I DO NOT OWN HARRY POTTER – JUST BORROWING

The next day, Cassi, Pansy, Milly, and Daphne had just entered the Great Hall when they saw a tall black girl begin yelling at the Gryffindor table.

"Oh look, she's screaming at Potter!" Pansy shrieked with a wicked little laugh.

"Oh hell, looks like he got detention again. That boy really has no sense of self-preservation," Cassi said, shaking her head disapprovingly. They all watched as Professor McGonagall descended upon Potter and the yelling girl. Cassi winced. Professor McGonagall looked seriously angry. "Oh Merlin, I wonder what she will be like when Umbridge inspects her. She might bite her face off."

"I wonder what the inspections are going to be like?" Milly asked

"I couldn't guess. If they're anything like her classes, we might all die of boredom," said Daphne

"The way she talks to us really bothers me. It's like we're all five or something. Also, why are we not learning magic? Makes me miss being home-schooled." Cassi complained

"Father says it's because the Ministry doesn't want Dumbledore to gain too much power. Fudge thinks Dumbledore wants to take his job," Draco chimed in.

"I think Fudge is worried about the wrong person," Cassi laughed. Draco chuckled along with her. "Hey, can we walk to class together? I wanted to ask you something." Cassi asked a little sheepishly.

"Sure," Draco said, smiling. "It'll be nice to finally spend some time with you. Your father keeps you busy, doesn't he?"

Cassi rolled her eyes, "I suppose. But my schedule used to be so much worse than this. I only used to get a half day off on Sunday. Every other day was 12 hours of education." Cassi laughed at the look on Draco's face. She saw her father glance at her from the head table. Cassi grabbed up her books, looked at Draco, and asked, "Ready?"

They walked together for a few minutes until they found an empty corridor. Pulling Draco into an alcove, Cassi turned to him uncomfortably and whispered, "Has your father talked about presenting you yet?" When he looked lost, she continued, "To HIM?"

Draco's eyes widened as he hissed, "We're not supposed to talk about that!" He looked panicked.

"But has he? Have you seen HIM?" Cassi hissed

"What?! NO!" Draco hissed, a definite look of fear on his face.

"I think my father is going to present me soon," Cassi whispered, showing much more fear than she felt.

"Why?" Draco whispered, wide-eyed.

"The Dark Lord already wanted me. He sent Death Eaters to my home, all the way in America. They were trying to take me, not kill me. And he gave me this talk about expectations last night." Cassi hissed. That wasn't completely a lie. They did talk about expectations. Just not the ones Cassi was referring to.

"Merlin! Are you serious?" He asked. More amazed now than afraid.

"I think so. I'm freaking out! What if I'm not ready? What if he blames me for my mother's choices? What if I'm not good enough?" She hissed, sounding hysterical. "He'll kill me. He might even kill my father." She said, faking a sob. "How did he even know I existed? She didn't tell anyone, not even my father."

Draco looked supremely uncomfortable. "I don't know," he said, his voice barely above a whisper, his eyes downcast. His movements, tone of voice, and guilt in his eyes told her everything she needed to know.

"Can you promise me something? If you hear anything, even a whisper, about me or my presentation, tell me, please. I just want to be ready." Cassi said desperately.

"Yes, I promise. I'll tell you," he said, looking her right in the eye. She wondered if he was lying.

"Thank you, Cousin. Thank you." She breathed, putting a hand on his shoulder, looking relieved. "Come on. We better get to class." They walked off together, just making it into class before the bell rang.

Binns was just as boring as the last class. So, she busied herself, as she did the last time, by doing other classwork and copying down names, dates, and places whenever she heard them. She managed to get her Charms essay done before class was over. That was something, at least. The best part was that Draco didn't seem the least bit off after their conversation.

When she next saw Potter in Potions on Thursday, his hand looked better than she expected. She guessed her Murtlap essence worked. Essays were handed back, and she had managed an O on this one. Much better than the scowl and E she received last time. Under cover of Neville melting yet another cauldron, she managed to get a note to Hermione to ask the three of them to meet her in the owlery at eight o'clock that evening for a few minutes to try and catch up. She also had to try and get a letter to Sirius somehow. She wanted to make sure he was safe. Maybe they would have news of him.

Eight O'clock that evening, she found herself in the chilly owlery, waiting for the trio to arrive. On her way up the stairs, she had set up stealth sensory charms so she would know if someone came up after her.

