Chapter 21 Thursday, Sept. 24 – 11:32 am

"Mr. Black," the grandmotherly voice sounded from the doorway, interrupting Sirius' thoughts. "You're lunch is in a half hour."

"Thank you, Clara. Would you give this file to Roarke and ask her to look over it and make sure everything is in order for my meeting this afternoon?"

"Certainly." The older witch summoned the file gracefully. "Will there be anything else?"

"Not unless you can get me out of this lunch date?"

The witch smiled, a twinkle in her eye. "Working miracles is not part of my job description." She gave a chuckle and turned to go back to her own desk.

Sirius sighed and ran a hand through his dark hair. He really had no desire to spend a few hours feigning pleasure over a meal surrounded by up and coming politicians with heads too big for their shoulders. Yet, for some reason Sirius couldn't quite place, he had promised Dexter Tanner he would join him.

Maybe I could hex myself to break out in unseemly spots.

Sirius brushed the idea aside, pushed his chair back, and stood up from his desk. With a swift flick of his wand, he banished the thick Black's Law Dictionary, placing it back on its shelf. Uncle Alphard had been removed from the family tree for his work with Muggles, and he even had to publish his book under a Muggle non-de plum, but his book sure came in handy from time to time.

Sirius sighed at the thought of leaving the office right now. He had too much work to get done to just run off for a situation requiring him to laugh at bad jokes and withstand the scrutiny of people who, as politicians, didn't give a damn about him, but were practiced in appearing as if they did. He was in the middle of a case against the Hogwarts Board of Governors and would be meeting with his clients later that day. He really should stay at the office.

But a break would do me some good.

He wasn't sure how much of a break he could get, as the topic of his case was sure to come up over lunch. But the law gave Sirius the best excuse; he was legally bound not to discuss the case with anyone but his client. He even smiled at the thought of telling a few of those young Ministry officials that very fact. It would most likely be the highlight of the luncheon.

Before he left, he wanted to make sure Roarke was comfortable taking over the file. It was a big case, and she was pretty new to the office routine. But she wasn't new to werewolf rights, and she had followed the story of the two werewolf children who would soon be attending Hogwarts. Sirius hired her for an apprenticeship before he knew he would be covering this case. Once the case was his, he thanked the stars he had someone with her knowledge. But still, that knowledge came from the point of view of an activist, and not a lawyer. Roarke still had a few years to go before she would be admitted to the wizarding bar.

He went to the door and looked over to Roarke's desk in the corner. Body language spoke volumes, and from the relaxed position of her back, Roarke wasn't stressed about taking the file Clara had handed her moments before. That was a good sign. But what caught Sirius attention even more was the fact that Tarquin Noyes stood directly in front of her, and she didn't seem to notice.

It was a moment before Tarquin lightly rapped his knuckles on her desk top. "Knock knock?" he said, causing Roarke to look up.

"Tarquin! I'm sorry...I was distracted."

"Must be interesting reading."

She shrugged. "I guess, and lots of it. So," she sighed, closing the file and looking up at him with a smile, "what brings you out here today?"

"I was just running errands and I thought I'd stop in to see if you're free for lunch. It's been a while since we've talked," he smiled charmingly and leaned against Roarke's desk.

Roarke frowned. "Sorry. I have so much work to do. Mr. Black needs me to have these files ready for a meeting this afternoon."

"Mr. Black?" Tarquin echoed with a laugh.

"Yes. You know...Sirius."

"Yes, I know who he is. I'm just surprised you're being so formal about it."

"Well, he is my boss now. And I don't want anyone to accuse me of getting a hand out when it comes to my degree. I want to earn my way, the same as everyone else."

Tarquin held up his hands in surrender and chuckled. "All right! I never meant to accuse you of anything. It just sounded a bit strange coming from you." There was a pause before he added, "So, no lunch break?"

"Sorry," she smiled.

"Damn," he said, looking dejected. "Then I guess I'm going to have to ask you to join me for dinner next week."

