Updated as of 2/18/2021.
Chapter Thirty-Eight
The Mudblood
One day of normalcy. That was all Cassie asked for, was just one day where she didn't have to deal with ancient powers, mysteries, or attempted murders.
The castle was dark and devoid of life as she slowly made her way back to Gryffindor Tower, the torchlight offering only a dull orange glow for her to see where she was going. Not that she needed it, really; after all her late-night adventures with the Marauders, she reckoned she could find her way around the castle blindfolded at that point.
The light was a small comfort to her, though. A permanent chill had settled over her bones ever since she had found Mary MacDonald at the bottom of that staircase, and it had persisted throughout the day as she was pushed around between meeting after meeting; first with Professors McGonagall and Flitwick, then Professor Dumbledore, then Professor McGonagall again.
Despite knowing that she had been the cause of Mary's predicament, Cassie had been reluctant to get involved, even though she had been called as a witness for being one of the first to find Mary. She hadn't told anyone that Mary had sought her out before the Quidditch match, or what they had talked about, and she didn't dare tell any of the professors. If word got to the Slytherins that Cassie had told Dumbledore everything, then what could stop them from telling their Death Eater allies? The involvement of Death Eaters meant that Will would be killed, and her, and probably Mary, as well.
Cassie shuddered as she remembered Mary's blood, bright red and cooling on the marble tiles. She'd thought the other witch was dead until she saw the faint rise and fall of her chest, and began screaming for someone to get Madam Pomfrey. Everything was a blur after that. The hospital matron had arrived and taken Mary away, and that was when Professor McGonagall had ordered Cassie to follow her, her lips white and her face pinched in worry. She remembered asking Professor Dumbledore after their meeting if Mary would be all right, and she had never seen the Headmaster look so grim as he'd said, "Miss MacDonald will recover from her physical injuries just fine."
She'd been able to read between the lines of Dumbledore's statement herself.
It was nearly three in the morning by the time Cassie emerged into the seventh-floor corridor. Fatigue dragged her every limb, slowing her walk to a shuffle as she continued toward Gryffindor Tower. It seemed that everyone was getting hurt lately because of her: Will, Sirius, Mary… She was such a stupid little girl, pretending like she was brave enough to stand up to Voldemort, to Carlisle, to the Death Eaters. Her stupidity was dangerous—she was dangerous.
Carlisle was right, she thought bitterly. I'm nothing more than a meddling fool who's going to get everyone killed because I thought I was clever, that I was a true Gryffindor.
"Rough day, Alderfair?"
Her exhaustion must've been muddling her brain, for she didn't even bother to raise her wand as Regulus Black melted out of the shadows to her left, his stormy eyes black in the gloom. She only watched, disinterested, as he stopped before her in the corridor, his expression as inscrutable as ever.
"You look terrible," he said when she didn't speak, his eyes raking over her appearance judgmentally. "Have you been getting enough sleep lately?"
"Piss off, Black," she hissed. "You're lucky I haven't jinxed you into a bloody puddle yet."
He seemed amused by her threat. "And why would you do that?"
"I know you're involved in Mary's attack somehow," she said, "and I know you're aware of what your Housemates plan on doing with me if they get their hands on me."
"They're idiots," he said dismissively. "And I wasn't involved in that Ravenclaw's attack in any way."
"They delayed the match because a Slytherin player was missing," Cassie said, wrapping her fingers around the hilt of her wand. "You're the team's Seeker. You're in on Carlisle's plans. You know far too much of my own plans. Why should I take you at your word when all the evidence stacks up against you?"
"Because you know it wasn't me," he said, rolling his eyes. "Good grief, Alderfair, I thought we've been over this. You know better than to trust me, but you also know that I'm not a liar, and that I'm only working for Carlisle to protect my own skin." He stepped closer to her, and her grip on her wand tightened from where it was in her pocket. "Admit it, Alderfair; you know me better than you think you do."
She wavered, wanting nothing more than to shove her wand under his chin and mutter a foul curse—anything to give her wretched anger and guilt an outlet. It would be so easy to just hex him and walk away, to blame him for what happened to Mary, but the rational part of her brain knew he was right. She knew him, in whatever twisted, complex way it was, and she knew that Regulus Black wasn't sadistic or idiotic enough to attack a fellow student on school grounds. Unfortunately, this realization also brought clarity as to whose style it was to attack someone so openly and gruesomely.
"It was Avery, wasn't it?" she said hollowly.
Regulus blinked at her, surprised. "That was quick."
He didn't deny it, and that only confirmed her suspicions. She snorted. "So much for him wanting to defect."
"Oh, he was ready to," said Regulus, his eyes glittering with a strange light, "when he thought your side was the winning side. You see, Ed has that lovely Slytherin self-preservation instinct like me, but his is different than mine. I have my own convictions; I make my own decisions. Ed doesn't like losing." He shrugged. "So, when you told him that Carlisle and Voldemort had figured out Will's plans, he went crawling back to Carlisle, since your brother was no longer a rallying point."
Cassie stared into the shadows, her blood pounding in her ears. "Do you know what he and the others are planning?" she demanded. "The ones working for Carlisle? Why do they want to let her handle me?"
"All I know is that Carlisle wants you out of her way. She's been insufferable ever since you and my brother broke into her office and stole something from her." He tilted his head. "What did you steal, by the way?"
She leveled him with a cold glare, and he held up his hands defensively. "All right, never mind, just curious."
"Well, if you're looking for something to tell her, then you can report back that I've destroyed what she wanted," she said. "And she can torture me if she likes, even kill me, but she'll never be able to bring it back."
"Wait, what?" Regulus stared at her in awe. "You really found what she was looking for? And you destroyed it?"
