Saturday, six o'clock
outside room

Draco had shoved the note into her hand as they walked past each other in the corridor, hissing for her to keep quiet about it. Cassia had read it and understood it immediately, but it didn't mean she had to like it.

It was Saturday night, and ten to six. Cassia was sat in the common room, turning the letter over and over in her hands. Harry, who was meeting Dumbledore at six, had already left.

Cassia was barely keeping it together, tears springing to her eyes. She had no idea what was about to happen, but she did know that she couldn't not go.

Because Draco couldn't know about her and Harry, or about anything else.

So, at six o'clock promptly, she met Draco outside the Room of Requirement. Or rather, ourside where the Room of Requirement formed when wanted. He looked serious, his hair gelled and his outfit sharp. He looked ready.

Cassia, on the other hand, was anything but.

She walked up to him, opening her mouth to say something before her brother put a finger to his lips.

"Keep watch," he mouthed, turning to the wall, closing his eyes.

Cassia had only seen the door forming once before, when she and Harry had arrived early for the DA, so it was still very interesting to see a door form out of plain rock, and to see black colour seep all over it, it eventually coming forwards and defining as a door.

Draco looked to Cassia, raising his eyebrows and mouthing again. "Get in."

Cassia sighed as he opened the door, striding in first before his sister, then slamming the door shut.

"I take it we can speak now?" She almost spat at her brother.

Draco scoffed. "Yeah, though I'm not sure I want to."

"What the fuck is that supposed to mean?" Cassia spat at him.

"It means we were so close!" Draco yelled, right in her face. "We were so so close to getting that lucky potion, and you go and mess it up by letting him win!"

Cassia was shocked.

"What the hell?" She asked. "You think I let him win? I was trying to outdo him-"

"Oh really, Cass?" Draco's tone made her falter. "Because you and Potter seemed pretty happy laughing over there."

He's onto me.

She knew it, and she was pretty sure he knew it as well.

But it was then that Cassia noticed what her brother was holding.

In his hand was a green apple.

She almost laughed out loud.

"You drag me here for a little snack?" She raised her eyebrows. "Seriously?"

"Oh shut up!" Draco snapped. "Look around, you moron!"

And then Cassia realised she hadn't looked around. The Room of Requirement could go anywhere, become anything, so she hadn't really known where her brother would be taking them.

But this wasn't where she'd expected.

They were in a room of... junk, really. Just junk. All around them there were old pictures, old books, piles of furniture, boxes of stuff... and also some really ornate looking things.

And it stretched out for miles.

"What the...?" Cassia uttered, turning to Draco and catching on. "Is this where the vanishing cabinet is?"

Draco nodded, smiling sarcastically at her. "So glad you finally caught on."

Cassia clenched her fists.

"It's over here," Draco said, his tone mellowing a bit as he walked with his sister through the room of junk.

The room was cold, and every step they made echoed through it. Cassia shivered slightly as they walked up the aisle, vividly reminded by the dark vibe and quietness of the hall of prophecy last year.

Only that time, she'd been on the right side.

Her heart was almost exploding with guilt by now, and they hadn't even done anything yet.

Eventually, they came to a large object, covered in a dusty, red and white sheet.

Draco advanced forwards faster, pulling off the sheet in a shower of dust to reveal a vanishing cabinet, exactly like the one in Borgin & Burke's.

Cassia looked from it, to Draco, and frowned.

"Thought it was broken," she said. "Looks alright."

"No, the inside is broken," Draco snapped. "Listen, I'm going to put this apple into it. It should go straight to Borgin & Burke's, but it won't because it's broken. It'll take a week at least to get there, and it might not even get there unscathed. If we're to fix the cabinet, we need to make sure Aunt Bellatrix and the others aren't stuck in limbo for a week, perhaps going to die."

Cassia sighed, looking down. "So you called me here... to put an apple in a cabinet?"

"Yes," Draco snapped. "And to talk to you. But I've already done that."

Cassia rolled her eyes, starting forward to open the cabinet. She grabbed the handle and moved it easily, opening the cabinet. Inside was just a black cabinet, but she knew it was when the door was closed that the real magic started. She sighed, turning to her brother. "Apple me."

