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Remus Tonks and Fleur walked into Number Twelve Grimmauld Place. The living room they came out in was empty and showed signs that Molly's war on the filthy house had not wavered in their absence. They heard the echoes of feet running down the stairs. Instinctively they drew their wands and waited. Bill Weasley rounded the corner in a whirl of red hair.
"You're right on time. They left to help out at the attack site." He informed them and then greeted Fleur with a hug. "How are you my darling wife?" He asked with a laugh.
"Fine. How is my adulterer of a husband?" She asked with a smile. Remus and Tonks shook their heads at the madness of it all.
"Single."
"Aw! Well you deserve better William. So, where is our room?"
Bill led the way upstairs. "Mom's been busy since the last time we were here. The twins have since moved to the shop along with Percy, much to their dismay" he told them, filling them all in on the daily goings on.
When they reached the room Remus and Tonks left the couple to put away Fleur's belongings. Bill knew about Hermione, more than likely figured out where Fleur had been. It was up to her if she wanted to tell him about the baby.
"You don't have to worry" he told her. Walking over to a wall he tapped it three times and a door appeared. "It links this room to the one next to it. Sirius told us a lot of the rooms are linked like this."
"So we will not have to share a bed."
"I don't think Hermione would like it if we did. Also I think you would be more comfortable by yourself."
"Thank you William."
"Are you feeling alright Fleur?" He asked taking in her appearance for the first time fully. She was pale, and she looked tired. He also noticed she had put one some weight.
"I am okay, but I do need to tell you about something." She gestured for him to take a seat and cast a silencing spell on the room.
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"They're getting bolder" Sirius said walking into the house. He, Arthur, and Molly had gone to offer their help in finding victims of the latest attack by Death Eaters. The popular inn run by a muggle-born couple was blown to bits. The inn was nearly full due to the upcoming holiday season.
Molly and Arthur had shown up along with a few other Order members and big black dog that went about sniffing for people trapped under the collapsed building.
They heard voices coming from the kitchen and food cooking, or burning to be more accurate. The three pulled their wands and rushed the room to find Tonks kicked back at the table and Remus standing at the stove.
"He lost the toss" Tonks told them pointing to the knut on the table.
The three let lose a breath and Molly moved to help the man attempting to cook.
"So, your wolf is coming to stay with us for a while" Sirius said. Tonks nodded and added.
"As well as Bill and Fleur. Their getting their room set up right now."
Molly whirled around at the mention of her son's name. "Bill is here? Right now?"
"Yeah."
"And he's going to be here for a while?"
"Yeah, we all are. Dumbledore's orders given the recent attacks" She lied.
Molly practically threw the four out of the kitchen. She was shouting that she needed the space so she could prepare all his favorites as she was sure Fleur didn't know how to cook them properly.
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Back upstairs Fleur was being crushed in the arms of an ecstatic Bill.
"I'm so happy for you! I don't know how it happened, but I'm happy for the both of you!"
"We're happy too" Fleur laughed as he her twirled around with her one more time before setting her down.
"So who knows, besides me?"
"Remus, Tonks, Severus," Bill cringed at the name, "McGonagall, and of course Dumbledore."
"Wow, this is…I mean…wow" was all he could say. He turned serious and looked at Fleur. "We need to get a divorce."
"What?"
"I'll not be standing by your side in the delivery room while Hermione plans on how to kill me. This is yours and Hermione's child. We can't keep up this sham."
"William, I agree with you, but I think we should wait a little longer before we bring this up again. Per'aps over winter break. We can discuss it with 'Ermione and Tonks. They would know enough about zee laws to help us."
Bill nodded in agreement. The two sat in silence for a while, even the smell of Molly wonderful cooking not breaking their thoughts. They needed to end this farce, but they needed to prepare for the fall out it would bring, both personally and legally.
Stomachs grumbling forced them out of the room and down the stairs. Molly welcomed her son with a bone breaking hug, Fleur smiled as she now knew who Bill had inherited that from. Molly greeted her with a curt nod and ushered Bill to the table. Tonks threw an arm around her shoulders and ushered Fleur into the kitchen much the same way Molly had done with Bill. The two laughed along with Sirius while Arthur and Remus hoped the Weasley matriarch didn't see them.
