its, THE chap- guys (ps i was freaking out writing this- cos- it means sm to me- and you- and the plot- i tried to integrate- your ideas - ie. the one u dropped in my comments and my own idea- so pls be respectful in comments- {I really dont need to say it u always are-<3 } and  just for this- please- for the love of Theodore- leave me feedback. if it was good- could have been better? cringe? too much? anything. ill take it. )

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The Room of Requirement had been unnaturally quiet when they all woke up, groggy and tangled , kicked-over bottles, and a questionable trail of chocolate frog wrappers. No one said anything about how Blaise had kicked Draco in his sleep. Or how Pansy had snored like a bloody hippogriff. Or how Theo hadn't moved from his cocoon of blankets in the far corner of the room—like he was actively trying not to look at Cassie.

By breakfast, they'd scrambled back into uniform and slipped seamlessly into the monotony of Hogwarts life, as if none of it had happened.

Cassie didn't mind the return to routine. Umbridge had finally stopped glancing her way, which was, frankly, a public service. She hadn't hexed a corridor in days. Miracles. She could even sit through a full class without her fingers twitching for her wand. Progress.

The assignments had returned though—essays that made her want to gouge her eyes out, potion prep that smelled like poisons, and Transfiguration reading that may as well have been written in Mermish for how much sense it made after midnight. Cheerful. 

Potter and his merry band of Gryffindors hadn't approached her since that bizarre little ambush. Just a few side-eyes from Hermione. Nothing Cassie couldn't scowl away.

But Theo? Theo had been acting... strange—well. Weirder than usual Not in a dramatic way. He still made smartass remarks and stole sugar quills from Blaise's bag. Still flicked parchment balls at Draco during lectures. But he'd been quieter around her. More watchful. Like he was thinking things too loudly and didn't know how to shut it off.

Cassie noticed.

She always noticed.

When it came to him. 

The group was walking back from breakfast when Blaise suddenly slowed his pace with a dramatic stretch. "We'll catch up," he drawled to Pansy and Draco, who instantly took the hint and smirked. "Some people might need privacy."

Cassie punched his arm. not lightly

"Oi—what—!" Blaise yelped, spinning around and clutching at the sore spot. "I was doing you a favour!"

"You were being a menace," Cassie replied dryly, not even bothering to hide the amusement in her voice. Theo, walking just behind her, tried—tried—to hide a grin. He failed. Spectacularly.

"Merlin, you are exhausting," Pansy muttered, already linking arms with Draco and dragging him off ahead.

 Blaise shot Theo a meaningful look stopping as if giving them both a headstart "I want it on record that I was trying to help your emotionally stunted arse."

"Noted," Theo said. He didn't look away from Cassie.

And she felt it—that look again. Intense. Quiet. Too much.

Her steps faltered for half a second. She hated that he could do that—make her heart trip over itself without lifting a finger.

"Don't start," she muttered to him.

"I haven't said a word."

"You were thinking too loud again."

"Then stay out of my head."

She arched a brow. "Make me."

That earned a low laugh from him, For a second, just a second, the awkwardness drifted- like they'd forgotten how to be anything but sharp around each other.

Theo kicked a loose pebble along the hallway as they walked. "So... have you done that essay McGonagall gave us?"

Cassie groaned under her breath. "Halfway. Maybe. If you count staring at the prompt and dramatically sighing for an hour as progress."

Theo chuckled. "That sounds productive."

"I'm all about the academic grind," she said dryly. "Gouging my eyes out builds character, apparently."

Then she turned her head toward him, "And if that doesn't work, I figured I'll just seduce someone smart. Even cute, maybe. Steal their answers."

Theo blinked. "Are... are you flirting with me?"

Cassie smirked, tilting her chin with mock-innocence. "I'm Cassiopeia Black. I don't flirt."

He stared. "You, Cassiopeia Black, are absolutely flirting."

"If I were flirting, you'd know. You'd be begging for a study session."

"Oh really? Then why is it that you're blushing?" Theo grinned, that infuriating, lopsided grin that had no right being that cute.

Her smirk faltered for half a second. "I'm not."

"You are."

"You've got a concussion."

"You're redder than a howler."

Cassie stopped walking and turned to face him. "Careful, Nott. I can still take you down without lifting a wand."

Theo held her gaze, pulse a little too fast, breath a little too shallow. "I'd let you."

She stared at him.

He didn't blink.

And for the first time in a long time, she was the one who looked away first. Cassie shook her head and started walking again, stepping forward with a sharp toss of her hair. "We'll be late."

Theo followed without a word, but his gaze dipped to the floor—barely concealing the grin tugging at his lips. Like he'd just won a game she hadn't realised they were playing.

She told herself she didn't feel anything.

Except the skip of her heartbeat.

And the stupid, irritating warmth blooming in her chest.

She wasn't sure if she wanted to hex him or—

No.

No or.

She was Cassiopeia Black.

She didn't do 'or'.

Behind them, the corridor remained still, the only sound theecho of their footsteps—maybe distantsnicker of Blaise Zabin from just around the corner.

As they neared the classroom.

The corridor was quieter here—just the low buzz of students filing into their respective seats. But Cassie barely registered any of it. Her brain was still annoyingly replaying that conversation. Word for word. Expression for expression.

"You are blushing."

Ugh.

She was supposed to be the one making him flustered. She was the problem. The chaos.Not him.

And certainly not because of him. But there she was, heart pounding like an idiot every time she remembered the look on his face. The way his voice had dipped when he said—

"I'd let you."

Bloody hell.

Cassie pressed her lips together, refusing to glance at Theo even as they slowed outside the classroom door. He hadn't said a word since their corridor moment either, and she was not about to ask why.

He was probably thinking about it too. Or pretending not to. That sounded like a very Theo thing to do.

They were steps away from the classroom entrance when she spotted him.

Potter.

Front of the hallway, leaning against the stone like he was waiting. Staring directly at her with that same persistent, punchable look he always had when he wanted something.

His gaze shifted—to Theo—then back to her.

Subtle, Potter. So subtle.

Cassie sighed, already regretting everything

"Go in," she muttered to Theo, not breaking eye contact with the Boy Who Lived and Breathed Guilt Trips. "I'll be there in a minute."

Theo didn't move.

She could feel his stare, brows furrowed like he was reading between the lines.

"Dearest chosen one wants to have a chat," she said dryly. "Apparently he doesn't do well with an audience."

Theo's jaw tightened, just slightly. Still didn't budge.

Cassie rolled her eyes. "I'll be here in a minute, Theo. Go."

He lingered a moment longer, clearly unconvinced, clearly annoyed—and then finally turned with a reluctant nod and stepped into the classroom.

Cassie waited until the door swung shut behind him before turning to Potter with an unpleasent look, "Well, well," she said, voice smooth  "Look who remembered I exist. I thought you gave upon your little secret rebellion fantasy."

Harry didn't even blink. "Hermione's been rounding people up."

Cassie snorted. "Of course she has. And how many is 'a few' in Hermione Granger's language? Twelve? Twenty? Half the bloody school?"

He rubbed the back of his neck. "She just said a few."

Cassie's brow shot up. "Which, in Granger math, translates to: everyone with a wand and functioning limbs."

He didn't argue. He didn't even look at her, really—just stared past her shoulder, jaw set.

"We're meeting at the Hog's Head," he said.

Cassie blinked, confused for half a second before letting out a disbelieving laugh. "You're joking."

Harry frowned. "Why would I be?"

"That place is a security nightmare," she said. "You do realise it's one creaky floorboard away from collapsing in on itself? And it's basically public property for shady blokes in cloaks. Anyone could overhear you."

