shooting star [s. black]

i.

"Cassie! You've missed some exciting stuff!" The dark haired girl puts her pain brush down and turns around to look at her friends, who are running towards her. The four girls knew that Cassiopeia was in the Astronomy Tower, the minute they didn't see her in the Great Hall. She'd come here more than just often to paint, whether it be the scenery at night, in the day or simply anything else.

"What now?" Cassiopeia giggles as she smiles happily at them. Lily Evans, Marlene McKinnon Mary Macdonald and Dorcas Meadowes, four Gryffindor girls, who somehow found themselves to be friends with the shy Ravenclaw girl.

"Lily finally said yes to James!" Mary says in excitement, making Cassiopeia's eyes widen as she looks at Lily happily. Everyone knows that James Potter is madly in love with Lily, but for years she didn't want to accept that she actually liked him. That is until now.

"Merlin's beard. I can't believe I missed that." Cassiopeia gasps, making Marlene give her a look. From the four girls, even though she loved them all, she's much closer to Marlene and Lily. They'd somewhat become like older sisters to her.

"If you'd just come spend more time with us. You'd have never missed this. Merlin's sake you haven't even met the Marauders properly. You only know them by name." Marlene muses as she looks over Cassiopeia's shoulder to look at the painting and smiling admiringly.

"I don't know. I don't think they'd like me." Cassiopeia says honestly, making the four girls give each other looks.

"Cassie, darling. That's impossible, anyone who doesn't like you is batshit crazy." Mary hums firmly, making Cassiopeia blush and shake her head as she looks down nervously.

"We're all hanging out in the Gryffindor Common Room tonight, you should come." Dorcas says with a wide grin and the other three girls nod. Cassiopeia looks hesitant and they can tell, making Dorcas pout. "Come on. You have to meet Lily's boyfriend! You can't wait until their wedding."

"We literally just started dating. Doesn't mean we're getting married." Lily snorts, making Cassiopeia raise an eyebrow.

"The way you talk about him and the fact that he's liked you this long, means you probably will." Cassiopeia says teasingly and Lily playfully glares at her, as the others giggle with a nod of agreement.

"So will you come?" Mary asks, making Cassiopeia bite her lip as she thinks this through. Of course, she'd have to meet them one day, even if she had spend nearly seven years without actually meeting them.

"I guess. But then you guys will leave me to painting all of tomorrow." She says pointedly, making them nod in agreement and cheer.

"This is so exciting. So not only is Lily about to abandon us for her Prince Charming, you might abandon us for the boys." Mary gasps out dramatically, falling back onto Dorcas, who catches her and rolls her eyes in amusement.

"Don't be foolish. I could never replace you." Cassiopeia giggles as she turns back around and picks up her paint brush. Marlene and Lily move to stand next to the canvas.

"Oh, you wouldn't dare to begin. We are irreplaceable." Lily says with a wink, making Cassiopeia shake her head as she brings the brush to the canvas, slowly moving it along.

"And anyway, who would model for your paintings if not us?" Marlene asks, making the dark haired girl snort and shake her head at the two. Cassiopeia had painted one or two portrays of her friends, and they all hung them in their rooms back home.

"I'm certain Sirius wouldn't mind." Dorcas snickers from behind Cassiopeia, leaning against the wall of the tower. Mary is looking out one of the windows, before looking back up at her friends.

"You're right. I'm sure he'd tire poor Cassie with paintings of him." Marlene says, making Cassiopeia look up with a raise eyebrow in intrigue.

"He sounds like a delight. He's Andromeda's cousin, if I'm not wrong?" Cassiopeia asks, making Marlene nod in confirmation.

"Funny how you're so close to Andromeda, yet never met Sirius." Lily hums, as Cassiopeia puts down her paint brush again, having finished the painting.

"Well, I met her when she was already in a mess with her family and I'm not very big on meeting new people." Cassiopeia points out. She had met Andromeda in Diagon Alley, being absolutely lost in trying to find her way around. Being adopted by Muggles, it had meant her parents were just as clueless as her. Fortunately, Andromeda had seen them and helped them around, since then the two witches have formed an inseparable bond.

"How unfortunately right you are." Dorcas snorts.