As promised, I find myself sitting across from a mind healer in the afternoon. Mipsy had been apologetic as she forced me downstairs and into a parlor, having me sit on a chaise with a cup of tea. The little elf had been clear that I was to call on her when I wished to leave, not wanting me to traverse the tall staircases alone until I was fully healed. I had spent the majority of the day before my session trying to pry off the ring Draco had forced on my finger. So far I haven't had success.

Healer Minnows sits on the sofa across from me, a notepad in her lap. She looks at me expectantly.

"I'm sorry, what was the question?" I ask, pulling myself out of my gloomy thoughts.

"I asked what is the earliest memory of your childhood that you have, Cassandra?"

I scrunch my nose at the name. "If we have to have these sessions, can you at least call me Rosie?" I request, taking a sip of my tea.

"Very well, Rosie. Now, that memory."

I stare at the witch as I think. She wears the lime green robes of a St. Mungos mediwitch. Unfortunately the robes are not very flattering, but her dark complexion goes well with the shade of green. Braids frame her face, a pair of purple cat eye glasses perch on her nose.

"I think Hermione and I were three, maybe four. We were in our room and it was nighttime. Mum and Dad were tucking us in." I smile at the memory. "Dad sang to us after Mum had read us a story. After they turned out the lights and left, I climbed into Mya's bed and we whispered to each other until we fell asleep."

Minnows hums, scratching something into her notes with a peacock feather quill. "You understand that this is a memory fabricated by whoever placed you with the muggle family. It most likely is a memory of Miss Granger's that was altered to include you in it."

I purse my lips, staring down into my tea cup. "I'm aware."

"Based on our conversation so far, I believe hypnotization is our best course of action." I stare at her incredulously.

"You can't be serious! What could that possibly do?"

She looks at me over the top of her glasses, eyebrows raised. "It may help us unlock your lost memories by delving deeper into your subconscious."

"Maybe I don't want to remember." I mutter stubbornly.

The mind healer gives a sigh, crossing one leg over the other. "Your father has employed me to help you remember. I intend to do just that, Miss Nott."

I stay silent, sipping my drink once more. I think of Hermione, wondering how she is, how she's dealing with my disappearance. There are still a few more days before she takes the train home. We never got to finish discussing how to convince our parents to leave Britain. I hope she is able to do so without me.

"Fine. What do you need me to do?" I grumble, setting my teacup on the settee between us.

"First, relax. Lay back on the lounge and close your eyes. Take deep breaths and think of a place that calms you."

I roll my eyes as I lie back, pulling my legs up onto the chaise. I allow my eyes to fall shut and slow my breathing, deepening it. My brain wanders for a moment before I find myself picturing the Black Lake. I sit under a willow tree, not the Whomping Willow, leant against the trunk. A book sits open on my lap as I stare out over the water, hands running through the grass on either side of me.

"Now, as I count backwards from ten, continue to relax while thinking of your early childhood. What did you look like? What did you enjoy? Who did you spend time with?"

I listen to her, letting myself relax further into the lounge as I picture my younger self. Long auburn hair, freckled skin from playing outdoors, a toothless smile.

-

"Cassie! Give me back my quidditch figures or I'm going to tell Mipsy!" I giggle at my brother's threat of tattling to my nanny elf as I run through the halls, my twin trailing behind.

"You have to catch me first, Theo!" I call over my shoulder as I skid around the corner. I grip a magical action figure in each hand, both toys trying to escape my grip. Theo had been given them by Aunt Cissa, Uncle Lucius, and Draco for our fourth birthday a few weeks before.

I duck into a room on my left, quickly shutting the door behind me as I try to stifle my giggles.

"My darling girl, are you torturing your brother again?" I look up in surprise, seeing my mother sitting at the grand piano that sits in the middle of our music hall. Her hair, the same color as mine, is pulled into a bun, stray strands framing her face. I grin, hurrying to her. I clamber onto the bench beside her as I present my brother's toys.

"Not torturin' Mumma! Jus' playin'." I set the two action figures on the piano, standing above the black and white keys.

"Oh what am I going to do with you, my Cassie." Mumma wraps me in her arms, pulling me onto her lap. I snuggle into her.

"Will you play the pretty song again, Mumma?" I tilt my head back to look at her from my position on her legs.

