章 76: Odds Are He Won't Live to See Tomorrow
Delicate snowflakes danced through the air as they fell from the early morning sky. The school grounds, covered in a blanket of fluffy snow, sparkled in white. The Potions Master, who had just passed through the main gates, didn't notice the ethereal beauty surrounding him. His black boots crunched through frozen puddles as he hurried to reach the castle.
The students were, thankfully, not yet out of bed. The only soul that he met on his walk to the headmaster's office was the Grey Lady. True to form, she was as silent as the empty corridors that Severus journeyed through.
He heard voices as he ascended the spiral staircase and expected the office to be filled with chittering ministry officials. To his surprise, only Minerva sat across from the headmaster. They both turned to greet him, but the words died in their throats. Minerva actually gasped.
"Severus, you look atrocious!"
Of course, he did. He hadn't slept since learning of the Dark Lord's rebirth, and he'd been tortured several times since then. Even if he'd been given the chance to rest, his mind would have been too preoccupied with Cassie's predicament.
"Delicate with your words as always, Minerva," Severus drawled. "Where is Fudge?"
He noticed a telltale twinkle in Dumbledore's eyes as he replied, "Our minister has returned home for an adequate night's slumber, I presume."
Severus scoffed. "At a time like this?" At the very least, Fudge should be holing up at the ministry, if not giving the order for his officials to do the same. Their world's very existence was at stake. There was work to do and extremely limited time to do it.
"I presume to know what you are thinking, Severus," Dumbledore said lightly. "I regret to inform you that our dear minister is not convinced that Lord Voldemort has returned."
It took several seconds for Dumbledore's words to process in Severus's mind. When they did, heat rose to his face as his heartbeat pounded in his ears. McGonagall excused herself from the headmaster's office.
Severus's wearied mind was going a thousand miles an hour. What of Crouch's impersonation of Moody? Of Potter's temporary disappearance? Of Cassie's absence from the castle? Of Colin Creevey's death?
Fudge could not simply choose to keep his head buried in the sand. The thought was more appalling than Lord Voldemort's return in the first place.
Severus leaned forward as he gripped the edges of the desk in an attempt to quell his mounting anger. Dumbledore, yet again, displayed his unfortunate ability to guess his younger counterpart's thoughts. "Cornelius has convinced himself that Cassie's recent trip to St. Petersburg and Mr. Creevey's passing are correlated."
"That is asinine!"
"We are in agreement, Severus." The headmaster moved a brass crab-shaped trinket box to a drawer, perhaps sensing what Severus was going to do next. "I feel I must also inform you that he has ordered her arrest upon her return to this castle."
The Head of Slytherin roared as he grabbed the closest golden bauble he could find and hurled it across the room. Fawkes squawked and flapped his wings as it clanged noisily to the floor, but already Severus had grabbed the next one of the headmaster's possessions to throw.
Dumbledore chewed on apple cubes as he waited out the tirade. It seemed with his exhaustion, Severus was physically incapable of carrying on for more than a few minutes. Soon, he slumped into the chair that Minerva had recently vacated.
"You need sleep, Severus."
"What I need is not up for discussion," Severus spat, "unless we are coordinating Cassie's rescue."
"You know that we cannot have Voldemort question your loyalty - "
"I am aware," Severus hissed icily. A tense silence fell between the two wizards. It was broken when Severus spoke minutes later. "And what of Moody?"
"Astonishingly, he is alive. Poppy recommended that he be moved to St. Mungo's but he insisted on recovering here."
Severus dreaded returning to his empty quarters. Lying in the bed that he should be sharing with his fiancee would only remind him of her current predicament and amplify his agony. A trip to the hospital wing would at least delay his return to the dungeons.
His heart wrestled with a swirl of emotions as he glided through the corridors once again, but one superseded the others. He had never felt so helpless as he did now, not even when he begged for the Dark Lord to spare Lily's life. He knew where Cassie was and what she was being subjected to. If he gathered more wands and planned an attack on Riddle Manor, his cover would be forfeit.
Dumbledore would never allow it. Inside information into the Dark Lord's activities was paramount to even begin hoping to win this war.
The hospital wing was empty except for the bed containing Moody. The ex-Auror was asleep, likely after drinking a heavy dose of sleeping draughts. Severus wondered what horrors he had endured during his imprisonment. When he had the time, he would brew even stronger elixirs to ensure dreamless sleep.
Severus debated waking Moody. He wanted information on Crouch as much as he needed a distraction, but in the end, he knew that it would be an unnecessary cruelty. He sat next to the bed for the better part of an hour, his mind going in circles as Moody snored steadily under the crisp white blankets. After deciding the chair wasn't very comfortable, Severus moved to the bed next to him.
