Holding a Torch For Gilderoy Lockhart

It took her three weeks to gather the courage to visit Andromeda. The only member of Sirius's family who she had liked, she still hadn't seen her in almost seven years, not since her daughter's face had literally frozen in a rather ugly form. Severus Snape was one of the girl's favourite victims, to hilarious results when mixed with a pretty pink dress and purple spiked hair.

"Oh! Miriam," said Ted as he opened the door. "How are you?"

"Fine, thanks. I was wondering if Andromeda was in?"

"Yes, of course," he said, backing away to let her in. "Drom! Miriam is here to see you!" he shouted up the stairs. Miriam smiled to herself- for some reason, Ted's lack of manners was so precious. "Come wait in the parlour?" he offered.

It took Andromeda a few minutes to make her way downstairs. An artist of magical portraits, she worked at home while her husband worked in the Muggle Liaison Office at the Ministry.

"Miriam, dear," she said, drawing Miriam into a hug. "I was wondering when you'd come to see me. Especially given the circumstances..."

"Yes. Well, I thought I should come round, see how you were doing," Miriam said. "Considering the circumstances." Out of the corner of her eye, she could see Ted creeping out of the room.

"I don't suppose..." Andromeda began, "that you've- well- seen him, have you?" Miriam couldn't tell if the older women looked hopeful or fretful.

"No, of course not!" Miriam said. Watching Andromeda deflate, she realized it had been hope. "After all, he'd have little reason to seek me out, would he?"

"No?" An arch eyebrow rose a bit higher. "Well, I suppose not."

Conversation stopped for a few moments when Ted arrived with a tea service. Once he left, Miriam sipped her tea, and said, "I can't imagine how he's managed it, but no. I haven't seen him."

"Do you really think he's returned to bring back You-Know-Who?"

Miriam shrugged. "Well, it was news to me that he was a Death Eater, and I was married to him for two years. I doubt I'm in any position to suggest what his motives might be."

"Hmm..." Andromeda said. "So! What have you been doing with yourself?" she asked brightly, clearly deciding to get off the topic at hand and on to gossip.

"Well, I'm thinking of quitting St. Mungo's and buying an eel farm."

"Really?"

*

Sightings of Sirius were in the Daily Prophet nearly every week. He was spotted everywhere, it seemed. So many places, in fact, that Miriam began to suspect that Sirius might be having a bit of fun with his outlaw status.

"That would be just like him," she muttered to herself as she brewed her first cup of coffee. It was a beautiful Sunday morning in early November. The owl had just arrived with her mail, and she sorted it as she waited for her coffee. There was a knock on the door.

"Yes?" she asked warily, recognizing Dawlish instantly. "What's happened now?"

"Well, there was a confirmed sighting last night," he said, waving off her offer of coffee when he followed her to the kitchen.

"Where?"

"Hogwarts Castle."

Miriam lost her grip on the coffee mug and it shattered on the tiles. She swore. "What the hell kind of security is that? I thought there were Dementors all around the school, and yet he can still waltz in at any time?"

"Well, he might be getting help from inside the castle," Dawlish replied. "Did you know that Remus Lupin has taken the position of Defense Against the Dark Arts?"

"Uh, no. I haven't seen Remus in many years."

"Uh huh. The Ministry is investigating whether he had anything to do with Black gaining entrance into Hogwarts."

"No. That is, no, Remus couldn't- wouldn't- have helped. No."

"That seems to be a popular sentiment," Dawlish said in a bored voice. "Well, that's all for now. Thanks for the help."

As Miriam reassembled her broken coffee mug, she Cursed Sirius a thousand times dead. Her life had been so tidy!