Holly knew Mrs. Weasley was irritated. From what she could understand, Dumbledore had not provided Mrs. Weasley with adequate answers. The debacle with Sirius and Remus was a mystery to most, although Holly knew Bill was completely aware of the why behind Sirius's constant bad mood. More often than not, Sirius sulked in the Black Library with a squat-glass filled with brandy in his hand. If he wasn't there, then he was silently holed up in his bedroom. On the night of her seventeenth birthday, Mrs. Weasley and Sirius dropped their negativity long enough to quietly sing Happy Birthday to her. Mr. Weasley had looked almost relieved at the end of the night, after chocolate cake and milk, when Sirius disappeared and Mrs. Weasley went to knit in the sitting room. Holly knew she had been more than willing to escape to a bedroom and discuss things with her friends.

The only time Holly saw Sirius regularly was during their dueling sessions, which occurred every evening. Sometimes, Holly would bring Ron and Hermione in to duel as well. Ginny was still forbidden by an irate Mrs. Weasley, so Holly and the others taught Ginny anything new as soon as they were done with Sirius. About once a week, Remus showed up to offer them a tidbit of information regarding Dark Creatures. One time, after a secret Order meeting in the kitchen, Remus brought a battered book and handed it to Holly during dinner. She passed it to an eager Hermione before dinner was over.

It turned out to be a handy guide on Britain's most notoriously venomous animals and how to concoct antidotes for the venom. The next morning, Hermione promptly handed the book back with a sorrowed look. The spidery hand-writing in the corner cover was instantly recognizable. Only three words were there to be seen: For Holly Potter. She contemplated burning the book, but kept it on her nightstand instead. It was on a day in mid-August that there was a series of rapping on the front door.

All four teenagers shared a glance before hopping up and poking their heads out of the kitchen, where they had been peeling potatoes for Mrs. Weasley, who was scrubbing pots and arguing with the nasty House-elf, Kretcher. Mrs. Weasley came out of the kitchen and demanded, "Get back into the sitting room."

Reluctantly, they all obeyed. Mrs. Weasley put up a Shield Charm, but thankfully didn't close the door. Holly was relieved that all three of her friends held their wands in their hand, poised at their sides. Mrs. Weasley asked, "Who is it?"

"Bill." The deep reply was muffled through the door and Wards.

"Which of your brothers fell out an apple tree and broke his right arm and ankle at six years old?"

There was a chuckle, "Trick question. Both Fred and George fell out. Fred broke his right arm and George broke his left ankle. Uh, well, it might have been the other way around. No, it was definitely Fred with a broken arm and George an ankle."

Mrs. Weasley waved her wand and pulled her eldest son into the hallway. She shut the door, putting the Wards back into place. She asked, "What brings you here? You're a bit early for dinner."

"I took off early today." Bill sighed, "Desk work is boring."

Mrs. Weasley tutted, "It's certainly safer. If not for this war…"

"Mum," Bill quietly said, "I have something important to tell you."

There was a pause and then Mrs. Weasley impatiently asked, "Well, what is it? Is everyone okay? Your father?"

"He's fine, Mum." Bill said, hands tucked in his pockets. He said, "I've married Fleur just this morning."

Holly heard Ron and Ginny gasp from behind her. She glanced at them, catching wide eyes. Ron looked on in disbelief while Ginny was fuming with anger. Hermione flinched at the looks on both their faces and gave Holly a pained expression. Holly quickly turned to face the hallway when Mrs. Weasley spoke tightly.

"You married?" Mrs. Weasley huffed, "This morning at the Ministry, you officially married Fleur Delacour?"

"Weasley." Bill murmured softly, "Fleur Weasley."

The look on Mrs. Weasley's face was pure irritation, but the tears welling in her dark blue eyes were what made Holly feel uncomfortable. The older witch's voice caught on a sob as she replied, "I-I haven't even met her but the once. You didn't know her then."