Sirius laughed under his breath at the scene. He had to hand it Tarquin; that was pretty smooth.

"Dinner?" Roarke looked a bit surprised.

"Yeah. The team has a box reserved for the semi-finals. I thought you might like to grab a bite to eat and join me for the game."

"When is it?"

Tarquin took a step back. "When is it? Roarke! Don't tell me you don't know when the semi-finals are? You always have the match schedules memorized!"

She rolled her eyes. "That was when I was at Hogwarts. I've been so busy with other things lately that Quidditch really hasn't been on my mind."

"Then let me remedy that! Come to the game with me. It's not until next Tuesday, which should give you time to free up your busy schedule."

She shook her head no, much to Sirius' surprise. "I don't know. This case is very important and I'm not sure what will be going on next week."

"Come on, Roarke. Surely Sirius can do without you for one night?"

"I just don't want to make myself unavailable in case he needs me."

"But it's the semi-finals!"

"Yes, and there will be semi-finials next year."

Tarquin's shoulders dropped in defeat. "All right. But if you ask me, you could use a break."

"Thank you for your concern, but I really have to finish this up."

Sirius couldn't believe what he was seeing. Roarke opened the file again and didn't even glance up at Tarquin when he walked away. It wasn't like her to say no to her friends. It wasn't like her to say no to Quidditch! Something was up, and Sirius was determined to figure it out. After lunch, he would have a chat with Roarke.

1:45 pm that afternoon

"I've had the conference room arranged with all the necessary items that you requested."

"Thank you, Clara."

"And I should warn you that Mr. Sepuchri is hovering outside in the hall, anxious to make sure nothing goes wrong with this case. He is convinced you are going to get those children in more trouble than they are already in."

Sirius only laughed in reply. Jonathan Sepuchri had long ago lost his life due to the inattentiveness his lawyer had paid to his case. Ever since then, his ghost kept careful watch over the lawyers in the building to make sure no client met the same fatal ending. He was annoying, but every now and then he would catch something that proved useful.

"Should I show the Clarks in there as soon as they arrive or bring them in here first?"

"I think they might be more comfortable meeting with me in here for a moment."

"Certainly. Is there anything else?"

"Yes, as a matter of fact. I'd like your opinion on something, if you don't mind. Nothing to do with the case really."

Clara's eyebrows went up. "I don't mind at all."

"How do you think Roarke is doing? Does she seem to be handling everything smoothly? Any problems or concerns you might have?"

"I think she's doing rather well. She's always on task, busy as ever. Willing to help out where ever she can. I often times have to find extra work for her to do. In fact," she paused and shifted her weight, placing a hand on her hip, "now that I really think about it, I would say she has a tendency to over do it."

"How so?"

"She takes work home, even after I tell her it isn't necessary. She claims that she hasn't anything else to do in the evenings, but with her schooling I would assume she has loads of work to tend to. Still, she insists on making sure she isn't leaving anything hanging over her head."

That didn't sound right to Sirius. Roarke was a high achiever, but she always had time for a bit of fun now and then. Of course, she was known to throw herself completely into projects if there was a real problem in her life. It was one way she dealt with tension. Which also meant that she wasn't letting off any of the steam that might be building inside her.

"Has she mentioned anything to you that might be bothering her?" Sirius asked.

"No, but then I think she sees me as something like a boss. I wouldn't expect her to open up to me about anything personal."

Sirius hummed and nodded his head in agreement.

"It's possible, however, that she might speak to her Godfather about it."

Sirius looked up at the plump witch with a grin. "For the record, I'm not her Godfather. But you do have a point."

"Shall I have her come in then?"

"Please. And thank you for your honesty."

Clara smiled and headed out to Roarke's desk. A moment later, the young witch appeared in the doorway. "You wanted to see me?"

"Yes, come on in."

She took a tentative step into the office. "Was there something wrong with the file?"

