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Chapter Nineteen

The Death Eaters

"You're never going to get into Ravenclaw at this rate."

Cassie looked from staring out the window into the gardens to see Will in the doorway to the parlor, several inches taller than the last time he'd been home over the winter holidays and sporting a gap-toothed grin underneath his mop of dark brown hair.

"Will!" She leapt from her chair and tackled her brother in a spine-crushing hug. "You're home!"

"Shh!" he said, hugging her back just as tightly. "Your tutor's going to come back if she hears you yelling. Mum said I could only pop my head in for a minute, so I don't disrupt your studies."

"Who cares?" She shot the potions book she was supposed to be reading a dirty look. "It's all boring. And I never get to practice anything." She looked wishfully to the wand sticking out of his pocket.

He ruffled her hair. "Soon. After this summer, you'll be with me at Hogwarts, and then you can learn everything you want and use magic whenever it pleases you."

She hung off his arm with a squeal. "You have to tell me everything you did this year! Please, please, please!"

"I wrote you letters almost every week," he said, rolling his eyes. "You already know everything I did!"

"But what about Quidditch? Did you sneak into the Forbidden Forest? Did you see any merpeople? What about werewolves—?"

Eleanor breezed into the room then, smiling at the sight of her two children reuniting after almost a year apart. "All right, you two. You can continue this conversation at dinner. Will has to unpack, and you, young lady" —Cassie giggled, guilty, when her mother pretended to scold— "need to finish your work for the day. And no more sending your tutor to the wrong wing of the house! Poor thing was helplessly lost…"

Cassie clutched at Will's arm. "Tell me all about Hogwarts at dinner, please?"

"I tell you every year!" He rolled his eyes again when she pouted, pleading with her gaze. "Fine. I'll tell it all again." He flicked her nose. "Just for you, Sparks."

Cassie blinked, and the parlor of Alderfair Manor disappeared. She and Will now stood in the family mausoleum on the grounds, their parents' cold bodies lying in the black tombs behind them.

"Just for you, Sparks."

The words oozed from her brother's mouth like blood. His eyes had become red and slitted. Voldemort's eyes.

"Everything I do is for you," Will said. He held up his hands. In each rested the still-beating, bloodied hearts of their parents. "One day you'll see. When the world breaks and we begin it anew, you'll be by my side once more."

Cassie stumbled away from him, a scream lodged in her throat. She flew backwards into one of the empty crypts, the iron door slamming and shutting her inside with the rotting, sickly sweet air of the dead.

"No!" She screamed, pounding on the door. "Will! No! Let me out!"

She banged on the door until her fingers were broken and her nails had torn off, leaving splashes of red against the hard iron. "LET ME OUT!"

"But there is no way out, my dear."

Cassie spun around. Norvina stepped out of the tomb behind her, her skeletal form smiling, but there was no ounce of kindness in the gesture.

"Can't you see, Cassie?"

At the hot breath against her ear, Cassie whirled and faced Miranda, her body flickering between ghost and human.

Miranda gave her a sympathetic look. "This only ends one way."

Norvina's bony fingers raked along her scalp. "But you knew that already, didn't you?"

Cassie backed away and bumped into another warm body. This time, her mother wrapped her arms around her in an embrace. She still smelled of warm vanilla and pearls. The embrace was so familiar that Cassie unconsciously melted into it, holding to the feeling as tightly as she could.

"Your fight only lasts as long as you let it," Eleanor whispered. "Seeing me again so soon wouldn't be all that bad, would it?"

"No," Cassie admitted. She sank further into the embrace. "Mum…"

"Cassie!"

Cassie jerked awake. A trail of drool hovered between her face and her pillow when she lifted her head, and she wiped it away hastily just as Liv entered her room.

"Napping, are we?" her aunt asked as she settled on the edge of Cassie's bed, holding a large black bag in her arms. "Well, I hope you got some rest. You have a long night ahead of you."

The New Year's gala at the Potters'. Not that she'd forgotten, but she hadn't realized it was so soon. She checked the digital clock on her bedside table. It was three o'clock in the afternoon. She didn't even have to be at Remus's until seven. She looked back at Liv with a questioning brow.

"You still have to get ready, don't you?" Liv said to her quizzical look.

