Disclaimer: HP/JKR Buffy/Whedon OCs/Me

Chapter 37: A Step Forward

11th December 2004

As it turned out, Harry didn't have to wait for Monday to speak to Sirius as less an hour after Cassandra had left, he received an urgent message asking him to portkey home. Sighing, Harry operated a portkey and headed for Sirius' office, presuming that it was going to be bad when he found both Lucy and Cassandra standing outside of Sirius' office. Harry gave Cassandra a brief consolatory smile before heading inside. "You wanted to see me, Sir?"

"Come in and sit down." Sirius didn't look or sound happy. "I've spoken briefly to Cassandra who outlined what happened on Friday night. I've also viewed both yours and her memories of the event. And I have to be honest, Harry, after taking everything into consideration, I believe you were far too harsh with your disciplinary action in Auror Jenkins' case. She had no idea of what Starr was capable of, and she even went as far as telling you about the bet and accompanying you to the bar."

Harry realized that if Sirius was changing the decision he had made, then Harry had overreacted. "You believe I took my anger out on her, don't you, Sir?"

"That's something of an understatement," Sirius snapped. He hadn't meant to snap but he was tired as Faith had been unwell during the night, and having to come into work every weekend while Harry was away, was taking its toll. "I'd therefore like you to rescind Auror Jenkins' disciplinary action. I'm sure Michaela will agree with me that you were far too severe."

Harry let out a long sigh. "Do you want me to revoke Trainee Viking's punishment as well, Sir?"

"No, she was aware of her brother's capabilities, and even though I know she was frightened of him, she should've told someone. Your punishment isn't particularly harsh, so I'm letting it stand. I'll also be accepting her transfer."

"Thank you, Sir." Harry had been worried that Sirius would refuse it.

Sirius, however, hadn't quite finished. "As for the others, while I agree that you were correct in assigning Trainees Bradford and Starr the punishments you did, again I can't agree with what you did in Auror Page's case. I'd like this changed to three months suspension without pay, a nine month warning period, and if she messes up during this time, only then will your original penalty come into play."

Harry disagreed. "Sir, I believe that Auror Page was as culpable as Starr, and I think that her punishment should stand."

"It's not up for debate, Auror Sebastian. I want my revised punishment instigated."

Harry unwillingly backed off. "I'll tell Chief Bradford, Sir." Harry then wondered if Sirius would agree with him about his daughter. "And Cassandra?"

"I think you went overboard with her as well." Sirius knew that he too would have been angry if Cassandra had spoken to him that way, but he still believed that Harry had overcompensated. "I know we have to take care when it comes to disciplining Cassandra so as not to show favoritism but contrary to what both you and my daughter obviously believed, I wouldn't have come down so hard on her. It certainly isn't the first time someone's gotten drunk while on assignment, and I'm damn sure it won't be the last."

"I'm sorry, Sir," Harry apologized.

Sirius passed over a piece of paper. "Again, I'm going to change your decision. First of all, I agree with your change of Mentor for her. This is a copy of my recommendation for Cassandra's new Mentor."

Harry looked down at the paper. "You're going to be her Mentor, Sir?"

"Not exactly." Sirius set out what he was planning to do. "Because Cassie doesn't go out into the field, I believe she'll benefit from working in the various departments that we deal with. It'll help give her some insight into the paperwork she's handling, and so I'm going to assign the department heads to be her Mentor for the week she's working in the department. They will, however, report back to me."

"When will she start, Sir?" Harry asked, finding it tedious adding 'Sir' to everything but well aware as this was official, he had to show Sirius the deference the same respect he himself expected under similar circumstances.

"When she's finished her two week stint in cleaning duties, and after the Christmas break, a further two weeks on the night desk." Sirius laid out the revised punishment he had decided on for his daughter. "And also after I've torn a strip off her for her appalling behavior."

"I'm surprised that you're going to do that after what you've just said, Sir."

"She still needs to know that I'm disappointed in her." Sirius then picked up Lucy Viking's transfer and signed it. "You can take this back with you and give it to Chief Bradford today. Tell her I'll be seeing her on Monday morning."

Harry took the paper and slipped it into his inside pocket. "Do you need me for anything else, Sir?"

Sirius did. "Do you agree with me that you've made several serious judgments of error in how you handled this?"

"Not really, Sir," Harry said truthfully, and he then wondered if it was now his turn to be punished.

"Well, I do, and I'm not even going to bother to ask if you've got anything to say in your defense, as I don't believe you have." Sirius was aware that despite Harry's agreement to the changes, Harry's blunt response made it perfectly clear that Harry still was unhappy about the changes. "I admit I was tempted to assign you to join Cassandra for a week of cleaning duties, but I've decided against it as I need you back here. However, I'd like for you to think long and hard about this incident and make sure that it doesn't happen again. Having once headed up BritAD, I'd have expected you to be a little more objective than you actually were."

"Yes, Sir." Aware that as far as Cassandra was concerned, Sirius was actually right, and so Harry had little choice except to agree with Sirius' comments.

