A/N: I was surprised to see that I had two more reviews :). And hnh; I'm not insulted, I'm glad you told me so this way I can improve my story. And thanks Serayana, I really appreciated your review. Anyways; I'm sorry I haven't updated this long, but after I came back from Italy, everything came a little hectic around here. (especially since school started again) I hope I can update at least once a week, but if it takes a little longer, please bear with me. Enjoy the new chapter, and please leave a review. ;)

Chapter three - Why now?

"We'll be late," Terry panted, "I'm sure we will."
"And it's your fault," Faith snapped, "I told you we had potions!"
Cassie ran behind them through the corridors, knowing that she must look stupid to all of the older students, who didn't seem to be aware of the fact that class was already starting in six minutes! They were walking calmly as if they still had all the time of the world and they laughed when they saw the four first years running past them.
They were on the third floor because Terry had thought they had Transfiguration their first hour, but when they had been the only ones waiting patiently at the classroom of professor McGonnagal, they'd realized they were at the wrong place. When they'd looked on their schedule, they found out they actually had potions and had to run to be there on time, because they had to be in the dungeon.
"You did not," Terry managed to say in protest, though her voice sounded unusually high.
"We've been running for ages," Hera complained, "are we there yet?" No one answered.
"The stairs, the stairs!" Faith roared, as if it was the stairway to heaven. Encouraged by the sight, she ran a little faster, every now and than turning around to see if the others were still behind her. "Cassie, hurry up, will you?"
Cassie was unable to answer, her face was warm of the running and soon she would start to sweat, she just knew she would. And than she would smell the entire day and no one would want to sit next to her and in her entire career at Hogwarts she would be known as the 'Girl that smells so bad'. This was so unfair. And she blamed it all on Terry, though it wasn't really her fault. After all, if she hadn't been to lazy to look on her schedule herself she would have known where to go.
'Still,' she thought stubbornly, 'it's her fault.'
They finally reached the dungeons and Faith immediately came to a halt, "it's somewhere around here."
Cassie raised her eyebrows, she didn't like the look of it. Even though it was September, it felt like it was midwinter down here, and it looked very depressing.
"Over there," Hera said, still out of breath. A man had came out of a door, he glared at them. "You are late," he barked with spit coming out of his mouth. "Not a way to make a good first impression, don't you think?"
When all four of them remained quiet he pointed at the open door, "get in."
Cassie sighed with relief, at least he hadn't taken off any points.

~*~

Cassie wasn't sure what to think of their Professor in Potions, apparently, his name was Snape. He was the head of Slytherin and Jane had said he was very nice and understanding, but maybe it was just her, but taking ten points off for forgetting her books, wasn't exactly what she called nice. And especially understanding. Even when she had explained him that it wasn't her fault because she thought she had Transfiguration, he wouldn't listen.
"You were late and forgot your books," he'd said coolly, "I think I'm being very forgiving by just taking of ten points. Now leave the subject before I take off any more."
She was glad when the class had ended, and now she was waiting in what was called the 'Quidditch Pitch', for their first flying lesson. Terry was - as Cassie had suspected - extremely excited, Faith mildly interested and Hera looked doubtful. She herself almost wished to be back in Potions. Stupid brooms. Why did she have to learn how too fly anyway? It wasn't like she wanted to join one of the House Teams next year, or do anything that involved flying at all. She was human, her feet were supposed to stay safely on the ground.
But apparently learning how to fly was something very important. Important enough for her to risk her life for absolutely nothing.
A woman with hawk-like eyes came in, looking shortly at each one of them. "My name is Madame Hooch, I'll be teaching you how to fly properly. First, raise your hand above your broom and say Up."
Cassie held out her hand, "Up." She said sharply. The broom rolled over, but nothing else happened. Faith got it right immediately and smiled innocently when Cassie stared disbelievingly at her, "I've got a broom at home."
"Up," Cassie said again. 'Please, please,' she begged as she noticed that a lot of the others got the broom to do what they wanted. "Up." The broom shot up and she caught it in her hand, a sigh of relief escaping her lips.
"Now, you sit down like this," Madame Hooch said, sitting down on her broom, "this way it is harder to fall off when you're in the air..."
Harder to fall off? What did she mean with harder to fall off?
"... Now everyone mount their brooms."
Cassie hesitated, but when Madame Hooch looked expectantly at her, she swiftly mounted her broom.
"And on three, kick off. Don't fly too high and come down when I tell you too, don't try any silly stunts if you don't want to loose any housepoints. Do I make myself clear?"
When everyone nodded she smiled, "good. Now, on three... One, two, three."
Cassie kicked off.
"You see?" Terry asked, flying next to her, "It's not that bad!"
Cassie grunted, forcing herself not to look down as she let herself fly a little higher and after that calmly waited until Madame Hooch told them to come down again.
"If you're just standing still all the time it's no wonder that you hate to fly," Terry said accusingly when she landed.
Cassie shrugged, "at least I got in the air, didn't I?"

~*~

The next morning, right in the middle of the week (which Cassie was very thankful for, because this week had lasted long enough already), something happened that she hadn't expected. First of all, she found out that her mother had subscribed her too the Daily Prophet ('Now that you're getting older, it is very important that you know what is going on in the world.') and second of all, that she knew someone named 'Mordred'. She inspected the envelope thoroughly before opening it. All it said was that it was from 'Mordred'. Nothing more.
"Well? Are you going to open it already?" Hera said, without once looking up from Cassie's edition of the Daily Prophet.
"Yeah, yeah," Cassie said vaguely as she started to read the letter.