Draco scoffed. "I don't take orders from you."

He walked forward himself, placing the apple into the blackness of the inside and taking the door from Cassia, hauling it shut.

"Right," Draco said, looking at her. "We'll meet here again, this time next week. Don't forget."

Cassia rolled her eyes. "I won't. But I also want to know what your plan is to fix it."

Draco gave her a sick smirk.

"Considering how close you and Potter are seeming to be, I don't think I should tell you," he told her, his face changing to be more sarcastic. "But thanks for your help."

And then he left Cassia alone standing there, trying desperately to cling on to some sort of familiarity.

She was too good for Draco. Not good enough for Harry. She was floating in the middle and no one was helpinh her back in to the side. Or maybe she wasn't helping herself.

Either way, she had just learned a valuable lesson.

She didn't truly belong with anyone at the moment.

❦︎❦︎❦︎

Quidditch was a welcome break for Cassia.

Like, the joy exploding in her chest as she set foot on the pitch, shouldering her Firebolt and wearing her crimson and gold robes with 8 MALFOY on the back, was amazing. Sure, kissing Harry had made her feel alive and all, but this woke her up. And this time, no guilt was stirring in her stomach.

Harry had asked her to stand next to him whilst he tried out the beaters and keepers. Obviously, Cassia still had to try out with the chasers, but they were up first, so she'd be out the way early.

So there she was, standing next to her (secret) boyfriend, watching everyone chat loudly in a huge group before them.

"Alright, um, okay," Harry called awkwardly over all of them, none of them silencing for him. "So this morning I'm going to be putting you through a few drills, just to assess your strengths. Quiet, please!" He added desperately.

Everyone continued to shout, thou-

"OI! SHUT THE FUCK UP!"

The loud boom of Cassia's voice made everyone fall silent, Harry turning to gape at her in awe for a split second, hearts practically in his eyes. Cassia's stomach had both guilt and butterflies niggling at it as everyone turned to look at the two.

"Er- right, thanks," Harry said finally, turning back to the group. "Now, remember then, just because you made the team last year, does not guarantee you a spot this year, is that clear?"

Everyone nodded slightly.

"What about her?" A loud voice boomed. Cassia looked round to see a tall, broad Gryffindor called Cormac McLaggen, his hand outstretched towards her, finger pointing.

Harry's jaw clenched. "She has a name. And Cassia's still trying out, I just asked for her help."

McLaggen scoffed.

"Got a fucking problem?" Cassia stepped forward. "I'm trying out like everyone else, is that clear?"

McLaggen looked down, nodding slightly.

Cassia crossed her arms. "Good."

Harry smirked slightly at her. "Right, we'll try out the chasers first, then."

As it transpired, McLaggen wasn't even trying out to be a chaser, but many others were. It was a group of about twenty that Harry would be choosing them, and in it were a lot of strong candidates.

Poppy and Hermione were in the stands, both ready to cheer for their friends as Cassia tried out for chaser and Ron for beater. Cassia waved up at them as she waited for Harry to call her up.

The chasers were being sorted into groups of three and tried together, Harry watching out for their ability to dodge bludgers, their ability to score goals past a keeper (a different keeper try out was keeping each team), and just their chaser expertise in general.

Cassia was in the last group, meaning she got to see her competition.

And there were a few notable people in there. Ginny Weasley, for one, was a master at scoring goals and just a really well rounded player. Katie Bell, who had played with Cassia for five years, was also a contender. There was a girl called Demelza Robins that was really good at dodging bludgers, as well, and a boy she didn't catch the name of that was amazing at scoring goals but not so much at catching the quaffle.

Cassia was ready to go by the time Harry called her forward.

"And last of all, Cassia, James and Millie, come here!" Harry called.

Cassia wasn't necessarily confident in her team. James was a fourth year that kept looking at her and blushing (she didn't want to think he had a crush on her, but he might) and Millie was a third year that thought she was above this whole thing, and was evidently only here because she wanted to see Harry.

The whole thing amused Cassia, purely because she was his girlfriend and she should've been jealous, but Harry was way too good for her anyway.

"Right, you three, you'll basically be doing what everyone before you has done," Harry explained. "You're getting a seven minute session and in it, each of you have to show me why I should pick you as chaser. However, there will be bludgers up there as well so be careful! Good luck."

