March 17, 1975 - Hogwarts
She'd been called to Professor McGonagall's office after dinner, the older witch greeting her with a smile and a steaming cup of tea. As they conversed, she'd been told of Severus' success with his first transformation yesterday, and that the professor wanted to see whether she too was ready. Reluctantly, she'd agreed, and under the professor's guidance had transformed for the second time in her office.
She was in control this time. There was no prey tempting her, nothing of interest, except perhaps for McGonagall's hand, which reached out carefully and ran its fingers over her head, scratching behind her ears.
"You're a beautiful fox," she smiled, and Cassie bumped her nose against her hand in appreciation. "Do you want to see yourself?"
Of course I do. McGonagall seemed to understand her unspoken answer, and transfigured one of her chairs into a giant mirror, which she placed against the wall.
Wow. Cassie walked over to the mirror, coming so close that she could feel the coldness of the glass against her nose. The reflection of the room around her was muted, somewhat, but she could still recognize the grey fur covering her skin, and the white accents that marked it.
"Do you think you'll be able to change back yourself?"
She had no idea, truly. But if it was the process was the same as the first time, she at least knew that she didn't want to do it in front of Professor McGonagall.
"The spell is simple, but a little uncomfortable. Just try not to move too much, or it might have some… unintended side effects. Homomorph."
In seconds, Cassie stood in front of her professor, clothes and wand thankfully intact. She was smiling, but it fell from her face as her gaze met McGonagall's troubled one.
"Is something wrong?"
"No," she replied, after too long a pause. "Did you and Mr. Black have a particularly bad altercation?"
The color drained from Cassiopeia's face as her eyes darted to the side, where she knew the slightly-puckered red scar still lay. She couldn't lie - could she? "No, professor."
"I see. Then there is another reason for the lesion on you skin?"
She didn't know what to say, and McGonagall took that as its own answer, and sighed.
"Should I be worried, Miss Nazyalensky - Cassiopeia? This – I wish you could trust me with whatever's happened. I hope you know by now that I have your best interests at heart," she finished with a sad smile.
Her heart panged with guilt, and as she looked into the professor's kind eyes, the story poured out of her - from the animal she's seen in the forest, to waking up and being taken into the herd.
"You've transformed before." It didn't sound like an accusation, so much as curiosity, and Cassie nodded reluctantly, albeit redundantly. "Why didn't you tell me?"
"I know we're not supposed to go into the Forbidden Forest, and to add to that that I went to the centaurs' camp, when we're not supposed to… I couldn't think of a way to tell you without revealing it," she answered, embarrassed.
McGonagall sighed. "I do wish you had told me beforehand, but I... understand why you did not. I am glad, at least, that the herd found you and helped you home." Cassie raised her head in curiosity, and the professor elaborated. "I've long since been a representative between the herd and our school, and I know that they would not harm you - Ronan would not allow it."
"You've met him?"
"I have - I've met with almost the entire herd, and have known them for many years. Which is why my greater worry is that they chose not to inform me of the attacks." She stood, her lips pursed. "And I'm going to find out why. Care to come with me?"
They met Ronan about half-way to the camp, patrolling the forest with an unknown centaur at his side. They greeted each other cautiously, for while Ronan and the professor seemed at ease with each other, the second centaur was much less approachable.
"What bring you two to our forest, Minerva?" Ronan asked, looking them over with dark, questioning eyes. "It is not yet the equinox."
"No, it is not," she replied, pausing for a second. "I was… surprised... today, to hear of a creature attacking the unicorn herd so close to our school. I would have thought, had our allies known of it, that we would have been made aware," she said, her tone subtly accusing.
The centaur sighed. "Let us walk."
Cassiopeia and the Professor fell into step beside him, the second centaur taking a position behind them. There was a thoughtful silence for a few seconds, as Ronan seemed to gather his thoughts, before he finally spoke.
"I give my apologies Minerva, but such an action was not my decision. The herd is beginning to isolate itself; we have cut off contact from others of our kind, and there have been calls to do so with you," he sighed. "I have trust in you, but my herd less so; they see too many warning signs, and I do not hold their fear against them. Their distrust is not helped, however, when… some… would spread rumors of actions against us by your Ministry."
"Are you really so certain a war is coming?" she asked, her face slightly pale. "The attacks… we've all thought they were one-offs."
"We thought so at first too; it would not have been the first time." It was the second centaur who spoke from behind them, startling them with his slow, deep voice. "Nonetheless, the stars do not lie. They have guided us well for many years, and now they advise us to prepare for unrest. It would be foolish not to heed their warning."
