Forever Young

Didn't think this would get here so quickly now did you? I had some writers block but a quick Skype call with my bestest friend ever helped me out! Thanks a bunch Gabby! You get the worlds best friend award! So please enjoy this chapter. I am finally bringing up more serious topics such as the First War and Wormtails incoming betrayal. Plus he forms and alliance with one of our own. Who could it be? Well we just have to wait and see!

Enjoy!

Chapter 23: Storms Arise

Cassidy's POV:

During the month of November attacks in the muggle and wizarding world were starting to increase. You-Know-Who was starting to gain more followers and become more powerful. By the end of the month over 30 people had been killed by Lord Voldemort and his followers.

"It's inhumane," I said as I was flipping through the paper on an early December morning. "The way he's killing them and leaving a mark over the site. Like he's claiming a trophy for what he's done."

"I'm pretty sure the guys not even human Cass," James said leaning over my shoulder reading. "I mean have you heard the descriptions of him? People say he looks like a bloody snake."

"People? What people," Lily asked her nose wrinkling. "Who has come into contact with him and not been killed? Besides his followers of course."

"There has been a few survivors whom have gotten a glimpse of him," James told her. She shuddered and continued to pick at her breakfast. She's been like this all week. I look at James and he's engrossed in the newspaper. I roll my eyes and nudge him with my elbow.

"Bloody hell Cassidy," he hisses. "What are you on about?" I roll my eyes and point at Lily. He gets a confused look in his eyes and I roll mine again.

"Move," I said getting up and scooting in between them. "Lily? Are you ok? You've been acting kinda weird lately."

She let out a sigh and nodded her head. "I'm fine but my parents aren't," she admitted. "They're saying they want to pull me out of Hogwarts."

"Can they do that," I asked in horror. She shrugged her shoulders.

"I guess they can," she sighed. "Haven't you noticed that loads of muggleborns have been getting pulled from school lately? Even some half-bloods have left for the year."

"I have noticed that," I said with a sigh. "You can't leave Lily. It's your 7th year! You'll be out of this place in a couple of months. Plus you're safer here than out in the muggle world with your parents."

"I know that," she snapped. "Professor McGonagall said that she could go and talk to my parents. Hopefully she'll knock some sense into them."

"Speaking of McGonagall," I said beginning to change the subject. "I got a note today for a meeting with her and I don't know why."

"Probably for your Career appointment," Lily said sitting up. "Remember the one we had 5th year?"

"Yeah," I said. "I remember."

"Well she's probably just gonna ask if you've decided your career path and start helping you look for openings in the field and stuff like that," she said sipping her tea. I nodded and picked a strawberry off of her plate. Suddenly Sirius sat down with a worried look on his face.

"What's up with you," I asked taking more food from Lily's plate.

"I got a letter," he stated simply. Lily and I looked at each other then at James who was still engrossed in the newspaper. I rolled my eyes and looked back at Sirius.

"What kind of letter," I asked leaning on the table with my arms folded in front of me.

"It was a letter from my brother," he said looking behind us at the Slytherin table. Lily and I both looked back as well. Sure enough Sirius' little brother Regulus was staring back at us his face hard and unforgiving.

"What did it say?" Lily questioned.

"It said that my parents want to meet with me over winter break," he said worry still etched in his face. At this James looked up from the paper a serious look on his face.

"What," he exclaimed.

"Yeah," Sirius said. "That's what I said. I mean they disowned me. Why would they want to meet up with me?"

"Hell if I know," I said after a moment of silence. Suddenly the bell sounded informing us it was time to head to our first class of the day.

"Later guys," I said gathering my things. "I've got my meeting with McGonagall now." My friends said goodbye as I headed toward the Head of Gryffindor's office.

Nearly 20 more attacks happened by the end of the week. They had even started to kill purebloods who were fighting against them as well as some half-blood families.

"I can't believe it," I spat Saturday morning. "It's completely -"

"Inhumane," James finished for me. "We know."

I rolled my eyes. "Well it's totally –"

"Unfair," Remus said with a raised eyebrow. "We know that too Cassidy." I growled at them.

"Well I just hope that -"

"The heartless bastard ends up locked in Azkaban to rot for the rest of his miserable and pathetic life," Sirius said sitting down next to me. "You've been saying the same thing all week love." I rolled my eyes and stabbed at my breakfast.

"It's just-"

"Wrong," the three chorused together with a laugh. I rolled by eyes and slapped Sirius and Remus who were closest to me.

"I don't understand why everyone is so upset about it," Ellie said shrugging her shoulders. "I mean they probably deserved it anyways."

We all just stared at her for a moment. I was the first one to speak up.

"Deserved it," I sneered. "They didn't do anything! All they did was get born into a muggle family, not that it's a bad thing. This guy is just trying to wipe out the entire muggle race because they aren't as good as us or whatever. He's not going to stop until every last muggle, muggleborns, half-blood, and blood traitor is dead. Leaving only the proper purebloods like the Malfoy's or the Blacks."

"Why would he spare Sirius and his family but not yours or James'," she asked stupidly. I groaned out of frustration.

"They won't spare Sirius," I exclaimed. "He won't spare him because he's a blood traitor like me and James. He's fighting for what's right, for what he believes in. He's not a coward like his parents and brother."

