Miss Americana & The Heartbreak Prince | Sirius Black ✓

40. no body, no crime

Once more, Pettigrew looked back and she flattened herself against the nearest pillar. She ran headfirst into another person that distracted her enough for the charm to wear off.

"Oof!" She smacked against a hard chest.

"You really don't know when to let it go, do you?" a furious voice hissed.

"Let me go, Black," Kelsey looked panicked. She met the younger Black brother in a staring match.

"Do you have a death wish? Following them around?" Regulus asked her, furtively looking around them.

"I need to know what that rat's up to," she insisted.

"You and me both," he whispered. "But you have the subtlety of an elephant," he sounded annoyed. "Come on. And stay behind me," Regulus threw his own lesser version of a mass-produced Invisibility Cloak over them and she had no choice but to follow.

"Why are you being nice to me?" she questioned.

"It's not like I have a choice, do I?" His attention remained ahead. "You keep showing up. Like bloody Doxies in my family home," he muttered.

"Hey!" Kelsey took offense.

"Ssh!"

They were outside the entrance to Dumbledore's office.

They waited with Pettigrew until Mulciber showed up in a few minutes. Pettigrew leaned in to whisper something that they couldn't catch. Kelsey tried to get closer but Regulus held her back.

"Something feels wrong," he mumbled.

Mulciber then looked directly in their direction and grinned cunningly. Almost as if he could see them. Kelsey's heart almost stopped.

"No. This is definitely a trap," Regulus stated.

"It's too late now," she murmured just as Mulciber shot a spell in their direction. Kelsey ducked down and the false cloak fell off her while keeping Black hidden still.

"Well, well, well, what do we have here?" Mulciber sneered. "I knew something was up. It was you the other day too wasn't it?"

"I knew you were up to something you rat!" she hissed and got up.

"I'd say you're the one following him, right? What right have you got?" Mulciber narrowed his eyes dangerously.

Kelsey could see him toying with the wand in his hand. On instinct, they both stepped back assuming a duel stance when Pettigrew interrupted.

"Company," he sounded worried, looking at some piece of paper. Kelsey was confused when Mulciber suddenly decided to make a break for it. She was about to follow him when Pettigrew stood in her way to stop her.

"Pettigrew!" Kelsey looked him in the eye. "Move or detention will be the least of your problems."

"You see.. I don't think it will." He didn't appear fazed at all.

"What are you doing?" she demanded. Her chest was heavy as Mulciber disappeared from sight. She was about to push his chest to back him off when a hand grabbed hers from nowhere.

"Not now, Black, let me go," she tried to push him off but he managed to drag her away.

Pettigrew did however appear surprised to see the other Black. Regulus glared at the older boy coldly. It had been the right decision to stay hidden until Mulciber had excused himself.

"You absolute nutter!" Regulus pulled her back and turned her around. "Do you have the brains of a dung beetle?" He roughly pushed her against a stone pillar caging her in.