Lily had Cassie by the shoulders, and marched her from the Gryffindor Common Room towards the Heads' study. She gave Cassie no indication as to why she was being kidnapped, although from the irritated looks she and James had been giving her and Sirius all day as the pair had snarked at each other, she had a feeling it was most likely an intervention.
Her gut feeling was proved right when her friend forced her through the portrait hole, and she spotted James standing in front of Sirius, who was slouched on the squishy couch. Cassie let out a long-suffering sigh.
"Enough of that, young lady," Lily said primly, sitting the smaller girl down forcefully beside Sirius. Cassie didn't turn to look at him, instead crossing her arms defensively.
"Now," Lily began, "Potter and I have had a little chat -"
"Oh, have you now?" Sirius said with a leer. Lily ignored him, breezily.
"And we have decided enough is enough. I hate feeling on edge all of the time waiting on another explosion, literal or figurative, and Potter hates being stuck between two of his best friends. So we're going to hash this out."
It really was a intervention. Cassie groaned.
"So," James took over, his smile so practiced at innocence that Cassie knew he was enjoying this, "Sparks: you need to get over Sirius making the team, and stop expecting him to sabotage us. Not only has Sirius promised he won't and that he is genuine about Quidditch, but I most definitely wouldn't let him."
Cassie's jaw dropped. Since when was this her fault?
"And Sirius," Lily joined in to counterbalance, "You need to end the retribution for the hair trick. Yes, your hair is precious to you, but it was only temporary, unlike many of the bullying pranks you lot have pulled in the past, and you've paid Cassie back ten times already. That way she won't get so defensive about Quidditch. So, truce?"
James threw a sideways glance at Lily.
"Bullying? We're not bullies. How on earth did you get that impression?"
"Maybe from all the bullying you've done?" Lily said airily, "Anyway, that's not the point -"
"Yes it is," James retorted, "You obviously don't understand the meaning of 'a bit of fun' -"
"I most certainly -" Lily's voice rose in pitch and volume as she argued back.
The pretty red-head and the tall, messy-haired boy turned away from their friends and towards each other, spitting insults. Cassie turned to Sirius, one eyebrow raised.
"I think that was a record length cooperation attempt there from Prongs and Lils, huh?"
Sirius' face split in an amused grin.
"But they'll probably be at it a while, now. Fancy going and getting some chocolate eclairs from the kitchen?"
Cassie pondered a moment.
"How about a trip to Honeydukes? I've run out of Chocolate Cauldrons, and you know I can't handle homework without a decent supply of chocolate."
"Homework?" Sirius said incredulously, "Now I know we've definitely been fighting too long. No homework for you, missy - the Gobstones Club lets out in twenty minutes, lets go and cause some chaos."
Cassie couldn't quash the smile that spread across her face.
"Alright, Padfoot. Let's go."
The pair rose from the couch, their arguing friends so wrapped up in each other that they didn't seem to notice. They climbed out of the portrait hole, and sauntered along the corridor.
"So, do you have the Map? Where's the Gobstones Club meeting?"
Sirius pulled the blank parchment from his robes, and drew his wand.
"I solemnly swear that I'm up to no good," he said with brevity, and the blank parchment suddenly blossomed with ink. Cassie peered over his arm at it, noting the dots labelled 'Lily Evans' and 'James Potter' were still side-by-side in the Head's study.
"They really are something," Cassie admitted.
"It's all the unresolved sexual tension," Sirius said, with a bark of laughter.
Cassie's gaze lingered on their friends' dots before looking up at Sirius.
"They were right, though? That you promise you're not going to mess up Quidditch this year?"
Sirius' smile melted into a scowl.
"Look, I'm being serious here. If you promise me that you're being genuine, I'll believe you. But I also promise that if you do cost us the Cup then I won't ever forgive you."
Sirius was silent a moment, his grey eyes brooding.
"I do promise. I thought it would be a fun thing to do this year, the three of us. Plus after all the pranks it would freak you out. But I'll be honest, it's been a bit of an eye-opener: I know you love Quidditch, we all know that, but I didn't really realise how serious you are about it."
