Chapter 3

Private Conversations

Cassiopeia stood admiring the multitude of paintings that lined the walls of the main hallway. Some of the subjects in the paintings noticed her and there was some movement from frame to frame as some of the images in the paintings tried to get a better look at the elf in their midst. She heard murmuring from behind her and turned in time to see a painting that had only a few moments ago been a portrait of one of Hogwart's former Professors become a gathering of many faces from many different times. All of them were staring at her.

"They are just curious," a gentle elderly voice reassured her and she spun around to come face to face with Albus Dumbledore. "House elves they have seen, but never one of the Sidhe."

Cassiopeia was happy to see him. Walking around the empty stone hallways with eyes from the magical paintings following her every movement had given her the creeps. She had seen wizard art before but not so much of it at once nor had any of the paintings responded to her presence in the ways these ones did.

"I know this is going to sound silly, but I'm not used to being watched by art," she told him still keeping careful tabs on the paintings that were eyeing her intently.

"Give them a few days and they will leave you alone," he replied. "Anything new interests them. By the end of the week they will barely note your passing."

She chucked softly. "I hope so. It would be very difficult to have to pass through these halls every day with them staring at me."

"Care to walk with me a bit?"

She took his proffered arm and smiling warmly up at him replied, "Yes. Thank you." They walked for a while and Cassiopeia continued, "I'm sorry I never joined my father when he came to see you during summer holidays. I think I would have found this place a lot less overwhelming had I spent some time here while I was growing up."

"It would have been nice to have both my son and granddaughter here together but it wasn't like we never saw each other. I very much enjoyed my visits to the Arcadia," he told her and his blue eyes twinkled with mischief as he added, "And the weather there in the summer is much nicer than it is here."

She laughed. She paused in their walk and asked, "Does anyone at the school know we're related?"

He nodded. "I told our senior faculty, but no one else. If the students were to find out, they would wonder how an old codger like me wound up with such a beautiful granddaughter."

"Magic," she teased and he chuckled.

"Magic, indeed," he agreed.

As they walked towards the hallway leading to her chamber, Cassiopeia noticed movement out of the corner of her eye. She stopped walking and Dumbledore looked at her concerned.

"Is something wrong?" he asked.

The hallway behind them was lit only by torchlight and there were many shadows to provide a hiding spot for anyone wishing to follow them. Cassiopeia felt the presence of someone behind them. She reached out with the Mind Sight granted her by her Sidhe ancestry and saw who it was that was carefully tracing their movements. She relaxed visibly and released her grandfather's arm saying, "I can manage the rest of the way on my own. I'll see you in the morning."

Dumbledore glanced back at where they just passed and, although his own magical senses were quite keen, he couldn't see what she could. However, he knew there was someone there waiting in the shadows. He also could tell by the way Cassiopeia was trying not to look behind her that whoever was following her had matters of the heart in mind. Dumbledore knew the Sidhe were full of tricks to keep prying eyes from seeing them. Apparently Cassiopeia had a would-be suitor pursue her across the Veil into the human world and he was now inside Hogwarts. Judging from her reaction, this gentleman was someone she very much wanted to see.

Whoever the lucky elf was that captured her heart, he was someone Dumbledore would have to be introduced to at another time. He kissed her on the top of her head like he did when she was little saying, "Sleep well, Cassie. I will see you at breakfast."

She gave him a warm smile and her green eyes sparkled in the firelight. "Good night," she said softly and watched him until he disappeared around the corner. Once he was out of sight, she said, "You can stop hiding now."

The gray stone of the wall to her left rippled like a stone hitting a calm pool of water and revealed the leather-clad form of Hiro Yui. He approached her quietly saying, "We need to talk."

Cassiopeia let out a long sigh. "Hiro, I'm not angry at you for leaving. I really wish you would accept the fact that I forgave you for returning my favor to become the champion for your Temple."

