Chapter 4: The tapestry unfolds

Cassie tread slowly up the stairs past the gargoyle, wondering what her meeting with Dumbledore might bring and what he had managed to accomplish in barely more than a week's time. She knocked softly, slightly dreading the fact that Nurse Pomfrey may have mentioned her pregnancy. Was that even acceptable for a single teacher to be pregnant in a magical society, or would there be letters? Even now the repercussions of a pregnancy and the resulting child weighed on her mind. Shaking her head and collecting her thoughts, Cassie stepped in when Dumbledore's voice bade her enter. She was incredibly surprised to see in addition to the headmaster, Severus Snape was in attendance, standing with his back to the fire.

"Well, my dear, have you settled in nicely?" was Dumbledore's welcome.

"Yes, very well thanks."

Good, good. Now as you can see I have asked Severus to assist with this little endeavor between us. I have apprised him of the situation and I can assure you he is every bit as grateful as I about your information and advice thus far."

"Yes, quite," he spoke at last, dark eyes glittering in the firelight. "I must admit I am also intrigued to know that practically my entire life story has been read about and discussed by an entire world of Muggles."

"Ah. Well. " What did she say that? 'Sorry for the intrusion'? 'Now you know'? She felt distinctly wrong-footed and couldn't quite discern whether he truly was thankful to avoid the demise he certainly would have met. "Now you know."

"Not only do we know," said Dumbledore waving them to a seat, "but we also know exactly which measures to take now and can, with much luck and work, avoid what are now completely unnecessary circumstances. As it happens, I was met just this morning by none other than Narcissa Malfoy." Cassie started at the mention of the woman's name, nearly shocked out of her seat, but Dumbledore went on, "she brought herself and Draco to entreat me in helping her hide from Voldemort and the other Death Eaters. Apparently this was the last straw in Lucius' many recent failings and Voldemort had ordered them killed. I have since met also with Harry Potter in bringing him to the Burrow, where he will be safely ensconced for the time being. Whilst I was with him, I made him understand the position the Malfoys are currently in and he agreed to give them houseroom at Order Headquarters. It is still sufficiently dark enough in decor, in addition to having a house elf in residence who was overjoyed to meet two such persons as his old mistress would have deemed satisfactory company in her home. In short, the pureblood loving elf now has purebloods to care for once again."

"You don't worry that they may give up the whereabouts to Voldemort in an attempt to save their own necks?" Cassie could not help but ask.

"No. In the first place, they are not the Secret Keeper and could not even divulge the whereabouts even if they did desire to ingratiate themselves. In addition, they have no assurance that he would not kill them outright regardless, as he has been wont to do. Besides, I believe that Narcissa has tired of such a duplicitous life--I cannot claim that she hasn't been irreparably damaged by not only her husband's infidelity but his bringing such a appalling vice into their own home--but she will not be sad to miss the constant threat of death at the slightest provocation by her husband's old master. She has no small degree of shell-shock. Draco, on the other hand is still wildly outraged at his father's death, heavily in mourning, and raging against all Mugglekind, especially the one who killed Lucius." At this Dumbledore tipped his gaze pointedly at Cassie while Severus cleared his throat. "I doubt, however, he will recognize you and once he has time to process his father's death, will most likely see you in another light. He must eventually see the paradox of his father's blind prejudice and the unspeakable diversion that took his time away from his family. Knowing that he is hunted by the very men who were once his father's friends has also affected him in no small way and he is still struggling with the whiplash that their turnaround has undoubtedly caused."

"If I may, Headmaster," Severus interjected, "Draco's entire paradigm has shifted. I feel, that before much longer, he cannot continue to be conditioned as he was, knowing though Lucius professed disdain for Muggles and abused them abominably, he no doubt preferred them. On some level, despite what he said, he did find them desirable enough."

"Sure, he liked the power of ruling them," Cassie spoke up, shaking her head. "Rape is more to do with power. The things he made us do...you couldn't understand unless you had been there. It was using us that got him off. That was the attraction."

"Certainly it was, to a degree," Severus inclined his head to her. "However, you forget how long I knew him. I witnessed some of his... tomfoolery in earlier years, before he felt the need to hide it. What I saw then was that he preferred variety more than anything. The rest was not much more than a vicious lord of the manor attitude that was so deeply ingrained in him. I also have reason to believe that he treated Narcissa in much the same way, though I cannot quite be sure. That treatment of you was not so much because of your blood status, so much as because of your gender. It was women he loved to rule, period. Muggle or otherwise."

"Be that as it may," Dumbledore said as Cassie struggled for calm, "and Narcissa did admit as much to me, the fact is that both she and Draco are safe and coping as best they can. What we are truly here for this evening is to set a plan for the remaining horcruxes. As it stands, Severus and myself have dispensed with both the ring and the diadem. While I dealt with the task of securing Harry and persuading Horace Slughorn to take over Potions this year, I also took the liberty of returning to the Gaunt home and destroyed the ring. Severus, meanwhile, returned early here and found the diadem as you described in the Room of Requirement. It was dispatched in short order as well, and has been returned to its rightful place in Ravenclaw Tower."

"So with the diary destroyed, plus now the snake, ring and diadem," Cassie listed aloud, ticking each item off on her fingers, "we still have the cup, the locket, and...Harry."

Dumbledore hung his head. "Yes, naturally that thought does cause no small amount of concern. He will have to be told. In fact, I intend to tutor him in Voldemort's past this year, despite the fact that efforts to secure and destroy the horcruxes are already well underway. Knowing how they came into being, seeing it for himself, may help to assuage any feelings he has on what must eventually be done."

