Cassie would have been more than happy for her visit with the Tonks and the Weasleys to continue well into the night, but Madam Pomfrey was already beginning to reach her breaking point by the time dinner was brought to the hospital wing. Finally, when a Hufflepuff fourth-year was brought in after being hit with a hex that caused him to produce excessive quantities of mucus and saliva, the nurse sent all of Cassie's visitors on their way for the night.
Their sudden departure from the large ward left Cassie feeling lonely, but she was incredibly grateful for the time she'd been able to spend with them nonetheless. Now, however, she was alone with her thoughts, and her stomach churned as she wondered what the following day had in store for her. She almost wished someone had thought to bring her some homework.
She rolled onto her side, preparing herself to try to get some much-needed rest, and listened to Madam Pomfrey fuss over the boy, who was gurgling out replies to her questions as bodily fluids continued to pour from his face. Cassie wondered if Draco had done it to him. The cruel hex seemed very much like something he would inflict on someone, but then she realized that he probably wasn't capable of such a spell yet. That gave her a small measure of comfort.
Still, she couldn't help worrying about her younger cousin's future, especially after her unpleasant interaction with Lucius that afternoon. Learning what he had done to Andromeda and Ted had been devastating, and yet it somehow made Cassie feel like an idiot for not figuring it out sooner.
And Tonks... what would she do if she found out? Surely, she'd do something rash. She might lash out, jeopardize her future as an Auror, perhaps even curse the Malfoys herself. Cassie couldn't let that happen.
No. She couldn't worry about all of that now. She had to sleep. Tomorrow was going to be a big day, and she needed to have her wits about her. She already had the Ministry breathing down her neck.
But would she be able to sleep with all these thoughts racing through her mind? Surely not.
Now she found herself wishing Severus was in the cramped hospital bed with her once again, the two of them sharing the tiny space, his arm wrapped protectively around her. That simple gesture had made her feel incredibly safe and cherished, something that had been difficult to come by lately.
It was odd to think that she now knew what he smelled like when her face was pressed against his chest. She knew the luxurious feel of his robes against her cheek, the steady rise and fall of his chest with every breath. Cassie wondered what he was doing instead of being with her right then.
Perhaps he was supervising detention, or patrolling the halls and making sure nothing was amiss. Maybe he was in the Forbidden Forest, looking for clues about another injured unicorn, putting himself directly in the path of whatever dangerous creature had attacked the first one.
Great. Now she was missing him and worrying about him. That would certainly help her get to sleep.
The nurse gave her a flask of Dreamless Sleep Potion after she finished dealing with her other patient. After some meditation and considerable effort to push a certain Potions Master out of her head, Cassie was finally able to drift into a peaceful slumber.
She woke very early the next morning and began putting on a fresh set of uniform robes to start her day. "Miss Black!" Madam Pomfrey's hurried voice called from across the ward. Cassie took a deep breath, reminding herself that she needed to be polite to the uptight nurse. "What are you doing?"
"I was intending to go to breakfast. I'm feeling much better."
"No, no. You must stay here until someone comes to fetch you, dear."
"Why?"
"I have direct instructions, Miss Black," the nurse replied. With no further explanation, Cassie found herself lying back on her bed for the better part of an hour, staring at the ceiling and waiting for the next step. Breakfast was brought to her.
And then, finally, her escorts arrived in the form of McGonagall and Severus.
Dancing butterflies formed in Cassie's stomach when she saw her Head of House, and she had to make a conscious effort not to grin from ear to ear, even with the anticipation of what was to come.
"Good morning, Miss Black," McGonagall said, giving her a small nod.
"Good morning, Professor McGonagall." Cassie turned to Severus. "Good morning, Professor Snape."
"Miss Black," Severus said. His expression seemed troubled, and for the first time that morning, Cassie felt genuinely anxious.
