Disclaimer to JK Rowling

Chapter Eleven: Call My Thoughts False

There he wakes,
The laughing fiend and prince of snakes
Within me, at her name, to pray
Fate send some creature in the way

Robert Browning from Time's Revenge.

"I see that your behaviour was passable during your detention on Saturday morning," Professor Snape started, reaching for his steaming teacup. "You even managed to negotiate yourself some Housepoints from Madam Pomfrey. A lesser person than I would be slightly impressed by that achievement."

Lacie observed her godfather who sat across her. That night, he had requested an audience with her and she was glad for the distraction. The Common Room seemed stuffier than usual, with the cacophony of an intense Gobstones match and an animated game of Exploding Snap. Even as Ron chewed on the end of his quill in an attempt to complete the History of Magic homework that was due the next morning, his eyes kept wandering to a game of chess that was being played in the corner of the room. Hermione had had the right idea by slinking off to the library, somewhere where she seemed to always be these days but she refused companionship. She seemed to always disappear before Lacie could tag along, but she always returned before curfew with stacks of completed homework, homework that may only have been set that day.

"I have never been more disappointed with your behaviour, Lacerta," her godfather continued after he took a sip of his tea, "Displays of pathetic, petulant behaviour may be characteristic of your brother but I always had held you in higher esteem."

Lacie nodded, briefly removing her gaze from the professor to inspect her surroundings before fixating upon him again.

"Do not think for a moment that I did not consider writing to your mother and father about the detention that you forced upon yourself. However, I do not need any more correspondence from the pair of them. Apparently, your failings at Hogwarts seem to amount to my failings. Do not ask me how your parents can place that blame upon me, but they do."

Lacie continued staring at Professor Snape, as he drained his teacup. He lazily waved his wand and a teapot levitated into the air and tipped, pouring more tea into the cup. With another flick, the teapot rested back on the table. Her godfather had not so much looked away from her.

"I would have at least expected a little subtlety. I know you have a Gryffindor brashness to preserve but you were still raised a Malfoy, and openly sparring with the Headmaster's favourite student in front of a class of your peers was simply reckless."

The professor picked his cup again and momentarily wavered in his gaze as he blew the top of his tea. When he had finished taking a sip, he did not put it on the table. He rested it on the arm of his chair and leaned back, dropping the control he had kept up. They were meeting in a room that led away from his office, and Lacie presumed that she was in Professor Snape's private quarters. A small spread lay before them, tea and biscuits and a plate of sandwiches. When she had first seated, the professor told her that his schedule was usually erratic and therefore he often had the elves prepare some sandwiches for him. The biscuits were for her benefit.

"Cat got your tongue, girl? You do not have problems speaking in the classroom, especially when it is out of turn," he said, his tone barely even moving from a monotone as he admonished her.

Lacie opened her mouth, thinking carefully about what she was going to say. Part of her wanted to say something acerbic back at her godfather, but she knew that she had to be humble.

"I apologise for my behaviour and I promise it will not happen again," she said quietly.

"See to it that it does not," her godfather said dismissively, as he drained his cup again. Lacie noted that the Professor seemed to enjoy his tea profusely. "As much as it deigns me to ask, but have you reacquainted yourself with Potter?"

Lacie's eyes widened at the question and then thought about it carefully. Was she friends again with Harry? She had relished the detention that she had been given to avoid watching him play Quidditch, almost punishing him for using her to get to know Cedric's Quidditch habits. Then he had appeared in the Hospital Wing – unconscious, again - on a stretcher with the Gryffindor Quidditch team surrounding him. Hermione and Ron were soaked to the bone, worried expressions plastered to their face along with their wet hair. Lacie had stopped everything she was doing, and pushed to the forefront of the crowd and her bleeding heart seemed to do the rest. Part of her was annoyed, she had not given all that she had the previous summer for Harry to die in the Quidditch match. The rest of her was filled with worry, and she held onto him.

She did not let him go and kept his rather small hand in her own as he remained unconscious and no one told her to let go.

