In the weeks that followed, Severus and Cassie waited impatiently for the next move from the craven Ministry. Every morning, Severus found himself watching the procession of owls entering the Great Hall with far more interest than he cared to admit. He would scan them almost absently at first, but as soon as the birds began descending toward the students, his attention sharpened.
Would today be the day Fudge had been waiting for? The day Cassie would make some seemingly innocent mistake that the Minister could twist into evidence of her being a threat? Severus had little faith that the Ministry would need much of an excuse.
So far, Cassie had received two additional letters from her incarcerated mother. Both matched the tone of the first two. Each contained some generic expression of maternal affection, carefully worded concern, and sentimental recollections that seemed almost rehearsed. Then, toward the end, came the inevitable warning—a portentous little suggestion that Cassie was in danger, that Bellatrix knew things she needed to know, that only she could protect her daughter.
Severus found the correspondence deeply unsettling. It was almost as though someone were coaching Bellatrix on precisely what to say.
Even after years of imprisonment, he had no doubt that Bellatrix Lestrange remained an accomplished manipulator. If anything, the years she had spent confined to Azkaban had given her ample opportunity to contemplate the weaknesses of those she had left behind. Her daughter was no exception.
The letters had not yet compelled Cassie to act, but they were becoming increasingly adept at tugging at her empathy. After receiving each one, she would withdraw for several hours, becoming quieter and more distant than usual. When Severus asked whether she felt any compassion for her mother's situation, she denied it vehemently.
He did not believe her, not entirely. He knew Cassie too well.
She was incapable of seeing Bellatrix as merely a monster. She could hate what her mother had done and still mourn the woman she had once hoped her mother might become. That was precisely why Severus needed to keep an eye on her. Not because he doubted Cassie's loyalty, but because he understood her heart.
So far, however, no one had provided information on how Cassie might contact her mother. Until that changed, they could only wait.
Their unusual routine continued. They took turns monitoring the ensorcelled bracelet connected to Quirrell, while also keeping watch over Potter, who had become nearly as cavalier with Cassie as he had been with Severus. Severus found the boy's attitude almost amusing. Almost.
It was rather endearing, in an irritating sort of way, when Cassie became indignant that an eleven-year-old had been disrespectful toward her.
She brought the subject up again one evening while they sat together in his quarters. "But it's like he's avoiding me now!" she complained, looking genuinely wounded.
"And?" Severus drawled.
They were settled on the loveseat, Severus sitting upright with a book in his hands while Cassie's legs stretched lazily across his lap. She was supposed to be studying. He doubted how much learning was actually happening.
"Sev," she said, exasperated by his composure, "doesn't it bother you that he basically hates us, even though we're spending all this time and effort keeping him safe?"
"I do not require an unending cascade of gratitude to do what is honorable." He knew the condescending answer would irritate her, but he couldn't resist. It was one of the small pleasures of their relationship, discovering exactly which words would provoke her.
Cassie folded her arms. "Well, aren't you noble."
"Apparently, I am."
She narrowed her eyes. "I don't function that way."
"No," he replied, turning a page. "You possess an insatiable desire to have everyone like you."
Her blue eyes flashed. She pulled her legs from his lap and sat upright.
Severus sighed quietly. He had intended to irritate her, but he hadn't intended to lose the warmth of her against him.
"Oh, really?" Cassie stood and closed her textbook with deliberate finality. "Well, maybe I don't give a shit if you like me."
One corner of his mouth curled upward. There it was. The playful cattiness he knew so well. "You don't care whether I have a fondness for you?"
Cassie began slowly walking toward the bedroom, taking careful backward steps while keeping her eyes on him. She shook her head. "No, I don't, Severus." The way she said his name was anything but convincing.
Something stirred inside him, and he set his book aside. "How unfortunate."
