In the morning, Elizabeth woke to Hermione throwing her clothes on her face.

"Ron's hungry, so we're going looking for a town."

"I was hungry last night, and you didn't go and get me a town," Fred said through the jeans that were covering his head.

"Sorry, I didn't know they had a 'town shop' or that you needed one," Elizabeth laughed, freeing his face. "Hurry, she'll tear down the tent with us in it."

Two minutes later, they were outside, watching Hermione take down the protective enchantments.

"Are you okay to Apparate?" Fred looked at Ron, who had more color in his face than the night before.

"Yeah," Ron nodded. "Mostly hungry now."

They Apparated to a small market town, and, against Fred's protests, Elizabeth went into the town, covered in her invisibility cloak. The boys agreed that bacon sandwiches would cure all the wrongs in the world, while Hermione went along with the order with an eye roll and a grimace, explaining that it would be safer to get food from one place.

However, Elizabeth had barely entered the town when an unnatural chill, a descending mist, and a sudden darkening of the skies made her freeze where she stood.

"But you can make a brilliant Patronus!" protested Ron, when Elizabeth arrived back at the tent empty-handed, out of breath, and mouthing the single word, dementors.

"I couldn't make one," Elizabeth managed, clutching the stitch in her side.

"So we still haven't got any food."

"Shut up, Ron," Fred snapped, putting his arm around Elizabeth. "Did you run all the way here?"

Elizabeth nodded. "I'm sorry, Ron."

"Don't talk to him," Fred glared at his brother.

"I'm starving!" Ron protested. "All I've had since I bled half to death is a couple of toadstools!"

"You go and fight your way through the dementors then," Elizabeth snapped.

"I would, but my arm's in a sling, in case you hadn't noticed!"

"That's convenient."

Fred looked down at her, shocked at the venom in her voice. "Betsy—

"And what's that supposed to mean?" Ron said, glaring.

"It's supposed to mean that if you didn't—

"Of course!" Hermione broke in, startling them all into silence. "Elizabeth, give me the locket! Come on," she said impatiently, clicking her fingers when Elizabeth didn't immediately react. "The Horcrux, Elizabeth, you're still wearing it!"

She held out her hands, and Elizabeth lifted the golden chain over her head. The moment it parted contact with her skin, she felt free and oddly light. She had not even realized that she was clammy or that there was a heavy weight pressing on her stomach until both sensations lifted.

"Better?" asked Hermione.

"Yeah," Elizabeth nodded. "Loads better, actually."

"Betsy," Fred took hold of her shoulders and looked at her earnestly. "You don't think you've been possessed, do you?"

"What?" Elizabeth shook her head. "No! I remember everything we've done while I've been wearing it. I wouldn't know that if I'd been possessed, would I? Ginny told me there were times…" She trailed off. "Sorry," she put her arms around Fred and laid her head on his shoulder. He didn't say anything, just squeezed his arms tight around her.

"Well, maybe we ought not to wear it," Hermione said thoughtfully. "We can just keep it in the tent."

"We're not leaving a Horcrux lying around," Elizabeth said firmly. "If we lose it, if it gets stolen—

"Oh, all right," Hermione slipped the chain around her neck and tucked the locket out of sight down the front of her shirt. "But we'll take turns wearing it, so nobody keeps it on too long."

"Great," said Ron irritably, "and now we've sorted that out, can we please get some food?"

"Fine, but we'll go somewhere else to find it," said Hermione. "There's no point in staying where we know dementors are swooping around."

"Kent," Elizabeth said suddenly.

"What?" Fred looked at her.

"Hermione, can you do a Fidelius Charm?"

"Maybe," Hermione said. "It's pretty complicated magic, and I've never tried… why?"

"I'm still the owner of all of Sirius' houses," Elizabeth said. "There's one in Kent. In Maidstone. If we can set up a Fidelius Charm, we can create another Headquarters. Ron probably needs another day or two of rest, and it would be even better if it were in a real bed."

