Disclaimer: All canon characters, scenery and plot references are the property of J.K. Rowling. I do not own or profit from this story in any way.

Rating: M for language, violence and eventual sexual content

Summary: Cassiopeia Malfoy is the twin sister of Draco. Cassiopeia Malfoy does not take after most of the Malfoy family traits- in fact, she really rather takes after her cousin Sirius or Aunt Andromeda…but she's always been able to hide it. Until she goes to Hogwarts. Until, she is sorted into Gryffindor. Until…everything changes (Eventual either Theo Nott/OC or HarryPotter/OC)

Author's Note: My stories are never abandoned. I might shove them aside for…3 years, but I will never abandon them. So stay tuned- there may be some updates coming your way (or even a brand new story)?!

Also, there is nothing like reading over three year old stories and wanting to change everything you've written in them thus far. That being said, I'm not entirely satisfied with this and may go back and change some of the things? Or at least edit and re-write...because my perfectionism is annoying.

Thanks for reading!

…

Snake in the Grass

Seventeen: ….And eat it too

Please don't wait for me

I lost my way again

I lost my job, I walked away

From the life that I was leading with my friends

Josh Garrels- Don't wait for me

Hermione's secret came out on a Tuesday. Cass had skipped dinner to study with the girl, but had decided to call it an early night. She'd proclaimed that she was going to sneak off to the kitchens to grab some food, before returning to the common room. Hermione had nodded, and barley looked up from the thick ledger she'd been studying for an History of Magic Essay.

Cassie had hardly made it through the corridors on the first floor, when she ran into Hermione again, leaving the Great Hall with Ron, Harry and the rest of their classmates. Cass froze, and Hermione winced, pursing her lips as though expecting something to happen.

Cass narrowed her eyes on the girl, who stood frozen to the spot, before turning on her heel and rushing back to the library, where she'd seen Hermione only minutes earlier. The girl was still there, half asleep on her notes.

"What the hell?" Cass exclaimed, startling her friend. Hermione jerked up, scattering papers around her

"Cass?" Hermione looked up, eyes catching sight of expression on her friend's face. "I thought you'd left!"

"I did," Cass said sourly, crossing her arms, "And then I saw you, Hermione," She continued. "Leaving the great hall with Harry and Ron."

"What?" Hermione looked panicked, "No, you couldn't have! That's impossible!" She tried to play it off as nothing, but Hermione had never been a very good liar.

"How are you doing it?" Cass demanded, "Duplication spell? But no…that would make a homunculus with no real mental capacity…." Cass narrowed her eyes at Hermione's neck, where a silver chain peeked out. The girl had worn it every day this year. Before Hermione could protest, Cass had darted forward and snatched at the chain, pulling it out. "A time turner?" She hissed.

Hermione snatched the hourglass back, looking as close to frantic as Cass had ever seen her. "Shh!" She hissed," She looked around desperately, for anyone who might have overheard them.

"Are you insane!? Do you have any idea how dangerous those are?" Cass countered.

"Of course I do," Hermione explained, "It was Professor McGonagall!" She rushed on, before Cass could speak again.

"What?" Cass paused to study her friend, brow furrowed in confusion.

"I wanted to be able to take all of the electives this year…so Professor McGonagall trusted me with a time turner so that I could."

Cass sat down heavily in the chair ahead of her, "You…she…what?"

"You can't say anything Cassie! Please!" Hermione begged, eyes widening.

"So that you I just saw in the hall…?" Cass tried to work it out.

"I was about to use the turner to go to supper with Harry and Ron in the past," Hermione flushed. "Which means….I see you in my future, your past….and you'll rush back here to confront me."

"Merlin," Cass muttered, and rubbed her head. "You do this every day?"

"I do," Hermione frowned.

"No wonder you've burnt yourself out so badly," Cass said, with a frown to her friend.

"I'm fine," Hermione defended, crossing her arms.

"Like hell you are," Cass scoffed. "You look exhausted."

"Like you're any better yourself," Hermione snapped in response, "I know you haven't been sleeping, I've seen you sneaking in and out of the dorms at all hours of the night!"

"Yes but my lack of sleep isn't self-induced!" Cass's temper flared. "You're pushing yourself too hard Hermione, No one can keep the schedule you must be doing to make your classes, that's not to mention the school work!"

"I'm managing just fine thanks very much." Hermione shot back, crossing her arms over her chest. "Not that it's any of your concern!"

