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Chapter Ten

The Mark

"Sirius, stop! We're late!"

Sirius sat up, disgruntled, as Cassie swung her legs off his bed and jumped to the floor, hastily grabbing up her clothes from where they'd been unceremoniously tossed at the foot of his trunk. He flopped back on his pillows with a sigh and watched her pull on her pants, making no move himself to get up and dress.

"We're hardly late, Cass," he said after checking the clock on his bedside table. She finished hooking her bra and turned around to glare at him, arching one of her eyebrows. He gave her a deadpan look. "We said we'd meet the others at noon; it's only 11:45."

"And it takes fifteen minutes to walk to Hogsmeade," she retorted, tugging on her jumper. "Twenty, at the pace you walk."

He sighed again, frowning at her clothes as she continued to dress. He already missed the sight and feel of her bare skin against his own.

"I wasn't finished with you," he said, keeping his voice low and husky—the one he loved to use on her to see her blush. Sure enough, her cheeks colored, though she didn't turn to look at him, too busy wrapping her scarf around her neck. He smirked at her back. "Come back to bed, love."

She scoffed. "I've been in your bed all week," she said. "I'm sure it'll still be there when we get back."

He hugged one of the pillows to his chest, still not moving. "Forget Hogsmeade. It's too bloody cold."

She raked her fingers through her hair, smoothing it back into place using the handheld mirror on top of James's bedside table. "We said we'd meet the others for butterbeers at noon," she said. "I'm not flaking on them." She turned and raised her brows. "Do you really want to miss out on the chance to see James embarrass himself in front of Lily?"

"You mean more than he already does?" He pretended to deliberate. "Yeah, you're right. Let's go."

The common room was full of younger students who watched them enviously as they walked to the portrait hole, off to enjoy the day in Hogsmeade while they were stuck in the castle. Sirius didn't feel bad for them; after all, he'd had to suffer the same thing at their age. It would build their character.

On reflex, he reached out and grabbed Cassie's hand, twining his fingers with hers. She glanced back at him and smiled, squeezing his hand. He squeezed back, reveling in the sensation. He'd held hands with plenty of girls before, but it had always been a performative thing; he'd done it because it had been expected of him. It was different with Cassie—he did it because he wanted to. It was strange, but not entirely unwelcome; he just always wanted to touch her, to be near her. He'd never had that with anyone before. Not until her.

They climbed through the portrait hole and walked through the corridors together, holding hands in content silence. He glanced sidelong at her and watched her—the way her eyes roved, sharp and observant; the neutral look on her face that always made her pure-blood traits stand out, no matter how much she denied it; the way her hair swung when she moved, how her body seemed so lithe and graceful.

Once again, he was struck by it all. He still wondered how he'd never noticed her all these years—how he'd been adamant about hating her because her brother was a Death Eater. The reminder of it always made him feel guilty. He thought about so many others he'd passed judgment on without getting to know them. How he'd labeled his own brother and pushed him aside without trying to understand. And how because of that, he probably never would.

Cassie squeezed his hand again. He focused back in, not realizing that he'd zoned out with his gaze still on her. She smirked at him.

"Is there something on my face?" she asked.

He shook his head, grinning. "Nah," he said. "I'm just admiring you."

She snorted and glanced away, embarrassed. "Thanks, weirdo."

He grabbed her waist and pulled her closer. "Anytime."

She shook her head, instead turning her attention to his watch. "Ugh, we're gonna be so late," she groaned. "Lily's going to give me hell for leaving her to fend with James alone."

"Marlene and Alice will be with her," he pointed out. "And Remus and Peter are with James. What are you worried about?"

"I guess you're right." She frowned. "It's just been weird lately, y'know? This whole unspoken tension between James and Lily." She shook her head. "I don't think they ever talked about what happened last term in Moaning Myrtle's bathroom—with Snape and the spell he used on James. And Lily begging Snape to save him…"

He nodded slowly. "Yeah, there's a lot to unpack there." He raised a brow at her. "You think Lily has something for our dear Prongs?"

"I dunno. She won't talk about it. That's the thing about Lily—she fixes everyone else's problems, but refuses to look at her own."

