An: If anyone gets the reference I've made with the names of MC's parents...I love you.

Cassandra Sims was no more a morning person than either of her dads. This was why as she woke for the journey to Hogwarts to start yet another year of magical misadventure, she was a little grumpy. "Come on Cassie, love. Up you get." Her cuddlier father attempted to wake her with some tact. "You love your school."

Her other father strode into the room and threw the curtains open, causing Cassandra to hiss and roll the other direction, straight into the arms of a waiting dad. "Martin, she hates the daylight. The only sure way to get our Cas out of bed in time is with some tough love." His eyes glittered and Cassandra half wanted to tell him no, that she was too old for this.

"If you insist Jon, but I refuse to take part in your loving war crimes." Martin laughed, and downstairs a tea kettle started to shriek. He left Cassandra then, staring from her sitting position on her bed. Jon moved one way and she slyly moved the other before with a lunge he had tackled her and gathered her up in his arms. Then he was carefully making his way downstairs. Cassandra wanted to shriek just like the tea kettle, but she had to admit being sat at a table with a breakfast her father Martin had lovingly prepared was tops.

"I love you, dads." In practiced unison, they returned the sentiment.

When someone spoke next, it was with Jon's serious tone. "Right. Say goodbye to Martin." Cassandra didn't say anything, too busy instead with taking in details of their faces to keep with her throughout the school year. Where her own hair was gentle waves of wheat gold, they each had black hair instead. Jon kept his cut and styled neat, while Martin let it flow into loose curls that stopped just below his ears in a sort of bob. She met Martin's eyes and let herself feel the warm embrace lurking within. Her own were a cornflower blue that in the right condition looked more purple. As if the fact they were both male wasn't enough indication throughout early childhood, the fact Cassandra had no features shared with either had given away that she was adopted.

She hugged him and allowed Jon to lead her out the door, grateful for the cloud cover. She made a mental note to change into her school uniform before boarding the train. It didn't serve too well to remind some people that there were muggleborns attending the school. Now that her mind was on school it began to drift to him. It wasn't a healthy crush, she knew. But there was something about the tortured soul she could see behind Draco's eyes...

"Cas?" She startled, looking at Jon as they sat stopped in traffic. "Are you alright?" She hesitated just long enough to answer him without saying a word. "Is this about that boy again? Cas, Martin and I have told you again and again...He's no good. Certainly not for you."

Cassandra sighed, already trying to defend him. "It's not his fault he got raised by blood racists, dad. And I already forgave it. Why can't you?" The incident in question had been...sort of nasty. The school had informed her parents and Draco's too. Cassandra didn't like dwelling on it. She also didn't add that she knew in her unique way that Draco wanted to be a good person. It was buried deep behind fear of reproach and other things too, but Draco Malfoy desperately wanted to be something other than his family legacy.

Jon gave her some more side eye in silence as the light turned green and they drove on. When King's Cross loomed ahead, he pulled into a parking spot and helped Cassandra get her trunk into the station. Then he hugged her. "We love you, darling." He handed her a cloak. "For if it gets too sunny." She took some time then to put on her yellow house uniform and get on the train.

Then Cassandra watched her family round the corner out of sight.

x

Cassandra was woken from her uneasy nap by the knocking of her fellow Hufflepuffs at the door to her lonely little compartment. Cedric Diggory to be precise. "Cas, can I come in?" His eyes flicked to the empty seats and she rubbed her tired eyes as he took it. The door slid closed on its own. "Cas, I want to ask if you're ok. Last year was sort of...tough for all of us as a house."

His careful eyes attempted to probe her and Cassandra had to keep a lid on her own unique powers. "If you're referring to the incident that ended with me being in the hospital wing, let me say one more time I did that on my own accord. No one made me do what I did."

"Yeah sure, Cas. But...he said things that directly influenced your decision to-"

"Cedric, I'm not going to off myself. It wasn't about that then, and it still isn't. Please...pick a different subject or...leave me to nap. I am exhausted."

Cedric gave her a worried look, and left the compartment. Cassandra sighed and looked at her arms, ensconced in their long sleeves. They bore magically sealed scars, vertical ones. She had not been messing around when she attempted what she attempted. Yes, Draco Malfoy had said some nasty things to Cassandra. Were these nasty things what made her try to end her own life? No. Not entirely. The blame for that fell almost completely upon her psychic powers as an empath. Cassandra was able to see and feel others emotions, to know their personality. If she looked hard enough, she could see each person's soul, what really made them...unique. It was usually in the form of a colorful haze. No two hues were the same, except in a few cases like twins or soulmates.

This power weighed on her, heavily at times. Headmaster Dumbledore had told her that this was her trial in life, that if she overcame the difficulties that normally went with such power, she'd find her purpose. A purpose only those like her could fulfill. This year, the train was abuzz was nervous and excited energy and it was already draining her. She heard it then, from a couple Slytherins passing by on their way to the back of the train car. "A tournament of some kind, between schools. Aren't you excited to show them what Hogwarts is made of?"

It made sense now why the excited ones all seemed those with ministry working parents. They knew what the rest didn't. Cassandra let her eyes close again. She needed more sleep to deal with what was doubtless coming.