𝐁𝐋𝐀𝐂𝐊 | f. weasley

twenty-five

JUST AS LUPIN WAS about to begin the tale about how everything started, the bedroom door swung open, revealing no one. Remus walked out and checked the passageways for any sign of life but didn't find any. Cassie however wasn't satisfied. Doors at the Shrieking Shack didn't just open at their own will. So, she backed into the corner and engulfed in the darkness before casting a disillusionment charm over herself. No one noticed her disappearance – they were all too engrossed with what Remus had to tell them.

Cassie slipped out of the room with the door still left ajar, already knowing the entire story. Remus had told her enough tales and Cassie knew Sirius's side of the story thanks to her father's pensive memories. So, she decided to use this time to find out the real source of the unnatural opening of the door. She walked out of the room, grazing the wall since she had to keep her wand out in case of an attack and it didn't get camouflaged with her surroundings like the rest of her body.

With feathery footsteps, ensuring no one would be alerted of her presence, she took a circle around the floor, poking her wand mid-air wherever it felt warm. She reached the stairway from where Remus and herself had emerged and peered through the opening, checking for any dusty footsteps but due to the huge party that had collected itself in the room, it was difficult to separate the newer footsteps from the older ones. However, she did notice there was a rather large set of footprints on the frame followed by something almost sweeping clean the rest. She crouched down to study them more carefully when she heard it – light, damp, footsteps coming steady fast towards her. With brisk movement, she cast a quick levitation spell over herself and making herself float mid-air. A figure slowly removed its invisibility cloak from above its head to show their greasy black hair, making Cassie curse herself mentally.

Of course, the perpetrator was Snape, she thought to herself and began flying herself towards the bedroom door to somehow warn everyone of Snape's unforeseen arrival. As she softly landed on the floor, she ended up forgetting all about her potion's teacher on hearing Remus. 

"And so, I convinced myself that Sirius was getting into school by using the Dark Arts he learnt from Voldemort and that being an Animagus had nothing to do with it. And then Julia showed up at my home a week before Christmas. She came, knocking at my door when I was away, after disappearing for twelve whole years,"

"What do you mean twelve years? Who looked after Cassie all this while?!" Black exclaimed in horror, surprised the mother of his child had not looked after her all these years. He had hoped that since he had failed in his duties as a father, at least Anna would have kept her promise to be the best mother to Cassie.

"You didn't know she was exiled?" Remus asked, confused about how Sirius didn't know that about his girlfriend.

"EXILED? Who looked after my child? All these years I was gone, you're telling me my child wasn't looked after by her own mother!" Sirius screamed, now grabbing Remus by the collar.

"Sirius, I need you to settle down," Remus replied calmly, gently pushing away his friend's hand, but it didn't budge. Black continued to push Remus to the wall, angry and frustrated on knowing his child grew up without parents. It hurt him, pained him, leaving him in agony. He wasn't even sure about having kids because he was worried that he'll turn exactly like his parents. But then Anna and James helped him and told him to try. So, he did – for Anna, for their child. And then he went ahead and screwed things up one year in – landed himself into prison for a crime he didn't commit. He felt like a failure, a terrible father who couldn't even keep one promise.

"Tell me everything you know, Remus. In one single breath," Sirius commanded, his voice cracking, the anger prevalent in his tone.

"I don't know much. I didn't have much time because it was a school night when I received the letter. I asked Dumbledore and went to my house for half an hour. She came to tell me that she was back. She had heard of your escape and was going to find you. She said she had to. She said that she had made a grave mistake by listening to the moon man and that she was terribly sorry. She asked me to apologise to Cassie if I ever wronged her and not to jump to conclusions with regards to you. That's all I know," Remus sputtered out, his voice still calm despite Sirius's strong hold.