Get Lost!

Blake barely glanced back as Hermione caught up, panting. "What are you here for?"

Hermione, irritated, shoved a silver treasure chest into his hands. "I have nothing better to do..." she said through gritted teeth.

"Didn't you say you had class?"

"Skipping once in a while won't hurt... A student life without skipping class is incomplete."

Blake raised an eyebrow, surprised. "Hermione, you've changed."

"Whose fault do you think that is?!"

Blake smirked. "So, I led you astray?"

"If not?"

"You better not say that so casually! If Professor McGonagall hears, she'll deduct points from me. You're one of her best students!"

"I'd be happier if you dropped the 'one of.'"

"Ah! Little Hermione, you're quite bold!"

"What did you just call me?!"

"What?"

"Get lost!"

They bickered all the way to the lowest level of Hogwarts Castle, a place Hermione had never been. It was even colder than Snape's classroom. She shivered, tightening her robes. "Where are we?"

"The old dungeons of Hogwarts," Blake explained. "Technically, we're beneath the Black Lake. You know the Slytherin common room is down here, right?"

Hermione stared at him, shocked. "Wait—you're going to the Slytherin common room? To find Cassandra?"

"Of course. Where else would she go after class?"

Blake already knew she was inside, thanks to his True Sight. Cassandra was calmly reading a book.

"So, this is the entrance?" Hermione eyed the bare wall before them, featuring only a serpent sculpture.

"Yeah, right here." Blake touched his chin in thought. "Now... do I know the password?"

Hermione frowned. "Don't tell me Cassandra gave it to you?"

"No, but Slytherin passwords aren't exactly unpredictable. Like Dumbledore's office always being a dessert name..."

He took a shot in the dark. "Hmm... pure-blood supremacy?"

A mechanism clicked. The snake sculpture slithered away, and a stone door appeared. Hermione gawked.

"I swear, I just guessed!" Blake said, equally stunned. "Well, come on! Might as well take a look."

Hogwarts didn't forbid students from other houses from entering different common rooms. Ravenclaw's allowed anyone who could answer a riddle. But passwords were another matter entirely.

Blake stepped in confidently, as if he belonged there. Hermione, hesitant, quickly covered her Gryffindor badge and tie before following.

Inside, Draco Malfoy froze. "Wait—what? This is the Slytherin common room! Blake... did you transfer houses?!"

Then he spotted Hermione. A Gryffindor. And worse—a Muggle-born.

His anger flared, but then he saw Blake's amused expression and immediately deflated.

Malfoy forced an awkward smile. "Green, what are you doing here?"

"Oh? Do you really think I could find this place and know the password without permission? Or do I need to report my whereabouts to you now?" Blake smirked, his arrogance surpassing even Malfoy's usual demeanor.

Malfoy paled. He wasn't angry—he was scared. Ever since his father warned him about Blake's connection to Grindelwald, he knew better than to provoke him.

"I-I was just curious!" Malfoy stammered, before turning and fleeing. In his panic, he tripped over a chair but scrambled away without a word.

The commotion had drawn attention. The Slytherins turned to see Blake standing there, unfazed. But after the dueling club incident—where he had beaten every Slytherin who challenged him—no one dared to confront him.

Cassandra's emerald-green eyes lit up when she saw him. "Blake! Did you come to see me?"

"Of course! If not for you, I wouldn't bother coming here. It's freezing."

Cassandra beamed, but then her gaze landed on Hermione. Her expression darkened instantly.

She sat back down, feigning disinterest, staring out at the murky waters of the Black Lake. The eerie green glow from outside gave everyone's faces a sickly hue.

Blake ignored her mood and sat across from her, admiring the underwater view. Hermione hesitated before quietly slipping into the shadows, trying to remain unnoticed.

"Hey! Did you two really sneak in just to sightsee?!" Cassandra snapped.

Blake turned back, serious. "Actually, that's not impossible. The view here is nice... I might come more often in the summer. It's a great spot for a nap."

He yawned dramatically, as if about to doze off.

Cassandra gritted her teeth in frustration. Hermione, watching from the shadows, felt oddly comforted—Blake annoyed Cassandra just as much as he annoyed her.

"You came just to sleep?" Cassandra demanded.

Realizing how that sounded, she immediately kicked him under the table—only to wince in pain. Blake barely flinched. He was unnaturally solid.

"Want me to rub it for you?" Blake offered cheekily.

"Get away from me!" Cassandra snapped, rubbing her foot and glaring.

Blake chuckled. "Relax. I actually came to talk to you about something. I opened a potions shop in Diagon Alley."

Cassandra blinked. "And?"

"I managed to convince Professor Snape to be our ambassador. But I need a steady supply of potion ingredients, especially herbs."

"How much could your tiny shop possibly need?" Cassandra asked skeptically.

"It's not about my shop's size." Blake tapped the table. "It's about the potions I plan to sell. These aren't ordinary brews. The demand for ingredients will be huge, even if the finished products are limited."

Cassandra quickly picked up on the implication. "If making them is so taxing, are you saying you'll devote all your time to brewing?"

"Of course not! I'm partnering with another family that specializes in potions. They'll handle the brewing."

"Which family?"

Blake grinned. "The Delacours. Fleur Delacour's family."

Cassandra abruptly stood up. "Goodbye."

She turned and stormed off.

=============

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