I hesitated to answer Alex when he pointed out how shady the situation sounded. I wasn't sure - should I tell him? I was the one who invited him to leave in the first place, and I was doing this mostly for his benefit, so I gave a resigned sigh.

"If you must know...yes. He really is that sketchy. He's...he was...all right, he has known Death Eater contacts, ok? He only meets with them other places, but he passes on information," I blurted out, a little too quickly, wiping my now-clammy palms on the bedspread. "I figured, since we're trying to find out information, and he's been around for a long time - since before the war - he might know something."

I only continued the conversation after taking out my wand and casting a silencing charm at the door. "Look, Alex. The guy passes on information to and from Death Eaters. He's obviously easily intimidated, I've never had a problem with him. I just take the extra precaution of using Polyjuice Potion along with my usual cloak. The LAST thing I want or need is Aurors either."

We sat there for a minute, I was unsure what to say. Then he pointed out something I had failed to miss hanging from the outside of my Potions box. I leaned over and looked at what it was.

My face turned redder than a tomato. "Oh my god...I am so sorry. I didn't see that it had snagged on the corner..." I snagged them up and shoved them in my bag all the way up to my elbow.

"Professor Snape would NOT be proud, and we both know it. He would dock house points for me failing to notice that there was a pair of undergarments there."

To his last question I shook my head diagonally. "Yes and no. I do want to steal random hairs, but not from someone in Diagon Alley. Decreases the risk," I pointed out. "I was thinking we could go tomorrow, if that's okay with you?"

"Do you have any more questions or concerns? You know, while the silencing charm is still active" I asked, gesturing toward the door. I then tapped my wand on the potions box, where it quickly unpacked itself across the table, various ingredients, my cauldron, and more than a few bottled potions scattered across the table.

Death eaters? Someone with a connection to Death Eaters? I must admit, the idea of dealing with someone who at very least helps support the Death Eaters and therefore, He Who Must Not Be Named, makes me slightly uncomfortable. Still, I want answers, and if I have to risk the Dark Lord himself to get them, so be it. To be honest, I'm not really that afraid of him. And I damn sure don't fear his Death Eaters. I am pretty confident I could take any of them one on one. It's when they gang up on you like a pack of rabid dogs that things start getting out of control. And it sounds like the man knows things. So, it's worth the risk.

After I point out the extra...trimmings to her vault, she turns red, stammering "Oh my god...I am so sorry. I didn't see that it had snagged on the corner..." I shake my head, chuckling. "No worries, it happens to the best of us." I respond, waving her embarrassment away. I laugh when she says how Snape would dock points. She was right, really. I could hear it now. "50 points from Ravenclaw. From both you AND Mr. White for failing to inform his "friend" that her undergarments are exposed."

At the thought I just burst out laughing, so hard I start to cry, doubling over and clutching my stomach. "Oh my God, greatest and worst mental image ever!" I exclaim, explaining what had crossed my mind as best as I could through teary laughter. "But then WE could simply remind him how amazing he looked in Neville's grandmothers dress! That would shut him up!" I'm laughing so hard now, that I can't stand up. Sniffing, and trying desperately to get ahold of myself, I attempt to hold my breath for a moment or two. It only sort of works, as tears of laughter stream down my face.

"Oi. So yeah, tomorrow is okay with me," I gasp, barely managing to contain myself. "And I don't have any other questions no. I'm sure whatever happens we can take care of it. Just like Neville took care of that Boggart. With Snape's help!!!" I burst out laughing again, slapping my knee. "A GREEN dress--and the hat, Bridget, the hat!!!" I start to lose myself again, seemingly slowly decending into a madness that I can't seem to get out of. I mean, the hat!

"Um, no. This does NOT happen to the best of us. But when you're unexpectedly sharing a room with a friend and they notice these things first, it's embarrassing," I said, shaking my head at myself.

Suddenly, Alex started laughing his head off. Only after a few moments, when he was doubled over, did he bother explaining what he was laughing about. It was hard to understand still, but the sight of him cracking up was enough to get a full grin from me and some amused chuckles. It took him a bit to calm down enough to talk, but he confirmed that tomorrow was all right.

"Great!" I said. "We'll leave The Leaky Cauldron in the morning and go to a shopping center in London tomorrow, best place to 'accidentally' bump into someone and get hairs for the Polyjuice. Then we'll go leave messages and by the day after we should be in business and get some answers," I was confident in the time frame. Usually people were pretty reliable about answering if they thought they'd get money for it.

