When we got up the stairs, me opening Ginny's door, I realized it was a closet. I shut the door, confused, as if it had been the wrong door. But it was the right one. I opened it again and it was still a closet.

"It's a safety setting," Bill murmured. "We built it in when the Burrow burnt down last year. The magic decides the plan."

"I see," I murmured. I shut the closet door and followed him and Josey to the bedroom. Bill took the floor without even being asked and Josey crawled in next to me.

"Can we lock the door?" she whispered.

I glanced at her to see her terrified form, "Of course."

I locked the door, securing some chains. When I sank down on the bed beside her, I spoke, "He's not going to touch you," I promised her. "You'll be safe."

She didn't seem convinced at her eyes never left the door. "He didn't like doors closed. The door was always open." Her hands kept rubbing her wrists repeatedly, I noticed, and I glanced at Bill, to see him sitting on the floor, and watching Josey as well. He glanced at me, and gave me a look that clearly conveyed I needed to do something.

"Do you trust Bill, Josey?" I murmured.

"Yes," she murmured back, her jaw trembling slightly.

"Then you know he won't let that happen to you. He won't let Greyback get in. And I won't let that happen," I insisted. "Josey, I promise."

She gave a jerky nod, "Okay... okay."

I reached for her, in comfort, but she withdrew from me and wrapped her arms around herself. "I never thought I'd see him again."

"I know."

"I thought... I thought I was getting better," she whispered. "That I was forgetting about him. But..."

"You'll never forget," I murmured. "But you can put it behind you."

"I can't with him watching me," she gave a choked breath like she was going to sob. "I hate him so much."

"I know," I reached for her this time, but she didn't pull away. I pulled her into my arms and she let out a sob. My heart broke at the broken state she was in. She cried into my chest and I rubbed her back, letting out a sigh. She deserved none of this... this torture in her own place of solitude. Especially on her birthday.

"I guess it's a bad time to tell you that you're birthday present from Bill and I is at home," I chuckled quietly into her hair.

She sniffled, "You guys got me another present? But the baby stuff... and the wand...?"

"You're one of a kind," I insisted. "Of course we got you more."

She pulled away from me, her frown melting into a wide smile, "Thanks, Jules... Thanks, Bill."

"Yeah, anytime, kiddo," Bill said from the floor.

"But... it's at the house," I told her quietly.

"Well... you can tell me about it?" she offered.

I glanced at Bill and he gave a nod, rolling his eyes to show he really didn't care if it was a surprise.

"We were going to make it a surprise," I told her quietly. "But we tracked down a distant relative of yours..."

"You're going to send me to them?" she whispered, not letting me finish.

"No!" I said immediately. "Of course not. Your family members have stuff from your Muggle home... Stuffed in the back of a storage unit. I did a bit of hunting..."

Her eyes got big, "What did you find?"

"There was a beautiful chest, carved with castles and dragons and princesses," I murmured. "Your name was along the top, Josey. Your full name. And... well, I snatched it. And all its contents."

"All my books," she murmured.

I nodded, "Books, blankets. Pictures... everything I could find on your family. You've had so much taken from you, Bill and I thought it only right you get some of it back."

Her eyes shown with tears, "Thank you so much..."

"You know I'd do anything for you."

"This has been the best and worst birthday ever," she managed a watery laugh before she broke down sobbing.

"It's going to be alright."

"They're gone," she whispered. "They're out there somewhere."

I knew immediately she was talking about Potter's trio.

"They'll be fine," I assured her. "They're safe."

"You don't know that."

"I know them," Bill insisted. "They'll be fine."

She wiped her eyes, but the tears didn't stop. "But... they could get hurt, and no one would know."

"They'll be fine," I insisted, gripping her hands with my own. "I should have let you go with them."

"It's not safe for me to apparate," she reminded me quietly.

"I know, that's why I said no... but you should have gone with them. Gotten out of here," I swallowed, sighing. "I'm so sorry."

"They can't take me, right? I mean... they can't!" she insisted.

"They won't," I promised. "They have to take me first."

"They were lying about the Dark Lord's interest in you, Josey," Bill sighed. "He doesn't care about Muggleborns, powerful or not."

"But why would they lie?"

"Greyback wants you back in the pack," I agreed with Bill. "But you won't be leaving my sight."