"Before you leave, you can take your memories back." Sirius effectively dismissed Harry.

"Thank you, Sir." Harry got up and went to retrieve his memories, only for Sirius to change his mind.

"Actually, please leave them." Sirius also stood up and picked up the pensieve, moving it to his desk. "And send Trainee Viking in on your way out."

"Yes, Sir." Harry opened the door and told Lucy to go in. Glancing behind him as the door shut, he let out a deep breath. "I'm glad to get out of there."

Cassandra knew it had to be bad if Harry was expressing such a sentiment. "He didn't really say much when I told him... just to wait out here."

"He's really not happy, Cass," Harry warned her. "I'd better go. If he catches me out here talking to you, then I'm going to be in more trouble than I already am."

At Harry's words, Cassandra changed her assessment of the situation from bad to catastrophic. "I'll see you later."

"I'll go to your place." Harry then apparated out to Cassandra's apartment, leaving Cassandra alone.

Sirius glanced up as Lucy came in but didn't make an offer for her to sit down, leaving her standing in front of him. "I'm Commander Black."

"Trainee Viking, Sir." Lucy's voice shook.

"I'm well aware of who you are, Viking," Sirius told the girl." And I've reviewed Auror Sebastian's memories of the whole incident, and I'm of the opinion that you got off lightly. But I'm willing to stand by his decision."

Lucy felt relief flood through her but wisely said nothing as Sirius continued. "In the interests of keeping the good relationship I have with Chief Bradford, I've reluctantly agreed to your transfer. But I just want you to know that if I ever find you drawn to my attention for the wrong reason, you won't know what hit you. Do I make myself clear, Viking?"

Lucy half wished he had refused. "Yes, Sir."

"You're dismissed. Please send Auror Black in on your way out," Sirius ordered.

"Yes, Sir." Lucy almost ran to get out of the room. She turned to Cassandra as she left the room. "You're to go in."

"Wait for me here." Cassandra hadn't taken Lucy to her home yet, as the portkey had taken them both directly to the Ministry.

On entering the room, Cassandra shut the door and went to stand in front of her father. "You wanted to see me, Sir?"

Sirius immediately launched into a diatribe. "I do, Auror Black. I allowed you to go to USAD against my better judgment because I felt guilty about my negligent behavior and because I upset you. But my behavior pales in significance to what you did."

Cassandra knew that she was in serious trouble if Sirius was calling her by her formal title. "I'm sorry, Sir."

Sirius ignored her apology. "Do you have any idea of the trouble that you've caused?"

"I didn't make the bet, Sir," Cassandra protested.

"Shut up, Auror Black." Sirius didn't want to hear it. "Starr would've had no chance of fulfilling that bet if you hadn't been so bloody stupid as to go out to a bar on your own, especially after you told Auror Sebastian that you were going to your room."

"I didn't want to listen to him with her, Sir."

"I gathered that from watching your memory." Sirius got up and stood over his daughter. "You should have put up a silencing spell, not gone out."

"I'm old enough to look after myself, Sir." Cassandra knew she wasn't doing herself any favors by arguing but she couldn't help it.

Sirius grabbed Cassandra's wrist and pulled her into the pensieve with him, activating the memory of her with her hands slid under the back of Duncan's shirt as they kissed. "Does that look as if you're old enough to look after yourself?"

Filled with shame, Cassandra hung her head. "No, Sir."

"If Auror Viking hadn't interceded, and Harry hadn't come to get you, do you know where this would have ended?" Sirius' voice began to get louder.

"Yes, Sir." Cassandra was unable to deny it.

"And what would have happened if you'd gotten pregnant?" Sirius snarled. "You'd have had to marry him, or at the very least give birth to his child."

Cassandra paled at the thought of either option. "I'm sorry, Dad."

"Not as sorry as I am." Sirius took a deep breath. "Despite the authority Michaela Bradford gave to Harry, I'm now going to have to portkey over to USAD to make certain that he hasn't rocked the boat with his punishments."

Cassandra stuck up for Harry. "But Harry hasn't done anything wrong."

"He went too far in your defense," Sirius informed his daughter. "I don't know if you realize it, Cassandra, but what you've done has had serious repercussions for far too many people."

"I've said I'm sorry." Cassandra knew that Sirius hadn't finished though as Sirius interrupted her.

"I warned you about Harry; I said that you'd get hurt." Sirius wished his daughter had listened to him. "But I have to be honest, and admit that I didn't expect it to lead to something as astronomically stupid as the stunt you pulled."

Cassandra dropped her head as she couldn't bear to look at Sirius but she still couldn't avoid hearing the disappointment saturating his voice. "You're really angry with me, aren't you?"

Sirius thought that that was an understatement. "Incensed comes closer."

Cassandra lifted her head to look at her father. "Are you going to punish me?"

