The Irish, The Geordie and The Redhead

Cassie blinked blearily as she opened her eyes. She smiled as she unhooked her arm from a waist and let her eyes drift slowly up the face in front of her. The smiling mouth, the upturned nose covered in freckles, the bright blues eyes which looked inquisitively at her.

“Morning gorgeous,” she said as she wriggled slightly.

“Mornin’,” said a voice in an Irish accent as Cassies eyes settled on the sandy coloured hair in front of her… wait a minute, sandy coloured hair? Irish accent? Oh. My. God.

Cassie was just about to yell when she found a large hand clapped over her mouth and someone muttering “Silencio!” in a hushed voice, whilst clambering out from underneath the duvet. As soon as the hand was removed from its position she began to yell profusely, knowing no one outside of the bed could hear her.

“SEAMUS??? What in the BLOODY HELL am I doing in your BED???”

“No idea Cass. I was just about to ask ya the same thing,” replied Seamus quietly, his Irish accent lilting and making it sound like a question.

“Oh god,” Cassie said with some amount of dread. “You don’t think we got so drunk that we…” Here she stopped, choosing her words carefully. “…slept together?”

“Well we slept in the same bed obviously,” Seamus replied with a grin. “But I don’t think we slept together. It’s weird, I didn’t drink anything’ last night yet I can’t remember anything after ya and Ron coming into the room with Firewhisky.”

“I keep having memories of sleeping with someone. I only pray god that it wasn’t you.”

“Yeah well, I think we should go down to breakfast and talk about it. No one else is up, it’s too early and plus, bein’ this close to ya is slightly unnerving.”

Cassie looked down and realised that both her and Seamus were in nothing but underwear. Oh great, not only did I sleep in the same bed as Seamus, I slept in the same bed as Seamus wearing boxers. And me only wearing underwear. Fun.

Seamus laughed at this and Cassie looked up, shocked. She smiled apologetically when she realised what she had done.

“Sorry,” she muttered. “I didn’t realise I was speakin’ out loud. I didn’t mean that I didn’t enjoy it… well I didn’t enjoy it obviously, it’s just… well what’s Ron going to say? I’m going to be in so much trouble ’coz we won’t be able to explain and….”

“Cass shut up.” Seamus’ eyes sparkled with amusement as he spoke. “Not only are ya digging a hole for yaself but ya rambling as well. Now let’s get dressed and get breakfast.”

**********

The few teachers that breakfasted at half six in the morning looked up in surprise when they heard the door to the Great Hall open, as no pupil had ever been to breakfast this early. They downright stared when they realised that it was Cassie and Seamus who were now walking down past the Ravenclaw table on their way to the Gryffindor table. They were, after all, usually late for everything. Maybe it’s them turning over a new leaf? thought Professor McGonagall and then immediately snorted at her own thought. No they are definitely plotting something. Good grief! Brains and a double dose of mischief? I will have to tell Mr Malfoy to watch out! She chuckled and then turned back to her breakfast, dismissing the thought quickly.

Meanwhile, over at the Gryffindor table Cassie was buttering a croissant and saying to Seamus, “So Irish, what do you think is happening here?” She pointed the croissant at him. “Y‘know, between you and me?”

“Well Geordie,” Cassie winced at this. Just because she had lived in Newcastle until she was eleven and still had a broad Geordie accent was no reason to call her Geordie. Seamus had always called her that, ever since they had become friends during sixth year, and since he had found out she hated it. She in return had called him Irish which, she supposed, was no better really. “I don’t actually think there is anything’ happening between you and me. Sorry to disappoint ya darlin’.”

“Damn and I always wanted to shag someone better looking than Ron!” Cassie said with a grin. They had always teased and flirted as well. Seamus knew that he was good looking, hell most people thought he was gorgeous! But he also knew that Cassie would never give up Ron, not for anyone. They would always be friends of course, but that would be all they would ever be. “But seriously though, do you have any idea what in the bloody hell happened?”

“Ya know ya sounded ‘lot like Ron then, ya should stop hangin’ round with him so much!” Seamus said with a grin. “I think ya should ask him what happened. Y’know make out like ya were really drunk. Ah, speak of the devil! Ron, how are ya mate?”

“F-fine,” yawned Ron as he sat down next to Cassie. “Couldn’t sleep Cass? It’s just usually when I wake up you’re still sleepin’ like a log.”

“Yeah summink like that,” Cassie said quietly. “Look Ron could you tell me what happened last night? You know after we got up to the dorms?”

“Why?” said Ron with a grin. “Were you really that drunk? You didn’t seem it. Well we went up to my dorm, you got drunk, did some embarrassin’ stuff and then went to bed.”

“Erm.. Where did I go to bed?” asked Cassie with a sheepish grin, wincing when Ron went bright red.

“In my bed,” explained Ron, turning bright red. “Why don’t you remember?”

“I’m really, really sorry Ron,” Cassie nearly whispered, wincing again at the look of disdain on Rons face, “but I must have been really drunk.”

“Oh,” said Ron, crestfallen. “Never mind eh? It was only the once after all.”

“Yeah I suppose so,” said Seamus, joining the conversation with a half vacant look on his face. “It’ll never happen again Cass right?”

“Nah never. Promise,” said Cassie just as Hermione descended upon them, Harrys arm around her waist, at the sight of which a scowl appearing on Rons face.

“Hey you guys,” she said plonking down hard onto the bench next to Harry with the weight of her bag, already full of books.

“Hermione is summink wrong?” asked Seamus, looking concerned.

“Yeah,” said Cassie, knowing immediately what Seamus was on about. “You must have sat down, what, thirty seconds ago and you’re not reading!”

“I was just thinking,” (“Well there’s a surprise,” muttered Ron waspishly).

