Act I: I Can't Believe I'm Doing This

Part 15

Why did I agree to this? I pace my living room silently, hoping that maybe the answer will just appear in my mind as I fidget with the pendant on my bracelet. I grab the letter sitting on my desk the next time I walk past, reading through it one more time to distract myself from the anxiety.

Hermione,

With your words in mind, I have been conversing with Andie via letter over the past several weeks. It has gone surprisingly well, all things considered, however a point of contention has been raised.

She has requested that we cease our project. You and I both know that cannot happen, but Andie is growing increasingly frustrated and I do not wish to put undue strain on our reconciliation already. To that end, I have offered to explain our efforts to her. After some convincing, she agreed to hear me out, though I fear inviting her to the Manor or our childhood home might be a poor choice of venue.

Would it be terribly impositive to ask to use your home? It is a location that we are both familiar with, and also contains all of our current research, along with the accompanying relevant items. I believe that you, too, should be aware of how much Andie knows, and using your flat for the meeting would make that much simpler.

Please do not feel any obligation to host us. We can meet someplace else if you would rather, and in that case you need not attend at all if you would prefer to avoid the inevitable tension. Let me know what your preferences are once you have decided, then we can decide a time and date if necessary.

Yours,

Cissa

The discussion took just two more letters. Now, I am probably wearing a rut into my floor as I wait for Cissa and Andromeda to arrive. I thought long and hard about bringing them here - not for my own discomfort, but for the sake of my flat. I know they both have a handle on their emotions, but given their history I can't imagine they won't at least argue. If spells start flying, I could be looking at one hell of a cleanup job.

That thought in mind, I get to work magically protecting my books and other important items - just in case.

I hear a knock at my door after about an hour. I just finished shielding my desk and its contents from any wayward spells, which should be the last thing I needed to cover. I take a deep breath, slip my wand into my sleeve, and answer the door with as much confidence as I can muster. "Cissa, come on in." I'm somewhat surprised to see her dressed in muggle clothing - with the exception of the same necklace she wore to The Mirror, which must be magical. Though perhaps I shouldn't be, since she's meeting with Andromeda, sending the message that she has changed.

"Hello, darling. I apologize again for the short notice on this meeting, but thank you for hosting us." She stands up on her toes and kisses the air next to each of my cheeks. I have a brief moment of panic as she does, but then I remember her French upbringing - this is probably just how she greets her close friends. "Have you prepared the research?"

"I have. It's all just in front of the couch." She looks over to the table where all of our current research is being held - though, admittedly, we've made precious little progress since we had to stop - and nods. After I get word back on when my workshops will be, Cissa and I can start to plan on dismantling the wards in Black Manor. Until then, this is all we'll have to show for our efforts.

"Good." Cissa walks over to the couch and runs a finger over the top of the briefcase. "Are you ready to talk about this again?"

"I am." I can immediately see the slight disbelieving squint to her eyes, and can't help but laugh a little. "No, really. I'm fine. Spending a few months without focusing on it has helped quite a lot."