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Chapter 3 - Rainzzi Returns
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"Finally, Sirius!" said Arthur Weasley as he patted Sirius slightly on the shoulder, "Congratulations!"

"Thanks," Sirius forced a smile to his lips, masking the irritation of being wrecked out of his silent muses. The atmosphere in Number 12, Grimmauld Place, London that night was exceptionally cheerful and hysterical, as various Order members had purposefully dropped in earlier to congratulate Sirius for his official release.

But Sirius was feeling slightly uneasy in the chamber with such a large company. He knew he should be feeling thankful for them, he knew he should feel happy for his release, but he simply couldn't spare any time to. A portion of him wanted to drive people away with excuses, but another was telling him he probably needed the distraction to keep him sane. People were right when they said memory kills.

When he brought the goblet to his lips, the abstract pair of blue eyes was back in his mind. It was the millionth time he had thought about them. He used to be dreamy and overwhelmed with lust and longing when he did. But after meeting her again, he couldn't help grieving whenever he thought about it. The beautiful eyes that used to be filled with admiration and affection at the sight of him were now of hatred and despise.

"Stop messing around, Fred and George. And get down on this instant!" Molly shouted with her hands on her hips. "People are arriving! The meeting is going to begin!" she said, just when Tonks and Kingsley walked in … and they were not the only ones.

It was only a few seconds before Rainzzi was led into the kitchen. His eyes widening, Sirius couldn't believe what he saw.

Sirius watched in bewilderment as Rainzzi walked further in. His heart racing, he looked around the people in the kitchen too see how they took her unexpected appearance, as though trying to confirm that he really saw what he thought he saw. Remus, who was sitting beside him, was also looking at Rainzzi, and he nodded slightly as though in verification when their eyes met.

Sirius stared at Rainzzi again, still having difficulty believing what he saw. Rainzzi was irreproachably dressed, simple and in a style of her own. And she was wearing a pair of rimless glasses which went well with the cold expression of her face. She looked around the kitchen and at the people sitting inside nonchalantly. And a realisation suddenly struck him - it could only mean one thing for Rainzzi to appear in the Headquarters – she had rejoined the Order of the Phoenix.

Sirius' eyes were glued to her as she followed Tonks around, who had volunteered to take up the task of introducing her to the other Order members. With her current occupation and reconciliation with her Pro-Ministry family, Sirius hadn't expected her to rejoin the Order, at least not this soon. He stared at her mutely for a long moment, but as the astonishment eventually faded away, he could feel his mood lifted considerably. Now that they were both members of the Order again, it was quite rational to assume they would see more of each other from then on.

"This is Hestia Jones," Tonks was saying, indicating to the pink-cheeked, dark-haired witch, while Rainzzi nodded and shook hands with her, "And this is Mundungus Fletcher."

"What a pleasant surprise!" exclaimed Mundungus, "It's been so long since we last met." To Rainzzi's dismay, he reached out to clasp both her hands, but she managed to slide off between his fingers.

Now Tonks and Rainzzi were proceeding to the farer side of the kitchen slowly – exactly where Sirius and Remus sat. When Rainzzi greeted Molly a few meters away, Sirius could already feel the pressure began to transpire. Given her hostile deportment against him just one day ago, Sirius didn't know what to expect though it was clear that they were brought together again by the Order.

Sirius took a sip of Butterbeer calmly before he glanced up. Determinedly avoiding his gaze, he could see a flicker of familiarity crossing Rainzzi's face as she looked at Remus.

"Alright there, Lupin?" Her words were dispassionate and she was holding her head high, but a warm smile was lurking near her lips.

Remus nodded, smiling mildly. "Better than ever."

Rainzzi squinted at him for another moment before she turned to Sirius. Tonks hesitated beside them. As if they were both ushered on-stage, all the eyes in the room were now travelling from her to Sirius and back with interest, which evidently annoyed Rainzzi to some extent.

But before he could offer his hand, the storm of footsteps echoing to the corridor outside the kitchen had diverted everyone's attention.

"Dumbledore's here," Molly informed them, walking into the kitchen. Sirius almost cursed under his breath.

The ones who had long arrived walked around the table and took a seat while Dumbledore walked in after Minerva McGonagall, Severus Snape, Elphias Doge, Dedalus Diggle, and Emmeline Vance. Save Snape, they all beamed happily at Sirius and mouthed their felicitations.

One by one they sat down quickly on the vacant seats around the long table. Rainzzi settled besides Tonks while Sirius sat back down on his chair on the other side. It had been a long time since they last had a formal meeting. "Before we begin our meeting tonight," Dumbledore announced with a gentle smile, "I have some good news to break to you, which is besides the fact that Sirius has been officially released and we have successfully thwarted Voldemort's grand plan."

