Emery was lying on the sofa opposite the fireplace, a tiny scroll of parchment coiled tightly in her hand as she waited for Sirius to come.

As if almost reading her thoughts, the fire turned green, indicating that someone was coming from the other side.

Emery hastily jumped off the couch, and stood up, looking anxiously at the emerald flames.

Once the smoke disappeared, a foot stepped out of the fireplace.

Emery looked up.

Sirius Black grinned back at her.

"Sirius!" Emery exclaimed, running to him and jumping up, wrapping his arms around his neck. Sirius nearly fell over with her weight, even though she wasn't that heavy.

"Emery," he said, nearly toppling over with the force that Emery held him with. "Too tight," he rasped, as her arms squeezed his neck.

"Oh," said Emery, tugging away, blushing. "Sorry."

"S alright," Sirius murmured, rubbing his neck, looking at Emery.

Sirius caught a glimpse of Emery's hand, the parchment sticking out from her fist.

He lowered his voice. 

"Is that?" he asked, gesturing to her hand.

Emery nodded. 

Sirius was about to speak when Emery cut him off. "Shh," she whispered. "Not here. Mama doesn't know."

"Oh," said Sirius. "Right."

Emery went to the parlor, Sirius following her.

 Her mother was reading.

"Mama," Emery said.

The woman looked up from her book. 

"Sirius came," she said, gesturing behind her. "We're going to the library, alright?"

Her mother nodded. "Lunch is in an hour. I'll call you when it's time."

Emery left her mother, closing the door behind her.

"She's busy," she told Sirius. "Come on," she said cheerfully. "Let's go to the library."

Sirius followed her silently as she roamed the halls, coming to a stop at a tall pair of wooden double doors.

Pushing the door with her weight, she grunted slightly as she pushed the door.

"It's not opening," she sighed. "Must be ages since I last entered this place."

"Here," said Sirius, putting his hand against the door, "Let me help."

"No," said Emery. "I can do it by myself. I used to do it when I was ten."

Sirius shrugged and leaned his back against a marble pillar, watching Emery as she struggled to open the heavy doors.

She pushed with all her might, but ended up slipping and falling to the floor with a thud.

Sirius smirked.

Emery shot him a glare and stood up, dusting her dress. She pushed at the doors again.

The door didn't budge.

She fell down again, due to the slipperiness of the floor.

Sirius chuckled, walking close to her.

"Are you sure you don't need help?"

"Uh-huh," Emery said. "I'm perfectly capable of doing it myself."

Sirius took a step closer, placing his hand on the heavy metal doorknob.

"You sure?" he whispered.

Emery looked into his mesmerizing grey eyes.

"Yes," she said stoically. "I don't need your help."

Sirius bent his face to her level. She was tall, but he was taller than her by nearly half a foot. He came down to her eyelevel, gazing into her sea blue eyes.

"Why's that?" Sirius asked.

Emery huffed. "Girls are fully capable of doing things on their own. They don't always need to rely on men. We're just as physically able as they are."

Sirius chuckled. "That's why you don't want my help, hmm?" he spoke lowly, his breath fanning her face.

"Yes," she said, dodging his arm and turning around to push the door.

She was about to slip and fall once more, when Sirius placed his arms around her waist, stopping her from falling and helping her stand up.

Emery's heart began racing, and once again, she couldn't avoid the blush that followed. Still feeling the ghost of his arms on her waist, she turned back to face the door.

Sirius placed an arm on her waist and turned her, making her face him.

He came closer to her, trapping her between his arms and the door.

"It's not about women being incapable of opening doors," he murmured, leaning closer to whisper in her ear. 

"It's about you being incapable of pushing a door, when it is clearly meant to be pulled, Emery Fowl," he whispered, his breath tickling her ear, cologne reeking off him.

Emery shivered, and froze, thinking of her stupidity. She couldn't speak, not when Sirius was only two inches away from her. His arms were still trapping her, and she had nowhere to run.

His face was painted with a smirk, and Emery just watched his beauty from where he stood. His muscular arms reached for the doorknob, and pulling Emery to the side, he tugged at it.

It gave a loud creak as it opened.

Emery slipped in between the tiny gap, eager to get away from Sirius.

She felt so foolish. This was Fowl Manor, not Wood Manor. The door was meant to be pulled, not pushed. Emery wanted nothing more than to avoid Sirius' teasing gaze.

He entered the library, following her closely.

As he entered, the massive shelves surrounded him. It was eerily silent, yet somewhat comforting. The library was huge, unlike any other he had seen before. The shelves were almost fifteen times his height, and they seemed to go on for miles.

Tall ladders were mounted near each shelf, as an aid to access the books at the very top.

Adrenaline coursed through his fingers even thinking about being that high.

Emery took his hand subconsciously, gazing at the shelves with longing, tears glazing her eyes.

"It's been years since I last set foot in here," she whispered. "As if all at once, all the memories are coming back."

She wiped a tear.

"I thought you hate reading," Sirius said.

Emery chuckled. "Yeah, I don't like reading," she hummed. "But I always used to come here when I got bored. This library has so much about Quidditch and useful spells."

Sirius didn't say anything.

"My dad and I used to experiment here. He used to create new spells and new pranks," she continued. "He also used to love creating codes and solving them. That's one thing he passed on to me."

Sirius smiled, thinking of how she held his hand, and nothing else. His voice was like a melody in his head, and it soothed his nerves and calmed him. She was always so silent about her father, but now it felt like she was opening up.

"He also passed down his love for pranks and Quidditch," she said. 

"But ever since he disappeared, I haven't touched a broom. I've forgotten how to fly," she said, her voice quivering. "He would be so disappointed in me," she added, her voice filled with emotion.

 She let out a small cry. 

"He always wanted me to become captain of the Quidditch team," she sobbed. "I've let him down, I've disappointed him. B-but I can't, Sirius, I can't."

Sirius pulled her into a hug, and she grabbed onto his jacket, sobbing violently in it. "I've let him down," she repeated. 

"Emery," Sirius cooed. "It's not your fault. He would be proud of you, no matter what."

He stroked her hair, and sat on an armchair, tugging Emery and placing her beside her. "He's not dead," Sirius said, "you hear me? He's not dead. We'll find him, alright? I promise."

Emery nodded as she buried her head in his chest.

Sirius lifted her head up, looking into her eyes as he wiped her tears.

"Don't cry, love," he said. "It won't solve anything."

She sniffled and wiped her tears with her sleeve.

"Now where's that little bugger of a parchment?" he asked, standing up and looking around.

Emery handed it to him.

"We have a code to solve."