A/N: Fourth chappie. I'm really tired...Blegh.
Cassie ran the rest of the way downstairs, taking much care not to do a repeat of yesterday's epic crash. As soon as she arrived, she hastily joined the group of students gathered in a large group around Professor Dumbledore, waiting for their names to be checked off.
He began role-call, starting with the last names starting in 'A'. Cassie, her last name being 'Smith', was always one of the last names to be checked off. When she finally heard her name being called, she let a little cry of 'Here!' escape her lips, and off she went with a moving group out the door and down the hill, towards the horseless carriages. She hopped inside one with the group she'd been walking behind.
The carriages began to move slowly down to Hogsmeade station.
The ride was short, and Cassie was silent the entire ride, looking out the window and loosing herself in her thoughts.
At Hogsmeade station, Cassie got off and walked slowly into the village.
She walked down the bustling road, a chill reminiscent of winter blowing softly through the mountain village. Seeing the sign she was looking for, she turned right and opened the door to the Three Broomsticks.
Inside, it was pleasantly warm, and wizards and witches, children, and Hogwarts students alike sat around the tables talking merrily to one another. Her eyes scanned the room and rested on a familiar figure.
Kelly Abbot sat quietly at a table near the window, sipping butterbeer and humming a cheery tune. Cassie smiled, and quickened her pace to go join her.
When Kelly saw her, her eyes lit up.
"So you didn't forget about me!", she said, wagging a chubby finger at her mock-accusation.
"How could anyone forget about you?" Cassie retorted in mock-surprise.
Her friend laughed cheerily, and ordered another butterbeer, pushing it across the table to Cassie when it arrived. Cassie smiled and thanked her, taking a sip of the warm, fuzzy-feeling liquid.
An hour later found Cassie alone inside Honeydukes, glumly gazing outside at her friend and some Gryffindor sitting on a bench and snogging like there was no tomorrow.
Here I am, ditched (again) and sitting inside a candy store. Well that's just peachy, en't it?
Cassie gave a sigh, and grabbed a box of Bertie Bott' s Every Flavour beans, to amuse herself with later.
She sat on a bench with her candy, eating them and trying to guess the flavour. The sun began to set around her, and she gathered her things to get back up to the castle.
She took her good old time walking to the station, revelling in the late-September sunset that painted everything gold. She smiled and twirled about, amusing herself with a ridiculous fantasy of her being the beautiful Princess of the Sunset, the golds and reds painting her hair and face with beauty unknown to man.
When she reached the station, night was just falling, the moon beginning to shine bright on her prone form standing and waiting. She waited and waited.
No one else was there.
She glanced around nervously. No one.
Then it hit her.
With a cry of despair, she realized that the last of the carriage runs had ended about half an hour ago. She slapped her forehead, and looked around, making sure that she really was alone.
With fear beginning to scratch its way into her thudding heart, she set off at a frightened and brisk pace up the lane. With every snapping twig and every noise she heard, she jumped and fear settled like a great ugly beast inside the pit of her stomach.
She didn't care. She ran.
Finally, panting, she was out of the forest lane and onto the long stretches of lawn that led up to the castle. She'd never got to appreciate how long the walk really was from Hogsmeade to Hogwarts until now. Golden light flooded from inside, and with it, relief flooded her body as well.
She ran up to the stone entrance steps, taking care to open the doors ever so carefully, so that they did not creak. It was possibly and hour past curfew, and all she needed now was another detention for being up after hours.
She crept along the hallways, feeling much safer, but the wariness never left.
She finally reached the corridor leading to the Slytherin common room, when she saw a light at the other end of the hall. Wandlight.
She smothered her gasp of surprise and flung herself behind a statue of a large snake with wings.
Footsteps drew nearer, and she begged with her breath to inhale silently. As the light reached her hiding place, she drew herself in further behind it, cramming her eyes shut and covering her mouth with a sweaty hand. The footsteps pause, but after a moment, she heard them fade into the distance.
Containing her glee at not being caught, she crept out from behind the statue, and continued on her way, keeping her heavy-booted feet as silent as possible.
Someone laid a hand on her shoulder.
With one fluid movement, she screeched, spun around, tripped over her own feet and fell smartly on her bottom.
She winced, and looked up to her capturer.
Riddle stared silently at her.
She sighed.
"Why", she asked, "must you always ruin my life?".
He simply quirked an eyebrow at her, and motioned for her to get up.
She did so, massaging her hurt bottom along the way, and followed him as he walked towards the common room. He quietly said the password, and they entered, a thick tenseness hanging in the air between them. He turned to her.
"I'm a little afraid to ask where you were and what you were doing an hour past curfew, but I'm afraid I really do have to ask."
She inclined her head, and sighed heavily, plopping herself into one of the comfy green couches.
"I missed the carriages...I had to walk back, and by the time I did get back, it was way past curfew." She stared into the dying embers of the fire, it being the only source of light in the dark room.
He nodded.
"Fine. Go to bed."
Cassie's eyes widened a little.
"Sweet...No detention!", she ran with renewed vigor up to the girls dormitory stairs, turning on the first step, "Thanks!".
And with a cheeky grin, she ran up to her warm bed.
A little sigh rang out behind her.
A/N: Not too fond of this chapter particularly, but that's okay. There'll be better chapters later on.