Stars {Remus Lupin} ✓

58. YOU'RE PART OF OUR FAMILY

| CHAPTER FIFTY-EIGHT |

YOU'RE PART OF OUR FAMILY.

IT FELT STRANGE BEING BACK at Platform nine and three quarters knowing that it was her last year already. The seven years seemed to have flown by. It was almost bittersweet being there with someone else's family. When Cassiopeia was a young girl, she had always wondered how her last year would go, she always wondered whether their parents would cry with proudness like she had seen in countless Muggle movies Sirius had somehow always managed to sneak into the house.

Not to mention the war that was quick on the rise in the wizarding world. Cassiopeia just hoped that she would be able to graduate and become an Auror in time. 

Hope and Lyall Lupin had been incredibly welcoming to the young witch, letting her stay over at their small cottage for the entirety of the summer. However, not wanting to constantly get in the way she did go meet up with the girls a fair few times during the summer, especially now that she got her Apparition License it was much easier to travel from and to different households.

She - along with Remus - also spend some time with the Potters. That's where the two Black siblings got the news of one of their many, many uncles passing away. Truth be told, they honestly weren't that sad, not having seen the man for well over ten years. However, they were more than grateful about the fact that they inherited quite a lot of money from him, coming to a decision that they would find themselves a new place. One to finally call their own. 

"I hope you know you're more than welcome at our home, Cassiopeia," Hope said, her hands touching the Slytherin girl's face gently as she smiled weakly. Hope wasn't getting better, she was more fragile now, her eyes always tired but she was still a beautiful woman on the inside and out. 

"Thank you, Mrs. Lupin," Cass smiled warmly, chuckling softly when Hope sent her a pointed look, "I mean, thank you, Hope."

"That's better," The greying woman said, patting the girl's cheeks before bring her into a warm hug.

Cassiopeia wrapped her arms around the woman as gently as she could, not wanting to hurt her. Hope seemed to have lost a lot of weight from this illness and so Cass had been even more gentle around her. 

When the two females pulled away, Cassiopeia noticed the fresh tears in Remus' mum's eyes. She tried to wipe them away when she spotted Remus and Lyall strolling back over to them but it was too late, both males had already noticed them.

"Mum, don't cry," The sandy-brown haired boy said softly as Lyall threw his arm around his wife, bringing her into his chest.

"I'm sorry, it's just you're so grown up," Hope hiccuped, "You both are."

Cass and Remus shared a warm smile before suddenly Hope unlatched herself from her husband and threw her arms around her son, crying softly into his shoulder as he delicately rubbed her back. 

Lyall let his eyes fall onto the black haired girl, "May I speak to you alone, Cassiopeia?"

Cass suddenly felt nerves bubbling in her stomach, she hoped they wouldn't show on her face as she nodded, "Y-Yeah, of course, Sir," She said, following the older man a few feet away from Remus and Hope.

"I just want to say thank you," Lyall said, placing his large hand on her shoulder softly, his voice wavering ever so slightly.

"For what, Sir?"

"First of all, don't call me Sir it makes me sound old," The man chuckled, "But for being there for Remus. For Hope. Even for me. I want you to know that you are more than welcome to come back to us whenever you like," He told her, "I'm sure Hope has already told you that though, "You're part of our family now, whether you like it or not."

Cassiopeia swore to herself she wasn't going to cry. However, she couldn't help as tears flooded her eyes, she just hoped they wouldn't fall, "Thank you, really. I don't think either of you will ever know how much all of this means to me," She said in a small voice, "I've never like part of the family back home....So thank you."

"There's no reason to thank us," Lyall said, smiling warmly when the black haired girl pushed herself into his arms. He wrapped his around her shoulders, rubbing them softly until he heard her gasp and quickly pull away.

"I'm sorry but may I be excused?" She asked, however her eyes weren't looking at the older man, instead they were looking at something behind him.

Lyall chuckled, "You don't need to ask."

Cassiopeia didn't reply, she kept her eyes fixated on something, well someone, making sure they didn't disappear from sight as she pushed through hugging families.

Lyall walked back to his wife and son, smiling at the pair of them as they chatted away. When Remus noticed his father walking back over without his girlfriend he looked confused, but before he could open his mouth Hope had already spotted something peculiar on the platform, "Is that him?" She asked, her eyes fixated on the black haired girl talking to a boy in a Slytherin uniform with a Prefect badge on his chest. He had a large bruise on the side of his face as Cassiopeia gently placed her hand on his uninjured cheek.

Remus and Lyall both turned around at the very same time, spotting the two Blacks standing there, both with unreadable expressions, "Yeah," Remus breathed out, "That's him," Both Hope and Lyall have obviously met Sirius countless times, however, neither of them had ever met the youngest Black sibling. Only knowing abut him from the stories Cassiopeia said during her time at the Lupin household. 

"Who did this to you?" Cassiopeia's voice was soft but stern as she eyed the bruise on her younger brother's cheek.

"It doesn't matter, Cass," Regulus said, brushing her off.

"Don't do this."

"Do what?" He questioned with a puzzled expression.

"Push me away, Reg," Her voice was soft but full of raw emotions. 

Regulus sighed, "I'm not pushing you away, Cass," He told her, trying to sent her a convincing smile, one that very clearly didn't work, "I'm protecting you from this."

Cassiopeia frowned, "It should be me protecting you."

Regulus let out a scoff, "No, if anything it should be Sirius protecting us."

Cass couldn't hold back anymore as she threw her arms around her brother's neck, digging her head into his shoulder as he wrapped his arms around her, "You know that he didn't have a choice right? Neither did I. You can come live with us, we're getting our own place."

"I know that you didn't...You know I can't do that, right?" Regulus said, his voice slightly muffled by Cass' long locks, "You'll be carefully though, won't you?"

Cassiopeia pulled away but kept her brother at an arm's length. A worried look seemed to now be permanently etched upon her face whenever she was near her younger brother. It was no surprise, after all, she knew better than anyone how their parents mistreated them, and now with Regulus having the mark, it seemed all Cassiopeia was doing was worrying about him, "Careful with what?" She asked, her piercing blue eyes staring right into his.

"There's a war coming, Cass," Regulus' voice was small but full of fear, "Whatever you do, just please, be careful."