'Disclaimer: This story is based on characters and situations created and owned by JK Rowling, various publishers including but not limited to Bloomsbury Books, Scholastic Books and Raincoast Books, and Warner Bros., Inc. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended.

Warning: None for this chapter.

Chapter 21 – Confrontations

"Where are we?"

"It's a surprise. Stand back."

"What on earth are you doing to that portrait?"

"Tickling the pear."

"'Tickling the …'? Oh …," Kate's eyes grew as a door handle appeared on the door before her. With a rather large grin, Remus pulled on the handle and gestured for Kate to enter; with one more glance at his amused expression, she did.

"Welcome to the kitchens," Remus said, closing the door behind him.

Immediately, the two students were surrounded by house elves, bowing low and chattering animatedly over one another. Kate caught no more than every third word or so, but Remus seemed to be fully aware of everything the elves said as he grasped her elbow and led her to the end of one of four long tables situated in the room.

"Fancy being Ravenclaw for awhile?" Remus asked, motioning her onto one of the benches before taking his seat opposite hers.

Kate glanced around. "Sorry?"

"Each of these tables is situated directly beneath it's counterpart in the Great Hall; we're sitting in Ravenclaw, Gryffindor is just there, beyond that is Hufflepuff and over on the far wall is, of course, Slytherin," he explained. Food is arranged on these tables and magicked up to the Great Hall at mealtimes. It reappears exactly as the house elves arrange it down here in the kitchens."

Kate cocked her head to one side. "You seem to know a great deal about the goings-on in the Hogwarts kitchens. Care to explain?"

Remus was spared an immediate response by the appearance of a particularly tiny house elf who bowed, introduced herself as 'Puggins', then stood at Remus' side and simply beamed at him.

"Master Remus hasn't been to visit for a long time," she said, shifting her weight from one bare foot to the other in her excitement. "And now he comes with his lady friend. Puggins brings snacks … chocolate snacks … and butter beer, yes?" she gave him an exaggerated wink with one large blue eye while patting his arm conspiratorially. Remus felt his face flush as he thanked the elf and lifted his head to find Kate barely able to hold back her laughter.

"It appears you have an admirer, Master Remus," she teased. "I'll guess the answer to my question: you come here a lot!"

Remus shrugged and returned her smile. "See the table in that corner over there?" He pointed to a spot well away from the kitchen traffic. At her nod, he continued. "Well, some of the best of the Marauders' pranks have been planned at that table."

"Hmm; I'm surprised no one's installed a plaque to commemorate its place in history," Kate declared just as Puggins returned, pushing a trolley laden with all manner of chocolate: from devil's food cake to chocolate cream pie; from brownies thick with warm fudge to chocolate chip cookies, it appeared that the kitchen's full compliment of the treat had been crammed onto the cart. Once it had all been settled before them, the little creature reached beneath the linen cloth and produced a bucket of ice into which a dozen bottles of butter beer had been wedged.

"Master Remus and Missy …?" she paused.

"Kate," Remus supplied, grinning.

"Master Remus and Missy Kate should stay as long as they likes; and if they wants anything else, Puggins brings it!" smiling brightly, the house elf nodded at them and pushed her cart away from the table.

The two friends looked at each other and burst out laughing. After they'd calmed a bit, Remus leaned across the table and gently clasped Kate's hand. "I'm truly sorry, Kate," he said quietly. "Please forgive me."

Kate turned her hand over so she could give him an answering squeeze. "I forgive you, Remus. I know that you're just trying to help; it can't be fun stuck in the middle."

Remus sighed in relief. "I wasn't looking forward to having this week repeat itself for the rest of our Hogwarts careers."

Kate shook her head. "I couldn't have kept it up that long, Remus. I've missed you," she confessed.

"And besides, I come with such fringe benefits," Remus laughed, sweeping his hand over the varieties of chocolate piled in front of them. He picked up a plate. "What's your pleasure?"

Having each eaten as much chocolate as they could bear – Remus' threshold for the stuff far outlasting Kate's – the two friends sat back and nursed their butter beers. Each knew there were things they needed to address; both understood that to put the other night firmly behind them, those matters needed to be resolved before they returned to their respective dormitories.

