Where the Heart Is

Chapter Four: A True Nightmare


As the pale light of dawn shown through the windows in the common room, Cassandra stood up, thinking of the sleepless night she had had. She was so tired of waiting for some word of her family. She had not heard a single thing from them since her father had left the note with Professor Lupin. The waiting was taking a visible toll on her from the dark circles under her eyes to her sudden bouts of moodiness. It didn’t help matters that she had felt like she was being followed now by Snape, who just seemed to know when she was doing something remotely wrong like breathing too loud so he could take more points off. She really wished he would get that broomstick out from up his arse.

It was the day before Halloween. She couldn’t help but think of how long it had been since she had seen her father. Almost two months. She shook her head slightly. It hurt. She had no word, and her dreams would not let her forget the fact that she hadn’t seen him and was worried about him. She kept seeing cold, lifeless eyes staring back at her. Her father’s eyes. Her eyes slowly closed as a single tear fell down her pale cheek. She had to stop this reverie. It was not good for. r.

She went to the bathroom, planning to stay in there until almost the end of breakfast. She didn’t feel up to seeing her friends and having them ask again what was wrong. After a while, she came out, finding them gone without her. She made her way to the Great Hall. She had had a feeling that her gift was acting up, but she couldn’t diguisguish anything except the dark shadows in her dreams.

As she was going downstairs, she turned a corner and took a couple of steps backwards from running into something hard. Looking up, she stifled a groan. “Snape.”

“Professor Snape, Miss Black,” Severus corrected her. “It appears that you still haven’t learned to watch where you are going.”

“And it appears that you, PROFESSOR Snape, still haven’t learned to be nice.” she shot back, eyes glaring at him. She was in no mood to deal with him. “Why do you keep showing up wherever I am? Stop following me. What do you want anyway,” she stated, her voice rising slightly in anger.

“Me? Follow you?” Severus said with a distasteful sneer plastered on his face. “I want nothing from you, Miss Black. Perhaps YOU are following me.”

She laughed. “Why in the world would I follow an overgrown bat like you?! Frankly, I’ve gotten over my obsession with Batman.” She turned on her heel to stalk off.

“Detention. Eight ock. ck. Dungeons.” Severus said through barely controlled anger.

She paused for a brief second, stiffened, and continued to walk to the Great Hall. Upon arriving at the Gryffindor table, she practically slammed her books down and sat down as well. “That insufferable man!” she mumbled to herself as she got some food on her plate.

The Great Hall went very quiet from her display. Slowly conversation picked up again. Harry cautiously ventured out to inquire what happened. “C-Cassie? What happened?”

She jerked her head in his direction, eyes blazing. Harry backed up suddenly from her intense stare. Slowly her eyes softened. “I’m sorry, Harry. It’s not your fault.” She sighed. “Snape gave me detention.” “What for?” Ron piped up. “Oh, who knows this time? There are a variety of reasons,” she said, shrugging. “I’m going to go on to class. See you guys later.” She gathered her belongings and left. Her plate of food completely untouched.

* * * * *

Promptly at eight o’clock, Cassandra arrived for detention. She barely had knocked on the door before it swung open. She began to say that she was there, but she didn’t have a chance. “Start cleaning the cauldrons. After you finish that I have other work for you.” Snape stated, tossing her a pair of gloves and stalked out to his office.

She mumbled a few choice words and pulled the gloves on and began to work. She diligently worked until she had finished the last one. She straightened up, hearing the pops of her back being realigned from being hunched over too long. Her arms ached. She pulled the gloves off and glanced at the clock. Ten after midnight. She groaned slightly to herself and went over to his office. The door was opened. She peered in, seeing that Snape was at his desk grading homework. “I finished the cauldrons,” she stated, unable to hide the tiredness in her voice.

Severus glanced at the clock. “About time.” He stood up and closed the distance between them. “You’re not finished yet. I want you to sort these into smaller jars.” He said, motioning to several large jars of dead spiders and the smaller jars she was supposed to put them in. She sighed inwardly, and without question or comment, she went to work with the tedious task. She wasn’t going to let him get to her. She had no plans of giving him the satisfaction.

After an hour and half, she leaned her head against her hand, placing the spiders in the smaller jar with her other hand. Her vision kept doubling as she struggled to remain awake. Her eyelids grew so heavy, and she did not realize when they closed to rest.

A vision passed through her. There were shadows all around, moving toward a window. She looked through and saw her family. The whole scene felt like the calm before the storm. She wanted to call out to them and tell them to leave, but she couldn’t. She saw the shadows advancing and becoming the shape of cloaked men.

