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Chapter Fifteen

The Snake in the Tunnel

Lily shut her seventh book of the night with a muffled thump and groaned. "I can't find anything useful for my research topic. Professor Staghart is going to wring my neck!"

The four Gryffindor girls had taken refuge in the library that Saturday afternoon after lunch to work on their respective projects for Defense Against the Dark Arts, but the work was proving droll and tedious. Cassie hadn't even bothered to look for a book concerning the Seven Elders, figuring she would coast off Professor Staghart's resources once the deadline drew nearer. She still wasn't entirely sure she wanted to delve further into the mad world Norvina had been part of, anyway. Instead, she sat with her arms crossed on the table and her head resting atop them, opting to watch the winter sun slowly descend through the window while her friends gathered references.

Marlene glanced up from her own book with a small frown. "Here, Lils, try this one; I'm not finding much about the history of defensive spells anyway." She pushed the book toward Lily, who accepted it with a nod of thanks. Next to her, Alice crossed off another title on her parchment.

"I thought this was going to be easier," the brunette witch said. "I mean, how hard can it be to research Circe? She has her own Chocolate Frog card, for Merlin's sake!"

Cassie grinned. "Maybe you should use that as one of your references."

Alice shot her a good-natured glare. "Har, har." She set down her quill and eyed Cassie critically. "I don't see you researching, Miss Too-Cool. Taking a leaf from Sirius Black's book?"

Cassie shrugged. "Not in the mood." She checked her watch. "Besides, I have to meet Remus soon."

Lily frowned, distracted from her frantic scan of her book's pages. "Again? Weren't you just with him earlier this week?"

"Yeah, what's up?" said Marlene, leaning forward in her seat. "This is the third time in a row you've ditched us for him."

Cassie squirmed under their gazes. She hated to lie to them about her Animagus lessons, but that would lead to questions about why she wanted to become one, and those weren't her secrets to share.

"Er…he…tutors me."

The three girls stared at her, gobsmacked.

"I've offered to tutor you for years, but you always said you didn't need it," said Lily suspiciously.

Alice's eyebrows contracted. "You know, Cass, I've kept quiet since term started, but…don't you think you've been spending a lot of time with Remus?"

"Yeah," Marlene piped up. "And I've never seen him tutoring you in here or the common room. What do you two really get up to?"

Cassie sat up, indignant. "I'm not going behind Sirius's back, if that's what you're getting at."

"No one is saying that," Lily said diplomatically. "We're just wondering what's going on."

Cassie stood up with a huff, throwing her things into her bag. "With any luck, you'll know soon." She shouldered her bag and threw them a sour look. "Now, if you don't mind, I've got to get going."

She walked out of the library, feeling like some many-legged creature was crawling up her throat. How could they think she was running off with Remus whenever Sirius wasn't looking? She sighed, scraping her hair into a ponytail as she trekked through the castle corridors. She guessed she couldn't blame them. She was being dodgy about her lessons with Remus. But didn't she have a good reason to be? Questions about her learning to become an Animagus would lead to questions about why, which would lead to questions about the Marauders, and eventually Remus. Was this how the boys had felt all last year before she discovered Remus's secret? She shook her head. At any rate, she would have to tell the girls soon. She couldn't keep them in the dark much longer.

She left the castle behind and braced herself against the early December chill. The grounds were empty as she ventured toward the Whomping Willow, her hands stashed under her armpits to keep them warm. She was reluctant to take out her wand, but she removed it from her pocket and pointed it at the knot barely visible on the Willow's trunk when she got close. "Immobulus."

The Willow's swaying branches stood at attention as she walked forward and ducked into the tunnel. She kept her head bowed as she shuffled along, but her scalp still scraped against the roof every once in a while. She couldn't remember her head ever brushing the ceiling before, but perhaps she still wasn't done growing yet. She stifled a sigh at the thought. She already stood half a head taller than Peter, and positively towered over the girls. At least Sirius was taller than her. David O'Leary had been shorter than her when they'd gone out in third year, and she'd rather not repeat that experience again. She'd felt like a giant.

After several minutes of cold walking that felt closer to an hour, Cassie emerged from the tunnel into the Shrieking Shack. To her immense gratitude and relief, a fire was already going in the dusty hearth, and the oil lamps were lit. She stood and brushed the dirt off her robes before realizing that she and Remus had company.

