musical mood: miss americana and the heartbreak prince - taylor swift

Pansy was incredibly easy to convince. The girl had downright stated her loyalties to You-Know-Who when Cass had cornered her after a Charms lesson. There was no need to beat around the bush with her, no being vague like she had with Daphne and Blaise. In fact, the girl seemed almost excited about the idea of working with the Death Eaters, which shouldn't have surprised Cass as much as it did. Pansy had always been a prejudiced little bitch.

March flew by in a breeze, and Cass found herself enjoying the life of a secret bride. While the deaths of Connor and Ana still loomed over her head, now she had someone to help her through them. She relied less on calming droughts, and more on kissing. Henry and her found amusement in sneaking around, snogging in empty classrooms, holding hands in the halls, and generally annoying their friends with their intimacy.

It was the beginning of May, as Cass left an apparation lesson, in significantly higher spirits than she usually was after those classes. She'd been making progress, and had managed to land in the hoops for the first time.

"You look happy." She felt an arm swing around her shoulders, and looked up to meet Henry's eyes.

"I am. I apparated for the first time."

"That's brilliant." He grinned at her, and she grinned back. "I have a surprise for you."

She raised her eyebrows. "You do?"

"Yeah, c'mon, follow me." He released his grip from her shoulder and motioned for her to follow him. She obeyed, stalking behind him in the halls. His hair wasn't pulled back in it's typical bun, and he had cut it ever so slightly, not much for most to notice, but Cass had. It looked nice, she thought. She'd always been a fan of his long hair, but lately she'd become borderline obsessed with it, always playing with it as they kissed, to the point where Henry thought it was funny.

"Where are we going?"

"You'll see." He winked at her, and she felt a blush creep up onto her face.

Eventually, the two made their way onto the 7th floor of the castle, and Cass realised he was taking her to the Room of Requirement.

"Won't Malfoy be in here?" She asked in a low voice as he began to pace back and forth in front of the wall. She knew this was where Malfoy was trying to mend the vanishing cabinet, to get the Death Eaters into the school, as requested by You-Know-Who.

"Nah, I asked him to take the night off from his plotting, give us the place for a bit." A door formed on the wall, and he swiftly opened it for her. "Ladies first."

She laughed, and stepped inside, to reveal what appeared to be a massive, fancy bedroom. The walls were a crimson red, with dark carpet, and a bed larger than anything Cass had ever seen before. The wall in front of the bed was lined with books, and an old fashioned red couch sat in the corner, like the ones in the Marilyn Monroe movies. There was even a fireplace, warming up the room.

She turned to Henry as he shut the door behind them, eyes wide. "Are you trying to seduce me, Henry?"

It was his turn to blush, though his confidence didn't diminish. "Not seduce, per say. This is more like...a place to spend some quality time together. We are married, after all. Consider this our honeymoon."

"Our honeymoon." She repeated, pressing her lips together. "I like it."

He let out what seemed to be a sigh of relief, his confident aura shifting ever so slightly. "I'm glad."

Her eyes flickered around the room once more, taking it all in, when they landed on the coffee table in front of the couch. "Oh my God, did you get waffles?"

"Technically, I think the room did, not me. I just told it to create whatever you would like, so I suppose that's waffles."

"They're my favourite." She leaned up and pressed a kiss to his cheek. "This is lovely, Henry, really. Thank you."

The two sat down on the couch, Cass digging into the waffles and Henry staring at her with pointed amusement. Though as she was halfway through her third one, she slowly lowered her fork, as a horrible thought hit her. She'd been happy, the past few months. Happy, okay, functioning, just months after the murders of two of her friends. What right did she have to experience joy, when Connor was dead because of her? What right did she have to be in a caring relationship, when Ana had been killed?

Henry noticed her sudden shift in demeanour, as he frowned. "Are you alright?"

She didn't answer, for a moment, and they were silent.

"Do you ever feel guilty, Henry?"

"Guilty?" A look of what seemed like panic fell across his face, though as quick as it came, it was gone, leaving a confused expression behind. "Why would I feel guilty?"

"About being happy. I shouldn't be. I should be miserable, after Connor and Ana and Cedric and my father. I have so much blood on my hands, Henry, and here I am, eating waffles with my husband. It feels...wrong. Do you ever feel that way?"

He nodded slowly. "I did, for a while. With my mum. But, I figured, she'd want me to be happy, you know? And those people, they'd all want you to be happy too."

"You really think so?"

"I do."

The corners of her lips curled up. "For the record, I am happy. Just about as happy as I can get, considering everything."

"Everything?"

"You know, psycho brother, immortality, my friends dropping dead left and right, our tasks. Just the usual teenage woes."

"Not our marriage, though?"

She shook her head. "Henry, I won't pretend I love you yet, because I don't want to lie to you. But I'm really happy. I'm happy with you. I'm glad we're married, as weird as it is to think about."

"Do you still love George?"

Cass didn't say anything. She did still love George, she likely always would, but Henry didn't have to know that. She had no desire to break his heart, even though she did have strong feelings for him.

