It was early morning as Cassie's feet pounded on the grassy terrain beneath her. So early, in fact, that although her breaths were coming out in white puffs in the crisp air, it was so dark that she couldn't see them. The students were still asleep in their dorms. Being as only two days had passed since Sirius Black had broken into the castle, she was confident that none of them would dare to be out of bed and risk meeting the madman alone. So she was running.
Master Machado would be unhappy if he knew how she had let her physical routine slip since she had left Brazil. While no one would argue that she was still formidable when it came to dueling, she had not been practicing her hand-to-hand fighting skills nearly as often as she needed to be. She needed to be ready if she came across Sirius. Perhaps he had learned dark magic from her father, curses she had only come across in textbooks or never even heard about. Maybe he was a secret Dim Mak practitioner. She wouldn't know until she faced him head-on. But one thing she did know: he was a mass murderer, one that she realized she hadn't taken all that seriously until he had dared to break into Hogwarts and somehow evaded her and the rest of the staff.
Something large splashed not far away in the lake. Cassie assumed it was the giant squid, but lit her wand to be sure. She saw large tentacles slip back under the inky black surface of the water. It was such a nostalgic feeling, being around the creatures that resided on the Hogwarts grounds. It was almost enough to ignore the fact that the icy, soul-sucking persistence of the dementors never truly left her chest. Almost.
Regardless of the chaos that the Diviner's elixir had resulted in, in the end, it had paid off. Cassie had learned a truth about herself that she never would have realized on her own. After accepting it, she had been able to successfully cast two Patronuses and chase off several dementors in the process. Severus had been with her in case something had gone awry, of course. He would never allow her to practice something so dangerous on her own. He was nothing if not cautious when it came to his lover's safety, especially after what had happened with Lupin.
The castle still dozed when she came back through the entrance hall and went to her quarters to shower. After throwing on black trousers and a violet sweater, she headed back out and to the grand staircase. That morning, she wouldn't be seeing Severus until breakfast, as she was fully intending to escort Harry from Gryffindor Tower to the Great Hall.
The entrance to the Gryffindor dorms was now guarded by the painting of Sir Cadogan. He was pacing back and forth and brandishing his fist at her as the first few students came through.
"Good morning," she greeted them with a nod, sending them on their way without telling them why she was planted outside their tower. The tiny knight challenged the young Gryffindors to a duel as they walked down the corridor. She had to deal with Cadogan's shouting for a solid twenty minutes before Harry and Ron finally appeared.
"Morning," Ron said through a large yawn. "Didn't expect to see you. Here to make sure Harry isn't murdered?"
Cassie smirked at Ron's crassness. "Yes."
"Nice of you," Harry murmured as the three of them started to walk.
"Where's Hermione?" Cassie asked. Movement in Ron's robes caught her eye. Scabbers was poking his face out and sniffing around, his beady eyes landing on her for a moment before he dove back into the safety of the third year's pocket.
"Probably at the library already. Crazy, that one," answered Ron. The rest of their journey was pleasant enough. The boys entered the Great Hall, and Cassie was about to do the same until Filch, who was standing just outside the doors, caught her attention.
"Miss Black," the caretaker wheezed, a rather unpleasant look on his features. "Your presence is required in the Deputy Headmistress's office."
"What for?"
"Ministry business."
Cassie's mood instantly darkened. She didn't know what the Ministry wanted from her that morning, but she had a suspicion. By the time she reached Professor McGonagall's office, she was more than ready for a lively confrontation.
An Auror she had never met before was stationed outside McGonagall's door. He looked very young, and as soon as Cassie's eyes landed on him, he seemed to shrink a little.
"You'll have to wait," he tried to tell her as she approached. Cassie raised her eyebrows at him and in an instant, he jumped back, clearing her path. She went through the door without having to say a word.
McGonagall was seated at her desk sipping tea when Cassie entered. Two Aurors were sitting across from her. Cassie recognized the back of Kingsley Shacklebolt's towering frame, and next to him was a witch with wavy neon orange hair -
"Dora!" Cassie shouted, flinging her arms around her cousin from behind and giving her a hard squeeze. Tonks laughed, giving her a peck on the cheek as she returned the embrace as best she could from her seated position. "I'm so happy to see you!"