When it seemed Severus's breathing had evened, Poppy slipped out of her office. She had avoided disturbing him as she watched him fight sleep beside Moody's bed. He looked bone-tired and she was glad that he had crawled into the bed of his own accord so she didn't have to coerce him. She pulled a blanket over him before blowing out the flickering candle on the bedside table.
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The first time Lord Voldemort entered the room where Cassie was being held was the second night of Stellan's absence. She had just endured a full day of Barty and had hoped for nearly anyone to relieve him. Apparently, the joke was on her.
"Where is your vampire guard?"
Cassie snorted. "Why would I know where he is? I'm just as much his prisoner as I am yours."
Her father crossed the room and gripped her jaw with his skeletal fingers. Willing to look anywhere but into his beast-like eyes when he was this close, she fixed her gaze on his forehead. She waited for the assault on her mind. It never came.
He pulled away from her, a growl of irritation leaving his throat as he made for the door. "You will watch her tonight, Barty," he spat behind him.
"How lucky of me," Cassie hissed under her breath as she flopped onto her bed.
"I am just as tickled," Barty intoned. He leaned back on the chair he had conjured days ago. Despite Cassie's protests, he insisted on leaving it placed only a foot from the bed.
"What happened to, 'Anything the Dark Lord assigns is an honor', or whatever bullshit you were spouting?"
The wizard lifted his legs, resting his mooncalf-hide boots on her bed as he lounged. "That is always true. You, on the other hand, are the only reason it is difficult to remain steadfast in my duties."
Cassie turned toward the wall. There were moments where provoking Barty was the closest thing she could do to try to gather information. At the very least it was some form of entertainment. Tonight, she wanted to wish away his very existence.
It was like he sensed her desires and acted on the complete opposite. "Get off the bed, Cassiopeia."
"Fuck off."
"Tsk, tsk. Such an ungrateful witch. I only wish to make you dinner."
"I'm not hungry."
"We've been through this. My master wants you fed. I can't trust you enough to leave you alone in this room. You will accompany me to the kitchens."
"Run along and play chef. I'm fine where I am."
The mattress shifted as Barty pounced. He flipped Cassie onto her back, his hands gripping her wrists so hard that she knew he would once again leave bruises. "Perhaps I should put you under the Imperius Curse."
"My father would never - "
"This might be a case of asking for forgiveness after the fact. Merlin knows it would make my life much easier."
Cassie inhaled sharply, then spit in Barty's face. The wizard grunted in disgust as he wiped at his cheek and nose. Cassie used her free limb to smack him in the ear and she scooted out from under him.
Barty giggled, a maniacal sound, as Cassie fumbled with the door knob. There was no use. The door wouldn't budge.
"Do you see why I can't trust you, little witch? Any minuscule, sliver's chance of an escape and you make a run for it." He was closing in on her again. Cassie side-stepped away from his outstretched hands.
"What would you do in my position, Barty?"
He reached for her again. She tried to dodge his grip but he caught her shoulders and slammed her against the wall. His hazel eyes were sparkling with something predatory that made bile rise to her throat. "I would give in, Cassiopeia. I would realize that there is no way out and give in."
"That will never happen."
"Then you are in for a long, miserable existence." He let go of her and stepped back. His nose wrinkled in disgust as he looked down at her. "You could have everything, you know. You are the Dark Lord's heir. The princess of Slytherin. All you have to do is give up this preposterous notion that you must behave as Dumbledore's lackey."
"I am no one's lackey," Cassie said defiantly, "and you should be one to talk."
He must have sensed that once again, they had reached a stalemate. He shook his head in his disappointment at her as he opened the door and took one step into the hallway. "Goyle, rustle up some breakfast for us, would you? And not that sewage you try to pass off as porridge, eh?"
Barty settled back into his chair after closing the door. Cassie stayed standing against the wall. Lying back down on the bed felt too vulnerable.
The wizard stared at her. She avoided his eyes, hoping that he would become preoccupied with thoughts that revolved around something other than her.
"You never asked me about Mad-Eye," Barty suddenly said softly.
"Don't call him that," Cassie snapped.
"Why? We got to know each other quite well."
"If he was subjected to these types of conversations every day, I'm sure you did."
"Do you not want to know how he is?"
"Why? So you can brag about how you tortured him? Maybe killed him before my father was reborn?"
"I didn't kill him," Barty said with a hint of annoyance, "although in hindsight, I should have taken the time to do it before my master's return."
"I'm sure he's given Fudge every detail he can recall about you."
"I'm not worried about Fudge." Cassie bit her tongue. She didn't want him to know that she wouldn't be, either. "I do hope Mad-Eye has checked up on Nymphadora. The poor girl is probably traumatized beyond repair."
All caution went out the window as Cassie's heart hit the floor. "What did you do?"