"I know, Mum." Her eldest son spoke gently, "I want you to know her. With things the way they are right now, I can't just walk into Headquarters with her on my arm. Her parents have provided financial support to allies here in Britain during the First War. She knows of Voldemort and she knows I'm part of the Order. She's met with Dumbledore before and we plan to meet with him again at the end of the week. I'm hoping she will be inducted soon."

"William, are you absolutely sure of this?" Mrs. Weasley spoke in a hard voice despite her watering eyes. "Marriage is a life-long commit. You've known her for such a short time. Just because there is darkness on the horizon doesn't mean-"

"I love her." Bill's voice was firm and cool now. "I tried telling you once before and you ignored me. I love her and I would have married her regardless of the war."

Mrs. Weasley sniffled and her face pulled tight as if pinched. She took a deep breath and curtly said, "I see you've made up your mind. The least you could have done was let me be there for the ceremony. I only have one eldest son, you know."

Bill shook his head and sighed, "It had to be done quietly and quickly. We want a wedding ceremony. I'm hoping after all of this is over one can be planned properly. I know Fleur would like that."

"Witnesses must be present." Mrs. Weasley fretted, "Did you include Order members? Merlin, Bill, you must be careful. If the wrong people find out about her, she could be in very real danger for taking our name. I hate to say it, but we are at the front of this war, whether we like it or not."

"Dad and Charlie were my witnesses. Dumbledore officiated in his office." Bill replied, "I'm not an idiot, Mum. Stop worrying about me so much. I told Dad in person last week and I made sure to correspond in code with Charlie. He planned it out with his boss and came in this morning. He just left through International Port Key, personally made by Kingsley, an hour ago."

Mrs. Weasley rolled her eyes and mumbled, "Of course, your father knew."

"Don't be upset." Bill let out a deep sigh, "I wanted you to be there, but you've been set against me marrying Fleur since I spoke of it. This situation isn't right, but marrying her is. Mum, I'd like for you to trust me to know what's best for me."

"Oh, Bill." She sniffled, "Of course, of course. I just worry."

He gave a charming, handsome smile that had even Holly's heart fluttering a bit in her chest. Bill replied, "Fleur is an incredible person. She truly is."

Mrs. Weasley looked as if she wasn't too sure about that, but she pressed her lips together and hussled down the hallway. She waved her wand, releasing the teenagers from their confined Shield in the sitting room. She said, "Come along. All of you can help with supper. There's going to be plenty of people here this evening."

"Another meeting?" Ron asked eagerly.

Mrs. Weasley gave him a narrow-eyed glance. She said, "Yes. One for the adults and most certainly not for nosey children. Peel and dice these potatoes while I fix Bill a quick sandwich."

Ron rolled his eyes as they entered the kitchen and muttered, "We have to slave over the food and haven't even had lunch. Bill goes nuts and marries a foreigner behind Mum's back and he gets a sandwich."

Ginny reached for a knife and dangerously began chopping. Hermione sat beside her and cautiously grabbed a secondary knife, evenly cutting potatoes. Holly nudged Ron and the two grabbed handfuls of dirty potatoes. They stood side-by-side at the sink, scrubbing with fresh cloths, watching the water swirl brown down the sink. Holly whispered, "At least we can have mashed potatoes and gravy for dinner. It's one of your favorites."

Ron eyed her oddly and asked, "Are you trying to make me feel better?"

"Yes." She mumbled, cheeks blushing as she reached for yet another potato.

He snorted and replied, "Mashed potatoes won't fix this."

Holly glanced toward the far end of the table where Mrs. Weasley was sitting across from Bill, asking him strained questions about his new wife. Bill was politely eating a ham and cheese sandwich while nodding his head.

Holly turned back to the task at hand before saying, "I saw apples in a bowl in the cupboard. I wonder if she's making apple pie."

Ron chuckled, "Apple pie is more your thing than mine."

