Veritas 17
Hello! Did we all have a good week? I've been mucho busy – but thankfully I had to sit through a long and useless class this morning, and managed to get this finalized. Technically I think I was supposed to learn something, but what bits I did listen to sounded more like arguments over what we are already supposed to know, and not actually telling us anything new. So…. I miss London dreadfully, and had to bring it into all of this. Westminster is one of my favourite spots in the universe, so I had to make it centre stage here. Anyone who knows this area will recognize it in this, I hope. I'm not going to say how I know about the hidden utility shed, but it's there, trust me.
Four more chapters to this, and I promise not to be skimpy. Sirius and Liz go to London to do a little more Malfoy baiting (goodness, he's having a bad week isn't he?), and to set Pembroke up for a fall. Sirius starts to be a little more reflective about his parents, and he and Liz talk about a few things that have nothing whatsoever to do with Death Eaters.
Disclaimer: I just noticed that I haven't been putting these on. Where are my manners? But we all know they aren't mine, except for Liz, Katie, Malcolm & Griffin, right? And a few others thrown in here and there; you know who they are. Did you all see the wonderful Ms. Rowling in Vanity Fair? Nice summary as to why she's definitely one of the best….
***
A young woman with straight dark blonde hair boarded the evening train to London, accompanied by a decidedly large black dog. They had a compartment to themselves, because people took one look at the size of the animal stretched out across all three forward facing seats and continued down the corridor. They didn't even see the young woman smile and shake her head at the dog, who lazily wagged his tail whenever she did this, as they hurried away.
When the passengers detrained in London, they seemed not to notice that the woman appeared to be trying very, very hard not to giggle as she knelt down and attached a lead to the dog's collar before they exited the platform. One man who did glance at them as he passed caught himself doing a double take, staring back at the pair because he thought it seemed like, well, the dog was glaring at her, but in a. …joking… fashion; like it was teasing her. That bothered him all night and he ended up going to bed early, complaining of feeling ill.
Oblivious to the anxiety felt by the over-imaginative man, the young woman loaded her dog into a cab and directed the driver across town to a small square near St. James. After paying the driver, they turned and entered one of the unobtrusive black doors along the street without a sound.
***
Sirius was exhausted, so he forced himself to stand in front of the fire, and fought to keep his eyes open. It had been a stressful 24 hours. He swayed slightly, feeling a little dizzy, as he worked with Remus, Dexter and Dumbledore to try and decide exactly how they were going to make Lucius Malfoy believe that Pembroke Black was the one who had repeatedly double-crossed him.
Sirius shook his head a bit and reached up a hand to knead at his shoulder. As he twisted to get a better grip, he caught a glimpse of himself in the mirror over the mantelpiece. He jumped slightly, startled at his own pale, somewhat gaunt appearance. He'd been doing much better, really, in the early fall. But the last few weeks had been difficult, and Sirius knew he'd been letting everything get to him, he just hadn't realized how much. I look so old….
He suddenly had the odd feeling he wasn't looking at himself, but at his father. Same lines, same tight and humourless set to the mouth, same dark, flat eyes. A face that never smiles. He never did; well, hardly ever. Same with mum. Why? I couldn't have been that much of a disappointment to them….
"Sirius? Please, we need you to pay attention."
"Sorry, Headmaster. I was just…remembering a few things. One thing about all of this puzzles me. We have no idea, really, how long Pembroke has been a Death Eater. I honestly don't think that he was involved with them last time Voldemort was trying to gain control, but I only assumed that he didn't have it in him."
Dexter nodded. "I think that this is a new development, actually."
"Why?", asked Remus.
"His Dark Mark. It looks somewhat new. The older Death Eaters' marks have faded somewhat with age, and seem more a permanent part of the skin. Pembroke's is fresher."
"If this is the case," said Dumbledore thoughtfully, "it is interesting that Pembroke was at the house alone. Guarding such a valuable site would seem something to be trusted to one of the old crowd. Unless he had given them cause to believe he was beyond reproach. Unless he had given them something."
