The hours after Severus had invaded Cassie's mind were some of the most confusing of her existence. She was a tortured mess of emotions, feeling infuriated, betrayed, humiliated, and vulnerable all at once. With no idea how to resolve any of it, she wandered the castle without any real agenda, eventually finding herself pacing along the edge of the Black Lake, alone.
As she skipped pebbles across the dark water, she began replaying Severus's words in her head, turning over the reasons why he had done what he did. It was a gradual process, allowing herself to come to terms with his actions and, eventually, to see things from his perspective. It wasn't the first time in her young life that the Potions Master had forced her to confront the harsh truth of her reality—the unfairness that came with being who she was. It probably wouldn't be the last.
As the sun set and the tranquil environment around her grew duskier still, she began to feel more and more like a damn fool. Of course, allowing some unknown entity access to her mind would be dangerous, not only to herself but to everyone around her. She was smarter than that. Or at least, she liked to think she was.
But she had been so terrified of ruining the one important friendship she had at Hogwarts that she had been willing to wish the dangers away. Now she wondered whether she had been selfish, naive, or perhaps both.
When she finally made her way back to the Entrance Hall, she was immediately scolded by a rather stern Percy Weasley. She essentially ignored him as he followed closely behind her, attempting to stick his new, shiny prefect badge in her face.
The only time she really heard anything he was saying was when the words "Professor Snape" reached her ears in his strict, irritating tone. All they did was send Cassie's thoughts careening in an entirely different direction.
"...I'd have to tell Professor Snape, you know, Cassie," he was saying, not one step behind her as she made her way toward the staircase leading to the dungeons.
She didn't respond. Now she wasn't thinking about how stupid she had been acting about the whole situation. She was thinking about how she felt about Severus.
Severus. One of her oldest friends. Her teacher. Her Head of House. Her confidant. The person she went to with almost anything short of matters involving feminine hygiene.
He drove her completely mad at times with his short fuse and his tendency to criticize nearly everything she did, and he rarely had anything positive to say about absolutely anything. Yet he was the company she enjoyed more than anyone else in the world.
She couldn't let their friendship be ruined. It had to be fixed.
As she descended the stairs, Percy's voice flooded her ears as he caught up to her, probably intending to march her straight into Severus's quarters and tattle on her.
"...quarter to midnight. I must go to him straight away—"
"Percy, if you don't shut it right now, I'll tell him how George caught you snogging yourself in the mirror this summer with your badge on," she said. She made a point of turning to look at him so she could watch his ears turn pink. He also looked as though he were choking.
"You—what—you wouldn't—"
"Go back to Gryffindor Tower, Percy," Cassie said, not unkindly. The fifth-year suddenly turned on his heel and headed back up the stairs.
Cassie giggled for a moment before continuing on her way. As annoying as the interaction had been, the humor it provided was a welcome relief.
As she journeyed farther into the dungeons, she weighed her options. She briefly considered going to Severus then and there, but she was exhausted, and her emotions were completely fried. Instead, she returned to her dormitory.
Even as she crawled into bed, she knew part of her was making excuses. She knew it probably would have been better to resolve the whole situation immediately. But even knowing that, she couldn't fathom facing him. Not after he had seen her fantasies and desires. The thought of what might happen when they spoke again made her stomach twist.
When she finally fell asleep, she was fully aware of the attacks on her mind when they began. She was able to shut them out after a time, though she had no idea how long it took. In the haze of unconsciousness, time had become meaningless.
Afterward, she couldn't fall back asleep. She gave up and went into the common room to attempt to study instead. It was a fruitless endeavor.
She reread the same few pages of text over and over again, barely absorbing the words in front of her. By the time Saturday morning arrived and the other Slytherins began meandering from their dormitories toward breakfast, Cassie felt like the living dead.
"Black, I'd thought you died in your sleep. I didn't hear your incessant yelling," Danika said as she passed the couch where Cassie was sitting, yawning loudly.
Cassie gave her a small nod, lacking the energy for a retort that morning.
