His Candor

The two of them walked along a narrow corridor.

The route was secluded, and one stretch had no torches at all, so dark that they could not see their hands in front of their faces.

Sirius occasionally raised his wand to light the way ahead, the faint glow of Lumos Maxima casting swaying halos over the stone walls.

Lucretia was quiet throughout the walk, her brows occasionally knitting together.

Her footsteps kept the same rhythm as Sirius's.

After a long silence, Sirius spoke. "Your friend doesn't look too well. Is she all right?"

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

Sirius smiled. "Not often, but James is good at distracting Madam Pomfrey. Last time, he pretended to have food poisoning. Put on an absolutely tragic performance."

The two fell silent again.

Only their footsteps and the faint sound of wandlight illuminating the stone walls filled the corridor.

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

"You seem to have something on your mind."

Lucretia shook her head. "Nothing. I was just thinking about homework."

Sirius did not press her, merely giving a quiet hum.

They climbed a staircase, then crossed another particularly dark corridor.

A few minutes later, Sirius suddenly said, "Actually, I understand what it feels like to take risks for friends."

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

Sirius continued, "James and I, and our friends. We do things for each other that are... not exactly within the rules. Especially when one of us needs help."

There was a trace of confusion in Lucretia's voice. "Why are you telling me this?"

Sirius considered it. "Maybe because seeing you risk yourself to bring medicine to your friend reminded me of us. Some things are worth taking risks for, aren't they?"

Lucretia looked at him. Mr. Black seemed different now from when he had trained in Godric's Hollow.

She spoke slowly. "Sometimes, friends see or learn things that make people worry."

Sirius nodded without interrupting her.

Lucretia paused and 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 them?"

Something stirred in Sirius's heart, but his expression remained unchanged. "That would depend on the warning."

They turned a corner and reached a broad window ledge.

Moonlight streamed through the stained glass onto the flagstone floor, bathing them in a silver-blue glow.

Sirius stopped and leaned against the ledge, looking out at the Black Lake and the outline of the Forbidden Forest in the distance.

The lake gleamed silver beneath the moon, while the night wind carried the scent of lake water through the gaps in the glass.

"You know, this time last year, we accomplished something very important for Lupin. It was the biggest secret among us, and none of us ever told anyone else."

Lucretia stopped as well, leaning against the other side of the ledge as moonlight outlined her profile.

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

Lucretia bit her lower lip, still hesitating over something.

His expression was not as careless as usual, and there was something strangely familiar about the look in his eyes.

Lucretia looked at him in silence for a long while. "Can I trust you? Just you?"

Sirius's voice was gentler than usual. "That sounds important. Why now?"

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

Sirius straightened, his expression becoming more serious.

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

After saying that, he turned to face her.

Then he did something Lucretia had never expected.

He crouched down.

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

Moonlight fell across his face from the side, making his gray eyes look as though light flowed within them.

"This choice has made my mother think I'm the shame of the family. I might lose everything. My inheritance, my surname, even... my family. But if you're willing to trust me, I swear this will remain between us, whatever it is. Not because I'm loyal to my friends, or even for some noble reason..."

Sirius's tone became resolute.

"It's because I understand the value of secrets, and the price of keeping them... I know what a secret can destroy once it's exposed. I won't let you go through that pain."

Lucretia froze.

She had never seen Mr. Black like this before.

There was none of his usual frivolous expression, none of his characteristic cynicism. Instead, there was...

Candor, sincerity, even a vulnerability she had never seen in him.

He simply looked up at her, his gray eyes so sincere in the moonlight that her heart began to race.

He gave her the choice entirely, waiting for her decision.

At that moment, something in the air changed.

Not the physical difference in height between her standing and him crouching, but... something else.

At last, she made her decision.

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

Instinctively, he turned to look down the corridor, making sure no one would pass by.

Noticing her caution, Sirius naturally rose to his feet and moved half a step closer, just enough to block the view behind her.

Other than that, he made no unnecessary movement.

Lucretia lowered her voice. "Sophia said shadows are drawing near. She also said to watch out for that rat. It isn't what it appears to be."

Sirius's heart gave a violent jump.

Peter.

His Animagus form was a rat.

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

He fought to control his expression as he repeated, his voice lower than usual, "A rat? She... was sure it was a rat?"

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

A silver, translucent figure suddenly passed through the wall to their left.

The Fat Friar ghost cheerfully hummed a medieval tune as he floated leisurely through the air in his apron.

Lucretia jumped, reflexively taking a step back.

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

Sirius instantly reached out and firmly caught her by the elbow.

The moment he made sure she was steady, he released her, though he remained close enough to catch her again at any time.

The Fat Friar greeted them cheerfully. "Good evening, young witches and wizards! Wandering the corridors after curfew is not a good habit, hmm? But love always makes the young forget the time, hahaha!"

Sirius's careless expression returned, completely unlike the candor he had shown moments before. "We were just heading back."

The Fat Friar beamed, then floated toward the end of the corridor. "Ah, very good! A sense of responsibility! Good night, children!"

Only after the ghost disappeared around the corner did Sirius turn back to Lucretia, his expression returning to its earlier seriousness.

"Are you all right?"

She nodded and adjusted her robes with slight embarrassment. "I'm fine. I was just startled."

Sirius briefly scanned the surroundings. "We'd better go back first. This isn't a good place to talk. The Fat Friar is kind, but other ghosts might be more loose-lipped."

Lucretia agreed. "Mm. But about what Sophia said... what do you think it means?"

Sirius silently processed the information.

This was unlikely to be a coincidence, and Madam Pomfrey had also said that her roommate's condition was unusual.

He kept his tone as neutral as possible. "It... is definitely worth paying attention to. Do you have any thoughts?"

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

The two walked quietly toward Ravenclaw Tower, each absorbed in their thoughts.

Sirius occasionally glanced at her, seeming to want to say something before stopping himself.

The warning was far more serious than she knew, but he could not explain why, at least not yet.

The bronze eagle knocker was before them, and they stopped.

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

Sirius replied, then added with some hesitation, "You're welcome. If your friend... Sophia, has any other impressions related to rats, you can tell me."

Lucretia nodded. "Thank you, Mr. Black. And for all your... help tonight."

The words nearly slipped out of him. "Sirius. You can call me Sirius when we're alone."

After saying it, he seemed slightly surprised by his own initiative, and the tips of his ears quietly reddened.

Lucretia looked at him, the corners of her lips curving upward. "All right, Sirius. Good night."

There was a new warmth in her voice, no longer the politeness she had shown Mr. Black, but a closeness toward Sirius himself.

He used her name as well. "Good night, Lucretia."