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HERE'S THE THING ABOUT BEING HUMAN: nothing is absolutely certain. People make false promises, people lie, people die and leave this horrible place for everyone else to rot in. People become so easily influenced by half-thought words of others, and people are so easily affected by zero-thought words of most. There's no secret that people often speak their mind in times they shouldn't. There's no secret that often, the thoughts filling their mind are ones they know not of at all. People don't think things through. It's a natural trait instilled within humans, one that can cause the most destruction above all.

Regret. That's what Cassia feels. Regret over what she said, what she did, that she left... Her mind is occupied by a cacophonous cave of unthought profanities and hearts ripping to shreds. She knows that she didn't mean what she said to Theodore. She knows she didn't mean to compare him to his father. But she just... did. In a moment where it was nothing but hurt sentiments and infuriated tempers, Cassia was caught in a rift that meant she lost one of the people closest to her.

That's not to say she's changing stance. She's still pissed at Theo for hiding this secret from her. She understands that yes, he didn't want to hurt her. She gets it. But in a revelation like this, feeling hurt is inevitable. Nobody would be able to get over finding out your father is practically a terrorist that easy. But that doesn't excuse Theo not telling her something so significant. She may have been in the wrong, but so was he. If she looks down at her wrist, she can almost recollect the piercing claws of Theo's nails into her skin, she can almost visualise the scarlet crescents engraved into her wrist. She can remember the dark, obsidian scowl of his so easily... she hates it.

He never shows it, but Cassia knows that Theo is sensitive. He's a pretty delicate guy when it comes to his feelings. No hardened expression or poker face could hide that. And she absolutely, a hundred percent knew that those words she spoke... hit a spot prone to bruise. A tender, delicate, easily wounded spot. At the time, she meant to hit that spot. She was so furious with him, she wanted to wound him in the place she knew healing would be harder. And now she regrets that she ever did.

It's been a day since, and Cassia finds that nothing between them has changed since the previous day's occurrences. It's not like there would be. She straight-up told him to stay away. And he did. Theo isn't one to go against the word of someone else, not when Cassia made everything clear by walking away first herself. She didn't know if their friendship was a lost cause... but she thinks if she waits it out a small while, that she'd eventually be able to find out.

"Quit being a suck-up, Tori, and get here!"

As for the progressing Sunday, Cassia and Daphne decided to immediately tell Astoria about the new revelation. Of their father. They found that in the last day, the most they could do regarding this revelation was just to keep it harboured. They couldn't exactly do much in the way of a new wayward Death Eater happening to be their father. For now, they would go through life as they usually did... with the thought in the back of their mind, pestering and picking at their thought strings, growing into an endless tangle of menacing yarn balls being picked apart by pesky felines. They didn't want to make a big deal about it anyways. No Greengrass has ever thrived in the big spotlight. They like to keep to themselves.

(And possibly Cassia would tell them about Harry, but considering they were in a library, and a Greengrass — specifically, Daphne — is prone to get excited, she thinks it might be better to not expel herself from the library. But she's still in slight disbelief. She and Harry kissed. She and Harry were a thing. He's now her boyfriend. How did that happen?)

     Astoria Greengrass materialises with a scowl into the secluded library area, swatting Daphne's forehead with the thin material of her pink headband hanging loosely around her wrist.

     "I'm not a suck-up," says Astoria, frowning.

     "I beg to differ, Madam Pince's number one," Daphne sniggers. She manages to duck this time when Astoria's headband comes to whip her for round number two, but grins devilishly, leaning back in her seat, arms folded.

     "Just because I actually get on with teachers."

     "Suck-up," Cassia coughs, a grin playing at her lips from her seat opposite Daphne. Astoria swats at her just as she takes her seat adjacent to both of her sisters, swinging her pink headband in loops around and around her wrist.

     "So what brings you guys to thi—"

     "Ah-ah," Daphne interrupts Astoria, a berating finger being held towards the younger Greengrass. Eyebrows are held indignantly Daphne's way as she ignores curious looks sent her way, digs into her pocket and brings out a Tupperware container. She places it on the table, opens it, takes an apple slice from within and begins to eat. "There. Proceed."

"You're not meant to eat in the library," Astoria says with a frown.

"Suck-up," says Daphne through a mouthful of apple, crunching down sparingly. Astoria can't help but grin. Point proven.

"What's with the apples?" Cassia ask.

"My New Year's resolution." Daphne answers.

"To eat healthily?"

"No," says Daphne. "It's to try and eat more apples than Malfoy on a daily basis."

Astoria and Cassia share confused but amused looks between them, turning back to Daphne for elaboration.

"Me and Millie observed that Malfoy eats, like, way too many apples in a day than actually humanly possible," explains Daphne, "And we set ourselves a challenge. He has, like, three apples in breakfast then one at lunch and dinner and then snacks on at least one in between, so we're thinking if we ration it out then chances are we'll meet our apple quota for the day!"

"And does Malfoy know about this?" Astoria asks, an eyebrow raised.

     "Well, no," Daphne admits sheepishly, "Although I must say I'm surprised. Millie was not the most subtle the other day when trying to count his breakfast apples."

