Hogwarts was normally a welcome break for Cassia. She was normally glad to be going back, glad to be seeing her friends, glad to be back home.

Yet, as the blonde girl trudged along Platform 9¾, her feet felt like they were encased in concrete, preventing her from taking another step.

This was it. If she had felt guilty before, she couldn't imagine how she would feel after she got to school, taking with Poppy and Harry everyday as if she wasn't a traitor. As if she hadn't spared her life in exchange for Dumbledore's.

Her head was spinning and her brain was reeling as she said goodbye to her mother, hugging her stiffly.

Narcissa didn't say much as she sent her two kids off. Her eyes were teary and her face forlorn, but she didn't say much. She only whispered a "goodbye" into each of Cassia and Draco's shoulders, and sent them off.

So, not before long, Cassia was walking along the train corridor with Draco, waiting for the best opportunity to ditch him.

However, she didn't know where she was going to go.

Poppy, Harry, Ron and Hermione were off the list. She couldn't go to them. Couldn't face them. Not now...

"I'm going to the Slytherin carriage," Draco told her. "You going to come with me?"

"Excuse me?" Cassia raised her eyebrows. "Since when have you spoken to me at school?"

"Cassia," Draco looked her in the eye. "Your loyalties are changing, it's obvious. Your friends can too."

Cassia looked at him, scoffing.

"I'm not coming to see your little friends," she told him, making a point of making eye contact. "I'll see you at Hogwarts."

She didn't give her brother chance to respond as she walked off down the corridor.

Now, where to go? She had been bluffing with Draco. She didn't have anywhere to go, and she had to find somewhere quick before-

"Argh!"

Cassia gave a strangled yell as an arm grabbed her and pulled her into a compartment.

"Urgh- what the fuck-?"

"I've missed you so much!"

"Wha-? Wh-?"

Cassia was very disorientated as a body crashed into her's, locking her into a hug. It took her a second to realise that this was Poppy, and that around her sat Harry, Ron and Hermione, and that oh fuck they weren't supposed to find her-

"We've been looking all over for you!" Poppy said as she pulled away from Cassia. "You okay?" She added with a concerned tone at the look of Cassia's pale face and wide eyes.

With a shake of her head, Cassia nodded. "Yeah- yeah, of course, uh... hey," she said with a small smile.

"Hi," Ron and Hermione smiled from their seats.

Harry, however, had already got up, walking the short distance towards Cassia before enveloping her in another hug.

And his body was warm against her's and his arms were strong and he never, never failed to make her feel safe and butterflies erupted in Cassia's stomach but guilt was exploding inside her and-

"I was worried about you," Harry whispered into her head. "Your letters- I didn't hear from you-"

"That's nothing," Cassia said immediately as they pulled apart. "It wasn't the same reason as last year, I just didn't have a lot of time-"

"It's okay," Harry said, smiling down at her, looking so fucking handsome- "You're here now. We've got a whole year with you."

Cassia giggled slightly-

"Alright, alright, let me have some time with her!" Poppy joked, shoving her way in front of Potter. "Girl, you need updated on everything that's happened this summer!"

And the guilt never left.

Cassia sat beside Poppy, listening to how Parvati had a crush on a muggle she'd met over the summer, they'd been staying at the Burrow (Pippa wasn't really in a fit state to parent three teenage girls, considering she lost Sirius, the love of her life, just a few months ago), Bill, Ron's eldest brother, and Fleur Delacour were apparently getting married, and how Poppy had apparently been getting good at quidditch, playing against Harry, Ginny and Ron in the summer.

And as she got more and more surprised, she thought she would forget about the pit the feeling was worming in her stomach, nestling itself in, nice and warm. She tried to move on, to just have fun, but it wasn't happening.

"So," Hermione finally got in, after Ron and Poppy started arguing about who saved more of Harry and Ginny's goals. "Was... was your summer alright?"

Cassia looked at her.

She wasn't ready for this. Wasn't ready to look her friends in the eye and talk to them. To blatantly lie to them. To betray them even worse than she already had.

"It was alright," Cassia shrugged, fighting to look Hermione in the eye. "I mean, my- my father's off my back, and I was allowed to write letters, but... it was pretty lonely, y'know?"

Hermione smiled gently, nodding. "I'm sorry about that, we all would've loved to see you-"

"Harry even suggested it," Poppy shrugged, finally stopping yelling at Ron. She sighed. "But we knew we couldn't, even if we wanted to."

Cassia nodded. "I understand."