"You too, Cass," Tonks replied as McGonagall conjured another chair for Cassie. "Although these aren't ideal circumstances," she added, throwing a knowing look towards Kingsley.
"They never seem to be," Kingsley rumbled knowingly.
Cassie sighed, sensing the apprehension in the Head of Gryffindor's office. "So let's not beat around the bush. You're here specifically for me, aren't you?" There was a pregnant pause.
McGonagall spoke first. "The rest of the staff will be interviewed, although it will be more of a formality."
Cassie shook her head in disbelief. "Someone thinks I let Black in?"
"Fudge is just being thorough. He's gotten letters from so many fearful parents - " Tonks started.
"Don't defend that two-faced twat!" Cassie snapped at her cousin.
"He's my boss!" the young Auror answered with just as much venom.
Cassie scoffed. "Can you ask your boss to make up his damn mind? He seems to trust me enough to drag me along to Azkaban to protect his arse, and yet here we are - "
"That's why I insisted that it was Tonks and myself that came today," Kingsley interjected, his smooth voice infusing calm into the situation. "We know you had nothing to do with Black breaking into Hogwarts. Our presence here is just to appease Fudge and the rest of the Ministry officials."
"Exactly," Tonks confirmed, still looking sour as she glared at Cassie.
"Oh," Cassie said, feeling suddenly deflated. "Thank you."
The foursome chatted for several minutes, and then a thought kept nagging at Cassie. While Kingsley and McGonagall were having their own conversation, she pulled Tonks out of the office and into the corridor. The young Auror that was outside the door looked unsure of what to do, his eyes growing wide when he saw Cassie again.
"Jameson, go to the Great Hall and fetch one of the professors. We need to keep moving with our interviews," Tonks commanded. The wizard nearly tripped as he obeyed, moving quickly down the hall.
"Is he new?" Cassie asked.
"He's a trainee hired from Norway. We've got to fill Mad-Eye's spot, you know."
"That's a sorry replacement," Cassie observed, laughing. "How is he enjoying retirement?"
"Not at all," Tonks said truthfully. "So why the need to get me alone?"
Cassie swallowed hard. She couldn't help but feel that she might be overstepping here, but Severus had his suspicions, and Dumbledore had brushed them off. So she told Tonks about Lupin and his connection to Sirius Black. Tonks promised she and Kingsley would make sure to actually investigate the professor's whereabouts and not just chitchat like they would be doing with the other staff that they knew and trusted. Cassie left her cousin to start her day feeling both satisfied and slightly guilty, although she wasn't sure why she felt bad for putting the Aurors on Lupin's scent.
It wasn't until midday that Cassie was able to be with Severus. He had already spoken to the Aurors, and apparently, it had been a fleeting conversation. "Nymphadora attempted to drill me about our relationship," he muttered silkily as he waved his wand, vanishing his previous class's attempts at Numbing Draught from the cauldrons. Cassie snorted in laughter, then tried to compose herself when Severus shot daggers at her with his eyes.
"Did you say anything about Lupin?" she asked him then.
"I intended to," he told her, his expression softening. "I was swiftly informed that you had already expressed your concerns."
"You're not mad?"
"Why would I be?" Severus asked as he turned to her.
She shrugged lightly. "It's such a complicated situation...one that I don't think I understand fully."
Severus took her face in his hands and bent down to her, placing a soft kiss on her forehead. She melted into his touch, reveling in the feeling as his hands slid down to her neck and his body pressed into hers. She shivered when his hot breath brushed past her ear. "How fortunate am I that you try?" he whispered.
Cassie moaned her reply. His fingers were trailing lightly along her collarbone and she was pressing her chest into his torso, begging for more contact. His lips found hers, stealing a fervent kiss, his hand now gripping back the back of her neck to pull her closer.
The bell chimed throughout the castle, signaling that the next class would be starting soon. Cassie pulled away, causing Severus to groan in frustration.
"Transfiguration," she breathed.
"Damn that Minerva."