She skipped breakfast in the Great Hall, choosing instead to stop by the kitchens yet again for an egg sandwich and some fruit. Without putting much thought into it, she soon found herself back outside on the grounds, the chill of the morning air so prominent that she could see her breath as she hurried along.
As far as she could tell, there were no other students on the grounds this early in the morning, which was precisely what she had been hoping for. She was heading for the Forbidden Forest.
Venturing there when she hoped no one was watching was something she had done many times over the years. She tried not to do it too often, lest she attract attention and get caught, but the forest had become a place where she could find some much-needed privacy. This morning, she desperately needed to escape everything.
The very idea of going to the Great Hall and being in Severus's presence felt like too much. Even going to the library to study, where she might be forced into small talk with other students, was enough to make her toes curl.
The Slytherin common room would be packed on a cold Saturday morning, and it wasn't as though she had Charlie or Tonks to wander around with anymore.
All those realizations, combined with her lack of sleep, almost sent her into a panic attack. Before she could think better of it, she started toward the forest, keeping a close eye on Hagrid's hut as she went.
She never went into the Forbidden Forest at night, save for one or two occasions when she and Charlie had ventured in for the thrill of daring each other. During the daytime, however, Cassie stuck to one familiar path along the outskirts, following a small brook that led to a little clearing with a large, jagged boulder she liked to sit on. Even in daylight, it could be difficult to find.
She spotted the gnarled trunk of the oak tree that told her she was going the right way and continued along at a careful but hurried pace, feeling as though someone might call her out at any moment. The boulder came into sight in less than fifteen minutes, and Cassie breathed a quiet sigh of relief.
After climbing onto it without slipping and banging herself as she had done countless times before, she sat cross-legged and drew her wand. With a flick, she conjured a small, contained flame and cupped it in her hand for warmth. Then she leaned back.
She didn't dare close her eyes. That would have been stupid in the Forbidden Forest. But she tried to relax all the same. Here, she could enjoy the quiet. Here, she didn't have to deal with anyone.
She enjoyed the solitude for no more than a few minutes before she heard the stealthy, subdued flutter of wings overhead. She sat up sharply, trying to get a better look, and before she realized what was happening, a letter dropped into her lap.
Cassie let out a relieved laugh when she realized one of the school owls had followed her out there to deliver her mail. She waved to the tawny owl as it glided away, then looked down at the envelope.
Her name was written across it in familiar handwriting. It took her a moment to realize it was Charlie's.
Then several things happened almost simultaneously—or at least, that was how it seemed to Cassie. She was exhausted, her nerves were frayed, and she felt as though she were barely holding herself together.
Her heart began pounding at the thought of what Charlie, whom she hadn't heard from since he had left for Romania, could possibly have to say to her now. As she shakily turned the envelope over to open it, she heard the crunch of approaching footsteps. She startled violently.
Cassie extinguished the small ball of flame and hurried off her precious boulder. As she did, she caught sight of a glint of silvery liquid on a dead tree trunk a few yards away. The thought of hiding behind the boulder crossed her mind.
But before she could act on it, Severus Snape came into view. Cassie froze.
He looked livid. There would be no hiding from him now.
"What do you think you are doing?" he hissed, his voice dangerously low as he approached her. Right then, she almost wished he would yell. Cassie was at a loss for words for several moments before swallowing hard. "Do you realize how dangerous it is in here?"
"Yes," was all she could manage.
Severus took another step forward, then abruptly snatched Charlie's letter from her hand. He glanced at it, flipped it over once, looked at her for several long seconds, and then pointed toward the path.
"Back to the castle. Now!" Severus barked. The sudden volume change made Cassie flinch. She started walking, but slowly. Then she remembered the glint of silver and stopped.
"Severus, wait—"
"Do as you're told!" he commanded.
But she disobeyed. She turned and went back the way they had come. Behind her, she heard him growl in frustration, but she continued toward the dead tree. Squatting down, she pointed toward the ground.