"Sounds like someone else I know," he said, poking her side.

She scowled. "I acknowledge my problems, thank you very much."

"Do I need to remind you that it took you months to admit you had feelings for me?"

She huffed, flipping her hair over her shoulder. "That doesn't count."

"What?" he laughed.

"I had much bigger things to worry about back then," she said. "Now, can we please hurry? We have five minutes 'til noon."

"Such a worry-wart," he joked, kissing the top of her head. "But if you're in that much of a rush, Princess, I happen to know of a secret passageway into Hogsmeade."

"Of course you do." She sighed. "See? I'm not even surprised anymore. You lot have rubbed off on me far too much."

"Literally, too."

She threw her head back in exasperation. "Keep it up and I'm going to make you put Knuts in the Innuendo Jar."

"You have an Innuendo Jar?"

"Between you, James, and Peter, I'm starting to think I need one."

"You're going to leave Moony out of this?"

She gave him an incredulous look. "Remus isn't gross like the rest of you are."

"And that is where you're wrong, Princess. Remus puts up a good front, but he's worse than all of us combined. Trust me."

She gave him a dubious look. "I'll believe it when I see it." She swiveled her head side-to-side when they stopped in the middle of the third-floor corridor. "So, where's this secret passageway?"

"Right here." He pointed to the statue of the one-eyed, humpbacked witch they'd halted in front of.

"Really?" She peered at the witch, skeptical. "I don't see anything."

"Watch and learn, love." Sirius extracted his wand and approached the statue. He tapped the tip against the witch's stone hump and said, "Dissendium."

The hump scraped open, revealing a stone slide and tunnel beyond. Cassie blinked, once, which he guessed was as much surprise as she'd show. He jerked his chin to the tunnel. "Shall we?"

She gestured to him. "Ladies first."

"Ouch, Princess. You always know how to put a man down, don't you?" he said as he climbed into the slide. He stowed his wand away and looked back at her, pouting.

She rolled her eyes, grinning. "Get going, Black. We have butterbeers to drink."

"Right you are." He winked. "See you on the other side."

He let go of the sides and slid down into darkness.

Though the tunnel had been drafty and dreadfully cold, they made it to Hogsmeade in record time, pulling themselves out of the tunnel and emerging into the cellars of Honeydukes five minutes past noon.

After checking to make sure no one was down there to see them, Sirius led her up the stairs and into the crowded bustle of the sweets shop, where they promptly blended with the chattering Hogwarts students packing the floor. No one seemed to notice that they had materialized into their midst randomly, which Cassie was exceedingly thankful for.

"C'mon," Sirius said, pushing his way to the front door. "They should already be there."

Cassie followed him into the chilly autumn day, her scarf and hair whipping behind her in the sudden blast of wind. Huddling deeper into her coat, she and Sirius trekked the High Street until they reached the warmth and babble of The Three Broomsticks.

They squeezed inside the jammed pub and weaved through the teeming mass of patrons, searching for a glimpse of any of their friends. She wasn't having any luck until Sirius tugged on her sleeve and pointed to a booth in the back. "There they are."

Indeed, Cassie saw their friends crammed into the booth, the girls on one side and the boys on the other. Noting that everyone seemed unharmed and still breathing, she and Sirius made their way over to them, sliding in on opposite sides of the table.

"Finally," Marlene said, exasperated. "We were beginning to think you'd forgotten about us." She glanced pointedly at Cassie. "Especially since you're the one who suggested this."

Cassie shrugged, pulling off her scarf and mittens. "It's high time we all start getting along. Right, Lily?"

Lily scowled at having been singled out. "Right," she said grudgingly.

James gave her a taunting smile, opening his mouth, but when he caught Cassie's warning glance, he closed it again and sat back.

You're no fun, he mouthed to her.

Get over it, she mouthed back.

Remus shook his head, having watched their silent exchange. "You're both children."

In response, they both stuck their tongues out at him. He just heaved a long-suffering sigh.

"Well, are we ready to order?" Alice asked. "I can go to the bar before Rosmerta gets swamped by them."

