"I've spent all of the love I saved.
We were always a losing game."
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She's a Gryffindor. He's a Slytherin.
She's a Weasley. He's a Malfoy.
She's sweet. He's a bully.
She's dangerous. He's dangerous.
She likes him. He likes he...
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Breakfast had been a rather quiet affair, at the beginning. Once the mail had arrived, Cassie quickly closed her Potions book (her favourite subject despite the teacher) and looked between Ron and the letter eagerly.
"Oh no." Ron choked, staring at the crimson envelope with a frightened expression.
Sitting there, neatly wrapped with a black ribbon, the red letter gleamed up innocently at the people sat around it, waiting to be opened.
"Oh, yes." Cassie sighed happily, sliding it towards her twin brother.
It was times like these that made Ron wonder why his sister wasn't in Slytherin – she took far too much pleasure from his misery. The envelope sat in front of Ron, waiting to be opened by his hand only. If ignored, it would become far more explosive. Neville sounded scarred as he warned Ron about the consequences of ignoring the delightful little envelope. Five minutes had already passed since it'd been delivered and the corners were beginning to emit a light grey smoke.
Gulping loudly, Ron slit open the letter and prepared himself for the pain. As soon as the loud shrieking noise of Molly Weasley's livid voice boomed around the stone walls of the Great Hall, every single student turned to face the youngest Weasley son. Over at the Slytherin table, Malfoy looked as gleeful at Cassie. Both of them were enjoying the horror on Ron's face.
"YOU WAIT UNTIL I GET MY HANDS ON YOU! YOU ARE IN BIG TROUBLE! I BET YOU DIDN'T STOP TO THINK WHAT YOUR FATHER AND I WENT THROUGH WHEN WE SAW IT WAS GONE-"
Whilst Ron sank lower in his seat, Cassie started prodding the floating Howler, hoping to increase the volume of her mother's voice. Ron getting into trouble was enough to bring a smile to Cassie's face but receiving a Howler? Now, that was priceless. Not even Fred and George had managed to achieve that level of rule breaking, although it was not for lack of trying.
"I THOUGHT YOUR FATHER WOULD DIE OF SHAME. WE DIDN'T BRING YOU UP TO BEHAVE LIKE THIS! YOU AND HARRY COULD HAVE DIED-"
Harry tried to pretend as if he hadn't heard his name coming from the shrill letter, especially when the students began to look at him as well. However, he couldn't ignore the cheerful nudge Cassie gave him. Especially when she began pointing between the Howler and then back at him, reminding him that the Harry mentioned was indeed he.
"YOUR FATHER'S FACING AN INQUIRY AT WORK AND IT'S ENTIRELY YOUR FAULT! IF YOU PUT ANOTHER TOE OUT OF LINE, WE'LL BRING YOU STRAIGHT BACK HOME!"
On that note, the envelope hissed at Ron before exploding into flames, leaving behind nothing but a smoking pile of ash. Cassie was the first person to laugh. Draco was the second.
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Classes that week had been fairly average. Neville had fainted during Herbology due to the sight of the ugly, baby Mandrakes. Draco had glared at Cassie because she had laughed when his baby Mandrake had bitten him.
Ron failed to turn Scabbers into a goblet, in front of the entire class, due to his broken wand.
Neville had been hung onto a chandelier by some pesky pixies during their first epic fail of a Defence Against The Dark Arts class. Also, Cassie had managed to convince her brothers to pick Malfoy as their first victim.
All in all, it had been a good week for the Weasley girl, if not slightly menial. Ron, however, was still haunted by the Howler; if Cassie raised her voice slightly, he flinched. So, naturally, she spoke in louder tones for the majority of the time.
Saturday morning brought an early Quidditch practice for Harry, and in turn, the other three. They had originally planned to visit Hagrid but that would have to wait until training had finished. Oliver Wood could be pretty scary when something Quidditch related didn't go his way. As the rest of the Golden Quartet made their way onto the pitch, they let out a groan upon seeing the Slytherin team was also there. And that wasn't even the worst part.
"Is that Malfoy?" Ron asked, squinting at the team of silver and green.
Hurrying over to the two teams, Cassie glared at as many Slytherin's as she could manage. Only they could be slimy enough to sabotage the Gryffindor Quidditch Team; every other house had honour and a sense of fair play.
"What's he doing here?" Ron asked Harry.
"I'm the new Slytherin seeker." Malfoy began boasting about his new broom and just how wonderful and rich he was compared to the members of the Gryffindor team.
"At least no one on the Gryffindor team had to buy their way in," said Hermione through gritted teeth. "They got in on pure talent."
"No one asked for your opinion, you filthy little Mudblood."
The response was instantaneous. Alicia Spinnet let out a horrified shriek. Hermione recoiled into Harry, and Flint dove in front of Malfoy when a small blur of ginger darted towards him. Dashing after their sister, Fred and George tried hauling her back but she was determined to wrap her small hands around Malfoy's pale throat. It took the two Beaters, and Oliver Wood wrapping his arms around her waist, to haul her back from the new Seeker.
By the time they had achieved that, Ron had already tried to curse Malfoy with his snapped wand. It was safe to say that had backfired when Ron was the one to start hurling up slugs. The Slytherin team were in hysterics, which only caused Cassie to lunge towards Malfoy whilst he was laughing on the floor. Thankfully, Wood caught her before she was able to do any damage. Chucking the small girl over his shoulder, Oliver carried her away from the pitch, fully aware of the death threats she was giving the Slytherin heir.
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A couple of days later, the Quartet were on their way back to the Common Room when Harry exclaimed he could hear voices in the walls. His friends, however, could not and were casting him strange glances as he led them down a passage. Even in the Wizarding World, hearing voices was a sign of psychosis.
A large puddle of water covered the floor and Cassie had to grip the back of Harry's robes to prevent her from slipping in it. Mrs Norris was hanging upside down from a torch bracket, her red eyes open but unseeing. A red substance was written on the wall behind her, warning everyone that the Chamber of Secrets had been opened once more.
As the four Gryffindor students followed Dumbledore into Lockhart's office, Cassie couldn't help but think that this would not be a trouble free year, like she had hoped it'd be. In fact, she was starting to believe that being friends with Harry Potter would be nothing but a beacon for trouble.
Inspecting Mrs Norris, Dumbledore remained silent and did not address the anxious Second Years stood before him. Filch was sobbing in a corner and whilst she had no love for him or that damned cat, Cassie couldn't help but wish there was something she could say that would comfort him. When Dumbledore announced that Mrs Norris had been Petrified, not murdered, Filch immediately began accusing Harry for the heinous act.
His reasoning? Harry knew that Filch was a Squib, and now, so did the other three. Dismissing the four students as he knew they were innocent, Dumbledore asked that they return straight to their common room as it was nearing midnight, Watching the looks on her professor's faces, Cassie's couldn't help but notice that they looked uneasy. Whatever evil had done this, it had spooked even Professor Dumbledore.
