Chapter 25

The next day's breakfast was a tense one for Elle. As she thought of all that had gone on the day and the journey home.

She wondered if she was going to get in trouble with her mother when she got there for every thing that had got on with the head master.

Lily was going to only have her to blame it on if she did.

Harry was not returning to the Den with her.

So at ten thirty the group walked down to the station together and those who were going to be returning for Easter got on the train.

Beth, Elle, Ginny and the twins were the only ones going back for the break. So after hugs and telling every one they were already looking forward to the return in just two weeks they got to a carriage and settled down.

"I can not wait to get back." said Beth.

"Speak for yourself." said Elle as she sat by Fred,

"Are you really worried about your mum?" she asked.

"After what she sat to me and Harry before we left for school this year I am. I mean I know it is going to be ok and I think my dad will stick up for me but I think I was out of order… I dunno …maybe."

"I think she is going to be ok, I mean at the end of the day we were only doing what we thought was right. We were sticking to our belief. I am sure Lily will understand that." she said to her.

"Yeah your right, she will." Elle replied.

The rest of the journey was spent talking about the up coming exams and the fact that the twins were going to be leaving Hogwarts in June for the very last time.

Elle didn't believe it and she was rather worried about life for her and Fred after wards. They were going to have a lot harder time to try and get together for the after noon.

There was going to be no more hugs in the common room after the day's lessons.

"What are you thinking about?" he whispered

"Change." she explained. "There is a hell of a lot of it going on right now." she said to him.

"That's true but it isn't all going to be bad you know." he told her. "Things are going to be fine."

"So every one keeps saying. You know it's like we are all trying to brain wash each other." she said. "The danger is so real."

"Elle when I met you do you know what I remember most about that eleven years old who got sorted in to Gryffindor."

"What?"

"That you believed in the truth and that you didn't let any thing bet you. You could dream and your dreams could take you away but no one could take your dreams away from you. Don't change that." he said.

"I am not going to. But Freddie…"

"Find your courage darling. Stop needing every one to tell you it will be ok. Starting telling your self that," he told her.

She nodded. What he was saying was making a lot of sense.

The rest of the journey was passed in games of cards and chatting.

Once they got to the train station they were greeted by Mel and Sirius.

"Mum looks like she has been piling on pounds." said Beth in Elle's ear.

"Beth!" she said back to her but she shrugged off the tone of her friends voice and Elle had to agree silently when she looked back at her yes she did.

"You alright kids." asked Sirius as they got up to him.

"Yup were all good." said Beth to her step father.

"That's is what we like to hear." he said as he hugged her first and then Ellouise and smiled at the Weasley's kids who had returned.,

He was grinning like an idiot thought Beth to herself. There was defiantly some thing going on.

"Elle I have to warn you." said Sirius to her.

"Don't say it - mum." he muttered to him.

"Well as you know me and you dad have put her in a fair few bad moods in our time, but I think you two have hit the jack pot." he said to her.

"Maybe we have, but the thing is Harry is not here so it is just going to be me getting the blame," she said as they walked to the car.

"I don't think she is going to go to mad at you, hopefully." Said Mel sportingly. "Sirius is having you on."
"Thanks." said Elle but she had to say she trusted her uncles judgment first. Though she had to say they both knew her mother very well so it could go either way.

Elle sat next to Fred on the way back to the Den and she was happy to get there when the journey ended. Not because she wanted to get away from him but it had been a long day of traveling for every one.

Going in to the magnificent reception of the Marauders Den she sighed. It was so good to be home she thought to herself.

As she breathed in the welcoming scent she heard a gurgle come from the living room and went in to see her god mother with the twins.

"Oh Elle." said Ruby as she got up to get her. She was so glad to see she was home.

"I missed you," cooed Elle as they embraced.

"So did I my darling," she told her.

But when she saw the twins she quickly pulled away. She was so eager to cuddle them. They had grown so much since they she had been gone. Picking up baby Mark she wondered how much longer he was really going to be a baby. He was going to be a toddler in no time at all no doubt.

Summer was the same.