She sat herself on the windowsill, kicking absentmindedly at the abandoned feathers on the floor, occasionally sending a small bone skittering into a corner. A snowy white owl was staring at her. Cassi looked up at it curiously. "I wonder who you belong to?" she asked herself more than the owl. As if on cue, Harry, Ron, and Hermione came into the owlery. The snowy owl flew down off the rafters and landed on Harry's shoulder. That explains a lot, Cassi thought to herself.

"Hi, Cassi," Harry and Hermione said. Ron gave a wave.

"Hi, guys," Cassi said, smiling at them all. "Harry, let me see your hand. Is the murtlap working?" At Cassi's touch, the owl seemed to inflate herself. Cassi had the feeling she didn't like her very much.

"Oh yeah, that stuff's great! Thanks for thinking of it," he said enthusiastically. He absentmindedly reached up and stroked his owl. She seemed to deflate a little as she settled.

Cassi looked pointedly at Hermione, "Have you asked?" Hermione nodded quickly.

Turning to Harry, Cassi asked quietly, "Have you heard from your Godfather?" It was never safe to assume you were not being overheard.

"Yeah, we spoke to him in the fire over the weekend. He popped into the Gryffindor floo." Harry said.

Cassi gaped at him. She closed her eyes for a moment as if in prayer. "Why would he do that?" He's out of his mind," she said hotly. Harry and Ron tried to wave her off. "No, don't do that! Don't look at me like it's no big deal. You don't know. The ministry is trying to take over Hogwarts, which means they're probably watching the fires, if not eavesdropping on them, to try and get dirt on Dumbledore at the least. Not to mention, Lucius Malfoy recognized him on the platform before you left for school. The Dark Lord will know about his being an animagus by now. He's placed himself in danger for no reason," she said, her face darkening in anger.

A chilly breeze whipped through the windows of the owlery as she was finishing her rant. Cassi shivered. She wished she'd known this information sooner. They'd have to find a better way to communicate. She looked at Hermione. The girl looked deep in thought. Maybe she was thinking the same thing.

"I mean, it's not that big a deal, is it? Nothing happened. Sirius is okay, right?" Ron chimed in. Hermione looked at him with an expression of pity on her face. Cassi sighed.

"I've already told my father. He got the message to Dumbledore. Hopefully, he'll be able to do some damage control."

"You don't know what it's like for him. He's miserable there! He hates being stuck in that house with that crazy elf."

"Harry, stop," Cassi said, holding up her hands as if to shield herself from the onslaught of emotions. She could almost feel his power pulsating off of him. "I'm not going to sit there and feel sorry for him that he's not stuck in prison anymore being tortured by dementors and starved half to death. Because in case you don't remember, he sat there for 12 years without demanding the trial he was allowed or trying to plead his case. Instead, he's in a house where he can see people, sleep in a comfortable bed, and eat real food. Yes, he's not as active as he'd like to be, but instead of finding things he can do, he's complaining about what he can't do. He's acting like a child. Is it the greatest thing ever? No. Is it the best possible scenario we have at this time? Yes, I believe it is." Cassi said all this very fast so as not to be interrupted.

Harry glared at her. Hermione looked uncomfortable. Ron's stomach rumbled loudly. Cassi closed her eyes and pinched the bridge of her nose, plainly wondering how they were all still alive at this point.

"Listen, I'd like him to be happy. Really, I would. But for now, I'll take miserable and alive. Once we get through this, there will be more time for everything else. We just have to get through it, right?" Cassi tried to sound upbeat and convincing. Another chilly breeze ruffled her hair as she spoke, a rumble of thunder in the distance.

Hermione looked out the window at the impending rain and said, "We should probably end this before we're caught. We're also going to have to find a better way to communicate." Cassi nodded in agreement.

"It was great to get to talk to you all again. I've missed our chats. This whole school thing has been quite an adjustment. It would have been nice if I could have been in Gryffindor with you all." Cassi said a little sadly.

"You could have chosen. The hat takes students' choices into account. It put me in Gryffindor because I asked it to." Harry said at once.

"That's the thing, Harry, I couldn't have chosen. Do you really think Dumbledore would want me in your dorm once the Dark Lord claims me? If I get cursed, it would be too easy to get access to you. You're safer with me not in there." Cassi said a definite note of sadness in her voice now.