Sirius shook his head. "What of any value could Pembroke give them? He's a wizard of moderate talent at best. I was showing him up when I was 8, and he was 16. He seems to have perfected this obscure sleeping curse, but that's it. And if he were actively stealing secrets from the Ministry, Dexter would have known. He's managed to keep a very low profile."
Dumbledore nodded. "Perhaps, Sirius, he had something more substantial than rumours that could easily have been gathered by any number of the other sympathizers in the Ministry."
Sirius shook his head, but Remus sat up straight in his chair and turned to Dumbledore.
"A house for a house. And what a house…."
"Remus?"
"Sirius, all of your father's properties went to Pembroke, of course, as the 'head' of the Black family. That includes not just the house you grew up in. It also includes the one…."
Sirius felt all the blood drain from his face. "Near Hogsmead. Oh, God…."
Dumbledore signalled for him to sit and be silent. Sirius sank down on the couch next to Remus. Dexter looked very surprised.
"Your father owned a house near Hogwarts?"
Sirius shook his head. "No, the other direction, on the other side of the forest, near the river. My father always owned houses by running water; it was his particular affectation. I never went there, because I assumed that was the first place they'd look for me. It was empty most of the time when I was young." He saw Remus try to suppress a smile out of the corner of his eye, and had to laugh quietly. "We, um, broke in there a few times when we were at Hogwarts." He looked apologetically at Dumbledore, but he just smiled softy.
Remus shook his head now and did smile. "Only a few times, though. Then Mr. Black figured out what we'd done and absolutely covered the place with hexes and charms. We decided to go there and 'celebrate' a few nights before the end of our sixth year, and had a very, very close call getting back to Hogwarts and undoing all the spells set on us before we were caught. Mr. Black never actually said anything, but when we got off the train in London, Mr. Black gave us a look that basically said we were fooling no one."
Sirius suddenly felt very sad hearing Remus talk about that incident. It had been one of the rare times that Mr. Black had just let something slide. It was obvious he knew what the boys had done, but he also seemed to draw a truce on the matter, and let it be. He wasn't an ogre…he just never seemed to be able to smile. At anything. Sirius sat gazing into space, trying to slow his racing thoughts. He had thought very little about his mother and father since he had escaped, and especially since he learned they were dead. Now he couldn't stop thinking about them. We parted on such bad terms…they told me then; told me I was too impulsive, and too smart for my own good. Father knew…he was trying to warn me in his own way…. Sirius suddenly stood up and started pacing.
Remus looked at him sadly, but didn't say anything. Instead, he pointedly turned to Dumbledore.
"Albus, that house is no secret. Even if it is hidden with wards, we know it's there"
"True. But when was the last time you gave it any thought? I have never even seen Pembroke in Hogsmead since his graduation. The best place to hide something, sometimes, is out in the open, as you know. And, with the proper preparations, it would be an ideal safe house."
Sirius sighed. "Right next door to Albus Dumbledore and Harry Potter."
Dumbledore nodded. "Yes. And, if this is the case, it becomes more important now that we in fact destroy Pembroke's reputation and standing with the Death Eaters. But we come again to the issue of how this is to be achieved."
Sirius drummed his fingers on one of the bookshelves, absently reading the titles of Remus' extensive and eclectic library. Pembroke, you sick bastard. If I do prove that you murdered them…. Suddenly he stopped and grinned. Oh, this is risky, but it will be worth it.
"Lucius needs to be convinced that Pembroke is consorting with me, right? Well, how about we give Lucius an eyeful? What if he thinks he sees his missing Death Eater, then realizes it's not, and finally thinks to put the two of us together?"
Dexter frowned and glanced at Remus and Dumbledore before turning to Sirius. "I'm not following you on this. Lucius is to strong to be fooled by any shadow images or the like."
Sirius started pacing again, still grinning.
"No, no; nothing like that. You're right, he wouldn't be. But, if he saw me, at first glance, he'll probably think it's Pembroke, because we do look alike. Especially, say, from across the street."
Sirius' mind was racing now, and he felt a rush of energy like he hadn't felt in a long time. The satisfaction of having just thought of a solution seemed to wake him up. He also felt the familiar rush of adrenaline that came whenever he planned to do something particularly tricky and dangerous. Remus is not going to like this one bit.
