Meeting of Clever Minds
"Quite frankly, I think he deserves it." Scorpius said from his place beside a pretty Slytherin girl from his year named Kristen. It wasn't the first time Cassi had seen him with her and she wondered if there was something Scorpius hadn't mentioned to her yet. She decided she'd bug him about it later.
"Me too." Agreed Benjamn, Scorpius's incrediblyfit friend.
"Okay." Cassi leaned in closer, darting her eyes from face to face but mostly settling on her brother for reassurance. "So we're going to sneak into Longbottom's office, plant the damaged seed into the pot, and once he uses the growing potion on it, it'll grow into a…what is it?" she asked Lysander.
His eyes shining with élan, he waved his arms around animatedly as he spoke. "It's a belladonna, or rather that's what Longbottom's going to think it is. It'll look like one as it grows, but then the leaves will decay and let out a putrid smell – that's when we put on these." He pulled a skin-colored triangle tip, no bigger than the size of his thumb.
"It adjusts to your nose." Louis says with just as much eagerness as Lysander. Plotting schemes always set the group alight. "My uncle created them when he was in Hogwarts. He used to set off a lot of stink bombs."
"Which is, essentially, what we're doing." Cassi reminded them. "Just a bit more clever."
"Brilliant." Jensen said from beside her. "So who's going to plant it?"
"Lysander has to go; since he knows the most about how the bulb works." Cassi pointed out.
"I'll go ahead and make sure the halls are clear." Offered Jensen.
"I'll keep watch outside the greenhouse then." Benjamn said, "Cassi and Lysander can go in."
Cassi nodded. "Scorpius, keep watch outside Longbottom's office."
Nichola was sitting next to Poppy, both with sour looks on their faces. Cassi nudges Louis and he looks over. "And what's wrong with you two?"
"There obviously isn't anything for us to do." Poppy said, narrowing her eyes at Cassi.
"You just weren't quick enough, Zabini." She smiled pleasantly, and the look on her face made that forced and painful pleasantness completely worthwhile. Poppy defiantly crossed her arms over her chest.
"So I was right." She heard Lorcan say from across her. "Nichola did seem more irritable this year."
Cassi knew it was wrong to laugh, but deep behind her throat she could feel the rumbling, the one that meant she was trying very hard to remain serious. After the proper preparations – their black robes for cover, wands, and bulbs – they all exited with Jensen, Scorpius, Benjamn, and Kristen leaving first.
Departing in the opposite direction was Poppy and Nichola, whom she felt more distant from than ever before. She bit her lip, distracting herself with the minor pain, and focused again on the group surrounding her. Once Jensen gave the signal, a forceful hissing, she and Lysander stayed close to the walls and ducked behind aging suits of armor and statues, finding anything that would offer protection. As they travelled further and further, they continued to follow the hissing of Ben's voice, until they were outside and in the clear. They wouldn't run into anyone outside. Ben still led the way, holding firm against trees and small hills. Finally, they were clear. Everyone was in position. Jensen was outside the Greenhouse and gave a thumbs up. Lysander followed Cassi up the steps, past Jensen, and to the back door.
"Alohomora." Cassi said in a rushed whisper. The door made a clicking sound. It was open. Luckily Longbottom hadn't take the precaution to bewitch the door of the classroom. She peered inside to make sure it was empty and then motioned Lysander in. It took them some time to find the plant that was sure to be the one Longbottom used in the lesson tomorrow. It was sitting underneath the bedraggled brown desk that sat in the middle of the glass-covered room. She smiled and pulled it up. Lysander took it, skillfully pointing his wand and mumbling a spell that formed a deep hole into where the original seed lay.
"Accio belladonna seed."
It shot up into his hand and he threw the replacement, fake, bulb inside. Covering the spot with dirt once again after a quick wave of his wand. She grabbed the pot and placed it back underneath the desk.
"Let's go." She told him, running in between the asile between seats and opening the door, grabbing Jensen by the wrist and pulling him away.
"Done?" he asked, letting himself be pulled by her, just like many of the others had done before – only trusting they were guiding you in the right direction.
She smiled back at him, beaming. "Let's just say, class is going to be a lot more interesting tomorrow."
And Cassi came through with her promise. The next morning, the period before lunch, Cassi and Louis were sitting from their seats, paying rapt attention to their Herbology Professor's lecture about mundane plants that are useful to wizards. He quickly went through asphodels and daisies, then circled around his desk.
"Next is the belladonna plant. It is essential that you recognize these plants." He began to say as he reached down, reappearing with an empty pot in his hands. "The essence of this plant is used in many potions, and nearly essential to your potion-making kit." He retrieved his wand and tapped the rim of the old pot twice, probing it to grow. And did it grow, indeed. One by one, stalks of green grew out of the dirt, each bringing a distinct smell to the Greenhouse. The Professor wrinkled his nose in distaste.
