Two months later
Cassia sat beside her fellow Ravenclaws, as most of them chatted amongst each other, casually catching up after a summer apart. Her eyes were distant and her mind a million miles away. Her caramel skin giving off a hint of grey, as if she hadn't eaten properly in several days.
Hermione, who sighed when she noticed Cassia still had not eaten, bit her lip at a loss for words. Saying "I'm so sorry" could only be phrased in so many ways before it began to lose its sincerity, and she wished that more could be done. But nothing was going to remove the pain of losing her father. Only time could heal Cassia's wounds. For now, Hermione knew what her friend needed most of all was patience.
"Cass, why not at least drink some water and have some toast?" Hermione started out, hopeful she could win her over with logic. "It will be Divinations class today and I'm sure you'll want to be able to concentrate. Give that brain of yours a little power."
Cassia did not speak, and had it not been for the slight nod of her head, one might have thought the young witch had ignored Hermione entirely. Her eyes fell to the plate in front of her, where the poached eggs, cranberry toast, and red potatoes still remained untouched. Her shaky and weakened hands had barely the strength to raise the toast to her lips, and as she took a bite, Cassia held back the instant urge to gag. Nothing in her body wanted food, but Hermione had been right. If she didn't eat, the days to come would only get worse, and if she didn't at least try, the boy behind those intense grey eyes that watched over her even more as of late, would likely force feed her.
She smirked at the thought, swallowing another bite of her toast as she looked to Draco from across the Great Hall. He, of course, had already been looking at her. His eyebrows remained arched with concern as his thin lips were pursed tightly in a straight line. By his expression and without words she knew he was asking if she was okay. He'd been giving her that same look for weeks now.
When Killian's remains had been laid at the foot of MACUSA's doorstep, they'd been placed in a vile of glass with a black serpent devouring a red serpent as its emblem, though none knew what the symbol meant, they did know moving the Picquery's and Malfoy families would be necessary.
it hadn't been long before Victoria and Cassia were notified, but neither of them had needed confirmation of his death. They'd felt his absence deep within their own hearts the minute his soul had left this earth.
Cassia had been sitting beside Draco on the porch of their Lincoln City hiding place. The sun was rising, as the two watched the sky come alive above the waves- Douglas watching over them like he did every other day since they'd arrived.
It was then when she'd felt it. An ache so dark and deep within her heart that it could mean the mark of only one thing. Death. Coming from inside the house, glass shattered, and something told Cassia it had been her mother who had felt it too. Gripping her chest, she tried to stand, but the sensation made her legs weak, as her breaths became shallow.
Draco, who had turned at the sudden noise from inside, had glanced back at Cassia. Instantly rising to his feet, he kneeled before his closest friend in concern.
"Cass, what's wrong?" He'd asked.
Douglas, who had already lifted his wand, had known Victoria long enough to understand something wasn't right. She'd always been so highly intuitive and by the way her daughter looked now, it would seem she carried that trait. Immediately stepping inside the home, he left the two young friends on the porch, knowing Draco could comfort Cassia until the situation could be further investigated.
"Cass?" Draco said, with less patience this time, when she didn't reply.
Tears began to fall across her cheeks as she stared into his eyes in anguish.
"He- He's" Her words seemed trapped behind the lump in her throat as she gripped his black sleeve suddenly.
Draco could feel himself getting restless. He knew something truly terrible was going on but Cassia wasn't answering him. His skin became hot, as it so often did when he lost his temper, before he spoke.
"What the bloody hell is wrong?" He snapped, half in worry and half in anger.
"We have to leave now." Douglas announced as he ripped open the door. "Cassia, Draco, get inside and grab your bags. Just the one with the undetectable extension charm. We leave for our backup location immediately."
Draco wasted no time, raising Cassia to her feet, placing her arm around his shoulder incase her legs gave, and began walking.
Victoria, whose arms were outstretched for her daughter in the living room continued to hold back her sobs. Her shoulders shook violently as Narcissa remained silent beside her.
'Mo-om." Cassia whimpered, practically running toward the comfort as Draco let go of his grasp on her.
"Accio travel bag." Draco said, waving his wand, before his charmed bag quickly made its' way toward him. Douglas had done the same for Cassia's before they all apparated from the room.
