By Monday morning Cassandra was a big hit in Gryffindor tower. All the little ones loved her sweet and bubbly personality. Seventh year guys were crazy about her interest in Quidditch. Ron, especially, took a strong liking to her, as hard as he tried to hide it.
Hermione thought that if she really tried, she too, would learn to like Cassandra. So far, she seemed to be stealing all of the attention Hermione should have been getting from Harry away from her. Not cool, Hermione mumbled to herself.
"Hey Hermione! Rise and shine!" Cassandra hollered.
Hermione groaned. "What time is it?" she asked crankily.
"Five sharp in the morning. Don't you love waking up early and looking at the sunrise? It's just oh so romantic!" Cassandra exclaimed as she danced around.
"Cassandra! How on Earth can you stay up till two with the guys discussion Quidditch and still manage to wake up at five in the morning? That's like three hours of sleep!" Hermione scolded.
"Oh, I always do it back home in New York! My mom stays out later than I do. It's funny," Cassandra replied.
"Well, now that you've woken me up, what are we going to do till eight? That's when class starts. It sure doesn't take me three hours to get ready!" Hermione insisted.
"Oh, how can it not? It takes me forever to take my shower, paint my nails, fix my hair, and so on..." Cassandra said.
"Why do you paint your nails in the morning?" Hermione asked with another groan.
"I don't know. It's fun!" Cassandra replied by means of an answer.
"Don't tell me paint your nails every single crazy day," Hermione said.
"Oh, but it keeps my nails so good and strong!" Cassandra exclaimed.
Hermione rolled her eyes.
"Well, Hermione! I think I'm going to go take a little shower now!" Cassandra exclaimed running into the bathroom. "See you in a few!"
Hermione groaned again. What am I going to do now? Well, I suppose I can re-check my Potions homework... although I did four times already. Snape can not possibly find any mistakes in it. Each multiple choice question was followed up by a short essay...
After thirty minutes Cassandra walked out of the shower with a towel rapped around her slim stature.
"Great Flamel! You don't think that took long enough?" Hermione asked.
"Oh, I always spend like half an hour in the shower. It takes me half an hour more to blow dry my crazy hair," Cassandra explained.
Hermione looked at her as though her hair wasn't the only thing crazy about her.
"I'm so glad Harry let me try out for the Quidditch team! You guys are great and it's so much fun, really! Harry's an amazing Seeker. Isn't he the youngest member of the Gryffindor Quidditch team since like 100 years ago? That is too cool!" Cassandra exclaimed.
She ran to her closet and pulled out a bright pink tank top and white jeans with a hot pink robe. "I'm going to go change and blow dry my hair now!" she said in a singsong voice as she ran back into the bathroom.
Hermione looked at the clock. It was now 5:45. She went back to her bed and got back under the covers, staring out the window. After a while she closed her eyes and dreamt a good dream about her and Harry...
~*~
"Hi Cassandra! Hi Hermione!" Harry exclaimed as he saw the two girls walk into the Great Hall for some breakfast before class.
They both smiled and waved to him. Then Ron sat down with his stack of pancakes and maple syrup.
"Hey Ron!" Cassandra exclaimed with one of her cutest smiles.
Ron blushed. "Hey," he replied self-consciously.
Parvati and Lavender walked in just then. They went over to Harry and threw their arms around him. What's so strange and unusual about that? Hermione wondered. They only do that like every single day. I'm not surprised it doesn't drive their little "Harry-kins" crazy...
"So... what classes do we have on this beautiful day?" Cassandra asked Hermione optimistically.
"Double Potions and Care of Magical Creatures with Slytherin," Hermione supplied without looking up from her toast.
"Sounds like fun!" Cassandra exclaimed.
If it was anything, that day was not fun!
~*~
They arrived in the cold Potions dungeons before Snape had. The whole Slytherin lot was there. They were jumping around and making fun of poor Neville Longbottom. Then Draco Malfoy noticed Cassandra. He walked over to her.
"Hey, what are you doing here? Are you a stupid Mudblood? Get off our lame Hogwarts property!" he exclaimed angrily.
"I am hardly a Muggle. Well, I suppose I am... My mother was a Witch, but my father was Muggle. Doesn't that make me half and half?" Cassandra asked with a grin.
Draco looked very confused. He hated being confused. With a nasty grin he retorted, "Okay, so the girl knows a little bit. What are you doing here anyway? You're not a idiotic Gryffindor. I would have noticed you before."
"You know, you could be a little bit nicer. My name is Cassandra Nicole Taylor, preferably Cassandra. What's yours?"
"Draco Malfoy. It's a much better name than yours," Draco replied sullenly.
"Yeah right! I love my name, thank you very much. Personally... though... I think your name could use a little work!" Cassandra retorted.
"Oh, is that so?" Draco asked, trying to sound very mighty.
"Yeah, it is," Cassandra replied defensively.
"Well, then... I suggest you watch out Taylor... If you know what's good for you that is," Draco said slyly as he walked back over to the Slytherin side of the dungeon.
Cassandra stuck her tongue out at him and then giggled.
"What are you laughing about?" Hermione cried. "You've just decided to mess with the wrong person!"
"What are you talking about Hermione? It's about time someone stood up to that jerk!" Harry exclaimed.