'Dear Cassandra,
It's been at least eleven years since I last saw you...'

At least? She snorted. She was just eleven years old, it couldn't have been any longer.

'And I am very sorry that I have never been able to play a role in your life. But even if I had tried, your mother wouldn't have let me, and perhaps with right.
'However, right now I am able to make up for the mistakes I have made in the past and I wish to see you and your sister again. I know that you are not allowed to leave Hogwarts' grounds, so I won't ask you too. I suggest that we keep contact by writing and meet each other during the Holidays. Let me know what you think of it.

'But first, let me explain a few things for you. You see, about seventeen years ago your mother and I fell in love. But we were living in strange times and we both did crazy things. We broke up, short after you were born, because our ideals were too different and your mother couldn't accept who and what I was.
'We got divorced and I was forbidden to see you or your sister any longer, but though you have never heard of me, you have always been on my mind.
'I am sure you have many questions, and maybe you are even angry at me for leaving you. Tell me all, I won't hold it against you. I will try to answer all of your questions (though some things are better left unsaid) and I hope in time you can forgive me for giving you and your sister up so quickly.

I love you,

Your father,
Modred Avery.'

She stared at the letter for a very long time, not knowing what to think or what to say. Was this some kind of joke? And why had he waited this long to write her? Why had he written her at all? Of course she had wanted to know who her father is, and how he was doing, but this... this was far to sudden. Had he written to Jane as well?
And what did he expect she should write back? Did he expect her to write him back at all?
She rested her head in her hands and took a deep breath. She had to talk to Jane.

~*~

She didn't see Jane till after school, her older sister - who was already in her fifth year - was sitting by the lake talking with her friends, well, her friends were talking. Jane herself seemed awfully quiet, and knowing her sister, this wasn't a good sign. Cassie had always been the quiet one, talking only when she felt like it and keeping most of her thoughts to herself. Jane on the other hand, always spoke her mind, for good and for worse.
Luckily, during the past few years she had started to learn what was wise to say and what not, but every now and than slipped back to her old habit of criticizing everything and everyone around her.
"Jane?" Cassie asked. Her sister looked up and smiled faintly.
"Could I talk to you? In private?"

~*~

"I know," Jane said calmly, "he's written to me as well." She dug in the pockets of her robe and took out a piece of parchment, "About the same things as he told you. That he's very sorry, that he wasn't allowed to see us..." They were sitting in the Great Hall, which was completely deserted by this time of the day (since everyone was either doing his homework or somewhere having fun). The later of Mordred was lying on the table, Jane had just swiftly looked it through.
"But why would mum have done such a thing?"
"I don't know. But it must've been a good reason," Jane said sighing.
"And what did he mean with strange times?"
"Seventeen years ago, first reign of You Know Who."
"First reign," Cassie commented sharply, "You know that the Ministry says that Harry Potter is lying, are you?"
"Whatever all the other Slytherins might say, I think he's telling the truth. Not because I'm a personal fan of Potter, but I am a fan of Dumbledore, I believe what he says. And if he says that the Dark Lord is back, than he is," Jane explained. Cassie looked at Mordred's letter and than to her sister, "why now?"
Jane's eyes got a mischievous glint, "why not ask him?"
"Mum would kill us if she finds out!"
"If she finds out. And we're not going to tell her, are we?" Jane looked at her sharply. Cassie hesitated, but than slowly nodded.

~*~

Cassie was standing in the Owlery, she had agreed with her sister that she would post the letter. Now she wasn't sure if she wanted to post it. Could she even trust her father? Was it even her father or just someone trying to be funny? And the question that kept repeating itself: Why now?

'Dear Mordred,'

"We don't want it to get to personal," Jane had explained when she wrote it down. "Let him deserve the title of 'father'. He certainly hasn't up to now."

'We are only writing you because we think we deserve to know a few things and we are certain that mum wouldn't tell us if we'd ask.
'First of all, we would like to know why you sought contact with us while you have ignored us for such a long time.'

"Keep it friendly," Cassie had warned. "Ask him how he is doing. Where he is."

'And we would like to know where you live, if you are OK and if you have other children besides us, if you are married and what your job is.'

"That good enough for you?" Jane had said sarcastically. Cassie had shrugged, it sounded like she was interrogating him instead of asking him polite questions.

'We don't know if we want to meet you during the Holidays. We first want to know more about you and why mum doesn't want us to know anything about you before we can decide...'

"Speak for yourself," Cassie had said angrily. Jane had ignored her.

'Sincerely,
Cassandra and Jane.'

It was a short and impersonal letter, Cassie thought, shaking her head. But he didn't deserve anything else. She didn't even know if he deserved a letter at all. But she had to know. She had to see him, even if he was horrible and mean. And if she wouldn't post the letter, if she would ignore it, she would never forgive herself.
She called one of the School Owls and gave him the letter, "Give this to Mordred Avery. And only to Mordred Avery."
She watched as the owl flew away, feeling both guilty that she had sent it without talking to her mother first, and excited that she finally had contact with her father.

~*~

To be continued very soon (and that's a promise, you can expect an update by the end of the week) :)