Without another word, Cassi rapped herself on top of her head with her wand. The odd trickling sensation poured down her body as the disillusionment charm took effect. "See you all soon," she said as she left the owlery canceling the charms she placed on the stairs. Cassi giggled at the conversation she overheard as she was leaving.

Ron's mouth was open, "Blimey, how'd she do that?"

"Never mind, Ron, I'll explain on the way back to the common room," Hermione said, shaking her head slightly.

When Cassi made it to a secluded corridor, she removed the disillusionment charm and walked into the castle, shivering slightly from the windy night. She made her way back to bed, thinking of ways to communicate with everyone that would not include inviting the Slytherins to eavesdrop.

Saturday came with almost indecent speed. Cassi wasn't prepared to face her father again. She had learned a few spells. One such spell, called the lightning whip, caused an invisible white-hot whip to slash where ever its aimed. She'd also been practicing her wordless casting and defense. Whatever her father said about not holding back, she didn't actually want to hurt him. He was definitely faster than she was and had a much larger knowledge of curses than she did. Not to mention the only unforgivable she'd manage to pull off was the Imperious Curse. She was gonna get destroyed.

Saturday morning found her, once again, crumpled and bleeding in a corner. It had been fast and brutal. She didn't stand a chance.

"GET UP! You are making NO effort! Is this what your mother taught you? To be a pathetic weakling? This is not the same girl that attacked me mere months ago." Snape said brutally.

She was standing before her father, trembling from the effort to remain upright, blood trickling down the side of her cheek, her right eye nearly swollen closed.

"Do you not understand? You will be killed if you cannot fight. He will have no use for you!" He raked his hand through his hair as he spoke, visibly agitated. She couldn't bare to look at him. His disappointment was palpable.

Rough hands grabbed her and threw her up against the nearest pillar. A harsh slap to her face brought her out of her stupor. She gasped, putting a hand to her cheek. Tears filled her eyes as she looked into her father's face. As if it were possible, he looked even angrier that she'd show weakness. He flung her from him, turning as he went as if her tears were indecent. She hit the floor hard, not making any move to stop herself from falling.

She could see him from the corner of her good eye, pacing back and forth. He looked like a caged animal, prowling, looking for an escape. He looked dangerous. The power emanating from him was hot and intense. Was he going to beat her? Torture her? Kill her? Would it matter? She was as good as dead anyway unless she could get her shit together.

She remembered one of her first training sessions with her mother. She was beaten and bloody, covered in mud, lying on the ground spent. Her mother sat down next to her, not looking at her. Her words cut deeply that day, but they served to remind her to push herself to her limit. "I know you think you did the best you could. I know you think me harsh and unfair. I wonder if you know I'm just as disappointed in myself. I didn't teach you well enough to defend yourself, and now you're hurt. I wonder if you know how much I would blame myself if you died because I didn't do enough, push hard enough, teach and train you enough. I would never forgive myself if you died because I failed."

Tears streaming down her face, she pushed herself off the floor. Cassi stood slowly, trying to gather herself for what she needed to do. She was not weak. She would show him what her mother taught her. She would make her mother proud.

"Again," she said to her father. Her face was set. She was ready.

Her father turned to face her. Anger was still plainly visible on his face. "As you wish."

An entirely silent fight ensued. Neither was speaking spells, and both were blocking and deflecting with all their might. Their wands flashed and twirled. Multicolored flashes of light and sparks flew all over the dungeon. Bits of debris from blasted walls and broken pillars were flying haphazardly everywhere. There was no thought to be had. Cassi was running on pure instinct and adrenaline. Slowly, very slowly, she was gaining position.

"I AM NOT WEAK!" Cassi growled as she slashed her wand through the air. She knocked her father off balance, then flicked her wand, pinning him to the wall. "Are you mocking me again, father? Letting me win, perhaps? The look on his face was one she will never forget. There was actual fear there. It made her angry. She didn't want to be feared, not by anyone. She wanted to be a healer. Why couldn't she just be normal? With a yell, she flicked her wand again, and he crumpled to the floor unconscious.

Breathing heavily, she paced back and forth, seething. She screamed, letting all her anger and frustration flow through that scream. She could have woken him up, but she didn't. Instead, she sat on the floor next to him, pulling his head into her lap. How much different he looked now. No sneering face, no harsh words, no frowns. His forehead was smooth, and his face calm. Why couldn't this be the father she knew?

