***

***

FOR SOME REASON, THERE HAD BEEN A NEW EDUCATIONAL DECREE. Educational Decree Number Twenty-Four, declaring that any recreational group must be disbanded. Cassia immediately thought it was because the High Inquisitor may have found out about Harry's secret society—obviously not from her—and wasn't too happy about it. There was the issue of the Slytherin's own study group, which they know should remain a secret. Umbridge didn't have a clue of their secret study group, so why should they have come clean? Anyways, she knew this meant the end of the quidditch team, and part of Cassia felt bad for Maryam, who'd only just gotten a heavily yearned-for spot. But, apparently, judging by the way Draco Malfoy was smugly waving around a sheet of parchment, those woes were able to be forgotten as as they got ready to enter Severus Snape's Potions class.

     "Tell me again how you managed to get the Quidditch team to be reformed?" says Maryam, a disbelieving eyebrow cocked up, her bag hanging off her shoulder.

     Malfoy smirks, puffing out his chest. "Yeah, Umbridge gave the Slytherin Quidditch team permission to continue playing straightaway, I went to ask her first thing this morning. Well, it was pretty much automatic, I mean, she knows my father really well, he's always popping in and out of the Ministry... it'll be interesting to see whether Gryffindor are allowed to keep playing, won't it?"

     In that moment, Harry Potter, his two best friends, and the rest of the Gryffindors came bounding down the steps to the Potions classroom, glaring at the Malfoy boy with hatred, who only smirked maliciously in return. Cassia shares a sceptical look with Theo, who was at her side. This, along with Malfoy's blatant loud voicing, was just another attempt to rile up the Gryffindors. Cassia sure hoped Harry didn't react. She attempts to give him a smile, but he didn't see it through his scathing focus on Malfoy.

     "I mean," continues Malfoy, "if it's a question of influence within the Ministry, I don't think they've got much chance... from what my father's saying, they've been looking for an excuse to give Arthur Weasley the sack for years... and as for Potter... my father said it's a matter of time before the Ministry send him to St. Mungo's... apparently they've got a special ward for people whose brains have been addled by magic."

     To add to the repulsiveness of the comment, Malfoy pulls horrifying, revolting faces, which many Slytherins around laugh at. Cassia and Maryam share an unimpressed look, while Theo's lips press together and his eyebrows squint.

     But then, a figure charges forward as if fuelled by the spirit of a raging bull, and Harry Potter found himself and Ron Weasley grabbing onto Neville Longbottom's arm in an attempt to restrain him. "Neville, no!"

     Crabbe and Goyle cover Malfoy, stepping in front of the boy with platinum hair and attempting to come off as imposing. Cassia rolls her eyes, and she can tell Theo isn't too impressed either. He really doesn't like Crabbe and Goyle.

     "You're pathetic, Malfoy," says Cassia.

     She turns away, awaiting their slimy professor for the upcoming class, when Malfoy's sneering voice stops her.

     "How sweet, Greengrass," says Malfoy, loud enough so that anyone within earshot was able to hear him loud and clear, "Defending your boyfriend, Potter, are you?"

     In an instant, Cassia's whips back, her face inches away from the Malfoy boy, with a ferocity in her eyes that was unheard of. This didn't seem to faze Malfoy, though: he only smirks further. She has no idea why, when Draco Malfoy made the snide comment about Harry being her boyfriend, her stomach lurched. Like, furiously. And how Malfoy does this thing where he seems to belittle any single thing... and she just hates it. She hates that he belittles Harry, belittles her, belittles the idea of dating him (Whatever that means, okay), she just hates it.

     "Don't you dare," She whispers, "He's not my boyfriend."

     When Cassia looks up, ignoring how infuriating the Malfoy boy was being, she noticed that pretty much everyone was staring at her... and not so much the struggling Longbottom anymore. She connects eyes with Harry, and gives him an apologetic look, as he continues to restrain Longbottom. She couldn't exactly decipher the look in those emerald eyes of The Boy Who Lived.

     "Step away from Mister Malfoy, Miss Greengrass."

     The dungeon door opens, and Snape appears in the doorway with the most sallowest, sourest of expressions. He looks at Cassia in her confrontation with Malfoy, his eyes blank. By any means, Cassia didn't want to step away from Malfoy — she wanted to give him the lesson he deserved. But, not now, or here. It wasn't the time or place to do so. So she steps away.

     "I couldn't help in overhearing, Miss Greengrass," says Snape, his lip curdling upwards, "About you and Potter. If my opinion is of any validation, I advise that you have horrible taste and would be better off elsewhere."

     Cassia grits her teeth together. Part of her wanted to march up to Snape and tell him "if your opinion ever actually mattered to me, that is", but the more civilised part of her and the part of her that wanted a good O.W.L grade and not to lose house points walks away, the cruel laughter of Malfoy, Crabbe and Goyle in the background. Again with the whole belittling thing—she has no idea why, but it sparks up a frustration and an anger within her that she's never encountered before. And in a way, this type of fury confuses her. Theo guides her by the arm as they walk into the classroom, taking their seats, Theo, Cassia, Blaise, and Maryam in the station.

     "Piss off," Theo mutters under his breath, attracting Cassia's attention as she gathers her supplies together. "Potions just got even better." She narrows her eyes at what he was talking about, but when he gestures over to a corner, there she was, in a scratchy cardigan, pink garments and a clipboard on her knee.

     Dolores fucking Umbridge.

     In some way or the other, Cassia hoped that Umbridge could embarrass Snape like she so wished he deserved. Never would the day have come where Cassia saw her two most unfathomable, annoying teachers, and she was wishing for Umbridge to come out on top.

     (She still hates Umbridge the most, though. Snape is a close second. Snape just happened to piss her off first today.)

———

WITH NOVEMBER CAME BALTIC TEMPERAMENTS, increased quidditch practices, and more and more O.W.L work. But in the presence of the quidditch game at hand between the two most competitive teams, Gryffindor and Slytherin, studies seemed to be at the back of any person's mind. The grounds of Hogwarts were covered in blankets of thick, glacial snow with the spontaneous outlines of weatherproof boots imprinted within, naked trees bare of any nature apart from that of shaky sleeves of snow along the branches, and lighthearted snowball fights. The morning of the first Quidditch match approached them too, the sky bright and the winds strong and cold.

