KILLER | H. POTTER

7. THE PARTY

Cass's slacking started catching up to her within the next few weeks.

Snape had already lectured her about it in the last couple of months but had given up fairly soon. Cass didn't think she'd get called out on it by anyone else until she was called into McGonagall's office about a week before Christmas break.

"You haven't been doing any of your homework, Cassiopeia," McGonagall said sternly.

Cass shifted uncomfortably in her seat. "I know."

If this was any other teacher, maybe Cass would've been more nonchalant, but McGonagall was a special brand of scary. It was infuriating how much Cass didn't want to cross her.

"You're a good student. You have been for the past five years. I know that you are... going through a difficult situation," McGonagall's eyes had softened. "That's why I've been so lenient with you these months. I know there is no set timeline for grief... but you have to get back to life at some point, Cassiopeia. If you don't do well on your NEWTs, it could affect your whole life. I think it's worth making an effort to get back into things, even if it's difficult."

Cass couldn't help the contemptuous look that crept up on her face. What did McGonagall know about her life?

Well... Cass was fairly sure the witch knew about her and Sirius's... situation. Most high-ranking members of the Order did. Not that the professor had ever acknowledged it.

Cass could tell from the look McGonagall was giving her that this was meant to be an in for Cass to talk about Sirius. McGonagall was letting Cass take the first step.

It would've been sweet, if it weren't so misguided.

Cass put on her best smile. "Thank you for the concern, professor. I'll do better, I promise."

—

"Can you believe that lady? Trying to tell me what I'm going through," Cass huffed to her friends later, in the Slytherin dorm.

Pansy scowled. "She wasn't wrong about everything though. You have been acting out of character."

Cass glared at the girl. "And please do tell me, Pansy, how have I been acting out of character?"

Cass could think about twenty different ways she'd been doing that, but she didn't want her friends to notice any of them.

Pansy crossed her arms over her chest, gearing up for a fight. "I'll tell you an easy one. Millicent saw you outside the Charms classroom chatting to none other than Hermione Granger, like you were friends or something."

Well... that had happened. No way around that, really. Cass hadn't thought that would get back to Pansy. "What's it to you who I choose to talk to, Pansy?"

Pansy scoffed. "You've got to be joking. You were talking to Granger, Cass. Granger."

Cass shrugged. "So what? I asked her for some Charms notes. I don't know if you've noticed but she's a massive nerd."

"You could've asked someone else!"

Oh, Pansy was starting to grasp at straws. This would be over in a second.

"I asked Granger because she's the best in our class. Or should I have asked Miss Barely-Scraped-Sn-A-In-Charms? I don't think so, Pansy."

Pansy's jaw clenched. She'd gone red in the face, but she couldn't come up with something else, angry as she was.

Cass didn't exactly enjoy riling up Pansy, but the two had always had an odd relationship. They were friends but they fought constantly, Pansy was often jealous and overly sensitive, it made for a rocky relationship. Sometimes Cass wasn't even sure why they were friends in the first place. Maybe they were only still friends because of the habit of it.