Unofficial Portkey Archive

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~ Late Breaking News ~

By: Oy! Angelina

Beta by: jkit10

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"Happy Birthday, Winifred," Sirius wished as he handed the now seventeen year old girl a wrapped though oddly shaped gift.

Winifred looked up from her book and grinned almost in disbelief at Sirius as he took a spot by her underneath the beech tree she had been lounging by.

"You actually bothered," she noted.

"Of course I did," Sirius sat beside her, "what else have you gotten?"

"Not much since I keep it on the mum," Winifred admitted, "Severus gave me this book that explains how with the combination of certain plant clippings and potions I can rebreed species of plant that was previously extinct."

"That's interesting," Sirius nodded along. It actually wasn't that interesting to himself but he could see how Winifred would like it. "What did the rest of your family give you?"

"Severus's parents sent me a Cache Nexus," Winifred said as she held up what looked to be a velvet hand bag with tassel drawstrings, "it's magically connected to anything I own. I merely have to think of an item, reach my hand in, and I'll pull it out just like that. And whenever I put something into it, it automatically goes back to where it belongs."

As a demonstration, Winifred reached into the bag and pulled out her broom, a recent copy of Witch Weekly, a spare tie, and half a bar of Honeyduke's chocolate.

"Hey, that's pretty neat," Sirius was really impressed by that gift, "not only do you not have to worry about ever packing for anything again but you'll never lose anything or be stolen from again!"

"That's mostly the idea," Winifred said as she began to replace items back into the Cache with the exception of the chocolate, "do I get to open your gift now?"

"Please do," Sirius encouraged.

Peeling off the wrapping slowly both Sirius and Winifred had expectant looks upon their faces.

Encased in a glass dome and appearing as though they were growing out of its wooden base, three stems with nearly a half dozen bluebells dangling from them stared out at Winifred. The translucent shimmering told Winifred that the flowers were made of crystal and the vibrant perfection of them suggested as though they had actually been grown this way. A faint chime from each of the bell-shaped indigo buds vibrated in the glass and created a soothing melody as well as a pun on their namesake.

Winifred's lips were parted and her eyes were wide. Sirius wasn't sure that he had ever seen that much emotion on the girl's face before, let alone one what was as euphoric as this.

"Where did you get this?" Winifred breathed.

"I got the casing out at Hogsmeade, the flowers I just picked and transfigured into stained crystal. The music is just a charm I threw on to make it special," Sirius explained softly, "I figured I could combine your love of plants and music in a single shot."

Winifred tore her eyes from the gift to pin them on Sirius.

"I have never received something so precious as this," she confessed, "thank you, Sirius. Truly, it's beyond wonderful."

"I'm just glad I did alright," Sirius felt his cheeks grow slightly pink but stole a few short breaths to cool them down.

"You did marvelous," Winifred assured with a smile before kissing Sirius upon the cheek.

That was enough for him at the moment.

Anything more would have felt to Sirius like he was buying her emotions.

"So does this earn me the right to know why you hate your birthdays?" Sirius questioned as he playfully reminded Winifred of their bargain.

"Yes," Winifred nodded as she moved her fond gaze from the carved flowers to Sirius, "but can I tell you another time since it's actually a happy birthday this year?"

"I can wait," Sirius promised warmly.

* * *

The quidditch match scheduled for the Saturday in May was a welcomed distraction for all of Hogwarts students from their upcoming final exams, O.W.L.s, and N.E.W.T.s respectively. The air in the Great Hall was vibrating as Gryffindor and Ravenclaw were psyching themselves up with the remaining Houses deciding upon their favorites.

Getting something of a late start, the Marauders were among the last members of their House to arrive for breakfast.

"Nervous Prongs?" Remus inquired as the four boys stepped through the double doors.

"Never," James put up a convincing front.

He was always a bit anxious before every match, especially when the Cup was on the line, but after several years of playing the sport for Gryffindor the feeling was virtually a tradition at this point.

"Hey, congratulations Black!" A younger Year Ravenclaw wished as she passed the boys for her own table.

"Thanks!" Sirius replied warmly as he continued on to the Gryffindor table with the rest of the Marauders.

"What was that about?" Remus questioned with a raised eyebrow.

"Haven't a bloody clue," Sirius shrugged.

"Then why did you thank her?" Peter demanded.

"I like being congratulated," Sirius divulged to no one's surprise, "it makes me feel special."

"That's my best friend, the mongrel idiot he is," James sighed as he took his usual seat next to Lily and turned to her, "going to wish me luck before the match?"

Lily leaned in and kissed her boyfriend on the mouth in a way that was affectionate without causing McGonagall to chide them from her place at the Head Table.

"Good luck," Lily smiled before she turned thoughtfully to the other Gryffindors in her Year, "I heard that in Transfigurations next week Professor McGonagall is planning on teaching us the theory of Apparition and Disapparition since we'll be of age to do it after this year."

"Finally, free use of magic without threat of expulsion," Sirius breathed a sigh of relief.

"So are they going to teach us how to Apparate before the examination?" Arabella questioned.

"At Hogwarts? No," James shook his head while reaching for the marmalade, "no one can just appear or disappear on the school ground."

"How do you know that?" Peter expressed awe.

"Remember how we all read Hogwarts: A History when we were trying to figure out if there were any secret passages in the school?" James frowned at Peter, "am I the only one who bothered to retain any information from the book."

"Yes because it was boring," said Sirius grinning.

"Anyway, I imagine that they'll teach us the basics of it and then we practice at home or possibly at Hogsmeade before we take the test at the Ministry," guessed Remus.

"I heard it's really complicated to do," Gwen said with a slight whine, "I always bungle the complicated spells and I don't want half of me to separated 3 meters from the other half. I just hope we get to practice at school since I'm a muggle-born and all."

"Stop yer belly-aching," Cassidy yawned, "Millie or I will help yeh out if yeh need it."

Gwen looked positively jubilant at the news of this and returned to her breakfast with gusto. Trying to wake herself up for the match, Cassidy poured herself another cup of coffee.

"I heard they're putting Wilkes on as the announcer fer the match," Cassidy interjected in the conversation.

"Yeah," Sirius confirmed, "apparently Davy Gudgeon, the Ravenclaw they usually have cover it is in the Hospital Wing recovering from a hex someone placed on him so mouths fly out of his mouth every time he opens it. McGonagall asked Winifred to cover because she remembered the girl chatting up the sport one day after Transfigurations."

"That's rich! I'll bet she hexed him just so she could have the job!" Peter snorted, "I've only been hounding McGonagall over doing it for years and she just hands the job off to that-that-"

"That what ?" Sirius challenged hotly.

Peter abandoned his sentence but took to glaring at Sirius as though he somehow had a hand in helping Winifred into her announcing position. Sirius returned the glare before he took to ignoring him altogether. Thankfully a distraction in the form of Bill Weasley presented itself.

"Hey Sirius, congrats!" the redheaded boy beamed, "you must be happy for your sister."

The 6^th Years perked up as the looked between Sirius and Bill.

"You going on about her promotion a few months back?" asked Sirius who had finally become curious as to what people were congratulating him for.

"She got promoted?" Bill questioned, evidently not following as closely along as Sirius would like, "it didn't mention that in the article I don't think."

"Article?" Sirius repeated before he turned to Millicent who gave off a small gasp.

She was biting her lip while reading that day's edition of the Daily Prophet since she, Remus, and James were the only ones who bothered to subscribe to it and neither of the boys had unrolled their copies yet. She stole a wary glance at Sirius before passing him the section in question.

"I'm sorry, Sirius," said Millicent in a weak voice.

"Sorry?" Sirius continued to repeat those around him as he looked down at the paper. James and Remus were now tearing open their Prophets with Lily and Arabella reading over their shoulders. Cassidy leaned down the bench and pinched a copy off Mundungus Fletcher who gave an audible protest. She, Peter, and Gwen ignored him as they read on for themselves.

Sirius's blue eyes poured over the text as they appeared to be simotaniously attempting to widen and narrow. His body began to tremble as he continued to read on.

"SON OF A BIT - "

* * *

All the Great Hall turned in response to Sirius's outburst. Professor McGonagall was already throwing her napkin on her plate with an irritable expression as the rose and started towards her House table. On the other side of the Hall, the Slytherins were craning their necks curiously and laughing over the impending trouble Black was going to find himself in.

"What's that about?" Winifred wondered as she peered over the distance of the hall at Sirius waving his hands wildly while his friends attempted to coax him into his seat bodily.

"You speak as though I have any insight into the actions of the emotionally unstable," Severus said aloofly, although it was obvious he was interested in what was causing Black such duress.

"Well whatever it is has something to do with the paper," Serpen Nott pointed out.

The Slytherins watched McGonagall lead Black off near the entrance of the Hall while he was gesturing madly to a Daily Prophet in his hand while justifying his behavior to her. Quickly grabbing their own copies of the Prophet, the Slytherins all started to page through for the offending article with expectant and amused looks upon their faces.

"It's on page nine!" Regius Avery announced gleefully.

A rustle of papers lead the House over to the section mentioned.

~ * ~

MALFOY AND BLACK: TYING THE KNOT AFTER NINE YEARS?

