AN: Thanks to everyone who's been reading! And thanks for the reviews! It means so much :)

Chapter Thirty Seven

"Cassie you've got to calm down."

"Seriously you're going to make me sick."

I ignored the two as I paced back and forth, glancing at the common room entrance once again. We had been waiting for Harry to come back from Hogsmead and it had been hours. It was almost curfew and he still wasn't back.

I got why he rushed away after we heard all that. I got why he wanted time alone yet… Where the hell was he?

"Harry!" I gasped as the dark haired boy entered the common room.

I was about to reach out to him when he walked right past us, not saying anything as he climbed the stairs to the boy dormitory. It took me a minute to lower my hand, glancing back at the other two who looked just as confused as I felt.

"I'll go check on him…" Ron mumbled getting up and climbing after him.

"Cass-"

"Do you think I should go too?" I asked turning towards Hermione but she shook her head.

"Let Ron handle it this time Cass." Hermione said placing a hand on my shoulder.

I stared at the door for a second before taking the seat next to her, pulling my legs underneath me. Hermione quirked an eyebrow at me and I sighed before pulling out my a piece of parchment and my quill.

I sat there for a minute trying to figure out what to say. Draco knew that Black had been Harry's godfather...was there any way he knew about all of this? I wasn't naive enough to think that Father was innocent and had been under the imperious curse. Could he have… known Black when they both worked under You-Know-Who?

How was I even supposed to word this? Hey Draco, Merry Christmas- oh by the way can you do some snooping? Yeah- no. Not after what happened over the summer. I was not going to be putting Harry in danger like that.

"I'm going to head up Cass, don't stay up too late okay?" Hermione sighed after half an hour and I nodded only half listening.

My eyes drifted towards the dying embers in the fireplace and I bit the inside of my cheek. I felt almost… I really didn't know how I felt. I was supposed to be happy that I had Theo and my friends and that they were all spending Christmas with me and yet…

Part of me wished I was home. With Draco and Mother and even…

No.

I didn't want to be around him. Not like what he is now- not after everything he's done. I wanted to be around him like how I remembered him. From when we were younger. From before Hogwarts when we were actually… a family. Before I screwed it all up.

I could still remember the vacations that we took- the twitch of his lips when I surpassed Draco at Potions- him telling me to never let anyone knock me down because I was a Malfoy.

The irony in that was too much.

"Cass?"

Blinking a few times peared over the top of the couch to see Harry standing in his pajamas looking absolutely exhausted. I made to stand up but Harry just swung his legs over the couch side, sitting almost on top of me.

"Ron said that you were worried about me." He mumbled avoiding eye contact and I felt my cheeks warm at his words. Of course Ron had to sell me out.

"We are all worried about you." I whispered not looking him in the eye.

I felt him shift next to me and I glanced to see that his green eyes were staring directly at me. My face felt even warmer just looking at him and I looked away quickly.

"You okay?" Harry asked after a moment and I just shrugged.

"I should be asking you that. I mean finding out about what happened- that's- it's a lot." I mumbled and he sank even deeper into the couch.

"I just have so much- so much anger. I feel like it's coursing through my veins. How Black betrayed my parents- sold them out. It just makes me so angry- ugh! I just don't know how to put it into words." He groaned burying his face in his hands.

I placed a hand over his and gave it a small squeeze.

"I'm just… grateful that I knew about him being my godfather. I mean obviously he'd have to be close to my parents for that but… just hearing it makes it so much harder." Harry dropped his head on my shoulder and I just pulled him close not knowing what to say.

Neither of us said anything, just sitting there in silence. The frustrations I felt earlier were slowly fading away. My eyes were starting to feel heavy, my whole being felt cozy just curled up next to Harry.

I was about to move when I felt an arm tighten around my shoulders. Looking over I saw that Harry's eyes were shut- his breathing had slowed and his mouth was slightly parted. Smiling a bit I buried myself deeper into his side letting my own eyes slowly shut.

"-Ron shut up! Let the two of them sleep!"

"They've slept through breakfast already! I'm starving and I'm sure that Harry'll-"

"You two are so bloody loud." I groaned rubbing my eyes.

I blinked a few times and saw both Ron and Hermione. Ron was rubbing his stomach with a Peppermint Toad in his hand and Hermione had homework spread all across the table.

"You sleep okay there Cass?" Hermione asked with a small smile on her face and I gave her a small glare before stretching and standing up.

"I'm going to go change. I'll be right back."

"We'll be right back." Hermione said before I could protest and the two of us quickly made our way up to the girls dormitory.

I tried to ignore Hermione's almost smug look as I grabbed my clothes out of my wardrobe and looked at myself in the mirror. I was really needing a shower, I thought as I eyed my hair that was starting to look stringy.

"Are you going to explain what happened last night?" She asked sitting on the edge of her bed and I rolled my eyes.

"I honestly don't know what you're talking about 'Mione." I mumbled and I could see Hermione raise an eyebrow at me in the mirror.

"You don't see Ron and I falling asleep together in the common room. That's all I'm saying."

I couldn't stop the smirk that was playing on my lips.

