"What are you doing here?" Carrigan asked once she had excused herself from her friends, who all made their way into the castle, heading for their common rooms. Neal had lingered for a few moments, saying good night to Carrigan and glancing at Gabriel nervously. Gabriel was looking at the boy with raised eyebrows as his hands rested on his hips, pushing his cloak back and only inches from his knife.

"We're staying in Hogsmeade," I said tucking Carrigan's hair behind her ear. "The Minister has assigned us to secure the area and protect Hogwarts."

Carrigan frowned and bit her bottom lip. "From Black?"

I nodded my head slowly. "Are you going to tell me more about Neal?"

Carrigan smiled and glanced at Gabriel. "Only if you both promise not to hurt him."

"Why would we do such a thing?" Gabriel questioned glancing at Carrigan, but then turning his head back to watch Neal disappear down the hall towards the Ravenclaw common room. "Is he your boyfriend?"

Carrigan sighed. "If by boyfriend you mean a friend who happens to be a boy, then yes, he's my boyfriend."

I smiled slightly and nodded my head as Carrigan gave Gabriel a sassy look. He came to her and took her shoulders to make sure she was listening to him.

"Carrigan, I was an immature teenage boy once," he said.

"Still are," I muttered. He gave me a nasty glare then looked back at Carrigan who was smiling, trying not to laugh.

"At this age the only thing boys think about is sex—"

"It's all the they think about at any age," I interjected.

"Cadence, please," Gabriel said standing up straight. "Carrigan, I'm serious. Boys are hormonal and horny. That's just how it is. We're designed different—"

"You are not," I sighed with annoyance. "Carrigan, if you want to have sex with him go for it. I think you're a little young, considering you haven't even developed yet, but hey, it's your body, your choice."

"Mom!" Carrigan said scandalized as she pulled away from Gabriel. "Why would I want to have sex? That's kind of gross."

I smiled in triumphant. My heart relaxed a little. Carrigan was still innocent.

"How old is he?" Gabriel asked. I smiled and shook my head, he appeared to be having a harder time with this then I was. Or maybe, he was just responding more like a parent.

"He's in my year," Carrigan said as we began to walk towards the grand staircase to make our way up to Dumbledore's office. "Gabriel, we were just holding hands. It's not like we were kissing." She stuck her tongue out at the mere thought of sharing saliva with a boy and I laughed.

"So he's twelve," Gabriel said.

"Yes," Carrigan sighed, a touch of annoyance on her tongue. "Why are you freaking out? Mom isn't even freaking out."

"I'm not freaking out," Gabriel said quickly. "I'm just worried, because I was a twelve year old boy once. I know what Neal is thinking about."

"Gabriel, please," Carrigan said. "I'm eleven. We were holding hands. He's a friend. I'm not dating him. You're really over reacting."

"Yea," I said wrapping my arm around Carrigan's shoulder. "Relax Gabriel."

Gabriel gave me a nasty look and I smiled at him.

"Gabriel, when'd you lose your virginity?" Carrigan asked. I bit my bottom lip. I had missed Carrigan's curious and blunt attitude. If she had a question she was going to come out and ask it. She wasn't going to beat around the bush and play games.

Gabriel hesitated before he answered. "I don't know if I should tell you that."

"Ha!" I laughed. "So you were young then?"

"I don't want to condone Carrigan having sex at an early age," Gabriel shrugged.

"Why?" I questioned. "What makes her decision to have sex any different then yours?"

"Well I'm a guy," Gabriel said. "It's easier for us to go around having sex—"

"Gabriel," I said very quickly. "Just because it's socially acceptable for guys to sleep around doesn't mean a girl can't."

"I just wouldn't want Carrigan to get a reputation," Gabriel said quickly. "I'm not saying it's right, but there is a sexual double standard in our society. If a girl gets around it's held against her, if a guy sleeps around it's not really held against him. I just don't want her to get a reputation."

"Guys," Carrigan said. "I'm standing right here, you know. And I'm not stupid. I'm not having sex. Why are we even having this conversation?"

"No better time to have it," I shrugged. "I think Gabriel's point Carrigan is that if you get around boys may want to have sex with you, but they won't want to be in a relationship with you."

"Again, I'm not having sex," Carrigan said coolly.

"I know," I said looking down at her. "And that's fine. When you do want to have sex all I ask is that you do it responsibly—"

"Mom!" Carrigan sighed with embarrassment. "I can't believe this is happening."

"And if you so desire to have sex with lots of different guys—"

"Mom!"

"Then I asked that you do that responsibly," I said ignoring her as held her face in embarrassment.