She nodded to a large group of Hogwarts students that had just walked in. To Cassie's annoyance, they were Slytherins, and her irritation only grew when she noticed Snape, Avery, and Regulus Black amongst them.

"I'll go with," Cassie said when she stood to allow Alice out of the booth. "You'll need help carrying things."

She followed Alice to the bar, keeping an eye on the Slytherins as they went. Fortunately, they found a vacant table on the opposite side of the pub, and she breathed a small sigh of relief.

As Alice ordered drinks for their group, Cassie stood off to the side, letting her gaze wander about the room. It was getting increasingly hot and stuffy in the jam-packed space, and she shed her coat, sweeping her hair over one shoulder to cool off the back of her neck.

"Are you Cassie Alderfair?"

Cassie turned and spotted a man seated at the bar, his beady eyes narrowed at her as he tried to place her face. His unruly hair jutted from beneath the brim of his hat, the dull brown color matching that of his great, bushy eyebrows and wiry beard. The way he was looking at her unnerved her—like he knew the answer but just wanted to hear her say it.

"No, sorry," she said. She turned back to Alice, about to leave, but the wizard's hand shot out and gripped her upper arm tightly, dragging her closer.

"Don't lie to me, girl," he snarled in her face. The scent of firewhiskey hit her nostrils, and she twisted her arm, but he held fast to her. His flat brown eyes bored into her accusingly. "I know who you are. Your pathetic excuse for a brother was the one who killed mine in a Death Eater raid last year."

"Let me go," she said. She struggled against his grip, but it was futile; his hand was clamped around her arm like a bear trap. She glanced to the bar, hoping to catch Alice's gaze, but the wizard yanked her around again.

"Look at me," he growled. "I lost everything because of your murderous brother. Everything."

"I'm sorry," she said, "but that wasn't me. I had nothing to do with your brother's death."

He sneered at her, revealing brown, crooked teeth.

"Such a proud pure-blood," he jeered. "All of you are the same—looking down at us vermin because our blood isn't as pure as yours." He drew her in even closer, so she could see her terrified reflection in his eyes. "I wonder how pure your blood would be if I slit your pretty throat. It's only fair, isn't it? An eye for an eye. His sister for my brother."

"Please," she said. "I'm not like him, I swear. Killing me won't bring your brother back."

"Bitch," he hissed, his grip tightening until she gasped in pain. "I don't want my brother back. I want you and every sorry excuse for a pure-blood dead and gone. You, your brother, and every other wizard who thinks they're so high and mighty."

"Please," she tried again. "Please, let go—"

He squeezed harder until she cried out. He leered at her.

"Let's go for a walk," he said, getting up from his seat and pushing her before him. "Just you and me—"

"I would suggest taking your hands off of her."

Cassie and the wizard both looked to see Avery standing in front of them with Regulus at his side, blocking their exit. Their expressions were blank and cool, but Cassie recoiled at the wrath in their eyes as they bored into the wizard holding her.

The wizard scoffed. "Out of my way, boys. This doesn't concern you."

"When you're threatening one of our own, I believe it does," said Avery coldly. "Now, remove your hands from her."

"Or what?" the wizard retorted. "You'll shoot sparks at me?"

Regulus smiled mirthlessly. "Something like that."

The wizard snorted and pushed Cassie to get her moving again. She twisted her arm again, but his other hand grabbed her by the scruff of her neck and forced her along, right past Avery and Regulus. She opened her mouth to scream, but before any sound came out, two spells were cast in tandem behind her.

"Stupefy!"

"Incarcerous!"

Screams went up from the patrons at the spells. Cassie fell forward from the force of them but scrambled back to her feet, drawing her wand and whirling around. The wizard was unconscious on the floor, bound from the neck down in thick ropes. She looked up and saw Avery and Regulus with their wands still pointed at her attacker, their faces set in twin expressions of cold satisfaction.

"Cassie!"

Lily and the others shoved their way through the shocked and murmuring crowd until they reached her side. Lily threw her arms around Cassie's neck before checking her quickly for damage.

"Are you all right? Are you hurt? What happened?"

"I'm fine, Lils," she said, touching her arm gently. "Stop fretting."