"Oh my god," Maryam mutters, dropping down onto the bench at the Slytherin table. Cassia was eating her breakfast opposite her, Theo next to her, while Eva and Blaise were on either side of the Slytherin Chaser. Maryam's hair were in French braids like usual, though set even tighter and her face looked exasperated, though focused, and she was wearing her green rib-necked fleece too, just as the rest of the Slytherin Quidditch team did.

"Everything okay?" asks Cassia, smiling at her friend after pausing eating her cereal. Her auburn hair was hanging in loose waves, and two braids were braided through the crown of her head with glittery green stars slotted in, as per Eva's wish. Cassia really likes it, it kind of reminds her of, like, a princess's hairdo. It was cute. Her green hat was sitting beside her, but she didn't want to wear it since it could potentially ruin Eva's marvellous work. She had her face painted with green snakes on her cheeks, done by Daphne. She was really good at face painting. Cassia was also wearing a green jumper, her beige overcoat and big boots on top of her jeans to help her trod through the thick snow.

"I hope so," Maryam sighs, plating herself some eggs and toast. "I'm just worried. Not because it's my first game, but because our team is an embarrassment. Crabbe and Goyle can't aim for the life of them, Montague is ignorant and stupid and blinded by his hatred for Angelina Johnson, Malfoy is insufferable, and Bletchley keeps on checking out my arse. Like, what the fuck?"

"You do have a nice arse," says Eva.

"I know that!" Maryam huffs. "He doesn't need to. Merlin, I hate boys. The only one in the team who I can actually stand is Adrian. It's why the two of us — and Terrence, bless him, he's not even on the team yet still comes with us! — but it's why we practise in our spare time. Montague is a dickhead and I can't wait for when he leaves next year."

They all decide to leave Maryam to wallow in her own anger and frustrations for the time being, before two figures come walking briskly down the aisle to the Slytherin table, one in a Slytherin Quidditch jersey, the other in supporting merchandise. Adrian Pucey takes his seat next to his girlfriend, looking handsome as ever with his raven black hair and broad shoulders, pressing a kiss to Eva's forehead. Terrence Higgs takes a seat beside Theo, a boyish grin on his face as he drops a bunch of tokens in the middle of them.

"What's this?" Maryam implores as she picks up one of the tokens, eyeing it suspiciously.

Terrence smirks. "Badges, for us to wear. Graham gave them to us to hand out."

Picking up one of the silver badges, Cassia looks at it to find a crown in the middle, and when she sees the writing around it, she's overcome with a sense of dread.

Weasley is our king.

But none seemed to react more than the Ahmed girl, who gasps in outrage at the badge in her hand.

"Weasley is our k—you idiots!" Maryam exclaims furiously. Her eyes dart around the table in urgency as she searches for a certain someone, and has to take a harsh breath when she sees Graham Montague and Draco Malfoy together, smirking as they brandished their malicious badges to those around them. She looks to Adrian pointedly. "You couldn't have done anything to prevent this?"

     Adrian's eyes drop wide open, his arms held out in surrender. "No amount of persuasion from me can ever change the fact Graham's a prick. And that Malfoy hates any Gryffindor in your year."

     Maryam sighs, massaging her temples with her elbows against the table. She looks up.

"Give me a minute," says Maryam, her voice eerily calm.

     Confused and terrified at what this fierce and fired up girl could do, they all watch as Maryam charges up to the Captain of the Slytherin Quidditch team, and begins gesturing the badge in his face so violently, Cassia feared she could take the boy's eye out. Loads of people were staring her way.

     "WAS IT NOT ENOUGH?" She yells in Montague's face, whose head shot back at the impact of her loud words, as if someone was blowing a horn at him. "WAS IT NOT FUCKING ENOUGH? WAS HEXING ALICIA SPINNET SO THAT HER EYEBROWS WOULD HAVE AS MUCH HAIR AS FUCKING RAPUNZEL NOT ENOUGH? WERE ALL THE TAUNTS NOT ENOUGH? YOU HAD TO DO THIS? YOU ARE PATHETIC MONTAGUE — YOU TOO MALFOY AND YOUR IDIOT MATES — IS IT THAT HARD NOT TO PLAY FAIRLY OR ARE YOU REALLY JUST THAT SHIT AT QUIDDITCH? ALL OF YOU!"

If people weren't staring at Maryam before, they definitely were now, each and every pair of eyes wide open in the direction at the furious Slytherin Chaser. So much for Quidditch drama! Montague was clearly taken aback, and Maryam wiped the smirk right off his face. Cassia couldn't deny though, she was proud of her best friend for the straight-up facts she was spilling. She believed herself that the Slytherin team were resorting to rough tactics, and it was about time they stopped. Unfortunately for the fuming Ahmed girl though, the untimely arrival of Severus Snape in front of the two, Draco Malfoy watching the girl amusedly beside them, stopped Maryam from shouting any further.

     "Might I ask you to lower your voice, Miss Ahmed," Professor Snape drawls out. "You wouldn't want to be costing our team on such a day as today, would you now?"

     The girl stares the Potions professor dead in the eye, as he looks at her distastefully down his long, massive nose. But Maryam remains quiet — she knows deep down that Professor Snape was right and that she didn't want to cost Slytherin on a day like today, even if she despised her quidditch team (apart from Adrian Pucey, bless him). Maryam steps back slowly, her footsteps heavy and not faltering in her eye contact once, and whips her head around sharply, marching the other way back to her table.

     Maryam sits down at her previous spot, taking a large swig of coffee from a random mug. Eva narrows her eyes as Maryam sets her mug back down beside her.

     "Fuck my life," says Maryam.

     Everyone looks at Maryam, their eyes prying open with interest. Most of the Great Hall have returned to their breakfast after having watched the one-sided showdown between Maryam Ahmed and Graham Montague, stopped by Severus Snape. None of the Slytherin said anything to her, though: they didn't want to tempt her fury.

"And here I was thinking they could play fairly for a change," mutters Maryam, tossing the badge aside. "But no, we're playing Gryffindor and I bet you fucking Montague would even go to Azkaban if it meant we could win!"

No one said anything. Angry Maryam scares them.

     But then, Maryam's head shoots up so abruptly that a few of them, Cassia included, flinches. She smiles, grabbing ahold of the scruff of Adrian's neck, yanking the boy up. Adrian looks really confused as to what's going on.

"Mind if I steal your man for a bit, Eves?" Maryam asks.