A thought niggled at the back of her head.

They're not gonna want to see me so much once they find out what I've done.

She winced slightly, not wanting to even think about what would happen once they got to Hogwarts. Didn't want to think about how hard this betrayal would hit them. Would hit Poppy. Would hit Harry-

"You alright?"

Cassia was pulled out her daze by none other than Potter himself, looking at with that stupid concerned face.

"Yeah," she said, putting on a slight smile for him. "Yeah, I'm fine."

"Good," Harry said, his face suddenly hardening. "Actually, I've been wanting to talk to you about something."

"Yeah?" Cassia frowned, smiling slightly. "What is it, then, Potter?"

Harry sighed, not smiling back. "Has anything been going on this summer... with Draco?"

Oh shit.

Whatever Cassia had expected, it was not this.

"Wh- what?" She asked, struggling to keep the quiver out her voice.

"With Draco," Harry repeated, looking into Cassia's eye. "It's just- okay, listen, we saw him and your mother in Knockturn Alley and followed them to Borgin & Burkes, and then we saw inside-"

Cassia almost choked on her own saliva.

Fenrir closing the blinds.

'Spies'

I-it was-

"D-did you see anyone else with them?" Was her first question.

They couldn't have seen her. They couldn't have-

"Yeah," Harry nodded at her, obtaining eye contact. "There were a few others in the shop with them, like- around five, and Draco was touching this weird cupboard."

Cassia put on her best confused face.

They didn't see me. I'm safe.

"So have you seen anything this summer that'd help us figure this out?" Ron said, looking straight at her. "You know, sometimes I forget you're his sister."

Cassia pursed her lips. "Me too," she answered. Make eye contact, make eye contact, MAKE EYE CONTACT- "But no, I'm sorry. I haven't seen any of this."

She was lying through her teeth.

"Really? Nothing?" Poppy frowned. "I thought your mother-"

"No, that wasn't it, she was fine," Cassia instantly said. "It's just... she kinda left me alone, to deal with myself this summer. I mean, it was better than having my asshat father on my case, but... it wasn't great."

Harry sighed, looking at her. "So you don't know what's happening with him?"

Cassia looked straight into his eyes.

"No."

Well, if she wasn't committed now, she didn't know what she'd have to do.

"Well, that makes sense," Harry said with a slight smile. "But basically, we didn't get much of a view because we were almost spotted and someone shut the blinds on us."

"Oh," Cassia feigned surprise. "So what did you see?"

"Well, what we told you," Poppy sighed. "Your brother and mother and a few others gathered round this weird wardrobe/cupboard thing."

"I'm sorry, Cassia," Hermione intoned. "This must be hard for you."

It is, but not for the reasons you think.

"Y-yeah," Cassia managed to get out. "Yeah, but... I want to know what's going on. Do any of you have any ideas?"

"Well, I personally think it was a ceremony," Harry said immediately. "An inititation."

Hermione immediately scoffed. "Stop it, Harry. I know where you're going with this. But it can't be true, Cassia would know-"

"Not necessarily-"

"No, she would-"

"Can someone please explain what's going on?" Ron asked. "What are you talking about?"

Hermione sighed heavily. "Harry is under the impression that Draco Malfoy has become a death eater."

Cassia could feel her heartbeat all over her body, in her ears, in her toes, in her fingers- fucking everywhere. She didn't know what to do, she was never expecting them to figure this out-

But Ron was already chuckling. "You're barking. What would You-Know-Who want with a sod like Malfoy? Sorry, Cassia," he added as an afterthought to the girl.

"It's fine," Cassia shrugged, turning to Harry. "Do you... d'you really think it's true? D'you think my brother is a...?"

"I don't know," Harry answered honestly, his voice softening more as he looked at her. "But with your father and all... it only makes sense."

Cassia nodded slowly to signify she understood, pursing her lips as she did so.

"Harry, I still don't buy this," Hermione announced.

"Cassia?" Harry turned to the girl. "What do you think?"

She normally found his gaze warm, or at least comforting. Now, however, his eyes were boring into her's, and she hated it.

"I-I don't know," she finally said. "I mean- he hasn't acted suspicious this year, but I really don't. He could easily be hiding something from me."

Fuck. Shouldn't have said that.

Harry sighed. "I need some air," he said, getting up and opening the compartment door.

He gave Cassia once last imploring look before heading out and sliding it shut behind him.

❦︎❦︎❦︎

He didn't come back.

The train arrived at Hogwarts an hour and a half later, and still, Harry wasn't back.

