The Siren's Call (A Draco Malfoy Fanfiction)

60. Pestering Padfoot

Dioleh dragged her trunk behind her as she and Hermione came into Grimmauld Place for the first time. Looking around, Dioleh said, "It has a very Victorian Gothic vibe."

"Well, it has been around since then," Sirius said, climbing down the stairs.

"Hey Sirius," Dioleh said brightly. "How're you?"

"Quite bored," he replied. Dioleh chuckled, but she could tell he was being quite serious. HA. Anyway, Dioleh and Imani followed behind him as he led the two girls to the large room they would be sharing with Ginny. The Weasleys had already been there for a week, but they still didn't seem well settled in. As Dioleh was setting down her stuff, Sirius said, "Dioleh, Dumbledore wanted me to show you something. Come with me."

He went down the stairs again and Dioleh followed him all the way to the basement kitchen. Heading into the pantry, he explained, "Once Dumbledore found out about this place, he decided to make life a little easier for you while you're here." He opened a door at the far end and led her down a flight of stairs. At the bottom, she found a large pool of saltwater.

"Nice," she said, looking it over. "Thanks."

"No problem," Sirius replied. "Any excuse to change this place as much as possible." Dioleh chuckled, reaching into the water to feel it. It was about the temperature Dioleh remembered the water being during the summer back with her home tribe. "Is it warm?"

"It's perfect," she said, smiling. "Reminds me of home."

"I also wanted to talk to you, Dioleh," Sirius said. "Dumbledore told me what happened to you." She swallowed looking away from him. "Are you okay?" Dioleh shrugged, suddenly much more interested in the water than in looking at Sirius as she sat down with her feet dangling in the water. They fused together, leaving her with fins and part of a tail. "Dioleh?"

"I'm fine, Sirius," she said, more snappishly than she meant.

"Well clearly not if that's your reaction," he countered, sitting down next to her at the edge of the pool and looking at her. Dioleh was staring out over the water, but her eyes were glazed over as if she wasn't really seeing it. "Have you talked to anyone about it?" She shook her head, her eyes still fixed on the same spot. "Have you tried?"

"No," she said quietly, still not looking at him.

After a long pause, Sirius said, "During the first war against Voldemort, I was a part of the Order, just like now, but I got captured once." Dioleh's eyes instantly revolved to focus on him, but her expression remained the same. "Voldemort never got to me, but they tortured me for information." Dioleh didn't say anything, studying his expression. "I told everyone I was fine, but I just didn't want to talk about it with anyone. I didn't want to relive it. But eventually, I had to talk about it. James, Harry's dad, was always there for me to talk to."

"What's there to talk about?" Dioleh said irritably. "I was locked in a dark, cold box for a month."

"Well clearly it's bothering you," Sirius said, glancing at her. Dioleh began fiddling with her ring, twisting it around her finger over and over again in the silence. Deciding he wasn't getting anywhere with this topic, he said, "Dumbledore wants you brought into the Order."

Looking up in surprise, she asked, "Why?"

"He thinks your abilities can help us," Sirius explained.

"Oh," she said, losing interest. "I thought I had to be of age."

"Yes, but he wants to make an exception. He's protected this place from any kind of tracing of your magic so you can train and learn you use your abilities," he explained.

"I see," she replied quietly.

"But he is worried about you," Sirius said. "And frankly, so are Hermione and me and everyone else that knows what happened." Dioleh rolled her eyes.

"Yeah, well, you all need to just stop worrying about me," Dioleh snapped, getting to her feet. "I'm perfectly fine." She left the basement, running up the stairs to her new room.

⥖✦✧⦽✧✦⥗

Dioleh spent the next week skillfully avoiding Sirius as much as she could. Instead, she spent most of her time in the water either sleeping or using her powers. She had discovered, so far, that she seemed to be able to see through the eyes of a person so long as she was holding something of theirs and had her eyes closed, like with Imani's bracelet, however, that was the only change she had found thus far. Dioleh was not, however, an idiot. She knew what someone like Voldemort could do with information like that. For that reason, she told Dumbledore as soon as she saw him.

It was during one of her many swims that she emerged to find someone sitting in a chair at the edge, the water reflecting in her lined face. Dioleh started, shocked to see Professor McGonagall. "Hello," she said, swimming up to the edge. Dumbledore had asked just days before if she would be alright with other Order members knowing, but she had not expected it so soon.

"So it's true then?" McGonagall said, her eyes fixed on the long tail behind her.

"I suppose so," Dioleh replied. "Sorry for the shock."

"Oh, not at all," she replied, although she did seem caught off guard. "I've just never seen a siren in person."

"I see," Dioleh replied, pulling herself out of the water as she changed back. Wringing out her hair, she said, "Did he tell you about the others?"

"No," she replied. "He mentioned that they exist, but said he would not tell for fear of offending them as he has not asked their permission. Very sensible, I suppose, all things considering. All the same..."

Sitting down in another chair, Dioleh asked, "Why are you really here, Professor? I take it it wasn't just to see a spectacle."

"No," she admitted. "I wanted to ask you, are you all right?" Her smile fell. She should have seen it coming, she supposed, but that didn't mean she wanted to hear it any more than if she had been.

"Sirius asked you to talk to me, didn't he?" Dioleh sighed in annoyance. "He can't keep his nose out of anything."

"Well, at least he has one," McGonagall said. Dioleh looked at her in shock.

"Did you just make a joke?" Dioleh gasped. McGonagall's lips were pressed into a thin line to repress her smile.