Fauna was curled up in her bed in the dormitory, writing a letter back home. It had been ages since she'd talked to her mum about school and what was going on her life, so she thought she'd send her a copy of the Daily Prophet article about the Valentine's Day dance, and also get some much needed sympathy about her breakup with Devlin yesterday. Her eyes were red and puffy, and she let out a sniffle every once in a while, but she'd survived Monday's round of classes and felt relieved to be holed up in her room and not have to talk to anyone.

Of course, at that moment someone knocked on the door. "Fauna?" A young voice called.

Sighing, she got out of bed and opened the door a crack to find one of the first-years peering at her. "What?" She mumbled.

"There's a head in the fireplace? It sounds important. He says his name's Knox Greyfur. He looks like a caveman-"

"What?" Fauna repeated with some alarm in her voice, slipping through and hurrying towards the stairs.

"Knox Grey-"

"No, I know, but... why?" Fauna finger-combed her hair, glad she was already wrapped in her big, comfy robe.

The first-year shrugged. "I dunno."

Fauna gave her a sigh instead of a thank you, went down to the common room, and halted in front of the fireplace, where indeed Knox Greyfriar's head floated in the flames.

"Um... hi," She greeted him. "Something wrong?"

They hadn't spoken since the failed Christmas dinner, and she felt sure that if he'd just wanted to catch up, he would have owled her.

It was difficult to get the full read of a face when it appeared to be made of flame and cinders, so Knox couldn't be sure if his obvious worry and panic would be painted so clearly on his countenance.  But worried he certainly was, desperately so.  He'd lost Devlin.  And any parent of a troublesome teenager would be upset, and knowing Devlin's current predeliction to crime and passionate misadventures, there was even more reason to worry.  But the major concern was that Devlin being missing wasn't merely disobedience, it was illegal! Devlin's getting to stay at home was on the conditions of a house arrest! Greyfriar's supervision was considered legal custody and not being there could be enough reason for Devlin to face serious prison time - just for not being at home.

Knox had to find Devlin before he was gone for too long.  Before he'd have to report him missing.  He was on the Wizengamot now and despite all his anti-establishment tendencies, what was best for Devlin was playing by the book.  But before Knox cracked the book, he had to try and father the boy some and get him home.

"Fauna, I'm so sorry," his fiery face said, sparks flying off his beard and eyebrows, his breath disturbing the licking flames.

"Devlin's not at home."  Fauna Blake was Devlin's girlfriend and so she must be aware of all the weight that statement carried.  Fauna had stuck with him through everything so far and if ever Devlin would sneak off, it must be to see Fauna, right?

"Please tell me you know where he is? I won't get upset - I just need to get him back here."

Fauna's stomach sank and her already pale face turned ghostly. She paused for a few seconds as she processed this news. Devlin wasn't home. Greyfriar needed to find him. Devlin needed to be home, she understood, because he wasn't allowed to leave for long periods of time.

Shite! Guilt and worry settled heavily on her shoulders. If he had done something foolish because of their breakup, if he'd made things worse for himself, Fauna didn't know how to handle that. Tears threatened to spring up almost immediately.

"I don't know," her voice wavered. Fauna wasn't sure if he could see her face, or see it very well, but she remained standing a few feet away from the fireplace, fidgeting with the sleeves of her robe.

She glanced around the empty common room before telling him more. "I saw him yesterday. Did he tell you? In Hogsmeade. We..."

Fauna swallowed and her voice got even quieter. "We kinda had a fight and... broke up."

"Yesterday!"  Knox was immediately angry and ashamed - he'd assumed he'd lost Devlin in the night, sneaking out while he slept.  But apparently his son's constant locked-in-the-room-no-dinner-thanks for the last few days was actually him being... gone.  Gone to Hogsmeade to see Fauna.  Knox felt foolish; how many other times had Devlin snuck out?  Knox had tried to trust him, rapping on the door each night to make sure he was there, rapping again in the mornings.  But he hadn't tried to put a Trace on him, or enchant the house... and now this. 

He could see Fauna through the bright orange and red light of the fire, as if she was on the other side of a furnace burning without heat.  She looked sheepish, on the verge of tears.

