𝓢𝓾𝓹𝓮𝓻𝓵𝓪𝓽𝓲𝓿𝓮

XVII

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"Raspberry jam." Cassiopeia instructed the griffin, just as Snape - who was coincidentally passing the girl as she stood outside the office doors - had told her.

The griffin slowly started to revolve, twisted to reveal a set of twirling stairs, which the Slytherin girl made her way up immediately.

Emerging into the headmasters office, the Malfoy glanced at the large room, which seemingly engulfed her with a surplus amount of artefacts that she knew would not come cheap. The walls were decorated by moving portraits, and Cassiopeia could only imagine she was related to many of these people.

"Ah, Miss Malfoy, you've arrived promptly." the headmaster beckoned. Cassiopeia turned, her hair flying behind her, and she made eye contact with the older wizard, who was sat behind a large desk that was decorated with various trinkets.

"Thank you, sir." she responded cooly.

"Please, take a seat. Lemon drop?" the peculiar man offered. Cassiopeia shook her head politely, never breaking eye contact with the wizard.

"Well, best to get onto the matter of hand. Cassiopeia, do you know why Harry showed you the Mirror of Erised?" he asked softly.

The blonde girl blinked, shocked by his question. Dumbledore wasn't there, was he?

"No, I assumed it was of his own volition."

"I see. That mirror, it shows the onlooker their hearts greatest desire. This may be blindly obvious, and it is to many of the students, but for you, my dear, it is... a hard pill to swallow." he spoke slowly, and watching the girl before him as her eyes began to wonder.

"Do you know what I saw, sir?" she asked, careful to not let her paranoid nature consume her speech.

The Professor chuckled lightly. "No, no, it would be impossible. I wasn't there."

"But how did you-"

"I knew that Harry wanted to show you the mirror. Nothing conspiratorial, I promise you, but upon observation, it is clear that you were surprised by what you saw."

Cassiopeia fell silent, her piercing light eyes welling with tears.

Dumbledore continued his speech. "Although I will not pressure you into revealing whatever it is you saw, I would encourage you to be honest with me. I swear to keep the truth from your parents or anyone who may be upset by it, Cassiopeia."

Despite everything Cassiopeia believed in, she couldn't find it in herself to keep this secret. She hadn't told Andie, or her father. The two people who were closest to her, she had isolated herself from for days on end. She had to tell someone, and the truth came flying out her mouth before she could stop herself.

"I was in love with a girl, I didn't recognise her, she had pink hair and she looked so kind." Venom laced her tone at the thought of this woman's kindness.

The headmaster listened on patiently as the fourteen-year-old girl continued to ramble.  "And, I was holding a decree that swore I would help out muggle-borns, which father would be so disappointed in, and I was surrounded by the worst crowd possible; Potter, the Weasleys, the Diggorys and their social circles. I don't know what to do, sir, that's not what I want. At all. I think I know what I want, and it certainly isn't that."