Chapter 21: Waiting

"We are not giving her a secret code name," said Ariadne flatly.

"Look, I'm just saying, I think it would be pretty cool, plus it would help protect her identity in case Yaxley finds out someone squeaked. 'Utmost secrecy' and all. What do you think, Sirius?"

"Shut up, James, I'm trying to listen," growled Sirius.

Ariadne, Sirius, James and Lupin were huddled behind a massive tree on the far edges of the school grounds, right on the border of the Forbidden Forest. Sirius had decided that this was the only safe and secret place to hold their meeting with the Yaxley defector-turned-informant. Ariadne had thought this was a bit extreme, but Sirius insisted. She couldn't help but think the choice of location and time had something to do with Ariadne's instinctive aversion to sneaking out of the castle late at night. It was nearly midnight and pitch black.

"At this rate I may as well become nocturnal," muttered Ariadne to no one in particular, holding back a yawn.

"Can we cut down on the background chatter, please? I think I hear someone coming. Or, I would, if you lot weren't going at it like overactive pixies."

Ariadne shot Sirius a glare but stayed quiet and shook her head at James, who looked like he was about to make another plug for bestowing their informant with a secret alias.

Sirius finally relaxed and assumed a seat leaning against the tree. "I think it must have been a stray cat or something. I don't see her yet."

"So what's the plan of attack?" asked James, leaning in conspiratorially.

"We're not attacking anyone, Potter. This isn't a Quidditch match," responded Ariadne.

"Right, but—you know what I mean. What are we going to ask her?"

Sirius and Ariadne both began talking at the same time. They stopped at looked at each other. "Ladies first, Morrigan," said Sirius, gesturing for her to go on.

"We obviously need to find out first what kind of limitations have been placed on her by Yaxley and how much she can say. Whether that's an Unbreakable Vow, or some kind of curse, or threats that will force her to lie. Otherwise, we could seriously harm her by asking the wrong questions.

"I disagree. We should attempt to get as much information out of her as possible before any kind of enchantment kicks in or she chickens out. For all we know she may be forbidden from even having this kind of meeting. We may only get minutes with her," countered Sirius.

"We won't even know what it's possible to ask her unless we figure out what she's allowed to say."

"We'll just make a list of the most important things we need to know and ask her rapid-fire."

"We should be trying to gain her trust and establish a longer-term relationship with her. You're only thinking about immediate results. If she learns to trust us, she can become an invaluable source or even turn double-agent."

"I doubt that's even possible. Once you defect from Voldemort's following, you're cast out forever. Or dead."

"Shhh!" hissed James. Ariadne couldn't help but agree that saying the dark wizard's name in the pitch-black, silent night felt even more dangerous than it usually would.

"I'm not afraid of Yaxley and his thugs or You-Know-Who," said Sirius, eyes glinting even in the darkness.

"Neither am I," said Ariadne calmly. "But that doesn't mean we shouldn't go about this strategically and carefully."

"So…then our plan is…?" trailed off James, looking between Ariadne and Sirius in uncertainty.

"Shhh!" It was Lupin's turn to hush them. They fell silent and heard the sound of footsteps quietly crunching through fallen leaves. Sirius lighted his wand silently and nodded to the rest of them. They stood up and Ariadne peered around the trunk of the tree.

The footsteps were getting closer. Sirius had pulled out the Marauder's Map and was examining it by wandlight. He nodded to Lupin as if to confirm that the approaching person was who they expected.

He turned around and emerged from behind the tree, and the light of his wand hit a pale face surrounded by silky dark hair and a blue-and-silver scarf.

Ariadne squinted at the face in disbelief. "Clarice?"

"Ariadne?"

A/N: TO BE CONTINUED...