"She wasn't even on my radar until you mentioned her. Mad-Eye was so careful not to bring her up to me," Barty said with a mocking grin. "But I soon learned that if anyone would recognize that something was amiss, it would be her." Cassie took a step toward the gloating wizard in the chair. Either he didn't sense her escalating anger, or he was too cocky to care.
"What did you do?"
"I am rather talented with the Imperius Curse. My master theorized it is because my father's house-elf kept me under it for so long. You have a lot of time to live with the magic's intricacies, you see." His grin widened as he drank in the raw emotion on her face. "She resisted, oh yes. The only places I allowed her to go were to work and back to her flat. I'm sure it was mind-numbing. The closest she came to breaking free of it was when she got your letter. Ansel told me about how much she cried - I suppose she hoped you would save her."
"You son-of-a-bitch!" Cassie snarled as she launched herself at the wizard. The chair tipped with the force of her charge and they thudded to the floor. Even in her weakened state, Cassie managed to wrestle her way on top of Barty, her small hands gripping his throat so tightly that for a split second, she thought she might actually be able to strangle him.
There was a shout as Geoffrey Goyle entered the room. He was so surprised by the scene before him that the food he was carrying fell to the floor, adding to the commotion. He crossed to them in two long strides before grabbing a fist full of Cassie's robes and pulling her off Barty.
"On the bed, witch," Goyle said shakily, his wand pointed at her chest. She threw up her hands in defeat, obeying the armed wizard's command. Barty cackled from his spot on the floor.
"I want another guard," Cassie spat as Goyle bent down to pick up the scattered food with one hand while he continued to grip his wand in the other. "You tell my father I want someone else, anyone else - "
"You do not dictate the terms of your imprisonment," Barty goaded. He swished his wand gracefully through the air and the sausages piled themselves neatly onto the tray. Goyle looked momentarily confused.
"Perhaps you're right," Cassie replied icily, "But as you so kindly pointed out, I'm still his heir. I do not accept a cruel, barbaric wizard in my quarters as I try to mind my own business. You've done nothing but antagonize me. I want someone else."
Goyle bowed slightly in acknowledgment as he left the room. Barty was livid as he eyed the raven-haired witch who sat cross-legged on the purple comforter, munching on the sausage she had impaled on the fork provided to her.
Minutes later, a knock came at the door. Barty, still massively irritated with his ward, snarled, "What is it now!"
Linwood Travers slowly stepped into the room. He seemed nervous to see Barty this angry, but he wouldn't even look Cassie's way. "The Dark Lord requires your presence."
"Travers, you are not equipped to deal with Black."
"You misunderstand," the portly wizard replied, his beady eyes flitting to Cassie only for a second. "He wants to see you both."
Barty gripped her wrist as they followed Travers through the mansion and outside. The grounds were covered in a blanket of sparkling white snow, and it was cold enough that the wizards could see their breath in the night air. Lord Voldemort was spending time in the gardens.
"Master," Barty murmured as he and Travers bowed. Cassie kept her spine straight and her shoulders back, waiting for someone to force her to bend with a painful spell. It never came.
"Thank you, Travers," the Dark Lord said with a dismissive wave of his hand. The craven Death Eater took the opportunity to traipse back into the warm manor as Barty and Cassie shivered, awaiting their fate. Voldemort stayed crouched over, casting Photosyntithenai charms over little green plants that had somehow sprouted from the frozen ground.
Cassie waited until Barty's gaze was drawn to his master's movements. Careful to keep her arm down at her side, she cast a warming spell over herself with a small, graceful turn of her wrist.
As the feeling of slipping into a warm bath crept through her veins, her father straightened up. "Cassiopeia, do you know what plant I am tending to?"
"Funnel-web Snakeroot."
Voldemort turned to face her, a smirk adorning his reptilian features. "Yes. A highly toxic plant that is useful in the most potent of poisons and faunacides. It can only be grown in the most specific of seasonal conditions. Did you know that?"
"Yes."
"'Yes, Father'," he hissed.
Cassie detested his demand. As a child, she had been accustomed to calling him that, but she had known little else. The demon-like being that stood before her resembled a parent to her as much as a dementor did. She knew he was slowly trying to break her, to whittle her resolve. She feared what else he would have in store for her if she stayed in his clutches much longer.
"Yes, Father." At least it wasn't 'Master'.
"Who taught you?"
"You did."
"That is correct. When?"
"The winter before your downfall, Father."
Cassie expected the anger that flashed in the Dark Lord's eyes. She knew there would be consequences as the words left her mouth, but she couldn't help herself. She despised his attempt to take credit for any of her magical upbringing or speak of her childhood like it was a warm, wholesome experience. Besides, she knew it was likely that Severus had taught him about Snakeroot in the first place.
