Thanks to everyone who read, fav'd, alerted and most of all to my reviewers... even though 'guest' did not seem all too pleased ;)

I'll be on vacation for the next three weeks so I'm a bit unsure of how often I'll be able to update or if I will be able to update at all. (So much for keeping to schedule, eh?) But I'll do my very best.

Please enjoy the new chapter :)

The first thing I was aware of was the searing headache that made me groan in pain. It spread through my head, seemed to make my heavy eyes burn, dropped down my neck and made my shoulders clench. Next were the voices. They were hushed, engaging in a hurried conversation. I tried to make out their words, but failed miserably.

What had happened? My first thought was that I had to be in the Hospital Wing. I had obviously hurt myself... but that did not seem quite right. I was not in a bed, definitely not. There was nothing soft or comfortable about my surroundings. In fact, found I was sitting, slouched against something hard and unyielding. I tried to shift a bit to find a more comfortable position, but the pain shot through me as my arms strained against their bonds. My hands were tied together behind the thing I was leaning against; some sort of pillar, I guessed.

The panic rose within me. Where was I and what had happened? I struggled to remember how I got here. I had been on my way from the library... there had been the dark corridor and the armour... and then?

I opened my eyes a tiny bit, hoping to assess my situation a bit better. My head started spinning and I closed them again. Two more tries and I kept them open long enough to see the room; the wooden floor was covered with thick green carpets, scarcely enlightened by a crackling fire. There were several people, sitting on chairs around the fireplace, but none of them looking in my direction.

I tried to even my breathing, afraid that they might notice I was awake. My heart was pounding so hard, I almost feared they would hear it.

I closed my eyes and tried to calm my spinning thoughts. I was in a room full of people that had me tied to a pillar. The last thing I remembered was being alone in a deserted corridor - that did not leave much for interpretation. I had been kidnapped. Frankly, this did not look too good. But kidnappers, I figured, usually wanted something, usually blackmailed someone. And if they got what they wanted...

"Folks," a female voice said. "I think she's awake."

I contemplated playing dead, but quickly decided against it. No point in dragging out the inevitable. I opened my eyes and came face-to-face with the voice's owner.

"Callie," I spat.

"Oh, good," she said over her shoulder. "Her head's still working."

"What did you do?" I demanded, struggling against the bonds now that the anger over-rid my panic.

"Maia told us about some interesting little things," she said merrily.

"No," I breathed. "No, she wouldn't."

Callie laughed, a sound that chilled me to the bone with its madness.

"Now, now, Callie," one of the others said. "Don't be rude to our guest."

I looked over and found that it was my brother, smirking at me. Evan stepped further into my line of sight, never losing his smile even as I glared at him.

"Good morning," he said, crouching in front of me. "I hope you feel well."

"Well, to be honest, brother, I've been better," I said.

His smile widened. "I can imagine. See, we can be fast about this."

"And then what?" I challenged. "You're going to let me go?"

Evan straightened up again and shrugged carelessly. "Let's wait and see how it goes. I'd hate to ruin the surprise."

I struggled, but that only earned a lazy chuckle from my brother who was casually dragging a chair over to sit in front of me.

"So," he said when he settled into the chair. "The Order of the Phoenix."

"I'm not telling you anything," I said.

Evan leant forward. "Yes, you are. Come now, you don't want to be in trouble, right?"

Merlin, I hated him. I looked into my brother's mocking eyes, trying to find anything like mercy or pity. But there was no gentleness found in him. When we had last met, on the verge of a new year just after I had left my family, he had shown what was probably the last bit of generosity left within him. Now, that, too, was gone.

"I'm not telling," I said.

"We just want to know little things," he said, with the expression of someone proposing a compromise. "What about the headquarters? Where are they?"

"I don't know," I answered, truthfully.

"She's lying," Callie said from behind Evan's chair.

Evan cocked his head to the side, studying me. "I'm not sure. Are you lying, darling?"

"No," I spat. "I really don't know."

He clicked his tongue, shaking his head slightly. "That's disappointing. I think you'll stay with us until you decided to know something useful."

He got up and walked around his chair. The words stumbled out of my mouth before I could stop them. "I was supposed to meet Sirius in Hogsmeade. He'll notice I'm gone, he'll save me!"

Evan stopped and turned to watch me again. A small smile played around his lips again. "Is that so?"

Suddenly, it felt like my words had been terribly, terribly wrong. My brother's smile seemed dangerous, and I shuddered at his expression.

"Basil," Evan said, his voice a clear command. "Go down to the village. Snape should have brought some Polyjuice Potion. We'll be needing it."

My eyes widened as I heard that. "No, Evan-"

"Or do you want to talk?" Evan offered pleasantly.

"I don't know anything!" I said.

"Fine," he said. "Basil, please."

Montague jumped up and nodded before hurrying out of the room. I strained a little in my bonds, hoping to catch a glance at where we were.

"Seventh Floor," Evan said.

I looked over to him, narrowing my eyes as he gave away the information so freely.

"That's what you were wondering, right?" he continued. "See, we are-"

"Evan," Callie said. "I don't think we should tell her."

Evan turned his head to her and fixed her with a cold stare that seemed to make her shrink at once. "I know what I'm doing, thank you."

Callie, usually so outspoken, just nodded in dismay while Evan looked back to me. "It's called the Room of Requirement," he said. "Turns into whatever you need. Quite useful."

My heart sank and I suddenly felt sick. I had never heard of such a room and I was absolutely sure that it had never appeared on the map. Which meant that Sirius knew nothing of this place. The chance of him finding me here was more than slim.

"Oh, you don't look good," Callie commented merrily. "Finally realized that you're trapped?"

"Fuck off," I spat.

"Language," Evan scolded. He grabbed Callie by the arm and pulled her away, seating her on a stool by the fireplace. He did not return to talk to me, leaving me utterly alone with my thoughts. Polyjuice Potion - trying to make Sirius think that it was me he was talking to... but he would never be fooled, would he? I had never asked anything concerning Order details, the sudden interest would surely make him suspicious... but even then, he would not find me. No one could find me here. What would they do if their plan did not succeed? Would they hurt me... or him? How far would they go?

I closed my eyes, silently cursing my offer to Maia. If I only had not told her about the Order. But I had been so sure that I could trust her... maybe I should work on my knowledge of human nature. That was, if I made it out of here alive.

Basil returned half an hour later with a vial of Polyjuice Potion. Evan stalked over to me with a sick grin plastered on his face.

"Last chance, sister. You can still talk."

"I don't know anything," I repeated tiredly.

Evan shrugged, reached out and painfully tugged a hair from my head. I sucked in a sharp breath, glaring at him.

"It'll never work," I said. "He'll know it's not me."

"We'll see," Evan said.

He added the hair to the potion, which turned from a mud-like brown to a much more pleasant, grass-green colour. Evan held the vial up to inspect it and then handed it to Callie.

"Me?" she asked, clearly not very pleased with the prospect.

"You're the one for the job, don't you think?" Evan said. "Bottoms up."

Callie still did not seem convinced, but she raised the vial to her mouth and drank it down.

Seeing her turn into me was more than uncomfortable. Halfway through, I averted my eyes because the sickness returned full force. Evan's triumphant chuckle told me when it was done.

I looked over and my breath caught at the sight. She really looked like me; from the exact shadee of blonde hair to the brown colour of my eyes.

"Well," Evan said. "I'm pretty confident it'll work."

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