I'm so excited right now that we've already reached the third part of Danny Potter's life. I want to thank all the people who reviewed, faved and alerted 'Parallel Lives' and 'Our Resistance' and I hope all of you will love this one as much. Certainly don't forget to tell me what you think of it and what your hopes and expectations are for the future of this story.

Chapter 1

Two more weeks.

In exactly 14 days I will be returning to Hogwarts for another year filled with misfortune and injuries, of that I am sure. I have no desire at all to return. All that I want won't be there. I want peace and quiet and ever since the wizarding world proclaimed Harry as their saviour, the Chosen One, there was none of that in any place wizards and witches would venture. I wanted a normal school year but after all the ones I've had so far I know I will not be getting that either. And I want Cedric and he won't be there this year. He graduated last year and will be starting his healer training in September when I'll be back at the castle, buried in homework.

To be honest, that scares me. The school of Witchcraft and Wizardry never managed to steal my heart the way it did Harry's. To me it was just another school. The only thing good about the years spend at the castle was that Cedric had been there. Even though at the beginning I had cussed him out every time he dared to cross paths with me, he had been a constant through the two years I was on an emotional rollercoaster in Hogwarts. To not have him there as the rock that I lean on, makes me even more reluctant to go to the place where I am sure I will disappear since I am not the Chosen One, merely the side-kick.

"What are you thinking of?" A gentle hand finds its way into my unruly head of curls.

"I was thinking that I don't have to go to Hogwarts this year. Who needs an education anyway?" I sigh into Cedric's embrace.

Ever since we did the whole awkward boyfriend meet the parents thing, he's been spending a lot of time at my place. I have to admit I don't think my dad is too pleased with the fact that I have a boyfriend altogether but at least this way he is comforted by the knowledge that we can't do anything unnoticed with him watching us like a hawk whenever he can. It's not like we'd actually do anything in this house, not with so many people around. If my dad isn't paying attention to us, it's my uncle Remus who has been spending a lot of time here as well this summer. And then there's Harry who doesn't seem pleased with Cedric's constant presence either. But it's not like he has a lot of time to act uncomfortable around the two of us. He's too busy moping around. I can't blame him for that though.

The only person who is absolutely thrilled with having Cedric here – besides myself of course – is my mother. I think my first official boyfriend who I introduced to my parents is making her a little bit nostalgic. The first evening he came over she kept going on and on about her first boyfriend and hearing my mom gush about some guy she used to go out with wasn't exactly doing much good for my dad's mood.

But the alternative is Cedric's house and even though we get a lot more privacy there, I'm always terrified to run into his mother. For some reason unknown to me, she has decided to hate my guts. At first I thought it was all just in my head because I was just so nervous to meet Cedric's parents but after his dad warmed up to me and I to him, I realised there must be another reason for the hostile glares she keeps giving me. Mom says it's probably just because women are very sceptic of the girls their sons decide to date but if that's true, Mrs Diggory gives a whole new meaning to mother hen. It also made me feel sorry for Harry for the day he decides to bring a girl home though I know and hope that won't be any time soon. Things had gone pretty bad between him and Cho last year and after what happened at the end of it, Harry didn't bother to try and make amends with her. Case closed and relationship over, I guess.

Plus he's got the darkest wizard of all times to defeat so I don't think he'll have a lot of time to spend with the opposite sex.

"You don't think you have to return to Hogwarts?"

Even though I was clearly not too serious about my preposition, he seems to find the whole idea ridiculous. It was just a suggestion, one that would have me killed by my parents if I ever said it out loud to them.

"I know I have to." I roll my eyes. "I just don't want to."

He presses a kiss to the side of my face.

"I don't want you to go either."

"Problem solved," I smile up at him. "I simply won't go."

"That's hardly a solution," he grins back at me.

"It works for me," I shrug.