"Peter," she said in surprise when she spotted the mousy boy sitting at the dining table with Remus. "What are you doing here?"

Peter waved. "Sitting in on your lesson."

"I invited him," said Remus to her questioning look. "Since we're moving on from theory and into the technicalities of transforming, I thought having the actual Animagi of the group here to help would be more beneficial for you."

"No, that's a good idea," she said as she deposited her stuff with theirs in the derelict kitchen. "Where're Sirius and James, then?"

"Practice," Peter said. "They'll be here later tonight, though, for the…"

He pointed to the window. Cassie frowned. "It's a full moon again? Already?"

Remus sighed. Now that Cassie realized the day, it was plain to see how exhausted he was. His usual green eyes were muted and dull, and every word looked forced. "Tell me about it."

Cassie cringed. "Oh, sorry, Remus."

He waved her off. "It's fine. Are you ready?"

"Yes." She looked at Peter. "What do I do?"

He leaned back in his chair so he could pop his back. The loud cracks filled the room before he sighed and said, "Well, there's nothing you can do right now. You haven't even started on your Mandrake leaf yet."

She frowned. "I was waiting for the holidays to do it."

"You still have a whole month before you're even ready to practice shifting," he pointed out. "The Mandrake leaf comes first."

"I know." She looked between him and Remus. "Then what's this lesson all about?"

"It doesn't hurt to learn the concept of the transformation," said Remus patiently. "That way, when the time comes, you'll have a better understanding of it."

"Right." She raised an eyebrow at Peter. "So, then, what's my first step, Master Wormtail?"

Peter looked giddy at her address, and she and Remus shared an amused look as the blond boy bounced to his feet.

"All right, first, you have to clear your mind," he said, approaching her and waving his hand in front of her face like he was about to perform some ancient Occlumency ritual on her. She bit back a laugh. "The transformation will be a lot harder if your mind's focused on your unfinished Potions homework or something."

"Projecting, Wormtail?" asked Remus.

Peter ignored him. "Once your mind is clear, you have to find your center—the source where your transformation comes from." He tapped his chest to demonstrate. "I think of mine like a spool of yarn. When I'm human, the yarn sits here, wrapped up nice and tight. Then when I want to shift, I grab a thread and pull it." He mimicked the movement. "When the yarn unravels, it releases my magic, where the transformation comes from. And when it's finished unraveling, you get—"

He disappeared between one blink and the next. Cassie looked down and saw Peter's rat form at her feet. He chittered as if saying "Ta-da!" She grinned and knelt down before him.

"Impressive," she said. She scratched the top of his little rat head. "You're so cute, Pete. I just want to put a little sweater on you—ow, you dick!"

She held her finger where he'd bitten her. He squeaked and she swore it sounded like laughter. She got to her feet and heard Remus chuckling where he still sat at the dining table.

"Guess he didn't like that," he said.

Cassie glared down at the rat scuffling around her shoes. "If I get rabies from you, you're dead."

Peter shifted back, his Animagus body stretching and elongating until the smiling blond boy stood before her again.

"Just for that, I hope I turn into a cat like McGonagall," she said to him.

Peter laughed, but she was satisfied when it sounded just a little uneasy. "We'll see. But did that make sense?"

"A lot, actually," she said, sitting down at the table next to Remus. Peter followed her lead and returned to his vacant seat across from them. "But I guess my next step is to get my hands on a Mandrake leaf, yeah?"

"Oh, that's easy," said Peter. "Greenhouse Four always has a stock of them. Professor Sprout keeps them around for Potions and the hospital wing."

Cassie nodded. "I'm just trying to work out how I'm going to keep it from everyone for a month. A Sticking Charm on my tongue, maybe? But won't people still be able to see it?"

"James and Sirius did the Sticking Charm," Peter said. "So did I, er, after I swallowed my third leaf by accident."

"And no one noticed?" Cassie asked.

Peter scratched his chin. "Well, I think one girl did—but she'd been snogging Sirius—obviously ages ago—" he added to her surly look. "Can't even remember her name, to be honest—she was pretty, though—not that you're not!—So pretty—I mean, objectively, not like I fancy you or anything—Godric, I mean—Sirius is a lucky bloke!" he finished hastily.

Remus wheezed out a laugh. "Merlin, Wormtail, now we know why you can't talk to girls."

Cassie giggled too. "Thanks, Pete."

Peter smiled nervously, his face pink. "You're welcome."

