Chapter Twenty-Seven
Well here is the next chapter, which for everyone's knowledge is one of my(Meranda) favorites. We hope you enjoy it, and he hope to keep posting more chapters more frequently.
"Are you sure you don't want to come home with me for Easter Cass? Mom and dad said you're more than welcome." Lily asked as she packed her trunk in preparation for the Easter holiday.
"Yea mine are dying to meet you Cass," Emma chimed in. "Plus my brothers wouldn't mind getting to know you either." She added with a racy wink in Casselle direction.
Casselle cracked a smile at Emma's teasing, "Really guys I'll be fine here. Stop worrying and go have fun with your families."
Lily and Emma shared a look but didn't push it. They had been attempting to get Casselle to join one of them over the Holiday ever since she announced that she wouldn't be going home, but she wasn't budging.
Casselle saw her friends off the next morning waving until the train disappeared from view. They didn't understand it but Casselle was looking forward to some time alone in the castle. She wouldn't have anyone asking her every five seconds if she was okay or Sirius and the boys glaring at her. She could finally have some peace and quiet
She made her way back to the common room smiling as she realized she didn't have to worry about running into anyone, almost the entire student body had gone home for the holiday. She grinned realizing she could finally hang out in the common room without people whispering or harassing her and she didn't have to worry about running into Sirius and his new girlfriend.
She climbed through the portrait hole feeling happier then she had in awhile. She ran up to her dorm fetching a novel before heading back down to the common room feeling lighter then she had in weeks.
Her peace was short lived however when she heard footsteps coming from the boys staircase. She scowled wondering who else could possibly be stay over the Holiday. Not bothering to look up she found her place and started reading again.
"What are you doing here?"
She froze at the familiar voice the color leaving her face, he was supposed to be with James, her eyes lifted from her book confirming Sirius's presence. Suddenly she would give anything to be on the Hogwarts Express with her friends.
"I thought you were going with James…" she murmured.
"And I thought you were going with Evans she was talking about it at breakfast last week…" Sirius replied.
This was worse than everyone being here because then she could at least ignore him, but now they were the only two left. She stood having every intention of staying in her dormitory until Lily and Emma returned.
"Cass wait…" Sirius called before he could stop himself.
Casselle turned her eyes full of questions.
"You don't have to…I mean if you wanted to sit down here…look I won't bother you okay?"
Casselle stared at him for a moment wondering if this was some kind of prank. Eventually she shrugged and sat back down in her armchair opening her book and staring determinedly at the page.
Sirius sat on the far sofa and pulled out a deck of muggle cards laying them on the table for a game of Solitaire.
Casselle's eyes glanced over at him surprised to see the muggle deck of cards; she opened her mouth to ask but stopped herself.
Sirius, who had noticed the action, shrugged, "Lily taught James…" he explained focusing on his game.
Casselle tried to focus on her book but his presence was enough to set her on edge. Her body ached for him but then she reminder herself of everything that had happened in the last month. So she held her tongue sitting with him in silence, both of them riddled with tension.
When it became too much to bare Casselle stood mumbling something about a shower and retreating to her dorm. True to her word she turned the shower on disrobing and stepping under the warm stream. She stayed there for awhile allowing the hot water to work the tension out of her body. When the water began to lose its heat she turned the knob stepping out and wrapping a towel around herself.
She threw on a pair of sweats and a t-shirt not bothering to put proper clothes on glancing at the clock she noted that it was time for lunch. She stood deliberating whether she should go to lunch or not. Her stomach eventually won the argument and she made her way down to the common room breathing a sigh of relief when she noted that Sirius wasn't there.
She reached the great hall and sat at the far end of the lone table placed there. She was the only one in the great hall at the moment, not that she minded, but it did feel strange to be eating in an empty hall.
She loaded her plate with Sheppard's pie her mouth watering. She had made a habit of skipping meals in the hall, instead running to the kitchen when she had to.
She was halfway done when another figure entered the great hall, Casselle was pretty she was a Ravenclaw but she didn't know what year. Soon after Sirius joined the table sitting near Casselle but not next to her and loading his plate.
Casselle finished quickly after and jumped up from the table eager to leave the awkwardness of the lunch. She was halfway out of the hall when she almost collided with Professor Dumbledore.
