As giddy as Cassie was after snogging Severus, she was also exhausted. She had to make the extra effort to clear her mind before allowing herself to drift to sleep. It was a routine she had become accustomed to over the last few weeks, and she couldn't afford to break that habit. She had a secret to guard and someone else's livelihood to protect now, and she couldn't allow anyone to infiltrate her memories.
She didn't know what time it was when he returned to her, but he woke her gently. She rose through the layers of consciousness to find him kneeling next to the loveseat as he swept her black hair out of her face.
"Mmm." Cassie didn't know where she was for a second or two, initially thinking she was still dreaming. "How was your patrol?"
"Tedious," Severus replied. "Sinistra always insists we patrol together, and she was droning on about advances the Muggles are making in their telescope lenses and the like."
"Maybe she has a crush on you," Cassie teased. Severus snorted.
"Absolutely asinine," he declared. He rested his hand at the nape of her neck as he looked at her. She shuddered with pleasure as he began to comb his fingers slowly through her hair.
"What? You don't think it's possible?" Cassie pressed. "You're young, she's young. You work together. Maybe she'll invite you up to the Astronomy Tower some night, and you two can have a romantic look at the stars—"
"That's ridiculous." Now he tugged gently on the hair in his grasp to tilt her face towards him. She noticed his black eyes flitting down to her mouth. Even so, the subject of her teasing had her genuinely curious.
"Severus?"
"Hmm?"
"Have you ever done anything like this with one of the other staff members?"
He growled, obviously annoyed. "It should be easier to derail your train of thought!"
"You have, haven't you?" she exclaimed in utter delight. She sat up, her blue eyes locked on him as she attempted to decipher his expression. The unmistakable embarrassment on his face made her laugh, and she clapped a hand over her mouth. "Who was it?"
Severus got to his feet. "This is not an appropriate conversation," he muttered darkly, not quite meeting her eyes. His unease made her feel a little guilty for continuing to bombard him, but she couldn't help herself.
"Oh, come on," she said, grinning broadly. She could tell she was only making matters worse. "It's just me. I might not know everything about you, but I know that you prefer boxers over briefs, which I knew before I went through your dresser, by the way, and that you absolutely loathe The Waterboys. Although how you even know enough about them to hate them, I'm not sure—"
"Okay, Cassie. Enough—"
"And that when you get into making a potion, and someone interrupts you, this vein pops out on your forehead. It only appears then, not when you're angry in any other situation. So that must mean you're really ready to skin them alive—"
"Enough, you ridiculous girl!" Severus said sharply. "What is the point of all this rambling?"
"My point is," Cassie said with a smile as she stood to give him a quick peck on the lips, "that it's me, and it's us, and I want you to feel like you can tell me things, Severus."
"So you want me to tell you who on the staff I had relations with," he summarized dully, looking rather unamused.
"Only if you want to."
Severus didn't say anything for several moments. Then, the next thing Cassie knew, he was kissing her again.
If he had intended to thwart her goal of learning who on the staff he had fooled around with, he had swiftly succeeded. All coherent thought disappeared as his arms encircled her to pull her against him. He kissed her with such ferocity that she wondered how swollen her lips would be when they were done.
Cassie pulled away momentarily, but was close enough to notice the lust-blown pupils in the Potions Master's dark eyes. She stood on her tiptoes and brushed black strands of hair behind his ear before kissing his neck. A low growl rumbled in his chest at her new ministrations. After a few moments, his fingers were tugging on her hair again, guiding her face back to his. As his lips crushed into hers again, he pushed her just enough to make her take a few steps backward.
Cassie squeaked in surprise as her backside hit the bookshelf behind her. Before she could make sense of what he was doing, Severus resumed his intense kisses.
His tongue dipped into her mouth. Her belly tightened in anticipation, but of what, she didn't know. She wasn't sure how far he was willing to take things only hours after he had declared they were moving too fast.
