Hello Mother,

I hope my letter finds you well even though it's only been a week since I left for school. Everything is fine here on this end, but I wanted to write to you to inform you that I have been put into detention by the new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher for lying to her. She wasn't going to make me write to you, but I thought it best to tell you of my disobedience. Benjamin sends his regards and wonders if you could bring his locket? I don't know if you or Gabriel will be coming out here like you have in the past for work, but Ben forget it and is very worried about what is inside. Tell the men in my life I love them. I miss you all.

All my love,

Carri

I looked up from the kitchen table, where I was sitting with Sirius, after finishing reading Carrigan's letter out loud.

"That little stink," I whispered. "She went and told Benjamin about the locket."

Sirius raised his eyebrows at me in misunderstanding, I had forgotten he didn't know about the locket or Benjamin's possible connection to Penelope Talon. He leaned forward, reaching for the letter. I handed it to him calmly and let him read it over.

"What is the locket?" he asked. "Is it code?"

I frowned slightly. "It's a trinket I found in Penelope Talon's stay room at the Crouch's." I lifted the chain from around my neck and opened the locket. As I held it in my fingers I looked closely at the two pictures inside of it. "The pictures in here look a great deal like Benjamin…either Penelope was his mother, or she stole this from his mother."

"Or it's just a coincidence," Sirius said with a matter of fact tone. I looked at him with exacerbation as I dropped the locket, allowing it to gently thump against my breast bone.

"Really?" I questioned. "You believe in coincidences after everything that has happened to us?"

Sirius laughed. "Of course not."

"Right," I nodded.

"I think there is more to Carrigan's letter then you realize," he continued once his laughing had subsided. "I don't think Carrigan would write to us about her detention unless her professor made her and we both know Dolorous Umbridge is anything but a peach. She's at Hogwarts to put forth the Ministry's agenda, which means that Carrigan was probably 'lying' about something that is very true. I also think that Benjamin didn't forget his locket. I think Carrigan wants you to come out to Hogwarts to talk about the locket…she's 'worried about what is inside.' She knows that you've been fired and Gabriel will have no reason to come out to Hogwarts for the Ministry. She was trying to be subtle."

I nodded my head in understanding, realizing that Sirius was probably right. I gave him a weak smile as he handed the letter back to me. He looked handsome and relaxed today. It appeared that he had accepted the fact that while the house was still headquarters of the Order of the Phoenix, not as many people would be there all the time. Molly and Arthur had returned to the Burrow since the children went to school. Gabriel and I had found a place in the city and were nearly ready to move into it. Remus made a point to be around quiet a bit because he knew Sirius well enough to know that he would go crazy without company. But other then his improved pleasant demeanor, Sirius also looked better today. His skin had more of a pink tone to it, his eyes were gleaming with pleasure, his hair was trimmed, brushed and his beard was well kept. He was wearing brown pants and a white button-up shirt that was unbuttoned to reveal the tribal tattoo over his breast bone and his muscular chest.

He raised his eyebrows at me while smirking when he realized I was staring at him.

"See something you like, Cadence?" he joked.

I turned away, my cheeks flushing slightly. Despite everything else, I still found Sirius to be a very attractive man. It was the dark hair and eyes, the tattoos and the muscles. "I just noticed that you looked happier today."

"I'm really excited that you and Gabriel are moving out," he responded before taking a drink from his coffee mug. I gave him an ugly look before folding up Carrigan's letter and sticking it in my cloak pocket.

"You sure you'll be alright by yourself?" I questioned making the conversation serious.

"Of course," he responded instantly. "What do you think I am? A child?"

"Sometimes," I admitted with a smile. Sirius rolled his eyes and finished his coffee.

"You can come by whenever you'd like. I'm sure you'll have tons of free time."

"Yea, I suppose you're right," I responded before we fell silent. "I could always use my responsibilities to the Order as a reason to go to Hogwarts and see Dumbledore, but really see Carrigan."

"But what will be your cover story?" Sirius asked with raised eyebrows.

"Good point," I responded.

"Everything is packed," said Gabriel's voice causing Sirius and I to turn and look at him as he entered the kitchen from the staircase that descended to it. "We're ready to go, Cadence."

