"Expelliarmus!"
A wand shot into the air, spinning before landing gracefully in Cassandra's hand.
"Wo Lei, you're amazing! Can you teach me?" Daphne Greengrass asked, rubbing her sore right hand while smiling awkwardly.
Cassandra nodded slightly, her face devoid of pride. In truth, she could tell that Daphne wasn't serious. It felt more like she was trying to curry favor rather than genuinely practicing. Sparring with Daphne lacked the intensity of dueling Hannah, who at least put in effort.
"Why are you here practicing dueling with me today?" Cassandra asked, raising an eyebrow. "Shouldn't you be with Pansy Parkinson?"
Daphne had always been part of Pansy's circle, both of them staunch advocates of pure-blood superiority. Cassandra's stance, which prioritized ability over bloodlines, often put her at odds with them. Daphne's sudden attempt to ingratiate herself was unexpected.
"I just wanted to be friends with you," Daphne said, a forced smile on her lips. "After all, we're both from pure-blood families. Pure-bloods should stick together. Don't you think it makes more sense for us to be friends rather than mingling with Muggle-borns?"
Cassandra's eyes narrowed. "Those Muggle-borns you're talking about… who exactly are you referring to?"
Daphne hesitated, twirling her wand nervously. "I heard you've been spending time with Hermione Granger—"
"She and I are not friends!" Cassandra interrupted, her tone sharp. While Hermione often hovered nearby, their interactions were more out of necessity than choice. Their uneasy truce stemmed from a mutual connection they couldn't ignore, but Hermione was Cassandra's self-proclaimed rival—her number-one competition in academics and… other matters.
"That's good to hear," Daphne said, her relief evident. "It means you understand that pure-blood families should align together."
"I'm not interested in aligning with anyone based on bloodlines, Greengrass," Cassandra replied coldly. "Friendship or rivalry with me is determined by strength. If you want to be either, you'd better prove yourself capable."
Daphne frowned as Cassandra's gaze drifted to her wand hand, a subtle challenge.
"Fine," Daphne said, stepping back. "Let me show you what a pure-blood can do."
Cassandra watched her opponent with an air of indifference, lazily twirling her wand. Her nonchalance only fueled Daphne's determination.
"Confringo!" Daphne shouted, firing the first spell.
Cassandra sidestepped effortlessly, her movements fluid. "Your intent is too obvious," she remarked, her voice laced with boredom.
"Expelliarmus!" Daphne's wand soared from her grasp once more, landing neatly in Cassandra's hand.
"It seems you're still not qualified to be my friend," Cassandra said, tossing the wand back. "Shall we try again? I have plenty of time."
Cassandra's frustration had been simmering for days. Blake hadn't sought her out, leaving her stewing over Hermione's taunting suggestion: "Maybe he hasn't even noticed you're missing." Daphne's persistence made her an easy outlet for that pent-up anger.
When Blake entered the dueling club's training room, his eyes immediately landed on Cassandra sending a brunette flying several meters back. The girl crumpled to the ground, sobbing loudly.
"Merlin's beard… Is she crying? How brutal," Blake muttered, an uneasy feeling creeping over him.
On the field, Cassandra spotted Blake at the door. Her heart leapt. Finally! He's here! Her momentary distraction didn't go unnoticed by Daphne, who still held her wand. Driven by resentment, Daphne seized the opportunity.
"Incendio!"
Cassandra turned too late to dodge the curse. "Ah!"
"Finite Incantatem!" Blake intervened, stepping in front of Cassandra and deflecting the spell just in time. His icy glare pinned Daphne to the spot.
"Do you not know the rules of the Duel Club?" he snapped. "Curses are strictly forbidden! That spell could have severely burned her!"
Daphne's wand clattered to the ground. Her face pale, she stammered, "I—I didn't mean…"
She had acted impulsively, forgetting her original intent to build a rapport with Cassandra. Now, she feared irreparably damaging relations between their families.
Blake turned to Cassandra, who was still shaken. "And you! How many times have I told you? As long as your opponent holds a wand, the duel isn't over. You're too arrogant! That kind of carelessness is fatal in battle."
Cassandra's initial anger flared. How dare he scold me when I almost got disfigured?! But her indignation faltered when Blake grabbed her shoulders, his blue eyes earnest.
"I'm hard on you because I don't want to see you get hurt," he said softly. "I don't want to lose you."
Cassandra's breath caught. "I… I…" she stammered, her fury melting away.
Blake reached for her hand, slipping a small green gemstone onto her bracelet. The bracelet, crafted from Fwooper feathers, shimmered as the gemstone fused seamlessly into it.
"This gem will protect you in critical moments," he explained. "Though I hope it never has to activate, because that would mean you're in real danger."
Cassandra stared at the bracelet, her anger replaced by a warm, fluttering feeling. He… he cares about me. He doesn't want to lose me.
"I… I understand. I'll be more careful," she murmured, her voice uncharacteristically soft.
Daphne watched the scene unfold, her jaw dropping. Is this the same Cassandra who just insulted me? The transformation was baffling.
Blake turned to Daphne. "Are you Daphne Greengrass?" he asked.
She nodded hesitantly, her voice barely above a whisper. "Yes."
"You've broken the rules," he said, his tone firm. "If your spell had hit Cassandra, she'd decide your fate in the Duel Club. Since it didn't, the choice is still hers."
Cassandra's heart swelled with pride. Blake was giving her the authority to decide Daphne's punishment. He values my opinion! she thought gleefully.
"I… I forgive you," Cassandra declared, surprising everyone.
"What?" Daphne blinked in disbelief.
"Your sneak attack taught me a valuable lesson," Cassandra explained. "Never to let my guard down. For that, I'm grateful."
Daphne gave Cassandra a complicated look before muttering, "Thank you." She picked up her wand and fled, her cheeks burning with embarrassment.
Blake watched her leave and shook his head. "You're surprisingly generous."
"She really did teach me something," Cassandra replied, her fingers brushing the gemstone on her bracelet. It was the real reason she felt magnanimous. Daphne's ambush had inadvertently revealed her importance to Blake.
"By the way," Cassandra began, her tone hopeful, "did you come here specifically to find me?"
Blake hesitated. "Actually… Ginny asked me to teach her some dueling techniques, so…"
Cassandra's smile froze. "What?"
"Oh, and Penelope's here too. Plus…"
"You absolute git!" Cassandra fumed, raising her wand. "Die!"
"Wait, Cassandra—!" Blake dodged as spells flew.
The Duel Club's president could only sigh. Why is she always this dramatic?
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