"RANE! RANE!"

Sirius's ears were ringing. He felt shell-shocked. He remained motionless, his back against the rough bark of the tree, staring at Rane's motionless form on the ground, blinking against the colorful afterimage of the brilliant light that had erupted from her that was suspended in his field of vision. He heard crunching footsteps, saw Wade running past him, dropping his wand and his sword into the snow as he went. Dumbledore was rushing forward too, his long white beard thrown over his shoulder, perhaps in the sudden, violent winds that had only just died away. Particles of dusty snow, displaced from the bows above them in the riotous whirlwind, were drifting downwards peacefully in silvery sheets, along with pine needles. Sirius could feel the icy cold of them as they hit his neck and forehead, melting at once.

"Sirius!"

A hand grasped Sirius's bicep roughly, and he jumped, startled badly. Tonks stood there, a long gash across her forehead seeping blood almost as bright as her hair. A portion of her sleeve had been singed so badly that it was still smoking, leaving her forearm exposed to the chill. Remus was at her side, looking harried but uninjured.

"Are you alright?" Tonks asked him anxiously. "We saw them curse you, for a second we thought -"

"Fine," Sirius heard himself saying, as if from far away. "I'm fine. Are you - are you both alright?"

"We're alive, anyway," said Remus, brushing his ruffled hair out of his eyes. "Mad-Eye's been stunned, he's unconscious but I think he'll be alright . . ."

"Where've they gone to? The Death Eaters?"

"Disapparated," said Dumbledore. He had come over to them; he was unharmed, but his brow was furrowed and he looked as shaken by what had just happened as Sirius felt. He was still grasping his wand, white-knuckled. "All but the two over there, of course. I surmise they shan't pose any threat, however."

Sirius glanced over Dumbledore's shoulder, where he could see the two huddled forms of the Death Eaters that had been attacking Rane, motionless save for the breeze rippling the hems of their robes. The mask of the one who'd been thrown against the tree trunk had come off in the fray and lay glittering malignly in the snow at his side. Sirius couldn't see his face well enough to be certain, but judging from the broad shoulders and dark hair strewn beneath him, he thought it might be Antonin Dolohov.

"Are any of you hurt?" Dumbledore was asking them briskly.

"No, we're all okay," said Tonks, "Nott got me in the face with something, it won't stop bleeding, but we're all alive, at least -"

"What was that, Albus?" said Remus in a low voice, looking past Dumbledore's shoulder towards where Wade was kneeling over Rane's motionless form.

"Now is not the time," said Dumbledore, shaking his head at once. "The Death Eaters we dispatched will be back very soon, and in greater numbers, to collect their fellows and to find us, I haven't any doubt -"

Wade was jogging over to them. He, too, had escaped unscathed, but his long blonde hair was in disarray and as he approached them, he bent and retrieved his wand and his sword, holding one in each hand as if he expected to require their use at any second. Sirius saw with a jolt of disquiet that the shaft of his sword was stained red with someone's blood, and wondered how the Death Eater on the receiving end of that had fared.

"You guys okay?" Wade asked them.

"Better than whoever it was met your sword," said Tonks, following Sirius's queasy gaze.

Wade looked down distractedly, then ran his blade through a bunch of his robes with practiced ease, as if bloodying his weapon was an everyday event. "No one else is hurt?"

"What the bloody hell did she do to them?" Tonks asked him. "I've never seen magic like that . . ."

Wade was shaking his head. "Wasn't magic"

"Is she alive?" asked Sirius breathlessly. For the first time, he was acknowledging the terror he felt in the center of his chest - that Rane, motionless on the snow, may very well be dead. Perhaps a spell had gotten through to her, or whatever that massive thing had been had wiped out her life force when it dissipated. He realized abruptly that this, above all - that formless, horribly massive fear - had been what had caused him to hold his ground and not go to her at once, and he hated himself briefly for it.

