Chapter Text
In June 1978, Cassandra Rice was attending Hogwarts in her seventh year. She was a pureblooded witch, with long and straight chocolate brown hair and misty grey eyes Blood purity was not important to her, as it was for the rest of her Slytherin housemates, and she was also one of the few friends Severus Snape actually had. She was seen as the oddity of Slytherin house, with far too kind and loving a nature- but the Sorting Hat never fails in placing Hogwarts students.
It was the end of term, and everyone was saying their goodbyes, Cassandra looking for Severus before she left. She spotted him under a tree reading a book, and she gave a small smile as she approached him.
"Severus," she spoke softly.
He looked up from his book pushing some hair back. "Cassandra...is everything alright?"
She gave a soft laugh and nodded. "I wanted to say goodbye. This is our last day at Hogwarts before we all go to do great and wondrous things."
"Not all of us will go on to do great things, Cassie. Some of us are not as fortunate to already have a job waiting for us with the Ministry..." Cassandra took a seat next to him in the grass as he spoke. "Although, Dumbledore did offer me a teaching position here once I gain more training. I am hoping it is the defense against the position of the dark arts."
"That is wonderful, Sev! You will be a great professor," she smiled at him, clearly very proud. "I am not sure if I should join the ministry. My father got me the position. I want to travel and see the world," she murmured, leaning into him. "We are young. And clearly, with the war going on, we need to take risks and see what the world has to offer. We only have one life and I do not want to use it stuck in some office."
Severus tensed up for a moment when she leaned in, but relaxed after a beat. She made him feel comfortable, and after losing Lily it was nice to have a friend again. "Cassie..."
"Hmm?" She glanced up at him.
"I...I..." He was not sure how to explain how he felt to her.
"I like you too and not just in a friend way. I like you more than that." She paused and looked him in the eyes, before leaning in and kissing him. Severus was caught off guard, but responded to her gentle lips by kissing back, his arms wrapping around her waist and pulling her closer to him.
She pulled away. "Should we go somewhere..." she glanced around them; they were completely alone. "More private?"
He just nodded, unable to speak. She laughed and stood up, then they went back to the school and found an abandoned classroom.
Cassie did love Severus in a romantic way, as she had told him, but that was not her true intention for sleeping with him. She wanted to lose the grasp her parents, or more specifically her father had upon her. He may have control of her sister who was married to a Parkinson, but she refused to let him have control of her. Once she was pregnant and unwed he would have to disown her to remove any scandal that would dirty the family name. When she returned home in the next couple of weeks she would receive the dark mark by force, not by her own free will. She had taken a fertility potion to ensure her pregnancy and hoped she would learn she was pregnant before the dark mark was given to her.
When Cassandra and Severus arrived at King's Cross, he pulled her to the side where it was a bit more private. "I want to give you something...something to remember me by," he whispered.
"How could I ever forget you? You are someone who is very special to me” she spoke softly to him watching as he placed a hand inside his pocket.
He took a deep breath and pulled a necklace out which he’d gotten from an ad he’d seen in the Daily Prophet advertising custom jewelry. It was delicate, a simple chain with a periwinkle flower pendant. "We do not know what the future may hold, but I hope that if you wear this, you will always remember me."
He was not the best at communicating his feelings, but this flower was something that connected them. One winter on the way to Hogsmeade, they both reached for the little flower at the same time, since it was an ingredient used for a potion they each wanted to make. After that moment they became close friends despite having been acquaintances since the first year of Hogwarts.
She smiled. "I love it. It is beautiful...do I have to put it on myself?" He shook his head and she turned around, moving her hair in order for him to put the necklace around her neck. Once it was on, she turned back around and gave him a peck on the lips. "Thank you. I will write to you."
"I look forward to it," he whispered as she walked away to find her parents, who like always were not there to greet her but the family house-elf.