Ouch! Hermione just felt Harry push her aside and start talking to Cassandra again. She felt hurt and angry. This is not cool, she thought. This is not cool at all.
Hermione thought that if she really tried, she too, would learn to like Cassandra. So far, she seemed to be stealing all of the attention Hermione should have been getting from Harry away from her. Not cool, Hermione mumbled to herself.
"Hey Hermione! Rise and shine!" Cassandra hollered.
Hermione groaned. "What time is it?" she asked crankily.
"Five sharp in the morning. Don't you love waking up early and looking at the sunrise? It's just oh so romantic!" Cassandra exclaimed as she danced around.
"Cassandra! How on Earth can you stay up till two with the guys discussion Quidditch and still manage to wake up at five in the morning? That's like three hours of sleep!" Hermione scolded.
"Oh, I always do it back home in New York! My mom stays out later than I do. It's funny," Cassandra replied.
"Well, now that you've woken me up, what are we going to do till eight? That's when class starts. It sure doesn't take me three hours to get ready!" Hermione insisted.
"Oh, how can it not? It takes me forever to take my shower, paint my nails, fix my hair, and so on..." Cassandra said.
"Why do you paint your nails in the morning?" Hermione asked with another groan.
"I don't know. It's fun!" Cassandra replied by means of an answer.
"Don't tell me paint your nails every single crazy day," Hermione said.
"Oh, but it keeps my nails so good and strong!" Cassandra exclaimed.
Hermione rolled her eyes.
"Well, Hermione! I think I'm going to go take a little shower now!" Cassandra exclaimed running into the bathroom. "See you in a few!"
Hermione groaned again. What am I going to do now? Well, I suppose I can re-check my Potions homework... although I did four times already. Snape can not possibly find any mistakes in it. Each multiple choice question was followed up by a short essay...
After thirty minutes Cassandra walked out of the shower with a towel rapped around her slim stature.
"Great Flamel! You don't think that took long enough?" Hermione asked.
"Oh, I always spend like half an hour in the shower. It takes me half an hour more to blow dry my crazy hair," Cassandra explained.
Hermione looked at her as though her hair wasn't the only thing crazy about her.
"I'm so glad Harry let me try out for the Quidditch team! You guys are great and it's so much fun, really! Harry's an amazing Seeker. Isn't he the youngest member of the Gryffindor Quidditch team since like 100 years ago? That is too cool!" Cassandra exclaimed.
She ran to her closet and pulled out a bright pink tank top and white jeans with a hot pink robe. "I'm going to go change and blow dry my hair now!" she said in a singsong voice as she ran back into the bathroom.
Hermione looked at the clock. It was now 5:45. She went back to her bed and got back under the covers, staring out the window. After a while she closed her eyes and dreamt a good dream about her and Harry...
~*~
"Hi Cassandra! Hi Hermione!" Harry exclaimed as he saw the two girls walk into the Great Hall for some breakfast before class.
They both smiled and waved to him. Then Ron sat down with his stack of pancakes and maple syrup.
"Hey Ron!" Cassandra exclaimed with one of her cutest smiles.
Ron blushed. "Hey," he replied self-consciously.
Parvati and Lavender walked in just then. They went over to Harry and threw their arms around him. What's so strange and unusual about that? Hermione wondered. They only do that like every single day. I'm not surprised it doesn't drive their little "Harry-kins" crazy...
"So... what classes do we have on this beautiful day?" Cassandra asked Hermione optimistically.
"Double Potions and Care of Magical Creatures with Slytherin," Hermione supplied without looking up from her toast.
"Sounds like fun!" Cassandra exclaimed.
If it was anything, that day was not fun!
~*~
They arrived in the cold Potions dungeons before Snape had. The whole Slytherin lot was there. They were jumping around and making fun of poor Neville Longbottom. Then Draco Malfoy noticed Cassandra. He walked over to her.
"Hey, what are you doing here? Are you a stupid Mudblood? Get off our lame Hogwarts property!" he exclaimed angrily.
"I am hardly a Muggle. Well, I suppose I am... My mother was a Witch, but my father was Muggle. Doesn't that make me half and half?" Cassandra asked with a grin.
Draco looked very confused. He hated being confused. With a nasty grin he retorted, "Okay, so the girl knows a little bit. What are you doing here anyway? You're not a idiotic Gryffindor. I would have noticed you before."
"You know, you could be a little bit nicer. My name is Cassandra Nicole Taylor, preferably Cassandra. What's yours?"
"Draco Malfoy. It's a much better name than yours," Draco replied sullenly.
"Yeah right! I love my name, thank you very much. Personally... though... I think your name could use a little work!" Cassandra retorted.
"Oh, is that so?" Draco asked, trying to sound very mighty.
"Yeah, it is," Cassandra replied defensively.
"Well, then... I suggest you watch out Taylor... If you know what's good for you that is," Draco said slyly as he walked back over to the Slytherin side of the dungeon.
Cassandra stuck her tongue out at him and then giggled.
"What are you laughing about?" Hermione cried. "You've just decided to mess with the wrong person!"
"What are you talking about Hermione? It's about time someone stood up to that jerk!" Harry exclaimed.
Ouch! Hermione just felt Harry push her aside and start talking to Cassandra again. She felt hurt and angry. This is not cool, she thought. This is not cool at all.