His lips left her mouth, only to attach to the side of her neck. She wrapped her arms around his torso to pull his body against hers as he nibbled on her sensitive flesh. He pushed her into the bookshelf so hard that book spines were jabbing into her back. And still, she wanted to feel more of him.
"Severus," she gasped as he sucked hard enough to leave a mark. "Please, please - "
He left a trail of kisses as he slowly made his way from her neck back to her lips. Only after he gently nibbled on her bottom lip did he stop long enough to acknowledge her begging.
"In time," he reminded her gently. Cassie was still able to glare at him through her lustful gaze, her chest heaving as she tried to make sense of his stubborn resolve. He looked slightly amused at her predicament. If she wasn't so needy for his touch, she might have pushed him away from her.
Severus leaned down to kiss her, although only for a few moments before he spoke again. "Would you care for a compromise?" His face was so close to hers that she could feel his breath on her skin.
She looked up at him through thick, dark lashes. For a few moments she feared he was teasing her. "Yes," she whispered.
At her confirmation, Severus shifted his weight. He pressed his knee between hers, prying them apart before sliding his thigh under her. A jolt of pleasure ran through her as his leg applied pressure in just the right way.
She moaned, her hands gripping his robes. She shifted her hips slightly in a desperate attempt to recreate the sensation. He moved again, eliciting another moan.
"Look at me," Severus said. His hand went back to her hair, and he directed her heavily-lidded gaze back to his. The intensity in his eyes was enough to make her unravel. "I want you to cum."
Cassie really, really wanted to cum, too. His blunt statement sent another wave of pleasure down her spine, and as he shifted again, she started seeing stars. She had very little awareness of how loud her panting was as she rolled her hips, chasing the friction that he was giving her. His face was so close to hers that each pointed breath moved bits of his hair. She was drowning in the scent of herbs, cauldron smoke, and minty aftershave. As she rose higher and higher, she pressed her forehead into his chest, and that scent bombarded her senses.
His hands gripped her arse. The sensation of his fingers digging into her only pushed her further toward the edge, and then he started to guide her movements into a steady rhythm. It only took a few minutes. A single cry left her throat as her orgasm washed over her in a wave of pulsating pleasure. When she went limp against him, her hands were still clinging to his robes.
"Good girl," Severus said softly. He kissed her sweaty forehead before pushing her hair out of her face. He took her hand and led her to the bed.
He coaxed her to get under the comforter, and she fell asleep in mere minutes.
Severus slept on the couch that night. He woke feeling more refreshed than he had in years.
In the morning, Cassie made sure no evidence of their passionate night was left on her. She asked Severus several times to look her over before she was satisfied that there were no lasting hickeys.
It pained her slightly to heal the marks that Severus had made. Under normal circumstances, she would have been delighted to let them show.
Dressed again in her school uniform, Cassie dreaded returning to her normal routine. It made her feel as though she were returning to a different world, even if that world was only on the other side of Severus's door.
After saying their goodbyes with a quick kiss, Cassie made her way through Severus's office and into the Potions classroom, her bouquets and cards in hand. She hoped no one would notice which direction she was coming from. Fortunately, it was early enough that the dungeons were deserted.
When she entered the Slytherin common room to put her flowers down and change into a fresh uniform, only Laanstra questioned where she'd been.
"Hospital wing," Cassie explained quickly as she pulled on a new skirt. Her dormmate didn't ask anything further.
Having been distracted for the last twelve or so hours, Cassie hadn't thought far enough ahead to anticipate the looks she'd receive when she entered the Great Hall for breakfast. Perhaps if she'd been more awake, she might have expected the murmurs and stares.
But she'd already started toward the Slytherin table, and not wanting to make an even bigger scene by abruptly turning around and leaving, she took a seat and began to eat.
She allowed herself to look up at Severus once during the meal. He wasn't looking in her direction. Instead, he seemed to be watching something at the Gryffindor table.
