𝐒𝐡𝐚𝐝𝐨𝐰𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐁𝐞𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐲𝐚𝐥

𝕮𝖍𝖆𝖕𝖙𝖊𝖗 20

"Get off me, you filthy Squib!" Cassie yelled, trying to tug her hand away from the bitter caretaker Argus Filch, who was grinning at finally having caught her red-handed, dragging her through the corridors.

"Get off me! I haven't done anything!" Cassie protested.

Filch stopped, his pasty face grinning in delight. "Black, you were caught trying to free the hippogriff after the appeal."

Cassie feigned innocence, then shoved him away harshly. "Me? I would never! I was only, uh, petting it."

Filch scowled at being pushed away. "Does petting a hippogriff involve firing spells at the restraints?"

Cassie frowned, staying silent.

"And when you were caught by the executioner, you proceeded to bribe him. And when he refused, you threatened him with a knife." Filch spat.

"It's a dagger, you moron," Cassie sneered.

"It's not allowed, and I'll be confiscating it," Filch declared incredulously.

"No you wont" cassie scoffed

 "Do you want to try me, Black? You'll have detention with me now. Do you want it to be worse than I planned?"

Cassie rolled her eyes. "You don't scare me."

Filch sneered. "Oh, really? How about one of the professors?"

Cassie faked a yawn before catching the eyes of a certain scarred professor outside his office. Her lips quirked up before turning back to Filch.

 "Any professor is fine," she said, then muttered under her breath a bit too loudly, "Except Lupin."

"Aha!" Filch screamed in delight. "All right. Detention with Lupin it is."

Cassie feigned horror. "No, Filch, NO! He hates me."

Filch, looking extremely pleased with himself, limped towards Lupin, who was opening the gate to his office. "Follow me," Filch commanded.

Cassie smirked before following.

"Professor Lupin," Filch greeted in his oily voice, a triumphant look on his face

Lupin looked up, his eyes shifting from Filch to Cassie, then back again. "Mr. Filch?"

"This one," Filch sneered, "was caught trying to free the hippogriff after the appeal. She was using spells to break the restraints and threatened the executioner with a dagger! I caught her red-handed, Professor! She needs to be punished severely. I suggest detention with you tonight."

Lupin's lips tightened as he looked at Cassie, who was smirking.
 "Oh, tonight I can't—"

Cassie interrupted, "Did you hear that? Tonight he can't—I'll take detention with you, Mr. Filch."

Filch smirked, "Aha—trying to escape, are we? I'm sure the professor will manage," he said, giving Lupin a glance before grinning to himself and limping away.

Once Cassie made sure he was out of sight, she let out a burst of laughter. "He's so easy to fool."

Lupin pinched the tip of his nose, shaking his head. "It's a full moon, Cassie. I can't."

Cassiopeia frowned. "Oh, is it? I lost track."

Lupin nodded.

"But there's time, right?" Cassie said, grinning. "Let's sit in your office for some time so Filch doesn't doubt us. I bet he has Mrs. Norris around."

Lupin sighed but nodded, motioning for Cassie to follow him into his office. They entered the dimly lit room, and Lupin closed the door behind them. Cassie took a seat in one of the comfortable chairs, and Lupin settled at his desk, which was littered with papers and an odd spare parchment folded and kept under one of the books.