Fourth year had come and gone, another year spent at Hogwarts. Lily had denied James a few hundred more times, and now legitimately hated him for his cockiness, his stupidity, but, most of all, his audacity at asking her out. Cassi had found this amusing. She had spent all of the year avoiding Sirius whenever possible, and never once had she spoken to him directly. It was really beginning to bother her.

They had won the Quidditch Cup again, and they were looking to win again this year. Cassi had spent an agonizing year watching Drea being sucked deeper and deeper into the Slytheirn cult. She and Bella had an outright animosity ever since Cassi's attack early in the third year. Cassi and Narcissa were a different matter. They had a subtle kind of hatred, hidden behind backhanded compliments and false smiles.

Cassi was looking forward to this year as more time to spend with Lily and Alice, more time to play Quidditch, and more time to not be with her family.

Cassi stood alone, enveloped by smoke. Her parents hadn't even bothered to come through the barrier this year. Her mother had wanted to see Drea off, but she convinced them she would be fine. The steam shifted, revealing Drea and Regulus a few feet away, holding hands as they watched the huge scarlet engine. Cassi smirked.

Drea looked up as Cassi walked towards them. When Reg saw what she saw, he squeezed her hand a little tighter. Regulus had never really been sure what the relationship between the two sisters was, but he knew it was something he would not want to get involved in.

Cassi had a feral smirk, her eyes calculating. Drea hesitantly greeted her, and Cassi replied very pleasantly. Then she sprang the trap. "When are you going to tell Mother about your little fling, Drea? Or will I have to? You know she doesn't approve of boyfriends, even if he is a Black." Drea turned pale, and Regulus looked confused. "It's none of your business, Cass." Drea hissed back. Cassi's grin got wider. She raised an eyebrow. "Suit yourself. I'll keep my eyes open for Howlers." With that she turned and walked away, happy with her last bit of torture before she went clean for the year.

Cassi was relaxing in her compartment, chatting with Alice, when the door slid open. Both girls perked up, expecting Lily, but instead, they got Marlene McKinnon and her sidekicks. Cassi suppressed a groan.

Marlene was evil, and cruel, and, although very pretty, she had nothing on Cassi's beauty. And she knew it. She'd always been horrible to Cassi, ever since first year. Flanking her were the other two girls in the dorms, Mary and Dorcas. Mary was shy and timid, and was never a bully. Dorcas was a different story. She was almost as mean as Marlene, and twice as stupid. She was not exactly pretty, but certainly slutty enough to make up the difference. She and Mary were Marlene's sidekicks.

"Well, well, Sinclaire and Carr. How absolutely lovely to see you. Really. I mean it." Cassi snorted. Marlene sent her a glare, saying, "What was that, Sinclaire? Did you just snort at me?" Marlene smirked. "Jealous, are we?"

"Why would I be jealous of you, McKinnon?"

"Cause I was hooking up with Sirius all summer while you rotted away in that old morgue of a home?"

Cassi's jaw dropped. Then she burst into laughter. Marlene looked affronted. "You-think-hahahahaha-I'm jealous of you- hahaha- and BLACK? Get REAL, McKinnon!" Marlene narrowed her eyes, then said, "You should be. Everyone knows you like him." Cassi stopped laughing. "I don't like him." Marlene raised and eyebrow, then left the compartment, trailed by Mary and Dorcas.

"I don't like him!" Cassi was still denying it to Alice fifteen minutes later. Alice rolled her eyes. "I know, Cass, I know." Lily, who had stopped by the compartment right after the prefect's meeting, scoffed. "If you don't like him, then why are you denying it so much?" Cassi stared at her friend, mouth open. "I DON'T LIKE HIM!" she screeched.

"Don't like who?" said James, popping his head into the compartment. Cassi glared. "Don't like Sirius." James rolled his eyes. "Well, DUH. I mean, you've always screamed your head off at hi when he tries to talk to you, so-Hey, Evans." James' head whipped around as he noticed Lily. "No." she said. "How did you know what I was going to ask?"

"Because you ask me the same question every time you talk to me."

"But what if it was different this time?"

"But it wasn't going to be, was it?"

"….No, it wasn't. But that doesn't mean anything!"

Cassi and Alice rolled their eyes in unison at Lily and James' argument. They both laughed. Lily and James weren't distracted at all.

The feast was wonderful. Cassi sat enjoying the bliss of her mashed potatoes, watching James and Lily in another argument. Alice leaned over to her and said, "This is better than a soap opera!" Dessert was eaten amid the sounds of friends catching up and, from the fifth year section of the Gryffindor table, the sounds of arguing. Alice had long since dropped the conversation and was staring longingly at Frank Longbottom, over at the Ravenclaw table. Cassi and Sirius were ignoring each other, and James was eying Lily while she talked to Remus. Cassi was attempting to keep up a conversation with James, but it wasn't really working. Sirius was whispering with Marlene, who was practically in his lap. She kept shooting glances at Cassi, who made faces back. James caught her in the middle of one and nearly fell out of his chair laughing. Needless to say, a very regular start to the year.

Cassi sighed as she, Alice, and Lily made their way to Herbology. They had Herbology with the Ravenclaws, so neither the blond nor the redhead was expecting much conversation from Alice. She would undoubtedly be spending the entire class staring at Frank and sighing.

Cassi rolled her eyes as she walked into Greenhouse 6. The Marauders were enchanting plants to go as high as they could, then hover around someone's head until they got nervous. All four were trying to quench their laughter.

The girls took their places beside the Marauders, which both Lily and Cassi grumbled about. Alice didn't care. Marlene was shooting Cassi nasty looks. "PAIR UP!" came Professor Sprout's yell. Cassi quickly grabbed Lily's arm. Alice was too slow, so she whirled around to find Mary McDonald partner-less. She smiled, and the girls paired up. Cassi's shoulders slumped as Sirius and James were assigned to the pot next to them. Lily looked close to tears. James kept shooting sideways glances at Lily, and Sirius was staring at the ceiling.

Cassi personally thought this was going to be a very long year.