He took her hand and dropped to one knee before her like a knight before his queen. "I am and forevermore your servant, Lady of the Great Lake," he said in a soft intense voice. "The Temple commands my body and mind but my heart is my own to give. And it is to you I give it."

Cassiopeia drew him close to her, his head buried against her stomach. She caressed his shaggy hair saying, "We must walk the paths chosen for us by the gods. For now, we walk apart but no one knows what the future holds. The roads we travel may cross again."

Hiro gazed up at her. She was smiling at him and with the torchlight glinting off her golden tresses; she looked like the living incarnation of a Christian angel. He rose to his feet saying, "Each day that passes I hope brings me closer to the time the roads we walk will lead us to each other once more. When I left the Arcadia, it was like I left a part of myself behind. I will not be whole again until I return."

"The part of you left that lies in the Arcadia is now within me. I will keep safe in my heart until the day you return to my realm," she promised.

He tentatively reached out to touch her cheek and her eyes closed as he gently caressed her. Cassiopeia wanted him as badly as he wanted her but they were not someplace where they could freely express their affection. With the eyes of ever painting upon them, Cassiopeia and Hiro embraced and the fires of old burned anew when their lips met in a deep kiss. As they stood there illuminated in the torchlight, their entwined bodies looked like one being and it was like time had never passed for with of them.

"Told you we would find your wand if we just retraced out steps," Hermione said in an I-told-you-so voice. The wand was found lying in the cracks of the floor stones not ten feet from the doorway to the Great Hall. When Ron got it back he made sure it went in the robe pocket that didn't have a hole.

"I'll have to get this pocket patched," Ron commented as they headed back to Gryffindor Tower.

"Can you sew?" asked Hermione.

"No…but I know a Mend cantrip!" Ron said proudly. "My Mum is great at cantrips. Especially ones that have to do with housework."

Harry chuckled. He remembered seeing the dishes that washed themselves, self motivated knitting needles and other items when he visited the Burrow. Mrs. Weasley was very good at household magic. "Well, then you can fix your pocket when we get back to the dorm," Harry said looking around as they walked the hall. "We'll have to be careful Filch doesn't catch us. We don't have the invisibility cloak to hide under if we spot Mrs. Norris."

"Then we'll have to be quiet," Ron whispered and the three of them walked as softly as they could down the hall.

As they rounded the corner they stopped dead in their tracks when they saw Hiro Yui and Cassiopeia of the Great Lake locked in an embrace. Harry and Ron exchanged a shocked look and Hermione's jaw was visibly hanging open at the sight. Well, now she knew why Hiro was ignoring all the attempts made by the Slytherin girls to throw themselves at him all through dinner. Hiro already had a lady he loved and Hermione knew no human witch could ever hope to compete with a Sidhe sorceress. If it were anyone but the Slytherins she would tell them the truth. However, as far as Hermione was concerned, Pansy Parkinson and her crowd deserved to waste the summer chasing after a man they don't have a prayer of catching.

Ron broke the silence whispering, "Not even here a day and he managed that!"

"They knew each other from before," Harry said. "They spent all of dinner not looking at each other."

"Bloody hell!" Ron exclaimed. "I'd like to hear him tell us how he met up with her!"

Harry grinned and they fell silent again. They peered around the corner being careful not to be seen. Hiro and Cassiopeia separated and walked together hand in hand down the hallway toward what the trio gathered was her living quarters.

Once they were out of sight, Ron commented, "Guess who isn't going to be at Slytherin House tonight!"

Hermione rolled her eyes. Exasperated, she said, "Let's go before we get caught!"

