Disclaimer: All rights go to JK Rowling. Anything you don't recognize is mine.
Updated as of 7/9/2019.
Chapter Fifteen
The Wrong Crowd
Cassie stared at the wooden doll before her, chin propped on her hand and brows furrowed in concentration. Her hazel wand rolled between her fingers in her other hand as she skimmed through the lines of her Defense book, trying to memorize the correct wand motion to use for the Shrinking Spell she was attempting to cast.
She pointed her wand at the practice doll and gave it a wave, muttering, "Diminuendo!"
The doll gave a little twitch, but otherwise did nothing. She let out a sigh of frustration, dropping her eyes back to the book and pinning the page in place with her thumb when a breeze blew by.
Despite the cold and grey of the day, she sat underneath the beech tree by the lake the Marauders usually claimed as their own, bundled up in her robes with a handy jar of flames nearby to stave off most of the late November chill. She had skipped breakfast to catch up on some of the work she was behind on, and to avoid the multitude of people inside staying out of the winter weather, she had gone to the grounds where she wouldn't be bothered. Turns out it had been a good idea, in hindsight – at least no one would see her abysmal attempts at such a simple spell and have another thing to make fun of her for.
She closed her book and rested it in her lap, tracing the leather cover absentmindedly as she tapped her wand against her knee, lost in thought. The past week and a half had been difficult, and not just from her strenuous workload; on top of the jeers and whispers that swirled around about her brother still, news had spread about her alleged "attack" on the fourth year, Zella Knightley, and the taunts had become particularly worse, especially from the Slytherins. Even the Gryffindors had given her a cold shoulder after Zella had begun to spread the rumor in the common room upon her return from the Hospital Wing; except, of course, those who knew her (which was painfully few) and those who couldn't care less.
"All I did was express my sympathies for her brother, and how awful the Prophet is making him out to be," she recalled Zella saying tearfully in the common room several days ago, a few of her classmates and some younger students sitting around her in sickening concern, though the fourth year had given her a triumphant smile when she had caught Cassie's eye. "And the next thing I know, I'm on my knees after a hex to the face, with that awful girl standing over me and threatening to silence me forever if I said anything to her ever again!"
The other students had gasped and shot Cassie furtive, mutinous looks at this, and she had nearly snapped her quill in half from where she was doing homework a few tables away with Remus and Peter.
"Unbelievable," she muttered, watching the girl bask in all the attention she was receiving. "If the brat keeps this up then maybe I will have to silence her for good."
"Easy, Cassie," Remus said, not once looking up from the essay he was writing. "Didn't you say two days ago that you couldn't get in any more trouble, or McGonagall would write your parents?"
She'd blanched at the mention of her parents. "Good point."
The day Zella had attacked her in the lavatory, she had been called to Professor McGonagall's office before dinner, and the witch had not been as kind as she had been the day she found Cassie wandering the halls after the news about her brother was published.
After hearing Cassie's version of events, however, her Head of House had decided not to write her parents over the matter, though she had slapped the girl with a week's worth of detentions scrubbing bedpans in the Hospital Wing, and warned that if such a thing happened again, then her parents would have to be contacted to discuss "progressive disciplinary options."
The only other people who knew about the real story were the Marauders and Alice, who had gone back to sitting next to her in lessons again and had been outraged, and a little guilty.
"I feel terrible, Cass," she'd said the next day in Transfiguration, talking in hushed voices while they were supposed to be practicing turning their mice into teacups. "I should've waited for you; none of this would've happened if I had been there!"
Cassie snorted, watching Alice's mouse attempt to scuttle away from her. "I don't think it would've mattered all that much. That girl seemed like she had been waiting her whole life to have a go at me." She shrugged. "At least if you had been there, we probably could've given her a bigger head to match those awful lips."
They had snickered at this, though had fallen silent when Professor McGonagall eyed them sternly from across the room, both girls attempting to Transfigure their mice once more.
Lily and Marlene seemed to believe her, as well, though they still weren't speaking to her. Lily had even gone so far as to join a group of Ravenclaws in Care of Magical Creatures, leaving Cassie to work with James and Peter, which was slowly becoming a disaster. The boys were bright at the subject, though they always goofed off when Professor Kettleburn wasn't looking, which usually resulted in leaving her to do all the work. However, her annoyance was made up in the form of Little Leaf, as the bowtruckle seemed to despise the two boys and did whatever was in his power to mock them, and it was always satisfying to see their egos knocked down a few pegs by a tiny tree-man from the woods.
"All right, Alderfair?"
The sound of James's voice brought her back to reality, and she turned to see him striding across the lawn toward her, hair fluffed up even more by the wind and cheeks red from the cold.
"How do you always seem to know where to find me?" she asked, watching as the bespectacled boy plopped down beside her, stretching his legs out before him.
"It's a secret," he replied, winking at her, and she rolled her eyes as he held up a napkin and a cup in his hands. "Want some breakfast?"
"Merlin, yes," she breathed. She snatched the items from him and opened the napkin to reveal three pieces of toast, perfectly buttered and topped with strawberry marmalade, and she sighed blissfully when the scent of hot chocolate wafted out of the cup.
"James Potter, you are my hero," she said gratefully, munching on the toast and letting the hot chocolate warm up her other hand. "How did you know how I took my toast, though?"
James rolled his eyes, smirking at her as he lounged back on his elbows. "You spend five minutes every morning meticulously smearing that stuff on your toast; it's a little hard not to notice."
