Chapter 1: Invisible string
Notes:
hiii, this my very first fic and I hope you enjoy it !!
(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)
Chapter Text
cassiopeia
And isn't it just so pretty to think,
all along there was some
invisible string
tying you to me?
- invisible string, Taylor Swift
Friday, August 29th, 1969
Cassiopeia was always favored by her mother, "You are my sweet girl and the world shall be exactly as you want it to be." that's what she always said. So of course, when Cassiopeia insisted on going to Diagon Alley with her aunt and older cousins, her mother made it happen. Druella was not happy with that, she already despised the little girl as if she was a devil spawn, plus walking around the Alley with four children sounded like her worst nightmare.
"Don't you dare go anywhere else, you're going to be quiet and follow me, do you understand that girl?" Her aunt said as she grabbed her tiny wrist, Cassiopeia just nodded and did as she was told to. She tried her best to follow them to the boring shops, while all the fun and pretty places caught her eye. She saw a quidditch shop, with all the newest brooms and equipment. Cassiopeia managed to walk out Madam Malkin's when her aunt was too busy for her. She wandered down the street until she found that shop. "Brigg's brooms", said the sign.
The shop was huge and crowded, and there was too much to see, and cassiopeia could spend all day there, looking t all the brooms. Walking through racing brooms section, she saw a girl her age. She had blonde wavy hair, she was wearing shorts and a red shirt, also a red, heart shaped glasses in her hair, her nails were also painted red. It looked like it was her color. The little girl looked amazed, she was standing in front of the newest and fastest broom, Cassiopeia walked up to her and they just stood there, staring at the broomstick as if it was some kind of an art piece.
"I wish I could get it right now," Said the blonde girl, "Don't you?"
"Yeah," Cassiopeia nodded shyly.
"I'm Marlene by the way."
"Cassiopeia."
"That's a long name," Marlene laughed, "I'm gonna call you Cassie, like it?"
"Yeah, it's fine." That was all Cassiopeia managed to say, she wished she could talk more, like Marlene, but she just couldn't. "Are you going to Hogwarts?"
"No, but my brother's are," She said, looking disappointed "I'm only nine."
"Me too."
"We should be friends in Hogwarts, then!"
Cassiopeia thought Marlene was the coolest person she had met. Everyone around her was the same, so noble, so boring. Not Marlene, she was fun and friendly, and looked so confident. Cassiopeia envied that, she was jealous of how easily she could talk so much and how she wasn't going to get into trouble for that, or for wearing those sunglasses, or painting her nails. She was like Sirius. She thought, when they would all go to Hogwarts, Marlene would like Sirius more than her and she wouldn't want to be friends again.
That night, she cried herself to sleep for that exact reason. Because that was who Cassiopeia was, picturing things that haven't happened and then crying about it so hard, you would think someone had died.
Notes:
I hope this wasn't so bad guys.
I also adore baby marls and cass, like aw??
thank you sm for reading, I love you for that
Chapter 2: The night before
Chapter Text
marlene
Crack baby, you don't know what you want
but you know that you had it once
and you know that you want it back
crack baby, you don't know what you want
but you know that you're needing it
and you know that you need it bad
- crack baby, Mitski
Wednesday, 1st September, 1976
"It's almost three in the morning, Marlene," She hadn't even walked in living room when her mother was already complaining about something. Marlene knew this was going to turn into some argument which she was too drunk for, so she just went upstairs. "No, don't walk away from me, come back and tell me where you have been!"
"Oh please, since when do you care mom?" Marlene's too tired and drunk, and she definitely doesn't want this to be the last conversation with her mother before she leaves. "Go and be my brothers' mother, as you always have."
"You're the most ungrateful and selfish girl," Mrs. McKinnon said looking at her daughter's back from down the stairs, how she wishes she had another son instead of her, "You know that, right?"
"Thanks mom. Just few months and you're never going to have to deal with me, ever." Just nine more months, and she'll be free, and she'll never speak to her ever again.
"Well, I hope that is the case. I hope you'll learn to separate what's right from what's wrong, you will find a right man and get married, that's when I won't have to deal with all your mess."
