Capítulo 56: X
"People keep disappearing and dying," Cassiopeia dropped the newspaper onto the dining table. "Give it a month and there will be no wizards left in the country anymore."
Tonks only sighed by her side, and Andromeda pressed her lips together.
"Are you sure you still want to do this?" the blonde girl ran a hand over her dress nervously. "I don't feel like celebrating."
And that was true. Her 18th birthday had been some days ago, but after Mrs Weasley's insistence, she had agreed to celebrate it in a joined party with Harry, who was turning 16 today. He didn't mind much, but she wasn't expecting or planning to do anything this year, especially with everything that was going on.
"We do," Mr Tonks stood up. "It was your birthday, and we should celebrate it. In times like these, we must cling to every happy moment we can find. Shall we go?"
Cassiopeia nodded, finally, and the four of them apparated to the Burrow's garden, quickly being welcomed by the Weasleys and Fleur.
"Cas!" the blonde seemed overly happy to see her. "I was starting to think you weren't coming."
She thought of giving her an honest answer, but just set it aside.
"It's my birthday, isn't it?"
The moment she let her go, George was already wrapping his arms around his girlfriend in a hug, although skipping their usual kiss and turning to give her uncle and aunt a tight smile.
"Mr and Mrs Tonks, it's a pleasure to see."
She rolled her eyes and moved his arm from her shoulder.
"Come find me when you've lost up," she instructed him.
When she entered the kitchen, she found Harry and his friends talking excitedly alone.
"Hey," she offered him a smile. "Happy Birthday."
The boy smiled shyly in response, and the blonde teen extended him the package in her hands.
"I got you a gift."
Half an hour later, everyone was sitting by the table, and as much as her boyfriend's mother tried to change the subject, the conversation had fallen once again onto the disappearing people. Recently, Karkaroff was found dead and Fortescue – the owner of the ice cream parlour in Diagon Alley – had disappeared, along with Mr Olivanders.
"These are dark times," Andromeda affirmed. "We must do everything to keep ourselves safe."
"Diagon Alley isn't the same with all that," Fred said, looking clearly annoyed. "You know, if we have bought the building a bit later, we would have spent at least half of the money on it. And the selling isn't going how we expected it to go in the first year."
"You're telling me?" Cas arched him an eyebrow, although keeping her tone light. "I'm the one who is getting paid under minimum wage to work there."
"You suggested that yourself," he grabbed his fork from the table. "Don't frame me as the bad guy just because you're not smart."
She rolled her eyes, going back into eating, but lost the smile that had been playing on her lips when her gaze fell on Lupin right before doing the same on Tonks. Things between him and Tonks hadn't changed, which meant things with her hadn't changed just as well, and Cassiopeia had done her best to keep them as far away from one another as possible; she didn't want her cousin to be constantly reminded of how he treated her and didn't want the night to end in a fight.
"Can we go outside for a moment?" her boyfriend asked after they were done, and she only nodded before walking to the garden and waiting while he was inside.
When George stepped outside, he had his hand behind his back, which promptly made her look at him with a disapproving look.
"George Weasley…"
"It's your birthday and our anniversary," he insisted. "We're not having this fight every year, come on. Just take your gift. I got it from the money I earned working."
She sighed.
"Fine," the teen let her shoulders sag. "Okay. Well?"
He moved his hand, and she smiled when he offered her the iridescent rose that she knew very well.
"Happy anniversary," he offered her a soft smile. "You didn't think I would forget, right?"
Cas shook her head and took it in her hands. She still had the other two flowers in a vase in her bedroom, and this one would join it soon.
"And this," he pulled something from his pocket. "Is for your birthday."
She glanced at him before looking down at the package he'd given her. When her fingers finally pried it open, she found a bracelet.
"It's beautiful," Cassiopeia affirmed. "Thank you."
George took her wrist carefully and positioned the bracelet before tangling his fingers with her, looking into her eyes with something she couldn't quite catch.
"What is it?" she frowned.
"Just thinking," he sighed. "I… It's stupid."
Cassiopeia pulled on his hand.
"It's not," she insisted. "Tell me what's wrong."
"A lot is going on," he looked down at his feet. "I have to take care of you."
The girl stared at him for a moment, both half-smiling and frowning.
"George, I can take care of myself," she pointed out. "You don't have to do that."
But her boyfriend shook his head.
"I know. You're better than me in a lot of stuff, but… I need to know that I can protect you. I can't even think what I'd do if anything happened to you, and I wasn't able to save you."
She raised her hand, touching his face gently.
"You don't have to worry about me," she pressed her forehead against his. "That's my job with you. You're the fun half of this relationship, I'm the one who worries about stuff and plans for the future."
George smiled and kissed her lips softly, hugging Cassiopeia tightly.
"Let's both be the fun and the worrying parts," he offered. "Alright?"
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