~ H I M ~

~ F O U R ~

I tore myself away from him and opened the closet doors. I stormed out.

The others were sitting in a circle, watching the wheel spin.

I heard Draco's footsteps behind me.

I kept walking.

"What's wrong?" Pansy asked.

"I got to go. I-I'm not feeling well," i stammered.

"Well, wait, and I'll walk you to your dorm," Astoria stood up.

"No!" I almost shouted.

Astoria was the last person I wanted to speak to right now. The guilt was churning in my stomach.

She looked slightly hurt. Oh god.

"I mean," I forced my voice to be softer, "I'd rather be alone right now."

Blaise stared at me with concerned eyes.

Pansy sat down. "If you're sure," she sounded reluctant.

"I am."

Draco stood behind Astoria and held her affectionately. She leaned into him.

I burned.

I forced a smile and walked out the door.

But not before I heard Astoria whisper to Draco, "what's wrong with her?".

What's wrong with her?

What's wrong with her?

It was a question that people asked me a lot. They would shout it at my parents. Scream it at my sister. Whisper it to my friends.

The tears that filled my eyes betrayed my mind. I forced myself to reach up and wipe it away with my sleeve.

No crying.

I walked and walked until I didn't even know where I was going anymore. I thought I was going to my dorm but I found myself wondering the corridors, even though it was way past curfew. I looked at the snow starting to form outside.

I needed fresh air.

I couldn't breathe and the air in here was poisonous, toxic and I needed to breathe, I needed fresh air. I quickened my pace to a run as I was flying down the stairs towards the door.

I was fast. I was quick. I was smooth. I was-

I bumped into something. Hard.

I heard a female voice squeak in pain, and two male voices shush her.

I stood, confused.

I knew that female voice.

"Hermione?" I whispered, feeling kind of stupid talking to the air.

I caught a streak of thick brown hair and smiled. Hermione Granger helped me with my homework a couple of months ago. She was really sweet.

She took off some kind of cloak. And I saw Harry Potter there with her with an unfamiliar ginger boy. He looked a little like a younger Fred.

"Hello," I whispered. "I'm Cassie,"

"Hi," the ginger boy said. "I'm Ron. Ron Weasley."

Of course. Ron. Fred told me about him. But it was hard to keep track of all of his siblings.

Harry started to introduce himself but I stopped him.

"I know who you are," I reminded him.

Harry Potter.

The chosen one.

Draco spoke of him so much that for a brief period of my life I was sure he was gay.

Draco. The thought of him made my stomach clench.

"Right," Harry said awkwardly.

There was a long silence.

"Well, I won't keep you any longer. Have fun on your secret mission or whatever," I muttered, waving goodbye.

"Bye! And thank you!" Hermione put the cloak back on them and they disappeared.

I smiled and started walking.

I heard Hermione whisper very quietly "see? Told you she was nice."

But I heard it.

She thought I was nice .

That made me feel better about myself.

I skipped through the halls, in a good mood, forgetting about the poisonous air.

Until Professor McGonagall turned the corner and saw me in the corridors. Past curfew.

Oh.

Sh!t.