Ottery St. Catchpole

'The Day of Renewed Hope'. For the remainder of June, it was all anyone in the magical community could talk about. Cassie and Severus dared to venture into Diagon Alley once to restock the Potions Master's stores, and she was bombarded with a mix of jubilation and apprehension from both people they knew and strangers. After cutting their trip short, Severus had reminded her that the reactions from their fellow witches and wizards were at least mainly positive. It was a stark contrast from earlier that year, something she knew was influenced by Minister Fudge's unending conquest to associate himself with the nineteen-year-old witch's recent accomplishments.

The Daily Prophet was posting so many articles about what had happened with Sauda Sombria that Cassie vowed not to read it for the rest of the summer holiday. She grew weary of seeing recycled photos of herself next to a moving, leering mugshot of the dark witch. Every time she saw her face, it ensured that Cassie would be enduring a nightmare about killing her yet again. Drinking a dreamless sleep potion before she went to bed was one of the only things that seemed to help, but taking them so often was starting to make her feel numb during the day.

Nonetheless, Cassie was looking forward to their upcoming change of residence. Severus had agreed to sell his childhood home on Spinner's End and move to Ottery St. Catchpole, something she had assumed he wouldn't willingly agree to. She had been pleasantly surprised when he had listed his parents' house the day after they had gone to see their potential new home. Moving day came quickly, and before they knew it, they were packing their belongings to bring to the secluded little cottage.

"Be careful with that!" Severus warned sharply as Fred and George balanced a large trunk of his most precious potions supplies between them, nearly dropping it as they jogged to the front door.

"Don't you worry, Professor!" George said cheerily before they 'accidentally' rammed the edge of the trunk into the doorframe.

"We'd never break your valuable things!" Fred added. Glass vials inside were audibly clinking against one another as he and his twin shifted their grip, and the Potions Master visibly winced.

"I told you two to leave that one until one of the adults could move it with magic," Cassie scolded them as they crossed the threshold, causing more clinking. She hurried after them, knowing that if any of her lover's concoctions mixed because the bottles were shattered, the consequences could be disastrous. "Just set it down!" They listened to her request, although they dropped the trunk from about a foot off the ground. Cassie was gritting her teeth.

"What are you gonna do, professor's assistant?" Fred asked.

"Give us detention?" George finished.

"You bet your asses I will," Cassie replied, opening the trunk to make sure nothing had broken. She let out a sigh of relief when she saw that everything was still intact. "Merlin knows you two will give me a valid reason on the first day of term anyway!"

Fred placed a somber hand on Cassie's shoulder before saying, "We wouldn't have it any other way."

She couldn't help but smirk and was about to retort when Charlie's voice cut in. "Quit aggravating her, you two. We're trying to make this move as stress-free as possible, remember? Not make her question why in the world they decided to move closer to this family!"

"One of us is already questioning that," drawled Severus' baritone voice as he came up behind them and charmed the trunk to float into the designated room. Cassie gave him an unamused scowl, making Charlie laugh. The raven-haired professor went into his new ground-floor potions lab to start unpacking.

"It'll be never-ending," Charlie reminded Cassie as they went back outside to bring in more boxes. "You'll be teaching my siblings all term, and then when you come home, they'll be just down the road."

"That was the idea," she told him, smiling as she watched Molly fuss over Ron and Ginny, who nearly dropped a box full of kitchenware. As the closest neighbors were a family of Muggles, they had to be careful about using magic outside the house.

With so many Weasleys to help, the move took only a fraction of the time it would have if it had just been Cassie and Severus. The rest of the afternoon was spent languorously putting belongings away and cooking a large meal of beef stew and dumplings. After dinner had been eaten, wine was served to the adults, and Cassie felt cozy and satisfied as she chatted with her pseudo-family. She listened to Charlie and Severus discuss the beneficial properties of Peruvian Vipertooth venom, and she felt elated when Charlie offered to send the Potions Master some the next time he worked with one of the dangerous, copper-colored dragons. She was distracted from their cordial exchange when Percy started to discuss the new duties he would be performing as Head Boy.

