Cait awoke in a bedroom somewhere reminiscent of a centuries-old inn, and quickly noticed that her wand had been taken. Thankfully, she realized that Verena was still with her, and the feline quickly launched herself onto the bed her mistress was currently occupying. Cait was dressed in a long nightgown, similar to the one she wore in the dormitory at Durmstrang...

Cait's thoughts immediately went to the past several hours, or days, for she had no idea when or were she was. The room she was in was plenty warm, and she was relieved to discover that she was not tied to the bed in any way. Easing the furred coverlet out of the way, she tentatively crossed the floor, the old wooden floorboards creaking beneath her feet, and moved the curtain of one of the windows out of the way. Outside, the world was covered with snow, and there were several wooden buildings around them. It reminded her of Durm Selo, but Cait was quick to realize that they weren't in Bulgaria, especially when a sign declared the area to be called Diagon Alley, leading her to assume that they were in England.

Stumbling backwards from the window, she wrapped her arms around herself, a lump rising in her throat at the predicament she found herself in. The wizard who had attacked her on the grounds of Durmstrang had obviously bested her in the fight when she had cracked her head open upon the rock. Reaching up, she sensed that the skin where her head had split was still tender, but had been healed. Attempting to recall the lectures about international traveling in her various classes at Durmstrang, she figured that International Apparition, International Flooing, or an International Portkey had been utilized to get her to England.

A crack suddenly disturbed her reverie, and she spotted a house-elf standing there, tray in one hand, and a dress over the other arm. The elf set the tray down on a table beside the fireplace, and placed the dress inside the wardrobe, before it bowed to Cait. "Mistress is to have some breakfast and dress herself. Will mistress be wanting a bath and some teeth cleaning instruments?" the small being asked.

Cait swallowed. "Y-yes. Yes, please," she managed to get out, her voice hoarse.

"Very good," the elf said with a small bow, before cracking away.

Cait stumbled forward, relieved when the bath, with steaming hot water, arrived for her, along with numerous bottles of shampoo, conditioner, and body wash, alongside a plethora of soft-looking towels. Another crack issued throughout the room, with teeth cleaning instruments, a basin, and pitcher appearing upon the vanity table on the other side of the room. With a final crack, a few small fish appeared on a platter, with a bowl of water beside them, and Verena let out a contented meow and charged forward, partaking in her own morning meal.

Cait detected a Stasis Charm upon the bath water, and so she decided to eat her breakfast before she took a bath. Rolling her shoulders, she pulled out a chair at the two-person table in the center of the room, and began putting eggs, sausages, and breakfast potatoes onto her plate. She next poured herself a cup of tea, the leaves and steam wafting into her nostrils and giving her a prolonging sense of calm, one she had not felt in such a long time. Setting her napkin onto her lap and taking up her fork, she proceeded to eat her breakfast slowly, not wanting to potentially upset her stomach by shoveling it in her face.

Once she'd finished her breakfast, the dishes disappeared, presumably downstairs to where the kitchen was, and she cast a non-verbal Cleaning Charm upon her hands. Getting to her feet and taking off her nightgown, she placed the article of clothing onto the chair before stepping into the tub, the nightgown disappeared, likely to the laundry, as Cait sank into the hot water. It soothed the aches in her muscles, and she tilted her head back, before lifting the small cup which had been brought, deciding she'd better wash her hair.

Once she had finished washing her hair and was lolling her head back in the water, which was filled to the brim and came with a thick layer of bubbles, she was shocked when the door to her room came open, and felt her face flushing immediately as she automatically pulled the bubbles closer to her. Verena, who had gone onto one of the window sills to clean herself in the wake of her breakfast, immediately began growling low in her throat at the appearance of the stranger. It didn't take Cait long to deduce that this stranger, who had shut the door behind him, was, in actuality, the unfamiliar wizard who had taken her from Durmstrang.

"Don't worry," he said offhandedly as he crossed the room and looked over the things that she had requested, before he nodded in approval. "I don't touch the merchandise."