"I don't think it'll take me four hours to get dressed," she pointed out. She flopped her head back down on her pillow and internally screamed when she landed in the puddle of her own drool.

"Well, what were you planning on wearing?"

Liv seemed ready to bounce off the bed in excitement, and Cassie shot her a wary glance. "Just my black dress robes. Why?"

"You mean the ones you wore to the Ministry?" When Cassie nodded, Liv looked positively appalled. "Oh, no, no, no! We can't have that! You can never wear the same thing out twice!"

Cassie squinted at her aunt. "Are you Eleanor or Liv right now?"

Liv ignored her, patting the bag in her hands proudly. "Here; I found this digging around for some of my old things. Go on! Take a peek!"

Cassie sat up and opened the bag. Blue satin the color of sapphires spilled out into her hands, flowing and rippling exactly like water. Cassie's lips parted. "Whoa."

"It might be a bit outdated, but I thought the color would look lovely on you," Liv gushed. She looked at the dress—a dress, Cassie realized, not robes; a ballgown—fondly. "Your mother saved a lot of my nicer things before our parents could torch them after I left. This was always my favorite. I wore it to a Yuletide ball when I was seventeen."

Cassie stopped fiddling with the soft fabric. "Oh, no, I-I can't accept this." She tried pushing the bag back. "It's sentimental. You should hold on to it."

"And have it waste away in my closet? No, it's yours, Cassie."

"But…what about Mia?" she asked. "Shouldn't this go to her when she's older?"

Liv waved a hand. "I have more things for her. Besides." Liv ran her fingers lovingly over the dress. "Your mother loved this one. She joked that it matched her eyes."

Cassie gazed at the dress, a lump in her throat. The shade was reminiscent of her mother's deep blue eyes. Her nightmare probed at the back of her mind, of her mother's vividly real embrace, but Cassie hugged the gown to her chest in an effort to stave it off.

"Thank you," she said, her voice oddly thick.

Liv smiled and tucked a piece of Cassie's hair behind her ear. "You're welcome, darling girl. Now, put it on! I'm sure we'll have to make some alterations…"

"Some" turned into two hours' worth. Cassie began to understand why Liv had insisted on getting an early start as she poked and prodded at the fabric, muttering an equal amount of swears and spells.

"Good Merlin," her aunt grunted. "I haven't done this in years…I was never good at any Lengthening Spells…Godric, girl, where did you get your height from?"

Cassie shrugged. "Maybe my mother had an affair with a giant."

Liv snorted. "Now, wouldn't that be something…"

When Liv deemed the gown worthy, Cassie waved away her aunt before she could start on Cassie's hair or makeup, despite her protestations.

"You've done far too much for me already," Cassie said, ushering her aunt out the door. "Thank you, but please, take a break."

Liv finally relented and went to sulk in the living room, leaving Cassie alone. She sighed and grabbed her toiletry bag before padding to the washroom, lifting her hem so she wouldn't drag it all around the floor. She switched on the lights and found herself staring at her reflection, her eyes widening slightly at Liv's handiwork.

The gown was sleeveless and form-fitting, though Liv had shrunk the plunging neckline according to Cassie's own suggestion and lengthened the skirt, so it brushed just barely past her ankles. She turned and peered over her shoulder. The fabric crossed and twisted in the back, creating an X of blue that left the rest of her skin exposed. It was truly a beautiful gown, much different from traditional wizard robes, and Liv was right—the sapphire color matched her mother's eyes.

Cassie swallowed hard, turning back and clasping the clockwork locket in her hand. It stirred under her touch, much like a cat's purr of acknowledgement when it was disturbed from a particularly deep slumber. Shrugging off the creeping chill inching up her spine, she turned to the task at hand and began tackling her hair and face.

When it reached the point where Cassie thought her arms were about to fall off, there was a soft knock on the washroom door. Liv poked her head inside. "How's it go—oh, my. Cassie."

Cassie spun, a tube of lipstick in her hand. "Oh, no. What? Do I look bad?"

Liv shook her head with a gentle smile, entering the room fully. "No, no, not at all. I was going to say you look absolutely stunning." She reached up and caressed one of the delicate curls it had taken Cassie an embarrassingly long time to accomplish. She met Cassie's eyes, and her face softened. "Eleanor would be in tears if she could see you now. Her little girl, all grown up."

