A/N: Don't let me keep you, go ahead and read. For actual A/N, see footer.
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Chapter 15
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With a flick of the wand, the forbidding gates to Hogwarts opened soundlessly and walked in an elegant, blond woman. Her head held high, but intentionally or not, the greater part of her face was shadowed by the purple, velvet hat seating lopsidedly on her head. She shot a brief glance over her shoulder before she proceeded.
Idly she halted a bit when she reached the lake and took in the mid-August view of Hogwarts. Although she couldn't remember what Hogwarts should be like during school-time, she hadn't expected the Hogwarts castle could actually give her the creeps. She stared at the lifeless castle for another moment, but realising she was wasting time, she quickened her pace towards it.
She had nearly reached the doors to the Entrance Hall when a voice stopped her.
"Who's it over there?"
She turned around and found herself looking at a balding man in his early fifties carrying a cat. He'll be the caretaker Sirius mentioned about, she told herself mentally.
"I'm here on an appointment with the Headmaster," she made up an excuse carefully. "Please, I am a candidate for the Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher post."
"Lies," the caretaker sneered, baring his yellow teeth. "I know where you're coming from, young lady. People trying to sneak in the castle have used this excuse over and over. I'm not stupid enough to fall into the trap again! I…"
"Please," the woman cut in sweetly, and adjusted her hat so that she could look him in the eye directly. The caretaker met her stare for a moment, and all of a sudden, he stiffened as though a strong wind had swooped past. The cat he was carrying purred but he didn't seem to notice.
The caretaker stared at her unseeingly as though bewitched before he opened the doors with his keys, quickly turned around and left towards the opposite direction.
The woman smiled and quickly walked in. Watching as the double doors slid back to place, she waited for another moment before she pointed her wand at herself, her eyes closed and her expression solemn.
A second later, Rainzzi Delanuit was standing where the woman had disappeared. She murmured a spell and from the tip of her wand came her own reflection. She barely gave her dark-haired reflection a glance before she pocketed her wand and headed straight to the Headmaster's office.
Walking along the corridor to the phoenix statue, she could hear noise. As she drew closer to the spiral staircase, the voices grew louder, there was unmistakably a fierce argument in the office above. But before she could pull out her wand to conjure a Patronus to inform the Headmaster of her arrival, the spiral staircase sprung into life suddenly. Rainzzi waited expectantly as the footsteps drew nearer, but her expression hardened when she realised who it was that was descending.
It was Severus Snape. Though hardly really known each other in profile, Rainzzi had met him quite a few times in some official occasions before she rejoined the Order, where they would nod at each other in recognition. But she had learnt enough of his history and from Neville to know what kind of a man he was. And she knew well he, too, didn't approve of her, whether it was because of her relationship with Sirius she didn't know. But the thing was, even though they were not really outwardly hostile to each other, she knew they would never see each other eye-to-eye, and neither made an effort to mask that fact.
They looked at each other without a single ounce of friendliness. Snape made sure the spiral staircase had turned dead again before he begun, bad tempered. "Well, well, well…" he hissed in a tone he clearly considered threatening. "Who we've got here?" he paused for effect, "The soon-to-be Mrs. Brice Fudge!"
Rainzzi's face darkened, but she did well in hiding her annoyance. "I've never considered you to be another gossiper, Snape."
"Gossip, did you call it?" said Snape softly. "You can hardly call it a gossip when it's announced by the Minister himself, can you? And let me guess, how long have you been dreaming for the moment to come? Three months? Or possibly more?"
Rainzzi strode past Snape, bumping into his shoulder as she did. But Snape was quick in blocking the way. "Anxious to dismiss the topic, aren't we?"
He walked around Rainzzi, circling her, scrutinised her critically and wrinkled his large nose as he did. "Daughter of Ex-Minister, and now…a soon-to-be daughter-in-law of Fudge. For years, you have struggled to rise to the top ranks in the Ministry. I don't understand why nobody sees right through the Pro-Ministry side in your bones."
Rainzzi shrugged and looked up at him lazily, "So I see you don't trust me. And let's be frank, I think I don't have any reasons to trust you either."
The remark didn't surprise Snape. "At the end of the day, what matters is who Dumbledore trusts, isn't it?"