After making sure she was unharmed, Sirius rounded on Avery and his brother.

"What did you do to her?" he said, his tone flat and angry.

"Stop it, Sirius," she said, pushing her way between him and the two boys. "They helped me." She nodded to the prone wizard on the floor. "He was trying to hurt me. They stopped him."

Remus came to stand protectively by her side. "Why was he trying to hurt you?"

She shook her head, fighting the building tears in her eyes. It had all happened so fast.

"Will," she said softly. "There was a Death Eater raid last year—he said Will killed his brother in it…"

She shuddered, and Sirius put his arm around her.

"Let's get you out of here," he said. He turned to the others. "C'mon; we're leaving."

No one argued with him, instead making their way to the doors. The pub remained eerily silent, watching them leave, though the chatter was starting up again, the buzz of excitement and speculation sweeping through the crowd. Sirius urged Cassie toward the doors, but she shook her head, stepping out from beneath his arm to face Avery and Regulus.

"Thank you," she said, meeting their eyes—and she meant it. Not only had they defended her, but she knew the blow it would deal to their reputations if the murderous looks they were receiving from their Housemates were anything to go by.

Regulus merely shrugged before going back to the table full of Slytherins, but Avery lingered, his pale eyes flitting between Sirius and her. She held his gaze, trying to convey what she couldn't say aloud: I'm sorry.

He seemed to understand, for he nodded once, slowly.

Another heartbeat passed before she turned back to Sirius, allowing him to lead her out of the pub and reflecting on the message written in Avery's eyes: Help me save them.

"No."

James sighed dramatically, pretending to bang his head on the table. "Cassie, please don't make me do this again. I really don't want to repeat last year."

She ignored him, keeping her eyes on the fourth Animagi book she'd checked out of the library that week.

"Caaaaassssss…" he whined. When she didn't respond, he kicked her shin under the table. "Cassie!"

"Ow, you prat!" She rubbed the smarting spot on her shin and glared at him. "The bloody hell are you mutilating me for?"

"Don't ignore me," he retorted. "You know how much I hate it."

"Why do you think I do it?"

"SHH!" the cluster of Ravenclaws studying at the table next to them hissed.

Cassie and James made faces back at them, though technically, they were in the wrong for being loud in the library.

Cassie dropped her voice when she spoke to James. "I told you already: no joint birthday party. I don't even want a party this year."

"But you're turning seventeen!" he insisted. "You're going to be legal! Why wouldn't you want to celebrate such a big event?"

"Because it's not that special," she said, closing her book with a sigh. "It's just another year, and just another day to mark off my calendar. Last year was a fluke; I let you rope me into that joint party with Sirius despite my better judgment. It's not going to be like that this year."

He pouted. "So, no party? You're telling me you don't want to celebrate your birthday at all?"

"That's exactly what I'm telling you." When he pouted further, she rolled her eyes. "Just throw a big party for Sirius in the common room. You know how he loves the attention. And you'll get your party."

He sniffed. "You are so not fun."

"Correct."

"A wet blanket," he continued. "Actually, you're not even that—you're a wet microfiber on the wet blanket."

She placed her book into her bag, nodding along. "Quite right. You done?"

"Not even remotely," he said, getting up and following her out of the library. "You're only a single wet atom that makes up only a trillionth of the wet microfiber on the wet blanket."

"Why is the blanket wet?"

"Because I cried into it after you crushed my dreams of having another epic joint birthday party."

"Godric, you're insufferable," she said, shaking her head. "Why are you so obsessed with this joint birthday party thing?"

"I like parties, and I like fun," he said as if it should be obvious. He slowed his steps, his face turning more serious, and Cassie copied him, puzzled. He looked at her solemnly. "And I just want you to have a good time, Cass. These last few months have been shitty. I dunno—I just want you to feel happy again, even if it's only for a night."

Cassie frowned, her heart swelling in gratitude for James Potter.

"I am happy, James," she said earnestly. "Seriously. I have the greatest friends in the world beside me—you included, unfortunately." He gave her a wry smile that she returned before sobering again. "Yes, I miss my parents. Yes, I wish my brother wasn't a deranged psychopath. Yes, I wish that none of this had ever happened to me and that I was still normal. Still the Invisible Girl." She smiled softly. "But I can't go back. I can't change things. And if it all led me to you and the others…then maybe it can't be all that bad."

