So we realize this is totally late and I (Morgan) take full responsibility for it! I was on vacation for Spring break with a friend from school and I didn't have tons of internet access anyways this is a super eventful chapter and as always we hope you enjoy!
The next month was all focused on studying, Lily wouldn't let Casselle and Emma talk her into anymore study breaks. Casselle had never read so much out of her school books in her life. She could probably recite the whole A History of Magic. Her brain constantly throbbed from the amount of exercise it had endured.
Emma was the worst though. Feeling like she was slowly going insane, for a girl who liked to move and hated studying this was torture, she was constantly fidgeting and her parchment held no notes just doodles.
As Casselle, Lily, and Emma studied in the common room, she looked around at the other fifth years with their heads in their books. She let her mind wander; it wouldn't be so bad to take a break for a second. She hadn't used her power in a while and she was itching to give it another try. She flipped through the minds, most were thinking of funny acronyms for their lessons, the cleverest of which involved telling McGonagall just where she should stick her wand. Shaking her head in a mixture of amusement and disapproval Casselle shifted her attention to James who was zoning in and out of Quidditch and Charms. As she moved through the rest of the people, she was surprised when flashes of herself shot through her mind.
She concentrated trying to find the source of the thoughts; she turned and saw that Sirius was looking at her. She concentrated again, seeing flashes of her when they were playing Quidditch, studying, moving her long hair out of her face.
Casselle blushed and pulled out of his mind, seeing him smile at her softly. Cheeky bastard, she thought to herself as she looked away trying to fight the butterflies that swarmed her stomach as she thought of Sirius watching her throughout the day. She didn't know how long she could fight it. Despite all of her protest Sirius could be bloody charming when he wanted to be.
He had become generally nicer to her, and he could always make her laugh, but he still had his reputation against him. She wasn't going to be another girl that guys cast aside because she wouldn't put out, or lie about because they weren't getting anything, no she had told herself that enough was enough she wanted a boy who really loved her for her and not just for sex. She determinedly turned back to her studies to distract herself from the images she'd seen in Sirius's mind.
The Sunday before exams started the library was packed with OWL students trying to memorize as many potions ingredients and Transfigurations charms as they could in the short span they had left. Honestly it seemed cruel to have two of the hardest exams up first.
Casselle, Lily and Emma were no different than the others, tucked away in the far corner of the library flipping through their own texts trying desperately to retain something. They were sitting at a wide table meant for four but they had filled the extra chair with their bags and a number of texts.
A slight commotion near the front of the library caused the three Gryffindors to look up. Severus Snape stood surrounded by James and Sirius who were heckling him for no obvious reason.
"Why can't they ever just leave him alone!" Lily hissed rising from her seat with a scowl on her face.
Casselle and Emma shared a private glance, neither of them were particularly fond of the Slytherin boy, nor did they really understand Lily's stubborn refusal to acknowledge that he was going in a bad way.
Lily had left the table and the other two girls watched with mild interest as she approached the three boys all of who had their wands out and were glaring at each other scathingly.
"Sev we've been waiting for you!" Lily exclaimed shooting both James and Sirius a cold look as she stepped into their circle blocking Severus with her body.
Snape looked at the red head questioningly obviously confused by her greeting. But before he could open his mouth to say as much Lily took his arm and effectively steered him away from James and Sirius leading him back to their table.
"Next time there won't be a girl around to save your worthless neck Snivellus," Sirius taunted glaring after them.
"Bloody hell," Casselle muttered when she realized Lily intended on letting him sit with the three of them.
"My sentiments exactly," Emma replied a look of contempt on her face.
Sev you know Casselle and Emma," Lily said brightly moving to clear off the extra chair at their table.
Casselle and Emma grunted in greeting both looking pointedly at their books attempting to ignore the boy next to them.
They had never told Lily but Emma and Snape had had a rather nasty disagreement in their third year when Severus had made some nasty accusations about Remus. The incident probably would have resulted in drawn wands if Professor Slughorn hadn't happened to pass by them in the corridor.
The atmosphere at the table was tense and after about a half hour Casselle muttered something about needing a good night's sleep and left the library.
She had gone two hallways when she ran into Sirius and James who had emerged out of an empty classroom when she was passing by.
"Oi Dawson," James called rushing to catch up with her. "Don't tell me you and Thompson are friends with that slimy git too!"
"Who I'm friends with isn't any of your business James," Casselle replied evenly.
"But he's practically a Death Eater!" Sirius exclaimed angrily.
"All I know is that Lily thinks he's decent and that's enough for me. I might not be particularly fond of Severus but he's Lily's friend and I respect that," Casselle replied firmly.