"That's what I said," she snapped. "Just tell her whatever you have to, to make her believe you."
"And what then?" he asked, studying her carefully. "She won't let this go. She'll come for you."
Cassie shrugged. "Then she knows where to find me."
Regulus shook his head, amazed. "You don't even care that you might be killed?"
She pierced him with a gaze that could burn ice, and he visibly shrank away from her as she said, "Black, people have been trying to kill me all year, and I don't expect they'll stop trying anytime soon. If I die, then at least I'll go down fighting."
"Spoken like a true Gryffindor," he said, and for once, he didn't sound mocking. In fact, if she believed that he was capable of it, she might've thought that was admiration in his voice.
"I won't let Avery get away with this," she said. "Do I have your word that you'll stay out of it when the situation arises?"
He smirked at her, and she suddenly felt like she was standing in front of Sirius as he said, "You have my word. I'll be where I always am—watching from the sidelines."
She nodded briskly. "Good. Now leave; I need sleep, or else the temptation to jinx you might get the better of me."
"Always a pleasure, Alderfair," he said, smiling lazily as he began to walk away from her. "I look forward to watching the Alderfair-Avery showdown."
She didn't respond, instead allowing the shadows to swallow him before she continued on her way to Gryffindor Tower. Avery had chosen the wrong side, she thought as she walked, all her exhaustion melting away in place of rage. She remembered what she had told Sirius all those months ago, after he had cheated her out of a date with Bertram Aubrey over their bet: "You went up against an Alderfair, and let me tell you, that was a very stupid thing to do." She'd said it as intimidation over him cheating on a bet, but the words rang truer now that she knew Avery had betrayed her like the rat he was.
Mary's pale face flashed in her mind, surrounded by her blood, and her hands clenched angrily by her sides.
Avery will wish that he had never crossed me.
The wind was fierce that morning, shrieking and tearing at their clothes as Cassie and the Marauders stood in the gusty Owlery. Over the scents of owl droppings and straw, she could smell rain in the air as well, and the longer they stood in the tower, the closer the dark clouds from the west became.
"This is bad," said Remus, his face folded into a frown that had steadily deepened the longer Cassie had talked about her conversation with Mary before the Ravenclaw's attack. "Carlisle's emboldening students in a way that's becoming extremely dangerous. We have to go to Dumbledore."
"And tell him what?" Cassie demanded.
"Everything," Remus said, incredulous. "Merlin, Cassie, don't you see how perilous this all is? A student was nearly killed, all because she overheard something she shouldn't have! What do you think's going to happen to you?"
"If I go to Dumbledore, I'm dead anyway," she said. Her voice remained calm, cool, and she wondered why she wasn't panicking more over her potential murder. "And Voldemort made it clear: If Dumbledore gets involved, he'll kill Will without hesitation."
"I'm with Remus," said James uneasily. "If we're discreet, Dumbledore will have this handled quickly and quietly. Carlisle will be sacked—maybe even carted off to Azkaban—and without her, the Slytherins will fall apart. She'll be gone, and then we won't have to worry about her trying to off you."
"It's not that simple," she argued. "Even with her gone, even if she lands in Azkaban, that still doesn't protect Will!"
"But you Obliviated him," Peter said, his voice small. "You sent him away, right? And they haven't found him."
"Yet," she said, crossing her arms. "It's only a matter of time at this point."
"Look, Cass, I understand wanting to protect Will," said James cautiously, "but you have to think of yourself too."
"How can you possibly understand?" she cried. "How can any of you understand what I'm going through? My brother is going to die. How can you just stand there and tell me that you understand wanting to protect him when what you're suggesting will get him killed?"
Her voice broke when a choked sob clawed its way up her throat, and she pressed a fist to her mouth as tears began to fall from her eyes, hot and quick.
James, Remus, and Peter exchanged an uncomfortable, guilty glance, but Sirius only watched her, his expression unreadable. He had remained silent during their whole conversation, and she looked to him almost desperately, wishing he would say something—anything that could help her.
At her beseeching stare, he finally sighed, looking out to the horizon with a set jaw. The wind tugged at his hair harshly, throwing it into his eyes, which were as dark as the storm clouds that were nearly upon them.
"Give me a moment with Cassie, please," he said to the others, his tone devoid of any emotion. The three boys traded another glance, though this one was filled with apprehension and curiosity.
"Uh, yeah, sure," James said, clearing his throat. He gestured to Remus and Peter. "C'mon, let's, er, go get some lunch."
They fled down the Owlery steps, and Cassie watched them go through teary eyes, not even bothering to mention that lunch wasn't for another hour. Instead, she shifted her gaze back to Sirius, who had now taken his eyes off the sky to settle coldly upon her.
"If you think for one second that I'm going to let you throw your life away over Carlisle, you are sorely mistaken," he said, and the frost in his voice was enough to make her flinch. She had seen Sirius angry before, but he seemed to have entered a realm that was far beyond that.
"Wouldn't you do the same if it was Regulus's life at stake?" she asked quietly.
"Would you let me die if I was the one in your place?" he countered.
She didn't say anything, merely holding his gaze steadily, but after a few moments she had to look away, glaring out to the dark horizon. Lightning flickered in the clouds, and the wind seemed to pick up even more, stirring the straw at their feet into tiny cyclones. An owl hooted in the rafters, low and morose.
"You can hate me if you want," he continued. "You can scream at me, beat me, whatever. But if I had to choose between your life and your brother's, I would choose you every single time."
Cassie snapped her head back to him, feeling as if a ragged hole had just been punched through her chest. Sirius's gaze was unwavering, and she knew he meant it.
And that was what broke her heart.
