It was two days after Garrick's arrival that Minerva received an owl from Albus, it was waiting for her in the morning before she left to see to her house guest. She took the message with her, oversaw Folly's tending, ran her diagnostic reports and discussed with Folly what they could do next. Her stocks of potions were running out, and she really didn't want to have to find out how much she had forgotten about brewing potions. A meeting, though, meant Albus had news, which meant Severus would be back. He hadn't been in touch, and she tried not to imagine what might have befallen him to keep him away from Garrick when he knew Garrick needed his help. That man would be the death of her she was sure.

She arrived at the headquarters and joined the growing numbers in the kitchen. Molly was once again holding court, dishing out tea, mothering everyone that came within range. She stayed out of range and found a chair to sit on. The twins sat across from her grinning widely clearly pleased with themselves over something. Severus wasn't present. Remus and Tonks came in together and sat down, Kingsley was in conversation with Alastor. She exchanged nods with other members as they trickled in and chatted amongst themselves. Albus was late. When he swept in, ten minutes after the time on the note he was in full grandfather twinkle mode, something had gone well then. Severus slunk in behind him moving to a corner where he could observe. She let her eyes follow him looking for any signs of injury. Finding none, she turned her attention back to Albus who was jovially greeting people.

"Could we move this along?" Severus sneered from his corner.

Alastor turned instantly, as if on cue at the sound of his voice. "What's the matter Snape?" he spat. "Your Death Eater chums missing you? Didn't kill enough people when you went to break them all out of prison?"

Severus sneered at the man but said nothing. Albus drew the attention back to him by clearing his throat. "We are not here to discuss the events at Azkaban. Severus has assured me that he did not know of Lord Voldemort's plans beforehand." He gazed around the room, satisfied at what he apparently saw he smiled.

In her newly acquired awareness, she watched the room react to what Albus had said. There were those that accepted it, just put it out of their minds and focused on what Albus was saying. But there were those like Alastor, whose suspicion never wavered. Who stared at Severus with deep misgiving if not open hostility. How Albus thought that this was settled was beyond her.

"We have some excellent news!" he was saying jovially, twinkling merrily at the crowd gathered around the table. Minerva stared back unmoved feeling like an outsider, wondering what he was hiding, wondering when she had lost her faith in him. Was this a true state of mind or simply a reaction to everything she had recently discovered and experienced?

A whisper went around the table, a growing sense of excitement and her stomach dropped. Had Albus actually found them? A bag appeared next to him, and the whisper of excitement from the Order members was suddenly tinged with disappointment and then a growing level of curiosity.

"We have now a way of communicating with each other should the need arise. These have been specially made for the Order. Kingsley if you would explain please."

Kingsley looked up. "Yes of course. Fred and George approached me with them, and of course, I agreed that we should use them. The compacts," he held up one of the folding compacts "Work as a regular ladies compact, however saying the name of the Order member you wish to contact into the top mirror will cause the corresponding mirror to heat. To answer the call you only have to open the compact the callers face will appear in the top half on yours, and your face will appear in the top half on theirs. For those who don't wish to carry one, there is a range of wrist watches instead. They also heat up when being contacted and by pushing the dial on the side you activate and cancel the call. The person trying to communicate with you appears on the watch face. Obviously, these have a smaller image so aren't as useful for surveillance. They are quite effective though and mean that if anyone gets into trouble, they can call for help instantly. If you are in dire need, Fred and George assure me that saying S.O.S. will call all the devices at once, ensuring that someone will be able to answer and get aid. I believe Albus has a theory about how such a call should be answered, which he will run through."

She tuned out. Hers wasn't a role that would place her in life-threatening danger that the Order would be able to help her with. Her role was to play back up to Albus, unstinting loyalty accompanied by unquestioning compliance. It hadn't been until recently she had learnt to dislike the part or that there might be something wrong with it.

Remus leant over to her. "Do you think you could find a moment for me later? I need to speak with yourself and Severus."

"Of course," she said back softly. "Do we require more privacy than here?"

"If possible," he replied. "Though Dora won't be attending if that makes any difference."

She nodded. "Fine, I'll corner Severus, and you follow us. I've somewhere we can meet safely."

