musical mood: ditto - newjeans

"I've missed you so much."

Cass and Connor were in the basement on his couch, watching Sister Act on his new VHS. They had to keep the volume down low, just in case his mother overheard, but that somehow made the movie even more funny.

"I've missed you too." Cass smiled, nestling her head on his shoulder. She'd never liked being physical with people, even with her Hogwarts friends, but with Connor, it was different. The label of 'brother' would forever be tainted for her, but she imagined if her family was normal, and words like that meant nothing, Connor would be a brother to her. A family to her.

"That woman looks hell of a lot like one of my professors." She laughed, pointing as Mother Superior came on screen.

"Damn, your new school must be really posh then, if they have a Maggie Smith lookalike."

"Anything is posh compared to Stromness."

"Fair. This town is a dump." Connor wrapped an arm around her, pulling her closer, the warmth of his body filling hers. "Are you making any friends? Or does everyone there suck too?"

"Surprisingly, yeah. I've met a few cool people." Cass couldn't help her subconscious grin as she thought of her Hogwarts friends. None of them would ever be Connor, of course, but they'd grown to mean nearly as much to her as he did.

Nearly.

His hazel eyes stared at her expectantly, and she continued.

"Er, I share a room with five girls, who are really lovely. Well...Luna is a bit nutty, and Bethany is kind of a bitch and might be plotting my murder, but other than that, it's great. We even have a girl from Belarus, Ana. You'd like her, I swear, she has to be the nicest person on the planet. I think out of all of them, though, I like Naia the best. But she's really into Qui-erm, I mean rugby, so I'm dragged to all of the games, even ones she's not in. There are these older twins, too, George and Fred, who never leave me alone, always dragging me into their shenanigans."

"Shenanigans? Who are you, my grandma?"

"I've probably been spending too much time with them." Cass admitted with a snort. "They're so posh, even though they pretend not to be. The other day, George used the word lascivious! Like, one hundred percent unironically."

Connor burst out laughing, so hard that he nearly tumbled right off the couch, his arm still tightly around her as he did so.

"And what about you? Have you made any friends?" Cass asked as he calmed down, though his face was still red.

He shrugged, still beaming. "Not really. Though I get called fenian less, and my locker hasn't been trashed for over a month. A Pakistani Muslim family just moved here, so they're this rubbish town's new target. It's a shame, though, they all seem really nice. One of their kids is in my class."

"You should befriend them. You know what it's like to be different, in this town. Maybe you'd get along." Cass offered, reaching over to grab his hand, and he shook his head, though he seemed dejected.

"Mum won't allow it. Being friends with you - an atheist, is already pretty upsetting to her. If you weren't the only nice person in this town, I don't think she'd let us be friends anymore." He leans in close, lowering his voice to a whisper, as the nuns in the movie begin to sing. "Between you and me, my mum has gone full on mental lately."

"How so?" She raised her eyebrows, her hand lingering in Connor's grasp, fingers entwined. His mother, Catherine Moore had always been peculiar, but Connor rarely spoke negatively of her, or anyone in his family, for that matter. She was his mother, after all.

"She thinks everyone is out to get her. Saoirse especially, you know, they got into a fight last month, something about her not wanting to go to church, I think, and somehow mum convinced herself Saoirse was possessed by a demon, and wanted to get her a bloody exorcism. She rang the exorcist and everything, over in Aberdeen. Dad convinced her not to go through with it, of course, but it was really bad."

"God, that's awful. Is Saoirse okay?"

Saoirse was the youngest child in the Moore family, at ten years old. She'd always had a temper, and never been very kind to Cass in the times they'd spoke, but maybe that was the curse of being the youngest. She imagined Saoirse was overlooked by her parents, just like Cass and Connor were, and chose to act out because of it.

"Yeah, she's alright now. Still a bit demonic, but in a normal, little sister way, not in a creepy biblical sense."

"Good." She laughed.

"My mum also thinks we're being stalked."

Cass's eyes widened at this. "What?"

"I know, right? She swears she sees this homeless man lurking about in our yard, staring in the windows and such, even rang the police about it once, but no one else has seen him. I mean, a creepy homeless guy would stick out like a sore thumb in this town, right? She tried to convince dad to buy us security cameras, but we can't afford them. Even if we could, I doubt we actually need them. Like I said, she's gone loony."

She wasn't sure how to respond to that, so instead, she just squeezed his hand, turning her attention back to the movie.

