metanoia ~ regulus black

sleep to the freezing

As the days passed the castle and the grounds began to change, the start of October brought Halloween decorations and a change in the colour of the leaves, shifting from green to yellow to red to brown. It also brought a change in attitude from the students. The castle had gotten quieter, though not necessarily a terrible quiet. The summer excitement was wearing off and the autumn comfort creeping in.

Two Hufflepuffs lay out on top of an orange blanket they had set out next to the black lake. Cassandra leant against the cherry tree sitting up and her best friend Mateo sat next to her. She was reading a muggle fiction book and he was tired of not getting attention. He swivelled himself around, grabbed the book from her hands, folded the page and tossed the book a couple feet away from them before resting his head in her lap. She sighed, exasperated.

"Care to explain what that was about?" She asked, drawing her words out.

"Give me attention." Huffed Mateo as he scrunched his face to show he was in a mood.

She laughed airily at his antics and pulled the maroon beanie he was wearing of his head and onto her own. She started playing with his hair knowing that he loved it when she did this.

"I'm so happy we both made the team this year," she said smiling down at her friend. This was Mateo's first year on the Hufflepuff quidditch team.

"I know," he said back, "but aren't you a little nervous for the first game?"

"Nah we'll be fine. Ravenclaw's team won't be strong this year ever since Marcus Wood left last year, he was an amazing captain and they won't know how to play without him."She eased his nerves.

"What if I'm shit?" He asked, laughing airily but not seeming to really find it funny.

"You won't be shit. You wouldn't have made the team if you were shit. And we still have almost two months to practice, the game isn't until the end of November."

"Yeah, who am I kidding? The Hufflepuff team is lucky to have me!" Joked Mateo, his usual air of confidence returning. The pair continued like this for a long while until a pair of gangly legs appeared in Cassie's vision. Cassie followed them upwards and found her older brother Remus, standing with his arms hanging by his side, he looked slightly awkward.

"You good?" Cassie asked her brother, one eyebrow raised.

"Me, James and Sirius need your help with something," he explained.

"If this is just going to be you guys asking for my help with a prank then I'll save us all time and just say no here, I'm busy. Me and Matty and having quality best friend time." She said, looking cross.

"It's not that. It's serious. We need advice." He said, with no hint of a joke in his eyes.

"Oh, okay. Is it urgent? Because I feel bad just leaving Matty here," Cassie said, Mateo sat up from her lap.

"Don't be silly Cassie, I'll take the blanket and your book back to the castle, you go help them and I'll see you at dinner." Mateo insisted.

"You're an angel my friend," Cassie grinned, messing up Mateo's hair one last time before she hurried off behind her brother.

Remus slung his arm around his little sisters shoulder as they walked even though he had to bend down a little to do this this. They weren't walking for long, James and Sirius were sat at a big beech tree next to the lake which had been their favourite tree since their first year.

"Hello lovelies," greeted Cassie warmly.

"Finally," Sirius groaned.

"Took you long enough," moaned James.

"Nice way to greet us," interjected Remus, sitting down next to them and his sister.

"Well? Is anyone going to explain why I was dragged over here?" Cassie asked them.

The three boys shared a look between them and James started, "It's Pete,"

"Oh shit is he okay?" She asked quickly, concerned about the shy boy.

"We're not sure," Said Remus, Cassandra raised her eyebrows and waited for him to continue. "You know how he's had a girlfriend for a while now, Bertha Jorkins," Cassie nodded her head at this.

"Well," Remus continued, "We're not exactly sure how healthy the relationship is," Cassandra furrowed her eyebrows.

"It's just that, well, we always hear them arguing and Pete always has red eyes these days. It's not like him to cry. But every time we ask him about he insists that it's going well and they're really good for eachother," Remus explained.

"Well fuck," Cassie gasped.

"We're not sure whether we need to intervene or we're just being silly and overdramatic," Sirius said, looking to Cassie for an answer.

"Well my boys, not that I'm an expert on these matters, but it seems to me like Pete has a terrible case of 'sleep to the freezing'" Cassie sighed gravely.

They all looked at her seemed very confused, "it's a metaphor, like sleep to the freezing, he thinks it's good for him but it's not," she explained.

"You're wise beyond your years little one," said James lovingly and he ruffled her hair.

"I take it this means we need to intervene?" Asked Sirius.

"Definitely," Cassie nodded her head.

"Okay, we'll do it as soon as he gets back from seeing her today then," nodded Remus.

"Cool," Cassie was about to get up to leave when a thought popped into her head, "Guess what I did last week Sirius?"

His head snapped towards her and he narrowed his eyes at the mischievous sparkle in her green orbs. Something about the way she said it set him on edge "What?" He asked sharply.

"I got your baby brother stoned," she grinned.

James and Remus burst out laughing at this and Sirius' mouth dropped open. "You're lying, there's no way,"

"It's true," she smirked at him.

"That is quite possibly the best and worst thing I've heard all year." He said, still shocked. "Tell me everything,"