Chapter One – Cassiopeia's Monday.

I hate Mondays with a passion. I mean who in their right mind decided it was a good idea to make teenagers get up at seven in the morning after a long weekend of partying. Seriously. My heads still banging and there is no way I can go to school today. Of course my Aunty Em will have different ideas. She sick and psychotic that way, I swear she gets some twisted pleasure out of sending me to a muggle secondary school (something she never properly attended) while she sits at home and does whatever she does. (I've always reckoned she goes to bed as soon as I set foot out of the house.)

Truth be told I actually enjoy school; at the risk of sounding arrogant I'm pretty, popular and have various boys I'm currently flirting heavily with. It's fun but why does it have to start so bloody early?

To make matters worse Annabelle, my sister, is one of those irritating "morning" people. I can currently hear her humming - yes humming, as she makes breakfast after already having had a morning jog and shower. Annabelle is nauseatingly perfect. Don't get me wrong she's my best friend but how does she manage to function on a mere four hours sleep? She's also strikingly beautiful. We're almost identical but she's prettier; we have both got long black wavy hair that reaches mid back and almost identical builds, both standing at five foot six. The only real differences is that Annabelle's got dazzling blue eyes like Aunty Em's where as my eyes are a dull grey she has more pouty lips and my nose is slightly longer. I don't know how but those small differences make her amazingly beautiful and me just pretty.

Annabelle isn't my real sister, although she might as well be; we grew up together. Her dad is my older brother, Sirius, so technically she's my niece but I'm only four months older than her. Aunty Em isn't my real Aunt either. She was my brother's girlfriend at school but she got pregnant at sixteen with Annabelle and her parents pulled her out. Ironically the one person who connects us all, Sirius, never found out about Annabelle or me. He ran away from home at sixteen and then when my mum had me a few months later he wasn't exactly on speaking terms with any of my family so they never told him.

When I was four Aunty Em went to my house to speak to my parents because she felt guilty and wanted to contact Sirius. My father was already dead but my mother was home to 'welcome' the muggleborn witch. Now I don't know too much about my parents but I know they were utter assholes – my mother especially and something she did or said sparked a nerve in Aunty Em, causing her to stun her and kidnap me. She says it was partly because of what I was being exposed to and partly because I was the spitting image of Annabelle but I think even at four I must have had infamous Black charm to make her take me with her.

Aunty Em thankfully isn't a morning person so there is a high chance that she might not notice I'm still asleep long enough that I have to take first period off.

"Cassiopeia!" Aunty Em shrieked from the kitchen. I swear that woman can scream like a banshee. I groaned and pulled the duvet further over my head in an attempt to block out the noise. "Get your lazy arse up now!" I gripped onto the duvet tighter but it was a futile attempt as half a minute later the duvet was snatched off me to reveal a very grumpy looking Aunty Em. Aunty Em has short mousy brown hair a big smiley mouth when she's not scowling as she is now and the same blue eyes as Annabelle. I smiled sheepishly up at her,

"I was thinking I would skip today" I said hopefully.

"No you fucking won't" she snapped – definitely not a morning person, "you're still in your dress from last night, go and get ready; you look a mess." 'Geez thanks' I thought as I dragged myself out of bed and into the bathroom. I glanced into the mirror and had to admit that Aunty Em was right; I looked hot last night before I went out but now my hair resembled a birds nest, I had mascara smudged all down my face and I had somehow got a cut on my left leg.

Sighing, I had a record quick shower and wrapped myself in a towel before going down to breakfast.

"Cassie you're still in your towel" giggled Annabelle who was painting her nails pink at the kitchen table.

"No shit Sherlock," I grumbled as I took a piece of toast from the plate and stuffed it in my mouth. "Would you mind doing that spell on my hair, you do it better than me?" Annabelle grinned and waved her wand around my head. Instantly my hair was dry and cascading down my back in perfect waves. "Tar" I said with a mouthful of toast. Aunty Em crinkled her nose in disgust from the kettle as she poured herself a cup of tea. I stuck my tongue out at her, put another piece of toast in my mouth then went upstairs to get ready.

Ten minutes later I was dressed in our school uniform: a short blue tartan skirt, white blouse and navy blazer. I put on some black heels since I was feeling rebellious and applied some eyeliner and mascara. I should attract at least a few stares at my legs. I slung my satchel over one shoulder and went downstairs.

"C'mon Belle" I smiled at Annabelle who had put a pretty white flower in her hair that would look silly on anyone else but her.

"You're not supposed to wear heels to school Cass" Aunty Em grumbled half heartedly. She had given up almost completely on most of my antics. I laughed and blew her a kiss as Annabelle grabbed my hand and steered me out the house.

"So I've had sex" Annabelle announced as soon as we were out of earshot. I froze; I must have heard her wrong.

"What?" I gasped, "Who?" Annabelle rolled her eyes,

"Who do you think? My boyfriend of three months: Jack. Remember?"

"But you don't even like him that much!"

"I do. He's sweet and-"

"Boring" I interrupted, "he's also a prick and he felt me up at his new year's party."

"Whatever Cass. You're just jealous that I had sex before you." I stared at her in amazement,

"Trust me I'd rather shag Corbin Fall than Jack." Corbin was a strange tubby boy in the year below us with an unhealthy obsession with Annabelle.

"Ewww Cassie" laughed Annabelle, "You're disgusting." I smirked as we made our way into school,

"So what was it like? Letting Jack pop your cherry?" Annabelle frowned causing me to giggle, "That bad?"

"It was embarrassing and awkward mainly." I laughed at her as we entered the school,

"So is he the one?" I teased. She slapped me playfully,

"Don't be daft."

"So why are you going out with him?"

"Because he's nice. Ok?"

"Whatever."

