Post Tenebras Lux

Chapter Forty-Eight

She was unsure about how to act as she stood by the gate to the small house. It looked cosy which was the exact opposite of their family's house. Different coloured flowers grew up the front of the house, all bright colours again making a stark contrast to where they had grown up. Cassiopeia felt as though she was trespassing and that she should just turn around and leave. She almost was going to but froze as she heard footsteps and then suddenly her sister was in the doorway to the cottage staring at her. Tears pricked at her sister's eyes as she saw how much Cassiopeia had changed. She was no longer the little girl she had protected but there in front of her was a woman capable of looking after herself. 

"Long time no see, Drom," Cassiopeia tried to joke.

At the sound of her voice, Andromeda ran down the path and hugged Cassiopeia tightly, "I'm so sorry, Cassie."

Cassiopeia leaned back to stare at her sister, "You don't need to apologise to me. I understand why you left. I'm glad you did."

"I should have been there to look after you."

"I'm okay, Drom. Look at me, they haven't hurt me."

Andromeda stepped back and smiled at her sister, "Your hair is darker. You look beautiful."

Cassiopeia stared at her sister and saw the same girl she had grown up admiring. Andromeda's hair remained the same, and she realised how remarkably similar her haircut was to her sister's. There were a few signs of age but Andromeda looked as beautiful as she had been as a teenager. The only thing that had changed was how she dressed. She had stopped dressing like their family and was far more casual. 

"Come, meet my family," Andromeda told her sister as she charmed Cassiopeia's things to go up to the spare bedroom. 

Cassiopeia cautiously followed her sister into the house, "Will they be able to find us here?"

"No," Andromeda reassured her, "It has been charmed so they won't get us here."

"Have you seen any of our family?"

Andromeda shook her head, "Not until today. You were the last person of our family I saw, seems rather fitting that you are the first I see now."

Cassiopeia smiled gently at her sister as they walked into the front room of the cottage where a man and baby were waiting. 

The man smiled warmly at Cassiopeia as he held out his hand for her to shake, "It is lovely to finally meet you, Cassiopeia. I'm Ted."

"Please, call me Cassie," She told him as she shook his hand, "I'm sorry it has taken us so long to meet."

The baby gurgled causing Cassiopeia to stare at it, "Cassie, this is our daughter Nymphadora."

Cassiopeia smiled as she cooed at her niece, she had never had much to do with babies before so she felt utterly useless. 

Later on, in the evening, Cassiopeia and Andromeda were sat out in the garden, drinking as the sunset. "Ted is very kind," Cassiopeia commented, "I thought he might be a little sceptical of me."

"I've spoken about you a lot, Cassie. He knows you were always my favourite sister."

"Narcissa is getting married in a few weeks time," Cassiopeia informed her, "Lucius Malfoy is the lucky man."

Andromeda laughed, "What is it with our family, one sister runs away just before another gets married."

Cassiopeia joined in her laughter, "I never thought about that."

"Does she love him?"

Cassiopeia nodded her head immediately, "Yes. The two are very much in love with each other. She is also relieved that by marrying him she won't have to become a death eater."

Andromeda was surprised as she replied, "I never thought Narcissa would be afraid of being one."

"She's not as bad as you think she is," Cassiopeia told her, "We became closer after you left. She was the only one who knew I wasn't coming home."

"Are you glad you are here?"

Cassiopeia smiled at her sister, "Yes. I'm scared though. I am finally happy and I fear something bad is going to happen. I have chosen the light, Drom, there certainly has to be some consequences for defying the darkness."

Andromeda stared at her, "Don't think like that, Cassie."

"They've always been afraid of me but I'm not sure how they'll be when I go back to Hogwarts."

"Why were they so scared of you?"

"I defeated Bellatrix in a duel before my fifth year."

Andromeda was shocked, "I always thought you were going to be a strong witch, I just never realised how powerful you would become."

"I want to stay being this happy, Drom."

"What has caused you to be this happy?"

"I no longer have to pretend for our family and-"

"And?"

Cassiopeia blushed as she replied, "A boy."