little miss black

-17-

Remus jumped as the portrait door swung open, surely no one else should be awake at 2am. The only reason he was awake is because he forgot to do his potions essay. "Cass?" Remus said into the darkness.

"Oh. Hello Remus." Cass said.

"You should be in bed." Remus said.

"There's no point, I won't sleep. I won't sleep well at least." She kicked the table leg. "You should also be in bed."

"I was finishing my potions essay." Remus said. "I forgot to do it in the holidays."

"Well, Goodnight Remus." Cass said, turning to go up to her dorm.

"Cass, wait." Remus said. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing." Cass said. "Nothing at all."

•••

"Today class, we will be going up against boggarts. The creature we were learning about before the holidays." Professor Amherst, the Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher, said. Professor Armherst was their fourth DADA teacher, and he was very good at what he taught. The whole class whispered excitedly. "Yes, yes, settle down. Who can tell me what a boggart is? Yes Miss Evans."

"A shape-shifting creature that will assume the form of whatever most frightens the person who encounters it." Lily said.

"Very good, very good. Perhaps Miss Evans, you would like to face the boggart." Lily nodded. "Do you remember the incantation?"

"Riddikulus." Lily said. The Professor nodded.

"Right, on you go." Lily stepped forward and Professor Amherst let the boggart loose. Lily's boggart was a clown.

"Riddikulus!" She said. The clowns nose started expanding and its shoes shrunk.

"Mr Potter! You next!" James stepped in front of the boggart and it changed to a giant spider.

"Riddikulus!" The spider was suddenly wearing a top hat and it had a moustache.

"Miss McKinnon!" The boggart changed into a caterpillar. The class giggled.

"Riddikulus!" The caterpillar grew in size until it became a butterfly.

"Mr Lupin!" Remus' boggart changes into a white blob. Remus shook slightly.

"Riddikulus." He said firmly. The boggart changed into a ballon that flew around the room.

"Mr Black!" Sirius stood face to face with 12 Grimmauld Place. Sirius trembled.

"R-Riddikulus." Nothing happened

"With feeling Mr Black!"

"Riddikulus!" Sirius said with confidence. The windows shattered and the door flew off.

"Miss Black!" Cass stepped forward nervously. The boggart changed into her parents. Cass froze with fear. Sirius watched her nervously.

"R-R-Riddikulus." Cass stammered. Sirius lunged forward to help her but Professor Amherst stopped him. Orion held a belt and Walburga her wand and they were coming closer towards Cass. Cass was shaking terribly.

"Professor!" Sirius snapped. Cass felt the room becoming very dark and the walls closed in until she collapsed. Professor Amherst finally stepped in front of the boggart. He did a non verbal spell and it disappeared into a cloud of dust. He levitated Cassiopeia into the air and left the room.

"For gods sake, the rest of us didn't get a turn!" A Slytherin yelled.

"Yeah, I thought Gryffindors were supposed to be brave!"

"She's just a stupid bloodtraitor, that's why she's weak." Sirius shook with anger as the Slytherins complained.

"The next person to say a word against Cassiopeia will have me to deal with." Sirius yelled. The room silenced.

"What are you going to do?"

"Did you see what I did to Averys nose?" Sirius snapped. No one said anything.

"Come on." James said. "Let's go."

•••

Sirius was called into McGonagalls office during their next class, potions. James patted his shoulder sympathetically as he gathered his stuff. "I'll see you at dinner." Sirius whispered.

"Okay." James whispered back, turning his attention back to Professor Slughorn. Sirius slipped out of the class and climbed the many stairs to McGonagalls office.

"Come on Mr Black." McGonagall said, before Sirius even knocked on the door. "Have a seat. Biscuit? Tea?"

"Em yes please." Sirius said. McGonagall held out the biscuit tin and Sirius selected a piece of shortbread. McGonagall paired him a cup of tea and placed it in from of him. "Um no offence Professor but why am I here? I assume it's not to drink tea and eat biscuits."

"No, I'm afraid not." McGonagall admitted.

"So am I in trouble? Because I don't think I've done anything wrong since we've been back, unless you count hiding James' hair gel, but that's only because he puts way to much of it on and it stinks up the dorm. Oh god, he hasn't snitched on me, has he?" Sirius babbled.

"No Mr Black. For once you aren't in trouble."

"Okay, then why am I here?"

"I've become increasingly concerned about you and Cassiopeia. Professor Amherst told me about your boggarts." Sirius stayed silent.

"He shouldn't have sprung it on us like that." He snapped.

"It is on the curriculum Sirius. Anyway, Cassiopeia is still in the hospital wing as Madame Pomfrey discovered some nasty marks on her back, on the verge of infection."

"Shit, is she alright?" Sirius said. "Em I mean crap, is she alright?"

"Physically? She will heal. From what I have noticed, her mental state is not good." McGonagall paused, as if she was going to say something but thought better of it.

"That's not her fault." Sirius said, quickly jumping to his sisters defence.

"How's your home life, Sirius?" McGonagall asked. Sirius staref at her.

"My home life? Brilliant, couldn't be better." He said, the tiniest bit of sarcasm hidden in his voice.

"You get on with your parents?"

"Yep." Bullshit.

"Your younger brother?"

"Yep." More bullshit.

"There's nothing...bad happening at home?"

"Nope." The biggest pile of bullshit you've ever heard.

"Okay, well I'm going to write to your parents about Cassiopeia's marks. Just to tell them they could be infected."

"No!" Sirius said, a little too loudly and a little too quickly. He coughed. "I mean, there's no need. Wouldn't want to worry them or anything."

"That's what parents are for Sirius."

"They're far too busy and I'll tell them in my next letter."

"If you're sure..."

"Yes Professor! I am completely, 100% sure." Sirius said, jumping up. "I'll just be going now."

"Yes, goodbye Mr Black. Close the door on your way out please."

"Of course Professor. Goodbye."