Kidnapping

James sighed heavily as he finally shook Antonella off, retreating to the safety of the Gryffindor Common Room, or, more specifically, the Seventh Year Boy's Dormitory. He had rushed past Fred and George, only sparing them a sparse glance before disappearing up, locking the door the way his Uncle Percy had taught him before he became known as a prankster. For some reason, Uncle Percy believed that if he taught James a lot of what he knew, James wouldn't turn out to be like the Greatest Pranksters in Hogwarts (aka, the first Fred and George). He turned out to be completely, absolutely, unequivocally wrong.

A quick (and messy) rummage through his overflowing trunk later, and the spiral-bound notebook appeared before him, the first page already filled with thick, black ink. To his dismay (but not exactly surprise), he had no new messages. But he hoped to change that.

I know at the moment you probably want nothing to do with me, but I need to talk to you. Please meet me in the Room of Requirement at midnight.

A moment later.

I'll be there.

A leap of joy that made him seem extremely girly later, Fred, George, and Roxanne had entered the room, Roxy with a look of utter disgust on her freckled face. However, to the surprise of the three boys, she said nothing, and instead sat down gingerly on the edge of James' bed. And then she turned her attention to her blushing cousin.

"What was that?"

He attempted to ignore her, shoving the notebook under the covers of his already-completely-messy bed, but he needed have bothered. Roxanne was only humouring him. She'd seen the spiral-bound notebook he'd so meticulously (note the sarcasm) tried to hide, and it was soon in her thin hands through the use of a useful summoning spell.

"Is it to Cassiopeia?"

At his sharp nod, a look of sadness flew over her pretty, tanned features (she was probably the only redhead in existence who wasn't as pale as a ghost). James seemed so dejected, so unhappy, that the one girl he'd cared about since Matty Davidson wanted nothing more to do with him. Although, by the note in the notebook, that observation wasn't exactly true. She gave a sharp sigh.

"Do what you have to do. However, don't expect to be forgiven any time soon." As he nodded hurriedly, rising to leave the awkward atmosphere, she added, "Oh, and never be so stupid again."

"Poor guy," Fred murmured once their messy-haired cousin had left the room. "It's ridiculous of Malfoy to date someone so soon after telling James she was falling in love with him.

"Um, Fred?" his twin murmured. As his head popped in her direction, she said, "She started dating Dalton before she told James that she was falling in love with him. Remember? She told him that in the Hospital wing."

"So she did," Fred mused as he was wacked on the head with a pillow from their thus-silent cousin. "So she did."

XxX

Midnight came around sooner than James would have liked even though his heart was beating a mile a minute in the hope of seeing Cassiopeia. The fear of rejection was still one a massive worry, despite the fact that he was doubtful she would even deign to talk to him for too long before disappearing with Dalton, the 'perfect' boyfriend.

At the Room, James was stunned and slightly fearful, as Cassi had not yet arrived and he was fifteen minutes late, despite leaving ten minutes early. Cassiopeia Malfoy was never one to be late, as he had learnt in the summer. And he finally allowed himself to think of the worst possibility.

He had been stood up. She wasn't coming.

At precisely 12: 31, he made his dejected way back to the Gryffindor Common Room, not noticing the cruel, almost-lifeless eyes that followed his every move before pulling a still body out of a hidden alcove.

XxX

Cassi glanced down at the note James had written. As much as she did not feel ready to forget the hurt he had caused her, she knew that, in order to have her peace of mind, she had to at least forgive. And so that was what she was going to do.

I'll be there.

The words appeared to leap out at her, taunting her with their innocent feel. She was going to test James. It was something she had just decided. She was going to test him.

As much as she realised that she probably had no reason to do what she wished to, she wanted him to give up the stupid Ravenclaw bimbo (as much of an oxymoron as that seemed to be) he currently had hanging off him in order for her to even consider becoming friends with him once more.

With that thought firmly in her mind, she glided gracefully down into the Slytherin Common Room, grinning distractedly at her twin and his best friend. Albus, with a small grin on his handsome yet still slightly pudgy face, rose and approached her.

"Have you decided to forgive him? I don't think I should have to listen to my brother griping on about you and 'that damned Grey bloke' anymore. It's sickening." His voice had risen to a screech, prompting the Common Room to go silent. "Oh, go back to your knitting," he snapped the same line that the first generation of Fred and George Weasley had spoken back during the Triwizard Tournament. This encouraged a giggle from Cassiopeia as she shook her head indulgently.

"Yes, I've forgiven him. I'm actually seeing him in the Room of Requirement at midnight," she checked her watch with a grin, "I should probably be leaving now. I'll see you later?" She posed it as a question but both knew it was anything but. Her fake-innocent look melded into a devious one as she gave Albus a peck on the cheek before leaving, almost skipping her way to James, exciting for a chance for the two of them to reconcile.

