Blood Ties and Betrayal//A Severus Snape Love Story

Watching the sunrise while sitting on the bank of the Amazon River was a breathtaking sight. The surface of the water reflected various shades of gold and peach, and the green vegetation that surrounded the area was lush and teeming with life. The rainforest constantly reminded anyone who visited that they were never alone, with the cries of the creatures that called it home playing a perpetual song of chirps and buzzes.

Cassie inhaled deeply, feeling uncharacteristically at peace that morning as she tried to fathom the gloriousness that surrounded her. It had taken weeks since arriving in South America to begin to appreciate the power that surrounded her, instead of resenting the fact that she was having to rough it in the humid, unpredictable forest. Now, she barely missed the comforts of a large stone castle with four-poster beds and a great hall to eat her meals in. The idea of spending so much time in confined spaces like the home on Spinner's End seemed like it would be suffocating now, that she might feel like an animal in a cage, ready to claw her way out if she didn't get out in nature daily.

What she did miss, was the wizard that had she shared those shabby brick walls with. It would never matter how magnificent the scenery around her was, or how busy she stayed with her academy training. Severus was never far from her heart, and even now as she watched a group of caiman enter the still water to begin a morning hunt, her heart nearly burst with emotion. Today was the day she would be going back to see him, and although outwardly she seemed calm to her two companions, internally she could hardly contain her excitement.

Diego and Alex were seated on either side of her, both of them watching daybreak with her in awed silence. It was an opportunity not afforded to the academy students very often, but Machado had given them the day off. Like Cassie, many of them were going to be taking Portkeys home that morning, and the ones that weren't were free to do as they pleased.

"Well," Alex said finally when the sun was shining high in the sky and they were basking in its warmth, "Shall we get on with it?"

They had Apparated to this area with a purpose in the mind, and that was to find the ficus correpo, or coiling tree. Diego, having graduated from Castelobruxo and therefore boasting an extensive familiarity with the plants of the Amazon, had told Cassie that the tree's bark was the active ingredient in the only potion known to reverse the side effects of advanced joint degeneration in elder witches and wizards. She wanted to bring some of it back to the Potions Master, as she knew it was likely he had never brewed the elixir before since the elusive bark was so hard to come by in Europe. Diego had readily agreed to help her track some down, and Alex had wanted to tag along.

As they climbed their way up the bank and started to search for the specific tree, a chorus of screeches erupted around them. Clabberts had been alerted by their presence, and the pustules on their foreheads started to glow red as they cried out in alarm.

"Better move quickly," Diego warned them, "If they stay this loud, the curupira will find us."

"Nothing we haven't dealt with before," Cassie pointed out as she pushed a rather thick vine out of her way. It would have been so much easier to use her wand to slash at the obstructing flora around her, but her time spent in the forest had taught her to give it more respect than that. She continued to scan the forest around them for the telltale plant that grew around the trunks of other trees.

"True, but I'd prefer to not have to fend off little dwarves shooting poisonous darts at us," Diego muttered. "The morning has been so peaceful so far."

"Where's your sense of adventure?" Alex goaded with a broad smile. "We could always use more training!"

Cassie rolled her eyes. "Does throwing up shield charms and pissing off the rainforest guardians really count as training, Alex?" He laughed in response, and they continued their search, simultaneously trying to move out of the area so the clabberts would quiet down. After several minutes, their shrieking faded into the distance, and Cassie hoped that they could do without a confrontation with the curupira. The last time a horde of them had come after the students, Khristina and Yui had been poisoned by their darts. During a midnight run, they had accidentally stumbled across a group of mooncalves during their mating ritual, and it had been a swift lesson on the guardian's fierce determination to protect magical creatures from humans. As with every situation that went awry, Machado treated the emergency as another teaching moment and made the pupils gather and brew the antidote that would save Khristina and Yui. It wasn't something that Cassie wanted to repeat anytime soon.