"Oi Black" called a voice and then I felt someone squeeze my arse. Instinctively I swung round and slapped them hard on the face. "God you're such a bitch" groaned Mark, rubbing his cheek.

Mark was the good looking "bad" boy with absolutely no respect for girls and a soft spot for me. We'd had a few fumbles together and he was a wickedly great kisser. He had dark brown hair, eyes so dark they were almost black and a crooked grin that made many females swoon. Oh yeah and he might as well be a male prostitute the amount of people he has slept with.

"God you're such a bastard" I imitated with a grin.

Mark ignored me and put an arm around my waist pulling me closer "You coming to my party on Friday?" he whispered in my ear. I smiled flirtatiously up at him through my eyelashes,

"No I don't think I'll bother" I joked. He squeezed my hip,

"You can't resist me Black. You'll be there." He slapped me once on the arse and jogged off to meet his friends, confident that I would be there.

"God he is such a dickhead Cassie. How can you even flirt with him?" asked Annabelle who looked slightly pissed off. I knew she was annoyed that he hadn't even acknowledged her. That's how Mark works though, he knows I like how he doesn't swoon over Annabelle like most boys and he thinks that it ups his chances with me. It does too. It's a cheap tactic but it works.

Most boys in my school think Annabelle's really innocent; she's got this purity about her that makes people want to protect her – heck even I've taken a few punches for her and I know the innocence is mainly an act. The good boys flock to her but the bad ones don't see the point because they don't think she will go further than kissing. They must think I'm some kind of cheap slag the way they crowd me at parties. I don't know what people would say if they found out that I was a virgin and Annabelle wasn't.

"Annabelle" called Jack as he waved frantically over some first years. I groaned loudly,

"Ignore him Belle," I hissed, "Come on we'll pretend we didn't see him." Annabelle laughed and waved back at him,

"Don't be so mean Cassie." I sighed heavily as Jack jogged over; I don't know what Annabelle see's in him – I mean yeah he's good looking but he's too pretty; a boy should not have that long eyelashes naturally. Oh and he is incredibly boring.

"Hi" breathed Annabelle as she played with a strand of hair. I rolled my eyes at her obvious flirting but of course Jack didn't notice anything.

"I had fun last night" he smiled a light blush to his face.

"I bet you did" I coughed wiggling my eyebrows. Annabelle swiftly elbowed me really hard in the ribs causing me to clutch my side in pain. "Mother fucking cow! That hurt."

"Stop being such an idiot Cassie."

"Well you shouldn't physically attack me."

"I hardly physically attacked you."

"You did" I accused, "I've probably got a broken rib now. I'll never be able to play rugby or wear a really tight corset. How did you know my life ambition wasn't to play rugby in a corset? You might have ruined my life!" Jack frowned, he was clearly confused but then again I never expected him to keep up; he wasn't the sharpest spark.

"You're so weird sometimes" smiled Annabelle. Then taking Jack's hand she skipped off with him and left me by myself. Abandoning me for some fuckwit: bloody typical.

I had maths first period which was good because I'm a fricking genius at it. I scanned the area for someone else in my class,

"Adam!" I called, spotting the red headed boy who sits next to me. He grinned wolfishly at me eyeing up my legs. I smiled; thank god someone had noticed that I was wearing my skirt an inch too short and these stupid shoes that I was going to regret wearing in an hour or so. I walked over to him in a way that unfortunately could only be described as 'tottering' and thrust my bag at him. He raised an eyebrow but took it for me. "Thanks" I said sweetly flashing him a white smile. He swung a friendly arm over my shoulder and we chatted about our weekend on the way to maths.

I didn't see Annabelle until lunch and she was sat with Jack sipping on a can of coke and taking the odd piece of cucumber from Jack's plate. Annabelle had a bad habit of not eating properly in front of boys. I grabbed two ham sandwiches and a plate of chips from the food queue and sat down beside them. Annabelle smiled widely at me but Jack did not look happy that I was interrupting his time alone with his girlfriend.

"Eat this" I said throwing her a sandwich, she scowled at me and looked oddly at the sandwich, torn between her hunger and not wanting to 'appear fat'. "So then are you kid's going to Mark Lawson's party on Friday?"

"Mark Lawson" scoffed Jack, "he's a complete tosser."

"Wow I'm impressed."

"At what?"

"I didn't know you had opinions" I smirked. Jack opened his mouth in a similar manner of a goldfish but didn't say anything. Either he didn't want to offend Annabelle's sister or he couldn't think of a half decent come back. I think the latter. Annabelle stifled a giggle and took a bite of her sandwich. I smiled approvingly like the overbearing mother I am.

It has always been that way with Annabelle and me. I've always mothered her even though she's only four months younger. When we were little I got expelled from primary school for beating up this boy, Tom, who was two years above us but would constantly pull Annabelle's pigtails. As soon as she started crying I attacked him, heck I even bit him. It appears that I have always been a bit of a crazy bitch.

Then when we got older the mean girls started picking on her since their boyfriends literally drooled over her and I was, yet again, the one to have another scrap so they would leave her alone. They did.

When she got drunk for the first time I held back her hair as she threw up then took her home even though a hot boy in the year above was hitting on me. I even went through a short stage of only responding when she called me Aunty Cassie but that didn't last because, let's be honest, it sounds outright stupid.

Now I'm not going to say Aunty Em is a bad mum – because she's not. But, she doesn't understand Annabelle like I do, she can't get her to calm down or make her laugh when she's sad. Me and Annabelle, we're more than best friends, more than sisters or aunt and niece. I can't imagine what my life would be like if Aunty Em never 'stole' me.

I can be certain, however, that I would not spend my Mondays in a muggle school persuading my niece to eat whilst growling possessively at her idiot boyfriend.