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Chapter Sixteen: Recklessness

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Along the vast hills surrounding Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry flew a brown owl, an urgent message safely tucked between its beak. Romina would never understand how Otis knew exactly where to go in her time of need. It was as though the bird knew that she may have had to endure more suffering if the letter was not given to someone in authority but another teenager with no real power. With the owl taking this journey often throughout the school months, the surroundings were familiar to him.

With a few more twists and turns, Otis soared down into an open window, finding himself perched on a solid stone wall. Black eyes searched his surroundings, although the room was unfamiliar, he swooped in further to inspect.

"Creee!" Screeched another animal from its perch along the metal bar he could often be found happily swinging on.

"Fawkes, I think you have had more than enough treats my friend."

The bird, a rare and beautiful Phoenix, screeched again at the intruder owl. It was not until the tiny claws on Otis' feet scratched against the wooden desktop did Albus Dumbledore look up over the rims of his thin, wire-framed glasses.

"My, my!" He whispered, holding his hand out to the owl with a gentle smile. Otis leaned forward to get one good sniff before letting out a low and simple 'hoo' sound as he opened his mouth and dropped the letter on the desk.

"I have never seen you before." Dumbledore checked out the owl closer, running the backs of his fingers against the soft feathers of the owl's chest before picking up the letter. "So, because I have never met you before, my dear new friend... I think you have brought me something that does not belong to me."

Dumbledore leaned back in his chair, contemplating what to do with the letter that so obviously should not have been delivered to him. The owl refused to move, staring intently at the old man and then back down again to the letter.

He was staring off into nothing when Otis let out a soft noise, as if he were asking for a treat. "Ah, yes. Where are my manners?" Dumbledore chuckled, reaching into his top desk drawer, and plucked out a few treats, tossing them to the owl.

The older man continued sitting there in silence for a while. Every so often his eyes carried his attention back to the new letter on his desk and with another gentle exhale of breath, Dumbledore reached forward and picked it up. Brushing his fingertips along the rough parchment, he noticed the initials "R.R.L" in the top left corner of the envelope.

"Very peculiar." Dumbledore noticed that the envelope was not addressed to anyone. There was no seal, or family crest - just the initials. He started going over every student, that he could think of atleast, with the initials of 'R.R.L'. And while he did not figure out the name by the given initials, he chose to open the envelope regardless of the fact. There was something drawing him to this mysterious letter and the more he thought on it, the more he thought that maybe – just maybe – this letter was actually meant for him.

"Fawkes, I think we have a bigger problem than what we will eat for our nighttime snack tonight."

Shock, confusion, fear were all of the things swirling around Albus Dumbledore as he read the letter twenty times over.

"To my secret friends,

I don't know how else to say this, but I'm in trouble. Deep, serious trouble.

You see... I have this diary. And yes, James I know it's you that is laughing, I understand you can't help yourself. Well, anyway, I lost it and it was found by someone who I thought was a friend. To make a long story short my brother was in possession of it and read some incriminating information.

I'm a little shaken and bruised, atleast for now, but I do fear that a fate much worse awaits me. I know it's asking a lot, but if you can –

Please help me.

With urgency,

Your Slytherin Princess"

"Romina Lestrange." Dumbledore exclaimed, proud of himself for figuring out who the author of the letter was. He turned to look at Fawkes, as if the Phoenix knew who he was speaking of, before shaking the letter up in the air.

"I must show Minerva, first." He stated firmly to nobody but himself. Dumbledore was an old fellow - he thought nothing of having conversations with himself or his bird that so obviously could not respond. He gave a nod back to the owl who delivered the letter, "I have nothing to send back to your owner, dear owl. Stay awhile, enjoy a treat or two but then you must be on your way!"

With that, Dumbledore folded the letter and removed his glasses from the bridge of his nose. For safe keeping he stashed these items in his pockets before dashing off towards the fireplace.

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"Do you have a clue as to what you lot want to do after our last year?"

James, Sirius, and Remus were sitting on the roof of Potter Manor, just outside of James' room. Sirius had a lot cigarette dangling from his lips as he extended his legs out, leaning back on his elbows and his eyes toward the sky.

"Moony, we're trying to enjoy our last summer before real life happens. Can we not talk about that right now?" Sirius sighed, smoke exhaling through his lips and nose as he did so.

"Pads is right, Moony. Anyway, I don't have much thinking to do about it. I want to become an Auror. Marry my dearest Lily, and have a bunch of beautiful babies."

Sirius held back a laugh, while Remus was not strong enough. He let out a howling laugh, throwing his head back as his hands clutched his chest. "I think you might want to get her to actually like you first, Prongs." He told his friend through his lingering laughter.

