Disclaimer:

The Marauders: Sirius Black a.k.a. Padfoot, Remus Lupin a.k.a. Moony, James Potter a.k.a. Prongs, Peter Pettigrew a.k.a. Wormtail, Lily Evans, Voldemort, Albus Dumbledore, Minerva McGonagall, Severus Snape, Lucius Malfoy, Hogwarts and everything regarding Hogwarts have been created by J.K Rowling and are not products of my otherwise bright mind.

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Chapter 1: Prelude: Sirius' Guilt

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"Sirius!" He could hear her voice coming from somewhere far away.

"Sirius!" He was running as fast as he could, but her voice kept moving away. He knew he had to reach her before HIM, but his legs hurt, he felt a loud hammering in his head, his eyes were narrowing and he found himself in a deep darkness.

"Sirius!" Now, her voice was near him. They were in the same room, lying on a cold floor, without being able to see each other.

"Sirius..." Again, her voice trailed off.

"Cassie..." He could hear the tears in his own voice.

The light that filled the room made him close his eyes. He knew he had to find her. He tried to open his eyes, a terrible pain stabbing them. She wasn't there anymore! He was pushed against the walls by an invisible force, and he could feel every bone in his body hurting. She was dead! She was dead! The thought conquered every single chamber of his mind. All of it was his fault. He had killed her...

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"Sirius, wake up! Wake up!"

Remus Lupin and James Potter looked at him worriedly, as he opened his eyes.

"The same dream, Sirius?" James asked, handing him a glass of water.

He nodded, and took the glass from his friend's hand, taking a sip of that cold, soothing water.

"I…killed…her." Sirius said, his voice dying in anguish. He then got up from his bed and moved to the open window. James and Remus couldn't see his face; they only saw his eyes sparkle in the moonlight. Sirius had never cried since Cassie's death. He was still trying to play his role as the strongest boy in Hogwarts, but his friends knew that Sirius found himself trying to deal with more pain than he could take.

"You know, we aren't at school here." Remus tried making Sirius step off the stage for once.

"Listen to me, Sirius," James said, "you did not kill her. You couldn't have done anything. We all know that Voldemort is the strongest dark wizard in a hundred years. You could've gotten yourself killed, for heavens sake."

"Would've been better if I would've." Sirius sighed.

James rushed towards him and grabbed him by the shoulders.

"Sirius… You know you don't really mean that. At least the Sirius I used to know wouldn't mean it."

"The Sirius you used to know died with her. All there is left is this." He said, pointing to his body. "This murderer you have right in front of you." He continued, in a mock tone.

 James could feel Sirius trembling as he gently guided him towards the bed.

"Maybe you should get some sleep. We'll talk about everything in the morning."

Lacking strength to oppose, Sirius lied on his bed, his eyes open and his mind still fighting with all of those memories. James and Remus on the other hand tried to get some rest, which was more than useful, as every night of the past three months had been spent the same way.

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