"Yeah, well—" he shrugged, "Hermione picked it."

"Oh, then by all means," Cassie drawled, arms still crossed. "If Hermione said jump off the Astronomy Tower—"

"She told me to tell you," Harry cut in "That's all."

Cassie's lips pressed into a thin line.  "And you want me there?"

He hesitated.

Then nodded.

She sighed dramatically, running a hand through her curls. "I don't think you realise how dumb you're being."

Harry blinked. "Excuse me?"

"Potter," she said, voice calm and painfully reasonable, "most of Hogwarts either hates me... or thinks I'm one hallway hex away from setting the place on fire. And you want me to stroll into a pub full of scared teenagers and say, 'Trust me, I'm here to help'?"

Harry's lips thinned. "They'll listen to you."

"Oh.To me?" Her laugh was incredulous now. "You do realise most of this school is one corridor away from peeing themselves when they hear my name, right? Half of them think I bathe in poison and hex kittens for fun.""

"They might not like you. But they'll believe you. You don't pretend. You don't put on some noble face. And whether you admit it or not—you care. You wouldn't have listened to us in the first place if you didn't."

Cassie looked away sharply, jaw clenched. "Don't do that."

"Do what?"

"Try to make me a hero," she snapped. "I'm not you."

Harry shook his head. "I'm not asking you to be."

Cassie exhaled slowly, scanning the corridor behind him like an excuse might leap from the shadows and save her.. Her eyes flicked to the classroom door, where Theo had disappeared, then back to Harry.

"I'll think about it," she said finally, voice flat but not dismissive. Like she hadn't quite decided whether to blow the whole thing off or burn it down from the inside.

Harry gave a small nod, but he didn't move yet. His gaze lingered a little too long on the door Theo had gone through.

"Your little friend doesn't seem very happy," he said, casual but not really.

Cassie's eyes snapped back to him, sharp as glass. "You don't have to tell him a thing, Potter," 

Harry just looked at her for a second, unreadable. Then he gave a small nod and turned away, vanishing into the corridor

Cassie didn't move. Just stood there for a second longer.

Thinking.

Feeling her jaw tense for no reason she could name.

Then she turned on her heel and walked into the classroom, like nothing had happened sliding in the seat beside theo-

Theo didn't look at her right away. His quill was tapping against his knee, eyes flicking back and forth across the page in front of him, but Cassie could see it.

She arched a brow. "You look like you're about to stab your parchment." 

 "Tempting," he muttered, eyes still on the page. 

Cassie smirked, grabbing a fresh sheet of parchment from her bag. "What, more angst? Let me guess—are you still sulking because I used your brown pillow as a target yesterday?"

Theo didn't even glance at her. "No, I'm not—WAIT. What?"

He whipped around, eyes wide. "You used Biscuit?"

Cassie blinked. "Biscuit?"

"His name is Biscuit," Theo said with genuine offense, like she'd just insulted a sacred family heirloom. "And he was hiding in my trunk."

Cassie fumbled, suddenly looking the slightest bit guilty, which was saying something for her. "Okay, that was not—I didn't know he was in there! I thought it was a normal pillow! He's really squishy!"

Theo looked personally betrayed. "He has button eyes, Cass. How do you mistake that for a pillow?!"

She bit the inside of her cheek, trying very hard not to laugh. "Fine. Biscuit has... a strong emotional presence. I'll give him that." She tilted her head, "...But I'm guessing that's not really why you're sulking."

Theo didn't answer right away. He just gave a dramatic sigh, quill now drumming impatiently against the edge of the table.

Cassie narrowed her eyes. "Come on, Nott. Spit it out."

He mumbled something under his breath.

"What was that?"

"I said I'm not sulking," Theo said louder, but not exactly convincingly.

She snorted lips curving. "You're literally sulking right now."

"I'm brooding," he muttered defensively. 

"Very on brand for you."

Theo let out a breath, short and sharp, but there was the ghost of a smile tugging at the corner of his mouth. "So," he said casually, flicking his eyes over to her, "what did Potter want?"

Cassie didn't answer immediately. She uncorked her inkwell like it required intense focus, dipping her quill"Nothing important," 

"Didn't look like nothing."

Cassie didn't even blink. "Are you taking notes or auditioning to be my mother, Nott?"

He blinked, caught off guard, but recovered quickly, "I'm just saying... I don't trust him."

Cassie glanced sideways, annoyed and amused. "Because he's Harry Potter?"

Theo nodded, eyes dark and unreadable. "Exactly."

Cassie groaned turning towards him"You're gonna find this weird."

Theo tilted his head. "That's a bold promise. Try me."

She sighed, glaring down at the ink spreading into a blot on her parchment. "He asked me to help."

Theo stilled. "With...?"

"Some secret rebellion thing," she muttered. "Training people. Teaching them actual defense."

"Uh-huh," Theo said slowly, like he wasn't sure if she was joking. "And?"

"And I agreed."

There was a beat.

"The fuck?"

Cassie groaned again and dropped her forehead onto the desk. "I know."

"No, like actually—what the fuck, Cass?"

She turned her head, cheek smushed against the wood, to glare at him. "Do you have to sound so betrayed?"

Theo raised a hand. "Sorry, I wasn't prepared to be emotionally whiplashed before second period."

Cassie sat up and rubbed her face. "Look, I'm not joining Potter's fan club or whatever. He said something, and... ugh. It made sense, okay?"

Theo didn't speak. Just watched her

Cassie fidgeted with her quill. "Don't look at me like that."

"Like what?"

"Like you're calculating how best to fake my death and flee the country."

Theo didn't smile. Not really. "You gonna wear Gryffindor red next?"

She jabbed her elbow into his side. "I hate you."

"No, you don't."

He turned to her - not really serious- but not fully sarcastic yet- "I'm always gonna be with you, Cass," Theo said. "Even if you lose your mind and decide to stand with stupid Potter."

She blinked. The sarcasm was still there, sure—but beneath it, she could feel it. Him.

Her throat tightened, but she pushed it down with a shrug "Well, someone's got loyalty issues."

Theo raised a brow. "You're literally terrifying. I'd rather stay on your side."

"Damn right you would." But then—she glanced slightly away, and the silence stretched for a beat too long.

theo didn't let it stay quiet. "Back to my Biscuit—how could you?" he said suddenly, voice full of mock betrayal, hand to his heart like she'd shattered him. "He trusted you. He loved you."

Cassie blinked, thrown off by the whiplash. "Oh my god- it was just a toy"

"He was an innocent bear, Cass," Theo continued, mournful and absurd, "and you used him... as a dueling dummy."

"I barely scorched him—"

"He has one ear now!"

Cassie snorted. "That's character development."

Theo clutched his bag protectively, as if it housed Biscuit himself. "You're evil."

"You're ridiculous."

"I'm grieving."

She leaned in slightly, voice playful, eyes gleaming. "I could make it up to you."

Theo eyed her warily, suspicious of the sudden shift. "By sewing Biscuit a little battle helmet?"

She gave a soft snort. "I was thinking more like... sneaking you extra biscuits from the kitchens. But the helmet idea has potential. Make it all very gladiator-core." she said tapping her quill against the edge of the desk.

And for a few seconds, they just sat there. Quiet.

Letting it settle.

Letting whatever the hell that was settle-

The noise returned gradually, dragging them back into the real world. Footsteps echoed as the rest of their group finally caught up. Pansy's voice rang out first,"Honestly," she said "the chemistry in this class—I'm choking on it. Can you two not?"

Cassie didn't even bother glaring. She gave her the flattest, most unimpressed look she could summon and calmly opened her notebook. Theo didn't rise to it either. No snark, no comeback. Just a quiet snort as he flipped open his textbook, like the comment was more accurate than annoying.

