𝐁𝐋𝐀𝐂𝐊 | f. weasley

forty-eight

"What were you two going on about outside?" Ron asked inquisitively. 

Neville and Cassie shared a look before grinning and saying in sync, 

"Nothing,"

"It's our little secret," Cassie added, making Neville's cheek turn crimson. 

Ron grumbled on being left out while Granger, Dean and Harry chuckled at him and a few moments later, with a great lurch, the long procession of carriages was rumbling and splashing its way up the track toward Hogwarts Castle.

Lightning flashed across the sky as their carriage came to a halt before the great oak front doors, which stood at the top of a flight of stone steps. People who had occupied the carriages in front were already hurrying up the stone steps into the castle. Cassie, Dean, Harry, Ron, Granger, and Neville jumped down from their carriage and dashed up the steps too, looking up only when they were safely inside the cavernous, torch-lit entrance hall, with its magnificent marble staircase. 

"Blimey," said Ron, shaking his head and sending water everywhere after everyone got drenched immediately after they set foot off the carriage, "If that keeps up the lake's going to overflow. I'm soaked — ARRGH!"

A large, red, water-filled balloon had dropped from out of the ceiling onto Ron's head and exploded. Drenched and sputtering, Ron staggered sideways into Harry, just as a second water bomb dropped — narrowly missing Granger, it burst at Harry's feet, sending a wave of cold water over his sneakers into his socks. Another one was about to hit Cassie when a pair of arms wrapped around her waist and pulled her behind the curtain. 

"You alright love?" Fred asked as Cassie breathed heavily, not expecting the water balloons or Fred saving her. 

"Yes," Cassie breathed, placing a hand on her chest, "Thank you, Freddie,"

Freddie, his stomach fluttered as he heard her call him that. He would never ever get used to it. 

Cassie pulled the curtain away to see Peeves the Poltergeist, a little man in a bell-covered hat and orange bow tie, his wide, malicious face contorted with concentration as he took aim again.

"PEEVES!" yelled an angry voice. "Peeves, come down here at ONCE!"

Professor McGonagall, Deputy Headmistress and head of Gryffindor House, had come dashing out of the Great Hall; she skidded on the wet floor and grabbed Hermione around the neck to stop herself from falling. 

"Oh that got to hurt," Cassie grimaced, shuddering into Fred who stood behind her, his hand sitting gingerly in her waist as they carefully made their way into the Great Hall. 

The Great Hall looked its usual splendid self, decorated for the start-of-term feast. Golden plates and goblets gleamed by the light of hundreds and hundreds of candles, floating over the tables in midair. The four long House tables were packed with chattering students; at the top of the Hall, the staff sat along one side of a fifth table, facing their pupils. It was much warmer in here.

Cassie saw Dean and Seamus reuniting, jumping into each other's arms — Dean making a rather dry Seamus equally wet after getting bombed by a water balloon.  

Cassandra took her usual place — being sandwiched between Harry and the golden trio and Fred and his trickster trio — eagerly waiting for the Sorting of the new students into Houses that took place at the start of every school year. 

"The usual deal?" Lee asked, rounding up his stack of cards. 

"You bet," Cassie laughed, pulling out hers. 

Since the second year, Cassie, Dean, Seamus and Ron (he came in last year) joined a bunch of seniors in their annual chore betting game as the Sorting took place.