By: Rita Skeeter

A chiming can be heard on the horizon that sounds faintly like wedding bells. To the Wizarding World, the announcement of Aurora Black and Lucius Malfoy's imminent engagement will undoubtedly be a wildly celebrated union of two affluent family lines. For those of us who have known both of the betrothed party from our days at Hogwarts this sort of news has been anticipated for almost a decade.

Lucius Malfoy, (25) a handsome and charming representative for the British Ministry, was gracious enough to provide this journalist with his comments regarding the on and off relationship he and Miss Black entertain.

"Aurora and I have indulged exploring our options time and again however we always seem to end up right back where we were once the dance is over. And that happens to be together," explained Malfoy with complete confidence on the topic, "I think both Aurora and myself recognize that the time for coy games has passed us and I expect that we will be walking down the same path most respectable witches and wizards in our place would take."

Miss Aurora Black (25), recently appointed Jr. Head of the Department of Magical Catastrophes, was unavailable to confirm Malfoy's assessments however she has been scene about London in designer gown relaters. Amos Diggory (26), presently a colleague with the Ministry of Magic and former classmate who remembers the couple from Hogwarts, was available to comment.

"Those two (Malfoy and Black) were the most popular couple back in school," Diggory reminisced, "In many ways they still are I suppose. People still talk about both and they practically attend every functioning worth mentioning together. The only surprise about any of this is they've taken so long to get around to it."

Breathlessly awaiting the proposal to be formalized by a ring upon the soon-to-be Lady Malfoy's hand it won't be long before people grow curious as to what the arrangements for the wedding will entail and how public the event shall be. Predictions are already being made that see the ceremony and receptions as being once of the most extravagant affairs of the decade knowing the flashy reputations and wealth of recourses both families possess.

This journalist would like to go on record stating that she's certain we can't begin to imagine what the future for Malfoy and his vivacious bride will be.

~ * ~

"Bloody hell," Aaron Lestrange studied the report next to Mary Tudor, "I would have thought Malfoy might have had a bit of taste than to mingle with the Blacks. He's mates with my brother you know."

"Weren't Black's sisters all in Hufflepuff ?" Mary sneered as though it were a dirty word.

"I really don't get why this would bother Black," Florence shrugged, "I thought someone had died by the way he was carrying on."

Severus said nothing as his peers attempted to debate the significance of the article in their usual drawls. He reread the article several times before rolling it up and placing it into his robes. Rising from his seat, Severus addressed the table.

"Anyone who is interested in attending the match, follow me now," Severus barked over the heads of his housemates, "I have no desire to file in to the stadium with the mindless banter of the other Houses pounding in my ears."

Rising without argument, the Slytherins exchanged glances as they flowed after their Prefect.

"What's his problem?" Florence asked Winifred.

"Being Severus mostly," Winifred shrugged.

* * *

James was right along with Remus and Peter trailing Professor McGonagall as she ushered the still raving Sirius from the Great Hall. He had barely crossed the threshold of the room before McGonagall spun around staring at him.

"Mr. Potter, I believe the situation is well in hand," she said briskly, "your attention would be best served to your team."

"But Sirius - ," James started out before he was cut short.

"Is fully capable of explaining himself and has Lupin and Pettigrew to fill in the blanks," McGonagall replied, "now off with you!"

Seeing no point in arguing further, James held his tongue and marched back into the Great Hall only to be intercepted by pale figure known as Ophelia Atropos who had just stepped off from the Ravenclaw table to meet him.

"Potter can I have a word?" Atropos requested calmly.

"Er, okay?" James nodded curiously.

This was odd for James since he wasn't entirely certain that he had ever spoken to the Ravenclaw girl before, though her supposedly psychic reputation did proceed her as well as her recently becoming a replacement Seeker for her House team. James couldn't help but wonder what she would want to talk to him about an hour before the game.

"I would like to give you a suggestion for the game today and I can only hope you take me seriously," Atropos explained; her voice as thin and pale as the rest of her, "I thought it would be enough if I replaced the Seeker on my team but I saw last night it wasn't."

James shifted and ran a hand though his hair.

"Um, look, Atropos," James said in as polite a tone as he could manage, "I know you think you're a Seer or something but I really don't buy into all this. Now if this is just Ravenclaws ploy to spook me into losing this match I can't say it's going to work well or that I really appreciate it."

"I understand your skepticism, Potter but I'd rather you just hear me out all the same," Atropos said insistently, "I want you to lone Cassidy Kinkade the wrist-guards you always wear for the game today."

"What?" James raised his eyebrow at the odd demand.

"I don't know why but I think that if you lend her your quidditch bracers Kinkade will be better off," Atropos pressed on.

James had expected some ominous warning that would predict certain doom if he or certain members of his team played or predictions of grand misfortune if Gryffindor caught the snitch too soon.

James certainly hadn't expected wardrobe changes.

"That's ridiculous," James scoffed, "why would such a trivial thing matter?"

"If it's so trivial then what's the harm in doing it?" Atropos challenged simply.

"Well it's - look that's not the point," James felt himself getting a bit flustered at the oddity of it all.

"Potter, please, call it superstition or madness or whatever you like but be sure you give Kinkade your regular bracers," Atropos said in almost a plea, "it won't do a thing to any strategies you have planned and shouldn't impair either of your games."

James studied Atropos. For whatever reason she sincerely believed that it was vital he comply with her wishes. Feeling a slight amount of guilt over bothering her even if she was being silly, James nodded.

"Fine, I'll give Cassidy the bracers. Alright?" James agreed with a sight.

Ophelia Atropos smiled and nodded in return as she and the rest of the Ravenclaw team began to head off. James went to say goodbye to Lily and collect his own team while fighting a chill running the length of his spine.

* * *

In the Gryffindor changing room, James had just finished his usual pep talk to inspire his team and they were strapping on the last of their gear. James toyed with the idea of simply flying onto the pitch without bothering to entertain Atropos's nonsense since there was really no way the girl would know if he kept his word or not.

The only problem was that he had given his word to entertain her nonsense.

Chiding himself to being yet another ridiculous person buying into mysticism and omens, James walked over to Cassidy and held out his wrist-guards to her.

"Here, I want you to trade these with me for the game," James insisted gruffly.

Cassidy gave James a queer look.

"Why? Yeh spit in them or something?" she demanded with a chuckle.

"Because I'm the captain, that's why," James replied shortly.

Cassidy continued her quizzical stare but took the bracers and exchanged them for her own. Fastening them on, Cassidy eyed James.

"I don't recall yeh ever bothering about my uniform before, what's getting on with yeh?" Cassidy wondered before a slightly enlightened look crossed her face, "doesn't have anything teh do with that Atropos girl talking teh yeh before does it?"

"You know I don't believe in that stuff," James said without meeting Cassidy's eyes, hopefully passing it off as applying his new set of bracers, "now get your broom so we can head out on the pitch."

Obeying her captain once again, Cassidy finished with the last strap of her gloves and headed towards the green. The rest of the Gryffindor House team followed along as they awaited for the cue from the announcer to soar out onto the pitch.

~ "Good afternoon Ladies and Gentlemen this is Winifred Wilkes hosting in place of Davy Gudgeon. Welcome to the final match of the season which pits the defending champions of GRYFFINDOR against the eager challengers from RAVENCLAW. The winner of this match will fly off with no less than the Quidditch Cup! Speaking of flying here comes the Gryffindors captained by JAMES POTTER. . ." ~

* * *

"How could she do this to me?" growled Sirius.

The balls had been released and the match was underway for over five minutes but Sirius found himself having trouble enjoying it.

"Actually I don't think this has anything to do with you, Sirius," Lily observed, "I mean it is your sister's life."

~ "FLETCHER and KINKADE take to volleying a Bludger between them before sending it off to clip ACKERBEE in the shoulder and making his pitch off the Quffle veer off the mark of KINGSTON! ~

Sirius's head jerked nearly off the neck as the glared at Lily. Remus and Peter flinched as they attempted to psychicly communicate to Lily that she needed to promptly abandon this subject.

"But I want what's best for her and Malfoy is such a far cry from that he should be banned by the Ministry of Magic!" Sirius insisted adamantly.

"Well did you ever stop to consider that maybe she's actually keen on this Malfoy?" Lily countered in her usual even tone as she craned her neck to watch what was happening in the game.

~ "POTTER intercepts a pass for KINGSTON and drops it down to FINN. Finn takes it to the Ravenclaw Keeper, CARTWRIGHT with a bit of fancy broomwork and . . .AND SCORES! TEN MORE POINTS FOR GRYFFINDOR!" ~

Sirius's eyes went wide at the mere mention of this with an odd twitch developing around one of them. Remus and Peter each groaned into the sleeves of there cloaks as they were certain they had just heard Sirius's brain implode within his skull.

Everyone else in the box was on their feet whooping insanely over their House taking the lead.

"No I haven't, Lily, and do you know why that might be?" Sirius's voice teased on the brink of manic at this point and Lily was being very generous with her bewildered look upon him.

"BECAUSE THE SHEER NOTION IS INSANE THAT'S WHY!" Sirius hollered, "MY SISTER ISN'T KEEN ON MALFOY! SHE'S ONLY KEEN ON ME!"

