Welcome back!

Thanks for all the support while I was away! It's so very appreciated!

Chapter Twenty-One

The Vow

Sirius's wand was drawn instantly. "What the hell do you think you're doing here?"

Liv held up her hands in a show of peace, but her voice was deadly sharp. "Sirius. I'd appreciate it if you didn't have your wand out in my home." Her gaze shifted to Cassie. "He said that he was a friend of yours and that there had been some trouble."

Cassie stared at Avery. He peered back at her, neutral, for all the world appearing to be unbothered. Had Avery known the Death Eaters had planned to show up and terrorize the Potters' gala?

Her eyes narrowed. Of course, he had. His own father was a Death Eater. She wondered if Mr. Avery had been there that night, hidden behind a mask, and her hackles rose at the thought.

She walked to Sirius's side. He'd reluctantly lowered his wand, but it still rested in his hand, ready to be used at a moment's notice.

"What do you want, Avery?" she said coldly.

Instead of answering her, he held out his hand and said, "Evie, it's okay. You can come out."

From behind the wall separating the living room and kitchen, a small, frightened girl appeared, clad in silk nightclothes and holding a stuffed unicorn to her chest. She darted to Avery's side and stood half-behind him, shielding herself, but Cassie recognized her curly dark hair and pale blue eyes even if she had not been beside the same boy with whom she shared those very features.

Cassie's breath left her lungs in a soft "Oh." Evangeline Avery. The girl she'd inadvertently sentenced to death. Her legs trembled, and she had to steady herself with a hand on Sirius's shoulder.

Liv stared hard at Cassie. "Do you know what's going on here?"

Cassie wasn't quite sure herself. She'd silently promised to help Avery that day in Hogsmeade, but to have him show up at her aunt's house unexpectedly…

Avery stroked his sister's hair as she clung to him, eyes wide on Cassie. The gesture was so soft, so loving, that Cassie had difficulty believing that this was the same boy that had cornered her in Moaning Myrtle's bathroom all those months ago.

"Please," Avery said, his voice soft. Speaking directly to Cassie. "Help her."

She was nodding before she knew it. Sirius looked furious, but he didn't object. Liv was still baffled.

"Liv," Cassie said, finding her voice again. "The Averys…they, er, have a bit of trouble at home. Evangeline needs a place to stay."

"I get that," Liv said, "and she is more than welcome. But what's all this about trouble?"

"Ask him," Sirius snapped before Cassie could answer. He jerked his chin at Avery, who only glared back. "He's the Death Eater."

Liv physically recoiled, her eyes darting to the ceiling, where above, David, Ben, and Mia slept. Avery gave Sirius a dark, mocking smile.

"Accusing someone without evidence is an ignorant thing to do," he said. "But I expect no less from a Gryffindor if I'm being honest."

Sirius took a step forward. "I have all the evidence I need after that stunt you pulled with Carlisle this summer."

"Cassie," Liv said, her voice tight. "You have precisely five seconds to explain before I contact the authorities."

"It's complicated," Cassie said. Everyone stared at her with varying levels of disappointment and incredulity, and she cringed back. "Look, I messed up, and it put Ev – someone's life in danger, all right? But Evangeline is innocent. I can promise you that. She needs our help."

"And him?" Liv jabbed a finger at Avery, her contempt barely concealed. "If he's a Death Eater, then there should be an Auror taking him away right now!"

"Agreed," Sirius said.

"No one's doing anything!" Cassie threw up her arms. "Just—shut up, everyone! Liv, are you going to help me or not? Because I can and will leave right now and take Evangeline with me!"

Liv seemed on the verge of screaming at her, but after a long, tense moment, she sighed out of her nose. "Yes. She can stay here. But for how long, Cassie?"

"I don't know, okay?" She pressed the heels of her hands into her eyes and shook her head angrily. "Until I fix this whole mess. Something. I don't know!"

