'Disclaimer: This story is based on characters and situations created and owned by JK Rowling, various publishers including but not limited to Bloomsbury Books, Scholastic Books and Raincoast Books, and Warner Bros., Inc. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended.
Warning: None for this chapter.
Chapter 25 – Strategies Developed
At precisely 2 o'clock, Ofelia walked up to the designated location to find Sirius lounging against the wall, waiting. Glancing at the stone wall behind him, Ofelia raised her eyebrows in question.
"Here I am, as promised, but where …?"
Sirius smiled and held up his hand. "Wait for it." With that, he closed his eyes and paced up and back three times before a small measure of solid wall. Then, he turned and faced the wall as a large doorway etched itself into the ancient stone surface. Grasping the brass handle that had also appeared, the dark-haired wizard grinned at the astounded girl and pushed against the metal fixture.
"After you," he said, standing aside to allow Ofelia to enter. After a moment's hesitation, she walked toward him, relaxing a bit as Sirius murmured, "It's alright. There's nothing to be afraid of."
Ofelia gave him a small smile and crossed the threshold.
As the door thudded closed behind them, Sirius took Ofelia's elbow and urged her forward, "Come on, then."
In the center of the room was a large, oval table around which sat three wizards and two witches: Sirius' friends. All but one face was familiar to her; the short, round, sandy-haired wizard had not been present at breakfast that morning.
A roaring fire burned in the hearth behind the table, on which were piled rolls of parchment, a collection of inkbottles and a large supply of quills.
"Welcome to the Room of Requirement," Sirius said quietly. "Just pace three times in front of the wall and repeat what you most need with each pass you make. Open your eyes and the door appears. Behind it, the Room, with all you need to fulfill your purpose."
"How remarkable," Ofelia replied, gazing 'round her.
"Hmm. Oi, you lot," Sirius greeted the group before him, raising his voice slightly. His words were hardly necessary, as each of the room's occupants had been watching the newcomers, their faces openly curious.
"This is Ofelia Bullstrode," he continued – also unnecessarily – as he looked at his friends. "Introduce yourselves while we get situated."
Each of the Gryffindors stood to introduce themselves and shake Ofelia's hand. She learned that the rather lumpy boy was Peter Pettigrew, Sirius' fourth dorm mate and friend. When at last it was Kate's turn, Ofelia smiled wryly at her after shaking her hand.
"A bit awkward, this," she said quietly and found herself oddly relieved at Kate's answering – albeit tentative – smile and even more so by the comment that followed.
"I think we can overcome it if we try hard enough, don't you?" Kate gestured to the two vacant chairs remaining at the table.
Ofelia nodded, thoughtfully taking the chair to Kate's right, between the auburn-haired girl and Remus, leaving the other chair, to Kate's left, for Sirius.
Sirius took his seat soon after and allowed his gaze to sweep over the assembly briefly. He noted that James' face still bore a somewhat wary expression, while everyone else looked politely curious.
"Well, then, shall we start?" he asked and when everyone nodded, Sirius hesitated. Looking at Kate, he added, "Only, I'm not really sure how to do that…"
Remus spoke up. "Kate, perhaps if you start by telling us what you were thinking of when you suggested getting us all together then we'll all join in after."
Kate flushed slightly, but nodded. "Right. Well, as everyone knows, Ofelia and Sirius have been … arranged is as good a word as any, I suppose. The initial plan, although somewhat spotty in execution, wasn't entirely a bad one." Kate gave Sirius a small smile and was rewarded when he relaxed his shoulders and smiled in return. "I think it's something that can be built upon, at any rate. So, our primary goal is to dissolve the marriage arrangement. It would seem that the easiest way to do this would be to convince Ofelia's parents that this arranged marriage is a mistake. While I wish there was another way to do this without making Sirius the bad guy, I can't see one. Perhaps someone else here can."
"But Sirius isn't the only one who would benefit from dissolving the arrangement, is he?" James questioned, his voice neutral, but his expression defiant. "Why is this all down to him? Why shouldn't we focus on convincing the Blacks that this isn't going to work? Make Ofelia the bad sort?"
"Jamie!"
