( MAKE SURE TO STAY AND READ THE AUTHOR NOTE AT THE END FOR SOME IMPORTANT INFO!! )

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ASTORIA GREENGRASS HATED BEING WRONG.

And that's because she's always right.

     Like, she knows when her mother works herself too hard, and she knows when Cassia's sleeping problems have taken a toll on her (Cassia definitely needs to see a doctor, and soon) and she definitely knows the times when Daphne's temper gets her into situations her tranquil state can't get her out of.

     (Like how she hasn't spoken to Pansy in ages after their argument. While they may not talk, it does not take away the fact that Astoria knows what Daphne and Pansy feel for each other. Daphne has never specified whether she likes girls or boys—like that matters—so that would never be an issue. It was something else that stood between them. And Astoria knows it better than them, annoyingly.)

     And though she didn't want to admit it before, she knew there was a darker reason for her father's working patterns. And she knows he's a Death Eater.

     But she's certain he's still her father too.

     Astoria Greengrass has been underestimated by so many. She's always right, and she's probably just as smart as Theodore Nott or Hermione Granger and it's not due to the books or her work ethic (while that still excels in her own way), but it's because she's so in-tune with her gut feeling. Nobody has a better gut feeling than Astoria. Which is why she hates being underestimated, being demeaned, being called naive just because she's younger.

(No shade to Daphne or Cassia whatsoever, because they're the best older sisters a girl like Astoria could ever ask for. With them, it hardly felt like Cassia and Daphne were twins and Astoria was the youngest because they just clicked in the best way possible. They hardly ever noticed the age gap. Aside from the fact that despite it all, at the end of the day, Astoria was always going to be the youngest. Just a fact she's gripped with in life.)

     But now, being naive is all Astoria ever loves to be. Because she isn't naive whatsoever, and she knows it, her sisters know it, her parents know it, her boyfriend Blaise and also her friends know it. Those days with her low esteem issues were over, because so long as she trusted her gut and followed her intuition, her life would be done justice.

     Besides, Astoria finds it very self-satisfying when she proves someone wrong.

     Which means that in coming home for the Easter holidays—alone, since her sisters had their O.W.L's to prepare for, Astoria had a mission. It wasn't to find out if or how or when her father became a Death Eater. While she could, she'd never go up to her dad and come out with, hey, father, so, are you a death eater? It's uncharacteristic, and abrupt, and not Astoria.

     She just... she just wanted to be assured that her father was still there. That, all this time, she hadn't been giving false hope to her sisters. To herself.

     It was a Wednesday afternoon. Not early afternoon, but about an hour from the evening which meant the skies were still bright blue and hazy clouds were still visible. Astoria and Marlowe had spent the day together (Wednesday was Marlowe's day off from work), and her father was away at his work. One of the perks of being rich and having an immense supply of house elves meant that they'd be host to the best supply of at-home on-demand afternoon teas. Scones, sandwiches, cake, hot chocolate (because hot chocolate is superior to tea and you're not a Greengrass if you don't know this) — Astoria hoped the house elves knew how much she appreciated them.

Anyways, with it still being daytime, Astoria and her mother had taken to going to Diagon Alley for some shopping. They bought some books in Flourish and Blotts, gave a visit to the owl emporium (and the owls absolutely loved Astoria, of course) and before all that, they did some clothes shopping in Muggle London where Astoria found the cutest blue dress. Currently, mother and daughter could be seen strolling along the cobbled path with bags lined along their wrists like bangles and miniature tubs of ice cream and plastic spoons from Florean Fortescue's in hand.

     "What was Sterling's dad doing at the Manor the other day?" Astoria asks, interrupting the sounds of the harsh patters of her shoes (and Marlowe's heels) on the cobblestone. The previous day, Xavier Donahue knocked on the Greengrass's (very large) doorstep alongside his younger twin children after having picked them up from their Muggle primary school.
Xavier said hello to Marlowe and hi to Astoria and asked how she and her sisters were doing. He then proceeded to mentioning how he was there that day because he wanted to speak to Marlowe about something.