Cassie tried to hide the smile tugging at her lips as Severus rose. She laughed and backed toward the bedroom, but he crossed the distance between them in only a few long strides. He caught her around the waist, lifting her easily enough to make her squeal, and carried her the remaining distance toward the bed.
"Perhaps," he murmured, "I should demonstrate precisely how fond I am of you." The argument dissolved into kisses, and for a little while the worries of the Ministry, Bellatrix, and Quirrell were forgotten.
Until Cassie happened to glance toward her wrist. "It's black!" The words immediately changed everything. Severus's eyes snapped toward the bracelet.
For one brief, absurd moment, he wished she were mistaken. Then he saw the charm glowing an unmistakable ebony.
He sat upright and guided Cassie away from him. "Where did you see Potter last?"
"The library."
"Find him. Make certain he's safe," he directed her. He was already reaching for his robes. "I'll find Quirrell." Cassie nodded.
They moved quickly. Severus reached the third-floor corridor first. Nothing.
He checked the Defense Against the Dark Arts classroom. Empty.
Quirrell was nowhere to be found. His uneasiness intensified. The library was the next logical place to look.
When he arrived, he found Cassie sitting at a table near Potter and several other Gryffindors, making absolutely no attempt to pretend that she was there for any reason other than keeping watch over the boy.
She rose immediately when she spotted him. "He's gone," she whispered, pointing toward her wrist.
Severus stared. The bracelet was normal again. No glow or indication of Quirrell's emotional state.
He looked toward Potter. The boy gave him a suspicious glance before returning his attention to Granger. "Did you see it change before it stopped?" Severus implored.
"No."
Neither of them liked the answer. For nearly an hour they patrolled the corridors together, searching for anything unusual. Nothing.
Eventually, they returned to Severus's quarters. They continued checking the bracelet every few minutes, but Quirrell remained unaccounted for.
Severus began to wonder whether the potion's enchantment had somehow been disrupted. Cassie reassured him repeatedly that it had not. She even made several attempts to distract him from his concerns, and he appreciated the effort. He simply couldn't surrender his attention to it. Not while Quirrell was missing.
It wasn't until early the following morning, when the charm began glowing a soft yellow, that Severus finally allowed himself to relax. The enchantment was still functioning. Whatever had happened, they hadn't lost their means of monitoring Quirrell.
Unfortunately, the relief didn't last. At breakfast, Quirrell appeared remarkably healthier.
The sickly, exhausted professor who had looked as though he might collapse at any moment only days before now appeared refreshed.
Cassie noticed it too. Neither could explain it. Even Dumbledore, who Severus always suspected possessed considerably more information than he chose to share, appeared puzzled.
The changes continued. Once. Then again.
Over the following month, Severus and Cassie watched in confusion as Quirrell alternated between appearing energetic and healthy and looking positively atrophied.
Then, using their bewitched bracelet, they indirectly witnessed him leave the Hogwarts grounds again.
He returned the following day looking vigorous.
Severus finally brought up the matter of the unicorn blood being discovered in the Forbidden Forest. Dumbledore neither confirmed nor denied that it might explain Quirrell's miraculous recoveries.
He merely said, "Mmm." Then he continued reading, took another sip of hot chocolate, and very deliberately refused to elaborate. Severus had never wanted to throttle the Headmaster more.
Despite the constant demands of the school year, however, Severus tried not to take Cassie for granted. She had become the one person who could make the burdens feel lighter. Some days, he barely had enough time to think about her.
Between Quirrell's suspicious behavior, Potter's safety, his teaching duties, the Ministry's interference, and the possibility of another letter from Bellatrix, his mind was constantly occupied.
But when he did find those rare moments of peace, he cherished them.
He had never been particularly skilled at expressing affection; that much he knew. His instinct was still to point out flaws rather than praise virtues.
It was an old habit. One ingrained so deeply that he sometimes didn't even notice.
Compliments exposed weakness. Affection created vulnerability. And vulnerability, in Severus Snape's experience, was something best avoided.
