The Clockwork Locket || SIRIUS BLACK

The Turning Point

"You're going to Hogsmeade with Sirius Black?"

Marlene's shout was the first thing that Cassie heard that morning, and the dark-haired witch covered her ears with a moan, her eyes still closed as she struggled to hold on to the last remnants of her sleep.

"Mar!" Lily admonished as Marlene ripped back the curtains of Cassie's four-poster, allowing bright sunlight to hit her face and causing her to moan again. "Let her have some peace before you pounce on her."

"It's fine, Lily." Cassie sighed, accepting her fate and sitting up, meeting the wicked grin of Marlene and the curious looks of Lily and Alice. She frowned at Marlene. "How did you even find out?"

"So, it is true," she said, her blue eyes widening. Cassie nodded grudgingly, figuring there would be no more use in hiding it. "Cassie! How could you not tell us?"

"Because we only agreed to it a few days ago." She kicked off her covers and stood up. "We didn't want to make a big deal out of it." She gave a pointed look to the blonde witch, but Marlene only flapped her hand impatiently.

"I think it's great, Cass," Alice said. "I mean, it's obvious that you and Sirius have fancied each other for a while now, so it's nice to see you two making some progress."

"Yes, the lovesick pining and star-crossed romance was getting to be a bit much," Lily agreed, sitting on the edge of her trunk and twirling a lock of hair while Cassie gave her an offended look. "And don't look at me like that, Cass, you know it's true."

"All I'm saying is that if he ever treats you like he did to me, I will ruin his cushy little pure-blood life for good," Marlene said.

"So, you're all right with this?" Cassie said warily.

Marlene shrugged. "I can't say I'm entirely pleased, but nothing's worse than being the jealous best friend/ex-girlfriend," she said reasonably. "It's really between the both of you now."

Cassie released a breath she hadn't even realized she'd been holding. "You're wonderful, Mar, you know that?"

She winked at Cassie, tossing her hair over her shoulder. "Trust me, I've been told."

Cassie snorted while Alice grabbed a towel and headed for the washroom. "Now that we're all up and the gossip has been confirmed, can we please go to breakfast before I start eating myself?" she asked.

"Of course, dear Alice," Marlene said. "Whatever your heart desires."

Alice stuck out her tongue before giggling, shutting the door behind her and leaving the other three to get ready for the day.

They arrived halfway through breakfast, taking their seats at the Gryffindor table and beginning to eat. Cassie had already scoured the table when they had walked in, noticing that the Marauders had not yet entered, but she wasn't worried.

It had been a week since she had stumbled upon Remus's transformation and their subsequent reunion, and things had surprisingly gone back to normal—almost. The great thing she had learned about the boys is that nothing ever really seemed to change, even after a fight like the one they'd had. Despite Remus's hesitance the first day they all hung out together again, things had been smooth ever since, and Cassie was grateful for it, especially if they were all going to be working together on finding Gryffindor's gauntlet.

She wasn't sure where the gauntlet would even be, which only served to frustrate her more. How could she have solved such a large part of the puzzle but still be so far behind? The Marauders, for their part, had been supportive and helpful, even tossing out their own ideas, but nothing seemed right.