"So," Kate began, feeling a bit tentative.

"So," Remus returned, fingers nervously picking at the label on his bottle. Finally, his eyes met hers. "Sirius."

Kate felt a small swoop in her chest at the sound of the boy's name. She shook it off. "Sirius," she said resolutely.

"You know, it strikes me that we're going to be here a very long time if we do nothing more than repeat each other's words," Remus smiled. "We've never had a problem talking to each other before now. Let's just make a pact that we won't be upset by anything that's said – at least to the point of walking away – and just … talk."

Kate exhaled sharply. "Ok. I'll start, yes?"

At his nod, Kate began, "You saw how Sirius and I were before we left for the holiday; I don't think either of us knew what we were doing – really, but we had agreed to try to figure it all out. He became so depressed just before we all left; I know he doesn't like being at home with his family, but he started out by telling me that it was just a lack of sleep that was making him irritable. I'm not stupid, Remus; I know why he wasn't sleeping."

Remus nodded, his eyes sad. "Did you push him?"

"A bit, but you know what it's like to push Sirius. It didn't get me very far at all. The day we left, it felt to me that he was pulling back a bit, that he was distancing himself from me. I put it down to his anxiety about going home for Christmas but now … given what's been happening with him since we got back …" Kate's voice trailed off and, to her dismay, she felt the prickle of tears in her eyes. She blinked rapidly, hoping to stave them off.

"Will you tell me what's happened?" Remus said quietly. He remembered well her reaction to that request several evenings before; he hoped their pact would prevent a recurrence. To his relief, Kate nodded.

"When I walked into the Hall and went up to our table, it was obvious that Sirius had changed. He couldn't keep his eyes from Ofelia Bullstrode. He managed to avoid me until the next afternoon when I caught up with him in the Common Room. Again, it was all about Ofelia; she can hex people in French, she's beautiful, she was top of her class at Beauxbatons. I think if I'd given him any encouragement, he'd have talked about her until my ears fell off," Kate said, her fingers unconsciously shredding her napkin into tiny pieces.

"And that's when Peter came in and saved your ears," Remus prompted, reaching over and stilling Kate's hands. She folded her hands in her lap and nodded.

"If you want to refer to it as that, yes."

"Where does Delilah come into it?"

"I was walking behind her – and her little group – on the way to dinner… my first attempt at going to dinner that night … and she was telling them all about her 'romantic interlude' with Sirius." Kate lowered her voice and leaned closer to Remus. "She had a very large "love bite" on her neck as proof of their … activities."

Remus' eyes widened, remembering that Sirius had been sporting what sounded to be a similar mark when he'd returned to the dorm that day.

"Delilah told the other girls that I was nothing but a fling for him and that he was well over me. Sirius hasn't done a thing to prove her wrong," Kate finished, brushing away the tears that, this time, she had been unable to quell.

"Don't you think that you owe it to yourself to hear the truth from Sirius?" Remus asked softly. "I know that it would hurt to hear him say those same things to you, but even if he does, will it cause more pain than you're feeling right now?"

Kate nodded. "Yes, I believe that it will. I'll be honest with you, Remus; right now, I have only the word of a very self-absorbed witch who could have been puffing herself up in front of her friends. If I ask Sirius directly and he confirms it, well…"

"You'll know what's true, then, won't you? And don't you think you deserve the truth?"

"Yes, I do. I'm just not sure I'm ready to hear it. And I know I'm not ready to march up to him and ask any questions. I can't bear to be in the same room with him unless it's a classroom filled with students." Kate drew a deep breath. "I'm not ready to have the conversation with him. Can you respect that?"

Remus nodded. "Of course I can, Kate. Have you given any thought to what you'll do if he approaches you?"

Kate shrugged. "I'll have to face him, then, won't I? I can hardly run screaming in the opposite direction. Anyway, the likelihood that he's going to come to me about anything seems pretty remote. He hasn't tried thus far and I'm sure he's entirely too preoccupied with Ofelia or Delilah – or both – to bother about me." Kate finished her butter beer and placed the empty bottle on the table. They were quiet for a few moments as Kate collected herself. "I should probably get back. Since I've wriggled out of studying tonight, I can continue skiving off and read a book for my own enjoyment until bedtime."

