musical mood: youth - troye sivan

...133, 134, 135, 136....

Cass paced back and forth down the hall of Grim Old Place, passing her bedroom door over and over as she counted her steps. There was nothing to do, no books left to read, no potions to brew, no spells to practice. After nearly two weeks of being away from Hogwarts, she was going mad.

...137, 138, 139, 140...

At least Barty was nowhere to be seen. She'd certainly grown tired of him popping up everywhere, scaring her half to death every time.

"Would you cut it out?"

Cass jumped, a yelp escaping her lips, as she whipped around. She'd expected to see Barty, but instead, Sirius Black rested against the wall at the top of the staircase, his hand on the railing. It was still shocking, sometimes, to see the man who she had once thought to be a murderer roaming about the halls of the place she lived. Nearly every time she saw him, she had to momentarily calm herself down, remind herself that he was an innocent man.

"Cut what out?"

"The pacing. The sound is driving me mad."

"It calms me down. Besides, what else am I supposed to do? I'm not allowed to leave."

Sirius rolled his eyes. "Neither am I, and you don't see me stomping about."

"I'm not stomping, I'm just walking. Like I said, it calms me down."

"You should get out, get some fresh air. Merlin knows you could use it."

"I can't. Apparently, I'm a target for You-Know-Who, having bested him or whatever. Not that I care much, at this point, I'd prefer he just kill me now and get it over with."

This seemed to amuse Sirius, as the corners of his lips drew upwards. "Oh please, as if You-Know-Who would risk exposing himself to track down a fifteen year old girl. Maybe get one of his death eaters to find you for him, but even then, I reckon they're busy trying to kill Harry instead. Moody is just paranoid, you'll be fine."

"He'll have my head if he catches me leaving. And yours, for encouraging it."

"What's life without a little risk?"

"You're a horrible influence, you know that, right?"

He shrugged, his eyes alight, as if that were a compliment and not an insult. "If you want a good influence, talk to Remus."

"Where is he, anyways?"

"Getting groceries. No idea where Moody went off to, and Tonks is at work. So you'll have no issue sneaking out undetected. Just make sure to get back soon, or I won't be able to cover for you."

"Thanks." Cass gave him a small smile.

"Of course. Anything to stop your bloody stomping."

"Walking!"

*

The first thing Cass did when she met the fresh September air, was walk to Dan's Convenience. She had no idea why, she had no idea what she would say to Connor, assuming he was even there, but she knew she needed to see him. She needed to see someone.

She pushed open the glass door roughly, setting off a bell, but she ignored it as she made her way to the counter. When she spotted Connor, his back turned as he organized the cigarettes behind the register, she let out a sigh of relief.

"Connor!"

He turned around, brow creased, but when his eyes met hers, they lit up, like a child being told that Christmas had come early.

"Cass? What are you doing here?"

"I missed you." Her voice was raw, desperate, and suddenly, she felt like crying.

"I missed you too." He ran a hand through his hair, which had grown a shade darker since she'd last seen him, from a sandy blonde to having an orangish tint, reminiscent of Ana's coloring. Had he dyed it?

Connor turned to the girl next to him, who had just finished checking out the items of an elderly woman. "Marianne, can you cover the rest of my shift? I'll do yours next week, swear it."

The girl - Marianne, glanced between Connor and Cass, before nodding. "Yeah, yeah, but you owe me, Moore."

"Of course I do." He rolled his hazel eyes, before stepping out from behind the counter, approaching Cass with a mixture of emotions on his face. "Come on, lets go outside. You look like you haven't seen the sun in a month."

"Close to that, yeah."

He frowned, but didn't say anything as he grabbed hold of her good hand, entwining their fingers as they left the store.

"Come on, I know a nice place to chat."

When they reached a more secluded area of Islington - a quaint park with only a few inhabitants, mostly being children and their dutiful parents, watching them to make sure they didn't get taken from off the streets. Cass couldn't imagine there was much crime in the muggle world of Islington, but she knew the parents were smart to watch their kids, even if they didn't know that You-Know-Who was back and targeting them.

"First of all, what the hell happened to your face?"

Cass ran her hand along the bruise that Dahlia's slap had left, along with a scabbed up cut from her nails. It had been two weeks, and yet it still remained, blue and green and disgusting.

"A girl at school hit me."

"Why?"

