Disclaimer: All recognizable characters and settings belong to J.K. Rowling.

Remus did apologize to Cassius, who forgave him for telling McKinnon about his Animagus abilities. Cass knew Remus hadn't meant to cause any problems and besides, he had other things to worry about. Cassius hadn't told anyone but he had been receiving more notes calling him a traitor. Anytime Draco asked who had been writing him, he lied and said it was Neville or Luna. But now the messages were changing. The notes had usually only one word on them. Liar. Murderer. Fake. But now they stating that he would pay, that he would suffer. He didn't know who was sending them and he was getting sick of them. He could admit to himself he was a little scared. He stuffed the latest one into his book bag. He knew he should tell Draco, but he knew his brother would be mad that he hadn't yet.

In the evening while they were in their quarters, Cassius approached his brother who was grading papers. "Um, Draco?"

"Yes?" Draco looked up, frowning at the nervous look on his brother's face.

"I need to show you something," Cassius said, holding out several sheets of paper.

Draco took them and looked through them. At first his expression was curious but then it changed to alarm. "What are these? Where did you find them?"

"I've been getting them sent to me," Cassius admitted. "Usually at breakfast."

"I thought you were getting letters from Hermione and Neville," Draco said, his eyes narrowing on his brother.

"Uh," Cassius fidgeted. "Hermione has written to me." he said weakly. "But the other notes I've been getting aren't from Neville or Luna. They're these ones."

"You lied to me? And kept these a secret?" Draco stood up. "What were thinking, Cass? If someone is threatening you, I need to know about it!"

"I didn't want to worry you," Cassius said weakly.

"We've talked about this! I need to know these things, especially when your safety is at risk Cassius!" Draco shook his head. "This is probably the same person who attacked you." He paced across the floor. "Do you recognize the owl who delivers them?"

"No, it looks like a regular barn owl," Cassius said.

"I'll meet with Uncle Sev and Professor McGonagall," Draco murmured, almost to himself. "We have to find out who is sending these." He stopped and glared at Cassius. "You should have told me, young man. And I can't believe you lied to me." Disappointment filled his voice.

Cassius felt horrible. "I'm sorry, Draco."

"What will it take, Cass? You need to trust me," Draco scolded. "And you need to be honest with me. I've told you how I feel about you lying to me. Apparently you need another lesson in this."

"No, I get it," Cassius said quickly but Draco was already sitting down in an armless chair.

"Come here, Cass," Draco ordered.

"No, please Draco," Cassius begged. He didn't want a smacking!

"You know the consequence for lying to me," Draco said sternly. "And to lie and hide threatening letters you are receiving...you know better! Come here!" He wasn't planning of being too hard on his brother, he just wanted to emphasize the importance of him being honest and especially not hiding something like this.

Cassius walked over, his head down. With one last pleading look at Draco, he bent over his brother's lap. When the first swat fell, he was grateful that Draco had let him keep his trousers on but soon even the trousers didn't help against the sharp swats that were falling on his poor backside. "Ow, ouch!" he cried, kicking his feet a little.

"I will not tolerate lies from you, Cassius," Draco lectured as he spanked his brother. "And you will not keep any type of threats against you from me. Do you understand?" He focused the last of the swats on Cassius's sit spots and thighs.

"Yes! I'm sorry" Cassius sobbed. The swats suddenly stopped and he felt Draco rub his back soothingly.

"Okay, cub. It's over," Draco said softly. He helped Cassius stand up and then his younger brother threw himself into his arms, crying and apologizing. "I forgive you, Cass. Just don't lie to me anymore, all right?" he said softly, his arms going around his brother and holding him tight.

"I didn't want you to worry about me more than you already were," Cassius sniffled after a moment.

"I'm your big brother, it's my job," Draco kissed the top of his head. "I'm also your guardian and I need to know if there are threats against you. I can't do my best to protect you if I don't know. I need to be able to trust that you will tell me these things immediately."

"I know," Cassius said. "I'm sorry."

After holding his cub for another couple of minutes, Draco let him go and stood up. "Why don't you go and wash your face? I want us to go to the Headmistress's office and tell her what is going on." he said gently.

"Okay," Cassius agreed.

"We'll get through this Cass. I'll do whatever it takes to keep you safe," Draco promised.

"I know, Dray."

/

"We will have to monitor this very carefully," McGonagall said, her brows furrowed as she read the notes. "Perhaps we could put a tracker on the the owl who delivers them, if another gets delivered." she suggested.