That was until his eyes fluttered as he woke and there was a sharp intake of breath around his bed. Lacie muttered something about getting Madam Pomfrey as she slipped away, not wanting to be caught next to Harry, especially holding his hand. The team rallied closer to him as she left, and she informed the matron that Harry was waking up. Madam Pomfrey looked at her kindly before giving her some used vials and told her to wash them in the sink. She obeyed, and did not cast another glance at Harry for the rest of her detention.

When she had been dismissed, several hours later that she had originally anticipated with several housepoints for her extra effort, Harry had stopped her leaving. He had almost collapsed as he fell out of his bed, still tangled in his bedsheets.

Did you not injure yourself enough, Potter? Lacie had asked acidly, and she was glad that the bespectacled boy had the decency to look abashed for a moment before telling her that if she sounded more disdainful she would have sounded exactly like Professor Snape. That was before he told her that someone had told him about her display of moderate affection. Lacie had made a mental note to chew out Hermione for that revelation, but she had yet to do it. It seemed to do the trick though, Harry was grateful for her concern and they seemed to be friends again.

Lacie nodded at Professor Snape.

"Your mother will not be pleased, she had made it clear to me that she does not wish for you to associate yourself with Potter this year," he said, placing his teacup onto the table. "Is your tea still too warm?"

"Pardon?"

"Your tea is untouched, and despite what your gaggle of Gryffindors may believe I do not resort to common poison, especially in tea."

Lacie reached for her cup and took a sip of her lukewarm tea to placate her godfather. She held onto it, cupping it between her hands.

"Biscuit?"

"Are you always this accommodating with your guests, or am I a special case?"

The Potions Master's lip curled to a small smile, and she wondered what his laugh would sound like. He pushed back the sleeve of his robes, and peered at his watch.

"I knew you could not resist yourself. You may wish to watch that sharp tongue of yours, Lacerta, it does you no favours."

"Yes, Professor Snape," Lacie said as she went to sip her tea, which had gone cold now. The professor in front of her merely glanced at the cup before it was steaming hot again and Lacie nearly dropped it in surprise.

"Neither does mockery. Now, onto the matter of Cedric Diggory."

"Pardon?" Lacie asked as she leant forward to place the reheated cup on the table in front of her.

"Are you hard of hearing? Do not play dumb, Lacerta, I had to remove a significant amount of points from your Housemates for permeating my classroom with their incessant gossiping."

"If people are gossiping about me, then this is the first I am hearing of it, Uncle Sev."

"Very well, that I wrote to your mother about, it seems that she approves of the match. Shall I write to her about Mr Diggory's many favourable attributes?"

Lacie's mouth fell agape, "You… she… what?"

"I see prolonged exposure to Mr Potter and Mr Weasley has irreparably damaged your reasoning, no wonder your mother wishes for restricted interaction with the pair…"

Lacie suddenly felt a wave of frustration tide over her, "Just because Lavender Brown gossips about something does not make it true!"

"I beg your pardon?"

"Cedric is merely my piano teacher, he is not my boyfriend."

"Lacerta…"

"What did you mean, my mother approves of the match?"

Lacie had never seen her godfather look so uncomfortable, even if it was for a millisecond. Professor Snape masked his discomfort as if he was disgusted with the answer, and had to alleviate it with another cup of tea. He seemed overly vigorous in his preparation of his third drink, possibly thinking of a decent answer first. Finally, he took a sip and looked at her again.

"You misunderstand, she prefers Mr Diggory as a companion rather than Mr Potter, for one, he is not a complete dunderhead who recklessly runs into the face of danger," Professor Snape said, and there was something vicious underlying his words.

"I must be more of a dunderhead to follow him into danger then," Lacie said as she picked up her cup with the barest hint of a smile. It was something her mother did when she entertained, a slight self-deprecating remark with a subtle look of amusement that was both seductive and scathing. Lacie was yet to master it, but several months at Beauxbatons had trained her sufficiently. Most of the students there were well-versed this art of intimidation.

Her godfather, most likely familiar with the disarming tactics of Narcissa Malfoy seemed unperturbed.

"I would not say so much a dunderhead, but so very nauseatingly Gryffindor," he replied before sipping his tea again.