Wade nodded his head, slightly breathless, looking as fearful as Sirius felt. "Yeah, but barely. Listen, we have to get out of here. Now. She needs help, and moreover, six of us won't stand a snowball's chance in hell when they come back with more to clean up -"

"Five," Remus corrected him grimly. "Mad-Eye's going to be useless for hours."

"Back to headquarters?" asked Tonks, looking at Wade.

"No," said Wade at once. "It's too risky, we could be followed."

"Ylle Thalas?" said Dumbledore, looking at him questioningly. Wade nodded once without hesitation.

"Ylle Thalas," he agreed. "Nothing for it. Until the coast is clear, anyway."

"What should we do with them?" said Remus, jerking his head towards the two unconscious Death Eaters.

"Leave them where they are," said Dumbledore grimly. "Their master's displeasure will be punishment enough for their failings tonight."

"Can we Apparate?" asked Sirius dizzily. It felt as if things were happening far too quickly.

"They won't like, but we've got no choice," said Wade, peering backwards towards the form of his lifeless daughter, who lay still, the deep red sunset's glow setting her black robes aflame. "It's getting dark. You," he said, nodding at Tonks, "might want to change that to something a bit more, uh . . . conservative."

"Oh, honestly," said Tonks, rolling her eyes, and screwed up her face. A second later, her pink, spiky hair had morphed into a deep red. "Better?"

"That'll do," said Wade absently. "Let's get moving."

Dumbledore turned and swept over to Rane, pointing his wand at her as he went. Her lean form rose into the air at once, raining down snow and pine needles, her head lolling bonelessly on her neck, and drifted towards them. The sheet of her dark hair rippled beneath her.

"Bloody hell," said Sirius in a low voice, staring helplessly. "Just look at her."

"The council will help her," said Wade, but Sirius noted with a surge of worry that he was looking at Rane with the same expression of sick disquiet. "Tonks, Remus, will one of you get Mad-Eye? He won't thank us for leaving him here with those two assholes to freeze to death -"

"Oh damn, I almost forgot about him!" Tonks remarked, and jogged into the clearing behind them. A moment later she reappeared, holding her wand aloft in one hand and clutching Mad-Eye's gnarled staff in the other, Mad-Eye himself floating before her as motionless as Rane.

"Grab his arm, Remus," she said as they drew near. "I've got his stupid staff, he can't bring himself to leave home without it -"

They circled around Wade, who gripped Rane's forearm tightly. Remus had taken hold of Mad-Eye's peg-leg with his free hand, completing their circle.

"On three," Wade said, raising his wand. "One . . . Two . . ."

Sirius didn't hear the final count this time; with a loud POP, the seven of them vanished. The displaced snow swirled into an undulating eddy in their wake, and as it drifted back down, covering their footprints in its light dust, the clearing once more settled into silence, broken only by the uneven breathing of the cataleptic Dolohov and Malfoy.

WADE had misjudged their landing somewhat in his distraction, so when they arrived at the gates of Ylle Thalas, there was a good foot between their feet and the earth. Everyone tumbled to the snowy ground in heaps except Dumbledore, who landed gracefully on the heels of his boots. Rane and Mad-Eye, the spells holding them aloft broken, both came down too and each landed with a thud. Mad-Eye's magical eye popped out, still swiveling madly hither and yon, and rolled through the snow towards Tonks.

"Oh, gross," she yelped, eyeing the eyeball distastefully. "I dunno how to put it back in, I guess we'll have to just carry it . . ."

Dumbledore lifted his wand, and Mad-Eye lifted lightly up once more, his magical eye now floating at his side, spinning about wildly, bits of snow still clinging to it. Tonks pointed her wand at Rane, meaning to do the same, but Sirius stopped her.

