I want to say it's been a week since Ophelia got hurt? I haven't been paying much attention to days anymore. Mum and Dad have been visiting every day since she got hurt. I overheard Madam Pomfrey talking to mum and dad about pulling Leah out of Hogwarts at least for the rest of this year so she can heal at home. She still hasn't woken up, but I guess that's what happens when you get hit in the head with a magical ball of iron.
I've been making sure that I take notes in every single class too. Not just the notes that I normally do either. I try to write down everything that the Professor says so Leah will have it to study from when she gets out of the hospital wing and back on her feet. Like right now, I'm on my way to her muggle studies class so I can pick up the notes that her Professor writes out for her.
"Oi Cass!" Rose shouts through the corridor. I turn around and wait for her to catch up to me, "Are they really pulling Leah out of Hogwarts?"
We start to walk together towards Leah's muggle studies classroom. "Dunno, Madam Pomfrey was talking about it with mum and dad but they sent me off to class before I could hear whatever they decided."
Rose sucks her teeth, "That guy should have gotten more than just being kicked off the quidditch team. I mean he could have killed her."
"Yeah..." Is all I can manage to say.
Rose puts her arm around my shoulders, "Is uncle George and Aunt Vi here today? I need to ask Aunt Vi something."
"Uhh, they should be around the hospital wing later today. Mum was talking about bringing Theo and Annie out or something. Sorry Rose I'm really... I dunno." I say the last bit quietly.
Rose squeezes my shoulders and lets me go. "Come by the Gryffindor common room later today or something. Freddie and Lou have got booze."
I scrunch up my nose, "I don't drink."
"Everyone drinks in these kinds of situations. Trust me, Freddie would want you there, he's been skipping classes and shit all week." And with that Rose pecks me on the cheek and goes off to wherever she has to be. Leaving me with my own thoughts.
Maybe Ophelia going home for the rest of the year wouldn't be a bad thing. I mean then mum and dad can work in the shop and take care of her at the same time and Theo and Annie won't be at Nan and Pops place all the time.
But... Hogwarts without Leah? I can't even imagine that. Like I physically cannot wrap my head around the idea of her not screaming the lyrics of some new muggle song that she found in the dorm at three in the morning. It should have been me. Cause if it was me then no one would have been affected. Freddie wouldn't be skipping classes and getting drunk, my dormmates wouldn't be sad all the time. The Hogwarts halls would go unchanged.
It should have been me.
"Sorry to bother you, Professor, I'm here to pick up Ophelia's notes? Ophelia Weasley?" I say as I knock on Professor Gellert's classroom door.
Professor Gellert turns around and smiles at me, "Right yes of course. It's Cassiopeia right?" They say as they go over to their desk and shuffle around some parchment.
"Yeah," I say awkwardly.
Professor Gellert smiles to themselves as they find the roll of parchment they were looking for, "And how are you today dear?" They say coming over to me.
I shrug my shoulders, "Alright I suppose. I'm off to see Ophelia. Spend the weekend with her in the hospital wing."
Professor Gellert stands in front of me and hands me the roll of parchment, "Tell her the class misses her. It's not the same without her... how should I put this, commentary." They say with a smile.
I take the parchment from them and tuck it into my book bag along with the other rolls that I have for her. "I will, thank you," I say before nodding once and leaving the classroom.
I put in my headphones and duck my head as a group of students walk towards me in the corridor. No real reason I guess, I just don't want to deal with anyone.
Walking up the great staircase my song changes to one of Ophelia's favourites, Parents by Yungblud. It's totally not my kind of music but I've been listening to the playlist that Ophelia made all week to try and... I dunno, feel closer to her somehow?
Just as I hit the sixth floor on the staircase, slinkies start pouring down the stairs. And I'm talking about hundreds of them, all at different speeds.
I shriek and take the last couple of stairs to the landing and press myself against the railing. I look up the stairs and see Freddie, Louis, and their friend Amar laughing hysterically. I make eye contact with Freddie and his smile fades, but just for a second because Uncle Fred comes out of nowhere and starts laughing along with them.
I take out my headphones and shove them into my robe pocket, "Really guys?" I say, putting on the voice that Mum uses whenever one of us is in trouble.
The hoard of slinkies finally pass me and head down the rest of the staircase very nosily. Freddie, Louis and Amar come hopping down the stairs, still laughing. "Don't be such a priss," Freddie says to me once he gets to where I am standing. Lou and Amar chase after their slinky collection.
