Virgo et Vernula

Chapter 4: The Leaky Cauldron

L O R D Snape made the official announcement to his staff of Roselyn's oncoming arrival a couple of weeks later. The few people who didn't already know let out loud groans as they all filed back into the kitchen after the announcement. Despite the fact that they were already working so hard, the manor would have to be made as neat as a new pin because the princess was coming, and anything less than spotless would not do. To worsen the situation, Severus hadn't taken an interest in any one of the maidens – not a single one! The flow of beautiful young women didn't seem likely to stop any time soon.

James Potter appeared to be the only one who wasn't upset about the princess' approaching arrival. "Come on people," he said encouragingly to them all. "It won't be that bad! At least all the other maidens will be gone by the time she's here."

Sirius told him to shut up. Lily privately agreed.

"He's so stupid," she found herself muttering to Kitty as the two girls returned to the Entrance Hall, where they'd been scrubbing the ground. As she dropped back down to her knees, Lily grabbed a sponge and scrubbed furiously at the marbled floor. "It's going to be awful—I don't know what he's talking about."

"I know," Kitty agreed darkly, plunging the soapy dishrag into the bucket of water. "I almost wish I was leaving before the princess got here. She's going to be a bloody nightmare."

Lily felt a slight twinge of satisfaction at Kitty's words. As petty as it was, she didn't want to be the only one who resented Princess Roselyn. Well... perhaps, resentment was too strong a word. After all, she'd never actually met the princess and it wasn't right to judge her without knowing her first. With that thought, Lily pushed down her negativity and tried to find some positives in their upcoming guest's stay … she found none.

When they were finished with their job, they carried the rags and buckets to the kitchen. As they poured the filthy water down the sinks, the door swung open to reveal the dark form of Sirius Black, alone, and in his day clothes. Seeing him without James or Remus was always a strange sight, like seeing a dog with a missing leg. He looked around the deserted kitchen once and grinned as he caught sight of the two girls peering at him curiously.

"It's okay to stare," he teased as he reached them and plopped onto the countertop beside the sink. "I am blindingly handsome, I get it."

Lily rolled her eyes. She could never tell if Sirius was joking, or if he really was that arrogant. She'd guessed it fell somewhere in the middle.

"Oh bugger off Sirius," Kitty scowled. "We were having a perfectly lovely conversation before you came along."

"Aw, don't be like that," he said sincerely. "If it makes you feel any better, I'm sure it was a fascinating conversation and I'm sorry for interrupting."

The two girls had just about finished and were drying off their hands when they paused to look at Sirius suspiciously. Sirius never apologized. Ever.

"What do you want, Black?" Kitty asked warily. "If it's to exchange duty times again, let me just let you know right now that the answer is no."

"Oh no," the dark haired boy leaned forward, mischief sparkling in his eyes, "it's not about what I want, it's about what you want."

Lily raised an eyebrow. "Cut the riddles Sirius, what is this actually about?"

He grinned and leaned back against the wall, folding his arms. "You ruin all my fun, Lily."

"We'll just leave you to it then," she rolled her eyes. "Come on, Kitty."

They didn't get very far before Sirius bounced off the countertop and planted himself firmly in front of them.

"Come out with me," he said before they could tell him off. "Just a few drinks, my treat."

Lily stared at him then glanced pointedly around the dark kitchen. "Tonight? Are you mad? We don't even have permission to leave -"

"Who's going to find out?" he shrugged. "Go on Lily. Live a little."

She exchanged glances with Kitty. It wasn't exactly a bad idea. He was right; she'd been out after curfew plenty of times and had never gotten caught once. There was just something off about the way Sirius was standing with his arms in his pockets, waiting for them to give him an answer...

"Where's James?" Lily asked suddenly. "Or Remus for that matter? Why are you going alone?"

She expected him to look at her guiltily and mumble something about them having a fight - for what other reason would Sirius be going out without them - but he only clapped her on her back and said cheerfully, "I'm not going alone, am I? I'm going with you both! The lads are too tired tonight, so scurry along and go grab your coats. It's a bit chilly."

He pushed them both gently towards the door. "It feels great always being your first choice," Kitty said, amused.