"She thinks I stole her boyfriend."

"Who, Cedric?" Connor smirked, and Cass felt her stomach drop. Of course, Connor had no idea Cedric was dead. She'd figured maybe Saoirse had told him, since they lived together now, but from what it sounded like, Saoirse didn't talk much about her life in the wizarding world.

"No. Er, his name is George. I reckon it was good for nothing anyways."

"Why's that?"

"He has a bright future. You know, he wants to open a joke shop, with his brother. He has ambition, goals, a good life. I'd just mess it up."

He stared at her, like he found this amusing. "What, and you don't? Come on, you're Cassiopeia Crouch! You're the smartest person I've ever met. If anyone has a bright future ahead of them, it's you."

She shook her head. "I don't."

"Did something else happen? I mean, other than what happened to your dad."

"I got expelled."

"What? How?"

"Doesn't matter. I'm ruined. I don't have a future, not after everything."

"Plenty of people get expelled, Cass. My sister Rosemary did, you know that - had to transfer to the mainland school after punching someone in the face for calling her a cunt. You'll find something else. And if George isn't right for you, then you'll find someone else."

She shook her head once again. "No, Connor, you don't understand. With my last name, with the shit I've done because of it, without an education, without being able to do magic, I'm nothing. I suppose I could live as a muggle, but that sounds miserable. No offence."

"None taken. I think." He shifted. "What do you mean, your last name, what you did? Are the Crouches not liked in the wizarding world?"

"Not in the slightest."

Connor stared at her, clearly expecting her to elaborate.

"It's a long story. Just...trust me on this."

"No offence, but it's kind of hard to."

Cass bit down on her lip. "Fair enough. I reckon no one trusts me anymore."

"I didn't mean it like that. I just meant...ugh, never mind. I'm sorry Cass, you know I love you, and I want to help you, but there's only so much I can do if you're not willing to tell me everything."

Oh, how right he was, and how much she hated him for it. But no, Connor was the one person she'd never be able to handle seeing her differently, she couldn't risk it. She needed to keep her image of herself clean to him, needed to remain untainted. She'd done enough damage to their relationship, he needn't know the array of mistakes her past held, lest he judge her for it.

"I'm sorry."

"What for?"

Turning our reunion into a pity party. Leaving you. Lying to you, in the past and now. Existing.

"I left you, that day. I was mad. I wanted to be alone." She took a deep, shaky breath, preparing to admit something out loud for the first time. "I'm...I'm not in a good place right now, Connor. I'm sorry. I think I'm going a bit mad."

"Well that's pretty obvious. You look one misstep away from a proper mental breakdown." He wrapped an arm around her shoulder, pulling her close to him. She leaned into his touch, allowing the heat of his body to warm her up. "So, tell me about George."

Cass shook her head, burying her face into his shoulder. "I don't want to talk about him."

He surely hated her now. If he hadn't before, he did now, after she'd been caught with that stupid fucking book. He'd finally seen she wasn't some angel he'd made her out to be, she was nothing but a murderer. Why had he ever liked her in the first place? Even before the Barty incident, she hadn't been a good person. She'd been co-dependent on a muggle, she'd been rude, she'd been a know-it-all. There wasn't anything special about her, nothing worth caring about, not then and especially not now.

"Alright."

The two sat in silence for a while, simply absorbing the world around them. For a moment, as Cass watched the playing children, felt Connor's skin against hers, she could imagine a peaceful life, one as a muggle. She'd always said she hated magic in the first place, and now she was free. Maybe there was an upside to everything - she had Connor back, she didn't have to return to the school full of people who saw her as the girl who was complacent in Cedric and her own father's murders.

"You're smiling."

"Am I?"

Connor nodded, and her grin only expanded. She hadn't realized, that while she had been watching the playing children, Connor had been watching her.

"You know, today's my birthday."

Cass shot up, breaking away from his grip. "What?! Oh my God, it is! I'm so sorry!"

"It's alright." He laughed. "You seem like you've had bigger things on your mind."

"No, I should've remembered, I'm so sorry. Happy birthday! Your sixteenth birthday is a big one."

"Right? I can get married now. With parental consent, at least."

"I was thinking more along the lines of being able to drive, but that works too." Cass laughed, a real, genuine laugh. "I'm sorry, I didn't get you anything. I didn't think I'd ever see you again."

