AN: OKAY, OKAY, I KNOW! I totally abandoned you guys for over a month! I'm really really really really REALLY sorry! My Christmas break wasn't nearly as boring as it was expected to be, and school's been a nightmare, I just finished my midterms last week and I haven't had much of a chance to get my outlines together! So, again, I'm really, truly, terribly sorry! I'm giving shout-outs this time to my few reviewers to make up for it!

PrinstonGirl1 – ummmmm . . . why does something tell me you were on sugar when you reviewed? (LoL, I'm just kidding, Nikki.)

BenjiMaddenFreek – you wonder…? I plan to keep writing, hopefully more often than this!

Mirrorimage of Hermione – wow, what a long review . . . well, you'll just have to read and see what their newly discovered power is and/or originated from. Also . . . you've probably figured this out already, since you reviewed, like, over a month ago, but the Read Me First link on the login page tells you how to post. ;-)

And now, after I've acknowledged my three SOLITARY reviewers, onto the very long awaited chapter!

xXx-xXx-xXx-xXx-xXx-xXx-xXx-xXx

Last time:

"But, orange sherbet, what kind of a password is that?" asked Draco. 'It's not even a candy!' he thought.

"Well, it could be a flavor of a candy, so it's close enough to being a candy," responded Cassandra.

Draco stopped dead in his tracks and looked right at Cassandra.

'Cassandra, look at me,' he thought, and she turned around.

"What?" she asked.

'I'm not saying anything,' he thought to her. Her eyes widened.

'Oh God . . .'

xXx-xXx-xXx

Present:

"Draco, we need to go straight back to Dumbledore!" said Cassandra immediately.

"We – We do?" he asked, bewildered.

"Yes! He needs to know about this!" she said, and turned right back around, strode toward the gargoyle, and said, loudly and clearly, "Orange sherbet!" The gargoyle came to life and moved aside, allowing them entrance to the revolving staircase, which Cassandra stepped onto, Draco at her heels.

Once they reached the large wooden door that separated the two of them from Dumbledore, Cassandra walked purposefully up to it and knocked loudly. The door opened of its own accord, and she walked in, followed by a hesitating Draco.

'WHY does he need to know, Cassy?' he thought.

'Because he just does, trust me on this one, all right?' she responded.

When Dumbledore saw the two students he had just dismissed returning back into his office, he was a bit surprised, but hid it quickly.

"And what brings you two back so soon?" he asked kindly.

"Professor, Draco and I have just discovered that we can read each others minds, and we want to know what is going on," said Cassandra quickly. This time, Dumbledore did not attempt to hide his astonishment.

"Mister Malfoy, is this true?"

"Yes, sir," he responded.

"Can either of you think of anything that might have caused this? Have you had this ability before? Twins have been known to sense what the other is thinking or feeling prior to this."

"Well, the only time that Draco and I ever read each other's minds was about two weeks ago, when Professor Snape had us test our Carlisus Potion on each other…it allowed us to read the other's mind for exactly 24 hours," said Cassandra.

"And after the twenty-four hours, the effects wore off?" asked Dumbledore.

"I don't remember hearing anyone's thoughts but my own after that day until right now, Professor," said Draco. "And I'm dead curious as to why this is happening all of a sudden."

"Well, I think this is a matter to be discussed with Professor Snape," said Dumbledore, and he walked over to his fireplace and called Snape up to his office in the same way he had two months ago after Cassandra and Draco's detention. This time, however, he did not appear as quickly as he had then. Dumbledore had long since settled him self back behind his desk and offered Cassandra and Draco an armchair each to sit in before Professor Snape came striding into the office.

"Yes, Headmaster? What is…" Snape broke off in mid-sentence as he noticed the twins sitting there. "You two again! What have you done this time? And I don't want to hear another crackpot story about some talking plant!"

"Severus, Severus, calm down, please," said Dumbledore evenly. "This is something much more serious than a detention. It appears as though the potion you assigned these two students approximately two weeks ago – the Carlisus Potion – has given them the permanent ability to 'read' each other's minds. Do have some sort of explanation for this?"

