I SPY || 𝕝𝕦𝕔𝕚𝕦𝕤 𝕞𝕒𝕝𝕗𝕠𝕪

Chapter 19. A Sordid Mistake

The winter break had passed incredibly quickly, New Years Eve had come and gone rather unceremoniously, and soon the morning arrived where Astrid would return to Hogwarts ahead of the students the following day. The young professor levitated her packed trunk down the stairs and into the tiled foyer of Grimmauld Place.

            "That time already?" Remus Lupin asked from the dining table, a cup of tea sat in front of him, a chocolate covered biscuit in one hand. Sirius Black occupied the seat next to him, his head noseying over his daily newspaper.

            "Yes, I'm afraid so." Astrid huffed lightly as she plonked herself down opposite Sirius. "I have to go see what kind of state Professor Binns has left my classroom in," Astrid tried her best to hide her nerves, the thought of returning to the school made her mind frazzle with anxiety.

            "Care for some breakfast before you go?" Sirius asked from over his newspaper.

            "No thank you, but I would love a cup of coffee," Astrid smiled.

            "Kreacher did you get that?" Sirius yelled from behind the paper.

            "Kreacher heard, Kreacher will make the blood traitor coffee," The house elf muttered under his breath from behind Astrid as the creature apparated to the kitchen.

            "I thought house elves were meant to be pleasant jolly things," Remus smirked.

            "He never was pleasant that one, not even when I was a boy," Sirius remarked. Just then then he eyed something interesting in a column of the daily prophet. Raising his brows in surprise he folded the paper in half and then half again, spinning the paper around he flopped it down on the table in front of Astrid and leant back in his chair, crossing his legs and flopping his arm over the back casually.

            "There's something here you might find... interesting," Sirius spoke eyeing the girl suspiciously. Astrid glanced over the newspaper; the main article on that page was something about a quidditch accident, the girl furrowed her brows, confused at her connection to the story.

            "What? I don't even play quidditch," Astrid questioned. Kreacher appeared next to her unannounced, placing a cup of coffee and a saucer before her. She didn't thank the house elf, which was extremely unlike her, however he had grown tired of his rudeness and name calling over the last few weeks.

            "Not that one," Sirius smirked, he leant forward and placed a ringed finger on a small story in the gossip column, which was obviously run by the infamous Rita Skeeter. With one hand Astrid sipped at her coffee, with the other she picked up the paper and brought it up to her face, reading it a loud under her breath.

            "News just in, according to credible sources there's trouble in paradise at Malfoy Manor. Picture-perfect couple, Mr & Mrs Malfoy, file for divorce." Astrids eyes grew wider as she read on. Nausea started to bubble in her stomach like a cauldron. She set her coffee down and held the paper with two hands now, holding it even closer just to make sure she was reading it accurately.

            "Keep going." Sirius nodded to the paper as he smoothed out his moustache.

"Allegedly Lucius Malfoy has filed on grounds of 'unreasonable behaviour'. Credible sources have also alleged that Narcissa Malfoy has filed counter papers, citing the grounds of divorce as 'adultery'." Astrid read, her voice faltering, the nauseous feeling began to grow and spread up her throat the more she read. "Get your popcorn ready readers, this will be the divorce of the century."

"I'm guessing your undercover task is going well then?" Remus asked as he nursed his cup of tea.

"I feel sick," Astrid muttered, she slapped the newspaper down onto the table and clasped her hand to her mouth.