Grim Convictions, Book 1: Relics of the Founders

by HarlanSpindlewheel

Elsbeth Ledoux is the perfect example of a pureblood princess. Well, at least on the outside. Feeling troubled by her family's beliefs and their growing involvement with a powerful dark wizard, Elsbeth begins to question her reality and is faced with an impossible decision. Blood is thicker than water - will she let it sink her? [Marauders Era] [OCxSiriusB.]

9. Chapter 9: Survive

Back, back, back again! Some plot building! Some drama! Some... romance? Oh boyyy. As always, please fav, follow, and review if you enjoy! :)

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- SURVIVE -

"Are you sure you're okay to be walking like this?" Regulus was having trouble keeping up with me as I bounded up the stairs.

Admittedly, I was a little out of breath, only made worse by the pudding I had scarfed down at dinner. At the seventh floor landing, I paused, waiting for him to catch up. I had asked him to come with me to show him something, something I was very excited about based on the information I had gathered over the past few days about it. If it was correct, we would finally be on our way to some sort of theory about this 'mystery' at hand. But that aside, I knew me being out of breath wasn't what Regulus was talking about.

"It's been weeks, Reggie" I rolled my eyes at him. "I'm fine."

After our snafu in the bathroom on my birthday, I had woken up a few hours later in a bed in the Hospital Wing. Andromeda and Byron were laid beside me, both in their own beds as they recovered as well. We were soon joined by everyone else, including the Ravenclaw boys who attacked us. While they had taken a bit longer to get back on their feet, Madame Pomfrey had discharged the rest of us in under a day. My hip had been sore for a few more days after that but I had completely recovered since then. Physically, at least.

Emotionally, I was kind of a wreck. The story, come up by James, was that all the boys present had engaged in a friendly duel that got out of hand due to the competitive nature of the bunch. Then, Andromeda and I had merely stumbled across it and, in our efforts to put an end to it, had gotten caught in the crossfires. It was actually a brilliant idea as, despite my loathing of Frost and his companions, I didn't want to see anyone else expelled. Though I would never admit that.

Lucius visited me once, for about ten minutes, while I was in the Hospital Wing. It was curt and cold, clear that neither of us really wanted to talk to one another. And we hadn't since. In fact, I had completely ignored everyone I interacted with that night except for Regulus and Andromeda. I was still on rocky ground with the Marauders and, meanwhile, there was still a bit of resentment for my brother and 'fiancee' for putting us in a position to get attacked. The only good that came from it was that my relationship with both Regulus and Andromeda had flourished. I spent most of my free time with them, overjoyed that I no longer really had to interact with my dormmates. But nonetheless, my heart almost ached every time I crossed paths with the rest of them. With the exception of Lucius, of course.

"If you say so," he sighed in resignation. "So are you going to tell me where we're going or?"

"Follow me," I smiled, a little giddy.

We turned corner after corner, traveling down multiple corridors of chatty portraits and students lounging to study together. We came to a fork and I realized I actually didn't one hundred percent know where I was going. The last time I saw this thing I had been led in all sorts of directions before storming out of the Room of Requirement and taking even more twists and turns. It was pure accident that I had found it in the first place but I didn't realize it would be this hard to find again.

"Are we lost?" Regulus asked comically.

"Yes," I groaned in annoyance. "But I know it's around here somewhere.

I decided left was the way to go, which led us down an insanely long corridor. At the end, there was only one way to turn so I took it confidently. Another fork at the end of that one, so I took another left. Finally, we reached a happy sight.

"Ah ha!" I yelled out, joyously.

We were standing in front of the high ceilinged wall that I knew was the entryway to the Room of Requirement. It was a bittersweet sight and I wondered if the Marauders were behind there now, talking about Quidditch or perhaps the end of the world.

"We were looking for a wall?" Regulus asked, staring at me as if I was crazy.

"No. But now I know where I am. Follow me!"

I turned abruptly, following the path I took that night so many weeks ago. My eyes no longer clouded by tears, I was able to see the beautiful portraits and structures that lined these corridors. It seemed like a particular effort was put into this part of the castle for some reason, with an elaborate statue positioned every few paces. And the portraits were interesting too. Like the statues, not a single one of them was of a person but they all depicted magical or other creatures of some sort.

"Here we go!" I stopped suddenly in front of a statue. "This is it."

Regulus' once again looked at me like I was going a little batty when he saw what I was pointing out.

"A troll?" He asked skeptically. "That's what you were so adamant about showing me?"

"Not just any troll. A forest troll! Look."

I kneeled down so I was practically face level with the base of the statue. The linework that formed runes now meant so much more to me after what I learned in recent days. With a probably deranged-looking smile, I traced them with my fingers before turning to look at Regulus.

"Are you sure you didn't hit your head in battle?" He smirked.

"Merlin… Just come here," I grabbed his hand and yanked him down so that we were now both sitting in front of the base of the statue. "It's a forest troll and these are forest troll runes. Take a look at this."

Pulling the journal from my satchel, I set it in front of us and he watched as I flipped through the pages rapidly. Bypassing the first entries about plants, etc., I finally landed on the page I was looking for. It was a diagram of Hufflepuff's Cup, surrounded by notes and runes as was usual for these entries in the journal.

"I thought that all these runes were aquatic, given their intricate linework," I traced them to emphasize this point as he looked over them as well. "But a couple of these are actually earth. Take a look at these."

I moved back to the statue, pointing out a couple of the symbols before moving back to the book.

"These almost match up with these," I said while Regulus nodded.

"Almost?" He asked.

"I think the ones on the statue might be a little modified because they're troll variants. But we can assume they mean the same thing for now."

"Well, great. Now if only we knew what they actually did mean."

"We do," I smiled smugly. Reaching back into my satchel, I pulled out a folded piece of parchment. "I've been working with Professor Babbling under the guise that this is independent research."

"Wow," he said, mouth agape. "That's actually kind of brilliant."

"Why do you sound so surprised?" I pretended to be offended as I unwrapped the parchment. "Turns out the runes on the statue are actually various snippets from an ancient forest troll poem."

"A poem? You're kidding."

"Trolls can have literary culture too, you know."

"Sure," he said, unconvinced. "Well go on. What's it say?"

"The lonely troll travels on

To forbidden lands where none reside.

With a wife, he had three sons and

One daughter who died long ago.

But he found no comfort amongst

The family he left behind.

So now he wanders aimlessly,

Looking for what he lost before.

Always searching, never finding.

He'll die within the trees."

Regulus' face became comically disturbed as the poem went on. After I finished, he didn't say a word, seemingly lost in thought as his features remained frozen. I waited for him to process, giving him the chance to respond first.

"A little clunky," he finally said and I rolled my eyes. Classic that he would choose that to focus on. "Definitely not a masterpiece."

"I'm told it flows better in its native tongue," I said flatly. "But you're missing the point."

"No, I think I got it… Troll dies, the end. What else is there?"

"Remember how I said that I think the whole point of this research was to find the artifacts?" I sighed in annoyance while he just nodded. "I think all of these runes that she wrote down are clues that she discovered. Whoever hid them laid out the runes in such a way that it mixed and switched them up in some sort of pattern that, when strewn together as a whole, revealed where the artifact was."

"Well, that's great!" He said, enthusiastic for the first time since we sat down. "So all we have to do is translate them and we're good to go, yeah?"

"No. That would be too easy," I frowned. "I don't think she found all the clues before she… stopped researching it. But I do think she found the cup. And I think I know where."

"No way," he breathed as a proud smile overtook my features. "That's wicked. Where?"

"So!" I started, excited to share my intel with him. After all, we'd been working so hard together to get somewhere the past few weeks. We met often to comb over books of runes and information about the founders. And now we finally had a lead. "Take a look at the runes of the poem."

I placed the parchment right beside the runes in the margin. His finger flitted between the parchment and the page, already trying to calculate which ones matched. Before he got the chance, I decided to expedite the process, pointing between a few of them.

"There's three," I began. "'Forbidden,' 'family,' and 'lost.'"

"Okay…" He said hesitantly, trying to figure out if he was missing something. "I'm not catching on, if I'm being honest."

"That's because you have to look at them collectively with the other runes, remember?" I removed the parchment, pulling out a quill to mark down the translation of the ones we knew in the journal itself. "So take a look at this one."

I pointed to another rune on the page with similar lines. Seeing them all together, it was no wonder I had jumped to the assumption that they were all the same kind. It was shocking how elemental runes looked so related.

"I recognize from class that it's a saltwater variant of aquatic runes," I continued. "It means 'reef,' but it can also be translated as 'forest' if it refers to something on land. Which, if my theory is correct and in combination with the translation of the poem runes, I think that means these point to where the cup is hidden."

"The Forbidden Forest," he said with a determined realization.

"Exactly," I confirmed proudly.

"That is absolutely brilliant."

"I know I am," I chuckled.

"But," he hesitated as I wrote down the translation of the saltwater rune beside it. "What does that have to do with 'family' and 'lost'?"

"That I have no clue about," I shrugged. "I honestly just needed a breather from figuring out the other thing."

"So why don't we just have Babbling translate everything in the journal? Wouldn't that make things easy?"

"Are you kidding?" I looked at him incredulously. "Do you know how suspicious that would be? No way."

"Alright, true," he sighed. "So where do we go from here?"

"We've got to figure out what the rest of these mean… At least enough to find out exactly where in the Forbidden Forest it is. It isn't exactly small."

"True that," he ran a hand through his hair as he stared off in thought. He pointed at some of the other runes on the page. "Do you have any idea what kind of runes the rest of these are?"

"There are definitely some other aquatic ones…" I said pensively as I looked over them. "But not sure about the others. I'm assuming there's more earth variants but can't really be certain."

"Maybe they're all elemental? I would check fire and air variants as well."

"That's actually pretty smart… Color me impressed, Reggie."

"Ugh," he groaned at the nickname as always. "Do you want to hear what I found out?"