     While Astoria happily took Savannah and Sebastian with her to throw bread to the swans in the pond behind her home, Marlowe and Xavier walked along that very lake, yet far from where Astoria was stood and with the mass of intuitive questions coming from the two little kids, she wasn't able to hear the conversation clearly.

     "He's Theodore's uncle," Marlowe says simply.

     Astoria had to take a second to process. And then it hit. Her eyes widen. "Really? How?"

     "Xavier is his mother's brother," explains Marlowe.

      "So then that means Sterling is Theo's cousin?" Astoria frowns. "And the twins too?"

     "Bingo," Marlowe grins. "It's sweet, if you ask me. He at least had a somewhat decent family on one side."

     "Yeah..." Astoria furrows her eyebrows. "Is that all he came to talk about?"

     Marlowe shrugs. "That among other things."

     Astoria hums to herself, nodding.

     "How's Blaise been?" Marlowe asks Astoria, her deep blue gaze hovering over the Gringotts sign.

     "He's been good," Astoria replies. "Brooding, quiet, but he loses the moody attitude when he's with me."

"I'd be surprised if he didn't," Marlowe grins, nudging Astoria. "There's no one more approachable than you. You exude happiness practically everywhere you go."

"Sure," Astoria gives a loose chuckle. She frowns. "You know, he still hasn't shown me that letter you sent him. Cass told me Harry's been keeping his under wraps too."

There was a satisfied smirk on Marlowe's face. "Well, it's up to them. I did say they could keep it to their own discretion."

"Wait," Astoria's eyebrows furrow, and then her mouth drops open. "You mean to tell me they're keeping those letters from us on their own account? Not because you told them to?"

Marlowe was enjoying this.

Astoria scoffs. "Those little shit—"

Marlowe gives her a look. Astoria looks down.

They just passed Ollivanders and now stood in front of an office of sorts. A clinic, maybe. The glazed window pane of the door read:

Dr A. Sandberg-Whittaker
Diagon Alley Therapy Specialist est. 1994

     Astoria frowns. Therapists weren't a common sight in the Wizarding world. Many thought lowly of such a thing, that it was futile. And she hadn't been here for very long. Less than two years, it seemed.

"There's hardly any known therapists in the Wizarding world," Astoria murmurs.

"You're right, sweetheart," says Marlowe. "Many wizards in our community are under the impression that therapy and mental analysis is unnecessary... that it's too much of a Muggle thing and has no place in a community of wizards. What they forget is that we walk, eat, talk, breathe, just as Muggles do. The only difference is that one aspect, that one magical gene in our blood that makes so many wizards gain that horrid superiority complex. After some of the things people have seen in this community... to me, it wouldn't do them harm to undergo therapy."

"You're talking about Harry." says Astoria.

     Marlowe sighs. "Your sister's boyfriend has seen plenty that would scar him in a lifetime, so yes, he, among others, would benefit from counselling."

     "That's why I think Cassia is good for him," Astoria tells her mother. "They inspire happiness within each other... goodness knows Harry could need it. Cassia, too."

     Marlowe smiles, rubbing the side of Astoria's arm. "Yeah, sweetheart," she says, "you're right."

     The door to the therapist's office tinkles open with the sound of a bell, and a guy, early-twenties, comes out with his heavy footsteps, burrowing his hands in his jacket.

     "Okay, seriously, Ross, you have to get some sleep!" A voice calls out after the guy. "Or your dark eye circles are gonna end up affecting your diagnosis!"

     The guy ends up shouting back a "Goodbye!" while an undeniable smile courted his face. In passing the two Greengrasses, Marlowe and Astoria were now able to see the person in the doorway, hands clasped around the open door, peering out into the street. A young girl with brown hair a tad lighter than Astoria and Marlowe's, with green eyes and a sharp face. This must be the therapist. But in the wake of the guy who just left her office, Diagon Alley's resident therapist had been laughing to herself, shaking her head. When she stopped smiling, her eyes fell upon mother and daughter outside of her office bearing heaps of bag and their quickly depleting ice cream.