Her day was filled with classes and grading. When she could, she followed Harry to and from his destinations, although that duty was shared among the rest of the staff members and Percy. At dinnertime, Tonks caused a flurry of confusion within the student body as she approached the head table and came to stand in front of Cassie and Severus.
"Have time to talk after your meal?" she asked, snatching a drumstick from the Head of Slytherin's plate and taking a large bite. Severus glowered at her, taking another for himself from the serving tray.
"Of course," Cassie answered, amused as Tonks made to relieve Severus of his baked potato as well, but the Potions Master had his fork poised as if he would stab her if she tried. "Meet us in my classroom?"
"Sure," Tonks said, barking out a laugh as she swiped the new piece of chicken from Severus and quickly moved away. Fred and George stood to pat her on the back as she walked past the Gryffindor table. Severus was muttering something about 'Your bloody cousin!' as Cassie watched Tonks with a large grin on her face. She missed her terribly.
She noticed Lupin out of the corner of her eye. He was sitting forward with his chin on his folded hands, watching Tonks as she left the hall too. He had a lofty grin on his face, one that faded when he noticed Cassie's quizzical gaze. He pretended to cough, his eyes moving down to his plate.
It wasn't much later when Cassie and Severus met up with Tonks. The young Auror was seated on Cassie's desk, swinging her legs as she read through an essay and laughed at what a student had written.
"That's not for you to see," Severus snapped, going to snatch the parchment from Tonks's hands, but the Auror moved her arm away at just the last second.
"Grading these must be a riot!" she mused. "I forgot how clueless some kids can be."
"Yes, I giggled through every single piece of homework you turned in to me," Severus quipped icily, finally getting the essay in his hands and away from prying Hufflepuff eyes.
"Now, children," Cassie said in her most teacherlike voice, "Get along or I'll have to start taking away points." Tonks sniggered. Severus glared. "What did you want to tell us, Dora?"
"Remus Lupin," Tonks said, her legs suddenly stopping their swinging as her demeanor changed from playful to professional. "He's clean, at least from an alibi standpoint. He was in the castle all day prior to Black breaking in."
"He could have set up something before Halloween," Severus argued. "Days, weeks before."
"Kingsley spoke with Dumbledore," Tonks replied. "He doesn't seem to think so."
"As I am keenly aware," Severus said coldly. Cassie placed a hand on his forearm. He looked back at her, understanding in his eyes, and then turned back to Tonks. "I apologize, Nymphadora. I do not mean to be abrasive towards you."
"We appreciate you looking into the matter," Cassie added, giving her cousin a reassuring smile. "Thank you."
"It's nothing," Tonks said, hopping down from the desk. "Now if you'll excuse me, I've got to report back to the Ministry. Got a long night of debriefing the quill-pushers," she said with a wink. "Cass. Sevvy."
Before Severus could tell Tonks off for her impromptu nickname, she left the room.
Cassie kept in touch with Tonks as much as she could after that, wanting to know if there were any sightings of Sirius Black anywhere. There weren't. It was growing more and more frustrating, and she felt helpless. It seemed the only thing left to do was wait for him to make another move and hope that no students were harmed when he did.
At Harry's insistence, McGonagall had allowed him to resume Quidditch practice as long as a staff member was present. Cassie and Madam Hooch split this new duty, and Cassie could confidently say that Hooch enjoyed it much more than she did. Quidditch practice nearly bored her to tears, even when she had been dating Charlie. So she walked the perimeter of the pitch the entire time, not really paying any attention to what the players were doing. Instead, she prowled, like a lioness waiting for the chance to pounce on her prey.
She was chaperoning the Gryffindor practice when Wood announced that they would be playing Hufflepuff instead of Slytherin. The entire team, and Harry especially, were up in arms about the change.
"There's nothing wrong with Malfoy's arm!" Harry declared angrily. "He's faking it!"
"Cass, can't you do something about it? Tell Snape to make Slytherin play?" George implored hopefully.
"I've nothing to do with decisions regarding Quidditch," she told them truthfully. Another round of complaining began again, and Draco's name was thrown around and cursed, but Cassie's attention was elsewhere. Through the howling wind and the rain that had just started to downpour, she saw familiar yellow eyes glowing down by the entrance to the locker rooms.
"Hold on," she said, and some of the players quieted. "Stay here, all of you."