"I value Dumbledore's trust, but that's not all that counts. People's faith in general is vital to success, too," said Rainzzi easily. For a split second, she considered leaving it there, but she decided against it almost immediately. "So, Snape," she added, "Do you really think people believe it when you claimed you have turned over a new leaf?" She lowered her voice, "I bet majority of them don't. Because you are once a spy, then you're forever an unreliable figure. That's the way it goes."
"Nice observation," Snape's voice turned dangerous. "And do I have to remind you that you yourself have been claiming to be a spy on the Ministry?"
Rainzzi pulled out her wand and conjured a Patronus. She smirked as she continued. "But there's such a difference between us phenomenally. You joined the Dark Lord first and have been a really loyal Death Eater before you claimed to have seen the mistakes of the old days and turned spying on their side when you're freaked out. While I –"
"You joined the Ministry first and have been a really loyal –"
"Let me finish, Snape," Rainzzi interrupted in a louder voice, "Yes, I did join the Ministry first and I don't deny I had once been a loyal officer of the Ministry. But then again, the Ministry and Albus Dumbledore had once acted as one, hadn't they? Had I not join the Order immediately when the Ministry parted with Dumbledore and advanced on the wrong path?" She paused confidentially and once again she gave Snape a malicious smile. "And to compare us would be unrealistic. Tell me, what have you done when you were still a Death Eater? Probably killed a hundred innocents?"
Rainzzi could see Snape's ugly face contorting with rage and that gave her an odd sense of satisfaction as she knew she had touched a nerve. "On the contrary, what have I done when I was still a genuine Ministry officer? Caught a hundred troublemakers, if not more. And tell me; does the Dark Mark on your wrist still burn when You-Know-Who summons his Death Eaters?"
Snape was now contorting so furiously that he seemed to be trembling all over, his hand tight on his wand. Rainzzi was quite sure that he would have cursed her long ago if they were not standing at the bottom of the staircase to Dumbledore's office. And she half wished Snape would lose control of himself so she'd have a good reason to be provoked into a real fight with him.
She shot him a daring look as the spiral staircase sprung to life again, rotating on its accord, and Fawkes the phoenix was mid-way down the stairway, anticipating Rainzzi to follow him up.
"You talk big, Delanuit," Snape hissed through clenched teeth, and it looked as though it was taking all his energy to suppress his anger. "Arrogance has blinded you. You're confident that you're trusted. Go on then, Dumbledore is waiting for you. But contradicting what you think, he may as well be reassessing your loyalty right now."
"I'll bear that possibility in mind," Rainzzi said mildly before she stepped into the stairway, which instantaneously accelerated, her hand still firm on her wand.
Despite the confidence she showed Snape, when the owl from Dumbledore reached her earlier that day, she had not completely overlooked the possibility, however little it was, that she would have a hard time proving where her loyalty lay, and she wouldn't blame Dumbledore if that actually happened.
Imagine if it was a fellow Order member that was suddenly announced to be engaged to the son of Cornelius Fudge, she would have got suspicious, too.
Rainzzi fumbled slightly in her pocket and looked thoughtfully at a tiny flask, which contained a mouthful of transparent liquid – the Truth Potion. Though prepared psychologically, she hoped she wouldn't have to use it as a last resort to prove her innocence. She dug it back into her pocket when the staircase came to an abrupt halt.
Dumbledore had his back to her when she stepped into his circular, high-ceiled office, pondering over what seemed to be his pensieve and seemingly deep in thought. Rainzzi stood mutely as he placed the tip of his wand into his silvery hair, near his temple, and pulled out a glistering strand of memory. He added it to the basin and swirled the substance inside around with his wand, as though mixing ingredients of a bowl of soup.
"Hi, Rainzzi," said Dumbledore softly as he turned to face her. "Sorry for keeping you wait."
"It doesn't matter," Rainzzi shook her head nervously and added in a rushed voice, her fingers crossed in the pocket of her robes. "Professor, I know what happened last night might have appeared as if I am –"
But Professor Dumbledore held up a hand to stop her. "I think I have quite well a guess of the accurate picture of what happened."
"You do?" asked Rainzzi in surprise.
"Yes," Dumbledore nodded reassuringly. "I guess Cornelius Fudge is desperate to rebuild the community's optimism and their faith in the Ministry, and thus your engagement with Mr. Fudge Junior."
Rainzzi nodded.
