A Purpose in Life

England

[Malfoy Manor – 10th of March]

Stop pouting, Lucy – you will see! Have to go now.

There was just something about it that made Lucius laugh about the whole nickname, and it was just like Cassiopeia to tell it like it is and smirk while closing it and then quickly shuffling the book down in her trunk.

Knowing for sure that just as much as he loved teasing her, she loved to lead him in circles when it came to all her titles because he knew that there was more to it than just Potter and Black.

Making the whole chase more interesting, interesting for them both when they will finally meet at the beginning of July, something he was definitely looking forward to now. Lucius did not know why Cassiopeia had him so fascinated, but something had to give sooner or later, and it was great to have something to focus on instead of his past marriage.

Everything since Yule had been hectic – even great in that sense that he had gained a wonderful friend in the girl-who-conquered, but now after all this time he could not see them separated. Things were so much more interesting now, and her having changed his perspective so throughoutlly made him question a lot of things in his life, even now, even if there had been things in the making for years.

Things were also jumping up here that he wondered when things would topple over in the ministry, they hadn't a clue where their wonder girl was and having a frantic Dumbledore on their hands wasn't making it easier for them, but the whole thing made it easier for Cassiopeia, after all, they were invertedly helping her in her adventure around the world. They all still believed her to be in England, something that had him laughing everything it came up in the newspaper.

There was also the interesting friendship developing between Ron, Draco, and Pansy, he had to contend with knowing that that friendship circle was going to be there for a while, and it made him proud that someone could get out from underneath the evil circle of a blood feud.

Having the manor all for himself was also great, not having to care about if his wife were home or not, where she is and things like that. Even then, the whole divorce had gone incredibly well, nothing had gotten entangled in the whole thing, after all, it had been a long time coming and they still had a child together.

Now all he had to do was survive until July, and then he and his son were off to another country for a great well-deserved holiday.

[Hogwarts, Severus Snape's quarters]

It was like the whole world had gone pear-shaped since, now since his best student had disappeared, she was his favourite because she had managed to create such lovely chaos for the unfortunate headmaster, Albus Dumbledore.

Someone had finally done what he had wanted to do for a decade, making the chaos extra interesting to watch everything unfold.

Things had been like this since the headmaster, practically reappeared and disappear in the school doing who knows what and being a pain in the ass to everyone that asks where the girl was, though, in all this Severus could see that it was taking a toll on Minerva, something that was easy to see.

In the end, nothing could be done and having gotten the notice from both Gringotts and the Ministry that one of the students, had never named her, it was easy to think that it had been the Potter girl, and it was great to see that she had managed to get all her OWLS, and even got an O in his own subject was fantastic.

It was also somewhat interesting to see the interest growing in Draco's father, and the focus he now had on the girl, there was something there that Severus and even his son made them wonder if there was going to be something in the future that will be sooner planned than later. Nothing would surprise him more than, them ending up together later in their life when Cassiopeia was of age.

For him, it was also a wonder that they still kept the tournament going and did not cancel it because of everything that is happening in the political climate. Everyone could feel something brewing, the only thing good about it is that the Dark Lord is gone and that the school is still going strong even with everything around them falling apart.

"Wonderfully done, Potter!" Smirked Severus Snape and took a sip out of his standard glass of firewhisky.

[The Secret Trio – Draco, Pansy and Ron]

The trio had been meeting up in secret for months now, and things were going great for them as they were finding out a lot of secrets. Secret passageways, they had spent a lot of their time in the kitchen having the help of the elves if they needed to do something that both Draco and Pansy had never thought of before their red-haired friend had brought up their usefulness.

"Ron, have you figured out something more?" questioned Draco, as they walked into the kitchen together after a long day of playing on their hatred for one another.

"No, but Hermione is still meeting up with someone in the castle, and we still believe that Albus and she are talking extensively to one another."

"I wonder if they are seeing each other!" Pansy grimaced, it was gross to even think about them like that.

"Don't..." Ron shuddered, not wanting to think about his old friend with someone like that but the old man was taking advantage of her and her need for authority figures in her life. "Have anyone of you heard from Cassiopeia lately?" Ron asked them because even with their new and fragile friendship they all still talked with the girl.

"All I know is from my father right now, as it seems like they had struck up an interesting friendship," Draco told them, and to him, it seemed like a solid one if everything that his father has hinted to.

"Okay, that's good." Pansy and Ron said at the same time, making them both blush red, though, the colour clashed awfully with his hair.

Draco only had to shake his head at that, it was maybe the only weird thing that was happening other than all the meetings they could tell Hermione was having with someone on the castle grounds.

After talking to one another about all the things that were happening around the school, they were also happy about the rumours of the school making the decision to cancel the whole thing, but still having the foreign students be here to observe everything that was different with another culture.

They thought something was good, and they still could try to befriend them something that was hard to do, because they themselves did not want to be friends with other people than those in their own schools.

"Let's talk some more..." Draco said and started up a conversation about the things they wanted to accomplish in the next few years as they snacked on something that the elves had cooked up for them.

[Albus Dumbledore – unknown part of the castle]

"Girl, you are ruining everything!" Muttered Albus angrily to himself, as he looked down at the cauldron and a map of the whole world, he had gotten from Hermione. That gullible girl, he smiled, she was so easy to fool to do his bidding in the school.

Something had to be done, Potter was ruining his plan to deepen his own influence on the world. Albus did not believe that the Dark Lord was gone forever like the girl had told him time and time again, he had to be out there, he had planned it so – with the Horcruxes, the plans in leading the girl on a hunt for them, and after she had killed him in front of everyone.

Letting him ride on that fame, and that it was him that had trained her and then planning to throw her in prison for planning a coup and becoming the next dark lady.

Every plan he was making now was falling apart and he could not have it, but it was time to do some damage control up in the castle.