“About…?” prompted Cassie.

“How pretty Seamus’ and your voices sound together. The accents suit each other perfectly,” Hermione answered Cassie, looking as dreamy and vague as she was ever going to look.

Cassie thought that Rons reaction to this statement was the funniest thing she had seen since Neville had tried (quite successfully actually!) to do an Irish Jig with Seamus. (scarily Seamus was the drunk one, not Neville.) His entire face went a scary purple colour apart from the tips of his ears which were pure white. Ah, thought Cassie, Someone should do something or this could get very nasty.

Fortunately at that precise moment Seamus provided the best type of distraction Cassie could have asked for. He burst out laughing.

“Pretty??? Ya think me accent is pretty?” he said, spluttering. “Oh that’s gotta be the funniest thing I’ve heard. And I’ve heard Ron sing.”

At this comment Ron began to say something derogatory but thought better of it and began to laugh instead. Laugh hard in fact. So hard that Cassie was worried for him, if not for his health (he was coughing attractively by this point.) but for his mental sanity.

“Come on,” he said, sighing happily. “We’ve got Divination next.”

“Why’s he so happy ‘bout that?” Cassie asked Seamus, still worried for her boyfriends mental state.

“He has Divination?” Seamus said, as if explaining something to a small child. “Y’kno Divination? A.k.a. a perfect excuse to feel his girlfriend up under a table?”

“Oh that,” muttered Cassie blushing deeply. “Yeah. Right.”

**********

Cassie recalled that evening as she sat by the fire in the Gryffindor Tower Common Room. It was well past everyone’s bed time, even the late night essay-doers were in bed. She, as Head Girl (something of which had upset Hermione greatly. Cassie was sure the echoes of that fight were still bouncing around the castle somewhere…), had had a meeting with Harry who was, of course, Head Boy. She was always glad to go to these meetings however as, let’s face it, it beat sitting there, getting steadily more and more bored, watching Hermione knit hats and god knows what else and Ron beat anyone that was stupid enough (mostly Harry and Ginny) to challenge him to a game of chess. That was the one thing Cassie was actually proud of, beating Ron at chess, although they both agreed it must have been a fluke as she had never beaten him since then. She was still quite proud though. God knows she wasn’t proud of being Head Girl. Who wanted everyone to think of you as a bossy, stuck-up, prissy like Hermione was? Not her thank you very much. The duties were mind numbingly boring as well. In fact the meetings she had with Harry were the high points and that, thinking about his increasingly depressed state, was saying something.

Cassie let her mind drift off to a particular section of their conversation, the part where they were so sick of duties that they asked about each others lives. Tonight was Cassies turn to be scrutinised by Harry.

“So Cass, How’re you an’ Ron doin’?” he had asked with concern.

“Well y’know,” Cassie had stated vaguely. “We’re doin’ ‘kay. Something weird happened last night though.”

Oops. Where had that thought come from? Could she tell him about the ‘incident’? Probably, he was very loyal after all.

“Oh yeah?” asked Harry with a cheeky grin. “What was that?”

“Harry!” Cassie had shrieked, shocked. “If you could keep your mind out of the gutter for a few minutes, it was nothing like that!” Here she had stopped grinning and put the serious part into the conversation. “Harry? Can I trust you with summink? Summink you can NEVER tell Ron. Ever. Or until I’ve sorted it out anyway.”

“Yeah of course you can Cass. You do realise that you’re one of us now? I’d never betray Ron or Hermiones confidence! Seamus’ either, come to think of it.”

“Well,” Cassie began, wincing slightly, “it actually has to do with Seamus slightly. Or y’know a lot.”

“What?” asked Harry with the kind of innocence which always made Cassie want to ruffle his hair like a little kid. He was in many ways, after all, still like a little kid. Cassie always wondered if it had something to do with the fucked up childhood he had endured or whether he really was just that innocent.

“Well do you remember that night I got drunk?” Harry smiled and nodded encouragingly, obviously remembering. “I kinda erm… woke up in Seamus’ bed.” At this Cassie threw a sheepish look at Harry who, she saw through her hair, was wearing an appalled look.

“Oh Cassie, please tell me you didn’t fuck Seamus Finnegan?”

“Since when did I say that?” Cassie asked, a look of mock surprise on her face. “I just said that I woke up in his bed! We both agree that there was no fucking involved. That’s the weird bit! I slept in the same bed as Seamus Finnegan and didn’t fuck him! How many girls can honestly say that?”

Harry laughed. “Not many!” he had said truthfully. “That’s still strange though. If you can’t justify it though I can see why you don’t want Ron to find out! You don’t sleep-walk do you?”

“No and I never have!” Cassie had replied, running her hands through her hair in frustration. “And neither does Seamus! It’s the strangest situation I’ve ever been in. And seeing as I’m a witch that’s saying something.”

“Well I’m sure you’ll sort it out soon,” Harry had said with a reassuring smile. “And in the mean time I won’t say a word to Ron.”

“Thanks,” Cassie had replied, smiling back.

At this point Cassie blinked and came out of her thoughts with a jolt. It was now far too late for her to be up and she still hadn’t checked on the other years dorms, her last duty of the night. She sighed as she stood and ascended the stairs, shaking her head to be rid of her drowsiness.

All was fine until she reached the fifth floor landing and heard the sound of voices coming from the Fifth Year dorm. She was about to open the door and ask them very impolitely to shut the hell up as it was half past one in the morning, but she stopped in her tracks when she heard Rons name.

“Don’t you ever wonder how far his freckles go?” a voice had asked, amidst a lot of giggling.

“What Ron Weasley? Hell yeah!” another, deeper voice had answered. “But I suppose that privilege is kept to his girlfriend, lucky cow.”