"No, not at all. I'm quite pleased with your work." Roarke smiled and relaxed a bit. "I just wanted to take a moment and catch up with you. Please, have a seat," Sirius said indicating the chair in front of him. "I just wanted to know how you were adjusting."

"Everything is going fine," she said taking a seat. "Once I found my way around the place, things really started to click."

Sirius nodded. "And how about the work load? Are we giving you too much? I wouldn't want you to neglect your school work," he said, trying to sound casual.

"No, the work load is just what I need. I'm staying focused and busy, right on task."

"Um hum," he hummed.

Roarke's brow furrowed. "What's the matter?"

"Well it's just that I've taken notice of how busy you've been keeping yourself and I'm starting to worry. Mrs. Trinkle informed me that you've been taking work home even when it isn't necessary."

"I just want to stay on top of things. I have so much to learn still."

"I can understand that, but Roarke, you need to take time for yourself as well."

She sat forward in her chair. "If you're worried about my school work, I can promise you that I always take care of that first. I wouldn't let myself fall behind."

"I know. Which only confirms to me that you're over doing it. You know, your father was rather like that when we were at school."

"Sirius..." she started, but never finished.

"Let me better explain what I mean. I said I was impressed with your work, and I am. You are doing a smashing job thus far, and I'm certain you will make a wonderful lawyer someday. However, you need to take time away from work to refocus and relax. One of the first things I learned about practicing law is that we cannot let it dominate every aspect of our lives. I spent too many years without a personal life to just abandon it to my work. Yes, I care about my cases. I work very hard, and sometimes am forced to take work home. Yet I strive to find time every day to get away from the caseload and just be. Do you understand what I'm trying to say?"

"I guess," she sighed. "Does that mean you want me to quit for a while?"

"No! Not at all! What I want is for you to go home in the evenings and do whatever it is you enjoy."

"But I enjoy working on the cases!"

"Roarke," Sirius said pointedly, "you won't ever make me believe that you find case files more enjoyable than a rowdy game of Quidditch." She looked back at him in confusion. "I over heard your conversation with Tarquin earlier today."

"Oh, that," she slouched back against her seat.

"Yes, that. I can see no reason why you wouldn't be able to go to the game. And in the future, if you are offered another chance at something similar, don't assume I wouldn't let you participate. I may be old, but I do remember what it was to be young."

She rolled her eyes. "I just..."

"You just?"

She hesitated a moment. "I just think this case is so important. In fact, I can't think of anything more important to me right now. Those children deserve an education as much as the rest of us do! They shouldn't be denied that right for contracting an illness that is incurable."

"I agree."

"And I know that precautions can be easily taken to protect the staff and the other students. If only they were educated properly about lycanthropy, there wouldn't be this great of a concern!" Her face was starting to look a little flushed as she continued rapidly explaining her position. "The prejudice against these children is ridiculous! Our society cannot afford to treat them like outcasts anymore. If these kids could just be accepted into Hogwarts, then that is one step closer to bridging the gap between treating werewolves like monsters and respecting them as humans. Look at Dad! He got through Hogwarts, and everything that I know about that situation can help with this case. I grew up around him, was raised by him, and I have never once felt as if I were in danger."

"Roarke..." Sirius tried to get a word in, but she was on a roll.

"It's all I think about anymore, Sirius. When I was little, I knew that things were different for my father, but it wasn't until later that I realized just how different. With this case, we have the chance to really start some changes where laws are concerned. Changes that will give every werewolf a better life – better opportunities. This case is the start of changing the future. A future for Dad, for Liam..."

She froze and looked away. Her own comment had obviously left her a bit stunned. Quietly she added, "A better future for everyone."

Sirius didn't quite know what to make of her ramble. He could understand her passion for the work she was doing in regards to her father, but the mention of Liam surprised him. He knew they had broken up just before Liam left, and he suspected that it wasn't a painless decision, but Roarke had never mentioned Liam once since then. The fact that his name came up at all was interesting, not to mention how easily she seemed to incorporate him into her arguments. It was something Sirius was interested in learning more about, but he knew that now was probably not the best time.

