Chapter 10

Isabelle sat at her favorite spot by the lake, and started out into the choppy water blankly. The changing seasons brought with it an unseasonably cold wind, causing her to wrap her cloak around her tighter. Two tiny tears escaped from her eyes, leaving streaky tracks on her face.

"You stood me up," a familiar voice said behind her. She didn't bother to turn around.

"Sorry," she replied unapologetically, wishing Sirius would just go away.

Naturally, whenever she wanted his company, he was never there. But, now that she just didn't want to be around him, he kept visiting the castle. She had no clue why, except perhaps that Lord Voldemort was targeting Hogwarts for attack, and he was personally ensuring that the necessary security measures were in place.

In fact, she thought sourly, that's probably it. And while he's at it, he bothers to check in on me. She frowned angrily.

"Ok, let's talk," Sirius said, sitting down beside her.

"About what?" She rolled her eyes and sighed in typical teenage fashion. He chose to ignore her poor attitude.

"First of all, about why you stood me up. It's unlike you to forget to meet people."

"So I didn't remember that you were supposed to take me to lunch. Big freaking deal."

"Alright, I'll give you that one," he said slowly. "But, why don't you want to talk to any of us anymore? You haven't owled Lily in a month. And, your professors say that you're abnormally isolated these days."

"You talked to my professors? I can't believe you!" She was irate.

"I'm worried about you." And, you're confirming the need to be concerned, he thought, watching Isabelle's face flush red with anger.

"Well, don't be. Is it so crazy to believe that I want to be alone sometimes, without people breathing down my neck? Go away, and let me live my life, ok?"

"Isabelle--" he began, but she had had enough. Before he could say another word, Isabelle stood up and stomped off to the castle without a backwards glance.

-----

Pausing to admire the Halloween decorations, Lily walked through the entrance foyer at Hogwarts. She smiled, fondly remembering her school years. It simply didn't seem like it was all that long ago when she was a student here. Curious, she took a quick tour of the castle. Once she was confident that not much had changed, she set off to find her sister in the one place she was bound to be on any given school night – the dungeons.

Sure enough, she spied Isabelle in a small dungeon classroom. She was busily mixing a florescent orange potion, with one hand holding a small potions book, and the other idly stirring the liquid. Upon hearing footsteps, she looked up, seeing Lily in the doorway.

"What are you doing here?" she asked, surprised.

"Just stopping by to say hello," Lily replied cheerfully, sizing her sister up. "Sirius said that he'd watch Harry this weekend so that James and I could go away for our anniversary, so we decided to take him up on it."

"That's nice of him." She turned back to her potion, adding several small black objects.

"Speaking of Sirius, he told me that he stopped by here a few weeks ago."

"He did," she said, carefully inserting a sprig of basil, folding it into the mixture.

Lily walked over to Isabelle, and perched herself on a table. She decided to take a different tack. "What are you making?"

"Nothing important," she said, a little too quickly.

Realizing her mistake, she bit her lip in anticipation. This was not going to be pleasant. Powerless to stop her, Isabelle winced as Lily gave her an odd look, and dipped a finger into the liquid, smelling it. She looked at her sister, horrified.

"Is this what I think it is?" she asked, feeling like all the air had suddenly been sucked out of the room. It was a birth control potion.

"Yes, ma'am."

"Is it for you, or a friend?" She silently prayed for the latter.

"For me."

Oh, Mum, I could really use you right now! Lily thought, temporarily at a loss for words. Or Mummy P – she'd be perfect in this situation. She could always get through to Isabelle when I couldn't. But, there was no one else.

Just me, she told herself. Ok, I can do this. Piece of cake. All you have to do is take a deep breath, and – and what? she panicked. Ask my baby sister if she's sleeping with her boyfriend? She's fifteen, for crying out loud!

"Ok," she said slowly. "Does this mean that you're, um?"

"Yeah." Isabelle looked downward, waiting for the screaming to begin. It never came.