"As a father, believe me, I was tempted." Sirius had been appalled at how Cassandra had spoken to Harry. "But as Harry's already spanked you, I'm not going to go that far, even though I think you deserved it after hearing the language you used." When Cassandra said nothing, Sirius continued. "And if that wasn't bad enough, you should've known better than to pull a wand on Harry. It's one of the most basic rules of training."

"I know, Sir." Cassandra knew the rules by heart.

"It didn't look like it," Sirius snapped. "Let's get out of here. I don't need reminding of how foolish you've been."

Shaking, Cassandra emerged from the pensieve and stood in front of the desk as Sirius sat down. "Dad…"

Sirius held up his hand. "I don't want to hear it, Cassandra. Words can't even begin to describe how disappointed I am in you. It hurts to know that I can't trust you."

Cassandra was more upset by Sirius' words than by Harry's punishment. "Dad, I…"

Again Sirius stopped her with a gesture. "I haven't finished yet. Cassandra, along with Harry, you were one of the two people I thought would be an asset to BritAD, but instead you turn out to be its worst example. I feel let down by you, both as a father and as your employer."

At Sirius' final sentiment, Cassandra burst into tears, but Sirius ignored them and continued. "However, I still don't agree with the decision Harry made about your disciplinary action. I'm therefore changing it to two weeks in cleaning duty, and two on the night desk. And I will be taking over as your Mentor."

Cassandra managed to hiccup one word out in the middle of her sobs. "You?"

"Yes, Cassandra, me." Sirius then explained what he had told Harry. "However, your return to your position as my assistant is dependent upon the reports I receive on you. If you mess up, then you can look forward to more time cleaning boots. Is that clear?"

"Yes, Sir." Cassandra only just got her words out as huge sobs wracked her body.

Despite his anger, Sirius couldn't abide seeing Cassandra so upset, and even though he knew he shouldn't, especially after lecturing Harry about not being objective, he got up and embraced his daughter. "Why couldn't you have just stayed in?"

Cassandra clung to her father. "I wish I had. I'm so sorry I disappointed you, Dad."

Knowing that it was heartfelt, this time Sirius acknowledged Cassandra's apology. "Apology accepted. I think you should also apologize to Chief Bradford."

"I already have." Cassandra had done so when Michaela had taken her out of the room. "As well as Harry."

"Has Harry gone to your apartment?" Sirius rubbed Cassandra's back as she continued to cry.

Cassandra didn't answer but she nodded instead.

"I'm going to take you home then. I'll come back for Viking." Sirius knew that Lucy would be unable to get there on her own.

Cassandra let Sirius side-apparate her. Harry looked round as they apparated in.

"Take Cassie for me."

Harry immediately got up and took the sobbing Cassandra into his arms, leaving Sirius to go back for Lucy.

Lucy gulped as Sirius opened his door. "Sir?"

Sirius took her arm. "We're leaving."

A few moments later, Lucy found herself in a spacious apartment. Sirius pointed to the door to the spare room. "That's your room through there. There's a bathroom beyond it. The kitchen is there. Help yourself to anything you want." Not in the mood to indulge in small talk, Sirius then vanished.

Her legs shaking, Lucy collapsed on to the sofa just as Harry came out of Cassandra's room. "I've made a horrible mistake coming here."

"No, you haven't," Harry said gently. "Commander Black's said his piece now. Just keep under the radar and you'll do fine. Now do as Cass is doing, and go take a bath or a shower."

Lucy just wanted to escape from a horrible day, and she decided that she'd have a very early night. "Goodnight, Sir."

"Goodnight." Harry went back into Cassandra's bedroom and knocked on the bathroom door. "Cass, are you decent?"

"Hold on." Cassandra grabbed her wand and conjured more bubbles. "Come in."

Harry opened the door. "Are you all right now?"

Cassandra wiped away what was left of her tears. "Dad was more than a little rough on me, but I suppose I should've expected it."

"Yes, you should have." Harry sat on the edge of the tub.

Cassandra started to cry again. "Sorry."

Harry felt guilty and backpedaled. "Cass, it's over for now. And you should know that you weren't alone in messing up. Sirius sent me off with a flea in my ear."

Not expecting that, Cassandra's mouth fell open. "Dad punished you?"

"No, but the underlying message was that if I mess up like this again, he probably will do." While sitting waiting for Cassandra to arrive, Harry had thought about what he had done. In retrospect, he realized that he had been overprotective of Cassandra, and also angry at her for kissing Duncan. He also felt a great deal of guilt, as he was well aware that it would never have happened if he hadn't taken Tabitha back to the hotel suite. "He believes that I let my personal feelings for you dictate my actions."

"So what's going to happen?" Cassandra wiped her tears away.

"I've got to change some of the punishments I handed out." Harry then told Cassandra about what Sirius had told him to do. "So, even though I disagree with Sirius' decision, I'm going to have to bite the bullet and apologize to Michaela and to Tabitha. However, I meant what I said about not wanting to see Louise again. And I should also apologize to you. Cass, when I invited Tabitha back, I was being selfish and only thinking of myself. So I'm sorry for hurting you."

