[A/N: I love Ron Weasley! And so did the DH movie so, yeah, I gave him the win]

Hermione led us into a small coffee shop where we all sat down at a table. My heart was pounding in my chest and my kid was kicking me relentlessly.

"I'm being pummeled from the inside," I groaned. "She's not supposed to have enough room to kick me so much now."

"Try to relax, maybe she'll calm down," Hermione suggested.

"Easier said than done," I replied. "What's going on?"

"I think Voldemort has probably taken over control of the ministry now," Harry said.

I nodded in agreement.

"Where should we go now? We have to keep hidden," Ron said.

"I was thinking. . . We are quite near to Grimmauld Place," Hermione said.

"And with the Fidelius charm they wouldn't be able to find us," I said.

"Except, Snape and Draco both know where it is," Harry pointed out.

"We haven't got very many options Harry. There's no place else to go," I said.

The door to the coffee shop opened and two workmen walked inside up to the counter.

"I say we just go. Moody says that the place has a protection on it that will keep Snape out and if Draco goes then-."

Harry reached over and cupped his hand over my mouth.

"What?" I asked pulling it away. He nodded up toward the counter. I could see them now, the wands in the workmen's pockets. I quickly reached down and grabbed a hold of my own.

Everything happened quickly after that. We went quickly to work exchanging spells with thedeath eaters, with Harry and Hermione delivering the final blows to each of them.

"How did they find us?" I asked.

"I don't know but I'm sure if these two don't turn back up they'll come 'round looking for us again," Ron said.

"We'd better get to Grimmauld then. Right now," Harry said.

We followed Hermione through the crowded streets. Slowly, the crowds tapered off and the streets began to look more familiar. Finally, we arrived at Grimmauld place. It looked exactly as it had when I'd been here in the spring.

Harry went to open the front door and grabbed onto his shoulder to keep him from doing so. He looked back at me.

"Remember, Moody put some kind of protection up. . . Be careful," I said.

Harry nodded and pushed the door open. The four of us stepped inside and closed the door gently behind us. It was just as dark and creepy as it usually was.

But then we heard a voice, a familiar voice—Dumbledore's voice.

"Severus. . ." It said. I grabbed onto Harry's hand tightly. "Severus, is that you?"

"No," Harry responded it. We all shushed him at once.

"Why did you kill me Severus?" A pair of glowing red eyes appeared and started closed to us. Eventually, we could see a figure, Dumbledore's figure speeding toward us, eyes glowing red shouting "You killed me Severus! You killed me!"

Hermione and I let out a scream as it reached us and then is vanished.

"Everyone okay?" Harry asked.

"Give me a few minutes to make sure the shock didn't send me into premature labor," I said.

"Don't even joke about that," Harry said. "Your actual, on time labor is going to be terrifying enough as it is."

We walked through the kitchen to the lounge and sat down to compose ourselves.

"So. . . Now what?" Ron asked.

"Think really hard until we figure something out," I said. "Even if we knew more than we do now, we can't really do anything while there's a baby on board."

"True," Hermione said. "Then maybe we should think about how we even intend to contact Draco about the baby so he can take her, if that's what you still intend to do."

"It is. She won't be safe with anyone else. Besides, it'll send up red flags if we leave her with anyone else. They might think that they know where we are, no matter how inconspicuously we go about it," I said.

Ron nodded in agreement. "It'll all depend on where Draco is won't it? Whether he goes back to Hogwarts or if he stays home this year if the school is closed."

"That'll all have been decided now that he's in power won't it?" Harry asked.

I nodded in agreement.

Before we could continue our conversation any further, a weasel patronus appeared in the living room with us. It was Mister Weasley's.

"We are safe. Do not respond. We are being watched."

We breathed a collective sigh of relief at this.

"Thank goodness," Hermione said.

". . . Who do you suppose showed up?" Ron asked.

"The usual—Lestrange, Kevin, probably even Snape," Harry said.

"What about Draco?" Ron asked.

"I doubt Draco Malfoy has the balls to face our family after what he did," I said. "He's a coward, remember?"

I got to my feet.

"Where are you going?" Hermione asked.

"Going to burn off my frustration with him by checking out how things are in the kitchen," I said.

I walked into the kitchen started ruffling through the cabinets. I was angry with Draco, definitely, and everyone else was too. If he decided to show up at the Burrow with the rest of the death eaters, offering no explanation of what he did or why he did what he did, everyone would remain angry with him. But I knew that if Draco showed up, asking for forgiveness he would get it. It'd take an eternity to win back their trust but they'd give him a chance.

Even if that were the case though, I wasn't sure if I would forgive him. How many times had I done it already? Too many times. Once was enough.

Before I could think on it anymore, the scar on the back of my neck began to throb painfully. I retreated from the cabinets and sat down in an old chair. The pain became more and more intense. I wanted to scream

And then I saw it. I could only make out fuzzy images—Voldemort definitely, and perhaps a death eater, he was screaming in pain. Voldemort was shouting at him. My occlumency was getting the better of me, I could hardly understand what was going on.

Just as I thought I might be able to make sense of it all, the images fluttered away. The pain receded and I opened my eyes.