"I just want to reassure you, Cassie, that I will have your back. Especially when it comes to disciplining the students," Percy was saying. "I wouldn't be surprised if many of them don't take to your authority right away, seeing as you've only graduated two years ago."

"So who is going to have more power?" Fred interrupted, "Cassie, slayer of dark witches and newly appointed assistant? Or Percy Ignatius Weasley, Head Boy and leader of swots?"

"Fred!" Molly protested shrilly, likely objecting to his reference to Sombria, as she knew that Cassie was having a hard time since the battle. Cassie gave the matriarch an appreciative smile.

"Mum, we just want to know who to ask permission to go to the loo," George added, "Or who to confess to when we've eaten too many sweets!"

Ron snorted, spraying hot chocolate across the table and onto Ginny and Arthur.

"Boys, that is the exact attitude that will continue to get you into trouble," Percy chided, "Isn't that right, Professor Snape?"

Severus, who looked less than amused with the entire exchange, finished taking a long sip of elf-made wine before speaking. "Certainly, Mr. Weasley."

Fred and George exchanged a look, rolling their eyes at the same time. "And the same goes to you and the other staff, Professor," Percy continued. "If you ever need me to head detentions or supervise students, I am more than qualified."

"What a guy," Ron muttered under his breath, earning a sour look from the new Head Boy.

The night ended with the twins snatching and hiding Percy's badge. Severus was understandably relieved when Arthur announced that the large family would be heading back to the Burrow after a noisy row between the brothers.

"Good to see you, Green Pea," Charlie said quietly before giving her a chaste hug. "Don't be too busy with your new job to write to me."

"You, too," Cassie told him earnestly. She thanked him and the rest of the family for their help, and soon they were out the door, leaving the couple alone in their new home for the first time.

"This house isn't big enough to entertain that entire family," Severus said silkily as Cassie closed the front door.

"Don't worry," she said, reaching out for his hand and leading him to the sitting room, "We'll just keep visiting the Burrow."

"Music to my ears," he murmured sarcastically. She was going to pull him to the couch, but he tugged on her arm, his black eyes flitting toward the staircase.

"Are you ready to go to bed, Sev?" she asked innocently. He rewarded her feigned naivety with a sharp pinch to her backside, making her shriek with laughter.

"That's not what I had in mind," he purred to the giggling witch in his arms, a hint of a smile playing on his features. She stood on her tip-toes, pressing her lips to his for a passionate kiss. It was something she felt they hadn't been able to do nearly enough of in the past year, and she was ready to make up for the lost time.

Breaking the kiss, Cassie started to slowly walk backward to the steps, intending to lead Severus to the second floor to christen their new bedroom. He wouldn't allow enough distance between them to break contact even as they ascended, his lithe fingers digging into her hips possessively. Before they could make it halfway up the stairs, he pulled her to him for another kiss and guided her to sit on the stair underneath her. A fleeting wisecrack chiding his impatience rose to her throat but was quickly forgotten as he kneeled, his mouth placing hot kisses on the side of her neck.

"Oh, Sev," she panted as he placed his hands on her knees and slowly pushed them apart, not wasting any time to settle between them and close the small distance. The heat she could feel even through their clothed groins was making her crazy. Pulling her wand from her jeans pocket, their clothing disappeared with a small wave. The feeling of his erection pressing into her and his mouth on her breast made her whine with need.

He raised his head back to hers, hot breath pulsating near her ear as he breathed. "Precious girl," he uttered, his deep voice sending shivers down her spine. That one small, but commanding feature was enough to make her come undone, especially when he was using it intentionally to drive her wild. "Do you realize what you do to me?"

Emotion rose to her throat as she locked eyes with him, thinking that she would never be able to describe the feelings she had for him at that moment. Rather than answer him with a cracking voice, she kissed him hard. Reaching down between them, she grasped his throbbing member in her hand, causing him to grunt at the sudden contact. As she guided him to her wet entrance, they locked eyes again, his onyx gaze searching hers as he pressed into her. He started slowly at first, but his pace quickened as he thrust, his hands gripping the carpeted surface on either side of her to keep his balance.

