December 22, 1974 - Prince Manor

Severus sat on the floor of his bedroom, surrounded by several stacks of books. Although his own room didn't contain a library, at least he didn't think it did, Cassie had accidentally discovered one in hers - seemingly only accessible by a switch on the side of the desk. Because of course she'd run into that.

His own desk didn't seem to have such a thing, but he wasn't too bothered. Cassie'd brought over almost an entire shelf, and they'd spent the past half-hour reading through the various texts.

"I don't think even the Restricted Section has this book," Cassie exclaimed in awe, turning over the cover of 'Dark Potions and Rituals' by Theon Bourne. "Are we even allowed to read it?"

Severus glanced at the door with a shrug. "I don't think they'd let us in the room if we couldn't. Besides, we're not planning on actually brewing them, are we?"

"Hmm, probably not," Cassie replied, flipping the book open to a random page and reading out loud, "Blood-Boiling Potion. Pretty self explanatory, although why…?"

She trailed off, thinking back to her encounter with the dark wizard at the Greengrasses' manor. "Ah– well, hopefully he doesn't know about this."

She flipped to another page. "Poison, wonderful. Works in stages, causing disorientation as the victim's organs slowly start to die… Wait– reckon this might be the one Sirius used on you? No, wait, it says that it's got the distinct taste of strawberries. You didn't taste that, did you?"

"No," Severus shook his head, "That's weird, though. Who'd invented a poison like that? Wouldn't it be hard to conceal?"

"Your great-grandmother would," a voice said, coming from behind them. Immediately, they turned around, coming face-to-face with Eimear's husband standing in the doorway. "I did try to knock."

"Sorry– sir," Cassie answered quietly, while Severus stayed silent.

"Tiberius," the older man answered with a smile, his bright hazel eyes twinkling merrily.

"O–Okay, Tiberius," the girl answered, then frowned. "Wait– you said...Althaia created that?"

"She did," Tiberius nodded. "Would you like to know more?"

They nodded, and Tiberius sat down on Severus' bed, comfortably smoothing his dark-grey day robes over his tall frame. "It's not something we usually speak of outside of the family, however… I am grateful... that you have found our Eileen for us."

Cassie blushed, bowing her head so that her hair would fall and obscure her face. "You're welcome."

He nodded, continuing to speak in his slow, deep voice. "My mother's marriage was not a happy one. I would never call it that. But it's first years were… tolerable. She had my sister, Appoline, but her husband wanted a male heir. Three years later my brother was born, and it was assumed he would be the final child, as she had almost died giving birth to him. Septimus lived for several years before succumbing to dragon pox at seven, just as the outbreak had been dying down. Octavius became… angry, especially so when my sister survived the illness. If he could have, he would have sacrificed her life for his. I am sure of it.–" Tiberius' eyes flashed dangerously. "–Nevertheless, he wanted an heir. That did not happen for several more years. When it did… I am surprised that my mother still found it in her heart to care for me. She was hurt, badly, for my opportunity at life."

Cold and shaking, Cassie's hands found Severus'. She gently slid her palm against his, entwining their hands together, and taking comfort in the feel of his hand. "What happened next?"

"She killed him," Tiberius said calmly, his voice deadly cold. It was clear he had no problem with what had happened. "She was a dark arts prodigy, but had not been allowed to study after Hogwarts. Still, she created her poison, flavouring it with strawberry it to conceal the taste of nightshade; killing him when I was one year of age, and Appoline seventeen. His death was blamed on a heart attack, and she was not under suspicion. Not bearing to live in the Lestrange Manor, she ran away during the fall, when Appoline was at school. She bought this cottage, and disappeared from public view. Nobody knew what had happened to her."

"And that's it?" Cassie asked softly, resting her head against Severus' shoulder.

Tiberius shook his head. "Apolline was kept unaware of our father's misdeeds against our mother. Althaia did not wish to burden her with that knowledge. So when she came home from school that summer break, and our mother confided in her what she'd done, she was… distraught. Not for our mother, but for our father. She ran away, only keeping the secret to herself as a final favour to Althaia. After marrying Dagworth-Granger, she spent the rest of her life trying to figure out the antidote, truly believing that our mother would try to do something so drastic again. She died shortly after. Althaia when I was eighteen."

