Thick snow and frosted grounds heralded the arrival of February. Hogwarts had been swept with a bitterly cold wind from the north that led the students and staff to stay cooped inside to avoid the biting chill. Cassie, however, was quite sick of being stuck indoors all the time, especially when the group of third years sitting at the table behind her in the common room were holding a belching contest whilst she wrote an essay about goblin rights in the nineteenth century.

"That's disgusting," Marlene commented, wrinkling her nose after a particularly loud belch assaulted their ears, followed by the boys' roaring laughter. "Why do they do that?"

"All that hot gas they keep bottled inside has to go somewhere, I guess," Cassie replied, scowling at another belch. "Where's Lily? She's a prefect; they'll listen to her if she tells them to shut their gob."

"In the library," Marlene said, dipping her quill into her inkpot before scribbling a sentence on her paper. "Said she wanted some quiet so she could do her work."

"If I didn't mind Madam Pince breathing down my neck the whole time I'd say we join her, but alas." Cassie shrugged, popping her knuckles and looking out the window.

"How are the blokes?" Marlene asked.

She shrugged again. "Fine. Still arrogant and insufferable idiots, but at least they're my arrogant and insufferable idiots."

Marlene hummed. "And Sirius? Are you still avoiding him?"

Cassie stiffened at the mention of the Marauder, but she kept her expression neutral when she said, "I haven't been avoiding him."

"Really?" Marlene paused in her writing to give her a high-browed glance. "Because you've barely spoken to him in two weeks. That kind of seems like avoiding."

"Focusing on school is not avoiding," she pointed out, scratching at her arm. "You've seen the course load they've given us for O.W.L.s. It's never ending!"

"Then you should tell him that," Marlene said. "He's worried about you, Cass, that much is evident."

Cassie spluttered, her face going red. "Where does he get off on that?"

"Dunno," Marlene said, thankfully not noticing Cassie's flushed face, "but at least let him know you're all right, so he can stop staring at you whenever you walk into a room. I'm surprised you haven't spontaneously burst into flame yet."

"I'm going to gouge his eyes out," Cassie muttered under her breath, low enough so Marlene couldn't hear it, but luckily the blonde witch dropped the subject after that, leaving Cassie alone to brood.

It had been a fortnight since they had broken into Carlisle's office and Sirius's unexpected declaration, and though she hated it, she had to admit Marlene was right—she had been avoiding Sirius; or as much as she could, given the perpetual presence of the Marauders around her. She had allowed them to read what was written of Miranda's story, but she and James had agreed that they would continue the painstaking process of translating their respective books until they got the ending—which was easier said than done, of course, as the amount of homework for the fifth years had increased dramatically upon their return from the holiday in preparation of their O.W.L.s in the summer.

Sirius, to her grudging relief, had yet to bring up the topic of their discussion the night she had stayed in his bed, but a large possibility of that was simply because she never gave him enough time to put in two words to her. She had tried her best to shake that night off as nothing more than a hallucination, but she knew it was pointless—Sirius had feelings for her, apparently, and now waited on her to show her hand. But did she even have a hand to show?

Amidst all the chaos and mystery swirling around her, emotions were the furthest thing from her mind, and she wasn't even sure she felt the same way about him. She wasn't stubborn enough to deny she was attracted to him, but beyond that... His relationship with Marlene was indication enough that he wasn't ready for commitment, and neither was she, so did she want to open a door with him that they may not be able to close again? And what if things went wrong? Where would their friendship be then?

Cassie abruptly shoved back from the table, throwing her quill down atop the pile of homework that was at least as high as the snow outside.

"I'm going to get some air," she said, not waiting for Marlene's response before storming off to the portrait hole and glaring at the third years, who instantly quelled their contest at her dark look.

She clambered out into the corridor, drawing her robes tightly about herself before setting off in the opposite direction of the staircases. For a Sunday, the castle was unusually empty, most students opting to stay in their common rooms rather than risk the draftiness of the corridors, but for this she was grateful. She ambled along the top floors, her thoughts overflowing her brain and bouncing between Will, the locket, Miranda's story, Carlisle, Sirius, and a million other things she didn't know the answers to.

Why had Carlisle been transcribing Miranda's story? And why did she still have that list of the Founders? She had stewed over countless theories during her Defense class when she should have been doing work while Carlisle had gone to pretending she didn't exist, but nothing made sense. The only connection she could figure was that Will had given her the book about Miranda in the first place, but what did their long-dead ancestor have anything to do with it? And why couldn't she figure out what the locket's sodding riddle was?

I just want answers, she thought miserably as she paced along the seventh-floor corridor, ignoring the tapestry of Barnabas the Barmy attempting to teach trolls ballet across from her. I want answers to this stupid locket, I want answers to Miranda's story. I want answers, I want answers, I want answers...