That was probably for the best, because even without making eye contact, images of their time together began playing through her mind. Butterflies erupted in her stomach. She had to bite her bottom lip to keep from grinning ear to ear, and she certainly didn't want to answer questions about why she was smiling like an idiot for no apparent reason.
But once her smile faded, it didn't return for the rest of the day.
Her first class was Transfiguration, and she noticed immediately that two Gryffindors were missing. Before Cassie could ask anyone what was wrong, Fiona Jenour spoke up.
"Their parents pulled them out last night when they heard you weren't being expelled or sent to Azkaban!" she cried.
When Cassie turned to look at her, she realized the Head Girl looked as though she'd been crying. "Oh." Cassie was dumbfounded by the notion. There was something particularly painful about hearing the Head Girl sound dismayed that she hadn't been thrown into wizarding prison. She knew parents were upset; she had seen the mob outside Hogsmeade herself. But pulling students out of Hogwarts during their final year of education was an entirely different matter.
"I can't believe that—"
"You can't, can you?" Jenour interrupted, planting her hands on her hips. "And you have the nerve to just show up to class the next day like you own the place!"
"Listen, Jenour, you'd better shut up, because you have no idea what the hell you're talking about!" Cassie snapped, her hands balling into fists as she fought to control her temper.
The door opened, and McGonagall immediately picked up on the tension in the room. "Now, girls, what is going on here?" she demanded. The rest of the students watched the scene unfold in silence.
"Oh, nothing, Professor!" Jenour said dramatically, folding her arms across her chest. "Just informing Black of all the trouble she's caused, costing my friends their education!"
"Trouble?" Cassie barked. "I get attacked, and I'm the one who caused trouble? You are off your rocker, you twit! I didn't make their nutter parents pull them out—"
"That's enough!" McGonagall said sharply. "I will not tolerate this matter being discussed in my class again. Do you two hear me? She glared at each young witch in turn.
Cassie nodded, forcing herself to calm down. She didn't want to be cross with the Deputy Headmistress, who had done so much to help her the previous day.
"Yes, Professor McGonagall. I apologize," she said as she sat down.
"Yes, Professor," Jenour mumbled, following suit.
"Good. Now, I expect a studious environment for my seventh-years, and if you can't adhere to that level of professionalism, you will be asked to leave and assigned detention. Am I understood?"
"Yes, Professor," they said in unison.
Cassie did her best to comply, focusing on the day's assignment: changing the color and length of a kitten's fur. She was grateful that each student had been given her own animal, so she didn't have to endure any idle chit-chat.
The downside was that without a partner to distract her, she had to listen to the Head Girl's complaints throughout the lesson.
Cassie's kitten was currently short-haired and white as pure snow. With a quick flick of her wand, its fur became fluffy and bright orange. McGonagall awarded Slytherin five points before continuing around the classroom.
"I mean, it just doesn't make sense," Jenour whispered hurriedly to whoever was within earshot. "What makes more sense to the school board? Keep all of the students and make her leave, or lose a whole bunch of Gryffindors just to keep her?"
Cassie flicked her wand again. Her kitten turned calico with little effort, and she reached out to stroke it, trying to keep herself calm by focusing on the purring creature.
"It's not just Gryffindors," another Gryffindor responded. "I heard Hufflepuff lost four second-years this morning. Four!"
Cassie kept her eyes glued to the fuzzy animal on her desk. Now it was grey, with white paws, rolling onto its back and begging for her attention. She scratched behind its ears, wishing she could somehow tune out the whispering around her.
"I heard," Jenour's high voice came again, "that Fudge wanted to put her in Azkaban, but she threatened to do to him what she did to those witches and wizards in Hogsmeade. Can you imagine?"
"You do realize," Cassie hissed, still refusing to turn around, "that if you really believed I was capable of any of that, then you are the stupidest person alive for discussing it right in front of me?"
