~Wren~

Despite the fact that Poppy was the most on board with my Adalyn plans, we decided very early on that she couldn't actually be there. Someone so close to the DA might scare Adalyn off before we'd gotten anywhere. Besides, without her it would be easier to backtrack if Adalyn ended up refusing to listen to us. Ciara and I had been at the manor, and even if Adalyn hadn't figured it out, Cantha had to know Nico and I were friends. Worst case scenario, we could hopefully find a way to spin it so that Nico didn't look like a traitor, with minimal obliviation.

It was now just a matter of getting her to actually talk to us. I immediately vetoed Nico's idea of using the imperius curse to get her to an empty classroom (I'm ninety percent sure he was joking). Ciara suggested we get her a note somehow, but not only would she likely ignore anything from any of us, a note would give her tangible evidence against Nico if this didn't work.

The only thing that seemed like it might work was trying to corner her by herself. While that shouldn't have been hard, because she was always by herself, if anyone else saw it happen it would raise too many questions. So when would Adalyn be wandering the castle alone, in places that students didn't really frequent? Obviously, on her way to and from the infirmary.

So that's how we ended up waiting in a hidden passage, listening for her footsteps on her way back to the dungeons. We'd been standing here in awkward silence for at least twenty minutes, even though I'd cast muffliato. Neither Nico nor Ciara had seemed inclined to talk the few times I'd tried to make conversation. I couldn't tell if they were still upset at the thought of helping Adalyn, or if it was simply the normal tension that existed between the two of them, but I wasn't about to probe any deeper into that.

"Cantha's really keeping her a long time," Ciara whispered. "It's getting close to curfew."

"You're sure she comes this way?" Nico asked.

Ciara glared at him, which I pretended not to notice. "Brigitte's been tracking her movements for months, okay? She hasn't been wrong yet."

"Yeah, cause she's mad," Nico muttered.

"I could say the same about you!"

"Shove off, Ciara."

Before Ciara could respond, I held my hand up. "I think I hear something."

That silenced them immediately, thankfully. I was getting tired of sitting by and watching them argue. Sure, Ciara had been a little more gracious and a little less "about to kill him" in the past few months, but that didn't mean they'd gotten to being on friendly terms yet. I was starting to despair of that ever happening, to be honest.

Luckily, what I'd heard really did sound like footsteps. I pushed the tapestry forward just enough to see Adalyn walking down the hallway, lost in her thoughts. "It's her."

"I guess we're actually doing this?" Nico asked. In response, I smiled and stepped out.

Adalyn was so startled at the sight of me that she just blinked for a moment, but before I'd even had time to say anything her wand was in her hand. "What do you want?" she asked, though not as nicely as that.

"Just to talk." I smiled brightly. "I don't think we've ever really met. It's not really fair to count those times with Ciara and Nico..."

She shifted uneasily, glancing around the hallway as if I'd planned an ambush. I was suddenly very glad Nico had suggested they stay hidden until she agreed to listen to me. Adalyn already seemed on the verge of a duel. "I asked what you want, Predatel."

"I know. I really just want to talk."

"About what?" Adalyn glared at me. "I know all about you, okay? That you're a traitor and a liar and probably out of your mind."

I pursed my lips. "Technically, only one of those things is true. But I'm glad you know all of that. I suppose Madam Cantha also told you what was happening while I was gone last fall?"

"You don't know where I heard anything from!"

"It's either her or Nico, and I think it's a strong bet that you're not talking to Nico." I shrugged. "It doesn't matter where you heard it from. Answer the question."

She seemed taken aback at that. I guess she wasn't used to people telling her what to do. "I... you were being interrogated. And punished for being a traitor."

"What do you think that means?"

"I don't know. Locked up somewhere?"

Oh no, she really didn't understand what she was getting into, did she? "It was far worse than that."

"And?" She rolled her eyes. "What does that have to do with me?"

I'd gotten her talking enough now that she might not balk at the idea of a real conversation. I glanced around as if I was worried the walls might have ears. "Maybe we should go somewhere more private?"

Adalyn huffed in annoyance, and I couldn't tell if it was put on or not. "Fine. You have about two minutes before I start hexing you."

Perfect. I smiled and motioned at the tapestry I'd come through. Though she was grumbling to herself, she walked over to the tapestry first. I was right behind her, so that by the time she'd realized I'd led her right into a trap, her way out was blocked.