Cait bit down hard on her bottom lip; she hated being described as property, but, more than that, she was amazed to discover that the man spoke English. "Who are you?" she asked, her voice soft, not wanting to potentially overstep.

"Rosier," he said with a shrug, turning back around to face Cait. "Evan Rosier."

Cait let out a squeak at the name of a well-known Death Eater, and promptly shook her head at him in disbelief. "But... But you can't be! You're—"

"Dead?" Evan asked, throwing back his head and laughing, before depositing himself upon the trunk-cum-bench at the foot of the bed. "No, Miss Krum. You'll find that I am very much alive, given that I am sitting right here before you."

Cait swallowed, trying to feel at ease, but finding that it was difficult to do so. "You're the one who took me, aren't you?"

Evan gave a stiff nod. "Three days ago, to be exact. Had to get a healer here last night when the vial of Blood-Replenishing Potion from Slugs & Jiggers didn't do the job on your head. Had to Polyjuice myself—the healer I got was mine when I attended school."

"Hogwarts?" Cait asked, wagering a guess.

Evan raised his eyebrows, but answered the question with a nod. "Yes. Poppy Pomfrey is an excellent healer, and while she is bound only to report in an emergency situation, I couldn't risk her figuring out who I am. Like in the Muggle world, kidnapping is a very serious offense in the Wizarding World. Although I have no intention of physically harming you, the Wizengamot might not see it that way, you see."

"We're in England, then," Cait said, and Evan looked shocked at her deduction. "I am well-aware that Hogwarts is located somewhere in Scotland, but I had the sense to look over my surroundings upon waking up. We're in Diagon Alley, located off Charing Cross Road, which is in England."

Evan looked pleased that Cait had showed intelligence, rather than angry that she had explored her whereabouts without his permission. "You speak English very well," he said instead.

"I'm American," Cait replied, shrugging her shoulders. "I suppose I should."

Evan doubled back then, shocked at Cait's words. "But you were a student at Durmstrang, as well as a daughter of the Krum family..."

"I was raised as a Muggle in the American foster care system for a number of years, until an academic scholarship placed me into a Muggle school in Bulgaria. Because of this, the headmaster of the school figured out that I was a witch, and granted me admittance into Durmstrang in the first place. I was later adopted into the Krum family."

"So, you're not Anna-Maria Krum?"

Cait shook her head at Evan. "No. I'm Cait, Cait Krum."

Evan nodded his head. "Ah, yes. Headmaster Karkaroff's paramour. No wonder he wanted you out of there so quickly..."

Cait's mouth went dry; perhaps people in Death Eater circles knew about what the headmaster had done to her, and had kept it between them. "He asked you to take care of me, so to speak, to ensure I wouldn't talk?"

Evan sighed. "That was part of the plan, yes."

Cait gripped at the sides of the bathtub, her entire body shaking. "And when you said that you 'don't touch the merchandise', what did that mean?"

"You're not being hidden away for the headmaster," Evan assured her, his tone slightly patronizing, which irked Cait. "Or, rather, you are, but it's for his career's benefit, not for his sexual gratification."

Cait gritted her teeth. "Keep talking."

Evan leaned forward. "I faked my death because of the First Wizarding War. As a known Death Eater, I was high on anyone's hit list to receive life in Azkaban, or the Kiss."

Cait drew backwards then. "You... You won't..."

"No, I won't kill you, for Merlin's sake!" Evan said impatiently. "If anything, you're more use to me alive. Besides, you're a Pureblood, a true Pureblood, without the marring of incest riddling your family tree."

Cait made a face. "Thank you, I suppose..."

"Anyhow," Evan continued, "after I faked my death, well, I must've accomplished it so well that even members of my family believed it was so. Because of this, I was taken out of my rightful inheritance, and it was passed directly to my cousin, Felix."

Cait stared into the water, the pieces slowly coming together. "Oh. I see."