"Of course my darling." A soft smile graces her lips before she presses a gentle kiss to my forehead. Mumma then reaches around me and begins pressing keys, her hands chasing each other across the ivory as the notes of Fur Elise fill the room.

-

"How was your play date with Pansy, Cassandra?"

I look up from where I was glaring at the green beans on my plate to see my father staring at me. "Oh Daddy, it was 'mazing! Lady Par'son let us play dress up with her clotheses and then we got to have tea like 'proper young ladies'." I tilt my nose in the air as I copy the way Pansy's mum had said the words.

Mumma smiles at my words. "That sounds exciting! We'll have to have Pansy spend the day here soon." She turns her attention to Theo who's sitting beside me. I kick my legs under the table, making a face as I take a bite of my beans. "How was your day with Draco, Theodore?"

My brother launches into a full play by play of his day as we continue dinner. As I pout at Daddy, he gives me a wink and flicks his wand, causing the rest of the green beans on my plate to disappear.

-

I run as fast as my legs will carry me, chasing after Theo and Draco. The purple skirts of my robes fly behind me.

"Gots you!" I yell out as I tag Draco. I grab my brother's hand, dragging him behind me as we run through the gardens at Malfoy Manor. Mumma and Aunt Cissa sit on the terrace having tea while Daddy and Uncle Lucius are in Uncle's study having grown up tea.

Theo pulls ahead of me, letting go of my hand. "Yous on your own, Cassie!" He shouts to me with a laugh.

Glancing back, I see Draco gaining on me, causing me to shriek with laughter and pump my small legs harder. After a couple more minutes of running, the blond boy lunges and tackles me to the ground, tagging me.

"You're it, my Cassie!" Draco grins from above me. I shove him off.

"I's not your Cassie." I pout slightly, crossing my arms.

"Yes you are! Mummy and Father tolds me so!" Draco smirks before pulling us both to our feet. Quicker than lightning, he presses a kiss to my cheek before taking off again. "Theo, Cassie's it!"

I stand still for a moment, cheeks bright red before taking off after the two boys once more.

-

I sit up straight, gasping for breath. A glass of water is shoved into my hand after a moment and I gulp it down in three swallows. Setting the glass down, I lean back against the chaise again.

"What did you see?" I look over to Healer Minnows, who is leaning forward in her seat. I catch my breath before answering her.

"Unfortunately, your hypno method worked." I state begrudgingly, letting my eyes close for a moment.

"You remembered?" she asks expectantly.

"Some, yes. I remembered some. But not the day I fell." I tell her, figuring it would be easier to tell her the truth rather than her trying to pull it out of me.

"Good. That's amazing progress for our first session, Rosie." I nod at her words, though my name sounds odd to my own ears after reliving the memories.

"Are we done for the day?" I sit up once more, smoothing out the day robes Mipsy had me change into before meeting the mind healer.

"Yes, we are done for today. I will see you in a few days for our next session." As we both stand, Mipsy cracks into the room alongside an elder elf with light green eyes.

"Kerner will bes escorting you out, Missy." The elf's voice is raspy as he leads the healer out.

I wait for the pair to leave before looking at Mipsy. "Is the young Mistress wishing to return to her rooms?" She asks.

I debate her suggestion for a moment. "Could you take me to the music hall please, Mipsy?"

She nods quickly, large ears flapping around her head. "Of course, young Mistress. Yous bes following Mipsy."

I do as told, smoothing out my pale yellow robes once again as I follow behind the elf. She makes me walk ahead of her on the stairs, adamant that she would not let me fall. As we get to the second floor, a floor below my suite, she leads me to a room on the far left. My breath leaves me as I enter.

Everything looks just as it did in the memory, down to a bouquet of daisies sitting in a vase on the piano. Mipsy stays by the door as I slowly walk inside. I make my way to the piano, running my fingertips lightly over the keys. I've taken lessons since I was small. Hermione did too, for a while, but she preferred ballet to playing. I look back to the elf.

"Is it alright if I play?" I ask quietly, unsure.

"Of course, young Mistress! Master Nott told all of the elfses that young Mistress may do whatever she likes." Mipsy clasps her hands in front of her, rocking forward on her toes.

