Stars {Remus Lupin} ✓

40. PATRONUS

| CHAPTER FORTY |

PATRONUS.

"WHAT DO YOU WANT, JAMES?"

For the first hour of their Defence Against the Dark Arts lesson Cassiopeia could feel James' eyes practically burning holes in the side of her head, which in return made it hard for her to concentrate on the topic of the lesson; Patronuses. 

"So, I see your friends with my Lilypad now," The Gryffindor boy grinned.

Cass didn't look away from the front as she replied, "That I am."

"Well, does she talk about me?"

"Oh yeah, all the time," Cass felt as James suddenly fidgeted excitingly besides her, squealing softly; which caused a few of their classmate to glance their way, "She's always saying how much of a toerag you are."

"Miss. Black and Mr. Potter," Professor Rakepick called out, her green eyes directing themselves to the pair, "If you don't have anything to share with the rest of the class then quieten down."

Both Cass and James stopped talking as a few classmates glanced their way, some of them glaring at the back of their heads, others watching curiously before letting their attention get caught by the Professor as she told them all to take out their wands. 

Cassiopeia blinked twice as suddenly all tables got magically moved to the side of the classroom, leaving all of them students sitting in the chairs with puzzled expressions.

"Place your chairs away and get in a line," Professor Rakepick ordered in a firm voice, her arms waving wildly as she spoke, "You will all get a turn to try out the spell and see your Patronus."

None of the students argued as they quickly pushed their chairs away, letting them squeal against the floorboards before they quickly formed a messy line. Cassiopeia rolled her eyes as James stood in front of her, asking her more questions about Lily. She sighed in relief when Remus, Sirius and Peter came to join them, practically forcing the spectacled boy to change the topic. 

"Has he been bothering you all lesson?" Remus chuckled, noticing the annoyed expression on his girlfriend's face.

"As soon as I sat down," The Slytherin sighed dramatically as the first students tried the spell, only managing to get it after their third try. Cassiopeia watched in awe as bluey-silver light shot out of the wand before it formed into a silver cat that walked around the classroom before strolling over to the girl at the front and cuddling up to her leg before disappearing from sight. 

"Well done, Miss. Jones," Professor Rakepick praised as the Gryffindor girl walked over to the back of the room with a wide grin on her face.

Cass watched quietly as the rest of the students took it in turns to perform their own ones. Some of them getting it on their very first try whilst others tried and tried again, however, before any of them could go to the back of the room they had performed it at least once. James made an excited squeal when it was Lily's turn, his cheeks turning a bright shade of red when the redhead's Patronus turned out to be a doe. 

Cass watched him with an amused grin when Severus Snape's Patronus was also a doe (something Sirius wouldn't stop teasing James about for the rest of the day, especially after it turned out that James' one was a stag). When it finally became Cass' go she couldn't help but feel nervous. 

Gripping her wand tightly, the Slytherin let her blue eyes shut, trying to rack her brain for any happy memory that she could find. She thought about Remus. About the Marauders, Liv and Regulus but that didn't do it. She thought about the first time she felt accepted but that didn't do it either. So, she let her mind wander back to the first time she realised she liked Remus. The first kiss they ever shared. The first time they called each other 'boyfriend' and 'girlfriend'. 

"Expecto Patronum."

Opening her eyes, Cassiopeia widened them as she watched a bluey-silver wolf running around the classroom. His ears were perked up as he circled the students that watched in awe. Her eyes suddenly landed on the boy behind her, his cheeks were bright pink and he was already looking directly at her, his eyes full of an emotion she had never seen in anyone's eyes before. Sirius, Peter and James (the latter of who was already at the very back of the classroom) were looking at the couple with smirks plastered on their faces.

"Well done, Miss. Black," Professor Rakepick's voice caused Cass to finally look away from Remus, her heart fluttering in her chest and her cheeks heating up. The wolf disappeared as the Slytherin walked over towards James, a small smile on her lips.

As soon as she reached the spectacled boy's side he nudged her, "I wonder who that was."

Feeling her cheeks heating up even more, Cassiopeia pushed the Gryffindor boy playfully, "Oh, shut up," She said, refusing to meet his eyes as she felt her heart skipping a beat when she saw Remus' patronus was exactly the same as hers.