Connor threw his arm back over her shoulder. "It's alright. This is enough of a gift."

*

Cass knew she had to return to Grim Old Place, but she really, really didn't want to. There was nothing to do there, except pace back and forth, which now she couldn't even do because it bothered Sirius. Sirius was perhaps the only person she actually liked at the bloody place too - Moody scared the shit out of her, Lupin was too nice to her, and Tonks was...interesting.

So, instead of doing as Sirius suggested and returning back before she got caught sneaking out, she followed Connor back to his home instead.

"It's a bit small," he told her as they walked through the front door. "But Mauve and her husband are visiting Stromness for the weekend, and Saoirse is obviously at school, so we have the place to ourselves."

"It's nice." Cass said as she glanced around, walking into the kitchen.

"Help yourself to anything in the fridge. I'll put on the telly. I discovered this movie, Jurassic Park, I think you'd like it."

"Brilliant." Cass grinned, opening the fridge, and to her delight, there was an unopened six back of some beer from a brand she didn't recognise. "Oi, can I have this?"

Connor didn't look at her as he called back, "Go ahead."

"Great, thanks." She grabbed two, one for her and one for Connor, and headed into the living room, where Connor was on the floor, setting up the VHS.

She plopped down on the couch, opening the beer and taking a sip. It was bitter, and she scrunched her nose, but choked it down anyways. The burning feeling in her throat felt oddly good, and she took another sip, sighing in satisfaction from the sensation.

Connor sat down next to her, eyeing her as she drank, but said nothing.

"Want this?" She handed him the one she'd picked out for him.

"Mauve will kill me if she finds out."

"What's life without a little risk?" She asked, stealing the quote from Sirius.

"Who are you and what have you done with Cassiopeia Crouch?" Connor grinned, taking the spare bottle from her grasp and taking a gulp. His face scrunched up, and he stared at her with wide eyes. "Shit, Cass, this is disgusting."

"It's an acquired taste, I suppose. Not as good as firewhisky, but it'll have to do."

"What's firewhisky?"

"A magic drink. Well, the drink itself isn't magic, but the people who drink it are."

"I see." He frowned, and took another sip. "Now shut up, the movie is about to start."

Cass smiled, leaning against him as she drank. The movie began, and if she had been scared by Home Alone a few years back, that was nothing compared to this bloody film. There were dinosaurs, for fucks sake! They'd learned about dinosaurs in primary school, of course, but those were nothing compared to how they appeared on screen. Multiple times she reached over, and held Connors hand while averting her eyes, and by the time a man got eaten while hiding in a porter potty, both of them were drunk, and Cass was losing her shit.

"This is fucking scary, why would you say I would like this?" She cried as the two children were nearly mauled to death by the T-Rex.

Connor snorted, his cheeks burning red. "Because, it's funny when you get scared."

"Is not!"

"Is too!"

A smile crept onto her lips. It was like nothing had changed between them. No fight, no magic, no Barty, just how it had been when they were children. She'd craved that normalcy for so long, and now that she had it, she didn't think she'd ever be able to let it go.

"Connor?"

"Yes?"

"We should run away."

He blinked, like he hadn't heard her correctly. "What?"

She wasn't sure what she was saying, or why, the words flying out of her lips before she could stop to ponder them. Maybe it was the alcohol coursing through her veins, or the hatred of Great Britain finally growing to be too much. Perhaps a bit of both. "We should run away. We could go anywhere. I'm not held down by anything, not school or magic or my father, and neither are you. Where would you want to go? Ireland? We could go to Ireland, live with your grandparents."

Connor scrunched up his nose. "No way. I hate Ireland, you know that."

"Oh yeah."

"Besides, we could go anywhere in the world. Why would we want to go to Ireland, of all places? We should go somewhere far away, somewhere exotic. Like India."

"India? Why India?"

He shrugged. "Dunno. Seems nice there, wouldn't you say?"

"Probably a bit hot."

"I like the heat. It's a contrast from Stromness, wouldn't you say?"

"Certainly." She shuddered just thinking about the ever-dreary Scottish weather. Not that it was much better than Islington, but at least it wasn't an island.

"Where would you want to go?"

Cass pondered this for a moment. "France seems nice. They have lots of museums, and libraries, and I can speak French, which is more than you can say about India. I highly doubt you can speak Hindi."

"You got me there." He paused. "Brilliant, let's go to France."