Cassandra decided to be honest with Harry. "Harry, when I heard you two together, it did hurt. It hurt that you preferred to be with her."

"Cass, it had nothing to do with preferring to be with her," Harry reached out and stroked Cassandra's face, "and everything to do with my attraction to you. I thought that if I pushed you away, my feelings for you would eventually fade. Instead I ended up spilling my guts to Tabitha and admitting that that wasn't the case." Harry stiffened. "Someone's just apparated in."

"Cassie?" Sirius' voice reached the couple's ears, as he called out to his daughter.

Harry stood up. "Cass, I've got to go. I'm supposed to report back to Michaela."

"Can you come back afterwards?" Cassandra wanted to continue talking now that they had started.

Also aware that they needed to talk, Harry agreed. "I'll be back as soon as I can." Harry then operated his return portkey and vanished.

Remembering her dad, Cassandra climbed out of the bath. "I'm in the bath, Dad. I'll be out in a second."

Sirius waited in the sitting room for Cassandra to use a hurried drying spell and to slip on a robe. "I realized that I just couldn't leave things as they were between us. So I came back to see if you were all right."

"I'm fine now," Cassandra assured her father. "Harry talked things through with me."

Sirius scowled. "He's in your bathroom?"

"No, Dad." Cassandra was glad that Harry had left. "He's returned to USAD."

"Good." Sirius relaxed. "I'm also here to issue an invitation to Sunday lunch tomorrow. Faith said that both you and Lucy are to come over."

Cassandra spared a glance at the spare room. "I'm not sure if that's a good idea."

"I've said what I needed to, Cassie. So I suggest that you simply chalk this up to experience and put it behind you. The same goes for Miss Viking." Sirius placed a hand on his daughter's shoulder. "So tomorrow, bring her over. Lunch will be at two."

"Okay, Dad." Cassandra found herself being pulled into a hug. "Thanks for coming back to see me."

"I knew you'd end up fretting all night, if I didn't." Sirius kissed Cassandra on the forehead. "Now I suggest you get some sleep, and I'll see you both tomorrow. Goodnight, Cassie."

"Goodnight, Dad."

Meanwhile, Harry had arrived back at USAD where he headed off to see if Michaela was still there. She was. Harry subsequently told her what Sirius had demanded.

Michaela thought about what Sirius had asked. "I don't agree. You handled the situation in a manner I thought was appropriate. But given Sirius' standing, I'll have to give his recommendations some consideration."

Although he was glad to hear that someone thought he had been right, Harry still wanted to bang his head on the table in frustration. "What would you recommend, Ma'am?"

After a few moments, Michaela told Harry of her final decision. "I'm going to leave the punishments standing for both my daughter and for Tabitha Jenkins. And as for Auror Page, I agree with you that she was as culpable as Starr, but she's a damn good Auror and I don't want to lose her over a stupid bet. I'm therefore going to with the revised decision that you considered yesterday. I also believe your punishment of Auror Black was appropriate. But given that she's his daughter, I'm reluctantly going to go with Sirius' ruling."

Michaela wrote out her decision and passed a copy to Harry. "I'm also going to personally firecall and tell Sirius he doesn't need to come over. In addition, I'm going to tell him that I think you handled the situation in a fitting manner, and that I was more than happy with your conduct. I'd have come down on them harder, to be truthful."

"Thanks for letting me know that."

"You're welcome, Harry. And now we have that little unpleasantness out of the way, will I still see for you for Sunday dinner tomorrow?"

"One o'clock?" Harry checked that he had got the time right.

"One o'clock," Michaela confirmed. "You're dismissed, Harry."

Harry smiled and headed off to buy sandwiches and wine, which he took with him when he portkeyed back to Cassandra's. Knocking on Lucy's door, he discovered that she was fast asleep, and he left her a note on the kitchen table telling her that he had put her some food in the fridge.

When Harry opened Cassandra's door, she too was sleeping. Harry put down his things, the sound of the rustling bag, disturbing her. "Are you all right?"

"Just tired." Cassandra sat up. "Dad came back and invited Lucy and me to lunch tomorrow. He said that he's said everything he going to but I'm not so sure, especially as he's got to go over to USAD."

"Michaela said that he doesn't have to. She's going to tell him that she's more than happy with how I've handled things, and that she would've been harsher."

Cassandra could see that had pleased Harry. "I bet she thought Dad went easy on me."

"She wouldn't have changed what I'd originally set out," Harry clarified. "As it is, despite your dad's recommendations, she's only changed Page's punishment, and you can give him this, which outlines that fact, although I'm certain Michaela will have told him that by now." Harry placed the copy of Michaela's decision on the chest of drawers. "And now that that's sorted, and given what's happened, tonight might be a good time to try and sort things out between us."

"Okay then." Cassandra looked expectantly at Harry. "Are you going to start or shall I?"

Harry could see that Cassandra obviously had something she needed to say. "You can."