Lily blinked at Sirius along with pretty much everyone else in the Gryffindor box as his ranting could be heard over the cheers of the crowd.

"Do you have any inkling of how much of a spoiled brat you sound like at the moment?" demanded Lily, "Honestly Sirius! Your sister's a grown woman isn't she? You can't expect her to just sit around and adore you for the rest of her life."

"Of course that's not it!" Sirius pouted, "Aurora can get bloody married. She can get married 100 times for all I care just so long as none of them have Malfoy meeting her at the alter!"

~ "POTTER and HIGGS are elbowing it out for the Quaffle with FINN and ACKERBEE in narrowing pursuit. After a rough negotiation with his knee, Potter claims the Quaffle and pitches it clean to WELSH who is up the pitch." ~

Sirius emitted a guttural noise before trying to pay attention to the game again. Lily gave up on talking to Sirius and turned to Remus and Peter.

"I think I'm missing something about his feelings on this Malfoy character," Lily confessed to the other boys.

Peter and Remus only shook their heads since they have been hearing of the evils of Lucius Malfoy ever since they first met Sirius Black and knew that the idea of having him as a brother-in-law was probably Sirius's biggest concern.

Doesn't mean the two weren't tired of hearing about it.

"Loads, Lily," Remus rolled his eyes, "you're missing LOADS."

* * *

From the Slytherin box, the body of the House maintained an only half interested in the events of the match as their team wasn't playing. Mostly they were just hoping that Gryffindor would blunder in some humiliating fashion so they could jeer at them later on about it. Regius Avery was keeping a marginal concern towards the game until Severus Snape spoke up next to him.

"Do you still have the intention of escorting Millicent Meeks around Hogsmeade?" Severus inquired smoothly.

"What of it?" Avery shrugged indifferently.

"I've deemed this an impossibility, Avery," Severus informed coolly, "you'll have to amuse yourself some other way next weekend."

Avery gaped at Severus before chuckling and shaking his blonde waves.

"Look, Snape, if you had some sort of interest in her or arguable reason other than you care to be a prat about this, I might consider it. Of course, since that's not the case, I think I'll proceed just as I care to," Avery drawled smugly, "Simply put: you don't scare me and you can't bully me."

"Is that what you assume?" Severus raised an eyebrow in amusement.

"It's what I know," Avery countered curtly.

"Well I suggest that you become certain of something else," Severus's voice came out even, "otherwise, if I see you so much as five meter in Meeks's radius I'll expose you to hexes I'm not entirely certain they've developed counter courses for yet."

Avery's eyes narrowed at Severus but there was still a nervous, flickering quality to them.

"Are you threatening me?" he demanded indignantly.

"And they say you aren't clever, Regius," Severus smiled without humor, "I won't have you spoiling my partner not only for Heilsing's project but in various classroom labs because you're either bored with or have exhausted your other options."

"Oh it certainly would be a pity if you were inconvenienced," Avery replied sarcastically.

"The question really is whom would it be a pity for?" Severus's black eyes bore into Avery's.

Deciding to give Avery the opportunity to let his advice sink in, Severus devoted his attention between the game. This, therefore, made him rather oblivious to Aaron Lestrange tapping Avery on the shoulder.

"You two can have your row later," Lestrange insisted in a hushed voice, "right now keep your eye on the Beater."

Avery turned his attention back on the game.

"Which one?" Avery said with interest rather than concern.

"Kinkade. She's about to get a little lesson in minding her own bloody business," Lestrange answered with a sneer, "just don't do anything to block Mary's view."

Avery glanced at Lestrange's girlfriend to see her focusing her eyes intently on Kinkade's broom. Her lips were barely moving and the only sounds coming out were in low hisses.

It didn't take a Headboy to figure out Tudor was jinxing Kinkade's broom.

"Wicked, Mary, positively wicked," Regius turned back to the pitch grinning.

* * *

When he wasn't directly involved with a play (or avoiding a bludger) James found himself stealing glances at Ophelia Atropos.

So far she was doing about the same thing for Ravenclaw Hattie Sinclair was doing for his own team as she scanned her head about looking for the snitch and occasionally flew to a different location of the pitch in search of it.

Seeing the quaffle being pitched towards him, James sized it from the air and speed off. The roar of Hogwarts spectators followed close behind as James weaved below a Ravenclaw Chaser and veered off just in time to miss a bludger. He dropped the altitude of his broom just enough to have the opposing Keeper wonder what the hell he thought he was doing before rocketing back up and sending an underhand pitch clean through a hoop.

~ "And Potter earns ten more points for Gryffindor bringing the score to 250 to 90 in Gryffindor's favor!" ~

Grinning triumphantly James circled back so he could help the other Gryffindor Chasers steal the quaffle back and do it all over again.

It was out of the corner of his eye that James saw it happen.

Just finished in her sharp sailing of a bludger on Ackerbee's tail with both hands on her bat, Cassidy's broom shuddered violent before throwing her clean off as it flipped itself a clean 180 degrees. A collective gasp rose from all around the stadium as James felt his eye bulge at the sight of Cassidy plummeting twenty or meters toward the green head first.

~ "KINKADE IS THROWN FROM HER BROOM AND FALLING STRAIGHT ON TO THE GREEN!" ~

Abandoning any care of a quaffle, James turned and speed his broom after Cassidy. His mind insisted that he would never be able to reach her before she hit the ground but he refused to pay it any heed even as she was only a few meters from the ground while he was still speeding up the pitch.

Convinced he was about to watch his friend's skull shatter against the ground, James gaped in shock as he saw Cassidy's arms shoot out in front of her and hit the ground first. Pausing in the briefest of handstands, James watched her body vault off from this position and forced Cassidy into a tight roll before landing on her feet. Standing up shakily, Cassidy dusted the grass of her uniform in what appeared to be a completely unharmed state.

The crowd was cheering exuberantly. Not only for Cassidy's safety but for Ophelia Atropos's successful snare of the snitch.

~ "Taking advantage of the discord, Atropos claims the snitch and earns RAVENCLAW 150 POINTS. Unfortunately the score rests 250 - 240 making GRYFFINDOR THIS YEAR'S WINNERS OF THE QUIDDITCH CUP!" ~

James ignored both the outcome of the game and Wilkes's parting commentary as leapt off his broom to run the rest of the distance to Cassidy.

"What just happened?" James asked frantically.

"I dunno," Cassidy shrugged. She was attempting to look calm, but her ragged breathing and high pitch were showing just how scared Cassidy had been. "I was just on my broom when it bucked me off then I was falling. I thought fer sure I was going teh break my neck until these bracers yeh made me wear held themselves out and took all the force of the fall!"

"I don't see why they would - ," James halted in the midst of his sentence.

Those were the bracers Lily had given James for Christmas. The ones she had enchanted to keep him from slipping off his broom if he was holding on even slightly or cushion his fall if he failed to get a proper grip. The magical properties of the gift had entirely slipped James's mind over the past six months since he wasn't in the habit of falling from his broom all that much.

The question now was how did Ophelia Atropos know what even he had forgotten?

Searching for her amidst the Ravenclaw players, James wanted to pursue this further however was quickly swallowed up in the celebration of his team over winning the season with the rest of Gryffindor quickly emptying the stands.

Recognizing that he would have to wait another time to speak with Atropos, James tried to enjoy their House's victory.

* * *

Aurora Black swung the door of Lucius Malfoy's office in the Ministry open and shut so hard that the glass pane on it quivered in threat of shattering. Her blue eyes seethed like flaring stars with the features of her usually placid and beautiful face taunt with evident indignation.

Lucius smiled at the witch.

It was always a rare treat to see Aurora so livid.

"Why Aurora, what brings you into the office on a Saturday?" Lucius observed the obvious with contained glee, "I hope nothing dire."

Aurora stormed over to the desk he was sitting so smugly behind and tossed that day's edition of the Daily Prophet at him as a demonstration of rage. Lucius pulled the bound parchment onto his desk and smoothed it out neatly.

"Something troubling you in the headlines, my dear?" Lucius questioned coolly.

"Why don't you read your handiwork on page nine," Aurora said each word on a wooden note.

Lucius flipped to the page Aurora suggested and skimmed over the article obviously offending her. He had already read the column earlier that morning with his tea and had a good chuckle before he met with personnel from the Department of Interaction Cooperation. Still it was fun to play along with Aurora's temper.

"My, considering how publicized all this is I would dare say it would be almost a simpler task to go through with the marriage than bother with a retraction," Lucius chuckled although Aurora doubted either of them were expected to take his words as a joke.

"You and I have wildly different interpretations of what would be a simple thing to do," Aurora informed with a grim expression.

"Oh lighten up, Aurora. After all you were the only one between us that every insisted had the sense of humor," Lucius rolled his eyes, "it is an exaggerated page 9 piece. I barely believe someone as composed as you is even bothered by such a sensationalized article."

A twitch developed on Aurora's face: just below the eye and just above the mole on her high cheekbone.

"People keep asking to see the ring," Aurora snapped.

"Is that a hint for me to go jewelry shopping?" Lucius raised an eyebrow with a quick grin.

Aurora slammed both her hands on the top of Lucius's desk as she glared down at where he sat with obvious venom.

