***A/N*** So fun fact, this was supposed to be up last night but instead of uploading it at 4am when I finished writing, I simply passed out. But here it is now! Hope you all enjoy and I'll be back soon-ish! xx
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I never thought that I'd be standing in front of a mirror, fussing about what I am wearing, for anyone but Cassiopeia.
And definitely not my mother.
I suppose that a Weasley dinner might not have been the best way to introduce my mother to Cassiopeia and her family but I didn't think of that when George told me it was alright to invite her.
I love them with my entire heart. They've all been so kind and generous to me and very supportive of me and Cassiopeia.
But it's always a bit overwhelming when they all meet up, and my mother is very timid.
Actually...
I don't know what my mother will be like at all. Violet made it so she does not remember my father.
I was not very close to her at all during my childhood, I never really even heard her speak, she had a Nanny to take care of me. Till my father killed her for something meaningless.
I have no idea who this woman will be.
I look at myself in the mirror again. The Weasleys are not a very formal family. That took some time to get used to. The more formal members are Percy, his wife Audrey, Fleur, Violet, Emma, and my darling Cassiopeia.
How Percy became the man he became living in a home full of chaos and noise I'll never understand. I don't think that anyone really does. Cassiopeia tried to fill me in on all of the family drama when I first met them all. According to her, Percy wanted to make a name for himself. And being young and impressionable, took a job working for the minister at the time. He failed to notice that he was being used by said minister because he wanted desperately to be the man he thought he should be. And after a row with his parents, swore the family off for good. Cass also told me that he suffered from major PTSD after the war, believing that it was his fault that Fred died and that everyone wanted him to die instead. That despite the family accepting him back with open arms he was terrified that he might do something wrong to upset them. Even now, that is clear. He's timid around his parents, especially around his father and George. And never really looks any of them in the eyes.
I think I relate to him more than I've ever related to anyone before in my entire life. I can't explain it, I'm honestly convinced that I'll never be able to explain it at all. It may be because he is so clearly afraid of happiness, or that he's terrified that he will mess something up, step on someone's toes and it will destroy the ground beneath his feet.
I feel like that every time Cassiopeia and I get into a row, or every time her family looks at me a little funny, or claim that I'm odd.
"There you are."
I was so lost in my own head I didn't hear the door open. Cassiopeia crosses the room so effortlessly someone may have thought she was flying, "The house is filling up, I was starting to get a bit worried. That you may have got overwhelmed with it all... That and Rose and Ophelia are setting up a karaoke machine and I'm a bit scared for what is about to happen." Cassiopeia's smile slowly fades off her face when she realizes I'm lost in my own little world, "Hey..." She whispers and touches my arm, "Talk to me please."
I turn around and look into her big eyes. Her eyebrows that are normally turned down into a constant state of unimpressed are scrunched together, showing how worried she is that something bad has happened. I take a breath and explain to her all that I've been thinking about how much my mother may or may not have changed, how I don't know who she is without my father, how scared I am that seeing me again will break whatever spell Violet used to clear her mind and she'll be forced to relive it all tonight.
Cassiopeia stands there and listens to my every word. Not once does she look away from me, check her phone, look at the clock on the wall behind me. Nothing. Every time we speak she gives me her full, undivided attention even if it is just a silly conversation about what I put in my sandwich at Hogwarts that day.
"It might be wise to take your mother on a walk first, before she meets everyone. Dinner won't be ready for two hours according to Nan. That gives you plenty of time... okay not plenty. But a bit of time to begin to get to know her again and understand where she is coming from. Just you two. Then bring her into the house for dinner. Introduce her to everyone. Keep an eye on how she's feeling."
"I knew there was a reason I kept you around," I joke, "And it's not just because you're great in bed."
Cassiopeia smiles and shakes her head, "You're not funny."
"You are aware that you're laughing right now, yes?"
"You're aware that you are being an arse right now, yes?"