"Cassie - " Harry started.
"I said stay," she repeated. They listened as she went to investigate. There was no one there. All she found were large pawprints in the mud.
Another full moon was upon them. The Defense Against the Dark Arts classes had to be covered the day before the Gryffindor versus Hufflepuff match, and Cassie wasn't surprised that Severus was insisting that he should teach them rather than her. He still didn't want her to have to deal with Lupin alone. Perhaps his protectiveness was a bit over-the-top, but his concern made her feel secure nonetheless. Since Severus would be busy with Lupin's classes, she would be covering Potions for him. He would be allowing her to have years one and two actually brew something under her supervision, but the older students would only be writing essays. So be it, she had told him. She didn't really want to deal with explosions and potential injuries on top of everything else that was going on.
It was an easy enough day, but she was taken aback when Hermione approached her after dinner. Severus had left the Great Hall early to tend to the Wolfsbane potion, and the young Gryffindor witch had come up to her almost immediately to complain about the assignment on werewolves they had been given that day.
"It's way ahead of what Professor Lupin had been teaching us up to this point," Hermione was saying as they walked through the entrance hall to Cassie's classroom. "I just don't understand why we would be doing an essay on werewolves, it seems so out of order - "
"Professor Snape was in charge of the lesson today. I can't change what he assigned," Cassie answered.
"But he obviously wasn't following Professor Lupin's syllabus - "
"Then Professor Lupin will have to take it up with him," Cassie said. "Just do the essay, Hermione."
"I already have!"
Cassie bit back her snort of laughter. "Okay. Have a good evening, then."
She had a full two hours of tutoring before she was free to go to the dungeons. Severus was just finishing up detention with some Gryffindor second-years when she quietly slipped into his classroom.
"You are dismissed," Severus drawled. The students scrambled to turn in the parchment with the lines they had been writing and then scurry from the classroom. When he and Cassie were alone, he turned to her, placing a single kiss on the palm of her hand.
"Werewolves, huh?" she started lightly.
Severus sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. "Which one of the golden trio came running to you?"
"Does it matter?"
The Potions Master stood, using his wand to stack rolls of parchment into neat rows on his desk, and then motioned for her to follow into his office. "Potter needs to be ready. Assuming he actually paid any attention today."
"In case Lupin attacks him?" Cassie asked. "Do you think that's what he's aiming to do?"
"If he helped Black into the castle to kill Potter and that plan was foiled, I think that might be the next logical step."
"Did Lupin take his Wolfsbane this week?"
"I made sure he drank every single drop," Severus said lowly.
"Then we'll have to make sure he stays put."
"Indeed."
The couple did just that. As the previous transformation had gone smoothly with the Wolfsbane potion, Dumbledore had decided Lupin didn't require supervision during that time of the month any longer. So after Severus was certain that Lupin was securely holed up inside his office, he and Cassie stayed right outside the door for the entire night. They drank elixirs to stay alert and shared hushed conversations and Cassie rubbed Severus's back as he read one of his many textbooks. Lupin never made an attempt to leave his office, much to their mutual relief.
Breakfast was soon upon them. The students were lively and making a lot more noise than usual, something that was common right before a Quidditch match. "Good luck today," Cassie told the Gryffindor team as she passed them on her way to the teacher's table. Fred and George were clapping Oliver Wood on the back, perhaps trying to cheer up the surly-looking captain. Harry looked like he was dog-tired already.
The rain was pouring from the heavens and blowing sideways across the enchanted ceiling. No doubt this would be a difficult day be flying on a broom, let alone playing Quidditch. Cassie was grateful that she would be staying inside the castle to patrol in case Black decided to break in again. The only reason she had agreed to the arrangement was that Dumbledore would be attending the match.
As the morning meal ended and students started to make their way down to the pitch, Cassie and Severus started to leave the hall so they could patrol. Ron had pushed against the crowd and gotten Cassie's attention.
"Can you take Scabbers?" he asked her. "Hermione's blood-thirsty cat is constantly after him, it's stressing him out. Harry had to stop him from sneaking into the boy's dorm six times this morning."