"Sheesh, Princess, are you trying to make me cry?" he joked.

She smirked. "Only a little." She sighed. "But you got what you wanted."

He raised his eyebrows. "Oh? And what's that?"

"You bloody joint birthday party," she said in a pained voice.

His face split into a wide grin. "Excellent."

"Just please don't go overboard," she begged.

"No promises," he said mischievously. "I was thinking we could have it on the day before your birthday—the 29th. And since Slughorn's Halloween party is the 31st, then we can just be continuously pissed all weekend and not have to worry about hangovers." He bowed like he'd just solved the problem of world hunger. "I know, I know. I'm a genius. No need to remind me."

She rolled her eyes. "I hate you."

He just winked at her. "Trust me, I know you do."

James went overboard.

Cassie knew it had been a futile request, but she hadn't realized just how futile until she walked into the Gryffindor common room on the evening of the 30th to find her and Sirius's faces plastered across all the walls, smiling and winking down at the enormous crowd waiting at the stairs to greet both her and Sirius when they came down from their dormitories. It seemed like James had invited the entire student body—it was a wonder they could all fit in the same room together. The crowd whistled and cheered when they spotted her, but they positively roared when Sirius entered, which was fine by her—the less attention, the better.

After wading through the crowd of well-wishers and the chorus of happy birthdays, she arrived at the refreshments table out of breath and slightly askew, grimacing when Peter—who was playing bartender for the night—chuckled at her.

"All right, Cass?" he said, shoving a bottle of butterbeer into her hand.

Music started playing from the wireless, the bass pounding throughout the room and starting a dance floor in the middle. Peter passed out several shots of firewhiskey and bottles of butterbeers to some of the partygoers (Cassie now understanding how the Marauders were able to sneak such vast quantities of contraband into the castle now that she knew about the tunnel into Hogsmeade). She sipped on her own drink, lingering by the table. She'd already lost Lily, Alice, and Marlene to the crowd, and she couldn't see Sirius, James, or Remus anywhere.

Peter chuckled again at the look of clear discomfort on her face. "I thought you liked parties?"

"I do," she said. "Just not when they're—well—for me."

"Ah." Peter nodded. "That makes sense. I feel the same way sometimes."

She glanced over at him. "You do?"

He shrugged, pouring out another shot. "It comes with the territory of being friends with blokes like Sirius and James." He frowned. "They're the ones who get all the attention; not me. So it's always odd whenever that attention shifts to me."

Cassie reached over on impulse and put her hand atop his own. He looked up, startled, but she smiled slightly.

"You're a good mate, Peter," she said. "We all care for you very much. Don't let anyone convince you otherwise."

He blushed, his round face quite resembling that of a tomato. "Thanks, Cass."

She patted his hand again. "Anytime." She turned back to the party with a sigh. "I guess I should get out there and mingle, eh? It's my party, after all. Or, half of it is."

Peter chuckled, sending her off with a wave as she braced herself to find someone who she was friendly with. She didn't recognize many of the faces, or perhaps she did. She couldn't be sure when she spent most of her time around the other students in their school robes and in lessons.

She found James, Sirius, and Remus standing off to the side of the designated dancing area, sipping butterbeers and laughing. Cassie skirted the writhing mass of dancers and made her way over to them, not missing the way some of the girls and one or two blokes kept glancing at the trio in the vain hopes of being noticed by them. Sirius, of course, received the most looks, but Cassie forced her annoyance down. Sirius had picked her. And either he was studiously ignoring the ogling eyes or completely oblivious to them, for he remained wrapped up with James and Remus when Cassie approached.

James spotted her first and opened his arms wide. "Princess! Quite the turnout, eh?"

She fixed him with a moody stare. "I said not to go overboard."

He frowned. "This isn't overboard."

Cassie pointed to the wall behind him, where a giant replica of her face blew kisses out to the crowd—something she would never do at all. "Oh, really?"