Cassandra started with her most obvious question. "If you liked me, why did you keep pushing me away?"

Harry thought for a few moments before answering, "Because up until today, I was your Mentor, Cass, to say nothing of the fact that Sirius would have a meltdown if I was to get involved with you."

"I'm well aware of that." Cassandra got up off the bed, and even though she was nervous, she decided to be blunt about how her feelings for Harry. "But you're not my Mentor now, and this isn't about what Dad wants, this is about what we want. And I know that I want to be with you, Harry, and not just as your friend. I've tried to ignore how I feel about you and I've tried dating other people but you're the person I want to be with. And I've felt like this almost since we started working together."

Harry's feelings also dated back almost as far. "And I've been attracted to you for almost as long, but given time I hoped that the attraction between us would eventually fade."

"It hasn't though, has it?" Cassandra knew that Harry hadn't realized that for her it was more than attraction.

"No." Harry went to run his hand through his hair. "Not on my side anyway."

"And as I've already said, nor on mine." From his actions, Cassandra could see that Harry was agitated. "When I'm with you all I know is that I'm happy."

"And I'm happy when I'm with you," Harry admitted.

Cassandra's heart felt as if it wanted to dance for joy at Harry's words. "Harry, I…"

Harry interrupted her. "I haven't finished yet." Harry put his hands on Cassandra's waist. "Cass, when I'm with you, I want to hold you all the time. When we watch TV together, I don't ask you if you want to cuddle up with me to keep warm; I do it so that I can feel you against me."

Cassandra's heartbeat began to increase. "I like it when you hold me like that."

"And I like that you like me doing it." Harry kissed Cassandra's forehead. "Cass, before this goes any further, you should be aware that whatever decision we make tonight is going to have consequences."

Cassandra lifted her head up to look at Harry. "I know that."

"I'm not sure you do." And Harry wanted to make sure that she really did understand. "If we take this step, we can't ever go back to the type of relationship we have now. Things will always be different. Are you willing to risk our friendship because if things don't work out between us, then that's what might be at stake."

"I don't know." Cassandra bit her lip. "I just know that I can't keep ignoring this. What do you want?"

Harry knew exactly what he wanted. "I want to spend time with you, and I want to have a relationship with you that goes beyond friendship."

"And I want the same." Cassandra then closed her eyes as Harry lowered his head and kissed her. After a while, one kiss became two, and two, three. Cassandra eventually lost count as she molded herself to Harry's body, moaning as his mouth left hers to travel down her throat.

At the sound, Harry pulled away. "I think that perhaps I should go."

Cassandra protested. "I don't want you to go."

Harry gave a tiny, rueful smile. "Cass, if I stay, we're going to end up making love."

Cassandra smiled nervously. "I've never..."

Harry cut her off. "I know, Cass." Harry gently kissed Cassandra again. "Cass, I mean it when I say that I want more from you than friendship but because I care about you, I think you should take some time to think about this."

Cassandra was confused. "Why?"

Harry was mindful that Cassandra wasn't going to like what he was about to say. "Because as I've told you before, your first time should be with someone you love and who loves you. And as much as I care about you, I can't lie and tell you that I love you."

Cassandra felt her heart contract at Harry's admission. "Harry, I don't want you to lie and tell me that you love me when you don't. I'd rather you were just truthful with me."

Harry used his fingertips to brush across Cassandra's lips, as he told her how he felt. "Cass, I care more for you than I do for anyone else, and I've never wanted anyone as much as I want you right now."

Cassandra had never been looked at before in the way Harry was staring at her, and she struggled to answer him. "I… I…"

Harry finally gave into what he really wanted. "Cass, can I spend the night with you?"

Cassandra swallowed hard, knowing that she'd probably eventually regret it if she said yes but that she'd regret it equally if she said no. Desire warred with commonsense, desire winning out. "Yes."

At Cassandra's declaration, Harry replaced his fingertips with his mouth as he pulled Cassandra into his arms to kiss her. As he did so, Cassandra locked her hands tightly behind Harry' neck trying to draw him deeper into the kiss. Harry responded by sliding his tongue in to tangle with Cassandra's and increasing the pressure. Harry knew that he was being a little rough and that Cassandra would probably have a bruised mouth in the morning. Cassandra, however, matched Harry's passion as she kissed him back just as fiercely.

Wanting to touch him, Cassandra began to run her hands over Harry's shirt, pulling open the buttons so that she could touch his chest, loving the way he felt under her fingers. Harry had the same need and instead of taking the time to unbutton her top, Harry ripped it open, the sound of tearing fabric making Cassandra flinch. "I'll buy you a new one," Harry promised before dropping his head to plant kisses over the lush curves of Cassandra's breasts before taking her nipple into his mouth.

Cassandra arched against Harry. "Oh, Harry!"

Cassandra's exclamation brought Harry back to himself yet again, and he felt guilty about what he was about to do, aware that he wouldn't be able to tell her that he loved her. "Cass, perhaps we shouldn't…"

"Not this time, Harry." Cassandra didn't want Harry to stop and grabbing his hair, she pulled his mouth back up to hers.