Sirius looked over at Remus, and could tell by his expression that Remus had already come to that conclusion. It was the same expression he always had had in situations like this; but Sirius knew that the expression could be turned with a good argument. Remus didn't actually say anything, but he did cross his arms and give Sirius a look that told him he'd better get on with his explanation. Sirius grinned at him and winked.
Dexter spoke up. "You're going to talk to Malfoy?"
"Well I never really had the chance to thank Lucius for his wonderful hospitality last December."
Dumbledore raised a hand. "Sirius, exactly what do you have in mind?"
That finally got a comment from Remus. "Sir, you aren't going to let him…."
"Remus, let Sirius say what he is considering first. I will not," Dumbledore said, fixing his gaze on Sirius, "allow anyone to take any undue risks, as usual. Sirius, finish your thought."
"Dexter, Malfoy is still very involved with several Ministry councils, yes? When is the next time one of those meets?"
"Um, tomorrow, actually; first thing in the morning."
"Do you know if he's planning on attending?"
Dexter grimaced. "Malfoy never misses a meeting of the Legal Affairs Council. Wants to keep an eye on the 'mudbloods' so they don't make the government 'lax'."
Sirius rolled his eyes at that, but continued, his voice sounding more excited than before. "Good. To get home, he's got to walk outside of and away from the Ministry, because you can't apparate in there or anywhere near there. So, I think he should get a good look at me then."
Remus actually sputtered. "In the middle of London?"
"No," said Sirius calmly, "on Westminster Bridge. He has to cross it to pass the wards on the Ministry and get to Diagon Alley. I think I'll be walking, calmly, down the other side, plain as day. We can force him to see me with a compelling charm. Hang on a minute."
Sirius went out of the living room and down to the kitchen, where he found Liz working.
"Liz? Can you join us?"
"Absolutely."
They walked back out to the front room, but before he opened the door, Sirius turned back to speak to Liz. She was almost eye level with him, and for a moment he forgot what he was going to say as he looked at her. What are you thinking about? You seem even more unfathomable that before. So calm, so self-assured….
He cleared his throat then spoke softly to her.
"Liz, I think I've got a good plan for dealing with Pembroke. One that will further disrupt the Death Eaters. I'll give you the details on how we got here once this conversation is over. But you need to be involved, and you need to be part of the decision process to go through with this. I'm going to suggest something reasonably dangerous. I'll promise you right now that Remus is not going to like it. Dexter may find it rash, and I gave up trying to fathom how Dumbledore thinks when I was 14. I'm not sure what you'll think of it," his voice became even quieter, and he broke her even gaze to look instead at the pattern on the rug. "But," he continued, "I think, considering everything at stake, it's going to be worth it."
He glanced back up at her as was relieved to see she was smiling at him.
"Okay then. Thanks for the warning."
Sirius smiled back at her and they went into the front room. "I asked Liz to join us, as this is going to concern her."
Liz nodded at the others and sat down next to Remus on the couch. Sirius took a deep breath, and then started to speak.
"Here it is. Malfoy has a few mysteries on his hands right now. He's been lied to and was caught in a set-up. One of his safe houses has been exposed, and although we missed the opportunity to destroy it and its contents, it's a safe bet that the place is being dismantled as we speak. So they need a new safe house, and they need it fast. We suspect that they have such a place, thanks to Pembroke, too close to Hogwarts for anyone's comfort. If they haven't been there before, they will most likely go there now." He looked at Liz, knowing that this was all new to her, and raised an eyebrow, silently asking if she had any immediate questions. Liz shook her head at him, and Sirius continued.
"The other situation he's got to deal with is that Pembroke is missing. We're assuming Pembroke has some value to them, since he was alone in that safe house, indicating that he's highly trusted. But the trust in Pembroke is about to be challenged. We need to get Lucius to suspect Pembroke for two reasons. One, we want Pembroke to be so scared of retaliation from the Death Eaters that cooperating with us is preferable to whatever they might do. If Death Eaters still treat 'traitors' like they used to, I think Pembroke will give in. Two, we can shift any suspicions people have regarding Draco onto Pembroke, protecting Draco. We owe the boy, and we need to show him he's made the right choices. If he's one of us, he needs to be treated as such."
