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Chapter Twenty-One – Brave It Out

Metanoia (noun) the journey of changing one's mind, heart, self, or way of life

"Ah, fuck", I muttered, at a loss at how to explain Sirius that I had a date with Rabastan Lestrange in less than twenty-four hours.

"Did you?" Sirius questioned me aggressively.

"Did I what?" I asked, already tired of the situation.

"Fuck him?"

My mouth fell open in shock and I gaped at him. I was too stunned to reply, so Sirius filled the silence, pointing his finger accusatory at me and locking his eyes on mine.

"Why else would you smell like him and not tell us that you met him? And why look at those books?" He emphasized his last question by throwing the book he was holding forcefully back on the table. Watching me expectantly, he waited for an answer. But somehow my mind was not able to provide one.

"So, you can smell Lestrange on me, because you're a dog animagus?" I asked dumbly.

His accusatory as well as expectant expression froze on his handsome face and he took a step back while reaching into his pants pockets as well. Taking his wand out, I stiffed in response, nervous about his reaction. But he took a deep breath in and obviously tried calmed himself. His wand was pointed at the floor, but drawn nonetheless. He was ready to hex me. I felt somehow hurt about that.

"You need to tell my why you smell like him", he said in a strained voice that betrayed his forced calm posture.

I nodded slowly and positioned to lay my hands where he could see them, as I was in no mind to get hexed. Trying to look as harmless as possible, I swallowed my hurt feelings about his behaviour. He acted mistrustful in an instant, giving me the feeling that he'd never really trusted me to begin with.

"I gave an interview to Xenophilius Lovegood, because Goldsnipe thought it would be a good idea. On my way back I was targeted by Snatchers, but Lestrange got to me before they did and apparated me to his manor. We talked and negotiated and then I left."

"What did you negotiate about?" he asked tersely, but less hostile

"Information exchange", I simply said, eyeing his wand uncomfortable. I would tell him about our deal if he asked, but I preferred to keep that issue close to my chest.

"I assume that he gives you the information that we need, and you keep your mouth shut about the Order?" Sirius asked bitingly.

Sending him and tartly gaze, I almost growled, feeling my temper flare. "No, Sirius, I decided to betray the whole Order, Sara's memento, my life and everything I believe in", I hissed waspy.

Sirius took an angry step forward and I got to my feet, feeling in a disadvantage when he towered over my sitting form. His aggression level was up and mine started to rise as well, to meet his. I really couldn't understand why he distrusted me so quickly.

"What does he want?" he spat in my face.

I clenched my teeth and willed myself to stay calm, but I got angry as well. "Every information exchange takes place in the form of a date."

Sirius gaped at me and then shook his head, with an unbelieving expression on his face.

"So you sell yourself to a Death Eater?"

His words cut me deeply. Even more so as I had thought about it the same way. In all objectivity, I knew that I was selling myself. I used myself as a bargaining tool to get the information I wanted. All I had to do was go on a date; it didn't even needed to entail touching, but it made little difference. That was the exact reason why I had felt bad about it and why Goldsnipe had to calm me. The goblin had assured me that he thought that it was a great idea to get information and it was a little price to pay. But goblins had a different attitude about reaching ones goals. They were less shy about using whatever they had to achieve the desired results. But in the end, Sirius was right. I was selling myself.

"I meet up with him to get information. No matter what you call it, that's everything it is", I said, blinking the tears away that gathered in my eyes. Sirius wasn't trusting me. And I actually felt like I was selling myself. But I had thought that it would be worth it.

Eyeing the books on the table, I decided that I could get the information elsewhere. I didn't want to stay another minute in Sirius judging presence. Avoiding his eyes, I rounded the table and walked towards the door of the library, intent on leaving Grimmauld Place. Before I could reach the door however I heard a tired sigh behind me.

"Riga, wait."

I blinked some more tears away, but didn't falter in my steps. I wanted to leave.

"Riga…", before I could make another step a gentle hand grabbed my upper arm.