His death had been confirmed a mere twenty four hours later, and news of their safe home being set ablaze quickly followed(likely Aduna in her rage once she'd discovered they were nowhere to be found).
Both England's ministry and America's magical congress had worked tirelessly to discover who had aided in Killian's capture. Aurors from across the globe searched far and wide for both Aduna and Lucius but despite their best efforts, both investigations remained in vain.
Overtime, with the beginning of a new school year, it was decided that both Draco and Cassia would be just as safe at Hogwarts as anywhere else, and both teens didn't want to miss out on their third year.
Taking extra precautions, Aurors stayed within the walls of Hogwarts, and certain protective charms had been placed around the grounds. Dumbledore had also given both Cassia and Draco strict instructions not to wander off alone, which he thought would likely be difficult for them then the average student considering their ability to find trouble every year.
"He is such a brother to you." Hermione said, interrupting Cassia's crowded thoughts over the last couple of months. She turned to Hermione, who smiled as she glanced between Draco and Cassia, and continued. "He might as well hold up a sign that reads, are you eating, Cassia."
With another smirk, Cassia nodded in response. Though she did her best to remain strong and tried to force who she was to shine through the pain, sometimes just completing a sentence was a task in itself.
There were no words that could describe the depths of Cassia's pain. No amount of tears or cries toward the heavens. It was her mother who had told her not even time could take the pain away entirely, and it was likely they both would carry a wound forever. But the sooner she accepted the pain and allowed herself to feel, the sooner she would feel like living again.
So that's how Cassia's days went. She allowed herself to feel every ache from the loss of his presence, every twist of anger toward the ones that had taken him from her, and every bit of laughter that came with a beautiful memory of him.
Some days were easier than others and some days she couldn't bring herself to leave her bed(her professors had been incredibly understanding and often accepted her request to attend classes with other houses in order to still partake in lessons).
Still, listening to her mother's advice had seemed to truly help. It was like the wound was beginning to close just enough for her true self to resurface, even if only for a moment.
As she took another bite of toast, she sighed, trying to concentrate on her upcoming class. With it now being her third week back, attending Divination was a must. It was the class she'd neglected the most, having missed all lessons so far, only glancing at Hermione's notes(though they were little help as it was obvious from both her actions and words that Hermione despised the class).
Facing Hermione, Cassia spoke. "Do you know what we'll be goin' over today?" She asked.
Hermione scrunched her face in an unpleasant sort of way as she sipped her tea, turning toward Cassia. "She's teaching us how to read signs from the universe around us." She rolled her eyes, making air quotes with her fingers as her voice changed to a dramatic high pitch tone, clearly imitating Professor Trelawney directly. "It's a bit silly if you ask me."
Cassia snickered, causing Hermione's head to turn in pleasant surprise. Normally Cassia had plenty to laugh about and Hermione had missed her giggly and upbeat friend. In that moment, Hermione couldn't help but beam.
"Maybe a little bit of silly is exactly what I need. I am drawn to the fantastical." Cassia finished, matter-of-factly.
"True." Hermione replied. She wasn't sure how long the chipper side of Cassia would stay before the pain resurfaced, but was glad that she was finally getting her first real glimpse.
Finishing her eggs and toast, Cassia wiped the crumbs from her hands. "Guess we should head to class?" She said, as if asking Hermione if she agreed.
With a nod, Hermione finished her tea. "I might have to meet you up there. I've forgotten my book."
Cassia tilted her head questioningly. "Really? I could have sworn I saw you grab it before we came down."
Hermione paused, as if uncertain how to reply. "Erh- I must've set it back down on accident."
With a raised eyebrow, Cassia shrugged. "Well, alright. I'll save ya' a seat."
Hermione nodded pleasantly before taking off rather quickly, as Cassia stared toward her suspiciously. Clearly, there was something Hermione wasn't telling her friend, but Cassia would have to investigate after Divinations as she had some serious catching up to do.
Making her way out of the the Great Hall, with her mind focused on everything but what was in front of her, Cassia crashed firmly into the back of some unsuspecting witch or wizard. She could hear their books fall out of their hands from the impact before she spoke.
"I am so sorry." She said, rushing to help them grab their things.
The young man chuckled. "It's alright. Just practice to keep me on my toes for Quidditch.