When her silence became too much, Henry ran a hand through his long black hair. "Shit, I'm sorry, I shouldn't have asked that."

"It's fine." She tried to smile, though she imagined it looked rather silly. "I just...I'd rather not talk about him. Not think about him. I want to focus on the future, not the past. You're my future, Henry, and I'm content with that."

"Content, how romantic." He rolled his eyes, a smile slipping onto his lips.

"Is there such thing as a romantic Ravenclaw?"

"Uh, yeah, me." He stared at her like she was stupid. "I mean, look at this place!"

"To be fair, you've never exactly heeded to the Ravenclaw norms."

"What can I say, I'm destined to be the black sheep. In The Nott family, the Ravenclaws, the Death Eaters. I'm not meant to fit in."

"I like that about you. You don't try to be someone you're not. That's a rare quality to find."

Henry let out a soft laugh. "It's gotten me into a lot of trouble, as I'm sure you're well aware of. But...I'm glad you like it about me."

"You want to know what else I like about you?"

His eyebrows perked up. "I'm all ears."

"Your hair."

"My hair?"

"Yes, it's very lovely." As if to indicate she wasn't lying to him, she reached over, and ran a hand through it, her fingers melting into the silky hair. "Soft, too. I especially like it when it's out of its bun."

"I'll keep it long for you, then." He winked at her, and that just about did her in entirely.

"I really like you, Henry." She admitted, her voice lowered to a whisper, as if someone might overhear.

He grinned, a sly sort of grin that made her feel like melting. "I really like you too, Cass."

She leaned in and pressed her lips against his, moving closer towards him on the couch as she did. He kissed her back instantly, melting into her touch like butter. One of his hands travelled up to her face, cupping her cheek, while the other wrapped around her waist to keep her pressed against him. She could feel his heart beating on her chest, fast, faster than hers.

This was her husband. She was a wife. And she was happy. Truly, really happy. Just as happy as she had been with George, if not even more so, because with Henry, he understood her pain. George had tried, but he never truly got her, never could fully understand the horrors of her past like Henry could. Because Henry had lost a parent, he'd had a horrible childhood, he'd had friends and family drop dead, and he'd managed to push through it. It inspired her to do the same.

"I want you." Henry moaned, breaking apart from her ever so slightly, his forehead pressed against her as he took deep breaths. His hand was travelling up her legs, meeting the hem of her skirt, silently asking for permission to go further.

"You have me." Cass responded, just as breathless as she spread her legs, giving him full access to her. "You'll have me as long as you want."

*

"Can we just stay here forever?"

Henry had his arm wrapped around Cass's waist, as they lounged in the bed he had the room of requirement make. His bare chest was pressed against her back, and she turned around to face him, keeping the blankets held tight over her. "I don't see why not. This room gives us everything we need. We could just live here forever."

"We might get sick of each other eventually, though. Just you and me for the rest of our lives. Well, the rest of my life anyways. You're immortal."

She rolled her eyes at the mention of her curse. "I highly doubt I'll get sick of you. I think spending the rest of eternity in solitude sounds quite nice, actually."

"Too bad it will never happen."

Cass let out a scream at the person who had spoken, because it was not Henry, but Barty, standing at the edge of the bed.

"What is it?" Henry jolted up, eyes wide.

"Barty is here." A pool of dread filled Cass as she struggled to keep the blanket covering her naked body. "What do you want, Barty? You haven't bothered me all year."

"I've been busy." He responded with a shrug. "So have you, it seems. Getting married? It's a shame I wasn't invited."

"Are you angry?"

Obviously, Henry couldn't see Barty, so as he walked the seemingly one sided conversation unfold, his brow furrowed in confusion. "What's he saying?"

Cass ignored him, eyes focused on her brother.

"No, Cassiopeia, I'm not angry, nor is the Dark Lord. If anything, we're pleased you've obeyed his orders so well. You've recruited how many Death Eaters, now? Our reports say three, which is more than Malfoy or Nott have done."

"Reports? Someone is reporting to you?"

He rolled his eyes, as though it were obvious. "Of course. I can't keep an eye on you all the time, you know that."

"Who?"

"Now you and I both know I can't tell you that, dear sister." His lips curled up into a sinister smile. "I'll see you later. Oh, and Cassiopeia, remember to use protection."

And just like that, he disappeared, leaving two very startled newlyweds behind.

While he didn't tell her who it was, her brother had confirmed one thing: there was a traitor among them.

*

Despite Henry's protests, the two eventually left the Room of Requirement, trudging down the hallway as Cass explained what Barty had said to her.

"So, we do have a traitor." Henry pressed his lips together. "Any ideas as to who it could be? Someone with something against Ana."

"Who could possibly have something against Ana?" Cass raised her eyebrows, and to her surprise, Henry actually laughed, though it came out dry.

"Fine, then someone who could view her as disposable. Someone with Death Eater connections."

Neither of them said anything for a long while, as they strolled down the hallway.

"What about one of the Burke sisters? The younger ones, anyways, since there's no way Dahlia could be spying on us."

Cass shook her head. "No, Ana and Bethany were best friends. You saw what she did at the Quidditch match."

