3rd Person P.O.V.

"We need you to come in."

The man mentally groaned as soon as he heard that one sentence. Why was it that every time he got a call from his coworkers, it was always those same six words? Never a 'Hello, how are you doing?' or something relatively normal like that?

"Why? Now?" He inquired. "I just got off. I'm halfway ho-"

"Home may be somewhere you don't want to go right now." The voice from the phone assured. "Get back to base, and I'll explain everything."

The blond sighed. "I'll be there in ten minutes."

"Five, Captain. You have five minutes."

And so the man hung up the phone, placed it back inside his pocket, and turned his motorcycle around to return back to base.

Arielle's P.O.V.

"What?" George pouted playfully. "No hugs? Even after I haven't seen you in a week or more? I'm hurt, dear Ari."

"I-I mean, I'm happy to see you all but… why are you here so early? I thought you all weren't coming until next week?"

Hermione turned around and glared at Harry. "You told her we were coming?" She gasped. "This was supposed to be a surprise!" Hermione smacked Harry over the head but then sighed and turned her attention back to me. "Well, I would say surprise, but it's not exactly one now, is it?"

"I didn't know it was a surprise, Hermione!" Harry exclaimed, now rubbing the back of his head. I giggled. It was good to know that nothing had changed in the past week.

"Come here, you guys." I grinned, opening my arms for a hug. I went to George first, but before I made it to him I was engulfed in a group hug. Merlin, I missed them. I may be starting to regret this whole moving across the world thing.

"Blimey, mate. Your flat is nice." Ron spoke up after a while, releasing me from the hug. After he let go to look around the apartment, everyone else followed suit.

I smiled. "Yeah, it is. Pretty home-like, don't you think? I haven't been able to hang up any pictures yet, but when I do, they'll have to be muggle pictures. Unfortunately. You know, the ones that I don't move around. Wouldn't want a muggle to notice it, would I?"

All four of them nodded. Harry opened his mouth to say something, but he was quickly cut off by the timer in my kitchen. "Oh, my cake!" I called out, running toward the kitchen. I hurried and put on an oven mitt and opened the oven door, and pulled out the chocolate cake.

"You're actually baking?" Harry asked, astonished.

"Oh, no! Run before she burns the building down!" George joked, wrapping his arm around my shoulders as I sat the cake down to cool.

I rolled my eyes. "Oh, ha ha. Very funny of you, George."

"But really though, Ari! I didn't know you could bake." Hermione smiled. "Didn't know you knew how to use an oven either."

"Mione," I sighed. "I was raised by muggles."

3rd Person P.O.V.

"So you're trying to tell me that there are bursts of random energy coming from my apartment building?" The Captain leaned on eye-patched man's desk, his bright blue eyes glaring at the file in front of him. "And just what do you want to do about it?"

"We wait." Came the Director's reply. "Wait to see if it happens again, and then try to pinpoint the exact location. It could've been nothing. However, I feel like that's pretty unlikely."

"Why?"

The Director sat back in his chair as he crossed his arms. "There have been many of these small, uh, energy surges all over New York. And to be completely honest, we've picked them up all over the country for the past three years. There weren't many at all before then. Just a couple once in a while. We thought hey, maybe it's not important. Then Thor came along a couple years ago, and we thought hey, we should check these out. By the time Thor came, they were everywhere. All across the country, every state, every city. But never quite there. It's a little too close to home for my liking."

Captain Rogers nodded slowly, and looked around the office to keep from rolling his eyes. "And what am I supposed to do?"

Director Fury paused for a moment in thought, and then sat up in his chair. He picked up the file and closed it, holding it out toward the blond. "You be careful, that's what you're supposed to do. You keep an eye out for suspicious behavior, and you automatically report it to us. Small or not. Something is coming, cap, and no one can be sure what it is."

Arielle's P.O.V.

"So, I feel like there's something you all aren't telling me. What's going on?" I asked after we sat in silence for a few minutes. George sighed and looked over at the other three.

"Well… do you all want to tell her, or should I?"

I stood up from my place on the couch and studied each and every one of their faces, finally stopping my gaze on Harry. "Tell me what?" I asked, crossing my eyes. "Has something happened?"

The four glanced around at each other worriedly and shook their heads. Hermione, after a few moments, looked up at me and shook her head disapprovingly. "Honestly, Ron. Making me do all the announcing. Shame on you! I suppose I'll have to tell her." She then turned to me with a smile. "Ron and I are engaged!"