He spared her from the Cruciatus Curse. She wondered how pissed she could make him before he would just try to outright murder her.
"Goyle tells me you are making demands."
Barty opened his mouth, but Cassie spoke first. "I would like someone else to guard me."
"It is not your choice," Barty snapped.
Voldemort ignored Barty's outburst. "And what is it about Barty that you dislike?"
"Everything. He attempts to provoke me every second - "
"As if you don't do the same, little witch!"
"If you're attempting to win my cooperation, having him glued to my side is not the way to do it!"
"You are a spoiled, temperamental slag and you don't deserve the comforts you've been allowed, let alone the privilege of being in the company of a pure-blood like me." Barty had growled the last words through bared teeth while grasping the neck of Cassie's robes. "We all know you're never going to obey!"
The Dark Lord stepped up to the quarreling witch and wizard. Barty's sneer softened and he released his hold on Cassie. "Barty, leave us."
"But, Master - "
"You are released of your duties for the night," said Voldemort coldly. "You are free to do whatever it is you do during your free time. Away from Riddle Manor."
Barty stomped off into the night. His departure was marked with a loud crack that echoed through the night and Cassie wondered if she had enough strength to manage Apparition. She only had to get beyond the edge of her father's wards.
While in his presence. And unarmed.
Even she couldn't justify something so stupid.
"Walk with me, Cassiopeia," Lord Voldemort said. Cassie had no choice but to follow. Her tired muscles struggled to keep up as they walked through the freshly fallen snow and she felt another wave of heat as her father cast a warming spell on her. She hid the smile that threatened to form on her lips. He hadn't noticed that she had cast it on herself earlier. He wasn't expecting her magic to return to her so quickly without Stellan there to drain her. "What is it that you want?"
She was caught off guard by his question. Of all the things to happen that beautiful winter night, she would not have guessed that she would be having a private conversation with her father while on a leisurely walk outside. She would only have seconds to answer him before her pause would make him suspicious.
"I want to get out of this place."
He let out a cold, high laugh. That sound never failed to cause shivers in her spine. "I have deduced that much. My question has a deeper meaning, my daughter. I want to know what your aspirations are. What you yearn for."
"I don't have aspirations."
"That is a lie," he said softly, side-eyeing her as he continued to walk. "You may be skilled at defending your mind, but you do not fool me." They had reached a small graveyard. The tombstones were dusted with fluffy, glittering snowflakes, somehow painting the ambiance less cryptic.
"Forgive me," Cassie said, her tone dripping with acid, "but I think you'll understand if I don't discuss any of that with you."
"It pains me, daughter, that you insist on seeing me as your enemy. As something to resist." He stopped in his tracks, his bony hand lunging at her before gripping her jaw. She fixed her gaze on his forehead again, something he noticed and sneered at. "Sergey Gryzlov said you refused to join him in a war against Fudge."
Cassie forced herself to meet his eyes. Fear of having to defend another attack on her memories tied her stomach in knots. "That's right."
"Then you support Fudge's administration."
"I wouldn't say that."
"Then join me," said the Dark Lord, as they stood in front of a large headstone that read 'Tom Riddle, died August 1943.' "Take your rightful place at my side."
Cassie heard her father's proposition. She didn't fully process the words as she examined the carved stone, allowing the cold letters to stimulate her senses as she traced the R with her fingers. Beside Tom laid Thomas and Mary, who died the same day as their son.
"My grandfather," she said softly. "I wonder what he was like."
"He was a vile, miscreant Muggle. Merope died because of him." He rarely mentioned her grandmother. She wondered how quickly she would strike a nerve.
"You're angry with him because of it," Cassie said, turning to face him. "You're angry because you were left in an orphanage. But she left you alone, too."
"She died."
"She was a witch! Either she was a piss-poor one, or she didn't care enough to save herself - "
"Merope Gaunt was the direct descendant of Salazar Slytherin. My powers came from her, as did yours," Voldemort seethed. "Either of them would strike you down for your behavior, ungrateful witch!"
"Then why haven't you? Because family is so important to you?" Lord Voldemort slapped Cassie, hard, across the face. The force of it knocked her off balance and she stumbled on her feet. She felt warmth running from her nose and she tasted blood. "Fighting like a Muggle. Turns out you're more like my grandfather than you think."
"Crucio!"
Father watched daughter writhe on the cold ground for countless minutes. Cassie's screams could be heard from deep inside the manor and the Death Eaters that were awake shuddered in anticipation. If the Dark Lord was in a bad mood, he was likely to take it out on all of them when he came back inside.
Voldemort dragged Cassie's battered form back to the manor with the help of a charm. He returned her to her room himself, cursing her intransigence between barking orders at his Death Eaters. Goyle was commanded to fetch Karkaroff from the cellar while Malfoy was burdened with guarding Cassie.
