"I was careless... I didn't flash... but... it didn't feel right..."
Blake wiped his mouth and muttered,
"Ahem... Don't be fooled by sugar-coated bullets!"
His brows furrowed.
"There's something wrong with Cassandra today—very wrong!"
At first, Blake had kissed her cheek and asked if she liked him. She'd denied it over and over. But now? Her sudden change and intense affection left him uneasy. Even if she had figured out her feelings, wouldn't it have made more sense to confess in private, away from everyone?
Cassandra mastered the Dimension Gate. She could've taken him somewhere remote and quiet, made her confession one-on-one. But instead, she made a public spectacle—right in front of Mr. Weasley—and even dragged Hermione along. Why?
To provoke Hermione? That didn't add up. Blake hadn't even responded positively, and still Cassandra looked… satisfied. It wasn't about love or winning Blake's heart—it was about achieving something else entirely.
She'd already gained what she wanted.
Blake scanned the area using the Eyes of Truth.
Gone.
Cassandra, Hermione, and the Grangers had vanished—clearly using the Dimension Gate.
High above a sea of white clouds, a small mountain peak jutted out like an island. There, Hermione sat silently on a stone chair, staring at the endless horizon.
This was the place Blake had brought her once before.
Back then, he'd sat beside her, shared tea and quiet companionship. Now, she was alone.
The stone table remained, but no tea today—just a single weathered book. Its pages fluttered in the breeze, revealing the bold title:
"The Unbreakable Vow Spell…"
Her eyes reddened as she stared into the clouds. After retrieving the book from Hogwarts' restricted section, Hermione had learned the awful truth.
Cassandra had used the Unbreakable Vow.
It wasn't quite a blood pact, but it was close enough—too strong for Hermione to counter.
She was effectively… out.
Her chest ached. She didn't even resent Cassandra. She only regretted her own hesitation, her lack of courage.
If she had confessed to Blake first—even if he rejected her—maybe the pain would've been bearable.
"It's summer, but it's still cold at the mountaintop. You should wear more layers."
Blake's familiar voice cut through her thoughts. He'd appeared silently beside her.
Hermione's eyes brimmed with fresh tears. For a moment, she wanted to run into his arms—no matter the rejection. But before she could move, pain stabbed her left hand.
"Salala!"
Chains—bloody, spectral chains—appeared, wrapping her wrist, shrinking.
Her magic drained rapidly. She realized in horror: if this continued, she'd die.
She clutched her arm, gave Blake a final look, and disappeared through a Dimension Gate.
Blake stood still, eyes somber. He knew now.
"The Unbreakable Vow Spell…" he whispered.
Cassandra had made Hermione vow to stay away from him—and that vow was killing her.
Blake didn't follow. As long as the spell was active, his presence would only hurt Hermione more.
He picked up the forbidden book from the stone table and ran his fingers across the brittle pages.
"…What a naughty girl…" he murmured.
Cassandra wasn't worried about Blake finding out. She knew him too well.
He hated complications. He avoided confrontation.
And if it came down to a choice between losing both girls or keeping one… he'd settle.
"If you don't want to choose," she'd reasoned, "then I'll choose for you."
From the shadows of her room, she smiled coldly.
"So, who should I eliminate next?"
Suddenly—
"Wow!"
The curtains flew open. Sunlight poured into the room, banishing the gloom. In the window stood Blake, illuminated by the sun.
"You... you know?" Cassandra asked, uneasy.
Imagining this moment had been one thing. Facing it was another. Her confidence melted like snow in sunlight.
What if he really didn't want her?
Blake stepped inside, pointing at the door.
"Bata."
The door locked.
Cassandra stood up, forcing herself to stay composed.
She had gambled on this—the Unbreakable Vow, the emotional manipulation, Hermione's removal.
Now it was time to see the result.
Blake stopped half a meter from her.
"Yeah, I understand," he said softly.
He took another step, now inches from her.
Cassandra's heart pounded. Blake's aura had changed. He was no longer lighthearted and warm.
He was heavy. Intense.
Still, she didn't back away.
Blake raised his right hand. Cassandra flinched—but he only stroked her golden hair.
"I'm honored you like me... but I don't like your methods," he said.
"Hermione is my friend. You shouldn't have hurt her."
"I... I didn't mean to hurt her. I just didn't want her near you. If she stays away, she won't get hurt!"
Cassandra stepped forward, pressing her face to his chest. He didn't move away.
Hope surged in her heart.
Blake gently took her left hand.
"Sometimes hearts get hurt, Cassandra. There won't be a next time. Remember—everyone around me, including you, is off-limits for harm."
Her heart soared. Did this mean Blake had chosen her?
But then… cold.
Cassandra looked at her hand in shock. The crimson chains of the vow were unraveling.
"You... you... how is it possible…"
Blake tucked the Ruyi Wand back into his sleeve.
"It's me. Have you ever seen something I couldn't break?"
Cassandra stared at her now-bare wrist. Her scheme—dismantled in an instant.
"I failed..." she whispered.
"No," Blake said. "You succeeded. At least... partially."
"What—mmph!"
He kissed her.
Cassandra's mind went blank. She'd kissed him before, but being kissed—by him—was entirely different.
Her resistance crumbled. Her arms wrapped around his waist.
Far away, Hermione cried quietly in her room—until a sharp pain flared in her left hand.
Then, just as suddenly, it vanished.
The Unbreakable Vow Spell… was gone.
"How... how is it possible..."
Relief swept through her like sunlight after a storm.
Her mother peeked in.
"Hermione, what's wrong?"
"Nothing, Mom. Just... stubbed my toe."
Cassandra leaned heavily in Blake's arms, breathless.
His kiss had left her dizzy.
Blake held her close and said quietly,
"I actually have two masks."
Half his face was in shadow, half in light.
"I have many friends—some dark, some light. My masks... are black and white."
Cassandra listened without interrupting.
"I have two fathers. One white, one black."
She asked,
"So... are you showing me your black mask now?"
"Do you want to see it?"
"Even if it never turns white again?"
Cassandra smiled.
"If you want me white, I'll be white. If you want me black, I'll be black."
"You don't have to go that far."
"I just want to see your true face."
Blake considered.
"Then... it's gray."
"Okay, I'll be gray too."
"You mean you'll follow me no matter what?"
"Yes! Even if you're a bad guy, I'll stay with you!"
"Then I want a lot of girls."
Cassandra's smile faltered.
"You… bad guy! That's not fair!"
"You said I'm bad. Should I be called an egg instead?"
She wanted to kick him, but she knew—she couldn't live without this idiot.
"Then at least… let me be the one you love most."
"Can't promise that. I told you—I want them all."
"You! Bastard! Can't you say one nice thing?"
"Who told you to be so naughty?"
"Then… can you at least promise my place is higher than Granger's?"
Blake stepped closer, their breath mingling.
"That... depends on your performance."
"You... what do you want..."
=============
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