Part XIV
It was the night before the end of term; Cassie sat in her bed slowly nodding to sleep. Hours later, on the morning of the next day Cassie woke in a cold sweat. Panting she again summoned the pensieve and placed her vision in the bowl of viscous transparent liquid.
Walking to the common room after throwing a robe on, she grabbed her clothes and went for a shower. Exiting the bathrooms only half an hour later, Cassie felt refreshed and ready to pack her belongings.
The castle was a bustle of excited students, ready to board the train headed for Kings Cross Station. Student hurried around each other exchanging gifts, hugs and conversation. Only minutes later was the Platform at Hogsmeade playing host to a large gaggle of students waiting to board the train, snow feel softly onto the ground. Christmas was coming.
With a final whistle of delight, the train pulled out of Hogsmeade ready for the trip through the snow covered landscape of Scotland and England. In the train the children were changing out of school robes into muggle clothing and casual clothing. In one of the compartments in the middle carriage, sat Ron and Harry. They were discussing what Harry had heard in the halls just a couple of nights ago.
''Are you sure that's what you heard?''' Ron asked clarifying what Harry had just uttered.
''The Unbreakable Vow.'' Harry repeated.
''It's just you can't break the Unbreakable Vow.'' Rom said stating the obvious.
''Funnily enough I figured that out myself.'' Harry deadpanned ''So what happens when you break an Unbreakable Vow?''
The room went cold and frigid, just as the weather outside was. ''You die'' Ron simply replied, not beating around the bush.
Meanwhile, in the Slytherin compartment, Draco, the boys and the Lestrange sisters sat in companionable silence. Several hours later Draco and the Lestrange sisters found themselves in Diagon Alley, waiting for Rabastan and Stephania.
''Mother.'' the girls greeted as the matriarch of the Lestrange house approached them. ''Girls. Draco.'' she replied curtly and nodded in Draco's direction.
''I can only hope, Draco, that you've been caring for my daughters when I can't.'' Rabastan Lestrange intoned as he strutted up behind his wife, greeting the young Malfoy.
''Daddy!'' the two girls exclaimed in excitement and indignation at the same time. They didn't need protection, they thought.
''But of course, uncle.'' Draco replied, patting the girls on the shoulder whilst grasping his uncle's hand in a firm handshake. With all the pleasantries aside, the adults took hold of the students and apparated to the Lestrange Manor, where they soon found Bellatrix and Rodolphus.
The adults started talking in hushed tones about something or another. This prompted Draco, Lyra and Cassie to move to the girls' private wing. Chatting about random goings on, they traipsed to the west side of the Manor.
Upon entering the common quarters, there were large silver couches placed strategically around a coffee table, a chaise lounge sat elegantly by the hidden fireplace and a large door on the opposite wall lead to what presumable would be the sleeping quarters. Passing through the large Cedar wood door, they found themselves in a dark corridor only lit by flickering torches; very reminiscent of the dungeon corridors back at Hogwarts. In front of them were a set of stairs leading to the upper floors, where Lyra and Cassie would have their quarters.
Draco walked down to the left of the corridor where he found a portrait of his grandfather, looking haughty as ever; the portrait opened and lead to his private quarters. In the middle of the room against the back wall sat a majestic black four poster bed with the custom emerald green hangings. The bed was covered in silver silk sheets, of only the finest quality. At the foot of the bed was his school trunk. To the left side of the door was the doorway which led to the expansive bathrooms, much like those of the prefects bathrooms. Black tiles scattered on the floor creeping to whitewashed walls and a wall to wall floor length charmed mirror.
Rabastan Lestrange, who lived to satisfy his daughters' every whim and fancy, had commissioned the most sought out interior designer in the wizarding world to decorate his daughters' rooms. Despite his rough rude exterior, when it came to the girls he was simply a pushover. When they had requested that a whole level of the west wing was dedicated to their rooms. When he said yes, he hadn't realised that they meant that each of their bedrooms and quarters would take up an entire level. Nonetheless, when they cleared up what they meant their father simply nodded and dropped loving kisses on their foreheads while their mother watched one, scowling something fierce.