"So here's my suggestion. Malfoy will be at the Ministry in London tomorrow morning. After his meeting, when he comes outside, we make sure he crosses Westminster Bridge, instead of staying on the south side of the River, in order to get outside of the Ministry's protective wards and go home. Dexter, we'll discuss how to assure that later. When Lucius is on the bridge, a compelling spell can be cast to get him to see me. I can do that without a wand, so it won't be detected by the Ministry."
Dumbledore looked vaguely surprised at this, and Sirius gave a guilty grin. "I perfected that in an attempt to try and use it against Flitch. I was actually trying to do it backwards, so Flitch wouldn't see me, but never quite managed it. And I did get caught, so I learned my lesson." Dumbledore just shook his head.
Sirius continued, ignoring Remus' increasingly tense expression. "I'll conveniently be on the side of the bridge opposite to him. Now, at first he's most likely to think he's seeing Pembroke. But he won't for long. The instant he realizes it's me, I'm off. I'll get down the tube entrance that's right there, practically hidden behind all those muggle tourist booths. Once down, I'll apparate out of there quietly so no one will miss me."
Remus finally snapped.
"Bloody hell, Sirius! What possible use can we have for you taking such a risk? Waiting for Malfoy outside the Ministry? Are you barking? You think he'll be the only wizard on the bridge?"
"I'm not going to hang about, Remus. This is all going to be timed and Liz is going to be the one to keep an eye out and make sure I'm not taking any unnecessary risks. Imagine what Malfoy will feel, seeing that I have the total audacity to do this. Besides, I'll be far from the spot until the last minute."
Remus was not convinced, and stood up to stand in front of Sirius, hands on his hips and still scowling. "How will you time it? Liz can't signal you, the magic will be detected …." He stopped seeing Sirius give a wicked grin.
"Now Moony, who said anything about magic? I think a little muggle item will be very useful here. Liz? Still have that 'cell phone'?"
Liz laughed. "Oh, now I get it. I'll give you a call. All muggle, no magic. But that doesn't answer Remus' question about why this risk is necessary. Surely there are other ways to get Lucius' attention."
Sirius shook his head. "I need him to put me and Pembroke together in the same thought. And Malfoy is so angry with me right now, he's not thinking straight. Dexter said Malfoy practically had a seizure he was so furious about what happened yesterday. So I'm the best bet for forcing Malfoy to do something rash. Shortly after he sees me, he's going to hear from Snape that Draco saw Harry talking to both Pembroke and me near the forbidden forest that morning. Suddenly, more of Malfoy's carefully laid plans are at risk. I've been hiding somewhere, you know. Perhaps Pembroke has been helping me, and the League, all along. That also puts Pembroke in Remus' company, and he's certainly tied with me as one of Malfoy's least favourite people."
Remus was still scowling, but he said nothing and looked over his shoulder at Dumbledore.
Dumbledore, however, was smiling faintly. "This is a considerable risk, but I will agree that it will be worth it, provided we take precautions. And I think Sirius' plan for minimizing his exposure, while highly dangerous, is appropriate. Mrs. Godine will certainly be able to keep an eye out, and provide excellent assistance if anything happens." Dumbledore chuckled. "Too bad Arthur can't be part of this. He'd love to have the chance to use a 'cell phone', I suspect."
Liz spoke up again at this comment. "About that; exactly where am I calling you?"
"Yes, well, you have a flat don't you? I can easily apparate from there to Westminster."
Liz nodded, but still looked puzzled. "Sirius, you can't just 'pop up' in the crowds at Westminster."
"No, but there's a nice secluded little shed under the bridge Remus and I have used a few times."
"Shed? Oh, you must have found a utility house. That makes sense."
"Whatever it is, we've never seen anyone near it and it's tucked away from the sidewalk along the river. You'll just need to check it before you call me."
Dexter frowned. "What if Lucius does something, well, very rash, like try and curse you on the spot?"
