Right, so, part two of their seventh year. I'm browsing the Harry Potter wiki, and I stumbled upon the knowledge that Percy Weasley's wife is named Audrey. Huh.

Should up the rating, maybe change a genre thing to be sure. Two more snippets to do, and I think that'll about do it.

Despite not being able to really spend mealtimes together, they had begun spending a large portion of their free time together, either studying in the library (it had gotten too cold outside to really sit and read and focus), or going to Hogsmeade.

After some nudging by Regulus, who wanted to meet the girl that had managed to bring Barty's head up from a book, Barty had agreed for the three of them to hang out at The Three Broomsticks. The two young men had walked into an empty common room later that night; Reg merely patted his friend's shoulder and walked off to the dorm. A silent way of saying he liked her.

Holidays were the times they were apart; because there was a lot to do at home and with schoolwork, they didn't bother writing. It would be the same stuff over and over again.

Before they knew it, they were sitting in the Great Hall, taking their N.E.W.T exams. The scratching of quill on parchment was the only noise that could be heard in the entire giant space, the occasional cough or sneeze. People pulled at their hair, stared wide-eyes at their paper, muttering to themselves. Barty had no problem, and was one of the first ones finished. He looked around after handing in his exam to see Audrey walking up to hand hers in.

Once excused from the Great Hall, they kept silent until they reached the bridge connecting the courtyard to the grounds.

"That wasn't bad. At all. I mean, then again, it was the last one and the one we really prepared for." She said, slipping her arm through his, their elbows locked. His hand was in his robe pockets; he hadn't offered his arm, but it was something he was used to.

"No, I wanted to laugh at the question about the Draught of Living Death. Did you see Wilson pulling out her hair in the second hour?"

"Since I happened to be three seats behind you, yes. She's going to need some hair tonic when she realizes the amount she pulled out."

They stood just beyond the bridge; down to their left was the gamekeepers, and if they went straight, they'd end up on the path to the train, the one they'd never take again. They'd be riding the boats across the lake to the train, rather than catching the carriage around. A symbolic goodbye.

"Will you miss it–Hogwarts?" She asked, turning around and looking at the castle.

"A bit. Well, a lot. But everything must end, right?"

"Not learning. Not really. At least not for me."

He gave a small smile. Living up to her house stereotype. But she spoke the truth. Maybe the book learning was done for a bit, but they had to learn in order to continue living. Learn their trade, learn to pay bills, and learn to raise kids. Experience learning.

"The world outside of these gates is mad, even without a war. But I'm excited nonetheless." She said.

"Me, too."

He was excited for a different reason. Two weeks until he would take his Dark Mark. Until he got to serve the man he thought brilliant and revolutionary. Well, his ideals weren't new, but he was one of the few to act on them. He created fear, panic. Even Muggles knew something was going on.

Oh, yes, he was excited. Thrilled, even.

It was a hot day. Had graduation been held outside, every single one of them would be sweating under the black robes. Ceremonial robes, each of them having to order specialty robes that mostly resembled their day-to-day classroom robes, with a change in material. A bit boring, save the slight shininess to them. Their hats were perched on their heads, something the girls complained about because it messed with their hair.

But they were not outside. They were in the Great Hall. Which was significantly cooler.

They listened to speech after speech; the Minister, Dumbledore, a teacher (Professor Sprout), and a guest speaker, who happened to be an Auror that was climbing the ranks by the name of Rufus Scrimgeour.

They then would receive acknowledgement of their achievements in O.W.L's and N.E.W.T's, and documentation of their education based on said achievements.

Clutching the leather case that held her diploma, Audrey found Barty waiting for her, Regulus at his side. She hugged Reg, and leapt at Barty, who stumbled back from the force before returning the embrace.

"We're done! All of the sleep we missed, all of the memories of Quidditch and Hogsmeade and everything Hogwarts is summed up in a piece of parchment that declares I have five N.E.W.T's" She shook the black book for emphasis.

"That's more than I have." Regulus shrugged. "My O.W.L's are enough for me, thank you very much."

They headed down to the boathouse, where a random Gryffindor packed into a boat with them and they began to cross the lake. Just as they had in their first year. Audrey couldn't help but look back, seeing the castle perched high on the cliff.

She couldn't deny she'd miss it. But it was time to move on.

She had said congratulations to the Gryffindor out of politeness when they pulled to shore, who said the same and nodded to the three of them.

They found a compartment and shed the horrid robes, under which Barty and Regulus wore vests and ties, and Audrey wore the dress she wore to the summer party.

"Oh, hey, I remember that." Barty said, plastering a smile on his face.

"This old thing?" She smiled back, sitting down and crossing a leg over the other, trying to look snooty.

Regulus shook his head, despite being told how they met initially. They acted ridiculous together sometimes.

The train lurched into motion, and they began their journey back to London. Trees passed by in a green blur, and a half an hour in, the trolley came by offering a last treat. Audrey nibbled on a chocolate frog, a small pile of caldron cakes sitting on the available space-a treat they all agreed on.

Barty had reached up into the luggage racks some time later, and rummaged through his stuff for something. He pulled out an object they all recognized, but it was only understood by Barty and Audrey.

"Old times sake?" He handed her the object that was enchanted to work without a source of energy, and let her fiddle with the knobs for a station. It picked up a Muggle wavelength, blaring out The Doors.

She placed it on the small table that folded out under the window, and she took Barty's hands, dancing as they had nearly two years ago. Regulus joined in, and while the compartment was small, it didn't seem to matter.