"Yes, I suppose you do," Evan said quietly. "I'm going to offer you to Felix as a future wife—I am quite sure you know by now that no marriage will be legal without Baron and Baroness Krum's consent until you reach the age of seventeen... How old are you now?"

"Fifteen," Cait said quietly, drawing her knees up so that she could rest her chin upon them, her face devoid of all color.

"Very good," Evan responded. "Unfortunately, due to all that Karkaroff did to you, I'm likely not to get all that I want out of Felix. However, I am positive he will offer me something as a blood relative, as well as the notion that he himself won't have to go out there looking for a wife for himself."

Cait felt her throat go dry. "So, I am to be cattle, then?"

"Not in so many words," Evan assured her. "I'm positive that, were you to cooperate with Felix, that he would give you the best of everything."

"In exchange for my vows, my life, and my body," she muttered.

"The Rosier family is prominent in Pureblood circles, and they've got loads of money at their disposal," Evan informed her, as if he were reciting from a book. "You'll want for nothing. I'm also sure that Felix will let you continue your education."

"Sans a wand," Cait said softly.

"Likely, or, at the very least, until he can properly trust you, but I'll not speak for him," Evan informed her in a blasé manner.

Cait sighed. "And the body aspect of it all?"

"He will not enter a marriage with you until you are seventeen."

"That didn't stop the headmaster—"

"The headmaster tricked you," Evan said plainly. "He used you, made you think that he was going to marry you, all to get what he wanted."

"But won't Felix want...?"

"Probably, but, if he does, he won't be getting it from you until you're the proper age," Evan told her firmly. "We British Purebloods are of the mind that the physical aspect of any relationship should be reserved for marriage. At least, that's what we Rosier's were brought up to believe. As such, Felix will not be touching you until your wedding night."

Cait lowered her eyes. "So mote it be," she whispered, her tears dripping onto the surface of her now-lukewarm bathwater.

. . .

Cait was woken up the following morning at dawn, slightly rested due to the Dreamless Sleep that Evan had obtained for her. He informed her the evening before, over a dinner of roast beef, potatoes, and vegetables, that Felix would be coming over from Romania the following day, to inspect her completely. If all went well, Evan would receive his inheritance, and Felix would be taking Cait to Romania with him.

Cait methodically went through the motions of bathing again, with the helpful house-elf providing her with all the cleaning instruments she wanted. However, today, Evan taught her how to do a Wandless Cleaning Spell for her teeth, so she didn't have to do it in a medieval fashion, as she had done the day before. The house-elf returned to help her into the beautiful dress she had placed into the wardrobe the day before, and provided her with a brush and comb, which Cait used to brush her hair out long, so that it hung down her back.

The dress was a deep red color, and was lovely, although it hugged her a bit more tightly than Cait would have liked. It had a deep oval neckline, showing off her assets, and gripped her hourglass figure perfectly. Red velvet slippers also appeared in the wardrobe, as well as a golden necklace with a garnet-like brooch as its centerpiece, with a spherical pearl suspended from its base. Once Cait had finished getting ready, having already had her breakfast before her morning bath, she was told to take Verena and go down the hallway to the final door, where the drawing room had been made available to her, Evan, and Felix.

The door opened automatically at Cait's touch and Verena, so often wanting to explore new surroundings, stayed directly beside her mistress's heels. Cait hesitated in the doorway, waiting for the Rosier cousins to look up at her, and surveyed the expansive room. It was done up in the same style as her borrowed bedroom, which Cait now knew to be a part of the expanse of rooms on offer at The Leaky Cauldron, a popular wizarding inn. There was a massive stone fireplace just behind the plush chairs that Evan and Felix were sitting in, with the chairs positioned atop an expensive-looking Persian rug. There was a couch placed directly in front of them, blocking them partially from Cait's view, done up in the same style as the chair. Gilt-framed paintings, moving in the frames, were upon various walls—above the fireplace had one in which the placard declared the moving sitter to be Ulick Gamp, first British Minister of Magic—while another was of a withered-looking man with a long, snow-white beard, with the placard declaring him to be Salazar Slytherin, one of the four founders of Hogwarts.