"Well, perhaps a lovely heirloom piece then," Lucius replied with a slightly wider smile.

"I'm not laughing Lucius," Aurora hissed, "Rita Skeeter didn't just pull these ideas out of thin air."

"I ran into the woman a few days ago. It is been years since I've seen her and since we were once classmates I thought it would be nice to catch up. We discussed people we knew and naturally your name came up in conversation seeing as how the two of you were both Ravenclaws in the same year," Lucius justified smoothly.

"And you just happened to mention that we were engaged somewhere between when the appetizers arrived and the drinks were refilled?" Aurora snarled as she began pacing the floorboards.

Lucius seemed entirely too entertained by Aurora's irritation.

"If Skeeter took a fair amount of liberties with my end of the dialogue, Aurora, there's not much I can do about it. Of course I find it amazing that you are at all surprised she was so colorful in depicting our arrangement since you know her as well as I do," Lucius drawled in a bored tone.

"What arrangement?" Aurora scoffed, "as far as I was last informed, I dropped you like 4^th Year Divinations just before graduation seven years ago."

Lucius's lips thinned out into a tight line as he looked to Aurora rather unappreciatively.

"What about your first month working for the Ministry two years after that?" Lucius questioned.

"Poor adjustment to a transitional period in my life," Aurora explained.

"And the 1974 Quidditch World Cup tournament?" Lucius pressed.

"I'd say a combination of heat stroke and alcohol made THAT seem like a good idea at the time," Aurora guessed.

"Oh and it was," Lucius agreed in a knowing sort of way that only himself or Aurora could get away with, "but then what would be your excuse for the international cooperation banquet just a few months after that?"

"YOU propositioned ME," Aurora spoke through her teeth.

"You went along with it," Lucius reminded with a smirk, "and rather enthusiastically if I dare recall. And there is always Winter Holiday last year. Just before I assisted you in smoothing things over with your delinquent brother?"

Aurora crossed her arms over her silk robes, unable to look at Lucius any longer.

"Everyone gets lonely around the holidays," Aurora stated with a long exhale.

"The point of all this, Aurora, is that things between us always seem to end up right back in the same spot. The only snare in anything progressing to some adult level is the fact that whenever I mention making things more serious you are one with the first excuse out of the relationship," Lucius observed eyeing Aurora as he rose from his desk, "I doubt many aside from myself would be so tolerant of your blatant aversion to commitment."

"I don't have problems with commitment," Aurora corrected with narrowed eyes, "I only have problems with being committed to you."

"Oh really?" Lucius's tone had a challenging quality as he approached Aurora more closely, "then please enlighten me as to what lover you have maintained for more than a few weeks aside from myself? Someone you actually brought home to meet your family so he could be tormented by your brother."

"Shut up, Lucius," Aurora murmured uninterested in him playing the analyst.

"So who are you seeing now?" Lucius pressed with interest.

"What makes you think I'm seeing anyone?" Aurora questioned coldly.

"You are always seeing someone when you are not seeing me," Lucius stated as though it were a fact of the universe, "I was just curious. . ."

"I don't see why," Aurora shrugged, "last I heard you were seeing that woman Madam Snape introduced you to at Vernal Equinox."

"Narcissa La Fae?" Lucius said as though Aurora not saying her name meant more than her simply not bothering to commit it to memory. "Are you jealous by my courting another woman?"

"No," Aurora replied flatly as she eyed Lucius's close proximity to her, "of course if I was her I'd be very nervous about how the man courting me was spending his office hours."

"I am not seeking out a fight, my dear," Lucius soothed as he stood before Aurora and met her gaze, "all I am suggesting is that I believe we are both getting a little long in the tooth for your playing the same games you employed in school."

"Then I think you should move on," Aurora decided for the both of them.

"And I advise you to pause on that rather hasty thought," Lucius recommended in a silky voice, "at least until after you have either discarded your recent amusement or he has grown tiresome of your flightiness. Until then, I think many Wizards would be disappointed to see that the Ministry spends their tax galleons on you realizing you are not exactly entertaining a more suitable option than myself."

"You really don't get it, Lucius," Aurora's smile merciless and frigid, "I've always got the best option of the two of us because it's not as though you can walk out on yourself now can you?"

Aurora threw one last distasteful look at Lucius's smug face before turning on her heel and storming out of the office.

Lucius waved his wand to shut the door, sneering at the perfume still lingering in the air of his office.

* * *

In the Gryffindor commons the House was celebrating wildly over their victory in quidditch. James and the rest of the team had spent the first hour enduring peels of praise from their Housemates; however, Cassidy was truly the center of attention for the evening. Many people demanded to hear her story over and over, but somewhere around the tenth time Cassidy gave the account Gwen McGinnis broke down into tears and threw her arms around Cassidy.

"I WAS POSITIVE YOU WERE GOING TO DIE !" sobbed Gwen.

Completely thrown by this, Cassidy just stared down at the smaller girl with a surprised expression. She was blushing as the room stared at her and Gwen interlocked and attempted unsuccessful to pry the girl off her

"Well what are yeh fer? Yeh disappointed I lived or something?" Cassidy joked awkwardly.

"SEE !?" Gwen shrilly bawled on, "IT'S INSULTS LIKE THAT SHOWING OFF HOW MUCH OF A COW YOU ARE THAT I WOULD HAVE MISSED THE MOST!"

James laughed to himself off on the side as Lily joined him.

"Those two are brilliant friends," Lily stated as she cuddled under James's arm.

"Yeah," James nodded, "still, I'm a little unnerved by it all. I mean, not only for the fact that Cassidy could have been horrible hurt but because that Atropos girl practically predicted it. I mean, if I hadn't given Cassidy the bracers you fashioned for me like she asked. . ."

James took a sip of his drink rather than carry on with that thought. Lily patted him reassuringly on the front of his chest.

"That's not even the end of it," Lily informed him, "Bronwyn Weaver mentioned to Gwen after the match that Magda Hothorn, the usual Seeker ended up passing out in the stands. They had to hurry her off to the Hospital Wing where Madam Pomfrey discovered she was having a violent allergic reaction to something she's still working out. If she had been playing, she might have fainted off her broom."

James felt chilled by all this sudden, divine intervention surrounding him.

"I think I'd like to talk with Ophelia Atropos sometime soon," James decided grimly.

"I don't blame you. This was a very eerie day," Lily said before throwing James a bright smile, "still we should be enjoying ourselves."

"Yeah, you're right," James agree, kissing Lily on the forehead, "any immediate suggestions?"

Lily's features contorted in a slightly mischievous way as she glanced around to see if anyone was listening in on them.

"Well I was thinking, now that Professor McGonagall's off, that maybe we could have something of a private engagement in my room," Lily smiled in an entirely suggestive way at James.

James lost a fair amount of interest in his beverage as he took to grinned broadly as Lily.

"Yeah?" he said with a dopey expression not uncommon to seventeen year old boys who have received similar propositions.

"Yeah," Lily nodded, "of course I see no reason to announce it to all of Gryffindor so I'll just sneak on ahead of you and you can follow along in a moment."

"Sounds brilliant to me," James agreed as he kissed Lily on the cheek before he watched her saunter off.

Doing his best to look entirely innocent and completely not anticipating impending snogging, James took to leaning against one of the stone walls and smiling casually to the people who passed him by.

It took a little effort to keep appearances up when Sirius decided to join him. James was hoping that Sirius was still fairly distracted by the news of his sister's engagement to be too obnoxious to him. Sirius was obviously trying to enjoy the party and force the bad news out of his head but James caught his best friend scowling when he thought no one was paying attention. He was also pretty sure that he had seen Sirius excuse himself from the party in favor of, as much as James could guess, the Owlry once.

Smiling, James shared a fraternal hug with Sirius as a greeting.

"Well here's to another phenomenal Gryffindor victory," Sirius toasted as he raised his glass to James.

Knocking the goblets against one another, Sirius watched James take a large sip of his punch before thoughtfully adding to his salute.

"And here's to you trying your damnedest to pretend you're not about to race off for heavy petting with Lily."

James gagged audibly on his swallow with wide eyes. Deciding that Sirius had purposefully waited for him to choke on his drink, James chose to spit it up on the front of his best friend's robes as a reward for his timing and wit.

"Oh that's lovely James!" Sirius laughed it off as he stared as his suddenly drenched attire.

"You had it coming you randy prat," James chuckled as he wiped off his mouth.

"Well, I think I'll be changing now," Sirius shook his head as he went up towards the boys' dormitories with a wink, "of course I doubt I'll be the only one of us to shed some clothes."

James groaned at his friend and set his drink down. Scanning around one last time to be sure the Head of their House was nowhere present, James casually meandered over towards the stairs leading up into the tower and headed towards the prefect's room between the dormitories. Rapping on the oak door, James smiled as Lily swung it open and grinned up at him.

"Hello there James," Lily greeted coyly, "care to step inside for a bit."

James had a truly amused quality to his face as he took a step towards the doorway leading in.

It vanished promptly when some kind of invisible forced propelled James several yards up and through the air, leaving him to stumble a skid a it more along the landing floor. He had managed to push himself onto his elbows just as Lily rushed over to his side. There was a slightly accusing expression on James's face as he reflected on how eagerly Lily had been to get him up to her room.