"I agree with you, Roarke. I do. This case has great potential for giving us the chance to change several laws. Which is why I stress how important it is for you to take a break. I need you to be at your best when you are in the office. You can't do that if you're not allowing yourself any time to relax and unwind."

She nodded, still looking shocked at her slip of the tongue.

"Will you do me a favor?" Sirius asked. "Will you go to the match?"

She took a deep breath and sighed, "Okay."

8:00 pm that night

Sirius sat on the sofa reading the Daily Prophet with his feet propped up on the coffee table. The house was quiet and peaceful, as was typical when Hogwarts was in session. Liz entered and sat down next to him, the buldge of her stomach reminding him that they would soon revert back to the days of baby coos and cries. She leaned against him with a sigh or sleepiness.

"You know, I don't remember being so tired when I was pregnant with Griffin."

Sirius cocked an eyebrow. The first thing that popped into his mind was that Liz was older this time around, but he thought better than to say that. Instead he placed a kiss on the top of her head and said, "You are entitled to be tired, you know? No one expects you to be super woman. In fact," he paused knowing that this could spark a bit of an argument, "I wouldn't be opposed to you taking time away from work until after the baby comes."

"Yes, Sirius, I've heard it before. And I still say that I would go mad sitting around here doing virtually nothing all day. It's better if I keep busy."

Sirius folded up the paper and adjusted his position to allow Liz lean against him more comfortably. He wrapped his arms around her and placed a hand over the baby. "I just don't want you to over do it."

"Don't mollycoddle, Sirius."

"I'm not, I'm a concerned husband!"

"And you will be the first one to know if ever I need anything." She tilted her head back far enough to look up at his face. "How was work?"

"Busy, but I think we're ready to present our case to the Board of Governors."

"Good."

There was a long pause as they looked at each other, Sirius' hand gently rubbing at her stomach. He leaned down and placed a soft kiss on her lips. As the kiss ended, Liz kept her eyes closed.

"Why don't you head up to bed?" suggested Sirius.

"Because I like it right here."

Again they sat, taking in the quiet of the evening and the pleasure of just being alone together. Sirius even started to feel his eyes grow heavy until a soft rapping sound at the window punctured the stillness.

"We've an Owl," he said, signaling Liz to sit up so he could open the window. The bird looked as if it had been carrying a cauldron it was so weary, but as it was there was only a simple parchment letter in its beak. Sirius took the letter as Liz stood to go and get a treat for the animal.

Sirius wasted no time opening up the letter. A second envelope was enclosed, which only puzzled Sirius further. A quick glance at the bottom signature brought a stunned look to his face. Why would he write to me?

"Who is it from?" Liz asked when she returned to the room with the owl treat.

Brow furrowed, Sirius replied, "Liam Zetter."

The owl nipped at Liz's fingers and flew away with its reward. "Liam Zetter? What does he want?"

"Let me read and find out." Sirius skimmed over the letter, glancing at the content for any legal matters that might stop him from reading the letter to Liz. Nothing jumped out at him right away, so he proceeded to read the letter out loud. Liz returned to the couch, listening.

Dear Mr. Black,

I'm sure you're surprised to hear from me after all this time. After all you have done to help me, I couldn't let your generosity go unpaid. I know you said you wouldn't want payment, but this has been plaguing my mind for some time now and I simply must set things right.

Along with this letter, you should find another envelope addressed to you. Please accept the contents as a first installment to paying you back for your services. It isn't much, but I do intend to send more as funds become available.

Since I'm certain you will write me back asking all sorts of questions like solicitors do, I'll fill you in on some details. Thanks to rampant ignorance in Australia about lycanthropy, I've had a very difficult time finding work. England's laws regarding lycanthropy seem to be revolutionary compared to what we have over here. I've actually resorted to taking a Muggle position helping in an office. It certainly isn't the work I want to do for the rest of my life, but it pays rent, which is a whole other story in and of itself. Apparently my family was only supportive of me as long as I was still on the other side of the world, and a good distance away from them, hence the inability to pay you more for starters. I'm actually better off on my own anyway.

