I crashed onto the floor of Sirius's flat where I had been living the last couple of months. I looked around the dark room and jumped up. It wouldn't be long before someone realized I was gone at the house where Voldemort was…and if they got their soon they'd know that I had taken Floo Powder. I didn't want to take the risk that they'd find this flat. And if they did find it I had to make sure Sirius wasn't any where near it.

I quickly moved upstairs to the bedroom and packed up all of my things, along with Sirius's. I made sure our belongings were in their proper trunks and then continued downstairs. As I moved around the kitchen, making sure nothing of importance was left behind I pulled a long sleeve shirt over my tank top. It was tight enough to hug the curves of my hips and my wrist. I had also changed my bloody pants while upstairs, throwing all of the bloody clothing into the tub.

I knew I had to go somewhere, and fast. My trunk was strapped onto Sirius's because his had wheels, and then I threw his back pack on my back and mine over my shoulder. Demetrius's basket was collapsed inside my trunk and the fat cat was poking his head out of my side book bag.

It was getting dark on the streets which made me feel uneasy. The streets were not as crowded, making it easier to spot anyone coming at me, but if someone did come after me there wasn't a large crowd to help protect me. I frowned slightly; a crowd of Muggles probably wouldn't stop my Father though. I looked up and down the dark street and held out my right arm.

Sirius had told me about the Knight Bus a few times. He said it was probably one of the best ways to get emergency transportation since I couldn't Apparate yet. I nearly fell over as a large, triple-decker, purple bus appeared screeching down the street.

"Hi," I said before the man stepping off the bus could say a word. He was dressed up in a suit to match the bus and looked at me with studying eyes.

"Hello," he said. "Where would you headed tonight?"

"I need to go to Luntsville," I said slowly as he helped me load my luggage.

"Alright," he said. "You'll be riding over night then. Do you want a bed?"

"No," I said answering quickly and shaking my head. He looked at me oddly for answer him so quickly. I forced a smile. "I'm just not very tired."

He nodded and allowed me to step onto the bus before him. I thanked him and walked onto it. On the first level were a number of chairs and benches. I looked at the bus with nervous eyes. I had ridden Muggle buses before in America, and they looked nothing like this. Was it safe to ride the Knight Bus?

"You can sit here," he said motioning to an empty easy chair. I thanked him and took my seat, letting Demetrius out of my bag so he could sit on my lap. There was one other person on the first level of the bus with me; an old batty looking woman with graying brown hair and a mink fur coat. She was looking out the window with soft eyes, and said nothing.

Before I knew it we were off and I was very thankful that I had nothing in my stomach; if I had I probably would have thrown it up. The driver of the bus sped up often and slammed on the brakes to avoid Muggle obstacles. This went on for sometime and before long I was feeling nauseous. I closed my eyes tight, hoping it would help by sickness, just as the man who had helped me on came over to me.

"Your stop is next."

"Oh, already?" I asked thankfully.

He nodded.

"How much will it be?"

"Ten galleons," he said. I opened my bag and searched for my coin purse. When I found it I counted out the ten galleons for him. A few minutes later the Knight Bus came to a halt and I slide forward a little in my chair, holding Demetrius tightly. The man helped me with my things and left me standing in the country on the side of the dirt road. I looked around the hilly countryside and began to push the trunks up the road.

While we had been in his basement, I came across a map of the area around Gabriel's house. His house was on the outskirts of a small city called Luntsville on the main road that went through Luntsville. The Knight Bus had taken me straight through the city and I could see Gabriel's house in the distance at the top of one of the hills. As close as his house seemed, it took me forever to push the trunks and carry a squirming Demetrius up the hills.

I was almost to Gabriel's gate when I fire like pain shot up my arm and through my body. I screamed and grabbed my arm, dropping Demetrius who hissed in anger. I leaned against the trunks as the pain throbbed and for a moment I thought I saw flashes of someone being tortured in front of my eyes. I blinked several times to try and clear my head, and eventually the flashes were gone. The pain still lingered in my arm and I looked down to it with wide eyes.

I had felt rage when the pain came on, undying rage for the idiots around me…I blinked and shook my head, rubbing it with my hands. I was going crazy. There was no one around me. And even those that were close to me I wouldn't think idiots. Why did I feel that way so suddenly? And why did I see someone being tortured in front of my eyes?