Cassia smirked before rising from her knees, with several of the young man's books in her grasp. Handing them to him, her cheeks grew instantly warm as she took in his overall appearance. He was tall, and his smile was warm. It reached his gentle grey eyes(and she certainly had a thing for grey eyes) that stared down at her as she bit her lip in response.
"I guess my mind is a million miles away."
"Cassia Picquery." He said, catching her by surprise.
"Please don't tell me we've met and I've rudely forgotten." Her head tilted to the side as her fingers touched her forehead trying to rack her brain.
"Jeesh, I'm sure I'd remember that face. It's pretty memorable." She said aloud before slapping her lips together and closing her eyes feeling slightly embarrassed. Normally she prided herself on her open honesty and believed it allowed others to understand where she stood with them immediately, but she did just admit to a boy he was cute and that was new territory for her.
With a pleasant chuckle, the boy smiled broadly. "Well, we haven't met officially but your dad worked with mine on several occasions."
At the mention of her father, Cassia felt her joy begin to fade. The rush of her conversation with this cute stranger disappearing, only to be replaced with pain.
Taking in her demeanor the boy's face grew dim. "Oh, Cassia, I am so sorry I shouldn't-"
She raised a hand. "It's fine." She said, swallowing. "I have to get to class." She couldn't be angry at him. It wasn't as if he had been the reason her father was gone. But speaking about her loss to someone she didn't know was more than she could handle.
Forcing a smile, though she knew even a blind person could have sensed it's insincerity, Cassia spoke. "See you."
"I'm Cedric, by the way."
His words were faint as she made her way down the hall; a memory of her father at Christmas making the train that had circled the family tree fly, overcrowded her thoughts.
As her eyes began to blur from tears, Cassia felt a sudden pull to head straight for her room instead of class. The urge to disappear for a while was strong and she almost wished she had Harry's invisibility cloak on hand. Students began to pass her by as laughter filled the air of those around her, though none of them could be distinguished between one person to another. To her, it was background noise. Clouded by the pain of loss and the need to be alone.
Earlier, she had fought so hard to stay focused and positive, but somehow just the mention of her father by a stranger had stripped her of that strength. Until, the warmth of a hand wrapped around her forearm, spinning Cassia on her heel.
Draco, whose Gryffindor uniform was freshly pressed and without wrinkle, looked especially regal to Cassia in that moment. His grey eyes staring at her as he searched deep within her hazel, trying to decipher every emotion she may be feeling.
"Cassia-" Draco started out, pausing to give her that playful side grin he often did. "Go around like this and others will think you've lost it."
He was trying to use humor for comfort, and though deep down she could appreciate the effort, Cassia was not in the mood. With a sigh she turned her face away from him, but Draco's grip was still firm around her arm. Still, despite his snarkiness at all the wrong times, something about his touch was like a breath of fresh air. Keeping her grounded. Settling her thoughts.
"Cass." Draco said softly. There was no humor in his voice this time. It was firm yet gentle and she knew Draco was about to tell her what he thought she should do. "Don't hide. He wouldn't want that."
She felt herself shutter as a tear drifted down her cheek. Turning to face him, he gave her a weak smile. "Your annoying passion for learning made him proud. So go to Divinations."
He was right. Killian loved Cassia's drive and he wouldn't want to see her lose it. Biting her lip, Cassia's tightened her hands into fists, reaching for the strength to push aside the urge to crawl into bed.
"You're right." Cassia said, knowing it would go straight to his head.
"Obviously." He replied.
With a snort, she shoved the last stray tear off her face. "I'm off to class." She announced with a smile.
"See you later, Picquery." Draco said, releasing his grip and heading back toward Harry who had been waiting against the wall out of earshot.
With a sense of renewed confidence, she headed for class, as Draco glanced over his shoulder at Cassia one last time. He smirked to himself, before walking alongside Harry.
"She alright?" Harry asked as they made their way toward Transfigurations.
Draco shrugged. "As much as she can be."
Harry nodded, knowing it was a loaded question and one that was in truth a little too soon to be asking. Yet, whenever the subject of Cassia came up, Harry couldn't help but wonder. She was, afterall, one of his closest friends.
Changing the subject, Harry lowered his voice before speaking. "I spoke with Remus like you asked." Harry started out, immediately grabbing Draco's full attention. "He said that there have been reports of another museum break in, this time in Seattle."