Holly raised an eyebrow and skeptically asked, "Are you trying to tell me that you don't love apple pie? Your Mum's apple pie and homemade vanilla ice cream?"

Ron groaned dramatically, "You've done it now. I really want dessert."

Holly giggled and handed him a scrubbed potato, which he carelessly chunked in a bowl on the countertop. They carried on for some time, just the two of them scrubbing and peeling potatoes. Occasionally, Ron would lift the heavy bowl and bring it to the table, where Ginny and Hermione dutifully cut the potatoes. After Bill bid them all farewell and gave his mother a hug, he left with a promise to attend the Order meeting later that night.

Once the potatoes were cubed, Mrs. Weasley sent them Levitating into a large pot of boiling water. She said, "Ginny, Hermione, would the two of you be dears and slice those vegetables for me?"

The two set to work, although Holly noticed a frown between Ginny's eyes. It seemed as if the announcement of Bill's marriage was really bothering her, but Holly said nothing because the Weasleys were family and she was not one of them. She decided, as she swept up a pile of potato skins, that she wouldn't bring up Bill's wife unless asked by one of her friends. It was at this time, between stirring multiple steaming pots and helping the girls chop vegetables, that Sirius walked into the kitchen. His face was drawn, dark shadows playing under his eyes, but he offered a wan smile. His gray eyes darted around the room before he greeted, "Hello. Molly, that smells nice. Beef stew, is it? Fresh yeast rolls? Green beans and potatoes?"

"You know," Ginny stopped chopping celery long enough to glance his way with an amused expression, "You really do have a keen sense of smell."

Mrs. Weasley kept her back to Sirius as she stirred the pots on the stovetop. She curtly said, "Thank you, Sirius. Do sit down. Have a cup of tea. I've just made a fresh pot. Lemon biscuits are in the tin just there."

Sirius came to sit at the kitchen table, where Holly had a large wooden board filled with chopped herbs. He asked, "What are you making?"

"I think this is for the vegetable soup." She replied cautiously, eyeing her Godfather curiously. "She's making beef stew and fresh bread, too."

Holly's stomach promptly growled and Sirius chuckled, stirring his tea and bringing the cup to his lips. He asked, "Hungry, are you?"

"Didn't get lunch." She muttered with a shrug.

He sighed quietly, "I don't mean to make you uncomfortable."

Holly set her knife aside and looked at the tabletop. She shrugged again and said, "I'm the one making you uncomfortable lately, I think."

There was a pause. The tinkling of a spoon in a pot could be heard. Whispers between Ginny and Hermione were occurring. Mrs. Weasley was telling Ron to find a container of cinnamon from the spice rack. Holly glanced up, meeting gray eyes. Sirius was frowning deeply, looking intensely at her. He said, "You don't make me uncomfortable at all, Hols."

Holly muttered, "I do. You're acting…strange. Disappearing a lot."

Sirius sighed, "It's my way of dealing with my problems. It isn't exactly healthy, but sometimes you just need a quiet place to yourself. Or a room full of noise and people."

She nodded and reached for a cup of tea he had just poured for her. She added sugar and cream, stirring for a moment. Holly mumbled, "I still made you angry."

"No, love." Sirius quietly corrected, "Other people in our lives have made me angry. Holly, there's so many who were meant to protect you and have failed to do so a thousand times. I'm one of them."

Holly felt too hot and she knew her face was flushed. She cleared her throat and muttered, "You told me war isn't safe. Nobody is safe. That isn't your fault, Sirius."

He took a gulp of his tea and set the cup down a bit harder than necessary. He asked, "Would you be up for learning a nifty Hex your father taught me?"

Holly grinned, nodding quickly. Sirius smiled brightly this time and gestured toward the door. Holly followed on his heels happily.

After a few hours spent in the lounge next to Sirius's bedroom, Holly was sweaty and very hungry. The Jinx, one discovered by James Potter in his Fifth Year, made the intended grow antlers out of their head. Anteoculatia Hex. It was rather painful and gory, so Sirius had Transfigured a wooden table into a lop-sided Death Eater made of straw. He had grinned and said, "Your dad was the Transfigurations genius. Not me."