On her third pass, she turned and came to an abrupt halt, blinking rapidly to make sure she wasn't imagining things. But no, something was off. Had that door just appeared out of nowhere?

Cassie approached the door warily. She could have sworn that wall was nothing but blank stone a moment before, but now it boasted a dark wood-paneled door with a tarnished bronze knob, as if it had been there for years.

She tried the knob, discovering that it was unlocked, and she opened the door cautiously, her other hand straying to her robes where her wand was. She stepped inside a small, cozy room not unlike the Gryffindor common room, lit golden by the roaring fire in the hearth. The walls were draped with velvet hangings, the maroon of the material accenting the matching sofa and armchairs and the cherry wood of the furniture.

"What is this place?" Cassie muttered to herself, walking inside and gazing around in bafflement. She had never seen this room before, much less known of its existence—then why was it here, and how did she find it?

She sank carefully onto one of the sofa cushions, finding to her delight that it was as comfortable as it looked, and with the fire before her, she felt as if she could fall asleep right then. But the mystery of the door bugged her. Why had it appeared to her? She thought back to what she had been doing before it was revealed. She had been pacing along the corridor, desperately wishing she could find answers to the many riddles in her life. Was it a wishing-room then?

Cassie concentrated, thinking, I wish I had hot cocoa. She waited, but nothing happened. Strange. What on earth was the purpose of this room, then?

She curled up on the sofa, resting her head on the arm of it and staring into the bright flames, letting her mind wander. The room didn't seem to pose any threat, and it was comfortable...

The next thing she knew, she was in the forest.

She recognized the dark trees and the smell of rotting leaves, but the well was what captured her attention. It was the same well she had seen in her nightmare about Will and the locket. It shone bone-white in the moonlight streaming through the canopy above, and she stepped forward, only to freeze when she heard rapid footsteps approaching through the underbrush behind her.

Despite knowing she was most likely dreaming, she still darted behind a wide-trunked oak just as two figures entered the clearing, marching toward the well.

She clapped a hand over her mouth to stifle her gasp when she recognized the two people. One of them was a woman, tall and regal in flowing crimson robes, her dark hair swallowing the moonlight, her features sharp and calculating. The other was a man who was the opposite of the woman, his hair bright gold and his robes of the same hue, making him to be a sun amongst the night. It was Miranda and her lover from Cassie's previous dream, and she watched in rapture as they stopped before the well.

"I can't believe you were so foolish," Miranda said, and Cassie shivered—even her ancestor's voice resembled her own. Miranda gestured to the well. "There is a curse that lies upon those who betray the Thief. How could you have killed him?"

The man scoffed, shaking his mane of golden hair. "The Thief was the one who crossed me. That curse is his own."

Miranda looked exasperated. "Magic always comes with a price, Godric. I have told you this before."

Cassie started, ducking back behind the tree as her head reeled; that man, Miranda's lover, was Godric Gryffindor? The great wizard who had helped found Hogwarts, the patron of her own House?

Miranda reached up and grasped something at her throat, and Cassie saw the clockwork locket gleaming there.

"I knew this locket was cursed," she said. "You stole it from his treasure trove once he was dead, did you not?"

At this, Godric looked slightly abashed, but his tone was defensive. "No. I was given it in exchange for my gauntlet. But as he cheated me into the deal, I struck him down and took both the locket and gauntlet back."

"I do not like this, Godric," Miranda admitted, a troubled frown creasing her lips. "Gwarwyn-a-throt was the guardian of this forest; his absence will be deeply felt, and I am afraid many grave consequences will arise from this."

Godric chuckled, stepping forward and wrapping Miranda in his arms.

"You worry too much, my love," he murmured, stroking her hair. "I am fine. No harm shall befall me, nor you."

Miranda still looked worried, but she nodded. "I know."

Godric smiled softly, pressing a kiss to Miranda's forehead just as something shifted in the night air.

The nighttime breeze died like a man's last breath left his body, and the trees went eerily still. The air turned stifling, and Cassie struggled to breathe properly, her lungs seeming to shrink in her chest. The only sound she could hear was her ragged breathing, rattling and crackling, and she tried to hold her breath, praying that whatever was happening would pass. To her intense horror, however, the rattling noise did not stop, and she realized that the sound she heard was slithering. Something was coming, slinking through the underbrush like a serpent, and her knees began to wobble as soon as she heard the hissing.

"Go," Godric said, pushing Miranda away from the well. He drew his wand and a ruby-encrusted sword from his side while Miranda stared in the direction of the hissing, frozen in fear. "Run!"

