C. M. Black: Eyes of an Owl

Chapter XXIV: St. Valentine

As it was, Cassy did not have to worry about Fred and George informing everyone of her and Harry's new relationship status, because Harry did a good enough job of that himself. When they returned to the common room that evening, nothing changed between them. They did not cuddle on the sofa, or feel the need to attach themselves to one another constantly in one way or another. Instead, Cassy continued to help Neville with his homework as usual and Harry played exploding snap with Ginny until neither could breathe through the abundance of smoke surrounding them.

She smiled at him the next morning. It was a small smile, too sweet to be a greeting, too knowing to be shy. He beamed back, his hands in his pockets and wordlessly they walked with their friends down to breakfast. They sat beside one another as usual, fought over the best toast as usual, liking the same medium-done pieces. It was only when Hermione looked between them with a small smirk that Harry seemed to feel the need to break the silence they had silently agreed upon.

Casually, as he spooned beans onto his plate, he said, 'Cassy and I are together now, by the way.'

Neville choked on his pumpkin juice and Hermione let out a short shriek, unlike any noise Cassy had ever heard before. Instead of teasing her, she tipped the goblet higher, obscuring her face further as her cheeks threatened to flush as her friends exploded into conversation.

'I knew it would happen!' exclaimed Hermione in delight. 'I just knew it.'

'It's about time,' coughed Neville, smiling despite having inhaled his drink.

Cassy stomped on his foot. No one needed to know how long she had fancied Harry for.

No one seemed to notice is strangled cry.

'How nice,' said Luna from beside Neville.

With her face covered by the goblet still, in what must have looked like the longest sip ever to have been taken, Cassy cast her attention to Ginny beside her. She had made no noise of joy or protest. She had barely moved, in fact. The only thing to have changed was a slight crinkle around her eyes as a gentle smile graced her freckled face. Absently, she stared at her breakfast.

Cassy restrained a sigh and lowered the goblet. Her eyes quickly moved to Luna, who had reached over the table to pat Harry's hand. She said, 'I didn't know you two liked each other, but given the amount of Wrackspurts you both have around your heads, I'm surprised you both realised you did. Well done.'

Ignoring the apparent infestation of tiny, invisible insects that distorted normal brain function – and the fact that she had once said they manifest through negative thought and all that implied about the pair – Cassy and Harry still smiled at their friend's odd congratulations.

Ginny suddenly laughed loudly. Further down the table, Ron stared from Cassy to Harry, mouth open and eyes wide, still as though petrified. He was only a few feet away and well within hearing distance of Luna's floaty voice.

'You two are dating?' he suddenly exclaimed.

Dean and Seamus jerked their heads up. The former beamed and winked at Cassy, while Seamus, who took a moment longer to recover from his shock, said, 'Good on you, mate! You're punchin' though.'

Dean elbowed Seamus, but Harry did not seem to care about the insult and laughed.

Ginny had still not said anything, yet somehow she did not need to. She turned and smiled, softer than the grin she had worn and no resentment was evident in her features. The same could not be said for the rest of the school, however. Ron's outburst had been heard up and down the Gryffindor table and while their House seemed generally quite ecstatic about the news, which Cassy found bizarre, not everyone felt as pleased or as proud as them.

By lunch, word had spread through fifth-year. Dumbledore's Army was the first to know with Ron having spread the news eagerly, happy to be the one with all the supposed knowledge. Hannah Abbot smiled shyly behind her hands while Ernie Macmillian pompously congratulated them both as though they had just announced their engagement. Lavender, Pavarti, and Padma each tried to haul Cassy away to interrogate her on how Harry had asked her – she was not sure where the assumption that he had come from, because really it was less of an ask and more of an understanding. She slipped away right into the waiting arms of Fred and George, who were determined to parade her and Harry around as though they were the proud parents of either or both. Cassy had smacked Fred sharply when he had introduced her to a random passing third-year as 'Mrs Potter'.

She did not see the need for all the fuss. She understood why Chang cared and had burst into instant tears at the news, and why Malfoy had turned a ghostly shade of white as Astoria impatiently informed him at dinner. He choked on air, spluttering so loudly he could still be heard over Cassy and Harry's roaring laughter. Yet, there was no reason in her mind that no one else should take such an interest, but they did. The entire school knew by the end of the week, with the exception of the teachers with the school-wide agreement that student-only gossip was not only friendlier, but funnier because as soon as teachers were involved there was room for the rumours to be disputed and stopped.

