Chapter 7- POV Cas

You know how sometimes in life, you spend all this time hearing people say "oh, you should be this" or "you're so good at that" but you don't see it yourself until one day it just hits you like a club to the head? I'm having that moment right now. Flashing doe eyes up at Snape, lying through my teeth and watching him fall for it.

Fred is always saying I'm too good a liar. My dad told me I should go into politics. Jo said I could rule the world if I weren't so lazy. I never believed them until now. Now, hearing this unfamiliar, innocent voice flow from my mouth like a river of truth, I get what they mean.

Potions class isn't supposed to start for another ten minutes or so, but I love the class and I always show up early. Snape never seems to notice me, but today he did. I sat down at my cauldron and opened my book, and next thing I know he's looming over me with his signature glare. "Snake Eyes", people call him. Gryffindors mostly. I never do. He's mean and tough and all, but I respect the man.

So he's standing over me and I look up, and we just kind of hold eye contact for a few awkward seconds.

"I've heard some very disturbing news about you, Walker. Care to explain?" he growls. In my mind I know what he means- the cat thing finally got back to him. I mentally kick myself for the millionth time for that episode. I shouldn't have been so reckless, even with the powder. I shift in my seat, feeling another rock shift in my pocket. But I'm not about to give up, so I hold eye contact.

"I'm sorry, Proffessor?" I reply, my voice a little higher than usual, but otherwise I sound completely calm.

"Proffessor McGonigal alerted me to your unsavory company and even more unsavory actions before the Holiday break."

"I'm sorry, but I really don't know what you're referring to," I reply again, staying strong but also trying to sound confused.

"Ms. Zocchi was reprimanded her actions by the Gryffindor head of house, and now it appears to be my time to do the same to you. Fifty points from Slytherin, and you'll be serving detention with me for three weeks."

"But I didn't do anything! I have no idea what you're talking about, Proffessor. This is crazy," I add, my doe eyes shifting into a glare of my own.

"Being out past curfew, attacking a teacher, and probably a slew of other offenses. This will not be tolerated in my house, Walker." He spat at me.

"I didn't do any of that," I say defiantly, "you can ask 'Ms. Zocchi' herself. I would never attack a teacher! Why are you accusing me of all of this?"

That got him. Telling him to ask Jo, that was risky of me, but necessary. I had to be willing to lay it all on the line, and besides, she's my best friend. She'll know to support me. She'll say I owe her, but that's not important right now. He hesitates, sighs aggressively, and takes a step back.

"I trust you, Ms. Walker. You're a good student, you're a Slytherin. You will be punished severely if I hear another word about you misbehaving." With that he gave a dramatic little turn and huffed over to his desk.

So now we're in class, everyone filled in around me, Robin at my side and Fred across the way a bit. We're not actually making any potions today, just learning about great potions masters and stuff. Reading about them and what they're known for in our textbooks. I'm trying to focus, but I'm stuck in the moment, convincing Snape. It was rush of sorts- it felt right. But there's something else. Not guilt- no, there can never be guilt- but a sort of resentment. I think it's because he called me 'Walker', and not Cas or even Cassidy. I think I'm actually kind of hurt by that.

But that's not actually important. I follow the lesson, smiling a possibly idiotic smile into my textbook as we go. Just wait till I tell Jo. Today is a good day.

"Knock it off!" I shout.

"What's the matter, Cassidy- scared of your future?" George snickers.

"We're not supposed to be up here," I hiss. We're in the divination room up in the north tower. It's been a few weeks since Snape rightfully accused me of mischief, but he's dropped the subject completely. I still can't shake that feeling of resentment, but it's kind of evolving. I don't want to let him down- I want him to like me, at least enough to call me by my first name. So I'll never admit it, but I'm playing it safe for awhile. No pranks, no mischief, just work.

Nevertheless I ended up here. Sneaking around after classes with Jo and the twins. Jo's been trying to get me alone ever since I got back from Holiday break, but we haven't got the chance. George is like stuck to her even when they aren't practicing Quidditch. Jo's got the Map out and we've just been sneaking around, following her lead. She saw that the tower was empty and even I got a little curious. Students aren't allowed to take Divination second year, which I find unfair. Not that I think I'm gifted in it, or even that it's a relevant magic, but I should be allowed to take it whenever I want. I'll take it next year, definitely.