At this point Cassie had pulled the door open with a loud clang and marched into the middle of the room, stopping the giggles abruptly.

“Just in case you were wonderin‘,” she addressed the room, not knowing who had spoken, “the freckles go all over, and yes I mean ALL over. I would know, after all, being the lucky cow I am. Now if you wouldn’t mind shuttin’ the hell up your dirty talk about my boyfriend, it’s half past one in the bloody morning‘. Goodnight.”

After she had marched back out the room and into the seventh year dormitory, shutting the door with a thud, she fell onto her bed with laughter, affectively waking up Hermione in the process.

“Cassie what in the name of Merlin are you laughing so hard about at,” At this point Hermione had turned and glanced at her clock quickly, “one thirty-seven in the morning?”

“Never mind Hermione. Go back to sleep,” Cassie replied, collapsing into a fresh fit of giggles when she realised that she was indeed the only non-relative that actually knew how far Rons freckles went.

***********

Cassie rushed into the Seventh Year boys dormitory the next morning and yanked Rons drapes back, intent on telling him about last night and maybe making him laugh a bit, but the sight before her stopped both her body and her thoughts in their tracks.

The covers were thrown off and, from what Cassie could see, Ron had his leg flung across a different pair of legs, his arm slung around a different waste, and was cuddling quite effectively into someone who was, quite clearly, not her. The really breathtaking bit was that it was Seamus who was cuddling back into Ron.

As she stood there speechless, Cassie let her eyes become accustomed to the amazing and, dare she even think it?, quite arousing sight. At that moment Ron, wriggled slightly in his sleep, groaning, causing Seamus to fling his arm across him and pull him, if it was physically possible, even closer. Oh bloody hell! Be still my beating heart, she thought as she now greedily let her eyes drink in the gorgeous sight before her. Why deny it? It is a gorgeous sight!

However, just as Cassie was just getting used to finding her boyfriend in bed with someone else, both boys snapped out of their sleep suddenly, yelling and scrambling to opposite ends of the bed simultaneously.

“Oh really now,” she said in a sulky tone of voice, making both the boys jump, “did you have to go and spoil the scenery like that? It was such a lovely view as well.”

“How long have you been there?” asked Seamus with desperation.

“Long enough to see my boyfriend in bed with another boy,” Cassie replied with amusement. “I must say I’m really very proud of you Ron.”

“Proud?” Ron echoed with confusion.

“Well you seemed to be doing the angsty and angry side of being a teenager quite well but forgettin’ completely the kinky side. I’m glad you remembered.”

“You mean you aren’t angry?” asked Seamus, incredulous.

“Well it’s quite clear from Ron that you didn’t actually shag.” Cassie said matter-of-factly.

“How’d you guess that?” Seamus asked, trying to figure out Cassies statement.

“Well if you had Ron wouldn’t be able to walk. And don’t ask me how I know that,” Cassie added. “Ask Ron at a later date.”

“Well Ronald,” she said, turning on him. “I thought I was the kinky one! Could you even tell me how this came about? And you,” she reprimanded, turning sharply to Seamus, who was giggling away happily, “can shut up as well. Well Ron? Seamus?”

“Well I kinda have no idea how it happened,” Ron replied sheepishly.

“Seamus?” Cassie asked. “Do you think we should tell him?”

“Tell me what?” asked Ron in confusion.

“Well me and Seamus kinda woke up in a similar position yesterday morning.”

“But you fell asleep in my bed,” said Ron, perplexed. “I watched you,” he added, a blush creeping up his neck steadily.

“I know!” Cassie exclaimed desperately. “I swear nothing happened between us. Both me and Seamus can vouch for that.”

Ron nodded vaguely. “I believe you, especially after waking up in a similar position this morning. I wished I knew what was going on.”

Seamus nodded in agreement and Cassie voiced hers. “I wish that as well. And I swear that I’ll work it out if it kills me,” she added, the determination voiced in her words making her statement final.

**********

Cassie was feeling very perplexed as she walked off the Quidditch pitch, aching all over. Ron, the current captain, hadn’t shown to practice that afternoon, for the first time in the two years he had been appointed with the position. Harry had taken over of course, making out that Ron just needed some sleep, but Cassie had caught the perplexed look he had thrown her and had answered with a shrug of her own.

Ron had, after switching from Keeper to Beater, adding Cassie as the other half of the pair, Ginny, Dean and some kid from fifth year as Chasers, and Seamus as an exceptionally adapt Keeper, formed an incredibly hard to beat and able team. He had become an extremely well liked captain with an unbeatable team, making it unheard of for him to miss practice, to improve the already flawless team. Even Slytherin got their arse kicked in the last match. Cassie noted the score 400-20 as gleefully as she whacked the bludgers along with Ron forcefully towards Malfoy. Cassie had always loved flying. It let her let go of all her worries in some way that nothing else did, flying up amongst the clouds, and if being violent to that prick and partying was combined with that, the sport was as damned near perfect as you could get in her eyes.

Cassie suddenly had an idea as to where Ron was and swirled around in her tracks, nearly decapitating a first year Hufflepuff in her haste. On her way to the Astronomy Tower she smiled as she remembered when she and Ron had found the cone shaped room at the very top of the tower. It had been perfect for the increasingly good band that they had formed. Herself on drums and occasionally singing, Seamus on bass and Ron on guitar and vocals. Irish Fire it was called, referring to Rons, and she supposed hers as well, hair. Ron could actually sing very well, but not many people knew as he kept quiet about it. He had a deep, dark voice which was very good for singing rock. Cassie on the other hand, had a voice rich and velvety in texture, better for singing the slow rock ballads. Seamus well, he was, to put it bluntly, hilarious. You haven’t lived until you’ve heard Smooth Criminal sung by an Irish accent, Cassie thought, giggling, as she opened the door.

