We have no excuse for why this took so long it has just been one of those months. Hopefully your still reading! Enjoy!
That Saturday, Casselle's nerves were shot, she was dreading having to lie to all her friends. As she sat in the common room with Sirius and the rest of them that night, she twirled her hair around her finger, a nervous habit she had picked up when she was little.
"Love what's got you so agitated?" Sirius asked grabbing her hand away from her hair and kissing her knuckles gently.
"Nothing," Casselle replied smiling sheepishly, sometimes she hated that he could see right through her.
He watched her as she continued to play with her long dark locks, nodding absently at the conversation obviously paying no attention to James and Remus's argument about the Cannons chance of winning a World Cup.
She glanced at her wristwatch and stood, "Erm, I just remembered I have to run to the library real quick. I'll be back," She said afraid to meet anyone's eyes.
"Do you want me to come with you?" Sirius asked moving to follow her.
"No, it's fine, I'll just be a bit." She said hurrying to the door. She walked down the stairs looking over her shoulder paranoid that Sirius or someone would change their mind and decide to follow her. She hurried down to the dungeons and could hear the Slytherin's voices from an open classroom door not far from her.
"Ah Casselle, You've finally arrived!" Nathaniel said. "We were just about to start, take a seat."
She took a seat in the back, next to a slight boy with long dark hair. She tried to zone out and ignore the buzz of conversation, instead focusing her attention on the minds around her.
"You're dating Sirius, right?" She heard the boy next to her ask quietly.
She looked over, and was taken back, he was the spitting image of Sirius. He was a little thinner and paler, but he had the same eyes and bone structure. "Uh yeah. Why?" She asked cautiously.
"I'm his brother, Regulus." He stuck out his hand for her to shake and after a moment's hesitation she took it in hers.
So that explained the resemblance, she thought. "Casselle," She said. She studied him warily, Sirius rarely talked about his brother. Cautiously she pushed towards his mind concentrating. It wasn't as hard to get into as Sirius's was.
'She could tell me about Sirius…but mother wouldn't be pleased if she knew I was asking about him. I guess I could just not tell her…but she always seems to find out anyway. She seems nice, and she's really pretty.' She pushed harder wanting something besides fleeting thoughts, she saw him play in the yard with Sirius when they were boys. Then he was cowering in the corner of his room as he heard screams from the other room, then to him being cornered by Bellatrix and Snape.
She pulled back slightly shaking.
"Now as you all know we are a part of the winning side. We will prevail because we're working for the greater good." Bellatrix said. "We will cleanse the wizard race, with no more mudbloods to taint us anymore. How many of you have been pushed to the side because of a mud blood? Or outshined by a mudblood?" She asked looking around to see numerous hands go up, including Regulus's. "The teachers praise them but they are unworthy to like the mud off our boots, and mark my words we will put them in their place."
Casselle felt nauseous, Lily's face popping into her head at Bella's words.
"And don't even get me started on those blood traitors!" Bella sneered. "The ones who choose to disgrace their ancestors by tainting our perfect blood with those muggles, and mudbloods. Creating abominations, halfbreeds to our kind!" Bellatrix yelled. "Are we going to let that happen? Are we going to let our race go to the dogs?" She asked.
There was a unanimous yell, "No!"
Casselle blocked out Bellatrix's speech, she was here to do a job and hopefully to do it quickly.
All of the minds around her were encompassed with the rants of Bella, and to her disappointment they were thinking of ways to cleanse their race. She trembled with rage, her knuckles going white and she clenched her fist in her lap. These people were wrong and there was nothing she could do about it.
She spent the rest of the hour, trying to find someone that wasn't completely brainwashed by their ideas, but couldn't find anything. Her hopes were slowly fading, as the meeting ended and she was alone in thinking that they were not tainted by muggle borns.
She walked out of the dungeon just wanting to get far away from them as quickly as possible.
"Casselle!" Nathaniel called after her. She shuddered at the thought of having to pretend she agreed with him.
"Nate," She greeted him slowly.
"So what did you think?" He asked walking with her.
Casselle didn't even know what to say, how could she describe what she just had to listen to? "It was everything I thought it would be. You guys are really passionate about your cause, and I'm glad I signed up for it. Now if you don't mind, I have to get back, before people start to wonder," She said turning to leave.
"Don't disappoint me Casselle," He called after her.
"Believe me, Nate I would never think of it," She said and headed up the stairs before he could say anything else.