     "Is that what she was doing?" says Cassia. "I just thought she was trying to burn a hole with her eyes through Malfoy's shoulder in order to get to the Cheerios at the table."

     "Well, that too," says Daphne.

There's a small stretch of silence. Astoria is still regarding her older sisters with narrowed eyes, while they mirror each other's reclined positions in their chairs. Daphne pushed the container forward on the table, and Cassia picked up an apple slice while Astoria eyed it disapprovingly, before begrudgingly picking one up and crunching down on it viciously.

And then, after swallowing the apple slice whole, Cassia says, "Anyways."

"Speaking of Malfoy boys," says Daphne.

"We have news," says Cassia.

"Not exactly the good kind."

"Definitely not the good kind."

"But the necessary kind."

"Tragically essential."

Astoria purses her lips, looking hesitantly between the two. "Don't tell me you're still trying to get me together with Malfoy? I've literally been dating Blaise for over almost two years."

Cassia grimaces, while Daphne scoffs.

"No!" says Daphne. "That's a thing of the past. I don't even know what I was thinking in trying to get you two together."

"Not to mention you wanting to get Cass and Theo together," adds Astoria, unimpressed.

(Cassia feels herself shift uncomfortably in her seat. She had something else she needs to tell them.)

"Well, that was before Dearest Harry came in the picture." says Daphne with a grin.

(More than one thing she needs to tell them.)

     "Still, as much as I hate to admit it, you and Blaisey are borderline cute." admits Daphne.

     "Borderline?" says Cassia, an incredulous eyebrow perked up.

     "Blaisey?" says Astoria, enthralled.

     "What?" Daphne shrugs. "You won't get me admitting how cute you guys are just yet. And the nickname has grown."

     Astoria pinches her eyebrows together in an amused glance before relaxing them again, sliding the fabric of her headband on her head.

     "So," says Astoria. "What is it you two wanted to meet about if not for some quality sister bonding time?"

     Daphne and Cassia share sceptical glances.

     "So, yesterday..."

     (How on earth had it been yesterday that all hell had broken loose?)

     As Cassia lets Daphne explain the previous days' horrifying revelation to their younger sister, she watches her own hands on the table, covering and smoothing down the palm and it's back, just as sandpaper would do to newly carved wood. She didn't know how Astoria would react. It's no secret that Astoria is the kindest of the Greengrass sisters, the most empathetic and the one who would give chances like she could give smiles: plentifully. And that's not to say that either Cassia or Daphne would do the same — they also give people chances where possible. But they just hoped this side of Astoria's wouldn't prevent her from seeing the severity of the situation: that their father is a Death Eater. They may not know why, or what Phoenix's motive was, but just that they had to keep their guard up anyways... even if the man in question was their father.

Astoria doesn't say anything when Daphne finishes, staring sparingly down into her lap. The library was already quiet enough, and Astoria being an enthused ambassador meant she probably wouldn't break any of the sacred library rules. She'd hate to ruin her friendship with Madam Pince. Not when that woman was already so difficult. Rather she just sat there, adjacent to her sisters on either sides, staring at a crack in the table.

     "How?" Astoria eventually asks, quietly, lifting her head up only slightly enough to be staring straight ahead at a row of books in her eye view. Her expression was indecipherable.

Releasing a low sigh, Cassia rubs her lips together. "I don't know but... it does make sense."

A flurry of raven hair is seen as Astoria's head whips to meet Cassia's.

"What do you mean..?"

"Father's been acting... weird. For a while now. And I think you know it too."

Astoria lingers for a response before slowly nodding and saying, "And who's to say Malfoy is telling the truth? He's never been that good."

Cassia is about to say her overly-exhausted response of "Malfoy doesn't tell lies" but Daphne does it instead.

"He wanted us to protect ourselves," says Daphne. "He seemed genuine... for the first time."

"Okay," Astoria nods, a deep breath escaping her. Her head descends, her chin resting upon her clasped hands on the wooden table. "Say this is true... what are you proposing we do?"

"We can't exactly do much," Cassia admits, her shoulders shrugging haplessly. "No teenager ever really goes against Death Eaters."

"Apart from Potter," adds Daphne.

(Cassia definitely needs to tell them before she leaves the library today.)

"Well, apart from him." Cassia says. "We can't really help this."

Astoria scoffs, her head shaking vehemently within her mass of raven tresses.

"Unbelievable," she says, her eyebrows shooting up churlishly for a moment, her tone spiteful. They don't think they've ever seen Astoria seem so offended.

"What is?" The twins utter in unison.

The youngest Greengrass pauses for a moment, taking a look at her older sisters. And a somewhat grieved look overcame her. Tragic, heavy-of-heart.

"You guys are acting like the person you're talking about is solely a Death Eater," Astoria explains. "But you're forgetting that he's our father."

Astoria was right.

"We don't know who this Death Eater person is," she continues, "but we know who our dad is. That man would never want to hurt us. I don't know if I do believe all of this Death Eater rubbish... even if it does make sense... but I will never stop believing in the fact that our father loves us and will only ever want to do the thing to protect us. What if that thing was to become a Death Eater?"