"Yes!" I said excitedly.

Before he spoke, I flipped to the page in the journal where we had been keeping our own notes. I crossed through a couple of them that we found as debunked and then also wrote down the observation about elemental runes. The last time we met, I had assigned Regulus to do a little more research on the founders to see if there were any known areas they frequented that we could use as a lead.

"Well," he began, straightening as I prepped to write things down. "I couldn't find too much on their usual haunts. They were your standard purebloods. Galas galore and so forth… But beyond that, they spent most of their time at Hogwarts, really."

"Okay," I said with a nod. "Not a lot to go on there."

"Right," he confirmed, a smile growing on his face. It was an indication that he was onto something. "But I did find out something interesting about the diadem. It turns out, we know exactly when it went missing and where it went."

"Really?" I couldn't help but interrupt. "That's amazing."

"Really. Rowena had a daughter, Helena, who was jealous of the power the diadem gave her mother. And it's kind of hard to blame her. She had to go to school here with her mother overseeing everything with the strength of the diadem. And apparently, Rowena made it a very public issue that there was nothing Helena could do to make her proud… Anyway, one day Helena asked to borrow the diadem for a gala or something and Rowena obliged. But our dear founder was misled by her daughter. Helena took it and ran, her and the diadem never to be seen again."

"How do you know this?" I paused from writing.

"The Grey Lady," he smirked.

"What are you on about?

"The Grey Lady is Helena Ravenclaw. And I've talked to her. "

"No way," I felt my jaw drop to the floor. "How'd you figure that out?"

"Because of the Bloody Baron," my notes were a mess at this point as he continued. "He was in love with Helena… And then, on her deathbed, Rowena sent him to find her. He eventually tracked Helena down and, when she refused to return with him, he stabbed her to death. Then, completely distraught, he also killed himself. So it makes it kind of obvious now, the way he follows her around, asking for forgiveness and hoping that she'll eventually love him back. But she told me that's never going to happen."

"That's kind of twisted," I frowned as I processed everything. "How did you even know to seek out the ghosts?"

"I translated some very old text about Hogwarts history. The ghosts only appeared at Hogwarts after the Baron and Helena's deaths. Those who knew them and what was going on put two and two together… But somehow, that knowledge was lost as time went on. They only became known as the nicknames the students at the time gave them. I don't think Helena is too bothered by it, really. Must have been torture to return to this place where your mother overshadowed you at every turn. So she'd rather live anonymously."

"Hmm," I thought through it all, writing snippets down here and there until I was satisfied. "It's so sad."

"Which part?"

"Loving someone so much that you want to kill them because they don't want you back," I sighed. "But on the flip side, being killed because someone loved you so intensely seems totally worse."

"A lose-lose situation, indeed," he joined me in frowning. "But on the bright side, Helena told me where she took the diadem."

"Where?" My mood brightened at the sound of it but was quickly shot down at his response.

"Albania."

"Ugh!" I groaned, throwing the quill to the side. "How are we going to get to Albania?"

"I don't think we need to," he replied simply. "She said I wasn't the only student to ask her about the diadem. That someone awhile ago came poking around. Someone also in Slytherin. It may very well no longer be in Albania."

"But that gets us further away from knowing… And who else would be searching for the diadem?"

"I'm not sure," he said simply. "Another mystery it would seem. But there is a connection to Slytherin in all this."

"How so?"

"When I was researching and translating, there were a lot of details about the founders' interests. Helga was keen on Herbology, Rowena had a talent for Charms, Godric was gifted in Transfiguration, and Salazar…"

"Knew a lot about Ancient Runes," I finished, catching on.

"Exactly," he mimicked me with a smile.

"So you think it's him who hid everything?"

"It's possible," he shrugged. "He was insanely pissed at the rest of the founders when they kicked him out. Wouldn't be surprised if he stole their most precious artifacts."

I scratched my head, more confused than ever. Sure, we had uncovered a lot today and things were starting to fall in place. But with every clue we solved, it opened a floodgate of things we still needed to figure out. Where was the cup in the forest? Was the diadem still in Albania? Who was this mysterious Slytherin poking around? Why was my grand aunt even researching all of this?

"Ugh, my head hurts," I said, rubbing my eyes.

"Hey," he clapped a friendly hand on my shoulder and I met his playful grey eyes. "Let's call it quits on this for tonight, yeah? We got through a lot."

"And then raised so many more questions," I said with a dry chuckle.

"Eh, that's how it always works, isn't it?" He joined me with a laugh of his own.

We fell into a comfortable silence as I finished up a written recap in the journal. Regulus looked at the poem on the parchment as I flipped back and forth between diagrams and our notes, making sure to especially highlight everything he had told me about the diadem. Eventually, I felt his eyes back on me, watching intently as I looked through the pages. It was unyielding, eventually making me stop what I was doing and look up at him.

"What do you think of this?" He asked, holding up the parchment.

"Of the poem?" He nodded at the question. "It's sad, I guess. The troll is going to be alone for the rest of his life… and then he dies alone as well."

"Yeah… I wonder what he was looking for."

"Can't say. Maybe the rest of the poem does."

"Hmm," he replied absentmindedly as he stared at it once more. We moved back into silence for a moment and I continued writing. But eventually, he continued quietly. "But he had a family… Why would he leave it behind?"

I stopped abruptly, looking at him. His eyes were sad as he gazed at it. It struck something upsetting within me, looking at him like this, and I knew we had switched topics. I wondered if something had changed that night in the bathroom. If they had finally come together once more and come to some sort of subconscious understanding.

"Are we still talking about a troll?" I asked sadly.

"A certain kind of one, yeah," I was amazed at his ability to still throw out a joke despite the conversation topic. "Have you talked to him?"

"Have you?" I flipped it back to him with raised eyebrows. Part of me was really hoping that they had rekindled their relationship somehow.

"I hadn't really talked to him in years before that night… So, no," He leaned back on the wall, eyes off into space. "Quit dodging."

"No, I haven't," I sighed, closing the journal and locking it. "And I don't really plan on it."

"Why not?"

"Why would I?"

"Oh, come on, Beth," he smiled. "They wouldn't have given a Bowtruckle's bum about helping out that night if they didn't care. And you make it seem like I haven't told you that I know you've been meeting up with them."

There was no other retort I could give besides a wary glance in his direction. To be honest, there was really no reason not to talk to them given how they saved my life and all. But I wasn't willing to bend so easily. James had had the opportunity to discuss everything but had yet to do so. And I wasn't willing to let his lackeys do the work. I knew too many boys who did that already. However, it didn't make me feel any less worse when Sirius had visited me secretly in the Hospital Wing, asking for us to all talk and I had flatly turned him down.

"Then I'll talk to him if you do," I raised my eyes in challenge, knowing he never would. "You were the one willing to bring them along."

"As if I had a choice," he reached out a foot to kick me playfully. However, his face fell soon after. "But nevertheless, I guess that means you actually will never talk to them again."

"Well, the new year's coming up," I gave a sad smile. "Perfect time for change and all that. At least that's what I've been told."

"There's been a couple of opportunities, then…" He said, less jovial. "Mustn't have gotten the note until now."

He tried to keep his face more neutral now as he processed these emotions but I had learned how to read right through him. Over our past few weeks of friendship, we'd been able to break into moments like this. Where we would open up to one another. Usually, it might take others years to come to this level of understanding but for us it had been easy. We were the same kind of people stuck in the same situation with our only stable outlet being one another. Sure, I had Andromeda now too but at the end of the day, she also had Ted who was tied to the 'other side.' Regulus and I didn't have that outlet. At least not anymore.

"He does miss you, you know," I said sadly. "In his own Sirius way. Leaving was hard for him, I think. Because of you."

"Well then he shouldn't have gone," he said flatly, steeling his features as I hit the nerve.

"No, but," I hesitated, twiddling my fingers. "Think about if he'd still been with you all when You-Know-Who started recruiting… He'd probably be dead by now. Because you know he would have rather died than sign-on. He's not got those survival instincts like yourself. He runs on his gut, not his mind."

"I guess," he picked at his shoelace for a second. After a moment, he dropped it, a smirk coming across his face. "Is this you flirting with me?"

"Oh, get off it," I giggled.

"What? Ever since I told you, you've been picking up the charm! Wooing me. But it shan't work!"

"Oh, you've caught me," I said sarcastically. "And you're totally not trying to divert to a different subject or anything."

Last week, Regulus had let it slip that he did in fact fancy someone, it just wasn't me. It was unintentional and he was unwilling to cave and tell me who it was, so naturally, I brought it up often. However he, clever as he was, had turned my antics against me. Now conversations went like this, with him accusing me of 'trying to win him over' whenever he was bored or trying to detract from the subject at hand.

"Got me again," he smiled. He looked me over once more, a sad smirk playing on his lips. "You know, he looks at you a lot."

"Who?" I asked, thinking he had shifted subjects.

"My brother. In between classes, at meals… I can't tell what he's thinking but he's definitely staring at you quite frequently. Surprised you haven't noticed"

"Odd," I just said simply with a shrug. In truth, I had noticed this behavior by Sirius, and every day I had to work to not let it affect me. Nevertheless, I felt a flush rise to my cheeks.

"Maybe he's trying to get your attention… In his own Sirius way," he mimicked me playfully. "I think if he wants to talk to anyone or make any sorts of amends to anyone, it's you."

"Sure," I sighed.

Regulus was on it again, using that analytical brain to connect dots that he wasn't even supposed to know about. Even if I hadn't told him much of anything that had happened between his brother and me, he had noticed something was off. I hoped that it was just him and no other more important, or otherwise dangerous, parties.

"But anyway, going to tell me who it is yet?" I smirked, changing the subjects back to something more interesting.

"You know I won't."

"Ugh," I groaned in mock frustration. I scooted back so that I was leaning on the wall across from him. "Not even a hint?"

"Where's the fun in that?"