"I'm sorry", Sirius said, stumbling over the apology. He didn't wait for an answer. Huffing in annoyance, he ran his hand through his hair. "I know that I have problems trusting people. Even if I think I trust them, I find myself doubting them so very fast. It's just…. After Peter, I felt that I should be careful with whom I trust." He took a deep breath in. "You can't imagine how I felt after I realized that it was Pete's fault that Prongs and Lils died. One of my closest friends…"

His hand fell from my arm and he sat down on the chesterfield, burying his head in his hands. I was stunned at the confession. Harry had told me about Sirius, how he landed in Azkaban and what role his friends had played. I even spoke to Sirius about it, but he was a bit more tight-lipped that Harry. Nonetheless, I was aware that Sirius had been betrayed by one of his closest friend. It just never occurred to me that he still had problems trusting people that he already seemed to trust. How naïve of me.

Sitting down next to him, I carefully laid my hand on his shoulder. I tried to show him my support and understanding without words, but I felt like I couldn't stay quiet to such an important issue.

"I'm sorry", I said with a rough voice. "I didn't think about it from your point of view. I just thought about the information that we could gain."

He raised his head and looked intently at me, his silvery grey eyes boring into mine. "I feel like I'll never be able to trust anyone again. Like I can't even trust myself", he said in a pained voice.

I didn't know what to do, so I just reached out for him and pulled him to me. He buried his head into the crook of my neck and clutched me in his arms. I smoothed my hands over his back and tried to calm him down. I didn't know what to say, so I just kept my mouth shut. Sometimes it was better to be quiet. I relaxed at the chesterfield and ran my finger through Sirius hair, over his back, up his arms and into his hair again. The movement clamed me as well and I felt myself get drowsy.

My days were getting weirder and weirder. Just today I had an interview while a crown of dessert forks sat on my head. Then I had been saved by a Death Eater just to make a deal with the devil, to get some information. Now I was holding Sirius, trying to assure him that it was okay to not trust me. Which I felt like it wasn't, but I couldn't say that to him.

"So there's nothing going on between you and Lestrange?"

The question ripped my out of my thoughts and I stiffed, not sure how to answer it. But I knew that I needed to be truthful, if I ever wanted Sirius to be able to trust me.

"I flirted with him", I said carefully, afraid of his reaction.

"But are you interested in him or do you just want the information?"

I scoffed. "Just the information. Trust me Sirius, I wouldn't touch the man with a ten-foot pole if I could help it."

He chuckled and straightened himself up, untangling us so we could face each other.

"I'll always have problems trusting others", he said bluntly.

I nodded, not sure what he wanted to hear from me.

"Do you think you'll be able to trust me if you know that maybe I'll never trust you on the same level as you trust me? Can you imagine what that means for a friendship?"

Frowning I had to admit that I was not quite sure, but I couldn't change it. He was my friend. I trusted him. He trusted me as much as he could. So I shrugged my shoulders.

"Well, what would help you?"

He eyed me carefully. "Be honest to me all the time, even if you think I don't want to hear it." I nodded at that. "And tell me about that deal. It sounds utterly stupid." He said the last part with a weak imitation of his usual smirk, but I knew that he was trying to lighten the mood. I smiled in return, glad that we were able to be friends, even if it was difficult for him.

"Well, I thought about a nice, little Muggle food stall that sells fish and chips", I joked, winking at him.

His booming laugh bubbled out of him like he himself was surprised about it.

"Dragging a noble Lestrange to a food stall to eat greasy Muggle food? Sounds like a great idea!"

Camden Market, London, evening

I snuggled closer into my thick coat, frozen to the bones, although I had put a warming charm on myself earlier. After Sirius and I had cleared the air, I went back to Gringotts. There, Goldsnipe and I had thought about my suggestion of a meeting place and we decided to give Lestrange something of a culture shock. Deciding that Camden Market would be the best place to show a lively Muggle place with good food choices, I had sent Rabastan a owl with the location and the time, hoping that he would go along with the idea of dating in the Muggle world. His reply came quickly and assured me that he would be delighted to meet me there.

I was a few minutes early, as I had wanted to get a feeling for the atmosphere before I met up with Rabastan. But the market was pretty calm this evening, only a few people were out and about and it was not as loud as usually. I didn't know if I should be happy that it wouldn't be too dreadful for Lestrange or not. It would be nice to show an advocate of blood purity that Muggles were not too different from us, but on the other side I wanted Lestrange to suffer a bit through our 'date'.

"I hope I didn't keep you waiting for too long?"

I turned around to the voice and just barely caught myself from gawking at Lestrange. He was dressed from head to toe in black, from the dress shoes and slacks to his thick camel hair coat. His hair was artfully slicked out of his face and he looked like a Muggle business man. I was shocked to see that he knew how to dress as a Muggle, as most wizards and witches looked ridiculous imitating Muggle fashion.

