Cassie scratched out another line and muttered a swear under her breath.  Ink stained her fingertips, her sleeve was rolled up, and the parchment she’d been writing on was now a mix of cross-outs and well what blaise would call the death of cursive writing

Three letters.

Three separate, increasingly aggressive letters from regulus demanding to know the updates on  “Nott boy crisis” as he liked to call it and why she had gone suspiciously silent about it.

Which, to be fair, she had. But still.

“Talk about privacy” she muttered, jabbing her quill so hard it nearly tore through the paper.

She finally sealed the parchment, muttered a spell to vanish the mess of crumpled parchments, and called out, “Kreacher.”

The crack was instant.

“Mistress,” the elf rasped, bowing low

“Take this to dad please, and—” she exhaled, pinching the bridge of her nose, “—make sure he doesn’t send another letter just to say ‘what do you mean you’re fine?’ I don’t care if he starts crying blood, Reacher I am Not replying again tonight- Merlin’s beard, if he replies with another half-coded emotional breakdown, I will set myself on fire.”

Kreacher took the letter like it was sacred. “Yes, Mistress " Another crack, and he was gone.

Cassie groaned and flopped back against the arm of the chair, scrubbing a hand over her neck. Her muscles ached. Her eyes stung. She’d rewritten that letter four times.

A rustle.

She didn’t move when Theo appeared behind her, crawling lazily over the back of the couch like a large, smug cat. He tucked himself in behind her, one leg hooked over hers, his chin dropping to her shoulder.

“Y’know,” he murmured, breath brushing her ear, “for someone who acts like she doesn’t care, you’re putting a lot of emotional energy into writing to your dad you are weirdly secretive about”

Cassie hummed. “If I don’t respond, he assumes I’m dead.”

“Well, he’s not wrong. You do have a record of near death experiences”

She elbowed him, not too gently.

Theo grinned and stretched his arm tighter around her waist, resting his other hand on her knee. His fingers tapped lightly, rhythmically, like he was drumming a song only he could hear.

Cassie tilted her head back slightly "Did you read the new decree our in-house voldy passed?"

Theo shook his head “What now?”

“All student organizations require her approval.”

“Charming."

“Potter nearly had an aneurysm outside Charms. He was—” she flapped a hand vaguely, “—Pottering.”

Theo raised an eyebrow. “Running in circles and speaking in capital letters?”

Cassiopeia snorted “Exactly - He cornered me by the tapestry and started guilt-vomiting. Like I was the one who snitched.”

Theo’s eyes gleamed. “Did you?”

“No. But I kind of wish I had now. Just to watch him implode.”

He laughed, head tipping back lazily

Cassie smirked. “Told him not to look guilty.”

Theo made a sound deep in his throat. “Potter has a default guilty setting. He walks like he’s hiding a body. I’d arrest him on sight if I didn’t know better.”

“I told him to act normal.”

“You told Potter to act normal?”

“I know.” She shrugged. “It was optimistic.”

Theo huffed a laugh, dragging a hand down his face. “He won't last"

Cassie tilted her head, grinning. “Don’t tempt me. If he screws up and this whole DA thing gets traced back to me, I will murder him.”

“I’ll help you hide the body.”

She let out a soft laugh, that low and dangerous kind, like she was actually considering it. Theo watched the way the firelight caught in her curls, painting her in hues of gold and shadow.

He could’ve kissed her.

Instead, he reached for one of the untouched essays on the floor and held it up with a dramatic groan. “Do you think Binns would notice if I turned in an obituary instead of an assignment?”

Cassie snorted. “What’s the cause of death?”

“The pile of shit that is fifth-year coursework. N.E.W.T. level hell. I mean, who even uses Ancient Runes in real life?”

“Me. For fun. On people I don’t like.”

“terrifying as always love”

“And yet,” she said, “you’re still here.”

Theo looked at her for a second too long. “Yeah,” he said, quieter now. “Survival chances are pretty low though.”

Cassie snorted but didn’t say anything for a moment.

Then—

CRACK.

Cassie flinched. Theo swore so loud the fire hiccuped.

“Merlin’s rotting teeth, does your elf have to do that every single time?”

Kreacher stood in his usual crouch near the fireplace, eyes glittering, smile unnerving. “Mistress,” he rasped with a bow so deep it Then his gaze slid to Theo, and he offered another low bow and a toothy grin  “Nott Boy”

Theo blinked. “Did he just call me Nott boy like I’m some insolent kid?”

Cassie gave a fond little sigh. “That’s just how he says hello.”

Kreacher handed her a neatly folded letter with a self-important sniff, then vanished without another word.

Cassie unfolded the letter, fingers brushing the edge while Theo leaned in from behind, chin nearly on her shoulder.

She elbowed him lightly in the ribs. “Hey. Privacy.”

He didn’t budge. “Doesn’t exist between couples. That’s canon.”

Cassie gave him a side-eye. “Says who?”

