Blood Magic ✤ George Weasley ✓

6 - A Closet Full of Skeletons

musical mood: it's a sin - pet shop boys

" When I look back upon my life

It's always with a sense of shame

I've always been the one to blame

For everything I long to do "

Winky picked Cass up from the Kings Cross station, just as the sun began to set under the snowy horizon. The elf was absolutely beaming when she grabbed onto Cass's hand, and apparated the two into the parlour of their Stromness manor. While the weather in England had been fine, one peak outside of the window and into the Scottish Isles was the opposite - snow was coming down so hard and fast, she imagined anyone outside wouldn't be able to see a foot in front of themselves. She had planned on going over to see Connor, but maybe that would have to wait until the morning.

"Winky has made hot chocolate! Winky knows hot chocolate is Mistress Cassiopeia's favourite!" The elf was jumping up and down with excitement as she dragged Cass into the kitchen, and she recalled what had been said in her father's letter, that she was Winky's favourite.

"Thank you." She smiled at the elf as she handed her the mug of hot chocolate from the table. Taking a sip, she felt her body instantly warm up and her muscles untense.

"Mistress Cassiopeia must sit down! She looks tired!" Winky demanded, her tiny voice gone up an octave in pitch. With a snap of her tiny fingers, Cass's favourite chair from the living room was summoned next to her.

Merlin, I love this elf. Cass smiled as she laid back into the soft cushions.

"Is my father home?"

Winky shook her head, her massive ears flopping around. "No, Master Bartemius Sr. will not be back for a few hours. He is missing Mistress Cassiopeia terribly, though. He left Winky a list of things to do before Mistress Cassiopeia got back, see."

The elf reached into a pocket of her ragged outfit, and pulled out a folded piece of parchment, with Bartemius's distinguishable swirly handwriting.

Clean the parlourLight the fireplace and keep it tended toPick Cassiopeia up from King's Cross at 20:15Cook dinner

Cass rolled her eyes, though she was still smiling. While she was nervous, a part of her had grown excited to see her father. He had seemed so keen for her to come back to Stromness in his letter, she began to have hope that maybe, just maybe, they'd actually develop a relationship.

Another part of her wondered if maybe Bartemius knew anything about Quirrell. It was a stretch, but possible. He had been Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement, before Barty was arrested. If Quirrell had a record of magical malpractice during the war, he would remember.

Bartemius never forgot those things.

Cass stayed up on the couch until two in the morning, waiting for her father to come home, though she wasn't sure exactly why. However, fatigue eventually caught up to her, and she fell asleep on the soft couch cushions, still in her Hogwarts sweater and skirt. When she woke up late the next morning, Bartemius was already gone.

Oh well. At least she had time that day to see Connor.

Assuming Connor wanted to see her. She took a deep breath, forcing the thought out of her mind.