"I don't know what to do," she said, her voice cracking. "I'm being torn apart, Sirius." She squeezed her eyes shut, gritting her teeth. "I should never have gotten involved. I shouldn't have let anyone get involved." She sniffed, hard. "None of this would've happened if I'd been a better sister. I shouldn't have let Will walk away to join the Death Eaters. He'd be safe right now, and I—"
She kept her eyes shut tight, fighting the sob building in her chest, even when Sirius's hands wrapped around her shoulders. He was suddenly standing before her, so close she could feel the heat radiating from him.
"We'll figure this out, Cassie," he said, brushing her hair back when the wind whipped it across her face, the strands sticking to her tears as they fell. "I promise. I promise we'll think of something."
She shook her head. "There's nothing else, Sirius. There's no other choice. This is beyond us. We—we need to tell Dumbledore."
"Are you sure?" he said gently. "Will…"
She opened her eyes, seeing her reflection in his own, dark and distorted and warped.
"It's the only way to save him," she said. "We've tried everything else. We've done…all we could."
The words burned on their way out, twisting and screaming in her throat, but she knew she was right. There was nothing she could do anymore. All she could hope for was that Will would be safe hidden away, wherever he was, until Dumbledore could help him.
"There can't be another Mary," she continued. "There can't be another you. We have to end this. Carlisle will never stop as long as she's at Hogwarts. She has to be taken off the board."
Cassie couldn't help shuddering at the words; they reminded her far too much of Voldemort and his talk of pawns and games, but in a strange sense, she realized he was right. It was all just a deadly game, what they were doing. Every move was a calculated step across the board, a strategic turn to win it all, to beat the opposition. But if the game could not be beat, then the game had to be changed.
And she was going to flip the board entirely.
Albus Dumbledore had seen many extraordinary things in his (admittedly, rather long) life. In fact, many of those extraordinary things had been feats of his own, achieved through his own tenacity and own peculiar brand of thinking that had earned him one of the illustrious titles of 'genius' (though some would prefer the term 'lunatic').
However, he had never encountered something so exceptionally extraordinary as five teenaged students fighting a battle against the Dark under his very nose without his knowledge, and he found himself rendered speechless for a long moment as he took in the young Gryffindors before him.
Peter Pettigrew had not ceased squirming in his seat since Dumbledore had invited them into his office nearly an hour ago, chewing anxiously on his fingernails and averting his watery blue eyes to the floor whenever the Headmaster glanced in his general direction. His involvement was certainly a surprise, given that Dumbledore had never much heeded Mr. Pettigrew's presence unless he was caught up in whatever mischief his friends had gotten into that week, but he decided that some reevaluation was in order pertaining to the meek, mousy boy.
Remus Lupin had been a quiet but studious observer, only chiming in when needed to either clarify an event or add a detail that had been left out. His steadfast resolve and clear-mindedness had only reaffirmed Dumbledore's choice to select him as Prefect that year, and he had mentally jotted his name down as a potential candidate for Head Boy in the future. It was also comforting to see Mr. Lupin grounded in such a beneficial way; Dumbledore had been cautioned about having a werewolf attending his school, but he'd been adamant that Mr. Lupin be given a chance like all other students, and he was satisfied that his decision had been sound as he watched the boy offer support and encouragement to his friends.
James Potter was intriguing. Brilliant, bold, brash—the perfect Gryffindor. He'd leapt in to the conversation on multiple occasions, listing his thoughts on a particular subject, suggesting theories for others. He had the quickfire response to situations that labeled Gryffindors as 'reckless', but he was a thinker, as well. His head was his shield and his heart was his sword, and Dumbledore could see clearly that he would make a formidable opponent in the future to anyone who stood in his path. He was impressed by Mr. Potter, to say the least, and it had been with some difficulty that he'd moved on to assess the other two students in his office.
Sirius Black. The boy who'd broken his family's tradition of Slytherin by being placed in Gryffindor. The eldest child of the Most Noble and Ancient House of Black, a descendant of a notoriously Dark family that had somehow managed to stumble out of that darkness and the clutching shadows of blood superiority and stifling elitism. He could admit that he had had his eye on the older Black ever since he stepped foot in Hogwarts, curious to see what path he would take as he grew older and the world grew darker, but he could tell now that Mr. Black was a wild card—unpredictable, volatile, mysterious. Continuing to monitor Mr. Black would serve him in the long run, he felt, especially now that the boy was involved in something much bigger than himself.
Finally, that left him with Cassie Alderfair.
He found it unfortunate now that he had written her off as unremarkable so many years ago, but it reminded him to humble himself, for even wise men could be wrong. To discover that she had essentially been acting as a puppet master for the better part of a year, pulling strings and working from her own angle to thwart the former Tom Riddle… Well, it seemed that he had been a terrible judge of character, and that perhaps he should not have underestimated Miss Alderfair.
An interesting bunch, he thought to himself at the conclusion of their tale. But useful, very useful. Resourceful, as well, with remarkable courage. I shall have to remember that.
"Well," he said eventually. "This is quite the predicament."
The five shuffled in their seats awkwardly. Mr. Black scratched his eyebrow, and Mr. Potter coughed. Miss Alderfair tugged on her sleeve, and Mr. Lupin and Mr. Pettigrew exchanged a nervous glance.
"Disregarding all the broken school rules for the time being" —here all five grimaced— "this appears to be a grave situation, indeed."
"So, you believe us?" Miss Alderfair hedged, her dark eyes boring into him intently, and he was forcibly reminded of her father at the look. "About Carlisle, about Voldemort? Everything?"