"Oh, sweetie," she sighed, wrapping her in a big hug. "Can we talk about this?"

Do I have a choice? she thought sarcastically. "Sure."

Lily quietly shut the door and soundproofed the room, hoping that would encourage her sister to talk. She brushed Isabelle's hair behind her shoulders, a little surprised that she kept it down while mixing potions. Her big heart broke at the petrified look on Isabelle's face.

After all these years, something still terrifies her, Lily thought sadly. She wished that Isabelle would confide in her about whatever it was, and wanted to use this opportunity to prove that she was trustworthy.

To that end, she transfigured a couple of chairs and a table into a comfortable-looking couch. Motioning for Isabelle to sit down, she conjured up a couple of drinks and a tray of her sister's favorite snacks. Maybe it was a form of bribery, but Lily was desperate. She didn't want her to make a horrible mistake before her life even truly began.

She took a deep breath, and put on her friendliest, most disarming smile. Isabelle's eyes flew open, completely misreading Lily's actions. She gulped, frightened beyond belief.

"I-I'm so so-sorry. Please don't hate me," she hiccupped.

"Hate you?" Lily asked, putting her arm around the teenager. "I could never, ever hate you, no matter what you've done."

Isabelle looked at her disbelievingly, wanting to believe her words. But, she always heard a little nagging voice in the back of her mind that told her that if she weren't perfect, Lily would send her away, either to a Muggle boarding school for delinquent children, or worse – Petunia.

"I'm not going to send you away, either. Can't you get that through your stubborn little head? No one's perfect, Isabelle. Everyone does stupid, crazy stuff."

"Not you," she said in a quiet, admiring tone.

"Yes, even me. Do you think you're the first Evans to ever get detention?" She laughed at the stunned look on her sister's face. "What, do you think I let the boys have all the fun? Honestly."

"You're kidding."

"Nope. We had this little competition going – girls versus guys. They'd pull a prank, so we'd come up with something bigger, crazier and more dangerous. We held our own, even though we didn't have the advantages of the Invisibility Cloak or Marauder's Map."

"And I always thought you were a goody-goody," she said guiltily, eyeing her sister with a newfound respect.

"Don't blow my cover, 'k? Wouldn't want to ruin my reputation," Lily winked.

She breathed an enormous sigh of relief as Isabelle giggled mischievously and reached for a peanut butter cookie. Now, if only the rest of the conversation would go this well, she hoped, crossing her fingers behind her back.

"Are you going to tell James about, um, you know?" Isabelle asked, averting her gaze to the still simmering potion.

"Of course not," Lily said quickly, seizing the opportunity to gain her trust. "This is girl talk."

"Thanks," she said gratefully. "Just so you know, I'm not easy, no matter what anyone else says."

Her brow furrowed. "And who would say that?"

"People." Isabelle's face clouded over.

"What people?"

"Just about everyone. It all started when I stupidly had a fling with this Ravenclaw guy last year, right before Gracie was born. Well, his girlfriend Tabitha didn't like that too much, so she started spreading rumors that I get around, if you know what I mean."

Naturally, Lily was upset that someone would say hurtful things about her sister, but she couldn't help having a perverse satisfaction that Isabelle needed her for something. The girl was dangerously self-reliant, and her standoffish attitude clashed with Lily's warm, affectionate demeanor.

"Why would people believe this Tabitha girl?" she asked, careful not to stray too close to Isabelle's internal defense mechanisms. Better to let her steer the conversation, she decided.

"Well, I started dating another Ravenclaw this year. He's a great guy, too." She sighed. "You have to swear not to tell James or Sirius this."

"I swear," Lily promised, angry at herself for feeling excited that her sister was actually going to confide in her.

"I got caught with him in the prefects' bathroom earlier this year."

To Isabelle's surprise, she began chuckling softly. "I take it that your boyfriend's a Prefect."

"Yeah."