She could have easily made a joke, lightened the tone, passed it off as part of the running gag of her love of Quidditch. But Sirius was being serious for once, so she did him the courtesy of being serious, too.
"It's my life, Pads. You guys, my friends, and Quidditch: that's what's important to me. And this is it - it's seventh year, my last chance to win the Cup and impress the scouts for the Magpies. It's a big deal. And whilst pranks and fun and joking are great, I just can't have a bit of fun mess with Quidditch."
He looked at her for a long moment.
"Ok," he said, gently, before pointing back at the Map, "Looks like the Gobstones club are in the classroom opposite that statue of Millicent the Hairy. We going in solo or will we call for backup?"
Cassie felt lighter than she had in days. Clearing the air felt good.
"We've got time - let's go grab Moony and Wormtail. More Marauders means more mayhem."
Peter stood at the end of the corridor, the Map in his hand. Remus, Sirius and Cassie were crouched behind the statue of Millicent the Hair, watching the door to the classroom.
"I can't believe I let you drag me into this. I'm a prefect," sighed Remus, his green eyes on the ceiling.
"And Prongs is Head Boy," Cassie pointed out, "Plus Wormy and I are here too."
"Well, Prongs isn't here, Wormtail is an idiot, and you are a sociopath," he retorted, "And I have that Defence essay due Monday…"
"I haven't done it yet, either. We can do it when we go back. Keep the weekend free."
"NO!" hissed Sirius, his eyes flashing as he turned to his comrades, "No discussion of homework is permitted when undertaking acts of mischief!"
Remus and Cassie shared an amused glance.
"Right," Sirius moved on, composing himself once again, "Plan is as follows: Moony, since you don't want to be waist deep in our prank, you can take this bag of dungbombs to the other end of the corridor. Set them off when I give you the signal through the mirror."
Sirius handed Remus one of the pair of mirrors that he and James shared. Remus raised an eyebrow.
"How did you convince him to give you this?"
"Didn't, did I? I just nicked it," Sirius said proudly.
"Oooh, you didn't manage to get the Cloak, too, did you?" Cassie perked up. She did love James' Invisibility Cloak. As the smallest and slightest of the gang, she was the only one who didn't have to fear her ankles showing when she ran in it, and hence tended to take the invisible role in their pranks these days.
"Nah," Sirius said, only mildly disappointed, "Not as easy to filch that, unfortunately. It's an actual family treasure, or something."
"Fair," she said.
"Right then, Moony - you go and get into position. Sparks and I will hide on either side of the corridor further up, and when the dungbombs herd them in our direction, we'll hex them."
"What hexes are we going for? Standard Jelly Legs Jinx, Bat Bogey Hex, Knee Reversal Hex, Twitchy-Ears Hex -"
"I was thinking," Sirius interrupted with a devious grin, "That since Prongs isn't here, we cast his signature hex for him."
Cassie grinned back, and Remus hung his head in defeat. Everyone would know who had hexed the Gobstones Club immediately. There went his so far detention-free week.
"Perfect."
The members of the Gobstones Club were a variety of years and Houses, but with a particularly high proportion of second year Hufflepuffs. This meant that the majority of the club, on leaving the classroom with laughs and farewells, turned along the corridor towards where Sirius and Cassie lay in wait. The first wave was on its way.
It didn't take long for the members who had set off in the opposite direction to loop back, complaining loudly about the strong smell further down the corridor. The entire group, strung out in twos and threes, then made its way along the corridor towards the Marauders, who lay in wait.
Suddenly, the first line of students froze. The second line of students quickly followed, and a sudden roadblock formed in the corridor. Suddenly, screams and shouts began - antlers were erupting from students' heads, and others were tipping over, unable to move.
"Anteoculatia!" Sirius cried again, aiming another hex at a third year Hufflepuff who already seemed to be in tears.
"Impedimenta!" Cassie said forcefully, freezing students into antlered statues, before switching to, "Petrificus Totalus!"