He gave Cassia the quaffle to fly up there with, rather than throwing it up, and as their chilled hands touched, he murmured. "As good as confirmed."

Cassia smiled gently, hiding her blush as she rolled her eyes, muttering something back.

"Idiot."

But as they both kicked off from the ground, flying up to the level of the posts, Harry to watch them, she couldn't help but believe him.

And he'd certainly given her confidence, because she had the try out of her life. She scored at least seventeen goals past the boy who was keeping for them, whilst still managing to give both Millie and James a chance in the spotlight, allowing them to score as well. Neither were the best, but they weren't bad. She just wanted them to know they were worth it.

There was even a time when a bludger came flying at her, and she hooked her legs and swung underneath her broom, letting the bludger fly past before swinging back up. As she did, she caught a glimpse of Harry's expression. He looked past awe.

Her cheeks were already red from the rushing wind, though, so she didn't worry about the blush.

By the end of the trial, there was no doubt about it.

"Okay, okay! Quiet down, please!" Harry called around the group of possible chasers after they'd all returned to the ground. "Now listen, this was a very hard decision and I'm sorry for all of you that don't make it, but not all of you can. That being said, the three chasers I have decided that'll be on the team this year are Ginny, Katie, and Cassia!"

Cassia grinned, hugging both Katie and Ginny as relief exploded in her chest. She was on the quidditch team, she was safe. Everything in her life may be going to shit, but at least there was something holding her together.

Well, something apart from Harry, that is.

"Sorry for those of you that didn't make it, but it would be appreciated if you could go and watch from the stands," Harry called round the group. "You three that made it, stay here, I'm gonna need your help with the other try outs."

He winked at Cassia once everyone started milling about again, talking, and then gestured for her to come over, under the guise of talking about how she and the others would 'assist' during the other try outs.

"You were amazing," Harry told her quietly. "Absolutely phenomenal. That duck think you did? I can't even do that-"

"Whoa, slow down there," Cassia chuckled gently. "Thank you, by the way."

"Of course," Harry gave her a slight smirk and she had to restrain herself from grabbing him and kissing him right there. "You deserve it completely, I couldn't not put you on."

Cassia smiled, shrugging. "Still nice to see."

They tried the beaters next. It was a very long process that could've taken less than half an hour if most of the tryers hadn't been useless.

Okay, Cassia knew it was mean, but some of them could barely hold a bat.

However, by the end of the trial, Harry had his two beaters. Jimmy Peakes and Richie Coote, both fourth years and both pretty good. Not as good as Fred and George had been, but good nonetheless.

Then it was time for the keepers.

And not many actually wanted to try out. In fact, only six people were getting tried, Ron and McLaggen the only ones Cassia knew among them.

It was Cassia, Katie and Ginny's job to try and score goals past them.

For the first four, none of them saved more than three of their goals, which were all on point. Cassia was in really good form, and was happy to show it.

She was also happy her boyfriend was watching.

But by the time it got to McLaggen, she was a bit tired, and trying not to show it.

And she was really hoping to get a goal past that son of a bitch.

Ginny went first, then swooping through the air and chucking the quaffle hard at the hoop.

McLaggen saved it though, kicking it away.

Ginny cursed under her breath as Katie went in, chucking her quaffle at one of the hoops he wasn't in front of-

But McLaggen kicked it away.

"Alright, I'll get this git," Cassia muttered, her own quaffle in her hand. She rushed froward, her firebolt carrying her at a quick pace as she extended her arm and threw-

Shit! He'd saved her goal, using his boom to block it. The smirk he gave Cassia after saving it made her stew inside.

Ginny rolled her eyes, angry as well. The problem was, her shot didn't pack enough power on the next one, and Cormac was able to save it easily.

"Right, I'll take this one!" Cassia yelled to Katie, letting Ginny pass her the quaffle and smirking.

He's not getting this one.

She flew right across the pitch, getting ready, remembering how to throw again, how to score again, how to be a chaser-

Bingo!

The goal went straight through the middle hoop and this time, strangely, McLaggen didn't save it. In fact, he shot straight to the side, almost letting the goal through. Or perhaps someone letting it through for her...

