Hello again! Sorry for the wait, life's been so crazy over the past few months I just hadn't gotten around to finishing and posting this chapter. Updates might be slow again for a few months until all of my exams are over, but after that I promise I'll put some more one-shot chapters up. Until then, enjoy!

Stephanie couldn't get back to sleep, not properly, but she daydreamed until it was late enough to get out of bed and not look suspicious. It was still early when she went downstairs, but she didn't dwell on it, and started making breakfast. She'd make Harry's and Hermione's when they woke up.

She thought about how long it had been since she'd last seen the pair, and what kind of argument they must have had that would make Ron, one of their closest friends, leave them. It was puzzling. She hoped at least that they had slept well, if at all. From the sounds of it, they deserved it.

She sat down at the table and began to eat her breakfast, her thoughts trailing back to Hogwarts and all she had encountered there. She couldn't believe she'd actually beaten Umbridge up, or believed in the hallucinations Darquesse constantly threw at her. She couldn't believe that she let herself be manipulated by her fear of convicts getting onto the grounds, and most of all, she couldn't believe that she'd been shot.

She rubbed her chest at the memory. Or course, the moment Darquesse had taken over she healed the hole the bullet had created in Valkyrie's heart, there was no scar, no reminder except for memory that anything had ever happened to her. She was glad of it sometimes, that her mum couldn't see any scars formed from magic wounds – she wouldn't have been able to keep her other life a secret for so long if it hadn't been that way, but the fact she had even got those wounds in the first place made her wonder how prepared she had actually been compared to how prepared she had thought she was. Remembering the Sanctuary was always difficult. There were always so many questions, so many 'what ifs'.

"Morning." She turned her head to the voice, and saw that it was Harry.

"Morning," she replied, standing. "What do you want for breakfast? We have cereal, toast or porridge."

"Toast please," he said, almost gratefully. She stood – she had almost been finished with her own breakfast anyway, and put more bread in the toaster.

"Is Hermione up yet?" she asked him.

"Not that I know of," Harry followed Stephanie's footsteps into the kitchen. She watched him out of the corner of her eye. He had certainly grown since she'd last seen him. He was a little taller, had stubble, slightly longer hair. He was clean now though – he must have had a shower the night before. He scrubbed up quite well.

She pulled the toast out of the toaster before it burned and buttered it for him, handing the plate to him as he smiled gratefully.

"Thanks Stephanie,"

"No problem." She brushed her hands on her pyjama bottoms, and then remembered she was in her pyjamas, and blushed slightly. "I'm gonna go get dressed."

"Ok," Harry mumbled through a mouthful of toast. She left the room, and returned five minutes later in a black top and jeans to find Hermione had also come downstairs in the time she'd been gone. She was talking to Harry quietly, and although she didn't want to interrupt, she didn't want to eavesdrop either. Someone giggled behind her before Alice came barrelling down the stairs. Stephanie rolled her eyes and followed her down – whatever it was that Harry and Hermione had been talking about would have to wait – if they didn't want to talk about it in front of her anyway.

Apparently they didn't, as both of their mouths snapped shut the moment Alice ran into the room. She barely paid them any attention, running through to the kitchen to try to reach the counter.

"Steph! Steph! Cereal!"

"I'm coming, I'm coming," Stephanie sighed, sending the wizard and witch a small embarrassed smile as she followed her sister to the kitchen. Pouring Alice a bowl of cereal, she was again struck by how small her baby sister was, even though she wasn't that much of a baby anymore. Alice skipped to the table, spoon in hand and climbed onto the chair with only a little bit of difficulty, having to kneel to be able to reach the bowl Stephanie put in front of her. Harry and Hermione were watching silently.

"Guys, this is my sister Alice. Alice, these are my friends, Harry and Hermione." Alice didn't seem to care, more concerned with wolfing down her breakfast. Stephanie gave the duo a smile.

"So, did you sleep well?" she asked. Harry nodded with a relieved smile.

"I haven't slept that well in months," he said, Hermione nodding along with him.

"We'll probably have to get going by the end of today, if it's alright for us to stay that long," Hermione said, watching Stephanie closely.

"Of course it is," Stephanie nodded "You're welcome to stay for as long as you'd like."

"You say that now," Hermione began "but there are Death Eaters all over Britain looking for us. If they found us here," she glanced to Alice, and then back to Stephanie "I don't think it would be appreciated."

"Well, you've done your protective spell things, haven't you?" Stephanie frowned slightly.

"Yes," Hermione said slowly, almost evasively "but we have to keep moving just the same. We've nearly been caught out too many times already." An awkward silence settled between the three of them, before footsteps could be heard on the stairs, and Melissa walked into the room, fully dressed.

"Morning all," she smiled.

"Morning mum," Stephanie replied. Alice giggled excitedly, showing off a mouthful of cereal. Melissa planted a kiss on her head.

"Did you all sleep well?"
"Brilliantly, thank you Mrs Edgely," Harry responded politely.

"Thank you so much for letting us stay the night, Mrs Edgely, we really appreciate it." Hermione said, sounding sincere.

"Anytime… Hermoine, was it? Yes. Well Hermione, any friend of Steph's is a friend of ours." Melissa said with a motherly smile. The moment she looked away, Stephanie noticed a small expression of pain on Hermione's face, as if she'd been reminded of something. Harry didn't seem to notice.

"Well, why don't we go for a walk? A tour of the grounds, maybe?" Stephanie suggested quickly. She didn't want her mum asking too many questions.

"Why not," Harry agreed, and Hermione nodded. Stephanie led the way out of the door into the crisp morning air, and there, wandering around Edgely manor, they caught up on everything she'd missed.

"Do you think we should ask her?" Harry whispered to Hermione. Stephanie had disappeared upstairs to get dressed, Hermione shooting down moments later. She and Harry needed to talk.

"No," Hermione said, biting her lip "I know we need all the help we can get fighting you-know-who, but we can't ask her."
"Why not? She knows physical combat better than anyone at Hogwarts,"

"Exactly, Harry. You-know-who doesn't do physical combat. One wand strike with the killing curse and Valkyrie's dead. Or, releasing Darquesse. We don't need two murderous psychopaths on our tail." Hermione protested.

"Well, maybe she could just help us collect the horcruxes."

"Harry, you barely let me and – and Ron come with you. What makes you want her along too?"

There was a noise on the stairs, and they both instantly snapped their mouths shut as a small toddler came careering down the stairs and into the kitchen. Stephanie followed, looking slightly embarrassed. Hermione wondered if she'd heard anything, and hoped not. They didn't have much time. The big fight was coming. She could feel it.

Watching as Valkyrie – or, Stephanie – poured the toddler a bowl of cereal, she was almost shocked to find herself realising she had never thought of Valkyrie being slightly, well, slightly normal. At Hogwarts she had been so confident, so dedicated to both her training, and yet her family as well. Hermione had never been able to picture such a normal family though. A normal mum, normal dad, normal sister, knowing absolutely nothing about the life their daughter had once lived. She'd seen Valkyrie, and now she was seeing Stephanie.

The difference was striking.