"You're the worst," I grimaced which only made him laugh. "Fine. Then I'll just have to move us on to less exciting subjects… Heard anything more from those on high?"

"Ugh," it was his turn to groan. "Not really, no. They're still being detained somewhere by the Ministry. The trial's been going on for ages now…"

News about an attempted attack on the Headmaster had spread like wildfire around the castle and was still blazing even now, weeks after it had taken place. It was only made worse by the involvement of the Ministry shortly after that night.

After leaving the Hospital Wing, I had heard surprisingly little about it for a few days, even amongst those within my house. Regulus had no idea what had happened, making it a situation of either stupid Slytherins being bold or a very classified effort for those acting on a need-to-know basis. However, two weeks ago the Ministry had arrived at Hogwarts' doors. They were here for almost two days, questioning various students until, finally, they left. Leaving with them were Mulciber, Craggy, and Lucius. To say I wasn't surprised would be an understatement.

"I'm still really curious as to why they didn't ask you anything," he said. "I mean, he is your fiancee."

"Beats me," I shrugged. "Maybe they also know the entire thing is a sham."

We moved into silence as he looked at me closely. He donned the facial expression he always did when he was 'analyzing' me or someone else. It had bothered me when I first realized exactly what he was doing but I was used to it now.

"Are you ever going to tell me what happened?" He asked seriously. "It's been 'later' for a while now."

"There's nothing to be done about it," I sighed. "So there's no sense in knowing."

"Maybe to you," he shrugged. "But try me. I have a knack for surprising people after all."

It was my turn to look at him. He was leaning casually, arm draped over the base of the troll statue. His face, per usual, was hard to read. It was flat, stoic, like he knew any movement would give away what he was thinking. He was an expert in that way but I'd learned how to read him a little better. While he appeared casual now, there was a certain aura of anticipation about him. He really wanted to know.

"Fine," I started twiddling with my thumbs as he smiled in success. "But this stays between us."

"Wouldn't dare breathe a word," he put a hand over his heart.

"Well," I said, struggling with where to begin. I decided to just make the tale short and sweet. "I was on patrol. The night before… You know, everything that happened. We ran into Peeves and he, hilariously to him, led us to…"

I paused, suddenly unsure if I really did want to tell him. The overwhelming embarrassment about the whole situation flooded over me. Only made worse by the fact that Lucius didn't seem to want to make amends either. Even before he was snatched up by the Ministry, we had avoided one another. No doubt this was noticeable by our fellow classmates.

"To…?" He asked, grabbing my attention.

"To Lucius snogging Narcissa. Quite out in the open, too."

With a sigh in defeat, I watched as his mouth dropped open. It only lasted for a second before his jaw clenched shut, his eyes going dark.

"I hope the Ministry sends him to Azkaban," he seethed.

"That would make it easy, wouldn't it?" I said playfully but the joke fell flat.

"I'm serious," he ran a rough hand through his long hair. He really should start wearing it up, it was getting out of hand. "What a piece of scum… How can you be so calm about this?"

"Because I knew it was all fake anyway… If only I could break things off with him and just let them get married. Then somebody would be happy around here."

"Maybe you can," he said seriously.

"No," I replied sternly. "I can't."

"Why?"

Another heavy sigh. I considered if perhaps I'd already spilled too much information to him. At this point though, I was too emotionally exhausted to consider the consequences.

"He's got plans for us," I finally said. "Big ones that I don't want to be a part of but have no choice in the matter."

"Merlin," he breathed. His gaze had turned sad and I could tell he was pitying me. "You're going to suffer for the rest of your life, Beth."

"Thank you for reminding me," I grimaced.

"Sorry… I just… I just wish I could help."

"Well, there is one thing you could do for me," I said seriously.

"Oh, yeah?" His eyes lit up at the thought of it. "What's that?"

"Tell me who it is," I smiled as I avoided a crumpled parchment aimed for my head.

"Oh, be serious!" He implored. "This is our shitty lives we're talking about."

"Yeah, speaking of which," I said, uncrumpling the parchment that had almost hit me. It looked like some discarded Astronomy homework. "Why aren't you engaged yet? Also, you somehow misplaced Orion. You would think you would know where your own dad is in the sky."

"Yeah, I know I did. That's how I flunked the assignment," he snatched it back. "And I'm not sure, to be honest. I think they're just trying to find 'the one' considering how high profile it'll be. The only legitimate son of the House of Black… Have to be matched with the right lass to carry on the family name."

"That's rough," my nose crinkled as if I was smelling something foul. "Well, why not tell them about your little crush? She might be the perfect fit."

"I can absolutely assure you that she is not," his voice was playful but he also slumped a little, pulling at the parchment.

"Oh, no," I frowned, catching on. "She's not a pureblood?"

"And it gets worse," he grumbled. "She's not even in Slytherin."

"You're kidding…"

"I wish I was. But I just can't help it… Every time I see her, I just get that feeling, you know? Only made worse by the fact that she's kind and intelligent and," he hesitated, actually blushing. It was a shocking sight. "Very pretty."

His face was lighting up at the thought of her, despite his slight embarrassment at the admission of it all. The slight smile that formed on his face accompanied by the nervous fiddling of his fingers warmed my heart. He really was quite smitten, wasn't he? It reminded me of his cousin whenever she talked about Ted. Salazar, these Blacks really couldn't seem to fall in love with the right people. They were either seeking out forbidden fruit or snatching others' fiancees.

"Well," I smiled at him kindly. "She'd be a lucky lady. Under different circumstances, of course."

"Thanks," he said genuinely. "But what about you? There's got to be someone. I just can't accept that there's no one you fancy around here."

"There's really not," I tried to sound convincing but even I admitted that it didn't come off that way.

He narrowed his eyes, once again trying to see if he could read me. But there was nothing to uncover when it came to this subject. At least that's what I kept trying to tell myself. But those feelings that he just 'got' whenever he was around this mystery lady had made me wonder if that's what I was feeling in those rare moments between Sirius and myself. But every time I traversed down that rabbit hole, I had to swiftly yank myself out.

It's not like I'd never dated before. In the times before my engagement, I had done the whole teenager thing. Date someone here, snog someone there. But it was never anything serious. Most of the time it was just to appease the masses, as someone like me couldn't go her entire school life without a single date. Especially amongst our inner circle. We liked to call it 'shopping,' going around and trying different people out. And, if you were lucky enough, someone you actually found attractive might end up being your husband or wife-to-be. Clearly, I hadn't gotten so lucky.

So yeah, I knew what it was like to fancy someone. But none of them had made me feel such an intense spark like Sirius had during our more intimate moments. Which, I think, is another reason I didn't want to talk to them any longer. I wasn't going to be the one to be heartbroken for the rest of my life over a boy I could never have. It was better to enter into my union with Lucius unattached emotionally. That's the only way I could survive.

"Sure," he said, standing up with a grunt. Holding out a hand, he helped me to my feet as well. "I'm going to get it out of you one day, Beth. I know there's someone, I just haven't figured it out yet… But you know finding out things is my area of expertise."

With a roll of my eyes, we set off back towards the dungeon. We chatted about lessons and I poked fun at him for not making Prefect, especially considering Flint had won out over him in his year. My hand subconsciously slipped up to the pearl necklace I now wore every day. Partly because I didn't want any of my dormmates to steal it and partly because it was a happy reminder of finally having a friend around here.

"Oh, I meant to tell you," he said as we reached the landing for the main floor. "Mother dearest is hosting a dinner at our house over the Christmas holiday. She's planning on inviting you all so I just wanted to give you time to mentally prepare yourself."

"Oh, wow," I said in mock astonishment. "Finally being invited to the esteemed House of Black."

"It's a true honor," he smirked. "Only bestowed upon a few."

"Is it true you guys live in a Muggle neighborhood?"

"It is, ironically enough."

"I don't know how Walburga breathes."

"Oh, it's definitely going to kill her eventually -" He stopped short as we were about to go down the stairs to the dungeons. "Good evening, Professors."

Professor Slughorn and Professor McGonagall were talking in hushed voices near the top of the staircase. Their heads popped up at Regulus's voice, a wary smile crossing the formers's face. The tart faced woman approached us with haste, reaching into her robes and pulling out a purple envelope. She stopped abruptly right in front of us, actually making me step back a bit from her proximity.

"Ah!" Professor McGonagall exclaimed, completely ignoring Regulus. I always thought she didn't like us Slytherins. "Miss Ledoux, what a happy coincidence. I have something for you."

She handed me the envelope. It was soft to the touch, almost velvety, and quite heavy. On the front, foiled in a darker purple was a regal 'M' which I knew as the insignia of the Ministry. I flipped it over and saw that it was shut neatly with a golden wax seal that shimmered in the candlelight. I looked back up to her expectantly as if she would tell me what was going on but she just stared back at me with a sharp face and raised eyebrows.

"I've just spoken to Professor Slughorn," she continued. "And he will inform the rest of your Professors of your absence, coordinating with them about how you can make up your coursework. You shall be collected tomorrow morning and will travel to the Ministry by floo."

And with that, she gave us a nod in dismissal and returned to her conversation with Professor Slughorn as they continued down a different corridor. Regulus and I shared a confused look before I turned back to the letter. With a satisfying tug on the wax seal, it pulled off in one piece, probably charmed so as to not break and therefore rip apart the insignia imprinted within the wax.

Inside was a folded memo, made up of thick parchment, creased immaculately to fit perfectly inside. It was just as luxurious and pleasing to the touch as the envelope. Clearly, the Ministry spared no expense when it came to stationary. I pulled it out and opened it, quickly reading through the elegant writing that took over the page. The memo ended with a signature by some member of the Wizengamot and I had to reread it once more to make sure I understood the legal mumbo jumbo. At the realization of what it was, I gave out a loud groan before handing it over to Regulus.

"What is it?" He asked, taking it and beginning to read.

"It's an order from the Ministry," I said flatly. "They're calling me to testify in Lucius' trial."