"Aside from Fred and George, we will be joined shortly by another new blood," Dumbledore smiled at the twins who had put their noses up in the air and extended their chests proudly. "I think most of you should still remember her, for she had been an active member of the old Order. I am sure you have all been reacquainted with her by now. But please allow me, to introduce her properly – Rainzzi Delanuit."

The newly arrived members nodded faintly at Rainzzi who politely returned the nods.

"I came to Rainzzi yesterday after the incident, explained to her the situation and she has kindly agreed to rejoin the Order," Dumbledore explained and smiled appreciatively at Rainzzi, "As you should all know, she's one of the Senior Aurors alongside Kingsley. And she is also very close to Fudge due to the tie of their families. I believe she will be a very valuable asset to the Order."

Sirius squinted sideward, Rainzzi was just two seats along from him and he simply couldn't tear his eyes off her.

"Let's begin the meeting, shall we?" Dumbledore announced finally. "First of all, I'd like to thank all of you for the splendid success of the battle at the Department of Mysteries. The efficiency was unbelievable. Now, on a cautious note, we must keep an eye on any oddities. Severus, any news of Voldemort's new plots?"

"Nope," Snape shook his head, "Since their plan didn't go exactly as they had wished. With the Prophecy destroyed, Potter saved and most of the elites among them thrown in Azkaban, they were in a state of pure chaos. Black's murder of Bellatrix Lestrange had just further troubled them." His black eyes behind the curtain of greasy hair travelled to Sirius and promptly turned into a glare. "Presumably it will take them some time to reorganise their camp."

Sirius glared back coolly with equivalent hatred.

"But now that the Dark Lord's return is confirmed by the Ministry, I don't reckon they will still be obliged to act secretly," Snape continued. "We could expect some attacks in the near future."

Dumbledore looked thoughtful for a moment. "Try to acquaint with Narcissa Malfoy, Severus. I think she knows as much as her husband does," he instructed.

Sirius was staring at Rainzzi the whole time while Dumbledore talked, the details escaping him, and for a few times, he caught her eyes, but she turned away quickly every time. How strange he felt, she was just sitting a few seats along, but at the same time she appeared as distant a figure as possible. They were like two strangers being unintentionally brought along by their friends to a big dinner. He wished he could talk with her without hesitation, but her earlier outburst had shown clearly that his acknowledgement was very much unwelcome. He could still remember her voice when she shouted, "I hate you, Sirius Black," into his face. He used to disregard that line because he knew she didn't really mean it, yet this one he could not forget, it was filled with so much loathing and resistance.

The meeting gone on a little longer until Sirius' attention was called for.

"Sirius, where's Kreacher?" Dumbledore questioned from across the table.

"He's with Buckbeak in the master room," said Remus before Sirius could open his mouth, forestalling him.

"What should we do to him, Dumbledore?" Moody asked hoarsely.

"We can't disown him, he knows too much," Dumbledore said, "But at the same time, we can't keep him here. It's proven to be too risky."

"So are you going to keep him locked up in the room forever?"

"I object this," Sirius commented quickly, startling most others. For someone who had just been betrayed by his house-elf, he sounded pretty calm. "I've had enough of that worthless thing. Let's get rid of it. I don't care if you behead him or something, just make sure he doesn't enter my view again."

"Sirius, I think Kreacher deserves to be respected. All the prejudice wizards and witches have held against their kind have stirred up many conflicts in the centuries, and thus strained our relationships with them. Perhaps it's about time for us to abandon our patronising treatment of them. Kreacher is a very typical and very miserable outcome of our abuses of his kind as he was bound by magic to serve a master that he doesn't particularly like. Perhaps the least we could do is to pay him some more attention," Dumbledore reminded Sirius, he looked at him sternly from his half-moon spectacles.

"But, with all due respect, Dumbledore, I certainly can't agree with you there. I hold no prejudice against the house-elves in general, you know that. Kreacher is just an exceptional case, he had indirectly lured Harry to the Department of Mysteries just yesterday, Harry could have been killed! Should I pay him more attention just so he will have more to sneak to Narcissa?" Sirius pouted sarcastically at the partiality Dumbledore had shown to the house-elf.

Dumbledore bypassed the question peacefully, his voice smooth as he spoke again. "But it's my wish that you transfer Kreacher's ownership to me. I will let him work at Hogwarts along with other house-elves."

"You can have him, whatever you like," Sirius flung his hand lazily and sat back on his chair. But his too shape a pair of eyes just wouldn't leave the ancient man alone.

Sensing the dangerous ambiance in the room, Emmeline decided to interject. "I've heard that Dolores Umbridge was hurt, how is she?" she inquired, more to change the subject than anything.

"She survived. She's still staying at the Hospital wing, and she's doing well," McGonagall said lightly, yet the shame in her voice was apparent. "We will schedule a transfer to the St. Mungo's for her tomorrow."

