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WORDS COULD NOT EXPLAIN HOW HAPPY CASSIOPEIA WAS WHEN THE HOLIDAYS ENDED. She felt a wave of relief wash over her as she stood on the Platform of Nine and Three-Quarters and watched the Hogwarts Express come to a stop. Most children would be sad that the holidays were over and they were heading back to school, but Cassiopeia was ecstatic. She was glad to be finally getting away from her father. For the last three weeks, Cassiopeia had endured more pain and suffering than most people endure in their lifetime.
Cassiopeia stood next to her siblings as they watched the rest of the children on the platform give their parents hugs and kisses and wave tearful goodbyes. Kids scrambled around, trying to find their friends and share what they did over the holidays, and parents talked with each other and laughed. None of them had any idea that the three siblings, who stood in the middle of the platform, lives were changed forever.
Orion cleared his throat, causing the three to turn and look up at him. Cassiopeia internally sighed. Their father couldn't skip giving them his pep talk for once. Orion lowly spoke, "Cassiopeia, your O.W.Ls are coming up and I expect all Outstandings. Don't bother catching the train home if you have even one Exceeds Expectations. Do you understand?"
"Yes, Father."
"You may go."
Cassiopeia didn't even bother saying goodbye to her father or spare her siblings a glance as she got on the Hogwarts Express. She was used to being the odd one out by now. She was excluded during all her years as a child. Even in recent years, her father treated her as an outsider and it was getting worse now that Thalia and Zethus were closer to becoming Death Eaters.
She wandered the corridors of the compartments, an icy expression on display until she found a few familiar faces. Blaise Zabini and Daphne Greengrass were sitting on one side and Millicent Bulstrode and Pansy Parkinson were on the other. Cassiopeia ignored the burning glare that Pansy was shooting her as she sat next to Daphne. She was fully prepared for the rage she was about to endure from Pansy over the next term.
Draco had broken things off with Pansy shortly after he and Cassiopeia became engaged. He had written her a letter explaining everything, despite everyone advising him to visit her in person. Cassiopeia understood why he opted to write her instead of talking to her. Pansy got unpredictable when she became angry. Cassiopeia still hadn't forgotten when she threw a pot of soup at her last year over the Yule Ball. She didn't want to imagine what she would do over an engagement.
"How were the holidays, Cass?" Daphne asked, shifting away from her boyfriend. Cassiopeia never really hung out with Daphne before she started dating Blaise. When she was a part of Pansy's gang of Slytherin girls, Cassiopeia never actually spent time with them. She only joined to get free Butterbeer from Pansy.
"Fine. How about yours, Greengrass?"
Pansy scoffed before Daphne could even reply. Cassiopeia groaned internally, she knew this was coming. Pansy glared at the youngest Coldwell and gestured to the engagement ring on her hand, "Obviously yours was better than fine."
