Chapter 7

Cassius was hanging out with several Durmstrang students along with a mixture of Hufflepuffs and other Slytherins.

He was helping out his friend with a Potion's essay when someone sat down on his other side.

"I know you're taking Zwart." Beth Christensen said, her voice quiet.

Cassius kept his composure.

"Where did you hear that?" He asked, his voice even.

"Don't play stupid. I know you're trying to get too close to her and the ball is the best opportunity for you." She hissed.

"Why does it matter so much to you?" Cassius asked.

"You should take a Slytherin. Don't make a statement, just stick with us." She hissed quickly.

"You need to mind your own business. You don't know what you're talking about, nor what I am doing." Cassius told her coolly.

"Warrin-" Beth started.

"Cassie!"

He looked up to see the girl and his heart flipped at the sight of her.

"Not now, Nickolay, my cousin just left and I need to find him." Cassie said, talking to the Durmstrang boy.

"Do not worry about your cousin! Come, come, I have a friend who vants to meet you." Nickolay was walking over to her.

No one was following him.

"I said no." Cassie snapped at him.

Cassius stood up, putting the essay down.

"Come now, I thought ve have vorked out our differences?" Nickolay was starting to sound angry.

"The last time we talked, you took my dessert without asking." She deadpanned.

Cassius cracked a smirk but quickly straightened his face out.

"Did you see where Draco went?" Cassie asked.

"Malfoy went to the dungeons," Cassius said.

Malfoy always went to the common room when he wasn't with Cassie.

"Thank you!" Cassie said and hurried down the stairs.

Cassius waited until Nickolay turned around and rejoined the group. They stared at each other until they both sat down together.

Cassius didn't like how Nickolay went to Cassie.

After checking the dungeon door every few minutes, Cassius was relieved when the Durmstrang students started to head towards the lake to their ship.

He tried not to seem like he was in a hurry to find Cassie before anyone else, but he was excited and relieved and flustered when he did find her.

"Zwart, have you found him yet?" He called down the corridor.

Cassie turned around and shook her head, "no."

"Come with me." He gestured and started to lead her farther into the dungeons.

Cassius listened to Cassie's footsteps, part of him excited and other parts of him screaming to just kiss her already.

"Wait here for a second," Cassius turned his head so that Cassie would stop at a corner.

"Okay?" Cassie questioned, looking around.

Cassius walked down to the wall he knew was the entrance to the common room.

The wall asked for the password and he gave it. Cassius waited until the wall was done moving.

"Zwart!" He called out.

Cassie poked her head around the corner, causing the inner Cassius to snicker.

"Where did that come from?" Cassie asked when she joined Cassius.

"It's the Slytherin common room, I think Malfoy is in here." Cassius said and held his hand out to Cassie.

'What am I doing?' He asked himself.

"It's for your protection, mostly." Cassius said when Cassie didn't take his hand.

"Does this mean I have to bring you into the Gryffindor common room?" Cassie asked.

Cassius couldn't help the laugh that escaped him.

"No, you don't have a reason to take me there. We're looking for Malfoy." He answered.

"Don't you think your fellow housemates will renounce you or something?" Cassie asked.

Cassius blinked down at the girl.

"Take my hand, Cassie." He shook his hand lightly.

"No, if you think Draco is in your common room then go get him. I'm not going in." Cassie folded her arms and shook her head at him.

Cassius rolled his eyes.

It only took two steps to reach her, and a swift movement to pick her up and throw her over his shoulder.

He wasn't expecting her to be as heavy as she was, but also light.

'She's a Quidditch Player.' He had to remind himself.

"I don't want to go in!" Cassie spoke a little louder.

Cassius was glad she couldn't see his face, he was sure he was blushing.

"Cassius?"

Cassius turned around and almost panicked. He forgot that he had Cassie over his shoulder.

But breathed a sigh of relief when he felt her head tuck into his back.

"Hey Beth, hey Dean." Cassius waved.

Beth Christensen was a girl who had a sudden dislike for Cassie one day. Dean was a friend of Cassius's and they had started dating earlier that year.

"What are you doing with Zwart?" Dean asked.

"She's looking for Malfoy, I'm taking her to find him." Cassius turned around and headed into the open wall.

"I do not want to go into the Slytherin common room!" Cassie started to wiggle, but not enough to fall out of Cassius' grip.

"Cassius, you shouldn't be taking someone from a different house inside! Especially her!" Beth snapped, letting go of Dean's hand and trying to get around Cassius.

"What has she done to you? You've had it out for her since her first year. One visit from a Gryffindor won't kill you."