It had taken the better part of an hour before Holly successfully casted the Hex. She had not been prepared, and had been rather surprised, when straw burst out of the dummy's head, a set of sharp antlers sitting grandly atop its head. Eyes wide, she had stared at Sirius for a long moment. He replied, "There's a reason this is categorized as a Hex. It can do damage, usually superficial cuts to the head, nausea and vomiting, and a nasty headache. The effects last roughly ten hours, if the counter spell is not preformed."

Holly blinked at him. Sirius sighed and whispered, "War. Don't ever forget that war means death, Holly. I've been teaching you as best I can. This spell is child's play in comparison to what Death Eaters can do. I know you understand that."

She sniffed and mumbled, "Guess this isn't so bad. After all, I used an Unforgivable at fifteen. Bet my dad didn't do that."

Sirius sighed, putting a warm hand on her shoulder. He looked her in the eye and slowly said, "We all do things we don't want to do. Your father was no exception."

She frowned and asked, "He used Unforgivables?"

"We were Aurors." Sirius reminded her gently, "We use all manner of weapons at our disposal, especially against Dark wizards hell-bent on murdering our people."

She nodded, wistfully staring at the now torn dummy. She raised her wand, firmly calling out the spell and watching another set of antlers violently burst through the straw. She swallowed heavily and asked, "Why do you hate Snape?"

Sirius froze midway to using a Repairing Charm on the fabric of the dummy. His head turned her way, gray eyes dark and unfocused. He shook his head and curtly said, "Snape was a nasty, rude, arrogant coward when we were boys. He lied, cheated, and attacked when it suited him. He hated everyone, especially anyone who disagreed with his ideals. The only exception he ever seemed to make was with your mother. She offered him friendship and he threw it in her face. I see no difference in him now."

Holly turned to face away from her Godfather, absent-mindedly casting defensive spells at the wall. A long time passed before she asked, "He was friends with Mum in school? For how long?"

"They met when they were kids." Sirius spoke reluctantly, "Before Hogwarts."

Holly cast a Shield Charm, watching the blue-white light cast a glow over the room. She kept staring at the wall, looking at past scorch marks. She said, "You told me that he humiliated her."

"Yes," Sirius's voice was angry and sorrowed all at once. "It was the end of our Fifth Year after exams. We, your father and I, were having a go at Snape. A few days before, he had caught James with a Tripping Jinx at the top of a staircase. If I hadn't caught him, your father could have broken his neck. We were retaliating when Lily came forward. She was angry, you see, because Snape was her best mate. Search me as to why, but she liked the git. When she stood up for him, Snape got angry. Embarrassed, maybe. He called her a…a Mudblood. There was no stopping James after that. Hell, there was no stopping me. The fighting only got worse from then on."

Holly faced him, watching a plethora of emotions run across his face. She asked, "They weren't friends after that, right?"

"No." Sirius gritted his teeth and explained tightly, "He had Death Eater buddies. Avery. Crabbe. Mulciber. Wilkes. Malfoy, even, until the git graduated ahead of us. It was a sore point between Lily and Snape from the beginning. My younger brother even joined in with that crowd once he came to Hogwarts, hanging onto those slimy creeps like heroes. I saw Snivullus trailing after Lily like a hurt puppy for a while, but she was furious. Never gave him the time of day again. Good for her, I always said. Damn good for her."

Holly glanced at him and her expression had Sirius saying, "We weren't on the best of terms with Lily for many years. We were in the same House, stayed in the same Common Room, went to the same classes, but we only spoke to her in passing or when she was in a more cheerful mood, which wasn't often with James and I around. Something changed in Sixth Year, though."

"What do you mean? Changed?" Holly asked, frowning slightly. Her wand was held limply at her side now, dueling long forgotten.

