Memories of Them

Cassie spent the rest of the day avoiding everyone, she missed lunch, spent her free period completing her charms homework in her dorm and sat in almost complete silence in alchemy. Alicia had saved her a seat beside her which Cassie was thankful for but she couldn’t bring herself to be happy and chatty. At the end of the lesson as she was packing all of her notes into her bag, Alicia nudged her shoulder, shooting her a small smile.

“Do you need help finding your way to the common room? We all normally change into something more comfortable before heading down to dinner,” she said.

“I was actually hoping to go to the library,” Cassie said, not ready to socialise with everyone. 

“Cassie, we all noticed you missed lunch. Fred said you were upset after that vile Defence lesson so we didn’t come and find you but you need to eat dinner!” Alicia said.

“Well Fred needs to mind his own business. I want to finish my Charms and Alchemy homework before more is piled on tomorrow. I don’t want to fall behind right at the beginning of  the year,” she muttered.

“Okay and I’ll come to the library with you to do homework , but you're eating dinner first,” Alicia said pushily.

“Alicia…” groaned Cassie.

“No, we’re friends now, I care about your health, you need to eat dinner!” she said, grabbing Cassie’s arm and dragging her out of the classroom, along the corridors and all the way to the common room.

“Go upstairs and get changed, if you’re not down here in 5 minutes or you try to sneak off I’ll hex you,” Alicia practically growled disappearing into her dorm room. 

Cassie grabbed a cream chunky knit jumper dress and a pair of thick tights and rushed into the bathroom to get dressed. Looking in the mirror she noticed her hair was a mess after she had spent all day anxiously running her fingers through it; rather than leave it down to get more and more ratty, she delicately plaited it into a neat crown around her head, leaving the front parts to fall framing her face. Looking at her watch, she ran out of the bathroom, put on a pair of fluffy socks and pulled on her black combat boots. Rushing down the stairs she saw Alicia waiting at the bottom with Lee, Bonnie and a girl Cassie thought was called Angelina. 

“There she is!” cheered Lee, “the disobedient namby pamby French student!” 

Cassie couldn’t help but laugh at the comment, making the boy smile wider. 

“We’ve missed you today Cass,” Lee said.

“Sorry I just haven’t been in a very sociable mood today” she mumbled quietly, picking one of her fingernails. 

“I’m really sorry about class, I knew if someone didn’t answer he would keep badgering you. You just looked so uncomfortable!” Angelina said, clearly worried she had upset or offended Cassie, “he was foul for picking on you like that and making it so personal,” she continued to ramble.

“Angelina is it?” questioned Cassie, still unsure of the girl's name.

“Yes, sorry we haven’t been introduced yet. The twins, Lee and Alicia talk very highly of you,” she replied with a bright smile.

“Well what happened in Defence wasn’t your fault, you’re not the psychotic Professor who likes to torment students are you?” Cassie joked.

Angelina appeared to be relieved that Cassie wouldn’t be holding a grudge and shot her another smile. 

“Shall we head down to dinner then?” asked Cassie, getting somewhat uncomfortable with the topic of conversation, wanting an excuse to change the subject. The small group nodded their heads  eagerly making their way towards the portrait hole. 

Heading through the corridors Cassie pulled her cardigan tight around her, already missing the warmth of  the fire in the common room. Bonnie slowed to walk beside her looping her arms through Cassie’s and pulling her close.

“Lee and the twins told me about your defence class, do you want to talk about it?” she asked quietly. 

“Not really,” Cassie mumbled, “he was vile Bon. The things he did and made us watch,” she said, her voice quiet and full of emotion. 

“Maybe speak to Madame Maxime, maybe she could complain to Dumbledore?” Bonnie suggested.

“I don’t think that would help,” Cassie said shaking her head, “I’ll just have to suck it up and continue to be the disobedient French student,” she tried to joke. 

“I do however want to know why you’re talking to the twins,” Cassie said, eyebrows raised and wiggling inquisitively. 