"He's a slimy git and you know it," Sirius hissed.
"Yes I know it but I'm not going to force my opinion on anyone else and if you ever want Lily to give you the time of day again you'd do well to follow my example," Casselle snapped in exasperation. "Now if you'll excuse me I'm going to go attempt to memorize the uses of Moonstone in memory potions." And with that she stalked away not stopping until she reached her dorm.
Finally the end was near. They just had to take their Defense Against the Dark Arts exam and then they would be free of studying. It was in the evening, and all Casselle could think about was laying in the afternoon sun by the lake thinking about absolutely nothing the whole time she was attempting to cram.
Casselle sat staring at her exam, barely paying attention. The sun was shining and she just wanted to be done. She had ten more questions, I can do this, she thought.
Finally she answered the last of the question, and the exam was over. She pushed through the doors of the castle running out into the grass. "Oh, Lily look at the grass has it always been this green? Or the sky has it always been that blue?" She asked in mock exaggeration.
Emma laughed following Casselle excitedly. While Lily shook her head at her friends with a smile, following Casselle down the lawn. "Cass it wasn't that bad."
"Not that bad? I haven't seen the sun in weeks!" Casselle said lying down in the grass by the lake. "Come on, relax in the grass it feels amazing!"
"Yeah!" Emma called flopping down next to Casselle, "Let loose Lil, exams are over!"
Sirius watched Casselle across the lawn with a smile on his face. She looked amazing running through the grass, and she was so enthusiastic about it, he couldn't help but chuckle to himself.
"What are you looking at mate?" James called as he sat down under a tree.
"Nothing," Sirius said quickly sitting down next to his best mate.
Casselle closed her eyes, just enjoying the sun warming her body. "Lily you better be relaxing right now, or I will force you," She said not even opening my eyes.
"Don't worry Cass I am," She said lazily.
They laid in silence for a while, The three of them just enjoying not having to think about anything in the world. Casselle continued to drift in and out warmed by the sunshine, not paying attention to her surroundings, until she heard someone yell, "Leave him ALONE!"
"What do you think is going on over there Lils?" She asked not opening her eyes. When no one answered her she opened her eyes and looked around her only finding Emma who had fallen asleep next to her. "Lily?" She called noticing that Lily wasn't sitting next to her. She turned toward the commotion seeing Lily glaring at James and Sirius, with Snape in between them.
"Oh no not again," Casselle groaned to herself, as she nudged Emma awake and the two ran toward the crowd.
"I will if you go out with me, Evans," said James swiftly. "Go on… Go out with me, and I'll never lay a wand on old Snivelly again."
"James," Casselle pleaded seeing where this was going. "Stop." She turned toward Sirius who pointedly avoided her gaze.
"I wouldn't go out with you if it was a choice between you and the giant squid," Lily snarled glaring at James with utter loathing.
"Bad luck Prongs," Sirius said softly still avoiding Casselle's eyes. He turned toward Snape, "Oi!" He called as Snape reached for his wand.
But Sirius wasn't fast enough, there was a flash causing a cut to run the side of James's face, blood pouring from it. With a flick of James's wand Snape was suspended in the air, causing his robes to fall over his head, exposing his lank gray underwear.
The crowd cheered, Casselle smiled briefly but immediately hid it when she saw Lily's face.
"Let him down!" Lily demanded.
"Certainly," James said with a flick of his wand, causing Snape to fall to the ground roughly. Before Snape could reach for his wand, Sirius put him in a body binding curse.
"Sirius!" Casselle warned sensing that things were about to go too far.
Lily pulled her own wand out, "LEAVE HIM ALONE!" She shrieked.
James face fell, "Ah Evans don't make me hex you."
"Take the curse off him then." She said steely.
James sighed, "You're lucky Evans was here Snivellus." Waving his wand causally and releasing Snape from Sirius's hex.
"I don't need help from filthy little Mudbloods like her!" Snape snarled attempting to right himself.
Casselle's mouth fell open as did Sirius's. Casselle whipped her wand out, anger taking over her reactions. Snape had never been a good friend to her but she put up with him because of Lily. But this draws the line, she thought.
Lily blinked a flash over hurt washing over her features. "Fine. I won't bother in the future. And I'd wash your pants if I were you, Snivellus," She sneered.
James rounded on Snape, "Apologize Snivellus!" He roared.
"I don't want you to make him apologize!" she shouted. "You're as bad as he is!"
"What? I'd NEVER call you a — you-know-what!" James stammered, shocked by her anger towards him.