Cassi and Louis looked at each other, then reached for their nose plugs inside their robes and inconspicuously placed it on the tips of their noses. Lorcan and Lysander followed suit. Once the plant came into full bloom, the tips of it opened and released a gaseous, odorous substance, and then the room filled with frenzy. Students threw their hands up to their noses, some laughing while others were casting nasty glances at Cassi. Most already knew that when unusual circumstances like this occurred, it had something to do with Slytherin's notorious racketeers.
"Outside everyone!" Longbottom urged from his desk, waving his wand around for spells that would kill the plant or deactivate the smell. Cassi and Louis feigned some coughing, to make it seem like they were just as surprised as the rest of the class, and then followed everyone outside. Lorcan and Lysander were already there, reaching for their noses and stowing the triangular pieces away as they took a whiff of fresh, not-foul-smelling air.
Some of the boys walked over to them and clapped them on the shoulder, relieved that this would mean class was dismissed for the day. A few girls did the same, but then some looked rather upset and snarled.
"That was brilliant!" Louis said in just above a whisper. "Now we're free to do whatever we want until lunch."
Cassi smiled, "It was for the good of the students, you know."
Soon, the Scamander twins and Jensen were at their side, also congratulating each other for a job well done. "How long do you think until the rest of the school finds out?" asked Jensen.
Cassi saw some of the boys running back towards the castle. "I reckon not very long at all."
She heard giggling from behind her and turned around to see Nichola. Not the Nichola she had argued with before, but the one that she remembered. The one that enjoyed these things, regardless of how stiff she could be at times.
Cassi threw her arm around her shoulder. "That was perfection. And really simple, too."
Nic agreed, stifling her laughter when the professor came outside with a frazzled expression. "Class is dismissed, I'm afraid. Go on to the library and work on er...other assignments, please."
They waited until he was safely back in the Greenhouse and all ran back to the castle, smiling and overwhelmed with satisfaction. There was nothing comparable to the adrenaline rush from pulling a successful prank. The blood pulsing through your veins felt warmer, your heart felt stronger, and you felt like you could do anything, anything at all. Which wasn't exactly true because Lysander once believed he could fly without a broomstick. He was in hospital for a month after that stunt.
The group sprinted across the halls, up the stairs, and into the seventh floor to their usual meeting place. Lysander stood in the front, imagining the same vision the rest of them had learned to do and a door appeared.
Cassi plopped down on an old, abandoned couch and let her head hang back on one side, while her legs hung off the other. "Now if only we could do this to all our stupid classes. Then, we could just sit here all day."
Louis walked up to her, pretending to sit on her stomach when she pulled her hands out and pushed him off. He laughed and sat on the floor instead. "I'm hungry."
"I know you are." Said Lorcan from his spot near the window. "They're all over your head."
"What is?" Louis asked with interest.
"The wackspurts." Cassi interjected, rolling her eyes when she knew Lorcan couldn't see.
Louis raised his eyebrows, "Oh, those."
They were there for a few moments longer, until they heard a small noise come from behind a broken suit of armor. The axe dangling down off it's arm with a small, pale hand grabbing it on the other side. Cassi put her hand to her lips, motioning the others quiet, and gently stood to walk over to it. She reached for the hand, grabbing the wrist, realizing how small it was, before pulling it into view.
It was Lily Potter.
"Lily?" Cassi asked, confused. "What're you doing here?"
"I –" she fumbled for words, looking at Cassi as if she were awe-struck. "I usually come here sometimes."
She got down on her knees to look at her better. "Were you dodging class?"
Lily looked down at the floor, her cheeks reddening. She was skipping.
"Lily, you know that isn't right. Slytherins are meant to be top of the class, remember?" Cassi said with a proud smile, "You should be top of the class."
Lily looked around, her blue eyes wet with the threat of tears. She ducked her head again, this time looking down at Cassi's hand over her wrist. Cassi released her, looking up into her round face. "I…can't….go to that class."
"Why not?"
"They…they pick on me."
Cassi's gray eyes narrowed to slits, "Who does?"
Lily looked uncomfortable. She didn't want to say it and Cassi wouldn't force her. After all, regardless of her unfortunate relation to James Potter, which like Louis, wasn't at all her fault, Lily was a fellow Slytherin and one that Cassi actually liked.
"Whoever it is, they don't deserve your time. You tell me when you're ready, and I'll take care of it."
The ginger pushed a strand of thick straight hair behind her ear, finding newfound interest in the rest of the people in the room staring down at her. "What are you all doing here?"
