Chapter 5
"Well, if they're not here, then they've obviously done something stupid," Hermione said, settling into the seat next to Ginny. Despite her tone, she still looked out the window, her anxiety plain.
Fred and George flopped down opposite Cassidy, their identical grins doing nothing to ease the tension.
"We'll see them at Hogwarts, don't worry," Fred said casually.
"Yeah," George added. "Worst case, Mum'll skin them alive, and they'll really stand out at the feast."
Ginny shot them both a look, her cheeks reddening slightly. "This isn't funny."
"It's a little funny," Fred argued, grinning at her.
"They're fine," George assured. "They've got each other, don't they? And, let's be honest, nothing ever happens to Harry Potter without the entire wizarding world hearing about it five minutes later."
Cassidy bit back a laugh, despite herself. "You've got a point there," she muttered. "But... still. What if they didn't even make it onto the platform?"
"That's impossible," Hermione cut in firmly. "Unless—" She stopped, a frown creasing her face as if she was already formulating a hundred theories.
Cassidy leaned back in her seat, resting her head against the window as the countryside blurred into view. The platform was long gone now, but a strange feeling of unease lingered.
"What're you two doing in this cabin, anyway?" She asked the twins, who simply looked back at her with the same grin.
"Mum said we've got to look out for little Ginny-Winny." Fred said, prompting Ginny's face to grow red.
"Don't call me that!" She huffed, sitting up a bit straighter.
"Aww, don't worry, Ginny-Winmy. 'Ickle Ronniekins is far more embarrassing than your nickname." George teased. Cassidy rolled her eyes as Ginny silently fumed, looking out the window.
As the train settled into its rhythmic clatter, the tension in the compartment began to lift. Fred and George, as always, took it upon themselves to lighten the mood.
"Alright, Cassandra," Fred began, leaning forward with an exaggeratedly serious expression. "It's time to reveal the truth. Which one of us is more handsome?"
Cassidy raised an eyebrow, feeling her cheeks grow a bit warm. "I mean, you're both a solid six at best, so..."
Ginny giggled, and George clutched his chest in mock horror. "A six? You wound me!"
"Don't be ridiculous," Fred said, straightening his robes. "At least an eight."
"Maybe a seven," Cassidy allowed, smirking. "But only when you're not talking."
The twins dissolved into laughter, and even Hermione cracked a small smile, though she quickly buried her nose in Hogwarts, A History.
Cassidy turned to Ginny, who was sitting quietly by the window, her arms folded tightly over her chest.
"You okay?" Cassidy asked softly.
Ginny glanced up, startled, before nodding. "Yeah, I'm fine. Just... annoyed. Ron's so... reckless sometimes. And I'm worried about Harry too." Her face got a little pink, and Cassidy thought about how easily you could read a Weasley's emotions.
"They're boys," Cassidy said, rolling her eyes. "It's like a whole personality trait."
Ginny laughed, a small, genuine sound. "You're not wrong." She hesitated, then added, "It's just.. Harry always seems to be in danger, from what I've heard so far. And Ron's always in the middle of it."
Cassidy's teasing smile softened. "Oh, getting all concerned about Potter's safety, eh? Seems someone has a little crush."
Ginny grew red yet again, widening her bright blue eyes.
"N-no, it's not that, I'm-" she started, but Cassidy just laughed.
"It's fine, Ginny, I'm only joking."
"We're not." The twins said in sing-song unison. Cassidy shook her head.
"Ginny's obsessed with Potter." Fred said, leaning forward conspiratorially.
"Won't stop talking about him." George continued, leaning in as well.
"Will both of you quit it?" Hermione hissed from over her book. "I'm trying to read."
The twins simply laughed, high-giving each other and leaving the cabin, probably off to talk to Lee Jordan or Angelina Johnson.
As Ginny stared out the window, Cassidy could see the tension in her shoulders. She hadn't said much since the twins left, but her fingers were twisting in her lap, fidgeting with a loose thread on her jumper.
"Hey," Cassidy said softly, leaning closer. "You nervous about your Sorting?"
Ginny's eyes flicked to her and then away again. "Is it that obvious?"