Lily laughed even harder, until tears began to run down her cheeks. "Ok, if you swear not to tell a soul, I have a little secret of my own."

"Promise." Isabelle's eyes were completely focused on her big sister, in breathless anticipation.

"I mean it. Not even James knows this, and once I've told you the story, you'll understand why I don't want him to know."

She clapped her hands together excitedly. "Get on with it, already!"

"Ok! For some unknown reason, I was made a Prefect fifth year. Well, Sirius and I sort of had a fling that fall. And, the stories about sneaking off to the prefects' bathroom are legendary, so we decided to see what the fuss was all about."

"No way," Isabelle whistled, horribly jealous of her sister, who turned at least six shades of red.

"'Fraid so," she said, incredibly embarrassed. "It's not what you think, though."

"Sure it's not."

"It's not! Believe it or not, Sirius can be somewhat of a gentleman. At least, when he's forced to be," Lily giggled at the memory. "I don't think my old bathing suit from when I was on the Dover swim team was exactly what he had in mind."

"You wore that?" Isabelle wrinkled her nose. If she had the opportunity to be alone with him like that, the last thing she would pick out is an old, ugly swimsuit.

"Yup. And, Filch so busted us because we were too busy snogging and didn't see that stupid cat slither into the room. After being dragged to Professor Dumbledore's office for a lecture at four o'clock in the morning, we swore never, ever to tell anyone about it."

"Until now."

Isabelle couldn't be more thrilled that her big sister thought she was old enough to tell her the juicy stories from when she went to Hogwarts, which wasn't lost on Lily. This isn't so bad, she thought, grateful to have finally uncovered the key to getting Isabelle to open up. If I trust her with one of my secrets, she'll tell me hers, Lily mused. Too bad I didn't realize that years ago.

"Is Sirius a good kisser?" Isabelle burst out.

"I guess. Actually, he was the first boy I ever kissed," she whispered.

"Nuh-uh," she said, not believing her ears.

"Late bloomer." Lily shrugged.

"No joking."

Isabelle bit her lip. "When did you and James, um, you know…"

"Our wedding night."

"Oh, come on. Like I'm really going to believe that. Everybody knows that he would Apperate in your room at night, and Disapperate back to his room before everyone woke up."

"That doesn't mean we were doing that. Besides, if we were, do you really think he would've married me at nineteen?"

"Good point. Why didn't you?"

"Well, some things are worth waiting around for," she said carefully. Isabelle suddenly became fascinated with the pattern on the floor. "Besides, I wanted to be a good role model for my baby sister. That, and Petunia spread all these rumors around the family about me, and I just loved proving her wrong, even if no one knew but me."

"Petunia never knows what's she's talking about, anyway. Like she was any kind of role model for me." She rolled her eyes. "And, you're a great role model, unlike me."

"Why would you say that?" Wow, this is going in exactly the direction I wanted, Lily thought excitedly.

"I'm not exactly sweet and innocent. If I get in trouble one more time, I could be expelled," she said, hanging her head ashamedly.

"Making mistakes doesn't automatically make you a bad person. Character depends on how you react to those mistakes. Getting your act together after screwing up shows as much character as not screwing up in the first place."

Isabelle looked up with hopeful eyes. "I really want to be someone Harry and Gracie can look up to."

"I know." Lily put her arm around her. "You will be, I promise. Just own up to your actions, and try to keep them from doing the same stupid stuff. That's the best any authority figure can do."

"Like Sirius and his stupid, hypocritical lectures," she spat. "He doesn't practice what he preaches one little bit."

"That's not true. He was a little wild back in the day, but he changed a long time ago. Ever since you appeared in his life, he's been a different man. Grace owes you for that. Speaking of, why aren't you talking to him?"

"No reason."

Isabelle turned her head away from Lily, but not before her thoughts betrayed her. She couldn't bear being around Sirius since the day Harry was born. It was far better to steer clear from him than to fight her feelings for him. Which, Lily understood perfectly, but it still wasn't a good way to deal with the situation.

