You're screwed, Malfoy

Chapter 9 ~ An unusual support

Cass' POV:

It had been three weeks since Draco left Hogwarts, kicked out cruelly by the parents of students he had devoted his life to teach and inspire.

It had been three weeks since Draco last spoke to me also. He had holed up in his office downstairs, sleeping in there, eating (i hoped), and living entirely in the small room and bathroom. He had shut himself away, the glimpses i caught of him when trying to enter the room to bring him food had shocked me, seeing the shell of someone i used to know.
He wouldn't look at me, wouldn't even turn to face me. But i could see the bags under his eyes from the doorway, i could tell he hadn't cared for himself at all. He had totally shut down.

The court case had officially been announced two days ago, the first day in court due in a week and I had yet to break the news to Draco. How would i even do it?

I had been welcomed back to Hogwarts but was not allowed to join public events or school meals, confined to my classroom entirely. The parents had demanded that too.

Nevertheless, my classes had gone back to normal, the students learning and even Cormac had seemed perfectly average. We had started his tutoring and he had proven himself to be quite a capable student. Through our lessons I had gotten to see the new side of him, more mature but also more calm. He had a sort of.....calming demeanour that actually took my mind off Draco and the court situation for a couole hours during lessons.

I couldn't say i trusted him, but with no other professors allowed to talk to me, he had become the closest thing i had to a friend at Hogwarts. Hermione and Ron had both been forced to keep their distance by threats from parents and i wasnt goinf to risk their jobs too.

"Professor?" Cormac's voice snapped me out of my trance and I blinked a couple times, focusing on the potion we were brewing.

"I'm sorry, where were we?" I asked forgiveness, having forgotten what i was doing.

"I finished slicing up the mandrake leaves like you asked," Cormac filled me in and i nodded. Ah, got it.

"You can call me Cass by the way, in private. You are older than me anyway," I laughed, feeling odd having one of my own peers call me professor outside of class.

"Thanks, Cass. If it isn't too....forward of me, how have you been holding up with the current situation around the court case?" He asked softly, not meeting my eyes in fesr it was too pushy to ask.

"No, it's fine. I am alright in myself, but i worry a lot about Draco. He hasn't.....been himself these last few weeks," I admitted.

"It's an awful ordeal he is faced with. I can't imagine anyone would be themselves in a time like this," he tried to rationalise but I think it was clear to everyone that Draco had let this consume him.

"The thing is....," i trailed off, amazed i felt comfortable enouhh to share something so private with Cormac of all people.

"What's wrong?" He asked, pausing in his chopping to look at me. He took my hands in his in support and i smiled at him, taking a deep breath before i answered.

"I'm pregnant," i admitted, and Cormac looked stunned.

"Oh.....wow.........ok i wasnt expecting that. Does he know?" Cormac asked, meaning Draco.

"No, I......actually haven't told anyone yet. I've still been getting my head around it," I sighed, feeling a huge weight of the secret lift off me.

"Cass you need to tell someone. Amy Finnegan, your family, even McGonagall if you can't tell Draco. But you'll need the support," Cormac wisely said and i nodded. I knew it, i just.....wasn't prepared for how they'd all react. So happily, as if nothing was wrong when the childs father wouldn't even let me in to tell him.