Marlene wants to scream, cry and throw herself from the Astronomy Tower. She's not going to marry, she won't find the "right man", and how she hates herself for that. But that's who she is, and no matter how hard she tries to love men, it's never going to happen. "I would rather die, thank you." She said and went to her bedroom, shut the door and collapsed on the floor. She cried until she couldn't breath, more than anything she wanted someone to see her like this, hold her and assure her that it would get better. Marlene wanted someone to see her, all of her, and not judge her for it.
For as long as she can remember, it has always been like this with her mother. When Marlene was 6, she tried climbing up a tree, with Peter and James. She fell and broke her ankle. When Mrs. McKinnon found her, she yelled and screamed at Marlene. How could she be so careless? To her mother, Marlene was always a burden, a child she never wanted, she was too much for her, but still, never enough. Marlene knew if Euphemia Potter was her mom, no one would ever yell at her for breaking her bone, for being a child.
When Mr. Mckinnon left, she was 8. She never understood why, maybe if she was good, he would come back. She blamed herself for everything. Maybe, if she wasn't so loud, her daddy would come back and love her again, maybe if she kept her room clean, maybe if she behaved as she was told, he would stay with her, and he would still brush her hair, and kiss her on forehead again, before going to sleep. She started to believe that in order to be loved, she would have to change and be better. So, 8 years old Marlene started to be quiet, talk only when she was told to, she stopped asking for things she knew her mother couldn't afford, she stopped behaving like every child does.
It didn't last long though, Marlene was Marlene. She was born fighting and rebelling, screaming, protesting. She was loud, and chaotic, her room was a mess but it was fine. She didn't give a damn about what anyone thought of her, she didn't need her mother's love or her father's attention. At the ripe age of 8, that's what she told herself every day. If that would make her "unlovable", so be it, Marlene would never beg anyone for love and acceptance. Not that she didn't want it, oh she did. More than anything she wanted someone to love all of her, especially her mother. But a woman whose job was to love her, just the way she was, did not, so how could she ask anyone at all to love every bit of her?
Whatever, fuck her, Marlene thought to herself. She was not going to let her mother ruin her night. Tomorrow, she'd leave, and she wouldn't have to deal with her mom's shit. She would be at Hogwarts, closest thing to home she had. She changed into her pajamas and put her Queen record on. It was 3:47, Marlene was wide awake and still drunk as fuck, and her headache was killing her, she still had to pack almost everything.
cassiopeia
But it feels good
to be known so well
I can't hide from you
like I hide from myself
I remember who I am
when I'm with you
your love is tough
your love is tried and true blue
- True Blue, boygenius
Wednesday, 1st September, 1976
It was warm and cozy evening, typical French night. Around August, it gets the warmest in French countryside. It was a small town in Province, where almost every French pureblood houses resided, including the Blacks and the Rosiers. The two houses have been connected for decades, both being the most noble and oldest of the sacred 28. Their manors were close too, next to each other. You could see the Rosiers dining from the Black manor yards, and from Cassiopeia's bedroom, you could see Evan Rosier's.
The two have been the closest ever since they were children. They would spend all their time together, play together, as they grew, smoke and drink together, and talk endlessly about forbidden things no one else would understand. They had a willow tree in the Black manor backyard, with their initials carved, it was theirs. That's where they could hide forever from the world if they had to, it was where they would go after their parents crucioed them, or when everyone else was asleep, except from them.
That night, they were just sitting there, at 3 A.M, the night before school, having no care in the world. They were silent. One thing about Cassiopeia and Evan was that they did not need to speak, in order to hear one another. It was as if they shared the same soul and mind.
"Ev?" Cassiopeia whispered, but it sounded so loud after the long night silence. "Did you miss school?"
"No," He said, facing Cassiopeia "I miss Barty."
"Aw," She smiled, "I miss him too."
"If it wasn't for him, I would have left a long ago," he sighed.
"And leave me?"
"No, course not," he chuckled, "Would you not come?"
"I would leave right now, if you would too."
"Where would we go?" Evan said, looking at the night sky, more than anything, he just wants to disappear right now. Go anywhere, really.
"Anywhere, just not here," Cassiopeia said, as if she had looked into her best friend's head and stole his thoughts, "I would go east."
