The dinner was more fun than Cassiopeia had expected. The atmosphere was relaxed, with Draco telling funny stories all the time, and Narcissa having so much fun that she struggled to drink her wine without choking.
"So Seraphina went straight for Crabbe, and he peed his pants. I mean, he literally peed his pants," Draco said, laughing, and Narcissa imagined the scene, bursting into laughter.
"Oh dear, did you really send the snakes after him?" she asked, still giggling.
Cassiopeia was trying to recover from laughing. "He was bothering my friends; it was my last warning," she joked.
"Cassie is always defending Granger," Draco huffed. It had been a while since he called Hermione a Mudblood. "If I didn't know better, I'd say you're in love with her."
Narcissa stopped smiling abruptly, seemed to grip her wine glass too tightly, and stared intensely at Cassiopeia.
"Is that true?" she asked with a smile, but her voice was icy.
"Of course not," Cassi huffed. "Hermione is my friend, and besides, I'm pretty sure she likes Ronald Weasley."
Draco snorted at that. "I'm not surprised; that blood traitor finally-"
"Draco," Cassi hissed, cutting him off.
Narcissa looked between the two, with one eyebrow raised.
"You mentioned Walburga in one of your letters," she asked suddenly, changing the subject.
Cassi smiled again. "Temperamental witch, my lovely grandmother," she laughed. "But I was glad she liked me, at least the version in the portrait. She was delighted that we had the same eyes."
Narcissa laughed at that. "I noticed," she said amused. "Is my aunt still screaming through the walls?" She shuddered just at the memory.
Cassi let out a laugh. "All the time. She only calmed down when I was around. But every time Si-" She stopped abruptly.
"Every time Sirius appeared. It's okay, dear. I know my cousin is on the loose, and I wouldn't be surprised if you knew his whereabouts," Narcissa dismissed, and Cassi started breathing properly again.
They continued to talk and laugh during dinner. Cassiopeia felt very comfortable between the two, enjoying the harmony that was interrupted by the sudden loud thud that caught their attention. Lucius Malfoy entered the dining room with a scowl, and the energy in the room instantly became heavy. Draco stopped smiling, and even Narcissa lost her cheerful expression.
Lucius noticed Cassi's presence and greeted her in a forced manner, "Well, hello, Mrs. Gaunt. I see you've finally accepted my wife's invitations," he said with a playful tone, glancing at Narcissa, a look that Cassi couldn't decipher.
"Hello, Mr. Malfoy. Thank you for having me in your home," Cassiopeia replied, forcing a polite smile. She didn't like the man at all, but she tried for Draco and Narcissa's sake.
"I'm pleased," Lucius said indifferently. "Well, have a good dinner. I need to attend to some matters in my office. Please, don't disturb me." With that, he excused himself.
Draco was playing with his potatoes on his plate, but without an appetite, and Narcissa was staring at her wine glass, tracing her fingers around it. Cassi felt a discomfort lingering in the air. They were having fun before, and now they seemed so...sad?
"It seems like a beautiful night outside," Cassiopeia spoke up suddenly, making the two of them look up surprised. "Would you like to stargaze with me?" She asked hopefully.
They looked at each other for a moment in silence, mouths slightly agape. Cassi began to feel nervous. "It's okay if you don't want to. I just thought-"
Before she could finish, Narcissa smiled broadly. "It sounds like a fantastic idea, love. You just caught us off guard," she said gently.
"How about we dress appropriately? Draco can fetch my telescope from the library, and then we can stargaze."
Draco suddenly seemed excited. "Sounds great!" he smiled in relief.
Cassiopeia sighed. She definitely preferred seeing smiles on their faces, and she would make sure she could provide them while they were in her presence.
(...)
Sitting on the lawn, they watched the sky. The stars seemed to dance above them. Narcissa couldn't take her eyes off them, always with a loving smile on her face. Every time their gazes met, Cassi felt a shiver running through her entire body, an electric sensation that made her tremble.
Draco, on the other hand, seemed lighter than he had in a long time.
"Thank you, dear," Narcissa suddenly said.
"For what?" Cassi asked, confused.
"For being in our lives," she replied in a whisper.
Cassiopeia turned to look at her better, and their noses brushed against each other due to the proximity. She blushed furiously and pulled back a bit with a smile.
"The sky looks so beautiful," Draco commented, looking at the stars.
"Indeed, absolutely gorgeous," Narcissa replied, but she wasn't looking at the stars. Her gaze was fixed on Cassiopeia.
(...)