For once, they didn't argue.

Didn't throw hexes under the table.

Didn't exchange sarcastic jabs every time one of them opened their mouth.

They just... cruised.

They made it through Flitwick's lecture with minimal chaos—Cassie only zapped one quill out of boredom, which was technically progress. Survived a particularly grim double Potions where Snape hovered so aggressively he might've been feeding off stress. Theo said nothing when Cassie sliced her fingertip during prep and refused help. She said nothing when he caught the flask she nearly dropped without a word.

And when they collapsed into the Slytherin common room later that evening, it was with the kind of bone-deep exhaustion.

Cassie curled up in her usual armchair, one leg folded under her, the other slung over the side. A worn blanket was draped half over her lap, quill dangling between her fingers like she was debating whether notes were even worth pretending to take.

Theo sat nearby, closer to the fireplace, legs stretched out, parchment balanced lazily on one knee. But his eyes kept flicking over to her.

Outside, wind howled slyightly. Inside, the common room... For once, everything was... calm.

the kind of calm before everything falls apart.

Until Mortem swept in  His wings didn't flap once as he landed neatly on the back of Cassie's chair, a roll of dark parchment tied to his leg.

Cassie didn't even flinch. "Just drop it."

Theo looked up immediately. His gaze went from Mortem to the parchment—and froze.

It wasn't her usual parchment. Not the thick ivory kind she used for class notes or the ripped scraps she scribbled hexes on. No, this was fancy. And the ink was—

Green?

He sat up straighter. "You got an owl."

Cassie didn't look away from the fire. "Not important."

Theo narrowed his eyes. "You're not even gonna open it?"

"Not if it's from who I think it's from."

He stood before he could stop himself. Crossed the short distance. Snatched the letter off Mortem's leg before Cassie could react.

"Theo," she said, warning sharp in her tone.

But he was already reading the signature. And then—he stilled.

"Cole?"

Cassie's lips tightened. "Apparently."

He looked up at her, eyes wide with disbelief. "He wrote to you?"

Cassie sighed "That's what that green ink usually means, yes."

"He has sent you a letter before?"

"yes. and It was just a letter, Nott. Not a resurrection."

"Oh,your ex-."

Cassie didn't even look at him. "He's not my ex."

Theo scoffed. "Right."

"We were friends," she added flatly, arms crossed. "It wasn't some tragic love story, Nott. No violin strings. No tearful goodbyes. Just two idiots who happened to get along until we didn't."

Theo stared at her like she'd grown a second head. "So why's he writing to you now?"

Cassie rolled her eyes. "Probably bored. Or guilty. Or both."

"Or still obsessed," Theo muttered under his breath.

"It's none of your business."

"Oh, pardon me," Theo snapped, waving the letter like it had insulted him personally, "for thinking your not-ex sending a  letter by bird courier was maybe, I don't know, something worth mentioning, it sure feels like my business when you keep things from me."

"I didn't keep—"

"You didn't tell me," Theo snapped. "That's the same thing."

"I don't owe you everything, Theo!"

"Oh, so now it's about owing," he said, voice rising. "Not about trust. Not about me thinking I matter even a little bit to you."

She blinked, jaw tightening. "That's not fair."

"No, what's not fair is you dragging me through your emotional minefield like I'm just—some idiot you toss around during duels and flirt with when it's convenient."

Cassie's expression froze. But it wasn't the usual sharp, lethal kind of cold. It was that awful kind of stillness—like her face had gone blank just to stop something from showing. Like she'd felt the hit and was pretending she hadn't.

Not angry.

Just scared. "Careful Nott."

Theo laughed again—short, bitter. "No. I've been careful, Cass. I've only ever been careful. From the second I realized I like you-"

He stopped. Bit the inside of his cheek. Too late.

Cassie stared at him. "What?"

He looked at her like the words were choking him. Like he was standing at the edge of something he couldn't back away from. "You heard me."

The silence between them was vicious.

Cassie opened her mouth. Then closed it again.

And Theo just—broke. "You drive me insane," he said, voice cracking at the edges. "You flirt. You smirk. You knock me off my feet and act like none of it means anything. Like I don't mean anything."

Her chest rose and fell, shallow and fast.

"I'm not good at this, okay?" Theo went on, stepping closer like he didn't know how to stop. "I don't do this whole—whatever the fuck this is. But you—" He motioned toward her, almost helplessly. "You make me want to. And then you turn it into a joke. Or worse—you pretend it's not happening."

"I—I never—"

"I like you, Cass," he said sharply, cutting her off. "Not in a 'maybe' way. Not in a fun, flirty, maybe-I'll-hex-you-later kind of way. I like you. In the real, terrifying, can't-think-straight-when-you-look-at-me kind of way. And I'm tired of pretending I don't."

Her mouth parted, like something might come out.

But all that came was air.

Theo shook his head, eyes glassy with frustration. "I'm not your training dummy. I'm not your emotional experiment. And I'm sure as hell not going to sit here and act like you don't know exactly what you're doing every time you look at me like that."

Cassie's fists clenched at her sides. "I didn't ask for this."

"And I didn't ask to fall for someone who'd rather burn the whole room down than admit she feels anything."

That one landed.

Cassie flinched—just barely. But it was there.

A blink too long. A shift in her breath. Like she hadn't meant to let it show, but couldn't quite stop it.

The silence that followed wasn't dramatic. It was worse.It was hollow.

Theo stood there like he was waiting for something—anything. A reaction. A word. A look. Something to make it feel like he hadn't just flung his heart onto the floor and watched it land with a dull, pathetic thud.

But Cassie said nothing.

Did nothing.

Her arms folded. Not stubbornly. Just... tightly. Like she was holding herself in place.

And when she finally spoke, her voice was flat. "...You done?"

Theo blinked.

Like she'd slapped him.

And then—he laughed. Just once. A single, short sound that had no humor in it whatsoever. He stepped back, something shutting behind his eyes.

"Yeah," he said. "Yeah, I'm done." He turned, shoving the letter back into her hands, eyes hard.She blinked, stunned, holding it like it might burn through her fingers.

He didn't wait for her to respond. Didn't give her a second look.

Just turned, walked to the door, and slammed it behind him.
********

She hadn't said no.

But gods, she hadn't said yes either.

The door clicked shut behind Theo, the sound far too loud in the now-silent room.  the letter still crumpled in her hand

Cassie stared at it. Not moving.

Not thinking. Not yet.

Then, quietly—
"fucking hell."

She sank back into the armchair like her legs finally gave up on her. The blanket she'd kicked off during the argument was bunched underfoot, but she didn't bother fixing it. Her hands rested on her thighs, fingers twitching like they weren't sure what to do with themselves.

She picked up the parchment slowly, eyes scanning the first few words—Cole's stupid handwriting all swirly and dramatic, like even his letters had a superiority complex.

She didn't read it.

She didn't have to.

"Could've burned it," she muttered to herself. "Should've burned it."

The fire crackled, like it agreed.

And then, quieter: "Why didn't I just say something?"

The room didn't answer.

She tossed the letter back onto the table and leaned her head back, eyes staring up at the ceiling like it held the answers. "He says that like I know what I'm doing," she said under her breath. "Like I know how to—be that."

The door didn't open again. Theo didn't come back in.

She waited anyway.

Ten seconds.

Twenty.

Cassie groaned and flopped sideways on the chair, arms crossed tightly across her chest. "I didn't say no."

She wasn't sure who she was trying to convince.

Then, with a weak snort: "Didn't say yes either, you bloody idiot."

Her fingers curled tighter around the blanket. "You like me," she whispered. "Even when I'm impossible."