"Was that some kind of joke?" he demanded.

Lily didn't look so much concerned anymore as she did scandalized.

"Of course not!" Lily insisted shrilly, "you had better be suffering some trauma to the head to carry on like that at me!"

Climbing to his feet with Lily steadying him, James joined Lily in a quizzical stare directed at her doorway.

"Then what the bloody hell just happened here?" James questioned although he doubted Lily had any answers for him.

It was then Sirius padded down the steps with a clean shirt and a curious glance.

"Taken to exhibition then eh?" Sirius teased the couple.

James only rolled his eyes while Lily seemed to be on the verge of saying something indignant until it dropped off for a more contemplative surveying of her bedroom.

"Sirius, would you please try to walk into my room?" Lily requested.

Sirius raised an eyebrow to Lily before shrugging.

"Alright," he agreed as he walked over to the doorway.

James and Lily both took a generous step back. One second later a suddenly airborne Sirius joined the pair at their feet in a similarly explosive manner as James. Scrambling to his feet, Sirius pointed to Lily's bedroom very much riled.

"WHAT THE BLOODY HELL JUST HAPPENED THERE?" asked Sirius in a hot tone.

"That's what we're working out," James shook his head, at an obvious loss, "same thing happened to me just before you."

Sirius turned back to the door before erupting into fits of laughter that inspired him to crumple back onto the ground.

"Oh that's rich!" Sirius insisted gleefully, "McGonagall's locked James out!"

"What?" James gaped.

"I think the hyena's right," Lily sighed bitterly, "when Professor McGonagall caught you in my room just after spring holiday she probably thought it would be wise to make sure you didn't just happen to find your way in again so she put up some kind of barrier spell."

"Fan - BLOODY - tastic!" James groaned as he grabbed fistfuls of his scruffy hair in frustration.

"What's going on up here?" Peter's voice called from the stairs as he emerged with Remus and Arabella right behind him.

"Yeah, why all the shouting?" Arabella questioned as she eyed her three friends from under Remus's arm, stopping on Sirius, "and why is he so positively manic?"

"Apparently the Head of our House thought my girlfriend required a restriction on her bedroom visitors," James grumbled as he carefully approached the doorway and examined it, as though expecting to find some evidence of the charm being used.

"Come again?" Peter furrowed his brow.

"McGonagall put a barrier spell on Lily's door that prevents men from walking through. . .and rather violently I might add," Sirius translated helpfully and happily.

Not that he wanted to have his close friends put out and otherwise impaired like this but Sirius could appreciate the humor in the situation.

"Does it do the same to girls?" Arabella mused as she joined James near the doorway.

"I'm the only one who walked through it so I can't say," Lily admitted ignorance.

"Oh," Arabella said as she prepared to step through until Remus pulled her back.

"What are you doing?" Remus demanded, wide-eyed, "Are you looking to get yourself hurt?"

"It doesn't really hurt so much as surprises the hell out of you," Sirius commented with a smirk.

"Well there you go," Arabella replied as she pulled away from Remus and crossed uneventfully into Lily's room, "well it would appear that it's only a 'no boy's allowed' rule. Sort of like the stairs to the girls' dormitory."

"I still say that's bloody hypocritical of them all," Peter muttered with a scowl, "I heard that the Slytherins are free to come and go as they please."

"Probably in multiple senses I'd reckon," James grumbled still studying Lily's door.

"Oh yes, the Slytherin's certainly set an excellent standard for us all to rise to," Lily huffed disapprovingly.

"You're pretty up in arms for a woman who just tried to sneak her boyfriend off into her room," Sirius noted with amusement, prompting Lily to blush and not look directly at anyone for the moment.

"Well she probably left it open for girls to pass through otherwise you wouldn't be able to get in at all. . .or anyone else if you needed help," Arabella said thoughtfully.

James stepped back and threw a bright look to Lily.

"Hmm, if it's just a gender-based barrier than that shouldn't be too hard to take off," James announced encouragingly.

"James, I doubt McGonagall would charm the door with something so elementary against you if she was determined to keep you out," Remus reluctantly rained on James's parade.

"Most likely," Lily chewed her lip, "since she's suspected something for about a month that means she's either been researching all this time for something neither of us would know about or it's so complicated see needed to prepare that long just to make it work."

Everyone noticed James swallowing a decent amount of rage as he stared at the doorway with utter loathing. His eyes narrowed behind his glasses at the thing which presently mocked not only his love life but magical aptitude. It was no longer a matter of imposed celibacy.

It was a matter of pride.

"I am OFFICIALLY devoting every spare moment of my time and intelligence to taking this invisible wall down!" James declared war before glancing to Sirius, Remus, and Peter, "how about it? You going to lend your brilliant minds my way on this?"

"Always nice to know that I'm putting my magical education to good use," Remus said dryly with a roll of his eyes.

"I think that's Remus's way of committing us whole-heartedly to this noble cause," Sirius quipped.

Peter nodded along since it wasn't as though he had anything better to do with his spare time.

"Good to know your friends are always willing to rally around you in the interests of you seeing a bit of flesh and action," Lily snorted.

Arabella's expression suggested that she was taking note of how pathetic this all seemed as well. The boys stifled laughter between them before James just shrugged as he smiled charmingly at Lily.

"It's a guy thing, luv."

* * *

Passing through the green flames of the floo, Aurora not only stepped into the Black ancestral manor. . .she stepped into an assault of questions as her family swarmed from all corners of the house to greet her in the front hall with varying expressions.

As far as their immediate family was concerned, Celestine and Sirius were the only two who seemed to have a real problem with Lucius Malfoy being a persistent part of their sister's life. Acontiae and Mrs. Black were very much charmed by the young wizarding pureblood and Mr. Black, as in most other things concerning his eldest child, tried to maintain full confidence in her personal judgment.

"Aurora this is wonderful news!" Mrs. Black cooed as she threw her arms around her daughter.

"Congratulations!" Acontiae beamed with satisfaction at Aurora.

Neither Celestine nor their father appeared to share the same enthusiasm as the other two.

"Yes, grand to hear about it first hand along with thousands of other loyal subscribers," Celestine said dryly.

Mr. Black frowned beneath his dark beard while studying The Prophet.

"I agree with Celeste," said Empyrean Black, "I would have expected a well-groomed young man like Malfoy to have the decency to at least approach the family if he was serious about marriage rather than just let it run with the presses."

"Why didn't you mention things were heading in this direction?" Acontiae wondered at her eldest sister.

"Probably because he only just knocked her up," Celestine guessed bitterly.

"CELESTINE BLACK!" Madalyn Black screeched at her middle daughter.

"Well someone had to say it and Sirius is off at Hogwarts probably tunneling out so he can murder Malfoy," Celestine said in a resigning voice.

"That's not what happened is it?" Mr. Black paled a bit.

"If you could all please stop congratulating or accusing me, I'll tell you," Aurora replied in a short tone that snapped her family to attention.

She had just left the ministry and had intended to clear things up face to face with the family she could before writing to Sirius and Severus Snape explaining what happened. Her mood was dark and her patience was thin presently.

Before Aurora could even part her lips, a tapping against the window caught the room's attention as an Owl was fluttering with a post in an effort to get their attention.

"It's probably a letter from Sirius," Aurora predicted.

Acontiae opened the window and accept the post before her eyes went wide.

"No, it's a howler from Sirius," the youngest Black daughter reported as she flipped the crimson envelop to Aurora.

Aurora stole a deep breath and opened the smoking post before it exploded in on itself.

~ " - COULD YOU DO THIS TO ME, AURORA! MALFOY? MALFOY?! DID YOU JUST WAKE UP THIS MORNING AND DECIDE TO MARRY THE WORST WIZARD ON THE BRITISH ISLE? HE'D KILL CHILDREN AND KICK PUPPIES IF HE THOUGHT IT WOULD GET HIM AHEAD! I HOPE HE'S THERE RIGHT NOW! I HOPE I'M INTERRUPTING SOMETHING REALLY, REALLY PRIVATE SO HE KNOWS THAT I THINK HE'S A NANCY BOY WANKER THAT I'LL BE HEXING EVERY HOLIDAY WHEN HE ASKS ME TO KINDLY PASS THE ROLLS! HE IS NOT AND WILL NOT BE MY BROTHER EVER!"

"JUST SO WE'RE CLEAR I'M NOT COMING TO ANY WEDDING UNLESS IT'S TO TALK SOME BLOODY SENSE INTO YOU! SERIOUSLY MALFOY ? I COULD LIVE WITH YOU MARRYING VAMPIRES OR FLUBBERWORM BUT THIS? YOU BETTER NOT HAVE KIDS WITH HIM! I WILL NOT BE THE UNCLE OF SOME FOUL SPAWN HE RUINED YOU WITH! THAT'S NOT IT, IS IT? YOU'RE NOT MARRYING HIM BECAUSE YOU'RE HAVING A CHILD ARE YOU? OH MERLIN I DON'T EVEN WANT TO THINK ABOUT HOW THAT HAPPENED BUT YOU HAVE OTHER OPTIONS! ONES THAT HAVE NOTHING TO DO WITH MALFOY! I TAKE IT BACK, I'LL BE A FINE UNCLE TO THE KID SO LONG AS IT HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH ITS EVIL PATERNAL SIDE! OKAY?"