"Lily was friends with Remus from the start." Sirius explained gently, "We shared a dorm with Remus, but we didn't know him well First Year. He was shy and quiet and quite the pushover. We saw him with Lily at meals and occasionally in the library. Both Remus and your Mum were raised with Muggles. He was a real bookworm and shared that trait with Lily, too. Both took Ancient Runes together, which James and I certainly didn't. They tutored First Years at times. Much later, in Fifth Year, they became Prefects."

"Even after we learned Remus's secret and became best mates in Second Year, Lily still had little to do with James and me while preferring Remus and her girlfriends to us. We had friends in common, though, like Remus, Frank, Alice and Mary. When we were all together, James would always try to catch your Mum's attention, even at eleven years old. She would ignore him or fight with him, but that was it. Come Sixth Year, we all kept running into each other without the terrible arguing that had been our usual. Lily seemed changed to me. Mellower. Calmer. Sadder, really. She would find us and offer to study, which your father was keen to do if it would score him any time with her. It just evolved into love then and family after our school days."

Holly faintly smiled. She whispered, "Mum and Remus were friends first. That fits, somehow, in the picture I have in my head."

Sirius rubbed her shoulder comfortingly. He said, "Your Mum was kind to everyone until they pushed her too far. She had a sixth sense about people in need and she fought hard to be their friend. She was the best woman in my life, Holly. She didn't care about my faults, only helping me. It's a blessing and curse I think you might have inherited."

Holly wasn't sure, but she felt like Sirius was warning her. She swallowed and stepped away from his hand. She mumbled, "Thanks for talking."

She lied in bed that night, so consumed with her own thoughts that she didn't bother trying to ease-drop on the secret Order meeting occurring downstairs. Ginny and Hermione returned at half past ten o'clock to inform her they heard nothing. Ginny had grumbled, "Imperturbable Charm on the door."

After the other two had gone to bed, Holly stared at the ceiling. Shadows danced and spiders crawled. A cold, oily voice whispered repeatedly: First the mother and now the daughter. First the mother and now the daughter. First the mother and now the daughter.

The next week and a half of August passed in a darkened blur. No matter what Holly did, those lingering words echoed in the back of her mind. She spent time sluggishly reading through ancient tomes Hermione thought might be helpful with Horcrux hunting. She crouched at the base of the stairs, straining her ears in an attempt to overhear anything of importance when Order members met in the kitchen. Holly and the others dueled with Sirius, sparring against each other in frenzied rushes while Sirius barked instruction. Remus was around very little now, but he did show up with Tonks for an entire day once. They had their pockets full of textbooks, parchment, quills, ink wells, potions kits, and owl treats. It had taken a good hour to sort through what supplies went to each teenager.

That afternoon had been a pleasant one that did well for distracting Holly from her horrid thoughts, if only for a few hours. She had laughed with Tonks and Ginny, playing Exploding Snap in the sitting room. The laughter had died a quick death when Remus had quietly informed everybody that shops in Diagon Alley were closing down. The raids from Death Eaters had increased dramatically and most noticed that only Pureblood establishments were left alone. Of the few remaining, Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes was the only one maintaining decent sales.

Holly laid in bed that night, stomach rolling horribly as she kept picturing the worried looks Ron and Ginny had shared. More than once, Ron's shoulders had tensed and he had scowled. He didn't even eat dessert, chocolate mousse and whipped cream, which had sent Holly into a near panic. Mrs. Weasley had discreetly wiped tears from her eyes more than once. As the group had shuffled up the stairs to head to their bedrooms, all heard Mrs. Weasley's muffled sobs and the strained tones as Mr. Weasley tried to console his wife from a nearby sitting room, one rarely used.

"It's alright, Molly." Mr. Weasley whispered, "The twins are intelligent and capable young men. They're doing wonderfully."

"T-They'll be killed in their beds, Arthur." Mrs. Weasley sobbed, "They're children. Nineteen years old and thinking they're invincible."