Harry no longer cared that the school spoke of him, because for once it was about something positive, something that made him smile to himself and made his girlfriend eye him suspiciously when he refused to tell her why. Even the strange rumours on how the pair had finally got together brought nothing but cheer; the consensus quickly rose that everyone had seen it coming and they found it quite hard to believe, particularly because of the sudden rush of interest, but no one was willing to admit it had been a surprise.

One rumour which did not take flight was probably the best rumour anyone had heard all year.

'I heard she's behind everything, you know,' said a second-year Hufflepuff.

Her Ravenclaw friend shifted. 'What do you mean?'

'Well, I heard from Patsy that Black wants power. Patsy said she corrupted him, it's her fault he's been saying You-Know-Who is back so everyone will love Harry Potter as some sort of saviour. Then, when he's popular and under her control, she can seize that power and takeover as the next Dark Lord!'

It did not matter that the idea was ludicrous or the fact that such a ploy would never work, Cassy and Harry had broken down into terribly loud laughter on the staircase. The two girls had scattered immediately, red-faced and panicked. They were in tears when they finally reached their lesson and had it not been Defence Against the Dark Arts, the pair would not have sobered for a long while after that.

Besides the occasional kiss and an eased atmosphere as all suspicion and doubt fled from between them, nothing really changed. Their relationship did not suddenly evolve into inseparable hugs, or blocking the corridor with a need to hold hands and touch at every available moment. Cassy hated the mere thought of it. Public displays were revolting to her, so unneeded. The only person who needed to know she cared was Harry. Perhaps he instinctively knew she would recoil at elaborate displays, because he never tried to make a show of their relationship. After being best friends for so long, he seemed to know her well enough, or perhaps he felt the same, totally unhindered by their lack of constant affections. Whatever it was, Cassy pushed to the corner of her mind as she forced the musings from her mind.

For the last fifteen minutes, Cassy and Harry had done nothing but stare at one another. Cross-legged, the pair were turned to one another as they sat on the scarlet sofas in the Gryffindor common room, simply staring. Ron and Ginny were watching them, waiting for something to happen, while Fred and George hovered irritatingly around them. They waved their hands and made continuously obnoxious noises in a vein effort to spur one of them into responding.

'That settle's that then,' said Fred with a long sigh. 'This just proves nothing can break the stare of true love.'

Without turning a fraction, Cassy reached out and smacked him.

Harry shuddered with supressed laughter.

As the twins ducked out of reach, Hermione finally set down her Arithmancy book and asked, 'What are you two actually doing?'

'Practising Occlumency,' said Harry. 'And Legilimency, but it's not really working.'

There was a faint buzzing in Cassy's mind. It had taken her a second to realise that it was not her to which the feeling belonged, but Harry. She had focused her magic on him and pressed forward, almost instantly felt a static connection and she had been unable to reach much beyond that. She could feel a surface emotion of irritation and a stronger one of wonder that she knew was not hers. A brief memory had surfaced, one of Quidditch, clouds surrounding a figure in red and rain that hammered down like beating drums.

She had pulled back after that and Harry had blinked, aware of her intrusion. His shoulders had squared as he readied himself again. This time, Cassy did not press beyond the surface of his mind. She waited for him to push her away and that was how they had come to the impasse they were at; she did not probe and he did not push.

Efforts to teach Harry Occlumency had redoubled after he and Cassy had finally got around to having the conversation he had approached her for on that Sunday afternoon. He was an inch from giving up, he told her. His mind ached. For all the lessons he had had, it only felt as though his mind was becoming weaker. He had had the dream every night; he walked down the same corridor, surrounded by the same silence, halting at the same point every time. Hermione had suggested it was like an illness, forced to be worse before it could be better. Neville had told him to sleep on his side; he always talked when he dreamt and he only dreamt when lying on his back. Ron had accused Professor Snape of purposefully weakening his mind for easier access and Cassy had mentally scolded him while she rolled her eyes. There was nothing to gain from that, she insisted. Even possessed by Voldemort, there was little harm Harry could do at Hogwarts.

'There was a faint buzz at one point,' mentioned Cassy. Harry had briefly shoved her too far back, almost as if attacking her mind instead, but it had shut off quickly and the feeling of his mind returned to her.

