AN: I apologize for the delay, but I am a college student with academic demands. Thank you for all of the reviews and readers! I enjoy your interest so much.

Holly figured she was a bit too excited about the night-time walk to Professor Dumbledore's office. She was walking at a much slower pace than usual and had to stop at the end of every corridor to suck in great, gasping breaths. She could deal with her weak lungs and her wheezy coughs, but she disliked the silent escorts beside her. Madam Pomfrey muttered under her breath, "Ridiculous exertion…Getting old, he is…Don't know what Dumbledore is thinking…"

Severus was nearby, quiet and nearly blending in with the shadows. She wasn't sure how she should feel around him, but the nervous churning in her gut made her both excited and embarrassed. Her embarrassment was tenfold due to her echoing coughs. When Madam Pomfrey offered an arm for support, Holly waved her away and muttered, "I can do it myself."
She struggled through and managed to finally make it to the majestic statue. Severus stepped forward, brushed her elbow to steady her stance, and murmured words too soft for anybody else to hear. The statue sprung aside and he motioned soundlessly at Holly. She stepped forward and locked her knees in place while spots danced within her eye sight. Faintly, she heard Severus dismiss Madam Pomfrey and then they were alone for the first time since his confession the night before.

Holly took a slow breath through her nose, but it did little to steady her shaky stance. She felt the stone steps begin their long ascent, but she was sure the dizziness she felt was from Severus's close proximity and not the spinning stairs. Still, she felt much better once they stepped into Dumbledore's office. She took an unsure step forward and nearly fell, but a firm grip on her left arm steadied her once more.

She gave a strangled nod without meeting Severus's dark eyes. She nearly sighed with relief when she heard Dumbledore's kind voice greet them. "Hello, my dear. And Severus. Please, take a seat. I cannot tell you how pleased I am to see you awake and alert."

Holly stumbled forward and plopped into the big, squishy chair beside Dumbledore's grand desk. Those twinkling blue eyes and kind smile eased a tightness in Holly's chest that she hadn't even noticed before now. Dumbledore held out a jar and offered lemon drops, which Holly took out of politeness. She sucked on the sour candy and made a funny expression, which made Dumbledore let out a sparkling laugh. He stated, "I have been told lemon drops are an acquired taste."

He turned his blue eyes to Severus and asked numerous questions about Holly's health. She tuned in and out of that boring conversation, mostly sucking on her lemon drop and catching her breath. Several minutes passed before Holly heard a statement that caught her full attention.

"If you could, Severus," Dumbledore said, "Allow me a few moments to discuss private matters with young Holly."

Holly's head snapped toward Severus and she watched with attentive eyes. The man wore no expression, but his lips tightened at the corners by the smallest degree. His dark eyes remained as fathomless as usual, but his sharp chin went up by just half an inch. He was annoyed, of that Holly was sure. He met and held her eyes for an extended moment before he curtly nodded and strode from the room. The familiar sound of his billowing robes made her smile slightly.

She looked back and felt a jolt of something unexplainable. This was an elusive feeling that usually came when she was in the presence of Albus Dumbledore. It wasn't quite comfortable, but neither was it an uncomfortable feeling. It was like staring into the eyes of the one person you never wanted to disappoint and knowing that you would inevitably disappoint him anyway. Holly wondered if other kids felt the same warmth with the ones they didn't want to disappoint. She also wondered if they felt the same amount of cold creeping up their backs when they looked around and realized those disappointments were coming forward faster and faster.

She gulped and broke the long pause by saying, "The locket is a horcrux, right, sir? It is what we are after?"

The older wizard offered a brief smile before saying, "It is, my child. You did magnificently."

Weight slipped off of her shoulders and she felt her sore body relax. She felt grim satisfaction as she asked, "Have you destroyed it, sir?"

Dumbledore shook his head and said, "It will be taken care of in time."
Holly blinked, digested the information and suddenly remembered a fleeting and blurry memory. She gasped and said, "Sir! A cup. Voldemort made a golden cup into a horcrux."

The man's eyes were sharp and at odds with his calm voice as he asked, "Do you know where it is, Holly?"

She shook her head quickly and rambled excitedly, "The vision was too quick, but I remember his hand around the cup. It was a golden chalice of sorts."

"A chalice, you say?" Dumbledore whispered quietly to himself before saying, "May I ask when you had this vision?"

