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The last of the students coming out of the Duelling Club hall finally cleared as Cassandra waits responsibly by the door to lock it up for the evening.
Nyx wasn't with her today because the Hufflepuff girl had Quidditch practice she needed to attend to. So it was just Professor Flitwick, Cassandra and a few other senior duellists tasked with teaching and training the junior duellists. The Professor had dismissed them quite early as he was pleased with the progress the students made today, and thought they all deserved a well earned rest.
Cassandra closed the club room doors and waved her wand to fasten the padlock on the doors with the key. After pocketing the key away, she walked along the now peaceful corridor, thinking of what to do with her extra time.
Her homework was finished and handed in, and her other prefect duties aren't until after dinner hours. she could do some more studying, but she doesn't really feel like it right now.
"Maybe I should stop by the greenhouse," she thought. More often than not she'll simply go to the greenhouse because Professor Longbottom allows her to (being his best and most trusted assistant in the greenhouse, she obtained quite a few privileges). Sometimes she'll just be there admiring the plants or just talking to them while tending to their needs.
The greenhouse was empty and peaceful. Neville had only just left, acknowledging Cassandra being in there before leaving her to be inside there alone (after reminding her again to lock the greenhouse when she exits it later).
So now Cassandra was humming away, talking adoringly to the plants she's tending to— even to the Mimbulus Mimbletonia plant, quite frankly the least of her favourites, but she cares for it just as much.
"Your spines don't look very pristine today, did you get enough fertiliser?", she asked the stinky plant in question. She grabbed a small bag of dragon dung fertiliser from the table beside her and mixed it with the potted soil of the plant. It's probably just her, but the plant immediately looked just a little bit brighter, as if thanking her for its needed nutrients.
She squatted close to the plant, quietly talking to it, "I have to admit, you're not exactly my favourite plant, but you're Professor Longbottom's favourite. So I'll take care of you as much as I care for the others..."
" .....Sometimes I wonder if you would start treating people more nicely if everyone had plants for heads instead."
The sudden presence of another voice made her jump, just almost making her lose her balance and toppling over the Mimbletonia plant. Her eye twitched and cheeks burned from embarrassment as she sees Daniel Page leaning against the greenhouse's doorframe with his arms crossed.
(This oddly felt like dejavu-)
"And if people knew that sneaking up on someone and staring at them were rude, I'd probably be nicer to them too," she sneered back. Daniel raised his hands in feigned defeat.
"Alright, alright, I'm sorry. But I wasn't staring," he tucked his hands in his robe pockets as he strolled inside the greenhouse, "was just waiting for you to finish your little conversation with the plant."
Her face grew redder, knowing that Daniel had caught her in her more 'vulnerable' moments, "Tell anyone-"
"And you'll finish me, yeah yeah, I know. Trust me, I won't be thinking of doing that anytime soon."
Cassandra crossed her arms in front of her defensively, "So, aside from being a nuisance to my peace, what are you doing here, Daniel?"
At this, he started to become slightly fidgety. Feeling the inside of his robe pockets and sheepishly rubbing the back of his neck. His lanky, tall body only made him look more dreadfully awkward rather than 'cute'.
"But I guess it's a rather endearing sight," Cassandra thought, enjoying seeing him being not so confident as he made himself to be like this.
Daniel tried to make out some sentences but it wasn't working.
"I...I have — you, I mean, I wanted to— argh!" Daniel eventually took out the item he was holding inside of his pocket and shoved it in Cassandra's hands.
"No use using words when I can just be straightforward with it, yeah?", he mumbled. Cassandra looked at him wide-eyed before looking down at what he had just handed her.
It was a small red box with a purple and gold ribbon tied securing it. She blinked a few times before processing the fact Daniel had given her a gift.
"This...what is this?"
"Here I thought you were a smart girl. What does it look like? It's a gift."
"I can tell that much, Daniel. Thank you very much", she rolled her eyes, "But what is this for?"
Ignoring the feeling of growing butterflies in her stomach, she also looked at him just a little suspiciously. Why would he suddenly give her a gift?
Daniel rubbed the back of his neck again, letting his long unruly red hair falling in his face, "It's....March 14th today."
Cassandra quirked an eyebrow. Was the date significant to anything?, "Yes? So what about it?"
Daniel looked anywhere but her eyes as he explained, "So, Robyn told us about this event, it's a huge thing in East Asian countries. It's kind of like a reply to Valentine's Day; White Day," Daniel shyly looked into her eyes as he continued.
"Apparently, people on this day would get gifts for the people who had given them gifts back during Valentine's Day, as a 'reply' to them, whether they accept their Valentines, or to show appreciation."
Cassandra listened intently at his explanation. This was definitely a new event for her, there's nothing like that in Britain because usually everything would've been settled during Valentines.
"Wait, did he say reply?"