'That can sometimes happen in relationships,' said George. 'The spark just fizzles and dies.'

Ron and Ginny burst into laughter. Hermione hid her face behind her book and Cassy was certain she had heard even Neville snort somewhere behind her.

'Perhaps this is not working because Harry refuses to take it seriously,' drawled Cassy.

'You're the one who said I needed to build shields by clearing my thoughts. I can't do that and try hard,' he protested and grinned.

Ron stifled another laugh and Cassy merely narrowed her eyes.

'If neither of you are trained, this won't do a lot of good,' said Hermione.

'Theoretically, we know what we're doing,' replied Harry.

'We just need to practise, which we are not going to do with this noise,' added Cassy. She did not mention the fact that her eyes stung with a desperate need to blink and that they had long since become unfocused. 'Let's take a break, Harry, and I will make you a deal. If you blink before me you have to show me the parcel Blackjack gave you.'

'All right,' said Harry.

A short, sharp puff of air hit his face.

'I win,' said Cassy shortly. 'Show me.'

Harry scrunched his eyes closed and opened them widely, blinking away the scratchy dryness. For a moment, he stared at her in bewilderment, before scoffing. 'Cheater.'

'There were never any rules, so technically no.' Cassy unfolded herself and stretched like a cat in the summer sun. She slapped his knee. 'Hurry up.'

Harry huffed. 'All right, but I've not opened it myself yet, so I don't know what it is.'

In the fifth-year boys' dormitory, there was no illusion that any of them were tidy creatures. Cassy peered around at the piles of dirty clothes and books strewn across the wooden floor. The fire in the centre burnt brightly, which merely illuminated the poor state the five boys had left it in. She had never seen such a mess since stepping out of Grimmauld Place last summer.

Catching her mortified expression, Harry tried to push his mess under his bed with his foot.

'It's not normally this bad,' he insisted. 'We were messing around yesterday and yeah…'

He routed around in his trunk for a moment, before pulling out a brown parcel. He dropped down onto the bed and eyed it warily. Still within him was a deep fear that communicating with Sirius would only cause trouble. Despite Cassy's assurances that her father would manage and it would surely only cause him greater sadness to be out of contact, Harry had always ended the conversations with an uncertain frown. Slowly, he pulled to sting away and when the extra padding was pulled away, Cassy knew exactly what the rectangular gift was.

'A two-way mirror,' she declared thoughtfully. 'I wonder where he got that from?'

'I thought these were hard to get?' said Harry.

Cassy took the mirror from him. Light scratches littered the edges; the underside was also scratched as though having been handled a lot, some were deeper, tiny chips from having been dropped.

'He must have used them at school,' she deduced.

Frowning, Harry asked, 'Do you think this was my dad's?'

'It is possible,' said Cassy. 'Call him and find out.'

Harry stared at the mirror doubtfully. A distant fear still seemed to plague his mind that the more he spoke to Sirius, the more danger he was placing him in. He feared his Godfather's concerns would make him irrational if proved to be true, but what Cassy saw was the potential of making him much worse by isolating him. He could assume the worst on his own that way. Harry could always reassure him he was fine and Cassy was quite capable of presenting a convincing lie when he could not.

He turned to her grimly. 'No offense, but I don't want to have to be the one to tell Sirius.'

There was no doubt of what Harry was speaking of. Cassy had pondered the same conversation many times in the last week, theorising each outcome, which she usually assumed would be positive. It was another thing to admit they were dating openly to anyone without prompting, especially her father, so she shook her head and the two soundlessly agreed to tackle that issue another day, or potentially never depending on how long they could avoid the awkward confrontation.

There were no runes to begin a voice activation like Cassy and Harry's mirrors had. In fact, there was no obvious way to begin the call at all. However, when Harry lifted it close to his face an image flashed across the silvery surface and a face popped into view. He scrambled to catch the mirror as it jolted from his grip. When he looked again and Cassy had ducked into view, the smiling face of Sirius beamed back at them.

'I was wondering if you were going to call,' he said.

A visible layer of guilt swamped Harry.

'I was letting things settle for a bit first – to see how classes were going and stuff,' lied Harry.

Cassy was almost mildly impressed. His lying capabilities were getting better.

Sirius' eyes narrowed. 'How are classes with Snape?'

'Slow,' admitted Harry. 'I can't seem to clear my mind.'