She frowned. Because from what she'd just seen, it looked like McLaggen had been confounded.

Anyway, none of that mattered, because he had only saved four.

And Ron saved five.

With his feet, off his chest, with his hands, even off his head, he did it. He saved all of them. Even the last one, a particularly hard one Cassia sent flying at him, to prove she wasn't biased.

But he saved it, so it didn't matter.

And by the end of the trials, it was clear who the Gryffindor keeper was.

❦︎❦︎❦︎

Later, in the common room, Cassia was sat on the rug before the fire, her head rested between Harry's legs. Her boyfriend was sitting above her, Advanced Potion Making open in his lap, Ron and Poppy either side of him, and Hermione was next to Cassia.

"I have to admit, I thought I was gonna miss that last one," Ron was still raving about quidditch. "I hope Cormac's not taking it too hard. He's got a bit of a thing for you, Hermione. Come to think of it, he was talking about you, as well, Cassia."

Before Cassia could even speak, Harry asked. "Well, what was he saying?"

Cassia, who had been angry a second ago, was now amused, smirking up at Harry.
"Not jealous, are you?"

"Shut up," Harry told her, turning to Ron. "What was he saying?"

Ron shrugged. "Just some stuff about how he thought she looked hot in the quidditch uniform. I didn't tell him about, y'know, you two, don't worry."

"He's got no right to say that," Harry growled. "He doesn't even know her."

"Getting territorial, are you?" Poppy poked Harry in the side, smirking.

"Shut up," he told her.

"McLaggen's vile, anyway," Hermione said, fipping a page of the newspaper she was reading. "It doesn't matter what he was saying about us."

They sat in silence for a few seconds, Cassia watching the darkness outside the windows. It was night now, around ten, and only a few groups of people were still in the common room, doing late night homework or just chilling.

"Have you ever heard of this spell?" Harry frowned, leaning down to show Hermione some writing in his potions book. "Sectumsempra?"

Cassia leaned round, looking at the book, and seeing the scribble Harry was talking about.

𝒔𝒆𝒄𝒕𝒖𝒎𝒔𝒆𝒎𝒑𝒓𝒂 - 𝒇𝒐𝒓 𝒆𝒏𝒆𝒎𝒊𝒆𝒔

"No, I haven't!" Hermione scoffed. "And if you had a shred of self respect, you'd hand that book in."

"Not bloody likely," Ron snorted. "He's top of the class. Even better than you, Hermione. Slughorn thinks he's a genius."

Hermione ruffled the paper, glaring at him. Poppy and Cassia made eye contact and then looked away immediately.

"What?"

Hermione, meanwhile, set her eyes on Harry.

"I'd like to know who's that book was."

"No!" Harry said immediately, slamming it shut. Cassia rolled her eyes.

Bit obvious, Potter.

Hermione frowned standing up and causing Harry and Cassia to do the same.

"Why not?" She scoffed, facing the two.

Come on, this is where you redeem yourself-

"The binding is fragile."

Cassia was about to bang her head against the wall.

Fucking hell, Harr-

"The binding is fragile?" Hermione repeated, laughing, advancing towards them.

"Yeah," Harry nodded, backing away slightly. "Y-"

But before he could say anything else, Poppy had stolen the book out his hands, opening it and getting to the right page immediately.

"Who's the Half Blood Prince?"

She was staring from Harry to Cassia, looking almost disappointed in the girl, because they told each other everything.

Well, not everything.

Cassia shoved that thought down as Hermione asked. "What?"

"That's what it says right here; 'This book is property of the Half Blood Prince'," Poppy repeated verbatim.

Harry looked between Hermione and Poppy, before finally landing his eyes on Cassia, begging for help.

"We don't actually know," she said finally. "But we do know they were a potions expert. And still are."

Hermione rolled her eyes. "So it's them that's getting everything right in potions, not you."

"Yeah, whatever," Harry rolled his eyes, stealing his book back off Poppy and stomping up the stairs to the dorm.

"Night!" Cassia called after him, snorting slightly.

As he left, Hermione and Poppy glared at her. She sighed.

"What? It wasn't me, it was him!"