Dumbledore shook his head. "As livid as Mr. Malfoy was last night when he discovered that I was in fact speaking with Mr. Treal, I cannot imagine he would be so careless as to openly break any number of laws in public. Even where Sirius Black is concerned. Not to mention loose his position in Voldemort's inner circle by doing something so foolish, and risking exposure."
Remus now shook his head, running his hands through his hair. "I have enough trouble going grey, you know…."
"Katie says she loves your grey, so they greyer the better, right?" Sirius tried to joke, but Remus just shot him a dark look.
Dexter didn't seem very convinced either. "Look, say we do this. Malfoy sees you, gets word Pembroke's been seen with you, then what? Where does that put us?"
"What's the first thing you'd do, Dex?"
"Get the hell up to Hogsmead," said Liz, dryly.
Sirius winked at her. "Exactly. Where he will find me and Pembroke at my father's old house."
Remus started to say something, but Sirius put a hand on his shoulder to stop him. "Moony, this is as far as I've got. Whatever happens next, we'll go from there."
Remus stared at him for a long moment. Then he sighed and said, "Fine, I'll get up to Hogsmead…."
"Remus, this is going to be fun. I promise." Sirius was giving him a dangerous grin. Remus finally smiled.
"The really sad part is, I agree."
***
While Remus, Dexter and Dumbledore discussed their plans for managing Pembroke and getting him out of Hogwarts and over to the old Black house, Sirius and Liz went to finalize their own strategy for the next day.
Liz sighed finally, when they were about finished. "I guess it's a good thing I bothered to clean up my flat before I left after Christmas. Sorry to say it looked a bit of a mess. We can apparate there in the morning."
"Actually, would it be alright to take the train instead?
Liz looked at him with a puzzled expression. "Certainly. But we'll have to go up to town tonight, because the morning train doesn't get in until noon."
"I know that. The fact is, I don't really get out much," he winked, and she smiled at him. "Now that you've met Padfoot, we can take the train. I go as Padfoot, and I get a chance be outside a bit. We've nothing better to do until tomorrow anyway. Would you mind?"
Liz looked at him with her usual calm expression. "No. I'm not much of a fan of apparating anyway. Always makes me feel ill. Well, this will be fun. And odd; but what's life if not to have new experiences, Mr. Black."
"Thank you, Miss Harker. I'll just go get Padfoot's lead from Remus."
She burst out laughing at that. He had to laugh himself, seeing her so amused. "Not a typical way for a couple to stroll around town, but it will have to do."
***
"So what would you like for dinner? Obviously we'll have to order something, as there's no food here."
"Surprise me. You know I'll eat practically anything."
Sirius looked around her flat while she went about getting them some dinner. It was small, but very comfortable. He was surprised to see that everything was very relaxed, and textures covered everything. Rugs hung on walls, throws were draped across the large overstuffed chairs, and pieces of very ornate and beautifully coloured cloth hung on doors. Every single wall was painted a different colour, from a muted pallet of rusts and deep reds. This is not what I expected. I thought everything would be, well, practical and simple. Katie's right. I do underestimate Liz.
He went to look at the pictures, all muggle, he noted, that hung on the main wall in the front room. There were a vast number of them, mostly of people Sirius assumed were Liz's friends and family. He smiled at one of her, sitting with another young woman, on top of some sort of rock. They seemed to be on a hill overlooking a desert. Wow. She looks great in those shorts. Muggles definitely have it over on wizards when it comes to dressing. Robes don't have quite the same appeal.
His attention was drawn to another picture of her, where she was standing with a very tall, very strong looking young man. That must have been Brian. He checked the other pictures, and saw that many of them had the same young man in them. Sirius was struck that while Liz had commented that he and Brian were very similar in temperament, they certainly didn't look anything alike. Brian was blonde, tan, and looked like he could pick up a hippogriff if he was in the mood to.
"That's Brian." Sirius looked around to see Liz standing near him, looking past him at the pictures.
"I thought so. He looks like he was a happy and outgoing man."
"He was."
"He also looks like he could snap me in two."
Liz laughed and sat down. "Not Brian. He was an intense and dedicated athlete, but the least violent person you could know. He never even crushed spiders; he caught them and set them free outside. And he was very put out whenever I just got a slipper and finished one off."
