𝓢𝓾𝓹𝓮𝓻𝓵𝓪𝓽𝓲𝓿𝓮

XI

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"Well, he is bound to fail. In the academic sense, if nothing else. He's the thickest person in our year, Mini, you know that." Andie huffed as she sat beside the brunette pureblood.

The three Slytherin third-year girls were sat in their common room, with Andie and Mini on an aged leather coach whilst Cassiopeia dominated a plush armchair, her gazed fixed on the roaring fireplace; their fellow Slytherins that passed looked on at the group in both fear and adoration.

Sighing, the Warrington girl ran her hands through her hair. "Yeah, I know. But our mother spent an obscene amount on tutoring for Cassius over the summer holiday, yet he's still the bottom of every class. I think he's only ever scraped a couple passes, you know. My parents manage to sway the schoolboard with money, but it's reaching a point where..."

"Where what?" Andie probed.

"...I can't see Dumbledore pocketing our money much longer, let's put it that way." Mini sneered bitterly.

"But no one ever gets kicked out of Hogwarts, Mini. If that were the case, how did generations of Weasley's pass through without any issues?"

"Because they've consistently aligned with the headmasters way of thinking. None of our lot have ever been headmaster, you know. It's always left to the light side to run things, whereas we control them from the shadows."

Andie scoffed. "Yeah, that or we get berated for trying to exert any sense of authority over society."

"Are you still talking about this?" Cassiopeia asked the two girls plainly, her voice monotone and her expression dull.

Sitting up a little straighter, her friends turned and looked at the Malfoy girl. She'd been quieter than usual for a majority of the day, leaving Andie and Mini to their own discussions.

Neither of them knew why, of course. Cassiopeia had always been an extremely secretive person, meaning that neither girl questioned her occasional silences.

"Uh... what?" Mini spluttered.

"You've been discussing the same three monotonous topics all day. Cassius, misguided authority and you'd occasionally bring up Potter. It paints you both as exceedingly dull company." Cass' face screw up slightly as she spat out her words.

Mini fell silent and pale, aware that Cassiopeia was not to be questioned. Andie, however, who was a Greengrass and Cass' best friend, rolled her eyes and crossed her arms.

"Oh please, Cass, like you're anything different. I'd rather not have you talk to me like that." she stated calmly.

"Trying to exert any small sense of authority you've got, are we, Elizabeth?" Cassiopeia's light eyes snapped back towards the fire, and watched as the flames started to die.

"How scary, you know my first name! What's the matter, now? You've been funny all day." Andie softened slightly, sitting back into the sofa.

Debating silently, Cassiopeia managed to state the words.

The name.

"Draco."

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"Well, you both know how he is; he's a fool who cannot help but get himself into trouble."

Cassiopeia, who was draped across her armchair in the common room, jerked upright when she heard a door creak open.