"No, no, let me," he said in a low voice, kneeling where she'd fallen. He couldn't stop himself from inspecting her, now that he was so near to her. She could have been sleeping; her face was perfectly relaxed and as lovely as ever, her lips slightly parted. He tenderly brushed aside the tendrils of hair, damp with melted snow, that were clinging to her cheeks, fighting the urge to bend and kiss her in spite of himself. He saw a long, angry red slash along her side for the first time, a graze so deep it had torn right through her robes, revealing her bare skin; the bleeding had slowed to a sluggish trickle, but her robes were stained and shining with it. He felt an almost overpowering surge of love for her, mingled with a deep, intense hatred for whoever had done this to her, a combination so potent he could feel the threatening sting of tears behind his eyes.

"Sirius, there's no need -" Remus began.

"It is alright, Remus," said Dumbledore simply.

Sirius was hardly listening to them. He scooped her up into his arms, and her head rolled limply against his chest, close to his heart. As he straightened, he was shocked at how light she felt, as if there were no substance to her at all.

"This way," Wade said, brushing the snow off of his robes hurriedly and making for the gates.

"Hang on," said Sirius, looking at Wade's diminishing back, "you need to tell us what just happened, Wade. With her."

Wade came to a slow stop and turned, casting a side eye towards Sirius.

"Sirius, this isn't the best time."

"I bet," Sirius agreed.

Wade sighed. "She's half-Elf, she's got powers. That's all you need to know right now."

"Wade, I have to agree with Sirius," Remus said quietly.

"Well, agree with him all you want, it won't change the answer I'm giving y'all," Wade replied waspishly. Sirius opened his mouth to retort, but Dumbledore placed a hand on his shoulder, shaking his head gently. Ahead of them, Wade strode on, head down.

The city of Ylle Thalas was easily the most incredible sight Sirius had ever clapped eyes on; in spite of his anxiety, he was awed by its grandeur. He had never seen an Elven city before, though his Defense Against the Dark Arts and History of Magic lessons at Hogwarts had given him enough to piece together that they were ancient, highly wrought structures unrivaled by any wizard- or muggle-made edifices of their ilk. The silver spires were intertwined with the very trees themselves, both so tall their peaks were lost in the clouds; ornately crafted gates circled the entirety, and glimmering purple and blue lights, shining like gentle beacons, glittered in the growing night. Among the fields that surrounded the city, half-concealed by the tall, gently swaying grass, horses grazed, their silky tails flicking idly, the surreal bluish light gleaming on their shining coats.

"It's a bit like a dream, isn't it?" said Tonks faintly, staring upwards, her mouth open.

"Ylle Thalas is among the oldest Elven capitals that remain," said Dumbledore as they strode along behind Wade. He glanced around at Remus, Sirius and Tonks, his eyes twinkling behind his half-moon spectacles. "Count yourselves among the lucky few mortals to have born witness to it."

"Don't get too excited just yet," said Wade from up ahead without turning. Sirius had a rather bizarre moment in which he remembered that Wade was an Elf, and therefore blessed with vastly sharp senses; it seemed at first that he was too far away to have heard anything Dumbledore had said at all. "I don't know how they're going to react to a bunch of wizards showing up at their door. And Rane isn't very popular around here either, to be honest."

"Not popular?" said Remus, sounding surprised. "I should think she'd be quite welcome, being one of them -"

"Ah," said Wade, glancing around at him and lifting one finger. "But you've just hit the nail on the head, Remus . . . She isn't one of them. She's half one of them. And they aren't crazy about half-breeds, any more than a lot of wizards are."

"Well, if they don't even like her, why in bloody hell don't we just take her to St. Mungo's?" asked Sirius impatiently. "If they turn her away -"

"They won't turn her away," said Wade, turning back towards the city. "Just - don't expect a warm welcome."

The stone-flagged steps leading to the innermost part of the city was guarded by two imposing sentinels, both of them wearing silver helmets that obscured their faces entirely. Each held their swords at the ready before their chests, and as Wade approached, he held a hand out to his companions behind them. They slowed, allowing him to stride forth.

