"This is the way the world ends, not with a bang, but a whimper."

~ T.S. Eliot


Chapter 53 ~ War Begins with a Whisper

Harry stood before his dresser, staring at an all-but empty drawer, scowl on his face. "I'm running," he muttered under his breath, "out of belts."

A guffaw off to the side sent his attention sliding sideways, finding Dean Thomas smirking unabashedly at him. The bastard had somehow overheard him. "Are you now? Hrmm…wonder how you keep losing them there, Harry."

The sound Harry made was downright rabid. "Dean…"

The soon-to-be-dead housemate of his just smirked more, rooting around in his dresser and unearthing something.

He'd tossed it over the bed a second later, Harry snaring it out of mid-air, one of Dean's spare belts hanging between his fingers. He eyed it and sent the Gryffindor beater a curious look.

"Consider it a loaner," Dean supplied. "Just do me a favor and tell Kal to try and not lose that one too."

The wink the Gryffindor shot him caused Harry's gaze to narrow instantly. "She's not losing them," he corrected, deciding that he was too damn tired to even try lying. "To be honest I'm fairly certain we've been getting robbed by creatures."

"That's disturbing."

"Tell me about it."

The choked sound behind him just had him groan internally. "Harry," Ron croaked, sounding torn between awe and horror, "tell me you're not-"

"Not doing anything, Ron," he casually lied, tugging on a shirt and slamming his dresser drawer shut. He fixed his best friend with an unreadable look. "Why do you ask?"

Ginny Weasley let out a laugh, emerging from beneath the covers of Dean's bed, where she'd futilely been attempting to snare a few extra minutes of sleep. "Oh please Ronald, you can't be that daft to actually believe that?"

Ron made a strangled sort of sound, which both Harry and Ginny ignored. Instead Harry had started eyeing the belt Dean had tossed him, making a hasty decision. Tugging out his wand he muttered a spell at it, something Hermione had shown him to test if there were any tracking spells on something. Waiting-

It glowed green, the sign that nothing untoward was attached to it.

The grunt Dean made, the wizard obviously seeing what he'd done and knowing exactly why, merely caused Harry to incline a challenging eyebrow, shooting Thomas a pointed look. The other wizard's jovial expression had disappeared, being replaced with something very strained.

Too damn bad. He wasn't the one who'd gone and made a deal with the devil. Regardless…

He might not like Dean. He might not like that the bastard was a Death Eater. He might not like that the wizard had made an accurate guess about what he and Kaylens had been doing behind closed doors, or to be more accurate anywhere that other humans weren't, but Harry did tug the belt on gratefully, giving him a rough nod to indicate thanks.

Dean just met his gaze levelly, nodding stiffly back.

"Why in the hell did you go and do that?" Ron was staring at the belt like it was a viper, obviously having recognized Hermione's spell.

Harry clasped the buckle and smirked. "Given how buddy-buddy Dean is with Kaylens," he calmly lied, "wouldn't put it past him to slip me a tracker so he can hunt me down and pummel me if he suspected anything." Dumbledore had been clear – no one was to know that Dean was a Death Eater. Only he, Snape and Kaylens.

Harry was really getting sick of Dumbledore catering to those marred with the dark mark. The wizard might think that everyone could be turned as Snape had been, but this benevolent stance was going to backfire, and when it did someone was going to die.

When it eventually did Harry would be there to personally kill whoever it was that had turned. For now though…

He had his orders. Grimacing, he watched as Ron's penetrating gaze shifted from him and towards Dean, his best mate's blue eyes narrowing angrily. Harry didn't miss how the Weasley's face began to turn red. "You know, Ron," he stated conversationally, "looking awfully red there."

"Yeah," Dean piled on. "Pretty sure Madame Pomfrey's got some good potions for that. Heard they do wonders for your blood pressure."

Ron made a growling, angered sound, eerily reminiscent of the werewolf her was.

When he and Kaylens had finally gotten into the Gryffindor dorms the night before, they'd been just in time to see Ron getting tackled by Neville, the two colliding into one of the cots a third year had been sleeping on. Apparently Ron had been threatening to separate Dean from his – quote on quote – 'favorite appendage' and had actually cast a spell or five to that effect.

He had it on good authority that Thomas would already be a eunuch if it wasn't for Ginny's quick shield charms.

Ultimately it'd taken three of them – he, Neville and Kaylens – to get Ron to calm down long enough for Ginny to point out that if she'd really wanted to shag Dean that she'd have done it already. Really, it wasn't like Ron had ever paid enough attention to her before to know when she was or wasn't in broom closets with someone.

Naturally that hadn't gone over well, and had resulted in increasingly creative attempts on Dean's life, one of which involved Ron hexing the bed posts and hangings to try to strangle the wizard.

It'd taken another five minutes to wrestle Ron's wand away – werewolf blood had made him near impossible to overpower - Harry finally having to physically sit on him while Ginny adamantly shouted that she was staying there, on Dean's bed, whether her brother liked it or not.

Ron had grunted basically the alphabet before he'd regained post-Cro-Magnon speech capabilities, gasping out that he'd caught them snogging.

It explained why the wizard was now malevolently eyeing Dean as if he wanted to snap him like a twig. Harry, however, was feeling considerably less homicidal towards him, given if he was snogging Ginny again that made it less likely for him to hit on his own girlfriend.

Harry was fairly certain that in the realm of surrogate brothers he was committing a faux pas by thinking of it that way, but he was too tired to really give a rat's ass right now. It was early, before dawn, and a patronus had summoned those who were heading out to wake up and get ready.

That had driven Kaylens from his bed, the non-witch having rushed off to her dorm to change.

Ginny, on the other hand, was still sitting on Dean's bed like a rather petulant gargoyle, glaring daggers at Ron and fingering her wand fondly. Harry reckoned they were one good comment away from a full on hexing battle between siblings.

He really did not want to get in the middle of that.

Ron cracked his knuckles threateningly. "I'm watching you, Thomas," he muttered darkly.

Ginny just rolled her eyes. "Ronald, you're acting like I'm ten."

"I'm acting," he retorted, "like your big brother."

"Guys," Neville placated, "haven't we traumatized the third years enough?"

All three of them looked at the two third years, the two students both clearly wide awake and staring at them wide-eyed. Well…weren't they setting a good example? He could only imagine McGonagalls thoughts if she found out that Ginny and Kaylens hadn't exactly used their private cots that had been set up for them.

Harry jabbed his wand in their general direction, not giving a damn. "You two, anyone asks, the girls slept in their own cots, right?"

One nodded before ducking back beneath the covers, the other just blinking at him owlishly. Harry outright snorted. "Good, you keep your word and I'll tell you all the good snogging locations the professors can't find for when you both get your own girls."

Neville groaned, a lady-like snort coming from Dean's bed. "Nice, Harry," Ginny commented, rolling her eyes. "Real nice."

He merely turned to her, raising an eyebrow. "Well do you or do you not want McGonagall giving you a sex talk?"

His surrogate sister paled considerably, Harry snorting. "Thought so."

Ron made another angered sound, Harry grimacing and grabbing his best mate by the arm, starting to tug him out of the dorms for the safety of all parties. Despite Ron's recent acquisition of fur, he'd still put his money on Ginny in a wand fight. The witch was ruthless.

"Meet you down there," he shouted after them, shoving Ron bodily out the dormitory door.

The next hour passed with brutal swiftness.

The time before embarking to battle always did. Harry had been in enough now to know. Waiting in the forest before the Department of Mysteries, hunkering down within the Three Broomsticks within Hogsmeade, the entry hall of Number 12 Grimmauld before the Battle of Grimmauld, and then again in the dungeons potions' lab before half had set off for Dublin, while the other half headed into the Forbidden Forest.

This time would be no different. The only difference was who was going.

They were all convened in Dumbledore's office, Harry leaning against some sturdy shelves while Kaylens crouched down beside him, digging through a small backpack full of supplies. Glancing down, only able to see the top of her impossibly golden head of hair, his chest twisted.