"Between you and me," Dumbledore added, "I think Cornelius's bid to rebuild confidence is just a short-sighted one to get him through the next Minister election. And he did so by disclosing only an incomplete version of the truth, which I may call a 'beautiful deception'. He has been trying so hard to make the people believe the current situation is brighter than it actually was. I cannot deny that most of the people tend to feel better with this belief. But the truth is always cruel, and in such dangerous a time, make-believes can be extremely detrimental. Instead, the earlier they embrace the truth, the more prepared they would be, and this is the only way that the community will truly be consolidated in the long run… Rainzzi, am I right in assuming your engagement with Brice Fudge to be part of a series of attempt on Cornelius's part to fool the public?"
"Yes," Rainzzi answered immediately, and she found herself relax a great deal. It was much less complicated that what she expected. "And I knew nothing whatsoever about the engagement before it was announced."
"Just what I thought," Dumbledore concluded easily.
Rainzzi faltered unsurely. "Professor, can I ask you something?"
"Please do."
Rainzzi looked down hesitantly, a bit embarrassed somehow. "How did you guess? I mean… of course I didn't want to marry Brice Fudge as our parents wish, but how do you know I am not behind the engagement plot too? You know… a lot of people believe I am marrying him because of marital benefits."
Dumbledore gave her a gentle smile, and indicated that she should walk closer to him. "Because I know what a person you are. Surely you have some Slytherin in your heart, but I dare say the Gryffindor part greatly outweigh it. When it comes to a situation as extreme as that, it's not in your nature to venture for external gains."
When Rainzzi finally joined him in front of his pensieve, Dumbledore was prodding his thoughts in the basin with the tip of his wand. "In my memories, you are and have always been a person of courage and principles."
She could feel herself blush, and she didn't know how to respond. But even if she did, she had no time for it. "Is that –" she couldn't bring herself to finish the question as she saw the figure risen out of the basin.
Dumbledore nodded, and stared at it attentively. Rainzzi followed suit, mesmerised, and watched as the silvery materials around the figure sort of expanded to reveal the surroundings. She found it almost hard to breathe. She was looking at the younger version of herself walking into the same office she was in now – the seventeen-year-old Rainzzi Delanuit striding into the Headmaster's office.
A Head Girl badge was attached to the front of the younger Rainzzi's cloak and she began to speak, her voice echoed as though it came from the depths of the stone basin. "Professor –"
She hesitated as she saw who was seated opposite the Headmaster. "Mo-" she stopped herself just in time, regained her composure before she turned passionless once again. "Mrs. Bagnold-Delanuit," she acknowledged politely.
The middle-aged woman nodded, a frown carving on her forehead.
The younger Rainzzi looked at Albus Dumbledore directly, "Professor McGonagall just told me Hogwarts is to be closed in a week's time."
"Yes, Rainzzi," said Dumbledore sadly, "I'm afraid what Professor McGonagall said is true. Millicent and I have agreed that there's no better alternative."
"But Professor Dumbledore, you can't do this!"
"May I ask why?"
"Because, Professor, there's no safer place than Hogwarts. Students are safe so long as they're at Hogwarts. News of tragic deaths came almost every day but there has not been a single death of the Hogwarts students –"
"That's the point, isn't it?" Millicent Bagnold-Delanuit interrupted in an authoritative tone, obviously irritated by her daughter's presence. "There has not been a single death of the Hogwarts students, and we'd better shut the school down before there's any."
"I know what you're thinking about, mother," said Rainzzi daringly.
"Oh, really?" Millicent glared dagger at her.
"You're just shutting the school to make sure that you and your office will not be blamed for any deaths," Rainzzi glared back. "You're just afraid that the Ministry will be held responsible for any deaths inside the school since Hogwarts is so closely associated with the Ministry. And you think that once they are outside the school staying with their families –"
"Shut your mouth!" Millicent was almost shouting now.
Rainzzi's glance stayed on her for a bare second before she directed her answer to Dumbledore, looking determined to overlook the presence of her mother. "Professor, you can't shut the school down! The Gringotts Bank has just collapsed. The bank-run is spreading. People's confidence is severely shaken now. Hogwarts is their last source of hope. With Hogwarts shut down, it will be like the end of the world."
Rainzzi was fully aware that her mother was now glaring at her with more hatred than ever, but she didn't seem to care. "Professor, you know it. You know people do not have faith in the impotent government any–"
Slash!
Millicent had slapped her daughter, hard. "No one asked for your comment! And get out before I made you to!"
Dumbledore stood up in alarm. "Millicent, I don't appreciate any Hogwarts students getting beaten like that!" He walked over to Rainzzi. "Are you okay?" he asked her tentatively.