"You feel so good," she whimpered as he placed kisses along her jaw, "Don't stop, Sev, please!"

"Never," he murmured, and she knew that his reply was meant wholeheartedly. That he would never stop loving her, that he would always be hers.

After, they lay together in a heaving tangle of limbs. The sharp edges of the stairs jabbed into their bodies, and it was a lot more noticeable now that they weren't preoccupied. But they were still not making any headway to the second floor.

"Do you think this house will be nightmare-free?" Cassie asked softly as Severus intertwined his hand with hers. The pacified look on his pale face quickly hardened.

"You should take a sleeping elixir."

"I'm sick of medicating the problem," she replied gently, going to stand up. He did the same, their hands still locked together as he pulled her up. She contemplated gathering their discarded clothing for a few seconds before deciding it could wait until morning. "It's something I need to work through, I suppose."

"There's not a set amount of time for these things to disappear," he pointed out as he followed her down the hall. "It isn't that simple." They stood at the doorway to the bedroom. Cassie looked at the bed apprehensively as if somehow it was the furniture's fault that Alex and Sombria plagued her sleep.

They ended the night with sweet kisses and sentimental whispers, and Cassie nestled into the Head of Slytherin's arms. With her head on his chest, his breathing changed, and she knew the second he had drifted off to sleep. She laid awake for hours, simultaneously wishing to fall asleep and yet dreading it.

When she did doze off, she dreamt of killing Sombria. This time, it was intimately, with the same jagged dagger the dark witch had used to slash Alex's throat. While she lay on the ground bleeding out, Cassie looked to her bloodied hands, studying them carefully. When her eyes went back to the body, it had transformed into Alex, the eyes that had been so warm and inviting in life now cold and unseeing. She woke screaming, and Severus instinctively pulled her tighter to him, shushing her and reminding her where she was. The routine had become all too familiar to them.

"I'm sorry," she sobbed, tears falling from her face and onto the older wizard's bare skin. So many times he had already told her not to say that to him, that she had nothing to feel remorse for. Tonight, he couldn't go through the same dialogue. He just held her.

As cynical as Severus seemed about living near the Weasleys, he was surprisingly complaisant whenever Cassie suggested that they see them. Over the next week, they had meals at the Burrow three times, and Ginny spent the whole day at their house that Wednesday. The young Gryffindor even ventured to ask a few questions of her Potions professor while he hesitantly showed her around his new workshop. His answers were patient and straightforward, and he offered to show her rare ingredients he usually didn't keep at Hogwarts. Cassie rewarded him enthusiastically that night for his composure.

On Saturday, Andromeda and Ted joined Cassie and Severus at the Burrow for lunch and a quiet afternoon of watching the kids on their brooms. The doting parents informed everyone of when they had last heard of Tonks' whereabouts in South America, and it seemed that she and Moody, along with the Brazilian Aurors, were closing in on Sombria's Roubando teacher.

"I'm just ready for that witch to be arrested so she can come home," Ted said, shaking his head. "It's been awful, not hearing from her for weeks at a time."

"We hear from her about as much as we did when she was first training with Alastor," Andromeda pointed out calmly. "It will be over soon, Ted. And then she'll be in this timezone and will be just as busy."

"Still," grumbled Ted, "I'll feel better when she isn't so far away."

A pang of guilt ran through Cassie. Maybe if she had stayed with her cousin, the whole ordeal would have been over sooner. She worried about Tonks almost as much as her aunt and uncle did. It was another concern that was acerbic to her state of mind.

Severus seemed to read the unease on Cassie's face. When Andromeda and Ted were distracted by Ron's spectacular loop to evade a bludger, he grabbed her hand to get her attention. "You've done enough over there, Cassie. It was time for you to come home."

"I know."

"You're not convincing me of that."

Cassie didn't reply.

Later, Ron and Ginny were talking about how they hadn't heard from Harry since the holidays had started. Their concerns about his well-being led to the brilliant idea that Ron should try to give his friend a call. Harry had given Ron the Dursleys' phone number, after all. Since the Weasleys didn't own a telephone, they made their way to Severus and Cassie's home. Cassie, who had seen Ted use a phone successfully many times over the years, didn't think to make sure that Ron knew what he was doing before he dialed.