"Sorry!" she exclaimed her cheeks flaming at her own clumsiness.
"Nothing to apologize for Ms Dawson," Dumbledore responded cheerfully. "I was wondering if you could come to my office later tonight to discuss your progress?"
Casselle nodded realizing that she hadn't reported after her last meeting with the Slytherins, "Of course Sir."
"Excellent I'll see you later then."
Casselle nodded and proceeded out of the hall wondering how she could've been so forgetful.
"I see you've still got Dumbledore fooled," Sirius scowled catching up with Casselle on the second floor.
Casselle's jaw clinched, "I'm sure I've done no such thing," she snapped quickening her pace.
"Does it even bother you that you're double crossing him?" Sirius hissed.
Casselle's anger boiled through her, it wasn't fair that she had to deal with this any of this. She was just trying to do the right thing but the right thing was killing her. "Sirius you've made it painfully obvious that you don't trust me so why would anything I say in my defense matter anymore? You can ask all you want but you've made up your mind so now you're just wasting both of our time."
Sirius's scowl deepened but he didn't respond and the two walked in silence to the portrait hole.
Casselle climbed through retreating to her dorm where she laid on her bed and stared at the ceiling. She felt angry at Sirius and Dumbledore. It wasn't fair, none of it was fair. It wasn't fair of Dumbledore to except so much of her and it wasn't fair for Sirius to cast her aside so quickly. These were supposed to be the best days of her life but instead she was being used as a spy and then shunned for her efforts.
She sat up and grabbed her book before heading back down to the common room. She wasn't the one that was wrong here and she refused to hide like she was guilty. If he had a problem, he could leave.
She stormed into the common room her head held high and sat on the couch in front of the fire opening her book and beginning to read.
Sirius watched her, a little shocked at her appearance; she had spent so long hiding in her dorm these last couple of weeks that he was unsettled by her proximity.
Casselle lost herself in her book, successfully ignoring Sirius among the pages. She glanced at her watch as the afternoon turned into evening. Sirius had left the common room for dinner but Casselle couldn't put the book down. It was a little after eight by the time she finished and decided to go to Dumbledore's office.
She walked the now familiar path to the Headmasters office eager to report and leave.
She knocked on the wooden door waiting for Dumbledore to tell her to enter before proceeding to her normal chair.
"Good evening," he greeted.
"Good evening," she replied.
"Is there anything you wish to tell me?"
Casselle launched into an explanation of her last encounter in the dungeons shivering as she remembered the curses. "-and I'm sorry I didn't come to report I guess I was a little unsettled…"
Dumbledore nodded taking the information without comment, "Is there anything else you wish to discuss Ms Dawson?"
Casselle paused for a moment put off by the question, "No Sir…"
"Are you sure?"
"Yes," Casselle muttered somehow the thought of confiding in Dumbledore felt childish and she refused to put her burden on someone else. She had made her choice and the consequences didn't change anything.
"Then you may go," Dumbledore replied after a long moment.
The next couple of days passed in awkward tension for Casselle as she was constantly faced with Sirius's presence. Her resolve to not be scared away from the common room held however and she refused to let him scare her off.
The Saturday before Easter they were both sitting in the common room, Casselle proof reading an essay and Sirius building a house out of cards.
After his house collapsed for the fifth time Sirius let out a sigh. He was bored and lonely, not having gone this long without interacting with his friends in a long time. He shot a glance at Casselle toying with the idea of inviting her to do something. Before he could stop himself he stood and approached her.
"Yes," Casselle asked as his shadow fell across her paper.
"I was wondering if you would fancy a game of wizarding chess?" He mumbled.
Casselle's eyebrows rose in surprise, "Um sure…I guess," she replied her shock evident in her voice.
The game was awkward at first but the two eventually feel into an easiness they had once possessed.
"Check mate!" Casselle exclaimed triumphantly grinning at him.
"You cheated!" Sirius accused scrutinizing the board.
"Nope you're just a sore loser," she teased.
Sirius laughed returning her grin, "Best two out of three?"
The two played exchanging competitive quips as they went. Casselle lost the second game but managed to win the third.
