A/N: Written for Challenge #4 (Postsecret) on writerverse on livejournal. The prompt used is here: . /tumblr_m783kutqu61r6ke0do1_ .

)O(

December 20th, 2007

Entry #148

It happened again. I don't know what to make of it anymore. At first I thought she was just doing the shopping in a really weird, roundabout way, but today, I actually saw what she was sending.

I was in the kitchen, putting the kettle on because I knew that she would want tea but never remembered that the water had to be boiled first. I don't think she heard me.

I walked out the kitchen, expecting to see her sitting in the chair and reading, but stopped when I saw her standing by the window. She had opened Hermes' cage door and had taken him out so that he stood perched on the windowsill. I could see her fastening a coloured envelope to his leg.

This would not have unnerved me if I hadn't seen her do this before. I would have assumed that she just wanted to talk to one of her friends who maybe didn't have any other way of communicating with her. I knew that some of her friends were Muggles, so that seemed like a perfectly reasonable explanation.

Except that a week ago, I had seen her do almost the very same thing. Only she had been more…secretive about it.

She thought I was out of the house investigating a murder, but when it turned out that the 'victim' had simply taken a draught of living death that was a little stronger than usual and was really fine, I had decided to take the rest of the day off and surprise her. When I had walked in, quietly so as not to make my presence known, I had no reason to think that there was anything strange going on.

But then I came into our bedroom.

She was sitting at her dressing table, still in her nightgown. On the table lay a small pink envelope, which she was closing. She took down one of her perfume bottles and sprayed the envelope. I could smell lily-of-the-valley.

She then opened a drawer and took out a lipstick. It was bright red, which shocked me a little, as I had never seen her with it on before. By this point I had forgotten the trying-to-surprise her thing and had just started to watch her.

She brought the lipstick down firmly on her lips and moved it from side to side, covering them. If you, Future Percy, are wondering why I'm describing this in so much detail, it's because you will have forgotten most of this soon.

When her lips were bright red, she took the envelope in both her hands and kissed it, leaving a scarlet stain that had been the purpose of the entire lipstick exercise.

After that, it took all my effort to hobble back to the kitchen and eat some chocolate before I passed out. I couldn't see her actually send the letter, but I heard her cooing to Hermes and then the beating of owl's wings as he flew off.

I'm going to have to face her, soon.

I don't want to do anything rash though. What if it's all innocent and I'm just paranoid? It wouldn't be the only illness I've got; it wouldn't surprise me.

I think I know her secret, but just in case, I'll bide my time.

I haven't got much of it left anyway.

)O(

Fin