She could still hear his voice in her head—rough, angry

And then hers, defensive, sharp: It's none of your business.

"Liar," she told herself.

Because it was his business. He made it his business every time he looked at her like she was the only person in the room worth watching. Every time he let her win every argument just to see her smirk. Every time he sat beside her and didn't flinch when she was in a mood.

And she liked that.

No—she wanted that.

Cassie curled further into herself, cheeks hot despite the cold in her chest. "I'm such a mess."

Still, she muttered the words under her breath like they were a vow."I didn't say no."

********

Cassie didn't know how long she stared into the fire. The flames flickering against the stone hearth,

She wished Regulus were here.

He'd know what to say. He always knew- he'd have something that made sense. Something that made her feel less like she was unraveling in five directions at once.

Cassie let out a shaky breath, rubbed her palms over her face, then glanced at the table.

The letter was still there. Folded neatly 

"Fine," she muttered, grabbing it "Let's see what this disaster has to say."

She broke the seal with a flick of her nail and unfolded the parchment.'

Hey scary girl,

 Don't hex me for the green ink, I found it in Durmstrang's art room and thought of you— Just your vibe. 

I hope you haven't murdered anyone recently, though honestly, I'd be disappointed if you've gone soft. Things here are... fine. Cold. Boring. You'd hate it. I accidentally lit my cloak on fire in Potions, which you would've found hilarious, I know. 

Also... sidenote—I started seeing this girl here. She's not half as terrifying as you. Which, I guess, is a little disappointing. She doesn't flay me alive with her words like you used to. I think I miss that more than I should. 

Cassie blinked. Once. Then again.

 Don't roll your eyes. I can feel you doing it. Anyway, stay alive. And try not to emotionally disembowel anyone too important.

 —Cole.

She stared at the last line. Her grip on the parchment tightened.

A beat passed. Then two.

And finally, in the quiet of the common room, Cassie whispered flatly " The fuck-"  the letter still open on her lap, and stared blankly into the fire. Her head was buzzing. Her heart? Even worse. Everything inside her felt loud and stupid and tangled.

Without thinking, she reached into her robes, pulled out her charmed mirror, and muttered barely audible:

"Regulus Black?"

It took less than two seconds for the surface to shimmer—and then, there he was. A flash of pale skin, a grey eye squinting back at her. He blinked furiously, his voice filledwith alarm before she could say anything.

"What happened star? Are you hurt? Should I come—?"

Cassie groaned. "Relax, Dad."

Regulus narrowed his eyes. "You never use this mirror."

 "No one's dead. It's not that kind of crisis."

He stared at her. "...So what kind of crisis is it?"

Cassie hesitated. "A hypothetical one."

Regulus's mouth twitched. "Hypothetical."

"Yeah."

His tone turned flat. "Alright. Go on then, hit me with your totally hypothetical, not-at-all-real situation."

Cassie cleared her throat. "So... say... hypothetically... a guy. Who, I don't know, might like me... tells me. That he likes me. Very directly."

"Mmhmm."

"And I... may or may not have responded with, and I quote: 'you done?.'"

A beat.

Then Regulus blinked.

"...That was it?"

"Hypothetically," she muttered.

He snorted. "It's the Nott boy, isn't it."

Cassie made a face and didn't respond.

"I knew it," Regulus said smugly. "He's got that deeply repressed, simmering affection thing going on. It's obvious."

"I said it's hypothetical," she said through gritted teeth.

"Sure, sure," Reg drawled. "Just like it's hypothetical how you've been saying his name at least five times more than necessary since last term."

Cassie glared at him through the mirror.

"So. What's the real question here?"

She was quiet for a moment. Then finally, in a small voice— "...What do I do now?"

Reg's expression shifted—no teasing now, just understanding.

"Do you like him?"

"I don't not like him," Cassie said, which was, in Black speak, practically a confession.

"Then stop pretending you're going to set him on fire every time he gets too close," he said plainly.

Cassie scowled. "I don't—!"

"Cass."

"...Okay maybe once," she muttered.

"Then talk to him," Reg said, "Say something. Even if it's not everything. Just—don't leave him hanging in that place between hope and heartbreak."

Cassie frowned. "Why do you sound like you've been reading romance novels?"

Regulus shrugged. "Maybe I have. The forbidden love ones are my favorite."

She snorted, despite herself. "You're the worst."

"I try."

Cassie stared down at the mirror again, teeth worrying at her bottom lip. "But seriously. What do I even say?"

Regulus blinked like it was the dumbest question he'd ever heard. "I dunno. Be you. Be honest"

Cassie blinked. "You mean challenge him to a duel and force him to grovel?"

A breathy laugh escaped Regulus. "If that's what honesty looks like for you, then sure."

Cassie's eyes narrowed with sudden clarity. "Alright then."

Regulus sat up straighter, alarm creeping into his voice. "Cass—no. I was joking. That wasn't—wait, what are you about to do—?"

But Cassie had already shut the mirror.

************************************
With the boys
**************************************

Theo lay sprawled across his bed in the Slytherin dorm, one arm thrown dramatically over his face like some tragic heroine.

"Why did I tell her," he muttered into the crook of his elbow. "Why did I tell her?"

He groaned, rolled over, and thumped his forehead against the pillow repeatedly.

Blaise's voice piped up from the doorway. "Well, well, if it isn't our local romantic martyr."

Draco snorted as he followed Blaise in. "Tell me you didn't confess."

Theo let out another muffled groan. "I didn't confess. I emotionally imploded."

"Oh, even better," Blaise said, flopping onto the bed next to him. "Do continue. Was there dramatic pacing involved? Shaky breathing? An existential crisis?"

Theo peeked from under his arm, eyes full of regret. "There was a letter. From Cole."

Draco froze  "Cole? As in Durmstrang Cole?"

"The ex-who-isn't-an-ex-but-clearly-an-ex Cole?" Blaise added.

Theo sat up, looking completely wrecked. "I lost it. I actually—lost it. She didn't even say anything. Just stared at me like I was losing my mind. Which, spoiler alert—I was."

Draco frowned "And what did she say? After you... you know. Told her."

Theo made a vague gesture. "Nothing. Absolutely nothing. I said it and she just—froze. And then said 'You done?' Like I was a first-year ranting about homework."

Blaise winced. "Oof. That's brutal."

Theo groaned and dragged his hands down his face. "Why did I open my mouth? Why didn't I just—not?"

Draco, however, tilted his head, brow raising. "You realise... she didn't actually reject you, right?"

Blaise blinked. "Mate, she clearly did."

"Shut up, Blaise," Draco snapped. "She's my sister. You don't know her like I do.Come on, Nott, think about it. How long have you known her?"

Theo looked up, still looking a bit lost. "Since second year."

"Right," Draco nodded. "And in all that time... has there ever once been a moment where she didn't like something and didn't say it?"

Theo didn't answer.

Blaise chimed in, half-laughing. "You remember the Yule Ball? When she threatened to incinerate my entire suit because she didn't like the shade i was wearing?"

"It was hideous" Draco muttered.

"Details." Blaise waved it off. "Point is—if she didn't want you, Theo, she'd have said it. Loudly. With dramatic flair."

Draco pointed. "Exactly. Cassie doesn't freeze when she's pissed or uninterested. She explodes. She rips throats. She sets rooms on fire."

Theo blinked slowly. "So... you're saying her going quiet..."

"...was her malfunctioning," Draco said dryly. "You short-circuited her. Congrats."

Blaise nodded, deeply solemn. "He cracked the Cass-code."

Theo just stared at them, a bit stunned. "You really think that?"

Draco rolled his eyes. "No, I'm lying to make you feel better while you weep dramatically into your duvet."

