Blood Magic ✤ George Weasley ✓

66 - Endings and Beginnings

musical mood: atlantis - seafret

Somehow, with all the stress she was already under, be it her brother, her breakup with George, or typical teenage woes, Cass still managed to keep up with her studies. OWLs were hell, but they were nothing compared to her NEWT exam for Potions, in which she had to brew Veritaserum, a potion even she wasn't an expert on brewing. It wasn't like she had any reason to, in the past.

But, she did a well enough job on it, or so it seemed. Hers didn't smell of lemons, at least - the tell-tale sign of a poorly brewed truth serum. The examiner seemed impressed with her as well, though of course, they were often hard to read. Not that she cared much, not anymore. She had a new plan in motion, a plan that meant she'd never step foot inside Hogwarts again.

Hardly anyone was focused on exams, though, when news came back near the end of term, about what had gone down at the Ministry of Magic between Harry Potter, his friends, and the Death Eaters. Luna had been involved, and had returned back to Naia shaken up, but thankfully alive, and unhurt.

She was lucky, though.

Sirius Black was dead.

Cass openly cried when she read that in the papers, not caring to explain to any of her nearby friends why the death of an alleged fugitive upset her. She'd grown to care for Sirius in the time they had spent living together, he had become like an uncle figure towards her. It would never be the same in Grim Old Place, not without Sirius.

You-Know-Who was back, which she already knew, but to see it in the Prophet, when they had been so adamantly denying what Potter had been claiming just weeks prior...it was sickening. She hoped they gave Potter one big fat apology, and soon. Apparently, Potter was now the Chosen One, whatever that meant. According to Luna, it had something to do with a prophecy, which Padma was sure to know much more about than Cass.

Umbridge was sacked. Dumbledore had returned, and was welcomed back to Hogwarts with open arms and flying colours. Literally. Lee Jordan and Kenneth Towler set off fireworks in honour of his return, and McGonagall didn't even give them detention for it.

But then, Cass had more important things on her mind, as the days at Hogwarts waned, and she found herself crowded on the Hogwarts Express, listening to Naia and Terry once again debate on Quidditch teams, though her mind was fixed on other thoughts. Like how, if her plan was successful, she'd never see her friends again.

She'd been thinking about it for months now, what she would do over the summer, now that she knew Barty was alive. She'd hoped to simply spend it with George, to relax with him and pretend Barty didn't exist, but that was obviously not an option anymore.

So, came option two.

There was a war coming, that was made crystal clear to everyone in wizarding Great Britain, and Cass wanted no part in it. If her brother wasn't another topic, maybe she could handle the war, handle staying and fighting alongside those who chose to, but with Barty involved...she wanted out. And if she couldn't die, she could run away.

She had told Connor not to write back, but she had a gut feeling he would agree to come with. It would be just how she imagined their lives would be when they were children - carefree, happy, even. They'd be far away from anything that could hurt them - hurt him, anyways, Cass didn't find she cared all that much if she got hurt. They'd live in France for the rest of their days, and hopefully, Cass could figure out a way to end her Bond with Barty while there, while away from the upcoming war.

Hiding. It was a coward's thing to do, especially when she was apparently immortal. But she didn't see another option. She hadn't asked for any of this, a Bond with her brother, a war, having to break up with her boyfriend. All she had ever wanted was a nice life, and maybe now she'd get it.