"Arbolente!" Cassie followed Diego's exclamation, and she found him standing in front of a large trunk that had a much smaller, serpent-like branch coiled around it. He had already pulled out his wand and was using it to gently remove rectangular chunks of bark from the plant, placing them into the burlap bag that was slung around his shoulders.

"Wonderful," she praised, and Alex came up to them.

"All for your loverboy," he mused with a wink.

"He's no boy," Cassie reminded him, and he smirked. "And I didn't force you to come with. You invited yourself, remember?"

"Sorry, I mean your lover-man," he said then. "Just make sure you give me and Diego credit, will you? I don't want you hogging all the glory!"

Cassie snorted. "If I didn't know better, I'd think you were trying to impress him, Alex."

"Well yeah," he retorted, "I want him to like me when I come for a visit. He sounds like a tough nut to crack, from what you've told me. You are going to invite me and Romily to come home with you some time, aren't you?"

Cassie felt put on the spot. Now that she was thinking about it, bringing her two closest friends from Academia de Luta home was a lovely notion, but it had never crossed her mind until this very moment. In fact, on her first trip back, she had every intention of only seeing Severus for the duration of the visit. Her other friends and loved ones would have to wait for another time, as she couldn't stand the thought of spending time with anyone other than him in the next couple of days.

"At some point," she said lightly, "But not today! I don't think he'd be very thrilled to see you."

"Ah, Cass," Alex said, "you don't seem to realize, everyone is always thrilled to see me!"

She snorted again. "You really don't have any idea what he's like, then."

"I have collected enough to brew three batches," Diego interjected. "I do not wish to remove any more from this tree. Would you like to search for another?"

"No, that's plenty, Diego. Thank you," Cassie said. She knew it must be nearing the time when the Portkesys would be activated, and she didn't want any unforeseen circumstances to delay her trip to Hogsmeade. "Let's head back."

They Apparated back to camp, where it was downpouring. Cassie could have easily used a charm to block the raindrops from pelting her, but she had become so accustomed to being drenched that she almost welcomed it, as it gave her temporary respite from the humid air. She pressed the crescent-shaped spot on the bark and was transported up to the bridges, Diego and Alex following close behind. They were heading towards The Middle, but something caught Cassie's eye, making her stop short. A large snake was draped lazily around a branch near the door, and it was looking right at her.

"Why does that thing keep coming around?" Alex shuddered, but it wasn't from being wet. He had made it known that he had a fear of serpents, and this one had made an appearance around their huts numerous times in the last few weeks.

"Maybe it's a different one," Cassie said, but she knew that wasn't true. This was the same boa that she had first seen outside the arena, the one she had nearly spoken to. Somehow, it had found their commune.

"It has found a viable source of food up here," Diego said nonchalantly, pushing past Cassie and Alex to enter the large hut. Clearly, ophidiophobia was not an issue for him.

"After you," Alex said to Cassie faintly, and she raised an eyebrow at him. He was soaked by now but seemed rooted to where he stood as he eyed the boa warily.

"It's not going to hurt you," she told him.

"How do you know?"

She wanted to just ask the boa right then and there if it was intending to bite them, but once again, she decided against revealing her ability. "Look at it, Alex. It's relaxed," she said, and pushed him to encourage him to go inside. He took a few tentative steps forward, his eyes glued to the reptile the entire time, and then sprinted across the threshold. Cassie was alone with the creature now, water dripping down her face as she studied it.

"Hello," she said finally, inhaling deeply as the boa's eyes stared into hers intently.

"Human notices me." Its tongue flicked in and out of its mouth as it watched her.

"I have noticed you many times. You are very beautiful," Cassie replied. She heard footsteps and saw that Romily and Miremba were approaching. She entered the shack then, hoping that neither of them had noticed her hissing at the large snake. Nothing seemed amiss, however, and Romily immediately found Alex and sat down next to him.

"Cassie, you are returning home today?" Miremba asked as she used her wand to dry herself off.

"Yes," Cassie replied. "You're going to be going back to Entebbe for a visit, aren't you?"

"I am."

"Did you go home a lot last term?"