"What's that supposed to mean?" Cass snapped in response. "Of course it's my concern, I'm worried about you Hermione!"

"Then you're the biggest hypocrite in the world!" Hermione shot back, "You're no better than I am, with your not sleeping and your skipping meals, but it isn't a big deal when you do it, is it?" She snapped, "No! Because you're Cassiopeia Malfoy, and you can take care of yourself!"

"This is different Hermione! It's not black and white or-"

"No it isn't!" Hermione snapped back, cutting off her friend. "You shut everyone out! You consider us to be friends, Cass, but I don't know anything about you!" Hermione looked as though she might cry. "So you're a hypocrite if you're worried about me! You can't expect me to open up to you when you're unwilling to do the same!"

"Girls!" Madam Pince appeared ahead of them. "The library is a place for quiet!" She hissed. "Honestly, I expect better of the two of you!"

"Madam Pince, we didn't-"

"I'm going to have to ask the two of you to continue this conversation elsewhere." Madam Pince crossed her arms, her tone leaving no room for argument. Cass grimaced, but Hermione looked as though she might cry as she gathered up her things.

"I don't….I've never…" She flushed, turning on her friend in the hall outside the library, "Thanks a lot Cassie." And then, she turned, and fled.

Cass let out a shuddering breath and squeezed her eyes shut. She felt sick. She needed to cool down, needed to talk to someone- but the ideal candidate was storming away from her, down the hall in the other direction. She could search out Neville, but as sweet and caring as the boy was, he wouldn't be able to offer much advice. The twins would make her laugh, but she didn't feel as though she could talk to them either.

Cass felt like her friends were in short supply, she felt alone, and she felt afraid. And it was her own damn fault. Hermione had been right. She'd been pushing people away, purposefully, to keep them safe.

She could try to sneak out and see Andromeda—her aunt would certainly be a good person to talk to, but showing up at 9 o'clock unannounced on a Tuesday night wasn't exactly good form. Instead, surprisingly, she found herself ahead of Professor Lupin's office.

She hadn't realized that she had been heading in that direction. She had hardly realized that she was walking at all, until she found herself standing in front of his door. And, wholly unsure of what to do, and considering how bad an idea this was, she raised her fist, and knocked.

She immediately berated herself. This was stupid. Professor Lupin was probably still at dinner, and even if he wasn't, what would she say to him? 'Sorry to bother you sir, but I was wondering if I could come in and complain to you about a fight that I got in with my best friend about my long conditioned defense mechanism of pushing everyone away?' It was selfish and naïve of her. It was stupid.

She had just made up her mind to retreat back to the dorms when the door to Lupin's office swung open. "Cass?" He looked surprised, "We're not due for a lesson until Thursday, are we—" He stopped himself, catching the look on her face. "Is everything alright?"

Cass froze, unsure of what to say, She felt like crying, but she did her best to push the feeling away, opening her mouth, and then closing it again.

"How about you come in for a cup of tea," Lupin didn't seem like he was going to take no for an answer, He guided her into his office.

It wasn't until she was settled down ahead of the fire in one of Lupin's overstuffed arm chairs and cradling a cup of hot tea that she spoke.

"Do I come off as cold, professor?" She asked finally, eyes on the warm wool rug beneath their chairs.

"Cold?" Remus repeated slowly.

"I mean…" Cass hesitated, and felt her face warm up, "All of my life…I was taught that masking your emotions was a good thing. Being indifferent is a learned Slytherin trait and my father drilled this into us from the time we were very young. After that…it became a defense mechanism, because no one in my life really knew how I felt about….anything, and now?" Cass sighed, chewing on her lip as she thought about what to say. "Now I think it might be sabotaging a lot of my friendships or…relationships, because I don't know how to open up to people." She finished. "So… as a relatively….indifferent party, or at least one who's met me fairly recently, do you think I come off as cold?"

Remus took a breath and then set a comforting hand on the arm of her chair, "Cassiopeia, anyone that accuses you of being cold clearly doesn't know you very well. You may show your emotions differently than your peers, but I don't think anyone can accuse of you of not caring. It's obviously that you do care, and that you care a lot, about your friends, your school work, about your family. And that's okay, it's okay," He said in a warm and reassuring voice.

"You think so sir?" Cass asked cautiously, chewing on her lip and trying her best not to break down in tears.