Last night…they'd spent the night together. He hadn't been willing to let go of her until morning, until the sun was already sodding up, the risk of dementors significantly lowered. He knew she'd survived. Her soul was intact. She'd even killed one. And still…

Harry didn't know what the hell he'd do if something happened to her.

Abruptly he crouched down alongside her, nudging her with his shoulder.

The non-witch looked up, strands of her messy hair hanging in her face, what looked like a penlight clamped between her teeth.

Harry couldn't help it, he actually laughed. "You look," he drawled, "adorable."

Kaylens' eyes instantly narrowed, the witch opening her mouth to inevitably chastise him, the forgotten penlight falling out. Harry snared it before it could hit the floor, smirking smugly as he held it up in front of her nose. "Lose something?"

His girlfriend reached up and snatched it out of his hand. "Adorable?" she repeated, sounding only slightly dangerous.

"Yeah," he affirmed, smirking more. "Not on the same level as a bunny, but I'd easily rate you in the 'new kitten' category."

Kaylens mouth flapped soundlessly. They were crouched there, in Dumbledore's office, surrounded by Order members, and he found he really didn't give a sod about anything other than snagging onto another private minute with her.

"You-you're-" she sputtered.

He inclined an eyebrow. "Ah, remembered how to talk I see?"

She outright growled at him, Harry's lips merely twitching further. "Harry…"

"Yes?" He fixed her with a somewhat innocent look of inquiry, crouching there expectantly, as if waiting for her to say something unbelievably important. Sometimes he found it was rather easy to mess with her, given she seemed to harbor a strong dislike of being called anything that had the remotest relation to a synonym of cute.

Naturally equating her to that had rapidly become one of his favorite hobbies.

The witch huffed a breath, her long bangs blown out of her face. An instant later she'd snagged onto the front of his shirt, giving it a pointed tug to express her displeasure. "You're impossible."

Harry just wrapped his hand firmly around hers, not attempting to remove it, just content to have his palm around her smaller fingers. He met her gaze, and she met his right back, neither of them looking away.

It was perhaps the best they could get there, within Dumbledore's office.

He'd take it.

Kaylens apparently wouldn't though.

Her fingers tightened on the front of his shirt, fingertips scratching against his chest as she tugged him to her, the stress, sodding tension of where they were going, of what they were about to do prevalent in the way her mouth met his. Despite himself, despite where they were a pleased growl emerged from his throat, the pressure of her lips met with a vigorous response from his own.

He'd make sure they both made it back. Not doing so…

It wasn't even an option. He couldn't entertain it, let alone think of it.

The sound of the backpack dropping onto the floor, contents spilling went entirely unnoticed as Harry snared an arm around her waist and quite literally slid her across Dumbledore's office floor so she'd be closer, his fingers tightening against her hip. Kaylens made no sign that she'd even noticed, her fingers merely releasing her hold on his shirt, arms sliding slowly around his neck.

"Woah! Go Harry, making the moves in Big D's office!"

"Even we weren't stupid enough to do that," a twin responded conversationally.

"Means we trained him well."

"That we did Gred."

"Right you are Feorge."

Harry stopped kissing Kally, tugging back to shoot Fred and George a somewhat irritable look. "Anyone ever tell ya that you two are real mood killers?"

George drew himself up to his full height, puffing his chest out. "Aim to please, Harry!"

"It's so good to be appreciated," Fred mock cried. "We try so hard to do our jobs-"

"Causing chaos-"

"Instigating brawls-"

"It's not as easy as it looks!"

Kaylens amused breath ghosted against his chin. "Can you hex them?" she questioned, sounding somewhat serious. "Please?"

Harry smirked despite himself. "Sorry," he apologized, "but Mrs. Weasley would kill me."

"Nah," Fred told, the Weasley twin grinning incorrigibly, "mum likes you too much, Harry."

"Yeah, you hexed us reckon she'd think we had it coming."

Harry turned a curious look onto the twins, hand going for his wand. "You really shouldn't give me permission to hex you…"

The Weasley twins let out a coordinated shout and dove in different directions, one fully hidden by Dumbledore's desk, the other attempting to use Tonks as a shield. Given how small Tonks was, and how large the twins were, that wasn't working well. The portrait of Professor Swott was even shaking his head at the spectacle.

Tonks, her hair now bright orange, took it in stride and grinned down at them, seeming oblivious to the fact that George had picked her up and was holding her in front of him like a shield. "Aw Remus!" she called, from her new mid-air position in life. "Aren't the snoggers cute?"

Lupin came up alongside her, fixing Harry with a critical look. "Please luv, you'll only give me nightmares." He rather looked like he'd happily consider anything other than his best friend's son snogging.

Tonks cackled, but Harry just raised an eyebrow. "Was beginning to think you'd fled the country after our chat, Mooney."

"Considered it," he told, now eyeing George with a disapproving look. "However, Dumbledore was rather adamant that I take care of…another matter. I just returned the night before last."

"Well," Harry allowed, "at least that gives you an excuse for reneging on our agreement."

"I confess," Lupin admitted, "I was somewhat surprised you weren't staking out my old quarters' door when I got back, already demanding answers from Tonks."

"There is no Tonks, only Shield!" came a mock, deep voice from behind Tonks, everyone shooting George an odd look. The Auror's feet were still dangling a good foot off the ground, everyone in ear shot shooting the Weasley twin a strange look.

Dean however snorted. "Muggle films I see?"

Fred frowned. "What's a film?"

While Dean groaned, Kaylens' brow furrowed almost artfully, her attention turning to Harry. "What agreement?"

"War bonds," he replied easily. "Lupin was going to explain them to me before Dumbledore did."

His girlfriend's lips parted in a silent 'o' of understanding. Harry still wasn't certain that he was comfortable with the idea, distrusting any magic that he hadn't specifically agreed to, but…

He didn't really have a choice in the matter. The idea of it making Kaylens' magic more powerful when he was around though….he had some deep concerns. If she overdrew she could die.

Somehow the idea of her magic being more powerful around him seemed like a bad, very bad idea. He didn't want her to accidentally overdraw because of some magical bond with him. He still needed to talk to Hermione about that, find out if Dumbledore had told him everything, but he hadn't yet. Speaking of-

Harry stood, tugging Kaylens up with him as he looked around for Hermione. He found her standing near Ron, looking haggard, dark circles beginning to form under her eyes. She had stood guard in the common room the entire night, refusing to sleep out of sheer nerves.

It was clear she was terrified of he and Ron leaving, going on any type of horcrux hunt without her. The three of them were always together, but now…

Things were changing. Things were changing rapidly, whether any of them were ready for it or not.

Across the room Harry caught her eye, shooting her a forced grin. Hermione's warm brown ones smiled back, the witch glancing over at where Ron stood, the wizard pointedly looking at his shoes, nervously scuffing his feet against the floor. Every so often his shoes made a loud screeching sound that sent the portrait of Phineas Nigellus Black wincing.

Hermione's unspoken question was clear: will you watch out for this one?

Harry offered a bemused look before he nodded. Then he tilted his head towards Ron and mouthed just snog him already.

Hermione's mouth opened, eyes immediately flying wide. Still Harry didn't miss how she immediately started trying to flatten her hair, the witch glancing towards their mutual best mate nervously.

He outright snorted.

The office door swung open, Crusantheus shouting angrily and challenging the newest arrival to a duel, Bill Weasley quite literally hauling his girlfriend in by the waist. Fleur and the famously irritable doorknocker were apparently engaged in an argument, the cursebreaker attempting to pacify her. "Fleur it's an inanimate object-"

"I vill make 'im inanimate!" she cried, taking a swing at it with her bare hands. "Let go ov me Villiam!"

"Later luv, later," Bill mollified.

Crusantheus stuck his brass tongue out at the witch and blew a raspberry.

Instantly Fleur tried to launch herself at it again, crying, "I vill melt 'im down into 'is molten state and throw 'im into ze ocean!"

