Chapter 63 – Cassandra Sable

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Sirius Black surprised his godson with tickets from his favourite artist for his fourteenth birthday. He's been crazy for Cassie Sable since he was young. All because of his mother, Lily. When she heard Cassandra 'Cassie' Sable on the radio for the first time she had been captivated by her voice and played her constantly around the house. The others always teased Lily for her little obsession, but they found her voice almost as captivating and weirdly familiar. Lily had been dying to go see her, but she was an American and she has only preformed in America so far. That is, until now, she had a whole European tour planned this summer, muggle and wizarding performances. Harry was ecstatic when he received the tickets, but Lily was put out. The nights she would perform in the UK, were on the days she and James would be out of the country for their fifteen-year anniversary.

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So, now Sirius and Harry were standing in a large tent that could hold over thousands of people. They were surrounded by a diverse crowd. It seemed like she had fans from every age and gender. He saw eleven-year-old boys and girls to elderly couples in the crowd. He was happy to note, he wasn't the only thirty something male in the crowd.

"Too bad Uncle Remus couldn't come." Harry said as they walked closer to the stage. "I think he loves her even more than mum does, although he hides it better."

"He'll get his chance. He has tickets for the show next week, he'll be recovered from the moon by then. Here." He handed over the drink as they took their seats. "So, you like your present?"

"The best I had in years." Harry beamed as he pushed his glasses up his nose. "Thank you, Uncle Siri."

"Anything for you, kid." He ruffled his hair. He grinned when Harry muttered about not being a kid anymore. "I'm guessing your girlfriend is rather jealous about you right now."

"She got mental when I told her." Harry grinned but blushed at the mention of his girlfriend. They only started dating just before summer break. "The wizarding concerts were all sold out, so she's trying to get muggle tickets for the end of the summer."

"How did Ron Weasley react when he found out about you and Hermione?"

Harry scrunched up his nose at the mention of the petty Hufflepuff. "Not well, he asked her to go to Hogsmeade when I was standing right next to her. I understand why Fred and George always play pranks on him, he's a little shit."

Sirius laugh boomed through the tent just when a man appeared on the stage.

"Welcome everyone!" The man's voice echoed through the tent. "I know you all want to see Cassie Sable." Cheers and hollers followed the man's voice. "But she's still getting ready to give the best performance you will ever see, so while you wait, I have to introduce to you, Cauldron Explosion!"

The room clapped and cheered, but Sirius knew it would be twice as loud when the head performer will take the stage. It was a group of young man, around their twenties by the looks of it.

"They're okay, nothing like Cassie though." Harry called out over the music. Sirius grinned at his godson. "They say Cassie uses advanced magic at her shows, there is one song she conjures up a Patronus. I hope she does that one first."

Sirius couldn't help but smile at Harry as he talked about what he had heard about her previous shows and what he read in the magazines. Harry wasn't listening to Cauldron Explosion as he kept talking about Cassie Sable over the music.

"They say she dated the muggle actor Johnny Depp. You know him?"

"Yeah, he's Remus celebrity crush." He grinned.

"She's a mystery though." Harry's voice was serious. "Cassie and the whole band. There was a whole article about them last year in Witch Weekly. They say she is an American, but nobody can find any record of her from school or where she lived when she was younger."

"First of all, you read Witch Weekly?" He quirked an eyebrow as he grinned. "And second, you shouldn't believe everything they write. People write lies and rubbish about people without them being immensely popular, so I can't imagine what it would be like for them." Thinking back at the ridiculous articles that have been written about him.

"Yeah." Harry frowned. "Maybe you're right." Harry clapped along with the others as Cauldron Explosion finished their last song. His focus went to the stage, and he sat on the edge of his seat in anticipation. Sirius chuckled when Harry's face fell when not Cassie stepped on the stage but the former announcer.

"Can I get a big applause for Cauldron Explosion!" When the clapping calmed down, he proceeded. "I don't want to keep you waiting for too long, but I just wanted to let you guys know that Roan won't be joining on the stage tonight." The people, and Harry groaned. "He's a little under the weather but nothing to worry about. But now without further ado – Cassandra Sable!"

Like Sirius expected, the tent blew up. Screams, howling, whistling all filled the tent. The singer came up in the stage, she was surrounded by a bright golden light. You could see her silhouette, and her long hair framing her shoulders and her waist. But the lights obscured her face, music started to fill the tent. Then her voice reached his ears, and he stopped breathing.