"What's there?"
"Tbilisi," She said with her French accent, making it sound like the most beautiful city known to mankind, "It's a tiny city, in Georgia. Ever heard of it?
Evan shook his head. He had no idea what city Cassiopeia was talking about. It was old, but small country, population of only about four million. It was a part of USSR, she had probably read about it in one of her muggle books. It was Cassiopeia, obviously she knew about every single one of tiny countries.
"It's so beautiful, and the fact that almost no wizard knows about makes me love it even more, no one would ever find us."
"We'll go there for our honeymoon," He laughed it off, joking as if in just about two years, they wouldn't be a husband and wife
"Yeah no, I'm not marrying you," She said fighting her tears, they both knew that marriage would ruin the both of them, and their friendship. But what could they do? They were destined for it since their births. In a two years, Cassiopeia and Evan would be two confused children, vowing each other oaths they would break. She would be Cassiopeia Rosier, what a nightmare. "I'd rather marry you, than Malfoy, though."
"If not me, you could always marry Sirius, you know?" Evan joked, "your parents would be even happier with that, keep the blood even more pure"
"Fuck you, Rosier!" She laughed, it wasn't fun though.
"Have you heard from him?"
Cassiopeia shrugged. Her brother hasn't sent her a single letter in months. She hated him. She hated him. He was evil, a traitor, selfish. How could he just leave them? He didn't even care, if he did, he would sent at least one letter. He could have at least answered her calls. Cassiopeia would go to muggle side of Marseille to find a phone booth, just to talk to her older brother for a few minutes. Every once in a while, hoping he would answer this time, ask about how she was, or Reggie. But he never did, so in late July, Cassiopeia stopped calling.
"No," She said, trying to look like she didn't care anymore, which never really worked with Evan, "Nothing besides that polaroid picture."
On her and Regulus' 16th birthday, Sirius sent a polaroid picture of him with Potter, McKinnon and Pettigrew. She had no idea what it was supposed to mean, hey, look at my perfect new life without any of you, or you should leave that house and live with us, Cass. Either way, Cassiopeia was done with him.
"I'm sorry Cass," Evan held her hand and caressed it.
"I think we should head home, it's late."
They got up and started walking to their manors. It was huge yard, with massive statues and fountains, almost all of them covered in ivy. It was scary, especially at night, but it was fine to them. If anything did happen, it would happen to them both, together. The walk wasn't short, they could smoke a cig or two. Before parting ways, Evan hugged Cassiopeia tightly.
"See you tomorrow then," Evan said, "Love you."
"I love you too, goodnight Ev."
Before walking in, she casted she casted an invisibility spell, which she mastered with Evan in their third year. She was exhausted, she just wanted to sleep, thanks god the house elves had packed her things. Tomorrow, she'd be back home.
Notes:
I love ev and Cassie so much like my babies. they deserve much more and I'm not ready for the ending they're going to get.
thank you so much for reading, let me know what you guys think !!
Chapter 3: Platform 9¾
Notes:
hiii everyone !! I realized halfway through writing this chapter that if it was their seventh year, narcissa wouldn't be in Hogwarts anymore... but I need narcissa so it's gonna be set in 1976, which means the rest of them are in sixth year. I KNOW narcissa is wayyy older than her cousins but in this fic they're going to be a year apart.
(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)
Chapter Text
cassiopeia
I hate it here so I will go to
secret gardens in my mind
people need a key to get to
the only one is mine
I read about it in a book when I was a precocious child
- I Hate It Here, Taylor Swift
Wednesday, 1st September, 1976
By the time they made it to Platform 9¾, the train was about to leave, as always. Every year, Evan, Pandora, Regulus and Cassiopeia were the last ones to show up to the station. Well, it did need hours to get there from France. Honestly, that's what they preferred, they all hated crowded places and bumping into old friends, or people they've met only once or twice. If they hadn't befriended Barty and Dorcas in their first year, there wouldn't be any seats left for them at all.