Bill barely managed the yank her away, her silver hair flying wildly. The cursebreaker caught Harry's eye, sending him a smirk and mouthing feisty women at him. Harry let out an abrupt laugh. "Tell me about it!"

The laugh died in his throat at the look Kalliandra shot him. Harry instantly drug a hand over his head, grinning sheepishly.

Kaylens made an annoyed sound.

The scene was utter chaos. Fred, George, Bill, Fleur, Dean, Hermione, Ron, Neville, Regulus, Diggles, Tonks, Remus, Luna, Professor Gai, Dumbledore, and McGonagall were all there. The Headmaster's office was so crowded that it was a wonder no one had tripped over anyone else yet.

Hell, Amarante had even managed to emerge from the hospital wing to see his brother off, the wizard looking pale as he sat, collapsed in one of Dumbledore's oversized chaises.

"I suppose," Tres commented idly, grinning at his brother, "that it doesn't bear saying that I'm definitely the better looking one now, eh?"

"Bet you I could still get the ladies over you, even with this abomination going on," Amarante countered, making a weak gesture at his bald head. His hair had not grown fully back, Madame Pomfrey continually shaving the wizard's head and refusing to cast any hair lengthening charms so she could constantly assess the head wound.

Amarante had been comatose for well over a month, then had spent the next two months learning how to walk again. Now, at the three and a half month mark, the wizard was finally getting some of his spunk back.

Head injuries did that kind of thing to a person. Kaylens had mentioned that, during their hospital stay, she'd overheard Pomfrey say that had Amarante been a Muggle he'd have surely died. He'd lived, but…

Magic could only hasten the healing process so much, that emphasized as Tres handed his brother a glass of water, Amarante taking it in a shaking hand and slowly drinking it.

Even that simple movement seemed to cause the wizard trouble.

Off to the side Luna and Dean were engaged in a strange game of rocks, paper, scissors, screwt. McGonagall was whispering fiercely to Dumbledore, the Headmaster's hand resting upon the Deputy Headmistress' shoulder. Neville and Diggles were engaged in a conversation about his top hat, whilst Regulus shook his head, sighing the word idiots over a goblet of what suspiciously looked like water. Just water.

He leaned over towards Kaylens. "Is Regulus actually sober?" he muttered beneath his breath.

She just nodded, golden hair spilling around her shoulders with the motion. "Yeah…" she sounded almost awed.

A sudden clap broke into the room, the Headmaster's hands raised in an attention-drawing clap. The cacophonous noise instantly stopped, all head's turning towards Dumbledore.

"I have always," the Headmaster stated conversationally, "wanted to do that."

"You wanted," Lupin stated somewhat disbelievingly, "to clap your hands together?"

"Why yes." The Headmaster looked truly baffled as to why that would be a strange thing to aspire to.

The last remaining Marauder eyed the Headmaster with amusement. "I fear, Albus, you have been setting your Muggle-mimicking goals far too low."

"Ah…I see I have misinterpreted what clapping was intended for. It is not meant to signal a looming event in a momentous sort of way?"

Every single person in the room who had ever spent more than a day around Muggles stared at him blankly.

"Well then…" With a wave of Dumbledore's wand several rubber ducks suddenly appeared on his desk, the Muggle children's toys beginning to glow.

As before Dumbledore only uttered three words.

"It is time."


The portkey should have taken them directly to the boat.

It didn't.

The cold struck her like a battering ram.

Kally's face broke the water, gasping, unable to even breath for a harsh second. Choking, it was like her lungs had forgotten how to work. She kicked her feet uncoordinatedly, sheer reflex the only thing keeping her head above the surface.

The gentle waves sent her bobbing, the backpack around her shoulders smacking wetly against the back of her head, that actually hurting. Sopping hair dripped in her face, a drowning cat probably sounding better than she did.

Kally hyperventilated, gasping on air as the water assaulted her every nerve, it everything she could do to force herself to keep moving.

Another wave sent water spilling into her mouth, Kally coughing and sputtering, spitting the salty taste out. Gray-blue water stretched out on every side of her, sea-water splashing into her face, stinging her eyes.

It was like being portkeyed into an utter vacuum of silence. Only the chilling sounds of the rolling waves could be heard in every direction. There was no boat. There was no one, only-

"Ugh!" Ron's head broke the surface, spitting water out of his mouth like a fountain as his large hands smacked at the surface, treading water like a dog. The Weasley's red hair was plastered across the front of his face, the wizard getting tossed around by the not-rough sea far too much.

Kally let out a half-choked laugh of relief.

She wasn't alone.

Twisting in the water, she frantically, desperately searched for someone, anyone else-

A hand snagged her arm from below, Kally nearly screaming.

Harry broke the surface, coughing, giving her upper arm a rough squeeze before letting her go quickly. His reaction to the icy temperature was no better than hers, the wizard coughing even as she sputtered a second relieved laugh.

They may be floating in the middle of the sea, no one else in sight, but she wasn't alone.

The rising panic abated, only slightly.

They were still in frigid water, with no sign of help in sight.

A bright yellow spot caught her eye, the rubber duck bobbing past on a wave.

Kally swore to things unholy that the orange beak on it was mocking them.

"Where's Tonks?" Harry croaked, still choking on water. His black hair stuck to his forehead as he tread in the ocean besides her, a horrible sensation striking her.

Tonks.

Tonks wasn't there.

Kally shook her head so fast that her wet hair smacked her in the face, her eyes already searching. They'd taken the same portkey: her, Ron, Harry, and Tonks. But Tonks wasn't there.

Kally grasped at Harry's sleeve just to reassure herself that he was.

Harry's fingers brushed against her fingers for a split second, Kally releasing her hold as Harry and Ron began shouting loudly.

She sucked in several more quick breaths, still having trouble breathing, feeling like her heart was physically skipping from the shock of the cold, cold water. Kicking her feet, jeans clinging wetly to her and weighing her down, she concentrated on just moving.

It was something Harry and Ron were clearly not having much trouble with.

It took her a full minute before her lungs were clam enough to join in, a strange numbness replacing the shock.

"TONKS!" Kally spun in the water, sending salty spray everywhere. The chill was real, the Atlantic off the coast of the Carolinas in the low 50s. She was already shaking, shivering, teeth making chattering sounds as she shouted for the Auror again.

Ron cupped his hands to his face, nearly sinking beneath the surface as he bellowed, Harry abruptly disappearing beneath the surface and sending Kally's heart into a sodding panic.

He re-emerged an instant later, Kally outright smacking him anywhere she could reach him. "Don't do that!"

"I'm just-I'm looking," he gasped out, ducking beneath the water again and causing her to shout after him.

There was no boat. Tonks was gone. They were in cold, cold water treading and fully clothed. Their clothing was sticking to them, making them even colder every time they moved

The numb realization that they were in the middle of the ocean, no help in sight, struck hard. "Ron," she half-choked on the water, "where's the boa-"

"Bloody portkey must have been defective," he spat, smacking the water as if hitting it would fix the problem.

Then the Weasley had ducked beneath the water as well, Kally swearing and shoving her face beneath the surface to look. If Tonks wasn't there…

She couldn't see anything, other than the aberrant glow of what had to be either wands or mermaids coming to drown them…

She tugged her face back up, gasping for breath right as Harry and Ron did. The two were sputtering, looking at one another, shaking their heads.

"Did you-"

"No."

Tonks was gone.

Kally's mouth suddenly felt dry, her hazel eyes searching the surface. She needed to think.

The current was moving in the opposite direction from where they'd been looking.

The Reach suddenly darted forward and swam, doing so despite how numb her muscles were rapidly becoming, unable to hear anything but the beating water against her ears until she stopped, bobbing in the water as both Harry and Ron bellowed at her. She ignored them, looking around, ducking under water to try to see.

She saw nothing.

Resurfacing she found that the two were already swimming towards her, Kally tremulously shouting, "The current! If she was here it could have snagged her!"

Understanding flashed in familiar jade eyes.