"Look," Blaise added, getting off the bed, "maybe she panicked. Or maybe she's scared. Hell, maybe she's writing you a dramatic two-page apology on green parchment as we speak."

Draco side-eyed him. "She's not."

"But," Blaise said, ignoring him, "she didn't shut you down. And that's something."

Theo ran a hand through his hair, exhaling. "So what do I do now?"

Draco smirked faintly. "Wait. Try not to do anything dumb. And for Merlin's sake, stop acting like you confessed your undying love to Potter."

"Yeah," Blaise grinned. "At least Cassie hasn't hexed you yet."

"Yet," Theo muttered.

They all went quiet for a second.

Then Blaise added, far too casually, "You think she's writing him back?"

Draco turned slowly. "Blaise, I swear to god—"

Blaise threw up his hands. "What? I'm trying to lighten the mood!"

"Don't. You're making it worse."

Theo sat straight "So what now? Just... wait?"

Draco glanced over. "No. Ignore her."

 "Ignore her?"

"Yeah," Draco said simply, arms crossed 
 "Act like the whole thing pissed you off. Like you're mad. Don't give her the satisfaction of thinking you're still sitting around waiting for a reply."

"But I am," Theo muttered. "I'm shit scared she's going to come back tomorrow and say she doesn't feel anything and I imagined all of it."

Blaise snorted. "Yeah, we know that. Maybe stop making it so fucking obvious."

Theo groaned and buried his face in his hands again.

Draco sighed like he was talking to a toddler. "Look. Cassie's not going to do well with you moping in corners and flinching every time she breathes. If you act like her silence broke you, she's going to shut down harder."

Blaise pointed at him. "Exactly. You need to throw her off. Give her a taste of her own moody, emotionally stunted medicine."

Theo looked up, horrified. "You want me to out-sulk Cassiopeia Black? Are you insane?"

Draco shrugged. "I'm just saying—she's used to being in control of situations. Flip the dynamic."

Theo blinked slowly. "You're the worst friend I've ever had."

Draco smirked. "Just try not to cry in front of her. That'd really ruin the image."

Theo flipped them both off and collapsed back on the bed.

Blaise kicked Theo's foot lightly. "Y'know, for what it's worth... she looked at you different this morning."

Theo cracked one eye open, groggy and miserable. "Different how?"

Blaise smirked. "In the corridor. When I was very subtly following you both, like any good friend would."

Theo groaned. "You were eavesdropping?"

"Beside the point," Blaise said breezily, waving a hand. "Point is—she looked at you like you'd scrambled her brain chemistry and she couldn't decide whether to hex you or kiss you."

 "That's... not comforting."

"It should be," Blaise replied, unbothered. "Means she felt something. Which is more than most people manage to get out of her."

Draco raised a brow from across the room. "She didn't throw him down a flight of stairs. That's practically love."

Theo flopped back onto the bed, groaning into his pillow. "I hate both of you."

Blaise grinned. "You're welcome."

*****************
with the girls
***************

Cassie pushed open the dormitory door. Her bag hit the floor with a thump, and she practically collapsed onto the bed.

Pansy, sprawled across her own mattress with a face mask on and wand lazily levitating her nail polish, didn't even look up. "You look like a dementor kissed you and didn't even have the decency to ghost you after."

Cassie groaned into her pillow. "I did something stupid."

"Define stupid."

Cassie rolled over and stared at the canopy. "Theo told me he liked me."

That got Pansy's attention. She sat up so fast her mask slipped. "WHAT?"

Cassie threw an arm over her face. "In the common room. In front of the fire. In the most emotionally chaotic voice ever."

"And what did you say?!"

"...'You done?'"

Pansy stared. And then—*

"What- the actual- Fuck-"* she screeched, lobbing a pillow with the force of someone personally offended. "you had one job. One. And instead of saying literally anything human, you just—'You done?' Really?! That's what came out of your mouth?!"

Cassie let the pillow hit her. "It was a lot, okay?! He just—blurted it. And I—my brain turned into mush."

"That mush was your last two brain cells having a panic attack," Pansy deadpanned. "Cass. Babe. Bestie. Sweetheart of darkness. You like him."

"I didn't say I didn't!"

"You didn't say anything!"

Cassie groaned and rolled onto her back, dragging the blanket halfway over her face like it could shield her from this emotional audit. "I was trying not to explode."

Pansy sighed, flopping down next to her like she'd aged ten years. "You do realise he thinks you rejected him, right?"

Cassie stilled. Her throat tightened. "...No, he doesn't."

Pansy slowly turned her head toward her, the judgment radiating off her lik beam of bitchery. "He absolutely does."

"I didn't say no!" Cassie protested, sitting up slightly. "I just—panicked. And maybe froze. And maybe looked away. And then he left."

"Like a dramatic love-sick maniac. Because he is." Pansy crossed her arms. "Cass, come on. That boy's been following you around like a lovesick crup for months. He dueled you half-flirty, carried your books , and looked ready to commit a crime whenever cole talked to you. He's in it."

Cassie was quiet for a moment.

"I didn't mean to hurt him."

"Well, you did," Pansy said, not unkindly. "Now what are you gonna do about it?

Cassie sighed and flopped back again. "Murder isn't off the table."

"Oh, it never was, But maybe, instead of murder... you could try a conversation. Like, you know, a human."

"I need a drink."

"You need a plan, but we can start with Firewhisky."

Cassie sat up like she'd been jolted back to life. "Wait. I have a plan."

Pansy blinked. "Please tell me it starts with an apology. Or a letter. Or, Merlin , a kiss?"

"Uhh..." Cassie hesitated. "It does involve a dagger?"

Pansy just stared. "Cassie. No. No daggers."

"Not like—a murder dagger. More of a... symbolic one. A  gesture."

"Does this symbolic gesture involve him bleeding?"

"Only emotionally."

"Oh, well that's fine then," Pansy said, flopping back onto the bed. "Just casually traumatise the boy who confessed his feelings while looking like he might cry. Totally healthy."

Cassie chewed her lip, voice a little smaller. "I just thought—daggers are kind of our thing. So..."

Pansy sat up slowly, like she was physically bracing herself. "Cass. I say this with love. Deep, deep love. If you end another conversation with that boy holding a blade and the words 'You done?' on your lips, I will hex you into next week."

"Alright, alright. No stabbing. No vague exits. a talk?"

Pansy nodded vigourously

Cassie flopped back beside her, staring at the ceiling. "Do you think he hates me now?"

There was a pause. Then, Pansy quietly said, "I think he's waiting."

Cassie's chest tightened. "For what?"

"For you to stop hiding behind all this 'dangerous heiress' bravado and tell him you feel something too."

Cassie was quiet for a long beat. Then—

"...Can I still use the dagger if it's metaphorical?"

Pansy reached for another pillow. "I swear to Merlin, Cass." 

******************************

The next morning 

Cassie walked into the common room the next morning with the vague, irrational hope that maybe things had smoothed over. Maybe Theo had calmed down. Maybe last night could live in the quiet shame-corner of both their memories until they awkwardly made up during a duel or something.But instead, she got this:Theo, lounging on the couch with a book in hand, not even glancing at her. 

Not a smirk. Not a jab. Nothing. 

 She blinked.Walked a bit slower, waiting for the usual snarky comment. 

 Still nothing. 

 "Morning," she said carefully, dropping into the armchair opposite him. 

 Theo turned a page. Didn't even grunt in acknowledgment.

 Cassie squinted. Okay. Rude.

He was ignoring her. Like full-on, fifth-year, cold-shoulder, "you don't exist" mode. Not even passive-aggressive. Just passive.