"Where is Remus?" she asked as she smiled affectionately as the twins. She had missed them both so much. There little faces could light up the darkest of places.

"You know your god father much better than I do these days. I think he is in his study as normal."

That was all she needed to hear as she chose to ignore the bitterness in her god mothers voice. She was so eager to see him she didn't want to feel bad that she was so close to him when her god mother was not.

Flying up the stairs to his room, she forgot to knock on the door as she would normally and flow in to his room to find him sitting at desk reading through what looked official documents.

"Oh sweetheart come here," he said standing up as he saw her and cuddled her with all the love in the world.

"Remus you don't know how much I have wanted to see you." she said to him lovingly. Out of every one he had been the one she had wanted to see the most. He always was. His only rival was may be Dudley.

"And me you. This place is so quite with out you love." he said to her kissing her fore head as they held on to each other.

"I am glad to hear," she said to him. You can't be having all the fun with out me." she said to him.

"As if Ellouise. I am sure you have more fun at Hogwarts with your friends in a day than we do in a term here." he told her.

"I don't know about that," she said to him.

"Well I know me and your father used to when we were there. Oh we used to have such a scream. But I guess we did not have Umbridge there," he told her sympathetically. "Is she awful?" he asked.

"I don't think that is the word to describe her," she sighed heavily.

"Then what is?"

"I could not possibly use such vulgar language in front of my worldly wise god father," she said to him.

"Then I guess this time you have better keep it to yourself for the sake of my ears." he nodded, understanding what she was saying.

"I think that is a good choice." she said to him as she sat down on his bed and he returned to the desk. "I wish you were still teaching."

"So do I at times. But I made my choice to leave for the right reasons." he told her.

"I know you did."

"Any way I don't think Umbridge is the only thing we should be talking about." Remus said to Elle. "I do believe for all the trouble we got in to when we were at school the original Marauders never got Dumbledore sacked."

"Remus don't I feel awful" she said to him down heartedly.

He laughed "I am sure you do." he said to her.

"I think I am going to feel worse when mum gets her hands on me."

"Perhaps. Then I think it is best you go and face the music." he told her.

"Me too." she agreed as she headed towards the door. "How long till full moon." she asked.

"This Thursday night."

"Can I come out with you?" she asked.

"I think we are going to have to see what your mother said first." he nodded to her.

"Right do you know where she is?"

"I think she is in there garden." he told her.

"Right. Wish me luck." she said as she made her way back down stairs to a now clear hallway. Ditty must have come to show the others to the guests rooms she thought.

Going out in to the gardens she sighed. Part of her couldn't wait to see her mother. The others side. Not so.

When she found Lily she saw her mother w s clearly having some down time to herself. She was planting seeds in the rose garden and was doing so the muggle way. She knew her mum rather enjoyed gardening when she got five minutes to herself.

"Hey." she said as she approached her.

"Good evening darling." her mother greeted her as she saw her daughter come up to her side and sit down with her.

"Did you miss me?" asked Elle.

"Not at all." said a sarcastic Lily as she kissed her daughters cheek.

"That's what I thought."

"Are you mad?"

"Yes Elle. I can see why you and your brother did what you did, but it has had a huge effect on the Order. It isn't good is it?"

"It was never out aim to get Dumbledore sacked."

"No." said a weary Lily. "I know it wasn't sweet." she said staying calmer than her daughter thought she was going to.

"I thought you were going to go mad at me." Admitted Elle. "I have been so worried all day.

"You soppy little thing." Lily chuckled.

"I know but I have to say mum I don't think I could have blamed you."

"Well you two had the best intention in the world and I can't blame you for that. It just means that the order has to change tactics and isn't going to be hard. We're used to it."

"Alright," Elle to Lily as she got up, still feeling a bit guilty. Now she had that sorted it was on to see her cousin and enjoy her holiday.

But she had to say she was worried about her mum. She didn't think she had ever seen Lily look as aged as she did that day. But she guessed the amount if worry and pressure her mother was constantly under was doing that too her.

Running in to her room she changed swiftly and told Remus she was off to see Dudley. She was all in all quite glad to be back.