Chapter Twenty-One
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"Casselle!" Lily exclaimed embracing the other girl.
Casselle laughed returning the embrace, "Hey Lil."
"I see you and Black made it through the Holiday without killing each other," Emma chimed in hugging Casselle after Lily released her.
Casselle grinned shooting a glance at Sirius who was busy wrestling around with James, "We got on all right."
"Tell us everything," Emma insisted pulling them towards the stairs to the girls dorm.
Casselle laughed, "Don't you want to see everyone now that we're all back together?"
"Nope you're not getting off that easily Ms Dawson," Emma insisted eagerly climbing the stairs.
"Thanks for the new quill!" Lily exclaimed as the three girls made their way up to their dormitory. "I've needed a new one for ages, especially after all this revision I've been doing."
"And thanks for the romance novels," Emma added grinning. "They're excellent so far."
"No problem thanks for the book Lil and for the chocolate Em…though there isn't much left."
Once they reached their room Emma jumped on her bed looking at Casselle expectantly. "Soooo how was your holiday?" Emma asked with a cocky smirk.
"It was…quiet," Casselle replied a light blush creeping up her cheeks.
"Quiet?" Lily asked a sly grin spreading across her face. "I would have thought it'd be a tad loude.r"
Casselle aimed her pillow at the red head missing by inches, "Don't be a pervert!"
"Cass if you didn't want anyone to know you should have cleaned up the evidence," Emma replied laughing.
"Evidence?"
Emma bent down and grabbed a pair of boxers that were half obscured by a pillow, "exhibit A," she teased. "Though this does answer the lifelong mystery of whether Black wears boxers or briefs."
Casselle flushed as she snatched the boxers out of Emma's hands. "Fine you guys win…my Holiday wasn't exactly quiet."
"Details!" Emma demanded joining Casselle on her bed.
"I don't kiss and tell," Casselle teased laughing at Emma's indignant look. "All I can tell you is that it was amazing."
"Of course it was he's had tons of practice," Lily scoffed.
Emma shot the other girl a look effectively silencing her.
"I didn't mean it like that Cass," Lily qualified. "I just meant that well it's kind of what he's known for…"
Casselle smiled but the fun had suddenly gone out of it, "It's okay Lil I knew what you meant."
She of course knew it was true, everyone at Hogwarts did. The thought just hadn't crossed her mind until Lily brought it up, and if she was being honest it wasn't sitting well.
"I'm going to go see how the boy's holiday went," she announced leaving the dorm and going back to the common room.
She found Sirius, James and Peter occupying a group of armchairs near the fire and sat on the arm of Sirius's chair. He quickly reached up and pulled her down, situating her on his lap his long arms wrapped around her torso.
"How was everyone's Holiday?" she asked.
James shrugged "Boring without Padfoot. We did the whole Christmas thing with mom's family then with dad's. Same old same old… Best part was the new broom. My parents got me a Nimbus 1001! Thanks for the servicing kit by the way."
Casselle smiled, "No problem, how 'bout you Peter?"
"It-it was good," the smaller boy squeaked his cheeks flushing.
Casselle smiled at him, despite her months of dating Sirius, Peter never seemed particularly comfortable in her presence.
"Where's Remus?" she asked glancing around the common room for him.
"Oh he erm…wasn't feeling very well…" James replied awkwardly his eyes flicking to the window.
"Yeah something about a erm headache or something…" Sirius added not quite meeting Casselle's eye when he said it.
"Speaking of which, we were all going to go…visit him in the Hospital Wing so we better get going…" James added checking his watch.
"He's right love, I've got to head out," Sirius whispered in her ear.
Casselle stood trying not to feel put out, "Yeah have fun," she murmured trying to sound upbeat.
"I'll see you in the morning okay?" Sirius whispered kissing her gently before leaving the common room with Peter and James.
Casselle slowly made her way up to her dorm feeling slightly put out. After spending everyday with Sirius she was feeling slightly abandoned.