"A little," Cassidy teased, grinning. "Don't worry, though—it's totally normal."
Ginny frowned, her cheeks tinged pink. "But what if I'm the first Weasley to end up in Hufflepuff? Or—or worse, Slytherin? Mum would lose it. And Fred and George would never let me live it down."
Cassidy laughed lightly, shaking her head. "First of all, there's nothing wrong with Hufflepuff—or Slytherin, for that matter. I think. But second, you're worrying over nothing. The Hat knows exactly where you belong. It's like magic."
Ginny gave her a flat look. "It is magic."
"Right. Well, there you go!" Cassidy said with a wink. "The point is, it's not going to get it wrong. Trust me, when I was standing there last year, sweating buckets, I was so sure I'd mess it up somehow."
Ginny blinked. "You? Mess something up? Ron talks about you like you're invincible."
For some unknown reason, Cassidy's face warmed up at this. She laughed awkwardly, avoiding eye contact with Ginny, who looked at her in confusion.
"Does he now? And, oh, absolutely. I was convinced I'd trip on my way to the stool or say something silly." Cassidy grinned at the memory of that night, of tugging Ron's robes in nervousness and getting into Gryffindor, and Ginny giggled despite herself.
"But it all turned out fine. The Sorting Hat barely even hesitated before putting me in Gryffindor." The last part was a bit of a fib, but oh well.
"You weren't scared?" Ginny asked, her voice quieter now.
Cassidy hesitated, her smile softening. "A little, yeah. But I promise, once you're sitting there, it's not as bad as you think. The Hat doesn't just look at who you are—it sees what you could be. And that's kind of amazing, don't you think?"
Ginny nodded slowly, some of the tension easing from her face. "I guess so. What if it tries to put me somewhere I don't want to go?"
Cassidy tilted her head thoughtfully. "Then tell it. I mean, look at Harry—he asked not to be in Slytherin, and the Hat listened. It's your choice too."
For a moment, Ginny seemed to mull this over. Then, she gave a small, determined nod. "Alright. I'll try to remember that."
"That's the spirit," Cassidy said with a smile. She nudged Ginny playfully. "But honestly, if you don't end up in Gryffindor, I'm going to be so mad."
Ginny's laughter rang out, clearer this time, and Cassidy felt a warm glow of satisfaction.
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Later, as the train approached the station at Hogsmeade, Hermione looked up from her book. "We should get our robes on soon."
"Already done," Fred said smugly, gesturing to his pristine uniform.
"Yeah, because you didn't spend the whole ride eating Chocolate Frogs," Cassidy teased, brushing crumbs off her lap.
"Details," Fred said, waving her off.
Hermione glanced at Cassidy, her expression curious. "Have you ever thought about taking things more seriously? I mean, you're really clever. If you focused more—"
Cassidy groaned, throwing her head back. "Oh, Merlin, you're worse than my mum."
"I'm just saying!" Hermione protested, though she was smiling.
Cassidy leaned closer, her tone mock-conspiratorial. "You know what your problem is, Granger?"
"What?"
"You don't know how to have fun."
Hermione huffed indignantly, but the corners of her mouth twitched.
Fred, overhearing, leaned over. "Listen to the girl, Granger! It wouldn't hurt to loosen up a little." He teased.
Cassidy grinned. "Don't worry, Hermione. Stick with me, and I'll teach you all about it." She said jokingly.
"All I've ever been doing is stick with you, silly." She replied, rolling her eyes. But her smile lingered as the train finally slowed to a stop. Hagrid's yells could be heard, and Cassidy was taken back to her first night at Hogwarts.
As they stepped off the train, the chill of the evening air sent a shiver down Cassidy's spine. Her necklace still felt cold against her skin, and for the first time all day, she felt a flicker of warmth. It was faint—almost imperceptible—but enough to make her glance over her shoulder.
"Cass?" Hermione called. "You coming?"
Cassidy shook herself out of her thoughts. "Yeah. Let's go."
She followed the group toward the carriages, her mind still on the two people who hadn't been on the train. Harry and Ron were out there somewhere, and Cassidy couldn't shake the feeling that whatever had kept them from boarding wasn't over yet.