She flicked a glance up the table to see if Albus had noticed them talking, catching Severus' eye in the process. He moved his head in acknowledgement, and she wondered how long he'd been reading lips. Then chid herself for foolishness, he was a spy, had been for years, then she fleetingly wondered how many other people knew. She caught the flicker of sardonic amusement flash across his face and written in the tilt of his head. He'd apparently followed the line of her thinking. She tilted her head at Remus slightly. His lips tightened in a reflective distaste she didn't think he would ever lose but nodded.

As the compacts and watches were handed out, she watched as a group of adult's descended into childlike wonder. Calls were made to people across the table as those not yet given one gathered around to watch. A number of individuals effusively thanked Albus as he handed over the device prompting her to watch the reactions of Fred and George. They had been supplied the formula or the basis of the formula, and it had taken them four months to get it working. It was no small feat yet Albus was the one receiving the thanks.

She leant over catching George's attention. "You've patented these?"

"Yes," he replied with a small smile. "Everything that goes through the shop is official even if we don't yet sell them to the public."

"Then you must be losing a small fortune!"

"Well yes, but not really. The shop will absorb the initial cost of making these for the Order and any replacements but saving lives is necessary. Afterwards, we'll launch them in linked pairs, in small sets of five or so and large sets for groups. We own the monopoly, and these are going to be popular, just look at people. Call it a free public trial. By the time we've got all the kinks, they'll be ready for market, and if they play a role in the war, well publicity like that doesn't have a price does it."

"That's very pragmatic and slightly ruthless of you," she said with a small smile.

"You forget that we did this, yes, but we didn't do this alone. How much recognition do you think Hermione is going to get?" George asked her seriously. "We can't even tell her we did it. We solved it. Not even so much as a thank you. If she'd been able to stay, work with us we'd have had these up and running months ago."

She sat back and let the conversations wash over her. Albus came around and handed her a silver compact. "I hope you like it, this was specially made for yourself," he said with a happy smile. She accepted the compact turning it over in her hands, the outline of a striding cat etched into the metal. "Oh," she said looking up at George. "Thank you, it's quite lovely."

The young man grinned and nodded, his attention pulled away by his mother as she came bustling over. Minerva slipped it into her pocket and stood. "If you'll excuse me," she said to Albus. "If that everything I really must be going, a good friend of mine is sick, I don't wish to be away for long."

"There is one more thing if you don't mind Minerva."

She sat back down as he gathered to attention the rest of the room. "There is one more piece of sad news to tell you. Information has come to me that Garrick Ollivander has died whilst being held by the Death Eaters."

A round of gasps and soft exclamations of loss travelled around the room. Minerva kept her eyes firmly fixed on the table unsure that she would be able to keep anything off her face. If Severus could read her easily, it stood to reason Albus might.

"It is a great loss," Albus continued.

"Then why was nothing done to get him out?" a voice said, and it took three fast heartbeats to realise it was her own. She raised her head to glare at Albus, no longer worried what he might read in her expression. She was angry with him, the risks that had been run to get Garrick out had been significant. It had taken both of them to manage it without overt suspicion, but they had managed it.

"He was being held at Malfoy Manor, my dear. We had no official reason to search the property." Albus consoled her.

"I don't believe that stopped the Ministry before, in fact, I remember the searches on the Malfoy property being highly publicised by the Ministry and based on no more than hearsay. A raid that proved active prisoners being held and tortured would have done nothing but good? How many people didn't buy a wand off Ollivander? His rescue from the Death Eaters would have touched far more people surely?"

Albus' kindly expression only deepened and it made her frustration grow by equal measures. "My dear, I understand that this may have seemed like a simple operation but I assure you it was no easy decision. By acting, we could have hastened his demise at the hands of those who held him."

"Minerva," Kingsley broke in. "We couldn't get sign off from above to conduct another raid. Ever since the Ministry infiltration started in earnest, the department has been heavily curtailed. I'm as frustrated as yourself, but there was nothing official that could be done."

She met his eyes and saw in them a lingering curiosity, perhaps at her challenge of Albus, maybe as to what might have been done. She nodded her head at him lips held in a thin, unhappy line.

"And we are only playing by the rules now?" she gestured around her. "The Order was a vigilante group up until a year ago, so now we've been publically acknowledge we're going to play by the rules? We might as well give up now."