"Was anything taken?" Draco asked quietly, with his eyes on those around them. It wasn't a conversation he wanted another student to hear and most of the time they'd saved their investigating for when they were alone but with every passing day, finding Aduna and Lucius was paramount.
Losing Killian hadn't just hurt Victoria and Cassia. It had devastated Draco. Killian, afterall, had been the father he'd wished his own would have been. But grief can hold onto one's heart in many different ways, and for Draco, revenge had consumed his every thought.
Harry nodded as they rounded the last corner, with the door to class now just several feet away. "Several Aurors are investigating to see if anything magical had been present at the museum."
"Let's hope they send someone with half a brain to investigate." Draco said before stepping into class.
"Agreed." Said, Harry.
"Picquery." Cassia twirled on her heel at the sound of her last name, curious as to who had called out to her.
With a brilliant smile she recognized him immediately. It was the same attractive boy she'd run into(literally) just three days prior. His brown hair seemed to glisten under the sun's rays of the courtyard as he approached her. It was almost unfair how attractive he was. It was like watching that no-maj actor Jason Priestley stroll around shirtless in 90210.
"Holy Merlin." Hermione mumble to Cassia as he approached.
"Uh-huh." Cassia mumbled back.
"Glad I caught you." He started out, giving Hermione a head nod to acknowledge her. "I wanted to apologize for how insensitive I was the other day." His hand touched his heart as he spoke, conveying his sincerity.
"Oh, really, it's okay-." Cassia started out before he interrupted.
"Well, it really wasn't. You've lost someone incredibly important to you and I wish I could take back bringing it up so casually. It was insensitive and I am deeply sorry."
Hermione smirked, clearly noticing the sudden flush to Cassia's skin. Though, she couldn't blame her. The boy was a greek god.
"I'm Cedric by the way." He outstretched his hand for Cassia to take.
"Cassia." She started out, shaking his hand. "But you already knew that." She finished.
Turning to Hermione, he gave her the same pleasant introduction.
"Hermione Granger." She replied, happily.
Cassia's eyes fell to Cedric's books before grinning. A piece of parchment lay atop his books entitled "notes for werewolf code of conduct 1637".
"You must be a fifth year." She said, catching Cedric by surprise.
"What gave me away?" He said, with a grin.
Cassia pointed to the parchment she spotted. "Your studying codes of conduct on magical beings." She started out. "I know fifth years are taught to understand those laws and how to draft them."
Hermione seemed to grin with pride. The two girls were so alike when it came to studying and remaining curious on what to expect in the years to come. It was exactly why they exceeded in school. Pushing one another to be the best until either was certain the other would ace each course with flying colors.
"Showing your Ravenclaw smarts I suppose." Cedric said, with an amused expression.
Cassia grinned. "Oh, always." She started out. "I do have a reputation to withhold."
Cedric chuckled, enjoying her wit and beautiful smile. It was certainly better than the expression she'd given at the mention of her father the other day, though he couldn't blame her for that. No person, however strong, would be able to face each day after a loss like that without a few breaking points. And if he was going to get to know the beautiful girl before him, he would just have to take things slow.
Trying to keep the conversation going, Cedric spoke. "Enjoying your classes so far?"
Cassia shrugged not wanting to admit she'd missed quite a bit to start with. "I love Transfigurations and Potions. I find they are the most challenging, which really gets me in the zone, ya know? Neither comes without serious effort and practice."
"What about you?" Cedric asked, directing the question to Hermione this time.
"I absolutely love Ancient Runes."
"That's because of all the reading required." Cassia announced. Not even Cassia, who thoroughly enjoyed the written word, could rival her friends' passion for books.
"I knew I smelled filth." Hermione flinched at the sound of Harvey's voice. Who now stood behind herself and Cassia.
Cassia rolled her eyes with an exasperated sigh, turning on her heel to face her greatest nemesis at Hogwarts. Since she'd arrived he'd been nothing but a violent bully who frequently put down Hermione for her no-maj family, insulted Draco for not being like his father, or calling her family blood traitors. She'd done her best to ignore his childish antics, but on occasion her dramatic side would take hold and she snap with a nasty remark in return.
Harvey stood beside Gregory Goyle with their wands drawn, clearly trying to intimidate the girls.
"Is that what you do with your spare time?" Cedric started out. "Attempt to insult intelligent girls?"
