Summer.
The bell over the door chimed as Cassidy Sweet shuffled behind the counter, wiping her hands on her apron. Her mother was bustling about, brewing up a new batch of fudge when a familiar voice rang out from the door. "A box of Chocolate Frogs, if you please!" The wizard, a wiry, middle-aged man with wild hair and a penchant for wearing mismatched socks, looked at her expectantly, tapping his foot as if he was in a rush. Cassidy smiled, the weight of summer's exhaustion suddenly lifting. "One box coming right up," she said, ignoring her mother's amused glance behind her. The bracelet Harry had gotten her for her birthday last year dangled on her wrist.
It was early July, and it'd be her birthday in a mere two weeks. Cassidy, however, was not excited in the slightest. In fact, she hadn't been excited with much for a while now.
She was turning thirteen soon, and she still looked...the same. Puberty had dealt her a dirty hand so far.
Parvati, Lavender and her other female classmates had dropped by the Sweet Spell during the summer, checking up on her and buying sweets here and there. Even Fred and George Weasley had come by, trying to make her laugh and distract her during her shift. (Joshua had had to chase them out at one point). But she couldn't help noticing that there was a slight maturity in the way girls her age had started to have, even if it was minor. The only evidence Cassidy was growing up, however, were the constant acne breakouts she was having, alongside her mood swings and increased, albeit awkward height. But that wasn't even the worst part.
Cassidy Sweet had been condemned to wear braces.
Usually, a simple spell would do the trick for slightly wonky teeth, but her case was special. The Sweet family, as you can tell by their very name, didn't have a good history with dentistry.
"Her teeth seem to be far too delicate for a simple straightening spell, Joshua." The Dental Healer at St. Mungo's had said. "She'll need to wear something more...traditional. Don't fret, Cassandra, it'll only be for a year."
Fiddlesticks.
And if having braces and acne that just wouldn't go away wasn't bad enough, Cassidy's father, Joshua Sweet, had been keeping an extra close eye on her ever since last year. You know, when she'd almost sacrificed her life for one of her best friends, Harry Potter, by almost looking a Basilisk in the eyes.
Even right now, as Cassidy was ringing a customer up, Joshua was staring at her from the other side of the room. Watching closely, like she was about to turn into something, or someone, any minute. She sighed and rolled her eyes, going over to another aisle to check if some second-years she recognized from Hogwarts were trying to steal anything.
Amira Sweet sidled up to Joshua, watching their daughter scold a younger looking boy for pocketing a tin of Bertie Botts' Every-Flavor Beans.
"You know, if you keep staring at her like that, people are going to think she's being held hostage." She muttered playfully, leaning on Joshua's shoulder.
"I'm watching out for it. It could happen any minute now." He said, not taking his eyes off of Cassidy. Amira raised her eyebrows.
"What, that?" She asked incredulously. "The probability of her inheriting that is very low, you told me yourself when we got married."
"I thought the probability of the necklace awakening with her was low too, Amira. And yet, here we are. If that gene awakens with her too, boys will come knocking any minute now." He said through gritted teeth. "Not that they haven't already. Harry's alright, but that Weasley boy-"
"What, so now you've got a problem with the Weasley family?" Amira scoffed, though there was still a mischievous glint in her eye. Joshua shook his head.
"I could never have a problem with them. Arthur's a good and honest man, Molly a kind woman, and even though those twins cause havoc here, they remind of myself when I was younger. But that boy-"
"He has a name, you know." Cassidy interrupted, appearing next to her parents. They both startled, looking at her like she'd grown two heads. "Ron."
"Cassidy, dear, how long have you been standing here?" Amira said nervously.
"Long enough to hear you two gossiping about the Weasleys. I don't know what your problem is with Ron, dad, he's my friend." Cassidy said flatly, before holding up a box of Chocolate Frogs. "Where should I put these?"
"Over at the back." Joshua replied, before lowering his voice. "Cassidy, I'm sure you've heard about Pad-" Joshua paused, as if to collect himself. "I mean, Sirius Black."
Cassidy nodded absentmindedly, staring down a suspicious looking fourth-year.
"He's a criminal, who's on the loose."
Cassidy nodded again, still not quite paying attention.
"Cassidy, are you listening to me?"
She nodded, this time checking her nails. "Dad, is there any chance I can get these braces off soon-"
Joshua took Cassidy by the shoulders gently but firmly, guiding her to the storage room at the back before closing the door. Dust coated everything, and Cassidy coughed before Joshua turned on the light.
"Dad, what's the-"
He suddenly seized Cassidy by the shoulders and forced her to look at him, plain fear and worry in his eyes.
"Cassandra Noelle Sweet, I want you to listen to me and listen to me carefully. Do not think for a moment I and your mother do not hear you scream at night, scream from the nightmares you have from that Chamber. Do not think for a single moment that we do not wonder what could've happened to you had you lost your life last year, and we know you came very close to losing it. You are brave, Cassandra, but we worry that you are too brave."
Joshua paused, panting, staring at his daughter, his daughter that was growing up and throwing herself into things she had no understanding of. Cassidy stared back at him, bewildered by his sudden shift in behavior.
"I'm asking you one thing. No matter what you hear about Black, no matter what Harry tells you, no matter what Black tells you, if you are ever unfortunate enough to cross paths with that scum-" Joshua faltered at the last word, like he remembered something that he'd rather not, like he wasn't sure of what he was saying, and he slowly let go of Cassidy's shoulders.
"Don't go looking for Sirius Black, Cassidy. Listen to the rules, and for once, keep out of trouble. Please. It's all I ask of you. It's all your mother asks of you."
Cassidy stared at her father, eyes wide. Then, slowly, she nodded. Joshua exhaled, shakily, straightening himself up.
"Good." Then before Cassidy could say anything else, Joshua drew her into a tight hug.
"I love you, Cassidy. Don't you ever forget that, and don't you dare ever doubt that either." He drew back, now looking much more like his normal self, yet Cassidy was still shaken.
"Okay. Anything else, dad?" She asked nervously, an eyebrow cocked in confusion.
"That's all. You can go back to the shop now, keep up the good work."
Cassidy nodded, making her way towards the door.
"And Cassidy?" Joshua said one more time. Cassidy turned around, sighing.
"Yes?"
"Let me know, if uh, any boys start giving you extra attention-"
"Dad, oh my Merlin!" Cassidy hissed, flustered. Before Joshua could say anything else, she had slammed the door and hurried off into the shop.
As she stepped back behind the counter, she spotted a few customers huddled over a copy of The Daily Prophet, their voices hushed yet urgent.
"...he's very dangerous, I hear. Killed a bunch of Muggles," one of them muttered.
Cassidy wasn't even paying full attention, but a faint warmth flickered against her skin. She looked down. Her necklace—usually cool and lifeless these days—had stirred. The sensation was brief, fading as quickly as it came, and for a moment, she just stared at it.
Ever since it had lit her up like a Christmas tree in the Chamber, it had been eerily silent. No random tingling, no odd glows. Nothing. But now...?
She swallowed and shook her head.
No.
It was nothing.
Probably.
She stuffed the necklace into her pocket, forcing herself to focus on rearranging a box of Peppermint Toads. Stay out of trouble, she reminded herself.
But when she glanced at the newspaper again and met the raging, wild eyes of Sirius Black, a weird, uneasy feeling curled in her stomach.
Like it or not, trouble was coming.