"Very much so," Lacie agreed, still not letting up from her act. She glanced briefly away from her godfather and at a small clock in the corner of the room, "Professor Snape, whilst I truly appreciate your concern, Cedric is only a friend and you and my mother need not worry about our rather lacklustre friendship. It is getting late; I should be getting back to Gryffindor Tower before the third-year curfew."

She put her cup down and stood up, and her godfather mirrored her.

"This has been pleasant, Lacerta, we must meet like this again," Professor Snape said, as he looked at her with expressionless eyes.

"I am sure you have another godchild to hassle in the evenings," Lacie replied as she made her way towards the door that lead towards the office.

"He is far too shrill for my liking, soon he will attract werewolves with his high-pitched complaining," her godfather said with a twisted smile upon his face.

"Well, at least I will be able to defend myself against any rogue werewolves that Draco may attract, courtesy of your essay."

"And here I thought that no one in Gryffindor would have done it out of defiance," Professor Snape said, feigning surprise as he followed her out of the door.

"My best friend is Hermione Granger, and she is incredibly serious about homework," Lacie explained with a shrug, an act that was breaking from what her mother would deem acceptable in company.

"Your mother will be glad that at least one of your friends is of adequate competence."

Lacie bit her lip for a moment and then turned to face the Potions Master. "Harry is a good friend to me, and he does not always go looking for trouble, it is not his fault that a mass murderer is after him at the moment."

Professor Snape did not reply or acknowledge that he had heard her, and swept behind his desk, preparing himself to complete the rest of his work. Lacie went to the door and then paused for a moment. She turned back to face the professor, who was already back to marking essays.

"Did you know Sirius Black?" Lacie asked.

He looked up and implored her for a moment before saying, "Yes."

"Was he always evil?"

"Why do you ask?"

Lacie shrugged again, and if her mother was in the room, she would have been chastised for her slovenly actions. "I am from a Slytherin family and was Sorted into Gryffindor, I just wonder if that is the future that I will also have to look forward to."

"Sirius Black was nothing more than an arrogant bully and you are nothing like him, do you hear me?"

Her godfather's voice had risen and he spoke in a hard tone as he held her gaze. His dark eyes continued to survey her, for any signs of self-doubt and was not satisfied until she nodded in understanding. Content, he returned to his work. Lacie frowned for a moment as she considered the answer to her question.

"If you knew Sirius Black, you must have known Harry's father too."

At that, Professor Snape visibly stiffened. His quill froze over someone's work, and a large spot of ink appeared on the parchment that was under it. Even at his error, he remained immobile.

"Why?"

The question was barely a rasp. He did not look at her this time.

"I just know that Sirius Black was best friends with Harry's father, and I suppose he was close friends with his mother too."

Professor Snape did not say anything, and did not move either.

"I suppose I would go mad with rage as well that my best friend was killed, I do not think I would ever stop seeking revenge," Lacie said quietly.

At that the Potions Master's head snapped up and he glared at her, his inky eyes were swimming with a whirling fire of hatred.

"Do not speak about matters that you know nothing about," he said sharply, "Black betrayed the Potters and handed them over to the Dark Lord without so much a look of remorse. Do you wish to know why Black escaped? He is attempting to finish what was started twelve years ago. You are only correct in saying that he was mad with rage, because he was, but because his master was vanquished."

"B-But…"

"Black escaped to kill Potter, nothing more."

Lacie took a step back.

"But he was a Gryffindor…"

Professor Snape laughed, and it was an ugly noise filled with mirth. "There can be bad people in Gryffindor, Lacerta, do not be so naïve to think differently."

Lacie swallowed nervously and nodded, quickly bidding goodbye to her godfather and rushing out of the office.

Black escaped to kill Potter, nothing more.

The words chilled Lacie to the bone, producing a patch of goose bumps to appear on her skin. She wandered up, making the long journey to Gryffindor Tower from the Dungeons. She had been completely wrong about Black, and she was scared. Before, she had not understood the gravity of the extra precautions that the school and teachers had taken. She had not understood why Professor Dumbledore was so afraid and had evacuated all of the students into the Great Hall on Halloween.

He is attempting to finish what was started twelve years ago.

It was no wonder that her mother did not want her near Harry. It was no secret that Harry was a magnet for trouble, and his first and second year only proved that. Sirius Black killed thirteen people, and if rumour was to be believed – his response was to laugh at the Hit Wizards who were there to arrest him. If Black got into Gryffindor Tower again, how many would he kill to get to Harry?

