Chapter 49
CASSIUS BLACK
The reaction of the rest of the school to his nomination was as expected. The Slytherins had loathed him already, and his becoming a champion only further fuelled their hatred, and the Gryffindors were having trouble reconciling with the fact that for the first time in their lives, their two Houses were in agreement over something.
The Hufflepuffs were the worst, and the Badger House all glared and gnawed at him as they crossed paths in the Hallways and classes, as they felt that he had tried to take away the spotlight from their champion.
Not that he was bothered much by their attitude, as he tried to figure out just who had conspired against him, and why? The who seemed obvious at first, but he had asked around and found no trace of Harry ever being near the Goblet himself so 'he' must have used an intermediary. So, Cassius turned his attention to finding out about that person.
He had a few names in mind, though there was nothing concrete to connect it all.
His own house, though, had a very mixed reaction, and after his return from the office, they had all inquired about how he had no intention of participating in the tournament, and that all of it was the result of either an elaborate prank or conspiracy; they had believed him.
Though that had not stopped them from using up all the weed and psychedelic plants they had arranged for the part, and the Common room smelled like weed for a week after the selection.
"Are you really going to continue like this?" Tracey asked, as Cassius raised a brow.
"Continue what?" he asked, acting all innocent and naive as she ground her teeth, as they headed towards their training room, for some spell practice.
"Like you are not a champion. You have been handed an opportunity of a lifetime, and you intend to squander it," she balked, and he had thought that she was talking about Hermione, and despite his agreement, he had not been able to meet up with the girl for various reasons.
"Please, I thought you were talking about Hermione," and it was a mistake to remind her of that, as she quickly added.
"And that as well! I thought that you agreed to talk with her," and he sighed.
"I will, and as for the Tri-Wizard Tournament, my plan is simple I plan to do nothing," and he meant exactly that.
He had thought of competing, and since he had an inkling about the nature of the tasks as well, it was not entirely impossible for him to dominate the tournament, but with the brewing of Astoria's cure, and his 'Voldemort' problem, he did not really want to devote much time to this useless venture.
"You have to be joking. You could rewrite history if you became a champion," and he had already wasted quite a bit of time last year by letting Clearwater rope him into the Quidditch Team, but this was a hundred times worse.
"A thousand Galleons! A thousand," she added, hoping to convince him, as he raised a brow.
"You do know I am a Black," and if the ledgers sent to him by Gringotts were anything to go by, he might be the richest Black Lord in a few centuries.
"I have a thousand problems, but Money is not one of them," and she rolled her eyes at his dialogue.
"Ok! You bourgeois bastard, still there is the fame and influence that comes with winning such a thing," and indeed there was that, but whoever had put his name in the tournament had done so with a clear intention of harming him.
By not participating in the matches, he would destroy their plan and force them to reveal their true nature, and if it was as he and Dumbledore feared, then they could plan against it.
"I have plenty of fame and influence already," and so that was not his plan.
"Daphne, make him see some sense." She turned towards her tried-and-tested method, but this time, the blonde did not support Tracey's agenda.
"He is right," and Tracey pouted as she hit Daphne on the arm.
"Hey!" but Daphne simply shrugged.
"Whomever put his name in the Goblet wanted to endanger his life, and by not playing this game of chicken and mouse, he destroys their whole agenda," and that was his plan, but Tracey groaned and threw a tantrum.
"But he is a man, and we all know he is capable of dominating the competition. Why doesn't he just dominate the matches and show whoever put his name in that he can bugger off!" and so the pleadings continued as they turned the final corner, and lo and behold outside the classroom someone was waiting for them.
She was wearing the blue silks of Beauxbatons, and even now, weeks after he had first seen her in them he found them strange on her. Both Tracey and Daphne eyed him, as his feet stopped and a part of him whispered to him to run away, to leave.
But he knew better. He had let his anger and frustrations consume him for some time now, but what was done was done. He could not change the past. Change the betrayal. The abandonment.
He was more mature than this, and he had to act that way.
"Hi," she greeted both Daphne and Tracey, who waved cautiously as Cassius sighed and walked towards her, and saw her eyes widen, as tears began to gather in them.
"Hi, it is good to see you," he whispered, and her feet moved in an instant as she threw herself into his arms.
"Yeah, it is," and his arms took a few seconds to react, and the actions that had once been so instinctive were a bit slow, but he still hugged her as she nestled her face on his chest.
"I am sorry," he whispered into her ear as she shook her head.
"No. I am the one who should be sorry," she whispered, as she pulled herself away.
"No. I was blindsided by your appearance and let my anger consume me," he whispered, and despite it all he had missed her greatly.
"AGHHH!" and before she could say anything else, Tracey groaned from the side and pretended to barf, as she threw open the doors.
"I cannot stand this anymore. It hurts my bachelor heart too much," and she pulled Daphne along with her into the room.
"Only come in after you two are done with this lovey-dovey shit!"
0000
HERMIONE GRANGER
Regret and relief both filled her heart as she sat beside Cassius on the garden stairs, a few paces away from the corridor of the abandoned classroom they would use for training.