Ron was sitting on the windowsill, watching the sunset and playing Nickelback's How you remind me. Never having heard just Ron perform this particular song, she didn’t interrupt, waiting until the last chord had been played.

"How You Remind Me"

Never made it as a wise man

I couldn't cut it as a poor man stealing

Tired of living like a blind man

I'm sick of sight without a sense of feeling

And this is how you remind me

This is how you remind me

Of what I really am

This is how you remind me

Of what I really am

It's not like you to say sorry

I was waiting on a different story

This time I'm mistaken

for handing you a heart worth breaking

and I've been wrong, I’ve been down,

been to the bottom of every bottle

these five words in my head

scream "are we having fun yet?"

yet, yet, yet, no, no

yet, yet, yet, no, no

It's not like you didn't know that

I said I love you and I swear I still do

And it must have been so bad

Cause living with me must have damn near killed you

And this is how, you remind me

Of what I really am

This is how, you remind me

Of what I really am

It's not like you to say sorry

I was waiting on a different story

This time I'm mistaken

for handing you a heart worth breaking

and I've been wrong, I’ve been down,

been to the bottom of every bottle

these five words in my head

scream "are we having fun yet?"

yet, yet, yet, no, no

yet, yet, yet, no, no

yet, yet, yet, no, no

yet, yet, yet, no, no

Never made it as a wise man

I couldn't cut it as a poor man stealing

And this is how you remind me

This is how you remind me

This is how you remind me

Of what I really am

This is how you remind me

Of what i really am

It's not like you to say sorry

I was waiting on a different story

This time I'm mistaken

for handing you a heart worth breaking

and I've been wrong, i've been down,

been to the bottom of every bottle

these five words in my head

scream "are we having fun yet?"

yet, yet

are we having fun yet ?

yet, yet

are we having fun yet ?

yet, yet

are we having fun yet ???

“That was really good,” Cassie appraised Ron when he had finished belting the song out.

“Cassie!” Ron jolted clear off his seat, landing on the floor in a tangle of limbs and guitar parts. “Bloody Hell! You scared the shit outta me! And stop laughin’, it’s not funny!”

“Oh but, I think it is,” Cassie replied as Ron picked himself up cautiously. “What are you doin’ up here anyway? We missed you at practice, Harry had to step in.”

“Oh fuck it! Practice! I knew there was summink I forgot!” Ron yelled, slapping a large hand to his forehead in exasperation.

“Don’t worry Harry covered for you,” she replied, waving a hand dismissively. “But why are you up here? You didn’t call me an’ Seamus so obviously you didn’t want a band practice. What did you want? Budge up a bit.”

“I was thinkin’ ‘bout this mornin’ really,” Ron said as he shifted over on the windowsill, making room for Cassie to sit and watch the owls leave the Owlery and soar into the blood-red sunset. “I was tryin’ to work it out, and music helps me think.”

“Oh don’t keep worryin’ ‘bout that. I have ze plan,” she muttered in a very poor imitation of a French accent. “Ve vill only pretend to go to ze sleep tonight, and zen ve vill catch whoever dares attack us!”

“Cassie?”

“Oui?”

“You really are as loopy as a fruit bat,” Ron said, shaking his head.

“But zat is why you aime moi muchly non?”

“Of course,” Ron kissed the top of her head, wrapping his arms around her shoulders. It was in this position that Cassie thought she would die happy. Or at least she would think it if she was at all soppy. “It’s like you say isn’t it? Us loons must stay together or we’ll start bein’ hunted as a species.”

“It a logical theorem yes.”

“So,” Ron said turning her head so she could see him. “From one loony to another, I do love you.”

“Ron, do you remember the last intelligible thing I said to you last night?”

“Summink ‘bout you wonderin’ how I could manage to stand up with the weight of that ‘thing’, as you so eloquently put it. Kneelin’ down as you were I suppose you had quite a view after all!” Ron answered with a grin the size of a small country.

“No I meant after that,” Cassie mumbled, turning a shade of red that would put Rons normal blush to shame. “I said I love you and I do. I love you, Weasley, and don’t you ever forget that. People do love you. They know you.”

Ron sighed, ruffling the hair on top of Cassies head, and it felt exactly as if it were a light summers breeze. “Yeah they know me.” Rons tone was bitter, and Cassie twisted around in surprise. “They know me ‘cause I’m Harry Potters best friend, and Hermione Grangers best friend, and a Weasley; a sidekick extraordinaire with so many brothers that nothing’s ever original, nothing could ever be original. I’m known for the people around me, the famous and intelligent and brave. I’m just here for the comical relief, and I wanted to be here for summink more than that, summink worthwhile. It pisses me off to be known as a Weasley or a sidekick or a friend. I want to be known for who I am, not who I know.”

Cassie was shocked to her very inner core that Ron should even think of something like that, something so degrading. She had never known he thought so little of himself, and it was up to her to make things right. What with Hermione and Harry so wrapped up and busy at the moment, she seemed to be the only one that Ron could confide in and, even thought the weight of that responsibility settled somewhere between her stomach and her chest, she felt a much stronger sense of pride, one that had started off as a little shoot, and grown stronger each time he had let a little emotion out. She turned to face Ron, her knees up against his, holding his shoulders and shaking them a little.

