The sound of birds could be heard around Greengrass Manor as the morning glow transformed into afternoon heat. For a November day, it was unusually warm, not that anyone was complaining. It was wonderful weather for a day out with family or friends, and it was even better for someone who just wanted to sit back and relax. Such was the case for Leah Reeves, who had managed to sleep the entire morning away.

Muffling a yawn, Leah opened her eyes. She stared up at the ceiling, unmoving. Her mind was still muddled from her slumber, scrambled up in a disorienting puzzle. She almost didn't want to get up. The pillows tempted her with a sleeping bliss, and the soft blankets drew her away from the complications of the conscious. She could have stayed there forever, and no one would have cared. But then her eyes traveled over to the chandelier, and Leah remembered.

She always had to remember.

Leah sat up. She took in a quick breath as her eyes wandered across the room. She gripped tightly onto her blankets as the memories of the previous night flooded her brain. Bringing a hand up to pinch her cheek, she let her eyes close. She exhaled, and a tear could be seen sliding down her cheek.

It had been real.

A low rumble resonated in the back of her throat, and Leah could not help the chuckle that escaped her. Never in a million years did she think that she would ever sleep on a bed again and yet there she was. Even more astonishing was that it was a bed in her sister's home. Her sister whom Leah thought she would never see again.

For the longest time, it had been a mere dream—a fool's dream. Azkaban was a brutal establishment that sucked all the marrow from life. It put a hole in hope, hollowed out dreams so that they were only torture.

But Leah was human, and it was in humanity's nature to hope. Even in moments where hope seemed lost, it was always there. It hid in the shadows like a diamond in the rough, masked in broad daylight like spies in enemy territory.

Leah almost felt sorry for the dementors. They were cursed to live a life in the dark, where happiness was nonexistent. They fed on human souls, but no one ever thought to ask why. And perhaps it was their way of feeling something. Perhaps, it was the only way for them to taste an ounce of love lest they live forever unfulfilled. Perhaps, it was the only way for them to cope. And that thought made Leah shudder. They were tragic creatures—the dementors—but she didn't want to ever see one again, even if they were in any way misunderstood. They had caused her too much grief.

Rolling out of bed, Leah took a moment to breathe. She looked across the room at the standing mirror. Even with all the uncertainty, she felt like a new woman. She could have taken on the whole world, fought every single wizard alive and still come out standing on the other side. She could have done it all. She would have.

Stepping out of the room, Leah followed her memory back down into the foyer and to the kitchen. "Ainsley?" she called out, but only the barest traces of her echo replied.

Instead, Leah found two pieces of parchment on the table alongside a plate of macaroni cheese. Her stomach grumbled immediately. A lump formed in her throat, and she looked around the room once more for Ainsley. Macaroni cheese had always been her favorite, and for Ainsley to even remember that after so long...

Had Ainsley always been this kind? Had she remembered everything wrong?

Leah reached for a fork. Her eyes fluttered shut as the cheese melted in her mouth. The pasta had already gone cold, but it was enough for the nostalgia. It warmed her insides, touching the deepest depths of her heart with new light. And for the second time in a day, tears welled up in her eyes.

Sighing, Leah reopened her eyes and brought her attention to the two pieces of parchment paper. It was The Daily Prophet that caught her attention first. Swallowing a mouthful of her macaroni cheese, she snatched the paper up with a mother-like panic.

Her heart leapt. Shoulder-length black hair, striking gray eyes, boyish roguishness—it was an old photograph, but it was him. His mugshot. Her eyes shot up to the headline.

SIRIUS BLACK SIGHTED AT HOGWARTS?!

Leah had to stand up. She almost choked on her own spit. Suddenly, she was aware of every little thing around her, as if someone was watching her every move and reporting it all to the papers. She glanced around the kitchen, shifting at the thought of all the nooks and crannies someone could hide out in such a large manor. Her eyes traveled back to the article; her breath was slow.

Apparently, Sirius had attempted to break into the Gryffindor common room a few days ago on Halloween. He had, obviously, failed, and now the whole school was even more alert than before. Leah wanted to slam her face into a brick wall.

Was this really the man that was clever enough to escape Azkaban, the man that was kind enough to save her? Leah bit down on her tongue hard. Sirius may have been the better half of their duo, but sometimes, he really was stupid. She couldn't imagine a world where directly breaking into Hogwarts was a good idea. The fool had been lucky enough to escape, but was slashing the Fat Lady really necessary?

Leah drowned her sorrows with another bite of her macaroni cheese. She didn't even want to think about what his break in meant. The implications of it... the meaning...

He was trying to get to Peter.

Leah looked down at the paper.

He was trying to kill Peter.

Anger could have overtaken Leah at that moment, but it didn't.

Because he promised. Sirius had promised her that he wouldn't murder Peter. He wouldn't have gone against his word... would he?

She trusted him. He trusted her. So they were friends, right? Friends trusted each other. Leah's heart skipped a beat. Right?

Leah scrunched up her face. But if she trusted Sirius, that meant she believed that he was innocent. That also meant Peter was a murderer. And that couldn't possibly be true.

But if that wasn't true, then Sirius was the murderer all along. And although Leah had believed that once upon a time, she didn't want to anymore. He had proven himself many times over, and she wanted to trust him.

It was an endless loop, and it only made Leah more and more unsure. It was one or the other, but she wanted both of them to be innocent. It didn't make any sense.

Quickly gulping down the rest of her meal, Leah shook her head free of the thoughts. She glanced over at the other piece of parchment—a note from Ainsley.

Leah,

I have some errands to run. Will be back soon. DON'T go outside. I've cast a security charm around the manor, and I will know if anyone passes through. That includes you. 