"Bastard!" Adalyn turned around as if she was going to shove me, but Nico grabbed her arm before she could.

"We only want to talk," he said calmly. "If you don't like what we have to say, you're welcome to go, but you're going to hear us out."

She glanced at Ciara and I, as if one of us might look less determined, but seemed to realize she wasn't getting out of this passage without a fight she was guaranteed to lose. She swore under her breath. "What do you want?"

"You're joining Stillens?"

Adalyn turned to glare at Ciara so angrily that I was tempted to disarm her. That wouldn't help anything, though. "How do you know that?" she demanded.

"I told her." Nico raised an eyebrow. "Do you know what you're getting into?"

"Yes!" Now she'd glanced back at me. "What's your game, Predatel? What do you want? I'm not giving you any information."

"You wouldn't need to," I said quietly, motioning at Nico. "I'm just worried that you're making a mistake. I don't want your life ruined like mine was."

She'd finally calmed down a little, finally taking in her surroundings. Instead of answering me, she pointed her finger at Nico. "Why are you here? You're a traitor, too?"

"Why would you think that?" That barely sounded sincere enough, but Nico kept going before Adalyn could jump on it. "You're judging my choice of friends?"

"Friends?" She shook her head, casting a disdainful glance at Ciara and me. "Isn't that treason?"

"Stillens is fully aware that I'm on good terms with Wren," Nico said flatly, which wasn't necessarily a lie. "It's not like I've told either of them things they don't already know."

"Stillens did kidnap me for six months." Ciara crossed her arms. "I've heard a lot of things that most people probably don't know."

"Just because we can't be friendly in public doesn't mean we're not friends," I said, trying to sum up what they were saying into something a little more tangible.

"That's stupid." Adalyn shook her head, her glare now tinged with confusion. "You're telling me you've spent all this time not doing anything about him? You're friends with your bloody enemy? That's mad."

I shrugged. "I don't want anything to do with the war. I think my boyfriend's explained that enough times for the press. Ciara and I both just want to live normal lives, not fight impossibly huge battles."

"That's not the point." Ciara took a deep breath, and I imagined she was trying to pull up any ounce of care she still had for this girl, buried somewhere deep down and long-forgotten. "All that matters is that we're all very familiar with Stillens okay? And you're making a really big mistake."

"You don't know anything about it."

"But I do." With a sigh that might have been simply annoyance instead of the concern he was supposed to be showing, Nico said, "I've been exactly where you are. What are you hoping to get out of this? A place to belong? People to care about you? Power?" Adalyn only glared as an answer, but even that was answer enough. "You're not going to find any of that with Stillens, all right? All you'll get is pain."

"My uncle is very good at making people feel like he's the best thing that could happen to them." I hesitated, unsure how to even put all my feelings about this into words. "He isn't... he sells you on this vision, this idea of a better world that he's trying to build. But he's lying. That better world isn't going to come. Not for you. Not for anyone. You won't get any power, because it all belongs to him."

I don't know whether it was my words or the emotion under them, but Adalyn's glare faltered when she turned back to me. "Do you think he's a good person?" I asked softly.

"I... yes..." Now, her expression was just confused. "You're lying. You don't know what you're talking about."

"You think he never tried to indoctrinate me?" I closed my eyes and took a deep breath before continuing. "When he still thought I might go along with it all, there were times when the monster disappeared. The few times he was happy with me, it was almost like nothing else mattered. But it's a lie. The monster is always there, watching for any misstep, hesitation, mistake. You might think I'm lying, but I can't make up the terror I feel every time I see him."

"You're always one step away from the cruciatus curse," Ciara added. "And that's if you're lucky. He kidnapped me as some sadistic way to keep Jasper in line, and he tortured me. I can't even remember it all..."

Adalyn had backed up against the wall, completely unnerved by what we were saying. But now she shook her head. "You did something to deserve it all, I'm sure."

"I've seen him use the cruciatus curse on a six-year-old girl," Nico snapped. "What did she do to deserve it?"

"I..." She shook her head. "He has his reasons. Sometimes you just have to trust that he understands more than you do."