"The night that I went for the locket." She replied, "You were gone and Voldemort might have felt me entering his mind, so I had to get to the locket."

There was a long moment of silence before Dumbledore asked, "Do you believe he had access to your mind, my girl?"

Slowly, Holly shook her head. "No, sir. If he had known, he would have gone to the cave instantly, right? He would have gone straight for the locket. To protect it."

Dumbledore nodded and said, "You have done very well, Holly. However, I must ask you not to put yourself into harm's way again. If you have any pain in your scar, if there are any situations that occur, I give you full permission to find me immediately without need of informing my faculty."

Holly nodded once more.

Dumbledore's blue eyes were as steady as an iron-clad mountain. His lips turned up into a gentle smile as he said, "I am afraid I must ask even more of you than before."

Holly sat up straighter in her chair. Her breathing was no longer labored and she felt steadier knowing that progress was being made.

She asked, "What do you need, sir?"

"I wish to keep our hunt for horcruxes a necessary secret from Severus."

Her heart dropped to the bottom of her stomach. She swallowed silently.

Dumbledore slowly explained, "This is war, my girl, and I have full confidence that we can end this if you are on our side. You are linked to Tom through the scar on your forehead. He marked you as his equal that fateful night in October. You have thwarted him and lived to tell about it unlike all others. Because of this, I believe you are the best chance we have at destroying horcruxes and Voldemort himself. Severus is important to this war and has always been on my side, but he has become profoundly protective of you. If he were to know that you and I were in search of such Dark Magic, he would use whatever means necessary to make sure you remained safe."

Dumbledore gave Holly a look that shot straight through her before quietly saying, "He would even combat his magic against my own to guarantee your safety, if he felt that is what needed to be done."

Holly let out a gasp and stuttered, "S-Sir, no. He wouldn't do that."

Dumbledore gave the strangest smile and softly said, "Ah, but he would, my girl. I know Severus much better, and for much longer, than you. He would die for you. He would kill for you. Think of the way he fought during the Battle of the Ministry. Think of every way he subtly kept you safe from Dolores Umbridge."

Holly's heart was hammering in her chest and the weight that had slipped away from her shoulders was back with full force. She felt a cold sweat breaking out across her forehead and she bent her head, allowing her eyes to stare blankly at the floor. She wanted to block Dumbledore's voice out, but couldn't move.

"Do you remember the fire while you were underwater in the cave?"

Holly felt dizzy as she nodded and crossed her arms over her stomach. The older wizard patiently explained, "That was Fiendfyre. It is an extremely powerful and unpredictable branch of Dark Magic. Most do not have a magical core strong enough to conjure Fiendfyre, much less control it. Severus is the only wizard I know of that has managed to successfully conjure Fiendfyre underwater."

Holly slowly looked up and asked roughly, "Why are you telling me this, sir?"

Dumbledore's face was oddly somber as he replied, "Severus protects what he cares for with a ferocity and loyalty beyond mortal men. You know this, my girl, and I am only here to remind you. I am here to help you see why it would be a danger to him, and to the outcome of this war, if he were to stop us from finding and destroying horcruxes."

Holly nodded, but her head felt as if were hollow. She whispered, "I won't tell him about this, sir. I will keep it a secret."
Dumbledore gave a wistful smile and said, "Good girl. Severus is under the impression that the locket is the only horcrux and I wish to keep it that way."

Holly nodded once more before slowly climbing to her feet. Her heart was thudding painfully as she asked, "Are we done now, sir?"

"Yes, my girl." Dumbledore smiled and his blue eyes twinkled once more. He chuckled, "I daresay you are well enough to return to your classes starting tomorrow. I will inform your teachers that you are to be given extra time to walk to and from each classroom."

Holly nodded blankly before leaving the office. It wasn't until she was safely tucked into her bed in the Gryffindor dormitories that she realized Dumbledore's last laugh hadn't filled her with warmth as it usually did.

The next week passed in a surreal, yet painful way. Most of her time was taken up by stressful classroom adventures and challenging walks across the castle. Her evenings were spent analyzing unbelievable amounts of homework while spending Tuesday and Thursday observing D.A. meetings from the sidelines. The curious questions and jovial greetings were met with deaf ears. Holly couldn't halt the ever-pressing questions regarding Voldemort. Every face she saw made hot tears sting the back of her eyelids. She couldn't help but wonder how many people Voldemort would torture, enslave, and kill before he died. Could she really kill him? She didn't see how.

