Heavenly Bodies

Part Eighteen | Black Birds

"Dad?" Cassia frowned at the sight of her father sitting in Dumbledore's office. The headmaster remained outside.

The big man turned to her, and with a growing sense of dread, she realised he was crying. "Sweetheart," he said, resting his hands on her shoulder, "We have to go to St. Mungo's."

"Is Leo okay?" Cassia felt tears pricking her eyes, and she forced them down. No tears, her mother's voice echoed, Not until you're alone.

"Sweetheart," he swallowed, "The potions aren't working anymore. There's nothing the healers can do."

She stared at her father, feeling as if the ground had been ripped away. He guided her to the Floo, tossing a pinch of green dust into the flames, and she came to enough to cry, "St Mungo's!" before being whisked away.

~

Cassia didn't even wait for her father to emerge from the fireplace before she took off. Up four flights of stairs to the Janus Thickey Ward, into the small room to the side of the locked door. She paused for a moment, catching her breath so she wouldn't alarm her brother and be scolded by her mother. Then she pushed open the pristine white door.

"Look, Leo, there she is," their mum said quietly, waving her to his bedside. Cassia sank into the empty chair beside her brother, forcing a smile onto her face.

"Hiya, Bean," she murmured, tears pricking the back of her eyes. He smiled weakly.

The skin around his eyes was dark and bruised, while the rest was white as snow. His once lively blue eyes had faded to sickly indigo.

"Hey, Pea," Leo said weakly, clutching her hand, "I thought you weren't gonna show."

"Course I showed, Bean," she tapped his nose, "I wasn't gonna let you go without a goodbye."

"It hurts, Pea. Knowing that I won't get to go to Hogwarts. Knowing that I can't grow up." She squeezed his hand.

"I know, Bean. The world is missing out."

"Will you sing to me, Pea?"

"Any requests?" He shook his head. She thought for a moment, brushing her thumb in a circle over his small hand.

"Blackbird singing in the dead of night
Take these broken wings and learn to fly
All your life
You were only waiting for this moment to arise." Cassia watched as his eyes slid closed. Their father consoled his sobbing wife.

"Blackbird singing in the dead of night
Take these sunken eyes and learn to see
All your life
You were only waiting for this moment to be free." His grip on her hand slackened.

"Blackbird fly, blackbird fly
Into the light of a dark black night
Blackbird singing in the dead of night
Take these broken wings and learn to fly." His breathing stopped, and Cassia choked back a sob.

"All your life
You were only waiting for this moment to arise
You were only waiting for this moment to arise
You were only waiting for this moment to arise." Her voice dissolved into tears. A Healer came in and drew a sheet over his face.

"I'm sorry for your loss," he murmured. Mr Hamilton nodded. Mrs Hamilton wiped the tears on her face. Cassia just stared at the sheet over her brother. They stayed like that for a while.

"Come along, Cassia. I think we'd best go home." Her father said eventually. The girl nodded and took his outstretched hand. And so, the little family, now even smaller, walked away from their son and brother.

~

Cassia returned to Hogwarts the next week, dressed in black and excused from classes and finals. Her hair had grown limp and dark, her eyes became pale, and bags formed under her eyes. She had no energy to control her Metamorphmagic abilities.

She was met by Teddy and Rory outside Professor Dumbledore's office, and they led her down to the kitchens. They didn't know what happened, but Professor Flitwick had asked them to be there for her. And so they distracted her, trying to elicit a smile from the empty-eyed girl.

The three of them settled at a table along the side of the kitchen, getting cookies from one of the house-elves.

"Is everything alright, Cassia?" Teddy asked gently, his eyes on the girl in front of him. She shook her head.

"Leo..." Cassia started, "Leo died last week." The boys stared at her for a moment, before they stood and wrapped their arms around her. Slowly, tears began to fall from Cassia, and Teddy and Rory stayed right there. Letting her cry. Letting her be vulnerable. Because that's what friends do.

~

"You know you don't have to go to classes, right?" Rory reminded her as they made their way towards the Potion classroom. He had Charms three floors above them, but didn't want to leave his friend alone.

"I know. I just want a distraction, ya know?" She glanced at him out of the corner of her eye, seeing that he was nodding.

"Just remember if it gets too much, all the teachers have given you permission to leave class early, alright? And if Black says anything..." Cassia gave a weak chuckle.

"Thanks, Rory. I'll be fine, though." She gave him a small smile as she slipped through the open doorway to the Potions class.

The classroom was mainly empty, only a few students were seated as of yet. She settled into one of the empty tables near the front, where she and Regulus normally sat.

It wasn't long before the boy joined her, a surprised look on his face that she was even there at all. Cassia didn't look up as he sat down, her blue eyes locked onto the table before her.

"Geez, Sweet Pea, who died?" Regulus joked, his eyes running over her all-black outfit. Cassia flinched.

"My brother."

"Bloody hell. I'm sorry, Cass," his voice became soft, and he placed a hand over hers, "How are you doing?"

She looked at him out of the corner of her eye, and he nodded.

"If you want to talk about it..." Regulus shrugged. Cassia gave him a small smile, leaning into his side. He wrapped an arm around her, resting his cheek on her head. She had been by him when he lost his brother. Regulus found it painfully suiting that he was there for her just then.

"Whenever you get lonely, love, look to the stars and think of him. That's where he is now, watching over you. He's among the stars."

She echoed him, "He's among the stars."