She didn't need to say anything. Severus's sallow features shifted from anger to astonishment. He approached the spot and slowly began following the trail of shiny liquid.
"Wand out," he said quietly after drawing his own. He motioned for her to follow and stuffed Charlie's now-forgotten letter into the pocket of his robes.
"Is that what I think it is?" Cassie asked. He glanced at her.
"What do you think it is?" he asked, in precisely the same tone he used when quizzing her during class.
She rolled her eyes. "Unicorn blood."
"Then yes, it is."
"Ten points to Slytherin," she whispered sarcastically. He scowled at her.
"Now is not the time for jokes, Miss Black. Whatever injured this creature is very dangerous." They continued cautiously.
The forest around them wasn't particularly dense, and sunlight reached the forest floor in patches, making it seem almost as though they were taking an early-morning stroll through the trees. If not for the forest's menacing reputation—and the trail of bodily fluids they were following—it might have been almost therapeutic.
They followed the trail for another ten minutes or so before it began to lessen significantly, eventually disappearing altogether. The creature's injuries had apparently clotted, and it had managed to escape whatever had wounded it.
Even so, Severus remained wary. He was adamant that Hagrid be told what they had found as soon as they returned to the castle. He had never heard of a unicorn being harmed before, and the implications clearly troubled him.
With the ice finally broken between them, Cassie felt a little braver. "Let's not head back quite yet, okay, Severus?"
Severus gave her a cautious sideways glance. "Wanting to spend more time in the deadly forest, are you?" She knew she wasn't going to get off that easily. "Why did you come in here?"
"I...wanted to be alone," she admitted slowly.
"There are plenty of places around the castle and grounds where you can be alone."
"Severus, I've been coming out here for years. The same spot since fourth year, in fact." She paused. "I just made the mistake of coming out here before the mail was delivered. You followed the owl, didn't you?"
"The one day someone actually sends you something," he said, the jab unmistakable.
"Thanks for that."
"You're thoughtless sometimes, Miss Black," he responded as they came back into view of her clearing. Cassie pushed past him and climbed onto her boulder again.
"And thanks for that! You never fail to remind me of my shortcomings, do you, Severus?" She sat cross-legged in the same spot she'd occupied earlier that morning.
"Get down from there. We're going back at once—"
"No, we aren't!" she retorted. She lay back, placing her hands behind her head as though this were the most casual situation in the world. "You can go if you want, but I'd rather talk about last night."
"Miss Black, this is not up for debate," he hissed angrily. Cassie knew she was pushing her luck with him, but she also knew he wouldn't simply leave without her.
"I'll go back," she said, not moving from her spot, "once we talk."
"The forest is extremely dangerous, as you've just seen evidence of, and you have someone going around trying to enter and possibly control your mind. Yet you run around alone, gallivanting into the forest as though you're invincible!" His voice sharpened. "What you fail to realize, Miss Black, is that I don't have the time, nor do I have the patience, to keep chasing after you!"
Cassie was glad she was looking up at the forest canopy rather than at his face. She could practically picture the expression he was wearing. "I didn't ask you to chase after me this morning," she replied calmly.
"No, and you didn't ask me to enter your mind last night either, did you? But it had to be done!" he snarled.
She sat up suddenly. At last, they were getting somewhere. She could tell he was angry. Defensive, too. Just as she had suspected, he looked as though he might curse her.
"I know, Severus. I should have listened to you. I'm so sorry." She took a breath. "I was terrified and selfish, and I shouldn't have slapped you. I'm sorry."
It clearly wasn't the response he had expected. He blinked at her several times, then remained silent for a few moments. "Oh."
"And I'm sorry that I put you through having to make that decision," she continued.
He held up a hand. "Then we should start Occlumency lessons straight away," he said. "Tonight."
"You have detention," she pointed out. "With the seventh-years who couldn't manage the Wit-Sharpening Potion."
"That's right, I'd nearly forgotten. After that, then. I know it will be late." He motioned for her to get off the boulder, and she began climbing down. Absentmindedly, he reached out and caught one of her hands, steadying her. Cassie nearly gasped.