Cassie blinked back her own tears that had sprung forth. "Dammit, woman, are you trying to make me ruin my makeup? I just finished it."

She laughed. "I'm sorry. I'll quit being sentimental." She checked her watch. "You have about a half-hour left. David went out to the store and took the kids, so you should be able to Floo on time."

She made to leave, but Cassie stopped her. "Liv?"

"Hm?" She turned and frowned at Cassie's sudden trepidation.

Cassie shifted from foot-to-foot. "Er, you meant it, right? That I look all right?"

"You look more than all right, Cassie," her aunt said, sincere. "You look gorgeous."

She smiled and shut the door.

Cassie Flooed into pandemonium.

"REMUS!" a woman's voice was yelling, panicked. "YOU'RE GOING TO BE LATE! HURRY!"

"Hope," a man said gently. "Calm down, honey. He said he'll be right out."

Cassie stood awkwardly in the fireplace of the Lupins' home, her hand braced against the brickwork to keeping her from pitching forward onto the floor. She cleared her throat. "Er…"

The man and the woman whirled toward the fireplace. Cassie had only a second to register that they must be Remus's parents before the woman descended upon her in a flurry of curls and chatter.

"Oh, goodness! You must be Cassie! I'm so sorry, dear—you shouldn't have had to hear me shouting like that—here, let's get you out of the fireplace— Gracious, I'd never thought I'd say something so peculiar—watch your step—"

Cassie emerged into a small but comfortable living room. The wallpaper was bright and cheery and accentuated with stenciled flowers, and little knick-knacks covered every available surface. Like the Potters' and the Hastings', the place screamed of home and family.

"Cassie." A man with graying brown hair and tired but friendly hazel eyes held out his hand for her to shake. "It's a pleasure to finally meet you. I'm Lyall, Remus's father. We've heard much about you."

"I'm Remus's mother, Hope," the woman cut in before her husband could say more. Cassie was startled when she shook her hand vigorously. Though her sandy hair, green eyes, and similar features all painted her as Remus's mother, her countenance was entirely different from her son's—while Remus was calm and collected, a steady breeze, Hope Lupin was a whirlwind, from her messy ringlet curls to the casual trainers on her feet, worn-through with mismatching laces. She was also a lot younger than Cassie had thought—only in her forties, at least.

Mrs. Lupin kept shaking her hand. "Goodness. Remus has told us so much, you see, but it's wonderful to meet you in person! I always pester him about his friends, and when I found out he'd made friends with a girl, I was so thrilled! Goodness," she repeated, her smile wide and excited. "He never even mentioned that you were this pretty! That boy—downplays everything—oh, where is he?"

She disappeared into the adjoining hallway, calling her son's name. Cassie heard Remus's exasperated voice and grinned. Mr. Lupin just sighed.

"My wife," he said with a sheepish gesture to the hall. "She's, er, quite excitable. Never have been able to keep up with such a free spirit…"

"She's lovely," Cassie assured, and meant it. Remus had always spoke highly of his mother, and it was evident that Mrs. Lupin loved her son very much. "Remus told me she's a Muggle?"

Mr. Lupin nodded. Cassie didn't miss the way his eyes darted back to the hall, where his wife and son were still talking. "Yes. I met her almost twenty years ago—she ran into a boggart, if you can believe it, and I got rid of it for her. She swears up and down that I saved her life, but you and I both know well enough they pose no real threat."

He smiled fondly, and Cassie nodded. "Certainly a love story for the ages," she joked.

He smiled again, but this time, it did not reach his eyes. "I was sorry to hear about your parents over the summer. I only ever saw your mother in passing, but she seemed very kind. Your father…"

Cassie shifted uncomfortably. "Thank you. It was very tragic. But I'm all right." She forced herself to smile. "Your son helped a lot with that, actually."

"Helped you with what?" Remus asked as he entered from the hallway. Cassie stifled a laugh when Mrs. Lupin's hand poked out from the hall to smooth down a piece of hair on the back of his head, which he batted away with a scowl. He turned back to Cassie and froze in the middle of doing up his cuffs. "Erm…"

Mrs. Lupin entered behind her son. "Doesn't she look lovely, Remus? Oh, you two are going to make me tear up! Lyall, honey, where's the camera?"

