Cassiopeia Lovegood. (Sirius Black Love Story.)

Chapter 45.

Two months later. 

They were all sitting at the Gryffindor table eating breakfast but James was unusually quiet. 

"Hey James what's wrong?" Cassiopeia asked quietly. 

"My parents are sick. Really sick." James mumbled. 

Cassiopeia felt her mind descend into panic for a second before she yanked it back again. Illness was a thing that had taken many people from her. Her loving grandmother, her beloved uncle, her caring cousin and her best friend. There was her mother as well but that hadn't affected her much. 

"Oh James I'm so sorry." She whispered wrapping an arm around his shoulders. "When did you find out if you don't mind me asking?" 

"Last night." 

"Have you told anyone?" He shook his head. "Do you want to go somewhere else?" He nodded eagerly. "Me and James have to do something we'll catch up with you five later." 

The rest of them waved goodbye and Cassiopeia pulled James out of the hall. 

"Anywhere you wanna go?" Cassiopeia asked. 

"Do you know the tapestry of Barnabus the Barmy?" Cassiopeia nodded. "Can we go there?" 

"Sure." 

They began the long walk to the seventh floor. 

When they got there James paced in front of a blank wall. Cassiopeia watched him a bit confused but just decided to leave him be. 

To her amazement a door appeared on the wall and James pulled it open. 

Inside looked exactly like the Potter's living room. 

James sat down in a chair and held his face in his hands. 

Cassiopeia felt a bit out of place. Sure she was friends with James but she wasn't a hundred percent sure on what to do. 

"Do you want me to go get Sirius or Lily?" 

"No please don't. I love them both really but Lily will get very motherly and won't stop doting on me and then Sirius will be so upset." 

Cassiopeia sat down slowly beside James and put an arm around his shoulders again. "You'll have to tell him at sometime. He thinks of them as his parents as well." 

"I know. I'll tell him tonight." 

She rubbed his back comfortingly. 

"How do you deal with it?" 

"With what?" 

"I know that you've dealt with illness before. How did you accept with knowing that they weren't going to get better?" 

"I didn't. I held onto the hope that they were gonna get better until they passed. Trust me that is not a path you want to go down. It hurts far more." 

"But they have to get better." 

Cassiopeia stayed silent and kept rubbing his back and James leaned into her touch like a young child to his mother. She kissed his hair softly and he began crying softly. 

She panicked slightly but then remembered two years ago when James comforted her when her world was falling apart. She had to repay the favour. 

She pulled him close to her and rocked side to side slowly. She held him tight as he cried making sure that he knew she was there and not planning on leaving. 

"It's okay James." She whispered and he held her tight. "Me, Sirius, Remus, Peter and Lily are all here and we're all with you till the end of the line." 

"Thank you Cassie." 

She kissed his hair again and hugged him tight. "You're welcome." 

2 weeks later.

Cassiopeia was now holding two boys who had both cried themselves to sleep on her shoulders. Sirius was on her right and James was on her left.

The letter had come that morning that both Euphemia and Fleamont had both passed away during the night.

Both of the boys had run straight to Cassiopeia. She wasn't sure why. She assumed Sirius had come to her because she was his girlfriend, but James she didn't know. 

She cradled them gently and nodded to Remus and Peter when they entered the room. 

"They're asleep." She whispered. 

"How are they?" Peter asked tentatively. 

"Terrible. They both loved Euphemia and Fleamont more than anything." 

"That's to be expected." Remus sighed. "Look after them."  

"Of course I will." 

The Summer holidays had come around and James couldn't face going back to Potter Manor. Neither could Sirius. 

Remus was going home to his mother who was also very ill. 

Peter was going home to his mother and father. 

Cassiopeia was going back to the empty Lovegood Manor. Xenophilius was going to their aunt's house as usual. 

She invited James and Sirius to Lovegood Manor with her. They both agreed happily. 

So that was how the three of them tumbled out of the fireplace into the living room of Lovegood Manor. 

It was very different from Potter Manor. It had a cold, unwelcoming air about it."

"Home sweet home." Cassiopeia muttered. "Come on I'll show you your rooms." 

They walked up two flights of stairs before they came to a corridor with eight doors. 

"That's my room and I advise to enter with caution. Down the hall at the end is Xeno's. And down there is Father's also advise not to go in there since it will probably end in your death. Now the other five rooms are guest rooms so take your pick. 

She pushed her door open and instantaneously an arrow flew at her. She dodged quickly and the arrow impaled itself in the wall. 

"I forgot about that." 

"Why the bloody hell do you have an arrow set up to hit anyone who enters." Sirius said incredulously.

"In my defence I didn't think it would work."

She pushed her door open fully. "Ah just how I left it. House elves have stopped coming in here because they always get hurt when they enter. To be honest so do I." 

She stepped over her disassembled cupboard and saw her clothes all spread out on her bed.

"How do you even sleep here?" Sirius said looking around. 

"I find a way." She jumped back as she accidently stepped on something that exploded. "Let's look at the other rooms shall we?" 

The other rooms were all similarly decorated with a bed, grey walls, an en suite and a dresser full of everything they might need. 

"I'll be downstairs if you need me." Cassiopeia said and exited the room. "And also be careful of what you touch you never know what it will trigger!" She called back.