She scoffed at that. "Oh, c'mon, James – just admit you're a mother hen and you care about me and what I like."
He looked to her, affronted. "I am not a mother hen!"
"Okay, fine. A lioness with her cubs, maybe?"
He gave her a dry look. "Just eat your toast and shut it, Princess."
"All right, Mum."
He threw his head back as if praying to Merlin for guidance, and she snickered.
When she was done eating, she brushed the crumbs from her hands and lap and sat back against the tree, feeling better now that her stomach was full.
"Where's everyone else?" she asked, pushing her hair back when the wind disturbed it. He gave a noncommittal shrug from where he was laying in the short, brittle grass.
"They were being little children and not wanting to sit out in the cold," he said, and she nodded, picturing Sirius (ever the melodramatic one) whining about staying inside.
When James made no further attempt at conversation, she got out her Defense book and began practicing the Shrinking Spell again. "Diminuendo!"
The doll flopped disappointingly on the ground. James clucked his tongue. "Pathetic, Princess." Her face flushed, and he sat up, scooting closer to her and gesturing to her wand. "You've got the motion backwards; it's a backhand counterclockwise, not the other way 'round."
Biting her lip, she raised her wand and took his advice, moving it the opposite way. "Diminuendo!"
The doll immediately shrank in size, now appearing as if it were a toothpick, and she grinned as James ruffled her hair. "There you go, Princess!"
She swatted his hand away. "All thanks to you, Mum."
He jerked back as if she'd scalded him. "Stop calling me that!"
"All right, Mum."
She shrieked when he put her into a headlock. "Okay, I'm sorry! Let me go!"
"Say 'James Potter is the smartest and fittest bloke I know' and I'll consider it."
She pummeled his legs, laughing, though when her efforts proved fruitless, she gasped out, "JamesPotteristhesmartestandfittestblokeIknownowGETOFFME!"
He released her. She flopped back on the grass, panting. He smirked at her. "Apology accepted."
She just gave him an obscene hand gesture.
"So, ready for Slughorn's party this Friday?" he asked when she could breathe again. She shook her head, grimacing. "Thought anymore on who to bring?"
She shook her head again, not sure she even had anyone left to ask. James was already invited, of course, and though she was sure Slughorn had approached Sirius before, the boy wanted nothing to do with the parties, as did Remus and Peter. James only went due to Slughorn's dotage on him and the contacts he had within the Ministry (better than his own father, he'd said, though his father was an Auror) and the professional Quidditch leagues, two things that interested James greatly. Alice had a date with Frank that night (which Cassie was not put-out by in the slightest), and since Lily and Marlene weren't speaking to her, she was afraid they weren't an option, either.
"Y'know, I bet if you asked one of the lads, they'd go with you," he said, quirking his lips. "Pete would probably trip over his own shoes to escort you there himself."
"I don't need anyone to go with," she said. "He said if I'd like, I could bring a friend, and since you're already going, then there's really no need, yeah?"
"Yeah, but you still have the option," he said, shrugging. "I know Remus would go with you – you two are pretty good mates, and he's too kind to refuse you."
"James, stop trying to pair me off with your mates," she said, rolling her eyes, but he pressed on as if he hadn't heard her.
"Or I guess you could take Sirius," he mused, running a hand through his hair. "He'd hate it, but I think he likes you enough to do it for you."
"James, please, I'm not taking anyone," she said. Her stomach had twisted oddly at the mention of Sirius, though she didn't know why.
"Just throwing suggestions out there," he said, raising his hands and grinning at her. "Sorry, Princess."
She huffed in reply, and he chuckled before saying, "You said Avery was going to be there?"
She had told James – and only James – about the weird meeting between the Slytherin boy and Carlisle before the Quidditch match, and her run-in with him after Potions the other week. James had seemed troubled by it, reluctantly agreeing with her that something appeared to be off in the matter. Despite Avery being his seatmate in Potions, he hadn't been able to get more than a few words out of him at a time, and Cassie never saw him that much due to the conflicting schedules of her classes and studies, leaving Slughorn's party their only chance of getting even a sliver of information out of the Slytherin.
She nodded, and he mirrored her movement. "Good. Maybe we can find out what the git is up to."
"Don't forget, this isn't just about Avery," she reminded him. "We have to get information about Carlisle, too."
"I know," he said grudgingly. It seemed as if he were about to continue before another voice cut across his.
"Oi! The bloody hell are you two doing? It's winter, in case you haven't noticed!"
They looked to see the other three Marauders striding toward them from the castle, huddled into their cloaks and scarves. James waved them off lazily while Cassie just shrugged, shutting her Defense book again and holding it to her chest.
The three boys plopped down next to James, and she snickered when Sirius rested his head on the boy's chest, fluttering his eyelashes up to him innocently. James made as if to wrap him in an embrace before flinging him off, sending him sprawling in the grass while the rest laughed.
"Prongs, my ego!" Sirius cried, clutching his chest, but the other boy just shook his head, laughing. Sirius made a big show of limping over to Cassie before throwing himself down, resting his head on her legs.
She froze and looked down at his handsome face to find him staring up at her already. He winked when their gazes met. "All right there, Princess?"
"If you scratch behind his ears he'll start to whine like a dog," Remus said mischievously, and the boys all exchanged a look that told her it was an inside joke as Sirius rolled his eyes.
"Sorry, Moony ol' pal, but I think that's you," he retorted. They all chuckled at that, while she just shook her head, going back to her Defense book so she wouldn't have to look at Sirius Black's head resting on her thighs.