     Not waiting to receive a reply from Eva, Maryam strides off, dragging the poor Pucey boy with her, who stumbles at first from the strong grip of Maryam's hold on him. It's safe to say everyone was confused at this point, as they watched Maryam approach the Gryffindor table, dragging Adrian with her in front of Angelina Johnson, Katie Bell and Alicia Spinnet.

"What is she doing?" says Cassia, watching the interaction between the two Slytherin Chasers and the Gryffindor Chasers. From what she could make out, it didn't seem to be bad, in any way? Angelina looks a bit confused as she's talking to Maryam, but Maryam herself is smiling. And Adrian... stands there awkwardly. Bless him. When Cassia receives no reply, she turns her head to see Theo now brandishing one of the Weasley is our king badges, and rolls her eyes. "Seriously?"

Theo only shrugs in return. "What? I don't like the guy."

"I don't like the guy either? You don't see me putting a badge on, do you?"

"Well, I'm not the Gryffindor empath out of the two of us."

"I am not a Gryffindor em—" Cassia cuts herself off with a defeated sigh. She looks back to the Gryffindor table. Maryam was now talking to Ron Weasley? Harry was beside him, with Ginny Weasley and Hermione Granger sitting opposite them, each of them looking just as befuddled that the two Slytherin Chasers talking to them. But, again, there didn't seem to be any animosity between them, which was good.

"So," says Terrence, focusing the auburn-haired Slytherin's attention towards him. "I'm astonished you're even wearing green, Cass. From what's been known, I wouldn't have been surprised if you ended up wearing red for the match today."

Cassia narrows her eyes. Why—? "And why do you say that, Terrence?" The other boy was grinning.

"For your boyfriend, of course. He's their prized Seeker, isn't he?"

An incredulous scoff escapes Cassia. She has to elbow Theo in the ribs, since he laughed and spluttered on his pumpkin juice at the sixth year's hilarious words. But she also remembered that yes, Harry would be playing today. And how he was a very key player for the Gryffindors. She can see him sitting at the Gryffindor table in his red fleece. She wondered what would happen in the game today.

"He's not my boyfriend," says Cassia, definitively. "It's not like that."

It's not like that? Not like what?

Terrence raises a disbelieving eyebrow. "Sure, Cass." Cassia frowns at his reluctance to believe her. She was speaking the truth! Harry wasn't her boyfriend! There was no lie in that...

Fortunately for them, Maryam and Adrian arrive back at the table, in one piece, with Maryam looking slightly less red in the face than before, and Adrian looking awkward and confused as he sat down again.

"What was all that about?" asks Eva.

"I apologised to Johnson and Weasley for the badges," says Maryam, "Told them we had nothing to do with them. Wished them luck, too."

"Why'd you bring me?" Adrian inquires, frowning deeply. He looks quite scandalised, if anything.

"Because, Adrian," says Maryam, eating the toast she'd abandoned previously, "Me and you are the only remotely decent players in that team. And it's about time the Gryffindors realise that not every Slytherin is a piece of shit when it comes to playing Quidditch fairly."

Adrian nods, pressing his lips together. "Fair enough."

They thought all was good, and that Maryam had abandoned her temper... but minutes later her temper returns, and she throws her toast back onto her plate and frowns really furiously, her eyebrows were practically knotted in each other.

"Fucks sake!" Maryam bellows, making everyone wince. She puts her head in her hands with a massive sigh. "I hate this blasted team!"

"Lighten up, Ahmed!" says Theo. "Go on, have a bit of bacon."

Theo's eyes widen when he finds out his attempt at reassuring Maryam did exactly the opposite. She looks up at him, her eyes deadly.

"I am a Muslim, Theodore!" She yells. "We don't eat bacon!"

     Maryam groans, "Boys are idiots!" The frustrated Slytherin Chaser drags her legs out from underneath the table, and without another word, storm out of the big doors of the Great Hall. They could only hope that Maryam Ahmed could channel this anger and annoyance into winning the game at hand.

———

THE SUN WAS SHINING, BUT IT DIDN'T MEAN THAT the frost wasn't seeping into every little hole and crevice within everyone's clothing as they made their way into the roaring stadium. Cassia was shivering, no doubt, especially after abandoning her hat because really, Eva did a number on her hair and she felt like everyone should see it, despite it being at the cost of her own warmth. But still, she figured with the atmosphere bound to increase and with her no doubt cheering the team on, her being warm of cold wouldn't be as much of an issue pretty soon. The players had all mounted their brooms in the bright sky, and Cassia waved to Maryam, who wasn't able to notice because she had her game face on and so focused on trying to glare holes into the side of Montague's brutish face. She also saw Harry and Malfoy, hovering opposite each other and seemingly in a massive staring contest with each other. There was also the big, loud song that all the Slytherins were singing, a really derogatory one about how bad of a player Ron Weasley is. Cassia just knew Maryam wouldn't approve.

     So.

     Madam Hooch gets both captains to shake hands, before blowing her whistle and commencing the game. The commentary is being done by Lee Jordan as it usually is, who Cassia has seen hanging out with the Weasley twins. Somehow, he always makes the commentary interesting.

     "And it's Johnson — Johnson with the Quaffle, what a player that girl is, I've been saying it for years but she still won't go out with me—"

     "Jordan!" yells Professor McGonagall.

     "—just a fun fact, Professor, adds a bit of interest — and she's dodged Maryam Ahmed — the first female Slytherin player in years — Johnson's passed Montague, she's — ouch — been hit from behind by a Bludger from Crabbe... Montague catches the Quaffle, Montague heading back up the pitch and — nice Bludger there from George Weasley, that's a Bludger to the head for Montague, he drops the Quaffle, caught by Katie Bell, Katie Bell of Gryffindor, reverse-passes to Alicia Spinnet, Spinnet's off — Bludger heading her way, courtesy of Goyle, Spinnet dodges the Bludger and Ahmed's attempts at snatching the Quaffle — close call, Alicia! — and the crowd are loving this, what's that they're singing?"

     Cassia can practically hear Lee Jordan grimacing on the inside as he attempts to block out the sounds of the song with the blaring of his megaphone.