Rainzzi held her head low, and for a few seconds she didn't move, a red handprint forming on her cheek. Her eyes over-bright, she looked on the verge of crying, but she suppressed herself. "Professor," she swallowed slightly, "please, at least keep Hogwarts running for those who wish to remain. Please."
Dumbledore nodded and shot Millicent a warning look before she did anything. "I think I'll reconsider the notions. Go back to the Gryffindor Common Room; I will talk to you later."
Rainzzi was still holding her breathes as she saw the younger shadowy version of herself dematerialised slowly. She stared at the silvery and opaque substance in the basin for a bit longer. "Dumbledore," she began, and cleared her throat as she realised her voice was all odd and high-pitched. "What…what did you do at the end?"
"I kept the school running for those who wish to remain," Dumbledore smiled, "just as you suggested."
She forced a smile and went silent. Rainzzi stared down at Dumbledore's pensieve again, perplexed. Though people had occasionally talked to her about how she used to be like, she had never actually watched her younger self in other people's pensieve. She had been afraid all along of looking into her own past, but she turned out to be quite nice in the old days. However, all she had now was a complicated feeling.
And among the various mingled emotions, the only one she could identify with no mistakes was disappointment. But it wasn't like it hurt her to see her mother slapping her, in fact, she had never held any expectations on her mother's maternal love for her. She had long accepted the fact that both her parents disliked her and gradually the hostile feeling had grown mutual until Rainzzi turned completely indifferent to their existence. Rather, she attributed the disappointment to the expectations, which she had never acknowledged before now, she placed on looking at the forgotten part of herself. With due fairness, she had been adorable in her old days, but she found her younger self oddly foreign to her.
It was definitely her, she knew it at first glance. She had anticipated just minutes ago that the scene in the pensieve would at least stir a ring, but she turned more apathetic every second as the past was revealed. Her mind went blank, the watching got impersonal as though she was just part of the audience enjoying a drama in theatre. She had major difficulty in bridging the woman and the girl together and all of a sudden she felt an unexplainable sense of loss.
"Anything troubling you, Rainzzi?" the Headmaster said as he observed her.
Rainzzi considered keeping it to herself but she suspected Dumbledore was the only one who could provide her with a satisfactory answer.
"How could you be so sure that I am loyal to you just by judging what I used to be like?" she knew it must sound peculiar, but she found no better way of expressing it. "I mean, how do you know I still am the Rainzzi Delanuit you used to know?"
Though she had no intention of worrying anyone, Rainzzi was pleased to see that Dumbledore looked more concerned than alarmed, or worse, suspicious.
"The first thing you have got to understand, Rainzzi," he stared at her firmly, then to her surprise, he clasped his hand on her shoulder and gave it a gentle shake, "is that there is one and only one Rainzzi Delanuit in this world. I know losing your memories might have made your life appear as if it was split into two parts, but try not to think of yourself as two different persons before and after that tragedy. Because what you lost fifteen years ago was merely your memory, not your heart, your spirit. And one's spirit is what characterises a person." Dumbledore pointed at his chest to reinforce his point.
Rainzzi was too confused to make any response when he finished, slowly digesting his words all over again. She wasn't sure if she entirely understood and agreed with what he said, all she knew was that all of a sudden, she had developed a new surge of respect towards Dumbledore.
"And Rainzzi," Dumbledore said after a while, "it is based on my belief that your loyalty resides in the Order that I ask you to do something for me."
"Anything," she said promptly, and she knew she meant it by heart.
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Silently Sirius sat in front of the Shrieking Shack, where he could overlook the whole of Hogsmeade while at the same time enjoyed some solitary moments that he was always exploited of. All alone by himself, staring at the entrance to Hogsmeade every now and then and back, he could remember it's exactly where they had started going out.
A tiny smile clung to his lips as he savoured the memory.
It had been in the winter during his seventh year, three months after he had first started asking her out, that she finally confessed she liked him, too. But even so, Sirius was pretty sure that it wasn't exactly when she had fallen for him, though she wouldn't admit it.
His smile broadened he shifted his mind to think over what had happened in these few days. And he wondered when Rainzzi had fallen in love with him again this time. He suspected that Rainzzi hadn't fallen for him again just recently, not in the dilapidated restroom in the Ministry, and probably not in the pub where he found her last night. The only problem all along had been to make Rainzzi recognise her own feeling and admit it.
