Tʜᴇ Dᴀʀᴋ Lᴏʀᴅ's Aɴɢᴇʟ | Tom Riddle √

70: Sharing the Weight

The Daily Prophet's headlines announced the capture of Bellatrix Lestrange and numerous other Death Eaters, as well as the vanishing of He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named. Cassiopeia and Draco sat in the Hogwarts dining hall, reading the news. Whispers from their fellow Slytherins had already reached their ears.

"The situation is serious, it seems," Draco commented, looking at the paper. Cassiopeia quietly folded the newspaper and posed a critical question, her eyes filled with anxiety.

"But they don't know," she sighed. "Do you think they will send Tom to Azkaban if they find him?"

She longed for a different answer, a glimmer of hope. Draco, however, was realistic.

"Cassie, you clearly know it's an obvious thing," he replied with a solemn expression.

Cassiopeia leaned forward, burying her head in her hands, her thoughts consumed by the fear of losing Tom. He had started down the path of change, but would they let him continue?

Draco noticed her distress and moved closer, wrapping an arm around her. He encouraged her to look up.

"I'm just scared, I cannot lose him," she confessed, her voice trembling.

"Cassie, here," Draco gently coaxed her hands away from her face. "Look at me."

She met his eyes, and the uncharacteristic sight of tears alarmed him.

"You're crying?" he asked, his concern deepening.

Cassiopeia wiped her tears away and shook her head, trying to regain her composure.

Draco led her to the Astronomy Tower, a quiet place where they could sit and talk. They found a spot on the cold floor and settled in, their backs against the stone wall.

"Do you love him, Cassie?" Draco asked, worry etching his features, as Cassiopeia gazed ahead, her eyes on the railing.

"I think so," she admitted, her head resting against the wall. "I started feeling this way when I was just fourteen. You remember, right?"

Draco nodded, recalling the past. "I remember. But you still haven't told me how he looks like a sixteen-year-old boy now."

"It's something complicated that I can't share with anyone," she replied, looking at him. "But I'll tell you a small part of it. He used a dangerous dark magic to gain power, which prevented him from dying even though he was physically deteriorating. The cost was enormous, which is why his appearance was so terrible."

"Which means he can live forever?" Draco asked, intrigued.

Cassiopeia nodded. "Yes. But it can nearly destroy your soul, and it can be reversed through genuine remorse."

"Did he really do it?" Draco's eyes widened in curiosity.

Cassiopeia confirmed, "Yes, when I made him understand the consequences of his past actions and more. He used that magic when he was only sixteen, so that's why he now looks like a sixteen-year-old."

"Does anyone else know about the magic he used?" Draco inquired, his curiosity unabated.

"Only Professor Slughorn and I," Cassiopeia said, accompanied by another sigh.

"But what I truly want is to know if you're okay, Cassie. I know there are many secrets in your mind, most of which are his, and you're not willing to reveal them. Just make sure that you're not being traumatized by them."

Draco reached for her hand, gently caressing it. His concern for her well-being was evident.

"Thank you for being with me; it means a lot," Cassiopeia said, forcing a smile that Draco mirrored. She couldn't help but inquire, "Can I see your Dark Mark? Is it faded?"

Draco slowly rolled up his sleeve, revealing the once-dark mark, which had now turned to an ashen color, making the art almost unrecognizable.

Cassiopeia gently touched the faded mark with her thumb and asked, "How did you feel about that? You can talk to me and release your stress. I saw you were unusually pale when I got here."

Draco sighed, struggling to put his feelings into words. "It's hard to explain. Dad said that the Dark Lord wanted to see me. I was initially frightened when he left me alone with You-Know-Who in his room."

He tried to convey the overwhelming emotions that had coursed through him during that encounter. "First, he called me 'son,' looked me in the eye with his red eyes. He marked me, then gave me a mission. The punishment was death if I failed."

Cassiopeia opened up about her conversation with Tom regarding Draco's mission. "Tom talked to me about that. He said he only wanted to torture Uncle Lucius, not anything else. But I'm still against what he did. He regrets it, and that's why he wanted me to come to Hogwarts soon to help you."

Draco rested his head against the wall, admitting, "But you know, what he did almost depressed me. I never wanted to be a monster, Cass. I want to have fun, play, and enjoy my teenage life without constantly worrying about my reputation. Sometimes I feel jealous when I see Potter enjoying his life with Granger and Weasley, even though he's cursed."

Cassiopeia, feeling sympathy for Draco, opened her arms, and he embraced her tightly. She felt his unsteady breath, and her heart ached when she sensed his silent sobs.

"Draco, you're not your father," she consoled him, gently patting his back. "You're better than him. You have good friends, like Harry does. You have me, Pansy, and Blaise whenever you need us. I know you don't like showing them your true feelings, but you can talk to me about anything. I won't judge you, Draco."

Draco, still shaken, insisted, "I don't deserve anyone."

Cassiopeia continued to offer support, saying, "I'm really sorry. I've had a tough month too, you know. It's been difficult for both of us."

He wiped away his tears and looked at her, puzzled by her strength. "How did you bear it? Sirius's death and everything?"

Cassiopeia grinned and retrieved a small box of muggle cigarettes from her robe. She lit one with her wand and inhaled deeply, exhaling a puff of smoke. She repeated the process, exhaling another cloud of smoke.

She suggested to Draco, "This and fire whiskey helped me. It eased my stress."

Draco wasn't pleased with her choice, taking the cigarette from her lips and flicking it away. "You shouldn't do it. You're a girl, not a boy. Don't do it again, and give me the box now."

Cassiopeia was a bit disappointed, reluctantly handing over the box. Draco didn't hesitate to destroy it with a simple spell, incinerating the cigarettes.

"Draco?" Cassiopeia called out in disappointment.

"If you have any problems, you should come to me instead of using these muggle things," he said firmly.

"Alright then," Cassiopeia sighed, "Let's have lunch. I'm hungry now."

She offered her hand to Draco, helping him to his feet.

"Same here," Draco agreed, and theyleft the Astronomy Tower together, leaving behind their worries, if only for awhile.

Author's Note (Edited)

I really wished that I had a cousin like him when I was writing this ;)

Honestly this is another load of thanks to you for staying with the story and this was the chapter I reached 10K reads years ago.

I hope you guys enjoy the story; plus I would love to hear any criticism for the plot okay! Never hesitate to do it cz it would help me to improve.

Stay safe and Love you 💕

~ monoceros_x