Harry was already back under the water, wand in hand, Ron right behind him. Despite the bright sunlight she could still dimly see their wand light illuminating the world below, leaving her feeling helpless. Light couldn't penetrate water far. It would be impossible to see below the surface without magic, and she certainly didn't have any waterproof flashlights on her that she could reach.

She was terrified.

Harry and Ron were utterly brash. They would nearly drown themselves to help Tonks. She knew that. But if they didn't come back up soon…

They did. Both their heads broke the surface suddenly, Ron hitting the side of his head to dislodge water futilely from his ear. Harry was looking panicked, his darkened green gaze meeting hers across the gray waters, Kally swallowing, teeth chattering.

And that was when they heard it.

All three of their heads darted straight up, the shockingly blue sky nearly blinding them. Water splashed around them, but against the clear sky they could see silhouettes moving in the distance, flying.

"Death Eaters," Ron growled alongside her, splashing angrily. "Dumbledore was right. The snake can feel us coming from it."

All three of them were breathing hard, Kally's breaths perhaps coming the hardest, the quickest.

The terrible numbness from the cold was something she was suddenly getting used to.

"So what-what do we do?" she managed to get out, kicking her feet as hard as she could, if only to keep herself warm. Water splashed onto her neck, making her want to scream at the shock of it against her bare skin.

"Find the others," Ron croaked. "We'll be like ducks bobbing in a barrel otherwise."

She didn't even bother to correct him, because she didn't have to ask what he meant. The Death Eaters were high up, but they were flying in their direction. They hadn't seen them yet, but when they did…

Harry made a strange sound with his throat. "The other portkeys had to work…"

"Then where's the boat?" she questioned again, spinning and searching for it on the horizon, hoping desperately to see it, even though she hadn't seen it before. "You don't think they got to it do-"

Her words fell flat from her lips, almost choked. Ron's dad was on that boat. If the Death Eaters had sank it…

Ron and Harry's attentions were both fixed firmly on the sky, each having their wands in hand, the tips poking out from beneath the water's surface. They were each treading water with only one arm, Kally trying to figure out where to go. Death Eaters were here and-

Something snared her ankle with brutal force, Kally sucked beneath the surface with a scream. There was time to see Harry's head jerk around before her vision was filled with gray-water.

Bubbles surrounded her as she was rapidly drug down, Kally kicking, screaming, attempting to get rid of whatever it was, the bright sunlight disappearing as the sea swallowed her whole.

Pressure was building in her chest, lungs burning, Kally weakening as she gave one more kick-

It released her.

A hand clamped over her mouth, and nose bubbles pluming up as something struck her head, a bubble suddenly popping audibly around it.

Kally gasped, breathing in air beneath the water, her heart thumping unsteadily, furiously as if the muscle wasn't entirely certain why she was still alive and not drowning, lungs not filling with water. It happened fast, too fast for her to have even reacted.

In the shadowed waters before her Tonks hovered like a water phantom, a bubble surrounding her heart-shaped face, the witch holding a finger to her lips before she darted upwards, her feet flippers.

Kally was staring, still sucking in shocked breaths as the spells started flying.

The first was hot and searing red, it shooting past her and barely missing her foot.

Screaming in her bubble she kicked out, propelling herself backwards, only to see Ron suddenly appear out of the dark waters, the wizard gaping at the sight of her wearing a bubblehead charm.

Then his mouth began moving angrily, as if mad at her.

Kally gaped, instantly beginning to point towards where Tonks had gone, the spells from there having stopped, Ron jerking around to look-

Harry was already swimming down with the Auror, a large, burnt hole flapping in Tonks' shirt. The green-haired witch looking seriously put-out, making furious, floating gestures with her hands as if she were contemplating strangling him.

Harry caught sight of her in the dim, rippling light, an abject look of relief crossing his jaw line. Then he turned in the water, sending bubbles scattering-

Tonks grabbed him by the lapel and started pointing feverishly at the bubbles he was making, fixing them all with a pointed look.

Then she pointed up, holding a finger to her lips.

Kally was shivering, cold. It was rapidly overtaking her, but Kally still realized what she meant. The Death Eaters. Harry and Ron had probably started hexing everything they could when she'd been tugged under.

The dark wizards surely must have seen. If they flew any nearer then they would also see their bubbles on the surface, at least they would if the four of them moved too much.

Tonks must have seen them before they had.

Meters beneath the waves all four of them went still, not moving, not disturbing the water at all. Hovering within the sea, drifting slowly with the current, rippling, swooping shadows began to appear meters overhead.

They had seen the spells…

Kalliandra forced her breathing calm, but she was shivering almost violently. Tonks still had a hold of Harry's sleeve, Potter reaching out to grab onto Ron, Weasley snagging onto her.

Kally grabbed onto Ron right back, the four of them forming a strange, underwater chain.

They were trying to not drift apart, shadows near the surface swooping lower, the anomalous movements causing strange patterns to form in the gray-blue underworld. It was dark here, the sun not penetrating well, and Kally felt completely and utterly numb as time stretched on.

She wasn't able to move.

The water was cold.

She wasn't a witch.

The shadows continued sweeping overhead, it seeming an eternity before they passed...

She didn't know how long it was. Five, ten, fifteen, twenty minutes…

Her movements felt uncoordinated, disjointed, like her muscles weren't obeying her commands. She tried to tighten her fingers in Ron's sleeve but they wouldn't. Kally could no longer feel them. She couldn't even feel her hands, let alone her arms.

No one moved, everyone's attentions firmly fixed upwards, Tonks holding out a hand with five fingers splayed out to indicate that they hold their current position for another five minutes. It'd hopefully be enough to ensure that the Death Eaters were well and truly gone…

It was then that Kally realized that she could barely feel her legs. Only moving had kept her from freezing before.

The shadows returned, Death Eaters sweeping past overhead yet again, apparently being thorough in their search.

Ron's fingers tightened on her sleeve, Kally content to allow that. She was tired and they weren't going anywhere. Closing her eyes, she just waited.

It seemed an eternity before something tugged her, Kally's eyes hazily drifting open to see that Tonks had finally started to move, gesturing at them to follow, Ron tugging her…

Kally tried. She honestly did, but her movements were strange, disjointed, confused-

It was like wishing something would move, only it didn't.

Her breathing slowed, not particularly caring about it anymore. At some point she had stopped shivering. It was nice. Her teeth were no longer about to get chipped from banging into each other.

There was that tug on her sleeve again.

Then another.

Suddenly something sharp dug into her side, Ron's wand radiating a sudden heat onto her that sent a violent shiver tearing through her, her shaking so pronounced she no longer had a prayer of propelling herself. She barely noticed when Weasley's hand wrapped around her arm and started hauling her with him, Kally only realizing she was being drug because she was moving.

Kicking her legs, slowly, she managed to help. A bit. She wasn't honestly sure, and wasn't sure she cared.

Eventually they broke the surface, coming up alongside a rusted-over fisher's trawler, the bubble's popping courtesy of Tonks' quick wand.

Kally could barely keep her eyes open, Ron swearing something violent. She caught a glimpse of red buoys hanging off the side of the trawler, the fishing vessel looking rickety, like it would barely stay afloat. Something was jabbing against her side again, warmth spilling through her as an arm snared around her front, but she'd stopped shivering again.

Harry's voice, oddly panicked, was coming from somewhere…

That was the last thing she remembered.


"You didn't hit her with a warming charm!?"

They'd slammed onto the rickety deck of the trawler, the floor so old that it'd actually clanged beneath their weight. Tonks was shrilly sputtering at he and Ron, stripping out of her soaked clothes as she did, not seeming to care where they were or who was watching.

Fred gave Neville a meaningful nudge with his elbow as Tonks' shirt went flying, Mad Eye's magical eye rolling towards them.

Neville squeezed his eyes shut muttering something about looking not being right, Fred grinning ear-to-ear.

The retired Auror growled beneath his breath, a quick hex rendering the Weasley twin temporarily blind due to the squid now attached to his face. "How's your girl doin' there Harry?" Moody questioned, clearly unconcerned as Fred Weasley blindly backed up and fell overboard with a resounding splash.

