When we align; a Neville Longbottom fanfiction

4. Study sessions

The next morning, at breakfast, Cass was preoccupied with making sure nobody knew that she would be studying with Neville. He had given a few tips the day before, proving to be an excellent teacher, but he was still... well, Neville. Daphne nudged her, pointing at something.

"Look at Longbottom!" She exclaimed.

Cass caught a glimpse of the Gryffindor sprinting out of the Great Hall and the Slytherin table erupted with laughter. When the voice of an older witch resonated through the hall, the laughs increased as well.

"The loser got a Howler!" Theo yelled, making Malfoy next to him cackle.

She limited herself to smiling when Daphne looked at her with tears in her eyes. She repeatedly slammed her hand on the table, unable to make a sound.

Her mood changed when Blaise reminded her that their first lesson of the day was Potions and that she hadn't finished her essay.

"Cass, let me copy yours!" She begged as they were going to the dungeons.

"Are you insane? She's a thousand times better than you, Snape is going to give you both detention." Blaise noticed with a faint grin on his lips.

"Yeah, and I'm not about to get detention. I've already lost the chance of going to Hogsmeade, thank you very much." Cass chimed in. Daphne scoffed.

"Alright then, Blaise, let me copy yours!"

They had reached the class and were about to enter when they heard Malfoy showing off.

"The trial is going to be this Friday, and I'm finally going to have justice. That... beast almost ripped my arm off!"

He was talking about the incident he had with the Hippogriff some months back. His father had filed a complaint, of course, but Hagrid didn't get sacked. Instead, it was the poor creature that had to suffer the consequences.

"T'was only a scratch, Malfoy, get a grip." She muttered, loud enough for him to hear. He glared at her, narrowing his silver eyes.

Before he could say anything, Theo jumped in. "Let's go in, we're already late."

Her brother had switched to Malfoy's group after that Quidditch match a couple of weeks earlier and had already started to get an attitude. What Cass disliked the most, though, was that he never hung out with her, Blaise, and Daphne anymore.

They had asked her about it, visibly saddened, but she shrugged it off, making up that the Malfoys had visited during the holidays and that it had brought them back together.

"I don't like it either, but we can't dictate who he hangs out with." She had said, trying to reassure her friends.

They entered the room as Professor Snape was starting the class. He simply looked at them and motioned them to take a seat.

"Unbelievable! If it were us, we would have lost points!" A Gryffindor toward the back complained. He was grouping with another boy and Neville. Cass grabbed Daphne by the sleeve and dragged her to the table next to them. "But of course it's the Slytherins, and..." He stopped when he noticed the two girls had approached and were looking at him.

"Today you'll be brewing the Pepperup Potion." Snape started. "Put away your book, Greengrass, you won't be needing it if you did your essay."

Daphne looked at Cass worriedly. She whispered a "Don't worry, follow my lead." before Snape warned them.

"Don't try to help her, Nott, I will know."