Cassiopeia was spending more and more time alone, Narcissa tried her hardest but being engaged to a high profile heir kept her busy most days and her little sister was feeling the lack of her presence. That was why Cassie was occupying herself trying to convince the house elves to let her help them.

"Couldn't I at least cut the potatoes?" Cassie tried to compromise cutting out any use of fire.

"Young miss Viki is sorry but you know your not allowed, master Black will shout at you again" the head elf squeaked in her high voice.

"He'll never know please, what if I order you to let me" she had on her best puppy dog eyes.

"Then Viki would have no choice miss" she sighed.

"Then I demand that you let me cut up some potatoes" Cassie spoke with a smile on her face.

With the shake of her head Viki handed over the knife and went back to her stew that she'd started, Cassie followed and started chopping potatoes the muggle way. She lasted about three potatoes before getting bored and setting down the knife, she'd need to learn how to cook with magic anyway so she thought she'd give it a go.

Only it didn't go to plan as most of her magic does, the walls floor and ceiling of the kitchen were covered in potatoes in different stages of cooking. Some just raw potato that knocked over a good few pots and pans, then there was the soft almost mash potato that was sticking to everything it touched, some of them were cooked perfectly but after flying around the room they had split open and then the ones that were rock hard and black because they had been charred so bad.

Just when Cassie thought it couldn't get any worse and that maybe setting various potatoes into angry balls of fire would be her only problem she heard a great Yelp from the kitchen door. Cygnus had just been hit on the head by a falling pile of mash.

"CASSIOPEIA VEGA BLACK!! How many times do you go against my wishes" Cygnus screamed frightening all the house elves.

"I'm sorry father I thought I could do it" Cassie replied quietly.

"What- what on earth were you trying to accomplish you stupid girl!" He bellowed as he picked up a lump of coal looking potato.

"I thought I'd help cook them faster" she said not looking up from the ground.

"I'm guessing with magic! This is your last chance, if I catch you trying to perform any sort of magic again I'll disinherit you!" His eyes burning holes into the top of his youngest daughters head.

Cassie let out a grunt and tried to leave, as she moved Cygnus' fury rised up in his throat. He threw the burned potato across the room smashing a window and grabbed a hold of her wrist so hard she thought it would snap.

"Do. Not. Walk away when I'm talking to you" he said so close she could feel the anger in his voice.

"I won't do it again" she tried to keep herself composed holding back a Yelp of pain.

"I know you won't, this ought to teach you!" He released his grip and shoved her backwards.

Without warning a spark of red shot out of his wand aimed directly at her, "crucio" he spoke clearly.

Before she knew what was even going on Cassie doubled over falling to the floor, a jolt of unbearable pain flooded her limbs and shot up her spine making her twitch and spasm as she let out choked sobs. She could taste the metallic tang of blood on her tongue and let out another scream.

"Master Black, the young miss has had enough" Viki tugged at Cygnus' robes as Cassie tried to keep herself conscious but was failing.

Cygnus whipped his free hand out and struck the little elf with the back of his hand before taking a deep breath and heading towards the door.

"See to her, I cannot take her insufferableness anymore today, in fact send her to Bellatrix's once your done with her." He snapped at Viki.

As he looked down in a cruel snarl at the girl on the floor he shook his head, "nothing but a murderer" he revolted.

Cassie caught his last words before she completely shut off.
———————————————————————
When she woke up her whole body ached and the bed she was in didn't feel familiar. Her eyes unpeeled themselves and she rubbed over them trying to make out where on earth she was. A note was placed at her bedside along with a potion and a glass of water. She quickly gulped down the water and started to read the note

Dere young misstress Black,
Viki is sorry she couldn't stay until you are better but master needed me to come back home at once. You are at your sister mistress Bellatrix's house and you should be safe, she tells Viki that she will leave you some pain potion when I leave. You are to stay with her for a few days.
Love from Viki the house elf.

Cassie tried to smile at her kindness but her face hurt as soon as she did, looking at the vial next to the bed she now knew was pain potion she guzzled it down in one. After a good ten minutes she felt alright enough to walk, though the potion had worked and her body was no longer in pain it was still quite irritable.

Once she'd opened up the curtains it looked about midday so she decided to go and look for her sister, or someone she could at least talk too.

"Cass you shouldn't be walking about" she heard Bella call from behind her as she looked in one of the rooms downstairs.

"I'm fine I took your potion, now I'm as fit as a fiddle" she wiggled her legs to show it.

"Maybe but your going to crash when that wears off come on, back to bed" she demanded softly.

"Fine, sorry to get you stuck with me" she frowned.

"I'm pleased your hear little one, the circumstances are obviously not the greatest but I mean he's done worse and it will only get worse as you get older so it's best to have an escape plan" she winked sympatheticly.

"He's such a prat I don't know why I can't come and live with you, at this rate I think I'd rather be Andromeda right now" she sighed.

"You know you can't live with me it's not proper along with my house being a headquarters of sorts, and don't bring that filthy blood traitor up" she said as they reached the room Cassie came from.

"Are you going to forbid me from trying out my magic as well then" she dramatically threw herself onto the bed.

Bella looked at her with a straight face and then grinned, "as long as my house stays in one piece and nothing is set on fire then do as you please"

"Your much more fun than father" Cassie laughed.