'Don't worry about it. I began lessons over summer when I was thirteen. It's not an easy ability to learn, otherwise everyone would have it. The important thing is that you try, Harry. It's vital that you learn Occlumency,' said Sirius.

Harry was quiet for a moment and Cassy wondered if he was about to tell Sirius of the continuing dreams and their suspicions. He did not and instead asked if Kreacher was still acting oddly. Sirius shrugged back at him. Kreacher was still scrounging for heirlooms and he had not left the house since his last vanishing act. In fact, Sirius recalled with some pleasure, he had been more receptive to commands since he was sent away. Cassy frowned, but he brushed her concern aside.

'It's just the threat of being cast out of his favourite house,' said Sirius easily. 'You need to worry less.'

She did not respond to that. The conversation drifted onwards for the better part of half-an-hour before she became tired of the meaningless chatter.

'How are you, anyway?' she asked when there was a slight lull. They had left so soon after Professor Snape's insults that she had not had the opportunity to see how well her father handled them. It was clear that Harry was avoiding the topic of conversation too, unwilling to bring back old resentment once more.

'Fine,' said Sirius shortly.

'Has anyone been around lately?'

'No,' he said and the faintest sound of bitterness tinged his voice. 'Not a word.'

Cassy was silent for a moment. 'Do not let what Professor Snape said bother you. You offer stability and security to the Order. No one considers you a coward, you are the reason the Order can function so efficiently.'

'That's petty work,' grunted Sirius.

'Not everyone is a convicted mass-murderer,' said Harry sharply.

He huffed shortly and his eyes flickered upwards, as though he had been about to roll them but thought better of it. Every conversation they had it felt as though they were going in circles. It always came back to how Sirius was hauled away and unhappy. At least when he had been abroad he had been free enough to move about and travel amongst the faces of unfamiliar people in the tropics, surrounded by those who did not know his crimes. Cassy almost suggested he leave again. The Order had free access to his house and if he really wanted to be able to move easily then leaving Britain again would be the easiest answer. Of course, he never would. Voldemort had returned and with the current climate, she knew his sense of duty would not allow him to flee.

There was a definite decline in the pleasantness of the conversation after that. Although was not at all intended despite being expected, Harry's statement had hit a sore spot that her father was unwilling to disregard for the sake of an enjoyable moment with his daughter and Godson. The remainder of his words were tinted with a certain resentfulness. Even as he asked Cassy how she was and if she had settled back in after Christmas okay, he gave the impression he would rather end the call and brood alone.

Too stubborn to try and pacify him, Cassy fixed a fake smile on her face and told him everything was wonderful and she was much happier now. Her voice reached a pitch rarely used, one reserved for when her false niceties could not be maintained and her sarcastic retort battled through her wall of civility.

Sirius did the voice back to her. 'Good, good!'

Harry coughed and tried to turn the conversation around, but neither Cassy nor Sirius particularly felt like speaking any longer. It was always frustrating. Perhaps Harry had had the right idea about not contacting him.

With lace blue sleeves and a hem that ended just above her knees, Cassy had been careful to choose a dress that was neither too formal nor too casual. Silver earrings were pressed through her ears and her hair was in a braid that linked into a bun on the back of her head. Carefully, she inspected her appearance in the mirror.

'You look nice,' commented Hermione, smiling slyly.

Cassy ignored her. Instead she asked, 'What are your plans for the day?'

'The library, probably,' she said. 'I want to get a head start on next week's Arithmancy lessons.'

Cassy hummed. It was not as though Hermione had not already read the chapter thrice.

She descended the winding staircase down to the common room. It was alive with activity for Valentine's Day. Glistening hearts hung on the walls and the fire had even been charmed pink. Many of the boys were sharper dressed than at any other time of the year, checking their watches anxiously for just the right time to leave and meet their date.

The seats at the little table just beside the staircase were occupied by Harry and Neville. Harry had dressed carefully, his shoes were the ones Cassy had brought him for his birthday and his shirt was a bottle-green. He still wore jeans and his hair was a ruffled mess, but she was glad – she hated it when he tried to tame it. He stood quickly and smiled at her and the cogs of his brain were visibly trying to formulate a compliment.

'You look nice,' said Cassy, saving him the trouble.

'Thanks, er – you too.'

