Tʜᴇ Dᴀʀᴋ Lᴏʀᴅ's Aɴɢᴇʟ | Tom Riddle √

10: Complicated Choices

The Yule Ball was approaching, and the air buzzed with excitement as students searched for their dates. Cassiopeia, however, was lost in her own world, daydreaming about dancing with Tom and relishing every moment of it. It was a level of happiness she had rarely experienced in her life.

For Draco, her dreams were merely a topic of amusement—a nonexistent boyfriend. Cassiopeia, on the other hand, lived these dreams to the fullest. Snape had already made veiled comments about her daydreaming during class, but so far, she had managed to avoid detention by making a concerted effort to focus on her studies.

As for who might ask her to the Yule Ball, she had no clue. Pansy and Draco were obvious choices, and Blaise would likely find another date. Being a champion, Harry had a plethora of Gryffindor girls to choose from, and Ron would undoubtedly ask Hermione, given the countless exchanged glances between them.

In the library, Cassiopeia pondered ways to learn more about the Lestrange family after her time with a few potion books. She suspected that the key to her dreams lay in the Lestrange family, specifically, her uncle Rodolphus. Perhaps there was something, some connection she could uncover.

Cassiopeia repeated the name "Cassiopeia Lestrange" to herself as she scanned the bookshelves. It dawned on her that her aunt, Narcissa, might possess information about a long-lost Lestrange sibling. Why hadn't she thought of it before? Everything was right at her fingertips.

"Library is not for daydreaming, Black," a familiar, mocking voice snapped her back to reality. She looked up to see Draco, who sported a smirk and settled down across from her. "What are you doing here, all alone, Cassie?"

Cassiopeia responded with a sarcastic tone, saying, "I was working on some potions." As she began putting books back on the shelves, she heard a chair scrape and footsteps approaching her. She knew Draco would likely have more questions, perhaps even about her dreams.

"What is it, Draco?" she inquired as she sensed him standing behind her. She continued to organize the books. There was a heavy sigh from him.

Draco appeared nervous and uncertain, and his eyes held a hint of vulnerability. He gazed at her as if seeing her for the first time. Cassiopeia snapped her fingers in front of his eyes to bring his attention back to her.

"Hey, Draco?" she said, lightly tapping his arm to make him look at her.

He gulped, looking around for any distraction before meeting her eyes again. "Would you like to be my date for the Yule Ball?"

Cassiopeia was taken aback, never expecting Draco to ask her instead of Pansy. "Why me?" she asked.

"Because I'm already comfortable around you. We've known each other since birth," he explained. He paused, sighed, and looked down. Then he met her gaze again. "I know you've fallen for someone you've never even seen, and I know you're struggling to forget him. I just thought...maybe if you need a distraction, you could forget about Riddle and stop denying—"

"Draco!" Cassiopeia called him, interrupting to continue his next bunch of words. She hadn't anticipated him asking her out like this. It was true that she needed a distraction if she wanted to forget the person who had never stayed in her life. But she couldn't misuse someone's genuine feelings.

"Listen, Draco," she began, "I understand what you're trying to say, but—"

He interrupted her with a kiss. Cassiopeia stood there, surprised, feeling nothing. This wasn't like Tom's kiss, which had always stirred her. She closed her eyes and tried to return the kiss, but it still lacked the passion she sought.

Draco's hands were on her waist, pressing more firmly, as if he was enjoying the kiss. Cassiopeia's fingers curled against his chest, trying to feel something, but it remained elusive.

Blaise's voice abruptly broke the moment, and they pulled away. "Is this what you call incest, Draco?" he quipped. "Really, Draco?"

Crimson blushes covered Cassiopeia's cheeks as she turned away, pretending to be engrossed in a bookshelf.

"What are you doing here?" Draco's voice had a half-angered tone.

"Me and Pansy were looking for you," Blaise replied nonchalantly.

Wait, he mentioned Pansy.

Cassiopeia scanned the room, spotting the girl she was afraid to face, standing beside Blaise with hurtful eyes. She knew this would likely lead to the loss of a friend. Pansy would understandably feel betrayed.

In the next moment, Pansy abruptly left, leaving Cassiopeia with a heavy heart. She had hurt her friend by not being honest. She wanted to follow Pansy, but Draco grabbed her wrist, shaking his head, silently urging her not to.

"So, are you guys dating?" Blaise asked with a childlike grin. Cassiopeia found his sense of humor amusing for some reason.

"No," both Cassiopeia and Draco replied in unison, causing Blaise to look at them with amusement.

"I think I should go to Pansy, since you two won't be able to handle her, of course," Blaise shrugged and left them alone in the library. Draco released the grip on Cassiopeia's hand.

"She's hurt," Cassiopeia expressed her concern, knowing that Pansy must be feeling quite upset. The guilt weighed heavily on her soul.

Draco held her hand and reassured her, "She'll understand."

But the guilt still weighed heavily on her soul, and her body shook.

Guilty of hurting a friend;

Guilty of using Draco for her own gain;

Guilty of keeping secrets.

Cassiopeia's life felt more complicated than ever, with no easy choices to make. Should she continue chasing dreams that seemed meaningless, or should she start something with Draco?

As her mind raced to determine the best course of action, she concluded that she needed to write to Narcissa to learn more about the Lestrange family. If that yielded no results, she'd have to move on.

"I'll be your date for the Yule Ball," Cassiopeia finally said, "but I need time to consider the other matter."

"That's alright, take your time, Cassie." Draco gently kissed her cheek before departing from the library, leaving Cassiopeia with a heavy sigh as she grappled with the complexities of her life.