---

My eyes were bloodshot as I stared back at myself in the mirror. I finished dabbing my cheeks with rouge before topping off the look with some red lipstick. I hadn't slept a wink all night, both worried and scared for what I was about to face today. Given I hadn't had any interaction with Lucius the day of the attack or any days thereafter, I wasn't sure why I was being summoned to his trial. Maybe it was just a ploy by our families to make him seem like a family man of some sort.

'Regal' had been the description given to me by a letter from my father this morning at breakfast. Not having been able to eat anyhow, I had rushed back up the dorms and dug through my trunk for at least half an hour to find what I thought would be appropriate to wear. My Slug Club Holiday Party dress was too formal but most everything else felt too casual. I had eventually landed on a nice blazer number but I was still unsure. I didn't have time to think about it as my escorts would be arriving within the hour, after which we would use Dumbledore's private floo to head off to the Ministry.

In front of me loomed a black velvet box, one I knew I was going to have to open up before I headed off. Picking it up, I rotated it between two fingers. For a second, I wondered if I could get away with saying I lost it or had just forgotten it. The thoughts immediately ran from my mind, though, as they were followed closely by the idea of what would happen if I showed up at the Ministry without it.

"Come in!" I spoke out in response to a faint rapping on my door. It opened to reveal my brother carrying a box in his hand and followed closely by a happy sight. "Flippy!"

I stood enthusiastically from the vanity, ignoring my brother completely and squatting in front of the house elf. She was as skinny as I remembered but otherwise no worse for wear. If the Ledouxes had one thing going for them, it was that we didn't torture our elves. She greeted me with a wide smile and teary eyes.

"Miss Elsbeth," she squealed in her high pitched voice. "Flippy is most happy to see you!"

"I'm very happy to see you as well," I said with a large smile. "What are you doing here?"

"Bringing this from mother," Byron intervened. As I stood, he handed over the circular box wrapped in an emerald green bow.

"What could this be?" I asked myself as I set it down on my bed.

Flippy excitedly jumped up to stand next to it, clearly ready to help me with whatever was inside. With a satisfying tug, I removed the lid from the box, unveiling a black velour satin dress that practically melted in my hands as I picked it up. It was long-sleeved with buttons running all down the middle of the back. Without even putting it on, I knew it would fit to a tee, accenting every curve and asset of my body.

"Mother thought you might need something to wear for today," Byron said from his leaned position on the door. I realized that he, too, was dressed up more than usual.

"She was right," I grumbled. Flippy was already unbuttoning the dress in preparation to help me into it. "What're you dressed up for?"

"Did you think I wouldn't be coming with you?"

"What?" I asked, incredulously.

Byron and I hadn't spoken in weeks, why would he be coming with me to the Ministry? While I was grateful for his help that night in the bathroom, I couldn't let that one event overshadow everything that had preceded it. As such, I had decided on ignoring him like most others, despite him trying to talk to me. It was because I knew exactly what he was probably hoping to say. He would tell me to forget things, pretend all was good and well, and love back up with Lucius. But I wasn't ready to return to what was considered normal.

However, his next words crushed some of those theories and sent my heart into a painful spiral.

"I'm not going to leave you alone during this, Beth," he said somberly with a small frown. "I know you might hate me right now, and it's totally warranted, but after everything I've found out… I just want you to know that I'm on your side now. No matter what."

I looked at him intently, careful not to give away any emotions on my face. For the first time in a long time, he did seem genuinely sad. Or at least upset. No longer did he remain stoic or angry at me. It was just a fraction of his older self but a beyond welcome sight. Emotions of the old days, when we were two peas in a pod, came rushing back and my heart swelled. I felt my facade break as my face melted to match his.

"I'll meet you in the common room?" I said quietly.

With a simple nod and small smile, he turned and left, closing the door behind him.

Flippy immediately got to work, stripping me of my robe and slipping the dress on. The cool air struck my skin for only a moment before it was covered with the smooth satin. After assisting me with some dark pantyhose, she began to button up the back. With each clasp, I felt the dress get tighter and, like I had anticipated, it fit me like a glove. However, beautiful as it was, it looked like I was attending a funeral more so than a court hearing.

"Ma'am," Flippy said. "Which jewelry items would you like to wear?"

"Definitely this one," I said without hesitation as I reached down to pick up Regulus' pearl necklace. "And I guess these earrings to match."

As I fastened the pearls onto my ears, Flippy clasped the necklace and it dangled gently around my collarbones. With a sigh, I adjusted everything in the mirror. I tried to delay what came next but as the clock ticked closer to the inevitable, I finally turned back to face the vanity. With hesitant hands, Flippy picked up the velvet box and opened it with a satisfying click, revealing the extravagant ring beneath. It used to be something that I thought symbolized an agreement that we would suffer through this together.

But now I realized it meant nothing at all. With a hard shove, I placed it on my finger.

"That'll do," I smiled down at the house elf. "Could you grab my coat, please?"

"With pleasure, Miss Elsbeth," she replied.

She eagerly went over to my trunk and pulled out a matching black duster. The air was cool enough outside that I would need it. Plus, the Ministry was always freezing. An excuse for the Aurors and alike to storm around in leather trenches. They were intimidating no doubt, but whenever I happened across them, I just found it a bit too flashy. This paired with how cocky they tended to be didn't really give them a good image. It made me worry for Byron who would soon be forced to join their ranks.

We left the dorm, me fiddling with the ring that now felt like a ten-pound weight on my hand. Not wearing it for the past few weeks had been freeing, like this whole situation just didn't exist. But now, having it back on my finger, it felt like there was an invisible chain cuffing me to that rubbish of a human that I was supposed to be in 'love' with as we headed towards the aisle and happy married life. If only everybody knew.

Without a word, Byron joined us from the couch he was lounging on as we reached the common room. As we headed towards the exit, I was painfully aware of the eyes that followed us. Unfortunately, the common room was packed with students either studying or relaxing. Maybe it was just paranoia, but it seemed like some students were just waiting around to see us off. Like they would somehow be able to glean information from us as we walked away to whatever lie ahead.

Once out of the common room, we picked up the pace. I think Byron sensed my anxiety of the surrounding students' obvious looks and understood that I wanted to make it to Dumbledore's office as soon as we could. I practically ran up the stairs from the dungeons, out of breath by the time we reached the top due to the stress my low heels put on my body. By the time we reached the foyer that linked the doors of the Great Hall to the outside courtyard, my body was screaming in protest. I didn't know how I was supposed to climb up the rest of these stairs to reach the Headmaster's office.

"Ledoux!" I heard a call from the courtyard.

Sirius was on his broom, clearly coming from Quidditch practice as he was donning his training uniform and his bun was a mess from its interaction with the wind as he flew around. He landed roughly, which was unlike him. He was usually poised on the broom, gliding around with a rare finesse and grace. With a rough shove, he threw the broom on the ground and stormed over to me.

With a weary look in Byron's direction, I conveyed that I didn't exactly know what to do. He just gave me a worried smile and a small nod, directing Flippy to come wait with him near the main staircases on the other side of the large room. For some reason, his energy seemed nervous. Like he didn't want me to talk with him but really had no choice in this situation. I looked back to Sirius who was now just steps away, a flustered look spread across his features. He didn't even greet me before pulling me to the side and jumping into the meat of the situation.

"You're going to the Ministry?" He said quietly, a little out of breath himself. His eyes surveyed me for half a second. "You look rather… stunning, by the way."

I couldn't help the flush on my face but hoped he wouldn't notice. It was another one of those moments where I just felt that spark despite every fiber in my body trying to push it away.

"Yes," I said flatly, thankful that the hall was rather empty right now. "How'd you even know that?"

"Marauders know everything," he smirked but it fell as I stared at him flatly. "I was with Phoebe Edgecombe this morning and she mentioned overhearing something."

"In other words… You were snogging her and decided to snoop for information while you were at it."

There was a deep frustration that ran through me as I even considered the thought of it. I shouldn't care but this nagging sensation that pulled on my heartstrings. And as I honed in on what I was feeling in an attempt to shove it away, I realized it wasn't exactly frustration. It was jealousy.

"When you say it that way, it makes it sound horrible," he frowned. There was something in his eyes that conveyed that he was genuinely hurt, which only made me feel worse.

"That's because it is quite horrible," I said smugly. "But anyway, was there something that you wanted?"

"Are you in trouble?" He asked with genuine worry. "If this is about that ruckus in the bathroom, they can't do anything. It wasn't your fault. Tell them to call on me and the others. We can help you clear all this up -"

"It's not about that," I sighed, cutting him off as I watched his mind tailspin. "It's about what happened with the Headmaster."

"The Headmaster? Why on earth would they call you for that?"

"I'm not sure…" I said, wandering off into my own thoughts to consider the same question as I had done all night. "Apparently, I'm testifying to something that has to do with Lucius. They weren't that specific in my orders."

"That's preposterous," he spit out through gritted teeth. "Whatever he's accused of, it's probably true."

"I know," I sighed. "But we'll see. I don't know anything about what happened, after all. I was kind of fighting for my life."

I let out a hollow chuckle but he didn't seem happy with the joke.

"This is serious," he said, his usually bright eyes turning dark.

"Yeah," I whispered, clearly defeated.

"Are you scared?" He asked after a moment of silence.

"A little," I said truthfully. I figured there was really no harm in being honest right now. "I don't want to do this."

"I understand," his hand twitched like it was going to fix the fallen hair that came loose from my pinned curls, but he decided against it. "Just be careful, yeah? And please, just let me know what happens. I know we're not on speaking terms right now but I just need to know that you're okay after all this."

We slipped into a mindful silence, neither of us moving from our positions as he clearly waited for me to respond. I took a couple of deep breaths, considering how to answer. While I felt overwhelming sympathy for his emotions, I also found a surprising reaction bubbling to the surface. Unexpectedly to me, I was a little angered by his words.