"HELLO? HELLO? CAN YOU HEAR ME? I - WANT - TO - TALK - TO - HARRY - POTTER!"

Cassie winced when she heard unintelligible bellowing answer Ron, and Severus tried to wrestle the phone out of the boy's grip as he yelled back. Ron only gave up when whoever he had been speaking to hung up with a loud slam.

"Ron," Cassie said, shaking her head as she stifled her laughter, "That's not how you properly use a telephone!"

"What are you, the Muggle objects expert?" he retorted, but she could tell by his reddened ears that he felt terrible about what had just happened.

"Do you think he's in trouble?" Ginny asked, looking rather concerned.

"Oh yeah..." Ron said forlornly.

Cassie glanced at Severus. "Maybe we should go check on him - "

"No!" Ron nearly yelled. "That'll just make things worse for him."

Ron and Ginny went home, leaving Cassie to stew over the Gryffindor's concerns about Harry. "Sev, maybe we should just pop in."

"His little friend already told you that it was a bad idea," he pointed out swiftly, making his way to the sitting room with Cassie on his heel.

"But if his aunt and uncle are really that awful - "

"No." He flicked his wand to start a flame in the fireplace. "If they are anything like my parents were, you'll only give them a reason to punish him."

Cassie crossed her arms over her chest, sighing wearily. "That's horrible."

"That's the reality of the situation, Cass. They're his guardians."

But Cassie couldn't idly sit by knowing that Harry was probably miserable. Knowing Severus would probably chastise her if he found out, she sent him a letter asking him if he was okay and if he wanted to come and stay with them. She went into town to send it, knowing that if she borrowed an owl from Molly and Arthur it might anger his aunt and uncle further.

Harry's reply came a few days later. It started off polite, informing her that his aunt and uncle were displeased that he'd given someone their phone number. He was blunt in telling her that staying in Professor Snape's home was not going to make his summer any easier.

A welcome distraction came in the form of Arthur's good fortune. He won the Daily Prophet's Grand Prize Galleon Draw, and the red-haired family was soon planning a trip to Egypt to visit Bill. Molly asked Cassie if she wanted to come along, and as fun as it sounded, she couldn't agree to it.

"I just got home," Cassie explained apologetically. "I can't imagine being away for another month. I think I just need to lie low, try to relax at home before the term starts up."

"You don't have to explain to me," Molly said, pulling Cassie into a hug. "Just know that you are always welcome with us, dear."

So Cassie planned on spending most of her days at home with Severus, helping him to brew elixirs or reading next to each other in the spacious, sunlit sitting room. When the Weasleys went to Egypt, she planned to check in on the Burrow every other day to make sure the chickens were doing well and that the gnomes hadn't taken over the garden. The countryside she now lived in had a healing quality to it, and much like being in Cokeworth, she loved that for the most part, she had privacy. Going to wizard populated areas was not something she wanted to do often. Her itinerary was sparse, and she and Severus were looking forward to just being together.

But the promise of serenity was quickly broken. Cassie and Severus had just finished cleaning up after a dinner of Scotch eggs when a knock came at the front door. Severus answered it while grumbling lowly under his breath, and to say Cassie was surprised to see Fudge standing there was quite the understatement.

The Minister of Magic had two Aurors with him and both of them looked panic-stricken. Cassie's stomach flipped over at the sight of their faces.

"Minister," Cassie said apprehensively, her eyes fixed on the portly man's sober face. "What can we do for you?"

"A prisoner has escaped from Azkaban," he started, not in the mood for further formalities. The color drained from Cassie's face as her thoughts immediately went to her mother.

"Who?" Severus demanded. Cassie was grateful for his ability to speak just then, as it seemed like she had temporarily lost hers.

"Sirius Black."

Cassie swallowed the lump in her throat. It wasn't Bellatrix...she could breathe again.

"How?" her aggravated boyfriend continued.

"We don't know. The guards reported him missing only hours ago," Fudge reported. "I know this might sound offensive, Miss Black. Just know that I mean no harm when I ask you this."