"I thought you were going to hang out with the boys?" Emma called putting her book down as Casselle came in.
"They were all going to visit Remus in the Hospital Wing…it wasn't exactly an open invitation…"
"Is he okay?" Emma asked, in what she must have thought was a nonchalant voice.
"Yeah, he was just feeling under the weather. Headache or something," Casselle replied a slight smile gracing her lips. "Where's Lily?"
"She had to do rounds or something," Emma replied. "The glamorous life of a prefect and all."
Casselle grinned laying back on her bed.
"Let's do something!" Emma exclaimed sitting up and staring at Casselle determinedly.
"Like what?"
"Let me do your nails!" Emma exclaimed. "I learned this super handy spell over the holidays…"
"Okay," Casselle agreed smiling at her friend.
Emma worked through one hand, painting Casselle's nails a scarlet red in relative silence.
"Em?" Casselle asked carefully.
"Yeah?"
"Why don't you…I mean I know you deny it but you've liked Remus for years why don't you just do something about it?"
Emma was silent for so long that Casselle was doubtful she was even going to answer her.
"It's just…I mean Remus is so quiet and polite and wonderful. You know what I mean? He actually cares about people and he's always kind and well we're just so different how could he ever like me?" Emma explained in a calm voice.
"Oh Emma your wonderful too!" Casselle exclaimed.
"I know, I have awesome qualities too," She replied with a grin. "It's not that I'm feeling sorry for myself or anything like that…it's just that we're different and I don't think he's exactly looking for different."
"He'd be crazy not to like you Em," Casselle replied. "I can mention something if you want? Find out if he-"
"No," Emma replied quickly. "Really Cass don't mention it okay?"
"If you're sure…"
"I am really," Emma replied with a smile.
Casselle awoke the next morning to sunlight streaming in through her window. Judging by the brightness it was somewhere around late morning. Casselle stretched feeling content to just lay there for the rest of the day. Her stomach had other plans, however, and she got up and dressed for the day.
She emerged from the dorm slightly disheveled, but dressed none the less.
"Good morning sleeping beauty," Sirius called from the couch he was lounging on.
Casselle smiled joining him, "Morning," she replied kissing him lightly. She frowned pulling away and looking at him more carefully. "Sirius what happened you look awful!"
"Oh erm well…just out late with the guys," he hedged. "It's really not as bad as it looks."
Casselle gently traced a cut that was just visible on his neck. "Do you want me to heal this for you?"
"Could you?" Sirius asked a little sheepishly. "I didn't want to go to Madame Lemoore…"
"You guys should really be more careful," Casselle murmured as she waved her wand over the cut.
Sirius winced, as his skin closed together, "Thanks love," he muttered rubbing his neck gingerly.
"Do you have any others?" Casselle asked.
"Well none that would be appropriate to show you in the Common room…at least not now that everyone's back," he whispered pulling her closer. "Maybe we should go somewhere more private."
Casselle grinned leaning up and kissing him on the lips, "Maybe after we get some food."
Sirius shook his head, "Since when is food more important than me?" he asked with a pout.
"Without food I won't have enough energy to do anything," Casselle teased leading him out into the corridor.
After Casselle ate lunch the pair went for a walk around the grounds stopping under a willow tree, its branches successfully obscuring them from view.
Sirius pulled Casselle close to him trailing kisses down her neck, "I've missed you. It's not the same waking up alone in my bed," he murmured in between kisses.
Casselle sighed closing her eyes and enjoying the feeling of his lips on her skin. "I know exactly what you mean."
Sirius brought his lips to hers kissing her thoroughly. Casselle responded immediately,
pressing herself against him. Sirius pushed her gently back into the snow. Casselle
gasped as her flushed skin made contact with the icy ground.
Sirius smirked covering her body with his hands running gently up her sides.
Casselle wrapped her arms around his back finding the hem of his shirt, running her icy
fingers up his back smiling as he shivered.