Remus rose and they both turned to thank the house elves for their hospitality. A sizeable group, led by the still-beaming Puggins, assured them that they were most welcome to return at any time and stood waving until the students left.

"Moony! What are you doing way down here at this time of night? And why didn't you ask me to … " Sirius' voice sounded behind them, stopping when he saw who had been standing behind his friend. "Kate," he said softly, shoving his hands in the pockets of his robes.

The surprised witch inadvertently took a step closer to Remus – and away from the dark-haired wizard. "Sirius," she said equally quietly. Remus remained silent, not knowing how to respond and not wanting to step on anything Kate might want to say. The result was a very disquieting atmosphere.

Sirius fidgeted for a few moments as the silence began to wear on his already frayed nerves. He hated surprises – always had done – and running into Kate was definitely a surprise. Without even realizing it, Sirius turned to his foolproof method of diffusing tension: humor. It gave him control of an awkward situation, and, at its most effective, successfully deflected attention from himself to someone else. Casting about for an appropriately witty comment, Sirius heard himself saying, "So, Moony, you sly dog, does Dorcas know you're down here with Kate?" He waggled his eyebrows. "Don't you worry about a thing…your guilty secret's safe with me. I'll never say a word." Even as the words tumbled out of his mouth, he knew he'd done it again.

Remus rolled his eyes, knowing exactly what had prompted Sirius' stupidity, but also knowing the impact it would have on Kate to hear him speak so glibly. "Sirius, really…" he began, but was interrupted as Kate moved forward.

"Just for the record, Sirius," she said quietly, although her eyes flashed her anger. "I am not the type of witch to knowingly pursue a wizard already in a relationship – of any kind. I would never hurt a friend that way – and Dorcas is my friend, as is Remus." Kate turned back toward Remus. "Thanks for the chocolate and the conversation, Remus. I'll see you tomorrow." And with that, she walked swiftly along the corridor away from the two wizards who were staring after her.

"You know, Padfoot, there are people who manage their nerves by remaining quiet," Remus observed.

Sirius nodded miserably. He turned and started to follow Kate at a run, but Remus caught him by the scruff of his robes before he'd gotten too far. "Bloody werewolf reflexes," grumbled the mass of black hair and misery at the end of Remus' arm.

"Every now and again they come in quite handy, Pads," Remus said. "Now, if I let go will you stay put?"

"Yes, Moony," Sirius replied and Remus could fairly hear his eyes roll in his tone.

"Good," the werewolf replied. "Now, let's take a leisurely walk back to the tower and we can discuss why charging after Kate in your current state – and hers – is actually counterproductive, yes?"

"Fine," Sirius muttered. "Remus, you – and James – have been at me to speak with Kate all week. She's been avoiding me like the plague and I finally have the chance to actually do it and you stop me."

"How wrong of me," Remus said, voice dripping with sarcasm. "I mean really, Padfoot, you only insulted her by accusing her of trying to steal me away from one of her friends. Why wouldn't she be receptive to a calm, rational discussion with you? I'm assuming you also missed her reference to the fact that there were other witches around here who didn't share her views on fidelity?"

"No, Remus, I totally understood everything Kate said to me, thank you very much," Sirius stopped in his tracks and turned to look at his friend. "I'm not as stupid as you lot seem to think I am. I might not always make the best choices and my timing couldn't be worse sometimes, but this is new for me. I've never felt like this. I know I was an idiot with my big plan with Kate, but I know that now and all I want to do is set things right again."

Remus nodded and slung his arm around the other wizard's shoulders. "I know, Pads; just not tonight. Give her time to get over her mad, ok? Maybe you can catch her tomorrow."

Sirius shook his head. "Can't. I have Quidditch tomorrow. You know that, Moony."

"Quidditch doesn't last all day. I'll see if I can get her to come to the match with Dorcas and me. We'll take our time walking back up to the castle when it's over and maybe you can catch her then."

Sirius was quiet as he considered his friend's proposal. "And if she doesn't want to talk with me right then, perhaps we can set up a time to get together before the weekend is over. As long as she'll go with you to the match," he finished, his brow furrowing. "Of course, it's just as likely that she'll beg off; say she has to study. Anything to avoid talking with me."