     "Ice cream any good today?" The girl (Dr Whittaker, they think) calls out to Marlowe and Astoria. Astoria thinks she looks very young to be a therapist, or just to have a title that was Doctor. She guesses at least eighteen. Maybe she was extremely advanced in her job. Maybe that's why she seemed to have that effect on her clients.

     Marlowe gestures to her tub. "Mint choc chip lacks the 'choc chip' part. Aside from that, Florean outdoes himself as usual."

     Dr Whittaker grimaces. "Good thing mint ice cream tastes horrible." At Marlowe's feigned appalled expression, she laughs. "I'm joking. I'm allergic."

     Astoria frowns. "How does that work?"

     "It's the mint extract," Dr Whittaker explains, "Affects my glands, and I basically can't breathe. Not very pleasant."

     "Oh," says Astoria, "Well, the honeycomb tastes good. You're not allergic to that, are you?"

     Dr Whittaker smiles at the young girl. "No, thankfully."

     "You should try it then," Astoria gives her a low thumbs up.

     "Will do," says Dr Whittaker, "Have a nice day."

     "You too." says Marlowe while Astoria waves at the therapist, watching as she disappeared behind her glazed door, the bell tinkling once more.

     Astoria looks at her mother. "She seems talkative."

     "Or you're just very approachable." says Marlowe. Astoria rolls her eyes. Marlowe laughs. Astoria adjusts the bags on her wrist, throwing the ice cream tub in a nearby bin. The day of shopping had definitely tired out her legs.

     But as she looked back to her mother, Astoria didn't miss the pouring, intent gaze of Marlowe's, focused on the shut door of the therapist's place longer than necessary.

     "You ready to go?" Astoria asks her mother.

     Marlowe jolts slightly at Astoria's voice, but looks down, nodding. "Yeah, honey," says Marlowe, "Let's go."

     Hours later, when the house elves went to... wherever they went when they weren't working in the Manor (Astoria figured she needed to find out, or else she'd be tortured to insanity without knowing) and the indigo skies grew littered with glittering constellations, Astoria had been doing anything except from what she should have been doing, which was sleeping. She didn't want to sleep, and it was her holidays, but she could always sleep-in the next day. Besides, her exams weren't that important.

Ergo, she realised there was a strange kind of tranquility and stillness in her kitchen when she was the only one present. In her pyjamas and fluffy dressing gown, she sat upon the marble counter beside the fridge, her legs swaying down below, pint of ice cream in hand, jabbing her spoon between the carton and her mouth, the tub growing more and more hollowed as the seconds ticked past. Whenever Astoria goes into the Muggle community, especially with her sisters, she always stocks up on the ice cream from their supermarkets. The cashiers look at her strangely for having about ten tubs of Ben and Jerry's in her basket, and it's thought wrongly of by other wizards but who cares when they literally have the best flavours ever (which, for Astoria, has to be Vanilla Toffee Crunch and Cookie Dough).

It was definitely past midnight and Astoria knew her mother had gone up to bed early since she had work in the morning. And because she'd most likely be home alone, she tended to invite her best friend Nadia over too. They always had a blast. Especially when home alone.

The kitchen door clicked open.

Astoria jumps. She wasn't really expecting anyone to come over at this time. It was just her, her mother who'd been asleep, and a whole lot of hiding house elves (they better watch out for when Astoria uncovers the secret). Astoria didn't know what was happening. She thrusts her spoon out in front of her. She was under the impression it was her wand.

Then she mentally smacks herself because, what the fuck is a spoon going to do in this situation?

"Who's there?" Her voice shook.

The silhouette also jolted, as if not expecting anyone to be there. That makes two of them.

"Hey, uh, put the—spoon?—down," the voice calls out. Astoria unhinges her shoulders, heaving out a sigh of relief. She drops the spoon.

"For heaven's sake, Father," she breathes, "you had me terrified!"

