Answers and Plans

Hermione rooted herself in Sirius's study through the weekend and was still burrowed away when Monday came. No one blamed her. Since Fred and George had given Cassius and Siria the ear plugs, they were louder than ever. Mrs. Weasley tried to argue against it, but she was the only one.

After lunch, Siria brought a tray of sandwiches to Hermione. Cassius carried a pitcher of cherry limeade while Kreacher brought cups and napkins. Hermione had covered the room with stacks of books and buried Siria's trunk under one of them. They put the tray and pitcher on a leveled section of books. Kreacher stepped into the hallways and nodded to Siria. She closed the door and Siria cast an Imperturbable Charm. Mid-bite, Hermione smiled at Siria.

Innocently, Hermione asked "Oh?" and continued with her sandwich. Cassius took a seat in the rocking chair, while Siria leaned against the bookshelf. She kept her eyes on her purple-laced, black ankle boots.

"Say we were interested in teaching people who want to learn," Siria said. "How do we make sure no one rats us to the Ministry?"

"You can only do one Unbreakable Vow, not to mention how complicated that is," said Cassius.

"And I have no idea how many conversations we can seal with Remus and Sirius's spell," said Siria.

Though it took all her will, Hermione finished her half sandwich at a very controlled slowness. Siria, who had seen Hermione inhale almost as much as Ron could eat, knew it was an attempt to calmly address their concerns, which she clearly already thought of. Her round brown eyes were full with a fire even greater than when she formed the Hogwarts Herald. She took a long sip of the limeade then cleared her throat.

"There are other ways of forming magically binding contracts," said Hermione. "Just look at the Triwizard Cup. Once someone's name is put in, they are bound to compete if their name is drawn. Mind you, it's not very good because names can be forged for entry, but still very binding."

"We'd rather not murder anyone that spills," said Cassius.

"Of course," said Hermione. "I'd actually been thinking and, though I can't test it out, I think I have it figured out."

"Can we get people to agree before we talk to them with details?" Siria asked. "I know we'll have to let them know a bit, but the less people that might rat us out know, the better."

"Especially Slytherins," said Cassius. "Anyone could be a Death Eater supporter."

"It isn't really fair to be overly cautious of any House," said Hermione, "look at you, Alice, Maddy, and Patricia."

"We're the exception, not the rule," Cassius argued.

"Marcus Flint joined the Order— and he's one of the last I'd expect to," Siria reminded him.

"I'll see about making a contract for people to not discuss what we're up to before they get details," said Hermione. "As for how to schedule, I was thinking we would practice at least twice a week."

"We practiced more often for the Tournament," said Siria.

"Yes, but none of us were preparing for O.W.L.s or N.E.W.T.s" Hermione said. Siria looked to Cassius, who gave a half shrug.

"Once in the Chamber of Secrets and once in the Room of Requirement," said Hermione. "As Siria is the only one who can access the Chamber, even if someone follows us there, they won't be able to get in. We'll have to test to be sure, but I think we might be able to get the Room of Requirement to at least keep those trying to spy on us from getting in."

"How do we let everyone know when practice is?" Siria asked. "With Quidditch practices and weather, we can't exactly set it to 'every Tuesday and Thursday'."

"About that," Hermione rummaged around on the desk. She pulled a shoebox out from under a stack of books. It was full of Galleons. Cassius raised an eyebrow at the box. Hermione wouldn't suggest paying people to tell others. She pulled out two compacts and a Galleon that had been taped to the lid.

"Now, I was hoping to just add a second mirror calling option to your compat," Hermione said to Siria, "but I didn't want to try on yours until I knew I could. You'd be so upset if you couldn't call Sirius, so I had him and Remus show me how to link mirrors." She opened the two compacts, which reflected what the other showed, then clicked them shut.

"As for the Galleon, I put a Protean Charm on the other fakes, so when the numbers are changed they'll all change," Hermione explained. "You just need to decide who's in charge of the main one." [B5, 398]

"Cassius," Siria said as Cassius said "Siria."