Snape was silent for a moment, and to Cassandra it was impossible to tell if he was simply thinking or still angry over being summoned to Dumbledore's office again. Eventually, he spoke.

"Headmaster, the only time the Carlisus Potion had lasting effects was some two hundred years ago when it was taken by a set of twins. So unless these two students are twins – which is impossible– than they must have performed some sort of illegal spell on themselves, which merits an immediate suspension," said Snape silkily. Cassandra and Draco looked at each other, and then at Dumbledore, who looked back at them, and then at Snape.

"Well, Severus, nothing is impossible, only improbable. And, although it is unlikely that Cassandra and Draco are twins, they, in fact, are. May I present to you the two Malfoy children, born of Lucius and Narcissa Malfoy?" said Dumbledore, his eyes twinkling merrily. It took a moment for Snape to understand this statement. When it did sink in, his eyes widened with astonishment.

"Headmaster…that would mean…but, no…Calaway can't be…she's not the second Malfoy child, Dumbledore?"

"Yes, Severus. Miss Malfoy is indeed the second Malfoy child. Now, would you mind explaining to them what they need to do about this potion effect?" inquired Dumbledore.

"Oh, yes, right. Well, The Carlisus Potion is a highly advanced Potion, so you're likely to find information on it only in the Restricted Section. Anywhere you look in the regular library will only have instructions on how to make it," said Snape, quickly returning to his usual self.

"I suppose you two should be heading to the library, then," said Dumbledore, and he pulled out a piece of parchment, scribbled something on it, and handed it to Draco. "That is a pass to go to the Restricted Section. If I were you, I'd want to find out as much as I could as soon as I could. You are dismissed."

"Yes, Sir," said Draco and Cassandra, and they got up and walked out of the room. However, just as Cassandra was closing the door behind them, she heard Professor Snape and Professor Dumbledore talking in hushed mutters. And no matter how much she tried to shake it off, she knew she heard one word that stood out.

Prophecy.

"Hey, you go on to the library, I'm going to go and tell Hermione, Harry, and Ron, all right?" said Cassandra to Draco.

"Okay," he replied, and they went in separate directions.

xXx-xXx

Once Cassandra reached the common room, she found Harry and Ron playing a game of wizard's chess and Hermione sitting near them, a homework essay (that most likely wasn't due for another two weeks) spread out in front of her. There were a few other people scattered around, but the common room was otherwise quite empty. Cassandra suspected there were a lot of people out on the grounds, considering the fairly mild weather for November. She walked over to the trio and sat down at their table.

"Cassandra!" said Hermione. "We'd been wondering where you were!"

"Yeah, you just sort of…disappeared," said Ron. Harry said nothing, as he was avidly concentrating on making his next move.

"Well, I have good reason for 'disappearing'," said Cassandra. "I have a lot to tell you in a short amount of time, so pay attention…all three of you," she added, seeing Harry still staring at the chessboard.

"Bishop to C4," said Harry, and then turned to look at Cassandra. "What were you saying?"

"Nothing, yet, except asking you to pay attention. Now, first of all, Draco and I went to see Dumbledore, and, as it turns out, I'm going to be going home for Thanksgivingnext week," said Cassandra excitedly.

"Oh, that's an American holiday where they celebrate the pilgrims' thanks to the Indians for showing them how to live in the new land, isn't it?" said Hermione interestedly.

"Yes, it is, now pay attention, you two!" said Cassandra to Harry and Ron, who were looking at Hermione in disbelief. "Anyway, Draco is coming with me for one day, and he's only allowed because he's my brother. But after we left Dumbledore's office…" Ron cut off Cassandra.

"Knight to C4," he said triumphantly, and his knight proceeded to destroy Harry's bishop. Harry's mouth was open to give another command when Hermione snapped at them both to pay attention.

"Right, anyway…when we left Dumbledore's office, Draco thought something, and I could hear him," said Cassandra. Her friends' reactions were pretty much as she expected them to be: Hermione gasped, Harry's eyes widened and his mouth fell open, and Ron was left looking confused for a moment or two before he finally got it and he started ranting.