"Professor Snape and I will be taking you to the entrance gates, where Arthur Weasley will be waiting with a Portkey," McGonagall began. Cassie, still trying to decipher the grim expression on Severus's face, had to make a conscious effort to pull her attention away from him and focus on what the Head of Gryffindor was saying. "You, Mr. Weasley, and I will take the Portkey to London, where we will use the visitors' entrance to enter the Ministry. Once inside, we shall meet Mr. Malfoy."
"My uncle couldn't be bothered to traipse through Hogsmeade, eh?" Cassie asked with a scoff. She wasn't at all surprised that Lucius considered the small wizarding village beneath him. McGonagall and Severus exchanged a glance. "What?" Cassie asked, looking between them. "What's going on?"
"Miss Black, I feel we should inform you," McGonagall began slowly, her tone apologetic. "When we reach the entrance gates, it is likely that there will be a crowd."
Cassie looked between the two professors, not quite understanding what the Deputy Headmistress meant. "A crowd?" she asked.
Neither spoke for a moment. Cassie finally looked pointedly at Severus, waiting for him to provide a better explanation. "A mob," he said bluntly. McGonagall clicked her tongue in disapproval.
"Excuse me?" Cassie asked.
"I'm sorry, Cassie. But apparently, it was all over the Daily Prophet, and now people are concerned about the safety of the students—"
"The students?" Cassie spat. "First some idiots are worried I'm going to attack Harry Potter, and now it's all the freaking students that are in danger?"
"You have to understand, Cassie, that once something is in the Prophet—"
"I don't have to understand anything!" Cassie stormed past the two of them. "Let's just get on with it!" She walked down the corridor at a hurried pace. Although she was appreciative of McGonagall's support, at that moment she wished it had been just herself and Severus making their way toward the entrance hall so she could speak her mind. But that wasn't the case.
So she walked in strained silence, wishing more than anything that she could take Severus's hand, or even simply hook her pinky around his, just to receive some small physical gesture of comfort from him before they were separated for the day.
The thought suddenly occurred to her that there was always a possibility she'd be thrown into Azkaban. It made her want to turn around, throw herself into his arms, and cover him with kisses. But that would get him sacked.
And she was confident that Dumbledore wouldn't allow her to be imprisoned, so she restrained herself.
As they neared the entrance hall, Cassie noticed eyes following her. Students stopped mid-conversation to stare as the trio passed. She did her best to ignore them, keeping her pace steady and her eyes forward.
She breathed a little easier once they were outside. Only a handful of students were scattered across the grounds. But as they neared the gates, she began to hear the murmurs of a waiting crowd.
Cassie stopped walking. She wasn't ready to come into view of them just yet. "What if someone attacks?" she asked quietly.
"Aurors are present," Severus replied. The severity of the situation finally struck her. This wasn't merely ridiculous anymore; it was dangerous.
He seemed to sense her sudden apprehension. He placed his hands on her shoulders and gave them a reassuring squeeze. "I'm sorry I can't come with you," he said quietly.
"I'll be fine," Cassie replied, resisting the urge to place her hands over his or turn around and wrap her arms around his torso. "I'm in good hands." She was putting on a brave face, saying what she thought he needed to hear. But more than anything, she wanted him with her.
"We should go," McGonagall said. "In case there are delays."
Cassie and McGonagall started forward, leaving the Potions Master behind. Cassie turned to look at him one last time and gave him a nervous smile before turning toward the waiting horde. He looked uncertain. It was an expression Cassie rarely saw on him, and that made her even more uneasy.
The two witches finally reached the magnificent wrought-iron gates, a sight Cassie usually welcomed. Today, however, they were surrounded by numerous witches and wizards with angry faces. Shouting erupted instantly.
Aurors and Ministry workers stationed in front of the gates raised their wands, creating barriers to keep anyone from getting too close to Arthur, who stood with a single crinkled soda can clutched in his hand. He gestured for them to hurry.
McGonagall opened the gates and encouraged Cassie to slip through the moment there was enough room.
"My son is in there!" a woman screeched.
"Take her out of Hogwarts, or I'll take my kids home today!" one man yelled.
"Save Harry Potter!"
