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She set her gaze toward the sky aglow in pale, reddish moonlight and endless stars and sighed.
For a moment, the beauty of the new Blood Moon took her breath away.
It was another Samhain.
Her silver-grey eyes glistened with voracity as she admired the sky.
For this Samhain, she had plans to accept Count Vlad Sanguini Drăculea’s generous invitation and visit the Coven in Transylvania.
Seriously...the sacrifices she had to make for her family.
She lifted her shoulders in a dainty shrug.
She couldn’t ignore the call of the soul that visited her in her dreams last night.
After waiting for years to get in touch with a Peverell, the third brother chose the eve of this Samhain to make an appearance.
Of course, he had something to ask for.
Save the last of my Bloodline, he beseeched desperately.
It wasn’t that she had to grant his wish but she was a Necromancer; the first to be born to House Black in five hundred years.
The souls of the dead sought her since she was a child of three years old. They kept her company, taught her tales of Olde and guided her through the journey.
She wasn't especially enthused about the request.
Begrudgingly, she agreed to help. It went without saying that her newest mission would allow her to avenge her family and make amends for her long absence.
Not that she owed them a thing but, whether she admitted or not, she was a Black and Blacks got their revenge no matter how long it took.
Cassiopeia Elladora Black smirked in spite of herself.
There was so much she did not understand about feelings. Her sense of right and wrong was different from most people. She was a moral nihilist
Unlike her peers, she was not made for scores of dances and dinners with civilized suitors, leading to a marriage with a man who would never understand her.
She was a Maiden of Death, her life was so large and beyond simple-minded Wixen’s comprehension they could get lost in it.
People in general were uninspiring, uninteresting and dreadfully boring.
Feelings and family bonds were a nuisance; demanding and troublesome. She had been fine doing without both for decades.
Usually, she found no enjoyment in meddling in mundane matters. She was above that.
However, her keen senses told her she would not regret answering Ignotus Peverell’s call.
“Don’t make me regret this, Ignotus Peverell. I swear, I will hunt your soul for eternity if you do.”
In a swirl of black smoke, Cassiopeia Black disappeared.
Godric’s Hollow reeked of death, was her first thought.
The lure of Death was more potent than any she had sensed before.
She almost shuddered as she breathed in the air full of Dark Magic.
She knew she might regret what she was about to do but not nearly as much as she would regret not taking a chance.
She tilted her head to the side when the cottage Lily and James Potter chose as a hideout came into sight. The Fidelius Charm was broken as predicted.
“Fools. What were they thinking?” she huffed. “Why would they leave the safety of Potter Manor?”
That was to be expected of people who were easily influenced.
The Potter Stronghold was almost as impenetrable as 12, Grimmauld Place. It did not make sense at all for the new Lord Potter to leave his ancestors’ abode and look elsewhere.
A flash of pity assaulted her when she remembered that James was Dorea’s son.
Her Dorea, her dear sister.
However, her eyes narrowed when she noticed the wild-haired, haggard wizard storming out of the front door.
She groaned inwardly and flicked her wand aiming it at his back.
She searched deep into her core and found the link she shared with her wayward nephew.
The Black magic was quaking violently with rage, demanding the traitor's blood.
Sirius Orion Black was a step away from succumbing to the Black Madness and losing all control. She didn’t need to look into his mind to know what he was after.
Revenge for his friends’ death.
“Shame on you. Why are you in such a hurry to leave? Where are your manners, shouldn’t you greet your favourite aunt first? ” she tsked. “Sweet Salazar, this is turning out to be more difficult than I anticipated. I should be getting rewarded handsomely for this.”
Such a behaviour was unbecoming of the Lord of The Noble and Most Ancient House of Black—whether he acknowledged his birthright or not.
You should never seek revenge when emotions are running high. No child of House Black should break that sacred rule no matter how much their blood called for retribution.
Feeling curiously protective of him, she whispered an obscure Petrifying Charm. Sirius' body hit the unforgiving ground with a thud.
Carelessly, she twirled her wand and summoned his body. Poised in midair, it floated behind her as she opened the front door.
She didn’t harbor any foolish qualms about saving James or Lily. Both were dead as the Fates declared from the day their souls were created.
She would have loved to meet her nephew again and learn what he had been up to all these years she was wandering over the continent chasing the thrill of adventure.
Unfortunately, it was not meant to be.
She gave James’ corpse a doleful look, muttering a hasty prayer under her breath and pushed out a ragged sigh.
She could not help but feel a bit of sympathy for the family’s plight.
Slowly, she took the stairs leading to the nursery.
She almost recoiled at the pressure of the foul magic filling the room.
The air was thick with brimstone.
A Dark Ritual took place before she had arrived.
She closed her eyes and drew in the magic, feeling and shaping it in her mind, feeding on her curiosity.
The Dark Lord had intended to make another sacrifice. Unluckily for him, not one, but two Dark Rituals were performed in the child’s room that night.
She glanced down at Lily Evans Potter’s unmoving body and nodded approvingly.
A mother’s love.
The Muggleborn had exceeded all her expectations and achieved the ultimate sacrifice.
Mother Magic would always look favourably upon the child of Lily Evans Potter.
Absorbed in her thoughts while she admired the Runes drawn around the crib, she was startled when she heard a whisper. “Pafoo?”
Cassiopeia didn’t move. She remained still as eyes as bright as gems blinked at her.
“Pafoo?” The toddler gestured toward Sirius.
“Oh, I almost forgot about him,” she smiled sweetly.
The toddler surprised her when he tilted his head to the side, mimicking her.
This wasn’t the right time to go soft on a baby. It hadn’t happened since she was fifteen.
The toddler’s hand curved around his crib. “Ho yu?” He drew with an incoherent voice.
“From now on, I am your Mentor. You can address me by Miss Black or Aunt Cassiopeia if you are so inclined,” she shrugged.
His brows furrowed and she watched him struggle to assimilate her words.
Clever, hard-working child.
He reached up for her. “Pafoo! Cassi!”
She was caught off guard by a pang of tenderness, almost painful in its intensity.
She narrowed her eyes at the child wondering for a bewildered instant why was she there.
No one had called her Cassi other than her sister Dorea.
She looked down at him uncertainly. To her chagrin, one of his shy smiles emerged.
“Cassi!” He insisted, making grabby hands and demanding to be lifted.
“Don’t make a habit of it,” she warned. “I don’t do cuddling and kissing, not even for charming little…things.”
The child’s toothy grin widened. Warily, she lifted him into her arms.
With the last of his strength, he turned and nestled his head into the crook of her shoulder.
Exasperated, she looked down at his peaceful face. He was fast asleep.
Her thoughts were dissolving before she could fully grasp them. However, almost miraculously, everything sorted itself out in her brain. A feeling of calmness settled over her as her path became clear.
She looked sideways at Sirius’ floating body and smirked.
Her greatest skill was invading her enemies’ heads and getting under their skin while planning their demise. She could be in and out of their lives within weeks.
Cassiopeia Elladora Black felt no shame or regret for the things she’d done, the people she’d killed, the secrets she’d unveiled and the choices she’d made in order to attain her goals.
She wanted no reward, either.
Just revenge and a little bit of fun.