The Dark Lord turned to leave his daughter's room. He craved distraction from his daughter's transgressions. He considered sending someone into the town to fetch a few Muggles to torture. He could polish off a few goblets of firewhiskey while he waited.
"And you don't understand why I won't join you?" his daughter said softly. Had she heard his thoughts somehow? He was unsure that she had even said it. This old house was filled with the essence of vengeful spirits. Sometimes, they kept him awake at night.
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The Potions Master lay awake in his bed. In his fiancee's absence, he was still unable to sleep. He refused to ingest a sleeping draught in case he was needed in an emergency.
Severus longed for the moment he was needed. He hoped with every ounce of his being that someone had figured out where Cassie was and was planning to get her out of the Dark Lord's clutches.
He rolled over for the hundredth time that night when the fireplace roared to life, filling the entire bedroom with an ethereal green light. He was on his feet before the piece of parchment finished materializing and he snatched it gracefully from the air. It was a note from Lupin.
With a sigh of irritation, Severus pulled a black robe over his nightshirt. He did not intend for this visit to be a long one.
He scribbled a reply and tossed the parchment, along with a fistful of Floo powder, back into the fireplace. As the room lit up emerald again, the Potions Master slammed his bedroom door open.
"What is it?" Severus asked lazily as the wolf stepped through his office fireplace. Unsurprisingly, Sirius Black followed just behind. He had been glued to Lupin's side ever since Dumbledore had asked him to fill the open Defense Against the Dark Arts position. Black had been granted permission to live at Hogwarts temporarily under the guise of staying close to Potter after the trauma he had endured. Severus was almost convinced that his real motivation was to continually pester him.
"What are you playing at?" Black opened with, puffing out his chest as he shouted the question at the Potions Master. Lupin groaned while pinching the bridge of his nose.
"Pardon? It's difficult for me to decipher actual words through your yapping."
"You heard me, Snape," Black said angrily, although his volume was substantially quieter. "What game are you playing? Why aren't you helping to find my cousin?"
"If you are suggesting that I am not doing everything in my power - "
"Bollocks!" shouted Black.
"Padfoot," Lupin said in warning. "This isn't a productive approach, and you know it."
"Yes, Black. Listen to your handler," said Severus. He knew these accusations would come in some form. He loathed that anyone would ever question his devotion to Cassie. "If you intend to strike up an actual conversation, then I suggest you adjust your tone. Otherwise, you can return to the dog bed in Lupin's office."
Black took a few moments to steady his ragged breathing, ensuring to glare at Severus while doing it. Then, he continued. "Do you know where she is?"
"No."
"You're lying!"
"Padfoot!" Lupin hissed.
"She's been missing since his return," Black said, "there is no way that's a coincidence!"
"That is the first rational deduction I have ever heard you utter," Severus sneered. "I commend your achievement."
"There's no way that you don't know, or at least have some idea, where she is - "
"And what would make you think that?" Severus asked quietly. Dumbledore had forbidden him to tell anyone about being a double agent. Had the headmaster himself shared such sensitive information with these two mutts? He would never forgive him if he did.
Black stepped closer to him. Severus didn't miss that Lupin was now nervously gripping his wand. "You can't tell me that Lucius Malfoy hasn't mentioned anything to you."
Severus returned the former convict's sneer. "I can."
"Alright, Sirius. I think this has gone far enough," said Lupin.
Lupin's advice was ignored. "Romily has been killing herself since Cassie has been gone, spending every moment trying to find even the smallest clue. Not eating, not sleeping - "
"Not having the time to canoodle with you. Is that the problem, Black?"
"How dare you! Cassie is my family!"
"She is mine as well," Severus hissed icily. "It seems you have let that fact slip your mind." Grey eyes looked the Potions Master up and down, trying to get a read on stoic, inscrutable body language. His practiced defense held fast.
"If you hear anything," said Black. "And I mean anything."
"Romily has already asked the same thing of me. I will be in contact with her if Lucius is dumb enough to let anything slip."
The mutts stepped into the fireplace and disappeared with a flash of green. Severus spent the rest of the night awake, alone, and very much aware of the fact that people around him did not trust his allegiance. The second war hadn't even started, and already he was on shaky ground.
Severus entered the next day's lessons on no sleep. His first class contained the third-year Gryffindors and although no one outright mentioned it during the lecture, Colin Creevey's empty seat seemed to draw everyone's attention. He could hardly expect his students to be able to concentrate. For their safety, he had them take notes as they watched him brew the Draught of Peace.
He was glad he didn't have the fourth years in class that day. He didn't want to be reminded of last night's argument with Potter's lunatic Godfather.
