Chapter Eight – Cara

Payback and Happiness

I watched as Bellatrix walked away from Rose. I don't know what she said, but looking at Rose's face she was going to pay for it. I finished preparing my ingredients and started to brew the potion, all the while planning how to get back at Bellatrix when it hit me. If I made her flame hotter the potion would explode over her and the other Slytherins. I smiled as I waited for my spell to take its toll on her potion.

I was quickly rewarded.

There was a sudden loud bang as the green liquid exploded over the Slytherins. A few drops splashed towards us, but nothing more. The Gryffindors all laughed at the spluttering, drenched Slytherins. Slughorn made his way over, looked at Bellatrix's cauldron and shook his head.

"Bellatrix, I told you to keep the heat low, really, did you not listen at all?"

"Sir, it's not my fault honestly," she exclaimed angrily. She looked around and saw me smirking at her.

"That is quite enough, Miss Black! Class dismissed. I suggest you all get cleaned up and Miss Back I will see you here tomorrow evening for detention." This was perfect; it served her right for trying to mess with Rose. We filed out laughing and walked out, heading for the lake. It wasn't until we had all sat down and gotten comfortable that they turned to me.

"Well, Cara, what did you do?" Remus asked me poking me gently in the ribs.

"ME! I don't know what you mean, Moony," I told him and laughed.

"Of course not, now how'd you do it?"

"Fine. It was a warming charm and it made the flames hotter. It served her right!"

"That's great. But what did she do exactly?" asked James.

"She said something to Rose that made her look a bit scared-"

"Cara Marie White you are a complete and utter moron!" Rose snapped, glaring at me, and looked down in embarrassment. "It wasn't worth it you know," she said softly.

"Yeah it was Rose, she upset you and it's not like you wouldn't have done if it was the other way round," I said simply "Anyway what did she say?"

"It doesn't matter."

"Yes it does!" I said at the same time as the marauders. We looked at each other grinning slightly before we turned back to Rose.

"Well?" I asked. I wasn't giving up and from the look on Rose's face she knew that. She sighed dramatically, then pulled her knees up to her chest and hugged them to her chest tightly.

"Well… she said-" she broke off, looked down and took a deep breath. "She said, "Be careful, blood traitor. You never know who might put a knife in your back." It doesn't matter though."

"That little cow. When I get my hands on her…" I trailed off, already planning ways to get her back for that.

"Leave it Ca, okay?" I nodded, but I wasn't over with Bellatrix yet.

"No way Rose; she can't get away with it!" Sirius said angrily. "She can't do things like that. It's wrong and she can't just get away with it." Rose fidgeted uncomfortably.

"I made her potion blow up in her face and if Rose doesn't want us to do anything we won't. This is her fight, not ours. So just drop it, yeah?" I said, giving Sirius a sharp look. He glared at me but didn't argue. I stuck my tongue out laughing at the moody look on his face.

"Come on guys, we need to get to transfiguration," Remus said as he stood up. He offered me his hand, which I took, and we started to walk as the others joined us. Rose was hand in hand with Sirius and they were talking quietly. James and Peter were walking further behind looking bemused.

Transfiguration was with the Ravenclaws and they were alright. I sat down; Remus sat on my left Rose on my right with Sirius on her other side. A bemused James sat in front with Peter. Frank and Alice sat with them. Professor McGonagall walked in and made a book on her desk disappear.

"Today we will be learning a simple vanishing spell." And with that the book reappeared. She explained how it worked and what we had to do. I smiled happily. She was a great teacher and this was going to be fun. She handed out feathers for us to vanish and told us to start.

I looked at my feather, waved my wand, and said "Evanesco." I heard Rose doing the same beside me and both of the feathers disappeared. I grinned and knew that if I looked Rose would have an identical grin. The others looked impressed.

"Well girls I see you have been taught well. Have you tried a vanishing spell before?" McGonagall asked, coming over.