Dumbledore pressed his glasses up his crooked nose mischievously, as if trying to hide his grin, and resumed his seriousness. "Arthur, is there any news from Charlie with the vampires in Romania?"

"No," Arthur answered wearily, "Hasn't got any luck with the Prince yet but he's working hard for it."

Dumbledore nodded, "Kingsley, I want you to arrange a trial for Sturgis Podmore, we mustn't keep him in Azkaban for too long, especially now that it is filled with the Death Eaters again."

"I'll try to talk Williamson into it," Kingsley replied instantly.

"Bill, any progress with persuading the globins?"

"They are still bubbling about what Ludo Bagman did. But they seem to have taken a liking for Fleur, and she's doing hard to impress them," Bill answered, blushing unconsciously.

"Great," Dumbledore said, satisfied.

"So what about Harry?" Sirius interrupted momentously. Snape scowled quietly across him, as obviously he didn't consider the subject an important one that required their attention. "School is about come to an end. He is not staying at his Aunt and Uncle's for the summer again, is he?"

"I'm afraid he is," Dumbledore frowned, clearly he, too, didn't fancy seeing Harry back again with the Muggles. "At least for another month."

"But Harry couldn't live with them," Sirius objected, "We all know what Harry is like now. We're not talking about a child anymore, he's soon becoming sixteen. And if we keep him off again, he is bound to do something rash."

"This is, however, the safest option for Harry available. You should understand this, Sirius. He is protected by ancient magic as long as he lives with his blood relations. The protection provided by his Aunt is far greater than what the Order can provide him," Dumbledore stated clearly. "And for the time being, our main concern relies on Harry's safety."

Sirius hesitated. There's one idea that he had entertained a long time ago. It was exactly on the night when he and Remus had captured Peter that he had first suggested it to Harry. Even after he knew he had to escape yet again, he hadn't dismissed it. For two years, he had been thinking about it thoroughly, theoretically it should work. Sirius had been waiting for the appropriate moment to share his idea…except…it sounded crazy.

"Dumbledore, I have an idea," said Sirius slowly, weighing his words. "I don't know if it works or not, but perhaps… we can convince the Dursleys to move in with me while Harry lives with me."

Mundungus didn't even try to suppress his laughters, "Live with you? I've been spying on those Muggles. They wouldn't like it here."

"I'm not talking about this place here. I mean…I have a house of my own before I was arrested. Now that I am cleared of all charges, I guess I could reclaim the house whenever I like. The house is quite big and tidy; it has a Muggle neighbourhood. And Rainzzi has the one besides," Sirius trailed off, he glanced at Rainzzi who was wearing a very bored expression and didn't appear to have taken notice of the mention of her name. "The two houses are linked together by an underground tunnel because her parents didn't approve of us dating at that time. If we can successfully convince the Muggles to move into one of the house, Harry can live with me in the other. So he will be as safe as he is supposed to be since nominally he's still living with his blood relatives while he will stay under my guardianship."

Sirius looked around the room for support. The others were all chatting in low voices. "I think it does work," Dedalus said simply, most of the others nodded their agreements.

"That is of course, if Rainzzi consents to lend out her house," Sirius looked at Rainzzi again.

"In fact, Delanuit," said Snape before she could answer. Sirius had an ominous feeling against what he was about to say. "Do you still remember you've a house linked to Black's?"

Sirius glowered at him, if Remus hadn't put an arm warningly on his, he might have as well cursed Snape under the table.

Rainzzi stared at Snape coldly, and to Sirius' delight, shook her head. "I know its existence, but I just haven't reclaimed it because I am living with my parents now."

"So if you agree…" Dumbledore began, Rainzzi nodded, "Then we will need someone to convince the Dursleys to move into the house." He looked around for volunteers, but most of the others flinched at the thought of making a visit to the Muggles.

"We'll do it, me and Remus," Sirius said quietly.

"We have met Lily's sister when we were young," said Remus.

"That's settled then. Don't forget to tell Harry, Sirius. I think Harry will be more than pleased to know the arrangement," Dumbledore inclined his head with a little smile. He paused and looked around the kitchen as though to better recapture their attention. "Before we wrap up the meeting, Rainzzi, I think you have something to share with us," Dumbledore leaned forward on the table with his fingers crossed and stared at Rainzzi with concentration.

Rainzzi nodded and cleared her throat slowly. She was rigid, almost haughty in her demeanour. There was a cold immobility and dignity in her face that Sirius could only recognise from their last, painful rendezvous, though he thought her exquisite in this new aspect.

"It's my guess that the Percy Weasley we are seeing is disguised."

Except for the gasps came from the Weasleys and the angry sound Sirius made, the room suddenly went very still. Time seemed to have been put to a stop when the members speechlessly exchanged shocked glances.

