Potter's Girl / Butterfly Effect.

55. Beneath the Mistletoe

CHAPTER FIFTY-FIVE;

BENEATH THE MISTLETOE

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

November fell upon the castle sooner than it should have; Cassie had been dreading the month since.. well, since November of the year prior. Thankfully, nobody knew of her birthday – except Harry, of course, her father, mother, godfather, and probably Dumbledore (he seemed to know everything somehow) – and Cassie was determined to keep it under wraps this year.

The night before her birthday, Cassie tossed and turned in her bed practically the entire night, until she heard the twelve chimes of the grandfather clock in the common room. It was officially midnight – and, in turn, her birthday. Hooray.

She never had trouble finding reasons to avoid celebrating her birthday: In third year, Harry had been in the hospital wing after a dementor scare on the Quidditch pitch. In fourth, everybody was too caught up in the Triwizard Tournament; even Cassie had forgotten her own birthday. Perhaps this year she could weasel her way out with some sort of excuse...

   The first of many bad happenings on the twenty-third occurred at breakfast, in which another Daily Prophet article had been released; claiming that Cassie had inherited her father's murderous genes and that the only reason she had good grades in Divination was because she had threatened to kill Professor Trelawney if she were to fail.

   The second thing to irk Cassie was the fact that Cho had gotten buddy-buddy with Harry – so much so that, in the fleeting moments that the pair locked eyes across the Great Hall, Cho had gathered up the nerve to wave. She waved. As if her boyfriend didn't snuff it less than a year ago.

   The third, and perhaps worst of it all, happened at that night's D.A. meeting.

   Cassie, already in a bad mood, and returning from her detention with Snape, had nearly forgotten about their meeting; she made it halfway to the common room before her bewitched Galleon burned in her pocket and reminded her. She arrived to the Room of Requirement late, though nobody seemed to take notice.

   "..because it's the last day before holidays and there's no point in starting anything new right before a three-week break–" Harry was saying as Cassie snuck into the room and took her spot on the cushion beside Neville.

   "We're not doing anything new?" said Zacharias Smith in a loud and disgruntled whisper. "If I'd known that, I wouldn't've come!"

   "We're all really sorry Harry didn't tell you then," said Fred, rolling his eyes. George snickered. Everyone turned their attention back to the Boy-Who-Lived, and he continued his speech.

   "We can practice in pairs," said Harry. "We'll start with the Impediment Jinx, just–"

   Harry faltered; the door opened again and in snaked none other than Atticus Forbes, his robes lying crooked across his shoulders, a silver pin sitting on his chest. He was breathless, though still managed to grin at Harry as he moved to his cushion. He said, "Sorry I'm late, Potter. Duties ran long, couldn't find a time to slip out."

   The last thing Cassie expected Harry to do was smile all friendly-like at Atticus. "S'alright, Atticus – anything we need to be aware of?"

   "Nothing new," said Atticus, straightening his tie and robes. He removed the pin from his chest and shoved it into his pocket. "They're all idiots. Didn't even take me long to convince them that you lot are too thick to organize something like this."