She drifted away again, babbling, and Mr. Lupin followed with a resigned but loving sigh.

"Well?" Cassie tugged at her gown. "Not bad, eh?"

"You look…" Remus stared anywhere but at her, his face turning a delightful shade of red. "You look great, Cass." He cleared his throat. "Really great."

"You aren't even looking."

His eyes snapped back to her. She grinned. "Better. You know, you clean up nicely yourself, Lupin."

Though his deep burgundy robes had certainly seen better days, the color suited his lightly tanned skin and hair and brought out the deeper flecks of green in his eyes. It also fit him rather well, in Cassie's opinion; she had to wonder when Remus's shoulders had gotten to be so broad…

"Here we are!" Mrs. Lupin trilled. She held up a wizarding camera in her hands triumphantly. "Go on, you two, squeeze in together…"

"Mum," Remus complained as Cassie eagerly dragged him to her side. "The party starts soon, and I told James we'd be there by eight."

"Just one picture!" she said. "That's the ticket! Remus, dear, put your arm around her, you look so stiff—"

Cassie had to laugh as Remus's arm snaked around her, his face screaming of embarrassment. She poked his cheek. "Smile, Remus. I want a good photograph of us I can keep forever."

He pretended to groan. "Forever?"

"Forever and ever," she promised. "Let's make it count."

The bulb flashed and Mrs. Lupin grinned. "Perfect! I'll get this developed while you two are away and have Lyall make duplicates." She rushed forward and kissed both of Remus's cheeks. "You look so handsome, dear. Have fun tonight. Both of you." She gripped Cassie's hand again. "It was wonderful to see you, Cassie. Don't be a stranger. You are always welcome here."

"Thank you," Cassie said as Remus not-so-subtly steered her toward the fireplace. "I appreciate that. It was lovely meeting you as well."

Remus pushed a small tin of Floo powder into her hands. "Hurry before she starts taking more photos."

Cassie fished out the powder and stepped into the fireplace. She threw the powder at her feet, and with a cry of "Potter Manor!" she was swept away by emerald flames.

She stumbled into the familiar sitting room at Potter Manor. James had been lounging on one of the sofas, but when he saw Cassie, he jumped to his feet. "Cassie! Where's Remus?"

The words had hardly left his mouth before Remus arrived in a roar of green flames behind her. James let out an excited noise and tackled Remus in a bear-hug. "Moony! You came!"

"You threatened to kidnap me if I didn't," Remus reminded the other boy. "I'd rather hang on to what little dignity I have left after spending years with you, thanks."

James waved him off. "C'mon; the party's downstairs in the ballroom."

Remus glanced around, apprehensive, as the three moved toward the doors. "Where're Peter and Sirius?"

"They stepped out to, ah, have a little chat," James replied.

Cassie frowned at the fitted bottle-green robes that clothed his back. "Seems Sirius is trying to talk to everyone else before he talks to Remus."

Remus sighed. "I was the one who didn't want to talk to him."

She crossed her arms, conceding with only a little hrmph.

"You look nice, by the way," James told her as he led them down the corridor to the stairs. String music and the babble of dozens of voices reached out to them even on the second floor. "It's a shame I couldn't invite the other girls, but Mum insisted that this was an "adult party" and I'd invited too many friends, anyway." He rolled his eyes. "As if anything indecent ever goes on at these boring things."

They descended the stairs to the ground floor of the manor. Older wizards and witches mingled in the hall, decked in their finest robes and clutching cigars and flutes of champagne. No one paid them much attention, but James gave out a few greetings as they pressed on to the ballroom, where the music was loudest and the partygoers the thickest.

"Merlin, how many people are here?" Cassie asked as they dodged a group of—shockingly—goblins dressed in expensive robes. She could never recall such a crowd at Alderfair Manor before, and her father certainly would never have let the likes of goblins step foot in their home.

"A hundred, maybe? Give or take." James flashed a winning smile at two middle-aged witches positioned against a cream-colored marble column. They batted their eyelashes and simpered. Cassie and Remus rolled their eyes at each other. "My parents don't hold a gala every year, but my mother managed to get in touch with some big-name donors this year for her charity and they put all this together."

