Noyade | Rabastan Lestrange [2] ✔︎

24 | ENCOUNTER

The party had ended in the early morning hours, but Phoenix hadn't been able to bring herself to wake up Jack. Unfortunately, there was no guest room left and she had been left to explain to her mother that Jack had been feeling unwell and she had let him sleep in her bed. To her surprise Walburga Black hadn't seemed upset by the news, but rather pleased by her approach towards the situation. She had ordered Kreacher to find an additional set of blankets for her daughter and Phoenix had laid down on the sofa in the room with the family tapestry. She had tossed and turned all night, staring at the burned spot where Sirius' name had once been, when the morning light started to light up the room.

Before breakfast, and with a considerable lack of sleep, Phoenix found herself getting ready and a few minutes later on the snow covered streets of London. She buried her hands in the pockets of her cloak and listened to the snow crunch under her shoes as she walked towards the centre of the city. A cold wind was blowing against her cheeks as she walked along the Thames, letting her eyes roam over the city that was still sleeping. It was peaceful to say the least. In the cold morning hours nobody expected anything from her and she was left to her own thoughts.

Glancing around to make sure nobody was watching her, she slowly moved the sleeve on her left forearm upward. It revealed her fair skin and the ink that made up her Dark Mark. There was something intimidating about the skull with the snake coming out of its mouth. In the eyes of many purebloods it made her a warrior, but was she? She had never felt more unsure about her decision to go along with her parents' wishes and lose her brother, her best friend and the first boy she had ever truly liked. There were so many casualties that she had never considered.

Phoenix couldn't help but wish that she could travel back in time to do it all differently.

And then what? Lose her family for it? No matter how she twisted and turned it, there seemed to be no right way out of her situation.

She leaned onto the railing, watching the Thames flow beneath her. The water was dirty, but determined. It was flowing steadily and even a rock wouldn't make it stop. It would simply find another way. She stretched out two fingers and turned them, creating an invisible barrier for the water to float around. There was always a way.

"I'm not sure you should be using your powers in public," a familiar voice pointed out, making Phoenix jump out of her thoughts.

She turned to see Dawn standing a few feet away from her. The brunette girl's hair had grown longer and spotted several small braids. Over all she looked different. Older, to say the least, but her dark clothing style with army boots and several weapon belts around her legs, arms and waist with different sizes of blades definitely added to it as well. If Phoenix hadn't known her, she would have said Dawn looked intimidating.

"I don't think you should be walking around with weapons all over your body either," the younger girl countered, unsure how to go about the situation, since she hadn't met Dawn in months and she obviously had changed a lot.

"Cloaking spell." Slowly a smile tugged up Dawn's lips and she took a few steps towards her best friend.

Before Phoenix knew what happened, the older girl pulled her into her arms. What Phoenix supposed to be daggers pushed against her stomach, but she didn't care about the pain for once. She simply hugged her back and enjoyed the familiar feeling.

When they separated Phoenix told her, "I missed you."

"I missed you too," Dawn answered, the smile still on her lips. "What are you doing out here all alone?"

"I could ask you the same thing – especially as you look like a lunatic with all those weapons."

Dawn chuckled, placing her forearms on the railing and staring out onto the Thames like Phoenix had done before. "I was on my way home from work when I thought I spotted you down here. It's nice to be able to just think in silence for a bit, isn't it?"

"Why did you even ask when you already knew what I was doing here?" Phoenix mocked, mimicking her actions before growing more serious again. "What work?"

"My dad – and a lot of other elves actually – work at that place called the Temples. In our culture it's basically a sacred place. Only the best of fighters get a place to train there and become warriors. It's were I've been for the past few months. Having a father in a high position has its perks," Dawn explained.

Phoenix didn't miss how she said our culture instead of their, but while she would have felt offended by her friend associating herself with a different culture some time ago, she only smiled. Dawn seemed happy. "I'm so glad you finally found a place where you feel like you belong."

"I guess it has always been my calling. That's why I never felt at home among wizards."

Phoenix was still trying to figure out where she had heard about the Temples before, but she couldn't quite figure it out.

"And still you fell in love with a wizard," Phoenix mocked, although she realised a few seconds later that Sirius might still be a touchy subject due to their past.

However, Dawn giggled silently and nodded. "And still I fell in love with a wizard."

Phoenix glanced at her out of the corner of her eyes. She didn't deny it. Apparently she didn't just like Sirius, she loved him enough to overcome the pain that was their past. A smile tugged on Phoenix' lips. It seemed like there was love similar to the one in her favourite books.

"I never asked," Dawn started, turning towards her. "Does it bother you that I'm with your brother?"

"Why should it bother me, Dawn? I was worried, yes, when I first heard you were back together because I wanted neither one of you to get hurt again. Sirius is my brother and I care about him, but you're my best friend – even after all those months of separation – and that means just as much to me. If anything, I'm just glad both of you found somebody, whom I can trust to treat the other well," Phoenix explained.

"Thank you, Phoenix." Dawn smiled at her, lowering her head slightly and played with a small dagger on her hip before looking at her again. "Do you want to visit our flat for a bit? I'm sure you must be cold and Sirius really misses you."

"Dawn, I can't. My mother would be furious..." Phoenix started, but Dawn interrupted her.

"I know, but I can see that something is going on with you. Maybe a change of scenery for a few hours would help with that."

Phoenix hesitated, but finally nodded, "Alright."