Phoenix Greengrass steps forward and has to do a double take on what looks like his younger daughter sitting on the kitchen counter with a half-empty tub of ice cream in her hand and the spoon that she previously had threatening intentions for. His confusion cleared up entirely when he calf closer towards the direction of the small yet bright lamp, highlighting her dark hair and the dried ice cream at the corners of her mouth. He must have just came back from work, judging by his large cloak and briefcase in one hand. And he looked very tired, the ends of his auburn hair sticking up slightly.

     "Tori?" says Phoenix, frowning. "What are you doing up?"

     Astoria shrugs. "I wanted ice cream."

     Phoenix looks at her for a brief moment. Then he nods. "Fair enough. What flavour?"

     "Cookie dough," Astoria says, her words muffled as she dumps another spoon between her lips. She goes into the drawer next to the counter and plucks out another spoon, sliding it to the edge of the counter. "Want some?"

     (Usually, she wouldn't be that generous in sharing her ice cream with her father. But she hardly sees Phoenix, and Greengrasses tend to have a massive sweet tooth.)

     "Sure," Phoenix nods, takes off his cloak and drops his briefcase and cloak on a counter further away. He comes over and leans his elbows against the marble across from Astoria, prodding the inside of the tub that the young girl put between them.

     Phoenix pouts. "Where are all the cookie dough pieces?"

     Astoria gives him a feeble smile. "I kinda ate them all."

     Phoenix sighs, but Astoria can see the discrete smile tugging at his lips as he looked down to take a spoon of cookie dough-less ice cream. She smiles. She missed spending time with her father.

     "Did you and your mother have fun shopping today?" Phoenix asks, taking a large spoon of ice cream.

     "It was great," Astoria gives him a cheesy grin, "I got new clothes and had ice cream."

     "More ice cream?" Phoenix raises an eyebrow, midway taking another spoonful.

     "Yes," says Astoria.

     Phoenix narrows his eyes but says nothing. Astoria notices the dark circles underneath his deep green eyes, the ones her own were an exact replica of.

     "You look tired," Astoria says to her father.

     Phoenix can do nothing but sigh. "I am."

     "You're hardly ever home now," says Astoria.

     "I know," Phoenix looks down. "Work hasn't been desirable."

     "We miss you," says Astoria. There was no question on who we was.

     Phoenix sets his spoon down. He reaches a hand up, smoothing the side of Astoria's head. "I miss you guys too." He sighs, "I'm going to make up for all this missed time... I promise. Everything will be okay in the summer."

     She had no idea what her father meant by that. She doesn't ask him further, however. Swallowing her last spoonful of ice cream, she hops off the counter, rounding it to give her father a kiss on the cheek.

     "I think it's time I head to bed," she says. "I'll make sure to come see you before I go back to school."

     "Of course," Phoenix smiles. "Goodnight, sweetheart."

     Astoria smiles, her slippers shuffling across the tiled floor as she makes her way out. But her father's voice stops her from making the full exit.

     "Astoria...—"

     "Yes, Father?" Astoria frowns.

     Phoenix opens his mouth but it's to be replaced by a sigh. He says, "I know that my time with you and your sisters has been divided as of late... but I only ever want for the three of you to be safe and happy. You three and your mother are the best things in my life. While I have been working a lot... nothing is more important than you guys. You guys are my whole entire world. So... I just want you to know that I would do anything for you. Absolutely anything. I mean it."

     Given everything at stake, that seemed true.

     "Oh, and just out of interest," says Phoenix, "Do you guys ever wear the rings you got given for Christmas?"

     Her attention travels towards the massive ring still on her finger. "Always," she says, "Why?"

     "No reason," Phoenix shrugs. "Goodnight, Tori."

     Astoria smiles. "Goodnight, Father."

     Astoria Greengrass has been wrong about very few things. And her belief that her father—while he may be part of an undesirable cause—the belief that her father was still a good man remained firm within her. Because she remembers every accountable experience with her father. When Astoria would have horrid nightmares as a child, he would scoop her up into his arms and take her out to their back garden and they would lie on their backs in the grass and look up the stars. He would name every single one of them to her, he would calm her down, let her know that no nightmare would harm her so long as he was there. When she fell off her bike for the first time, he was there to pick her back up, heal her and tell her to get back on. When they had to attend boring events with other esteemed families when Astoria was a child, he would turn to her and entertain her with thumb wrestling under the dinner table.