"The idiot boys let her freeze," Tonks chastised.

"Hey!" Ron protested, kicking off a sopping wet shoe. It banged against a rusted bucket. "You were the one who played Kraken with her! You could have helped too ya know!"

"Excuse me, but I was trying to keep you lot from getting your heads hexed off by birds prone to liberally tossing out Kedarvas!"

Harry tuned them out. He was bent over where they'd lain Kaylens down, the non-witch having lost consciousness from hypothermia barely a minute before. It hadn't even occurred to him that she couldn't do warming charms. Placing one on himself had been the first thing he'd done, but she couldn't do that. He knew that, but he'd cursedly forgotten.

He'd been too panicked looking for Tonks.

Then they'd been holding still beneath the sea, waiting for the Death Eaters to fly away for awhile, If they'd moved with the Death Eaters hovering barely meter over the surface their bubbles would have easily been seen, so they hadn't.

The non-witch had literally no way to stay warm that entire time.

No wonder she'd succumbed.

"Damn't Kaylens…" he muttered, his hand gripping onto her side, warmth wandlessly spilling out of his palm and coursing its way through her torso. Harry didn't even have to think about it. When she was near him no concentration was needed, Harry finally understanding why.

Water dripped from his hair onto the deck alongside her, Harry waiting. She lay there, wet hair splayed about her face, her tendrils literally everywhere.

"I hit her with a warming charm soon as I realized." Ron groaned, crouching down alongside them. His best mate met his gaze. "Sorry Harry, I was closer. Should of noticed."

Harry shook his head, muttering, "No, I should have." His hands were already moving down her body, concentrating as he muttered drying spell after drying spell, right down to her shoes. The yellow light spilled out of his hands, like dim sunlight, Harry patting her down to make sure he didn't feel anything else even remotely wet on her.

Then he fisted his fingers in her hair, drying that too.

"Must we really," drawled Regulus, "tolerate him feeling his girlfriend up in front of us? Really, the teenagers are getting are getting far too cavalier with their ongoings." The wizard was leaning against the deckhouse, sounding disinterested. Harry wasn't fooled. Kaylens had been levitated on board by Mr. Weasley, so she'd been on board before he had.

And Harry had seen a flicker of concern on the self-professed Muggle doctor when he'd rolled over the edge of the boat after her.

The wizard had been looking Kaylens over, checking her pulse, muttering some type of spell before seeming satisfied.

He'd stood and backed the hell off as soon as Harry had gotten to her. The fact that he'd let him anywhere near her rather than shoving him away had done a lot towards calming him down.

As much as Harry detested Black, he'd seen the wizard around serious injuries. He didn't hesitate, or have a problem shoving people bodily out of the way to treat a patient.

That meant Kaylens was fine, so long as they warmed her up.

"I'd make sure," Regulus drawled again, "to not jostle her much. Hypothermic patients that get banged about have this annoying tendency to go into cardiac arrest. I find it's a bit unconducive to life, wouldn't you?"

At that Harry's head jerked up, gaze locking onto the pseudo-Healer. "What?" The word came out stunned.

The last remaining Black made no move to help and instead just tisked. "And here I thought your precious professors had taught you about first aid, ward. Now go ahead, make Gai over their proud."

With a sickening feeling Harry realized exactly what Black was doing.

It wasn't that he was concerned for her. He was just using her to see how well he'd learned first-sodding-aid for the war effort.

The former Death Eater smirked almost maliciously. "War's going on, ward. Best be certain you know what you're doing, unless you don't care about a sudden increase in casualty count."

It was like something had seized an iron fist within his chest and squeezed, Harry turning his attention instantly back to Kalliandra. Ron was outright growling in Regulus' direction, but Harry didn't have time for that. He was racking his mind for anything and everything Professor Gai had ever taught them about environmental injuries…

It hadn't been much.

His head jerked up. "What do I do?" he demanded, something dangerous and rough vibrating in his voice.

Black just met his gaze levelly, tone almost instructive. "You've already warmed the core, ward. Now tell me, in that ingenious mind of yours where else would frigid blood possibly be circulating?" The sarcasm hung thick and heavy, things creaking loudly on the rig, Harry not missing how Regulus held his hand up in a silent 'stay back' gesture at anyone else on the boat who might want to help.

Ron's fingers turned into claws, scratching against the deck, Harry grimacing as he tried to think.

He had his hands all over Kaylens' arms and legs an instant later, warming charms frantically muttered, warm light spilling out of his palms. The next moment found his hand slipping behind her neck, a final charm murmured there. The core, extremities, head. The neck had exposed blood vessels and if those were left untreated, cold, they'd lead straight to the brain.

Harry felt sick. His gaze flickered over her pale face, waiting. Without thinking about it his hand was against the side of her face, smoothing golden strand after golden strand away from her lips, tucking them behind her ear.

"Utterly nauseating, Potter. Do tell me you don't take to pawing her in quite that manner when your elders aren't looking? If so, I'm astounded she tolerates you at all. So unskilled."

The glare he fixed on the bastard could have killed.

Regulus just smirked right back, dark eyes flickering over Kalliandra for a moment, something in his gaze that wasn't sarcasm present. Instead….

It looked satisfied.

Relief hit him at the unvoiced promise that Kaylens was looking better. Regulus wouldn't look satisfied otherwise. Regardless, Harry's teeth ground so hard it was a miracle the enamel didn't rub off. "What her and I do when you're not looking isn't any of your damn concern."

The wizard carelessly shrugged. "Touchy, touchy. I never did understand that possessive obsession with women. Use them then lose them. Anything in between allows them to do nothing but cause trouble."

From off to the side Tonks outright snorted. "That's only because you could never keep a girl for yourself, Reggie. Sirius always got the good ones."

Something angry flashed in the wizard's eyes, the calm, unfeeling mask reconstructed faster than one could blink. "Ah yes," he drawled, attentions leaving Harry and Kalliandra and turning to his cousin, "lowering myself to consort with the many scarlet women of my year…as tempting as it was to potentially contract the syphilis my own brother was undoubtedly spreading around the dormitories I so would rather pass. Besides…I rather think those trollops got what they deserved."

Harry silently vowed to hex Regulus within an inch of his life, while Tonks snarled, the witch now standing barefoot on the deck, hands on her hips, in nothing more than a bra and panties as she stared Regulus down. "Watch your mouth, Reggie."

"My blood relation…" Black lamented in a monotone, the boat rocking as he stared at her. "Clearly I've drowned and been sentenced to hell."

"I'll give you hell…" Tonks all-but growled, sounding distinctly Remus-like.

"Now really cousin, standing around in your knickers aboard a fishing trolley. Is that any way for an engaged woman to act? Whatever would that dear wolf of yours say?"

"Her wolf," a familiar and welcome voice drawled, "would kindly point out that she is her own woman and free to dance about in her knickers up and down the streets of London if she so chooses." Remus Lupin had emerged from the deckhouse, his expression fixed upon Tonks, a single eyebrow quirked in question.

Tonks merely beamed and did a little shimmy.

"Ah," Remus sighed, "there's my modest witch." The former Professor then turned his attention towards Kaylens, a frown crossing his face. "When did this happen?"

Harry grimaced. "We held still too long while swimming."

"The imbeciles," Regulus drawled, "failed to apply simple warming charms to her for over half an hour, while they were hiding from Death Eaters outside the disillusionment bubble. It's a wonder the girl lasted as long as she did."

Lupin made an upset sound.

Harry's best mate, on the other hand, began to sputter, the Gryffindor Seeker glancing up to see that Ron had finally noticed Tonks' state of undress amidst all the other conversations going on.

Ron's jaw was hanging open, flapping in the wind.

Harry shook his head, Mad Eye walking by and smacking it shut with his wand. "It does not behoove a wizard to drool." The ex-Auror turned his gnarled face on him, the silent order from Black to 'stay back and let him learn at his own girlfriend's potential demise' apparently lifted. "How's she doing, Potter?"

