"It could have had some meaning," Sirius argues lightly. "He's without a bit of his fortune in this place; every coin is important."

Of course, Sirius is also without his fortune, a fact he's been forced to face more than once. He's only lucky that Kieren has let him starve to death a time or two.

"I suppose you need to bleed for this," he adds with obvious reservation as Kell retrieves a coin from the little purse. His frown deepens into a faint scowl as the ever-present dread in his belly twists sharper, that familiar sting of guilt pressing in. "And I haven't even got a wand to patch you up this time."