No more words were spoken as time almost seemed to pass by in a haze of frantic caresses and kisses. Harry eventually broke away from kissing Cassandra. "Now's the time to say no, Cass."

"I don't want to say no."

Harry picked Cassandra up and lowered her on to the bed, before casting contraceptive and silencing spells, and then dropping his wands on to the floor. After that, time blurred for Cassandra as Harry used his hands and mouth on her until, without any real memory of how it had happened, Cassandra found herself lying naked beneath Harry as they kissed repeatedly. All at once nerves assailed her as Harry gently nudged her legs apart, and the enormity of what she was about to do struck her full force. Harry sensed her withdrawal almost immediately. "Cass?"

"I'm frightened it's going to hurt." Cassandra could hear her voice shaking. "Stupid, isn't it?"

"No, it's not, especially as you don't know what to expect." Harry stroked her hair away from her face. "This first time might be a little uncomfortable but I'll do everything I can to try and make sure that it isn't." As much as he wanted to make love to her, Harry didn't want to pressure her. "However, I'll stop if you're not ready for this."

"No." Cassandra touched Harry's face. "I want to."

At her words, Harry resumed kissing and caressing Cassandra until she began to relax once more. Only once Cassandra had begun to cry out and arch against him seeking out something she didn't quite understand, did Harry move to join them together. Mindful that it would be better for her, Harry didn't stop until he was fully enclosed inside of her warmth before stilling to allow Cassandra to get used to the feeling.

After a few moments, the stinging sensation that had accompanied Harry's intrusion started to dissipate, and Cassandra kissed Harry, signaling without words that she wanted to go on. As he began to move, Cassandra remained motionless at first, not entirely sure of what to do. Before long, however, instinct took over and she began to move with Harry, moaning as Harry again covered her mouth with his. As heat began to build up inside of her, Cassandra didn't really know what was happening, she just knew that she ached. As she wriggled under Harry, he stopped, thinking he was hurting her. "Cass?"

Cassandra was almost frightened that Harry was going to leave her feeling like that. "Please don't stop, Harry." Harry understood then what was wrong and began to increase the pace. Almost immediately the same heat started to build once more inside of Cassandra. As the sensation grew more intense, Cassandra started to feel overwhelmed and grabbed at Harry's back in panic. "Harry, oh Merlin!"

Feeling her beginning to shake, Harry murmured against her throat, "Just relax and let it happen, Cass." Trusting Harry, Cassandra wrapped her legs more tightly around him and arched up to meet him. As she did so, waves emanating from the pit of her stomach seemed to radiate out all over her body, and crying out she sank her teeth into Harry's shoulder, unintentionally drawing blood. The most primal part of Harry reacted to the bite Cassandra had inflicted on him, and he was therefore caught off guard as his own release hit him moments later.

Surprised by the suddenness and intensity, Harry could do little except hold on tightly to Cassandra as he shook. As the feeling began to subside, and Harry got his breath back, he knew that he must getting heavy. Rolling to his side, he pulled Cassandra with him so that she was lying on her side facing him.

As he did so, Cassandra noticed the bite she had inflicted. "I'm sorry."

"It doesn't hurt and it'll soon heal." Harry brushed Cassandra's concern about the bite aside. "Are you all right?"

"Yes." Cassandra felt a tad tender but little more than that. Silence fell for a few minutes until Cassandra finally said something. "Does it always feel like that?"

"Most women's first times aren't that pleasant," Harry answered truthfully, having had sex with more than one virgin. "But they can be if their partner cares enough about their feelings to make it that way."

"Then thank you." Cassandra touched Harry's face, still not quite able to believe what they had just done. "I know you probably don't want to hear this but, Harry, I love you."

Harry felt his stomach go into freefall. "Cass…"

Cassandra put a finger over his lips. "Harry, I know how you feel about love, you've made it quite clear often enough. I'm not trying to make you feel guilty or trapped. I just wanted to be as honest with you as you were with me. I couldn't have made love with you without feeling like that about you."

Harry held Cassandra close. "I don't want to hurt you, Cass."

"You won't, Harry." Cassandra kissed his chest. "I knew what I was doing when I said I wanted you to stay."

Harry wasn't so convinced. "I do care about you, Cass."

"I know you do, Harry." Cassandra yawned and closed her eyes.

Despite what she had told him, Harry couldn't help but smile to himself as Cassandra fell asleep within moments. "And I thought it was my job to fall asleep first." Harry tightened his hold on Cassandra before also falling asleep.

When Cassandra woke up the next day, Harry had already gone.

Cassandra headed into work where she greeted the man in charge of assigning what she had to do. "Good morning, Auror Grant."

"Good morning, Auror Black." Richard Grant handed her a piece of paper. "This is your revised schedule for the remainder of your punishment."

"Thank you." Cassandra scanned down the paper and groaned. "What deity did I offend?"