The boys chattered on about something, waiting for lessons to start, but Cassie was distracted from her reading when Sirius kept flicking at her book.
"Can I help you, Sirius?" she said, lowering her book and raising an eyebrow at the smirking boy.
"They're talking about school, and I'm bored," he said, waving to the other Marauders. "Talk to me."
She sniffed. "Ask nicely and maybe I will."
"Cassie, please spare me from the torturous bindings of my mates' conversation, and talk to me instead?"
"All right, then," she said, making no move to close her book. "Speak."
He flicked the book in her hands again. "D'you like to read?"
"Sometimes," she answered. "I don't do it very often, but if I find something I like, I won't put it down until I finish it."
He nodded. "Y'know, I'm kinda the same way. What do you read?"
"Adventure, mostly," she said, smiling slightly. "I'm a sod for a good quest and some heroes. Especially the Muggle stuff. Lily got me this book for my birthday called The Hobbit, and though I haven't had a chance to sit down and read it yet, from what I've seen I think I'm going to like it."
He seemed thoughtful, watching her tuck a piece of hair behind her ear, and she suddenly felt self-conscious, floundering for something to say. "Er, what about you?"
"Anything that's remotely interesting," he said, shrugging. "I don't think I've ever actually finished a book before, though; I always stop right before the end."
She gaped. "But the endings are the best parts! They're like the final closure of everything. And that feeling you get when you finish a story…it's indescribable. I love it."
"I much prefer beginnings," he said, tapping his long fingers on his leg and distracting her from her incredulous staring. "I like the possibilities that come with them – the feeling that anything is possible, but you don't know what to expect. And I think that's why I never read books the whole way through; I like coming up with my own conclusions."
She studied him carefully while he did the same, brown eyes against grey, searching for something that neither of them knew on the other's face.
"I propose a deal," she said abruptly.
He cocked an eyebrow. "Oh?"
"You have to read a book – the whole way through – and if you do, I will buy you anything you want at Honeydukes next Hogsmeade trip."
"All right," he said easily, before grinning mischievously at her. "What's your end of the deal, then?"
She raised both brows at him. "Pardon?"
"You gave me a challenge," he said, "now I have to give one to you."
"I don't think that's how this works."
He gave her a dry look. "Humor me."
"Fine. Let's hear it."
"Read The Hobbit, and when you're done, you have to choose a character and dress up like them on the Hogsmeade trip."
"What?" she said, horrified. "Sirius, that's so unfair! Your challenge isn't embarrassing at all!"
"Think of it as my incentive," he said, smug. "I'll gladly finish a book for some sweets if it means you dress up in some ridiculous costume to buy me some."
She crossed her arms. "Challenge denied. Think of something else."
His smirk grew wider. "Fine. Either that, or…tell Bertram Aubrey that he's fit."
"Are you trying to make me an even bigger laughingstock?" she said, incredulous. "Why?"
"Because you'll have to dress up like a character from The Hobbit instead. Unless you want to dress up, then by all means…"
"Fine," she said, holding up a finger when he opened his mouth. "On one condition."
He grinned. "Name it."
"Come with me to Slughorn's party," she said triumphantly. She couldn't help feeling smug, but her brief pride disappeared when he tugged at the collar of his robes awkwardly. Her smirk faded quickly. "Or…not?"
"Cassie, erm, don't get me wrong…" he said, looking at the leaves above them instead of her, "but I, er, already have plans this Friday."
"Oh," she said, slightly disappointed, though she forced herself to laugh. "That's totally fine! It just looked like I'd asked you to sign over your soul to me or something."
He gave her a faint smile, and she tilted her head, looking at him with a sly grin. "So what kind of plans are they?"
"I'm going on a date," he said simply, now very absorbed in his fingernails.
For some reason, this answer bothered her, though she shoved that thought away.
"Right," she said neutrally. "Brilliant."
He shrugged, and there was an awkward moment of silence until there was a sudden squeak of pain beside them.
"Mercy!" Peter yelped, struggling away from James and Remus's fists and rubbing his arms. "Merlin, that hurt!"
"That's the point of the game, Pete," James said as Remus chuckled next to him. "We keep hitting you until you say 'mercy,' and then we stop."
"Yeah, but you didn't have to hit me that hard!" Peter moaned, just as the bell rang out across the grounds.
"Barbarians," Cassie scoffed. She shook her head and clambered to her feet when Sirius rolled off her, wincing at the soreness in her muscles from sitting for so long. "C'mon, children, let's get to class."
"Who's the mother hen now?" James interjected. She just rolled her eyes before starting for the castle.
"Oi, Cassie," Sirius said, jogging to catch up with her. She gazed at him questioningly when he grinned down at her. "Still on for our deal?"
"We never agreed to anything," she said, baffled.
"Yeah, but when we do, then we're already on, see?" He stuck out his hand and wiggled his fingers. "What d'you say, Alderfair? Or are you too scared to go up against me?"
She eyed his outstretched hand for a moment, debating, before taking it into her own and giving it a firm shake. "You think I'm going to back down that easily, Black?"
"'Course not, Princess," he said, winking at her. "I wouldn't expect any less from you."
"Good," she said sweetly, giving him her best smirk, "because we are so on."
"So I'm standing there – macaroni all over me, right? And he has the nerve to say 'Oi, watch where you're going, prat.' So, long story short, but that is exactly how and why Matthew Masaveu now has noodles for eyebrows and cheese in his hair."