Harry made the same point, too... Cassia thinks. There's no denying that in hearing something like this, people are quick to jump to conclusions. Phoenix Greengrass is a Death Eater, yes—maybe, which is the thought Astoria was trying to instil within them—but no one knew why. Only Phoenix did. And he was the man that raised these three amazing girls with his wife. This is the man that would do anything for them. He's the true definition of a family man — if all hell rained down, and his house caught on fire, then Phoenix would let himself burn like the bird of his name to ensure that they would be safe. Perhaps that's what's happening now.

     A prolonged sigh gusts from Daphne, and she nods, albeit hesitantly. "You're right."

     Cassia nods too.

     "But what are we supposed to do?" asks Cassia.

     "The Easter holidays are in a couple of months," says Daphne. "We can go home then."

"You guys can't go," says Astoria with a deep frown. "Your O.W.L's are directly after." Cassia and Daphne glance between themselves for a few minutes, eyes narrowed, clearly not finding the significance in the fact that they should probably be spending the time studying in the library.

"And?"

Astoria rolls her eyes, a smile playing at her lips. "You should stay and keep studying. I'd rather you guys get killed from extensive reading than getting killed in some savage war that hasn't happened yet."

     They concede defeat. Maybe Astoria has a point. Again.

     Cassia presses her lips together. "You think a war is gonna happen?"

     "Maybe not now..." Astoria sighs, "But... I suppose when a deranged supremacist is wanting power, war really is inevitable."

     They don't say anything.

     "I'll go," Astoria eventually says. "You guys can't, so I'll go home for Easter."

     "What?" Cassia and Daphne exclaim in unison.

     Astoria only laughs. "Calm down, you two," she says, "It'll be fine. It's our father we're talking about." She smiles faintly. "He'd never hurt us."

     They figure Astoria was right, and that her mind wouldn't be swayed either way.

"Cass?" Daphne speaks up after some time, an inquisitive, curious, sceptical look on her face, all the while she casually rocks on the back legs of her chair.

     "Yeah?" Cassia replies, arching an eyebrow. She still had two more things to tell them.

     "I don't mean to pry—"

     "You definitely do—"

     Daphne rolls her eyes. "Today at breakfast I happened to see that you and Theodore weren't sitting together..." Daphne divulges, cautiously watching for Cassia's reaction.

     She didn't say anything.

     "I didn't think much of it," Daphne continues, "but the entire time you two didn't make any eye contact and then when he left with Blaise he walked past you without acknowledging you at all..."

     Again, Cassia didn't say anything. But her face said loads. The other Greengrass siblings just knew something was up by the way Cassia stayed sentient, the way she refused to meet their eyes, the way her hands were at unrest, her nails plucking at her skin. She'd almost forgotten that back in September, she'd endured a detention that meant she had the words I mustn't insult my superiors sketched. She could still envision it regardless.

     "Cass—"

     "We fought." Cassia cuts in, her head down, paying no heed to the capsizing lump in her throat. She didn't have to look up to see the abhorrent shock in the faces of her sisters. She heard the light thud as Daphne's chair legs abruptly stopped rocking.

     It was quiet enough to hear the tinkering of a quill.

     "You and Theo fought?" Astoria eventually speaks up. "How—"

     "We fought." Cassia interrupts. "He said some rude stuff, and so did I, and we're done. The whole common room heard us yesterday... I don't know how you didn't... but me and Theo... done."

     It's quiet for a second, so much that they are able to realise once again that they're situated within the library, a harbinger of silence.

     "I don't buy that," Daphne says.

     Cassia looks up, confusion scrunching her features, an eyebrow tilted upwards. "You what?"

     "Whatever you and Theodore are going through, it won't last. He's your best friend. We know that more than ever. Whatever is going on between you two... you'll sort it out."

     "I'm not so sure about that."

     Daphne leaves it at that. Cassia's surprised they didn't ask her why they fought, but she's relieved too, because she still has no clue how Theo even knew about her father in the first place.

     "Any other shocking news we need to be aware of before we progress with our days?" says Astoria. It had been nothing but a flurry of new information for the youngest Greengrass, and she only had more to come, as she shifted her eyes between Cassia, slouching in her seat and Daphne, rocking back on her chair.

Cassia has one more thing to say.

So she straightens herself, taking a deep breath while her shoulders remained tended. "Me and Harry..." she began, her voice hoarse — she clears it, before continuing, scratching her ear in a rigid angle, "We, uh, we kind of kissed... and, uh, we're sort of... dating?"

     Daphne topples backwards.

     Cassia clamps a hand over her mouth, stifling what would be boisterous laughter if she didn't have any wish to lose her library privileges. The sight of Daphne with her legs in the air and the inverted chair was a rare image, but by no means disrelished. Until she managed to root her legs back on the ground, crouching up awkwardly and ignoring the stares from surrounding students who'd tracked their attention to the sudden thud in the otherwise quiet library. Madam Pince peeks out the side of a bookshelf, looking unimpressed, but looks away when Astoria gives her a haphazard thumbs up.

     "Jesus fucking Christ," Daphne mumbles to herself, dropping stiffly on the chair, hiding her face into her hands, auburn ringlets a messy cascade down the sides of her face. But after ensuring that every inch of mortified, crimson heat had eviscerated from her face, she looks back to Cassia, her eyes wide with incredulity and delirium. "You said what?"