"The Dark Lord will rise through her!"
Cassie tried her best not to hear any more of the specific accusations, but she couldn't help it. It was infuriating. The moment she made it through the gate, she locked eyes with Arthur.
"Here we are, dear," he said with a feigned smile. McGonagall stepped beside Cassie and put an arm around her shoulders as soon as the gates were closed again. "And on the count of three..." Arthur said. "One, two, three!"
The moment they touched the can, a loud explosion erupted behind them, followed by a wave of screaming. The Portkey activated instantly, pulling them away before anything else could happen. Luckily, they arrived at their destination unharmed.
The red telephone box was right in front of them once they regained their footing. Cassie recognized it instantly. She'd been to the Ministry many times over the years with both Lucius and Arthur.
"What happened?" she asked breathlessly.
"I'm sure someone wanted to stop us from arriving," Arthur said, shaking his head. "No worries. They were expecting that sort of thing, I'm sure. Now, let's get inside before there's another gathering." He ushered her toward the visitors' entrance. Cassie wasn't sure how the Ministry had managed to prevent another mob from forming there, but she was more than grateful to complete this part of the journey without an audience.
They descended into the Ministry's atrium, and the familiar dark wood floors and light blue ceiling provided Cassie with little comfort as they made their way toward the security desk.
During her previous visits to the enormous establishment, she'd been accustomed to witches and wizards bustling about their daily business without paying much attention to her. Today, however, people were stopping to stare at her as though she were some sort of exhibit.
"Don't pay any attention, Cassie," McGonagall muttered as a witch stood directly in front of them, her mouth hanging open as she clutched a large stack of parchment.
"Right," Cassie replied. She had to push past the strange witch, and she let out a tiny whimper, nearly dropping everything in her arms.
"You are causing quite the commotion here." The lazy drawl came from behind them. Cassie had to resist the urge to groan.
"Hello, Uncle," she said, taking her wand back from Eric, the security wizard.
"Niece," Lucius said with a single nod. He turned toward Arthur. "Weasley, your services are no longer needed here. But I hear there's some Muggle vomit receptacle that needs attention, so you'd better see to that straight away."
"Malfoy, I'm seeing her to the courtroom, and there's nothing you're going to say that's going to make me do anything else," Arthur replied evenly.
"Weasley, the goal today is to make her look good in front of the Wizengamot, not associate her with a family of poverty-stricken, unwashed ginger—" Lucius stopped speaking when McGonagall stepped forward and planted her index finger directly in his face.
"You. Will. Stop. Now!" Her voice was quiet but carried clearly throughout the atrium. "Or I will drag you by the ear to the hearing, kicking and screaming. Do you hear me, Lucius Malfoy?"
"Yes, Professor McGonagall." For an instant, Lucius seemed to revert to his Hogwarts years. Cassie bit back a laugh.
They made their way toward the courtroom without another word. When they reached the doors, Lucius finally spoke again, clearing his throat before addressing Cassie. "You are in a favorable position." Cassie nodded, although she could feel her breakfast rising in her stomach. "I have talked the Minister into considering this a 'meeting' rather than a hearing or trial. The Wizengamot is using today to determine whether a trial is warranted in the near future." He paused. "Fudge is taking into account that Minister Bagnold had a favorable opinion of you when she left office. And, of course, you have myself and, er..." He cleared his throat again. "Weasley, speaking highly of you."
"And Headmaster Dumbledore and all of the other professors, of course," McGonagall reassured Cassie.
"Okay," Cassie said. She did not, in fact, feel okay.
"You will not speak unless spoken to," Lucius reminded her.
"Yes, Uncle."
"You will remain poised and polite and act like the proper witch you were raised to be, although we know that's not how you turned out—"
"Malfoy!" McGonagall hissed.
"I digress," Lucius replied swiftly. But his insult barely registered as Cassie began to panic. It was time to enter the courtroom.