By the time I finished yelling at her my face was red and I was seething. She just looked at me with confused and she shrugged her shoulders.

"Whatever," she said standing up. "I have to go. Come on Peter we have to study for that potions test on Monday." She pulled Peter up and they left the Great Hall whispering to each other. I glared in their direction and huffed to myself. Then I thought for a second a look of worry over coming my face. I turned to Sirius and got his attention.

"You don't think she's-"

"Now let me stop you right there Killer," he said placing a hand on my shoulder. "She's our friend. And I'd be careful when you accuse people of things like that."

"You don't even know what I was going to say," I commented picking at my breakfast.

"Want a bet," he joked. I rolled my eyes and elbowed his side.

"Just calm down Cassidy," he said. "You're too hyped up right now. Calm down."

"Fine," I sighed. We continued to talked and eat our breakfast when Lily and Marlene came running in.

"Guess who just sent us a letter," Marlene exclaimed excitedly as she sat down across from us.

"Who," I said faking enthusiasm.

"Alice! And guess what happened," Lily cheered.

"Alice Prewett? That Alice," I asked. They nodded and I smiled widely. Alice was a year older than us and but was a great friend and super nice.

"Frank proposed!" they both exclaimed not being able to keep it in anymore.

"Seriously! That's fantastic," I gushed. The boys had surprised looks as well.

"Wow," James said. "Didn't think Longbottom had it in him. Good for them."

"Have they figured out when the wedding will be," I asked.

"She said in her letter probably around Easter Break so we would be able to come," Lily responded with a smile.

"Good for Alice and Frank," I smiled. "They're really good for each other."

"They are," Lily and Marlene agreed. We finished breakfast and went to write back to Alice congratulating her. The next few weeks leading up to break continued on like this. Attacks would happen and I'd over react and tell someone off. 9 out of 10 times it was Sirius and he took it like the good friend he was. Peter and Ellie continued to disappear regularly and I often found them walk around whispering and talking with a young Slytherin.

"What do you think is up with them," I asked Sirius one Friday evening. We were the last two people in the common room. I was resting on the couch with my feet in his lap and he was trying to read a book. It was ironic because, the scene is usually the other way around.

"What do you mean," he asked not looking up from the book.

"I mean they've been acting weird right? I can't be the only one who's noticed this," I said fiddling with my hair.

"I mean they have been spending a lot of time together lately," he said. "They're probably just shagging and they want to keep it a secret."

"Sirius! You don't have to be so vulgar," I laughed slapping his arm. "Well actually now that you say it I do remember Ellie saying something about having a crush on someone in her potions class."

"Wormtail said the same just the other day," He said with a wide smile on his face but kept his head down in his lap where his book sat.

"What could you possibly be reading that you're so interested in," I mocked reaching over to grab the book. I flipped it over careful not to lose his page. The back read To Kill a Mocking Bird. I smiled down at the book then at him. I can see a light blush on his tanned cheeks.

"This is the book I was reading last year after we spent the day in Hogsmeade," I said remembering how Spencer had walked in on us.

Flashback

Sirius and I made our way up to the Gryffindor Common Room to dry off and change. I took a warm shower and pulled on a pair of gray Hogwarts sweatpants along with a Gryffindor Quidditch long sleeved shirt. I stepped into my moccasin slippers and made my way downstairs.

No one was there so I grabbed my book from under the couch cushion where I hid it and sat on the couch starting to read. I soon felt a presence next to me. I turn and there was Sirius a mere two inches away from my face. I jump back and stare at him in shock.

"Whatcha reading?" He asks casually with a smile on his face. I glare at him then hit him with my book.

"None of your business," I told him turning back to the book. He snatched it out of my hand and held it out of my reach.

"Hey!" I shout as I jump to reach it. He puts it more out of my reach and starts to read the inside cover of the book.

"To Kill a Mockingbird?" He reads "Why would anyone want to kill a mockingbird?" He dumbly asks.

"I don't know I haven't quite figured it out yet." I grumble placing my hands on my hips. I jump to reach it but don't succeed. Instead I fall down and trip pushing Sirius onto the couch and falling on top of him in the process. He drops the book and I sit up so I can grab it almost. When I reach down I find myself falling. My balanced is regained when Sirius holds my hips into place. I look down and blush only now realizing that I'm straddling Sirius Black.

"What the hell Black!?"

We both turn to look at the portrait door that had just opened revealing my brother along with James, Remus, and Peter. Spencer looked furious, James and Remus were shaking their heads at us, and Peter was blushing and looking at the ground.

Flashback

"Oh I remember," he said with a laugh wiggling his eyebrows. I laugh as well and hit him with the book then set it in his lap.

"Good night Sirius," I said standing up and heading towards the staircase.

"Night Cass," he said. I smiled and went upstairs and drifted into a peaceful, dreamless sleep.

I seriously gotta get back into the cliffhangers. It's killing me! Oh well maybe next chapter! I hope you enjoyed on this dreary Monday afternoon. I had a false alarm fire drill today and I was legit about to strangle someone! Gahhhhhh! Oh well... REVIEW!

XOXO,

SophieElizabeth630