A scintillating voice crept through the trees, a hoarse laugh that made the hair on Cassie's neck stand straight up.

"Yesss, run," the voice hissed. "Only a fool would face me..."

Sparks shot from Godric's wand as he brandished his sword. "Face me, beast!" He glanced over his shoulder, his eyes ablaze. "Miranda, go!"

Cassie stared at her ancestor, watching her face—so similar to her own—shift through fear, anger, and then resolve. Miranda reached into her robes and extracted her wand. Determination glinted in her eyes, but suddenly that glint faded when Miranda's other hand came to rest on her lower abdomen. Uncertainty filled her gaze.

A baby, Cassie realized. Oh, Merlin, she's pregnant...

Cassie took a step forward—to do what, she didn't know. Help? Fight? Flee? But she had barely taken more than a step before the clearing erupted into darkness, and she was thrown to the ground—

She bolted upright, scrambling for her wand before she realized she was back in the cozy room, away from the forest. She was on the floor now—she must have fallen off the couch at some point. She hauled herself to her feet, stowing away her wand.

The room was dreadfully warm, much like the forest had been in her dream, and she pushed her sweaty hair off the back of her neck, breathing deeply and trying to calm her racing heart.

That hadn't been an ordinary dream—that she knew for certain. She had asked for answers, and the room had provided her with a vision to the past, to Miranda and the story of Gryffindor's gauntlet.

Godric had slayed Gwarwyn-a-throt, and in doing so, he had been cursed, though he had managed to obtain both the clockwork locket and his gauntlet once more. Cassie touched the locket sitting on her chest uncomfortably, wondering if it was actually cursed. Remus had said as much before, but had she been wrong to disbelieve him?

But Will had had the locket before her. He had been the one to enchant it, and he didn't seem cursed. Yet he hadn't worn it, as far as she could tell, which only made her discomfort increase. She chose not to dwell on that for the time being, however, and pieced together the rest of the vision before she forgot anything.

The well. She had seen it before in a previous dream, but now she knew that it was the Thief's Well. But why had Godric and Miranda been meeting there, if the Thief had cursed Godric and the locket?

Godric... Miranda's mysterious lover had been Godric Gryffindor. Cassie thought back to the passage she had read about Miranda in her book of ancestry, recalling that Miranda had had a child out of wedlock and had refused to name the father. Was Gryffindor the father, then? He had been a mentor of hers once she had graduated Hogwarts, along with Salazar Slytherin. Had the two fallen in love? But why would Miranda have kept it a secret? And that voice...

Cassie shuddered, her blood going cold at the mere remembrance of that awful voice. What was it, or whom? Why had Miranda been so frightened of it? She was already pregnant by that point, of course, but the fear in her eyes...it had been pure, undiluted terror. Miranda had been genuinely afraid of whatever creature was slinking through the trees that night.

Cassie sank back into the sofa cushions. Her fingers still fiddled with the locket chain, her mind turning gears like the little mechanics inside. Suddenly seized by an idea, she grasped the locket and held it to her lips, her breath warming the ruby there as she whispered, "Sparks."

The locket sprang open at once, and that same haunting, bodiless voice began to speak, sounding exactly as she remembered it:

"A thousand years' slumber,

In a tomb beyond light,

If Darkness adds to its number,

The world shall fall to night."

"A tomb beyond light..." Cassie said, testing the words on her tongue. "A thousand years' slumber..." Her mind flashed back to the well, and her heart skipped a beat. Could the well be the tomb Will was referring to? And a thousand years' slumber...could that be the creature? That voice in her dream had sounded so ancient, so powerful. Had it been sleeping for a thousand years? Was that what Carlisle was looking for in the Forbidden Forest?

Cassie leapt to her feet. She had to find the others—she had to tell them!

She lurched for the door, yanked it open, and dashed into the corridor only to collide with something solid. She landed on the floor painfully, letting out a startled yelp, and she thought with some disgruntlement that her bum was going to be very sore the next day as someone said, "Blimey, Cass, I know I said I'd wait for you, but you don't have to physically throw yourself at me as your answer."

Cassie glared up at Sirius. "What are you doing here?" she asked, more rudely than she intended. His eyes flickered before he shrugged.

"I could ask you the same thing." He gestured to the wall behind her, which had returned once more to solid stone, no evidence that there was even a door there to begin with. "Though it seems that would be a waste of breath, considering that door you just came through."

"Wait, you know about the room, too?" she said. He nodded.

"Since last year," he said. "There's always been rumors about it, of course—the Come-and-Go Room, the Vanishing Loo, all that rubbish. But looks like you found it, too." His sharp grey eyes focused on her quizzically. "Why are you still on the floor?"

"Because you knocked me down," she answered testily, but she stood up nonetheless, brushing off her clothes.

