Heavenly Bodies

Part One | The Big Bang

"Since you lot are facing OWLs next year, I've got to whip you into shape," Professor Slughorn began, stopping occasionally to lick the sugar off his fingers, "And so, now that we're done with review, I'm going to assign you a partner for the rest of the year. Once I've called all your names you may move."

He wiped sausage fingers on his straining shirt, picking up a scroll of parchment, "Green and Taft. Mannings with Rosier. Hamilton and Black. Laurence with White."

Slughorn continued through the list, and Cassia tapped her quill against the table. Stormy blue eyes scanned the room, locking onto silvery-blue the table over from her. Both of their seat partners had moved, and they stood at the same time to sit together. He motioned for her to sit again and joined her, plopping his stuff down on the table.

"Cassiopeia Hamilton," Cassia smiled, "Shorten however you'd like. I know it's a mouthful. Just don't call me Pea."

"Regulus Black," he said, smirking, "It's lovely to meet you, Pea."

"Excuse me—" she began, but Professor Slughorn interrupted her.

"Now that you've been acquainted, we will begin working on brewing a Calming Draught. When brewed correctly, it works to soothe someone under emotional duress. When brewed incorrectly, however, it causes over-exhaustion, unconsciousness, and can even cause lucid dreaming."

Cassia's quill began tapping again as she listened, underlining important information in her book as he said it. Unbeknownst to her, Regulus was sending her disgruntled looks, wishing her incessant rapping would stop.

Finally, the young Black had enough, and he reached out and plucked it from her grasp. She glared at him, holding out her hand for it back. Slughorn had just released them to start brewing, and he stood to gather ingredients, still holding her quill.

"Would you be so kind as to return my quill, Black?" Cassia asked sweetly, her eyes glittering hellishly. 

"Will you stop tapping it?"

"I will try my best, but I can't promise it. I do it subconsciously." That seemed to be enough for him, and he returned it. Cassia set the cauldron on the heat, preparing it for the first step.

"Here, you chop lavender while I do the crocodile heart. Add yours little by little to the heated water in the cauldron, stirring gently," Regulus ordered, handing her the little purple flowers. She did as he said, hiding her miffed feelings over being told what to do. For the most part, they worked in silence, unless the boy was ordering Cassia around.

Slughorn approached them just as the potion turned the right shade of blue, he clapped excitedly.

"Look here, everyone! Cassiopeia and Regulus have done it! This is the hue you all want! Well done, you two. The rest of you have fifteen minutes remaining to try and finish."

The pair handed the professor a vial and received two sealed letters in return. Regulus and Cassia shared a look, before slitting open the golden envelopes and peering at the invitations.

"'The Slug Club invites you to attend our All Hallow's Costume Masquerade'?" Cassia said incredulously. She knew the Slug Club was a rather over the top organization, but this just seemed ridiculous.

She huffed a laugh, tossing the invite into her bag and set about cleaning up. Regulus was still staring at his.

"Excuse me, Mister Black, would you deem it worthy of your time to help clean up?" Cassia asked sarcastically, seeing they only had a few minutes left. The Slytherin Prince glared at her, but stowed the paper in his pocket and began helping her.

"Do you think you'll go?" She asked after a moment. He looked at her out of the corner of his eye.

"Maybe. My parents would approve, seeing he's 'seeking to improve the connections of the most influential students'," Regulus mimicked, and Cassia laughed, "What about you?"

"I don't know. It seems kind of... grand."

"What's wrong with a bit of grandeur?" Regulus asked, swinging his bag up onto his shoulder. Cassia shrugged, following him out of class. Others stared at the pair, having never seen the boy hanging with anyone besides his Slytherin cronies. 

"Nothing's wrong with it, it's just not for me. I like simple things." They made their way towards the Great Hall for lunch.

"Ah come on, Hamilton, it can't be that bad," Regulus teased, ignoring the dirty look she sent him.

"That's easy for you to say, Mister Sacred 28," She told him, an easy grin on her face.

"Aren't you a pureblood, though?" He asked, confusion on his face.

"That doesn't mean I'm used to masquerades," She put on a horrid posh accent and Regulus cracked a smile.

"First off, that was an assault to the senses," he said bluntly, "Second of all..."

However, Regulus Black failed to think of a second point, and Cassia smiled at him as she headed off to the Ravenclaw table.

"There you are! Why were you walking with Regulus Black?" Cassia's best friend, Theodore Brodeur, asked. He was Gossip King of Hogwarts, worse than the bloody Marauders in Cassia's opinion.

"Well, hello to you too, Rory," she sassed, sinking into the seat beside him, "And he's my new Potions partner. Sluggy invited us to his All Hallow's Gala, and so we were talking about whether we were going to go."

"Together?" Rory wiggled his eyebrows, and Cassia smacked his arm. 

"Not like that, you perv," she laughed, filling her plate. He gave her a doubting look, "I just talked with him for the first time today, Rory. I guess he's just a kindred spirit."

"Kindred spirit? Cassia, this is Regulus bloody Black we're talking about. He's probably the second biggest player in the school after his brother. I'm not sure he has a spirit!" 

"Whatever. What's the newest song on the violin?" She changed the subject as she finished her sandwich.

"'Imagine' by John Lennon." Rory was a violinist and a pretty good one too. He often played while other Ravenclaws studied, and even played the Hogwarts Song during Sorting Feast that year.

Cassia's eyes sparkled, "I love that song!" He laughed at his friend's reaction, standing and checking his watch.

"Well, we have twenty minutes until Herbology, want to hear it?" Cassia jumped up and grabbed his wrist, pulling him along.

Little did she know, two pairs of eyes tracked her as she left. Blue and silver. Slytherin and Gryffindor.