"As long as you're thinking positively," Remus muttered.

XXXXXXXX

The following morning dawned clear and cold. Over breakfast, Kate had agreed to attend the Quidditch match with Remus and made arrangements to meet him in the entrance hall after changing into suitably warm clothing. They soon joined the throngs of students crunching through the snow toward the Quidditch pitch, eagerly awaiting the match between Gryffindor and Ravenclaw.

"Mind your step; it's a long way down," Peter called as he, Dorcas, Remus, Kate and Lily found places in the front of the stands. The wizard had received a pair of Omnioculars as a Christmas gift from his uncle and he was generous in sharing them with the rest of his friends. Remus took the device from Lily and carefully turned the various knobs until he found the control that brought the players into closer range. Several friends of the Marauders were also on the team: Frank Longbottom, Samir Patil and Dorcas' brother Steven were huddled together at the Gryffindor end, apparently discussing strategy with a couple of the other players Remus didn't know well. Remus scanned the sky and found James and Sirius similarly engaged mid-field. As Remus' attention turned toward the crowd on the other side of the pitch, his gaze landed on a group of Slytherin students. Ofelia Bullstrode, draped in what appeared to be a very expensive fur cloak, was surrounded by what was quickly becoming her typical entourage: Lucius Malfoy, Narcissa and Bellatrix Black and, seated to her immediate right, Severus Snape. I can't recall the last Quidditch match Severus attended, Remus mused. He remembered James' report of Snape and Ofelia lingering over tea in the Great Hall. Filing the information away, Remus turned to hand the Omnioculars to Kate when a voice in front of them made him pause. Sirius.

"Good morning, ladies and gents," the dark-haired wizard greeted his friends as he hovered on his broom before them. "Nice to see everyone up bright and early – ready to cheer the gallant boys of Gryffindor to victory yet again!" Sirius' glance fell on Kate. "Came to see your Quidditch lesson in action, eh, Kate?" he asked, his tone a bit less confident.

His comment caught Kate by surprise and she couldn't think of anything to say in response. Before she had time to recover herself, a whistle sounded from below and Sirius flew off – but not before Kate saw the smile slip from his face.

"Care to try these?" Remus asked, handing her the Omnioculars.

"Thanks," she murmured, raising them to her eyes and making the necessary adjustments to enhance the view. The match had begun and Kate was stunned by the speed and agility with which all players flew. Sirius and James, however, were the best of the lot; indeed, it seemed that flying was as natural to them both as breathing, if their fearlessness was any indication. Kate found herself holding her breath at the heart-stopping maneuvers Sirius, in particular, executed in his position as Chaser. Sirius wove between players – his own teammates as well as the opposition – Quaffle tucked firmly under his arm, focus exclusively on the rings that beckoned before him. A bludger streaked out of nowhere, aimed directly at his head, but at the last moment Sirius gave a great lunge to his right, flipping himself upside-down on his broom and effectively avoiding the hit. A great roar rose from the Gryffindor section then, and again moments later, as Sirius hurled the Quaffle through the tallest ring, putting Gryffindor on the board first. Kate exhaled in relief as the two teams met at mid-field to resume play.

"Do you think I could have my arm back now?" Remus' amused voice sounded very near her ear. Kate looked down to see that she had a death grip on the werewolf's forearm. Smiling weakly, she removed her hand.

"Sorry," she said. "It's not quite as nerve-wracking when you're just listening to the stories."

"Oh, no?" Remus raised an eyebrow at her. "Apparently, you haven't heard the right stories!"

Kate smiled and tapped Peter on the shoulder to return the Omnioculars to him. He smiled back at her and waved her away. "I can use them anytime, Kate. You go ahead. I'll tell you when I want them."