"You look smart", I complimented him and had to stifle a frown when I realized that we somehow matched, although I was the more casual one with my black jeans, grey coat and oversized scarf.

"And you look as lovely as ever", Lestrange smirked. He leaned forward and ghosted his lips over my cheeks. I froze at the touch before I took a hurried step back from him. His smirk grew wider at my reaction, but he was not baffled by it.

"As a preparation for tonight, I read through a manual that explained Muggle dating customs", Lestrange explained to me. "It was said, that a kiss on the cheek was usually welcomed for a greeting."

My eyes grew wide and then narrowed to slits at the idea of Lestrange going through a book about dating advises and then narrowed close. He informed himself so I couldn't sell him a pup, just like I had tried with the books about pureblood customs.

"How thoughtful of you", I said with a smile, although my eyes were still narrowed. "But the book must've told you that dating in the Muggle world is very individualized, meaning that every couple has their own rules with which they're comfortable with."

Lestrange nodded and offered me his arm. I laid my hand in the crook of his elbow, starting to stroll through the market. He covered my hand with his bigger one, rubbing his thumb over the back of my hand gently. Giving him another narrow eyed glance, I let him stroke my hand as he stubbornly faced forward. He so knew what he was doing.

"How did you spent the remainder of the day?" he asked.

I almost rolled my eyes at the attempt of small talk. I would be comfortable enough to just walk around in silent until he decided to share his information with me, but I guessed that he was only ready to share, if I gave him a nice enough date. So I humoured him.

"Most of it was spent at Gringotts with Goldsnipe. We tried to figure out a place where we could meet."

"And why did you decide on this market?"

"Well, first of all, it's unlikely that one of your brethren will be here and see us. So we don't need to worry about your master finding out."

I gave him a pointed look, but he only made a humming noise that made me think that he wasn't too worried about the idea that other Death Eaters or Voldemort himself would find out about us. I was a wanted witch, just like the poster in Knockturn Alley had declared. Dealing with me without delivering me to the authorities was prosecutable.

"And I actually just like Camden Market", I admitted, watching the other people and the sellers around us. "It's lively and fun. Sometimes there are even some buskers performing live music. And you can chose between tons of different foods."

I felt his eyes on me and looked up at him, feeling uncomfortable at his closeness and the thoughtful expression on his face. The slight darkness that always seemed to linger behind his eyes was almost non-existent right now and I wondered where it was or if it was just sometimes noticeable. Even if I faked dating with him, I still felt somehow uneasy in his presence. There was something more to him that I couldn't quite pinpoint. But my gut feeling told me that the 'more' of him was wrong.

"Are you hungry?" I asked, pulling my hand away that was still covered by his warm one. I wanted to gain some distance to him and I was surprised when he just allowed me to take a step back. There was something lurking in his eyes again and it unnerved me.

"What would you recommend?"

I shrugged my shoulders and wandered along the different stalls. "Fish and chips would be a classic, but you can have almost anything here."

When he passed through a crowded passage, I felt his hand on my lower back, guiding me through the people. A shiver ran down my spine as I imagined him at my back where I was vulnerable for any attacks from him. I knew that I had been willing to go out on dates with him, because I felt like the information I was going to get was worth it, but being in the situation with a Death Eaters that I had faced in battle just weeks before was unsettling.

"Let's get the fish and chips and walk through the park that is nearby", Lestrange suggested and surprised me with that. Not only was he willing to try a Muggle classic, but also was he aware enough of Muggle London to know that Regent Park wasn't too far away.

Ten minutes later I found myself seated on a bench, nibbling on some chips while Lestrange actually ate his meal with a fork that he had conjured earlier. He had complimented the food and really seemed to like it, as he ate it with gusto. I on the contrary felt like my stomach was in knots. The situation was just so weird and I felt like Lestrange was humouring me, but expected more. Of course I knew that he expected more, but I was at a loss at how much longer the date should go, before I finally got my information.

"Are dates always so stiff?" he asked, when he had finished his meal.

I froze and looked at him, but there was no accusation in his eyes. I was honestly worried that he would call me out on the fact that this date was the most awkward one I've ever had and he would refuse to give me any information before I hadn't tried harder to make it a real date.

"No", I sighed in defeat. "Well, they can be awkward, but they don't have to be."

