The Girl Who Had No Escape [1]

Year 2 - 34

William, Ara- each holding a baby- and Lyra sat beside Cassiopeia's bed, looking at their daughter in sadness. This was the day that they were to take the body of their daughter home. After being requested to keep the body in school for somewhere for the students that wanted to see her to go, they allowed it of course and now was left to take the body home. They were resting a little before the emotional process when Lyra noticed the Cassiopeia's hand started to glow.

"Guys?" She whispered. They looked to her and she pointed to the hand. They looked in shock, and Cassiopeia's face began to regain its natural colour. They watched as the blood returned to her cheeks, and the life returned to her hair. There was a moment of silence, when Cassiopeia took and intake of breath. She opened her sapphire eyes and groaned because of the headache. She heard gasps and looked over to see her family.

"What happened?" Cassiopeia asked, sitting up in the bed.

"Y-y-you died." Lyra told her. Cassiopeia's eyes widened.

"I'm sorry." She told them. "I will tell you how I'm alive, but I think it should wait until we are home. It's a delicate matter." She then looked to her sister with tears in her eyes. "Come here." She said. At once Lyra jumped into Cassiopeia's awaiting arms.

"Cassie, I missed you so much." The young girl said, through the tears.

"I'm sorry, you had to go through it, Lele. I will always be there now, I promise." She replied.

"Lyra, can you hold your brother?" Ara asked, Lyra pulled apart and nodded. Cassiopeia's eyes widened at the sight of the babies. But her sight was soon blocked by a hug from Ara. Cassiopeia returned the hug, just a tightly. Ara cried on her daughter's shoulder, and then pulled apart. She took the baby from William, and he gave Cassiopeia a hug also. They squeezed each other just as tight. When they pulled apart, Cassiopeia looked to her new siblings.

"Can I meet them?" Cassiopeia asked. William and Ara nodded. William took the blue bundle from Lyra. William held out the baby, and Cassiopeia held him in her arms, tears falling down her face.

"Meet Leo Arche William Reid." William told her. She nodded and looked down to her baby bother. She saw some beautiful blue eyes looking back at her. She put her finger to his cheek, and Leo grabbed her finger with his tiny hands.

"Hi Leo. I'm your sister, Cass. We're going to have so much fun together. I'll teach you how to draw, sing, fly. I'll be by your side." Cassiopeia said to the small boy. He smiled a toothless smile in return and reached out with his other hand and held some of Cassiopeia's black hair. He looked to the hair, in what seemed to be amazement. Cassiopeia chuckled and the baby let out a little laugh too. Cassiopeia leant down and gave Leo a kiss on the forehead. She then handed the baby back to William, and Ara handed over the pink bundle.

"Meet Phoebe Cassiopeia Ara Reid." Ara said. Cassiopeia looked to her parents in shock. They nodded to her, telling her that she had heard the middle name correctly. She smiled to them and then looked to the sleeping baby in her arms.

"Hi Phoebe. I'm your big sister, Cass. You are going to be my sweet angel. I'll teach you how to dress up and teach you how to do makeup. I'll make sure no boys ever break your heart, if they do, I'll hurt them. I'll be there for you." Cassiopeia said to her little sister. She gave her sister a kiss on her head, and this caused her to open her hazel eyes. The eyes looked at Cassiopeia in wonder. Cassiopeia smiled, tears falling down her face. Phoebe reached up and wiped a tear from Cassiopeia's cheek. Cassiopeia laughed, and brought her sister into a careful hug. Phoebe grabbed Cassiopeia's finger and played with it. Cassiopeia turned to her parents. "They're both beautiful." She told them.

"They are." Lyra agreed.

"How long was I out?" Cassiopeia asked.

"Almost a month." William replied. Cassiopeia nodded.

"They held a feast in your honour and spoke about you. They gave us the gifts from under your bed, but we haven't had the heart to open them yet." Ara said. "Speaking of feast, they're holding one now for the defeat of the person who was causing all the problems. Are you going to attend?"

"I should, shouldn't I?" Cassiopeia replied. They nodded. "I need to change into clean robes first and have a shower." Lyra took Phoebe from Cassiopeia's arms and Ara moved towards Cassiopeia. She smiled and waved her wand, Cassiopeia then felt fresh- as if she had had a shower- and then her clothes were replaced with clean robes. Cassiopeia smiled, and then realised that she now had to face the school after being dead for nearly a month. "Thank you. How do I enter a hall, after being dead?"

"Just walk through the doors and say 'sorry I'm late'?" William suggested. Cassiopeia laughed and nodded.

"I'll try that." She said. She then climbed out of bed and managed to steady herself. She took a breath it and gave her family hugs and kisses.

"We will be back at home if you need us, you have one week left at school." Ara told her. She nodded. "Good luck." She replied.

"I'll miss you all." She replied. Giving them all one more hug and giving the babies and Lyra a kiss on the forehead. Together the group walked to their destinations, splitting half-way towards the hall. Cassiopeia arrived at the doors of the great hall, she took a deep breath in and opened the doors. Everyone turned to her.

"Sorry I'm late?" She said, more of a question. Everyone's faces held shock. She started walking towards the Slytherin table. Everyone was still in shock.

"Cass?" Marcus asked. She looked to him and nodded. He was the first to react and jumped up and hugged her. The rest of Slytherin followed suit, along with the golden trio that rushed over. Everyone looked at the Gryffindors in shock and they rushed over. She laughed from the middle of the hug, when everyone pulled apart. She was pulled into a tight hug by Amelia, Draco, Blaise, Theodore, Crabbe and Goyle. When they pulled apart, Draco stared at Cassiopeia with amazement on his face. She smiled to him and was then pulled into a hug by the golden trio. Everyone seemed to calm down, and Cassiopeia made her way to sit on the table, but then she looked up to the teachers table. She saw her godfather holding his emotions, she smiled to him and then started walking towards him. He saw this and stood from the table, he started walking towards her and she pulled him into her embrace. He knelt down and returned the hug, not caring about everyone seeing. They pulled apart and smiled to each to her, she then skipped to the place her friends had cleared for her to sit. They all started to eat and chat, many had the question on their minds...

How did she come back to life?

But those who had the questions didn't really care about the answer, they were happier about her surviving. Without meaning to, she had become a beacon of hope, she had survived a horror, and they knew that they would all face their own horrors and they could all survive...

-----***-----

Thanks for reading

-Zoe