After the holidays life went back to normal to most people, except for the Champions. Harry hadn't found a way to open the egg without hearing that horrible sound that came from it. Hermione was upset at Ron and would spend a lot of her time with Viktor Krum, while Ron just stared at the egg trying to decipher what to do but nothing came to his mind. They didn't have anything to go on.
Ron and Harry had forgiven each other after the first task. It was like nothing had happened between them despite their really ugly fight.
"I forgot to ask you," Harry said suddenly. "And we need a break from the egg anyway."
"What?"
"What the hell were you doing dancing with Lias?" Harry asked perplexed. "I forgot to ask because of Hermione yelling at both of us, but really, Ron, what was that?"
"You know she enjoys betting..." Ron started, making up a lie.
"Ron, I don't know anything about her except that she cares only about Purebloods and she is a really horrible person. She has been calling you names all these years and to Hermione as well. Wasn't she the one who turned your hair pink last year? And the one who basically shaved your head with a spell in first year? Wasn't she the one who played dirty in Quidditch so Draco could get to the snitch before me? Or the one who put spiders in your school bad? And..."
"Yes... but..."
"Did you forget she can be really nasty?"
"Look, we both lost a bet and we had to dance... that was it," Ron said quickly. "Besides, she wasn't nasty that night and it was better to dance with her than being sat there like a complete loser."
"Yes, it was boring as hell but Ron, that was just... shocking I guess. I wouldn't have done it. It's Lias!"
For some reason the Slytherin girl, who at times could be worse than Malfoy and any other Slytherin, had sort of shown her real self that was protected by a very thick and strong shell and even admitted her insecurities and problems to Ron.
The thing that made her worse than Malfoy was that Malfoy easily got angry when he was confronted and told things he didn't like. While Lias would laugh or reply with a sarcastic comment, never showing if she was affected in any way by the things said to her.
Like a few weeks ago, Harry called Malfoy and Lias pathetic when they started making fun of him. Malfoy got furious and went for his wand while Lias rolled her eyes and retorted that at least she wasn't a cheat and hungry for even more fame. The outcome was Malfoy being turned into a ferret by Mad-Eye Moody, while Lias even enjoyed the show and laughed at what was happening.
As usual Malfoy threatened to tell his father and ran off, being humiliated by a teacher. Lias was obviously upset at what a teacher did to Malfoy, but she let Malfoy fight his own battles... and she didn't say anything because she didn't want to end up like him.
"I did it, okay? It's done. Can't change it now, can I?" Ron said to Harry with a shrug.
"Did you notice something though?"
"What?
"She went with Perseus to the Yule Ball," Harry said, he obviously knew the guy as he had been part of the Quidditch team for years. "But apparently not even him can stand her. He was later kissing a girl from Beauxbatons."
"What?"
"Didn't you see Perseus with one of the French girl? Or at least heard about it? The rumour is that he only went with Lias because her brother asked him to ask her to the ball but then got someone else as soon as he could."
"You know that's not true, don't you?"
"Ron, what's wrong with you? It's like you are defending her," Harry exclaimed. "It serves her right for being such a cruel bitch. Apparently she has crush on him so that must have hurt. Or maybe not... she has no heart, no feelings."
"Harry, you are not usually like this. If he really did that he is a dick and no one deserves that," Ron said, outraged.
"Do you like her, Ron?"
"No," Ron said, almost offended. "I just have a heart, you know? She can be cruel but that doesn't mean we should celebrate or enjoy when something bad happens to her."
With that, Ron left frustrated, leaving a dumbfounded Harry alone with the egg. Ron didn't like her, not in the way Harry was thinking. After talking such deep stuff together, Ron saw her as a friend, or at least a classmate, not like a cruel Slytherin. And he was frustrated for not being able to tell anyone that she wasn't as bad as she seemed, that she only had issues in her life and had to pretend to be a bitch to not end up even more damaged.
And Ron also felt frustrated because Harry didn't know about Perseus and couldn't explain to him why those rumours were untrue and why he was a dick to Jade, and even if Harry knew, Ron wasn't sure if he could understand. He felt like going back and spill everything to Harry but he wouldn't. One, because he promised and it was extremely private and two, because Harry had enough with the Tournament and Ron doubted he would care anyway.
February came and one day during lunch Cassius went to sit in front of Jade, who didn't even look up at him, she kept staring at her food in front of her as if she was still on her own.
"We are going to Hogsmeade for Valentine's day," he announced with a smirk.
"Yeah, we are," Jade said, still not looking at him. "I was thinking of ice-skiing, while it is still cold enough. Then I'll go eat something I suppose."
"What are you talking about?" he asked and she finally looked up at him, the smirk was evident on her lips, while his had vanished.