"The one that put you here in the first place," Richard smiled. As Commander Black's daughter, he had expected Cassandra to be full of her own importance and to complain about what he had allocated her. Instead, she had quietly got on with everything he had assigned.

"I'd better head off then, Sir." Cassandra popped the paper into her pocket and headed for the training center where she had been assigned to help Harry with his physical training lessons. As she walked along, she wondered if Harry would treat her differently, especially as she hadn't seen him since they had slept together.

She certainly hadn't expected to see Harry so soon but as the students had exams on the Friday he was due back, and with Michaela's blessing, Harry had returned to BritAD three days earlier than he should have, mostly in order to save Sirius from having to go over the course material with the students in preparation for the exams. Harry had therefore sent a note to Cassandra saying that while he was coming back early, he'd not be returning from USAD until late the previous night, so he'd see her after work.

When Cassandra arrived at the classroom, she discovered that the lesson had already begun. As the lesson progressed, Cassandra discovered that she need not have worried about Harry's treatment of her, as she picked herself up off the floor for the third time.

Harry turned to the class. "Can anyone tell me what Auror Black did wrong?"

Lucy, who in addition to attending classes was also covering night duty, put up her hand. "She turned her back on you, Sir."

"Never ever turn your back on anyone." Harry stopped Cassandra from returning to her seat. "Auror Black, remain where you are." Harry turned back to the class again. "I'm now going to give a demonstration of how to deal with an attack from behind. Auror Black, if you wouldn't mind walking across the dais for me. When I attack you, react."

"What's permissible, Sir?" Cassandra enquired.

"As long as I can cure myself, then anything." Harry grinned to himself, not expecting Cassandra to be able to hurt him. "Off you go, Auror Black, and try to make it last as long as possible."

Having seen how quickly Harry usually dispatched his adversaries, the class sniggered to itself as Cassandra turned her back on Harry and she began walking.

Harry was on her within an instant, his hand snaking around her throat and one around her waist. Cassandra immediately dropped to one knee, grabbed Harry's arm by the shoulder, and threw Harry over her head, while at the same time she withdrew her spare wand and held it over him. "You're dead, Auror Sebastian." Cassandra was grinning triumphantly as she looked down at Harry.

The class was stunned. No-one had ever been able to take Harry down before.

"Normally, I'd agreed with you but not this time." As he spoke, Harry grabbed Cassandra's arm using it as a ladder to get up, before disarming and petrifying her. "So, class, please tell me what Auror Black failed to do."

Lucy put up her hand again. "She shouldn't have stopped to show off, Sir."

"And…" Harry asked.

One of the male trainees answered, "She should've disarmed you, and rendered you unable to fight back, in the same way you did with her, Sir."

"You're correct, Channing." Harry then released Cassandra from the spell and they shook hands. "You may sit down now."

Cassandra headed back for her chair, grateful to be out of the spotlight.

Harry turned to the class. "As Auror Black has just demonstrated, no-one is infallible. I might seem that way, but I'm not. If she had followed through, she would've beaten me. So who's next?"

Encouraged by Cassandra's actions, a slew of hands rose into the air and Harry picked one out. At the end of the demonstration, Harry dismissed the students for lunch.

He then turned to Cassandra. "I can't stop as I've got a lunch meeting with Sirius before coming back here, so I'll see you tonight." With his parting words, Harry disapparated.

When Harry arrived at her apartment, Cassandra wasn't in the sitting room as he expected. Knocking on her bedroom door, he waited for Cassandra to answer. When she didn't, he let himself in and realized that Cassandra was in the shower. Opening the bathroom door, he put his head into the room. "Cass?"

Cassandra gave a scream; she hadn't heard Harry with the water running. Pulling the towel around herself, she opened the shower door. "Harry, you frightened me."

"Sorry." Harry leant against the wall. "Would you like to go out to dinner tonight?"

"Once I've showered, I would." Cassandra didn't quite meet Harry's eyes as she responded.

Harry noticed and he walked across the room, placing his hands on Cassandra's upper arms. "I did warn you that things would change between us if we took that step."

"It's just..." Cassandra finally met Harry's eyes. "It was easier in class. You treated me the same and I knew what to do. Now I don't."

Harry could feel Cassandra trembling. "Just be yourself."

"But what I said to you after we'd..." Cassandra could feel that she wanted to cry. "I shouldn't have said it."

"Did you mean it?" Harry asked quietly.

Cassandra was unable to stop the tears that had been threatening. "If I say yes, then you're going to end it now, aren't you?"

"No, I'm not." Harry didn't want to as he felt differently about Cassandra than he had about anyone since Mione. "But I feel bad about not being able to say the same back to you."

Cassandra looked up, tearstains marring her cheeks. "Harry, I don't need to hear you tell me you love me, I just want to be with you."

"And I want to be with you." Harry released Cassandra's shoulders, and he used both of his thumbs to brush away the wetness that still coated her cheeks. "Did you finish showering?"