James bowed deeply at the conclusion of his story. Peter gave him a round of applause, snickering like a hamster with asthma, while Cassie just rolled her eyes from where she was sitting on the ground, feeding Little Leaf strips of bark from her hands. The bowtruckle blew James a very small – yet still rude – raspberry in between bites, causing the bespectacled boy to scowl down at him.
"Cassie, I don't understand why you choose to spend your time with such unrefined company," he said.
"Y'know, James," she said sarcastically, "I ask myself that every day when you're around, too."
He made a face at her, while Peter gave a big show of biting his thumb and turning away, grinning.
They had come down to Care of Magical Creatures that day only for Professor Kettleburn to announce he wasn't feeling well and then proceeding to tell them to sod off, and while everyone else had trudged back to the castle, Cassie had opted to stay with Little Leaf for a while, with James and Peter following suit since Sirius and Remus were in another class.
The week seemed to have crept by too slowly for her, yet now she was sitting on Thursday, only a day away from Slughorn's party. She still had no one to go with besides James, and the more she thought about it, the more she began to realize that she had no idea who else was going to be there, and much less of a clue in determining what to wear. She had formal robes and a few Muggle dresses she had managed to buy without her father's knowledge stashed in her trunk, yet she didn't know what the dress code was, and wasn't particularly willing to let James guide her in the right direction on that one.
She watched Little Leaf do cartwheels in the dirt until a voice from behind them began to speak. "Excuse me, but have any of you seen my Charms book? I think I might've left it out here a few min – oh."
Everyone turned to see Lily standing frozen in her tracks behind them, her green eyes wide and her face now flushed crimson to the roots of her hair.
"All right, Evans?" James said, his hand immediately jumping to his hair, but Lily wasn't paying him any attention, her gaze locked onto Cassie.
Little Leaf chirped from behind her, and she felt a tugging on her sleeve, but she found herself staring right back, a sobering feeling prickling her gut.
"Hi, Lily," she said quietly. She thought she saw the faintest flicker of nostalgia in the other girl's eyes before it was gone, her gaze hardening as she took in James standing next to Cassie.
"You know what? I'll just come back and look for it later," Lily said in a low voice. "Have a nice day, Cassie."
And with that, she turned on her heel and flounced away, red hair streaming behind her. Cassie cursed.
"Watch Little Leaf," she ordered the boys before getting to her feet and chasing after her friend. "Lily! Lily, please wait!"
The other girl stopped walking, only turning when Cassie reached her side, clutching a stitch in her stomach from sprinting uphill.
"What do you want, Cass?" she said, looking quite miserable, and Cassie paused, uncertain. She hadn't expected to get this far, and now was at a loss for words.
"I miss you," she blurted out finally, her face flushing when Lily just crossed her arms. "Look, I know you don't like James: he can be loud, and obnoxious, and the most egotistical bastard on the planet, and I know that his pranks can go too far, but…he's a good bloke to me, Lily. He treats his friends like family, and he can be the most loyal, selfless person when it comes to them, and that's the James I'm friends with. He has his flaws, yeah, but he's only human, just like the rest of us."
Lily remained silent, and Cassie sighed before pressing on.
"He's not replacing you, or Mar, or Alice, or anyone. But by some odd circumstance, he's my friend now, same as you. And I want to be friends with you both. So just…please don't ask me to choose between you two. Because I really miss you, Lils, and I don't want to fight."
She bit her lip, waiting for the other girl to respond. After a few moments, Lily dropped her arms and let out a noise of frustration.
"Cass, you know I hate fighting with you, too," she said, "but I just can't forgive Potter that easily. All those years of him embarrassing me, trying to get me to go out with him, and all the times he's bullied Sev…I just can't see him the way you do."
Cassie's heart sank, but Lily grabbed her hand, her face pleading.
"But I don't want to lose you over this. And I don't want you to feel like you're choosing sides," she said desperately. "So…I'm here for you. Whenever you want to be with the girls and me, we'll be there, and whenever you want to be with the boys, we won't say anything. Just…I can't be around Potter. Not right now."
"So…all is forgiven?" Cassie asked. Lily nodded, squeezing her hand.
"I'm sorry for being a prat," she said solemnly. "All is forgiven."
Cassie grinned, gripping Lily's hand back before her face lit up mischievously. "So, Lils, got any plans tomorrow?"
There was an air of cheeriness the next morning in the girls' dormitory as Cassie got dressed, her mood the lightest it had been for a while. After sitting down with Lily, Alice, and Marlene the night before and having a very long and meaningful talk that had left her with a raging headache, they had worked out their issues and now seemed to be on the right track. None of them were exactly thrilled about her relationship with the Marauders (particularly with James and Sirius), but as Cassie had pointed out, no boy should ever come between their friendship, and so a truce was formed.
"I can't go to Slughorn's party!" Lily fretted, throwing herself down on Cassie's bed while the other girl tugged on her stockings. "I have nothing to wear!"
"What about that one violet dress you have?" she suggested. "You look amazing in that one."
Lily let out a distressed noise. "Are you mad? I can't go strutting around in Muggle clothes! D'you know how many Pure-bloods are going to be there? How many Slytherin Pure-bloods? They'd tie me to a stake and burn me alive!"
"Then borrow some of my formal robes," Cassie said, frowning. She hadn't thought about it much, honestly – she had been too worried making plans with James to gather information on Carlisle and Avery to give it any weight. "I'm sure I have an extra set in my trunk somewhere."
"Cassie, I can't wear your robes," Lily said, shaking her head. "You're much taller than me, and, well…I'm a bit bustier than you, yeah?"