Thanks for all you've done for me. I will pay you for your legal services, if it takes the next ten years. I can never repay you for your willingness to take my case in the first place--defending a werewolf at trial will certainly not advance your career. Further, your taking my case no doubt caused unnecessary strain between you and the Lupins. In fact, it's probably best if you don't mention that I've written. The sooner they forget me the better.

Sincerest regards, Liam Zetter

"Wow," Sirius said after a long pause of silence, "things don't sound very good."

"Well, what did you expect? Being the first lycanthrope to live in Australia, Liam was bound to cause a commotion."

"I realize that, but I figured his family would still support him." Sirius sat on the couch next to his wife. "They sent money to him while he was here, did you know that?"

"I figured as much. He had to be getting money from somewhere. It's just too bad that he had to leave. He would be much better off had he stayed here."

"No, he wanted to go home. Well, until..."

Liz sat forward. "Until what?"

"I'm not an expert on human behavior," he said thoughtfully "but I did notice how he talked less and less about going home once he started dating Roarke. His focus was more on telling the truth and getting the Ministry to leave him alone."

Liz took the letter from Sirius and read the last line again. "You realize that when he says 'don't tell the Lupins' he's really saying 'don't tell Roarke'. What happened with those two anyway?"

"I don't know. It's actually ironic that I would get a letter from him today. I had a chat with Roarke and Liam's name slipped into the conversation. She seemed flustered when it happened, as if she wasn't allowed to talk about him."

"Interesting. She doesn't want to talk about him. He doesn't want to talk about her. Yet there is some sort of pain underlying the whole situation that could probably be settled easily if they just spoke to each other."

Sirius gave a small laugh. "Reminds me of Katie and Remus before they got together. Imagine how different things would have been if Remus had followed though with his intentions to leave Katie instead of telling her exactly how he felt." Sirius sat back against the couch. "God, that was a horrible night."

"I think you got it, Sirius."

"Got what?"

"Whatever it is that's wrong between Roarke and Liam."

"Meaning?"

"What were the reasons Remus gave all those years ago for leaving Katie?"

"That she would be better off without him than with him. Stupid thought. I nearly strangled him when he said he wanted to leave. And you know what, Liz? I'm certain that Remus still thinks that way every now and then. Just because of the lycanthropy..." Sirius sat forward, his eyes growing wide. "You're suggesting that Liam left because he felt Roarke would be better off without him."

"It would explain why they suddenly wouldn't have anything to do with each other. I remember Liam telling you he didn't want anyone there at the Portkey transfer when he left. And when you asked about Roarke, remember how adamant he was that no one was to know when he was leaving...or where the transfer was."

"At the time I thought he just didn't want to have to say good bye. And then when I mentioned it to Roarke a few days later, she brushed it off – ignored it almost. I haven't heard her talk about it since."

Liz nodded. "Sounds about right."

"So what do we do?"

"I don't think Roarke would take it very well if we butted in and told her what we thought about this whole thing."

"Agreed," Sirius said, relaxing back against the sofa again. "I sort of did that at work today. I think I upset her." Liz gave him a very motherly look of disbelief. "Do you blame me for worrying about her?"

"You are such a fussy Ninny sometimes," she said rolling her eyes. "Invite Liam back to England."

"What?"

"You heard me. Write to him and tell him to come back over here where he can get a better job, live a better life. Our laws aren't wonderful, but they have to be better than what he's facing right now. Once he's here, he's bound to bump into Roarke again."

"And we let them sort it out on their own."

"Yes. And if they don't work it out, we can do a little bit of matchmaking until they come to their senses."

Sirius chuckled. "And you call me a Ninny?"

"I'm not being a Ninny. I'm being a romantic! I like happy endings."

"So do I," Sirius said with a grin. "God, I'm really getting soft in my old age, aren't I?"

Liz only laughed and kissed his cheek.