He pouted at her. "D'you know how long that spell took me to cast?"

"You're hopeless," she muttered, taking a swig from her butterbeer.

"I think it's quite charming," Sirius said, slinging an arm across her shoulders and grinning. "Of course, not as charming as mine…"

He gestured across the room, where his own giant head winked and smiled out to the partygoers. Cassie thought she saw a group of girls from younger years crowded around it and building some sort of shrine, but she didn't mention it.

"At least your proportions are correct," she mused. "Y'know, to match that massive ego of yours."

James laughed, clapping Sirius on the back. Remus chuckled, holding the butterbeer to his lips as he said, "She's got a point, Pads."

"Yeah, well, that's not the only thing that's massive," Sirius said, copying his picture and winking at Cassie.

They all groaned. Cassie shook her head. "Arrogant prat."

"You know you love me," he teased, swooping in to kiss her cheek.

She blushed and didn't say anything, drinking from her butterbeer. Her stomach fluttered with nerves at the word: love.

Not sensing the sudden tension, Sirius turned to James and Remus and said something that made them laugh, his arm still casually around Cassie. She kept drinking from her butterbeer, hoping the cold drink would cool her down some. She didn't understand why she was freaking out—he hadn't said he loved her or anything, for Merlin's sake! But the word still pricked at her heart like a thorn. Love.

"There you are!" Marlene exclaimed, swooping in to grab Cassie into a hug. "We've been looking for you!"

Sure enough, Lily and Alice were in her wake. Alice stood hand-in-hand with Frank Longbottom, and Cassie grinned at them.

"Frank!" she said after being released from Marlene's rib-crushing hug. "It's good to see you. Enjoying yourself?"

"I am, thanks," he said, giving her a one-armed hug. He swiped his thumb over Alice's in his other hand. Alice positively beamed at him, her eyes sparkling. "Happy birthday, by the way. And to you, Sirius," he said when the three boys turned to the newcomers.

"Thanks, Longbottom," Sirius said to the blond boy, raising his bottle in a toast.

Lily sidled up to Cassie and kissed her cheek.

"We have your presents in the dorm," she whispered in Cassie's ear and grinned wickedly when the other girl groaned.

"How many times do I have to tell you?" she said. "No—"

"No presents allowed on your birthday," the girls echoed together.

Alice rolled her eyes. "Might as well get used to it, Cass. We're not gonna stop."

She laughed, the motion sending a quick, sharp flash of pain through her head, right in between her eyebrows. She reached up on reflex, but as quick as it'd come, the pain was gone.

The song changed just then on the wireless, some Muggle song Cassie had never heard before blaring from the magically amplified speakers. Like Cassie, those in their group not entirely familiar with Muggle music didn't acknowledge it, but Lily's head whipped up so fast that Cassie feared her neck snapped.

"This is ABBA," Lily said, awed. Her wide eyes slid to James. "How did you do it?"

James smiled, attempting to look modest, but his cockiness still shone through clear as day. "Do what?"

Lily's eyes widened further when the song reached its chorus—something about a "dancing queen" and being only "seventeen."

"This is their newest album," she said, a strange expression on her face. "It only came out a few weeks ago! How?"

James shrugged and sipped from his butterbeer. "Just pulled a few strings here and there; maybe cast a spell or two." He swallowed another sip. "I happen to like ABBA, too."

Cassie was shocked Lily's jaw hadn't detached completely and fallen to the floor yet. She was staring at James as if she had never seen him before.

"This is getting weird," Sirius announced, steering Cassie toward the dancers. "We're going to have fun while you two sort this out. Ciao!"

Cassie set her empty bottle down before Sirius pulled her into the dancing crowd, twirling her by the hand and bringing her back into his chest. She staggered at the sudden motion, but he caught her by her elbows and chuckled at her expression.

"Sorry," he said. "I should've warned you beforehand."

His hands slid down to wrap around her waist, pulling her into the beat of the song as they swayed together in the midst of the dancers.

"Don't tell me you were at the top of the class when it came to traditional dancing at those awful manners classes we had to take as children," she said, grinning.

He flipped his hair out of his eyes and smirked. "And if I was?"