Cassiopeia caught a glance of her brother in the carriage while they were looking for Barty and Dorcas. He was with Marlene McKinnon, laughing, probably over some stupid joke Sirius would make. She already hated McKinnon, she was bitchy and arrogant. Cassiopeia also hated the way she played quidditch, the way she acted, or the way she laughed, and how she treated her. Sure, they both treated another as if they were life long enemies, but McKinnon was the one who started all of it in second year. It was as if she was obsessed with Cassiopeia, she was always the first to say something bitter after Slytherin losing to Gryffindor, or tease her for something stupid, or bump her on purpose in hallways. McKinnon was just an obsessed bitch holding grudges, Cassiopeia couldn't care less about her.
After minutes of looking for their compartment, Pandora finally found one, with Barty and Dorcas.
"Evan!" Barty jumped to hugged his boyfriend. Barty and Evan were the two most perfect people for each other, they were both so messed up and kind of insane, and the funniest too, you would think they were high all the time (they were, most of the time). Sure, they could get toxic sometimes, and had an odd way of making up, but it was Barty and Evan.
"I missed you," Evan said as he kissed him.
"Get a rom you two!" Said Dorcas and let Cassiopeia go of her hug, "I missed you guys."
Cassiopeia wasn't the most grateful person on the earth, but she was grateful for her friends, more than anything. None of them were perfect, they were too far from that, but their bond was something no one else would understand. All of them were so different, yet so similar; and they had this way of understanding and having each other's backs, no matter what. She knew, no matter what, she would never have to be alone, no matter what they did after school, no power on earth, no god, no dark magic could separate them.
"So how was summer?" Barty asked.
"Boring without you," Evan smirked, and they kissed, again. Regulus, Cassiopeia, Pandora and Dorcas all looked at each other and rolled their eyes. another year of Evan and Barty being insufferable had began.
"He's lying," Regulus said, not looking away from his book.
"Right! He hasn't said a single word about you, all summer." Pandora said and high-fived Regulus.
"They're lying, obviously love," Evan assured him, "I was desperate without you."
"Then you shouldn't leave me again," Barty said, they talked as if one of them had just returned from a war after years.
"We need to start practicing, as soon as we get to Hogwarts," Cassiopeia said, breaking the silence.
"Merlin, give it a rest, Black." Barty said, he was too busy with Evan for discussing their band right now.
"Cass' right, especially when the Gryffindors have made one too." Regulus added.
"How do you know that?" Dorcas asked.
"From Lupin."
"You're talking to Lupin? A Gryffindor?" Barty said, as if Regulus had just admitted his worst crime.
"What's wrong with Lupin?" Regulus said, still not looking up from his book.
"He's a Gryffindor," Barty said, "And the last time I checked, he was fucking your brother."
"The fuck does that has to do with anything?" Cassiopeia said.
"What's the point of making a band in seventh year, anyway?" Dorcas laughed.
"Because they're fucking losers," Evan said, "That's something they would do."
When they were in fifth year, they made their band, "Anti Heroes", it was Cassiopeia's idea, when she was influenced by Fleetwood Mac. Cassiopeia and Evan were lead singers, Barty played drums, Regulus was bassist, Dorcas as a guitarist, and Pandora being their everything; Without her, they wouldn't need more than a week to fall apart. She was the one who organized the concerts, made the posters, got the instruments, which no one knows where she found, and obviously helped with writing. They sang about anything, about love, hatred, their families, themselves, death, life, about being a teenager. Their parents were not happy when they heard about it, obviously - no pure blood and noble family would like their children doing something muggle related. That wasn't something that would stop them though, they realized that music was what the six of them needed the most at the time. They used it as a distraction, an escape from it all.
It also fed their egos perfectly. There was nothing the six loved more than looking in the crowd after concert, and seeing hundreds of people admiring them and something they created. Nothing made Cassiopeia feel as good as her music did, no drug, not any kind of alcohol, nothing.
* * *
"Feels good to be back here," Cassiopeia said as she lit her cigarette, "I missed you."
"I missed you too," Narcissa said and took a puff, "This summer has been wild, I'm sorry I couldn't come to see you."
"Hey, don't apologize for that Cissy," Cassiopeia said with a soft smile, "How's things with Alice?"
"I don't know. It's on and off, and I hate myself for hurting her."
"You don't have to marry him, you know that right?"