"I knew of Professor Carlisle's affiliation when she joined my staff," he said. "I simply wanted to find out what her goal was for working here." He thought about revealing his suspicions; how Tom Riddle had sought the job of Defense Against the Dark Arts professor before reinventing himself as Lord Voldemort—no doubt a pretense for his true motive, the one that Professor Carlisle was continuing for him—but he held his tongue for now. "She was careful, I must say; she must have known I would be watching her, and so worked slowly. Recruiting students, however, was a gamble, and very bold—too bold." He frowned. "Yet you can assure that what she was looking for, this…gauntlet—is destroyed?"
"Yes, sir." Miss Alderfair nodded. "We all saw it. It's nothing more than dust."
He could hear the note of bitterness seep into her voice, and he felt a twinge of sympathy for the poor girl. He knew what it was like to watch something crumble before your eyes and have it change your life forever.
"Good," he said. "Then that buys us time."
"Sir?" Miss Alderfair asked.
"I have people who can search for your brother. They will find him and bring him to me. Once I can confirm his version of events and his allegiance, then we will protect him."
"We," she repeated. "The Order of the Phoenix?"
Dumbledore blinked. "How do you know of this?"
She shifted guiltily, averting her eyes, and he stifled a sigh. Minerva.
"No matter," he said. "But, yes, the Order will take care of it."
"And Carlisle? If she finds out we've been to see you—"
"Not to worry, Miss Alderfair. Professor Carlisle may have eyes and ears around this school, but I have more—and she's not nearly as clever as she thinks she is." He gave the girl a reassuring smile, and she seemed relieved, if only a little. "Is there anything else I should know before I send you all to bed?"
"No," she said. "That's everything, Professor. Thank you."
He nodded, and they all stood, ready to be dismissed. With the five of them standing before him, stoic and determined (well, mostly—Mr. Pettigrew seemed to be keeping himself from running out the door), he suddenly had a glimpse into a strange future.
Soldiers, he mused. They look like soldiers awaiting orders.
"You may go," he told them. "Do try and get some rest; O.W.L.s are coming up next week, after all."
After assuring him they would get some sleep and bidding him goodnight, they departed his office, the door swinging shut behind them and leaving him alone with his musings.
Drawing a blank piece of parchment toward himself and dabbing his quill in ink, Albus Dumbledore began to write. Once his letter had been sent, he sat at his desk for a long while after, thinking, until even the candles had melted, and the light was gone.
"This is absolutely ridiculous."
Cassie slammed her copy of The Essential Defense Against the Dark Arts shut with a loud thwump, the sound echoing dully in the empty classroom where she resided with the Marauders in a lousy attempt to study for their O.W.L.s.
"Mary MacDonald almost gets killed, I haven't heard a word from Will or Dumbledore, Carlisle's probably plotting ways to make my death look like an accident, and Voldemort's still at large doing Godric-knows-what, and we're stuck here studying," she said, ticking off every item on her fingers. "How am I supposed to concentrate at a time like this?"
"Wanna play with the Snitch?" James asked, pulling the shiny golden ball that he'd stolen from the school's shed three days ago out of his pocket and offering it to her. "It's great stress relief."
The Snitch's small wings beat against his hand as if protesting its treatment, but Cassie couldn't blame it; James had been insufferable ever since he nicked it, always taking it out and having it zoom around so he could catch it and impress everyone around him with his quick reflexes. It drove Cassie crazy, and she resisted the urge to slap it out of his hand as she shook her head.
"The only stress relief I need is a bottle of firewhiskey," she grumbled. "Preferably a very large, unopened one that I don't have to share."
"I can arrange that," Sirius said, looking up from where he'd been balancing his quill on the backs of his knuckles. "Just say the word and we can be in Hogsmeade in an hour—"
"No," Remus objected. "All of you have barely looked at your notes, and we need to study—"
"Stop being such a buzzkill, Moony," Peter complained.
"Don't come crying to me when you four get held back for failing all your O.W.L.s, then," he said, sniffing, and they shared a grin over his head as he went back to reviewing his notes. "Besides, Mary's fine," he added when they made no move to start studying. "And Dumbledore knows what he's doing. We should all be worried about normal things now, like passing our exams."
"Fair enough," Cassie said, pushing herself to her feet, "but that's still not going to stop me from stretching my legs a bit."
"We just got here!" Remus protested, but she only stuck her tongue out at him before leaving the classroom.
It was a lazy Sunday afternoon, and with a break in between all the summer storms they'd been caught in for the last week, everyone had swarmed outside for one last moment of peace before exams fell upon them. This meant that the castle was mostly empty as she wandered the length of the third-floor corridor, nodding politely to the paintings along the walls whenever she passed.
Remus was right about studying, but she just couldn't get her mind to focus on anything at the moment. Mary MacDonald had been released from the hospital wing yesterday in perfect shape, and though Cassie hadn't approached her again for fear of more retribution, Mary had still caught her eye in the Great Hall at breakfast and given her a subtle nod: It's not your fault. Of course, that didn't stop her from feeling incredibly guilty over what had happened to the Ravenclaw, but she had to remind herself that everything would be resolved soon—if Dumbledore could pull through.
Despite his assurances that the situation was now under control and safe in his hands, she still had her doubts. Carlisle had remained a fixture at the staff table, and though she hadn't given any indication that was she was going to make a move against Cassie, she was still worried about what the professor might know and what she was planning. There'd been no news of Will or Voldemort, either, and she hadn't even seen Avery, or Regulus Black since their conversation. Cassie thought that peace was what she wanted, but the silence was beginning to grate on her nerves, like the calm before a storm. She had a feeling something bad was going to happen—and soon.
She nearly jumped out of her skin when someone grabbed her elbow from behind, and she whirled around, about to scream, until she saw Sirius's amused face.
"Godric, Sirius, you scared me," she said, putting a hand over her pounding heart. "What are you doing?"