"Really?"

"Of course. You know I can't say no to you."

Maybe it was the alcohol, but at those words, Cass's entire world shifted. She had basically been exiled from the magical world, but she could still live as a muggle, she could live with Connor. Maybe she still had a future, maybe she still had some sort of hope, in France, with a man she suddenly realized was incredibly handsome.

There was no future with George. Even if he didn't hate her, she refused to allow herself to ruin his life, his bright future, his joke shop and the riches he would inevitably acquire. She'd ruin his life with her past, and he deserved better than that, better than her. Better than the girl who ruined everything she touched. However much Cass loved him, and she did love him, perhaps more than she'd ever loved anyone, she had to let him go, for his own sake.

With a deep breath, she then turned to Connor and kissed him.

It wasn't how it had been in her second year, chaste and awkward and downright horrible. This time was different, the sensation instantly reminding her of her drunken snog with Henry, but better, because it actually meant something. It meant a new beginning.

Connor melted into the kiss, instantly reaching up and cupping her cheek with one hand, the other reaching behind her head and pulling her close to him. His lips tasted of the alcohol they'd both been consuming, sending a tiny reminder to the back of Cass's mind, that they were drunk, and perhaps this wasn't a good idea. She quickly expelled the thought. What did it matter, after all?

"I love you." Connor murmured against her lips, pulling away only slightly, just enough to speak.

Cass yanked him back onto her, kissing him with even more passion than before. He let out a moan as his hands travelled from her face to her back, pulling her on top of him.

"I've loved you since we were kids." He continued, his breath heavy. "Since we were eight years old, I've loved you."

"I know." She smiled against him, her hands running under his shirt and meeting his bare skin. Another moan escaped his lips, as he did the same, reaching to the hem of her shirt and pulling it off, tossing it off the couch and onto the ground next to them.

"Are you sure you want to do this?" Even tipsy, his eyes shone with concern, as he pulled away from her. "You...you're drunk. We're drunk. Maybe we should stop."

"I'm sure."

Don't leave. Cass mentally pleaded, already craving his hands on her that had only just been removed. Please, don't leave me. I need this. I need someone. Don't stop.

Either he could read her mind, or also wanted her just as desperately as she needed someone, as he pressed against her, hands now fiddling with the zipper of her jeans. She sighed in relief, warmth filling her body from the contact he'd made with her.

Breaking away one last time, Connor pressed his lips against her ear and whispered, "I'll love you forever. I swear it."

*

It was too bright, when Cass opened her eyes.

She had to squint to figure out where she was, and momentarily panicked. She was on a couch, under a thick plaid blanket, completely naked. Then, just as she was about to go into full on panic mode, everything came back to her, and her heart rate settled down.

She pushed herself up into a sitting position. Her clothes were on the ground next to her, and she swiftly picked them up, clasping her bra on around her. She must've fallen asleep. Where had Connor gone? Had he left her?

The panic that had just settled came back in an instant, as she frantically threw on her clothes and stood up. The movement made her head pound, and she winced, rubbing her skull with her good hand.

"Connor?!"

"Yeah?" A distant voice called out, somewhere in the kitchen.

She sighed in relief. He was still there.

Cass made her way into the kitchen, where Connor stood in front of the stove, making something on a pot, in just his boxers. She willed herself to not stare.

"I thought you'd left me."

He frowned. "Why would I do that?"

"I...I don't know."

"I'm just making some dinner. Fancy some?" He motioned towards the pot, where a mixture of boiling noodles sat.

"I didn't know you could cook."

"Yeah, well, Mauve and her husband are pretty busy, so I learned how, to help them out a bit. Besides, it's just spaghetti, it isn't hard."

"Still." She took a step towards him, glancing at the clock on the wall. 8:22. It had been around 2 when she'd left to find Connor.

Shit, Moody would certainly be back at Grim Old Place by now.

"Your shirt's on backwards."

"Is it?" She frowned, looking down. Sure enough, the t-shirt she was wearing was both backwards and inside out, the tag sticking out in the front. "Shit. Well, I'll fix it later. I...I should probably get back to my place, before anyone notices I'm gone."

"Are you grounded or something?"

"Or something, yeah."

He let go of the pot, taking a step towards her. "You're beautiful, you know that, right?"

"Even in an inside out shirt?"