"But won't the Death Eaters be watching that too?"

"It's worth a shot," Elizabeth shrugged. "We can Polyjuice one of us and go into town for food."

"Unless there are dementors there too," Ron grumbled.

"She couldn't produce a Patronus with a piece of Voldemort's soul around her neck," Fred looked at Ron disapprovingly. "Shut up."

"You sounded like Dad until that last part," Ron rolled his eyes.

"We can't stand around here bickering," Hermione said, holding taking Ron's uninjured arm, and holding out her free hand to Elizabeth. "Elizabeth will have to lead."

Elizabeth took her hand and kept her other arm around Fred's waist. He put one arm around his girlfriend's shoulders and then held out his other hand, glaring at Ron until the younger wizard slunk over to allow himself to be pulled to his brother's side. "We're not losing any body parts this time," Fred said firmly. "We stay together until we're sure it's safe. Got it?"

"More like Mum, then," Ron muttered, but seemed to understand the sentiment the older man was conveying.

Elizabeth closed her eyes and tightened her grip on Hermione and Fred before murmuring a charm and spinning on the spot.

*S*S*

"It's a…farm…" Ron said, looking at the big house in the middle of a field.

"It's rural," Hermione said. "But that's good. Less chance of Muggles walking by. It's more like… an American plantation."

"Where do you keep all that information?" Ron looked at her head as if he were going to find a trap door.

"The Fidelius Charm," Hermione said, ignoring the question, "is complicated, and requires three witches or wizards. So," she stepped several yards away from the house. "Elizabeth and Fred, we need to form a triangle around the house."

Elizabeth and Fred went in opposite directions around the structure, standing facing out like Hermione.

"You have to repeat my spells," Hermione called. "Ready?"

"Yes," the other two chorused, wands raised.

"Alright then," Hermione took a deep breath and pointed her wand into the field. "In limine, hincus, absit invidia."

"In limine, hincus, absit invidia." Elizabeth and Fred repeated.

"Non nocet, Non hostem," Hermione said clearly.

Elizabeth and Fred repeated her line, and they went on like that, back and forth as Hermione carefully laid out the spells. After several lines, Hermione had them all turn toward the house, and Elizabeth saw that the image was starting to waver, like it was a picture, out of focus.

"You don't repeat this," Hemione said then. "Just keep your wands on the house."

"Dictum meum pactum," she said. "Serviam servabo. Consummatum est,"

The house vanished. Completely disappeared right before Elizabeth's eyes. She blinked, as her eyes reeled from the suddenly change.

"Here," Hermione gestured the other three to her, and when they were in a tight knot, whispered. "The new headquarters of the Order of the Phoenix is 352 Kettlewealth Lane, Maidstone, Kent."

Elizabeth looked up, and the house came back into view. "Wicked."

"It worked," Hermione said, a bit out a breath.

"Of course it did," Ron slung his good arm around her shoulders. "You're brilliant."

"Let's go inside," Elizabeth said. "If this place is like the London house, there's a magical fridge."

"You guys know that food isn't free, right?" Fred followed the others into the house. "Maybe we should be careful."

"Maybe we should rig it so that the fridge charges the Malfoys," Ron said, leading the way into the kitchen.

"Or we could just eat," Elizabeth said, sitting at the table and looking around. "Apparently this house belonged to Sirius' Uncle Alphard, so we don't need to worry about too much Dark Magic. Sirius' mum blasted him off the family tree."

"What are you doing over there?" Fred looked at Hermione, who was sitting at the table, bent over a bit of parchment she'd pulled from her bag.

"I'm trying to work out how to modify the Lexis charm."

"Like the map?" Ron pulled bacon out of the refrigerator and looked helplessly at Elizabeth. "What do I do with it now?"

Hermione nodded "Like the map, except there can't be a password. I just want Order members to be able to read it."

"To tell them where we are?" Fred nodded. "Just give it to Elizabeth, Ron."

