I DO NOT OWN HARRY POTTER – JUST BORROWING
When Cassi arrived at Grimmauld Place, she found it much more crowded than it had been during her visit with Sirius. Looking around at all the new faces, she saw Professor Dumbledore in the crowd. They were all moving down the stairs toward the kitchen. Her father pulled the bag out of her hand and placed it in the hallway by the stairs. "You can come back to get your bag when we're done with introductions." He said, looking strained. Cassi frowned at him but didn't ask questions.
Sirius caught sight of her and came to give her a hug. "Congratulations on your test!" he exclaimed. "I knew you'd do well. What house were you sorted into?" he asked, beaming.
"Slytherin," Cassi said brightly.
The smile on Sirius' face fell slightly. She wondered if he expected her to be in Gryffindor like he was. "Mum said the common room was beautiful. I can't wait to see it." Cassi smiled widely at him. Her father gave her shoulder a squeeze.
Everyone began sitting around the long table when Dumbledore called them all to order. She made to take a seat, but her father motioned her to stay put. Taking a deep breath, she tried to brace for what was coming.
"Good evening to you all. I would like to introduce Cassiopeia Aurora Black. She is the daughter of Severus Snape and Aurora Black, niece to Sirius Black. She will be staying here at headquarters for the next several days." Dumbledore went on, a little more loudly, for muttering had begun among some members. "I want it known; she has my full confidence. Cassi finds herself uniquely positioned to be of great value to the Order." He said seriously.
At this pronouncement, Cassi glanced up at him. He smiled warmly down at her. She glanced around the room. Some nodded and smiled back, and others looked wary.
Cassi cleared her throat. "Good evening, everyone. It's a pleasure to meet you all. It is true. I am the daughter of Death Eaters. My mother and I were hiding in America and were attacked last June by several of the Dark Lord's followers after his return. My mother and house elf were killed in the battle. Whatever her reasoning was for joining, she renounced the Dark Lord as has my father." She glanced back at him as she spoke. He nodded at her to continue.
Cassi drew a breath to thank everyone for their time when a red-headed woman spoke. "How old are you?" she asked loudly.
"I'm fifteen, Madam," Cassi said truthfully. As Cassi answered, Dumbledore was already making placating motions toward the woman.
"Molly, I will discuss her role in more detail this evening. For now, Cassi will find her room and get settled in." Dumbledore gave no room for argument, and Snape ushered her toward the door.
She placed a hand on his and turned back to the room as Sirius spoke. "Cassi, third floor, 2nd door on the right. The room has your mother's name on it. I'll see you at dinner." Sirius said quickly. Cassi nodded and allowed herself to be shown through the door.
"Go, and if I catch you eavesdropping…" her father hissed, not needing to complete his sentence. "You will behave. You will do as you're told. You will make good progress on your summer work, and I will inspect it upon your return." He said shortly.
"Yes, Sir," Cassi replied. He nudged her toward the stairs, but she grabbed his hand. Cassi squeezed it hard, looking meaningfully into his unreadable black eyes. Snape nodded, and Cassi let go. All the unsaid things were seemingly understood.
Cassi grabbed her bag off the stairs and began climbing. She made a disgusted face as she passed the shrunken elf heads on the wall. The place still felt derelict and was quite filthy, but it didn't smell quite as musty as when she was here yesterday. She silently thanked the person who thought to open a window.
Reaching the third floor, she found the door with her mother's name on it. Pausing slightly, she pushed it open. The room was huge compared to the one in her father's quarters. There was a king-sized four-poster bed against the far wall, green silk hangings, and a matching bedspread. There was a dressing table under the window, a large wardrobe, and a desk opposite the bed. She saw some pictures on the dressing table and went to investigate. She recognized her mother with her two brothers. But there were other photos she didn't recognize. She'd have to ask Sirius who they were.
Five people appeared in her doorway, four of which had red hair. "Hi," one of the tallest ones said. I'm George Weasley. This is my brother, Fred, indicating his twin, and our little brother Ron and our sister Ginny. They were all smiling at her. "I'm Hermione Granger. Pleased to meet you." Hermione said.
"Hi, I'm Cassi," Cassi said back with a smile of her own, waving them into the room.
"I didn't think there were other kids here," Cassi said.