"You should be honored," he bowed.

Twenty minutes later, all three were nearing a quaint, little, timber-framed pub with blue shingles scattered on the roof. Lily pulled her long coat tighter as the relentless wind tugged on her clothes and coppery hair. Fall was fast approaching this year and she felt a pang at the thought of an end to hot summer days and twittering birds.

Kitty shivered beside Lily and they both rolled their eyes. They hadn't even been out of the manor for ten minutes and the night was already looking bleak. So much for Sirius' great ideas. Lily glanced at him and rolled her eyes again, for it seemed that he had developed immunity to cold weather. He hadn't even brought a coat for goodness sake! His hands were stuffed in his pockets and his cheeks were a bit flushed, but otherwise he showed no signs of being disturbed by the weather. He caught Lily looking at him and shot her a grin as they approached the little building.

A wooden sign being pushed by the wind swung back in forth in front of the pub. Lily didn't need to glance at it to know what it read - The Leaky Cauldron. It was one of the most popular pubs in Diagon, being one of the only pubs that actually offered accommodations for their customers. Lights were blazing through windows, even though it was eleven at night, and shadows flickered behind them, making the pub look lively. Eager to retreat into warmth, the trio hurried into the pub.

The Leaky Cauldron did not disappoint. It was warm inside – so warm that Lily felt it was safe to pull off her woolly hat as soon as they shut the door behind them. Running her hands through her hair, she inspected the lantern-lit room.

It looked the same as it did every time she walked in. It was a small, rectangular room, with dark wooden walls and small windows that had its grilles criss-crossed over the glass. Strange ornaments like pots and figurines sat on the shelves that clung to the walls, giving the pub a strangely cluttered look. It wasn't the cleanest place in Diagon, but Lily was at least sure she would not catch any diseases.

The strangest people come here at night, she thought, slightly amused. It was true. Even now, the many occupants of the pub included a tall hooded man (or was that a woman?), a large group of dirty, heavily muscled men that were almost definitely pirates, a man with a hook for a hand, and a woman so short Lily was sure she could have qualified for a midget. The familiar man behind the counter, Tom, waved over at them, grinning toothily and they waved back at him cheerfully.

"Aren't you glad you came along?" Sirius smirked, as they slid into an empty booth behind the large men.

"I have to admit," Lily said, peeling off her coat, "it's nice leaving the manor for a little bit."

"And as soon as we get those free drinks you promised us, it'll be like I never regretted coming in the first place," Kitty added genially, sidling up beside Lily.

He grinned at them from the opposite side of the booth and peered out the dusty window beside them. Dark clouds were rolling across the sky, blocking out the hundreds of stars that dotted it. Even as they watched, a flash of lightening struck the sky, illuminating the little cottages that lined the cobblestoned street. A storm was coming. Lily shivered involuntarily; she had never liked thunderstorms. They always made her feel small and powerless.

"Can I get you anything?"

All three heads swiveled around to see a short, blonde waitress holding a little notepad ready in her hands. She gave them a small smile and waggled the pen in her fingers. "Haven't got all day, darlings."

"Three Butterbeers please." Sirius smiled charmingly at her. Lily snorted as the waitress blushed faintly and walked away, scribbling furiously on her notepad. She wasn't surprised; it wasn't uncommon for girls to swoon or giggle when Sirius was around. Even James for that matter. James, however, possessed an air of modesty that made him mildly surprised every time a girl found him attractive – his total obliviousness just made Lily want to smack him sometimes – while Sirius knew he was attractive and he never hesitated to use it to his advantage.

Although, Lily thought as she inspected the dark haired boy, it wasn't hard to see why. Sirius had especially enchanting eyes, grey and stormy like the sky on a rainy day. His hair was soft and long, sprawled elegantly on his clear forehead. He was tall - he towered over Lily- and not scrawny like James, but a little muscular. In fact, he was more handsome than most of the knights on the King's court, and his winning smile and ever-present confidence only added to his appeal.

"Are you staring at me, Lily?" Sirius teased and Lily snapped out of her reverie. "Potentially problematic but it's flattering. Do keep on."

