TRUST ME, harry potter ( very slow updates )

FOURTEEN - THE MISSING PORTRAIT !

BEING BACK IN HOGWARTS MADE CASSIE FEEL RELIEVED, she didn't have to worry about Callie and Harry, as she now knew where they were and that they were safe. Rowan was looking as ill as ever as he made his way towards the girl. He looked as if he was on the verge of tears, and Cassie immediately figured out what was wrong when she saw their sister, Azalea, laughing at him.

Cassie sighed and opened her arms, letting her brother cry into her shoulder. Sometimes, he hated showing his emotions, but now it had all been bottled up for too long. His body shook with each sob he let out, and Cassie's heart broke as she held her brother while he sobbed.

"What did she do?" Cassie asked, catching Aurora's eye. Aurora immediately ditched her conversation with Fred, and ran over to them. Rowan didn't answer her question, "What did she do, Rowan?"

As Callie was walking passed, she felt Aurora grab her arm to pull her into this conversation.

"T--The same as usual," Rowan said, struggling to stop crying. "I'm not even upset about what she's saying, it's just that she's our fucking sister, and she treats us all like shit! She used to hex the fuck out of you, but stopped when the twins pranked her," he pointed at Aurora, before moving his finger to Callie's direction, "She just treats you like a servant or a pet," he pointed to himself, "She makes fun of me because of my scars and my appearance," and then he pointed at Cassie, "And she leaves actual marks on you, like bruises and stuff. I know that bruise on your arm is from Azalea, Cass."

Cassie pursed her lips, her eyes darting to the ground. Rowan was right, Azalea was supposed to be their sister and love them, but since she got sorted into Slytherin, she had changed. She didn't care about anyone but herself. Cassie knew the whole Slytherin house weren't mean, or evil, Azalea was just unfortunate to be thrown into the wrong friend group.

"She's just friends with the wrong people," Cassie muttered, refusing to believe any different.

Rowan scoffed, "Are you really going to stand there and justify her actions?"

"I'm not justifying her actions," Cassie stated, "I'm just saying her friends are what brought out the worst in her, so it's not entirely her fault."

Rowan rolled his eyes, "Are you serious?" He had a look of disbelief on his face, "If she didn't want to be the way she is, she wouldn't be the way she is. This has nothing to do with her friends, this is Azalea's own choice."

Cassie shook her head, tears threatening to spill, "You don't know that," she said, her nails digging into the palms of her hands creating crescent like, blood-drawn shapes.

Rowan took a deep breath, calming himself down, "Look, Cassie," he started, "If she was influenced by her friends, she would be nicer at home. But I believe this is the way Azalea wants to be, because she's the same way at home as she is now."

Cassie looked at Aurora and Callie, both of them avoided her eyes. She had very big hopes for Azalea to change, they just couldn't be the ones to tell her Azalea is never going to change. Everyone hated bursting the hopefulness that Cassie had, but sometimes, it just had to be done.

Aurora looked between her siblings, "Why don't we all go chill in the Gryffindor common room?" She said, "We all need to relax and talk things out, 'specially you two," Aurora gave Rowan and Cassie pointed looks, and they both exchanged looks and followed after Callie's three friends.

To say everyone was confused would be an understatement. As the Smith siblings found the Gryffindor tower jammed with every Gryffindor student, they couldn't help but let out a groan due to them all wanting to sit by the fire and have a nice, relaxing discussion.

"What's going on?" Callie asked Harry, Ron and Hermione as Cassie grabbed Rowan's hand.

Ron looked at her, "Probably Neville's forgotten the password again," he replied.

Cassie's lips turned upwards, Rowan snorted, and Aurora rolled her eyes. "Hey!" Neville exclaimed, making all heads turn in his direction.

"Oh," Ron said, unable to hide his laugh and his surprise, "You're there!"

Cassie sighed, her hands tapping against the railing impatiently.

"Let me through, please!" Percy Weasley was exclaiming, "Excuse me! I'm Head Boy! Get back, all of you."

Aurora grabbed Cassie's hand and pushed her way to stand by the Weasley twins. Cassie's eyes widened in shock. Callie let out a small gasp. Rowan grabbed Cassie's hand. Aurora just stared in horror.

Percy looked at everyone, "No one is to enter this dormitory until it has been fully searched."

Not only was the lady from the portrait missing, but it had three long claw marks going down it. The Fat Lady had been attacked, and Cassie had a feeling she knew who it was by. But, she must be wrong, there's no way he could've entered Hogwarts.

Every portrait seemed to be panicking, and Percy was trying to quieten them down, as well as every student waiting to enter the Gryffindor common room. "Be quiet. The headmaster's here. You heard. Move!"

Dumbledore seemed to freeze in his tracks, and Filch turned around, his eyes squinting as he scanned every portrait for the Fat Lady. "Mr. Filch?" Dumbledore called, "Round up the ghosts. Tell them to search every painting in the castle to find the Fat Lady."

"There's no need for ghosts, professor," said Filch, as he lifted a shaky finger, "The Fat Lady's there."

Everybody rushed towards the Fat Lady, each as eager as the other to find out what had happened. Cassie faintly heard Percy behind everyone, telling them to slow down, but Cassie was being pulled by Lee as he held her hand softly.

They all reached the portrait, and Rowan pushed his way to Aurora and Cassie, leaving Callie to stand with her friends. "Dear lady," Dumbledore said calmly, "Who did this to you?"

The Fat Lady was whimpering as she hid behind a warthog. "Eyes like the devil, he's got, and a soul as dark as his name." she said, "It's him, headmaster. The one they all talk about. He's here, somewhere in the castle. Sirius Black!"

Everybody shared frightened glances.

"Secure the castle, Mr. Filch," Dumbledore said. "The rest of you, to the Great Hall."

Everyone began making their way to the Great Hall, Cassie and Rowan were sticking with Aurora, Lee, Fred and George. Rowan was holding onto George's arm tightly, he was only twelve. "So last year the chamber of secrets was opened, and now a mass murderer have broken in? Are they sure this is the safest wizarding school?" Rowan was saying to George, who kept agreeing with everything the male Smith said.

Cassie was quiet, she knew she wouldn't be able to sleep tonight. She always got nightmares, and sleeping by herself wasn't something Cassie could do. She couldn't even run back to the Hufflepuff common room to grab her comfort teddy.

She knew people would make fun of her because of it, but she didn't care. There would be no chance she'd be sleeping if she didn't have it.

A/N: Cassie needing her teddy to sleep is so real.
QOTD: do you sleep with comfort items?
AOTD: yes, i need my aubergine squishmallow teddy that i haven't named yet ( CAN ANYONE COMMENT NAMES PLEASE THAT WILL BE APPRECIATED ), and my dora blanket that i've had since i was a baby!