Thanking the boy, Kate straightened and again brought the device to her eyes. Feeling the need to give her nerves a rest for a moment, she used them to scan the crowd, locating the tight knot of Slytherins sitting across from them. She was drawn to Ofelia, who appeared to be holding court over her housemates. Kate caught her breath sharply and corrected herself. With the exception of the wizard seated to her right, Kate amended her earlier thought. As she watched, it was apparent that Ofelia did not have the same almost regal disdain for Severus Snape as she exhibited for Malfoy and the Black sisters. Interesting. While there seemed to be no physical contact between the two, they were quite involved in their conversation and Kate reflected that Severus appeared to be more relaxed in her company than at any other time she had seen him. I wonder if Sirius knows he might have some competition. Knowing how much Sirius hated the Slytherin, Kate felt that if he did know, Sirius would undoubtedly double his efforts to make the beautiful witch notice him. Losing to Severus Snape in anything was not optional, she knew. Kate had the feeling that when the competition involved a witch, Sirius would stop at nothing to win.

Sighing, Kate continued to divide her attention between the game and crowd watching. Gryffindor was ahead by a score of 50 to 20 and the Golden Snitch had still not made an appearance (according to Peter, who was keeping up a running commentary for the benefit of a brown-haired witch from Hufflepuff who had slid into a seat near them). As she again brought the Slytherin section into focus, Kate spotted Regulus Black seated a short distance from the others, his gaze fixed on the sky, eyes darting back and forth as he followed the game. Kate looked away from the first year and immediately recognized that it was his older brother who commanded the boy's attention. If Sirius took a bump or was knocked off course, Regulus' face would reflect his concern; if Sirius successfully executed a particularly difficult or dangerous move, the younger boy's eyes would glitter with pride and Kate was certain there was the faintest hint of a smile on his face. Throughout the time she observed him, however, Kate noted that Regulus seemed to keep one eye on the game and the other on his cousins and their friends. Kate sighed; House loyalties ran deep – that she knew. Apparently, Regulus walked a very fine line between his immediate and extended families. Kate remembered the incident in Hogsmeade, when Regulus had thrown the snowball that had cut Sirius' face so badly. She was certain his fellow Slytherins had hexed the snowball. The boy sitting on the other side of the pitch with the cautious look of admiration for his brother would never have done so.

Kate's attention turned back to the game just in time to see James pull up and stare hard at where they were seated in the stands. Suddenly, he launched his broom toward them at an incredible speed and Kate was sure he would run right into them. A blur of blue to James' left represented the Ravenclaw Seeker who had realized that the Gryffindor Seeker had seen the elusive Snitch and was now streaking toward it. Unfortunately, the realization had come a bit late in the day for Ravenclaw. James was a superb flyer, but he was an even better Seeker. Just when it seemed that he would, indeed, drive the broom – and himself – headlong into the front of the stands, in one motion James pulled up his broom sharply and reached right in front of Lily. Not one to waste an opportunity, James shocked the group by leaning in and planting a brief kiss on Lily's cheek before rising a bit higher in the air, his closed fist lifted above his head. Grinning widely, James then unclenched his hand to reveal the Golden Snitch fluttering in his palm.

"Gryffindor wins!" called Damon Thomas, the Gryffindor 7th year announcing the game and the crowd roared around them.

The team flew over to surround James, who endured much backslapping before the knot of players drifted lazily down to the field below. Kate turned to Lily, who, cheeks scarlet, was peering over the rail toward the direction of the Gryffindor team. Kate sincerely doubted that her best friend's high color was entirely due to the chill.

Kate put her hand on the redhead's arm. "Lily?"

The other witch jumped slightly, color deepening. She turned in Kate's direction only to be met by the sight of her friend's knowing grin. "Oh, shut up!" Lily muttered.

Kate laughed out loud and whispered, "Caught you!" Lily treated her to a reluctant, but genuine smile. Linking arms with her friend, Lily said, "He's an idiot, you know."

Kate laughed and allowed herself to be pulled along toward the steps that led out of the stands. She could hear Remus and Dorcas chuckling behind them. "Too true," she whispered, leaning closer to Lily. "But after that performance, it would appear that he's your idiot!"

Lily threw her a startled look before shaking her head in defeat. "Merlin help me!"

The friends finally reached the ground and moved aside to allow those from the higher seats to exit.

"So, what now? Do we want to wait for them here or meet them back in the Common Room?" Dorcas asked. Remus cast a sidelong glance at Kate who kept glancing between the Players' Tent and the distant castle.

"Why don't we wait and head up together? It will give the others a chance to set up the victory party before we get there!" Peter could generally be counted upon to find a way out of more manual labor. Typically, Remus could shame them all into lending a hand but this time, he smiled at the smaller boy.