"Seriously," Siria tsked.

"Yes," he replied. "I graduate this year—"

"So you've got more experience," said Siria. "Whoever takes that coin is like, like the unofficial leader."

"Which is why it should be you," said Cassius. "Secret lessons to fight against Voldemort are going to end when he does. Despite the people that think it'll be Dumbledore, it'll be you, P.B. You're training your army against him."

"I don't want an army— I just want people to not be dead," Siria snapped.

Hermione held the Galleon out to Siria. Her eyes were lined with words she wanted to say. Siria pinched the bridge of her nose and shook her head. She glared at the outstretched coin.

"Why don't you keep it?" Siria asked Hermione. "You're way brighter than me or Cassius." Hermione shook her head.

"You have something I don't, Siria, you've been there. You know what it's like to stare death in the face," Hermione said.

"And you've done it more than any non-Auror in the Order," said Cassius. "For the Sorcerer's Stone, in the Chamber of Secrets, and, from what Hermione told me, in the Shrieking Shack."

"No one else even needs to know it's your coin," Hermione added, "if that helps." Siria took the coin and dropped it into her pocket with one of the compact mirrors.

"Whatever," she muttered.

They sat down for dinner a few hours later. "What did you do today?" Sirius asked, from the spot across from Siria. She eyed him over the rim of her glasses.

"Nothing much," Cassius lied and grabbed another dinner roll.

"We planned a secret rebellion against Voldemort and the Ministry," said Siria as she casually slid a bite into her mouth. Ron inhaled his juice and sputtered it onto his plate.

"Ha, ha," Sirius replied dryly.

"No, really. Hermione made linked, magic coins," said Siria, "and we're going to train in the Chamber of Secrets," Siria said. Chloe laughed.

"Chamber of Secrets?" Chloe asked. "There's a fitting place for a secret rebellion." She winked at Siria.

"If you don't want to tell us," Mrs. Weasley said as she piled more cheesy, scalloped potatoes onto Siria's plate, "then you don't have to. Your father was just trying to make small talk."

"Are you all packed up?" Remus asked.

"Once Sirius finishes loading my books," said Siria.

"Well, Hermione asked for quite a lot of books to be added," said Sirius.

"Why are you packing them into P.B.'s trunk?" Alice asked as she pulled another helping of roast onto her plate. "I mean, it's the smallest of all ours," she noted.

"Siria has an expanded trunk," said Hermione. "Though Sirius has to expand it more to make the bookshelf larger."

After dinner, Siria presented her laptop to Sirius. She sighed when she placed it into his hands. It wasn't the act of handing it over that bothered her; she wouldn't be able to use it at Hogwarts. What bothered her was that he was checking her "homework", as he did every week since she returned to Grimmauld Place. When he learned she had completed it all, he assigned more, and all of it was Muggle related.

She stomped upstairs to select the clothes to be packed. Kreacher had done a fine job of keeping everyone's things together and most of their things stayed packed. It was more an act of making sure their small items reached their proper owner. In their room, the girls heard Fred offer to fix Ron's badge to his head with a Permanent Sticking Charm. [B5, 168]

"Have you seen the Korean spellbooks?" Colin asked from the doorway of the girls room. "I can't find any."

"Sorry, Colin," said Hermione, "I put them to be packed with Siria's things."

"Can I still borrow one?" Colin asked.

"You can look at it when your homework's done," Siria said as she compared the dresses she hung on the ladder of her and Hermione's bunk bed.

"I'll finish it every day. Come on, they use their hands instead of wands. Do you know how cool that is?" he asked.

"Colin," Siria snapped while she tossed some more clothes on her bunk, "it'll only be in my trunk, and you can get it after Hermione checks your homework." She placed her hands on her hips, raised herself up, and arched an eyebrow. Colin sighed before he sulked off, back upstairs.

"Thanks, mum," Alice mocked Siria, who ignored her. "I know Mrs. Creevey asked you to look after them, but that's a little much." Siria pulled a chair out and sat to polish her wand. "I mean, if he wants to read about other magic, it's pretty hypocritical of you to stop him," said Alice. She swung her feet over the edge of her bunk. "How many foreign magic books did your daddy buy this summer?"