XxX

It may have been a brief lapse in judgment, or it may have been the lateness of one particular trainee Auror to his next post (he was later sacked for his disregard of the pupils' safety). It may have even been the simple fact that most of the Aurors had been trained on little Lily Potter rather than watching the rest of the school. No one expected Ara Black to lie (as they believed at the time) and no one expected that, as the morning sun rose over the Black Lake, Anastasia Krum would announce that Cassiopeia Malfoy had not come back to their dormitory last night.

"She's probably off snogging some random Hufflepuff," James muttered, a tinge of jealousy that he tried hard to hide creeping into his voice. Although he truly was upset at having been stood up, none of his inner feelings crept onto his attractive features. Antonella Clark had one long-nailed hand scratching at his arm, but he only shoved her away, irritation overtaking him. But he said nothing.

"That can't be right," Albus denied as he slipped over to the Gryffindor table in the Great Hall, one of his hands curled around Elsa Driana's as she stood next to him. Cassiopeia's other Slytherin friend, Anastasia, had been the one to inform the resident Weasley / Potter Clan of the newest development, and Scorpius was stood behind the two, a look of confusion mixed heavily with worry on his pale countenance.

"Why?"

James didn't want to believe that there was any reason other than anger for Cassiopeia not to have turned up. Obviously, she wanted to give him a piece of the pain he'd made her feel, but James had to admit (even if it was in the furthest corner of his mind) that it didn't seem like her. She wasn't one to say she would turn up somewhere and then not do so. And that scared him.

"She told me that she was coming to visit you in the Room of Requirement last night." Albus' voice had taken on a rustic feel, a roll of his eyes adding to the picture as he slipped in between his older brother and younger sister.

"Yeah, but…"

"She never returned to the Dormitory last night," Elsa murmured, speaking up for the first time. Her face was scrunched up in confusion, but James noted that she didn't look terrified like the rest of them did. He was certain that she didn't know anything of Cassiopeia's whereabouts, but that must mean that Cassi did this sort of thing a lot.

"If she was kidnapped or something, then they must have had someone on the inside helping them."

"She hasn't been kidnapped," James hissed with a roll of his emerald green eyes, "They're after Lily, not Cassi. Why would they go after her anyway? I mean, Lily is Harry Potter's daughter."

"Yes, but Bellatrix Lestrange (and I'm only guessing that she is at the head of this) isn't just angry with Father for killing Voldemort –" Albus noted with some satisfaction that no one flinched. "– She's also angry at Draco Malfoy for changing sides halfway through the war even though his Father didn't. What is the one way to knock out two birds with one stone, so to speak?" At the multitude of shrugs he received, he added, "You go after someone important to both the Malfoy family and ours. James' soon-to-be-girlfriend and the youngest Malfoy child."

"Okay," James agreed with a nod, ignoring the smirks he received as his face visibly brightened at his brother's last words, "Your theory is plausible. But I still see a fault."

"And what is that?"

"Where's Lily? Maybe they went after her last night."

At that moment, the gilded doors of the Great Hall burst open and none other than Lily Luna Potter strode inside, one of her hands clasped around Lorcan Scamander's. The two female Slytherin fifth-years tensed up, expecting Lily's older brothers to 'fly off the handle' at the idea of her dating. Neither batted an eyelash, engaged in their own battle of wills.

"Hey guys, what's up?" Lily slipped onto the Gryffindor bench, giving the three out-of-place Slytherins a confused look. Two of the trainee Aurors that had been assigned to guard her were dogging her footsteps, prompting a deep glower from the youngest Potter as they slipped onto the bench on either side of her, shoving Lorcan bodily out of the way without so much as a sorry.

"What's up is that Cassi's missing," Anastasia snapped before James could stop her, frowning. "She's been missing since last night when she…" she trailed off, nodding her head in the eldest Potter child's direction. Lily nodded in understanding although it wasn't clear whether James had told her or not.

"This should go to Mr. Shaklebolt," one Auror murmured, moving to rise from the bench. A rolled eye later and he was sitting down once more, his fellow Auror-in-training flicking his wand in a complicated pattern to make a faintly glowing Dalmatian appear.

"Inform Kingsley Shaklebolt that Cassiopeia Malfoy is missing." As the dog waited patiently for more instructions, he hurriedly added, "Go."

"This is Kenneth Howard," Lily said, looking unconcerned that the youngest Malfoy child was missing. When asked later, she informed the Judge that she knew Cassi could look after herself and wouldn't let anyone, much less her kidnappers, push her around. "And this," she indicated the Dalmatian patronus' owner, "Is Daniel Thornes. They're the Aurors sent to guard me, although," she glowered at each in turn, "They probably would have been put to more use patrolling the Castle.

"Do you think she'll be okay?" Elsa asked after a small pause, frowning down at the plate of toast and jam Albus had put before her. He placed one hand on her arm.

