The redhead strolled beside him, perfectly at ease. James walked a little behind her, wary.
"Could you not get here on your own?"
She glanced back, and he was startled at the intensity of her eyes. Green wasn't usually so vivid. "No. Sirius blind-folds me."
"Were you together?"
She laughed and didn't respond.
"Okay," James said, "why did he let you come, then?"
"He doesn't date below sixth year, as you should know. He lived down my street."
"Oh yeah? What's your name?"
"Evans," she said.
"Huh."
"Muggle-born, in case you're wondering."
"It'd have to be, wouldn't it."
"I guess."
James was quiet for a moment, and then said, "Were you that nutter who –"
"Yep," she said. "I got him hooked."
"What?"
She stopped and waited for him to catch up. "What are you, lesser than me? Stay where I can see you.
"Wizards do not do heroin."
James processed that.
"I am not a witch," she said.
"Sure you are."
"Part-time."
"You're his – dealer, then?"
"No," she said, "I'm his contact. I find him bars, I find him losers on the street who'll put up with him. He has a lot of money, you know. They're not hard to get when you'll pay."
James stopped walking. "Go home, Evans."
"What, and think about my wrong-doings? I need money too, Potter."
"I don't want to know why you know my name, Evans, but I sure as hell want to know you'll be out of my sight in the next thirty seconds, and won't be back in it for a very long time."
"Cute. I know you because Sirius pointed you out as the guy we needed to not be a junkie, and who could not know that Sirius was."
"I do, though."
"His fault, not mine."
"When did you meet him?"
"You mean when did I start showing him around? My mom died when I was twelve."
"And you were…"
"Don't know where you're going with that. Broke? Yes. Living under a bridge?" She wrinkled up her face. "Not quite. It leaked and was very unpleasant. I camped out on his stairs until I slept in and his father tripped over me."
James was sympathetic with that one, having endured a similar experience after one of Sirius' famous parties in Muggle London. "How did you get into Hogwarts?"
"Sirius," she said. She didn't seem to mind him knowing, so he didn't mind asking more questions.
"You don't care that you're living off someone who isn't remotely related to you?"
"I give, he gives."
"You're sick."
"I'm alive," she pointed out.
"That's fairly obvious. Unless you're a vampire. Are you a vampire?"
She threw her head back and squinted to the sun. "Yes. Yes I am."
"Go home, Evans."
"Don't have one, remember?"
"Go away, then. Do you have money?"
"Enough for my Firewhiskey."
"No wonder you live in the streets."
"We all have our demons," she said, taking one of his hands before he had time to recoil and tipping a pile of change into it. "I'm underage."
"I'm not buying."
"Then I'll drag Sirius away from Pearl and make him do it. One way or another," she said. He put the handful of coins into his bag.
"What would you do if I made you a savings account?"
"Sue you for theft. Give me back my money."
"Do you not know about interest?"
"Don't know don't care."
"You give them money and leave it there, and then when you come back there's more."
"Neat-o. Convert someone else. Give me back my money."