"Sure, Ron," Cassie said, and Ron took the decrepit-looking rodent from his robes and handed him to her. "I'll keep him in my quarters for as long as you need."
"Thanks, Cass!" Ron shouted over the hum of the excited students and went to join his classmates.
"I'll keep you safe from the mean ol' kitty, won't I?" Cassie cooed at the rat, who sniffed her nose before curling up in her arms.
"We should do that thing a favor and put it out of its misery," Severus observed bluntly.
"Oh no, we would never do that to Scabbers, would we?" Cassie continued in her baby voice. She paid no mind when Severus rolled his eyes at her. Nonetheless, he followed her to her quarters and watched as she tucked the rat into a rolled blanket on her couch and told him she would bring him food as soon as they finished their first round of patrolling.
Patrolling was blissfully uneventful. Twice, Cassie and Severus ended up in random broom closets for a bit of snogging and heavy petting. They had to pull themselves out after a short while when they remembered they were on duty. It wasn't until students began to return to the castle, soaked to the bone and shivering, that they knew something had happened.
"We'll need help in the hospital wing," Madam Hooch said as she came through the front doors. "Dementors - so many - "
"Was anyone kissed?" Severus demanded to know right away.
"No, thank Merlin!" Hooch answered. "But - "
Dumbledore came through, and beside him was Harry on a magically floating stretcher. Severus swore under his breath.
Cassie's afternoon and most of her evening were spent in the medical ward, tending to students that had been affected by the dementors. Many were given chocolate and sent on their way, but a handful needed calming elixirs and sleeping draughts. All the while, Harry lay unconscious while Poppy and Severus hovered over him, muttering incantations and coaxing potions down his throat. Finally, he stirred, and the nurse allowed the Gryffindor team to come in and visit. As Severus stepped back to let Harry's friends fuss over him, Cassie grasped his hand and gave it a squeeze.
"He's okay," she whispered softly. Severus didn't react, a master at hiding his true feelings when he wanted to. No one in that room but her knew that he had been distraught over Harry's safety that entire time, that his diligent work to make sure he was properly tended to was his expression of affection for the boy.
As the days passed, Dumbledore had several meetings with Ministry officials about the appointment of the dementors at Hogwarts. Every time he demanded that they be removed from the grounds he was met with opposition. Sirius Black would have killed Harry three times over if not for the dementors, Fudge's staff would say. Their presence was more than necessary. So stay they did.
"Harry," Cassie called one day as he left the Charms classroom. She had been waiting for him in the corridor, deciding now was the time to have the conversation she had been putting off. She had been hoping that the dementors would be removed and therefore would no longer be an issue.
Harry came over to her, Ron and Hermione heading off with the rest of the Gryffindors to their common room. She walked with him to her classroom, chatting with him about the lesson he just had. And then she brought up the sore subject of the dementors, offering him lessons on how to defend himself from them.
His reaction was not what she anticipated. She was expecting him to be embarrassed or angry. "Oh, that's nice of you," he said, "But Professor Lupin already offered."
"I - really?" she said stupidly. "Are you going to do it?"
"Yeah," Harry said, looking rather happy about it. "I mean, he's a really good teacher."
Cassie had an internal debate then. She wanted to warn him, to tell him everything. If Harry knew, if he just knew that Lupin was friends with Sirius Black, then he might stay away from the professor. But would that lead to a conversation about his parents? Dumbledore had asked - no, pleaded - with her and the rest of the staff not to tell Harry about Sirius betraying his parents. They all knew Harry well enough to know that if and when he found out the truth, he would go after Black, walk right into danger's way. Harry Potter was brave, no one could argue that. But bravery could lead to stupidity, too, as Severus often reminded her. She didn't know if she could be solely responsible for a thirteen-year-old that was hell-bent on avenging his parents' deaths.
"Okay," Cassie replied. "Well, maybe I'll just pop in once in a while and see how things are going." More like to make sure Lupin knows not to try anything.
"Sure," Harry said. "How is Scabbers doing? Ron's been wondering."
"Oh, he's doing great. Regrowing some of his hair, gaining some weight. He must know Crookshanks can't just waltz into my quarters, huh?"
Harry shrugged. "I'm sure Ron will think he's too stupid to know something like that."
