By the time Cassia had reverted back to her own body, calmed down from her panic attack, cleaned all the mascara stains and tear tracks off her face and snuck out the bar, it was going on four.

That wasn't a bad thing.

But she also hadn't stopped thinking.

If Katie delivered the necklace to Dumbledore, he would be dead by sundown. And her heart chilled at that.

But it was his life or her's.

And she was too much of a selfish cow to save his skin over her own.

Really, she was no better than Peter Pettigrew, who told Voldemort about James and Lily's hiding spot. He had betrayed his best friends.

And so was she.

She sighed, her feet crunching in the snow as she walked back towards the Three Broomsticks, where the others hopefully still were.

Her whole life was imploding around her, so much so that she was struggling to hold on to anything.

"Cassia! Cass!"

The callings of her name made her look up, just in time to see Poppy barrelling towards her, chucking up snow in all directions.

"Hey!" She grinned, hugging her. "We thought you'd already gone! We thought we wouldn't get to walk back with you!"

"No, I'm... I'm here," Cassia said, grinning at Harry, then Ron and Hermione, who were all walking towards her.

"How was Daphne?" Poppy smiled.

Cassia had almost forgotten completely about that.

"Er- good, it was good," she said, faking a smile. "I enjoyed it, it's been a while since I hung out with her, so..."

She trailed off, and Poppy smirked.

"Well, in the time you've been gone, your boyfriend and Hermione got themselves invited to a party."

Cassia wanted to die at the words 'your boyfriend'.

She didn't deserve him.

"W-what?" She asked, stuttering slightly. "A party?"

"Yeah, a Slughorn thing," Harry said hurriedly. "Dumbledore asked me to get to know him at our lesson, and I've been trying to."

Cassia sighed, nodding.

"Right, should we get back up to the castle?" Ron asked. "Cause it's bloody freezing here."

Cassia couldn't agree more.

However, on the walk back up, they fell into step, and Cassia noticed two people up ahead of them.

Katie Bell and her friend.

And Katie was in deep conversation with her friend, still holding the package.

Which was half open.

Her whole body chilled, and her heart turned to ice.

No. No, no, no-

"You okay?"

Harry Potter's warm, kind and comforting voice was nice for her, but she didn't want to take her eyes off Katie.

"Yeah," she said, eyes flitting between them. "Just a bit cold."

Harry nodded, slipping an arm round her waist and pulling her closer to him, letting her take some of his warmth that he somehow still had.

"Understandable," Harry shrugged. "But hey, if you ever..."

But Harry's voice completely faded away in that moment. Became background noise to the sharp ring in her ears, and the rapid beat of her heart.

Because up ahead, Katie was ripping the package open, and revealing the necklace.

And as she reached a hand down to touch it Cassia opened her mouth to scream-

"Aaaaaaaaaaarrrrrrgggghhhhh!"

But Katie's friend's scream drowned out anything she could've produced, as Katie touched the necklace, instantly dropping the package and collapsing backwards into the snow.

"I warned her! I warned her not to touch it!" Her friend shrieked, turning round to face Harry, Cassia, Poppy, Ron and Hermione.

And Cassia was frozen.

Because yes, she'd had thoughts about the necklace getting into Harry's hands, or Poppy's, but she hadn't actually thought a Hogwarts student would get harmed by this.

Just Dumbledore.

But, as she watched Katie, stock still on the ground, eyes wide open and glassy, hair splayed out around her, she knew she was wrong.

A Hogwarts student had been harmed.

And it was her that was responsible for it.

But the cursed necklace wasn't done with Katie yet. All at once, the girl shot from side to side, raking up the snow, before flying up into the air, arms and legs starfished out, hair flying, mouth wide open. She flew straight up in the air, body rigid, then opened her mouth and let out an ear shattering scream.

And the pure terror on her face...

Cassia resisted the urge to scream with her as she watched, a thousand knives stabbing her heart, her whole body threatening to crumple.

She'd done this. She had done this. Yes, maybe Draco had laid the groundwork and told her to, but it had been her that'd physically put the package in Katie's hands, and told her to take it to Dumbledore.

As the girl fell back down, landing with a loud thump in the snow, twitching slightly. Cassia instantly made to run forward-

"Don't get any closer! Any of you!" Hagrid appeared out of nowhere, keeping them back and walking up to Katie himself. He had no trouble in picking her up, her body still visibly shaking in his arms, and then attention turned to the opal necklace, still lying in the ripped package in the snow.

Harry instantly went towards it-

"Don't touch it!"

The three words escaped Cassia's mouth before she could stop them. She couldn't have Harry touch the necklace, she couldn't. And even as everyone turned to her, she didn't regret it.