"Sorry," he said, "but you were the one who ran out of there like a loon in the first place."

"I was in a hurry," she said, wishing he would stop smirking at her like that.

"For what?"

"To talk to you lot," she said, gesturing him down the corridor after her, and he fell into step easily beside her.

"Is it something to do with the room?" he asked. "How long have you known about it, anyway?"

"I just found it today," she said. "I was frustrated so I started pacing along that corridor, wishing for answers, and when I turned around, the door was there."

"Answers to what?" he said, but she only shook her head, propelling herself toward the Gryffindor common room. They remained silent until they reached the portrait hole, where Cassie told the Fat Lady, "Lionheart."

The portrait swung open, permitting them entrance, and they clambered in, heading for the chairs by the fireplace where the other Marauders sat. They leaned close together, speaking in hushed tones, though they quieted and looked up when they approached.

"Good, you found her," James said, sitting up and readjusting his glasses.

Cassie looked between James and Sirius, confused. "Why were you trying to find me?"

"Because of this." James held up the parchment containing Carlisle's transcribed version of Miranda's story and the original copy in Miranda's book, looking extremely pleased with himself. "I managed to translate the rest of the story."

"Let me guess," she said. "Godric completes the three tasks for the Thief, the Thief tricks him into giving up his gauntlet, Godric doesn't like that so he kills the Thief to get his gauntlet back and takes a locket for good measure, which happens to be the one I'm currently wearing, and ends up being cursed by the Thief for the rest of his days?"

All four boys stared at her, unblinking.

"How in the bloody hell did you know that?" Peter said in awe.

"Dreamed it," was all she replied as she took a seat between him and Remus. "Don't ask me how or why; it just happened."

"The locket Godric took is yours?" Remus said. "But—how?"

Cassie told them about her dream while they listened in rapture, their eyes growing wider with every sentence. When she finished, the four boys exchanged a hard glance.

"So, let's get this straight," James said, spreading his hands. "Miranda's story about Gryffindor's gauntlet is real, and the locket he stole from the Thief is the one that you have, after Will enchanted it. Gryffindor was also Miranda's secret boyfriend, who was cursed after killing the Thief. The tomb Will refers to in his message could be the well, and this creature—the one Carlisle may be looking for—could have been sleeping there for a thousand years."

"What about the second part of the riddle, though?" Remus asked. "The part about Darkness adding to its number? What's that supposed to mean?"

"Death Eaters?" Peter suggested, but Sirius shook his head.

"Why would Will be warning about Death Eaters if he is one, Pete?"

"Because he's not on their side," Cassie said, interrupting their speculating. "It's like I said before; Will wants me to solve this mystery, and I think it's because he needs help."

They all shared an uncomfortable glance, but Cassie ignored them. She had her own doubts of where exactly Will's allegiance lay, but she was unwilling to discuss that with them, not when she could hold onto some small hope for her brother.

"We have to find out what's in the Forest," she said.

Sirius reeled back as if she had said something profoundly deranged.

"Are you mad?" he demanded. "That place is a deathtrap! Let Carlisle find whatever's in there—good riddance if she dies trying."

"But Will gave the locket to me," she argued. "I'm the one having the dreams here! And that means I'm the one who's supposed to find what's hidden in there."

"This is barking," Peter said. He looked to the others in dismay, shaking his head. "You lot realize how mental this sounds, right? We're kids! Why do we have to be the ones to deal with weird lockets and bloodthirsty monsters? We should just forget about all this and go back to living normal lives!"

"Aw, c'mon, Pete, I thought you weren't scared of a little adventure?" James teased.

"I'm not," he snapped. "I just think this is all getting to be too much, y'know? I mean, do we even know this isn't some sick, twisted joke?"

"Believe what you want, Peter," Cassie said, standing from her chair and looking down at the mousy boy imperiously. "But I'm going to solve this damn mystery, even if it kills me."

And with that, she turned and went back to her seat with Marlene, conceding that right then, her Transfiguration homework was more important than all the secrets in the world.

"Hand me the crushed dragonfly wings, please."

Cassie handed over the jar without looking up from the parchment she doodled on. Sirius took it from her before dumping the correct measurement into their cauldron. Double Potions was dreadfully slow that morning, and the fact that they were supposed to be working on Lethargy Potions wasn't making it go by any faster, especially since Cassie was still hesitant to talk to Sirius like she normally would.

"Horned antebellum extract."

Cassie passed over the vial. Sirius sighed. "Cass, are you even paying attention? You gave me earwig legs."

She looked over, seeing that she did indeed give him the wrong ingredient. She took back the incorrect vial and searched for the right one, scratching her nose with her quill. She found the correct vial and handed it over, only to find Sirius staring at her with a furrowed brow. "What?"