Harry and Ron didn't need much prodding to get moving swiftly back to Gryffindor Tower. Harry didn't want to get caught by Filch and get detention and Ron was bursting to tell everyone in the Common Room what he'd seen in the hall. Once they got in past the Fat Lady, Ron sought out his brothers Fred and George and told them what he saw. Their eyes bugged out in surprise and soon all of Gryffindor House knew about the romance between Hiro Yui and the Elven Dark Arts Professor. The Common Room was buzzing and at that late hour Hermione thought Professor McGonegall'd reprimand them. Fred and George tried to quiet the crowd and make everyone promise to keep what they knew a House secret but it seemed a lost cause. Harry was certain the romance would be known throughout Hogwarts by the end of breakfast tomorrow.

Their first day of summer school looked like it was going to be everything Dumbledore promised in his speech. In the morning were classes but after lunch they were spending the day by the lake doing water games, swimming and enjoying the sun.

"You know we have Dark Arts with the Slytherins this morning," Ron said indicating the class schedule tacked to the common room's message wall. "That'll be interesting."

"I'd like to know how they met," George Weasley said as he checked his year's schedule. "It's not like folks go crossing the Veil into the Arcadia as a daily thing you know."

"What I would like to know is what someone her age sees in him," commented Hermione barely able to keep the jealousy out of her voice. "He's young enough to be her son!"

"She's not that old!" Fred Weasley stated. "Besides, some women fancy younger men. No harm in that."

"It still isn't right," Hermione continued. "He's a student!"

"I bet he wasn't one when they first met," Fred countered then adding slyly, "Then again, I'm sure she taught him a thing or two!"

Hermione rolled her eyes and the twins laughed at the innuendo. They weren't the only ones making rude comments about the apparent May-December romance. Last night everyone had an opinion about what they heard. She could only imagine what Dumbledore would say when he finds out. Then again, she hoped he didn't find out because she didn't want to see Hiro get expelled. Although she barely knew him, for some strange reason she liked him. Hermione didn't want to see anything bad happen to someone she would like to have become a friend.

Harry, Ron and Hermione went to breakfast together. Although everyone was still wearing their house robes, no one had the Hogwarts School uniform on beneath it. They were all allowed to wear casual clothing under their robes for the summer. She saw lots of people in jeans, t-shirts and the sorts of clothing her Muggle friends back home wore during the summer holidays. The only thing that was special were the folks wearing team jerseys from their favorite Quidditch teams and those sporting the latest Weird Sisters t-shirts. Hermione liked the Weird Sisters shirt – it was like the paintings at Hogwarts in that the image of the Sisters on the front was moving like they singing and playing their instruments. They sold those shirts during their last concert tour and Hermione had one but chose not to wear it today.

Harry gazed around noting that everyone was back except those members of the class that just graduated in June and there were no new incoming First Years. The room was still fairly crowded but not like it was when school was in its normal session. He

saw the High Table had most of the faculty there for breakfast but Cassiopeia wasn't among them. The usual suspects were at the Slytherin table but Hiro wasn't there. He wondered if the Slytherins even noticed or cared that Hiro never made it to the Slytherin House last night.

The room fell strangely silent for a moment and Harry quickly saw why: Cassiopeia of the Great Lake had just walked in along with Professor Dumbledore. When they sat down together at the high table, the room chatter began to pick up again. Judging from the furtive looks many eyes were casting at Cassiopeia, the word about her and Hiro had made it out to the masses.

Breakfast mail call brought the usual first day back load of things forgotten in the haste to get back to school. Neville Longbottom got a package from his grandmother containing the extra sox and underwear she thought he would need. Ron got a new swimsuit which surprised him since he'd packed the hand-me-down one he got from George with the rest of his clothing and Harry got a letter from Sirius Black wishing him well and telling him where to find him in Hogsmeade. Hermione's parents sent her a care package of Amanda Blue books with a note saying they knew she would want her favorite summer reading to have when she was sunning herself by the lake.

Hermione quickly tucked the mystery novels in her backpack. No one noticed she got Muggle books as a gift from home, which was just as well. Although she was a witch, she still enjoyed reading books that just told a good story and didn't have any magic in them at all. She read enough magic books in school that she felt she could spend a few hours reading things that were purely entertaining fluff now and then.