He threw back his hood and spoke in a ringing voice in a lovely, rolling dialect.

"Im tul-with nin inafred. Ammen-mîn."

The sentinels exchanged a look. One of them lowered his sword.

"Varilterende, mîn ceri u'hen men," he replied gruffly. "Man are të?"

"Te nur'oi moribund," Wade replied, his voice strong. "Me linne'te."

"I Aran na'u hen -" the other sentinel began, sounding dubious, but Wade cut him off.

"I don't have time for this bullshit," he said loudly, his accent growing more pronounced than ever in his frustration. "You see the state of us, don't you? It's twenty goddamned degrees below zero out here and we've had a real bitch of a night, alright? So what say we be gentlemen about this and stand down, eh? Please?"

The sentinels stood silently at this.

"Albus Dumbledore is welcome here, but who are these others?" said one at length, lifting a chin at Wade's companions.

Sirius imagined they looked like quite a motley bunch; a werewolf and a metamorphmagus, a hollow-eyed convict wearing yesterday's five o'clock shadow with a half-Elf in his arms who could very well be dead, and Mad-Eye, of course, with his wild hair hanging beneath his dangling head, his magical eye swiveling crazily at his side in midair. And all of them soaked with snow, filthy and bloodied, to boot.

"This is Remus Lupin and Nymphadora Tonks," said Wade, pointing to them each in turn. "The one floating behind them is Alastor Moody. Tonks and Moody are Aurors with the Ministry of Magic along with myself. That one there is Sirius Black, he's a fellow member of the Order of the Phoenix, which you'll be acquainted with."

Sirius nodded, feeling very cognizant of the state of his hair.

"And that unconscious girl he's carrying," Wade went on impatiently, "is my daughter Rane, who happens to be of Elyfalume like you and me. She's not doing well, as you can clearly see."

"Does she live?" asked one of the sentinels.

"For now," said Wade. "Ask me again in about twenty minutes, I might have a different answer for you."

Sirius felt a sharp pang of terror at these words. He shifted his weight, staring at the two Elves blockading their road. He wished badly that they would get out of the way. At his side, Dumbledore had remained markedly and dutifully silent, his hands behind his back, inspecting the architecture with apparent fascination and allowing Wade to do all the talking.

"Why do you bring these Men to our gates?" a sentinel asked, sounding superbly disdainful. "You know the laws of our land, Varilterende."

"We were attacked by Voldemort's followers tonight," Wade explained, still looking impatient. "My daughter and Tonks gave chase. We haven't got anywhere else to go, and two of us are hurt. We came for help."

The sentinels exchanged a glance. Then, at last, they stepped aside.

"You may pass," said one of them. "But proceed cautiously, Varilterende."

"Much obliged," said Wade curtly, striding past them without a glance. Dumbledore bowed graciously to each of them in turn, a gesture they both returned. Neither of them acknowledged Sirius, Remus, Tonks, or Mad-Eye's floating form, however.

The city's interior was even more gorgeous. Wade seemed to know it well; he strode directly through a tall hallway made of some smooth white stone, ascending a marble stairway. Sirius noticed Remus limping slightly as they made their way after him; it seemed he hadn't fully escaped injury, after all.

"What did they say?" Tonks asked Wade curiously. "I've never heard Sindarin before, it's quite lovely . . ."

"They wanted to know what I was doing turning up with a bunch of mortals," said Wade. He glanced behind him, looking apologetic. "Sorry, a bunch of wizards, rather. You heard they could speak perfectly good English, they were just being rude. Bunch of bad-manners-having blowhards if you ask me," he muttered.

Sirius had begun to feel a bit winded and he could feel his heart thumping quickly in his chest when they finally reached a large set of stone doors. Wade turned to them.

"Y'all wait outside," he instructed. "I'll be right back."