On the level above Draco's quarters was Lyra's. She had requested a small library be built into her quarters for easy access when she felt the whim for a light read. Several bookcases lined both the left and right sides of the room that lead from the left wall of her bedroom. A large mahogany desk that was littered with parchment, owl treats and unopened mail stood at the front left hand side of the small library. On the right hand side was a large window that looked out over the well tended back grounds. Next to that window was a day bed laden with soft white pillows with elegant black trim.
The bedroom itself exuded royalty. The room was painted in a rich royal blue, with the night sky bewitched upon her ceiling. Her large king sized bed was placed strategically in front of the large window, pure white sheet covered the large bed, fluffed pillows piled against each other leant against the starkly contrasting wall. The view to which the window looked out upon was bewitched to show the Mediterranean land and seascape; the year previous to the renovation Lyra had visited Greece and fell in love with everything Santorini had offered her.
Her bathroom echoed the sentiment of the view seen from her bedroom window. The large pool-sized bath was currently filled with blue bubbles and warm vanilla scented liquid. Clearly her personal house elf knew her habits way too well. Casting a warming charm on the bath, she slipped from her grand bathroom, back into her room. Her wardrobe and floor length mirror stood to the left of her door.
Further up the stairwell, you would find a large portrait of their ancestor, Cassandra Lestrange. The portrait hid the entrance to Cassie's quarters. Much like her sister's room, Cassie's was painted in pastel green with a majestic four poster bed sitting against the back wall which doubled as a wall to wall window looking out over the English countryside. The bed itself was largely covered in white sheets, the bed skirt was a pewter silver as were the blankets that peeped out from underneath the white comforter. A silver canopy was held up by four large bronze arches. At the foot of the bed stood a chaise lounge in the purest of whites, with black pillows places against the plush upholstery; he trunk lay hidden underneath the chaise lounge.
Where Lyra's library would have been, Cassie had requested by demand a top notch recording studio. Apparently she needed a musical outlet. Upon entering the vast ash door leading from the bedroom to the studio the floors changed from soft, warm rugs to cold hard wooden floors. The main room held muggle appliances –something called computers, her father had notified her- and three doors at the far end of the room. Each lead to a separate recording studio, which were visible thanks to soundproofed and one way windows.
Her bathroom, on the other hand, was reminiscent of a stream found deep in a lush green forest. Each of the walls were painted with trees that would slowly sway in the imaginary wind, the back wall had large rocks protruding from it a water cascade from the top of the rock formation. It was a private oasis.
Without knowing it, they simultaneously settled themselves on the large four poster beds which had been placed in the room prior to their arrival. Travel was always hard on them, and so after a few exchanged words the teens fell into a fitful sleep.
The next morning a piercing scream could be hard issuing from Cassie's quarters. Both Draco and Lyra bolted up from their respective bed and ran to find out the nature of the problem.
Bursting through the door, Lyra ran to her sister's side and soothed the screaming girl. ''Shh, we're here. Nothing is going to happen.'' she said rubbing soothing circles on Cassie's back.
''Cass, love, what happened?'' Draco asked from the floor by the bed.
''He- We- They-'' she sputtered, not able to finish her sentences due to the emotions welling within her. She sent a pleading glance to Lyra who completely understood. It was another vision of the future.
The knowing glance shared between the sisters sent Lyra shooting down to her little library for somewhat research shouting that Draco stay and keep Cassie company.
It was several days later when the teens had found themselves sitting in the vast Lestrange library in the ancestral manor. The Lestrange sisters and Draco pored of several tomes of severely useless information. That was until Lyra spotted a slab of information tucked away in a large book in the darkest corner of the library.
She called her sister and cousin over to examine the piece of text. They read together:
In Greek mythology, Cassandra was the daughter of King Priam and Queen Hecuba of Troy. Her beauty caused Apollo to grant her the gift of prophecy. In an alternative version, she spent a night at Apollo's temple, at which time the temple snakes licked her ears clean so that she was able to hear the future (this is a recurring theme in Greek mythology, though sometimes it brings an ability to understand the language of animals rather than an ability to know the future).However, when she did not return his love, Apollo placed a curse on her so that no one would ever believe her predictions. She is a figure both of the epic tradition and of tragedy, where her combination of deep understanding and powerlessness exemplify the ironic condition of mankind.
''Perhaps that's how Salazar Slytherin learnt Parseltongue.'' Lyra voiced her opinion, and then she gasped earning the attention of both her cousin and sister.
