The Girl Who Found Hope [2]

Year 3 - 16

After a good night sleep for once, Cassiopeia woke up with plenty of time to get ready for the first day of classes. As she made her way down to the common room, it was still early. She sat there and read a book, but as she did, she could feel her father's charm coming off. Usually she couldn't feel it, but because it was helping her feel strong- she felt the withdrawal of magic. She leant against the couch, not noticing anyone walking in. She leant forwards to put the book on the table, but she fell to the floor.

"Cass?" A voice asked. She looked up from the floor to see Marcus looking at her with a worried expression. He put a hand on her shoulder. "You alright?"

"Yeah. Let's just say William's spell this year did more than just hide the bruises this year, it made me stronger." She replied, after looking around to check if anyone was there.

"And now it's gone, you're feeling weak?" He asked. She nodded to him. He leant down and took her arm and helped her back onto the couch. "What did you do to make him hurt you so much? If you don't mind me asking."

"I got a boyfriend." She replied to him.

"What's that got to do with anything?" He asked.

"It's something called the 'Growing up lesson'. When a pure-blooded child first gets into a relationship, you have this torture and it is supposed to show you the hardships of growing up." She told him.

"Oh, that. Mine wasn't called the 'Growing up lesson'. Mine was the 'Coming of age torture'. But mine didn't seem to hurt as much as yours." He commented.

"That's because I had mine twice the intensity and for twice as long." She told him, looking to her hands in her lap.

"Why?" He asked.

"Because I took the punishment for my siblings. I couldn't have them going through that." She replied. He looked to her in awe.

"That was brave of you, Cass." He replied. She smiled to him. He pulled her into a side-hug, and the pair looked into the fire. "I was thinking, in Quidditch, to train you as a reserve seeker. How would you feel about that?"

"Sure. Why me?" She replied.

"Well, after Malfoy missing the snitch that was right by his head last year, I thought I should have a spare- should he get on my nerves and not do his job. And you were the first person to come to mind." He replied. She looked to him and nodded. "Good, we'll start training next practise."

"Okay." She replied, she then looked to the clock. "I should go and wake the others, see you later."

"Bye, Cass." He replied, as she walked up the stairs to the dorms. As she entered the room, she knew that her annual wake-up with a pillow case would be new to Aria and Megan. But she decided to keep it going anyway. She grabbed her pillow and hit Amelia's head, Amelia's eyes snapped open.

"Cass? That time already?" She asked groggily.

"Yep, I feel like we should let them two know what it's like to share a dorm with me on the first day of term." Cassiopeia replied, smirk on her face. Amelia smirked too and grabbed her pillow. Cassiopeia stood above Megan, while Amelia stood above Aria. They counted down from three and hit their targets. The two woke with a start but had no time to register what was happening because there was another hit from the pillows. The two second years, laughed and grabbed their own pillows- engaging in the pillow fight. The four girls kept attacking and laughing. When the two third years came out victorious, everyone began to change for the new day.

"Is that how we are going to be woken every morning?" Aria asked.

"Nope, that's our first day of the year tradition." Cassiopeia replied. "I wake Amelia, then together we wake whoever else is in the room."

"Fair enough." Megan said with a laugh.

~*~

"Ready." Amelia said in a sing-song voice as she came into the room, ready for the day.

"Let's go. You both are welcome to sit with us in the Great Hall if you want." Cassiopeia said to the pair. They smiled.

"Thank you, we'll see when we get down there." Aria replied. The two older girls smiled to them and nodded. Cassiopeia and Amelia made their way to the common-room, where their group of boys was waiting for them.

"Morning." Cassiopeia and Amelia said in unison.

"Morning." They all grumbled back. The girls laughed.

"Come on then, let's get some food." Cassiopeia said, at the mention of food Crabbe and Goyle jumped up. They all laughed, some things never change. Cassiopeia walked over to Draco and Draco took her hand, together they walked to the Great Hall with their friends.

When they got there, they all ate breakfast, and the group were pleased to see that Cassiopeia had taken a good-sized portion. They spent their breakfasts, laughing and talking about their holiday.

"Here are your schedules." Professor Snape said from behind the group, Cassiopeia turned to her godfather with a smile on her face. He passed the schedules out to each pupil and made his way to eat his own food. Once he had left, Cassiopeia looked down to her own schedule and saw the multiple classes on at the same time.

"Oh, good. I'm starting my new subjects today." Amelia said happily. The rest nodded in agreement.

"Cass, they've made a mistake with your timetable. They've put you down for like ten subjects a day." Draco said from beside her. "There isn't enough time."

"It's alright, I've sorted it with Professor Snape." Cassiopeia replied, not looking away from the paper.

"Yeah, look. For this morning you've got Divination nine o'clock, then underneath Muggle Studies nine o'clock and then Arithmancy nine o'clock." Blaise said from the other side of her, also looking over her shoulder. "How does that work? Are you going to be in three classes at once, or something?"

"Of course I won't be in three classes at once, that's impossible." Cassiopeia replied.

"But, then-" Theodore started.

"Can you pass the strawberry jam please." Cassiopeia interrupted.

"But-" Theodore started.

"Look, guys. It doesn't matter if my timetable is a little full. I've sorted it with Professor Snape, so don't worry, okay?" She replied.

"Fine." They all mumbled. Cassiopeia knew that they hadn't exactly let it go, but they would stop asking questions for the time-being.

"We should go and get our things, Divination is in the North Tower." Cassiopeia said to the group. The ones who had divination then grabbed their things- Cassiopeia's bag filled to the brim with her textbooks she needed for the day- and then travelled through the halls. Cassiopeia walked away from her friends, quietly and unnoticed, and snuck away to her other classes.

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I'm sorry that this update was delayed, I'm very busy with university work at the moment. I will keep trying to stay on top of posting new chapters. 

Sorry once again.

Thank you for reading

-Zoe