How much could Lacie risk this time?

Would Black use her to get to Harry, like Riddle had? Her hand reached towards her head where there was still a round bald spot, where her hair would never grow back and it ached against her touch. She grimaced at the pain.

"Your curfew is in ten minutes, I would get back to Gryffindor Tower rather soon," a silky voice purred behind her ear and Lacie jumped. A hand clawed at her pounding heart, whilst the other reached inside her robes and she pointed her wand in the direction of the voice. Behind her, a Hufflepuff Prefect held up his hands in surrender. Lacie breathed a sigh of relief.

It is only Cedric.

"You scared me," Lacie said, stowing her wand in her robes again.

"Since when were you so easily spooked?" Cedric said with a crooked smile, one eyebrow carefully raised. The Prefect that was with him glowered at Lacie.

"Since a mass murderer broke into Hogwarts," Lacie said curtly.

"Get back to your Common Room, Malfoy," the other Prefect drawled above crossed arms. Lacie barely acknowledged her, and Lacie turned around, not wanting to be caught in an argument with a Prefect who would only take points away from her. Lacie walked briskly, and made her way up a set of stairs as she heard disagreement below her. She ignored it, knowing if she lingered she only gave a Prefect an excuse to punish her for being out after hours.

"Lace, wait for me!"

At that, Lacie turned around and saw Cedric bounding up the stairs towards her. When he reached her, she frowned as she looked up at him.

"What are you doing?"

"Walking you to your Common Room," he replied, again with another crooked smile, "Scaredy-cat."

"I am no such thing," Lacie said as she bit back a smirk, "Since when did you take a special interest?"

"Well, if you believe all of the rumours that float around Hogwarts…"

Lacie stopped mid-step and turned towards him, "I do not, and it is no laughing matter."

He laughed as he looked away from her, the amusement flooding his handsome features as they started walking again, "No, I guess not."

"Does it not bother you?"

He shook his head, "People talk because they have nothing better to do, but I don't care because I have too much to do."

"Yes, I suppose Quidditch Captain, Prefect, OWL year and piano teacher would do it," Lacie said and this time her smile was visible.

"Keeping an eye on me, Malfoy?"

Colour flushed her cheeks as she stopped to wait for a moving staircase, it was moving in the wrong direction and she would have to wait for it to go the way that she wanted. Silence lingered between them, and Lacie could hear the hushed whispers of the portraits.

"Do not flatter yourself, Diggory," she finally said.

"I think you may be falling for me," Cedric teased. The staircase finally moved in front of them and they both made their way up towards Gryffindor Tower.

Lacie stalked ahead, annoyed by his comment and his general presence. After her conversation with Professor Snape, certain things seemed to make sense. She had expected the Hufflepuffs to be nicer to her after her passing comment about them being fair people, but she wondered how much of that had to do with her now being associated with Cedric, their shining beacon. She remembered the other girls in her dormitory, and how they had giggled in the corner when she told them that she was going out. Even Ginny Weasley, when she joined Ron for a game of ultimately ill-fated chess, seemed to be amused. The only people that did not seem to be enjoying the joke was her, and maybe Hermione. If Cedric was too busy to contemplate the rumours, then Hermione surely was.

"I already told you to not flatter yourself," Lacie said as they reached the seventh floor.

Cedric's laugh this time boomed around them and had to stop walking to clutch his sides. His laugh caught the attention of the sparse collection of portraits that were on the seventh floor. Lacie stopped and glared at him.

"What part of that was funny?" she asked.

"You have never struck me as someone who cared so much about what other people say about you."

"I do not. Care, that is."

"Then why are you so serious?"

Lacie huffed and carried on walking towards the Portrait that hung over the entrance to the Gryffindor Common Room, leaving Cedric alone in the corridor. She resisted looking back to see if he was following her but heard no footsteps indicating that he had moved. When she reached the Portrait Hole, she finally looked behind her and saw that the corridor was empty. Cedric had left, probably to meet up with his Prefect companion and finish off his rounds.