He turned towards me, leaning his elbow on the backrest of the bench and resting his chin on his hand. He was the picture of relaxation and I knew that I needed to loosen up. I had been able to flirt with him just hours before, why was I so bothered now?

I mirrored his movements and turned fully towards him, one leg propped up at the bench, which brought me closer to Lestrange. I would try to make this meeting more comfortable, even if it was only for my sake. I didn't have to make it so hard for myself. Putting my leftover chips on the ground, I used the napkin to clean my fingers, eyeing Lestrange in the process.

"Tell me about yourself", I requested.

His ever present smirk wavered for a split second before it was back in place. "Why would you want to hear about me?"

"Because I want to get to know you. That's what a date is all about, isn't it? So tell my something personal about yourself. Or something no one else knows." I smiled at him. Maybe I could handle the situation just like earlier this day with him. I could play a role way better than to force myself to have a nice date as Riga.

He returned my smile with his own mixture of a smile and smirk. "How about I tell you something about myself and then you tell me something about you?"

I nodded. I was alright with that. Looking expectantly at him I was momentarily amused by the situation. Here I was sitting with one of Voldemort's most trusted followers and tried to get to know him better, because we were on a date. It felt unreal.

Lestrange pondered his answer for a few seconds before he shrugged his shoulders in his unbelievingly elegant way.

"Although the firstborn son is more valued than any other child that comes afterwards, I always felt lucky to not be there heir to the House of Lestrange, as it gave me more freedom than Rod ever had."

I nodded as it was all too clear for me where he had a benefit from that. As my life had been determined by the need to stay hidden and away from the Wizarding World, I had always felt like I had been in some kind of a cage, never able to live my life how I really wanted to. As Lestrange leaned closer in, gesturing me to state a fact about me, I decided to tell him as much.

"Opposite to your situation, I always felt like I had to act in certain ways. I was never truly free and I guess that it still affects me. I hate when someone tries to tell me what to do."

"Was it difficult growing up, hiding who you really where?"

"If you're talking about hiding my identity, then no. I actually feel much more vulnerable now that everyone knows about my bloodline. My mum and I and later Sara and I had always hidden my true identity. It had always been like that, so it felt quite natural. But hiding to be a witch? That was difficult. Although I practiced with my magic and learned everything I could about the Wizarding World, it felt like something was missing."

During my small speech he had taken my hand and started to play with my fingers. I concentrated on relaxing, pretending to be lost in my thoughts, which wasn't too difficult. Whenever I thought about Sara I felt myself lost in the memories.

"What exactly was missing?" came his quiet question, while he caressed his thumb over my knuckles

I smiled and looked at him. "How did you use your freedom?" I retorted, reminding him that he owned me the next answer.

His lips parted in what seemed to be the first true smile he had ever given me and I felt guilty. Here we were, he actually trying to get to know me, while I played him to get some information from him. On the one side I felt bad for deceiving him, on the other side I had to remind myself that he was a Death Eater and had earned his place right among Voldemort's most vicious and trustworthy followers. He was far from innocent.

"I travelled a lot and followed my own studies. I was able to come and go however I pleased. Rod was always expected to follow those ridiculous rules of our society. I just enjoyed that I could do whatever I wanted as long as I was a credit to our family name."

In all honesty I felt a longing. How nice must it be to be able to do whatever you wanted, to never worry about your safety or the safety of your loved ones. I knew that my situation was far from normal, but the amount of freedom Rabastan had experienced made me envious.

A tugging on my hands brought me back to our conversation and I smiled apologetically at him.

"I have to admit that I'm a bit jealous. I can't imagine a life where I can be carefree. I think that is just not for me."

"Maybe one day?"

The thought made me laugh. Even if one day I was able to just go along a street without anyone trying to capture me or look oddly at me, I doubted that I would feel comfortable with it. My life had always been kind of messy and unpredictable. Everything else would bore me, I feared.

"That would be too dull for me. I'm cut out for something more", I said jokingly, looking up with him with a twinkle in my eyes. The now easy flowing conversation had relaxed the date a bit, but looking up in Rabastan eyes, I felt the tension growing again.

"That you are", he said quietly and raised a hand to tuck a stray strand of hair behind my ear. He was much closer now, his face mere inches away from mine. His breath fanned over my skin and I felt my mouth go dry. I searched his face, locking my eyes on his and for the first time I realized how handsome he was. That was ridiculous. Of course I had noticed that before, but never had I reacted on it. My gaze flickered to his lips for a split second and my stomach clenched when his tongue moved to wet his lower lip. What the fuck was wrong with me?

