A/N: So, with exception of the very beginning, this is mostly new material! And I'm sorry-I'm making the way things go even more heartbreaking! (Ducks and hides). Any way, hope you enjoy. And, yes, I realize that I am updating an insane amount-I want to get this story completely done and start working on something new! Beyond that, I have had a lot more of this edited for awhile than what I had posted, so I'm trying to catch up to where I am in editing the story.

For those reading for the first time, I apologize-the next few chapters may be a little wonky as far as ordering goes. I'd recommend waiting until they are updated (shouldn't take too long).

Updated: 5/23/2018

The weeks flew by, fading quickly into winter and Yule time. Bailey attended Slughorn's Christmas party with Blaise, causing yet more exchanges of money between their Housemates. She wasn't positive, but she was fairly sure that even Blaise himself had got a cut. Draco had tried to sneak into the party, sending her godbrother into orbit and her Master to lecture extensively.

By the time it was time to go home, however, Harry was acting like an overgrown puppy in an attempt to get her excited for Christmas. After all, this was the first year he would be spending Christmas with his official guardian and he could not be happier, despite lacking a very important family member. He had even bought the baby, which her mum had just found out was a boy, a present. It was a small plush dog that Bailey just knew was going to make her mum cry on Christmas morning. She intended to have fun watching the show: somehow, she just knew that Harry would have absolutely no idea what to do with the overemotional pregnant woman.

"Amazing! She can dress herself!" Amelia said sarcastically as Bailey swung herself up into the carriage where her friends were waiting. She had had an early morning meeting with Professor Snape, who had very reluctantly given her permission to make any potions she wanted over break, only ordering her to let him know every potion she made and to send him samples. They both knew that she would only be doing that for a small fraction of the potions she would be making.

"Shove off, Blackwood," she said as she readjusted her dark purple shirtdress. "A Potions Apprentice has to dress appropriately to meet with her Master."

"Really?" Draco drawled. "I've never seen you dress like this before for a meeting with Snape. Any chance you're meeting with a certain Weasel as soon as we get off the train?"

Bailey blushed. "Unless you want me to slip something into your butterbeer on the way back, shove off."

"So," Blaise said awkwardly. He still did not like her relationship with George. "What are you all planning to do over break?"

Bailey forced herself not to look at Draco. She knew they would be seeing much of each other, not that they could ever tell the other two.

"Well, my parents are headed to Greece for Yule, absolutely demanding that Mikey and I join them, so we won't be going to the Banquet this year, I'm terribly sorry," she said to Draco.

"Not very many people are this year," he mumbled. "Mother's cut back the guest list."

No one met each other's eyes. It went unspoken that the Dark Lord had made the Malfoys' home his base of operations, with Death Eaters of all standings going in and out at all hours. For a proud family such as the Malfoys, it was a punishment to be forced to allow such low lives as Fenrir Greyback into their home, not that they could contest it without losing much more than their ancestral lands. It would be dangerous for anyone else but marked Death Eaters to show their faces anywhere near Malfoy Manor.

"What about you, Blaise?" Amelia went on.

"Visiting my mother's family in Italy. Normally we just go on New Year's but…" he coughed awkwardly. "And you, Bails?"

"Something simple, I hope," she said quietly. None of them talked much for the rest of the ride home. It was too dark for light conversation.

"Bailey! Harry!"

Tilly shouted from near the front of the crowd of parents, Remus and Tonks standing on either side of her. Bailey smiled to herself, seeing her mother smiling with one hand curled protectively over her very rounded belly.

"Merlin, Tilly is enorm—"

"Finish that word in hearing distance of me mum, Potter, an' yeh'll wish she was a witch," Bailey warned. Harry visibly gulped. Bailey laughed and left her godbrother to manage both of their trunks as she weaved her way through the crowd to give her mum a hug.

"Did you have to leave your godbrother with both of the trunks?" her mother scolded.

"Well, I would think the hero of Gryffindor House would love the opportunity to show his chivalry," Bailey replied with a smirk. Her godfather shook his head and gave her a hug as well.

"Wotcher, Harry," Tonks said as her godbrother finally made his way through the crowd. "If you need any advice on living with a Slytherin, owl me. Between me and Da', we ought to write a survival guide."