"Coming to check on you," he said, still grinning slightly at her reaction. "I called your name about five times, but you weren't paying any attention."
"Oh, sorry," she said, grimacing. "I just…have a lot on my mind."
"I know," he said, his eyes softening as he laced his fingers with hers. "But soon all of this will be behind us."
She nodded absently, watching as he brought her hand up to his lips and kissed the back of it, a spark of mischief in his gaze, and when he moved to kiss her mouth, she suddenly understood his intent.
"Really?" she said, unimpressed, as he stopped just short of her lips.
"What?" He kissed her forehead instead, sighing. "You need a distraction, and I happen to be a great one." He smirked at her, and though she tried to maintain her annoyance, it was almost impossible when he looked at her like that.
"I still think I'd prefer the firewhiskey," she said wryly.
"Oh?" He took a step closer, his eyes darkening, and the smirk around his mouth grew dangerous for her as his hands snaked around her waist. "Preferable to this, even?"
Before she could react, he had pulled her flush against him and kissed her, darting the tip of his tongue between her lips and awakening something within her that wouldn't retreat, even when he had released her.
She sighed, realizing that resisting was futile. "There's a broom closet three doors down."
The smirk he gave her was victorious. "I know."
Cassie consented to be led down the corridor, her skin already prickling with heat, and though she knew she would regret letting herself get distracted later, the instant gratification she would receive from Sirius right now would be worth it as he tugged her through the door she had mentioned.
"So," she said conversationally, trying to detract from the sudden nervousness that had sprung up when she realized that this was the first time she had ever been in a broom closet with a boy. "How many conquests have you had in this particular broom cupboard?"
"Only one, Alderfair," he said, shutting the door behind him and locking them in dusty darkness. His mouth was suddenly at her ear, and she shivered as his breath hit it when he said, "And that's you."
A thrill of excitement went through her when he brought his lips back to hers, and that same fire she had felt the first time they kissed returned in a blissful surge of heat as his tongue swept in and his hands tightened on her waist.
Cassie tangled her fingers in his hair, bringing him closer as they snogged hungrily, pushing all thoughts from her mind and replacing them with the feel of Sirius's roaming hands, his searing mouth on hers, letting herself get lost in the sensation of him. His grip moved from her waist to her bum, squeezing, before hugging the backs of her thighs. Understanding the silent order, she braced herself against him and hopped, his hands catching her securely as he backed her into the wall, never once breaking their kiss.
The wall was entirely uncomfortable, but the heat and the pressure from his body made it all worth it as she locked her ankles around him, drawing him in further. He growled and steadied himself with one hand on the wall while he pushed his hips closer to the center of her heat, and she nearly lost her composure when they met.
He seemed to sense her weakness, for he grinned against her lips and dragged across her core with deliberate slowness and friction, causing her to gasp audibly, much to her embarrassment.
"You're fine, love," he said into her neck when she clammed up after her outburst, his lips blazing against her skin. His voice was deeper than she had ever heard it, and suddenly her awkwardness was replaced with desire as she dug her hips into his. "Just like that."
"Do you always talk this much when you snog a girl?" she asked, panting and digging her fingernails into his shoulders when his lips tugged at the sensitive area between her neck and collarbone, and he smirked into the hollow of her throat at her question.
"You wound me, Princess," he said, drawing back slightly and meeting her eyes. "I'm simply trying to be a gentleman—"
He cut off abruptly when she shoved his hand up her blouse, his eyes widening comically as she leaned forward and whispered, "I'm not in the mood to be a lady right now."
He nearly cracked her skull against the wall in his haste to snog her again, but he let her down gently to the floor in favor of running his hands under her shirt, his fingers grasping at her. Cassie closed her eyes, allowing herself to enjoy this one small moment, away from the reality she had to face outside of their tiny broom cupboard that smelled strongly of mothballs and cobwebs. She let Sirius take control, her mind wandering for however long they had been snogging, but when he went to undo her bra, she put a hand on his chest.
He was breathless when he looked at her, his hair disheveled from where her fingers had run through it, his lips swollen and pink from where she'd bit down on them. The sight of him was almost enough to draw him back in and tell him to continue, but she swallowed down her hormones and focused on a spot just above his shoulder.
"Um, I don't think I'm…ready for that yet," she said, wishing she didn't sound so awkward. "Er, not that I don't want to, but…not right now. Not…in the state my life is in. Godric, that makes no sense. Just—"
"Cass, hey," he said, taking her face in his hands and forcing her to meet his gaze. "It's all right, really. I'm not going to force you into anything you don't want to do." He kissed her nose. "I told you I'd wait, didn't I?"
"You're such a sap," she teased, but she was relieved. She'd worried that Sirius's much broader experiences in dating and hooking up would overshadow her own minimal ones by comparison and rush them along, but his understanding lifted a heavy weight from her shoulders.
"Watch it, Alderfair," he warned, but he was grinning as he opened the door, allowing them to step back into the corridor, unfortunately unaware that they were not alone.
"AGAIN?" James screeched when he saw them tumble out of the cupboard. The bespectacled boy seemed on the verge of weeping when Cassie and Sirius exchanged a glance, the latter bursting into uncontrollable laughter at his best mate's expression as Cassie shrugged, offering only a small, "Oops?"
James heaved a long-suffering sigh as Sirius doubled over, tears streaking down his face. He shook his head, muttering, "Merlin hates me," before he and Cassie succumbed to laughter, as well.
The week of O.W.L.s passed in a blur.
When Cassie wasn't seated in the Great Hall amongst the rows of individual desks taking her exams with her fellow fifth-years, she was either cramming for her next exam in the library, revising her notes at meals, or forcing herself to sleep for at least a few hours before waking up and doing it all again.