"I don't think you should sleep with anyone," Gabriel piped in. "Not until you're forty."

"Shut up," I snapped hitting him. "Don't listen to him Carrigan, he's just being over protective of you."

"Yes, I am," Gabriel smiled at her.

"Thanks," she sighed. "But I don't need it."

"Alright," Gabriel shrugged. "But that's not going to stop me."

Carrigan smiled at Gabriel and hugged him as we reached the seventh floor corridor. "I should get to my dormitory," she said motioning to go down the hall in the opposite direction as me and Gabriel.

"Good night, love," I said hugging her and kissing her forehead.

"Night Mom," she said embracing me tightly. "I'm happy you're here."

I smiled and nodded at her. "Me too."

"Good night Carri," Gabriel said kissing her cheek. Carrigan beamed at him.

"I'm happy you're here too," she said hugging him around the shoulders. Gabriel smiled and squeezed her small body in his arms.

"Sleep well," he said once he released her. Carrigan nodded and walked away from us towards the Gryffindor common room.

When Gabriel turned to look at me I crossed my arms over my chest and gave him a dark look. He crossed his arms over his chest and gave me a similar look, I could see the fatherly satisfaction in his eyes, along with a deep dark desire to pin me against the wall and rip my clothes off. I punched his shoulder quickly and he groaned, rubbing it as if I had actually hurt him.

"What was that for?" he questioned as I turned on my heel, heading for Dumbledore's office.

"For thinking about sex," I said. "Us having sex."

Gabriel laughed and caught up to me. "Can't help it."

"Well help it," I said crossly. Gabriel touched my shoulders and leaned in close to my ear.

"You just look sexy," he whispered. I pushed him away as he laughed.

"Well that's very flattering, but I wish you'd focus," I said giving him a sharp look. Gabriel stood up straight and crossed his arms over his chest as we continued to walk.

"I agree with you," he said.

"About what?"

"Carrigan being sexually free if she wishes to be," he said. I looked up at him and nodded my head slowly.

"Thank you."

"I just wanted her to be aware that society won't be so accepting."

"Carrigan is a very strong self respecting young woman," I said. "I'm sure the decisions she will make concerning sex will be responsible and a reflection of her self respect."

"Aren't you worried at all?" Gabriel said with a tone of disbelief.

"Of course I am!" I snapped hitting his chest. Gabriel grabbed my hand when it hit him and stopped us in the corridor. I looked up at him with raised eyebrows.

"Do you think I responded inappropriately?" he asked.

I frowned slightly. "I think you responded like a father would."

Gabriel frowned and nodded.

"You're the closest thing she has to a father Gabriel," I shrugged. "Don't worry about it."

He nodded and released my hand, which he had been holding against his chest. As we walked down the corridor I broke the silence with a question that I had been burning in my head for awhile.

"When did you lose your virginity?"

"Fourteen," he said casually. I looked at him in shock and disbelief. There was no way; that seemed so young. Gabriel looked at me when I didn't say anything and smiled at the look of surprise on my face. "What? How old were you?"

"Uh," I sighed and ran my hands through my hair trying to remember the first time Sirius and I had sex. "Sixteen or seventeen."

"That's a bit young too, Cadence," Gabriel said still smiling.

"It's not thirteen!" I snapped.

"Fourteen, not thirteen," Gabriel corrected.

"Who with? Your nanny?"

Gabriel laughed. "No, I didn't have a nanny. A girl who lived up the street from us. She was sixteen…and I didn't look thirteen, nor did I act it. Like I said to Carrigan, I was a teenage boy once and the only thing we want is sex. We want it so bad that we'll lie to a girl two years older then us, saying we're her age."

I shook my head in disbelief. "So, you started out manipulating women. Someone didn't hurt you bad and made you into a womanizing pig."

"Nope, I'm pretty sure I was born that way," he said as we reached the hidden entrance to Dumbledore's office. The statue jumped out of our way, revealing the rotating staircase. "Then I met you."

"You're still a womanizing pig," I said as Gabriel shrugged, laughing at me again. He bowed and motioned for me to go up the stairs first. I did so and turned to face him so he couldn't stare at my ass. He stepped onto the step right below me so his body was centimeters from mine. Even when he stood a step below me he was still taller then me. His fingers hooked the belt loops of my pants, pulling my hips towards him slightly. Our hips pressed against each other and I felt a burning heat rise in my belly. I bit my bottom lip as he leaned close to me, tempting me with the heat of his body. His breath was hot on my neck, making my knees melt a little. If I hadn't been holding onto his cloak I probably would have fallen over.