I looked down at my arm and pushed back the sleeve. Blood was starting to ooze from the wound again. I frowned a little and covered it back up with my sleeve. Was the rage related to my wound? That is where it had hurt when the whole episode had started. I blinked and looked up at Gabriel's house. Would he have any answers?

I decided not to worry about it for the time being. Perhaps it was just a weird pain from my arm. I was very tired, and sore, and my arm felt like it was about to fall off. Maybe I just needed some rest…

The gate of Gabriel's house was closed tight and the house looked abandoned. I frowned slightly as I made my way up the path. I didn't know how to open the door. Gabriel had said if you tried to force it open there would be a number of booby traps on the inside…but what if I just knocked? Would it set off some kind of alarm and a boom would go off on the porch?

I left the trunks at the base of the steps in front of the porch and mounted them, heading for the door. Demetrius was still squirming in my arms and I dropped him to his feet easily. He dashed across the porch and I called after him.

"You stink weed! Demetrius, come back!"

I frowned and looked back at the door. I raised my fist with some hesitation and beat on the door. There was no answer. I sighed with annoyance. I was going to give Gabriel a piece of my mind about this damn door when I finally got into the house. I beat on the door again harder but still no answer came. I turned and walked down to the end of the porch with every intention of going to the back door, but the front door opened.

I stopped and turned to see Gabriel looking around the porch. His eyes fell on me and he came outside instantly. He came to me and put his hands on my face, for a moment I thought he was going to kiss me, but he moved his arms and wrapped them tightly around me. He stopped and pulled away, holding me at arms length.

"How do I know it's you?" he said quickly with anger on his tongue.

"Ask me something," I said back slowly.

"What did you say you threw through the basement window when you tried to escape from my house?"

"Throwing stars," I said breathlessly. He smiled and hugged me again.

"I was so worried."

"Gabriel," I whispered. "Where is Sirius?"

Gabriel pulled back and stood up to his full height. I could tell he was a little hurt, but I didn't really care at this moment. I was very sorry he was in love with me, if that's even what it was, but that was his problem—not mine. I had to see Sirius.

"He's upstairs," he said slowly. "How'd you get away?"

"How long have I been gone?" I asked as he helped me move the trunks into the house.

"Two days."

I nodded.

"I escaped by Floo Powder," I said with a small smile. "I cleared out the flat to make sure that if anyone followed through they wouldn't know that's where I used to live."

Gabriel looked at me and nodded.

"And you sure you weren't followed here?"

"Yes," I said softly. "I took the Knight Bus."

Gabriel didn't look very happy with the answer, but he didn't say anything. I could tell that he couldn't wait until I learned how to Apparate.

"How's Sirius?" I asked putting my trunk in the empty living room. Demetrius ran through the front door just as Gabriel started to close it. His dark eyes followed the cat for a moment. Demetrius ran up to me and jumped on the trunk next to me, and then into my arms. I scratched his head between the ears and he licked my nose.

"He's fine," Gabriel said. "He'd been beaten up pretty bad. Woke up yesterday, asked a lot of questions. He didn't know we had come to save him…he doesn't remember anything about what happened. They did a number of memory spells on him."

"But he's okay?"

"Yes," Gabriel nodded. I smiled and moved past him towards the stairs, he caught my arm and I looked up at his dark eyes. "Cadence…"

He whispered my name so softly that I felt my knees give a little. I feared that he was going to say something about what my Father had said to him; about him loving me. My stomach was tied up in knots with nervousness.

"I didn't tell him who I was," he said slowly. "He thinks my name is Todd Kell."

I nodded slowly.

"I didn't think it wise to let him know I was the one who kidnapped you."

I understood. If Sirius knew that Gabriel had switched sides and helped rescue him he'd freak out more then I did.

"Alright," I whispered. "I won't say anything."

"Alright," he said nodding his head. He let go of my arm and began to head for the kitchen.

"Gabriel," I called after him. He stopped and looked at me with hopeful eyes. "Thank you, for everything."

He nodded with a small, but forced, smile and I smiled back. He turned and disappeared into the kitchen. I looked up the stairs and marched up them, heading for the guest bedroom where I was sure Sirius would be. I opened the door and Demetrius jumped from my hands, darting across the floor and pouncing on the bed to nuzzle against Sirius's sleeping face. I laughed a little and came into the room, closing the door.