Ron let out a pained groan, but Harry just shook his head, his hand sliding to the side of her familiar face, her skin already warming beneath his touch. "Despite that bastard deciding to force me to use her for practice?" he half snarled, voice dying as his own gaze raked across her countenance.

Her lips were peacefully parted, her breathing more relaxed, regular.

"Practice?" Lupin's voice cut in dangerously. "I'd say it's about time you and I had a chat, Black."

The sounds of a scuffle and of Tonks' gleeful shouts of 'oh Remus! You sexy hound!' were enough to scar Harry for life. Regardless his gaze remained firmly on his girlfriend, Harry's free hand finding hers, tightening around her cold fingers.

Moody's grunt reminded him that Mad Eye had asked a question.

"Kaylens is tough," he told the Auror. "She'll be fine." Pausing, the ship rocking and sending water cascading across the grimy deck, he added, "Albeit a bit pissed. Woman doesn't like to be taken care of."

Moody snorted. "Atta boy, Potter," he growled approvingly, slapping him on the back. "Shoulda known you wouldn't be one to pick a weak bird."

Harry sent him a wry look. "Uh huh."

Nearby there was a loud thump, followed by Black groaning. Overhead a net attached to a wire swung, Diggles shouting about renewing the disillusionment charms that currently hid the ship from sight. It was why he, Kaylens and Ron hadn't been able to see it. Their portkey had missed the actual deck of the ship and landed them in the water surrounding it, not twenty meters away.

It'd been far enough to place them outside the concealment charm's bubble. As far as they had been able to tell no ship had existed.

Somehow Tonks had landed in the water, but just inside the concealment charm. She'd been able to see them and the Death Eaters, since she hadn't been frantically looking under the water and had instead been looking up from the start.

Not to mention everyone on board the fishing trawler had apparently been shouting at her.

Moody's eyes narrowed, the wizard snapping his eyepatch back into place over the spinning eyeball. "There is a critical component you forgot here while playing the role of sap, Potter." The vessel creaked loudly, as if straining against the sea.

"Oh yeah?" Harry inclined an eyebrow and pointedly waited.

"Yes," Mad Eye half growled, reaching over Kaylens' form to jab him pointedly in the chest with his wand. "The rescuer always takes care of themselves before the rescuee. You succumb you do no good to anyone else."

With that a drying spell swirled around both he and Ron, their clothes and hair instantly drying, everything considerably warmer. It might not be winter, but late spring on the Atlantic still carried a sodding chill in the air.

"Thanks," he breathed, nodding his understanding.

Moody just grunted, glancing down at Kalliandra for a moment. Harry followed his gaze, Kaylens' color returning. She was no longer ghostly pale with blue lips. Her lips were now full and pink, Harry thinking of quite a few sodding things he could do with those once she woke up.

Sliding his palm over her abdomen he muttered another wandless warming charm, serious on fixing her quickly.

"Wandless magic, Potter. Hrm…don't mind if I say it, but Voldemort will have himself quite the time by the time you're ready for him."

"By the time I'm ready for him…" he somewhat bitterly repeated. "Tell me, if we're waiting around for me to be ready, how many people are going to be dead before then?"

Moody just smirked. "You let us worry 'bout that, Potter. Besides…" he smirked, an evil glint entering into his good eye. "Got somethin' for ya." Moody had reached into his pocket, dragging out a cloth and handing it to him.

Harry eyed him curiously, removing his hand from Kaylens to unwrap it, a pair of glasses eerily similar to his old ones inside. His brow furrowed as he looked at Moody. "Um…thanks?" he said. "But Moody, I don't need these anymore."

"Ah, but ye don't want Voldemort knowin' that quite yet, now do ya?" Moody tapped the side of his head. "Think, Potter. It'd be best if you keep yer advantages to yourself for as long as possible, wouldn't you say?"

"Yeah but Moody, Harry's not gonna be able to see out of those," Ron cut in, shrugging as the two looked at him. "Prescription would be off, won't it?"

"That'd be why I made some modifications." Moody flipped his eye patch up, the magical eye giving a telling spin, Harry quickly putting the glasses back on.

Blinking, he saw absolutely nothing different. He lifted them up to peer under them, then dropped them back down onto his nose.

"They're just glass," he said.

"Glass that'll let you see through invisibility cloaks and concealment charms, Potter." Moody shot him a wink, standing up. "Now I'd best be off. Looks like your girl is starting to wake up."

Harry's attention dropped back to where Kaylens had started to stir, her hazel eyes slowly opening and blinking up at him. "Harry?"

A feeling, one that he was too sodding familiar with when it came to her, swept through him like a lightning strike: relief. She was okay. She looked somewhat dazed, but she had formed an articulate word. "Nah," he responded, "it's Voldemort. I'm just wearing a clever Potter disguise to get to snog you later." Waggling his eyebrows, he forced a slight smirk.

"Potter," she griped, "you're exhausting." Slowly she drug a hand tiredly over her face, peering through her fingers up at him.

Her entire expression suddenly looked perplexed. "Oh Merlin…" she murmured, catching sight of his new glasses. "You idiot…you didn't damage your eyes again did you?"

Ron sat down on the deck heavily, snorting.

Despite himself Harry couldn't help but laugh. "Good to see you too, Kaylens." Eyes on her, her impossibly golden hair sprawled around her head across the grimy deck, a strained smile crossed his jaw. "You okay?"

Her eyes fluttered closed, the witch squeezing his hand. "I'm going to start an anti-reward system," she murmured. "Every time you ask me that, I'm hexing you...on general principle."

"You can't hex."

"I can dream."

"So that'd be a yes?"

She groaned, shivering slightly. Harry was aware she was waking up from this quickly, very quickly, the wizard making a mental note to demand an answer from Black later, after Lupin was done pummeling him. The wizard had cast a spell on her before, and he would wager a lot that it had something to do with her being as alright as she was right now.

Harry wanted to know what that spell was before they set off into the water again. For now…

Harry snagged her by the arms and hauled her up to a sitting position, smirking at her. "So, Kaylens…I'm thinking we should give that old axiom about body heat a try."

From across the deck Regulus let out a loud groan. "Kill me now."

"For once," Lupin bemoaned, "I actually agree."

As if to answer their request, Fred finally finished climbing back on board, flipping over the rail and flopping onto his back like a dead fish, salt water splattering all over Regulus and Lupin's shoes.

Kally just stared past him at where Tonks and Fred were. "Harry," she breathed, "why is Tonks half naked?"

He opened his mouth to respond, but Tonks had already overhead. "I was soaked and cold!" she defended.

Kally frowned. "Aren't there drying charms for that?"

The Auror looked honestly confused. "Well duh, but those are far less fun for torturing the youngens."

And at that the metamorphmagus shook her ass in Fred's general direction, the Weasley twin making a gesture by his heart to show a thud-thumping.

The sound of Regulus' drawl cut across the entire deck.

"Your fiancé must be so proud."

Lupin let out a resigned sigh. "I signed on for this didn't I?"

The last remaining Black snorted from his current position, where Remus had him pinned by the lapel to the deckhouse. "Welcome to the family."


Large, metal supports loomed high overhead, the reinforced structures meant to haul fishing nets from deep within the Atlantic's depths. They creaked as the boat rocked, a steady squeak with each swing of the net indicating that something was in need of oil.

That sound, along with the noise generated by the trawler rushing through the Atlantic, was almost enough to drown out the many conversations going on around them, including the annoyed ones.

"You just had to petrify me didn't you?"

Dean's voice sounded uncharacteristically angry, her friend rubbing his arm and shooting Bill Weasley a disgruntled look.

Apparently when Kally had been hauled on board, unconscious, Regulus had checked her immediately.

He'd instantly declared that Ron, Harry and Tonks were utter 'imbeciles' for not using a simple warming charm on her in the water, and that she was now 'moderately hypothermic' on account of the human body losing heat to surrounding water twenty five times faster than it did to air.