"Okay I admit defeat," Sirius sighed as his king threw down his crown. "I was never particularly good at this game."
"No you weren't," Casselle laughed smiling at him.
Sirius returned the smile reaching out and brushing a strand of hair out of Casselle's face.
Casselle recoiled at the touch her face draining of amusement at his touch.
"Sorry," he muttered just as horrified by his action. "It's just hard sometimes you know?"
"Trust me I know," she replied staring at the far wall.
"Cass it's not too late, you could stop this… just stop meeting with them."
"It's not that easy Sirius," Casselle replied.
"It is!" Sirius argued anger leaking into his voice. "The choice is entirely yours!"
"No it's not!" Casselle yelled her anger rising with his.
Of course it is!" Sirius replied his voice rising to match her's. "It's always been your choice and you're making the wrong one!"
"You don't know what you're talking about!" She argued.
"I know exactly what I'm talking about! Don't you think I've had to make that choice before Casselle!" he roared. "But I was strong enough to do the right thing!"
"I am making the right choice!" she screamed her anger taking over. "I've been making the right choice all year but you're too blind to see it!"
Sirius's face twisted in disgust, "You believe that bull shit they sprout about blood purity? I can't believe I ever touched you, everything you are now sickens me!"
Casselle recoiled as if she had been slapped. "The only thing I ever asked was for you to trust me. If you seriously think I believe any of that stuff your cousin and her mindless friends sprout then you never knew me at all," Casselle hissed.
"Then why Cass?"
"Because Dumbledore asked me to!" Casselle paused relishing the look of surprise on his face as she said the words she had been dying to for the last month and a half. "He asked me to do it for him to keep tabs on who was joining Voldemort, so these last couple of months I've endured your taunting and snide remarks because he asked me to! Are you happy now Black?"
"You-you're lying!" Sirius replied his face going pale.
"No Sirius I'm not," Casselle replied standing and making her way to the girl's staircase. "Didn't you ever wonder why he wanted to talk to me in private after meetings?" She left leaving him with the question feeling a sense of satisfaction, he knew now.
Casselle felt as though a weight had lifted off her shoulders. She had told him, after weeks of wanting to she had finally told him. It didn't even matter if he believed her or not because she had finally gotten it off her chest. It was true what they said; the truth had set her free.
Lily and Emma noticed the change in Casselle's demeanor after they returned from break. A hint of sadness still clung to her but she no longer looked fragile, she looked like the Casselle they had known for years.
Casselle started smiling more and laughing. She joined her friends in the common room and at meals and though it still hurt to see Sirius she felt she had gained some closure over the Holidays.
"Let's take a break!" Emma moaned as they girls sat in the library in the middle of May. "I'm going to go blind if I stare at another book!"
Casselle laughed, "Kitchen break?" she suggested glancing over at Lily hopefully.
Lily sighed, "No fair you know I can't say no to chocolate," she complained laughing as she stood grabbing her things and leaving with them.
"I can't believe we're almost done with sixth year," Casselle stated as the girls dug into a pile of brownies.
"I know it feels weird doesn't it?" Lily replied.
"I don't wanna grow up!" Emma teased grinning at her friends.
"At least now we can use magic at home…" Casselle said smiling slightly at the thought.
"Speak for yourself some of us aren't of age yet," Lily complained.
"Don't wish your life away," Casselle teased.
"Whatever old lady," Emma replied with a laugh.
Despite their insistence that their studying would never end exams came quickly. The first one Casselle had to sit through was her theory portion of potions.
"That was awful," Emma moaned as they left the Great Hall.
"I didn't think it was too bad…." Lily trailed off noting the looks on her friends faces. "Erm I mean it was awful."
Casselle laughed shaking her head, "History of magic is next, wanna go over notes?"
The rest of exams passed quickly until the only one the sixth years had left was their Defense practical. Casselle was relieved, Defense was her best subject by far.
She stepped up to her examiner and preformed the incantations that were asked of her relatively easy. She was even able to produce an unformed Patronus charm for extra credit.
"Freeedoooommmm!" Emma exclaimed as she exited the great hall with Casselle.
Casselle grinned at her friend, "It does feel nice to be finished doesn't it?"
