HP: Bad Intentions

Blake had no interest in being Snape. But surpassing Snape? Now, that was a different story. Just as he was about to sink further into his thoughts, he caught Cassandra looking at him, a little awkwardly. She shifted under his gaze and broke the silence.

"You…why are you staring at me like that?" Her cheeks had gone slightly pink.

"Oh… it's nothing." Blake shrugged, not shy about the truth. "I just think your eyes are beautiful. Couldn't help myself."

Cassandra blinked, her green eyes widening. She'd received plenty of compliments on her appearance before, but somehow, hearing it from Blake made her heart skip.

She couldn't resist a shy, "Really?" before biting her lip, looking a little embarrassed.

"Is it… just my eyes that are beautiful?"

Immediately, she regretted it.

'What am I thinking? He'll think I'm so full of myself!'

Cassandra wanted to slap herself. But Blake just smiled, apparently taking her words in stride.

"Oh, come on, Cassandra. You should be confident in your charm."

Cassandra's heart fluttered as he continued, "You're one of the most beautiful girls I've ever met… the second most beautiful, actually."

Cassandra's flush deepened, but this time she felt a twinge of irritation. Second? Who says something like that to a girl? She couldn't decide whether to feel flattered or offended.

Did he think she'd be thrilled with a "runner-up" compliment? If it weren't Blake, she'd have walked off long ago. But the unspoken question gnawed at her.

'Who was the most beautiful girl to him?'

Trying to hide her curiosity, she asked, "And…who is the prettiest girl?" Her green eyes sparkled with a hint of challenge.

[Ding! Angry emotion detected!]

A faint chime sounded from Blake's system.

[Ding! Congratulations to the host for getting a silver treasure chest!]

Blake hid a smile as he registered the reward and quickly pivoted, realizing he was getting into dangerous waters.

"Ahem! Right, we need to let your family know what's happened here." He gestured to the subdued group of wizards still bound and motionless on the ground.

"Once your father arrives, he'll know how to handle this mess. I'd call the Aurors, but they might just end up shielding these guys without solid evidence."

The mention of her father seemed to work, shifting Cassandra's focus back to the task at hand. But she realized she had no way of reaching him from their current location.

Before she could ask for help, Blake stepped up to a wall and with a swift flick of his wand, blasted an opening through it, creating an exit.

With another wave, a shimmering blue bird appeared on his arm.

"Help Cassandra deliver this letter," he said to the bird, which chirped in response. Cassandra took a small notebook from her bag, scrawled a quick message to her father, and tore off the page, handing it to the bird.

"Thank you," she said, giving it a gentle pat. "Please take this to my father, Jeffrey Worley."

The bird nodded, clutching the note in its beak. Then, with a flash of blue light, it disappeared.

Cassandra turned back to Blake, her eyes still sparkling with curiosity. She wasn't done with her questions yet, but she decided to start with something else.

"How did you even end up here, anyway?"

"Oh, that," Blake said nonchalantly. "I was out for some shopping this morning when I noticed you. You didn't look too happy, so I decided to follow and make sure everything was okay. Then I saw you enter a place hidden by some pretty intense cloaking magic, and that got me worried."

Cassandra's eyes softened. "If you hadn't come, I…." She trailed off, her hand moving instinctively to the necklace around her neck. She couldn't help but feel that her lucky potion had played some role in her survival.

Blake noticed her movement and sighed. "I get what you're thinking," he said.

"But a luck potion can only do so much. You can't rely on it to keep you completely safe."

With that, he reached out, and before Cassandra could react, he had unclasped her necklace.

She watched as he took the vial in his hand, examining the tiny amount of potion remaining inside. He ran his fingers over the bottle, and in a moment, it magically refilled. Holding the necklace out to her, Blake's expression softened, but his voice was firm.

"This potion is to save you when you're in trouble, not for diving into danger head-first," he said as he placed the necklace back around her neck, fastening it gently.

Cassandra's heart was racing. She barely managed a soft, "Okay…" before a blue flash appeared beside them. Blue Bird had returned—and he hadn't come alone. Standing beside him were her parents.

"Mom! Dad!" Cassandra's voice trembled, her cheeks going red.

Her father, Jeffrey Worley, looked stricken, and he immediately moved forward, eyes filled with relief.

"Cassandra! Are you all right? Frank... that lying snake!"

As he muttered angrily, his gaze fell on Blake, who was just finishing clasping the necklace around Cassandra's neck. Jeffrey's expression shifted, brows raising slightly as he looked between his daughter and Blake.

Blake straightened, taking in her parents. Jeffrey Worley was a distinguished man, dressed almost too formally as if he'd come from a high-society gathering rather than a wizard duel.

His tuxedo jacket, worn even on the streets, seemed out of place but undeniably stately. Cassandra's mother, however, appeared much more relaxed.

With a cascade of golden hair and striking green eyes similar to her daughter's, she looked every bit the picture of elegance. Her blue robes were simple, yet they conveyed a quiet warmth that contrasted with her husband's formality.

Mrs. Worley gave Blake a grateful look, her gaze softening as she reached for his hand.

"Thank you so much, Blake," she said earnestly. "Cassandra told us what happened in her note. If it weren't for you, she might not have made it."

"Please, it's nothing," Blake replied with a modest smile. "Cassandra's a good friend. That's what friends are for, right?"

Meanwhile, Jeffrey had taken Cassandra aside, checking her over with an intensity that made her smile.

"Oh, Dad, I'm fine," she reassured him. "It's just… if you'd believed me about Frank from the start, I wouldn't have been in this mess. He even tried to Obliviate me! If Blake hadn't been there…" She trailed off, shuddering.

Jeffrey's expression hardened as he absorbed his daughter's words. The thought of losing Cassandra shook him to the core, and his gaze darkened with steely determination.

"I'm so sorry, Cassandra. I shouldn't have trusted him."

Cassandra gave her father a small smile. "It's okay, Dad. I know what to do next time."

He turned back to Blake, gripping his hand tightly. "You saved my daughter's life, and for that, I can't thank you enough. If there's anything you need, just say the word."

"Oh, there's no need, sir," Blake said, shaking his head. "Really, I was just doing what I could for a friend."

As they spoke, Jeffrey glanced toward the hole Blake had blasted in the wall. He strode over, looking through to see the pile of defeated wizards still unconscious and sprawled on the ground. Jeffrey's eyes widened.

'Impressive,' he thought, realizing that Blake had single-handedly taken down these men. His admiration for the young man grew, along with a mild sense of apprehension.

'Is this young man really so strong?' he mused.

He glanced back to see Cassandra casting furtive glances at Blake, her green eyes bright with admiration.

'Could she…?' Jeffrey's stomach tightened, realizing his daughter's affections might lie with her rescuer. With a reluctant sigh, he admitted that, someday, she might indeed leave him.

Mrs. Worley, meanwhile, had been talking with Blake, slyly assessing him. She'd noticed Cassandra's blush and her frequent looks at Blake and was secretly thrilled.

"And tell me, Blake," she asked lightly, "where are you from? Do you have any family?"

Blake answered her questions smoothly, but as Mrs. Worley leaned in, her questions became more personal. "Do you have a sweetheart?" she asked, her eyes twinkling.

"And what do you think of our Cassandra?"

Cassandra's cheeks burned as she interrupted, her voice flustered. "Mom! Dad's been in there too long. We should check on him!"

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