"No, no, Sirius, it's alright," Ofelia's calm voice cut through the tension. "Mr. Potter, I completely understand what you're asking. You're Sirius' friend and you don't think that it's fair that he's the scapegoat in all this. I'll admit that there's a part of me that doesn't think it's completely fair, either, but facts are facts." The blonde looked over at Sirius, who nodded, but remained silent. "My parents are quite thrilled to be connected to the Blacks, if not exactly through Sirius. They have their reasons. The Blacks, however…"
"The Blacks," Sirius interjected bitterly, "could give less than a flying fuck about their elder son, however. I'm a liability to them, a smudge on the purity of the family name. I consort with those who are not Purebloods. Decidedly not Purebloods. Marrying me off solves one immediate problem: I cannot become involved with anyone else outside of the marriage – bonding, actually – or there will be dreadful physical consequences of such an action. It's the ultimate control mechanism, isn't it? Bind the wizard so he can't stray – because if he does he'll just do it the one time and then he … well, he won't be able to stray again, to phrase it delicately." Lily gasped softly and Sirius looked over at her. "Yeah, Evans; that's how it works in the Noble and Most Ancient House of Black – and in many Pureblood families. Don't worry, though, Jamie's parents aren't like mine," he was quick to add, smirking when she blushed. "The other happy pastime at number 12 House of Grim is inter-marriage, as easily seen from the old family Tapestry. Toujours Pur, after all! We've been doing it for decades, apparently and now the blood's a bit too 'Pur' if you get my drift. Introducing a few drops of the Bullstrode blood should bring things back into focus." Sirius paused for breath and looking around the table realized that all had noted the tone of desperation woven through his diatribe. "Sorry I interrupted you," he said to Ofelia.
"Sirius, you don't have to apologize to me! I never could have summarized it quite that well – or as vividly!" The awkward moment behind them, she continued more soberly. "But, that said, Sirius is absolutely right. The Blacks have no reason to rescind this arrangement, none at all. Forcing Sirius to marry me solves a multitude of problems for them. No, I'm afraid that my family will have to be the ones to end it."
"Which brings us right back to our original question: how to do it," Lily stated, refocusing the group on their purpose.
Kate nodded, picking up the discussion. "Now, we know – from Sirius – that there are certain conditions attached to the successful completion of the marriage contract, chief among them the reformation of his previous behaviors. Sirius had already sussed out that the easiest way to break that particular requirement was to publicly engage as many girls as possible in what would appear to be careless romantic entanglements. Another condition was that he was to stop having anything whatsoever to do with me. Well, the public flirting would certainly have taken care of honoring that requirement."
"Forget 'would have'," Sirius muttered. "Try 'did'!"
"So," Kate continued, ignoring his comment, "it seems that Sirius has already achieved that particular obligation; what we need to do now is make sure that certain Slytherins believe it's permanent."
"And the easiest way to do that is to make sure Kate and Sirius aren't ever seen together publicly," Remus joined in. "That should be easy enough outside our own Common Room, but I wonder if it's enough?"
"What do you mean?" Sirius asked indignantly. He knew it would be difficult for him to keep his distance from Kate in the hallways, at meals and in other public areas, but he also knew that he had no choice in the matter. He had counted on the Common Room in the Tower as a sort of safe harbor, however; a place where they could sit and talk together without fear of being observed by the 'wrong people'. Sirius was not prepared to easily give up that sanctuary, particularly as he was convinced that it was the only way he would stay sane. Like it or not; understand it or not – Sirius more than 'fancied' Kate. He realized now that somehow, he needed her to stay grounded.
Remus watched the play of thoughts across his friend's face. You won't like what I'm about to say, Padfoot, but it needs to be said. "What I mean is that we need to be sure that there's no one in our House who might carry tales outside of it. Tales that could easily reach Slytherin ears."
"No Gryffindor would carry information to a Slytherin, Remus!" James was adamant. "Certainly not if it meant going against someone in our own House!"
"Of course, we would expect that to be the truth," Remus said quietly, hoping to calm his friend without sacrificing the importance of what he was trying to say. "But if it was a question of revenge for some slight – real or imagined – you have to admit that it could be possible."
"You sound as if you have someone in mind," Peter spoke for the first time, looking curiously at the werewolf.
"Delilah Hornsby," Lily guessed, looking to Remus for confirmation.
"It does seem logical," he said, shrugging. "She feels that she's been jilted and we all know she's very unhappy about it."
