CHAPTER TEN

Wednesday 13th November 1997

"I'm sick and tired of hearing about this bloody Quidditch match," Hermione grumbled to herself.

"Well I'm sick and tired of you, Granger," Draco retorted, though of late, his quips and retorts had begun affecting Hermione less and less. "You just don't want to see me demolish your little Weasel."

"Like I care," she scoffed. "I've had to put up with three people utterly devoted to the game for the last six years. Honestly, I've had enough Quidditch to last me a lifetime."

"Says the girl who dated an internationally renowned Seeker," Pansy commented.

"He was hardly the best," Draco protested. "And they didn't really date, did you Granger?"

"Not that it's any of your business, Malfoy," she said. "But we did, thank you."

"All this Malfoy and Granger business is so strange," Daphne said. "You can use your given names and still hate each other."

"Perhaps when Hell freezes over," Draco replied.

"Original, Malfoy," Hermione said dryly.

The two continued to bicker, earning numerous eye rolls from their companions who wished they would simply get along even if their insults had become less and less well, insulting.

xxx

Cassi had spent a lot less time with Tom of late than she was used to. She'd thought she'd be glad when their exhausting daily lessons ceased to be and yet, she felt restless and bored without them. Most teachers failed to stimulate her, she hadn't heard from her parents in a while after news of her allegiance to Tom had reached them and their disapproval, and even Luna and Blaise had hopped away into some fantasy land where all they were required to do was fuck and muck around with dangerous spells.

She hated admitting it, but Cassi missed Tom. He'd tortured her, and relentlessly pushed against all her limits, but he'd also paid endless amounts of attention to her and her progress, which was flattering even if it was only to make sure all his followers were adequately skilled. She missed his polite jabs and not-so-polite jabs and the sense of achievement and smugness she got when he reluctantly admitted she'd done well.

Not that Cassi needed his approval, she'd always been a talented a witch. But she'd she'd never known so much about magic before. It made her almost delirious with knowledge.

But as Adrienne had occupied most of Tom's time the past few days, and with Tom informing both his and her lot they wouldn't hear anything from either of them in any official capacity until the weekend, after the Quidditch match on Saturday, Cassi had to find some way to occupy herself.

So she sought out Neville, the only person beyond Tom and occasionally Luna to interest and engage her.

As she'd suspected, he'd been alone in the library hovering over some book. His dedication to learning, she had to applaud.

"Having trouble?" She asked blandly.

He glanced up at her. "Cassi."

She placed herself in the seat opposite. "You sure love books, huh? Granger's influence?"

"No," he said primly. "My own."

"You know, you have to balance between theory and practical work. I can help, if you want."

"Is that what Riddle's wants?"

"I'm not just his messenger, you know. I was just offering my much needed help."

"Oh," Neville finally tore his eyes from the book and looked at her properly. "Bored?"

She shrugged. "A little."

"You know," Neville said. "I don't think I've met a witch who wears trousers as much as you do."

Cassi looked down at her attire. Sure, she wore trousers an awful lot, but at her mother and aunt's insistence they were always properly tailored and very fitted. Not boyish in any way, shape or form. "I like to be different," she informed him.

"You don't need to try," Neville said, grinning.

Cassi rolled her eyes, and then stifled the flinch that came afterwards. "Come on," she ordered.

"Where are we going?"

"To duel, loser."

xxx

Tom liked Adrienne. In fact, he more than liked her. Love was not a word that Tom thought he would ever use to describe his own feelings towards another human, but if things continued the way they were, his fondness for Adrienne might just come close.

"What are you doing?" He called.

Adrienne rarely ever read—or if she did, it was in private. Tom figured she'd read everything she could and was simply at the point of manipulating magic with her own knowledge. But now, her back against the trunk of a willow tree, looking the picture of beauty, she was utterly engrossed in a thin book.

"What does it look like?" She returned, not looking at him.

Had Cassi spoken to him like that, she'd already be grimacing in acute pain. But as it was his Adrienne, he smirked at her ways and strode towards her.

"Let me rephrase," he said. "What are you reading?"

"This book Neville gave me," she sounded excited. "It's written by a Muggle."

"Oh?"

"On something called Science. I can't believe Dumbledore never had any of these, being the Muggle lover he is."

Tom was familiar with the concept of science, he'd seen a few books himself back at the orphanage. "Science is a pretty broad term."

"Genetics," she specified. "You know that term?"

"Yes."

And the two orphans looked at each other then, a million things said in that simple word.

xxx

Ginny thought she was a good person. She was funny, outgoing, talented and friendly to everyone. Unless they were Slytherin, of course, or friends with Draco Malfoy. She even befriended odd-balls like Luna and Neville, just out of the goodness of her heart. She hadn't expected anything from them in return—but she also hadn't expected to completely betray her by hanging out with that sort.

Harry and Ron hadn't noticed them yet, but Ginny had. She could recognise Neville's soft tone from a mile away. They'd been so close. Her mum had congratulated on her on taking poor Neville under her wing.

Now he was under Cassiopeia Black's wing. If there was a family Ginny despised more than the Malfoy's it was the Blacks. What mother gave her child her maiden name? It was tasteless and just not done. Neville had shared her views not too many years ago, declaring that Sirius was the only half-decent person that family had spawned. But now, he was laughing and—duelling? With the youngest of the Black family. Ginny ignored how pretty Cassiopeia was. She wasn't jealous, she told herself, just annoyed.

"What're you looking at, Gin?" Harry snaked a skinny arm around her waist.

She jutted her chin in the direction of Neville. "Guess they got him too."

Ron frowned. "We should do something."

"Like what?" Harry asked. "Oh, Professor, we're worried about Neville, it's just, he's friends with some girl in Ravenclaw."

Ron scowled at his friend. "We all know she's not just some girl from Ravenclaw, she's Riddle's pet."

"I thought that was Adrienne," Harry joked.

"They all are," Ron said. "Even Hermione. Makes me wonder what I ever saw in her, if she can be friends with Parkinson."

"Maybe she's just looking out for Neville and Adrienne," Harry argued. "You know what she's like."

"Right," Ginny scoffed under her breath.

As her brother and boyfriend began to walk away, from the corner of her eye, Ginny saw Neville kiss an unwilling Cassiopeia's hand, as the tall witch rolled her eyes at his actions. Harry had never kissed Ginny's hand. Neville had never kissed Ginny's hand.