So, folks, I'm going to start tinkering with your memory now. I'm working on Year 7, and gosh, it's been quite enjoyable to write. I hope that when it's released, you all like it.

This chapter has a part 2. Good reading.

(...)

She was boiling with anger. The blasted mansion was infested with ill-mannered Death Eaters, who seemed to have forgotten basic etiquette in some filthy hole. And to make matters worse, the noseless wretch was acting as if he owned the place.

Noctua had insisted that she stay at Malfoy Manor, away from the mess surrounding the Gaunt residence. That only made her more irritated, as in her fervor to avoid contact, she barely even saw her mother. To make matters worse, she needed to get her hands on the dark books, which, to her misfortune, were in the damn Manor's library. It was a true nightmare dodging all the curious looks, but finally, with a lot of effort, she managed to reach the books she needed.

Her fingers trembled as she held the forbidden volumes. One of them promised to help her fix the magical cabinet in the Room of Requirement, but she preferred not to dwell too much on the consequences that the success of Draco's mission would bring. Now, her focus was on Draco; she needed to protect him at all costs and ensure that everything went well until Snape found a solution. With a little hope, she might also find something against Voldemort.

When she returned to Malfoy Manor, she practically locked herself in the library, eager for answers. She researched, studied, read, reread, and scribbled feverishly. Draco was the first to find her, her face buried in books. In his eyes, she saw a mixture of sadness and gratitude. They sat together in front of the fireplace, burning silently, the crackling of the flames the only sound filling the room as Draco selected some books for himself.

"Do you think he's suffering in Azkaban?" Draco suddenly asked, his gaze avoiding Cassi's eyes, looking deeply troubled.

"I won't lie... I've heard terrible things about that place," Cassi sighed. "But I think Lucius might even be relieved to be away from Voldemort's fury."

"How are you feeling?" She asked gently.

Draco fell silent for a moment as he looked at the fireplace.

"I just want to protect my family, Cassi, make them proud," he sighed with a sob. "I just... I wish I could have a normal life. If I didn't have you..."

Cassiopeia got up to hug him. "You'll always have me, ferret boy," she said affectionately. "Who else will keep me from floating away?" she joked, trying to bring a bit of lightness.

"Well, there's Pansy," Draco replied, a shy smile appearing on his lips as he let out a chuckle.

"You got the point," Cassi sighed.

"I'm tired, Cassie. What if I fail? I wanted him to be proud of me," he confided with a mix of sadness and frustration.

"Listen... Lucius is a fool if he never told you how amazing you are. It might not be the same... I would give anything to hear that from my father, but... I'm proud of you. I believe you'll be the best mediwizard in this country, with the most beautiful hair," he tried to cheer him up, smiling affectionately.

Draco looked at him for a moment and then laughed, a genuine smile lighting up his face.
"Thank you."

"Always,"

He glanced at the ring Narcissa had given him the previous night. A broad smile formed on his face.

"You're in love with her, aren't you?" Draco asked with a playful look, still smiling. "I've known for a long time, my mother explained about the soul bond... It was complicated to understand, you know? But... I never told you how good it is to see you smile."

"I really am, Draco," Cassi sighed. "It's something inevitable, you know, with magical bonds. It would only bring pain if I tried to escape, but... It fit so perfectly."

Draco smiled contentedly. "I'm glad. I've always supported you both."

Cassi stopped for a moment, a broad smile forming. "So that's why you used to prevent Fleur from kissing me?" she asked, laughing.

Draco raised an eyebrow, looking quite confused. "What are you talking about?"

Cassi gradually stopped laughing, a bit stunned. "Well, you would sometimes appear when we got too close."

Draco looked at her as if she were crazy. "I have no idea what you're talking about."

If she said she was confused, it would be an understatement, but she decided to ignore it for now.

"Shall we be a family?" He asked with a playful smile.

"Technically, we already are, dear cousin," Cassi chuckled.

"Urgh," Draco sighed, also laughing. "I'm still not going to call you 'mum'," he joked, throwing a cushion in her direction.

"Oh, how about 'Daddy'?" Cassi teased. "I wouldn't ground you for a whole month," she laughed, returning the cushion throw.

"Horror!" He laughed. "You'd leave me grounded for a year, I know," he said while laughing, and the two started a pillow fight.

Narcissa was listening to everything, leaning against the library door with a broad smile on her lips.

(...)

Later, Cassi went out to look for Narcissa. But the woman was nowhere to be found.
For a while, Cassiopeia walked through the familiar passages of Malfoy Manor. She searched the elegant halls, her room, and even the well-kept gardens. However, the woman she was seeking seemed to be elusive.

Upon reaching a door she hadn't been shown before, at the far end of the northern corridor, she supposed she had arrived at the right place.

Carefully, she pushed the slightly ajar door, revealing a well-equipped potion room. The air was infused with the scent of herbs and steam. In the center of the room, Narcissa was there, engrossed in her work. She wore black dragonhide gloves; whatever she was working on could harm her hands.

Cassiopeia stood there, admiring as she leaned against the doorframe. She watched in silence, fascinated by the serious expression on Narcissa's face as she deftly handled the belladonnas. She didn't know exactly what those poisonous plants were being used for, but she recognized the older woman's dedication and skill.