The rest of the week went by quick. Various Order members stopped by to give updates on the latest attacks. The violence seemed sporadic; a kidnapping here, a torture there, fires, destruction, general mayhem. Moody said it was like he let the dogs off the leash and to expect it get worse as long as Fudge was in charge. The current minister was still doing nothing and denying everything, even when the dark mark hung high and proud in sky behind him. The calls and pleas for Dumbledore to leave Hogwarts and take over for Fudge didn't help much either. Fudge had issued warrants for known Order members, Tonks and Kingsley were under investigation at work; Kings for his involvement with the Order in the first war and Tonks for her parent's involvement and rumored relationship with Remus. This meant the two had to keep their heads low and were forced to stay away from headquarters. Moody was always hiding from someone, even it was his own shadow, and he managed to disappear. A new warrant had gone out for Sirius, dead or alive, and Remus had been issued orders to report to the ministry two days before the next full moon for 'proper containment'. Even Percy was under scrutiny at work and the twins shop had been shut down twice while aurors searched it for contraband and wanted criminals. A big shock came when Bill and Fleur received letters. They were requested to meet with a member of the Wizengamot in regards to 'peculiarities' surrounding their marriage. Molly of course had to leave the room, a silent prayer coming from her lips that this would help her in getting William away from Fleur.
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The week at Hogwarts had not been much better. No one admitted to the attacks on Ron, Malfoy, Crabbe, or Goyle, but it wasn't a stretch to figure it out. The thing that Dumbledore found interesting was that Lucius hadn't yet called for the expulsion of the entire Gryffindor house as he would normally do. He did notice that neither Slytherin nor Gyrffindor traveled in packs less than four and both houses now scanned every incoming message they received. Things had been quiet, but it was only a matter of time.
Hermione had made good on her promise to help train Harry and Ron and the boys found themselves begging Snape to dismiss her as their trainer. The sadistic potions master merely smirked at them and called out 'again', watching as the two struggled to their feet. Hermione had been kept under close watch. Her training had all but stopped as the Ministry's crusade against the Order intensified. Dumbledore's nearly daily letters from Fudge had stopped coming when the public turned to the Headmaster for support and security instead of their minister.
Madame Pomfrey had become familiar with the counter-curse to the pus naribus however the stomach churning effects had not worn off. For every pus spewing Slytherin that came in a Gryffindor hunched over in pain was sure to follow. The two stopped caring about the house cup and detention and focused on cursing, hexing, and jinxing the other in to oblivion. By the end of the week Hagrid was keeping a head count of his more dangerous creatures, Sprout was locking up the greenhouse after class and searching every student that left the rooms, and Snape was…well not doing anything to keep his potions supply secure. He did however brew several large cauldrons of pain and healing draughts.
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"Fleur?" Bill called out to the veela. He had been trying to pull her aside all week, but Molly kept interrupting them. They had their meeting at the Ministry the next day and he wanted to make sure they were on the same page.
He entered her room and found it empty. Sighing he turned and as about to head to the library when heard some noises coming from down the hall. He approached the bathroom door and found a weak ward and silencing charm cast on it. He broke both and entered the room. Fleur was reaching for a wet cloth when he walked in. Bill quickly closed the door and sat down by her, taking the cloth and placing it on her sweat covered forehead.
"Zank you William."
"No problem. Are you sure you don't want me to call someone. I could owl your mom and I'm sure Dumbledore would let Hermione come by for the weekend."
"No, I will be fine."
"Do you want me to take you back to your room?"
"Yes please."
Bill gathered Fleur up in his arms and carried her down the hall to her room. He spotted Molly coming up the stairs looking for him, but ignored her. Fleur needed him more than she did right now. Molly saw him as they entered the room and shut the door. Furious she headed back down stairs and into one of the empty sitting rooms. She closed the door behind her and walked over to the massive cloth covered clock. She pulled the sheet and waved her wand over its face. As she thought Fleur's named hadn't moved from the place marked unfaithful. With a huff she tossed the sheet back over the clock and left the room.
"One more week. If this isn't over by then I will end it" she mumbled to herself.