“Earth calling Ron Weasley! I do something better than know you for being you, every day. I love you for being you, just being Ron, every day. I love the way you stick your tongue out into the corner of your mouth when you play chess, because you’re concentrating. I love the way that you force me out of bed at seven in the morning for Quidditch practice, because it shows your passion and determination for something that you truly love. I love the way you yell at the Referee when the Cannons play because you’re loyal to them and I love the way you still can’t get the hang of the offside rule even though Dean must have taught everyone else in Gryffindor it and showed you about three hundred times! I love the way I still catch you trying to poke Deans West Ham poster with your wand, trying to make it move. I love when I come in on a Sunday morning while everyone else is at breakfast and catch you wanking because there’s no one there and you’ve forgotten to do a silencing charm, like you always forget anyway which I know thanks to Seamus and Harry, and how I find you moaning my name. I love how you stay up ’till two in the morning devising Qudditch strategies and how you look so free when you fly and so sexy when you’re angry. Most of all I love you Ron! Just you! Not Harry Potters friend, or The Weasley Twins brother, or even Ron Weasley! Just Ron. That’s all I want and all I’ll ever want and don’t you dare forget that!”

Ron grinned at her, quickly twisting her around and planting a kiss on the top of her head. “Thanks Cass, I needed that.”

“You’re welcome. But you can be more of a bloody loony than Peeves sometimes you know that?”

At this she swerved to avoid Rons hand, and therefore fell off the seat with laughter which soon turned itself into a play fight including a lot of kissing but not a lot of fighting.

**********

“Are ya sure ‘bout this Cass?”

“Yes Seamus I’m sure! You don’t even have to stay awake if you don’t want to! I’ll catch the bastard that’s doing this if Ron wore you out so much last night!”

Seamus winced visibly at the statement referring to his discomfort at the situation, and shook his head. “Nah that’s ’kay Cassie, I’ll stay up. Ya are only goin’ to sleep on Rons bed right, not shag?”

“Yeah alright, I know Rons lack of respect for silencing charms.”

There was a muffled, “Hey!” at this, from behind a mouthful of chocolate frog currently being eaten by Ron. “I’m not that bad am I?”

“YES!” yelled Harry, Seamus, Dean and even Neville, who was not only one of the deepest sleepers Ron knew, but whom slept at the other end of the room.

“Ah, right. I’ll just go back to my chocolate frogs now then,” replied Ron, flushing deeply. “They’re less embarrassing than talking to you lot about my private nightly activities.”

“Nought very private ‘bout them, mate,” Seamus murmured quietly. The other boys in the dormitory always felt sorry for Seamus, for his bed was right next to Rons.

“Right well yes,” Cassie muttered in return, realising how this new revelation not only effected Ron, but her as well. “I think on that note I’ll be going to sleep. Night all.”

And with that she practically ran to Rons bed, jumped onto it and yanked the curtains shut with such ferocity that the pole they were hanging from wobbled.

“You know what mate,” Harry said to Seamus as he tried to put his pyjama bottoms on. “I’ll never understand girls.”

“Yeah they’re completely mental. Not like us lads eh?” Seamus replied, just before falling over his tangled pyjamas into a heap on the floor.

**********

“Cassie!”

Cassie awoke to someone gasping her name. As the sound came from Seamus’ bed and he sounded in pain, Cassie leapt out of bed and padded over to his bed, scolding herself for falling asleep when she was supposed to be catching a complete arse. As she reached the right bed she saw Seamus’ hand reach out to grab his wand of his bedside table and mutter a quiet “Purgo”, a cleaning charm. The impact of what this meant hit Cassie like a hammer and she tossed the curtains resting in front of her aside without a clue what she was about to say.

Seamus’ wide eyes stared up at her, shocked beyond all belief.

“Cassie!” he gasped again, for a completely different reason. “H-how long have ya been there?”

“Long enough,” Cassie managed to croak after several seconds of silence.

“Oh god,” he exclaimed, scrambling about. “I’m sorry, I’m so sorry!”

“It’s alright,” Cassie heard herself replying. “I know what it’s like. I mean it’s not like I’ve never heard Ron!”

And with that she ran across to Rons bed for the second time that night, bumping into the end in her haste and causing him to mutter incorrigibly.

As she lay there, Cassie almost laughed at the absurdity of the situation. She should really thank Seamus after all, he had made her stay awake long enough to see the figure creeping in through the French windows the led to the balcony of the tower.

She shut her eyes and tried to breathe as evenly as she could, listening out for voices as she heard someone open the curtains of Rons four-poster carefully.

“Good grief she’s in here again!” whispered a voice quietly. “You would’ve thought she would’ve had ‘nough by now. Obviously the Weasel’s got summink you ain’t.”

“Nothing obvious, apart from a lack of brains, looks and personality. Now shut up Zabini and help me with this.” Cassie had to physically stop herself from hitting Malfoy at that point. How could the stupid Ferret say that about Ron? He had much better looks and personality than he would ever have, along with a much bigger- NO. Now was not the time to think of that, especially when…

“Mobilicorpsus!”

Especially when someone was levitating her our of her bloody bed! Cassie had to bite her lip to bleeding to stop herself crying out because she knew that it was Blaise Zabini levitating her. He was probably the only decent Slytherin she knew, or at least used to be, she didn’t think she’d ever be able to talk to him without hexing him again and it would be a shame to spoil those good looks. Cassie worked to the theory that if she couldn’t touch, she could at least look. And the bad boy attitude was very alluring as well.

Suddenly, Cassie thumped down to someone who, by the way he was snoring loudly, she recognised as Seamus. She was followed by a second thump which she knew on instinct as Ron. Her attention was then turned back on the voices floating in from the other side of the deep red velvety drape.

“This should shock them when they wake up,” Malfoy sniggered. “Stupid trusting Gryffindors, leaving their French windows opened.”

“Malfoy I’m still not sure ‘bout this,” Blaise replied quietly, shaking his head. “I think it’s a bit underhand, attackin’ someone when they can’t fight back. And that memory charm you cast on them on Sunday night was very illegal, I checked in the library.”