"Capital idea, Pete," he said, patting his friend on the back. "We'll help them clean up instead; how's that?"

Everyone laughed when Peter's groan was the only reply.

Kate waited a little apart from the group. It was unfortunate that they would all be paired off: Remus with Dorcas, Lily with James – undoubtedly – and Peter with the little Hufflepuff girl who had simply tagged along with him when they all rose to leave. Kate was the odd-witch-out and she knew that this would mean that Sirius would fall in with her when the team finally made its appearance. She also knew that Sirius' adrenaline rush from the win could push things one of two ways: he could focus only on the re-telling of every thrilling play or – worse – he would decide to use his good fortune to its best advantage and try to get Kate alone to speak with her. Mindful of Remus' comments from the night before, Kate thought the latter was the more likely choice and she knew she was not ready. She meant what she said when she told Remus she wouldn't run away from Sirius, but she never promised that she would help create such an opportunity for him, after all. Kate was just about to tell her friends that she'd meet them in the Common Room when the players started to file out of their tent, looking around the various knots of people milling around the immediate vicinity.

"Brilliant! You all waited," James walked over to his friends, broom slung over his shoulder, coming to a stop next to Lily. She favored him with a brief smile, but Kate noticed that her cheeks were flushed once again.

Kate glanced nervously in the direction from which James had come and found Sirius now standing on the other side of the group. When their eyes met, he hesitated only a moment before coming around to where she stood. Once or twice, Kate heard the wizard take a deep breath as if to speak, but each time, Sirius simply exhaled sharply, his breath a white cloud on the chilly air.

"Great game, Steve," Dorcas called as her brother passed by with his own group of friends. The brunette waved and smiled at them but continued up to the castle.

"Ah, here come the rest," James said a moment or two later as the straggling members of the team finally finished up and joined them.

The friends began the uphill walk back to the castle to begin their celebration. The mood was light and the team had already begun their typical post-match review of individual – and in their own words – brilliantly spectacular – plays. Kate sensed Sirius lagging behind a bit and, with a sigh, realized that he would definitely not be joining his mates anytime soon. She turned and her thought was proven true when Sirius fell into step beside her.

"Kate, I wanted to … um, there's something I need …" Sirius began, his voice very soft.

"Sirius, wait!"

Kate and Sirius turned and Kate could see Regulus in the shadow of the stands, his hands shoved in the pockets of his robes. The boy took a tentative step forward as if afraid Sirius couldn't see him.

Sirius looked from Kate to Regulus and back again.

"Kate…"

She took a step back. "You'd better go. I'll head up to the castle."

"Wait, please," Sirius tried. "I just …"

"It's cold. Maybe we'll see each other in the Common Room later on," Kate said, already turning away from him to hurry after the others.

Sirius watched her for a moment, then walked over to where his younger brother stood waiting. As he approached him, Regulus stepped back further into the shadows. Sirius hesitated for a moment. Regulus had been alright over the holiday; he'd even brought Sirius toast while he'd been in the basement cell. "Got a pack of housemates lying in wait for me back there, Reg?" he tossed out, keeping his voice steady. Sirius gripped his wand more tightly where it lay in the pocket of his robes.

He saw Regulus' eyes widen in surprise. "Do you really think I'd do that to you, Sirius?" he asked, his voice cracking slightly.

Sirius sighed. He didn't – not really – and he said as much to Regulus. "Sorry," he added.

"I just don't want anyone to see me talking to you," the younger boy confessed.

Sirius smiled wryly, his glance shooting to Kate's retreating figure. "Sounds familiar," he muttered. At Regulus' frown, he shook his head. "Don't mind me. So, afraid one of our dear cousins or that prick Malfoy will turn you in to the folks for rubbing elbows with me, are you?" As he watched his brother's face pale further, Sirius added, "Can't say that I blame you there, Reg. Running afoul of Mother and Father doesn't do much for your health – and I know first-hand!"