Once she arrived back at her family’s manor, she remained in her room for the next few days except for meals until the day she had been dreading arrived. Cassie was summoned down to dinner where her parents had potential suitors waiting for her to meet, along with the Dark Lord himself. Tonight was also the evening she would receive the Dark Mark, which she’d hoped to avoid. But she did not get pregnant early enough and still was unsure if she was pregnant with Severus’ child.
The dress that was laid out for her to wear was form-fitting and black, very low cut with thin silver spaghetti straps that were paired with a diamond necklace and earring matching set and black stiletto heels.
She entered the dining room that was all dark except for the candles that lit the table and the fireplace which illuminated a majority of the room. The walls were burgundy and black color which represented her family’s colors. The doors magically opened as she approached them and all eyes turned towards her, “Cassandra,” her father approached her, “come…it is an important night for you,” he offered her his arm.
She looked at his arm, a sickening feeling in her stomach knowing the part she was about to play, “Yes father,” she took his arm. She did not want to take his arm let alone be here but by now she knew how to put on the show her father wanted.
Lord Voldemort was sitting at the head of the table when Cassandra and her father approached him. “My lord,” he let go of her arm and gave a bow to him, “may I present my daughter, Cassandra.”
Her father glanced at her then back at Lord Voldemort as he looked her up and down, “My lord,” she curtsied to him.
“You wish to become one of my followers tonight?” he asked, his cold voice sending chills up her spine.
“I do indeed, my lord,” she said, rising out of her curtsey and looking at him trying to remain poker-faced so as to not give the impression to him that she wished to be anywhere else but here.
He continued eyeing her, “but my sources tell me you do not agree with my actions.”
Her heart began to beat fast enough she thought it might fly out of her chest. She took a small breath and then continued her poker face expression, “these words you hear from others are untrue. I very much wish to become one of your followers. I was not very well-liked at Hogwarts, I had very few close friends.”
He gave a small nod continuing to stare her down, “Then the words I am receiving from others are untrue.”
“I believe them to be untrue. I am willing to put my life on the line in order to fight for your beliefs.”
Lord Voldemort nodded and seemed to believe the words she was sharing, “your arm.”
She put her arm out for him and he placed the mark upon her. She looked at the mark saddened by this and hoping that the potion she had created worked the way she wanted, she looked back at him then her father, and back at him, “thank you. It is an honor to be a part of your followers.”
He gave a small nod and then looked at the empty seat next to him, “Take this seat,” he commanded.
She looked at the chair as it magically pulled out for her, she took a seat as it was magically pushed back in as she sat.
The dinner began and she was introduced to all the eligible bachelors that had been preapproved by her father, none of them caught her attention. There were plenty of very attractive bachelors and actually not terrible in personality but no one gave her that overwhelming happiness feeling. She just sat there and socialized with the men till the evening became very late and everyone slowly left.
“You did well tonight,” her mother said as she helped her undress in her bedroom.
“I hope father approved,” she said sitting at her vanity looking at her mark with sadness in her tone.
Her mother watched her daughter carefully looking at her through the reflection in the mirror as she handed the dress to a house-elf in the room to have it cleaned, “He will never admit it. He has too much pride in himself to admit it but he does approve.”
Cassandra looked up from her arm to her mother through the mirror’s reflection, “I want to pick my husband though. Victoria married a Parkinson by her own choice please let me pick my own husband. This is the man I am to spend the rest of my life with, let me be happy with whoever I pick. There were decent options tonight I just want to pick for myself.”
Her mother sighed as she removed the necklace from her daughter’s neck, “I would say yes but that decision is with your father. If he agrees to let you pick from the men, he has chosen then I will support you but you cannot pick some random muggle you meet in London.”
She nodded looking down at her stomach placing a hand upon it, “I am not going to marry a random muggle I promise. I just want to have my own choice.”
“I understand darling,” she kissed her daughter’s cheek, “When did you become such a beautiful young lady? I remember when you were born like it was yesterday.”
Cassandra looked at her mother in the mirror of her vanity with a smile, “I love you.”