"This is the Slytherin Drawing Room at The Leaky Cauldron," said a voice, and Cait turned towards it, recognizing that it was Felix, her intended, who spoke. "Three other drawing rooms are here at The Leaky, with Godric Gryffindor gracing the walls of the Gryffindor Drawing Room, Helga Hufflepuff the Hufflepuff Drawing Room, and Rowena Ravenclaw the Ravenclaw Drawing room. As you can see, each are modeled accordingly..."

"As you may remember, my dear cousin," Evan interrupted gently, as Cait's eyes left the cousin's again to pass over the deep green walls and the silvery furnishings of the room, "as Catherina attended Durmstrang, she's not likely to know the in-depth history surrounding that of—"

"Cait," she interrupted them, surprised at her courage to speak out, as her eyes flashed promptly towards the Rosier cousins once more. "I won't answer to Catherina, so kindly don't address me as such. I go by 'Cait', and that is final."

Felix got immediately to his feet then, as Evan floundered for a moment, clearly looking uncomfortable as his younger cousin made his way towards Cait. Felix stood well over six-feet, and was dark-haired, both things he had in common with his cousin, Evan. "I take it that that is final, then?" Felix asked.

Cait raised her chin, knowing that she had to be firm. "Yes," she said, as Verena inched as close to her mistress as she dared. "I find I am backed into a corner, and will agree to this betrothal and marriage, once I turn seventeen, on the condition that I be permitted to keep my cat, and be addressed as 'Cait'."

Felix afforded Verena a cursory glance, before nodding. "I see that you're fully prepared to give up your life to be married to a virtual stranger... Well, as you are a Pureblood and seemingly of sound mind, I see no reason why your demands, small as they are, cannot be met." Felix turned on his heel then, and nodded at Evan. "I like this one, and you've done well in your selection, as it were. I trust you did not touch the merchandise?"

"No, Felix," Evan responded, shaking his head. "You told me to look, but not touch, which is exactly what was done."

"And you employed Poppy Pomfrey as her healer when she was injured in the abduction attempt," he said, and shook his head, gripping at the bridge of his nose and squeezing his eyes shut. "Please tell me you had the good sense to use Polyjuice."

"I did," Evan assured his cousin with a nod. "I also explained that the two of you would be living in Romania, as you informed me to do so, were she competent enough to understand. She seems to be intelligent, yet stubborn, so you will have your work cut out for you."

"But you also stated that Cait was polite, which I am also quite fond of, in a woman, so the intelligence and stubborn demeanor will be refreshing," he said, shooting Cait a small smile. "I will have my barrister go over the Rosier will, and have you a pension of two-hundred-seven-thousand Galleons, your allotted inheritance, given to you over the course of the next ten years, if that is agreeable to you."

Evan nodded. "It is. Thank you."

"You may also utilize the Rosier townhouse, as you are a direct heir, and I've no need of it, given my business arrangements, and my estate, keeping me in Romania," Felix said with a slight wave of his hand. "The house-elves there have always been treated accordingly, and you will do no less. They are in charge of cooking and cleaning; you shall always have a place to sleep, and you'll never go hungry again."

Evan looked completely grateful. "Thank you, cousin..."

Felix stepped towards Evan then, who suddenly broke off his exposition of gratitude, as Felix stood before him. "However, if I ever hear that you have broken the terms we've come up with, or if you come panhandling to me, any other member of our family, or the extended ones, our bond will be broken forever." Pulling back, he stuck out his hand, briefly shaking Evan's, before he pulled back and walked back up to Cait, offering him arm. "Come along, Cait. We've got to catch a train to Romania."

Cait worried her lower lip, bending down to pick up Verena before taking the offered arm. "And no one will find us?" she asked. "I mean... I wouldn't want you to get into trouble..."

