December 27, 1974 - Prince Manor

Yule had passed by quietly but nicely this year, Severus noted, chewing absent-mindedly on yet another chocolate biscuit. Sitting in a cushy armchair in the manor's library, Severus flipped through the pages of Beginner's Guide to the Animagus Transformation, the barest hint of a frown marring his face.

Over the past week, he and Cassiopeia had been taking the Animagus potion every evening, practicing their meditations and generally trying to get a glimpse into their 'inner animal.' His friend, currently engrossed in yet another tome on pureblood culture, was progressing like Professor McGonagall had expected - in complete contrast to himself. She was already almost certain as to her final form - some kind of dog-like creature, if her perception was accurate - and had decided to take a break from the arduous routine. Although it was interesting, or at least the dream-state was, each regaining of consciousness left them exhausted, each time seemingly more than the last.

Which was why he was so confused as to why he couldn't see anything. Sure, every once in a while he saw brief flashes of the things he'd already seen; namely, large paws and a feeling of strength, but most of the time the potion simply knocked him out, and he awoke as if he'd just taken a dose of Dreamless. No visions, no memories, just darkness.

Severus slammed the book shut in frustration, causing Cassie to glance up at him worryingly. He shook his head and sighed, replacing the novel onto the shelf.

"I wish I had something to brew," he remarked quietly to himself, glancing outside the window. He missed his– well, Slughorn's laboratory, and his fingers itched for something to do; something he actually felt that he could succeed in. Transfiguration was Cassie's strong suit after all. Maybe he wasn't even meant to be an Animagus.

Disgusted with himself for giving up so easily, yet unwilling to try again right now, Severus wandered out of the library and up onto the first floor, resolving to find something else to occupy his mind.

Completely absorbed in the ancient publication, Cassie almost failed to hear the owl scratching at the library window. Sighing in annoyance, she flicked her elm wand to let it in, several seconds before realizing how much of an idiot she was.

Fuck.

The brown, run-of-the-mill animal hooted angrily several times before finally landing on the window sill. It held out its leg, a large missive attached, and waited imperiously for her to remove it.

Cassiopeia hesitated, wondering if it would be better to ask someone to take it. It could be cursed or something–

Sighing in annoyance at her own hesitation, Cassie untied the letter with quick movements, mindful of the owl's baleful stare. Unfurling the parchment, Cassie glanced down, her heart already dropping into her stomach.

Was she never to get a break?

Her head suddenly full of thoughts, Cassie shooed the owl outside, shutting the window mindlessly as she read further.

… inquiring as to Miss Nazyalensky's availability status. As you are aware, Lady Prince, we are living through troubling times. Once more yet another seeks to rob us of our Merlin-given rights, of our culture, and of our traditions, seeking to replace them with those tainted by Muggle minds. There is unrest on the horizon, and it is our younger generation that is now most at stake. Already, some have fallen under the influence of those who seek to work against their own interest, encouraging our children to abandon their heritage, and, perhaps even worse, to mix with those of impure blood. I am certain that is not a fate you would wish to to befall your charge.

Indeed, I would reassure you that she would be safe with me, and as she matures I will shape her to be the perfect wife. I am even willing to overlook her less than ideal bloodline, unlike some others, I am sure.

Nevertheless, shall she be left alone and vulnerable, I worry of the harm that may befall her. Already, there are those who would threaten her safety and well-being, and be reassured that this is the furthest thing from my mind when I ask after her hand.

There are, however, also those persons very interested in seeing your charge kept safe in the coming unrest. I wish to know sonn the choice you would make for the one you seem to care so greatly about.

My regards,

Thoros Nott

Hands shaking slightly, Cassiopeia re-folded the letter, setting it next to her now-abandoned book. Tiredly, she sank back into the armchair, resting her head against her fingertips.

She hadn't been supposed to see that, that much was clear. But why this man she didn't know was propositioning her, and threatening Eimear… she had no idea.

And he knew about her father, or… was he just pretending he knew something?

Pressing harder against her temple, Cassiopeia hoped to dispel the oncoming headache. With purebloods like him, she could be sure of what they knew or didn't, of their motivations or of their intentions. It was… frustrating, to say the least.

And, if he did know of her impure parentage, why in Merlin's name would he overlook it? Politics had never interested her much, wizarding politics even less so, but even she knew enough to know how much the pureblood lines cared for preserving that purity.

Sometimes to an… unnatural extent, she shuddered, remembering the interesting family tree of the Blacks that she'd seen in her book.

Oh, would Nott be in there?

Lifting her head curiously, Cassie snatched the book, flipping through the pages. It was organised easily into twenty-eight sections, each with a description of the origins of the sacred family, and with an analysis of their bloodline.

Now, that she thought about it… wasn't the book even written by a Nott?

She glanced at the binding, and sure enough: The Pureblood Directory by Cantankerous Nott.

Their family would probably be in the beginning of the book then, she thought, flipping back to the first pages. Yet again she was correct, as she landed on a beautifully mapped genealogical tree. The book was self-updating, as it proclaimed on the cover page, so he should be there…

Ah.

Thoros Lucian Nott

1925 —

He was fifty. Thirty-six years older than her.

