His Honesty

The two walked along a narrow corridor.

This route was secluded, with a section completely devoid of torches, so dark one couldn't see their hand in front of their face.

Sirius occasionally raised his wand to illuminate the path ahead, the faint glow of Lumos Maxima casting flickering halos on the stone walls.

Lucretia was quiet throughout, her brow furrowed from time to time.

Her footsteps kept pace with Sirius's.

After a long silence, Sirius spoke, "Your friend doesn't look too good. Is she alright?"

Lucretia quickly changed the subject, "Mm, she'll be fine. Do you often sneak friends into the Hospital Wing like this?"

Sirius chuckled, "Not too often, but James is certainly good at distracting Madam Pomfrey. Last time, he pretended to have food poisoning, and acted it out so dramatically."

Silence fell between them again.

The only sounds in the corridor were their footsteps and the occasional soft crackle of a wand illuminating the stone walls.

As they passed a sleeping portrait, Sirius stole another glance at her.

"You seem to have something on your mind."

Lucretia shook her head, "It's nothing, just thinking about homework."

Sirius didn't press further, only giving a soft "Mm."

They went up the stairs and through another particularly dark corridor.

A few minutes later, Sirius suddenly said again, "Actually, I understand the feeling of taking risks for a friend."

Lucretia turned her head to look at him, but said nothing.

Sirius continued, "James and I, and our friends. We do things... outside the rules for each other. Especially when one of us needs help."

Lucretia's tone held a hint of confusion, "Why are you telling me this?"

Sirius thought for a moment, "Maybe because seeing you risk taking medicine for your friend reminded me of us. Some things are worth the risk, aren't they?"

Lucretia looked at him. Mr. Black now seemed different from when they were training in Godric's Hollow.

She said slowly, "Sometimes, friends see or know things that are worrying."

Sirius nodded, not interrupting her.

Lucretia paused, took a deep breath, "If... if someone gave you a warning that sounded absurd, but that person's premonitions had always come true before... would you believe it?"

Sirius's heart skipped a beat, but his expression remained unchanged, "That depends on the warning."

They turned a corner and reached a spacious window seat.

Moonlight streamed through the stained glass onto the stone floor, enveloping the two in a silvery-blue halo.

Sirius stopped, leaning against the windowsill, gazing out at the Black Lake and the silhouette of the Forbidden Forest in the distance.

The lake shimmered under the moonlight, and the night breeze carried the scent of the water through the gaps in the glass.

"You know, around this time last year, we did something very important for Lupin. It was the biggest secret between the few of us, something none of us ever told anyone else."

Lucretia also stopped, leaning against the other side of the windowsill, the moonlight outlining her profile.

Sirius turned to look at her, "Some secrets are worth keeping, especially those that protect friends."

Lucretia bit her lower lip, still hesitating.

His expression wasn't as nonchalant as usual, and this look felt strangely familiar.

Lucretia looked at him, silent for a long time, "Can I trust you? Just you?"

Sirius's voice was softer than usual, "This sounds important. Why now?"

Lucretia hesitated before explaining, "Because I heard something tonight. It's not about me, it might involve... others. I know how loyal you are to your friends; I've seen you with Mr. Potter and Mr. Lupin. But this time... I need to be sure it stays between us."

Sirius straightened up, his expression becoming more serious.

"I don't know if Regulus ever told you, but the Black family motto is 'Always Pure.' Ever since I can remember, I've been told every day that bloodline is everything, and family honor is above life itself. But... at Hogwarts, I met James and the others. I discovered some things are more precious than blood."

After saying this, he turned to face her.

Then he did something Lucretia had not anticipated at all.

He crouched down.

He crouched entirely in front of her, looking up into her eyes.

The moonlight hit his face from the side, making his gray eyes seem to flow with light.

"This choice made my mother think I was a disgrace to the family. I might lose everything. Inheritance, my name, even... my family. But if you're willing to trust me, I swear this will stay between us, whatever it is. Not because I'm loyal to my friends, not even for some noble reason..."

Sirius's tone became firm.