"Why do you care, Sirius?" I bit out, his eyebrows raising in surprise at my tone. "I'm getting over being confused by your actions and words. I need a clear answer about why you've been so interested in being a 'friend' or whatever this is. I can't be careful if I don't even know what's going on."

He ran a rough hand through the loose strands that had fallen from his bun during practice. Avoiding my gaze, he considered his next words for a long moment. He actually started to fidget as things began to fall into place in his mind. Finally, his eyes locked on mine, painful and hopeful at the same time.

"Do I really need to spell it out for you?" He said quietly.

"Apparently," I just replied flatly.

"I fancy you, Elsbeth. Okay?"

My mouth involuntarily opened in shock as my ears began to ring. It felt like I had taken three steps back to analyze everything that was said up until that point. But now my brain was rapidly trying to catch up and process but it just couldn't seem to do so. In that moment, I felt every single emotion flood me at once. And I wasn't quite sure which one to land on. Despite that, I felt an odd welling in my heart. It wasn't unpleasant in the slightest but actually something I reached out to grab onto and hold tight.

"Listen," he sighed with another hand through the hair. "I've always thought you were pretty and smart. But this year, something changed. It was like my emotions took a giant leap. Maybe it was because I learned more about you or something but… I fancy you and I don't know how to explain it. Every time I see you, I just get that feeling, you know?"

To my embarrassment, I started laughing, my cheeks turning bright pink as I did so. If only he knew that Regulus had said those exact same words not even twenty-four hours previously, albeit about another gal. This wasn't the first time they had mimicked each other and most likely wouldn't be the last. I so wish I could get them in a room together to talk. I wondered how many times they would finish each other's sentences… However, I was brought back to reality when I saw the deep frown on his face.

"Shit," I grumbled. "I promise I'm not laughing about you…"

"Right," he just rolled his eyes sarcastically but seemed content at my genuine answer. However, his smirk quickly turned back into a frown, though I don't think it was directed at my sudden outburst. "I've tried snogging my way around as usual to get you off my mind. I know it's never going to work out. That it just has never been and never will be in the cards for us. But when you started opening yourself up to us, it just made me so happy. That even though we could never even fathom anything beyond friendship, we'd be able to at least reach that level… So that's why I care."

"Sirius…" I groaned, rubbing my eyes. "That just doesn't make sense. You don't even understand what's -"

"You're wrong," he said sternly. "Sure, I don't know about everything. But I know enough to know what's important to you. I know enough to know who you truly are beyond what you have to pretend to be. And that's what's making me like you more and more each day. And, honestly, it's crushing me that you don't want to talk to me right now."

Baffled wouldn't even begin to cover how I was feeling right now. I felt my stomach drop at the shock of it all as I stared at him blankly. I tried to search for any insincerity in his features but he looked more serious than I had ever seen him before. There were no notes of the playboy I knew him to be. This wasn't an attempt to see if he could grab a quick snog at some point. He was absolutely genuine about all this and seemed quite downtrodden about it at that.

"Don't worry about it, okay?" He said sadly after another painfully long moment. "You don't have to respond to anything I just said, or even talk to me at all if that makes you happy… Worry about yourself right now. But just promise you'll at least let me know that you're okay after all this mess."

"I," I began but stopped short, still at a loss. Thankfully I was saved by the presence of Byron.

"We should go, Beth," he said quietly as he moved up behind me. "They'll be expecting us soon."

I looked back to Sirius with one last sad gaze. His eyes still held that same sincerity, conveying the question I had yet to answer. With a small nod in reply, I turned to move past Byron and Flippy and continue up the stairs. As we reached the next landing, I turned back momentarily and met Sirius' eyes once more. He was leaning against the wall now, watching intently. I imagined he would stay there until we were out of sight.

"What was that about?" Byron whispered as we continued up the stairs.

"Um," I hesitated. "Nothing. Just pretend it never happened. Yeah?"

"Hmm," he answered noncommittally but sent me weary side-eyes nonetheless. Poor Flippy, she seemed totally clueless about it all.

Dumbledore was nowhere to be found when we reached his office. Rather, we were greeted by two Aurors who shared no pleasantries before each of us were escorted one by one via the fireplace. They were tall and beefy, one with a thick mustache while the other supported a bald head practically split in half by a scar that ran ear to ear. Their faces seemed to be imprinted with frowns and they made no indication that they were going to tell us exactly what was going on. Instead, within the span of an instant, we were no longer looking at the trinkets lining the walls of the Headmaster's office but standing firmly within the dank, black brick-lined walls of the Ministry.

All around us was a commotion as employees skirted about, assumedly moving from one meeting to another. There were wizards, witches, goblins, half-giants… The assortment of creatures was simultaneously overwhelming and disheartening. As for every non-wizard there was, behind them stood three 'normal' witchfolk talking in whispers and sending glares to their back. It was clear the new regime had already infiltrated the government in this way. It was only a matter of time before these creatures would be considered 'dangerous' or otherwise condemned, no longer able to walk these corridors and continue on with business as usual.

We were led quietly to an elevator, my jacket flapping behind me as we entered. It was already crowded but our Auror bodyguards squeezed us in, Flippy struggling at our feet as she held onto my calf for support. I was somehow able to reach up and grab one of the supports hanging from the ceiling just as the elevator ricocheted backward and then down. Byron held onto me as we swerved this way and that, my heels making me extra clumsy on our journey. I scowled at the Aurors as they didn't seem to be affected by it at all.

Eventually, others trickled out, finally giving us room to breathe. I shook out my arms, stretching them slightly to relieve the constriction on them previously. Flippy looked the most relieved, slumping off in a corner as she gathered her breath. Finally, it was just us and our Auror pals on the elevator. Byron kept his face straight ahead as if looking to match our bodyguards. I tried and failed on multiple occasions to catch his eye in order to gauge how he was feeling about the entire situation. I ultimately gave up, resigning that our trip would remain blanketed in silence.

The elevator stopped on a floor so dark that I had to squint my eyes down the corridor, even with the assistance of the torches. It was covered in the black to green tiles much like the rest of the Ministry but this area seemed darker, the temperature dropping significantly as the fence-like doors opened. It was almost as if a gust of wind rushed towards us, slapping me in the face as I tried to hold my dress down. I imagine it was a spell placed on the floor to make it as unwelcoming as possible.

"Department of Mysteries," the pleasant elevator voice rang out.

It's tone conflicted greatly with the atmosphere of what lay in front of us. Finally, Byron looked at me, his eyes glittered with what I perceived to be worry. Like me, he was probably perplexed by what in Merlin's name was going on. The Aurors behind us lightly pushed on our backs, indicating that this was our stop. I grabbed Flippy by the hand, pulling her close to prevent her from getting caught in the closing doors.

We walked gingerly down the hall, the presence of the Aurors at our backs ever so often pushing us forward at a quicker pace. We made turn after turn, adding confusion to which direction we were heading. It seemed purposeful and I almost felt dizzy when trying to think about how we got to our current position from the elevator. It reminded me about when Remus led me to the Room of Requirement and I couldn't help but smile a tiny bit. It was quickly erased when we turned one final corner and were met with an unpleasant sight.

"Ah, there they are," Abraxas said cooly, face flat as he stood next to our father. If they were trying to convey that they were happy to see us, it wasn't working. "Just on time."

As we approached, I stepped up to my father and we exchanged kisses on each cheek in the French way that we were used to. Byron merely shook hands with both of them. It was weird to see him like that with our father, as they usually exchanged pleasantries with a playfully clasp on the shoulder. I guess this wasn't exactly the circumstance to be so cheerful. Both men, like Byron, were dressed in black formal robes, highlighting the uppity atmosphere of the occasion. I hated how it made us all match like we were a collective and united front against what awaited us behind closed doors.

"Are you ready, mon ange?" My father asked, placing a caring hand on my cheek. It brought back flashes of memories from our day in the Hog's Head.

"Hmm," I replied in affirmation as he dropped his hand. "So what exactly am I to do here?"

"They're just going to ask you some questions," Abraxas chimed in. There was something about the tone of the voice that seemed menacing but I couldn't tell if I was imagining it. "To help clear Lucius' name."

"But I don't know -"

"It should be rather simple," he continued, clipping my words with his curt statement. "Why don't you go gather yourself, my dear? Then you'll be called in to testify in front of the Wiznegamot when they're ready for you."

He didn't make it seem like an actual option or question. I was being dismissed to go get my story straight before I answered any questions on the record. There was no option to fail here, according to the men who loomed in front of me. As I withered under their stares, my mind raced at the possibilities about what they would ask me in court and how I should answer. I had no clue what Lucius was up to that evening. How was I supposed to do anything useful?

"Shacklebolt?" My father said and the bald Auror stepped forward. "Could you please escort my daughter down the hall? Flippy, take her coat."

The house elf obeyed immediately, grabbing the duster as it fell from my shoulders. With intimidated feet I stepped up to the Auror now known as Shacklebolt. Before I could reach him, Lucius' father stepped in my path. We were far enough away that, even if my brother and father hadn't been focused on talking amongst themselves, they wouldn't have heard as he talked lowly to me.

"I don't think I need to remind you how important this is," he said seriously in my ear. My breath hitched, my body suddenly unable to understand that I needed air. "My son has already disappointed the Dark Lord enough, we don't need to continue the embarrassment… And a splotch like this is already making waves when it comes to the conversation over who's going to be the next Minister."

"I'm sorry?" I asked, genuinely confused as I pushed away the shiver caused by his tone. "What does this have to do with something like that?"

"Having a convicted son doesn't bode well for me getting the position," he said pompously as if it was the most obvious piece of information. That was sudden and devastating news to me. If Abraxas Malfoy became Minister of Magic… I couldn't even think about it. He pulled me out of my panic as he continued. "So, you understand?"

"I do," I said, trying to prevent my voice from shaking. He placed a firm hand on my shoulder.