Arthur muttered something kind and encouraging, then gave her a tight hug, telling her that he wished he were allowed to go inside with her. Cassie plastered a smile onto her face, trying to make the worried look on his face disappear. Then McGonagall was steering her toward the place where she needed to go. The dungeon courtroom.
She was led to a chair with chains covering the armrests, poised to restrain her without a moment's hesitation if necessary.
She had been in this very same chair during her second year. Minister Millicent Bagnold had requested a hearing after Cassie had been taken from Hogwarts by a group of fanatics and offered their loyalty. She had been rescued by Dumbledore and several other professors, but at the time, none of them had been entirely certain where her loyalties lay. Bagnold, however, had been fair and kind.
Cassie had only interacted with Fudge a few times since he'd become Minister a year earlier, but he'd always struck her as skittish and insecure. Of course, knowing that he listened to Lucius with such certainty made her assume he was incredibly stupid as well. Still, for today, having Lucius in her corner might actually work in her favor.
"Cassiopeia Elladora Black." The voice of Cornelius Fudge echoed from somewhere in the benches high above her. Cassie looked up at the figures dressed in plum robes. "Are you ready?"
"Yes, Minister Fudge." Her voice didn't sound confident at all, and she hoped they could hear her.
"Good. Who do you have with you?"
"My uncle, Lucius Malfoy," she replied, finding more strength in her voice this time. "And Deputy Headmistress Minerva McGonagall." She looked around the room, finding the stern faces of the Wizengamot members intimidating.
Then she noticed someone sitting on a bench farther away, a wizard with a gnarled face and unkempt, long hair. And a swiveling, unnatural eye that moved rapidly around the room. Next to him sat a young witch with bright green hair.
Cassie had to clap both hands over her mouth to keep from yelping. It was Tonks!
"Miss Black, is something the matter?" one of the uptight witches in plum robes asked, sounding rather perturbed. Cassie shook her head quickly as Tonks smiled broadly and gave her a small wave. The magical eye of the wizard seated beside her pivoted to stare right at her.
"No, no, ma'am," Cassie said. "Just nerves, is all." Having her cousin there made her feel giddy, although it did little to ease the tension in her stomach.
"All right, then." The witch looked toward the Minister, and the two exchanged a glance. Not good.
"Let's proceed," Fudge said. "The reason we are here, Miss Black, is because there are four people hospitalized at St. Mungo's as a result of your actions, and I'd like to get to the bottom of it at once." McGonagall snorted loudly but wisely said nothing. "Now, on the day of the incident, you were in Hogsmeade. Is that correct?"
"Yes, Minister."
"And what was your purpose in the village that day?"
"My—my purpose?" Cassie repeated, caught off guard by the question.
"Yes, girl. What were your intentions that day?"
"I, uh... I guess I didn't have any," she hesitantly replied. The scribe beside the Minister was scribbling furiously. "I mean, I just went there to pass the time, you know?"
"Pass the time until what?"
"Pardon me?" she asked. Fudge exchanged another glance with a member of the Wizengamot. Cassie swallowed hard. "I just needed a break from studying, I suppose. I don't know. Why else do students go to Hogsmeade?"
"I don't know, Miss Black. I am asking you," Fudge retorted. Not a trial, my arse. Thankfully, the Minister moved on. "And who did you attend with?"
"Theodore Quartermaine. Another seventh year."
"And what is your relationship with the young man?"
"We tutor together."
"You tutor?"
"Yes. Monday and Wednesday evenings."
"What kinds of things do you tutor?"
"Whatever the younger students bring to me," she said truthfully. Several members of the Wizengamot began whispering among themselves. Cassie looked toward McGonagall, who merely shrugged.
"Miss Black," said one wizard with a short goatee after several moments. "You say, in your own words, 'whatever they bring to you.' So does that mean that if a young student has a question about the Dark Arts, you teach them about said magic?"
Cassie's mouth fell open. "I—what?"
"Miss Black, you said—" the wizard continued, but McGonagall spoke over him.
The Head of Gryffindor shot to her feet. "Now, see here! That is such an inappropriate and bizarre question that I don't even know where to begin!"