Cassie took back everything. Blaise still seemed concerned for her safety, almost as much as an actual friend would be. She didn’t think her revenge would contain him. Malfoy on the other hand…

“Eurgh Zabini, you just sounded exactly like a bloody Gryffindor, with all that noble ‘they can’t fight back’ bull. Even worse there was elements of Hufflepuff in that speech as well. Slytherins don’t back out of plans, you should know that.”

“You know what Malfoy?” Blaise now sounded very angry. About time, Cassie thought, I couldn’t have put up with Malfoy that long without cursing him. “I wish I was in Gryffindor! At least they support their friends, no matter what decision they make! Screw you Malfoy! I’m not in this anymore, it’s a crap plan! I’ll see you back in the Common Room.”

With that he strode out of the French windows, grabbing his broom on the way and flew away, leaving Malfoy standing there spluttering in the middle of the room. If Cassie could’ve, she would’ve given him a round of applause. It was about time someone took Malfoy down a few pegs.

“Stupid idiot,” Malfoy was muttering as he gathered his belongings. “No respect for his family name! Never make a Death Eater. He’ll end up being chucked out of his house if he’s not careful. Both at home and Hogwarts.” Malfoy then followed in Blaises footsteps, shutting the French windows carefully behind him before flying away into the night.

Cassie realised that at that moment she should be thinking up a horrible revenge for Malfoy, but it was really very comfortable and warm in the bed and she felt very safe lying between her two favourite people. Very soon she felt herself drifting off and no matter how hard she tried, she just couldn’t come back…

************

The next morning Cassie found herself being gently roused from her sleep by someone breathing softly on her face. Looking to either side of her, she smiled as she saw both of her boys fast asleep with their mouths wide open, Ron snoring loudly and Seamus muttering something about brooms. She spent the next half an hour devising a plan of revenge for Malfoy which, even if she did say herself, was genius, and trying to think of a way of waking Seamus and Ron up without freaking them out. She finally decided that waking one of them up first would be better, and so gentle shook Seamus with the hand that wasn’t trapped under his back.

“Good morning,” she whispered quietly when his eyes fluttered open.

“Mornin’ Cass,” Seamus replied, smiling. “Why does this feel so natural? It’s really quite weird.”

“I dunno, but if you let me have my arm back I can wake Ron up and ask him.”

“O’course,” Seamus sat up, as to let Cassie move her arm from under him and roll over to face Ron.

“Ron sweetheart,” she said quietly, only getting a distorted ’Mmm?’ in reply. “It’s time to wake up.”

“’Kay.” Ron replied sitting up and rubbing his eyes before stretching and catching sight of Seamus.

“Mornin’ Seamus,” he said reaching his hand out and shaking Seamus’ over Cassies shoulder. “Nice to see ya mate.”

“Ya too. Ya don’t think any of us actually stayed awake long ‘nough to see who did this?”

“I did!” Cassie piped up from between them. “It was Malfoy and Blaise.”

“Right” said Ron, a dark look clouding his face as he swung his legs over the edge of the bed. “Right.”

“Ron get back here,” Cassie said, pulling Ron onto his back on the bed by his pyjama top. “Don’t you want to hear my plan to completely humiliate Ferret boy?”

“Why not Zabini ‘swell?” Seamus asked.

“’Cause he was worried for our safety and basically told Malfoy where to get off. And also because me getting on with him is imperative to our plan.”

“Well what is this great plan then?” Ron asked from where he was currently getting up off his back on the end of the bed.

“Cm’ere and I’ll tell you.”

Cassie watched as both boys eyes grew wide and their mouths hang open as she explained the brilliance of her plan. When she had finished, she sat back on her heels, satisfied with the reaction she had got.

“Cassie that’s damn fantastic!” Seamus exclaimed, the mischievous glint in his eye returning.

“Yes well, if I go and find Blaise will you two go and ask Fred and George about the camera? I’m sure you can afford to bunk double Divination, I‘ll tell Trelawney that you saw death come upon you if you joined the class today or something, you know she‘ll lap it up, ‘specially if I get Lavender and Parvarti to join in.” Ron nodded his agreement. “Cheers! See you later.” And with that she bounded out of the room, walking up to the Girls Dormitory to get changed, knowing that the girls were all so used to her coming back early in the morning they wouldn’t ask any awkward questions.

*********

Cassie found Blaise eating breakfast down at the Slytherin table, along with Malfoy, Pansy Parkinson and Theodore Nott. She thanked her lucky stars that Crabbe and Goyle weren’t there for once. Not that she was scared of any Slytherin, just it would be a hell of a lot easier to do this without getting a black eye for her troubles.

She marched over, feeling every eye in the hall upon her, but not caring much anyway.

“Blaise can I have a word?” she asked, noticing Malfoy staring at her coldly. “Gotta problem Malfoy? Guilty conscience perhaps?” Malfoy shook his head and stared down at his pancakes. “No I thought not. So can I Blaise?”

“Of course,” Blaise replied good-naturedly. “Come with me.”

He led Cassie to a small room off the main corridor. Cassie remembered vaguely this being the room where Malfoy broke up with her.

“Well, what did you want Cassandra?”

Cassie winced. “Eurgh, please, call me Cassie. Well, I know that you’re pissed off with Malfoy. I was awake last night,” she explained, noticing Blaises confused look.

“Ah,” he replied articulately.

“Yes and I want to get my revenge on Malfoy but I need the password to the Slytherin common room, seeing as there’s no French windows to the dungeon. That’s where you come in.”

“why should I help you?” Blaise looked suspicious.

“Because otherwise I’ll include you in the revenge and it’s a hell of a lot easier than threatening a first year until they give it to me.”

