musical mood: the last of the real ones - fall out boy

Dear Cass,

I'm sorry it took me a long time to write. I have been working with my teachers a lot on my spelling and grammar and handwriting, so I hope it is good now.

I miss you a lot, and I'm sorry I was gone almost all of the summer. I'm still mad at mum and dad for forcing me to go to Ireland, they know I hate it there.

Are you coming back to Stromness for Christmas break? I will be here all of it, I promise, so we can properly hang out. There's this new movie that came out called Sister Act, that I want to watch with you. My brother Fionn showed me it on our new VHS player (this one actually works), but we can't let mum know we're watching it. She says it's inappropriate and sacrilegious.

Please write back soon.

Love,

Connor

*

As it turned out, love potions were by far more complicated than the Ass Tonic. Getting the ingredients was enough of a hassle - Mr. Mulpepper was out on holiday in Italy, so Cass had to wait weeks for him to get back to her with the items she purchased.

It was mid-December when she finally had all her materials in order. She was due to meet the twins in their usual spot - the kitchens, but she was being held up by a swarm of her 2nd year friends, that had been studying together in the library.

"Come on Cass, please?" Lavender was holding both of her hands, blue eyes wide like a puppy.

"No."

"Leave it, Lavender." Naia chuckled from where she sat next to her. "Cass has found better friends than us. We need to accept our loss and move into the mourning period."

"More like boyfriend." Parvati said with a snicker.

"I have not found better friends than you, and I'm not dating one of the Weasley twins!" She insisted, glaring at her friends as her face burned up. "I'd just rather not go to some stupid duelling club hosted by some stupid professor, that's all."

"Hey, he isn't that stupid!" Padma interjected, unconvincingly.

"He literally forgot what class he was teaching last week." Naia said. "He thought he was teaching potions, asked us to get our cauldrons out and everything. Even Henry, that blubbering idiot, knew something was wrong."

"Lockhart was tired!" Lavender insisted, face flushing red. "Other than that, he's so smart. Didn't you know, he defeated a werewolf with his bare hands?"

"Yeah right, and I'm immortal." Cass rolled her eyes, standing up from the table. Truly, the Lockhart fangirls were maddening. "Honestly, you lot, stop believing everything you hear."

"Keep insulting him, and Lavender might have your immortality theory tested." Padma laughed, earning a sharp glare from the blonde.

Parvati frowned, staring up at Cass. "So, you think his books are lies, then?"

"Good job, love. You're finally catching up." Naia patted her on the back, and subsequently got swatted at. "Oi, that hurt!"

"It was supposed to!"

Cass laughed under her breath, shaking her head slightly. "To answer your question, Parvati, yes, they're complete dragon shit. It's pretty obvious, if you read between the lines."

"Read between the bragging." Naia added, and Parvati hit her again. "Oi! It's true! He's a bloody narcissist, I swear to Merlin. I don't know how you even get through his books without dying of boredom. Like, come on, we get it, Gilderoy, you won an award for your smile!"

"Why I oughta-"

"Anyways," Cass interrupted the bickering girls, grabbing her bag from off the floor and swinging it over her shoulder. "I'll be off now. Be sure to inform me about how your silly duelling club goes, though."

"Have fun on your date!" Parvati called after her, to which she didn't respond.

Instead, she just made her way through the halls, which were relatively empty for the time of day. When she got to the kitchens, she momentarily forgot how to get in, and when she ended up ticking the pear, she felt all her self-confidence melt away in one fail swoop.

Leave it to a bloody pear to tear down her Crouch pride.

It felt so ridiculous, even more so when the portrait laughed, before swinging open.

"Cassie!" George waved his arm. He and Fred was at a table close to the front, with two house elves on either side of them, dropping off their mugs of butterbeer. When she approached them, he grinned. "We were beginning to think you wouldn't show."

"As if! I wouldn't miss this for the world." She meant for it to come out sarcastically, but she found a genuine truth in her tone.

"We know." Fred grinned at her as she sat down in between the two, pulling her bag onto the table.

"So, I finally got all the ingredients-"

"Finally." George repeated sarcastically, though he got a fierce glare from Cass anyways.

