stars | sirius black

39: Isolation and Culpability

DECEMBER 24, 1993
Arroway ( - Black ) Household, 3:45 pm

"MUM WE'RE HOME!" CASS called out as Lupin shut the front door. Arabella immediately walked to where they were, greeting them with a huge grin on her face. 

"I've missed you both so much. It's so lonely being all alone here. I barely had anyone to talk to." Arabella said, hugging both Remus and Cass as tightly as she could.

"Mum, you're going to suffocate us." Cass said jokingly. 

"Right, of course. I'm sorry." Arabella apologized, pulling back with a small smile on her face. "Just take your bags up to your rooms and we could go out and explore the town, yeah?"

"Sorry, Ara. Maybe it would be best if Cass and I just got some rest."

"Yeah, mum. I'm knackered at the moment."

Arabella's face visibly fell at this, wanting to spend time with her best friend and daughter. Being alone for so long certainly took a toll on her. Nevertheless, she put on a smile for the two. "That's alright. Rest up you two."

"Don't worry, Professor Lupin and I will be here for two weeks." Cass said, going up the stairs to her room.

"You do realize that you don't have to call me professor outside of school, right? I mean I'm still your godfather." Remus asked laughing, following Cass up the stairs. 

"Yeah, but I got used to it." Cass' voice and Remus' laugh getting softer as they both reached the second floor of the house.

Arabella smiled from watching the two but it slowly fell as they disappeared to their rooms. "You'll be here for two weeks," she said, echoing her daughter's words. "then you'll leave again."

______

"IT'S DELICIOUS, Ara." Remus said, complimenting Ara's cooking. They were seated around the dining table, chatting on the various things that happened at Hogwarts while she was away. The three had just finished gossiping on the blooming relationships of Hogwarts students, most of this was just Cass talking but Remus and Arabella still listened intently and commented every now and then.

"Speaking of blooming relationships, what's going on between you and Mr. Weasley?" Arabella asked her daughter. Cass choked on her pumpkin juice upon hearing this and Remus was trying incredibly hard to hold his laughter.

"Which one mum? You're going to have to be specific here. There's so many of them. Six, I believe. Not to mention four of them currently at Hogwarts-" Cass rambled, slightly coughing on pumpkin juice before Arabella cut her off.

"You know who I mean, Cass." Arabella said, looking at her knowingly. "One of the twins. Fred?" Arabella asked, looking at Remus and he nodded. "Yes, Fred."

"Right, Fred." Cass nodded, blushing slightly. 

"Well?" Arabella asked, her eyebrow raised and a small teasing grin on her face. 

"Idon'tknowwhatyou'retalkingabout,mum.Fred'smybestfriend,that'sall. I swear!" Cass said hurriedly, Remus and Arabella having difficulty in catching all of them.

"Slower, sweetheart. Arabella said laughing. 

"Fred's my best friend. Nothing's going on between us."

"Sure, sweetheart." Arabella said with a smile, not quite believing her. Remus, on the other hand, rolled his eyes having heard that line too many times before in the past.

"Anyways," Cass said, desperately trying to change the topic, "Remus and I have something to tell you!"

"What? We do?" Remus asked, looking at Cass with a confused expression.