Felix visibly softened at Cait's apparent concern. "Never fear. It is a Muggle train, and I doubt the Bulgarian authorities will be venturing forth into the Muggle world just yet to find you. They will exhaust every wizarding method possible first." With a wave of his hand, he conjured a cage to keep Verena in, and helped Cait put her cat into it. "Come along, then." As they walked outside of the Slytherin Drawing Room, Cait was surprised when they returned to her bedroom, and looked inquisitively up at Felix.

"You said a train..."

Felix laughed. "There is no direct line from London to Romania, and, although Muggles are good for some things, they have yet to come up with easy transport for that." Shaking his head, he turned to the fireplace and waved his wand, obviously unlocking the Floo, before he informed it of international travel. Once the flames turned green, he handed Cait a handful of Floo Powder and said, "Tell the Floo that you wish to go to Rosier Rectory."

"Aren't you coming, too?" Cait queried.

Felix nodded. "Of course. I shall be right behind you to introduce you to the staff. Now, go!" he ordered, handing over the cage.

Cait stumbled a bit, but shouted, "Rosier Rectory!" and threw the powder into the flames, which swallowed her completely.

Felix immediately followed, easing Cait to her feet and casting Cleaning Charms upon them both. As soon as he'd finished, there was a flurry of activity, and several people and house-elves soon arrived in their domain. They all bowed their heads respectfully at the sight of Felix, and looked slightly taken aback when Felix wrapped an arm around Cait's waist and promptly pulled her forward.

"Everyone, this is Cait, my fiancée," he declared, and they promptly began whispering among themselves, until Felix raised his free hand. "Cait, this is our butler, Thaddeus Wright," he said, mentioning the first man in the line, and continued onward. "This is our housekeeper, Psamathe Morar. This is your personal maid, Marianna Lucas. This is our chef, Alexandre Durand. And this is Wilson Jacobi, the groundskeeper and gardener." Felix then rattled off the various house-elf attendant's names, before he clapped his hands. "Everyone but Marianna may return to their chores," he declared, and Marianna, who couldn't have been more than seventeen or eighteen, shuffled from foot to foot; she had curly strawberry-blonde hair and engaging blue eyes. "I will have a word with Cait for a few moments, Marianna. In the interim, I would appreciate it if you would please take Verena upstairs to the east wing."

"Yes, Lord Rosier," Marianna said with a sweeping curtsy, before taking ahold of Verena's cage and bringing her up the expansive staircase beyond.

"Now, Cait," Felix said, prompting Cait to look over at him, "you will be given the most lavish room the east wing has to offer, and will be given privacy when it calls for it. Your suite of rooms will have a bedroom, bathroom, and an attached library, however, you will of course be permitted to use the large library we have on site. By January, I will have begun my search to find an appropriate wizarding tutor for you, where you will be trained in magic properly, in the Hogwarts way."

Cait blinked. "The Hogwarts way?"

"Yes," Felix told her. "Your final examinations in your fifth and seventh year will be the OWLs and NEWTs, not the GHOULs and DRAGONs."

Cait bowed her head. "Yes, I see."

"Further," Felix went on, "you will take your Sunday evening meals with me when I am in residence here with you. Other than that, you may eat where you wish."

Cait continued to keep her head bowed. "As you command, Felix."

"Let Chef Alexandre know which meals you are fond of, which you are not, and if you have any allergies we should be aware of," Felix instructed.

"Shellfish," she admitted, hunching her shoulders. "And I don't enjoy seafood."

"Very good, he shall know forthwith," Felix assured her. "Pending good weather, you will be permitted in the garden on your own for up to three hours each day. As for the orchards, you must have Marianna or one of the gardeners with you as an escort."

Cait nodded. "I understand."

"We are on the Floo Network, but you will not be permitted to use it," he informed her. "Each fireplace is password protected, and you are not to know the password."

Cait gave a stiff nod. "Of course."

"Within reason, you are to have whatever you want, of course," Felix continued. "Clothing has been made available to you in your expansive wardrobe in various styles. Just inform my personal shopper what you like—the house-elf you met called Milly, who is responsible for clothe buying—and it will be purchased."