They took a break, tiring too quickly. Audrey lowered the volume, and pulled the shade down on the first-years, now second-years, that had stopped and watched them.

The radio was the only sound between them for a moment, before she spoke suddenly.

"Both of you, do me a favor: don't get yourselves killed this summer, alright?"

Her question caught both of them off-guard. Regulus was a bit more on edge than Barty, but gave his friend a look that said everything in his head: Does she know?

"I saw you holding your arm one night, Regulus. Times like these, doesn't take much to figure it out-I'm a Ravenclaw. Your family holds his ideas high. Your cousin's Bellatrix, and she's made her stance in the war known. You're missing at odd hours, and sometimes for weekends."

She turned her head to Barty. "And it's your intention to eventually take the Mark. You made an effort to hide some of the books you carried on you. You'd put them away and make sure to hide the titles when I came by. Not to mention it'd be everything your father doesn't want from you. A bit of a 'screw you' to the old man- running off to serve the man he hates so much while you're training to be an Auror."

Anger wrenched Barty's stomach; hearing it out-loud somehow made it so much more…reasonable. Couldn't it have simply been because he wanted to? Why did it have to stem from his lack of a father figure?

"So what if I am?" He challenged.

"I just don't want you two to go get yourselves killed for an ideal. You are not a person, not to him. You're completely expendable to him. I'm not going to lecture you on how it's cruel to harm people because they're not magical or because they don't have magical ancestry. It's your choice. Just don't get yourselves blown up." She refused to add the thought that crossed her mind at the end: You guys are all I've got, really.

Regulus seemed to relax a bit, his mind anywhere but on the train. He knew he wouldn't be able to keep that promise.

"We'll do our very best." Barty gave her a smile that, had he actually bothered to use it on the female masses at school, would have had them swooning over him. It had a tiny effect on Audrey, easing the burden of knowledge enough to get her up and swinging in his arms again for the remainder of the ride home.

The arrival to London felt surreal, the finality of their futures finally setting in. Those who had younger friends were saying goodbye, girlfriends tearful at not being able to see their boyfriends for most of the year. Family embraced one another.

Regulus saw his parents standing a little from the crowd, and hugged Audrey, picking her up in the process and twirling her around once. This might be the last time he ever saw her, and he didn't want the memory of her pep talk to mar the ones she had of their last year. He hugged Barty, both boys patting the other's back before withdrawing and saying they'd see each other later.

A wispy looking witch was peering around, trying to find her son. She was dressed in a skirt and blazer, her face flushed with color. Whether it was true healthiness or fever, Barty knew not. She spotted who she was searching for, and made her way over to him and Audrey.

"Is she your mother?" Audrey asked, offering a smile to the woman before looking up at Barty.

"Yes. I'm surprised she's out of bed, not to mention…" the words died in his throat as he caught sight of his father making his way through to his wife. The man made time to pick his son up from Kings Cross every year, and this year would be no exception, despite Barty's hope.

His mother was the first to reach them, and hugged her son tightly, like he was liable to disappear any second. She took a look at Audrey, and exchanged pleasantries. Further conversing was cut short when her husband arrived.

"Congratulations, Barty." The man held out his hand, which was shaken out of disdain for a public outburst.

"Thank you, Father."

The older man's eyes fell upon Audrey, who was trying to think of a way to say what she wanted to Barty and escape this encounter with her and her parents' dignity intact.

"And congratulations to you, Miss Edinhardt. I heard you wish to become an Auror?" The same outstretched hand, which she shook politely.

"Thank you, sir. And yes, I do. I feel it's something of a personal obligation, if nothing else."

"I'm sorry to hear about your father-there's a team looking, but there just aren't many leads. Your mother had withdrawn from many of the people she was around, I have not seen her in some time now."

"I saw her over Easter break; I sparked enough incentive in her to at least work, so she's in Flourish and Blotts, part time. Keeps her distracted enough."

Crouch nodded, stepping back and beside his wife. Enough space to say goodbye, she supposed.

She turned to Barty. "So."

"So."

It was extremely unnerving with his parents watching. She had things she wanted to say, to get out of her head and into the open. She could sum it all up in one action, but that would be embarrassing at the present moment.

They settled for a half-hearted hug that lingered longer than normal. His hand went to her face, thumb rubbing her cheek as he departed behind his parents.

Her mother had not made it to the station to come and get her; she couldn't. She supposedly was working at Diagon Alley, but that didn't faze her. The walk would do her good.

Lugging her trunk off to the side, she noticed the crowd had dissipated enough to get around. Barty's retreating figure was still on the platform, seen just beyond a few families.

Disregarding her luggage, she ran, shouting to be heard over the chatter that surrounded him by younger students. "Barty!" Merlin, she sounded desperate.

He turned, and moved through the end of the crowd to meet her, catching her in time to grab her around the waist and pick her up enough to meet his level, twirling her.

Her arms wrapped under his, she pressed her lips to his, something to which he responded to eagerly.

"I've wanted that all year." He murmured, pulling away unwillingly.

Well, she guessed that was over with.

Her right hand rested on his chest, her eyes a tad wider than usual as she spoke. "Remember to write me, even about the most mundane things. Don't do anything stupid."

Crouch cleared his throat, signaling that this needed to end so that many other things could get done.

He stole one last kiss, a bit more forceful than hers was, before placing her back on the ground. "Now that was to piss him off." He whispered, grinning madly before reluctantly turning away.

Audrey went back to her trunk and prepared for a long trek to the Leaky Caldron, still feeling his lips on her own.