Sirius sat up slowly and scooted Demetrius onto his lap. He looked up at me and smiled broadly as I sat on the bed.

"Hey," I said softly, not being able to stop smiling.

He reached out and touched my cheek, wrapping his hand back behind my head and pulling me to him. His lips touched mine and kissed me deeply with passion. I kissed him in return, wrapping my arms tightly around him. We squished Demetrius between us and he tried to escape meowing loudly.

"I love you so much," he whispered in my ear as he kissed it. "Thank you for coming to save me."

"Of course," I said looking at him seriously. "You didn't think I was going to let them keep you, did you?"

"No," he said smiling. "I never lost faith in you."

His hand cupped my cheek and I closed my eyes, turning my lips to it and kissing his skin softly. He reached out and touched my other arm and I pulled away, cringing in pain.

"What's the matter?" he asked quickly.

I looked up at his dark blue eyes and forced a smile.

"Nothing," I whispered. I didn't want to talk about what had happened just yet. Sirius looked at me with concern, that was so familiar, and took my wrist slowly, he pushed my sleeve back and saw the cut on my wrist.

"Merlin's beard," he said looking up at me. "What'd he do to you?"

"Tied me to a chair," I whispered with a small smile. "The bonds cut me as I escaped."

He nodded slowly.

"You should have Todd look at it," he whispered. "He's good at healing. Cleaned me up pretty nice."

"I can tell," I said with a smile. I reached out and touched a butterfly bandage on Sirius's forehead. He cringed a little but didn't pull away.

"Speaking of Todd," he said very slowly. "Cadence, do you know anything about him?"

"Yes," I said back. "I do."

"Well, I've been watching him," Sirius said. "And I don't think he's let us know completely who he is. He's a little too well trained to be just a pencil pusher at the Ministry."

"That's what he does?" I questioned with some surprised. I really was too. I

couldn't believe that Gabriel would go that far in the lie of his past. Sirius nodded.

"Doesn't seem to fit him, does it?"

I shrugged.

"How much do you know about him?"

"A lot," I said.

"Like?"

I sighed.

"Just what he does."

"That's not a lot, Cadence."

I looked down at my hands. Sirius was probably one of the only people that I couldn't lie too. This was going to be difficult. As much as I understood why Gabriel hadn't told Sirius who he was, I thought it was okay that Sirius know now. I didn't want to lie to Sirius, and I was here to make sure nothing happened to Gabriel. He had gained my trust while saving Sirius and in my instincts told me he was one of the few I could trust.

"What aren't you telling me?" he whispered very softly, not with anger. I looked up at him with a grin.

"I can never hide anything from you."

He smiled broadly.

"I know," he pinched my cheek. "What is it about Todd?"

"Well," I said with a sigh. "His name isn't Todd Kell. That's just what he told you until I got here. He wanted me to tell you the truth…he knew it'd sound better coming from me."

Sirius was looking at me with a very serious look. He didn't like the fact that he had been lied to, especially by someone we were supposed to trust. I played with my hands with nervousness. I was hoping Sirius wouldn't freak out.

"His name is Gabriel Quintin," I said. "I know a lot about him because he was the Death Eater who kidnapped me under my Father's orders."

I paused to see if Sirius freaked out or said anything. He looked like he was going to explode, but I think for my sake he stayed quiet…for now.

"Why is he here then?" Sirius questioned very slowly, trying to control his voice.

"He's on our side now. He turned spy after I tried to kill him. He's been watching me under Dumbledore's orders. He saved me in Diagon Alley; they were supposed to take both of us."

Sirius nodded very slowly.

"And you trust him?" he asked. "How?"

"I trust him now because he helped me save your life," I said taking Sirius's hand. "I trust him because when Voldemort held me and was about to kill you and him he did the right thing and left with out me. He knew I would get out of there alive and he did the right thing. I trust him because he has taken care of you these last two days."

"I don't like it, Cadence. I don't like it at all. How can you even look at him after what he did to you?"

I shrugged a little.

"I think he's trying to make up for it now," I whispered sadly.

