The Last of the Blacks

Chapter 56: Family Trees

After the speech was over Cassiopea Black decided to pay a visit to Voldemort before the party in what was once known as the Black Manor.

Bellatrix had told Cassie that her, her sisters, Walburga and her brothers were raised in that house. In fact it wasn't away from Malfoy Manor itself so Cassie could stay in that living room for as long as she liked.

The Malfoy Manor was dark and mysterious as always when Cassiopea appeared there. Even though she didn't want to admit it at first she fitted there, dressed all in black and wearing a tiara on her head.

She took a few moments to wait for Lestrange, who never liked public speeches or something else than fighting. She stood there, near the door in the cold room, looking at the staircases in front of her, waiting for Lestrange.

It was strange, Cassiopea told herself when she remembered that he was dead. She held back her tears and walked to the living room. It was strange that Lestrange was gone, that he was no longer going to help her with her plans or train her in the garden. He was as dead as her father was and Cassie wasn't sure which hurt her more.

She didn't bother to knock on the door of the living room. She came in and stopped at the doorway.

Cassie looked at Voldemort for a few minutes.

He looked so good sitting there in the light of the window behind him. He almost looked like Kol when he was waiting for her in the library for their study session. Cassie had almost forgotten that Voldemort was Kol's father.

The Dark Lord looked up, scared and shocked at first. He looked all over her body like he was looking for any injuries, like he cared what was happening with the girl that was supposed to destroy both him and Potter...

And then his eyes landed on hers.

He signed with relief. "Hello, Cassiopea. New outfit?"

"Borrowed actually," she said, sitting in the armchair opposite of his. "What's the book?"

"Emma," he said with a sly smile. Cassie's faded. "Why are you here?"

"Just to check if you have finally decided to help me," she leaned back in her armchair, sitting the most unlady-like way she could. Voldemort's eyes widened. "What, Tom ?" she asked annoyed.

After a long time of silence, he said, "She is your grandmother. Walburga." Cassiopea nodded. "And your... Grandfather. Orion." She noticed that the Dark Lord said the name with so much hatred that she was sure that he hated him more than Harry freaking Potter. "You purebloods are so boring," Voldemort said. "Rosier, Black, Malfoy, Lestrange... Do you realize how many times you are going to be connected to Bellatrix's child? Delphini was her name?"

Cassie didn't bother to answer. The pureblood family tree was too complicated. She was related to almost every single one of the students in Hogwarts.

She was related to Luna by her great-aunt Addelin Rosier, who happened to be Luna's grandmother.

She was related to Zabini and Nott. Somehow. She didn't remember exactly how.

She was related to the Weasleys by her great-great-aunt Cedrella Black who married Septimus Weasley.

She was even related to Potter by her great-great-aunt Dorea Black, who had married Charles Potter, who had the grandfather of Harry Potter.

That didn't help her much in making friendships, but her aunt Andromeda said that she must know her family tree no matter what. And so Cassiopea had spent hours in the living room with hundreds of books, making her family tree and reading old journals about every single one of them.