Tʜᴇ Dᴀʀᴋ Lᴏʀᴅ's Aɴɢᴇʟ | Tom Riddle √

71: Late-Night Reunion

Cassiopeia sat at her desk, penning a letter to Tom while Pansy lounged on her bed.

Tom,

Hogwarts is a whole different world, and I've got a lot to tell you. Zeus is here, and he's as cute as ever, brightening my day with his antics.

I thought Draco would be mad, but he actually missed me. Who would've thought?

And get this, Gregory Goyle apologized for everything he put me through last year. People do change, huh?

Professor Slughorn's back, and we were both shocked when we bumped into each other. He's still as kind as ever. I couldn't help but spill the beans about us. He's adamant about keeping it a secret, especially from Dumbledore.

Enclosed, you'll find an article about Voldemort mysteriously vanishing. It's all anyone's talking about, and it feels like the best Christmas present. But it's not the same without you here.

I met a Gryffindor third-year named Nigel, a great guy. He even invited us to spend Christmas with his family after spotting the ring on my finger. I had to come up with a fake name for you, so I went with Thomas Raven. Hope you're cool with that.

Missing you heaps, Tom. Can't wait for our Christmas reunion. You're on my mind every second.

Catch you later, love,

Cassie.

"Writing a letter to your sweet lover?" Pansy teased as she settled down on her bed.

Cassiopeia folded the letter, tucking it into an envelope with a news article from the Daily Prophet.

"Yeah, I miss him," she admitted, her thoughts far away.

Pansy commented on the milky owl perched on their table. "Your owl is really cute. You know it's banned to take owls into the dorm?"

Cassiopeia considered the situation. "If you're uncomfortable with that, I won't bring him. If you're not, I will."

Pansy chuckled, making her stance clear. "Absolutely I'm not uncomfortable, darling."

Cassiopeia smiled and addressed the owl, Zeus. "Hey, Zeus. Give this to Tom, okay?"

She patted Zeus's feathers gently as he hooted and attached the envelope to his talon. With a tightening grip, Zeus took off through the window and disappeared into the night sky.

As Zeus flew away, Pansy suggested they join Blaise and the others in their dorm.

"Blaise told us to join them in their dorm, shall we?" Pansy asked as Cassiopeia stood up from the table.

Cassiopeia raised an eyebrow, as it was late, but Pansy assured her, "Now?"

Pansy explained, "We'll have a little get-together. We haven't had one for a long time."

Cassiopeia agreed, recollecting their last get-together in their third year. "You're right. The last one we had was in year three, when Buckbeak scratched Draco."

"No, that chicken almost broke his arm," Pansy countered, her face deadpan.

Cassiopeia couldn't help but laugh hysterically at Pansy's absurd belief. "Did you really believe it, Pansy? He was overreacting, you know."

Pansy frowned, convinced that she was right. "No, he isn't. How do you talk like that? It was going to kill him."

As they descended the staircase, their laughter filled the corridor, and they continued to reminisce about old times.