I'm not that girl. I would never describe myself as a person who would give up certain opportunities or obligations because I prefer to waste my time away with one specific person. I say waste because that's basically what I did this summer; While I should have been figuring out what Newts I want to go for this year and the next and Cedric should have been preparing for his Healer training, we just spend our summer lazing around. It was wonderful.

I didn't spend all my time with him, of course. I went to France for two weeks as well, to visit Charlotte and Noa. I liked being there again, this time without all the drama. It almost felt as if Noa and I had been on speaking terms the entire year, that's how easily we picked up things again. But even though I was happy to spend time with my two friends I had sort of neglected lately, I was so relieved to be back in England, to be back with Cedric. It makes me worry what months apart will do to us if I could barely cope two weeks.

"When do you leave for the Weasleys?" he changes the subject that we both haven't wanted to discuss all summer.

"Tomorrow," I groan.

As Cedric has already pointed out, me and Harry are heading over to The Burrow tomorrow afternoon. It has become somewhat of a tradition for my brother to spend the last days of the summer at his best friend's house. Normally I would refuse to tag along like I have every previous summer but I wanted to meet the second oldest son. Ever since the idea of becoming a magizoologist had been planted in my mind, I've been meaning to speak to Charlie Weasley about his job as a dragonologist. My parents support me in the possible idea of studying magical creatures in the future, though they have made it very clear they hope I'll choose something much safer than a fire-breathing reptile. They're probably rooting for flobberwurms.

"But I'll still see you before you leave for Hogwarts, right?"

"You think I'd leave for several months without saying goodbye to you?" I huff.

"Just making sure," he smiles. "Though it's not like we won't see each other at all during those months. I'll come to Hogsmeade for every trip."

"That is so not the same thing," I sigh.

"It's the best I've got."

"I know." I kiss him.

It was nowhere near enough. I wanted this, to be able to spend time with him whenever I wanted or whenever I needed to. And believe me when I say I have needed his presence a lot this summer. He didn't walk on eggshells around me the way my friends had been doing. Even Noa had treated me as an emotional bomb just waiting to burst the first few days we spend together. Neither is he wallowing in his own pain the way my family has been doing. We are healing, slowly but certainly. It is just going to need some time and when I'm with Cedric, I feel as if time is not an issue. As if we have seas of it and we can spend it any way we want to, not how we have to.

"I should go." He eventually tries to get up.

"What?! No you don't!" I cling on to him a little tighter.

Okay, so maybe I am becoming that girl. I want to say it's not that healthy but it's kind of an improvement compared to where I come from.

"Yes, I do." He gently pries my hand from his shirt. "It's getting kind of late and I have to drop by St Mungo's tomorrow morning for some papers."

"You could spend the night here," I suggest.

He throws me a sceptic look.

"I don't think your dad would be too happy about that and though your mother has been very open-minded, don't think she'd allow that."

"They don't have a problem with that," I bluff.

He cocks an eyebrow at me.

"Fine, maybe it's not the best idea," I pout.

"I am leaving now. Though I really wish I could take you up on that offer," he smirks.

He and I are not all sweet moments and occasional kisses. I mean, we have crossed that boundary about the second we left school. It was my first time ever having sex and to my surprise it was his as well. I could tell he was a bit embarrassed about that so I was kind enough not to tease him over it. Plus if I had teased him about it, he might not have wanted to sleep with me again. And I have become, after about three times, completely hooked on it, on him, on his body. I never thought I could feel so… intimately close to a person and like it. And I really do. I no longer mind to have Cedric see me entirely for who I am. Body and soul. Because no matter what parts I reveal of myself, he's clearly not going anywhere.

Though I still whined a little longer, Cedric did leave and on my mother's insistence I started packing my bags for the Weasley sleep-over. She had claimed that Harry had been packed and ready to leave for days now while I had done squad. She was obviously lying though because while passing Harry's room on my way to mine, I noticed his trunk was still completely empty and all his things were just scattered around the room.

"Aha!" I stick my head in the room and give him an accusing glare. "I knew there was no way you were already packed."