Cait gave a tight smile at that. "Thank you, Felix."

"After the occasion of your seventeenth birthday, the period of engagement shall be over, and you and I shall be married. However, you still have status within the house as my fiancée, and you will be treated with respect as its lady. The only place in the house you are not permitted are the west wing, which is where my rooms are, and the north tower, as it is old, decrepit, and quite dangerous... I believe a few demons and Boggarts lurk up there, but it is protected with extensive Warding Spells."

Cait shuddered. "Understood," she told him.

"Let Cudo, the house-elf food shopper, anything you would like from the shops, for both yourself and for Verena. She is a lovely animal, and I wouldn't want to see either of you doing something Muggle, like starve," Felix informed her.

Cait felt appalled at the statement, but forced herself to remain calm. "Yes, Felix."

Felix gave a nod at that, and turned when Marianna came down the sweeping staircase. "Ah, good, Marianna," he said, nodding with approval. "I've a Floo Call with some co-workers, so I shall be in my study. Have Nixy come in about two hours to take my evening meal order from Alexandre, will you?"

"Of course, Lord Rosier," said Marianna, curtsying deeply, and remaining that way until Felix had swept away completely. Rising up, she tentatively looked over Cait. "Miss Krum, if you would please follow me—"

"Please," Cait said, and something in Cait's voice made Marianna stop. "Please, call me Cait. I mean, with the exception of my cat, I've lost everything over the past four days. I don't want to lose my name, too."

Marianna nodded, and reached out her hand. "Come. I'll show you to your room," she said, her voice gentle.

Cait stepped forward and took the girls' hand, permitting her to lead her up the sweeping staircase opposite them. It couldn't be as bad as all that, could it, given that Felix was being plenty generous for a jailer? As Marianna spoke gently about the house and its history, Cait felt relieved, feeling as if she could have just made a friend.

. . .

Christmas had come and gone with Cait staying in her rooms and pacing up and down. Verena was there, of course, as was Marianna in between her various duties. Thankfully, as Cait's personal maid, her first priority was Cait, so they were free to chat now and again. Madam Morar, the housekeeper, brought her meals when she was able, but soon a house-elf, Tippy, was assigned to her. Tippy was an energetic little thing, which made Cait's heart hurt, due to the fact that she remembered Tessy so well.

"I was adopted on Christmas," Cait said to Marianna on New Year's Day. She had declined Firewhiskey, as she had felt extremely ill. "For so many years, I thought that nobody wanted me, and then the Krums came. And now, I fear I'll not see them again..."

Marianna bit her lip, inching closer to Cait. "Once you marry Lord Rosier, he's going to want one thing from you, and one thing only."

"Sex?" Cait whispered, her mouth growing dry.

Marianna sighed, knowing what had happened to Cait at Headmaster Karkaroff's hands, and knew that she had to be extremely careful with her. "That's part of it," she admitted. "Once you have a son, an heir for the House of Rosier, Lord Rosier will give you anything. I believe that, if you were to ask to write to your family, or have them visit, it could be permitted."

"A son?" Cait breathed.

"Yes," Marianna told her. "In old houses, both wizarding and Muggle, sons were deemed more important than daughters, as they were seen as the proper sex to inherit. Many Pureblood families think in this way. As such, once you have a son, Lord Rosier's son, you will be given pretty much all the freedom you could ask for."

"Save my freedom, which includes getting out of the marriage," Cait said quietly.

Marianna reached forward and clutched at Cait's hand. "It can't be all bad, can it?"

"I've lost everything!" Cait cried, tearing her hand away and launching to her feet. "I've effectively traded one prison for another. The only exception to my last one was momentary freedom for three and a half months out of the year. All it involved was waiting, waiting for my abuser to summon me to him, whereupon he would strike again. And now... Now, I've got even more waiting, waiting until my majority, until I can get raped all over again..."

