The Burning Pen

The Claiming of Cassandra

by Ruth Solomon

The story content is adult in nature and can contain graphic sex and violence.  Those under the age of 18 are asked to leave this site immediately.  You are not welcome here.  The author is not responsible for those under-aged who view these works.

CHAPTER 6

Disclaimer: All recognizable characters belong to JKR. All situations are mine. No $$$ is being made from this fanfic.
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Chapter 6 ~ Epilogue: The Dragon Returns to Hogwarts


Marcus spent the next three weeks on the island with Cassandra, who put him to work repairing the roof of her hut, enlarging her garden, fishing, gathering fruit, weaving mats, cutting more wood (she had enough for a whole season now), and doing all kinds of menial tasks.

“It’s good for your spirit, dragon man. It keeps you humble,” she’d laugh when he would complain, “if I work you too hard, you can always go home,” she added.

Marcus had no intention of going home early. She worked him hard during the day, but it was the nights that he loved. Marcus had not grown up on the islands, so although he respected Cassandra as an Obeah, he didn’t have the legendary fear of her powers, so when he took her, he had no qualms about how he took her. The natives might have felt the missionary position to be the safest most respectable way to take an Obeah, but Marcus did everything but tie Cassandra into a knot when he took her. She half-heartedly took him to task about his treatment of her, but she loved her dragon man and his wicked, demanding ways of taking her under the stars.

For the first time in his life, the blonde wizard knew what it was like to go to sleep and wake with the same woman curled against him, day after day, and how comforting it was. Cassandra cooked for him, bathed him and washed his clothes for him, and they spent hours talking and laughing, as they did before, but now there was a sense of intimacy Marcus had never experienced. He would look at her sometimes, as she gazed out over the sea, telling him of some new contemplation, and his chest would grow tight, knowing that he was the only man in the world with the right to claim her every night.

Cassandra claimed that Marcus was going to make her weak through his rabid passion for her, but his argument that she would have time to regain her powers when he returned to Hogwarts won over, particularly when he would argue while making love to her. He quickly learned the best time to manipulate the strong-willed Obeah woman was when he was inside of her, bringing her toward an orgasm. But Cassandra soon figured it out, and forbade him to ask her anything unrelated to their lovemaking during the act. Marcus simply waited until right after they were finished, when she was feeling kindly toward him. He really was a wicked, wicked, wizard.

About a week and a half into his stay, Marcus convinced the Obeah to allow him to build a bed. He was not used to sleeping on mats on the ground. Cassandra only used hand built furniture…she claimed it had its own spirit and soul. The hut was not large enough for the bed, so Marcus built a kind of outdoor room beside it, roofed and open on all four sides, with mosquito netting all around it, and put the bed in there. The Obeah woman had hand sewn the mattress cover from heavy fabric, and together they stuffed it with thatch. The couple busted the mattress open on its first run, but Cassandra repaired it swiftly, and more securely. She quickly learned to appreciate the versatility of a bed, but never used it when Marcus was not there. She claimed it would make her back weak, otherwise.

At the end of three weeks, it was time for Marcus to return to Hogwarts. He had grown used to Cassandra’s presence, particularly waking up in her arms each morning, and hesitated about leaving her…but she insisted he go, that he was new to this and would otherwise stay underfoot until he drove her mad.

“What makes a relationship good, dragon man, is that two lives come together and form one for a while, but they still remain two. If you were to give up your life to become part of mine, you would lose something precious and valuable. I want you whole and happy. You will understand before long,” she had said, her honey eyes meeting his tenderly as he prepared to go. They had made love the night before, and no matter how he cajoled her, she would not give him a quickie before he left.

“Better to keep you hungry, dragon man, so you will come back to me,” she said, smiling at him as she handed him the port key.

“I will always come back to you, Cassandra,” he said soberly, his violet eyes telescoping with emotion.

“We shall see, dragon man,” she said, kissing him gently on the mouth, “I will be here.”

