Everything had changed. Both the wizarding and muggle world were almost unrecognisable from their former, more pleasant selves. Now everyone was living in fear. To the muggles, it was all unexplainable; they probably believed the world was ending, but the wizards and witches? They knew. They knew what was causing all this trouble; all this death.

It was the first of July and Ella got up as normal. She threw some bread into the toaster and sat on the counter in the kitchen; her kitchen. It still felt weird, that along with the twins, she owned the flat. Fred insisted she also part-owned the joke shop, but she knew she just worked there. The joke shop was theirs and theirs only.

She rubbed her bleary eyes as she looked out the slanted window. It was going to be another day of miserable weather. She couldn't remember the last time she'd seen bright sunshine in Britain. It was almost as though the sky mourned over the state of their country with them, although she was sure that it wouldn't be long until the war stretched further across Europe.

Yet people were still going on as though they weren't the midst of a terrible and deadly war. They still shopped in Diagon Alley just as they had before. Well not quite like before. Now people rushed from shop to shop, clearly not wanting to stay in one place too long. It seemed as though everyone felt as though they were being persecuted. But then again, everyone who wasn't a death eater was being persecuted.

She was pulled from her thoughts by a tapping on the window. Boots hissed at her feet. The cat had never liked birds and now fully grown, Ella reckoned he'd pounce at her owl given half the chance. Boots had been a bit salty with ever since she'd returned, it was as though she still held a grudge with Ella for leaving him with the twins for four months while she ran away from everything.

She opened the latch, giving the owl a scratch on its neck, thanking it for the newspaper it had brought.

The daily prophet thudded to the ground as she saw the headline. She couldn't believe it. No, it couldn't be true. There was no way it was possible.

At that moment Fred walked in the kitchen, giving a chuckle at what he assumed to be his girlfriend's clumsiness.

"You alright there, princess?" He teased, but Ella didn't smile.

"Get George and Ang," She said, barely audible.

"I think they're still asleep," Fred mused, wrapping his arms around her slender frame and placing a kiss on top of her head.

"Wake them up and bring them in here," She said in the same voice, but this time there was an audible tremble in it.

"What's wrong," Fred asked, now very puzzled and frightened.

"Just get them," She said in a low voice and he did as he was told.

Ella picked the paper up from where it had fallen, and read on. Soon enough Fred returned with the other two in tow.

"What is it?" Ang said, looking far more concerned than George, who just looked annoyed at being woken up half an hour earlier than necessary.

Ella didn't know how to say it. Her hands shook violently as the head line of the paper was still screaming up at her. Her three flatmates were just looking at her, puzzled and worried by the lack of colour in her face. Maybe it was best just to tell them quickly, like pulling off a plaster. There was no way to cotton wool wrap it. Facts were facts and this was an awful one.