"I'm teaching you to cook," Elizabeth said to her fiancé, taking the bacon from Ron. "Why don't you sit over there where you'll be safe?"

"I want to tell them where we are," Hermione said, as if there weren't other conversations going on around her. "But I don't want anyone else to be able to read it. It doesn't need to be insulting or anything."

"You talk that way?" Fred asked, aghast. "In a Marauder's house?"

"No more talking now," Hermione said. "Elizabeth, entertain your boy and his brother."

"Oh sure, now he's my boy's brother," Elizabeth rolled her eyes. "I'm cooking, which I think was our first mission."

"Why don't we check out the rest of the house?" Fred suggested, heading toward the living room.

"Shut down the floo, if it's still running," Elizabeth said, tossing bacon into a pan. "It would be a shame to go to all that trouble of making Hermione the Secret Keeper, then having Voldemort come through the floo."

"Right," Fred said affably, going into the other room with Ron.

"You think it's safe to send a message?" Elizabeth asked Hermione.

"If I can get this to work," Hermione nodded. "You don't want to let Snape know where you are?"

"Yeah, but I'm not wild about the idea of Remus knowing where we are."

"You should give him a break," Hermione shook her head. "I'm sure he'll come to his senses."

"Dad looked mad enough to make that happen," Elizabeth rolled her eyes. "But I don't think he would on his own."

"There," Hermione said, holding out the parchment. "Look at that."

Elizabeth looked. "It's blank."

"Good," Hermione grinned. "Fred! Ron!"

The Weasley boys appeared, and she shoved the paper under their noses. "Look."

"That's too obvious, Hermione," Fred said. "You can't just send a note."

Hermione's smile broadened. "Wait, just a second." She waved her wand again, muttering, and then held the parchment up again.

"Where did the note go?" Ron asked.

"No where," Fred looked at his brother. "It's right there."

"Just for you," Hermione did a little dance. "I charmed it so that only male Order members over the age of 18 could read it."

"That's almost everybody," Elizabeth said, putting bacon sandwiches on the table. "Just you, me, Ron, Tonks, and Mrs. Weasley, really."

"Well I can charm it for anything," Hermione said. "Like an age line. I'm thinking we can't trust Mundungus, but we can't be sure that he won't be considered an Order member." She sat back down at the table. "How old is Snape?"

"Thirty-eight," Elizabeth said. "But if anyone asks, he's thirty-five."

"The dungeon bat lies about his age?" Ron asked.

Elizabeth glared at him, "Kind of like you lie about how many girls you've—

"Wow, an age line," Fred broke in hurriedly. "Tell us more, Hermione."

Hermione folded the parchment. "Male Order members between the ages of 37 and 39 will be able to read the message. To everyone else, it will say…" she held up the folded note.

"To Severus Snape," Elizabeth read. "And it'll be blank inside?"

"No," Hermione shook her head. "That would look suspicious. It'll look like a harmless note about a student who needs Potions tutoring. But we've got to send it. Hedwig is at Spinner's End?"

"I thought it'd be best," Elizabeth said sadly. "I can't very well tote her around with us."

"I'll go into town and use a Post Owl," Hermione said.

"You can't," Ron said startled. "You'll be recognized."

"I have Polyjuice Potion," Hermione said. "And some random Muggle hair for just this kind of thing. If anyone asks, I'll be a mother sending a note to my child's Headmaster."

*S*S*

Severus Snape sat at the head of the quiet Great Hall. The only sounds were utensils against plates, and an occasional murmur. The silence didn't concern him. He'd always been annoyed by the lack of discipline that Albus had installed. He much preferred the school to be run as he'd always run his House.

The evening Post arrived, carted in by Filch, since all the mail was being carefully screened by order of the Ministry.

"Here you are, Headmaster," Filch grumbled, handing him a folded piece of parchment. "Parents thinkin' that you have time for helpin' brats."