"Good, my dear," he leaned in even closer, his breath hot as it tickled my ear. "If you do well and all goes according to plan, I'll even forget what that bloodtraitor said to you, yes?"

I froze, fear fuelled adrenaline giving me the courage to meet his eyes. Much like Lucius', they were a shocking pale blue. He gave nothing away at that moment, probably trying to keep composure so as to not alert my brother and father that anything was amiss. But at the same time, I felt like he was looking into my soul, reading my thoughts and figuring out ways to manipulate them. I thought about questioning him, pretending as if I didn't know what he was talking about. But he did know and there was no point in arguing with someone like Abraxas. Especially not now.

So instead, I walked towards Shacklebolt, balling my hands into fists at my side to keep them from visibly shaking. Quickly, I led him down the corridor before pausing so he could catch up and lead me in the right direction. Much like before, we didn't speak a word. The click of my heels on the shiny brick beneath matched my now racing heartbeat as we stormed along in silence.

Finally, he stopped us in front of a shiny black door. With a solid push, he opened it for me and we nodded at one another as I moved inside. He closed it just as silently behind me, which emphasized the click of the lock as he sealed me in here. I wasn't sure if that was Ministry policy or not.

It was what I could only describe as a traditional women's powder room. Littered around were plush chaises and sofas, all surrounded by mirrors that lined each of the walls. Beyond, I could see stalls to bathrooms, which was good to know since I currently felt beyond nauseated. I quickly sat down on one of the nearby chairs, putting my head in my lap so I could try to calm down. Taking deep and steady breaths, I tried to focus on anything else beyond where I was and what I was doing. My mind flitted between things like Celeste complaining about Byron and Andromeda, a Transfiguration exam we had coming up next week, and all sorts of the like that I thought would distract me until I landed on… Sirius' eyes in the hallway this morning.

How on earth could Abraxas have known? Byron didn't even say a word to the man when we got here and, even if he had had the opportunity, I was absolutely confident he didn't even know what Sirius and I had talked about. My hands began to shake once more, vibrating against my face as I pushed away the tears. Had there been someone around the Great Hall we hadn't noticed? I didn't think so… But I guess they really did have ears everywhere.

In any case, I felt physically pained at the thought of him or anyone else knowing. I had yet to even process what Sirius had said, hoping to push it off for a couple of weeks or even months as things surrounding Lucius settled down. But as I let it broach my consciousness, I began to consider what it would mean if I confronted the idea of Sirius fancying me. No matter what, it couldn't stand but nevertheless it had to be dealt with. And I suppose that started now. If I had any chance of burying this with Sirius I had to make sure to get out of here alive and in good standing.

But as I sifted through thoughts racing around my mind, another emotion tugged on my gut. I couldn't help but feel worried. Worried about what might happen to Sirius if today fell through. What would the Malfoys and the larger initiative do if I didn't act accordingly in court? As I straightened back up, I realized I couldn't find out. While I wasn't able to categorize my current emotions surrounding Sirius' sudden confession, the one thing I was certain of was that I couldn't let them do anything to him. They'd already done enough, this trial was proof of that. No, I would do my part and then they would leave him alone. End of story.

I stood to my feet, lightly drying away some tears that had accidentally fallen. Standing in front of a mirror, now confident in my decision, I became worried for another reason. How? How was I supposed to fool an entire body of skilled wizards that Lucius was innocent when I had no idea what had happened? I'm sure the Malfoys had spun some sort of story but that helped me none when I didn't know what it was. To say they put me in a difficult position would be an understatement.

As I stared straight into the mirror, it began to smudge. I thought it was just a flash of the light against the reflective surface but as it gathered, it became more opaque until it was covering quite a bit of surface area. Thinking it was a blast of warm air from somewhere or something, I wiped at it with my finger. Like condensation on a glass shower door, it disappeared but reappeared just as quickly. I tried a few more times but the opaque fog continued to grow. And not just on the mirror in front of me but on the neighboring ones as well until, finally, I was surrounded by a row of around five foggy mirrors.

A heavy silence fell over the room until, finally, words began to appear on each of the mirrors as if someone was writing on them with their finger.

"You know nothing," the message began in haunting letters. "You've heard about nothing. Keep to the story. Use your brain."

The last word was underlined for definition.

"One is suspicious. Make him guilty. "

And with that the fog vanished, leaving me more confused than anything. It was a warning over everything. One that was practically useless. They might as well have written it in symbols, as I knew nothing beyond the fact that I 'knew nothing.' Fearing that I might cry again, this time from pure frustration, I began to pace as my thoughts raced.

I felt like the last part, 'one is suspicious,' was key. They're trying to pin this on someone… But who? To my knowledge, no one else from school had been called to testify beyond questioning at the school. And more than that, no one else had been taken into custody. So they still had their eyes set on Mulciber, Craggy, and Lucius. It didn't make sense that my testimony would divert them down a different path completely. But it made even less sense to think that they would have one of those three take the fall for all this.

No matter what, one thing was certain. Lucius was not going to get the brunt of any sort of punishment for this mess. Abraxas had made that very clear. And that was unfortunately the most substantial bit of information I could walk into that courtroom with.

As if on cue, there was a light knock on the door. Without waiting for me to answer, a plump, short, and sharply dressed wizard entered. He almost looked like a puppet of sorts, dressed to the neck in polished dress robes and with slicked-back hair. He stepped into the room with way too much pep for the atmosphere, complete with a rosy smile on his face, before stopping awkwardly too close to me.

"Miss Ledoux," he said cheerily. "They're ready for you."

"Right," I let out with a huge breath. I turned back to the mirrors, practically begging them to give me any more nuggets of information. But they remained empty. With reluctance, I turned back the energetic man with a nauseated smile of my own. "Please lead the way."

With a sharp nod and a turn, he walked away from me just as quickly as he had arrived. Without looking to see if I followed, he shuffled down the corridors, clipping corners like it was no big deal. I had to double my stride in order to catch up, my Auror bodyguard seemingly not having trouble in that department. Once more I was greeted by silence like an old, unwelcome friend.

Somehow, it seemed like we were traveling deeper into the Ministry, with every turn making the corridors colder and less welcoming despite the positive attitude of the wizard in front of me. The torches seemed to dim even further until it would almost be more productive to walk in complete darkness. We finally reached a large black door and I released a breath I hadn't realized I'd been holding onto. Our plump escort held one hand up for me to wait as he entered, closing the door securely behind him.

I took a peek at my Auror acquaintance who had posted next to me. He was tall and foreboding but otherwise didn't emit an aura of being aggressive. There were bags under his eyes like he hadn't slept in months and I noticed now how his shoulders sagged slightly while we were alone. He seemed rather exhausted up close as I was analyzing him. He actually looked quite familiar, like a distant memory of someone I knew. Abruptly, he turned towards me and caught my stare. My face flushed as I looked away, coughing awkwardly and wishing for the first time that the door would open sooner.

"My son went to Hogwarts," he said. His voice was unbelievably deep and smooth like silk. It didn't even startle me, that's how much it blended into the cavernous halls we were currently occupying.

"Oh?" I asked timidly, keeping my eyes on the still-closed doors in front of us. "When?"

"Graduated three years ago," he said softly and I took a glance in time to catch him with a small but proud smile. "Hufflepuff."

"Really?" I found his smile infectious as the atmosphere began to warm around us slightly. "What's his name?"

"Shacklebolt," he replied simply. "Kingsley Shacklebolt."

"Hmm, that sounds familiar…" I said even though it didn't. Slytherins tended to have the opinion that Hufflepuffs were the most useless of all the students at Hogwarts. Our interactions were confined to those we had to share classes with. As such I don't think I could name more than two in my year, let alone someone that much older than me. "What's he doing now?"

"Training to be an Auror," he grunted. The noise was half annoyed, half in jest.

"Falling in his father's footsteps, then?" I smiled at him genuinely.

"Apparently, so."

"Quite the time to get into it…" I didn't realize I had said the thought out loud until he let out a long sigh.

"You're telling me," he said sadly. "But he's very passionate about it. Couldn't hold him back if I tried."

"Well," I said, turning back to the door as I began to fiddle with my fingers. Allusions to how it wasn't even safe to work at the Ministry were riling up my nerves once more. "Maybe he's what we need."

"What we need is to survive," he said seriously and I met his pitch-black eyes. It felt like he was talking directly to me now, conveying something beyond this corridor. We sharpened back up as we heard the doorknob wobble. "Survive first, fight later… When it's the right time. That's what I always tell him."

I didn't get a chance to respond before the door in front of us finally opened wide, allowing a gust of warm air to swoop past us. It tussled my hair lightly but was a welcome temperature change. Beyond, there was a bit of a ruckus, of loud voices clearly in a heated debate. A fire loomed somewhere, casting a warm glow across the jet black bricks around us. The plump wizard who had escorted us here appeared once more. I looked back at Shacklebolt wearily but he was back to his stoic self.

"Right this way, ma'am," the wizard said, holding the door as he indicated for me to walk in. "You'll approach the stand but do not sit until the judge has indicated to do so."

My mind told my feet to move but they were having trouble listening. I hesitated significantly, moving from pure fidgeting to ripping some of my cuticles. This was scary, I realized. When any other student my age was worrying about homework, I was about to lie to the entire Wizengamot. It just didn't make sense.

"Miss Ledoux?" The pompous wizard asked, impatient. He nodded in the direction of the opening, urging me to go in.

Finally, I stepped forward and in, the full heat of the room hitting me. I wondered if the temperature change was intentional in order to make those charged with crimes literally sweat under the pressure. It was definitely working on me at the least.

With every click of my heels, the room grew quieter. Soon, I moved into view of the entire room. The sight overwhelmed me. It was filled to the brim with members of Wizengamot and others who I assumed were here to either serve on behalf of those accused or just witness the chaos. The set up consisted of a circular room lined with benches along the entirety of the walls. At the far end sat the head judge in front while just before him, right in the center of the room and in view of everyone, was the witness stand. There would be eyes on me from all sides.