This statement was greeted by a loud murmur of protest.

"Risking lives to rescue Ollivander would have been the noble thing to do, but there was no way to enter the Malfoy Manor. The protections around it are quite comprehensive. Anyone who got in may not have been able to get out. It simply wasn't possible," Albus said firmly ending the discussion and the murmurs of distress at Minerva's words.

She held her peace as Albus smoothed the waters and when he dismissed them, she stood, leaving the meeting without acknowledging anyone else. If they stared after her she didn't care, let them think what they will. The contempt that coloured the thought surprised her, but she let it go. She wasn't a good enough liar to sit there and challenge Albus, and she didn't want to have to explain her current house guest.

Severus ghosted up to her in the hallway, making sure to scuff a foot so not to surprise her. Something she'd worked out he did for those lesser mortals such as herself, to stop from scaring everyone out of their skin.

"Can you spare me an hour?" she asked him quietly, watching down the hall.

"Need to vent?" he asked darkly amused.

"No, Remus wants us, and I need you to brew for our house guest. Unless you want to waste the effort, we both went to in getting him out for me to poison him with my brewing?"

He raised a brow.

"I haven't brewed since my school days, anything I would be forced to make would have to be made from the student's supplies, probably in your classroom!"

Severus snorted in amusement. They broke apart as footsteps were heard on the stairs up from the kitchen

"The wards will allow me in?" he asked as the steps came closer.

"Yes," she said. He nodded and went out the door, it closed just as Remus came into view. He raised an eyebrow at her, and she realised she had been crammed into a doorway talking to Severus where they both had had a view of the stairs. Shaking herself, she asked as Remus approached. "Are you free now?"

"Yes, Dora is creating a distraction with Fred or George."

"I shan't ask."

"Mmm, I'm sure the breakages can be replaced. Shall we?" Remus said indicating the door.

They left, and on the step inside the fidileous charm she grasped his arm and twisted them into nothing. They landed in the entrance way of her house, and she immediately stepped forward breaking the hold.

"Follow me," she said over her shoulder. "Severus should already be here." She led him into a sitting room facing the street and waved at a chair. As he seated himself she called for Folly, the elf arrived with a pop. "Tea and whisky please Folly, and tell Severus we are in here." Folly nodded and vanished.

"Where are we?" Remus enquired.

"My home."

"And Severus has access?"

"Yes. Is this a problem?"

"No, no," he said. "I, erm. You obviously are, umm, good friends."

"Yes," Minerva said sharply. "I would hope that Severus would consider me his friend. And as my friend, he has access to my home."

"Well, I see my ears should be burning," a voice drawled from the doorway. "No don't stop on my behalf."

She tsked at him, and he came into the room, a smirk playing on his lips. He bowed shallowly to her and took his seat, affecting an air of supreme casual comfort and ease. It brought a smile to her mouth, she knew it was all a show and done so to make Remus uncomfortable. They were friends, but friends were complicated things for Slytherins. Severus was a prickly loner before his sorting adding another layer of complexity to his interactions with people.

"Do carry on Lupin," he said steepling his fingers and watching the man over the top of them the way a snake watches its prey.

"Ahh yes, umm, well."

Folly chose that moment to enter, and Remus gratefully fell on pouring tea for everyone.

She turned to Severus, drawing his attention away from the other man. "Have you got the list of everything I've used?"

"Yes, he seems to be on the mend. I'll replace your purloined supplies and bring you more to keep you going. I didn't know you knew healing."

"I didn't and still don't. I'll be honest, Folly came to tell me you hadn't returned. I did what I knew I could safely, then went back to the castle and went to the library. I've got a list of what I've done and when and what he's taken in potions but he needs a real medi-witch or?" she looked at him speculatively.

"I've looked your notes over. It's fine as far as I can tell, but my skills would do little more than what you are already doing."

"I think his leg will have to wait another few days, he's stronger but growing a bone is taxing work. The texts I read suggest a week of treatment before I even attempt it."

"It's not hurting him. It's poorly set, but while he's bedridden, it's not going to cause a problem. Leave it."

Remus broke in, he'd been listening avidly as they spoke and he fixed the tea. "Am I to understand you have a house guest staying here? Is this the friend you told Albus was sick?"

"Yes," Minerva replied. "Only Albus is unaware that it is Garrick."