"Potentially problematic?" she asked. "What's that supposed to mean?" Lily looked to her right to exchange glances with Kitty but the blonde was stifling giggles into her napkin.

Sirius had that mischievous glint in his eyes again. He leaned forward and drummed his fingers on the wooden table. "Tell me Lily," he said. "Do you think my best mate, James, is a good looking lad?"

Against her own volition, Lily felt blood rush up to her cheeks. She opened her mouth, but was saved by the waitress returning with three steaming mugs of Butterbeer. It was a good thing, really, because she had no idea what she would have said anyway.

"What?" Sirius asked innocently, wrapping his hands around the mug. Lily glared at him. There was no way he didn't catch her flushed cheeks. "He's your best mate, isn't he? He's my best mate too and I have no qualms admitting that he's not exactly hard to look at. Wouldn't you agree?"

"I suppose," she shrugged, hoping to appear nonchalant. It didn't work. Sirius was full on smirking at her as if he knew something she didn't, which was probably true.

"You suppose," Sirius repeated, looking amused.

Lily snapped, "Oh shut up, Sirius. You're so bloody annoying sometimes. And you," she said, turning to a giggling Kitty, "are the worst mate on the planet. Seriously, you're supposed to help me out in these kinds of situations. Let me guess, you went ahead and told him, didn't you?"

"Told him what, dearest Lily flower?" Kitty said, trying and failing to stifle her laughter.

"Yes, told me what?" Sirius interjected, grinning.

Lily sighed and leaned back into the chair, rubbing her temples.

"I strongly dislike you two."

She picked up her mug and took a slow sip. The frothy liquid ran down her throat, sending warmth all through her body. Butterbeer really was the most amazing drink in the world, she thought. It tasted like melted caramel, or perhaps it was toffee, she couldn't be sure. It was a pity that she didn't get to drink it much. They were about a sixpence a pint, which was close to how much she made a week. She loved the drink, but she had more important things to spend her money on. Considering that, it was nice for Sirius to take them out tonight. Strange… but nice.

"You should tell him, you know."

Lily averted her eyes from the hanging lantern she'd been staring at and glanced at Sirius. He'd dropped his drained mug and was wiping his upper lip with the back of his hand. She raised an eyebrow at him.

"Tell who what?"

He opened his mouth to reply, but Kitty cut him off before he could speak.

"Oh come off it, Lily," she sighed, "you know perfectly well he's talking about James. You should tell him how you feel."

Lily's initial impulse was to roll her eyes and protest against their accusations, or maybe a sarcastic comment would throw them off track. But then she felt something inside her deflate, as though someone had punctured a balloon in her stomach. Her shoulders slumped and she sighed.

"I don't know what I feel," she admitted.

Kitty's eyes were sparkling. It was the first time Lily hadn't stomped on any talk of her and James. Squealing happily, Kitty grabbed her in a fierce hug.

"Oh Lily, don't you see?" she pulled back and squeezed Lily's cheeks merrily."You like him! You need to go back up to the manor right now and tell him exactly how you feel and then -"

"Wait, wait hang on a minute," Lily said indignantly, brushing off Kitty's hands from her face. "First off, Kitty, two words. Personal space. I've told you over and over again, this is my bubble," she mimed a large circle around her, "and you're not allowed to enter. Second, I'm not going to tell him!"

Kitty blanched. "What?

"I said I'm not going to tell him."

Kitty's long ponytail swung wildly as she turned to exchange disbelieving glances with Sirius. Lily sighed again and folded her arms. There was no way Kitty would understand. Kitty was - and had always been - an act first, think later sort of person. She believed in following your heart and not your brain – quite unlike Lily who thought that the brain was more likely to lead you out of trouble.

"Why not?" Sirius cried. "You know, because of you I now owe Remus two shillings -"

"Because of me?"

"It's not important," he said impatiently. "My point is that you need to hitch up your skirt and tell James how you feel. He's leaving the manor next summer, you know, so it's critical that you grab the bull by the horns, take a leap of faith, throw caution to the wind, whichever persuasive idioms you may want to use, and just do it!"

Lily glared at him and said, "Oh you think so? You tell me, Sirius, since you're so determined to play matchmaker. Has James ever told you that he has feelings for me?"

