"Meet me in the courtyard after lunch today, will you, love?"

Avery swooped down to plant a swift kiss on my cheek as he sat down next to me during breakfast, a large smile plastered on his face. I giggled girlishly and smiled up at him, faking every moment.

"Of course!" I shrilled. "But I'll see you at lunch, why would I need to meet you later?"

"I won't be at lunch today." Avery admitted. "Just trust me, love. Meet me after lunch?"

"Okay...I'll meet you after lunch." I agreed half-heartedly, not enjoying being refused information.

"Great!" Avery exclaimed and turned in his seat, striking up a conversation with Mulciber. I sighed unhappily and pushed around my food with my fork, suddenly at a loss of appetite. I poked a piece of sausage, and sighed again, before looking up. I found Sirius's gaze on me, and flushed slightly, locking eyes with him across the Great Hall. Thoughts of the night before flooded into my mind, and I averted my gaze, angry again.

Why did I waste my time with him? He was just a stupid git who didn't know when to mind his own business. He ruined everything, he always got in the way. I didn't know why I bothered to try and be friendly with him, I didn't know why I even ever started not-hating him.

I hated Sirius Black. I loathed every atom that built up his body, I despised the way every girl seemed to fall head-over-heels in love with him, he disgusted me.

Although I knew it wasn't his fault that I was being very suspicious by joining the death eater crowd and by not providing a believable excuse, I didn't understand why he wouldn't let the subject drop. It wasn't his life he was putting on the line by being a spy! It wasn't his own life to control!

"Everything thing alright there, love?" Avery asked me, concern lacing his voice. I realized then that my fists were tightly clenched in a silent show of fury, my knuckles white. Clearing my through, I loosened my hands and awkwardly laid them across my lap, before speaking.

"Yeah. I'm fine, just thinking about stupid Black over there." I admitted to him, resting my head on his shoulder. Avery opened his mouth in an ah, his eyes twinkling with pleasure as I leaned against him.

"Black is stupid." Avery agreed absentmindedly, running his fingers through my hair.

"Oi! Watch who you're calling stupid, lovebirds!" Regulus protested from a little down the table, and I giggled.

"We're talking about your brother, Regulus." I informed the boy. "No need to worry, unless you take after him in more ways than one."

"Hopefully not, mother would no be pleased." Regulus replied, making a face that caused me to laugh again. "Can't let the family down, not after he's been such a disappointment. Really places restrictions on me, though, it's horrid."

"But you can be free here, can't you? They have no control of what you do." I frowned, upset at Regulus's lack of freedom.

"I wish." Regulus told me bitterly. "Can't do anything out of line, they have eyes and ears everywhere. Most of them are focused on Gabrielle, they don't trust her one bit although it also probably because she was good friends with Andromeda when she was younger, but my mum's got someone looking after me, dunno who it is, though."

"Pity." Avery's voice held no sympathy, cold and intimidating. "Cascade, I'll see you in class?"

"Sure." I looked to him curiously, but he displayed no emotion, standing up from the table and rushing out from the Great Hall. He was a man on a mission. "Any idea what's got Avery in such a rush, Reggy?"

"Don't call me that, Sassy-Cassy." Regulus growled. "And no, I've got no idea. Maybe he had to use the loo?"

"Don't call me that, Reg." I mimicked Regulus's voice, only infuriating him more. He shoved me playfully, and shoveled a spoonful of food into his mouth. "I'm gonna head to class, see you around? Don't get into too much trouble."

"Wouldn't dream of it." Regulus smiled cheekily at me. "I'll see you around, you can count on it. Who else could annoy you like I do?"

I bent down and pinched his cheek, making him yelp in pain. "Try your bother and his gang of buffoons. You come in a close second though, no worries, Regulus dear." On that final note, I strolled out of the Great Hall and to my first class of the day.

---

I stood, waiting for Avery, in the courtyard, just like he'd asked me to. He hadn't been at lunch, and I felt as if I could burst, my stomach bulging. I scanned my surroundings again, and with a sigh, I sat down, resting my back against the cool stone of the wall.

"Love, you came!" I looked up to see Avery, a wide grin on his handsome face. I had to admit, he was good looking and kind to me, but with the knowledge of who he really was, I would never have ever agreed to date him if I hadn't needed to.

"Of course, what kind of a girlfriend would I be if I didn't show up?" I grinned up to him, accepting his outstretched hand and getting to my feet. "Now, what did you want to do?"

"Just sit with me here for a moment." Avery told me, gesturing to a bench nearby. I shrugged and sat down, resting my head on his shoulder casually. "So as you know, we're all going over to Evan's over the break."

"Right." I said slowly, unsure of where he was going.

"I don't know if you should come." Avery admitted. I gaped at him, shocked and confused.

"What?" I spluttered. "What in Merlin's name do you mean? I'm coming, I want to join the Dark Lord, I want to prove myself!"

"No!" Avery shouted, then realizing that we were still in public, shut his mouth. "No," He began, much quieter this time. "I won't let you, I can't let you. Cascade, I care to much about you, you could get hurt, I'd never forgive myself." He shook his head. "You're not going, and that's final."

"No, I'm going, and that's final. It's my decision, Avery-"

"Call me Frederick, it's my name." Avery's voice was heavy with emotion. "I hate that you call me by my surname."

"Fine, Frederick, but I'm going. I need to prove myself, I want to fight for a better world!" I spat at him. "You can't control me, I'm not your possession, I'm not you. I can make my own decisions, thank you very much."

"Cascade, please." Avery pleaded. "Please, for me, for us."

"No! I refuse to be left out. Do you think I'm not capable of defending myself? I'm not defenseless, I could even go as far to say that I'm more prepared than you! You can't hold me back!" I hissed.

"Then I don't want to be tied to you." His words were cold, and hit me hard. After all that, he was breaking up with me?

"You're breaking up with me?" I asked incredulously. "After all that, you're ending us because I won't agree to not do something?"

"No, that's not what I meant, I didn't mean that, it just slipped out-"

"It sounded like a breakup to me, Frederick." I growled. "So if you won't say it, I will." Tears were pouring down my cheeks, tears not of sadness, but anger. Anger from him trying to control me, underestimating me. I hated that. I hated him. "We are over, and you can't stop me from joining the Dark Lord. Even if you stop me from going to Evan's I'll find away."

"No-Cascade! You aren't thinking straight, come back!" Avery sobbed, it was pathetic.

"Good day to you, Avery." I dismissed him, not even bothering to call him by his first name like he'd requested. I wouldn't give him the satisfaction.

I didn't care that I might've just ruined everything I worked for, I didn't care that I had cut the ties between myself and Avery, I didn't care that he would probably lie to all of his stupid friends and pretend that I completely overreacted and blew up at him.

I didn't care anymore.

All I cared about were the people actually worth caring for. Andromeda, Lily, my parents.

I knew that I needed to keep being a spy, they needed a spy. So I would find a way, I would work around Avery and his gang that I had probably just ruined all relations with.

I had to become a death eater.

So I made up my mind then and there. I would get to Evan's house, I would make sure that I stayed in the group. I would find a way to get them to listen to me, to convince them that Avery was the liar, to make things right with him, although I needed to make it clear that I would never be in a relationship with him again.

Cascade Elise was on a mission. And I would fulfill it, if it was the last thing I did.