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"She was born from darkness itself, it was woven in her bones and carved in her heart. She was the Light born from Darkness, because all stars are born in the dark. She was Cassiopeia Lestrange."
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"Hi, I'm Cassiopeia, call me Cassi. My friends...
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KATIE WAS REMOVED to St. Mungo's Hospital for Magical Maladies and Injuries the following day, by which time the news that she had been cursed had spread all over the school, though the details were confused and nobody other than Harry, Ron, Hermione, Leanne and Cassi seemed to know that Katie herself had not been the intended target.
Draco was avoiding Cassi at all costs. Hermione and Cassi didn't talk to each other in front of other people, but things were better between them. Daphne now never let Cassi out of her sight. She made sure that she would eat regularly and most of all she didn't let her face Draco. And Cassi was grateful for it. Because she wasn't sure she was ready to face him. She was still hurt after all that he said. Cassi avoided Theo too, because whenever she was around him, he was so careful about everything, it was like he was just waiting for her to have another mental breakdown.
"Hey, Cassi!" Blaise called her in Herbology. Cassi looked up surprised. "Slughorn's going to have a Christmas Party and he specifically asked me invite you, and said you can't wiggle out of this. He's going to give you an official invitation to you later. Oh, and we're allowed to bring guests."
"Oh, thanks." Cassi said as she turned to work on her pot with a grimace. She wasn't interested in any of his parties, and so far she had tried very much to get away from them.
"So who you're going to take as a date?" Daphne asked once Blaise was gone.
"I don't know." Cassi said shrugging. "Maybe I'll go alone."
"Are you kidding me?" Daphne scoffed. "There are a hundred boys out there waiting for you take them with you, and you're going to go alone?"
"These parties are stupid anyway." said Cassi. "It's not like I want to go in them."
"But you can't go alone." Daphne protested. "You have to take a date with you."
"You can come with me if you want." Cassi suggested.
"I can't." said Daphne. "Blaise already asked me. I'll be going with him."
"Good. At least I won't be alone there."
"But you need a date Cassi." Daphne said. "You will not go alone."
"Fine," Cassi said sighing. "I'll look for someone to take with me."
"You cane take Theo." Daphne suggested. "He's already into you, you know."
"But I don't want to lead him on." Cassi said. "I don't feel the same way about him."
"Yeah, because your feeling are reserved only for a certain black haired, green eyed boy." Daphne said making Cassi turn red.
"I don't what you're talking about." Cassi said refusing to meet her eye and she focused on the work in hand.
"You couldn't have been more obvious Cassi with your subtle glancing." Daphne said rolling her eyes. "But let's not get off the track. You can take Nott. He's good looking, and a perfect partner for you to take to the party."
"Okay, I'll ask him." Cassi said relieved that Daphne let the topic go.
As the class got over, they made their way outside. Cassi had potions and Daphne had her free period. They parted their ways, and Cassi made her way to her Potions class. She was the first one to come. Slowly other students started entering. Harry, Hermione and Ron arrived and took their seats. When Draco arrived he stopped when he saw Cassi. She could see the guilt and shame in his eyes. He opened his mouth to say something, but he was cut off by Theo who came between Cassi and Draco.
Theo was glaring at Draco, and it looked like he was sending some message through his eyes, which Cassi wasn't aware of.
"What is your problem?" Draco sneered at him "She's my sister, you don't have any right to butt in between."
"Only when you apologize to her." Theo gritted through his teeth.
"Theo, it's okay." Cassi said looked at Theo, because now everyone in the class was staring at them.
"No, it's not okay." He said fiercely. "He doesn't have any right to ask you for favor unless he apologize for what he did."
"You don't get tell me what I should do or not." Draco spit out. "She's my sister, I can do whatever the hell I want."
Theo grabbed Draco's collar and it looked like he was going to get hit him, but Cassi came in between before either of them could hurt each other.
"You're both making a scene." Cassi gritted through her teeth looking at both of them. Cassi could feel Hermione and Harry's questionable gaze on her, but ignored looking at them. "Let each other go. NOW."
The glare was still in place, but they reluctantly let go of each other. Draco grabbed his bag and left the class without another glance.
"He hates me." Cassi said with a sad sigh.
"He's just too egoistic to say sorry." Theo said rolling his eyes. "You should hate him more."
"But I don't. Now care to explain me, what was that?" Cassi asked Theo, her hands folded across her chest.
"I got angry, okay." Theo said as he sat down on his seat. "He was going to ask you for a favor."
"What favor?" Cassi said confused.
"He wanted you to take him to the Slughorn's Christmas party." Theo answered. "For what, I don't know. But I know it was something related to his task."
"I appreciate what you did for me, but you can't fight him in the middle of the class Theo." Cassi said with a sad sigh. "I can handle him on my own. And if he wanted help from me, I can help him, he's my brother after all. "
"You can't forgive him just like that." Theo said incredulously, but he looked pissed. "He needs to get what he deserve. How can say that after everything he made you go through? After everything he did to you?"
Cassi opened her mouth to say something, but someone cut her off.
"What did Malfoy do to you?" Harry said suddenly, making Cassi realize he was listening all along.
"I can't believe you were eavesdropping on me, again!" Cassi said half frustrated half angry.
"You didn't answer me." He said ignoring her previous comment.
"Whatever it is, I can assure you it's none of your concern." Cassi said icily, and looked at Hermione hoping she would understand.
"Harry leave it." Hermione said butting in. "It's a waste to talk to them anyway."
Harry looked like he wanted to argue, but Hermione didn't give him a chance, and dragged him away with her.
"Potter can't stop being nosy, can he?" Theo said irritated.
"Forget him." Cassi said looking at Theo again. "I wanted to ask you something."
"What?"
"Will you go to Slughorn's Christmas Party with me?" Cassi asked and huge smile broke on his face. "I mean as friends of course." Cassi added the last part, just to make it clear.
"Yeah, of course." He said, but his smile dropped a little. Nonetheless he was happy.
Professor Slughorn entered the class and the chatter died down. For the rest of the day Cassi didn't see Draco anywhere, and guessed that he was avoiding her. It was what she would do if something like this happened with her.
