            Hermione followed him inside, immediately feeling a smidge better as the warmth of the apartment enveloped her. She was surprised to see Sirius stopped at the top of the stairs, and quickly hurried up them. As she settled onto the landing, Hermione realized what had frozen the wizard in place. Lucius remained on the couch, asleep with his face buried into the back cushions, one arm hanging down. At first, Hermione thought Lucius’s lack of decorum, even in sleep, was what startled Sirius. But as she flicked on the overhead light, her eyes fell on the golden thread spanning the distance between Lucius and herself.