𝐭𝐨 𝐡𝐨𝐥𝐝 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐜𝐥𝐨𝐬𝐞 | 𝐡. 𝐩𝐨𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐫

𝟏𝟎𝟓 - 𝐜𝐡𝐫𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐦𝐚𝐬 𝐞𝐯𝐞

𝙏𝙝𝙚 𝙃𝙖𝙣𝙜𝙚𝙙 𝙈𝙖𝙣 𝙬𝙖𝙨 𝙘𝙝𝙤𝙨𝙚𝙣 𝙖𝙨 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙢𝙚𝙚𝙩𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙥𝙤𝙞𝙣𝙩 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙞𝙧 𝙘𝙤𝙫𝙚𝙧𝙩 𝙧𝙚𝙣𝙙𝙚𝙯𝙫𝙤𝙪𝙨; Sirius would come by every night and see if she was standing outside or not, most days she wasn't, in fact, he hadn't seen hide nor hair of her since she had informed them that she knew Ophelia was alive.

So when Sirius saw her in the early hours of Christmas Eve it was safe to say he was surprised, he'd assume she at home preparing the manor for her little princes' arrival — but no, she was standing below the lamp light with her cloak up to hide her recognisable hair.

Sirius crossed the street and guided her into the narrow alley behind the old run-down pub, the two of them hurrying to be out of the street light and to duck under the cover of a rusted corrugated shelter.

"It's been a while." said Sirius, "Something to report?"

"Yes, though I'm not sure what you'll be able to do with such short notice but it's all I can do." said Narcissa, hugging her robes tightly as she shivered in the cold air, Sirius cast a non verbal warming charm without saying much of anything. "Thank you."

"What is it?" Sirius pressed, beginning to understand the urgency to her situation as she glanced around for any sign of someone who might be hidden in the crevices of the walls, tucked neatly into the bricks -- she knew what that Rita Skeeter woman was, she wouldn't put it past anyone to attempt to do the same.

"I know who knows where she is, he is her secret keeper and will be able to lead you to her if all else fails." said Narcissa, "But you must swear to be discreet, I cannot lead this back to me."

Sirius bowed his head to meet her eyes, "I swear on my own life, I would never let this lead back to you."

Narcissa pinched her lips together her eyes searching his for any sign of hesitation or regret, he had none -- she had to hand it to him, his loyalty never strayed from his family despite what others may have thought -- "It's Peter Pettigrew."

Sirius stumbled backwards as he took a step away from her, his chest tightening while his stomach plummeted with density -- the thought of doing all this again, the irony of it, it was cruel and so damn obvious he wanted to slap himself for not thinking of it. He clearly underestimated just how low Peter could go, from that bumbling boy to a brutal mutinous bastard -- he wasn't satisfied with Gwen, nor James and Lily... did his hate for them run so deep that he would target their children?

Narcissa watched him, before placing a gloved hand on his shoulder.

"Perhaps this is fate offering you the chance to give him the justice he deserves, the karma that is long overdue... I'm sorry I don't know where they're keeping him, he was told to find a place as far from her as possible that he could think of..."

"Thank you," he whispered before turning to walk away.

"Sirius?" she said softly, "Don't go alone this time."

He nodded, before apparating with a crack.

'"So Snape was offering to help him? He was definitely offering to help him?"

"If you ask. that once more," said Harry, "I'm going to stick this sprout--"

"I'm only checking!" said Ron. They were standing alone at the Burrow's kitchen sink, peeling a mountain of sprouts for Mrs. Weasley. Snow was drifting past the window in front of them.

"Yes, Snape was offering to help him!" said Harry. "He said he'd promised Malfoy's mother to protect him, that he'd made an Unbreakable Oath or something--"