Hateful Love

Chapter Fifty-Nine

NOTE: I do not own any of the ideas or characters expressed in this story (except Cassie Jackson). All of these belong to J.K. Rowling.

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Draco P.O.V.

          About a week after Katherine was attacked, I wake up in my dormitory to find a latter from my parents lying on my chest.

          I sit up with a small groan, catching the letter in my hand as it threatens to slide off onto the floor. Rubbing my eyes tiredly, I almost automatically throw the letter in the bin—I’ve gotten so used to just throwing them all away without even reading any—but I stop myself just in time. The light’s streaming brightly through the window next to my bed, so it must be afternoon. At least it’s Saturday, for a moment I thought I was missing class.

          There’s no one else in the dormitory, so I apprehensively tear open the envelope and look down at my father’s rigid handwriting to see that it’s only a small note.

          Draco,

          The Dark Lord will be at the Manor soon. Come home the minute he calls.

          Lucius

 

          Right away, I can tell something’s wrong. This isn’t normal, the Dark Lord wouldn’t just come to the Manor unless it was a meeting, and Lucius would have said that if it was the case. Something must be up with the Dark Lord; Lucius deliberately gave me no reason I would need to come home.

          My stomach churning, I slide out of bed and crumple the letter in my fist. I throw it in the bin and head to the bathroom, suddenly starting to feel uncomfortably hot. I run my hands under the cold tap water and splash it onto my face. Wiping my eyes and shutting the water off, I look at myself in the mirror uneasily.

          I’m going to have to see Cassie tonight, and not just to check on how Katherine’s doing.

          I have a feeling that if I go to the Manor, I won’t be coming back anytime soon.

Cassie P.O.V.

          “How’re you feeling?”

          Katherine looks up from the couch as I shut the door to the Room of Requirement behind me, looking unusually pale and shaky. She gives me a weak smile and says, “Not too good today, actually.”

          I frown and sit next to her on the couch, getting a good look at her face. Katherine’s eyes are slightly bloodshot and her lips are almost white, her breath coming out unevenly. I gently place my palm against her forehead and find that her skin is burning up with a fever.

“It can’t be an infection,” she says as I remove my hand. “The bite marks are still totally healed. I don’t know why I feel sick.”

Biting my lip hard, I force a smile and lie, “There’s a couple other kids who are getting sick too, you must have caught it from them. Anyway, I brought you some dinner.” I pull out the wrapped napkin from my robes, handing it to her as she sits up slowly. “Sorry it isn’t much, McGonagall was watching me.”

“Don’t worry about it, Cassie. Thanks.” Katherine opens up the napkin to reveal the small piece of steak and a handful of broccoli. I watch as she eats only the steak, wrapping up the rest of the vegetables and saying that she isn’t that hungry. My heart sinks as I take the napkin from her, a sense of foreboding coming over me. Trying to ignore the uneasy feeling, I sit back against the cushions and talk with Katherine for a while, doing my best to lighten the mood.