The realisation hit her as strong as the stink from the Mimbletonia plant.
Cassandra fumbled a bit as she asked, "W-Wait, so, does this mean—"
"I had always knew, Cassandra," Daniel chuckled, "Trust me, Professor Slughorn didn't snitch on you or anything. It was just awfully obvious for me."
Now Cassandra's face was as red as a beet and quickly turned away from him, a little frustrated with herself. Fuck! She thought she cloaked it enough! But maybe the chocolate wrapper she used back then was too obvious??? She should've used something different. Or was it the poem??? But she wasn't one to always write poems; that's Colby's thing.
Daniel held back giggles as he looked on at a very flustered Cassandra. It's rare to see her so frantic. He walked just a little bit closer to her.
"While I'm proud of myself for making you fumble around this much, could you open your gift?"
Cassandra turned around to face him again, taking a step back as he was towering just a little bit closer to her now.
"Just so I know if you...like it or not," his voice growing quieter as he finished his sentence.
Cassandra bit her lip as she looked down at the small box. It wasn't heavy, so she guessed it was just a normal box of chocolates. She slowly pulled away the ribbon that held the gift together and revealed the inside.
They were indeed chocolates, but they don't seem like normal, store bought ones. They had an irregularity to their shape, each of them.
"Handmade chocolates?," Cassandra asked. Daniel tried to hide his face with the scarf around his neck.
"Nyx mentioned you especially liked things that people make themselves for you."
Her heart did a backflip as she appreciated the thought. She owes it to her friend for this one.
She took one chocolate in her fingers and admired it— they were rose shaped, and there was the effort of making them look good by adding white chocolate swirls along with the dark chocolate used.
"It's...nice. Appearance wise," she commented. Daniel chuckled but waited patiently for Cassandra to eat the piece of candy to see how she'd react.
When she finally did, Daniel smiled at her expression; her eyes widening just a bit with delight.
"Pineapple!" she exclaimed a little too excitedly. She cleared her throat to compose herself but her bright eyes clearly reflected how elated she was.
She helped herself to another piece, happily munching away. She glanced up to meet Daniel's eyes and suddenly felt shy.
"Um, here, have one," she handed the box towards him. He looked at her quizzically.
"But it's your gift?"
She sighed and took another chocolate, bringing it over to his mouth. Daniel's eyes widened at her bold approaches.
"You did this to me last time, so I'm just returning the favour," she said nonchalantly, although the unfading red shade of her cheeks and ears gave away of how she was feeling at that moment. Daniel couldn't help a smile forming its way on his face.
Cassandra's brows furrowed, "What's so funny?"
"Nothing, nothing," Daniel shook his head, "Thank you for the chocolate, then."
Daniel leaned forward to eat the chocolate she brought to his mouth. His hand making his way to gently hold her hand as he looked at her, graciously accepting the candy.
He chewed on it for a bit, feeling a little surprised himself, "It's good!"
Cassandra had a soft smile on her face, enjoying the quiet moment they're having together. However something inside her head suddenly made her realise something, erasing that smile as quickly as it came.
"...This is unfair."
Daniel looked up at her, "What is?"
Cassandra tried to pry her hand away from his hold, but hesitated when he held onto her, but never gripping it; just holding onto it gently.
"This. All this," she gestured to them both, "You know how I've avoided my feelings for so long because of —"
"Of how you weren't exactly the nicest person back then?" Daniel finished her sentence for her.
At those words, Cassandra yanked her hand away from him. She quickly turned away from him, walking towards the Mimbletonia she was tending to earlier.
"Yes, that. Shouldn't you be disgusted? The girl who made your life at Hogwarts miserable, suddenly catching feelings for you and is now hopelessly falling for you?"
Cassandra looked at the Mimbletonia in front of her; she swore the plant suddenly started drooping? She internally apologised to the plant for making it hear these negative thoughts from her.
Scowling in frustration at herself, she continued, "You should've used this chance to get back at me. That's the better choice for you, wouldn't it?"
She turned to him again, eyes getting glassy, "Nothing hurts more than toying with a person's feelings, right? That's why it's such a good revenge plan."
What was she thinking? She doesn't deserve this, doesn't deserve him.
"Push him away, like how you did others, Cassandra. That way you won't be hurt anymore."
Daniel sighed as he rubbed a hand down his face, "There you go again, making assumptions."
Cassandra was about to retort when he raised a hand to her, prompting her to immediately shut up. He pushed his hands into his pockets again.
"I guess this is what you wanted to hear? Then fine."
He looked straight at her, "You were annoying, very. The way you belittled me and my friends. All the others successfully ignored it, but even if I tried to ignore it, they always got to me. I had to give it to you, you were pretty good at it."