"And him?" Sirius said, gesturing to Avery. "We're just going to let him parade around still with his Dark Mark and gang of goons?"

"Actually," Avery said, tone smug, "I don't have a Dark Mark."

"Yet," Sirius retorted.

"Enough!" Cassie whipped her hands off her eyes and scowled. "You're not helping anything!" She breathed deeply and turned her attention to Evangeline. The girl shrank back further when she realized that Cassie was speaking to her. "Hey, Evangeline. I'm Cassie. You'll be staying with me for a while, all right?"

"I already explained everything to her," Avery said, wrapping a protective arm around his sister's shoulders. "Well, mostly."

He gave her a significant look, and Cassie nodded. "Liv, where should she sleep tonight?"

"She can use the couch in here," Liv said, sounding slightly dazed. "Er, we can move her into Ben and Mia's room tomorrow." When no one said anything, she took a step back. "I'll get some blankets and pillows." Her gaze shifted to Avery. "And you?"

Avery shook his head. "I'm not staying."

Liv seemed relieved as she left the room. With her aunt gone, the tension swelled even more, like a balloon close to popping. Not knowing what else to do, Cassie sat down on one of the futons with a heavy sigh.

"Long night?" Avery asked.

"Don't act like you didn't know what was going to happen," Sirius snapped. "You probably had a right laugh with your other Death Eater pals about it."

"I don't know how many times I have to say that I'm not a Death Eater before it penetrates that obnoxiously thick skull of yours," Avery said with a tone that resembled that of an exasperated parent lecturing their small child.

"Why should I believe a damn word that comes out of your mouth?" Sirius shot back. "You've spent a year waffling between wanting to help Cassie and then working with the people who want her dead!" His voice rose. "So, I'll ask again, Avery: Why the fuck should I believe you?"

They all froze when a small sob stabbed through the sweltering pressure. Evangeline had begun to cry, and Avery dropped to his knees immediately while Cassie and Sirius shared an alarmed look.

"Now look what you've done, Black," Avery said, pulling out a handkerchief and shooting Sirius a murderous glance as he handed it to his sniffling sister.

Sirius made a noise of disgust, turning away, but Cassie watched as the Slytherin wiped his sister's tears and whispered words of comfort to her, too softly for Cassie to hear. Evangeline nodded a few times, whispering back to him, and Avery even smiled at one point. Cassie started. Had she ever seen him smile before?

Liv returned then, her arms laden with bedding and a couple of pillows. She didn't remark about the awkward tension in the room, instead going about making up the couch for Evangeline. Avery spoke to his sister in a soothing tone.

"Evie," he said, "remember when I told you that you were going on holiday without me, Mother, and Father for a while?" She nodded, though her lower lip wobbled. "Well, you'll be staying here with these nice people, all right?"

"For how long?" she asked in a soft, tremulous voice.

"Only a little while," he said, brushing a stray curl from her red face. "Be on your best behavior for them, okay? Do the Avery name justice. Remember what Mother always says."

She nodded again, and Avery pressed a kiss to her temple. "I'll be back for you as soon as I can. Get some sleep now."

After a slight hesitation, Evangeline padded to the couch, and Liv gave her a wide, warm smile. "Evangeline, yes? I'm Liv. Is it all right if your brother and I tuck you in?"

Liv turned her gaze to Cassie and gestured to the kitchen, her eyes conveying the message clearly: We're speaking about this now.

Cassie hauled herself to her feet and nudged Sirius's elbow. He followed her out of the sitting room wordlessly as Liv and Avery spoke in low voices to Evangeline, the murmuring fading once they reached the kitchen. Cassie busied herself making tea while Sirius sat in one of the dining chairs, his wand clattering to the table when he set it down. She hoped he'd wait to speak until Liv and Avery joined them, but that was squashed when he immediately opened his mouth.

"You've done a ton of questionable things since I've known you, but this is the worst one," he said.

