CONTROL| THEO NOTT

ONE

[𝐀𝐔𝐆𝐔𝐒𝐓 𝟒, 𝟏𝟗𝟗𝟔]

THE TICKING SOUND OF THE clock hung on the wall right in between two family portraits has been hypnotising Cassiopeia for the past ten minutes.

Sitting on the edge of a stool, elbows propped on the marble counter with her chin leaned in the palm of a hand, her blue eyes are fixated on the second's hand, watching and listening to each beat pass by.

She stirs her cold coffee with the spoon in a constant pattern, her vision becoming blurry as her mind darts away. The rhythmical sound of the clock becomes distant, and that's when she realises she's been waiting for too long.

It's the sound of the front door slamming that brings her back to reality.

Cassie's eyebrows furrow when she notices her cousin's figure pass by the kitchen in a hurried motion. Draco doesn't do much as spare her a glance before running up the stairs, his footsteps echoing loudly in the quiet mansion.

Narcissa follows closely behind but she enters the kitchen, unbuttoning her cloak.

"Good morning, Cassie." Narcissa's voice is lyrical and melodic, as always.

"Aunt Cissy," she smiles sweetly. "How did it go?"

Her aunt locks her gaze with Cassie, a small sigh flying past her lips. She offers a tight smile to the younger witch, "You'll have to ask him yourself."

Her mouth twists into a grimace, "That bad?"

Narcissa only shakes her head, her eyes briefly closing as though she simply wants to forget last night's and this morning's events.

Cassie keeps on stirring her cold drink, her gaze dropping to the dark liquid swirling around the white mug.

"Cassie," Narcissa says softly. She has always been gentle and sweet and caring. Blue meets blue, and Cassie raises her brows in curiosity. "Remember," she takes a step towards her niece, taking a strand of dark brown hair in between her fingers. Gods, it's as though Marigold was sitting right in front of her. "You have a choice."

She swallows the forming lump inside her throat and nods, her eyes never disconnecting from Narcissa's. "I know."

Cissy's eyes turn into a lighter shade of blue as tears start to well. She thinks her niece doesn't notice it, but Cassie sees everything. The younger witch grabs her aunt's hand, applying a gentle pressure around her fingers.

It's been years, but every time Narcissa stares at Cassie, her mind only travels back to her younger years. With every minute passing by, Cassiopeia looks more and more like her mother.

Marigold Malfoy died at childbirth. Marigold was Narcissa's best friend in Hogwarts. Marigold was Lucius' baby sister. Martin Hawthorne passed away when Cassie turned three. He couldn't do it — he couldn't spend the rest of his life without his beloved.

Leaving Cassiopeia alone in the hands of the universe, Narcissa welcomed the only Hawthorne heir into her family and raised her just like she was her own.

And the Malfoy's may be relatives, but in Cassie's heart, they are her only family. Her parents. Her brother.

"Just promise me one thing," Cissy whispers. The brunette nods her head, "Look after him."

"I promise." Her blue eyes are full of sincerity. "I won't let anything happen to him."

__________

It takes Cassie over two minutes before deciding to enter Draco's room.

"You know," Draco says from where he lies on his bed, "there's this thing called knocking before entering someone's bedroom."