A/N: So, yeah, missed the weekly update last week. SORRY. I've had the two weeks from hell, and every time I think it's going to calm down it rears it's ugly head again. "It" is family problems, namely my sister. So…sorry. I'll do my best to keep up, anyway.

-C

The wind whipped Sanna's hair about her face, cold and cruel, and she shivered. September chilled so quickly, and even Hogsmeade seemed a different world in the autumn than it had been not two months before. She rubbed her hands on her arms and dipped inside, waiting in the Hog's Head for Gideon to come back from his patrol.

Forty-eight-hour patrol of the path from the Hogsmeade station to the Hogwarts gates, ending only when the feast was over and the students were safely asleep for the first night back at school.

"Weird to think he had someone doing this when we were students," Gideon said darkly, sitting down and shivering.

Aberforth set two warmed bottles of butterbeer in front of them without a word, and Sanna checked her watch. Ten minutes until they had to go out again.

"Weird to think about a lot of things going on in the world during this war," Sanna said, not arguing as Gideon pulled her legs onto his lap under the table. She took a long sip of her butterbeer as he traced his fingers up her legs through her trousers, glad of the fabric barrier. If his hands were half as cold as hers, it would have been a horrible feeling, otherwise.

"I want to walk with you," Gideon said, and Sanna said if he behaved himself, she'd stay a bit longer after the end of their mission brief and they could get a late bite.

Gideon agreed to this, and they did their separate patrols, Gideon from the pub down to the station and along the lakefront there, Sanna from the pub up to the castle gate and back. Nothing interesting happened, as Dumbledore said was more than possible, and she told herself this was a good thing, no matter how uneasy every flawless mission made her.

When the time was up, Sanna met Gideon outside the Three Broomsticks, about to ask what his plan was when he led her into the cleaner, neater pub and grabbed a key from Madam Rosmerta.

"I don't…" Sanna said, feeling a small wave of discomfort, but Gideon kissed her hand.

"Relax, love," he assured her. "You don't have to stay the night if you don't want to. It's just for a bit of privacy. Between my brother and your roommate, we never get time alone."

Sanna supposed he had a point, so she followed him up the stairs and to the third room on the left. She had barely stepped in and thought the place looked cozy to her very tired body when Gideon closed the door behind them and wrapped his arms around her waist, pressing his lips to her neck.

"Your face is cold," she said, only half teasing, and he sighed against her skin, more amused than annoyed.

"Right, I'll get a fire going," he said. "We can snuggle under the blankets, if you'd like.

Sanna peeled off her jacket and gloves, tossing her hat aside and pulling the blankets from the bed, using a charm Lily had taught her to warm each sheet fully before dragging them to the rug by the fireplace. Gideon peeled off his own coat, slipping off his shoes before he sat beside her on the rug, allowing her to wrap the blankets around them. Sanna felt Gideon's arms around her as they leaned against the footboard of the bed. She closed her weary eyes, his head resting on her shoulder and his lips pressing against her neck.

"You're lovely warm," he sighed.

Sanna laughed, thanking him awkwardly before he lifted his head from her shoulder. She opened her eyes just in time for him to lean in and press his lips to hers.

Every kiss was worth savoring, even if it wasn't quite the way Sanna preferred to be kissed. Gideon was sweet, gentle, not the least bit demanding. He would nudge in a direction he wanted, but when she worked Remus up, he'd been…well, animal. But Gideon might need a bit of coaching if he were to truly satisfy her.

Sanna decided to at least begin his education tonight, nibbling on his lip, worrying his bottom lip until she heard his long, low moan of approval. One of his hands went to her waist to steady himself, and she began to pull away, catching the sound of disappointment in the base of his throat. He leaned in closer, trying to keep the kiss going, and as he leaned in, Sanna kept leaning away, until he was practically on top of her, her smile teasing as he looked down at her with slightly unfocused vision.

"What do you want?" he said, panting slightly. She said nothing, continuing to smile coyly up at him. "Damn, Sanna, what do you want from me?"

"Kiss me," she said, and he frowned, confused.

"But I did," he said, laughing nervously.

"Not like that," she said, tracing her fingers along his neck. "Like you mean it."

He didn't hesitate a moment. From the flash of recognition in his eyes to the almost violent kiss he planted on her lips, it seemed no time passed. Sanna sighed into his mouth as he kissed her hungrily, his hand taking the liberty of tracing up her torso as he hovered above her, letting his mouth and teeth tease her lips, her jaw, her neck as he caressed and squeezed at her body, her breasts.

Sanna let her fingers trace through his hair. It wasn't enough, not nearly enough, but it was better than before, and she would take it. She pressed her lips against his, thinking it was something to build on. And even if it wasn't ever wholly satisfying, kissing Gideon, just about everything else in their relationship was idyllic. Not worth complaining about.

But as she and Remus were at Headquarters the next morning, going over the Healing inventory and doing the periodic cleaning – done in turns – she couldn't help recalling whenever he leaned over her shoulder what it was like when he would nip at the pulse point on her neck, holding her down on the bed and torturing her deliciously with his whole body.