He hesitated, which pretty much answered Lily's question. She continued on, her voice a little cold.

"Has he ever hinted at wanting to be with me?"

Sirius' eyes flickered. "Lily, it doesn't -"

"Matter? You don't think it matters" she asked mildly. "Well I think it does. Look, both of you," she glanced pointedly at Kitty as well, "I love having James as a friend. Really. And I don't want to ruin that anytime soon by making him uncomfortable. So right now, I'm content with our relationship. And besides, are you forgetting the 'no followers' rule?"

Kitty rolled her eyes. "Come on Lily, no one listens to that. Loads of people have had secret relationships in the manor and gotten away with it. Remember Jack and Adelaide? They dated for two whole years before Jack proposed and then they quit, got married and lived happily ever after. No big deal." She shrugged slightly and took a small sip of her drink.

"Yeah, I do remember them actually." The redhead crossed her arms. "I also remember Aileen and Simon. They got caught. They got dismissed. And quite frankly, I can't risk this job at the moment. So, any relationships I'm pursuing will just have to wait."

Kitty groaned and flopped back in the chair, looking disappointed. Sirius rolled his eyes, and then glanced down at his empty cup. He stood up, swirling the remaining contents around in it. "I just hope you'll be saying that when some other girl comes along. Listen, I'll be right back, I'm going to get another drink."

Lily watched as he walked towards the counter with an uncomfortable feeling in her stomach. Some other girl? Another girl? For the second time in two weeks, the image of James getting married to a faceless stranger flashed briefly across her mind, and Lily had to shake her head slightly to get it out. James wasn't pursuing a relationship, let alone a marriage. He'd told her so last year, when she'd teasingly asked him when he was going to get a girlfriend. Of course, back then the answer had only spiked her curiosity. She hadn't liked James back then. It wasn't until… hell, she didn't know when or how she'd started liking him. It'd sort of snuck up on her. Back then, James' not wanting a relationship hadn't evoked any emotion from her. Now, however, it made her want to sing. He wasn't looking for a relationship, so she had plenty of time to get her act together…

She was so wrapped up in her own thoughts that she didn't notice Kitty tugging on her sleeve anxiously.

"Lily," Kitty whispered. "Look."

Lily glanced in the direction Kitty had nodded at and frowned. Near the counter, in the darker side of the room, Sirius had stopped by the booth of mean-looking pirates. Normally, Lily wouldn't have been as alarmed, but the way the men were laughing and the slight tenseness of Sirius's shoulders seemed enough cause for concern.

"Should we go up there?" Kitty asked, a slight crease appearing on her forehead.

"I don't know," Lily muttered, narrowing her eyes at the men. They had stopped laughing and Sirius was pulling an empty barrel towards him to sit on. He leaned forward and said something unintelligible to the men. Then he quickly glanced round, and pulled out a couple of coins from his pockets.

"Right," Lily stood up, brushing her hair from her face. "When he starts bribing pirates, someone needs to step in. Come on Kitty."

Without waiting to see if Kitty was following, she began walking towards Sirius. She wondered briefly if she actually had any business going up there, and whether or not it was even safe. James often talked about how Sirius got himself into stupid situations because he was so rash and impulsive. And this could very well be one of those situations… maybe she should just turn back…

Too late now, she thought as she reached the table.

"Sirius, what's going on?" She'd intended for the question to come out strong and firm, but cringed as it came out uncertain.

All heads swiveled around to her. Lily performed a quick head count. There were nine of them – nine more than Lily would've liked. The telltale smell of rum and ale was almost overpowering this close to them. They were scruffy big men with long, unkempt hair (though a few looked like they'd tried to cut it with rough knives) and cunning faces. Each wore brown – at least she hoped they were brown – puffy shirts under rough waistcoats and breeches. Some wore caps, some wore coats, and Lily was certain she caught a glimpse of a sword peeking out from under a sash.

If their appearance didn't convince her of their pirate-hood, their reactions to her arrival certainly did.

They let out loud drunken cheers and raised their glasses, leering at Lily with their filthy teeth. She wanted to shrink away from them, but she stood her ground and turned to Sirius.