"Cait..."

"All I ever wanted was a family, people to love me without hurting me," Cait said, tears streaming down her cheeks. "The Muggles in foster care never raped me, but they didn't like me, and they'd hit me..." She shut her eyes, remembering the religious fanatic family she had been placed with—they were Roman Catholic, if she remembered correctly—and the wife of the family would take the family's holy bible and beat her about the head with it whenever Cait displayed accidental magic. Cait trembled, remembering the swish through the air as the book came down, hammering onto her head. Sometimes, if the woman hit hared enough, she would black out or, worse, blood would come out her ears...

"Cait? Cait!"

Cait's eyes snapped open then, and Marianna was standing before her. Tentatively, Cait reached out her hands towards her. "Help me," she begged.

Marianna blinked. "What can I do?"

"You can get me out of here," Cait said, her vision fuzzy with all the tears. "Help me get out of here, please, Marianna..."

Marianna sighed. "I would love nothing more than to get you freedom, Cait, but I cannot," she said, her shoulders slacking, and held up her hand when Cait began to protest. "It is not through the loyalty of servitude that I'm refusing. I attended Beauxbatons Academy of Magic, and my father got into some debt with the Rosier family. As such, my services were promised to Felix when I graduated. That is why I am here."

"If it's not out of loyalty, why can you not help me?" Cait whispered.

"Because I'm just as much a prisoner as you are," Marianna said softly. "My father attempted to get me engaged to Lord Rosier, but I'm merely a Half-Blood, so that would never do. So, I became a servant, and was trained by Madam Morar to be the personal maid of whomever was selected to be the next Lady Rosier." She sighed, her shoulders trembling. "As for the prisoner aspect of it all, I've no Floo passwords, so we could not leave that way. I was not permitted to receive Apparition lessons, nor was I given permission to get the license. As for a Portkey, they are sanctioned by the ministry, and we cannot get one without Lord Rosier's say-so."

"And... And merely walking out of here?" Cait asked.

Marianna's eyes filled with tears as she shook her head, and rolled up the sleeve of her dress, which showed a severe burn mark. "I attempted to run when I was first brought here," she said quietly. "This was healed the Muggle way as punishment, and I'll always bear the horrific scar because of it."

Cait shook her head. "What... What...?"

"The wards are authorized to burn those who haven't been given permission to enter, or leave, the property," Marianna explained. "Because of that, if one were to attempt to leave it, or enter it, completely without consent, they could lose their lives."

Cait trembled then, wrapping her arms around herself. "So... So, despite all of this," she said, and gestured to the beautiful room which had already been decorated to her specifications, "it is all a façade, then?"

Marianna sighed. "Yes," she agreed.

Cait turned around then, staring out the window at the grounds, which could only be described as beautiful, covered beneath a thick layer of snow. "So," she whispered, barely able to see through her tears, "I truly am a prisoner..."

. . .

It was March when the earth began warming up again, and Cait was growing used to her imprisonment at the hands of Felix Rosier. Felix, for his part, was often away working, so Cait had the run of the house to herself. Although it was warming up, rain was constantly on the weather report, and so Cait hadn't been able to walk in the gardens. Instead, she kept up with her reading in both her personal library, and the expansive one the house had on offer, due to the fact that her tutor was due to arrive at the end of the month.

It was one week before the tutor, whom she had been told was named Palaemon Wyatt, was due to arrive, when Cait awoke to a flooding sensation of pain. Broken out of sleep by the sharp and agonizing sensation, she lit the lamp beside her bed, and pulled back her goose down coverlet. It was as she did so that a scream came forth from her lips, and her hands began trembling. There, upon the pink sheets, was a massive scarlet stain.

Cait had initially believed that the reason why she hadn't bled each month since her kidnapping was because of the stress of being held captive. However, a dark foreboding entered her mind then as Marianna and Madam Morar came storming into her room. Looking up at them with tear-filled eyes, she began babbling, not knowing what else to do in that situation.

