[DISCONTINUED] Prudent - Sirius Black x OC

9. Troubled encounters

"Cassandra, meet your aunt Demetra."

The little girl opened her tired eyes and felt the warmth of her father leave her while he put her down to face her aunt. She looked up to see the austere looking woman in front of her. There was something undeniably mysterious about her, like she was more than what she was letting on. She looked a lot like Cassandra's mother, the same large eyes and sharp nose, inherited from their own mother, the only difference being her very dark hair. The woman looked down on the girl for several seconds before addressing her.

"Hello Cassandra, I'm enchanted to meet you." 

Her severe look was still present on her face, while the young Cassandra flashed her one of her bright smile.

"Hello auntie."

Cassandra's mother quickly looked over to her sister but the nickname didn't seem to affect her as much as Hestia thought it would. She approached weakly her husband, who was already waiting for her and extending his hand to her, and they began to climb the stairs that led to the doorway, while Cassandra was following merrily her aunt into the house.

"What do you plan to do while you're here Cassandra?"

"Dad said we could go to visit Diagon Alley tomorrow or the day after, depending on which day Maman prefers to go out. I also want to go to the carousel."

"Which carousel?"

"Don't start her on this Demetra, this is the only thing she's been talking about for the last two hours." Cassandra's dad, Charles, interrupted his sister-in-law, while his big laugh echoed in the hall of the house. "She can be a bit of a chatterbox if you let her."

Hestia smiled at her husband, and turned to their daughter.

"Why don't you go unpack sweetie. Dad apparated your suitcase upstairs. First door on the left. You just have to sort your clothes in the big wooden wardrobe."

The little Cassandra ascended her way upstairs and began putting her clothes away in the wardrobe her mother described, while humming the tone to the lullaby her parents sang to her every night while tucking her in her bed. When she finished, she admired the clothes that her silly mind put in order in color in the wardrobe, and being satisfied with herself, she decided to she would join her parents downstairs. While jumping from steps to steps, she heard her parents and aunt's voices coming from the door in front of the stairs she was in. She went down the last steps she had left and, tip-toeing, she followed the voices.

"...going to do now?"

"I don't know. The doctor in France said that I only had a few months left, but he said it was worth a try to go and see if other might find other solutions. I took a friend of mine's advice and we will have to go to the London hospital."

"St Mungo's I hope, not the muggle hospital darling?"

"Yes, of c... Oh, coucou ma puce, on ne t'avait pas vu rentrer. (Hi sweetie, we didn't see you coming in.)"

"What's St Mungo's dad?"

"A place where your mom will go to rest for a bit. But don't worry, once she's rested, we will all go home and leave your aunt in peace."

"So that means we can't go all together to Diagon Alley?"

"It will depends on when your mom will have to go to St Mungo's sweetie."

"Cassandra." Her aunt said. "I'll take you to the carousel tomorrow if you want, and we will make a decision about Diagon Alley after that, okay?"-the girl nodded-"Now, do you want to come with me to the kitchen to discuss dinner with my house elves?"