I couldn't help but smile at Gabriel as he came towards me. He stopped next to my chair and bent low to kiss my forehead. Sirius quickly got up from his chair and moved farther into the kitchen to clean out his coffee mug. I glanced at him before looking back at Gabriel, still smiling.

"What were you two discussing?"

"Carrigan sent a letter," I replied. I pulled the letter out of my cloak pocket and extended it to him. He stood up straight while opening the letter. I turned back to see Sirius going through the pantry as Gabriel read the letter.

"She obviously wants you to come out there," he said as he handed it back to me.

I gave him a scolding look, annoyed that he felt the need to tell me what was so obvious. He smirked and pinched my cheek affectionately.

"So, you're off then?" Sirius asked as he approached the table with a plate of bread in his hand. He set it on the table and held the back of the chair that stood in front of him.

"If Cadence is ready," Gabriel said looking at me. I forced a smile and nodded.

"Yes, I am," I said standing up. I moved around the table to Sirius. I hugged him quickly, before his anger could prevent me from touching him. "Good bye, Sirius. I'll be by soon."

"Sure," he nodded as he squeezed me strongly in his arms. "See you."

"I'll be back before you know it," I whispered in his ear before kissing his cheek and pulling away. Sirius nodded his head, but did not say another word to me.

"Gabriel," he said extending his hand to Gabriel. "Always a pleasure."

Gabriel laughed lightly and shook Sirius' hand forcefully. "Yes, Sirius, it always is."

Sirius gave him a weak, and somewhat sarcastic, smile and nodded his head. "You two be safe."

"Always am," I replied before Gabriel and I made our way from the kitchen to the upper floor of the house. "All the boxes are sent already?"

"Yes," Gabriel answered as he pulled on his cloak. "I will have to go to Maine to get the rest tonight after work."

"I can do it," I said as I looked up at him. Gabriel stopped buttoning his jacket and looked at me with dark eyes that were about to say 'no.' "I'm not a child anymore—"

"You always find it necessary to say that," he interrupted as he opened the door and motioned for me to leave first.

"You always find it necessary to look at me as if I am still a child," I retorted with an edgy tone. I descended the porch steps onto the sidewalk of Grimmauld Place. The square was abandoned, as usually, but the sun was shining down on the warm fall morning making the square appear more cheerful then in the past. Gabriel took my hand, despite the harsh words we were starting to exchange, when he reached the sidewalk.

"My concern was not motivated by the belief that you are still childlike and therefore cannot handle going to Maine by yourself," Gabriel said strongly. "I'm concerned about you going by yourself because I love you and I would never forgive myself if something happened to you when I could have prevented it."

I stopped on the sidewalk and looked up at Gabriel with sad eyes. I was touched by his words, but also infuriated by them. "When Persephone had a prophecy that you would die this past summer you told me everyone dies and I would carry on. You have to believe the same thing if something were to happen to me. And, it's a sexist double standard—"

"I didn't say I didn't want you to go, or that I was forbidding you to go," he said with a wise-ass smirk. I smiled at his gleaming eyes and nodded. "I just looked at you with concern."

"Alright," I said turning and walking again. His hand still remained in mine, keeping it warm and reminded me that he would always be there…even when he wasn't… "Then I will go today and get the other boxes."

"Alright," Gabriel nodded, but there was still concern written all over his face. I squeezed his hand tightly and he squeezed mine in return.

Without warning, Gabriel stopped in the middle of the sidewalk and pulled me around against his chest. He bent his head low and kissed me deeply on the lips with such passion, I thought I might burst. His hands ran over my waist and hips before he wrapped his arms around me entirely, engulfing me fully in him. I could only return his kisses and moan gently against his passionate mouth. I was helpless to him; completely succumbed to his seductiveness. To my surprise, he squeezed me against him more firmly and I felt the familiar pull of Apparation taking our bodies. Within moments we were being pulled in multiple directions and squeezed through what felt like a tiny tube, then our feet hit solid ground and my knees gave. Gabriel was holding onto me so tightly I didn't fall. He continued to kiss me as if nothing had happened, as if we hadn't just Apparated in the middle of a Muggle sidewalk, as if there wasn't the risk of exposure.