The four of them descended to breakfast. The way was littered with individuals waiting in pre-arranged places for their dates or those who hated the season and scowled at the sight of every couple they passed. She had never noticed the shire abundance of couples before, but then, she supposed, it had never really been of any interest. It was better than second year at any rate and anyone who had been at the school to remember it was still relieved every year when dwarfs in togas did not burst through the giant double doors to read poems aloud. Cassy would have teased Harry about his if it did not feel so cruel to Ginny. Even though she had shown no signs of resentment, she was still certain Ginny held feelings for Harry. There was something in the way she looked at him that Cassy had not seen in either Hermione or Luna.

At the teachers' table, Professor Umbridge did not stand out so sorely for once. Instead, she blended in well with the various festivities and it looked as though the Prefects in charge of decorating had purposefully gone out of their way to make everything as obnoxious as possible this year. Professor McGonagall refused to smile when the Headmaster strode into the room with hearts littered across his red robes, but a quick quirk of the lips was allowed when Professor Umbridge grunted in distaste.

Owls soon swooped overhead. The normal morning post had been and gone, the owls above were Hogwarts owls sent with the specific purpose of delivering cards. Each year there was a different method and this year owls with pink ribbons tied to their legs and small sachets across their bodies was the chosen method. It was tacky and sickening to see how festive the holiday had become, but with Professor Umbridge intent to destroy any semblance of fun from the school by the end of the year, everyone was taking great enjoyment from the ridiculous day. Even those without dates had found amusement in the scattered balloons and purposefully nauseating banners that were strung across the staircases.

An owl landed in front of Cassy. Tied to its leg was a small bundle of letters and three boxes of chocolates.

Harry blanched.

'Who are they from?' he demanded.

Cassy looked at him without inclining her head up again. 'Give me a chance and I will let you know.'

'That's more than you got last year,' commented Neville.

'Last year?' asked Harry.

'I only got three the year before,' said Cassy distantly as she ripped open her post.

'Three?'

Hermione laughed. 'You didn't think you're the only one to have noticed her, did you?'

'Cassy always gets Valentine's Day cards, although, they always seem to be from some Purebloods if the writing is anything to go by,' added Neville.

'It is more of a formality to send those cards,' said Cassy idly. 'I have never spoken to any of them that send me them. It is more because of my name and money they do that – to introduce themselves to me, if you will.'

'It's a bit like a courting invitation,' agreed Neville.

'What?' demanded Harry.

Cassy put down the letters and stared at him pointedly.

'No, tell me what you mean by that,' he said. He stared at the offending post with such intensity that Cassy could not help but laugh.

'You must understand, Harry, that I come from a very old, very traditional family. It was, and is to other noble families, expected that I find someone I might marry before leaving school. I should display an interest, as it were. My position as the direct heir – half-blood or not – of a not only noble, but ancient, family, puts me as a prime possession. I see anyone who approaches me in such a manner as someone who wants my money and not someone I would ever be interested in spending time with. Do not look so concerned,' she explained.

After second-year, Cassy had not even bothered to open the letters she received from the noble boys. She knew some of them from when she was young and some of them hated her and more than one of them she had been in some form of row or fight with before starting school. It was obvious that their letters were not their own doings, but that of their parents. Some still lived by the idea that if forced together, two people can often find a common connection and then a proper marriage can occur whereby they will all be honourable and happy. Cassy did not follow this thought at all and while many were content to let their own children find love, some did not and those ones were always obvious.

Hermione was openly scowling at Cassy as she always did when she heard of wizarding tradition.

'That's barbaric!' she protested. 'You can't just marry a woman off at seventeen to a man like a present for honour!'

Cassy scowled back. 'This is not the sixth-century, Hermione. Women are not seen to be beneath men. I don't know about Muggle society, but wizarding marriage is equal in law and in expectation. A woman is not a prize!'

She stared at her incredulously, unable to believe that Hermione would think such a thing. Legally, women had been equal for over one-thousand years. There was no magic that a man could do that a woman could not, they were magically equal in strength and intelligence and that was all that mattered.

'We have to agree. Some marry for love and some marry for power, but both parties agree,' said Cassy. She would admit some family pressures came into it occasionally, but it was not something that could be forced upon the bride if she did not allow it; Andromeda had certainly made her choice.

Hermione blinked slowly, seemingly in the same state of shock Cassy had been. 'It's a bit different in the Muggle world sometimes.'

Cassy hummed and slapped her hand down on the table to stop Harry stealing one of her letters.

