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.