"Gabriel," I sighed as I pulled away. My voice was dripping with sexual desire to match the burning emotions that were running through my entire system. Gabriel stood up straight, beaming with joy, and looking very happy with himself. He stroked my cheek as my eyes wandered away from his brilliant smile and glowing green eyes, to take in our surroundings.

We were standing in the narrow foyer of our new home. It was dark, despite the sunlight that was beaming outside, because the shades were pulled shut on the front window and door. The walls were painted dark forest green and the floor was paneled dark hickory wood.

I turned to look behind me. The narrow foyer split in half, to my left was a long narrow staircase that disappeared to the top floor of the house, straight ahead on the right was a long hall that lead to the back of the house. I stepped forward and peered up the staircase for a moment. Sunlight could be seen shining onto the top of the staircase. There was a window high above the front door that allowed sunlight to shine onto the top of the staircase and hallway that laid out the upper floor of the house.

"Do you want to see the back of the house?" Gabriel asked quietly in my ear as he wrapped his arms around me. I smiled and turned to him.

"I'm only interested in one room right now," I smirked. Gabriel laughed and scooped me up in his muscular arms easily before ascending the stairs to the top floor. I looked around as he walked down the empty, sherbet orange painted hallway, that was paneled with the same hickory floor as the foyer and wondered who had lived there before and decided on the paint colors.

To the left of the staircase was a large open white walled room with wooden floors. The room appeared to glow because of large bay windows that let in the spectacular sunshine. Instead of furniture and décor the room was full of boxes. I turned my head to look ahead down the hall as Gabriel walked away from the white room. Obviously, he hadn't unpacked at all, he just moved everything and put it in that single room. It didn't bother me though.

Ahead of us were four hickory doors that matched the wood panel floor and moldings on the walls. Gabriel walked down the hall to the farthest door, which was open slightly. He kicked it open lightly with his foot then strode across the master bedroom towards the king size mattress that was shoved in the far corner of the room. The walls were painted blood red, with white moldings edging the walls. The white lace curtains were pulled tightly shut over the twenty foot window that looked out onto the London street below the brownstone.

Gabriel playfully tossed me on the mattress before tearing off his black long sleeve shirt. I squirmed with desire as I laid back on the mattress. Gabriel stood over me for only a moment, allowing me to take in his muscular, define upper body. My heart skipped a beat as he knelt down on the mattress and crawled on top of me. How was I so lucky to have a man so magnificent and sexy loving me? As Gabriel kissed me deeply and I wrapped my arms around his wide shoulders, I realized that every risk and consequence that came from our relationship was worth it. Loving Gabriel was worth everything.

Just as Gabriel was starting to unbutton my pants an obnoxious pecking sound echoed in the room from the front window. Gabriel ignored it and began to push my pants off but the pecking continued.

"Gabriel," I sighed touching his chest gently. He pulled back and sighed with annoyance. He kissed me quickly before standing up and moving to the window on the opposite side of the room. I smiled and rolled onto my side as he pulled back the curtains and opened the window, allowing a white speckled owl to sail in with the cool September breeze. The owl dropped a letter on my stomach before turning in the air and zipping straight back out the window.

I frowned when I picked it up and recognized my name written in Albus Dumbledore's crisp yet curly hand writing on the envelope. I ripped it open as I laid back on the pillows on the mattress. Gabriel returned to the mattress, laying down next to me as I threw the envelope uselessly on the floor. He leaned in close to read the letter.

"Dammit," I hissed sharply as I sat up straight. "You need to get to work, right away."

"Why?" Gabriel sat up behind me and made to take the letter, but before he could another owl came soaring in through the open window. It dropped a small letter on the mattress before turning sharply, just missing the wall of the room, and flying straight back out the window. Gabriel snatched up the letter and tore it open because it has his name on it. "It's from Scrimgeour."

"Probably for the same reason I got Dumbledore's," I said leaning against his shoulder to read his letter.

