July 24, 1975 - Hogwarts Express

Severus sat in a carriage at the back of the train, staring through the window with his chin resting against his folded hands. Nobody else was in the carriage; he'd already kicked out Regulus and Augustus, albeit a bit more politely than the words implied.

Regulus… that was a surprise. He hadn't thought much about the third, almost fourth year, even following their meeting at the Greengrass' ball. A vague sense of appreciation, perhaps, but at the time he had been much more preoccupied with Cassie and the man he had later learned was the Dark Lord. Yet Regulus had remembered him, and following his and Cassiopeia's… parting of ways, had finally gotten up the nerve to approach him. The nerve? Severus scoffed at himself. Much likelier, Regulus had simply seen no reason to befriend him earlier.

Perhaps it was so, but after almost a year of - was it friendship? - Severus thought he should trust Reg a bit more. He'd proven to be the polar opposite of Black, at least, and besides… well, it was a bit more than slightly cathartic to watch him froth at the mouth when his own brother took Snivellus' side. Not that he often saw it, of course; Black had seemingly figured out his timetable, and would lead Pettigrew - and every so often Potter - in a chase to beat the shit out of him, almost always seeming to catch him when he was alone.

And without Cassiopeia, he didn't stand much chance against two or three attackers. One-one-one, maybe, but Black had a penchant for catching him unaware - no matter how careful he tried to be.

And not that he'd be getting closer to his former friend this summer. He'd thought, perhaps, should Lucius and Narcissa invite them to the Manor; but a couple of days before his exams he'd received an owl from Lucius, requesting him not to come to his home. Apparently, the Dark Lord had taken up residence in the West Wing, alongside Narcissa's sister, both of whom Lucius had implied were… more than slightly unstable. It was safer for Cassie and him not to make their acquaintance.

He understood, but he wasn't looking forward much to this summer.

Severus stepped onto Platform Nine and Three Quarters, making his way through the chattering crowd over to the wall near which he'd spotted his mother standing. She greeted him with a light hug, glancing curiously behind him as she noticed he was alone. He scowled in annoyance, and removed her arms none-too-gently from around him.

Of course she cares more about Cassiopeia than I.

Eileen seemed to want to say something, but as the crowd of students and parents drew nearer to the Disapparition Point, and subsequently to them, she shook her head a fraction and the two of them disappeared in a whirl.

Severus fell to his knees on their living room carpet as he landed, jarred by his mother's unwieldy magic. She herself almost faltered, but steadied herself against his shoulder, looking at him apologetically.

"I'm sorry, Severus; it's been a long time," she said quietly, helping him up from the floor and brushing the dust from his shoulders with tentative movements, as if worried he would deny her touch again. "It's a shame Mrs. Evans couldn't pick you up this year."

Severus nodded gruffly. Lily's mother would have agreed to pick him up, he was sure, but there was no way he would humiliate himself by asking. It was better to let his mother believe what he'd told her.

"Tobias is off drinking again. Go change, and when you're done give me your robes. I'll put them in the attic with your trunk," she said, hesitating slightly before continuing. "Is Cassie staying with the Malfoys this year?"

"Yes," he answered quickly, almost stumbling over the word in the hope of deflecting any more questions. He hadn't planned to lie; really, he hadn't. He'd simply hoped that his mother wouldn't ask.

"I'm glad," she responded, relieved. "The confundo - my magic… I was worried I wouldn't be – " she cut herself off, too proud to continue her thought. "Off with you, then, Severus. It wouldn't do for Tobias to see you dressed like that."

Cassiopeia knocked hesitatingly at the wooden door to her house. How long had it been, since she'd last stepped inside? It felt like years; in fact, it probably was. It was painfully unfamiliar, in a way it shouldn't have been.

Her heart jumped out of her chest when the door was ripped open, the stench of alcohol assaulting her senses as she was jerked inside by a hand with a bruising grip. The door slammed closed behind her.

"What are you doing here?" Her father's eyes, blue and unfocused, were level with her face, his sneer making them seem harsh and cold. "That woman said she'd take you in."

"I wasn't invited this year," she replied, hating her voice for trembling. Henry snorted in amusement, pushing her away and watching as she stumbled backwards under the weight of her trunk.

"You're sleeping in the attic. And stay outta my way, or you'll regret it," he said, then lowered his voice. "And if I see you do magic in front of me even once, you are never going back there." He straightened, towering over her. "Go. Get out of my sight."

She did.

July 27, 1975 - Nazyalensky Home

A tentative peace followed for the next two days. Cassiopeia had situated herself in the tiny attic, thankful that it was summertime and she didn't need much more than a blanket to feel warm and decently comfortable. The space had never been intended as a room but rather a storage cabinet, and so she found herself surrounded by dusty piles of furniture she vaguely remembered from her childhood days, and various other pieces of clutter which she'd tried to clear to the sides.