"What's wrong?" he asked about halfway through their shift, restocking the pain potions with ones Lily had brewed the night before.

"Hmm?"

"Well, you've gone quiet," he said, turning to grin and her, "and your face has gone all red. Now either tell me what's wrong, or I'll tell Sirius you're ill."

"Don't you bloody dare," she snapped.

Whenever Sirius thought she was sick, he coddled her like a little baby bird in swaddling cloth.

"You know I would," he said earnestly. "Tell me what's going on, or I'll tell him you're ill."

She growled, and she saw a small change in his pupils at this sound, but he took a few deep breaths to calm himself.

"Sorry," she said, more for the growl than anything else. He shrugged, almost sheepishly. "But it's really nothing, Remus."

"Sanna."

"It's just…frustration."

He frowned, puzzled, trying to figure out what she meant. Suddenly, his eyes widened, and she saw him struggle to take deep breaths again, and he seemed like he was regretting asking.

"I shouldn't have pried," he said quickly, his voice a bit higher than normal. "I…am sorry. Forgive me, Sanna."

"Don't worry about it," she sighed, waving her hand dismissively as she went over the checklist again, her back to him. "It's not like Gideon's done anything bad, anyway. He's just so…nice."

"That's…bad?"

He was like a very befuddled puppy when she looked back up at him, smiling.

"Let's just say you could teach him a thing or two about kissing."

He snorted, but he did lean a bit closer and said, "Don't tempt me, please."

Sanna rolled her eyes. He was half-joking, but he was too much afraid to act, she knew.

He shook his head and said, "I don't know, Sanna. What was it about me?"

"What d'you mean?"

"Well, I didn't kiss you any differently, so why did we break up?"

She doubled a few of the clean cloth strips in size and said, "I don't know. I fell out of love with you. It didn't have to do with anything physical."

"Do you love Gideon?"

His voice was tight, but it was sweet that he was trying so hard to be helpful. Sanna sighed, running her fingers through her hair, tossing it back off her shoulder.

"I don't know, Remus. Isn't it a bit early for all that?"

He gave her a sad smile and said, "You told me you loved me after a week. Did you not mean it?"

"I meant every word," she said, wincing. "I don't know, everything's so different now, you know? The war, our jobs, groceries and sneaking money into Sirius's account when he's not looking to pay rent. Don't you dare tell him."

"I'd never," he said earnestly.

"And everything with Gideon is different. I mean, that's good. I'm not a teenager anymore. I mean, I am, but, you know, not like back then."

"Right. But if you're happy with Gideon, if you feel like you're on the way to loving him, is the kissing the worst thing in the world? I mean, it's not like you don't like kissing him, is it?"

"No," she said, shrugging. "It's just I've got something pretty stellar to compare it to."

He smiled at her, kissing her cheek, a little too close to the corner of her mouth for strict comfort. Her body ached for her to turn her head just a touch, but she didn't dare. They'd come so far, it wouldn't do to spoil things now, and she knew it would be the easiest thing in the world to seduce Remus. Even now.

Instead she pulled back, smiled, and said, "It's just another one of those things I have to puzzle out for myself. But thank you for the sympathy. Sirius doesn't seem to mind listening, but somehow, it's weird, talking about Gideon with him. It's not like with you."

"Yeah, because you knew he was squeezing both sources for the information," he said, wincing. "I doubt he and Gideon have that kind of rapport."

Sanna hummed.

They changed the sheets throughout the house and scrubbed the ceilings before going over the checklist one last time, careful not to miss anything that was due or overdue.

"We must be the most thorough cleaners this place has ever seen," he said brightly as they set down the checklist, placing it on the kitchen counter where they'd found it, to be dealt with in another week's time by another pair.

"Doubt it," she said with a snort. "Mad-Eye does everything in his life at least six times over. I imagine cleaning and restocking are among those things. Nothing too small."

They laughed, grabbed a tea and some biscuits in a small village near Headquarters before Remus Apparated them to her house, Sirius's house, where Sirius was…reading a book?

Remus Flooed from their place, and Sirius showed her the cool book Mrs. Evans had given him – a Muggle contraption with pages that were cut and constructed to pop up at the reader. He was completely enamored with it, and Sanna didn't have the heart to tell him those were made for children who were easily impressed. There were worse things, she mused darkly, than being easily impressed.

Sirius let Sanna make dinner, not because she was any better at cooking – he was loads better – and he continued to play with the little Muggle children's book. She poured some wine, put a fire on, and curled up with him on the floor in front of the sofa, eating their pasta out of cereal bowls and gossiping about cleaning Headquarters. It was the sort of night Sanna thought made long days of work completely worth every exhausting moment, and she hoped there were many more to come of its ilk. Even down to falling asleep sitting up, with her head on his shoulder and his arm around her waist.

Sanna had long since grown used to waking up in strange parts of the house, in all manner of positions, but always with either Sirius beside her, or with the smell of breakfast being made. She woke with Sirius's smell on the blanket wrapped around her as she sat on the sitting room floor, and she could smell…bacon. She sighed, pulling herself up and groaning, ignoring the bark of laughter from the kitchen. No point denying him the right to laugh if he was making her a delicious breakfast.