He had vanished through the doors before anyone could protest, and they shut with a grinding thud behind him, leaving the six of them in the dreamlike, dimly lit bluish-white darkness. Crickets chirruped cheerily in the forest around them, startlingly loud. Sirius could hear the faint whinnying of a horse nearby.

Dumbledore placed two long fingers against Rane's throat, held them there a moment, and then drew back, clasping his hands in his sleeves and peering up at the double stone doors long-sufferingly. Sirius waited for him to say something.

"Well?" he said after a moment, unable to bear this silence.

"She is alive," said Dumbledore without looking at him. Sirius could see the trancelike lights reflecting on his glasses in the dim. "She is weak, however."

"How's Mad-Eye?" said Tonks.

Remus inspected him briefly. "He's fine," he pronounced a moment later. "Just knocked out. He'll come round."

Wade reemerged from the doorway, now flanked by the most beautiful woman Sirius had ever seen. She was clad in a flowing white gown with long blonde hair and piercing blue eyes; on her head rested a delicate tiara that seemed to be made of interwoven green and silver. She swept past Wade gracefully, her eyes resting on the pack of bedraggled wizards before her, and bowed her head.

"Welcome to Ylle Thalas," she said. Her voice was husky, sweet and strong.

"Iliwynn," said Dumbledore, inclining his head at her. "Looking as lovely as ever, I see."

"Peace you, Albus Dumbledore," said Iliwynn, giving him a wry smile that seemed to light up the dim corridor. She turned her eyes on the rest of them; Remus and Tonks were both staring at this lovely creature with the same gape-mouthed awe that Sirius was. Only Wade and Dumbledore seemed to have their wits firmly about them.

"I am Iliwynn," she said. "I am sovereign of this city. Varilterende tells me you were fallen upon by Death Eaters this eve, and on our very lands."

"So we were indeed," Dumbledore agreed. He alone seemed to have retained the ability to speak. "We made it mostly unscathed, but as you can see, two of our number need attention. I hope we haven't been too presumptuous to seek your aid."

"Never in life," said Iliwynn graciously. "This is wartime, after all, and we fight for the same cause, if not for the same banner. Please."

She gestured towards the room that she and Wade had just exited, and the group of them moved into its warmth gratefully.

AN hour later found Sirius sitting anxiously by a bed near a large window overlooking the forest below, where he could see the shining coats of the horses grazing in the fields. It had begun to snow lightly, and some of them, seemingly delighted by this meteorological development, were frolicking merrily, bucking and galloping.

Across the large room, which seemed to be something like a vast hospital ward, Mad-Eye had been given a cot, where he was currently either fast asleep or still knocked out from the Stunning Spell, Sirius wasn't sure which. His magical eye had been deposited into a crystal goblet of water on the windowsill, where it was rotating wildly here and there as usual.

Remus and Tonks had fallen asleep quite unabashedly wrapped around one another in another bed, forehead to forehead, the woven green Elven blanket pulled nearly to their ears regardless of the fire roaring in the corner. Remus's obvious concern when he'd first arrived at Grimmauld Place, which Sirius had taken to be for Rane, had actually been for Tonks. He felt a bit foolish for missing it, truth be told; how long had they been this way? He didn't know. Not long, he thought; it wasn't like Remus to so readily accept affection like this. If history had anything to teach, Tonks had a rocky road ahead of her if she meant to pursue this. Regardless, it did his heart some good to see them that way, so obviously happy. Remus deserved it. So did Tonks, for that matter. A good pairing, he thought. A small light in the darkness that was this blossoming war.

Dumbledore and Wade had vanished with Iliwynn shortly after they'd arrived, presumably to speak alone, and Sirius couldn't have cared less where they went or why. The only thing he cared about right now lay beneath a white sheet before him, silent and still. Sirius had taken to watching the gentle rise and fall of Rane's chest. Occasionally he reached out and stroked her hair with infinite tenderness, so gentle it was as if he feared she would shatter. One of her limp hands was clasped in his own, his fingers woven through hers, his thumb stroking hers tenderly.