She ran up to the common room, feeling anxious about being alone in the castle at the moment. She was breathing heavily when she reached the portrait hole, and tried to catch her breath before she entered the common room.
She walked in hoping no one was waiting for her, but as she knew he would be, Sirius was there sitting by the fire. "Hey," He said looking up from the fire.
"Hi," She said walking over to him slowly. She curled up on his lap just wanting his warmth to make the chill she had been carrying since she walked into that meeting.
"Are you going to tell me what's going on?" He asked rubbing her back.
She sucked in a breath, "Please, just trust me. I can't tell you right now. It's kind of like the secret with Remus," She said hoping he would understand.
"Cass, do you not trust me? What's so important?" He asked slightly hurt.
She pulled away from him looking up into his eyes, "Of course I trust you! It's hard to explain. I really wish I could tell you." She said hating this feeling more than anything. She buried her face in his chest and wrapped her arms around him. "I love you so much," she whispered.
Sirius held her tightly, hoping she wasn't doing anything that would make him regret the words he was about to utter, "I love you too Casselle."
The next few weeks passed without any new information, Casselle was continuing her meetings with both Dumbledore and the Slytherins, and she was feeling increasingly guilty about it. Other than the meetings Casselle's life had become less stressed, homework never ended, but she always had Sirius there to relieve her stress and worry.
One night while they were cuddled up by the fire McGonagall came towards them, "Mr. Black I am sorry to interrupt but Dumbledore would like a word with you."
Sirius looked at Casselle and then stood up to follow McGonagall. Casselle watched them curiously, why would Dumbledore want to talk Sirius? She thought to herself as she settled herself down to wait for him.
Casselle sat staring at the fire for hours, her mind working towards terrible ideas like Sirius being expelled. She started drifting to sleep when she heard a crash, she jerked awake to see Sirius standing over a broken lamp.
"Sirius?" She asked tentatively walking towards him slowly. She had only seen that look in his eyes once after he left his family. "Baby?" She called standing in front of him.
He looked up at her, but didn't seem to be able to focus, "Cass," He whispered pulling her towards him. Casselle wrapped her arms around him, worrying even more that he was going to get expelled. Then all of a sudden she felt his shoulders shake and soft sobs coming from him.
"Sirius, honey what happened?" She asked anxiously pulling him to the couch.
But Sirius wouldn't say anything he just held her tightly and cried. It broke her heart, she had never seen him this upset before. "Sirius talk to me please, you're scaring me," She said rubbing his back.
"They didn't even tell me, those bastards kept it from me!" He muttered into her shoulder.
"What did they keep from you? Sirius look at me, please?" She asked trying to pull him away so she could find out what was going on.
Reluctantly he pulled away from her, and looked down at his feet. "My uncle died a week ago and his funeral was yesterday." Sirius said messing with his hands. "They didn't fucking tell me. I couldn't even say goodbye to the one family member that was like me."
Casselle was shocked, she knew his family had done a lot of horrible things, but this was beyond cruel.
"I had to find out through his will," he took a shuddering breath. "I'm sure my mother was pissed about that. He left the reject his whole estate and fortune. Granted it isn't anything compared to my parent's but it is enough. And my brother, my own brother who could have told me anytime! He could have told me!" Sirius yelled putting his head in his hands.
That caused Casselle to feel a pang of guilt, she had seen his brother only a few days ago and if she had concentrated harder she would have known. "Sirius, I am so sorry," She said pulling him towards her again. "You're better off to have gotten away from them, they're scum, and they have no feelings. You're so much better than them." She whispered stroking his hair, as he cried into her shoulder again.
She allowed him to cry himself out, when Sirius turned to her, "Cass?" He whispered leaning toward her. "I need you. Please make me forget this entire day even happened." He whispered trailing kisses along her jaw line and down her neck.
"Sirius, this isn't like the holidays, people are here and can walk in on us." Casselle said her breathing hitched as he traveled farther down her neck.
"It's past midnight, everyone is asleep. I could even put charms up," He pulled out his wand said a few incantations and put it back. "There, does that make you feel better?" He asked turning his attention to her neck again.
"Not really," She moaned as he pushed away her cloak. But she couldn't deny that she wanted him just as bad, and she knew she would give up soon enough.
"Casselle you are so gorgeous," He said as her shirt and bra fell away.
She smiled and moaned as his lips went even further, she pulled off his shirt and ran her hands down his chest. "This is the last time," She said allowing herself to relax beneath him.
Sirius chuckled, "That's what you think."