"Of course," He smiled at her, "Opening up to people comes with time and trust, and I have no doubt that you will get there Cass," He told her, pulling his hand back with a final pat on her arm rest, "Now what brought this on?"

"I…I've been pushing people away to protect them I think," Cass said slowly, "My father has a hand in most things, and…" she frowned. "Well, you've seen my boggart, sir," She sighed. "That's who my father wants me to be," She sighed. "And my father has been known to get what he wants."

Professor Lupin studied her for a minute, but all the same, he seemed to understand, "And our training with the imperus curse is… a preventative measure of keeping the people you care about safe?" He asked through a frown.

"If I can throw it off, sir, then no one can use me to hurt the people that I care about," Cass said, choosing her words as strategically. "My father has been known to go to extreme measures to ensure his own devices." She added. "There isn't a lot that I would put past him."

"That was very…politically spoken of you, Cass," Lupin said watching her carefully. "Has…Has he done something already?" He looked weary of the question, and the possible responses.

Cass tried her best not to tense, "Threats mostly," She said carefully. "I think he's still trying to figure out how to best use my position as a blood-traitor Gryffindor to his advantage." Lupin looked, for a second, at a loss for what to say, so Cass spoke again. "I thought that…pushing my friends away would keep them safe from harm…but I don't know if I can really explain to them why….without…"

"Ah, I see," Lupin frowned. "Your friends might surprise you Cass," He told her softly. "I was once in a position where I too though that pushing my friends away….or not having friends to begin with was a more…noble path. In my cause, my friends would have none of that, but it turned out to be for the better…." Lupin smiled wistfully. "I wouldn't have traded my friendships with them for….anything."

"Even…" Cass hesitated, "Even with what's been going on with Sirius Black?" She asked.

Lupin sighed, "What happened with Sirius was unforgivable," He said slowly, "But….until the last moments, Sirius was a…well, he was a very good actor," Lupin stood, "It's rather late, isn't it?"

Cass jumped to her feet, "Yes, sir," She said quickly, "I'm sorry for taking up so much of your time," She said, "And….thank you," She added, "For…listening."

"My door is always open."

…

It surprised her, despite the fact that nothing had been resolved, how much better she felt upon leaving Professor Lupin's office. It was as if a switch had been flipped, and she'd gone from feeling woefully alone, to feeling as though maybe there were a few people in her corner.

Still, she sought Hermione out the second that she made it back to Gryffindor tower, minutes before curfew. She was sitting at a table with Ron and Harry, who were engulfed in a game of chess, with a textbook propped up beneath her arms. She looked up as Cass approached the table.

"Hi," Cass said slowly, "Erm…can I talk to you Hermione?"

The girl stood immediately, closing her book with a snap and picking up to squeeze it tightly against her chest. "Yes," She nodded, looking around the common room.

"Should we…do you want to go for a walk?" Cass asked, as they stepped away from the prying ears of the table behind them, "It's a little stuffy in here."

"It's past curfew," Hermione noted, glancing to her watch.

"We've got a few minutes, we don't have to walk far," Cass didn't wait for an answer, leading the way to the portrait hole. Hermione huffed, but followed her friend anyway.

Once they were safely outside, Cass turned to her friend. "I just wanted to say…that I'm sorry, Hermione.."

"No, I'm sorry," Hermione interrupted, her voice laden with emotion, "you were right Cass, I overreacted and…the second I saw you outside the dining hall I…well you're right, I think the stress has been getting to me."

"I don't share much about myself, it's hard for me," Cass carried on with her own apology, "but, Hermione, you are one of the best friends I've ever had, and I really don't want to blow that by….keeping secrets, or not saying things, and I'm so sorry if that's the way I come off sometimes."

"No- I understand, and I never want you to force you to tell me things that you aren't ready to or…that are hard for you to talk about," Hermione said soothingly.

"It's not that I don't want to tell you things, Hermione," Cass said softly, "I just…have a hard time talking about them." She looked up to see Hermione staring at her earnestly. "I… I have this messed up idea that sharing emotion is weak, but I'm trying," She took a breath; "I'm trying to better about it." She hesitated and looked at Hermione intently "So…are we okay?"

"Of course we are," Hermione smiled, "You're…one of my best friends too, Cass," She smiled, "And that's not going to change just because were both tired and have a fight." She looked up, checking her watch again, She scowled at it and turned back in the direction of the common room. "I'm writing a letter to the Department of Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures…trying to save Buckbeak," She said softly, "I…could really use another set of eyes on it if-"

Cass grinned, certain now, that things were right between her and Hermione. "Absolutely."

