The first day of classes, Cassia went down stairs to the common room, shrieking when one of her brothers grabbed her and lifted her off the ground. The boy holding her set her back on her feet with a laugh and she glowered at him.
"James!" she whined. The hazel eyed boy grinned at her.
"Yes, oh sister of mine?"
"Do you have to be such a prat first thing in the morning?!" she demanded petulantly. He laughed again.
"But of course. Someone has to keep you on your toes!" he replied cheerfully. She huffed.
"You and Harry do that well enough without ambushing me when I first wake up." She told him dryly. She yelped as she was lifted off her feet again, this time from behind.
"Put me down!" she commanded. Once she was on her feet, she turned around to find herself looking into the mischievous grey eyes of Sirius Black. She groaned.
"Oh Merlin, now I have three boys to babysit." She bemoaned to herself. Spotting a brown-haired boy on the sofa by the fire, she made her way over to him, sitting down and leaning against. She smiled when he looked up at her in surprise.
"Can I hang out with you today? My brothers and Sirius are going to drive me mad otherwise." She told him, still smiling brightly. He laughed.
"Of course. Would you like to head down to breakfast?"
She beamed.
"Absolutely. Come on, we might be able to find seats where they can't bother us!" she paused for a moment, "I'm Cassia Potter, by the way."
He grinned at her.
"Remus Lupin. Pleased to meet you Cassia."
Harry, James, Sirius, and Cassia sat around one of the tables in the common room shortly after Remus had left to 'visit his sick mother' again. They had been friends with the boy for over a year now and they were starting to become suspicious.
"Look," Sirius huffed exasperatedly, "he goes to 'visit his mother' every month around the full moon. It's the same every month, like clockwork." He told them. James raised a brow.
"You're not thinking what I think you are, are you?" he asked dubiously. Harry scoffed.
"Come on, James, surely you've noticed! It's the same every month, always on the night of the full moon. It's a logical conclusion."
James turned to his sister.
"Cass, what do you think?"
She shrugged.
"I'm surprised it's taken you this long to figure it out, to be honest." She replied smoothly. Sirius and James gaped at her while Harry chuckled.
"Jamie, I don't know why you're surprised. She's always been the more observant of the three of us." He reminded his brother. James rolled his eyes.
"So, do we tell him we know?"
Sirius rolled his eyes.
"Of course we do, Jamie."
Cassia nodded.
"Yeah, we need to let him know we don't care."
"So it's decided?" Harry asked, "We're telling him when he gets back?"
The other three nodded.
"We're telling him." They agreed.
Remus was staring at his friends in disbelief and slight fear. He was surprised when Sirius rolled his eyes and punched him lightly on the arm.
"Don't be an idiot, Rem, you're our friend. We don't care."
His eyes widened.
"You don't?" he asked hopefully. Cassia shook her head exasperatedly.
"Of course not, Remus. Like Sirius said, you're our friend. You didn't ask for this, and it's not like you're hurting anyone."
James clapped him on the back.
"Yeah, mate, don't be stupid."
Harry grinned.
"I don't think you should be talking James. Now, Remus, do you want to help me prank Sirius and James?" he asked the werewolf. Remus grinned and nodded while the other two squawked indignantly.
"Why are you pranking us?" Sirius demanded. Harry pointed to a now smirking Cassia.
"I've been contracted on the lady's behalf." He replied with a shrug. The two boys groaned. They were doomed.
Cassia listened to Lily rant, fighting the urge to silence her friend. After another twenty minutes, she snapped.
"Lily!" the redhead froze mid-rant, staring at the other girl in confusion, "Give it a rest, would you? It's not like they're just targeting Slytherins. More often than not, they're pranking Gryffindors. Why are you so determined to hate them?" she asked exasperatedly. Lily's mouth fell open. After several minutes of gaping like a fish, she finally found her voice.
"I don't hate them!"
"Then why are you always nagging them? They're not hurting anyone. Their pranks are funny. What's your problem, Lils?"
She looked at the ground, shamefaced.
"Severus doesn't like them."
Cassia rolled her eyes.
"Snape? He's jealous because James isn't stuck in the friend zone."
Lily shot her a confused look.
"Why would he be jealous of James?"
Again, Cass rolled her eyes.
"Honestly, Lily! How blind can you be?! James has made no secret of his feelings for you and Snape is so obvious Harry has noticed! And Harry doesn't notice things like that unless it slaps him in the face!"