The next morning, Cassi was shocked when she read the newspaper. Mr. Weasley had been brutally attacked at the Ministry and narrowly escaped with his life. She decided to write letters to the Weasleys wishing for their recovery.
While she was worried, Narcissa came up from behind and placed her hand on Cassi's shoulder, making her shiver slightly. The older woman stifled a laugh and kissed her on the cheek.
"What's bothering you, love?" she asked with concern.
"Mr. Weasley was attacked at the Ministry," Cassi said, handing the newspaper to the older woman.
Narcissa took it and gave it a brief look, wrinkling her nose in disgust. At that moment, Draco entered and seemed excited about what he heard.
"It was about time the world got rid of at least one Weasley, there are too many of them," Draco said with a mocking smile.
Cassi was shocked by Draco's comment and reprimanded, "Draco! That's a horrible thing to say."
"Don't worry about those people," Narcissa intervened before her son could respond. "We have some shopping to do!" she said, pulling a chair next to Cassi.
"Shopping?" Cassi asked, confused.
"Of course, dear! For Christmas," Narcissa said as she spread butter on a toast. "Also, I'd like to get you a dress for the New Year's Ball. You're going, aren't you? To the New Year's Ball?" she asked suddenly, looking anxious.
Cassi paused for a moment, lost in her thoughts. Her mother had allowed her to spend the holidays with the Malfoys, but she hadn't responded to any of her other letters, which was extremely concerning. Noctua never left Cassi without news, but lately, the messages she received were only brief notes reminding her of her love and apologizing for Merlin knows what.
"Yes, I will," she said with a somewhat uncertain smile. But her words were enough to make Narcissa clap her hands with joy.
"Great! We need to find dresses," she said excitedly.
Cassi should have expected this. Draco had warned her that Narcissa would try to persuade her into buying dresses for the ball if she decided to stay.
"Need a dress fitting?" Cassi asked, already anticipating the answer.
"Yes, of course, dear. You'll need one for the ball, won't you? Unless you brought your own?" Narcissa asked casually. "By the way, I'd love to see you wearing the last dress I gave you. I had a mental vision based on Draco's description."
Cassi swallowed hard. Narcissa's gaze made her shiver.
"I don't have one, but it's okay, I'm sure I'll find one," Cassi replied. She could see Draco shaking his head, almost desperate, out of his mother's view.
"Nonsense, we'll find a dress together," Narcissa said. Cassi looked at Draco, who whispered to her to accept.
"Of course, Narcissa," Cassi smiled, giving up any resistance against the woman.
She seemed delighted to finally have someone to accompany her on her dress shopping. And Cassi apparently would be her dress-up doll.
"We'll all be ready to go at ten. I believe we'll do the shopping first and then meet up for lunch, what do you think?" Narcissa proposed.
Both nodded, not arguing with the matriarch.
(...)
Diagon Alley was busier than usual, probably due to the Christmas gift demand. Narcissa held Cassiopeia's hand not to loe her in the crowd, or at least that was the excuse used to touch each other. Cassi was undoubtedly not complaining.
They parted from Draco and headed to a high-end store: Madame Malkin's Boutique. Narcissa seemed extremely excited, looking at all the available pieces, and Cassiopeia couldn't help but feel the same excitement; she had always enjoyed shopping.
"Ah, Lady Malfoy," greeted a middle-aged witch, seemingly enchanted to have Narcissa in her shop. "It's an honor to have you here. How may I assist you?"
Narcissa ignored the flattery and gently pushed her forward. "Miss Gaunt and I would like to see your finest party dresses."
The woman seemed even more enchanted by Cassi's surname. "By Salazar... Of course... Well, I think I have something perfect," she winked at Cassi and went upstairs in search of the dresses.
She returned with three dresses in different shades: a white one with pearl details, a blue one with delicately hand-painted star patterns that looked like a starry sky, and the last one was lilac, definitely the simplest.
Cassiopeia observed each of them, trying to decide which one to try on first, and opted to start with the least favorite and work her way up to the most beautiful one.
Madame Malkin, the store owner, couldn't stop gently touching her wrist and whispering how beautiful she looked in each dress. This seemed to disturb Narcissa, who frowned at the obvious flirting. Her lips were pressed into a thin line, and she looked as though she was about to cast a spell on the poor woman.
"I'll try on the white one now," Cassi said nervously, stepping away from the redhead and going back into the dressing room.
As Cassiopeia examined the dress on her body, there was no doubt that it was her favorite. The white dress, adorned with pearls, gracefully enveloped her body. The long, flowing skirt added an air of gracefulness, and the pearls' details softly shimmered in the light, adding a touch of sophistication. The delicate neckline subtly enhanced her beauty, and as for the corset... It made her breasts look even more incredible.