I immediately grinned, not paying any mind to the confused etched on Harry, Ron, and George's faces. "Finally!" I exclaimed. "It's about time! Seriously, you all had me worried there for a few minutes. I thought something was wrong." I laughed and sat back down, relief flooding through me.

"Yeah," Harry chuckled nervously after being elbowed by Hermione (which, for the record, I didn't notice). I raised an eyebrow. Really, that's all he had to say? 'Yeah'?

Hermione smiled. "Yeah, he finally got the guts to ask me. Molly was ecstatic. Should've seen the look on her face! I couldn't tell who was more excited; me, or her."

"We have to go, though. See you in a few weeks?" Hermione offered, and I nodded. Well, until George butted in.

"You mean we're not telling her about the rumors?"

I was taken back. Rumors. "What are you talking about, rumors?"

Hermione sighed and mentally face-palmed. "We weren't going to tell her, George. Hint hint. Thanks, though. Now we kind of have to."

"Uh, excuse me? Tell me what?" I looked over at Harry, who looked down sadly.

"Owls have been intercepted… on their way to America. We… we're not sure how reliable they are but… we think that the death eaters are going to make a comeback… in America."

And just like that, my world temporarily stopped. My smile disappeared from my expression, and my body tensed up. I felt, well, frozen. I gulped, and tried to speak without showing my fear. It didn't work out well. "Th-They're… back?"

Ron nodded. "We originally came so early to check on you and make sure you were alright… we weren't going to tell you until we knew for sure…"

Rumors. They said rumors. That's okay, then. This could all just be some fluke, just a cruel joke or something. As soon as the Battle of Hogwarts ended, the Ministry tracked down and arrested as many Death Eaters as they could. But then again, many made it away and went into hiding… oh merlin. Were they going to try and continue the war now? Three years later? No, no of course not. I'm too paranoid. I need to calm down.

Swallowing the lump that was slowly forming in my throat, I sighed. "You… I need to be by myself for a while. Could you – could you just… leave please…"

George took a couple strides toward me and placed his hand on my back protectively. "Are you okay?" He asked, concerned. I nodded sheepishly, replying that I was fine. Of course, like usual, he saw right through me. "I'm staying here, at least for tonight. Then I'll leave and you can have your free time tomorrow. Deal?"

I sighed. "Fine… but could the rest of you please…"

The other three nodded sorrowfully. Harry stepped forward and pulled me into a brotherly embrace. "It's going to be okay, Ari. For all we know, it's probably just a stupid rumor that the ministry has uncovered or something. But it's getting late, you should rest."

With that, Harry kissed my forehead and nodded to Ron and Hermione before apparating out of my apartment. I turned to George and opened the closet door before pulling out an extra pillow and blanket. "Alright, well… you can have the bedroom, I guess, and I'll take the sofa-"

"Nope." George shook his head stubbornly. "Nah, I'll take the couch. It's your apartment, after all."

"No-"

Puppy dog eyes.

Why was it always the puppy dog eyes with him? If it were anyone else, they wouldn't work. Was… was it because I kept seeing him as Fred? No, I don't think so. Maybe. "Fine," I crossed my arms and pouted, glaring playfully at the ground.

"Hey, little Potter?" George asked after a moment.

"Yeah, what is-"

Before I had the time to finish my sentence, George tackled me to the ground, his hands 'attacking' my sides. After screaming in surprise, I busted out in automatic laughter and began kicking to push the redhead off. "G-George!"

"Yes?" He paused sitting up.

"I-I give in!" I giggled, "Uncle!"

George pretended to stroke the goatee that he didn't have in thought. "That quickly?"

I glared and struggled to push him off. "George!" I yelled.

The Weasley frowned and stood up, holding out his hand. "Sorry, Ari. Thought I could try to help you get your mind off things. I know that you're still having nightmares." Once I took his hand, he pulled me up easily. I walked away and took a seat on the couch.

"How?" I scoffed. "How could you possibly know about them? I haven't told anyone!" I brought my knees up to my chest and, with a frown, decided to leave Steve out of it. Besides, we haven't talked much since the day I got lost in the city. And he only knew of them. Not what they were about.

"I've known you since you were an ickle first year – even if we did hate each other back then. I could see it in your eyes; you haven't been sleeping well, have you?"