     "— and Alicia passes back to Angelina!" shouts Lee. "Come on now, Angelina — looks like she's just got the Keeper to beat — SHE SHOOTS — SHE — aaaah — Miles Bletchley of Slytherin saves it, throws back to Ahmed of Slytherin —"

     As soon as the Quaffle touches Maryam's hands, she's zooming off the other end of the pitch, Quaffle tucked under her arms. She is fast, Cassia can confirm. She's dodged Bludgers from both Fred and George Weasley, swerved away from Katie Bell trying to snatch the Quaffle, and she's heading towards the three goalposts being guarded by a lone person...

     "— and it's Ahmed with the Quaffle — Maryam Ahmed, if anyone saw her showdown with Captain Graham Montague in the Great Hall, I must admit I couldn't have been more impr—"

     "JORDAN!" yells Professor McGonagall.

     "—sorry Professor, it definitely was a sight for sore eyes, though — and here's Ahmed, approaching new Gryffindor Keeper Ron Weasley, brother of Beaters Fred and George Weasley, a new prospect, in his first test as a new player — come on, Ron!"

     Cassia yells in delight as Maryam throws the Quaffle high above Ron's head, soaring through the goalpost — the song only increased, and Cassia kind of felt bad for Ron, even if she didn't like him. And she knew that even if Maryam wasn't happy with the dirty tactics, she would do her best with trying to win the game.

     "Slytherin score! I must admit, that was a skilful throw from new Chaser Maryam Ahmed — so it's ten-nil to Slytherin, bad luck Ron — Gryffindor back in possession, Katie Bell tanking up the pitch—"

     Harry Potter soars right past the part of stand she and her friends were standing in, presumably in search of the Snitch—

     "— and it's Ahmed again — she passes to Pucey, Pucey's off past Spinnet, come on now, Angelina, you can take him — turns out you can't — but nice Bludger from Fred Weasley, I mean, George Weasley, oh, who cares, one of them anyways, and the Quaffle drops back in Ahmed's hands, a Bludger hits her — Katie Bell catches and — er, drops it too — Montague with the Quaffle, Slytherin Captain Montague takes the Quaffle and he's off up the pitch, come on, now, Gryffindor — block him!"

     "Did I just see Ahmed snatch the Quaffle from Montague, her own teammate? — I — talk about drama in the Slytherin changing rooms!—" Rightly enough, Lee Jordan's surprise was justified when Maryam took the Quaffle right out of Montague's unsuspecting hands, soaring up the pitch, "— and she's passed off to Pucey, and Pucey's dodged Alicia again and he's headed straight for goal — stop it, Ron!"

     But Ron didn't stop it — Adrian scores, and so did Montague, and Maryam again — Slytherin we're winning fourth-nil and Lee Jordan was having a difficult time trying to trump the sounds of "WEASLEY IS OUR KING". Neither Seekers could find the Snitch, and the atmosphere was repeatedly roaring. Even Bletchley found the time to join in to the song.

     "— and Katie Bell of Gryffindor dodges Adrian Pucey of Slytherin, ducks Montague, nice swerve, Katie, and she throws to Johnson, Angelina Johnson takes the Quaffle, she's soared past Ahmed, she's heading for goal, come on, now, Angelina — GRYFFINDOR SCORE! It's forty-ten, forty-ten to Slytherin and Pucey has regained possession of the Quaffle—"

     They could hear the Gryffindors roaring like the lions they were, trying to overcome the derogatory songs, and Cassia can see Harry ducking a Bludger sent from Crabbe, feeling a strange sense of relief.

     "Montague throws to Pucey — Pucey to Ahmed — Ahmed back to Pucey — Johnson intervenes, Johnson takes the Quaffle, Johnson to Bell, this looks good — I mean bad — Bell's been hit by a Bludger from Goyle of Slytherin and it's Pucey in possession again..."

     It was at the exact moment when Adrian passed to Maryam and Maryam scored her third goal of the game, that two blurs soared right past Cassia — Harry and Malfoy had spotted the Snitch.

     "THE GOLDEN SNITCH HAS BEEN SPOTTED! Seekers Draco Malfoy of Slytherin and Harry Potter of Gryffindor are off now... COME ON, HARRY!"

     A loud gasp escaped Cassia there and then, because Maryam was falling to the ground at such a high speed — it was Goyle, who'd aimed the Bludger for Alicia Spinnet but got Maryam instead — and it clashed into her broom, snapping it in half, the Chaser now descending deep down...

     "MARYAM!" Cassia yells. She reaches for Eva's arm, about to go down into the pitch to check on her, when Theo's arm stops her.

     "You can't go now!" says Theo. "The game's still going on! They're about to catch the Snitch!"

     Cassia was frustrated — her best friend just had her broom snapped in half by her own teammate, and could potentially have hurt herself, judging by the way she was holding onto her ankle and luckily still conscious — yet all they cared about was the Snitch? Still, the two Seekers were neck and neck... their hands could have been touching in the race but it was Harry's hand that clasped the golden object first — and it was at that moment, when Lee Jordan shouted "HARRY POTTER HAS CAUGHT THE GOLDEN SNITCH!" that Crabbe whacked the Bludger on the Gryffindor Seeker, knocking him off his broom and down into the ground.

In the midst of the angry yells, loud remarks and shrill whistling, Madam Hooch blew her own whistle and the game had ended. Cassia took this as the chance to grab Eva and Theo by the arm and sprint down the stands and into the pitch to go check on Maryam, who was having difficulty in standing and was clearly in pain, with Adrian having just dismounted his broom and was crouched down beside her. A thought in the back of Cassia's head also thought this could be used as a chance to see how Harry was doing, too. He was also a victim of the Bludger. As Cassia, Eva and Theo neared them all in the pitch, she could see Angelina Johnson helping Harry up and congratulating them. She also happened to see a bitter-looking Draco Malfoy approaching them.

"Are you okay?" Cassia asks Maryam, running over to the girl who was huddled on the ground, her hand grasping at her ankle. She can now see the entirety of her right ankle was bruised red and purple and had swollen up considerably.

"No, I'm not okay!" says Maryam, exasperatedly, pounding the grass beside her. "We lost, Goyle broke my fucking broom," Maryam gestures to a heap of twigs sprawled over the ground, "And not to mention my fucking ankle!" She looks furiously to Goyle, who'd dismounted his broom, Maryam attempting to stand up onto to fall directly back down with a screech of pain. "Goyle, you little shit, just wait—"

Madam Hooch comes to their berth rapidly, kneeling beside Maryam. "What's wrong, Ahmed?" asks the referee.