"I didn't know!" she sobbed. "I swear to Merlin, I didn't—!"

Madam Morar looked shocked at the scene, and hastily brandished her wand—she was one of the few servants on the staff permitted one—and whispered, "Revelio!"

Cait shrunk back automatically as a flash of blue light came towards her, illuminating her entire stomach area with red. "I... I don't—!"

"It's a miscarriage," Madam Morar said gravely, nodding her head with concern. "Marianna, go and speak to Alexandre. Have him give you Blood-Replenishing Potion, Draught of Peace, Calming Draught, Invigoration Draught, Grand Wiggenweld Potion, Star Grass Salve, Girding Potion, and Dreamless Sleep Potion. Hurry now!" she shouted, and Marianna quickly fled from the room, her blue eyes wide with fear.

"What's...?"

"I believe that wretch of a headmaster hurt you more than we initially believed," said Madam Morar grievously, sitting beside Cait and taking her by the hand.

Cait swallowed. "I didn't know," she said, as she felt the pain grab ahold of her again, and she arched her back against the great-many bolsters her bed had.

She remembered seeing the room for the first time, and walking through the lavish sitting room and even further, into the beautiful bedroom that seemed something straight out of some old-timey fairy tale. Carpets adorned the highly-polished wooden floors, while the most beautiful carpet housed the massive bed that Cait was currently lying in. It was a cherry wood four-poster, similar to hers at Durmstrang, except this had a flowered pink canopy and thick, pink curtains. It also had the aforementioned abundance of pillows, covered in antique lace, which she was currently lying on, pink sheets, and heavy furred and goose down bedding.

"Help me," Cait whispered, having never felt such agony.

"We'll do all we can for you, dearie," Madam Morar assured her, although her dark eyes did not betray many emotions. This, Cait supposed, was likely done for protection for, perhaps, Felix did not wish his staff, save for Marianna, to be overtly friendly to Cait.

"You'll help me?" Cait found herself asking.

Madam Morar looked shocked at the vulnerability the future Lady Rosier was displaying; no matter what Felix had said or done, she was not made of stone. This poor girl had been taken from her home, and had been forced to give up everything, save for her cat. No; Psamathe Morar would not stand for undue cruelty done upon her future mistress. From what she had seen, Cait had a fire in her belly that she'd not seen in such a long time, and this girl deserved to have what kindness all the household staff could give to her.

"I shall," Madam Morar said steadily.

It was then that Marianna burst into the room, holding a small basket in her arms, which she promptly handed over to Mrs. Mortar, who administered the potion vials directly to Cait. It all happened in a blur then, with Cait delivering a small bundle of something, and Madam Morar whisking it away, with strict instructions to Marianna. Marianna then managed to heave Cait up from the bed, and permitted her mistress to lean upon her as she escorted her to the attached bathroom, a lovely and lavish location.

"What...?" Cait breathed.

Marianna turned around and filled the tub quickly and expertly, before hastily undressing Cait and putting her into the warm water. "The pipes have automatically put healing herbs and essential oils into the water to speed-up your healing," she explained, perching on the loo. "You will take Dreamless Sleep as soon as Madam Morar returns, and you'll have a restful night. As soon as you want to talk about this night, we shall."

Cait nodded, and sank deeply into the water, relieved to have the opportunity to wash herself. It had been a great shock to discover that she was pregnant with Headmaster Karkaroff's child, and wondered, had she remained at Durmstrang, what would have happened. Shaking the thought off and away from her, she allowed Marianna to wash her quickly, before her maid fetched a clean nightgown from her bedroom and helped her into it. Once they were back in her room, Cait was relieved to see that the blood was gone, and that there was no evidence that she had just given birth to a barely-four-month-old fetus.

"Are you well?" Marianna queried as she tucked her in.

Cait shuddered, momentarily feeling better as Verena made herself known, immediately cuddling up to her mistress. "I have to be, don't I?" she asked, before taking the administered Dreamless Sleep, and permitted herself to fall.