"Well, to start, tell me everything," Remus said as he sat across the room from Rose that evening. The Weasleys took the liberty of visiting Diagon Alley to get the rest of Ron's and Ginny's things for school. Harry was still upstairs brooding. "Something doesn't make sense. I am your secret keeper, but there are things about you that I cannot place."

She looked up to her friend from the book she had in her lap, albeit, never actually read. "There were some things that were better off unknown. I took the liberty to alleviate you of these problems."

"You mean, you Obliviated me?"

She nodded.

"Why shouldn't I know these things? If I am to protect you, then I should be made aware of everything that occurred and occurs in your life, Rose. Don't you see? How can I do my job properly if you don't trust me?"

She looked down to her hands once more. "It was for the greater good. I cannot tell you more without thinking things through. I do trust you, Remus. It's just…if by chance you spoke of anything…breathed a word even to just me in what could be perceived as absolute privacy, there is a chance that the information could be disastrous. I know what I'm doing."

Rose stood and headed for the Floo. "I'm going to check on Sirius. You are more than welcome to join me."

"I'll get Harry. He will want to see him, too."

"Where do you want me to start?" Sirius asked as his company seated themselves around the table. Remus set down a plate of biscuits as Rose poured tea. Harry sat opposite Sirius with his mouth still slightly agape that it was, in fact, his Godfather looking back at him.

Remus sat down and clasped his hands together on the table. "What do you remember when you first broke free?"

Sirius cleared his throat and looked past Harry as if the answer was written on the awful picture of the Black family complete with gloom and doom written all over their faces which was hanging on the wall. "It was nighttime. It was a full moon. I remember that because I was worried about you. It was a hillside. Long grass, sparse trees. But the place I saw when I turned back around was nestled up by the mountain. The mountains were towering over the place. It was left in shadow. I saw lights in the top towers, but the entire lower levels were dark. I thought I saw a bridge of some sort. Like a medieval drawbridge, but I couldn't make it out very well. The moon was shining down on the backside of the structure. I'm sure it was like Hogwarts. It reminded of Hogwarts. That night after I escaped Azkaban and stood with Harry outside the Shrieking Shack. It looked like that. But it looked colder. More intimidating."

"Did you see anyone? Outside or inside as you were leaving?" This question was posed by Harry.

"No. I heard voices, though. I could make out Malfoy, but the others I didn't recognize."

Rose took a cautious sip of her tea as to not burn her lips and tongue then spoke. "More importantly, did anyone see you?"

Sirius' eyes shot up to meet hers. "I don't know."

Remus and Rose shared a glance.

"I hate to say this, but you are going to have to stay here. Not like two years ago. You have to stay here this time. None of this 'animagus, going with us' malarkey. You have to. The Ministry was looking to appeal your sentence after they caught Pettigrew four months ago. It hasn't been passed yet, but it will. Just stay out of sight until then," Rose said.

Sirius nodded. "For you, I will, Rose."

Harry narrowed his brow at her, but didn't speak.

"Harry? What's the matter?"

He looked his Godfather. "Nothing."

"There's obviously something. You looked at Rose like she was harboring the devil," he snickered.

"She owes me an explanation about a few things. That's all."

"Oh," Rose replied. "Well, as I was saying. Your gift, for lack of a better word, is inherited not displaced like you believe."

"But you speak it, too."

"Yes. You and I are most likely cousins several times removed or something of that nature. Do you know anything about James' family? Or Lily's?"

Sirius interrupted, "I know James' parents. They were good people. Decent purebloods, as rare as they were. You couldn't find better people."

"And Lily's?"

"I don't know much about them."

"I do," Harry said. "My mother's parents died soon after mum got married. That's what my Aunt Petunia told me. She said it broke their hearts and they didn't think they could live with my dad as a son-in-law." Sirius sneered at Harry's words. "But I don't believe her. She lied to me about my mum and dad. She said they were killed in a car crash. She wouldn't tell me anything about magic or being a wizard or anything. She could have been lying about my grandparents, too. They may have been killed. They would have been muggles, so it's possible they were targeted to bring mum out of hiding. Sounds like something they would do."

"Yes, it does," Remus speculated.

Rose began picking at her thumbs as a nervous habit. She and Lily were best friends in school, and to hear about her now was hard on her.

Sirius spoke again. "But you don't know for sure. They could have been magical and in hiding just like James and Lily. Is that possible?"

"Yeah, I guess. I never really thought about it, to be honest."

Rose began to fidget in her seat. Sirius didn't know how close to the truth he was. "I am going to just get some fresh air."

Remus and Sirius rose from their seats in gentlemanly fashion as Rose left the room. She had just about made it to the door when she found the newspaper lying on the table beside her. 'The Evening Prophet' was folded in such a way that the main article, which was in bold letters, and the picture were clearly visible.

'SEVERUS SNAPE CAPTURED!'

With a very loud crack that caught the attention of the three men in the kitchen, Rose Apparated with a sigh.