Chapter Text
Cassiopeia had left for London in the afternoon, fully arriving in the dreadfulness of northern European February.
She left the Portkey office at St. Pancras station to be overwhelmed by the rush of Muggles walking up and down, right and left. There were shops in the train station now she hadn’t seen there before. She turned towards the exit, already regretting not just apparating to Diagon Alley, but she had wanted to savour being back in London. She really was getting sentimental. She made it to the entry of the station and peeked outside, now really questioning her sanity. What was there to savour in a big city she did not recognize as her home anymore?
She sighed. Thinking of Nicolas and his excitement over adventures to “spice up a long life” as he had said, she stepped outside and started walking in what she hoped was the right direction. She would certainly not use that muggle contraption called “tube”, no matter how enamoured Cedrella had talked about it in her letters.
When she arrived at the Leaky Cauldron it startled her in a different way, for the pub was just the way she remembered it. It was odd how the muggle world was so different, but the wixen pub was just the same as fifty years ago.
The barkeeper changed, she noted with something akin to relief.
“Hello. I’d like a nice room for a week.”
He was looking at her searchingly. “My name is Tom. The nice room will be three Galleons and 12 Sickles a night, including breakfast.”
Cassiopeia nodded.
“I will need a name, though. Still a bit of an uproar after the war and I haven’t seen you around.”
She sighed. Better use this. “I am Cassiopeia Black”, she stated clearly, lifting her hand with the family ring. “I hope this satisfies your curiosity and you don’t need a purpose for my stay, too. I’m starting to think the annoyance of staying at my relatives’ would have been more accommodating.”
Admittedly she was laying it on thickly, but she had a bit of a role to play. And she noted how the patron at the table closest had straightened in interest at her name. That was good. She needed to make her presence known.
Tom lifted both hands in a surrendering gesture. “All right, all right, lady. I’ll just grab your key. Can I help you with your luggage?”
She scoffed. “What kind of incompetent witch do you take me for that I might need help with my luggage, boy?” Really, he was making it too easy for her.
He didn’t rise to the taunt and just waved for her to follow him up the stairs.
After taking an hour to rest and refresh herself, Cassiopeia left for Diagon Alley to get supper. She felt a wave of gratitude towards the Ancient Greek wixen from more than three thousand years ago for insisting on a worldwide currency, even though the scaling was horrible thanks to whatever people they made this concession to.
Later she would send an owl informing her cousin of her presence, asking Charis to receive her and Callidora for a meeting, though she wasn’t sure she’d get an answer to the last inquiry.
When the waiter took her empty plate she spotted a family member entering the place. Word travelled faster than she preferred, it seemed. Judging by the looks and the age, it must be Cygnus and his wife, Druella (Rosier) Black.
They looked around, searching, but seemed to recognize her features easy enough. They were dressed in impressive fabrics, well-tailored black robes that only seemed only a little too wide which indicated a recent loss of weight. Theor faces were not hollowed out in any way though, which meant they either had applied glamours or regained some of the weight already.
“Aunt Cassiopeia! The rumours were true! What a pleasant surprise to see you here in London.” Cygnus greeted her, smiling broadly. She allowed him to kiss her hand, eyeing him closely. His smile didn’t reach his grey eyes, which seemed rather frozen.
“Cygnus. And Druella, I presume. How nice. Though I didn’t expect the company of family tonight, seeing as I arrived just two hours ago.” She remarked dryly.
“My, my, Aunt Cassiopeia. Such a cherished family member coming for a visit from so far away, I must know immediately. Why did you not call ahead? You could stay with us.” He laughed, sounding thoroughly unamused.
Cassiopeia raised one eyebrow. “Don’t lay it on too thickly, boy. Had I wanted to stay with you, I would.”
Druella was looking around nervously. They were drawing attention of the few people around. “Maybe we can sit and catch up in peace?”
Did she want that? Nah, not today. She hadn’t finished plotting yet. She let a beat of silence pass to raise the tension. “I don’t think so. I am an old lady after all and require my peace for tonight.” She waved for the waiter to pay.
“Now, Auntie, don’t you think you could find some strength for your family?” Ugh.
Cassiopeia wrinkled her nose at that. “No. I don’t wish to talk to you tonight, Cygnus. Stop bothering me and piss off.”
The witch just in her field of vision on another table of the restaurant choked on her soup. Druella seemed affronted at her rude language. Surely just for show, after all her daughter Bellatrix was famous for being quite deranged. Cygnus was shocked into silence, it seemed.
“Well, as nice as it was being ambushed by you this fine evening, I must be going. Maybe I’ll see you around. Cheerio!”
Cassiopeia pulled on her coat in one fluid movement and left, not looking back.
Who had told her nephew? That guy from the Leaky?
Why had he appeared immediately?
What did he have to hide? Or to gain?
She huffed, walking in the direction of the owl post. Maybe she’d have to ask her stupid cousin for a family meeting, to “catch up”. It would mean chaos, but maybe it’d make some things easier?
The question was how fast this meeting would come to be. And how soon Sirius’ ‘death’ would be discovered. That would change things for the family get-together.
She had wanted to consider things with a glass of wine, but Cygnus’ appearance had foiled her plan. It would not do to talk to him just yet. While she would gain some information, without doubt, she wasn’t sure of his agenda and couldn’t risk offering up more. Besides, she just wasn’t in the mood. Ugh. The amount of glozing that had happened in this short encounter was more than enough to make her want to go back to Corfu immediately.