the secret of Erised {s.b.}

chapter 9: invisible

"So you got everything ?" Esmeralda asked.

Sirius and Esmeralda were in their usual spots in the Room of Requirement. They were sitting on the floor facing each other on their respective side of the Mirror. Winter Break was in one week and Sirius and the rest of the Marauders were not staying at Hogwarts that year. It was too risky to have the Mandrake leaves in their mouths without the professors finding out.

"Yes, it was easier than we expected," Sirius said, "We're going to have the Mandrake leaves in our mouths tomorrow so we have them there during the break, it'll give me an excuse to not talk to my mother and father. When we come back we will have only one more week to go or so."

Esmeralda rolled her eyes.

"Don't you think your parents will miss hearing your angelic voice ?" she joked.

"Everyday," Sirius said sarcastically, "I'm sure they'll be thrilled that they won't have to hear my voice every day. Wouldn't change much from when I'm normally home."

"So you really don't talk to them ?"

Sirius sighed.

"I try to," he said, "But they always question me about my friends and school. They say that I'm a blood traitor for having the friends I have, but I always fight back. I don't let them cross the line, especially not my mother."

Esmeralda wanted to reach out of the Mirror towards the young boy and give him a hug. She could see that underneath the tough Gryffindor there was a boy that only needed love. She related to that but didn't know how to describe it. Her parents were out of the picture before she ever got the chance to meet them, and she felt that somehow Sirius didn't have parents either. She had had her aunt Perla and knew that Sirius had his friends, but it still felt as if there was something missing from both of their lives. A missing piece.

"Hey," Esmeralda said trying to change the subject, "Are you just staying at your house or are you going to James' ?"

Sirius smiled at her because he knew what she was doing, and he appreciated it.

"Yeah, we're all going there for the last week of Winter break," Sirius said, "We have to finish doing something before returning to school. That thing will help us when we come back and start practicing here without getting caught."

"What is it ?"

"Remus thought about it, it's brilliant ! We couldn't just go out and buy one with everything that we needed, so we had to make ours. I'm sure even after we finish it we'll have to add some things afterward. It's going to be bl-"

"Sirius !" Esmeralda interrupted, "You haven't said what it is."

"Right," he said as his cheeks flushed with colour, "It's a map."

"Of course," she replied rolling her eyes, "Because a map will help you not get caught."

"It's not a normal map," he said, "We're going to enchant it to say where everyone in the castle is in real-time. I don't know what the spell is called, but it's rea-"

Esmeralda's eyes lit up. She knew exactly what they were talking about.

"A Homonculous Charm," she interrupted, "That is so smart."

"How did you know ?" Sirius asked.

"Black, I wasn't top of my class for nothing," she said raising one eyebrow, "I read more than every student in my year combined. I had a lot of free time."

"So you never hung out with your friends ?" he asked.

Esmeralda dropped her head. She had never told Sirius that she didn't have any friends until him. She wasn't even sure if he considered her a friend, so she decided to lie.