Sirius's mouth left hers, trailing down her neck, nipping at the sensitive skin. She
groaned tangling her hands in his hair. His own hands reached the hem of her shirt and
slowly lifted it.
"Sirius," she warned pulling back slightly. "We're on the grounds!"
"Cass no one's crazy enough to be out in this weather," he responded brushing some stray hair out of her face.
"I am not having sex with you out in the open," she replied firmly.
"You didn't have any complaints about the common room," he teased sitting upright.
"That was different," she responded with a laugh sitting up and smoothing her hair. "It's freezing out here."
"Come on; let's head back in before we both catch ill."
The two made their way back to the castle in content silence.
Casselle found herself growing increasingly frustrated with the lack of time she and Sirius were able to spend together. They had lessons together of course but they rarely found themselves alone together. Between her homework load and her biweekly lessons with Dumbledore, Casselle was beginning to feel like she wouldn't be able to spend any proper time with Sirius until summer break.
"Excellent Casselle," Dumbledore praised the next week at her lesson. "I think you've got a proper handle on blocking. It's time we moved to a slightly more complicated subject. I want you to start practicing implanting thoughts into others."
Casselle grinned, she had been hoping to start something more exciting for some time now, "Just tell me what to do Professor."
"Now for this exercise I was hoping Mr. Black would be willing to lend a hand?" Dumbledore turned his attention to Sirius, who up until that point had been daydreaming.
"Of course Professor," he replied hurriedly glancing at Casselle quickly. "What do you need me to do?"
"I believe you're well versed in Occlumency?" He waited until Sirius nodded before continuing. "Now what I am asking of you takes a large amount of trust so know that there will be no judgment should you refuse. I want you to try and block Casselle as she tries to enter your mind and plant a thought."
Sirius raised his eyebrows feeling slightly uneasy at the thought of Casselle breaking into his mind, but nodded his agreement none the less.
"Excellent, now Casselle this will take steady concentration. Don't be frustrated if you can't gain access immediately. Just push your mind out and touch Mr. Blacks. If you break through repeat a phrase over and over again and push it out, if your successful Mr. Black will perform the action you sent to him."
Casselle nodded her understanding and summoned all her will power, "Okay I'm ready when you are Sirius."
Sirius nodded throwing up his own wall concentrating on keeping Casselle from his mind.
Casselle sent her presence back at Sirius but instead of running head first into the wall, like she had the first couple of times, she willed herself to walk around it.
She poked and prodded as she went testing the wall for some sort of soft spot. There, she thought to herself smiling in triumph as she pushed with all of her will against a crack in the wall. She pulled back only to heave herself at it over and over again. She could feel it cracking, giving way against her attack.
After struggling for what felt like hours Casselle finally managed to break through. She was immediately bombarded with images from Sirius's life. Sirius as a child laughing with another boy that was his splitting image, Sirius hugging Mrs. Potter goodbye as he boarded the Hogwarts Express, Sirius laughing with Remus next to the fire in the Gryffindor common room.
"Focus Casselle, don't let the images overwhelm you."
Casselle fought against the never ending stream of images, she felt like she was drowning in Sirius's life. Sirius screaming at a woman who must be his mother, him sitting in the Owlery staring out the window, him standing in front of the Whomping Willow with James and Peter.
Casselle staggered backwards as she managed to wrench herself from Sirius's mind. She was trembling from head to toe and gasping for breath.
"Casselle are you alright?" Sirius asked in alarm rushing to her side and helping her sit down.
She nodded not quite trusting herself to speak just yet.
"Here," Dumbledore said gently handing her a hunk of chocolate, "I find that it has healing properties that are truly magical."
Casselle smiled weakly taking the candy and nibbling on it. Warmth spread through her calming her shaking. He was right the chocolate did help her feel more grounded. "Thank you," she replied her voice only wobbling slightly.
"I think that's more than enough for tonight you did remarkably well Casselle, now go get some rest and I will see you in two weeks for your next lesson."