''What? What is it?'' Draco asked, suddenly worried for his cousin's health sanity or her thought process. She was much like Granger in her pursuits of knowledge. If they wanted to know useless and menial information. ''Share with us your thoughts, oh Slytherin Granger.''
At that sarcastic comment, Lyra shot Draco an icy glare to rival his own and got up to retrieve a heavy tome that had Lestrange scrawled on the spine in thick black letters. ''You don't suppose?'' Cassie questioned with wide eyes ''It can be a possibility though.'' she mused out loud chancing a glance at the completely befuddled Draco.
"Are you saying that Cass is a seer?" Draco asked finally piecing things together rather slowly. "Other than that I don't know what else you girls could be prattling on about. Explain to the knowledge deprived."
"Draco," Lyra said as she shoved the previous book she had been reading out of. "Tell me that there is no coincidence between Salazar Slytherin, Cassandra from the myth and our – mine and Cassie's ancestor- Cassandra Lestrange?"
Draco sat there reading the passage several times before the weight of the matter finally dawned on him. "You don't suppose..?" he trailed off. "What I mean to say is, you think at the Cassandra that this book speaks of is the one who guards Cassie's quarter, hence making her your ancestor and somehow related to the Greek Gods?"
The girls nodded in affirmation. "And," Cassie added. "We may or may not be related to The Dark Lord. Or perhaps that our ancestor knew how to speak Parseltongue and taught Salazar Slytherin. Take your pick, really." She said trying not to shudder at the mere thought of her first suggestion.
A gasp was heard behind the ancient and large ancestral tome at the same time as the wards fizzled and the doors of the library opened to reveal Rabastan, Rodolphus, Bellatrix, Stephania, Lucius and Narcissa. Bellatrix was laughing maniacally whilst twisting her wand around her nimble fingers.
Rodolphus spoke up, '' So this is where my favourite nieces are to be found?'' he said chuckling as Lyra dropped her book and walked quickly towards him.
''Cassie, darling.'' Narcissa intoned. ''Come here, Bella and myself have to make sure nothing untoward has happened to you.''
Draco, who hadn't been forgotten, stood by the couches giving each of the men a surly nod and smiling softly at the women- not that his Aunt Bella noticed. ''Girls.'' he said catching the attention of his cousins. ''You still need to explain.''
Rabastan, who was observing the family reunion, eyed the family tome. ''My angel,,, he said dressing Lyra by one of her many nicknames. ''I am hazarding that you have found out your lineage.''
Lyra merely nodded at her father as Lucius reached for her hand and gave it a comforting squeeze. Despite all beliefs, Lucius Abraxas Malfoy did have a heart; only when it came to his family and close friends. ''Is it at all possible that our ancestor, Cassandra Lestrange, is the same Cassandra the The Greek Sun God Apollo cursed with being able to the future? On top of that, is it true, according to legend, tat she could speak to and understand snakes?'' she asked all in one breath.
Rabastan and Rodolphus looked at Lyra in awe. She had pieced everything together, an ancient family secret was puzzled out by a 16 year old girl. The two brothers nodded, that was enough for Lyra. ''We have reason to believe that Cassie inherited one of those traits.'' Draco said from his position.
Several hours ago, at the Burrow, Harry, Remus Lupin and Arthur Weasley were discussing what Harry had heard the fateful night.
"Has it occurred to you, Harry," said Mr. Weasley, "that Snape was simply pretending —?"
The boy laughed mirthlessly, "Only promising on two different occasions that he'd protect Malfoy and Nott." He replied sarcastically. "Promising death when he can't pull through." The rest of Harry's Christmas was spent agonising over Nott and Malfoy. He obsessed over the vows and the conversation between the three Slytherins.
The adults had explained 'they just had come from the Burrow. Something about an ordered attack on the Weasley's. The three seems merely nodded before bidding good bye to Rodolphus, Bella, Lucius, Draco and Narcissa.
Christmas at the Malfoy household was cold and distant; Draco had received the latest and greatest racing broomstick amongst more expensive belongings. A piece of parchment lay abandoned on the floor, it was all coming at once.
A/N:I'd also like to point out, from here on in, events in the books that don't change in this story will be said in passing. Events that I have put my own twist to, will be detailed.
Vyncie
xx