She was still looking right at the Minister, but there was a delay before his words registered with her. Hoping her voice wouldn't sound as shaky as she felt, she asked, "What is it?"

"Would you have any idea where he would go, Miss Black? The guards and the Aurors have been searching Hogsmeade and Diagon Alley and no headway has been made."

Cassie went from feeling unsure to irritated. "Why would I have any clue as to where he is?"

Fudge gulped as if he had been expecting this reaction from her. "You're his family."

"I've never met the guy," she said evenly, trying to control her temper.

"Okay, then. Okay," Fudge said, pulling his hat off his head in an attempt to seem sincere. "No harm in asking, is there?"

"I suppose not," Cassie replied through gritted teeth. "Anything else?"

"Well...this may be a big ask, Miss Black. But if you'd be willing to join in the search, the Ministry would be most appreciative."

Cassie momentarily met the eyes of the two Aurors, who seemed hopeful at their boss' suggestion. "Searching is not my forte," she told Fudge bluntly. "If you gain any information on his whereabouts, maybe I will assist you then."

"Of course, Miss Black. I will be in touch." He nodded to his Aurors, and they Disapparated with three loud pops.

"Looking forward to it," Cassie muttered to the empty air, then slammed the door shut. She stormed back to the kitchen to find a bottle of wine. Severus joined her, a calculating look on his face as he looked past where she stood. "Deny me my Auror training and then come asking me for help," she was seething as she used her wand to uncork the bottle. Not bothering to find a glass, she drank straight from the source.

"Potter," Severus said pointedly then, and Cassie raised an eyebrow at him.

"What about him?"

"Black. He might go after him."

"How do you know?"

His eyes locked on hers, and the dark look on his face made her set the bottle of wine down so she could concentrate fully on him. "Do you remember when I told you about the prophecy, and how one of the Potters' friends betrayed them to the Dark Lord?" he started.

"It was Sirius Black," she finished for him, remembering that detail now.

"Yes." He patted his robes to make sure his wand was on him. Cassie stood up, understanding her lover's growing sense of urgency. He was walking to the front door, and she double-checked that her wand was on her as she followed him.

"That's common knowledge, isn't it? Surely the Ministry already sent Aurors?" she asked.

"I'm not going to assume they're that competent."

"Good point." They Apparated to Little Whinging without saying another word, appearing in a random alley. Luckily, Cassie had recently written Harry that letter, or she would have no idea what his address was. They found Number 4 Privet Drive, and the house seemed quiet and undisturbed.

"Any sign of Aurors?" Severus asked quietly as they slowly made their way down the sidewalk. Cassie was about to tell him she didn't notice anything when she spotted a disturbance in the air along the driveway. It looked like shimmering water in front of one of the large bushes...or a poorly executed camouflage charm. She caught Severus' eye, nodding to it slightly. The wizard noticed it, his eyes narrowing in suspicion.

They continued down the sidewalk, trying not to make it obvious that they knew someone was standing there in wait. Cassie stopped, turning toward Severus so her back was facing their target, pretending like she was going in for a kiss. Just as her lips nearly brushed his, she suddenly squatted down, and binding ropes shot from his wand at the unsuspecting person.

A cry came from unseen lips as the ropes knocked the person to the ground. Cassie was about to cast a revealing charm when hurried footsteps rushed at her and a paralyzing hex was shot from thin air. Severus blocked it, casting another round of ropes that hit their mark. He and Cassie looked around, making sure there were no more invisible attackers, before reversing the concealment spells.

Neither person was Sirius Black. A young witch and an even younger wizard lay bound on the ground, their mouths gagged with rope. Both looked terrified until the wizard seemed to recognize them.

"P-o-esser S-ae!" he tried to yell through his gag. Severus looked to Cassie with a raised eyebrow.

"Former student of yours?" she asked.

"Both of them."

"Are you Aurors?" Cassie asked, and the brunette witch nodded as fervently as she could. With a sigh, Cassie waved her wand, and the magically produced ropes disappeared.

