Adult-FanFiction.org : Harry Potter

Blood Ties and Betrayal	By : burynr08 Category: HP Canon Characters paired with Original Characters > Het - Male/Female Views: 6699 -:- Recommendations : 1 -:- Currently Reading : 4
Disclaimer: I do not own JK Rowling's world of Harry Potter or make a profit from this story.

Chapter List
- 42
- 43
- 44
1986
The summer before Cassie's second year, Snape dealt with constant complaints from Lucius and Narcissa. The girl had been requesting to spend as much time as she could with the Weasley family over the holiday, much to her aunt and uncle's dismay. For the first few weeks that they denied her this simple request, the soon-to-be Slytherin second year became much harder to deal with. She and Lucius fought constantly, and her relationship with Narcissa was swiftly becoming irreparable. Narcissa accused Cassie of bringing shame to their family for associating with blood traitors. Cassie, in turn, called her atrocious and even told her she was scum. Snape had not seen the blonde witch in distress to that level in many years, not since Bellatrix being sentenced to a lifetime in Azkaban.
Nonetheless, Lucius and Narcissa eventually gave in, allowing Cassie to visit for an afternoon at a time. When the Malfoys learned that Nymphadora Tonks had also been seeing her at the Burrow, a new round of altercations began. Narcissa pleaded with Snape to do something, to help Cassie see the error of her ways.
"She respects you, Severus," Narcissa said through tears. "If she spends time with my treacherous sister and her Mudblood husband, I will never forgive her!" She wretched, as if the very thought of her niece spending time with Andromeda and Ted was that repugnant.
"The girl listens to me sporadically," Snape responded. "Our interactions are cordial. That does not mean she can be persuaded away from the Weasleys' influence with a few words."
"But can't you try?" Narcissa sniffed.
"She will know that I am speaking on your behalf. All it will do is ensure that she will never heed my advice in the future."
"Dumbledore must be delighted," Lucius sneered. "No doubt he put that entire family up to this. Perhaps he offered them a few sickles for their trouble."
Despite the riff that had been created with her aunt and uncle, Cassie seemed happy. With their bond reinforced over the holiday, she, Tonks, and Charlie were nearly inseparable when the term started. For the first few weeks, it seemed as if the school year at Hogwarts could be blissfully uneventful. The new DADA professor, Floyd Depecor, had the potential to be competent in the position. He had reportedly spent the last two years in the mountains of Montenegro helping the leaders of the magical villages hunt down a mysterious creature that chose native bears and wolves as its prey. The middle-aged wizard had enticing stories to share and a relaxed way of piquing everyone's interest when he told them. The students seemed to like him, and most of the staff trusted him. Snape, however, could never be swayed so easily.
It was at the beginning of October when Snape felt the first twinge of unease regarding his new colleague. Cassie had not been to his classroom outside of lessons for ten days, and he was partially correct in thinking that it was due to spending so much time with Weasley and Tonks. It was a Saturday evening after dinner when she came in unannounced, dumping textbooks on a desk in the front row and sitting.
"Sorry I haven't been to see you in a while," she said as she took out a roll of parchment and quill.
He didn't look up from the papers he was grading even after she spoke. "I can survive without your perpetual presence."
"I can see that," the second-year huffed. She began paging through her Charms book, and an easy silence settled between them, both of them continuing with their work for a few minutes.
"What roguish adventures have your little friends tried to get you to partake in?" Snape asked as he scribbled notes on a fifth-year essay and moved it to a pile of finished papers. He could see the corners of Cassie's mouth slightly upturned as she tried to hide her smirk.
"You know I rarely take part in whatever Dora dreams up," she responded. He gave her a chastising look, and her smile broke free. He shook his head and started in on the next student's essay. "Besides, I've barely had time to be with Charlie and Dora for the last few days."
"Indeed? And what has been taking up all of your time if you haven't been here or with them?"
"Professor Depecor has been giving me extra lessons."
His attention was swiftly torn away from the Ravenclaw's precise summary of a Befuddlement Draught. "You don't need extra lessons."
"Really? Didn't you threaten me in front of everyone with remedial Potions two days ago?" she quipped, an impish twinkle in her eyes. Snape was not in a jesting mood.
"You know what I mean," he snapped. "When it comes to Defense Against the Dark Arts, what can the man possibly teach you?"