And Cassia's gut had a bad feeling inside.

As the train stopped at Hogsmeade station, the whistle blowing impertinently, her worries intensified.

"What's wrong?" Poppy asked her, as they began to get their stuff together.

"Harry," she answered. "Where is he?"

"Well, I don't know, but on that topic," Poppy smirked, leaning in to whisper to her best friend. "I know about the kiss."

Cassia frowned as she pulled back. "What? How-?"

"He told me," Poppy murmured, smirking. "And I need to know everything, by the way."

Cassia rolled her eyes. "Of course you do..."

As they walked out the carriage, down the corridor and out one of the train doors, Cassia's worries intensified and a spark lit inside her.

"First years, over here! First years, with me!"

As Hagrid called his usual phrase all around, Cassia hurried over to him, Poppy, Ron and Hermione behind her.

"Hagrid!" Cassia yelled, pulling up before the massive man.

"Well hello there, Cassia!" Hagrid grinned down at the girl. "And hello Poppy, Hermione and Ron! Hey, where's-"

"Harry?" Cassia raised her eyebrows. "Exactly what I was about to ask you."

"Wha-? You mean he's not with you?" Hagrid questioned.

"No, we haven't seen him in an hour," Cassia shook her head. "I was going to ask you if he'd come over but clearly he hasn't."

"Oh..." Hagrid said, now puzzled, as a few first years gravitated towards him. "First years!" He raised his voice again, causing Cassia to jump. "First years, over here! First years, with me!"

"Hagrid, we kind of need to find Harry, now," Cassia muttered.

"Listen, you lot," Hagrid leaned forward. "Get on the carriages and go up to the school. As soon as I get off the boats, I'll send word to Professor Dumbledore and he can sort this out, but don't you lot get into trouble, okay?"

Cassia sighed. It wasn't the best solution, but it was a voice of reason, and that's kinda what she needed right now.

"Cassia, listen," Hagrid said, voice softening. "Harry'll be fine. Okay? I promise you, he'll be fine."

Cassia tried to believe him.

But it was a little difficult.

❦︎❦︎❦︎

Hogwarts security had been increased tenfold.

The reason for this was obvious; Voldemort was back and the ministry was taking it seriously, however, it didn't make being searched, questioned and practically accused any easier.

However, by the time Cassia was sitting in the great hall, listening to the sorting hat sort everyone into their houses and trying not to relive her own sorting, she began to feel relatively normal again.

Relatively.

But Harry hadn't come.

She had sort of expected him to be in the great hall when she entered, standing there with a big fat grin on his face and in absolute glee that his apparent prank had worked.

But no. There was no grin, no glee, and no prank. He wasn't there, and it was then that Cassia realised that this was a serious, serious problem.

When the sorting finished and the clapping began, Cassia got antsy. She was tapping her foot, biting her lip and fiddling with her fingers.

"He's not here," she said. "Why isn't he here?"

"He'll be here in a minute, Cass," Poppy murmured. "You need to calm down."

So Cassia did. She tried to forget it as the first course of the meal appeared on the table, but she was sick to her stomach and could barely eat a mouthful.

She tried to eat a bit of it, her stomach churning like mad, but couldn't manage. Poppy was looking concernedly at her.

"Cass, eat something!" She said, handing her best friend a fork. "I mean it! Harry's going to come in in a second and snog the brains out of you, just make sure you've got the stomach for that!"

"Wait, what?" Hermione scoffed, leaning forward. "You just said-"

Ron joined in. "Harry and Cassia? No w-"

"He didn't tell you two?" Poppy leaned forward. "What the hell? You're best friends!"

Cassia, meanwhile, was sat there silent, face beet red. She had been bullied, irritated and harassed in her life, but she'd rarely been embarrassed.

"Tell us what?" Ron frowned.

"Cassia and Harry kissed!" Poppy squealed excitedly.

"What-?!"

"I know! It was right at the end of last term, on the train-"

"Okay, could you be talking any louder-"

"Oh, it's fine, Cass!" Poppy grinned. "You'll be publicly dating in a week."

"No! We won't be!"

It was just the way Cassia said it, so agitated and annoyed, that made Poppy stop.

"We- we won't be," Cassia repeated, looking round at Hermione and Ron as well. "Listen, I... I can't publicly date Harry even if, y'know..." she trailed off, face going red.

"Why... why not?" Poppy frowned.