"You're distracted," he said. He leaned in closer, lowering his voice, and she tensed when she caught a whiff of his cologne, her mind blinking back to that night outside the portrait hole. "Is it about your dream?"

Cassie blew out her cheeks, nodding.

"It's been bugging me all week," she admitted. "It's like trying to connect dots, but every time I draw a line to one thing, eight more dots pop up." She shook her head. "I feel like I'm just missing something so obvious, but I can't figure out what."

"It'll come together soon," Sirius said. After a moment of hesitation, he reached over and took her hand in his, giving her fingers a reassuring squeeze. "I don't know when, but I believe you can figure it out."

Cassie gave him a soft smile, her heart feeling lighter than it had in days. It had been the first time in two weeks that she didn't want to run away screaming from him, and his eyes softened when he saw her smile.

"Thanks, Sirius," she said. "That means a lot. But I just can't help thinking..." She trailed off, shrugging. He squeezed her hand again, and her heart jumped in response.

"What?" he urged.

"Something Peter said on Sunday," she said. "About wondering if this is all some elaborate joke. I feel like this is all important, but at the same time...what if it isn't? What if Will really is doing this because he just doesn't care? Just to rattle my cage or something?" She shook her head again, raking her hair out of her face. "I'm just not sure what to believe anymore."

"I see a lot more talking than brewing back there, Mr. Black and Miss Alderfair!" Professor Slughorn said jovially from his desk, and the two jumped at the sound of his booming voice. Cassie retracted her hand from Sirius's grip on reflex.

"Sorry, Professor," the two said in unison, going back to their potion. Once it was the correct shade of cerulean, Sirius set down the scales, looking back to Cassie.

"I'm going to be honest, Cass," he said. "I don't know the answers to this. But one thing I know is that you won't give up, no matter what the outcome is. You're stubborn, Merlin knows, but it makes you the most determined person I know. If anyone can solve Will's riddle, it's you."

Cassie couldn't help smiling at him, her chest swelling with gratitude. "I hope so. Also, you're on fire."

The dark-haired Marauder smirked, a roguish look coming over his features. "Why thank you. I do look rather dashing today, it's true—"

"No, I mean you're actually on fire."

Sirius looked down to find his sleeve ablaze, having perched it too close to the fire beneath the cauldron. He yelped, standing so abruptly his stool crashed to the floor.

"Merlin's bloody staff!" he cried, yanking out his wand as the class collectively turned to watch him frantically dancing around with his flaming sleeve. "Aguamenti! Aguamenti!"

The water doused his sleeve, killing the fire, and after a moment of shocked silence, the classroom erupted with laughter. After a few seconds Sirius joined in, striding over to James to no doubt perform an overdramatic reenactment of the ordeal while Professor Slughorn half-heartedly attempted to calm the class down, though he chuckled as well.

Cassie continued to giggle, though her mirth was quelled when another body slid onto the now-upright stool next to her.

"Quite the spectacle, but I expect nothing less from Black, honestly."

Cassie stiffened at Avery's voice. The last time she had spoken to him had been at Slughorn's party before Christmas, and the handsome Slytherin had left her with vague answers she had been mulling over for months since.

"Can I help you with something, Avery?" she asked.

"Perhaps you can," he replied smoothly. "You've been digging, and it's been garnering some attention."

"Digging into what?" she asked, trying her best to sound innocent.

Avery leaned closer, placing his palm flat on the table. She eyed his hand warily.

"I'm not saying it here," he breathed, so close his breath fanned her face. She flicked her eyes up to see if anyone was watching, but no one was, as Sirius captivated the class with his recount of the event that just transpired.

"Then where?" she said.

"Tomorrow before the Quidditch match. Meet me in the entrance hall, and then we can speak freely."

Cassie deliberated for a moment, sizing him up before finally nodding.

"Fine," she said. "Come prepared with answers, though; I have a lot of questions."

He inclined his head. "Fair enough. Tomorrow, then."

He went back to his seat next to James unnoticed, and Cassie began to stir her potion, remaining silent for the rest of the lesson.

When the bell rang, Professor Slughorn let them go, bidding them farewell and reminding them of the Valentine's party he was throwing the coming Tuesday. Cassie walked out of the dungeons with the Marauders, not speaking until Remus nudged her shoulder.

"You all right, Cass?" he asked. She forced a smile, giving the sandy-haired boy a nod.

"Yeah, fine," she said, her eyes drifting from his face to seek Avery's form just ahead of them.

