𝐌𝐀𝐍𝐄𝐀𝐓𝐄𝐑; t.riddle

004...𝐬𝐞𝐜𝐫𝐞𝐭𝐬 𝐬𝐩𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐝

𝙰𝙲𝚃 𝙾𝙽𝙴
(004...𝚜𝚎𝚌𝚛𝚎𝚝𝚜 𝚜𝚙𝚒𝚕𝚕𝚎𝚍)

WHEN SHE CAME BACK TO THE COMPARTMENT, EMMANUEL WAS AWAKE.  Her sadness must've shown on her face because as soon as she walked sat down, he asked her if she was okay. Of course, Cassie told him that she was fine and that she just needed a little bit of rest which she did infact want. Except when she did try to sleep, she couldn't - thoughts and memories and a bunch of things stuck together ones that made her head whirl, danced across her mind stopping her from resting. So, finally she gave up and played a game of wizard's chess with Emmanuel which he won.

Finally, Tom walked in and took his seat oposite Cassie in silence observing her and Emmanuel's second game of wizard's chess. And he witnessed her loose again.

"You usually win all wizard's chess games," he said astonished then looked towards Emmanuel, "You must be one hell of a player, Argent."

"Oh oui, my father started teaching me since I was eight years old." Emmanuel said, nodding along his words.

Tom and Emmanuel played against eachother all the while Cassie rested her head on her shoulder, listening to them talking as she pretended to be asleep.

"So how's France like?" Tom asked

"Oh eet eez wonderful. Very cold in winter but 'ere eez just the same I assume." Emmanuel said. Cassie thought he was kind of exaggerating with his accent and resisted the urge to laugh.

They talked for a while and Cassie listened to them until she dozed off. When she woke up, the sunlight had dissapeared and the moon shone brightly in the sky. Before she lifted he head off her shoulder she heard Tom say:

"No, I really don't understand why everyone thinks we're a couple. Cassie is just my friend."

She rubbed her eyes and sat up, fixing her hair. She excused herself out of the compartment to go and put on her robes as, according to Tom at least, they were nearing Hogwarts. While she walked to the train's ladies' room, her mind was spinning.

What questions did Emmanuel ask Tom to result in his answer?

Did he tell Tom about Cassie's feelings?

How could she be foolish enough to trust him? Hell, how could she even face Tom knowing he could know about how she felt towards him.

Why do you even care? A little voice in her head said, Wasn't he sitting in the same compartment as the people that made your recent Hogwarts years hell?

When she finally managed to shut it up, Cassie realized that she had already put on her Slytherin robes while lost in her thoughts. She walked back to the compartment and just as she walked inside it the train began slow down. Each of them grabbed their trunks and walked into the crowded hall. Everyone was pushing against everyone and Cassie couldn't be happier to finally feel the prickle of the autumn air against her skin.

She walked over to the carriages with Emmanuel and Tom joined by another girl Cassie recognized as a fifth year. The carriage ride was quiet other than the small conversation Emmanuel opened about which classes they're taking this year. Cassie was taking Potions, Transfiguration, Charms, Defense Againt the Dark Arts and all the classes she needed to become an Aurror and make her mother proud.

Cassie noticed the fifth year girl was reading a book but she strongly suspected that she was listening to any conversations the others had - she held her laugh when one of them cracked a joke and raised her eyebrows whenever they said something slightly concerning.