"She'll be fine." And then, as if that particular section of conversation was over, he turned back to James. "Going back to what we were saying earlier, if she was kidnapped, someone in the Castle must have helped them. Who do you reckon it was?"

No one noticed Elsa tense up, or the quick glare Anastasia sent her when no one was looking. In a moment, both their faces had become impassive again, one of Elsa's hands still resting in Albus' hand. He kissed the top of her head.

"He looks suspicious," James muttered, pointing in what he must have thought was a discreet manner at a Hufflepuff Sixth-year Prefect across the hall, who had one hand up to his lips, biting at his fingernails, whilst the other was flicking through a History of Magic textbook which he had propped up using his cool glass of pumpkin juice.

"That's Ellis Elton," a voice stated from behind them, noticing the direction James' glare was directed. "And what has he supposedly done?" Dalton Grey sat down with a loud thump, much to the distress of James, who opened his mouth ready to shout (for what, he wasn't quite sure), but before he could even get a word out, Shaklebolt had strode into the Hall, his royal purple robes flowing around his ankles.

"Come with me and tell me everything that you know. Don't leave anything out."

And the Potters, Weasleys, Scamanders, and Longbottoms left the Great Hall, Dalton trailing behind, faint with confusion.

XxX

Cassiopeia opened her eyes curiously. Compared to many other thriller stories, where it takes the captured heroine ages to figure out where they are, Cassi knew immediately. Or rather, she didn't know exactly where she was, but she could have a very educated guess if given half a chance.

She knew for certain that she was in some sort of cell. There were no windows, which was understandable, which led her to believe that she was in basement of some Manor House of some sort. It didn't belong to the Malfoy Manor in England, as she had visited there a couple of times and it was a lot neater than this, although, in her opinion, it was also a lot creepier as she knew exactly who'd been held in there during the Second Wizarding War. Also, she knew it didn't belong to her parents house, as, obviously, she had been living there since returning to England from the Malfoy Summer House in France.

The cell was almost completely bare, only a bundle of rags in one corner specifying that someone had been in there recently. Fortunately, she didn't believe that anyone had been in the rags for a long time, as they seemed relatively clean and any bloodstains had been cleared away. The door was a thick, imposing figure standing to attention along the far wall and Cassi was sure it was barred with not just magic but a Muggle bar as well.

Contrary to popular belief, Cassi wasn't completely girly-girl, as her Grandmere had been trying to turn her into for years. Yes, she liked dresses and such, but she also knew how to defend herself, compliments of Grandpere Lucius, and she was sure that she'd have to show her prowess against whoever held her captive.

A loud 'creak' turned her attention to the door as it opened, slamming into the wall with a bang that seemed to shake the very foundations of the clearly ancient house. The man who entered was unfamiliar to her, but that didn't stop the cold, creeping feeling of unease that threatened to choke her.

His hair, which appeared to be a mere blob on his aged face, fell over his eyes and down to the tops of his shoulders, to be tied at the nape of his neck with a simple, crimson hair bobble. His face was lined, which Cassi supposed was to be expected as he must have been at least fifty years old, although he could have been older due to the seemingly timeless quality that seemed to have attached itself to him. His eyes seemed to be a mixture of blue and green, but could have been grey through the darkness seeping into the cell.

He took a couple of steps forward until he came to a stop in front of his captive. He stood tall, hands clasped behind his back, feet shoulder-width apart. The thick, Italian leather coating his feet combined with the business suit gathered on his thin figure gave him the impression of a rich man, one who would be far removed from the world of kidnapping. And so, Cassiopeia had to wonder what he wanted with her.

"Cassiopeia Malfoy, is it not?"

Even his voice was refined, the darkened timbre a mere whisper in the raw air. And he took another step forward, heels clicking on the stone ground. His hands came to rest by his side, one of them gripping something through the pocket of his Muggle trousers; a wand, she was sure.

"Fascinating things, Muggles," he murmured when she made no move to speak. He brushed a piece of invisible link off his impeccable jacket before straightening the collar roughly. "Not good for much, but you can't deny that they make good clothing." He let out a laugh unlike any Cassi had ever heard. If she was to guess, she would say that it sounded remarkably like her Grandpere Lucius', making the young Malfoy certain that this man had once been a follower of You-Know-Who, of Voldemort.

"I quite like many of their inventions," Cassiopeia agreed when he was determined that he wasn't going to speak. "Mobile phones, for instance. They make contacting people around the world easier."

"Ah, yes," he agreed with an amicable nod, pulling his wand from his pocket (she had been correct on the location) and flicking it once. Cassi flinched, certain that some spell of some sort would connect with her thin form, but nothing happened. "This also makes it good to contact people…or rather, one person in particular."