Potter was, once again, absent from dinner. He had been eating his meals with Black and Lupin in the DADA office. Neville Longbottom was absent from the great hall, as well. The young Gryffindor had rarely left McGonagall's office since the night of the Second Task.
Crouch had made Longbottom hand Potter a Portkey while under the Imperius Curse. Creevey had been touching Potter's shoulder at the exact wrong moment. What should have been a carefree night had turned into a hellish nightmare. According to Minerva, there was no convincing him that it wasn't his fault.
Severus flinched as his left forearm burned. He glanced at Dumbledore, but it seemed he already knew. He recognized the worry on that weathered, bearded face.
The manor was nearly empty when Severus entered. At this time of night, that usually meant that Voldemort was out with his Death Eaters. It would only be a matter of time before the ministry would have to take notice of the increase in Muggle deaths and wizard disappearances.
"Snape," said Amycus Carrow from his seat by the fireplace. "You're wanted upstairs."
That meant Stellan still hadn't returned to Riddle Manor. The vampire would be killed if he attempted to grace the Dark Lord's presence again, that much was certain. Severus hoped he wouldn't, at least for Potter's sake.
He opened the door to the room imprisoning Cassie. Lucius sat in an overstuffed armchair with an open book in his lap. The raven-haired witch was asleep. "Severus," Lucius said in obvious surprise as he snapped his book shut.
"I am here to relieve you."
Lucius cleared his throat, seemingly tense as he eyed Cassie. "Do you think that is wise?"
"Why?"
"She will expect you to free her."
"Not any more than you." Severus understood the worry behind Lucius's words. The blond wizard thought he might actually do it.
"Indeed," said Lucius, smoothing his robes. "Then I wish you luck."
The moment Lucius left, Severus fought against every instinct to wake Cassie and drag her from the bed. Amycus Carrow would be easy enough to take out. They could be free in a matter of minutes. But the Dark Lord himself had requested that Severus guard Cassie. It would be obvious what had happened.
He could not give up his position. And he hated himself for it.
His heart sang at just the sight of her. She turned over onto her back and it was like seeing the softness of her lips, her dark lashes, the slow rise and fall of her bosom for the first time. Committing to this war was perhaps the stupidest thing he had ever done. All he wanted to do was get out of this house and disappear with her.
As if his anguish disturbed her slumber, Cassie stirred. Severus braced for her reaction.
Her blue eyes slowly opened. She groaned lowly, likely coming to realize once again of her current predicament. For a few moments, she stared up at the ceiling and Severus knew she was nerving herself for who might be occupying the chair he was sitting in.
Then her gaze found him. Within seconds he knew that no one had told her the truth of Crouch's crimes.
With no witnesses present, the young witch didn't bother to uphold the barriers she had maintained since arriving at Riddle Manor. Tears formed as she stared at her betrothed and his heart shattered into a thousand pieces.
"No," croaked Cassie. She shoved herself backward and her back hit the headboard. "Not you, anyone but you!" Unable to fight his instinct to respond to her distress, Severus sprang from the chair and she flinched. "No!" Severus reached out to her but stopped himself just as his fingertips reached her face. Cassie took the opportunity to scramble from the bed and landed in a heap on the floor.
"Cassie, please listen to me - " he began to plead.
"No!" she shouted again. She got to her feet and made a dash for the door. The magical barricade would not budge.
"Neither of us are going anywhere," said Severus. "It would benefit you greatly to hear what I have - "
"Fuck you!" Cassie hissed. She sidestepped out of his reach. She had nowhere to go but the corner behind the vampire's empty coffin. Severus closed in on her. He was determined to make her hear the truth, to make her understand through her trauma. He couldn't bear another second of her believing in his affair.
He caught her closed fist in his hand when she tried to strike him. He wasn't surprised at how weak she was, with everything the Dark Lord had been doing to make her so. The kick aimed for his groin easy enough to dodge. She already looked exhausted from her efforts.
He allowed her to slap him. He hoped it would release enough of her rage that she would finally hear him.
She raised her arm to do it again. This time, Severus grabbed her wrist. "Enough," he commanded. Tears began to fall from her crystal blue eyes. He grabbed her other wrist and pinned both of her arms against the wall behind her. Her resolve was rapidly dwindling. "It was Crouch. I did not betray you." Cassie looked at him like he had grown a second head. She had been consumed with the thought of his infidelity for so long that the idea didn't process in her mind. Confusion was evident in her suspicious glare.
"You lie," she hissed.
Severus tightened his hold on her wrists. He could feel her suppressed magic, torrid with emotion, pulsing beneath her skin. "He used Polyjuice potion to imitate me, just like he did to Moody. I did not sleep with Kalina. I would never, Cassie." Cassie swallowed hard as more tears poured down her face. Her lips parted, perhaps to speak, but the only sound she made was a loud sob. "I did not betray you, Cassie. I love you."