I turn back to the instrument, taking a seat on the bench before it. I rest my hands on the keys for a moment before beginning to play. The notes of Fur Elise fill the space, just as they had in my memory. This has always been my favorite song to play. Now it seems that it may have been a trace of my lost childhood. I lose myself in the music.

I finish the piece, closing my eyes as I rest my hands on the keys once more. Clapping disturbs the silence. I jump at the intrusion, looking up in surprise to see Lord Nott had taken Mipsy's place.

"You always begged your mother to play that piece. 'The Pretty Song' is what you called it." I tense in my seat as he moves further into the room. "You play just as beautifully as she did."

"I remember." I state, not moving my gaze from him as he walks to the string instruments. He hums at my words.

"Healer Minnows said that you remember something, but that you didn't say what."

"What happened to her?" I ask after a moment, hesitant. "To Lady Nott."

Silence stretches between us from a few moments, the only sounds being that of a small harp he softly strums. He sets the instrument down, moving to stand in front of a window and stare out onto the grounds.

"She got sick shortly after you died." Thoros speaks at last. "Dragonpox. She didn't last long after she contracted it. I believe she gave up, without you here. She let her grief consume her."

"I'm sorry. That must have been hard on you and Theo. To lose her so quickly after losing Cassandra." I say, not sure how to respond to his words. "She was very beautiful."

He smiles wryly as he turns to look at me again. "You're her spitting image. Other than your eyes." A sense of deja vu fills me, his statement eerily similar to the comparison I have heard Harry receive countless times.

Another awkward silence occurs, neither of us sure of what to say. Finally, he speaks. "I know you think I'm cruel, but everything I am doing is done to protect my children. You belong here with us, with your family." He takes a breath. "I understand you have been raised by muggles and we will have conflicting views, but you are still my daughter. It is my duty as your father and Head of House to do what is in your best interests."

"So marrying me off is in my best interests?" I question, trying to keep a calm tone as I raise my left hand to show him the ring I couldn't get off.

He lets out a sigh. "I see the Malfoy heir has told you. His parents and I demanded he not do it, but I shouldn't have expected him to listen. Lucius never has." He runs a hand through his dark hair. "Your mother and I were betrothed at your age. The Malfoy scion is a good match. If you hadn't been taken from us, you two would have grown up together."

"Well we didn't. That boy has tortured me, my sister, and our friends for five straight years. I will not marry him."

"That mudblood is not your sister." His words are harsher this time. He takes a deep breath before speaking again. "You are not expected to marry him immediately. You are simply betrothed. You will finish school first, of course. Your contract with the boy states that the two of you have until his twenty-first birthday to marry. That's still five years away. By that point you will know each other much better."

I roll my eyes at his reasoning, twisting the ring around my finger. "I don't understand how you think I can just accept all of this. That I'll just agree to do and act however you want me to. I don't remember this life. Even if I did, I've spent the majority of my life as a muggle and then muggleborn." I feel tears begin to gather in my eyes as I meet his gaze. "I feel lost! This is terrifying!"

His gaze softens. Cautiously, he moves toward me and takes a seat beside me on the bench. He wraps an arm around me. "I'm so sorry, Cassandra. This would all be so much better if your mother was here. She would know what to say to you, how to help you." I lean into him, accepting the comfort. This seems more like the man from my memory that vanished the vegetables from my plate when Mumma wasn't looking.

After a beat, it strikes me that I had thought of the woman as my mother, at least subconsciously. I sit straight again. "Can we at least compromise on my name? Cassandra could be my middle name, or I could even keep Rosalind as my middle name." I suggest, looking at him pleadingly. "I need to keep something. If I have to be a Nott, I need to keep something from my life as a Granger."

"I suppose Cassandra Rosalind is not a horrible name." His voice is strained as he makes the concession. "I will fill out the appropriate paperwork with the Ministry."

I let out a breath, a relieved smile gracing my lips. "Thank you." I say sincerely.

Lord Nott stands, patting my shoulder before heading for the door. Before he leaves, he turns to me one more time. "While we are making compromises, I would appreciate you referring to me as 'Father.' It may make this transition easier."

I hesitate before nodding. "I can do that…Father." The slightest smile appears on his face before he disappears through the door.

I take a shaky breath as I return my attention to the piano. The Pretty Song fills the room once more.