"Sirius I don't think you should be here."

They were laughing again. The man at the head of the table - a lean, muscled man with jet-black hair and the most cunning face of them all - was bellowing the loudest. He looked at Sirius, who hadn't even acknowledged Lily's words, and wiped a fake tear from his eyes.

"Look 'ere, me hearties!" he bellowed to his companions. "The lad has got a lass with 'im! A pretty one n' nonetheless, what ho!"

"What the bloody hell is going on here?" Lily felt Kitty sidle up beside her and the men let out another loud cheer.

This is getting ridiculous, Lily though exasperatedly. She tugged on Sirius' sleeve impatiently, but he only brushed her off.

"Lily, Katerina, leave," he said harshly.

"Awh, don't be a bad spor' mate," the black-haired man said merrily, as Lily blinked rapidly. "You want your information, let the lasses stay. 'The more, the merrier' is what I always say, isn't it, lads? 'Specially when the lasses be as pretty as this." He shot them a wink, and Lily felt her mouth curl in disgust. Pirates were known for their boorishness, but she had never really spoken to one before. The experience was not turning out to be a pleasant one.

She glanced at Sirius again. He was glaring at her, his mouth set in a straight line. He clearly did not want them there. Well, he's just going to have to deal with that, she thought grimly. She was not going to leave him there to get himself into another stupid situation… plus, she wanted to know this information he was looking for. She grabbed the second barrel sitting by the wall, pulled it towards the table and plopped down onto it, glaring right back. Sirius scowled at her, but he soon turned his head back to the table.

Kitty stood awkwardly by Lily; there were no more barrels or stools for her to sit on. The man closest to the edge of the booth grinned at her, revealing missing teeth. "Why don't ya squeeze in over here with me, poppet?"

If the situation wasn't so tense, Lily would've laughed at her friend's discomfort. Kitty stood there, disgust plain on her face. She seemed to think it over, however, and with a grimace she sat down gingerly at the edge as the men squeezed themselves further down the booth.

"Aye, now that we're all comfortable," the man said, grinning, "a bit of introductions is due, I reckon. The name's Horatio Slughorn, Captain o' the Mayflower ship, n' captain to these scalawags."The sounds of his crew's drunken protests filled the air, but Horatio waved them off. "And what'll be your names?"

"I hardly think our names would be necessary," Sirius replied, his voice hard. "Especially when you won't even give us your name. Your real name. Horatio Slughorn, my bloody arse, how stupid do I look?"

A hush fell over the table. The pirates were no longer grinning nastily at Sirius, but were exchanging glances among themselves. Lily's unease grew as the smile fell off Horatio's face. She fervently hoped Sirius wouldn't provoke them, for she had heard pirates could get really nasty.

Her hopes were quickly dashed when he leaned over the table, his eyes narrowed.

"You're pirates," Sirius said, "and however much I may look like your typical pretty boy, I know what you do and how you work. Why would you tell me your real name? You're on the run. The King has put a price your weight in gold on your head. You're wanted men, lads." He leaned over the table and jerked his thumb backward in the direction of the counter. "Tom over there won't turn you in. He doesn't want trouble. But be assured, I won't hesitate for one second to inform the King of your arrival. So you tell me what I need to know, and leave your games out of this, and we can both go our separate ways."

Lily's breath caught, and Kitty was looking at Sirius in horror. A heavy silence had fallen over the table. Was Sirius really threatening a pirate? Lily looked at Horatio - or whatever his name was - half expecting him to whip out his sword and decapitate Sirius, but was surprised to find him smiling.

"You've got spirit boy," he said, amusement evident in his voice. "But spirit often borders on the edge of foolishness." Thunder boomed outside, and Lily could see lightning flash from the nearby window. "Look around you, there's nine of us… and only one of you… unless you'll be wanting to count the lasses. Don't think you should be making any threats now, should you?"

Sirius said nothing. Horatio smiled satisfactorily.

"Exactly. Now, we'll answer the questions you have, but I ain't making no guarantees or oaths."

A muscle in Sirius' jaw twitched, but when he spoke his voice was calm. "I heard you talking about that family… the Blacks. What do you know about them?"