The young Slytherin seemed to sense the alarm in his demeanor now. All hint of humor had left her features as she looked at him. "He said that I was too advanced to be in a second-year class. He wanted to show me more complex magic."
"And what magic would that be, Miss Black?"
"Severus, don't be angry - " she started.
"Answer the question!"
Cassie visibly winced at his harsh tone. "So far, just hexes. Most of them I already know, although he taught me a Limb-Cleaving Hex that I've never been shown before."
Snape stood now, leaning forward on his desk as he sneered at her. "You didn't question why a professor who is tasked with teaching defense against this sort of magic would instead teach it to you?"
"He said I can defend myself better if I understand how the magic is cast first."
"Stupid girl," Snape growled lowly.
"I'm not!" Cassie protested. "It makes sense! Why are you so mad, Severus?"
He wanted to continue to yell, to insult her lack of judgment. The way she was glaring at him was with such an air of defiance, and yet the naivety shining through reminded him that she was only a child, even though the adults around her rarely treated her like one. He couldn't bring himself to keep berating her. He sat back at his desk. "Miss Black, I fear that he is grooming you for something sinister."
She looked taken aback. "Like what?"
"His motives have yet to be revealed. You cannot see him outside of your scheduled lessons any longer."
"But - "
"Do not argue!"
"He's my professor, too!" she said hotly.
"I am your Head of House."
"That doesn't mean I have to run everything I do by you!"
White-hot anger surged through him, the preteen's insubordinate attitude causing him almost lose control again, and in only a few short minutes. He managed to keep his voice low and even. "Must I remind you, Miss Black, that I only have your best interest in mind? That your safety is my main concern?"
Cassie blinked. His questions seemed to pop the balloon of indifference that had been inflating, and she sighed. "I'm sorry, Severus." A sheepish grin formed on her face, and then she added, "Professor Snape."
He waited until the next day to confront Depecor, although he could only restrain himself from saying something until after breakfast. As the DADA professor rose from his seat, Snape caught his attention. "A word, Depecor."
The older wizard appeared to be unprepared at this sudden request, but he recovered with a forced smile. "Your office or mine, Severus?"
They made their way to the DADA classroom. As soon as the door was closed, Snape started in. "You will no longer be offering extra lessons to Miss Black."
Depecor slowly walked around his desk, a contemplative look hiding his true reaction. "Whatever reason why?"
"The magic you are attempting to expose her to is inappropriate."
"She is very advanced for her age - "
"A fact I am well aware of, as I have known her since she was a small child," Snape said icily. "No student at Hogwarts should be taught dark spells, Depecor. I hardly think that needs to be explained to you."
"Knowing how the spell is performed gives you the most advantage when blocking it - "
"Yes, she explained your reasoning to me already," he replied coolly. "I am not an impressionable child, Depecor. Your attempts to persuade me will not be successful."
That obvious, forced smile spread on the wizard's lips again. Snape could sense that he was incredibly nervous. "I think you misunderstand my intentions. I only want to teach her at the level of her abilities and keep her interested in the subject."
"You have an entire school full of incompetent students that would benefit from extra attention," he said. "Focus on them. If you approach Miss Black again, you will answer to me."
Something baleful glimmered in Depecor's eyes. Snape wasn't sure if he had imagined it or not. "You are very protective of her. She is lucky to have someone like that in her life." Snape didn't respond as he swept from the room, slamming the door shut with a casual flick of his wand.
1993
"What would you like to do today, Harry?" It was a question Cassie had asked almost every morning since the Boy Who Lived had come to stay with her and Severus. Today, she had to force a sense of consideration into her voice, because she really didn't care what he wanted to do. What she truly wanted was to be holed up in her bedroom alone.
Harry shrugged as he stabbed a sausage with his fork. "I have homework to do still, maybe I should work on that for a bit."
"Perhaps you should," Severus said under his breath, turning the page of the Daily Prophet that was in his hands. Harry shot him a glare.
"Okay," Cassie said, looking between the two wizards as she fought the urge to scold both of them yet again. "How about after you finish your homework?"
The young Gryffindor looked hesitant before he responded to her. "Can we go to Diagon Alley?"
"Absolutely not!" Severus barked. Cassie could tell Harry was fighting the instinct to glare at his professor again.
"Severus," Cassie started slowly. She knew questioning his rapid-fire decision would start a fight, and it was something she didn't particularly like to do in front of their young guest. "We'll be with him. He'll be perfectly safe."