“It wasn’t like that,” Bonnie laughed shoving the girl slightly, “Fred came over to us all flustered at lunch, he was worried about you,” she said, glancing at Cassie before taking a deep breath, “Cassie, I completely understand why you’re upset and I would feel betrayed too. But Fred was in a right state at lunchtime after you had shouted at him. I will always support you and if you honestly think that avoiding them is the right thing to do then carry on, but have you thought that they had a reason for not writing or even that they just are genuinely sorry? I know you’re hurt but it's not like you to hold a grudge or not let people explain themselves,” she finished somewhat timidly.

Cassie was slightly taken aback by Bonnie’s brutal honesty and impartiality. However her best friend hadn’t said anything that she hadn’t already thought. She hated the tortured look on the twins' faces when she dismissed them or ignored them. She was still haunted by the wounded look on Fred’s face this afternoon, it broke her heart to think that she hurt him. But in the moment when the twins are in front of her, it's like she can't stop the acidic bubble of anger from rising up and bursting, the years of pent up rage and betrayal flood from her lips before she can stop them. 

“I don’t even know how to start that conversation with them,” Cassie said quietly, “Everytime I see them I can’t help the wave of betrayal that blankets me,” she said honestly. 

Bonnie looked at her sympathetically and rubbed her arm, “get them alone, let them explain everything then you can figure out how to proceed. You’ve lost them for nearly six years already Cass, don’t let your pride make you lose them forever.” 

Cassie could only nod her head, thankful that she had a friend that was able to support her and tell her what she thought honestly. Having a second opinion on the situation had certainly put things into perspective. 

Before they had reached the Great Hall their small entourage was blocked by the Weasley twins, both had wide smiles on their faces as they looked at Lee. 

“We’ve bloody done it,” cheered George excitedly, grabbing ahold of Lee’s shoulders and shaking him slightly. 

“What have you done now,” groaned Angelina, “I refuse to be your alibi again. If Filch is chasing you, you better have a good hiding place!”

Cassie and Bonnie laughed at her shaking their heads slightly. Cassie wasn’t surprised that they were still pranking and getting into trouble, it was in their nature. 

“We would never ask that of you Angelina!” the twins gasped in mock horror. 

“We would never think of getting you lovely ladies into trouble!” George said, gesturing to the group of girls. 

“But if you want to see something spectacular be in the Entrance Hall in five,” Fred shouted, grabbing ahold of George and Lee’s robes and dragging them back down the corridor. 

“Idiots,” Angelina laughed. 

Cassie couldn’t help the small fond smile that graced her lips, that had been the most normal encounter she had had with the twins since her arrival. The girls rushed down to the Entrance Hall, wanting to get a good view of the twins ‘spectacular event’. They hadn’t been waiting long before the twins ran down the stairs obnoxiously cheering, encouraging a crowd to form. 

“Brewed it up this morning!” Fred said, holding a small bottle of blue metallic looking liquid between his thumb and forefinger.

“Couple of drops should do it! We only need to add a couple of months,” George explained, smiling at the crowd.

A sing-song voice from beside Cassie broke through the sound of clapping and cheering, “It’s not to work,” Hermione jeered. 

“And why is that Granger?” George said irritably. 

“That,” Hermione began pointing at what looked like a chalk line on the floor, “is an age line, Dumbledore drew it himself, he would not let a plan that is so pathetically dimwitted outsmart it,” Hermione laughed humorlessly. 

“Ah but that's why it will definitely work, because it is so pathetically dimwitted,” Fred joked back, tapping her nose condescendingly.