Lily blushed furiously.
"So you think I should apologize?"
Cassia sighed.
"I think you should give them a chance, Lils. I'll be the first to admit that Sirius, Harry and James are arrogant as hell, but they're good guys. Snape is just being a prat because he knows you don't see him as anything more than a friend. You're allowed to have more male friends than just him."
Lily nodded.
"Okay, I'll give them a chance."
"James! James! I did it! Wake up, you prat!"
James groaned and opened his eyes reluctantly to find his sister hovering excitedly over his bed.
"What do you want, Cass?"
She rolled her eyes.
"Help me wake the Sirius and Harry and grab the cloak. I need to show you something." She huffed, moving to Sirius' bed. Sighing, he got up and woke his brother and grabbed his cloak.
"What do you want to show us, Cass?" Sirius demanded irritably. Cassia shot him an annoyed looked.
"Be quiet! Everyone under the cloak and follow me." She commanded. James threw the cloak over the four of them and allowed her to lead them out of the common room. Fifteen minutes later, they were on the seventh floor in front of a blank piece of wall. Sirius and James opened their mouths to ask what the hell was going on, but Harry nudged them in the ribs to keep them quiet. Three paces along the wall later and there was a door. Cassia ushered them inside. The boys took a look around, Harry in curiosity and James and Sirius in amazement. He smirked at his twin.
"Alright, Cass, what did you want to show us?"
She grinned excitedly.
"I did it! Watch!"
She took a deep breath and a moment later a grey timber wolf stood before them. The boys whooped excitedly and she changed back, a happy smile on her face. Sirius was the first to hug her.
"Yes! I'm not the only canine!"
She laughed and shoved him, only to be grabbed by James a second later, then passed to Harry, who mussed her hair purely to annoy her. She glared at him.
"Prat." She muttered petulantly. The boys grinned at her.
"Now the rest of us just need to transform." James said excitedly. The others agreed and made their way back to the common room.
Harry and Cassia sat in a corner of the common room, conversing quietly while Sirius, Remus, and James were out playing some prank or another.
"The only one we can actually get to is the diadem."
"But we'll still need a basilisk fang because I don't trust Fiend Fyre." Harry replied. Cassia shrugged.
"Borrow a rooster from Hagrid. We can nip the cloak from James, sneak down to Hagrid's hut, go down to the Chamber, summon the basilisk, get the rooster to crow, and snatch a fang."
"Should we involve the others?"
"After O.W.L.s. And we need to speak with Albus. See if he can take one of us to the Gaunt Shack, because I don't trust him with that blasted ring –"
"What are you guys talking about?"
They both looked up to see Peter watching them curiously. Cassia smiled at him.
"Nothing important, Peter. What are you doing up this late? You're usually asleep by now."
He shrugged.
"It was quiet in the dorm without Sirius and James' snoring. The silence woke me up."
Cassia laughed quietly.
"You've gotten used to the noise?" she asked sympathetically. He gave a disgruntled nod.
"You can sit up with us until the others get back from whatever prank they have planned if you wish." Harry offered reluctantly. Peter smiled thankfully and Cassia wondered if the small boy could be saved.
"ENOUGH!"
Everyone in the common room froze, including the two arguing in the middle of the room. Cassia made her way down the stairs, stopping when she stood between her brother and a furious Lily Evans. She put her fisted hands on her hips and glared at them.
"I've had enough of you two arguing in the middle of the common room every night and disturbing everyone! You're frightening first years and this is the third time I've had to stop what I was doing because I couldn't hear myself think! What the hell are you arguing about this time?" she demanded. James glared at Lily.
"She was having a go at Sirius because of his family!"
Cassia turned to her friend with a raised eyebrow. Lily had no place to be casting stones at anyone else's family given how horrible her sister was.
"Lily?" she asked quietly. Lily winced at the tone of deceptive calm, but held her ground.
"He's always having a go at Severus because he's a Slytherin –"
"And you decided to go after Sirius because he comes from a Dark family." Cassia finished disappointedly. "First of all, James, lay off Snape unless he attacks you first, got it?" she commanded her brother. The older boy nodded tightly, knowing better than to argue with his sister. She turned back to Lily.