"Yui never made it to breakfast," commented Ron as they left the Great Hall to go to their first class. "Wonder what happened to him."

"She probably wore him out!" Fred remarked as he brushed past his brother ruffling his hair as he did so.

The twin dashed off before Ron could get them back and Hermione said, "We'll probably see him in Dark Arts. He's not going to miss her class."

And sure enough Hiro Yui was in class sitting in the back section with the rest of the Slytherins. He was wearing a Slytherin house robe over what looked like the same saffron robes they saw his father wearing last night at dinner and his feet were bare. Harry noticed Pansy Parkinson and her friends were all sulking in their seats and none of them were paying any attention to Hiro. Draco Malfoy was sitting next to Hiro and he had a very pleased with himself look on his face. Crabb and Goyle were nearby looking equally proud of themselves.

"You think they way they're acting they were the ones who made the match!" whispered Ron as he eyes the Draco and his friends.

"Ignore them," Hermione said not even bothering to turn and look.

The room went quiet when the door at the top of the stairs leading into the room opened and Cassiopeia emerged from the elevated office. She was wearing a gown of flowing white and her knee length blond hair was gathered back in a loose ponytail. She floated more than walked down the spiral stairs and glided to the front of the room.

"Good morning," she said. "Although summer is not a traditional time for school, there will be learning going on in this class. I think since all of you will be entered your fifth year this fall you are ready to face greater challenges. From what I saw in my predecessor's lesson notes, you were all taught how to thwart the effects of the Imperious Curse. We shall begin with a refresher on that technique and move on to learning how to fight off the effects of the other Unforgivable Curses as well…."

What was supposed to be a refresher took most of the period since only a few of them had really mastered reflecting the Imperious Curse when Professor Moody taught them how to do it last spring. Lady Cassiopeia – she told them to call her that since she didn't feel herself worthy of the title Professor – was a good teacher. She was kind and patient and didn't seem to mind that it took Neville Longbottom four tries before he was able to successfully deflect the Imperious Curse. Everyone else seemed to get it after a couple of times with Hermione and Hiro being the only ones to do it right the first time.

When class ended everyone filtered out into the hall to go to their next class. The Gryffindors had Transfiguration with the Ravenclaws and the Slytherins were off to Divination with the Hufflepuffs. Hermione noted that Hiro was the last one out of the Dark Arts classroom but he didn't lag behind the Slytherins so much so as to make his absence noticed. He's trying to be discreet, she observed. Too bad everyone already knows about him and Lady Cassiopeia.

"You know, I think Dark Arts is going to be a good class this year," observed Ron as they were walking to McGonegall's Transfiguration classroom. "I like Lady Cassiopeia. She's really nice…and smart too."

"Too bad Hiro is only staying for the summer," Harry said. "He's the only real competition Hermione has ever had when it comes to being the smartest one in class."

"He's too intelligent for Slytherin," Hermione stated. "The Sorting Hat obviously made a mistake when it put him in that house."

"Yeah," Ron agreed. "He doesn't really fit in with them. Or was I the only one who noticed that he was being left out of all the side talk during class?"

"Oh, I noticed," Hermione said pointedly.

"Maybe we can find out if he can get switched," Harry suggested.

"Hiro would have to want to be switched," Hermione said.

"We could ask him."

"Yeah," Ron said looking hopeful. "I want him in Gryffindor."

"So do I," Harry said. "After all, if it wasn't for his help I wouldn't be here!"

"He doesn't seem to be very happy where he is," Hermione began. "Maybe if we told him he could switch houses, he would go and ask Professor Dumbledore to move him to Gryffindor."

"Yeah, when we see him this afternoon at the lake, we'll tell him!" Ron declared.

They were all in complete agreement as the entered McGonegall's classroom.

