The Girl Who Protected [3]

Year 5 - 10

Harry looked over to Cassiopeia as she whimpered in pain. He gritted his teeth and looked up to the Professor, who was sitting behind her desk. He looked back to Cassiopeia and he could see the blood dripping onto the floor of the pink office. Cassiopeia was looking at the sheet of parchment in front of her, and she continued to write another line. The pain had become beyond bad at this point, despite all the torture she'd had- this felt worse. Whether it was because the pain was centred in one part of her body, or because it was a continuous carving- she couldn't tell. She tried to keep quiet, but the pain was too much, and whimpers would often break through. Every evening the Professor would tell them to come back the following day, and every time they heard the phrase, their hearts would drop. By this point they had thought that two days was going to be enough, but they were wrong. It had been five so far and the weekend was tomorrow.

"Come here." She spoke. Cassiopeia and Harry breathed out in relief as they came to Professor Umbridge's desk. Handing her their hands, she examined them. "Right, well, considering it's the weekend- you do not have to return tomorrow. See you Monday." The pair wasted no time getting out of the office, grabbing their things and rushing away- just in case she changed her mind. As they walked, the pair decided to stop. They came to a balcony, the same balcony at the end of last year, and looked out.

"Will you show me now?" He asked her. Cassiopeia sighed and handed her hand over to him. Harry took it gently in his own and looked at the markings. He could see it properly so he brought out his wand. "Aquamenti." He incanted and a steady stream of water came out of his wand and washed over her hand. Cassiopeia gasped in pain as the water hit her open wound. "Sorry." Harry said immediately.

"It's alright." She replied. As the blood cleared away, Harry looked to the hand. He read the message and looked to Cassiopeia. But she wasn't looking his way, she was looking out to the black lake. He watched as she closed her eyes and let the wind blow against her face. He gave her back her hand and she just brought it beneath her so she could lean on the railing. He copied her actions and looked out to the lake, there was one thought nagging at him. "I know what you're thinking, Harry."

"Do you?" Harry asked.

"You want to know why Umbridge hates me. Am I right?" She asked.

"Yeah." He replied, she just hummed in acknowledgement. "I won't tell anyone."

"How much do you remember about your hearing?" Cassiopeia asked.

"A little, I suppose." He replied.

"At the beginning of hearings, they announce the major people in the room- the ones who will do the most questioning. Did they do that at yours?" She asked.

"Yeah. There was Fudge, your dad, Umbridge and a woman called Amelia Bones." He replied.

"Do you remember the titles?" She asked.

"Some of them. What's this got to do with why she hates you?" Harry asked.

"Well, my father is in the position above hers. Even though there's a position between them, Umbridge can still talk and advise the Minister. For as long as I can remember, Umbridge has always been below my father. But I know she wants his job. She's angry that even though I was almost made an enemy last year, being with you for Voldemort's return and all, my father still remains on top of her. It's like she'll always be second best, and she doesn't like that." Cassiopeia explained. She finally opened her eyes and looked to Harry, who was looking at her.

"So, she doesn't like you because your dad has the job she wants?" Harry asked.

"That's part of it." She replied.

"Why don't you just go to your dad, he can speak with the Minister." Harry replied.

"She's threatening his job, Harry. Anything I do wrong, she can go and talk with the Minister. She's threatening to get him fired because of me." She replied. "I can't be the reason for him losing his job."

"Could she really do it?" He asked.

"I don't know. But I'm not willing to take the risk that she can." She replied. Harry reached over and put his arm over her shoulder.

"I'll be here every second." He told her. Cassiopeia looked to Harry and smiled.

"She's not exactly being nice to you either." She spoke.

"But she's treating you worse." He argued.

"It doesn't matter, Harry. Let's just take it on our chin and not show her that she's beating us." She replied. Harry looked to her and nodded. "There's something else, and Harry you have to keep this to yourself."

"What is it?" He asked.

"She's said, if I tell anyone about the detentions or her threat, she'd..." Cassiopeia started, but trailed off as she realised the words that were about to come out her mouth. She knew, obviously, that Lyra had also been threatened. But to admit it, to voice it would make it true. Make Lyra more at threat.

"What? What would she do?" Harry asked.

"She'd make Lyra do detentions as well." Cassiopeia whispered into the wind.

"She'd make your sister carve words into her hand?" Harry asked. Cassiopeia nodded. "She's a twisted bitch. It's safe with me. Your sister won't be hurt by her if I've got a say in it."

"Thank you, Harry." Cassiopeia replied. Harry nodded and brought his arm around her shoulder, bringing her into his side. She leant her head against his shoulder and looked out at the lake.

~*~

Getting Cassiopeia's mind off the detentions, she kept herself busy when she wasn't in them. Whether it was with studying, friends, music or art. She knew that she should tell someone, but part of her felt it would be the wrong thing. She felt like she'd be the one that would pay for it and she knew Lyra would. So, she just used a cloaking spell and made it disappear from her mind as much as she could. She thought that she could escape it all, but whether she was doing a simple task, or something bigger. The thoughts would creep back in. Her music became slower and sadder. Her art seemed to have a theme of red or blood. She didn't seem to find the joy of hanging out with her friends anymore. And whenever she'd study for her OWLs, she always feared that what she was writing would appear on her hand, even though she knew it wouldn't. Her friends had noticed, they always noticed. They'd noticed...

Amelia...

Theodore...

Blaise...

Draco...

Crabbe...

Goyle...

Lyra...

Bridgit...

Professor Snape...

Hermione...

Ron ...

They'd all noticed, but she continued to deny anything. She was fine. That's what she told them, and that's what she told herself. Despite the pain, despite the nightmares, despite the stress, despite the lingering darkness she felt, she was fine. She was fine, even if she wasn't.

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Thanks for reading

-Zoe