Post Tenebras Lux

Chapter Five

Cassiopeia stared in awe at the beauty outside her bedroom window. Flowers were blooming as the sun beamed down on them and families laughed loudly as the mother and fathers played with their children. The youngest Black sister was full of envy, having long desired her parent's affection. Instead, she was alone in their beautiful but cold house, something she had come to believe was a metaphor for the Black family. 

"Bella!" Cassiopeia exclaimed as she entered their dining room - she was happy to finally be reunited with her oldest sister, "Where have you been?"

"I have been very busy, little sister. The Dark Lord needs me by his side!"

Cassiopeia sat down beside Andromeda so she was opposite Narcissa, but her attention was solely on Bellatrix, "Have you missed us, Bella?"

Before Bellatrix had even the opportunity to reply, their father harshly cut in, "Cassiopeia stop being so ridiculous - the Dark Lord is more important than a child."

"Sorry, father."

Bellatrix sent her youngest sister a reassuring smile as she asked, "How have you found your first year at Hogwarts?"

"Oh, it's been wonderful, Bella. I've made so many so many friends and I've been doing really well in my lessons. Both Slughorn and McGonagall are impressed with me!" She glanced over at her parents, hoping they'd comment, but neither acknowledged that she had even spoken. 

"We're all so proud of you," Andromeda told her upon seeing the disappointment etched onto her face, "You'll be the cleverest of us all."

Bellatrix nodded her head, "You'll prove to be valuable to the Dark Lord when you're older, Cassiopeia."

"Andromeda," Their mother drawled out, "Now you have left Hogwarts, what do you intend to do?"

"I don't know, mother."

"You need to be more like your sister. They are plenty of Purebloods your age, have any caught your attention? If not, your father and I would happily choose a suitable match."

Andromeda sipped her drink before saying, "I have already met someone actually."

Cassiopeia turned to look at her sister, shocked that she hadn't known before now that her sister had a suitor. She wondered which family he came from and tried to think about who Andromeda spent most of her time with while at Hogwarts. She could imagine Andromeda's wedding already, surely it would be a happier occasion than the upcoming nuptials of Bellatrix and Roldolphus. Andromeda would make a beautiful bride too. 

Their mother clasped her hands together as she stared over at her husband, "Which family does he belong to?"

"You won't have heard of his family."

Cassiopeia frowned as she glanced over at her mother but the woman was too busy to notice as she stared intently over at Andromeda, "And why is that?"

"His name is Ted Tonks," Andromeda took a big breath as she continued, "And he is a muggle. I don't care what you say, I love him and I'm going to marry him."

Her heart dropped as she listened to her sister, she couldn't comprehend how her sister could fall for a muggle, especially after all the years of their parents telling them the horrors muggles had committed. She wanted to say that surely the muggle was manipulating her sister but she knew her to be far too clever for that to be true. 

Their father abruptly stood up, knocking his chair over, his hands clenched so tightly that they turned white, and his glare fixed upon Andromeda. Bellatrix was immediately beside her father as she scowled deeply at the sister she had expected to join her shortly. Druella slowly made her way around the table so she could join her husband as she carefully said, "Please tell me you are joking, Andromeda."

"No, mother, I am not."

Cassiopeia and Narcissa glanced over at each other: neither knowing what to do, both scared about what was going to happen, and both too young to intervene. 

"You wish to betray your family? You foolish girl! This will ruin you!" Cygnus spat out. 

"I am betraying no one!"

"Narcissa, Cassiopeia, go to your rooms," Cygnus commanded.

The two girls quickly scuttled out of the room and the second the door closed behind them, their sister's screams of pain echoed around the house. Narcissa hastily grabbed Cassiopeia's hand and guided her upstairs to her room. 

Andromeda's screams continued as Narcissa and Cassiopeia held onto each other, silently weeping as they hoped their sister's agony would soon come to an end.