Casselle nodded not bothering to argue, she was exhausted and wanted nothing more than a long nights sleep.
Sirius followed Casselle out of Dumbledore's office and the two walked down the corridor in silence.
"Are you sure you're alright Cass?" he asked gently taking her hand in his; he had never seen her lose it like that in any of her practice sessions.
"Yes Sirius I'm fine, I don't need you babying me all the time," she snapped.
Sirius raised his eyebrows but didn't comment and the two fell into a tense silence until they reached the portrait hole.
"Look Sirius, I'm sorry I didn't mean to snap at you like that, I'm just frustrated. Sometimes when I use my power I get overwhelmed….it feels like I'm drowning in the other person's life, I panicked when I couldn't leave your memories. I should have learned how to control it but I haven't." She didn't add the part about how Nate loved to exploit this weakness whenever they were together.
Sirius nodded sympathetically "We'll work on it if you want," he offered accepting her apology easily.
Casselle smiled at him, "I was being selfish the lesson couldn't have been any better for you," she replied. "You've been so wonderful about this whole thing…"
"Are you kidding it's the most exciting thing I've gotten to do in those lessons in weeks," he teased kissing her on the forehead. "Come on you should get some rest now."
Casselle didn't rise until well past noon the next morning and even then she still felt tired. She made her way down to the common room and collapsed onto the couch next to Sirius, "Morning," she yawned curling up next to him.
"Good afternoon's more like it," he replied putting his arm around her shoulders and pulling her closer.
She smiled sleepily, "Just getting my beauty rest," she teased.
'Hmm looks like it's working," he teased kissing her lightly.
She grinned returning the kiss. "Let's do something today, if I see another textbook I'm going to die of boredom."
He grinned, "Ah that's what I like to hear, James was just complaining about the lack of Quidditch in his life. Want to grab the girls and play a game?"
Casselle grinned and nodded jumping off the couch and hurrying over to the corner Lily and Emma were occupying. "Come on, we're going to go have some fun!" she announced snatching Lily's book away.
"Yes!" Emma exclaimed jumping up.
Lily on the other hand didn't seem impressed, "Casselle Marie Dawson give that book back this instant."
"Nope I've decided you need a break," Casselle teased stepping out of Lily's reach. "And the more time you spend arguing with me the longer it will take to get back to your studies so I suggest you just corporate."
Lily sighed in defeat and followed to other two begrudgingly over to James Sirius and Remus.
"Where's Peter?" Emma asked curiously. It wasn't often you saw him apart from his friends.
"Detention or something," James replied with a shrug.
"Excellent the teams will be even then," Casselle announced, "boys versus girls of course."
The boys grinned clearly realizing that they had the upper hand since James was the only one that was actually on the Quidditch team.
"What do you say we make the stakes more interesting?" Sirius offered still grinning.
"What did you have in mind?" Lily asked.
"Losers have to hang a labeled pair of underwear in the common room for a week."
The girls all glanced at each other debating, "Deal," Lily announced shaking hands with Sirius. Not many people knew that Lily never could resist a challenge.
The group quickly made their way down to the Quidditch Pitch, teasing and boasting about the outcome of the match the whole way.
"I hope you'll hang the red ones love, they're my favorite," Sirius teased winking at Casselle as they mounted their brooms.
They had decided on a game to ten goals, one person from each team would play keeper while the other two would play chasers.
Emma was playing Keeper for the girl's team leaving Lily and Casselle as the Chasers. Sirius was playing Keeper for the guys while Remus and James were playing Chasers.
It was apparent from the beginning that the boys had the upper hand, but the girls were working certain advantages to their favor. James seemed hesitant on taking the Quaffle from Lily and as a result she was often able to make it to the goal. Sirius was proving to be a better Keeper then the girls had originally thought and he blocked their first three goal attempts effortlessly. Emma was also holding up surprisingly well blocking the first two attempts from Remus and James, but letting the third one through.
