Chapter 6 – Back In England!
[Gryffindor Common Room – Hermione – 3rd December]
Hermione was scratching herself in worry because it was so not like Cassiopeia to just completely disappear from her destiny or her responsibilities, and the Triwizard Tournament where her responsibility to complete even if she did not place her name into the cup!
That is what Dumbledore told them when the first task came and she hadn't shown up – so, who was she gonna trust? Then Dumbledore? No one! What he had told them sounded correct, and she should show up because in the end things would not change for everyone.
Why had she even disappeared in the first place, being thrown out of the tower should have woken her up and she should have crawled back to them to apologise to them for lying, then she would have been accepted back into the fold here at Gryffindor?
The only reason she had become friends with her was that it seemed like the only thing that was the sensible thing to do at the time, and it was also the reason why her parents hadn't taken her out of school after her first year and being friends with her would make her popular and get somewhere in this world of magic other than being on the bottom of everyone's shoes.
Also, Dumbledore had reassured her that they would find her and drag her back to school, so, she could study in the school, after all, it was because of Potter that she could even do this, and the reason where a lot to do with her overprotective parents.
[Ron's Change of Heart.]
The thing was Ron had been thinking hard about what he had done in the last couple of years at school, had an epiphany, and for the most part, he was ashamed of everything that he had done to the ones that had been his best friend since met at the train to Hogwarts.
Now he was shaking his head in quiet disbelief over how Hermione was behaving throughout the whole thing about throwing out Cassiopeia, he wouldn't have thought that it would have been her that would insist on it. The thing was he had only been friends with her because of their mutual friendship with Cassie, and he knew that they both had driven her away with how they had behaved towards their only good friend.
Only because he had been a jealous git!
It had been the only way he knew how to react when things became tough, and when things had cleared up after a time, he could see that something had always happened to Cassie – so why hadn't he just supported her through it, maybe even helped her find a solution.
After all, he may not be the smartest bloke, but even he could now see that something like this happening to his friend would be wrong, and it had clearly been the jealousy that had been talking because with a clear head he could see it clear as day, her pale face and her shaking over having her name popping out of the goblet.
Then again, he was disappointed in Hermione, it had been her and the other girls who had driven their housemate out of Gryffindor, though, everyone hadn't helped either, so, they should blame themselves for how things are now.
Had it been peer pressure?
In the end, he could understand why Cassie had completely disappeared from the world and gone without anyone knowing, he could understand it now from her point of view, she had found a loophole in the rules and with knowing this there was something in him that though she had left and gone out there to travel.
In the end, he regretted driving her out, and he will damn well understand if they will never be friends again!
[Slytherin Common Room – Draco Malfoy]
It was quite easy now to see the difference in how the school behaved when their hero seemingly had vanished without a trace, and Draco could not help but smirk at the things that were going on and everything that was damaging the light side with that disappearance.
Nevertheless, those in her corner though we were happy that she had found a way out of the world that was suffocating her, and with it having been weeks since someone that seen her things was finally getting back somewhat to a new normal. It had also been nothing but a shock to us when Potters name came out of the goblet, but nonetheless, things were normal because of it too.
The only thing that was different in all of this was how Weasley was behaving, and his changed behaviour in how he ate and his study habits – he was actually getting somewhere now.
Maybe, he needed to have a talk with Weasley about what has been happening over on that side of the fence, maybe even talk more to his father about the things, even when his father himself was going through something with his mother.
"What are you thinking about?" asked Pansy wearily when she looked over at the ever-smirking Malfoy.
"Nothing my dear, just planning to corner a certain weasel for information," Draco assured his good friend and co-conspirator over everything that was happening in Hogwarts.
"Oh, so you are also in her small corner?" Pansy whispered quietly towards her good friend because she was too in Potters small corner of those that could see behind all the gossip and say-so of other people.
"Mmm…" Draco hummed in agreement, though they weren't overly overheard by anyone that could make their life difficult, because there was still those in their house that was overly supportive over what the last Dark Lord was all about, even with him dead.
"How's the thing between your father and mother?" Pansy asked curiously, after a while of them planning how to corner the littlest of weasels. She asked because there had been some rumours lately that their relationship was on the break, with Narcissa cheating on her husband.
"Nothing good!" Draco sighed, running his fingers frustratingly through the strands of his hair, "Where do you think Potter are?" he asked changing the subject over to something else than his parents.
Pansy allowed the change of subject to happen, as she could see how much hurt there was over it all is happening, she knew quite literally their family life had not been the best. It was also why her friends had a closer relationship with his father and his godfather. "She's, sure enough, planning to take her exams earlier, after all, you sure have noticed that she often downplays her abilities when she's together with that band of friends she had."
"Haven't really noticed it, but I have always been clouded by her rejection of me before the first year," Draco told her in contemplation, he smiled over at his friend wondering when they had grown over the hatred of the houses.
"I thought you had a crush on her at first…" smirked Pansy, and it was made more fun when her friend became beat red, "after all, you always went after her."
"Eh, no I don't!" Draco stuttered enraged, "she's more like the sister, I want to bother all the time." He said in a more even pace of tone, "and I wonder why she even downplays her abilities if you say she did?"
"You do know that she grew up with muggles?" Pansy asked, wondering why people seem to forget it all the time.
"Yeah, I know, but that does not mean anything!" Draco told her, so sure of himself.
Before she could answer, they were interrupted by their head of house.
"Parkinson, Malfoy can I talk to you for a moment please?" Professor Snape drawled out behind them, looking like he had been listening to their conversation for a while. They looked at one another nervously over what he could have overheard of their conversation, and what he would say about it.