After all, she had giggled a bit at his fascination with the pop-up book.

Sirius made a nice, hearty breakfast and Sanna promised to pick up some rice for the curry for dinner that night before she came home.

"You're going to come with someone, right?" he said sternly.

"I could always Floo straight here," she said dismissively. "Don't worry, Sirius, I'll be safe."

"I have a right to worry, bug. I'm the one who sits around here while you put yourself at risk."

She rolled her eyes. That was hardly accurate. He was the one who did about three times as many Order missions while she was off in a boring, stuffy office, prodding a silvery fluid with her wand and trying to think of what to do to make it more useful. But there was no point arguing with Sirius when he was like this. Instead, she ate her breakfast, gathered her wand, her favorite quill and ink, and pulled on her large overcoat, not that she needed one in this weather, but because it covered her work robes suitably for transit. Didn't want questions from Muggles.

Sanna left for work after planting a cheerful kiss on Sirius's cheek, Disapparating straight to the alley behind the employee's entrance to the Ministry.

She was about to go inside when she stopped in her tracks, frowning at the sight of Mulciber leaning on the alley wall, watching. He was waiting for her, she realized. This was a relatively secluded locale – chosen as an access point for that reason – and unless she Flooed to work (which most people chose not to do for logistical and cost reasons) she would have to come through this access point before work in the morning, and after it at night. Her hours, as an Unspeakable, were highly predictable, and she couldn't believe she'd been so stupid, sniffing at Sirius's concerns.

"We could make this easy or hard, pet," he said lazily. "Your choice."

"Someone else is going to be here any minute," she said, narrowing her eyes. "You're stupid enough to risk someone else stumbling in to my rescue?"

He smirked.

"It would take moments to do, I assure you," he said, his smile silky. "And by the time someone else arrives, you'd be perfectly placid, compliant, malleable. Of course, we can do this much more simply if you just…do as asked."

She sneered at him. How could a man be so daft?

"I'm not rolling over for you," she said, pulling out her wand, preparing her stance for a duel. "I'll take my chances."

In truth, she knew she had better odds than him in any duel, any day, but depending on where someone Apparated to on their way to work, it was dangerous to duel in an access point, not only for the potential cross-fire victims, but there was a chance of a rebound if things lined up in just such a way, and a spell hitting the person who cast it.

But it was worth stalling, just in case.

"As you wish," he said darkly, but as he was pulling out his wand, there was another crack of Apparation, and Sanna was relieved to see a familiar face.

Mulciber's eyes narrowed and he slipped his wand away again, hurrying to the employee entrance without another word.

"Were you just about to duel in the access point?" Fabian asked, frowning after Mulciber's retreating back. "You know how dangerous that is."

"Sorry, I didn't think he'd agree to a change in venue," she said dryly. "What are you doing here so early?"

"I lost the coin flip," Fabian said with a grin. "I have to do the pre-training paperwork. When do you have to clock in?"

She checked her watch.

"Not for another twenty minutes. We get a half-hour window, or we'd have a line out through the Department door."

"Gives us time to grab a coffee real quick," he said, gesturing up the alleyway. "There's this cute little place across the way, and they get so many oddly dressed people, they don't ask questions."

Sanna rolled her eyes and said, "Yeah, right. They don't ask questions because you flirt with the waitress. You'd better not do that with me around. I'll tell Anissa."

Fabian grinned and said, "You know I've only got eyes for her. Anyway, I have a feeling you're about to tell me not to say anything to Sirius about your almost-duel in the access point."

"Of course," Sanna said with a sniff. "It's none of his business."

"Sanna."

"Look, he'll just say something unreasonable, like claiming he needs to escort me to work, or someone else, like an armed guard."

"Not a bad option," Fabian said with a shrug, opening the door to the shop he was talking about.

"Fabian."

"Look, I'll keep my mouth shut for now, but I'm not going to do this forever."

She raised a challenging eyebrow as they approached the counter.

"Do what?"

She waited for him to order their coffees and he leaned in, pretending he was flirting to avoid curiosity of those nearby, and he whispered, "I'm not going to keep things from my brother or your housemate forever, Scott. The Death Eaters are interested in you for a reason, and they're not going to go away if you close your eyes. Keep it in mind."

Sanna said nothing, but she half-wanted to tell him it never left her mind, these days. It was the trouble with a many-faced enemy – she never knew who to fear. But at least Mulciber was a threat she could see coming, so for now, she would take the silence, whatever warnings it came with.

A/N: So, Sanna attempts to train her boyfriend, Remus struggles through his feelings in an attempt to be helpful, and Fabian warns Sanna not to lie to Sirius too long about her situation.

Review Prompt: Apart from pop-up books, what sort of Muggle children's toys do you suppose Sirius would find fascinating?

Q&A: I'm out of reader questions! Ask me anything! In my Unknowns series, I've got such a backlog of questions, I've got to answer almost half a dozen most times I upload, including bonus chapters midweek!

Cheers!

C