Blaise sighed. “I won’t say that I wouldn’t be good to see Malfoy completely humiliated and knowing you, you would actually threaten a first year into hysterics. Alright, go to the wall down in the second dungeon passage next to the statue of Elthered the Unready. The password is ‘Pureblood’.” He grimaced. “I didn’t help them choose that one. It’s a bit patronising actually, half of us in there are half-bloods and Malfoys worst enemy, your boyfriend that is, not Harry, is a pureblood, but whatever Malfoy wants, Malfoy gets.”

“Thanks Blaise,” Cassie said, surprising him by hugging him warmly. “And I think after what you said to Malfoy last night, if you ever want to join us, you’d be welcomed in the Gryffindor common room any time.”

“Thank you Cassie,” Blaise replied, smiling. “I might just take you up on that sometime.” And with that promise hanging in the air he walked back to the breakfast where he knew several unavoidable, but perfectly able to be answered with a lie, questions were waiting for him.

**********

Charms was the perfect lesson for discussing their plans, as Professor Flitwick was teaching them a charm to magnify noises, so the classroom was so noisy Cassie was doubtful anyone would’ve heard her even if she had shouted. The classroom was full of magnified owls hooting, cats meowing and toads croaking, for they had all brought their pets to try the charm out on. Cassies owl Barnaby had annoyed her so much in the first ten minutes of the lesson that she had put a quick ‘Silencio’ on him just to shut him up. Rons owl Pig, on the other hand, was hooting more loudly than any of the other owls in the room, and Ron hadn’t even cast the spell correctly yet. Add to that fifteen or twenty voices yelling the incantation, ‘Garrulus!’ and the classroom was in absolute chaos.

Cassie beckoned Ron and Seamus over to her table, not worrying about attracting the attention of the others. Harry and Hermione had gone to chase after Crookshanks, who had decided to have a morning stroll, and Neville was trying to coax Trevor down from the chandelier in the middle of the room, although how the toad had got up there was anyone’s guess.

“Did you manage to get the camera off Fred and George?” Cassie asked, eyeing anyone that came within four foot of the trio coldly.

“Yeah eventually,” Ron replied, rolling his eyes. “Although I still don’t get why you wanted a muggle camera.”

“Bloody hell Ron, I must’ve explained this ten thousand times!” Cassie said, exasperated. “It’s because the people in muggle photographs can’t move, meaning Malfoy will stay in exactly the same position as we snap him in.”

“Oh right!” Rons eyes became wide as he finally realised how muggle cameras could be described as useful. He pointed his wand at Pig and, with a tiny jab of it, yelled; “Garrulus!”

A piercing screech echoed throughout the classroom, quickly followed by everyone clamping their hands over their ears and turning towards Cassies table, and a mass yell of,

“RON!!!”

**********

Cassie came down to breakfast the next morning along with Seamus and Ron, all three of them with a slight skip in their heel, none more so than Cassie, who was clutching a small piece of white paper as if her life depended on it. They made their way to the Slytherin table, making quite an apposing sight as they bared down on Malfoy.

“Malfoy we wanna word, one your own if you can bare to be apart from your henchman for three seconds,” Cassie said, smiling sweetly.

Malfoy looked suspiciously at them, but followed them out through the double doors leading to the dungeons, motioning to Crabbe and Goyle to stay where they were.

“What’s this about then?” Malfoy asked, as they rounded on him.

“Look what I’ve got,” Cassie almost sang as she shoved the piece of paper under his nose.

The piece of innocent looking white paper turned out to be an ordinary muggle photo. Well, the photo was ordinary, if not the content. It showed Malfoy quite happily snuggled in between Crabbe and Goyle, wearing blue stripy pyjamas.

“But… but… that didn’t happen!” Malfoy spluttered, trying to grab the photo off Cassie but not being able to reach, as she was holding it high above her head.

“Advantages to being a lanky, interfering Gryffindor aren’t there Malfoy? And it’d definitely not a very nice trick to have played on you is it?” Cassie eyes were glittering, her smile wide and dangerous, she was loving every minute of this. “Do you know what a photocopier does? No of course you don’t, it’s a muggle contraption. Well it works a bit like a wizard copying charm, only much quicker. I currently have two hundred copies of this photo, all in colour, you know, to benefit the lovely shade of your pyjamas Malfoy. Unless you want the whole school to see this, and believe me they’ll take my view over yours and you know it, you’ll do a forfeit. A bit like truth or dare I suppose.”

“What’s the forfeit?” Malfoy asked, eyes narrowing dangerously.

“For you to stand on the Slytherin table at breakfast today and sing a song,” Ron replied.

“What song?” came the terse reply.

“A loud, joyous chorus of Weasley is my King,” Cassie said, nearly losing her composure as Ron and Seamus cracked up laughing.

“No fucking way!” Malfoy yelled. “You’re outta your fucking minds, all of you.”

“It’s either that or we make sure everyone in the school sees this lovely piccy of you AND we write the lyrics on your head in indelible ink. I still have the password to Slytherin common room you know. Pink would suit your complexion best I think. There’s your choice, either get ridiculed for a few days, or get ridiculed for the rest of your life and disowned by your father, which you know would happen.” Cassies voice had suddenly lost it’s humorous edge and was completely serious and very threatening. Even Ron felt scared to some extent.

“You drive a hard bargain West,” Malfoy sounded defeated, which didn’t happen very regularly. “Just one chorus?”

“Mmm-hmm. With the necessary adjustments of course. But no mentioning that it was a dare or a forfeit. You can’t tell anyone that until afterwards, then you can tell whoever you bloody well like. Although I doubt the Gryffindors will believe you. We’re not actually as trusting as you think we are, us Gryffindors.”

