Chapter 34: The Explanation

Cressida glances over her shoulder. Her arm is outstretched behind her, fingers hooked into James'. They climb the stairwell of the apartment block, their shoes creating a hollow echo.

"You're going to make an effort, aren't you?" she presses.

James nods slowly with inward curled lips. "Yeah," he murmurs. Cressida tightens her grip and turns her focus back towards the stairs. She brought him for two reasons. One was so that she could act as the intermediate between him and Sirius and help repair whatever damage their friendship has taken. It was to be expected, in all honesty. Though she hadn't guessed it would be between the two brothers. The war has already seen tensions grow from the lingering fear of spies and the agitation of the unknown becoming too much for some. Mary and Dorcas had a fight before she left, and Cressida would be surprised if they had reconciled so easily.

The second reason is that she needed to tell them. There wouldn't be any secrets anymore, at least between the three of them. Though she had hoped to keep them out of it as long as possible, with Regulus gone, she knew that facing this alone would be the death of her. And Cressida will only let herself die for this cause under the knowledge that it has or will succeed.

Striding confidently but at ease to her front door, she places the key into the lock and turns the knob. "Sirius?" she calls, announcing her entry.

"I'm shitting!"

Cressida takes a long breath in, pressing her lips together as she slowly turns on her heels to face James. Her eyes blankly stare at his chest, the only sound coming from her is a pitiful huff. "Lovely," James comments. "Glad to see he hasn't changed since school."

"Did he always leave the tap partially on-"

"Yep," he sighs before she can even finish.

Resigning to the fact that Sirius would always be Sirius, she says, "At least he pays for the bills. I just have to pay with my sanity hearing the dripping. It's cheaper."

James smiles affectionately, resting his arms over her shoulders, encouraging her into his hold. "You know what I'm going to tell you then, don't you?"

Cressida nods, closing her eyes and laying her head against his shoulder. "And I will move in. Permanently. But changing residence right now is something I'm struggling to keep on my priority list, especially with what I'm about to tell you."

The toilet soon flushes, and Sirius enters back into the main room, wiping damn hands over his grey shirt, leaving splatters of dark spots.

"Now that you've finished your business," Cressida drawls, straightening her back, "may we get on with discussing something that may be life or death."

Sirius slows to a stop on the far side of the lounge, his eyes flickering between the two other occupants of the house. The uncertainty of having James there fills him with caution but seeing as James is the one that was determined to ignore him and not the other way around, Sirius nods. Cressida gathers them at the base of the lounge.

"Are you going to tell us exactly what you've been up to? And not that shit Moody has been feeding us?" Sirius demands.

Cressida nods. "I'm going to tell you both a lot more than I've told Alastor. But first I need you both to swear that what I tell you, what I show you – that it will never leave this circle. And before that, I need to know that I'm not going to hear the two of you bicker over whatever it is you're bickering about these days."

James and Sirius glance at each other, the latter waiting for a response rather than giving one. Eventually, James nods. "I'm sorry. I was hard on you. I just cared about the matter of topic a lot."

Sirius gives a grim smile. "Me too." They finalise their apology with a shared expression. Cressida raises her brows with a sigh, musing in her mind that it went over much smoother than she had been anticipating. "Now get on with it."

Ignoring his taunting snipe, Cressida motions for them to stay seated while she retrieves her bag. It was tossed into the corner of her room upon her arrival, barely touched except for retrieving Regulus' letter. It feels heavy in her hold, despite the extension charm being undetectable. She sits back down between them, holding it close to her lap.

"I'm serious-"

"No, I am." Sirius shrinks her intent glare. "Sorry."

Cressida gulps, stretching the skin of her palms over her thighs. "Do you both solemnly swear to not speak of anything I tell you to any other soul?"

The brothers glance at each other again, though now with a linked thought that comes so naturally to them both. "What about Moony and Wormtail?" James questions.

Cressida bites the inner of her lip. Moony – she's sure she can trust him. but Peter has become a figure of question in her mind. On confirmation that the Order has a mole, adding on his questioning of Dark Magic and all over the desire to just be someplace important…well, it isn't looking great for him. "I'd… prefer to keep it just between us three for now. This information is dangerous and the more people who know, the more lives at stake."

"I trust you," Sirius affirms. James nods in silent agreement.

She breathes a heavy sigh of preparation. "Moody didn't send me off with Snatchers."

James leans forward, a short, "What?" escaping his lips. Sirius had already figured that out when she showed up in a Death Eater uniform.

"It was a double cover," she explains. "Tell the Order I'm someplace in Ireland. Tell you both that I'm with Snatchers but he actually sent me as spy. Into the ranks of the Death Eaters." At the sound of the name alone, she watches gears work behind James' framed eyes. Before he can speak, Cressida sends him a soft expression. "Don't fret yourself over something that has already come to pass. I am here and safe. I still agreed to go."

He lets out a ragged breath, covering his mouth with his hand. "Did you even think about how dangerous that would be?"