"You'd never dream of doing anything in front of McGonagall!" the Head Girl said shrilly. She was still trying to keep her voice low, but she could no longer contain herself to a whisper.
McGonagall, who was across the classroom trying to help a boy who hadn't managed to change even a single strand of fur, looked in their direction.
"And yet I was so bold as to threaten the Minister of Magic in front of her?"
"I dare you, Black!" Jenour shrieked. "If you do anything, my parents will make sure you're expelled!"
Cassie hadn't been threatening to do anything. She had simply lost her temper at the Gryffindors' irrationality. With a frustrated flick of her wand, she intended to change her kitten's fur one final time and then leave the classroom to avoid any further confrontation. What happened instead was entirely accidental.
The small feline transformed into a full-grown panther.
Without hesitation, the animal that had bonded with Cassie turned toward Fiona Jenour. It snarled, displaying a mouthful of sharp white teeth before leaping from Cassie's desk to the Gryffindor's. The entire classroom erupted into panic.
"Nobody move!" McGonagall commanded.
She made her way carefully toward the large predator while the Head Girl shrank back in her chair, covering her face as though that would somehow protect her if the animal decided to attack.
Cassie, while surprised by what she'd done, couldn't help finding a small amount of amusement in seeing the pompous girl so frightened. "Don't worry, Jenour. I've got it." With a casual flick of her wand, she shrank the panther back into a harmless kitten.
The feline, apparently unaware that it had returned to its original size, continued hissing at the girl. Cassie scooped it into her arms to soothe it.
"Black," McGonagall said, one hand pressed over her heart, "out in the hallway. Now."
Cassie complied. As soon as the two were alone, she said, "It wasn't on purpose, Professor. Honest!"
"Even so, Miss Black, you do realize the danger you just put everyone in?" With a click of her tongue, McGonagall took the kitten from Cassie. "This creature could have seriously injured Fiona or one of the other students!"
"It's not the cat's fault," Cassie argued. "And that Head Girl of yours needs to learn to keep her mouth shut—"
"And you need to learn to control your temper, Miss Black! Is that not what Alastor Moody told you yesterday?"
"Am I supposed to have learned how to do that in one day, Professor?" Cassie asked exasperatedly. "That seems a bit unfair, doesn't it?"
"It does," McGonagall agreed. "But everyone is watching you now, Miss Black. Everyone. There's a reason why the students are talking. We've been receiving dozens of letters from parents and concerned members of the community since the attack, and with the Prophet continuing to stick its nose into the matter, it isn't going away anytime soon."
"So maybe I should just leave," Cassie said quietly.
"What?"
"Maybe Jenour had a point." Cassie swallowed. "If dozens of students are leaving just to keep me here, then maybe—"
"Now stop right there," McGonagall said sternly, though her voice softened considerably. "I'm suggesting that you be careful with your actions so as not to give any of these muppets more reasons to fear you. But you will not give up your right to finish your magical education."
"But—"
"I don't want to hear it."
Cassie looked up at her professor, trying desperately to will away the tears threatening to fall. "Thank you, Professor."
"Don't thank me yet. I haven't decided whether I'm going to put you in detention," McGonagall said, although there was a hint of playfulness in her voice. She sent Cassie on her way.
Cassie hoped the Transfiguration lesson would be the worst part of her day. She went into Defense Against the Dark Arts with a bit of optimism.
But as soon as Professor Quirrell began speaking about his time in Burkina Faso, she smelled trouble. "A rr-ather skilled h-h-healer I met there, and s-s-still occasionally have c-contact with, sent m-me this recently," he was saying.
He pulled a large golden box from behind his desk and cast a charm on it, causing it to float in the center of the room so all the Slytherin and Ravenclaw seventh-years could see it clearly.
The box was adorned with purple and green gemstones. Images of snakes and letters from a foreign language had been carved into its sides. The students began whispering to one another, obviously enthralled by its mystery.
Cassie's stomach began to turn.
