"I'm going to the bathroom," I said and stood up, leaving the library and heading to the abandoned bathroom. As I walked there, I found Myrtle floating around.
"Oh! Cassie! Harry, he needs help, he can't breathe!" Myrtle sounded distressed as she spoke, and I followed her. When I entered, I heard his labored breathing and shaking cries.
"Potter?"
"Harry?" He looked up, shrinking back in fear when he saw me. I immediately realized why - my friends had tormented him and his friends, and I just stood and watched.
I tossed Harry my wand to show him I meant no harm. He was still shaking and staring at me in fear. I took off my bag, placing it aside with my robe to show I had nothing harmful on me. He relaxed slightly, so I sat outside the cubicle, trying to engage him in conversation.
"Harry, I'm not going to hurt you. Do you mind if I come in?" He hesitated but nodded. I sat next to him, making sure he could see my every move.
"Look at me," I said, trying to keep my voice gentle. He looked at me, still trembling and breathing heavily.
"Good. I'm going to take your hand, okay?" I softly took his hand and placed it on my chest so he could feel my breathing. It was just to reassure him.
"Can you feel my breathing?" He nodded.
"Try and match it the best you can. If it takes time, don't worry, just try." He cried a bit more while trying to calm down, but he was having a hard time regulating his breathing. I shifted so I was next to him, and he put his head on my shoulder. I held him until he calmed down.
"Harry?" I said softly.
"W-what? Why are you here?" He started breathing heavily again.
"Harry, five things you can see."
"You, my hands, my feet, your feet, and my knees."
"Good. Four things you can hear?"
"My breathing, your breathing, the water in the pipes, and my talking."
"Three things you can touch?"
"Your hands, the wall, the floor."
"Two things you can smell?"
"My sweat and the mold. I think I'm alright now," he said and turned to face me.
"You?" he asked.
"Hey..." I said, aware he wasn't expecting my help.
"Why are you here? Did you bring me out of it? Why? Are you here to tease me about it?" He asked, panicked.
"No. Myrtle told me you needed help, so I came in and found you. I brought you out of it. I'm not here to tease you," I said, feeling my face pale.
"You won't tell anyone about this?" he pleaded.
"No," I said, brusquely walking out.
Harry's POV:
I walked out to the sinks to splash my face with water when Myrtle floated in.
"Cassie told me you calmed down."
"Why did you get her?" I asked, leaning on the sink, feeling relieved.
"I couldn't calm you, and you started looking pale. She was the first one I found," she said, floating to the window.
"Thanks," I said, looking over the side and seeing a stack of letters with my name on top. I picked up the stack and found letters addressed to me from Malfoy, apologizing for his past behavior and thanking me for saving him.
But Malfoy didn't have these letters; Clowder did. They must have been bringing them to him. I grabbed my bag and rushed out of the bathroom, walking around until I ended up in the library. I wandered through, trying to find Clowder since I assumed she was with Cassie. I eventually found her, laughing with Malfoy.
Cassie's POV:
I left the bathroom, and with more time passed than I'd realized, I hurried down to the library. I saw Draco in a chair working on something.
"What took so long?" he asked without looking up.
I panicked. What could I say? Think. "Bathroom."
"An hour in the bathroom?"
"Oh right, forgot that men don't have this," I smirked at his disgusted expression. "Want me to elaborate? Well, I am on my-"
"No! It's fine," he said, looking back at his book. I sat next to him, laughing when someone walked in. Potter.
What's he doing here?
"Uh, Malfoy, you dropped these; I found them in the hall," Potter said, holding out a stack of letters. Oh no. My face paled as Draco glanced at Potter, and I desperately checked my bag, confirming the letters were gone.
"Those aren't mine, Potter. Cass, what are you looking for? You have elbowed me twice in the process!" Draco snapped, and I looked at him.
"Oh, just something I must have left in my dorm," I said, scratching my head.
"Malfoy, the letters are signed by you. Who else would they belong to?" Potter asked, still holding the letters out.
I nervously tried to find an excuse, but Draco snatched my potions assignment and compared the handwriting. "This is your handwriting!" He exclaimed, putting both papers down.
"What? Noooo, someone must have similar handwriting," I said, trying to evade the situation.
"Cassie, no one but you, Pansy, and Blaise know about the fire," he said, glaring at me.
"Okay, I wrote them. I wrote them because I felt there was no reason for hostility anymore. I didn't want to be part of any conflicts. We both know that neither of us can afford another fight."
"But you signed it as me," Draco countered, a mix of disbelief and frustration in his voice.
"Because you needed to apologize, you needed to thank Potter for saving your life, you needed to express that, not me. I didn't participate; I just watched and played along with you. You made me," I confessed, feeling a weight lift off my shoulders as the truth spilled out.
"I never made you do anything!" Draco insisted, his tone reflecting his confusion.
"How do you explain the threat I got in first year? Hm?" I asked accusingly, watching Draco's expression shift to one of bewilderment.
Suddenly, Potter intervened, sensing the tension between us. "What threat?"
"Nothing, Potter, just some silly stuff from the past," Draco replied quickly, trying to dismiss the conversation.
"It's not nothing," I interjected, feeling a surge of frustration. "Draco and I received a threatening note in our first year. I remember it very clearly. I thought it was a joke, but it terrified Draco."
Potter's expression changed to one of concern. "Why didn't you report it?"
"Who was I going to tell? Snape? Dumbledore? We didn't know who sent it, and we thought it was just a prank," I explained, trying to downplay the incident.
"Cassie, you could have said something," Draco said, his voice softer now, revealing a sense of hurt.
"It was a different time, and I didn't want to make it worse," I replied, feeling guilty for not handling the situation differently.
Potter looked between us, piecing together the fragments of an unknown history. "Why are you bringing this up now?"
I hesitated before replying, "Because now I'm tired of pretending it never happened. The truth should be out there."
Draco stared at me for a moment, processing my words. "Fine, Cass, you win. But stop meddling in my affairs. And next time, don't sign my name."
"I won't," I promised, relieved to see a glimmer of understanding in his eyes.
Potter looked troubled by the exchange but chose not to interfere further. "Maybe it's time for all of us to move on, given everything that's happened."
I nodded, feeling a sense of resolution in the air. Despite the tense moment, there was a mutual understanding between Draco and me that went beyond words. Harry, sensing the conclusion of the conversation, decided to leave us alone.
As he left, I turned to Draco. "I'm sorry."
He sighed. "It's in the past now. Let's just focus on our own paths."
We returned to our tasks, each absorbed in our thoughts. A weight had been lifted from our shoulders, a silent agreement passing between us that our past differences would no longer dictate our present.
~fin~