little miss black

-22-

"Morning Cassiopeia." Avery said, appearing from behind a pillar. Cass jumped.

"You startled me." She said. Avery shrugged.

"I needed to talk to you, and I decided you probably haven't told your friends about our... arrangement."

"What is it?" Cass asked, she had no time for his bullshit.

•••

"Sirius, I need to tell you something." Cass said. Sirius looked up from his breakfast.

"What?" He asked, his mouth full of eggs. She sat down next to him.

"I, um. Last night, I had dinner with mum and dad and Avery and his parents." Cass said lowly. Sirius opened his mouth but Cass held up a hand to shut him up. "I'll spare you the details, but basically I'm back with Avery. I don't want to be, believe me, but that's what's happening. Just thought you should hear it from me." Tears had started to form in her eyes as it hit her, she was trapped in this situation, this future marriage, this life. Sirius stared at her.

"I thought you got out of it." He said. Cass just rose an eyebrow. "Evidently that did not work. Okay, so new plan. We run away?"

"Don't be stupid Sirius." Cass said tiredly, she sighed deeply.

"Oh Cass." Sirius frowned. Cass lay her head on his shoulder.

"I know."

"But seriously, you can't marry that man."

"I don't have a a choice."

•••

"Lily!" James yelled. Lily ignored him and kept walking. James ran up to her. Lily quickened her pace.

"Fuck off Potter."

"Lily, I don't want to fight with you. I'm just worried about Cass." Lily stopped abruptly.

"Oh. What about her?"

"Did you not see the massive bruise on her face?" James asked. Lily shook her head.

"She looked fine this morning." Lily said. She folded her arms. "Did you really just make that up so you could talk to me?"

"No! She came in late last night with a bruise on her face. She shrugged it off as a fall but I think it was something more..."

"Of course she did." Lily said. "Bye Potter." She turned on her heel and stalked off. James sighed.

•••

"Cass, I drafted this letter for you to send to mum to break the news that you are not marrying Avery." Sirius said. Cass sighed.

"Did you now? I thought we'd settled this Sirius."

"You thought wrong. I don't want you wasting your life with him."

"That's not up to you." Cass said tiredly.

"Oh, so you want to go through with it now? Is that what you want!?" A few people glanced over at Sirius' loud voice.

"Sirius, calm down." Cass hissed.

"No! You're being ridiculous!"

"I'm being ridiculous? You're making the biggest fuss over something that has nothing to do with you! Why don't you worry about your own life before you worry about mine?" Cass shouted. She jumped up from the chair she was in and stormed out of the common room. Sirius stood still, completely stunned.