Cassandra was startled roughly awake by the train coming into the station. She opened her eyes and was unsurprised to see she remain alone in her compartment. A lot of people in her house avoided her due to her insistence on being there for Draco. She stood, yawning and did a stretch while mentally preparing for the start of the year. She had become something of social pariah among her house mates for her continued defense of Draco Malfoy. They were all very concerned about her mental faculties, she was sure.

She stretched and yawned before making her way in with the rest of the fourth years. She found her head bobbing with more exhaustion as they were escorted to the castle. She was out of it enough that if asked, she couldn't have correctly identified how they were traveling.Cassandra found her head was bobbing at dinner. She managed to eat a bit of her favorite before it was finally time for bed. Sleep was restless, as even Cassandra's dreams tended to pick up on the emotional energies around her sleeping form.

There were anxieties about the tournament that had been announced, homesickness, blooming crushes...They blurred into an ugly, snarled mess until Cassandra couldn't take it and bolted from her bed, clutching her chest in an attempt to still her wildly beating heart. She put on some fluffy house slippers that were custom made to resemble the family cat and shuffled out. There were perks to being a Hufflepuff, and late night snacks being nearby was one of them. Except...there was someone right outside the Common Room and Cassandra managed to butt right into them. They squeaked, fell over, and began to nervously scrabble away.

Cassandra found herself looking down in perplexion at Neville Longbottom. "Are you this lost?" She asked, crouching to pull him to his feet. He stuttered something, face red and flustered. Cassandra sighed. "Come on then. I'll walk you back." She began gently tugging him toward Gryffindor tower, breathing quietly as she went so as to listen for Filch or other hazards.

Neville was quiet for a long time before speaking. "Cassandra, you're a really nice person."

Cassandra shrugged. "Having basic respect and empathy for fellow witches and wizards should be the standard, not praise worthy. I simply try not to be a jerk."

This flustered Neville some more and Cassandra sighed, resolving not to speak again. What was wrong with my answer just now? Isn't it what he wanted to hear? "Are you lonely?"

This caught her off guard and she pursed her lips, not quite surprised enough to fumble for an answer out loud. "No, Neville. I'm a Hufflepuff. I have all the friends I could need."

He was quiet. "But you're...you're always so..."

Cassandra grit her teeth and said nothing, reminding Neville the steps on their current staircase were fake. "Cassandra, can I ask you something?" He was timid, but his sudden assertion reminded Cassandra he was probably in Gryffindor for a reason. She shrugged, trying to stay alert. "Why do you defend Malfoy?"

Now Cassandra was beginning to feel attacked. She struggled for words, instead pushing ahead when she could find none. "He's so horrible. Does he have something of yours?" She still couldn't bring herself to answer, instead pulling Neville up to the Fat Lady's portrait.

"Get yourself in, Longbottom. I have to go back to my dormitory." And she took off in a direction that was clearly not the kitchens, but rather the Astronomy tower. It was where she ran for comfort, and she certainly needed comfort now.

x

Cassandra stared up at the stars, flat on her back and let the hot tears go down her cheeks. She couldn't explain the pull she felt toward Draco and people kept asking. She knew what other students were saying. What they thought. She had been called a masochist more than once. Sick in the head, too. These hurt, almost as much as the words Draco had spat at her during the incident. Of all the people in the school, she felt only the Headmaster had ever taken time to really hear her when she was speaking of her struggles.

She pulled the pill bottle from her robe pocket and took her last one. The next hundreds of doses would come from Madame Pomfrey. This was due to an effort to prevent Cassandra from...trying to off herself as she had last year. The pill was of muggle make by her parents' own insistence, but the Headmaster had alchemized the formula that made up the chemical compound within. While it's main purpose was to suppress her empathic ability, it had a happy side effect of treating the overwhelming sense that the world was closing in and would soon crush her in it's bounds.

Sleep overcame her again.

x

Draco Malfoy couldn't quite believe his eyes. Cassandra Sims, the girl he had...pushed to drastic action was sleeping in the Astronomy tower. This was where Draco came to get away from the pressures of his family and the expectations of his surname. How long had she been coming here for...for the same reason? He was at a loss for a moment. Could he get her all the way back to her dorm with either getting caught?

This question to himself startled Draco and he scowled. Why should he care if some mental muggleborn got detention for breaking curfew? He surveyed her, and the thought crossed his mind, not for the first time...What color did she see when she looked at him? Some ugly brown or an evil black? Did he even have an aura or did Sims think he was soul less? Surely not. Draco knew she had a habit of defending his actions and words when she really shouldn't.

He heaved a sigh and stopped to gather her form in his arms. It was a bit of journey for so late night, but he felt...he felt as if he needed to do this. And for once, it was an action taken solely for himself. For no other reason. Maybe if he was careful she wouldn't wake up either. A nasty thought worked its way into his head as he was nearing the kitchens. What did all this matter if Voldemort was just going to be coming back soon? It's pointless. He agreed with himself. Stupid girl is going to die anyway when...when... Draco shook it off. Maybe she didn't have to. He was already stuck in his station, but Cassandra could still run. He swallowed hard, thinking on this. Maybe if he pushed again, harder this time...She'd leave not and not come back.

He nodded to himself as he knocked on the Hufflepuff common room and ducked quickly out of sight into the kitchen. This was for the best. Maybe...just maybe this one act could redeem his soul when this was all said and done.