"Oh yeah, we got here a couple of weeks ago," Fred said, and Cassi frowned.
"You were all here yesterday?" She asked, her eyebrow arching like her father's.
"Yup," George said. Hermione and Ginny nodded.
"I wonder if that's why they wouldn't let me come upstairs?" Cassi said more to herself than the others.
"Wait, you were here yesterday? Was it late in the afternoon?" Fred asked.
"Yeah, it was," Cassi said. At her confirmation, the twins looked at each other.
"So, you were the private meeting Sirius had downstairs. They put an imperturbable charm on the door so we couldn't listen in. They started doing it with all the Order meetings," George said, sounding frustrated.
"Oh, I didn't know it was considered private. You're Weasleys, though. Your family is distant cousins of mine, so it wouldn't have been inappropriate for you to come. We were sharing stories about my Mum. Then my Father and Uncle fought and destroyed half the kitchen." She said, shaking her head.
"What do you mean destroyed?!" Hermione said as Ron exclaimed, "Your Uncle!?"
"Yes, Sirius. He's my mother's brother. My mother was Aurora Black. This," Cassi said, gesturing around the room, "was my mother's room when she lived here." Turning to Hermione, "Apparently, Uncle Sirius and my father have a history and detest each other. I had to immobilize them to stop," Cassi said easily. Everyone gaped at her.
"Who's your father?" Hermione asked.
"Oh, Severus Snape. You all go to Hogwarts, right? He's your potions professor, isn't he?" She said lightly. The five of them looked so shocked you would have thought she said the Dark Lord was her father.
"You immobilized your father?" Fred and George asked together.
"Yes, I did. I had to. They would have tried to kill each other if I hadn't. Guessing him being my father is a surprise?" Cassi asked. "It was for him too. He didn't know he had a daughter until just last month. Inviting them all in to sit, she told them how she came to be there, her testing at Hogwarts, and the house she was sorted into.
"But we're all in Gryffindor. So, we won't see much of you outside classes." Ron said, gesturing around. "So, the greasy bat's your father, huh?" he said. Ginny smacked him on the arm. "Ow! What? I was just asking," Ron said, outraged.
Cassi looked a little more coldly, "Yes, he is. Is there a problem with that?"
"Well yeah, he's a Git. But you seem alright for a Slytherin, at least." Ron said, shrugging. Cassi frowned at him.
"Are you one of those people? You judge based on sight and rumor instead of knowledge?" Cassi said, scowling slightly, drawing herself up tall. "I cannot help who created me. That is as much out of my control as your red hair is out of yours. But I will not be put in a box because people have preconceived notions about Slytherin house or my family. I am my own person and will be treated as such." Cassi said with a sneer worthy of her father.
Ron had the decency to look uncomfortable. "Sorry," he mumbled under his breath.
"Apology accepted," Cassi said, reminding herself forcibly of her mother.
"Anyway," she said, glancing at Ron, "I was just introduced to the group downstairs by Professor Dumbledore. I'm not sure how much longer the meeting will be going on for." Cassi paused, looking at the group. "Is that woman, Molly I think Dumbledore called her, your mother?" She asked the general group. A few of the redheads nodded.
"No, I'm muggle-born. My parents aren't here," Hermione said.
"Oh, that's cool. Did it take you very long to get accustomed to the wizarding world? My survival teacher was a muggle. He taught me a lot about trapping and tracking. He even showed me how to use a bow and arrow. My father said I couldn't have a new one, though. I had to leave everything besides my emergency bag behind when I left home," Cassi said. The twins looked impressed.
They spent the evening chatting in Cassi's room, learning about one another, and Cassi taught the twins how to place a snare trap with the leftover thread she found in the drawer of her mother's dressing table. Then they went exploring, and she saw where the others were staying. An hour or so later, a group of people could be heard with muffled voices in the entrance hall and a lone pair of footsteps coming up the stairs.
"Harry!" she heard Hermione shriek. Cassi left the spare room she was exploring and went to investigate. When she got to Ron's room, a boy in glasses was storming up and down, yelling about being kept in the dark and being attacked by dementors. She stood in the doorway, leaning on the frame, watching him. The twins apparated into the room, nearly on top of Harry, who was still looking disgruntled.
"Who are you?" Harry asked, looking up after the twins were done teasing him.
