February 22, 1976 - Hogwarts

Cassiopeia turned her head sharply, hearing a faint voice calling her name. She paused her evening stroll to seek out the source of the sound, but a quick examination of her surroundings revealed - like she'd thought - that there was no-one in the hallway besides herself.

She was about to shrug it off and continue on her way, dismissing the noise as a trick of the wind, when she heard it again, this time coming distinctly from the window beside her.

She walked towards it carefully, her wand extended, and peered outside onto Hogwarts' grounds, which were bathed in the last rays of sunlight. From the second floor, she could easily make out the grass and bushes that populated the area, but again - there was no human life to be seen.

Cassiopeia.

The voice called out again, this time more forceful in its tone. Startled, she took a half-step towards the window, before pausing - realising that the slightly ethereal quality of the sound did not match to its seeming source.

"Is this a trap?" she muttered, uncertain if she was asking the voice, or herself. As she expected, there was no response.

Wary, she stepped away, deciding it would be far safer to investigate this occurrence from the relative safety of her common room, than to go rushing into danger.

She had barely turned away, when a pulling sensation seized her. Panicked, she fought against its hold, but it did not abate - continuing to pull her, albeit surprisingly gently and slowly, towards the stairs.

She grabbed at her wand, relieved beyond all measure when she could retrieve it easily. Standing at the edge of the staircase now, she would be able to slow her fall, if the force decided to push her downstairs.

It did not - its hold even lessening somewhat as she walked in the direction it had been leading her. When, arriving at the ground floor, she attempted to run, however, it returned, freezing her in place for a second, before pulling her body towards the main entrance with invisible strength.

She thought to call out for help, but was certain such an action would be futile - having specifically chosen her path to avoid the curfew patrols. The force tugged her forward slightly, before abating again as she stood in front of the entrance doors.

Unwilling to find out what would happen should she refuse to open them (images of her body smashing against the wood flickering through her mind) she resigned herself to making her way outside.

Before she did, however, she had to try: "Finite Incantatem!"

Her spell, infused with as much strength as she could muster, fizzled out entirely, filling her with dread. Few enchantments were strong (or Dark) enough to completely resist the spell's effects.

Dark -

Her thoughts froze for a second. No, the idea was ludicrous, there was no chance he was anywhere near enough her to cast a spell of this magnitude. No.

The force tugged more insistently, and filled with apprehension she opened the door. At once, she was certain she had made the wrong decision. Free from the confines of Hogwarts, the spell strengthened exponentially, its pull no longer guiding her in a specific direction, but rather almost lifting her feet from the ground, enabling her to run away from the castle as though she were almost weightless.

Overwhelmed, there was little she could do but observe her path, her heart growing heavier as she was led further and further away, to the very edges of the grounds. As she did, the sensation faded away in seconds, almost causing her to fall to the ground as she regained control over her body.

"Mistress!"

Her heart leapt from her chest, and she only just stifled a terrified scream as she spun to face the gates. There, standing just behind the wrought iron was her elf, immediately recognisable by that lurid green scarf that continued to hang from her neck.

"Tully - oh, thank Merlin you're here," she exclaimed, falling to her knees in front of the creature, who looked at her with wide, and peering eyes. "Listen, there was this spell that pulled me here - it just ended moments ago, and I'm worried it'll return. Do you have any idea - "

"Mistress?" Tully interrupted, her tone nonplussed.

"Yes?"

"You is not to be worrying - it is not coming back. Tully is sorry for scaring Mistress with pulling, but Mistress was not wanting to come, and Tully was needing her."

Cassiopeia frowned, the elf's words taking a moment to register in her mind. "Wait - you cast that spell?"

"No, Tully cannot be casting spells. I is using house-elf magic to try and tell Mistress to come, but she is not listening, so I is trying harder. That is all," she explained.

"Oh - alright," Cassie sighed, feeling the tension slowly leave her body. "You scared me, a little."

"Tully is very sorry, Mistress," the elf replied, her tone forlorn. "I is returning to the cottage, and ironing my ears for two days as punishment."

"No - don't do that," she interjected, alarmed. "I don't want you to punish yourself."

"Is Mistress sure?" Tully asked sceptically, squinting her eyes. "It is a very bad thing for elves to scare their Mistresses. Tully would not have been doing it, but she was worried Mistress wouldn't come."

"I am - I really am," Cassiopeia responded firmly. "But... why did you find it so necessary to bring me here?"

