Draco was momentarily stunned by Cassandra's blunt and unequivocal refusal.
He had, of course, anticipated the possibility that she might turn him down, but in his mind, even if she did, Cassandra would surely offer some sort of excuse, leaving him room to maneuver.
Yet now, she hadn't even bothered with pleasantries, she had flat-out rejected him, leaving Draco frozen in place, caught entirely off guard.
In truth, this was partly because Draco had entered Hogwarts a year after Cassandra, and so had never seen what she had been like during her first year.
Although she had restrained her sharp edge after pledging unwavering loyalty to Wentworth, there was no question that an innate pride still simmered within her. And now, with Wentworth's disappearance, Cassandra had clearly reverted to her former self.
Noticing Draco's startled expression and the awkward silence that followed, Hermione grew visibly anxious.
It was clear that Hermione understood Cassandra's temperament far better than Draco did. After a brief pause, she stepped forward and whispered something quietly into Cassandra's ear.
Cassandra, who had until that moment worn a mask of indifference, exuding an air that she couldn't be bothered to deal with anyone, suddenly showed a flicker of hesitation upon hearing Hermione's words.
After a moment's contemplation, she seemed to come to a decision. Turning to Draco, she nodded slightly, and in a tone laced with subtle praise, said:
"Well, it's rare to see such sincerity. Very well, I'll go with you during the holidays. Don't disappoint me."
Although Cassandra's words hinted at a deeper meaning, Draco didn't dwell on it. He quickly nodded in agreement, eager to seize the opportunity.
"Don't worry, Cassandra! I promise, I won't let you down!"
Just then, Luna, who had been sitting silently beside Cassandra the whole time, suddenly piped up:
"A gathering, is it? That sounds like fun!"
Draco immediately understood her implication. Although he wasn't especially eager to invite the infamous "mad girl" of Hogwarts, he was no longer the naïve boy he had been three years ago when he first arrived at school.
He knew that because of Wentworth's close relationship with Luna, she now shared friendly ties with Cassandra, Cedric, and even Harry. Ignoring her now could offend quite a few people.
So, without hesitation, Draco put on a polite smile and replied:
"Of course, Luna. If you'd like to come, you're more than welcome. I assure you, everyone will have a splendid time at Malfoy Manor."
With the matter now settled, Cassandra, always one to act decisively, stood up and said:
"Alright, since it's decided, I'll write to my father and let him know I'll be home a few days late. See you on the Hogwarts Express."
Luna stood up with her, adding cheerfully:
"I need to tell my father too! And I've got to find my dancing shoes, someone's hidden them again, and it is a party, after all. Can't dance without the proper shoes!"
With that, Luna bounced along behind Cassandra as they made their way out of the library.
Only once he'd seen them off with a smile did Draco turn to Hermione, still puzzled.
"Hermione," he asked, "what did you say to her? What exactly did you whisper? She turned me down so flatly at first, and then just changed her mind like that?"
Hermione gave a knowing smile.
"Because I'm a girl too, Draco. That means I understand what's going through her mind better than you do."
Draco looked even more intrigued. "Come on, tell me, what did you say to her?"
Hermione answered unhurriedly:
"With Wentworth missing, Cassandra's under a lot of emotional strain. How could she possibly be in the mood for a party?"
"But," she continued, "if you present it differently, it changes everything."
"I told her you were using the gathering as a pretext, to bring everyone together, to pool your resources and connections, and see if you could find a way to search for Wentworth."
"And as you can see, that did interest her."
Realization dawned on Draco. "No wonder she said she hoped I wouldn't disappoint her! I thought she was just talking about the party!"
He gave Hermione a big thumbs-up. "Hermione, you're amazing, thanks for your help!"
Blushing slightly, Hermione quickly replied:
"Well, in that case, I'd better write to my parents too, let them know I'll be home a few days late. See you, Draco!"
With that, Hermione jogged off. Even after leaving the library, her cheeks still burned. She pressed her hands to her face and ran toward the Gryffindor common room.
Draco, still elated, didn't notice a thing.
Realizing that Harry and Ron hadn't reported back yet, Draco made his way toward the Hufflepuff common room to find them.
Sure enough, just outside the Hufflepuff common room, he spotted Harry and Ron, who were still trying to persuade Cedric.
Judging by their expressions, it hadn't gone well. Cedric hadn't outright rejected them, but he had offered a string of vague excuses.
Draco joined them and repeated what Hermione had told Cassandra, presenting the gathering not as a social event, but as a mission to unite their efforts and search for Wentworth.
Upon hearing this, Cedric immediately agreed, and even thanked Draco.
"Draco, I really didn't realize that was your reason for bringing us together. Wentworth clearly saw something in you. Thank you, for his sake."
Draco quickly insisted it was nothing.
They agreed to meet again on the Hogwarts Express for the return journey.
As they walked away from the Hufflepuff common room, Harry turned to Draco with a look of surprise.
"Draco, I honestly didn't expect that to be your motivation for hosting the party. I have to admit, I see you in a whole new light."
Draco lifted his chin with mock pride.
"Well, obviously! What did you think I was doing it for? So Ron could eat my family out of four roast chickens?!"
Ron blinked, momentarily stunned, then lunged at Draco, flailing.
This time, Harry didn't jump in to break up the scuffle. Instead, he burst into laughter.
The golden glow of the setting sun filtered through the corridors of Hogwarts Castle, casting warm light over the carefree chaos of youth.
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