Remus slouched in his seat and drummed his fingers on the table. Cassie peered at his tired face. "Do you want to rest, Remus? We don't have to carry on tonight if you don't want to."

"Honestly? Yeah," he said wearily. "Normally, I like to wear myself out as much as possible—just to keep him contained—but I can't keep my eyes open today."

"Here." Cassie grabbed the blanket from the top of the couch in the sitting room. It was thin and scratchy, and one corner looked as if it had been chewed by mice, but she spread it on the floor in front of the fireplace. "We can all take a break."

Peter happily plopped down beside Cassie, humming a tune to himself. Cassie patted the space on her other side, and Remus joined them, laying on his back and tucking a hand beneath his head with a soft groan.

"This is nice," Peter said as he warmed his feet. "We hardly ever use the fireplace, but apparently Remus likes you more than us."

Remus snorted. Beside Cassie, his eyes were closed. "We don't use the fireplace because it draws attention. People in Hogsmeade could see the smoke."

Cassie looked at him, eyes wide, but he kept his own shut. "I didn't even think of that! What if someone comes poking around now?"

Remus made a noncommittal noise. "Everyone thinks this place is haunted. They won't come."

"And if they do, they'll find a werewolf and a rat," said Peter, unworried.

"What about me?"

"Just wear a sheet and pretend you're a ghost."

She shook her head. "It amazes me how far you lot have made it in life sometimes."

"Relax, Cassie," Remus said when she stared into the fire and nibbled on her bottom lip. "It's getting dark, anyway. We're safe here."

"Oh, all right." She flopped on her back, her shoulders now sandwiched between Peter and Remus. "But for the record, I still think this is a terrible idea."

Remus yawned. "I've been saying that for years, but no one listens to me either."

"I listen to you, Moony," said Peter.

"No, you don't. You listen to whoever's loudest, and that's usually James or Sirius."

"What about me?" Cassie butted in. "Peter, you listen to me, right?"

"Of course. I listened to your story about your childhood cat, didn't I? Mr. Perryworth?"

Cassie made an offended sound. "Mr. Pogington!"

"Oh."

Remus snorted. "You named your cat Mr. Pogington?"

"He was named after the seventeenth-century wizard who theorized that some potions' effects worked best whenever a certain constellation was parallel to the Earth's equator. He was completely wrong, of course, but my tutor forced me to learn about him in my studies prior to Hogwarts. I just liked the name."

"You realize that no one on Earth has ever heard of that wizard besides you, yeah?"

Peter coughed. "Pure-bloods."

Cassie sighed. "Yeah, yeah, I know."

They fell silent, listening to the flames crackle, before Peter spoke up again.

"If there wasn't a war going on," he said quietly, "what would you guys want to do after Hogwarts?"

Cassie glanced over, but his watery blue eyes were trained on the peeling ceiling. She looked at Remus, and his eyes were open again. They shared a look before Remus asked, "What do you mean?"

Peter shrugged. "Like, life after school. I know Dumbledore's Order is in our plans, but if there was no war, no Death Eaters, no You-Know-Who—what would you want your life to look like?"

"I don't know," said Cassie slowly when Remus didn't speak. "Do you, Pete?"

"I would've liked to own my own pub," he said. "Maybe have a flat above it or something. And once I got married, I'd get a house—a nice one in a wizarding village somewhere, so I could raise my kids. And if I had enough money, I'd buy my mum a house, too. We'd have dinner with her every Sunday, and she'd get to see her grandkids. I think I'd like that."

"That sounds lovely, Pete," said Cassie truthfully. She hesitated. "I'm sure you can still have all of that once the war's over."

He nodded, his gaze still fixed on the ceiling.

Cassie copied him, thinking. What did she want her life to look like? She'd never given it much thought before. Though she'd been pressured to think of potential careers before, she'd never had to worry about the necessity of a job. She'd grown up wealthy, lived a sheltered, privileged life—her parents' careers were more hobbies than anything, and she'd retained that mindset for herself. It wasn't until recently that she'd been faced with the daunting prospects of her own future. She wasn't even sure what she wanted anymore. All that she saw was Will and his plans to take over the world, and beyond him, Voldemort and the war. Anything other than that was shrouded by clouds of uncertainty.

