Perfect

23. Convince Him

The winter break was over and everyone was getting ready to go back to school. For Cassie, that meant her OWLS were coming up and fast.

They were standing on the platform, about to head onto the train, however, their mother wanted to talk to them, "Children, you understand that under no circumstances, are you to talk to your brother again unless it is to convince him to come back. You must do that before summer, if you don't there will be consequences, understand?" They both hesitantly nodded. She patted their shoulders and they both turned around to board the train.

"How the hell are we supposed to make him come back, I wouldn't even want to come back," Regulus looked towards his sister.

"Brute force?" She offered and Regulus shrugged.

"If we must."

The train ride was the same as always. As school settled back in, Cassie, Theo, Den, Izzy, and Ash were fully in study mode. They couldn't fail their OWLS. It seemed that most people were the same way, studying like crazy.

Den was, unlike him, hunched over a book during study hall. "I've read the same page 6 times and I still don't get it."

Theo, without looking, responded, "is it upside down?"

Densel gave him a blank look and threw something at him, "I'm not that stupid."

Izzy smiled at him and patted him on the back, "of course not, sweetie." Den looked at her offended and she giggled to herself. Ash pretended to throw up and made a motion of stabbing out his eyes with his quill.

Cassie laughed at him and closed her book as she finished her essay. "Did you hear that slughorn is sending out his invitations for the Slug Club early this year?"

Aries sat down next to Theo, "yeah, I heard that too. I even got a glimpse at his list."

Izzy looked at him, "Really?"

Aries nodded and smirked, handing over the list. Densel took it and gave him a look, "did you really have to steal the list?"

Cassie scoffed with a smile, "of course he did." She took the list next and read it off. "Uh, so most of last year's people. New people include Cassiopeia Black, Sirius Black, Lily Evans, Remus Lupin, Theodore Nott, Marelene Mckinnon, and Aries Zabini."

Izzy looked a little disappointed, "dang, oh well," she shrugged, getting back to her work.

"Don't worry, you can be my date to the Christmas party next year," Cassie winked with a laugh and Izzy gave her a flirty smile.

"Oh yeah, are you going to pick me up and kiss me under the mistletoe?"

"Of course," Cassie said as they both leaned on the table, getting closer to one another. Densel glared at his captain and pulled back his girlfriend.

"If you need a reminder," Den told his girlfriend before bringing her in closer and kissed her. Ash took his quill and turned it around. Cassie grabbed it and started trying to wrestle it out of his hands.

"And what is going on here?" McGonagall asked. Everyone stopped what they were doing and looked at her.

"Studying," everyone answered at the same time. McGonagall raised an eyebrow and walked away slowly as they all started to laugh at each other.

Cassie looked behind her to see McGonagall and she had walked away, over to the Gryffindor table. It only took a moment for her to spot her brother who was laughing with his friends and looked happy.

It almost made her feel bad for what she was going to do, but she wanted him back. Maybe it was selfish, but maybe she didn't care.

He and his friends got up from their seats and Cassie looked back to her friends, "well, I'm done, I'll see you guys in the common room." She waved goodbye and got up, walking away from the table and quickly shoving her books in her bag.

The Slytherin raced after the Marauders and followed them through the corridor, "Sirius!" She yelled and the group turned around with their arms crossed. Of course, they probably knew what had happened.

James glared at her and so did Remus, but Peter stayed by Sirius's side, not wanting to be involved with the conflict. "Excuse me boys, but I need to speak to my brother."

James stood in front of him and Cassie stopped with a surprised look, "He's no longer your brother, your family disowned him."

Cassie laughed, "cute, but I still need to talk to him."

"You have to go through–"

"James, it's fine," Sirius told him with a roll of his eyes. James looked at him as he walked past the other two.

"Fine, but we're not leaving," James glared at the snake. She hissed at him and he jumped back a little, satisfying her.

Sirius and Cassie stood across from each other, both with their arms crossed.

"You're coming home for the summer," Cassie told him and Sirius scoffed.

"No, I left, Mother made me leave, so I'm not coming back."

Cassie nodded, "okay."

Sirius gave her a confused look, "what?"

She nodded once more to her brother and uncrossed her arms, "for now, you can stay, but we both know, the day will come where you will be crawling back to the place you belong, the place you always have." Sirius glared at her.

"I don't belong–"

"Yes you do!" She said sternly. "We are your family, I am your family."

"Then come with me," he refuted and Cassie shook her head. "I love you, I can get you out."

"Don't you get it?" Sirius looked at her waiting, "I don't want to leave." he looked at her shocked. With all the abuse they went through, how could she not?

"Just remember, when you want to, I will have you back no questions asked," Cassie smiled at him gently. "You could never do something so bad that we won't forgive you."

Sirius scoffed, "other than marrying someone impure."

"That can always be fixed."

"Alright," Remus butted in. "That's enough, let's go." He grabbed Sirius's arm and tried to grab James, but he was fully rooted in his spot, glaring at Cassie.

"He's my brother," James told her.

Cassie scoffed, "Actually, Potter, he's my twin." Remus pulled again and the group started to walk away, but James stopped again.

"Hey, Black, isn't it a little warm for long sleeves?" James questioned and Cassie raised an eyebrow. She knew what he was implying, but she wasn't going to give in that easily.

"Not for people who follow the uniform dress code for school days," she countered with a smile before turning and walking in the opposite direction of them.

Cassie knew what her mother said, that they needed him back, but if they could delay the Dark Lord, Sirius would come back on his own. It was in their nature, the Black family was insane and you couldn't escape it.