'I'm curious,' he said quickly.

A solitary owl screeched overhead. Hermione's head whipped upwards and her face lit in anticipation as the brown owl swooped in front of her. With curious eyes, Cassy watched her friend's face flicker from nervousness to excitement. Hermione's lips pulled into a determined smile and she turned to Harry.

'I need to meet you today at one,' said Hermione quickly.

Harry blinked and glanced at Cassy. Almost unnoticeably, Cassy nodded in consent, more curious than irritated.

Hermione followed his gaze. 'Oh, you can bring Cassy too.'

Cassy had already intended to come along whether she was invited or not.

With the letter in hand, Hermione shot from the Great Hall. Only a moment later, Harry darted from the table and pulled Cassy with him as Ron began to loudly moan about Quidditch practice. He ran a hand irritably through his hair and Cassy waved to Neville.

The fresh air of February ghosted over their skin. They struggled to pull their winter coats as they strode over the cobbled pathway. Harry's eyes continuously glanced towards the Quidditch Pitch at the bottom of the hill where faint figures were already flying. He sighed heavily. Filch shot him a nasty look as he signed the pair out.

'I think we'd better call Puddlemere United and check if Oliver Wood has died in a training accident, because Angelina seems to be channelling his spirit,' commented Harry.

'Ron just needs one good game and he will stop complaining,' assured Cassy.

'I wish he would. I would kill to be able to play,' he said.

'The team just isn't the same without you,' she said dramatically, but Harry looked more pained than charmed. She shoved him. 'I am sure you will be back on the team next year. There is no way Professor Umbridge can remain in power with the war growing as it is. People will begin to realise the Ministry has it wrong and she will be removed.'

The two received many stares as they passed other groups on the way to Hogsmeade. Attention had been on them for almost two weeks as rumours circulated, but none stared quite as openly as Pansy Parkinson, who practically snarled like a dog the entire time they were within sight. If she had commented then Cassy would have retorted with one of the hundred sarcastic lines she had conjured at that moment, yet she stayed quiet and she was almost disappointed by it. She had been looking forward to hearing what degrading marks she would regurgitate from her cousin had made to earn a cheap laugh from the house of snakes.

Hogsmeade itself was busy. People filled the streets and the shopkeepers appeared to be making the most out of the spirit of young love as they advertised numerous Valentine events and merchandise. Cassy noted each produced with the same unenthused eye she had every year before. They were always pink or red, covered in hearts and over-priced with sentiments that would not last the year. She took Harry's hand and pulled him from where one of the elderly stall sellers had cornered him and forced a dozen red roses into his arms. They dropped to the floor and the seller screeched at them, her voice carrying all the way down the high street.

As Harry pushed open the door to a clothing store, they both noticed the wanted poster stuck on the glass. Every shop around them had one and in some windows renewed photographs of Sirius had been stuck beside them. The bell of the shop jingled and the assistant smiled at them. She watched them shop with a mixture of amusement and aghast as they picked up the most ridiculous items they could find, from yellow suspenders to floral bow-ties. Many pairs of socks were piled upon woollen hats and children's tops. The cashier smiled at them warily while he packed.

With a bag of presents purchased for Dobby for his help finding the Room of Requirement, the two set outside again. Rain poured down from the grey clouds that had gathered during their time inside. The promise of a warmer, drier day proved a far-away hope. People had fled from the streets into the nearby stores and Cassy and Harry walked down the empty cobbled streets with their hands laced together and their hoods up. Silently, they passed the stores in search of a tea shop or a place to sit. They drew to a halt outside a small, cramped shop that Cassy had noticed a few times on her trips.

Madam Puddifoot's was never a place she had entered, although it normally looked like a nice place to stop for a drink. It was always too small to fit the group into without some manoeuvring of tables, so she had never bothered to suggest it. Now, when there was just her and Harry she was tempted to step inside, but the moment she looked through the window her mind changed. Instead of the old brown brickwork and little tables that gave the shop an old, rustic charm, the seats had ribbons tied to their backs and colourful tablecloths across every surface. Glitter fell from the ceiling and candles hovered above the tables, undeniably scented. Couples sat throughout the room, holding hands or kissing in displays of affection that had Cassy's brain instructing her to avert her eyes, as though it were she who had stepped into an intimate moment and not them who were fiercely kissing publicly.

