Outside the hospital wing, a heated argument was brewing. Draco Malfoy, flanked by Pansy Parkinson, Blaise Zabini, and Theodore Nott, stood with arms crossed and scowls on their faces.

"What do you mean we can't visit her?" Draco seethed, his gray eyes flashing with anger.

"I'm sorry, Mr. Malfoy, but Miss Black needs rest," Madam Pomfrey said firmly, blocking the doorway  "She is not to be disturbed."

Draco's eyes narrowed. "Are you refusing the Malfoys?" he demanded, his voice dripping with indignation.

"And the Parkinsons," Pansy added, her tone haughty.

"And the Zabinis?" 

"And the Notts??" Theodore finished, his eyes cold and challenging.

Madam Pomfrey didn't flinch. She had faced down worse than a group of angry Slytherins in her time. "I am refusing anyone who would disrupt Miss Black's recovery," she said crisply. "Family name or not, my priority is my patient's health."

Draco stepped closer,  "Then you don't understand the power we hold. My father can get you the highest position in St. Mungo's in seconds," he said his voice suggestive

Madam Pomfrey's gaze remained steady. "Mr. Malfoy, your bribes will not move me. My duty is to my patients, and Miss Black needs peace and quiet to recover."

Pansy's face twisted with annoyance. "This is ridiculous! We have every right to see her."

"She is not to be disturbed," Madam Pomfrey repeated, her tone leaving no room for argument.

Blaise placed a hand on Draco's shoulder. "Maybe we should go," he suggested,

Theo growled, his frustration boiling over. "Do you think if any of us were in there, Cassie would have left us alone?" 

A moment of silence passed, 

Finally, Theo snapped. "Fuck this, I'm going in," he said harshly, pushing past Madam Pomfrey.

"MR. NOTT, DO YOU WISH TO HAVE DETENTION?" she shouted, her voice annoyed

"It's the last day—do your best!" Theo shouted back, marching determinedly towards Cassiopeia's covered bed.

The Slytherins broke into shouts of agreement, following Theo's lead as they pushed into the hospital wing. Madam Pomfrey's exasperated cries of protest were drowned out by the clamor of determined footsteps.

"Enough!" she finally exclaimed, shaking her head in frustration. "

Draco and the others gathered around Cassie's bed, pulling open the curtains to find Cassie leaning upright, grinning widely.

"You are awake!" Draco exclaimed with childlike joy, his face lighting up.

Cassie raised her bandaged arm. "Good as new," she said, her grin widening.

Madam Pomfrey huffed, pushing Blaise to the side to remove the bandages and inspect the wound. "See, you lot woke her up," she scolded.

Cassie rolled her eyes. "It was just a scratch, Poppy. I'm fine."

Madam Pomfrey huffed again, cleaning the arm. The scars were healed but ragged, three distinct lines running across her skin. "I think you forgot to mention you were scratched by a fully-fledged werewolf," she said, walking away.

"WHAT?!" the group exclaimed together, their voices echoing in the hospital wing.

"It was Lupin??" Draco asked, his face contorted in disgust.

"How do you know?" Cassie asked incredulously.

"Professor Snape told everyone," Blaise said. "At breakfast today."

"Can't believe Dumbledore hired a werewolf," Theo spat, his face twisted with anger.

Cassie frowned. "It wasn't his fault."

"You knew?" Pansy said, her voice filled with incredulity.

"She probably did," Theo said, irritated. "Not the first thing she's hidden from us."

"Are you still stuck on that, Nott?" Cassie said exasperatedly.

"Why won't you tell us everything?" Theo demanded

"You want the truth? Alright," Cassie said, 

Listen I found out, Sirius Black, is innocent. It was actually Pettigrew who killed those Muggles."

The group stared at her in shock

"I followed Lupin because he was heading to where Sirius was," Cassie continued. "Potter, Granger, and Weasley figured out the truth too. We caught Pettigrew, but then Lupin transformed and Pettigrew escaped. That's how I got hurt."

The group stared at Cassie in shocked silence, the weight of her revelations sinking in. Their expressions were a mix of disbelief, confusion, and dawning understanding.

"Wow," Blaise began, running a hand through his hair. "That's really something. Uhm..."

Draco blinked, his eyes wide with surprise. "It's a good thing Dumbledore fired him, though. Can't believe he let a werewolf run around the school."

