Cassie woke up the next day with a terrible headache. It was already late in the afternoon when she made her way out of the room. Her court had slept over again and they all looked as equally tired as her when they left their rooms and walked down stairs.
They were all sitting in the living room, except for Camilla who decided to leave earlier in the morning, drinking coffee to wake up when Cassie looked at everyone.
"Where's Sirius?" She questioned and they all shrugged, looking around.
"Must still be in his room," Izzy guessed, she placed her empty cup on the coffee table and got up. "Well, it's been lovely, had an amazing time, but Ash and I have to go if we want to make it before our parents head to our manor without us."
"Alright, see you guys later," Cassie waved. Ash kissed Regulus on the cheek before they both headed up stairs to collect their belongings.
Pandora sighed dramatically as she laid over Regulus, "I guess it must be time for us to go as well."
Regulus laughed at her and she giggled as her and her brother got up to leave as well. The two black siblings sat in silence and just stared off into the distance before Regulus looked over at his older sister. "Should I check if he's alive?"
Cassie shook her head, closing her eyes, "no, he might kill you for waking him up."
Regulus snorted and took a sip of his coffee as Sirius came tumbling down the stairs in messed up clothes and his hair over his face. He passed Regulus, taking his coffee and sitting next to his sister on the couch. "HEY!" Regulus shouted, but Cassie just handed him her coffee.
Sirius smiled, but she glared at him and took a sip of the cup in his hand. "That's mean."
Cassie just shrugged, rolling her eyes. "So you want to talk about you getting married?" Sirius suggested.
She groaned, "Not particularly. Not happening for a couple years, I just promised to be engaged, which could still fall through if he decides to be a dick." Sirius sighed.
"Fiiiiiiine," he drew out, looking disappointed. "I should probably go soon."
Both his siblings looked at him and he raised his hands a little, "I'm not here to be verbally assaulted for the rest of break." Cassie sighed a little, she knew it was true, but it felt nice to just sit there and talk like they used to.
"Yeah, okay, when do you want to leave?" She asked him, leaning against the arm of the couch.
Sirius gave her a little shrug, "Probably a little before dinner." He stood up and walked into the kitchen. He came back a few minutes later with a couple sandwiches in his hand. "I'll be down to say goodbye before I leave, but I'm gonna take a nap, I wanna sleep off this hangover before I see the Potters." He walked slowly back up the stairs, leaving his siblings to go back to sitting in silence.
"Good party," Regulus commented. Cassie nodded. "Yeah, it was good."
~
Unfortunately, it seems that the oldest Black kid was more tired than he thought. He had slept through the rest of the day. Sirius woke up and cursed. It was way past dinner, Euphemia was probably worried, James was probably ready to barge into his house and he really didn't want to go down stairs and see his parents, but he had to.
He sighed and got off his bed and grabbed his back pack which had his party clothes, wand, extra set of clothes, and shoes. It also had some trash, but he ignored that.
He closed his door and quietly but quickly made his way down the stairs. He had to walk past the dining room where he tried not to make eye contact with his mother who was walking out. "Where do you think you're going?" She asked him.
He screwed his eyes closed tightly and sighed, turning around. Walburga waved her wand and his backpack landed on the floor and Sirius was floated over to the couch.
Orion had walked out of the dining room with the two younger kids following him. Walburga crossed her arms, glaring at her oldest. "We need to have a talk."
"I don't think we do," Sirius shook his head and Orion took out his wand and Sirius shut up, looking to the side.
Walburga looked to her other children, "Everyone, have a seat." Regulus and Cassie gulped, but reluctantly, took seats together, next to Sirius, across from their parents.
Their parents looked at each other and nodded, "Sirius, we were willing to look past Gryffindor, as long as you kept up your grades, but you are disobedient, causing a fuss in school. We can't have this anymore," Walburga began. She shook her head. Cassie felt a chill run up her spine. She knew they wanted to have this talk with him for a little over a year now, but he never stayed in the house long enough. "You are no longer permitted to go to those vial, disgusting, blood-traitor's house for breaks," Walburga bit her lip from saying more about how much he disliked his friends, but she had a lot more to say. Sirius opened his mouth to protest, but Orion held up his hand.
"And, we have signed the contract with the Parkinsons, this summer, at Isobel's ball, we will announce your engagement," Orion announced and SIrius stood up stomping his foot.
"YOU CAN'T DO THAT!" He yelled in their faces. Neither parent made even the slightest movement. "It's my choice who I marry."
He sat back down and Walburga reached over and slapped him in the face, leaving a painful red mark. Regulus and Cassie flinched away, not being able to look at it. "You will not speak to us like that and you will marry her. We're not leaving the heir of Black to end up marrying a mud-blood," she said with a disgusted face. Sirius glared back at her.
"You will not be going back to the Potters–
"YOU CAN'T–"
"you will not speak to them, you will not–"
"THIS IS MY LIFE!"
"Make friends with unnatural half-breeds."
