Chapter 6—

Cassie stumbled for words "Erm... well, Marina, You know, I was just headed back to the common room because... well… Rochie is doing my homework and I told her I would nick her food from the kitchens."

"Oh!" She said brightly "I'll go with you! The houselves just ADORE me!"

Cassie felt her heart sink "No, really. Erm… They don't have any food. I've been there already. Kay?" and with that she turned and ran and didn't stop running until she was right outside the common room. Rochie and Lukas were at it again. Rochie obviously had just woken up. Not wanting to be seen, Cassie hid in the shadows.

"Did you have bad dreams stalker?" Lukas said in a rumbling deep voice.

"No. Look, Atsushi-paul-Shades-damnit. Lukas! Look Lukas. I don't like it when you watch me while I sleep" Cassie thought Rochie was doing quite well. She was blushing horribly over her stumble over names. She had heard the names Paul and Shades before. But never Atsushi… though the name did sound familiar.

Cassie noticed Lukas's eyes suddenly burn red. Rochie noticed too but she didn't back away. Good for her. I have to remind myself to tell her good job Cassie thought to herself.

"Lukas… what is it?" Rochie asked, her voice tentative

"You just called me 3 different guys names." He said slowly. His voice was deadly. It almost FELT like knives stabbing you 100 times. Cassie had to hand it to Lukas, his voice had power.

"I – did I?" Rochie asked, backing away slightly.

"Yes," Said Lukas. "You did. Don't walk away from me."

Lukas and Rochie were still on opposite sides of the table. Everyone in the common room had backed away and were watching from the safe sidelines.

"Are you seeing 3 other people?" he asked, he picked up her quill and it instantly burst into flames.

"N-no Lukas, God. No!" Rochie said her voice cracking. Lukas made a roar like a lion and flipped the table over.

"It's those goddamned Japanese crossdressers isn't it!" He yelled coming towards Rochie "ISn't it!"

"N-No!" she yelled back. She was now visibly shaking. Everyone else in the Common Room was silent. "God, Lukas, Please! Please, Listen to yourself! Does this make sense? Does it sound like something I would do? I'm not Emily for god sake!"

"HEY!" Emily interjected indignantly

"SHUT UP!" Rochie and Lukas yelled turning in her direction.

"Anyway. ROCHELLE! YOU ARE SEEING ONE OF THOSE JAPANESE PEOPLE AREN'T YOU!"

"For God's sake Lukas, get a GRIP!" Yelled Rochie.

Lukas then walked straight up to Rochie and grabbed her by the shoulders and held her up from the ground and started to shake her. "You're mine damnit! Can't you see I love you! I fucking love you stalker!" Lukas screamed. The silence in the Common Room was tangible.

"You…I…What?" Rochie asked. "No. I… Lukas. Please set me down." She said. Cassie stepped up.

"She doesn't belong to anybody Lukas Lovegood." She sounded braver than she felt. Lukas was staring at her with his red eyes. It wasn't quite like looking into Luna's…Cassie suddenly felt herself wondering if Luna's eyes turned red when she was mad… and what it would be like to look into them. Would she be scared the way Rochie was of Lukas? Probably not she decided.

"No. That is not true" Lukas said

"yes it is. Now. Let her go, or we start using wands. I know you do not want that." Cassie said. Lukas gave her an I'd-like-to-see-you-try look. Cassie caught Rochies' eyes looking for what to do next. Rochie blinked and nodded her head slightly toward the table. Cassie looked and saw the journal.

She dived for it and held it up. "Want me to read this to the-" Cassie couldn't finish the sentence because Lukas dropped Rochie and got out his wand and yelled "Stupify!"

"no!" Rochie yelled. She picked up her wand. "Shinjitsu!"

Lukas got knocked back onto the floor and was tied down. A curse he himself had used on her.

"You turn my curses on me, Stalker?" he asked sneering.

"Yes. Now. I do not belong to you. I belong to no one. I am sorry that you love me and I will not follow your every move but you have to get over it okay? We are not promised to each other. I love you, of course. But we are not promised to eachother. Hell, we're not even dating. So don't even fucking say that you and I are bound together. Shut the fuck up and stay out of my life. Don't get pissed that I say some other guys name on accident when god knows how many girls you're seeing right now, Because I know I'm not your only. You're not the type to stick to one. And I know that. Now just… leave me alone for a while." Then she turned to the crowd "If you would be ever so kind as to go away I would be very happy." Rochie said all of this in her slow deadly voice that never failed to get the reaction that she wanted. Everyone was gaping at Rochie. She took the curse off of Lukas and Emily has enervated Cassie. "You alright Cass?" She asked, leaning by her

"I-yes I'm fine." She said "Rochie are you okay?"

"I'm going to go to bed. If you could do the charms homework and have me copy it I would be very happy. And…find Hermione if you can, ask her if I could borrow her Arithmacy homework. I'll never finish in the time allowed."

"Rochie are you-"

"Cassie. Not now. I just want to go to bed." And with that Rochie went to the dormitory leaving a silenced crowd behind her.

Once in there she flung herself on the bed, broke down and cried harder than she had in years and was thankful no one could hear her.