I quickly got to my feet and went into the lounge. Ron and Hermione were both sitting on the couch preparing sleeping bags for the night.

"Where'd Harry go?" I asked.

"Bathroom," Hermione said pointing.

I walked past her and headed upstairs.

I knocked on the door.

"Harry, are you okay?" I asked.

He opened the door and pulled me inside.

"Did you see it too?" he asked.

"I don't know what I saw," I said.

"That death eater from the café, Voldemort was torturing him," he said shaking his head.

"This isn't supposed to be happening anymore. After what happened in fifth year the connection is supposed to be closed. Even Voldemort thinks it's too dangerous to get into our heads after what we pulled," I said. "Something isn't right, Harry."

"It'll be alright," he said. "Don't think on it."

"Yeah, that's going to happen," I said. "We shouldn't tell Ron and Hermione either. They'll only worry and they worry enough as it is."

"Mostly about you," he said. "Are you going to be okay?"

"I think I'll feel better once we have a plan," I said.

888

Sleep didn't come easy that night. The fuzzy images I'd seen in my head were clearer in my dreams and I woke frequently. My back was aching from sleeping on the couch because Hermione insisted that we all stay together his first night.

Tomorrow night I would be sleeping in a bed. She could share with me if she was so concerned.

When I woke for the final time, the sun was creeping in through the windows. I sat up from the couch. Ron and Hermione, though in separate sleeping bags were embraced together on the floor. Harry was lying awake on the floor at the foot of the couch.

"Didn't sleep well either did you?" I asked him.

He looked up at me, as if he were surprised that I was awake and nodded.

I climbed out of my sleeping bag and swung my legs over on the floor.

"What do you say to a little exploring?" he offered.

I shrugged. "Why not."

He climbed out of his sleeping bag and we both walked up stairs and went straight to Sirius' room. It was a little odd snooping around his room knowing very that, if he wanted, he could come by here and no one would be the wiser. Still, snooping was in our nature.

There were pictures everywhere—the one that we'd given him for Christmas when we were 15, random ones of us from the summers we'd spent together, the picture of the two of us in St. Mungo's that the Prophet took after the battle at the ministry, pictures of Lydia as a baby, pictures of Lydia now, a few pictures of Danielle, Several pictures of Veronica, one picture of Tonks and Lupin where they both looked peeved and then there was one of him and the rest of the Marauders in Hogwarts.

After I took in the pictures I looked over the rest of the room. It was a mess. I knew Sirius to be a messy person but even this was bad for him. Someone had been in here before us.

"I reckon Snape's been here," Harry said.

"I was starting to get that feeling as well," I replied.

"Look at this," he said holding up a piece of paper. "It's a letter from mum."

I walked over and knelt down beside Harry and read it over.

Dear Padfoot,

I bet you think you're super funny for sending Harry that broom for his birthday. He's only a year old and already zooming around destroying every breakable thing in the house. He loves it (of course) and James reckons he's going to be a superb Quidditch player—who am I to disagree? As for Hannah, she zoomed around on her broom once and threw up on Harry after which he cried, Hannah however, found this to be a suitable to lie down on the floor and go to sleep. She's just like James—causing trouble and then behaving as if nothing ever happened.

In other news, Bathilda has been over a few times. She tells the oddest stories about Dumbledore and his family growing up around here. Says he might've accidentally killed his squib sister. Don't think I buy it—it's Dumbledore after all. I think old Bathilda is losing her marbles.

Wormy's been by recently, though he looked a bit down. Can't say I blame him with the way things are now. Even James is getting a touch of cabin fever. Dumbledore still has his cloak so there's no hopes of him sneaking out. But the Order's got to come first, obviously.

Anyway, I hope everything's alright with you and Veronica. Must be handful taking care of her niece now isn't it? Tell the others I said hello and—

But the letter ended there. Harry searched around for the other page but it was gone.

"Hannah, did you know Dumbledore grew up in Godric's Hollow?" he asked me.

I nodded. "I asked him where he lived way back when and he told me, but he didn't say much other than that. To be perfectly honest I don't know much about his childhood or his time at Hogwarts."

"I'm beginning to feel like I didn't know him at all," Harry said.

"I reckon there's not a person who does know him," I said. "Dumbledore is so put together and kind on the outside but I think he has his demons just like everyone else does. I try not to think about it. I figure that I knew him well enough didn't I?"

Harry nodded.

"Oi!" we heard Ron call out.

"What?" I asked.

"Come and see!" he proclaimed. "I'm so awesome I can hardly contain myself."

We walked out of Sirius room and down the corridor to his brother's room where Ron stood.

"What?" I asked again.

He pointed to the door plate on the door.

"Regulus Arcturus Black," Ron said.

"So you can read, brilliant," Harry said.

"I can read as a matter of fact. For instance, I can tell that his initials are R-A-B, just like the writer of a special note we found inside of a fake horcrux," Ron said.

Harry, Hermione and I exchanged glances.

". . . Sirius said that Regulus was a death eater and Voldemort did kill him," I said.

"Oh, my God, Ron. . . You're right," Hermione said.

"Yes, I am. . . Now all of you say you're sorry for doubting me," he said.

[Chapter title credit to The Remus Lupins for the song "Looking For Trouble".]