"Second of all, Sirius and Severus' situations are completely different. Sirius has turned his back on his family and Dark Magic. Severus, however, embraces it. I've seen him using Dark Magic, Lily. Nothing illegal, mind, but Dark Magic nonetheless. Before you say anything, I'm not judging him. I hate Dark Magic and all who practice it with a passion, but I am not judging Severus Snape. And I promise you, if any Gryffindors, Hufflepuffs, or Ravenclaws were openly practicing Dark Magic, James would be heckling them as well. James, Sirius, and Severus are never going to get along. It doesn't matter how long you talk to them or what you say, they are always going to hate each other. So when you're talking to James and Sirius, don't mention Severus, when you're with Severus, vice versa. James – I've said all I have to say to you regarding Severus Snape. Lily, just leave Sirius alone unless he is directly attacking you or Severus, though I highly doubt the former will ever take place." She added dryly. Lily raised a brow.
"And what makes you say that?"
"Because I don't have a go at people unless I have a problem with them, Evans, and the only people I 'attack' are those I know are practicing Dark Magic." Sirius retorted, deciding to join the argument for himself. Cassia sighed, looking at the boy pleadingly.
"Please, Sirius, don't you start too." She begged. He smiled reassuringly and put an arm around her.
"Don't worry, Cass, I'm not going to start the argument back up." He frowned, "Why don't you go have a lie down? You look like you're starting to get a headache." He suggested quietly. She nodded, heading upstairs. Hopefully they would be quiet long enough for her to sleep this one off.
Remus glared at his friends as they whisked him from the library and up to the seventh floor.
"What the hell is going on?" he demanded. They grinned and shoved him into a room he hadn't known was there. Cassia was in the middle of the room, grinning excitedly. He raised a brow.
"Cass?" he asked, a warning note in his voice. Her grin widened.
"We'll explain everything, Remy, I swear." She turned to the other three, "James, you go first." She encouraged, practically bouncing in place. Despite his annoyance, Remus let out a small chuckle of amusement. James stepped beside his sister with the same air of excitement. He took a deep breath, and suddenly a stag stood in his place, markings around his eyes where his glasses usually were. Remus stared in stunned silence. James turned back and the four stared at their friend nervously.
"Rem?" Sirius asked hesitantly. Remus turned to Cassia, the most sensible of the three.
"Explain." He commanded tersely. Cassia's eyes widened.
"We started back in second year, shortly after we told you we knew about your furry little problem. We saw how much it take out of you on the full moon and we want to help, so the boys started researching – without informing me, mind – came to me when they found a book saying that werewolves don't attack other animals so – we became animagi." She told him. He stared at her for a moment. Finally, after what felt like ages, he found his voice.
"You performed an extremely dangerous – and advanced – bit of magic, just so you could be with me on the full moon?" he asked hoarsely. The four nodded nervously, grinning when the werewolf pulled them all into a hug.
"You guys are the best." He muttered, "Idiots, but the best friends anyone could ask for."
They all laughed, Cassia breaking the 'love feast' excitedly.
"The rest of still haven't shown you our forms!" she gushed. Remus laughed.
"Alright, who's next?" he asked with amusement, which grew when Sirius began bouncing up and down excitedly.
"Me! Me, me, me, me, me!"
He transformed into a giant black dog before anyone could say anything, wagging his tail and barking once before changing back. Harry transformed next into a black panther. Then it was Cassia's turn. She grinned before shifting into a grey wolf. Sirius immediately transformed again and began playing with the wolf, the pair wrestling happily on the ground while the other three laughed. Remus grinned. He had great friends.
It was late, the castle was silent and the moon was dark. Cassia was walking back to Gryffindor Tower from the kitchens when she stumbled across something that made her blood boil. It was a group of older students. She couldn't tell what House they were from, but she could tell that the group of first years they were tormenting were Slytherins. She slipped behind the leader, her rage mounting when she recognized them as seventh years from her own House. She sank her fingers into McLaggen's hair, bringing his head back so that he was looking into her eyes and digging her wand into his throat. His companions turned their wands on her, temporarily forgetting about the first years. She smiled sweetly at them.
"Ah, ah, boys." She scolded softly, "I would put those away if you don't want me to take your friend's pretty head off." She warned them sweetly. The boys hurriedly pocketed their wands. She smiled kindly at the first years.