"Nice manners," Cassi said waspishly.
Hermione cleared her throat. "This is Cassi, Sirius' niece." She said gently.
"Sirius has a niece? See! No one tells me anything!" Harry was shouting again.
"Maybe if you'd stop shouting for a moment, people would share things with you," Cassi said, stepping into the room, eyes blazing, throwing her long hair over her shoulder. "My name is Cassiopeia Aurora Black. I'm the daughter of Aurora Black and Severus Snape." Cassi said, walking toward him with an air of authority.
"Snape has a daughter?!" Harry nearly screamed. Cassi shook her head and sat down calmly while this boy had his meltdown. "Everything happens to me, and I'm kept in the dark like some child!" he yelled.
Looking at him incredulously, Cassi yelled, "Not everything happens to you! The Dark Lord's supporters attacked me in my home. My mother was killed. My house elf was blown to bits! I had to kill to escape! I was transported here. HERE! The place my mother ran from to save me. And now I'm stuck in the thick of it with no way out! So believe me when I tell you, not everything happens to just you!" Cassi was breathing heavily when she finally stopped. Harry was looking at her, finally calm. Well, more calm than he was when he got there.
Hermione pulled him onto a bed and started explaining everything. What the Order has been up to, that they know of, who the members were that they've seen, and what they were all doing there. Harry listened to Hermione speak. They filled Cassi in on what she missed, and from what she could tell, she missed a lot. The Dark Lord's return, a boy's death, the tournament, Sirius breaking out of prison, the Chamber of Secrets, and the whole fiasco with the Sorcerer's stone and Quirrel being possessed. Cassi was quiet, eyes wide while they talked. They were wrapping up everything when Mrs. Weasley called up the stairs that it was time for dinner.
Everyone trudged downstairs except the twins, who apparated and greatly annoyed their mother with their haphazard brand of magic. Mrs. Weasley kept shooting Cassi worried looks. Mr. Weasly, Remus Lupin, Nymphadora Tonks, Kingsley Shacklebolt, and some grubby little man named Mundungus were still there, talking to Harry, trying to explain things. Sirius was leading the conversation. At his pronouncement of wanting to join the Order, Mrs. Weasley shot him down immediately, telling him he was too young. "But Cassi gets to join. Why can't I? I want to join. I want to fight!" Harry said forcefully, slamming his hand down on the table.
"She shouldn't be involved either! She's not of age!" Mrs. Weasley said, ending in what sounded like a choked sob.
Her father had already left. Dumbledore was gone. She was the only one left to explain. Holding up her hands, she said quietly, "I do not know if I'm in the Order, or not. I was introduced at the beginning of their meeting this evening. Professor Dumbledore mentioned that I am in a unique position. I have yet to understand fully what that position is." Mrs. Weasley made a strangled noise, "I am the daughter of death eaters." Cassi said quietly. "My father is a spy for your Order. If I'm not presented eventually, it will look-" Cassi shook her head and took a deep breath. "It's not an ideal situation. My involvement is different than yours." She said, gesturing to the room. "It will be much closer to my father's role," Cassi said hopefully.
"You shouldn't be involved at all!" Mrs. Weasley said vehemently.
"Madame," Cassi said softly, looking at Mrs. Weasley. "I truly appreciate your concern. I cannot express what it means to be thought of, so when a month ago, none of you knew I existed." Lupin smiled at her encouragingly and put a hand on her shoulder. "I am the child of Death eaters. My parents were owned; therefore, I am owned. My life was forfeit the day I was conceived. There are expectations of me none of you can understand. I only have two choices. I can run and die quickly or stay and try to fight from the inside while you all chip away from the outside." Saying it out loud made it sound final. She would fight to bring him down with everything she had.
"Harry, you have fought. When the time comes, you'll fight again." Cassi said with conviction. Harry nodded, his green eyes blazing. Sirius looked pleased and proud.
Mrs. Weasley tried to send them all to bed. An instant uproar occurred. Cassi stayed because Sirius, being her uncle, said she could. It was decided among the teenagers that Harry would fill in Ron and Hermione if they were made to leave. The twins were of age, so Mr. Weasley said they could stay. Ginny, however, got sent to bed. She railed and carried on the entire way up the stairs. Sirius discussed ways and means. Possible giant involvement and something curious about a weapon the Dark Lord didn't have last time. Something he wanted very badly.