Cassie looked down at her disappointingly small chest before conceding that point to Lily. "Yeah, but we can always tweak them with some spells."
Alice snorted from across the room. "The last time we tried that we turned Marlene's dress into feathers," she pointed out, and they all snickered at the memory while Marlene grimaced.
"Please don't remind me of that," she said wearily. "I was finding feathers in the oddest places for ages."
"I don't think Slughorn would care if you showed up in a Muggle dress, Lils," Cassie said, guiding the conversation back to its purpose. "You're one of the best fifth-years at Potions – he's starkers for you, that man."
Lily flashed her a grateful smile, but sucked on her teeth worriedly until Cassie got hit with a brilliant idea. "I know! You wear your Muggle dress, and I'll wear something Muggle, too!"
"But Cassie, you're a Pure-blood, as well," Lily said, frowning. "Don't you have to maintain the part, or whatever it's called?"
Cassie shrugged. "That's only around my parents. Here, I don't have to worry about decorum so much."
When Lily still looked doubtful, Cassie sighed. "Lils, just wear the damn dress. If anyone says something, I'll handle it."
Lily shot her a dubious look, and even she was surprised at what had come out of her mouth. She usually avoided confrontation at all costs, and had never once spoken out against another student, but the more she thought about it, the more she knew she meant it.
Those stupid Marauders were starting to wear on her.
"Now that the fashion crisis is over, can we go eat?" Alice said, holding her stomach. "I'm ravished."
Marlene wrinkled her nose. "Not a good enough reason to use that word, Al," she said, but Alice stuck her tongue out before leading the way to the Great Hall.
They made it to the fifth-floor corridor before they were stopped by a nasally voice calling out to Lily. The girls halted to see Severus Snape slinking out of the shadows, looking like an overbearing bat with his greasy black hair and too-long robes.
"Sev, hi!" Lily said brightly, flashing the boy a brilliant smile that made his sallow cheeks turn pink. "What's up? Aren't you coming to breakfast?"
"In a moment," he said. His black eyes slid over the other girls, a faint sneer curling his lips. "I wanted to speak to you, actually. Privately."
"Oh, all right," Lily said, looking back to the others with a bemused expression. "See you down there?"
"See you," Alice said, nodding, though Cassie didn't miss her distrustful glare at Snape. The three girls continued on their way to the Great Hall, leaving Lily behind with Snape, and as soon as they were out of earshot, Marlene began to speak.
"Merlin, he creeps me out!" she said, shivering. "I don't understand why Lily's friends with him!"
"They grew up together," Alice said. "But I agree – something about him doesn't sit right."
"James said that he's interested in the Dark Arts," Cassie put in, and though they frowned at the mention of the Marauder, they didn't argue.
"Seems likely," Alice said. "He hangs around with that awful Slytherin gang, and I'm pretty sure he was the one who jinxed little Matilda Smethley last year."
"Wonder what he wants with Lily?" Marlene mused. "He usually doesn't seek her out like that; seems like he always waits in the shadows for her to make the first move."
"Marlene, don't be rude!" Cassie chastised. They turned to her incredulously before she grinned, dropping her faux disapproval. "You know vampires don't like direct sunlight!"
They all burst out laughing at this, their giggles still subsiding by the time they entered the Great Hall and headed for their usual seats at the table, with Cassie joining them once more.
She walked past the Marauders, giving them a cheery wave, not noticing the blush staining Marlene's cheeks behind her. They waved back, taking her absence in stride, before her eyes flicked to Sirius staring moodily at her. She quirked a brow, but he turned away as if he hadn't seen her, leaving her to only frown and continue on to their seats.
"What was that all about?" Alice asked her when they had sat down.
Cassie looked to her quizzically. "What?"
Alice smirked as she began to spear a few pieces of ham onto her plate, jerking her chin at her. "That. It looked to me like Sirius Black was a tad disappointed you weren't sitting with him today."
Cassie rolled her eyes, silently cursing when her cheeks flared anyway. "Oh, come off it. He's just glad I'm not there to bruise his ego anymore."
Alice chuckled, though Cassie still didn't like the look in her eye as she began to eat, glancing to Marlene. The blonde girl had her head down, her face faintly red as she poked at her food, but luckily, they were all distracted by the morning post.
Alice and Marlene stopped eating long enough to read their multiple letters while Cassie chewed on, not expecting anything until Osbourne landed at her elbow, hooting importantly.
"Ozzy?" she said, putting down her fork and scratching the owl's head in confusion. "What are you doing here?"
In response, he held his leg out to her, where a letter was tied. She took it warily before setting it under her plate and feeding a bit of toast to Osbourne. "Thanks, Ozzy. Be a good owl, and don't hog all the mice in the Owlery."
He looked offended as he took off with the rest of the owls, but she turned her attention to the letter, apprehensive. She knew it had to be either from her parents or – Merlin forbid it – her brother, and either option sounded unappealing.
Downing a goblet of pumpkin juice, she opened the envelope, not even bothering to look at the sender before she began reading, only to stop when she read but a few abrupt sentences.
It's not what it looks like. I'm so sorry. I don't even remember what happened. Please believe me.
Cassie stared at the message, feeling as if she had been dunked into icy water. She tore her eyes away from the parchment, seeing that Alice and Marlene were too busy reading their letters still to pay her any attention, before she looked down the table, instantly catching Remus's eye.
He flashed her a grin before seeming to realize how panicked she looked, for his face folded and his brows scrunched in question. She shook the parchment in her hands at him, mouthing Will.