"I've t-tried m-many methods t-to open it," Quirrell continued, "b-because the sender of this p-package said there is s-something incredibly useful i-inside. B-but I've come to the c-conclusion that the o-only sure w-way to open it is t-to have someone c-command it t-to do so."
Cassie stared at the box, wondering if she should simply get up and leave. She knew he was doing this intentionally. He was trying to make her classmates fear her even more. What other purpose could he possibly have for doing it in front of them?
"Miss B-Black," said Quirrell. Cassie winced. She knew what was coming. She knew what he was going to ask. "I've h-heard a few i-interesting r-rumors about you, one being that your P-patronus is a Runespoor. Is th-that correct?"
Cassie hadn't expected that. Now she was pissed off. He was going out of his way to remind her classmates that she was associated with serpents—with creatures commonly associated with dark wizards.
"Where did you hear that?" she countered.
"It's true!" Babbs offered enthusiastically. Cassie glared at him.
"Impressive that a w-witch your a-age can even produce a c-corporeal Patronus Charm, and that c-creature... how interesting," Quirrell said. More murmuring spread throughout the classroom. Cassie wanted to run. "So what I-I wanted to ask of y-you, Miss Black—and p-please, c-correct me if I'm w-wrong—b-but I've heard that you are c-capable of s-speaking Parseltongue?"
Cassie wanted to deny it, but the other seventh-years already knew the truth. There would be little point in lying when someone would inevitably blurt it out.
"Capable and willing are two very different things," she said. The class fell eerily quiet as Cassie locked eyes with the timid professor.
For one fleeting moment, she could have sworn she saw straight through the facade—the nervous stammering, the meek expression—and caught a glimpse of triumph in his eyes. As though he'd just proved something to himself. She was certain then that this man, whom Dumbledore had instructed Severus to keep an eye on, was up to something.
Quirrell didn't press the issue. Instead, he set the golden box aside and continued speaking about his time in Burkina Faso. But when the lecture ended, he quietly called Cassie's name as the students packed up.
"Yes, Professor?" she asked, approaching his desk as the last student left. She was alone with him.
"I'm g-giving you d-detention," he said delicately, "for your d-defiant a-attitude and for r-ruining your c-classmates' chance of learning."
Cassie narrowed her eyes but didn't argue. She could sense something dangerous about this man. At the same time, she was eager to see whether she could learn anything more.
"Yes, Professor."
"Report to m-my office t-tonight. E-eight o'clock."
Dinner in the Great Hall proved to be anything but relaxing. Cassie was forcing herself to eat something when a scuffle broke out between the Hufflepuff and Slytherin tables. She didn't even realize it was about her Hogsmeade situation until she heard one of the fifth-year Slytherins yell:
"If she was going to kill you all, she would have done it already!"
Cassie's mouth fell open, as did those of many of the other students. It was a boy who had apparently learned at an early age to kiss her arse in case she decided to become the next Lord Voldemort.
She hated that her fellow Slytherins felt the need to become involved in her current predicament. She stood and moved toward the commotion, ready to intervene, but Severus had already swooped down from the High Table and grabbed her by the forearm.
He guided her out of the Great Hall while Professor Sprout dealt with the disturbance among the students. "Calm down," he muttered. Once they were in the corridor, he let her go.
"If I get told to calm down one more time..." she spat, but she had no idea how to finish the sentence. Instead, she began pacing.
"Yes, Minerva informed me of your lesson today," he said. "You need to control your temper."
"Oh, and you'll be the one teaching me, then? Brilliant plan, Severus!" She paused. "Professor Snape," she added before he could correct her.
"Let's go to my office."
Cassie sighed wearily. She knew from his demeanor that this wasn't going to be for any fun reason, but she followed him anyway.
Once they were inside, he closed the door and locked it. "The Deputy Headmistress and I met with the Headmaster today, Cassie. We feel that it may have been too early to put you back into the student population."