"NOW WRITE ME BACK BEFORE I BREAK OUT OF THIS BLOODY CASTLE! I WANT TO KNOW WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON!"

The Blacks watched the envelope shred itself into pieces, ears still ringing from Sirius's message.

"Told you Sirius would have said that," Celestine said miserably.

"Sirius is such a brat," Acontiae scowled at the pile of paper, "you know he would have just screamed all that at the top of his lungs if he had been here."

"Be that as it may, your brother has a point on how sudden this all is," Mr. Black waved his wand to rid the room of the remains of his son's message before looking to Aurora, "I think you should explain what's going on."

Sighing while showing all the physical signs of a headache, Aurora informed her family of y the exaggerated nature of the announcement along with Lucius's smug suggestiveness that he was merely gearing up in his attempts to pressure her into a relationship, Aurora watched her family's faces. Her mother appeared to be skeptical while her father scowled in a way that very much reminded her of Sirius. Acontiae listened carefully while Celestine huffed a bit at the audacity of it all.

Once finished, Mrs. Black approached her first born and put an arm around her.

"Are you sure you're not just being sensitive?" Mrs. Black questioned cautiously, "What I mean to say dear is perhaps you're reading into things a bit. If you're simply upset because of what Sirius said, don't worry, he'll come around. Your brother has always been - "

" - a git?" Acontiae offered.

" - spoiled under our affection?" Celestine contributed.

" - without much needed discipline?" Mr. Black finished.

Mrs. Black shot a nasty look at the other members of her family.

"I was going to say spirited !" she hissed on behalf of her baby, "but the point I was making is Sirius speaks from the heart and whatever just pops into his mind so give him some time to adjust to all this before you make any decisions based on his influence."

"Mum, I know you like Lucius, but trust me when I say that even though I'm suspecting the worst of him at the moment I doubt I'm giving Lucius the credit he deserves," Aurora informed in a prickly voice usually uncharacteristic to her serene nature, "now if you'll excuse me I have to write Sirius before even further hell breaks loose."

"You can use one of my owls if you need to," Celestine offered, guessing that Aurora's own carrier dove, Helios, was probably still in London at her flat.

"Thank you Celeste I'll - " Aurora started before a thick smoke coming from her hand back caught her attention as well as everyone else in the room.

"YOUR BAG'S ON FIRE!" Acontiae screeched the obvious.

Aurora dropped her hand bag and stepped away from it. Still with his wand out, Mr. Black pointed it at his daughter's purse and used an extinguishing incantation on it. Aurora pulled out her own wand to help dissipate the smoke rising from it so she could actually inspect the damage done.

"Oh my what happened, dear?" Mrs. Black lowered the hand that had been placed over her mouth as she approached Aurora.

Peeling the singed lips of the purse open, Aurora's expression dropped as she peered inside.

"Was there anything important in there, Aurora?" Acontiae asked sympathetically.

"Not much. . ."Aurora reported softly, "but there was a book. . .it was a gift. . .it had meant a lot to me."

Aurora shut her handbag and looked as though she might sincerely begin to cry. Mrs. Black pulled her daughter into a hug and made soothing noises while the patted her on the back. Mr. Black took the purse from Aurora and looked it over, as thought to determine if there was any way to repair the damage to it.

Acontiae and Celestine studied their older sister with aching concern before turning to one another glowering.

"I think we should pay call on our 'brother-in-law'," Acontiae said in a wooden voice.

"Very much we should," Celestine agreed with whisper.

* * *

Damn the Blacks and everyone who can claim kin to them.

This was Severus's persistent thought as he pulled his wand away from the clump of smoldering ash that had once been a silver book inscribed with the word Endymion. The mystical connection that allowed the books to correspond with one another ensured that both books would be annihilated with the incineration charm. He had hoped destroying such a literal connection to Aurora Black would have provided some catharsis in his dark mood, but it hadn't.

Severus still felt used and betrayed.

Mostly he felt dumb.

Bloody siren and her rocks.

One would have thought that after his calamity with Florence Copia and the tumultuous friendship he entertained with Lily Evans that Severus would be more wary of physically attractive women showing interest in him. Granted there was more than mere looks that had made Evans and Black worth socializing with however it was very obvious that these glamorous witches were a doomed type for him to associate with.

Cursing himself for having some sort of weakness that made him overlook major character flaws in favor of a pretty face, Severus saw little point in crying over spilt potions. He and Aurora had kissed and exchanged pleasantries with words and quills. There were worse losses to be hand in the world and, in a months time, this would just be one more lapse in judgment Severus would mold into his learning curve and be better for it.

All Severus could hope for was some karmic force saw fit to make Aurora Black repent for all her manipulative means to pass the time when Lucius Malfoy was indisposed.

He often referred to this creature as "mother".

Still, the last thing he required was making his mother aware of all this. Things were bothersome enough without the disappointment and insatiable vengeance of Erinyes Snape being thrown into the mix.

And it's not as thought suffering in silence was somehow new to Severus anyway.

Lacking the motivation to remove the singed paper from his desk, Severus allowed it and the scent of charred paper to remain in the room as he ignited a flame beneath his cauldron and began to gather potions ingredients. He was resolved to make the most complicated spell he could brew to keep his mind off Aurora. That or his lack of attentiveness might possibly cause an explosion and land him unconscious in the Hospital Wing.

Either sounded fairly appealing at the moment.

* * *

Exhausted from a night long celebration of their season triumph, Sirius still found himself a bit after lunch working with Winifred Wilkes in spite of his.

Sirius and Winifred had made studying in the conservatory a steady habit as the end of the term was on fast approach. The library was overrun with students frantically spending their last weeks before O.W.L.'s and N.E.W.T.'s in desperate bids for last minute studies. The other years who didn't need to worry about these important tests were feeling the tensions of finals and occupying nearly any other corner and common room in the school as they attempted to successfully finish out the year.

Sprawled on the floor, facing in on one another as they debated what points to include in their project for Defense Against the Dark Arts on the trying and incarceration methods of Wizards, Sirius and Winifred were able to work in relative peace.

Watching her write out a section devoted to what circumstance warrant evidence to be dismissed in a tribunal hearing, Sirius had to smile in slight amusement. Winifred did her homework with a faint smile on her face and lazy strokes of her quill. She carried herself with the air that suggested she believed she had all the time in the world and took everything with a healthy measure of leisure.

People wouldn't be nearly so quick to call Sirius carefree if they ever bothered to watch Winifred Wilkes at work.

Depositing her quill into the inkwell, Winifred slid the parchment over to Sirius to proofread and see if he concurred with how she phrased everything. Climbing to her feet, Winifred stretched in response to her hours spent on the hard wooden floor. Sirius sat up and scanned the waving print over.

"Look alright?" Winifred asked curiously of Sirius, while looking over her shoulder in mid-flex.

"Yeah, it's really good," assured Sirius, turning his face up to grin at Winifred.

"Hmm," Winifred either said or sighed. After she was done working out her sore muscles, she stood over Sirius with an appraising expression, "something on your mind?"

Her black eyes were fixed upon him as though he had somehow given her the impression he should be doing something in particular. Sirius flinched slightly. He had been attempting to keep himself as unassuming as he could; deeply worried that he would tip Winifred off to his less than platonic view of her as of late.

It was becoming obvious that he wasn't masking it all that well.

"Nothing, really," Sirius shrugged with a feeble smile. He abandoned the parchment and joined Winifred on her feet.

"So what happened the other morning in the Great Hall?" asked Winifred, "It was quite a performance."

Sirius grinned and shook his head.

"Oh that, yeah, it was one worth 10 points from Gryffindor" Sirius chuckled, "um, someone at the Daily Prophet thought it would be hilarious to say my eldest sister was tying the knot with a bloke I really can't stand. I went daffy because she's always so on again and off again with the toe-rag I've been sort of afraid that would happen half my life. But she sent me word as soon as she could to let me know it was all a big lie."

"Well I'm glad it worked itself out," Winifred nodded, "I'm surprised you didn't end up losing more points though."

"Well, McGonagall had to do something but she knows how I get with my sisters," Sirius sighed, "She taught Aurora before I got here but liked her a lot and, I get the impression, she didn't have that high an opinion of Malfoy when she was seeing him back then. My either sisters, Celestine and Acontiae were enrolled at Hogwarts with me for a while and I'd get weird if I thought some creep was trying to warm up on them."

"Yes, I think my brother Whitney was one of the victims of your brotherly love," interjected Winifred, "he was in Hufflepuff and I think he had an interest in Celestine for a time. He ended up having his school bag stuffed to the brim with dung bombs if I recall."

A nervous laugh passed through Sirius's lips.

"Oh, sorry about that," Sirius muttered apologetically.

"Why?" Winifred said indifferently, "I don't like my brothers. . .or, I should day they don't like me."

Sirius felt himself tense slightly and frown to this.

"Why not?" he spat indignantly.