Sure enough, as I read Scrimgeour's straight and frank looking print I saw that the reason for the letters was indeed the same. Sturgis Podmore, who had been watching the Department of Mysteries last night under Mad-Eye's invisibility cloak, had been caught by a night guard trying to break into one of the doors in the department. This was terrible news for the Order. Not only had a member been caught and lost an invisibility cloak, but if Podmore was found trying to break into the Department of Mysteries it meant that he was either really a Death Eater (which had a number of terrible things connected to it) or he was under a spell. It also meant that whatever my father was looking for must be in the Department of Mysteries.

"Thrett said that if Voldemort is going after something in the Department of Mysteries then we really should worry," I said looking up at Gabriel who had gotten off the bed and started to put his clothes back on.

"Thrett?"

I frowned, remembering that Gabriel didn't meet Henry Thrett at the Order meeting because he was still at St. Mungo's recovering from the bomb blast. I ran my hand through my hair before standing up with the letter from Dumbledore still clenched in my hand.

"He works in the Department of Mysteries. He's in the Order," I replied to Gabriel's questioning look. "He seems to think that we're in a hell of a lot more danger if Voldemort is after something in the Department of Mysteries. I'm not sure how much is to really worry about. What could they possibly have in that basement that would threaten us all more so then Voldemort already does?"

Gabriel gave me a disappointed look. "After all we've been through, all the things we've seen, you're going to question how threatening the unknown can be?"

I raised my eyebrows in surprise. "It's not the unknown that is threatening."

"Fine," Gabriel said as he wrapped his arms around me. "The mystical? Is that word better?"

"Yes."

He smiled. "If Thrett was concerned then we all should be," Gabriel shrugged. He moved away from me and made for the door of the room. I followed easily as we continued to talk. "I'll head into the Ministry to see what I can find out about Podmore's case. What did Dumbledore say?"

"He asked if I could come to Hogwarts," I replied as we entered the large open room full of our boxes. "Guess I'll have to wait to go to Maine for the rest of our things."

Gabriel nodded, looking slightly pleased. I gave him a nasty look which caused him to smile as he opened a box and pulled out some of his clothing. He was looking for a new shirt and waistcoat. I leaned against the wall by the window and peered out it at the London street that we now lived on.

"You'll be able to ask Carrigan what is the matter," Gabriel said calmly. When I turned to look at him because he had spoken, he was half naked, making my insides turn with hot desire. I bit my bottom lip thinking of what we had started a few moments before the letters arrived. "Cadence?"

I blinked and looked straight up at Gabriel's eyes, away from his rippling six pack that was disappearing under the waist band of this pants.

"Yes?"

Gabriel smirked, an all-knowing-smart-ass grin, that made me glare back at him. He approached me and grabbed my hips to pull me close to him before I could get away.

"I was just saying that it is peculiar we are just now hearing about Podmore," he said as he held me and stared into my eyes. "He went missing the night before the first."

I nodded. "The Ministry was probably interrogating him."

Gabriel frowned but nodded, knowing I was probably right. He pulled away and finished dressing in the fresh clothes. We both made our way downstairs, where I snapped my fingers to make a cloak appear. I pulled it on as Gabriel looked me over.

"You're not armed," he whispered as I reached for the door. I stopped and dropped my hands to my side with a breath of annoyance escaping my lips.

"My wand is in my pocket," I retorted. "And I'm going to Hogwarts for Merlin's sake."

"When did you become such an idiot?" Gabriel snipped as he conjured a knife holster and dropped to his knee in front of me. I grinned slightly as he wrapped the holster around my thigh, buckling it tightly on me. His fingers grazed my thigh playfully before he snapped them to make a knife appear. He slid it in the holster, then leaned forward and kissed my thigh. He stood up and pulled me in his arms.

"Most women wouldn't tolerate being called an idiot," I said softly. "Even if it's coming from a sexy, charming scoundrel."

"You're not most women, Cadence," he replied before kissing me softly. "And even you don't tolerate me calling you an idiot."

"You're right," I nodded shoving him away. "Get off me. We both have work to do."

"You'll be careful?"

"Of course," I said yanking the door open. "I'm not an idiot."

Gabriel smirked as he followed me out onto the front steps of our new home. With a small wave I Disapparate before another word could be exchanged. The last thing I saw was his handsome smiling face and charming purple eyes. My stomach clenched as traveling by Apparation took my body.