"Quite," she confirms. "And for a while I wondered if I was crazy and maybe I am but I think I've found a path that might help us defeat Voldemort. Well, where credit is due, I'm not the one who really discovered it. I had an ally on the inside."

"Regulus," Sirius fills in the short silence. Cressida nods. James' eyes feverishly flicker between the pair.

"You were with Regulus? But he's a Death Eater?"

"Was," she corrects. "In two senses. I've known him since we were at Hogwarts. I had been talking to him by owl since I graduated. He wasn't a spy for us, but he was never truly happy doing what he was."

"How many other secrets have you been keeping?" Sirius demands in a quiet voice. The accusation hurts her. She hasn't intended to keep anything from them that could be told. "Cress, I hadn't even been talking to him."

"Did I not try and tell you to?" she points out. "The matter of the point is, I went in under the cover of Polyjuice. It was only a few weeks in when Regulus figured it out. I wouldn't be alive without him and we probably wouldn't stand a chance at this war without him."

Still begrudging to believe that his brother was anything but a fool and a Death Eater, Sirius mutters, "I'm sure we would have found a way without one man."

"And it would have probably taken us many years to figure out what that one man had, and then many more after that to do what we did in weeks," she swiftly replies. "Regulus is a Slytherin for a reason. I'm sure you know this already, but he was cunning and smart."

"Not enough to survive."

James' face befalls a startled expression, head snapping to Sirius. "What?" At Sirius' stiff face, he turns back to her. "You're brother…"

"Sectumsempra," she mutters. "I didn't see who cast it but I think we have a pretty good idea who knows that spell. It hit him straight on. I didn't even have time to…help."

A sting rises up through her chest. She's barely had the chance to even mourn properly. To register their deaths. It had only been two days.

James' face boils, redness spreading from his cheeks to his forehead. "Snape," he scoffs mirthlessly. "I'm want to kill that git."

"Only if you beat me to it," Sirius mutters with a dark expression. They share a look of agreeance. "What did my brother find out that has you so hopeful about this. And why aren't we telling the Order? Couldn't they help us?"

Her head shakes vigorously. "Not even the Death Eaters know about this." Steadily she opens the latch of her purse and digs her arm in. She goes into it so far that the opening encircles her bicep. One by one she pulls the ring, the diary and the cup out. Their magic is as loud as ever to her skin.

"What are they?" James questions.

Cressida tips her head, staring at the pieces. "Horcruxes," she answers simply. "Pieces of Voldemort's soul. It's incredibly dark magic and there's not much written about them which I think is why nobody has ever thought to consider them. By Regulus did and we figured out that these three are some of them. We're estimating five total."

The pair stare at each item as though it will suddenly reveal its secrets to them. "You mean to say that we are currently sitting in front of pieces of Voldemort?" James inquires with an open jaw. She nods with pursed lips. "How do you know it's these? I'm sure he didn't exactly tell you what they were."

"No." She picks up the ring, twirling it around but never once poking the tip of her finger through it. "This is the ring that I found at the Riddle Manor. It was the box that this was kept in that burned my arms. The ring is cursed too, I just don't know with what. The stone on it is what Dumbledore had me searching after like a madwoman. It's the Resurrection Stone."

"Like from the Deathly Hallows?"

"Exactly like the Deathly Hallows. I don't know if Voldemort knows what the stone actually is, but it was important enough to him to have protection designed to kill whoever finds it."

James looks like he's seen…well, not a ghost as they haven't been an uncommon sight. More like Remus in a leotard. An ungodly sight. "Does Dumbledore know then? About the Horcruxes?"

"He might. But I think it was the stone he was after. He never said anything about it being in a ring." She places the ring back on the ground. "I don't… trust Dumbledore right now. I don't think he's telling us everything. If he didn't know this was a Horcrux, then he was really quiet still about his intentions of using it as the Resurrection Stone. Even Alastor wasn't told."

"But it's Dumbledore," James breathes.

"And when have you ever known Dumbledore to say exactly what he means with no hidden intention or agenda," she counters.

"It still doesn't answer the question though," Sirius points out, leaning forward with his elbows driving into his knees. "How do you know it's a Horcrux? Maybe it is just the Resurrection Stone."

"Just the Resurrection Stone," James scoffs with a shake of his head. She doesn't berate him, knowing that he is dealing with everything the best he can.

Deciding that beating around the bush would do her no good, Cressida simple says, "I can feel it. I can feel the unique signature of its magic. We figured out the ring was one because we may have interrogated Professor Slughorn. He also gave us hint to the diary."

Sirius blinks widely. "You can feel magic"

Cressida nods with wide eyes, realising how crazy she must be sounding with all this new information flying about. "Yes. Didn't realise it was just a me thing. I can feel wards too. Like going through a ghost. Traces of magic leave signatures that I can sense. James, you have something enchanted in your left pocket. From the way it emits, I would guess some type of preservation spell."

James silently stares at her, his hands slowly delving into his pocket. He pulls out an aged watch, though in fine condition. "It was my fathers," he says.

Cressida tells them everything.