"What?!" Cassie exclaimed, her shock evident. "He's fired?"

"Yeah," Draco confirmed.

"I have to go," Cassie said urgently, swinging her legs off the bed and standing up.

"Miss Black, you need your rest!" Madam Pomfrey shouted, rushing over to stop her.

"Don't be silly, Poppy, I'm fine," Cassie insisted, ignoring the matron's protests as she hurried out of the hospital wing. Her footsteps echoed through the corridors as she made her way to the courtyard.

When she arrived, she saw Professor Lupin loading his bags into a carriage. His posture was weary, . Cassie rushed over

"Professor Moony!" Cassie called out, her voice breathless from the run.

Lupin froze, his back to her, his shoulders slumping even more. When he turned around, he couldn't bring himself to meet her eyes. He was disgusted with himself, the guilt weighing heavily on him.

"Cassie," he said softly

Cassie shrugged it off,"I heard you were leaving. I had to come see you before you go."

"oh thats nice" he remarked looking down at the ground

Why aren't you looking at me?" Cassie demanded, frustration creeping into her voice. "I don't hate you"

Lupin clenched his fists, still looking away. "I hurt you. How are you not repulsed?"

Cassie took a step closer, "Because it wasn't you. It was the werewolf. You couldn't control it."

He shook his head. "That doesn't change the fact that I attacked you. You have every right to hate me."

"Well thats sad i don...t I know you'd never hurt me intentionally,""

Lupin finally met her gaze, 

"You are a remarkable witch cassie...intended for great things...I hope we meet again."

"We probably will," 
 "Pettigrew will go back to Voldemort, that's for sure. that voldy bitch will be back before you know it"

Lupin's expression turned grave but gave a somber nod

Cassie grabbed one of his pieces of luggage. "Now, since you're no longer a teacher, we need to find something else to call you, don't you think?"

Lupin looked at her, confused. "What do you mean?"

Cassiopeia grinned. "I think 'Uncle Moony' has a nice ring to it, don't you think?"

Lupin's face broke into a smile of true joy. "Uh, wow, I mean, if you want to—"

"Don't be so formal, Uncle Moony," Cassie said, cutting him off. "You know, if Sirius wasn't such an asshole, I would have grown up with you, and you would be my uncle technically."

Lupin's smile faltered slightly. "About Sirius—"

"You heard him, Moony," Cassie interrupted, her tone bitter. "He hasn't changed. He still cares only for that stupid Potter."

"Everything will work out...its been a pleasure teaching you cassie"

Cassie grinned before giving him a side hug " Bye uncle moony"

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


in the hogwarts express train...heading back

In the Hogwarts Express, heading back home, Cassie sat in a compartment with Draco, Pansy, Blaise, and Theodore.

Blaise looked over at Cassie,  "How are you feeling, Cassie?"

Cassie let out a bitter laugh. "Great. My own father wants to live with that bloody Potter instead of his own daughter. I'm doing just great."

Pansy spoke up, hesitating slightly. "He sounds like an—"

"Asshole? Bitch? A horrible father?" Cassie added helpfully.

Draco snorted. "All of the above."

Theodore remained silent, fiddling with his hands, occasionally glancing at Cassie with a troubled expression.

The trolley lady's voice echoed from outside the compartment. Cassie stood up abruptly. "I'll get something," she said, walking out.

Theodore hesitated for a moment before following her.

Cassie ordered three chocolate frogs and four pumpkin pasties. As she turned, she noticed Theodore staring at her. 

"Theo," she acknowledged.

"Can we talk?" Theodore asked, his voice uncertain.

Cassie nodded, her face nonchalant but hesitant. They walked into an empty compartment, and Cassie folded her arms, leaning against the door.

"Why didn't you tell me before?" Theodore asked

Cassie sighed, looking away. "I used to think I knew why. Now I'm not so sure."

Silence hung between them as they stared at each other, neither saying anything. Theodore's eyes traced every feature of Cassie's face, as if memorizing her all over again. He noted the way her eyebrows furrowed slightly in worry, the soft curve of her lips, and her gray eyes, usually glinting with mischief, now flickering as if not wanting to meet his gaze.

"Maybe you were right," Cassie finally whispered, "I am a fucking coward."

Theodore immediately flushed. "I didn't mean that, Cassie. I'm sorry."