Harry doesn't even give me a sympathy smile. He just shrugs his shoulders and keeps staring out the window from his seat on the bed.

I hesitate for a moment because I've been trying to avoid this. I've been distracting myself all summer from my own pain but also from his. So far I've been really successful at it. I haven't really been ignoring my brother but I haven't paid him as much attention as I usually do. I'm not really too keen anymore on my role as Harry's therapist. He should really go see a professional one anyway. I'm sure that could do wonders for the boy.

Despite my inner objections, I still enter the room and sit down next to him on the bed.

"So your new hobby is bird watching?" I joke.

He doesn't show me any sign that he's listening and I can't think of something else to say either.

"You don't have to come with me," he suddenly says.

"I want to."

"No, you don't. Every time I asked you to join me the past years, you said you'd rather eat mud than be a guest at Ron's house."

"I didn't say it like that," I scoff. "And I do want to go this time, I'd like to talk to Charlie who will be there about his work. And you should know better than anyone that I never do anything I don't want to do."

"Would you still be going if I wasn't going?" He throws me a questioning look.

"Of course not. It would have been rude to invite myself."

"Danny…" He sighs.

"I really do want to talk to Charlie Weasley," I say slowly. "But I'm also going to make sure you're okay."

"What danger could I possibly be in at The Burrow?"

I shrug but the truth is I wasn't worried about his physical well-being. Harry's mind is very confused and confusing at the moment. He's been having the same nightmares over and over this summer and I'm sure they have found their way into his awake state as well to torture him some more. To be honest, I wasn't sure that the images I saw in my dreams were his nightmares at first. When it started with Sirius dying and occasionally Harry's fight against Voldemort in the graveyard over a year ago, I figured they might as well be my own nightmares. But then it changed from the sort of vision he had all throughout our fourth year and how Dumbledore explained to him what his destiny was and that convinced me I was indeed once again looking inside Harry's mind. I should find it worrisome that the older we get, the more that happens but on the other hand it makes it a lot easier for me to understand what is going on in the boy's head.

"I should pack," he changes the subject.

"Yes, you should," I nod and get up from the bed. "I should probably do the same."

Though I am in no way thrilled to be going to the Burrow, I am looking forward to seeing certain members of the Weasley family. My fifth year had been very eventful and complicated, but I think I have managed to develop a friendship with Fred and George in between because in many ways the three of us are similar. We're all parts of a twin, we like pranking and pestering Ron Weasley is our favourite thing to do.

My parents had a conversation with Charlie Weasley yesterday and they agreed with him that it would be okay for him to take me to the reservation in Romania. Though I'm certain they only consented with it in hopes that seeing all the dragons for real would discourage my idea for a future career as dragonologist, I can't help but be excited with such a prospect.

Twenty twirls in the fire place later and I step out into the Weasley's living room. They're almost all present. Fred and George wink at me once I look in their direction and Ginny gives me a small smile from where she's standing next to her youngest brother when suddenly I am being engulfed in Mrs Weasley's bear hug. I get that the woman is a hugger – it doesn't take many brain cells to figure that out – but I thought she'd realise that I'm not.

"Harry, dear!" The woman let go of me and it was my brother's turn to be suffocated.

I had never been at The Burrow before but had been able to draw an image for it by the way it was described to me by Harry. I had pictured it quite like this but not exactly. It was so obviously lived in, to the point of chaotic which only increased by the amount of people in the room. I don't really think you can have an OCD clean house with seven children so this all made sense. What didn't was the almost gloomy feeling I got in this house. Harry had once called it the perfect house to grow up in and that it was so homey, it made our house pale in comparison to it. I guess I can't blame the somewhat depressed mood I picked up in here on the Weasley's, but rather on the war.