They made love slowly and tantalizingly, when they finished Casselle could hardly catch her breath as she lay tangled beneath him on the couch.
"Oh how I've missed you," He whispered into her shoulder.
"I've missed you too," She smiled running her fingers through his hair. When she realized the time, she started to push Sirius off, "Sirius we have to get to bed."
"Not yet," Sirius muttered holding onto her.
"Babe, I need sleep you know that."
"Then stay with me, the guys are already asleep. They wouldn't even know," He said pleading with her.
"Sirius I can't just go sleep in your bed with your friends all around us. What would they think?" She asked.
"They wouldn't think anything. We aren't going to do anything just sleep. They'll understand. Please Cass, I don't want to be alone tonight."
Casselle sighed, there was no way she could say no to those eyes. "Fine, let's go." They threw on their clothes quickly and went up to his dormitory.
Sirius pulled the curtain aside and let her climb in as he stripped down to his boxers and climbed in with her. He wrapped his arm around her, and kissed her on the top of the head. "Night love."
She laid on his chest, missing the feeling of falling asleep next to him, "Night."
"Hey, Sirius come on you're going to miss breakfast," James called ripping Sirius's curtains aside. "Oh erm sorry…I-er…never mind." James stuttered averting his eyes from Casselle who was struggling to detangle herself from Sirius. James, Remus, and Peter were gathered around Sirius's bed, her struggles caused Sirius to tighten his grip around her in his sleep.
"Um hi," She said blushing immensely and thanking Merlin that she was fully clothed. "You're up early," She said trying to make this less awkward while nudging Sirius awake.
Sirius groaned and opened his eyes slowly, "Love you know I don't like being woken up." He said sitting up. "Oh hey guys. What's going on?" He said nonchalantly.
"Sirius Black, you have a lot of explaining to do," James said crossing his arms and glaring at his best mate.
"Relax Prongs, it isn't a big deal."
"Maybe I should go," Casselle said making her way out of the bed. "Don't worry guys, I'm fully clothed," She said as the boys adverted their eyes, causing them all to blush. "I'll wait for you down in the common room," She said to Sirius as she left the room.
She walked into her own dormitory, knowing she was going to be bombarded with questions instantly.
"Casselle Marie Dawson, where have you been?" Lily demanded instantly.
Casselle blew out a sigh, "I was with Sirius," She said sheepishly.
"All night? Is that anyway to conduct yourself?" She asked.
"Really? All night? He must be better than I thought," Emma chimed in causing Lily to glare at her.
Casselle smiled, "Lily it wasn't like that. You don't understand."
"I don't understand? It seems pretty obvious to me."
"Lil, his uncle died a week ago and his family didn't tell him about it. He was lonely and hurt and needed someone to be there for him," Casselle explained.
The fight drained from Lily's eyes, "Oh, that's terrible. How could they do that?" Lily said sitting back down on her bed shocked.
"That sucks, his family is really filled with arses," Emma said.
"Yeah. It was terrible, I haven't seen him that torn up since he left them," Casselle said.
"It must be terrible to live in a family like that." Lily said sadly.
"Yeah, terrible." Casselle said thinking of her own family. "Well I need to shower before breakfast, so I'll meet you guys down there."
As Casselle walked down the dormitory stairs, she saw Sirius waiting for her. "Hey, how are you feeling?" She asked pulling him into a hug.
"Better. I told the guys, they understand. They were a little bummed they weren't there to help. But I don't really think they could help me with what I needed," He said with a glint in his eye.
Casselle laughed nudging him, "Oh I'm sure James could do something."
Sirius looked appalled as they left through the portrait hole. "I would never."
Casselle laughed, "Of course you wouldn't."
As they walked down the stairs to the Great Hall, they heard whistling behind them. "Hey Sirius, did you hear about Alphard? Terrible news. I don't think I saw you at the funeral? Didn't you care at all?" They heard Bellatrix taunt.
Sirius whipped around his wand already out, "One more word Bella. Just give me a reason." He growled.
Bellatrix laughed, "Aww did I upset the little blood traitor? How awful of me."
Casselle could see Sirius physically shaking with anger, "Sirius, come on. It isn't worth it. Please let's just go to breakfast." Casselle said grabbing his arm and trying to pull him back.
"Yeah, Sirius listen to your little half blood there. No wonder your parents disowned you, laying with that filth."
Sirius lunged forward, but Casselle kept her grip firm, even though her own anger was boiling. "Sirius, please." She said through clenched teeth. "She's just a hag. Let's go to breakfast." Bellatrix's face darkened in anger at Casselle's words.