"It's not like we'll be blending into the crowd," he snapped back at her, "Merlin knows that between the two of you, everyone will be gawking."
"I can handle it for a day - " she started to say.
"It is not a matter of you being too delicate," said Severus, "If Black is looking for Harry, he would be alerted to his position immediately."
Harry stood now, likely intending to head upstairs to his room to give them privacy. "Harry, you can stay," Cassie reassured him.
"Let him go," Severus spat. "Perhaps then we won't be bombarded by his ridiculous requests." Cassie stared at him silently for a few seconds before she also stood up from the table.
"Harry," she said to the boy, who had almost left the kitchen, "Forget homework for the day. We're going to London." Severus opened his mouth to protest, but she cut him off before he had the chance. "I'm not asking your permission! Stay here or come with, I don't care." The raven-haired wizard tried to reiterate his logic, that it would be unwise to go, and Cassie ignored him. He finally gave up trying to convince her once the three of them were in the Leaky Cauldron.
One thing she could never rightfully say was that Severus had been wrong. As soon as they began to make their way through the pub, most of its patrons were staring, and some of them were even coming up to them to shake Harry's hand. Severus was livid by the time he was using his wand to tap on the bricks behind the building.
"Relax, Sev," Cassie said as Harry walked a few yards in front of them and was deciding where to visit first. "We can't keep him cooped up all summer, it's not good for him."
"He won't perish from boredom," he said through gritted teeth. "If Black is here - "
"Then we'll handle him," she said firmly. "You really think he's worse than what you and I have already dealt with together?"
He shot her an unimpressed side-glance, but his onyx eyes nearly always locked on Harry while they walked. "Your arrogance is shining through!"
"So is your mollycoddling." His lip curled into a menacing sneer at her words. She reached for his hand and gave it a long squeeze. Only then did she feel him relax just a little.
"Why I put up with you, I'll never know," he murmured.
"Because I put up with you," she responded. He didn't say anything and returned her affectionate squeeze.
Cassie didn't admit it to either wizard, but she needed to get out of the little cottage as much as Harry did. Ever since the trip to Azkaban with Fudge, she had been trying desperately to shake the constant feeling of foreboding. At first, she had attributed it to Black being on the loose and having to be constantly looking out for Harry. But as the days passed, she realized that Black didn't worry her all that much. It was slowly coming to light that what she was going through was self-denigration, something that had been born out of killing Sombria and intensified by her reaction to seeing Bellatrix in Azkaban. Severus had asked her repeatedly what was going on with her, told her that he could sense the conflict within her. She had brushed it off every time, although she was perfectly aware that he was still worried about her well-being.
Her mind started to wander as they browsed in Flourish and Blotts. Harry was up at the front counter listing off what he needed for the upcoming term to the clerk. She was reliving the agonizing moments when she had laid eyes on her mother in Azkaban, had heard her voice, and it didn't register to her at first that Severus had left her side to assist Harry in carrying his textbooks. She snapped back to reality when the two of them were standing in front of the cage full of Monster Book of Monsters and the poor assistant was donning dragon-hide gloves. As he inhaled deeply and slowly lowered his extremity into the cage, Severus stunned the snapping books with a lazy wave of his wand. The assistant showed his gratitude by nearly crying, and Cassie caught the unsure and fleeting expression of reverence on Harry's face as he looked at the Head of Slytherin. She would never tell him that she had seen it.
They were outside of Florean Fortescue's Ice Cream Parlor when they ran into some Gryffindors in Harry's year. Severus sat a few tables away from them as they chatted happily and licked at their ice cream cones, and Cassie was about to sit next to him when a thought came to her.
"Sev," she said quietly to him as he opened a brand new book on rare elixir ingredients that could only be found in Asia, "Will you stay with him? I want to go to Ollivander's. Maybe he can tell me more about Sombria's - " she stopped herself and took a shaky breath. "My wand."
"Of course," he said, his expression was one of rumination as he met her eyes. No doubt he wanted to accompany her to the shop, but someone had to keep an eye on Harry.
"I won't be long," she said, giving him a quick kiss on the cheek. Dean Thomas had seen their interaction and pulled a face.