Suddenly, Pettigrew was at their backs.
"We need to go, Filch is on his way!"
"Go find Moony, meet you in the common room," Cassie directed him, and she turned to Sirius.
"Time to wrap this up?"
Sirius aimed his wand down the corridor, and said: "Fumos!"
Smoke filled the air, setting students to coughing, and gave Sirius and Cassie a shield behind which to slip into the disused classroom further down the corridor. They made their way straight to the bookcase at the back of the room, where, with a quick "Turbulare," the bookcase swung open, leading to a passage behind it.
Filch's howls could be heard ringing through the castle as the troublemakers made their way back to the common room.
"That was ridiculous. Not only was it the Gobstones Club, who couldn't say boo to a goose, but you used my signature hex, so everyone thinks it was me!" James ranted at his two friends as they made their way down to the Great Hall for breakfast. All three wore their Gryffindor Quidditch robes, ready for Saturday morning's training.
"That's why it was so funny," Sirius sniggered, "The whole school is whispering about the king of practical jokes rising from the ashes."
Cassie, however, was feeling a little bad. As fun as it was, when Lily had cornered her in the dorm and pointed out just how horrible she had been, Cassie had started to feel a bit knotted up in her stomach. Marlene had told her, in amusement, that that feeling was guilt.
Maybe they were growing up after all. If hexing second years made her feel guilty, and James was lecturing her and Sirius about responsibility, then things had definitely changed.
Then she looked at Sirius, his grey eyes filled with amusement, and his arms crossed defiantly. Maybe things hadn't changed quite as much as she thought.
They stopped at the top of the staircase leading down the the Entrance Hall, and Cassie looked down. There, in the hall, stood a group of people who she would feel no guilt hexing in the slightest.
Gregor Mulciber, a big Slytherin with dark hair, stood with his cronies, Alexander Avery, Evan Rosier, and Severus Snape. They were surrounding a smaller boy, also wearing a Slytherin scarf, but the younger boy did not look best pleased to be speaking with them.
Then, she heard a familiar voice ringing out.
"Mulciber, would you and your friends please stop tormenting Black, there. Move along - the Great Hall is that way," said Lily, brightly, gesturing in the direction of the Hall.
At the sound of Lily's voice, and most likely her choice of words, James and Sirius froze in their conversation, and turned to look in Lily's direction. Sirius' gaze hardened as he spotted his younger brother amidst the notorious gang of Slytherins.
"Ah, Evans. Our interfering Head Girl," Mulciber drawled, eliciting smirks from his followers, as they turned away from Regulus Black to face the red-headed girl.
"I will take points from Slytherin," Lily threatened, but Mulciber laughed. Cassie drew her wand, and James and Sirius reflected the movement, ready to step in.
"You should know, Evans, that House points mean very little in the real world. And in the real world, there is retribution waiting for you and your kind."
Lily's eyes flickered only briefly towards Snape, who refused to meet her gaze.
"Come, Black," Mulciber said commandingly, and the group of Slytherins moved away from the Head Girl, Regulus following them slightly reluctantly.
Cassie looked to James, her brow furrowed.
"What just happened? No wands drawn, no points docked, no racial slurs… What's happened to Mulciber?"
James' frown matched her own.
"Something's not right. He sounded entirely to happy."
Sirius, however, looked angry.
"Of course he'd be happy - he's just recruited a Black to his gang of junior Death Eaters, hasn't he?"
Cassie bit her lip, trying not to let the sympathy she felt for her friend show. She knew he would just turn sour. Any mention of his family understandably put Sirius in a black mood, but his younger brother was a particularly soft spot.
"Not necessarily," James tried to temper Sirius' hasty conclusion, "They are on the Quidditch team together, remember. They could have been discussing Quidditch."
"No," Cassie disagreed, albeit reluctantly in front of the angry Sirius, "No, Snape has nothing to do with Slytherin Quidditch. Neither's Avery. If it was Quidditch related, it would have been Mulciber and Rosier, not the whole gang."