"Hmm," Severus said noncommittally, the handwriting on the outside of the note sparking recognition in the back of his mind. He slid the note into his inner robe pocket, not pulling it out until he was back in his dungeon rooms.

The new headquarters of the Order of the Phoenix is 352 Kettlewealth Lane, Maidstone, Kent.

Severus frowned, then, rummaging in his desk, found a packet of papers. Laying them on the desktop, he compared the handwriting. "Miss Granger," he said quietly.

"Where are you going, Professor?" Alecto Carrow's cold voice slid over him like razor blades as he made his way to the front door.

Severus glanced at the clock in the front hall. "Hagrid was supposed to have his dunderheaded-detainees back by this time. Clearly I have to have a conversation with him about time management." He stalked out the door and away from the prying eyes of the Muggle Studies teacher.

He did, indeed, walk down to the Forbidden Forest, holding the pretense of going in search of Hagrid. However, once he'd gone beyond the tree line, and past the line of Apparation-ban, he did just that, popping into his backyard at Spinners' End.

"Can you read this?" Severus held the note up to Tonks.

She scanned it. "Requests for private tutoring? Has this parent met you?"

Severus made a growling noise, but shook his head. "Where is your other half?"

"Upstairs, painting little baby dragons on the wall of the nursery."

Severus headed up the stairs, stopping in the doorway of the bedroom that they'd declared to be the nursery. Sirius had, without thinking, mentioned that Elizabeth's room had once been a nursery, but the glares the other two men gave him at the thought of not keeping their angel's room exactly as it was made him reconsider his point.

"Your penitence continues?" Severus said dryly.

"She says jump…" Remus smiled back. "Or paint, in this case."

"You deserve it," Severus said. "Look at this for a moment." He held out the parchment.

Remus took the sheet and read it. "A new Headquarters?"

Severus nodded. "It appears that Miss Granger has set up a Fidelius Charm."

"You want to adopt that girl, don't you?" Remus grinned.

"Seems imprudent, now that she's of age," Severus smirked.

"Ah, then you could marry her."

Severus grimaced. "A woman young enough to be my daughter? I think not."

"Don't knock it 'til you've tried it," Remus grinned.

"Nymphadora is eight years younger, not twenty."

"Alright, alright," Remus shrugged. "We need to show Sirius."

"The mutt is still here?"

"Your daughter left him homeless, remember?"

"She should have asked," Severus sighed. "I would have taken care of it before her birthday."

"She didn't want to mention the money to you."

"Well then, you should have."

"I'm full of bad decisions lately," Remus sighed. "Let's show this to Sirius and go over there. Might put you in a better mood."

"I'm in a fine mood."

"Minerva says you're baiting Voldemort."

"Minerva should keep her nose out of it," Severus snapped, taking the parchment and heading out into the hall.

When they reached Sirius, he examined the paper. "This…" his tongue tied, and he thought for a moment, trying to communicate without saying what the Fidelius Charm was prohibiting. "One of my old houses."

"Perfect, perhaps you can move in," Severus said swiftly, striding back down the stairs. "Everyone ready?"

"Are you coming, Dora?" Remus looked at Tonks.

"Going where?"

Severus shook his head. "The parchment is charmed. Just for the three of us, though I don't know how she did it. You can't charm writing for specific people, at least not that I know of." He looked at Tonks. "We'll be back soon."

*S*S*

Severus Snape had never been prouder than pinned to the wall by his daughter's wand tip. "I am Severus Tobias Snape," he said calmly. "My mother was Eileen Prince, and you used to wear her emerald bracelet on your wrist."

Elizabeth released him. "It doesn't work anymore," she said, shrugging. "Since my birthday."

"You're closing your mind?"

"I'm trying," Elizabeth said, not meeting his eyes. Severus looked at Fred, who shook his head.

Changing the subject, Severus looked behind him out the door. "Remus and the Mutt are out there. I promise that they are who they say they are."

"Bring them in so we can close the door," Hermione called from the kitchen.