The war that my parents had been desperately trying to hide from me and Harry the entire summer. They did a pretty good job at it, hadn't it been for the two of us snooping around through the paper bin. Though they had no idea about it, we were both very much aware of all the people who had become a victim of the mad man Death Eaters worship. And we also knew that the new Minister of Magic, Rufus Scrimgeour, was trying everything to calm the people down and was so far rather unsuccessful. People had taken to questioning even loved ones before opening the door to them, something that was made obviously clear to me every time someone rang our doorbell.

According to our father no Death Eater can ever find our house because of ancient magic that protects Harry. But if they were so certain we were being protected by it, why were they all so paranoid whenever someone knocked on our door?

"Come on, Danny," Mrs Weasley ushers my upstairs after dinner. "You and Harry will be staying in Fred and George's room."

"What about them?" I glance at the twins.

"Oh, they've been sleeping in the little flat over their joke shop as they're so busy," she says.

Both boys had been excitedly telling me about the joke shop they've opened in Diagon Alley over dinner. I know it had always been their aspiration but I was rather surprised to find out that they had realised their big dream over the summer. Mrs Weasley was of course not too pleased with it but after she found out the amount of money they've been making of it, she came around. What I don't understand, however, is where they got the money to even rent a store in Diagon Alley. Those places cost a fortune and I don't think the war has made their prices implode that much.

Me and Harry wished everyone goodnight before going up the stairs where our trunks had already found a place of their own. Fred and George's room was on the second floor and even though someone had clearly being trying to spread a flowery scent in the room, there was still a smell lingering that reminds me an awful lot of the empty classroom in the dungeons where the twins and Lee worked on the Skiving Snackboxes.

After Mrs Weasley lit a candle in the room and closed the door behind us, I was very much aware that this was one of the rare moments during the summer that I was completely alone with my brother. And it made me awkward, as I had been around him the entire summer so far. For the first time in my whole life I had no idea what to say to him that might make that frown stop etching itself permanently into his forehead. That's not entirely true, I guess. I did know the magic words to do that. But I don't think telling Harry that Voldemort was dead for good this time and he didn't have to fight him after all would do any good if it wasn't the truth.

I slipped into my nightwear while Harry did the same. I whispered a final goodnight to him before throwing the blankets over me and snuggling into the bed.

I couldn't sleep. Harry couldn't sleep. It was pretty much a repeat of every summer night. Except at our place nothing creaked above our heads and no hushed voices came from the attic.

Somewhere between the moment I counted the wholes in the wooden floor and going over my mental list of things I was dying to ask Charlie, I woke up to loud voices seemingly screaming in my ear. When I reluctantly opened on eye and saw it was actually Granger and Weasley sitting on Harry's bed and having a non-silent conversation with him, I groaned and dug myself deeper in the warm cocoon I had created for myself out of the bed spread.

"Morning, Danny." Granger's voice greets me.

I grumble something back and turn around once more. Why can't I find the comfortable spot anymore I had been lying in for the past hours?

"How was your summer?"

Realising there is no way they'll allow me to go back to sleep, I push the blanket off me, ignoring the strays of my own black hair covering essential parts of my vision and huff out an 'okay'.

As if the room isn't crowded enough by now, the only female member of the Weasley heritage bursts in the room, looking as irritated as I am feeling.

"What's up with you?" her brother asks.

"It' her," Ginny says, throwing herself on my bed since Harry's was already full.

Don't mind me, it's not like I'm sleeping here!

"She's driving me mad. Oh, Hi Harry. Hi Danny."

"What's she done now?"

"It's the way she talks to me – you'd think I was about three."

"I know," Granger nods as if she completely understands the girl's frustrations. "She's so full of herself."

"Can't you two lay of her for two seconds?" Weasley angrily interrupts.

"Oh, that's right. Defend her!" Ginny snaps. "We all know you can't get enough of her."

Maybe it could be blamed on the fact that I am barely awake, but this conversation makes absolutely no sense to me. Who are they talking about?

