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FOR THE LONGEST TIME, all Cassandra Knox ever had was herself. And her brother, Elliot, of course.
Raised in one of the most affluent pure blood families out there, the two were constantly subjected to their parents' strict and sometimes cruel ways of upbringing. The Knox family was perfect by all means necessary, their legacy one they should be proud of. However, Cassandra never was. And neither was Elliot. Their legacy was a cold one - filled with darkness and isolation and pain and perfection. They were taught that their way was the only way, that pure blood was superior to all. That muggles and half bloods were simply the scum of the earth. That they were the picture of perfection, Gods simply due to the magic that flowed through their veins. The blood line had to stay pure to maintain perfection.
But neither Cassandra or Elliot believed in that.
However, the Knox siblings knew better than to vocally object to their parents' logic. Especially not Elliot who was the Golden child out of both siblings. He was the one Cassandra was constantly compared to, the one her parents were the most proud of. He was incredibly intelligent, doing extremely well in school, and was well liked by just about everyone. Cassandra, on the other hand, was a bit more reserved but still liked by others. Her grades were just as good as Elliot and they even shared the same good looks. But none of that mattered when it came to Elliot. He was better, smarter, friendlier, etc. And Cassandra was simply reduced to his pretty sister.
She was constantly, however, put on the back burner as long as Elliot was around. No one noticed her (which Cassandra was surprisingly fine with) whenever her brother was in the picture. And although it should have put a strain on their sibling bond, it never did. The two had friends but they were the closest with one another, constantly making plans to hopefully escape the clutches of their parents one did. Cassandra realistically knew that it was just talk. They'd never be able to leave, stuck under their parents' thumb forever.
Except it wasn't just talk. And Elliot would eventually get to leave for good, just not in the way Cassandra could have possibly imagined.
Once upon a time, Cassandra had adored the color red. She'd wear anything that was red, even going through a phase where she ate nothing but strawberry tarts. Her skirts, dresses, shirts, and bows were all the prettiest shade of red Cassandra could find. No one could figure out why she used to love the color so much and not even she truly knew. A part of her even wanted to be a part of Gryffindor just for the sake of wearing red proudly, willing herself into Slytherin instead just to appease her parents.
But on the very fateful day she'd find her brother deceased and cold to the touch, Cassandra knew she'd never look at the color the same way again.
As much as the girl tries to now block the memory from her mind, she simply can't. It's embedded in her mind - torturing her every time she tries to close her eyes. There had been blood, so much blood. Cassandra had made the hasty mistake of rushing towards his body, staining her hands and skin in the very process with the color she used to adore so much. The metallic yet haunting smell was thick in the air and as Cassandra would later learn, he had been dead for some time now. In shock, all the girl could do was stare at her brother who looked at though he was sleeping (who looked as though he was finally at peace) and sob.
From the time of discovering his body to the time of his funeral, all Cassandra Knox could seem to do was cry. When her brother died, a piece of her had died too (no matter how cliche that sounded). Her only friend and protector, her place of solace and essentially the only person she could trust, was now gone. Gone to a much better place than the hellish prison their parents had created for them. Cassandra was truly on her own from that point on and ultimately left to fend for herself.
Everyone was so focused on Elliot still even after his death that they didn't notice that Cassandra's heart had now gone completely cold. And there was no one that could save her now.