"Nice?! It feels fan-bloody- tastic!"
Casselle laughed linking her arm through Emma's, "Fancy a walk before we have to pack?"
Emma nodded and the two girls spent a lazy day on the grounds where they were soon joined by Lily.
Casselle enjoyed the day and even the farewell feast, but uneasiness set in as she and her friends packed their trunks the next night.
"You'll both write won't you?" She asked as she shoved some clothes into her trunk.
"Of course!" Lily replied neatly folding her cloak and setting it in her trunk.
"Every day if you want," Emma added attempting to shut the lid of her trunk over the mound of stuff she had managed to cram in there.
Casselle smiled glad to have something to look forward to.
The next day's train ride was a somber affair for Casselle as the reality of going home finally set in. She tried to keep her mind from daydreaming about living with Sirius over the summer but she was struggling.
Much sooner then she liked the train slowed and the girls lugged their trunks onto the platform.
"You have to visit!" Lily exclaimed hugging Casselle. "I'll owl you!"
Casselle nodded returning the embrace and repeating the action with Emma. "Have a good holiday!"
Casselle sighed after her friends had left in search of their family, lugging her own trunk in the direction of her brother who was standing next to her mother. She glanced back one last time hoping to imprint the image of the Hogwarts Express in her memory, but instead her eyes met familiar gray ones.
She paused staring at him her expression sad. His face held an unreadable expression and though she could have stood there and stared at him forever, she turned away. She had said everything she had wanted to over Easter. Besides her parents were waiting. It was going to be a long holiday.
"Hello dear," Her mother greeted putting her arm around her daughter's shoulders.
Casselle looked over at her mother warily, she had hardly ever touched Casselle unless she was being punished, "Hello mother."
"I hope you did well on your exams," She said leading her to the car.
"Uh, yeah I believe I passed them all," She was starting to believe that her mother had a deadly illness or something equally as serious.
"That's good, Nathaniel has told us all about your progress. We're very proud of you dear."
Casselle froze, that was what this was about? Her following the Death Eaters, was causing her parents to act like actual parents.
"Dear is something wrong?" Her mother asked.
"No, sorry I thought I saw something," She said following her mother to the car.
Even though there was no yelling or beatings yet, her father still took her wand from her the minute she got in the car.
"You understand," He said.
Casselle only nodded, knowing there was no point in arguing. Casselle stayed silent the rest of the car ride, feeling the knot of guilt and disgust forming in her stomach. Now that she was following their twisted beliefs, she was safe from beatings, but how long could she keep this up? It was easy at school, where she only had to see Nathaniel every other week. But here she was with her family everyday all day.
As they entered the house, Millie walked up to them to help with the luggage. Casselle smiled, but knew she couldn't do more in front of her family.
Casselle followed Millie up the stairs, "Millie?" She whispered. "I'm sorry, I'm not acting myself this vacation it's hard to explain."
"It's fine, your father has been raving about how he knew you would change your mind," She said coldly.
"But I haven't, at all. It's just complicated," Casselle said feeling like she has repeated this same argument a hundred times. "Please Millie, believe me."
"I believe you Cass, just be careful. Whatever you are doing…it's dangerous," Millie said as she left the room.
Dinner that night was a quiet affair, Nathaniel was recounting everything he had been doing for the dark lord to their parents, who smiled approvingly. Even though Casselle wanted to shout and scream at them for their twisted and ignorant way of seeing the world, she kept her mouth shut knowing the dangers that would come if she revealed herself as a spy.
As June turned into July, and Casselle had finished all of her homework, choosing to stay in her room at every free minute. Her parents occasionally took her out to eat with them, which was new for her, being as they usually made her stay in her room for most of her life.
It wasn't until the end of July when things took a turn for the worst. It was dinner and the whole family was eating in the dining room, Millie was serving them. As Millie passed out the main course, Casselle sat at the table, silently picking at her food. She couldn't take this lie anymore, sure her parents weren't hitting her or locking her in her room, but she'd been using so much energy to keep up this façade, she didn't know how long it could last.
As she started eating, she looked up when a crash sounded through the dining room. She gasped, when she saw Nathaniel soaked in gravy and mashed potatoes, with the meatloaf sliding down his shirt.
