Cards, Fire & Cinnamon - F.WEASLEY

28

───── ❝ Finally ❞ ─────

A few weeks passed and Cass had managed to be smoke-free the entire of it, minus two days. It was a struggle but as the days passed and it got a little bit harder, she found that she felt better about it. The incentive present had been a pure joke, Draco had gotten some treats for Nova. Not that the cat complained. The two days where she slipped up were the hardest, guilt-wracked her body and she vowed never to do it again. Well, that mentally did work. She had walked to the shops twice to get a pack but turned around once arriving. Draco was proud of her and she was proud of herself. Still, the need to smoke still hung heavy in her mind. She just hoped it would pass soon enough.

Cass sat in the common room, chewing a piece of gum as she worked on a few assignments. Draco sat down next to her and for a few minutes, she didn't even realise he was there. "Cass," he laughed, watching as she jumped out of her skin.

"Jesus Draco!" she exclaimed, hitting him on the arm with her quill. "How long were you sitting there for?"

"Few minutes," he shrugged. "I have your book by the way," he continued, hanging over the book he had borrowed

"It's a library book, you can return it if you want," she smiled, hoping that he would. Before he could say no, Cass hopped up from her seat and ran to her bedroom. Draco sighed and listened to her laughs as she went up the first few steps. He had missed this version of her, the happy mischievous type.

Cass' bedroom was a lot like her mind. Messy and cluttered. Clothes were all over the floor, along with many scrunched balls of parchment. She just about managed to get across the room using the small gaps. She crumpled her study books onto her bed and sighed. The state of her room suddenly made her feel worse. So, she decided to clean it. She flicked her wand at the record player in the corner and tired her hair up, the girl meant business.

She spent the next two hours cleaning her room from top to bottom, it would have taken a lot longer if magic hadn't been involved. She hung up her clothes, put all the books in their rightful place, picked up rubbish and organised all her jewellery and makeup. At least her room was clean now, maybe it would help her head. Cass then moved to her desk, attempting to get stuck into a potions essay. Her gaze drifted to the picture on her dresser, the one of her parents on their wedding day. God, they looked so happy together. I want that... She wrapped her thumb and forefinger around the necklace and sighed.

Convinced she wouldn't get any work done, she walked over to her bookshelf. Books had become something that she could use to reset her mind. Only this time, she dug a fingertip across all the titles and found none of them appealing. Not even the classics from childhood. She hadn't a clue what to do so she sat on the floor, hugging her knees as she played with Nova.

A few minutes later, a switch went off in her brain. The night the twins had hidden in her room when they stayed after the breakup to make sure she was okay and the notes that Fred used to leave... Cass dug through her trunk, determined to find the box that she hadn't even looked at since her Fathers death. It was hidden underneath a pair of pyjamas that had been dubbed too small. Cass opened it and immediately a smile found its way to her lips. She read through each and every single one, everyone causing a different reaction. Some made her laugh, some made her confused and clothes caused that familiar twinge in her stomach. The last one though had been unopened since she received it. The purple slip that came with the bunch of lilies. She gently took apart the twine and opened the letter.

'Hey Cass, I'm so sorry about your Dad. I want to be there to help you, I really do but Draco said it would be better if I wasn't so I'm going to stay away for a little while and let you grieve and all. I just want you to know that the distance doesn't mean I have changed my mind about you... about us at all. Not in the slightest and I don't think anything could change my mind. I can wait Cass, the outcome is going to be so worth it I just know. Sorry, I'm rambling. I hope you like the lilies and if you do feel like talking to me about everything I'm always here. Fred :)'