She placed the kettle on the stove and sighed. "I got her involved. It's my responsibility to help keep her safe now."

"No, it's not," he said hotly. "It's Avery's responsibility to protect his own family by not being involved with Voldemort in the first place!"

When she said nothing, his fist thumped on the table. "You can't trust Avery."

She watched the flame underneath the kettle flicker and sputter. "I know."

They were silent until Liv and Avery entered ten minutes later. The tea was ready by then, and Cassie poured them all a cup before joining them at the dining table, wondering if her effort was all for naught when everyone turned to her with accusing eyes, making no move to touch their drinks. She gulped down a sip nervously, uncaring of the scalding temperature at that moment.

Eventually, Avery grabbed his cup and reclined in his seat with a long sigh. It was odd, seeing him sitting so casually in her aunt's kitchen, his black wizard robes clashing with the Muggle normalcy around him. He lifted the teacup to his lips and took a small, polite sip before speaking.

"The Dark Lord killed my father before the Potters' gala tonight," he said, cutting open the silence like a meat cleaver.

"Good Lord," Liv said weakly. She still looked shaken, her dark hair pulled back into a sloppy bun and her robe rumpled over her dressing gown. She stared at Avery with wide eyes. "Is that why you brought your sister?"

He nodded, taking another sip. If he was upset over his father's murder, he didn't show it. "Yes."

Sirius snorted. "You seem real cut up about your own dad getting killed."

Cassie flinched, giving Sirius a warning look, but Avery shrugged. "My father was always a selfish bastard who cared more for himself than his family. I say good riddance."

"Why was he killed?" asked Cassie.

Avery set down his teacup. "As a warning." His pale eyes flicked to her, freezing her in place. "Not only to me but to the rest of the Death Eaters. The Dark Lord suspected him of wanting to defect once he placed the kill order on my family, and so he showed his followers what could be expected if any of them were to get cold feet."

Cassie shuddered. She knew all too well the kind of mercy Voldemort showed defectors or traitors.

Avery continued. "My mother has a plan to flee the country with Evangeline, but she needs time. She agreed to let me bring Evie here as a precaution should the Dark Lord's attention shift to her next."

"What about you?" Cassie said. "Are you not going with them?"

He didn't answer. Sirius sat back, crossing his arms.

"You should," he said, surprising both Cassie and Avery. They turned to him with incredulous looks. He grimaced. "I don't give a shit what happens to you, don't get me wrong, but you're just a lot dumber than I thought if you don't take the chance to save your own life."

"There's still a chance I can get the kill order revoked," Avery said quietly.

Cassie balked. "No. You're not thinking of joining the Death Eaters for real now, are you?"

He frowned. "It's the most logical way to protect my mother and sister. We can't run forever. Especially not from him. You should know that better than anyone, Cassie."

"It's suicide!" she said. "Getting yourself killed won't protect them, either!"

"Then what do you propose I do?" he said, his eyes flashing. "Every direction I turn ends with my death. The option that prolongs my death sentence is obviously the best one."

Cassie swallowed. "Avery, I'm… It's my fault you're backed into a corner now—"

"I don't blame you for the kill order," he said wearily. Her head shot up in surprise, but he kept his gaze on his tea. "I made the decision to try and help you and your brother. My only regret is you not being able to trust me."

She stared. "Avery…"

He shoved back from the table and stood. "It's late. I should be getting back before my absence is noticed."

Cassie stood as well and followed him into the sitting room. Sirius wasn't far behind her. "Avery, wait. What about your sister? Won't her absence be noticed?"

"She's too young. No one will notice if she's not there," he said, casting the sleeping girl a last look as he came to the fireplace and fished a pouch of Floo powder from his pocket.

Cassie lowered her voice, but her frustration still seeped through. "You're being ridiculous! We can find another way to get the kill order removed—"

He ignored her, instead cutting into her with those pale eyes. "I want you to promise me one thing, Cassie. Can you do that?"