And they'd broken up?  Knox would never tell Fauna that he was hoping that news would come sooner or later, but he also knew that Fauna was one of the only reasons Devlin had to be happy about anything.  If they'd broken up, Devlin would be devastated... could do something irrational.   So if he wasn't with Fauna, then where was he?

"When did you see him?" Knox asked quickly, a little frantically.  He didn't want to scare Fauna, and he didn't want her to read his worry as the potential that he would punish them.  He needed her to tell him as much as possible.

"Please, Fauna - I just want him safe.  I need to find him before I'm obligated to get Aurors involved.  Anything you could tell me.  Did he say he was coming home after? Did he say where he was going to go? Is he staying in Hogsmeade?  Please, Fauna, anything you can tell me...?"

Fauna stiffened, imagining disappointment in Greyfriar's voice and in the way the flames made a caricature out of his facial expression. Then came the quick questions, the pleading with her to know something.

"Noon. I met him around noon," She ran a hand through her hair, taking a few deep breaths to fight back the panic. Fauna stepped closer to the fire as she racked her memory for any useful information. Devlin hadn't told her where he was going or mentioned home at all. They'd just flung words at each other, broken up, and she'd left.

"I told him that I couldn't deal with being lied to. I told him I couldn't date someone that I couldn't trust," Fauna mumbled, thinking out loud. She hadn't told Devlin those exact words, but it had been the gist of it, the reason why she'd dumped him. A horrible suspicion was forming in her head.

Devlin had either simply run away from Knox, from her, from everything, or he'd taken action. If it was the latter...

"Maybe... what if he went to see Jack Spade," Fauna looked at Knox, horrified.

Knox immediately felt for Fauna as she started to tense up; he could hear the crack in her voice as she worked to get out the information he was asking of her.  But she didn't know anymore than he did, really, and he could tell how much that upset her.

"No, no, Fauna - it's fine.  We'll sort this..." he interjected, trying to keep her cool.  He didn't want to upset her further, cause her more worry and heartache.  Certainly didn't want her to feel his temporary insanity was her fault. 

But then she mentioned Jack Spade and the fire around his face flared up as if someone had thrown on some dry tinder.  His orangey-red scowl deepened and sparks flew from his nose as he exhaled sharply.  Spade!  Knox had learned that the mysterious character who's name had been whispered in Hogwarts halls had been Devlin the whole time.  That when he was arrested at St. Mungo's that he had been there as Jack Spade, who was Theodora Kingstreet's lackey.  If he was seeing Jack Spade, then he was in far more trouble than Knox had imagined.  He was up to something.

Very abruptly the conversation was over.  "Thank you, Fauna.  I need to go now.  Owl me straight away if you hear from him."

And with that, he pulled his head out of the fire and his visage disappeared from Gryffindor commonroom.

"Wait!" Fauna stepped close enough to the fire to feel the heat and hear the crackling in her ears. But Greyfriar's face had vanished. Only the flames danced back at her.

She couldn't seem to quite catch her breath, her throat felt thick, and her hands shook. Fresh tears gathered in her eyes as she stared down, still hoping he'd heard her and would appear in the fireplace again.

After a few seconds, she gave up, and began pacing the common room, running over the conversation in her mind. The second she'd mentioned Spade, it was like the devil himself had been called forth, causing the flames to leap higher and Greyfriar's face to twist in anger. This was bad. If her suspicions were correct, Devlin was in deep.

She paused by the Hufflepuff portrait, wand already in her hand, ready to march out of the common room, out of the castle, and towards... somewhere, clad only in her pajamas and fluffy bathrobe. Fauna shook her head at her thoughts and marched instead to the couch, where she sat and put her head in her hands.

There was nothing Fauna could do. She had no idea where Devlin could be. Greyfriar had left. If she sneaked out again, and got caught or made things worse, the Headmistress would surely suspend or expel her.

Her head popped up. She could tell Raynor. Raynor would know what to do, obviously. But Greyfriar seemed to know more than Fauna did. If she told Raynor too soon, Devlin could get into serious trouble for leaving. Some part of Fauna was still trying to protect Devlin from his own secrets and rash actions.

All she could do right now was wait. Wait for news, wait and hope Greyfriar found him, hope that Devlin was okay. Fauna curled up on the couch, rested her chin in one hand, and stared at the fire, waiting.

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