"Ah," Severus followed her voice as Fred ushered in the other two men. "Our Secret Keeper."

"I'm sorry about sending the note to Hogwarts," Hermione said as they all filed into the kitchen.

"The parchment worked beautifully," Severus assured her. "How did you charm it to reveal itself only to the three of us?"

"It's not," Hermione shook her head. "It's charmed for Order members in a very specific age range. We weren't sure we could… trust… all the Order members."

"Astute," Severus nodded once. "Alright then, you," he motioned to Hermione, "tell me what has happened since Remus saw you in London. You," he pointed at Remus, "and you," he gave another jab of his finger at Elizabeth, "go talk."

"I just about to make tea," Elizabeth protested.

"You were just about to do as you were told," Severus said sharply.

Ron, Fred, and Sirius stood awkwardly to the side. "What are we supposed to do?" Ron whispered.

"It's best to stay still until given instructions," Sirius whispered back.

"I'll make tea," Hermione said. "Sit down, guys."

*S*S*

"I went back to her," Remus said quietly, standing awkwardly with Elizabeth in the living room.

"Good for you." Elizabeth said coldly.

"I thought that's what you wanted," Remus ran one finger along the woodwork on the mantle.

"I don't care what you do," Elizabeth shrugged.

"I'm sorry," Remus said softly. "Dora has forgiven me, and we're doing well."

"Good for you."

"Elizabeth…" Remus sighed. "I said I was sorry."

"And that's nice," Elizabeth raised an eyebrow. "But that won't keep you from taking off again."

"I won't," Remus said firmly. "Listen to me," he took a step toward her, and when she didn't move away, put his hands on her shoulders. "When you were born, your father was over the moon. If Severus Snape knew how to jig, he would have. And I thought I'd never be able to have that. But I have. With you, and now with this baby. But with you, I didn't have to worry that my condition would hurt you. You had your father. I was afraid that I couldn't be the father Severus was to you. Maybe all I was capable of was being a godfather."

"All?" Elizabeth glared at him. "You think our relationship is less than mine and Dad's?"

"No," Remus shook his head. "I'm so sorry if that's what you felt when I told you. I was an idiot. But I can't leave here knowing that you're still upset with me."

Elizabeth looked down at her feet, then back up at him. "If you leave any of us again, I'll kill you myself."

"Fair enough," Remus nodded soberly. "Never, I promise."

"Good, then." Elizabeth bit her lip. "I don't like it when we fight."

"Me either," Remus put his arms around her and hugged her hard. "I love you so much, Sevling."

"I love you too," Elizabeth put her arms around his waist. "I wish I could have let you come with us," she muttered into his shirt.

"When we go back in there, is Hermione going to be telling your father that you attacked the Ministry?"

Elizabeth grimaced and pulled away from him. "Maybe we should stay here for a little bit."

"Find anything worthwhile?"

Elizabeth nodded. "Now we just have to figure out how to destroy it. The diary was easy, I just stabbed it. I still don't know how Dumbledore destroyed the ring, but it probably wasn't with a basilisk fang. Not that we have one lying about anyway."

"Yes we do," Remus said suddenly. "You had me go back down to the Chamber, remember? To get the fangs and the venom for Severus. I'm sure he still has them, you know how anal he is about ingredients."

"Dad!" Elizabeth sprinted out of the room and into the kitchen, Remus hot on her heels.

"Elizabeth Rose, do you have any idea the waves you four created—

"The basilisk venom," Elizabeth interrupted. "Do you still have it?"

"The Ministry—

"Dad!" Elizabeth held up the locket they'd hung on a nail in the kitchen. "The basilisk venom, from second year. We need it to destroy the Horcrux."

Severus was silent for a long moment. "We can't get it out of Hogwarts. You can't Apparate with it, you can't summon it, you can't floo with it. It's impossible. And you can't get near Hogwarts."

Elizabeth pressed her lips together. It couldn't be impossible.