Harry laughed. "Might just take you up on that. Here," he shoved her trunk towards Bailey. "Think this belongs to you."

Bailey grimaced. "Actually, could you take that back to the farm for me. Only I was going to go and visit George—"

"Oh? An' who's goin' with yeh?" her mother immediately demanded.

"Figured I'd just take the Knight bus—"

"In times like these? I don' think so!"

"Mum, really, I'm practically an adult, I can take care o' meself. Tell 'er, Uncle Rem—"

The werewolf frowned, the expression making him look even older. "Though you are quite the capable witch, Minnie, I think I'll have to agree with your mother on this one. No one should be travelling alone."

"But I told George I would meet him and he'll worry if I just don' show up—"

Remus and Tonks seemed to have a silent conversation over everyone else's heads before making a decision.

"I think I can handle getting these two home—maybe even give Harry here a few pointers, eh?" Tonks said with a wink. "'Sides, I think Moony was wanting to go into Diagon Alley after something anyhow."

Bailey shot her cousin a grateful look and hooked her arm around her godfather's.

"You sure Alastor won't—"

"Don't worry, Remy, I can handle ole Mad-Eye," she said with another wink before she and the others disappeared. Remus watched after them with a somewhat longing look. Bailey grinned.

"How 'long before yeh finally ask 'er?"

Her godfather jumped back as though startled. "Ask her what? I've no idea what you mean."

Bailey just grinned wider. "Sure yeh don', Uncle Rem. Only yeh always were a terrible liar."

"I—I—"

Bailey laughed as she dragged him to the apparition point. After a brief time feeling like they were being sucked down a vacuum hose, they were standing inside the Leaky Cauldron.

"How've the potions I've been sendin' yeh worked?" she asked. "An' tell me the truth."

"Truly, Bailey, they've been a godsend. I could not have asked for a more talented goddaughter," he said kindly.

"There's been no adverse side effects?" she asked, not allowing herself to bask in the praise as she might have once done.

"None whatsoever." Bailey raised an eyebrow at the quick answer. Remus ducked his head sheepishly. "Well, there's a bit of an itchy patch just behind my left ear, but I barely notice it compared to everything else."

Bailey gave a smart nod. "Good. I'll see if I can't straighten that out with next month's batch."

"It's really no trouble, Bails, I've suffered far worse."

"It is and I'll fix it, by Merlin," she said haughtily, but did not have a chance to say more as they had walked into the shop. Bailey immediately spotted the love potions, with one of the shopgirls standing nearby. She gave the other witch a wink before complaining loudly.

"What d'yeh mean I have to show 'proper identification' to buy a love potion?" she demanded loudly. "Since when? It's me own business what I do with my money! I demand to speak to yer mana—ah!"

She yelped when all of a sudden she was spun around by one of said managers, who was wearing a bottle green dragon-skin suit.

"And what d'you need a love potion for?" he said in a husky voice.

Bailey giggled and shrugged, "Don't yeh know I 'ave an entire legion of suitors at me beck an' call? Gotta keep 'em there somehow."

George gave a playful growl. "I'll show you 'legion of suitors'—"

Just before he snogged her good and proper, Uncle Rem cleared his throat rather loudly just behind them.

"I suppose I ought to take that as my cue," he said wryly with an eyebrow raised. "When shall I pick you up, Minnie?"

"It's alright, Professor, sir," George said quickly, adopting that same wide-eyed innocent look that had not helped him escape a single detention since his first year. "I can take her home."

Uncle Rem looked between the two, who were still rather tangled up in each other and crooked a finger at them.

"I hope you have honourable intentions," he said in his best teacherly tone. George stood up straight in an almost salute.

"Of course, sir. What kind of Gryffindor would I be if I didn't?" he said quickly. Remus sighed and shook his head.

"I was not worried about you, Mr. Weasley," he said, shaking his head. Bailey blushed Gryffindor red.

"Why, Uncle Rem, I am the Lady of the House Black," she said imperiously. "Surely you can trust me."

He chuckled and shook his head before kissing the top of her hair. "You truly are your father's daughter. Sometimes I wish we could go back and play princess tea party one last time."