Clearing my throat awkwardly, I moved a few inches away, feeling insecure about the closeness. He was a Death Eater for Merlin's sake. I didn't trust him and I didn't like him. Of course, you didn't need to like person to be physically attracted to them, but I had been fine in Lestranges proximity before. Why was I reacting like this just now? It couldn't be us talking.

Although I had thought that he would be unhappy with my dismissal, he had a satisfied expression on his face that peeked in his ever present smirk. Without a bother, he took my hand and started his soothing circles on the back of my hand again. He faced away from me, observing the busy park.

"Hogwarts", he said out of nowhere.

I frowned. "Pardon me?"

"You need to go to Hogwarts", he explained calmly.

I blinked, trying to understand what he was saying. Obviously there was something at Hogwarts that had to do with our deal - so it was information or even the next clue for a Horcrux. Harry had said that he assumed that one of the Horcruxes was hidden at Hogwarts. Whatever Rabastan had planned for me there, I needed to go there anyway.

"Okay", I said simply, knowing that I would surprise him with that. He cocked an eyebrow, but nodded his understanding when I continued to look at him expectantly.

"I'll arrange a meeting with the Headmaster. He will provide you with all the information you need."

"The Headmaster?" I asked uncertain. Severus Snape had killed Albus Dumbledore. I was pretty certain that I wanted to stay away from him. Sneaking into Hogwarts was one thing. One stupid and utterly reckless thing, but I was willing to do that, if it meant that I got closer to stopping Voldemort. But walking up to the Headmaster like we were having a nice little meeting and trusting him to not hand me over to the Dark Lord was something else entirely. "Why would the Headmaster want to meet me?"

"You two share specific interests", Rabastan simply said, raising my hand to kiss my knuckles.

"Do we?" I doubted, pulling my hand from his grip.

The wizard nodded, smiling at my again stubborn behaviour. "It seems that you need to trust me with this."

Clenching my teeth, I already knew that he was right. If I wanted to find out what the information was, I needed to visit Hogwarts and probably have a talk with Snape as well. Was I ready to do that? Sighing dejectedly, I had to admit that I was.

"Alright", I said, trying to pretend to not be bothered by the whole ordeal, but failed.

Rabastan got to his feet and offered me his hand to get up as well. Placing my hand delicately in his bigger one, I let myself be led out of the park and back in the direction of Camden Market. Still with linked hands, Rabastan pulled me to a stop before we entered the market again, mixing in with the busy people. He leaned down to me, moving slow to not surprise me. Although my heart beat fast and I cursed my reaction again, I stayed calm and let him brush a gently kiss over my cheek.

"I owl you the time", he whispered in my ear, causing goosebumps to travel over my skin. I was not sure if it was because I felt uneasy in his company or because of something else.

Nodding sharply I detached my hand from his grip and moved a step away from him, trying to gain some distance.

"Thank you for the lovely evening", he said seriously.

I simply nodded again and cleared my throat, at a loss what to say. Trying to shake myself out of my awkwardness I smiled at him.

"It was my pleasure", I said, not even lying. Although the date had been awkward as hell in the beginning, it had gotten better and better. If he stayed true to his word, I would soon meet up with the Headmaster of Hogwarts and maybe even find more information about the next Horcrux.

Taking another step back, I turned on my heels and concentrated on Grimmauld Place. I would need to report back to the others, at least telling Sirius the news as no one else from The Order knew about my deal. Rabastan's dark eyes were the last thing I saw before I disapparated.

12th Grimmauld Place, London

Swallowing a huff of annoyance, I closed the door to the Black library behind me and made my way to Sirius room. How was it that the Animagus was always running around his ancestral home, never in his own room and the only time that I was looking for him, he was hiding in his room? I'd checked the kitchen, the cellar, the backyard, the study and even the library, but I hadn't been able to find him in any of those rooms. My last option was his room, where he never spend more time than necessary.

I knocked on his door carefully, trying to be as quiet as possible to not alarm the others, while still trying to be loud enough that Sirius would be able to hear my knock. It was getting ridiculous that I always seemed to sneak through Grimmauld Place, avoiding one person or another. Without a reply, I knocked again and opened the door slightly, so I could peer inside.