"You're both daft! She's Hufflepuff. She's only ever in our Common Room to visit …", Sirius' voice trailed off as realization hit, "…her sister." Damn! "Right, so who does she know over in Slytherin?" Sirius pressed the point; he was unwilling to simply let slip away any chance he had to safely spend time with Kate.
"Surely you didn't think that Delilah restricted her … favors, shall we say? " Ofelia answered him. "She went after you, a Gryffindor and I'm sure there are wizards in her own House who've enjoyed her company. It was inevitable that Slytherin would have its turn, yes?"
"Anyone we know?" Sirius asked, picturing Snape and feeling slightly ill as he did so. He was not prepared for the answer.
"Arturo," she replied. To say that the resulting silence was deafening would have been an understatement. Ofelia looked around the table and the shocked faces gazing in her direction. "Bullstrode. My brother," she added.
"You never said a word about this to me when we talked about her," Sirius said, his voice taking on an accusing tone.
"I had no detail when we spoke," she defended. "I knew that my brother considered the witches in other houses fair game for … certain dalliances. He, too, is duty-bound where marriage is concerned and can only marry a Pureblood. Last night, Arturo was boasting to Lucius that Delilah would be more available to him now that she'd rid herself of you."
Sirius visibly bristled and to avoid further problems, Kate slipped into the conversation. "So, what we need to really focus on is redirecting Delilah's loyalty." She leaned forward, clasping her hands on the table in front of her. "Look, as it stands right now, Delilah is decidedly not on our side. Her sister, Leticia, is a nice enough girl, but she's a very young second year."
"Kate's right," Lily put in. "She's quite homesick for weeks upon returning to school after holidays and Delilah, for all her faults, is a comfort to her. Of course, this makes it easier to manipulate the child into disclosing information about certain wizards in Gryffindor."
"And, failing that – or in addition to it – makes access to our House much more easily attained, as well. As much as I hate to suggest it, Sirius, it would seem that you should consider a rekindling of that particular relationship," Kate said quietly.
"What? No!" Sirius was aghast to think he would be right back where he'd started.
"Sirius, don't you see?" Remus took over. "If Delilah perceives that you and she have repaired your relationship, she will be less apt to carry tales to Ofelia's brother – or to anyone else."
"And less apt to visit the Common Room," Kate said. "If you're seeing her elsewhere, you can claim the Common Room for time with your friends. Remus is right; if she perceives that you've gone back to her and have not reconciled with me, her desire to run to Arturo with any information – true or fabricated – will be greatly reduced."
"But even if that's true, her sister's still Gryffindor. If I'm seen with you, she'll go back to Delilah," Sirius' voice carried his sense of defeat.
"But second years have earlier curfews than we do," Lily said with a smile. "And, as a Prefect, I can certainly make sure they're tucked away right on time, can't I?"
"If this doesn't do the trick, perhaps we could drop a few hints to McGonagall that Delilah is distracting us from our studies, or something similar. But it will all hinge on you spending time with her again – as a couple, Sirius – to keep her suspicions at bay," Remus said firmly.
"Arturo will surely see you together, as he is determined to discredit you to our parents and is obviously eager for every scrap of information that will enable him to do so. He will be forced to employ other means of tracking your behavior and will also rely on what I am able to tell him," Ofelia said with a soft smile. "I, of course, will attest to the absolute cad that you are and our mutual – and respective – goals will be accomplished when he goes directly to our father with his report."
"How long do you think this process will take?" Resigned to his fate with Delilah now, Sirius was concerned only with the length of time it would take for the newly revised plan to be accomplished so he could end the charade once and for all and perhaps convince Kate to trust him again – and to consider resuming their relationship.
They all looked to Ofelia for an answer. She shrugged one elegant shoulder. "Who can say? Arturo is filled with animosity toward you, Sirius, so it may be a relatively short time. Of course, my father may not immediately decide to terminate the agreement. He may speak with your parents first to decide if there is an alternative course of action that should be pursued before the arrangement is nullified."
Kate watched Sirius' face pale to a color comparable to the unused parchment before them. "Let's hope my performance is good enough to convince him that there's no point in pursuing any alternatives with my parents," Sirius said quietly.
"You said, 'respective goals'," James finally spoke again and as Ofelia's face shuttered and she drew breath to speak, he continued before she could do so. "No, Ofelia. We've all agreed to help you – not just Sirius – both of you get out of this stupid marriage agreement. We're putting ourselves on the line for you even though we don't know you. I think asking you to trust us isn't out of line here."