Sirius finally allowed her to pull him away and put an arm around her shoulders. Before they knew it, Casselle was sent tumbling down the stairs. She caught herself, before she fell too far.
Sirius pulled his wand back out, pointing it at Bellatrix before muttering a charm to cause boils to sprout all over her face. "You lay one more hand on her, and I will kill you."
Bellatrix ran off yelling, and Sirius hurried over to Casselle, "Are you okay?" he asked pulling her up.
"Yeah, just a little bruised," She said still angry that Bellatrix had hit her while her back was turned.
"Do you have to go to the hospital wing? Maybe Madame Lemoore should take a look at it," Sirius said anxiously.
"No, it's fine just a little sore. Can we just get food? I'm starved."
Sirius smiled, "Sure." He helped support some of her weight so she didn't have too much on her bruised ankle.
Sirius's temper was a little short, due to the taunts from Bella and his sadness over his uncle's death, but slowly and with a lot of free time with Casselle he started to get back to normal.
A week from Valentine's Day James stood on a table in the common room and let of a series of bangs until the common room fell silent.
"I am pleased to announce that our very own Sirius Black will be coming of age next Saturday and in true Marauder tradition we will be throwing a party, after the ball of course. Everyone fifth year and up is more than welcome to attend, unless you're a Slytherin in which case you're not welcome at all. Though be warned this party is definitely not for the faint of heart," James teased winking at everyone before getting down and patting an amused looking Sirius on the back.
Casselle's eyebrows rose in surprise as she realized she hadn't known what Sirius's birthday was before James announcement.
"Sirius was born on Valentine's Day?" Emma asked with a grin.
"It does seem ironic," Lily replied with a laugh.
"You okay Cass?" Emma asked noting the look on her friends face.
"Oh yeah I'm fine," she murmured already making plans for a birthday gift.
"So what are you and Sirius planning for Valentine's Day then, it being his birthday and all?" Lily asked one night as the girls dressed for bed.
"Oh well we haven't really talked about it…" Casselle replied with a slight frown.
"Cass it's only a week away!" Emma exclaimed looking at her friend in surprise.
"I know but we haven't had much time together this week," Casselle replied with a shrug, "Anyways there's the ball and the party that night so it doesn't leave a lot of time."
Her two friends shook their heads sharing a long look, "You can be such a guy sometimes Cass," Emma sighed.
Casselle merely shrugged in response though a part of her did wonder why Sirius hadn't said anything about Valentine's Day plans.
The next morning at breakfast Dumbledore stood and announced that there would indeed be a ball on Valentine's Day and that all students fifth year and up that wished to attend could go to Hogsmeade that Thursday to buy a dress.
Casselle grinned at Lily and Emma as the three of them jumped into a discussion on dresses and hairstyles for the ball. Sirius rolled his eyes, obviously bored with the conversation, before standing and kissing Casselle lightly on the cheek, "I've got to take care of something but I'll see you in potions."
Casselle nodded watching him leave before diving animatedly into the girl's conversation.
"Do you know what kind of dress you want?" Emma asked her as the three walked towards the dungeon.
"Well actually I already got mine," Casselle admitted. In one of her mother's better moods she had given Casselle a dress she had worn to her coming out.
"When?" Lily asked.
"It was my mother's debutant dress," Casselle replied.
"You have to show us when we get back to the dorm!" Emma exclaimed.
Casselle smiled and nodded, "Do you know who you'll be going with?"
"Well I know who I'd like to go with," Emma replied. "But I'm happy just to be going."
Lily shrugged, "I'm not sure, I can tell you who it won't be though."
Casselle and Emma shared a look both grinning, they knew that Lily didn't hate James Potter nearly as much as she pretended she did.
As if on cue James was standing in front of the potions room waiting for Lily, "Evans would you do me the honor of-"
Lily cut him off, "Save your breath Potter, there's no way I'm attending the ball with you," she snapped hurrying past him and into the dungeon.
Casselle patted James's shoulder sympathetically, "Bad luck mate."
The whole school was buzzing about the dance for the better part of the week. Everyone was gossiping about who was going with whom. Lily had accepted the invitation of a seventh year Ravenclaw much to James's disappointment.
Emma and Casselle however, remained to be asked, though Casselle assumed that she and Sirius would attend together.
"Erm Emma can I have a word?" an extremely nervous looking Remus asked Thursday evening in the common room.