James had no argument for that.
The three made their way down to the Great Hall in silence. Remus and Peter were already at the Gryffindor table, and James, Sirius and Cassie went to join them.
"Off to practice today?" Peter asked brightly, seemingly oblivious to the dark expressions of his friends' faces. Remus, however, was more observant.
"What happened?" he asked gently.
"You mean you can't read my mind today, Moony?" Sirius snarked, his good mood of earlier gone. He was going to be an absolute joy on the Quidditch pitch that morning, Cassie mused.
"We just witnessed a rather odd exchange between Mulciber's gang, mini-Black, and our dearest Evans…" James said, in a bemused tone. Remus raised an eyebrow, looking surprised.
"That does sound odd," he admitted.
Cassie had just stuffed a large helping of eggs into her mouth when Sirius stood up abruptly from the table, and stormed off towards the Slytherin table.
"Uh oh," said James, moving to rise.
"Let me and Moony," Cassie said, rising herself and putting a restraining hand on James' arm, "You don't want to be getting into any fights."
"Moony's a prefect too, you know, and you've already had four detentions this term: you're not much better off," James pointed out.
"But we won't lose the rag the way you would," Cassie sent back, as she and Remus quickly followed Sirius to where he stood, facing Mulciber across the table.
"But it's dear Regulus' choice to maintain his family honour, Black, in the same way it was your choice to spit on it and walk away," Mulciber said in a slimy tone, his growing group of Slytherins laughing at his words.
"If you don't leave him out of this, Mulciber, you'll regret it," Sirius growled.
Cassie grabbed Sirius by the upper arm, and gave him a brief shake.
"That's enough, come on, they're not worth it."
"Not worth it? Coming from the runt of the lion pack, whose mummy married a Muggle?" hissed Lucinda Burke, a tall, blonde Slytherin girl with a horsy face, who stood particularly close to Avery.
Mulciber's eyes locked on Cassie, and she felt the hair rise on the back of her neck.
"Ah, yes. A Selwyn, your mother, wasn't she? Before she was blasted off the family tree."
But Cassie ignored them both, watching the tightness in Sirius' jaw instead.
"Sirius, go," she implored, before meeting Remus' gaze, who quickly took Sirius' other arm and began to direct him away.
"Don't you dare ignore him, you little half-blood!" Lucinda screeched.
Cassie shot her a withering look.
"Is that really the best you can do? Somebody give the girl a carrot, or a bucket of oats, if she can manage them with those teeth," Cassie retorted.
Lucinda drew her wand.
"You Gryffindork."
"Slytherbint."
"Enough, Lucinda," Mulciber said sharply, watching Cassie with glittering eyes, "She'll get what she deserves. But not until her father has been put down like the animal he is. And her filthy whore of a mother, too."
Suddenly, Sirius was free of Remus' grasp, his wand at Mulciber's throat. In a flash, all of the Slytherins had drawn their wands, too, and Remus and Cassie found their own wands in their hands.
"Don't you even dare," Sirius snarled.
"Soft spot for the filthy little slut?" Mulciber inquired, no trace of fear in his eyes, merely a cold calculation.
"This is beyond enough, Sirius," Remus said sternly to his worked-up friend, his green eyes concerned, "Come one, we have to go. You have Quidditch practice."
Sirius' eyes seemed to clear, and he shot a look to Cassie, who nodded quickly.
"Quidditch. Yeah," he said, reluctantly lowering his wand. The three Gryffindors stepped back, Remus returning his encouraging grip to Sirius' arm, and they turned away to return to their own table.
Cassie heard Lucinda behind them shriek an incantation. She spun to see Avery grab Lucinda's arm, sending her curse off-course, and swearing loudly. She didn't hesitate, sending a hex back at the Slytherin girl, who immediately sprouted a long tail, reminiscent of that of a rat.
"Run," said Cassie to her compatriots, and the three legged it from the Hall without a backwards glance at the commotion at the Slytherin table.