"PANSY—FOR THE LOVE OF MERLIN, PLEASE NEVER TRY TO SING AGAIN," Cassie said, her voice echoing off the walls of the Slytherin common room, where the group was seated in lush armchairs sifting through their assignments.

Draco snorted from his seat by the fire, where he was finishing up an essay. "Oh please. You say that like you're much better. Do you know the singing teacher quit after he heard her sing?"

Cassie retaliated with a grin, "That was deliberate—Narcissa made me join a bunch of useless lessons. She wouldn't agree to a dagger lesson... kept saying how it was not lady-like or some shit."

Theo looked up from his essay, "My grandmother didn't care much—she let me join the dagger lessons."

Cassie's eyes lit up. "So you can use a dagger?! Great, you can teach me!"

Theo shook his head. "Not really... I only learned the basics before I got hurt, and then my grandmother said no."

Cassie shrugged. "Alright, basics it is—we can practice in—"

"CASSIE, CONTROL YOUR FUCKING OWL!" Blaise shouted from across the room.

The other students looked up from their assignments, amused at the chaos unfolding in the common room.

Blaise ran in circles, Mortem, Cassie's black owl, clutching two letters in its claws, hooting continuously and chasing him.

Cassie chuckled. "Mortem," she called, beckoning with her hand. The owl gave a final triumphant hoot and flew to her outstretched arm, dropping the letters into her hand with a soft flutter of wings.

Blaise leaned against a nearby armchair, panting and wiping his brow. "It's just an owl, mate," Theo said, chuckling from his spot on the sofa.

Blaise, still wide-eyed and catching his breath, exclaimed, "IT LOOKS LIKE CASSIE. TERRIFYING."

Draco, lounging elegantly in his chair, glanced over. "What's up, Cassie?" he asked, noticing her reading through the letters.

Cassie rolled her eyes as she skimmed the first letter. "One is from my dad. He says to stop getting in trouble because he's tired of burning the letters."

"And the second," Cassie continued, flipping to the next letter, "is from my dear uncle, of course—something about how I'm a disgrace to the noble House of Black and all that rubbish." She waved her wand dismissively, and the letter ignited, burning quickly to ash in the fireplace.

Everyone frowned slightly as they watched the letter burn, the flames casting flickering shadows on their faces.

Cassie shifted the conversation. "Alright, what's the last assignment?"

Pansy sighed dramatically, rolling her eyes. "Transfiguration—two-page essay on Animagi."

A collective groan echoed through the common room. "Why does McGonagall always give the longest essays?" Theo grumbled, flipping through his textbook.

Everyone muttered their agreement.

"Ever wonder what our Animagi forms would be?" Cassie asked, writing her essay with words as big as possible to fill the page. "I mean, there must be some way we can find out, right?"

"I bet Draco is a ferret," Blaise snorted.

"Ae!" Draco looked over, upset, reaching out to smack Blaise on the head with his book.

Blaise retaliated, swatting back. The two of them ended up in a half-hearted scuffle, shoving each other.

Pansy huffed, rolling her eyes. "Boys."

"You could ask McGonagall. Or Lupin. I heard he's good in Transfiguration," Theo offered.

"Weren't you supposed to meet him today?" Pansy reminded Cassie, raising an eyebrow.

"Oh, fuck yeah!" Cassie stood up abruptly. "Alright, bitches, finish this assignment. I'll copy from you all later."

Everyone nodded, too tired to argue.

Cassie rushed out of the room, her robes billowing behind her.

"Sorry, Lupin, I'm late... WOAH—what the fuck is going on?" Cassie exclaimed as she entered the empty History of Magic classroom, which was unnervingly cold. Potter was standing up from the floor, looking pale and clammy.

"What are you doing here?" Cassie and Potter said at the same time, both appearing infuriated.

Lupin raised his brow, looking between them. "Didn't you get my message?" he addressed Cassie. "I am teaching Harry the Patronus charm."

Cassie shrugged. "Oh, so that's what the message was. I didn't know. The boy you sent, McLaggen. He was so irritating, so I hexed him."

Lupin exasperatedly rolled his eyes. "So, we had two unsuccessful tries... How about you demonstrate once?"

Cassie sighed. "I mean, if I have to. So.... what's the deal? Did you smuggle a Dementor from the entrance?"

Lupin shook his head. "We'll be using a boggart for now."

Cassie frowned, confused. "But mine isn't—"

Lupin interrupted, "Yes, but Harry's is."

Cassie looked over at Harry, who was watching her suspiciously, as if she might attack at any moment.

She sighed, "All right, let's do it then." Cassie took out her wand, standing at a distance from the boggart.

Lupin pulled off the lid of the case, and the dementor rose out of it, its presence filling the room with an icy chill and casting a shadow over everything. Cassie felt a wave of dread wash over her.

With her eyes closed, Cassie focused on the memory of her seventh Christmas with Regulus. They had almost burned the house down trying to bake cookies, covered head to toe in flour, with Regulus frantically trying to douse the flames.

"Expecto Patronum."

A non-corporeal Patronus burst forth from the tip of her wand, a bright white light, its form shifting and shimmering like a ghostly apparition acting like a shield.

"Riddikulus!" roared Lupin, springing forward.

"Excellent, Miss Black," he praised, handing her a slab of chocolate. She nodded in acknowledgment, accepting it. Lupin then handed another slab to Harry, who looked pale but hadn't fainted.

"I'll have one more go! I'm not thinking of happy enough things, that's what it is.... Hang on...." Harry said, determined.