"He's right, you know," Kate said to the other witch with an understanding smile. "We're trusting you enough to take your advice, trusting that Sirius won't be hurt as a result. We don't know you any better than you know us, yet you have sought and accepted our help. With so much at stake, I think we should know if there are any potential pitfalls to be mindful of from your end of things. You can trust us to keep your confidences. We, after all, trust you to keep ours – and from people who live in the same House as you do."
Ofelia watched Kate's face closely as she spoke and when silence reigned once more in the room, the blonde witch took a deep breath and squared her shoulders, a look of resoluteness settling on her face. "My secrets must be kept from those same people," she said in a voice slightly above a whisper. Ofelia looked around the table, her gaze settling for a brief moment on each of them before she continued in a slightly stronger voice.
"I have perhaps been wrong in not confiding in you, Sirius, but other lives depend upon some of the secrets I maintain."
"There's someone else," Kate voiced her guess.
After a moment, the other girl nodded. "Not here; not in this school. Not even in this country." Ofelia fixed her gaze on the opposite wall as her features softened. "He and his family came to France last year and bought an estate close to Beauxbatons. During weekend trips to Neuilly – there is a magical section of that town, much the same as your Diagon Alley in London – we would pass by their home. He was often exercising his horse when we would do so. One day, he spoke to us as we were walking to town; upon our return, he was sitting on the stone wall waiting. We spoke – he and I – and on the next weekend visit to town, he was in the bookstore when I arrived. We spent the entire time talking and laughing. He is … very nice. He continued to meet me in the town whenever the school had scheduled visit." Ofelia's gaze snapped back to the table, suddenly and her face grew sad. "It was difficult to leave him when my parents decided to return to England."
"You are in love with him," Lily said, smiling gently at the other girl.
"Yes," she replied simply. "But by now it does not matter; I was not able to speak with him before I left Beauxbatons. I was not told that I would not be returning until I arrived in London. He does not know where I am; he does not know that I have left." For the first time since dinner at Grimmauld Place, Sirius saw a crack in the young woman's composure. It was one with which he could clearly identify.
"Can't you send him an owl?" Sirius asked.
"No, it is impossible," Ofelia blinked rapidly to clear the tears that had formed in her eyes.
"But he should know what happened," Kate reasoned. "What if we could come up with a way for you to communicate with him; something foolproof so Arturo and your parents never found out about it?"
Ofelia smiled sadly. "It would not matter; we cannot be together. My family has always arranged the marriages of its children. I would not be allowed to be with him."
Kate thought of her own parents' history: of her mother's initial duplicity – and the hardships they had been forced to endure once her scheming had won her what she most desired. If this young man – whomever he was – felt half as much for Ofelia Bullstrode as she did for him, Kate felt that together they, too, might find a way around the antiquated customs of Ofelia's Pureblood family.
"Perhaps not," she replied. "But even if that turns out to be true, at a minimum, you would be able to see him to explain what has happened and why you have not returned to school, yes?"
Ofelia's face brightened a bit as she considered Kate's words. "Yes, of course I would very much want to be able to speak to him myself; to explain things to him myself. I simply do not see how that would be possible, however."
Lily looked at the four wizards seated 'round the table and chuckled wryly, "It's obvious that you have no idea with whom you're dealing." She inclined her head toward James, Sirius, Peter and Remus. "Ofelia Bullstrode, I give you 'the Marauders'. Based on their accomplishments to date, I cannot believe that this would pose anything close to an insurmountable challenge." The redhead cocked an eyebrow at James. "Well?"
The subject of her attention ran his hand through his mass of already unruly hair, shoved his glasses more firmly onto the bridge of his nose and finally looked at his mates. "Gentlemen, it would seem that the gauntlet has been cast down, as they say in Remus' storybooks…"
"Novels," Remus muttered, though James had moved on and was not listening to him.
"…It seems the decent thing to do, doesn't it?"
"We'll need more information," Remus reasoned, looking at the young witch seated beside him. "Exact location, shops, cafes, etc in the wizarding section of the town…"
"The bloke's name would be helpful," Sirius interjected.
Ofelia looked at the Marauders, who continued to banter back and forth, exchanging ideas and talking about what was needed for their planning purposes. She looked at Kate and her eyes were suspiciously bright. "Why would they do this for me?" her voice was nothing more than a whisper.