Cassandra nodded her head. "Yes."

"Pity. I was going to join you." Harry watched a delicate bloom flush Cassandra's cheeks. "Sometimes I forget how young you are."

Cassandra's face fell. "Does my age bother you?"

"Not at all."

There was something else that Cassandra had also wondered about. Gathering up her courage, she asked the question, "And does it bother you that I'm not like Tonks?"

Judging from the way that Cassandra was clinging tightly to her towel, Harry guessed that she was still going to be a little uncomfortable being naked around him, so he picked up Cassandra's robe. "Put this on." Harry turned away to let her pull it on.

Cassandra wrapped it around herself before tapping Harry on the shoulder. "I'm dressed."

"Come here." Harry took Cassandra's hand and led her outside to sit on the bed. "Cass, when we slept together, I knew that you had little to no experience of anything other kissing. If it had bothered me, I'd never have made love to you."

Cassandra knew quite a lot about what Tonks and Harry had gotten up to from talking to her cousin. "But Tonks said that you and she…"

"I think I can guess what Tonks said," Harry said, interrupting Cassandra. "And I'm not going to lie to you, Cass. Tonks was more than capable in the bedroom, and yes, I enjoyed the sex we had together. But it's different with you. I felt more of a connection with you when we made love than I ever did during my time with her or even with Seville for that matter."

Cassandra was surprised by Harry's words. "But Seville was your wife."

"It doesn't matter what she was." Harry leant forward and kissed Cassandra before continuing. "I feel closer to you than I ever felt to her. And that was before we even slept together."

"Harry, would you hold me?" Cassandra felt like crying again at Harry's words, and she really needed to be near to him.

Harry embraced Cassandra, feeling her relax against him. After a few minutes, he asked her the same question he had when he arrived. "Now would you like to go out to dinner?"

Cassandra shyly shook her head. "I'm not really that hungry right now."

"Would you like to stay in then?" Harry by now had moved his hands to the front of Cassandra's gown where the belt joined it together.

"I think so." Cassandra shivered as Harry undid her robe and his hands stole inside.

"Then we'll stay in." Harry pushed Cassandra's robe off her shoulders and he pulled her down on to the bed with him.

Harry apparated into Cassandra's apartment to find her alone. "Where's Lucy?"

"Hello to you too."

"Hello." Harry thought Cassandra looked tired. "Cleaning duty sucks, doesn't it?"

"Yes." Cassandra pulled a face. "During the last few days, I think every single person at BritAD must have filed past the boot and uniform room to get a look at me."

"That's why cleaning duty's assigned." Harry sat down. "If you're down there, then everyone knows that an Auror or Trainee has screwed up and they're being punished. And it's also why there are no house-elves in that section. There's always someone like you or me to do the grafting instead."

Cassandra's back was killing her. "You've done it before?"

"More than once," Harry revealed. "And believe me, I hated it as much as you did. I'm sure they found extra pairs of boots and the like just for me."

Cassandra laughed. "I thought the same. I've never unthreaded so many pairs of boots to clean them before in my life, and I had to do them by hand."

"It doesn't get any better," Harry warned. "But you'll be pleased to learn that even though I'm no longer your Mentor, Sirius thinks helping me will be a good way of keeping up with your combat techniques as you're not in the field. So you're going to be my classroom assistant and guinea pig every Friday from now on, so no cleaning duties on that day or night duties on a Thursday."

"Joy." Cassandra dropped on to the sofa as she thought about how much she ached after Harry's lessons. "Just like being back at school."

"Except no Snape," Harry reminded her. "Now are you going to tell me where Lucy is?"

"Dad chivvied the Corps into finding her a room in a house with several of the other students. She moved out last Tuesday. I thought you might have noticed on Wednesday." Cassandra knew that Sirius had done it for her so that she could have her privacy back, more than for Lucy.

"My mind was on other things." Harry grinned as he sat down with Cassandra. "Unfortunately I'm going to be busy tomorrow until goodness knows when but I'm only on a half day on Sunday, so do you want to go out to dinner with me then?"

"Don't tell me. You've got nothing in the cupboard and you can't be bothered to go shopping." Cassandra knew that her own cupboards were bare, and she had been too tired to go shopping herself, not usually getting home until almost nine. Lucy had done a little shopping but even that food had gone now, so Cassandra had been stopping at a local cafe to eat on the way home.

"You've got it in one." Harry stood up. "I'm off to shower and to try to get an early night."

Cassandra yawned again. "I'm hitting the shower and going to bed as well, Harry. So I'll see you on Sunday I suppose."

Harry gave her a slightly lecherous smile. "I wasn't exactly planning to go home and shower."

"I thought you wanted an early night," Cassandra pointed out.

"I do but I didn't say alone." Harry grabbed Cassandra around the waist. "So do you want shower with me?"

"Do I have a choice?" Cassandra started unbuttoning Harry's shirt.

"Not really," Harry said as threw Cassandra over his shoulder and headed for the bathroom.