"Professor Kettleburn offered me a letter of recommendation a couple months ago," she said, "for the Department for the Control and Regulation of Magical Creatures. He said I'd always been good with magical creatures, so if I wanted a career, he'd help me. I never really thought about my life after Hogwarts until his offer."

"That's great, Cass," said Remus. She squeezed his hand.

"All I know is that I want all of you in my future," she said.

"You're going to make me cry," said Peter dramatically, and Cassie rolled her eyes, but she smiled all the same.

"Me too," Remus said quietly. His free hand rested absently on his stomach as he talked to the ceiling. "I'm terrified," he admitted. "After Hogwarts…" He shut his eyes. "It's going to be hard finding a job with my condition. And even if I get hired anywhere, it'll be almost impossible to keep steady work when they find out what I am. Same with housing."

"Then you'll live with me," Cassie said immediately. "We don't even have to live at my family home—we can get a flat in London somewhere—maybe Diagon Alley—"

"No way!" Peter objected. "He's living with us! Bachelor flat!"

Remus chuckled when Cassie shushed him. "Come off it! Remus will never want for anything with me. We can blow all my family's inheritance and live a life of unparalleled luxury."

"So, I'm your pet?" Remus asked, amused. "The next Mr. Pogington, perhaps?"

Peter laughed while Cassie grinned sheepishly.

"I'll figure it out," Remus said eventually. "Thank you for the offer, though, Cass."

"That's what friends are for," she said with a shrug.

The three lay in comfortable silence after that. Cassie must have dozed off at some point, for when she next opened her eyes, darkness had fallen. Peter had shaken her awake, and he pointed to his watch. "You should head back to the castle now. It's an early moonrise tonight."

"Right," she said, sitting up and wincing at her stiff back. Beside her, Remus dozed on. "Tell Remus I said bye, yeah?"

"Will do." Peter sent her off with a wave after she collected her things. "See you later, Cass."

She waved back before dropping into the tunnel and beginning the arduous trek back to the castle grounds. By the time she Immobilized the Willow again and climbed out, stars dusted the black sky, and the full moon was just peeking over the distant mountains. Wrapping her cloak more securely around herself, Cassie set off for the castle, keeping her pace brisk. She checked her watch at the doors and cursed; it was a quarter after curfew, and without either the Marauder's Map or Invisibility Cloak, making it back to Gryffindor Tower was going to be a challenge.

She had just entered the double doors when footsteps sounded in the entrance hall. Fearing Filch or Mrs. Norris were prowling about, she ducked behind a stone column and held her breath. The footsteps were far too quick to be the caretaker's shuffling gait, however. She peeked out, her face scrunching in confusion when she saw Severus Snape, of all people, striding purposefully for the double doors she had just entered. With a discreet look, Snape slipped out of the doors and left the castle.

Cassie teetered, unsure. What was Snape doing? Why was he sneaking out of the castle? She shook her head. Whatever his reasons, he shouldn't be out on the grounds tonight, not with Remus's transformation. With her gut clenched in warning, Cassie followed him back out into the night.

Her brief deliberation had given him a head-start, and he was already halfway across the grounds before she managed to even make it down the castle's steps. It seemed like he was heading toward the Forbidden Forest, but at the fork in the path that would either take him by Hagrid's hut or toward the greenhouses, he veered left and went straight for the Whomping Willow.

Cassie's heart began to pound as she tore down the path after Snape. There was no way he could know about the Willow or its tunnel, or what it led to. But Snape walked with all the confidence of someone who knew exactly what they were doing, and her fear tripled when he stopped just outside the range of the tree's whipping branches.

Cassie wrenched her wand free and cried, "Snape! Stop!"

The Slytherin turned, his face lifting in a triumphant sneer. She was still some yards away, but Snape jerked his wand and said, "Expelliarmus!"

Her wand shot from her hand and landed somewhere in the dark grass behind her. Cassie swore and fumbled. "Snape, you bloody idiot! Get away from there!"

He ignored her, pointing his wand instead at the Willow's knot. "Immobulus!"

The tree froze. Cassie gaped. It was impossible. Snape couldn't know about the Willow's weak spot. But she watched in horror as Snape passed, unharmed, underneath the lethal branches and disappeared into the tunnel.

Cassie's momentary shock cost her dearly. Several horrifying moments passed before she recovered herself and dove to her knees, groping for her wand. Snape's spell had already worn off. The Willow began to sway again, wary of any potential targets, and she wouldn't be able to follow Snape until she found her bloody wand.

