musical mood: yes or yes - twice

The train ride back to Hogwarts was melancholy, at best, and downright miserable at worst. The news about Ana had spread to everyone, thanks to the Nott brother's speedy owls, and no one seemed to be taking it well. For the first half, Cass sat in a compartment with just Bethany, Padma, and Naia, but it was beyond awkward. So eventually, she quietly excused herself, and found a completely empty compartment instead, opting to just sit in there and read the entire time.

All of Hogwarts seemed to be in a dismal mood, as she got acclimated back into school life. Students were encouraged to travel from class to class in groups, and to remain in the common rooms as often as possible.

Cass wanted to object to this rule the moment she heard it - Ana had been found in their dorms! The Ravenclaws weren't any safer in their common room than they were in the Forbidden Forest! But of course, her words did little to sway the Professor's opinions.

With Prefects crawling the halls of the castle, it was difficult for Cass to sneak into the kitchens to meet with the twins, and she nearly got caught by Percy Weasley twice in the same night. Part of her felt hesitant going, after her newfound information from drunken Dahlia. It felt odd, knowing that George had been the one to find her after the birthday fiasco (Fred had presumably been there too), though she couldn't pinpoint why. She didn't want to, either - after her whole Cedric talk with Connor, she'd had enough emotional revelations for the time being.

But it would be awful rude to not show up, especially since they'd put so much work into the potion over the holidays. By the time she came stumbling through the portrait of the pear, George and Fred were sat at their usual table, looking rather bored.

"Cassie, you came!" George's eyes lit up. "We thought you'd grown bored of us."

"As if! Sorry for being late, your brother nearly caught me. As if the Heir of Slytherin is threatened by some bloody prefects." Cass rolled her eyes as she took a seat next to him.

"Percy especially." Fred snorted. "He's about as intimidating as a pixie."

"Oi, I'll have you know, pixies can do some real harm! Did you not hear what Lockhart did to us at the beginning of term...I don't think Longbottom's ears will ever be the same." Cass shuddered just thinking about it. "Anyways, how has the potion brewing been going? Are you finished yet? It should be finished by now. I trust you didn't fail too terribly. Merlin, please tell me you followed my instructions, I really don't want to start all over again..."

"Merlin, Cassie, have you no faith in us?" George exclaimed in a tone of mock offence. "Don't worry, we've finished, and we followed your instructions exactly, so if you're as brilliant of a potioneer as you claim, this should go exactly to plan."

"Exactly to plan." Fred emphasised with a wink.

"Well, that's brilliant, then." Cass clapped her hands together, pushing herself up from the table. "I best be off then, I still have to finish my transfiguration essay for McGonagall."

"Oi, no, sit down!" George commanded. "You can't leave yet, we're only just catching up!"

"Catching up?" She raised her eyebrows, a bemused smirk on her face. "We've been apart for what, two weeks? If even."

"Yes, and it's been a very lonely two weeks without you."

Fred nodded gravely from behind his twin. "Please indulge him, Cassie. He's been insufferable."

She sighed, sitting back down. "Right, then, how were your holidays?"

"Well, we spent most of them brewing our little love potion." George motioned towards the cauldron that sat at the side, a lid containing the intoxicating fumes. "Haven't had much time to do anything else."

"It'll be worth all the work." Cass insisted. "And Terry is completely on board, from when we spoke before the holidays, he was really excited. You added his hair to the potion, correct? It won't work without it."

George patted her on the back, patronisingly, like one might to a child. She resisted the urge to swat his hand away. "Yes, Cassie, we got everything. Don't worry your little head away, you'll die of overthinking."

"I don't think that's a thing."

"Yes it is! Of course it is! That's how that muggle South African lad died. Overthinking while in jail. Dad told me all about him a few years ago - Nelson something-or-other."

"Nelson Mandela?" Cass raised an eyebrow, and George nodded. "What are you on about? He's still alive. He was released from prison a few years ago."

"Are you sure?"

"Of course I'm sure! I think we'd all know if Nelson Mandela was dead!"

"Liar! This is a conspiracy!"

Cass rolled her eyes. "Whatever you say."

"Anyway, back to our spectacular love potion," Fred cut in, clearly having no idea what the two were on about. "I say we get Malfoy sometime next week. Give him time to settle into the term first, so we catch him completely off guard. He'll never see it coming."

She snorted. "Good Merlin Fred, you really don't play."

He shrugged, though he was beaming with pride. "Fuck around and find out, is my motto."

"Of course it is."