The grandfather sighed deeply, his gaze wandering to the view outside the window. Severus and Cassie watched him from the floor, hand in hand, trying to process what they'd just found out. Cassie especially, never would have having suspected Althaia and the Princes' life to be so tragic.

Tiberius turned his head suddenly, his eyes meeting Severus' and piercing them deeply. "My mother's life was miserable because of her husband. I was reluctant to ever marry, think I would somehow become my father. Children, I never even considered having. But Eileen came along, and I wanted to do anything I could to protect her. Find somebody for her that would care for her and love her, and I couldn't even do that. She ran away. Tell me this at least– did she find happiness with your father? It is all I want to know."

Severus felt his throat tighten up, his eyes becoming blurred with tears. He couldn't tell him, his grandfather, just how much Tobias had hurt him and his mother both. It wasn't fair to anyone. "I–I think you should just talk to Ma."

Tiberius observed him seriously for a second, before standing up from the bed. "I will."

"I'm thinking too much, Sev'rus" Cassie whispered softly, her voice barely audible of the crackling fire that Tiberius had lit.

She'd been in a subdued mood the entire day, and had barely eaten anything over dinner. Severus, unable to sleep, had wandered down into the living room to find her sitting cross-legged on the floor, staring into the flames.

"I can't get it off my mind."

Carefully, he sat down beside her, sensing that they both needed some comfort. She leaned against him like before, the tenseness slowly starting to leave her body.

"I don't think I apologized, did I?" she said quietly, folding his hand over hers. "I wasn't thinking, during that. I'm sorry."

Severus frowned sadly down at her, squeezing her hand. "Don't, Cassie. I'm not upset with you."

"But you don't feel the same way."

Torn, Severus sighed. "I'm not sure. Cassie– I never expected anyone, anyone to care for me. Then, meeting you and Lily was… the best thing that could have ever happened to me; you can't fathom how much I care for the both of you. But I never thought you'd be interested in me in– another way. And Lily was, so I took that chance with her. And now... ? I'm lost."

"I always make you feel worse, don't I?" Cassie asked, making as if to stand. "I promise I don't mean it."

"No–" Severus said firmly, wrapping both arms around his friend tightly, preventing her from moving, and bringing her close to his chest. "Don't say that, Cassie."

The girl in his arms struggled for a few more seconds before going limp, all the fight going out of her. Slowly, Severus released her from his tight grip, his hands moving to pet Cassie's back as if she were a cat.

Exhaling deeply, she settled herself in his comfortable hold, laying her ear against his chest. In the quiet he could hear the rhythmic beats of his heart, and he wondered if she could hear it too.

Would she know how nervous he was; holding his precious friend in his arms, comforting her and trying not to make her hurt? Would she know how much it scared him, the simple thought of losing her?

"I love you, you know," he whispered into the top of Cassie's head some moments later, overcome with emotion. He didn't know exactly in what way or what to do with it, but it was true.

He wondered whether he would have liked for her to hear, but even as he'd uttered the words, she had already fallen into a deep, exhausted sleep.

December 24, 1974 - Prince Manor

Severus and Cassie sat in the small kitchen of the manor side by side, watching curiously as Eimear prepared several different foods. There were no house-elves with her, like they'd seen at the Malfoys', but the aromas in the air smelled as delicious as ever.

"The Christmas holiday is not one we traditionally celebrate," Grandmother Eimear told the two of them, seemingly having mastered the art of focusing on several things at once. "Of course, back in the day we would have the rites and rituals of Yule, but those have largely fallen out of favour. Instead we've adopted this one from theMuggleborns…" she trailed off, her expression twisting slightly, "... Well, I won't say that I'm the greatest fan of the change. Don't get me wrong, I think they've brought us tremendous good, but I really don't understand why Dumbledore–"

A tapping on the window interrupted her, bringing attention to a large, brown owl outside the window.

"–is so insistent on our culture changing to accommodate them. Do you know who that is?"

Cassie and Severus both shook their head, trying to place the animal in their minds, while Eimear let it in. They'd each told their friends not to write, as owls wouldn't be able to find them, so how on earth…?

"It's the Blacks," Eimear announced, meeting Cassie's eyes. "We have less time than I thought."