"Why you filthy muggle!" Nathaniel shouted jumping up and pulling out his wand pointing it at Millie.
"Nate NO!" Casselle shouted standing up as well.
"What did you say?" He asked looking over at her coldly.
"You can't just punish her. She tripped it wasn't her fault," Casselle said hoping he would understand her.
"Casselle, this filth drenched me in my own dinner. She deserves to know the consequences," He said turning back to Millie who shrank under his glare.
"She's not filth! She's a human being, and doesn't deserve any of this!" Casselle hissed.
"What did you say Casselle?" He asked narrowing his eyes at her.
She put her hand to her mouth in shock, she had just blown her cover. There was no way to get out of it. "I.." She had nothing to say.
"Casselle have you forgotten the cause that we are fighting for?" He asked taking his wand away from Millie and walking toward Casselle. "You haven't been lying to me and the Dark Lord this whole time, have you?"
Casselle knew there was no point in lying, she stood there holding herself up and glaring at Nathaniel. "Yes, I have. I don't believe a word of what you've said. You're an awful person and you don't even deserve to be a wizard."
As the words left her mouth, her body erupted in spasms of pain as she fell to the ground screaming. When the pain finally left her, she gasped for air, and glared up at her brother.
"You will pay for deceiving the dark lord, Casselle. You have made a grave mistake," He said twisting his wand in his hand causing Casselle's arm to twist in an ugly fashion.
She bit her lip to keep from crying out in pain, she looked over to see her parents staring down at her in shock as well as disappointment.
"No, for once I have made the right choice!" She growled as the pain in her arm increased. "Voldemort can never win!" She cried as she heard a pop in her arm. She screamed in pain as her arm went limp at her side, and tears streamed down her face.
"Nathaniel that's enough," Her father said. "Millie take Casselle to her room, and make sure you lock it," He said watching Casselle closely.
Millie helped Casselle up and out of the room, while Casselle held her arm trying to hide the tears of pain that were escaping from her eyes.
Millie was silent until they got to the stairs, "Thank you," She whispered.
"Don't thank me, I should've done that a long time ago." She said closing her eyes as pain shot through her arm. "Millie, I'm afraid they're going to kill me," She said voicing the fear that have been eating at her.
"They can't! They'd never get away with it!" Millie said opening Casselle's door.
"I believe they can, they have magic and the name to get away with it," Casselle said laying on the bed feeling miserable. "You better go, before they find you in here."
Millie nodded reluctantly and left locking the door behind her. Now the only thing left for Casselle was to wait, no one was going to save her this time. She had no knight in shining armor anymore.
It was about a few hours later, when Casselle heard the thudding footsteps toward her room, and the click of the lock. She stood ready to face her consequences.
"Casselle, you have betrayed us for the last time. You have lied to us for most of a year, and now you are going to be punished," Her father said coming toward her.
Casselle took an involuntary step back. He advanced on her and slapped her across the face. "You are not to humiliate your brother or us again!"
"Don't you realize they would kill you too?" Casselle pleaded. "They think your filth and you still defend their cause? Your own son wouldn't hesitate to raise his wand to you if they willed it," Casselle spat.
"There is only power in this world," Her father hissed. "You're weak and blinded and you'll pay for it. Nate has secured this families position no thanks to you."
Twenty minutes later her father left her cowering on the floor holding her broken arm with a split lip, a black eye, and bruises covering her body. She couldn't even bring herself to cry, she just felt oddly empty.
She managed to crawl into bed cradling her arm, and fell into a painful sleep. The next few days continued the same, her father came in to beat her into submission along with her brother who added a few spells to enhance the torture. Her father refused to feed her, leaving her completely defenseless with no energy left to fight.
As she heard the footsteps the third day of her imprisonment, she knew she was going to die here. There was nothing left for her to do, no one could help her, and she could hardly stand on her own. How could she make her father see reason? There was no way he was going to change his mind…Mind. She thought to herself, that was it. Dumbledore had been training her for this. She sat up on the bed waiting intently for her father to enter.
As he entered, she focused her mind on his, "You will let me go." She repeated over and over in her head waiting for it to latch on to his mind. She prayed with all her heart that it would work, because if it didn't she was dead.