Mr. Weasley paused before saying, "I will stop by the shop tomorrow."

"Convince them, Arthur." Mrs. Weasley's voice trembled, "Convince them to close shop and go into hiding until this is over. They're targets, Arthur. Our sons are targeted as you well know. They won't listen to me, but they might with you."

Ginny had let out a squeak, pressing herself tightly to Ron's shoulder. His big hands had awkwardly patted her back. She whispered, "Mum's right. We should all be together. Keeping the shop open isn't worth their lives."

Mrs. Weasley and Ginny's words stayed with Holly all of her last night in Grimmauld Place. The morning of September first was restless and tense. Remus, Tonks, Moody, and Dumbledore showed up at just after eleven o'clock in the morning. Holly noticed instantly that Dumbledore looked exhausted. His skin was paler than normal and he seemed to have more lines than usual on his usually pleasant face. The sleeves of his powder-blue robes were longer than usual, covering all but the tips of his fingers. After a rushed breakfast, Holly found herself staring at his withered fingertips. He no longer had fingernails on his Cursed hand. She saw Hermione glance at the Headmaster's fingers more than once, too.

"Are you all prepared?" He asked and Holly was relieved his voice was strong and sturdy. The four students were lined at the edge of the staircase, crammed in the main hallway leading to the front door. Sirius was standing just behind Holly on the stairs, palms cupping her shoulders.

"Ron, you haven't forgotten your socks, have you?" Mrs. Weasley worriedly asked as she came hurrying out of the first floor wash room. She folded a navy-blue cloak, passing it to Ginny. She patted her daughter's cheek and said, "Here you are. I managed to get the syrup stain out of the fabric."

"Thanks, Mum." Ginny said, leaning up to kiss her mother's cheek.

Holly answered Dumbledore by saying, "I think we're ready, sir."

"Excellent." He nodded, eyes twinkling. "We will be Apparating. For safety reasons, I would like each of you with an Order member at all times. We will appear just outside of the castle's gates. I ask that you stay close to your assigned member."

He waited until each of the four nodded. Mrs. Weasley passed out a wrapped sandwich to each teenager, all of whom stuffed their food into cloak pockets. Mrs. Weasley offered hugs, lingering a bit longer than usual with each child. Dumbledore said, "Remus with Hermione. Tonks with Ginny. Alastor with Ron. I, myself, will Apparate with you, Holly."

After another round of emotional farewells, Dumbledore cleared his throat and said, "We must be going, Molly. All able hands need to be at the train station in Hogsmeade in a few hours to gather the students."

"Of course, of course." Mrs. Weasley stepped out of the way as each adult offered their arm to their assigned student. Tonks and Ginny were the first out of the door. Last was Dumbledore and Holly. She whirled around, hugging Sirius around the middle and breathing in his spice and leather scent. He put his chin to the top of her head and whispered, "Try to have fun. Give McGonagall a hard time once in a while. Play Quidditch and kick some arse. I'll see you at Christmas, if not sooner."

Holly pulled back and asked quickly, "Are you coming to Hogwarts?"

Sirius patted her shoulder and said, "I might manage it once or twice, if I can."

She shook her head and replied, "I'd rather you stay safe. I'll stick to what I told you, Sirius. I promise."

He gave an odd, twisted smile before murmuring, "I know you will. Your word is worth its weight in gold…like somebody else I knew."

Dumbledore quietly said, "We must be going."

"Bye, Sirius. Bye, Mrs. Weasley. I'll write to you both." Holly whirled around, carefully touching Dumbledore's forearm. They walked out the door, stepping onto the first stone step before disappearing with a thundering pop.

AN: I will update next weekend. I can say I am finally writing the big ending of this story as of today, 27 of Jan. 2020, although all of you are currently reading chapters far behind the actual ending. Once I officially write the last scene, I will begin updating daily. Hope you are enjoying. Thank you.