"Alice," Patricia called in her level and cool tone.

"What?" Alice snapped back. "She runs around acting like their mother, but doesn't listen to them or what they want."

"Alice," Patricia repeated, "however you're feeling is fine and understandable. Deflecting it onto Siria isn't how to deal with it." Alice scoffed and pulled her feet onto the bed.

Part of Siria felt that, of everyone Alice could deflect on, she was the best candidate. Afterall, Siria was the serial deflector, she thought while she polished the 11" of holly. Her temper had been her greatest issue, but her deflection was a close second, according to Dr. Rose, the Moony & Padfoot therapist. Siria paused and turned over the back of her chair.

"Are we still going to do group therapy?" She asked the others. Siria draped an arm over the back of her chair and focused on Patricia.

"That would be good," Patricia agreed. "Even if we just do a bi-weekly or monthly CBT check in, see where people are having problems and how they're succeeding."

"We could do it before or after practice," Maddy suggested. Hermione nodded.

"That'd be really good. Anyone that comes is welcome to join," said Hermione.

"We're not really fit to help anyone though," said Siria.

"But we could write to Chloe and she could talk with Dr. Rose," said Patricia.

"And some of us just need to vent," Maddy added.

Dark and early, before even Hermione had woken up, Siria crept downstairs. She tiptoed by a portrait in entryway, which had not been there yesterday, and into the study. Siria watched her father climb up and down the stairs inside her trunk, as he traded books back and forth. It was far from entertaining, but Siria had questions and knew this was her last chance to corner him. As he picked books off of his shelf, she sat up in the armchair.

"Dad," Siria asked. Even though the others were sleeping upstairs and the office door was closed, her voice was barely above a whisper. "I've been wondering a few things…" she confessed.

"Remus and I aren't dating anymore," said Sirius. "We still care for each other, but…"

"Actually," Siria stopped him, "I was wondering about James and Lily," Siria pressed her hands to her face to hide her blush.

"Oh," Sirius closed his eyes and sighed with quiet relief. He focused on the bookshelf. Siria pulled her knees up to chest, on the chair.

"Why couldn't they have been their own secret keepers?" Siria asked. She squeezed her eyes shut and pressed her forehead to her knees. Sirius gave a heavier sigh that told Siria he knew he would have to answer one day. He closed Siria's trunk, placed the books down beside it, and sat down.

"The plan," Sirius said with his furrowed grey eyes on Siria's forehead, "was for you to all stay until Voldemort had fallen." Siria poked her eyes over the tops of her knees and Sirius smiled softly. "Wormtail was supposed to let you all know… so James didn't poke out for news. We didn't want to risk anyone recognizing James or Lily, or a stag picking up a newspaper." Siria nodded with her legs cradled in her arms. He rested a hand on her arm.

"Why wouldn't Dumbledore let us do what we're going now?" Siria asked. "Why couldn't I spend a week at the Dursley's then the rest of summer with you?"

"That was them, remember? Petunia gave the ultimatum of no magic or all magic," Sirius reminded her. "I hoped she'd give up, but…" Sirius squeezed Siria's arm, "I wanted you to be safe. It's why I took over Grimmauld Place."

"Dumbledore could have fought them on it," Siria argued.

"Maybe he worried that they wouldn't take you," Sirius forced a smile.

"Would that have been so bad? If I grew up here, I would have been so happy and the safest person in the world."

"It wasn't always this nice," Sirius sat down on Siria's trunk. "Honestly, we probably didn't have the house ready until you were four. I probably would have bought a house and forgotten this place."

"I'm glad you didn't," Siria confessed. "I like it here— and we might not have found the locket."

"Yeah," Sirius patted her hair as the word seemed to get choked out of him.

"And the prophecy?" Siria asked. Sirius retracted his hand and rose to his feet.

