Kassidy took a sip of the strange soup in front of her, as she listened to Malfoy bragging about how he was the only Slytherin in their year on the Quidditch team. Of course, they all knew Draco hadn't got into the team on skill alone. There were rumours circulating that due to Draco being unable to play in the first tournament due to his 'injury', the game would be played by Hufflepuff instead.

"Does it hurt terribly, Draco?" Pansy asked, her voice full of sweetness.

"It comes and goes. Still, I consider myself lucky…another minute or two and I could have lost my arm—" Draco began, but was cut off by Kassidy, who had dropped her spoon back into her bowl.

"Rubbish" Kassidy scoffed, as she grabbed his arm, still in the sling.

She pulled down the bandage wrapped around his arm, revealing a cut that was quickly healing, showing there was no need for him to have the sling. Draco was quick to shove her away from him, with a huff.

"Like I said…I was lucky" Draco muttered, holding his arm closer to his chest.

"Dramatic is the word I'd use" Kassidy mumbled, hearing Blaise chuckle from across the table.

"Something you'd like to say, Blaise?" Draco exclaimed, the challenge clear in his voice.

"I think you've already said enough, Draco" Blaise smirked, smugly.

Draco childishly stuck his tongue out at the taller boy, as Kassidy couldn't stop the giggle that fell from her lips. Pansy crossed her arms and gave Kassidy a pointed look, obviously annoyed that Kassidy had got in between her flirting with Draco. Kassidy pretended to zip her lips shut, turning back to her soup with a grin.

"He's been sighted! He's been sighted!" A panicked voice broke through the silence, as they all turned to the Gryffindor table.

"Who?" Ron questioned, as the Slytherin group slowly stood up from the table.

"Sirius Black" Seamus Finnigan announced, as Kassidy felt her blood run cold.

Before anyone could stop her, she was marching towards the Gryffindor table, grabbing the newspaper Seamus held, and reading it for herself. Her eyes quickly found where he had been spotted, her hands gripping the paper a little tighter.

"He's been seen in Dovetown" Kassidy mumbled, dropping the newspaper back on the table.

"That's not far from here" Hermione pointed out, as Neville's eyes connected with his sisters.

"You don't think he'd come to Hogwarts…do you?" Neville questioned; the fear clear in his voice.

"He's already slipped past the Dementors once. Who's to say he won't do it again?" Seamus insisted, as the entire hall began to erupt in a panic.

With her hands balled into fists, Kassidy quickly backed away from the crowd, shoving passed Goyle who was trying to grab at the newspaper. Her heart was beating madly as she rushed out of the Great Hall, not sensing Draco's eyes on her. The simple mention of Sirius Black seemed to have sent her into a frenzy, which confused Malfoy. Why did she care about the escapee's whereabouts? Neville had also noticed his sister's hasty exit, and sprinted after her, a worried expression on his face.

"Kassie! Wait!" Neville called after her, as she stormed down the corridor.

"He shouldn't be allowed to just wander around the country. Not after what he's done!" Kassidy exclaimed, bitterness in her tone.

"The Dementors will find him—" Neville started, but she cut him off quickly.

"And what if they don't? What if they never find him? How long until the other prisoners…" Kassidy trailed off, not wanting to finish the sentence.

"She's not getting out. Ever" Neville insisted, as they both knew exactly who he was talking about.

"I'm sending an owl to Grandma. I'm worried about Mum and Dad" Kassidy admitted, as Neville bit his lip.

"B-but you know Grandma doesn't like talking about the past" Neville stated, nervously.

"We both know what Mum and Dad did to Death Eaters in the past, what if Black wants to take revenge?" Kassidy explained, as Neville looked down at his feet.

"But he's nowhere near St Mungo's, why would…" Neville trailed off, with a frightened gasp.

"They say he's insane. What if he decides to take revenge on the children of the people who wronged him?" Kassidy went on, as Neville looked close to hyperventilating.

"I'm scared, Kassidy" Neville confessed, his bottom lip wobbling.

"We'll stick together. Like always" Kassidy told him, as Neville nodded quickly.

"C'mon, we need to hurry if we want to send an Owl tonight" Kassidy pointed out, grabbing Neville's arm and dragging him further down the corridor.

Neither of them had realised that Draco had been eavesdropping on this conversation, his brow furrowed with an unfamiliar emotion. His chest had tightened a little at hearing the fear in their voices. They were terrified of his Aunt, his family. He had been taught his whole life that the most efficient way to control people was to incite fear. It should have felt good…but it didn't.


