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Iris stepped out of the cold, shivering and rubbing her hands together in an attempt to get some sort of warmth back. She looked around the room as the cold slowly seeped away.

As her eyes met their target her face broke into a grin and her feet carried her over to the small round table in the corner.

"Hey!" she greeted, sliding into the chair across from the sandy-haired fifth-year boy.

He looked up at her and beamed widely, "Hey! I went ahead and ordered drinks for us, I hope you don't mind." He pushed a large mug of a steaming frothy drink toward her.

"Oh, yes! I am freezing" Iris said taking a big gulp of her butterbeer. She shivered as felt warmer instantly.

They sat at that little table in the corner for what seemed like hours, doing nothing more than talking. They didn't need anything else, for in that moment their minds connected with the words they spoke, telling the story of their hearts.

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"So, how've your O.W.L. classes been so far? I hear they're rather difficult," said Iris.

"I think I've been doing pretty good. They are quite tiring though, the professors are giving us loads of homework. I'll be glad to get them over with. I have my career advice session scheduled for after winter break," Cedric said smiling excitedly at Iris.

"That's exciting! Do you have any idea of what you want to do when you leave Hogwarts?"

"I'm thinking either an Herbologist or maybe a Magizoologist. I have always loved learning about the magical creatures. What about you? What do you want to do when you leave?"

"Oh, I don't know.. maybe a Healer. Or a professor. I like the idea of helping people." said Iris grinning shyly.

Cedric reached across the table and took her hand in his, "Well, I think you'd be great at that," he told her softly.

A minute or two later Iris asked, "Do you think you could grab me another butterbeer while I go to the loo real quick?"

"Sure, no problem."

Cedric grabbed her empty mug and stood up. The second he had turned and started walking away, Iris stood and quickly made her way across the room to the other back corner, where there was a small, table between the wall and an impressively large Christmas tree, which stood next to the fireplace.

Sat at the table were none other than her brother and two best friends, holding three foaming tankards of hot butterbeer.

The three liked like deer in headlights.

"Hey, guys! Harry, you need to chill, I could hear your thoughts like you were yelling them across the room. You're loud when you're mad."

"Well, it's not my fault you decided to go on a date and not tell me about it," said Harry hotly. "And then, to make it worse, you two started making eyes at each other and I had to sit here and watch."

"See this is exactly why I didn't tell you. I knew you would react like this. It isn't that big of a deal, honestly." said Iris.

"It is a very big dea--" he was cut off as Iris whipped around to look at the front door of The Three Broomsticks. A sudden breeze ruffled her hair as the door opened. Harry looked over the rim of his tankard and choked.

Professors McGonagall and Flitwick had just entered the pub with a flurry of snowflakes, shortly followed by Hagrid, who was deep in conversation with a portly man in a lime-green bowler hat and a pinstriped cloak -- Cornelius Fudge, Minister of Magic.

Iris turned on her heels to look back at Harry, panicked, "The cloak, the cloak! Put it on!" He quickly dove under the table, fumbling to pull the invisibility cloak out of Hermione's bag.

"Rosmerta m'dear!" Fudge called out to the barmaid as she walked over to greet them, "Business is good I trust?"

"It'd be a right sight better if the Ministry wasn't sending Dementors into my pub every other night," Rosmerta sassed at him.

Iris glanced at where Harry was crouching with the invisibility cloak on. She could hear his panicked thoughts as she whispered to him, "You three slip out of here, I'll distract them."

Without waiting for a response Iris started walking over toward the Minister and two professors.

The Minister looked a bit uncomfortable as he responded to Rosmerta, "We have a killer on the loose."

"Sirius Black? In Hogsmeade!" Rosmerta exclaimed, "And what would bring him here?"

Fudge carefully leaned closer to the woman and whispered lowly, "The Potters."

"The Potters!" Rosmerta said loudly, shocked.

Not a moment later, Iris popped up beside Fudge with a bright smile, "You called?"

The Minister jumped, looking down at her, flabbergasted.

"Why don't we all go upstairs for a chat, hm?" Iris suggested, nudging her head toward the winding staircase on the back wall.

The man nodded, sighing heavily.

Iris looked over to the bar where Cedric stood waiting for their drinks to be made. He turned around and noticed her following the three adults.

He looked worried as Iris signalled to him that she would be back in a few minutes. Iris supposed it couldn't look too great to be following the Minister and one of your teachers into a secluded room.

Iris trailed Fudge and McGonagall up a dark stairwell as Rosmerta lead them into the small break room above the bar.

Snow fluttered off the sill of a half-open window, a chill was in the air almost as if to signify the cold truth that was about to be unveiled.

Just a second after the had entered the room and shut the door closed, it opened again, this time seemingly on its own. Iris, however, knew better and was well aware Harry had followed them.

McGonagall turned, frowning, and re-closed the door, harder this time, then joined Iris, Fudge, and Rosmerta.

"Come on then. Let's hear it," Madam Rosmerta urged.

Reluctantly, Professor McGonagall began the story, "Years ago, when the Potter's parents were marked for death, they went into hiding. Few knew where they were. One who did was Sirius Black. And he told..."

Rosmerta cut her off, "You-Know-Who. I've heard this rot. It was all over The Daily Prophet back in the day. And I'll say now what I said then: Of all the boys I ran out of here, Black's the last who would've gone over to the dark side. Hearsay. That's all the Ministry had."

"Ha! Tell that to Peter Pettigrew!" Fudge let out a choked laugh.

Iris remained quiet and took a seat on the worn, flowered sofa sitting in the middle of the room.

"Peter Pettigrew?" Rosmerta questioned.

"Little lump of a boy? Always tagging after Black and..." McGonagall trailed off

Rosmerta sat next to Iris on the sofa as she said, "I remember him. What's he got to do with it?"

Professor McGonagall explained, "After the Potters were... uh," she glanced at Iris who was listening intently, even though she already knew the story, "...killed, Pettigrew went looking for Black. And, unfortunately... found him."

Fudge continued, "Black was vicious. He didn't kill Pettigrew. He destroyed him. A finger. That's all that was left. A finger -- there's your hearsay."

Rosmerta looked to McGonagall. She nodded grimly.

"Sirius Black may not have put his hands to the Potters, but he's the reason they're dead. And now he wants to finish what he started," Fudge said darkly.

A soft tinkling voice broke through the dismal setting, "Harry and me."

McGonagall nodded looking pained.

The Minister added on, "But that's not the worst of it."

"What could be worse?" Rosmerta asked, in disbelief.

McGonagall answered, casting a wary look toward Iris, "This: Sirius Black was and remains today..."

She was cut off.

"My godfather."

Iris stared at the wall across from her as the adults all had sullen looks on their faces.

The door to the room suddenly flew open, and Iris knew it was Harry making his exit.

I'm sorry.

She whispered in his head as he ran down the stairs and out the door of the pub.

"And Harry? Sirius is his godfather as well?" Rosmerta tentatively asked.

Fudge shook his head, his shoulders shrugging up and down, "It is not known who the boy's godfather is if he has one. Nobody stepped up to claim the boy after the attack. We can only assume it must have been Black as well."

Iris knew.

She didn't say anything though, because some things are better left unspoken.

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Wow hi, I'm back after a long break. I had a bit of writer's block these past two or so weeks and I just couldn't get this chapter done and looking the way I wanted.

But, anyway, it's done now so I'll be able to move on.

In other news, I made a new cover for this story! Let me know what you think of it!

Thanks for reading!

~Elle