It was the end of November. There were no reported signs of Sirius Black anywhere, although Harry was still escorted everywhere. Nearly every day was cold and rainy, and Cassie was growing tired of having to be out on the Quidditch pitch in the evenings with the Gryffindor team, but she persevered. She was starting to wonder if they were going to have somewhat of a normal school term now, or as normal of a term Hogwarts could offer.
On the last Thursday of the month, Cassie got a letter. She was always nervous when an owl dropped something in front of her, as she rarely received post unless it was from the Weasleys or Andromeda. This wasn't one of their birds. She instantly recognized the telltale sign of an owl delivering for the Ministry of Magic, as it had a small blue ribbon around its neck.
Severus turned to attention when she groaned. "What is it?" he asked in concern.
She brandished the envelope with Fudge's seal on it as the offending owl nibbled on her toast. Not wanting to delay the inevitable this morning, she ripped it open without another moment's hesitation.
Miss Cassiopeia Elladora Black,
Minister for Magic Cornelius Fudge is formally inviting you to accompany him to a forum at the Magical Duma of the Russian Federation. It is to be held from March the twenty-fifth through the twenty-seventh. A formal ball is to be held when the forum is complete. Minister Fudge is looking forward to your most gracious reply.
Warmest regards,
Senior Undersecretary to the Minister for Magic, Madam Dolores Umbridge
Cassie snorted. She handed it over to Severus so roughly that she smashed her fist and the letter into his chest, making him grunt in surprise. When he recovered from her harsh hand-over of the letter, he scanned it over quickly.
"What do you think?" she asked through a mouthful of bacon. She was now very much wanting to stress-eat.
"I think you need to show it to the Headmaster."
"I think I need to set it on fire, straight away."
"Perhaps that can be arranged, away from the students, of course. And after you show the Headmaster," he replied evenly. It was meant to be a bit a jest, to make her feel better about the entire situation. It did nothing to ease the outburst that was threatening to explode from her.
It was rare that anyone interrupted Dumbledore during his meals. Cassie, having the strong desire to write Fudge back and tell him to kindly fuck off, wanted to take care of this sooner rather than later. She stood, letter in hand, and approached the Headmaster, who was chatting with McGonagall.
"Albus," Cassie said quietly, "I need a word."
Dumbledore looked inquisitive if only for a moment, and then she turned the seal toward him. He cleared his throat. "Minerva," he said, and gestured down the table. "Severus. If you would care to join us."
No one said anything about the letter as they walked. Dumbledore had suggested that they go to Cassie's classroom, an odd choice for the Headmaster to be, but it was closest. As soon as the foursome was alone, Dumbledore closed the door with a wave of his hand.
"Is this the first invite you've received for this trip, Cassie?" Dumbledore asked kindly.
"Yes."
"What in Merlin's name does Fudge want her there for?" Minerva asked incredulously.
"Two-faced twat," Cassie seethed, repeating the insult she had used for the Minister when speaking to Tonks. Severus shot her a look.
"The relations between our magical government and the Russian Federation is not...pristine at the moment. I imagine Cornelius wishes to bring you along either to show you off or for his protection," Dumbledore explained calmly. "Or both."
"Show her off?" Severus asked coldly. "Like a prized trinket?"
"Think of it more like an arms race," Dumbledore answered, studying Cassie carefully. "If the Ministry is feeling at all threatened by the Federation, he may be hoping your presence will keep them at bay."
"I don't even work for him," Cassie said through gritted teeth.
"You don't," Dumbledore confirmed lightly, "as you work for me. No one is saying you must accept, Cassie." Cassie drew a deep breath, calming the anger that had formed inside her. Of course, she didn't have to. She didn't owe Fudge a damn thing.
The Headmaster and Deputy Headmistress left minutes later. Severus pulled Cassie into a tight embrace, as the older wizard sensed that she needed his close proximity so she could calm down. It worked, to an extent. She always appreciated Severus's warmth and willingness to be there when she needed it. But what she couldn't shake at the moment was the gleam in Dumbledore's blue eyes when he declared that she indeed, worked for him. As if there was no way she was Fudge's show pony, but she was certainly his.