Cassie scoffed. "You make it sound like I'm an ex-convict being reintroduced into society."
"Perhaps so, but it might be better for everyone if you complete your studies independently for the time being." He sounded apologetic.
"For how long?"
"We will start with a week and go from there."
Cassie nodded. "Okay. Where will I do my studies, then?"
"The library, or the common room, perhaps."
"Wouldn't the other students see me? Wouldn't that upset them? Maybe we should clean out one of Filch's old torture chambers here in the dungeons. Wouldn't that be more fitting?" Her voice grew louder with every word. "Or I could just be banished to the Room of Requirement, but make sure it's got shackles so it resembles a cell—"
"Cassie!" Severus crossed the room in an instant and gripped her shoulders. He bent down until his face was level with hers, trying to catch her eyes. But she was so lost in her spiraling thoughts that she barely registered he was there. "Cassie, this has got to stop."
She shook her head before finally noticing how close his face was to hers. "I'm sorry, Severus."
"I'm not going to indulge you every time you decide to have a pity party, you know," he said gruffly.
Cassie yanked herself out of his grasp. "Well, that's good to know." She headed toward the door. "Wouldn't want that from the man I've been snogging, would I?"
"Cassie—" He took a step toward her, but she held up a hand.
"Severus, I'm fine. I've got to go. I've got detention with Quirrell."
"What?"
"Yeah. He decided to remind everyone in class today that my Patronus is a Runespoor and that I'm a Parselmouth." She smiled sarcastically. "Nothing like adding to the fearmongering, you know."
"Why am I just hearing about this now?"
"You were busy," she said, unlocking his office door with her wand and yanking it open, "deciding to banish me from the one normal thing in my life."
He followed her through the empty classroom, catching up easily with his long strides. "Why did he give you detention?"
"Because I refused to speak Parseltongue in front of everyone," she said calmly. "Thought it might freak everyone out even more than they already are."
"That creepy little plonker is up to something," Severus growled.
"Yeah, he is." With a flick of her wrist, Cassie slammed the classroom door in the Potions Master's face and swiftly headed down the corridor toward detention.
She arrived a few minutes early. When she knocked on the Defense Against the Dark Arts classroom door, she didn't hear the professor's voice, but decided to enter anyway. Perhaps she'd find something interesting while he was away, although she doubted he would be stupid enough to leave anything incriminating lying out in the open.
She was crossing the classroom toward his desk when she heard him enter. She jumped.
"H-hello, Miss B-Black," he said, his hands folded neatly in front of him.
"Hello, Professor."
"P-please, h-have a seat."
She obliged, choosing the desk directly in front of his. She pulled out a quill and some parchment, anticipating having to write lines.
"Oh, y-you won't b-be n-needing those." He came around and stood in front of his desk.
"Oh," Cassie replied, suddenly feeling nervous. "What will we be doing, Professor?"
"I'm a-afraid..." he began. Then he smiled meekly. "Th-that I must i-insist." He bent behind his desk and produced the golden box from earlier.
Cassie eyed it warily. "You want me to help you open it."
He nodded. "Y-you're the o-only o-one who c-can."
"What's in it?"
"N-not entirely sure," he replied. "B-but if it's d-dangerous, I'm s-sure it's n-nothing y-you can't h-h-handle, eh?"
"You have a lot of confidence in my abilities," Cassie said with a sigh. She looked at the box again. "Okay, fine. But I have to ask, Professor. Why did you insist on having me open it in class, especially if you don't know what's inside? Why not ask me to do it in private?"
"I th-thought y-you m-might l-like the chance t-to show off y-your p-powers." He wore a surprised expression. Cassie raised an eyebrow.
"I don't know where you've been getting your information from," she said, growing more uneasy by the second, "but I don't like advertising the fact that I share powers with Lord Voldemort, Professor Quirrell."