He had been this way for what must have been an hour when a voice spoke behind him, making him jump and stare around.

"You love her."

Iliwynn stood there, her hands clasped before her, smiling down at Sirius.

"I didn't hear you come in," Sirius said, unable to conceal his surprise.

Iliwynn smiled more brilliantly than ever, taking a seat opposite Sirius on the other side of Rane's bed.

"I s'pose that's just what Elves do though, right?" Sirius went on, smiling tentatively.

"Indeed," said Iliwynn, her eyes dancing. "We can avoid being seen or heard when we wish it."

Sirius looked down at Rane again, and sighed deeply.

"I do love her, yeah," he said. "I dunno if her dad knows, but after tonight I reckon he'd have to be an idiot not to realize it."

Iliwynn simply smiled at him. If anyone else had smiled at Sirius this much all at once, he'd have felt suspicious or even a little unnerved; this Elven woman, though, seemed to radiate simple goodness, and he found himself feeling quite relaxed in her presence. It was as if she gave off tranquility the way a fire gave off heat.

"I dunno what to do with her now," Sirius said softly, not knowing quite why he was saying any of this at all. "I dunno what I saw back there. I mean, who can reconcile that?"

"You doubt yourself, Sirius Black," said Iliwynn. "I think it unwise of you. She loves you, too."

"How do you know that?"

Iliwynn turned her brilliant eyes down towards Rane. One of her hands rose, stroked Rane's hair from her face gently.

"Love leaves a mark," she said at length, her voice soft, "for those who look."

Sirius waited for an explanation to this strange sentiment, but Iliwynn seemed to be finished.

"Something . . . Something strange happened to her tonight," Sirius said suddenly. He wasn't sure why he was saying this to Iliwynn, either; he had no reason to believe she would know or care what he spoke of. "There was light, and her eyes changed . . . it was like she had this power, and it just exploded out of her . . . It felt dangerous . . . "

Iliwynn sat back in her chair, her gaze suddenly troubled. The change was dramatic; Sirius could feel the chill of her anxiety like a pall draping over him. His skin broke out in gooseflesh.

"I know what it was you and your friends saw tonight," said Iliwynn quietly.

"I think Wade knows about it," Sirius said haltingly. "He wanted me to Stun her."

"He knows. And he was right to tell you such a thing."

"So you're saying I should have Stunned her?" Sirius asked her, slightly bewildered. "What if I'd hurt her, or -?"

"You cannot hurt her," said Iliwynn.

"Sure, I can . . . I mean, she could have hit her heard, or -"

"No." Iliwynn was shaking her head.

"What do you mean, 'no?'" Sirius asked her frankly.

Iliwynn was not looking at Sirius; she was looking at Rane. She remained so, silent and still, for what seemed like an eternity to Sirius. He was about to say her name when she spoke.

"No man can harm her, Sirius Black," she said. "No man that I have met in my long years, at least. She is different than you and me."

"Different how?"

"In many ways. Ways that perhaps you cannot know just yet."

Sirius fell silent at this bewildering statement, staring at her, at a loss for words. She watched him for a moment in silence. She seemed to be sizing him up. The blue fairy-lights of Ylle Thalas played about her face, turning her lovely visage momentarily corpselike.

"Would you know, then, the truth of this woman?" she said at length.

Another silence fell between them. Sirius wasn't sure what to say. The hand that clutched Rane's tightened.

"Whatever truth there is, I'd know it, yeah," he said.

Iliwynn sighed, turning her eyes back to Rane once more.

"Twenty-five years ago," she began, her voice soft and lovely, "Varilterende was wed to a human woman, against the wishes of his people. He was cast away, for no Elf shall court a mortal; such is the law of our kind, and has been for aeons out of mind. He became a pariah amongst us, and remained so for many years. He was exiled. Do you understand exile, Sirius Black?"