She stared, stricken. "I don't know."

He gestured to Evangeline's prone form. "Keep my sister safe, will you?"

She lowered her gaze. It was the least she could do, she thought bitterly, seeing as she was the one who had pushed the Averys to this point.

"Yes," she said quietly. "I promise."

Avery held her gaze for a long moment before he nodded, stepping into the fireplace. "Thank you." He grabbed a fistful of Floo powder and tossed it at his feet. The fireplace erupted with green flames, and Evangeline shifted on the couch. "I'll be back tomorrow to drop off her things."

Cassie nodded, and he tucked his arms in close.

"Ravenswood Estate," he declared, and the flames lengthened with a roar. The last thing Cassie saw was his pale eyes, bright and burning like the fire around him before he was gone.

Liv had gone back to bed, but Sirius elected to stay and help Cassie with the dishes before returning to Potter Manor. Cassie hadn't objected, even though every nerve in her body begged for sleep. So, she stood in front of the kitchen sink, rinsing and washing the kettle and teacups by hand while Sirius dried and put them away. They worked in silence, neither of them speaking, but with so few dishes, they soon ran out of things to occupy themselves with.

Cassie wrung out the rag, her mind plodding through the night's events. In the span of a few short hours, her life had been turned upside down again. One would've thought she'd be used to it by that point, but the sensation still left her shaken, like a tumble off a tall mountain. It was the same gut-wrenching feeling she'd gotten when she'd seen Remus and Sirius in the arms of Death Eaters, wands pointed at their throats.

She dropped the rag and hunched over the sink, her eyes and throat suddenly burning.

"Cassie?" Sirius touched her shoulder. "What is it?"

She pulled in a shaky breath, forcing herself to speak. "She had her wand at your throat."

Sirius's grip tightened. "Cassie, I'm all right. Nothing happened to me. Don't let this upset you. You've already had a long night."

She spun, slapping his hand away. "She had her wand at your throat." She shook her head quickly as tears seeped out. "You and Remus were hostages, and all I could do was watch." She slumped against the sink, what little fire there was left in her burning out. "All I do is hurt people, Sirius. No matter what choice I make, I feel like I'm always sacrificing somebody." She stared at the linoleum floor, shiny with the fluorescent lights beaming down on it. "How do I stop being so useless?"

"You're far from useless," he said. His grey eyes fluttered over her face, and she realized with a twist in her gut that this was the first time that they had spoken properly in weeks since she had broken up with him. "I wouldn't still be here standing with you if I thought that."

"But you don't think I'm right to help Avery," she said.

"No," he said, "but I don't think you're wrong, either, by helping his sister."

"I fucked up, Sirius," she whispered. "I thought I'd been right when I crossed Avery, but now look where that's gotten me."

"You couldn't have possibly known Voldemort would go after his family," he said gently. "But you're making up for it now, and that's all that matters."

She frowned. She wanted to refute him, but instead, she said, "James must be worried. You should probably get back and tell him what's happened."

Sirius smirked slightly. "I'll tell him in the morning. A Galleon says he's piss-drunk by now. He won't remember a word I've said."

"Yeah, you're right." She sighed. "Just let him know when you can."

He nodded slowly, his eyes on her face again, assessing. Deliberating.

"And us?" he asked. "I, er, spoke to Remus. Right before the attack." He glanced away, clearing his throat. "He says it'll take a long time for me to win his trust back, if ever, but that he's ready to start patching things up again." His lips tugged upward in a rueful smile. "Says it takes too much energy to ignore one of the blokes you're forced to share a room with at school."

Despite herself, Cassie smiled a little bit, as well. "Yeah, that sounds like him."

When Sirius watched her, expectant, she blew out a heavy sigh.

"Look, I said I'd forgive you if Remus did," she said. "And if he's willing to try and work things out…" She shrugged. "Then I'll do the same."

