Silence.
Not the ordinary kind—this was the heavy, reverent silence of six intelligent girls simultaneously putting together one very, very explosive equation.
Hermione was the first to speak.
Her voice was soft.
But trembling with the kind of intellectual horror reserved for discovering your one of your previous honored professors was actually the villain of the book.
"Cassius… if Lily Evans is your mother…"
Astoria finished the sentence in a whisper:
"…then Harry… is your brother?"
Ginny blinked rapidly. "Half-brother—"
Daphne cut her off sharply. "Half-twin."
The room froze again.
The realization settled with the soft, dreadful weight of destiny:
Cassius Snape.
Harry Potter.
Two boys.
Born on the same day.
To the same woman.
One kept.
One abandoned.
Hermione pressed a hand to her mouth.
Cho murmured, "That explains everything… your dynamic with him… how you behave around him…"
Ginny nodded vigorously. "You never actually hurt him. Ever. Just teased him. Taunted him a little. Like—"
"—brothers," Daphne finished.
Cassius exhaled slowly.
"Yes. Harry and I are… linked. More than either of us realized until recently."
Of course this was a lie, Harry was most likely still unaware of their connection, as Lily would still rather the secret go to the grave than reveal it.
Meanwhile he himself was aware of everything from the minute of his birth.
Hermione spoke again, quietly but intensely:
"Does he know?"
Cassius shook his head.
"No. I don't think so, at least given Mrs. Evans own reactions when speaking to me, she acts both surprised but with a hint of worry, meanwhile i only just learned of my own heritage after returning to the magical world after i was abandoned into the muggle world."
Luna gazed at him with soft, airy sympathy.
"Secrets like this," she whispered, "grow teeth."
Cassius' eyes lowered.
"Yes. That's why I'm trusting you all with this one. It's not a story I want spread. Not for my sake. Not for Harry's. And not for Severus's. He… endured enough, and most likely has already pieced thing together on his own."
Daphne reached across the table, placing her hand over his.
"As your subordinates," she said firmly, "we will protect this secret. Completely."
The others chimed in one by one.
Cho bowed her head. "You have my silence."
Ginny placed her hand atop Daphne's. "Mine too. No one deserves their private pain spread around."
Astoria nodded softly. "I won't tell anyone."
Hermione touched his arm. "Cassius… thank you for trusting us."
Luna smiled gently. "Mistletoe spirits thrive on secrets. We'll keep it safe."
Cassius let out a breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding.
"Thank you," he murmured. "All of you."
Though deep in his heart he knew their verbal assurance wasnt nessessary so long as they remained his subordinte members of House Draconis the houses own magical properties would bind his secrets to them, prevent their exposure unless he himself granted them permission to do so.
But—
Before the moment could settle…
Daphne leaned back in her chair with a smirk far too dangerous for her age.
"Well then," she said sweetly, "since we've agreed to guard your most precious secret…"
Hermione blinked. "Daphne—"
Ginny grinned. "No, she's right—"
Cho covered a smile with her hand.
Astoria went red but nodded.
Luna tilted her head. "Tradition dictates compensation."
Cassius stared.
"…compensation?"
Daphne clasped her hands primly.
"A kiss. From our lord. To each of us."
Cassius nearly fell out of his chair.
"Wh—WHAT?"
Ginny raised a brow. "What? It's only fair. You just dumped a life-altering revelation on us!"
Hermione turned bright pink. "J-just—just on the cheek! Obviously!"
Even Luna looked faintly pink around the ears.
Astoria was already steaming like an overfull kettle.
Cho smiled serenely. "It would be… appreciated."
Cassius opened his mouth—closed it—opened it again.
"You all want… a—I'm not—this is—"
Daphne tapped the table.
"Cassius."
He froze.
"You are our chosen lord. Our companion. Our partner."
Her smirk softened into something warm.
"And we agreed to keep your deepest secret. A small gesture of affection is the least you can do."
Cassius felt heat flood his face so violently he nearly set the torches ablaze.
"F… Fine," he muttered. "A kiss. On the cheek. Nothing else."
The girls all leaned forward like wolves scenting prey.
Cassius stood.
Approached Daphne first.
She tilted her head gracefully, exposing a perfect sliver of cheek.
Cassius leaned in—
Soft. Warm. Scented faintly of winter jasmine.
Daphne's face combusted.
Actual steam rose from her hair.
He turned to Hermione next.
She squeaked.
Her cheek kiss turned her the exact shade of a ripe tomato.
Cho remained composed—until the kiss.
Her breath hitched.
Her fingers trembled.
Ginny nearly fainted on the spot, swaying like a drunk house-elf.
Astoria giggled uncontrollably the moment his lips brushed her cheek.
And Luna—
Luna melted.
There was no other word for it.
She closed her eyes, smiled like he'd gifted her the moon, and sighed dreamily.
Cassius stepped back, redder than any of them.
He had never felt so exposed.
Or so utterly doomed.
The girls sat there in stunned, radiant silence.
Steam rising from six heads.
He cleared his throat.
"I… appreciate your discretion on this matter."
No one answered.
They were too busy quietly dying.
Cassius sank back into his chair, covering his flaming face with one hand.
Merlin help him.
He'd just kissed six different girls one after the other, in full view of the others, like a public display of affection gone wildly wrong.
Under dim torchlight no less making the action appear even more intimate.
Now that the deed itself was done they all were frozen in place staring at him like he'd just handed them a dragon egg.
Worst of all—
They looked like they wanted another kiss for New Year's to ring in the new year.
Cassius had afterall for years kept a healthy distance from them in regards to maintaining a certain relationship, but in this moment... now it felt like the expansive wall he'd erected upon his heart which was under siege by the girls attempts to worm their ways in, but now... now it was like he had just given them the ability to upgrade from Siege ladders to battering rams, increasing their efforts to shatter the wall and storm the interior.