Disclaimer: All canon characters, scenery and plot references are the property of J.K. Rowling. I do not own or profit from this story in any way.
Rating: M for language, violence and eventual sexual content
Summary: Cassiopeia Malfoy is the twin sister of Draco. Cassiopeia Malfoy does not take after most of the Malfoy family traits- in fact, she really rather takes after her cousin Sirius or Aunt Andromeda…but she's always been able to hide it. Until she goes to Hogwarts. Until, she is sorted into Gryffindor. Until…everything changes (Eventual either Theo Nott/OC or HarryPotter/OC)
Author's Note: Okay, so those of you that are following Dog Day's night….well it's gone on haiatus. I hit a wall with that story, and though I've desperately been trying to scale it, other stories are taking precedence in my mind. Stories like this one.
I don't know where this idea came from. I thought it was cliché and overdone, and it somehow wouldn't leave me alone until I had written several chapters of it. I don't particularly care for fics that nearly word for word follow the events from a book with a few twists thrown in. This fic may start out that way (Though I try to write things from my OC's unique POV- some things will change down the line.) I really enjoyed inventing the main character and just sort of throwing her at other characters and making them interact.
Snake in the Grass
Chapter One: Kettle calling the Cauldron Black.
And when there's nothing to want
When we're all brilliant and fast
When all tomorrow's are gone
There will be teeth in the Grass
Teeth in the Grass – Iron and Wine
Light crept through the crack in the blue velvet curtains of the last room at the end of the hall in the east wing of the Manor. It stretched over thick hardwood floors and a blue aubusson rug, an oak desk and leather settee and onto the four poster bed against the wall. Thick curtains hung from the canopy, and inside, there was sleeping figure of a girl.
The door along the wall opposite the windows creaked opened, and a blonde boy peeked his head inside. Grinning mischievously, the boy crept inside, to the edge of the bed to the girl still peacefully sleeping, and the, he dove into the bed, pouncing on the girl with lion-like finesse.
"Cass! Cass! Wake up! Wake up!" He chirped cheerful, and immediately earned a pillow in the face.
His sister groaned, and shoved him, "Draco, I swear to Merlin-"
"Come on Cass, we're going to Hogwarts today!" The boy urged his twin, poking her in the side.
That got her attention, and he immediately sat up, rolling to her feet. "Why didn't you say so earlier?!" She bit her lip and grinned at her brother, giving him another shove off of her bed as she bit her lip in determination. "Merlin, I've still got things to pack!"
"Just make the house elves do it," Draco drawled, straitening up, and smoothing back his hair, a smirk crossed his face. He sat back on the bed, lazily watching his sister frantically pace around the room. "Mother wants us for breakfast in 10 minutes."
"The elves always put my books in a disarray," Cass grumbled, stacking some neatly, and cursing the fact that she had fallen asleep last night before she could finish. "I like them orderly."
Draco's smirk widened, "You'll be in Ravenclaw for sure." He said.
"Shut up! I will not!" Cass snapped back, angrily, placing books neatly in her truck. "Don't you have somewhere better to be? Say….minding your own business?"
"Minding yours is so much more fun, sister dearest." Draco smirked, studying his twin. "Come on, you don't need to pack the whole library."
Cass winced, eyeing her bookshelf longingly, but closing her trunk with a snap, "Alright get out, I need to get ready for breakfast, and so do you," She eyed her brother again.
Draco stood making his way to the door with a roll of his eyes.
"Hey Dray?" Cass called him back with a grin, he turned, "We're going to Hogwarts today." His grin matched hers.
They received a lecture from their father over breakfast. It detailed how they would be well behaved and exemplary individuals. How everything that they did would reflect on the family name, and that they were not to sully the family name in any way. They were not to associate with any of the 'lesser bloods' or houses, and they were expected to receive top marks in all of their classes, even in the 'less savory' topics. He would be watching from his position on the Board of Governors, and they would be punished accordingly on their return.
Cass bit her tongue and kept her mouth shut, bearing in mind that this was the last verbal lecture that she would get from her father until Christmas, and that she was not to ruin her first day at Hogwarts by a punishment. Draco, on the other hand, seemed to be hanging on every word.
Draco was the exemplary Slytherin child, and took every word from father's mouth as the gospel. Cass, on the other hand, had her doubts, but was wary to voice them, as they went against everything she'd ever been taught. She'd been punished in the past for even asking questions that skirted the edge of her father's believes, and she could only imagine what would happen if he discovered what she really thought.
Draco and Cassiopeia had been brought up with private tutors and lessons from their father that covered everything from lineages of pureblooded families to what would be expected from their own positions in this society. One of the things that he had engrained in his children was to question the motives behind people's actions, to discover their secret ambitions and purposes. "Once you know the person, you can control them." Her father had said, "Or at the very least, use it against them."