What the actual fuck.

She leaned forward a bit, voice low and testing, like poking a sleeping dragon.

"Literally, Nott—I just wanted to—"

Theo slapped the book shut, stood up without a word, and walked off.

Like that. Just got up and left the goddamn room. Didn't even give her a second glance.

Cassie stared after him, jaw slightly dropped. She looked around the common room like maybe someone else had seen that crime against basic decency. But the few first-years by the fire pretended to be very invested in their Herbology notes,

"Oh my god," she muttered to herself, throwing her head back against the armchair in absolute disbelief. "He's being petty."

Of course he was. He'd gone and pulled the walk-away mid-sentence card. The audacity.

***********

Cassie wasn't sulking.

She was simply following Theo from class to class like a cursed puppy with trust issues.

"Hey—Theo, wait, I just wanted to—" she called, trailing after him as they left Charms.

But he didn't slow down. Didn't even flinch.

She narrowed her eyes. "I know you heard me!"

Still nothing.

By the time Cassie reached the corridor, he'd already vanished down the stairs.

And that pretty much set the tone for the rest of the day.

She'd walk into class, spot him, and he'd suddenly remember he urgently needed to sit on the opposite end of the room. She'd turn to ask him a question during Potions—poof, Theo was deep in conversation with Ernie Macmillan of all people. He didn't even like Ernie Macmillan.

She tried to catch him during lunch. He left the Great Hall with his plate barely touched.

By the third time, Blaise and Draco had fully committed to lurking in the background like snarky, useless  chorus.

"Mate," Blaise muttered, watching Theo casually duck Cassie's approach by "not hearing" her in the hallway. "He's got moves."

"Textbook evasion," Draco agreed. "I'm impressed."

They rounded the corner just as Theo slipped into the Transfiguration classroom early—again—avoiding Cassie for the fifth time that day.

Draco let out a low whistle. "Brutal."

"Clean exit," Blaise added, nodding approvingly. "We taught him well."

A sharp scoff cut through the air behind them.

They turned—Pansy was standing there, arms folded, one eyebrow arched to hell.

"I beg your entire pardon," she said sweetly. Dangerously sweetly.

Draco blinked. "Pans, hey—"

"Oh, don't 'Pans' me,"

"Are you all out of your fucking minds?" Pansy stormed toward them, bag slung half-off her shoulder, murder in her eyes. "What the hell is this plan?"

Blaise had the audacity to grin. "It's working, isn't it? Cass is spiralling."

"We want her to spiral less, not more!" Pansy snapped. "Do you know how much time I spent last night talking her down from confessing via dagger threat?"

Draco raised an eyebrow. "Romantic."

"She's Cassie," Pansy growled. "If you tell her to be vulnerable, she'll set a room on fire first just to have an excuse to avoid it."

"She already tried to talk to him," she added, gesturing wildly. "And he's been pulling the Cold Shoulder World Tour since breakfast. If he keeps this up, he's not gonna survive the day."

Blaise looked mildly concerned now. "Do you think she'll actually stab him?"

"She almost did last week and she liked him then,"

Draco shifted uncomfortably. "Okay. So... new plan?"

"It's too late," Pansy scoffed. "At this point, we're in damage control, not strategy."

Blaise blinked. "Do you think he's alive yet?"

Pansy threw her hands in the air. "You tell me. I'm surprised Cassie hasn't finished the deed already. She must really like him to wait this long."

"...We may have miscalculated," Draco admitted.

"Oh, you think?" Pansy snapped. "Fix it. Now. Or she's going to kill him. Or kiss him. Or both."

Blaise swallowed. "I mean... he'd probably be okay with both?"

Draco winced. "Depends on the order."

*******************************************

The trio was speed-walking—almost running—towards the courtyard like their lives depended on it. Which, to be fair, someone's definitely did.

"Are you sure he went there?" Draco asked, coat flying behind him as they turned a corner.

"I think so!" Blaise huffed. "He said something about how Cassie hates the courtyard because it's always crawling with second-years and Quidditch gremlins."

"It's almost curfew," Pansy snapped, heels clicking furiously as she tried to keep up. "What the hell is he doing outside?"

"Getting murdered," Draco muttered.

"We just need to find him before she does," Blaise insisted, half-jogging now. "And tell him to stop. Ignore-her-to-make-her-confess was never a sustainable plan."

The courtyard was mostly deserted—just a disapproving Professor McGonagall herding a sobbing second-year back inside—and then:

"He's alive," Blaise said, spotting Theo near one of the pillars, hands in his pockets, looking broody 

"Uh-huh," Draco muttered darkly, eyes locked on the opposite end of the courtyard. "Not for long."

Cassie was stalking toward Theo with fire in her eyes, wild curls wind-whipped, and oh—dagger already in hand. There was no hesitation in her step. Just murder.

"Fuck," Pansy breathed. "He's gone."

"It was nice knowing him," Blaise whispered solemnly.

"I can't watch this," Draco said, turning half-away like he was bracing for impact.

"Should we stop her?" Blaise asked hopefully.

"Can we stop her?" Pansy countered.

Another beat passed. Theo still hadn't seen her.

"Maybe she'll just talk to him," Draco offered weakly.

Pansy snorted. "With a dagger?"

"Words are sharp," Blaise muttered, but it was not the time.

"Oh gods," Pansy hissed. "She's almost there—do something!"

They froze.

Because truthfully?

None of them wanted to be the one to step between Cassiopeia Black and her emotionally repressed target.

***********

Cassie didn't yell.
She screeched.
"THEODORE NOTT!"

Theo jumped like he'd been hit with a Stunning Spell, the book he'd been reading dropping to the stone ground with a tragic thud. His hand flew to the hilt of his own dagger on instinct, eyes wide as he turned—

Only to find her, storming toward him like a bloody hurricane in boots, her own dagger already drawn and gleaming in the twilight.

"Cass—what the fu—"

She didn't stop. She didn't even slow down.

One moment, Theo was blinking in confused horror, the next—
cold metal at his throat.

"You absolute—idiotic, emotionally constipated little—"

"Miss Black!"
McGonagall's horrified voice cut through the air as she rushed from the far end of the courtyard, robes flapping like a battle flag. "Put the weapon down—this is a school!"

But before she could reach them, Pansy sprinted in, hand waving wildly.

"WAIT!" she cried. "Professor—I think—it's finally happening!"

McGonagall blinked. "What is happening, Miss Parkinson? A homicide?!"

Theo, somehow still frozen, whispered, "I didn't even say anything today—"

"That's the problem!" Cassie snapped, pressing the flat of her blade just a little firmer against his collarbone—not enough to cut, just enough to threaten. "You ignored me all day, like some sulky little—ghoul. And for what?"

McGonagall turned to Pansy, completely overwhelmed. "Is this—are they always—?"

"Unfortunately," Pansy sighed. "But I give it two more minutes. Tops. She's either going to stab him or kiss him."

********

"For what?!" he echoed, incredulous. "You threatened me with a dagger—again!" 

 "Because apparently, that's the only way you'll pay attention!" 

 Oh my Merlin," Blaise whispered from the sidelines, filming none of this but spiritually filming all of it.  

Theo's voice sharpened. "What's your problem, Black? You rejected me."

Cassie's eyes flashed. "I did not—!"

"You think this is a game? That I wanted to tell you?" His dagger gleamed in the dying light as he pointed it—not threateningly, but as if his hands didn't know what else to do. "You think I enjoyed standing there like a complete idiot while you looked at me like I was  afirst year ranting about a lost match?"

Cassie struck his dagger aside with a sharp clang of metal, stepping in close. "You are in no position to fight me, Nott. Not right now."