Kassidy stood at the side of the classroom with the other Slytherin students as they began their Defence Against the Dark Arts lesson. Her mind was elsewhere as she heard their new Professor speak, barely paying attention to his teachings. She still hadn't heard back from her Grandmother, which wasn't really all that surprising. She rarely sent an owl back to Kassidy, as the two were constantly knocking heads. Neville's relationship with their Grandmother wasn't much better, as she had always been more concerned with his grades than his wellbeing.

"Can anyone tell me what a Boggart looks like?" Professor Lupin's voice broke through her thoughts.

"No one knows. Boggarts shape-shift, taking the shape of whatever a particular person fears the most. That's what makes them so—" Hermione answered, as Lupin cut her off.

"Terrifying. Yes" Lupin agreed, as Kassidy bit her bottom lip.

What was she most afraid of? The sight of the Dementors on the train had sent a chill through her whole body, perhaps she would seem them? Her eyes flickered to Draco for a moment, as she realised she could see Bellatrix. Just the thought of the insane woman was enough to give her nightmares. With a quick shake of her head, she turned her attention back to Professor Lupin as he taught them the charm to repel a Boggart.

"Riddikulus" All the students in the room repeated, apart from the Slytherin group.

"This class is ridiculous" Malfoy muttered, as Kassidy let out a small laugh.

"What do you think you'll see, Draco?" Pansy inquired, as Draco gave a dismissive shrug.

"I doubt the Boggart will work on me. I'm not afraid of anything" Draco replied, as Kassidy quirked an eyebrow.

"Really? Cause' you seemed pretty scared of Buckbeak the other day" Kassidy teased, causing Draco to glare daggers at her.

Just as Draco was about to reply a loud bang from inside the wardrobe holding the Boggart, had all the students jumping back. Despite his confident words, Kassidy could see the bead of sweat that ran down Draco's forehead, and the tense line of his shoulders. The boy was just as scared as the rest of them, he just didn't like to show it.

"The incantation alone is not enough. You see, the incantation alone is not enough. What really finishes a boggart is laughter. You need to force it to assume a shape you find truly amusing. Let me explain. Uh...Neville, would you join me, please?" Professor Lupin asked, as Kassidy stood up a little straighter.

The Professor seemed to have picked her brother far too quickly. Everyone turned to Neville expectantly, as the young boy audibly gulped. Neville found Kassidy's eyes in the crowd, giving her a pleading look, as she waved her hand forward, ushering for him to move.

"Come on, don't be shy. Come on" Lupin insisted, as Neville reluctantly came to stand in front of him.

"Neville, what frightens you most of all?" Lupin questioned, as Neville mumbled something inaudible under his breath.

"Sorry?" Lupin exclaimed, raising an eyebrow.

"Professor Snape" Neville repeated, a little louder this time.

The whole class laughed at this comment, as even Draco sniggered quietly. Kassidy was too tense with worry to react, concerned with what their new Professor could ask her brother to do.

"Professor Snape. Yes, frightens all. And I believe you live with your grandmother?" Professor Lupin inquired, as Kassidy's forehead wrinkled.

It seemed a little strange that he would know that information. It was the first time he had met the class, and once again it left Kassidy wondering why he had chosen Neville.

"Y-Yes but I don't want that boggart to turn into her, either" Neville replied, nervously, as the class laughed again.

"Is your brother really that frightened of your own Grandmother?" Draco scoffed, teasingly.

"Clearly you haven't met the woman" Kassidy mumbled, quietly.

"Now, Neville. I want you to picture her clothes. Only her clothes, very clearly, in your mind. And when I open that wardrobe...here's what I want you to do…" Lupin trailed off, as he whispered something in Neville's ear.

Kassidy's frown deepened as she saw the shocked expression on Neville's face, and wondered what Lupin had asked him to do. Without even realising it, Kassidy had pushed off from where she had been leaning against the wall, and was slowly making her way towards the front of the class.

"Right, wand at the ready. One, two, three" Professor Lupin announced, his own wand out as the wardrobe door suddenly clicked open.

Silence washed over the classroom as the door slowly creaked open, and a stern Professor Snape came into sight. Neville practically shook as his nightmare took a few steps towards him, his mind going blank.

"Think, Neville, think" Lupin insisted, as Neville took a deep breath and raised his wand.

"Riddikulus!" Neville cried, as Snape suddenly began to transform.

Laughter erupted from their classmates, as Snape's clothes transformed into one of the hideous dresses that Neville's Grandmother wore. Kassidy couldn't stop the giggle that left her lips at the sight, her eyes being drawn to the ridiculous hat on Snape's head.