"Fuck off, Diggory. You don't scare me."
"And you think myself or Hermione gives a rats ass what either of you think?" Cassia spat. She'd already had a horrendous week and the last thing she wanted was to deal with either of them. Her skin was boiling as words spilled out quicker than she could truly think. "You are nothing to me. Nothing but a pathetic waste of my time."
Harvey laughed, his broad shoulders shaking relentlessly as he began to walk toward Cassia. His brown eyes were filled with a sort of coldness that Cassia could only describe as hate, and something told her she was about to get a terrible response from him.
"Ooh, aren't you feisty today, blood traitor. What is it, hm?" He paused, pouting his lip in mock sympathy. "Still grieving of your dead daddy?"
"That's enough!" Hermione shouted trying to shove Harvey away from Cassia, who was now standing less than a foot before her. But he was much bigger at around six feet and quite stalky for fourteen. Hermione's effort was futile.
Cassia's hands began to tremble, as she felt the wall that begged for seclusion begin to build around her. Despite the anger she'd felt from earlier, there was no will left to fight Harvey's harsh words. Her chest was hollow and her breath uneven. Much like her life without Killian; A piece was missing and seemed to imbalance the way she saw things.
Harvey could see he'd won, and his twisted smile grew as he opened his mouth to speak, ready to drive the knife further into her chest. Yet, he was never given the chance.
"Flipendo!" Cedric shouted with his wand drawn, sending Harvey flying back. He hit the ground with a thud, as bits of grass and earth seemed to soar around him. With another wave of his wand, Cedric released a stinging jinx that smashed against Harvey's face.
No one seemed to have time to react. Cedric's moves had been flawless and with such impressive speed, it seemed he could have dueled someone twice his age with effortless ease.
With his wand now pointing at Gregory, Cedric smirked. "I wouldn't even raise it if I were you."
Harvey continued to groan as his face morphed and swelled from the jinx, rising to his feet, he uttered some filthy remark that no one could understand; his words jumbled together from swollen lips and a puffy tongue.
Gregory moved to help his friend, as the two staggered off. "You'll regret that Diggory!" Gregory spat as they made their way further through the courtyard.
Several students laughed, pointing at Harvey's puffer fish face, as Hermione realized a few people had gathered to watch the incident. She beamed before turning to Cedric amazed at his display of magic, who was already standing before Cassia. His brows were scrunched together as he seemed unsure of what to say.
"Cassia I-" He started, feeling his next words would have been inadequate.
"Come on, Cass." Hermione said, wrapping her arm around her best friend's shoulder. "Let's get you back to the dormitories."
Cassia shook her head violently. Wiping her face of the few stray tears that had escaped her eyes. "No!" She said, a little harsher than she'd intended. With a sigh, she turned to Hermione. "Sorry." She started out. "I won't go back to my room." Cassia thought back to what Draco had said. Don't hide. He wouldn't want that.
"Let's just head to the library and study. I could use a good cram session. Get my mind focused."
Hermione smiled. Proud of Cassia's efforts to remain strong. "If you're sure."
Cassia nodded before turning to Cedric. Something about what he'd just done made him all the more handsome. Not just at the level of skill, but the action behind it. "I can't thank you enough." She said, wholeheartedly.
Cedric smiled, impressed at Cassia's drive. She was a fighter, and despite the level of cruelty displayed on her moments ago, she was doing her best to get by. "Just do me one favor, Cassia Picquery." He started out.
She nodded, waiting for him to continue. "The first trip to Hogsmeade this year, come with me. As a date."
His words caused her stomach to do a sudden flop as her cheeks burned with amber. Taking in a breath, her knees seemed to buckle as he continued to give her his warmest of smiles.
Cedric Diggory had just asked her on a date and Cassia could barely contain the sudden joy. He was unbelievably cute and seemed to be incredibly genuine, defending when needed and apologizing for what she knew to be an honest mistake.
"Okay, yeah. I-I'd really like that" She said, making no effort to hold back her sudden enthusiasm.
"Great." He said, with a chuckle. "I guess I'll let you two study as planned."
Hermione's grin covered every inch of her face. "Ok, see you later, Cedric."
"Bye." Cassia replied, feeling as if she were floating.
The girls watched as Cedric gave one final goodbye, making his way beyond the courtyard, before Hermione was sure he wouldn't hear, and letting out an excited chirp. "Oh my gosh!"
