Him - A Harry Potter Love Story

Chapter Forty-Seven

After maybe ten minutes of pacing the common room, my chest feeling as if it was tightening up and making it harder to breath, I left to find Harry.

I was upset that he thought I couldn't handle whatever Malfoy might be doing, but more than anything, I was worried that he was right about him doing something dangerous. I quickly walked through the halls, getting to the hallway where the Room of Requirement was just as someone left it. I quickly ducked back around the corner, taking a sharp breath in. I moved my head slightly around the corner once again so I could see, and noticed Harry following Malfoy from a distance. As soon as they turned out of the hallway, I followed them both as silently as possible.

When they went into the boys' bathroom, I stopped outside the door, not knowing what was going to happen yet.

I heard them talking. I couldn't make the words out until I heard one of them shout a spell out.

A gasp escaped my throat, and I pulled out my wand, stepping inside and grabbing Harry's arm just as Malfoy cast another spell. I managed to pull him out of the way, Harry glancing at me in surprise.

"Cassie, what are you-"

"Get out, Cassie," Malfoy hissed. "Now. I don't want you, of all people, to get hurt."

His voice was filled with more pain than I had ever heard, making me stand still and step in front of Harry.

"If you want to hurt Harry, you're gonna have to hurt me," I told him. His eyes narrowed, and his nose scrunched up slightly as he lifted his wand. Harry now had my arm, trying to pull me back, but I stood my ground and ripped my arm from his hand, holding my wand out in front of me.

"Cassie, get out. Now," Harry muttered in my ear. I shook my head, turning to glare at him just as Malfoy yelled a curse. I was suddenly on the ground, Harry having grabbed me and pushed me out of the way. I got up, the water on the floor seeping through my clothes and causing me to shiver.

"You heard him, Cassie, leave," Malfoy snapped.

"Not until you guys stop," I assured them, glaring at Malfoy. "You don't need to hurt anyone. Neither of you do."

"Cassie, you know that he's a death eater," Harry said, his eyes not leaving Malfoy's.

"So? He doesn't want to, Harry, look at him!" I cried out, gesturing to him.

"Just leave me alone. Both of you!" he growled. "Now!"

"Malfoy, just let me-"

"Crucio!" he shouted, pointing his wand at me. I quickly waved my wand and blocked the spell, just as Harry cast an unfamiliar sounding curse at Malfoy.

His scream hit me like a brick wall, a strangled gasp escaping my throat as he collapsed to the ground. Blood immediately covered the floor around him, covering his white shirt, spreading in the water.

Snape suddenly rushed past us a second later, taking a moment to stare at us with an unreadable expression before dropping to the ground next to Malfoy's shaking body.

I walked out, not bothering to make sure Harry was behind me.

"Cassie, wait."

I took a deep breath and stopped, turning around to look at Harry. I could feel my eyes burning, knowing that I was going to cry if I tried to talk to him now.

"It was the book, wasn't it?" I whispered, and just as I anticipated, I felt a tear escape and slip quickly down my cheek.

"What?" he muttered, but I could see him putting the pieces together in his mind.

"Hermione's been telling you to get rid of it for months now, Harry. You need to get rid of it," I told him. "Someone wanted you to have it, someone wanted you to hurt someone else. It's not an accident that you're the one who has it."

"I'll get rid of it. I promise." He took a careful step towards me. "Cassie, I-I'm so sorry. I didn't know what it would do, I didn't know it would...it would..."

I quickly wiped my face, nodding a little. "I know, Harry. I know that you wouldn't do that to someone. Not even Malfoy."

"I love you so much, and...I just feel like I keep ruining everything," he murmured, taking another step towards me.

I finally went up to him and took his hand. "It's not all your fault, Harry. I used the book, too. I wondered what all those spells were, too. If you hadn't done it, Harry, I probably would have."

"We should probably go," he said after a moment of hesitation. He glanced at the door to the bathroom, and I felt a jolt of fear through my body. Snape knew that either me or Harry hurt him...and I knew that we'd be in trouble.

However, my fear for myself and Harry was equal to my fear of what happened to Malfoy. As evil as he was, what he was doing wasn't his choice. He didn't deserve whatever spell Harry cast on him...no one deserves that...the sound of his screams were like nothing I'd ever heard.

So, we walked back to the common room in silence. The sight of Malfoy collapsing to the ground repeatedly played through my mind, only becoming clearer as I closed my eyes to get rid of the sight. It took a long time for me to fall asleep, though when I did, I could feel things happening around me. I could feel Harry's arms. I could feel myself rising in the air. I could feel the soft sheets of a bed, and by the time Harry laid down next to me, I was gone.

••••••••••

Harry's POV

What happened to me in the bathroom, I never will be able to fully explain.

It was similar to when Cassie and I fought at the burrow; the same anger coursed through me as I heard the spell being cast. An anger close to what it was coursed through me now, just to think about it.

But seeing the look on Cassie's face afterwards for even a millisecond was enough to know that what I did was wrong.

That night, after I brought her to my room, I knew she was having a nightmare from her muttering. But it didn't stop like usual when I was near her; for once, I wasn't able to help her sleep better. I was sure that I was the one who stopped her from it.