way to go, tiger | Lorenzo Berkshire

࣪𖤐 Y3 | 9 . Complications in the Diggory household

BROTHER — KODALINE
'No, we don't share the same blood. You're my brother, and I love you, that's the truth.'

When Cassie and Cedric arrive at the Diggory household in Waterloo, Cassie doesn't know how to act. She hasn't spoken to her adoptive parents face-to-face since finding out about her parentage. Cassie wonders why it all has to be so complicated.

Since they arrive via Portkey, Cassie takes a moment to stabilise herself. She takes one look at her parents and everything fades away. They were her parents for thirteen years. That's not exactly something you forget easily, is it?

Victoria hugs Cassie before she can even protest. Cassie sighs into her shoulder and accepts it. "I'm so sorry, pickle."

"Don't. I don't want to talk about it now, let's just pretend everything's normal for the time being, yeah?" Cassie exasperates.

"Fine. Okay." Victoria smiles.

She pulls away from Cassie and lets Amos have his turn. He hugs her at the same force Victoria did, wary of how she's feeling. "You okay, Peia?"

The nickname has stuck Cassie's whole life. Amos is the only one to call her that, and she likes it that way. However, the nickname slightly hurts this time, and Cassie knows Cedric can tell.

"I'm okay." she nods.

Cassie looks at Cedric after Amos breaks away. His eyebrows are low as he reads her mind. They stare at each other, having a conversation with just their eyes.

You okay?

I'm fine.

No you're not.

I am, I swear.

If it gets too much, please tell me.

I will.

Love you.

Love you more.

The house is quiet as Cassie and Cedric pack their stuff out of their trunks, and into their familiar wardrobes. Cassie feels strange, being in her room now. It feels like it isn't hers anymore. The innocent, non-werewolf, girl that lived in this bedroom is no longer here.

Cassie has always been a nostalgic, sentimental person, which makes all of this much harder than she thought it'd be. She sits on the edge of her bed with a sigh, looking up at her Falcons calendar on the wall. It's still open on the month of August. Cassie reaches up and turns it over to December, feeling deflated at the lack of notes.

Behind her on the wall next to her bed, are polaroids and keepsakes from school. There are a few with her friends— her favourite is the one of them on the train in second year. Mattheo's arm is around Cassie's head behind her, as she's visibly laughing. Blaise and Enzo have an arm around each other, wide grins on their faces. Theo, Pansy and Draco are smiling around the train carriage. If she remembers right, she asked Lucian Bole to take the photograph.

Smiling weakly, Cassie looks away from her sentimental wall and instead turns to the door as it opens. In the doorway stands a frowning Cedric Diggory. Cassie pats the bed next to her and he sits with a smile.

"It's too quiet, isn't it?" Cedric notices. "I feel like I can't even breathe, afraid to make a noise."

"I know right. I don't know how to help it though." Cassie sighs.

"It's not your fault. They know that...I know that, but do you know that?"

Cassie nods, "I do." she sighs. "I just feel responsible for whatever the hell is going on right now. I've spoken a total of five words to both of them. By now, I would've been rambling for England downstairs last year."