March 14, 1976 - Hogwarts

Cassiopeia slipped down to Slughorn's private lab, certain that in its bleak, dark confines she would find the person she sought.

He'd been straying there often, but she would not discourage him. Brewing left him relaxed - amiable even - after a day filled with increasingly harried professors, and increasingly hostile glares.

While he bore the brunt of the antagonism, it had taken its toll on her as well - the shores of the Black Lake had seen her more often in the past month than the rest of her years at school combined. Even if she would never dare venture to touch it, the quiet lapping of the water allowed her to clear her mind, with greater ease than she had ever achieved with Occlumency.

He would join her sometimes, and she was happy to allow him, but it was not often they disturbed each other's peace.

"Severus?" she called, knocking on the heavy steel door. She heard no response, but a few moments later the door swung open.

"Yes?" Severus asked curtly, brushing the lanky strings of his hair from his face. He had donned protective leather gloves and a pair of dragonhide boots, and did not look particularly pleased to see her.

"It's nothing," she responded after a moment. "I didn't mean to disturb you from anything important," she added, making a gesture towards his clothes.

"It's fine; you might as well see," he said, a faint scowl on his face. "Come in."

She followed him inside, an unpleasant odour almost immediately making itself known to her. She wrinkled her nose, eyeing the large cauldron that seemed to be its source.

"Is the smell an indication of success, or failure?" she asked, eyeing the burnt orange sludge that occupied it.

"Unsure, yet," Severus replied, pulling out a stool for her to sit on, and turning back to his work. "Though if nothing explodes during the next two hours, I should be able to move forward."

"And what exactly are you making?" she asked.

She watched from behind as his hands stilled over the cauldron, before he answered lightly, "It's just an experiment."

She didn't press him, though the curiosity was burning her. "Alright," she said, then paused for a second. "Would you like to know why I came down here?"

She'd been deliberating over telling him for the past few hours, ever since Remus had slipped the two pieces of parchment to her with an apologetic look on his face, before vanishing from sight. She had been utterly confused at first, before the realisation of what they were slowly dawned on her.

"Nothing horrible's happened, has it?" Severus asked, a little absent as he focused on the ingredients in front of him. "Do tell."

She pursed her lips, retrieving the two rolls from the pocket of her robes. The first was quite large, and a shimmer on its surface revealed its magical nature. In comparison, the second was merely a slip, a few lines of instructions written on it hastily in Remus' messy scrawl.

"I didn't tell you before," she began to explain, "but Remus told me how Black always seemed to know where you - where we were."

Severus stilled. "Go on," he instructed, his voice stiff.

"It's a map; a map which tracks the movements of everyone in the school."

She lay the parchment over her knees, a whispered line filling it with inky black drawings, in seconds showing a layout of the school, and a moment later populating it with small, labelled dots.

Severus turned towards her, his gaze falling to her lap as a disturbed expression overtook his face. "He made this… to track us?"

"That was one of their goals," she responded quietly, unfolding Remus' instructions. " 'Sirius came up with the idea in third year, and we began to work on it then, mostly hoping to figure out a way to sneak around the castle undetected. Sirius and James decided to start labelling the dots in fourth year, with the two of you being the first ones named,' " she read out.

Severus stood silently for a moment. "... And Remus never told us."

He looked towards her, taking in a breath. "I won't be talking to him again. However, if you want to continue your association…" he trailed off, giving a dispassionate shrug. "Do what you want."

She gave him a half-hearted smile. "I gave him an ultimatum when I found out: us versus them. He's already made his choice." Her gaze fell to the map, and she added quietly, "This is just his apology."

March 20, 1976 - Hogwarts

"He really does want to turn us all into Muggles, doesn't he?"

Sitting in the common room, just after dinner, Cassiopeia listened to the conversations all around her as she waited for the proper hour to approach. She hadn't taken much notice of it previously - before the Dark Lord had introduced her to the world of pureblood tradition - but certain days of the year stirred up great contempt for Dumbledore from everyone, even the mildest, least politically-inclined members of their house. It was fascinating to watch.

"He doesn't even acknowledge it; it's a day like any other to him."

"To most people in this school, actually," Lucy responded matter-of-factly, affixing a clip to her bright blond hair.

"Well it wouldn't be if we celebrated it properly," Corban complained, turning to his sister. "I don't even care that much about Ostara, but Beltane? Samhain?"

"But we celebrate Valentine's Day and Halloween so that makes up for it," Lysandra responded scornfully. "It's all part of his plan."

"His already very successful plan," Alecto Carrow interjected, joining the conversation. "Support for pureblood traditions and 'Dark' magic is falling rapidly."

"And Muggles are becoming more accepted by the people," Mulciber added, sneering.

"Ergo, my conclusion is correct - Dumbledore really does want our society to fail," Crouch proclaimed, a finality to his words.

There were nods and murmurs of agreement all around, though some seemed hesitant to fully agree to such a declaration. Removed from the conversation, there was no need for her to answer, but she gave an small, approving nod for the benefit of whoever might be observing her.

Slowly the group dispersed, and though in the near-silence which followed time passed by slowly, the ornate clock on their wall soon struck six. Cassiopeia made to grab Severus - the materials she'd need already safely ensconced in the pocket of her robe - but he appeared from the staircase moments later, seeming as ready as she was to leave, if also sporting a disgruntled scowl.