"I can't brew this in my dorms, because it can have side effects when around people for too long, and it requires a lot of sitting around. It'll take four days just for the ashwinder eggs to dissolve properly before I can stir it. So, I'll have to brew it in here."

"What kind of side effects are they?" Fred raised his eyebrows, and Cass felt her face go bright red.

"Oh, Merlin, are they lascivious?" George leaned in on his elbows, eyeing her as she went even more scarlet.

"Lascivious?" She managed to say, staring at him in shock, the most shock she imagined she'd ever be in her life. "Who the hell are you, my town Pastor? How do you even know what that means?!"

"He reads muggle classics in his free time. Usually romance. He loves all that mushy gushy stuff." Fred said, and George elbowed him in the gut. Now, it was his time to blush from embarrassment, as Cass held back her snickers.

"I do not!"

"Liar!"

"Weren't you just crying to me the other day about a some book...I believe it was Pride and Preju-"

"You promised me you'd never bring that up again!" George gasped in betrayal, but even he was laughing now.

"Anyways, Cassie," Fred turned to her, his face stuck in a grin. "I know George puts on a bad boy front-"

"-He really doesn't-"

"-To intimidate people-"

"-Are you implying the man who just unironically used the word lascivious is in any way intimidating-"

"-But in reality, Georgie is a big old softie. All he really needs is someone to be his Elizabeth Beckett to Mr. Darcy."

"Bennet." Cass and George corrected in unison.

"Huh?"

"Her name. It's Elizabeth Bennet, not Beckett." Cass said, trying not to sound as flustered as she felt. George read books! Muggle books, for the matter! That should've meant nothing to her, but for some reason, that miniscule fact hit her like a ton of bricks. Why did that make her heart beat so fast? Why did thinking about George Weasley having something in common with her make her feel both weightless and heavy at the same time, like a gentle breeze could knock her right off her chair, and she'd never be able to get up.

"Bunch of nerds, you two." Fred crossed his arms, still laughing as he leaned back in his chair. "So, Cassie, you never did tell us. What are the side effects of smelling the love potion?"

"I don't think you want to know." She shook her head, not able to believe this was how she was spending her evening.

"We do." The twins chorused.

"Well..." She wrung her hands together, staring down at the table. "It's been known to cause...promiscuity. If you're inhaling the fumes too much, after it's passed a certain brewing stage, it will make you want to..."

"Oh my god." The twins said, again, at the same time, eyes wide with excitement. At the subject matter, or just seeing Cass completely humiliate herself, she didn't know which.

"Yeah, so forgive me if I'd rather not subject my twelve year old dormmates to that, you bloody perverts."

"Always so thoughtful, Cassie." George patted her on the shoulder.

Fred glanced down at her bag, changing the subject. "So, you brought the ingredients to start, then?"

She bit down on her lip. "Yep. There is one slight problem, though..."

"Hm?" George tilted his head.

"Well, it will take quite a while to brew, like, nearly a month. If you want me to start now, you'll have to continue it for me during break. I'll be back in Stromness until January third."

"You want us to brew the love potion?" Fred gaped at her.

"You do realize, we're like, incompetent without you, right?" George added.

"Well, to be fair, this whole thing was your idea." She crossed her arms, ignoring George's comment. "I'll leave a very detailed instructions list, far better than the book has to offer. If you have any questions, owl me immediately. Don't, under any circumstances, do any improvising. Love potions are very volatile, we don't want you brewing it wrong. Otherwise, we could start it once I return, but then it won't be ready until February, and by then, some of the ingredients might have gone bad...though I could use a preserving spell...but-"

"Cassie, stop, please, your indecisiveness is making my brain hurt!" George interrupted, placing a hand in front of her face.

"Sorry."

Fred sighed. "Tell you what, we'll brew the potion while you're gone, but if we mess up and accidentally kill Malfoy, it's your fault."

She rolled her eyes. "If you 'accidentally' kill Malfoy, then it most certainly is your fault, because it's nearly impossible to concoct a deadly love potion. You'd intentionally have to...never mind, I shouldn't give you two any ideas. Just stick to the instructions, understand?"