"Garrick? As in Garrick Ollivander? But Albus just told the Order he was dead!"

"Albus believes he is dead, as does the Dark Lord," Severus said.

"I think I'm missing rather a lot here, care to explain?" Remus responded, handing over the tea.

Minerva sighed. "Albus, as you heard today, refused to remove Garrick from the Malfoys. Severus has been treating him to keep him alive, but he contracted pneumonia last week. With the Dark Lord away from the Manor, Severus asked me to create him a decoy and help him find a safe house where Garrick could recuperate."

"But why not tell Albus of your plan? Or even that he's alive now he's here?"

"Because Albus didn't think he was worth saving, so I'll be damned if I'm handing it to him on a platter to be patted on the head like a good little follower. He barely acknowledged the work Fred and George put into those mirrors. The Order is more than Albus bloody Dumbledore," Minerva said waspishly.

"Is he's safe here, though? Don't they know he went through the wards?"

"No," Severus replied. "Minerva made an excellent decoy, and I dampened his magical signature so he could cross undetected. It helps that the Malfoy wards have been heavily tampered with by the Dark Lord. They are next to useless although Narcissa can still tell when they are crossed. Wards that old don't ever unravel completely."

"Is he very ill?" Remus asked.

"He has around the clock care, Folly looks after him. He is suffering from the after-effects of torture, malnutrition and dehydration. He's healing but it's a slow process, anything faster might destabilise his system. I come three times a day to check on him and talk to him when he's lucid. Mostly he sleeps."

Remus nodded. "Are you going to tell Albus? I mean once this is over?"

Minerva looked at him." When 'this' is over many things will need to be addressed, not least the fact that Garrick is alive and well."

"Why is it you wanted to speak to us?" Severus asked abruptly.

"Ahh, well. You remember Hermione's letter?"

"Yes, you were working a hunch," Severus said seemingly disinterested.

"Well yes, that's not quite the truth. It wasn't a hunch. She sent me a meeting time date and location."

There was a silence while this was absorbed. Minerva broke it. "So why are you telling us and why now?"

"It's next month. The sixteenth of September to be precise."

"How do you know?" Severus asked.

I'm a werewolf, my life is ruled by the moon. The meeting is set for the full moon of September which falls on the seventeenth. The heroine she spoke of in her letter was a native Indian called Pocahontas. A Muggle filmmaker made a film about her. That's what prompted Hermione to research her, she hadn't looked into that period of history in any great detail, it not being the usual course of muggle education in this country. The real story is different to that portrayed and ultimately more tragic. In the film, a song is sung, and that's what I had to double check, I couldn't remember the actual lyrics. But it mentions listening for a wolf cry at a blue corn moon. The blue corn moon doesn't exist it was made up, it's a green corn moon. Which is what some Native American tribes call the September moon."

"So that's the when. I assume that Pocahontas is relevant to a part of America?" Minerva said.

"Jamestown Virginia," Remus agreed. "There's a visitors centre."

"So you think they'll be there. You're going to go and wait there all day until they turn up?" she asked.

"Yes," he replied simply. "I wanted to know if you wanted to come. I understand that with the timing and my condition that you might not wish to." Remus met Severus eyes without flinching. He had apologised, and there was little more he could do, he'd not had any more say in the situation than Severus had.

"Term will have started," Severus noted.

"I can get away," Minerva said confidently.

"You can? I have a built in excuse, while I'd hate to use it."

"I'm not in the mood for Albus to question me. I think we need to speak to them. We've no further clues about the final horcruxes, and if Mr Potter is going to return to re-join the war effort, then we have information we need to exchange. Certainly, we need people like Miss Granger," Minerva said firmly.

"Then we're agreed?" Remus said.

"What about Tonks?" Minerva inquired.

"She's going to stay here, both of us missing might cause Albus to be concerned. We'll come up with an excuse closer to the time if we need one."

"How are you planning on getting there?" Severus asked.

"Portkey."

"Not through the Ministry surely?" Minerva said surprised.

"No," he said with a grim smile. "Werewolf status has more than a few downsides."

"Then we'll leave from here," Minerva said firmly.

"There's a time zone difference, so we'll have to leave around 1pm." Remus cautioned.

"That's settled then, we'll all go."