"I don't think this is a good idea," Remus voiced, pacing back and forth.
"I told you not to mention anything," Severus, responded, walking into the room with a pair of black boots and tossing them to Sirius.
"Oh he didn't say a bloody thing to me, I got suspicious when I saw the two of you going off and whispering and acting very suspicious!" Remus shouted.
"Quiet or you'll wake mother," Sirius replied – in a voice that in no way matched his.
In fact, if Remus hadn't walked in and watched the transformation himself he wouldn't have known it was Sirius Black at all.
Instead of the almost 6 feet tall friend he had grown accustom to, there now stood a much thinner man who stood at 5.6 with brown hair that was buzzed short, bushy eyebrows and had a rather ordinary face.
"He walked in after I took the potion," Sirius explained, as he slipped on his new boots.
"And who exactly are you supposed to be?" Remus asked.
"No one," Sirius and Severus answered in unison.
"No one" Remus repeated
"Knicked a hair off a muggle in the village," Severus shrugged.
"Oh well that's alright then," Remus replied sarcastically.
"He's untraceable and plain that if anyone was watching they wouldn't recognize him again," Severus responded as if it were obvious.
"I'm sorry watching what?" Remus asked exasperated.
"Must you ask so many questions?" Severus replied growing aggravated.
"Not if you told me what was going on"
"We're going to see Narcissa," Sirius said standing up straight and walking around in his newly tied boots.
"Narcissa Malfoy?" Remus responded.
"Yes"
"You're going to see Narcissa Malfoy," Remus repeated.
"Merlin did we not already settle this," Severus responded, tossing Sirius a robe.
"Were going to see Narcissa about Ginny," Sirius added.
"Well I gathered that much myself thank you, but what about Lucius what about the ministry, how do you know you can trust her?"
"He's disguised under polly juice, Lucius is away on business and she is in fact expecting me for tea," Severus answered. "We are running out of time, we can't risk the potion wearing off, we need to leave now," Severus added, addressing Sirius this time.
"We will explain everything later," Sirius assured Remus as he followed Severus out of the room.
"Are you nervous?" Severus asked Sirius.
"I was nervous when we stepped out of my mother's house, and when we stood at the gate at the foot of my cousin's drive, but somewhere on the walk up to the door it seemed to have disappeared," Sirius responded.
Severus looked over at Sirius as if he hadn't expected that answer, or for him to answer at all.
Instead, the two stood in silence until they heard footsteps approach the large wooden door, and it swung open to reveal a tiny woman.
"Narcissa," Severus greeted smiling.
"Severus it's lovely to see you, and who is this?" She asked, stepping aside for the two men to enter. If she was surprised to see, he brought a companion she didn't let on.
Sirius half expected an alarm to sound as soon as he crossed over the threshold and when nothing happened, he let out a breath he didn't know he had been holding.
"I'm sorry I hope it's alright," Severus smiled.
"Of course its fine, come in. The elf just set out the tea,"
The two men followed Narcissa down the hall, and Sirius shot Severus a nervous look before he sat down at an empty chair in the sunroom.
"Is Lucius still away on business?" Severus asked.
Narcsissa darted her gaze over to Sirius before answering. "Yes he won't be back until the weekend,"
"You're alone?" Severus pried again.
"Yes Severus I am alone,"
"Narcissa do you remember Ginevra Dunham?" Severus asked, skipping the thought out plan he and Sirius had rehearsed and just jumping to the chase.
Narcissa put a small spoonful of sugar into her tea and stirred it slowly before answering.
"There has been no talk of Ginevra for years, and this is the third time her name has come up in the last few months."
"The third time?" Sirius asked.
Narcissa regarded him, as if saving his face to memory before answering.
"The first is when The Dark Lord approached me in October, he asked if I had any contact with Ginevra since she left Hogwarts, or if I knew where she was," She answered taking a sip of tea. "My answer was the same as when he asked me years ago, that I haven't seen or heard from Ginevra since Hogwarts."
"And the second?" Severus asked.
"That would be when my husband approached me, saying he was meeting with Arthur Weasley, it turns out our Ginevra and his are one in the same," Narcissa said putting down her cup. "But of course you knew that Severus, you were there," Narcissa added, folding her hands in her lap as she looked over at her old friend.
Severus and Sirius exchanged a look, which expressed how much they had hoped Narcissa knew.
"Won't you have a square," Narcissa spoke, breaking the silence as she indicated to the platter in the middle of the table.
Sirius reached for what looked like a chocolate and marshmallow square and grinned broadly as he plopped it in his mouth.
Narcissa watched him as he ate his square and a smile came across her face.
"Of course, there are perks to being trusted by the Dark Lord," Narcissa said.
Severus just nodded, and Sirius reached for another square.