Cassius enjoyed the look of fury from Beth he got, but continued on.

"Hey," Cassie said behind Cassius.

"Hey?" Dean answered.

"How's your day going?"

Cassius let out a laugh at how casual Cassie sounded as he walked with her over his shoulder.

He was trying not to pay attention to her butt.

"It was a normal day." Dean answered as the lighting in the corridor changed to a murky green.

"Mine too." Cassie sighed.

"Cassius!" Cassius was greeted by several of his house mates.

"Who's your friend?" Astrid asked, not recognizing the girl on his shoulder.

Cassius put the girl down.

The common room erupted.

"What the hell?" Astrid asked.

"A Gryffindor!" Someone else exclaimed.

"Black's kid, are you kidding me?"

"Seriously Warrington!?"

Cassius pulled Cassie closer to him.

Astrid's nostrils flared but no one noticed.

"Where's Malfoy? She's looking for him." Cassius repeated the same two sentences until he was heard.

Cassie was looking around the common room.

"Does it matter? She shouldn't be in here!" Someone shouted.

"I don't want to be here! Warrington threw me over his shoulder!" Cassie said defensively.

"Warrington!"

Draco Malfoy was running down the boys dormitory with Gregory Goyle.

"There, that was easy." Cassius grinned down at the girl.

Astrid's heart had a little pang but she brushed it away.

He never smiled at her like that.


During the weeks leading up to the Yule Ball, Cassius used any excuse he could come up with to find Cassie in the hallways.

He wished he could talk to her more often, but he just couldn't think of a reason to do so. Especially since he hadn't told anyone he was taking her to the ball.

Several of the girls in his house, and in other houses have asked him, and he politely told them no, but Astrid was getting suspicious of him.

"You know, you do have to take someone, right?" She asked him casually.

"I know." Cassius nodded.

When he saw Cassie going to the library with Hermione, he made up an excuse to check out a book in the library and followed them there.

He was browsing the shelves, looking for anything that could help him with his Transfiguration essay.

"Warrington?" Cassie whispered.

"I never did ask, what color are you wearing?" Cassius asked the girl, turning to her.

"Red… but I can change it?" Cassie answered.

"No, it's okay. I have black robes and I want to compliment you, not the other way around." Cassius put the book he was holding down.

"Oh okay." Cassie said.

Cassius didn't give himself time to hesitate, he put his hand on her lower back.

"Don't worry about anything. I want you to have fun at this dance." His voice was low.

Cassie started to flush, and it stirred something in him.

"Have you told anyone who you were taking yet?" She asked, her voice just a little breathless.

He couldn't help the lazy grin on his face as he saw her hair start to turn pink.

"No, not yet. Christensen has an idea but doesn't have proof. You really pissed her off." Cassius said, moving his hand from her back and brushing her hair out of face.

She started to flush some more.

"I don't know what I did." Cassie said, putting her hand on his.

"She won't say. But that's not our business, we're going to the ball together, that's what I'm focused on." Cassius whispered.

"Okay." Cassie nodded.

He let go of her hand, and put his lightly on her cheek.

She flinched.

"I admire that you have no shame in wearing your scars. But why do you hide these ones?" He traced his thumb down the scar on her face, but he looked pointedly at her left arm.

"When I got them, I was trying to get to Harry. I tried walking through fire to get to him and the fire was cursed. I hide them so that he doesn't feel guilty about it." She answered, taking a small step backwards.

Clearly she was trying to get some space between them.

"I see." He said, reaching for her hand and letting her take the step back.

'She really did try? I thought that was a rumor…' He thought to himself, just a little bit of worry in his mind.

"You are fourteen?" Cassius asked.

"Yes." Cassie nodded.

He cupped her cheek again, his thumb at the bottom of her scar.

'This may be harder than I thought. If she was willing to walk through fire for a boy she only knew for a few months…' He didn't allow himself to finish the thought.

He didn't realize that he was getting closer to her until he looked at her lips, and then back up into her storm grey eyes.

He stopped for just a second, debating on whether to kiss her now or later. So he grinned and kissed her cheek, right on her scar.

"I'll meet you at the bottom of the staircase. We'll go into the Great Hall together." He waved and then disappeared through the bookshelves.

He took his time as he left the library, wanting to think about what she had told him.

'If I can show her that siding with the Dark Lord is the better option, I have a chance. Why would she stay friends with someone who she is willing to get hurt for? Surely he must have told her to go after him?' Cassius thought to himself.


Thank you for reading!