"Wonderful, Neville, wonderful!" Lupin congratulated, patting Neville on the shoulder.

"Incredible. Now, form a line. Who's next?" Lupin questioned, as most of the students tried to rush to the back of the classroom.

"That was amazing, Nev!" Kassidy grinned, nudging her brother as he walked to the back of the queue.

"…It was pretty good, wasn't it?" Neville smiled, shyly.

"And hilarious" Kassidy giggled, as Draco suddenly jumped in front of her.

"Running to the back of the line, Longbottom? Thought it was your brother that was the wimp in your family" Draco accused, making Kassidy roll her eyes.

"Sounds to me like your just scared of getting shown up by Neville" Kassidy retorted, a challenge in her tone.

"Fine. I'll go after Weaselbee" Draco exclaimed; looking to Ron who was already taking a step closer to the Boggart.

"No, I will" Kassidy stated.

"I said it first" Draco insisted.

"Well…I'm a girl so you should let me go first" Kassidy told him, making Draco scoff.

"How does that—" Draco was cut off as Kassidy suddenly rushed forward, pushing past one of the Patil twins, as Draco crossed his good arm over his chest.

"That's cheating, Longbottom" Draco muttered, marching forward and shoving past an increasingly annoyed Parvati Patil.

"And you would know all about that, Malfoy" Kassidy grinned.

A hissing sound had their attention turning back to Weasley, as Kassidy's eyes widened when she saw what his Boggart had turned into. A large spider towered in front of them, its pincers snapping wildly, as Kassidy took a nervous step back. What had Malfoy got her involved in again?

"Riddikulus!" Ron cried, his wand raised towards the terrifying beast.

In the next second, roller-skates were attached to the spider's feet, causing it to slip and stumble over the wooden floorboards. Laughter rose up again in the classroom, as Ron smiled proudly at his achievement.

As Ron walked towards the back of the class, Kassidy realised it was her turn and began to panic. With Malfoy standing right behind her, she knew she needed to focus on a fear other than Bellatrix, but her mind was going blank. Malfoy's cold hand pushed her forward when she still hadn't moved a few seconds later, as she sent an angry look his way.

"Step up, step up" Lupin told her, as she came to stand in front of the spider rolling around on the floor.

Any humour had gone from her face, as she gripped her wand tightly in her hand. Kassidy's heart beat wildly in her chest as the spider suddenly vanished and transformed into her fear. Her eyes widened when she spotted two familiar faces staring back at her from where they sat on rocking chairs. Bile began to rise in her throat as she realised the Boggart had turned into her mother and father. There was a tense quiet that washed over the room, as the other students frowned in confusion when they saw the two barely conscious individuals in front of them. Kassidy's hand shook as her eyes connected with her mother's, seeing the way she looked straight through her. Kassidy's eyes began to water as she turned to her father, who's head was lolled back, drool slowly dripping down his chin. Neville stumbled back a little from shock when he saw what his sister's greatest fear was, his eyes snapping over to Professor Lupin. He wanted to shout out to their teacher to help Kassidy, but the older man seemed to be in a trance of his own. A haunted expression was etched on Lupin's features, as he stood frozen to the spot. Kassidy slowly raised her wand, blinking away the tears in her eyes.

"Riddikulus" She mumbled, her voice breaking as the figures slowly vanished.

She couldn't stop the gasp that left her lips as she saw what form the Boggart now took. Blue eyes stared back at her, the Slytherin robes draped over the figure now lying in the rocking chair. Kassidy's wand dropped to the floor as she looked at herself in the same position her parents had just been. Her eyes were vacant, her lips mumbling something barely coherent. Kassidy's blood ran cold as she realised one word that her double was saying over and over.

Crucio.

Suddenly her vision was obstructed by a flurry of robes, causing her to stumble backwards. She was shocked when she realised it was Neville, having rushed in front of her, his wand outstretched. The Boggart quickly turned into their Grandmother, who wasted no time in hurling abuse at Neville.

"Riddikulus!" Neville exclaimed, his voice firm.

A moment later, their Grandmother's voice completely changed, now sounding like she had inhaled helium, making it ridiculously high. Some of the students around them laughed, but most stayed quiet, too disturbed by what they had seen. Kassidy's eyes flickered over to Professor Lupin, who was staring down at the floor, holding onto a workbench behind him. He looked grey, as if he was about to be sick. Kassidy was trembling as she turned on her heel to rush out of the room, refusing to look at any of her classmates in the eye. Neville tried to run after her but he was stopped by the flurry of congratulations from the rest of the Gryffindor's in the room.