She turned to Harry, who eyed her with wide eyes and a bright smile. It was a peculiar expression that made it seem like she had just ridden the school of Umbridge and killed Voldemort all in a single motion; a look of utter adoration.

Cassy blanched. 'You don't actually want to go in there, do you?'

'God, no,' he laughed. 'It looks like Umbridge's office.'

'That is what I thought!'

'I was smiling because I realised how lucky I was that I have a girlfriend who isn't interested in cute tables and sequin hearts,' he said and shivered at the explosive display.

'It normally looks quite nice, but that is ghastly,' she muttered as they began to walk up the road once more. It was not that Cassy was adverse to cute things, but she was beginning to be forced to realise her notion of romance did not quite live up to that of her peers. She did not want hearts and bears with sentimental messages scrawled across them. She loved flowers and chocolates, but would be pleased with whatever she was given, but the idea of showering love for one day and them continuing on as normal seemed redundant. She had never entirely understood the holiday and even with a boyfriend, albeit one she had only had for less than two whole weeks, she still did not feel the allure of demonstrating to everyone how much she cared for one day a year.

That did not seem to matter to Harry either. In fact, he seemed overjoyed at the prospect as he hurriedly dragged her from the frilly décor and down a beaten pathway. Eyebrows raised higher and higher as they left the dreary village behind and headed into a darkened woodland. Finally, when there was nothing but the distorted sound of rain on the leaves high above, Cassy curiously asked where they were going.

'There is one thing we always said we wanted to do and never did,' said Harry.

Before she could ask, the woods began to thin and there in the distance stood a faint, wonky structure alone on the hillside.

'Visit the Shrieking Shack,' she grinned.

They climbed over the rotten wood fence and navigated their way through the overgrowth, thorns and wet grass crossed their legs, tugging and tearing as the heavy downpour made it difficult to see far in front of them and the slicked grass proved treacherous to stand upon without slipping and sliding down the slope. Slightly cut and dirtied by the descent, the pair sprinted to the rickety door on the far side. It swung open with a great crash, unhinged on the top with a doorknob missing on the outside. The windows were all boarded up. Dim light filtered through the warped wood, illuminating the creaky, uneven stairs. With each gust of wind outside, the house seemed to shudder and a moan erupted from deep within the stomach of the structure.

The first floor had a dusty living room, void of any furniture besides an old dresser and a sofa that had had the stuffing mauled out of it and spread thinly across the floor. Deep scratches marred the solid floors and the faded drapes had been shredded, their rails almost ripped from the wall.

The bedroom opposite was in much the same state. The once glorious four-poster bed had teeth marks in it, giant teeth at that. A large mirror was cracked, thin brown hair stuck between the fractures.

The pair sauntered and rooted through the dilapidated house. Anything of value had long since been taken, although beneath the bed Harry found an old Chaser's glove and down the side of the sofa was several silver Sickles. Under the stairs was an old stone set of steps that stretched far underground. They shoved each other into going first until Cassy suddenly agreed and hopped into the darkness. Shocked, Harry jumped after her and pushed his way ahead anyway, his wand lit but was of little use. They were unable to see more than an arms-length in front of them. The tunnel continued on and on, rats scuttled by and the moans of the shifting house above echoed hauntingly around them. Harry was forced to stoop as the ceiling began to lower and then, in the distance, a small, dim light appeared.

When the two poked their heads out the end of the tunnel, they found themselves looking up at the castle. Rain still drizzled outside, but a crowd had gathered in the distance around the tiny forms of Fred and George who appeared to be capitalising on the in and out coming stream of students and had a full array of their products on display. Several scarlet glad figures wandered through the stone archway and Harry sighed deeply again.

'You know, it's not that bad that you are banned really, otherwise we would not have come here today,' muttered Cassy.

'That's true,' he said and smiled lightly at her. 'I still miss it though.'

'Come next year I am sure you will wish you were not on the team. You never know, you could be Captain.' She winked and Harry rolled his eyes.

'Life ban, remember?'

Cassy ignored him. Once Professor Umbridge was exposed, there would be no possible way that the ban would remain and Harry would be free to compete as he wished. Instead, they continued to watch the twins sell their products. They were growing restless, she noticed, their efforts had faded entirely from school work and was now concentrated on their growing business. The money Harry had gifted them had allowed them far more freedom and Cassy would be surprised if the pair returned next September to complete their NEWTs. Their business would do well, although the climate hardly seemed appropriate for such things.