"Why do you have to be such a..." I say, faltering at the end of my sentence a bit.
Freddie smiles, "Such a what? Come on Cassie bear I know you have it in you somewhere."
"Why do you have to be such a dick! I mean honestly, Fred, getting drunk, skipping your classes, tossing slinkies down the damn stairs! Ophelia hasn't woken up in a whole week and you're having the time of your bloody life!"
Freddie claps slowly, emphasizing each one which makes me roll my eyes, "Look at you Cass, growing up right before my very eyes. I'm really proud of you, honestly."
"You're a fucking dickhead Fred. You know they're talking about taking Leah out of Hogwarts and sending her home for the rest of the year?" I say crossing my arms over my chest.
Freddie stops, like all of his sarcasm just drained out of his body, "They who?"
I roll my eyes, "Mum, Dad, and Madam Pomfrey. They think it would be best for her to recover at home if she recovers at all. But sure, go play with your bloody muggle toys." And with that, I push past my brother and head up the rest of the stairs to the hospital wing.
But as soon as I'm out of Freddie's eyesight I break down. I lean my back against the wall, tears streaming down my face. I sink down to the floor and put my head in between my knees. Not only have I never spoken like that to anyone before let alone Freddie of all people, but the more I say that Ophelia might not be at school any longer the more it sounds like it's going to happen and I just can't handle that.
"Heeey. Shhh, it's alright Cass."
I look up, my vision blurry with my tears. Uncle Fred is standing... hovering? in front of me, his face full of worry and concern. He sinks low into the floor so we are at eye level and he tries to put his hand on my knee which just passes right through my body and leaves me feeling strange. He looks sadder than he did. "Your brothers an arse." He says, "But I know a thing or two about having an arse for a brother. Trust me, they get better with age."
I sniff my nose and wipe my eyes on my sleeve, "Suppose you're talking about Dad? He and Freddie act a lot alike."
Uncle Fred laughs, "I was actually talking about Percy. Fred's a lot more like me than he is your dad honestly. Makes me realize just how much total shit I made my mum and dad put up with when I was his age."
I sniff my nose again, "Uncle Percy is still an arse. He didn't get any better."
Uncle Fred smiles, "Nah that's not true. When he was at Hogwarts he was a total git. Hell even after Hogwarts he was a git. But he changed, realized his wrongs, and came back to his family. With jokes of all things!" I chuckle a bit which makes Uncle Fred smile, "Ah, there we go!"
I can hear a door creak open down the corridor and Uncle Fred and I both look. Mum is standing in the doorway looking at us both. She comes over and Uncle Fred moves so that Mum can sit right in front of me. She sits cross-legged and rests chin on my knees, looking at my eyes, "Why the long face darling?" She asks softly before taking her thumb and brushing the tears off my cheeks, "Was Fred cracking those god awful jokes of his?"
We all laugh and Uncle Fred makes a scoffing sound, "Oi fuck you LeStrange."
Mum clicks her tongue, "Swearing in front of your niece? Some uncle you are." She says looking from me and over to Uncle Fred who is still sunken into the floor.
"I'm her favourite uncle, eh Cassie? We're best friends." Uncle Fred says with a big, goofy grin on his face.
I nod, "Yeah, totally. A hundred percent." I say with a bunch of sarcasm. Mum laughs and Uncle Fred pretends to be offended again but he's smiling too big for me to take him seriously.
"I'm gonna go check on baby Fred. Make sure he didn't kill anyone with that prank of his." Uncle Fred says, winking at me.
Mum furrows her eyebrows, "What prank?" She asks Uncle Fred but he's fully out of the floor now and soaring around above us, "What fucking prank Weasley?" Mum says a bit louder.
"Sorry, Vi! I can't hear you from way up here. Let me know what happens with Leah yeah? She's a cool kid." Uncle Freddie shouts before soaring off.
Mum laughs to herself but it's a sad sort of laugh. She looks at me again and takes my hands in hers. "Do you want to talk about it?" She asks calmly.
I shake my head no, "It's alright, Uncle Fred helped me out."
Mum smiles, "Right then, let's get you up off the floor." She stands up and gives me her hand to help me up as well. "Turn around, your robes are all dusty." She says, spinning me around by my shoulders and patting down my backside to get all the dust off.
"Godric mum!" I groan.
She spins me back around and looks at me hard, "What is that? On your face?" She licks her thumbs and rubs it against my cheek hard.
"Muuuuum!"