the magic in the music

III

Each year, September 1st was a bittersweet day.

Mainly it brought about feelings of elation and relief, for it meant that Cassie and Sirius Black had survived another summer with the Black family and were finally able to return to their true family. The Marauders were co-dependent at the best of times and found it impossible to spend even a day apart in the castle, so even though Remus, James and Peter spent time together at least once a week, two months without the Black twins was unbearable for them.

The embrace that the five would always share at Kings Cross station felt like no other.

The Marauders were like the personification of a jigsaw puzzle, never quite complete without all the pieces fit together. They were a family, and a damn close one at that.

However, Regulus Black found himself both dreading and anticipating September 1st. He was naturally glad to escape his overbearing and violent parents, but he had little to no freedom at Hogwarts to be who he truly was. He was under immense pressure to agree with his peers, as the proclaimed 'Prince of Slytherin' he couldn't slip for even a second.

Naturally, this meant he couldn't hang out with his sister or brother once September 1st struck.

His sister, with a reputation as a blood traitor amongst his house, took the liberty to keep her distance to protect him. As much as it broke her heart, she knew that a public friendship between the two siblings would cause nothing but trouble for Regulus.

Oh, how he hated that things had to be this way.

If Regulus had any say in the path of his life, he would be in Gryffindor with both of his siblings. They would eat together, laugh together, study together. They would be as inseparable as they were growing up, and he would be surrounded by love and friendship.

Instead, he was condemned to the dark dungeons full of bitterness and loathing.

"I'm gonna miss you Reg. I always do. If you need anything, anything at all, send me our signal, okay? I love you so much. Make good choices" Cassie hugged Regulus tightly, a hug full of love.

Regulus shed a single tear. The only time he ever cried was September 1st.

At the same time, it made him happy that Cassie would finally be happy and surrounded by people that would treat her with the respect she deserves. He hated seeing the way that his parents treated her and witnessing her spirit fade away day by day. He knew that her friends would restore her back to the girl he knew and loved so much, and he'd be glad to see her smile and laugh albeit from a distance.

Besides, he knew that Cassie truly would still be there. They'd developed a signal, in which either sibling would cough three times whilst passing the other that would communicate that they needed one another, and they would meet in the kitchens later that evening to discuss the issue.

"I'm gonna miss you more Cass. Have fun this year, you deserve it. I love you, I won't let you down."

This time, Cassie felt a tear roll down her cheek. For her, Hogwarts was a perfect haven for her to be herself and finally enjoy her life, carving her own path. The only imperfection for her was the lack of contact with Regulus, and the fact she knew that he could never be as happy as her within the castle walls.

"Kreacher has been send to inform Misters and Mistress Black that it is time to apparate to the station. Oh, Kreacher is so happy to finally rid the house of filthy blood-traitors, filthy blood-traitors who upset Mistress Black so much. Kreacher wishes for them never to return, and-"

Kreacher's cruel rant was interrupted by a swift kick from Sirius, who was sick and tired of being treated with such little respect all summer.

Of course, Cassie was far from impressed by this as she sought to always treat living things with respect, but she would be lying if she'd said Sirius was wrong for shutting Kreacher up, and so refrained from scolding her brother as she otherwise would.