"I suppose it's the usual sibling things," Winifred relinquished vaguely, "maybe because I'm the only girl in the family or because they and my father were in Hufflepuff while I'm in Slytherin."

"Well that's just dumb," Sirius decided, "what does your mother say about all that?"

"Not much, she's dead," Winifred explained.

Sirius felt a small amount of bile rise in his throat.]

"Winifred, I'm sorry I didn't - " Sirius started to apologize before Winifred shook her head.

"She died giving birth to me, Sirius, I never knew her like Whitney, Wyatt or my father," soothed Winifred even though Sirius felt like he should be comforting her.

"Is this why you don't like your birthdays?" Sirius questioned.

"Yes," Winifred agreed softly, "but really, it's all quite fine. Please don't put yourself out over it."

Forcing himself to relax a bit, Sirius nodded as a show of hearing Winifred's request.

He groaned inwardly as he realized how difficult it was keeping up the pretenses of a sympathetic friend. To not be able to try and comfort her past the simplest gestures and words. Granted it wasn't as thought Sirius had been consciously grinning and baring through all this for all that long but he was never really one for subtlety and took great pride in knowing that he was one of the few people who had no qualm in always speaking his mind.

This felt like Sirius was not only lying to Winifred but himself.

"Are you sure you're alright?" Winifred pressed as she took a step closer to face Sirius, "you've been so peculiar lately. You have this constant look on your face like you're about to deliver bad news."

Sirius dared a look at Winifred and wondered if the expression she was talking about was upon his face.

"It's not that . . ." he explained weakly, ". . .I'm just in this constant state of feeling like I'm about to do something really stupid."

Winifred smirked.

"Like that's ever stopped you before," Winifred chuckled.

Sirius bit his lip and closed his eyes. Leaning his head back he stole a deep breath from the air before looking at Winifred once more with an expression that wasn't perplexed or anxious.

Just resolved.

"You're right. . ." said Sirius gently with a step that brought him right before Winifred.

". . .it hasn't."

She stopped smiling and was staring up at Sirius, her eyes searching his face for something Sirius wasn't entirely certain she would find straight away.

Of course, ever helpful, Sirius intended to over her a big hint.

He placed a hand on Winifred's narrow shoulder first. Sirius wasn't entirely sure if this was meant to be a prelude so as not to take her completely off guard or an effective means to keep her from running off. Her face turned to stare at his hand in a slow motion. He placed the fingers of his free hand underneath her chin to gently guide her face back. Winifred didn't resist the gesture and set her eyes back on his. There was no curiosity or amusement that he typically found within them.

Just the dulled realization of what was about to happen.

Her lips parted with the intent to speak.

"Sirius - "

Sirius had no desire to learn what the rest of that sentence was.

Before she could do or say anything in protest, Sirius mouth was on Winifred's. It wasn't forceful or demanding embrace, rather soft one. His lips caressed hers in slow, almost probing beats that were the complete opposite of the fluttering rhythm his heart was entertaining. It was like Sirius's first kiss all over: exhilarating and nerve-wracking. When he thought he felt Winifred slowly kissing him back, this spurred Sirius on to enter deeper into her mouth.

KNOCK, KNOCK

Sirius pulled his face from Winifred's so they could both turn to find Florence Copia standing in the doorway of the conservatory and wrapping politely on the frame. Her black coils of hair drooped around her head with a narrowed look set into her olive-skinned face.

Sirius felt as though a large stone had dropped into his stomach while a burning fire sprang through his veins. He removed his hand from Winifred, eyeing Florence sharply and took a step back.

Winifred appeared to be mimicking his reaction at the moment.

"I just saw Heilsing call Severus into her office. She looked horribly cross when I came upon them and Severus wasn't much cheerier. By the way Mary was crowing in the dorms I'll wager she's finally found a means to get back at him for embarrassing her and Aaron," Florence disclosed, eyeing Sirius and Winifred, "Of course maybe you're a little too preoccupied to be bothered with all this right now. . ."

Winifred's grim expression showed that she was processing Florence's words deeply. Making her way to the exit of the conservatory, Winifred hovered in front of her fellow Slytherin briefly.

"Not a word to anyone, Florence," Winifred instructed with a rigid quality to her expression.

"What's in it for me to not drop this into casual conversation in the House commons?" Florence teased with a beaming smile, "I would have thought you'd very much like to be the center of attention."

"Well you know what they say, Florence," Winifred's tone was indifferent but her entire demeanor was anything but, "if you don't have your health then you have me as you enemy."

Leaving things at that, Winifred hurried off without so much as glancing back. Florence's look was beyond bitter as she watched Winifred depart before turning it on Sirius.

"So what's the smart comment going to be on this?" Sirius demanded, fully expecting to launch into his usual games with Florence.

He was feeling particularly defensive since his ex just walked in on him snogging her friend and sent her off running after the person he loathed the most without even getting a chance to gage how Winifred had reacted to it all.

"Mostly to the effect of considering the track record between the two of you it's almost like the both of you are kissing everyone in the school," said Florence coldly.

Blowing some hair out of his face, Sirius leaned arms crossed against the piano.

"What's this about?" asked Sirius irritably. "Don't tell me you're jealous. I mean you couldn't possibly think there was anyway you and I would ever come back together after all that mess before."

"This isn't about you, Sirius," Florence hissed as she walked up to Sirius sneering, "It's never been about you."

"Then what is it about because where I stand you have no room to be angry about anything !" Sirius growled back.

"It's about her," Florence clarified with venom.

Sirius paused as he stared at Florence with pale, scrutinizing eyes.

"Come again?" Sirius wasn't entirely sure what to make of that.

"It's about Winifred and how, for some ungodly reason, things always go best for her," Florence ranted through her teeth, "how she's no better a Witch than I am but she manages better grades and the teachers like her more. She masterminds some of the wickedest things that happen in this school but people actually like her and cover for her so she won't get caught. There's not a solitary special thing about her but she has respect in Slytherin as well as people who just go along with her."

It was odd for Sirius to see Florence carry on like this. She was always so blasé and a bit clueless, making it hard to assume anything dented her brain half the time. At one point Sirius assumed the most complicated thing about the girl was her insatiable need for attention from people she thought were talented, intelligent, or popular, as if them wanting and acknowledging her would some how make her as special as they were.

But this raving, envious Florence was almost a stranger to Sirius.

"I thought you and Winifred were pretty friendly most of the time," Sirius spoke in a voice that exhibited his confusion.

Florence stopped sneering long enough to offer a long and humorless laugh.

"Friends with Winifred?" Florence said this as though it was the most absurd thing she had ever heard, "I always loved your sense of humor Sirius."

"So you don't like Winifred," Sirius stated the obvious.

Staring out darkly from behind her black coils of hair, Florence glared.

"I hate her. I've hated her from the moment we were sorted into the same House and I've only hated her more with each passing year," Florence brought the picture into clear focus, "It's - it's beyond infuriating to watch someone who is completely and utterly your equal, someone no better than yourself achieve so much more than you for no good reason."

"I never picked up on any of this," Sirius confessed.

"If she knew I hated her then how could I take Winifred apart at the seams?" Florence stated with a malicious grin she could have borrowed from Mary Tudor.

"Actually, Florence, I was referring to the part about the two of you being on equal footing," Sirius corrected coolly.

It was satisfying to his very soul to watch that smile drop clean off her face with that comment.

"I've had my triumphs," Florence assured, "I am vindicated whenever I steal the bits of glory Winifred so desperately desires right from her grasp. I show her the hell of having everything in the world handed to you without ever even touching the things you most want."

"Such as?" Sirius pressed.

"'Such as'?" Florence shrieked, obviously offended that Sirius hadn't taken noticed already, "Such as Snape! Such as I know she secretly was entertaining some perverse leanings toward her cousin but could never get him to look at her with more than a brother's eyes. I got from Snape the one thing Winifred could never have and always longed for."

Florence paused as though she was relishing in her own brilliance before she smiled at Sirius and finished.

"I got to see him look at me not as a sister but as a woman."

Sirius could only gape at the Slytherin girl and how maddened she was with her jealously of Winifred. He was also very put off by the implications of what Florence was saying. She was describing some manner of unrequited love on Winifred's part for her own cousin and Sirius wasn't entirely sure how much of that Florence had invented in her head as a product of resentment towards Winifred.

"So then why did you fool around with me?" Sirius wondered aloud, "you supposedly had Snape around your finger that that's supposedly what Winifred wanted the most. You threw that all away on me. Good show, luv!"

"The hell I did!" Florence spat indignantly, "I saw what was going on. I saw you looking at her and knew that before long you'd be cozying up with Winifred like you cozy up with everyone. I knew if I played you and Snape against one another you both would hate each other infinitely more than you already had. And if that happened you would have nothing to do with Winifred because she was his cousin and she would have nothing to do with you because her cousin hated you. Possibly the most popular boy in our Year would be completely inaccessible to her while I not only arranged the whole thing but partook in what she could never have."

Sirius sneered at the thought of being some pawn to reinforce Florence's vindictive delusions.

"And you obviously regret none of this?" Sirius demanded.

