The Marauders - Order of the Phoenix Part Three

Five Blagojevics Walked Into a Bar...

Sirius stared at the cog - a faint echo of memories played in his mind.

"Where did you get it?" She handed it back to him and he turned it over in his palm.

"Uncle Alphard," Sirius said. "He gave it to me... secretly."

"He didn't tell you what it was?" Dora asked.

Sirius shook his head. "He only had a passing moment. We were at the World Cup, on the stairs, and Father didn't approve of Alphard... he'd - there was a - a fight the night before." Sirius paused, frowning, biting his lip, echoes of that night playing back in his mind. "He met my eyes and pressed this into my hand and just... kept walking. That was the last time I saw him." He stared at the cog in his palm, turned it over once more.

Dora studied Sirius, watching how he touched the cog so gently, the way his eyes stayed carefully diverted from hers. "Sirius," she said.

"Yes?"

"Alphard would have been very, very proud of you."

Sirius's eyes lifted to meet hers.

"He must have been already if he gave that to you. And I think that first thing tomorrow you ought to go right down to Diagon Alley and see what is in that vault."

"You really think he was proud of me?"

Dora reached out and put her palm on his cheek, her thumb brushing his skin gently. He flinched at the initial touch, then calmed, melting into it a bit, his head sinking to press more fully against her hand, and, after a moment, he even dared to close his eyes, just relishing the feeling of such a gentle caress.

"I think it would be so very hard to know you and not be proud of you, Sirius," she said.

They sat like that for several moments, Sirius clutching the vault key and Dora cupping his cheek, brushing his skin, his senses focused on the love of that touch.

"Now," she said softly after a few minutes, "Are we going to finish this card game so I can kick your arse or is your hand so bad that this whole thing was a rouse to avoid losing?"

Sirius opened his eyes, a grin spreading across his face, "I saw your five sickles and I raise you one chocolate frog."

"Hmm... you must be confident in your hand," Dora smirked. "But I'll see your chocolate frog and I'm going to call you with a roast!"

"A roast!" Sirius said, "I can't see a roast, I can barely cook toast."

"Let's see your hand, Dr. Seuss," Dora teased, grinning.

Sirius groaned when they'd revealed their cards and Dora had won by far. She was pulling all the sweets to her side of the tray with a grin, "Don't worry, lovey," she said, patting his knee, "One day you'll beat me. Maybe."

Severus Snape was sitting in his booth once again, a glass of water before him, his eyes darting about the room nervously. Lily Evans's visit to Spinner's End earlier that evening had set him on edge. If Lily knew occlumency then she could be anywhere - any one of the people in this room. His eyes moved from one person to the next, wondering, watching for mannerisms that might be subconsciously performed - things that perhaps she wouldn't think to cover up, things that would give her away... that only he would recognize about her...

But none of the people in the room were doing the tells that would alert him to her and he hadn't heard so much as a tremor of her mind amongst those there.

At the bar, Antonin Dolohov was sipping his vodka, awaiting the arrival of Matija Blagojevic. Severus was supposed to be listening for the vampire and his body guard - supposed to be listening for any thoughts that might alert them to subterfuge or attack, for anything less than fealty to the Dark Lord, but he couldn't concentrate on the work they were there to do - and Blagojevic hadn't yet entered the pub yet.