His expression darkened. He pointed to the doors of the Great Hall, then the watch on his wrist, holding up ten fingers. She nodded, the message clear.
Remus turned back to his mates, and Cassie started when Lily sat down beside her, her face flushed and troubled.
"Hey, Lily," Marlene greeted, finally looking up from her letter. "What's got you so riled up?"
Lily shook her head, now even more flustered. "Nothing – I – I just…" She trailed off after seeing their skeptical faces, groaning and plopping her head down on the table with a firm thud. "Severus asked me to go to Slughorn's party with him," she said in defeat, and the other three shared a high-browed glance.
"Poor bloke," Marlene commented drily, going back to her letter and taking a sip from her tea. "Did you let him down easy, at least?"
Lily looked up from underneath a curtain of fiery hair. "No," she said miserably. They all gaped. "He just asked as a friend!" she protested. "And I told him I was going with Cassie, but that I'd meet him there!"
"Oh, Lily," Alice said, patting her hand sympathetically. "You really can't see how smitten he is with you, can you?"
Lily opened and closed her mouth, her face now a furious shade of red. Cassie, sensing another "Remus Lupin-fancies-you" debacle, intervened before anything else was said at Lily's expense.
"Y'know what's great?" she broke in. She reached into her book bag and pulled out The Hobbit. "This book. Simply wonderful. Lily, I'd like to thank you so much for giving this to me. I can understand why the Muggles all like it."
She set the book down on the table, everyone's attention now on her as she rifled through the pages. "I just got past chapter three, but there was this lovely bit back in chapter two about trolls – the author said you could defeat mountain-trolls just by sunlight! It turns them to stone! Isn't that utterly absurd?"
"I think you just made me lose my appetite," Alice said, clanking down her fork, and Marlene grunted in agreement. "I'm going to History of Magic now."
She and Marlene got up and left for class, leaving just Cassie and Lily. The latter smiled gratefully and squeezed Cassie's hand.
"You're the best," she whispered.
Cassie shrugged. "I try."
Swinging her bag over her shoulder and grabbing some toast, Lily headed after the other girls. Cassie followed suit, gesturing to Remus as she went.
She found an abandoned classroom on the first floor and waited, pacing anxiously, the note still clutched in her hand. Five minutes later, Remus entered with the other three Marauders in tow.
"I hereby call this Marauders meeting in session!" James said, banging an imaginary gavel.
"I'm not a Marauder," she pointed out, but James waved her off.
"You can be the mascot or something," he said.
She rolled her eyes. "Gee, thanks."
"What happened, Cassie?" Remus said, gesturing to the note in her hand. "You said that Will wrote you?"
She nodded, apprehensive again as she opened the message. "It's not so much a letter as it is a plea," she said. "And he didn't sign it, but I know it must be him – just listen: It's not what it looks like. I'm so sorry. I don't even remember what happened. Please believe me."
She looked up, her hands shaking slightly as she met their eyes, each one intense and thoughtful. When she looked at Sirius, he smirked at her out of reflex, though the familiar gesture was enough to slow the race of her heartbeat.
"It could be a trick," James said slowly, raising his hands when her sharp gaze landed on him. "Cassie, the last time you saw him, the guy was a huge prick, and was practically trying to recruit you into the Death Eaters. I'm just saying it's a possibility that he's trying to get you to sympathize, so he can work his way in."
She bit her lip, uncertain, though what James said did make sense. "Maybe you're right, James. But the way he worded it…it sounds desperate."
The four boys shuffled their feet and traded uncomfortable glances.
"Is there any reason why he would say that?" Remus asked, studying her carefully. "Anything to suggest that this isn't some ploy?"
She hesitated, her mind following the unbidden direction of the clockwork locket. It had been locked in her bedside table for the better part of a month, and she had nearly forgotten about it until now, though the message it had played for her all those weeks ago came back in haunting clarity.
"I think there might be," she said slowly, and they looked stunned when she told them about the locket and the message left by Will inside it.
"Whoa, whoa, whoa," James said, holding up his hands as if she were a wild hippogriff he was trying to rein back in. "You mean to tell me that your brother – y'know, a Death Eater – left some cryptic as hell message in a locket for you that basically warns against Darkness adding to its number? What the hell?"
"Repeat the thing again," Remus said, staring at the floor and cupping his chin in his hand.
"A thousand years' slumber, in a tomb beyond light/If Darkness adds to its number, the world shall fall to night," she recited. She looked to him questioningly. "D'you have something?"
"I'm just…trying to think…" he muttered, while Peter looked around the room in helpless confusion, obviously not having any clue as to what anything meant.
"It's rubbish," Sirius said. "C'mon, that's a load of dragon dung. Who puts that in a locket?"
"Will doesn't do anything random," Cassie said, glaring at him. "Everything he does has a purpose – trust me, I would know. I'm his sister."
"Well, he's not a very good brother if he doesn't even take the time to explain what in the bloody hell his message to his sister means." He raised a pointed eyebrow, and Cassie grit her teeth.
"Sirius, this is definitely something to be concerned about," Remus said, frowning. "Cassie's right; this message is too specific to not mean anything."
"Then please enlighten us as to what it means, Remus," he said, as if speaking to a small child, "because it seems to me that the bloke's being a git, as per usual nowadays."
"That's my brother you're talking about, Black," Cassie snapped.
"My bad." He rolled his eyes. "Your brother is just being a git, Cassie. Simple as that."
