Arc 1: Immaterial Bonds
Chapter 11: A Sweet Dream

The next few days went past without trouble. However, on the final day before those who wished to return home for Christmas were to leave, Dumbledore decided to host the funeral for the lost children. It was a damp and dreary day but the snow did not melt despite the mild precipitation. By the boundary of the Great Lake was where everything was laid out. Row after row of chairs went on to be able to sit every professor and student. In front of everyone stood a wooden podium and behind it was an arrangement of flower bouquets and bundles. There were portraits of the five on display for all to see. It was them we are remembering.

Dumbledore stood at the podium and gave his words of remorse. Not one person spoke out of turn during the entire service. I sat at the front row, with Snape to my side, and listened intently. I had known these students little more than their names and worst habits but they felt like a part of me.

"...and I must conclude by reminding us all that Hogwarts will always be there for you. Though these are strange and uncomfortable times, we must preserve ourselves. I am confident that is what they would have wanted." Dumbledore finished. For a moment, we made eye contact and he gave me a solemn smile.

"I believe Miss Juniper would like to say a few words now." he declared. Despite my work at the Ministry, talking to large crowds was more to the appeal of Fudge than myself. But it was the right thing to do now.

I rose from my chair and took Dumbledore's place at the podium. Hundreds of faces met mine and my heart began to speed up. As I began to speak, I could see in the corner of my eye Snape give an assuring nod. I could do this.

"Greetings, everyone. I'm sure you know by now that I am Cassandra Juniper. I came to Hogwarts to investigate the disappearances of four children. Unfortunately, a fifth was taken from us before we were able to... to stop everything. Though I never got to speak to any of them, they taught me more than I ever expected. I believe that, with their departure, we can all learn something from them. I want to thank them individually."

I paused and looked towards Ravenclaw.

"To Jessica Marin, a wonderful member of Ravenclaw house. She was a studious individual with a grand future ahead that was stolen from her. Jessica, you taught me the importance of separating myself from my work. It is essential that we all take breaks at times and evaluate the world around us. Nothing can be more important than our health. I thank you for allowing me to realise that point."

Then, I looked towards Hufflepuff.

"To Rayer Terrell, an overly confident but ambitious member of Hufflepuff. He had his faults but he always pushed forward despite them. Rayer, you taught me to believe in myself and that I do have worth in this life. It may seem bleak and hopeless at times, but if we keep our heads up and give our best smile, we can get through it all. Thank you for helping me to love myself."

I turned to Gryffindor.

"To Christina Beckett, a sweet and innocent Gryffindor. She wanted nothing more than companionship but struggled due to her insecurities. Christina, you taught me that I don't have to go through life alone. I can rely on those close to me and let them in knowing that I have their care and love. Life is so much better surrounded by others and I'm sorry you never got that chance. Thank you for pushing me to leave my circle of isolation."

Lastly, I turned to Slytherin.

"I did not know Genny Roberts as well as the others but I understood that she lived with high hopes. Genny, you taught me to decide the future for myself. I no longer find myself chained down by the expectations of others. I lead now on the path that I made for myself. Thank you for showing me that there are other routes than the one in front of you."

I swallowed hard, my throat feeling dry, at the student I left for last.

"And finally, Lionel MacKenna. I owe you an apology. You taught me to take accountability for my actions and not hide behind the morals of others. For so long, I pushed away my responsibilities and emotions and decided it was merely part of my duty. I was wrong. I had the power to change so many things and I refused to accept that. Lionel, and to your father Damien, I offer you my sincerest regret. Though I cannot undo the role I played, I swear to you that it shall never happen again under my watch."

I hadn't noticed when it started, but tears flowed down my cheeks. The rain partly masked them but those in the closest rows could see them clearly.

"To these five, I owe them everything. I am so sorry that I couldn't save you in time. I hope that one day you can find it to forgive me. Your memories will live on forever... Thank you." I finished and returned to my seat. Snape gently placed his hand on mine as comfort as we listened to Dumbledore begin to dismiss everyone...

Once everyone had dispersed, Snape and I agreed to take a walk through the school grounds. At some point, we wound up on the hill overlooking Hagrid's hut. One had a great view of much of the boundary of the forest and the Quidditch pitch. Together we stood simply looking over the horizon in silence until Snape began to speak.

"You did well today." he said with his typical monotonous tone.