"Only that I couldn't have kept the whole thing juggling on a bit longer," Florence said airily, "I think the look on Winifred's face would have been marvelous if I could have told her I shagged her cousin. That and if I had swayed you into it then I'm sure you and Snape would have been positively volatile once the scandal of you bedding the same girl came out."

Sirius was floored by all this.

A part of him had always thought that Florence wasn't well suited for the slings and arrows of Slytherin. She wasn't ambitious or cunning and although she was a bit selfish and something of a snob, Florence still seemed to lack the cruelty that all her peers, even Winifred, were capable of demonstrating.

This moment shattered that image of Florence for Sirius.

"So your whole life for six years has centered around sabotaging Winifred's," Sirius reeled, "do you even appreciate how pathetic you sound?"

"What?" Florence breathed.

Sirius was guessing that Florence had wanted him to be appalled or impressed or even intrigued by all of these things.

Instead Sirius just found it all very sad.

"You're pathetic," Sirius repeated, "instead of trying to do something with yourself that might find you a talent or define you as an individual you've just lurked behind Winifred waiting for her to skin her knee so you could snigger in secret. And then, when you bother to put some effort into making her life miserable, it's all a waste."

Sirius shrugged at Florence.

"I mean, you walked in on us snogging after all," Sirius reminded, "and I don't hate her for her blood."

"But Snape will hate her for you!" Florence pointed out in an almost desperate pitch, "Do you think she'll choose you over Snape? Ha! Sirius, you're so thick and arrogant if you believe that. Snape HATES you and he would hate her if she took you on. Winifred has idolized and worshiped him her entire life, what do you have to throw against that? A sampling of your roguish charm and a clever wit for a few months. . .if at all?"

Florence paused and locked eyes with Sirius as though to allow this to sink in.

"Do you get it now, Sirius?" she questioned, "you're a passing amusement that Winifred will only soon become ashamed of and it will all end with you, Snape, and Wilkes despising one another, alone and miserable."

Sirius cursed his chivalry at the moment because he so desperately wanted to slap some sense into Florence at that moment. She was obviously quite mad with paranoia and feelings of inadequacy and should be largely ignored since her perception of reality could be, in no way trusted. Still, Sirius found himself continuously fighting back the chilling suspicion that Florence might have a kernel of truth rooted in her dementia. And that was more than enough to make his uncomfortable.

"You're just a barking loony aren't you?" Sirius shook his head at the girl.

"I'm just miserable Sirius," Florence explained with a worn and hate-filled expression, "and I like company every so often."

"Why the hell did you even tell me all this?" Sirius seethed, hands balled at his sides "It's not like you can go back to pulling people's strings now can you?"

"It doesn't matter anymore," Florence rationalized, "it's a new game Sirius with Aaron Lestrange and Mary Tudor making the rules up as they go along. Aaron just trumped Snape and he'll be stripped of whatever power he once held by Heilsing before the day's out and Mary's already crowing about how she'll have Winifred in her pocket before the year is out."

Florence just grinned vacantly at Sirius like some hollow doll.

"Don't you see? Everyone's already picked the teams, filled in the score cards, and received their trophies. And nobody even asked if you wanted to play."

"What's Tudor planning for Winifred?" Sirius took several menacing steps in Florence's direction. She shrank slightly but still stood her ground.

"I don't know," she spat the words with chilling sincerity, "but I imagine whatever it is will be excluding you."

Unable to take anymore of Florence and her disturbing company, Sirius slammed his hand into the nearest wall as a show of frustration and stormed off.

Florence remained for a few minutes longer to hug herself a bit and recompose herself before returning to the Slytherin commons.

It was odd how misery loved company but always found itself standing alone at the end of it all.

* * *

Mary Tudor and Aaron Lestrange were lying on her poster bed in the 6^th Year room of the Slytherin dormitory, evidently reading when Winifred glided into the room. Her black eyes honed in on the pair. While this wasn't the first or most provocative time Winifred had walked in on the couple, there was nothing innocent about their presence.

"What precisely do you two think you're doing?" Winifred demanded as she glared coldly between Aaron and Mary.

"Well nothing too indecent considering we both have our clothing on," Aaron reasoned smugly.

"Calm yourself Winifred, we're merely reading to one another," Mary explained as she glanced up from the book resting between her and her boyfriend.

"I was referring to Severus," Winifred's voice was icy as she crossed her arms.

"Oh that," Mary smiled like a knife, "well that's your fault."

"Pardon," Winifred refrained from flinching at the implications.

"You remember Serpen Nott's spill back in January," Aaron fielded the couple's reply, "well apparently Snape was under the impression that you pushed Nott down the stairs and used his skills as a Prefect and creepy git to bully Nott into lying about what happened to everyone. He intended to cover for your misdeed but, it turns out, it wasn't your deed at all was it?"

"Out of curiosity, who did push Nott and why are you taking the wrap?" Mary pressed with a measure of interest.

"So you turned Severus over to Heilsing because you're bitter on how he foiled your date-rape fantasies with Potter and Evans?" Winifred asked, ignoring Mary.

Mary and Aaron shared an unappreciative sneer at Winifred's turn of phrase.

"I'm not sure I want to talk about the book anymore," Mary said in a mock pout as her eyes burned into Winifred's, "not with her salty attitude being what it is."

"Don't say that, darling," Aaron mock soothed as he copied Mary intrusive gaze, "think of the look it will put on her face."

"What are you two babbling about?" Winifred said testily, growing tired of the couple's games.

Mary held up the leather-cover book to show Winifred.

"Look familiar?" Mary questioned.

"Should it?" Winifred shrugged.

"I was just wondering how many diaries are lying around that belong to people named Winifred," Mary replied.

"None because I'm not stupid enough to keep a written confession of my day's events," Winifred insisted with her black eyes narrowed on the book, "for expressly this reason."

Mary and Aaron's eyes bore into Winifred's in an attempt to see if she was lying. Everything about her demeanor was unflinching as Winifred stared down the couple with all the confidence in the world concerning her claim. Aaron could feel Mary tensing as she was undoubtedly beginning to bubble over in rage against the undaunted Winifred and the witless Hufflepuffs that placed this red haring into their possession.

And then Aaron had an epiphany.

"It's not hers," Aaron told Mary as placed his feet on the floor and rose from the bed, "come along, Mary."

Mary threw Aaron a traitorous look.

"What?" She hissed with a threatening chime at the end.

"Well it's not," Winifred said apathetically.

Grabbing onto Mary's arm, Aaron gently led her off.

"Let's leave Winifred to contemplate the fate of her cousin, shall we?" Aaron recommended as he tugged a resistant Mary along with him.

Giving up her struggle with an audible snarl, Mary followed Aaron out of the 6^th Year bedchambers and stalked through the girls' dormitory and into the commons. Mary threw herself onto one of the leather sofas like a child in a tantrum. She spied some younger year Slytherin giving her an odd look.

"BUGGER OFF BEFORE I CARVE OUT YOUR EYES AND MAIL THEM TO YOUR PARENTS TO THEY'LL KNOW JUST HOW TERRIFIED YOU WERE WHEN I STARTED WORKING THE LOT OF YOU OVER WITH RUSTED INSTRUMENTS!" Mary roared at her Housemate's causing them to quickly scatter. Aaron smirked at the fleeing underclassmen and took a seat next to his girlfriend and put an encouraging arm around her.

"How can it be nothing !" Mary lamented tragically.

"Oh it's not 'nothing', my love, it's something," Aaron assured in a comforting tone, "it's something more precious and interesting that we ever thought."

"How do you mean?" Mary tried to follow Aaron.

"The diary doesn't belong to Winifred," Aaron explained with a broad grin, "however it once belonged to her namesake."

Mary thought on this for but a second before she was joining Aaron in his smile.

"Her mother. Her mother's the author."

"It explains why there are enough similarities to have convinced us it was Wilkes but clears up all the discrepancies that came with it," Aaron nodded enthusiastically.

"And here I thought she was just a wonky psychotic with a bizarre handle on time and reality!" Mary laughed, "I mean, honestly its coy ego was hinting at things, people, and places that made no sense."

"No sense unless they happened over twenty years earlier," Aaron agreed, "What do you wager she'd give to know the mother who died birthing her? To have any inkling of that woman, who she was and what she was capable of? This little chatting book is the only way for Winifred to ever connect with a person she'd never know otherwise. What would she give?"

"Well her soul can belong to Grindelwald but we could own everything else about her," Mary glowed, "she would be indebted to us permanently."

Aaron frowned slightly.

"But what if she decides she doesn't want it?" he mused.

Mary gave a reassuring smile as she lovingly stroked Aaron's face.

"She'll want it," Mary promised with a purr, "as much as I want you."

In a fluid motion, Mary mounted herself across Aaron's lap and began to tease her lips along his neck. Aaron let out a small sigh to this and closed his eyes, bringing his hands to Mary's back to help steady her place over him. As it became evident that Mary had no intention of letting up on her attentions, Aaron spoke up through a heavy, rasping voice.

"What if someone walks in? We are in the commons after all." Aaron questioned without sounding particularly put out by the thought.

"Then they're going to know just how pleased I am with you right now," Mary said slyly as she started to pull Aaron's tie undone with her teeth, "and just how very lucky you are in general."

"Brilliant," Aaron smiled suggestively.

* * *

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