Cassie was slowly changing that. He was becoming more comfortable touching her without an ulterior motive. More comfortable saying things he would once have considered humiliatingly sentimental.
He was even beginning to tell her when he appreciated something about her without disguising the admission as criticism. Progress, he supposed.
She was remarkably tolerant of his temper. Sometimes, alarmingly so.
She even appeared to find some of his harsher qualities amusing. Severus wasn't entirely certain what that said about her judgment.
Perhaps she was simply accustomed to him. Whatever the reason, he found himself appreciating her more with every passing day.
And then Valentine's Day approached. He discovered, to his annoyance, that he was nervous. He had exchanged those three little words with Cassie. I love you. And he had meant them with every part of himself.
But how did one translate those words into something tangible? Flowers seemed absurd. Chocolate was predictable. A poorly composed sonnet would be nothing short of humiliating.
For several days, Severus contemplated giving her nothing. Perhaps they could simply spend the evening together. Cassie would probably be happy with that, but he wasn't.
He wanted to give her something that belonged only to them. Then the idea came to him. An elixir.
One he had never previously considered brewing, because he had never before possessed anyone in his life to whom he would have wanted to give it. The potion was intricate, requiring delicate ingredients and careful preparation.
It was also banned from ordinary magical education. Which, naturally, made it more appealing to him.
He spent an evening preparing it. As the potion gradually transformed into the deep red hue he had been anticipating, Severus found himself experiencing an unfamiliar sensation. Excitement.
He almost laughed at himself. Severus Snape, nervous about Valentine's Day. Ridiculous. And yet he couldn't stop the faint smile that appeared as he carefully bottled the finished product.
The anticipated day finally arrived.
Their only agreement was to meet that evening, once classes and Severus's detention duties were finished. He silently hoped Quirrell would have the decency not to do anything catastrophic that evening.
At breakfast, he sat at the High Table and picked absently at his food while periodically glaring toward the Defense Against the Dark Arts professor.
The mail was the next concern. Severus watched the owls with growing apprehension.
If Cassie received another letter from Bellatrix that morning, Valentine's Day would almost certainly be ruined.
At first, no owl appeared to be carrying anything for her.
Then a second wave arrived. Cards, flowers, packages. A rather large barn owl caught his attention as it flew toward the Slytherin table.
Something pink dangled from its talons. Severus's stomach dropped. Surely not; there was no way. Who in their right mind would send Cassie a singing Valentine's card?
Then the owl released it. A grandiose rose-colored card landed directly in Cassie's hands. The students around her immediately began clamoring for her to open it. She looked mortified.
Then her eyes met Severus's across the hall. Her expression was apologetic.
She stood as Severus watched helplessly. She made it approximately three seconds before Harrison Babbs snatched the card from her hands.
"Give that back!" she demanded. Babbs ignored her and passed it down the table. One student. Then another. Then another. Finally, it landed in Wladyslawa Laanstra's hands, and the girl dared to open it.
The card exploded. Pink and red glitter filled the air. Students shrieked and laughed as a cheerful song began playing.
Severus's irritation quickly turned colder. He wasn't listening to the words. He was listening for the name.
Then it came. Charlie Weasley.
His jaw tightened as another commotion erupted at the Gryffindor table. The Head Girl, Fiona Jenour, had risen to her feet and was shouting toward Cassie. "It's not fair! You had your chance, and you blew it! Let someone else have a turn!" Laughter and shouting spread throughout the hall. Professors rose, attempting to restore order. Cassie looked as though she wanted the floor to swallow her.
She headed for the doors, and Severus wanted to follow immediately. Instead, he marched toward the Slytherin table. The students who had stolen Cassie's card quickly discovered that there were consequences for their antics.
He assigned every one of them detention but deliberately refrained from taking House points. He wasn't about to punish the entire House for the stupidity of a handful of students.