Sirius shook his head. "I'll only accept that if you're truly ready to forgive me. Not based on Remus, or James, or Peter—just you. I want your forgiveness, too, Cassie." He turned his eyes to the floor, and that was when she noticed it—the uncertainty in his gaze, the hurt. "I need to know that you don't hate me."

"I could never hate you," she said quietly. His head jerked up, his lips parting, but she spoke to his chest, afraid of what she might do if she met his eyes again. "Even if I wanted to, I don't think I'd be capable of it." She wrapped her arms around herself. "I don't hate you, Sirius. I never did. I missed you."

"You did?" he said, his voice soft.

She gave him a faint smile. "You're still my friend before anything else. And the others'." She rolled her eyes. "Honestly, you wouldn't believe how many times James accidentally called me 'Padfoot' or 'Sirius'."

He chuckled. "I'm sure that was annoying."

"Oh, absolutely." She grinned before it faded again. "But if Remus is all right with it, then so am I." She held up a hand when he opened his mouth. "Although… I still need time. To not…be with you. I'm not willing to pretend that everything is fine and go back to normal. I think we need to build that trust between us again, too."

"I understand," he said, regret flashing across his face before it was gone. "I'll give you all the time you need. Just…" He raked a hand through his hair, looking sheepish. "Whenever you're ready, I'm here. Just say when."

She nodded, her throat tight. "I will."

He glanced toward the sitting room. "I'll get out of your hair now. You must be exhausted."

She was, terribly. But she escorted him back to the fireplace, praying that Evangeline wouldn't wake up as they crept past her.

Before Sirius fished out the Floo powder from the small tin container, Cassie stopped him. "Sirius."

He looked up, and she wrapped her arms around his neck, pulling him into her in a tight hug. He returned her embrace like it was the last time he would ever be able to, hugging her to his chest so closely that she could feel his heart beating against her own skin, out of time with her own and the clockwork locket's. She inhaled his familiar scent, savoring his warmth until she pulled away, not trusting herself to be able to if she didn't let him go then.

"Get some sleep," she whispered. "I'll see you in a few days on the Express."

He nodded. "You, too." He grabbed a handful of powder and stepped into the fireplace. "Be safe. Please."

She couldn't help the wry grin that spread across her face. "I always try, but it never seems to work out."

He just rolled his eyes, his mouth tilted in a smirk as he said, "Potter Manor!"

The fire roared to life. Evangeline rolled over, murmured something, and fell silent again. Cassie sighed in relief as the flames died, taking Sirius with them and leaving the fireplace empty once more.

She stood there for a long time afterward, simply staring at nothing. She had the feeling that the stakes in whatever twisted, convoluted game she was playing with Voldemort had just gotten even higher, and, not for the first time, wondered if the price she would have to pay to win would be the life of someone she cared about.

Or her own.

Snow hadn't fallen for several days, so Liv relented and allowed Cassie to take the stir-crazy Ben and Mia to the park just down the street for the afternoon, accompanied by Evangeline and Avery, who had returned that morning to bring some of Evangeline's belongings.

Ben and Mia hadn't even questioned the presence of Evangeline, too excited at the prospect of having another playmate their own age, and they'd positively cheered when Cassie had told them Evangeline would be staying at their house for an indefinite amount of time.

Evangeline had been startled by the ready acceptance and boisterousness of Cassie's cousins, but she'd shyly allowed them to pull her along to the park, chattering in her ear all the while. The poor girl still looked out of sorts, only nodding and replying with one-syllable words, but she no longer appeared frightened, which Cassie was thankful for.

Despite her relief over Evangeline, however, she couldn't help but be on edge as Avery strolled beside her down the slick sidewalk. She'd been surprised when he'd offered to stay and escort the kids to the park with her, but she'd been even more surprised when she'd agreed. She figured they would have to talk sooner or later, though, but it was still strange to see him walking casually through a Muggle neighborhood, especially when he was wrapped in an expensive black coat and suit that stood in stark contrast to Cassie's own jeans and puffer jacket.