"I don't think I'm a womanizing pig," he whispered as his fingers moved to stroke my cheek. I smiled slightly as I looked at his dark blue eyes. "I've loved one woman for almost fifteen years now."

I frowned and gave him a serious look. "How many women have you slept with since you fell in love?"

"Three," he whispered. "Three over the course of fifteen years puts a shame to my name. Please don't tell anyone that." I smiled and shook my head. "What about you?" This question made the frown reappear on my face as I looked Gabriel in the eye.

"I've only been with one man my entire life," I whispered. I turned away from him just as we arrived at the office door. I knocked and was granted immediate entrance. Gabriel followed me quietly into the circular office and closed the door tightly behind him.

"Good evening Professor," I said greeting Albus Dumbledore who was sitting behind his desk reading a copy of the Daily Prophet. He put the paper down and looked up at Gabriel and me with smiling crystal blue eyes.

"Hello," he said calmly. "I'm happy to see both of you were assigned to Hogwarts. Cornelius made it appear that he was going to keep you both in London."

"We're just following orders," Gabriel shrugged.

"Personally, I'd rather be in London," I said. "It means I wouldn't have to share a hotel room with Gabriel."

Dumbledore smiled and nodded his head. "Yes, of course. You two are the best though, and when it comes to Sirius Black I would like the best protecting Hogwarts. What happened a few weeks ago is unacceptable."

I nodded. "We still don't know what he is after?"

"No," Dumbledore said. "Anyone's guess is welcome. Obviously the options are Harry or Carrigan."

"Kingsley seems to think he's after Harry, not Carrigan," I said.

"I would agree with that," Gabriel said as he took a seat in an arm chair in front of Dumbledore's desk. "What do you wish us to do, Dumbledore, concerning the security of the grounds?"

"I think the grounds are relatively safe during the day," Dumbledore said as I also took a seat. Dumbledore's pet phoenix, Fawks, hopped off his perch to the arm of Dumbledore's chair wishing to be stroked. Dumbledore obliged, stroking the feathers on Fawks' back smoothly. The phoenix began to sing softly and peacefully. I smiled as Gabriel's eyes fell on me. "I would like you to patrol them as you see fit, specifically during the day when students are traveling between classes. I have forbidden anyone to go outside during free time unless it is supervised by a teacher. On weekends I would ask that you patrol the grounds and Hogsmeade if the students are visiting. The teachers and I will take responsibility for the castle, we'll all share the responsibilities of the grounds, and you'll be responsible for Hogsmeade. It is also my understanding that the Minister wants you to be looking for Black through all of this."

Gabriel nodded. "Any ideas on how he got into the castle?"

"This castle is hundreds of years old, Gabriel," Dumbledore said. "It is possible that there are secret tunnels and passages that not even I know about."

"There is no way just two of us could secure Hogsmeade and the grounds," I said.

"I don't expect you to," Dumbledore said. "I think Fudge put you here as reassurance to the parents and people that Hogwarts is being protected. If something goes wrong you'll be here to help make it right."

"I think the Minister is hoping our presents will keep Black at bay," Gabriel said. "If he knew you were in town he'd probably crawl back into a hole."

I sighed and glared at Gabriel. His words were so touching.

"You're a jerk," I said coldly. Gabriel grabbed his heart.

"Ouch, that hurt right here," he said with a laugh. I glared at him more and stood up, ready to leave. I wasn't sure if I really could live with Gabriel like this; not if he was going to act like a child about everything.

"Good evening, Dumbledore," I said. "We'll check in with you once a week."

Dumbledore stopped stroking Fawks and stood up to bid us good bye. Fawks stopped singing and looked at his master with a resentful expression.

"That will be fine," he said. "Please feel free to come to me anytime."

"Thank you," Gabriel said.

I walked out of the office, so annoyed with Gabriel's childlike behavior that I didn't even want to look at him. As I rode the staircase down to the main corridor I tried to relax. There was no point in getting worked up over Gabriel's behavior when we'd be staying in the same room for an undetermined amount of time.

Gabriel caught up to me as I marched down the corridor. "I think we should go over the grounds tonight before returning to the hotel."

I nodded my head slowly but didn't respond. "And maybe Hogsmeade?"

"What do you think we're looking for?"

"Uh, your ex?" Gabriel suggested.

I rolled my eyes, trying to ignore his comment. I quickly made my way down the hall to the moving staircases. I timed it perfectly so that I stepped onto the staircase and it moved before Gabriel could get on it.

"Cadence!" he called after me. He shook his head and rolled his eyes, but I didn't look back.