"Casselle?" She heard her father ask in a weird tone. She opened her eyes and saw him standing there, "You are free to go."
She gaped at him. It worked! She shouted in her head. I did it! She thought, pack my trunk and get my wand. She thought and smiled as she saw her father move around her room, throwing her clothes and books in her trunk. He left and her heart raced, she may have gotten into her father's mind but what if her brother showed up?
When her father came back in and handed her, her wand she took it cautiously. What was she supposed to do now? She couldn't leave her room, or her brother or mother would see her.
Her father left, without a second glance at her. She thought frantically of a way out of here, she was in no condition to walk anywhere, much less jump out her window to the ground below. When she tried to find a way out, she heard thundering footsteps, too late, her father had already given her away.
"Casselle!" Nathaniel yelled coming around up the hallway. She knew her only escape was to apparate. She hadn't had much practice with it, only managing to do it once or twice at their lessons in school, but as she saw Nathaniel in her doorway, she spun on the spot and disappeared.
She appeared on the beach that Sirius and James had brought her to, falling to her knees and gasping for air. She didn't have enough strength to keep going; the beach was the first thing that popped into her mind when she thought escape.
She knelt there, cradling her arm trying to catch her breath as she looked around her. She watched as the water soothingly lapped at the sand, she breathed a sigh of relief, realizing she had gotten away. But now she didn't know where she was going to go or stay for the rest of the summer.
"Casselle?" She heard someone call to her. "Casselle!" She knew that yell and searched frantically and sure enough to her right was Sirius running toward her in nothing but a bathing suit followed by James.
She got up quickly, stumbling slightly and spun on the spot leaving behind the relaxing beach.
"James I'm not hallucinating right?" Sirius asked as he reached the spot he had seen Casselle.
"No mate, she was here and she looked like hell. What happened to her?" James thought remembering the lurch in his stomach as he took in Casselle's crumpled body.
"I don't know, but I'm sure it had something to do with her family," Sirius hissed through clenched teeth. His hands tightened into fists at the thought of someone laying a hand on Casselle.
"But why would he have done it? She's finally on their side now?" James asked confused.
"I don't know," Sirius replied the argument with Casselle over the Easter holiday flashing in his mind. He had written it off as a lie, he had needed to believe it was a lie, but now… "I'm not really in the mood for the beach," He said heading back to their towels.
Casselle collapsed in front of the small house in Cokeworth, she left her trunk and stumbled to the door. She knocked and then sat down leaning against the door for support.
When the door opened, she looked up to see Lily's green eyes widen with shock. "Casselle?" she cried, "What happened to you?" She asked helping her friend up.
"Lily…" She whispered before passing out.
As Sirius stood screaming Casselle's name into the mirror he still kept in his trunk. "Damnit! Why isn't she answering?" He yelled frustrated, ready to throw the mirror.
"I don't know mate. I thought you didn't care?" James asked eyeing his friend from his seat on the bed.
Sirius glared at him, "I don't. I just want to know what the hell happened." He looked back at the mirror hoping to see those ice blue eyes pierce through the glass.
"Well why don't you write to her, if you want to know so bad," James suggested.
"That could take too long! I should just go over there. I bet it was that arse of a father and that prick brother of hers," he growled. "I'm going to kill them," He said grinding his teeth and clenching his fists.
"Woah, woah woah, you can't go over there!" James said standing up as he saw the determination set in his best mates face. "You remember what Cass said last summer. We promised her."
"THIS IS DIFFERENT! THEY COULD HAVE KILLED HER!" He yelled storming to the door, but James got there faster.
"Sirius just calm down. Think about this, write her a letter. If she doesn't answer, then we'll tell my dad," James said holding Sirius by the shoulders.
"That could take too long! And besides he would never let us go!"
"Exactly because we aren't equipped for this. Let him take care of it if it comes to it."
Before Sirius could retort, they heard voices from the mirror.
"How is she?" They heard an anxious girls voice. "That's Lily!" James said excitedly, but was hushed by Sirius immediately.
"She's not in the best shape, Lily. She's broken her arm and a few ribs. She has cuts and bruises covering her body. She really needs rest right now." They heard a male voice say sadly.