"He's pretty upset about it," she said, playing on her emotions. "He can't figure out what he did to make you mad."

Nothing except being the amazingly wonderful man that you are, Isabelle thought miserably. But, she realized that she couldn't avoid him forever.

"Maybe I have been a little harsh," she admitted.

"Maybe," Lily agreed, deciding to drop the subject since it made her sister so uncomfortable. Besides, she didn't want to waste another minute of girl bonding talking about Sirius Black.

-----

Isabelle plugged her nose and downed an aging potion, nearly choking on the thick teal goo. She shuddered uncontrollably, hoping that she got the concoction right. It was her first time making the potion, and without Professor Brock there to check her work, she had no clue if it would work at all.

She stared in the mirror, and was thrilled when her reflection began changing a minute later. If her calculations were correct, the potion would put her appearance somewhere in her early to mid twenties. Her body shot up nearly two inches in height to about five feet, eleven inches, and her skinny frame suddenly filled out in all the right places, she thought with a grin.

Stunned, she spent five whole minutes examining her "adult" self from every angle imaginable. She didn't consider herself unattractive by a long shot, but compared to this version of herself, she was an ugly duckling indeed.

Still grinning, she transfigured her school uniform into a funky, trendy outfit that she could never get away with wearing ordinarily. After changing, she transfigured her plain old shoes into a cute pair of dragon-hide boots. To complete the look, she charmed her hair into loose, full waves, adding sparkly highlights for a little added touch.

The future is good to me, she thought, turning on her heel and walking out the door.

She snuck through the shadows of the castle, emerging in Hogsmeade a few minutes later. Putting on her game face, she strolled into the Three Broomsticks and made her way to a table in a far corner. She couldn't help noticing that everyone stopped and stared at her, which did her self-esteem a world of good.

Brooding, she twirled a strand of hair around her fingers as she waited for the John Thompson, the Minister of Magic, to send his messenger to bring her to the Ministry building. Earlier that morning, she received an owl telling her to be at the Three Broomsticks at six o'clock in the evening, and not one minute later.

For nearly a year and a half now, she had been working an Unspeakable, the youngest member of the Ministry staff in several centuries. It wasn't as if anyone knew about her activities; in fact, if her family had any clue about the dangerous situations she had encountered, heads would roll.

When the Minister of Magic first approached her, she told him that she wasn't interested in fighting Lord Voldemort one single bit. That quickly changed when he threatened her with throwing Sirius into prison for destroying and erasing all Ministry records of Regina's marriage and arrest warrant. At first, she didn't believe the Minister's story, but over time, he intimidated her bit by bit into doing whatever he wanted.

Which nearly always included a deadly situation, an arrest of a potential Death Eater, and a grueling interrogation. By the time Isabelle finally reached home, it was usually just in the nick of time to grab a quick shower, breakfast, and head off for another long day of classes and dance practice. After a few missions, the entire process lost its glossy image and had actually become rather mundane.

Even being an ordinary, common housewitch was far more exciting than the majority of Unspeakable assignments, in her opinion. But, tonight was different. She was going to the Ministry of Magic, the nerve center of the entire wizarding government, for the very first time.

Last night, Frank Longbottom, an Auror, made an important arrest. Because time was always of the essence when dealing with Lord Voldemort, officials wanted to question the suspect immediately. An interrogation team typically consisted of the arresting Auror, another Auror who asked the questions, and Lily. Also an Unspeakable, she used her gifts as a Discerner to steer the questioning, and size up the truthfulness of the suspect.

However, Lily had already left for a weekend getaway with James, and wasn't expected back in town for two days. Of course Isabelle knew this, having spent the entire previous evening with her sister. Under strict orders not to interrupt the Potters under any circu.mstances, the Ministry was in a bind.