*

There was a considerable amount of banter between the three of them, as the night flew by and they planned out the logistics portion of their upcoming prank on Malfoy. By the time she was back in her Ravenclaw dorm room, Cass almost forgot why she had been so reluctant to join the twins in the first place. 

A week later, and the day the prank was going to happen, Cass was in herbology with the Slytherin's. The Ravenclaw's woke up bright and early, making their way down to the greenhouse. None of the four girls spoke a word to each other - what was there to say, after all? Ana's absence was felt so immensely, it was physically painful. The uncertainty between the still-standing second year girls made it all the more worse.

It was painfully obvious, none of them trusted each other. Of course, Cass could logically know that Padma, Bethany and Naia couldn't possibly be the heir of Slytherin, since they'd been away at their homes when Ana had been attacked, but a gut instinct told Cass no one could be trusted. No one was in the clear from suspicion, not really.

At least for Cass, she had something to look forward to, as the day went on. Dahlia was working on slipping Malfoy the potion, but it would take a few hours to find the perfect opportunity. Lunch, she assumed, would probably be Dahlia's go-to time.

"Gather round, gather round, children!" Sprout called out as the remaining few students filed into the crowded greenhouse. While she wore a bright smile, it was easy to tell it was fake - all the professors were just as on edge as the students.

"Today, we'll be repotting the Anima Iudicium plants. Can anyone tell me what they are? Yes, Mr. Boot."

"The Anima Iudicium is some sort of guard plant, isn't it?"

"Five points to Ravenclaw!" Sprout grinned. "Yes, the Anima Iudicium is indeed, a guard plant. Though they aren't particularly useful for actual safety, if a dark creature, or a human possessed with dark magic comes close enough to it, it will ensnare its victim and bleed it out with its thorns. See, take a peek."

Cass peered over Padma's shoulder, getting a glimpse of the plant from rather far away. At first glance, it seemed to be some sort of Venus fly trap, which was creepy enough as it was, until she noticed the ropes of wiry vines coming out of its stem, like tentacles on an octopus.

"Creepy, right?" Theodore elbowed her from her left, and she jumped, not noticing he had been next to her.

"Yeah, you could certainly say that."

"-now, pair up into twos, and gather around a plant. There should be enough for all of you."

"Partners?" Theodore looked at her, his head tilted ever so slightly.

"Sure. Why not?" Cass shrugged, following him to a vacant plant.

"Professor?" Naia called out, her hand raised high in the air, as Cass just began to pull on her gloves.

"Yes, Miss Johnson?"

"Could these plant... could they find the heir of Slytherin? Like, attack them?"

The entire class went silent, so quiet you could hear a quill drop.

Sprout pursed her lips into a straight, thin line, pondering this. "Potentially." She answered after a long moment of silence.

That was all there was to it.

"Let's hope the heir of Slytherin isn't in this class, right?" Theodore snorted, his arm brushing against Cass's as he worked with a shovel, easily digging the plant up without slicing the roots in the process. She stood at his side, watching, her gloved hands held behind her back. He was good at Herbology - certainly much better than her, with a gentle care for the plants she'd never seen before.

When he met her confused gaze, he shrugged, as if knowing what she was thinking.

"I garden a lot back home. With my mum. Make fun of me all you want, I don't care."

"Why would I make fun of you?" She frowned. "If anything, I'm impressed. You're good at handling it."

"Oi, it isn't that hard. Come on, you give it a go, try putting it into the new pot." Theodore held out the Anima Iudicium, cupping it gently with his hands, like he was offering a piece of gold to a goddess.

She eyed it up and down, a chill sent through her spine just at the sight of it. "I'm good."

"Come on, it's easy, really. I promise."

Cass shook her head. Her brown hair was pulled back into a ponytail, and it flew around with her movement, messing about behind her. "Really, I'll pass. It's alright."

"Please? Please please please please pleaseeeee?"

"Good Merlin, Theodore, if I touch your creepy plant will you shut up?"

He nodded eagerly, for some reason reminding her of a golden retriever.

"Right, okay then." She hesitantly reached over, taking the plant out of his hands, and resting it in hers. Nothing happened. She sighed in relief.

A bit of excess dirt seeped through her fingers as she carried it over to the larger pot they were to put it in, leaning over and gently letting it fall into the brick.

"Told you you'd be good at it." Theodore mused.

Cass rolled her eyes. "I don't think it requires much skill. All I did was put a plant in a - what the hell?!"

As she let the plant slip through her fingers, into its new home, one of many thorn-filled vines suddenly flung out, swiftly grabbing her around the wrist, digging deep into her flesh.