Casselle grinned as Emma followed Remus to a secluded corner of the common room. Good, she thought to herself, glad for both of her friends. Emma returned to the table they were sharing beaming.
"He asked me to the ball!" she gushed grinning from ear to ear.
Casselle smiled, "I'm happy for you Em."
"Now if you could just get a date," Emma teased.
Casselle rolled her eyes but she felt a slight pang of disappointment, surely Sirius should have asked her by now.
Casselle was sitting in the corner of the common room later that night attempting to finish a Transfigurations assignment when Peter approached her.
"Erm Casselle?"
"What's up Peter?" she asked not looking up from her textbook.
"I'm supposed to give you this," Peter held out a bit of parchment and Casselle took it from him curiously, "Thanks," she murmured.
Dear Casselle,
Prepare yourself for the adventure of a life time; you'll have to work for it though. Go to the spot where you enjoyed the best night of your life for your next instruction.
PS this note will destruct after you've read it
Casselle gasped as the note ignited and she quickly dropped it watching in amusement as it turned to ash. She grinned as she realized she was being given a scavenger hunt.
The first clue was obvious and Casselle made her way over to the fire place examining the floor for another bit of parchment, her homework forgotten.
She found it after a second of looking and read it quickly a smile on her face.
Dear Casselle,
In your next location we both experience something that was a first to us
Like the first one the note ignited as soon as she read the words. Casselle's brow furrowed in concentration as she racked her mind for a place that fit the clue. The fireplace was obviously out; it hadn't been a first for Sirius just for her. "The corridor!" She exclaimed practically running out of the common room.
She paced the hallway trying to remember the exact spot Sirius had told her he loved her. Finally after a good five minutes of looking she found her next clue stuck to suit of armor.
Dear Casselle,
The place where we first kissed though I'm sure you wish you didn't remember it
Casselle stared at the paper thinking hard, their first kiss had been on their first date, but that couldn't be what the clue was referring to because there was no way she could get there. Plus it said she wished she didn't remember…Casselle laughed as she took off for the dungeon remembering the incident with the potion back in fourth year.
The process continued for the better part of an hour and Casselle was beginning to feel winded, she had been to the dungeons, the Divination room, the classroom where McGonagoll had walked in on them (she was going to kill Sirius for that one), the prefects bathroom and the forest where Sirius had told her about Remus.
Dear Casselle,
Your last clue lies where you did the night I realized I wanted to be with you
This was the hardest one yet and Casselle leaned against a tree thinking it over. Her mind traveled to James's house over the summer but she knew that wasn't the answer. Sirius had mentioned how he liked her back in fifth year so it had to be something from that year.
"Somewhere I laid," she murmured scrunching her nose in concentration. Sirius had definitely never seen her sleeping before that night at James's house…"The Hospital Wing!" she exclaimed running for the castle.
She opened the door to the Wing timidly hoping that Madame Lemoore was otherwise occupied. Her eyes arrived on the furthest bed from the door that had a screen around it and she made her way over.
She reached out pulling the screen back slowly hoping that she wasn't about to scare some first year.
Instead she pulled back the screen to reveal Sirius, he was grinning at her the marauders map laying open on the bed behind him.
"I'm impressed; I thought some of those would stump you for sure."
Casselle grinned a feeling she couldn't describe filling her chest, "Well I am rather clever Mr. Black," she teased stepping closer to him and closing the screen behind her.
Sirius smiled at her gently producing a single rose he must have been hiding behind his back, "Casselle Marie Dawson would you do me the honor of attending the ball with me?"
Casselle took the flower and threw her arms around his neck kissing him deeply.
"I'll take that as a yes," he teased after they broke apart.
"Sirius Black you are possibly the best boyfriend in the entire world," she breathed hugging him tightly.
Sirius returned her embrace stroking her hair and the pair stayed like that for awhile just enjoying each other's warmth.
"We better get out of here before we have another McGonagall incident," Sirius murmured pulling back reluctantly.
"I guess you're right," she agreed allowing him to lead her out of the hospital wing and back to the Gryffindor common room.
The two stayed on the couch for a long time content to just sit with each other.
"You know I should be angry with you for coming up with such an amazing idea," she teased leaning her head against his chest.
"And why is that love?" He asked his amusement apparent in his voice.
"Because now I have to find a way to top it for your birthday," she teased kissing him lightly.
"Well you know I'm never one to be topped," he teased after returning her kiss.
"Challenge accepted," she teased snuggling closer to him.
There you have it! We hope you enjoyed!