"What? But, how could that – I mean, the Carlisus Potion and all, but – you're twins and stuff so shouldn't that be a part of – what?" he ended with when he saw the looks everyone was giving him.

"Ron, when will you learn to just be quiet?" asked Hermione desperately. He said nothing.

"Dumbledore called Snape up to the office and we figured out that because Draco and I are twins, the potion had a lasting effect on us," said Cassandra. "I don't think it would have affected us any differently than anyone else if it weren't for the fact that twins often have the ability to sense the other's feelings. I suppose the Carlisus Potion just permanently enhanced that so now we can know not only what the other is feeling, but exactly what the other is thinking."

"Woah," said Harry and Ron in unison. Hermione, however, seemed completely unfazed.

"We should have expected something like that to happen," she said logically. "Cass, you and Draco need to go straight to the library and…" Cassandra cut her off.

"Way ahead of you, 'Mione. Dumbledore already gave us a pass to the Restricted Section and Draco is at the library now," she stated. Hermione looked surprised.

"Wow. I'll be glad to help you do some research, Cass," she offered.

"Thanks, we could use some help…neither of us is a smart as you," said Cassandra.

"Sure you are," said Hermione, but she was blushing slightly. "Well, let's go then, shall we?"

Cassandra nodded and the two girls stood up and walked out of the common room and towards the library.

xXx-xXx

When they reached it ten minutes later, they spotted Draco sitting at a table, poring over a book. They quickly walked up to him.

"Took you forever," he said, when he noticed them. Cassandra just rolled her eyes.

"Did you get that out of the Restricted Section?" inquired Hermione.

"Umm…no…" said Draco. Hermione slapped him on the wrist and then demanded for him to give her the pass. When he surrendered it, she and Cassandra walked up to Madame Pince and showed her the pass. She saw Dumbledore's name and didn't bother to even check if it was forged like she normally did. Cassandra supposed that was because no one could forge Dumbledore's signature.

"You girls will find books on advanced Potions on the third shelf down…don't go wandering anywhere else!" she said, and watched them closely as they nodded and walked away.

Upon coming to the third shelf, Hermione looked at one side while Cassandra looked at the other.

"Don't grab too many books right now, Cassandra," warned Hermione.

"Why not?" she asked, her arms already laden with Complex Potion Theories, A History of Multifarious Potions, Backgrounds of Hazardous Potions, and Long Lasting Potion Effects That Were Only Supposed To Last A Day Or Less.

"Because first of all, Madame Pince will get suspicious, and secondly, we don't have the time to read all of those," said Hermione, picking up Bizarre Reasons For Bizarre Potion Effects. "Put two of those back and let's get out of here," said Hermione. Cassandra sighed, then placed A History of Multifarious Potions and Backgrounds of Hazardous Potions back on their appropriate shelves. She and Hermione then left the Restricted Section and headed back to the table where Draco was sitting, who had long since returned the book he had been reading back to its shelf.

Cassandra and Hermione dropped the books on the table, and Draco, after scanning the titles, quickly grabbed Long Lasting Potion Effects That Were Only Supposed To Last A Day Or Less since it seemed to be the easiest to understand and the most straightforward. Cassandra and Hermione sat down and opened their respective books to the indexes, and silence came over the three students. The only noise was the turning of pages back and forth.

xXx-xXx

Meanwhile, back in the Gryffindor common room…

"Queen to E6!" said Harry triumphantly, and his queen stopped a space from Ron's King. "Checkmate!"

"What? No, you must have cheated!" Ron exclaimed. Harry hardly ever beat him at wizard's chess.

"No, I won fair and square and you know it!" said Harry, grinning from ear to ear. Ron just slouched down in his chair, his ears red.

xXx-xXx-xXx-xXx-xXx-xXx-xXx-xXx

AN: That's the end of the chapter, yes. I just had to end it on a funny note…it seemed rather lame to end it on them studying books. So, PLEASE REVIEW!

xXx SpicySugar xXx