"Bloody hell, Theodore, what do I do?" Cass shrieked, her voice at a pitch she had no idea she could even hit. Pain radiated through her arm like she was being stabbed - well, she was being stabbed, by dozens of long, thick thorns that seemed to think she was a dark creature. "Let go of me you stupid plant!"

Theodore whipped out his wand, a determined look on his face. By this point, nearly everyone in the Greenhouse was staring at them, Pansy Parkinson even screamed from the blood, and Sprout was pushing her way towards them.

"Miss Crouch, don't struggle, allow me to handle this. Oh, no, Nott, don't do anything either-" Sprout was shouting, from the other side of the greenhouse as she ran as fact as her little feet could take her. Unfortunately, she was not fast enough, as Theodore cleared his throat, and with all his might, cast a spell.

"Alohomora!"

Of course, nothing happened.

The room went silent.

"Did...did you just try to use an unlocking spell on me?" Cass gaped at him, somehow more shocked by his stupidity than the plant currently trying to murder her.

"I thought it would make the plant let go!"

"You thought alohomora would make a killer plant stop mauling me like I'm some sort of evil creature?! Are you seriously that - bloody hell, this hurts! Fuck!"

Going against Sprout's instructions, she instinctively continued to shake her arm in an attempt to get the Anima Iudicium to release her. Panic was settling in, as pain overwhelmed her and blood fell from her veins like a waterfall. From elbow to fingers, her right arm was coated in the thick red liquid, while jets of pain shot through her entire body with every new thorn that punctured her pale skin.

Eventually, Sprout was able to wave her wand, and with an unrecognisable spell, the plant was immediately released from her, falling to the puddle of blood on the ground with a pathetic plop.

"Gross." Anthony Goldstein commented with a pinched nose.

"Gross?! Gross?! That thing nearly took her arm off!" Pansy Parkinson cried out, so dramatically you would've thought she was the one currently close to bleeding out, and not Cass, who remained silent, petrified in a mixture of shock and pain. Malfoy was next to Parkinson, and while he looked a tad grossed out, he remained for the most part unphased, rolling his eyes at Pansy's overdramatic outburst.

"Someone take Miss Crouch to the hospital wing!" Sprout's eyes frantically scanned the crowd of second years. "Mr. Boot, and Miss Johnson, hurry!"

Naia, who had gone pale while watching the scene unfold, grabbed onto Terry's arm, preventing herself from falling over. Clearly, like most of the class, she was even more in shock from the bloody mess than Cass. Terry, on the other hand, was as stoic as ever, wrapping his free arm around Cass's shoulder and helping her maintain her balance as they trekked out of the greenhouse.

"Alright, somebody help me clean up this blood." Sprout was saying as they shut the door, followed by Padma.

"Professor, isn't that a biohazard?"

With a deep, shaky breath, Cass pushed the pain as far back in her mind as she could, taking one step at a time. The support from Terry certainly helped, she probably would've collapsed without him, considering how woozy she was. Blood dripped down, through her soaked shirt and onto the tiles.

"Someone ought to clean that up." She muttered to herself, so quiet she wasn't sure if Terry or Naia heard her.

"You alright, Cass?" Terry nudged her gently as they made their way through the halls.

"I'm brilliant. Absolutely brilliant." She hissed between clenched teeth, her raspy voice overflowing with sarcasm. She would've felt guilty for being rude to him, when he'd never actually done anything wrong, if it were any other situation.

"Right. Sorry." He bit down on his lip, dark eyes searching Naia's for help. "Don't worry too much, Pomfrey will be able to fix this easily. It's just a bit of blood, nothing to freak out about."

"Could you please stop saying blood?" Naia wheezed, tan face tinted green.

"Sorry, Naia."

"I'm not freaking out." Cass snapped as they neared the hospital wing. "Actually, I'd like to believe I'm being considerably calm for someone who was nearly mauled to death by some freaky plant that got it into its tiny brain that I'm a dark creature!"

"Sorry." Terry apologized once again. It seemed to be his word of the day.

When they entered the hospital wing, Pomfrey turned to look at them from where she was attending some sixth year boy who's feet had been somehow dyed purple. "How can I - oh good Merlin, what happened to you?"

Terry and Naia helped her over to the nearest bed (mostly Terry, given Naia was too dizzy to do much of anything), Cass stumbling as they went. She'd, for the most part, disassociated from the pain on most of their journey through the castle, a skill she had been able to do since she was a young child, but it had flooded back to her in full force.

"Sorry, dear, this is going to sting."