Avery turned back at the last second as he whisked around the corner leading to the Slytherin common room, and she saw the flash of his shockingly blue eyes before he was gone, lost in the sea of faces between them.

xx

The Great Hall was a drone of chatter when Cassie walked in with the girls the next morning, talk and speculation of the looming Gryffindor versus Hufflepuff match all anyone could speak of. The four Gryffindor girls took their usual seats at the table, chatting quietly and beginning to eat as the Hall swelled with more and more people.

"Hopefully this match is short," Marlene said, dumping a generous amount of gravy onto her plate. "This weather is dreadful."

Cassie looked up after spooning a bite of porridge into her mouth, seeing that Marlene was right; the enchanted sky depicted a swirling mass of grey clouds, and icy sleet lashed the windows outside.

"I just hope Gryffindor wins," Lily said, perusing her copy of the Daily Prophet, but she glanced up when everyone stared at her. "What?"

"Since when do you care about Quidditch?" Alice asked incredulously, and the redhaired witch huffed.

"I don't," she said. "But that doesn't mean I'm not allowed to want us to win!"

She went back to reading her newspaper, and Alice leaned in close to Cassie.

"Who d'you reckon she's got her eye on?" she whispered, and Cassie shrugged.

"You can never know with her," she whispered back. "Perhaps she just woke up this morning with a newfound attraction to the Snitch."

Alice snorted into her goblet, spraying pumpkin juice everywhere, and Cassie laughed as Marlene and Lily were left to clean up the mess with varying expressions of disgust. However, her laughter was cut short when two people slid onto the bench on either side of her, forcing Alice to scoot over with a scowl as two more figures sat across from her, though with much more courtesy.

"Morning, Princess," James said, clapping her on the shoulder with his arrogant grin already in place. "Enjoying breakfast?"

"I was," she said, raising her brows pointedly as she ate another spoonful of her porridge. "Why aren't you sitting with the team?"

"Prongs misses you terribly," Remus cut in before James could say anything. "He's devoted to you, Cassie; some might even say he's obsessed."

Cassie snorted as James slung an arm around her shoulder.

"Maybe I am, Moony," he said. "Can you blame me? Our Princess is one-of-a-kind!"

"Gross, James, get off," Cassie said, shoving the lanky boy's arm back to his side. "Stuff your adoration for when I'm not eating."

James pouted. "Well, if you're gonna be like that, Cass, I guess I'll just find someone new." He pivoted in his seat to face Lily, who studiously ignored the boy in front of her and pretended to be interested in whatever article she was reading, though Cassie could see that her eyes weren't moving. "What d'you say, Evans?"

"Save it for someone who actually likes you, Potter," she retorted. "Though that might be a challenge, considering how annoying you are."

"Evans, you wound me," James said, pressing a hand to his heart, and Cassie rolled her eyes. Once James got going with Lily, there was no stopping them, so she turned to Sirius instead.

"Ready for the match?" she asked him, pushing a goblet of pumpkin juice toward him once she saw that he wasn't eating.

He gave her a sidelong glance but accepted the goblet with a casual shrug. "It's Hufflepuff; we'll be scraping them off the field once we're done with them."

"You should at least eat an apple or something; get some energy in you."

He quirked a half-grin at her, the one that always made her stomach swoop nowadays, but she ignored it, instead watching him reach for the bowl of apples and taking one.

"Whatever you say, Mum," he teased, taking a bite. She rolled her eyes, though she couldn't help smiling. It seemed that the awkwardness that had been plaguing them for the last few weeks had dissipated, but whatever strange feelings that still lingered in her gut had not, to her disappointment.

They ate in comfortable silence, though Cassie kept glancing to him out of the corner of her eye frequently. He looked wonderfully tousled that morning, his hair falling in waves and framing his strong jaw and high cheekbones, and his eyes were bright. She watched him take another bite of his apple and wondered what it would have been like if he had kissed her that one night: How would his lips have felt pressed against hers? His hands holding her to him? Her fingers knotted in his hair?

Heat began to pulse through her, and she quickly took a drink from her goblet, hoping no one had noticed how red her face had become.

"Well, time for us to go," James announced, getting to his feet. He shoved a last piece of bacon into his mouth while Lily glared at him, indignant. Thankfully, Cassie had missed the end of their bickering, though she would no doubt hear all about it later.

Sirius made to get to his feet, but Cassie put a hand on his arm, stopping him.

"Good luck," she said. "I know you'll be great."

"I always am," he said, winking at her. On some erratic impulse, Cassie leaned forward and pecked him lightly on the cheek.

He looked delightfully startled when she pulled away and went back to her porridge, her face burning, and only after several prompts from James did he get up and leave, abandoning her to the circling sharks who had witnessed the exchange.

"Cassiopeia Alderfair, what the bloody hell was that?" Marlene demanded.

"Did you just...kiss Sirius Black?" Alice asked, as if trying to put the pieces in order.