"Son of a bitch!" she cursed when her hands kept turning up only rocks and twigs. "Come on—"

"Cassie?"

She whirled, almost sobbing in relief when James and Sirius appeared, staring at her like she'd gone mad.

"Snape!" she said. "Remus—Whomping Willow—" She pointed frantically toward the tree. "We need to stop him—"

"Snape?" James repeated, his voice hard. "Snape went in?"

"Yes!" Cassie nearly screamed.

James flew into action immediately. "Help her!" he barked at Sirius before pulling his wand and charging the tree. In ten seconds flat, the Willow had stilled, and James had flung himself down the tunnel after Snape.

"Lumos," Sirius said, and his wand tip ignited. Cassie spotted her wand nearly three yards away and snatched it up.

"Come on," she said to Sirius, preparing to start after James, but he held her back. "Dammit, Sirius, let me go!"

"It's Snape," he said, incredulous. "You're really about to charge headfirst into the place where our friend is turning into a bloody werewolf to help Snape?"

"Have you missed the part where that same werewolf could harm Snape?" She wrestled against his grip, but he held firm. "Sirius, let me go!"

"It's Snape," he repeated, his voice cold.

Something about his tone forced Cassie to stop struggling. The full moon had risen above the mountains and now reigned over the sky. Distantly, she could've sworn she heard a howl, and she shivered—at the cry of a werewolf or the sudden frost in Sirius's gaze, she didn't know.

Though nearly a fortnight had passed since their confrontation with Snape in the library, Sirius's words echoed back to her with plummeting clarity: "Snape won't be bothering us again."

"Sirius," she rasped, "what did you do?"

He said nothing, and this time, Cassie heard Remus's howl clearly in the silence that stretched between them. "Sirius, what did you do?"

His face had been stone until that point, but when another howl tore through the night, it crumbled.

"I don't know," he whispered.

Cassie took several steps back. She suddenly felt nauseous. She was sure she would have started hexing Sirius with every spell she knew if James hadn't reappeared in the tunnel's mouth at that moment.

He Immobilized the tree again and clambered out of the tunnel, dragging Snape behind him by the collar of his robes. Snape looked as if he had been Petrified; his face was bloodless and the color of sour milk, and he trembled as violently as one of the Willow's branches. Peter followed the two boys out of the tunnel, looking almost as sick as Cassie felt.

James's fury was palpable as the three boys came to a stop before Cassie and Sirius. James released his death grip on Snape, and the Slytherin sank to his knees, his black eyes glassy and wide.

James seemed as if he was refraining from punching Snape with great effort as he bit out, "How—the fuck—did he know about the tunnel?"

Peter flinched when James's gaze fell on him, but he shook his head vigorously. James's stare cut into Cassie, but she glared back, defiant. Finally, he looked at Sirius.

"Tell me it wasn't you," he said, his voice strained. "Sirius, tell me it wasn't fucking you."

Sirius said nothing. He met James's eyes briefly, angry, but he backed down just as quickly, shifting his gaze to the ground. Hurt, rage, and disbelief all flickered over James's face, as rapid as lightning, before his expression forged itself into iron.

"Get up," he barked at Snape. For once, Snape listened, getting to his feet shakily. James shoved him toward the castle, and he stumbled a bit before righting himself. "We're letting Dumbledore deal with you."

He and Snape headed back for the castle, Peter hurrying behind. Sirius didn't move. He stared at the Whomping Willow, the moon casting his face into deep shadow. Cassie glared at him.

"Remus is your friend," she said.

He didn't look at her. "I know."

Another howl pierced the night. When Sirius said nothing else, Cassie marched past him without a word.

He didn't follow, even when another keening cry of a lone wolf searching for its pack echoed across the moonlit grounds.

I live for Cassie/Peter/Remus and their entire friendship dynamic. The chaotic energy of the Marauders/Cassie is great too, but for some reason, those three are my favorite. Maybe it's because they're all outsiders in their own way and bond over that? Idk, but I still love them. Thoughts?

And Sirius, you're a whore. We still love you though.

I appreciate all of your thoughts and comments! Reading your own speculations and theories is so much fun, and I love your feedback! I know there's like 10 million plot points going on, but these next few chapters will focus pretty heavily on the Marauders and Cassie and their fallout over Sirius's very, very poor decision. So stay tuned for that.

Next Chapter: The Scars