"Sirius?" I whispered and squeezed in through the door.

Closing the door quietly behind me, it was not difficult to find the man I was looking for. With mouth agape and an arm thrown over his eyes, he was fast asleep, drool dripping from the corner of his mouth while he snored. It was the most unattractive I've ever seen him and I had to bite on my cheek to stop myself from bursting out laughing. I couldn't help myself when he twitched and a loud snort escaped me. It woke Sirius and he sprung to his feet, wand ready and pointed at me.

I tried hard to hold my laughter in, but seeing the ever-attractive Marauder so dishevelled, still with drool lines on his cheek and his hair in a right mess, there was nothing I could do to stop myself from laughing. I shook with silent laughter before I gave in and guffawed unashamed, holding my belly and bending forward. After a few minutes I looked up, certain that I was in control of my laughter again, but felt my resolve weaken when I saw that his face was still crumbled.

"You have something on your…" my sentence ended in an unattractive snort as I pointed on his cheek. Hurriedly he rubbed the back of his hand over his face, wiping the slobber from it and he continued to smoother his hair down. Clearing my throat, I nodded my head.

"You look lovely when you sleep", I told him, going for a serious and honest expression.

"You don't say", the Animagus deadpanned. "What are you doing in my room?"

"I wanted to tell you about the meeting with Lestrange, but I'm more interested in why you're already asleep. Getting old, Black?" I smirked at the last part, knowing that I would get a rise out of him as his age was a sore topic for Sirius.

Sirius scoffed and eyed me challengingly. "Well, you're the witch that invaded my room in the night. I can show you how what I'm still able to do in my age."

I rolled my eyes good-naturedly and took a seat at his desk. It was littered with parchment from his school time, if the essay about Boomslang skin was any indicator. Rummaging through the other papers, I grimaced at the chaos. A Muggle Playboy Magazine was just underneath another essay about the safety of human transfiguration. It seemed that Sirius hadn't touched anything on the desk after he ran away from his home during school.

Seeing my disgusted expression, Sirius grabbed me by my upper arms and lifted me from his desk chair, only to dispose me roughly on the edge of his bed. He scurried back to his desk and began to gather all the magazines, parchment and pictures.

"Has no one ever told you that you're way too curious for you own good?" he snapped at me.

"Yes, numerous times. But I still can't help myself", I said, smiling at his embarrassed behaviour.

"You wanted to tell my about the meet up?" he asked me stiffly.

I hummed in agreement, but kept my silence, watching him as he tried to tidy is room. When he realized that I watched him, he stopped in an instant, crossing his arms in front of his chest, his face sulky. I raised my hands in a submissive way, trying to communicate my retreat. I wanted to rile him up, not make him angry for real.

"It seems like I'm going to meet the new Headmaster of Hogwarts", I told Sirius to distract him from his irritated mood.

"Snivellus?"

I frowned. "Who?"

"Snape. We called him Snivellus."

"Yeah, well, I'm going to meet Snape, so yes."

Sirius was silent for a moment. "That's just stupid. He supports the Dark Lord, he's going to hand you over to him."

"Like Lestrange you mean? If you ask me, it seems like his followers are not too happy about him anymore. There's a mutiny going on."

Sirius shook his head. "So you trust him?"

I scoffed. "Of course not, do you really think me that stupid? But I'm quite certain that he wants me out of the reach of the Dark Lord. So I'm at least safe regarding that outcome."

The Animagus was silent for a few seconds, thinking over the information I just gave him. His expression changed from motionless to grim and then determined. Whatever he just set his mind on, I hoped that he was on my side. There was no point in arguing with him if he was so determined.

"You can't meet him alone."

"McGonagall is still teaching at Hogwarts. So I'm not really alone there", I said, knowing that it was a weak argument.

"That is not enough."

"Maybe not", I admitted. "But it's everything that I can offer you."

His face was set in stone, an angry glimmer in his eyes. "That's not enough. You need to be better prepared."

"I know", I nodded. "That's why you're going to help me prepare for this visit. I need to know everything about the castle."

Sirius froze and turned towards me, his face now set in an expression of mischief. "Everything?"

I raised my eyebrows surprised. "Yes." It sounded more like an uncertain question.

"Well, my little witch", I frowned to be addressed like that. "Then let's hope that the invitation won't come for another few days, because I know everything about Hogwarts. And I'm going to tell you all about it."

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