◣ 𝗟𝗢𝗩𝗘 𝗦𝗣𝗢𝗧 ◥

𝗖𝗢𝗠𝗠𝗢𝗡 𝗥𝗢𝗢𝗠

—WEEKS HAD PASSED. Right now, Cassandra and her friends were by the fireplace in the common room. Zara was busy doing her homework, while Maeve and Vanessa were talking and giggling. Cassandra, meanwhile, was reading a book.

Feeling someone's eyes on her, she looked up from her book, her eyes stopping on the person that sat down on the empty couch across from hers; Theodore.

She looked away when she noticed his stoic face, his eyes on her. She went back to reading.

Her focus was not on the book at all, though.

She glanced up when Amelia sat down next to Theodore and whispered something to him. She just went back to reading.

"Is that a muggle book?" asked Amelia in disgust, catching their attentions.

Cassandra merely blinked at her. "I beg your pardon?"

"You read muggle books?" Amelia sneered in disgust.

"Yes. And?"

Theodore looked at the girl next to him. "Mel, stop it."

"She's reading muggle books when her grandfather is the person killing all muggleborns because they came from muggles."

"What Cass reads is none of your business." Zara snapped as she looked up from the homework she was working on, glaring at her.

"Go back to obsessing over Theo." Vanessa rolled her eyes.

Amelia huffed, looking highly offended. "I'm just saying—"

"Stop saying, then." Theodore interrupted her. "Like Rosier said, what Cassandra reads is none of your business."

Cassandra felt a pang in her chest at the use of her name by the boy. However, she stared at him in shock.

Theodore was really standing up for her?

He was taking her side instead of Amelia's?

Amelia let out a scoff and stood up, walking away.

Zara went back to doing her homework after looking at Theodore and Cassandra for a few seconds.

Maeve and Vanessa went back to talking too.

Cassandra stared at the boy, who was staring back at her. She swallowed and stood up, leaving her book on the couch and walked out of the common room.

Unaware that Theodore was right behind her, Cassandra let out a breath as soon as she was out of the common room.

"Cassandra."

She stopped, slowly turning around. "Why are you following me?"

Theodore replied, "I need to talk to you."

"About?"

"Why are you ignoring me?"

"Go back to Turpin, Theodore."

He scoffed, looking at her in disbelief. "You're being unbelievable. Why are you acting this way?"

She rolled her eyes and shook her head. "Why does she hate me so much?" She asked instead, looking at him expectantly.

He looked confused. "She doesn't." He said unsurely, then continued, "I don't think she does, at least."

"You are the most oblivious person I have ever met, Theodore."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"Her hatred for me is obvious. All I want to know is why that hatred exists." Cassandra said feverishly, then stopped and tried calming herself down. "Did you ask her out?"

He frowned at her sudden question. His frown went away. "Is that why you're ignoring me?"

She immediately shook her head. "I don't care about that. I'm just curious." She said, looking at him and watching as he stepped closer. She immediately stepped back, acting like she didn't notice the quick look of hurt that passed through his face. "I'm sorry for asking. That's none of my business."

Theodore was quiet for a few seconds, then said, "I want us to be friends again, Cassandra. I want you to stop ignoring me."

She sighed and nodded. "Okay, Theodore."

"I didn't ask her out, by the way." He said after a minute of silence. "And I rejected her when she asked me out."

Cassandra's head snapped up, her eyes locking on his. He had rejected Amelia?

"Why?"

"I don't like her, Cassandra." He said, then opened his mouth but closed it again immediately.

She merely nodded, not knowing why she felt a sense of relief.

"We tried to stop her!" exclaimed a voice as she ran towards Cassandra's direction.

Cassandra and Theodore immediately looked at her.

Maeve was panting, her cheeks flushed as she held up something. "We tried. I swear we did."

Cassandra's face fell, her lips parting at the burned book in Maeve's hand. She reached out for the burned book, taking it and coughing at the ashy smell of it.

"Amelia did this?" Theodore asked, barely containing his anger, looking at Maeve.

Maeve nodded. "She was so angry when she saw you two walking out of the common room together."

"I loved this book," mumbled Cassandra sadly, eyes still on her book.

Theodore looked at her. "What book was it?" His voice softened, looking at her in concern.

"It doesn't matter." She replied, clenching her jaw at the thought of Turpin having the audacity to do this to her. "I'll just buy another one."