"Mistress McGonagall, sit down—"
"That's Deputy Headmistress, and I will sit down when I damn well please!" McGonagall remained standing, glaring at the Wizengamot. "This is not a trial, and I will not tolerate such idiotic questions again! We are here to find out what happened when I found my student bleeding out after she was ambushed, not what homework she helps younger students with! So get on with it!" Finished, McGonagall finally sat down. Cassie couldn't help but smile at her.
Lucius, meanwhile, pursed his lips so tightly they were nearly blue.
"All right," Fudge said, sounding rather deflated. "Miss Black, what happened that day in Hogsmeade?" The room fell silent.
Cassie looked toward Tonks for one last bit of courage, but she looked serious now, watching Cassie intently. The older wizard beside her still had his eyes locked on Cassie, obviously just as interested in hearing what she had to say.
Cassie took a deep breath. Then she began to recount what had happened. She explained how she and Theodore had been preparing to return to Hogwarts when the four attackers appeared and told her they couldn't let her go back.
"And how did the boy escape the scuffle?"
"I told him to get out of there. They said they didn't have an issue with him and let him run."
"That seems unlikely, if they were such an aggressive group as you claim," Fudge said. "It doesn't add up."
"It wasn't so much that they were aggressive as that they were determined to do what they thought was right," Cassie replied. "Apparently, he wasn't the threat."
"So they were doing what was right, Miss Black?" Fudge asked.
"Excuse me?" Cassie nearly snarled back. Lucius let out a low hiss, a warning to Cassie. She ignored him.
"Is there a need to protect the Potter boy from you?" the Minister continued.
"The audacity!" McGonagall exclaimed. "How dare you—"
"No, Deputy Headmistress, that is where you are wrong!" Fudge said haughtily. "You can defend her all you want and tell me up and down what a grand student she's been all these years, but the fact is, she put four grown wizards in the hospital, and there were no witnesses to tell me that it was warranted!" His voice rose. "Who's to say she didn't simply attack them out of pure boredom, hmm? Because she can?"
"Minister Fudge, I assure you, my niece is not dangerous. I raised her myself ever since her mother went to Azkaban," Lucius said quickly. The mention of Bellatrix caused the other members of the Wizengamot to begin talking among themselves as he continued to speak.
The additional noise, combined with Lucius and Fudge now arguing, quickly became overwhelming for Cassie. The entire situation made her want to scream screw you at all of them and walk out. And, technically, she could. There was nothing any of them could physically do to stop her.
But then she would really be in trouble. So she remained in the chair that threatened to chain her down at any moment.
"You guarantee me, Lucius?" Fudge suddenly yelled. "You guarantee me that one day she doesn't wake up and decide she wants to follow in her father's footsteps, and then you can say that to me—"
Cassie could hear McGonagall yelling obscenities beside her, but the arguing had grown so loud that she couldn't distinguish individual sentences anymore.
Her anger began to build. She felt the ground beneath her rumble, and she knew she was the cause. The others were so consumed by their argument that they didn't even notice the room was in danger of being destroyed if she didn't regain control of her emotions.
Cassie slowly scanned the room for something—anything—that might give her a sense of calm. Her eyes locked with those of the older, scarred wizard seated beside Tonks.
At first, his appearance had shocked her. Now, however, he was the only peaceful force in the room.
Cassie closed her eyes and inhaled deeply, then slowly exhaled over several seconds. Using the skills she'd practiced with Severus, she blocked out the noise around her. And with it, she blocked out the stress that had been aggravating her.
The vibrations stopped. Only when she knew she could safely deal with the chaos around her did she dare open her eyes again.
The arguing was still taking place, but the grizzled wizard was still watching her carefully. When their eyes met again, he gave her a small nod of approval, silently praising her for regaining control.
Tonks looked between the two of them, clearly confused by what had just happened. Then the wizard with the false, spinning eye stood. "Enough!" The room fell silent. Cassie was awed by the respect he commanded. "You want answers?" he barked. "If the girl is agreeable, someone fetch a Pensieve, and we'll get to the bottom of it in a matter of minutes."