Xiouxien Yui removed his round wire rimmed spectacles and rubbed his eyes. Although he was quite skilled at reading ancient writings, the scroll written in a long dead Tibetan dialect was giving him more difficulty than he anticipated. He sighed deeply and rose from the table. The parchment had been laid out very carefully to prevent the ancient scroll from cracking. It was dry and yellowed with age but the writing on it was still clear enough to be read easily. The room he had been given for his use was in one of the castle's tall towers overlooking the lake and the vast lands beyond. The view wasn't quite as spectacular as the one he had back home but Hogwarts wasn't perched precariously atop a Himalayan mountain. However, Xiouxien found the sight of the lush green English countryside to be very soothing to his tired eyes.

The door to his study opened and his son Hiro entered carrying a tray with hot tea, warm sweet smelling scones and jam. "You missed lunch," he said clearing away a spot on the desk by the window so he could put down the tray. "I asked the kitchen elves to make up a light snack and this is what they gave me."

Xioxien sniffed the air, "That tea smells like it's a nice Oolong."

"The scones just came out of the oven," Hiro told him. "The kitchen here smells wonderful. Once they master the fine art of cooking with curry, we'll never go hungry again."

Xiouxien chuckled softly and poured himself some tea. "Why aren't you out by the lake?"

Hiro glanced at the scroll on the worktable saying, "I thought you might like some help. I worked with Master Po translating some of Akasha's early writings. Our Blessed Founder wrote many things in his native language."

"Akasha's hand was in the creation of this spell but the writing is not his," Xiouxien explained as he walked back to the table with Hiro following close behind. "This was written by one of his apprentices."

Hiro glanced at the scroll trying to read the ancient script. Most of Akasha's writings had been in an old Chinese dialect, not in the language of the land in which he ultimately found Enlightenment. However, because Hiro knew some of the Founder's writing had been in Tibetan, he believed the text might be Akasha's doing. The wording of the one incantation Hiro was able to understand completely sounded like Akasha's style of spell crafting but he wasn't too sure about the rest of the document. After a few moments of reading, Hiro was fairly sure Akasha had taken part in the creation of the ritual but he was not the sole inventor of it.

"Will it be possible to convert this to English and have it work?" Hiro asked. "Some magic loses its power in the translation."

"It will work," Xiouxien replied confidently. He looked up at his son adding, "But I am glad we have the whole summer. It may take that long to get everything in place." Hiro nodded understandingly and, altering the subject quickly, Xiouxien asked, "So, how do you like school?"

Hiro shrugged. "It's alright. The age difference doesn't bother me as much as I thought it might. I guess I've grown tolerant of children and their foolishness. One thing bothers me though. I have no idea how the rumors about Lady Cassiopeia being my lover got started. As far as I know, we never engaged in any public displays of affection. We both agreed to be discreet because we knew what could happen if we weren't."

"Obviously someone saw something they should not have," Xiouxien stated. "And I had to explain to Master Dumbledore how you and his granddaughter became involved." He looked up at Hiro saying, "And I had to tell him the truth."

Hiro turned away towards the window sighing deeply. After a long pause he asked quietly, "What did Master Dumbledore say?"

"He said he thought Elven in-laws were a challenge," Xiouxien began with a twinkle in his eye. "Until he found out he might be getting a dragon for grandson-in-law!"

"We're not getting married!" Hiro declared firmly. "I'm a Temple Guardian! It's forbidden!"

"You are a Temple Guardian now," Xiouxien reminded him. "Who knows what the future holds? And the Sidhe live almost as long as we do."

For a brief instant Hiro's heart leapt. Even the slightest chance that he and Cassiopeia could have a life together filled him with joy. However, the future was a long way away. His duty to the Temple was his present and he had to fulfill his sacred vows.

Hiro asked, "Master Dumbledore isn't going to tell anyone what I really am, is he?"

Xiouxien shook his head and patted Hiro's arm reassuringly saying, "Don't worry. Our secret is safe with him…"