He coupled this with the contradiction of blind obedience to himself. Question everything, but never me.
Cass had. Draco had been content to obey blindly, focus his excess attention on Quidditch and Wizarding Chess, but Cass had always had an inquisitive mind, and she questioned everything. It would have been safer for her to have stayed in the comfort of the ivory tower of the manor, but instead, when she and Draco went with their mother on her weekly shopping trip to Diagon Alley, the twins wandered. Draco was satisfied in the Quidditch Shops, the bookstores, but Cass had ventured into Muggle London.
She never understood why muggleborns, muggles or anyone else could be below anyone else. They were all humans weren't they?
Once, she'd made friends with a muggleborn at Flourish and Blots who had been a first year Hogwarts student. Her parents had treated the girl like anyone else, until they'd discovered her lineage, and to this day, Cass couldn't understand why it made a difference. The girl had been smart, kind, and in no way beneath her, despite what her parents had said.
But they had berated and punished her when she had asked, and so Cass learned very quickly to keep her opinions to herself. She molded herself into a demure and quite perfect Slytherin girl ahead of others, but when she was alone, she was of a different mind.
She'd made use of the Malfoy's extensive family library and researched everything that she could on her own, and formed opinions quite unsuited to her own family's doctrines.
And there was a large part of her that couldn't wait to escape to Hogwarts. At Hogwarts, despite the fact that she'd probably be in Slytherin like every other Malfoy ever, her every move would not be scrutinized and indictable, and she would have some freedom to make her own choices, and friends. She would be able to stay up as late as she wanted, spend hours in the library, and eat whatever she wanted. It was a welcome change.
By the time that they flooed to platform 9 ¾, the twins were both trying to mask their excitement behind the carefully schooled indifferent expressions that had taken nearly a year of their father's lessons to prefect. They promised to write their parents promptly after the sorting and made their way to where they were due to meet their friends.
They were interrupted when Cassie rounded a corner and ran directly into a set of red-headed twins. She stumbled and fell back, and her brother growled protectively.
"Watch where you're going!" He exclaimed, anger flashing in his tone as he glared at the taller boys.
"Sorry," Cass said, and accepted one of the red head's hands as they offered to help her up.
"No we're sorry—" One said.
"We weren't watching where we were going," The other finished, smiling at her.
"Well you should have been!" Draco gripped his sister's arm roughly, pulling her away from the two red headed boys that Cass assumed to be Weasley's. Her father had told them that they were a poor family of blood traitors with more children then sense. Draco seemed to be taking this to heart as he pulled his sister away. "Come on Cass."
"Sorry," Cass said again and sent an apologetic smile to the boys, and let herself be pulled away by her brother.
They found a compartment with Theodore Nott and Pansy Parkinson near the back of the train, while Cass was ignoring her brother's mutters about the Weasley family.
Theo and Pansy were both old friends of the Malfoy's and, by the look of things, Pansy, a slight, dark haired witch was talking Theo's ear off, Theo who also had dark hair and eyes, looked as though he was doing his best to not roll his eyes. Despite the fact that she'd been set up on numerous play dates with Pansy over the years, she'd always gotten along better with Theo, who was bookish, smart, and really rather cunning.
"Well, well, well," Cass said by way of greeting, when she and Draco appeared in the compartment, "What do we have here?"
"Cassie!" Pansy jumped up to hug the girl, "Aren't you so excited? I could hardly sleep last night, can you tell? I think I've got dark circles." The fashion-crazed girl looked nervous for a minute, and Cass held back a smirk.
Theo did roll his eyes as he pulled Cass into a hug of his own, kissing her on the cheek, "You look lovely as ever Cassiopeia," He told her gracefully. "Good summer?"
"Charming as ever Theo, I saw you last week," Cass smiled at her friend, watching Pansy engulf Draco in a hug. Draco looked extremely awkward, and jumped at the chance to greet Vincent Crab and Gregory Goyle when he spotted them down the hall. Pansy trailed after him, still talking his ear off, and Theo and Cass exchanged a smirk.
"Nervous?" He asked, his eye's searching her face.
"Excited," She corrected, "Though…I am nervous about having to share a dorm with Pansy," She added with a quirk of her brow.
Theo laughed, "Unless you get sorted in Ravenclaw after all," He brushed a blonde curl from her eyes and smiled warmly at her.
"You'd be right there with me," She responded, wondering the actual chances of her getting sorted into Ravenclaw, she was a bookworm, who didn't hold true to Slytherin values. Ravenclaw wouldn't be bad; she had some relatives that had been in Ravenclaw. Hufflepuff or Gryffindor…well she'd probably be disowned.