     Cassia grimaces. "Me and Harry... yeah."

     Daphne reaches forward and hits Cassia's arm. "You did not kiss him!"

     Her eyes narrowing, Cassia states, "Pretty sure I did?"

     "This happened yesterday?" Daphne asks, searching for stuff to say. "You and Harry kissed, you guys literally kissed, and now you're dating? You two are dating for real?"

     "Uh... yes?"

     "And you didn't tell me yesterday?"

     Cassia squints her eyes. "No?"

     "Never mind that!" Astoria cuts in, shooting Daphne a glance, while she grins in Cassia's direction and smacks her arm, ridden with excitement. "Well done, you! Maybe you do have game after all!"

Cassia scoffs, shaking her head, but grins reluctantly, shaking out the arm that had just been smacked. Again. "I tell you me and Harry are a thing and that's what you say?"

Astoria rolls her eyes, smiling regardless. "Yeah, and Daphne over here is resisting the urge to scream out and get herself a permanent library ban."

     Daphne shoots Astoria a scathing look. Her head darts back to Cassia, looking focused and intense. "Tell me everything."

     In the perfectly painted picture that were the Greengrass siblings seated together, in the library, hushed chatter between them of Cassia's progressing love life, they are almost able to forget that this perfect picture they've painted for themselves is anything but that.

———

ON THE CONTRARY, Maryam and Eva's reactions were what Cassia has expected them to be. Sunday night, in their dorm, concealed beneath a thick blanket fort propped up between beds, chairs and held with stacks of books. An aroma of chocolate and baking lingered in the air, a resplendent trail leading in from the doorway, ending in a plate of warm cookies placed upon a pillow in the middle of the inner-fort. Their wands propped up, the light casted radiating a bright white light that shadowed the faces of the three girls snuggled within.

     "Weekly recap," says Eva, plucking a cookie from the plate and waggling it as she recounted her thoughts. "Maryam stood up to Umbridge for being a bitch about purple hair ties. Take a cookie."

     Maryam snorts, crunching down into a cookie. "Just because it wasn't pink. Bloody hell, she's ruined that colour for me. Detention wasn't worth it though." She rubs her hand, a faint scarring of I mustn't disobey vindictively carved within.

"You also managed to resist decapitating Montague in Quidditch training," Cassia adds, gesturing a cookie in her direction. "I mean, I would've been glad to see him beheaded. But, you know, too much paperwork, as the teachers would say."

"You'd think that with the amount of deaths or almost-deaths within Hogwarts meant that they'd be overloaded with paperwork," Eva rolls her eyes.

     Cassia laughs as she pulls the corners of a rare spare blanket over her shoulders. She points her cookie in Eva's direction. "You managed to escape from the Inquisitorial Squad after almost being found for snogging Adrian in between class."

     Eva flashes Cassia a smirk, half-illuminated by the shifting wand light. "They have no idea what they're coming against. Adrian's a prefect. He gets away with anything."

     (Not to mention Adrian's hopeful wish to end up becoming the Head Boy in his last year, next year. The boy is a force.)

     "Moving onto more pressing matters in this weekly life briefing," Maryam says. "The most important thing, by all means." She smacks Cassia's arm excitedly, so much that Cassia ends up dropping her cookie in a heap of crumbles and has to glare at Maryam.

     "Can people stop fuckin' smacking my arm?" She huffs in a fast breath, clutching at her arm and dusting off her fallen cookie. "The news isn't that important that my arm should be disembodied."

     "But it's still important, nonetheless," Maryam inclines her head with a pleased grin.

     "You and Potter are a thing now!" Eva says, practically squealing into the next room.

     "Tell us, was it cute?"

     "Is he a good snog?"

     "Did you have to stand on your tiptoes to kiss him?"

     "Yes — yes — and I'm not that small, and he isn't that tall," Cassia answers, the grin not wavering. "But to answer your question, a little, yes."

     "This is massive," says Eva, and she holds a hand to her heart. "You're growing up. Adrian is gonna be pissed when he finds out you're dating a Gryffindor player, let alone their miracle seeker."

     "Wait," says Maryam, her face deadpanning. "I will slaughter you if you dare wear any red at the next Gryffindor versus Slytherin match."

"You're overreacting," Cassia rolls her eyes. "Me dating a Gryffindor does not mean I'll forsake my own house. I'm still a Slytherin, believe it or not." She adds with a dopey grin.

     At the affirmation, the Slytherin Chaser narrows her eyes at Cassia with suspicion, her mouth curling into a short smile after as she plucks another cookie from the drastically deteriorating pile.

     "That's not the only thing Cassia's done this week," Eva quips, glancing somewhat regretfully over to the auburn-haired girl through the fragmented light. "You and Theo?"

"We were on a happy streak, Eves!" Maryam groans, scowling.

"It's okay, Maryam," Cassia says, coaxing the other girl with a hand on the shoulder. She looks back down to her lap and shrugs. "We fought."

"Oh, big deal."

Cassia's head rockets up to meet Eva's impassive stare. She raises an eyebrow.