"My ankle—I can't get up," sighs Maryam.

"Right. You—" Madam Hooch gestures to Theo, "And you, Pucey — both of you help Ahmed to the Hospital Wing." Both boys nod as Madam Hooch attends to Crabbe regarding his Bludger on Harry, Theo and Adrian slinging each of Maryam's arms around their shoulders and helping the girl limp back up to the castle.

     "Wait!" says Maryam, the two boys upholding her stopping in their tracks. "Look—!"

     Cassia looks to where Maryam gestures to, and again, feels that sense of dread overcome her. Harry was being restrained by Alicia Spinnet and Katie Bell, and directly opposite him was Malfoy, with a malicious smirk on his face.

     "...We wanted to write another couple of verses!" calls out Malfoy, "but we couldn't find any rhymes for fat and ugly — we wanted to sing about his mother, see —"

     "Give it up, Malfoy!" Eva yells.

     "Talk about sour grapes," Cassia overhears from Angelina Johnson.

     "— we couldn't fit in useless loser either — for his father, you know —"

     The Weasley twins stop dead in their tracks. Ron was nowhere in sight. They turn around stiffly, looking at Malfoy frozen in the eyes.

Oh no, Cassia thinks.

"Leave it!" yells Angelina. She grabs Fred by the arm. "Leave it, Fred, let him yell, he's just sore he lost, the jumped-up little —"

"— but you like the Weasley's, don't you, Potter?" Malfoy continues, sneering, "Spend holidays and everything there, don't you? Can't see how you stand the stink, but I suppose when you've been dragged up by Muggles, even the Weasley's hovel smells okay—"

"Shut up, Malfoy!" came from Maryam, attempting to stumble forward though being considerably restrained by Theo and Adrian.

George made a break for it, but Harry grabs onto the furious Weasley twin. It took all three of the Gryffindor Chasers to restrain Fred from attacking the Malfoy boy, who was laughing his sorrows away. Madam Hooch hadn't yet taken notice of this showdown.

"Or perhaps," Malfoy sniggers. He takes a small step back, "you can remember what your mother's house stank like, Potter, and Weasley's pigsty reminds you of it —"

"Malfoy, you dickhea—"

Cassia cut herself off from speaking with a loud gasp when Harry let himself and George go, and Harry's fist pummelled directly into Malfoy's stomach, repeatedly pounding into the Malfoy boy's face along with the Weasley twin.

"Harry! HARRY! GEORGE! NO!"

"Fuck you, Malfoy!" says George, heard over the screams, yells and jeers of the Quidditch players, Cassia, Theo and Eva down below and the remaining crowd above. Even when Goyle attempted to defend his friend, delivering a large blow to George's mouth, nothing seemed to have separated the brawl than Madam Hooch shouting a powerful "Impedimenta!", knocking Harry and George backwards and away from Malfoy. Had she not done so, and had Fred not been concealed, they would've gladly taken for a second round.

Cassia's mouth is wide open. Harry jumps to his feet, and Fred is still being forced away by the three Chasers while George is looking at both Madam Hooch and Malfoy scathingly.

"What do you think you're doing?" Madam Hooch screams atrociously. "I've never seen behaviour like it — back up to the castle, both of you, and straight to your Head of House's office! Go! Now!"

     Harry and George storm up to the castle. Maryam is glaring down at Malfoy, rolling about the grass clutching onto his bloody nose. Cassia is still frozen into place, but she can see Eva picking up the broken pieces of Maryam's broom from around the stadium.

"I thought I told you boys to take Ahmed to the Hospital Wing!" says Madam Hooch scoldingly. Without another word, apart from that of Maryam's cursing at Malfoy, they drag the restless girl away, knowing not to mess with Madam Hooch after her temper display.

When Eva managed to gather up the discarded pieces of Maryam's broom, wrapping them up in her scarf, Cassia is on her way back to the castle with the blonde. They glare at Goyle as they pass the boy.

"That was something," says Cassia, as they trudge through the snow in their thick bundle of clothes and heavy winter boots. She still felt kind of... weird about acting okay in front of Eva, considering she's literally carrying out an investigation into the fact her dad is possibly some Death Eater no person has ever convicted him of.

     (Speaking of... it was frustrating Cassia, because no amount of library time was proving of any use... she hardly found any information on Enoch Abercrombie in any of the previous minutes of Governors meetings. He seemed pretty perfect. But she was sure that wasn't it... she was sure there was more.)

"Yeah," Eva breathes, her breath fogging up. "Potter caught the Snitch and used it to give Malfoy a beating? It must have been some day for your man."

     Cassia grimaces. "Did you just say my man?"

     Eva shrugs. "Yeah, I did. So?"

     "He's not my man."

     "Yet."

     Cassia narrows her eyes. Eva smiles.

     "Aren't you supposed to, like, hate the guy, or something?"

     "Aren't you?" Eva retorts. She sighs. "Okay, no, I don't like him, but considering what he means to you, I don't hate him either."

     "What he means to me?"

     It was Eva's turn to narrow her eyes. "I saw the terror on your face when Crabbe — or was it Goyle — wait, no, he hit Maryam, the dickhead — but I saw the look you had when he got hit by the Bludger. Like, he was literally not even that far off the ground and you looked as though he fell off, like, Mount Everest, or something."

     "No, I didn't!" Cassia scoffs.

     "Yes, you did," Eva laughs. "Deny it all you want, but there's something going on between you two."

     The Greengrass twin sighs. "Well, I don't know anything about my man, but I know for a fact yours is up there with Theo and an angry Maryam. Not exactly the safest combo?"

     "Nope, not at all. Not to mention, her ankle looked horrendous. Hopefully Madam Pomfrey can do something about it. I don't think anyone can do anything about Maryam's anger right now, though... she looked ready to take Malfoy's head off after he provoked Potter and the Weasley twins. He asked to have his nose all bloodied up, if anything."

Cassia nods. "Exactly... Malfoy has no right to insult anyone's living situations. It's just... horrible. I hope we've managed to get to the Hospital Wing before Malfoy did, though... if not, then prepare for another brawl today."

Their worst perceptions were false, thankfully. When at last they rescued themselves from being outside in the biting frost and were now safeguarded by the warmth in the castle, they found Maryam propped up on a bed in the Hospital Wing with Adrian and Theo nearby. Madam Pomfrey was examining her ankle, shifting the bruised, swollen ligament between her experienced hands. Maryam still looks pissed, her arms folded and her eyebrows knitted.