"You're just going to trust that she's telling the truth?" Severus asked silkily.

"What, you think we can't take them if they're lying?" she countered with a smirk.

They were scrambling to their feet. "Well, not Aurors," the witch confessed, "But we work for the Ministry. I'm a clerk in the Auror office, and Harold here is a security officer. My name's Ruby."

"Well, Harold and Ruby," Cassie said, taking a step toward them, and they both took a fearful step back. "What are a clerk and security officer doing in front of Harry Potter's house?"

"We were told to watch him," Harold said, rubbing his arm where a rope had dug in. "In case Black showed up - Sirius Black, I mean," he said sheepishly. Cassie refrained from rolling her eyes. Of course, Ministry workers were going to recognize who she was, with her picture all over the Prophet.

"All the Aurors are out looking for him," Ruby offered.

"So tell us," Severus drawled, not impressed with the current situation. "What would you have done if Sirius Black had shown up?"

Harold smiled sheepishly as he pulled a large, foreign-looking coin from his pocket. "Press my wand to this. Aurors would know to come."

Just then, the front door of the Dursley house flew open, and a large, purple-faced man stood there. He looked like he was about to explode, and not just from anger. His clothes were so tight on his round body that he reminded Cassie of soft dough oozing from a tin.

"What is this?" he boomed, beady eyes narrowing as he looked around at the four of them. "Loiters, the lot of you! Begone!"

Harold looked tempted to press the coin for back up, but Ruby grasped his wrist to stop him. Cassie pushed past them, walking closer to the enraged Muggle.

"Are you Mr. Dursley?" she asked.

"Who wants to know?" he snapped.

"Is Harry inside?"

"I said begone!" he shouted. "Before I call the police!" Now, a horse-faced blonde woman had appeared behind his arm, eyes wide as she tried to get a good look at what was going on.

"You can call whomever you would like," Severus said, standing at Cassie's side now. "All we want is to speak with you, and calling them will only cause us annoyance."

The bony woman's eyes flitted over to the Potions Master's tall frame, and she suddenly looked as if she had seen a ghost. She was muttering under her breath, but all Cassie could make out was, "Strange boy!"

"IS THAT A THREAT?" boomed the man.

Cassie sighed. "Is Harry inside?" she repeated.

"WHY DO YOU WANT TO KNOW?" Now, Cassie was sure that this was the man that had screamed at Ron on the phone. She swallowed down her desire to hex him into silence.

"Okay, that's enough," Cassie said calmly. With a flick of her hand, the couple was shoved up against the wall of their entryway. There was still barely enough room to pass so they could get inside, with Mr. Dursley's enormous gut protruding sideways.

"Do you want us to come along?" Ruby called from the yard as Cassie and Severus squeezed past the Dursleys.

"No, you just keep an eye out," Severus said with a huff, closing the door behind him and leaving the young witch and wizard outside. Cassie flicked her wrist again, releasing the hold on Harry's aunt and uncle, and they came racing after them as they looked for the Gryffindor.

Cassie entered the kitchen. There was no Harry to be found, but a porky blonde boy sat there, his eyes unglueing from the television set and going wide when he noticed the stranger. He had been too engrossed in the program he had been watching to realize there was a commotion going on.

"Mum?" he said meekly.

"I demand that you leave my house at once!" shouted Mr. Dursley. Cassie ignored the outburst, looking past him to his wife.

"Petunia, is it?" she asked, and the woman gasped. "Where's your nephew?"

"I'm here," came Harry's voice from the staircase. "What are you doing here, Cassie? And Sn- " he stopped himself, the effort clearly straining him. "Professor Snape." At the mention of Severus' surname, Petunia gasped again. Cassie knew she recognized him from their childhood. Why she was acting like they were burglars that were holding them up at gunpoint, she didn't know.

"Potter," Snape said curtly, nodded at him once.

"What are you doing here?" Harry asked again.

"Why don't you come down to the kitchen and have a seat," Cassie suggested lightly.

"You do not give commands in my house!" Mr. Dursley spat.