"We just pulled the best trick ever, Lils." Louis told her, smiling. "But I bet you already know that if you've been standing there….eavesdropping."
"I wasn't –" she began to say, her eyes widening to saucers when Louis laughed.
"He's only joking." Cassi told her reassuringly. She noticed the time on her watch. "It's nearly lunch time. Why don't we all go down and eat? Then we can figure something out to get you going back to class." She noticed the panic in Lily's eyes and frowned, remembering how much everyone had said the young girl looked up to her, "You know, if you ever want to be a part of our group, you've got to be exceedingly smart and clever. Which means, there's still a lot to learn in your classes."
Lily still looked worried, but the corners of her eyes crinkled in a smile. "Alright, let's go."
{+}
The Great Hall was mostly empty by the time they'd arrived. Lily trailed behind the Malfoy siblings.
"What was that all about?" Scorpius said into her ear, low enough so that Lily couldn't hear.
Cassi's shoulders rose in a noncommittal shrug. "She seems like a nice girl. Plus, remember all the times we would get picked on because of our family….circumstances?" She frowned, "A Potter sorted into Slytherin – I'm quite surprised her family haven't disowned her."
When she looked up at her brother, a head of inky black hair caught her attention from the other side of the room. James Potter was sitting with Roxanne and her brother. He had one eyebrow raised and was most likely being his annoying self considering Roxanne had her face in her palms. Fred, on the other hand, was laughing, even brushing away tears from his eyes. James tilted his head away from his cousins and in a jolt of an instant, met Cassi's eyes from across the room. Cassi's breath caught, and she jerked her head forward, desperately hoping he hadn't noticed. Why was she even staring at him? She couldn't bring herself to comprehend the sudden attention she was paying him. It was ridiculous. She shook her head, as if to forget the thoughts and it seemed to work for a minute.
Lily hesitated as the group sat down. Louis turned around, his face non-threatening and curious, almost like a child. "And what're you standing there for?"
The small girl looked at her cousin with earnest interest and shrugged, "I—"
Louis stood up, grabbing her by the waist (which caused an uproarious set of giggles from her) and set her down next to him. "Now, I'm hoping you'd tell me about what's happening with the other kids in your classes."
Lily looked so small and vulnerable next to him. For all Cassi had ever known about Lily, she was a timid little thing. It almost made her wonder how she had managed to get herself in Slytherin in the first place. She seemed to be a better fit somewhere else, perhaps Hufflepuff.
"It's in Potions…"she began, her voice careful and poignant.
"Double Potions isn't it? With the Gryffindors?"
She nodded her head curtly, swallowing back a lump in her throat. Her blue eyes half-lidded and unsure. "They d-don't like that I'm Slytherin."
Louis narrowed his eyes dangerously, but subtle enough as to not scare his cousin. "Who?" he looked around the table at the second years. "Is it Aiden again?"
Aiden was a second year Slytherin, and he was known to be quite the bully, especially to Lily. Louis and Cassi had theorized that he had a secret crush on her, but sometimes he took it too far.
She shook her head, "It isn't…it's not the Slytherins bothering me."
Louis's mouth fell open, his eyes darting up to Cassi's to see if she had heard it, too. Cassi bent lower. "The Gryffindors then?"
"They're saying I can't be my father's daughter…A child of his would never…would n-never be sorted into Slytherin." Her voice was wobbly and she sniffled.
Louis laid a gentle hand on her small back in what he hoped to be a soothing gesture. "Have you told James? Or Fred?"
"No, not yet."
No one else could tell how angry Louis was, but Cassi had known him long enough to know that when his jaw set and his lips pursed, he meant business. His otherwise handsome face looked too hard, somehow. Like if it didn't belong there. Cassi had always thought that Louis looked different from the rest of his family, excluding his older sister Victoire (whom was pure Veela in beauty and grace). They all resembled each other with similar noses and eyes, but Louis looked distinctly different. She could only describe it as him looking more French than the others.
"I'll talk to him later."
Lily looked up at him with pleading eyes, "Promise you won't say I told you."
"Promise." He told her, giving her back another back before letting his arm fall back to his side.
Cassi wondered if Louis was upset at his cousins for not noticing what was happening to Lily. But then again, they wouldn't would they? They were in separate houses after all; meaning they never had classes or free time together. Not like Louis, who saw her in the common room more than once a day. She chanced a glance at James again. His blue eyes were pointed straight at her. She couldn't hold the gaze for longer than a second, and looked down, cheeks reddening. She inhaled deeply, trying to get a hold of herself. She shouldn't be reacting this way.
A/N: Like it? Please review (: Hope you all have a lovely week x