"That was incredible, Neville!" Hermione told him, as Neville rubbed the back of his neck.

"…I, uh…I wasn't really thinking—" Neville began, a blush growing on his cheeks.

"You took on the Boggart twice!" Seamus insisted, as Neville shrugged with a small smile.

While Neville was being crowded around by the Gryffindor's, Draco's eyes had never left Kassidy as she sprinted out of the room. His chest felt almost painfully tight as he had watched her reaction to the Boggart. He hated feeling that way. Guilty. With a shake of his head, he began to follow her out of the classroom, unseen by Lupin who was still hadn't spoken. It didn't take long to find her, as she sat on the cold steps in one of the small towers in the castle. Her face was turned away from him, but he could hear the way she was sniffling. He opened his mouth to speak, but faltered immediately, unsure what to say. Still, Kassidy seemed to suddenly sense his presence, her head shooting up, tear-tracks covering her cheeks.

"Leave me alone, Malfoy" Kassidy muttered, turning away from him, rubbing at her eyes.

"…I guess I should thank you," Draco told her, taking a step forward.

"For what?" Kassidy asked, but still, she didn't turn to him.

"Now I don't have to see my Boggart" Draco replied, as Kassidy scoffed lightly.

"I thought you weren't afraid of anything?" Kassidy pointed out, slowly turning back to him.

"There are one or two things that scare me…" Draco trailed off, as his eyes connected with Kassidy's.

"C'mon, I doubt they're more embarrassing them my fear" Kassidy stated, as Draco came to sit down beside her.

"Let's just say you and I have more in common than you think" Draco mumbled; his voice quiet.

Kassidy thought about this for a few seconds, not understanding what he meant. As the realisation hit her, her eyes flickered back to the stone steps, a sad expression on her face. She wondered which member of his family he was scared of. Perhaps it was Bellatrix, but something told her it was a little closer to home.

"Oh…" She mumbled, not sure what she could say.

"You know then? About my parents…about what…what happened to them?" Kassidy questioned, as Draco nodded slowly.

"I've heard rumours" Draco replied, playing with one of the rings on his fingers.

"Your Aunt destroyed my family. There's not really much else to say apart from that" Kassidy went on, watching Draco flinch.

"I don't remember her. I was just a baby when…" Draco trailed off, not wanting to finish the sentence.

"She's still your family" Kassidy retorted.

"I wish she wasn't" Draco muttered, surprising even himself.

"If you tell anybody what I just said—" Draco began, his expression serious, as Kassidy cut him off.

"I'm dead? Don't worry, my lips are sealed" Kassidy promised.

"…So, tell me…just how bad do I look?" Kassidy asked, wiping at her red cheeks.

"Dreadful" Draco replied, teasingly.

"Oh, stop, Malfoy. You're gonna' make me blush" Kassidy rolled her eyes, nudging him with her elbow.

"You want to go back to class?" Draco inquired, as Kassidy shook her head slowly.

"I think I'll back to the dorms" Kassidy exclaimed, pushing up from the cold steps.

She was about to walk away when she stopped in her tracks, a thoughtful look on her face. Draco didn't need to come after her, and in his own way he had cheered her up.

"Thanks…for not being a prat" Kassidy told him, making Draco scoff in amusement.

"Don't mention it" Draco shrugged, as the pair shared a smile.


"It's not fair" Kassidy muttered, angrily, kicking at a nearby castle wall.

"I did tell you Grandmother wouldn't be happy…" Neville trailed off, as Kassidy sent a glare his way.

"She already signed the slip for me to go to Hogsmeade! Why did she have to send an owl back withdrawing her permission?" Kassidy grumbled, crossing her arms.

"M-maybe thinking about Dad just hurts her too much" Neville suggested, rubbing his arms, feeling a chill in the air.

"Or maybe she's just a mean old cow" Kassidy whispered, under her breath.

"Kassie!" Neville exclaimed, his jaw dropping open.

"It's true. Sometimes I wish…I wish we didn't have to go back to live with her" Kassidy admitted, as Neville's eyes widened.

With her jaw tense, she kicked at the stone wall again, happy when she saw the scuff mark her shoes were making. She wished she had more control over her own life.

"Miss Longbottom, what do you think you're doing?" Professor McGonagall gaped, marching over to the pair.

"I was just, uh…seeing how sturdy this wall was? Y-yeah, looks all good to me" Kassidy replied, knocking on the stones with her hand.

"Please don't insult my intelligence" Professor McGonagall retorted, as Kassidy had the sense to look down at her shoes.

"Sorry, Professor" Kassidy mumbled, as the older woman let out a sigh.