“Me. Your boyfriend. "

She snorted but didn’t push him away again. Instead, she let the letter unfold fully, eyes scanning the page. And then—Merlin help her—she winced. Theo noticed immediately. “That bad?”

“Depends,” she muttered

Cassie sighed, read aloud-:

Star,

I’m trying very hard to remain calm, but this is getting ridiculous.

You’re telling me—casually, mid-letter, as if this is weather gossip—that you and the Nott boy are together?

As in together together? The same boy who bloodied your lip during sparring last summer? I told you to be honest with him and you actually listened-?  Since when does that happen?

I am doing breathing exercises. I am trying not to storm the castle.

You’re bringing him for Christmas.

This is not a request. I need to see this boy with my own eyes and assess the situation. If he’s going to be around my daughter, in my house,—he better be the second coming of Salazar Slytherin.

Also, for Merlin’s sake, stop calling it the ‘Nott Boy Crisis.’ You’re giving me ulcers.

Love (under protest),
R

There was a very long pause.

Then Theo said, voice cracking just a bit, “I feel like I’m about to be hunted for sport.”

Cassie rolled her eyes. “Relax. We’re not showing up for Christmas.”

He gaped. “We’re not?! That was a death threat in cursive, Cass, I think this man wants to inspect my soul!”

“He’s dramatic.”

“What if he insists?”

Cassie gave him a long look. “Then I’ll tell him you died in a tragic potions accident.”

“Convincing.”

“I’m very persuasive. Or I'll just tell him I accidently killed you that seems more believable”

“So. We’re just... pretending this didn’t happen?”

She nodded. “That’s the plan.”

“And you’re not... worried?”

“Oh, I’m deeply worried,” she said cheerfully. “But I’ve decided to mask that with sarcasm and denial.”

Theo exhaled. “Your coping mechanisms are disturbingly effective.”

Cassie pressed a kiss to his jaw, and murmured, “You knew what you were signing up for.”

“I thought I did,” Theo murmured, but he didn’t move away. Just let his hand drift lazily along her spine while his eyes flicked back to the parchment in her hand.

His gaze caught the bottom of the letter. Paused. Brow furrowed. “He signed it ‘R’?”

Cassie’s fingers stilled. Theo leaned forward, squinting at the parchment. “Wait, I thought his name was Pierre.”

Her face didn’t flinch, but her energy shifted—just slightly.  “Yeah,” she said, a beat too casual. “It is. Robert Pierre. R for Robert. ”

Theo gave her a look. Not accusatory. Just curious. The kind that said he was filing this away like everything else he wasn’t supposed to notice. Cassie folded the letter with careful fingers and stared into the fireplace, jaw tensing.

Merlin, Regulus. Could he not go one letter without nearly exposing himself?

How was he this bad at pretending to be dead? protecting him—keeping this one piece of her life untouched—was the only thing she could still control. Cassie stared harder into the flames, frustration churning hot under her ribs. He needed to be better at this. He needed to shut up and stay dead for a little longer. Just until she could kill Voldemort or take down the Ministry or whatever thing she had to burn next.

Then, maybe, he could exist.

Theo nudged her leg gently with his knee. “You good?”

Cassie blinked. Realigned her face into something cool and careless. "yea"

Theo blinked, clearly not buying it for a second—but he let out a short laugh anyway, trying to slice through the tension. “You think he owns a Pensieve? Or will he judge me with raw instinct?”

“He doesn’t need a Pensieve,” Cassie muttered. “He just stares long enough and the trauma floats to the surface.”

“Great. Can’t wait.”

"Chill. There’s no way I'm taking you anywhere - He’s just being dramatic.”

“Just?” Theo looked down at the parchment again. “This is practically a Howler in disguise. If he could’ve cursed the ink, he would’ve.”

“He probably tried.”

There was a beat.

Theo tilted his head. “So, hypothetically, if we did go—”

“We’re not.”

“But if.”

She turned to him with a sharp look,

Theo just held up his hands in mock surrender. “Whatever the lady says.”

Cassie didn’t bother replying. Her eyes flicked back to the fire, but she wasn’t really looking at it. Just... somewhere else.  She wasn’t sure what was worse—the fact that Regulus was extremely bored of staying hidden, or the fact that one day he might slip. Say too much. Be seen. Be known.

It's not like she didn't want to tell Theo. Gods. Out of everyone, he would be the one she’d tell. The only one who might understand the way her world tilted sideways sometimes. Who wouldn’t look at her like she’d gone mad for keeping a death eater-turned traitor alive and hidden under a weird frenchish identity
But that was exactly why she hadn’t told him. Because once Theo knew, it wasn’t just her secret anymore. It became his liability. And the moment anyone figured out Regulus Black was breathing—really breathing—there’d be targets on backs they hadn’t even turned yet.

She exhaled through her nose and shook it off. “Whatever,” she muttered, reaching for a fresh bit of parchment and her ink. “I’ll write him a reply. Send it tomorrow.”