"Even in an inside out shirt." Connor laughed, before leaning in and planting a soft, gentle kiss on her lips. It felt nice, nothing like how she felt with George, but nice. Nice was good. Nice was nice. She liked nice. "Now, go back to your place, so you don't get into trouble. We can plan our great escape soon."

"Great escape?"

"Running away? Unless that was a drunk thing, and you didn't actually mean it."

Well, it had been a drunk thing, but she'd still meant it. "I'll come back over when I'm ready, yeah? Just have to get a few things. You know, money and some sentimental shit."

The corners of his mouth curled up. "Gotcha."

Just as she was about to leave, she turned around, staring at Connor from the entryway. "Thank you."

Even from a distance, she could see him frown in confusion. "For what?"

"For loving me."

*

"Where the fuck have you been?!"

Moody's voice rang through the halls the moment Cass opened the door, stumbling in from the night. While she'd mostly sobered up, the alcohol that still swam through her veins was enough to make walking a tad difficult.

She didn't respond, instead making her way towards the staircase. Moody was somehow quicker than her, even with a false leg and a walking stick, jumping in front of her and blocking her path.

"What do you want?"

"You look like shit."

"Thanks." Cass once again tried to push through him, to no avail. She didn't dare try to overpower him - he was practically triple her size.

"Your shirt is inside out, your hair is a mess, and your breath reeks of Merlin knows what! I won't ask again, where the fuck have you been?!"

Having sex with my best friend.

"None of your bloody business."

"I'm your guardian, it is my business! You're not supposed to be going out, you could've got captured, you could've got killed!"

"And what a blessing that would be."

"What's that supposed to mean, Crouch?"

"It means, fuck off. And stop fucking calling me Crouch."

A snort echoed from the doorway into the living room, and she turned to see Sirius, leaning against the doorframe, watching the entire thing go down with an expression of pointed amusement.

"You can't just leave, and not tell us where you've been!"

"You can't tell me what to do. Who do you think you are, my father?"

"I'm the closest thing you've got to one, Crouch."

"STOP FUCKING CALLING ME CROUCH!"

This time, when Cass moved to storm up the stairs, Moody didn't try to stop her. She reached her room in a matter of seconds as she raced to it, slamming the door behind her and locking it shut. The moment she did, she fell to the floor, resting her head against the wooden door as she willed tears not to spill.

"Well, that was dramatic."

"Go away, Barty."

"Or what? You'll yell at me? I'm so scared."

Cass didn't respond to him, only pursed her lips, staring down at the ground.

"You're a terrible person, you know that, right?" He said as he sat down next to her. Their identical brown eyes met for a brief moment, before she looked away, unable to bare how eerie it was to see him. It was like looking into a mirror.

"Says the one who killed their own father."

"You're just as responsible for that as I am. Besides, I own it. I'm horrible and I know it. You, on the other hand, dear sister, think you're so morally superior, but you're not."

Her brow furrowed together. "When have I ever thought of myself as morally superior? I'm a terrible person, I know I am."

"I know you don't realise you just broke your best friend's heart."

"What are you on about?"

"That fucking muggle is in love with you."

"I know."

"You don't love him, though. Yet, you slept with him. You gave him hope, when you know deep down, you only love that Weasley."

She bit down on her tongue, hating that he was right. "I could love him, though. I could love Connor, someday."

He shook his head, laughing to himself. "You don't love anyone except for that twin. Not a single person, not even yourself. And that's fine, because other than that muggle, no one else loves you."

"That's not true. My friends love me, and I love them." She pursed her lips, her voice wavering, threatening to break. It was more like she was trying to convince herself, not her brother.

"What, the friends you lied to for over a year? The friends that haven't wrote you at all since you got expelled? Not even your precious George has sent you a single letter. Face it, sister, they hate you. They hate you for what you did last year, and they'll never forgive you or trust you again. Now that you've fucked up everything with Connor, you're on your own. Better off that way. Better off dead, really."

"Fuck you!" She responded, louder than she intended, pushing herself back up onto her feet. Despite the darkness in her room, with the light off and the curtains closed, Barty seemed to be illuminated as he mimicked her, standing up as well and facing her.

"Fuck you, fuck you, fuck you!" Cass repeated, shoving him hard. To her surprise, her hands met flesh, brushing against his coarse robes and sending him flying to the ground. She turned to her left, to the bookshelf, grabbed the first book she saw, and flung it at him.