"I can't trust him. I don't know why you would trust him. He was a Death Eater! Once one, always one," he said. "You've always believed that."

"I think people can change. I believe in Gabriel and Dumbledore trusts him," I whispered. "So I think we should trust him. We can trust Dumbledore's judgment."

"Dumbledore is human, he can be wrong about people."

"If we can't trust Dumbledore, who can we trust?"

"Each other," he said touching my chin and smiling. He brought me closer and kissed me again. I drew a harsh breath as he touched my wrist on accident again. "I'm sorry."

"It's alright," I said. "I'll take care of it when I go downstairs."

"I don't want to leave you alone with him," he said crossly as I made to stand up. I looked at him like he was crazy.

"Don't be ridiculous Sirius," I said.

"What if he tries to do something?"

"Like what?"

"Kill you, maybe!?"

"Well, considering that the only reason he lived after I stabbed him was because someone found him, and that I've escaped countless Death Eater attacks, and that I've escaped from my Father, I'm sure I'll be fine."

Sirius grumbled something under his breath and I smiled, leaning over him.

"I'll bring up dinner and we can eat together."

"Where are you going to sleep?"

"In here," I smiled. He beamed and pulled me a little farther down for a kiss. I kissed him deeply and he tongued me in return. I giggled and pulled away. "I love you."

"I love you too," he said still beaming.

"Alright, I'm going to go get cleaned up and then I'll make dinner for you."

Sirius nodded.

"Be careful," he said.

I nodded. "Don't worry."

I left Demetrius in the bedroom to keep Sirius company and made my way down the hall to the bathroom for a shower. I piled my dirty clothes in the corner of the bathroom and hopped in under the hot water. Within minutes I was clean and ready to get dressed. I realized that all of my clothes were downstairs. I wondered downstairs in my towel and hoped I wouldn't run into Gabriel. I could hear him in the kitchen as I opened my trunk.

"Cadence?" he called.

"Yes?" I called back quickening my search for underwear.

"Are you hungry?"

"Starving."

"Dinner will be done soon."

"Okay," I said back. "You made some for Sirius, right?"

"Yea," Gabriel said. "Is he going to come downstairs to join us?"

"I-I don't know."

There they were. I snatched up some underwear and jeans to go with my long sleeve shirt and made to go back upstairs.

"Well," said Gabriel's voice. I stopped dead. He was in the nook, where the kitchen table was, setting it. He had a perfect view of me down the hall. I cringed.

"I'll be down in a moment."

I dashed up the stairs and heard Gabriel laughing. I rolled my eyes and slammed the bathroom door shut. Once I had my underwear and pants on I leaned over the counter and looked at my right arm. That was going to be a nasty scar. My skin was burnt and black. I frowned at it. I didn't know if it should look like that, but at least it wasn't bleeding. I shook my head and pulled on my long sleeve shirt. I would probably wear long sleeves for the rest of my life.

Gabriel was done setting the table when I came back downstairs. He looked me over and no doubt noticed that I didn't have a bra on under my shirt.

"Is Sirius coming down?"

"No," I said shaking my head. "I'm going to eat upstairs with him."

"Oh," Gabriel said nodding. He picked up two of the place settings and moved them back to the counter. "I guess these are unnecessary."

"Oh, Gabriel stop it."

"What?" he said looking at me.

"You're jealous of him."

"Of Sirius?" Gabriel said looking at me harshly. "Why, because he gets you? That's hardly something worth being jealous of! You actually think that I love you, just like your old man, don't you?"

I frowned and turned away. Of course I thought Gabriel loved me…it just made all of his actions justifiable. If he didn't love me then what did he feel? Just lust?

"I just want a piece of ass, Cadence," he said looking me in the eye. "And you're one fine piece of ass."

"Shut up," I snapped glaring at him. I didn't believe a word out of his mouth. He wouldn't have looked me in the eye if he just wanted my ass.

"Don't you tell me to shut up," he snapped right back. "I don't need to take this crap from you. I really put my ass on the line to save your boyfriends."

"I thanked you!" I yelled. "What else do you want from me?"

"Nothing," he raged back. The oven buzzed loudly to tell Gabriel the food was done cooking but he ignored it. "Just don't tell me to shut up about my feelings. You know nothing about me Cadence, and you're never going to."

