Chapter 4
"Famous Harry Potter. Can't even go to a bookshop without making the front page."
Draco Malfoy stood in front of the group, his eyes narrowed at Harry in intense dislike.
Before anyone could say anything, little Ginny stepped forward, blue eyes furious.
"Leave him alone." She said firmly.
"Oh look, Potter. You've got yourself a girlfriend." Draco jeered.
"Yeah, seems like a rare event for you, doesn't it, Malfoy?" Cassidy seethed, eyeing Draco up and down. The twins giggled behind her.
"You filthy-" Draco started, stepping towards Cassidy. Suddenly, a pale hand clamped on his shoulder.
"Now, now, Draco, play nicely. We wouldn't want the Sweet Spell incident repeated, do we?"
The low, cold voice of Lucius Malfoy drawled as he stepped forward and faced the group, Draco's usually pale face flushing as he remembered how Cassidy had beaten him up the last time he'd paid a visit to her father's shop and disrespected her mother. Lucius looked at Cassidy, cold eyes glinting.
"Ah, Cassandra Sweet. Say, some of your father's... unfortunate decisions must be weighed carefully, don't you think? A shame, truly, that he was a traitor to his own kind." He paused, glancing once again at Cassidy. "I suppose he was not as discerning with his alliances as some others."
Cassidy bit back the words she wanted to say, and only stared back at Lucius silently. He turned to Harry.
"Mr. Potter." Mr. Malfoy held out a hand, and Harry took it. "I'm Lucius Malfoy. We meet at last."
Suddenly, he pulled Harry closer to him, and inspected his scar.
"Forgive me. Your scar is legendary. As is the wizard who gave it to you." He muttered, touching the lightning bolt on Harry's head.
As he spoke, Cassidy felt an impending sense of dread. Her necklace warmed up for the first time in two months, and she let out a small gasp. Ron and Hermione glanced at her.
"Voldemort killed my parents," Harry pulled away from Lucius. "He was nothing more than a murderer."
Lucius looked at the group, sizing everyone up. His gaze lingered on Cassidy's necklace, and she clutched it, stepping closer to Ron. Lucius gave a small smirk, turning back to Harry.
"Hm. You must be very brave, to mention his name. Or very foolish." Lucius said.
"Fear of the name only increase the fear of the thing itself." Hermione piped up, fearless in her stance. Lucius turned to her.
"And you must be... Miss Granger." He observed. "Yes, Draco's told me all about you. And your parents."
"Creepy." Cassidy mumbled, as Hermione looked back at her parents. They seemed to be in lively conversation with a wizard, laughing innocently.
"Muggles, aren't they?" Hermione didn't reply, glaring at Lucius.
"Let me see. Red hair, vacant expressions...tattered, secondhand books, you must be the Weasleys." Lucius said, stepping back as if to take in the whole group. "And I see you've chosen to align yourself with such interesting company, Miss Sweet. You must be so proud of your family letting you make such.... choices." His eyes went to her necklace yet again, and Cassidy's stomach churned.
"Don't talk about my family, or any of our families in that way." Cassidy said lowly. Just before Lucius was about to reply, Arthur Weasley walked up to the group.
"Children. It's mad in here. Let's go outside." He said cheerfully, though his eyes darkened when he saw Lucius.
"Well well well. Weasley Senior." Lucius sneered.
"Lucius." He replied curtly.
"Is it tiring at the Ministry, Arthur? All those extra raids...I do hope they're paying you overtime." Arthur put his arm protectively around Ginny, who glared up at Lucius.
"But judging by the state of this..." Lucius inspected a tattered little book Ginny had been holding. "I'd say not."
"What's the use of being a disgrace to wizardry....if they don't even pay you well for it?"
The tension between the two groups was palpable. Cassidy clutched her necklace tighter, as if to break it.
"We have a very different idea of what disgraces wizards, Malfoy." Arthur replied coldly, eyes locked on Lucius.
"Clearly." Lucius replied, looking at the group once again. "Associating with Muggles, and fellow traitors." He hissed, stepping closer and dropping the little book he'd taken from Ginny's cauldron back inside. Cassidy's necklace grew warmer the closer Lucius got.