"You and Theo are best friends," says Eva. "Hell, if they existed, you two would be platonic soulmates. Which is why I just know that once this heat from the argument blows over that you two will be besties again pretty soon. Trust me."

As Cassia's mouth parts open, she hesitates and drops it closed again. She drops her shoulders in a loose shrug.

"I don't know about that," she admits haplessly, contrary to Eva's incredulous scoff. "I just have no idea what's going to happen in class tomorrow. We sit next to each other in pretty much every class, so Salazar help me when he's been giving me the silent treatment all day. Praying there isn't a brawl in the middle of class, or that I have to sit through a whole day of complete and awkward silence."

Maryam and Eva share disparaged glances. Their necks crane back to look at Cassia, unimpressed.

Cassia furrows her eyebrows. "What?"

"And apparently I'm the overreactive one," Maryam mutters sharply.

     Cassia frowns further.

"You don't need to say that," Eva says, sighing. "Look, we don't know what's going on between you and Theo, what you guys argued about, and why you've broken up, friendship-wise. Just stop acting like you're in this awkward position because of whatever has happened because what's done is done, and I get that you feel weird about class when you're next to him in most cases but that's why we're here. We already know Theo will automatically go to Zabini if he can, so if it means that Maryam or me has to go sit next to Malfoy or that prick Smith—considering no one ever does sit with them— then so be it. We wouldn't leave you on the cliff's edge like that."

Touched by the comment, Cassia smiles, her mouth upturning gently. While an offended scoff sounds from one corner, Maryam with knitted eyebrows and a scowl set to rival a cactus-pricked victim.

"Don't you fuck make me sit next to Malfoy," comes from Maryam, seething visibly. Within the Slytherin girls' dormitory, a heap of giggles erupt from beneath a blanket fort, a lavish smell of freshly baked cookies ensnaring all those within its proximity, and a warm bubble of gratitude simmers within Cassia.

Eva and Maryam hadn't gone back on their promise. It seemed as though perishing breezes and scattered, trodden leaves weren't going to make their exit even as Valentines Day neared, alternating house scarves still wrapped around the majority of student's necks in a light chokehold, piling, overflowing backs of homework and books slumping down their backs. For the most part, Eva had been right — Theo had abandoned Cassia as his desk partner and had gone to sit beside Blaise Zabini without another glance at the auburn-haired twin he once sat with. It's what he had done in Herbology — not in Divination since they didn't share that class — and Charms. In Potions, given he already sat with Blaise in a station alongside Cassia and Maryam, Theo just made it his business to refuse eye contact at any cost, and Cassia didn't want to ruin his desperate wish. Their friendship wasn't going to be mended any time soon.

Now, as the time to endure an hour's lesson of Muggle Studies neared, Cassia walked alongside Eva, light chatter between them. Just then, Eva stops abruptly, tapping Cassia lightly on the upper arm. "I forgot my essay back in Flitwick's class. I'll go back and get it, you go on."

Nodding, Cassia says, "Okay. See you in class."

Tightening her bag strap upon her shoulder, Cassia proceeds along the stone, rustic, archaic corridor, unheeding to the clacking of her shoes against the stone floor, her hair swaying beyond her shoulders. Just as she passes a doorway, she feels a hand clamp around her wrist and before she has the chance to react or feel any sense of perturbation, Cassia finds herself being yanked into a vacant classroom, her bag having slipped off her shoulders in the process. Hands are holding onto her upper arms from behind and she's yet to act out towards this, feeling neurotic and anticipative and ready to strike.

     As soon as she grasps her surroundings Cassia spins around to face the person who'd grabbed her into this classroom—occupied by nought but dust and abandoned seats—and relief torrents into her like a descending waterfall when her captor turns out to be the same boy people had recently been associating her with. The same boy Lavender Brown and Parvati Patil had cornered her in the bathroom, when Cassia simply wanted to wash the lathering soap from her hands.

     (She'd simply answered their abundance of questions with a "yes" and "mind your own business" and a unimpressed smile that could make one think what on earth Harry Potter saw in a girl with such brash confrontational tendencies. They didn't know what went on behind the scenes. And anyways, Cassia hates to be interrupted like that for such trivial things.)

Alleviation escapes her in the form of a liberating breath. With his hands still holding onto the sides of her arms even after she'd so quickly spun around, Harry Potter grins down at his girlfriend as she drops her head onto his chest, her eyes flitting closed momentarily. It reminds him of the time when they were both in the Astronomy Tower after that hellish detention, and they'd narrowly escaped Filch and his bloody cat to be in the same position as this. Only this way round, so much has changed.

     "Hey," says Harry with a cheerful smile.

     Cassia frowns, lightly swatting at his chest. "Don't do that!"

     "Do what?" He smirks endearingly.

     "You know what," Cassia rolls her eyes. "I thought I'd just been, like, abducted or something."

"Well, have you?"

"No. Just give me a warning next time or something."

"What, I need permission to have a chat with my girlfriend now?"

     Gritting her teeth, Cassia shakes her head before a grudging smile started tugging at her lips. "Stop being charming." But he continues to look at her with this precious though infuriating grin, a hand absently reaching out to loosely twirl around an auburn curl. She reaches out, palming his face with an attempt to wipe that smirk off his face (as opposed to that itching desire to kiss him instead). "And stop looking at me like that."

