He wasn't dead.

But he was pretty goddamn close to it.

He lay in a bed in the hospital wing, eyes shut, breathing through his mouth and nose (thanks to the bezoar) with a lot of people around him.

Madam Pomfrey was above him, holding a cold press to his head. Harry and Cassia were stood behind Ginny, who was sat on his right. Hermione was sitting alone on his other side. She hadn't spoken to Ron in weeks, yet was probably the most worried for him right now. Cassia knew why, though. Everyone knew why.

However, they were soon joined by a few more. Dumbledore, McGonagall, Snape and Slughorn filtered in in that moment, all looking grave.

As usual, Dumbledore was the first to speak. "Quick thinking on your part, Harry, using a bezoar. You must be very proud of your student, Horace."

"What? I, oh... yes, very proud," smiled Slughorn, who had been a bit out of it since Ron collapsed to the floor.

"I think we agree, Potter's actions were heroic. The question is, why were they necessary?" McGonagall summed up.

"Why, indeed?" Dumbledore nodded, looking to Slughorn, who was holding the mead bottle. "This appears to be a gift, Horace. You don't remember who gave you this bottle? Which, by the way, possesses remarkably subtle hints of licorice and cherry, when not polluted with poison."

Oh shit.

As Dumbledore gave the bottle to Snape for him to inspect, Slughorn spoke. "Actually, I had intended to give it as a gift myself."

"To whom, might I ask?"

To y-

"To you, headmaster," Slughorn answered, eyes wide.

Cassia's heart was hammering against her ribs. If this questioning went on, she wasn't sure how much longer she could stand there acting like everything was okay. Everything was not okay. The very, very opposite to be exact.

"Aah! Where is he? Where's my Won-Won? Has he been asking for me?"

In a turn of events, Cassia was actually half glad that Lavender Brown was running into the room, creating a diversion. She pushed through the teachers, looking at Ron with big worried eyes for a second before her eyes fell on Hermione.

"What's she doing here?"

"I might ask you the same question!" Hermione let out, getting to her feet in an instant.

Lavender stared at her in anger and shock, taking a step forward. "I happen to be his girlfriend!"

"I happen to be his- friend," Hermione snapped back.

"Don't make me laugh," Lavender rolled her eyes. "You haven't spoken in weeks! I suppose you want to make up with him now he's all interesting!"

"How the fuck is being poisoned interesting?" Cassia raised her eyebrows. Then she realised the teachers were listening. "Sorry, professors."

"Perfectly fine, Cassia," shrugged Dumbledore. "I always find when you express yourself-"

He stopped as Ron began to twitch and move in his slumber, incoherent sounds coming from his mouth.

"Ah, see? He senses my presence," Lavender stepped forwards. "Don't worry Won-Won, I'm here. I'm here!"

But Ron inhaled, spewing out three syllables. "Uh... her... my... knee... Hermione..."

Lavender stepped back, letting out a gasp and a wail before running out the hospital wing in tears.

As she left, Dumbledore said. "Oh to be young, and to feel love's keen sting. Well, come away, everybody. Mr Weasley's in safe hands."

As they left just behind the teachers, Harry and Cassia gave each other knowing smirks.

But the thing was, as they left Cassia couldn't help feeling worse than ever. Ron and Hermione were so innocent, and absolutely adored each other. Harry was the same.

But she was a backstabber, a betrayer. She was tearing up her own life and relationship. She didn't know what to do about it, either.

But she had to do something.

❦︎❦︎❦︎

meet me outside the room at 6

Those were the words scrawled in Draco's handwriting on the note he shoved into Cassia's hand inconspicuously in the corridor that day. Cassia had ripped it up into a million pieces once it was memorised, because she didn't want anything done by him.

So that night, Cassia excused herself from her friends, needing to 'go to the library to study'. Ron and Hermione had taken it alright, and Poppy had complained but ultimately given up. Harry, however, had just been plain annoying.

"Cassia, please," he said, looking at her with his half cute, half hot puppy eyes. Cassia cursed herself for liking him so fucking m- "You have ages to study, just stay here and do it."

"I-I need to get a book, though, so I might as well go there," Cassia shrugged. "I'll be fine for an hour, Harry, you seriously don't need to worry about me."

"But I will," Harry told her, grabbing her hand and massaging circles onto her knuckles. "You know I will."

Cassia rolled her eyes, not being able to stop the flush settling over her cheeks. "Shut up, Potter, and let me go."

Harry sighed, smiling slightly as he let go of her hand. "See ya, Cass. Love you."

Cassia just smiled at him as he waved her off. She didn't say the four words she wanted to aloud, and she was sure she would never.

I love you too.

But anyway, Draco was there when Cassia got to the area outside the Room of Requirement. He looked irritated, and angry, and all of the above. So what was new?

"You're late," he growled to her. "I need to talk to you, and you don't even have the decency to show up on time."

"I was just a little caught up, that's all," Cassia replied tersely. "It's fine."

"Well, come on, let's go in," Draco told her, turning to what, in a few seconds, would be the door. "We have a few things we need to discuss."

Right, that's it, Cassia thought, as her brother closed his eyes. I have had enough.

"You better not be blaming me about what happened to Ron," she hissed, taking a step towards her brother. "That- that was your plan, it was your fault-"

"Shut the fuck up!" Draco turned on her, eyes flashing with malice. "We'll have this conversation inside. And yes, I am, actually, because you were there and you should've stopped Slughorn giving him the mead-"

"Don't you think I tried?" Cassia asked in shock. "I don't know about you, Draco, but I personally did not wanna witness the murder of one of my best friends-"

"Don't you dare call him that," Draco advanced upon her, standing above her and looking down. She held his gaze, crossing her arms and narrowing her eyes as her brother continued. "He's a Weasley, he's not your best friend. And neither's that mudblood Granger-"

"Don't you fucking dare-"

"Or that strange girl, Poppy Pati-"

"Get away from her, Draco."