"Is that the Pope?" Cass's brown eyes grew to the size of saucers as the movie neared its end. "Don't tell me they actually got bloody John Paul in this movie! How the hell did they get him to say yes?"

"Nah it isn't him, I checked when I first watched it. It's an actor, Gene Greytak or something like that."

She shook her head in disbelief. "No way. No way! That has to be the Pope! They look identical!"

Connor shrugged, grinning ear to ear, though his eyes were fixed not on the television, but Cass. "Must be magic."

*

Shortly after the movie ended, Cass made her way back to the Crouch home, but not because she wanted to. According to Winky, when she'd picked her up from the platform, there was some sort of Ministry gathering at Ludo Bagman's estate - a Christmas party, and all the families of the Ministry workers were invited as well.

At first, she'd been hesitant to accept the invite, but after Winky mentioned that the Diggory's would be there, she quickly decided to go, without stopping to think why she wanted to see Cedric so badly. It wasn't like they were friends.

Cass stared in the mirror one last time, doing some final touching up.

"Is Mistress Cassiopeia wearing earrings?" Winky looked up at her from the floor. "Since when does she have her ears pierced?"

"Er, they're clip-ons." She frowned, wondering if it was a bit much. This was supposed to be a formal gathering, but part of her felt as though she were overdoing it.

Her brown hair was gathered away from her face, and tied back in a loose bun, and she wore a green dress that went just past her knees. The necklace she'd got from Lavender the past Christmas was around her neck, and she'd found the earrings in a box of her mum's old jewellery that she rarely touched. Apparently Bartemius hadn't had the heart to get rid of them.

"Well, Mistress Cassiopeia looks absolutely beautiful." Winky said earnestly, and Cass smiled. She'd never cared much about her appearance, but receiving compliments felt nice all the same.

Cass and the elf descended down the stairs, meeting a nervous looking Bartemius in the parlour. His mouth was fixed in a grimace, and his brown eyes darted around the room, settling on the pair as they entered.

"Cassiopeia." He greeted, forcing his mouth into a smile that looked completely unnatural. "You look lovely." Just like his expression, his words felt forced, and Cass didn't bother faking a smile back.

"Thanks."

Bartemius turned to Winky, his fake smile evaporating as he did. "We'll be back no later than eleven. I trust you'll...keep everything in order." The last words were spoken like some sort of secret code, harsh and riddled with an unclear meaning.

"Yes, sir! Winky will have everything under control for Master Bartemius Sr. and Mistress Cassiopeia!" The elf practically saluted, as Bartemius reached over and grabbed Cass's wrist.

Her instinct was to pull away, he hated the feeling of his skin on hers, but of course, she didn't, and the room around them disappeared with a snap.

The moment they were inside of what was presumably Ludo Bagman's mansion, he let go of her, not even bothering to say goodbye as he wandered into the crowd of sophisticated Ministry workers. He truly fit right in the crowd of pretentious, old, rich men, at this sort of gathering - he wore a fancy suit, a walking stick, and a large top hat that reminded Cass of Abraham Lincoln.

The room they were in had to be some sort of ballroom. The Malfoy's had one like it, though theirs was considerably gloomier. No, the interior of the mansion resembled that of Versailles, with gold outlining the massive walls, and ancient portraits and statues scattered throughout.

Ludo Bagman was easily spotted, stumbling through a crowd of his co-workers, already visibly drunk.

"Did you lot know, I played Quidditch professionally?" He exclaimed to no one in particular, his voice echoing off the walls.

Cass fought the urge to roll her eyes. Had she not been a guest in his home, she would've.

Instead of joining the socializing, she just allowed her eyes to wander through the crowd, seeking out familiar faces. Many were instantly recognized as the families of her Hogwarts acquaintance, Henry and Theodore's dad, John Nott, Bethany's uncle, Cynric Burke, and even Arthur Weasley was speaking to someone.

"Cassie!"

She whipped around, half expecting to see the Weasley twins, but instead, Dahlia Burke approached her, sipping out of a goblet. Her choppy black hair had been properly combed through, and was perfectly straight, reaching a bit past her chin. She wore a red gown, with a slit going up the side. She was a vision of beauty - Cass truly felt underdressed next to her.

"Fancy seeing you here." Dahlia continued, grinning ear to ear. "You're the last person I imagine would enjoy these types of events."