She looked them all in the eye and said, "Dumbledore's dead."

~~~~~~~~~C~~~~~~~~~

"Fred!" Mrs Weasley yelled up the burrow stairs. "Get down here and help now. Your brothers have managed to get out of bed to help, so you can too!" She yelled, her voice getting more shrill with each word.

"Urgh, will she ever stop nagging," Fred groaned, snuggling his face deeper into the crook of Ella's neck, causing her to giggle, "Remind me again why we're staying here rather than our own, mother-free flat," He whispered between placing kisses down her neck.

"We're here," She giggled, trying to waft him away, all to aware of Mrs Weasley's presence just two stories below, "because we offered to help prepare for the wedding, so that's probably what we should be doing," Ella turned to face Fred, placing a kiss on the tip of his nose.

"FRED!" Mrs Weasley's shrill shout could be heard once again. "YOU HAVE FIVE MINUTES TO GET HERE!"

"Urgh, she's driving me insane!" Fred groaned, rolling over, burying his face into his pillow.

With a laugh Ella pushed him out of the bed, "She's got better," Ella reasoned, "We're allowed to sleep in the same room now we're both of age," Ella laughed, doing her best Mrs Weasley impression.

"True, true," Fred laughed, "but is bad that I miss the days of sneaking into each others' rooms after everyone else had gone to bed? It added a bit of excitement," He winked at her.

"Oh and am I not exciting enough?" Ella laughed, hitting him with a pillow.

"Oh you are plenty exciting," Fred grinned mischievously.

In one swift move he lunged towards her, grabbing her by the waste and pinning her down on the bed whilst showering her with kisses that lead down her chest, torso until his mouth was lingering at the waist band of her underwear.

Ella felt herself inhale sharply as Fred pulled away her underwear with his teeth, moving at an antagonising pace. She felt her body ache for his touch, for the feel of him inside her. Every part of skin his fingers grazed over stung with electricity.

"FRED!" Mrs Weasley voice sounded again.

"Oh for fuck's sake," He growled under his breath, "I'm coming!" He yelled down the stairs.

Ella just lay back on the bed with a chuckle. Despite all the brewing tensions in the wizarding world, she didn't think she'd ever been happier. She'd spent the majority of the summer with Fred, George and Angelina in their apartment above the joke shop. Even with all the trouble going on, the joke shop had still been quite busy; at least relative to the economic climate. No one was wanting to spend too much at the moment, but with everything considered, they hadn't been doing too bad.

About a month into the summer, the four of them had all received invites to Bill's and his fiancé's wedding and a few days ago George, Fred and Ella arrived at the burrow to help with the wedding plans and set up, whilst Angelina had gone to visit her parents.

Whilst Fred and Ella's relationship had gone from strength to strength over the past year, George and Angelina's had started to show some cracks. They were still happy together, they just seemed to argue a lot more, leading to Angelina deciding that it would be better if she didn't join the rest of them at the burrow and went to her parents' home instead. Part of Ella wished she had her best friend with her, but she thought she was making the right decision in giving her relationship some space. Angelina and George made a great couple and sometimes it takes being apart to make the relationship stronger. As they say, distance makes the heart grow fonder and all that crap.

Ella looked over to the corner of her room, where there was a stack of presents awaiting Harry's arrival next week. It was Harry's birthday in exactly a week and Ella, along with twelve others, including order members, were planning on moving him from their aunt's house in Little Whinging to the burrow the day before.

Ella was pulled out of her reverie by a knock at the door.

"Come in," She called, pulling her dressing gown round herself, knotting it at the waist.

Ella barely had chance to see who it was on the other side of her door before her boyfriend's little sister was sprawled out on her freshly made bed.

"Can I help?" Ella asked with a chuckle, sitting beside the redhead.

"You're good with spells. Make my mother into being less of a demanding shrew?" Ginny teased wickedly, with her trade mark Weasley sense of humour.

"Oh come on, she means well," Ella tried to appease the stressed young girl.

"Put it this way, when I get married I'm not telling my mother until the day before," Ginny chortled, "But on a serious note, I need your help. Fleur's become an absolute bridezilla and says she's leaving the table decorations to me as she's in France visiting her family - although I think she's only gone to top up her tan - but I'm really not creative and my new sister-in-law will rain down hell if it's not parfait," Ginny said, mocking Fleur's French accent.

"You're evil," Ella laughed, playfully smacking the younger girl, "But yes, of course I'll help you,"

~~~~~~~~~C~~~~~~~~~

Four days later the family plus Ella and Hermione were sat around the kitchen table at the burrow, waiting for Mr Weasley to arrive home from work to serve out dinner. They were all laughing at Ginny's rantings about Fleur and the wedding.

"Honestly, Ginny," Mrs Weasley half scolded, although Ella noticed an unusual lack of conviction behind, "She's going to be your sister-in-law soon enough," she said as though it was punishment enough.

"It's my last night of freedom for her, let me be. And I just don't see why she has to live with us until the wedding. It's not the dark ages, no one gives a shit about cohabitation and premarital sex. If they did I wouldn't have had to listen to Ella and Fred last night,"

"GINNY!" Ella, Fred and Mrs Weasley scolded in unison, while Ginny and George just laughed. Ella and Fred slowly turned various shades of beetroot, realising that they really should be better at remembering to put silencing spells on their room by now.

"I'm home," Arthur's voice sang out as he ducked through the front door before going round and greeting everyone in turn.

"Great, then I'll get dinner served. Ginny and George, you can help," Molly started clattering pots and pans with a flick of her wand.

"Actually, Molly darling - you're looking as lovely as ever by the way - " He paused, giving his wife a quick peck, "but if you could just hold off a minute, we have a visitor," He said as Madeye came through the door, grunting in disapproval at all the noise and chatter in the room.