"Sirius Black," Lily echoed incredulously. "Sirius Black?"

"Did I miss something?" Remus asked, looking between them all in confusion. "What just happened?"

"Anyone want the rest of the bacon?" Peter asked.

"I was wishing him luck," Cassie said, ignoring Remus and Peter and shrugging. "'S not a big deal."

"I wished Potter luck by telling him to shove his broomstick up his arse," Lily said.

"Two totally different things, Lils," Alice pointed out.

"Curious," Marlene said, her blue eyes raking over Cassie intently. "I'd heard dear old Sirius had broken things off with Jennifer Flynn as soon as it started—could this be why?"

"I have no idea what you're talking about," Cassie said coolly. "Pete, pass the bacon."

"Er...sorry, Cass. I already ate it."

"Don't change the subject!" Marlene said. "Cassie, are you and Sirius—?"

"Merlin's sake, there is no me and Sirius!" Cassie said, throwing up her hands in exasperation. "And there never will be, as far as I'm concerned. Now, shove off, please."

The five all shared a glance that Cassie ignored, keeping her gaze focused on her bowl as she finished the last of her breakfast. What had she been thinking? First with the kiss, and now with this?

She could never be with Sirius. He was a Marauder, one of Hogwarts's elite, and no matter what she did, how much she tried to convince herself otherwise, she was still the Invisible Girl with the Death Eater brother. Whatever infatuation she had with him, whatever illusion she was under, she had to put a stop to it. Some things were never meant to be, and unfortunately, she and Sirius fell under that category. And after what he had just done to Marlene, and Marlene being her friend -- Merlin, what kind of friend did that make her?

She remained silent as they made their way out of the Great Hall, her steps slowing when they reached the entrance hall. No one noticed when she fell behind and eventually ducked behind a pillar where Avery waited for her.

"I'm glad to see you remembered our little meeting," Avery said. "A shame we'll have to be late to the match, though. I very much wanted to see Hufflepuff lose their nerve."

"Rooting for Gryffindor?" Cassie shook her head. "What would your housemates say?"

He smirked. "A Hufflepuff loss is a step closer to Slytherin thrashing Gryffindor."

"I forget you play for Slytherin." She sniffed. "Well, are we doing this or not? Let's get it over with."

"Not here." He looked around before beckoning her after him with a finger. After a moment of hesitation, she followed him down the staircases that led to the dungeons. For a wild second, she thought he meant to take her into the Slytherin common Room, but he turned at the intersection where Professor Slughorn's classroom was, leading her to a door she never spared a second thought to that she passed every day.

They entered an empty classroom, one that Hogwarts obviously never utilized anymore going by the amount of cobwebs and the thick layer of dust coating the place. The only source of light came from the torches in the hall outside, and the dust muted her footsteps as she walked farther inside.

"What is this?" she asked. "It's like it hasn't been used in years."

"It hasn't," Avery said from behind her. "It's one of the Bloody Baron's favorite hideouts nowadays, but several hundred years ago it was a classroom. Hogwarts stopped using it when it began to flood every few days or so; some kind of curse, they reckon, since they could never get it to stop."

He closed the door, plunging them into darkness. Cassie reached into her robes, pulling out her wand and muttering, "Lumos."

She watched as Avery crossed over to a lamp and lit it with his wand, casting the room in eerie firelight, and she extinguished her wand. She opened her mouth, about to ask what he wanted to talk about before the door opened again, and in walked Regulus Black.

Cassie whirled on Avery. "What is he doing here?"

She jabbed an accusing finger at the younger Black, but Avery was unconcerned, instead addressing Black. "You were nearly late."

Black shrugged carelessly. "I had to find a way to get rid of Sloane and Vanity; they wouldn't leave me alone." His gaze traveled to where Cassie stood, her hand near her pocket warily, and he sneered. "Besides, I'm still not convinced that talking to my brother's unrequited love is in our best interest."

"No one said you had to stay," Cassie said waspishly, avoiding the younger Black's nettled comment about her and his brother.

"She's right, Reg," Avery said. "You can leave, but I think you know what will happen if you do."

Black shrugged again, but he didn't leave, instead choosing to take a seat at one of the ancient desks.

Cassie looked back to Avery. "Any more surprise guests I should be aware of?"

Avery shook his head, grabbing one of the decrepit chairs and murmuring, "Scourgify." Instantly the grime was cleaned off it, and he sat down. Cassie remained standing.

"Word spread about your little jaunt to Carlisle's office," he began without preamble. "We know you found something; what was it?"

"Why in Godric's name would I tell you two?" she demanded. "I know some of the Slytherins are working with her, and you two have made it very clear that you're involved somehow."