"Anyone we should be aware of?" Remus asked. "Like your fan club of flirty housewives?"

"Not that I can tell," said James, ignoring the jibe. "Everyone's been vetted pretty thoroughly by my father."

That was a great relief to Cassie. She certainly didn't need another Christmas incident with Voldemort and a bunch of Death Eaters.

James steered them toward a refreshment table as long as one of the House tables at Hogwarts. It was covered with the most extravagant foods and dishes Cassie had ever seen, and her mouth began to water as James selected three crystal glasses of champagne and a kebab-type thing for each of them.

"Elf-wine-infused lamb and fire-roasted peppers," James said to Cassie and Remus's bewildered expressions. "It's the best one out of the lot. We'll have a toast, too." He raised his glass. "To the new year!"

"To the new year," Cassie and Remus toasted, and drank. Cassie munched on her kebab after and knew she'd be taking several trips to the table throughout the evening.

"Oi, you two!" James called, waving over Cassie's shoulder. "Over here!"

Remus tensed ever so slightly, and Cassie brushed against him. "We can go somewhere else."

He shook his head. "It's fine. It's not like I can avoid him forever."

She thought he very well could, just as she planned to do, but she stayed by his side as Peter and Sirius joined them by the table.

Peter almost looked like a different person in his black dress robes, his hair neatly combed and parted to the side over his round face, his shoes as shiny as all the gel in his hair. It hurt to look at Sirius. Cassie averted her eyes from his devastatingly handsome features, the black of his hair and the silver of his eyes accentuated even more by the dark plum color of his robes.

"Hey, Moony," Peter greeted, exchanging a handshake with the boy. His eyes shifted to Cassie and widened. "C-C-Cassie! Y-you l-look—"

"You look stunning," Sirius said, cutting Peter off. Cassie's gaze darted to his and found him staring at her in a way that made her gown feel much more revealing than it actually was. She resisted the urge to cover herself up and turn away.

"Thanks," she said stiffly. She downed the rest of her champagne in one gulp and turned to Remus, her throat burning. "Dance with me."

"What?" he said, surprised. "Now?"

She nodded and grabbed his hand. "I said you owed me one after Valentine's. Let's go."

"O…kay?" he said as she marched them to the place where couples swayed and swirled together in the center of the ballroom, the orchestra set up on risers behind them playing a dazzling number reminiscent of a waltz. "Er, you know I can't dance, right?"

"Neither can I," she said, spinning to face him. She finally gave him a sheepish look. "Sorry. I just didn't want to be around him yet."

He gave her a small smile. "I understand. I'm not really ready yet, either." He held up his hands. "So, er, what should I do?"

"One hand in mine," she said, "and the other here."

She guided his right hand to the small of her back and smirked slightly when his cheeks turned pink. "Is that too improper, Mr. Lupin? You can hold me in the middle instead."

"You're a menace," he muttered when she laughed. "Have you no sense of shame?"

She shrugged. "It's fun not having to be stuck-up all the time."

He sighed. "Fine." He kept his hand where it was. "Now?"

"We dance." She tugged him into the throng before he could protest. They both stumbled and moved like a foal trying to get its legs underneath it, but Cassie found herself laughing as they repeatedly bumped into other pairs on the floor.

"Sorry—sorry!" Remus said after every collision, panicked, but this only made Cassie laugh harder. "Godric, you really are a bad dancer."

She twirled herself with exuberance and nearly sent both of them toppling to the floor. "Like you're any better!"

"At least I'm not wreaking terror on the other guests," he said in amusement, only just catching her in time by the waist. "James didn't spike that champagne, did he? You're being much more carefree than usual."

"I'm having fun, Remus," she said, wrapping her arms around his neck. She made her body slack, so he was holding her up with just his strength alone. She giggled. "You should try it sometime. You're always so serious."

"Are you saying I'm not fun, Alderfair?" he asked, his eyes glittering.

"You're the Prefect, aren't you?"

Without warning, he grabbed her waist and hoisted her off the floor before beginning to spin them in circles at a dizzying speed. She let out a high-pitched laugh that nearly drowned out the orchestra. "You were saying?"