Loose chuckles escape Harry as his face is pushed to the side and he walks to sit on the edge of one of many empty desks. "What do you have next?"

"Muggle studies," Cassia tells him, taking an absent interest in the chalk laying along the chalkboard at the front, soft limestone freckling her fingers. "You?"

"Transfiguration."

Cassia has thought that it would feel weird. Dating Harry. She thought it would be weird to go from friends right to dating, that they would require an icebreaker, or time to erase any shyness, or just anything for any tension to be removed. But there was no tension in the first place. It wasn't awkward at all. Perhaps it's what it had always been... they were the same, even if the title of "friends" had been removed. She really likes this boy, and is happy that nothing seemed to be ruined between them. Quite the opposite.

     "Oh, um, just so you know..."

     Cassia's head snaps to Harry's direction, her eyebrows furrowing. She watched as he rifled a hand through his chaotic array of black hair before scratching at his forehead.

     "What is it?" She asks him.

     He cringes, "Uh, so when I was telling Ron and Hermione about us, Ginny Weasley happened to be there and she accidentally ended up shouting in front of the whole common room that, well, we were a thing..." Harry takes a cautious glance over to Cassia. "Guess she was pretty shocked? She felt bad though after. She didn't mean to be so loud."

     "Oh." says Cassia. Impassively, she shrugs, "Makes sense."

     "It does?"

"Yeah," Cassia chuckles, being the one to scratch her forehead this time. "Our year's resident gossips Lavender Brown and Parvati Patil kinda bombarded me with tons of questions about us dating today in the girls bathroom. I figured they found out somehow. This... explains it."

"Oh," Harry says, shifting uncomfortably on the edge of the desk. He frowns, looking at Cassia. "What did they say?"

"I wasn't listening to most of it. Just like things about you, and me, and us, and I ended up telling them to mind their own business and left. Think Patil said something about you and her going to the Ball together."

"Why would she do that?"

"No idea. Probably wanted to make me jealous."

"And are you?" There's a grin twitching at Harry's lips.

"As if!" Cassia scoffs. Harry looks very complacent. "You were miserable at the Ball. Like I'd be jealous of that."

     "You paid attention to me at the Ball?" He curves off the table, approaching Cassia with a light smile.

     "Well, yeah," She mumbles. "You were one of the star couples. I couldn't not pay attention to you."

Standing in front of her, Harry's hands cup around her neck. He grins teasingly. Cassia feels herself relax under his touch. "If it reassures you, I noticed you at the Ball too."

"Did you, now?"

Harry nods, humming to himself. "I sure did. You looked amazing, but seemed even more miserable than I did. Running around, bouncing off of people's toes. Up to no good. Terrible." He clicks his tongue as Cassia starts to laugh, before stroking her jawline softly with his thumbs. "I'm kidding. You looked like you had fun."

"I did," Cassia smiles. "Because I was with..." She cuts herself off, looking down before swallowing the harsh lump in her throat. "I was with Theo."

     Her change in demeanour didn't go unnoticed by Harry. He purses his lips.

     "You two will sort things out... you just need time. This won't last forever. I should know. Me and Ron have been in the same place too."

     She doesn't exactly find some agreement in her words, but nods. He pulls her close, enveloping her in his arms. A hand caresses the back of her silky auburn hair while her own hands wind around his waist, the height difference a significant factor in the back of their minds. Cassia relaxes against him, her cheek melding into his chest, inhaling the smooth scent that was his aftershave.

     "Let's go to class, yeah?" He says. Cassia nods against his chest, and he smiles at her as he pulls away, twining their hands together. They pick up their bags and head off to their next class.

     "Hope we're not late," says Cassia, the two roaming the draughty Hogwarts corridors.

     Harry sends her a look. "You're worried about being late?"

     "What's that supposed to mean?"

     Amused, Harry shrugs, his head turning back in front of them. He hums something along the lines of "nothing".

     Cassia furrows her eyebrows, lightly barging his side. "You'd be surprised at how good of a timekeeping record I'm maintaining."

     Harry chuckles, just as they hear some voices closing in on them, and a quite a few people start turning the corner.

     "So Harry Potter wasn't lying about getting himself a girlfriend, then?" Dean Thomas comes up behind them both, clapping a firm hand to Harry's shoulder. The Thomas boy sends an acknowledging look Cassia's way.

     "You should know by now lying isn't my thing, Dean," Harry returns to his childhood roommate with a grin. Beside Dean was his companion and best friend, Seamus Finnegan — though he tried his best to avoid Harry's gaze. Cassia remembers Harry told her about how Seamus was still being all odd from the rumours being spread about Harry. Didn't mean he had to be rude.

     (She always did seem to notice a connection between Seamus and Dean. Something that went further than "best friends". Perhaps Daphne and Pansy weren't the only best friends with something else going on behind the scenes...)

