This is extremely late! It's also rather short. Life has been crazy lately, and I haven't had time to think of much of writing. I'm really sorry!

Disclaimer: My life would probably be a lot calmer if I owned Harry Potter.

Harry's POV

Eavesdropping always seemed to leave Harry dumbfounded, and this time proved no different. The professor thought he hated her? Why? Last time he checked, there was more than one opinion in the world. The raven couldn't begrudge the woman for being different from him.

Well… maybe he would've been mad at her last year, but he had grown so much with the help of his friends, new and old.

Harry wanted to know what happened before Professor Everpine's memory. She just seemed so stressed after he saw it, though, that he didn't want to ask her. Snape was part of the memory (he was mentioned, at least), so the teenager reckoned he would know. That was why he wanted to talk to the man. Hearing his DADA professor so distressed, however, made him change his mind.

He walked down the hall to Professor Everpine's chambers and knocked on the door. The young house elf from last time answered. "Young Mister Potter," it said, "the mistress is away at the moment. Please come back at some other time." He expected to have the door closed in his face, but the creature kept staring at him, waiting for a response.

"No, I know," the boy began, "but I was hoping to wait for her here. I needed to ask her something about today's lesson." Not technically a lie.

The elf gave Harry a look that he was used to seeing from Hermione and Padma, sometimes Blaise. It (she? Or a feminine-sounding he?) knew there was more to that explanation, but he was let into the room anyway. He sat on the couch while the creature went to fetch him tea. It returned with the beverage, but didn't leave.

Not able to take the awkward silence, Harry decided to start a conversation. It was more awkward than the silence, at first. "So, what's your name?"

"Regina, Young Mister Potter."

"How long have you worked for Professor Everpine?"

"I was bought the day she turned four years of age, Young Mister Potter."

"You can call me Harry, you know. Just Harry."

"Thank you for your permission, but I must decline, Young Mister Potter."

A thought entered the human's head. "You're calling me 'Young Mister.' Was there another Potter that you knew?"

A smile appeared on the ugly face for a brief moment. "Yes. He was a good man; my mistress was very saddened when she was told of his passing. It was nearly a year after she decided to move back to America," Regina replied.

"She lived over here? Why?" the raven asked.

"Her family, Young Mister Potter."

"Her family?"

The elf was smiling again as she answered. "Her husband and babe. She gave her heart to the two. They wanted to live in Europe, where his family had always been."

"What happened to them?" Harry asked, desperate for the answer to be anything but what he thought it was.

"An evil man." The smile was gone, replaced by a darkened expression.

Voldemort. Harry's mind supplied as he felt his heart grow cold. He got to them. Professor must have been in so much pain here. I wonder if being back hurts her even more.

His thoughts were interrupted by his blonde professor entering her chambers. She looked at him with a somewhat wry expression on her face.

-LINE BREAK-

Cassie's POV

"You know, I'm pretty sure a student being in a teacher's personal chambers is illegal in the U.S.," she said in slight exasperation. She would never be mad that Harry came to visit her (especially when she thought he would be mad at her), but she really needed to consider what this kind of thing did to her professional image.

The boy's blatant embarrassment at her words destroyed any superficial care she had. This was her son; they should be able to talk whenever they wanted.

He cleared his throat. "Yeah, well…" After seeming to think for a few seconds, the raven began again. "Sirius isn't really all that the Ministry says he is. He's not a traitor. He might not have been close to you when you were in Hogwarts, but he's loyal, really! He would never betray my parents! It was Pettigrew! Please…" he trailed off, eyes begging the woman to understand.

She sighed. "I literally just heard that. I'm still having a hard time believing it." At Harry's hurt look, she decided to continue, "but I believe that what happened the night and what the Ministry said happened is not entirely the same. I will not let my erm… current dislike (extreme hatred, she silently corrected) of Sirius Black affect my judgement of the situation."

Another sigh could be heard in the room, but this time it was one of relief and came from the teenager. He then looked at her with hopeful eyes. "Does that mean who'd like to see him sometime?" he asked.

Those eyes, she thought. Lily's eyes. She became stuck between mourning her friend and becoming angry at them being the wrong color whenever she looked into them lately. Her mixed emotions never touched her face, however.

After a moment's deliberation, Cassie nodded. She wouldn't like to see Black, per se, but it would be poor judgement on her part to not see him. Gathering information of that night would further her understanding of the plan that separated her and her family.

"Before that, however," she smiled, "I do believe I cut our Olcumency lesson short. That wasn't fair to you. One can never learn if their lessons are irregular. Sit down on that couch. I'm not up to that complex of magic right now, but conversing about your life is something I'm always up for."

After all, how else could she learn about the years she wasn't with him.

-LINE BREAK-

The next day was rather dreary; the sun was hidden by grayish-white clouds and the grass had far too much dew on it. To add to all of that, a slight wind was moving through the air, causing small shivers among the students and faculty.

However, there was no school that day, and kids will be kids. Several were playing outside, enjoying their current freedom from responsibility.

Cassie gazed out the window of her classroom. She had just finished grading the fourth years essays on Engorgio Skullus and decided to take a short break before doing the same with the first years explanations on how Glisseo could be used defensively. She smiled at what she saw.

After a rocky start, most students were able to get along with their groups. This included most of the Weasley twins, whose fellow group members have been trying to comfort ever since Arthur's attack. As she watched, Roger Davies and Cassius Warrington, from George's and Fred's group respectively, were speaking with the two quietly. According to the other professors, a Ravenclaw and two Gryffindor's wouldn't even get near a Slytherin if they didn't have to the year before. She was proud to be the one who helped this development along.

The blond allowed her mind to slip into a fond memory.

Flashback

"Your mum's name's Andromeda? Is that why you're Cassiopeia?" asked Sorrel Stebbins. He was dressed warmly for the sunny yet frosty afternoon. The ends of his dirty blond hair brushed his blue and bronze scarf.

Cassie felt her cheeks warm as his ocean green eyes watched her curiously. The two second years were the only ones by the lake with the weather like it was, but she found that the solitude just made the picnic more romantic.

Nodding, the girl smiled. "Yeah," she began," but I didn't even get the joke until I was eight. I guess I was kinda slow."

The Ravenclaw shook his head. "You're not slow," he said before listing the reasons why he thought she was quite smart.

End Flashback

TBC…

Again, short. I'll try to make the next chapter a better length.

*NOTE* Anyone who wants to use elements of my story can. Just please give me credit for what is mine.