"It's definitely fractured," says Madam Pomfrey. "You'll have to stay in the Hospital Wing for a couple of days, and you mustn't play any Quidditch for at least a week."

"Don't exactly have a broom to play it on, do I," Maryam huffs, watching as Eva cautiously held up the scarf with the broken broom inside. "Goyle made very well sure of that."

Madam Pomfrey looks up, frowning.

"I will need a few minutes to make you a potion," informs Madam Pomfrey, scuffling away.

As Madam Pomfrey is obscured from her vision, Maryam sighs, her head dropping down. "Today was a mess."

"It wasn't," says Cassia, frowning. "You played great, and we only lost bec—"

"Not that," Maryam cuts in. "The song? The badges? Malfoy provoking Potter? This team has no tact. Like, apart from Crabbe and Goyle, the team has decent players. But nobody can see that because hell would rain over the day Graham Montague decides not to cheat. I mean, at least Potter gave as good as he got. If it were me, I'd do the same—"

     "Good game, Ahmed!"

     Everyone's heads turn from Maryam's bed to the ones who just entered the Hospital Wing, and they could all tell the tension would flood back in. It was the face that made Maryam's anger surge back up completely — the face of Draco Malfoy, still managing to find a way to adorn a cunning smirk even in the wake of a bloody nose. This was seen almost immediately — Maryam's face darkened entirely at the sight of him.

"Good game?" screeches Maryam, her eyes widened, her expression incredulous. "GOOD GAME?"

Malfoy narrows his eyes. "What's got you all like this, then?"

"The very person I'm talking to right now, that's what!"

Malfoy scowls. "And what exactly did I do, apart from have two dogs set upon me?"

"Those "two dogs", as you put it, only attacked you because you made it your job to press every little fucking button you could. It's all your fault! You deserve every bit of what happened to you, Malfoy! It was a shithead move, and you got what was coming for you!"

"I'm your teammate, Ahmed!" yells Malfoy. "And you're happy that I got hurt?"

Maryam lets out a large, incredulous laugh, her head nodding up and down. "A team? Is that what you're calling us?"

Fuelled with her rage, Maryam seemed to no longer feel the pain of her swelling ankle as she clambers out of the bed, using the bed to support her as she inches closer to the Malfoy boy. Adrian and Theo now bore very sore arms from the smacks they received from Maryam after they attempted to stop her.

She was now inches away from Malfoy's face. "We were never a team to begin with," says Maryam. "A team trusts one another. A team treats each other like they belong there. Each and every one of you have treated me like some kind of object, or outsider, ever since I joined you all. The only person who's actually treated me well, has been Adrian."

Malfoy doesn't say anything. Maryam takes another step closer. Little did they all know, she was sure her ankle was about to collapse upon itself.

"And you know what? A team doesn't cheat. A team doesn't resort to dirty tactics, like derogatory songs, mean badges, shooting fucking Bludgers at the opposite team and even their own team members? A team has to have faith in one another to know that they can get through the hardships together without having to play dirty!"

Maryam eyesMalfoy distastefully, from every inch of his silky, platinum blonde hair to his porcelain skin, his nose seeping with blood and his bruised, black eye.

"We were never, ever a team. You're all just a bunch of idiots who can do nothing but play like thugs."

"So what if I was dirty?" says Malfoy. "Some things have to be done differently!"

"Because, Malfoy," Maryam says softly, "It just leads me to believe, that you think you're so shit at Quidditch, you have to resort to cheating in order to win. And honestly, I feel sorry for you."

"It was just a joke, Ahmed! Calm down!"

"I won't calm down!" Maryam shrieks, practically breathless. "A joke is what the Weasley twins do. A joke is something that is fun. Nobody here is having fun, apart from you and those sorry excuses of friends that tag alongside you every moment of every day. Don't you see?"

     Draco practically snarls his next words.

     "I knew Montague made a mistake bringing you into the team, you're too soft—"

     SMACK!

     The sound lingered in the echoing walls of the Hospital Wing and the jolted minds of everyone's like a crackling whip. Maryam had slapped Draco so furiously his cheek was tinging with red, inflamed even with the residue of blood from his nose. His head had whipped to the side with the impact of her swift, sharp, rapid hand movement. Draco's forefingers reaches up to the inflamed skin, a deadly anger in his eyes. But none could rival that of Maryam's. She was furious.

    Cassia's mouth drops open. She knew Draco was overstepping his boundaries, but she didn't expect this — there did happen to be a surge of pride in her for the Ahmed girl. She didn't happen to be the only one. Everyone in the Hospital Wing looked astonished — she was surprised Madam Pomfrey was still able to work over their arguing.

     "You ever call me soft again," whispers Maryam, "And you'll get a lot worse than a slap."

Draco didn't say anything. He couldn't say anything. Maryam Ahmed's temper had well and truly silenced him. And he had to stay silent, when Madam Pomfrey rushes towards them, looking positively shocked of Maryam risking her ankle so much.

"What on earth do you think you're doing, Miss Ahmed!" exclaims Madam Pomfrey. This time, when Adrian and Theo helped her back into the bed, she didn't slap them. The poor boys had already endured enough of her thrashing in this one day.

"Teaching someone a lesson," Maryam replies through gritted teeth, her gaze piercing right through Madam Pomfrey in Draco's direction. Madam Pomfrey began to put some weird-smelling paste on the ankle, presumably to stop the swelling.

"You should teach yourself a lesson and not hurt yourself even more! You wouldn't want to permanently damage yourself and never play quidditch again, would you?" Madam Pomfrey receives no answer to her rhetorical question — as Maryam was one to usually retort with a snarky comeback — so the matron follows her deathly stare to see behind her, Draco Malfoy was still standing, glued to the spot, both hands fisted. His cheek was still tinted red and he certainly looks like he was stinging. "Mister Malfoy, what are you doing here? Leave, please. All you need is a tissue and an ego check for that nose of yours. This hospital wing is already crowded enough as it is."

     "And make sure to tell your mate Goyle he owes me a new broomstick!" Maryam yells after Draco. There was definitely a complacent grin on her face.

Draco storms out of the Hospital Wing. Cassia thought the reason he didn't say anything could have been because Maryam slapped all the words out of him. Just a possibility. Madam Pomfrey leaves for a few seconds, returning with a potion of sorts in her hand.