     She zones out as Dean and Harry begin to converse. The fact he knows of them two dating didn't really surprise her considering what Harry told her about Ginny Weasley announcing it to the whole common room (by complete, unforeseen accident, of course). But even if that hadn't happened, people would've still made it their business to find out. They may hate Harry at the moment, but people were still nosy. Hogwarts is a place full of gossips — there's no doubt news of her and Theo's argument had spread like wildfire and there's also no doubt that the match had ignited even sooner when it came to her and Harry dating.

     The sounds of racing footsteps catches up with Cassia as she feels a presence occupy her side. Turning her head, she's met with the familiar face of Sterling Donahue and the less familiar sight of the yellow Hufflepuff tie hung semi-loosely around his neck. He flashes her a charming grin, tufty copper curls bouncing on his head.

     "Hey," he says, balancing a load of books underneath his arm.

     "Hey," Cassia smiles. "What d'you have now?"

     "Transfiguration. We were just on our way."

     It's only once Sterling features to the other side of him that Cassia sees a dark-skinned boy with infant-like features and a pleasant, adorable smile. A Hufflepuff boy she's seen only a handful of times accompanying Sterling, his best friend: Wayne Hopkins. He gives her a short salute, two fingers pressing to his temple.

     "Daphne's twin, right?" Wayne asks. Cassia's pretty sure that she's heard things about Wayne having an adopted sister in the year above. Her name was Hazel, perhaps? She didn't know!

     Cassia smiles. "Yeah. It's Wayne, isn't it?"

     He nods, pressing his lips into a bright smile.

     "I'm here too," a disgruntled voice calls out from beside Wayne. Cassia has to do her best at trying to not shoot him a dirty look. She failed. Zacharias Smith is a dickwad. "I'm Zacharias."

     "Yeah, okay," Cassia says dismissively. Sterling and Wayne snigger to themselves. How on earth could such a rude, pompous boy be a Hufflepuff of all houses? Smith was the stark opposite to Sterling and Wayne. She turns her head to Sterling, "He hangs out with you?"

     Sterling rolls his eyes. "Hardly. It's only because no one else is bothered with putting up with his shit."

     A subdued, long breath passes through Cassia's lips as she puts a sympathetic hand on Sterling's shoulder. "You have such a golden, beautiful soul."

     "Appreciate it," Sterling sniggers. His eyes travel down to Cassia and Harry's conjoined hands and raises an eyebrow, grinning pleasantly. "When did that happen?"

     "Not too long ago," says Cassia, shooting him an abashed look.

     "Congrats, then," he grins. "Happy for you."

     "Thanks," Cassia smiles. Before Sterling has the chance to reply, a hand harshly backhands his chest repeatedly. It was Wayne, looking very worrisome.

     "Bro, I can hear the toad coming!" says Wayne with urgency. Cassia frowns, looking back. The toad wasn't there? How—?

     "You're joking!" Sterling returns. He turns sharply to Cassia. "Wayne has these, like, magical hearing aids that help him hear anything from miles away. They were designed to help with hearing loss. And I think he can hear the toad now... so, like, is it okay if we boost?"

      "Yeah, of course," Cassia laughs, as Sterling bid her goodbye before speeding away, Smith begrudgingly on their heels. She realises Harry was looking at her with eyebrows furrowed and that Dean and Seamus had left by then too.

     "You and Sterling talk?" Harry asks Cassia, surprised.

     Cassia nods. "He's Daphne's ex. We're all good friends but. He's a sweet kid."

     "Oh," says Harry. "I had no idea. You're right, though. He's chill. He's apart of my secret study group."

     (Of course he was.)

     "You know, you could always still join, if you wanted."

     Her head shooting up to meet Harry's gaze, Cassia furrows her eyebrows.

     "The D.A." He continues. "You could still join. I'm sure people would be accepting. Especially since you're my girlfriend now."

     "Oh," replies Cassia, realising what he was talking about. She pauses for a second, before smiling at Harry. "I appreciate it. Honestly. But... my point still stands. I don't want an extra target on my back."

     Harry nods, smiling compassionately. He leaves it at that. They pause outside of the Muggle Studies classroom, people filing in one after the other — a few paying attention to the prospect that was Harry Potter and Cassia Greengrass, a verified couple, seemingly very surprised. Harry squeezes her hand, lowering his mouth to her ear, murmuring a low "see you later" that could've been lost in the trampling footsteps of everyone around them. She her lips extend into a bright smile, watching as her boyfriend retreats further down the corridor.

     As she turns back, into the class filling abundantly with Ravenclaws and Slytherins, she stumbles directly into someone, about to mutter an apology when she recognised the face of the person she happened to walk into. And her stomach plummets.

     (Okay but seriously, Cassia needs to stop walking into people.)

     Theo holds a stoic, impassive gaze over her as he tightens his hold on his bag strap. He says nothing as he walks towards his desk. Cassia was supposed to sit beside him. But instead, next to Theo, Blaise nods to the sister of his girlfriend as he always does and sits where she was meant to. Okay, thinks Cassia, this is fine. It's okay. She's sure she saw a seat next to Eva anyways. (Which just so happened to be right in front of Theo.) It'll be fine.

     Eva beckons Cassia over seeing her still in the doorway. She goes over, but before Cassia was able to settle down completely into the seat beside her, a voice halts Cassia in the midst of pulling her books out of her bag.

     "Is there an issue?"