The instant their hands connected, waves of electricity seemed to shoot up her arm and down her spine. She didn't know whether it was her imagination or simply desperate optimism, but she thought he might have felt it, too.
His expression suddenly shifted to one of surprise, as though someone had shocked him. As soon as her feet touched the ground, he released her. They stood there silently, looking at one another.
Then Cassie felt that surge of bravery again. "I want to talk about what you saw," she said softly. Although she felt bold enough to bring it up, she was still incredibly timid about putting her heart on the line. "Please."
The silence between them seemed to stretch into an eternity as they both waited for the other to speak first. Cassie struggled to find the right words. There was no way she could explain herself in a few short sentences. Then Severus spoke.
"I saw a lot of images," he said, his deep voice so soft that it barely seemed to register in her waiting ears. "It was difficult to decipher what I was even seeing, Cassie."
No matter what Severus told her over the years, Cassie wasn't stupid. She understood what he was saying. It was a definitive statement, and she could tell what he was doing. He was avoiding the awkward subject. He didn't want to talk about it.
And to Cassie, it was as good as him telling her no. As good as telling her he didn't want her. As good as rejecting her.
All she could say was, "Oh."
She returned to the castle without a fight. She knew she had to try to get some studying done now. She had a long night of practicing Occlumency ahead of her.
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The walk back to the grounds had been a silent one between Severus and Cassie. He assumed she was tired after their trek through the forest, and once they reached the edge of the grounds, he sent her back to the castle alone while he went to speak with Hagrid about the unicorn blood they had discovered.
Hagrid had shared the same concerns. Whatever had injured the innocent creature was something they needed to be wary of, and they would have to keep an eye out for any further signs of danger.
Hagrid assured him he was on it. Severus, however, was beginning to form theories of his own.
Between having the Potter boy at Hogwarts, Cassie's mental intruder, her strange dreams, the Philosopher's Stone hidden somewhere in the school, and now this, he refused to believe it was all coincidence. He had his eye on someone in particular, but it was still too early to test his theory.
Time would tell, as it always did at Hogwarts.
Once he returned to his office, it was back to the mundane task of grading papers. He worked until lunchtime, and it wasn't until he stood to leave for the Great Hall that he discovered Cassie's forgotten letter still in his pocket.
He'd give it back to her at lunch, assuming she actually showed up for a blasted meal one of these days. She was making it increasingly difficult to keep track of her whereabouts lately, although he had to admit he couldn't entirely blame her.
When he took his seat at the High Table and scanned the Slytherin table for Cassie, he wasn't surprised to find her absent. Muttering several indistinct profanities under his breath, he made a mental note to find Draco and task him with tracking her down and delivering the letter sometime during the day.
Perhaps it would keep the boy busy and out of trouble for half a day. That would be a welcome change.
Severus was already tired of having to contact Lucius every time Draco decided to play bully, only to then have to endure the man's indignation when Severus punished his son for it. The charade was becoming tiresome. And, having been on rocky terms with Cassie for the first part of the term, Severus couldn't even trust her to dole out her own particular form of punishment upon her cousin and leave it at that.
He'd never told the girl, but he had always admired her slightly dark sense of justice when it came to the bullies of Hogwarts.
There had been plenty of times over the years when he'd known she had done something to one of the more obnoxious blood purists, and he'd simply turned a blind eye. He only punished her when the other professors had witnessed whatever she'd done.
It was a secret he might divulge after she graduated. And that was a very big might.
Severus found Draco shortly after lunch, accompanied by his usual cronies, Crabbe and Goyle. Unfortunately, he wasn't pleased to find the trio in the middle of their current activities.
They were in the courtyard, attempting to give Longbottom a wedgie while Potter and Weasley appeared to be preparing to defend him with their fists.
Thank Merlin they were all first-years and hadn't yet learned how to hex one another properly. Otherwise, he'd be cleaning up puke and pus in addition to taking house points.