Ahead of them, Ben and Mia spotted the park's entrance and took off with shouts of joy. Mia clasped Evangeline's gloved hand in her own mitten-clad one, and the two girls ran after Ben, giggling.

"Be careful, please!" Cassie yelled after them. "It's still icy!"

Her cousins ignored her, and she shook her head. "Little gits."

Avery chuckled, and she glanced at him as they entered the park. "Something funny?"

"You," he said. "I was thinking that you sounded like a prefect just then."

"Gross." Cassie wrinkled her nose, red with cold. "Don't insult me like that again."

He chuckled again as they kept walking. A concrete path encircled the playground where the kids were running amok, and they followed it leisurely. Cassie had no desire to sit still when the temperature was freezing, and she sorely wished that she could conjure a jar of flames as they shuffled along, their hands in their pockets.

"Evie looks happy," Avery said, breaking the silence. He stared toward the playground, his gaze fond as he watched his sister play "cops and robbers" with Cassie's cousins. "I can't remember the last time she smiled like that."

Cassie shifted her shoulders under her jacket. "Were things that bad at home?"

He nodded slowly. His normally perfect hair was tousled around his face from the wind, and his cheeks and nose were red like hers. "Death Eaters are in and out at all hours of the day. Sometimes the Dark Lord himself." His lips twisted in a scowl. "Evie was terrified of them. My mother tried to keep her away as much as possible, but Evie's always been observant. She picks up on things."

Cassie frowned. "Does she know what happened to your father?"

"No, not yet." He sighed, and a plume of air billowed around them. "My first priority is to see her safe, and my mother. The rest will come later."

"You're doing the right thing, you know," she said. "Protecting them."

He smiled, but it was a grim thing that didn't reach his eyes. "A little late for that, don't you think?"

"I don't think that." She shook her head. "It's never too late to do the right thing." She bit her lip. "But I might be projecting a little."

He huffed a laugh. "At least you're self-aware."

She cracked a smile, too. "Yeah, I guess so."

They completed their circuit of the playground and continued into their second lap when the kids gave no signs of wanting to leave. Cassie gazed at the laughing trio on the swings before taking in the pale grey sky and the dead, frosted grass around them. Even though it was still the afternoon, the sun was already setting behind the clouds, and the street lamps flickered to life along the path, washing them in a hazy yellow glow. Almost fifteen minutes passed before Avery spoke again.

"Regulus is planning something," he said quietly, wrenching Cassie out of her thoughts.

A flare of alarm went through her. "Planning what?"

He shook his head. "I don't know. But he's withdrawn over the last several weeks. When I pushed him for answers, he essentially told me to piss off, and now he won't speak to me at all."

"Why do you think he's planning something?" she asked.

Avery dropped his voice, and she leaned in closer to hear him better. "Because he did tell me one thing. He's getting his Dark Mark this coming summer."

Cassie stared, a creeping sense of horror crawling through her gut. "Why would he do that? He said he didn't want to join the Death Eaters last year! That he wanted to remain neutral; be on his own side!"

She pressed her mittened hand over her mouth, her heart hammering. She thought of Sirius, and her head spun. Once Sirius found out… There was no telling what he would do, and that scared her more than anything.

Avery shook his head. "Whatever the reason, I'm certain it has to do with Regulus's plans. It makes no sense otherwise."

"When did he tell you this?" she asked between her fingers.

"Right before we left for the holidays," he said. "I told him he was an idiot, but he refused to listen. Said I wouldn't understand." He scoffed. "Reg has always been his own man, though. I've never seen a more self-preserving Slytherin, and I've been raised by them my whole life."

Cassie lowered her hand with a sigh. "Well, thank you for telling me. He and I have been due for a chat, anyway."