Cass winced in pain, clenching her jaw as Pomfrey began to smear some sort of cream over her still bleeding wounds. Just as quickly as the pain intensified, however, it dissipated, the cuts magically dissolving into minor scrapes, blood only slightly oozing out.

"What on earth happened?!" Pomfrey demanded, as she wrapped a long white bandage around her arm.

"A plant attacked me." Cass explained, her voice dull, despite the rather humorous situation.

"A plant?" Pomfrey raised her eyebrows in disbelief, her hands on her hips as she finished the bandaging.

"Yeah, Sprout had us repot some plant, er, what was it called again?" Naia looked at Terry, finally regaining her ability to speak now that there was no more blood in her sight.

"Anima Iudicium." He answered. "It's for protection against dark magic. It's only supposed to attack dark creatures and the likes."

"I'm aware of the plant, yes. Professor Sprout has been teaching students about it for years now." Pomfrey rested her head in her fingers, holding herself by the bridge of her nose. "It can be very toxic, very deadly, if injected into the bloodstream properly...I've never heard of it attacking a student, before...Miss Crouch, it's best you stay here overnight for observation."

"But-"

"No buts! To make sure this plant's venom doesn't affect you, you'll need to be monitored. We will not have a repeat of last year, understood?"

"Yes, Madam Pomfrey." Cass lowered her gaze, very much intimidated by the elderly woman. Now, she understood how she was able to boss Dumbledore around so easily. The way she spoke was so firm, so authoritative, it seemed almost silly to go against it.

"Wonderful. Now, Mr. Boot, Miss Johnson, I trust you can return to your classes on your own. Do let the professors know Miss Crouch will be in my care, and to not expect her back until tomorrow."

"Yes, Ma'am." The two said in unison.

"Feel better soon, Cass." Naia called to her, just as they were exiting.

"Thanks." Cass smiled at her friend, but realised Naia was in fact, not smiling at all. Her face was contorted into a mixture of worry and confusion, and something else as well, something Cass couldn't quite decipher.

Being in the hospital wing, as it turned out, was quite boring. There wasn't much to do at all, other than lay around in the scratchy, uncomfortable blankets, and watch as Pomfrey went between bed to bed, treating the various maladies of the Hogwarts students.

The petrified bodies of the heir of Slytherin's victims were behind curtains near the end of the hospital wing. It was eerie as hell, knowing Ana was only yards away from Cass, but she couldn't do anything to help her. Would Ana ever wake up? Would any of them? Could they hear them?

Between the boredom of having nothing to do, and the horror of being so close to her petrified friend, being in the hospital wing was truly a terrible experience for Cass, especially when the boy with the purple feet left. Cass was almost grateful when Draco Malfoy came sauntering in, about half an hour after when lunch would've been.

"Excuse me, Mr. Malfoy, what-" Pomfrey began, but Malfoy pushed straight passed the healer without a word, and made a beeline directly for Cass's bed.

For some reason, the way he walked didn't radiate his usual arrogance, he was carless with his movements, nor did he sneer at everyone his grey eyes fell upon.

"Cass! Oh my goodness, are you alright?"

Cass sat up straight, immediately riddled with confusion. That had to be the first time in years that Malfoy had called her by her first name, and he was...concerned?

That stupid bloody plant must've really messed with her mind, and given her some hallucinogens. Or maybe, she had somehow slipped into another dimension, like they do in Dr. Who. Because there was no bloody way Draco Malfoy was actually at her bedside right now.

"What are you doing here?" She blinked, completely unsure of what else to say.

"Making sure you're alright, of course!" He exclaimed, earning a shush from Pomfrey.

"...Why...?"

"Why?" Malfoy repeated, somehow appalled by her audacity to ask such a question. "Because you're the love of my life!"

Malfoy could've claimed he was the reincarnation of Joseph Stalin, and Cass would've been less shocked.

"What?" She blinked, convinced she had heard him wrong.

"I'm in love with you - I was so worried when you got attacked by that evil, cruel, hideous plant. I'd kill it myself, if Sprout would let me. Do you want me to kill it? If it makes you happy, I'll go sneak in the greenhouse after hours and set it in fire!"

"No, bloody hell, don't do that!" Cass rubbed her temples, taking a deep breath in an attempt to calm herself. "You didn't seem very concerned when it actually happened."

"Not concerned? Of course I was concerned! If you had died, I would die! Don't you know that?!" Malfoy clutched the ends of her scratchy white blanket, and she shuffled backwards, away from his hands.

