The Last of the Blacks

Chapter 62: The beginning of the end

The night before what years later would be called the Battle of Hogwarts the Snakes gathered in the Slytherin common room for one last time. At first glance, nothing looked different. These were the Snakes — Cassiopea Black, Kol Greengrass, Daphne Greengrass, and Draco Malfoy — laughing together.

Seven years ago, when only Daphne and Draco were in this common room, no one would have guessed that Sirius Black's daughter — the mass murderer and disappointment of her purebred family — and Voldemort's son would have joined them and created the most a famous group at Hogwarts. Six years ago, no one would have guessed that Sirius Black's daughter would be in Slytherin; no one would have guessed that Voldor existed; no one would have guessed that Daphne Greengrass would have another Slytherin as a friend but Theo Nott and her sister; no one would have guessed that Draco Malfoy would abandon his prejudices, reconcile with his cousin, and find a boyfriend like Hermione Granger.

And here that three years ago the four surprised the world.

It all seemed normal now, though at first the Slytherins had been startled to see Cassie's dark hair or Kol's sly smile.

"Well, it's all over," Draco said in a silence in which none of them could find the words to tell the others anything. "Tomorrow, right?"

Slytherin's common room was empty. The only company the Snakes had was the fire in the fireplace, and even that seemed too much.

"Tomorrow," Daphne confirmed. "Are you scared?"

Kol glanced at Cassie, as if expecting her to confess first. After the battle in the Ministry almost two years ago, she was extremely careful with the Death Eaters' missions, but she was still not perfect.

Lestrange was dead because of a damn chain Cassie had taken from the headmaster of the American school.

"I mean ... We already have so much," Daphne said. "Teddy is not two weeks old. Delphi is about five months old. We have a wonderful family. Aren't you afraid?"

"Of course we're scared, Daph," Cole smiled weakly. "But we can't do anything anymore. We've accepted it. And tomorrow we will fight as we have planned for years."

Draco looked at Cassie. Daphne looked at Cassie. They both knew of her suspicions of the Forgotten One, they knew she thought this was the last time she saw them, and they wanted to be able to calm her down in some way.

But they couldn't.

Well, at least the Black family had heirs to continue the bloodline instead of Cassie.

"Is that the part where I tell you something inspiring?" Cassie looked up at her friends, at her family, and smiled weakly. "Because I don't know what. I've been telling you for years. You'll survive. As long as I'm involved, you'll survive. No Death Eater will hurt you. I'm sure Dumbledore's Army won't attack you either."

Daphne watched Cassie intently, as if she were about to say something nice, something wonderful, as she should. She had to give them hope that all four of them would leave the battlefield tomorrow.

"I ... I've been thinking a lot about how to start this ... conversation. I was wondering what to tell you in the last ... how long have it been? Two years?" she laughed weakly and looked at each of them.

She looked at her blond best friend, who had been with her since her first day at Hogwarts, who had protected and loved her no matter how much or what nonsense Cassie had done. Her best friend who loved life, who couldn't die tomorrow.

She looked at Draco, who had found the meaning of life with them - to live not hiding who he was from the world and to fight for what he believed in. Draco, who, despite being an asshole, had come to help Cassie when she needed it.