"It's worth a try," Snape said. "It could be someone is just trying to scare you but there is also the possibility that this could be a very real threat to your safety." He eyed Cassius sternly. "I'm not pleased that this is the first we are hearing of it."

Cassius shuffled closer to Draco. "I'm sorry," he said softly.

Draco put his arm around Cass. "If he receives anymore notes, he will tell us right away. Right, Cass?"

"Right," Cassius said, averting his eyes. He hoped his godfather and Headmistress couldn't tell he had been crying. That would be completely embarrassing. He listened quietly as they discussed who could be behind the notes and what the odds were that it was who had attacked him. They even speculated that perhaps it was the two remaining death eaters, Jugson and Gibbons.

"Do you have any ideas, Cassius?" Draco asked his brother.

Cassius shook his head. "No."

"Is there anyone going out of their way to bother during the day? A student?" McGonagall asked.

"Not really," Cassius answered, thinking. "A seventh year Slytherin made a comment once...Alfie and Emrys make comments during class sometimes but that's it. And I don't think Professor McKinnon likes me."

"What is this?" Snape asked in surprise.

Draco explained about how McKinnon had treated Cassius.

Snape looked thoughtful. "She sounds like me when Harry Potter started school," he said dryly. "Perhaps she already believed you would be a disobedient, lazy student and won't let herself see that you are not like that at all." he said to Cassius.

"Maybe." Cassius agreed.

"I hate to think she is like that," McGonagall frowned. "She was a sweet girl in school."

Snape waved a hand dismissively. "Bill Weasley should be back soon and she will be gone."

/

In Transfiguration, Mckinnon didn't say anything to him. In fact, she didn't pay any attention to him at all. Even when he raised his hand to answer a question, she never called on him. When his latest essay came back with an A, he frowned. He was sure it was better than that. After class, he told his friends to wait out in the hall for him. He approached her. "Professor?"

"What is it, Mr. Malfoy?"

"About my essay, can you show me what is wrong with it? I worked really hard on it," Cassius said honestly.

"Did you?" McKinnon hissed.

Cassius took a step back. "My brother didn't do my work, if that's what you mean."

"Sure he didn't," McKinnon rolled her eyes. "You know, you really are an annoying child. I came here to see if you were sorry for what you did and you're not, are you?"

"Sorry for what?"

"For being a traitor, for being a murderer!" McKinnon snapped.

Cassius's eyes widened. "You sent me those notes!"

"Of course I did," McKinnon said smugly. "I enjoyed seeing the fear in your eyes when you received them. You deserved it."

"For what?" Cassius gasped. "It's not my fault I'm not Harry Potter."

"No. But it is your fault Sirius Black is dead!" Mckinnon nodded at Cassius's horrified look. "It's your fault. He went to the Ministry for you and lost his life. And the fact you are a Malfoy makes it worse, he would have hated you!"

"Remus doesn't think that," Cassius said although his deep fear was that she was right.

"Remus," McKinnon eyes softened. "Such a sweet man but completely fooled by you. You know now he is keeping his distance from me? Because of you! First Sirius Black is dead because of you, a man I loved and now Remus is turning me away!" She yelled.

"Cassius?" Jason asked from the doorway.

McKinnon waved her hand and the door slammed shut and locked. She focused back on Cassius. "Sirius and I dated seventh year. We drifted a part and then he was in Azkaban. I thought we would get another chance when I heard whispers about his innocence but then that night at the Ministry happened. Because Sirius cared about you and your stupidity got him killed!"

"I thought he was danger, I went to the Ministry to save him," Cassius whispered. "I loved him. He was family to me."

"He hated the Malfoys," McKinnon spat. "He would have hated you too, if he had known. And now Remus, I tried to turn him against you. To make him see what a vile little boy you are but he is just too kindhearted."

"I wonder what he will think of what you're doing now?" Cassius asked sarcastically.

"Shut up!" McKinnon cast a painful stinging hex at him.

Cassius put up a shield. "Expelliarmus!" he shouted.

McKinnon evaded the spell and cast a cutting hex. She gave a shout of frustration when Cassius deflected it.

"Stupefy!" Cassius yelled.

"Protego!" McKinnon smirked. "You know, Bill Weasley is returning. Maybe I should cause an accident like I did with Weasley with your brother and take over potions."

"You caused Bill to fall?" Cassius asked incredulously. She was insane! "You won't hurt my brother, I won't let you!"

"You're just a child," McKinnon laughed.

"And yet I took out Voldemort," Cassius shot back. He didn't mention he didn't defeat Voldemort with a dual.

McKinnon hesitated.