Muttering and mumbling something about “F-ing Gryffindors and their plans.” Malfoy made his way to the Great Hall, the three over excited Gryffindors following quickly, Cassie pulling out a tape recorder from her robes. After all what was the point of making a Malfoy respect a Weasley without having it to show people generations later? This would be Cassies party piece for years to come.

Sitting quietly down at the table, so to make as little disturbance as possible, Cassie Seamus and Ron sat down at the Gryffindor table opposite Malfoy, who was currently clearing several plates from in front of him, as to make room for him to stand on the table. He then stood on the small gap in the middle of the Slytherin table and cleared his throat, effectively causing silence to fall upon the students and teachers alike.

He then began, in a very croaky, hoarse and disorientated fashion, to sing.

“Weasley is my King,

Weasley is my King,

That’s why all us Malfoys sing,

Weasley is my King.”

After giving a small bow, he plonked down from the table, red faced, and left the hall still in silence, save for the three Gryffindors sat in the middle of the table, laughing fit to bust and clinging onto to the table top to save them from sliding under it.

As the murmuring slowly began again, and once he had finished choking on his cereal, Harry turned to Cassie and asked in disbelief, “What in the name of Merlin did you do?”

Cassie smiled evilly. “You really don’t wanna know. Let’s just say that the sorting hat almost put me in Slytherin.”

**********

The commotion about Malfoy had died down after a few days of him resolutely sticking to the story that it was a dare, although the Gryffindor seventh and sixth year knew different. Cassie however, would make sure nobody would forget the momentous occasion by producing the tape recording every few months. Cassie was still looking forward to the look on Malfoys face when he realised that every single Weasley and Potter alike would know about that moment for generations to come, it would be priceless and Cassie knew that if Ron was given the choice of keeping that tape or being rich for the rest of his life he would choose the tape. After all you can always earn more money, whereas respect from a Malfoy, however grudgingly, had to be blackmailed out of him.

As she lay there Cassie examined the small ring on her left hand. It wasn’t hugely overbearing, but beautiful, a small red gem in the middle of a gold band. Not hugely posh but lovely still the same, just like the person who gave it to her, Cassie had thought. Gryffindor colours, Ron had explained from his position on the floor of the Great Hall. Just as she had thought that day couldn’t get any better than humiliating Malfoy, Ron had proved her wrong that evening. As soon as he had settled in for his training and saved enough money, Cassie would be becoming Mrs Ron Weasley. Cassie Weasley. Has a nice ring to it really, she thought rolling over slowly. And Ron had been grinning like a loon ever since he had received that letter. It seemed that a scout for the Chudley Cannons reserve team had seen his excellent performance that helped Gryffindor win the Quidditch cup in sixth year, along with them being well in the running for it this year as well. He had received a note from them asking him if he would like to come and play Beater for their Reserve A team. He had of course accepted and gone round telling everyone, including people that really didn’t care, for about two weeks non-stop.

Cassie herself had no idea what she was going to do once she left Hogwarts. She had no problems about housing for them, for before her mother died she had left the house to her and said she could move in as soon as she had finished school. This meant that Cassie could finally leave her mad old gran and move into the house with Ron, even take a lodger for some extra money if need be. And of course she was always welcome at the Burrow with the Weasleys and was looking forward to spending many a happy Christmas, Easter and maybe even Summer there.

As to a job, well she knew in her heart of hearts that there wouldn’t be time for one, for soon there would be yet another clan full of Weasleys occupying her time most effectively (something which would annoy Malfoy no end.) She knew that marrying a Weasley was destining yourself to being a housewife, and really, that’s all she’d ever wanted to be, a Weasley, a wife and a mother. She was going to be very happy.

Seeing the boy on the other side of her, muttering softly, reminded her of his plans as well. Seamus had, against his mothers wishes (something which surprised everyone), applied for an apprenticeship at Weasleys Wizarding Wheezes. After hearing about the major stunt that he had helped play on Malfoy his application had gone through rapidly and he was looking forward to starting work in September after a little break, and when the new school season started in Diagon Alley. In fact, Cassie strongly suspected that Seamus would be Ron and her lodger, seeing how convenient her house was for flooing straight to the shop.

It would be hard, explaining their relationship to people. The fact that waking up with Ron and Seamus was voluntary this time didn’t faze her in the slightest. It took a hell of a lot to faze Cassie West, if you hadn’t already worked that out by now. The fact that they had slept together (and by that she did mean slept together.) was the biggest leap of faith Cassie had ever taken, and who better to do that with than her two favourite people in the world, her best friend and her boyfriend? The trust she had developed for them over the past two years had been something that didn’t need explaining, with words or otherwise, and that was the strongest type of trust there was. Rons parents loved both Cassie and Seamus as part of the family, along with Harry and Hermione, so she knew they would take little convincing, knowing instinctively that this would make all of them stronger. (However, that still didn’t mean she was any keener on the idea of revealing it to Fred and George.) Seamus’ parents may take a little more convincing, but if the worst comes to the worst, she knew that Seamus would do this what ever his parents thoughts on the matter were. She knew that however the situation turned out over the years, things would be alright.

Stretching carefully, as not to wake the boys either side of her, Cassie noted the sun streaming in through the drapes, showing her that it was nearing the end of the sunrise and that she had better wake Seamus up soon, sending him off to his own bed. They had been lucky so far, she thought, that in a week they hadn’t been caught yet. Suddenly a head poke through the curtains and Cassie caught sight of a black shock of hair and inquisitive green eyes hiding behind round rimmed glasses before she closed her eyes with a groan.

“Ron it’s time for Quidditch… Ron? Cassie? SEAMUS???”

Oh bollocks.

THE END.