Once the Great Hall had settled, he went looking for Cassie. He expected embarrassment or anger. Maybe tears. What he found was considerably more perplexing.
Cassie was leaning casually against the wall in the entrance hall, waiting for him, and she was smiling.
Severus stopped in front of her. "What, precisely, do you find amusing after all that?"
She pushed away from the wall. "The ridiculousness of it." They began walking toward the dungeons. Severus waited until they were well away from prying ears before answering.
"I assigned them all detention."
Cassie smiled knowingly. "Sev, you didn't have to do that. They're stupid kids."
"You say that as though they aren't the same age as you," he pointed out. She laughed. "You don't think they deserved it?"
"No. I was planning to get them back myself."
Severus raised an eyebrow. "And here I thought you were attempting to become the sophisticated one."
"Now what gave you that idea?" She stepped closer and kissed him. It was a deliberate one, designed to reassure him.
Severus recognized it immediately. He also appreciated it. "Do not attempt to distract me." He lowered his voice. "You think we came down here to discuss your idiotic classmates?"
Cassie sighed. "You want to talk about Charlie."
"I find the topic entirely reasonable."
"Sev, don't get worked up," she said as he stared at her. "It means nothing."
He knew that, logically. And he trusted her. Yet the thought of Charlie Weasley sending her love letters irritated him far more than it had any right to. "Then why," he asked slowly, "is he sending you love notes on Valentine's Day?" Cassie's eyes dropped. "And did you not tell him off when he sent you that last letter, begging you to take him back?"
"I did." She hesitated. "Although I wouldn't exactly call it telling him off."
Severus's expression darkened. "What does that mean?"
"I don't think—"
"You either know, or you don't."
"Severus." Her expression became stern. It was one of the reasons he loved her. She could match his temper when necessary. "I didn't leave him with any hope, because there is none." She stepped closer. "Perhaps I wasn't as forward as, say, you would have been.
"Apparently, you should have been."
"Oh, Severus." She exhaled in exasperation. "He was my best friend at one point. I didn't want to be unnecessarily cruel." She touched his chest. "Do we really have to let this ruin today?"
"I loathe the idea of that boy believing he has any prospect of winning your heart back."
Cassie wrapped her arms around his waist. "Not in a million years would he ever have a chance." She looked up at him. "My heart belongs to you."
The words settled something inside him. Severus placed a tender hand against her cheek. "I know." He bent down and kissed her. When he pulled away, he added dryly, "But your response to his next love note had better be vulgar."
Cassie snorted. "Maybe I'll let you write it."
"This would all be considerably simpler if we didn't have to hide."
"Simpler, yes," she smiled, "But you have to admit, sneaking around adds a bit of fun."
"Perhaps." He looked at her. "I would also not object to being able to boast about the fact that you're mine."
Cassie grinned. "For some reason, I can't imagine you parading me around. You're not exactly the bragging type."
"Not under normal circumstances." He kissed her forehead. "But look at you."
She smiled. "You really are sentimental."
"Do not spread that around," he quipped. Her lips found his again. This time, the kiss deepened. Severus reluctantly pulled away. "Cassie." She continued tugging lightly at his robes. "Cassie, you have lessons."
"So?"
"I have a class arriving in minutes."
She finally stepped back, cheeks flushed and lips slightly pouty. "You're a tease, Sev."
He allowed himself a small smile. "Save it for tonight. I have something for you."
Her expression brightened. "Oh? What might that be?"
"You'll have to wait."
She scowled playfully and then turned toward the door. Halfway there, she stopped. "Oh." She looked back. "I have something for you, too." In one smooth motion, she lifted the edge of her uniform shirt just enough to reveal the black-and-green corset beneath.
Severus stared. Cassie lowered the shirt again.
Then she walked out. The door closed.
Severus remained where he was. "Blast that girl," he hissed to himself. He was exceedingly grateful that his usual robes were loose enough to conceal the effect she had just had on him. Otherwise, teaching his first class would have been considerably more difficult.
