Tʜᴇ Dᴀʀᴋ Lᴏʀᴅ's Aɴɢᴇʟ | Tom Riddle √

07: Unspoken Tensions

Cassiopeia couldn't bring herself to go anywhere but her dormitory. She had no idea how long she'd been there, crying and replaying every word Draco had spoken. It hurt deeply.

In her view, one should never insult another's feelings, and yet that's precisely what Draco had done to her. Even though she understood that her emotions were for a non-existent person, she felt them. She wished those dreams could be real, regardless of the dark role Tom Riddle played in them.

"Cassie?" Pansy's concerned voice broke the silence as she entered the room. Cassiopeia had buried her face in her pillow, sobbing like a child. "Cassie, are you okay?"

Pansy's consoling hand rubbed Cassiopeia's back as her cries grew stronger, and she realized she needed someone to lean on. But she couldn't forget that it was Draco who had caused her this pain.

Cassiopeia had never felt anything for Draco beyond friendship. They had been like siblings, with him playing the role of an older brother—caring, teasing, and making her feel secure. However, he had developed feelings beyond that, which she never wanted.

"Cassie, please talk to me. What happened? You weren't in the Great Hall when they announced the champions," Pansy implored, trying to understand her friend.

Cassiopeia felt torn, wondering if Pansy would hate her for what she was about to say. Pansy was obsessed with Draco and would hex anyone who got in her way.

"You'll probably hate me if I tell you," Cassiopeia replied, aware of Pansy's affections for Draco.

"Why would I hate you?" Pansy asked with genuine concern. "If you feel that way, I should listen with an open mind."

Cassiopeia began to explain the argument with Draco during detention, but Pansy knew that wasn't the reason for her tears.

"That's the usual bickering between you two, but it didn't make you cry like this, Cassie. Am I right?" Pansy asked, showing a depth of understanding Cassiopeia hadn't expected.

Cassiopeia had once thought Pansy was rude and heartless, but now she saw a different side of her—a friend who cared deeply for those she considered her own.

"He yelled at me about my dead boyfriend," Cassiopeia's voice trembled as she recalled the truth hidden behind a small lie. "He humiliated me for still having feelings for a non-existent boyfriend."

"That's awful," Pansy consoled her, wrapping her arms around Cassiopeia in a tight embrace. "I'm sorry, he had no right to say that."

"But that wasn't the worst part," Cassiopeia pulled away and looked Pansy in the eyes. "He confessed that he has feelings for me beyond friendship, beyond siblings, since we started Hogwarts. Trust me, it made me sick. I've never felt that way about him."

Cassiopeia wiped away the tears rolling down her face. Pansy looked at her, stunned by the revelation, her own eyes filled with tears.

"I'm sorry, Pansy. I know you like him, but..."

Pansy cut her off with a chuckle. "If you're not lying, I'm here for you as a friend."

"Yeah, I truly see him as a brother and a friend," Cassiopeia said, aware of the unspoken lie in her words, referring to her feelings for Draco. Guilt began to eat at her, thinking of her non-existent boyfriend, Tom.

"I should talk to him, Pansy," Cassiopeia stood up and faced her friend. "We need to clear things up, rather than harboring ill feelings for each other. At the end of the day, he's my cousin."

Pansy nodded as Cassiopeia left for the boys' dormitories. Her knuckles rapped loudly on Draco's door, and it took a few minutes for Crabbe to answer.

"Why are you here?" Cassiopeia asked, confused. "Where's Blaise and Draco?"