     And this was a belief of hers that she was very confident in. Phoenix Greengrass was the father of Daphne, Cassia and Astoria Greengrass. The husband of Marlowe Greengrass, née Starkov. He was a man that would never give up his prime roles, who would carry them out with ferocity and more.

     He hadn't stopped carrying those roles out. Never. The truth is that Phoenix Greengrass may be a Death Eater, but first and foremost, he was a husband and a father.

———

A COUPLE OF WEEKS PREVIOUS, about the second day after the Weasley's shenanigans with the fireworks had happened (which will go down in history), Cassia had been with Theo in the gardens. It had been a few days since they had reconciled (not like they were keeping count) and they still had quite a bit of catching up to do. Like...

     "Your mother was supposed to marry Harry's godfather's brother?" Cassia exclaims.

     Theo pauses for a minute. "You over-complicated that way too much, and just to include Dearest Harry in the equation." He rolls his eyes.

     Cassia scoffs, "Okay, no, that's the easiest way for me to grasp the fact. Anyways, what happened then?"

     Theo squints his eyes at her. "...Regulus... died...?"

     "Oh," says Cassia. She frowns. "That's a shame. Must've been really hard for your Mum, being in love with Regulus and then having to marry... that."

     "They were supposed to have an autumn wedding," says Theo, "In Italy. They agreed on it themselves."

     There was a fond, reminiscent smile on Theo's face. Cassia grins, looping her arm with his.

     "I mean, it's perfect," Cassia gushes, "the colour scheme, the flowers, the weather... you know, not too warm but still kinda cold so that you're kept feeling refreshed in the stuffy reception... an autumn wedding would be great."

     Theo sounds the least bit pleased in saying, "By all means, you'll get your chance at an autumn wedding in marrying Potter."

     Cassia halts them in their tracks. Theo turns around to see her vexed expression.

     "Why do you do that?"

     Theo raises an eyebrow. "Do what?"

     "Act like such an... arse when he comes into the equation." Cassia crosses her arms. "You always act like you hate him, like the thought of him rattles every single bone in your body. Why?"

     Theo doesn't meet her gaze. "Because you just said it. I hate him. I literally cannot stand the sight of him sometimes. The only reason I haven't acted out towards him is you. Because of what he means to you. That doesn't mean I ever have to like him, because I don't, not in the slightest."

     This expression of Theo's wasn't angry, or triggered. It wasn't one that could lead them to fall out again. This was one Cassia knew all too well. It was the one where Theo wouldn't admit that in a situation, he's the wrong one. It's the expression of his locked away potential, when he's too in-denial to realise that he could do better than the standards he set for himself.

     Lucky for Cassia, she's managed to unlock it many a time.

     "See, Theo, that's the thing." Cassia points out. "You pretend like you hate him, that he irks you more than anyone else. You're forgetting that you're both similar in so many ways. You don't hate Harry. You hate the idea of him. It's the thought of him being a Gryffindor, of him being involved in everything, getting all this attention, being seen as the hero all the time. You don't hate Harry, Theo. You're just afraid of letting that one part of you succumb completely to the part of you you wish to close to the world. Your most wounded side."

     "Because it's not fair!" Theo bursts out. "People like him are praised because of what their parents have achieved, worshipped before they've even spoken a single word because of their family's legacy. People like my family? My mother had a fiancé who got killed for defecting as a Death Eater. So she had to marry the worst man alive. People like me are neglected by communities because of one bad turn of events. But when that's been carried out through all these generations before me? Then I have no hope."

     No mercy whatsoever as Theo takes his foot and drives it into the closest tree. It shook from the impact. Theo curses.

     "Fuck," Theo grips onto his foot, sinking down against the tree bark. Sighing, Cassia sits beside him. She watches as he attempts to nurse his foot but after a while it goes numb and he straightens his leg in front of him.

     "The worst part," he says, "is that Potter's a good person through it all. He's been through the worst, and he comes out of it the best. Gets the best attention. Not now, but he always ends up the saviour."