"I didn't mean to fight you, I meant to mean something to you!"

Her mouth parted, stunned, but he was still going, "Why? Why should I keep running after you? Following you around like some—bloody lapdog—hanging off your every word, like I don't have a spine of my own?"

He raised his dagger again—not at her, but as if to hold his ground. To protect himself.

"Why should you get to dictate when we fight, and when we don't? When we talk, when we touch, when we feel something? You think you get to pull me in and shove me away whenever it suits you?"

Silence snapped over them like a whip. Even the wind seemed to stop.

McGonagall was now halfway through a panic attack.

Pansy, barely breathing: "Don't move. Don't blink. This is history."

Blaise quietly to Draco: "Double it to twenty galleons on both."

Draco: "Done."

Cassie's breathing turned ragged. "You think I'm not confused too?" She shifted her weight, blade tilting at a subtle angle—a stance Theo instantly recognized. It was the one she always took right before she struck. 

He mirrored her without thinking, boots sliding slightly against the stone, fingers tightening around the hilt of his dagger. This was their language

She did. She struck first. The steel clashed ,sparks scattering as their daggers met with familiarity. She twisted, ducked under his guard, and he barely had time to deflect.

"You don't get to act like the victim!" she hissed, fury in her eyes. "You've been ignoring me all bloody day!"

Theo's jaw clenched. His blade struck out hard, a little too wild. "You rejected me!"

"I did not!"

"You said—'You done?! What the hell else was I supposed to think?"

Cassie stumbled, nearly lost her footing as her blade glanced off his arm.

"I panicked!" she shouted, circling back around, the dagger gleaming in her hand. "You cornered me with feelings and I panicked!"

Theo's eyes locked onto hers, glinting. "You always panic when it matters!"

Their blades crashed again—metal against metal, too close to be impersonal, too fast to be just training.

"I try, Cass," he said through gritted teeth. "I really fucking try. But I never know where I stand with you. You flirt with me, stab me, pin me. then shut down like none of it happened!"

She grunted as she deflected, twisting into a brutal forward lunge. "I didn't want to ruin it!"

He blocked—but just barely. Her dagger grazed his jaw, leaving a bright smear of red.

Theo flinched, chest heaving, but he didn't back away.

"Us," she spat, voice dropping. "I didn't want to ruin us. You're the only person who—"

He cut her off with a surge forward. Their blades crossed again, hilts locked, noses inches apart. His breath hit her cheek, warm and ragged.

"—Who what?" he spat, eyes sharp. "Who you can boss around? Who sticks around when you push everyone else away? You think you ruined it?" he murmured, voice raw. "You think I wouldn't burn the whole damn world just to keep you close?"

Cassie's breath caught.

"You're not supposed to say things like that,"  She swung, fast—he caught it, but just barely. Their daggers locked, metal grinding, eyes locked above the steel.

"I think you're terrified," Theo said, voice low . "And I think you'd rather pick up a knife than admit that maybe you feel anything for me."

"Shut up," she snarled, shoving him back. "You don't get to say that like you know me."

"But I do know you." He surged forward, pinning her against a pillar with the flat of his blade at her side. Their faces were inches apart, breaths crashing. "You're fire and fear stitched into skin. And you're too damn proud to say what you mean."

Her eyes were wild, furious—and so was the grin curling her lips. "Then stop talking and fight me."

"Gladly."

They clashed again, breathless, tangled in each other. A step here, a block there, feet sliding across the stone. He nearly disarmed her once—but she elbowed him in the ribs and stole back the lead. Their blades twirled like extensions of their rage, their want, their history.

And then—Theo faltered. Just for a second. Maybe it was the look in her eyes. Maybe he'd let himself feel too much.

Cassie seized it.

Steel spun through the air—Theo's dagger clattered to the floor.

Cassie slammed him back against the stone column, her own dagger at his throat, trembling.

He smiled—bloody idiot—soft, shaky. His eyes glinted despite the blade grazing his throat.

"Let me guess," he murmured. "You're gonna say you like me while holding a dagger to my neck?"

Cassie's jaw tightened. "You think you're funny?"

"I think I'm terrified," he whispered, voice hoarse. "And so are you."

Her grip faltered.

"No," she hissed, but it was already cracking at the edges—like her voice didn't quite know if it wanted to fight or break. Her mouth twitched, somewhere between yelling and crying. "But I will stab you if you keep acting like I don't."

Theo's breath hitched.

"Don't what?" he asked softly. Not a tease. Just the barest, most honest question, quiet and trembling between them. He already knew. He just needed her to say it.

Cassie blinked hard.

Her voice —harsh and raw, like it had been dug up from some deep, locked-away place.

"Because I like you too, you idiot."

And the world—his world—just... stopped.

Theo stared, frozen, like she'd just broken the laws of gravity.

"You... you what?" he croaked.

"I like you, Theodore Nott. I like you so much I could kill you for it."

His breath hitched, lips parted like she'd just knocked the wind out of him. "So that's... good?"

Cassie didn't answer. Not with words, anyway.

She grabbed his collar—hard—and yanked him toward her.

And kissed him.

Fierce, unapologetic, fire-and-starlight kind of kiss. One that shut him up and made his knees go weak. She just leaned in, lowered her dagger and kissed him—hard. It was messy and fierce and so Cassie, shutting him up mid-breath, blade still in her hand. Theo made a soft, stunned noise against her mouth, hands frozen between them like he didn't know where to put them—like his entire brain had just rebooted. 

 Then—finally—he moved.His hands found her waist, gripping like he might actually fall if he didn't hold onto something. He kissed her back like he meant it, like he felt it, like he'd been waiting for this exact moment since forever and had never once thought she'd actually do it.

 Cassie broke the kiss first, just barely, lips ghosting over his, voice low."That one was mine," she whispered. 

"If you want to kiss me, Nott, you ask next time." 

 Theo blinked, dazed. "Okay. Yeah. Cool. I can—uh—definitely do that." 

 Behind them, reality exploded. 

 Pansy SHRIEKED so loudly it echoed across the courtyard. "OH MY GOD—" She slapped a hand over her mouth, immediately sobbing. "She kissed him—she actually kissed him—she held a knife to his throat and KISSED HIM—"

Blaise fist-pumped. "Pay up, losers! I said dagger first, confession second, kiss third!"

Draco looked equal parts horrified and proud. "She disarmed him, declared her feelings, and kissed him with a blade still in her hand. Honestly? Power move."

McGonagall, who had somehow stayed the entire time, stepped forward slowly. She was blinking hard behind her glasses, trying to recalibrate.  "Well, that's fifty galleons to me. Tell Professor Flitwick I accept payments in cash or Firewhisky."

Blaise turned to gape at her. "Wait—you bet on them?"

"Don't be ridiculous, Mr. Zabini," McGonagall said primly. "I bet on the month. "

Filch barrelled in, red-faced and breathless, lantern swinging like a weapon. "Students out of bed!"

"Mr. Filch, I am perfectly aware they're out of bed. I may be old, not blind."

Filch spluttered. "But—but Professor—!"

She turned slightly, still watching Cassie and Theo with a level of calm only achievable by someone who'd seen worse in the seventies. "You may return to your quarters, Argus. Unless you'd like to place a bet on who wins the next duel?"

Filch made a choked sound and scuttled off, muttering something about "savage little maniacs" and "that one's got murder in her eyes."

Pansy wheezed. "I love her."

Blaise, ever helpful, offered, "Fifteen galleons says Theo cries about this in the common room."

Draco didn't even hesitate. "You're on."

Meanwhile, Theo, voice hoarse and still reeling from the literal dagger-to-kiss whiplash, blinked up at Cassie.