"I won't stay long," He grunted, "Just here to say; Fred, George, Ron, Hermione and Arthur we've decided to bump up transferring Harry to here to tonight. We believe some of Voldemort's followers in the ministry may have got wind of the previous plan so we're doing it quickly before they catch wind again. None outside of this room and the order know. And Ella; Fleur's dropped out and offered to help Molly and Ginny here, so you're up. We'll all meet here at exactly half 8, we'll take a portkey to Little Whinging and take it from there," He said with a nod to Arthur and Molly bidding them farewell as he left.

This news sent Molly into a frenzy. That gave her just over an hour to serve dinner, have everyone eat, get it all cleaned up, get everyone ready to go and prepare for, god forbid, any casualties the night might bring.

~~~~~~~~~C~~~~~~~~~

At 8 o'clock sharp Ella, Fred, George, Hermione, Ron, Bill, Kingsley Shaklebolt, Mungdungus Fletcher, Remus and his new wife Tonks were all waiting with Madeye outside of the burrow.

"You do know dressing as a spy wasn't part of the requirement tonight," Fred teased Ella, "Although if you want to keep it on until I have chance to rip it off you, I won't complain," He added in a whisper.

Ella was dressed head to toe in full black, taking full advantage of any opportunity to show off her entirely new wardrobe since she left all her belongings in a different country. She wore skin tight leather look leggings, a fitted spaghetti strap top and a studded leather jacket over the top, all pulled together by thigh high boots. She had her hair slicked back into a straight high pony tail and she'd finished the look off with bronzer defining her chiselled cheek bones, a smoky eyeshadow and winged eyeliner.

Ella just responded by giving him a quick kiss and telling him to wait until later.

"Right, I think we're all here, so if you'll gather round the portkey," Madeye announced.

"Wait, aren't we missing Hagrid?" Hermione piped up, suddenly realising they were one member down, and unlike the rest of them who had just learned to never question him, she felt the need to point it out.

"Yes Granger," He grunted, "He's meeting us there on his motorbike, with the thestrals, not that I have to inform you of our every move and plan,"

And with that they all took hold of the lamp and started whizzing through the air, before the majority of them landed gracefully on the ground, although Hermione, Ron and the twins still seemed to be having a little trouble with this mode of transport.

It wasn't long before they were all inside the living room of number 4, Privet Drive. It was strange for Ella really, being inside the home of the aunt, uncle and cousin she never had and never would meet. According to her brother, she hadn't missed out on much but she still wished she'd had the chance to make her own decision about them. Between Sirius and Remus, she'd felt as though coming to England had meant she felt as though she'd really gotten to know things about her father, but her mother still felt like a bit of a mystery to her. Where was all her mother's old friends to tell her funny stories about when they were Ella's age? Remus seemed to have been pretty close to her, but he was never a man of very many words. She made a mental note to herself to ask Remus for some more stories of her mother if they both made it through this night.

And then it hit her. They might not all make it tonight. She'd spent half an hour getting all dolled up, when she really should have been spending time with those she loved, in case it was the last chance she ever had to do so. As Fred, George, Hermione, Ron, Mundungus and Bill were each morphing into Harry.

Moody and many other order members had decided that it was best Ella stayed as herself and took Fred on the back of her broom to provide a more credible decoy, as if they were intercepted or seen, many death eaters would believe the siblings would stay together and as for her? She was just willing to do anything to keep her brother safe.

"Hey sexy," A Harry she could only assume to be really be Fred said as he approach and attempted to lean in for a kiss.

"No, nah ah, no way," Ella said quickly pushing him away and ducking out of his touch, "you look like my brother, it's too weird," She said with a laugh.

Madeye began rattling off who was riding with who, before getting them all ready for the take off.

"Ready?" Fred held Ella's waist tightly, partially to reassure her, but also to futility try to keep her safe. He has his wand posed and ready. This all just felt slightly too easy.

"As ready as I'll ever be," Ella grinned, the adrenaline rushing around her body. She was thinking of it like a really big and dangerous quidditch match, only rather than losing, if she fucked up she could possibly die. The main thing was keeping her brother and boyfriend safe.

And just like that, they all soared up into the air, spreading out into their agreed formation. However, it wasn't long before their plan started to become derailed as death eaters mobbed the sky and Fred and Ella were swarmed by at least half a dozen of them.

Ella focused on flying, whilst Fred fought valiantly to try and clear a flight path. But try as he might, Fred was simply out matched. He was fighting six to one and every time he got rid of a death eater, two seemed to take his place.

When Ella glanced over to see how the others were fairing, most of them were now out of sight, clearly having similar difficulties, but she could just about make out Harry (the real Harry) and Hagrid, having significantly less difficulty than Fred and herself.

The pair of them now had at least eight death eaters hot on their trail. Ella's heart jumped into her mouth as she felt Fred narrowly dodge a killing curse. Thinking on her feet, she yelled;

"Not my brother you pricks!"

Whilst steadying her broom straight ahead, Ella focused all her efforts on gathering all her concentration into one thought. She felt electricity hum around her veins, gathering inside of her, fear and adrenaline only increasing her power. She closed her eyes momentarily whilst she focused all her efforts on creating a loud and shattering explosion behind them, blowing the death eaters off of their trail.

Fred let out a burst of exhilarated laughter.

"That was AMAZING!" He yelled.

But their triumph was short lived when someone in a black clock, with seemingly no mode of transport came gliding up along side them. It only took one look for Ella to know exactly who it was. She'd only ever seen his face once before, but it was a face you could never forget.

"Is that...is that...him," Fred whispered aghast in her ear.

"That's Voldemort," Ella agreed with a grimace as she instinctively started firing spell after spell from her wand. Fred was quick to join in and between them they managed to keep his spells at bay, but by no means were they close to defeating him.

Clearly their plan to make the death eaters think that Fred was the real Harry had worked too well and it suddenly occurred to her that the pair of them were now in very real and immediate danger.

Ella, with one hand on her broom and the other firmly clutching her wand, still firing hexes and spells one after another, ducked, dived, swerved and swooped, all in an attempt to throw Voldemort off. But her efforts were futile. Voldemort kept up with them effortlessly.

She noticed Voldemort turn his attentions to particularly to Fred, as he started firing relentless curses at her boyfriend.

"Avada-" Voldemort started raising his wand once again.

"Fred, duck!" She yelled without thinking. But there was no time to think, only time to act.

But just like that Voldemort had gone as quickly as he'd appeared.

She'd fucked it up. She'd given it away that she wasn't transporting the real Harry, but then again, what choice did she have. She wanted to protect her brother, but she also needed to keep her boyfriend safe. She couldn't live without either of them