That is, until the Minister of Magic personally assigned Isabelle the case. Few people knew that Lily was a Discerner, and even fewer knew that Isabelle possessed the same gift. But, somehow the Ministry discovered the girl, and had exploited her ever since.

Drumming her fingers on the table, she waited impatiently for the clock to strike six o'clock. Right as the chimes began ringing, a tall, dark-haired man appeared suddenly at her side. Motioning for her to follow him, he inconspicuously exited the pub, closely followed by Isabelle. She swallowed nervously as he held out a portkey. Closing her eyes, she grabbed it tightly, hoping that this mission would come off smoothly.

For each assignment, Isabelle had to invent a completely different look and personality. This time, she thought that a little bit of age would add to her credibility as a member of the team, so she settled on an aging potion. Besides, it was one of the few potions she hadn't mastered yet, and she was eager to give it a try. The effects produced a woman she bet even her own family wouldn't recognize.

She landed with a quiet thump in an empty hallway in the Ministry building. The messenger quickly showed her the lunchroom, restrooms, and gave her directions to the interrogation room before disappearing into the maze of hallways that seemingly never ended. As she passed by a large, spacious looking office, she heard a familiar voice.

"You mean to tell me that you can't handle a simple interrogation by yourself?" Isabelle peered around the partially open doorway, watching a whimpering Peter Pettigrew cowering before the fireplace, where she saw Sirius' irate face hovering in the fire.

"I-it's not that si-simple," Peter whined.

"For Christ's sake, why did I hire you if you can't do your job?" Sirius thundered. "I have two babies at home with me, and you want me to wake them up out of a sound sleep, and bring them to the Ministry?"

"I-I'm so-sorry," he tried to apologize.

"Save it. Tell MacNair to expect me in ten minutes, with the children. And, if he has a problem with that, kindly remind him that I'll gladly stay at home with my family, rather than spend my Saturday night at work."

"Y-yes, s-sir."

Isabelle couldn't breathe. Sirius was coming here, to the Ministry headquarters, with the children? Worse, she was supposed to conduct an interrogation with him and Frank Longbottom, without divulging her true identity? This was becoming stickier by the second, and she felt completely over her head.

Her feet flew down the hallway and into the lounge. Breathing shallowly, she sat down and tried to compose herself before she had a full-fledged panic attack. Just get through this, she told herself, forcing her feet to walk back towards the interrogation room. As she passed by Sirius' office, she distinctly heard a baby crying.

Gracie. Something was upsetting the poor girl, and Isabelle couldn't help poking her head into the room. Peter stood, staring at the baby like she was an alien life being, not knowing how to calm her down. Isabelle turned to leave and mind her own business, but she couldn't leave the baby there like that, even if Sirius was away only for a minute. She quietly rapped on the door.

"Excuse me?" she asked, in a flawless Russian accent. "Is this your baby?"

"Er, no," he stammered, flushing a bit.

"Do you mind if I hold her for a minute? She seems upset."

Without waiting for an answer, she crossed the room and picked up the squalling infant. The baby stiffened instantly and looked Isabelle straight in the eyes.

"You know who I am, don't you?" she whispered, almost inaudibly. In response, little Grace batted her eyes coyly and gurgled. "Please don't out me, ok? That's all I ask."

Sirius froze in the doorway of his office. He couldn't believe his eyes, and he motioned for Peter to join him in the hallway.

"Why is some strange woman holding my daughter?" he asked through clenched teeth. "Do you even know what her name is?"

Peter shook his head no, too frightened to speak. Sirius drew himself up to his full height, which was incredibly intimidating to say the least, and took a deep breath.

"Go to your office, now. I suggest you stay there until I leave," he said, a little too calmly and quietly, as if he was a volcano, just waiting to explode at the least provocations.

After watching him scurry down the corridor, Sirius walked into his office and cleared his throat quietly. Isabelle turned around, wide-eyed, clutching the baby in her arms.