Sirius, who knew it better than anyone, nodded.

"Varilterende's wife was treacherous, as so many mortals are," Iliwynn went on. "She renounced him, and he returned to Elyfalume in despair and took up his sword and served his kind as his name evokes - Varilterende, the unbreakable guardian. So he has served us, and served wizard kind, a sentry between two worlds. And it seemed that all was as it should be."

The fire flickered benignly in the corner. The snow fell endlessly outside.

"But it was not to be," Iliwynn went on. "For Varilterende's wife bore a daughter. But how could such a thing be?"

She looked at Sirius frankly.

"She is the only one. The only one that ever may be."

"You mean, a half-Elf?" asked Sirius.

"Do you call her so?" Iliwynn said, smiling wanly. "We call her Peredhil, quasi-immortal; she who was not born to die."

"She's . . . she's immortal?" Sirius breathed.

"There are none who know," said Iliwynn. "Not even the wisest can tell such a thing. We only know of Peredhil that she is powerful beyond any Elf, and beyond any Man. She has the power to create, and the power to destroy. Mayhap she will destroy everything. That she could, were it her pleasure, I have no doubt, Sirius Black."

Sirius looked down at Rane, her face placid, the gentle rise and fall of her breath regular beneath the sheet she lay under. He couldn't see her destroying anything right now, certainly . . . She was peaceful, beautiful. He loved her, fiercely.

"You still haven't answered my question," said Sirius.

Iliwynn looked at him with some surprise. "Have I not?"

Sirius stared at her.

"She possesses great power," Iliwynn said quietly, meeting his eyes steadily, "and there exists not a soul this day on our earth or beyond it that understands it. Not you, nor I, nor her." She nodded towards Rane. "You saw that power tonight, when she saw you in danger. I believe that through learning of the breadth of her capabilities, she is discovering that she can do harm to herself as well."

Sirius opened his mouth, feeling a rush of panic, but Iliwynn spoke over him, smiling warmly at him once again.

"Do not let yourself be troubled," she said. "She will wake. Tonight, tomorrow - I know not. But that she will wake, I have no doubt. And her control will have grown greater for it. Though for better or for worse remains to be seen."

The doors opened, and Dumbledore and Wade strode back in before Iliwynn could say more. She and Sirius turned to them.

"How is she?" said Wade, striding to the foot of Rane's bed. "Anything?"

"You should rest, Varilterende," said Iliwynn. She had risen smoothly from where she had sat opposite Sirius, and now she swept a hand towards Remus and Tonks, who were still fast asleep. "Ylle Thalas will keep you and your friends safe this night."

Wade looked as if he were about to protest, but Dumbledore bowed graciously to Iliwynn before he could speak.

"We would appreciate nothing more than your hospitality tonight, my dear Iliwynn," he said politely. "I do hope we are not imposing."

"Never in life," said Iliwynn, her eyes sparkling. "I hope you shall find our city most restful."

She looked between Wade, Dumbledore and Sirius, and sunk into a brief bow.

"And now, friends, I must retire," she said. "The hour grows late. Until we meet again."

And with this, she swept from the room and out the double doors they'd entered through, closing them gently behind her.

"Lovely, isn't she?" said Dumbledore fondly, staring after her. "I rather understand why she's so highly regarded."

"It was awfully nice of her to let us stay," said Wade. He looked exhausted. "At least we can keep an eye on Rane and Mad-Eye. Looks like Remus and Tonks have made themselves right at home."

"So they have," said Dumbledore, looking over at them, his eyes twinkling.

"Sirius, how about a quick word before we turn in?" said Wade, looking down at Sirius.

Sirius looked up at him, then back down at Rane, reluctant to leave her.

"She's not going to fly away," said Wade. "I promise."