That was before, of course, her father had declared that if she made any more noise he'd saw off the ladder leading to her 'room'. She'd decided not to risk it, then.

She should have known it wouldn't last.

It was evening, three days after she had arrived, that she finally dared to fully venture downstairs. Some minutes earlier, she'd seen Henry leave the house, slamming the door behind him, and locking it with rattling keys. He'd walked across the street, then stood waiting until another man joined him on the pavement, offering him a cigarette as they walked off Merlin-knew-where. It was too dim to see the other man's face properly, but she thought she might recognize it, if only vaguely.

His identity didn't matter much to her, unlike the hunger pains in her stomach that had turned to full-on cramps several hours ago. While she'd been able to slip herself some bread yesterday, and the water from her wand was… drinkable, it had been a while since she'd last eaten a full meal.

Her worry over causing damage to herself outweighed her fear of Henry returning, if only slightly, so she slipped downstairs as quietly as she could, hoping that even if he were to come back, he would not notice her.

The small, cramped kitchen did not hold much of sustenance, unfortunately. A bit more of the bread, some butter and cheese, and a few fruits. To be frank, she was surprised there was even this much. As far as she knew, Henry had long since been laid off from work, and had not been able to hold down a job for more than a month or two since her mother's death.

Then she remembered the fund her mother had set up with a local bank, should anything happen to her. All of the money she had saved up over the years, with exclusive access granted to Henry, at least until her daughter turned eighteen. Then it was supposed to be shared.

She'd have had no idea it would all end like this.

Buttering a piece of bread, Cassie wondered if there would be anything left over for her, once she turned of age. Her housemates didn't have to worry about such things - with the exception of Severus, perhaps, but he had the Princes to take care of him. Most came from old money, and the chances of being disinherited were close to non-existent. She was well aware of the struggles facing pureblooded women, in regards to having heirs.

Finishing her bread, Cassie debated if she could afford to eat more. The food had done little to lessen the pains in her stomach, and she didn't think she'd get the opportunity to eat again in some time.

With hesitating movements, she grabbed an apple from the countertop, feeling immensely guilty even though she knew she shouldn't be. Unwilling to tempt fate any further, she stole upstairs, and settling on an old chest, she savored the sweetness as she slowly ate.

She didn't regret it. At least not until two hours later.

"Down here. Now!"

The angry shout startled her, and Cassiopeia all but fell over herself as she hastened to get to Henry as quickly as possible, hoping to abate his anger. It was not to be so. He stood in the kitchen, his eyes blazing with anger, and once again clearly drunk. Violently drunk.

"You dare." He grabbed her from the entryway, slamming her back against the doorframe. "You would take my food, which I paid for with my money?"

She stayed quiet, biting her lip against the pain that now radiated from her hip.

"Answer me!"

"I – I needed to. I was hungry."

"You have magic," he growled. "And if you're telling me that magic can't make food, then you'd better know you don't get to eat. Not with my money."

"It's mother's money. She meant it for us both," Cassie whispered, instantly regretting it as rage flashed across his face. He brought his hand down hard against her face, causing her head to snap back against the frame, and a red print to bloom across her cheek.

"Don't you dare." He was shaking now, breathing heavily as he looked at her. "Don't you dare. Your mother is dead, and it's a good thing too. Do not bring her up."

Shaking like a leaf, she nodded, and he let her go. She ran upstairs as fast as she could, her hand pressed against her mouth to stifle her sobs, even as she struggled to breathe. Finally safe, she pressed herself against the wall furthest from the entrance, cradling her head between her knees and breathing raggedly as she tried to calm herself.

It had been so long, so long since he had last physically hurt her. She'd almost have forgotten, were the memories not blazed into her mind with the weight of their pain.

At least it wasn't so bad this time, she knew; her cheek stung something fierce, and her hip felt tender, but she was certain both injuries would mostly fade by tomorrow. No, what hurt her most was the betrayal. She'd known he might hurt her, expected it even, but to actually see the fury in his eyes as he struck her?

Cassiopeia wiped away her tears with her shirtsleeve, turning her head to stare out the window now that her hurt had turned to a kind of shocked despondency. In the distance, she could just make out the rooftop of Severus' house, and settled her gaze on it with a heavy heart.

She'd thought that Eileen might – No. Severus would have told his mother about her role in his and Lily's separation. There was no reason for Eileen to care about her anymore - she'd take her son's side in anything.

In a way, that comforted her a little; that Severus, at least, had a mum like that. She just wished she did too.

•••

And here it is. The next few chapters will also take place during the summer, after which I will be taking a week or two off of posting to plan out the next year of the story in a more detailed way. The next chapter or two will also contain more abuse; worse than this one. Nevertheless, I hope you will enjoy reading it, and that you liked this one too. Thank you to SilentMayhem for being amazing, and I hope all of you have a wonderful week.