~~~~~~~~~C~~~~~~~~~

They returned to the burrow via portkey, in the outskirts of the gardens. Fred, now returned to his normal self, other than the clothes that were now incredibly small on him, grabbed Ella into a tight embrace, just thankful that they were both still alive. He pulled her into a searing and passionate kiss. They'd had a brush with death tonight and he reminded himself to treasure absolutely every moment he had with this girl. He knew in that moment that he wanted to spend the rest of his life with her.

Once they reached the door, they were stopped by Remus at the door - or more accurately his wand - who was clearly very shaken.

"Where did you and I first meet on your return to Britain and who else was present?"

"Shrieking shack with Padfoot," Ella said confidently, keeping her own wand drawn but by her side.

It was clear why this was happening; they had been betrayed. Someone in the order had revealed their plans. It wasn't like there had just been one or two death eaters patrolling; there had been dozens...waiting. Moreover, Voldemort had been ready and waiting among them. No, someone in the order had betrayed them and Ella knew it was the beginning of the end. How was the order supposed to function if no one trusted each other.

Remus let them in, not before hugging each of them tightly, clearly thankful they were alright.

"We the last ones back?" Fred asked as he moved through the kitchen, hugging each and every person on his way through.

"Where's George?" Ella asked Ginny as she released her from a hug.

"He's errr-" She said, looking uncharacteristically shaken for the strong, feisty girl and immediately both Ella and Fred's hearts sunk.

"What's happened?" Fred asked, panic struck. "Is he okay? Dad. DAD! Where's George!"

Ella grabbed a hold of his arm and gave it a comforting squeeze, although she was fairly sure he was too preoccupied to even notice.

"Fred," Arthur soothed his son, "It's okay. He's okay. He's just in the lounge resting," Arthur continued into the sitting room, motioning for the couple to follow him.

"Dad, what's happened?" Fred asked timidly.

To Ella, he suddenly looked like a young boy who was scared of the monsters under the bed. It was the first time she'd seen him truly terrified. Maybe he'd been like that before since they'd been together, but he'd always been careful not to let her see him like that. But he wasn't thinking about that. He wasn't thinking about anything other than his twin.