"Piss off, Sirius," she hissed. "You don't know the first thing about my brother—"
"Nor do I want to," he shot back. "Not if he's running around with a Dark Mark and torturing Muggles – and not to mention hurting you and causing you to deal with all this shit—"
"I didn't ask for any of this!" she said. "But he's still my brother and I still want to look out for him – something you don't seem to understand!"
His eyes practically bugged at this, his olive skin slowly turning a deep shade of maroon the longer he stared at her, and she was quite taken aback – she had never seen him look so upset before.
"Don't act like you know me," he growled. "You don't know the first thing about me, Alderfair."
And with that, he turned on his heel and stalked out of the classroom, slamming the door behind him and making Peter jump from where he was perched on top of a desk.
A tense silence followed Sirius's departure, until they all started (Peter nearly tumbling to the floor) when the bell rang throughout the castle.
"We'll talk tomorrow," Cassie grumbled, grabbing her things and heading out the door. It closed with a snap behind her, leaving James, Remus, and Peter all standing in the classroom staring at each other.
"Well," James said finally, with fake enthusiasm, "it was nice while it lasted, eh?"
The rest of the day passed in relative silence and glaring, as Cassie and Sirius didn't seem keen on approaching the other after their row. James flitted back and forth between them, obviously trying to coax some sort of apology out of either of them, but they didn't budge. He stopped trying after lunch, and thus, Cassie spent the afternoon brooding, only occasionally speaking to the girls, who were more than happy to leave her with her sulky self until the time came to prepare for Slughorn's party.
"Cass, the party starts in twenty minutes!" Lily cried when she walked out of the washroom and saw Cassie still laying on the bed where she had left her an hour ago, reading The Hobbit. "Why aren't you ready?"
"I'm not in a party mood," she grumbled, flipping the page and continuing to read. She had just reached the part where Bard and Thranduil had come to treat with Thorin, and she was too invested now to stop. She heard Lily sigh from where she was standing in front of the full-length mirror, applying lipstick.
"Look, you asked me to come with you, and you are not standing me up," she said firmly, turning around and planting her hands on her hips. "C'mon, Cassie."
Cassie rolled her eyes, reluctantly closing her book and getting up to sift through her trunk to find what she needed.
Ten minutes later, she was dressed in a sleeveless, silvery-grey blouse, and trousers too dark to be considered casual, before throwing on a black cardigan and slipping on a pair of flats.
"Let's go," she said after running a brush through her hair. She stopped when she saw Lily looking her over critically. "What?"
"That's it?" she asked. "That's all you're gonna do?"
She rolled her eyes, not in the mood to once again be criticized for her lack of fashion or beauty sense. "Yes, this is it. Now, come on before I change my mind."
Shrugging, but still looking judgmental, Lily followed her down the stairs. They emerged into the common room just in time to greet James as he came down the boys' staircase.
"Save your breath, Potter," Lily sighed, holding up a hand when the boy saw her and opened his mouth, probably to say something embarrassing. He stared after her with a goofy expression as she went to wait by the portrait hole before Cassie slapped him on the back of the head.
"Oi! What was that for?" he demanded.
"Just don't do anything stupid," she said, marching away, but he caught her by her elbow and pulled her back.
"Are you still mad about the Sirius thing?" he asked.
She scowled and tugged her arm out of his grasp. "Yes, I'm still mad," she said. "What gave it away?"
"Merlin, you're almost as dramatic as he is," he said in a pained voice. "Look, Cass, I get it, but he's just trying to be logical in the harsh, terrible way that he is. Give him some benefit of the doubt; he wasn't bashing your brother."
"Then what about the whole you don't know the first thing about me, Alderfair?" she questioned. "Was that his way of saying sorry?"
"Will you stop trying to bite my head off?" he said, exasperated. "I'm trying to make amends here."
"That's his job, not yours," she retorted. "He's a big boy; he can apologize to me himself."
James sighed in frustration, running a hand through his hair. "Fine, whatever. Let's just go."
He joined her and Lily as they walked through the corridors to Slughorn's office, the three wrapped in a sweltering silence, as each was lost to their own thoughts. Cassie could hear the classical music playing from a corridor away, and she wrinkled her nose, already envisioning how boring this dinner party was going to be as they made their way to the door.
"James, m'boy!" Slughorn boomed when he spotted them. "Good to see you, good to see you! And it seems you've brought both the lovely Miss Evans and Miss Alderfair with you!"
"Glad to be here, sir," James said, shaking his hand and suddenly looking every bit the Pure-blood he was. "You know I never miss a chance to cheat you out of some wine and good food."
Slughorn laughed, clapping James on the shoulder before steering him away from the girls. "Cheeky lad! Now, come, there's some people I'd like you to meet…"
The two disappeared into the steadily growing crowd, leaving Cassie and Lily standing awkwardly by themselves.
"Er, drinks?" Lily said, gesturing to a table laden with expensive crystal and exquisite foods, and Cassie nodded. They each grabbed a glass of elf-wine and stood idly, chatting nonsensically as they surveyed the room.
It seemed Slughorn had expanded the dimensions of his office to that of a small ballroom, as there was a dance floor in the middle beneath a glittering chandelier. Deep purple tapestries adorned the walls, lending the atmosphere one of decadence. Cassie was unfortunately familiar with the air of aristocracy from the countless dinner parties she'd had to attend with her family in the past, but Lily looked to be way out of her element, eyeing the elegant witches and wizards around them and shifting nervously on her feet.
"Relax, Lily," Cassie said, brushing her elbow with her fingers. "See? No one's even looking at us twice."