At the mention of her father's name, the Defense Against the Dark Arts professor visibly flinched. His eyes darted around the room as though the Dark Lord might appear at any moment. "M-Miss B-Black," he stammered, "y-your b-b-boldness is astounding!"
"My boldness? What about yours, Professor?" The words came before Cassie had time to consider whether she should be saying them. "Do you think I'm stupid? That I wouldn't figure out you're working for Fudge?"
"E-excuse m-me, M-Miss B-Black?"
"Go ahead. Deny it." She shifted in her seat, casually folding her hands on the desk. "It's just my theory, of course. I know Fudge is afraid of me, and you spying on me fits. I'd just appreciate it if you stopped trying to peer into my mind, because it's getting rather bothersome."
He stared at her with narrowed eyes. Then his gaze suddenly flitted upward, as though he were listening to something—or someone—else. "I-if I w-were a-attempting t-to l-look into your m-mind," he said slowly, "it's n-not as if s-s-someone c-c-could blame me, with the P-Potter b-b-boy here, a-and all. O-one would want to be s-sure of y-your t-true intentions, o-of course."
"If Harry Potter needs protecting," Cassie said, standing and coming around her desk, "it sure as hell isn't from me, I assure you." She took several slow steps toward Quirrell. He made no attempt to stand his ground. Instead, he backed away from her.
Quirrell was visibly shaken. Cassie still wasn't sure what his game was, but she was confident she wouldn't get anything more out of him tonight.
She turned toward the box sitting on the desk. Then, in Parseltongue, she hissed: "Open."
The lid banged open abruptly, and white smoke erupted from inside.
Curiosity getting the better of both of them, Cassie and Quirrell approached the desk to see what was inside. The box wasn't moving or making any noise, so it seemed safe enough.
"Runespoor e-eggs," Quirrell said quietly. "P-professor Snape m-might m-m-make g-good use o-of th-them."
Cassie nodded. "So what else were you going to have me do for my detention, Professor?"
"I—well—"
"Were you going to question my loyalty to my father? See what my plans were to kill the Potter boy?" She knew she was potentially getting herself into more trouble, but she couldn't stop herself. Quirrell was wringing his hands now. Again, his eyes flitted upward. Cassie wondered if he was having some sort of small seizure. "Well?"
"M-Miss B-Black..." he began.
Then Cassie felt it. The familiar tug against her mind. The same sensation she'd experienced throughout the beginning of the year, only this time, it was much stronger. But she'd practiced her Occlumency diligently. She was ready.
She slammed down on the intrusion like a trapdoor. "How dare you!" Her wand was in her hand before she even realized she'd drawn it, pointed directly at Quirrell's face. He began to whimper.
"P-please! It's n-not m-me! I'm just f-following my mast—m-Ministry's orders!" he stammered, becoming a pathetic mess before her. "I'm j-just doing wh-what I c-can to k-keep o-others s-safe!"
"I'm leaving!" Cassie turned away, mustering every ounce of control she possessed to keep from cursing the blubbering professor. And then something changed.
Something in his demeanor made the hairs on the back of Cassie's neck rise. "We're not done!" His voice was suddenly clear. Bold. Not a single stutter.
Cassie, already near the door, turned to look at him. "If you don't like it," she countered, her wand still gripped tightly in her hand, "take it up with my Head of House."
She left without another word, ignoring Professor Quirrell's increasingly frantic requests that she come back and fetch the Runespoor eggs for Severus, heading instead toward the dungeons.
She found the Potions Master in his office, grading papers. Cassie closed the door behind her and locked it.
She knew she should tell him exactly what had happened. Every part of it had been suspicious—the box, the questions, the intrusion into her mind, and that sudden change in Quirrell's voice. She knew Severus needed to hear all of it. But right then, all she wanted was the comfort of his touch. The feel of him close to her.
She went around his desk and grabbed him, pressing her lips to his without a word.
For the next few blissful moments, all of her worries disappeared as they found comfort in one another.