Enemies Working Together

5

At just after two in the morning, Cassiopeia knocks on Andromea and Ted's door, hoping someone is awake. Not a minute afterwards, the door springs open and Cassiopeia smiles at her uncle.

"Hi Uncle Ted. Can I come in please?" Ted Tonks looks shocked but steps aside to let her in. Ted leads her to the kitchen where Andromea is sitting with their daughter, Nymphadora.

"Aunt Andromea!" Cassiopeia calls out as her aunt quickly stands to embrace her.

"What are you doing here? Especially at this hour?" Andromea pulls away from the hug, worry clouding her grey eyes.

"I ran away, Aunty. I couldn't tell my parents to their faces that I was leaving so I left a note and ran." Andromea guides her niece to a chair and Nymphadora watches her cousin carefully.

"But why sweetheart? Why did you run away? Your parents didn't hurt you did they?" Andromea immeditealy goes into protective mode.

"No but they would have if they knew about the fact that my soul is bonded to Ron Weasley's." The three Tonks' stare at her in shock.

"What do you mean your soul is bonded to Ron Weasley's?" Nymphadora asks.

"An incomplete potion spilled on the two of us during potions this year so now our souls are bonded." Cassiopeia calmly responds.

"I heard rumours of such a thing being possible but never actually thought it was true." Andromea says quietly.

"It's possible? What does that mean for Cassiopeia and for Ron?" Ted asks his wife in alarm at something happening to the two teenagers.

"You do realize that you have to marry him before you both turn 19 or you will both die right?" Andromea asks her niece.

"Yes and so does he. You know how much my father despises the Weasleys so he won't allow it but a Black can still bless the union. You can bless it Aunty."

"Of course I will, sweetheart but shouldn't you have a headache but you don't seem in pain?"

"Headache cure keeps it a dull ache I can ignore. So can I stay with you guys until I graduate? I know it is a lot to ask but I don't have anywhere else to go."

"Headache?" Nymphadora asks her mum.

"They have to stay in close range of each other or else they get blinding headaches. That lessens once they get married but they are both 15 so no wedding can take place until they are 17 years old. That is the law." Andromea quietens anymore talk, insisting that Cassiopeia rest after her long journey.

The next morning, Cassiopeia wakes up to a commotion downstairs and quietly heads down the stairs while drinking the headache cure. She sees her mother and father standing there along with her aunt Andromea.

"Where is she, Andromea?" Lucius snarls. Andromea firmly holds her ground.

"I do not have to tell you anything, Lucius." She snarls back. Narcissia spots Cassiopeia at the bottom of the stairs.

"Cassiopiea! There you are." Naracissia looks relieved to see her daughter. Cassiopeia stares back at her mother but doesn't move to stand with her parents, just stares at them.

"Let's go Cassiopeia! We are going home." Lucius steps forward but Andromea stops him.

"You will let her decide if she wants to go home or stay here. You will not force her." Andromea says, sternly.

"This letter was obviously forged in her handwritting by you, Andromea. My daughter would never have such thoughts." Lucius says with a glare to his estranged sister-in-law.

"No Father. Those words are mine and mine alone. Those are my thoughts, the thoughts that I was not brave enough to tell you to your face." Naracissia stares at her daughter in shock.

"Is that so? Then you are no daughter of mine." Without warning, Lucius sends a powerful burning hex at Cassiopeia. Cassiopeia's stomach burns with pain and halfway across the country, Ron's stomach burns with pain as he collapses in his room in the midst of packing for a secondary location.

Naracissa and Lucius apparte away and Andromea tends to her niece and hopes that the pain goes away for the Weasley boy. The healing spell flies through the bond and heals Ron as well. Andromea helps Cassiopeia to her feet.

"Did you unpack your stuff yet?" She asks and when Cassiopeia shakes her head, she continues. "Good because Dora is taking you to another location, one your parents can't find. So come to the kitchen for some breakfast before she gets up." Cassiopeia and Andromea eat in silence and after she finishes, Cassiopeia carries her plate to the sink and heads upstairs to get dressed for the day. She puts on a dark green skirt that falls to her knees and a white tank top with a pair of black boots and her wizard cloak before carrying her bag down the stairs.

Nymphadora smiles at her cousin and holds out her arm but Cassiopeia goes and hugs Andromea first.

"Be careful, sweetheart. If your father finds out, he may try to stop the union before it happens." Andromea whispers the warning in her ear.

"I know. Give Uncle Ted my love and thanks for the hospitality." They pull away from the hug and Cassiopeia and Nymphadora apprate to the secondary location which happens to be Number 12 Grimuold Place, the headquarters for the Order of the Phoenix.

The cousins head inside and are greeted with a very gloomy and dirty house. It has not been cleaned in many years due to no master and a house-elf who did not do a lot of work. Molly Weasley appears at the doorway at the end of the hall.

"Wotcher Mrs. Weasley. This is my younger cousin-" Molly cuts off Nymphadora.

"Cassiopeia Malfoy. I know who she is. Why did you bring her here?" Molly refuses to look at Cassiopeia.

"I had to Mrs. Weasley. It's kinda a long story and one she should be the one to tell you but Dumbledore is okay with her being here." Cassiopeia's eyebrow goes up at the mention of the Hogwarts headmaster being okay with her presence. Molly watches her expression carefully. Cassiopeia then noticed that the ache was completely gone which means that Ron is nearby.

When they hear footsteps on the stairs, they all look over to see Sirius Black descending the stairs, eyes locked on his younger cousin.

"You look like your mother." Is the first thing he says to her.

"And you look like Uncle Orion." She responds back.

"Touche little Malfoy. Touche. What are you doing here?"

"Ran away and was told I was suppose to come here. Aren't you supposed to be a raving lunatic who murdered 13 people?" At her words, he lets out a bark of laughter.

"I like you, little cousin. Welcome to my home. Tonks, show her to her room." Cassiopeia's room is right next to the room that Ginny Weasley is sharing with Hermione Granger when she gets here. Nymphadora watches her from the doorway.

"Are the Weasley children also staying here?" Cassiopeia keeps any hint of emotion out of her voice.

"You mean is your soulmate here? And yes those who are still in school and Bill as well. Come with me and I will take you to where they are hanging out." Cassiopeia follows her and they head down several flights of stairs and into a drawing room where Fred, George, Ginny, and Ron are all sitting, looking kinda bored. The four look up when they hear footsteps, expecting it to be their mother with a task but are suprised when they see Nymphadora followed by Cassiopeia.

"What are you doing here?" Ginny snarls.

"I was told to come here, Ginevra." Cassiopeia says, calmly despite how angry the youngest Weasley makes her and accepts the hug Ron is offering.

"I can't believe you are hugging her, Ron." George says in disgust. Fred again doesn't say anything but just watches his younger brother and the Malfoy with a thoughtful look on his face.