Cassiopeia Valencourt was completely and undeniably ordinary.
She had a set routine — wake up, attend classes, study, eat, and then spend the evening with her friends around the Hogwarts castle. There was nothing remarkable about her appearance — long, dark hair that fell in a straight line down her back, brown eyes, and a slight frame that could easily blend into any crowd. Even her clothes seemed to do their best to not stand out, usually consisting of some sort of blue sweater, jeans, and the typical Ravenclaw scarf that no one ever noticed unless they had a reason to.
Cassie liked it that way. Being ordinary meant she wasn't a target. It meant she could focus on what mattered to her — getting through her homework, assisting other students with their charms, and quietly enjoying the company of her friends. It was a good life, a safe life. A life free from chaos, is what she always told herself.
"Cass, do you mind helping me with this?" Padma asked, handing her a piece of parchment filled with scribbled notes from a failed attempt at an advanced charm. Their fourth year had just started and already it seemed Professor Flitwick was determined to have them master advanced charms by the end of the year.
"Of course," Cassie said, smiling as she took the parchment. Padma Patil might be smart, but her attempts at charms always ended up more chaotic than elegant. Cassie had always excelled at charms, her knack for precision making her the perfect tutor.
As she began to explain the necessary adjustments, Lorelei Nightingale popped up beside them, her usual bubbly grin lighting up the space. "You know, Cass, you're like our personal walking spellbook," Lorelei teased. "I think you've helped me with at least ten different spells this week!"
"Maybe I should start charging for tutoring," Cassie mused, her smile soft and unassuming. The thought made Lorelei laugh, and for a moment, everything felt normal. That was until Serena, with a deep scowl on her face and hair dripping with ink, threw herself onto the chair next to Padma.
Cassie had known these girls for four years now, rooming with them and spending nearly every waking day in their presence. From the moment they were all sorted into Ravenclaw together, they had made it each other's mission to know everything about one another. That said, it was no wonder what had Serena Munro worked up this time.
"Don't even get me started on those two," Serena muttered darkly, flicking a hand through her hair as if to shake off the irritation. "Fred and George Weasley. I swear they've been on some weird mission to prank every single student in this bloody castle since they day they got here, and I'm just their latest victim."
Cassie nodded absentmindedly, not quite following the conversation. "Oh? What did they do this time?"
Serena rolled her eyes, looking like she was one prank away from committing murder.
Lorelei raised an eyebrow, trying to suppress a grin. "You? Seriously?"
"Yes, me," Serena grumbled. "I was just minding my own business in the library, and of course, those two come waltzing in. By the time I even noticed their presence, I was covered in ink from their bloody invisible ink everywhere. On my robes. In my hair. Those two thought they could slip in and out unnoticed."
Cassie couldn't help but laugh, earning her a side-eye from Serena.
"Yeah, yeah, laugh it up," Serena grumbled. "They think they're so clever. But I swear, the next time I see them—"
"Assuming they don't see you first, right?" Padma interrupted, her voice laced with a smirk.
Serena simply huffed, sitting back with crossed arms. "Just wait. I'll get them back eventually."
Cassie just shook her head, letting out a small laugh. Fred and George's pranks had become a constant at Hogwarts, but Cassie never really paid much attention to them. She kept to her own routine, and as long as their mischief didn't interfere with her day, she wasn't bothered.
She just assumed that their tricks were the kind of thing that just happened, like the changing of the seasons. It was all a bit much for her, but if it didn't target her or anyone she cared about, what did it matter?
Lorelei gave her a teasing grin. "Well, at least they leave you alone. You've got that going for you."
Cassie shrugged, a quiet smile tugging at her lips. "I guess they just haven't found a reason to bother with me. Lucky for me, I suppose."
Meanwhile, Fred and George were sprawled out on a window sill, trying to keep their voices down in case anyone else passed by. They weren't exactly known for their discretion, but they were determined to come up with their next big prank.
"Rhonda?" Fred asked, absently flicking a bit of parchment up and down.
"No, we got her with a slime bomb before summer," George replied, staring thoughtfully at the stone ceiling.
"Colin?" Fred suggested, but George immediately shook his head.
"Nuh-uh. We got him with the frog spawn soap just a few weeks ago."
There was a long pause before Fred glanced sideways at George. "Cassie?"
"Who?" George asked, clearly not following.
"Cassiopeia? Cassiopeia Valencourt? You know, the Ravenclaw girl?" Fred said, bouncing his legs a bit off the windowsill. "Brown hair, big brown eyes? She always looks like she's kinda lost, like she's never really sure what's she's doing?"
"Ohhh, her," George replied, eyes narrowing slightly. "Yeah, I think I know who you mean. What about her?"
Fred grinned, his voice lowering to a conspiratorial whisper. "We could go for her. We haven't really pranked her yet."
George raised an eyebrow, uncertain. "I don't know. She's…."
"She's definitely different," Fred remarked, continuing to play with the paper in hand, watching it spin before catching it again.
George snorted. "You mean, she's boring. Doesn't get involved in anything, never reacts to our pranks. What's the fun in that?"
Fred grinned. "That's exactly why it's a challenge. She's not like the others. Doesn't react the way most people do, so that makes it interesting. I think she's got more to her than anyone realizes. I think she's just…what's the word? Too sensible. But sensible's boring. So, we make it fun."
George blinked, sitting up. "Wait, hold up. You're serious? You want to prank her?"
Fred shot him a sly look. "Of course. If we can't get a reaction out of her, we've failed. And besides…" He paused, a mischievous glint in his eye. "What's the worst that could happen?"
George raised an eyebrow. "The worst? You've seen what happens when our pranks backfire."
Fred shrugged, unfazed. "It's Cassie. I reckon she's too smart to fall for the usual stuff. So we'll have to get creative."
George leaned back, arms behind his head. "I can already picture it. You'll get caught, and we'll have another one of those 'let's never talk about this again' moments."
Fred grinned widely. "I'm counting on it."
Cassiopeia Valencourt was, in every sense, entirely unremarkable. And yet, she had unknowingly caught the attention of one Fred Weasley.