The Last of the Blacks

Epilogue

"CASSIE!" Delphi's scream was heard from upstairs. "MY HAIR IS GREEN!"

Cassiopea Riddle-Black spat out her coffee, drowning in laughter as her mother tried not to laugh. Emma Rosier leaned back in her chair, glancing furtively at the two women to her right, her cousins. Narcissa Malfoy and Andromeda Tonks had arrived just minutes before, and they were already smiling so broadly at Cassie's attempts to deal with all eight of her children that their mouths ached.

"How come your hair is green?" the squeaky voice of thirteen-year-old Daenerys was heard.

"EDWARD! REMUS! LUPIN!" Delphi screamed again shortly before Teddy Lupine appeared in the kitchen, holding back a laugh. He kissed his aunt and grandmother's cheeks and hid behind Cassie, who slapped him lightly on the shoulder, pointing to the eight plates on the counter.

"Did I tell you how much I love you, Aunt Cassie?" the prefect asked her.

Cassie smiled at him.

As childish as Teddy sometimes was, he was the one who was ready when the others were barely waking up. His clothes, textbooks, and belongings had been in his suitcase since last week, eagerly awaiting this morning, September 1st. The day his last year at Hogwarts began. Neither Cassie nor Kol could believe that only seventeen years ago they both trembled as they watched little Teddy and Delphi without knowing what to do with them, and seven years ago they had been left for the first time on platforms 9 and 3/4. where Teddy cried and Delphi promised to write twice a week.

"Will Draco and Hermione be here soon?" Cassie turned to her Aunt Narcissa.

"They have to leave Scorpius with his nanny," sighed the elderly Mrs. Malfoy. "Merlin, how do you feel now that everyone's leaving?"

"It will be quiet," Emma said, looking at her daughter. "As if no one is here."

Teddy laughed from the stove. "It's going to be weird," he noted. "I mean, we're a whole pack, and since there's not a single wolf at home ..."

"There will be two wolves at home, Teddy," said Kol calmly, who was just entering the kitchen. "Love, we have to go after a while," he told Cassie. "Which reminds me why Relugus is still asleep?"

Cassie blinked a few times before carefully setting down her glass and leaving the kitchen. She hated September 1st for the simple reason that everyone had to be ready, and no one ever thought about her mental health. Cassie nodded at the portraits of her dead relatives before turning down the hall with the children's rooms, where, as always, there was a mess. Skates, books, toys - everything was scattered on the floor and she could barely find a place to step.

"Count!" Cassie shouted from the middle of the corridor.

"One," came Delphi's trembling voice from the first room on the right.

Teddy's voice was not heard, so Sirius called from the door to Delphi. "Three!"

"Four!" the twins Daphne and Walburga called.

Regulus's voice was not heard. Cassie took a deep breath and, without even knocking on the third door on the left, entered her second son's room. She raised her eyebrows, ready to scold him, ready to start talking to her child again about responsibilities and how he should be ready in about ten minutes ... And he saw Regulus on the window sill, watching the rising sun.

He was already wearing his jeans and his new sweater. His suitcase was ready by the door, and her little boy looked as if they were at Irma Black's funeral again, pensive, swollen.

"Regulus," she called softly. "Honey, are you ready?" She knew the question was stupid, but it was enough to get her son out of the grip of the philosophical thoughts that had gripped him since that day a few years ago.