Frigus . Sirius Black (Mortem BOOK 2)

chapter sixty-two

note: initially, i wrote this chapter with Neph, Pete, and Remus, but then halfway through i realized I wanted to switch it to Neph and Sirius. i've edited it but there's bound to be something i missed, just ignore it or drop a comment so i can come change it

April 15th, 1980 - Grimmauld Place

It was well past midnight, yet despite the late hour the brunette witch was feeling more awake than ever, getting dressed and making sure the tenebris wand is tucked safely in the waistband of her black jeans. On the inside pocket of Sirius's leather jacket, there was a heavy purse of gold coins, intended to be traded for information which would hopefully give her a better idea of where Riddle had stashed his Horcrux, the cup of Helga Hufflepuff.

Sirius too was dressed in a similar fashion, all in black to blend in with their surroundings once they got there, his wand secured in his back pocket. He'd be coming with her, and Nephera couldn't be more thankful in that instance, especially given the fact that they'd have to make a quick stop at Winchester manor. It scared her sometimes, how dependent she could get on him in matters that had to do with her past. She could've easily asked either Remus, James, or Peter to come along, but she felt safer, more comfortable with Sirius by her side.

Remus and James had known about the Horcruxes almost from the very beginning, it was Regulus's idea to include them in their scheme when they had hit a dead end, figuring that a fresh perspective would be just what they needed. The youngest Black wasn't wrong, for it was the werewolf who figured out that it was the diadem that Nott had been tasked with hiding in the castle. Peter, on the other hand, had been brought on by Nephera after Regulus's death, while they were on their mission in the States. She hadn't told him the full truth, replacing Regulus's double nature with a miraculous discovery of Ailani's. She had felt bad for lying to him, but by that point, both Regulus and Ailani were dead, and the only thing the truth would do is create drama between them.

They'd be heading down South, as South as the country allowed, to a wizarding village right at the end of Cornwall and the Atlantic Ocean. Not many people knew of its existence, and those who did weren't in any hurry to divulge it. There was a coven of witches and wizards there, specializing in shadowmancy. Nephera herself dabbled in the old art a bit but was by no means expert enough to command the shadows to speak to her, to reveal their secrets.

"Ready?" asked Sirius, coming in from the bathroom

She nodded, taking a hand and fixing some of his hair which had gotten messed up when he'd put his shirt on.

"What's the plan, exactly?" he asked, opening one of the drawers in Nephera's dresser and taking out one of the daggers that they had bought in Athens last year. When she looked at him questionably, he simply raised an eyebrow, "What? I like carrying one around, you never know when you might need it,"

She laughed slightly, nodding her head, "You've been spending too much time with me," she sighed, pulling out a map and pointing towards the southern end of the country, "Land's End, in Cornwall, the coven is hidden within the cliffs, so it'll be a bit of a walk,"

"How can we be sure Riddle hasn't gotten to them?"

The brunette shook her head, "I don't doubt he knows they're there, but they're terribly isolated, they stay away from politics. None of them even attended Hogwarts," she explained, "We'll have to be careful in any case,  I've got a feeling,"

The raven-haired boy frowned, having learned a long time ago that Nephera's gut was hardly ever wrong. Still, they had no choice but to go tonight,

"There's another thing," she sighed deeply, "We need to stop by Winchester Manor,"