Lily glanced at Sirius, alarmed. The Blacks? His family? There was silence as Horatio's brow furrowed. He looked at Sirius for a moment before a wide grin broke his face. "Now here I was thinkin' you wanted to know something about gold, or treasure, or booty. The Blacks? Why, that's common knowledge lad! You don't need to go makin' threats to find out who they are."

"I've heard of them," he said quickly. "I just… I just don't know exactly who they are."

Sirius' voice faltered. Lily had a sneaking suspicion that Horatio knew he was lying; all the same, he leaned back comfortably and began. "Aye. The Noble House of Black," his mouth curled with disgust, and he spat on the ground beside him. Sirius flinched. "Noble me arse. Bunch o' filthy, no-good, low-down manatee-buggerin' swines, in my opinion. One of the richest families of Diagon, mate, and you don't want to be getting involved with them."

"Why not?" Sirius asked.

"They say the Black family is the best thin' to happen to the Kingdom. Like this with the Royal Family," he crossed his fingers and raised it slowly. "They used to be only a wealthy, influential family, but they've somehow risen up in rank and appointed themselves protectors of this land. They take what they call the scum of the earth and throw them into the dungeons of their castle… thieves, robbers, murderers… even pirates. They claim their first priority is the safety of the kin'dom, but we know better, aye we do." Angry murmurs broke across the table. "They're crazy for power, the Blacks. Some even say their ultimate plan is to take the throne from the Cates. Ambitious… cunning… and setting forth to seek the admiration of the people too blind to see them for what they really arr."

Lily exchanged glances with Kitty. She wasn't quite sure how to take the information in. Perhaps they were a different family of Blacks. After all, the name wasn't too uncommon… but even as she thought it, Lily knew it wasn't true.

"Well, it seems to me," Sirius said coldly, "that all they're doing is putting wrongdoers in their rightful place – a concept I'm sure is completely foreign to you pirates, but nonetheless –"

"You don't know what you're talking about, son," Horatio said, shaking his head. "You may think us nothin' but filthy sea dogs, but we hear thin's that would make all your hair stand on end. I'll tell you a story – no, ol' Gibbs will tell ya. He likes to tell the story, don't you Gibby?"

A portly man with fair hair and watery blue eyes jumped up in his seat and nodded fervently. "Aye, that I do, Cap'n, that I do. I'll tell ye the story. And a mighty fine story it is too. I won' be wasting any time in tellin' it, and I do hope I do it justice-"

"Do carry on, Gibbs," Horatio sighed.

"Of course, Cap'n. See it 'appened a few years back. 'Twas a year of many storms and hurricanes, I remember it well. The Mayflower had some rough beatin's that year. There was a young lad, about twelve years o' age I reckon, whose father had run off t' be a pirate. Not surprisin'. Many men often cave t' the calling of the sea. Anyway, so this young lad's mother fell ill, so he set off on a journey t' find his father, who apparently had made a bit o' a name for 'imself as a pirate, an' was on the run – aren't we all? He sailed on a li'le wooden boat, and jumped ship t' ship, trying t' find this old buccaneer… an' eventually jumped the wrong ship… the Toujours Pur, which, o' course, belongs t' the Blacks.

Naturally, they assumed he was one o' us, locked him up in Ombra – where they live – and tortured 'im fer days, on the grounds tha' they were lookin' fer the whereabouts o' his other dangerous pirate acquaintances. But we all know they really just have a thin' against us. Eventually they 'anged the poor boy… and even now his body sways back and forth behind the grounds o' the Black Castle, the noose still tied around his neck." His voice dropped to a whisper. "They say tha' he still haunts the seas, searchin' and wailin' for his father… and on nights when th' moon is big and bright, some even say they catch glimpses of his boat, floating gently and steadily along th' sea."

Nausea rolled around Lily's stomach, threatening to release the Butterbeer she'd just drunk. How could anyone be so terrible? Could Sirius, funny, cheerful, good Sirius, possibly be related to people like that? She looked at him hard, as if trying to see something sinister about him that she hadn't noticed before, but all she saw was a very pale, dark-haired boy.

"Damn to the depths whatever man what thought of the hang," one of the men spat angrily, and the others let out noises of agreement.