But my unspoken question is answered when the door flies open suddenly to reveal a beautiful young woman standing in the doorway who clearly does not belong in a place called 'The Burrow'. Her beautiful blond hair is painfully obviously easier to tame then mine but I can easily forgive her for that if the tray of breakfast in her hands is meant for me.

"Arry, eet 'as been too long!" She floats – yes, floats – in the room and approaches Harry with the tray.

Does that mean it's not for me?

But as soon as Fleur Delacour enters the room, Mrs Weasley follows behind her and puts a second plate down on my nights stand. Though she clearly can't manage doing that without giving Fleur the stink eye. I didn't even know Mrs Weasley could glare.

"I 'ave been longing to see you." Fleur swoops down to grace both of Harry's cheeks with a kiss which I think is kind of inappropriate but by the blush on his face I don't think he minds very much. "You remember my seester, Gabrielle? She never stops talking about 'Arry Potter. She will be delighted to see you again."

"Oh, is she here too?" Harry has managed to relocate his vocal cords.

"No, no, silly boy," Fleur laughs a laugh that sounds more like a musical tune than something that is produced by the human throat. "I mean next summer, when we – but do you not know?"

Her eyes widen and she sends an almost accusing look in Mrs Weasley's direction who explains that she had not yet had the opportunity to tell him. Tell him what?

"Bill and I are going to be married!"

Even though I am slightly more aware now – how could I not be after all the commotion going on in the room – since I have shoved a piece of toast down my throat, I still do not understand what the strange glances between Mrs Weasley, Ginny and Granger mean.

"Congratulations, Fleur," I smile at her before rinsing my throat with pumpkin juice.

"Bill is very busy at ze moment," She beams at me and Harry. "working very 'ard, and I only work part-time at Gringotts for my Eenglish, so he brought me 'ere for a few days to get to know 'is family properly. I was so pleased to 'ear you would be coming – zere isn't much to do 'ere, unless you like cooking and chickens! Well, enjoy your breakfast."

Once Fleur leaves the room in her typical gracious way, the rest of the women left in it start explaining just how truly they resent Bill's choice of a future wife. I really don't pay much attention to them since I still have a full plate of breakfast but at least now the strange glances were making more sense. I only pay attention again once Tonks' name is brought up in the conversation.

"Mom keeps trying to get Tonks round for dinner. I think she's hoping Bill will fall for Tonks instead. I hope he does, I'd much rather have her in the family."

What?! No, that can't happen! That would be awful though it does explain something that I've been wondering about all summer.

I had seen the way Remus had looked Tonks that day in the hospital and if I should believe my mother, his feelings for Tonks were returned. But for some reason the woman hadn't come by our house once the entire summer and since that's where Remus has been the past months, I can only assume those two haven't spoken much this summer. And maybe Bill is the reason Tonks hasn't been answering my uncle's feelings.

"Yeah, that'll work," Weasley says sarcastically. "Listen, no bloke in his right mind's going to fancy Tonks when Fleur's around. I mean, Tonks is OK-looking when she isn't doing stupid things to her hair and her nose, but-"

"She's a damn sight nicer," Ginny cuts in.

"And she's more intelligent, she's an auror!" Granger agrees.

"Fleur's not stupid, she was smart enough to enter the Triwizard contest."

I have to agree with Harry there. They didn't have to like Fleur, mostly because she makes every other girl in this room feel extremely inferior, but you couldn't pretend she was retarded. Fleur had a brain almost as impressive as her rack. Though I'm glad I didn't say that out loud given the glares the girls were sending Harry for merely mentioning Fleur wasn't stupid.

"Not you as well!" Granger says bitterly.

"I suppose you like the way she says 'Arry', do you?" Ginny says scornfully.

"No, I was just saying-"

"I'd much rather have Tonks in the family. At least she's a laugh."

No, I want Tonks in my family. Just imagine how cute she and Remus would be together. It would also explain why he hadn't dated anyone since Hogwarts. His soul mate just hadn't been born yet.