"What are you talking about?"
"I have plans for us."
"Oh," she said in an exaggerated way. "Right. I'm sorry, I already have plans but maybe next time."
"What is wrong with you?" Cassius exclaimed, letting his frustration show.
"Can't I spend time with my friends?" she asked, taking a bite of her beef, her voice was still serene and soft. "You can be whoever you are, doesn't matter, but you can't just order me around. Telling me 'we are going to Hogsmeade' as if I have no choice. I've got enough of that at home and like it or not, I'm still a free woman so, go order someone else, not me."
Some people around them chuckled at that. Some were impressed by the way she was talking to him. Especially some girls, who would die to be in her place and go to Hogsmeade with him. Everyone close to them had stopped eating, talking among them and were trying to listen to the conversation as much as they could. Cassius was oblivious to it or just ignored them while Jade just didn't care.
She had been the topic of gossip for about two months now, it had died out a bit but not completely and she wasn't happy. If people kept gossiping about her at least they had could be talking about this argument not about what happened during the ball.
"I didn't mean it like that, Jade," he said, embarrassed, his attitude gave an one-hundred eighty turn. He realized that what he had said came out as bossy and not like he had intended.
"I bet," she said in a monotonous tone.
"Would you go to Hogsmeade with me, Jade?" he asked kindly.
"No."
"Why not?" he asked angrily but tried to keep his emotions under control.
Jade once again looked up at him. She was enjoying this. He was getting agitated while she looked as she was not even into the conversation at all. She almost looked bored of him, which made Cassius even angrier, despite knowing how Jade was.
"Because I've got plans already," she said simply with a shrug. But then her eyes fixed on his blue eyes and her look completely changed. She almost looked like if she was ready to attack, Cassius would never admit it but it was intimidating. The closest around them could sense the change of atmosphere around them. "Cass, I don't know who you think I am. We might be in this arrangement but that doesn't give you any right to humiliate me and I won't be a fool to give you a chance to do it a second time."
"What?"
"You heard me," she said coldly. "Now can you go? I'm trying to enjoy my lunch."
"I'll speak to your father, so he can teach you more respect to your future husband," he said, trying to keep his voice down, he had never been so angry. Some Slytherins might know they were engaged but that didn't mean every Slytherin had to know or students from other houses.
"Alright," Jade said setting her fork and knife down on her plate, pretending she didn't care about the threat. She didn't look scared at all as she looked right into his eyes but she was terrified. "Then I can tell your father that you almost slept with a mud-blood."
"Wh-what? She wasn't a mud-blood..."
"I know it won't be hard for you to find out that I'm telling you the truth," Jade said with a smirk. "It's quite disgusting, out of lots of pretty girls you went with the Mud-blood. I'm sure my father as well as yours and my brother will be on my side and find it as offensive as I do. So don't come here with silly threats."
Cassius stood up and in his rage, threw some glasses and plates to the ground as he stormed out of the Great Hall. Lots of people looked between him and Jade but mostly at the tall, blonde guy until he left and could not longer be seen.
Jade looked unimpressed while people around her were horrified. Chantel was nearby and she was taking deep breaths. That was Jade's strong fort, showing nothing of how she actually felt, that made people angrier and gave her an advantage.
What would she earn if she started screaming at Cassius? Both screaming at each other while all the school looked at them and heard everything? What would she achieve? Nothing. She sometimes felt like doing it but she had learnt to get her emotions out in a calm way, and seeing how angry people can get was a better reward to her than losing your voice, probably the argument too and getting nowhere.
Jade tried to keep eating but she wasn't hungry anymore. She kept thinking what her father would do if Cass actually told him something. It wouldn't be good. Women had to be respectful, especially of their husbands. This could make a lot of chaos between the families. She knew she would get punished but she also knew he would be too. For having the intention of sleeping with another girl and for the simple fact that the girl was indeed a mud-blood was problematic for both but mostly to Cassius and he knew it.
Not only there were several fake rumours about her and Cassius, most of them in his favour but now this... It wasn't good. At least her brother wasn't there to see it, she was glad about that but he would eventually hear it from someone, probably from Cassius himself, if he was faster than the twins, who couldn't keep quiet.
Draco wasn't present either, which might be good. He almost punched him when he found Cassius in the bathroom with the other girl and now that they had finally admitted how they felt towards each other, Draco would be even more protective of her. Not like she needed it, but Jade knew he wouldn't let anyone treat her any less than she deserved. Draco had made that clear and that troubled her as she didn't want him to get into troubles, or give away how he felt about Jade.