The tiny hands on the clock necklace Cassy always wore ticked round.

'It is twelve-fifty-three,' she said calmly.

Harry made a non-committal noise. She stared patiently and his eyes visibly widened. He swore loudly.

'Hermione's meeting!'

Despite not knowing what the meeting was for, only knowing that Hermione was very excited about it, the two set off quickly back down the tunnel. It would have been quicker to walk back up to the castle and back to Hogsmeade again, but they would have to think of an excuse to get past Filch again, especially as he had not signed them in. The hill proved even more difficult to climb than they had been to descend. There were many slips and slides, huffs and curses and several threats as they precariously leant on one another as leverage for better footing.

They walked as quickly as possible to the Three Broomsticks without running. They dusted themselves down before entering, although there was nothing that could be done for the scrapes on Cassy's legs and no amount of tissue could clear the slick mud from Harry's shoes. A blast of hot air met them as the door jingled open. Three giant fires burnt brightly and warmly, all of the tables seemed occupied and it took several moments of scanning for the pair of them to spot Hermione, Neville, and Luna on a table far in the corner. As they pushed through the throng of people waiting at the bar, then, suddenly, Cassy noticed another person at the table. With her hood drawn up, Rita Skeeter sat beside Luna with an obvious glare of contempt.

Cassy smirked. So Hermione was truly capable of good blackmail if she really wanted it and for such a useful objective; she was impressed.

'That's the unlikeliest pair of drinking mates I could ever have imagined,' muttered Harry.

'You're late!' called Hermione when she finally spotted them approaching.

'Sorry,' said Harry distantly. His focus was on Skeeter, who smiled predatorily up at him. She wore the same horn-rimmed glasses, though several stones were missing from the corners, and her hair was still curled and blonde, longer than before and unkempt. Her nails were chipped as they drummed impatiently on the table. Unemployment had not served her well.

Hermione clapped her hands together eagerly. 'I asked you all to meet here today, because I thought it would be good if Harry did an article for the Quibbler about what really happened that night.'

There was a resounding silence.

'That will never work,' scoffed Skeeter.

'Holes in the Daily Prophet had already been pointed out and everyone's talking about it. All we need to do now is prove to them how ludicrous the paper is by giving the real story.' Hermione's eyes paused briefly on Cassy, inspecting her reaction as she spoke of the articles. 'Consider this the final nail in the coffin of the Prophet.'

Harry pursed his lips and Skeeter huffed loudly at the sight of Hermione's intimidating stare.

Luna merely sipped Butterbeer through a straw, her legs swung beneath the table as she hummed happily at the stiffly agreed exchange. Her father's paper was about to sell out.

This was supposed to be up yesterday, but I hated the beginning, so I rewrote it.

This is just mostly about Cassy and Harry's new relationship. Cassy is not the type for public affections and Harry is watched enough and criticised that he doesn't seem to be overly the type either, at least, not like Ron and Lavender are in sixth year. What I was really trying to get across is that Cassy is just not fussed about relationships. She's happy because she has one, but she is just not the type to care if she doesn't. Rowling once said Sirius was the same. Very attractive and with lots of attention, but he was too busy being rebellious to really notice. Cassy is all about progress and intellect.

However, her and Harry are cute (I have to say that. I write them!). I was overwhelmed by the reviews for the last chapter! I'm so glad that it was so well received.

Also, I made up the part about witches and wizards being equal and I will tell you why I think this would be true and that's because in the magical world, there was no difference between men and women in terms of education or ability to establish a school and therefore probably careers were also more equal very early on. Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff were supposed to be very powerful and respected women, who would take anyone who conformed to their preferred traits. This was not a school for boys, or girls to a certain age. It was for everyone. Real schools were not like that at all.

Even though they have a clear upper-class system, there is no evidence that these women do not work. I'm not even sure canonically what Lucius Malfoy does, or if he even works. I write him with a job in mind, but I think both he and Narcissa mooch around all day being rich, rather than working. They all wear robes, although I prefer how the films presented uniform, so there is no argument over gendered clothing or propriety with that. I see a lot more equality in gender status and I like the make the world a bit more separate from the Muggle one. There is enough blood tension going on, I don't think the community, even a thousand years ago, could afford to discriminate against pure-blood women by putting them down.

Anyway, feel free to review.

Thanks!