"I'm glad. To be honest, I was worried it was going to be horrendous. Maybe I'd choke on my words, say something offensive or pass out completely." I replied with an awkward laugh.

"You didn't have to speak."

"I know but... it felt like the right thing to do. Sad as it is, I probably knew the ins and outs of those kids more than anyone. Especially for Christina and Jessica... I don't think anyone would have said anything about them otherwise. I owed it to all five of them to perform the eulogy."

Snape nodded in contemplation. It was good to know that I was at least making some sense.

"Everything's going to be changing now, huh..." I began. "I'm kind of nervous to finally be doing what I want. I never thought I'd be free from my father and the Ministry."

"Did the Ministry say anything when you resigned?" Snape asked somewhat alarmed.

"I had to do it through the Minister which was the worst part of it all. I was meant to be the next minister so now Fudge's successor is all up in the air. And then not to mention that I was doing half of his work so now his desk is overflowing. He probably delegated it to Umbridge, knowing him! She deserves it." The scars embedded into my hands hurt remembering her. "Fudge was furious. In a weird way, it almost sounded like he was begging me to come back but I refused. I'm done being tied down to him." That last sentence came out a little louder than I wanted it to but I felt proud enough to want to shout it from the hill for all to hear.

"For what it is worth, Hogwarts is better with you here." he stated but his face refused to give away the intent of his words.

I chuckled, "You think? I can say for sure my life is better being here."

An idea popped into my mind.

"Now that we have some downtime, I always wanted to go see Hogsmeade. I thought about going during the main trip but... you know how it was." My entrapment. Thanks, Umbridge.

"We may go tomorrow if you wish."

"I'd love to."

The next day was much more pleasant than the previous. The sun shone brightly in the sky with the occasional cloud temporarily blocking its rays. However, it was still far too cold for the snow to melt and it was seeming like it was going to be a White Christmas in the next couple of days.

Hogsmeade itself was a small wizarding village filled with small cottages and shops for a variety of occasions. All the trees had been decorated with candles for the holidays and many buildings had wreaths hung up and tinsel draped across their structure. Typical Christmas-related music could be heard coming through most of the streets.

For this excursion, I decided to warm up quite a bit compared to the clothes I wore while at Hogwarts. A big fluffy coat that draped down to almost my ankles was a must to protect my legs from the cold. Fur boots kept my feet warm and secure.

Snape, on the other hand, was surprisingly wearing something that wasn't his work robes. A miracle it was to see. Instead, he wore a grey winter coat and a thick black jumper with a matching scarf. He looked so sweet. I felt lucky getting to see this side that others at Hogwarts would likely never see.

Together, we walked through the High Street and went past a handful of shops. Some of the more popular outlets were filled to the brim with those doing their last-minute Christmas shopping. But that thought did beg the question... I stole a glance at Snape. What do I get him for Christmas? What does a man who acts so indifferent to most things want?

One particular shop suddenly took my eye. A small cottage named Tomes and Scrolls seemed like a good starting point. Snape was an intelligent man, that's for sure, so perhaps something to further his knowledge would be appropriate?

"Hey, let me go in this one for a minute." I said and began to go in the door. Snape followed me but I held out my arm to stop him.

"Do you not want me to come in?" he asked politely.

Okay, how to explain to him that I'm shopping for his Christmas present without sounding suspicious?

"I, uh, just want to check this one out on my own for a minute. I mean," I poked my head inside as if I was checking out the store floor. "It looks pretty busy too. Best that you wait out here for a moment, okay? I promise I won't be long!"

Genius.

Snape did not seem convinced in the slightest but he played along with my ruse.

"Don't take long." he advised and turned to observe the scenery.

I gave him my thanks and went inside. The store was completely empty. An oldish man came from behind the back of the store with a friendly and inviting smile.

"I was wondering if you were going to come in or if you were going to let all the cold in!" he jested as he approached the counter. "What can I do for you, young miss?"

"Well... I'm looking for a tome for... a friend." I felt a blush creep up on my cheeks. "He's really quite serious and stern and- and-"

"Calm down, young girl, or you'll run your mouth off! Give me one moment, I have just the thing." The man went to the back of the store for a few minutes. Before long, he returned with a book I did not recognise.

"Assuming that this is for the fella I heard you talking to outside," and he pointed to where Snape was still waiting, "this should do the trick."

Judging by the cover (how scandalous), it was a book on ancient spells and curses.