Both Malfoys froze as that voice was heard behind them. Cassia knew it well, almost better than anyone else, and as she turned her thoughts were confirmed. But it was the one person she would've given anything not to see in that moment.

It was Harry Potter.

But before she could speak, Draco scoffed. "Why the hell are you protecting her, Potter? I thought you hated her more than I did."

"I don't hate her," Harry took a step toward them, Cassia avoiding his gaze. "I just think you're being a git right now, and you need to get away."

She knew there would be a smirk on her brother's face as Draco said back. "She's my sister, Potter, I think I'm allowed to speak to her."

"Not when she's shrinking away from you in fear," Harry clenched his fists. "Just go away, Malfoy, and leave Cass alone."

Draco laughed.

Shit.

"Cass?" He grinned. "You're clearly getting closer to her, Potter-"

"Shut up and go," Harry snapped, hand inching closer to his wand. "And don't speak to Cassia again, whilst you're at it."

Draco, still grinning, put his hands up, looking at his sister. "Remember what I said," he told her, looking at her pointedly. "See you later."

Then he was gone, without a backward look.

In the silence that remained in his wake, Cassia tried to decide whether she was annoyed or thankful for her boyfriend, because she didn't know which.

Harry, however, was already walking closer to her. "Are you okay?" He frowned. "I'm sorry, I just- I looked on the Marauders Map and I saw you were with Draco and I- I got worried-"

"I'm fine," Cassia said, looking down. "I was handling it. I-just don't follow me again, Potter, okay?"

Harry nodded, frowning ever so slightly. "Okay, Cass. Did you even make it to the library?"

"No, he caught me on the way," Cassia said, biting her lip. "But it's fine, I'll just go tomorrow morning. Let's go back to the common room."

"Okay."

Harry knew better than to ask what she and Draco had been talking about, and even if he did, Cassia was not going to answer.

Her heart ached as they walked back to the common room. He knew something was up, and he suspected her brother, and the rest of her family.

But he had never, for a day in his life, suspected her.

❦︎❦︎❦︎

The next morning, Cassia deliberately didn't look around for Draco at breakfast. Ron had been cleared to come out the hospital wing that morning, and so the five of them were eating breakfast in a somewhat happy mood, watching as Lavender ate breakfast with teary eyes and a stabbing fork, giving Ron death glares every so often.

Ron was so preoccupied with the glares he was getting, he didn't notice the small flakes coming down from the ceiling.

"Stop it, Ron!" Hermione eventually said in a low voice. "You're making it snow."

Instead of replying, Ron stopped the snow and turned to Hermione. "Tell me how I broke up with Lavender again."

Cassia, who was sat in between Harry and Poppy on the other side of the bench, all looked down awkwardly.

"Uh, well, she came to see you in the hospital," Hermione began. "And you- talked. I- I don't believe it was a particularly long conversation."

"Don't get me wrong, I'm bloody thrilled to be shot of her," Ron leaned forward. "It's just she seems a bit... put out."

Cassia sighed, nodding with sarcasm. "Yes she does, well spotted Ron."

Ron rolled his eyes as Harry turned to Cassia. "I take it you're alright, then?" He asked her. "From what happened last night?"

"Yeah," Cassia nodded at him, forcing a smile onto her face. "Yeah, of course."

In truth, she wasn't feeling good. It was getting closer and closer to the end of the year, and Draco was clearly getting agitated, what with the necklace and the mead. She couldn't have her friends get hurt again, but she also couldn't kill Dumbledore.

And she couldn't die.

"Harry," Hermione's whisper got Cassia's attention as well as she looked up. The girl was eyeing someone behind them, whispering. "That's Katie. Katie Bell."

And no, Cassia hadn't exactly been feeling good in that monent, but what Hermione had just said made it ten thousand times worse.

She couldn't not look at Katie, as she walked down the great hall with her best friend, Leanne. She couldn't not look at the girl she gave a knowingly cursed necklace to, and could possibly have killed.

She couldn't not look at her.

But looking at her made everything ten thousand times worse.

Because again, Cassia was reminded of how horrible a person she was. Of how many terrible things she had done. Of how she didn't deserve any of the people who called themselves her friends-

Before she could think, Harry swung himself off the bench, walking straight up to her.

"Harry, wait," Cassia said, standing up too, trying to get to him before he addressed her. "Harry-"

"Hey, Katie," Harry said, causing the girl to turn round.

Oh.

Seeing her face was like a smack in Cassia's. This girl had been so kind to her, so trusting. She had known her since she was a first year, and she had always been kind. And all Cassia had done was land her in hospital with a possibly fatal curse.

But before she or Harry could say anything, Katie just said. "I know you're going to ask, Harry, but I don't know who cursed me."

I do.

"I've been trying to remember, honestly, but- I just can't," she stopped as her gaze settled on something behind both of them, causing them to turn.

Whatever Cassia thought it would be, it wasn't Draco, stood at the bottom of the great hall, the expression on his face full of surprise, sadness and guilt.

And as he turned tail and ran, Cassia knew what Harry was going to do. She knew he was going to run after him, she just knew it.

But she couldn't let it happen.

"Harry, no-" she started, trying to grab her boyfriend's arm as he walked past.

"Stay here, Cass," were the only three words he gave her, not even looking at her. Cassia shook her head, trying to fight back, but he had already walked off.

Tears fought their way into her eyes as she watched him run off down the hall after her brother.

She knew she had to follow him.

But she didn't think she could manage it.