“Miss Black” stated a sharp voice from behind her, disturbing her dream as she sat up suddenly. She could fell him very close behind her, the folds of his clothes slightly brushing against her back as he breathed. She glanced up slowly, seeing him gaze at her. “You cannot sleep or leave until you finish these and place them back on the shelf, Miss Black.” Severus smirked.

She quickly looked down at the table. “Yes, Sir.” She then went back to work, glad that she was almost finished with the jars. She felt his presence linger a little longer before he went back into his office.

Finally, she had placed the last disgusting spider in the smaller jar. She gathered up some of the jars and sat them on the shelf. As she was walking over to place the last jar on the shelf, a blinding light shot through her eyes before all went dark. The glass jar fell from her hand, shattering on the stone floor of the classroom.

She no longer saw the classroom. She could see her front door at home in America. Then, the door burst open, and her father ran into the hall with his wand drawn. “Where is she?” the malicious voice called out. “I don’t know who you are talking about.” John said, narrowing his eyes. “Your daughter. Where is she?” the voice called to him again. John glared. “I will never tell you. She is safe.” The voice seemed to be considering this, and then a green light shot out of the voice’s wand as he said, “Avada Kedavra.” A scream was heard as Cassandra’s mother and sister came into view from the hall. They were soon grabbed by the masked men. “Where is your daughter Cassandra?” the voice asked with a hint more gentelness. “What are you going to do to us if I don’t tell?” Anna inquired, shielding Kara away the best she could. The voice pointed over to John. “If you spare my daughter and me, then I’ll tell you e she she is.” Anna implored, willing to give up her other daughter. “Of course,” the voice stated smoothly. “She’s at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry in England. Just take her. Take her! Now go!” she cried out, clutching Kara closer. “Thank you,” the voice sneered, swishing his wand as the green light came out again. “Avada Kedavrae cae called out in a gleeful voice, killing Anna and Kara. Then, he picked up a picture that was of Cassandra Black. Cassandra screamed slightly and saw no more.

Severus heard the glass break. He put down his quill. He shook his head and stood up. “Clumsy girl…” he started. He stopped when he saw her on the floor. He quickly went over to her, turning her over, so he could get a better look at her. “Miss Black?” he asked, gently shaking her. He saw that her eyes were moving rap und underneath her eyelids. “Miss Black. Wake up.” he said more forcefully. She still wouldn’t wake. Then, he heard her scream and dropped her back to the ground, since he was so startled by her response. “Cassandra, wake up.” When she didn’t wake again, he pulled out his wand. “Ennervate.”

Her eyes fluttered open. She saw his dark form peering over her. Suddenly, she sat up, scooting back from him, fear clearly in her eyes.

“Cassandra,” Severus said gently. Perhaps he had worked her too hard, he thought. He saw the fear in her eyes and raised an eyebrow. She normally didn’t fear him, one of the few who didn’t actually. Before he realized what he was doing, he reached out and lightly touched her hand. “Cassandra….”

She slowly focused on her surroundings. The familiar stone walls and potions equipment brought her to reality. “It was just a dream…” she said faintly to herself. This realization unfortunately did not bring the comfort she seeked. It was too real. She felt like she was there, like she had witnessed…. Unshed tears clouded her vision as she pulled away from him and stood up. “I…I need to go up to my common room. It’s late.” Her entire body was visibly shaking from the dream she had had. “I need a pass.”

Severus straightened up from where he had been kneeling beside of her. He wondered what the hell had happened and what this ‘dream’ was about. His dark eyes raked over her frame, noticing that she was shivering as if she were cold. “Of course, Miss Black. I kept you longer than I should have.” he stated almost as an apology. He got a piece of parchment and a quill, writing her a pass to get back to her common room without penalty. “Here you…” he started to say, holding the pass out.

She grabbed it from him and left before he could finish his sentence. She practically ran to the dorms, her vision blurring from the tears.

Severus stood there a moment, staring out the door that she had practically run out of. He shook his head slightly and cleaned up the mess she had made. She was an odd one. He just couldn’t understand her.

She entered the common room and stopped suddenly. She didn’t want to go upstairs. She might disturb someone, and she just did not want to deal with people. She threw herself down on the couch and buried her face in the cushion as the tears fell freely. She kept getting flashes of what happened, and her heart sank. Her mind turned to her gift, wondering if the dream was a vision instead. In that case, then it had to be true. A muffled sob broke from her lips at the mere thought. No, it couldn’t be true. It was just a dream. If it was true, then she would be the last Black. It wasn’t true. She wasn’t going to believe it was true. Slowly, she was beginning to calm down and relax. Her eyes remained closed as the tears kept slipping out from underneath her eyelids. Her last thoughts as she cried herself to sleep were that it must have been a true nightmare.

A/N: Please review! PLEASE! I would appreciate it so much! *gives puppy dog eyes* Please!