"Back to your dormitory. At least there you won't get into any more trouble…Mr Longbottom, why are you not at Hogsmeade?" Professor McGonagall frowned, turning to Neville.

"Our Grandmother withdrew her permission for the trip" Kassidy pointed out, as the Professor's frown deepened.

"Only for you. Neville here was still allowed to go" Professor McGonagall informed her, as Kassidy raised an eyebrow at her twin.

"Did you know that?" Kassidy asked.

"…Well, I…I didn't want you to be here alone…" Neville stuttered, making Kassidy scoff.

"I don't need your damn protection, Neville!" Kassidy exclaimed, as Professor McGonagall made a tutting noise.

"That's enough. Brothers and sisters shouldn't fight. Back to your dormitory. Now" Professor McGonagall ordered, ushering Kassidy back into the Castle.

Kassidy began to childishly storm back through the corridors of Hogwarts, her fists clenched. She came to a sudden halt when she spotted a familiar boy hiding behind a nearby pillar, his eyes on the footbridge opposite. With a smirk growing on her face, she quietly snuck up behind the blond.

"What are you doing, Malfoy?" Kassidy exclaimed, poking him in the back.

Draco almost fell over from the shock, letting out a girly cry, as Kassidy couldn't help but laugh. He grumbled a little under his breath, pulling his robes closer to him, obviously irritated.

"Nothing. Go away" Draco told her, looking back over at the footbridge.

"Someone woke up on the wrong side of the bed today" Kassidy teased, her eyes trying to find what Draco was so interested in.

She scoffed lightly when she saw Harry Potter conversing with Professor Lupin on the bridge, a broad smile on his face. It was clear that Potter seemed to have another teacher wrapped around his little finger. She watched as they walked to the other end of the footbridge, not realising they were being watched.

"You really are obsessed with Harry Potter, aren't you?" Kassidy mocked, as Draco's jaw tensed.

"I'm not watching Potter" Draco retorted, making Kassidy frown.

"…Why are you spying on our teacher then?" Kassidy asked, a moment later.

However, she never got her answer, as Draco was suddenly grabbing her arm, pulling her behind the pillar. She opened her mouth to tell him to get off of her but was cut off by him placing his hand over her mouth. His grey eyes were watching the footbridge, as he saw that Harry was now nowhere to be seen. Perhaps they had heard them-

"Ow!" Draco cried, jumping back as he held his now stinging hand.

His jaw dropped open as he realised what Kassidy had just done, looking far too pleased with herself, as he completely forgot about Harry.

"Did you just bite me?!" Draco gaped, as Kassidy shrugged, dismissively.

"Don't shove me around then" Kassidy stated, as the boy clutched at his aching palm.

"You are completely-" Draco began, but was cut off by a familiar voice.

"What are you doing here, Malfoy?" Harry Potter called out from behind them, as they both whipped around.

Draco's eyes widened as he saw Harry marching towards them, most likely having spotted the pair fighting. His eyes flickered back to the footbridge, seeing Professor Lupin still standing there, an amused expression on his features. He quickly racked his brain for an excuse but came up empty.

"I don't really think it's any of your business, Potter. C'mon, Draco, let's go back to the dorms" Kassidy replied, grabbing the blond's arm and dragging him behind her.

She was thankful that Harry let them go without protest, and once they turned the next corner, she quickly dropped her hand. Luckily for Draco, being found with Kassidy didn't look as strange as if he was stalking around the halls of the castle by himself.

"So, are you gonna' tell me what that was all about now?" Kassidy insisted.

"…There's something strange about Lupin. Crabbe told me after we left the lesson, he stood in front of the Boggart and it turned into the moon" Draco explained, as Kassidy's forehead wrinkled.

"Okay, that is a little strange. But so, what?" Kassidy exclaimed.

"Dumbledore hired him. If I can prove that there's something wrong with Professor Lupin, then it will help to destroy Dumbledore's reputation" Draco went on, as Kassidy's frown deepened.

"Why do you want to get Dumbledore in trouble?" Kassidy questioned, confused.

"…Father asked me to" Draco admitted, after a few seconds.

"And you do whatever your father asks you too, huh?" Kassidy retorted, watching Draco grit his teeth.

"Just forget it, Longbottom" Draco grumbled, quickening his pace, all but ending the conversation.


Author's Notes: I hope you all enjoyed this chapter! Let me know if there is anything you want to see in the coming chapters, like characters etc? Please leave a review:)

nshaikh281: Aw, thank you so much for these reviews! I'm glad you're liking her interactions with both Neville and Draco, lots more fun to come with both of them:)