DANCING QUEEN ᵐᵃʳᵃᵘᵈᵉʳˢ ᵉʳᵃ

1 - how to avoid your 20 enemies

"HOWDY GRYFFINDORS," CASSY GRINNED up at her friends from her crouching position. They were seated at the Gryffindor table waiting for the sorting ceremony to begin, and Cassy was attempting to hide from the other Gryffindors at the table, knowing they wouldn't like her there.

"What are you doing here?" Alice asked warily, eyes darting around to see how many people were watching.

"Whatever happened to 'Hi, how was your summer'?" 

"You know how easily Gryffindors are angered, you might be able to fight a couple of kids, but you can't fight a whole house." Cassy opened her mouth, but Alice knowingly cut her off, "That wasn't a challenge."

Cassy scoffed, "Okay, mom. Anyways, who wants to go scare the first years?"

"No, thanks," Marlene rolled her eyes, remembering all too well the last time they had tried to do that.

Alice agreed, and Cassy let out an angry huff, making strands of her hair fly. "You guys are so boring."

"Sorry I don't want to get in trouble with Minnie again." Alice raised her eyebrows, unimpressed.

"You guys were hardly in trouble. I took the main hit."

"Because it was your idea."

"Because Minnie hates me. She hates Slytherins. She practically jumps at the opportunity to get me in trouble."

"Yeah, probably." Marlene shrugged. "But to be fair, if I was a teacher you would be my worst nightmare,"

There was quiet for a long moment before Cassy eventually let out a relieved sigh and spoke. "Okay, Regulus is seated. I can go back."

"You can't avoid him forever, you know," Alice said with a sympathetic smile.

"He started it. I'm simply continuing it." Cassy said defensively before spotting someone else come through the halls. "And Black-Brother-Part-2 is here, see you guys later."

"At this point, just sit with the Ravenclaws," Marlene called after her friend with a snort.

"Can't, Kaity's there," she said with a sheepish smile, standing up and beginning to walk backwards to her table. 

It was well-known by everybody that Cassy held a bunch of grudges — having anger issues in a school full of angsty kids wasn't the best situation.

"And Hufflepuff?" Marlene smirked.

Cassy scrunched up her nose. "Derek,"

"Of course, how could I forget." She rolled her eyes.

Alice looked up from her book and her eyes widened. Frowning at her friend's reaction, Cassy turned to look at where she was going and came face to face with Sirius. They both froze.

He had been walking with his friends, and they stopped too, watching the two of them awkwardly stare at each other.

"Hey, Cassy. How's it going?" James said, in a pathetic attempt to break the stiff silence.

"Oh, you know..." Cassy said weakly. She didn't finish her phrase and the next thing she knew, she was speed walking towards her table.

James watched her leave, sit down at her table and then promptly sink into her seat, hands covering her face. Turning back to Sirius, James watched his friend groan angrily before slumping down into a nearby spot on the bench, exactly like Cassy had just done. James bit back a laugh as he sat down beside his best friend.

"She hates me," Sirius whined, flopping down onto the table.

"She doesn't hate you." Remus rolled his eyes, taking a seat beside Peter, across the table from him and James.

"She literally ran from the conversation."

"Because you were staring at her like she had two heads." James snorted.

Sirius peered up at his friends through the locks of hair falling into his face. "Am I a shitty brother?"

"No, of course not!" came Peter's chipper response.

"Of course not Pads." James shook his head, patting his friend's back.

The doors to the great hall burst open and gasps of shock and wonder spilled to every corner of the room. The first years had arrived.

Sirius perked up, the sorting ceremony always had some spice. There was a consistent amount of family disappointments every year and it was all very nostalgic for him. The stock this year seemed normal though, nobody special by the looks of it, and Sirius deflated a little.

When the first kid went up, James started their yearly tradition by yelling, "Gryffindor,"

Remus quickly followed up with, "Ravenclaw,"

The hat announced, "Hufflepuff," And the boys booed the hat for not giving them their guesses.

It was usually a fun tradition they had, but this year Sirius didn't have the heart to partake. The other Marauders noticed, but didn't bring it up.

Sirius risked a glance at the Slytherin table. 

Regulus was tracing some scratch on the table with his finger, a bored expression on his face, his lips occasionally quirking upwards at something his friends were saying. Cassy was seated with her back straight, head held high like they had been taught, but Sirius could see the way she would droop from time to time, and he knew she was fighting the urge to sleep.

He knew he was overreacting about the situation — not talking with his siblings wasn't anything new. When they joined him at Hogwarts, their parents had forbidden them from talking to him. And with the new...violent punishments they had recently adapted to, Sirius didn't push them to talk to him at all. In fact, quite the opposite. He wouldn't let his siblings be hurt on his behalf.

The night when he ran away was the most they had talked since before Hogwarts. He knew he shouldn't have expected Cassy to be different with him after that night of vulnerability but, he couldn't help it.

Dumbledore stood and Sirius was grateful for the distraction, eager to start eating.

"Good evening Hogwarts." He didn't speak especially loudly, but his voice carried throughout the room.

Cheers erupted and Sirius heard a voice yell 'Give us food already', making him cheer in agreement. Dumbledore and the rest of the hall laughed. It took him a moment to realize it was Cassy's voice he had agreed with.

"Of course, Miss Black," The headmaster said, a small smile on his face. All eyes turned to the said girl, and she grinned up at Dumbledore. Sirius couldn't help but notice that she didn't exchange a smile or a comment with anybody around her. She sat alone. "But first, a speech,"

The entire hall groaned and, unintentionally, his eyes darted over to his siblings again. He had to stop doing that.

Immediately after his words, Cassy groaned and deflated, a hand supporting her head, eyes barely open and shoulders slumped. Regulus was watching Dumbledor with clear disinterest and, feeling eyes on him, the boy looked over, making brief eye contact before Sirius panicked and began fake coughing to the point where tears were shining in his eyes.

James looked over at him with raised eyebrows, concern flashing in his eyes behind the initial amusement. 

"I'm fine." Sirius croaked out, more dramatically than necessary. 

James didn't buy it, but before he could say anything else, Dumbledor finished his speech and the attention was diverted.

"We are not what we are told to be, you choose your own path. And with that, eat well," He clapped his hands and the tables filled with food.