The two boys traded a glance before Avery turned back to her.

"Yes, we are involved," he said. "But not in the way you think."

She glared at them, unmoving. "Explain."

Avery glanced at Black, who remained expressionless before turning to her once more with a sigh.

"Carlisle is a Death Eater," he said, and Cassie's heart jumped. She had been right! "Dumbledore knows, but he foolishly thinks that he can trust her after she spouted some sob story about being a defector."

"Bloody fool," Black mumbled, but Avery continued as if he hadn't said anything.

"She came to Hogwarts with the purpose of finding something," he said. "We're not sure what, but she only said that it was something of value to Gryffindor. She's spent this whole year trying to look for it, but she's had no luck so far. That's why she started to recruit us" —he gestured to himself and Black— "those of us who either have Death Eater ties or are interested in becoming one ourselves."

"And which are you?"

Avery smiled ruefully, tugging up the sleeve of his left arm and exposing to her nothing but flesh. "My father is one, which is why she came to me. Regulus..."

"That's none of your business, Gryffindor," he spat. She narrowed her eyes, but decided to let it go, instead turning back to Avery.

"So, that extra credit wasn't really extra credit after all," she said.

"No, but I'm sure you guessed that already." She nodded. "She recruited select students to begin researching Gryffindor and the rest of the Founders for her, but considering how much she tells us—which is nothing—it's been understandably difficult. The only reason why we know as much as we do is because we're smart enough to put the pieces together."

"That still doesn't explain why you two are talking to me," she interrupted. Black audibly sighed, and she shot him a glare that he ignored.

"You're the only one who's a step ahead of Carlisle," Avery said. "You have answers, and we may have information that could get you more."

"Why help me?" she demanded. "I'm sure Carlisle and your Death Eater-aspiring friends won't be pleased if they find out about this."

"Oh, trust me, they won't," Avery said, with a touch of sardonic humor. "Which is why we're counting on you not to tell anyone about this—including those insufferable Gryffindor idiots you insist on calling friends."

"Why not?"

"I'm inclined to believe that they won't be pleased with you if they found out you spoke to us on your own."

She should have turned and walked out right then. She had promised James that there would be no more secrets. But this was her mystery, and she didn't need their permission to speak to whoever she wanted. It was that thought that stayed her resolve, and she grudgingly nodded at Avery.

"Why are you helping me?" she repeated.

Again, the two Slytherins traded a glance.

"Carlisle is losing it," Avery said. "She's let this task go to her head. It was on the Dark Lord's orders that she came here and accepted the Defense Against the Dark Arts position so she could station herself closer to finding whatever artifact he's looking for, and her lack of progress shows to him. She's obsessed with becoming his most trusted lieutenant, but with nothing in her arsenal, she's left on the outer circle, trying to win back his favor. It's making her paranoid and volatile, and she's begun to threaten the students under her sway if they don't find anything useful to her."

"So, that's why you need me?" she asked drily. "So she doesn't punish you?"

Avery shook his head in frustration. "You're not listening, Cassie. We're trying to help you."

"But why? So Carlisle can torture me once I find what she's looking for and take it for herself?"

"Merlin, you're stupid," Black scoffed, and Cassie whirled on him angrily. His grey eyes, duller than his brother's, bored into her. "Your brother is giving you clues left and right, Gryffindor, but you're still stuck with your head in the sand! The Dark Lord is planning something with whatever he's looking for—something incredibly Dark. Your brother wants to find the artifact before the Dark Lord does to prevent whatever it is that he's planning. That's why he's using you as his secret weapon. To the Dark Lord, you're untouchable—you can do whatever and he would have no idea."

Cassie thought of the locket and the book. Will had been the one to give her those...

"If you were the one to find the artifact before Carlisle, you could get rid of it before she ever even knew you had it," Black continued. "The Dark Lord's plan would ground to a halt, and your brother could escape before he even bothered to look in the direction of his devoted servant."

Cassie was staggered. "This whole time... Will... He was helping me?"

"He's taking a stand against the Dark Lord," Avery said, his eyes shining. "He's giving hope to all of us who had no choice but to follow a Death Eater's path."

"He's giving hope to you," Cassie realized, looking between the two. "You don't want to become Death Eaters."

"Of course not," Black snapped. "Anyone who calls himself Dark Lord can kiss my ass."

Avery grinned faintly. "I wouldn't have put it in those exact terms, but essentially, yes."

Cassie's throat tightened. Finding out that Will was on her side... There were no words to describe it. She had been right. Her brother wanted out, and he wanted to send You-Know-Who off with the biggest middle finger while he did it. She had been right.

She looked up, staving off tears as she met the eyes of the two Slytherins. "What do you need me to do?"