"Something he wants very badly? The last thing he wanted very badly was Harry dead. That didn't work out so well for him. Maybe we'll get lucky, and he'll blow himself up again," Cassi said thoughtfully. Sirius put his hand over hers.
"Like a weapon?" Harry asked. Sirius nodded to him and was about to continue when Mrs. Weasley reappeared in the kitchen.
"Okay, that's enough. Any more, and they may as well be inducted into the Order." Mrs. Weasley said harshly. Harry and Cassi smirked at one another. "Up, let's go, all of you! Upstairs to bed." Mrs. Weasley said firmly. She started to shoo them all out of the kitchen and up to bed. Even the twins listened.
When they got to Cassi's room, she turned to Mrs. Weasley. "Good night, Madame. Thank you again for what you said. I really do mean it. It means a lot to be thought of." Cassi said quietly. Mrs. Weasley patted her cheek and smiled sadly. "Night, everyone," Cassi called to the rest. "Night," they called back.
Cassi changed and got into bed, stashing her wand under her pillow. She didn't know what to think. Why would her father have had her stay at the Order Headquarters if she was to be involved with the Death Eaters? Wouldn't she be a liability? She was studying occlumency, but would it be enough? Questions swirled around her head as she lay down, staring at the ceiling. One thing is for sure. She'd have to start training again. Groaning at the thought, she rolled over and tried to sleep.
The following two weeks were filled with activities. Cassi had to start on her summer assignments. Her father expected to inspect them before she turned them in. Then there was the cleaning. Kreacher had been alone for so long that he had gone slightly mad. He had stopped caring for the house he loved because there was no family to care for. He and Sirius didn't get on well. Sirius was his master, but Kreacher didn't want to have to listen to him. It was a contentious relationship. Kreacher would visit her at night sometimes and tell her stories of her mother.
The cleaning they were doing was much more like fighting a battle than actual cleaning. There were infestations in every room. Doxies, giant spiders, boggarts, ghouls, and all manner of foul things inhabited the unused rooms. It was their job to get rid of them. They were also tasked with cleaning out and disinfecting cabinets from decades of mold and debris. Kreacher would show up where ever they were cleaning and attempt to smuggle things back to his cupboard. Sirius would catch him and yell, occasionally throwing him bodily from the room. Cassi would always chide Sirius after such a reaction.
After one such episode, Cassi hit Sirius, it was just in the arm, but the look he gave her was murderous. His face changed. He looked more like an animal than a human. SHIT! SHIT! SHIT! He grabbed Cassi's upper arm and dragged her bodily up the stairs. He kicked her bedroom door open and threw her over the threshold, slamming the door behind him. "I will NOT have you defending him. He was always a little foul B-" Sirius huffed and turned away, breathing hard.
"I have memories of him protecting my mother and hiding her from your father. Giving her healing balms and sweets when she was hurt or sad," Cassi said gently. "Things were not easy for her after you left. She was beaten often. That's one of the main reasons she joined the Death Eaters, to make them stop." Cassi said sadly. "She felt weak and alone. They offered her power and family. She was stupid enough to believe them." Cassi shook her head and turned away, her breath sharp in her chest.
Sirius walked over and turned her to face him. His eyes were blazing with unspoken pain. He hugged her hard. There was desperation in that hug, longing. He held Cassi for a long time, and she held him back. It was as if they were trying to find Aurora in each other's embrace. Silent tears were sliding down Cassi's cheeks. "I miss her so much." She whispered.
Finally breaking the hug, Sirius held her at arm's length, looking her over. He used his thumb to brush away her tears. "We're family, the three of us. You, me, and Harry. We're together. We'll make it through this. You'll see." Sirius said quietly. Cassi looked at him curiously. Sirius explained, "Harry's my Godson. When all this is over, he'll be living with me. And you can come whenever you like." Cassi nodded, eyes still glistening, and gave him another hug.
The following day her father was back to collect her. She eyed him carefully. He looked worn out. He was also testier than usual. Was he hurt, hungry or tired? Maybe all three. Mrs. Weasley invited him to dinner, but he declined. Cassi said a hasty goodbye to everyone, hugged Mrs. Weasley and Sirius, ruffled Harry's hair, and then hurried off after her father.