As she approached Ollivander's, she wondered if she was making a mistake. Maybe there was no use in knowing more about this wand or why it had bonded with her after Sombria's death. Part of her hoped that there was a long line of waiting students who were excited to acquire their very first wands that day, that it would take hours and she would have to return to Severus and Harry without speaking with the wandmaker. When she crossed the threshold, she cursed under her breath, as there was no one inside.
Garrick made an appearance seconds later, having just come from the stock room. "Cassiopeia Black," he said, interest filling his tired eyes. "Have you come to replace your mother's wand?" Bellatrix's walnut wand had been placed back in the Lestrange vault at Gringott's shortly after Cassie returned home from Brazil, and she intended to leave it there for good.
"No, Mr. Ollivander." She pulled the glimmering white wand from her robes, and the older wizard's eyes widened as she set it on the counter in front of him. "I was just wondering if you could tell me about this one."
"You acquired this in South America. Which wandmaker crafted this?" He picked it up in his weathered hands, handling it like it was a precious antique.
"I don't know."
He tore his eyes away from the wand to look at her. "You did not purchase this, nor did it choose you. It is loyal to you because you won it."
"Yes," she said softly.
"Who did this belong to originally?"
"Sauda Sombria." He nodded, his attention turning back to the wand. She watched him study it in silence.
"Forgive me, but it will take a few moments to look this over fully."
"Of course, Mr. Ollivander."
She waited out front as Garrick took it into the back room. When he returned, he looked giddy. "Eleven inches, made of silver barrigona with a core of curupira hair," he declared. She fondly pictured the demonic little forest-dwellers that she had come across so many times while she was in the Amazon. "Tell me, how has this wand performed for you?"
"Extremely well, even better than my original. Sometimes it seems like it knows what I want it to do before I even realize it."
"Intriguing," Ollivander muttered. "Very intriguing. Curupira wands are known for only choosing very talented witches and wizards, and unpredictable ones at that. Even then they are notoriously unstable cores."
"But it didn't choose me," she protested lightly, trying to convince herself more than anything.
"Yes," he said, stroking his chin as he pondered, "But it's allegiance to you tells me that it easily could have, given the two of you were introduced at the right time and place."
Unpredictable. Cassie swallowed as the descriptive word swam in the forefront of her troubled mind. "Oh."
"Something is troubling you?"
"Mr. Ollivander, this wand was used to torture and murder a lot of innocent people," she told him wearily. "I'm just wondering if I would be better off replacing it with a different one."
"If this one responds to you as you describe, then anything else would pale severely in comparison."
They discussed the topic at length, and finally, Cassie left the shop. She had been gone longer than she had intended, and when she reached the ice cream parlor, one of the wait staff told her that Severus had left a message. He and Harry had gone to Quality Quidditch Supplies, and she found Severus on the outskirts of a crowd that was excitedly chattering in front of one of the windows.
"Sorry I was so long," she said as she approached the Potions Master, and he placed an arm around her waist. "Where is he?"
Severus nodded his head toward the window, and she spotted Harry at the front of the crowd with his face inches away from the glass. She saw that a new broomstick was on display, but she couldn't care less about it. "What did Ollivander recommend?" Severus asked her quietly. It probably wouldn't have mattered even if he had shouted the question; the witches and wizards around them were so enthralled with the Firebolt that they weren't paying attention to what was going on around them.
"That I keep this one since it has bonded with me so well," she replied. At her words, he tightened his hold on her and pulled her to him.
"If it bothers you, nothing is stopping you from getting a different one," he said.
"Except this one will give me the best advantage when it counts."
"There is no denying that."
They spent the next few hours letting Harry pick where they went. Cassie tried her best to appear engaged in their activities, but as the minutes ticked by she was finding it harder to fake enthusiasm when speaking to Harry, even as he kept talking about the Firebolt and the new cage he had purchased for Hedwig. Severus, seeming to sense her increasing despondency, was attempting to be cordial with the young Gryffindor. They ate supper at the Leaky Cauldron, although it was far from a relaxing affair, as people were coming up to the table to tell Harry how frightened they were for him now that Black had escaped. A few of them thanked Cassie and Severus for keeping an eye on him.
When they returned to their cottage, Cassie was so lost in her head that she barely acknowledged the two wizards before heading up to the bedroom. She didn't know how long it was before Severus joined her. He was saying something about Harry needing to get to work on his schoolwork, but she didn't hear him.