The anxiety would increase to unmanageable levels by nightfall. She would toss and turn fitfully in bed. When she did finally fall asleep, she would wake in cold sweats. Half the time she felt bony fingers dragging her to a cold, watery grave. The other half of the time she stared into the eyes of pure evil and listened to its high-pitched laughter as green light took her last breath. Friday evening eventually came and Holly found herself sitting beside Hermione and Ron. Both were looking almost as tired as she was. Both were in better spirits, though, so she was glad for their sake.

"Try a bit of creamed potatoes, Holiday." Ron scooped up a large heap and splattered it on Holly's empty plate. She offered a tired smile and mindlessly spooned glops into her mouth. She was sipping on a glass of Pumpkin juice Hermione had poured for her when Hedwig came swooping down from the rafters. Holly felt a faint stirring of joy at seeing her beautiful snowy owl in flight. Fleetingly, Holly wondered how free it must feel to be a bird.

"Hey, Hedwig." She murmured as the owl landed. She untied the letter from around the owl's delicate leg and softly pet Hedwig's tail feathers. She unrolled the parchment as Hedwig ate tiny bites of potatoes off of nearby plates. The letter was fairly short and smudged, but Holly felt the first ray of light shine through. The letter read: Holly, we wished so badly to see you before we left. Dumbledore has assured us repeatedly that you are healing perfectly well. Of course, we want to hear all about this ridiculous adventure when we return. We have finished what was asked of us and are on the journey back. Unsafe to say more. With love. Snuffles and Moony.

The signatures on the letter were somehow the last in a very long line of building blocks. Holly abruptly stood and briskly made her way out of the Great Hall. She was just coming down the stone steps when hot tears began to fall. She inhaled, but her throat was tight and still healing; she let out a rough sob. With shaking hands, Holly folded the letter and carefully slipped it into the pocket of her robes. She wiped at the tears, but more only took their place. She walked blindly, unsure of where to go.

She rounded the corner, making her way out to a courtyard hardly used during the winter months. The first snow fall had happened two days before and a fine powder about an inch thick was lining all still objects. She crossed the courtyard and plopped down in a darkened corner. She took a breath of the crisp air and wiped at the stinging tears. Blinking rapidly, she looked up at the endlessly dark sky. The moon was just a sliver of silvery-white; she wondered how Remus had felt after the last full moon. What were he and Sirius doing? Why was it a secret? Were they safe wherever they were? What would happen to them if they weren't safe?

She pulled her knees up to her chest and tucked her head as far underneath her cloak as she could. The sharp air bit and nipped at her as she sniffled quietly. Tears came fewer and fewer as she fought away swirling, silent questions. Sometime later, she heard the faint sound of echoing laughter and thudding footsteps. Still, she never moved. She had no desire to be surrounded by kids acting carefree. Laughing. Smiling and joking. Worrying about exams and marks. A day from now, a month from now, a year from now, they could all be dead. Would Voldemort spare the students of Hogwarts? The best of the magical future?

Choking on another sob, Holly squeezed her eyes tightly shut. She heard no noise for quite a while until she felt a sudden unease in her stomach. She took a deep breath, held it, and listened. Her folded hand slowly crept toward her pocketed wand. Inch by inch, she pulled her wand from underneath her robe. Her heart was thumping as she abruptly jumped up and harshly shouted, "Reveal."

The shadows began to recede rapidly, but a flashing blue light deflected her spell. She held her ground, mouth halfway open in preparation to cast a defensive spell, yet all irritation fled when Severus stepped out of the shadows with a raised eyebrow. His black eyes raked across Holly's figure in an intense way. Holly knew he was automatically calculating the situation. That was a very Severus thing to do.

She lowered her wand as he stated, "I see that Flitwick has managed to properly teach you a Revealing Charm."

Holly felt awkward and entirely too aware of her tear-stained face. She pocketed her wand and mumbled, "I doubt my casting is all that great."

"On the contrary…" Severus remarked quietly.

"I have managed to catch up on my Charms assignments."

Severus took measured steps forward and asked, "Why are you sitting outside by yourself?"

She wondered if he was purposely not mentioning the tears in her eyes. She sniffled and mumbled, "I thought a little air would do me good."

He tilted his head just slightly and said, "You have not been allowed to fly."