She groaned, burying her head into his chest. "Then I'm doomed."

He chuckled. "Why is that?"

She grimaced, pulling back and meeting his gaze.

"I'm an awful dancer," she admitted. "My mum was so embarrassed that she pulled me out after only the second lesson."

He threw his head back and barked out a laugh that made several people turn in their direction. Cassie smiled, embarrassed. Her head flared with pain again, but like before, it vanished instantaneously. Shrugging it off, she refocused on Sirius, who was shaking his head with a broad smile.

"You're something else, Cassie Alderfair," he said affectionately, and her heart swelled.

"Shut up and dance with me already," was her only reply, but his smile widened, and he complied, spinning her around gracefully.

They danced through several songs together, heedless of the world and their own party around them. Devastatingly, Sirius truly was a terrific dancer, leading her with elegance and grace while she attempted to keep up and refrain from stepping on his toes. When the upbeat songs faded into something much slower, he pulled her flush against him, his hands slipping lower down her back and causing her face to heat.

She kept her arms looped around his neck, at least knowing what to do with those. Sirius, thankfully, didn't try and lead her into a complicated slow dance. He seemed content to just stand there and sway with her to the beat, the low bass thumping through his chest and reverberating against her own.

"You look lovely tonight," he said, dragging his fingers through the length of her hair. She'd left it straight, and applied only minimal makeup, dressing simply in black trousers and a cropped shirt she'd borrowed from Marlene that showed her midriff.

She tossed his own signature smirk back to him and winked, saying, "I know."

He chuckled, pressing her closer. The lack of space between them was making her hot—in more ways than one.

He seemed to be thinking along the same lines as she was, for he grinned and murmured in her ear, "Do you think the guests of honor will be missed if we slipped out early?"

Her toes curled with excitement, but she forced herself to say, "We haven't done the cake yet."

"That's not until midnight," he said. She drew back and gave him a weird look. He grinned. "Prongs has an itinerary."

She rolled her eyes. "Of course he does." She paused. "What time is it now?"

His grin turned wolfish. "Only eleven-thirty."

"So, a half-hour." She nodded. "Yeah, let's go."

He chuckled, not saying anything as he grabbed her hand and led her toward the boys' staircases. The drunk, dancing couples around them paid them no mind, and everyone else was currently gathered around the bar for drinking games, headed by James and Peter, as ever.

They slipped up the staircase and into the relative silence and darkness of the dormitories. Sirius pushed through the door of the room he shared with the other Marauders and shut it, casting a quick Silencing Charm and simple Locking Spell. He turned back to her with a seductive grin just as her head flared with pain again in the same spot as the previous times.

This time, the pain lingered, and she clapped a hand to her forehead, hissing in a sharp breath.

"You all right?" Sirius asked, reaching for her.

She waved him off, rubbing at the spot in between her eyebrows. The pain was already fading again, but her skin still prickled from it, like an itch she couldn't scratch.

"'m fine," she muttered. "Just this stupid headache. It comes and goes. But I'm fine," she insisted when he opened his mouth. "Get over here and snog me, Black."

"As the Princess wishes," he said with a grin. He grabbed the sides of her face and drew her in, his lips meeting hers in a burst of scorching heat. She curled her fingers through his hair and pulled him closer, their bodies melding together as his tongue swept into her mouth, making her moan softly.

She walked back toward his bed, never once breaking their kiss, toeing off her shoes as she went. Sirius copied her, kicking off his heavy black boots and shedding his leather jacket before reaching up and cupping her face again, his lips moving in tandem with her own.

She fell back onto the bed, taking him with her. He propped himself above her, pressing his hips into hers as she gripped his biceps, marveling at the feel of them before needing more of him. When she tugged on the hem of his thin T-shirt, he sat up and removed it, tossing it to the floor carelessly. His inky hair was now even more disheveled, falling into his angular face and bright silver eyes.

His large hands grasped her hips as he bent down and pressed heavy kisses to her exposed stomach, his teeth nipping at her flesh every now and then, making her gasp and arch into him each time. He reached up, sliding his hands along her ribs and back before unhooking her bra with one simple move. She discarded her shirt and bra and sighed when his mouth moved from her stomach to her breasts, her hands sliding over the bare skin of his shoulders and the corded muscles there.