"He took a pretty nasty curse," Arthur said, waiting outside the closed sitting room door, "He's lost one of his ears."

Fred and Ella walked into the room, causing George to stir with a grumble.

"Georgie," Fred knelt next to him, "how you feeling mate?"

Ella stood behind Fred, resting a supportive hand on his shoulder, giving it a quick squeeze.

"Saint like," George grumbled, his words barely audible.

"What?" Fred and Ella chuckled,

"Saint like," He repeated, "Get it? I'm holey," He joked, causing the three of them to burst into laughter. Although, they quickly quietened down at Mrs Weasley's scowl as she hovered protectively at the door, ensuring it didn't get too rambunctious for George's condition.

"Well, you guys have fun, I'll go check on Harry," Ella smiled, kissing both of them on the forehead, "Want me to owl Ang and let her know what's happened but that you're okay?"

George thanked her and Ella rushed through to the kitchen to find Harry, who she was yet to see.

"Harry!" She exclaimed, enveloping him in a bone crushing hug. She peeled herself from him, gripping his face in her hands, checking him all over, "Are you okay? Did you get hurt? What happened? Did you see Voldemort?"

"Ella. Ella, calm down," Harry chuckled, reassuring his sister, "I'm okay, I promise. And yes, I saw him alright." Harry grimaced.

"Well, at least we're all okay," She smiled, trying the be positive on such an awful night, "and we're back together right?"

"Not everyone made it, Elle," He said subdued.

Her heart dropped. She thought she'd seen everyone. Oh shit.

"Madeye?" Ella said.

"Dead," Harry confirmed.

Ella couldn't believe it. The two greatest leaders she'd ever known were now both dead, just in a matter of months from each other. She had no idea what the order would do now. There was no clear person to take over the leadership of the order. And in the wake of the recent betrayal, without Dumbledore and Madeye at the head of the order, Ella felt like chaos would ensue.

"Hey," Ella said, quickly changing the subject before her mind kicked into overdrive, "Can I borrow Hedwig?" But she was confused at her brother's pained expression. "Harry, what is it?" she asked.

"Headwig's also dead. She gave me away when she tried to protect me," He said sadly.

"Oh Harry, I'm sorry," She said, wrapping her arms around him, and the siblings just staying like that for a while. Holding each other and knowing that despite all the death and fear around them; they might just be able to survive this war.

~~~~~~~~~C~~~~~~~~~

Later that night, when everyone had gone their separate ways, the residents of the burrow had retired to their rooms, Ella and Fred also made their way to bed.

George was still resting up, although he had been moved to his room and was now being seen to by Angelina, who had flu'd straight over the minute she'd received Ella's owl.

Ella was sat at the quaint vanity table in their room, removing her makeup, along with the smears of blood from a gash she'd received above her right eyebrow that would almost definitely leave a scar.

She was just about the peel off her skin tight leggings, when Fred interrupted.

"And I thought you were going to let me get you out of them," He teased, wiggling his eyebrows and shifting across the bed, swinging his legs over the side, so he could wrap his arms around Ella and pull her into a long kiss.

"Shut up you idiot," She laughed, pushing him back on the bed, removing the rest of her clothes herself, until she was stood just in her under.

Once again, Fred pulled her onto the bed and into a searing passionate kiss as though it was their last. He'd decided that for now at least, he was going to treat every moment with Ella like it was going to be his last. He was going to savour every kiss. Every touch. He was going imprint the feel of her skin against his on his memory.

They carried on this way, just kissing soft and slowly, savouring every moment. Their bodies intertwined as one, moving is a soft, synchronised rhythm. They became one and the same as they reached climax unanimously.

Afterwards they lay in each others arms, Fred lazily drawing patterns on Ella's arm.

"Hey, Elle?" He said softly, placing a chaste kiss on her lips.

"Hmm?" She replied, too happy and relaxed to move or even bother to use words to respond.

"I've got a question to ask," He said, suddenly looking a little nervous and clammy. The sweat she expected after the work he'd just put into their love making, but he was never chittery when they were alone together.

Before she got chance to answer, he'd unravelled himself from her and had rolled over to reach into his bedside table.

He rolled over again to face Ella, clasping a small jewellery box in his hand.

Ella's jawed dropped opened in realisation.

"Elspeth Potter, will you marry me?"