"Nah," He grinned at her, "We'll be the bookworms of Slytherin together." He told her, pulling her to one of the seats with the glint in his eye that he always seemed to get when talking about books or literature.
"Theo," Cass bit her lip, studying her best friend. He looked at her imploringly, dark features still set in a smile. "You'll still be friends with me if I do get in Ravenclaw, won't you?"
Theo's smile widened, "Sure," He grinned, "Just as long as you're not a Gryffindor."
The journey to Hogwarts passed quickly. They were joined in their compartment by Maleficent Bulstrode, Daphne Greengrass, Tracy Davis and Blaise Zabini, all who were old family acquaintances. These were the carefully approved friends that their parents had arranged for them as children, but luckily, they had known each other for years, so conversation came easily.
Some of the older Slytherin's stopped in to check on the future members of their house, to welcome them, and offer advice and words of wisdom. Draco, Vince and Greg disappeared shortly into the ride after hearing that Harry Potter was on the train, but when they came back, Draco looked angry and wouldn't speak about it.
Theo roped Cass into a conversation about a Wizarding book on Elemental Magic that they'd both read over the summer, and before they knew it, they were pulling into the station at Hogsmeade.
Cass couldn't shake the nervous energy that had filled her, even as they got their first view of the castle from the boat that she shared with her brother, Theo and Pansy. She had a strange feeling that something was going to happen, and despite the fact that her spell repertoire was limited, she kept her wand close at hand.
Draco teased her of being craven, and said that maybe she'd be in Hufflepuff, which earned a smack on the back of his head from his sister, and a booming laugh from Theo.
They gathered in the hallway outside of the great hall, and listened to Professor McGonagall explain the rules and house "A Gryffindor lover if there ever was one," Draco muttered lowly to his sister as she spoke. When she disappeared for a minute, after a pudgy boy reclaimed his toad from in front of her, Draco's eyes zeroed in on a boy standing several feet away.
He stepped forward, flanked on either side by Greg and Vince, ignoring his sister's silent please to 'leave it.' She scoffed and turned back to Theo, shaking her head at her brother, who she could hear perfectly well.
"It's true then, what they're saying on the train. Harry Potter has come to Hogwarts." He jerked his thumb to Greg and Vince, "This is Crab, and Goyle, and I'm Malfoy… Draco Malfoy." He introduced himself, "My sister Cassiopeia is somewhere over there," He waved a hand over to where Cass was raising her eyebrows to Theo, who snorted.
"Your brother is about as subtle as a dancing Hippogriff," He pushed a hand through his dark hair.
"I thought subtly was supposed to be a Slytherin trait?" Cass watched as her brother's face turned Red at the Weasley boy's snicker.
"Maybe he'll be sorted into a different house," Theo smirked deviously.
"Be still my beating heart," Cass replied with a matching grin.
"Think my name's funny, do you?" Draco had turned on the red head, "No need to ask yours." He scanned the boy with a look of distaste, "Red hair, and a hand me down robe? You must be a Weasley." He turned back to Harry Potter, "You'll soon find that some wizarding families are better than others, Potter. Don't want to go making friends with the wrong sort, I can help you there." He extended a hand to Potter, who was scowling.
"I think I can tell who the wrong sort are for myself, thanks," He said coolly. And Draco scoffed in response, turning back to Theo and Cass as Professor McGonagall returned to the hall to escort them to the Great Hall.
"What in Merlin's name was that Dray?" Cass hissed to her brother as they walked, she linked her arm through his so that they could talk easier as they marched into the great hall with the four long tables and charmed ceiling.
"What do you mean?" Draco turned to his sister in confusion.
"I mean that you attract more flies with honey than vinegar," She shot back, raising a brow to her brother. "Did you really think you could befriend Harry Potter by insulting his friends?" Professor Dumbledore was saying something but Cass continued on her conversation with her brother in hushed tones.
"I was just showing him what he was missing out on," Draco sneered. "He'll be in Gryffindor I'm sure," He looked disgusted, "Shame that."
"A house doesn't make up your personality Dray," Cass ignored the sorting hat, which had just burst into song. She turned to face her brother instead, noting that Pansy and Theo were shamelessly listening in to their conversation. "Are you saying that I'd be any different if I made Gryffindor? I'd be any less your sister?"
Draco hesitated, glancing from the sorting hat, to his sister, and then to his friends, before refocusing on his sister. "What's gotten into you Cassie?" He asked finally, "You'll be in Slytherin, you're a Malfoy." He shook his head, "Do you want to be in a house with mudbloods and blood traitors?" He demanded, "It's the way that the world works." He nodded, "You'll be in Slytherin, all Malyfoys' are."