"Adelaide, then?"

She was suddenly flashed back to when she'd walked in on Adelaide and Saoirse making out in the kitchens. Would someone who had a thing with a muggleborn truly betray them to the Death Eaters? Unless she was simply leading Saoirse on...but Saoirse didn't seem to be the type that would be easily led on.

"Maybe." She eventually said. Cass would have to talk to Saoirse about Adelaide. That was the only way to confirm whether Henry's suspicions held any merit. Assuming the fiery redhead would even speak to her - the last time the two had a conversation, it had resulted in a broken nose for Cass.

Henry opened his mouth, but whatever it was that he wanted to say, he never had the opportunity, as they passed Myrtle's bathroom just in time to hear a voice yell "SECTUMSEMPRA!"

There was a guttural moan, and a shriek from Myrtle. "MURDER IN THE BATHROOM!" She screamed, flying through the wall and wailing in the hallway, over and over.

Cass and Henry made eye contact, and both rushed into the restroom, to be met with a scene from a horror movie; Draco Malfoy on the ground, covered in a mixture of water and his own blood. This was not the surprising part, though, it was Harry Potter, looming over him with his wand in hand.

He was shaking, and fell to his knees. "Malfoy-"

"What did you do?!" Cass cried as she stared down at the scene. Henry had gone such a ghostly pale, he looked as though he would pass out. "Potter, what did you do?"

"I...I didn't..." He sputtered, shaking his head. Malfoy was spasming in pain as he bled out in front of them.

A spell, Cass needed a spell, but she knew none, nothing that could heal him. Spells weren't her speciality, potions were, and no potion she knew could cure wounds that severe. Malfoy was dying in front of them, and there was nothing they could do.

Apparently, Myrtle's screams about the murder had alerted Snape to the situation, as he rushed into the bathroom, just as Malfoy seemed to lose consciousness. Was he dead? No, he couldn't be dead, there was no way Malfoy was dead, no no no no.

Snape waved his wand above Malfoy with a silent spell, and his wounds instantly began to heal, the blood in the water seeping back into his body. When he was done, he turned around to Cass and Henry. "Who's doing was this?"

It was an obvious answer, one Snape must've already known, but had to ask anyways, just in case.

Henry pointed at Potter, unable to say anything.

"Leave, you two. Now!" He hissed, and they didn't have to be told twice, as they ran out of the bathroom, breathing heavily and trembling from head to toe at what they had just witnessed.

*

"What was the spell again?" Theodore asked. He was just as pale as Henry, though he had not been there to witness the near murder of their classmate. The three were gathered around Malfoy's bedside, waiting for him to wake up. Hours had gone by, and he hadn't so much as stirred.

"Sectumsempra." Cass said. "I'd never heard of it before. But Merlin, was it bad...I thought he was going to die, right in front of me."

"I haven't heard of the spell either." Theodore frowned.

Henry shook his head to signal that he also had never heard of the spell before.

"I can't believe Potter would do that." Theodore continued, pressing his lips together. "I mean, sure, he's always had a few screws loose, but trying to kill someone? That's insane."

"He seemed so...surprised, though." Henry closed his eyes, remembering the scene. "I don't think he knew what the spell did. He was horrified."

"Who would use a spell they don't know on someone?" Theodore frowned.

Cass shrugged at the same question that had been ringing in her head for the past hour. Why had Potter felt the need to curse Malfoy, and why that spell? Where had he even learned the spell, if none of them knew it? "Someone crazy, I suppose. Or desperate."

*

Saoirse Moore was easy to get alone. She was in the Ravenclaw common room, her nose in a book, when Cass approached her.

"What do you want, Crouch?" She hissed, not looking up.

"To talk."

"About?"

"Did you hear what happened to Malfoy?"

She snorted. "That Harry Potter tried to kill him? Yeah, I think the entire school knows about that."

"I'm curious...what was going on with you and Malfoy, on Valentine's Day. I know you aren't a couple, so what were you doing?" She raised her eyebrows.

She snorted, rolling her hazel eyes. "Sorry, Crouch, but I don't think that's any of your business."

"Fine, then let's talk about Adelaide."

Saoirse's jaw clenched, her face suddenly going as red as her hair. "Let's not."

"You do realise she's a blood supremacist, right? What are you doing, messing around with the likes of her?"

"Again, Crouch, it isn't your fucking business."

Cass pressed her lips together. "Maybe it isn't. Just...be careful, alright?"

Saoirse eyed her up and down, an unreadable expression etched on her freckled face. Eventually, she tore her eyes away, staring back down at her book. "Malfoy and I had blackmail on each other. We met to sort it out. That's all."

"Blackmail?"

She nodded slowly. "He knew about my relationship with Adelaide, he walked in on us, once, like you had. Only a few days later, a letter was sent to me, meant for him, from his father. It incriminated him in aiding the Death Eater breakout last year. So...we decided to hold them against each other. Until now, I suppose. You know about them both."

"Thank you for telling me, Saoirse." Cass gave her a smile, that was not mirrored. Oh well. You win some you lose some.