"I did," Miremba said, shaking her head to rid her thick hair of the water. "Many times."

"Did you ever go home and..." Cassie started, letting her voice trail off momentarily.

"Not want to come back here?" Miremba finished for her.

"Yes."

"The first visit is the hardest," the older witch said. "Just remember why you came in the first place. It's either that or never go home."

"I can't possibly do that," Cassie said softly.

"You are strong," Miremba reminded her. "Never forget."

Cassie made a mental note to keep Miremba's words in the back of her mind when she would have to force herself to come back at the end of the weekend. As excited as she was to go to Scotland, she was already dreading having to rip herself away. Even though it had been nearly a month since had left Spinner's End to come to Amazonas, the feelings were still raw. She wasn't sure if she could go through them again. She had decided that staying in Hogsmeade for her first trip would be easier than going back home to Cokeworth, or she would never want to leave the familiar homestead.

Whether she was ready or not, the time to go to Hogsmeade was upon her. The students that would be taking Portkeys gathered on the forest floor below their camp. One by one, Machado presented them with the objects that would be taking them there, along with the enchanted pieces that would bring them back to Brazil. He wished them safe journeys and joyful visits, and soon, Cassie was being tugged by her naval and shifted to an entirely different continent.

Cassie appeared in front of the Three Broomsticks, and she instantly shivered. It was raining here too, but it was significantly colder in the United Kingdom. She had acclimated to the warmer climate of the rainforest, something she hadn't even thought of until now. Wearing cropped cargo pants and a grey tank top under a short-sleeved cardigan, her outfit wasn't well suited for this side of the Atlantic.

She glanced around her cautiously, making sure that no one around her was paying close attention. There was no reason to think that there would be an angry mob or an ambush, but the attack from last October was never far from her mind when she was out in this wizarding community. For all she knew, the public perception of her was just as hostile as ever, even with her spending time in another country. All it would take was one ill-worded article in the Daily Prophet, or some rumors floating around the Ministry, and it would harm any progress her reputation had made.

No one seemed to be paying her any notice, and she entered the pub without incident. The cheery bells sounded when she stepped through the door, signaling her arrival to Madam Rosmerta. The pretty landlady looked surprised when her gaze turned towards Cassie, but she smiled nonetheless. The two witches had always shared a sociable relationship, something that Cassie greatly appreciated.

"Cassiopeia Black," Madam Rosmerta said, her hands going to her hips as Cassie made her way to an empty barstool. "I thought you were oceans away! The rumors must have been wrong."

"The rumors were very much correct." Cassie pulled her bag from over her shoulder and let it drop to the floor. "I'm only back for a few days."

"Oh? What brings you back to my quaint little inn, of all places?" Rosmerta asked, pouring Cassie a glass of red wine and handing it to her. She must have sensed that the younger witch could use a bit of loosening up.

"I'm staying here with someone," she replied, taking a sip. "I'd love to go up to the room to wait if that would be alright."

Rosmerta raised an inquisitive eyebrow. "Whose name is the reservation under, Miss Black? I don't recall having one under yours."

"Severus Snape."

The barmaid looked positively inquisitive now. "I see. I was wondering why he booked a room for two nights when he's never done anything of the sort before." Cassie could tell she was itching for more information, but there was no way she was giving it to her. As pleasant as Madam Rosmerta was, she also loved to gossip. It wouldn't be long before the entire village of Hogsmeade knew that the Head of Slytherin House was romantically involved with the Dark Lord's daughter, and that was if the news hadn't already somehow spread through students talking about it at Hogwarts.

Rosmerta showed her to the room, and Cassie was left alone to wait for Severus to finish his day of instructing Potions. Even with the jump in time zones, it was still only early afternoon, so she had several hours to herself. It was excruciating. Their reunion seemed so close, and yet as the seconds ticked by, they seemed to stand still. She found herself lying on the bed staring at the ceiling, unable to concentrate on the books she had brought along. She was too excited to sleep, even though her overworked body might benefit greatly from a nap, and the idea of strolling through a village with residents that feared her didn't seem appealing at all.