"If that's how you want it," I yelled. I took a long breath and crossed my arms over my chest. "And here I was thinking we were going to be friends now…not enemies."

"I may not be your enemy but I don't have to like you."

"Shut up," I snapped. "You're lying through your teeth."

The oven beeped again and Gabriel turned to it, violently open the door and pulling out the hot casserole dish with his bare hand.

"Gabriel!" I yelled as he put the dish on the stove and glared at me. I grabbed his wrist and took it straight to the sink, putting it under running cold water.

"What are you doing?" he asked shaking me off. "Why don't you take dinner up to Sirius? He's probably wondering where you are."

"Shut up and come here," I said grabbing his forearm and looking at the burn. "Why'd you do that?"

"It doesn't hurt," he said. "I barely felt it."

I looked up at him.

"You just wanted me to touch you."

He smiled a little and I smiled back. His eyes fell on my hands looking at his as I dried it. The smile on his face faded as he saw the cuts on my wrist. He grabbed my right hand and pushed my sleeve up a little.

"What's that?" he asked looking at the cut around my wrist.

"Nothing," I said. "Just another battle wound."

He looked at me closely as I looked at his hand. I didn't really know what to do with the burn now.

"You need to bandage it," he whispered.

I nodded and conjured some white gaze. He showed me how to wrap it slowly and then I taped it on. He thanked me and took my wrist, looking at it.

"What'd they do to you?" he asked. "What did your Father want?"

I avoided his eyes.

"He wanted me to join him," I shrugged. "What else is new?"

I pulled my hand from his grasp and he caught the avoidance in my eyes. He grabbed my forearm and I released a gasp in pain. He pulled his hand away and took my hand, holding it he pushed up my sleeve very slowly. His eyes fell on the disgusting black burn.

"What the hell happened?" he said recognizing that the burn was over a wound. He could tell that I cauterized it.

"He cut my arm, and I couldn't stop the bleeding with my clothes," I said pulling away. "I'm fine."

Gabriel grabbed my hips and I let out a small scream as he lifted me up onto the counter.

"What the hell—"

"Shh," he said pressing his fingers against my lips. They lingered there for a moment and I tasted the salt of his skin. He looked away from my eyes and lips and focused on my arm. "You cauterized it?"

"To the best of my abilities."

"How long ago?"

I shrugged.

"It was dark when I made it to the flat," I said looking at the clock. It was eleven o'clock now. "Maybe two hours ago…two and half…something like that."

Gabriel nodded.

"That's a nasty burn, Cadence."

"Thanks Gabriel, it felt great too."

He smiled at me and held out his hand. I bottle of rubbing alcohol appeared and I cringed. This was going to hurt.

"Hold your arm over the sink."

I looked at him and he raised his eyebrows. I sighed and moved my arm so it was over the sink. He moved forward and opened the bottle. Before I could ask him if he was going to use a clothe, he poured the bottle onto my arm. I screamed in shock and punched him in the shoulder. He laughed, catching my hand and kissing my fingers softly.

"It's not that bad," he cooed.

"Shut the hell up," I snapped. "Let me pour this bottle on your hand and see how you feel."

He smirked and dried the alcohol off my arm with a towel.

"At least we know its clean now," he said. "No infections."

He pulled out his wand and began tapping and poking my arm. I would cringe and jump at some hard pokes, but other wise it felt alright.

"What's going on?" asked Sirius appearing in the room.

I looked over Gabriel's shoulder and frowned. This looked pretty bad…me sitting on the counter, Gabriel between my legs in front of me, his head bent down. He was so much taller then me that I'm sure it could have looked like we were kissing.

Sirius looked very weak on his feet and he moved slowly into the kitchen, holding onto the wall or a chair as he walked. Gabriel stepped out of the way, heading for a cabinet and looking for something.

"Gabriel's cleaning my wounds," I whispered.

Gabriel dropped something and looked at me crossly.

"She told me," Sirius snarled at Gabriel. He was by my side and took my arm slowly, looking at it. "What happened?"

"She hasn't told me, but please, do try and pry it out of her," Gabriel said coming over with a bluish green looking bottle. I glared at him.