Fucking hell, Cassie sighed, replacing the book back on its shelf with a weariness she hadn't previously felt. She should be used to it, she thought, having heard stories from the older Slytherin girls about the dangers of waiting too long to get married.

After twenty-five, the only ones that want you are creepy old ones, they'd snickered to each other, holding in their hands a newspaper announcing Adelaide's marriage to Borgin. How isn't she dying of shame?

Shivering in disquiet, Cassiopeia wondered if it was true. Her prospects, if you could call them that, had gone from slightly atypical, to quite undesirable, to completely unimaginable. And she had to get married… right? She was pureblood – kind of. It was expected that she would marry another pureblood, renew her bloodline, get an heir.

Did she even want kids? Cassie wondered, then shivered in revulsion, imagining Nott. Or maybe worse, Black. If - Merlin forbid - she had to marry him, would he try to force her?

He certainly had the temperament for it, she thought, blinking against the memories that suddenly flooded her mind; all the ways he'd spent the last three years tormenting her and Severus. At least she didn't think Evan Rosier would try to hurt her.

Her rumination was interrupted by a soft knocking on the wooden door and Eileen glancing inside. There may have been something in her expression, or she'd noticed the letter, but for whatever reason Severus' mother walked inside, sitting on the arm of the chair where her son had previously sat.

"Something's bothering you," she stated plainly, reaching over to brush some dark hair from Cassie's face. "Hmm?"

"Y-Yes, I guess."

"Another?" Eileen asked, seizing the letter from the table and flipping it open. Cassie watched as she read further, her expression switching between pain, fear, and anger.

"Do you know why…?" Cassie asked vaguely, once Eileen had finished. Her eyes, more lined than anyone's should be at thirty-three, gazed at the younger girl thoughtfully, although she seemed unfocused.

"No… I wish I had the answers, darling, but – I'll speak to my mother," she said softly. "You don't need to worry."

"Eimear doesn't need yet another of my problems, 'Leen, " Cassiopeia objected. "These people aren't going to stop until I give in, " she frowned, her voice suddenly quieter. "S–Should I?"

"What do you mean?" Eimear asked, alarmed.

"I don't know. Get engaged to Rosier? Do… something? They're only going to get worse, aren't they?" she asked desperately.

"No – no, Cassie," Eimear frowned, gesturing for the younger girl to move closer to her. "You can't know, but I don't – you shouldn't give up."

"But what if something happens?" Cassiopeia asked. "Would it not be better to just get engaged, then… I don't know… call it off if there's no need? I don't want there to be any chance that someone who I don't know, or who hates me gets to marry me."

"Oh, darling," Eileen sighed, threading her fingers through her long, dark hair. "There's no easy answer, and I really have no idea how this all will go down. Truth be told, I would much rather have none of you involved in all of this, but I understand that is simply impossible. Lord Nott, however he may wish to benefit, is right; you are vulnerable, and the easiest way to protect you would be through an official bond to someone who we can be assured will not be in harm's way. But, and please believe me when I say this, that doesn't mean that you should rush into marriage, engagement, whatever it may be. You shouldn't have to sacrifice such a part of yourself for protection, especially when you are so young."

"But how can you be sure that it won't help?"

Eileen sighed deeply, seemingly struggling to know what to say. Finally, she settled, gazing deeply into Cassiopeia's eyes as she spoke.

"Even when I was younger, Cassiopeia, I was unsure whether I wanted to be married. It seemed to me merely an easy way to be tied down, to become a simple accessory to a man. I wasn't inundated like you are, not at all, but there were still those seeking my hand. I – I haven't told you this before, and I ask you not to share it. My parents tried their best to find someone good for me, I'm sure they did. I, however, was… unhappy with my options."

"I hoped that if I married a Muggle, they wouldn't be able to force me into a partnership with one of the others. I met Tobias and liked him well enough, but it didn't matter much to me. My plan was still to simply show my parents that I was already married, completely undesirable to a pureblood, and then divorce him quietly on the wayside," Eileen shook her head sadly.

"I'm not proud of my thoughts then, even if they did not become a reality. I was married quickly, and ran off to show my parents. They met Tobias, and… they must have known something was wrong. They implored me to divorce him, and even told me that they would not force me to get married if it meant so much to me. Stubbornly, I refused, and they disowned me, as you know. I hadn't even planned to stay married to him, but he seemed like the best option at the time. And when I began to see the signs that they'd tried to warn me about, I couldn't leave. I was already pregnant. Cassie – I love Severus dearly, but were I to get the choice again I would never marry Tobias. I would have done anything to try to convince my parents not to marry me off, and I believe they would have eventually agreed, even without seeing the way I'd ruined my life. Because I did, Cassiopeia, and my decisions haunt me to this day. I don't want that to happen to you."

Cassiopeia sat in stunned silence, trying to absorb all that she'd just been told. Eileen sighed once more, beckoning the girl to sit next to her.

"That's probably more than I've ever shared with anyone, darling," she said quietly, pressing her lips to Cassie's forehead lightly. "I just don't wish to see you become what I have."

•••

I would like to thank from the bottom of my heart SilentMayhem for being a wonderful person to bounce ideas off of, and for helping me develop a more cohesive, interesting storyline for this entire work. The upcoming chapters would not have been possible without their help.