"Messing up your hair because you think it's cool to look like you've just got off your broomstick, showing off with that stupid Snitch, walking down corridors and hexing anyone who annoys you just because you can — I'm surprised your broomstick can get off the ground with that fat head on it. You make me SICK." Lily turned leaving, Casselle and Emma looked after her.
"Evans! Lily!" James called pleadingly.
"Great job guys." Casselle said coolly, glaring at Sirius and James more in disappointment then anger. She turned and ran after Lily with Emma close behind. Leaving the marauders to do what they like.
"What is it with her?" he asked his friends.
"Reading between the lines, I'd say she thinks you're a bit conceited, mate," Sirius offered helpfully, glancing after Casselle sadly.
"Lily?" Casselle called softly as her and Emma entered the dormitory.
"I am done with boys, all of them. I am never going to marry or even talk to another boy," Lily cried from her bed.
"Aw Lil, I'm sorry. Listen those guys are toerags ignore them, they don't deserve your time," Casselle said sitting down on the edge of Lily's bed and rubbing her back.
"I never want to see those two again in my life," She moaned into her pillow.
"I hate to burst your bubble but we still have class with them. But I'll make sure they don't bother you again. I will keep them far away from you," Casselle promised stoking her friends back soothingly.
There was a knock on the door, Casselle got up to answer it leaving Emma to console Lily, "Yes?" She asked the third year girl that was at their door.
"Someone is outside the portrait hole; he said he has to talk to Lily Evans," She recited.
Lily moaned from her bed. "I'll take care of it," Casselle said following the girl out the door.
"Casselle!" She heard James call to her when she reached the common room. "Cass please tell her I'm sorry, I shouldn't have done what I did, but he just irritates me."
"James don't bother me right now. I'm not happy with either of you," She said glaring at Sirius.
"Him and his gang of Death Eaters would have done the same to us," Sirius said coldly.
"It doesn't give you the right to attack him while he's defenseless!" Casselle seethed.
Sirius glared at her. "You mean, like his friend Nathaniel has done to many people," he replied staring at her pointedly.
She gaped at him, and then narrowed her eyes, "If you have a problem with Nathaniel take it up with him, leave Snape alone, he hasn't done anything to either of you," She said coldly.
"Cass," James pleaded with her.
"No James, I can't help you out of this one. You made your own mess; you are going to have to fix it yourself this time," She said softly. She wished she could help him, but he had to realize his mistake here. She turned to deal with Snape, when Sirius grabbed her arm.
"Wait," Sirius said.
"No Sirius, I don't want to listen to it. We're done. Stop trying to make this into something that it is never going to be," She whispered. "Now please let go of my arm."
Sirius dropped her arm, looking stunned. She walked away not turning to look back at them.
She swung the portrait hole open and climbed out crossing her arms and staring at Severus coldly. "What do you want?"
Snape scowled, "I want-I need to talk to Lily."
"I'm as close to Lily as you're going to get."
"Look Dawson, I need her to understand how-how sorry I am. I should have never said that it-it just slipped out and I need you to make her understand that-that I…I don't think of her like that. And I swear it will never happen again."
Casselle almost felt sorry for Severus as she listened to his speech. She believed that he really was sorry but not for what he said, only because he said it about Lily. "Tell me Severus if it was someone else would you be sorry? If it had been a different muggle born you wouldn't have batted an eyelash at saying what you did and I think that's what upsets Lily the most. But don't worry Severus she'll get over it because she's strong and brilliant and everything you're not. You're no better than my brother or any of your disgusting friends. People like you make me sick."
"But I-"
Casselle cut him off angrily, "No you've chosen your side Snape, and you can't have it both ways. It's probably better that things end now with you two because some day you're going to come face to face on opposing sides, so it's better to end it now."
"You're wrong Dawson! I would never hurt her. Ever," he replied his voice rising with anger.
"Oh you would never hurt her like you did today?" Casselle replied raising her eyebrows.
Snape deflated and fell silent.
"I thought so," Casselle whispered turning and climbing back through the portrait hole leaving the Slytherin boy in the corridor.
Casselle dodged James and Sirius as she hurried up the stairs and into the girl's dormitory.
"Did you tell him to go away?" Lily asked looking up from her pillow as Casselle entered the dorm.
"In so many words, yes I told him to go away, same with Potter and Black."
Lily slumped back into her pillow, "I was hoping that would make me feel better but it doesn't."
"Lily you knew the direction he was heading," Casselle replied gently sitting next to her friend.