Shaking their heads, the twins made their way back towards the goblet in the centre of the room, crowds of cheering students encouraging them. The boys linked their arms, tipped their heads back and poured the contents of their vials down their throats. Looking at each other they smiled trying to see any evidence of their added age. When it appeared the first step of their plan had worked, they both took a couple of steps back, positioned themselves on their toes and nodded their heads. Cassie held  her breath, a feeling of foreboding began bubbling in her stomach. With a slight skip and a jump both of the twins jumped into the age line together , both nervously shut their eyes tight, awaiting the awful consequence of tricking the impartial judge. When nothing happened it was clear that their confidence had grown, they began walking around the circumference of the age line fist pumping the air and encouraging the crowd to cheer louder. Lee had just put his own flask to his lips when a loud bang reverberated throughout the hall as if a bomb had gone off, the smell of rotten eggs began emanating from the age line making members of the crowd gag and cover their noses.It appeared that the twins had been thrown five metres outside of the age line, landing with a crash an groan on their backs. When they sat up the whole hall began roaring with laughter, the twins had sprouted matching grey breads down to the bellybuttons. Their once lucious ginger hair was now a stark white. Cassie couldn’t contain her laughter joining in with the crowd surrounding her, hiding her smile behind her hand she glanced towards Fred, noticing he was smiling directly at her. 

The entire hall sobered up when the front door crashed open, standing in the hallway was Professor Dumbledore and Madame Maxime. Cassie noticed both were trying hard to conceal their grins. 

“Misters Weasley, please make your way up to the hospital wing to be treated by Madame Pomfrey, she is already taking care of Mr Summers and Ms Fawcett,” Dumbledore said, “although I must admit, their beards are nowhere near as glorious as yours!” 

This caused the twins to laugh heartily,  stumbling to their feet. They were escorted from the hall by a hysterical Lee who was hanging from their shoulder, tears streaming down his face. Cassie turned to her friends still chuckling, rolling her eyes.

“They weren’t wrong, that was pretty spectacular,” Cassie joked. 

The girls laughed with her, turning to make their way into the dining hall for dinner.

“Not so fast Miss Vaughn,” came a voice from behind them, “I have just spoken with all of your Professors, they all seem incredibly happy with the work you are producing. However, Madame Pomfrey is yet to see you, you made me a promise Cassandra,” Madame Maxime said sternly.

Cringing slightly Cassie turned around, looking up at the Professor innocently she responded, “I’ve just been so busy Professor, I haven’t had time!”

“Well it appears you have time now, once you have eaten your dinner you can head to the hospital wing,” she replied smugly.

“But Professor! I’ve got Charms and Alchemy homework to complete this evening, I don’t want to fall behind,” Cassie whined.

“You will fall further behind if you don’t look after yourself, Miss Vaughn. Go to Madame Pomfrey this evening or there will be severe consequences,” she responded sternly, leaving no room for Cassie to argue with her. With a pointed look Madame Maxime turned and walked into the Great Hall.

Turning back to her friends with a fake smile she encouraged them to walk into dinner, disregarding the concerned looks they were throwing her way. Sitting at the Gryffindor table Cassie ignored the conversations going on around her and proceeded to quickly eat a dinner of macaroni and cheese. Grabbing a couple of rolls, pastries and apples from the table she wrapped them in napkins and stuffed them into her satchel. Standing up she bid her friends goodbye and headed to the hospital wing. 

Outside of the immense oak doors Cassie took a couple of deep calming breaths. She had been intentionally putting this off knowing that it would be painful and cause her friends to ask unwanted questions, but she also knew she hadn’t been tending to the wound on her back very well at all. Most days she barely looked at the angry red mark, preferring to quickly wipe it with disinfectant and cover it with a cotton bandage. She knew it hadn’t healed at all in the 2 months since the attack, so she preferred to pretend it wasn’t there at all. 

Timidly knocking on the door she waited a couple of seconds before entering the large room. A row of 12 beds was uniformly pushed up against the side walls; each bed had a nightstand with a lamp on one side and a comfy chair on the other. Cassie noticed that four of the beds had curtains drawn around them obviously protecting the privacy of the patients within. As the door closed with a click a familiar face peaked their head around one of the curtains.

“Oh it’s just Cass!” Lee smiled.

“What a welcome, just Cass,” Cassie said sarcastically, “I guess I’ll take my contraband food back to the common room for a midnight feast,” she said, turning slowly and waiting for a reaction.

“Wait! No need to be so hasty Cassie,” Lee said smoothly, running towards her, “We are absolutely starving and Madame Profrey has got us locked in here like convicts,” Lee groaned, making Cassie chuckle.