"This looks good but I don't know what he has in his collection. He may have this one already." I told him.

The man tapped the cover lightly with his finger and gave a confident grin. "Not a chance. This one's from my private collection. Only show 'em to those I got a good feeling about." he explained. I asked what he meant about me that gave him a "good feeling".

"Heard some of them Hogwarts students talking about you. Recognised you from an old edition of the Daily Prophet. You're the Minister's kid, aye? Think you deserve something to go your way for once."

I couldn't hide the smile that crept up on me. It was nice to be acknowledged like this for once and for things to just be... simple.

He took the tome and put it in a bag with a charm that prevented observers from seeing the contents of the bag.

"Here. I'm sure he'll love it."

"Don't I owe you anything?" I asked, wondering what the catch was.

The man waved his hand dismissively at my question. "Nah. You've done enough for this community that I can let you have this one on the house. Next time I will charge you, just be warned." So this was friendly banter. Interesting.

I thanked the man and returned to the cold outside. I expected Snape to be waiting where he said he was but he was nowhere to be seen. My heart began to race slightly. Where had he gone? He didn't say he was going to wander. Did something happen?

Jogging past more shops and stands, I found myself in the main square. There was still no sign of him. The urge to call his name was in my throat but I didn't want to cause a scene over something like this. He was around somewhere. He had to be.

I should focus. What is the first thing you do when someone has gone missing? You should probably remain at your meeting spot in case they come back but I had already failed that so there wasn't much point in returning there. The next thing would be to stay where you were and hope they crossed paths with you. So, with that being my only conceivable option, I sat down on a nearby bench and watched over the plaza.

...and almost immediately, I saw him coming out of a shop that I neglected to see the name of. With a jolt, I ran over to him and gently threw a fist at his chest in protest.

"Where did you go!?" I asked somewhat angrily. Some nearby villagers watched awkwardly at my mild outburst.

"Shopping, obviously." he responded curtly.

I sighed at his simpleness.

"You, Severus Snape, suck." I told him but it wasn't serious. I couldn't be mad at him when I was the one who overreacted.

"If it makes you feel better, then I apologise for leaving you."

A huff of air came out of my nostrils in smugness.

"Yeah, it does actually. Wow, aren't you good?" I laughed.

It was at that moment that my heart finally resolved itself. It wasn't content with just being friends any longer. It wanted to be more than that. I gazed once more at the tome in the bag I carried as we continued walking together. There wouldn't be any better time than Christmas to do it, would there? My mind was made up. Now, all I had to do was wait.

Christmas Eve felt agonising to wait through and I hardly slept that night. All I could think about is if he would accept my dumb confession. As time keeps on ticking, Christmas Day did eventually come. Only a handful of students decided to remain and a few professors opted to stay, including Dumbledore. Those who lived at Hogwarts, such as Trelawney, didn't have many other choices either way.

The Great Hall still had its decorations up from earlier in the term. The enchanted ceiling held a stunning aurora that spun out a mixture of greens, pinks and purples. Underneath it, the four house tables and the staff table had been set aside and a singular wide table sat in the middle that sat approximately twenty people.

Together, we all spoke about our hopes for the New Year and enjoyed Christmas dinner together. My father never bothered with such frivolities with me so this was the first time I got to eat with those important to me. Smiles and laughter were shared with everyone involved. There was peace at Hogwarts after a devastating year.

Once we had all finished, I got up from the table and tapped Snape on the shoulder. I asked him to follow me to the Astronomy Tower and we left together. Dumbledore gave me a very aloof look. He obviously had some idea of what I was going to do. I could read his mental message of encouragement and approval.

The Astronomy Tower had not changed one bit since our last time being here. As predicted, there was light snow falling across the whole valley and it made being so high up almost unpleasant. Had this location not had such importance to me, I'd probably have chosen a different place.

As before, I headed to the balcony to which Snape joined my side.

I looked him dead in the eye. My heart felt like it was going to explode.

"Merry Christmas, Severus." I spoke lightly.

"Merry Christmas, Cassandra." he returned.

Silence.

"I, uh, I got you something." I handed him the wrapped tome. "I hope you like it."

He raised an eyebrow in surprise. Perhaps he didn't get gifts too often? Carefully, he unwrapped the book, read the title and began to flick through it.

"This is an impressive find. How did you get something like this?" he asked in mild shock.

"I have my ways." I winked as he continued to flick through.