"Lancelot," Lacie said to Sir Cadogan, as he challenged her to a duel and the Portrait swung open. Her mind was swimming with his comment about her seriousness.

Tom Riddle tried to kill me, and Sirius Black might kill me to get to Harry. How does one not be serious in the face of all that?

She stood in the Portrait Hole and thought about it, and realised that she could not control Harry's penchant for danger, no more could she control who her parents were. She stood in the darkness of the Portrait Hole and laughed quietly, letting the noise linger in the air. She laughed again, and the noise was louder this time and she realised that Cedric had been right. She was a scaredy-cat and she was too serious.

"You're in a good mood."

Lacie stumbled out of the Portrait Hole as she turned around to the source of the voice and saw the riotous curls that framed her best friend's face.

"I just had tea with my godfather," Lacie replied as they walked over to a table where Harry was enthusiastically playing Exploding Snap with Ginny, as Ron sullenly looked on.

"Professor Snape has the power to cheer up?" Hermione asked as she dropped her books onto the table, causing the magical cards to crackle. "I never thought I would see the day."

"I still can't believe that Snape is your godfather," Ron muttered, "You would think he would take less points off you."

"Professor Snape does not play favourites with Gryffindors," Lacie replied dryly.

"How come he's your godfather?" Ginny asked, looking up from her cards to implore her and Harry swivelled to face her too.

Lacie nudged Harry across, and sat down in the space he made for her and shrugged at Ginny. "He and my mother were in the same year and House at Hogwarts, and I suppose they were close friends because of that. I think the only person that Professor Snape is scared of is my mother."

"That's something I would pay a thousand Galleons to see," Ron said with a grin.

"That sort of thing is priceless, Ronald," Hermione said as she browsed through a copy of the Evening Prophet. The cover was Sirius Black again, and more promises from the Ministry to capture the criminal and finally put him back behind the bars. Hermione seemed to be more interested in the pages that concerned new developments in the Ministry legal system, most likely trying to get more research for Hagrid's case against Lacie's father.

"Could you imagine if your godfather was Sirius Black?" Ginny asked in a stage whisper, "I think I would take Snape any day."

Lacie bit her lip and looked away from Harry, as Hermione corrected Ginny. Ron wondered aloud what Professor Snape would be like as a godfather, even commenting if he was a good godfather as he constantly removed Housepoints from Lacie and her friends. Lacie rolled her eyes. Her mind was spinning wildly. If the Potions Master was her godfather because he was a good friend of her mother's, then it made sense that a good friend of the Potter's might be Harry's godfather.

Black betrayed the Potters and handed them over to the Dark Lord without so much a look of remorse.

Lacie smiled as Harry and Ginny continued to play Exploding Snap, and watched as the cards exploded, and ashes went all over Hermione's library books. Hermione clucked over her books, and Ron fell about laughing. Harry blushed as he hid his face from Hermione's potential wrath and Ginny profusely apologised. Lacie observed the scene as if detached, and she could almost hear Cedric's voice in her head.

No one else is worried, so why are you so contemplative?

At that, she joined in laughing and a flustered Hermione gathered her books and protectively stalked to their dormitory.

x-x-x-x-x

There was an audible wince in the Gryffindor stands as Hufflepuff conceded a thirtieth goal. Ravenclaw were dominating the match, at three hundred to twenty and Hermione couldn't keep her eyes off the navy and bronze flyers that were barrelling down the pitch. Her eyes darted towards the other players: the Hufflepuff Chasers were looking dejected that Ravenclaw was winning by such a large point margin, the Hufflepuff Beaters missed very shot they could when the Bludger was in their direction. The Hufflepuff Keeper was being yelled at by every Hufflepuff student, and it did nothing for their confidence or ability to save a goal.

"So if Hufflepuff lose, what does it mean for us?" Hermione asked tentatively and turned to face Harry but he was glued to the game. It was the first time in a long time that Hermione's nose wasn't in a book, or she was surrounded in something that wasn't a classroom or the library. Still, as she shivered underneath her outer robe, and she would rather be inside than watching Quidditch. It was a frosty November afternoon, but the winter chill didn't stop the entirety of Hogwarts stepping out and watching the game before them.