"That's because I'm your sister, now I only have one request. Stay out of the left wing of the house at all times, if you need something just summon an elf or tell one to fetch me" she held her sisters hand in hers and smiled.

"Thank you Bells"

"Anytime little one" Bellatrix said as she left the room.

Cassie used her magic to shut the curtains on the window that was letting in the light and lay back on the bed to let the sleep wash over her.

On the third day of her stay at the Lestrange  estate Cassiopeia was feeling good again and was starting to get cabin fever from her room. Of course she would have normally listened to her elder sisters request that she had to stay out of the left wing but she had been dosed up on potion when she agreed so it was plausible that she would forget.

The left wing of the house felt colder, almost like the entire place had been manually lowered in temperature. To keep herself warm and also give her a little light she had created a ball of fire in her hands. Cassie was on the third room and it was set out with a big round table with high back chairs with a fireplace dormant to its left and an archive of books and spare parchment to the right. Instinctively Cassie threw the ball of fire in her hands into the fireplace and the flames shot up, she ignored it and went to look at the books. Mostly full of dark magic and the usual stuff her family liked to collect she sighed flipping through the pages.

"I'm not sure children should be in a war room?" A smooth voice came from behind her.

Her head dropped and she stood up straight, her brain scrambled for a way to get out of trouble and she decided that charm usually worked the best.

"Well I'm not sure you should have a war room so close to children" she cursed herself for admitting she was a child and turned to face the man who was standing by the fire.

His skin was pale and tight around his face but it suited him and he looked handsome, he almost seemed to glow from the light of the flames behind him. Cassie wanted to run for the door but his hand was on his wand and she was surely not stupid, he ran a hand over his dark hair and he let out a deep humourless chuckle.

"Was it you who summoned me?" He asked truly looking quite puzzled.

"What's that supposed to mean I haven't summoned anyone" Cassie replied folding her arms.

"Well the fire doesn't get lit unless I'm needed and there doesn't seem to be anyone else in the room" he gestured around the empty room.

"I was only getting rid of a fire ball" she shrugged.

"How old are you?" He questioned again.

"I'm nearly 10, how old are you" she fired back.

He let out another chuckle, "that is none of your concern, who do you belong too child"

Cassie felt a weird sensation poking at her brain and scowled at it angrily not letting it through.

"Your an Occlumens" the man said sounding shocked.

"I am Cassiopeia Black, this is my sisters house." She said proudly and then added "i don't know what you mean by occlumens, and who are you" she sent him a dagger with her eyes.

"Oh your Bellatrix's youngest sister" he completely ignored here statement about occlumency, "my child, I am Lord Voldemort or you may know me as the Dark Lord" he raised his brow.

Cassie suddenly felt sick, this was the man all the rumours were about. Trying to be brave she didn't back down, she put her hands on her hips and gave her best defying look.

"Bit of a shit name don't you think" she rolled her eyes.

As she finished her sentence the door flung open and in walked Bella and her husband Rudolphus.

"Cassie I told you to say out of here! I'm so sorry my Lord she's just a child she didn't know what she was doing" Bella started with apologies to him.

"I think she does know what she's doing" he smirked at the couple and then looked back to Cassie.

"Sorry Bella I got bored, and I know you said no setting fires but it comes easily to me and I didn't think it applied to fire places" she said defensively, "by the way I think it's rude to just waltz through other peoples fireplaces I think he has a privacy issue" she nodded her head in the direction of Voldemort.

Cassie knew that she should reel the confidence in but it was like once she had started she couldn't stop, it was like her brain had decided that being overly cocky might not get her killed by the most powerful dark wizard of his time.

"Cassiopeia that is enough go back to your room and stay there until I arrive" Bella half shouted.

"Bellatrix be quiet" Voldemort commanded and she snapped her mouth closed.

The tall and strange man, that she now knew was Lord Voldemort walked around Cassie in a circle as if he was examining her, it made her feel like a caged animal and suddenly she felt that prodding at her mind again. Like the first time her face turned into a frown and she snapped her head towards Voldemort who was behind her with an odd expression on his face.

"Is that you?" She half growled.

He looked at Bellatrix and then back, "you didn't tell me your sister was so skilled at occlumency"

"I didn't know my Lord, forgive me" she bowed her head.

"Can someone please tell me what that means and you stop trying to get into my brain" she stepped forward towards him.

"Show some respect sister" Bella half squealed.

"I won't tell you again, quite" he looked at Bellatrix with a deathly glint in his eye.

Voldemort circled her a few more times before he spoke again, "occlumency child, is a powerful skill. It closes off ones mind to intruders who practice legilimency." He placed a hand on Cassie's shoulder.

"And I take it by your reaction it's not common gift" Cassie tried to move from under his grip but it was no use.

"This level at your age, why that is rare." He showed his teeth in an animal like fashion.

There was a small moment of silence and Cassie took this opportunity to glance at Bellatrix and Rudolphus who were both looking from each other to the floor.

"Your almost ready for hogwarts, am I correct" he was facing her now.

"Yeah what's it too you" she asked trying to meet his eyes.

"Well I think you'll be of use to me that's all" he flashed his grin at the child and then released Cassie's shouder, "you can go now"

Without a backwards glance she walked from the room straight to her guest room as fast as she could, he mind was racing and her heart was racing even faster than her mind. She had just been in the presence of Lord Voldemort... and he had seen potential in her.