I spotted my brother easily as his worried eyes sought out my own. He gave me a reassuring nod, shooting me the saddest smile I had ever seen on his face. Next to him were my father and Abraxas, both shooting me flat looks as their eyes followed me while I walked. Dumbledore was a few benches over, face impassive as he stroked his beard while staring off into space. I realized this must have been so hard on him, sending off some of his students to be put on trial. Everyone else I didn't really recognize. Some were clearly from the Ministry but not from the Wizengamot, probably just trying to get in on the action. One woman stuck out in particular, being dressed in a bright green suit dress as a quill hovered near her head while it wrote frantically on a floating parchment.

Lucius, Craggy, and Mulciber were sectioned off near the front, behind the judge. They were dressed in the striped uniforms of Azkaban and I winced internally, not realizing that they actually had to spend time there in the past couple weeks. The latter boys looked practically demolished, with sagging eye bags and even a couple bruises here and there. However, Lucius didn't look any more worse for wear, sitting upright and looking as clean as he normally did. Oddly, I noticed that both he and Craggy were sitting a significant distance away from the last boy.

The climb up the witness stand felt like a hike up a mountain. My entire body shook and with each step, I worried about falling flat on my face in front of everyone. Finally, I reached the top, taking a deep breath before turning to face the judge and the visible Wizengamot from this angle. Standing tall, I waited for direction.

"May the witness please state her full name for the court?" The judge's voice was raspy, almost hoarse like he had been talking for hours on end. And maybe he had but I think it was more attributed to age. He was probably breaching one hundred but clearly hadn't aged as well as the likes of Dumbledore.

"Elsbeth Angelika Ledoux," I spoke out, voice shaking despite my efforts to appear cool and collected.

"Date and place of birth?"

"October 30th, 1959. Wiltshire."

"And current occupation."

"Um… Student?" I hated how uncertain I sounded in front of all these reputable wizards. It made me feel weak, almost embarrassed.

"At which institution?"

"Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry."

It felt like I was being interviewed for a scholarship or a job. I wondered if they were going to ask me about my hobbies next. What would I tell them? Lying in court? Deciphering runes to figure out where Salazar Slytherin hid some of the most important magical objects in the UK's wizarding history?

"You stand here before the members of the Wizengamot, the highest wizardry court of law within Britain. Do you understand that everything you say on this stand henceforth will enter the proceedings of this trial as evidence?"

"Yes."

"And do you swear that any testimonies you put forth are true and factual to the best of your knowledge?"

"Yes," I said quickly before my brain caught up to stop me from lying.

"Thank you, Miss Ledoux," he coughed and I could practically see the phlegm from here. He might as well have been draped in spiderwebs. "You may sit."

Flattening my dress, I did as I was told. The chair was old, with a back so straight it was more comfortable to just sit up and hover before it rather than lean back. At every movement, it creaked, echoing around the cavernous room. The derelict wizard at the front took his time writing, keeping us all waiting in silence. It's no wonder the trial had already taken this long.

"Miss Ledoux," He continued, voice making me want some water desperately. "You are here as a witness to the events leading up to and on the evening of October 30th of this year. Not the happiest of birthdays, it would seem."

Despite him trying to lighten the mood, it still felt weird to don a polite smile. Only a few small chuckles rang out from some of the older wizards around us.

"I will proceed to ask you a series of questions," he continued. "All of which shall be answered with a simple 'yes' or 'no' unless otherwise instructed. Do you understand?"

"Yes," I replied with a nod. Oddly, I was beginning to relax at the idea of apparently not having to speak too much. Maybe I could breeze through this unscathed.

"Now," another cough from the ancient being in front of me. "At the beginning of the school year, one of the defendants, Mr. Lucius Malfoy, was hospitalized for an extended period of time. Is this correct?"

"Yes."

"And you sat with him often during his recovery?"

"Yes."

"At any time, did the other two defendants, Mr. Augustus Mulciber II and Mr. Devon Craggy, visit as well?"

"Yes."

"During their visits, did they ever mention an intention to bring harm upon any students at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry?"

Ah, here it was. The first lie. My heartbeat quickened as I began to fidget, anxiously rotating my engagement ring around my finger. I took a brief glance at my brother and father in my peripheral. Byron knew what I had to do but was doing a good job of hiding whatever emotions he was feeling about it. My father caught my glance and gave me a stern but muted glare. My hesitation must have become noticeable.

"No."

"And did they ever meet in private during this time that you are aware of?"

"No," I said, another lie.

"Thank you," he paused as he wrote once more. The longer the silence, the more uncomfortable I felt. It allowed my mind to swirl, thinking about what to lie about and how. And maybe he knew that. Maybe this was all an interrogation tactic. "I yield some time to Mr. Darnell."

He indicated to a man that sat to the right of me. My chair creaked once more as I positioned myself to have a better look at him. He was much younger than my other interrogator, with a plush beard and bright eyes to match. There were scars dotting his face and I imagined him to be a creature trainer of some sort. It must have been quite upsetting for him to get roped into such a long trial.

"Miss Ledoux," he said kindly, with a small smile to match. Looking at it, it was the first time all day that I had actually felt comfortable. "I'd like to ask about the night in question if you don't mind?"

"Oh," I said, a little flustered. Why would he ask if he knew I had no choice? "Of course."

"Did you attend the evening feast?"

"Yes."

"Could you tell me what happened immediately after?"

"I went to my dorm," I began, fidgeting once more.

I was confused over what was the exact right thing to say. 'Keep to the story,' the mirror had said. But what was the story? Absentmindedly, my hand went to the pearl necklace. It almost felt warm, like I was thawing my hands after being exposed to the cold. A soothing sensation rippled over me as it reminded me that I had a friend waiting for me outside of all this mess.

"And what did you do then?" The bearded wizard urged me politely.

"I opened birthday presents with my dormmates and then did a bit of studying."

"And then," my head swerved at a new, high pitched voice. It was a woman donning an ugly pink collar over her official robes. She almost reminded me of a toad. "It is our understanding that you were visited by your brother?"

"Yes," I said timidly.

I glanced at the bearded wizard. His annoyed facial expression indicated that his time was forcibly being yielded to this woman. With a creak, I swiveled in my seat. Thankfully, I was facing my family once more. Maybe I would be able to glean some information from their stares.

"Well?" She asked, nose in the air. "What happened next? It would be efficient to give as many details as possible to minimize this back and forth."

Suddenly, my nerves were replaced with annoyance.

"He wished me a happy birthday and we talked about… family matters. Nothing worth noting. It was just us and it wasn't a very long conversation."

"Right," she narrowed her eyes. "And it was at this time you headed to the Prefect bathroom?"

Rummaging through my brain, I tried to remember the exact story we floated around as an excuse. As the pieces fell into place, I prayed to Merlin that this was the story they wanted me to keep to.

"Yes," I responded. "I met up with a friend who wanted to see the baths and we headed up there. When we entered, there was a… dispute, I guess you could call it, amongst some other students. We ended up unintentionally getting injured as we tried to disperse the duel, which led to a very short stay in the hospital wing."

"And why on earth," her eyes, filled with judgment, flitted towards Dumbledore. He just stared back flatly, unaffected by her gaze. "Would students be partaking in such activities at an academic institution?"

"You'd have to ask them, I'm afraid." I said in annoyance but carrying a fake smile.

Dumbledore coughed to cover his chuckle and even Byron couldn't hold back a smirk. However, I didn't miss the glares coming my way from my father and Abraxas. Their eyes practically screamed at me to keep in line.

"So," she quipped, clearly unhappy with my tone. "You had nothing to do with the events that took place in the bathroom whatsoever?"

"No."

"Well," she smiled and it made my blood curdle. "No further questions from me."

"Thank you, Dolores," the old wizard spoke once more and I had to hold back a groan. I would have rather been questioned by every member of the Wizengamot all night than listen to his voice. "Now, Miss Ledoux, we have received testimony from another student about the events that took place in the bathroom."

This struck me as odd. To my understanding, no other student had been called to the Ministry for this trial. Who would have spoken and what would they have even said? Regulus and Byron would have told me if it was one of them and surely Sirius would have mentioned if a Marauder was dragged into this sometime during our conversation this morning. Maybe he was too distracted about another topic to mention it… But now was definitely not the time to think about that.

"Can you recount the individuals involved in this 'dispute,' as you called it?" He continued.

I took a deep breath, considering my next words carefully. My gut was telling me this was it. 'Make him guilty.' This is where I was meant to condemn someone. But who was already feeling the heat from this trial? I looked around for any clues.

My gaze landed on Dumbledore for just a brief moment. He looked almost worried about what I would say. I don't think he wanted this, wanted a trial. It was more of a necessity of protocol. But I could tell it pained him to think that one of his students would suffer significant consequences as a result. Even if he was technically a victim. I had to turn away quickly.

Byron was on the edge of his seat now, elbows on his knees as he looked at me intently. It was like he was willing the words into my brain, I just wasn't able to grasp them. As rough as we had had it this year, I was grateful he was here. I think the discovery of Lucius' extracurriculars with Narcissa had brought back part of that big brotherly instinct in him.

And it paid off. In the briefest of instances, his eyes flitted to the front of the room and landed on the three boys on trial. Finally, a hint.

Looking at them, Lucius and Craggy seemed awfully calm for the severity of the situation. They stared straight forward, Lucius even taking care to pick a piece of loose string from his prison uniform. Meanwhile, Mulciber, from his unusual position on the other side of the bench from them, looked as though he would crack at any moment. His eyes were bulging, racing around the room to plead with anyone who would meet them. I could feel his desperation and my thoughts finally settled into place.

They were placing all the blame on him and he hadn't even seen it coming. I straightened as I realized what I needed to do next, despite every fiber in my body pushing against me. This was wrong on so many levels but there was nothing I could do. My position in this new world currently depended on how I would end this trial.

