Stars {Remus Lupin} ✓

72. HONEY AND FEATHERS

| CHAPTER SEVENTY-TWO |

HONEY AND FEATHERS.

CASSIOPEIA WALKED ARM IN ARM with her younger brother. Both of them were more than excited to finally spend their day together. If the black haired girl wasn't studying for her N.E.W.T.s, she was either talking to Dumbledore about the Order or dealing with the Marauders and the countless of pranks they have been pulling over the last few weeks; saying they need to release all of their 'pranking needs' before going out into the real world. 

She still couldn't stop the worry that rested in her heart whenever she was around Regulus. He looked far too skinny, always saying he wasn't hungry, and the fact that under his sleeve he had the mark was more than enough to make her feel nauseas. Not because she was scared of him, no, it was simply because she knew it wasn't fair. It wasn't fair that Regulus was the one that got roped into it by their parents. It wasn't fair that both of his siblings left him all alone. It wasn't fair that he had to carry this burden on his shoulders every single day. It just wasn't fair, and no matter how many times he would tell his sister that it wasn't her fault in the slightest, she couldn't stop blaming herself; often waking up in a cold sweat due to it.

"Stop it."

Cassiopeia glanced up at her brother, a puzzled expression painted on her face, "Stop what?"

"Stop worrying," He told her softly, glancing down at the shorter girl, "I can see it in your eyes, Cass. Please, for me, just stop."

Cassiopeia let out a deep sigh before putting on a smile, "I was just worrying about the fact that my younger brother is taller than me," She grinned, nudging his side as he let out a hearty laugh. She knew she couldn't dwell on the past - no matter how many times the past would worry her to the core. She knew she had to be strong for her brother, so she tried her very best to be so. 

"So, what do you say we go to--"

Regulus couldn't finish his sentence due to a large bucket of something sticky suddenly fell onto the two Slytherins. Cassiopeia shrieked as a fan came on, resulting in thousands of feathers flying around them before getting trapped in the honey that covered them head to toe. 

"Ha! Got him!" Sirius' voice echoed throughout the hallway.

"Did we? That kind of sounded like a female screaming," James stated.

"Snivellus sounds like a girl," Sirius concluded as the four Marauders came out from hiding, their eyes wide as they stared at not one but two figures covered in feathers, "Oh shit," The black haired boy groaned, biting his lip to keep the laughter at bay.

"I am going to fucking kill you, Sirius," Cassiopeia finally spoke up, her voice eerily calm as she spat out a feather.

"Cass?!" The four boys gauged, instantly feeling guilty, "Who's that with you?"

"Who do you think?" Regulus asked rhetorically. 

"Where's Snivellus then?" Peter questioned, glancing around the corridor with a confused look on his face.

"How should we know that?" Cassiopeia's asked angrily, "You're the dimwits with the Map!"

The four boys smiled sheepishly None of them felt like looking her in the eyes. 

"You don't have the map?" Cassiopeia interrogated, "How?"

"Filch," Remus confessed as he pulled his wand out, muttering a spell that instantly cleaned the two Slytherins up, leaving no trace of honey or feathers on the pair.

"Of course," Cass said shaking her head. She knew one day or another they would get that map confiscated, truthfully though, she thought it would've happened far earlier than it did. 

"What are you two doing together?" Sirius suddenly questioned, raising an eyebrow at the pair.

"We're going to Hogsmeade, why?" Cassiopeia challenged, folding her arms over her chest as she gave her older brother a 'don't you dare start this' look. 

"Are you sure you should be doing that?"

"It's Hogsmeade weekend, of course we're sure," Regulus spoke up, clearly catching Sirius by surprise.

"I wasn't talking to you," Sirius growled, moving his attention from his brother to his sister; who was looking at him with an angry expression, "Cass, can I speak to you?"

"You are speaking to me, Sirius," She spat, her jaw clenched as she glared at him. Earlier that week, Sirius had suggested she spend less time with Regulus due to the certain marking he had on his forearm, but not only was Cassiopeia stubborn, she loved her younger brother with all of her heart and nothing could ever stop her from being by his side; something Sirius always told her would eventually result in her death, but she just brushed him off. Sure, she would die for Regulus - and he would do the exact same for her - but nothing showcased that she would ever need to do so. Not yet anyways.

"Cass..."

"Sirius."

The rest of the Marauders stood around awkwardly, neither of them wanting to make eye contact with anyone and kind of wished they could've just sneaked away from the scene earlier, without being too obvious.

"Do you not remember what I said to you?" He questioned, keeping his voice low as he took a step forwards.

Cassiopeia scoffed, "Of course I remember, but you clearly don't remember what I told you. You can't control me, Sirius, when are you going to learn that?"

"Why don't we all go to Hogsmeade?" James suddenly suggested, ignoring the 'shut up' look he received from Remus, "It'd be fun--"

"No!" All three of the siblings yelled causing James to take a step backwards as he smiled sheepishly at them. 

"When are you going to stop this? Huh?" Cassiopeia asked, directing her eyes back onto Sirius.

"When are you going to stop this?" He asked her, gesturing with his hands to her and Regulus.

Cassiopeia grabbed the younger boy's arm, pulling her with him as she stormed past her older brother, purposefully bumping into his shoulder with hers, "When I'm fucking dead."