"Go on and get back to your common room, yeah? I'll deal with the trash." She winked at them, gaining a giggle from the girl; the boy grabbed her hand and dragged her towards their dorms. Cassia turned her full attention back to the seventh years, chuckling at the sight of the two boys she didn't have at wand point trying to sneak off.
"Where are you going, boys?" she asked curiously, her grip tightening on McLaggen's hair just long enough for her to hit the other two with a full body bind. Once that was done, she used the same spell on the boy she was holding, dropping him to the floor once she was sure none of them could escape. She smirked at them.
"So, you three like to pick on defenseless first years." Her smirk turned feral, laughing at their worried expressions, "Don't worry, I'm not going to hurt you. But I am going to hurt your pride."
The next morning, the three boys were found unconscious in front of the Great Hall, their skin pink, their hair green and above them were the words:
Behold the Worms of Gryffindor
McGonagall's face was an unhealthy shade of red as she marched to the front of the growing crowd of students and woke the boys.
"Who did this?" she demanded furiously. McLaggen glared at Cassia's smirking face.
"Her." He spat, pointing at her. McGonagall turned to the girl and stared in shock.
"Miss Potter, why would you do such a thing?"
The girl sneered at the boys on the floor.
"Because I see nothing chivalrous or brave about attack defenseless first years." She snapped. McGonagall glared at her.
"So you decided to take matters into your own hands instead of informing a teacher?" she demanded. Cassia laughed mockingly.
"And what would a teacher have done? If I remember correctly, you still haven't done anything about upper years molesting your own lions because 'there just isn't enough evidence'." She sneered, "Yes, I took matters into my own hands, because all the professors of this school seem capable of are disapproving stares, suspensions and detentions. I had no evidence besides my own word and that of two frightened first years. You want me to go to a teacher when I see bullying? Step up and do your damn jobs." She snapped, "Now, I don't care if you right my parents, give me detention, or expel me. I'm not apologizing or reversing the spells I've used. The little worms can wait until it wears off. It won't kill them."
McGonagall sighed in disappointment.
"Miss Potter, detention with Mr. Filch for a month and I will be writing to your parents this evening."
Cassia snorted and walked past her professor into the Great Hall. Harry and James exchanged a look before following their sister, Sirius, Remus, and Lily not far behind.
The five Marauders and Lily had a compartment to themselves on their way home from their fourth year. Harry and James were playing exploding snap, Remus and Sirius were in the middle of a heated debate that had started shortly after the pair had woken up and that no one knew the topic of, and Lily and Cassia were cross legged in their seats, facing each other and discussing their plans for the summer.
Cassia sighed and leaned back against Sirius, who was behind her.
"We're probably going to be home all summer unless dad decides to drag us to some Ministry Ball or another. Otherwise, it's just me and the boys while dad's at work and mum reads in the library. I'll probably be joining her occasionally to keep from going mad with only James and Harry for company."
"Oi!" her brothers cried indignantly, looking up from their game briefly. Sirius barked a laugh.
"You know you two will spend most of the summer tormenting her." He told his friends. The two pouted for a moment before grinning. Sirius looked at Cassia curiously.
"Are you in any trouble for what you did to those boys?"
She shook her head.
"Mum and dad agreed with why I did it, so they just pretended to punish me by telling Minnie that I'm not allowed to visit Lils this summer. Which reminds me –" she grinned at her friend, "Mum says you're invited to come over any time you like. Just send word and dad'll fetch you." She informed her. Lily smiled.
"That would be great. It'll be nice to get away from Tuney for a little while."
Cassia opened her mouth to respond, but was interrupted by Sirius forcibly turning her so that her back was against the seat and lying his head in her lap. She sighed and looked down at him.
"What are you doing?" she asked resignedly. He grinned.
"Using you for a pillow. Remus won our little argument and we've still got a few hours left on the train."
She rolled her eyes.
"Go to sleep." She commanded exasperatedly. He grinned and saluted her before closing his eyes and doing just that. Lily sighed and looked at James.
"Five galleons on fifth year." She told him. James looked up from the cards and cackled, abandoning the game to dig out the parchment he was using to keep track of the bets placed and a quill. Cassia looked between the two of them in confusion.
"What about next year?" she demanded. No one answered her and she crossed her arms with a pout. Her friends and brothers were so mean.
AN: Next year's fifth year. What do you guys think? Should I save Peter or just ignore him?