Kate reached over and patted her arm. "Because you need help," she said. "Because you're helping us."
Lily overheard and leaned over with a mischievous sparkle in her eyes. "Oh, Ofelia, I don't think it's anything nearly as noble as that. I think they've been confronted with a delicious opportunity to add to their already illustrious reputation."
"But no one can know about this," Ofelia's face registered her anxiety.
"Don't worry," Lily reassured her. "They've got everyone they want to impress gathered right here, in this room." She looked at Kate and the two of them smiled broadly.
"She's right, Ofelia. I don't think you've got a thing to worry about," Kate inclined her head toward the four friends who were busy jotting lists down on parchment and bickering between one another on various points.
"Oi, Ofelia," Sirius called out. "Where does this bloke go to school? Does he have some kind of tutor or something? Beauxbatons is a girls school, so he can't be going there."
Ofelia took a deep breath. "He does not have a tutor."
Remus' eyes narrowed in thought. "He can't attend Durmstrang or he would not have been at home during your school year."
Ofelia shook her head. "No. His father fell ill at the beginning of this year and he took a leave of absence to care for the estate matters in his father's place. He was recovered enough immediately before the holiday to resume handling estate affairs. Michael should have returned to school earlier this month."
"Where does he attend school?" Remus asked.
Ofelia set her jaw determinedly. "He attends university in London."
James' eyebrows shot toward his hairline. "Muggle university?"
"Yes. He attends London Metropolitan University. He's studying business," Ofelia lifted her chin in a movement daring anyone to insult him.
"He's Muggle-born?" Sirius asked quietly. That would certainly explain a lot!
"His father is Muggle and his mother is a witch – from a Pureblood family, I'll have you know – not that it matters to Michael, or to me, come to that. His mother defied her family and ran off with Michael's father. Her family were so cruel to her that Michael's mother has completely given up her magic, although her husband did not demand it of her. Michael is magical, however, but has not been formally trained. When his magic first appeared, his mother was forced to relent so that he could be taught to control it. In the end, she taught him everything that he knows today, although she still lives her life in Muggle fashion."
"Do your parents know about him?" Kate asked.
"No, and they will not learn of him, either," Ofelia's voice was adamant.
"It would be helpful to know a bit more about the school," James murmured, then looked up at Remus and smiled. He cleared his throat then spoke loudly. "I need to know everything about London Metropolitan University!"
In the next moment, the air above the center of the table shimmered and a large book dropped onto the polished wood with a decided thunk. Remus pulled it toward him and flipped pages until he came to what he was apparently looking for. "Ah – here we are … except … hmmm. Ofelia, there are three campuses for LMU. Do you know at which he studies?"
"London City campus. It is quite near the financial district," she said. "Why?"
The four wizards looked at each other, smiles slowly breaking out on their faces.
"Mates," Sirius announced, clapping his hands together and rubbing them briskly. "I think our task just got a great deal easier!"
XXXXXXXX
Over the course of the following week, Kate and Sirius were never seen together. The closest anyone could come to claiming they were reconciled occurred when she and Lily sat on the fringes of the group in the library or the Gryffindor Common Room.
Delilah, for her part, watched the Gryffindor friends carefully but, by the end of that week, looked more confused than scorned as she attempted to discern the status of what she had been certain was a renewed relationship between Kate and Sirius.
Sirius made certain to be seen speaking with Ofelia in the hallways, classrooms and even off by themselves, eating in the Great Hall. This fed Arturo's fury, as he could find no unsatisfactory behavior on the part of the Black heir that he could store away for later reporting at home. During their periodic meals together, Sirius was amused to notice that Snape had developed a habit of staring at them, expression malevolent, looking for all the world like some scrawny, hovering bat waiting to swoop down and rescue the fair Ofelia from the clutches of the Gryffindor n'er-do-well. On one occasion, when Sirius had been unable to suppress an amused snort, Ofelia followed his gaze, frowning when she discovered the source of his entertainment.
"Stop it," she hissed, eyes flashing. "He has done nothing to you; leave him alone."
Sirius' brows rose as he turned his attention back to the young woman in front of him. "Ofelia, you can't honestly tell me that you actually like that greasy git!"