"Cassie?" Severus asked softly as he crawled under the covers beside her. She was curled up on her side facing away from him, and he huffed when he reached out to touch her. She was still wearing her robes from that day. "Cass, your behavior is concerning me."
"Sorry," she muttered, not registering what he was saying.
"You should change into sleepwear."
"What difference does it make?"
"It might help you get a better night's rest." She turned to face him then, and his eyes widened when he saw her tear-stained face.
"Always so worried," she whispered, reaching out and placing a tender hand on his cheek. He turned to kiss her palm.
"Tell me what's bothering you," he implored.
"Nothing."
"You're lying."
"Fine. Everything," she said, snuggling closer to him.
"Tell me," he repeated as she nestled her face into his neck. As she inhaled, his familiar scent of herbs and musk and that faint hint of smoke filled her senses. A fleeting sense of serenity washed over her.
"I don't deserve your attention," she murmured.
"You deserve much more than I could ever give you," he said, his elegant hand reaching to the back of her head and stroking her hair. She hummed in contentment. After a few moments of letting him bestow this tenderness upon her, she started to kiss his neck.
"You're trying to distract me," Severus scolded her. Her answer was to reach between his legs and cup him in her hands. His sharp inhale made her smile into his neck.
"I need the distraction as well," Her petite hands released their hold and found their way into his boxers. He hardened fully at her touch, his primal reaction urging her to continue her ministrations. "Will you give it to me, Severus?" she asked, her voice breathy and suggestive.
"Could I ever deny you?" he asked lowly. She nibbled his earlobe as she stroked him, his throaty groan confirming that his thoughts were sufficiently elsewhere.
Although Cassie desperately needed solid rest, that was not on the agenda for that night. When she had told her lover that she needed the diversion, she had been entirely truthful. As she pulled her lips away from Severus' ear so she could remove the clothing from his body, seeing Bellatrix in her Azkaban cell was far from her mind. The guilt that racked through her whenever she felt a small pang of empathy for her imprisoned mother was chased away as she crawled deep beneath the covers and took him into her mouth. Every moan of unbridled pleasure that escaped him as she took him as deep as she could kept her from ruminating over the fact that a weapon that had been used to perform genocide had bonded to her, perhaps even more that it had bonded with its original owner.
When she wasn't this involved in an impassioned activity, she would wonder if the ivory wand saw so many similarities between her and Sombria that it recognized them as one and the same. That Cassie was just as capable of those atrocities as the dark witch was. It was a thought she could barely stand, and yet it ran through her again and again, so many times that she was beginning to believe it.
Severus was breathing heavily after finishing in her throat. He reached for her as she looked up at him mischievously from between his legs, the fulfilled look on his pale features telling her silently that he was in awe of her, that he was so beholden to have her in his life. She moved up his body, and she knew he was ready to show her his fondness through a similar act. But she couldn't give up her control, not at that moment, for fear of getting lost in her head. Instead of crawling into his arms and allowing him to lower himself to her, she moved on top of him and ground her arse against his groin until he was hard again.
She rode him to her liking, her hands splayed on his chest as he looked up at her in adoration. Even though she loved him, even though she was immensely enjoying every moment of their lovemaking, there was a part of her just then that loathed the way he was watching her. Like she didn't deserve his affection, like she was unworthy. When they finished, Severus told her he loved her and that he would always be there for her. She settled into his embrace, willing herself to fall asleep before her intruding thoughts kept her awake all night. Instead, she lay there, fighting back tears until Severus was dreaming, his chest moving in a relaxed, slumbering rhythm. When she was sure he was asleep, she allowed them to run down her face without restraint.
Summer days continued to pass, and soon Harry's thirteenth birthday was upon them. With the Weasleys and Grangers out of the country, they had little choice but to have a small celebration with the three of them. Cassie had invited Hagrid, but he was out of the country 'getting ready' for the school term and with this confession, revealed that he had taken the Care of Magical Creatures post. Cassie and Harry were elated, vowing to celebrate with the half-giant when they all got to Hogwarts. Severus seemed pleased as well, although he didn't voice his feelings on the matter until he and Cassie were alone.
As they ate the breakfast of Harry's choice and owls started to deliver his birthday gifts, Cassie couldn't help but notice that he hadn't received anything from the Dursleys. It made her wish that she had been a lot ruder to them the night that they had met.