Finally, she heard the doorknob twisting. She stood up abruptly and crossed to the door and threw it open. There stood Severus, his tall, dark form taking up the entire doorway, and for a moment Cassie didn't know if he was real or not. Merely seeing him was everything she had yearned for when she had been away, and she couldn't trust that this could truly be him, finally, in the flesh.

"Hi," she breathed, her tentative smile displaying her distrust of her own senses. His black eyes were wide as he looked at her, seeming just as astonished to see her as she was to see him.

"Cassie," he uttered lowly. It was the only word he was able to muster at the moment, and Cassie took a few steps back, letting him come into the room. The bag he was carrying fell to the floor, forgotten, and then his arms were around her, pulling her into an embrace. He buried his face into her shoulder, and she could feel his entire body shake as he wrapped his limbs around her even tighter. "God, I missed you!"

Tears started to fall from her eyes as she heard him say those words, and she nuzzled her face into his chest as she squeezed him back. "I missed you too, Sev, so much."

The next few minutes were filled with sweet murmurings and kisses, and it wasn't until they were making uncoordinated steps towards the bed while still clinging to each other that Severus remembered to shut the door with his wand. Their touches were frenzied, both desperate to feel the other's skin after being apart for so long, and in a hurry to be rid of his clothing, Severus was already making quick work of the many buttons on his frock coat with nimble fingers. Apparently, he thought he would be quicker at undoing them than Cassie would. "Undress." The guttural command was the sweetest note to her ears, and she swiftly pulled her shirt over her head, wasting no time to reach behind her to undo the clasp of her bra next.

She was about to unbutton her pants so she could be rid of those as well when he bombarded her without warning. He had only gotten as far as stripping down to his white dress shirt but had been distracted by her exposed breasts, energetically shoving her down onto the mattress and palming the soft flesh with his calloused hands. Had she been in a clearer state of mind, she might have found his rashness amusing, but her lust rivaled his.

As he rolled her nipple between his thumb and forefinger, making her moan, she renewed her efforts to get her knickers off. It was difficult, as Severus continued to divert her attention, his lips sealing around her other nipple, sucking it deep into his mouth. Her hands, which had been working at pushing her pants down, instinctively buried themselves in his raven hair as she relished his attention on the sensitive area. His tongue expertly flicked over the sensitive bud, and she arched her back in euphoria.

His free hand started to lazily trail down her stomach, and when it met a fabric obstacle the lower he went. He relinquished his hold on her breast with a soft pop, lifting his head slightly to glower down at her. "I told you to disrobe," he growled in annoyance. "I didn't tell you to stop."

"I was working on it," she panted, "You're making it rather difficult!" He promptly began taking over her abandoned task, hooking the top of her knickers with his fingers and yanking them down without ceremony. Cassie took the opportunity to arch her neck and latch onto his earlobe with her teeth, giving it a sharp nibble, and he let out a low hiss.

"I'm not the one being difficult, girl," he retorted. "Raise your hips." She obeyed without question, and in one swift movement, he pulled down her panties as well. She kicked the garments off, fully exposed before him, and she started to tug at his remaining clothing. He might have been eager to get her completely naked, but she wanted an even playing field, having missed their intimacy just as much as he did.

As soon as his entire outfit lay forgotten on the floor with hers, she reached out for his throbbing shaft, feeling it twitch with need in her petite hand. As she gave it a few firm strokes, Severus lowered his face to her neck, biting into the soft flesh where her neck and shoulder joined. Further foreplay was not on the menu for this session, and neither of them was about to protest. Cassie guided his swollen head to her slit, letting him feel how wet she already was, and then he thrust into her, burying himself to the hilt in one fluid motion. The husky moan that escaped his throat was enough to drive her to the edge by itself, and as he started to move inside her, she was crying out his name. It seemed like it had been a lifetime since she had been filled with him like this, and emotion poured out of her as they moved together. When she began to shudder underneath him, he planted kisses all over her face and neck, soon joining her in his climax.