She muttered near Cassia's ear as she leaned against her shoulder excitedly.
Cassia but her lip, turning to Hermione. "We aren't even going to Hogsmeade for weeks."
"Which means we have weeks to gush!" Hermione replied. It was something for Cassia to look forward to. The first sign of light ahead for her friends aching heart. She couldn't have wished a better scenario.
"I just wonder what Draco will think." Hermione said aloud without considering her words. Cassia's brow raised as she faced Hermione questioningly.
"Why?" She asked.
Hermione opened her mouth, quickly shutting it, searching for the right words. She'd always been a highly perceptive young girl but knowing how Draco truly felt for Cassia was plain as day. To literally everyone close to them except Cassia. Somehow, despite being perceptive on her own, she was oblivious to his feelings. It baffled Hermione, but wasn't something she would ever discuss. If Draco wasn't ready to say how he felt then she certainly wouldn't bring it up. He had his reasons and Hermione would respect them.
"I just- think he-he's super protective of you. Oh you know." Hermione said, hoping her reply would satisfy Cassia enough.
With a slow nod, Cassia shrugged. "True, but I think he will love the jinx story."
Hermione smiled. "They will both be sad they missed it once we tell them."
The two girls continued to laugh and chat as they made their way toward the library. Both happy to be studying and staying on top of their schoolwork.
"I was afraid you'd be late again." Cassia said, as Hermione approached her friend. Three times now Hermione had popped into class taking Cassia by surprise as she hadn't noticed her even come in. Cassia had assumed she'd just been so easily distracted lately that she truly hadn't noticed with everything going on inside ber already busy mind but was beginning to grow suspicious nonetheless.
"Nope. Made it right on time" Hermione replied with a smile.
Shrugging it off, Cassia grinned as her new favorite professor stood before the Ravenclaws and Hufflepuffs in his class.
With his hands tucked into his brown suit vest, Remus Lupin gave Cassia a wink before smiling at the rest of his students. He had always been friendly with Victoria and Killian, admiring their way of life and acceptance of all people no matter their circumstance.
"I know you all must be quite curious as to why we've come to the staffroom." He started out as he paced in front of a large wardrobe made of dark wood and beautiful iron handles. "But as luck would have it, a creature has moved into this wardrobe giving me the perfect lesson for you all today."
Cassia turned to Hermione with a curious expression as the two of them began to feel their excitement build.
"Can anyone tell me what a Boggart is." Remus asked as both Hermione and Cassia's hands shot up along with several other students in the class.
"Miss Picquery?" He said, pointing to the young witch.
"A Boggart is an a-mortal shapeshifting non-being that will take on the form of a viewers most horrible fear."
"Very goodl, Miss Picquery 5 points to Ravenclaw." He said, before addressing the entire class again. "And what does it look like normally?"
The same people raised their hands as he pointed to a Hufflepuff named Thomas with blonde hair and bright blue eyes."No one knows, Professor. The boggart always changes to look like the fear of the one who is staring at it."
"Right you are, Mr. Williams. Five points to Hufflepuff." Clasping his hands together, Remus continued. "Now today I'm going to teach you the proper defense against a boggart. Before we use our wands, let's practice saying the charm first. Repeat after me, Ridikulus." He said, as the class quickly followed. "Very good. Now again, just little louder.
"Ridikulus." The class shouted in unison.
"Very good. Now, the charm is only half the battle. What really deflects the boggart is laughter. One must think of something amusing as they cast it."
Pausing, Professor Lupin turned to a rather shy Hufflepuff. Her name was Lucille and Cassia always noticed she did her best to keep to herself, hiding behind her thick dark hair.
"Miss Livingston, would you come forward please?" Remus smiled.
The young witch seemed to blush before making her way to the front, looking toward her feet as she did.
Placing a gentle hand on her shoulder, Remus spoke. "Now, can you tell me something that truly terrifies you?"
Swallowing, Lucille's soft voice was barely more than a whisper making her words jumble together.
"A little louder, dear." He said, encouragingly.
"The whomping willow, sir."
A few students snickered and whispered amongst themselves as Remus smirked. "A fearsome and powerful tree that would strike any who cross it and capable of fatal damage,I'd say that makes sense." He paused turning himself and Lucille toward the wardrobe before leaning toward her so only she could hear. "But what if each branch were turned into harmless rubber ducks?"