McGonagall gave them all that look—equal parts disapproval and deep, soul-crushing exhaustion—then turned on her heel, tartan robes billowing behind her

"Perhaps," she said over her shoulder, voice dry as a desert, "take this to your respective common rooms before our dearest High Inquisitor comes prowling. And kindly refrain from more... theatrical displays of affection. Or violence. Whichever that was."

And with that, she marched off, leaving a stunned silence and dignity barely intact.

The moment she was out of earshot, Blaise let out a breath and muttered, "I'm naming my firstborn after her."

Pansy immediately whacked him. "No, you're not."

Theo still hadn't moved much—still leaning back against the pillar like his legs hadn't recovered from the kiss or the near-death experience. Cassie just crossed her arms and said nothing, pretending to not be affected.

They started walking, mostly because Pansy grabbed Theo by the collar and Cassie by the wrist and began dragging them toward the dungeons with the energy of a tired babysitter wrangling two hormonal hyenas.

Draco, hands in his pockets, fell into step beside Blaise. "So... what does this mean? Is it official now? Are we calling them a thing?"

Blaise tilted his head thoughtfully. "Well, she did pin him to a stone pillar and threaten him at knifepoint before making out with him, so... yeah. That's practically marriage in Cassie terms."

Theo made a strangled noise. "She kissed me. I was mid-rant."

"You needed to be shut up," Cassie replied smoothly, still not looking at him.

"I was confessing my feelings!"

"And I reciprocated—with force. You're welcome."

Pansy didn't even stop walking. "I'm putting this entire night in the Hogwarts gossip scrolls."

 "You're the one who writes the Hogwarts gossip scrolls?"

"Yep. Full editorial control, babe."

Behind them, Blaise snorted. "What are we calling them? Theassie? Cassdoe? Stabbies-in-love?"

Cassie didn't even turn around—just flicked her wand and magically knocked Blaise's bag off his shoulder.

He howled. "She's violent and romantic. Merlin help him."

Theo glanced at her, still catching his breath. "...You're not gonna stab me again, are you?"

Cassie smirked. "Depends. You planning to run your mouth again?"

Theo smiled, all teeth and ruin. "Gods, I really like you."

She looked at him sideways. "Then try surviving me."

And somewhere far away, McGonagall poured herself a scotch and muttered, "I should've retired in '87."

**************************************

By breakfast, the whole castle knew.

The news of Cassiopeia  Black and Theodore Nott finally (finally) getting together had spread faster than a Fiendfyre in the castle. It had travelled from the courtyard to the Great Hall to the kitchens and even to a confused second-year in the Astronomy Tower who didn't even know who they were but still heard "THE couple got together."

"The couple," because apparently, that's what they were now.

Cassie—who already had a reputation for being a psycho- terrifying duel-wielding, sass-laced hurricane in combat boots—was now paired with Theo Nott, the quietly brooding Slytherin strategist with cheekbones that could cut glass and sarcasm sharp enough to kill a man. Separately, they were a menace. Together?

A power couple. A threat to society. 

Pansy practically strutted into the Great Hall that morning like she'd orchestrated the whole affair.

"Cass, darling," she purred, sliding in beside her. "Did you know you're trending?"

Cassie blinked. "What."

"Trending," Blaise chimed in, holding up a piece of enchanted parchment with a diagram titled The Black-Nott Power Dynamic. "There's a whole underground betting pool on how long it'll take before one of you gets detention for snogging mid-duel."

Theo slid into the seat next to Cassie  "Morning."

Cassie just stared at him. "Apparently, we're a threat to wizarding society."

 "I mean... they're not wrong."

******

" Black was already dangerous," Seamus muttered over his goblet of pumpkin juice. "But now she's got him."

"Yeah," Dean said, watching as Theo walked two steps behind her into the Great Hall, expression blank and unreadable except for the way his eyes flicked toward Cassie's every movement. "That man would burn the Ministry down if she asked."

"Or if someone looked at her the wrong way," Lavender whispered.

Across the Hall, Luna hummed dreamily. "It's romantic, really. Like a star-crossed dagger-wielding shadow couple."

"Do you think he's under a spell?" Neville asked cautiously.

"Nah," Ginny said, shrugging as she dropped into a seat. "That's not a spell. That's full-blown voluntary devotion. Man reveres her. It's terrifying."

The whispers only got louder after that. Cassie didn't even need to hex anyone—her mere presence at Theo's side was enough to silence a corridor. And when she smiled at him? Full-scale student body meltdown. Pansy was collecting reactions like trading cards.

"I swear I saw someone drop their wand when she tucked his hair behind his ear," Pansy announced at lunch.

Draco, already halfway through his sandwich, muttered, "It was Blaise."

"I WAS VULNERABLE," Blaise defended. "SHE HAD BLOOD ON HER HANDS AND HE LOOKED AT HER LIKE SHE HUNG THE STARS."

Theo, from the end of the table "She did."

Cassie, red-faced "It was ketchup, you dramatic idiot."

"Blood or not," Blaise said, thumping his fist lightly on the table, "you looked like vengeance incarnate and he looked like he'd let you stab him if it meant five minutes of eye contact."

"I would," Theo said, not even looking up from his plate.

Cassie whipped her head toward him. "Theo."

"What?" He met her eyes, totally unbothered. "Just being honest."

Pansy had both hands over her mouth, clearly on the verge of a shriek. "This is the most toxic shit I've ever seen and I want it printed on matching t-shirts."

"Should we be concerned?" Daphne asked mildly.

"Oh, definitely," Draco said around a bite of toast. "But honestly, it's Hogwarts. At this point, I'm just enjoying the show."

From the staff table, McGonagall sipped her tea and muttered to Flitwick, "Well, at least they're channeling their chaos into tension instead of duels...Which reminds me you still owe me 50 galleons"

Flitwick slid over a small velvet pouch without a word.

****************************

It was only a matter of time before someone tried it.

The castle was still in meltdown mode over the whole "Cassie kissed Theo with a dagger to his throat" incident. Someone said there was hair pulling. Another said Cassie cried (she didn't). And now, the brave—or stupid—Gryffindors thought it would be funny to prank Theo.

It started innocent enough. Some bewitched his bookbag to squeal every time he opened it.

Theo, not even blinking, calmly set it on fire.

Then came the second-years who spelled "Dagger Boyfriend" onto the back of his robes.

He wore it for an hour before casually hexing it off and deadpanning, "Thanks for the free title."

But the real mistake came when someone tried to trip him outside the library.

It was all fun and games until Black rounded the corner.

Her eyes locked on the scene—the flailing Gryffindor, Theo trying to steady himself, and the faint snickering behind a suit of armor.

She didn't scream.

She didn't pull out a dagger.

She smiled—and that was worse.

"Touch him again," Cassie said, voice too sweet to be safe, "and I'll end you."

The Gryffindor went sheet-white.

"I—It was just a joke—"

"I like jokes," she said, stepping forward slowly, like a predator. "Especially ones involving blood."

Theo, behind her, sighed dreamily. "She said that so lovingly."

*********************

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That man- is totally utterly whipped- and im living for it

anywyas- im not gonna say much (surprising i know-) my exam sucked so bad help. i blanked out and well-- uh- i dunnno- ill pass i think

finishing up this draft was the best thing i have done since i started this book- (ps the dagger scene was 90% written since the time i finalized the ship- thats how desperate i was for this chapter-) I always have pictured Theo as the revering kind. Cass is obviously dominant. But I feel. This chap. Might seem too much. Ik. I'm gonna balance it out in the upcoming chapters. After all Theo x cass is just starting (Ps I need ship names)

FEEDBACK-

till next time 

mx riddle