He'd promptly forbade anyone from helping her other than those same 'imbeciles' climbing up right after her. The way he'd seen it, if they'd caused 'this mess' then they would have to learn how to 'clean it up.' He'd casually mentioned that she wasn't going to die, probably, so long as the 'imbeciles' hurried up.

Kally wasn't exactly happy that he'd used her as an object lesson for the group as a whole, but she honestly kind of understood where he was coming from.

Unfortunately Dean had not, had made that very clear, and when he'd tried to rush to her side he'd wound up petrified by Bill.

Bill wrapped an arm around Fleur's waist and sat back on a crate, tugging his witch with him. "Would you have preferred being stunned?" he asked innocently. "At least you could see what was going on when you were petrified."

Dean made an annoyed sound, Kally leaning her head back against Potter's chest and closing her eyes. The cool wind was brushing against her face, but Potter's arms were firmly wrapped around her, and he was warm. The wool blanket that had been conjured and tossed over the two of them was also definitely helping matters.

She could feel Harry shift slightly, the two of them sitting on the deck, his back pressed firmly against the deckhouse wall. "My money," he muttered, breath tracing against the back of her ear, "is on Bill."

Tiredly cracking her eyes, she saw the two wizards starting to circle one another on the deck, wands out, Fleur Delacour beaming with interest.

Tonks practically flew across the deck to jump onto one of the crates alongside the part-veela, the Auror sitting cross legged and shouting for Dean to kick Bill's 'arse.' A second later she suggested a few choice spells that Bill could use, which prompted Fleur to ask, "Whoze zide are you even on?"

"No one's," Tonks replied delightedly, "anarchy makes this so much more fun."

Dean grinned a wide, white-toothed grin, Bill matching it by coolly slicking back his ginger hair, their wands out as they continued circling one another, neither making the first move.

Kally shook her head. "Mine's on Tonks, Harry. She'll interfere somehow."

A contemplative hrm-ing vibrated the chest she lay on, Harry muttering, "Almost forgot…she plays dirty."

The first hex in Dean and Bill's jovial game of 'hex one another' flew, Harry lifting their intertwined hands beneath the blanket and giving a slight flick with one of his fingers.

A metal box, one undoubtedly used to store fish judging by the smell, slid across the deck and stopped right in front of where they reclined, effectively blocking them from getting hit by any stray spells.

"Handy trick…" she murmured appreciatively, squirming to get comfortable. From across the deck Dean and Bill had rapidly lapsed into 'pirate speak,' courtesy of Fred's voluminous encouragements.

Harry ignored the compliment, muttering, "Have I mentioned I'm a git yet?"

"Several times, actually."

"I nearly let you freeze to death."

Kally closed her eyes, a slight thrill shooting through her at the fact that she was able to do simple things like this with him. "Given you were preoccupied with Death Eaters who most likely wanted to kill us," she allowed, "and with whether or not Tonks had just drowned, I think I can forgive you."

His arm snaked tighter around her waist, tugging her closer and up farther on him, his mouth burying against her hair. "You know," he lowly whispered, "you've got a stubborn habit of not relaying pertinent information when it'd be useful."

"Oh?" she breathed, nearly shivering at the feel of his breath on her neck.

"Yeah, or do the simple words of 'I'm cold' not mean anything to you?"

"They don't," she disclosed in slight amusement, "ring any bells."

Potter practically growled against her ear, a stray hex knocking poor Diggles half-way across the deck. "When are you going to start saying something's wrong, before it's a problem?" Diggles groaned, both of them ignoring him.

Given that he'd landed not a meter from them, that was a bit of a feat.

Kally just shook her head, tipping her face slightly to better look at Potter. "Bit hard," she pointed out, "when we're underwater and given that I didn't realize what was happening." She had been far too confused to comprehend that she was hypothermic. She'd known she was cold, but dangerously so?

Harry's lips brushed against the corner of hers, the angle they sat at a bit awkward for snogging attempts. "You're infuriating, Kaylens, you do know that?"

"And you're not?"

"And here I thought I'd gotten more agreeable," he drawled. "You, however, are still as stubborn as ever."

"You'd be bored otherwise."

Potter made a sound of agreement, Diggles starting to army crawl away, keeping his head down in case any more stray hexes flew from Bill and Dean's duel. The purple hat perpetually attached to his head was impaled against a crate by what suspiciously looked like a crab leg.

Harry's brow just dropped against her head, Kally's eyes drifting shut as the wind sent the blanket over them rustling slightly. He'd be bored…

Something about that, about the fact that he preferred her this way, warmed her in a way that the heat of his body pressing tightly to hers simply couldn't.

As if reading her mind Harry's free hand began teasing at her waist, the action hidden by the thick wool covering them. She was helpless, making only a content sound, utterly exhausted. Sleeping…it seemed like an excellent idea right now.

They had all made it to the boat, but they still had a long way to go before they reached the island that Dumbledore and Regulus had staked out the week prior. The anti-apparation and anti-portkey barriers were apparently large around it, Voldemort having been thorough in his protective spells.

It was still early morning, but they'd be lucky if they reached it before late afternoon. If they didn't make it before nightfall they'd have to make the swim the following day, once daybreak hit.

For now they were just taking time to enjoy themselves, Dumbledore's orders.

Well…almost everyone. Off to the side Ron was being regaled with stories about mythical creatures by Luna. The blonde haired witch was beaming as if she'd never had a better audience, oblivious to how Ron stared out at the ocean turning varying shades of green with each pitch and yaw of the boat.

Something banged against the other side of the metal box, clearly a mis-aimed spell from Dean and Bill's impromptu duel. Kally and Harry both eyed it with suspicion, before Potter twitched a finger, sending a crate sliding alongside it, doubling their barrier for good measure. "You know," he called out casually, "there are other people on board. If I get hexed I'm going to be fairly pissed."

"I'll have you know I'm defending your girlfriend's honor!" Dean bellowed back. "A little help would be nice! Stupefy!"

"Oh ho, Thomas!" Bill proclaimed. "Almost got me that time!"

"Iv you hex my boyfriend I vill hex you!"

Harry's head turned ever-so-slightly, once more speaking against the side of her cheek. "How mad would you be," he growled curiously, "if I slipped over there to help Bill?"

A smile teased her lips, Kally ignoring the annoyed sounds Dean made from across the ship. "Three against one, Potter? Hardly seems fair."

"You know one of these days I'm going to actually hex him. Better let me do it sooner than later. Would hate to see where a bunch of built up hostility got me."

The boat jerked, Kally tilting her head back to look up at him. "Anyone ever tell you that you're awfully violent?"

The look he shot down at the top of her head was answer enough. "Have no idea," he claimed, "what you're referring to." Then his grip flexed against her hip, tugging her tighter against his chest, his mouth lowering dangerously near hers-

"Will you blithering imbeciles stop dueling!?"Moody roared. "You're going to disrupt the wards! Unless attracting the attention of the dark wizards still tailing us is your ultimate goal!?"

"It's as if they think maintaining disillusionment and concealment charms on an entire moving object is easy," drawled Regulus, Tres snorting loudly from his position halfway up one of the metal poles. The DADA Professor was perched there like a bird, taking his shift of maintaining the various spells keeping them safe.

They froze, lips near one another's, Harry actually snorting. "Now there's," he drawled, "your violent one."

Kally ignored him, nudging her nose impatiently against the rough stubble covering his jaw. Potter's teasing was one of the things that made her fervently wish she had the power to hex over, her fingers just tightening against his leg in pointed annoyance.

The low sound his throat emitted, the way his mouth pressed against hers with maddening slowness, the taste of pure salt lingering upon his lips, tongue…

It wasn't until the pressing need for air claimed her that she pulled back, only a mere centimeter separating their mouths. Her eyes fluttered open, Kally ignoring the sounds of the creaking, rusted trawler and the insane wizards and witches riding upon it. The sunlight reflected off Harry's glasses with a strange glint, her gaze flickering over him.

