Cassi couldn't believe it.
Standing up to Solomon was one thing, she'd dreamed of doing that.
But Sebastian.
His hand in her hair, other on her waist, pressing her against the door. His sweat was mixed with desire.
She couldn't believe it.
She put a hand on his chest, slowly pushing him away from her until their lips were no longer connected.
"Cassi... what you did..." Sebastian said, his breath labored.
"Incredibly stupid, I know." Cassi spoke raspily, clearing her throat before continuing. "I'm sorry, I-"
"Don't." He spoke lowly. "He deserved it. You've done more here in two years than he did in his entire career; he needed to hear that an 18 year old is doing better than him." Sebastian finished the statement with a chuckle.
There would be consequences to this, of course.
That could be pondered on later.
Sebastian realized the position they were in and quickly removed his hands from Cassi's body, feeling the distance between them grow as he stepped back.
"I shouldn't have kissed you like that, not after our agreement. I'm sorry."
Cassi sighed. She knew that he had to say that, she needed him to, so they could keep up this façade they were pulling over themselves.
They couldn't be in love.
They couldn't be together.
Not while Cassi was Keeper of the Enormous Ancient Secret and Sebastian was... well, who knows what Sebastian was doing. She surely didn't.
Therein lies the problem.
When Cassi's secret-keeping came to a head, it was the same time as Sebastian's.
The magic went hand-in-hand.
When they found Salazar Slytherin's relic, it swirled with the same ancient magic that Cassi has access to.
Except, it swirled red. The magic Isadora Morganach utilized, as Cassi saw in the Pensieve memories.
Cassi told Sebastian of this, omitting the fact that she is, herself, a Keeper, but her desperate lover shook it off. No matter what magic these oh-so-special "Keepers" must protect, they must be fools to believe that there is no one in the world that could possibly benefit to it.
This relic is the only known item that can save Anne. Why is Cassi being so difficult?
The argument was large, loud, and ended in tears from both parties.
Cassi would not budge on the topic of the relic being a step too far, for reasons unknown to Sebastian, and Sebastian would not budge on the relic being Anne's savior, no matter the cost, for reasons and consequences mostly known to Cassi.
Sebastian's resolve to use to Dark Arts so fervently scared Cassi deeply. Knowing the ties her family has to the Dark Arts, including her own, she cannot imagine someone being drawn to them out of desperation rather than craving power or domination.
So, Cassi did the only thing she could. She tried to destroy the relic.
It was too late.
Sebastian had turned the relic over and seen an engraving on the underside, reading it aloud as Cassi went to Accio the relic into the stone walls.
"A mortuis.. regursam."
The room was silent.
Then, scratching. From the Earth.
Suddenly, Cassi felt a hand grab her ankle. An Inferi was pulling himself out of the ground, using her as support. She yelled out, "Sebastian, stop! Inferi!"
"Turn around!"
Sebastian snapped out of his trance, holding the small pyramid in his hands and looking around, until he realized there was an Inferi coming straight for him from behind. He cast Depulso, sending the Inferi flying into the wall, followed by a blast of Incendio, burning it to a crisp.
Damn, Sebastian thought to himself.
Can't use that one.
He turned his attention to Cassi, who had freed herself of the grip of the ascending Inferi, but had been surrounded by four more, being backed into a corner.
Just as he lifted his wand, he saw the familiar blue lightning bolts appear as if from the sky and through the rock ceiling of the catacomb, striking down all of the Inferi that circled her.
Cassi shot a look over to Sebastian, the boy she loved, and took the tie out of her braid to try and shake the ashes out of her hair. After her hair was as dirt-free as she could manage without a long bath, she spoke.
"I think we should just be friends. It's obvious we're on very, very different paths."
"E-excuse me?" Sebastian choked out, astounded at what he was hearing.
What came next is a blur to both parties.
Cassi disapparated. They had just finished their sixth term; therefore, Hogwarts was not in session and while she had a Special Permissions pass to stay on campus, she knew that even though Sebastian did not have a pass, he would still find her there.
She decided to go to the only place she knew he wouldn't be able to find her. Not until she was ready, at least.
Home. 12 Grimmauld Place.
With a flick of her wand, her home appeared, unfolding between 11 and 13 Grimmauld. The familiar scraping of stone filled her ears as she looked into the windows of 11 and 13, Muggle families living their lives, watching as their belongings shook, lights flickered, yet they were none the wiser.
The sight of it used to delight her as a child.
Deep in the heart of Muggle territory, the Black family home uses the Fidelius Charm as a means to hide in plain sight. As a result, most do not enter the home until after dark.
As she pulled herself up the stairs, the porch light popped on, and the door slowly creaked open.
"Oh, hello, Scropes. Is Uncle Phinneas in tonight?"
Scropes was the Black family house elf, primarily in servitude of her Uncle Phinneas (Yes, Headmaster Black); well, one of them, anyway. Her great-aunt Elladora had started a nasty tradition of beheading all house elves once they were too old to hold a tea tray, so they came and went, but there were quite a few in the house itself that were alive and working, at least the last time she were there.
"Yes, Miss Cassiopeia, he is staying for dinner. They were not expecting you, ma'am, but I will inform them of your arrival-"
"No need!" Cassi blurted out, quickly gaining her composure. "I could really use a bath; was on assignment for a Professor today and my mother will have a fit if I step foot in the dining room wearing..." She gestured to her dirty school uniform and muddy boots. "this."
Scropes gave her a discerning once-over and hastily agreed, shooing her up the stairs to her bedroom, mumbling that her parents and uncle are in the drawing room and he would alert them to her arrival, but say that she would join them after a bath.
Cassi sighed, resigning herself to a dinner with her family she had hoped to avoid for the evening, and stepped into her room, shutting the door quietly behind her.