"No, I do have to marry Lucius," Narcissa smiled bitterly, "Besides, what do you suppose? That I run off?"
"Andy did, why can't you?"
"That's why," She took another puff, "Gods know where Andromeda is, and Bellatrix... You know Bellatrix. I can't just leave and you know that, Cassie."
"Do you even love him?" Cassiopeia asked with nothing but concern and care in her grey eyes,
"No. I don't think so," Narcissa let out a sigh, "But I could. I'll get used to him eventually, and that will turn to love."
"I want you to be happy, no matter where or with who, just happy."
"I have you, that's more than what I deserve."
"You deserve everything, Cissa. I hope he knows that."
Narcissa did deserve everything. She deserved to be happy. Especially now, she rarely talks about it, but Cassiopeia sees through her. She knows that she's hurt and mad, more than she has ever been. Mad at her parents and honestly at the whole world. More than any of them, she's mad at Andromeda, not that she blames her, Andromeda had to leave and save herself, she knows that. It's just that sometimes, deep down in her heart, she wished that it was her. It was Narcissa's dearest and softest dream that she rarely let herself think about. She wished she could just run away with Alice, and live out her dreams that she never talked about out loud.
marlene
There's a world outside my doorstep
flames over everyone's hot
don't you see them shining
I want to hear them beating for me
I think I hear them
waves crashing me by
crashing me by
crashing me by
-Blue Light, Mazzy Star
Wednesday, 1st September, 1976
"Whose idea was it to drink last night, again?" Marlene grumbled, she was starting to regret drinking too much the night before.
"Wormtail's," Sirius said sarcastically.
"What? I didn't even know you two went out!"
"I still can't believe you guys went out without telling me," James added, "I wanted to come!"
"We tried to wake you up, I swear Prongs," Sirius pat his shoulder, reassuring him.
"Mary!" Marlene said in excitement as she hugged the curly haired girl, "You came just in time." She said rolling her eyes at the boys.
"Why, was Potter going on about quidditch again?" Mary laughed, "Are you okay, Marls?"
"Do I look that bad?"
"No, just a bit off," Mary reassured her, "Are you hungover?"
"Yeah, Sirius and I went out. Merlin, my head has never hurt so much."
"I can fix your make up, and I think I have some pills too."
"You're my life saver, Mary Macdonald." Marlene said, smiling.
Marlene and Mary have been best friends, since they first met on train in their first year to Hogwarts. They weren't just best friends, it was much more than that, at least to Marlene. Mary was the first girl that made Marlene feel something, something she couldn't name. She was willing to do anything Mary wanted, even if she would never like her the same. Marlene was ready to give her best friend everything she could ask for, even herself. She would let Mary do the most unspeakable things to her if that's what she wanted, but she would never. And Marlene knew Mary would never see her as anything more than a best friend, or a sister, despite all the kisses they shared, and all the long nights when Mary would hold her and let her cry in her arms, she was still Mary, and Marlene was Marlene.
"Finally found you guys!" A redhead girl stepped in their compartment.
"Lily!" Mary and Marlene said at the same time, getting up to hug their best friend.
"My girls," Lily said with a little smile, "I missed you both so much!"
"I'm glad I no longer have to suffer with the boys all alone." Marlene let out a dramatic sigh.
"Where are the boys?" Lily asked
Mary and Marlene exchanged looks, they both had no idea.
"We might have lost them."
By the time they made it to Hogwarts, it was starting to get dark. Another year had begun and Marlene was sure this year was going to be better, it was going to be her year. No one was going to get into her way and mess this year up. She was going to have fun, so much fun with Sirius. She would maybe find someone who could love her this year, someone who wouldn't punish her for being who she had always been. Marlene had a feeling that something big would happen.
Notes:
narcissa baby you deserve whole entire world.
I LOVEEEE ROSEKILLER IF YOU GUYS CAN'T TELL.
thank you all for reading <33
cliinesm on Chapter 1 Sat 04 Jan 2025 10:14PM UTC
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cliinesm on Chapter 2 Sat 04 Jan 2025 10:22PM UTC
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moonyssweater77 on Chapter 2 Sat 04 Jan 2025 10:26PM UTC
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