"Listen," Cassia lowered her voice. "If Draco so much as hears that Harry and I are... he's going straight to the owlrey and sending a letter to my mother, okay? And then my mother will send her monthly owl to Azkaban and my father will find out and..." she looked down. "Well, Sirius got out. Bellatrix got out. He's not... going to stay in there forever."

She didn't want to admit it, but it had been a thought niggling in the back of her brain for a while.

And, of course, there was another reason. She was sort of playing a double game at the moment, and if Draco managed to find out what was going on in her other life, she'd be dead. Both metaphorically and literally.

"Okay," Poppy said, after a breath. "So... maybe it'll be private. But still, I know he wants to date you."

Cassia didn't know how to reply to that.

By the time dessert arrived, and Harry still wasn't here, she was in a state of panic.

"Don't worry, he'll be here in a minute," Ron said, tucking into his third strawberry tart.

Hermione rolled her eyes.

Cassia, meanwhile, snapped. "Will you stop eating, Ron?! Your best friend is fucking missing!"

"Oi!" Ron shouted as she cuffed him over the head. "Turn around, you lunatic!"

Relief was flooding through Cassia before she even saw him.

He was there, trudging into the hall behind her. He was pale, and blood was running down his face from his nose, but he was still there. He was still Harry.

He was walking in with Luna, but Cassia payed no attention to her as she resisted the urge to run at Harry, pulling him into a tight hug. She couldn't; Draco was sitting in this very hall, watching her every move.

"Where have you been?" She hissed at the boy as he sat down next to her. "It's been ages and what in the fucking hell is wrong with your face-?"

"Later," Harry told her, grabbing a napkin to wipe the blood. "I'll tell you later. What have I missed?"

"Sorting hat urged us all to be brave and strong in troubled times," Ron rolled his eyes. "Easy for it to say, it's just a hat."

Harry sighed, nodding.

Cassia looked at him, wondering what to say.

However, she didn't have to say anything, because Dumbledore stepped up to the podium in that moment, and silence fell upon everyone.

Including Cassia.

She hadn't expected to feel such guilt as she saw him. She'd expected it to only be with Harry and Poppy and her friends. But looking up at the man with the twinkling eyes and white beard, she couldn't say she didn't feel guilty.

Because by the end of this year, he would be dead.

And the blood would be on her hands.

"Very best of evenings to you all," Dumbledore said, smiling warmly round at everyone. "First off, let me introduce the newest member of our staff, Horace Slughorn."

"That's who I went to see in the summer," Harry murmured to Cassia, leaning forward. "You know, who I told you about in my letter."

Cassia nodded, but she was more focused on how ficking close he was to her and holy shit-

As the clapping finished and this Slughorn got out his seat, grinning round at them all, Cassia glanced at him rather perveptively. He was sort of squat, but also cheerful, and was happily smiling round at everyone.

"Now Professor Slughorn, I'm happy to say, has agreed to resume his old post as Potions master-"

Cassia froze, turning to Harry.

"You said he was going to teach-"

"Whilst Defence Against the Dark Arts will be taken by Professor Snape," Dumbledore finished.

Slytherin clapped. The teachers clapped. Everyone else sat there in a state of shock, pretending to be happy.

"Now, as you know," Dumbledore continued as the hall fell silent again. "Each and everyone of you was searched upon your arrival here tonight, and you have the right to know why."

Cassia frowned at Harry, who shrugged back.

"Once, there was a young man who, like you, sat in this very hall, walked this castle's corridors, slept under its roof," Dumbledore explained. "He seemed to all the world a student like any other. His name? Tom Riddle."

Cassia flinched slightly at that.

She hadn't forgotten her time in the Chamber of Secrets. Hadn't forgotten being taken down there by teenage Voldemort. Hadn't forgotten any of it.

She felt a hand grab her's softly and looked down to see Harry, intertwining his fingers with her's. She smiled gently, cheeks flushing slightly and stomach exploding with butterflies.

"Today, of course, he's known all over the world by another name," Dumbledore said. "Which is why, as I stand, looking out upon you all tonight, I'm reminded of a sobering fact. Everyday, every hour, this very minute, perhaps, dark forces attempt to penetrate this castle's walls. But in the end, their greatest weapon... is you."

But what if the dark forces are already inside?

Silence didn't need to be asked for now.

"Just something to think about," Dumbledore said as a finisher. "Now, off to bed. Pip-pip."

As they got up, Ron rolled his eyes. "That was cheerful."

Cassia shrugged, guilt and butterflies and everything else stirring in her stomach.

But, deep down, she wished she could be so dismissive about it.