"I- I-" she stammered, thinking of an answer to why she would know not to touch it.

"No, she's right!" Hagrid interrupted her, facing them and holding Katie. "Do not touch that, except the wrappings. Do you understand?"

Harry nodded, kneeling down next to it and looking at the beautiful necklace.

The beautiful necklace he didn't know his girlfriend had been dealing out.

Cassia's heart pierced with guilt again at the look on Harry's face. At the look on Poppy's. On Ron and Hermione's. On Katie's friend's, Leanne's.

They all looked stunned and pained.

And that was when she realised.

Maybe she hadn't given the necklace to Harry. Or any of the others.

But she'd still affected them.

She'd still hurt them.

And the thought of that made her feel more alone than ever.

Why couldn't she just be good?

❦︎❦︎❦︎

They ended up in McGonagall's office, the necklace splayed out on an open cushioned box, the professor walking round her desk to go look at it.

Cassia, Harry, Poppy, Ron and Hermione were standing before her, Cassia in between Harry and Poppy. Leanne was also there, standing slightly to the side.

McGonagall was questioning her at this moment.

"You're sure Katie did not have this in her possession when she entered the Three Broomsticks?"

No, she didn't.

"It's like I said," Leanne replied, her voice a bit wobbly. "She left to go to the loo, and when she came back she had the package. She didn't say who gave it to her, but she mentioned it was important that she deliver it."

"To whom, may I ask?" McGonagall frowned.

Cassia tensed-

"To Professor Dumbledore."

McGonagall nodded. "Very well, thank you, Leanne, you may go."

Leanne nodded, turning and walking out.

It didn't take long for McGonagall to turn to the other five.

"Why is it, when something happens, it is always you three?" She questioned, with an air of humour. "Miss Malfoy and Miss Patil more recently, as well!"

"Believe me, professor," Ron sighed. "I've been asking myself the same question for the past five years."

If Cassia hadn't been sinking lower and lower in the past few minutes, she would've snorted.

But she didn't.

And then McGonagall looked at a point over Cassia's head, saying. "Oh, Severus."

Cassia turned instantly, seeing Snape in the doorway, striding up to McGonagall's desk. He got his wand out instantly, silently pointing it at the cursed necklace and lifting it up off the cushion.

Shivers ran down Cassia's spine at the proper sight of it, right there, suspended by Snape's wand.

"What do you think?" McGonagall murmured, voice low.

Snape answered after a break. "I think Miss Bell... is lucky to be alive."

Cassia remembered Draco's words.

"It'll kill whoever touches it."

Katie had been sent to St Mungo's as soon as McGonagall had seen her and established she was still alive. It was the only relief Cassia had felt all day. She hadn't killed someone. She wasn't a murderer... yet.

"She was cursed, wasn't she?" Her boyfriend's voice cut into the conversation. Cassia looked sideways at Harry, but he was staring straight at Snape. "I know Katie, off the quidditch pitch, she wouldn't hurt a fly. If she was delivering that to Professor Dumbledore, she wasn't doing it knowingly."

Another stab at Cassia's heart.

Imagine if he realised who was really responsible.

"Yes, that is true," nodded McGonagall.

What came out of Harry's mouth next, however, made Cassia choke.

"It was Malfoy."

And it was because he was right. He was absolutely on the money, completely and utterly right. But he had only missed out one thing.

Because it was both Malfoys.

But McGonagall just stared at him, then her gaze slid to Cassia.

"Draco Malfoy," Harry clarified. "Cassia wouldn't do this."

Cassia was about to cry. She was about to break down sobbing on the floor, because her heart couldn't shatter into anymore pieces than it could right now.

But all she did was avoid eye contact with McGonagall, looking down.

But McGonagall wasn't looking at her at all. She was looking at Harry. "That is a very serious accusation, Potter."

"Indeed," Snape nodded. "Your evidence?"

Harry looked down, defeated. "I just know."

You're RIGHT-!

"You just... know?" Snape raised his eyebrows. "You astonish with your gifts, Potter. Gifts mere mortals can only dream of possessing. How grand it must be to be the Chosen One."

And then, just then, Cassia remembered.

"And Severus.

"We've visited him, asked him to help you. An- and asked him to fulfill the deed should Draco fail."

Snape knew. He knew the plan, and he probably knew she was a part of it, as well.

Which means he knew how terrible she was feeling at this moment. He knew how badly she was betraying her friends right now.

Maybe he didn't care. Or maybe he was satisfied by it. But that didn't matter. What matters is he knew.

"I suggest you go back to your dormitories," McGonagall told the five of them. "All of you."

Cassia left without a fight.