"And if she tries to, I shall be sure to prevent it," Dumbledore added, smiling.

Sirius hesitated only briefly before rising and following Wade out. He opened a pair of doors across the room from the stairway, leading onto a half-circle balcony that overlooked what must have been miles of woodland far below. The snow was falling now in big, fluffy sheafs, coating the world below in a growing blanket of white. Sirius listened for a moment to that peaceful silence that only accompanies a snowy evening, relishing the chilly air on his face, before turning to Wade, who was shutting the door gently behind him.

Wade stood there for a second in front of the now-closed doors, his arms folded across his chest, the breeze picking up tendrils of his long hair. Sirius was very aware of the sword, which had already tasted blood this evening, hanging at his belt. The two men regarded each other in silence.

"Sirius," said Wade, and spread his hands. "You saw this coming. You must have."

"Of bloody course I saw it coming," said Sirius.

"Do I need to ask, or are you just going to tell me?"

"Tell you -?"

"Yes," said Wade impatiently. "I've spent most of the evening with the two of you, and for most of that Rane wasn't even conscious, and I can still tell something's going on. I mean, it couldn't be more obvious if it was written on your forehead. So, yes. I'd like to get the lowdown on this. As a father, you understand. And as an Order member."

Sirius sighed, rubbing his unshaven face for a second with both hands.

"It's been a few months now," he said at last, dropping his hands to his sides.

"A few months."

"Yes. Since the summer."

Wade looked at Sirius for a few more moments from beneath his eyebrows.

"Are you going to run me through?" Sirius asked, smirking.

"Not yet, but don't get too comfortable," said Wade pensively. He shifted his weight, pointing at Sirius with one finger. "You know, if I didn't know you, I'd be as pissed off as housecat in a hogtie right about now."

"Because I'm a convict," said Sirius.

"And because Dumbledore set down some pretty hard ground rules about this sort of thing." Wade tapped his temple grimly. "And I happen to respect the hell out of Dumbledore's rules."

Sirius nodded, looking at his boots.

"But I do know you," Wade went on. "And I know you're a decent guy. Little hot-headed, little bit reckless . . . Bit of a fat head on you back when you were younger -"

"Hey, hey -"

"But mostly, a decent guy. And I know you'll treat her well. And I can tell you love her, and I'm willing to bet she loves you too."

Wade peered critically at Sirius for another moment.

"You understand what she is, Sirius?" he said at length.

Sirius shook his head. "Not really, no. Nor care."

"You ought to care," said Wade. "It'll come back to get you, that. She's got a lot of . . . Of foibles, Sirius."

"The bloody hell is a foible?"

Wade waved this off. "You're gonna do right by her. Right?"

"I'd die for her," said Sirius, surprising them both into silence.

Wade looked at him, his eyebrows high. Then he reached out and clapped him on the shoulder.

"Well, let's hope it never comes to that," he said, and offered him a lopsided grin.

"Let's," Sirius agreed.

"Come on, let's go take advantage of those beds," said Wade, turning to the door. "I'm beat."

Sirius followed him inside. Dumbledore was inspecting the chandelier hanging above them with what Sirius thought was contrived curiosity; he had no doubt that Albus had heard their entire conversation. The man didn't miss a trick.

"I believe that our remaining here tonight is our best course of action," said Dumbledore as they approached. "I hope you'll not be too inconvenienced by it."

"There are plenty of beds," said Wade, looking around, stifling a yawn. "Take your pick."

A moment later, Dumbledore and Wade were moving towards the far end of the room, choosing beds. Sirius hesitated only briefly before deciding where he would remain.

He nudged Rane over gently, set his wand on the windowsill nearby, and crawled into bed beside her. She was warm, her breathing gentle and regular, and he pressed his body into her back, wrapping his arms around her tightly, relishing the sensation of her heart beating gently against his hand.

He buried his face in her fragrant hair, and in moments he was asleep as the snow swirled outside.