Intimacy had become much easier once she'd let herself give in to it fully, without fear of rejection or embarrassment. Sirius had been wonderful, letting her take things at her own pace and teaching her what he liked and didn't, and she had done the same when he began reciprocating all she had done for him over the last few weeks. The only pitfall was how much she constantly craved him now—how she always wanted to feel him, and how she always wanted him to feel her.

Hormones, she thought, were a terrible influence.

She undid Sirius's belt buckle and moved to his jeans, fumbling a bit, but not as much as she used to. He helped her by removing them himself, and then her own trousers, before sealing his lips over hers once again in a searing kiss that almost left her begging. She hooked one of her legs around his waist and pulled him closer, both of them hissing when they pressed against each other.

Sirius propped himself above her long enough to say, "Just tell me when."

But when she took in his messy black hair, his iron eyes, and swollen lips, she found herself saying, "Don't stop."

His eyes widened slightly, but he dived back in with new vigor, grinding into her with such intensity she nearly saw stars. Her body felt aflame, like she'd fallen into a scorching pit of fire, but she never wanted that burning to stop.

"Fuck," she ground out, digging her nails into his back. "Fuck, Sirius—"

"I'm getting there, love," he teased, chuckling when she whacked his shoulder. "We should hurry, though—it's midnight already—"

Cassie gasped when blinding pain shattered through her head, turning her vision black. She shot up, her hand clapping against her forehead as she let out a cry of pain.

"Cassie?" Sirius scrambled to get off her. "Cass, what's wrong?"

Tears blurred her vision, the pain mounting insurmountably. Every muscle in her body was tense, her shoulders so stiff they were already getting sore as she hunched over, whimpering at the arcing pain in her head.

"Shit," Sirius was muttering. "Shit, shit, shit—" She heard him rush to the washroom, but barely registered when he returned a few seconds later with a wet washcloth. "Here, love—let's put this—what the hell?"

He'd pried Cassie's hand away from her head and the source of her pain and now stared at it in horror. Her heart rate spiked at the look, her whole body going cold.

"What is it?" she choked out. "Sirius, what's there—?"

"Wait here," he said—unnecessarily, as she was in far too much pain to move. He rummaged through his bedside table until he'd found a scrap piece of parchment and a half-empty ink bottle. He dipped a spare quill in it before looking back to the space between her eyebrows, his eyes widening. "It's fading."

"What is?" Her voice had gone shrill with panic. "Sirius, what's on me?"

"A mark," he said, jotting something down on the parchment. "It's—it's glowing—"

"What the fuck does that mean?" she cried.

He looked back up at her and froze. "It's gone," he said, incredulous.

Cassie rubbed at the spot but felt nothing—even her pain had mysteriously gone.

Sirius glanced at the paper again.

"Wait…" he murmured. "This… It looks familiar," he said. "Like I've seen it somewhere before…"

Cassie snatched the paper from him and looked at it. He'd drawn a spiral with a teardrop shape in the center of it. In fact, the spiral looked like it emanated from the teardrop itself. She frowned. It did look familiar. But where had she seen it? And why in Godric Gryffindor's sacred name had it been on her?

And then it struck her.

All the blood drained from her face. Her hands turned clammy and started to shake. Dread such as she had never felt coalesced in her stomach, threatening to devour her.

Sirius gazed at her in concern. "Cass?"

"This pattern," she rasped. "It's the same one as the locket."

His grey eyes widened in disbelief. "The clockwork locket?"

She nodded, grim, staring down at the paper and the frighteningly familiar pattern. She thought of the locket, locked away in her trunk upstairs, a sinking feeling opening a pit in her chest.

"We never solved anything," she said. She looked back to Sirius, helpless. "What happened last year was only the beginning." She swallowed, her throat parched. "Sirius…shut the party down. Get the others up here. Now."

"Why?" he asked, still stunned. "What's going on?"

She met his eyes gravely and gave him a weak smile. "We've got another mystery to solve."

Next Chapter: The Witching Hour