"And your boyfriend?" His pale eyes bored into her. "It's his brother, after all."

"Sirius deserves to know, too," she said. She crossed her arms. "And he's not my boyfriend anymore. I'm pretty sure the whole school has figured that one out already."

She gave him a pointed look, and he smirked. "Ah, yes. I do seem to remember something about that now…"

She huffed. "You're incorrigible."

"It's what you admire most about me, though, right?"

At this, she laughed out loud. "Avery, what I admire most about you is how you've managed to keep that inflated head of yours on your shoulders for so long."

"Rich, coming from the girl who hangs around the biggest egotists that have ever graced the halls of Hogwarts," he said drily.

"I never said I wasn't one myself," she said with a shrug, and he chuckled.

"This might be the most normal conversation we've ever had," he said, staring wistfully at the darkening horizon. "It's…quite nice."

Cassie scoffed. "Nothing about us is normal."

"Which is why it makes the mundane moments stand out even more," he said. He came to a slow stop, and Cassie quit walking, too. They stood on one of the path's curves, almost out of sight of the playground, but Ben, Mia, and Evangeline's giddy laughter still echoed through the cold air. Avery searched her eyes, and she held her breath. "You should know, Cassie, that my feelings for you haven't changed."

She glanced away, uncomfortable, as heat flooded her face. "And you should know that I'm still not your savior, or your hope, or—whatever it is that you want me to be for you."

His dark brows furrowed. "I don't want you to be anything for me that you aren't already."

She sighed. "Avery. Please. Let's not have this conversation. I'm not going to change my mind."

He stepped closer. "Why not? Because of Black?"

"Because it would never work," she said, moving back.

"You haven't even given me a chance," he said, his pale eyes burning.

"I did give you a chance," she snapped. "You had a chance not to attack Mary MacDonald, but you did. You had a chance not to fight with Carlisle that day, but you did."

"Then tell me how to make up for it all," he said, reaching out and cupping her face. His dragonhide gloves were cold and harsh against her skin, freezing her in place. "Anything you ask of me, I will do it. You asked me before to choose a side, and now I am. I'm choosing you, Cassie."

Cassie stared, her mind blank with shock. She had no idea what to say. Her relationship with Avery was enough to give her whiplash already, but he had just thrown her another errant jinx that she didn't know how to dodge.

"Avery, I…" She sucked in a deep breath, gently prying his hands from her face. "Look, I can appreciate what you're trying to do, but…" She shook her head. "I want you to do it for the right reasons. I want you to choose the Light because you believe in it, not because of me."

"I'm choosing you because I want you to show me how to be good," he breathed. He shut his eyes and inhaled shakily. "I don't want to be this person anymore—this – this fool who keeps making the wrong choices. I want to be better. Please. Show me how."

She said nothing. She couldn't even form a coherent answer. He opened his eyes again, and the pale blue glimmered out at her like the shattered pieces of a mirror. Her lips parted.

"CASSIE!"

She started, turning toward the playground. Mia stood on the edge of it, her hand wrapped securely around Evangeline's again as the two girls huddled together, buffeted by the cold wind.

"We're cold and hungry," Mia whined, giving Evangeline's hand a little shake. "Can we go home now?"

"Of course," Cassie said. "Grab Ben and we'll go, okay?"

Mia nodded and jogged off, Evangeline in tow. Cassie glanced back at Avery, who hadn't moved a muscle. She cleared her throat.

"C'mon," she said. "It's getting dark, anyway. You should head home soon." When he remained silent, she backed toward the playground, trying for a comforting smile that came out more like a grimace. "We'll speak more at Hogwarts. Let's go, Avery."

Without waiting for his response, she turned her back and trudged up the small hill toward her cousins and Evangeline, leaving him to stand alone in the icy wind and the reaching shadows.

Please review! I'd love to know your thoughts!

Next Chapter: The Escape

Until next time!