Harry Potter fanfiction
THE DARK SECRET
Dedicated to BrutieBoots, because she's been waiting long for the continuation of this story (even though this is the rewrite). (:
CHAPTER FIVE
CAIN
Cain arrived with his and Aislinn's butterbeers and noticed she had found a place to sit with a few of the Gryffindor friends, a group that liked to call themselves the "Marauders." They consisted of James Potter, Sirius Black, Remus Lupin, and Peter Pettigrew.
"Why hello," Cain said cheerfully. "We didn't expect to meet you here."
"Oh you lie, Roman," teased James. "We know how intuitive you are." Cain chuckled as he passed a beer mug to Aislinn and took the empty chair next to her.
"So, are you two on a date?" inquired Sirius with a coy grin. Aislinn flushed a deep crimson and ducked her head. The Marauders laughed lightly as Cain sighed.
"No. We're just out for a stroll in the village. As friends," Cain quickly added so as not to bring much more embarrassment upon Aislinn.
"Good, because dear old Moony here would be quite heartbroken, should his darling fancy be in the arms of another man," James teased, clapping a hand on Remus's shoulder and using the unique nickname the Marauders had given him. Remus bowed his head of wispy brown hair and propped the book he'd been reading up on the bottom edges.
"Prongs!" he hissed in embarrassment, scolding James. This only made the other three Marauders laugh harder.
"So how are things up in Ravenclaw Tower? Enjoying Potions with old Snivellus?" snickered Sirius. Peter snorted. Aislinn's eyebrows furrowed.
"Snivellus?" she repeated in confusion.
"Oh, sorry dear. I meant Snivellus Greasy." Sirius and James high-fived whilst Peter chortled away. Remus rolled his eyes.
"I'm afraid we don't quite comprehend," admitted Cain.
"He means Severus Snape, of course," Peter explained, grabbing for his mug of hot chocolate. The portly boy began to guzzle the cup down, leaving him with a brown smearing of a mustache.
"How on earth did you gather Snivellus Greasy from Severus Snape?" asked Aislinn in a lower tone, in case they were being overheard.
James snarled at the sound of his voice. "The prat's after my Evans. He's had his eye on her since first year."
"Lily's told me she's known Severus even before they came to Hogwarts," Aislinn informed. James glared.
"I know. It angers me, since she has yet to accept my proposal to become my girlfriend," he said.
"Yeah, for the bloody umpteenth time," added Sirius. James shot daggers at him.
"We're on better terms now. I'm beginning to think she's actually fancying me," James said wistfully. Remus half-smiled at his friend, lifting his head over his book. Sirius rolled his eyes and chuckled.
"Evans is beginning to fancy you? Is she beginning to fall in love with you?" asked Cain curiously. All four of the boys averted their gaze to Cain in puzzlement. Aislinn softly giggled.
"Well, erm, I bloody well hope so. After all, I've been in love with that girl for seven years. Seven damn-long years!"
"That's very sweet, James. I wasn't aware there was such a side to you," Aislinn noted. The other three Marauder's snickered as James tossed her a scowl, revealing a small smile afterward.
"Thanks, Blair," he scowled. Aislinn shrugged, producing an adorably innocent smile while reaching for her mug of butterbeer.
"How will you know if Evans shares your affections for her?" asked Cain.
"You sure have got a lot to ask about Prongs's romance, don't you, Roman?" chuckled Sirius. Cain's eyebrows knitted together briefly before smiling so wide that his amber eyes squinted into slits.
"I'm very curious, in case you hadn't already known," Cain explained. Aislinn glanced up at him before nodding.
"Oh yes. It's how he's so brilliant," she added, leaning in to the table. Remus grinned.
"Well anyway," piped Peter. "We never did finish discussing our friend, Snivellus."
"Oh, right Wormtail," chimed James. He folded his hands together. "How is our lovely friend?"
"I find it quite upsetting that you pick on that boy because he fancies Lily, but he is rather strange and isolate," said Aislinn.
"Apparently you and Evans both feel that way," muttered James with an eye roll.
