little miss black

-21-

"Shit." Cass muttered again. Sirius warned her not to go and to pretend she wasn't there, but that was cowardly, and Cass was many things, but she was no coward. Patting her hair down and smoothing her robes, Cass took a deep breath and stepped out of the portrait hole. Avery was lounging against the banister, looking like he didn't have a care in the world. He looked up and his eyes met Cass'. Cass folded her arms tightly across her chest. "What do you want?"

"To talk." Avery said shortly. He took a step towards his former girlfriend. "Well, more to tell really."

"Tell then." Cass snapped, she just wanted to get away from him as soon as possible. Avery rolled his eyes and smirked at her.

"Basically, we are still engaged and we'll marry as soon as you leave Hogwarts. There's a Hogsmede visit this weekend and we are going to have dinner with our parents to discuss our future. Your mother wrote to me and apologised for your... antics before. This was also enclosed." He handed over a small envelope with Cassiopeia written on it in her mother's handwriting. "I'll see you in Hogsmede, meet me outside the three broomsticks at 5."

"That's when the carriages start heading back to school."

"It's been arranged." Avery said. Cass turned to leave but Avery grabbed her shoulder. "Don't fuck this up Cassiopeia. You don't want to know the consequences." Cass wrenched her shoulder out of his grip and glared at him. Avery turned on his heel and stalked off. Cass rested against the wall. This was bad. Really bad. She would have to go back to being with Avery, Sirius would hate her again, she'd lose her friends- No. She wasn't going to let that happen again. She took a deep breath and went through the portrait whole. She looked around for Sirius but realised he must've gone upstairs. She went back to sit with Marlene, Dorcas and Alice, settling herself into an armchair.

•••

"What do you mean you're not coming back with us?" Lily asked. They were in Hogsmede and the time to return to school was fast approaching.

"Exactly what I said. I have to meet my parents." Cass said. Lily still looked doubtful.

"Won't you get into trouble?" Cass shrugged.

"Apparently it's sorted." She said. Lily nodded and gave her a quick hug, then ran to catch up with everyone else. Cass took a deep breath and started walking towards the three broomsticks, walking straight into her brothers chest. She fell back but Sirius caught her. He was laughing. "Ouch." Cass said, rubbing her nose.

"The carriages are that way." Sirius said. Cass hadn't dared tell him about her meeting with Avery. She just avoided the subject.

"I left my bag in the three broomsticks." She lied. Sirius raised his eyebrows, picking up the bag that had fallen off of her shoulder a few moments before. "I meant my purse." Sirius narrowed his eyes but didn't ask anymore questions.

"Okay, see you at school." He said, shrugging his shoulders and running off. Cass sighed in relief. Her relaxed stance soon tensed up as soon as she saw Avery. He was standing beside the three broomsticks, exactly where he said he's be. Cass readied herself.

"Cassiopeia." Avery nodded at her and grabbed her arm. "This way." He dragged her through the streets of Hogsmede. They ended up in front of a restaurant that Cass couldn't quite see the name off. Avery knocked three times and the door opened.

"Master Avery, Miss Black." A house elf greeted them. Avery nodded at it and followed it through to a back room. Inside, there was a table seating Walburga, Orion and Mr and Mrs Avery. Cass was shoved into a chair and was sat in between Avery and her mother. Great.

"Cassiopeia, good to see you." Mr Avery said.

"You too sir." Cass said meekly. Mrs Avery smiled at her.

"We were devastated to hear the news." She said. Cass held in an eye roll. "I'm sure you too have made up now." There was no hint of a question in her voice. Cass avoided everyone's eye and stared at the floor. Avery nudged her.

"Um..." Cass started nervously. Orion gave her a look that told her everything.

"Yes. We had quite a large argument but we're on good terms now, aren't we Cass?" Avery cut in. Cass hesitated. "Aren't we, Cassiopeia?" He said, sharper this time. Cass nodded in defeat. Avery grabbed her hand.

"Fantastic." Mrs Avery said. Walburgas glare burned holes in Cass' skull. She plastered on a smile and stumbled through the rest of the meal.

After the Averys had excused them self, Walburga cornered Cass on the way out. "You almost ruined everything... again." She hissed.

"Yeah, well I didn't. Most unfortunate for me." The words came out of Cass' mouth before she could stop herself. Walburga jerked back as if she'd been slapped.

"What did you just say to me?" She said lowly. Cass didn't answer but maintained eye contact. She felt Walburgas sharp slap before she could process what was happening. She clutched at her cheek. Blood came away from where her mothers rings tore the skin. "Go!" Walburga yelled. Cass didn't need to be told twice and hurried out the door. She muttered swear words under her breath as she scurried up the street. Where the hell did Avery go and how was she supposed to get back? It was pitch black, with only a few street lights to guide the way. She felt someone grab her and opened her mouth to scream.

"It's me, you idiot." Avery said.

"Oh my mistake, that means I definitely don't want to scream." Cass said, rolling her eyes. Avery shrugged.

"Thought you'd want the way back that's all." He said.

"Obviously." Cass said. Avery led the way through the back streets towards a carriage. They climbed up and went back to Hogwarys in complete silence.

•••

"Where the fuck is she? She must have missed the carriages. I should have gone with her to get her purse." Sirius ranted. He was pacing the common room. Remus and James were watching him and Peter was curled up in an armchair, asleep. It was past eleven and no one had seen Cass since Hogsmede.

"Sirius, she's probably just at the library or something." James said, yawning. Sirius shook his head.

"She wouldn't go alone. No way. She definitely wouldn't have missed dinner." He looked up as the portrait hole swing open and Cassiopeia staggered in. He rushed to hug her. "Where've you been?" He asked. Cass shrugged, avoiding his eye. "What happened to your face?" Sirius asked. There was an ugly bruise forming on her cheek and dried blood from where it had been bleeding.

"I fell over." Cass said, shrugging him off.

"Over onto a hand?" Remus said. He stood behind Sirius, almost as worried as he had been.

"No, onto a rock." Cass snapped. Sirius and Remus exchanged looks of concern. "I'm fine Sirius."

"Okay." Sirius sighed. He chewed his lip in thought. "Did someone do this to you?"

"No. I already told you I fell over." Cass said. She knew they wouldn't buy it. Sirius didn't look convinced.

"Leave her be Siri, she says she fell over, thats what happened." James called over sleepily from the couch. Sirius still didn't look as if he believed her but nodded.

"Night." Cass said, quickly disappearing upstairs.

"I don't believe her for a second." Sirius said.

"That may be Sirius, but that's what she's told you. Just accept it." James said. Remus elbowed him. "Ouch. What was that for?"

"That was rude." Remus said simply. Sirius grinned.

"Well it hurt." James said, rubbing his ribs.

"That's karma for you Jamesie." Sirius said. James leant you to hit him but Sirius dodged it and ran round the sofa. James jumped up to follow him. Remus just rolled his eyes and picked up his book, smiling at how stupid his friends were.