"Thank you. It's wonderful." Then, he reached within his robes and picked out a small box. "I hope you do not mind but I got you something too."

"Of course I don't. What is it?" He told me to turn around. Naturally, I did so. I heard the box he held open and the sounds of a chain moving. He reached around to my front, pulled the chain around my neck and secured the clasp. It was a silver necklace. At the end sat a charm in the shape of a star.

"You spoke fondly of the stars watching over you. Now, one shall be by your side so long as you wear it." His voice was filled with such care and unusual grace.

"Severus... it's beautiful." I turned to face him once more and held the charm in my palm to look at it more closely. "Thank you ever so much." I hugged him but we quickly parted to our original positions.

"Can I talk to you about something?" I started. This was it.

"Anything."

"Well, I- I like- that is to say- damn it." I stuttered over my words and my face became a red mess. I must look like I'm going insane. I took a deep breath...

"I like-"

"I feel the same way."

"Wh- you do?"

"I do."

"Wow. Okay." I felt all the air escape my lungs. For a moment, I stumbled backwards and pressed against the metal barrier of the balcony. "No, this is good. This is fantastic."

"If you're going to have a breakdown, I may retract my statement." he joked at my freakout.

"No, see, that's what I like about you! You're an ass! We're both overconfident, stuck-up and we're going to give the world hell with our attitude! Everyone is scared of talking back to me but you do so without a fear in you! I need that! You stabilise me. You don't tread on glass around me. You're real." I blurted out without thinking what I was saying.

"I was real because you gave me a chance. There was someone else in the past who did so too and I lost them. I pushed you away for I feared that would happen again." He looked like he wanted to cry. "But, persistent as ever, you forced your way in."

"I'm not going anywhere anymore, I promise. I want to stay right by your side." I grabbed his hand firmly.

"Then I shall do my utmost to remain by yours as well."

I couldn't believe this was real and not some dream. This was really happening. My heart was overflowing with happiness.

Then, a piece of mistletoe floated above us, supported by a Levitation Charm.

"Did you-"

"No."

"Screw it then." I blurted.

I wrapped my arms around his neck and pressed my lips to his. He hesitated in brief surprise before returning the action and taking me up in his own embrace. It lasted only for a short while but it made me feel better than anything I felt before.

"I think that'll be my new memory for my Patronus." I laughed somewhat sillily, still in his arms.

"What was the memory when you did cast it?"

"It was us up here before. That was when I realised everything I had here and that I wanted to keep it forever. But this memory blows that one out the window for sure."

Snape gave a chuckle. Maybe I am daft but he liked that about me. Being imperfect is perfectly good enough for us.

We spent the rest of the day together. Discussing my future at Hogwarts, the excitement of being able to teach real classes together and whatever topics came to mind.

Everything was right with the world. All was at peace and nothing could bother us now. The Hound of Dreams' master was still unknown but... that didn't matter for the time. What matters is right now: where we're together.

That was until...

End of Arc One.

Arc Two Preview
These scenes are not indicative of the final chapter script. There may be variations.

"We have another matter that requires your attention, Miss Juniper." Dumbledore stared me down with an urgent tone to his voice.

"I am certain by now you have become aware of the strange occurrences happening at Hogwarts. We believed them to be the ghosts but they confirmed that they had not played a part in it."

"I don't see how the ghosts could vanish people from the portraits or steal the Sword of Gryffindor anyway." I responded. Dumbledore sighed in agreement.

"There is a bigger presence at large. We need you to figure out what is happening. If it is the Hound of Dreams' master then we need to know who it is. If it is who I suspect it to be..."

"Hogwarts will be in serious danger."

"Why do these dreams still haunt me? I thought that once we killed the Hound, they'd stop... I haven't had a good night's sleep in a month! The worst part is I can't remember a single thing that happens in them..."

"Perhaps it would be a good opportunity for you to learn Occlumency. Whatever is toying with you will be powerless against it."

"That may be the only solution left..."

What mysteries await Cassandra in Arc Two? Make sure you keep on reading to see her development!

To those who completed Arc One, I thank you from the bottom of my heart. This started as a story I dreamt in my head for months until I decided one day to begin to write it down as an official story. I have suffered from writer's block for six years and I pushed myself to complete my biggest project yet.

I sincerely hope you have enjoyed Cassandra's journey in Arc One and will return for Arc Two. I promise you that it will be worth it.