And suddenly, Cass was furious, suddenly she saw red, and she wanted nothing more to wipe the smug expression off of her brother's face. "Shut up, Draco." She spat, turning away from him, ignoring the alarmed expression on her brother's face. The world, this world that they lived in, wasn't black and white, wasn't easy or simple or could be explained away. And suddenly she didn't want to be in Slytherin, She wanted to be in Ravenclaw, just to spite her brother, her parents, just so she wouldn't be in Slytherin with closed minded and sycophantic bigots who only saw the world one way.
The straw that broke the thestral's back was the second her name was called. When Professor McGonagall called out "Cassiopeia Malfoy," She started forward, but not before she heard the Weasley boy tell Harry Potter that "The Malfoys are all Slytherins, no question."
All of her life, she was expected to obey, to behave, to blindly follow orders, and now, now she had had enough. Her brother's words had struck a chord, her brother's blind belief that he was superior to everyone, everything.
She was expected to be a Slytherin, just because of her surname. Just because of how she was raised, because of her parents and friends and family were. And she didn't want it. She'd had enough. She didn't want to pretend anymore.
On shaky legs she took the three legged stool and let the hat fall over her blond curls. Although she'd expected it, she still startled when the hat spoke in her ear.
"Ah yes, Another Malfoy, I've sorted quite a few of you over the years." He cooed in an almost cat-like voice. "But you're different, aren't you?" The hat continued. "Interesting, very interesting."
"Don't put me in Slytherin," Cass growled, cold fury racing through her veins, "Anywhere but Slytherin, Please." A flash of rebellion flowed through her, and she couldn't keep her hands from shaking.
"No?" The hat seemed surprise, and Cass imagined that it would be raising its eyebrows at her, were it not a hat, or had it eyebrows. "Well then…" The hat considered. "Perhaps Ravenclaw, you certainly are bright enough…" The hat hesitated.
"Absolutely, put me in Ravenclaw, hell, put me in Gryffindor, but please, just not Slytherin." She told the hat, thinking of how much it would infuriate her family were she placed in the house of Lions. "I don't really care anymore." She added. "Just….somewhere I'll fit in."
"Reckless bravery, you say?" The hat mused, "You would indeed make an excellent Gryffindor." She could hear the smirk in the hat's tone. "But are you sure? It will not be an easy journey for you little one."
"Will it be worth it?" Cass asked, brow furrowed. "Will I be happy?"
"Yes," The hat nodded, "In your case, I believe so," He took a breath, "Best of luck to you little Lion," He said. "GRYFFINDOR!"
Instead of the cheers that the hall had been filled with for every student before, when the hat shouted the placement for Cass, the hall broke into whispers. There was shocked exclamation and tactless chatter coming from all ends of the hall. A Malfoy in Gryffindor?
Cass knew that all eyes were on her, and she did her best to channel the bravery that represented her new house, as the hat was lifted off her head and she unsteadily got to her feet. And then, from the table filled with students on the far side of the hall, the red headed twins that she'd run into on the train began to clap, sharing identical grins, until, finally, the rest of the table joined in.
Cass made the mistake of glancing back to her brother, still on the stage with Theo and Pansy. They were all sharing the same expression, shock, and horror, disbelief that one of their own, their best friend, their sister, had been sorted into Gryffindor. And nothing, nothing could describe the look on Draco's face as she joined the sea of red. He was made a Slytherin the second that the hat touched his head, and when he joined the table, followed shortly by their other childhood friends, he still looked shaken.
Cass refused to regret her decision, instead, trying to appear as confident as possible as she flipped blonde waves over her shoulders and joined the Gryffindor table.
"Guess you aren't too bad then?" One of the twins reached around a bushy-haired brunette to clasp her on the back, grinning welcomingly to her.
"That's debatable," She shot him a weary grin, earning a laugh in response.
"Oh you rebellious little lion," The other twin beamed, "I think we're going to like you!"
"Why are you rebellious?" The bushy hair girl asked quietly, as the twins went back to cheering as a Patil girl was sorted into their house.
"I come from a long line of Slytherins," Cass explained softly to the girl, "I'm the first one in…centuries to not be." She added, not daring to look over to the Slytherin table, where she could feel eyes boring into her.
"I don't understand why that'd be a bad thing," The girl looked confused.
"You're muggleborn, aren't you?" Cass shut her eyes, "It's just a ridiculous social stigma, nothing to worry about," She waved a hand absently, and she couldn't help but wonder what, exactly, she had done by picking Gryffindor.