𝐒𝐡𝐚𝐝𝐨𝐰𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐁𝐞𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐲𝐚𝐥

𝕮𝖍𝖆𝖕𝖙𝖊𝖗 7

"You!" Cassie exclaimed, her eyes blazing with fury as she approached Draco's bed.

Draco winced at the sharpness of Cassie's tone.

"I want to know why the fuck did you provoke Buckbeak," Cassie demanded, her voice low and dangerous.

Draco shifted uncomfortably under her intense gaze. "I didn't provoke anything. It was that stupid hippogriff's fault for attacking me," he retorted.

"You insulted him, Malfoy! You called him an 'ugly brute!'"

"He is an ugly brute," Draco shot back, his voice dripping with disdain, a frown on his face.

Cassie's temper flared, and she took a step closer, her wand clenched tightly in her hand. "Listen, Malfoy—"

Pansy interjected, "Cassie, he's hurt—"

"Because he was too dumb to listen to instructions!" Cassie interrupted.

Blaise stepped forward, trying to calm the situation. "Cassie, maybe we should—"

"No!" Cassie cut in, her eyes never leaving Draco's. "He needs to understand the consequences of his actions."

Draco met Cassie's gaze defiantly. "What are you going to do, Cassie? Hex me?" he taunted.

"Don't taunt her, man. Looking at her mood, she actually might," Theo reasoned, casting a cautious glance at Cassie.

"Listen, Cassie, I know you're mad, but calm down... Now we've got to think about what's to be done," Pansy suggested.

"That's not even a question... Draco, you're going to march your sorry ass and apologize to Hagrid," Cassie declared.

"No!" Draco immediately retorted.

"Why should he—" began Pansy.

"Pansy, you too?" Cassie exclaimed, incredulous.

"Listen, Cassie, Draco is the one who's hurt... Why should he go and apologize?" Blaise reasoned.

Cassie looked to Theo, but he merely shrugged, mouthing, "I'm with you."

"I'm going to write to my father," Draco declared. "I'll get that ugly brute killed and that oaf removed."

"What the fuck is wrong with you, Draco?" Cassie exploded, her voice echoing through the room. "You're going to kill an innocent creature for your mistake?"

"Ms. Black... Mr. Malfoy is my patient. Do not distress him," Madam Pomfrey's voice interrupted as she entered the room.

"Come on, you lot, out you go now... Mr. Malfoy will be discharged in an hour," Madam Pomfrey ordered, ushering the group towards the door.

Pansy immediately spoke up, "I'll stay," she declared, her eyes darting between Cassie and Madam Pomfrey.

Blaise nodded in agreement. "Me too," he added, casting a sympathetic glance at Cassie.

"Fine, do what you want, Malfoy," Cassie spat, storming out of the room, Theo following closely behind her.

****************************

(Golden trio's pov-)

"That was a really bad thing to happen in Hagrid's first class, though, wasn't it?" said Ron, looking worried. "Trust Malfoy to mess things up for him...."

They were among the first to reach the Great Hall at dinnertime, hoping to see Hagrid, but he wasn't there.

"They wouldn't fire him, would they?" said Hermione anxiously, not touching her steak-and-kidney pudding.