Her legs shook as they gave out from under her. He caught her in his arms, supporting her weight as she wrapped her arms around his torso. "Severus, I'm so sorry!" He could feel her warm tears soak into his robes.
"Don't be," he whispered, planting kisses on the top of her head. "Don't be, dear girl."
He guided her to the bed. What serenity it was, having her lie in his arms once again. Even in the confines of the Riddle mansion and everything that happened under its roof, having Cassie's weight on his chest soothed his soul. They lay together, a peaceful silence passing between them as they soaked in each other's presence. Severus assumed she had drifted off to sleep until he felt her body press into him more tightly.
"I missed you so much, Sev," she whispered into his ear. Her warm breath sent shivers down his spine. Heat radiated from her as she attached her lips to the sensitive skin just below his ear.
"You need rest." He didn't protest when her arms wrapped around him. It went without saying that he missed her terribly, too.
Cassie didn't waste her precious energy arguing with him. She shifted her hips just so, lining his thigh up against her groin. She knew it would be nearly impossible to convince him to make love to her, not when he was so worried about her fragile state. But she ached for him.
"Mmm," she murmured, moving slowly against him. "All I do is rest."
His hands slid to her collarbone as he debated pushing her away. He wanted nothing more than to feel her warmth, to taste her. But the conflict inside him kept him from taking her right there and then. Still, he looked down at her with greedy eyes as she ground herself against his knee, chasing her pleasure. His fiancee was nothing if not determined.
The little blood that she had left colored her cheeks. Her sweet lips parted in ecstasy and he could no longer remain a bystander. Much to her protest, he removed his leg between the grip of her thighs and gently pushed her onto her back.
"Sev." His name sounded so sweet coming from her mouth. Her chest rose and fell heavily as he settled himself between her legs, pushing up her robes around her thighs before pulling down her knickers.
It felt like forever since he had eaten her out. Sometimes it seemed like the only time he came alive was while buried in her sweet cunt. He pushed back the desire to curse those who prevented him from living. Right now, as he licked his lips and pulled her legs further apart, he wanted only to focus on the task at hand.
His tongue found her heat. Her fingers slipped into his black locks, matching his enthusiasm as her nails grazed his scalp. He sucked on her clit and she pulled at the roots. He hadn't bothered to cast sound barriers. Anyone in the manor would hear her cries, but it was no matter. The Dark Lord had officially declared her his, at least for the time being. That had been evident with Crouch's torture.
She was his. They might be playing Dumbledore's game and seemingly at Lord Voldemort's mercy, but at least they belonged to each other. The deeply buried part of him that craved validation could ask for nothing better.
He pressed one, then two fingers into her and she begged nonsensically, her juices pooling on the sheets underneath her. She gripped him tightly and he knew she was close, knew all he needed was just the right rhythm of his fingers with the perfect amount of pressure from his tongue. He was an expert in her ecstasy.
She screamed into the darkness of the room. A few minutes after coming down from her high, she reached for his clothed crotch.
"No," said Severus firmly. "You need to rest."
She was too tired to argue. Soon, she was asleep with her face nuzzled into the crook of his neck.
Their peace was short-lived. A few hours into his guard duty, loud whoops and hollering signaled the return of Death Eaters to the manor. The noise woke Cassie and she lifted her head took look at Severus.
"Rest, Cassie."
"I can't. Not when they're like this," she said quietly. He picked up his wand from the nightstand to cast a sound barrier. It fell in place just in time to muffle a captured Muggle's screams. In the newly fallen silence, Cassie trembled.
The door burst open. Crouch and Macnair waltzed into the room. Severus grabbed his wand as he stood from the bed.
"Playing kissy-face, are we?" sneered Crouch. "So sorry to interrupt." Agonized wails carried up the staircase and into the room. Cassie closed her eyes, picturing herself anywhere but where she was.
"Run along, Crouch," drawled Severus. "I have things under control."
"It looks like you do. Planning an escape, I gather."
Severus folded his arms over his chest. "If that were a concern, the Dark Lord would not have tasked me with watching her."
Crouch's smug expression faltered. "Nonetheless. I thought I've give you both a chance to join the entertainment downstairs."
"That's not going to happen."
"Why not?" asked Crouch. "Asserting your advanced station as a wizard is above you, Snape?"
"The Dark Lord has assigned me a duty. You and I both know that to falter from it would only elicit his disapproval."
"Come, now. We would all like to see you unwind," Crouch continued. Cassie had gotten off the bed. Severus could feel the anger radiating from her. "They're just disfiguring the disgusting cow now, but I'm sure they'll be passing her around soon enough."
"Get out," Cassie demanded quietly. Crouch's eyes landed on her and she didn't miss the smirk that appeared on Macnair's gaunt face.
