Cards, Fire & Cinnamon - F.WEASLEY

１

───── ❝ INTRO TO HOGWARTS❞ ─────

Cassandra Mckinnon hated that she had to move schools, leaving her very minimal friend group behind. She hated that she had to join part way through the school year when everyone was already settled. She hated that she now had another castle to get lost in. And she hated that her final two years of school would be spent far away from the place she used to call home.

But attending Hogwarts made everything easier for her Father - Rodger - so she went with a smile, hoping that the emotion would catch up with the look on her face soon enough.

In the midst of the school year, the Hogwarts Express lay dormant somewhere across the country so she was driven up to Scotland in her Fathers blue car - his pride and joy other than her of course. They came to a stop outside of the gates, which seemed to have a rather daunting effect as she stepped out from the car.

"You sure you've got everything?" 'Her Father asked as he took her trunk from the back of his car, being extra careful not to scratch either surface.

"Yes Dad I'm sure," she replied, taking her trunk from his hands. Even now, looking down at his fifteen-year-old daughter, he felt tears pricking at his eyes but he pushed them away.

"Well have fun and owl me if you need anything," he smiled, though Cass could see it wasn't as happy as he wanted it to be.

"I will," she smiled before wrapping an arm around him in a hug. "Love you Dad."

"Love you too." Moments later they reluctantly broke the hug. With a single kiss to her hair, he stepped back into his car and drove away, waving goodbye to her using the side mirror. As she watched the car drive away, Cass was hit in the stomach with a huge amount of dread. Switching schools hadn't been something that she was previously nervous about but now, looking up at the pale stone castle with hundreds of windows with orange light coming from them, she felt unable to even take a step forward.

"Miss Mckinnon?" A voice broke her gaze from the car in the distance, she turned to see a woman in green robes which sparkled ever so slightly under the moonlight. Cass nodded, taking the handle of her modified case (courtesy of her Father) so it was easier to carry. "It's lovely to finally meet you, I'm Professor McGonagall head of Gryffindor house." She smiled, trying to help the girl feel welcome and comforted.

"Nice to meet you," Cass smiled back. Just then her kitten Nova, who had fur darker than the night and piercing green eyes, purred softly and made her way out from behind Cass's robes. Nova had slept almost the entire journey in the crook of her arm and Cassandra had almost forgotten that she was there.

Professor McGonagall directed her smile to the kitten. "Well, let's hurry. We must get you sorted before dinner begins, you can leave your luggage here and we'll have an elf collect it and deliver it to your dorm."

"Okay," she replied before carefully dropping her luggage to the floor. Nova however just didn't want to go back into her cage so Cass gave up, letting the kitten walk alongside her instead.

The three of them walked through the castle, up what must have been hundreds of stone steps before they reached a heavy oak door with beautiful gold embellishments. As they waited for the voice that came from behind the door to cease, Cass fiddled with one of the necklaces around her neck and looked down at little Nova (who seemed rather relaxed given the situation).

"Ready Miss Mckinnon?" The Professor asked after the voice ceased, it sounded like it had been replaced by the whispers of students. All of which made her rather nervous. She nodded and took a step forward just as the oak doors began to swing open.

As soon as her black boot crossed the threshold of the hall, everything fell silent. It took all she had not to look at her shoes as she strode down the middle of the room, gazing at the hundreds of faces staring as she walked past. With every step Nova weaved in between her boots, earning a few awhs from first years in the crowd. She reached the front and was ushered to sit in a chair by Headmaster Dumbledore, a very dusty hat was then placed onto her head (much to her disgust) and it came to life.

"Very Intelligent...You feel the need to prove yourself...Very competitive..." The hat paused, possibly for dramatic effect. "Better be... Slytherin!" The hat bellowed, a table decorated with green suddenly began to cheer. With a slight smile, (from the relief of not having to wear that hat anymore) she hopped off the chair and went to sit down on this cheering bench.

Cass found herself sitting next to a girl who went by the name of Astrid. She had long blonde hair which she had tied in a plait down her back and bright blue eyes. Nova settled in Cass's lap and throughout the course of the meal managed to find herself taking a carrot from a Gryffindor boy with flaming red hair. Cass apologised from across the room but was profusely informed by the boy that it was perfectly fine, she smiled at him and wondered what his name was.

-

Astrid and Cass just happened to be sharing a dorm that was pretty much empty, the other girls had moved to a different room that September. So they headed to the Slytherin dorms together, talking and getting to know each other. Cass had a funny feeling about Astrid, she just seemed to settle a feeling of dislike in her stomach though she had no idea why. She walked through the door to the common room and took a quick look around as Astrid led her to their room. The room was covered in everything green: curtains that covered the windows, dark green rugs and dark green sofas which faced a burning fire.

Cass smiled as she walked into her room. She could easily tell which bed Astrid had claimed due to the mess that spanned the entirety of one half of the room. The room still had four beds so Cass chose the one that Nova had curled upon, the one in the furthest corner by a bookshelf. Astrid, after lying on her bed with an addition of witch weekly for at least twenty minutes, walked out of the room with books and parchment in hand. Cass followed after a while, wanting to warm her freezing hands by the fireplace. She sat down on the floor, Nova lying down near a bookcase, and warmed her hands until someone spoke. "So how do you like Hogwarts so far?" She turned her head to see a blonde boy with icy grey eyes sitting reading a book on one of the chairs.

She smiled, finding his gaze to be one she felt comfortable in. "It's different, sorry what's your name again?"

He smiled and extended a hand for her to shake, "Draco, Draco Malfoy."

"Nice to meet you Draco, Draco Malfoy." She smiled, shaking his hand. Whenever someone introduced themselves in that sort of way, her Father would do the exact same thing that she did. It was a terrible joke, they both knew that but they just thought it added to the hilarity. "Cass Mckinnon."

"Is Cass short for Cassandra?" He asked, closing the book on his lap.

"Sadly yes," she sighed, turning so her back was to the fire. Draco Malfoy already seemed to be one of those people that she found interesting and easy to talk to. In her old school that role had been taken by a girlfriend (who she had broken up with before the move because long-distance just never works) so talking to him was a sort of light that broke down all her nervousness.

"Sadly?" He asked with a raised brow. Her cat began to walk across the back of his chair and settled on one of the arms, curling up into the edge of his arm. Cass smiled as Nova purred, the kitten was always good at judging character. Nova would curl up to or willingly be with people she should feel safe next to and would scratch or stay very close to Cass when they weren't safe people.

"I hate my name so much, like loathe it entirely."

"Family name?"

"Passed down through generations apparently," she sighed. The name had belonged to her Grandmother on her Fathers side and her Mother before that for god knows how many generations.

"Well Cass suits you," he replied as he stood from his chair. "Have a good night Cassandra."

She scoffed then glared at him threateningly, "You tell a soul and I'll kill you."

"Your secrets are safe with me." Draco smiled before turning and walking up the staircase.