Sirius had assumed, for a stubborn woman like her, it could be frightening to discover that her feeling was turning dependent on someone other than herself and it had become a major obstacle in trying to reconcile with her. He had tried everything to overcome it and found his effort in vain, but sarcastically, her political engagement with Brice Fudge seemed to have acted as a turning point. As much as he hate to admit it, Sirius couldn't help thinking maybe the engagement was a blessing in disguise as he spotted Rainzzi emerging from Hogwarts' direction.
He apparated to just where she was, and it made her jump.
"You scare me!" said Rainzzi, though she didn't really look scared. Spontaneously they interchanged a little grin, before she looked away. She lowered her voice when she spoke again. "Have you had the Apparation monitoring system taken care of?"
"Yes," Sirius said, patting his pocket inside which the invisibility cloak lay. "So, what did Dumbledore say? He believes you aren't behind the engagement, doesn't he?"
"He knows Cornelius Fudge too well to suspect me."
"Just checking. Actually," he added, glancing around to see if somebody's looking their way, "let's go back to my place before we talk more about it."
To his relief, Rainzzi nodded. He took her hand in his, pulled her close to him and disapparated. Sirius was still holding her hand when he disarmed the locking spells he had imposed on the door.
"So what's Dumbledore planning to do?" said Sirius once they were safely inside his house.
Rainzzi shrugged as she sat down on the comfy sofa. "Reading between lines, I think he's turned entirely faithless in Fudge's government and he kind of tipped me that some seniors of the Ministry are plotting a gradual coup d'etat to throw Fudge and his confidants out of office. So all Dumbledore has got to do is to do nothing to retain Fudge and make sure the next Minister is a more capable and co-operative candidate."
"About time," Sirius said curtly.
She hesitated for a bit as she appeared to be weighing whether to tell whatever it was that she's got in mind. "Sirius," said Rainzzi eventually, "There's something I think I have got to tell you."
She sounded so serious that Sirius swivelled round from where he was redoing the locks to gaze at her. "Yeah? Go on." He stared at her fixedly as he settled besides her; he's got the impression that it wouldn't be good news.
Rainzzi took a deep breath before she began slowly. "I have decided…I mean, I know it's more or less a matter of time before Cornelius Fudge is thrown out of the Ministry…but still, there are chances that he isn't…not soon enough." Sirius had a sick suspicion that he knew where this was going. "And…should the time come when it becomes necessary that I marry Brice Fudge in order to keep abreast of the Ministry's moves. I have decided I will do it. And before you jump to the wrong conclusion, I want to emphasise that it's my own decision, Dumbledore didn't force me into it. He hasn't even said anything about it."
Instead of what she might have expected, Sirius didn't protest at once, he just met her eyes intently, as though trying to read her mind. His calmness surprised even himself.
"I understand," said Sirius flatly, more to himself than to her. It wasn't the first time he had experienced war. He had witnessed lots of cases where people gradually surrender to the sake of personal welfare when faced with an extreme dilemma. And for that reason alone, he admired her more than he had ever had, for her unconditional allegiance for the Order.
"I can understand that," Sirius repeated, "I guess in times like this, we'll always have to prioritise the big picture, won't we?" he sighed, squeezing her hand slightly. "But believe me when I say this, I will do all it takes to twist the situation before you have to marry anyone you don't like."
For a long moment, they held each other's eyes in an intense stare.
"Thanks, Sirius. I appreciate it," Rainzzi whispered, looking quite sentimental. She leaned over unexpectedly and pressed her lips on his, laying down a short, tender kiss. There was nothing like that kiss. They were kissing this time not because she's miserable and confused or because he was trying desperately to prove something to both of them. They kissed purely because they liked each other. Instinctively Sirius wrapped his arms around her waist, holding her delicately as though he was afraid he would hurt her.
When Rainzzi pulled away, she held his stare for a brief moment. He noticed she was blushing slightly, and judging by the smug look on her face, he could tell she was quite satisfied, too, and this brought a smile to his lips.
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"So, Rainzzi," said Sirius, as he handed her a cup of coffee, "What're you going to do now?" He deliberately avoided mentioning the fact that she was removed from the Auror Department, which would probably ruin the atmosphere.
"I dunno. Take up more responsibilities for the Order maybe," said Rainzzi, in a bored tone, but then she brightened. "In fact, Dumbledore wants me to talk to my brother."
"What? Talk to Sunny?"
