Hateful Love

Chapter Fifty-One

It seems like I’ve have no time to think when we stop outside the door to where the Dark Lord is waiting. I realize my palms are sweaty and my entire body is shaking slightly. Whatever I do, I have to keep my thoughts of Cassie from him. I can do it, it’ll be easy…

But I don’t feel so confident when Lucius gives me a desperate look before slowly opening the door, almost like this is the last time he’s going to see me alive. My heart feels like it’s going to rip its way out of my chest as I realize there’s no other choice.

I take a deep, shaky breath and step inside the room.

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Cassie P.O.V.

          “And then you’ll need to stir counter-clockwise, so the scales really disintegrate in there. Don’t be concerned if it sparks, that tends to happen. Just try not to let your robes catch on fire, that’s the goal here, everyone—“

          I shut out Slughorn’s words for a moment so I can just focus on keeping my cauldron from exploding. It’s been shaking ominously for the past ten minutes, and I’m starting to get seriously alarmed. Potions has never been the easiest class for me, but today it feels like I’m doing everything wrong. Even Cho’s been occasionally glancing over at me with worry, jumping next to me every time my potion sparks—not that I can blame her.

          Stirring my potion as Slughorn walks around the room, I glance up from the cauldron to see that Cho is looking past me curiously. I twist in my seat to see what’s distracted her, and a hot wave of anger flashes through me when I realize Draco’s walking into the classroom. He avoids my heated gaze as he goes to the front of the room to talk with Slughorn for a moment, only making me more furious. The jerk stays at home for five days without writing, and now that he’s back he won’t even give me a simple glance. I’ve been worried sick, not knowing what’s happening with him or when he was going to be back.

          But I feel a little guilty as I realize how haunted and broken he looks, and my stomach churns at the thought of what he must have gone through at home. I momentarily forget stirring my potion when Draco finishes speaking with Slughorn and walks over to his usual seat.

Making sure no one else is looking, I keep my eyes trained on the two of them until Blaise finally turns around. I give him a glare as if to say, You’d better not forget what I told you to do.

Blaise shrinks away from my heated gaze like he’s afraid I’m going to throw my cauldron at him, but gives a small nod and turns back around. I exhale angrily; he’d better tell Draco to meet me tonight, or I’m going to kill the both of them.

Cho suddenly pokes me hard in the ribs, and I glance down to see that my potion is bubbling up in a murky black haze. Muttering a furious, “God damn it!”, I frantically resume my counter-clockwise stirring before the stupid thing can overflow all over the classroom floor. I tactfully ignore Cho’s quiet laughter as I grumble angrily to myself, the potion slowly swelling back down to normal.

I have last period free, so I head straight for the Room of Requirement. Draco has an open period too, and I’m hoping Blaise will talk to him right away so he can get here soon.

While I’m waiting for Draco, I try lying down on the couch, but I immediately get restless and stand back up. I pace in front of the empty fireplace, the spring air making the castle too warm to light a fire. The period must be at least halfway over by now, and there’s still no sign of Draco. I run my fingers through my hair angrily and try to think of another way to intimidate Blaise into telling Draco to come see me.