Theo didn’t push. Just nodded like he felt something under the surface shift and decided—not to poke at it. “Tell him I’m delightful,” he added after a pause, voice low with a half-smirk. “And very well-behaved.”

Cassie scoffed. “You almost started three hallway duels this week.”

“All defensive.” He grinned, then softened when she didn’t respond. “Hey.”

She looked up.

His eyes searched hers for something .  But whatever he was hoping to find, she wasn’t letting him know tonight.

She just gave him a dry look and flicked her quill toward him like a threat. “Out of my personal space. I'm not writing under surveillance.”

Theo leaned in obnoxiously close instead. “I just told you Miss Black - Privacy’s a myth.”

She elbowed him, and he laughed into her shoulder, pressing a kiss there on his way back. “Fine. But if he writes me a personal invitation next time, I’m framing it.”

Cassie didn’t answer.

She just dipped her quill in ink, mind already halfway into the reply

Dad,

First of all—stop spiraling.

Yes. It’s that Theodore Nott. The one who bloodied my lip last summer. We were sparring. I nearly broke his hand in the same duel, so if you wanna be concerned about someone?  it’s him. But obviously, I’m not. Which means you don’t need to be.

No, we’re not coming for Christmas.

Merlin’s sake, are you out of your mind? You want me to bring a boy into the one place on Earth where my supposedly dead father is secretly alive and hiding under a fake name - What do you wanna assess him of? Stop trying to host a courtship ball in the drawing room this is not one of your romance books - we are not about to get married or something-

Do you even want to keep your cover?

Because storming the castle with “assess the boy” energy is how we get exposed. If anyone finds out who you are—who’s keeping you safe then?

I’ve got enough secrets to bury without adding yours to the funeral pyre, and I’m not handing your name over to the Dark Lord gift-wrapped Christmas pile just because you got nosy about a boy I keep almost killing every week-

Also—I’m not calling it the Nott Boy Crisis anymore. Happy? I’ll come up with something more appropriate. Like Unfortunate Development in my life number 3

(Stop having ulcers. You're too dramatic.)

You’re impossible.

Love,
—C

P.S. Yes, I’m safe. No, I haven’t blown up the castle,  and tell Kreacher to stop smiling at him like he’s getting ideas. I know that look.

Cassie shoved the parchment into the inner lining of her robe with a huff,

Theo, still sprawled on the couch, raised an eyebrow. “You done?”

Cassie nodded .Theo knew better than to push. He just watched her for a beat, lips twitching.

“We should sleep before I end up cursing someone in my dreams,” she said, already heading for the stairs.

“Who says you don’t already?”

***********
next morning

The crowd outside the great hall parted before them like the sea. Cassie walked without hesitation, looking like she hadn’t slept (because she hadn’t) and didn’t care (because she didn’t). Theo flanked her, sleeves rolled, eyes scanning the corridor out of habit.

“Someone’s staring,” he said casually

“Let them,” she muttered. “They’ll look away or I’ll make them.”

“You’re so good at approachability.”

“I try.”

They barely made it to the end of the corridor when the doors to the Great Hall swung open and Fred and George Weasley stepped out, walking straight toward them. It wasn’t a coincidence—they were waiting. The twins didn’t charge, didn’t But the way they cut across Cassie and Theo’s path, boots landing just a little too neatly in sync Theo moved without thinking—half a step ahead of Cassie, shoulder squaring slightly.

Fred scowled  "Relax, Nott. It’s not about you.”

Theo didn’t move. Just stared, eyes flat.

Cassie didn’t flinch either. She stood behind him, arms crossed, head tilted  George coughed voice low “Harry asked us to tell you. There’s a meeting tonight. Seven.”

Cassie’s expression didn’t change. She just gave a curt nod.  Fred, to his credit, didn’t linger. “Good talk as always Black" They walked off without another word.

Theo glanced sideways. “Friendly bunch.”

Cassie snorted. “I’m a people person.”

They made it to the table, and she dropped into her seat with a sigh. Theo slid in beside her, grabbing toast like he’d been up for hours.

Cassie rubbed her neck, muttering mostly to herself, “Remind me again why I signed up for this?”

Theo took a bite of toast, chewing thoughtfully. “Community outreach? Inner growth? A bet with Satan?”

Cassie gave him a dry look and elbowed him in the ribs.

He laughed. “Alright, alright. You’re clearly in it for the people.”

“Shut up,” she muttered, but her mouth twitched slightly.

After a moment, she asked, “You’re coming tonight?”

Theo looked at her like she was ridiculous. “Obviously - where though?.”

“Room of requirement.” She nodded once. “We’ll meet at six. Practice first.”

“Romantic.”

She rolled her eyes. “Don’t be late.”

“I’m never late. You’re just chronically early.”

“And you’re chronically smug.”

He raised his cup. “Balance.”