"Child's play," she said, looking from the amused faces around them down to his eyes below her head. It was strange, seeing him from above when she was so used to looking up at him, but his face was open and laughing, his green eyes filled with mischief and mirth. It was so rare to see him so happy, and her heart hitched just as the clockwork locket thumped against her chest. "But maybe you should set me down now."

He complied just as the song ended with a flourish. People clapped around them, and Remus joined in, but Cassie found herself staring at his hands, wondering why there was such a tight feeling crawling up her throat so suddenly.

"Moony," said Sirius, and they turned to see him standing behind them. His expression was neutral, but Cassie noticed the way his jaw worked, like it did whenever he was uncomfortable or nervous. "Mind if we go somewhere and talk?"

Remus hesitated, his eyes flickering to Cassie. She squeezed his elbow. "It's your choice. You can say no."

Sirius looked vaguely annoyed at her words, but Remus nodded. He turned to Sirius. "All right. Let's talk."

The two boys disappeared into the crowd. Her heart still squeezing strangely, Cassie went back to the refreshments table to look for James and Peter.

She found them standing right where she'd left them, juggling more kebabs and champagne in their hands. Cassie came beside James's shoulder and leaned over to take a bite from his kebab. He groaned and shoved her off as she giggled, a piece of lamb dangling from her lips.

"You're vile," he told her. "Shouldn't you know how to behave in public?"

She ignored him and turned to Peter after she had swallowed. "What did you and Sirius talk about?"

He glanced at James, panicked, but James motioned for him to speak.

"He just wanted to apologize, I guess," Peter said. "Explain himself. Promised to be better, and that he doesn't really expect to have everyone's full trust anymore, but that he'll try to earn it back."

Cassie sniffed. "Sounds like a load of tosh to me."

James frowned. "Why are you so hellbent on not forgiving him? He wronged Remus the most. Not you."

When she grabbed another glass of champagne in lieu of answering, he sighed. "What are you going to do if Remus forgives him and we all move on, hm? Still planning on avoiding him?"

"I told you, I'll forgive him if Remus does," she said. She gave him and Peter a pointed look. "Unlike the both of you, it seems."

"Why do you care so much about what Remus does?" Peter asked as James glared at her, annoyed.

"I dunno, maybe because he was the one most affected, like James said?" she retorted. "C'mon, Pete. Don't try and turn this into something it's not."

James and Peter traded a significant glance after her words, and she frowned. "What?"

"Nothing," James said, turning back to her. "Just…Remus…"

The rest of his words were drowned out by a large, collective gasp and several screams behind them, from the dance floor. The three of them turned, alarmed, only to be pushed back against the refreshments table by a sudden wave of retreating bodies. James dropped his kebab and glass to seize the arms of Cassie and Peter, keeping them together as the wave of people pressed back, the shattered crystal forgotten in the chaos.

Cassie clutched at James, the locket banging against her chest. "James? What's going on?"

But her question was answered when a wild, cackling laugh rose above the din, and the crowd parted just enough for them to see the dance floor again.

Two dozen figures in masks and black robes had stormed the floor and now stood, fanned out, their wands raised and pointed at the crowd. Only two people were unmasked, a man and a woman, but Cassie's eyes zeroed in on the woman.

With a sickening lurch, Cassie realized that she had seen the woman before, in her very own sitting room at Alderfair Manor. The untamable black hair, the heavy-lidded eyes… The man beside her was not her husband, Rodolphus Lestrange, but he commanded an even more frightening and intense presence, like an avalanche poised to fall and wipe out everything in its path.

Cassie stared at the man and Bellatrix Lestrange, hardly even registering when James's grip on her arm turned painful, for she saw the same thing he did at the same time.

Bellatrix laughed again into the silence that blanketed the ballroom. "Long time, no see, cousin. Care to introduce us?"

Sirius wriggled in the grasp of Bellatrix, her wand jabbed into his jugular. Remus was held in the same position in the man's arms, and Cassie let out a small "No" when the man's wand pressed just below Remus's chin.

"Now," Bellatrix Lestrange said into the silent room, "where is Cassie Alderfair?"

Death Eaters, always out to ruin Cassie's holidays. How rude of them.

One-hundred points to anyone who correctly guesses what Peter and James were about to tell Cassie ;)

Reviews are always appreciated! Thanks for reading!

Next Chapter: The Phoenix Ascending

(Yes, the titular chapter...)