I hum and place a soft kiss between her eyebrows. Her entire being softens at my touch and she melts into me. Despite everything, she is always so open and willing to relax and just be when she is with me. It took me some time to be the same around her. But she didn't try to push me in any way, or demand that I show her the darkest parts of myself. She just stood by me, and loved me until I was ready, and then she loved me more once I told her my story.
There's a knock on the door and Freddie comes in covering his eyes with his hand, "Uh, sorry to interrupt, but there's a kind of mean-looking lady downstairs, very confused, asking for Theseus?" He uncovers his eyes slowly and sighs out of relief when he sees that Cassiopeia and I are not doing whatever he thought we were doing.
Cass looks at me, "I'll be in the house if you need me," she stands on her tiptoes and kisses me on the cheek softly.
I smile and nod at her, look at myself in the mirror one last time, run my fingers through my hair and walk out of the bedroom door.
"Imagine meeting your mum for the first time and her just not remembering what hell you've been through," I can hear Freddie say to Cass after I've left the room.
I don't have to imagine it.
Violet meets me at the bottom of the stairs, "She's outside," she says softly, putting her hand on my shoulder, "If you need us, we're right here darling."
"Thank you," I say in a hushed tone. George comes up behind her and gives me a smile in support. I smile right back before taking the last couple steps down the stairs and outside into the warm evening.
My mother is standing there in a dark purple dress. Not overly fancy but enough to stick out in the sea of jeans and jumpers that is inside. When she hears the door close behind her she turns around and looks at me.
"Theseus, darling. Where have you been? When I got your letter I was so confused, I didn't know you had a girlfriend!"
I don't really know how to react. She's smiling, happy that I have a girlfriend. But she's also clearly worried that I've been absent for the past week.
"Yeah, uh. I've been spending the last two holidays with her and her family." I say.
My mother smiles wide, "And she is a pureblood yes?"
Oh.
I always thought that my parent's pureblood beliefs and what not was fueled by my father, he was so vocal about it all. But standing here, in front of my mother who's first question about my girlfriend was 'she's pureblood right?' and not 'what's her name?' I realize that she's been thinking the same way as him this whole time.
I nod, "Yes, uh... she's a pureblood."
"And her parents are...? I figure that one of them must be a Weasley. Which I'm not the biggest fan of mind you, blood traitors is what they are...."
"George and Violet Weasley, Mum," I say.
She looks at me with cold eyes, "Who are you calling Mum? When have I ever allowed such informality in my home?"
Tell me why I thought that this would have gone any other way? I feel so foolish, expecting my mother to come out of all this... like I wanted her to. I thought she might have been more like Violet, but I realize now that she's the exact opposite.
"Violet... what was her last name before she got married?" My mother asks. While my father was British and moved to Greece... sorry, fled to Greece after the war, my mother is pure Greek, born and raised. I've nearly forgotten what an actual Greek accent sounds like and it takes me a moment to get readjusted.
"LeStrange..." I say softly, "Her maiden name was LeStrange."
I meet my mother's eyes and I can tell that she is excited by this, "Violet LeStrange? My goodness Theseus. Her mother was famous! Well done."
"Well done...?" I question. I'm starting to feel myself growing more and more protective of the loud family in the house behind me. With every glace of disgust my mother makes at the house the more and more I feel myself getting ready to fight.
"Yes, my darling. Well done. She is an excellent choice!" She says clapping her hands together, "The blood of both the Black family and the LeStrange family joining ours! I couldn't; have picked you a better wife if I tried."
I stare at my mother through squinted eyes, "You haven't even asked her name and you're already calling her my wife." I say in a controlled, deep voice.
My mother looks at me with bewilderment, "How do you mean?"
"My girlfriend's name. You haven't even asked for her name." I say again more demanding this time.
Mother waves her hand in the air, dismissing me, "I asked for her name. You're being dramatic."
"No," I clarify, "You asked for her parent's names. You're more interested in her mother than you are her."
"Parents matter!" Mum scoffs, "I want nothing but the best for my only son. Not some filthy Mudblood like the one you were running with before we moved here."
"Mother please don't say that word," I say, "There are muggle-borns here and I don't want them to hear that sort of speech."
