Chapter 3

"What are you doing, Black?" teased Tulah, as his leg brushed hers one too many times. It was the night after Cassie's vision, which neither Remus nor the seer herself had revealed to their flatmates, and Tulah was tucked up in bed and had been just about to go to sleep…except now she wasn't…

"What does it feel like I'm doing?" Sirius teased right back, as if his intentions weren't clear enough already.

"Er…checking my ribs for cracks?" Tulah inquired, amused by the lack of tact.

Sirius laughed; his breath stroked her cheek and his arms slid around her waist. Tulah snuggled closer to him, smiling at his blatancy.

Suddenly the fire across the room, which had been settling into a comfortable smoulder, flared up and James' head appeared in it. Sirius struggled upright with his arms still around Tulah, swearing softly.

"Sorry, did I disturb you?" James smirked.

"Prongs you wanker, what the hell are you doing?" Sirius snapped, not at all amused.

"Dumbledore thought it might be better if I came to get you guys…Order meeting, at the usual place." James grinned a wicked grin. "Considering the point he interrupted Lily and me at, I'm not surprised he didn't try disturbing you two!"

He vanished, closely pursued by Sirius and Tulah's obscenities.

A while later they had woken Remus and Cassie and everyone was gathered in a sleepy huddle outside the front door.

"Everyone know where we're going?" Sirius queried. "Yes? Good."

They all vanished with a series of deafening cracks.

"Well that was…unexpected," James commented an hour later, gazing at Cassie with newfound respect.

"I knew," said Remus quietly, exchanging significant looks with Cassie.

"Nobody told me," said Lily, who hated being left out of things, grumpily. "A Seer…"

Cassie stared fixedly at the door of Dumbledore's office to avoid looking at any of them.

"Tell them about the prophecy you last made, Cassiopeia," Dumbledore instructed her.

"The snake awaits the stag and the flower, that's obvious – Voldemort wants Lily and James. The next two parts are pretty clear as well," Cassie explained rather gruffly, handing round copies of Remus' summary of her prophecies. "Beware the rat and the shadow man…"

"The rat…Peter," Sirius muttered. "I knew he was in on something like this…I've been trying to follow it up, sideline to the Rosier case…"

"What about the shadow man?" Lily asked.

Cassie glanced at Dumbledore, a flicker of fear creeping across her face.

Lily frowned suspiciously.

"That is between Cassiopeia and myself," Dumbledore answered gravely.

Lily let out an angry hiss. "You can't hold back information on this!" she cried. "Not from us!"

"I'm afraid I can, Miss Evans, and I am going to have to."

"Voldemort wants us dead, and you won't tell us something that could help us escape? I thought you were supposed to be helping us?" James queried furiously.

"I am helping you," Dumbledore insisted calmly. "Knowing the identity of the so-called 'shadow-man' will not assist you in the slightest," he continued sternly, peering rather impatiently at them over the top of his half-moon glasses.

James and Lily subsided. "And the visions?" James asked. "The man and the girl? The house of kings?"

He looked around, only to be met with blank stares and heads shaken in bemusement.

"No one?" Lily prompted in a somewhat shaky voice. Dumbledore smiled kindly at her, with all his severity gone.

"Don't worry, Miss Evans. Forewarned is forearmed, as they say. Voldemort is not aware that we know his plans concerning yourself and James, and that is something." He grew businesslike. "Now, I think your best hope is the Fidelius Charm. (A/N; No HPs here school so can't check that spelling. My apologies for any mistakes). As you ought to know, it involves placing a secret inside someone's soul. I suggest that you pick your Secret Keeper carefully as they will be carrying your lives in their hands for at least the next few weeks. I also beg you to consider the danger you will be placing them in. Voldemort will stop at nothing to discover your hiding-place."

"I'll do it," said Sirius immediately.

"No!" James and Lily exclaimed together. Tulah's arm tightened apprehensively around him.

"Yes," Sirius insisted, loosening her grip gently. "Look, it makes sense," he continued stubbornly, ignoring the collective noises of protest. "You know it does…come on Prongs, I want to do this!" He looked pleadingly at James. "Dude, I'm your best friend," he continued softly. "If you can't trust me, then who else can you?"

Tulah looked from Lily to James, and was shocked to see them on the point of agreeing.

"Don't," she whispered to Sirius. He shook his head, wordlessly refusing her appeal.

"Can I do it?" he asked James, giving Tulah's shoulder a reassuring squeeze.

James nodded slowly. "Ok."

"No!" said Remus quickly, eyeing the look on Tulah's face and dreading it from experience. "I will. I'm the werewolf, I'm stronger."

"Too late, Rem!" Sirius laughed. "I'm in there." He turned to Dumbledore before anyone else could object. "We've decided; it's me."

"Are you sure?" Dumbledore asked them carefully. "This is a very swift decision…if you need more time…?"

"No," said Sirius firmly.

"Very well, Mr. Black." Dumbledore looked gravely at him. "If you would come next door with me; the spell is a long one. I suggest you all go home," he added to the rest of them.

Sirius gave Tulah a hug. "We'll talk about this when I get home tonight, ok?" he said quietly in her ear.

::But by then it'll be too late.:: Tulah thought sadly, watching him follow Dumbledore out of the room.

Lily touched her arm gently. "We're coming home with you," she told Tulah. "I want to talk to you about something."