[center][b]1st of December, 1999 – Aldenberg Manor
Siobhan MacFusty[/b][/center]

The manor's library, grand and perfectly clean though it was, still [i]felt[/i] dusty. Just sitting at one of the long benches reminiscent of her school years made her nose itch, and the musty, leather-bound tome of 'Hogwarts: A History' turned every second breath into a wheeze. 

Or, it could've been a seasonal cold clogging up her sinuses and making her eyes water. Either way, it didn't lessen her dislike for every inch of Aldenberg Manor. Not all purebloods needed fancy furniture and decadent decorations to show their power, and Siobhan knew that first hand. The expensive, [i]extensive[/i] collection of literature was better than Clan MacFusty's had been, no doubt about that, but she would take her old ramshackle mansion any day.

The bookmark, a ribbon of the four House colours, had been placed on the page for Rowena Ravenclaw, presumably by Ronan – perhaps even before Dumbledore had died. Outlined in black ink (and she was sure Albert would throw a fit if he knew) was the founder's diadem and the note beside it read, '[i]Voldemort has this.[/i]'

Something about the Horcruxes, then. Her 'boss' – even though The Ashes operated under a disguise of equality – had informed everyone about them and yet equally kept them a huge secret until they were obtainable. If Siobhan were to guess, it was because of the ominous lack of information on the items, disheartening for the months of work the previous search team had put in before their untimely demise. She closed the book before she could think too much on it, leaving it out on the desk as she turned to walk towards the parlour with perfect timing.

A bell rang, but she didn't need it. Punctuality was key. If McGonagall had been around in her thoughts to hear that, the older witch would've torn her hat off in glee. Siobhan had [i]always[/i] been late to her classes, but when it came to meetings about survival, she tended to be a bit more serious. Wandering into the room with a jaunty wave at Ronan, she took a seat next to Kyle, caring very little if it was meant for someone else or not.

“Hey, you,” she greeted cheerfully, adjusting the wand tucked behind her ear.