Alex picked up just after I asked if he was curious about anything. "I don't have any other questions no. I'm sure whatever happens we can take care of it. Just like Neville took care of that Boggart. With Snape's help! A GREEN dress--and the hat, Bridget, the hat!" he started laughing again, slapping his knee.

This time, I couldn't help it but start laughing just as hard as he was. I remembered that class, so I could picture what was going on. My laugh was pretty high pitched, a long series of laughs followed up by gasping, and repeated. Almost like a horse's whinnying.

I wasn't sure why, but remembering the look of the mink around Snape's neck was funnier than I had originally thought. I couldn't stop laughing, eventually getting hiccups, only adding to the hilarity of the situation. I ended up curled up on my side, clutching my stomach as I laughed. God knows what Alex thought of it.

After I mention Snape, I see Bridget start laughing too. At least I wasn't the only one who found the image absolutely hilarious. However, her high pitched laugh only seems to make it even funnier to me. As she curls up, clutching her stomach before setting off into hiccups, I approach, placing a hand on her shoulder. "Hey, you okay?" I ask, chuckling. "I um. It wasn't my intent to literally kill you with laughter. I'd hate to have to explain to the headmaster exactly what happened to you, ya know." I smile, but then it suddenly occurs to me that here we are, close quarters and all, with me touching her shoulder. I quickly retract the hand, and turn away, face reddening.

"Well. Um. I suppose maybe we should get ready for bed. Um. Yeah." Blushing more, I make my way to my bed and sit down. I'm not entirely sure what to do. I've never actually shared a room with a female before. At least, not one that wasn't a sister. Oh how they would be laughing at me right now, especially Elsaria. Especially given certain feelings I'm starting to get every time I look at Bridget. It's unsettling to me. That said, it's not exactly unwanted, just...unexpected and unsettling. I gently prod my bag, feelings all muddled up in my head. You need to get ahold of yourself, mate, I think to myself. You're startin' to lose your nut, ya know?

I was just starting to calm down when I felt a hand on my shoulder. It was Alex.

"Hey, you okay? I um. It wasn't my intent to literally kill you with laughter. I'd hate to have to explain to the headmaster exactly what happened to you, ya know," he said, giving a chuckle. I took a deep breath and sat up as he removed his hand.

"I'm all right," I said. "That was just...amusing. I don't know why I laughed for so long, but god did it feel good!" A smile lingered on my face, replaced by an anxious/embarrassed expression at his next remark.

"Well. Um. I suppose maybe we should get ready for bed. Um. Yeah." His expression was nearly as embarrassed as mine was. I didn't think either of us had shared a room with anyone other than family or dormitory mates, at least not of the opposite sex.

I maneuvered the table back to it's position with my wand, not saying anything for a minute. Then, semi-grudgingly, I stood up.

"Yeah, you're right. We should," I said, picking up my bag. "I'll um. I'll go first," I headed into the lavatory and shut the door behind me. I ran a bath, filling it up faster out of impatience using 'Aguamentai,' and heating it in the same manner. I tried to linger in there, but I was running out of time. Reluctantly stepping out, I dried myself using magic, then dug out my pajamas, putting them on.

Opening the door, I walked to my bed, avoiding Alex's gaze like he was the Plague himself. I was wearing very short shorts and a low cut tank top that left very little to the imagination. Setting my bag on the end table, I crawled between the magically-clean sheets, pulling them back over myself.

"Good night, Alex," I said, too embarrassed to look over.


The next morning, the routine was much the same, I avoided Alex while getting ready. I only spoke to him when we went out of the Leaky Cauldron.

"So, how does breakfast sound? There's this really cute cheap cafe I know of, just down the Avenue from the shopping center. They have chocolate chip scones," I said, grinning at the chance to eat some again. Over the times I'd been there, the scones were easily a weakness of mine.

"Oh, and we're taking a cab this time. This is not negotiable. That bus was the worst thing in the world.

As Bridget heads to the bathroom I change into my muggle night clothes. A pair of boxers and a very long, sleeveless T-shirt that shows off something I got not too long ago--a tattoo. It was a photo-realistic image of a Pheonix, wreathed in flame as it dove from the sky, the full moon as a backdrop, the silhouette of a forest below. It took up half of my right arm, and up until now, nobody had ever seen it. Even if she doesn't notice it tonight, she *will* see it in the morning and it makes me a little nervous. Tattoos were a muggle thing, for the most part, after all.

And then Bridget comes out of the bathroom. I notice she is avoiding making eye contact, and though I can see why, I also have to say, if she is self conscious she has nothing to worry about. She looks absolutely stunning in her tank-top and shorts, and my own face reddens, because part of me thinks she might somehow be able to know that I'm seeing her in a slightly different light than usual.