Marcus looked at her. She was dressed in a blue sundress, her hair in one long braid. He memorized her.

“Breadfruit” he said. The port key activated and he felt the jerk pulling him homeward. He had the distinct impression he had left something important behind.

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Marcus reported to Dumbledore’s office upon his return. Upon stepping through the floo, he saw the Headmaster was not at his desk. He called him, and Albus called back from the back rooms, telling him to have a seat, and he would join him directly.

Marcus sat down in front of the Headmaster’s desk, his thoughts still on the island, and Cassandra. Fawkes, on her perch, looked at him and let out a gentle trill. Marcus’ eyes turned toward the beautiful bird, who was looking at him, her eyes rolling in her head kindly. Marcus gave the bird a small smile.

“Hello, Fawkes,” the wizard said, addressing the phoenix for the first time since his arrival at Hogwarts.

Fawkes trilled at him again, and then flew from her perch and landed on his knee, looking up at him with her beautiful eyes. Marcus was shocked. He had the impression the bird did not care for him. But the phoenix lowered her head and pushed against his hand, and Marcus caressed her soft feathers, as she sang a low, sweet song to him. He was filled with a feeling of well-being.

This was the sight that greeted Dumbledore when he walked into the office. Fawkes on Marcus’ lap, singing to him as the wizard sat looking down at her, caressing her gently.

“Well, well,” Albus thought. He cleared his throat. Marcus looked up at him, startled he didn’t hear the Headmaster enter the room. Fawkes trilled once more at the wizard, then flew back to her perch, shifting up and down it the whole while Marcus remained.

“I trust you have learned something from your suspension?” Dumbledore asked him seriously, though his eyes twinkled brightly behind his half-moon spectacles.

“Yes, Headmaster,” Marcus said, knowing this was a standard part of his reinstatement.

“Good. Then welcome back to Hogwarts. You may resume teaching classes tomorrow. Incidentally, your students missed you terribly. It seems Professor Snape and Professor Binns were not their cup of pumpkin juice,” Albus said.

Marcus smirked as he realized his first lesson upon returning to the DA class, would be a review of dealing with boggarts. No doubt Snape had put a renewed sense of terror in his students that would need to be purged. Actually, Severus did a review on boggarts while substituting for Marcus, and was rather pleased that he appeared as the greatest fear of so many students. It made it all worthwhile, somehow. Plus he deducted points for every Riddikulus spell cast on his boggart-double, Gryffindor getting the worst of it. He had enjoyed that class.

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Hermione and Severus were at lunch in the Great Hall, enjoying their meal when Marcus walked in.

“He’s back,” Hermione commented, a small little scowl on her face.

Marcus walked up, stopped and gave them both a smile.

“Good afternoon, Lord and Lady Snape,” he said pleasantly, then continued on, not waiting for a reply.

Hermione’s jaw dropped as Severus followed the wizard with his black eyes, a small, knowing smirk on his face.

“Did Marcus just stop and speak to us?” Hermione asked her husband, flabbergasted.

“Yes,” Severus said, returning to his meal.

Hermione considered the blonde wizard as he sat down and ordered his meal. Something looked different about him, but she couldn’t put her finger on it.

“It would seem Mr. Delaluci put his three weeks suspension to good use,” the Potions Master commented. He recognized the change in Marcus immediately. After all, he had been through the same change himself, many years ago when Hermione became his. The signs were unmistakable. The wizard was either in love, or close to it.

“What do you think he did?” Hermione asked, looking at her husband.

Severus chewed his food, swallowed and said, “By the look of him, the right thing.”

THE END

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A/N: And that is the end of “Claiming Cassandra”. Hoped you enjoyed it. The next story will be a blast back to the past, PWP style, when Severus and Hermione step out to paint the town red shortly after their marriage. Thanks for reading, and please leave a final review.

PLEASE REVIEW "THE CLAIMING OF CASSANDRA"

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