Sirius stood, completely stunned by the woman standing in front of him. To call her drop-dead gorgeous would be the understatement of the century, he thought, irritated with himself. He was here to interrogate a prisoner, not to gawk at a coworker. The baby beamed at the sight of her father, causing the woman to laugh.

"I suppose that this little one belongs to you?" she asked.

He could only nod, unable to stop himself from noticing how beautiful her face looked when she laughed. Her entire fact lit up, and her eyes sparkled. It had been a very, very long time since he had been around a happy, carefree person, and he found her magnetically attractive.

"She's absolutely beautiful. What's her name?" Isabelle prayed that Sirius' silence was due to anything other than that he recognized her.

"Grace." She breathed a sigh of relief. "Actually, it's Hermione Grace, but I don't like her first name. Not only is it difficult for kids to say, it sounds like some strange plant, not a person."

He had no idea why he said all of that, but was strangely pleased when she laughed again. Isabelle couldn't believe this. Was Sirius flirting with her?

"Is this little one yours, too?" she asked, nodding towards the peacefully sleeping baby in a carrier.

"No, this is my nephew, Harry. His parents are out of town for the weekend, so I'm watching him."

"Doesn't look like he minds the change of scenery," Isabelle said, looking at him with amusement.

"Nothing, and I mean nothing, disturbs his sleep. I think he could be at the final game of the Quiddich World Cup, and wouldn't wake up. This one, on the other hand," Sirius held out his arms for the baby, "is another story entirely."

As soon as she handed the baby over, she began to protest. Isabelle knew she was toast, fully knowing that the infant only settled down for she and Sirius. In fact, Grace was notorious for disliking any stranger, and barely tolerated being held by either Lily or James. She gulped, fearing the worst.

"You seem to have a fan here," he said, surprised. "She doesn't usually take to people like that."

I am dead, she thought. So totally, completely dead.

Sirius winced. "I'm sorry, I haven't introduced myself."

"You mean you don't go by 'Grace's dad'?" Isabelle interrupted jokingly, unmistakably flirting with him. She just loved the way he smiled sheepishly and blushed a little.

"Nah, I don't think she'd approve of that. Sometimes I get the feeling that she only puts up with me because I'm all she's got."

Oh, why did I say that? Sirius thought. Why don't I just put 'I'm single' on my forehead? Smooth, Black, real smooth. And, why are you flirting with her, anyway?

"I'm sure that's not true," she protested. "I'm Tatiana Kovalenko, but all my friends call me Tia."

"Sirius Black," he said, shifting the baby and holding out his hand.

He caught a whiff of her perfume as she shook his hand. There was something about it that smelled familiar. A little too familiar. If he remembered correctly, it was Chanel No. 5, a Muggle perfume.

Two nagging questions sprung into his brain. Why would a witch wear a Muggle perfume to begin with? Wizarding perfumes were cheaper, and lasted much longer. He only knew one person who wore Chanel No. 5 – Isabelle. Secondly, why would Gracie take to a strange woman that way? The combination of the two made Sirius incredibly suspicious. He was going to see if this Tia was really who she said she was.

"I really appreciate you coming all the way out here on such short notice," he said in perfect Russian.

Isabelle gulped, knowing Sirius was testing her. Why couldn't I have picked an Australian accent? she thought miserably.

"It's truly not a problem," she replied, praying her Russian grammar was correct. "I was actually in the area on a mission."

He raised an eyebrow. "Oh? Where are you from originally?"

Ha, Sirius. I know your game. You're going to wait for what I say, and then see if it's the correct dialect for that part of Russia. You may be smart, but I'm smarter, she thought, truly enjoying matching wits with him.

"Well, I was born in Kiev, but my family moved to Leningrad when I was a very little girl. But, the Communist regime wasn't kind to the wizarding community, so we emigrated to London when I was seventeen."

"Forgive my prying, but do other members of your family work for the Ministry, as well?" he asked casually, brushing the baby's hair out of her face.