"Well, I'm a slipper man myself."
She smiled at him, but made no further comment. Sirius sat down across from her, propping his head in his hand. She looked closely at him.
"Sirius, don't fall asleep on me. You know you can't sleep until later. Are you feeling alright?"
Sirius nodded. "I'm drowsy, but I feel okay. So no extra doses of that foul potion. I know Katie gave you a few. I'm just thinking." He grinned. "That does happen from time to time."
"Hmmmm."
"Liz, about Padfoot, about all that…."
She stopped him. "Now is not the time to discuss it. But I will say this, Mr. Black. I am not angry with you, like you seem to think. I was upset because I finally realized, or admitted, I'm not sure, just how important to me you really are, and that it would be very painful to lose you."
She paused, and Sirius didn't move. So it's not a total wash….
"What I feel for you is nothing like what I felt for Brian, but it's just as strong, and that makes it frightening to me. Losing Brian was the single most horrific thing I have ever had to go through, and it still hurts. And he died in such a stupid…his death was a waste. It didn't have to happen. I was so busy being angry with him about it I forgot how much I loved him. You brought all that back."
Sirius finally asked what he'd wanted to know for a while. "Liz, how did Brian die?"
She started to cry, but her face remained still and she even smiled a bit.
"Just as he probably would have wanted. He was killed in a climbing accident. He and a friend. We're still not sure exactly what happened, but one of them must have slipped, and both of them fell. They were doing something called 'free climbing', something I hated. That's climbing without ropes to catch you. I'd made him promise he wouldn't do it. I told you, though, that some spirits can't be held back. I shouldn't have asked that of him. Maybe, if he hadn't been going behind my back, I might have been there, and then I could have…."
Sirius stood up and went over to her. "Liz, you know you can't think like that. It's useless."
"Oh I know, but sometimes you can't help but think like that. You know what I mean."
He wrapped his arms around her and held her in a tightly, tears in his own eyes now. "Yes, I do," he whispered. I need to stop thinking about useless things myself. I need to talk to Harry; to know he understands. That he forgives me.
Liz let him hold her a while, then she pushed him away gently. "I think that's enough for one night. I'm not ready to go any further with this discussion. But," she smiled at him, watching his expression carefully, "I working on it. Understood? You think I'll give up on you. That makes me feel like you're giving up on me."
"Never, Miss Harker. Not now, not for anything."
She smiled. "Good. Now, let's busy ourselves with something for the rest of the night so we don't brood. How about a game of cards? That should do nicely."
"What game?"
"I'll bet you play a good game of poker."
Sirius had to grin. "Strip poker, yeah."
Liz just raised an eyebrow. "I was thinking more along the lines of five card draw, Mr. Black."
"Miss Harker, I'm disappointed. You came back from Christmas with all these promising sounding tales of naughty party games."
"Let's save those for another night."
"It is my birthday in four days, you know."
***
The next morning Liz woke Sirius up and gave him his antidote, then made coffee before she set out for the ministry.
"I know you hate it, but I think you could do with it. Remember, Sirius, don't pick up the phone when it rings. Listen to the machine and make certain that it's me. I don't need to try and explain what a strange man is doing here answering my phone to anyone just yet."
"Got it."
He spent the time waiting for her watching the light traffic on the sidewalk in front of her building, wondering just what these people did with their days. Eventually he tired of this, and found his thoughts drifting.
He thought back to the summer after he graduated Hogwarts, and he'd come to London himself to live. He loved this city; he loved the raw energy of the muggles and all the fascinating distractions of their world. Remus had hated living here, but it was no secret he was basically a country squire at heart. This all made him think, once more, of his parents. They were very disappointed I came here to live. One more thing to …Gods, why did we never get along? Why did I never really listen to anything you said to me?
***
Mr. Black gave his only child a hard look.
"Sirius, your mother and I do not want you living in the City. There is no reason for you to do so."
"Excuse me, Sir, but there is a reason. I want to live in London."
Mr. Black folded his hands calmly on top of his desk and leaned towards his son.
"That is not a reason. That is a desire."