"It means that Gryffindor have a fighting chance for the Cup again," Ron answered for him, "If Hufflepuff lose against Slytherin and we beat Ravenclaw, we could easily slip to second or third place, depending on the point margin."

"Then that's good isn't it? Harry?" Hermione nudged her friend, knowing that he was most likely driving himself crazy as he stared at the two Seekers in the air.

"What is she doing?" he asked, tearing his eyes off the game to look at Ron.

"She is flirting with him," Lacie answered beside Hermione, before Ron could say anything. Harry turned to face Lacie with wonder on his face.

"Flirting? How can you tell?"

"Jealous?" Ron asked with a grin, and Lacie rolled her eyes in response. It seemed as if Ron had reached the same conclusion that Lacie had. Hermione winced as Hufflepuff missed scoring a goal.

"Hardly, it is a good tactic, though. Cedric is one of those people who likes to synchronise his magic to his surroundings and feelings, like he is sensing for the Snitch rather than looking for it," Lacie carried on explaining.

"I noticed that, it worked a little during the last match," Harry said.

"Yes and you are not the only one, Cho is following him and distracting him until she has a chance to catch the Snitch herself," Lacie said with a grimace, "See how she is twirling her hair, and laughing with him? It looks like she is leaning forward to hear what he is saying, but really, the minute that Cedric flies in pursuit of the Snitch, she is ready and streamlined to take chase."

"Are you really saying that the only girl on the Quidditch team is using her gender to one-up the Hufflepuffs?" Hermione asked, narrowing her eyes at her best friend.

"No, she is using her brain and distracting the other Seeker whilst Ravenclaw drive the point margin up. Now, it does not matter if Diggory catches the Snitch, they will never win the game," Lacie explained hurriedly, and she looked over at Ron who, for once, looked impressed with her. She continued to speak, "Also, it is Ced's fault if he is distracted easily by her.

"Not that she is not a great Seeker," Lacie concluded, "She has quick reflexes and good flexibility, and nimble when she flies through the air. She is on the same level as Draco, I suppose."

"All of that doesn't matter, of course," Ron added, "The Ravenclaw Chasers are too good."

"We could take them," Harry muttered darkly, his eyes trained on the Seekers that were still immobile in the air, and even Hermione could see the back-and-forth between them. Lacie tensed for a moment next to her, and seconds later Cedric was darting towards the other end of the pitch and Cho was chasing him, and was slowly overtaking him.

"She's going to get the Snitch," Hermione whispered, and the other Gryffindors around them stood up as they eagerly waited for the moment Madam Hooch would blow her whistle. It would be the biggest Hufflepuff loss in a century or two, and there was no doubt that Diggory would get ousted as team captain, despite how popular he may be. Hermione was glad for the game to finish, as it had been miserable to watch Hufflepuff play, as if the pitch was covered by a swarm of Dementors again.

"She is not," Lacie said in a singsong voice and a Cheshire cat grin to match.

"I know he's your friend, Lace, but she's passing h-…" Hermione said, trailing of her sentence as Cedric swerved upwards and around and went back on himself. Cho was still zooming in the direction Cedric had led her to as Cedric flew back and it took her several moments to check behind her for Cedric, and Hermione realised what he had done.

Seconds later, Madam Hooch's whistle sounded in the air and Hufflepuff cheered weakly. Even though Cedric had caught the Snitch, Ravenclaw had still flattened them and that was just with their Chasers.

"The point margin could be worse," Ron said reassuringly to Harry as the four stood up to make their way out of the stands. Harry looked pensive as walked and Hermione bit the inside of her cheek. If only her friend was so concerned about his increasing pile of homework like he was Quidditch, maybe he wouldn't have so much trouble completing them on time. Hermione sighed realising that it was an aspect of Harry that was probably never going to change.

"How did you know that Cedric was faking it?" Hermione asked once they had departed from the crowds and were well on their way back to the Castle.

Her friend smile mischievously as she exchanged a look with Ron, who was also smiling and she said, "Because, Cedric was flirting back."

x-x-x-x-x

Hermione and Ron didn't speak all the way back from Hogsmeade. Ron stared out at the vast expanse, squinting at the glare from the sun reflecting from the bright, white snow. Hermione rubbed her nose before rubbing her gloved hands against each other. They both shuddered as the carriage passed the Dementors at the gate, and Hermione pushed the whispered taunts of her childhood bully to the back of her mind as they trotted through the snow laden grounds.