Malfoy was being so comedic, so out of character, so oddly similar to Colin Creevey, there was no way this wasn't some sort of joke. Surely, he was playing some sort of prank-

Oh for fucks sake.

In the messy events from Herbology, she'd completely forgotten today was they day they planned on pranking Malfoy with the love potion. The love potion that was supposed to make him fall for Terry Boot. The love potion that she'd left in the mischievous hands of George and Fred Weasley for two weeks.

"Malfoy-"

"Call me Draco! Unless it makes you happy, calling me Malfoy."

"Right. Draco." She forced the name out of her mouth, it feeling unnatural, foreign. She only ever called him that in the presence of Lucius, so it wasn't confusing. "You want to make me happy, right?"

"Yes!" He nodded eagerly, the smile on his face so disturbingly sweet. At this point, she'd prefer him to be a douche, throwing around slurs left and right, compared to this. "Anything for you, my love."

"Right. Go fetch the Weasley twins. You know them, George and Fred?"

"You want me to bring the Weasley twins to you?" Malfoy's nose scrunched up, a remnant of his typical prejudiced personality. Even under a love potion, he had a grudge against the Weasley's. If Cass wasn't so irritated, she would've laughed at this.

"Yes! It will make me happy, very, very happy." She forced a smile, and he nodded.

"Alright, if it will make you happy..."

Half an hour later, Malfoy returned, with the twins at his side. The blonde was practically skipping, an accomplished grin on his lips, and each of the twins had an identical giddy smirk. George was particularly amused, holding back laughs with his hand.

Pomfrey was nowhere to be seen, likely behind the curtains, tending to the petrified students, and didn't notice their arrival.

"This better be good, Cassie." Fred said with an annoyed sigh, though she could tell it was forced. "Malfoy interrupted our History of Magic for this."

She scoffed. "As if you actually go to History of Magic."

"They were wandering around the hallways." Draco added.

"Shut up Malfoy." The twins and Cass all said in unison.

"We heard you were attacked by a killer plant." George took a step towards her. "You alright?"

Cass pushed herself off of the bed that Pomfrey had demanded she stay in, flinching when her bad arm brushed too hard against the wood, and pointed a finger at the twins, and ignoring George's concern. "I am going to murder you two in your sleep!"

"What are you talking about?" George tilted his head, batting his brown eyes innocently.

"You know what you did!" She whisper shouted, not wanting to alert Pomfrey. "The plan was to make him fall in love with Terry, not me!"

"Technically, it isn't love, it's a very severe obsession. It's impossible to forge real love." Fred shrugged, and when Cass and his twin eyed him, he continued. "I read it in the description. I like to know what I'm drugging people with before I do it."

"You're truly anything but consistent, Weasley." Cass shook her head, her bafflement momentarily eclipsing her fury.

"Are you implying I'm under a love potion?!" Malfoy demanded, suddenly reminding them that he was still there. His pale cheeks were burning with anger, and his fists were clenched. If he wasn't so weak, she would've been worried he'd attack the twins. "Because that's not true! I love Cass! I always have and always will!"

"Last time we had a conversation, you told me to go fuck myself."

"I didn't mean it! I love you, please forgive me!" Malfoy looked about ready to drop to his knees and beg for forgiveness.

Cass whipped around to face the twins once again. "Fix this!"

"Sorry Cassie, no can do." George shook his head, red hair flopping around. "Unless you have the ingredients for an antidote, and by the looks of it, you won't be brewing anything for a while." He eyed her bandage, which was on her right arm - her dominant arm. He was right - she was next to use useless without it. "It won't last too long, anyways."

"It was too easy not to." Fred snorted. "I mean, it's way funnier, him being obsessed with you instead of that Boot bloke. He doesn't even know him, as far as I know, and you being pissed off is so amusing."

"Him knowing Terry is besides the point! He was supposed to be in love with a muggleborn! That was the plan!"

"Obsessed, not in love." Fred added.

"Shut it, Fred." She snapped.

"Just saying..."

"Hey, you're a halfblood, it's close enough." George said with a shrug. "We also considered Ginny, since he hates us Weasleys, but we figured Percy would give us hell if we did. And she's been all weird lately, anyways, so we didn't want to make it worse."

"Wow, morals. Who would've thought you had any."

George grabbed her hand - the left one, that wasn't currently wrapped in bandages. "Come on Cassie, you have to admit, Malfoy being infatuated with you is a little funny, right?"

Cass clenched her jaw, teeth grinding together. "I hate you two. I really, really hate you."

"Do you hate me?" Malfoy batted his eyes, a genuine look of hurt on his pale face.

She just rolled her eyes.