Crouch chuckled. "If you'll forgive me, Cassiopeia," he said, taking a step toward her and Severus, "But you have no say in any matter. Not anymore."
"You've been banned from this room. Your presence here means that my father has yet to return to the manor. What do you think he'll do when he does?"
Crouch's pointed canines were bared as he sneered. "You dare threaten me?" He pulled out his wand and Macnair did the same.
"Lower your wands," Severus warned.
Crouch aimed at Severus's chest. Almost simultaneously, a blast of blue light lit up the room and Crouch flew backward into the wall. Severus disarmed him, snatching his wand out of the air before turning to lay eyes on Cassie.
"Severus?"
She said his name so softly. It barely registered to Severus that Macnair still had his wand pointed at her. All he could focus on in the next endless seconds was the growing pool of blood at her feet and the identical lacerations on her wrists.
He slipped in her blood as he fell to his knees at her feet. He began to chant the counter-curse that he knew had to work or there would be no hope in saving her.
Crouch was laughing as he sat slumped on the floor. "I knew she would have her magic back without that vampire here to drain her. No one would listen!"
Cassie's legs gave out from under her. Severus broke her fall with one arm, pulling her onto his lap. "Vulnera Sanentur." He kept his wand pointed at the deep cut on her right wrist, which was slowly healing. He wanted to soothe her as she drew in shaky breaths, but he did not dare to speak any other words. He repeated the incantation over and over.
Macnair lowered his wand. "Barty, we should fetch blood-replenishing potions from downstairs."
"Sod off," Crouch snapped as he got to his feet.
"She's lost a lot, didn't have a lot to start with - "
"That was the point, you nitwit."
Macnair shook his head. "I'm the one that cursed her. If she dies, the Dark Lord will - "
"She isn't going to die! Snape has already healed one of the cuts." Satisfied that he had made the right decision in planning an attack on his master's daughter, Crouch turned on his heel and stormed from the room. After one last worried glance, Macnair followed.
The couple was left alone for the remainder of the night. Severus cleaned his lover's blood from the floor only when he was satisfied that her wounds were completely knitted and after she was sound asleep. Her skin was ghostly white and she had broken into a cold sweat while she dreamed.
Before he left for Hogwarts that morning, he pleaded with the Dark Lord to give her blood-replenishing potions. His request was denied.
For the next two days, Cassie barely left her bed. Lucius and Travers were the only ones allowed to guard her. It had become a mind-numbing task. In her weakened, despairing state, she gave them no trouble.
"You need to eat," her uncle told her one night as he placed a tray of food on her nightstand.
"Is Severus coming back?"
"I don't know. I wouldn't tell you if I did," he said. Cassie stared at the egg and bologna sandwich in front of her, but made no indication that she was interested in eating.
"Is my father going to kill me?" Lucius's eyes stayed glued to the page in his book. A few seconds passed before Cassie mused, "I suppose you wouldn't tell me that, either." She rolled over and pulled the cover over her shoulders. All she wanted to do now was sleep. It was all her body could muster, anyway.
She had almost dozed off when a familiar pressure in her chest pulled her far away from slumber. It had seemed so long since she had felt it that she wasn't sure it was real.
Electricity ran up and down her spine and she reveled in the novel sensations of bonding magic. Her dark undead creature had returned to her.
Even in her instinctual fervency, Cassie began to fret. Stellan couldn't return to Riddle Manor, not anymore. Her father would certainly be too angry with his unexcused absence. If he died, Harry's life would be forfeit.
She sat up and pushed the covers off her body. Her muscles screamed in protest. "What is it?" asked Lucius.
"Stellan is near," she said, wondering if telling the Death Eater was a critical mistake. "I have to warn him, my father will be so angry - "
"You're not going anywhere," Lucius said firmly. "What befalls upon the vampire is his own doing."
"He'll kill him!"
"So be it. Your - exchanges - have resulted in a blood bond, but once he's gone you'll come to your senses and realize you're better off without him in existence."
"Lucius, please - "
"Sit down, Niece." It was the first time that Lucius had to enforce his authority. As he pointed his wand at Cassie, all of her previous resentment toward him came flooding back with such force that she had to contain her desire to physically attack him. They stared, witch and wizard squaring each other up, as tension fell heavily in the room like a dense fog.
A blast hit the mansion so hard that the bedroom walls shook. Death Eaters on the first floor shouted both in surprise and to warn the others.
Cassie forced her weary legs to carry her to the window. When she looked out onto the dark grounds, all she could make out were outlines of dark, hooded figures dotted among the hedges. There were dozens of them.
Lucius stepped closely behind her to find out what she had seen. His sharp inhale told her that he realized something was happening.
The Saints of the Blood had arrived to Riddle Manor.
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