"Yes, mother." Fred replied, and she glared at him.

Per usual, the three spent the night beginning the potion brewing process, with Cass doing all the actual handiwork, and the twins sitting around and adding pointless, yet amusing commentary.

"You know, that moonstone kind of looks like a-"

"Don't you dare finish that sentence, George Weasley." Cass snapped, not even bothering to look up from where she was grinding an unfortunately shaped gem into powder.

"What, I was going to say a bone!" He batted his eyelashes innocently. "What were you thinking of? Cassie, do you have a dirty mind?"

"I hate you."

"Aw, don't be like that." George said, sliding over the butterbeer one of the elves gave him to her. This was their routine, now. George would pretend there was something wrong with his drink, and give it to her, without a single mention of her paranoia about being poisoned. Usually, she would hate to be coddled like that, but for some reason, it was oddly comforting. "Take a break, have some butterbeer. You've been at it for hours."

She sighed, and considered arguing, but the aching in her hand was enough to tell her a five minute break wouldn't be a bad idea. Letting go of the emery, she leaned back in her chair, messy brown hair cascading down her shoulders. "You reckon it's past curfew?"

"For sure." The twins said in unison.

"We'll have to sneak you back to your common rooms, make sure you don't run into Filch. Can't have you in another detention, right?" George winked.

Fred looked at her with wide eyes. "Hold up, she had detention?! Since when do you break the rules?"

"I've literally been breaking the rules all year, helping you with your stupid potions! I'm just not dumb enough to get myself caught."

"If you're not dumb, why were you in detention?"

"I threatened to hex Malfoy in Snape's class, over a month ago. To be fair, the entire class got detentions, even the ones who did nothing."

"Makes sense."

"Wonder how Lockhart's duelling club went." George said, changing the subject. "Angelina seemed rather excited about going, didn't she Freddie? Think she'll dump you for an older man?"

Fred didn't respond, just rolled his eyes, though his cheeks were glowing.

They did, end up walking her back to her dorm that night, per usual, and every day after class, until the end of term, they'd meet in the kitchens and work on the potion, for hours upon hours. Cass did most of the work, of course, which she didn't mind. Potions was relaxing to her, it helped sooth her naturally anxious mind, and expel any unwanted thoughts.

Justin Finch-Fletchley, and Nearly Headless Nick had both been found petrified the next day, and the running theory was now that Harry Potter was the heir of Slytherin. If the situation wasn't so dire, Cass would've laughed. Potter, heir of Slytherin? Not when he was practically dating a muggleborn, not when he spent all his time with a Weasley, not when he actively fought against the main perpetrator of blood supremacy. He was a half blood, for Christ's sake! The student body of Hogwarts truly had no brain cells, it seemed.

On the last day of term, the twins and Cass were crowded around the same table as always, in the kitchens, admiring their work so far.

"Why does it smell like Angelina's perfume?" Fred scrunched his nose, up close to the cauldron, which was radiating pink fumes.

Before Cass could answer, George leaned in and took a dramatic sniff.

"What are you on about? It smells like pine trees, and...a campfire?" He continued breathing in the scent, expression visibly relaxing as he did. "Yep, I definitely smell smoke."

Fred looked at his brother like he was crazy. "You're delusional! That is clearly Angelina's perfume! She gets it at that muggle shop that you said gives you a migraine just walking by. Saphira's or whatever."

"How are you getting that?! It's clearly smoke and pine cones!" George gaped, whipping to Cass with wide eyes, who had been watching, amused. "Cassie, you tell us, which is it? You made it, after all."

"Technically, it's both." She said, trying to suppress her grin.

"What the bloody hell does that mean?" Fred frowned, still entranced by the smell, but not so much so that he couldn't argue with his brother, apparently.

Cass reached for the cauldron, yanking it away from them, before they became afflicted with its aforementioned side effects. "It means, it smells different for everyone. It smells like what attracts a person the most. So, Fred, you smell Angelina because you're in love with her, and George, you're...into camping, I guess."

Fred's face went bright red, his freckles barely visible. "I am not in love with Angelina! I'm not in love with anyone!"