"I love you," Cassie told him softly as he laid on top of her, still planting tender kisses on her cheeks and jawbone.

"I love you," he echoed, and he moved to wrap his arms underneath her torso to pull her close. She didn't notice that she winced until he reacted, and he was suddenly looking down at her in concern. "Did I hurt you?"

"No." She shifted a bit, which only put more pressure on her sore areas. His thin lips pressed into a disapproving a line as he searched her face, and he quickly laid next to her on the bed.

"Turn over," he commanded her quietly.

"Severus, I'm fine," she insisted, but he was having none of it. His expression was stern so she obeyed him then, knowing that was the only way to avoid an argument.

"Cassie," he said, his voice nearly a whisper. "What happened?" His fingers lightly traced the ugly, yellowing bruises over her flank.

"Just an ill-timed curse that went wrong."

"What?" he hissed, clearly taken aback.

"During dueling practice," she continued nonchalantly. Bwanbale had meant to send an ear-shriveling curse at her but had gotten the hand movements very wrong, instead inflicting internal bleeding upon her. It had happened nearly two weeks ago, and so many lessons had taken place since then that she had nearly forgotten about it.

"Your instructor allows you to curse one another to this degree?"

"It wasn't meant to land the way it did," She shuddered as the tips of his fingers danced along the edges of the contusions. "But if that happens, we use it as an opportunity to practice healing."

"Obviously, the idiot who tried to mend your wounds did a piss-poor job!"

"He's getting better," she said. Unable to hide his displeasure, the look on his face soured. "Severus, come on. Please don't worry about it."

"It's unacceptable, Cassie!"

"How?" she asked quietly, refusing to match his mounting hysteria. "It's how Machado runs his program. Did you think I'd be in some impenetrable bubble, out of harm's way? I would learn nothing from that."

He sat up, pinching the bridge of his nose. "I am not so naive, Cassie. But having you intentionally injure one another so that you can practice tending to the wounds - "

"It wasn't intentional," she insisted, her voice remaining even. She placed a reassuring hand on his arm. "Severus, I know you feel protective of me. I'm so appreciative of that. But I'd feel a lot better knowing you weren't worrying about me all the time."

"How can I not when we are unable to communicate regularly, Cassie?" he countered lowly. "You could be dead, and I would receive word weeks later!"

"I know," she replied. "It's just as hard on me."

A few silent moments passed before he said, "The dark witch. Has there been any activity near you?"

"No." Cassie knew that it would be impossible to avoid the topic completely, but she had foolishly hoped that they could avoid speaking of Sombria on the first day, at least. She debated not telling Severus everything she had learned about her, knowing it would only burden him more. But keeping secrets, especially ones of that nature, reminded her of what Dumbledore had done to her, over and over. So carefully choosing her words, she told the Head of Slytherin what she knew.

His mood was hard to read as he contemplated her words. Silence followed for several minutes, and when he finally looked at her, his black eyes were filled with despair. She nearly lost herself in them.

"I can't convince you not to go back." Not a question, but a statement.

"You can't," she said softly.

"Promise me one thing," he said then. She waited silently for his proposition, as she wasn't going to tell him, 'Anything.' It would be a lie. "Promise me you won't do anything irrational, Cassie." At least he wasn't demanding that she not go after her. She could never promise him that.

"I'll try," she said.

Their shared demeanor was somber for the next few hours, but it slowly shifted as the couple spent time together. They stayed in bed, a tangle of limbs as they talked and caressed and cuddled. Cassie, with her head on Severus' chest, spoke of her peers and their various backgrounds, and he even chuckled when she recounted slamming Vitaly into the wall her first night there.

"Do any of them know who your parents are?" he asked her, entwining his long fingers with hers and slowly planting kisses on her knuckles. Even that subdued show of affection was sending delicious tingles throughout her body, and she sighed in contentment.

"Just Machado."

"Are you enjoying your newfound anonymity?" He dragged his lips across the back of her hand, and she watched him intently through heavily lidded eyes. Oh, what this man did to her.