A day later, Ron was next to her for Transfiguration and he obviously brought up what Jade wanted to forget. Jade knew from the moment he sat. He was acting even more weird than normal.
"What happened?" Ron asked.
"You saw it, so why are you asking?"
"I didn't hear the whole thing from the other side of the room," Ron complaint. "Are you okay?"
"I'm always okay," Jade said.
"No, you and I both know that isn't true."
"And we both know I don't want to talk about it, so can you shut up, Weasley?" Jade said, irritated.
She had already discussed it with Draco, with her brother, who insisted she had to apologize, and now Ron also wanted to talk about it... so, no. Jade didn't have the patience for that.
For Valentine's day Jade did as she planned. She went to some shops and places with her friends and then without anyone noticing, Draco sort of kidnapped her. He grabbed her hand and pulled her into a dark alley.
There, both stood in front of each other, very close, trying to hide from the group. Once they were gone, Jade smiled at Draco, a real smile, and pecked his lips, which made Draco blush.
They had their first kiss that night when they went back to Hogwarts, they were the last to stay in the common room. Draco made the first move but he was nervous and sort of froze. So Jade just leant in a bit more and finally her lips met his and this time that she was kissing Draco she actually felt something. With Ron, it was only the excitement of doing something so risky and the new sensation, but she felt nothing. She now knew. It was so different kissing someone you actually had feelings for.
They walked quite for a bit to a frozen lake, it was almost outside of Hogsmeade so not many people reached that part of the town. Luckily, it was still really cold; they started to ice-ski in it, something they hadn't done in years. Jade fell as she tried to go backwards, making Draco laugh at her.
She stood up and tried again but she fell again but this time she tripped over Draco, so he fell too. The two stayed on the ice, laughing. Then they both stood up and skied around the lake very gracefully. At the end, Draco grabbed her hands and while he went backwards, she went forwards. He pulled her towards him, she wrapped her arms around his waist and he did the same.
His grey eyes looked even lighter now and Jade couldn't help but stare at them, plus they didn't look cold and empty now, her own eyes were mostly green at the moment with a little spark of blue in her left eye, something that few had been able to see. That little blue part was rarely visible in her eye. Actually, it was the first time Draco was seeing it or maybe he just hadn't really paid enough attention.
Draco couldn't resist any longer and kissed her once again, as they kept moving. Eventually they came to a stop and Draco pulled away, he moved her hands to her face and caressed her cheeks. She blushed and looked down.
Usually Jade wouldn't say she felt happy. She could say she was bored, frustrated, angry, satisfied, proud... but not happy. But now she could say she was. It was a weird and different emotion but pleasant. She was so happy nothing did matter. She forgot about her parents, school, her fake friends, even Cassius and her brother.
And it was the same case for Draco. It was weird seeing Draco smiling for real, not a fake smile or a smirk, and now he couldn't just not smile.
Unlike Jade, who started liking him during the summer before their third year when they spent every day together, mostly playing Quidditch so she could be ready to try for the Chaser position. Draco started liking her when he was nine. She was the only person who showed she truly cared about him. He was upset over his father one day and instead of telling him to grow up or ignore him, she took him to a playground near their houses. They sat on the swings and she told him to let it out but there was one condition, after telling her everything he had to let it go and stop being down and throughout the years whenever he had a problem she was always there for him, he knew she would actually listen and not use it against him or mock him.
Draco sometimes found it difficult to see that caring Jade and then seeing the cold, sarcastic girl that no one could hurt. It was like it wasn't the same person. She sometimes was also sarcastic to him but she knew when to be and when to stop and somehow she knew when he was upset so she would only give him a look and he knew they would talk later.
Neither of them wanted the day to end, as they could only be like this outside school, away from everyone else. Since they started dating, about six weeks ago, things got complicated as they had to hide it and they both knew how important it was to hide it.
Not only things were already tense between her future husband, but this... this would make everything explode. She knew it was technically allowed but her father had shown her 'better' and to respect, and she knew she would be greatly punished by her actions and everything would come to an end.
Jade didn't know, no one really didn't know, but her parents never considered Draco as a possible husband for her because of how close in age they were. They wanted someone older, two to five years older. They knew the Malfoys were a respectable family and if they had had another daughter they would have consider him.
Draco and Jade made the last couple of hours they had worthwhile. They kept skiing as they did when they were younger and from time to time one of them would steal a kiss or two.
Hello guys!
Let me know your opinions of Cassius and of Jade/Draco :) And anyone can suggest a ship name? I can't think of anything that actually sounds good. Like for Cass and Jade, Cade sounds good, even Jassius... LOL
By the way I'm getting more into a routine lately (about time) But I need to start waking up earlier. Any advice?
Hope you've had a good weekend :D