It was Molly who was the first to break the chilly silence. "He can't be!" she said agitatedly, color began to rise on her cheek. She looked more shocked than anyone else in the room, and she seemed to be viewing the news as an insult to her son's intelligence.

Arthur calmly put his arms around his wife's shoulder, "Is there any ground?"

"I am not the only one who thinks Percy Weasley's not acting in his accord."

"How do you know he's not acting in his accord?" Bill asked rationally. "You don't know him in person, do you?"

"I was working in the Department of International Magical Co-operation under Bartimus Crouch Sr. two years ago when Percy Weasley joined the ministry," Rainzzi glanced at Sirius for the first time on that night. "I knew him in profile because I worked with him for a whole year. Ambitious though he was, the Percy Weasley I knew was by no standard impudent. But the way he works is getting annoyingly ruthless. What with the rumours of Voldemort has resurrected and the oddities, I have been suspecting it all along. It now appears quite possible to me that he's one of the spies on the Ministry."

Molly started weeping silently but she was temporarily unable to speak.

"How can you be so sure about that?" Fred spoke for the first time.

"Fudge has sent him for me from the suspect's room yesterday," Rainzzi said and glanced around the table briefly, skillfully skipping Sirius, "He was acting oddly. One could almost say he looked furious. He was very keen to know the content of Black's statement, and he asked about whether Black mentioned any of his friends. He even tried to foil Black's creditability."

"So who do you think the disguiser may be?" asked Remus. Sirius suspected he already knew the answer.

"Peter Pettigrew, that's my guess," said Rainzzi. "I have heard Black's description of him. From the cowardice to the lust for protectiveness, they all fit. And they help explain Percy Weasley's strange behaviour."

"But that's still too arbitrary a guess," Arthur said firmly, he patted Molly lightly on her back.

"Arbitrary yet reasonable," Rainzzi retorted.

"I haven't heard of Pettigrew lately among the death eaters," Snape said abruptly.

"But Pettigrew couldn't possibly disguise as Percy, he doesn't know how Percy acts," Bill pointed out.

"You should know that he's an animagus. Peter had lived in disguise as a rat around Percy for almost five years, I think five years as Scabbers have provided him enough knowledge of his master's habits and behaviour," Remus related.

Molly sneezed and blew her nose with a tissue, "Poor Percy. Dumbledore, we need to find him as soon as possible."

"Don't worry, Molly. Percy shouldn't be in any immediate danger," Dumbledore consoled peacefully, "But it's important to find the real Percy as soon as possible. Or otherwise, not only Percy may be placed in danger, Voldemort will gain too much access to the Ministry and Fudge."

"Where do you think the real Percy is, Rainzzi?"

"In his apartment in London," Rainzzi answered quickly. "As far as I know, he keeps people away from it."

"I'll go find him!" Molly cried emotionally, she rose from her seat, but Arthur gently pushed her down again.

"I'm afraid Mrs. Weasley's sentiment will hinder the advancement," Rainzzi commented objectively. But Molly threw her a very dirty look.

Dumbledore coughed for attention, "But we must first make sure Percy is really in disguise. Rainzzi, I think I can count on you for this."

Rainzzi nodded, "I'll be working around Fudge for a while, and thus probably will spend a lot of time with Percy Weasley, too."

"To check his real identity, it would be useless to ask him something that the real Percy should know, as he may have learnt it from his staying in the Burrow. I think you should trick him into saying something only Peter knows," Dumbledore bade logically, "Remus and Sirius could help about that."

Remus smiled at Rainzzi and Sirius stared at her curtly.

"For any new discovery or any decision, I hope you will report to me first," Dumbledore requested, Rainzzi nodded again.

"If no one has anything to add, this will be the end of tonight's meeting," said Dumbledore finally. The duration of the meeting was much shorter than others, but clearly the Headmaster had other equally important issues to be taken care of at Hogwarts. He beamed at everyone in the kitchen before he Disapparated back to Hogsmeade with McGonagall and Snape.

Upon their departure, the chemistry of the room changed. Dilatorily, some other members left while some decided to stay behind for little chats. Sirius was grateful that Rainzzi had subdued a little talk with Kingsley and Tonks.

Sirius grabbed a glass of Butterbeer and walked over to them casually. "What're you talking about here?"

All three Aurors looked up in surprise. "We're discussing who we should approach to arrange a trial for Sturgis," Tonks was answering as Rainzzi lifted her arm as though obliviously to looked at her watch.

"I've to get going," said Rainzzi promptly to Kingsley and Tonks. "I'll see you tomorrow at work." Without so much as a nod to Sirius, Rainzzi had left with a crackling 'pop'.

A/N: Thanks for reading and please review ;)