“Here,” she said, pulling the wrapped goods out of her bag and handing them to Lee, “there should be enough for all  three of you, we wouldn’t want you wasting away!”  

“So is this a peace offering?” Lee asked, lowering his voice to a whisper.

“No, this is just an act of service. Although I’ve been thinking I probably should talk to them, I just need to find the right time,” she huffed. 

“Okay, let me know if I need to punch either of them,” he said jokily, retreating behind the curtain he had come from. Cassie huffed, she’d extended a small olive branch but until they had spoken she couldn’t forgive the twins. 

Cassie heard a door click open behind her signalling that someone else had just entered the hospital wing. Turning around she noticed a petite woman with greying hair exit what appeared to be an office room.

“I swear if you have tried to trick that stupid age line as well I’m going to lose my mind. What a stupid idea!” a short grey haired woman grumbled as she made her way towards Cassie. This was clearly the matron she was here to see, her white apron adorned with a red cross gave it away. 

“I’m sorry Madame, I’ve been ordered to come and see you by Madame Maxime, I can come back later if you’re too busy?” Cassie asked hopefully.

“Miss Vaughn is it? I’ve been expecting you for a couple of days now,” she said, her eyebrows raised disapprovingly, “Take a seat here and I’ll be back in a few moments, I just need to check on these other patients” she said rolling her eyes. 

Cassie tentatively sat down on the edge of one of the pristine beds, picking at her fingernails while she waited. Madame Pomfrey sent off two other Hogwarts students that Cassie didn’t recognise,talking sternly with them about their need to abide by the school rules. Turning to the curtains that Lee had disappeared behind she whipped them open to reveal the twins stuffing their faces with the treats Cassie had bought for them. 

“I have got actual healing to do now, I expect absolutely no funny business from any of you, do you understand me?” she questioned sternly, shooting them each a look that Molly Weasley would be proud of. The trio nodded their heads, looking behind them at Cassie with matching confused expressions.

“You need to heal Cassie?” Fred questioned, “Why?” 

“That is none of your business Mr Weasley. Leave that poor girl alone, she’s been through enough,” Madame Pomfrey said sympathetically.

Each of the boys threw Cassie a concerned look, however the girl wouldn’t meet their eyes. 

“Right Miss Vaughn let me pull the curtain around and we can get to work,” Madame Pomfrey said, throwing Cassie a gentle smile.

“Would you mind pulling your dress up to expose your back? I can bring you a sheet to wrap around your front,” she said kindly. 

Cassie quickly tugged the knitted dress over her head and grabbed the sheet Madame Pomfrey had given her, clutching it tightly to her chest. Thirty seconds later Madame Pomfrey bustled into the sick bag with a basket of potions, lotions and bandages balanced precariously in one hand and her wand in the other. 

“Right, first things first let's remove that bandage and see what we’re working with, have you noticed any change Miss Vaughn?” she asked as she delicately began to peel the dressing off of Cassie’s back.

“Please call me Cassie, Madame Pomfrey. I’m standing in front of you topless, I think we can stop with the formalities,” Cassie tried to say lightly, making the matron chuckle under her breath, “but no, all of the balms and salves that the hospital prescribed appear to have done absolutely nothing.” 

“You remind me a lot of your father,” the matron laughed, “always trying to lighten the mood,” she said.

“You were at Hogwarts when Kingsley was a student?” asked Cassie, turning her head to look over her shoulder at the Matron.

“Yes, but I meant Caleb,” she said, glancing up to meet the young girl's eyes, “your father was a kind and gentle man, he always saw the light in people and situations. He was a natural leader and protector, his friends and family meant more to him than anything. He was so excited to be your father.” 

A prolonged silence hung in the air as Cassie took everything in and Madame Pomfrey tried to delicately peel the bandages off of Cassie’s back. Cassie didn’t know how to respond, nobody ever  really spoke of Caleb and when they did they quickly became so overcome with emotion they were unable to continue. She only knew the bare minimum about her father, but over the years she had longed to know more. Being at Hogwarts had brought her closer not only to Kingsley but to her biological father, she prayed that as she settled in and the professors got to know her they would share more memories and stories of their time at Hogwarts.

