dirty little secret // draco malfoy

chapter forty-one.

Cassandra's POV

"Do you want to be with your father finally? Have a real family?....come join me..fulfill the Dark Lord's wishes with me and let's be a family.....You'll have protection and power. You'll be powerful Cassandra"

"Miss Potter! Would you like to share your thoughts with the class?" Snape shouts, startling me out of my trance.

"No sir, sorry" I respond, looking back down at my book.

Ever since I started walking to second class I couldn't keep the thought of last night and the day before out of my head.

"Did Draco upset you?" Hermione asks next to me.

"Oh-uh no..just stressed a bit about homework I guess" I lightly smile at her.

"I figured we could go to the Muggle World again. I've been aching to get Ron a gift" she smiles at me.

"Not today..sorry" I scratch the back of my neck and look back down at my book.

I already know she's visibly disappointed; I really want to but I shouldn't with everything on my mind. I look over at Draco and he's just staring at me worriedly. I exchange a soft smile to assure to him that I'm okay and he looks away. After all my classes I decide to take a walk around the castle, hoping it will calm my nerves but frankly it didn't; the whole time I've just been thinking about my fathers words. The more upset I was getting, the faster I was walking. Soon enough I'm trying to catch my breath as tears are streaming down my face. I grab and lean onto the wall next to me and try to stabilize my breathing but nothing has changed. I slam my fist against the wall and my breathing begins to shake and stagger.

"Fuck!" I shout, sobbing.

"Cassandra?" Draco says from behind me.

I look back at him and break down even more; I don't like him to see me like this. He grabs my hand and pulls me to the Slytherin common room. Once we get inside we see that we're alone so he sits me on the couch.

"What's wrong love?" he softly coos.

"I can't Draco, I can't do all of this" I choke out.

"Just relax okay? You're freaking out" he says.

All that did was make me breathe heavier and faster. He sits next to me and lays back onto the armrest, pulling me close to him.

"Take deep breaths okay, I'm right here babe" he whispers into my ear.

His words of comfort already calmed me down quiet a bit. His thumb slowly rubbed circles on the back of my hand and I tried to match my breathing pattern with his pace. Soon enough the only thing that was visibly unstable about me was my fresh tear stained cheeks.

"Do you want to talk?" he asks me.

I shake my head no and sniffle, burying my head more into his chest. I just want to sleep in Draco's arms and forget about all of this..just for a little. After a few minutes of him rubbing my back I feel myself finally start to fall asleep.

"Oi Malfoy, wanna go to the quidd-"

"Can't you see I'm doing something? Shut your mouth and leave" Draco tells the unfamiliar voice off.

I lightly blush and smile as his defensiveness gave me a feeling of security.

Draco's POV

Cassandra is safe in my arms for now..she needs to be safe in my arms forever, she can't become a bloody death eater. I wish her father would've just left her alone, I'll kill that man if that's what it takes. I forgot I have to get Cassandra a plan B, I'm just not sure where to get it. I caress her soft skin and feel her breathing patterns on my chest; she's absolutely gorgeous, even when she's asleep. I hear light tapping on the window and look over to see an unfamiliar owl. I slowly get up and gently lay Cassandra on the couch, luckily she's still asleep. I open the window and grab the letter; it's for Cassandra. I make my way back over to the couch and see her body flinching in her sleep.

"Cassandra?" I whisper to her.

She whines and gasps, finally opening her eyes. She sits up with confusion in her eyes.

"Are you alright?" I ask her.

"Bad dream.." she trails off.

"This is for you" I say, handing her the letter.

She grabs it from me and opens it, showing a completely numb expression. When she's done reading the letter she slams it on the table and buries her face in her hands. I sit next to her and put my arm around her shoulder.

"Do you mind if I read it?" I ask.

"Go ahead" she says, letting out a big sigh.

I pick up the letter and see her name written very neatly on top.

~~~

Cassandra Potter,

Have you considered my request? Or should I say your choice into whether you suffer or thrive? If you don't join me you'll either be forced to become a death eater or killed in the process of doing so; it's your call. I ask you to meet me at Borgin and Burke's tomorrow at 6pm. We will discuss all of this as well as you being able to meet a death eater that is alike in your age. You two will be the youngest death eaters of the century. Please be prepared and wear something presentable and preferably dark tomorrow.

With love,
Axel Cottrell

~~~

"He's talking about you isn't he Draco" she sniffles.

I don't say anything. I just place the letter down and hug her as tight as I can.

"I'm so sorry" I lightly cry.

"Why're you sorry?" she lightly chuckles.

I pull back and wipe her tears from her eyes.

"Maybe if I wasn't dumb enough to go walking alone that one day I wouldn't have even met that piece of shit" she says, her eyes filled with anger.

"It wasn't your fault..this was bound to happen" I reply.

"If Hermione just let me die this WOULD'NT have happened!" she shouts.

My heart sinks as my eyes display my hurt emotions.

"Don't say that..we can get through this" I attempt to comfort her.

"No! I can't do this Draco! I got introduced into what it's like being a witch not EVEN a year ago and now I have to become a death eater?!" she shouts.

"Cassandra calm dow-"

"No Draco!" she yells.

"How do you think I feel? Huh? I'm in the same position as you right now" I say sternly, grabbing her wrist tight.

"Draco it-"

"No, don't you say anything else...I'm a death eater already, I'm only 17, I'm clueless and I feel alone too" I say, tightening my grip on her wrist even more.

I look down and see that her hand is turning blue. I quickly pull away and she sharply inhales.

"I'm sorry I-"

"I get it okay..just give me some time" she says, wiping the tears from her face.

She gets up and grabs her letter, storming out of the common room. I follow her for a minute but she ignores my presence. I watch her walk down the hall until she isn't visible anymore then storm up to my dorm. How can she be that selfish? It's not like she's the only one becoming a death eater, I've already became one! I open my dorm room door and slam it shut. I slam my fist into my wall above my bed and then collapse onto my sheets. She even said she regrets being saved from her suicide attempt?! Everything that's come out of her mouth the past couple days has been selfish and ignorant; she's not like the Cassandra I know. I have to face her tomorrow and watch her become a death eater. I have to sit there and act like I don't know the only person I truly love, watch her fair skin get burned into, watch her face her deadbeat of a father, watch the fear in her eyes increase more and more over the time she's in MY house. I always planned on bringing her over during a winter break to meet my mother specifically but not this way. I'd never think this would be the way it'd go down in a million years.