Why would he ask that question? Isabelle puzzled, shifting slightly. The small movement caused a bit of perfume to reach her nose. That's it, she realized.

"No. My mother's a witch, but my father's a Muggle. He wanted me to go to Muggle university and become a teacher like him, but I decided to work here, instead."

Isabelle had never been so relieved to see Peter Pettigrew in her life as when he timidly knocked on the door. Sirius whipped around, fuming.

"Didn't I tell you not to disturb me?" he said angrily.

"S-sorry, but MacNair wa-wanted to see you," Peter managed to choke out.

"Fine. I want to know what the holdup is, anyway." He turned to Isabelle, fairly convinced that she wasn't a phony. "I hate to ask this, but--"

"No problem," she said quickly, grateful that her own interrogation appeared to be over.

"Thanks," Sirius replied, handing Grace to her.

The baby didn't seem to mine one little bit, and didn't make a peep as he brushed past Peter, walking into the hallway. But as soon as he was out of sight, she began to whimper, not taking her gaze off Peter for a second. Isabelle realized that he made her uncomfortable for some reason. Which meant that he needed to go.

Just as she opened her mouth to kick him out of the office, he crossed the room, standing only a foot away from her.

"I haven't seen you around here before," he said, with a dangerously intense look in his eyes. "Where has the Ministry been keeping someone as beautiful as you?"

"Oh, here and there," she replied coolly, hoping he would get the hint. He didn't.

"I can imagine that you've gotten around then, haven't you?"

Peter closed the small gap between them, and ran one finger down her cheek. Alarmed, she tightened her hold on Grace, and took a step back.

"There's no reason to be so shy. I don't bite," he said slimily. Before Isabelle could do anything, he grabbed her roughly and kissed her. Repulsed, she pushed him away.

"Don't come any closer," she warned, putting the baby down for safety's sake.

"Playing hard to get, are we?" He laughed evilly, and seized her wrists, pulling her to him.

"What the hell is going on here?" Sirius yelled, infuriated.

"N-nothing," Peter muttered, letting go of Isabelle, much to her relief.

"Nothing?" he repeated. "I leave my office for one minute, and come back to the sight of you hitting on a coworker? In front of my daughter and nephew? You're fired. Get out of my office."

"But--" he began.

"But, nothing. Get out." Sirius' tone was final.

After Peter left the room, he turned to a very shaken Isabelle. "Are you alright?"

"Yeah, I'm fine," she lied, trembling like a leaf.

Worse than anything, she simply wanted to run into Sirius' arms for comfort, just like she did when she was a little girl. Peter's actions brought back so many horrible memories of fear and helplessness from her childhood. She didn't want to think about what might have happened if Sirius hadn't walked in when he did.

She fought the urge to break down and tell him everything, starting with working as an Unspeakable. Surely he would forgive her deception. Then, she would tell him everything else. And, hopefully, he would give her a supportive hug and tell her that everything would be okay. It was beyond tempting as she looked at his concerned face.

But, she realized that might cause more harm than good. If she confessed about her work for the Ministry, Sirius would definitely tell Lily and James, who would be livid. Not only would all three of them quit, they probably would sue the Ministry for a wealth of charges. And, how could Lord Voldemort be defeated without them?

No, she decided, I got into this on my own. So, I just need to deal with it by myself, and not drag the rest of the family through the mud.

"Ok," Sirius said, unconvinced. "I completely understand if you don't want to participate in the interrogation tonight. And, I'm really sorry for whatever Peter did. I know that's trite, but I mean it."

After all these years, he's still my hero, Isabelle thought with a small smile. Even if he doesn't know it.

"No, I'm fine. Really," she insisted.

"Alright. Let me find my secretary real quick; I think I saw her somewhere around here. Gracie's met her before, so maybe she'll behave long enough to get this over with." He looked at the baby, who was examining her foot intently, and knelt down to her level. "Please, just give me twenty minutes or so. That's all I ask."