Professor Burbage was eyeing the region involving Theo, Blaise, Cassia and Eva. With the space beside Eva — usually where Maryam sat — being occupied by Cassia and the place beside Theo filled with Blaise, she knew things weren't as it usually were.

"No, Professor?" Eva returns, unknowing. Switching seats wasn't that deep of a deal.

Professor Burbage frowns. "What I mean is that you're not in your usual seats. Not the seats depicted on this chart, at least."

Cassia has to inwardly smack herself as Professor Burbage gestures to the seating chart plastered against the wall. Hardly any teachers actually bothered about them switching seats, and Cassia didn't necessarily dislike Professor Burbage, but she didn't expect her to be so enthusiastic of her seating chart. Nonetheless, she exchanges hesitant glances with Eva.

"Let me ask again: is there a problem? How come you're not in your usual seats?"

Sighing, Cassia decides there's no point in creating a big fuss. It's not like she'll have to talk to Theo. It's not like he'll even want to talk to her. It'll be fine. Glancing once to Eva and once to Blaise — who nodded in assurance, still on good terms with Cassia regardless of Theo's position — Cassia gathers her items and waits until Blaise vacates to his usual seat next to Draco. Maryam comes over from her seat beside one of the Ravenclaws and sits beside Eva. And Cassia moves beside Theo.

     "My apologies, Professor." says Cassia.

In her periphery, she's able to sense the intenseness of his gaze even while staring straight ahead. If his eyes contained lasers, there'd be holes singed right through Maryam and her chair. But he doesn't say anything. She doesn't expect him to. Just like he doesn't expect the same for her. She keeps her gaze trained right ahead and in front of her, hardly being able to appreciate the wistfulness of Eva's golden tresses. She doesn't say anything. She tries her hardest to ignore this barrier between them, one they're trying so hard not to accidentally trample for fear of being caught against the blaze of an invisible inferno.

Professor Burbage starts the lesson.

"Today we will be learning about the scientific element behind common Muggle appliances. Get your quills at the ready and we shall begin with taking notes about the science of refrigeration..."

The rigidity of Cassia's body doesn't ease up even as the lesson progresses on, her parchment becoming increasingly occupied, lines upon lines of inky and cursive scripture, a medium between neat and rushed. They've let Professor Burbage continue the lesson without hindrance, aside from the odd question or two.  Just as Professor Burbage began to talk about the physics behind hairdryer cables, a wad of crumpled-up parchment is flicked at the back of Eva's head, putting a momentary dent in her flaxen curls. It came from the boy beside Cassia. Typical Theo move. Eva obscures her head around and shoots Theo a scowl.

"What?" Eva whispers harshly.

Theo leans forward, and Cassia is slightly disheartened by the way he's acting as though Cassia isn't even there.

"I didn't catch the note with the explanation for the conditioning of fridges," whispers back Theo, "Have you gotten it?"

Eva narrows her eyes in confusion, glancing down where Theo's note was blank and where Cassia's was completely filled in. Cassia and Eva share unimpressed looks. They knew what Theo was doing.

Either way, Eva says, "Refrigerators are set at a colder condition in order for the food particles to be slowed down. Heat hurries up chemical reactions which is why food is stored at colder conditions to allow it to last longer. Here—"

Theo takes the book Eva offered to him — still unhappy with his intentions — jotting down the note quickly, before returning it to Eva, whispering a small "thanks". Cassia could practically hear the smirk within his tone.

There was a biting edge in the way Theo spoke to Eva. Like he knew Cassia was also listening, as much as she'd made it seem like she wasn't. Nobody misheard the spite within his tone and the spite within the action. Cassia also had the note copied down, yet he asked Eva. It was something so insignificant within which held more significance than any other event within that hour in that classroom. And Cassia has to scoff internally. Theo wanted to play the petty game? It was on.

***

introducing . . .

keith powers as wayne hopkins

***

OMFGDHDHDH i'm so sorry i haven't updated in so long🥺🥺 i literally say this every time but i've been so busy with school and everything hardly had the chance to BREATHE omhl but i hope you guys enjoyed this!!!!

also i was so overwhelmed with all the comments in the last chapter like i'm so happy you guys enjoyed (kinda-3&%}$}$}) the last chapter,, I may not have replied to the comments BUT they genuinely made me so happy and i see every single one of them even if i don't reply all the time❤️

the way this is cassia @ theo just now:

(not me simping hardcore for cobra kai😁)

the next chapter will be like a smack in the face btw❤️ but you guys will love it i hope❤️

and we have Wayne!!!! basically here's the deal; wayne hopkins is technically a canon character like if you look him up then:

you can see that Wayne hopkins is an actual hp character but apart from being a hufflepuff and in Harry's year there's no info about him at all?????? he's not even in the books like acc I've checked??? so i'm adopting him bc i've seen him in a few like one-shots as a side character and he's babie i just know it❤️ and him and sterling's bromance❤️AND KEITH FRIGGIN POWERS!!!! i'm in love with him how can you not be he's an angel and so is wayne❤️

okay lemme stop ranting i swear i'm so annoying BUT thank you for supporting this as usual and hopefully the next chapter'll be up soon ❤️ ily all so much!!!!