"Here, drink this," she tells Maryam, handing it to her. Maryam does so, squirming as it travelled down her oesophagus. Madam Pomfrey nods. "Good, I should expect as much of a reaction."

Madam Pomfrey leaves them.

"This is disgusting," says Maryam, her eyes narrowed distastefully as she flushes the rest of the potion down her system.

Cassia frowns. Part of her was still shocked and proud of Maryam for slapping Draco. (In her defence, Draco wasn't Cassia's most favourite person at the moment.) "D'you want me to go to the kitchens and, like, get you something? You are a bit fired up, after all.."

     "Fired up? What do you mean?"

     "You did just slap Draco Malfoy, Maryam," says Eva. She was smiling hard. "Nice hit, by the way. You totally checked the "correct sound" box. It practically, like, echoed."

     Maryam smiles abashedly, looking around her. Eva, Cassia and Adrian were all grinning at her. Even Theo, who nods, saying, "It was a good hit."

     (In Theo's defence, Draco wasn't his most favourite person either, lately.)

     "It's a shame Terrence wasn't here to see it," says Adrian. "He's been dying to see someone, like, thrash Draco since he took the Seeker spot. Had he been here, he would've seen it twice in a day."

     "I do feel slightly better." Maryam smiles, looking down at her lap. Her eyes catch sight of the broken broomstick at the foot of her bed, and she frowns.

     Cassia frowns. "Okay, um, what do you want from the kitchens?"

     "A new quidditch team, a new broom, a scalpel to shove up the entire team's arse, Montague's and Malfoy's—"

     "Maryam."

     "Jam toast and cake. Carrot cake."

     Cassia smiles, perking up. "I'll be back soon."

     When Cassia leaves them, her curly hair bouncing after her and still with the glittery stars now fumbling clumsily in the crevices of her braid. It's just them in the Hospital Wing, now. Maryam, Eva, Theo, Adrian and a busy Madam Pomfrey. Adrian frowns.

     "You wouldn't shove a scalpel up my arse, would you? You said I was a good one."

     Maryam sighs, patting the boy's arm. "No, Adrian. Not you. You're a good guy, bless you."

———

CASSIA OFFERED TO GET MARYAM SOMETHING FROM the kitchens because Maryam looked pretty down. She did just endure one of the worst first matches ever, had her broom broken, now has a swollen, bruised, fractured ankle, and shouted at her teammates twice. Oh, and she slapped Draco Malfoy and silenced the boy completely. That was good, though. Point is: maybe a bit of comfort food could help Maryam wind down in this horrible day.

     And now that Maryam was fine... well, fine considering what just happened, Cassia's mind led her to think of someone else... Harry. He caught the Snitch, he won the game, but thrashed a boy too. He got sent to his Head of House — but McGonagall has never been that bad... he might just get detention, or something. Nothing too tough.

     The reality that they'd lost the first game hadn't exactly sunk in for Cassia yet — she was too focused on the fact that Harry and George, like, beat up Malfoy, that Goyle fractured Maryam's ankle and broke her broom and that Maryam slapped Draco (definitely one for the times). She could see people walking up and down the hallways, still in their big coats and house hats and scarves, the chilly draught still flowing through the walls. There were some Gryffindors who didn't look as happy as they should've been when they're house just won the quidditch match, a few Ravenclaws and Hufflepuffs, but she seemed to be the only Slytherin still out. Some people even ga—

     "CASSIA!"

     The abrupt call of her name made Cassia's head shoot around sharply, and she felt kind of relieved to see it was only the boy of previous conviction, still in his red quidditch uniform, his glasses slightly slanted. Cassia smiles at Harry, waiting for him to jog up to her in the middle of the archaic stone corridor.

     "Hey, Harry." says Cassia.

     "Hi." says Harry. When he finally stops in front of Cassia, he feels his breath stop short. Maybe it's because he just ran all the way from Hagrid's hut to the castle, but maybe it's this profoundness for Cassia's beauty... her hair looks extra pretty today, even if there were green stars twisted within her auburn braid, and the curls billowed gently beneath her, framing her smiling face. Her face was slightly flushed because of the cold seeping into the castle and because of the eventful past couple of hours, and the snakes that Daphne painted onto her cheeks with such detail had smudged slightly too. But Harry still thought she looked beautiful. Its just something he's been noticing loads lately.

     Cassia points to behind him, where he emerged beside one of the stone alcoves. Ron and Hermione were standing there, probably waiting for him, "Were you just—"

     "Oh, yeah!" Harry snaps out of his trancelike state, nodding. "We were just about to go to dinner... apparently Hagrid is back, though."

"He is?"

Cassia didn't know what to think about Hagrid being back. Like, sure, she likes the guy, and he was perfectly nice, but it would mean he would be teaching them Care of Magical Creatures again... and she wanted her O.W.L to be... safe. Not Ministry-level safe, but Professor Grubbly Plank-level safe. Not Hagrid's level, where he brings in the most dangerous creatures known to man...

But Harry nods. "Yeah, he's back."

"What did McGonagall say to you and George?" asks Cassia.

His face drops. Harry says, "We're banned permanently from playing quidditch. Us, and Fred."

Cassia's mouth goes agape. "McGonagall said that?"

"No," says Harry, rolling his eyes, "Umbridge did."

     "That's not fair," Cassia huffs, shaking her head, "For you or the twins. Malfoy provoked you!"

     "Yeah, I know."

     She sighs, Cassia's eyes travelled down to his hand. There was a round, golden object clutched within it. Cassia smiles.

     "Can I see it?" She asks, referring to the Snitch. "I've never seen one up close."

     Harry nods, giving her the small object. Her fingers trace the metallic structure, the faint carvings, the entire curvature. He smiles at her interest in the object.

     "Not only does it look nice, but it also makes for a powerful punch," says Harry, a loose chuckle escaping him. It didn't take that long for Cassia to realise Harry's hand was still held high up. She frowns when she sees the bruising on his knuckles.

     "That looks sore," says Cassia, rubbing her thumbs over the bruised skin.

     Harry sighs. "I'd like to say it was worth it, but Malfoy coming off with just a bloody nose and me being banned for a lifetime says otherwise."

     Cassia furrows her eyebrows, her hand dropping the Snitch back into Harry's. But then a smile stretches across her face.

     "It's a good thing I'm here," says Cassia, "because I have just the thing to cheer you up."