"Why don't you take them with you?" Isabelle asked, puzzled.

"Because much as I hate leaving them with someone else, it's preferable to being around Death Eaters."

"You'll probably think I'm nuts, but I think that Gracie here could help out with this interrogation."

"Yup, I do. She's a premature four and a half month old." He crossed his arms, curious about what she was going to say next.

"But, she's brilliant; I can tell. It's part of my magical gifts," she explained. "And, she started fussing right before Peter hit on me. I think she knew something bad was going to happen, like she could See it or something." Sirius jerked up his head from where he was playing with the baby. She knew that would get his attention instantly.

"What do you mean, See it?" he asked through narrow eyes.

Like Mummy P you git, Isabelle thought, wanting to smack some sense into him. "I think she's a Seer of sorts."

"Of sorts?" Sirius didn't know whether to take her seriously or not. After all, she was a stranger who supposedly possessed the exact same gifts as Lily, whatever they were. Wouldn't she pick up on it, too? But, then again, it's not like Grace lets Lily hold her much, he admitted.

"Yes, of sorts," she mused. "I think she has a heightened awareness of people's intentions, and the events of the imminent future. Whether she has actual visions, or ever will, I can't tell you. But, she's no ordinary witch, that's for sure."

Isabelle couldn't believe that she never picked up on the baby's abilities before. When she thought about it, there must be a perfectly good reason why she only keeps company with Harry, Sirius and herself.

It's as if she won't allow herself to become attached to Lily, James or anyone else. But, why is that? she wondered. She wished that Grace could tell her the answer to that question. However, she was just too young to express her baby thoughts to adults.

And, Harry's blissfully missing all the action, Isabelle thought with a smile. Oh, how she ached to pick up her nephew and wake him up. It tortured her that he was laying there, not even three feet away from her, and she couldn't pay the proper amount of attention to him that an adoring aunt should. Seeing his peacefully sleeping face made her wish that the Christmas holidays were right now, instead of nearly two months away.

Sirius appeared to be considering "Tia"s request. It was certainly unorthodox, but Lord Voldemort was becoming so strong that he was willing to try anything. Which included taking cues from his infant daughter. Maybe she takes after Mummy P, he reasoned.

"Alright, we can try it," he said slowly. "Let's get this show on the road before it gets too late, though."

-----

"Well folks, I think that about wraps it up," Frank Longbottom said, rubbing his temples with his right hand. "This one certainly had a lot of good information, huh? Not like I really liked what she had to say, though."

"No kidding." Isabelle felt sick. Lord Voldemort was certainly becoming bolder, she thought, with one hand holding Grace and the other hastily scribbling down notes.

Sirius looked up from his own stack of parchment where he was writing assignments for the field agents. "I think Remus is the best choice to head up this mission."

Frank nodded his agreement. "If Voldemort really has his eye on Muggle Newcastle, he's pretty much our only hope of stopping him."

"Definitely." In her opinion, there was nothing Remus couldn't do. And, he was one of the first people she'd trust in any situation, especially one concerning the lives and safety of others.

They gathered up their piles of notes and reports, ready to head home after such a stressful evening. After tonight, Isabelle had made a decision about her future at the Ministry, and couldn't wait to inform the Minister of Magic of it. Determined, she walked into the hallway and set off for his office.

"Excuse me, Tia?"

Isabelle stopped dead in her tracks, wondering what Sirius could possibly want with her. "Yes?"

"Um, I was wondering if I could buy you a cup of coffee or something? There's a pretty good café in the basement, and I don't know about you, but it's been a long night. Don't worry, not all of us in the Intelligence Division are like Peter," he said with a wry smile.

She gulped, not believing her ears. Did Sirius just ask me out? she thought, stunned, fighting a grin. This was truly a dream come true.

"Sure," she answered, wondering where this would lead.