I saw Nico's expression turn sour a second before he shoved her against the wall. "Listen, Lostry, you can do what you like. I don't care. But if you're doing this because you think it's cool, or you're being edgy, just know that you're wrong. There's nothing cool about having to kill people, Adalyn."

Her eyes had gone wide, but I didn't know if it was the fact that Nico hadn't let go of her or the admission itself. "What would you know about that?" she managed.

"I killed Professor Potter!"

"You..." Adalyn blinked, truly shocked for the first time.

"He's made me kill, too." I clasped my hands because I'd started twisting the end of my sleeve so hard I was afraid I might rip it. "He makes everyone do it, eventually. And it doesn't matter how much you believe in him, that guilt will never go away."

She was shaking her head. "You... you're making this up. This is ridiculous."

"He had a hospital blown up," Ciara pointed out. "Do you think that was justified?"

"Do you think you're a good person, Adalyn?" Nico asked. "And if so, do you want to stay one?"

Now we all fell silent, the moment of truth finally reached. Adalyn's breathing was getting a little too shallow, but she wasn't looking at any of us, instead staring at some low point on the wall. I squeezed my hands together tightly enough that it hurt. Please, please believe us.

"No. This doesn't... this can't be true." Her expression had hardened, but I had a feeling she was trying very hard to keep it that way. "No one cares about me at this bloody school. At least people there do."

"Maybe Cantha does," I said slowly, "but everyone else is lying to you."

"No. No, you don't know what you're talking about."

Ciara had been staring at the ground, but now she stepped forward and put her hand on Adalyn's arm. "I know that my pushing you away drove you in this direction, and I'm so incredibly sorry for that. It was immature and unkind to act like that, and I wish I could go back and make a different choice. I... I've always felt horrible about it, you know? I was just too afraid to tell you. I'm sorry for that, too."

For a moment, I wasn't sure if Adalyn was about to scream at her or burst into tears. She didn't end up doing either, instead frowning and shaking her head a little like she was trying to clear that away.

"I'm sorry, too," Nico said after a moment. "I've been a prat, and I get why you hate me. But I started you down this path, and I can't in good conscience just stand by and watch you keep going."

"You have a conscience?" Adalyn muttered.

"I was surprised, too." He shook his head. "I'm trying to say I'm sorry. I didn't want you to leave, but I didn't know how to tell you that, so instead I just drove you away even faster. I didn't care for a long time, but I do now. I don't want you to make the same mistakes I have."

Adalyn's mouth opened and closed, but nothing came out. She blinked at both of them, and when Ciara started talking again, she turned to her almost in a daze.

"Wren said that she and you and Nico had fallen through the cracks, and I didn't really get what she meant until now." She smiled sadly. "Someone should've noticed, should've cared that something was wrong, that you were struggling, in a really dark place, alone. I know Wren and Nico both wish someone had noticed, and that's why we care so much about this, Adalyn. About you."

"Nobody helped us," I said slowly, "but we don't want that to be the case for you. Please, just think about what you're doing."

For what felt like too long, but was likely no longer than fifteen seconds, Adalyn's gaze bounced back and forth between the three of us. Try as I might, I couldn't tell if we'd won her over or not. She seemed emotionally affected, which was a good sign, but that wouldn't necessarily lead anywhere.

Finally, she shook her head. "Even if I wanted to stop, I can't. I'm too far in, aren't I?"

I'd spent a lot of time considering that, and shook my head. "I don't think so. You haven't been initiated, right? Cantha isn't supposed to have told you anything specific."

"But she has."

"And letting Stillens find that out could get her killed." I pursed my lips. "All you supposedly have right now is one person who might be able to connect you to Stillens. It's your word against hers, if she can hide her connections well enough. You aren't a threat."

"No offense, but you're also not enough of an asset for him to care," Nico said. "People down on their luck and desperate enough to make questionable decisions are all over the place."

She narrowed her eyes. "I'm neither of those things."

"And yet here you are, making the biggest mistake of your life."

"Merlin, can't you just shut up?" Ciara rolled her eyes. "Sorry about him. He's still learning how to be a decent human being."

"Now that's—"

"Stop it!" I snapped, surprising even myself. "You two can argue later, preferably when I'm not there. You're not helping our case at all."

Adalyn was looking at me when I turned back to her, lips pursed. "I... I'll think about it. But that's all I'm promising, okay? You're probably all lying, trying to trick me..." She eyed Nico warily. "Maybe you just don't want to share the spotlight any more than you already have to."