"Yes," she admitted. "Very much so." His hot mouth was languidly trailing up her arm now, the thoughts effectively being driven from her brain, when an amusing one came hurtling forward. "Do the other professors at Hogwarts know?"

"Know what, my dear?"

"About us."

The tone in his black eyes instantly changed from sensual to perturbed. "Unfortunately. I'm having to field questions about my private life daily." Cassie giggled at him, making his dark features sour even further.

"How did they find out? Dumbledore?"

He snorted. "It was your precious Weasley twins. I'm sure the majority of the passengers on the Hogwarts Express knew before they reached the station at Hogsmeade."

"Of course. I should have known," she replied, amused. Now on the topic, he told her of Harry and Ron's adventure with the Ford Anglia, and how Arthur was now facing an inquiry at work. Cassie's jubilant mood was quickly extinguished. Her mind was filled with unpleasant thoughts of Fudge and Lucius, and Severus seemed to regret bringing it up. Unable to pull her from her negative thoughts, Severus got dressed only to venture down to the pub to purchase a bit of dinner for them, along with two bottles of wine. When he came back to the room, Cassie had already climbed into the tub.

"Alcohol," she mused when she saw him, sinking deeper into the warm water. "Good choice!" She had forgotten how much she missed soaking in hot water until she had gotten in just now. Her camp in the middle of the Amazon boasted only quick showers.

Severus promptly began to strip, something that Cassie was rather appreciative of, but she hid her enjoyment of watching him expose his pale skin and wiry limbs to her. Instead, she teased, "Don't assume that I'm going to share this bath with you, Sev. I've waited nearly a month for this luxury."

"I'm not asking," he purred in reply, motioning for her to scoot forward. She made a mock noise of irritation but readily obliged, and he carefully climbed in behind her, letting out a sigh of contentment when he lowered himself into the soothing water. With his legs nestled on either side of her, he pulled her back into his chest, attentive to not irritate her healing flank. His thoughtful behavior made her as appreciative of him as ever, as she was so used to pain by now that she barely gave any consideration to bumping her injuries anymore.

He reached for one of the bottles of wine that was waiting near the tub, taking a deep drink. As soon as he was done, he handed the bottle to her, and she mirrored his action. "Mmm," she said in approval. "What a marvelous idea, Sev. I might never leave." She meant it lightheartedly, because who would want to leave a sultry dip combined with booze and being in the arms of their lover? But he was much more pensive.

"I wish that were possible," he murmured in her ear, his velvety voice sending shivers through her despite the temperature of the water. She set the wine bottle on the edge of the tub and turned around in his arms to face him, her breasts pressing into his firm chest as she nuzzled her face into his neck. Not knowing what to say to make him feel better just then, she pressed her lips against his neck, his jaw, his face.

The bathwater became tepid, and only when the first bottle of wine was finished, did they dry off and make their way back to the bed. Nibbling on steak and kidney pie, they worked on the second bottle of booze, and Cassie was entertained by Severus' indecorous tales of the idiotic new Defense Against the Dark Arts professor. She couldn't help but laugh even though he looked thoroughly annoyed when speaking of the infamous Gilderoy Lockhart. It made her wonder how much more easily he lost his temper, now that she wasn't there to offer him respite from his daily routine. Suddenly, the idea of Lockhart getting under his skin wasn't quite as whimsical.

They stayed up late into the night, being weeks apart driving their desire to constantly be groping and embracing. Cassie almost dozed off after coming down from a particularly earth-shattering climax, but she startled herself awake, wondering if he was still there, and reached out for him.

"I'm here, silly girl," Severus whispered into her ear, pulling her close to him.

The morning came quickly, and even though they were exhausted, they spent much of their time rolling around in bed. Feeling particularly feisty when Severus pinned Cassie's wrists above her head and started to kiss down her neck, she managed to grip her thighs around his and flip the both of them over, grappling on top of him much more quickly than she'd ever been able to in the past. As she straddled him and pinned his arms against the bed, she looked down at him with smug satisfaction on her face. He huffed a laugh at her.