-

My piano practice lasted another hour. Afterwards, I asked Mipsy to take me on a tour of the manor and grounds. The library is amazing, across the hall from the music hall. I spent half an hour there before remembering we were supposed to be on a tour. Mipsy guided me through different parlors and studies, a ballroom, and the formal dining room (much larger than the one I had found myself in this morning). She showed me where Theo and Thoro- Father's bedrooms were, down the hall from my own. There are a set of guest rooms on the floor above them where the Malfoys are currently staying. I currently find myself in the gardens. Mipsy left me here after showing me the stables and quidditch pitch. Our trek had left me breathless and in pain. The elf had offered to bring me back to my rooms, but I hated to go back indoors on such a nice day. I had sent her off with a 'thank you,' leaving me on a bench amidst rose bushes and apple trees.

The breeze blows through my hair, cooling my heated skin. The pain in my torso has finally started to fade. Mipsy had berated me for doing too much in my still healing state. I just couldn't resist staying on my feet as long as possible after being bed bound for so long.

"Mipsy said I would find you here." I turn my attention away from the bees flying around the roses, watching as my brother takes a seat beside me.

"I needed a rest before going back inside." I admit.

"She seemed upset when I spoke with her, saying that 'young Mistress Cassie's stubborner than Mistress Katherine ever was.'" I chuckle at his impersonation of the elf before turning more solemn as I process his words.

"Um, was that Mumma-your mum's name?" I twist the ring on my left hand as I ask the question, correcting myself on my slip up.

Theo's smile is sad as he answers, nodding. "Yeah. She was the best." He looks out into the garden as he speaks. "Dad said you remember her?"

"A little." I sigh. "I remember her letting me hide in the music hall while you chased me to get your quidditch figures back. She played the piano for me." I smile at the memory. "And just a random night at dinner. Us, her, and F-Father. I had spent the day with Pansy Parkinson of all people," I laugh at the thought. "And you had been with Malfoy. She was asking about our days. Father vanished the vegetables I didn't want to eat from my plate. It was nice."

"It was nice all the time before your accident." Theo says with a sigh. He reaches over, grasping my hand. I look at him in confusion. "I'm really sorry, Cassie."

My confusion grows at the sorrowful expression on his face, not even correcting my name. "For bringing me here?"

My twin shakes his head. "For that day. It's my fault you fell. I started an argument, it was over what game we should play. You and the girls wanted to play Snitch and Seek. Draco and I wanted to play Aurors and Wizards. I demanded that you play what we wanted and then we started fighting. I shoved you. That's when you went to go get Mum. That's when you slipped on your way down and fell." I watch as tears pour down the Slytherin's cheeks. "It's my fault that you were taken, that Mum died."

I slide closer, wrapping the boy in my arms as he breaks out into sobs. Theo buries his face in my neck, clutching me to him tightly. I stroke one hand through his hair as the other rubs his back. I hum an old lullaby as I comfort him.

Several minutes later, his cries begin to fade and he slowly pulls away. After taking a moment to compose himself, he meets my gaze again. I take both of his hands in mine. "None of it was your fault, Theo. We were five, you were a child. It was an accident. I slipped. It's not something you could have prevented." I squeeze his hands in emphasis. "And your mum passing wasn't your fault either. She couldn't cope with her grief. That's not on you."

He sniffles before hugging me again. We stay like that for a few moments. Theo finally speaks, whispering into my hair. "Mum always sang that to us when we were upset. And at night before bed."

I'm the one to pull away this time, confused again. "The lullaby?" He nods in response. "I don't even remember learning it. I've just always known it."

"I believe it was a song her mother had sung to her. Then she sang it to us."

This news takes me by surprise. Everytime I turn around I am finding out another thing about my life as Rosie Granger actually came from my life as Cassandra Nott. It's surreal to learn such things about myself. Will it always be this confusing?

"Anyway, I'm sorry for crying all over your robes." Theo tries to put a lighter tone to our conversation. I pat his arm.

"Don't worry about it." I smile at him before pushing myself to my feet. "Walk with me back inside? I'm sure it's getting close to dinner."

A grin breaks out on Theo's face as he stands and offers me his arm. We walk through the gardens, joking with each other about stolen quidditch figures and long forgotten arguments.