"Oh yeah, I'm sure you'd absolutely hate that." I teased and she glared at me through the mirror.

"What was that?" She demanded and I spun around raising an eyebrow at the busy haired girl.

"I think you heard me."

I was nearly knocked off my feet as something hit me right in the face. Stumbling I caught the pillow Hermione had thrown at me, her face bright red.

Hermione didn't say anything else as she exited the room, giving me a small glare along the way.

My heart clenched uncomfortably as the fake smile fell off of my face. Harry was my best friend nothing more or less. Draco and I used to fall asleep together when we were younger. Hell, I had fallen asleep with Emily a few times… thought that wasn't a great example. It wasn't that big of a deal. I stared at my reflection for a minute- cool grey eyes staring back.

"You know it's nothing. He's like your brother." I mumbled to my reflection before grabbing my towel off of my bed and rushing to the bathroom to clear my head.

A nice long shower would definitely make me feel better.

I could hear the others arguing when I started to make my way back down to the common room. Harry's voice was shaking as he spoke to the others.

"-I'll never know what they'd have wanted, because thanks to Black, I've never spoken to them."

The room went silent. I considered just staying up here until it all passed but after taking a deep breath, I entered the Common Room a soft smile on my lips. The others immediately looked at me. They all looked relieved that I broke the tension.

"How about we go visit Hagrid."

After arguing with Hermione about whether or not it was okay to visit Hagrid, we made our way down to his hut. The grounds were dusted in a layer of snow, making everything glitter in the sun. Once we made it to Hagrid's hut we were all soaked and cold- yet happy to be out of the castle.

I was hoping the fresh air was going to be good for him.

"He's not out is he?" Hermione asked after Ron knocked on the door and nobody answered.

The red head leaned his head on the door trying to listen. His face screwed up in confusion.

"There's… a weird noise. Listen… is that Fang?"

We all pushed our ears on the door and after a moment of silence a loud moan came from the other side. It sounded almost… heartbroken?

"Think we'd better go and get someone?" Ron asked nervously.

"How about instead of listening to the door like weirdos we just open it?" I asked.

Before any of the others could protest I grabbed the door handle and pushed it open. I felt Hermione grab me by the arm but I peered into the Hut to see Hagrid sitting at his table with a large jug in front of him. Almost immediately I could tell that something was wrong. His face was red, eyes swollen, and he was sobbing uncontrollably.

"Cassie you can't just do that!" Hermione hissed but I gave her a small shrug.

"My hand slipped." I muttered as I went over to Hagrid who glanced at us for a moment before letting his head drop on the table with a loud thunk.

I sat in the chair next to him and grabbed his large hand in my own.

"Hagrid what's wrong?" Hermione asked as we all crowded around him. Harry grabbed a letter off of the table, a frown on his face.

"What's this Hagrid?"

"Just' read it!" Hagrid sobbed and Harry gave me a worried look before clearing his throat.

"Dear Mr. Hagrid, Further to inquiry into the attack by a hippogriff on a student in your class, we have accepted the assurances of Professor Dumbledore that you bear no responsibility for the regrettable incident. However, we must register our concern about the Hippogriff in question. We have decided to uphold the official complain of Mr. Lucius Malfoy-"

I couldn't stop the sound of disgust that escaped my mouth at my father's name. Of course.

"-this matter will therefore be taken to the Committee for the Disposal of Dangerous Creatures. The hearing will take place on April 20th, and we ask you to present yourself and your hippogriff at the Committee's offices in London on that date. In the meantime, the Hippogriff should be kept tethered and isolated…"

Harry trailed off, his eyebrows furrowed. Cold spread through my stomach as I stared at the words on the letter.

"Oh, but you said Buckbeak isn't a bad hippogriff Hagrid. I bet he'll-"

"If my father is set on doing this I'm not too sure." I cut in, my mouth twisted in anger. I could feel the others glaring at me but I brushed it aside. "He's got deep connections with the Ministry and I wouldn't be surprised if he is able to pull some strings."

"Well you'll have to put up a good defense Hagrid!" Hermione said sitting down next to Hagrid and placing her hand on his massive arm.

I knew that yeah, I was being negative but she didn't understand how the Ministry worked like I did. Ron was the only one who had a clue and from his pale face and worried expression…. he was thinking along the same lines as I was.

"Won't make no diff'rence!" Hagrid sobbed. "Them Disposal devils, they're all in Lucius Malfoy's pocket! Scared o' him! And if I lose the case, Buckbeak- "

He gave a loud wail and threw his arms over his face sobbing wildly.

"We can help you come up with a defense?" I offered and he peered out at me with one watery eye. "I've ah- read up on some cases that my father has kept and maybe we could help you… articulate what you need?'

"I'm sure I've read about a case of hippogriff-baiting!" Hermione added. "One where the hippogriff got up. I'll look it up for you and we can see exactly what we need!"

While that did cheer Hagrid up a bit, our trip ended somehow more gloomy than it began. Hermione was insistent on preparing a defense for Buckbeak which meant we spent all of our free time in the library or reading books in the common room looking for material that we could use.

The rest of the castle was celebrating and getting ready for Christmas while the four of us were stuck… researching.