XXXVIII

"Do you have to do this here?" Fred complained. "Right in front of me?"

They were in the room the twins shared, and this was their last day of Christmas break. After the couch incident, the couple had become a bit more handsy than before. No one except for Sirius had caught them, but the next morning George shyly informed her that the two of them wouldn't be allowed in private rooms alone anymore. Furthermore, if they were together in any other room, the door should be completely open, so they had no real privacy. With all that, Fred ended up being the one who sat with the two in places with the door closed such as where the three were right now.

"Well, you're free to go," her boyfriend raised his face from where he was placing light kisses in Cas's neck while she read a book, sitting on his lap.

"You know I'm not," his brother rolled his eyes. "If I go, mum will yell at me right back in here again. Or worse, she'll come to sit right where I am, and she won't be nice with you two being all lovey-dovey and over each other like now."

Cassiopeia felt her face warming up and looking in his direction with a gentle smile.

"Thank you for being so nice and staying with us, Fred. You are a great friend."

To that, his face lit up with a grin.

"See, George?" he pointed. "Your girl has manners."

George only laughed, holding her close to his body.

"She's really great, isn't she? I hit the jackpot!"

She just chuckled, rolling her eyes and suppressing a soft giggle. She wasn't that comfortable around Fred.

"I don't want to go to Hogwarts," George said with a sigh, losing the glee in his eyes. "I think it is the first time I feel like that in my life."

The blonde girl understood him perfectly. With Umbridge there, their lives were pitiful and adding it to the fact Cassiopeia and George couldn't be around one another as much as they wanted only made it worse.

"It's just a few months," she reminded them. "We will survive."

The two boys fell silent, causing her to turn to her boyfriend.

"Come on, George," she insisted. "It won't be so bad."

"We both know it will," he insisted.

She hesitate.

"Okay, I know it will," she took a breath. "But it's our last year, and I know that as soon as we graduate we will be alright."

They tried to protest, but the sound of steps climbing the stairs made the two stop and her to stand up. She wasn't sure of who was there, but knew very well that Mrs. Wealsey wouldn't be happy to see how her and George were sitting.

Cassiopeia had just sat on the bed when the door opened, and the three of them looked in her direction.

"Y/N, dear," her boyfriend's mother stepped in. "Are you busy? Sirius wants to talk to you in private."

The teen frowned but put her book aside.

"Of course, ma'am."

Cassiopeia followed her out of the room, glancing back at the two boys behind herself before closing the door.

"Is there anything wrong?" the blonde girl enquired.

"I'm afraid he's the only one you can ask," she answered, in no way easing her nervousness.

She walked Cassiopeia into the library, where Sirius was sat, and left the two of them alone.

She walked to him in silence and the man smiled when he saw her.

"Cassiopeia," he sounded relaxed. "Sit down, have some tea."

The blue-eyed-girl complied, reaching for the tea at the small table between the two of them.

"I have a confession to make," he put his cup away. "I invited you here with some other intentions than tea."

She sat straighter, not as nervous as before but both curious and a bit hesitant.

"When Molly told me about you, I saw a bit of myself. The kid who went wrong on his family and decided that he wouldn't be as hateful as them and took a totally different turn in life; met some people that were different and learned the truth about life," he chuckled. "I wanted to see you up close, to spend time with you and see if you were what who I imagined. That's why I invited you to spend Christmas here."

The girl kept her silence, still watching him, and Sirius reached for the plate between them.

"Biscuit?" he offered.

Cassiopeia took one and took a bite, but didn't move her eyes from his figure.

"You are different than I thought," he pointed. "But that's not bad. You are also in a situation I never saw myself getting into, with your parents and the whole… Death Eaters thing…" he said slowly, trying to be sensitive. "Molly told me how afraid you are of going home, and I cannot blame you. That's why I'm here to say that you don't have to go back home after Hogwarts."

She frowned.

What was he saying? If she didn't go home, where would she go? Cassiopeia had no job guaranteed and the only money she had was closely controlled by her parents.

"When school is over I want you to live here."

Her eyes widened and the girl's jaw dropped.

"What?"

He smiled openly, probably amused by his cousin expression.

"You won't need to worry about finding somewhere to stay or how to pay for food or basic needs. Kraster is still good at cooking and you are in the family tree he adores so much. I even think my mother's portrait will stop complaining so much with you around. She liked Cissa, and you resemble her a bit. The most important thing is that you will be safe in here. I promise that."

But she still couldn't believe what he had said.

"Live here? Are you certain?"

"Absolutely."

She opened and closed her mouth, making her cousin laugh.

"It's okay, kid. You don't have to say anything."

"Thank you!" the girl exclaimed. "Thank you so much."

Not thinking, she launched herself in his arms, surprising both of them for a moment before Sirius squeezed her.

"Don't worry, kid. That's what family is for."