He looked directly at Cassie, as though her permission was the only one that mattered. She nodded enthusiastically.
Two scribes immediately left to fetch what was needed. Fudge sat with his arms folded across his chest, looking like an angry toddler.
"Who is that?" Cassie whispered.
"Alastor Moody," McGonagall answered. Cassie gasped.
"No!" She felt stupid for not figuring it out sooner. "So that means Tonks is learning from him? That's amazing!" She gave her cousin a thumbs-up, and she immediately returned it. Cassie hoped she'd have a chance to speak with her when all of this was over. She missed her terribly.
Once the Pensieve was brought into the courtroom, Cassie voluntarily allowed her memories of the Hogsmeade attack to be placed inside it. Moody, Fudge, and Amelia Bones entered the memory together.
As the experienced Auror had predicted, the truth became clear within minutes. It was difficult to contest what had happened when they could see it unfolding directly before their eyes.
Cassie worried briefly that Fudge might accuse her of using excessive force. Instead, he was remarkably tight-lipped when he emerged from the memory.
He muttered a few apologies before dismissing everyone rather hastily. "That's it?" Cassie asked as the members of the Wizengamot began dispersing. "We're free to go?"
"Yes," Lucius replied curtly. He left without another word, obviously eager to be anywhere but in the same room as one of the Ministry's most notorious Aurors.
Cassie turned to see whether Tonks was still in the room. She let out a surprised yelp when her cousin nearly knocked her off her feet by tackling her in a hug.
"Cass!" Tonks cried. "I'm so happy for you!"
"Thanks for being here. You have no idea how much that means, Dora!" Tears formed in Cassie's eyes. When they pulled apart, a few slipped down her cheeks, and Tonks immediately reached up to wipe them away.
"Oh, don't, Cass, or you'll make me cry, you will!"
"Don't mean to interrupt this little reunion." Moody's gruff voice made Cassie turn.
She reached out and shook his hand. "Thank you, Mr. Moody. Sir. So much. You saved my arse today!"
"Yeah, well..." His magical eye whirred in every direction. "Better to keep you out of Azkaban and let you finish your year at Hogwarts. You'd make a fine Auror, from what I saw in that Pensieve today."
McGonagall walked up to them and placed an arm around Cassie's shoulders. "Yes, she will make an excellent one. The Ministry will be damn lucky to have her."
Moody shook his head. "That's as long as Fudge stops being afraid of her."
Cassie suddenly felt a little forlorn. "You mean he can keep me from becoming one?"
"Oh, yes," Moody answered.
"Now, he'd be a fool to do anything of the sort!" McGonagall said earnestly. "You saw her in the Pensieve today, Alastor. She could even beat your record for catching Dark wizards, and that's saying something!"
Moody shook his head again. "Doesn't matter, Minerva. The Minister is in charge." Tonks grabbed Cassie's hand and gave it a firm squeeze, trying to make her feel better as Moody continued. "You heard me, girl. Keep your nose clean."
"What am I supposed to do? Let them kill me next time?"
Moody's magical eye whirred toward her. "You know what I'm saying, kid. Keep that temper of yours in check. Good thing someone in your life already taught you some control, or this whole room would have come tumbling down around us, eh?" McGonagall looked at him in surprise.
Cassie's mind immediately went to Severus and the lessons they'd been practicing together. "Yeah," she said quietly. "You're right."
"Keep practicing," Moody advised. "And next time, when they try to kill you, dispatch 'em. Do it calmly, and Fudge will have no reason to fear you." Those were his parting words.
Cassie had hoped she'd have more time with Tonks, but apparently they'd already taken enough time away from their training for her meeting and needed to get back to it. Arthur congratulated her enthusiastically but briefly before returning to work. Then Cassie and McGonagall headed back to Hogwarts.
For safety, they were granted temporary access to the Floo Network and could travel directly into McGonagall's office, avoiding angry mobs and explosions altogether.
