Chapter 16
With the third task coming closer, Cassius was realizing that he wasn't spending as much time with Cassie as he would have liked. They were still sneaking around and kissing each other. Though as the Third Task came closer, Cassie wasn't sneaking around as much.
She was helping Potter with all the spells he could use. Cassius was in his seventh year and knew more spells than he thought he was going to need in the future. He didn't need the practice, but Astrid was trying to help him as much as she could.
If Cassius would let her, that is.
When Cassius did manage to get some time with Cassie, he was trying to take things slow with her. He was trying so hard. But she was just so delicious.
When she moved against him, it drove him wild. How she gasped and moaned for him with every flick of his tongue on his neck; how she pushed into his touch when he was touching her skin.
Knowing that Cassius was the first person to make her feel these things; he wanted to be her first for everything.
When he returned to her at the end of the year, he was hoping for a night to not only explain himself, but that she would desire him as much as he does her.
A couple weeks have passed since the second task. And Cassius was pacing in the common, in his hand was a letter he had managed to write down earlier, explaining himself.
'Dear mother and father,
I regret to inform you, but I have decided to join Cassie instead. If she chooses to follow the Dark Lord I will follow him, but if not…
I hope you can forgive me. I do love you, and I do hope you can understand and join me. Cassie has opened my eyes to what the world has been like without the Dark Lord. And I agree with her. Everyone is happier and more trusting. When the Dark Lord returns to power, all of that will be gone.
I understand that you're disappointed, I agreed to help turn Cassie to our side so that we can use her powers. But she still hasn't told me herself and I… I have fallen in love with her.'
He ripped it up and threw it into the fire.
"Is everything alright, Cassius?" He turned to see Astrid.
She was looking at the paper as it burnt.
"Everything is fine, Astrid." He said and sat down on the couch.
"You can talk to me. I know you can't tell me everything that's going to happen, but I'm here." She said as she sat down next to him.
Cassius nodded and stared at the letter as it turned to ash.
"Astrid, why are we doing this?" He asked, sounding far away.
"Doing what?" Astrid asked in a calm voice.
"Doing this." Cassius waved his hand. "Doing what they want. Have we ever actually made a decision for ourselves? One that was not orchestrated to happen, or that suddenly had an advantage that could be used?"
"I don't understand?" Astrid had an idea what he was talking about, but didn't want to believe it. "Who are 'they'?"
"Our parents." He answered.
Astrid's heart stopped for a second.
"We do what they want because they know what's best for us. They have seen the world at its worst and want to protect us from that. We have made decisions for ourselves, remember when you and I tried dating? Neither of our parents tried to get that to happen."
"But they were disappointed when we broke up." Cassius interrupted her. "They said we would have made a good match and it was a shame we didn't try harder." He looked at her.
Astrid was starting to get warm under her cloak.
"That doesn't mean they didn't see an advantage to it." He pointed to her.
The flush grew up her neck.
"It was a good match between the two of us, the advantage would have been the two families joining as one." She said, her tone had a bite to it.
"You don't understand." Cassius shook his head and stood up.
"Don't understand what?" Astrid stood up as well.
"How other people see us." A new voice joined their conversation.
Cassius and Astrid looked over to the boy's dormitory staircase. Draco had joined them downstairs.
"Why does that matter?" Astrid asked.
"It matters because I would rather have friends who want to be with me because they want to be, rather than being coerced into it because they're afraid of what will happen if they don't." Draco was looking at Cassius when he answered that.
Cassius knew then just what Draco Malfoy was going through.
He was the Prince of Slytherin. And suddenly Cassie Zwart came and decided she wanted to be friends with him rather than just live with him. Cassie Zwart wanted to be your friend because it was her decision, not being influenced by parents who want her on the Dark Lord's side. Not being influenced by any outside sources.
Cassius doubted that if she did have visions and they involved him, she would change her mind about their relationship.
Astrid looked between the two men, and knew that something about Cassie Zwart had them thinking this way.
"It's never been a bother before, doing what our parents said, letting them tell us how to make friends and who to make friends with. Why is it now?" She asked.
"You wouldn't understand." Cassius said and walked across the room to start heading up the boys dormitory.
Draco followed suit, leaving Astrid standing by the fire alone.
'What is so special about Cassie Zwart?' She thought, her fists clenching at her sides.
Shout out to mioneandgin for adding this story to your favorite and following list!
Shout out to Pamela Hutchins for leaving a review!
Pamela Hutchins: I have the Harry Potter books on tape so that when I'm driving I'm listening to the story and I try to imagine how Cassie would react to the situation and with how the events in the fourth book went I have to change some things around to make it my personal cannon and you have no idea how excited I am! I can only imagine how excited you must be for it!
