There was a Ball coming up. "The end of the year ball" as Dumbledor liked to call it. I hated everything, every part of it. I wanted to go with Remus, but we weren't on talking terms. I knew that was never gonna happen.

Lilly and I were good. Sirius and I were good. James and I were good. Even I talked to Peter! Remus? No, he said he heard me loud and clear. He won't believe me.

"JUST LISTEN LUPIN! Your bloody problem is that you don't fucking listen!" He stared at me wide eyed. I snapped, I was more than angry at him.

"How can you dare to tell me you're not who you believe I was! I bloody found out about your problem and didn't even judge you the way you're doing it because of my family name!"

"How dare I? How dare you? You believe you are superior than anyone, I can see it in the way you walk, the way you talk"

He was crying, I wasn't. I promised myself that no one would see me cry.

"You may not kill people Lupin, but you sure know how to make them feel like crap, and that makes you monster."

I regret my choice of words, once again. I'm awful when someone makes me angry. My hair was redder than Lilly's and my eyes changed color. I looked scary, but for some reason he was not afraid of me. He just stared at me.

"You don't need to tell me that twice Black" he left. I ran near the black lake and lit a cigarette, a habit I picked up from a muggle movie Lilly showed me. The guy smoked to feel better and somehow it worked.

"Smoking is a bad habit" it was Sirius. He grabbed a cigarette and lit it.

"Yeah, so I've heard." I couldn't look at him, I was numb.

"I heard everything, I don't blame you" he said scooting closer to me.

"You don't? What I said was harsh"

"What he said was harsh too" I finally looked at Sirius. It was amazing how much we looked alike.

"Yeah, I guess"

We stayed in silence. Enjoying the view, smoking and thinking how fucked up out lives are.

🌑🌑🌑

The end of third year was coming and Remus and Cassiopeia still avoided each other. Remus was jealous, a Ravenclaw named Charlie was trying to flirt with Cassiopeia, he had tried for four months.

Remus liked her. Her dark hair fell messily and he loved how it changed color, but he hated the fact that he couldn't understand her. She was an enigma. A true Black, he thought.

Cassiopeia stopped talking to the marauders. She shared some words with his cousin, but that was it. Lilly was her friend, but they drifted apart. Marlene became her best friend, both of them were fucked up and Hogwarts tough Gryffindors. Some students even feared them.

"Cass! May I talk to you?" It was Charlie, the Ravenclaw with the huge crush on Ms. Black.

"Sure Charlie, what for?" She knew what was coming

"Go to the ball with me, I like you! Just go okay, no strings attached." He blurted the words out, Cassiopeia was taken aback but answered calmly.

"Listen, I've got a very small and ugly heart. You don't want it"

"You're not small, you're beautiful" Charlie said and kissed her. She kissed him back but pushed him after a while.

"No strings attached"

Was all she said. Charlie was smiling, he knew she was never going to be his girlfriend, but one kiss made him happy.

The marauders watched everything and Remus couldn't believe how much he had fucked up.