"Yeah, and I'm the Queen of England." Cass ran a hand through her hair, taking a deep breath. "Honestly, you boys are so stupid, it never fails to amaze me."

"Right, what is it that you smell then?" George tilted his head, eyebrows raised in curiosity. He didn't seem at all phased that she had just insulted his intelligence.

"That's none of your business!"

"Come on, Cassie, poor Freddie here just humiliated himself in front of us-oi, it's true, no need to hit me, you bloody wanker! Anyways, since Fred here had to admit his undying love for dear Angelina - ouch - you should help him feel a tad better."

"Why would knowing what Cassie is attracted to make me feel better?" Fred blinked. "I'm not the one who fancies - ouch! Fuck, George!"

"Good Merlin, if I tell you, will you two stop trying to kill each other?"

"We make no promises." George formed a crafty smirk, and Cass rolled her eyes, leaning forward to inhale the potion.

"Er...I smell rain, and butterbeer, and old books, like the ones from second hand stores."

George snorted. "Of course you would smell books. You're such a nerd."

"Don't you read Jane Austen?" Cass crossed her arms, at the same time as Fred said, "Pot, meet kettle."

"Oi, come on, even the most annoyingly pureblood jock in the world has to swoon over the ending to Pride and Prejudice! It's like, the number one rule of masculinity." George insisted, his face glowing.

Cass eyes George up and down. "The number one rule of masculinity is swooning over Jane Austen novels?"

"Precisely." George tapped his temple with his pointer finger, shooting her a wink.

"You're ridiculous. Absolutely ridiculous."

"Says the one who's attracted to rain!"

*

By the time Cass got onto the Hogwarts Express, nearly every seat had been taken, compartments full of students excited to go home for the winter holidays. Hardly anyone was staying at the castle for Christmas, it seemed. Even half bloods and purebloods were nervous about the heir of Slytherin, and their families wanted them home safe.

Only a few stray students stayed behind - out of their friend group, only Ana, who didn't want to travel all the way back to Belarus, especially when the political climate was so uncertain, and the Nott brothers, remained at Hogwarts, for reasons unknown. Luna stayed behind too, since her dad was travelling to Nepal for Merlin knows what reason, but Cass wasn't sure if she considered Luna a friend quite yet.

"Our mum and dad wrote us last week, they don't want us coming back." Parvati was saying, as Cass finally found the compartment her friends were in. "They reckon it isn't safe, that Dumbledore hasn't got it under control like he says he does. That he's too senile to be running a school, especially when stuff like this is happening."

"Well, they're right about one thing. Hogwarts isn't safe." Bethany said, her voice raspy. She'd caught a cold, or so she claimed. "Only the people with no place to go are staying behind for the holidays. Or the stupid ones, the ones that roam the halls like they're immortal."

"Like Malfoy." Padma crossed her arms, her expression darkening at just the mention of the blonde boy. None of them had gotten over Malfoy calling Ana a mudblood, and at this point, Cass doubted they ever will.

"Please, if anything, Malfoy is the heir of Slytherin. It's bloody ridiculous that people are saying it's Potter, when Malfoy is right there." Naia scoffed.

Everyone nodded in agreement.

"I just hope Ana will be safe." Lavender shifted, bringing her knees up to her chest.

"Don't worry. I told the Nott's if we come back and anything happened to Ana, I'll destroy them and everything they love." Bethany twirled a strand of her black hair, shrugging nonchalantly. "So, they'll keep her protected. I'd have stayed myself, but my uncle wants my sisters and I home for some reason. We're purebloods, it isn't like we're in any danger."

"I wouldn't be so sure about the Nott's." Cass bit her lip, looking at the ground. "I mean, Theodore and Henry are nice, but their dad is worse when it comes to blood purity than the Malfoy's. I wouldn't put all my faith in them, if it came down to it."

"Cass, you're so pessimistic." Parvati rolled her eyes, though a wavering in her voice made it obvious that she was unsure as well.

"I'm a realist." Cass insisted. "I know these families, I know how they work."

Naia scoffed. "Please, as if they would do anything to Ana. Henry especially, he's the dictionary definition of harmless."

No one could argue with that.