"I know," Lily replied with a heavy sigh. "I was just hoping that maybe he was different… Or that he'd change his mind. When we were younger he was so different…"
Cass put her arm around Lily hugging her tightly, "Sometimes we want people to be something they can't be," she replied her mind wandering to Sirius.
Things in the Gryffindor tower turned tense. Lily was refusing to speak to James or any of the marauders as was Casselle and Emma. James on the other hand was throwing himself at Lily's feet every time he saw her (which wasn't often since she decided to spend the majority of her time in the dorm), but no matter how much he pleaded with her she refused to forgive him.
The situation with Sirius was entirely different, he had never been one to throw himself at anyone, so he ignored Casselle and she ignored him, both convinced that they were in the right and the other was wrong.
Severus had taken refugee outside of Gryffindor tower hoping that Lily would agree to come down and speak with him. Lily, however, remained in the dorm for the large majority of her time. Casselle would sneak out and bring her food from the kitchen.
After returning from one such trip Casselle sat down on Lily's bed with a sigh. "Lil, I think you should go talk to him."
Lily scowled dropping the Sheppard pie she had just taken a bite out of, "He can rot out there for all I care."
"Lily I know he doesn't deserve it and I don't think what he did is forgivable but I do think you'll have to face him sooner or later…and well wouldn't you rather get it settled before the holiday?"
Lily sighed picking at her food, "I suppose you're right…I'll-I'll go talk to him. Only to tell him it's over…and that he's a toerag…"
"Do you want me to come with you?" Casselle asked gently.
"No I can do it alone." Lily rose from the bed and squared her shoulders before making her way down the staircase.
Lily returned to the dorm fifteen minutes later looking pale but determined. "I sent him away."
"Good," Casselle replied hoping that they might be able to put the incident behind them.
Lily nodded sitting cross legged on her bed, "I suppose we should pack."
Casselle nodded a wave of anxiety passing through her as the idea of returning home became a reality. "I suppose we should."
Their last night as fifth years was a subdued and dreary one; none of the girls spoke much as they packed their trunks, their minds preoccupied with their own troubles.
The girls arrived early to the Hogwarts express and found an empty compartment near the back of the train.
Their hopes for a quiet ride home were ruined however when a tentative knock sounded on their compartment door. Casselle shared a look with Lily and Emma before getting up and answering it. She cracked the door to discover James on the other side.
"Wait!" he pleaded as Casselle attempted to shut the door. "Five seconds and I'll leave you alone I promise."
"You have literally five seconds Potter," Casselle growled opening the door reluctantly.
"I was wrong," James stated staring at Lily as he said it. "I know you hate me and that you would be happy if I just disappeared, but I want you to know that I realize that what I did was wrong and I'm sorry that you got hurt."
Casselle's eyes widened in surprise, she was sure the words "I was wrong" had never left James's mouth before.
James turned to Casselle, "And Cass, I know Sirius is sorry too, even if he won't admit it."
Casselle scoffed at the notion of Sirius being sorry for anything.
"Anyway that's all I wanted to say I'll leave you alone now," James turned to leave.
"Wait," Lily blurted.
James turned staring at the red head in shock, "Yes?"
"I-I just…thanks for apologizing," Lily replied flushing at her own awkwardness.
James flashed her a charming smile, "You must have rubbed off on me Evans." With that he left the compartment closing the door behind him.
"Well that was unexpected." Casselle stated staring at the door in wonder.
"It certainly was," Lily replied a slight smile gracing her lips.
Before Casselle was ready the train slowed and it was time to unload. Casselle dragged her feet, feeling like she was doing a death march. She had skipped out of two holidays and hadn't seen her parents since last summer; needless to say she was not looking forward to her reception.
Lily hugged the other girl tightly, "Have a good holiday Cass, you'll write me wont you?" Lily asked squeezing her friend.
"Of course," Casselle replied returning the embrace. She turned to Emma who hugged her as well, "I want to hear all about your rowdy brothers."
"Of course you will, and don't forget to write back," Emma said as they parted.
Lily and Emma went off to find their parents waving back at Casselle as her shoulders sagged and she scanned the area for her parents, wondering if they had even waited for her.
"Cass!"
She turned towards the voice and saw James running up to her. "Yes?"
"You should visit this holiday! I'll write you with the date okay?"
Casselle smiled thinking of how nice it would be to have something to look forward to.
"I'll try my best," She hugged James, surprising them both.
"I'll see you soon Dawson!" he called rushing back to his family.
"Casselle we don't have time to wait around for you," a cold voice sneered behind her.
She sighed her heart dropping as she turned to face her father, "Sorry," she murmured following him to their car. It was going to be a long Holiday.
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