The game continued in a similar manner until it was 8 to 9 in the boys favor. Casselle raced after Remus who was currently in possession of the Quaffle. She managed to steal it after Lily blocked him and raced towards Sirius. She threw the ball with all her might towards the far right hoop and yelled in triumph as it soared through.
Sirius scowled retrieving the ball and tossing it to James. The two teams were tied 9 to 9 now and the pressure to win was mounting. James avoided both girls easily as he raced towards the girl's goal post. He threw the ball towards the middle goal post and whooped in triumph as it soared through the goal just out of Emma's reach.
The six Gryffindors flew towards the ground, the boys yelling in celebration and the girls scowling in defeat.
"Excellent," Sirius yelled. "We expect you to honor the bet starting tomorrow ladies."
Casselle laughed rolling her eyes at him, "Why Sirius I thought you'd be a little more put out at the thought of every Gryffindor boy seeing my underwear," she quipped raising her eyebrows.
Sirius frowned, this thought had apparently not occurred to him before she brought it up. "Well I guess it's the least I can do for the poor blokes who will never get their chance with you now," he replied his grin returning.
Casselle laughed shaking her head, "You're impossible," she teased.
"Ah good game girl's," James called grinning at them. "I was worried there for a minute."
"Yeah, excellent match," Remus added. "Where did you learn to play Emma?"
"Oh well my brothers always used to play in the yard and they'd sometimes have me Keep for them…"
The group chatted happily as they returned to the castle and went to the Great Hall for dinner; none of the girls seemed overly put out that they had lost and none of the boys were to obnoxious about their victory.
None of them seemed particularly keen to study once they had finished dinner so they sat in the common room and chatted, playing an occasional game of Exploding Snap, resulting in a mass loss of eyebrows.
At half past eleven Sirius nudged Casselle motioning to the portrait hole. Curious, she stood and followed him out into the corridor. "What's wrong?" She asked as the portrait hole closed behind her.
"I have a surprise for you," Sirius replied taking her hand and leading her down the corridor.
After ten minutes of walking Sirius paused in front of a statue and muttered something Casselle didn't quit catch. He grinned nodding for her to enter the passage that opened.
Casselle ducked into the passage curiously and her eyes widened as she took in the Olympic sized pool of water. "Where are we?"
"Prefect bathroom," Sirius replied with a smile, "I got the password off Remus." He wrapped his arms around her waist bending so his mouth was next to her ear. "Want to take a dip?"
Casselle grinned turning to face him and grabbing the hem of his shirt. "You read my mind."
The two emerged from the prefect's bathroom two hours later, hair wet and smelling strongly of bathing oils.
"That was exactly what I needed," Casselle sighed. She felt warm and content and just a little sleepy.
"Glad I could give it to you," he replied wrapping his arm around her as they walked back to the common room.
The underwear that appeared above the fireplace caused something of a scandal the next day. The girls had spent at least a half hour deciding on what pair to put up. Emma, the most brash out of all of them had of course picked her most scandalize pair.
"Emma if you're going to wear those you might as well wear nothing," Casselle teased raising her eyebrows at the tiny lacy bright purple thong in Emma's hand.
Emma grinned, "You might look into getting a pair Cass…you know keep things interesting with Sirius."
Lily rolled her eyes, "Okay what do you guys think of these?"
She held up a pair of green silk briefs that had a black bow on the front.
"Those are acceptable," Casselle replied going throw her own pile and grinning as she spotted the red ones Sirius had taunted her about. She grabbed them knowing it would torture him to see them in the common room every day.
The three girls held their heads high as they hung their underwear, ignoring the looks of shock on their fellow students faces, and the eruption of laughter from the corner the Marauders were occupying.
"Hope you're not attached to those Lily," Sirius called, "with James around they won't stay there long!"
The common room joined in the laughter as Lily and James both flushed.
Hope you enjoyed it! Just a little fun chapter for now! And like always please review!