It took a little more time to persuade Harry, however.

❦︎❦︎❦︎

Guilt wasn't a simple thing to erase, Cassia soon learned.

For the next few days, she kept her head down, kept quiet (for the most part) and just tried to get along. No word came from Draco, and Cassia knew why. He would be angry at her. For choosing the wrong person, for not getting the necklace to Dumbledore, for not being good enough.

She didn't care. Let him be angry all he liked, if it meant she didn't have to betray her friends.

Harry and Hermione attended their little dinner party the night prior and both came back with rolling eyes and sighs, not really having enjoyed it. Apparently, Cormac McLaggen had been in attendance (Slughorn knew his uncle, apparently) and he'd acted very self important. Cassia was rolling her eyes at him just from the stories.

But tonight was a new night, and Cassia was doing transfiguration homework in the library. She was alone, with only her candle for company, and preferred it that way.

She'd not been trying to avoid all her friends, but lately she'd been feeling so fucking guilty to be in their presence that she couldn't even look straight at them. She was broken, and they were pure and innocent. They were too good for her.

"Well, well, well, Cassia Malfoy. What are you doing here at this hour?"

Cassia spun round and came face to face with Harry. Her cheeks instantly blushed slightly and butterflies appeared in her stomach. But she tried to stop it. Because she didn't deserve him.

"Well, well, well, Harry Potter," she looked slightly to the left of him, not making eye contact. "I need to finish my transfiguration essay, which is easier said than done because McGonagall asked for a fucking massive amount."

"Well," Harry chuckled, pulling up a chair and sitting next to her. "Why don't I help you?"

Cassia snorted. "Yeah, nice try. You're even worse at transfiguration than I am."

She shouldn't be acting like this. Really, she shouldn't. But she couldn't help it. Being around Potter made her giddy.

Harry rolled his eyes, slipping his hand into her's and squeezing it gently.

"You've been... distant," he observed, looking at Cassia, who dipped her quill into her ink and continued to write. "Ever since Hogsmeade."

"Yeah, well, what'd you expect?" Cassia said, harsher than she'd meant to. "We literally saw someone almost get killed."

"Yeah, but... I also accused your brother," Harry murmured. "And- well, I know you and Draco aren't exactly close-"

"Understatement of the year-"

"-but it could've still hurt when I accused him, and I'm sorry," Harry said.

Cassia turned to look at him. Like, properly. Like, into those fucking green eyes that made her want to grab him and kiss him, even though they couldn't.

But she had looked at him, which meant she saw him. Which meant she saw how open and honest he was, and how happy she made him, and how pure and truly good he was.

And instead of making her sad this time, it just made her angry.

"Yeah, well, that's not what's wrong," she snapped, slamming the cap on her ink bottle.

Harry's face flitted with confusion, then sadness, then the kindness and openness was back.

"Cassia..." he said. "I understand this is hard for you. I kn-"

"No, you don't," Cassia told him simply.

And it was true.

Because he didn't.

I mean, sure, he'd gone through some shit in his life, but he'd never allowed that to change him. Cassia had done the opposite.

But instead of keeping her anger inside in this moment, she was taking it out on him.

Just another reason she didn't deserve him.

"Cass-" Harry started.

"You don't, Potter, so don't even try to," Cassia hissed. "You don't know any of it. You have no idea what it's like to have a family like mine-"

"Then help me to," Harry said, grabbing both her hands. "Help me to understand, because I want to help you, I want you to be happy-"

"And what if I don't deserve to be?"

It had slipped out of Cassia's mouth without her meaning it to.

Because even when she was attacking him, he was so open, so fucking honest, that she didn't know what to do.

So she became mad.

"Cassia, you deserve to be happy," Harry told her. "You deserve it more than anyone else. Cass, I lo-"

"Stop it."

And he did.

He fell silent, right before he was about to tell her he loved her.

And Cassia just couldn't let him get it out, because he didn't know who he was saying it to. He didn't know he was saying it to a betrayer, a coward.

"Stop it," she repeated, looking straight at him. "Fucking shut up."

Harry shook his head. "I don't-"

"Yeah? Then get a fucking brain!" Cassia shot back at him. "I don't deserve anything you give me Potter, so stop trying."

She tried to leave, parchment in hand, but Harry gently grabbed her arm, turning her back round.

"I want to be with you," he told her, voice low. "And I want you to stop saying you don't deserve me. If anything, Cass, I don't deserve you."

Cassia looked at him, anger radiating off her, eyes narrowed.

"You have no idea what you're fucking talking about, Potter," she snapped. "No idea."

And then she left, without a backward look, desperately hoping he didn't see the tears in her glassy eyes.