“I love you too. Now get some rest,” she said placing the necklace on the vanity.
She nodded, “Yes, ma’am.”
Her mother went to the door, “Goodnight.”
“Goodnight,” Cassandra said back
A month later she had gone to London for some shopping or so she told her parents, she actually had scheduled an appointment with a healer to see if she was expecting or not. The healer took a urine sample and did a potion test on it, once the test was complete the healer held the bottle up and looked at her, “You are indeed pregnant.”
She sighed in relief, “Thank you.”
“You are welcome.”
Cassandra left and returned home, “Mother. Father,” she said approaching them as they sat reading in their sitting room by the fire.
“Yes, darling? What is it?” her mother asked.
“You know how I went to London today?”
They both nodded, “What about it?” her mother asked
“How much did you spend?” her father questioned
“I did not spend any of your money. I spent some of the money I have earned from my work at the ministry.”
They were both confused for sure now, “then what? If you did not spend our money then what?”
“I am pregnant.”
Her mother looked as if she would faint and her father became furious, “pregnant!”
“Yes…pregnant.”
“Do you know who the father is?! Is it one of the men you have been courting?”
“No, the father is someone from when I was at Hogwarts. They were in my house though but the child will be a half-blood.”
He stood up angrily throwing his book across the room, “Leave! You are a disgrace to our family name! I will not have a daughter who is going to bore a bastard child! I certainly will not take a half-blood as a grandchild!”
Her mother stood up as well, “let's reconsider this. Maybe we can marry her off quickly and pass the child as his if we make the wedding happen quick enough.”
“No! I will not have a grandchild who is a half-blood!” he was bright red in the face with anger, “You will leave with nothing. You will have no money.”
“That is fine I have my own money and still have my flat closer to the ministry.”
She looked at her mother then her father, “Goodbye,” she said and left the room. She returned to her room and gathered her belongings, things she had paid for with her own money, not her father’s money.
As she packed her mother came to her room, “Cassie…”
“I do not want a lecture, mother.”
“I am not going to give you a lecture,” she said and placed a large bag of coins on the vanity, “this is what is left from my inheritance from when your grandfather passed. Take it and take care of my grandchild. Please stay in touch if you can. I will try to bring your father around but I do not believe I will be able to.”
Cassandra picked up the bag, “Thank you, mother. I will stay in touch if I can,” she closed her trunk and placed the bag of coins into her purse. “Goodbye, mother.”
“Goodbye, my darling,” her mother was on the verge of tears as Cassandra apparated to her flat.
A week into living on her own officially she invited Ann to come visit, “Your place is so cute!”
“Thank you. It came furnished not really my style…or the life I am used to but it is mine.”
“That is true. It is yours. Now what is this about you have some news to share with me,” she asked as Cassandra made them both teas.
"I am pregnant," she said "What do I do,” she already knew what she wanted to do but wanted to appear like this was a surprise to her.
Ann sighed, "Cassandra you do not have many options. You can keep it and raise it or give birth and give it up for adoption although with the current war there's already so many orphaned children or you can..."
Cassandra shook her head stopping Ann from finishing her sentence "I want this baby...I love the father I do but he is not fully there I think he is still in love with someone else.
Ann placed a hand on her friend's "then there is your answer. You can keep the baby; I would tell the father but that is me. If you do not want him involved then do not tell him. If he is still in love with another then he will never be able to fully love you, the child maybe but not you."
"I have not seen him since we went our separate ways at King's Cross...I am doing this on my own. This is my baby and I will raise it the way I see fit"
"If that is what you want to do then I will support you and I know Patrick will too. You will not raise the baby alone we are here for you"
Cassandra hugged her "You are the best!"
In March 1979, Cassandra went into labor, never having told Severus about the baby. Ann was there to help her with everything.
“Alright Cassandra, one more push, and the baby will be here,” the healer told her with one final push the baby was born. “Congratulations! You have a daughter.”