"They sometimes come in handy," Narcissa added, still regarding Sirius.
"Like what?" Severus asked taking the bait.
"He doesn't suspect you of lying."
Sirius put down his square, and looked over at Narcissa to see she was smiling.
"Ginevra came to see me right after Lucius and I were married. She gave me something, and asked me to keep it safe."
"What was it?" Severus and Sirius asked in unison.
"She gave me a cup, at the time I thought it was odd."
"Where is it?" both men asked.
"I hid it in the attic for the longest time, I told Lucius it was a late wedding gift from an old relative, but when the Ministry came to search the manor I hid it in the dungeons."
"Why did you hide it in the dungeons?" Severus asked.
"Because it felt like a dark artifact they would be looking for," Narcissa answered.
"Odd how?" Severus asked, leaning in closer.
"The Dark Lord gave Lucius a book for safe keeping before he disappeared when he went after the Potters he kept it in a side table by the bed, he eventually got rid of it, I don't know what happened to it, but just being near it felt wrong, after a while I realized that the cup had felt the same."
"Well that's the book Dumbledore spoke of," Severus said looking over at Sirius.
"But what connection does the book have to the locket and the cup?" Sirius asked.
"The locket?" Narcissa asked, recognition lighting up her face.
"Sorry?" Severus asked, forgetting for a moment that he and Sirius were sitting in Narcissa Malfoys sunroom having tea.
"Did you say something about a locket?" Narcissa asked.
"Why?" Sirius asked cutting Severus off.
"When Ginevra came to see me she was in a hurry, she was paranoid she was being followed, she told me I had to keep the cup safe. She said they hadn't figured out how to destroy them yet, but she needed to spread them out with someone she could trust, so that when the time came to destroy them it would get done," Narcissa answered, her voice lowered as if she were scared of the scones overhearing.
"Then, she gave you more than just the cup?" Severus asked, excitement in his voice.
"No she only gave me the cup, but I wasn't the only one she gave something too."
"What do you mean?" Sirius asked leaning in.
Narcissa regarded Sirius a moment before answering.
"She told me Regulus was going after the locket, and that Dumbledore had the ring and the sword."
Severus shot a glace at Sirius.
"I don't know what any of it meant, she said she would contact me in a few months, but then Regulus died and I never heard from her again."
"But you still have the cup?" Sirius asked.
"Yes, I'm assuming that's why you're both here, you've come to destroy it?" Narcissa asked, getting up from the table.
"We haven't gotten that far yet," Sirius answered.
"Am I allowed to know what exactly these things have in common?" Narcissa asked.
"We haven't figured it all out yet," Severus answered.
Narcissa excused herself to go get the cup leaving Sirius and Severus alone.
"We have another one!" Severus grinned looking over at Sirius with bright eyes.
"What was all that about?" Sirius asked, lowering his voice.
"What was what?"
"The point of rehearsing a plan if you were just going to ignore it once we got here?"
"Narcissa isn't like Lucius, she doesn't have an agenda, and Ginevra trusted her," Severus replied dismissively.
"That was a long time ago, things have changed since we were in school," Sirius retorted.
"I've noticed," Severus replied, looking at Sirius pointedly.
"What if she tells?" Sirius asked, after a long pause.
"Relax, she doesn't know who you are."
"But she knows who you are," Sirius answered.
Shock crossed Snape's face, and he opened his mouth to reply but was saved the trouble when Narcissa re-entered the room holding a golden cup with two handles with a badger carved into the side.
"I'm afraid we have to go," Sirius spoke, standing up as Narcissa entered.
"I thought as much, Severus doesn't often ask to come over for tea," Narcissa smiled sadly.
"It was lovely," Sirius responded.
"We really appreciate this Narcissa," Severus added, standing up and taking the cup from her.
Narcissa escorted them to the door, when Sirius moved to follow Severus past the threshold Narcissa held out her arm blocking his path.
"She asked about you," Narcissa said, lowering her voice.
"Excuse me?" Sirius asked, taken aback.
"When she came to see me, she looked thinner, and tired, she was in such a hurry, but before she left she asked about you," Narcissa added, shooting a look at Severus who already started down the driveway to the safe apparation area.
"I think you're confused," Sirius responded, trying to stay neutral as his heart raced.
"She loved you, and I know that it wasn't just her hiding and secret agenda that contributed to her sleepless nights."
"I'm sorry I-"
"I won't say anything, not about you or Severus coming here. She was my friend too.'
Sirius nodded as he slipped out of the house and onto the porch, he turned around to see Narcissa still standing in the open doorway.
"How did you know?" He asked.
"You're still the only person I ever knew that liked my mother's dreadful marshmallow squares," Narcissa laughed, tears filling her eyes.