Cassandra never skipped class without a compelling reason. Today, that reason had led her to Nagini's office.
Inside, the two women sat facing each other. Nagini, elbows on her desk, rested her chin on her hands, her expression serious. "I trust you've heard the rumors."
"Yes."
Cassandra suddenly felt uneasy. Their previous peace had been founded on cooperation, a mutual agreement to weaken Tom's "defenses" before their own rivalry began. Now, she had acted alone, and successfully at that. She felt no regret, but a twinge of embarrassment.
"Do you think there's any truth to what they're saying?"
Nagini's question pulled Cassandra back to the present. "Absolutely not."
"I know." Nagini nodded slightly. "This 'Merlin' they speak of is obviously absurd." As for Tom cavorting with over thirty witches, that was even more preposterous. Tom simply had no need for such antics. Both Nagini and Cassandra possessed unwavering confidence in their own abilities; few witches could rival them.
"Merlin? Ha..." Cassandra couldn't help but sneer, not because the rumors were funny, but because she hadn't expected them to spread in this particular way. She had told Harry and Malfoy precisely so they would spread her story, leading to a desired outcome with Tom. What was this Merlin nonsense?
If it were any other witch, she wouldn't be this angry… okay, she was still angry, but not so troubled by the witch's supposed abilities.
In front of others, Cassandra maintained impeccable control over her facial expressions, masking her inner turmoil.
"Even if they are just rumors, there's usually a spark of truth somewhere," Nagini frowned. "Someone is clearly stirring the pot. But Tom spends more time with me than anyone else at Hogwarts, yet I haven't detected any dangerous pretenders."
"Could it be some witch from outside Hogwarts?"
Nagini tapped her fingers lightly on the table, increasingly agitated. "Cassandra, do you have any leads? Anything at all?"
"No. Maybe you're overthinking it? Perhaps there's no such person, just idle gossip." Cassandra shook her head slightly, her tone remaining calm. "Even if there were such a person, she couldn't possibly surpass us, right?"
"That's true. I refuse to believe I would lose to anyone..." Nagini seemed to suddenly realize something, her eyes narrowing as she scrutinized Cassandra. "Do you know something?" Otherwise, Cassandra would be far more agitated; logically, she would be the one confronting the rumor-mongers, not sitting here calmly.
"..." Under Nagini's piercing gaze, Cassandra's hand clenched subtly in her lap. She pursed her lips, forcing herself to remain composed and conceal her true feelings. "No, you're imagining things. I'm simply thinking about how to find this rumored woman."
"Is that so?" Clearly, Nagini wasn't easily fooled. "And what will you do if you find her?"
"Uh... duel her?" Cassandra's tone lacked conviction; to her own ears, it sounded ridiculous.
"..." Nagini remained silent, her suspicions confirmed. This situation was undeniably linked to the girl before her. At best, the rumors were part of some scheme concocted by Cassandra, a scheme that had gone awry. At worst, Cassandra had indeed run off, and this counted as an independent stunt.
"..." Nagini betrayed no anger, her emotions remarkably stable. Either scenario was preferable to the emergence of a rival for Tom's attention. In truth, she was more accepting of Cassandra than Cassandra was of her. While the girl's escapade irked her, she recognized it as a potential opportunity. Cassandra likely felt ashamed in Nagini's presence, a feeling Nagini intended to exploit.
Nagini knew she understood Cassandra, and she planned to leverage this shame to induce her not to hinder Nagini, or even to aid her to some extent. Cassandra wouldn't refuse; this kind of prideful arrogance was effortlessly manipulated.
"Perhaps this isn't so bad..." Nagini's lips curled upward, then quickly flattened.
"What did you say?" Because she was tense, Cassandra hadn't clearly heard Nagini's murmur.
"Nothing, I just think that gossip is really too much." Nagini's gentle smile returned. "Don't you agree?"
"Uh... right?"
"Seriously, not only does she supposedly steal Tom, but she makes such a spectacle of it. She doesn't share any of the pressure with Tom at all. What a terrible woman, don't you think?"
"...Exactly." Cassandra felt a strange mix of emotions, a little ashamed. Was this an insult?
There was nothing she could do about it. After all, she had initiated this chaos, so agreeing wouldn't do any harm.
Click. Just as Nagini prepared to tease Cassandra further, the office door swung open.
"I'll borrow this one for a moment." Tom stepped into the room, nodded curtly at Nagini, and then, without acknowledging Cassandra's reaction, seized her with magic and whisked her away.
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