This was the place where they would have Snowball fights during last year's Christmas, where they would walk and talk for hours on end, as her mind would begin painting a future for her.
One that went beyond her passion and career, one that involved a family.
But now, even if both of them sat here and talked as they did years ago, the realization had set in that the future she had dreamt of for years was now gone and would never be hers.
"I know that I have written this before, but I must say again. I am sorry for what happened to you and your parents," he added, and she shook her head.
"You bear no blame for that," yet her parents refused to see reason, and see beyond his long-dead name and blood.
"You are not your father." Otherwise, she would not be in so much pain right now.
"I should be the one apologizing for my behavior, for abandoning you like that," and bad enough as it was, it was made even worse by the fact that she knew the damage their relationship had done to him, and the risk he had taken by revealing it to the world.
Yet when the tides were turned on her, she became helpless. For all her courage and affection for Cassius, Hermione loved her parents. She loved them more than anything, and so when they forced her to make a choice, it broke her heart that she chose them over Cassius.
She knew that doing so would break his heart, that this was both cruel and wrong, but her parents had left her no choice as they forced her to cut all ties with Britain's twisted and crazy Magical World.
"So, you intend on staying in France?" he asked, and she nodded, knowing well that there was more to this question than simple words.
"Yes," she answered, as she remembered the promise that she had made to her parents, for the only other option was to completely cut herself off from the wizarding world or her family.
Going to France, and making a life there was the only compromise that allowed her to have both Magic and family in her life, yet it robbed her of a friendship, of a relationship that she had treasured.
"Well, I do hope you have a good life there," he said with a smile, as Hermione nodded.
"I know it is too much to ask you, but I want to part as friends," she hoped that in the future they could remain friends, pen pals, maybe, meet up when possible, and so forth.
He chuckled at her words.
"You do always ask for the most difficult things," he whispered, before he nodded as her heart melted.
"Sure, but I think we should go. Tracey and Daphne have waited for enough time," and so they stood up, and walked towards the classroom, and the two of them had started without them and had already broken a sweat.
"Damn, this room has seen better days," Cassius whispered as he glanced at all the destroyed training dummies, as Tracey and Daphne sat together.
"So, what's the plan for today?" he asked, when suddenly Daphne rose up.
"I think I have practised enough for today," and she seemed different, as she spoke up, lacking the usual cool, nonchalant vibe that she usually carried.
"What? But we haven't gotten started yet," Cassius argued, but the blonde simply shook his head.
"I am just not feeling that well, so you should continue this without me," and with that, she walked past them, as Hermione's eyes narrowed, for she had an inkling that this was not so simple.
Tracey, who had stayed behind, followed out soon after.
"I have to go with her, you two should enjoy yourself," and with that, she was gone as well, as Cassius rubbed his head.
"Well, there goes the plan," he whispered, looking towards her.
"Well, with them gone we could there is not much to do. So, why don't we take a day off?" and she was fine with that, but before they were out of the Hall, someone stepped in their way.
"So, that is the boy who gave you all that trouble?" and she wore a uniform similar to her own, but even Hermione would be lying if she was not intimidated by her presence.
Her blonde hair shone like silk, and those blue eyes held the very ocean in them, as she stood there eyeing Cassius, who, much to his credit, maintained his composure and did not begin to blabber like idiots.
"Fleur, why are you here?" she asked, and the girl raised a brow.
"Because I believe I am in need of a guide if I am to move through this ancient relic," and her English still had that accent, even though it had lessened greatly.
"Help me find the library, will you?" and she nodded, offering Cassius an apology.
"I am afraid I have to go as well," and he nodded.
"Sure, go on ahead," and so she joined her senior from Beauxbatons, who eyed Cassius as they turned away from him and headed towards the library.
"Was he bothering you?" Fleur asked, and the senior had been quite protective of her ever since she had joined the school in France, mentioning how she reminded her of her little sister, even though no one would ever mistake her for a sister of someone like her.
Fleur Delacour was everything Hermione had ever hoped to become, confident, powerful, and blessed with a charm that could make boys mad.
"No, he is an old friend," she answered, shaking her head vigorously, knowing full well what she was capable of.
"Friend? Or boyfriend?" she teased, and the cultural differences between the French and the English societies were many, including their brashness when it came to discussing sensitive topics.
"We were dating before, but now we have decided to just become friends," and the blonde glanced back as she whispered.
"Not a bad choice. He is much better than your other friend," making her frown, for she had only introduced her to Ron and Harry until now.
"I apologise for Ron's rudeness," and that was about the dozenth time she had spoken those words, but as she remembered the scene of him awkwardly asking her to marry him, she shuddered with disgust and embarrassment.
"The redhead. No, he was harmless," Fleur answered with a chuckle, making her frown.
"Then who?" she asked.
"I am talking about the one wearing glasses," and it took a few seconds to register.
"Harry?" she gaped, and the girl nodded, but she remembered him being perfectly polite to her.
"Yes, stay away from that one. He gives me a bad feeling..."
0000
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