"SHUT UP!" Sirius screamed and the glass table, the glass on the cabinets, and even the glasses on the table shattered. Sirius was heavy breathing and Cassie and Regulus were looking at him worriedly. "I will not do any of that."
His father glared at him, standing up, "You will, you will also join the Dark Lord in his–"
Sirius scoffed, shaking his head, "don't you get it! I won't no matter how much you try to tell me that I will. I'm leaving." Walburga stood up as he grabbed his backpack.
"If you leave– you're not coming back!" Sirius stopped for a minute on his way to the door. He looked back at his parents and for the first time, the thought of leaving for good brought tears to his eyes. He looked at his younger brother and sister, who both shook their heads at him. He took a deep breath.
"Then– I guess I'm joining Andy in the disowned club," he smirked, trying to put on a brave face. Walburga grabbed her wand and chased after him. He sprinted to the front door as she screamed after him, shooting spell after spell.
"SIRIUS NO!" Cassie screamed, trying to run after her brother, but he got through the door before either one caught up to him. Both stopped at the door. Walburga hit the door, still screaming.
"DO YOU KNOW WHAT YOU'VE DONE! YOU CAN'T COME BACK! I'LL BURN YOU OFF THE TREE! I'LL BURN YOU!" She continued to scream at the top of her lungs and Cassie stared in shock at the door. She backed away with tears running down her face. She turned away, pushing past her brother who was standing there shocked. She ran as fast as her feet would take her and slammed her door shut.
~
Sirius slammed the front door shut, but could still hear his mother screaming in his ear. His entire face was hot even though there was an inch of snow at his feet.
"I left, I–I left," he said, at first laughing but then– slowly his smile faded. His hands started to shake and his legs gave out from under him. He slid down his front door and laid his head against it.
His lips quivered as he heard his mother still yelling, he was almost comforted by it. He wasn't ready. He wasn't ready to leave. He chuckled as he started to sob. It wasn't right, the only place he ever wanted to leave, he was now crying over.
The thought of never coming back, never having his mother hug him again, never having his brother tease him, or his sister talk to him, made him feel cold inside.
He scoffed, that hadn't happened in a while, that was all the fantasy version, the version he made up in his head. It was the best–the perfect version of his family. The version that loved him for who he was, that didn't care about Death Eater things, about blood purity, and family ideals.
He shook his head, sniffling and trying to wipe the tears away. He looked down and It was only then that he noticed the snow turning red. His skin was littered with open cuts, he wouldn't expect his face to look any better, his mother did have amazing accuracy.
He used his shaky hands to pull himself up and off the front porch. He approached the street and put his wand out in front of him. It wasn't before long that the Knight Bus came to a screeching halt in front of him.
~
Cassie laid on her bed, she felt numb. If she didn't acknwoldege it, it didn't happen.
She could just sit there in her room forever and nothing would ever be different.
She refused to cry anymore. Why cry when it didn't happen. It didn't happen. It didn't happen.
Except it did and she understood why. She closed her eyes and remembered the way he left last summer.
Regulus was down stairs, Cassie was worried for him. He was failing Divination. He doesn't know why he took it, he thought that everyone was over exaggerated about how bad it was, but they weren't. He even lied and told his parents that he didn't take the subject.
She didn't realize that Walburga had found out until she heard the screaming. Then the glass breaking and finally, she heard Sirius rushing down the stairs and she went flying out the door and racing after him.
She went two by two and was right on her older brother's heels. They both made it down and saw Regulus on the floor with several cuts and bruises already.
Sirius put himself between his mother and his little brother as Cassie bent down and started looking over his cuts and bruises to see how bad they were.
"Mom, stop!" Sirius said sternly.
"What are you to tell me what to do, blood traitor!" She screamed and slapped him across the face, "Half-breed lover, muggle friend, disgusting, vile, off-spring!" With each insult was a new punch or spell.
"MUM!" Cassie screamed, she couldn't take care of both brothers at the same time.
"SHUT IT!" Walburga screeched and Cassie shut her mouth. "Take him!" She said, pointing to the youngest Black. Cassie hesitated, but saw Regulus's eyes roll back and he passed out and so she stood up and pulled him up with her. She needed to help him before she went back to help Sirius.
It had only been about another 10 minutes and both of them were screaming at the top of their lungs before everything went silent. Cassie stopped healing Regulus and let Kreacher take over as she tip-toed back into the living room.
"SIRIUS!" She called quietly. She rushed over to the living room to see Sirius covered in glass and was bleeding. There was nothing she could do to help. It looked like his bones were broken and he had a concussion.
She was only 14, how was she supposed to help him?
Her breathing steady as she came up with an idea. She stood up and grabbed his arms. She pulled him towards the fireplace and put him inside.
She looked around and grabbed their bowl of floo powder. It was the only way to help him. "Potter Manor!" She shouted, throwing the powder down.
Within a second Sirius disappeared into the fire and Cassie smiled in relief, they would be able to help him. It was the best thing she could do for him.