"But Dad, will she be okay?" Lily asked her voice shaking.
"She's tough, I think she can pull through this. I just wonder who would have done this to her. Poor girl." He said before walking out.
They saw Lily look into the trunk, and immediately got out of view. She rummaged through before pulling the shard out and setting it on the bed table curiously. "Oh Cass, what happened?" She asked sitting down next to her friend and taking her good hand.
From the view on the bed table Sirius could see Casselle laying still on the bed, her face black and blue and covered in bandages. It made him sick to see her like that.
"There, see she's fine. Now can you relax and write her?" James asked his own voice quiet and upset from the view. Sirius couldn't take his eyes off the mirror.
Casselle awoke to find herself in a bedroom that wasn't hers; she looked around confused until it all came back to her. Pain shot through her body at the movement. She saw Lily sitting in a chair asleep by the bed. She sighed knowing she was safe, and laid back down and fell asleep.
She woke again, to find Lily staring at her worriedly. "Oh thank God!" She said. "We didn't know what to do? We didn't know if you would make it. Oh Cass, I was so worried! Mum wanted to take you to the hospital but I didn't know if that was a good idea…luckily dad talked her out of it," Lily explained tears sliding down her face as she held Casselle's hand.
"I just found you at my doorstep, bleeding and bruised with a broken arm. Cass what happened?" She asked.
Casselle let out a breath, "I should have told you a long time ago, but I just didn't want you to worry. The truth is, because of me seeing things differently than my family, they were prone to… well beating me. I've had weekly beatings since I was eleven. This summer they treated me better because they finally thought they had won."
She took a breath ignoring the pain in her chest. "Nathaniel was about to attack our maid during dinner and I had to stop him. She's just an innocent girl, who couldn't even defend herself. Once I did that…well they knew I was pretending. So I was locked in my room and punished."
"But how did you get away?" Lily asked worry etched in the lines of her face.
"I used my power, Dumbledore has been training me to use it to plant ideas into people's minds and I did it to my father before he could hit me."
"That's incredible!" Lily praised, "Cass you are so brave! I don't know what I would've done."
"Probably the same thing Lil, you're braver than you think," Casselle said squeezing her friend's hand.
"Lily, I think we should give Casselle some rest. She's had a pretty bad experience and needs to heal," Lily's father said as he walked into the room.
"Right, dad's a doctor, that's how he convinced mum to let you stay instead of a muggle hospital. But it was awful when he had to re-break your arm to set it right," Lily shivered at the memory of hearing Casselle's screams from downstairs.
"I don't even remember," Casselle said.
"That's because you had passed out, and I had given you some morphine to dull the pain. All you need now is rest and time to heal," He said softly.
"Thank you," Casselle said genuinely grateful for their help.
"There is no need to thank us; we just wish this could have been prevented. Now rest, we will bring you up some dinner after Mary is done cooking it."
"Thank you…Lily could you please stay?" Casselle asked.
"Of course," Lily said smiling and sitting down next to her friend again. "I hope you don't mind but I owled Emma and she should be here tomorrow."
Casselle smiled, "No I'm glad it'll be nice to see her again. I've missed you Lily."
"I've missed you too Cass, I just wish I would've known. You could've stayed here."
"Hardly anyone knew, and I couldn't prevent those from finding out," Casselle said softly hoping she hadn't hurt her friend's feelings by not telling her.
"Did Sirius know?" Lily asked cautiously.
"Yeah. So does James, they found out the Christmas we spent together at Hogwarts. My parents sent a howler demanding my return home, and how I was disgracing them. They found out about the beatings after they helped me escape last summer," Casselle said thinking how long ago that felt.
Lily nodded, "I understand."
Casselle smiled at her friend, "Hey do you get cable from that tv?" She asked nodding toward the one on the dresser across the room.
Lily smiled, "Of course!" She turned on the tv, and flipped to one of the sitcoms playing. Casselle and Lily spent the night laughing and talking about the many shows they had watched that night. When they finally fell asleep, Casselle had felt the happiest she had in a long time.
They both woke to a loud pecking at the window, Lily went over to let the owl in. "It's probably Emma's" she announced.
