Tʜᴇ Dᴀʀᴋ Lᴏʀᴅ's Aɴɢᴇʟ | Tom Riddle √

124: A Family Conversation

"So, how are you doing, darling?" Narcissa asked, taking a sip from her herbal tea.

"Doing well," Cassiopeia looked around, taking in the place she hadn't seen for three years. "I miss this place."

Narcissa had received permission from Dumbledore to bring Cassiopeia to Malfoy Manor for a few hours. Cassiopeia was happy to be back at the place she had once called home.

"We miss you too," Narcissa smiled, gesturing to Cassiopeia's untouched tea. "Uncle also wanted to see you, but he went to the Ministry for some work."

"How is he?" Cassiopeia asked, recalling that she hadn't had a chance to speak with him. "I mean, after all the Voldemort stuff and everything."

"He has changed now," Narcissa smiled. "At least he's now concerned about Draco, unlike those days. I hope you received the box I sent you."

Cassiopeia nodded and took a sip from her tea.

"I don't know what to say, but..." Cassiopeia bit her bottom lip, searching for the right words. "...it hurts knowing that I love the person who ruined everything, you know? It's so complicated."

"Draco has enlightened me about what happened between Tom and you, and..." Narcissa paused, her hands shaking as she tightly clutched her teacup. "And Draco. I'm not saying it isn't fair to feel angry, but he's not the person you think, sweetheart."

Cassiopeia was growing weary of hearing the same refrain. What was so mysterious about Tom?

"I'm aware that there's something you're hiding from me," Cassiopeia began, watching her aunt's shaky hands gripping the cup tightly. "Auntie, what's bothering you?"

"Cassie," Lucius entered the dining room, and Cassiopeia turned to greet him. "How are you?"

"I'm fine, Uncle," Cassiopeia smiled, surprised to see Lucius Malfoy with a smile on his face. "I hope things at the Ministry are going well."

"At least I was saved from ending up in Azkaban," he nodded, taking a seat at the head of the table. "The Dark Lord removed the mark I had, so they didn't have enough evidence to imprison me."

"Thanks Merlin," Cassiopeia sighed, taking another sip of her hot tea. "I forgot to remove your mark, though. Last year, I did erase Draco's mark."

"Narcissa told me, Cass," he pressed his lips together, glancing at his wife, who sat across from Cassiopeia. "How's Draco? We haven't received any letters from him."

"Actually, he's not well," Cassiopeia admitted, offering them an apologetic look as they exchanged glances filled with regret. "He's been acting really strangely. I asked him what was bothering him, but he wouldn't tell me. However, one day, something slipped out when he was attacked by Harry."

"Harry Potter?" Lucius raised an eyebrow as Cassiopeia nodded.

"There's a Gryffindor girl named Katie Bell," Cassiopeia explained, providing them with information about what was happening at Hogwarts. "She was hexed by an unknown person. The day she returned from the hospital, Draco's behavior changed. He rushed to the boys' lavatory, he was visibly stressed, and I've never seen him like that before. It's... it's really difficult to see him in that state."

Lucius held Narcissas hand when a tear slipped from her pale cheek.

"He—he said something weird, that he cannot let anyone kill Auntie," Cassiopeia closed her eyes, recalling the memory. "I didn't have much time to ask since Harry came out of the blue and told that Draco is the one who hexed Bell. He continued saying the same thing, and it ended up with casting a spell at one another. Suddenly, Harry cast the spell which Bellatrix used on me."