"Me heart goes out to the mam," another murmured. "It ain't easy to lose a son, trust me on tha'."

Horatio snorted, "Aye. But I wouldn't hesitate to run the Blacks' son through with me sword. Just to teach his parents a lesson."

Sirius let out hacking noises, as though he'd choked on his spit. "Their – their son?"

"Oh yes," Horatio said, "they have a son. Didn't you know? In fact they have two, but the first was sent off to somewhere far, far away. Reckon they didn't want him anymore. After they sent the first one away, they decided to have another child but found they couldn't. The wife was too old to go into any sort of labor. Beats me why they wouldn't just bring the first son back. Instead, they adopted a young boy from an orphanage and it was probably one o' the only decent things they've ever done with their miserable lives. His birth name be Regulus, but he goes by another name now. They use him to do their dirty work; he heads all the attacks and arrests. In fact, he's here in Diagon I heard, staying at the castle. No doubt up to another one of their slimy tricks to take control of Parvahal."

He looked around the pub – which was slowly emptying – and dropped his voice to a whisper. "You don't want to fall into their trap, mate. Many have… all their men-at arms, their servants, their admirers, even the King himself, but he's an old fool anyway. They'll draw you in with their pretty faces, and their fancy words… but for fifteen years I've travelled the Seven Seas, and in that time, I've met enough liars, thieves, cheats, and people who want to eat me to know scoundrels when I see them."

It was silent as Horatio took a long swig of his drink. Lily felt nothing but overwhelming pity for Sirius, who was staring blankly at the window. It had started to rain heavily, but she paid no attention. His own parents had forgotten about him… they'd gotten another son to replace him, not even bothering to look for him…

"No use brooding over such topics," Horatio said suddenly, his cheerful voice strange in comparison to the dark, mysterious one he'd just been using. "I say we forgot about damn politics, and have a good time, eh? Drink up me hearties, yo ho!" he raised his bottle of rum and Lily realized with a start that he was slurring his words.

"I think it's time we left," Kitty said firmly. Glancing at the man beside her suspiciously, she pulled her purse closer to her body and rose from her seat. "Really."

She grabbed Sirius by the arm and he rose without a word. Lily stood too, smoothing down her skirt.

"Thank you," she said awkwardly, as Kitty and Sirius walked away. "Thank you for the… story."

"Anytime, love," Horatio winked.

She walked away hurriedly, trying to put as much distance between her and their roving eyes… only to walk right into Sirius. He'd stopped in his tracks, although Kitty was tugging on his sleeve.

"The name," he called back to the table. "You said the son goes by a different name now. What is it?"

Horatio raised his eyebrows at him. "He goes by Sergay now, I believe."

Sirius gave him a stiff nod, and began walking out of the pub, leaving Lily and Kitty behind. They looked at each other for a moment before hurrying after him, the drunken songs of the pirates behind them ringing in their ears.

We pillage, we plunder, we rifle and loot.

Drink up me 'earties, Yo Ho!

Yo Ho, Yo Ho! A pirate's life for me.

A/N: It's a little short, isn't it? First off I'd just like to mention that I'm an idiot and I realized some things needed to be changed in the previous chapters for all this to work... so I changed a few things. They're little things, but I just thought you should know.

Second wow, thanks to you lovely reviewers! They make my life I'm not even kidding. I just wanted to answer a few reviews so:

xXjaziXx: Hi wow thank you so much! You're so nice! Here's your chapter! xD And about the Sloan issue, I just can't bring myself to change it, it fits so well, and it's a common enough name so it's not plagiarism. Sorry about that! But it's alright, he doesn't show up a lot in the story =P

Jannice Sace: Hellloo again! Hmm... maybe James doesn't know he likes Lily yet =P And I think I cleared Lily's denial in this chapter lol. As for the other questions, you'll just have to wait and seeeeee! Thanks for reviewing!

Jenna: Hahaha omg you're so sweet x

Thanks to Pointless Nostalgic, the best beta to walk the planet. Thanks to everyone else for the lovely reviews! I'd love more *cough cough review or I'll kill everyone off in the next chapter cough cough*

Next Chapter: The Arrival