beta readers did inspire the last section about James.

*

Rose sighed as she looked around the room. Grandmother Granger was sitting watching them, smiling. She was old; Muggles did not live as long as Magi, and although still a thin, spry lady she was getting old.

Rose loved playing with Minerva. Her mother Hermione had done her best, but Rose wanted to be more like her grandmothers, both of whom seemed to be much more patient with babies and young children.

Magi seemed to be marrying younger than Muggles, much younger. She was not ready to settle down, and she sure did not want to settle down with Percy, but many of the things she liked to do would make her an ideal wife and mother and hostess. It wasn't just that Cleo was playing with them, although it was hard to be with Cleo and not be aware that you were going to bear the next generation of Magi, and that doing so would be a good thing.

She had never even been to Malfoy Manor, and everyone said the tension and hate there was hard to live with, but Scorpius wanted her to redecorate the place, and why was she even thinking of stupid Scorpius and his even dumber girlfriend Cassie.

She was not thinking logically.

*

Ginny looked at those who were going to be meeting Scorpius, Cassiopeia and Cassie's mother. Her three oldest were there, James and Lily reluctantly, along with Mabel, their suspicious house elf (you didn't dare call her an Elf) who insisted on meeting anyone who was going to be in the Potter house, the house she was determined to protect and guard.

Frerin, the Elf guarding Albus, and Mitzi, the Elf that was her constant companion, were also there.

Scorpius came through the Floo first, followed by Cassie and her mother.

Her mother sniffed, and looked around. "We come in through the KITCHEN?" she scoffed.

"We do not use the formal fireplace in the drawing room very often," Ginny shrugged. "It is work getting it on the Floo network."

"Is that lamb?" Scorpius wondered.

Albus nodded. "We are holding a Seder meal, something somewhat like the Passover meal that Jesus ate at the Last Supper. That is what Holy Thursday is all about."

"Albus's family is religious," Cassie told her mother. Mrs. Starkey had a sour look, like she didn't approve, but did not say anything.

Ginny knew that the comment was only partly true, but she was not about to try to explain anything to this unpleasant witch.

"Where is my daughter staying, Mrs. Potter?" Mrs. Starkey barked.

"I will show you," Ginny replied, as the crowd trouped upstairs.

Ginny quickly climbed upstairs, holding on to railings. Despite her lack of balance and weight, she was in rather good shape, and quickly climbed through the main floor and the drawing room floor, not saying anything.

"Mum, dad, and my little sister Minerva sleep on this floor," Albus told Cassie as they climbed up another set of stairs.

"James and I have bedrooms on this floor. There is a bedroom for Teddy Lupin as well, but Scorpius stays with me when we are here," as they rushed up through still another floor.

Mrs. Starkey was huffing by this time, out of breath.

"This is the top floor of Magi," Ginny remarked. "This set of steps," pointing to a small circular staircase, "goes up to the Elf area.