He took another step nearer, "The way you'd always get in my face, knowing every crevice of my darkest secrets and revealing them to people. I couldn't get a break; why me? Why me of all people? Was it because I was so easy to pick on, that I was so easy to pry reactions out of? Of course people would take advantage of it, right? Especially someone as cunning as you."
He smiled, "You said toying with a person's feelings would be the easiest revenge. Yes indeed, wouldn't it be fun?" he scoffed, "To see someone break down over something pathetic as your fragile little emotions?"
Each of his words stung, but she just stood there, intently listening. If she couldn't verbally apologise to him, letting him speak to her like this, it was the least she could do after what she had done to him.
Ignoring what had happened between them before would be worse for her; she'd never forget that fact to respect it.
But before she could wallow more in her growing self-loathe, she was brought back to reality by a hand on her head.
She immediately looked up at Daniel, who was now only inches away from her. Her emerald eyes meeting his reddish brown ones.
"But I'm not like that. If anything, I'm better. I'm better than you, and I'm far better than anyone else who thinks revenge should be mandatory."
He gently pulled her into a hug. Cassandra tried to push him away at first, but after some gentle coaxing, she soon calmed down and hesitantly returned the gesture.
He stroked her hair as he continued, "The more I thought about it, these past years, the more I realised we shared a lot more between us than what we let on," he chuckled softly, "we were both young and feisty and...just too damn stubborn to admit it."
He could feel his shoulder growing wetter and a few sniffles coming from the blonde in his arms. He hugged her just a little firmer.
"So instead of getting revenge, I started to observe you. You wouldn't still have friends if you were truly horrible, you know? Nyx stuck by you since the beginning, and she doesn't just defend anyone."
He rocked her slightly from side to side, "If there are still people defending you for whatever good quality you have left, then it still means you have a chance at redeeming yourself. And it's not like I didn't have any fault at all in this. In some ways I was also foolish enough to tarnish my name despite having multiple other better ways to handle the situation. But I was a dumb and hormonal teenager, to say the least."
The last sentence earned him a small giggle from Cassandra. He laid his chin on the top of her head, closing his eyes.
"I've forgiven you, for quite a bit now, actually. But I didn't know how to approach you, especially after you started distancing away from us. Was it the guilt?"
Cassandra nodded, "If my presence was what made it happen in the first place, I might as well remove myself from it, no?"
Daniel pulled back a bit from the hug, though his arms were still around her. He used his robe sleeve to wipe her face.
"Well it did undeniably feel a little lonely, you could say I missed the prickly sarcasm from you."
He continued wiping her face with his hands while also admiring her face; her features looked a lot prettier up close.
"If there's anything I've learnt in Hogwarts, is that a lot of people aren't a white sheet of paper. Nobody's perfect," he held her face in his hands, "but what reflects within a person is how they'd take the chance at redeeming themselves."
He rested his hands by his sides, his face becoming serious and fixed his gaze only towards Cassandra, "It also means I'm not any better. I'm also in the process of redeeming myself. And making amends between us is one of my efforts for it."
Cassandra was about to say something, but decided against it. She looked down at his feet while rubbing her arm.
"Wouldn't it be awkward? For you, I mean. I wasn't the nicest person to you before, what guarantee would prevent me from returning to those old habits again?"
He reached down to hold her hand, "Then I'd be willing to be by your side. We'll go through it together. Let me be the person bearing it," he reached up to tuck a strand of hair behind her ear.
"I'm definitely not the best at this entire... love thing, but isn't that what being lovers is all about? Going down the journey hand in hand, growing and improving together?"
Lovers? The title made her feel all tingly in the chest.
"Ew, aren't you immediately jumping to your own conclusions? Since when are we lovers now, so fast so soon?"
Daniel heartily laughed and engulfed her in another hug. This time, Cassandra didn't hold back in reciprocating the gesture, hugging him back equally as firmly.
"Well, I'm deeply sorry for my lack of etiquette, m'lady. Though, would you have it be any other way then?" he asked sweetly. Their faces were inches away from each other and their hearts were beating loudly in their chests.
Cassandra smiled before quietly whispering her answer,
"I wouldn't imagine it any other way."
They closed the space between them with a gentle kiss. It was little hesitant and awkward, given their inexperience. But with shared eagerness nonetheless.
It tasted bittersweet, like the pineapple chocolate truffles Daniel made for her. They both felt a weight being lifted off from their shoulders, making them both relax their bodies as they relished in each other's presence.
Daniel broke away from the kiss first to whisper at her, "...Still doubtful?"
Cassandra definitely had her answer.
"Absolutely not."
He then ghosted his lips on her cheek, making Cassandra's pulse quicken for a second.
"Then, do you want me to stop this?"
Cassandra gently and slowly intertwined her fingers with his, Daniel immediately taking the hint and held her hand, while his other hand snaked around her waist.
Cassandra tip-toed nearer to his face again, whispering her answer in between chuckles,
"Don't you even dare."