Her friends were no better off, either. Marlene was looking wan and ill, and Cassie wondered how long it'd been since the poor witch had gotten a full night's rest, while Alice seemed to have developed a sort of nervous twitch, brought on by lack of sleep and an excess of caffeine. Lily was the worst of them all, however; she carried all her books and notes around with her at once, and she'd had to repair her bag several times from where it ripped due to the weight, yet she refused to lighten her load, insisting that she needed them on her at all times lest she forget something she needed to know for the exams. She'd been so stressed, in fact, that other students would flee the common room whenever she entered it, for many of them had already received several tongue-lashings and Stinging Hexes for distracting the irate redhead. Peter had already cried twice since exam week started, Remus had become irritable and moody, and though James and Sirius acted unflappable, Cassie had seen their heads bent together more than once at meals and in the common room, poring over Remus's notes and their spellbooks and whispering answers back and forth to each other.
All in all, Cassie couldn't wait for O.W.L.s to be over as she watched the giant hourglass at the front of the Great Hall fill with sand as the fifth-year students finished their Defense Against the Dark Arts exam. Their practical had been earlier that morning, and Cassie felt as if she'd done decently; even if she'd made mistakes on other parts, her Shield Charm had easily been one of the best, and the Ministry proctor had clapped his hands excitedly once she was done. The written portion had been harder, but as long as she could scrape a passing mark, she figured she was golden. All that remained now was Transfiguration, and after that, they were free for their summer holiday to begin.
"Time's up!" called tiny Professor Flitwick from the head of the Hall, where normally the staff table would be. "Quills down, please! I will now be collecting your papers, so please make sure you have your names written. Accio!"
A hundred scrolls flew at the Charms professor, knocking him off his feet, and there was a ripple of laughter as several students hurried forward to help him up.
"Thank you…thank you," he said, straightening his spectacles. Cassie had been glad that Professor Flitwick was their monitor for the exam, for she didn't think she would've done nearly as well if it had been Carlisle breathing down her neck all the while. "You are free to go!"
There was a great cacophony of scraping chairs and swelling chatter as the fifth-years stood, grabbing their friends and departing the Hall. Cassie made a beeline for where the Marauders had congregated, easily picking them out of the crowd. She didn't know where Lily, Marlene, and Alice had been seated, but she would find them later.
"Well," said James, with false cheer, "that sucked. How'd you do, Princess?"
Cassie shrugged as they joined the throng of students pushing for the front doors, trying to escape onto the sunlit grounds. "All right, I s'pose."
"Did you like question ten, Moony?" asked Sirius mischievously.
Remus rolled his eyes.
"Loved it," he drawled. "'Give five signs that identify the werewolf.' Excellent question."
"D'you think you managed to get all the signs?" James asked, his tone one of mock concern.
"Think I did," said Remus, pretending to squint thoughtfully into the distance. "One: He's sitting on my chair. Two: He's wearing my clothes. Three: His name's Remus Lupin…"
Cassie laughed with the others as they spilled out onto the grounds. The breeze was pleasant that day, warm and balmy, and they made their way across the grass to the beech tree they usually claimed as their own as other students milled around them. She saw Frank Longbottom and a few Hufflepuff blokes she didn't know kicking around a ball near the shores of the lake, and with some amusement, Cassie spotted Alice not far from him, sitting with Marlene and Lily as they kicked their feet lazily in the shallows of the lake.
"I'll catch up with you later," she told the boys, gesturing to where her friends were. "Study session still on for eight?"
"We'll be there," Remus said, flashing her a quick smile as they continued on to the tree. Sirius bestowed her a quick peck on the cheek before hurrying after his mates, and she couldn't help grinning as she approached the other girls.
"There you are," Marlene said as she stripped off her socks and shoes and joined them at the water's edge. "We were beginning to wonder if you'd found another broom cupboard."
Naturally, Cassie hadn't been able to keep her rendezvous a secret from the girls; they were sharks scenting blood, apparently, when it came to Cassie's love life, though she supposed the fading mark on her neck from Sirius had been partly to blame, as well.
"Shove off," said Cassie good-naturedly, though her face was burning red as she sat down amongst them. The water was blissfully cool, and she swirled her toes lazily as she leaned back on her elbows, tilting her head and closing her eyes so the sun washed over her.
"This is wonderful," sighed Lily. "Oh, I can't wait to be done with O.W.L.s!"
"Just one more," Alice agreed wistfully. "One more, and then we're finally done with the worst year ever."
Cassie snorted. "You can say that again."
Alice grinned, saying sarcastically, "One more, and then we're finally—"
"All right, Snivellus?"
Cassie grimaced, opening her eyes with some dread to see James swaggering across the grounds with Sirius and Peter beside him, the trio making their way to where Severus Snape was walking back to the castle. At the sound of James's shout, however, the Slytherin had plunged his hand into his robes, pulling his wand out before James said lazily, "Expelliarmus!"
Lily had gone very still next to Cassie, and she cast the other witch an anxious glance. An uncomfortable prickling had already started creeping up her neck, and she hoped James would leave it at that, but unfortunately, she knew how restless he'd been these last weeks, and now he was going to take it out on Snape as he'd always done.
"Er, I'm going to go…" Cassie gestured vaguely to where a crowd had started to gather, watching the exchange between James and Snape avidly, like wild animals. Lily said nothing, though Cassie didn't miss the glint of anger in her eyes as she hurried to where Remus was still sat beneath the beech tree, pretending to be absorbed in his book despite the crease between his brows.
"Please tell me you had no idea he was going to do this," she said as she ran up to him, but his wince was all the confirmation she needed. "You didn't try stopping them?"