She looked up at him in astonishment, "Why? Do you know him?"
"Of course I know him," said Sirius matter-of-factly, but then it occurred to him that perhaps it was not at all obvious for Rainzzi after all. "Sunny used to be the only one in your family who approved of us."
"Really?" Rainzzi sounded only vaguely interested.
"Yes. At first, your parents just turned a blind eye to us when they found out; I bet they didn't expect the relationship to last. It wasn't until you graduated from Hogwarts that they started to interfere. But Sunny was all supportive of us, he had kind of egged you on to rebel against your parents. In fact, the house besides this was bought by Sunny as your eighteenth birthday present."
"Uh-huh."
If he was expecting any answer, it clearly wasn't that. Her lack of enthusiasm in the topic had somewhat disappointed him. Sirius glanced at her; Rainzzi was staring as the coffee in the cup swirled around and she had got a faraway on her face. She took a sip of the coffee uncomfortably when she realised he was scrutinising her. She grimaced as she swallowed down the drink.
"One and a half spoonful of sugar," said Sirius, grinning, "Just how you like it."
Rainzzi raised her brows before she shook her head mildly, "In fact, I like black coffee. I never add sugar."
"Sorry, I must have remembered it wrongly," Sirius apologised quickly. But that wasn't the truth. He had lost track of the number of times that they had made drinks together, and every time she insisted on adding one and a half spoonful of sugar, no more, no less, whether it's a glass of milk or apple juice, or a cup of coffee. It was always the same, and then they would share the drink though Sirius had never got a liking for sugar.
"Let me make another one for you," Sirius reached for her cup, but stopped in his track when Rainzzi tugged on his hand.
"I watched myself in Dumbledore's pensieve today," she said awkwardly and paused. "I was seventeen at that time."
"Did you?" he asked, looking more excited than ever, although he knew right away that he wouldn't be involved as he had already left school when she was seventeen. Sirius listened intently when she began to explain in detail what she had seen in Dumbledore's pensieve, every single flow of conversation. Sirius glanced at her in concern surreptitiously when she got to the part where her mother got infuriated and slapped her right across her cheek, but surprisingly, she looked more puzzled than troubled.
Sirius was touching her cheek slightly as she finished. "Actually, I am not upset by the way my mother treated me," Rainzzi stated truthfully.
"I am just sorry that of all the wonderful scenes, you've to witness this one." Which was true, like what he had reminded her, the part of life where her parents had been involved was by no standard memorable, whilst she herself had admitted the time they spent together was much more valuable.
Sirius observed her relaxed facial features hesitantly; he had always been waiting for the appropriate moment so that the suggestion wouldn't appear at odds. And now that she had brought it up, the time seemed to be ripe for suggesting again. "Rainy," he said softly, "Wanna have a go in my pensieve? I am sure it will be more interesting."
All of a sudden, Rainzzi turned rigid, and for some reason, she looked almost appalled, and somewhat frightened by the idea. "Is that necessary?" she eyed him with fatigue, "now that we're back together?"
"I just think it won't hurt," Sirius said quietly.
Rainzzi hesitated. "Maybe later." She gave a yawn, and stood up abruptly, "I have to go back to the Mansion."
He didn't make her stay, both because he understood she just needed to be make appearance at her parents' house and he had the impression that she was evading the issue. And as much as he wanted to unmask the past with her, he just let her be, as he didn't want to pressurise her; the newfound relationship was just precious to risk.
However, after Rainzzi had apparated, Sirius couldn't help imagining how many joyful moments his pensieve could reveal as he leaned back and rested his head on the sofa.
A/N: I apologise for the long wait, I am terribly sorry about it… Well, to tell the truth, I have had a big debate against myself whether I should update this story or not. Don't take me wrong, I totally love this story, and I know where it's heading, it's just that I haven't updated for like 9 months, and I don't know whether anyone is still interested in it. So I am basically testing her. Please, if you read this, leave me a review. I know, if it turned out that everyone has lost their interest, I've probably brought it on myself, and I promise I'll shut up.
But before I actually shut up, I'll give you a trailer here. Two chapters from this, Rainzzi will actually go into Sirius's pensieve, and the chapter will be called "Sirius's best memory", but the outcome may not be what you think. (Coughs) I am telling you this because after reading this chapter, you'll all hate me for keeping her away from the pensieve. And I don't want you to lose interest in it (that's, assuming you still have some) just because of this. So…sorry again I love you all.