Mother looks at me with one of her eyebrows raised, "Muggle-born eh? Maybe this... girl was not the right choice for you after all."
"Cassiopeia."
"Sorry?"
I take a deep breath, "Her name, is Cassiopeia. And she is the best thing about my life. You will do well and not speak ill about her or this family who have been nothing but supportive and caring towards me."
Mother laughs, "I will do well to not speak ill, will I? Who gave you the right to speak to me in this tone?" She steps closer to me and hits me across the cheek with her hand, hard. "You will do well to never speak to me in that tone ever again! Grab your things, we are going home and you will do well to never see this retched family ever again."
My cheek stings. My mind flashes back to that night only a couple of days ago. A kick to the ribs, a fist to the nose, another kick. Cassiopeia's screams.
"I would like it if you left," I say as calmly as I can. I don't want to pull my wand out and point it towards my Mother but I have a gut feeling that I might have to.
"You don't tell me what to do Theseus. I am your mother."
"Violet has been more of a mother than you have ever been. And I would like it if you left this house and this family alone."
Mother tuts, "You, Theseus Avery, are a disgrace to your family name."
"That might have been the best compliment I've ever received," I say back in the same tone.
My mother crosses her arms over her chest defensively, "I will send the rest of your things to..." she makes a visible effort to say anything but Cassiopeia's name, "this whore's house. You are not welcome back into my home."
She wants me to get angry. If she didn't she wouldn't have called Cassiopeia a whore. Despite every fibre of my being telling me to lash out and hex her right where she's standing...
"Good."
My mother stares me down one last time before turning away from me. As she does, she apparates off in a pillar of black smoke.
I stare at the spot where she just was. I'm painfully aware of the fact that there are people staring at me through the kitchen window behind me and I really do not want to cry the way I want to cry in front of them.
I take a shaky breath and walk around to the small, overgrown vegetable garden at the side of the house. I decide against sitting on the rotted wooden swing structure and opt to lie in the grass, staring up at the sky.
My eyes are burning, but no tears come washing down my face. I lie there in relative silence. The noise from the house is not as loud over here as it was when I was speaking to my Mother.
After a bit, I can't really say how long, Cassiopeia lies down beside me. She doesn't say anything, she knows she doesn't have to. As soon as my brain registers that she's here with me I start to cry. All of the anger, hatred, disappointment that I was keeping inside when speaking with my Mother pours out of me in violent sobs and hot tears pouring down my cheeks.
I nearly choke myself lying down so I sit up abruptly and start coughing and sputtering.
Cassiopeia sits up too and rubs small circles on my back with her hand. Letting me cry and get all of my feelings out the way I need to.
I sniff my nose, the tears slowly stop, and I look at her out of the corner of my eye, "I think I might have to catch a ride with your folks to Kings Cross tomorrow if you don't mind."
Cassiopeia looks at me with wide eyes, "I – Theseus."
"Is that a no?"
She leans her head on my shoulder and holds me tightly, "Are you okay?" She whispers.
"I never really had a relationship with my Mother so it's not really like I lost anything tonight.... I just feel dumb."
"Why's that?"
"Cause I expected... I thought, that with my father gone, we could have been... I dunno. I sort of imagined her like your Mum, but I guess..." I sigh and rest my head on top of hers. I pull her closer to me so we're intertwined together as much as possible, "I got my hopes up, and for that, I feel dumb."
"It's not dumb to hope that your mother would be a good human being Theseus. I would be a little worried if you went into that situation thinking that she was the devil herself."
I laugh and sigh all at the same time, "It just sort of occurred to me that I don't have a family of my own."
Cassie pulls away from me and looks at me head-on, "Family isn't always related to you by blood. There's a big crowd of thirty-some-odd people in that house who think of you and treat you like family because that's what you are to them."
I nudge my shoulder into hers and nudges mine right back.
"Come on darling, foods nearly ready. We'll eat, we'll listen to really bad karaoke, we'll..."
"Karaoke?"
Cassiopeia smiles really big, "Oh my love, you're in for a wild night."