The Girl Who Found Hope [2]

Year 3 - 29

The train rolled out of the Hogsmede station at exactly 11am on the Sunday morning. Cassiopeia was in a compartment with Draco, Theodore, Blaise, Crabbe and Goyle. Amelia was staying at school for the holidays with the Golden Trio, and Pansy still wasn't talking to Cassiopeia, and vice versa, and where there was Pansy there was Millicent. Draco and Cassiopeia were still going strong after their disagreement over Pansy, and now their friends had accepted it and welcomed it with open arms. To them it was strange to see the pair together and not holding hands or see the pair at opposite ends of the room and not glancing lovingly at each other. It was their new normal. And if they were honest, they liked to see their friends happy with each other. After the horrors of last year, they needed some stability in their lives, and they needed to be able to witness some happiness.

"Is the Pure-blood ball on this year?" Cassiopeia asked her friends.

"I would assume so." Theodore replied. "It's on pretty much every year."

"So, I'll probably be seeing you then?" She asked them, they nodded. She smiled, she then got up from the seat and brought her trunk down from the shelf to the seat. Her friends watched, while having small conversations as she looked through her trunk. She brought out some boxes. She turned to her friends and handed each of them a wrapped present, and then handed them all another one that was smaller. They smiled at her, and then went into their own trunks and got out presents. They all exchanged presents and put them away in their own trunks. Once they were done, the train station was coming into view. The children got off the train and made their way to their parents, as Cassiopeia got off, she noticed that William was there besides Draco's parents. Cassiopeia grabbed Draco's hand and together they walked over to the group.

Narcissa noticed the pair first, and gestured to the others that they were approaching. The two men also turned to face their kids. Narcissa pulled both of the kids into a hug.

"How was school?" Lucius asked the pair once Narcissa let them go.

"It was good, thank you, Mr Malfoy. Although I've got a lot of homework to do over the holidays." Cassiopeia replied with a small smile.

"Well, as long as your homework doesn't keep you from the ball." Narcissa said.

"It won't." Cassiopeia replied. "Where is it this year?"

"Flint Manor." She replied and Cassiopeia nodded.

"Well, we should be getting back. There are two twins at home that are missing her big sister." William said, making Cassiopeia's face light up at the mention of the twins. The Malfoys nodded and said their goodbyes. Draco gave Cassiopeia and final hug and then went with his family. Both families apparated out of the train station to their manors.

When William and Cassiopeia arrived back at the Manor, she turned to William with excitement on her face. He noticed her look and gave her a slight smile.

"They're in their room." He told her. She smiled and rushed off towards the twins' room. Once she opened the door she was met with the sight of the twins playing with toys on the floor, her heart swelled and she smiled in happiness. When the door closed behind her, the twins snapped their heads towards her and their faces lit up.

"Caca!" Leo shouted, and he held his hands in the air.

"Leo!" Cassiopeia said in response. She rushed towards the twins and picked up Leo giving him a spin. She then put him on the floor and spun around Phoebe. She then held the two of them against her hips. She rocked them up and down while she turned slowly. As she did, she saw that William was standing at the door.

"Where's Ara and Lyra?" Cassiopeia asked him.

"Lyra is in Romania with Kathryn and Ara is sleeping at the moment." He replied.

"How is Kathryn?" She asked.

"She's doing fine. She told me she hated the morning sickness though." He replied. Cassiopeia laughed slightly.

Cassiopeia spent the rest of the day playing with the twins, singing to them, or just putting them to sleep. It was moments like this when she missed her family that she had to leave for half the year. The new family members that she wanted to be there for.

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Thanks for reading

-Zoe