"I'd like to never be in the spotlight again, actually."

"Whatever." She met my eyes again. "Thinking. That's it."

"Thank you." I smiled as I slid out of her way, trying not to look as relieved as I felt. She'd seemed shaken, which was a good sign. I wasn't sure if she'd believed Ciara and Nico's apologies, but since I hadn't asked either of them to do that, I was pretty sure they'd been genuine. Hopefully, Adalyn would see it too.

As the tapestry fell back into place and we started down the other way, Nico let out a breath. "You didn't tell me how exhausting it was convincing someone not to be a terrible person."

I shrugged a little. "It never felt exhausting to me in the moment. I was just scared you wouldn't listen to me."

For a moment, no one said anything, then Nico stopped in the middle of the passage. "Ciara, I'm sorry."

She slowly turned around, a skeptical look on her face. "So you keep saying."

"No, I'm sorry for fourth year. I should've believed you when you told me how bad that spell was, and I never should have used dark magic on Astra in the first place. I definitely shouldn't have dragged you into it. I'm sorry for that, and I wish I could fix it. And I'm sorry for every time since then that I've made you uncomfortable just because I couldn't accept the fact that I'd ruined our friendship. I understand that now, and how much it all hurt you. And I'm sorry."

In the dim light, I couldn't tell if Ciara was blinking from surprise or to keep a few wayward tears at bay. She took a deep breath, seeming to gather her thoughts. "I... um... thanks. I appreciate that."

