Friends, Foes and War

࣪𖤐 Y4 | 16 . The Very Best of Us All

➵ YOUTH — DAUGHTER
'From the perfect start, to the finish line.'

On the morning of Amos' funeral, Cassie feels empty. She hasn't cried since the news— which was three days ago. She's been at home since and has been essentially hibernating. Remus and Sirius do their best to distract her and cheer her up, but nothing works.

Cassie is annoyed at herself. She's annoyed that she didn't make the most of him being here and healthy. She's annoyed that she never got to say goodbye. She's annoyed that he never got to know how much she really loved him, even after finding out her true parentage. Nothing could change her heart, and Cassie's heart will forever lie with the Diggorys.

She stares at herself in the mirror, her stomach dropping at her reflection. Those eyebags aren't healthy, that's for sure. With Cassie's insomnia, the more stressed she is, the worse her insomnia gets. She's slept about ten hours in the past few days.

Cassie reluctantly slips on her black dress with dread. She puts her earrings in and her favourite locket sits around her neck. She opens it and turns to the picture of her, Cedric, Victoria and Amos. Fuck, it hurts. It hurts way more than Cassie thought it would.

She closes the locket and sniffles, closing her eyes. She ties the belt around her waist moments before there's a knock on the bathroom door. "Come in!" she says. Her voice is more hoarse nowadays— more tired.

Sirius frowns at his daughter when he opens the door. Seeing her like this is breaking his heart. She's so sad all the time, and when she's sad, so is Sirius. He knows there's nothing he can do other than be there for her. He didn't know Amos as well as Cassie did so he can't even relate to her. Of course, his death has upset him, but not half as much as it does seeing Cassie so full of grief.

"How you holding up, pup?" he sighs, stepping into the bathroom.

She looks at him through the mirror, applying concealer to her undereyes. "I'm okay. Just a little nervous. The last funeral I went to was Amos' dad— Grandad Donny. I was eight. I just stayed glued to Amos' side all day because I hated seeing him cry. He didn't cry much around me so I knew it would prevent it."

Sirius feels her grief just by looking into her eyes. She's tired. She's mourning and Sirius hates it. "Your dad and I will be there. I know I'll be Padfoot, but you can still pull me aside and talk to me."

Cassie smiles slightly. "Can you plait my hair?"

Sirius smiles and walks out of the bathroom and downstairs. Cassie follows after putting her black heels on. Sirius pats the sofa next to him and Cassie sits facing away from him.

As he plaits her hair, Remus walks in with three cups of tea and a plate of buttered toast for Cassie in the hope she'll eat something this morning. "You feeling okay, sweetheart?" Remus asks, sitting beside her and Sirius. He puts a hand on her knee and leaves it there.

"I don't know if I'm honest. I'm just dreading it I think." she sighs. "It's Victoria I'm worried about, y'know?"

"I know, I am too. She's a strong woman, Cass. It'll take a lot, but she'll be okay eventually. Losing a soulmate is never easy." Remus says, but Cassie can't help wonder if that has a double meaning.

Sirius stops plaiting Cassie's hair for a split second, Remus' words creating a hole in his heart. Remus isn't Sirius' only soulmate— they both know that.

Soulmates aren't always lovers, Remus once told her.

James Potter held the soulmate title from the age of eleven. Sirius lost himself when he lost James. Rotting away in Azkaban with just the image of his best friend's cold body in his head. He couldn't sleep. He saw James' lifeless face everywhere he looked.