"I did tell you," I snapped. "Voldemort cut me open and I was bleeding so much I had to cauterize my wound. I'm sure he was expecting me to die because of the way he cut," I traced the wound with my finger, making the swift motion of his wand re-slicing my arm open. "And he just left me there to bleed to death all over myself."

Sirius touched the cuts on my wrist from the wires.

"You cut your wrist while trying to escape your bonds?"

I nodded.

Gabriel opened the bottle and began to rub a blue cream on my arm. I cringed a little and bit my bottom lip. Sirius was watching Gabriel closely, as if waiting for him to let his hands linger too long on my skin, or to grab me too hard and bruise me. Sirius was waiting for Gabriel to give him a reason to beat him to a pulp. I sighed softly. If Sirius and Gabriel got in a fight Gabriel would no doubt win.

"Does that feel any better?" Gabriel whispered once the cream was rubbing into my wound. Warmth spread across my arm where he had rubbed and it tickled a little.

"Yes," I whispered. "But it's still burnt…how will that heal?"

"To be honest, I don't think it will," he said taking the roll of gauze I had used to wrap his hand. He began to wrap my arm in it. "But I'm not an expert."

"Maybe we should take you to an expert," said Sirius.

I glared at him sharply.

"Are you crazy?"

"If it doesn't heal you could get an infection."

"She won't," whispered Gabriel not looking at Sirius or me. He was looking at my arm, paying close attention to how he wrapped it. "The wound is closed, there isn't really anywhere for it to get an infection. I think the burnt black skin will fall off, hopefully with new skin under it. But there isn't really much else we can do…you were given this wound with dark magic, only someone who performs dark magic could heal it. Not even the healers at St. Mungo's could help."

Sirius didn't like the answer.

"I'll take you to see Madame Pomphrey when we arrive at Hogwarts."

"Sirius, it's fine," I whispered with some annoyance. "Unless she's secretly been performing dark magic I doubt she'll be able to help me."

Sirius shook his head and I could see the anger in his eyes. If the answer had been coming form Madame Pomphrey to begin with—or any other healer—he would have accepted it better. But because Gabriel was the one telling him that the wound couldn't be healed he was anger and almost looked violent.

I hopped off the counter and pulled my sleeve down.

"Thank you, Gabriel," I said. He nodded his head.

"No problem."

I took Sirius's arm and began to walk him upstairs.

"Come on," I said. "Let's just go upstairs."

"Are you going to leave me alone up there?" he questioned bitterly. He pulled his arm out of my grasp and held onto the stair railing as he walked up the stairs.

"I'm going to get you dinner," I said as he walked up there. He grunted in reply and I turned on my heel, going back into the kitchen.

"I'm sorry if I made that awkward," said Gabriel as I came back in. I didn't say anything and shook my head. I grabbed a serving spoon and violently scooped food out of the casserole dish onto a plate for Sirius.

"Don't worry about it," I finally said to Gabriel.

I carried the plate of food upstairs and went into the bedroom where Sirius was sitting on the bed.

"Here," I said handing it to him. He took it but looked up at me.

"I'm not really hungry."

"Well I'll take it back downstairs if you want," I said.

"No," he said putting it on the nightstand. "I'll eat it eventually."

I nodded and stood in front of him.

"I'm sorry if I doubted you," he whispered breaking the awkward silence. He didn't have to say it; I knew he was talking about his jealousy with Gabriel. He thought that Gabriel and I were fooling around down in the kitchen, or flirting, or something…he just thought I was being unfaithful and that really bothered me.

But should it? Gabriel and I had kissed a few times in the past, but he was always the one who had kissed me—and at that point I had thought I was either going to die, or Sirius had moved on. I knew I was wrong for showing so little faith in Sirius then, but I had moved on from that…I had moved on from it because I thought Gabriel was dead. But he wasn't…he was still here to tempt me.

"It's alright," I said back. I sat down on the bed next to him and took his hand. "You don't have anything to worry about."

I kissed his forehead and he looked at me with a smile.

"I know," he said. I wasn't sure if I sensed hesitation in his voice or not. "I love you Cadence."

I smiled and kissed him softly on the lips.

"Prove it," I whispered in his ear.

He laughed and pulled me down on top of him, wrapping me in his arms. I laughed a little with him and kissed his lips deeply as he rubbed his hands up and down my back.