"I don't think," she quietly murmured, reaching up and tweaking the frames, "I've ever snogged you when you were wearing those." He'd already explained that Moody had given them to him, but as long as they'd been together he hadn't had glasses.

His glasses had been lost, months back in the Forbidden Forest, in that clearing where she'd almost drowned.

The phoenix tears had all but healed his vision, so there'd never been a pressing need to find them.

Harry's lidded gaze looked half-amused. "What's the matter Kaylens," he challenged, water sloshing over the rail and rolling over the deck, "too geeky for you?"

"Actually," she disclosed, still resting against his chest, both of their heads turned to speak practically against one another's lips, "think I could get into them." Smiling slightly, she murmured in quiet question, "Is that a fetish?"

"If it is not complaining," he promised.

A second later, sea foam rolling by, she found his mouth moving against hers for a short, short moment. Reluctantly Potter pulled away, Kally making a distressed sound. "We've got to figure out," he muttered, lips brushing against hers in speech, "how to keep you from freezing later." The worry in his tone…

"Only froze," she countered, "because we weren't moving for so long." Her fingers tightened around his shirt to give him a pointed tug back down-

"Why Harry," came a kindly voice, "that would be what the wetsuits are for."

They both froze, heads turning to look up at where Dumbledore stood, towering above where they sat on the ground, a bemused smile on his aged face.

"Everyday clothing isn't typically recommended for swimming for a reason after all. It tends to make the wearer even colder and weigh them down, so Arthur took it upon himself to procure some wetsuits when they were making the deal for this boat."

"Warm enough that it might as well be seal skin instead of your own!" Mr. Weasley shouted from several yards off. "That kindly Muggle at the shipyard guaranteed it! Isn't that terribly clever?"

Kally's eyes darted from the red-haired man back to Dumbledore, finding that Harry's arm had merely tightened around her. The look he had fixed the Headmaster with was unreadable, things clearly still strained between the two.

"Guess that was good thinking then," Harry stiffly agreed, his fingers tightening then loosening repeatedly, almost rhythmically, between hers. "The Muggle say how insulating they are?"

"As a seal skin!" Mr. Weasely promised boisterously, ducking a stray spell Dean had hurtled in an attempt to turn Bill's arms into tentacles. The wizard looked only mildly concerned.

"Mmm," Dumbledore affirmed, taking note of his team with a smile, "they ought to suit our purposes quite well, Harry. And though you do appear to look rather comfortable, I would like to borrow you for a moment."

The way Harry stiffened behind her indicated how very displeased he was with that idea, but he grunted an affirmation, dropping his mouth back by her ear to mutter, "Time me."

With that they slowly untangled themselves from one another, Harry rising to follow Dumbledore, leaving Kally to sit right where she was. She tugged the wool blanket up to her chin, still chilled despite the multiple warming charms Harry had been placing upon her. Her eyes followed the two figures as they retreated inside the actual deckhouse, the door thudding behind them, Harry casting a last look back at her.

She fervently hoped no hexing started in there…Potter did have a strange temper on him.

A shadow suddenly came into her view, followed closely by the figure of Arthur Weasley crouching down in front of her, a kindly grin on the man's face as he extended a hand. "Why hello there Kalliandra, I'm Arthur, Ron and Ginny's dad. I don't believe we've had the pleasure of actually chatting before now, but Harry says you grew up with Muggles."

The grin he fixed her with was almost frightening, Kally's eyes widening as she cautiously, very cautiously reached out to shake the wizard's hand.

"I was wondering if you could explain to me the precise operations of a remote control."

Kally blinked several times before realizing he was serious.


Author's Note: Sorry for the longer than typical time between chapters on this one. The next one is being posted tomorrow. It's going to be broken into at least 4 chapters as it's currently a 35,000 + word beast and still in progress, so I have to break it up…

For those interested in the hypothermia part, in water that's 50ish degrees some people, such as those without a lot of body fat or who are not moving around much, can easily get hypothermic and lose consciousness in about 30 minutes. There is a point where a person stops shivering and starts to kind of 'not give a rat's behind about anything currently going on around them.' Sometimes people even strip (no joke) "because" they are so cold. It does all kinds of odd things to people. Again though, please keep in mind that there really is a spectrum of times. Some people could last an hour or more in that kind of water just fine in a similar circumstance, and if someone is wearing a wet suit they're in very good shape.

Onto the reviews! Seriously WOW! You guys blew me away with reviews for the last chapter. Thank you all so much! Seriously…I was sitting by the side of a dirt road in a monsoon with three flat tires when we magically got cell phone reception and I read those while waiting for our portable inflator to do its job. On an aside…off roading is hazardous so if you partake in the activity to "hypothetically" drive down some insane ones to get to remote-ish caves make sure you have multiple spare ties, an air compressor, LOTS of fix a flat, and ways to get yourself out of the situation. Had the hypothetical people in this situation (that were most certainly not my husband and I of cooourse) not been as overly prepared as they were they would have had a long 50 mile walk back to town. Since we, I mean they, were prepared there was no walking and just a lot of mud involved all around.

I replied to reviews by PM, but I'll also add something here. Thank you guys again!

Rachel – I'll have you know that I am still fretting over what you are about to do in YOUR story if you are plotting an evil cliffhanger. Just saying…I'm terrified of what your story will do to poor Kaelix, or Harry, or Draco…since it's you and for all us poor readers know you may be doing something evil to one or all of them. Can I also just say that I about died of laughter at your recommended chapter title for the island chapter? "Harry Potter and the Evil Island That Tried to Kill Us All." HA! I love it! I'm glad that you enjoyed Dean and Ginny's part, it seemed a very 'Ginny-like' thing to do in this situation. Thank you so much for the feedback!

Animelover – I'm so glad that you enjoyed Harry and Kally finally getting some –ahem- alone time and the subsequent dementor attack. I make no promises about heart attacks in the ensuing island chapters, but I'll do my best to 'try' to not kill off the two main characters ((is not grinning evilly at all)). Kally definitely needed to have a 'win' for things attacking her though. Unfortunately she's like Harry and has a very, very bad reaction around dementors and tends to pass out apparently. Alas! Poor girl…it's like the writer has it in for her…Thank you again for the feedback!

D00rFr4m3 – I'm glad that the chillness of this chapter worked out! Thank you so much for the feedback on the dialogue, mixing up the characters, and the 'chillness' of it. I know I replied to you already by PM but seriously I truly appreciate your feedback. Thank you!

Mister Bombadil – Thank you so much for the feedback on the new chapters as compared to the old ones. I'm glad the writing has improved (given when I first started this I had no idea what I was doing that's definitely reassuring to hear)! I can't tell you how much that your review meant so thank you very much!

Tallica000 – WOW! Okay so I think you just reviewed the last half of the story (what's posted at least) in one crazy go! Thank you so much! I'm glad that you were glad to see them finally getting into the Order and were amused by all the snogging. You are correct on the horcruxes each representing not just a piece of Voldemort's soul, but an aspect of his personality (which begs the question…which one did Harry get? (*cackles*).

ArgentRoseSableWolf – I'm so glad that you picked up on the lack of believability for all the Death Eaters being reformed. That's actually addressed in this chapter (well technically the next one but it was a 30,000+ word beast so it was in that writing that it's revealed finally). I'm with you though…if I were one of them I'd have hexed the ex-Death Eaters to hell and back already as I'm fairly distrusting. Thank you so much for the feedback! If Dumbledore had gotten off his 'non-killing high horse' a lot more people would definitely be alive!

CarolWim – Thank you for the feedback – I am working on rewriting the first 12 chapters for that very reason (too melodramatic in a few spots). Not sure about the magic part of your review, as they did use magic there to help find the bodies so maybe I need to make that more obvious in it (sounds like it was missed on the reading so I'm thinking it was probably too subtle), but you are right in that that chapter was depressing since it was meant to be, thus angst. Dead teenagers, dead parents, and angsty stuff isn't everyone's cup of tea though. Thank you for your feedback regardless!