Leaving It All Behind

**A huge thank you goes out to my wonderful beta, butterbeergal!!!**

Seventeen year old Cedrella Black adjusted her robes and pulled her dark red hair back into a tight bun. She crept out of her bedroom and walked barefoot through the house until she reached the front door. As she got there, she heard footsteps behind her. Peeking around the corner, she found her younger sister, Callidora, walking towards her.

"Drella, where do you think you're going?" her sister asked in a loud voice.

"Callie, hush now," Cedrella said, looking around to see if anyone else had heard them. She bent down and pulled on her heels.

"You're going to see that blood-traitor Weasley, aren't you?" Callidora asked, putting her hands on her hips. "I'm telling, Drella. You know that Mother said you weren't to see him again."

Cedrella sighed deeply, thinking about her mother's ruling two months prior that the Weasleys were not appropriate company for a Black, and that Cedrella was not to see Septimus Weasley anymore. What her mother, or Callie, didn't know was that Cedrella had seen Septimus at least once a week since then, always resorting to sneaking around in late evenings after retiring from dinner or in the mornings when her parents and sisters were otherwise occupied. Until now, she had not been caught, but there was always a first time.

She turned around, and replied, "that's fine, Callie. You do what you need to do, but I am leaving."

Cedrella opened the front door, just as Callidora raised her voice, calling for their mother. Cedrella took the three steps necessary to step outside of the wards and then she turned on the spot, Apparating away to the park in Muggle London where she was set to meet Septimus.

She spotted him sitting on a bench and approached him. "Hello, Septimus," she said, taking a seat.

"Cedrella, my darling," he said, leaning in to kiss her cheek.

Cedrella smiled and asked, "Have you been waiting long? You see, I was caught up by Callidora, and I believe at this very moment she is informing my parents about my meeting with you."

"I've only been waiting a few minutes for you," he responded, taking her hand. "What do you think will be your punishment?"

"I expect a full audience with my parents and sisters when I arrive home, and most likely I will be sent to my room, and not allowed out until the wedding next month," she responded, looking down in disgust at the elaborate diamond ring that adorned her left hand.

"Ah, yes, you marriage to your betrothed, Marius Vaisley. I've been meaning to speak to you about this," Septimus began.

"Yes?" Cedrella asked, feeling a bit anxious about the topic.

"What are we going to do about it?" Septimus asked. He tried to keep his face calm, but his blue eyes betrayed his nervousness.

"Well, I figured that you'd interrupt just at the point when the Minister asks who objects, and that we would run off into the sunset together," she answered, her green eyes twinkling.

"Please be serious, Cedrella. Let's elope. Tonight. That way you don't even have to face your parents. Tomorrow you can go home and tell them and gather your things."

"Septimus, you know that I cannot just elope, " Cedrella snapped. " I have family honour and tradition to uphold, and Marius is a good man, even if he is twice my age," she added, looking off into the distance, watching the sunset.

"Then, what has all this been? Just a fling, Cedrella? Do I mean nothing to you?" he asked.

"Of course not, Septimus, but my parents will disown me if I marry you, and then what? I know I don't see eye to eye with my parents and that I don't exactly get along with my sisters, but I can't just leave them all behind," she said, standing and putting her hands on her hips.

"Well, then, I guess you should have a great life then, Cedrella. I'm not going to stand around and be your lover once you're married, and I'm too sick about the wedding to even wait that long. Good bye," he said, standing.

"Wait, Septimus," she called out but he was already turning on the spot and with a crack, he had Disapparated.

Cedrella stopped short, crushed that Septimus had just left her. She had hoped to talk things out; she just wasn't sure what she should do. She walked around the park until it was so dark that Cedrella had to light her wand to see. She thought long and hard about her decision to marry Marius and her love for Septimus before she finally made her decision. She Disapparated on the spot and landed right in front of her childhood home. She walked through the front door and came face to face with the family house-elf, Sling, who snapped her fingers, alerting the family of Cedrella's presence.

All at once, her Mother and Father appeared at her Father's study door, and her sisters, Callidora and Charis came to the top of the stairs.

"Cedrella, your Mother and I need to speak with you. At once," her father intoned.

"Yes, Father," Cedrella answered, lowering her head. She was hoping to have a bit more time before she had this talk with her parents. She had never been all that brave; she was more likely to be secretive and deceitful, such as how she had always been with her relationship with Septimus. When her parents had found out about their relationship, she swore to them that it was over and instead she went headlong into helping her mother plan her upcoming marriage, while secretly seeing Septimus in her free time.

Cedrella followed her parents into her father's study. Her father flicked his wand and the door shut behind her. He took a seat behind his desk, while her mother stood next to him, looking furious. No doubt, her sisters were currently standing with their ears pressed to the door, like she had done many times before when one of her sisters was in trouble.

Cedrella stood with her hands clasped behind her back, waiting for the shouting to commence.

"Cedrella Violetta Black!" her mother screeched, so loudly that she was sure the neighbors could here, and there weren't any neighbors for miles around. "You were told not to see that boy anymore. You are soon to be married, and you cannot be running around with a boy that is not your betrothed," her mother said with a murderous look on her face.

"Cedrella, you will be spending the next month in this house or running errands with your mother only. You are not to leave the house unless you are accompanied by your mother or myself. Your wedding is in one month's time and then you will take up your responsibilities as a member of the Vaisley family, is that understood?" her father finished.

Cedrella raised her head and looked him straight in the eye. "No, Father," she said defiantly.

"What part of that do you not understand, Cedrella?" her father said, rising from his chair.

"I will not be marrying Marius. I am in love with Septimus Weasley and I will be marrying him. I am sorry, Mother, Father, but I cannot go through with this marriage, and if that means that I can no longer be a part of this family, then unfortunately I am willing to deal with that," Cedrella answered, standing tall and throwing the engagement ring on her father's desk.

"Cedrella" her mother began, but Cedrella turned her back to her parents and left the study, knocking into her sisters when she opened the study door.

She hurried up to her room and flicked her wand around quickly, so that all of her belongings packed themselves back into her trunk. She shrank her trunk and placed it in her pocket, before hurrying out of her room and back down the stairs where her sisters and parents were waiting for her. Her father had his wand out, but before he had a chance to use it, Cedrella flicked her wand and said, "Expelliarmus."

While his wand did not fly into her hand, it fell to the other side of the room, giving Cedrella a chance to get to the door and leave the house. She took three steps and turned back to look at the house one last time; just as she did, she saw a bright blue light fly towards the wall where the family tree tapestry was. She knew then that there was now a burn spot where her name once was, just like the others before her that had been disowned. She shook her head sadly and Disapparated.

Cedrella appeared on the outskirts of the Weasley property, and she hurried towards the house, ready to do whatever was necessary to get Septimus to take her back. She reached the front porch to find him sitting on the steps. He glanced up to see her and cautiously stood.

"I've left, Septimus," Cedrella said, taking a deep breath, "for good."

His eyes lit up as he stepped towards her and lowered himself to one knee. "Marry me, Cedrella?" he asked.

She looked into his eyes and simply said, "Yes."

Cedrella leaned into Septimus' arms as he swept her off the ground and they kissed, and she was happier than she had ever been. She was ecstatic with her decision, even if it meant leaving her family behind. Her future seemed just a bit brighter and it was worth all that she had given up.