Sirius Black betrayed Harry's parents.

Lacie was wrong.

The two sentences hung in the air, and Hermione knew that Ron was thinking it too. Without the Invisibility Cloak, they had waited until the Professors were merry before they could duck out unnoticed, but that had given Harry enough time to stew in his thoughts. No sooner had they left the Three Broomsticks, Harry had darted in the direction of Honeydukes and out of sight. Ron suggested that they go back to Hogwarts and hopefully corner Harry in the Common Room. Hermione didn't know what to think, then again she didn't have a godfather that had betrayed her parents.

The rising bile up her throat was not a side effect of the Dementors. It was the knowledge that Sirius Black was Harry's godfather made Hermione feel nauseous. It was a rare occasion that Hermione felt relieved that Harry spend his summers where he did, because he could have just ended up dead.

Hermione and Ron climbed up the stairs to the Gryffindor Common Room in silence again, and Ron mumbled the password for Sir Cadogan and Hermione quietly followed him. The excitement that Harry had been given the Marauder's Map had dissipated quickly and Ron was pensive.

"Have either of you seen Harry?"

Hermione's neck snapped up at the source of the question and was nearly pounced on by Lacie. Hermione studied Lacie's expression and found that her best friend was beside herself with worry as she paced.

"Yeah," Ron said as his shoulders sagged.

"Where? I have been looking for him everywhere."

Ron looked around the Common Room and saw a table and a set of chairs that was in a quiet area and moved towards them as he took off his tattered robe. Lacie followed him, demanding answers. Hermione almost hit her head in realisation. Lacie had planned to spend the day with Harry after her ballet and piano lessons earlier that morning, knowing that Harry would be miserable otherwise. Hermione knew that part of it was because she didn't want to go past the Dementors again but fortunately had her barrage of extra-curricular activities to excuse her from these trips.

Of course, Harry being Harry would have run off to Hogsmeade without even telling Lacie where he was going and leaving her to spend her Saturday searching for him.

Hermione sat down, still cold from the snow outside and Lacie regarded Ron and her with narrow eyes.

"What is it?"

Hermione shifted uncomfortably in her seat and winced as she answered, "He was at Hogsmeade."

"Hogsmeade? How was Harry at Hogsmeade? Did his Aunt and Uncle send Professor McGonagall a permission slip?" Lacie asked as her eyebrows knitted in confusion.

"Not… exactly," Hermione started, and she looked towards Ron for help. The boy sighed and then he launched into a detailed account of how Harry got the Marauder's Map, and how he had used it to sneak into Hogsmeade. Hermione watched as Lacie's eyebrow raised higher and higher with every detail she disapproved of. Before Ron could even tell them about what had happened in the Three Broomsticks, Lacie turned to Hermione.

"Did you not even think to stop him?"

"Of course I did," Hermione snapped, annoyance rising through her. "I even told him that he should take it to Professor McGonagall, but… it is Christmas… and well -…"

"Insane, the pair of you! Harry is going to get himself either -…"

"Either what, Lacie?" a voice said behind them, and Hermione found herself standing up quite sharply. Lacie pursed her lips and Ron turned his attention away and stared out of the window.

"Harry," Hermione said gently and put a hand on his arm, "Are you alright?"

Harry sullenly brushed her arm away and walked around the table that they were sitting at so that he was stood next to Ron and he bit the inside of his cheek. Lacie's gaze followed him and thought for a moment before saying, as she was looking up at him.

"You will get yourself expelled or killed because if you had not noticed, there is a mass murderer who would very much like to kill you," Lacie said tartly.

"Oh really? I hadn't noticed!"

Hermione looked over at Ron, who was more focused on what was occurring outside of the Common Room rather than what was going on inside. Hermione decided to bite the bullet and forced a smile at Harry.

"We are only trying to protect you," Hermione said, "Is that so bad?"

"I don't need protecting," Harry said adamantly. "I want him to find me."

"Then you are stupider than you look," Lacie said, standing up and glaring at Harry.

