Post Tenebras Lux

Chapter Sixteen

Her eyes were trained on the four boys, instead of Professor Flitwick, watching them without them even realising. Although she only liked her cousin, she realised they were an integral part of her time at Hogwarts, even if it was that she enjoyed annoying Potter. 

Sirius wasn't paying attention to the class either. He was slumped over his desk, his head in his hand, as he focused on not falling asleep. Cassiopeia felt guilty whenever she looked at him. They had once been close but now they were almost strangers as she pushed him away. She liked to lie to herself and say she did it to protect him from her fellow Slytherins but she knew it was for purely selfish reasons. Cassiopeia Black was afraid of what the Slytherins would say to her and most of all what her family would do. 

Remus Lupin answered a question causing her attention to shift to the mysterious boy. Cassiopeia had never properly spoken to him but had found him to be kind, albeit quiet. He had been one of the boys she sat with on the boat ride in their first year. There was something about him that she couldn't quite work out. The boy had secrets, that she was certain of. 

Beside Lupin, was an unusually small boy. Cassiopeia had always paid him the least attention out of the group. She narrowed her eyes as he casually doodled on the parchment in front of him. He was the shyest out of the boys but she presumed that was because he had befriended two of the most arrogant boys at Hogwarts. She almost felt sorry for the boy having to live in the shadows of Sirius and Potter.

Potter was sat with Sirius and although he didn't seem to be listening, he would occasionally answer a question and to her surprise, he was yet to get one wrong. He constantly ran his hand through his messy hair and pushed his glasses back up his nose. Cassiopeia stared at him, not caring if anyone saw her. He had grown a fair bit over the summer and was already a favourite with the ladies of Hogwarts.

"You know you're dating Mulciber," Modesty whispered jokingly, "Didn't think Potter would be your type?"

Cassiopeia's head whipped round immediately to glare at her friend, "What in merlin's beard are you talking about?"

"You were staring at Potter."

"I was staring at all of them actually," Cassiopeia retorted, "It's interesting to see how they act."

"Since when did you care about them?"

Cassiopeia's eyebrow arched, "I don't care about them. I was trying to work out what's so special about them."

"Who knows. To be fair your cousin is quite attractive."

"Please stop."

"Oh come on, I'd quite like to run my hands through his hair. Look at his luscious locks. And his eyes are gorgeous."

Cassiopeia pretended to be sick, "Modesty, please stop. That's my cousin. And he's a Gryffindor."

"The only downside to him!"

"You're full of surprises Modesty Bobbin!"

Modesty laughed, "Now that I think about it, Potter isn't that bad either."

"Stop being ridiculous."

"What? Even if you hate him, you can't deny that he's getting attractive as he gets older."

"You're talking nonsense."

"You're just blinded by the rivalry the two of you have."

Cassiopeia laughed, "And you're overcome with hormones!"

Potter answered a question wrong causing Cassiopeia's attention to be fully on Flitwick. Cassiopeia immediately raised her hand and filled up with glee when Flitwick picked her, "Petrificus Totalus, Sir."

"Yes, well done, Miss Black."

Potter suddenly turned to glare deeply at her, "Of course you would know that, Black."

"Jealousy doesn't suit you, Potter," Cassiopeia replied with a small smile etched onto her face.