"Oh, yeah?" Harry raises an eyebrow. "And what exactly might that be?"

"Well," Cassia begins, grinning, "I'm not sure if you saw, since Crabbe, like, bludgeoned you at the time, or whatever, but Goyle hit Maryam with the Bludger and her broom got snapped—"

"Been there, done that."

"Well, she landed on her ankle and it was all purple and bruised and gross but she was furious at Malfoy and Montague, like—"

Harry interrupts her with a laugh, "Yeah, I saw her in the Great Hall this morning. She even apologised to Ron and Angelina. I was surprised."

Cassia frowns. "Stop interrupting me! I'm trying to make you laugh."

"Okay, okay," says Harry, holding his hands up in surrender. "You were saying?"

"Yeah," says Cassia, "So Maryam was in the Hospital Wing, she's pissed, like, absolutely livid with the team for cheating and the songs and the badges, like all she wanted was for them to play properly. Not Adrian though, he never cheats, bless him.

"But she's mad, especially since Goyle broke her broom, and then Malfoy comes in like it's a sunny day telling Maryam "good game!" and Maryam had enough of it, like, they had this massive argument in the Hospital Wing and Maryam literally went up to Malfoy with a fractured, bruised and pained ankle, and, get this — she slaps him."

"She did?"

Harrys eyes practically pop out of his head. When Cassia nods fervently, he lets out a laugh, the smile stretching across his face.

"I have a newfound respect for Ahmed." Harry says, smiling further. "Reminds me of the time Hermione slapped Draco in third year."

Cassia grins. "I knew I could cheer you up. I was proud of Maryam. Malfoy's been an absolute twat to her — well, all of us, lately. The sound, like, sounded like a horse whip or something. He didn't say a single thing afterwards."

"Must be tough being the only girl on the quidditch team," says Harry.

"Yeah," Cassia replies, pressing her lips together. "She makes it work, though. She's Maryam."

It only just dawned on Cassia that she was meant to be going to the kitchens to get Maryam her toast and cake — and instead, for about a solid few minutes, she was here talking to Harry. He'd completely distracted her, with his pouty mood and shiny Snitch. This boy.

"I—uh—should probably go," says Cassia, "Maryam told me to, like, get her some cake and I don't exactly want to be on the receiving end of one of her slaps." She chuckles uneasily. "I can still hear the sound from when she slapped Malfoy... don't want it to be me next."

Harry nods his head, and presses his lips into a thin smile. "It's good. I get it."

Cassia smiles at him, and was in the midst of turning around, when a hand grabs onto her wrist. She turns back to face Harry, her look questioning. He looks hesitant.

"Is everything good, Harry?"

"Yeah," he mutters, letting go of her wrist. He scratches the back of his head, his gaze lowering. "I was just—er—wondering if..."

He takes a longer pause, and Cassia frowns. "Yes?"

A deep breath released from within Harry, and he balls his fists at his sides. He looks up. "Do you, maybe, want to come with me to Hogsmeade? It doesn't have to be this weekend, it could be next, or—"

"Harry," says Cassia.

He nods.

She smiles. "Would it cheer you up if I said yes?"

Harry grins. "I'm not gonna lie and say it wouldn't..."

Cassia laughs, and the sound is like a harmonious melody in his ears. There was a part of her that did this really weird, giddy jump, like a horse jumping over a hurdle, and it was strange. But it made her happy. "Yes, then. I'll go out with you, Harry."

There's a bursting elation within the boy, and the urge to spin her around in his arms had never been more prominent. But, instead, he lets a euphoric grin take over his face. "Um, brilliant. When?"

"How's the last Hogsmeade weekend before the holidays?" Cassia suggests. She was over the moon. "We'll have the least amount of O.W.L work due, then. Less stressful."

Harry nods. It was nearly five weeks away, but that's okay. With this girl, all stresses seemed to cease anyways.

"Yeah," says Harry. "Okay. That's... that's brilliant. Yeah. Great."

"Yeah?" Cassia gives him an encouraging smile.

"Yeah. I guess I'll—uh—see you then." Harry frowns. "I mean, I'll see you before, but I'll see you th—I—you know wh—I'll see you later."

Cassia chuckles. "See you, Harry."

He smiles at her before going back to where an impatient Ron and Hermione were standing, stopping to look back a couple of times. He had a boyish grin on his face, and his cheeks had reddened massively. So had Cassia's. It took her a second to remember she's supposed to be in the kitchens, and when she continues walking, she looks afar dreamily.

"Hey, sis."

"Hey, Tori."

Cassia was still half in her reverie when Astoria Greengrass comes to her side, with a knowing grin on her pretty features. The youngest Greengrass had been on her way to dinner, when spotting her sister and The Boy Who Lived conversing, with what seemed to be an even more intent than usual. The dopey smile on Cassia's face said it all.

"What did Dearest Harry want?"

"He asked me out on a date."

"He did?"

"He did."

"And?" Astoria prods. "What did you say?"

(But it's clear she needed no answer with the way Cassia was smiling.)

"I said yes."

"You said yes?"

"I said yes."

Astoria smiles. "You still convinced it's "just friends"?"

"Here's the thing, Tori," says Cassia. She turns her head, taking a long look at her sister. "I'm not so sure anymore."

     As the two proceed, Cassia thinks back to what she told Terrence Higgs earlier — that between her and Harry, it wasn't like that. She told Eva, Malfoy, that he wasn't her boyfriend — it wasn't like that. But now she's begun to think: what if it was?

     (One thing definitely stands true, though: when Eva Abercrombie said that Cassia's 'man' had some day — regardless of being Cassia's man or not — this certainly was a day to remember for Harry Potter.)

***

WHOA GUYS HEY✋🏻 this chapter🙈🙈

i swear tho like the byline of this fic should be "adrian pucey, bless you" the amount of times ive typed that??? we do stan a king tho❤️

AND WE STAN QUEEN MARYAM like maryam slapping draco 😻😻😻 draco hunny ily but it's what you get for being a dickhead

also this was cassia's hair in the match hehe 🙈 just with like glittery green stars and her hair is more ✨wavy✨ and hers is auburn

AND HARRY ASKED HER OUT!!!!! finally ugh babies

i hope you guys liked this💓💓💓 and idk when the next chapter will come out since school starts tomorrow (ewh) but pls bare with! ily all ty for supporting me❤️