Ace of Spades

Chapter 20

Chapter 20

Sirius and I had to vacate 12 Grimmauld Place that night. We had to go along with everyone, making sure they would never assume this wasn't exactly as we planned it. We had dinner and went to bed, letting everyone fall asleep, charming each of their doorways so they wouldn't hear us leave.

Before we left, we had to go down the portrait-panned hallway and Sirius took off his mother's curtain, instantly shushing her. She had sneered but remained quiet as we explain what was happening.

"We're leaving," Sirius said to her, a firm expression set into stone on his face. His shoulders were straight and chin held firmly up. The only time I had seen him like this was when he found out about the lessons Snape was to give me and Harry, enraged at some words Snape said.

"Oh good," she snided, clapping her hands. "Good riddance to the filth."

"Mother, we're leaving," he said again, tilting his head slightly towards me before staring his mother's portrait in the eye. "Tonight. We're heading to Dover."

Her eyebrows rose in surprise, jaw slackening a bit before she regain composure and straightened her back. "I see. Is there any reason for this sudden departure?"

"I've had enough," he almost growled, sounding much like his Animagus form. "They've taken everything for granted. Their recent actions have hurt Viktoria and I have had enough. We're leaving."

"And why are you telling me this?" she folded her arms elegantly, like a swan. I wanted her elegance. "What is your ambition tonight?"

He rose his chin and looked at his mother in the eyes, "Mother, would you like your portrait transported to the Black Manor?"

I knew Sirius was groaning in his head when he said that, and I tried not to laugh. He pinch my arm. I had to cough to hide my laugh.

Walburga Black turned her dark eyes to me and I sobered up.

Instantly.

Her gaze was terrifying, like looking into darkness itself. I wanted to learn how to do that. It would terrify people around me. And it was pretty cool to do on demand.

"And you," her winkled lips curled into a smirk, "What happened to standing by your brother, hmm?"

I wrinkled my nose at that, stiffening my lip before I could swear, and then cleverly said the truth, "My brother called me a Squib. Told me I was powerless. He attacked me after I had turned my back. "

Her lips soured into a scowl, her pale face pinking a little as she clenched her hands in her lap. She took a slow breath before she came back to full composure, looking ever like a chameleon when she did change like that.

"A right to leave you do have," she eyed me. "Are you certain in your decision to leave this side?"

I knew exactly what she was insinuating. This side. That side. I hated these sides. I hated the idea of being put in only one position. Dumbledore said I was to be a spy. So was Sirius. I didn't know if I could truly do this. If I didn't, my life was on the line.

"There are only few things I know that are certain, and this is one," I kept my tone even, keeping our eyes contacted, battling for some sort of truth to be known. "I can't stay."

"Oh, so it is because of you," Walburga smirked. "At least my son has brought me a grandchild."

At my confused eyebrow scrunch, she waved a hand.

"A child goes to their Godparent when the parents are dead," she stated as if common fact. Maybe it was in Pureblood circles? "That is the right thing a Pureblood does for their fellows. We look after our own. Kreacher will gather things and I will go to Dover. If things sour here, we will be the first to know."