For a moment, Cassi was tempted to interrupt Narcissa's work to give her a kiss or a hug, but she glanced again at the gloves and didn't want to accidentally startle her and cause an accident. So, she chose to stand there in silence, appreciating the sight.

When Narcissa finally noticed Cassiopeia's presence, she looked up, her eyes meeting Cassi's. A gentle smile appeared on the older woman's lips, and she made an inviting gesture for Cassi to approach.

Without a word, Cassiopeia walked toward Narcissa. She got close enough to feel the woman's warmth and the aroma of the potions in the air-sweet, but in a wrong way. As if it were meant to hide its toxicity.

Narcissa removed the dragonhide gloves and placed them on the table before gently placing her hand on Cassi's face, caressing it tenderly.

"You found me," she whispered.

Cassi responded with a goofy smile.
"Always," she replied, feeling complete in Narcissa's presence. "I barely saw you during the day."

Narcissa smiled. "Well, you were busy with your nose in the books," she teased with a laugh before leaning in to kiss her.

Cassi gazed at her intently, taking in every detail of her face, every curve. Completely fascinated.

She wouldn't be surprised if she had hearts in her eyes.

So beautiful. Merlin, I love her smile, even more so her lips. That mouth does things...

The older woman was smiling at her. Intrigued, Cassi turned her gaze to her thoughts, quickly realizing that Narcissa could hear them. She tried to shield her mind and gave her a dirty look. "Stay out of my head." She huffed, irritated, but couldn't contain her smile.

Narcissa cruelly laughed at her.

This woman could be a demon on earth.

"But your thoughts are so delicious, darling." She extended her cold hand to Cassi's warm cheek. "Even with Occlumency ability, you seem to always be open to my..." Narcissa let her gaze travel down Cassi's body with a hungry look, "...penetration." She finished.

Cassiopeia felt her eyes widen, a brief déjà vu, and Narcissa's smile turned even more wicked as she stepped back with a laugh.

Fuck.

"Wait for me in the room, love. I still have a few adjustments to make," Narcissa said as she carefully manipulated the ingredients on her workbench.

Cassi watched her attentively, curious about what the older woman was preparing.
"What kind of potion is that?" She questioned, looking over Narcissa's shoulder.

"Hmmm," Narcissa murmured thoughtfully, pondering whether to share or not. "Just a new project. For now," she replied with an enigmatic smile.

Cassiopeia raised an eyebrow in response to the mystery. It wasn't something she recognized, not even something she had seen her mother prepare before.

"If it works, I'll tell you. Promise," Narcissa teased, knowing her answer would only heighten Cassi's curiosity. "Now, go, shoo, shoo. I'll follow you soon," she joked, giving butterfly kisses to Cassiopeia's lips and gently pushing her out of the room.

As the door closed, she stood stunned for a moment. Something made her uneasy. As sweet and inviting as the scent of the potion tried to be, whatever Narcissa was working on, it was undoubtedly poisonous.

(...)

Cassi headed up to her room. She needed a long, leisurely bath. As soon as she entered the room, she noticed a few letters on her desk.
She raised an eyebrow; she hadn't seen the delivery, but Kreacher probably collected them; he was always so proactive.

When she saw the name, she smiled gently.

Cassi opened the letter and took out the parchment to read it.

Dear Cassie,

I hope you're enjoying the holidays. I'm currently spending them with my family in London. I received an invitation from Ginny to stay with the Weasley family, but as I'm still not on good terms with Ron, I preferred not to accept this time. I thought it would be awkward, and I don't want things to be uncomfortable, you understand?
I need to tell you something that's been bothering me lately. About that kiss at Slughorn's party? Well, I haven't been able to stop thinking about it since. I know it came out of nowhere, but I confess I don't regret it one bit. I never thought about kissing a girl before, and I believe I liked it. I apologize for catching you off guard; it wasn't my intention, but I also can't say it wasn't an interesting experience.
I promise that next time, I'll let you know before stealing a kiss, so it won't be so sudden. After all, I have to respect the boundaries of your personal space, even though my curiosity is through the roof.
Please, I hope this doesn't make things awkward between us. You mean a lot to me.
Sending you all my love and longing, and I hope we can meet up soon at Hogwarts.

With love,

Mione.

A fond smile formed on her lips as she read her friend's words.

So, Hermione likes witches too? That's new.
She placed the letter on the table, deciding to reply later.

The girl walked over to the large mirror adorning the wall of her room and observed her reflection for a moment.

She slid the dress off her shoulders, letting it elegantly fall to the floor.

With a graceful movement, she released the perfect bun holding her hair, allowing the dark strands to cascade down her shoulders. She gazed at her reflection again, admiring her own image.

Then she walked to the bathroom, where the bathtub awaited her. Cassi adjusted the water temperature and, with a satisfied sigh, immersed herself in the tub.

She leaned her head back, allowing the gentle warmth to penetrate her tired muscles. Her eyes closed, and she relaxed completely, letting her worries and tensions dissolve in that moment.

In the background, the soft sound of the door opening reached Cassi's ears, and she smiled.
Probably Narcissa.

(...)