"She hasn't been much of a laugh lately," Weasley says. "Every time I've seen her she's looked more like Moaning Myrtle."

"That's not fair," Granger snaps. "She still hasn't got over what happened…You know… I mean he was her cousin!"

It's like she's dropped a bomb on top of my head and it exploded my brains out against the pale yellow walls. She didn't say his name though we all knew who she was talking about. After all of us avoiding the topic as though it was the plague all summer, it feels almost disrespectful to have them discuss him so… easily. But they didn't know him. Sure, they looked pretty upset during the funeral as well but once they went home, he wasn't constantly on their minds. He was constantly on my mind though and I felt myself almost getting angry at her for bringing him up in a conversation that was supposed to be light.

By the way Harry suddenly digs his fork into his plate as if trying to drill all the way to Australia, I'd say he's not too comfortable with the subject they've broached either.

"Okay," I throw the blankets off me which effectively makes Ginny fall on the floor. "I'm going to start taking my clothes off now to get changed and I suggest you leave the room for that."

The four of them look at me as if I speak another language. Well, most of the time I do. To prove the fact that I'm not bluffing I start to unbutton my shirt.

"Alright, alright, we're leaving." The three of them scramble out of the room, Weasley's head completely red while he's trying to look anywhere but at my exposed neckline.

"You weren't really going to start undressing, right?" Harry gives me a small smile when the stooges have left.

"Of course not," I smirk. "But it was rather funny to see them so uncomfortable."

"You're evil," he snickers.

"I prefer genius, really." I settle back against the pillows to finally enjoy my breakfast in silence.

As I've come to realise commotion is practically The Burrow's normal way of the day, I'm almost not surprised when I find an almost frantic Granger practically hanging out the window, screaming and pointing at something in the sky.

"Owls!" She screams in my ear. "There are four owls coming towards us!"

"Wow," I say sarcastically. "You almost never see those birds in the wizarding world."

My comment is not appreciated as suddenly Granger grabs on to me and tries to make me understand why she is acting like a mental patient right now.

"You think that's a coincidence?! They're bringing the result of our O.W.L.S!"

"Oh," I say. "I kind of forgot they were still due."

"You forgot!? How could you have forgotten?!" Granger shrieks.

"We can't all be peeing our pants the entire summer for it. You clearly did that for the four of us," I shrug her hands off me.

"You're not even a little nervous?" Harry asks me.

"I pretty much nailed all the important ones," I shrug.

So I do think I did satisfyingly at the end of last year but when the owls bearing our results fly through the kitchen window and sweep down on the table, I do start to wonder that maybe I might be a bit off about that. After all the woman who judged my practical part of Potions clearly didn't like me.

After the three others have reached out to the owl carrying their envelope I am forced to do the same. When I untie the letter from its paw and open it, I suddenly don't feel so sure anymore with the leprechauns doing somersaults in my stomach.

ORDINARY WIZARDING LEVEL RESULTS

Pass Grades : Outstanding (O)

Exceeds Expectations (E)

Acceptable (A)

Fail grades : Poor (P)

Dreadful (D)

Troll (T)

DANIELLE LILIANE POTTER HAS ACHIEVED :

Ancient Runes : P

Astronomy : A

Care of Magical Creatures : O

Charms : E

Defence Against the Dark Arts : A

Herbology : E

History of Magic : P

Potions : O

Transfiguration : E

All in all, my results weren't so bad. Sure, I did poorly in Ancient Runes but I already figured I would since I hadn't understood anything from the course the entire year. I'm actually surprised it's not a Troll.

I knew History of Magic wouldn't be good either since I had been too worried the entire exam as to why Harry had collapsed during it to properly fill in the questions.

But what really struck a chord with me was the fact that I only got an acceptable for Defence Against the Dark Arts while I was certain Harry would have gotten an Outstanding on the subject.

He did but I was rather pleased to see he only got one O and I got two. Finally, something I bested Harry in!