The Last Gryffindor (Sirius Black)

Chapter V: Bored to Death

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My own business always bores me to death; I prefer other people's.
-OSCAR WILDE

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When the door to the hideously flamingo coloured townhouse pulled open, Aeliana could tell by the lady's face that it must have looked like she attempted to swim across the English Channel. The woman glanced around into the stormy night, seemingly reluctant to associate herself with Lia, until she pulled down her hood to reveal her face. The woman's demeanor changed almost immediately.

"Why, if it isn't Aeliana Gryffindor! Please, come in, come in!" She backed up to usher her inside, smiling an all-too-wide smile. The way it stretched across her entire face was slightly disconcerting, like a Cheshire Cat.

"Hello, Mrs. Smith," Lia greeted politely, using Sirius's wand to create a wave of warm air to wash over her drenched clothes, drying them out. "It's been too long."

Not nearly long enough, you old bat, she thought privately.

"Oh, I know, sweetie," Mrs. Smith simpered. "It's a pity what happened your parents, by the way. I really wanted to attend the funeral, dear, but my husband and I were on vacation at the time and couldn't take the time to Apparate back. You understand!"

She batted Lia's upper arm playfully, who couldn't help but stare at her, slightly incredulous.

"Right." Aeliana took a deep breath, bracing herself for all the bullshit she would have to spew."I get it, ma'am. It's fine. So many others went, we barely had enough room for all the chairs, honestly."

"I heard it was the event of the season!" she gushed, placing a jewel-covered hand over her heart.

Swallowing down her disgust, Lia decided to get to the point so she could get the hell out of there fast.

"Mrs. Smith, I actually came here for a reason... well... curiosity mainly. I don't mean to intrude, but seeing as you are one of the last known descendants of Helga Hufflepuff, I was wondering if you knew the whereabouts of her cup? The Hufflepuff Cup, I mean."

Immediately Mrs Smith's expression soured. "Oh yes. That. Well, I wish I could tell you otherwise, but," she hesitated, "it seems it's been... er... lost."

"Lost," Lia repeated, feeling a great sense of foreboding take hold. She pressed forward on the large chance that hopefully her growing theory was wrong. At that point, it was more a sneaking suspicion than a theory, anyway. "When, exactly, did you notice it had gone missing?"

"My cousin Hepzibah, the hoarder she was, lost it in the mess of her house. We tried to find it after that house elf killed her, but she didn't take good enough care of our things." Her voice took on an annoyed edge when she added, "She had no kids; the cup would have gone to me, you know?"

"Her house elf... killed her?" Lia asked, perplexed.

The Gryffindors had a multitude of house elves, before they were all killed in the siege that killed the rest of Aeliana's family, so she knew that it was definitely not commonplace to happen upon a homocidal house elf. Had she been forced to cook and clean for ungrateful wizards her whole life, Lia knew for certain she would turn to a life of murder in no time flat, but house elves had patience she could only dream of.