Lucille turned her head to Remus and almost giggled. "Go on, stand directly before it and picture exactly as I've said."
Moving toward it, Lucille stood just several feet before the wardrobe as Remus waved for the doors to open.
The blackness inside jolted out, twisting and morphing until the whomping willow lay before the class, as students began to stumble backward to be clear of its' mighty reach.
"Remember! Picture it as I described and use the charm!" Remus instructed.
"Ridikulus!" Lucille shouted with her wand pointing at the boggart.
Soon, the class was in a fit of laughs as the willow's once strong limbs were now giant rubber duckies that squeaked with every blow to the ground.
"Wonderful, Miss Livingston!" Remus praised. "Now form a line class, and remember to think of something truly hilarious to counter the fear."
Cassia raced in line, dodging a few elbows, ready to repel her biggest fear into something downright hilarious.
Several students stood before her as each of them turned their fears into something funny; one causing the giant rat that first appeared to have ears the size of an elephants and pink fluffy fur.
As Cassia tried to consider what that fear would be, anxiety crept through her veins, until she released a breath she hadn't realized she'd been holding. Now, directly before the boggart, it shifted and molded like it had before, only to reveal her father's lifeless body, burnt to ash as she stared in paralyzing fear, unable to even think.
Dashing before her, Remus had both hands outstretched as if to shield Cassia from seeing it any further while the boggart shifted once again, now taking the shape of a giant glowing orb.
"Ridikulus!" Remus said, causing the orb to deflate like a balloon as it soared around the room with a rukus momentarily.
Hermione touched Cassia's arm, who was still staring ahead with more trepidation in her eyes than Hermione had ever seen.
"That's enough for today class. I'll see you all when we meet next."
With a few moans and groans, the class began to disperse. Some whispering about Cassia's dead father and the horrifying look she'd had in her face. Others lingured in concern before being ushered away by Professor Lupin, who then turned to Hermione.
Miss Granger, if you would be so kind as to wait in the hall, I'd like a word with Cassia."
Nodding, she removed her hand from Cassia's arm, whose cheeks were wet with tears.
With a sigh, Remus moved toward Cassia. "That is the second time I've had to intervene with someone's boggart this week. I suppose it points to those who have truly suffered."
Cassia finally glanced Remus' way as she opened her mouth to speak, but struggled to get the words out at first. "I- I can't believe he's gone."
"I wish I could say more than simply express how truly sorry I am for your loss. Death is never easy." Remus started out. "But I know the kind of strength you hold, Cassia. You inherited it from both your parents. And I know Killian is proud of his daughter and always will be."
As the sobs began to pour from Cassia's very soul, Remus closed the space between them and held the young girl as he would his own child. Her body seemed to shake with anguish as her cries echoed throughout the room.
"There there." He said in comfort. "This too shall pass."
Several weeks had passed since Cedric had asked Cassia on a date as well as her incident in Remus' class.
Though Cassia continued to battle with her emotions, staying busy and repeating Draco's advice from before to herself, really seemed to do the trick.
There were days when the eyes of others seemed to dwell on Cassia as if waiting for her to suffer from a mental break down. Some days it was easy enough for her to ignore their whispers and judgmental glances(Cassia, afterall, cared very little for what others thought). Other days she would turn to face the onlookers before saying something witty like, "Can I help you? Hmm? Or do you stare at my beauty in awe?"(that one had Hermione in a fit of laughter).
As time got closer to their first Hogsmeade outing, Cassia's anticipations for her first date were almost overwhelming but in a good way . She'd quickly realized Cedric was a dedicated and hard working young man who hardly had time for himself but, when given the chance, he spent time getting to know herself and Hermione. She'd learned he was quite mature for his age, was very athletic, and had quite the aptitude for Transfigurations- a magic she thoroughly enjoyed but it seemed to come to him with much less effort(which she found highly attractive).
As things were going well with Cedric, Cassia had not seen much of Draco or Harry and was beginning to feel as if one or both of them were avoiding her. Her suspicions had began to rise when their excuses did. "Quidditch practice ran long." Harry would say when they wouldn't meet herself and Hermione in the courtyard. "I got another detention for a harmless prank I pulled on Harvey. I guess I was still pretty pissed about what he did to you so I had all his clothes spontaneously combust in class." Draco had explained one afternoon(Cassia had laughed at that, glad she wasn't there to witness Harvey buckass naked).
