HI guys, thanks so much for the reviews you are all great. So I think there will probably be two more chapters after this, I hope you like them.

The Calm Before the Storm

I threw his letter into the fire and tied my reply to the leg of the owl that had been patiently waiting for it.

The room was silent, as if they were waiting for me to blow up or freak out, but I didn't. The concern was written all over their faces, but no one dared to make the first move. Perhaps the fact that I was calm and collected worried them, I know it worried Jen. She had seen me this way once and only once before.

It felt like all the emotions were there, but if I didn't bury them down tight I would explode. So I buried them, they would come later, but now I needed a clear head and a plan of action.

Finally Jen broke the silence. "What did the letter say?" She asked me.

I wouldn't tell her, she couldn't take it. I was not about to stress out the pregnant lady. I hoped in my heart of hearts that her family had been spared the torture even though mine had not.

"He helped kill my family, he was there." I told her, it wasn't a lie, maybe a half truth, but not a lie. Her face dropped and she shook her head in disbelief. "I'm so sorry" she told me genuinely.

Sirius did not call me out on my bluff, I hadn't expected him too.

Jen paused for a moment. "What did you write back?" she asked quietly and carefully. The entire room seemed to be eager to hear my reply.

"I told him game on motherfucker." I said with conviction. This was met with smiles from everyone, even Molly.

"That's my girl" Sirius said and kissed the top of my head.

"So what's going to happen now?" Ron asked taking a bite out of the Yule log. That was a good question. I had just invited Wuther to bring it, or rather challenged him.

"I imagine shit's gonna hit the fan Ron." I smiled.

Wuther would give it all he had now. I wasn't sure if Wuther had others working with him, well I knew Grace was helping out, but that was all so far, still I had to be prepared for anything. He could have an army, for all I knew.

Ron laughed "I suspected as much" he replied.

The droopy eyes and yawns let me know that everyone was exhausted from the days events coupled with the nightcaps, and Sirius and I gathered our things to leave. "Are you going after him?" Ginny asked worried while I grabbed my coat.

"Well not tonight, but I will, he's expecting me." I explained to her. I would go after him, and I would kill him. Maybe I didn't know the extent of my powers just yet but, I would figure them out quick enough.

"We're with you Colleen." Harry assured me putting a hand on my shoulder. It felt good that they had my back. This time I wouldn't be fighting evil completely alone, I would at least have moral support.

"I know, and thank you, but I think this is going to be between me and him, he won't have it any other way." Wuther wanted me dead, he knew exactly where I was and he was waiting for something. He was waiting to attack me alone.

"Well, you still have all the Aurors behind you." He assured me.

I wondered about what his chances were of killing me, and what he had been doing for the past years when everyone thought he was dead. I imagined he was digging deep into the dark arts, of which my knowledge was slim. He would have that over me, but then I was powerful in my own right.

"Well were here for you when you need us." Hermione swore.

I nodded and smiled, of course they were, I had never doubted them.

Sirius and I said our goodbyes and walked out into the snow. I loved winter, the cold quiet of it always made me feel better. Sirius had his arm wrapped around me as we walked through the frozen village. We were silent for a few minutes, just the sound of the wheels turning in our heads and our feet crunching in the snow.

"He might just be trying to get at you, Colleen. He might have never hurt them at all." Sirius reasoned breaking the silence.

It didn't matter if Wuther had tortured them or not at that point. The point was that he had attacked me in every way possible, and I was done.

"I know Sirius, but this has got to stop. I can't let him ruin my life by being afraid that he might pop out of nowhere and try to murder me." I explained and Sirius shook his head in understanding.

Part of me dreaded confronting Wuther again but another more violent part of me longed for it. I relished in the thought of ripping him to pieces, to make him hurt as bad as I was hurt. He had balls though that I must admit. I was evicted from my god damn country for being a murderess, and here he was provoking me. Yep He had balls, or a death wish.

"I should have killed him for you." Sirius told me miserably "The other night I should have killed him." Oh no, he was going into that protective man faze. He had to protect his little woman. It was kind of cute.

"Sirius, I can take care of myself, I was doing it for years before you showed up." I promised, though it seemed not to make him feel any better.

"We have to find him first, you know. As all of the English Aurors couldn't find him, it may be difficult for you." He told me. I wasn't worried.

"I know exactly where he'll be." I assured Sirius. "Let's just go home and sleep huh?" I suggested. I was done dealing with this tonight.

I was dead tired by that point; shagging, liquor, Christmas and emotional upheavals all in one day were just too much. We apparated home and I immediately threw on my pajamas and fell into the fluffy bed. I felt Sirius climb in next to me and he threw an arm over my body and pulled me into his chest. He was drawing pictures on my back and the fire in my room was crackling. The room was dimly lit and warm, it was a haven.

Despite someone actively trying to kill me, I felt perfectly serene and was never so happy that I was a witch. I may have had more family, and less hardships as a muggle but I wouldn't have Sirius. I wouldn't have ever known what it felt like to be madly in love with someone so much that your skin burned at their touch and the breath was sucked out of your body by a kiss. I knew I loved him, I knew he made me happy but I don't think I really truly let myself feel it until that moment.