But when the letter dropped in Casselle's lap and she saw her name written in the elegant script that only Sirius Black could produce, she grimaced.
"What is it?"
"Don't know…it's from Sirius…" Casselle replied fingering the letter nervously.
"Black? What does he want?" Lily asked coldly.
"I saw him the other day, when I first disapparated from home, I went to the beach we spent the day at last summer. As luck would have it, they were there and they saw me, but before they could reach me I apparated here." Casselle explained. She didn't know if she wanted to open it or not.
"Well no wonder you passed out, your body shouldn't have been able to handle that much work in your condition." Lily looked at the envelope, "Are you going to open it?"
"I don't know…" Casselle said continuing to stare at the envelope. Before she could decide, there was a commotion downstairs.
"Lily! Casselle!" They heard Emma call from the hall.
"Em we're in here," Lily said as Emma came into view in the doorway.
"Cass…" She said hurrying over to her, and sitting on the edge of the bed moving some hair out of Casselle's face. "What happened?" She asked anxiously. "I got Lily's letter but she had only said you were in pretty bad shape, and thought I should come over."
Casselle explained everything to Emma who sat in shock. "Oh Cass, you should have told us." She said when Casselle was finished.
"I know. It was stupid."
"Casselle? Would you like some lunch? We can bring it up to you?" Lily's mom said from the doorway.
"I think I can come down. I'm feeling a lot better." Casselle said moving to get out of the bed. She left the letter sitting on the night stand. She could open it after they ate.
They all ate sandwiches, while Lily and Emma filled Casselle in on their summers. Lily mostly complained about how Petunia's boyfriend, Vernon was always around. Emma's was all about the family vacations she went on and her brothers dumping her off the edge of the dock at the cabin they were staying at. Casselle smiled and laughed content with just listening as her friends went on about their vacations.
When they finally returned to the room Casselle was staying in, they noticed another owl waiting on the desk and flew up to Casselle immediately dropping a letter in her hand.
"What's that?" Emma asked.
"It's a letter, this is James's handwriting isn't it?" Casselle asked holding up the letter.
"Yeah definitely his chicken scratch," Lily said. "Are you going to open them?" She asked again.
"I probably should, they'll probably keep sending more." Casselle said sitting on the bed and picking up Sirius's, while Lily informed Emma of what was going on. Casselle opened it and read it silently.
Casselle,
I probably don't have the right to ask you this, but what the hell happened? Was it your dad? If it was I swear I am going to kill him. You looked like you were on the brink of death; please I need to know if you're okay. Just…please send me something, because if you don't I'm going over to your house and finding out one way or another.
Sirius
Casselle gasped, "No." She thought fear taking a hold of her. If Sirius went to her house, he would surely be killed. "Lily I need a quill and parchment or something fast!" She said desperately.
Lily hurried over to the desk and pulled out a quill and parchment and handed it to her. Casselle scribbled a quick note, saying she was fine. And not to go anywhere near her house. She gave the note to the first owl and told it to reach Sirius as soon as possible. Then she opened James's letter.
Dear Cass,
Don't worry I calmed Sirius down, he won't go to your house, I made him realize that you probably weren't there anyway. But what the hell happened Cass? You looked awful when you disapparated (well done by the way). I know we gave you hell last year and well you probably don't want to hear any excuses from us but we all still care about you, even if we don't necessarily agree with what you did. (Some of us a lot more than our pride will let us admit). Anyway Sirius told me about Easter break and well I think we all need to talk because we might have made a mistake.
Please just let us know your okay?
James
She smiled a little, realizing James may believe her, as long as Sirius was safe with James everything would be okay. She hated the sharp need to protect him that shot through her when she read his letter, but they had been dating for almost a year, it was hard to turn those feelings off. When she finished reading she allowed Lily and Emma to read them.
"Some nerve he has demanding you answer him after everything he did," Emma scoffed.
"Em can you really blame him? It looked bad from his point of view. I know he should've trusted me, but I don't know if I could've trusted him if the roles were reversed," Casselle replied rationally.
"Maybe, but he's still an ass for demanding anything from you," Emma said.
"He was always an ass," Casselle replied with an easy smile. "Now enough about Sirius Black. What are we going to do with the rest of our summer?"
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