     "You've never liked attention," says Cassia, her voice quiet.

     "And that makes me the biggest and most selfish hypocrite of them all."

     "But..." Cassia furrows her eyebrows, "You have the whole idea completely wrong... You're acting like just because he's survived through all of this, that he's this perfect person. Nobody's perfect, Theo. And you are not a bad person because of what all your family put you through. Just like Harry, while he is a good person, is not defined by the trauma he has been through. It just... makes you stronger. What you go through doesn't make you a good or bad person. It's... it's how you react to everything around you having gone through it all. That's what defines your character. It's why Harry is a good person, and why you are too."

     Theo doesn't say anything.

     Cassia sighs, extending a leg opposite him to nudge his arm with her foot.

     "I just want you to see that you have less of a reason to dislike him than what you're trying to convince yourself of. Not just because he's my boyfriend... but because you're my best friend. And it's not this idea that I want everyone in the world to get along, because I'd be a hypocrite considering all the people I have a bone to pick with. It's just... you and Harry have the potential to get along. Even if you can't see it. I'm not saying you guys have to be besties. Just... let yourself be open to the idea of not 'hating' him. And I want you to stop isolating yourself from all these possibilities. Because after all you've been through, Theodore Nott, you owe it to yourself to prove the world wrong of their assumptions."

     Theo lowers his gaze, twining his fingers within the grass, wrenching them from the roots. He throws the grass at her with the smallest hint of a smirk.

     "Since when did you become the wiser one?" He prods. "I'm the smart one."

     Cassia lifts her chin. "Yes, well, I have more common sense."

     He chuckles. "You know, you Greengrass sisters have this really annoying habit of being right all the time." Cassia flashes him a wink.

Theo finally stands up, shaking his foot out. Cassia extends an arm out, still leaning on the grass with the other. Theo latches onto it, yanking her to her feet.

"Thanks." She smiles. "How's the foot?"

"Doesn't hurt anymore," Theo shrugs his shoulders. "Pretended like the tree was Crabbe and Goyle. Combined."

Cassia sniggers. "Right," she says. She frowns. "What happened between you and Malfoy?"

"What are you talking about?"

Cassia cocks her head to the side. "There's no way you're getting out of this. The whole house knows you two had a fight. He may be brooding and quiet, but Blaise Zabini knows how to spread news."

"Prick," Theo mutters. "What's the point in asking me, then? You've already heard the story."

"From others," says Cassia. "I want to hear it from you."

Theo drew a long breath as their walk started to veer in the direction of the Entrance Hall.

"Malfoy has this deranged idea that we're going to be kept safe if we join up with You-Know-Who," Theo kicks a rock in passing, "But everything to do with this cause in unsafe. This mind connection I have is unsafe. All of our fathers being death eaters... it's the definition of unsafe. And he's growing more and more deluded, as if growing closer to this cause will protect us when it won't."

Cassia's eyes widen slightly in realisation. "Wait, are you saying—"

"That Malfoy is becoming closer to joining them?" Theo cuts in. "Yeah, seems like it."

"And he was trying to convince you?"

"Yeah," says Theo.

Cassia looks at him with caution. "What did you say?"

"What do you think?" Theo's gaze was harsh. "Why else would we have argued? He doesn't even know what he's getting himself into. His father is failing and he thinks it's his duty to make up for that, that it'll keep him safe. If there's one thing I've learnt after living with my father all my life, it's that this kind of thing never ensures safety. I owe nothing to my father or his failures. Absolutely nothing. Not after what he put me and my mother through."

"You did the right thing," Cassia says.

Theo looks up. "I think so too."

