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chapter twenty / short talks and shorter letters
"How on earth did you keep this from us for so bloody long?"
"I didn't think it was that important."
"Not important!? Bloody hell, Cassie, you're Sirius Black's daughter! And you didn't tell us!" Ron said exasperatedly, accidentally letting his chocolate frog hop from his hand and into the lake. Cassie stifled a laugh at his groan.
The four were strewn lazily on the shore of the Black Lake, basking in the lovely, sunny day and eating plenty of candy from Honeydukes. It had been a Hogsmeade day, but Hermione and Ron decided they weren't quite up for a visit.
"I dunno. I figured you would have hated me, Harry," she admitted sheepishly. Harry looked quite offended at this, and she quickly added, "Before we knew he was innocent, we thought he wanted to kill you!"
"Yeah, okay," Harry agreed under his breath.
"You've been letting us call you Cassie all this time.." Ron said, as though he was heartbroken by this news. She rolled her eyes.
"It's not like I'm changing my name entirely. Cassiopeia Black... a pretty badass name, if you ask me. Plus, I can still go by Cassie," she pointed out, shrugging her shoulders.
A large shadow loomed over the four of them and they turned to see Hagrid, beaming at them with delight.
"Beaky escaped! He's free! Bin celebratin' all night!"
"That's wonderful!" said Hermione, shooting Ron a look because he seemed as though he were about to laugh.
"I was worried this mornin', met Professor Lupin on the grounds, but he said he never anything las' night.."
"What?" said Harry quickly.
"Blimey, haven ' yeh heard? Snape told all the Slytherins this mornin'.. Thought everyone'd know by now... Professor Lupin's a werewolf, see. An' he was loose on the grounds las' night. He's packin' now, of course."
"Packing?" Harry said, alarmed. "Why?"
"Leavin'. Resigned firs' thing this mornin'. Says he can't risk it happenin' again."
Harry scrambled to his feet. "I've gotta go see him."
"I'll come with," Cassie agreed, standing as well. Harry nodded at Hagrid, Hermione, and Ron before him and Cassie walked off to her godfather's office.
"Saw you two coming," Remus said, smiling. He pointed to the parchment he'd been poring over; it was the Marauder's Map.
"Hagrid said you'd resigned. It's not true, is it?"
"I'm afraid it is," said Lupin. He began removing the contents of his desk drawer.
"Why?" said Harry. "The Ministry of Magic don't think you were helping Sirius, do they?"