Suddenly the door blew open and Draco burst in. "Stupefy!" he shouted, knocking McKinnon out. "Cass, are you all right?" he asked anxiously, grabbing his brother's shoulders and looking him over.

"I'm okay," Cassius said, hugging his brother. "None of her spells hit me."

"Merlin," Draco glared at McKinnon's unconscious body.

"Are you okay Cassius?" Jason, Enzo and Sadie were gawking at their substitute on the floor.

"I'm good," Cassius looked at his brother. "Dray, the notes were from her."

"What?" Draco's eyes widened. "Did she say why?"

Cassius couldn't help the tears the filled his eyes. "She cared for Sirius and blames me for his death. It was my fault he died," he said and he hid his face against Draco, not wanting his friends to see him cry.

"No cub, that wasn't your fault," Draco said, rubbing soothing circles on his back. "It wasn't. You were tricked and Sirius went there because he loved you and wanted to help. I didn't know him but from what I've heard, he would never blame you."

When McKinnon finally began to stir, she woke to find McGonagall, Snape, and Remus surrounding her.

"You have a lot to answer for, Miss McKinnon," McGonagall said frostily.

/

Cassius was sitting and trying to focus on homework when Draco came in, after attending a meeting with Professor McGonagall. Dobby had been asked to keep an eye on him and kept offering him snacks and drinks.

"Thank you Dobby," Draco gave the elf a tired smile. "You can go now."

"Yes sir. Dobby is always happy to see Cassius," Dobby grinned and popped away.

"So what happened?" Cassius asked anxiously.

"Well, it's been decided that McKinnon will be sent to St. Mungo's for a mind healer to observe her. She will also be charged with attacking Bill Weasley and you." Draco sat next to Cassius.

"So she's mental?"

"She had a breakdown," Draco clarified. "Her family was killed by death eaters last year and that coupled with her grief about Sirius made her lose it. She focused all her grief and anger on you, even though none of it was your fault."

"Sirius was," Cassius said softly.

"No, cub. That was not your fault." Draco said firmly. "You were tricked by Voldemort and Bellatrix was the one who killed him. They were at fault, not you. It was war, Cass. And unfortunately, there are casualties in war. But Remus told me today how much Sirius loved you, how proud he was of you. That's what you need to hold onto, okay?"

Cassius gave him a tentative smile. "I'll try. So was she the one who attacked me?"

"Actually, she says she wasn't responsible for that." Draco frowned. "Which means we still need to find out who did it."

"You must regret finding out I'm your brother at times," Cassius joked. He was surprised when Draco pulled him close, staring at him with stern eyes.

"Never. The only thing I regret is not finding out sooner," Draco said firmly. "Don't say that again." he scolded.

"I was just kidding," Cassius shrugged. "Although, I do seem to come with a lot of problems."

"Cass, I've never been happier than when I found out who you are," Draco said seriously. "You don't bring me problems, you bring me joy. You're the best thing in my life."

Cassius snuggled next to his brother, laying his head on his shoulder. "I feel the same, Dray."

/

A week passed and Bill Weasley returned to teaching. Talk of McKinnon had waned and the only thing left to worry about was who had vanished Cassius's bones. Hogsmeade weekend approached and Cassius approached Draco a little hesitatingly. "Draco, it's Hogsmeade weekend."

Draco sighed and put down his quill. "I know."

"Did you sign my permission slip?" Cassius asked hopefully.

"Cass, we still don't know who attacked you," Draco said.

"But Draco -" Cassius stopped when Draco simply held up his hand.

"You can go on one condition. I go with you."

Cassius made a face. "You're going to babysit me?"

"I'm going to stay near you and your friends, just in case," Draco said. "Actually, Hermione wrote and will be there as well."

"She will?" Cassius perked up. He would love to catch up with Hermione.

"Yes. We'll both stay near you guys." Draco gave a laugh at the look on Cassius's face. "It's not like I'm going to hold your hand or anything, Cass." he rolled his eyes.

"I guess it won't be that bad."

"Hey, it's not like I'm some stuffy adult. I'm cool," Draco sniffed.

"Sorry Dray, you're old and boring now," Cassius teased. He squealed when Draco cast a tickling hex at him. "I mean, you're the coolest and most awesome adult I know!"

"That's what I thought you said," Draco said smugly.

Cassius gave his brother a mock glare. Then he slowly smiled. "So, Hermione will be there. Is this like a date? Maybe you're the one who needs supervision." He scurried out of the room to escape another tickling hex, laughing.

TBC: The next chapter will be the last one in this story!