"Besides," says Cassia, veering away from the topic, "Don't you think their tattoos are hideous? If it's that big, there has to be a bit of colour, you know? It'd make it much less depressing, but then again that's all the Death Eaters are—"

Theo erupting into laughter breaks Cassia off from continuing. She grins. They continue along their path, courted by the warm sunshine on their arms (that were still covered by long-sleeved shirts) when Cassia spots Harry making his way over to her and Theo. His strides were quite long and fast. Before Cassia has the chance to say hi or even just think, he came in front of her, his hands grasped around her neck, sweeping her into him, kissing her in an instant. In the heat of the moment, all Cassia could think of was that through the harsh press of his lips to hers that she could sense a frustration buried deep down, failingly hidden by the harshness of his soft lips against hers. Heavy of touch, heavy of mind, heavy of heart. His lips weighed against her as if every emotion was teaming up against him, and Cassia wondered why.

     Harry pulls away, short-of-breath, mouth parted, struggling to meet her eyes.

     "Sorry, sorry, I'm just in a really shit mood and you're about the only thing that makes me feel even slightly better," he says in a single breath, eyes looking anywhere but to her.

     "Hey, hey..." Cassia cups his face with her palms, forcing his eyes onto hers. "Don't... you don't apologise for that. Never. Talk to me."

But a voice clears from beside, and Harry and Cassia turn their heads to see a very unimpressed Theodore Nott, a single eyebrow raised.

"I guess I'll just go and... form a debate club, or something...?" He's starting to stalk off, and Cassia shouts a Sorry! after him. He waves his hand dismissively behind him, not even bothering to turn around.

Cassia turns back to Harry and he looks even more distressed now. "This was a bad time, you two just made up again and were talking, I'm sorry—"

"Again with the sorry?" Cassia takes his hand and squeezes it. "Theo's chill. This is the least of his worries, me and him will talk things out later."

Harry wasn't convinced.

"Besides, you can't do anything now, can you?" says Cassia. "Theo's gone to form a debate club."

The Boy Who Lived looked clueless for a moment, but in seeing the grin on his girlfriend's face, he has no choice but to smile.

(Funny, how she always managed to make him smile when he most needed it?)

     "Tell me what happened," Cassia says to Harry, keeping his hand close by her side as they walked along the extract trail she and Theo had returned from.

     "Okay," Harry says, taking a long inhale, "Er, so, because of the fireworks two days ago Snape rescheduled my Occlumency lesson for today, after dinner, and I went down to his office and I hadn't practised but I lied to him anyways and then Malfoy came in saying Montague was found jammed up in a toilet and Snape told him I was doing remedial potions and my god the look on his face, I was ready to punch, then Snape went. So he rescheduled it again for today, and I saw his pensieve in his office and it was empty and I was curious and Snape's a git so I looked inside his memories..."

     "What did you find?" Cassia asks.

     "My Dad," says Harry, "My dad and all of his friends, and they were all such arseholes, aside from Lupin even though he never corrected them but my dad and Sirius were the worst and they kept tormenting Snape for no reason and my mum was there too and she was defending Snape, it was weird, but my dad tried to act all cool around her and he was such a flirt and my mum clearly hated my dad so I just don't understand... it was just horrible. And it made me think why my mum married him when she despised him, and I get why, I just—"

"He must have changed." Cassia frowns. "If what you're saying and your mum is known as a decent human being while your dad wasn't, then something must have changed for your mum to want to marry him." But these words went through one ear and out the other.

"I understand why Snape hates me now! He was right about my father all this time..." Harry trails off. But Cassia wasn't thinking the same thing. Severus Snape was a bully, full stop. It didn't matter if that was due to childhood trauma.

"Nothing can excuse rudeness, Harry," says Cassia. Harry looks up. "Snape may have been bullied as a kid but that is not a valid reason for him to pick on a bunch of kids. And him having a grudge on you because of something your dad did is downright immature. Nobody ever looks good trying to make someone look bad. Especially when they're a grown man and have endured years of reflection. Snape might have been bullied by your dad, but if you ask me, he's just as bad for dragging this onto you."

     "Okay," Harry breathes, "I... you're right about that. It doesn't excuse Snape but... my dad was still such a dick. He was horrible for no reason." It takes him a few seconds of consideration before he says, "...People always say me and him are so alike. But he was such a vile kid."