"Good night, Alex," I hear her voice from across the room. "Goodnight, Bridget," I return, her image in my head as I fall asleep.

*********************************************

The next morning I try to hide the fact that I find her so attractive by setting my attention to getting ready to go out, dressing in a pair of blue jeans and another T-Shirt, this one with short sleeves so half my tattoo is visible. Again feeling very self conscious about it simply because it's not a very wizard thing to have, I nod at her suggestion of breakfast. Muggle cafe's are actually pretty decent places to eat...well, some of the time anyway. "Yeah that sounds fine." I say. Then add "and if you insist we can forego the Knight Bus, however...you DO get used to it. Eventually you can fall asleep to the crazy lurches and sways as you avoid a fiery gruesome death by mere inches, I promise." I smile, biting my lip to stop from laughing as I gaze into those flat gorgeous eyes of hers.

Alex had the gall to say, "If you insist we can forego the Knight Bus, however...you DO get used to it. Eventually you can fall asleep to the crazy lurches and sways as you avoid a fiery gruesome death by mere inches, I promise." He actually looked tempted to laugh at the notion. That irritated me slightly.

"Yeah, ha ha, very funny," I muttered under my breath, stepping to the curb to look for a taxicab. There was one just turning a corner and heading our direction. Lucky, that. I hailed it, making sure the driver noticed me. I got in last, making Alex have to slide to the far side on the left, behind the empty front passenger seat, while I was stuck behind the slightly tired-looking driver.

"Where are you headed?" the gruff voice said, looking at Alex over his left shoulder. The jerk clearly assumed that he was making the decisions.

I cleared my throat. "WE are headed to Cardinal Place on Victoria Street, near the station," I said, returning the cabby's hard stare when I spoke. He didn't say anything to me for a moment.

"Sure. It'll be £17," he said. "Payment up front."

Briefly taken aback, I knew it wasn't that much but was in no mood for this driver's attitude. I reached in my very ordinary looking Muggle purse (obviously, it was extended as well) and pulled out a wallet. I counted out £17 precisely, slowly and deliberately setting the money on the left passenger seat in front instead of in his hand. Only after glaring at me some more did he pick up the money and count it before beginning to drive.

I looked over at Alex and gave him a half-smile. "Sexist jerk," I muttered quietly, motioning my head toward the front seat. "Anyway, the place we're going is largely made out of glass, lots of windows. Lots of ways for people to witness me 'accidentally' bumping into them, if you -" I cut myself off. I had just been about to say 'if you know what I mean," but I noticed something on Alex's right arm.

"What's this?" I asked, gesturing to it. Tentatively, I reached over and pushed up his sleeve to take a look at it. It was a tattoo, very artfully rendered on his arm of a phoenix.

"Oh wow, this is beautiful. What's the symbolism?" I said, catching his eye, my fingers still on his arm. The tenuous link made my fingers burn, in a way.

I try not to laugh as Bridget mutters under her breath. Waiting for her to hail the cab, I take a look at the bustling city of London, people of all sorts going on about their lives. Not one of them knowing about the secret world hidden within their own. So many muggles absolutely clueless about the war with You Know Who. Completely unaware that dragons and giants and centaurs and house elves inhabited their world. Oblivious to the fact that vampires, werewolves, and boggarts lurked in the darkness. It always makes me feel a little odd, when I start thinking how I could just as easily have been a muggle, clueless to the nature of the world. I'm glad I'm not. Sometimes I wonder if the Ministry of Magic shouldn't just let people know the true nature of their own world. They all live in it, after all.

I slide into the cab that Bridget hails, sitting at the left as she slips in next to me. I arch an eyebrow as the cab driver seems to completely ignore her, but before I can say anything, Bridget makes her point. I manage to hold back a snort of laughter as she places the money on the empty seat instead of giving it to him.

"sexist jerk," I hear her mutter. I nod in agreement. I'm startled as suddenly Bridget asks "what's this" and proceeds to lift what little sleeve there is on my arm. I gaze down at my shoulder, then catch her eye.

"It's. Well. It means that, though part of me died with my family, I am reborn a new person. Through the ashes of my loss, I rise anew, a light in my own personal darkness. The forest represents the afterlife. I'm heading towards it, but until I actually reach it, I'm watching, keeping the memories of my loved ones in my heart." I answer. I close my eyes, and I can see them. And I feel the hatred building into my heart. But I also feel some comfort at Bridget's fingers on my arm. It helps quell the figurative flames within, and part of me wonders if I'm going to burn to hot that there are no ashes left to rise from.