As much as I wanted to cheer, or at least cut in and say something about how I'd love it if they could be civil to each other now, I stayed quiet. After a moment, Ciara turned around and started walking again, and Nico followed her silently. Maybe that was as far as they'd ever get, and maybe I would have to live with that. I didn't press Ciara about it as we walked back to Gryffindor Tower, and she didn't say anything, but I couldn't help smiling to myself.

~~~~

"You're sure this isn't a trap?" James squinted at the address in my hand, then the matching number on the run-down cottage in the outskirts of Hogmeade. "He doesn't sound very trustworthy."

"I didn't actually tell him anything." I glanced around apprehensively, despite the fact that the road was deserted and there weren't any other houses near enough for someone to be watching through a window. Maybe Petrov had just wanted to get us as far away as possible from any help.

James pursed his lips. "We keep up plausible deniability as long as we can, then. Or until he's said something incriminating. I don't like this..."

It was a little too late to turn around now, though. We were indeed out of sight of any nearby houses, but I'd seen the curtains move in one of the windows of this house, signaling the fact that we'd already been noticed. It wouldn't look great to stay out here much longer.

"All right," James said, as if he'd just reached the same conclusion. He took my hand and stepped towards the door. "I suppose if this all goes south, we'll at least get him kicked out of Hogwarts if we go to Kimmel about it first."

I shot him a faint smile as he knocked on the door. Almost immediately, it swung open. The girl on the other side looked no older than James, but took a moment to look us up and down before she let us in. She took so long that James actually cleared his throat and said, "We're looking for Alexei Petrov? He gave us this address."

The girl frowned, and it occurred to me that she might not understand what we were saying. Petrov had implied that his concerned parties weren't from Britain, after all. Surely not everyone spoke English.

James looked like he was about to repeat himself when the girl glanced over her shoulder and shouted, "Onkul, tavi ārzemnieki ir klāt!"

Footsteps came from another room, then Petrov appeared in the entry hall. "Paldies, Hanna." He raised an appraising eyebrow at James, then motioned inside. "Come in, before the whole neighborhood sees you."

"I thought this was going to be you and your source," James snapped as we walked through the door.

"It is a pleasure to meet you, as well, James Potter." He waved us into the first door, a cramped sitting room that looked like it had been designed by someone who was trying to replicate an English cottage's style but had only ever seen movies as a reference.

Once we'd sat down, I frowned at him. "You didn't mention other people would be here. Do you live here?"

"It's much better than the shoeboxes Hogwarts tries to pass off as accommodation." He shrugged. "And don't worry, no one else is to be bothering us. Don't mind Hanna. She is my niece."

"I didn't know you had a niece," I said, though I didn't know why I was surprised. I pictured all of Stillens' agents as people who had no families and no interest in them, but that probably wasn't accurate. I hadn't thought he was old enough to have a niece my age, but it was so hard to tell when he was always scowling.

"I have a large family." Petrov shrugged as if that didn't matter. His frown settled on James. "Hanna is no threat to you, but if you'd rather she left...?"

"It's fine," James said sourly, which nearly made me wince. We weren't off to a good start. At least Hanna didn't seem bothered as she settled down into a chair near the fireplace, still watching us closely but with a little less animosity.

"Were you able to bring this source you talked about?" I asked, when it became clear James wasn't going to say anything. "I don't know how we're meant to trust anything you say, otherwise."

He chuckled. "It was difficult to set up. My source is a... person of interest to this government, you see. Some tenuous connections with DA members." He turned around to another door and called, "Etienne!"

James grew noticeably less tense the moment he stepped through the door, and I think I might have sagged with relief. Of course, I barely knew Etienne, but I did know his sisters, and there was no way he'd be working for Stillens or selling us out. They'd kill him.

"James!" Etienne grinned and stepped forward to shake his hand, then he pulled him into a hug I don't think James was expecting. "If my sisters knew that I was here with you! They would be very jealous, I am thinking. We have all been missing you these past months since you went back to England."

"Do they know you're... doing whatever this is?" James asked, gesturing at Petrov. "What is this, exactly?"

"Ah, that I am not at liberty to say." Etienne smiled apologetically as he flopped down into a seat nearby. "My sisters do not know, however. They are not old enough to be making such decisions. Next year, perhaps."

"I think we would all like this to be over by next year," Petrov said, his serious tone suddenly making the room feel colder. "That is why we are here, yes? To discuss how to come to the end?"

"Is it?" James folded his arms and sat back against the couch. "I don't think you were clear enough when you were talking to Wren, then."

Petrov seemed amused and nudged Hanna with his elbow. "Es tev teicu, ka šis zēns būs izklaidējošs, vai ne?"

"Okay, no, that's not going to work." James made to get up, but I grabbed his arm before he could and frowned at him. He settled for just scowling at Petrov. "Don't go talking about us in another language. Everyone needs to understand what's happening here."

"That is not very fair to Hanna," Petrov said, though he was chuckling. "But if you insist, I will catch her up afterward, yes?"