"Lace, it's not that simple," Hermione said before sighing and sitting down. Hermione then, with Harry's implied permission, she quickly recounted what they had overheard in the Three Broomsticks. That Black was a Secret Keeper for the Potters, and Harry's godfather. That, within days, Harry's parents were dead. That Black had been confronted and killed all those people. Hermione also added, her voice getting unsteady and quiet, that Lacie had been wrong. Black hadn't gone mad with insanity that his best friend was dead, he had turned rogue and was mad that his master had been vanquished by a baby.

Lacie merely blinked at her when she had finished.

Hermione felt unsettled at how Lacie was not reacting by jumping on Harry and giving him a hug, instead she looked blank and emotionless. Harry seemed to notice this too, as he narrowed his eyes as he turned to Lacie.

"Why do you look like you already know this?" Harry asked carefully.

Lacie opened her mouth guiltily and shut it.

No, Lacie. No, no, no.

"Professor Snape told me a week ago, he spared me the details but he told me enough," Lacie admitted as she played with the edge of her cardigan. Hermione shut her eyes in exasperation and cupped her face with her hands.

Ron and turned away from the scene outside to look at Lacie and said, "And you didn't think it was important to tell Harry?"

"Yes, because there is always a perfect time to tell someone that not only is there an escaped mass murderer out to kill you, but he is also responsible for the death of your parents," Lacie said venomously as she glared back at Ron, and then she looked at Harry and added, "Congratulations, you have a godfather, too bad he was in Azkaban for all of your life because he betrayed your parents and killed thirteen people."

Her outburst stunned the rest of them into silence. Harry huffed and barged past Lacie without even looking at her. Lacie's face fell, and her arm twitched, as if she wanted to grab Harry to hold him back but had decided against it. She turned to Ron, and he shrugged back at her, as if to ask what she wanted him to do. She then turned her attention to Hermione who only had a sympathetic smile.

"You should have told him."

Lacie sagged a little and tucked some of her hair behind her ear, "I know, I suppose I did not want it to be true."

"Just in case he goes looking for Black? I know you're trying to protect -…"

Lacie interrupted Hermione as she spoke and said, "I was not thinking about Harry. Well, of course I thought of him but… in first year, his obsession over Professor Snape meant that the both of you ended up in the Hospital Wing, and in June, I was tortured and drowned."

Lacie exhaled, and pinched the bridge of her nose. She spoke with closed eyes, "I know it is selfish, but I suppose I was just protecting myself. I do not know how many times someone is going to attack me to get to Harry."

Hermione stared open-mouthed at Lacie. She knew that Lacie's mother had been putting pressure on Lacie to stay away from Harry and to keep out of trouble. At first, Lacie had laughed it off but it seemed that the seeds of doubt that had been placed were taking root. Hermione opened her mouth to say something but no words came. Lacie mumbled something about needing to pack the rest of her things. Unlike Ron and Hermione, Lacie was leaving for the Christmas holidays and was leaving the next morning. Hermione wanted to follow after her but seemed to be stuck in her seat. Ron's gaze followed Lacie as she went up the stairs to the girl's dormitory. When she disappeared out of sight, he returned to staring outside.

"She's right, you know," Hermione said after a while.

"Bollocks, Hermione. You know she would be the first person to jump in front of Harry in a duel," Ron replied. "You saw how she was when Harry was brought into the hospital wing."

Hermione could see the blizzard swirling outside reflected in his blue eyes.

"I didn't say she was a hypocrite, I just said that she was right. Harry does obsess and it does get him into trouble, sometimes at the expense of the people around him."

Ron turned to face her and groaned as he acquiesced to Hermione's statement. He took a deep breath and said, "Harry blames himself enough for what happened to Lacie."

"Then let's stop this," Hermione said pleadingly, "We have to convince Harry not to go looking for Black."

Ron nodded, and Hermione smiled and copied him as they stared at the gathering blizzard outside. There was something calming about the storm outside, and Hermione watched it all night.

A/N: Merry Christmas to all my great readers and thanks for reading this story :)

I thought I would edit this chapter as a [belated] Christmas present but I will be updating fortnightly again after this chapter.

Happy reading,

CSxo.