Cassie stepped back, giving him space.

"Ready?" said Lupin, though he seemed to be doing this against his better judgment. "Concentrating hard? All right—go!"

He pulled off the lid of the case, and the dementor rose out of it again.

"EXPECTO PATRONUM!" Harry bellowed. "EXPECTO PATRONUM! EXPECTO PATRONUM!"

His wand emitted a pale white light. A patronus was forming—a huge, silver shadow came bursting out of the end of Harry's wand, hovering between him and the dementor.

"Riddikulus!" roared Lupin. There was a loud crack, and Harry's cloudy Patronus vanished along with the dementor. He sank into a chair, feeling as exhausted as if he'd just run a mile, his legs shaking.

"Excellent, Harry! That was definitely a start!"

"Can we have another go? Just one more go?" Harry pleaded.

"Not now," said Lupin firmly. "You've had enough for one night. Here—" He handed Harry a large bar of Honeydukes' best chocolate.

Lupin offered another one to Cassie. "Eat the lot, or Madam Pomfrey will be after my blood. Same time next week?"

"Okay," said Harry, taking a bite of the chocolate.

Cassie, however, said, "All right, I guess you don't need me to come again, right? My work here is done?"

Lupin looked like he wanted to argue but thought better of it. "Yes, thank you, Miss Black. Ten points to Slytherin for your help."

"Professor Lupin?" Harry asked suddenly. "If you knew my dad, you must've known Sirius Black as well."

Cassie froze at the mention of her father, her hands clenching.

Lupin turned very quickly. "What gives you that idea?" he said sharply.

"Nothing—I mean, I just knew they were friends at Hogwarts too...."

Cassie internally scoffed. Way to be subtle, Potter.

Lupin's face relaxed. "Yes, I knew him," he said shortly. "Or I thought I did. You'd better be off, Harry, it's getting late."

Harry left the classroom, casting a curious glance back at Cassie as he went.

"Miss Black?" Lupin looked up, seeing her standing there.

"He knows."

"He knows what?"

"That Sirius betrayed his parents."

Lupin jerked, looking surprised. "How do you know?"

"Never you mind."

"Can I have a go?" she asked suddenly.

Lupin looked at her questioningly. "At the boggart," Cassie clarified, internally contemplating.

Lupin looked confused.

Cassie took a deep breath, her wand steady in her hand. "He never got to finish what he was saying," she murmured to herself.

Lupin couldn't understand what she was saying, but it obviously was important to her. He opened the lid, letting the boggart out. The boggart, like before, turned into a younger Sirius Black.

Cassie spoke, her voice low, "Come on, say it to my face."

The boggart opened its mouth. "I never wanted you... you were a mistake."

Cassie remained silent.

"I wish I killed you the moment you were born."

Cassie's wand clenched in her hands.

The boggart seemed to be moving forward ever so slightly. "The Potters are my family. You and your mother mean nothing to me. You will never be my daughter. That is why I deserted you. You are worthless. Just die."

Cassie's face was stoic, but her grey eyes blazed with anger. "I wish you killed me, Sirius."

"Riddikulus," she whispered, her voice steady.

With a crack, the young Sirius changed into a dead Sirius with her dagger piercing his chest. Lupin stepped forward, and the boggart shifted into a moon before he waved it away lazily, locking the boggart back into its case.

The room was silent. Too silent. The only sound was the crackling of the flame light.

Out of the corner of her eye, Cassie saw Lupin gazing at her, concern etched across his face. He looked like he wanted to ask something but didn't.

"Go on. Ask, Lupin," she said, her voice breaking the stillness.

Lupin hesitated for a moment, then sighed. "Do you fear him?"

Cassie looked over, shaking her head slightly. "No, I don't. I fear his rejection."

"Why do you carry so much anger for him?"

Cassie scoffed, turning to face him fully. "You heard what the boggart said. That's why. He never wanted me. He wished I was dead."

Lupin looked genuinely sorry. "He never told me he had a daughter... The Sirius I knew—"

Cassie's eyes blazed. "The Sirius you knew, Lupin. The Sirius I knew was different. He abandoned us. Left us to fend for ourselves while he went off with those bloody Potters. He was married too, you know?"

"Married? I had no idea..."

"Yes, married. My mother and I were nothing to him. In his words—just a mistake."

The silence continued.

Lupin finally broke it. "I sometimes think... you are a lot like him. But somehow, very different."

Cassie looked at him, a flicker of vulnerability in her eyes before she masked it with indifference.

"Maybe. But I have no desire to be like him," her grey eyes glowing.

Lupin just stared, unable to find the right words. Cassie gave the packing case with the boggart one last look before striding off.

"Cassiopeia?" Lupin called after her.

Cassie turned around, her hand on the gate.

"I'm sorry," Lupin said softly.

Cassie smiled slightly. "I wish it came from him, but thanks, Moony." She paused, her expression unsure. "Oh, also, call me Cassie."

**************************

SHE IS SOFTENING TO HIM. FINALLY. 
 UK. I REALLY FEEL THAT ROWLING SHUD HAVE HAD AN UNCLE BOND BTW MOONY AND HARRY

SOOO- I THINK IM GONNA LET CASSIE HAVE THAT BOND, COS TECHNINCALLY. IF THEY GREW UP NORMALLY IN HAPPY SURROUNDINGS. LUPIN WOULD BE THEIR UNCLE MOONYY---

LETS SEE HOW THIS PLAYS OUT-

MXRIDDLE