"I don't want to go back to the pack," she whispered. "I don't want to be back in the house... with the other girls... with the screams and the cries..." She shut her eyes painfully and pulled her hands from my own, rubbing her wrists once more.

I glanced at them briefly, "Did they chain you?"

I felt my eyes widen in shock as she nodded, "I scratched a lot, fighting... So they chained my hands."

"Oh, Josey..." I murmured.

"I'm fine now," she insisted. "I just..."

"It won't happen again," I whispered. "It won't."

"How do you know?"

"I know," I insisted. "Because as long as I'm here, you'll be safe."

It was three in the morning, and I hadn't slept a wink. Bill and I kind of stared at each other, but we both knew he had work in the morning. He would be wicked tired, but he didn't seem to mind. Pounding steps came up the stairs and I knew who's they were. Greyback's.

There was a pause outside the bedroom door and then the steps continued on. Every five minutes, there would be a pause outside the bedroom door. I glanced to Josey sleeping every single time, glad she wasn't awake and wasn't freaking out.

"Do you reckon they'll let us leave?"

"Josey and I? No. You, yes. They want Josey for Greyback... My father wants me for himself, and the Dark Lord," I murmured.

"Well, that's not going to work, then. You can't get to the Shell Cottage." I knew he was referring to the wand hidden in the room.

I bit my lip, "I know... Unless you came here after work?"

He shook his head, "I don't know. I don't know if they'd let me in."

"They want to keep track of us," I disagreed. "They won't let you out of their sight."

"We'll see what happens," he sighed.

"I'm terrified," I murmured to him. "She's already so fragile. There is only so much I can do."

"She's strong," Bill insisted. "Stronger than she looks."

"Greyback... he just needs to leave her alone. It's not good for the baby if she stresses out this much. It's not good for her, either."

"When is she due?"

"Next month, I'd say. Near the middle of September."

"So, six weeks?"

"About," I agreed, glancing at the door as the steps walked by once more.

"They won't take her," Bill insisted.

"We don't know anything yet," I sighed.

So we argued like this back and forth until near sunrise. Josey woke up, then, her fear no less as strong as yesterday. Perhaps stronger.

I got her clean clothes and she took a shower across the hall, me guarding the door per her request.

My fingers traced the bruise on my arm subconsciously, tracing the black and white line that ran across my wrist, as the bruise went no further down, just up to about mid forearm. I swallowed down the pain that flared when I touched it.

"Why didn't you tell us, dear?" Molly murmured as she suddenly appeared.

I shrugged, "I didn't... I didn't want to burden you with the news, nor did I want it to be a fuss. When it happened... well, it happened."

"There is no cure?"

I hated lying, but I had to. "Not that I know of. I already asked healers..."

"That's why you wanted to go to your work..."

I nodded, "Yeah... I'm sorry, I should have told you... I just... I always knew I'd die from something in battle. I'm rubbish at it. Practically had to be tutored all throughout school in duelling and Defense. I just... I've never been good at it. Got an O out of luck, really." I knew I was on the verge of being hysterical, I could feel it bubbling in my throat. "And... I just tried my best, doing the best I could to get back... I couldn't die. And..."

"We'll find something, Juliana. You won't die."

I closed my eyes as I leaned on the bathroom door, "My father has the only cure, Molly. I'll never get it, and he'll never give it to me. I have until Thursday."

"Thursday?" she gasped in surprise. "But that's so soon."

"A week is all it takes," I murmured. I opened my eyes, to meet her sad, but always kind eyes. "I'm sorry."

"It's not your fault. If we can-"

"We can't," I said simply. "I know where the potion is, but I know there is no way I can retrieve it. It is guarded by my father's collection of boggarts, dementors, anything else that could possibly function as a harmful creature. All of his potions and elixirs are. This is no exception."

Molly frowned, "Oh..."

I gave her a sad smile, "I'm sorry for that. I should have told you, I should have found a cure. I should have gotten Josey out of here."

"She'll be fine."

"Until the observation period is over," I responded. "And then they'll take her, and myself."

"They won't take-"

"They need both of us in order to have collateral," I replied. "She depends on me as much as I depend on her. If I speak out, she's hurt, if she speaks out, I'm hurt. They need something to make her talk."

Molly sighed, "I'll make some breakfast, okay? What would you like?"

"Anything."

So sorry for the long wait! But here ya go! Lots more where this came from:)

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Lots of love,
Anastasia