…

"Here," Cass slid into the bench at the Gryffindor table next to Hermione who was mid conversation with Ron and Harry. All three looked up surprised as Cass dropped a small brown package with a red bow in front of her muggle born friend, before pouring herself a glass of tea and sliding a crepe onto her plate.

"Cass?" Hermione's eyes had narrowed on her friend, "What's this?"

With a carefully schooled expression, Cass didn't say a word, only piled strawberries onto her plate. Hermione sniffed, and then carefully opened the package, revealing a pair of silver earrings on the inside, they were a mismatched star and moon and were quite tasteful.

"What?" Hermione gave a soft gasp, "These are gorgeous!" She blinked, and then narrowed her eyes at her friend, "And expensive! What is this for Cassie?"

Cassie grinned in response nodding her head at the package again, where there was a small piece of rolled up parchment. Ron snatched it up quickly, despite Hermione's protests and read the note aloud. "Hermione, thanks for punching that smug smirk off my prat brother's face, he deserved it." He said. Harry burst out laughing.

"Did you…buy me a present for punching your brother?!" Hermione asked incredulously.

"Oh yes," Cass said finally, smiling, "Feel free to do it anytime."

….

Cass spent a good portion of the rest of her semester studying for the rapidly approaching end of term exams in the Library. The rest of the time, she spent ensuring that Hermione was eating and sleeping properly, and dodging her Slytherin pursuers. They'd decreased in quantity, but not in persistence, and Cass kept to the secret passages she knew well to get around the school, in which she ran into no one but the Weasley twins.

Exams came and went, and Cass was quite pleased with her performance, especially Lupin's obstacle course. Maybe it was because she knew what to expect from her boggart now, but her doppelganger had barely appeared before Cass had thrown the counter course. She would never be a Slytherin, and she felt a sort of smug confidence in banishing her boggart.

A shocking bit of news though, came when at the end of the term, when she found out that her favorite professor would not be returning the following year. She'd rushed to his office the second she'd heard the news, not bothering to knock on the open door and instead bursting inside, to see Lupin next to the book shelf, pulling down books and dropping them into a box at his feet.

"I'll kill him," She seethed, marching into the room.

"Cass," Remus shot the girl a bemused smile. "Please, come in."

"I'll kill him!" Cass repeated angrily, "How could he do that! Outing you to the slytherins," She continued. "The bastard."

Remus turned to face her, smile still on his face. "Please, kindly refrain from killing anyone on my account," He told her, gesturing to one of the oversized armchairs that was still in the room. Cass plopped down on one with a huff. "So…" He took the other chair, "You knew then?"

Cass's brow furrowed, "Yes," She replied, studying her professor carefully.

"And you never…" Suddenly, Lupin looked years younger, and for just a second, afraid.

"I know better than to judge people based on things that are out of their control," Cass interrupted him, voice firm. "You've never been anything but a good teacher and a good…well… friend," Cass added with a smile. "And anyone who says otherwise is an idiot."

Lupin cocked his head at her and smiled, shaking his head, "You really are brilliant, Cass." He told her fondly.

"What am I going to do without you next year," Cass asked forlornly, and, a bit dramatically, "Not just any teacher would open their door to help a student the way you did, and…we never finished our lessons."

"I have no doubt that you will be quite alright without me," Remus told her warmly, "You, Cassiopeia Malfoy, are the embodiment of a Gryffindor if I ever saw one, and I am very lucky to be able to call you my friend." He nodded, and then flicked his wand, summoning a stack of books from his desk with her name on a note on the top. "I thought these might help," He passed them to her, "Return them at your leisure." He smiled at her.

Cass looked through the stack curiously, there were books on defensive spells, Occlemancy, and Meditation, and the smiled, looking through them. "Are you giving me homework, sir?" She asked with a smirk.

"I prefer to think of it as abetting a fellow bibliophile in her addiction," Remus said playfully. "Though, I would like to hear your thoughts on them when you're finished, so if you just so happen to include an essay…" He teased.

"So long as you give me an Outstanding…" Cass shot back, and sighed. "You're sure you can't come back next year?"

"I'm sure," Lupin smiled sadly too. "But if you need anything at all, please, don't hesitate to write me."