"Harry, I'm telling you, listen to me." Cassia's voice was firm. "If your father looks like you, that's one thing. But if he was an ass in high school while you most certainly aren't, that's another. You aren't a horrible, or a bully, or a dickhead. You're not."

"You're just saying that—"

"No, I'm not!" Cassia scoffs. "Harry, you should know that by now, I don't just say things. And especially when it comes to you. I'm just saying the truth."

Something overcomes Harry in seeing the frown her eyes wore. In realising their hands were no longer joined, he lets his fingers travel down, touching her fingertips slightly.

"I'm sorry." He says quietly.

Cassia looks up at him, cocking her head to her shoulder. "I thought we agreed on no more sorry's."

The corners of Harry's mouth lift slightly and Cassia presses her lips together, sighing.

"Look," she says, fingers reaching up to touch his Gryffindor tie. Their eyes connect briefly. "I would never make any of this up. From experience, people tend to be more immature and mislead when they're younger. If your dad was like that... he must have gone through some major developments growing up. Because your mother, with the reputation she has from everyone here, she is not someone that would take an ass as her husband. She wouldn't have wanted such a man to father her children. So, I have full faith that your dad grew up into a better guy. And Harry, you... you aren't a vile kid whatsoever. You've gone through some pretty shitty things, sure, but you're remarkable in the sense that despite it all, you're growing up as one of the kindhearted, down to earth people I know. I don't think I could have wanted to date anyone else. I, for sure, know that I wouldn't have dated an asshole if I could help it. There's a reason I'd been denying Draco Malfoy all these years..." her hands trail to his shoulders... "and as long as I have you, that denial will be a train on the track to infinity."

It was like lasers connected their eyes in a searing warmth, like every unknown and unsaid entity hovered between them in an everlasting connection. He looked at her with something she had never once experienced, with the most outlandish, foreign emotion she could have ever came across. It terrified her.

     "You're amazing." says Harry. He cups a hand around her neck. "Thank you."

     "I just told you what you needed to hear." says Cassia.

     "Yeah," Harry smiles, his fingers skimming the back of her neck. She leans into his touch, arms trailing from his shoulders to around his neck. She tiptoes until Harry lowers his lips enough to hers, his eyes closing with ease, with assurance, with every little thing she made him feel.

     And that's why she was so amazing.

***

merry christmas!!!!! here's your gift from me i hope you guys liked it <3 and happy holidays to those of you who don't celebrate!!! (like myself even tho i still ate so much a whole bag of fruit pastilles oops and bought myself a ton of books and clothes and new resistance bands cos i can't help myself—)

we had a lil insight into astoria's pov and another phoenix and marlowe appearance AND if you were paying attention there was a mention of someone new... 😏

also lemme just say i am APPLAUDING myself for updating 3 times in 10 days like holy... let's hope i can keep this going omfg i'm on a roll!!

ANNOUNCEMENT:

we are coming to the end of order of the phoenix in this book and i've realised how LONG it's gotten and it's only part one and part two... so considering that i have another three parts (HBP, DH and post-war a shorter one) and that there'll also be more characters in this and that there won't be a shortage of things to come... i'm thinking of making a second book? ie, book one will be GOF and OOTP and book two will be the rest. i feel like it would be highkey refreshing and more intense that way and especially since (i feel like) my writing has improved SO much since the start of this book... idk i feel like it wouldn't not only be good for me but good dog the characters too if you get me??? because things CHANGE after OOTP and so do my characters too!

but i AM scared that engagement won't be as good with me switching to another books since at times people tend to be put off from continuing if something is in another division (my higher business brain working me lol) so i really don't want engagement to drop especially since you guys are amazing and support me so much... but with that being said, even tho i am kinda worried about switching books I hope you guys would support me with it??????? pls I have so many hopes (':

yeah so... that's my big announcement sksjjsjd i only came up with it a few days ago because it dawned on me how much things are gonna escalate etc after OOTP (i already came up with a title for once omfg i suck at book titles) i think switching things up would be best. let me know what you guys think!!!!

hope you guys liked this and had an amazing day, hopefully i can update once in time for new year <3 ily all so much!!!

^ me at all of you guys <3!