They apparated together outside a dingy, rundown set of row houses in what looked like a coal district. Everything appeared to have the same layer of soot. She looked to the signpost on the left. It read Spinners End. Her father, always tense, walked quickly to the door and opened it. At least this house wasn't hidden, and she might be able to spend some time outside.
The door pushed open, and a tiny house elf greeted them. She had a crisp linen towel draped over her and soft brown eyes. "Master," she said, bowing low. She took his cloak from him and hung it up. "I is happy yous is home, Master. Dinners nearly ready, as yous requested." The little elf bowed again.
"Meg, this is my daughter, Cassiopeia. She will be staying with us for the remainder of the summer." Meg clapped her hands happily. "Master has a daughter? Meg is happy for yous Master. More family for Meg to take care of. Meg is happy to serve Master's family. Welcomes home, Miss." Cassi gave her a warm smile. Her father dismissed the elf and began showing her around.
The inside of the house was very different from the shabby outside. The rooms were small but warm and comfortably furnished. The sitting room had floor-to-ceiling bookcases filled with books. Through the sitting room was a kitchen which had a small dining area. "The coat closet is here, the bathroom, through there." Her father gestured to the doors. "Let me show you to your room" He headed upstairs and expected her to follow.
The stairs creaked slightly when she walked. She would have to test different sections to see if there was a quieter part. "This is the upstairs bathroom." He pointed to the room on the left at the top of the stairs and walked into the first room on the right. "This will be your room. Unpack and bring your assignments downstairs. I want to look them over." He swept out of the room, not waiting for a reply. Yup, he's cranky alright. Yay, another person to tiptoe around. Cassi rolled her eyes and began unpacking.
Her room was adequate. Her father was a little for grandeur. The upper walls were soft ivory, with a runner and green patterned wallpaper on the bottom. There was a decent size bed with soft green blankets, a dark wardrobe, and a desk. Similar to her room in his quarters, but with much more natural light. She sighed, looking up at the ceiling. She wished she had a skylight. She loved staring at the stars.
Cassi did as she was told by Mr. Crankypants and brought her assignments down to him. He was waiting at the small dining table, which Meg had already set for two. Her father held his hand out wordlessly, and she gave him her assignments.
"Is this all of them?" he asked cooly.
"No, I still have History of Magic and Transfiguration to complete. I did the easy ones first." She said, dropping a napkin in her lap as Meg served them dinner. "Thank you, Meg. This looks wonderful." Cassi said happily. The elf beamed at her and bowed again.
"The easy ones? Are you saying my assignments are easy? If that's the case, I shouldn't find anything wrong with the 'easy ones' then, yes?" He arched an eyebrow at her. She couldn't tell if he was joking with her or not. He was in a mood, so it was better not to test him.
"I meant easy to say those subjects I'm most comfortable with because I've had the most exposure to them. I did have to use reference books, but at least I knew what I was looking for." Cassi explained.
"Eat before it gets cold. After dinner, early to bed, I think. We have a full day tomorrow and need to be up early." He said, starting on his dinner.
"Full day? Are we working in your lab?" Cassi asked.
"What makes you think I have a lab here?" Snape asked cooly.
"You're a Potions Master. All the ones I've ever read about have personal labs. I mean, unless you use the one at Hogwarts or something." She said earnestly.
Looking imperiously down at her, Snape said, "Yes, I have a lab here, which you are not allowed in." He paused and spoke more quickly, "Please tell me you're not going to be an insufferable know it all like Miss Granger?"
It was Cassi's turn to arch her brow. "Hermione is quite intelligent. Yes, her thirst for knowledge can border on obsession, but she's a lovely girl. We studied together a bit. Is she top of the class?" Cassi asked.
"Eat your food." Was her father's only reply.
The rest of dinner was done in silence. When they were finished, her father said she could take tea in her room after her bath. Sick to death with being obedient, Cassi swallowed her frustration and said goodnight to her father. These next two weeks would be long; she could feel it.
After a gloriously warm bath, she returned to her room to find her assignments back without many corrections. The potions essay only had one comment, 'I asked for three feet. This is closer to four.' 'Ha!' she thought to herself. A steaming cup of tea and a small plate of biscuits were waiting for her on her bedside table. She smiled, nibbling on the biscuits while getting ready for bed.