I squeezed James's arm, trying to tell him to not let Petrov get under his skin, because I could imagine the way James was seeing this. Petrov was making him into a joke, and he wasn't going to put up with that for long. But he needed to let that go, actually listen to what Petrov wanted so we could decide what to do from here. Sure, I'd never seen Petrov joke around before, but he clearly had a soft spot for family. I didn't know what he was like beyond the act he was apparently putting on at school. He didn't say anything, which I took as a win. I took a deep breath to mask my anxiety, then asked, "What do your concerned parties want from us, exactly? And what can we expect in return?"

"That is the question, isn't it." Petrov glanced between James and me curiously. "I would like to know how close you are to Russey, of course."

"He trusts me," James said, his voice steady even though I could tell he was fighting down frustration still. "I've heard a lot of things most people wouldn't."

"And I assume you have evidence of this?"

"Maybe I do. What's the deal with your group, exactly?"

Petrov glanced at Etienne, a look on his face that seemed to say he'll believe you over me. Etienne sat up straighter, seeming excited at the chance to explain. "We're an intelligence group. I only joined a few years ago, but we've been around since Grindelwald and the second world war, working to... well..."

"Stop threats to our existence before they can happen." Petrov was all seriousness again. "You have never heard of us because we do our job well."

I pursed my lips. "Where are you located, exactly?"

"Everywhere. Well, nearly." He laughed darkly. "The wizards of America have always valued their independence too much to cooperate with us, and Britain has always wished to see only to its own interests. We left your governments to their own devices for too long, it seems."

"When you say everywhere, you mean in Europe?" James asked.

"No, everywhere." Etienne grinned. "I mean, it's a secret organization, so it's not like people know about it everywhere."

"We are loosely linked to the International Confederation of Wizards," Petrov clarified. "If they have no authority in a place, we don't either. If you keep up with muggle politics, as you should, you probably know where those places would be."

I shifted uncomfortably, having never kept up with muggle politics. My grandparents had never cared, and there had always been more pressing issues since I'd come here. "Okay, so you're all over the world. Why didn't you get involved in this until now?"

"It was only two years ago that anyone outside of America learned of what your uncle had done, what he was beginning to do here. We have been involved since then; you simply have not known."

"You've been involved pretty passively, then" James's tone had grown sharp. "Do you know how people have died fighting Stillens already? And your little group hasn't done a single thing to help."

"It is a great tragedy, what is happening. But we cannot make a move that would end in failure. When we move, it must be to win."

"So until then you're just going to sit back and watch people die."

"Not at all. There are hundreds of people who have come here, gone to America, to gather information. We simply need to know where to strike."

James would keep arguing with him all day, but whether or not he was right, that wouldn't help anything. I cut in before he had a chance to respond. "You said you stop threats before they happen. What do you mean?"

"Many things." Petrov shrugged. "We teach even the youngest children how to recognize and fight against those corrupted by the dark arts. We support communities in fighting off more organized threats. I was young when your last war happened, but my father was involved here. We supported Dumbledore and those who stood with him, and ultimately they are the ones who prevailed. There are many ways to help."

"And you're looking for a way?" I guessed. Etienne nodded, looking a little relieved that I was understanding, even if James still looked skeptical. I nodded. "Does your group have a name?"

"We go by many names." Petrov shrugged. "That does not matter."

"The most common one translates to 'The Shadow,'" Etienne cut in.

"It does not matter." Petrov waved off the interruption. "I have explained who I am representing, no? Now, tell me about who you are representing."

James glanced at me, eyebrow raised, and I sighed. "It's not anything big. I'm not sure how much we could really do. I guess we're a sort of intelligence group, too, though."

"Is that right?"

James sighed. "We're finding and storing up evidence against the people in the Ministry who are actively working for Stillens. It's not a very large operation, and it's not like we could pull off a rebellion or anything. But when things do come to an end, if Stillens loses, we'll have definitive proof that all these Ministry workers were actually supporting Stillens. No one's going to get away with it, if we can help it."

"And you are doing this at Hogwarts as well, yes?" Petrov nodded thoughtfully. "I suppose you already know who is compromised there."

"Well, yes..." I frowned. "It's more complicated there."

"Why?" Petrov's eyes widened. "You don't mean to tell me there's still a DA presence at Hogwarts?"

"She's certainly not telling you more than that," James said quickly, grabbing my hand and squeezing it. "We're not with the DA, and we're not working against them. You can find them yourselves if you want to see how they're doing."

"Oh, I'm sure that we have." Petrov shrugged. "I am more asking if all of my associates are what they seem."

I took a moment to answer, which was probably enough to confirm it for him. "It's not my place to tell you that," I said slowly, wondering who he might suspect. At least the odds were 2 to 3 that if he confronted someone, he'd be right. Unfortunately, that wouldn't make it any less messy. "However, if I were in contact with someone in the DA, I might convince them to speak to you."

"Do not bother." Petrov shook his head, sitting back in his chair. "I might just have my own conversation with him."

My eyes widened. Nico was going to flip out. "I don't think that's a—"

"Do not concern yourself about it. I am not stupid. Besides, I am more interested in your little group that is finding information. I don't suppose that you'd be interested in sharing our resources, so to say?"

