The Slytherins

29

Home. The place Cassie had looked forward to seeing again every day since she had been departed from it now made her stomach tighten. Because going home would mean seeing her mother. And staying there would mean seeing her grandfather.

Lycoris Phineus Peverell was an elderly wizard that looked surprisingly young for the age of 77. Cassie had a strong suspicion that he had bought the iuvenis potion (a potion to make your features look younger) for himself from the potions shop on diagon alley.

It wasn't as if he didn't have the money though, she thought. Her grandfather was the richest of the richest.

Even though there were a few days left of term before they departed for King's Cross, Cassie didn't bother showing up to the end of year feast.

She already knew what would happen; Harry Potter and his bunch of goonies would be rewarded for saving the school and yet again the rest of the students would be overlooked.

And so whilst the others were downstairs, Cassie was up in her dormitory packing the rest of her clothes and belongings.

Before she knew it, she was back on the train heading out of the Scottish mountains and into the fields of England.

Cassie lay head head across Draco's lap in the compartment. "Can I stay at yours?" She whispered to him gently so that the others (who were in the midst of a conversation), wouldn't overhear her words.

Draco sighed. " I wish you could. But something's telling me father won't be too pleased with me either,"

"What do you mean?" She frowned, pouting her her lips.

"How did that diary get in Ginny Weasley's bag in the first place?" He sighed.

Mattheo did not speak one word to her on the train ride home. As much as she tried to ignore it, it was obvious her friends had noticed something was going on between them.

As the train rolled to a stop at Kings Cross Station, they all stood up to leave the compartment before being interrupted by Theo.

"Um, I just wanted to say that you guys have been so good to me since I arrived at Hogwarts. You're literally my family. I'll miss you all," he said, and to everyone's surprise he wrapped them all in a large hug.

"What do you mean?" Cassie asked, frowning in confusion. "We'll see you in September!"

Theo smiled sadly. "I'm not coming back this year Cassie. Mum finally agreed to make me go Beauxbatons now that Ella's left. She's going to study abroad for a while now."

"What?" She asked in disbelief.

"I found out last week. Didn't want to ruin the last few days though," he shrugged.

"I'll see you in the summer for Celeste's birthday right?" She asked hurriedly.

"Of course!" He said, his face lifting up.

" I can't believe this. Why didn't you tell us Theo?" Pansy said in shock.

"What are we going to do!" Laurie exclaimed.

"But Theo when are we going to see you again?" Blaise asked still in shock.

Theo shrugged in sadness. " I don't know."

As they left the train and collected their luggage, Cassie still felt a sense of disbelief in her stomach, and every time she blinked she swore it wasn't real.

A Hogwarts without Theo wasn't going to be Hogwarts. Her heart dropped ever more as she spotted not her mother waiting for her on the platform, but her chauffeur.