"Yeah, funny how things turn out." Cass shrugged, smiling slightly. "Are your sisters here?"

"Nah, Beth is sick and Addy's a social recluse, so it's just you and me." She elbowed her gently with a wink, taking a long sip out of her drink.

"Brilliant."

"Shame our prank didn't work out, aye? But I've heard you and the twins are working on something much better."

"Yeah, we are." Cass smiled, more to herself than Dahlia, who was now swaying back and forth to imaginary music.

"Don't tell me what it is, though! I want to be ssssurprised." She slurred the last word, laughing to herself.

"Er, Dahlia...are you...drunk?"

"A bit." She winked again. "Got ahold of the firewhisky they're passing out. Want some?" She offered up her drink, spilling a bit in the process.

She shook her head, a few strands of her hair going loose from her bun in the process. "No thanks. I don't drink."

She wanted to bring up the fact that she was twelve, and that Dahlia was what, fourteen, fifteen? Certainly, too young to be chugging firewhisky, but she imagined now was not the time to have a chat about her alcohol consumption. No drunk person wants to be chastised about their drunkenness, after all.

"Course you don't, you're too young. Good for you!" Dahlia paused, pondering something. "Or is it because of what happened last year?"

Cass stiffened instantly, inhaling sharply. She'd been so successful lately, not thinking about it, not allowing her mind to go to that dark place. No one brought it up to her, no one was that stupid, which had helped.

But no, not anymore. Bloody drunk Dahlia.

When Cass didn't say anything, Dahlia continued talking, her words slurred together. "Yeah, I'd be pretty paranoid too, if my professor tried to kill me. Probably never drink again, let myself die of dehydration. Well, that might be counterproductive. Anyway, lucky good old Georgie saved the day, right? And Fred too, of course, but we all know it's George who-"

"What do you mean?" Cass cut her off. "About George saving the day. What does that mean?"

"Well, he was the one to find you, wasn't he?"

"I...don't know. I never thought to ask." She gulped, eyeing Dahlia up and down. The girl didn't seem to notice Cass's shock at this revelation, as she remained swaying back and forth, a passive smile on her delicate lips.

"Er, Dahlia, I'm going to...I have to go."

"Hm, alright. Catch you later!" She waved rather aggressively as Cass began to walk away, stumbling over nothing as she spoke.

It was hard, to push her thoughts away this time, to lock them in a box in the back of her mind and pretend they didn't exist. She'd been caught off guard, completely unprepared, and now there was a whole new element to the event she hated dwelling on.

It shouldn't have been a big deal, George being the one to find her. It made sense - he just somehow knew nearly everyone's exact location, like he was some sort of human compass. Nevertheless, it still felt...weird. She didn't know how to describe it, but she knew she didn't like it one bit.

Fresh air would be nice, she decided, pushing passed a few drunk Ministry workers, and making a beeline for the backdoor of the Bagman estate.

The wind hit her like a slap in the face, just as she shut the door behind her, hoping no one noticed her sneaking out in the first place. It wasn't too cold - Welsh winters tended to be tamer then Scottish, but it sent chills down Cass's spine nonetheless. Wearing a short-sleeved dress probably wasn't the best option, if she had been planning to go outside.

The gardens were extensive, with charms on the beautiful array flowers to keep them preserved through the winters.

As she made her way through the garden, she noticed, off to the side, slightly hidden by a rose bush, a marble bench, like something out of a Disney princess movie. The kind Saoirse would make her and Connor watch.

But as Cass made her way towards the bench, hoping to give her feet a break from the uncomfortable heels she'd forced herself in, she noticed a figure was already sitting there, resting their head in their hands.

Oh.

She should probably go.

Taking a step back only made a noise though, causing the figure to jerk up and whip around, facing her.

"Sorry! Didn't mean to interrupt..." She called out, her voice trailing off as she made eye contact with the boy.

"Ah, don't worry about it. Come sit, if you'd like." Cedric said, giving her a cheery wave.

While part of her felt like she was intruding, she obliged anyways, thinking it be rude to do otherwise. She wiped the thin layer of snow off of the marble, and sat down next to him, crossing her legs at the ankle like she'd seen the fancy women in movies do.

"You alright?" She looked up at him, feeling a bit awkward as she did so. He was considerably taller than her, despite her also being tall for a girl.

"Yeah, I'm good." He smiled at her. "Just don't like massive crowds. Probably shouldn't have agreed to come, but my dad wanted me to meet Fudge. Turns out, he's a no show."