Barty let out a howl of laughter as the book hit his face and landed on the ground in front of him.

Cass repeated her action, grabbing another book and chucking it in his direction. "Fuck you! Get the fuck out! Get out get out get out!"

Barty simply sat there, laughing his head off as Cass emptied her bookshelf. There was no use trying to hold back tears anymore, they fell freely down her face as she screamed at the top of her lungs for him to go away, to leave her alone, to let her be.

By the time she got to her last book, she was in hysterics, hardly able to throw anymore as she sobbed. The final book barley made it three feet from her, falling to the ground with a loud thump.

"Why don't you just kill me now, Barty?" She asked him, her voice hardly above a whisper. "You said it yourself, I'm better off dead. I'm miserable. Please, just kill me. I don't want to live anymore."

"I can't do that." He shook his head, smirking, like her misery amused him. Chances were, it did.

There was a gentle tap on the door, and she jumped, whipping around to face the noise. When she turned back, Barty was gone, leaving just a pile of books behind.

This only made her cry harder.

"Cass?" The door rattled as someone tried to enter. "Open up."

"Go away!"

"Alohomora." The door flung open, and in walked Sirius, his wand hanging loosely in his hand. The moment his eyes came in contact with her, he paled, glancing around the room, at the mess she'd made in her tear filled fury, though he tried to keep a smile on his face. "Er...we heard noises...Moody told me to check up on you."

"Moody can fuck off and die."

He snorted. "Looks like you really hate the books."

"No, I hate Barty. I quite like books." She sniffed, wiping her eyes as she stared at the mess she'd made.

His brow furrowed. "What are you on about?"

"Barty is alive, Sirius. I touched him, with my hands! I felt him! I threw books at him! He's alive! I've been seeing him all summer, I thought I'd gone mad, but he was here! He was right here!"

Sirius took a step towards her, eyeing her with pity. She nearly punched him, she didn't want his pity, she didn't want anyone's pity, she wanted to be believed. Her hands had met his flesh, she'd touched him, he had been right there, taunting her. She hadn't gone mad after all.

"Where did he go, then?"

"I...I don't know. Disapparated, maybe."

"I didn't hear a noise."

"Maybe he can do it silently!" Tears pricked at her eyes once again. "I know what I saw, Sirius, I know what I felt!"

"Cass, after James and Lily died, I saw them too. It's your imagination, it isn't real. Your brother is dead. He can't hurt you anymore, he can't hurt anyone. You're safe."

"That was different! You were surrounded by dementors! They make you go mad - I'm not mad!" She was crying once again, but this time not from sadness, or terror, but a mixture of anger and desperation. "Why don't you believe me?"

Sirius shook his head. "Shit, Crouch, I'm going to get Moody, I don't think I can help you."

"Don't fucking call me Crouch!" Cass screamed, and before Sirius could do anything, she ran past him, through the door, around the hallway and down the stairs as fast as her feet could take her. Halfway through her frantic descent down the steps, she tripped over her own feet, sending her flying to the landing with a thump. Her head smacked against the floor, as her bad hand failed to keep her upright.

She laid there for a few seconds, taking a deep breath as pain surged through her body, but she didn't allow it to stop her. With all the strength she could muster, she heaved herself back onto her feet, and raced out the front door.

Moody shouted out her name as she ran onto the sidewalk next to busy Islington streets, but it hardly registered to her. She had to get out of there, she had to prove to them she wasn't insane.

But then again...maybe she was mad. Was it possible she hadn't actually felt Barty at all, but just thought she did? Had the trauma of the past year manifested so severely that not only was she seeing him, but she could feel him?

Or he was alive, and somehow following her in a way no one else could see.

Cass wasn't sure which she preferred, him being alive or her being insane, but either way, she knew she couldn't take it anymore. Running away with Connor wouldn't solve everything, she'd been delusional to think otherwise. She'd still harbour so much guilt, be haunted by what had occurred last year, both physically by Barty, and mentally, those scars would never fade. She only had one option.

She quickly turned around, and could see Moody hobbling towards her, but he was too slow, and he couldn't apparate, not in front of all the muggles driving by them that could see.

Driving by them....

Cass took a deep breath as an idea struck her, and before she could convince herself to do otherwise, she sprinted into the busy road.