I rolled over so I was looking at him, and buried my face in his neck. He smelled like him, my favorite smell and I inhaled deep so I wouldn't forget it, "just in case" I thought. He wasn't wearing a shirt and I paid close attention to the way his skin was warm in some parts and cold in others. Little goosebumps popped up on his shoulder as I ran my hand down his arm.

"I love you Sirius" I told him. It was the only time I had said it first. He looked suspicious and tried to interrupt but I covered his mouth and continued, it was important for me to get this all out. "Let me finish" I told him and he nodded so I removed my hand from his face.

"I love you and you were worth it." He should know how I felt about him, what I really felt. "You were worth every horrible thing that ever happened to me and I would suffer thorough it all again in an instant so long as I got to have you in the end." I was embarrassed at my fluffiness and not sure how he would react to it, but I didn't want to regret things unsaid later. He was quiet for a moment as if processing everything.

"Your not going to die Colleen, I won't let you die." He told me sincerely and pulled me closer into him.

I suppose he knew me too well, he knew I wouldn't be so mushy unless I was worried that I might not get the chance to tell him how important he was.

"I might, we don't know." I said honestly with as much courage as I could muster. I sure as hell did not want to die, especially now that I had a life and was happy with it, but was there a chance for death? Certainly, there always was.

He looked at me sternly

"I forbid you to die." As if his lack of permission could stop fate, or Wuther. I smiled at him "I'll do my best not to."

He kissed me very slowly, and I took the opportunity to memorize the way his lips felt against mine, and his taste: cigarettes, firewhiskey and peppermint. When he pulled away he contemplated for a minute. "You were worth it too Darling, you know you were. All the deaths and Azkaban, and the bloody ghost thing, and lets not forget the jealousy and the fights for your honor… you do get me into a lot of trouble don't you? Still I wouldn't change a thing." He promised.

I fell asleep with that thought in my head, and although nightmares should have been swarming my dreams there were none. I woke up at ten the next morning, perfectly calm and without any anxiety. I was beaming with a confidence I had never known before, and had no idea where it came from.

Then Sirius came bounding up the stairs with a letter in his hands. "Hermione wrote" he said throwing me the parchment. "They found Grace's body in the Ministry Fountain." I read over the note.

The wizarding police had been contacted at 8'oclock that morning because a body had been placed in the fountain. When Hermione got there she recognized the body as Grace. She had been dead for only about 4 hours and had a message etched into her torso. "As you wish Princess." No one knew what this phrase meant, except Hermione and she had kept her mouth shut about it. Still she put the police on the lookout for Wuther and contacted the Aurors. Sirius had to go to the ministry immediately to help.

I felt bad and guilty at what Grace had been through, she was a bitch but she didn't deserve to be murdered by Wuther. For all I knew he could have had her under the imperius curse the whole time, and I mustn't speak ill of the dead right?

"How nice, Wuther's sent me a calling card." I mused.

Sirius gave me an annoyed look and balled up his fists tight. "I'm glad you're taking this so lightly darling." He yelled. "The man that is trying to kill you just killed someone, then broke into the ministry and left her in the bloody fountain, and your not worried?"

Oddly I was not worried; that calm confidence I had woken up with was still with me. I felt almost untouchable and I couldn't' make the feeling go away. I knew it wasn't wise to be so unaffected by Wuther, but my chemicals and hormones apparently thought different.

"I'm not worried Sirius" I told my very worked up fiancé. "He's just fucking with me, he's making the same mistake Bolvechek did, This psychological torture they so love to put me through, doesn't break me it makes me want to fight harder." I explained with a nonchalant wave of my hand. "As for Grace, she was dead the moment she signed on with him, once he was done with her, he disposed of her."

I had honestly been expecting Grace's death. I knew once she started working with Wuther, her time wouldn't be long on this planet. He used people, that was all. "Well I'm still expected to go into the office and help find him, So get ready you're coming with me." he said as he rifled through my closet and pulled out a robe for me to wear.

"He's not here Sirius, there's no point looking for him." I told him as I put the clothes on obligingly. "There's really no reason for me to go with you."

"Where is he then? If you know something, tell me." Sirius demanded. I didn't know exactly where Wuther was but I would have bet my last Galleon that he was not in England. "I'm not sure, but I doubt you'll find him if he doesn't want you too."

Sirius looked like he was going to flip out at any moment, and then he did. "God damn it!" he shouted as he picked up the stool to my vanity and threw it into the mirror. The glass shattered all over the floor and he calmed down a little. I smiled at him "Do you feel better?" I asked as I repaired the mirror then went over to hug him. "I'm not going to let him hurt you." Sirius promised me. I knew he would do everything in his power to keep Wuther from hurting me, but would it be enough? As soon as the doubt entered my mind, the peaceful confidence returned to sweep it away.

I could get used to this.

Thanks for reading!