Remus shrugged half-heartedly. "You know how they are when it comes to Sniv – Snape…"
Cassie rolled her eyes, tossing him a scornful look. "Well, either help me deescalate this before it goes too far, or stay out of my way."
She stormed off, scowling when Remus didn't follow her. As much as she loved him, he was still a pansy when it came to telling James and Sirius off, and she found herself muttering darkly as she began to push through the rapt crowd.
Snape was on the ground, panting, when Cassie shoved her way to the front. Everyone was so enraptured with the spectacle that they didn't even complain when she forced them out of her way.
"Knock it off, James," she said. "Leave it be."
"Ah, Cassie!" James never took his eyes off Snape, watching the Slytherin struggle in the grass with a wide smirk on his face. "You're just in time—I was just about to give Snivellus the bath that he so desperately needs!"
The crowd laughed at this, and Snape's sallow face flamed red. Cassie turned her glare on Sirius, but if he heard her, he was ignoring her. Her stomach twisted when she saw the look on his face—it was the same one he used to wear whenever he looked at her, before they were friends, a mix of an arrogant smirk and a cruel, loathing gaze. Peter spared her only a brief, awkward glance before he was back to spectating, his eyes shining as he watched James.
"You—wait…" Snape panted. He was still on the ground, struggling against the jinx that kept him there. "You—wait…"
"Wait for what?" said Sirius coolly. "What are you gonna do, Snivelly, wipe your nose on us?"
Snape began cursing as the other students laughed again, but Cassie watched, torn.
She'd never had anything against Snape, not really, especially since he was such a good friend of Lily's. But he'd never even acted courteous to her, or anyone else besides Lily, for that matter. And she knew the rumors—she knew he ran around with Avery and Mulciber, and if he hung around them, then who was to say he wasn't also in Carlisle's inner circle?
"Wash out your mouth," James was saying, his voice cold. "Scourgify!"
Pink soap bubbles spewed from Snape's mouth, and the laughter grew to a roar. The Slytherin boy thrashed on the ground, coughing and gagging, and Cassie grasped Sirius's sleeve, suddenly scared. "Sirius, please—"
"Leave him ALONE!"
The crowd parted for Lily as she stalked toward James, her eyes nearly bursting with sparks, and Cassie wondered if she had ever seen her so angry before as she jabbed her finger into his chest.
"Leave him alone, Potter," she snarled. "What's he done to you?"
"Besides existing?" He smirked when the students watching clapped and whistled. "Back off, Evans, I'm just giving Snivellus what he deserves for being such a slimy git—"
"You think you're funny," said Lily coldly, "but you're nothing but an arrogant, bullying toerag! Take the curse off him and let him up."
"I will if you go out with me, Evans," he said, grinning. "Go on… Go out with me, and I'll never lay a wand on old Snivelly again."
"I wouldn't go out with you if it was a choice between you and the giant squid," she hissed, and many of the surrounding watchers snickered.
"Bad luck, Prongs," said Sirius dismissively. Cassie was still clutching his sleeve, but he shook her off as he turned back to Snape. "OI!"
The jinx had worn off, and Snape had regained both his footing and his wand; there was a flash of light and James stumbled back with a grunt, reaching up to grab at the gash that had appeared in his cheek and spattered his robes with blood. He cursed, and there was a second flash of light; Snape now dangled upside-down in the air. His robes fell to reveal a pair of skinny, pallid legs and greying underpants, and there was a shocked moment of silence until the grounds erupted with laughing and jeering.
Sirius, James, and Peter began roaring with laughter. Cassie choked back her giggle at the absurd sight, and even Lily looked like she was going to crack a smile for a moment before she forced her face blank and whirled on James again. "Let him down!"
"If the lady insists." James flicked his wand and Snape landed in a heap on the ground. Lily pushed past James and went to her knees beside Snape, and Cassie did not miss the look of anger that passed in James's eyes.
"Sev," Lily said, her hands hovering over him. "Are you okay? Are you hurt?"
"I'm fine!" snarled Snape, batting her away as he clambered to his feet.
"Bet you won't be after this," taunted Sirius. "Petrificus Totalus!"
Snape keeled over, rigid as a board, and Cassie felt sick to her stomach as everyone laughed, the girls around them being the loudest, even drowning out Lily's cries of indignation. Cassie snatched the wand from Sirius's hand and chucked it as far as she could before turning back to him, a surge of vicious pleasure going through her when she took in his gobsmacked expression.
With the curse broken, Snape finally managed to stagger to his feet, and Cassie had never seen such a look of pure, black loathing as the one the Slytherin pinned James with.
"This isn't over, Potter!" he hissed, shrugging off Lily's hand on his elbow, but the Gryffindor boy merely wiped some blood off his cheek with an air of nonchalance that did not match the fury in his eyes.
"For now it is," he said. "You're lucky Evans was here to save your greasy hide, Snivellus—"
"I don't need help from filthy little Mudbloods like her!"
The crowd grew very still, watching Snape with varying looks of outrage and disgust. Lily's face had gone carefully blank, and Cassie watched her worriedly as Snape paled, realizing what he had said.
"Lily—"
"Fine," she said simply, but Snape flinched back as if she had struck him. "I won't bother in future. And I'd wash your pants if I were you, Snivellus."
"Apologize to Evans!" James roared at Snape, but Lily rounded on him furiously.
"I don't want you to make him apologize!" she shouted. "You're just as bad as he is!"
"What?" James yelped. "I'd never call you a—you-know-what!"
"Messing up your hair because you think it looks cool like you've just got off your broomstick, showing off with that stupid Snitch, strutting down the corridors and hexing anyone just because you can—I'm surprised your broomstick can get off the ground with that fat head on it. You make me SICK!"