It was true Cassia understood how busy the pair were between classes and Quidditch(as Draco had also joined the team that year) but couldn't shake the feeling that it wasn't just a busy schedule keeping them apart. It also didn't make things easier when she knew Hermione was hiding something and wouldn't simply explain how she kept popping up in class. At one point she'd tried to discuss the matter with Hermione, but was eventually told she couldn't tell and she'd just simply have to trust her.
The combination of secrets and excuses from those closest to her was beginning to become heavy and Cassia hoped that if she spoke with Draco and Harry, it would help alleviate some of the worry she'd carried over her friendships.
With time to spare one Saturday afternoon, Cassia was ready to confront Harry and Draco, but still hoping she was entirely wrong. Hermione was busy reading while she made her way across the courtyard hoping to run into them before dinner in the Great Hall.
When she locked eyes on them both, the two were deep in conversation- their expressions dark and almost ominous. With a deep breath, she made her way toward Harry and Draco who immediately stopped talking when she'd arrived.
"Hey guys." She said calmly, trying not to sound flustered. "Are either of you avoiding me?" She asked boldly, not being the type of girl to beat around the bush.
Harry looked to Draco with a tinge of guilt in his eyes. In truth, they had been avoiding her. Not because of anything she'd done but simply because of what they themselves were up to.
Draco's hand went through his light hair, as he released a deep breath.
Cassia rolled her eyes as her shoulders began to slump. "Well that's a yes." She said feeling down.
Rising to his feet, Harry shook his head. "Cass, don't look like that. It's not what you think-"
"What am I supposed to think?" She interrupted.
Draco, who had been leaning against the stone wall moved toward her. "Cassia, you're about to come to a conclusion that couldn't be further from the truth. When honestly it's been for your own good."
Cassia took a step back with her hand touching her chest in astonishment. Her hazel eyes seemed to burn with fire as Harry seemed to cringe at Draco's choice of words.
"For. My. Own. Good?" She repeated, spitting the words at him as if each was a drop of acid.
Draco sighed as he scratched his temple in irritation. "As a matter of fact, yes."
Cassia's hands went into fists so tight, her knuckles began to turn white as she stared at Draco with pure wrath, who never blinked once. In his heart, Draco was protecting her and if it upset her he could take it. What he couldn't take was to see her in even more stress than she'd already been in.
Everytime she glanced his way and the pain of her father was evident, it was another knife to his chest. He couldn't burden her further with their investigation into Aduna and Lucius. Not until they found something worth telling. She needed to heal. To feel thirteen again. To enjoy her time at school. He feared if she had one more thing to worry about she might disappear and the bubbly, determined, eccentric, and perceptive Cassia would be gone.
"You don't get to decide what's good for me, Draco Malfoy!" She yelled. "You have this annoying habit where you think you should be in charge of my life, well you're wrong! Maybe I've been a little whacky these last few weeks but I'm doing my best!" Tears began to fall as her entire body seemed to be trembling without her permission.
"Whatever it is your hidin', go on n' keep your secrets, see if I care!" The more upset she became the more southern she seemed to sound. Throwing her hands above her head, she relased an agitated grunt before whipping around on her heel, and stomping away from them both.
"Cassia." Harry called out, as he considered following her but ultimately decided it was better she have time to herself. Turning to Draco, he narrowed his eyes.
"Blimey, Draco. Why'd you have to say it like that?" He asked.
Draco merely shrugged, still reeling from Cassia's fury. "I told her the truth, Potter. This is about her own good. You said you agreed."
Harry released a deep exhale. "I agree that Remus was right. Cass doesn't need to know what we know. I agree with Sirius when he said don't tell Cassia they found out Aduna has taken a torn map which was believed to have magical properties for fear of her obsessing. I agree she's heartbroken and suffering and doesn't need more stress."
Draco raised a hand in response as if to say exactly, before Harry continued. "But you still sounded like a prat when you said it that."
A/N I want to thank everyone who has left a review its meant a lot to me. For those who have seen strange versions of this chapter i have updated it twice and i am sorry. Not sure whats going on. Please let me knownb if you do!
The next chapter will dive further into what Aduna's plans are!