"I didn't catch your first name, Mr. Dursley, I apologize," Cassie said as Harry sat down at the table. The blonde boy had hoisted himself to his feet and gone to stand by his mother, who was attempting to shield his wide frame with her tiny one. "What was it?" At her question, the man's face grew even more purple, spit covering his mustache as he sputtered at her.

"Vernon," Petunia offered faintly. Cassie gave her a nod in thanks.

"Vernon," Cassie said. "Why don't you and your family have a seat. I think it will calm things down a little." She turned to the boy. "And your name?"

The boy whimpered again, clutching at his mother. "Dudley," Harry told her dully.

None of the Dursleys sat, so it was just her, Severus, and Harry at the table while the terrified family watched them in horror. Harry's eyes flitted from the Head of Slytherin to Cassie as he waited for an explanation.

"I suppose there's no reason to beat around the bush," Cassie said, her eyes meeting Severus' as she spoke. She looked at Harry, taking a deep breath. "Harry, a prisoner has escaped from Azkaban prison. We're here because we think he has reason to come after you."

A collective gasp came from the Dursleys. Harry just looked interested.

"Why me?"

"He was one of the Dark Lord's supporters and a mass murderer." Severus offered. Harry nodded at his explanation. "Sirius Black."

"Black?" Harry asked, looking to Cassie. "He's not..."

"Related to me, yes," Cassie said bluntly. Petunia shrieked. "But you don't have to worry. One of us will stay until he's caught."

"One person to ward off a serial killer? I think not!" Vernon protested. "What about my family?"

"Harry is your family," Cassie replied calmly, "And I am more than capable of handling him if he comes around. As is Severus."

"Not acceptable! If that criminal is coming to get him, then he can't stay here!"

"That's asinine," Severus snapped. "He's your nephew - "

"He's a freak just like you people," Petunia interjected, her volume much lower than her husband's, but her words cutting through just as harshly. "And if another one of you is coming to kill him, then my family will not be involved."

Harry looked hopeful all of a sudden, something Cassie was not expecting. Truly, these people must be awful. "I can stay with Ron like I did last summer," he offered.

"The entire Weasley clan is going to Egypt for a month," Severus answered him. Harry's face fell.

"It's settled, then," Cassie said, glaring at Harry's impossible aunt and uncle. "You'll stay with us."

"No!" said Severus and Harry in unison. Cassie's scowl shot from the Dursleys, then to Severus and Harry.

"I won't hear it!" she snapped. "You two will just need to suck it up. It'll just be until Black is caught - "

"Oh no!" Vernon said, his hands slamming on the table. "He's not putting my family in danger! What if that mad man gets out again? He's leaving and he's not coming back!"

"Fine!" Cassie said, standing up, her face inches from the angry purple face. She was quickly losing patience with every person in the room. "Good riddance to you then." She motioned for Harry to stand. "Gather your belongings. No use staying here any longer than you have to."

"But," Petunia suddenly said, sounding alarmed, "If he comes looking for Harry and he's not here, what's to stop him - "

"You could always call the police," Cassie said with feigned sweetness. She stormed from the kitchen and back outside, leaving Severus to help Harry carry out his trunk and owl cage. Harold and Ruby were still outside, looking as confused as ever. "We're taking Harry," she told them. "But stay on this house in case Black comes looking."

"Fudge doesn't have enough people to go around - " Ruby started, but Cassie rounded on her.

"They've got a young boy in there. Isn't that good enough reason? And you'd have people stationed here anyway!"

"Yes, Miss Black," Ruby said simply, her eyes cast down to the ground.

She, Severus, and Harry stood together for a few moments, Severus frowning slightly as he held the handle of the young Gryffindor's trunk. Then, he Disapparated with a loud pop. Cassie grasped Hedwig's cage, her free arm going to rest on Harry's shoulder.

"I could go to Hermione's," Harry suggested, a last desperate effort to not have to share a house with the Potions Master for the remainder of their summer holiday.

"Ron said she's in France," Cassie told him. "Don't worry, I'll make him behave."

Harry looked up at her questioningly. "Really?"

"As long as you behave, too," she told him. With a crack, they Apparated to the little white cottage and away from Privet Drive.