I glanced at James, who seemed deep in thought already. Personally, I was wishing I'd brought Ciara, too, since Petrov had made it clear he knew she was involved. I didn't feel up to making decisions for the Friends, as much as I thought this was probably a good idea. Etienne's involvement meant high points in Petrov's favor. The way James kept glancing at him, I had a feeling his presence was having the same effect for him.

"I'll have to talk to my partner," James said after a moment. "You don't have your own people at the Ministry?"

"We do, but they are few."

"The Ministry is hard to get into, especially for foreigners," Etienne explained, sighing. "Makes our job a lot harder."

"Which is why cooperation would be helpful for both of us." Petrov's expression hadn't flickered this whole time, still serious and intense. "You have access to information that we don't, and we can help you overthrow Stillens, if all goes well."

James nodded, seeming a little more confident than he had before. "Like I said, I'll talk to my partner. She'll want to meet with you, as well."

"If they agree, we will, too," I said quickly. "At Hogwarts, I mean."

"You don't want to mention that to Ms. Malfoy?" Petrov asked, suddenly back to being amused.

"She'd agree. She'll probably just want to talk to you..."

"It can all be arranged." Petrov stood up, and everyone else quickly followed suit. He shook both James's and my hands, his grip so firm that my hand felt a little sore afterwards. "It has been good to do business with you, Mr. Potter. And you, Ms. Predatel. I am glad we could come to an agreement."

"I want it clear that if you double cross us, I'll drag you down with me," James said, eyes narrowed.

"I would not expect any less," Petrov said, laughing again. "I think that it will be Ms. Predatel who is doing the dragging, though. She is much fiercer than she looks."

James blinked, like he didn't know how to respond to that, but Petrov had already moved on to Etienne, ushering him out the door he'd come through, talking about his return home. I let out a breath as he disappeared. I hadn't realized how nervous I'd been about all this until just now.

"So... are we supposed to just let ourselves out?" James asked, frowning at the door as it swung closed. "Is he coming back?"

"I don't know." I glanced at Hanna, but I didn't even know what language she'd been speaking, let alone how to communicate with her. "Would it be impolite to leave? Maybe that's offensive, where he's from."

"But it might be impolite to stay," James reasoned. He shrugged as I turned to him. "Seriously! He practically said goodbye."

"It's just weird that he wouldn't see us out, isn't it?"

Just then, Hanna hopped to her feet, smiling widely at us. She had the same amused twinkle in her eye as Petrov had. "It's like you think I can't open a door," she said in perfect English.

I started, my face flushing as I realized we'd both just assumed she couldn't understand us. James sounded shocked as he sputtered, "I... I'm so sorry, I thought you..."

Hanna laughed. "I like to see what people say when they think I can't understand. It's really useful when I'm serving at Ministry functions. People will just say anything, without even checking if I know any English."

James swore. "You're a caterer, aren't you? I'm so sorry, I should've recognized you."

"The point is that you don't." Hanna gestured towards the door. "I only work for a caterer, anyway. Might as well be a potted plant. It's lovely."

"Still, I'm sorry—"

"Just keep not noticing me, and I'll consider it all good." We'd reached the front door, and Hanna finally turned to me. "You're so much more interesting than I thought you'd be."

Her tone hadn't been malicious at all, but I still frowned. "What does that mean?"

"You're like me, fitting in wherever you are, no? But it is better, because even when you're the least noticeable, people would still do anything for you, so I've heard." She shrugged, smiling. "It is not a bad thing."

"Well, this has been lovely, but I have a dinner I've got to get ready for," James said, steering me out the door before I could press her about what that meant. Hanna smiled and waved before shutting the door again. James didn't say anything as we made our way back to town, probably worried about someone overhearing. That was fine with me. I was still reeling from all of it myself.

We'd talked about going to the Hog's Head to talk with Ciara after we got back, which meant walking all the way to the other side of the town. We'd only gotten about halfway through when a commotion outside the Three Broomsticks caught my attention. I tugged on James's arm, and we slowed to a stop, trying to see what was going on past the crowd.

"Wren!" I started at the sound of my name. When Pip came tearing out of the crowd, waving wildly at us, I couldn't help but feel even warier. What had happened?

Pip reached us quickly, but had to pause to catch his breath before he could get anything else out. "You've got to... got to come... It's Lily..."

James grabbed Pip's shoulders and forced him to look up, a nearly frantic look in his eye. "What happened?"

"There was an attack—"

Even before Pip had finished speaking, James had dashed off into the crowd, leaving Pip and I to follow as quickly as we could. 

~~~~

This is kind of embarrassing but I finished watching The Good Place again a few days ago and I was crying at the end because it's really bittersweet, but it made me just start thinking about the deaths at the end of this book (sorry) but also how this series is coming to an end, and soon I'm going to have to let all of these characters go in a way that's a little bit like that, if that makes sense? I'm writing this through tears because for the first time, I'm starting to really mourn the end of this part of my life.

Question of the Day: What's one good thing that happened to you today? Or yesterday, for my Eastern hemisphere friends who are getting this update in the morning and might not have had anything happen to them yet today.

Answer: I got to leave work early because there wasn't enough for me to do, so I got to spend the whole afternoon writing. Lovely!

Vote and comment!

~Elli

Word count: 6186