"My brother," I began, speaking as assuredly as I could. "Regulus and Sirius Black, James Potter, Remus Lupin, Peter Pettigrew, five Ravenclaw students whose names I can't recall, and…"

I stared back at the boys on trial. Lucius smirked at me, already knowing that he had won. It was over for him and soon he'd be back in his expensive robes and enjoying the comforts of his extravagant life.

But finally, I locked eyes with Mulciber. I had never liked the boy but his current demeanor could bring anyone to pity him. He implored me with his gaze, knowing what may lie ahead. This was his last lifeline. His last chance to escape a fate that had already been chosen for him.

With a last look, I tried to convey how sorry I was.

"And Lucius Malfoy and Devon Craggy," I said with finality.

A murmur fell upon the room and the wizard at the front actually had to bang his gavel to call everyone to order. Abraxas was practically glowing and I knew that I had done exactly what I needed to. However, my relief was immediately swallowed by the overwhelming guilt I felt when I saw Mulciber's head sag.

"Right, right," the judge continued. "So it is your testimony that the third defendant, Augustus Mulciber, was not present during the scuffle in the bathroom?"

"Yes."

"And before, you testified that none of the defendants mentioned their desire to bring harm to any students at Hogwarts. Is this true with regard to staff as well?"

The final nail in the coffin. I had to choke down the bile that grew in my stomach as I continued.

"No," I said and Mulciber's shoulders shook as he began to quietly sob. "Augustus Mulciber has mentioned on several occasions his desire to assault professors… especially Professor Dumbledore."

And with that, a heavy silence fell over the room. Based on the looks on the faces that surrounded me, for better or for worse judgment had been made. Now, they just had to hand out the sentence.

"Thank you, Miss Ledoux," the old wizard said. "You may step down."

With the help of the plump wizard from before, who appeared shockingly out of nowhere, I was escorted off of the witness stand. He led me to the audience and I made my way towards my brother, eager to sit down and sink into the shadows. But to my surprise, it was Abraxas who rose first to greet me.

"Well done, my dear," he said quietly as we awkwardly exchanged kisses on each cheek as I had with my father before. I hated the proximity of it. "Really, excellent work."

My father greeted me the same way but we exchanged no words. However, there was a look of pride on his face that made me feel even more disgusted by my actions. Thankfully, Byron forwent all the formalities and embraced me in a tight hug.

"It's over, Beth," his sorrowful tone made me tear up. "Well done."

We pulled back but he kept an arm around my shoulder as we sat down. We watched as the judge called Lucius, Craggy, and Mulciber to stand below him. The last boy was now sobbing quite profusely, using his shoulder to wipe his tears as cuffs kept his hands otherwise occupied.

"Pathetic," Abraxas grumbled. "Keep it together, boy."

Byron just squeezed my shoulder in reassurance as we watched the scene unfold. Once again, the judge paused, prolonging our unbearable silence.

"Given the testimonies and accompanying evidence," he finally began, his scratchy voice somehow able to echo throughout the room. "I have decided that a majority vote amongst the Wizengamot is unnecessary."

"What?" I asked as uncomfortable whispers echoed around the court. "Is that common?"

"No," Byron shook his head but kept his eyes on the action. His voice shrank until it was barely a whisper. "He's with us, Beth. He just needed your final piece to make his case."

"Salazar," I breathed as the judge banged his gavel once more. This was a setup from the start. I wonder how they chose between Craggy and Mulciber.

"As such, I will move forward with my sentencing," he cleared his throat as he set his eyes on Mulciber. The boy didn't return his gaze as he attached his eyes on the floor. "Young man, given the overwhelming proof presented in this court, it is clear that you acted alone and with intent to inflict damage on Albus Dumbledore, Headmaster of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. As such, you leave me no choice… Augustus Mulciber II, I find you guilty of all charges."

More whispers and a wail broke out through the room. I looked down the bench to see a sharply dressed woman, now being held by an equally polished man. My stomach swelled with guilt once more as I realized that must be his parents. There was another bang of the gavel and we were silenced once more.

"The sentence for this verdict," he continued. "Usually carries a maximum sentence of three years in Azkaban. However, given the victim carries the distinction of the Order of Merlin, First Class, the law demands that sentencing be adjusted appropriately."

"I object!" A powerful voice rang out. Dumbledore rose from his seat down the way. He stood confident in spite of the dismal situation. "I request that sentencing guided by victim political status be waived in this case."

"Professor Dumbledore," the judge said sternly. "Given your inability to serve on the Wizengamot during this trial, you have no jurisdiction to make objections. Please sit down."

"But as Chief Warlock over usual proceedings," Dumbledore continued, voice becoming harsh, almost demanding. "I urgently implore the court to consider leniency."

There was a heavy silence as everyone looked around anxiously to see what the judge would rule. Dumbledore seemed unyielding and I imagined we wouldn't leave this courtroom until his demands were met. The judge pursed his lips in thought. At one point, I swore he stole a glance at Abraxas but I couldn't be sure from this distance. Finally, he continued.

"Very well," he said reluctantly. "Rather than bestow the max sentence… Augustus Mulciber II, you are hereby sentenced to seven years in Azkaban. Please take him away."

There was a ruckus around the courtroom as Mulciber was aggressively pulled and pushed towards a door at the back of the room. His mother nearly jumped over the railing to catch up with him, hoping to say her goodbyes. His father wasn't far behind. Abraxas and my father exchanged nods with the man, speaking to one another without talking. I hoped beyond hope that Mulciber's own father wasn't involved in this setup somehow but I wasn't one to be so optimistic these days.

"As for you two," the judge continued as everything quieted down. "It's clear that there has been a miscarriage of justice. Lucius Malfoy and Devon Craggy, you are cleared of all charges with the apologies of the court. You are free to go."

And with a final bang of the gavel, it was over. Lucius and Craggy smiled widely at one another as they were uncuffed and led to another door on the opposite side of the room from Mulciber. I thought that we would follow but instead, Byron ushered me out into a main lobby of sorts that I had never seen before. As wizards and members of the Wizengamot flooded out around us, the reality of what happened began to hit. I had lied in court and sent someone to Azkaban. My heart rate increased and I found myself having difficulty breathing.

"Byron," I said in a whisper through gasps of air. "What have I done?"

"Hey now, Beth," he said as he pulled me to the side so we were out of the way. "Let's just calm down, yeah? We've got to keep it together for just a little bit longer. And then everything will be back to normal. C'mon, just take some deep breaths for me."

"I can't be here anymore," I said as I began to calm down. "Can't we just leave?"

"Not quite," Abraxas said, startling me as he popped next to us out of nowhere. He pointed a finger at some fancy gold-trimmed doors on the other side of the room where everyone was exiting. "Beyond there is a slew of paparazzi waiting for a statement. Once Lucius joins us, we'll have to make our appearance. Do get it together before then, my dear."

"Here, ma bichette," my father had grabbed my coat from Flippy and held it open for me. After it was on, he placed loving hands on my shoulders and beamed at me. "Collect yourself. It's time to celebrate! You made us so proud in there today."

Just then, Lucius and Craggy exited the courtroom. I was expecting them to be wearing their uniforms, the clothes they were escorted here in weeks ago, but instead, they were dressed to the nines in exquisite suit robes. Clearly, there had been some preparation for this moment. They walked over, smug written all across their faces. Everyone shook hands in congratulations as I waited off to the side.

"Ah! My sweet Elsbeth," Lucius said cockily as he approached me with wide-open arms. "Thank you for bringing justice and clearing our names."

He was clearly going in for some kind of hug but there was not a dementor in Azkaban that would make me do that. He was already not in good standing with me and today was just the cherry on top.

"Let's just get this over with," I mumbled, wrapping myself tighter in my jacket and pushing past him.

I made my way to lead us to the door but stopped short when another figure meandered out of the courtroom. Albus Dumbledore looked dejected, despite his objection steering the final sentencing. It was clear from the look on his face that the couple years shaved off of Mulciber's sentence still hadn't been enough. Especially considering he, like most everyone else, knew that justice hadn't actually been served this morning. He looked up just as he crossed me and, despite a slight look of disappointment in his eyes, he sent me a reassuring smile. It only lasted a moment before he stepped through the doors and I heard the rapid flashing of cameras.

"Alright," my father adjusted his coat before turning to Abraxas. "Shall we?"

"Let's," the other man nodded. He turned sternly towards Lucius and me. "We understand the expectations of how to act in front of those cameras, correct? You're in love after all. The looks of joy should come naturally."

His words were dripping with sarcasm by the end of it and I had to fight the urge to roll my eyes. Lucius didn't have such restraint it would seem, which earned a glare from his father.

Finally, we made our way towards the exit. As we approached and I heard the commotion beyond, my nerves began to grow once more. I longed to hide behind Byron but was instead yanked by Lucius to link arms with him. We stopped just before the doors, everyone doing final checks on their looks before we threw ourselves to the Zouwus.

"You do look rather stunning," Lucius said, eyeing me. The only thing I could think of was how much better it sounded when Sirius said it.

"Thanks," I grumbled, sizing him up as well. He was dressed rather smart, I had to admit. But I gave out an annoyed sigh when I landed on his sloppily done tie. Unhooking arms, I instinctively reached up to fix it. "Honestly, how were you expecting to go out there like this?"

At that moment the doors opened and my eyes were flooded with the flashes of cameras. So much so, I began to tear up involuntarily and I had to remind myself not to squint. The photographers seemed to be swarming us in particular and, after seeing the bright smile on Lucius' face as he looked down at me, I understood why. From the outside looking in, at that moment we were the perfect example of model pureblood family life.

The picture of me seeming to lovingly fix Lucius' tie would cover the front page of every Daily Prophet the next day. It was accompanied by a headline that read MEANT TO BE: BRITAIN'S TOP COUPLE REUNITED IN VICTORY