He woke shortly after her musings. He sprang to his feet, spinning wildly around, wand drawn. She sat calm and still, not wanting to spook him. He spotted her sitting there, looking at the floor. The silence stretched horribly.

"Well done," he said quietly. "Come, let us have lunch." He reached out his hand to her. Cassi looked at it, unsure whether she should take it. She realized, sitting here, that she would have to weigh every decision. Even the smallest of details matters now. She finally knew what her father meant about variables. Taking his hand, she let him pull her to her feet. She followed him out of the sub-dungeon back to his quarters.

Cassi sat wordlessly at the table as he lined up the potions in front of her. She didn't ask what they were. She already knew, by sight, if not taste, what they were for. She took them wordlessly. He ordered lunch. She ate, not seeing what she was eating, not tasting the food she was chewing. This was it. This was her life. Until the Dark Lord was gone, this is all there would be, secrets, lies, pain, and fighting. She wouldn't run. Her mother didn't raise a coward. She would stay and finish this.

"Father, when am I being presented?" Cassi asked out of the blue.

He froze, the fork halfway to his mouth, and looked at her. His eyes pierced hers. She did not look away. "Before this school year is out, it will be done. I do not know exactly when." He said, his mask sliding back in place. Yes, the mask. She would need to wear one now too.

After lunch, she cleaned herself up and went back to the common room. She pulled out her school bag and sat down at one of the tables next to Theodore Nott. Her motivation for essay research and completion left her as soon as she sat down. Theo was sitting there with his head in his hands, trying to get through his Charms assignment.

"Stuck?" she asked him.

"No, just fried. I've done two essays already. My brain doesn't seem to want to work anymore," he said with a grimace.

"Want a break? Maybe go for a walk, get some air? I could go with you if you like." Cassi offered.

"Yeah, a walk sounds great," Theo said with a smile.

They left the common room together, walked through the dark dungeons, and off through the castle. They walked through the Entrance Hall and out the large oak front doors into the bright sunlight. It was chilly but beautiful out. They spent a happy hour walking along the grounds talking. She was beginning to like Theo. He was quiet and intelligent. He thought deeply about things and tried to reason where others wanted to fight.

"Any idea what you'd like to do once you leave Hogwarts?" Cassi asked him.

"You mean if I get to choose?" Nott said with a sarcastic little laugh.

"Yes, if you get to choose," Cassi said, pressing him.

"Well, no point in wishing for things we cannot have. I will be forced into my father's business or be disowned," he said a little sadly.

"What does your father do?" Cassi asked.

"He trades in magical artifacts," Theo said evasively. "What were you thinking of doing once you left Hogwarts?" He asked Cassi.

"I always thought of being a healer. My mother said I had a gift for it. Though not sure that's a possibility. I have no idea what my father expects of me," she said with a shrug.

"You definitely have a gift for potions. I've seen you in class. It's almost second nature to you. Don't healers have to have a knack for potions as well?" He asked curiously.

"Yes, I believe they do. They need to be able to make custom antidotes for whatever people do to themselves," Cassi said conversationally. They talked all the way back to the castle, talking about what they were planning to do and what shops they were going to visit in Hogsmeade.

The Entrance Hall was dim after the bright sun from outside. They walked together toward the stairs leading to the dungeons. When who should come out of it but her father. He struck an imposing figure, towering over Nott, black robes billowing, arms crossed over his broad chest, eyebrow cocked in disapproval.

"Where are the two of you coming from?" Snape asked, voice thick with mistrust.

Theo looked at the floor immediately. Cassi looked sideways at Theo, pursing her lips, before turning to answer her father.

"We've just been for a walk on the grounds. We've both been studying hard all day and needed to clear our heads for a bit before beginning the next round of essays," Cassi said sweetly, batting her eyes at her father.

"Is that so?" he asked dangerously, his eyes boring into hers.

"Yes, Professor," she said, staring back into his fathomless black eyes.

"See that you find your way back to the common room, immediately," Snape said, sharply.

"Yes, Sir. Have a lovely afternoon, Professor," Cassi said sweetly. She could hear him growl as he walked away.

Nott all but fell down the stairs in his haste to obey. Cassi walked down calmly after him, smiling to herself. What an interesting turn of events. It seems her father doesn't like her talking to boys. She mused to herself as she made her way back to the common room and her pile of homework.