Cassius Warrington had been waiting for half an hour. The cheerful noises that drifted over from the sprawling field beckoned him over, but Cassius did not move.

He was waiting for Persephone, who had promised to be here thirty minutes ago. But he wasn't surprised at her absence; she was rarely on time for anything. It had earned her several detentions, but Persephone never seemed to learn. Cassius didn't mind the wait, though. It was enough to stand in the sunlight with the tantalizing promise of an amazing Quidditch game filling his heart with hope.

As a Quidditch player, the Quidditch World Cup was the biggest event one could attend. Cassius was itching for it to begin, but that moment was hours away. He had already been waiting all year; he could bear another few hours.

"Cassius!" shouted a familiar voice.

Cassius lifted a hand to his brow to block the glaring Sun, and searched for the source of the voice. He found Persephone grinning and waving at him while shoving through the crowd of people that separated them.

"Sorry I was late, Mum was giving me hell," she explained breathlessly, shoving loose strands of hair behind her ear. "But she did give me this," Persephone said whole raising a bag full of coins.

He smiled back at her. "I knew I kept you around for a reason."

Persephone stuck out her tongue at the boy, and shoved the money back into the bag that was slung over her shoulder. "Did you find our place?"

Cassius nodded. "It's close enough to the arena that we can leave as late as you want."

"But we'll be there three hours later, won't we?" she sighed, giving him a knowing look.

"Of course we will. I didn't come to the Quidditch Cup to sit in a tent all day."

"No, but I did," responded Persephone. She grabbed his hand, and dragged him behind her. "Now, let's go find this tent."

Cassius laughed, and let his friend drag him through the crowd. Persephone didn't stop to apologize to the people she shoved out of the way; she trudged through like traveling upstream a raging river, Cassius in tow.

Though he pretended not to, he noticed the way Persephone held her head high enough to look regal, and unapologetically pushed people out of the way to get to her destination. She was fearless and ruthless, two things that Cassius could never be, no matter how hard he tried.

But he knew that the disposition came from a life of hardship. Her mother carried a dark reputation, which furthered once one realized that she was husbandless. Husbandless, but with a child. The Pureblood families whispered about how the Avery blood had become tainted with a dark magic, which kept many of the students at Hogwarts far away from Persephone. And, by association, Cassius.

But this arrangement had never bothered him; Cassius preferred being alone with Persephone. She filled him with a sort of peace that he could only find in her company or on a broomstick high in the air.

So, Persephone and Cassius held their heads high amidst the whispering of their peers, and tried to never give them a thought. Together, they were strong enough for each other.

"Damn," Persephone said, startling Cassius from his thoughts. He looked, and found that they had reached the tent that his parents had provided. "That is a big tent."

And it was. It appeared to be two stories in height, with billowing green flaps of fabric concealing the entrance. The Warringtons were rich enough to afford whatever they wanted, and his parents didn't mind whenever Cassius asked for something. A new broomstick appeared anytime he asked for one. New robes were provided every year, and his Christmas presents were always extravagant.

But this tent was for Persephone, not Cassius. She deserved the best, and she would get it from him.

"Shall we go inside?" Cassius asked, holding out his arm mockingly.

Persephone's lips spread into a smile. "But of course."

She wrapped her arm around his, and they shoved past the entrance together.

Inside, the fabric walls were Slytherin green with silver swirls splattered on them. Two large beds laid on the other side of the tent, and a sitting area occupied the center of the room. A small kitchen rested to their left.

"How the hell does all this fit in here?" Persephone asked breathlessly.

"Magic, and sheer willpower," Cassius responded while dumping his bags onto the ground. "Also, money."

She rolled her eyes at him. "How many hours until the Quidditch match?"

"The Quidditch World Cup is in seven hours, but we should be there in three. We don't want to miss anything."

"Of course, I forgot that the most exciting part of any Quidditch game is two hours before it starts. Silly me. What are we supposed to do until then?"

Cassius grinned at her. "You have money, Avery. I'm sure you'll figure something out."

Persephone stuck out her tongue, and rummaged through her bag, and pulled out the coins. "Let's go shopping, Warrington."

The night sky was interrupted only by stars as Persephone and Cassius staggered back to their tent. Persephone couldn't help from continuously glancing at the boy beside her. A stupid grin was on his face, and it hadn't disappeared ever since the match had started. Quidditch gave Cassius an elation that Persephone could only dream to ever feel.

"That was amazing," Cassius said for the twelfth time. "I mean, Krum caught the snitch-"

"And Ireland still won. I know, Cas, I was there. I saw everything you saw."

"I know, I know. But it was just amazing, wasn't it?" He turned to Persephone with that stupid elated grin still plastered on his face.

"By far the highlight of my life," she responded dryly, quickly lowering her gaze. There was something shining in his eyes, something that she didn't want to let herself see.

Persephone was terrified of the emotions that she had developed for her only friend. She was terrified of what would happen if she admitted them.

Loud shouts sounded from somewhere in the dark night. The grin evaporated from Cassius's face.

"What was that?" he asked, his eyes searching for an answer.

Persephone slid the wand out of her boot, and gripped it tightly. "Maybe the Irish are still celebrating?"

She ignored the doubt lacing her own words, and hoped that Cassius would do the same.

"Maybe," he murmured.

A thick silence coated everything, and Persephone could feel it gripping onto her skin. She shivered as the Summer night grew impossibly cold.

"We should get back to the tent," she whispered, her hand finding Cassius's.

They took a step forwards, and the night exploded into a green light.

Persephone whipped her head around, searching for the source. When she found it, her heart stopped.

High above her head, a green snake twisted in the air, slithering between the distant stars. A skull rested above it, the snake spilling from its eternally open mouth.

The wind raced over Persephone as her hand fell out of Cassius's, and the wand dropped from her hand.

The Dark Mark. A symbol of death and destruction, of fear and hatred.

The symbol that was branded onto her mother's arm.

A distant voice was screaming, but Persephone couldn't see anyone. There was nothing but her and that damned mark.

Only when the screaming stop did Persephone realized that it had been her.

- THE TWO OF US ARE JUST YOUNG GODS -
[ young god / halsey ]