[Severus Snape's Quarters]
Things had slowly changed in his mind as the Potter girl had disappeared from the minds of those around, but at the same time, it had been a nightmare to get through everything that had done so, just because of Hogwarts manipulative headmaster.
With the idiot wanting him and anyone to chase and figure out where his 'saviour' had been and drag her back – like he would want to ruin her plans for freedom.
Cassiopeia would not be figured out before she was ready to come out and come back, so, it would be a waste of time to even go after her. She was a complete Slytherin that way!
Or that was what he hoped her to be.
It was also fun to see Albus losing his cool for the first time since he had met him, and it was fun to see him embarrassing himself to everyone that was looking close enough to see everything.
Now he had to talk to his godson and friend about what he had heard them talking about so openly, but it was good to hear that they were quietly supporting her. So, he invited them to follow him in his usual strict voice, inwardly smirking at their shocked and petrified demeanour over having him hearing them.
For god sake, they should know better – and Draco maybe his godson, but he loved scaring the boy too much to let things like this go.
"If you are going to have a conversation like that make sure that you are alone or have a privacy ward around," Severus told them seriously, as he sat himself down on his couch looking at them seriously as they sat down in the twin chairs a few paces in front of him.
They looked at each other in shock, he was not going to berate them for supporting someone that he seemed to have hated for years.
"Of course, I am not going to say anything to you supporting her. It is better that you do, but that you are careful, there is something that is not sitting right with the whole thing." Severus came right out and told them this.
"You are right, what is actually going on?" Draco asked his godfather nodding in agreement.
"Why haven't the teachers done anything, not even the Auror's being called!" Pansy voiced after her friend had said his piece.
"That is because the headmaster wants to keep it down and don't want people to know that she has disappeared from his watch." Severus indulged them with the somewhat answer over why there had not been else from the teachers.
"Draco that she lived with muggles means a lot more than you know, though, I don't know where she ended up after that night," Severus told them clearly, curious about what they did mean.
"Why?" Draco exclaimed frustrated because why should that be so different in how Potter greeted him back them.
"Because, she could have been left with abusive people," Pansy murmured softly because to her it had been prof there all along for those that wanted to see.
"Potter?" Draco choked horrified over to not having seen it or even noticed it, and he could see that his godfather was also now thinking about it, seeing it in a clearer light.
Severus had been watching them arguing their point of why things had been like they had been, but now hearing this he could not help but to think back and see the overly baggy clothes, and the aversion to touch for what it had been. It was parallel to how he himself had grown up.
"Then it is no wonder she rejected me like that in the first year." Draco groaned hitting his head with his hand.
"Why?" Severus asked genuinely curious over what his godson had figured out in that head of his, though, it was kind of weird of him to behave like this to two of his students but maybe he should be in his house a lot more, to be more approachable. Na… maybe only when things really are bad, but they already know that they can come to him if there are something.
"Think if she did not have any friends before coming to Hogwarts, and there I was insulting one of her first friends, even I see that I am somewhat spoiled," Draco explained though he muttered the last part quietly hoping that no one of them would hear it.
"A little Draco?" Pansy said rolling her eyes in expiration, though, she had to smile it was just like him to underestimate everything going on in his life.
Severus smirked, knowing clearly what was being said because he had always been spoiled by his father, "if that is the case it is no wonder, she did not take your hand in friendship back then. Why all think changed way of thinking now?" he inquired.
"Because Potter finally did something, before all this she conferred to what other people wanted her to do, and that this she is doing solely for herself and no one else." Draco answered his godfather honestly, there was nothing more he could tell him about it, "and my father has always been somewhat interested in the girl." He then told them softly, for some reason he felt like he had to say something of it to the people he was closest to.
"It's the same for me, and because I have seen the headmasters looking at her all the time in the days leading up to the cup." Pansy contemplated for a while for what she could say to this, but she went with the truth because maybe they had something else to say to it that she did not know.
"You've observed her a lot?" Severus pondered over the whole thing, but it was one thing that struck him as odd why had she been so curious over what the girl was doing or behaved.
"Don't everyone do it?" Pansy shrugged not wanting to tell them any more about her own home life than what had been implied.
"Yes, they do." Severus sighed letting her get away with not telling the truth over the matter now, making Draco shut up immediately, he wanted him to think it over. "What do you mean with what you said about the headmaster watching her?" he questioned as an afterthought.
"He was watching her like he was contemplating something nefarious, but I don't know, it was like he wanted her name to come out of the cup." Pansy addressed softly looking at them wondering what they would say to it.
"Hmm, he had always been obsessed with her. So, what do you think she is doing uncle?" Draco pondered, and he wondered what his godfather thought about where the girl was doing right at this moment.
Severus had to sigh, but smiled crookedly over their curiosity, "I think she is on the continent travelling. I am going to inquire with the goblins if there is a discreet way, I can have a letter sent to her." He said as a finality that the conversation was over and done with and that they should go along now.
"Give that idea to my dad! and do you think you can tell us the idea when you find it?" Draco asked, and stood up with Pansy ready to get out of his godfathers' hair, it had even been a wonder that he had taken them aside for so long to talk to them.
"I think I can do that!" Severus smirked, not even wondering why Draco wanted his father to know about a way to send a letter to the girl who lived now that she had been away from the ever-present headmaster. "Remember there is the Yule Ball to look forward to!" he said as they closed the door to his quarters, smirking as he heard them groan overhearing their complaints about having to go to the show.
Now, all there was to do was to write to the goblins.
AU: re-written 07. Jan 2021