When I dream, I almost see your face.
I see your hands, your hair, your tattoos.
I see the way you carry yourself,
the way every eye is on you when you walk into a room.

You are so close yet so far away,
Every time I reach out, you disappear.
You keep me grounded,
Even if I don't know who you are
You keep me grounded,
Even though you're simply a figment of my imagination

One day, my dream will be clear,
One day, your face will come into the light
And when that day comes, I'll be waiting
I'll be waiting for the one that keeps me grounded.

"I love this song!" Harry gushed, his eyes focused on the witch. "It's Hermione's favourite. It's so full of pain, love and possibilities." He turned to look at his godfather. Sirius was pale and his eyes were fixed on the still obscured singer. "Uncle Siri?" He touched his arm.

"Hm?" He glanced back to Harry. "Yes, lovely song." He nodded absently before turning back to the stage. Harry had never seen his uncle so... lost? He glanced back to the stage when the people cheered. She had dropped the golden light, so her face became visible. She was beautiful, she looks around the same age as his mum, but oddly she looked familiar too. He couldn't understand why or from where since there weren't any photographs of her, not even on her albums, She was an enigma.

Sirius knees buckled and he needed to grab a hold on the chair before him when her face became visible, and his suspicions were confirmed. It was her, the girl he thought had died years ago, the girl he once loved. He felt her magic radiating from the stage, and it hit him hard. The girl – no - woman he still loved.

He couldn't keep his eyes off her. Even from his place, he could see that she hasn't changed much. Yes, she has grown older like him and her hair had grown longer, but her eyes, her smile, her voice was still the same as it was years ago. She still took his breath away. Izzie was here, alive, and in front of him.

"Thank you, London!" Cassie/Izzie called out beaming. "I'm so happy to be here and it is all thanks to you!" As the crowd cheered, she sat down on a stool as her eyes scanned the crowd. Sirius stopped breathing when her eyes met his, but she shifted away to look at the others. Not a flicker of recognition. She waved her hands in front of her and golden fireworks exploded all over the tent.

My heart stopped beating the moment your lips touched mine
The way your hands held onto me felt so divine
Like high school sweethearts, we hid in secret cupboards
away from prying eyes, late at night in the cold air
your soul laid bare

Under the winter sun, your bare chest under mine
our surroundings were white with a gloss of sunlight gold
questions about the future, we left untold.

Sirius didn't know how he remained standing throughout the show. His eyes never left her and the lyrics she sung seemed like they were written about him, about them. One of the songs, The Lone Wolf was definitely about Remus and A Red Blur was definitely about Lily. How could she not contact him? How could she has never told him, she was alive.

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With her last song, Black as Night, Harry whispered to him. She conjured her Patronus like Harry said. She never managed a proper one back in school, her happy memories always clouded by her worst ones. But now, she produced one without any trouble. Harry gasped next to him.

"Uncle Siri!" He pulled on his sleeve. "Her Patronus! It's the same one as yours!"

The dog that scurried around through the tent was exactly like Sirius's, exactly how his Animagus form looks like. The dog leaped through the air gracefully and it suddenly stopped in front of Sirius. The dog nudged his head under his hand before doing a run around him. Every eye on the tent was on him as the dog asked for his attention, they all looked jealous that the Patronus chose him. He looked up from the dog and Cassie/Izzie was standing on the edge of the stage, her eyes were on him, she looked curious and surprised, but her eyes were distant. She didn't recognize him. She didn't remember him. Once the dog disappeared, she played a few other songs before she left the stage on a deafening applause. But Sirius was stunned and missed all of it, it wasn't until Harry pinched him, he came out of it.

"Finally." Harry sighed but looked worried at his godfather. "The show's over, we need to-"

"I need to see her."

Harry frowned. "You do know you got me backstage tickets, don't you?"

"Oh, uhm, right." He rubbed his neck and glanced around the room. He has never been so happy that he spoiled his godson so much. He wrapped an arm around him and guided him to the side of the tent. After Harry showed the security guard their backstage passes, they were led to a room with food and drinks, about fifteen other people were there. Izzie was talking with one of the younger fans, a twelve-year-old with his mother. She was smiling and talking excitedly with the nervous kid. She autographed the album he brought before she turned around. She tilted her head when her eyes spotted Sirius. When she started to walk closer, Sirius was getting nervous and sweaty. He tried to subtly wipe his sweaty palms on his trousers. But by the grin she gave him, he knew he was busted.

