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CASSIOPEIA SAT IN THE COMMON ROOM AFTER DINNER, WAITING FOR SEVEN O'CLOCK TO ARRIVE. She was a bit worried about going to Hagrid's. She had never really interacted with him apart from Care of Magical Creatures lessons. Even then, she didn't really talk to him. Usually, Draco would make fun of the half-giant and cause trouble, making a lot of the students dislike the Slytherins. She never forgot how upset everyone was after Draco ruined their lesson with Buckbeak the Hippogriff.
Still, Hagrid tried to maintain the peace between the Slytherins and other students. As much as he didn't like Draco Malfoy, he was helpful to the rest of the Slytherins. Cassiopeia decided she would be okay, especially if Ron was with her. Hermione and Harry would be there too and Hagrid was always nice to them.
As Cassiopeia was finishing up her Potions essay, a familiar blonde boy came and sat down next to her. She looked up from the essay and scowled at him, "What do you want, Malfoy?"
"I... I just wanted to say sorry," Draco admitted, not meeting her eye. "I realize how stupid I was being and I wanted to apologize."
Cassiopeia raised an eyebrow at him, "Let me get this straight... You, the almighty Draco Malfoy, is apologizing? Are you feeling alright? Not running a temperature, are you?"
She reached her hand out and felt Draco's forehead, which was cold rather than burning up. Draco chuckled at her actions, "Cass, I'm fine. But Zethus and Thalia talked to me, saying that I should make things right between us, and I reckon they're right. This has gone on long enough. I was in the wrong at the Yule Ball and I blamed you instead. I'm sorry."
Cassiopeia looked at Draco in confusion. Him taking accountability and apologizing was rare. He had only ever done it once before to Cassiopeia when they were children. He had broken her telescope and blamed it on Plums but, after four months of Cassiopeia ignoring him, he apologized and bought her a new one.
Cassiopeia knew that he couldn't stay mad at her forever, seeing as he had a very soft spot for the youngest Coldwell. She also knew that she couldn't stay mad at him either. Draco was her best friend and being alone was hard. It was hard without him when they were kids and it was hard now. As much as she didn't want to admit it, she missed him. She was wrong. She did need Draco after all.
"Draco, I... You promise to never do anything like that again?"
"Yeah. Promise."
Cassiopeia grabbed his hand, "You're my best friend. Always have been and always will be. I don't want to lose you over something as ridiculous as a kiss."
"Yeah. It was ridiculous," Draco nodded. He hoped that Cassiopeia couldn't see the slight twinge of sadness behind his eyes as she spoke those words.
Everyone was aware of his soft spot for the girl, but hardly anyone knew of his massive crush on the girl. Draco assumed that his romantic interest in the girl had always been there but as they got older, they became more prominent. He tried displaying them before but Cassiopeia never noticed. He thought the Yule Ball was the only chance he had to finally win her over.