“I would love to hear any stories you have about them at Hogwarts,” Cassie almost whispered, not trusting her voice. 

“Of course dear,” Madame Promfrey replied, resting a delicate hand on her shoulder comfortingly. 

Cassie smiled at the kind woman, feeling more at ease in her presence. 

“Okay I think I’ve managed it,” Madame Pomfrey said tugging slightly, the bandage falling away from the wound making Cassie wince.

“Oh sweetheart,” Madame Pomfrey whispered. 

“I know it's ugly, please just treat it and cover it back up. Nobody needs to see it,” Cassie mumbled, completely embarrassed.

“That isn’t what I meant at all dear, it just looks so painful. Are you taking anything for the pain?” questioned Madame Pomfrey. 

“I ran out,” Cassie continued to mumble.

“Right well, I’m going to clean the wound properly with a mixture of wound cleaning potion and essence of dittany, this will hopefully get rid of the pus and weeping. If we can get it to scab and dry over then the healing process will be a lot easier and much less painful. I’ll also give you a numbing balm to help with the pain and some murtlap essence bandages to help with healing. If we don’t see any change in the next couple of weeks I’ll do some research, how does that sound?” she asked, as if Cassie had any say in the treatment.

“That sounds great, thank you,” Cassie said. 

“Deep lacerations caused by curses are often the hardest to heal, but if we work together, which means you come to me every week, then I am sure we can heal this,” Madame Pomfrey said with conviction. 

“Thank you Madame Pomfrey, I really appreciate everything,” she replied, giving the older lady a timid smile.

“Right, this might be uncomfortable. I would suggest that you lay on your stomach on the bed,” Madame Pomfrey said whilst laying out a selection of vials. 

Cassie proceeded to lay flat on her stomach, running a finger comfortingly over the smooth soft cotton sheets. Madame Pomfrey gingerly made her way over to her bedside and began wiping a cotton ball dipped in dittany gently across her back, making Cassie hiss in pain. Trying to keep her breathing as even as possible Cassie remembered Bill’s breathing technique from the World Cup and began breathing in through her nose and out through her mouth, although her breath was coming out in short panting puffs. 

“I’m sorry dear, I know this hurts, but I promise once this is over it’ll feel so much better. I know that you have been trying to keep the wound clean but it looks like a small infection has taken hold,” Madame Pomfrey said remorsefully.

It felt as though a million tiny pins were stabbing into her skin, making tears prick in her eyes. When Madame Pomfrey touched a particularly tender area Cassie couldn’t help the little gasp that left her lips. Trying to take her mind off of the increasing pain, Cassie began to count the amount of tiles on the floor and the rings that were holding up the surrounding curtain. Cassie had always enjoyed playing these little games to take her mind off of particularly difficult situations. As her eyes began to wander trying to find the next thing she could count, a pair of dirty battered trainers appeared under the curtain, making Cassie squirm. Catching onto Cassie’s discomfort Madame Pomfrey turned and followed Cassie eye line catching sight of their unwanted visitor. 

“I’ll just go and deal with that,” she said, placing the cotton ball carefully on the bedside table and lightly tapping Cassie’s shoulder.

Pulling the curtain across Madame Pomfrey briskly walked out of the enclosed sick bay. Hastily flicking her wand the small gap in the curtain closed, but not before Cassie’s and Fred’s eyes met. His were full of confusion and worry whilst Cassie’s only showed pain. 

“I’m sorry Madame Pomfrey, you told us to come and get you when our eyelashes turned back to their original colour,” Fred mumbled, embarrassed to have been caught snooping outside of the curtain.

“That I did Mr Weasley, you’re free to go,” she agreed, trying to shoo the boy out of the hospital wing.

“Is she okay?” he mumbled, almost so quietly it was inaudible. 

“She’s tough, she will be,” the older woman replied in a motherly tone.

“What happened?” Fred asked, trying to hide the anxiety that had begun to creep its way up his body, constricting his chest. 