She turned on her heel and marched away.
"Evans!" James shouted after her. "Hey, EVANS!"
But she didn't look back, and he looked around incredulously. "What is it with her?"
"Reading between the lines, I'd say she thinks you're a bit conceited, mate," said Sirius.
"Right." James's eyes flashed dangerously, locking on to Snape, who stood rooted to the spot and looking after Lily, who had now disappeared. "Right. Who wants to see me take off Snivelly's pants?"
The crowd cheered, but they instantly quelled when Cassie turned her glare on them all, the dangerous Alderfair mask making a rare appearance.
"Go, all of you," she snapped. "Now."
Something in her tone must have inspired fear, for the crowd dispersed quickly, murmuring and whispering. She thought she heard someone hiss "Death Eater bitch" at her, but all of her rage was channeled into the boys in front of her, who now seemed to realize just how furious she was now that their little show was over.
Sirius opened his mouth, having the sense to look at least a little guilty, but she held up her hand, cutting off whatever he had been about to say.
"Just shut up," she said before hurrying away, heading for the spot where she had last seen Lily.
She found the other girl crying in an alcove off the courtyard, already flanked by Alice and Marlene, who only shook their heads mutely when Cassie approached. She hesitated, wondering if it would be better to walk away before Lily looked up, her green eyes bloodshot and broken.
"Why didn't you stop them?" she demanded. "Y-you knew what they were like to Sev – Snape—"
She let out a little sob, and shame crawled up Cassie's neck and into her cheeks.
"I tried," she said. "I tried to stop them, Lils, I swear—"
"You hesitated!" Her shout rang through the courtyard, and Cassie winced. "You hesitated, and they p-provoked him!"
Now it was Cassie's turn to be angry.
"Provoked?" she echoed incredulously. "Lily, you don't provoke someone into saying such a vile word! Snape said that because that's who he is. Look at who he hangs out with! Avery, Mulciber, Sloane—all the Slytherin elitists who think they're superior because they're pure-bloods! And don't you dare say he's not like that after what he just called you!"
"I knew you would defend Potter!" she shrieked. "Godric, Cassie, he has you wrapped around his finger like everyone else in this bloody school!"
"I'm not defending him!" she shouted. "What he did was just as awful, but at least he has one thing right—he would never call you a—"
"A Mudblood!" she said shrilly, and Marlene and Alice flinched at the word. "Go on; say it! It's true, isn't it?" All the fight suddenly drained from her body, and she heaved another sob. "That's all I am. A Mudblood."
"Stop it," Cassie said, kneeling before the other girl and grabbing her shoulders. "Lily, don't ever call yourself that. You are so much more than your blood status. Hell, blood status doesn't even matter! You're strong, intelligent, fearless, and good. And no one—not even Severus Snape—can ever take that away from you."
"You don't need scum like Snape anyway," Alice chimed in. "You have us."
"We love you, Lils," Marlene said, brushing a piece of Lily's hair back. "And we'll always have your back."
"I'm sorry, Cass," she said, sniffling. "I just—"
She broke off, blinking back tears, but Cassie wrapped her arms around the other girl, feeling her small frame tremble beneath her touch.
"I know," she whispered. "I know."
She only looked up when Marlene tapped her back, pointing to something over her shoulder. The Marauders were standing sheepishly in the entrance of the courtyard, and she gave Marlene a brisk nod, gesturing for her to keep Lily occupied. The blonde witch nodded back, burying Lily's head in her shoulder while Cassie slipped away quietly, jerking her chin for the boys to follow.
They made it to the entrance hall, and she checked to make sure they were alone before she rounded on them, so angry that it took her several tries to speak.
"I've let a lot slide since becoming friends with you," she said. "The pranks, the jinxing, the bullying—but this was too far."
James grimaced. "Look, maybe things got a little out of hand—"
"Don't interrupt me when I'm speaking." His mouth shut with an audible snap at the vehemence in her tone, and she continued without further interruption.
"We've been through a lot together, but if any of you think for one moment that I'm okay with sitting back and watching you torment another student, you have another thing coming."
Peter looked ready to cry when she swept her gaze over them, and Remus was pale, his expression so intensely guilty that she was surprised the floor hadn't opened up and swallowed him whole yet. But they were only the enablers, not the instigators, and she fixed James and Sirius with a glare so cold they actually stiffened their spines, bracing themselves for the onslaught.
"I didn't make that alliance with you because you were the school's most popular blokes. I knew all about your image: the troublemakers, the bullies, the arrogant assholes who hexed anything with a pulse—but you also showed me that you were more than that. That you could be kind, generous, caring. The most loyal friends anyone could ask for. Friends that I could grow to love. Those friends were the friends I could put my trust into. Those friends were the ones I allied myself with, because I didn't have friends. I had three, but they could never understand. But you did. And I chose you, all of you. And I kept choosing you.
"But if any of you ever put me in a situation like that again, it's over. Between all of us." She held Sirius's gaze at this last part, and he had the decency to look ashamed, his hair falling to cover his eyes as he glanced down to the floor.
"How touching."
Cassie froze when Professor Carlisle appeared out of the shadows before her, her ghostly white face triumphant as her bright red lips curled in a sneer. All around them, Slytherins were melting out of the shadows, as well, their expressions ranging from vicious hunger to sadistic glee. Many of them were unfamiliar, but some were—she could spot Peggy Sloane and Kanin Mulciber wearing twin predatory smiles, Severus Snape bearing down on them like a vengeful bat, Regulus Black looking haughty and bored, and Edmond Avery, his wand pointed unwaveringly at her chest.
Carlisle smiled.
"Seize them."
Next Chapter: The Snake Pit