The healer handed the baby to another healer to let Cassandra see before taking the baby to get cleaned up. “She is beautiful,” she cried. “She is mine.”
Ann squeezed her hand. “Yes, she is. She is beautiful and no one is taking her from you.”
Cassandra and her child were quickly moved into a recovery room, followed by Ann, who was remiss to leave Cassie's side. The baby girl had been wrapped in a pink blanket by hospital staff, and the women were left alone in the room, Cassie cradling her infant tenderly. "Do you have a name picked out?" Ann asked, smiling down at the baby in question.
Cassandra touched the necklace Severus had given her while looking at her daughter. “Periwinkle Elizabeth King,” she said firmly.
“King?” she was confused and wondered where this name came from, “I do not remember attending school with someone with the last name King.”
She looked up. “You did not know him. I met him in Hogsmeade and had a bit too much butterbeer.”
She chose the last name King because she knew Severus called himself the Half-Blood Prince which she learned from seeing the cover page in his copy of Advanced Potion-Making that the person to who it belonged was labeled as the Half-Blood Prince. When she questioned him about this he revealed to her that he called himself the Half-Blood Prince. When she had Periwinkle she chose King to allow some ties to him without truly revealing who her birth father was. She knew she did not want her child to have any connection to her family name due to the treatment she had received during her growing up.
Ann gave a small nod but did not believe that.
In September 1981, Cassandra was working for the ministry and raising Periwinkle by herself. Ann had tried to get her to join the Order, but she claimed that with work and being a single mother, she just did not have the time which was true but she also did not feel mentally she could with the dark mark on her even if she did not follow the beliefs that the mark represented.
Cassandra was at the burrow with Periwinkle and Ann and Patrick’s twin daughters, keeping Molly company while everyone was out battling death eaters. The children were all asleep and the two were tidying up the living area while they waited.
“Shouldn’t they be back already?” Cassandra asked concerned as she glanced at the clock just as Arthur’s hand on the clock switched to home.
“There they are,” Molly said with relief as Arthur and some other members of the Order came in as well.
“Molly,” Arthur said, hugging her and giving her a kiss.
Cassandra searched the people who were there. “Where’s Ann? Patrick?”
The room went quiet with no one wanting to say anything. Remus took a tentative step forward. “Cassie…”
“No… No! You are wrong! They can’t be!”
Molly came over to her, “There now Cass it will be alright.”
“Their daughters…they have no family! Ann was an orphan herself and Patrick lost his parents months ago. These girls have no one!” Her voice was shaky as she spoke, she was in shock, but tried to hold back tears from forming.
“I suppose then they will go to an orphanage until they are adopted,” Moody simply said with little to no emotion as he stood near the entryway of the living room.
Molly looked towards Arthur and then at the rest of the Order, “We can adopt them. I know what it is like already to raise twins, plus it would give Ginny some sisters.”
Cassandra shook her head, “No I will do it. I will adopt them. Their parents were my best friends. I am their godmother, and I will take care of them…but it is no longer safe here. I am moving to America.”
The room was silent for just a brief moment when Remus looked at her, “Are you sure?”
“They are my godchildren. It is my responsibility to raise them if anything were to happen to Ann and Patrick,” she sighed trying to hold back tears, “This is my job. I am to raise them and protect them from any harm as if they were my own flesh and blood.”
He said nothing then looked at everyone else, “then that is what will happen. It will not be an easy task raising three children alone.”
“I am not alone. I have everyone here, but they are my responsibility.”
Molly nodded, “Yes. We will always be there to help you when needed.”
A few days passed and they were having a joint funeral for Ann and Patrick.
“Mummy and daddy loved you two very much,” she told Hallie and Holly, who did not have a clue what was going on.