“That is for her to tell you, Mr Weasley. Now I really must be getting back, please tell the other two they are free to go,” she said curtly, making her way back to Cassie’s bedside. 

As she opened the curtains Fred caught a glimpse of lightening like scars that fanned out down Cassie’s back. He couldn’t quite understand how she had managed to injure herself so badly in the last hour, before she was laughing at him making an idiot of himself. It had been the first time that he had seen her properly smile. Shaking himself out of his daze he turned to release the two other boys from the confines of the hospital wing. 

Once Madame Pomfrey had returned and finished wiping the wound down with the antiseptic mixture and smothered it in the numbing balm she carefully began to wrap it with the infused bandages. Cassie had already begun to feel the tension leaving her body, she was no longer in constant pain and the murtlap essence was cool against the angry wound. Taking a deep breath for the first time in months without feeling pain Cassie turned to smile at Madame Pomfrey.

“You are incredible! It’s not painful at all!” Cassie squealed excitedly. 

The older woman laughed at the girl's enthusiasm, “I’m glad. It’s a bit of an experimental mixture but hopefully it’ll bring you some comfort. When you shower try to run a couple of drops of dittany down the wound, then slather it in the painless balm and wrap it again. You can leave the bandages for a couple of days now,” she explained. 

“I will,” Cassie said, “when shall I next come and see you?” she asked somewhat ashamedly. 

“Let’s not leave it quite as long this time,” the matron joked, “how about Thursday next week, after dinner?”

“I’ll be there,” the young girl smiled. 

Madame Pomfrey excused herself and left the girl to get dressed. Walking back into her tiny store cupboard she created a small medical kit the young girl could take with her, containing all of the remedies that she would need. Once Cassie reappeared from behind the curtains, she handed her the small bundle.

“There should be enough in there to last you the week. If you need something else for the pain, come back at any time,” Madame Pomfrey said kindly, gently patting the girl's cheek.

“I’d better head back, it’ll be curfew soon and I don’t want to get caught in the corridors out of hours,” Cassie said, taking the medicine from the woman and shoving it into her school satchel. 

“I’ll see you next week,” Cassie said over her shoulder as she headed towards the door. 

Stepping out into the frigid corridor, Cassie felt lighter. She had grown used to the constant pain in her shoulder, it had become a constant in her life, always throbbing in the background. But now it was barely noticeable. Silently berating herself for not going to the hospital wing sooner, Cassie began heading towards the Gryffindor common room. Turning a corner into a darkened hallway Cassie noticed a slumped figure leaning against the wall, their hands in their pocket, their eyes staring lifelessly at the floor. Cassie took a couple of steps towards the figure, a slither of moonlight shone through a window opposite them illuminating their fiery hair and scruffy uniform. 

“Fred?” she whispered, trying to pull him out of his daydream. 

“Cassie! I was waiting for you,” he said shyly, “I wanted to check you were okay after seeing you in the hospital wing.”

Cassie was shocked by his entire demeanour. She didn’t think she had ever seen him act so nervously. 

“You’ve been waiting out here for an hour?” Cassie asked, curiously. 

“Um maybe, long enough for my hands to go blue and my feet to go numb,” he tried to joke. 

“Fred, why are you out here?” Cassie asked, cutting him off.

“I saw your back in the hospital wing, Cass is everything okay?” he asked with genuine concern shining in his eyes. 

“It’s fine, I’m fine. Please Fred, we don’t need to talk about this,” Cassie said shiftily, trying to walk around him and get to the common.

“Cass, that’s not just a cut. Someone hurt you,” he pushed, stepping in front of her and blocking her way.

“Leave it Fred!” she shouted, “Please, there is nothing you can do about it. I don’t need help, okay. Just leave it.”

Cassie had to turn away from the crestfallen look on Fred’s face. She hadn’t meant to lose her temper but she didn’t need him worrying about her. 

“And I will never ever forgive you if you tell anyone, not my friends or George or Lee, understood?” she asked, shoving past him and ignoring his pleas for her to come back.