Lily didn't respond, not seeming to have heard her. Cassie sighed and turned when she felt a tap on her shoulder. "Yes?"
"Fancy seeing you here," Avery greeted. She stifled the urge to groan, only letting out a short sigh.
"You knew I'd be here," she reminded him. He grinned into his wineglass.
"That I did." His blue eyes sparkled as he took her in, and she looked away, uncomfortable. "Strange how well Muggle attire suits you."
She whirled around, her father's accusations of blood traitor ringing in her ears.
"And what exactly are you insinuating?" she demanded, shrugging off Lily's hand on her shoulder and meeting his gaze challengingly.
"Nothing at all," he said, smirking. He seemed amused by her ire. "I was just stating a fact."
Cassie snorted, sipping from her wine and wishing he would go away, but she cursed when she realized that now was an opportune moment to get some information out of him. Swallowing the wine, she turned back to him and said as casually as she could, "So, how's that extra credit assignment for Defense coming along?"
"Oh, you know." He waved his hand airily, his eyes now surveying the people around them. "Quite a bore, honestly."
"Aren't you doing the Founders, like I suggested?" she asked innocently.
"I am," he said. "Not much to go on, really. People choose to talk more about their achievements as the creators of Hogwarts rather than what magic they were best at."
Cassie frowned, not knowing what else to say without being too obvious, though luckily, Avery was called away by some ancient-looking witch with a Bulgarian accent.
He inclined his head to her before disappearing into the crowd, and she heard Lily breathe deeply from behind her.
"Goodness, Cassie," she said faintly, staring after Avery. "You know how to make friends with the wrong sort, don't you?"
Cassie snorted. "Avery is definitely not my friend," she said, her eyes searching through the crowds. "Listen, I've got to find James – you want to come with?"
Lily made a face at her. "No, I'm fine here with this lovely buffet behind me. Go on; I'll catch up to you later."
Cassie squeezed her arm briefly before moving off in search of the bespectacled boy, wondering how she hadn't been able to find his obnoxious self before now. She squeezed in between a couple of Ravenclaw seventh-years and spotted a flash of messy black hair, but before she could start after James, someone grabbed her arm from behind.
"What d'you want, Avery?" she sighed, turning, before stopping in her tracks. Her eyes widened when she took in black hair, grey eyes, and olive skin. "Sirius?"
But it wasn't Sirius; she could tell from the way the boy's face slipped into a sneer, his eyes cold and haughty. This boy was also shorter, broader in the shoulders, and not quite as handsome, but she recognized who he was when he began to speak.
"Been spending too much time around charming Sirius, love?" he said, his voice lower and more controlled than his brother's. His dark grey eyes raked her over intently.
"Regulus, is it?" she said, regaining her wits and regarding the younger Black coolly. "I don't think we've met before."
"I make it a point not to socialize with Gryffindors," he said arrogantly, and she had to refrain from rolling her eyes. "But I recognize you; we attended the same manners classes when we were children."
She only hummed in response, not recalling that at all as he continued. "You're also the talk of the school right now: Death Eater brother, crazy bitch who attacked a fourth-year, slagging around with my brother and those so-called Marauders of his… Well, you get the point."
Despite her best efforts, she could feel her face reddening. She hoped the lighting was dim enough to where he couldn't tell, though the smirk on his face said otherwise.
"Is there something you wanted, Black, or would you mind doing me the favor of sodding off?" she replied. He chuckled, teeth gleaming in the light.
"Just thought I'd give you a little tip, Alderfair," he said, shrugging, before leaning close. "You've piqued the interest of several Slytherins now, and I'd watch your back if I were you."
She shivered when his breath tickled her cheek. "Is that a warning or a threat?"
He didn't reply, only gazing at her with his dark eyes before stepping away and smiling softly. "Whatever you think you have on Carlisle, just leave it alone."
She froze, about to ask what he meant, but he was gone, having disappeared into the crowd behind him.
Suddenly confined and uncomfortable, she weaved her way to the exit at the door, stepping out into the dungeons and shivering when the cool air hit her clammy skin. She had to find James, tell him about what had happened with Regulus Black, but first, she needed some air.
She wandered up to the ground floor and began to meander along the corridors, not even thinking of Filch or Peeves or anyone else who would find her roaming about after dark, her mind too filled with jumbled thoughts of a mystery that was slowly becoming a much larger thing than she ever imagined.
Sighing heavily, she found an empty classroom on her left and jiggled open the door, stepping inside to find a moment of peace where she could get her brain back together.
To her horror, the classroom was already occupied, and she froze in the doorway when she saw two figures in a compromising position atop the large desk at the front of the room. Before she could stop herself, she let out a tiny squeak before clapping her hand to her mouth, mortified.
"Bloody—" One of the figures struggled to stand up. The shorter one slid off the taller one's lap, and there was a rustling of clothing as Cassie began to splutter.
"I'm so sorry!" she said, backing out of the classroom. "I had no idea—"
But she stopped dead when a voice, filled with incredulity and panic, said, "Cassie?"
Oh, no.
The second voice chimed in, this one sickeningly familiar as well, and Cassie could feel the blood rushing to her face. "Wait, Cass? Is that you?"
There was another rustle, and then an indistinguishable mutter, before the room was suddenly filled with wandlight, and the whole terrible scene came to life before her eyes.
Oh, no.
She was staring into the shocked faces of none other than Sirius Black, and Marlene.
Next Chapter: The Nosiness of Cassie Alderfair
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