At the reception that was being held at the Burrow, Cassandra had just gotten the twins and Periwinkle to sleep for their afternoon nap. She went to the edge of the property, needing some space. She was leaning against a tree with the wind blowing, it was nearing October and the weather was becoming cooler. She shivered as the wind blew around her, she pulled her coat more around her letting her mind drift elsewhere trying to wrap her brain around what was happening. Losing her best friend and now entering motherhood with not just one child, but three. In this moment she made the decision that she needed to leave, she would miss the help she had received from everyone the past week, but it was no longer safe here to raise children. She needed to escape with them and get them and herself to a safer location. America is where they needed to go.
Footsteps approached from behind her and she shook her head. “I would like to be alone for a moment please.”
“You had a child,” a bitter voice said.
She looked up and turned toward the voice. “Severus, what are you-”
“I am a part of the order. I came to pay my respects to them.”
“Oh…I did not know you joined. Um, thank you for coming though.”
He nodded, “Of course. I will repeat though: you had a child.”
“I did…Periwinkle.”
Severus glanced at the necklace she still wore. “Periwinkle? Is she-?”
“Look, Severus, I have to go. I leave tomorrow for America.” She moved to walk past him.
“You did not answer my question!” He raised his voice, which he had never done towards her before. He grabbed her arm, stopping her from walking. “Is she mine?”
“Let go of me, Severus!” She tried to pull her arm from his grip.
Lily approached them coming to check on her. “Cassie, are you alright?” She asked, which made Severus release his grip. He turned and stalked briskly away.
“Yes, I am fine. Just Peri’s father trying to cause trouble.”
“Is her father Severus?” she asked, trying not to pry too much for details if Cassandra was not ready to openly share on her own. She hoped he was though, this she felt would be a good thing for Severus to be connected to someone he could fully love and care for.
She said nothing but gave a simple nod. “I do not want him to know.”
Lily nodded disappointed but understood, “I understand.”
The following day, Cassandra was at the docks preparing to board a ship to America.
“Are you sure you want to leave?” Molly asked.
“I am sure. It is not safe here to raise these girls here. Hallie and Holly already lost both of their parents; I am not leaving them alone ever again.”
Molly nodded, then gave them a hug. Everyone else followed suit.
“You are a very brave witch, Cassie,” Remus told her as he was the last to say goodbye.
“I will be back one day. I would like the girls to attend Hogwarts, to know where they are from, and meet everyone. But until I feel it is finally safe to return, I will remain with them in America.”
He nodded as the ship blew its horn for final boarding. She took the twins’ hands. “Peri, grab Holly’s hand, and let’s go find our new home.”
“Bye-bye!” The girls yelled once they were on board, waving goodbye to everyone on the docks.
What Cassandra did not know was that Severus had come to watch them leave as well. Lily, who was at the docks as well saying goodbye, looked behind her and noticed Severus standing in the far back. She handed Harry to James and then excused herself, claiming she needed to use the loo.
She went to him. “You did not say goodbye?”
He looked at her, “We ended on bad terms,” he sucked in a cool breath that was salty tasting from the sea before them. He watched the ship begin to leave, guilt filling him as the horn blew from the ship and disembark from the docks.
Lily looked at him then back towards the ship as a tug boat tugged it further into the sea, “Did you? Or did you bail on her? From what I gathered from Ann, you never answered her letters when she wrote. She did not know why she was even writing to you but it was obvious of course. Cassie was in love with you.”
Watching the boat leave he let out a deep breath, stuffing his hands inside his coat and simply saying, “I was in love with another, but she loved someone else,” he did not look in Lily’s direction, “I love her too, but not as much as I loved someone else.”
“Her daughter is yours. It is of course very obvious; Periwinkle resembles you very much.”
He gave a small nod closing his eyes for a brief moment remembering the birth announcement that Dumbledore had forwarded to him containing a small picture of Periwinkle wrapped in a light blue blanket with a white bow around her head. He reopened his eyes, “I am not the father type. She deserves better.”
“You could be if you tried. I should go though.”
Severus watched the ship leave until it was but a speck on the horizon.