"That said, I hate to be the voice of cynicism here...but what are we going to do to get the other two? It's going to be a trick or two just to get the locket from Umbridge, never mind the fact that the cup is sitting in a goblin-guarded vault owned by Voldemort's notoriously psychotic right-hand witch. That's going to pose a serious problem," Cassie said, looking from one man to the other for suggestions.

"A problem I may have to brooch with both Arthur and Bill Weasley," Dumbledore sighed. "Fortunately, each of them works much closer to those two items than we do, for the life of me though I have yet to figure out how we might best utilize that fact. We'll come to it. For the time being, we can be contented with the fact that we have found the others and are making progress."

"Meanwhile, Headmaster, I too may be able to assist in some way. I will see what I can find out from Bella herself. It may be that the item has not yet been moved there or perhaps he has not even entrusted her with it at this point."

"As to the last battle though," Cassie suggested, "at some point Harry's going to have to face down Voldemort, not only so the horcrux can be destroyed, but also because he has to take out Voldemort in the end. Somehow we have to maneuver him into place when it's in our best interest and preferably on our turf. Would the castle still be best for that?"

"In all likelihood, given that it is a fortress as well, yes, here may well be the best place," said Dumbledore, rising. "Alas, that is a bridge we must cross when we come to it. For now I bid you both goodnight. We will consider all the possibilities we have before us, see what we can find out, and continue from there."

Nodding in agreement, Cassie allowed herself to be ushered out the door and reaching the bottom of the stairs, found herself alone with Severus. Before she could say goodnight, he spoke.

"I did not mean to disparage your own ordeal, but knowing Lucius as I did, I felt it necessary to point out how detrimental it is that he was not merely acting on some twisted power play. Undoubtedly he was, but not only just. It may seem a minor point to you at this point, but it may turn out to be Draco's saving grace realizing that his father was, inherently, a liar and that pureblood nonsense was to a degree, a facade."

"Understood. But of course, ultimately the choice is entirely up to Draco. Despite any guidance you may have given him, up to this point he is for all intents and purposes a coward who only follows the easy path and does not question things for himself," she said, with a little heated tone.

"Agreed," he clipped. "I do see the potential in him for more. He is an intelligent boy after all. However, I would ask if you might accompany to my office. I had it from Dumbledore that you may need my assistance in certain...sensitive matters."

Cassie tilted her head, intrigued. She could not imagine what he could mean and why Dumbledore would think she would need any sort of help from him. "Okay," she answered, merely nodding and following a step behind as he stalked downstairs toward the dungeons. Even ten steps down she felt the drop in temperature, adjusting her eyes to the accompanying darkness. Despite being lined with torches, the hall was distinctly dank and shadowy. A few twists and turns later, Severus stopped abruptly in front of a patch of wall between two columns with torches on either side of those. "Mugwort," he muttered. At that, a hole in the wall opened and expanded to an arched doorway. They stepped through into a circular room that appeared to be the base of one of the towers. Alcoves with jars and shelves of books lined the walls. Near the center of the room a worktable stood with bottles of varying sizes and shapes and a rather large pewter cauldron. A larger cauldron sat aside a half-moon shaped fireplace ablaze with light that washed the darkness and chill out of the room. Behind the work table sat a desk covered in books and papers and beyond, giving the appearance of a built-in aquarium, was a thick-glassed window overlooking the depths of the lake. It suited him to a T, Cassie decided.

Severus, meanwhile, had selected a small goblet and larger stoppered bottle containing some sort of herbal infusion. "Dumbledore made me to understand that you made need this. It is a mixture of raspberry leaves, vervain, and a touch of evening primrose. Typically I have a mixture I make on a monthly basis for Madame Pomfrey; it is administered to the girls who have difficulties with their courses... Yet for someone in your condition" his gaze flicked briefly to her abdomen and up again "it can stimulate the release of a fetus."

"An abortifacient, in other words."

Severus nodded at her surmise. Her eyes brimming with tears, she turned toward the fire, scarcely able to breathe. "I know this is awkward," he continued as she turned back, still blinking away tears. "Dumbledore seemed to think you might not want to keep it, and he told me this in the strictest confidence." Lowering the bottle and chalice, he stepped forward and placed them on the work table before taking her by the shoulders. He looked every bit as awkward as he intimated that she was.

"I'm sorry," she said shaking her head. "I'm still trying to come to terms with...everything in the world that has happened and to top it off I now have this to deal with. I had no idea how I'd even begin to cope, what I was going to do, and now between the two of you I'm being shown a way out. I just... " Completely speechless for the constriction of her throat, Cassie swallowed back tears again and whispered, "thank you."

Clearing her throat, she asked, "what do I do?"

"You are to take three goblets full a day, preferably not with your meals. It will also help to take hotter baths than usual. Between the infusion and the warmth of the water it should both stimulate your muscles and make them release the embryo."

It was almost midwifery she thought, nearly shocked into a laugh. "Thanks again, Severus. And if it's not too past the point, I am really glad to have met you."

"And I you," he replied, passing her the items. "If I may, you remind me of another very brave woman I used to know."

"If it's who I'm thinking of, that's very high praise coming from you."

Severus simply nodded once in answer.

"Well I'd better get going. Thanks again."

"Can you find your way back to your quarters?"

"Yes, from here I can. I went wandering after I first got here. You know, get lost on purpose so you can discover your way? Anyway... I'll see you, if nothing else at breakfast anyway."

"Certainly."

"Good night, Severus."

"Good night."