Cass had always known there were things he didn't like. His family, Death Eaters, the summer when the days rained away...funerals. Since he was six and was forced to go to one for...had it been an aunt? he had disliked them. There was one thing he disliked much more, he now discovered.
Going to a funeral with his boyfriend, only to NOT get to sit with his boyfriend.
Truth was that the more time that passed the more Cass hated sneaking around. He hated seeing Percy so torn up, he hated not being able to put his arms around him. He was terrified at just how strong the urge to make things better was, and annoyed that he didn't even have the chance to let his hand rest against Percy's thigh, or shoulder or anything to let him know that he was there.
Instead he sat by Pansy, close but not nearly close enough, going over the last week in his mind. From telling Percy about Tiberius, to Percy trying to push him away, convinced that sooner or later he would leave to (or get killed), to Percy clinging to him and being more vulnerable than he'd ever seen him before. He hated this, he hated the pain, he hated Percy trying to work as if nothing had happened and refusing to even take a few days off and go away with him. He hated sitting next to Pansy rather than Percy when he knew that Percy wanted him next to him.
Not that it mattered. When the funeral was over he was going to go back home and offer Percy the biggest bottle of whiskey he could find. If he wouldn't go away with him he could at least offer the support of getting wasted together.
And then Professor Umbridge - well he guessed professor was the wrong title now - made some sort of speech, and the one and only thing he could think of was to look to Percy to see his reaction. He didn't really understand why he was grinding his teeth, but a lot of people looked quite uncomfortable or angry or upset. Personally he couldn't quite understand why, sure she was a sucker for rules but she wasn't that bad.
Percy seemed to think so, however, judging from the look on his face. Cass leaned over Pansy, discretely casting a privacy spell. 'Anytime you want to leave...' It was all he had to say, and he could see the answer in Percy's eyes. There was no way in hell they were staying longer than necessary. Cass only wished they could have actually left together, rather than sneaking around as if they were doing something wrong. He sat up, placing his arm around Pansy, letting his fingers "accidentally" touch Percy's shoulder. Soon. They'd leave soon.