Cassie and Severus gave him their gift after they had cleaned up the kitchen. They had gotten him a Quidditch book about the sport's first decade of teams and matches, and Severus had put together a small collection of various antidotes to wizard-made poisons. "In case Black manages to poison you," Severus deadpanned as Harry examined the vials of various-colored elixirs. Even with the morbid comment, Harry politely thanked the Potions Master. He merely nodded in response.
They planned on heading to the Burrow so Harry could fly, and the boy had gone upstairs to put away his presents when magical alarms started sounding through the house. Cassie was tickled to find Tonks standing at the front door, who was looking amused that she had set off their wards.
"Dora!" Cassie cried, pulling her cousin into a tight hug. "When did you get back?"
"Last night," she said. "Had to go and see Mum and Dad before anyone else, of course." Having been to the Burrow numerous times throughout the years, Tonks was more than happy to walk with them to the charming homestead.
"Did you get her?" Cassie asked when Harry was on his broom and zooming around the trees, referring to the old woman that had taught Sombria the dark art of Roubando. Severus was leaning casually against a tree with his arms folded across his chest, but his eyes were flitting between the two witches as they spoke. No doubt, he was just as interested in Tonks' time in South America as Cassie was.
"Yes. But she didn't go down without a fight."
"How powerful was she?" Cassie asked quietly. It was an indirect question, as she was wondering how many people she had killed to obtain their magic.
"Not nearly as strong as Sombria," Tonks said. "Only had about a half dozen marks on her face. It was her tribe members that gave us trouble. Seemed very loyal to her."
"What was done with her?"
"Executed once she was in Ministry custody."
Severus, who had been silent up to this point, scoffed. "At least they learned after their atrocious mistakes with Sombria."
"Oh, it wasn't a quick decision," Tonks said as Harry went into a spiraling maneuver and then pulled out of it. He looked to the three adults to see if they'd been watching, and Cassie gave him a smile and a thumbs up. "There was a few day discussion between Da Gama and his officials."
"At least it's over," Cassie muttered. "Hopefully the knowledge of Roubando died with her."
"Not quite," Tonks told her, and she looked hesitant to keep explaining until Cassie raised a questioning eyebrow at her. "We found out that Sombria had a son who was still living with her native tribe in the Amazon."
Cassie's heart dropped at the revelation. "Did they teach him?"
"Had two blue marks on his face."
Cassie inhaled a shaky breath. Severus had left his spot and was quickly at her side, a large hand going around her upper arm to steady her. She hadn't realized she had started trembling until he touched her. "How old?" she asked meekly.
"Seven."
She pulled away from Severus' grip and started to walk away from the small grove where Harry was still flying. "Where are you going?" Severus asked quickly, matching her stride.
"Stay here with Harry," she said. "I have to speak with Da Gama or Martese, I have to stop them."
"Cass - " Tonks started, but Cassie rounded on her.
"No!" she hissed. "I don't have time to argue with you! If they were that quick to dispose of an old woman, what's to stop them now? Maybe they'll listen to me, see reason that he's not a lost cause!"
"Cass," Tonks said, her eyes wide and glistening. "It's too late."
Cassie kept walking. "It's not! He's young, he only killed those people because they made him. He can be helped!" Had she been facing Tonks and Severus, she would have seen them exchange a tense glance.
"He can't, Cass," Tonks called after her. Cassie felt tears forming in her eyes as she walked. Severus had caught up with her now, stepping in front of her and gripping both of her arms. She was about to demand that he let her go and get out of her way when Tonks continued. "He's already been executed."
She needed several minutes before she could pull herself together enough to face Harry again. Her tears had dried, but even then, she felt on edge, like her nerves were exposed. None of them spoke as Harry finished his practice, and she could tell from his worried expression once he had landed that he knew something had taken place.
"Cassie," he said, scratching the back of his head. "What is it?"
She forced a fake smile, although she knew he could see through it. "Nothing, Harry. Let's go back home."
"But - " the boy started.
"Once you get cleaned up we can go into town for dinner," Severus interrupted, although not unkindly. When Harry looked to Tonks, she looked down at her feet, unable to fully hide her feelings.
The group started their walk down the driveway. A rustling of long grass sounded only yards away, and Cassie reacted before she could think. She sent a stunning hex so powerful in the direction of the disturbance that it scorched the earth, and she caught the glimpse of a shaggy black tail as an animal disappeared into the greenery.
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Blood Ties and Betrayal