"He's a friend," she said quietly, the intensity of her voice intact. "He has been kind to me; a gentleman." When Sirius' expression didn't change, Ofelia abruptly stood. "If you can't get over your own pettiness, Sirius Black, you will wind up no better than the family you despise! I've lost my appetite." And leaving a very stunned wizard behind her, Ofelia made swift progress toward the door and out of the Great Hall. Sirius gazed after her for a moment, then turned back to his dinner. After spending a full five minutes pushing his food around his plate he, too, rose and left the Hall, intent on the familiar surroundings of his own Common Room.
Crossing the threshold into the entry hall, Sirius' progress was halted as Severus Snape stepped in front of him, blocking his path. "Trouble in paradise, Black?" he sneered.
"Get out of my way, Snivellus," the irritated wizard hissed. "Ofelia Bullstrode is my business – not yours. As a matter of fact, I'd soundly recommend that you keep your distance from her. She's my fiancée, after all – not yours, as if you could ever hope to attract a witch like her!"
Snape's eyes snapped cold fire in their inky depths and his face paled. He drew a sharp breath and leaned toward Sirius, his features menacing. "Your fiancée," he mocked. "She's too good for the likes of you. She's refined, elegant and kind. You're nothing more than an imposter; your own family despises you, as well they should. Oh? Did you think your family secrets were safe at Hogwarts? Guess again, Black. You have enough family in my House to prevent privacy. And it's not just the cousins any longer is it? Oh, no, little brother is Slytherin, isn't he? You'd best watch yourself, Black. It would give me the utmost pleasure to call you out on Ofelia's behalf should you treat her badly."
Sirius barely stopped himself from drawing his wand against the other wizard. His mouth, however, ran away from him. "Please do, Snivellus. As I've told you before, push me at your own peril! And continuing to insinuate yourself between Ofelia Bullstrode and me is enough to do the trick, in case you were wondering! Now, Get. Out. Of. My. Way."
As Snape's jaw worked furiously, but he remained silent, Sirius went around the fuming wizard and charged up the staircase, taking the steps two at a time.
"Blood pops!" he yelled at the portrait when he reached the portal to the Gryffindor Common Room.
With an affronted glare, the Fat Lady swung to, permitting the irate wizard access to the Tower.
"Sirius! What's gotten your knickers in a knot?" James voice rose above the hum of the densely populated Common Room.
Sirius made his way through the knots of chattering students and dropped onto the sofa beside Remus. "Snivellus," he muttered. "The great bat's crushing on Ofelia and actually threatened to call me out if I treated her badly! The bloody bastard!"
"Why do you care, Sirius?" Lily asked, rolling her eyes. "I thought it was Kate you wanted." The last added in a hushed tone.
Sirius returned the redhead's unyielding stare. "You know how I feel about Kate, Evans. I don't fancy Ofelia; you know that, too!"
"It's not just Ofelia, is it?" Remus asked. "What else did Severus say to get you so riled?"
Sirius thought back to Snape's comment about Regulus and he shook his head as if to clear it. "Black family scourge. Bane of the gene pool. Nothing. The usual shite. It's just … Snape; you know." He inhaled deeply, making an exaggerated show of exhaling loudly. "There. See? Over it. Now, I'm sure you're discussing something far more interesting than Snivelly Snape. Let's have it."
James and Remus exchanged a look and James shook his head slightly. Remus sighed.
"Ok, Pads. I think we've got our plan together for Ofelia to make contact with Michael. Here's what we'll do. In two weeks' time, we're scheduled for another Hogsmeade weekend. Ofelia will send Michael an owl; he lives off-campus in a flat close enough to Diagon Alley that it won't be a stretch if anyone sees. She'll instruct him to meet her at the Leaky Cauldron at 11 am. She can Floo there from The Three Brooksticks. Since we generally return to the school around 4, she'll have until then to wrap it up with him and Floo back while we wait. Sound good?"
"Have you spoken with Ofelia, yet?" Sirius wanted to know.
Remus shook his head. "No, we thought we'd let you do that as one of your "public sightings"."
"Well, if she's still speaking to me. She, too, thinks that I should leave Snape alone. Looks like I'll have to eat some crow before I give her the plan," Sirius replied wryly.
"See if they'll serve it to you on toast at breakfast, tomorrow," James advised with a smile. "We'd like to be ready ahead of time for this one."