"Read Jo's future, or your own- you're the ones with a big quidditch match coming up. " I tell George. He sticks his tongue out at me and keeps rummaging around a closet in the corner of the room.

"Why'd we bring her here, anyway?" he asks Fred, who kinda blushes and shrugs. Jo hops in to my rescue, saying I'm there cause I'm the only one who knows how to "make tea right". I roll my eyes as George makes a little noise, half a laugh aimed at me, and half a victory shout at finding a tea set.

"So, who wants to read and who wants to be read?" he asks. Fred grabs the pot and volunteers to read, and Jo's hand shoots up to be read. George gives a satisfied grin and plops myself down at a desk, while Fred sets up the tea stuff.

Jo looks at me expectantly, "Well, go ahead- do the water magic, like you did last year. And light a fire." I stare at her, more than a little annoyed, but I oblige. I fill the pot with water and then bring it to a boil, and then I take my seat.

Now it's Fred's turn to be useful. He starts going through the motions of preparing Jo's tea, following the reading ceremony from a textbook George found. When Jo's done her tea, Fred looks into the cup.

"So, what's my fortune?" Jo asks loudly.

"Hush! I'm looking- I...I think that ones a cherry. And a bat? A stick? No...Ah, here! A nail and a cherry..." he's talking more to himself, flipping through the textbook. We all look expectantly at him, wondering what it all means.

"Well a nail, a nail symbolizes pain, sharp pain."

"Ha! Looks like someone's not gonna be playing quidditch for a while. Don't worry, I'll take full advantage of the extra playing time," George taunts at Jo. She swats at him and he shuts up.

"What's the cherry mean, then?" she asks fred. He flips through some more pages before finding the answer.

"A relationship. Like, you're gonna get a boyfriend." I can't hold my silence anymore and start cracking up. I'm not a full blown skeptic of divination, but this is all rediculous. Sharp pain? I swear Jo has nerve damage from all the times she's fought or broken something or just gotten hurt. There's no such thing as sharp pain for Jo. And a relationship? That's the real kicker. For starters, she's what? Thirteen? She's way too young to be in a relationship. More importantly, who is she supposed to be going out with? All of her friends are girls or are on the quidditch team or are like five years older than us. No, this is all rediculous.

We hang out for a little longer before deciding it's time to part ways. It's almost dinner time anyway. Jo goes off on her own, and the twins are hanging out, so I just sort of wander around, making my ways towards the Slytherin Dorms.

And that's when things get interesting.

"Thanks for that, Fred. Putting the idea in her head? You think she'll say yes?" It's George.

"What're you talking about?" Fred.

"Saying Jo's gonna get a boyfriend. You didn't have to do that for me, but I guess now that she thinks it's fate she'll definitely say yes when I ask her out after the Quidditch match. I guess I owe you one."

I turn my back as George rounds the corner, passing me. Hopefully he didn't see who I was, or that I was listening in. I run around the corner to find Fred. He opens the common room passage and I pop up behind him, tapping him on the shoulder.

"Oi! Hey, Cas, watcha doing?"

"So, you're a false prophet then?" I retort. He flushes red and jerks his head around to see if George is still there. Obviously he isn't, and Fred just kinda looks at me.

"Hey, it's cool, I won't tell," I assure him, "I never trusted divination anyway. So you're serious about it?" He just nods, his face red like his hair. I giggle and push him into the common room. I want to ask him about George and Jo, since Jo hasn't said anything to me. She has been wanting to see me...maybe this is what that's about.

"So...George likes Jo?" Not very subtle of me. Fred just shrugs as we plop down next to each other on the couch. I decide its best to drop that particular subject. There's another I could bring up, maybe it would make him happy? It could also make him resent me. Hell, I'm a gambler.

"Wanna sign up for Divination next year?" I don't look at him.

Silence.

Silence.

Silence.

"Yeah, yeah I'd like that." I smile and look at him. He's not red anymore, and he's smiling too. The bell chimes and we know it's time for dinner. We get up in a comfortable silence and go to join our classmates.

AN- hello my darlings dearest. hope you liked the chapter, hope even more you like it enough to review or pm. even with the holidays fast approaching i'll be doing my best to post regularly. yours as ever,

-cowriter