"Izzie." He breathed when she stopped in front of him. Harry frowned at his uncle, and she looked confused.

"I'm sorry?" She asked. Harry saw his uncle turn bright red and when he didn't say anything, Harry turned to her.

"Your concert was amazing! I've waited years to see you in person. My mum is so jealous that my godfather gave me tickets."

The singer tore her eyes away from Sirius, to look at Harry with a large smile. "I'm glad you enjoyed it. What's your name?"

"Harry Potter. This is my uncle, Sirius."

Sirius looked at her, hoping to see some kind of recognition from his name, but nothing was there.

"Potter?" She asked. "I believe a quarter of my fan mail comes from a Potter." She smirked.

"That would be me and my mum, sorry." Harry said sheepishly.

"I don't mind, I love reading fan mail. It was your fan mail that convinced my manager to plan a tour for Europe. I wanted to come for years, there was always something drawing me to Europe, but Cor wanted to focus on concurring America first." She snorted.

"Cassie?" Someone called her over. She glanced over her shoulder at the handsome man in question.

She rolled her eyes as she looked back to Harry with a smile. "Speaking of the devil. That's my manager, Cor. I should greet my other fans." She winked and Harry blushed fiercely red.

"Can - can you sign this for me, please?" Harry stumbled over his words as he held out an album.

"Of course." Sirius nearly melted at the loving smile she gave his godson. "Just to Harry?"

"Uhm, no. Can you make it out to Hermione?" His blush worsened. "She's my girlfriend, but she couldn't get tickets for your concert."

"Young love." She winked at Sirius, who turned crimson again. She took the album and signed it. "You are an amazing boyfriend, Harry. I think that deserves a little reward, don't you think?" She asked Sirius.

Harry looked confused but before he could say anything, Cassie leaned down and kissed his cheek. "It was my pleasure meeting you, Harry Potter. Oh, and here." She handed him two tickets for her next show.

"I - uhm – yeah." Harry stuttered as his face matched Sirius. She offered him and his uncle a smile before she turned.

"Wait!" Sirius called out.

She turned around with a raised eyebrow. "Can I help you?"

Her voice purred and Sirius shivered all over. "Does the name Regulus ring a bell?"

"Regulus?" She turned completely.

"Regulus Black."

"I'm sorry, no. I never heard of him." She eyed him curiously. She waved off her manager as he called her again, her eyes not wavering from Sirius. "My Patronus seemed to like you."

"Maybe because he has the same one." Harry piped up as Sirius was stunned again.

"You have the same one? That almost never happens." She said in surprise. "Only when -"

Sirius and Izzie's eyes connected, he saw something flicker in her eyes but then she shrugged it off and made her way to turn. He couldn't let her go, he needed her to remember. He needed her! Without thinking about the consequences, he grabbed her arm before she could walk away. Harry's eyes widened in panic at his uncle's action. Sirius pulled her arm until she landed against his chest. He heard people shout at him and coming closer. He needed to do something, NOW. He looked down into her large blue eyes, she didn't look frightened, she looked intrigued. Her fingers were sprawled out on his chest.

He cupped her head and kissed her. The hands on his chest pushed him back for a second. Then she stopped pushing him away, her arms curled around his neck, and she kissed him back. Was it just because she enjoyed the kiss or was it because she recognised him. It didn't matter at the moment, because the moment her lips touched his, it felt like he was breathing again. Like he had been stuck under water since the day she disappeared, and now he had come up for air. She was the one who slipped her tongue against his lips, and he opened his mouth eagerly. Sirius hold on her tightened and pulled her flush against him. He had dreamed about her almost every night since she had disappeared, sometimes it was just them cuddling in his bed at Hogwarts, other times it was like this, them kissing hungerly. But how good the dreams were, this was better, so much better.

"Cassie!" Her manager shouted.

She pulled back a little but rested her head against his. He saw a little smile on her lips. "Sirius." She breathed.

"Do you – do you remember me?" He asked hopefully.

"I remember everything." Their locked eyes for a second, before she fell unconscious in his arms.