A moment later, an unidentifiable object crashed onto the ground before her. A deep gasp tore from her throat as she took in the spiral-bound notebook which had been opened to the last page, James' note on display. She gently reached out to take it, holding it almost reverently in both hands, eyes wide.

"So you definitely had someone at Hogwarts helping you kidnap me," Cassi murmured, pulling the notebook into her chest. He made no move to take it back, or to speak, watching her through darkened eyes. As he took a final, predatory step forward, another figure stepped into the light.

The two were clearly related; the younger having just entered. He was not exactly skinny, but he couldn't be called fat either. He was toned, from Quidditch Cassi was sure, as many men in the Wizarding World seemed obsessed with the sport, with broad shoulders that jutted out from the black suit he was wearing. It seemed he had the same fascination with Muggle clothes as his father (at least, that's who she assumed it was) had. His eyes, like those of a pigs, settled below her face, causing the young girl to shiver uncomfortably and attempt to push herself further back into the wall. That proved to be impossible, though, as the cold, harsh, unforgiving wall prevented her movement.

"Don't worry, Father," he murmured, one hand resting on the older mans left shoulder as he pushed him backwards slightly, moving further into the sparse light. "She'll be good as new once I'm done."

As the elder man left and the younger moved closer, Cassi almost expected a wand to be removed from his pocket and for unimaginable pain to be bestowed upon her. What happened, however, was so much worse, and would haunt her dreams for years to come.

"Don't struggle, it'll only make this much harder on you." His voice – so like his Fathers – had a lilting quality to it that made Cassi certain he'd be a phenomenal singer if he ever gave up on kidnapping fifteen-year-olds. But it was dark, a deep timbre to it that made his young prey shiver, a slight whimper falling from behind her tightly clamped lips.

He took another step forward, pulling Cassi up by her shoulders. Defying his words, she struggled, running to the other side of the cell. One of his hands caught her wrist, shoving her on her back on the floor, his breath rank on her face as he knelt above her. His free hand reached down to unbuckle his belt, chucking it to the other side of the tiny room.

And all Cassiopeia could do was whimper helplessly.

XxX

"So it wasn't Lily the New Order were after?" Dalton said. He had only been allowed into the meeting on the basis that he was Cassiopeia's boyfriend, and neither he nor Rose thought it prudent to mention that the relationship was only false. Draco was in the corner, one arm protectively around his weeping wife, eyes fixed on the young Gryffindor, a look of loathing on his features. Scorpius, Septimus and Abraxus were seating behind him, cool, grey eyes also fixed on Dalton, one of Abraxus' hands resting on his wand.

The only others who had been permitted into the meeting were Harry and Ginny Potter, Ron and Hermione Weasley, Kingsley Shaklebolt, Headmistress McGonagall, and the students who had figured out that Cassi was actually the one targeted.

"But why?"

"It's obvious, isn't it?" Hermione spoke the same words she had spoken just after the fall of Voldemort, when they had been trying to figure out why he would want Cassiopeia dead. At the confused looks she received from everyone but Ginny, she hurriedly added, "Well, who is close to both the Malfoy's and the Potters?"

"Cassi," Draco murmured, his voice turned to a quiet keening. "The old Death Eaters hate us because I changed sides in the war. It's all my fault." As Astoria began murmuring to him, the door burst open, a distinctly frazzled Lucius Malfoy entered, one hand clutching his wand, the other running frantically through his hair.

"Is it true?" His voice was low and demanding, and Harry was reminded with startling clarity why he'd been frightened of Malfoy throughout his younger years. The older man looked practically deranged, a furious tint to his face as he muttered feverishly about how if Cassiopeia had stayed in France, as he had wished, none of this would have happened.

"Father…" Draco trailed off as the eldest Malfoy whirled around furiously, one hand punching the wall, breathing heavily. "We're searching everywhere. We'll find her."

"And how do you propose to do that without a spy on the inside?"

Draco rose fluidly, one hand outstretched. Lucius met it, hands gripping tightly together, bonded by mutual worry. Two Malfoys united once more.

XxX

Cassiopeia sobbed, one hand resting on her stomach. Her clothes were ripped almost beyond repair, but she managed to scrape a few scraps together to keep herself dignified. The man, she still had to figure out his name, had left almost immediately, only his harsh cackle remaining in the cruel, heartless cavern. Her notebook had been left, a hint of blood sparkling on the faded pages.

Useless fingers scraped across the floor, one hand reaching towards the notebook whilst the other searched for something sharp on the filthy floor. Finally, a rusty nail, which must have fallen from the door, was revealed to her and, almost bursting with sudden excitement and new-found courage, she placed the nail to the dirty skin on her arms, ripping it across in a savage motion. Blood welled from the deep but small wound, to be collected roughly with the tip of the nail, which she then used to scratch a singular word on the yellowing parchment of her notebook.

HELP