"I already told you," he said as he flicked her trunk open. "The prophecy isn't anything for you to worry about." Sirius picked up the books and marched them into Siria's trunk. She leaned over it.

"But it's why Voldemort came after me," she argued.

"No."

"That's what his 'most loyal' servant said!" She shouted into the trunk. Sirius stormed up the steps. He stopped with his faces inches from hers.

"Voldemort came after you, but he could have just as easily gone for someone else," said Sirius. "He chose you."

Sirius pinched the bridge of his nose and stepped out of the trunk. "I'm about to see you off until Christmas, could we please not fight again?" Sirius asked.

"We wouldn't fight if you'd just tell me," she said.

"Siria."

"Sirius."

"I am serious," he told her.

"I'm Siria," she grumbled in reply.

"What's done is done and you hearing the prophecy won't change that," he said.

"Then why are you so against it?"

"It's what Dumbledore thinks is best," he said. She scoffed.

"You don't even agree with him," said Siria. "You didn't agree about the Dursleys raising me, don't agree with me going back over the summers, don't agree with how little he wants me to know or—"

"Siria, I know I'm not the smartest person in the room, but anyone can see Dumbledore is," said Sirius." She shook her head.

"Not when Hermione's there," said Siria. For as childish or silly it may have sounded to Sirius, Siria believed it.

The front door opened and they heard Chloe call. Siria clicked her tongue, but left with Sirius. Chloe had two long pink boxes in her hands, a large makeup box hanging on her arm, and an ear to ear smile. "Surprise," Chloe read their faces. "What are you two fighting about now? Is Siria's good heart making her a criminal?" Chloe half-teased as she headed toward the kitchen.

"He's refusing to answer good intentioned questions," Siria tsked at Sirius while they followed Chloe.

"About his cousin?" Chloe asked. "All I ever hear is that he's very Dursleyish, whatever that is," and she placed the donuts on the table.

"Why would your cousin be like them?" Siria asked Sirius. "Squibs are allowed to work in certain magic fields, if they pass their W.O.M.B.A.T., right?"

"That doesn't mean they'll want to," Sirius explained "I didn't even know about him until my Uncle Alphard's Will. He left me a letter, to go with the gold. Apparently, he was close to his Uncle Marius, a Squib. Uncle Alphard was convinced that another witch or wizard would be born down the line and believed we should take care of them."

"Are we going to?" Siria asked.

"Of course," Sirius took a maple bar from the box.

"There's a clause for it, for when Sirius dies," said Chloe. "You get most of Sirius's share of Moony & Padfoot," Chloe told Siria, "but your future cousin gets a payout of 6%." Chloe tsked. "Though, as we'll all die when we're old and grey, it's going to be all yours, so study hard." She patted Siria's head.

"You better," said Siria. "If I lose another parent, I'll probably lose my mind too."

"Chloe!" The tired, but warm and loving voice of Mrs. Weasley greeted as she stepped into the kitchen. She pulled Chloe into a large hug then patted her cheek. "Don't you look even more beautiful today," Mrs. Weasley said. Chloe blushed.

"Molly, you're too much," said Chloe.

"I mean it. When are you going to get yourself a nice boyfriend?" Mrs. Weasley asked, then quickly added "or girlfriend?"

"Boyfriend, and hopefully before Siria," Chloe wrapped an arm around Siria's neck. Siria stuck out her tongue.

"Fat chance. I'm a hot item," said Siria. Sirius wheezed as he choked on the bite of jelly donut.

"That's what you get for eating two before anyone else got one," Chloe told him.

Sirius cleared his throat, but put his donut down on a napkin. "Are you… that is, is it something…" Sirius couldn't seem to decide on how to say it. "I mean, you are fifteen now," said Sirius.

"Dad, I'm kidding" said Siria. She shrugged, "kinda. I'm flat as board, taller than the guys, and one of the only out kids at school, so I'm probably not getting either."

"Oh, dear," Mrs. Weasley wrestled into a hug. "You're lovely and someone is sure to be in love with you already." Siria blushed and tried to keep her head down when Mrs. Weasley released her.