James rolled his eyes. "I'll have you know we've been writing one another this summer. I think she might like me. Or at least give me a chance. So... yeah. There's a bloody chance!"

"Well, I guess we'll have to wait and see what happens the next time we see her." Sirius smirked.

"Which is hopefully soon. I miss her." James sighed, a little love struck. Or maybe a lot. Honestly, the boy was obsessed. And in a good way - if any sort of obsession could be considered good.

"You just said you write to each other, mate. How can you miss someone you talk to all the time?" Remus inquisitively chimed in, cocking his head to the side at James.

"Yes, well, I bloody can't see her face when she writes to me. I miss seeing her face. Those beautiful green eyes." James sighed happily.

He was drawn out of his daze but the snickers coming from both Sirius and Remus.

"And I just want to snog her. I think she'd let me this year." James admitted, still slightly frustrated at being laughed at by his friends.

Sirius finished his cigarette, tamping out the lit end against the roof before tossing it into the pile he had created the other day. He was trying to cut back, truly he was, but there was something calming about inhaling nicotine that he needed. He craved the calming sensation that swept through his body, helping him forget about his troubled family and past, helping him remember that he had a real family that loved and cared for him now.

*CRACK*

"Did you hear that?" Remus sat up stiffly, his ears taking in the noise surrounding them as his eyes pierced through the dark back yard below.

"Yeah, that sounded like someone just apparated nearby." Sirius mumbled, moving to stand up to try and get a better view of their surroundings.

"Maybe it was Dad, you know sometimes he doesn't want to take the floo, at least from particular events. Did they go out tonight? I can't remember." James chimed in, now moving to stand up as well.

All three boys turned to the open window from where they had previously exited the home, spotting Euphemia Potter in the door way.

"Boys?" Her gentle voice called out, sweeping through the empty bedroom and greeting them where they stood on the roof. "Someone is here to see you. It's urgent so I suggest you get down from that roof immediately and we will forget I ever caught you out there." She paused and began to turn away with a smirk, "and Sirius, enough of that smoking nonsense. It's bad for your health."

"Blimey. How did she know I was smoking?" Sirius breathed out, bypassing the mention that someone was there to see them.

"Because you can smell it miles away." Remus muttered in disgust, climbing back in first. James followed, rushing through his room to find out who was there to see them.

"I hope it's Lily. Maybe the urgency is she is madly in love with me and can't wait for September to come to let me snog her." James called behind his shoulder as he ran down the stairs.

Sirius and Remus followed, rolling their eyes and shaking their heads at their love struck fool of a best friend.

But, sadly for James, it was not Lily's beautiful green eyes that greeted them but the slowly dulling ones of Albus Dumbledore instead.

"Dumbledore?" Sirius spoke up first, noticing the shock and slight disappointment on James' face as they all stared up at their headmaster. "What's going on? Why are you here?"

Remus shifted nervously behind them, one hand holding onto his elbow as that arm hung by his side. "We're not in any trouble, are we?"

Dumbledore chuckled. "No. No trouble for you at all boys. May I sit down? I've had quite the journey tonight."

James nodded, showing their headmaster into the sitting room before he took a seat across from him. Sirius and Remus followed hot on James' heels, sitting down surrounding Dumbledore as they awaited the news he brought them.

"There is someone in need. Someone who may need a safe place to live for some time and I was hoping you three could help."

With a cocked brow James looked between his friends before turning his attention back to Dumbledore. "It's not Lily, is it, sir? She's okay, isn't she?"

Remus gave James a reassuring nod, a friendly hand on his knee before looking at Dumbledore for his response.

"Oh yes, Ms. Evans is perfectly safe in her own home Mr. Potter, I assure you." Dumbledore smiled and nodded, his hands gently removing the letter from its safe hiding spot in the pocket of his robes before he handed it to Sirius.

Relief flooded James at knowing that Lily was not the one in danger. Sirius took the letter from Dumbledore's hands and quickly opened it, eyes scanning the words as fear soon started taking over. James leaned in to read over his shoulder while Remus waited to read it when they were done.

"Ms. Lestrange finds herself in quite the predicament gentleman. Hence why I brought this letter here to you. Honestly, I don't know how her owl found me, but thank Godric he did. Professor McGonagal is there now," he paused to take in a deep breath, "in her animagus form, of course. To keep an eye on the house."

Sirius handed the letter to Remus and looked at James, "We have to bring her here. I will give up my room, I'll talk to Mom and Dad and.."

"Sirius, relax. You don't have to give up your room. And Mom and Dad will help, they won't need to be persuaded or anything." James shook his head, seemingly making the same decision as Sirius about saving Romina.

"How do we get her out of there? I mean, the house must have wards and Merlin knows what else." Remus chimed in, rereading the letter again before he placed it down on the table in front of him.

