little miss black

-38-

Cass practically sprinted back to the common room. "Codswallop." She panted. The fat lady swung open. Cass collapsed onto a chair. With shaky hands she drew out the letter and parcel from Avery.

Cassiopeia
Happy birthday, I hope your new age brings you less stupidity and more sensibility. I hope you enjoy your present, I believe they will come in handy in the future.
Avery

Cass opened the parcel gingerly. Inside was a notebook and writing set, both engraved with 'C. Avery'. Cass stared at it in horror. She was barely sixteen yet she could already feel her life being pulled out from under her. She would leave Hogwarts, marry Avery, and probably never see her friends again. She shivered at the prospect.

"Are you alright?" She heard Remus' quiet voice come from behind her. She dropped the letter back on to the table.

"No." She whispered. "I can't do this anymore Remus."

"What do you mean?" Remus asked gently, kneeling beside her.

"This. Pretend I'm working towards a bright future when we all know I'll end up being miserable with Avery for the rest of my goddamm life." 

"Hey, hey. Don't talk like that. We'll find a way to get you out of it." Remus said. Cass put her head in her hands.

"Not alive I won't." She said. "Look at this." She shoved her gift from Avery towards her. "It's a done deal." 

"It's not Cass. I won't let it happen. Sirius certainly won't." Remus said.

"Sirius can't do anything, and you can do even less."  Cass said.

"Fuck that Cass. I'll do something." Remus said. Cass smiled at him gratefully. She knew he would, but it wouldn't help her in the slightest.

"Thanks Remus." She said.

"Happy birthday." Remus said. He handed her a present. "Promise it's not engraved."

"Thank you." Cass said. Inside was a snow globe that had a replica of Hogwarts inside. "Oh Merlin Remus, it's beautiful. Thank you so much." She hugged him.

"You're very welcome." Remus chuckled slightly. Sirius came through the portrait hole, surprisingly he wasn't with James. "Alright birthday boy?" Remus called. Sirius smiled at him weakly. "I'd better get to the library." Remus got up. He hastily muttered the situation to Sirius as he passed. Sirius just nodded a thank you.

"Did you get the letter?" Sirius said, collapsing beside Cass.

"From Mother and Father?" Cass asked. Sirius nodded grimly. "I haven't opened it yet." Cass said nervously.

"They're pissed. I fucked up bad this time Cass." Sirius said. This was the first correspondences they had had with their parents since they had left during summer. Cass fished the letter out of her pocket.

Cassiopeia,
Happy birthday. I hope you know that your father and I were severely unimpressed by your antics over the summer. Make sure you're home at Christmas, there are a few things I need to make clear. As always, I hope you are behaving. Regulas has been keeping me updated.
Mother

Cass shivered slightly. Very bad news. "She wants to make a few things clear with you as well?" Sirius said. Cass just nodded. "Maybe we should run away now. We can get far away by the time it's Christmas." Sirius suggested. Cass shook her head. She couldn't take her eyes off of the letter. A million situations swirled through her head. She had barely gotten through summer. "We could go to McGonnagall." Sirius said. "She's always dead keen to know how our home life is." Cass snorted loudly. "I know." Sirius said. His eyes watered slightly. "Cass, this really is all my fault. If I hadn't come-"