- Ainsley x

Leah glanced towards the nearby clock and frowned. There was still a few hours before sunset, so she had some time to waste before Ainsley returned. The only question now was what. For the first time in fifteen years, she was free to do whatever she wanted without any worry. The realization scared her a little.

It felt wrong to sit around and do nothing when there were so many questions unsolved. Her feet ached to be walking somewhere, and her hands itched to work on something. Anything. She felt restless, tense. Washing the dishes helped a bit, but her thoughts were even more so consumed by the prospect that someone could be watching her. The news of Sirius had been both a blessing and a curse, and Leah couldn't help but have a constant eye over her shoulder. She hated it.

But it wasn't as if she could walk out of Greengrass Manor either. Ainsley would have flipped out, but it was more the thought of running. Leah didn't want to live a life of fear. She had already done that back in Azkaban, and enough was enough. If she was going to start fresh, she needed to have a clean slate. And the only way to have a clean slate—Leah stood up taller at the epiphany—was to clear her name.

That was her purpose. To find her family's murderer and prove her own innocence.

Leah sucked in a breath. Already she had thought of so many complications. The case was over a decade old, so most evidence would have gone cold. Additionally, there was no say whether the murderer was still around. They could be living across the oceans or worse: they could be dead. And with the ministry actively searching for her, the Reeves Manor had to be under careful watch.

This wasn't going to be an easy task, and Leah was already dreading how complex it was going to be. Sighing, she wandered out of the kitchen. This was something that she had to discuss with Ainsley. Her older sister always had something to say.

Walking around the house, Leah found herself creating a mental map of where everything was. There was the drawing room, the music room, the conservatory, and even a ballroom. Leah, however, found herself in the library. She had never been a reader, but something about the room stood out to her. It seemed familiar.

Everything about it screamed Ainsley. Leah had no doubt that her sister had been the one to decorate it. It was in no way grand, but it wasn't humble either. The room reminded her of so many memories. She remembered frantic evenings at the Hogwarts library, rushing to finish homework that she had left for the last minute. She remembered the library of Reeves Manor, how she had once knocked over an entire bookshelf. Her mother had been furious.

That was when Leah realized why the room was so distinctly Ainsley. It was the exact layout of the library back at home. Down to every last detail.

Leah bit down on her lip as she ran her fingers over a shelf of books. Her breath was shaky. She swallowed down a gulp. It was as if she was walking in the past. Everything was smaller, more fragile. She felt like a bumbling, clumsy giant.

Suddenly, all the air left Leah's lungs. She gasped and pulled out a book. It was an old book, frayed around the edges but well loved. Leah traced the title with her hands: The Tales of Beedle the Bard.

She couldn't believe her eyes. Had Ainsley kept the same copy from their childhood?

She opened the book, and Leah's thought was confirmed. She looked down at the page that she had turned to. The corner was folded down, and bold letters filled the center of the page. The Wizard and the Hopping Pot.

Skimming over the first few lines, Leah could have collapsed right then and there. She still remembered how Ainsley would read it. She still remembered her quiet voice against the strong winds.

"There you are! I've been looking all over the house for you."

Leah jumped. In her stupor, she hadn't realized when Ainsley had returned home.

"Ainsley!" she said, stuffing the book back into its rightful spot. "And..." Leah's eyes widened at the second figure. "Shelby?"

Shelby, it seemed, was also enamored by the replica of their childhood library. Her eyes snapped towards Leah. She smiled, but she looked unnerved by the room. It was a ghost that she didn't expect to ever see again. "Surprise!" she said before clearing her throat. "It's good to see you again, Leah. And under much more favorable circumstances."

Ainsley scoffed. "Favorable is a stretch," she said. "We're lucky to all even be here."

"Yeah, well," Shelby said. "It could be worse."

"Don't jinx us."

Shelby frowned. "It isn't in my power to."

An awkward silence came about the three sisters as Ainsley realized what she had said. Wincing, Ainsley brought a hand up to her head.

"Sorry," she said. "You know I didn't mean that."

"Whatever," Shelby replied, shrugging it off. "I'm fine."

Leah looked between her two sisters. From her previous interactions, she had thought that the two had forgiven each other for their past differences. However, it seemed that there were still traces of tension.

"So..." Leah said, breaking the silence. She turned to Shelby. "What are you doing here?"

Shelby grinned at Leah, looping her arm through hers. "Ainsley did some magic and freed up my schedule," she said. "I'm joining you two for dinner. We ordered takeout."

"Yes," Ainsley said, leading them out of the library and towards the dining room. "We have much to discuss."

Shelby blanched at Ainsley's words. "Already? Can't we just celebrate our sister coming back from the dead?" she said. "It's always business with you."

Ainsley glanced over her shoulder at Shelby. "How did you become the muggle minister with that attitude?" she said.

"You can still enjoy yourself in between working hours. Isn't that right, Leah?"

Leah blinked. She gave Shelby an apologetic look. "Actually, I also wanted to talk about my situation," she said.

"Oh." Shelby stiffened. "Alright then."

"I'm sorry."

"No!" Shelby shook her head, taking a seat at the dining table. "No, don't be sorry. We have to talk about this with or without the pleasantries. I suppose getting it over with wouldn't be half bad."

"Good." Ainsley said. She flicked her wand, and their plates were filled. "Because this is going to be a long night."

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Surprise update? :D 

Honestly, I'm just as surprised as all you readers are with this update. I wasn't expecting to have a chapter to post today, but here we are. I am going to try my hardest to get the next few updates written and posted as soon as possible because I actually have motivation to write this week. I'm hoping to at least get to chapter fourteen by the end of either this week or next week (hopefully this week), but hahahahahahahaha you guys know how bad I am at keeping a schedule. But as this chapter has so kindly reminded us, there is always hope. So here's to hoping! 

-Pili <3