Disillusioning themselves once they'd left the room, they used the map to make their way onto the grounds undetected. It had been strange, at first, to use so freely something which had facilitated so much harm, but she'd soon realised how truly useful of a tool it was. It would have been a waste not to use it, the two of them had reluctantly agreed.

When Cassiopeia had first realised that she'd need to perform the spring ritual outlined by the Dark Lord, she'd had little idea of where such an event could take place. Dumbledore's detection had been her first consideration, but furthermore their position with regards to the sun, moon, and stars had also been an important factor to take into account.

She'd almost given up - overwhelmed - when she'd remembered the unicorn, and the plain it had led her to. It seemed a stretch to think that it would fit her needs well, but when she'd pulled up a matrix it had glowed a cool silver, indicating its suitability.

Now, her journey eased by the illuminating sunlight, she led Severus through the Forbidden Forest. Though she would have had little chance of remembering the proper path herself, once again Arithmancy had helped her to her goal - informing her of the shortest, safest path, and also of its possible dangers.

Traveling near, but not on, the centaurs' territory provided a great deal of protection, and they arrived at the plain no more worse for wear, if a bit on edge - uneasy at the sounds of the rushing wind, and the crackling of the trees.

"Here it is," she announced, pushing aside branches so the two of them could walk inside. In the light, the field seemed much more plain, though there was still a kind of magical feel to the entire place - a slight sensation in the air and against their skin as though the grounds had been covered in a blanket of spells.

Severus marked out the centre of the plain, and there they set up what they would need - the bonfire of willow wood, and the crystals encircling it.

Her stomach panged slightly as she worked; a day of fasting was a requirement for the ritual, but it had been almost a year since she'd gone a day without food, and her body had gotten disused to the sensation. A light eater at the best of times, she wondered how Severus was faring, but did not ask.

"Done." Severus placed the last piece of quartz on the ground, standing to observe their creation with a critical gaze.

"Does everything look alright?" she asked, carefully prying open the vial which held the final ingredient - the Re'em blood. While their other ingredients had been bought at Hogsmeade, the blood had been… borrowed... from Slughorn's potions store, too expensive and rare to be sourced - easily - from anywhere else.

"It should be fine," Severus answered sullenly. He had not been overjoyed to participate, but had easily recognised the advantages that it could bring; that did not mean, of course, that he would hide his distaste.

With a sigh she sprinkled the last drops onto the wood, meeting Severus' eyes for a second to convey her intention. He gave a resigned nod, and with a flick of her wand, the fire-pit was set alight.

They were locked in now - stepping outside of the circle was dangerous while the ritual was in progress. Taking out the athame, a gift from the Malfoys, she held it to her palm, hesitant but sure.

Delaying the inevitable would not help: she sliced open her skin, the cut clean and smooth. She heard Severus hiss as blood began to draw up, red and striking, but she could only focus on the ritual, only make certain that each precious drop fell where it should. The sting of the pain passed her by, almost unnoticeable.

Once the last crystal had been coated, her blood forming splatters against the rock, she held her hand over the fire, watching in fascination as the cut drew together and healed - a confirmation that their work had been correct.

"Now we wait," she said quietly, making a place for herself on the ground, and watching Severus do the same. There was little more to the ritual now than to keep your intention in mind, strong and distinct, awaiting the fire's death.

Seconds passed by, minutes then, until time seemed to meld together, each moment unrecognisable from the last. The sun had begun to set, painting the sky as a canvas of colour: red, orange, pink; and the shadow of the fire grew until Severus was coloured in grey, only his silhouette glowing golden from the light.

She cast her gaze out onto their surroundings, her eyes passing by the sights unfocused, unseeing. She could only envision her intention, clear and bold before her, the words almost painted onto her eyes.

Clarity.

Up to the time that a disturbance appeared in the trees, a familiar flash of silver, and thoughts began to rush at her, her desire almost lost in the flood. She battled them in her mind, attempting to clear them away; the struggle hidden from the outside, if not for her nails tearing at her palms, almost undoing the fire's work.

Unicorn.

It shone in her mind brightly, unsubdued by her efforts. The preparation, the magic would be for nothing - her own mind the downfall of her work.

A gust of wind blew past, extinguishing the final flame, and magic settled onto them, heavy and intoxicating. The tension left her body, and her mind ceased its war, hope beginning to spark in her heart - hope that her efforts had not been for naught. Her thoughts - before so fast and overwhelming - became slow and muddled, and a kind of sudden warmth overtook her skin.

Slowly shaking herself from the haze, she blinked open her eyes, wondering when they had even closed. Across from her, Severus seemed in a similar condition, a kind of softness to his body that she'd never seen when he was not asleep.

"What did you ask for?" she asked him, her tongue feeling heavy in her mouth.

He smiled, a smile of euphoria and satisfaction. "Knowledge - the answer to something important. And you?"

She frowned slightly. "Clarity; some guidance on what I should do."

Seeing Severus' open smile, doubt crept into her mind. She did not feel enlightened; her course of action was far from clear.

And yet, she could not shake the feeling that something had changed: she felt it in her core, like a shift in her very being, in who she truly was. Magic, she felt, had granted her some power yet unknown.

•••

Thank you to SilentMayhem and Stephanie MRV for their help. Have a lovely week, everyone.