"That was rather tenacious of you," he told her, and she let out a low hum.

"I'm a lot stronger than I used to be," she said, winking at him playfully.

"You've made that perfectly clear." A low groan rose from his throat when she started to grind against him, his erection rubbing against her enticingly. "I'm yours to command, my dear." He stuck to his word, doing as she asked as she moved to straddle his face, although he needed little direction to make her tense, and then scream her release. Thank Merlin for silencing charms, or Madam Rosmerta would have much more to gossip about.

Later in the afternoon, Severus had a rather peculiar suggestion. "Transfigure a set of your robes into a Muggle dress."

Cassie, who was once again in the tub, eyed him suspiciously. "Why?"

"I'm taking you to dinner. I thought we'd go somewhere where we wouldn't be gawked at. Unless of course, you'd rather just order bangers and mash downstairs," he deadpanned.

"No, that sounds like a lovely idea," she said, biting the corner of her bottom lip. It was a sweet notion, as the two of them rarely made the effort of going somewhere public, even when they had been living together in Cokeworth. It would be a welcome change of pace. She finished her bath quite hastily and pulled her robes out of her bag. With a quick wave of her wand, she transfigured them into a black cocktail dress with a plunging neckline.

"Will this work?" she said, holding it up for him. She whistled to get his attention, as his eyes were trained on her naked body instead.

"Beautiful," he purred. He produced an outfit of black slacks, a white dress shirt, and a black button-down vest. As soon as he put the ensemble on, she wanted to rip it off of him. As she stared at him, slack-jawed, he raised a questioning eyebrow at her.

"Me likey," she said, pretending to wipe the drool from her mouth.

"Behave yourself," he drawled, rolling the white sleeves to his elbows, "Or I'll have to punish you later."

"Promise?"

A knowing smirk crossed his lips before he could catch himself. "That's my girl."

They Apparated to London, and he led her to a romantic restaurant called Clos Maggiore. They were seated near a crackling fireplace, the room lit softly with candles, and classical music drifted to their ears.

"Sev," Cassie said softly, reaching across the table to grasp his hand. "This is amazing. How did you find this place?"

He cleared his throat, looking slightly uncomfortable at her question. "I may have asked Ted Tonks if he had any suggestions."

At his confession, Cassie snorted into the glass of water she had been sipping. Not very ladylike. The waiter, who had been dropping off menus, looked down his nose at her, but she didn't care. At least she was a nobody here.

The food was delectable, and Cassie was sure that they were not elegant enough to be eating in such a fancy establishment. As she downed more wine, she giggled a bit too loudly during their conversation, likely disturbing some of the other tables. When they were starting in on dessert, Cassie kicked off her stiletto and started to slowly inch her way up her lover's leg under the table. He nearly spat out his mouthful of fruit sorbet when her foot started to caress his crotch. He signaled for the check soon after that.

As they left the restaurant and entered the streets of London once again, Severus could barely keep his elegant hands to himself. Her dress left a lot of skin exposed, and he was rubbing every inch of her that he could even as they Apparated back to Hogsmeade. He kissed her fervently just outside of the Three Broomsticks, and they stumbled their way inside. Cassie was confused at first when she heard a growl of irritation sound from Severus' chest, and she followed his eyes to the table he was now staring at.

Sitting together, a few of them looking intoxicated, sat some members of the Hogwarts staff. As soon as Cassie and Severus had entered the pub, a few of them had taken notice. Professor McGonagall was waving at them, and Hagrid stood up so quickly that he knocked his chair to the ground, yelling, "Cass! 'S good ter see ya!" A wizard that Cassie hadn't seen before, with wavy blonde hair and a dazzling, unnaturally white smile was also with them, but it didn't take more than a few seconds for her to realize who he was. Now, the Head of Slytherin's glare was reserved only for this man.

The wine flowing through her system, the entire debacle made Cassie start to belly laugh, despite her lover's obvious exasperation. The unexpected turn of events would make for an entertaining night, indeed.