"One that counters your desire I stay here. Why is your desire more important than mine? I'm 18, father, an adult. And I am quite capable of making my own choices, based on my own desires."
"I am not questioning that you are old enough to make your own choices. I am asking that you consider my and your mother's wishes. You are a part of this house; this is your home. There is no need to leave."
Sirius scowled and stood up. "I haven't been part of this house since I was 11. Why is this suddenly your concern? I'm finally going to be completely out from under your feet. I would have thought that you would be delighted to get me out of here." He turned to leave, but his father jumped up and stepped over next to him, holding the door shut.
"Why do you say these things to me, Sirius? Why have you and I ended up speaking to each other in these tones?"
Sirius stared at the door and said nothing.
"Sirius, you have no idea how hard it was for us to see you leave for Hogwarts. To watch you leave us; to sit here and listen to … to nothing. Everything became so quiet and still, when before everything was always moving. You are our only child; and you, whether you believe it or not, are the centre of our concerns. We want great things for you…."
"And you think that unless I sit here and let you tell me what to do with my life that I'll just mess that up like I've messed up everything else! I'm not going to sit here and watch you both be so damn disappointed in me! What is this? Your last chance to 'save' me? To turn me into you? I'm not you, and I don't ever want to be you. Goodbye."
***
Sirius could actually hear his father's stunned and sad voice calling after him, even after nearly 20 years from that moment. I was so blind – one more relationship my arrogance and self-centeredness destroyed. I treated everything they did or said with suspicion. I never once thought about what they were really thinking, or feeling.
Suddenly the phone rang, bringing him back to the moment. He waited until he heard Liz telling him to pick up, then answered.
"Ready?"
"Ready. Dexter just walked out with Malfoy. I can see Malfoy standing across the way at the end of the bridge. The shed is clear. See you in a moment."
Sirius quickly apparated, and after checking to see if anyone was about, exited the deserted spot to get to the stairs next to the river rising up to the bridge. Keeping his head down so he didn't risk making eye contact with anyone who just might recognize him, he quickly went up the staircase to the street. He crossed over to the other side to stand at the base of the bridge, double-checking the path to the tube station entrance. It was, as he'd hoped, crowed with muggles moving in every direction. Easy to lose sight of me even if he makes it across the traffic. If he uses magic to get across the street, enforcement wizards will be out of the Ministry building very quickly.
Suddenly Liz walked up next to him.
"Malfoy's on his way, across the street. He looks furious, but then he's usually scowling, isn't he. Ready?"
"All set. Look, move away from me. I don't want him associating you with me. I'll see you back at the flat." Sirius waved a cab down for her and helped her in, keeping an eye on the opposite sidewalk. He flashed her a quick smile.
"You know what? I think I'm enjoying this a bit too much."
"I don't doubt it. See you at the flat."
The cab pulled back out and Sirius started to mutter a charm under his breath as he walked onto the bridge, scanning the crowd for Malfoy. Come on; see me, see me….
All of a sudden he saw Lucius Malfoy, about halfway across the bridge. He pushed through the muggles, who looked right past him, and stepped to the edge of the sidewalk. The noise of the street, of the muggle tourists, of the cars, all seemed to fade into an odd stillness as the charm took effect. He continued to stare at Malfoy, who was almost parallel to him before he stopped, and looked up.
Sirius caught his eye, and smiled the most dark and sinister smile he could. He let all the rage and fury he felt over what had happened to him pour our, letting Malfoy know how dark dark could be.
Malfoy froze, staring at him. He looked puzzled for a moment, then questioning, then his eyes suddenly widened as he obviously realized just who he was looking at. Fury instantly clouded his face, and at that, Sirius turned and ran for the tube station.
Sirius pushed past the muggles, racing down the stairs as quickly as he could manage. Breaking my neck now would put a damper on all this.
He did check at the crossroads of the tunnels at the bottom of the stairs, careful not to take the passage that led to the other side of the street, in case Malfoy was coming down that way. Moving quickly in the opposite direction, with much less foot traffic, he took out his wand and held it closely to him as he approached a corner. Timing…timing…one, two, three.
As he stepped around the corner, he apparated. It happened so quickly nobody would notice as he vanished.