Regulus reached over and gripped Sirius' arm. "You don't know what I was like after you left with Dumbledore, Sirius. Mother was furious enough, but I thought Father was going to explode! He went to her study and slammed the door so hard it broke and bounced part way open again. I stood outside and heard everything. He threw this leather belt in front of her and told her that she had to learn to control herself or she would do the Black family name more harm than you ever could! Father told her that he'd managed to convince Dumbledore to take you to the school's hospital wing instead of St. Mungo's because it might keep things quieter. He told her that if she didn't find a way to control herself that he would have to send her away somewhere – to a place where they could make her control herself. Father told her that she couldn't hurt anyone anymore." Regulus paused for breath.

"What did she say to all that?" Sirius had been listening intently, shocked that his father had managed to scrape up the backbone to confront the great Walburga.

"Sirius, you should have seen her. Her face was as white as snow, and her eyes just looked…she didn't even blink, Sirius, not even once. She kept staring at Father and her mouth kept opening and closing, but she didn't say a word…until the end."

"What happened?"

"Mother asked him if he was finished and he sort of nodded. She picked up the belt and stood up. Mother told Father that she wouldn't allow you or anyone to ruin our family's name. She said that you provoked her, threatened her and she only acted to prevent harm to herself," Regulus' voice dropped to a whisper. "You didn't really do that, did you?"

Sirius looked back at his brother. "What do you think? You've been there when she's gotten that way with me. Have you ever heard me threaten her?"

Regulus shook his head. "I knew she wasn't telling the truth. She asked Father if he was going to take responsibility for what would happen to her if she 'controlled herself' even after you'd threatened her. I don't think he knew what to say. He sat down really hard on the chair and didn't say anything for a long time. Finally, he told her that she couldn't do anything to hurt you unless it was to protect herself. If you lashed out first, she could defend herself."

Sirius felt his blood run cold. That's it then, he thought to himself. Father just gave her permission to do whatever she wants. He believed her lies; there's no one to protect me in that house now. Sirius closed his eyes. He'd really thought that his father would be more inclined to watch out for him in future and even though it was to protect the family name, Sirius was grateful to him.

"Sirius?" Regulus was speaking again.

"Yeah, Reg," Sirius passed a hand roughly over his face. "Is there more?"

The younger wizard nodded. "That night, Mother came up to my room. She doesn't know I heard anything, by the way – and I don't want her to know," he added hastily.

"Good choice."

"She told me that I was to stay away from you while we were at school. She doesn't want me talking with you or anything, but she wants me to watch you," Regulus' voice had dropped again and Sirius had to lean closer to be sure he heard him correctly.

"Spy on me, more like," Sirius interrupted.

Regulus nodded. "Yeah, but not associate with you, she said. She told me that she was going to have Cissy and Bella keep an eye on me to make sure I did what she said."

"Typical. So, that's why you were watching them during the game today, eh?" Sirius smiled at his brother's surprised look. "Yeah, well, I saw you before the match started and I checked in on you a couple of times after."

Regulus smiled. "You're a brilliant Chaser, Sirius."

Sirius felt his throat tighten at the unexpected praise from his Slytherin brother. He ducked his head and waited for it to pass before replying. "So, you're supposed to spy on me and report what?"

Regulus' smile disappeared. "Anytime I see you with Kate Morgan, if I don't see you with Ofelia; you know – the stuff she told you that you had to do."

"So, you just saw me with Kate Morgan. Are you gonna go send an owl to Grimmauld?" Sirius' voice had a certain tinge of fear to it.

Regulus shook his head firmly. "No, I'm not. And anyway, I'm not supposed to send an owl. I'm supposed to tell Bella and she's going to Floo call Mother directly."

Wonderful. Another relative with a taste for sadistic violence. "Thanks for keeping quiet, Reg, but why are you doing that for me?" Sirius looked closely at the younger boy.

Regulus was quiet for some time before he raised his head and looked Sirius directly in the eye. "I hated what she did to you. It scared me. I don't want it to happen again."

Sirius was taken aback by the look on his brother's face. "Oh – well, Reg, I don't think she'll do anything like that again. Remember, I've never threatened her, so she can't do it again; remember what she promised Father, yeah? I'll be ok."

"I'm not so sure," Regulus whispered.

"What do you mean?"

"Mother said I should talk to you one last time. She wanted me to give you a message."

Sirius felt slightly ill. "And what was that?"

" 'I win'"