For the remainder of the morning, he forced himself to concentrate. Mostly. Every so often, his mind returned to the flash of black and green beneath her uniform. The memory was maddeningly persistent.
Today was going to be the longest day of his life.
By the time detention began that evening, Severus was impatient. Two Hufflepuff third-years had earned their detention nearly a week earlier. He sat behind his desk pretending to grade papers while a collection of students chopped huntsman spiders and yarrow plants for their punishments.
The Slytherins were there because of their Valentine's Day antics. Their presence seemed to be personally responsible for delaying the passage of time, and Severus glared at them more than once. He briefly considered releasing them early. He decided against it.
Nine o'clock. They would leave at nine. Not a minute later.
Finally, the clock reached the appointed hour.
"Leave."
The students needed no further encouragement. They hurried from the potions classroom. Severus cleaned the remaining ingredients with a wave of his wand and finally allowed himself to breathe.
"Hi." He looked toward the doorway. Cassie was standing there, at last. "Are you done?"
"I'm all yours." He paused. Then, almost out of habit, he checked the bracelet. Nothing. No glow to warn them of something sinister. He tucked it away again.
Cassie crossed the room and kissed him. Severus briefly considered taking her against his desk. He restrained himself. "Please tell me you're still wearing that lovely ensemble beneath your uniform."
She smiled. "So you haven't forgotten?"
"How could I? I've thought about little else." He took her hand and led her to his quarters as she giggled.
Inside his living area, he gently removed her robes and began unbuttoning her uniform. He deliberately took his time. It felt almost ceremonial.
The Valentine's gift he had prepared wasn't simply an elixir. It was an attempt to tell her what he could never quite put into words.
I desire you.
I cherish the time we have together.
You matter to me.
When the corset was revealed, he smiled. "Exactly as I remembered." She flushed under his gaze. "Are you flustered?" He moved to slip her skirt off, reaching for the zipper. "Am I not moving fast enough for you?"
"No."
"You're blushing."
She bit her bottom lip, something that was always a bit captivating to him. "Perhaps it's because you're staring." She closed her eyes as he slowly unzipped the skirt and pulled it down, intentionally brushing her skin with his hand as he went. She stepped out of it as soon as it landed on the floor. He kissed her.
Then he remembered the vial waiting in his bedroom.
"What did you say you had for me?" Cassie asked.
"Risveglentine." The unfamiliar name made her brow furrow. "It's an elixir designed to heighten the senses."
Her expression shifted. "That sounds alluring...and slightly intimidating."
"You seem uncertain."
"Will you take it with me?"
"I would, but one of us must remain clear-headed."
Her expression immediately changed. "In case of Quirrell."
"Precisely."
"I don't know, Severus. What if something happens and you need my help?"
"I don't want you worrying about Quirrell tonight." He touched her cheek. "You've spent months worrying about everyone else." His thumb brushed her skin. "Tonight, I want you to enjoy yourself."
She studied him for a long moment. Then she smiled. "So I'll be completely worked up while you're forced to remain perfectly sensible? Sounds cruel."
"I shall suffer the consequences," he deadpanned. She laughed.
Severus retrieved the vial of deep blood-red liquid. Cassie eyed it with apprehension. When he uncorked it and held it to her lips, however, she trusted him enough to drink.
The potion's effects came quickly. He noticed the subtle changes almost immediately. Her breathing altered. Her attention sharpened. Every sensation seemed suddenly more pronounced.
He sat beside her on the loveseat and fed her a chocolate-covered strawberry. Her eyes closed as she savored the taste.
Severus smiled. "You like it?"
"Very much." Another strawberry disappeared. Then another. Eventually, however, she became restless. She fidgeted with her hair. Crossed her legs, then uncrossed them multiple times. Finally, she pushed the plate aside and reached for him. "I need you to touch me!"