"And I thought your family could sink no lower." He muttered, looking straight into Arthur Weasley's eyes.
Arthur simply stared him down, unwavering.
"I'll see you at work." Lucius said, turning to leave. Draco stepped closer to Harry, Ron, Hermione and Cassidy, sneering.
"See you at school." He turned to Cassidy, lowering his voice. "Watch your back, traitor." He whispered, looking at her necklace. Cassidy glared and Ron stepped forward, a silent warning. Draco backed off then, smirking and following his father out.
✺⋆⋆✷⋆⋆✧⋆✺⋆✧⋆⋆✺⋆⋆✷⋆✧
"You're all sorted now, aren't you Cassidy?" Amira Sweet fussed with Cassidy's hair like she did last year, reminding her not to get herself into any trouble and 'not to worry about the necklace, but keep it close nevertheless.'
"But mum, that doesn't even make any sense." She whined as they stood outside the train station. Joshua, her father, couldn't make it today, because he had a 'business meeting.' When Cassidy had told him about the encounter with the Malfoy a few weeks ago, he'd become quiet, and angry. But not at her.
"Malfoy. An evil Wizard, thats for sure. I don't care if he claims he was being mind-controlled. I saw him in the war." He had said, seemingly to himself. But he made no mention of the matter again.
"Of course it makes sense, darling." Amira said, drawing Cassidy back to the present with a quick kiss on the forehead.
"Eugh, mum, you're embarrassing me." Cassidy squealed in discomfort, though she tried to hide a smile.
"Oh, hush. I see your friends now, run along. I know you want to go with them."
Cassidy grinned up at her mother, and hugged her tightly. Then she ran off towards the Weasley family, plus Harry.
"Hi Harry! Hi Ron! And George! And Fred! And Ginny! And-"
"Cassidy, dearie, I think we all get the idea." Mrs Weasley said fondly, waving at Amira before she left the front of the station. The large group all pushed their trolleys to the wall that led to Platform Nine and Three Quarters, Arthur hurrying them along.
"Hurry up, hurry up! Fred, Percy and George, you first!" He ordered. The three boys ran into the wall, disappearing swiftly. He turned to Cassidy and Ginny.
"Cassidy, it's Ginny's first time. You mind going with her?" He said softly, smiling.
"Of course, Mr Weasley." Cassidy beamed, and nodded at a nervous-looking Ginny.
"Off we go then!" She shouted, running into the wall with Ginny, and being transported to the Hogwarts Express station. There were only a few students still outside, the rest having settled down. Ginny looked on in awe, even though she'd seen the express many times. Nothing compared to actually going on it, after all.
Cassidy caught sight of Hermione's large bush of hair, and ran over to her, holding Ginny's hand and leaving their luggage to be packed into the train by chauffeurs.
"'Mione, what're you still doing out here?!" She asked, looking around frantically for Ron and Harry. They should've followed them in by now.
"I could ask you the same question, Cassidy. Why are you all so late? And where on earth are Ron and Harry?"
They were right behind us," Cassidy muttered, her brow furrowed as she clutched her handbag's strap.
The twins ambled over, unconcerned. "Relax, Cassidy," George said, shrugging. "They probably got distracted by an odd-looking Muggle or something."
"Or ran into a mountain troll," Fred added cheerfully.
"Not funny," Ginny said sharply, her arms crossed over her chest. She glanced nervously at the barrier. "They're cutting it really close."
Cassidy stayed quiet, her fingers lightly brushing the edge of her necklace. There was no familiar heat, no warning tingle, just the cool, lifeless touch of the metal. She didn't like it-this absence of sensation only made her more uneasy.
The final whistle pierced the air.
"They're going to miss it!" Hermione exclaimed, her voice rising in panic.
"C'mon," Cassidy said, grabbing Hermione's sleeve. "We'll check the train; maybe they snuck on without us seeing."
The five of them scrambled onto the train just as it lurched forward. The platform slid away, and Cassidy leaned out of the window for a final look. Her stomach twisted as she scanned the thinning crowd of parents. No messy black hair. No ginger head towering beside it.
"Where are they?" Ginny whispered, her voice tinged with worry as she sat heavily in the compartment. Cassidy sighed.
"I don't know."