Holly blinked. She muttered, "Uh, what?"

His face showed annoyance as he curtly explained, "Flying. You wish to fly."

Holly blinked again and realized that he was right. In times of stress, flying was always her reliever. There was nothing that came as easily and as peacefully to her as flying on a broomstick. She glanced up at the night sky once more and watched stars shine brightly. She whispered, "Yes. I guess you are right."

"Come with me, Miss-" He stopped abruptly before repeating, "Come with me, Holly. I will do my best to allow a slower pace due to your injuries."

No other thought crossed her mind except to follow him. Holly didn't know much of anything, but she did know that if Severus told her to follow, she would follow. Always. She immediately noticed that he did shorten his long-legged stride to match her pace. The silence was comfortable, although Holly grew more and more curious as the minutes passed. The corridors were empty of students and chilly drafts were blowing through the ground-level of the castle. Severus raised his wand into the air as they finally came onto the open grounds. He waved and cast a wordless spell, but Holly saw no sparks, flames, lights, or lightening.

Frowning, she continued to follow him until they skirted across the lower grounds. It took another minute before she questioned, "Are we heading toward the Pitch?"

She swore she saw the slight twitch of his lips, as if he might smile, before she was distracted by a familiar whistling sound. She turned around and blinked as a broomstick came to a standstill, waist high, beside her. The broomstick was immaculately clean and sleek. A Firebolt. Her Firebolt. She turned to him and openly stared. The silence stretched onward until Severus raised an arm and gestured to the shadowy field behind him. He quietly said, "I give you permission to fly."

Instinctively, Holly gripped the handle. She kept looking at him as she murmured, "What about…?"

"Your injuries are no longer grave." He replied evenly, "A simple ride around a Quidditch Pitch will not cause any foreseeable problems."

Her heart lunged in her chest as she slowly mounted the broom. Hovering inches above the grass, she gave him a smile. It was the first genuine smile he had seen on her face in a week. She glanced at the darkness above and below. She felt the coldness seeping into her bones.

"Will you stay?" She asked.

His deep voice was even and steadied her as nothing else could. "Yes. I will watch from here. I will signal when it is time to retire to the castle."

With anticipation bubbling within her stomach, Holly shot off at speed which made Severus worry. He stood where he was, silent. The temptation to watch her fly was nearly overwhelming, but he resisted and scouted the grounds for danger. Many minutes passed while he used all his senses to search for sight, sound, smell, or magical indications. Satisfied, Severus allowed his gaze to finally find her.

She was beautiful. Her hair was whipping behind her like a glossy banner of satin. Her silhouette was slim and tiny, yet he knew those hands and body were stronger than most. Her speed was incredible; none her age could fly so fast or so well. Severus was positive that it was taking all of her will power not to swoop, dive, plummet, loop about, or otherwise perform tricks. Holly was a Gryffindor at heart and did not mind showing off her talents or taking unwise risks. For whatever reason, she decided to forego risks tonight.

He watched her zoom about for another ten minutes before lighting his wand up with a silent Lumos. She finished her final lap before lazily descending. When she landed, Severus took a moment, only a moment, to simply look at her. Her willowy build was stunning in the soft glow of his wand. Her hair was windblown and tangled, yet it captured his attention. Her lips were redder than usual, perhaps chapped and irritated from the cold air. He had a weak second while thinking of those lips before he abruptly turned away and demanded, "Let us return to the castle. It is much too cold for you out here."
She followed at his heels and he forced himself to walk slower for her benefit. He mentally told himself there was no need, but he walked her all the way to the portrait of the Fat Lady. She looked nervous now, which Severus found both amusing and painfully uncomfortable. He murmured, "Goodnight. I will speak with Headmaster Dumbledore, so you may be allotted supervised times to fly."

Holly blinked and Severus was instantly captured by her emerald eyes. Her cheeks were flushed, but he was fairly sure that was due to the cold. Holly asked, "Do you have time to help me with our recent assignment this weekend?"
Severus thought of the dozens of essays waiting to be graded and the faculty meeting tomorrow afternoon. He said, "Yes. Come by my classroom after lunch."

The smile she gave him was enough to cancel out any annoyance he felt toward the dreaded faculty meeting. As he walked off, Holly was absolutely sure she had seen his lips twitch into a near smile.

AN: I would love to hear from each of you. Thank you.