The Last of the Blacks

Chapter 8: Storytelling

Cassie and her uncle were watching 'Home Alone,' when a letter from Mrs Greengrass came by an owl. Andromeda read it in the kitchen.

"Cassie?" her aunt called her. "Can you come for a minute?"

The young Gryffindor got up with a sigh, running to the kitchen, where her father was sitting at the table. His smile immediately widened when he saw her socks with Rudolph on them and her Christmas sweater that her aunt had given her last year.

"You look absolutely ridiculous," he said. "But your mother used to wear the same things."

"Shut up, Sirius," Andromeda said. Then she turned to her niece with the most beautiful smile, "Cassie, sweetheart, Daphne has gotten sick and Mrs Greengrass said that there isn't going to be a sleepover. Go, write her..."

"I will. Dad," she turned to Sirius, who looked at his cousin, scared. Andromeda smiled a little and continued to prepare the dinner. "Do you want to build a snowman?"

"Children still build snowmen?" Sirius asked surprised. "Merlin, I thought that for 12 years they have finally figured out how to build a snowwoman. What a shame..."

Cassie laughed and looked back at her uncle. "Do you want to come with us?"

"Nope. I don't like snow."

Andromeda almost broke the dish she was holding, when she looked at her husband furious. The last few days she had been trying to make Cassie avoid Sirius like he was ill or something. Yet he was waking up at the exact same time as his daughter at the middle of the night. Then, when they met in the kitchen, where Cassie could read her Ancient Rune textbook, they made hot chocolate and talk about... everything.

Sirius wasn't exactly a big version of Cassie, but he was a good listener and a great friend.

"So... When are we going?" Cassie asked with a sly smile.

Sirius smiled at his cousin, waiting for a response. Andromeda looked at her niece. "Are you sure you want to go building a snowman with that careless rat?"

"I am a dog!" Sirius correct her sharply.

"Whatever. Anyway. Cassie. Go change yourself and take your red hat. It keeps warmer than the others you have. And gloves."

Cassiopea nodded at everything and ran upstairs, leaving her dad with her aunt. She even heard how Andromeda told Sirius that she would kill him, if Cassie came home upset or hurt, or sick.

The young Gryffindor laughed at the horror she heard in her father's voice when he promised that Cassie would come home with five fingers on each hand and on each foot.

This was going to be interesting.

******
"Are we really going to build a snowman?" his daughter rolled her eyes. "You are Sirius Black, part of the Marauders, creator of the map... And you are going to build one idiotic snowman with your daughter?"

"Well, I am not that careless anymore, sweetheart. Normally when people finally get a child they become more careful and responsible..."

"And boring."

Sirius turned around to face his daughter. He remembered how happy he was when Emma told him that they were expecting a baby girl. He called Andromeda right away like she called him when she got pregnant. His cousin got so happy for him and cried with him on the phone when the two of them realized that Regulus hadn't had the chance to meet his niece.

How this little girl, who was his only joy in Azkaban, became so thirty for adventure?

"What do you want to do then, Cassiopea Andromeda Black ?"