"It's true, isn't it?" Cassie sighed. "I pushed everyone away because I was scared...to let anyone see me vulnerable and not the scary intimidating cassie"

Her hair flickered around her eyes, and Theodore reached out, gently tucking it behind her ear. Cassie's heart fluttered at his touch, a mix of fear and comfort washing over her.

"You are the bravest person I know, Cassie,"

Silence hung between them, thick with unspoken words and shared pain. The tension was palpable, the weight of their emotions pressing down on them.

"I'm sorry," Cassie said .She looked down,

Theodore reached out, lifting her chin so she had to look at him. "I'm sorry too," he said, 

Cassie moved closer and hugged him tightly, her arms wrapping around his waist. She smelled of dark chocolate and old parchment, a comforting, familiar scent that made Theodore's heart flutter. His face flushed slightly as he buried it in her hair, breathing her in.

"I missed you," he confessed, his voice muffled.

"I missed you too," Cassie said pulling back awkwardly

....


...

"Speaking of which—how the fuck are you so tall?" Cassie grumbled, looking up at him.

It was a noticeable difference. Theo towered over Cassie by several inches, his lean frame making her feel even smaller in comparison. Standing close, she had to tilt her head back to meet his gaze, 

Theo chuckled loudly, the sound echoing through the empty compartment. "You'll grow too, shorty," he teased, reaching out to ruffle her hair.

Cassie pulled back, frowning playfully. "Careful, Nott—just because I apologized doesn't mean you can stop fearing me," 

"Aye aye, ma'am," Theo saluted with a grin, his eyes sparkling

Cassie rolled her eyes and laughed, "You're impossible," she said, shaking her head.

Theo's grin widened. "You wouldn't have me any other way," 

"oh please don't flatter yourself Nott"

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

On the platform,  Pansy and Blaise had already left
 Cassie, Draco, and Theodore stood together, watching the last few students disembark from the train.

"Oh look, Draco, uncle dearest is here," Cassie remarked, her voice dripping with sarcasm.

Lucius and Narcissa Malfoy strolled through the crowds of warmly greeting parents, their posture exuding an air of superiority. Lucius, with his platinum hair tied back, wore an impeccably tailored dark robe, he expression was of utmost disgust

"Draco," Lucius said coldly, his eyes scanning his son with a critical gaze.

"Father," Draco replied courteously .

"Dray!" Narcissa said warmly, her face lighting up as she leaned in to hug him. 

"Mother," Draco responded, allowing himself a small smile as he embraced her.

Narcissa then turned to Cassie, her expression softening. "Cassie, dear, is your arm alright?" she asked concerned, pulling her in and inspecting the scar

"I'm fine, Aunt Cissy," Cassie grumbled,

Lucius, meanwhile, looked at Cassie as if he had seen something extremely unpleasant.
"I hope you've learned your lesson not to put your nose where it doesn't belong," he said icily.

Theodore frowned, opening his mouth to say something, but Draco stopped him with a warning look.

Cassie smirked, not missing a beat. " Uncle, next time speak louder. It's hard to hear your grumbling," 

Lucius's face turned red with fury. "Let's leave," he said, pulling Draco away.

"byei" draco said softly

Cassie watched Draco go, leaving only Theodore and her standing on the platform.

"Miss Cassie," a voice suddenly croaked from behind.

Cassie jumped and turned around. "Kreacher! I thought I told you not to sneak up on me."

"Kreacher is sorry, Miss. Master asked Kreacher to escort you home," the old elf said with a bow.

"That's your elf, huh?" Theo asked, looking down at the crouched elf.

"Yeah, that's Kreacher," Cassie confirmed, while Theo waved awkwardly and Kreacher bowed low.

"Soo...ill see you at the world cup?" Cassie said, handing her bag to Kreacher.

Theo nodded. "Yeah."

Cassie smiled warmly, giving Theo a brief hug before turning to  leave with Kreacher. 

With that, Cassie walked away, leaving Theo with a slight blush on his cheeks and a smile he couldn't quite contain.

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

end of year three- next will be bonus chapter 

its been such a ride wow

also-

this is exactly how i looked re reading this

Atp i want everyone to fight cos i just cant seem to write happy scenes let alone romantic


---i think ill keep only one bonus chap- im sorry- i have a really terrible writers block abt the idea i previously had

soo..........

i dunno


i dint liek this that much

but yea- also tmrw my college is starting and im super nervous

---

pls lemme know what you think of this so far and what changes