After taking a rather large amount of points from Gryffindor and none from Slytherin, Severus attempted to hand the letter to Draco and instructed him to find Cassie.
"Oi, not again!" Draco whined, rolling his eyes dramatically. "I'm not an errand boy!"
"I'm not asking," Severus warned. Before Draco could argue further, the Weasley boy, who had been eavesdropping, chimed in.
"She's over at Hagrid's with Fred and George, I think. I'll take it." Without offering to return a single point to Gryffindor, Severus handed him the letter.
"Don't open it," Severus warned.
"Hey, this is Charlie's handwriting!" the Weasley boy exclaimed, looking at the envelope excitedly as Potter leaned over to look at it as well.
And Severus felt something twist unpleasantly in his chest. A familiar pang. One he hadn't felt in a very, very long time. Was it jealousy?
No. Absolutely not. He shoved the thought aside.
There was work to do.
There was nothing to be jealous of, mind you. Cassie was a seventh-year, for Merlin's sake. She was eighteen.
Which was of age, technically.
But that was beside the point. She was a student. His student.
And what, exactly, was there to be jealous of? Charlie Weasley, washed-up Hogwarts Quidditch star, was an ex-boyfriend. He was in Romania. He was nothing to her. But it didn't matter to Severus, even if Charlie was something to her.
Dammit. Get it together.
Severus pushed on with his grading, preparing for detention, and keeping tabs on Potter throughout the afternoon.
Hmm. Quirrell seemed particularly jumpy today, hadn't he?
Severus narrowed his eyes. He wasn't buying it. Not for a moment.
The beady-eyed, turban-wearing fraud had better not even think about saying anything strange to Cassie again, or he would wish he'd never walked through the castle doors in the first place.
And there Severus was, thinking about Cassie again. He found that she crossed his mind more and more frequently lately. Especially since he'd delved into her mind and seen her fantasies of the two of them. It was as though he couldn't shake her.
And then there had been the brief moment in the forest when their hands had connected. That strange electric current between them.
He could still remember the sensation. Could still feel it.
He needed to stop.
She was a student.
She was a student.
She was a student. That was all there was to it.
All he could focus on was the fact that they had Occlumency lessons later that night. That was a problem, because he was supposed to be focusing on keeping the Potter boy safe. Lily's son. He had to focus, had to keep his priorities straight.
Detention with the seventh-years eventually came. It was a mostly silent affair. They entered, took their seats, and began copying the assigned text. Severus tried to concentrate on his papers and lesson plans.
It seemed to last forever, and yet, somehow, it flew by. Because he was anticipating the raven-haired girl who would be walking through his door next.
Eventually, the classroom emptied. Severus sat behind his desk and waited. At ten o'clock, she came in.
"Severus," Cassie said, greeting him by his first name. Her long, dark hair cascaded over her shoulders. It was the weekend and late at night; she was dressed casually in a plain black T-shirt and jeans, her wand poking from her pocket.
"Professor Snape," he corrected, attempting to reestablish the formality between them. It rarely worked. "Have a seat, Miss Black."
She obeyed, choosing a random desk and settling into it. They didn't need to discuss the process. They had done this countless times before.
At least tonight would be different from the previous lesson. Tonight, they were on the same page. They would be dancing the same dance.
They were both ready. Without another word, they began.
Perhaps Cassie was particularly motivated to keep Severus from seeing her fantasies again, because she was able to force him out—and keep him out—with remarkable success. They practiced for only an hour.
Severus was rather proud of her. He had not done her the favor of going easy on her, not in the slightest.
Nonetheless, they were both exhausted by the end of the lesson and bid each other goodnight with little more than a few quiet words.
Severus was left to return to his quarters alone, with fresh images of Cassie's fantasies of the two of them still lingering in his mind. It was frustrating. Infuriating, even.
But one thing made him feel a little better. While he had been in her mind, he had seen what was written in Charlie's letter.
And every word of it had been entirely platonic.