"I probably got my permission revoked to enter the grounds. Uh, once I officially moved in here and all." Sirius rubbed at his face for a moment, glancing at Dumbledore to see if he had any suggestions but it seemed as though the headmaster was merely a spectator in this situation.

"We can't leave her there overnight. It's already late. And what if it's too late? Rodolphus is wicked, headmaster." Sirius added in quickly. He felt sick thinking about her having to go through anything traumatic, like he had dealt with, all because she didn't hold the same values as her family. His nerves were shot and he was already itching for another cigarette to help with calming down.

James sighed, "Let me go write to the girls. They'll want to know what's happening, they're really the ones that are closest to her."

He left the room to write both Lily and Marlene to tell them what was happening. His messages were vague, but he hoped that they would accept his offer of coming over the following day because he knew that Romina would want the girls by her side, especially Lily. Not to mention it was getting later and later in the night and Lily's parents were muggles - she didn't have her fireplace connected to the floo network. There was no quick and easy way for her to get there.

"I know where they live. It's actually not that far from here. I'll get a head start. I can't wait any longer." Sirius stood up and rushed to the staircase, taking a seat on the first step as he began slipping on his shoes and tying the laces tightly. He looked up at Euphemia and Fleamont as they walked into the hallway.

"Mom, Dad." Sirius stood up and cleared his throat, "A friend is in trouble. A-and I need to go get her. Somehow but I don't quite know how I'm going to get her out of the place she's at now. And, anyways," he ran his fingers through his hair out of nervous habit and looked down at his feet. "Can she stay he-"

"Yes. You do not have to ask us that." Euphemia stepped up and hugged Sirius, seeing how distraught he was feeling over the situation. In all the years she knew the boy, she never once questioned his loyalty to her son. And now, she had two sons.

"We'll speak with Dumbledore and see if there is anything that we can do to help." Fleamont spoke up, patting Sirius' shoulder as they walked away.

As soon as they left to meet up with Dumbledore in the other room, James stepped in. "Where are you going? Don't you think we need a plan first?"

"The plan is simple. I drive there. I get her out of that miserable house and bring her back here. We're going to have to worry about the specifics of everything later on."

"Padfoot, look, I've been the last to admit that I like Romina, I know that. And I don't want her to be hurt, or worse. But I do like her, she's not that bad once you get to know her. She's sweet on Peter, which is nice you know. He, uh, needs that." James took in a deep breath and placed a hand on his best friends shoulder, "But I don't want you risking your life for her, I'm sorry. Let's go back in and come up with a plan."

Sirius sighed, shaking his head. "James, I'm sorry you feel that way. I would go in and tell them everything I just told you but they can't know we're illegal animagi, Prongs. But this is my plan and it's not going to change in the next few minutes. Whether you like it or not, I'm going to drive there, of course, but I might be able to actually get in through the wards as Padfoot. It's the best chance she has. I'm the best chance she has."

James paused for a moment, leaning back on his heels in deep thought. "Alright, well, you could have started off with that information mate. Would've been helpful. Guess it's not a terrible plan after all. "

"Right, sorry." Sirius chuckled, his hand moving to run at the side of his neck as he stared down at his feet in deep thought.

"Wait-" James chimed in again, "does she know you're an animagus? I mean, she's not daft, mate, I'll give her that much. She won't follow a mangy mutt who's trespassing on her property." He laughed a bit at the thought of Padfoot trying to coax Romina into getting out of the house.

"I've got time on the drive to think about it." Sirius shrugged, grabbing his leather jacket and although he might not need it since it was summer, the air hitting skin while riding on the motorcycle could be harsh. And he had someone else to think about now. He had no idea what kind of condition Romina would be in. Her letter stated she wasn't severely injured, yet - and that's what scared Sirius.

Having grown up with the Lestrange family he knew all their traits. All their ins and outs, what ticked them off, more specifically - he knew about Rodolphus' temper and what lengths he went to to unleash the anger swelling within in.

Without another word to the rest of the group in the Potter's sitting room, Sirius rushed out through the front door. And after double checking to make sure he had his wand, he hopped onto his bike, revved the engine and shot out of the paved driveway it had been parked in. He was extremely grateful when he was surprised with this gift from Mia and Monty, now more than ever.

"Was that the bike?" Fleamont jumped up from the couch and rushed over to the window. He caught the tail end of the bike and Sirius' hair flapping behind his head in the wind as he went. "That boy is reckless." He sighed, though he would later on admit how proud he was of him jeopardizing his own safety for those he cared for.

Dumbledore chuckled from his spot on the chair, eyes glistening with a small speck of amusement. "Sometimes recklessness is what is needed in a time of crisis, Mr. Potter."