In response, Tully slipped an envelope underneath the gate, and into her waiting hand, Cassie's heart leaping in fear as she recognised the seal.

"Did... he... ask you to give this to me?" she murmured, tucking the parchment into her pocket.

"Yes, Mistress. Mr. Gaunt is saying Tully must give the letter to the Mistress, as soon as she can."

"...Alright," Cassie sighed, her fear over the letter's contents unassuaged by the elf's earnest explanation. "Well - thank you for getting this to me."

"No problem - Tully is happy to," she exclaimed brightly, before vanishing from sight.

Dressed now in her shift, and burrowed under the warmth of her covers, she stared at the parchment in front of her - attempting to delay even further the inevitable as her mind raced with thoughts.

Come on, this isn't helping. Just get it over with, she told herself, and with a resigned sigh reached to unseal the letter.

You take many liberties, Cassiopeia.

She closed her eyes for a second, feeling the sharp words hit her like a physical blow. The displeasure in his tone was palpable, even through the medium of ink, and her heart sank at the realisation that she had probably ruined any further opportunity to achieve her goal - if not more.

I wonder, sometimes, if you are aware of how close to the line you tread - how privileged you are for my patience towards you. Even my most trusted and loyal followers dare not question my words, but you, a mere child, do? They have been punished greatly for far less than your transgressions.

I ask you to keep this thought in mind, to remember who it is you speak to. Things are happening, now, greater than you could even imagine. Actions will need to be taken, which previously could have been avoided. Your sentiments are agreeable, and previously I had even thought to adhere to them; things are different now, however, and you know nothing of what must now take place. Only once you learn to accept my order without question, perhaps you may gain the insight into my actions that you so desperately seek.

Be grateful that I have been otherwise occupied this week, and have been forced to gather my thoughts before expressing them to you.

- Valens Gaunt

Cassiopeia set down the letter, her mind swirling with thoughts.

Had she gotten away with it? Despite his anger, it seemed that the Dark Lord would be content enough with her contrition, even if her attempt to subdue his darkest impulses now seemed futile.

Did he sound a little unstable? Perhaps it was his ire, yet she couldn't help but feel that his words had lost a little of their eloquence, replaced by a fervour she had rarely seen before.

What could she do now?

She moved to ask Severus - hoping he would have some insight to share - before remembering that she was avoiding him, until he got the courage to apologise, or even talk things out, instead of sending her guilty glances from across the room.

Heaving a tired sigh, she resolved to sleep now, and think of a solution to her problems the next morning, when her mind was perhaps a little more clear.

February 24, 1976 - Hogwarts

"Is everything alright?" Cassiopeia asked, for perhaps the third time that evening.

She'd come to study with Remus a few hours ago, attempting to get her mind off of Severus, but the werewolf's constant fidgeting and glances in her direction were not helping to ease her mind.

"Yes - well, no…"

She looked up from her notes, wondering if this time she'd get an actual answer from her friend instead of 'I'm fine,' or 'It's nothing.'

"Go ahead, I'm listening," she prompted, when Remus did not elaborate.

The boy flushed red, muttering something underneath his breath, and she frowned at his strange behaviour, an unwelcome thought appearing unbidden in her head.

"Remus…" No - she was being irrational. He couldn't have a - no. The idea was absurd.

"Um… Cassie… I have to tell you something…"

Oh gods. Could she stop this somehow? The last thing she wanted was to deal with a hurt Remus, if this was what she thought it would be.

"...I think I know how Sirius found Severus, last weekend."

Relief that this was not a declaration of feelings flooded her for a half-second, before her mind caught up to his exact words. "What? What do you mean?"

"I just realised, a few days ago, how Sirius could have possibly known where Severus was," Remus muttered, sinking into his chair. "Sirius, James, Peter, and I… we made a map, and… well, it shows where everyone in the school is. Sirius probably used it to find him."

Her throat grew tight. "When? When did you make this map?"

"Last year," Remus confided almost inaudibly, unable to meet her gaze.

"And you only now tell me?" she asked stiffly. "I was wondering, how he always seemed to know when Severus was alone, when was the best time to hurt him."

"I'm sorry," Remus mumbled guiltily.

She stood from the table, her hands trembling. "I - I'll talk to you later, Remus. I need time to think right now. Don't - don't seek me out."

•••

Thank you all for reading, and SilentMayhem and Stephanie MRV as well for their help. I'm sorry for a bit of a shorter chapter this week, but next week's should be quite a bit longer. Have a lovely week, everyone :)