"Don't bother with classes or tutoring today," McGonagall said, immediately sitting down behind her desk. "If Severus won't write you an excuse note, I will."
"I don't think he'll have a problem with it," Cassie replied quietly.
McGonagall studied her for a moment. "Are you all right, Cassie?"
"Yeah," she lied.
"Is it what Moody said?"
"Yes. And... I mean, it's everything. The Auror training, Fudge, and the fact that there will be a 'next time' someone tries to kill me."
"Well, Moody is rather pessimistic."
"Or maybe just realistic," Cassie said. "I mean, if everyone hates me, what's the point of being an Auror? Isn't that counterproductive?"
"Not everyone," McGonagall countered gently.
"Okay. The vast majority."
McGonagall was silent for a few moments as she studied Cassie carefully. "It has always saddened me, Cassie, that you felt the need to stifle your abilities because of public perception. Like when I pushed for you to begin Animagus training, and you refused because you thought everyone would start assuming you were responsible for a disaster every time a dog was spotted—"
"Because you know that's what would happen!"
"I'm not arguing that. I simply wish you would do it anyway. Everyone else be damned." McGonagall leaned back slightly. "Realize your true potential. Do what good you can behind the scenes, even if people are afraid of you. You can still be an Auror, even if people are afraid of the idea."
Cassie sighed. "Not if Fudge won't let me. Anyway, thank you for everything, Professor, but I'm very tired—"
"Say no more. You can go."
Cassie made her way toward the dungeons, intending to return to her dormitory and rest. She was exhausted. But somehow, she found herself going to the Potions classroom instead.
She couldn't remember what Severus had on his schedule for Monday, and honestly, she barely knew what time it was.
She was pleased to find the classroom empty, but she walked through it and went straight into Severus's office. He was nowhere to be seen, so she sat down at his desk. She didn't care if he would be annoyed that she was sitting there. Even if all he did was yell at her, she'd be happy just to have that interaction with him.
She didn't know how long she sat there. At some point, she fell asleep with her head resting on his desk. He woke her by gently shaking her shoulder.
"Hey," she murmured, running a hand through her black hair and wiping her mouth in case she'd been drooling. "Sorry. I didn't mean to sleep on your desk."
"That's the least of my worries," Severus said. Cassie smiled up at him. "How did it go?"
"Well," she said, standing and straightening her robes. "I'm not in Azkaban, so that's a start."
"Yes. I suppose so."
"McGonagall is a beast," Cassie said. "You should have seen her put Fudge in his place. And Mad-Eye Moody—I think I would have been screwed without him. He suggested they put my memories into the Pensieve, and after that, they didn't have much to say." She grinned. "And I got to see Tonks for a bit." Severus simply nodded. Cassie watched him carefully, but she couldn't read his mood. He stood by the door and stared at her. "So, how was your day, Severus?"
"What?" he asked incredulously.
"You're acting weird."
"Oh, shut up," he snapped before stepping into his quarters. Cassie raised an eyebrow. She was about to follow him when he strode back into the office with his arms full. He was carrying two large bouquets of flowers, several letters, and a package wrapped in brown paper. "This all came for you."
"Oh."
He placed everything on his desk. The package was from the Weasleys and contained an assortment of scrumptious-looking baked goods along with a card. There was also a bouquet of flowers and a note from Andromeda and Ted.
Then Cassie discovered why Severus had been acting so strangely. The second—and larger—bouquet was labeled as being from Charlie. He must have seen it.
Cassie immediately shoved the flowers from Charlie aside. "They're daisies, not my favorite—" She never finished the sentence.
Severus suddenly slammed the office door shut with a flick of his wand and locked it. He tucked his wand into his pocket before coming around the desk to join her.
Cassie squeaked in surprise as he caught her face between his hands and kissed her.
The kiss was sudden and forceful enough to send her stumbling backward into his desk, but he was careful not to break away, holding her there as all the worry and tension of the day finally seemed to find an outlet.