"All the same, Torvus, it is just as ill-advised to abandon our allies. I have no love for most of wizardkind, but there are some of them – " he gestured with his head to McGonagall, " – who do have our interests at heart. There are few enough as is, without us alienating them even… further..." he trailed off, coming to a stop just in front of a small clearing, not unlike the one Cassie had woken up in. For a few seconds, she could not understand why, but soon her eyes came to rest on the two beautiful creatures grazing there. Unicorns.
Sensing their presence, the snow-white animals raised their necks to peer at them, the youngest of the two stepping back a little as if in fear. The elder, however, did not seem to mind them, and nudged the younger one forward out of its hiding place.
"This is the mother of one of the foals that was killed last month," Ronan said quietly, breaking the reverent silence. "We cannot communicate perfectly with them, but they are aware that the danger is gone, and your role in it, Cassiopeia."
The professor placed her hand on her back lightly, urging her to step forward. "Go to them, child, they will not run from you."
Hesitantly, Cassie entered the clearing, doubting Professor McGonagall's words. The unicorns, with their slight build and long legs seemed flighty, and she worried that the smallest wrong move would scare them off. She stepped closer, instinctually holding her hands out slightly, tilted upwards, to show them she was unarmed.
The mother whickered softly, bumping her soft nose against Cassiopeia's outstretched palm. Ever so carefully, her hand almost shaking, she ran her hand along the animal's head, sighing in relief as she did little more than lean into it.
"You're beautiful," she whispered, unsure as to why. "I'm so sorry for your loss."
This time, the soft nose touched her cheek, where a single tear had fallen from her eyes. She gazed into the unicorn's own golden ones, touched that she had not fled from her sight. "Thank you."
The mother stepped back suddenly, and Cassie's heart clenched in the fear that she'd scared her. She did not run, however, instead stepping forward with one foot, gazing meaningfully at her.
"I – I'm not sure I understand."
The unicorn whickered again, bumping her nose first against Cassie's hand, then against her outstretched leg.
"She wishes to give you blood."
Torvus' voice behind her caused her to whip backward, almost cutting herself against the small knife he held in his hand. "She wants me to – what?"
"Unicorn blood willingly given is a powerful healing agent; I'm sure you know that," he replied.
"I – I do – of course I do, but why – ? Are you sure?" she turned back to the mother, who looked resolute in her decision. Hesitatingly, Cassiopeia took the knife from Torvus, kneeling carefully on the grass, and holding the knife to the unicorn's leg with shaking hands. With a gentle prompting from Torvus, she pressed the blade against its skin, watching in distress and awe as the silver-blue blood ran from it in rivulets.
Torvus pressed a small vial into her hands, and she watched as drop-by-drop it was filled to the brim. When the last of it had fallen, the mother stepped her leg back, the cut already starting to knit closed around the edges.
"I – " she didn't know what to say. "Thank you, just – thank you."
Her hand was bumped once more, and then the two were gone as if they had never been there. Torvus helped her from the floor, probably recognizing that she was in slight shock, and the two of them made their way over to the professor and Ronan, just overhearing the last part of their conversation.
" – Hagrid's been crying about his new pet's loss for months now. I would never have thought…" she trailed off, noticing them, and gasped slightly as she noticed the vial clenched in Cassie's hand. "Well… I guess I shouldn't be surprised, Miss Nazyalensky. Of course it would be you."
The younger witch smiled sheepishly, "I have no idea why, but I'm very grateful. Do you have an idea for where I could keep it, Professor?"
McGonagall's eyes glittered, and with her wand fashioned a graceful chain, from which she hung the tiny vial. Then, gesturing for her to turn around, she secured the necklace around Cassiopeia's neck, casting a simple concealment charm on it, so that it could not be detected.
"Thank you. It's perfect."
June 15, 1975 - Hogwarts
Cassiopeia,
The Lord asked after you yesterday. He's announced that he wishes for you to come to his manor, and was… very angry when I told him you'd be occupied for the entire summer.
I apologize for making the decision for you, love, but I cannot in good conscience allow you to visit him. He wants you for some purpose, and I am certain that it is not a good one, for either you or our world. Please don't visit us over the summer, if not for your sake, then for mine. He is too-often present here.
I am certain that Mrs. Snape will be able to watch over you this summer, and I hope with all my heart that I will see you soon. Do not worry yourself over Lucius' or mine sake. I'll also warn you, I've charmed this missive to self-destruct as soon as you finish reading.
All my love,
Narcissa Malfoy
•••
Thank you for reading, and as always thank you to SilentMayhem. I'd like to warn you now that the next chapter will merit the warning I put in the summary of this story, and it should be out in a week. I hope you all have a wonderful week :) Update: I have Monday off next week, and will use that day to add to the next chapter, so it should be out either Monday evening or Tuesday.