Bailey felt a knot in her throat—though whether it was more grief or shame she was not sure. She swallowed it with some difficulty. "I'll see yeh back at the farm, Uncle Rem. I'm sure Harry's stuck his foot in his mouth with Mum by now, yeh'd better go and rescue him."

Remus chuckled before giving George another nod and leaving. Bailey turned back to her boyfriend.

"You didn't say that you'd be stopping by today," he scolded in a teasing tone.

"Sorry about that, thought I'd make it a surprise," she said with a sheepish grin. "If yeh can't get off, I could just—"

Before she could say anything else, George shouted over his shoulder to his twin. "Oi! Freddie! I'm off for the day!"

Fred leaned over the balcony from the shelves he was stocking and rolled his eyes when he saw his brother's girlfriend. "Oh, wherefore art thou, Skivero?"

George made a rude gesture while Bailey laughed and helped him into his coat. The couple then apparated into a muggle park inside of London, figuring that would be safer than hanging around Diagon Alley. They walked until George laid out an old blanket under a tree, discreetly casting a warming charm on it. Bailey snuggled into his side immediately and he began playing with her fingers.

"Do you ever think about what you're going to do after Hogwarts?" he asked, not quite meeting her eye.

"Dunno," she shrugged. "I suppose that I'll stay on for awhile to finish my Apprenticeship with Snape, then maybe go to work for Mungo's or something—experimental potions and the like. Hopefully by then I'll get me full inheritance from the Ministry…."

He nodded, his cheeks already quite pink with the cold air surrounding them. "You ever—ahem—you ever think about something after Hogwarts besides potions and inheritance?"

Bailey furrowed her eyebrows. "What d'yeh mean? Like teachin'? I don' think that I could put up with a bunch o' horny teenagers fer the rest o' me life—"

"No, no, Bailey, listen carefully," he grabbed her hands and brought it up to his lips for a small kiss. "I'm not talking about potions or teaching—but something else. Been on my mind a lot—what with the war goin' on and not knowing what's coming—we gotta live life to the fullest, y'know—and I was just wondering if you've got any plans for after you graduate—"

Bailey blinked a few times, noticing how serious his jolly brown eyes looked. She frowned.

"I'm afraid I'm rather confused, George. I don't know quite what yeh're gettin' at," she said slowly, brows furrowed in confusion. There was a flash of hurt in his eyes that was like a stab to her heart.

"Never mind. It's not important," he said gruffly, turning away from her. She grabbed his face and made him look her, her thumb stroking along his cheek.

"No, obviously it is," she said. "Now tell me."

He gave a visible gulp and grabbed the wrist of the hand still on his face. "Have you—" he cleared his throat several times, "have you ever thought—thought about getting married?"

Bailey blinked, slightly taken aback.

"George, surely we're too young for that?" she said. "I'm only sixteen—yeh're only eighteen!"

He looked down and away. "Forget I said anything. It was stupid."

The knife twisted a little further in Bailey's chest and her left wrist gave a dull ache as she studied the sweet, funny, charming boy in front of her. He was so good—to her, to her mother, even to her godbrother. He was too good. Too good for her and her Marked skin. It was selfish of her to keep him like this. But, as she opened her mouth to try and put an end to it before she hurt him even more, she found herself too selfish to do what needed to be done.

"George, please, listen," she said, not liking how much it sounded like she was begging. "I don' want… I don' want us to get married jus' because we're scared of losin' each other. I want us to get married because we love each other, alright? Can you understand tha'?"

George was still looking down at the ground, so Bailey took his face in her hands again ever-so-gently. But, before she could see his reaction, his lips crashed into hers, all but knocking her to the ground. Despite herself and that ache in her wrist, she found her hands wandering up and down his back as his worked her hair loose from the updo she had done that morning back at Hogwarts. Finally, when her hair was a rat's nest and his shirt was thoroughly untucked from his trousers, he lifted off her, his grin brighter than she had ever seen it.

"What was that for?" she asked, a tad breathlessly.

"You said that you wanted us to get married," he replied. She flushed bright pink as he chuckled and brought her in for a slightly more chaste kiss. Yet, she still felt that knife in her heart, and that ache in her wrist. She could not help the feeling that she was leading George Weasley down the path into hell.