Because we got separated on the moving stairs I was able to walk the rest of the way down to the entrance hall alone and in silence, which was what I needed. I knew that Gabriel didn't mean anything by what he said but it still got to me. I knew we were looking for Sirius Black, but he didn't have to rub it in my face the way he had. I knew very well that Sirius Black was my ex and I didn't need Gabriel Quintin of all people to remind me. He caught up to me in the hall as I waited by the oak doors for him. When he reached my side he gave me a questioning look, with raised eyebrows, and arms crossed over his chest.

"What was that about?"

"I just need some space," I whispered. "This whole situation is hard enough as it is, Gabriel. The last thing I need is you reminded me of facts that I already know. I'm not going to go out hunting tonight. I'm going back to the hotel to go to sleep. Please don't come back until I'm asleep. I'll see you tomorrow."

I turned and left the hall, exiting Hogwarts castle and heading down the gravel path towards the front gate. Gabriel respected my wishes and stayed back. As I passed through the gate, heading into Hogsmeade, I looked back to see him walking across the grounds towards the Forbidden Forest. I felt a little bad for what I had said, but at the same time I needed to be alone.

Every time I thought I was okay with what was going on in my life, it always came back to haunt me. It was as if life was teasing me, not letting me get comfortable or stable. I tried everyday to pretend that Sirius and I didn't have a past, but everyday I was reminded in some way how we used to be important to each other. The past just hurt too much. Everyday at work I was reminded of the betrayal Sirius committed and my bad taste in men. Yes, I wanted to catch the bastard because he was responsible for my best friends' deaths, but at the same time I wanted to forget that he was responsible. I wanted to forget that he was the father of my child. I wanted to forget him.

As I lay in the bed in Gabriel's favorite room of the hotel, I kept thinking about why Sirius was trying to get into Hogwarts; why was he trying to get into Gryffindor Tower? This was very puzzling to me. There were two possibilities: either he was after Harry or he was after Carrigan. But why would he be after either of them? Did he just want to kill Harry to finish off what he had started? Did he really think Carrigan was his daughter and wanted to take her away? Or did he believe that Carrigan was Gabriel's daughter and wanted to kill her to get revenge on me?

There were too many questions and too many possibilities. The simplest solution would be to catch Sirius, but I was starting to think that was impossible. He had broken out of Azkaban nearly five months ago; if he hadn't been caught by this point he probably wasn't going to be. Sirius was a good wizard—he would have made an excellent Auror—that plus his knowledge of Azkaban, Dementors and dark magic he'd be nearly impossible to catch. I had to think of some way to catch him…

The hotel room door opened and I sat up slightly as Gabriel came in. He took of his cloak once he quietly shut the door and threw it on the chair by the small desk. He glanced at me, recognizing that I was awake, and then disappeared into the bathroom. I heard the shower turn on and I frowned slightly. I laid back on the sheets and stared blankly at the ceiling still thinking about how to catch Sirius. Gabriel had caught him twelve years ago by predicting his moves. Gabriel knew that after Sirius blew up half a Muggle street he'd try to make a run for it; so he went straight to Remus Lupin's house where Sirius had been staying because he had left me. Sure enough, Sirius was there, throwing his belongings into a bag. Gabriel arrested him and brought him to Azkaban. Gabriel had never told me if they fought or not; he only told me that Sirius kept insisting he was innocent…He was still insisting he was innocent…

"Cadence?" said Gabriel's voice.

I blinked and sat up on my elbows, looking at Gabriel who was standing at the foot of the bed in his boxers and flannel pants. I couldn't help but smile at his appearance. His washboard abs disappeared under the waistband of his boxers, which were riding low enough to see his hip bones and the creases that directed the eye towards his groin. His chest and shoulder muscles were flexed as he stood with his arms crossed over his chest. His skin was still moist from his shower, and the moonlight that shined in the bedroom window reflected off the moisture making his skin look glossy. His dark brown hair was damp and fell in front of his now emerald green eyes.

"I'm sorry," he whispered. He walked to the side of the bed and sat down next to me. "I don't mean to make light of this situation. I know that it is very painful for you. Everyday you try to escape your past, but it always comes back to haunt you."

I nodded my head slowly. "I didn't mean to snap at you. Gabriel, I hurt everyday because of what Sirius is now. And it hurts even more when I see Carrigan, which makes me feel like a horrible Mother. I just wish…I want this over with. I want the pain to stop."

Gabriel touched my cheeks and gave me a reassuring smile. "You're not a horrible Mother. You do your best with the situation you're in. Don't let Sirius take anything away from you now." Gabriel leaned in and kissed my lips delicately. I didn't even realize it, but I was crying. He sat back and wiped the tears from my cheeks. "I can take your pain away," he whispered with charming confidence before kissing me again.