"It's because I understand the value of secrets, and the price of keeping them... I know what secrets can destroy when they're revealed. I won't let you go through that pain."

Lucretia was stunned.

She had never seen this Mr. Black before.

There was no usual flippancy, no signature cynicism, but rather...

frank, sincere, and even carrying a vulnerability she had never seen before.

He looked up at her like that, his grey eyes so sincere in the moonlight they made her heart race.

Leaving the choice entirely to her, waiting for her decision.

At this moment, something in the air was changing.

Not the physical height difference of her standing and him squatting, but… something else.

Finally, she made her decision.

Lucretia opened her mouth, but was interrupted by the slight tremor in her own voice. She cleared her throat before continuing, "I... I want to tell you what Sophia said."

He subconsciously glanced back at the corridor, wanting to confirm no one would pass by.

Sirius noticed her wariness, naturally stood up, and took half a step closer to her, just enough to block the view behind her.

There were no extra movements beyond that.

Lucretia lowered her voice, "Sophia said shadows are approaching, and to be careful of that rat, it's not what it seems."

Sirius's heart leaped.

Peter.

His Animagus form was a rat.

And tonight, he and James had personally seen Peter tracking her movements.

He tried to control his expression, repeating, his voice deeper than usual, "A rat? She... is she sure it's a rat?"

Lucretia nodded, "Yes, I don't know what she meant, but she said it very seriously. And she also said..."

A silver, translucent figure suddenly emerged from the left wall.

The Fat Friar ghost was cheerfully humming a medieval tune, floating leisurely in mid-air with an apron.

Lucretia jumped, instinctively taking a step back.

Her heel caught on her robes, and her body lost balance.

Sirius instantly reached out his arm, steadying her elbow.

After confirming she was standing firmly, he immediately let go, but maintained a distance where he could grab her again at any moment.

The Fat Friar greeted them cheerfully, "Good evening, young wizards and witches! Loitering in the corridors after curfew isn't a good habit, is it? But love always makes young people forget the time, haha!"

Sirius's face returned to its usual nonchalant expression, a stark contrast to his earlier sincerity, "We were just heading back."

The Fat Friar said with a smile, then floated towards the end of the corridor, "Ah, that's wonderful! A sense of responsibility! Good night to you both, children!"

Once the ghost disappeared around the corner, Sirius turned back to Lucretia, his expression returning to its previous seriousness.

"Are you alright?"

She nodded, tidying her robes with a hint of embarrassment, "I'm fine. Just a little startled."

Sirius briefly scanned their surroundings, "We'd better head back. This isn't a good place to talk. The Fat Friar is fine, but other ghosts might gossip."

Lucretia agreed, "Yes. But, about what Sophia said... what do you think she meant?"

Sirius silently processed the information.

This was unlikely to be a coincidence, and Madam Pomfrey had also said her roommate was in a special condition.

He tried to keep his tone neutral, "This... is indeed worth noting. Do you have any thoughts?"

Lucretia admitted, "I don't know, maybe it was just a metaphor? Or something I haven't noticed..."

The two walked quietly towards Ravenclaw Tower, each lost in their own thoughts.

Sirius glanced at her from the corner of his eye from time to time, seeming to want to say something but stopping himself.

This warning was much more serious than she knew, but he couldn't explain why, at least not yet.

The bronze eagle knocker was right in front of them, and the two stopped.

"Thank you for escorting me back, and thank you and Mr. Potter for helping me into the Hospital Wing."

Sirius replied, then added hesitantly, "You're welcome. If your friend... Sophia, has any more premonitions related to rats, you can tell me."

Lucretia nodded, "Thank you, Mr. Black. And for tonight's... everything."

He almost blurted it out, "Sirius. Just call me Sirius in private."

After saying it, he seemed a little surprised by his own forwardness, the tips of his ears turning slightly red.

Lucretia looked at him, the corners of her mouth curving upwards, "Okay, Sirius. Goodnight."

There was a new warmth in her voice, no longer the politeness towards Mr. Black, but an intimacy towards Sirius as a person.

He also used her name, "Goodnight, Lucretia."