"You don't like crowds?" She blinked. "You're a Quidditch player - and a Hufflepuff! Aren't Hufflepuffs supposed to be social butterflies?"

He shrugged, laughing at this. "It's easier when I'm doing something, like a Quidditch game. I can focus on it, block out too many people. When I'm just roaming around, it gets a bit overwhelming."

Cass nodded. "I get that. I don't like crowds either."

"Is that what brings you to the bench, then?"

She pondered this for a moment. "Kind of." She said after several moments of silence.

"Kind of?" He raised his eyebrows, an amused smirk forming - not mischievous, like the twins, but one that found the situation both funny and concerning at the same time. Odd, maybe, but Cass found herself feeling the very same sometimes.

"It's just a bit much right now." She shrugged, eyes trailing down to look at the snow coated grass, then added. "Dahlia Burke is drunk off her arse."

Cedric snorted at this, his cheeks red from the cold. It was charming, Cass thought to herself. "Oh Merlin, is she really?"

She nodded, smiling back at him.

"She's in my year, Merlin is she a mess if I've ever seen one." He was shaking his head, his brown hair flying askew, hanging lazily in front of his eyes. He didn't bother to fix it.

Also charming.

Cass felt heat rise in her face.

"Aren't you cold, wearing that?"

Before she had time to answer him, Cedric whipped out his wand, aiming it at her. With a spell she didn't recognize, she was instantly warmed, like she had stepped out of a sauna.

"Warming charm." He explained.

"Thanks."

"Of course." He tucked his wand back in the pocket of his suit, looking just as prim as everyone else. Once again, she felt underdressed. "You look nice, by the way."

Cass blinked, suddenly unable to speak, like her voice had simply been taken away, like that redhead in the Little Mermaid (also another movie forced onto her by Saoirse).

Had she hallucinated what he'd said? Surely the Cedric Diggory hadn't just complimented her.

"The green, it goes well with your eyes." He continued, when she didn't say anything, though he shifted awkwardly at her silence.

"Oh. Oh, thank you!"

Cedric looked like he was going to say something, but was cut off.

"Cedric?" A male voice echoed through the dark night sky, from the exit inside the mansion.

"Shit." He whispered, ducking down. "That's my dad."

"Do you want to go back inside?"

He shook his head, as Amos Diggory called out his name again.

"He might be worried about you." Cass said, biting her lip.

"Nah, he just wants to show me off to his ministry friends. Brag to them about how I'm on the Quidditch team or whatever, it's embarrassing." He said under his breath, eyes darting around. "Think he'll find us back here? We're pretty well hidden."

"Doubt it."

"Cedric? Are you out here? I wanted to tell John Nott about your Quidditch achievements!"

Cass snorted, and Cedric shushed her.

"Cedric!" She mocked, doing her best impression of Amos, as he continued calling out for him.

"Shh!" His eyes went wide, though by the grin on his face, he was clearly enjoying himself.

"Cedric!" Cass mocked again, this time slightly louder.

"Shh! Merlin, Cass, you're going to get us found."

"But if we aren't found, however will John Nott get to hear about all your achievements?!" It was hard for her to contain her giddy laughter, especially as Cedric put a hand over her mouth to silence her. It was firm, yet gentle, and made her even more hysterical as her heart rate picked up. Their faces were only inches from each other, as he frantically tried to get her to shut up.

When the sound of a door shutting emitted, signalling Amos was back inside, he let go of her, and she found herself somewhat disappointed.

Cass was still laughing. "You know, George Weasley once did that to me. The whole hand-mouth thing. I bit him."

"You bit George Weasley?!" Cedric stared at her, amazed.

She nodded.

"Well, he is a bloody menace, even more so than you."

"Me? A menace?" She batted her eyes innocently, putting her hands to her chest. "Diggory, you're breaking my heart!"

When Cedric didn't say anything, she frowned.

"You alright?"

"Oh, yeah, I'm brilliant." He shook his head, as if he was removing himself from some sort of trance. "It's just...you're different, than what I thought you'd be."

"I get that a lot."

I never know what it means.

"Do you?"

She nodded. If he only knew..."You've known me for years, though. How could I possibly be that different?"

"I mean yeah, but we've never had like, a proper conversation, have we? Like I wouldn't call that time with Fred and George to be a real conversation. You know what I mean?"

"Yes."

No?