Severus caught her around the waist as she kissed him. The intensity of her response surprised even him. He had intended to make the evening leisurely and sensual. Something they would remember. Instead, within minutes, Cassie was attempting to undo his robes while he fought to maintain some semblance of composure.
"Cassie," he breathed as she kissed his neck. "Cass." She ignored him.
He stood and laughed despite himself as she dropped to her knees in front of him. He gripped her arms and pulled her back to her feet. With the fuddled girl still pawing at him, he tried to pull her toward the bedroom. He was a stupid, stupid man. There was no way he would be able to resist her like this. "This is not quite the reaction I anticipated. Slow down."
She pulled back enough to glare at him. "You gave me the elixir."
"Yes."
"And now you're telling me to slow down?"
"While I appreciate your enthusiasm, I had hoped for a slightly more leisurely evening. Perhaps I miscalculated."
"Perhaps?"
Severus smiled. "Definitely." She didn't look amused as he slowly backed her up towards his bed. Rather, she looked a bit crazed, like if he didn't continue to touch her, she might just curse him.
"You're sadistic," she panted.
He raised an eyebrow, amused at her indignation. Before she could continue to berate him, he shoved her down onto the bed. She didn't protest as he crawled over her and then caught her wrists in his hands.
"If you're going to be a rude girl," he said slowly, pinning her arms above her head. "Maybe I won't be as generous as I intended. I could just fuck you now."
She writhed beneath him, desperately trying to generate some sort of friction. "Please do," she said, trying to rip her wrists from his grasp.
He pressed a knee between her legs. She moaned loudly at the simple contact. "No, I don't think I will," he drawled, "because you want it so much."
"Severus!" She was staring up at him with lust-blown pupils. The color on her cheeks deepened, although he wasn't sure if the look she was giving him was out of pure anger or out of fascination. "You're being downright malicious now."
"I beg to differ." He pointed his wand at her side and corset, and it opened. He didn't hesitate to pull it completely off of her. He wanted her completely exposed to him. "Rather, I feel that I only have your best interest in mind, my dear."
The rest of the evening unfolded according to considerably different plans than either of them had originally imagined.
They explored her heightened sensations together, discovering how much more intensely Cassie responded to even the gentlest touch. Severus was deliberately attentive, watching her closely and making certain she remained comfortable throughout.
She was so tight, so warm, so inviting. He'd never get enough. The potion made everything more intense, but it did not erase the trust between them. That mattered more to him than the effects of the elixir.
He wanted her to remember not simply the pleasure. He wanted her to remember being cherished.
After hours together, the intensity finally began to fade. Exhausted, Cassie curled against him. Severus drew her into his arms and rested his cheek against the top of her head.
For a few moments, neither spoke.
Then Cassie whispered, "That was quite a Valentine's Day."
Severus's mouth curved into a faint smile. "I had hoped you would find it memorable."
"I don't think I'm going to forget it."
He kissed her hair. "Good." He closed his eyes. And then, almost imperceptibly, his hand drifted toward the bracelet.
He had noticed the faint amber glow earlier, which eventually faded to nothing. The unmistakable indication that Quirrell had once again left Hogwarts. The witch in his arms was ignorant of the revelation as Severus stuffed the bracelet back into the bedside table. Not tonight.
For months, they had lived with the knowledge that something terrible might be unfolding around them. They had watched Quirrell, monitored Potter, worried over Bellatrix's letters, and endured the Ministry's scrutiny.
Severus knew the danger hadn't disappeared. Quirrell was somewhere beyond the castle wall, and whatever the man was doing could very well be connected to the unicorn blood in the forest.
Tomorrow he would have to investigate. Tonight, however, Cassie was safe and cuddled against his chest.
He wanted to give her one night when she didn't have to worry. One night in which she could simply be Cassie. So he kept the information to himself.
He tightened his arms around her. For the moment, that was enough. Tomorrow could bring danger, but tonight belonged to them.