little miss black

-8-

Time passed quickly and it was soon September first just before the twins started their fourth year at Hogwarts. It was Regulus' 2nd year. Walburga dropped them at Kings Cross. Regulus stalked off to find a compartment and Cass and Sirius went their separate ways to find their friends. Cass found a compartment with Marlene, Lily, Dorcas, Alice, Emmeline, Poppy and Kira in it. She hugged everyone and sat down.

"So Lily, how's James?" Marlene wiggled her eyebrows at her.

"He's still an arrogant toerag." Lily said. Cass snorted quietly. "Something funny Cass?" Lily asked.

"No, nothing." Cass said.

"Oh please Lil, we all know that he's growing on you." Poppy said.

"He is not!" Lily protested.

"Mmhmmm." Kira said.

"Anyway, Alice hows Frank?" Lily said. Alice blushed and stared at her shoes.

"At least she admits she likes him." Emmeline said, smirking.

"Oh shut up." Lily snapped. Everyone laughed.

"Can I borrow Cass for just a sec?" Sirius said, poking his head in to the compartment. The girls stopped their conversation and looked at Cass.

"Yeah sure." Cass said. "I'll be back soon." Lily nodded and proceeded to restart their conversation. "What's up Sirius?" Cass asked.

Sirius didn't reply and kept walking down the train, until he stopped outside a compartment which had the blinds drawn.

"I'm here why?" Cass sighed.

"We need your help." Sirius said, sliding the compartment door open.

"Who's we?" Cass asked. Sitting in the compartment were James, Remus and Peter. Cass rolled her eyes and turned to leave.

"Wait!" James said.

"What is it?" Cass said.

"It's no secret that your the best at spells in our year. You even beat Lily at the exams last year so just help us out. Please?" Sirius said.

"What do you need?" Cass sighed.

"We want to make a map of Hogwarts that shows where everyone is, all the time. Like even if they're in their animagus form or they're under an invisibility cloak." Peter explained.

"Look, I'm not helping you with that. That'll get me in trouble." Cass said. Sirius opened his mouth to protest but Cass shushed him. "But I have a few books that I can lend you."

"We'll take it!" The four boys chorused.

•••

Cass was walking back to her compartment when someone grabbed her arm and yanked her into a compartment. A group of seventh year Slytherins were sneering down at her. At the front was Avery. He was the boy that Cass was arranged to marry when they were out of school. The Avery family were very high up in the wizarding world and Walburga wanted in on that fame. Cass didn't have a say in the matter. Cass turned to leave but one of the boys waved his wand and the door was locked shut.

"Cassiopeia Black." Avery said.

"So you dragged me into a compartment to tell me my name?" Cass said, folding her arms across her chest. Avery smiled.

"Very funny darling."

"I thought so." Cass said.

"Leave us boys." Avery said. The group of seventh years left the compartment, leaving Avery and Cass.

"What do you want?" Cass said, her nerves growing. "

I just want to...chat." Avery said, a cruel smirk spreading on his face.

"I'm listening." Cass said.

"As you know, we're arranged to be married after you leave Hogwarts. You're now at the age where it is acceptable for us to start dating. As of now, you are now my girlfriend. Understood?" Avery said.

"What if I say no?" Cass asked.

"Then you won't only have all of my family against you. You'll have all of yours as well. And we wouldn't want that now, would we?" Avery had been walking around Cass whilst speaking and was behind her, literally breathing down her neck.

"No." Cass whispered.

"Good. So we are now dating." Avery said. "You can go now." Cass practically ran all the way back to her compartment.

•••

Cass didn't sleep that night. She ran Averys words through her mind. He was right. Her family were against her enough already but denying Avery would make them so mad it was terrifying. Her relationship with her family was, admittedly, pretty bad but this would bring it to a whole new level. It didn't help that Sirius did things to purposely piss her parents off. Then the blame somehow always landed on Cass. Cass envied her brothers ability to talk and argue his way out of things. She just sort of stood there and talked back. She talked back with things that shouldn't be said. So she got the punishment. School wasn't much better. Although she had good friends, she was just known as 'Sirius' sister' to the whole school. Sirius wasn't going to take her relationship with Avery well. He was supposed to marry some pureblood in second year. Like that would ever happen. Sirius was hardly ever at Grimmauld Place in the holidays, he was always at James'. Cass was sometimes with one of her friends but usually she was at home, trying to stay out of her mothers line of fire.

•••

At breakfast the next morning, Avery cane over to Cass and put his arm around her. Her friends stared at the exchange, their mouths hanging open. Sirius glared at Avery. "What are you doing here?" He snapped.

"Can't I say good morning to my girlfriend?" Avery smirked.

"Girlfriend?" Sirius asked.

"You're dating him Cass?" Lily said.

"What the hell?" James said.

"Cass, what's going on?" Dorcas said.

"You're not really dating him, right?" Marlene said.

"He's probably a death eater!" Peter said. Cass looked at all of her friends. She stood up and walked away, Avery smirked at Cass' friends before standing up and following her out of the hall. Sirius sat there, stunned.

"There's no way that's a real thing right? She's playing some kind of joke." Remus muttered.

"I don't know. I honestly don't know."