Cassi felt almost ethereal as she put it on, her confidence soaring as she admired her reflection in the mirror.
The dressing room curtain opened, and Narcissa walked in, closing it behind her. Cassi didn't have time to react. The older woman stood still, her mouth slightly agape as she watched her.
"You look marvelous, love," Narcissa whispered, looking Cassi up and down as she approached predatorily.
"It will be wonderful to see you wearing this at the ball. And even better when I'm ripping it off you afterward," she said in a possessive growl against her ear.
Cassiopeia shivered at the promise, her eyes fluttered shut, and her breath became ragged.
"What's the matter, darling?" Narcissa questioned with a devilish smile. "Cat got your tongue?" She chuckled softly and kissed her neck, followed by a gentle bite with her sharp teeth, and then her warm tongue played to soothe the bite.
Cassi couldn't contain the soft moan that escaped. Narcissa seemed to revel in the sound, wanting to hear more.
"Nar... Narcissa," Cassi managed to gasp between kisses on her collarbone. "We can't, not here," she sighed, regretfully.
Narcissa pulled away with a malicious smile. "Oh, I see," her sarcasm dripped in her voice. "But you won't escape me for long, sweet." With that, she walked away with a laugh, leaving Cassi alone in the fitting room.
That woman really has a nerve.
Cassi sighed exasperated, trying to regain control of her body.
(...)
Cassiopeia ended up choosing the white pearl dress. She tried to pay, but Narcissa vehemently insisted that it would be a gift.
After leaving the boutique, they separated to look for presents.
Narcissa entered the antique shop, and Cassi agreed to meet her there shortly, then went off in search of her selection of Christmas gifts.
(...)
Her eyes fixed on the shop's façade as her mind wandered about what to send to Andromeda. She was averting her gaze when suddenly she felt warmth coursing through her fingers, tingling with electricity.
Turning around, she saw a hooded figure observing inside the shop windows. Then, the person lowered the hood, revealing the one she had been thinking about right in front of her. Their eyes met, and Cassiopeia felt as though the woman was looking directly into her soul.
With a smile, the woman stepped out of the shop to meet her. "If I tell you I was thinking about you at this very moment, do you believe me?" Cassi asked playfully.
Andromeda raised an eyebrow, her cheeks blushing, and a slight smile on her lips.
"Thinking about me, huh?" she replied, teasingly.
Cassi also blushed at the implicit confirmation. "I was thinking about what to give you for Christmas," she confessed.
Andromeda seemed surprised by the statement. "Oh, you don't need to get me anything. Are you here alone?" she asked, looking around.
"I'm actually with Narcissa and Draco," she confessed.
Andromeda seemed nervous at this information. "Are you okay?" she asked nervously. "I'm sorry for just leaving that night," she whispered softly, and Cassi had to lean in closer to hear better.
"It's okay... I don't fully understand it either," she confessed, biting her lower lip.
Andromeda sighed. "I'm really sorry, I just..." She paused. "For some reason, you can't get out of my head."
Cassi brightened at knowing she wasn't the only one with confusing feelings. She was about to say something, but then felt firm hands around her waist.
"Finally found you,love," Narcissa said, giving Cassi a kiss on the cheek and glaring at the woman in front of her.
A slight moment of surprise passed between the two older women. Time seemed to freeze as they stared intensely at each other, not breaking the intense eye contact.
Andromeda kept looking between the two. Her eyes fixed on Narcissa's hands on Cassi's waist.
She was the one to break the silence, her voice a soft whisper. "You look well, Cissy," her eyes shining with a mix of joy and sadness. Narcissa tightened her grip around Cassi's waist, as if needing something physical to hold on to, while her lips trembled slightly.
"You haven't aged a day," she joked, trying to hide the melancholy that showed in her gaze. The smile on Andromeda's lips widened.
However, the brief lapse of pain was evident in her eyes. "I have to go," she said suddenly, her voice trembling.
She gently held Cassi's hands, allowing the subtle electricity to flow between them.
"See you soon." she softly whispered, and with one last smile at Narcissa, she departed.
Narcissa remained there, still. Her eyes glistening with a mixture of sadness, longing, and regret.
Cassi, feeling the intensity of the emotions surrounding her, approached her carefully and lightly touched her cheek. The older woman seemed to snap out of her trance, her eyes meeting Cassiopeia's with affection.
"Let's go look for Draco, shall we?" Cassi suggested, with a gentle voice. They held hands and left to find young Malfoy.