"No, Professor, we're just quick learners." I smiled and Rose nodded. The boys were grinning at us. McGonagall nodded and walked along. We watched as the boys tried. On the third try Remus, Sirius and James had done it but Peter was still unable to.

James spent the rest of the lesson helping him, while Rose, Remus, Sirius and I all sat chatting. After a few minutes Rose was deep in conversation with Sirius. I turned to Remus who started to ask me questions.

"What's your favourite colour?" he shot at me, grinning.

"Um, silver, yours?" I was smiling now; it was quite fun.

"Blue. Okay, favourite food?" I thought about this one before I answered.

"Sticky toffee pudding."

"Same," he said with a laugh "What about sport?"

"Dance then quidditch you?"

"Um, quidditch. So you dance then?"

"Yeah, ballet and a bit of ballroom. Rose plays the piano and I dance." I smiled softly. I remembered dancing with Julian, trying to teach him the waltz. Rose played as we waltz around the room. I adored little Jewell. I still couldn't believe he was gone. I could deal with everything else, but not that. He was my baby brother. How could they kill him? He was so young, sweet, innocent. He'd never done anything yet he was still gone. I wish it was me that they'd got and that he was okay. I hadn't even been there with him; we'd never even said goodbye. He was still asleep when we left to go to the village. He was there, he got hurt, killed and we were in the village buying his birthday present. He never got it; he never made it to his 12th birthday. I'll never forgive myself for that. I let him down; I let them hurt him. I felt a tear escape and reached to wipe it away.

"Hey, what's wrong?" Remus had clearly noticed. I didn't know what to say; he didn't even know I had a brother. "It's okay, you don't have to tell me if you don't want to, you know." He looked at me, his eyes full of concern as he gave me a small sweet smile. I swallowed and got ready to tell him.

"I was just thinking about how I used to waltz around with my little brother, Julian, when Rose was playing the piano. I miss him so much. He was so sweet; I adored him. He was almost 12 when they…" I trailed off, took a deep breath and carried on. "Rose and I had gone out first thing to get him a birthday present. We didn't say goodbye because we didn't want be mean and say he couldn't come. We never got to say goodbye. When we got back, the house looked like a war zone and he was gone, along with my parents. His face, his sweet little face, had such a look of terror on it. I let him down, and I can't tell him I'm sorry. I'd do anything to have Jewell back," I finished, my voice scratchy. I could feel tears in my eyes and wiped them away. Remus reached for my hand and squeezed it gently.

"It wasn't your fault, you know. You couldn't have done anything."

"I could have held his hand, hugged him. I could have stopped him from being scared. I could have stepped in front of him and taken the curse that killed him." More tears started to fall as I spoke.

"Hey, don't cry. Okay, you didn't know. At least this way you and Rose get to live instead of you all dying needlessly." As he spoke he wiped the tears away and gave me a small hug.

"Peter, you did it," James said loudly, interrupting the whispered conversations of Remus and I and Rose and Sirius. "Well done, mate."

"Well done Peter," we all said, smiling at him. Remus still held my hand and he gave it another small squeeze. I turned to Rose who had clearly heard the conversation. She hugged me and smiled softly, then whispered, "It wasn't your fault, Ca." I smiled sadly at her; maybe it wasn't, but I still felt guilty.

"Well, that was it for today. Well done class! You have all managed to vanish your feathers. Your homework is to write an essay of the uses of vanishing spells. It is to be no shorter than one roll of parchment and I expect it in next lesson. Class dismissed," McGonagall called from the front of the room. We packed away quickly and hurried of to lunch.

Walking to the Great Hall, Remus reached for my hand and linked his fingers between mine. Rose wrapped an arm around my shoulders.

"Cheer up sis; it'll be okay."

"I know. I'm alright." as I spoke Sirius came up and put an arm around her waist and Rose moved closer. I looked at them and smiled. We still had each other. I looked at the four boys around us and knew we had the marauders too. No matter what, they were our friends. Feeling somewhat lighter and happier we reached the Great Hall.