"Ready?"

I crouched in the bathroom by the stairs, fidgeting as Sirius kept watch for Miss Tucket's impending search for me with a wicked grin. I nodded slowly, jerking as a screech broke the silence.

"Do I have to get you a collar, child? Dust, come here now!" A smirk tugged at my lips when she called me Dust at last, but Sirius caught my attention, clearing his throat.

"Good luck, filly." He whispered, giving me a wink before running to the balcony stairs. "She's up here, Miss Tucket! I'll send her down!"

I leapt to my feet, grimacing at the squeeze of berry juice in my cheek. I stopped at the top of the stairs, wincing at Miss Tucket's reproving watch.

"Go!"

At Sirius's urging I did. I waved, then raced down the long stairway. How to fake tripping? I panicked as I realized I didn't know how, before finding the world spinning and landing in an aching pile at the bottom of the stairs. Miss Tucket gasped, and I raised my hand - my mouth was warm and wet. I spat, tears stinging in my eyes, a sanguined tooth falling from my mouth.

"Oh, sweet Mara!" Miss Tucket kneeled by me, helping me up and gasping at the mix of fake and real blood dribbling down my chin. "You poor child! Oh, mercy - well, it's alright, just a broken tooth..." I cringed as she lifted it, curling my tongue over the newly empty hole in my gums. That wasn't part of the plan.

"I'll take her to the healer, ma'am!" I heard footsteps behind me, felt a strong hand tug me up as I was half hoisted onto Sirius's shoulder. "Please, Du - Miss Toltette, let me help."

"Oh, you darling boy. Thank you. I'll clean up this mess." Miss Tucket gushed, rising to her feet and giving me a worried glance. "Slow down, child. Be more careful. The healer will fix you right up."

I nodded, limping off. We were silent until I made it around the corridor, Sirius clapping me on the back and cackling. "Brilliant! Best fake fall I e'er seen! The tooth was a nice touch." He grinned. "Remind me to buy you a drink, filly."

"I don't drink." I grumbled, clutching my throbbing head an smiling in spite of myself. The mingled berry juice and blood dried on my chin, itching and flaking under my fingers. "I'm free, so it's worth it anyway."

"Aye. We've got work to do."

We moved through the shadowed hall, silent and still. I frowned under the eyes of portraits, moving close to Sirius and trying to keep my twitching hands from clutching his.

"This way." He whispered. I vaguely recognized where we were - mum and Toltette's private quarters, forbidden to us children. It felt forbidden - the stifling silence, the impeccably polished candlesticks, windowless and lit by only ominous candlelight. Secret and sinister.

"Here."

I was jerked backwards, pulled to a stop in front of one of the towering doors. Mum's office. I gulped.

"Why are we doing this again?"

"Cos it's an adventure, princess. And there's something I need to see."

"What?"

"Tell you later."

I sighed, worrying at my lip and stepping back from the door. "We shouldn't."

Sirius glowered. "Don't make me rat you out."

"You wouldn't!"

He ignored my indignant squeak, sliding a slender sliver of metal - a lockpick - from his pocket, slowly feeding it into the lock. I watched, stomach churning as he fiddled and cursed until a mechanical click echoed from within.

"There. Time to find some answers." He hissed, pocketing the pick with a slow, creeping smile that made me shudder. "No turning back now, filly."

Slowly, neck prickling, I nodded. "No turning back."

The door creaked open, a croak of warning before Sirius gestured me inside. I slowed, looking around the forbidden room with a bitter taste at the back of my throat.

It was much like the library study - polished wood, books, a map spread upon the wall, yellowing and curling at the ages with strange lettering about faraway lands. And orb of light flickered in a lamp, a silver platter with a half-eaten sweetroll perched on the desk. I grimaced. All this for nothing? "Sirius..."

"Shh!" He hissed. I glanced around, catching sight of him huddled in the corner by the wall. A shiver clambered up my spine as I watched him press against the wall - a nook, just like mine! At last it slid open - in the dim light I saw only letters, wax-sealed and mundane. I was both relieved and disappointed, but Sirius's breath caught, eyes going wide as he studied one of the envelopes.

"What is it?"

"Shh."

I crept to his side, looking over the piles of unaddressed scrolls and letters, yellowing parchment, red wax, a flash of silver -

Silver?

I reached in, breath caught, shivering as my fingers slid across cool, carved metal. Ebony. I reached blindly further, cringing at the sudden sting on my finger and drawing my hand back, sucking away blood. A knife?

"Letter opener." Sirius dismissed my thoughts with a curt glance. "Don't touch it."

"Why are these hidden?" In the back of mind something strange and secret clawed, but distantly, an itch. I pushed it aside, watching as Sirius slipped the unopened letter into his tunic. "You can't take that! That's stealing!"

"Shut up!" He clapped his hand over my mouth, prying me backwards and sliding the door shut, fear glittering in his eyes. "Let's go. Now."

"You wanted to come in here!" I gasped as he pulled me away, stubbornly gripping the doorframe as he moved into the dark corridor. "What is it? Tell me!"

"Dusty, later! We have to - "

Footsteps.

Sirius froze, let me go and backed away. Before I could move he whispered - sorry, filly - and ran.

"Dust?"

I watched helplessly as mum approached, eyes dark, lip twisted. I cringed, wringing my hands.

"Sorry, maman."

I was sent to bed, given no punishment - not even a reproach. I seethed at Sirius as I washed the dried blood from my chin, the water blossoming red. The silence was somehow worse than a scolding, and I slept little that night, cursing Sirius, vowing to never take part in his harebrained schemes again until dawn broke, and I was hurried off restless and exhausted to breakfast.

Silverware clinked in the morning, the only sound amongst us as we ate together - Toltette by mum's side. I avoided her gaze, biting my lip instead of food and hardly daring to raise my voice in a desperate attempt to escape.

"May I go riding with Sirius before lessons?"

"Sirius?" Toltette raised a brow. "Who?"

Anya whispered,eyes fixed on her plate. "The stableboy."

"Ah." His face softened, pity I despised in his gaze. "An unfortunate accident, I'm afraid. He's dead, cherie. Tripped. Caught on his pitchfork. Truly tragic."

...Tragic. I felt nothing. An accident, a tragic accident.

Things changed, after that. Mum no longer chastised me for missing lessons, Miss Tucket no longer hunted me down - I was free to do as I wished. The nurse and servants said I was delicate, let me have my way when I rarely bothered to voice it. I had what I'd always wanted.

Free as a magpie.