Watch my new music video for Brick By Boring Brick here (on youtube):

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"Ah, Jenny! How good eet eez to see you!" Fleur fluttered into the room. "Oh, what happened to you?"

"I had a little accident," I tried to smile as she grimaced at my cut, "could you hand me a towel?"

"Oh, no, I would not use a towel on zat!" she pulled out her wand, "Tergeo," the blood cleared from my skin and I looked near good as new. I had a small mark, a little scar, perhaps, but otherwise it looked great.

"Thanks, that was brilliant"

"Veela 'air cores are magnificent for charm work. If only Grandmother could have given you some for your wand, but you didn't come to Gregorovich's shop. Eet's just as well, she's already given 'air, who knows 'ow much more-"

"I'm sorry, but what are you talking about?"

"Honestly, I wasn't sure for a while, as we suspected the worst-"

"I'm sorry, Fleur, but I have no idea what you're talking about"

"I think I 'ave something for you to wear. That top 'as to go," she said, examining me as if I were a canvas for her to paint on. Did she hear a word I said, or was she flipping through outfit ideas this whole time? "Come," she grabbed my hand, leading me to our room. She positioned me in the middle of the room before shuffling through her clothes.

"So, eez 'arry 'im?"

"Sorry?" I furrowed a brow, a bit confused by her question.

"Is 'e zee one? Your soul mate," she clarified as if it were a casual question.

"Um, well, I-"

"Yes or no" she demanded.

"Yes," I blurted.

"Good," she smiled pleasantly, holding different clothes in front of me.

"'ere- zees eez for you," she threw a red cashmere sweater at me. "Put zat on, I'll be in zee living room with Bill," she spun gracefully and fluttered out of the room. With so much going on, I tried to shake off all of my theories and suspicions so I could have a clear head for the holidays. I took off my bloody shirt and put on Fleur's sweater. A little low cut, but not so much that Mrs. Weasley would flip out. I could hear conversations down the hall, a festive mood set by Mrs. Weasley's obscure music choices.

I turned towards the doorway only to find it open and Harry frozen in the doorframe. I approached him slowly; unsure as to whether or not he had been peeking. I noticed a small trestle of mistletoe laced its way around the doorframe. My eyes lowered and locked onto Harry's, who had been rendered speechless.

"Happy Christmas, Harry," I said before closing my lips onto his. This rare moment of complete peace and bliss was interrupted by the dramatic increase in music volume coming from the living room. A loud voice warbled Oh, come and stir my cauldron, and if you do it right, I'll boil you up some hot strong love, to keep you warm tonight. Our kiss somehow melted into laughter as we breezed into the living room. Fred, George, and Ginny were playing exploding snaps while Ron was not-so-discreetly watching Bill and Fleur for tips. I found the scene quite… comforting, as amusing as it may be. Who knows how many more moments like these I would get? The future is unknown, but the path there is a dangerous one. I needed every happy memory I could get.

I noticed Lupin sitting by the fire, looking thinner and more ragged than ever. As I approached him, I noticed his eyes were staring into the fire's depths as though he could not hear anything around him.

"Lupin?" I asked as I sat down next to the flickering fire. "How have you been doing?"

"I've been living among my fellows, my equals," he said, his eyes flicking at me for a single word, "werewolves". Werewolves… "Nearly all of them are on Voldemort's side. Dumbledore wanted a spy and I was… ready-made"

He sounded a bit bitter, and it seemed he realized it and tried to cover it up with a smile. "I'm not complaining; it's necessary work and who could do it better than I? However, gaining their trust hasn't been an easy task. I've been living amongst wizards they've shunned normal society and lived on the margins, stealing- sometimes killing- to eat"

Needless to say, that wasn't a very comfortable thing for me to think about.

"So… why do they like Voldemort?"

"They think that they'll have a better life under his rule, and it's hard to argue with Greyback out there…"

"Who's Greyback?"

"You haven't heard of him?" Lupin's hands closed convulsively in his lap as he closed his eyes in thought. "Fenrir Greyback is the most savage werewolf alive today. His mission in life is to bite and contaminate as many people as possible; he wants to create enough werewolves to overcome wizards. Voldemort promised him prey for his services… He specializes in children…" I don't like where this is going… "Bite them young, he says, and raise them away from their parents, raise them to hate wizards. Voldemort has threatened to unleash him upon people's sons and daughters; it is a threat that usually produces good results"

I remained still, taking in the horrifying information. Just picturing Greyback positioning himself near places with children, when the moon turned full…

"It was Greyback who bit me."

"When you were a child?" I asked softly, with such a delicate subject.

"Yes, my father had offended him. For the longest time I thought a man with no control of his condition bit me. I even felt pity, knowing by then how it felt to transform. But Greyback isn't like that- he plans his attacks. Positions himself closely enough to ensure that he can strike. And this is the man whom Voldemort has leading the werewolves. I can't exactly pretend that my particular brand of reasoned argument is making much headway against Greyback's insistence that we werewolves deserve blood. That we ought to revenge ourselves on normal people-"

"But you are normal! You just-"

"Just have a condition? Sirius was right, Jenny. You have your mother's heart," he smiled thoughtfully, as if remembering some sobering memory.

"Jenny?" Harry asked, shuffling anxiously beside me.

"Yes?" I asked, a little surprised at his appearance. Had I been spacing out?

"I was wondering if you fancied a walk"

"A walk?"

"With me, outside"

"Alright," I stood, getting my coat from the rack and buttoning it as I headed for the door. Harry beat me to it, holding it open for me as I passed through. I smiled, flattered by his manners. I wondered what he had planned.