"Although, he's not as strange as that other bloke, Kelgasus. The lanky Slytherin with the different colored eyes. You know who I'm talking about, right Prongs?" mentioned Sirius. Remus raised an eyebrow.
"He is a tad strange. Ever since first year, people have heard rumors of him," he said.
"A tad, Moony? I think not. He's quite incredibly strange, that Kelgasus," said Sirius with a shake of his head.
"Kelgasus shares Potions with us as well, doesn't he?" asked Cain to Aislinn. She nodded.
"That's right. He does isolate himself, even from his own House. I, too, have heard rumors. I hear he was left all alone to raise himself deep in the mountains," said Aislinn.
"Wouldn't be too surprising," scoffed James.
"I hear he hears voices in his head. Some believe he can also talk to snakes," mentioned Sirius.
"A Parslemouth? Kelgasus? That would be interesting," mused Cain, perching his folded hands underneath his chin.
"It would be terrifying! Parslemouths are said to be heirs to Salazar Slytherin," said Aislinn.
"But, of course, that wouldn't be much of a shock," said Sirius. "Slytherins are all creepy blokes."
"You're family derives from Slytherin, though," mentioned Cain.
"Correct. My family's a mess. Why do you think I'm staying with Prongs during holidays?"
"Surely you must love them, though," said Aislinn. Sirius scoffed.
"Don't make me laugh, Blair. Even you couldn't say one nice thing about my family of Slytherins, and you don't even know them. Mum hates me, claims I'm a Mudblood, even though I'm clearly pure of blood," said Sirius. Aislinn frowned and sadness spread across her face. "But don't you worry your pretty face over it, love." He chuckled.
"Padfoot's welcome at my house any day. My folks have practically accepted him as family. Might as well adopt him," said James, nudging Sirius in the side.
"I'm sorry to hear this," Aislinn said.
"It's a shame many of us don't have stable families. Kelgasus, Sirius, myself even," Cain mentioned.
"You too, Roman?" inquired James. Cain nodded.
"Indeed. You could say my home life is quite … wild."
"Join the club," muttered Remus. Aislinn shot him a worried look.
"Oh, Remus, not you too!"
"Believe me, Blair. You're probably the only one here with a nice family waiting for you for holidays," said Sirius.
"Well, I can't say it's the best home life, but my mother and my brother are plenty for me," she said.
"And you're father?" asked Remus.
"Her father's gone," answered Cain for her. Aislinn nodded.
"Father figured it better to live among his own kind. He left my mum, brother, and I perhaps when Carter was just a year old. The poor boy never got to know his father," explained Aislinn.
"Muggle father, huh?" James asked.
"Actually, Father was a wizard. It's my mother who's a Muggle. My brother is one as well."
"Really? Judging by your performance in class, though, one would assume you are pureblooded," said Remus. Aislinn cracked a small smile.
"I suppose that is where the phrase 'don't judge a book by its cover' comes in, don't you reckon?" He chuckled.
"I guess so," he replied shyly. The two smiled shyly at each other for a couple more minutes while the other Marauders formed their own conversation. Cain watched Remus and Aislinn in their lock of affection, curiously watching Remus. His stench was great. Ever since their first year at Hogwarts, the two of them knew something was off with the other. Remus was perhaps the only person, other than Dumbledore, who knew what Cain really was, because Remus had just as good a nose as he did. Cain could remember the both of them being on unstable terms, but as the years passed, their created a friendship, and kept each other's secrets quiet.
He noticed the twinkle in Remus's eye as he stared at Aislinn, how Aislinn's plump lips formed into an even wider smile, how both of their cheeks flushed a rosy red of embarrassment. Judging by the definitions his friends had given him in the past, Cain assumed this was love.
Increasingly jealous that even more of his friends were gaining the emotion he so long searched for, he still remained curious and happy for his fellow classmates. He would have to ask Aislinn about her feelings for Remus when they returned to the common room. Being the close friends they were, she surely would have no trouble telling him. Watching Aislinn and Remus, thinking about James and Lily, Cain was determined to fall in love before he left Hogwarts. Surely there was someone he would feel unconditional affection for at the school.